Reasons Why People Use the Internet

What is the Internet, and how does it work? The Internet, including the World Wide Web, is perhaps the single most important invention to impact on elementary, secondary, and higher education in today's world. If parents are to understand how their children use technologies for learning, they must understand some things about the Internet and the Web. This section of the San Diego Public Library site offers information for parents on various aspects of this invention. What is the Internet? The Internet, in simplest terms, is the large group of millions of computers around the world that are all connected to one another. These computers are connected by phone lines, fiber optic lines, coaxial cable, satellites, and wireless connections. When you log on to the Internet you are given access to many of the other computers that are connected around the world. Internet A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support email. Top 10 Reasons People Use the Internet 1. Information – The Internet is arguably one of the most successful and useful tools mankind has ever created. It is, in fact, the largest library ever created, and is growing daily. Although you need to always be careful of your sources, the Internet is THE modern source of information, delivered in multiple media: written word, visual graphics and images, video, and audio have changed the way that we humans look for and find information. 2. Communication – People use the Internet to communicate with one another. Software has made it possible to stream voice and video across the world with minimal delay, and email has become the main means of communicating for many a modern person. Without the Internet, it would be both more expensive and slower to maintain personal and professional relationships. 3. Entertainment – Many people use the Internet to enjoy themselves and to engage in personal interests. In recent years, multiple player games and virtual worlds have engaged the time and money of many. Plus, video and music are easy to find, stream and download†¦plus, the medium encourages feedback! Indeed, Internet use can go too far. But how can you know if you’re addicted to the Internet? We list the criteria and signs of Internet addiction in the link above. 4. Work – The Internet provides an alternative to 9-5 workdays, as more and more people can work from home, or â€Å"telecommute†. Plus, a growing number of people are making a living from the Internet itself, wither becoming experts in how people search the Internet, providing IT or web development services, or specializing in Internet marketing. 5. School – More and more elementary, high school and university curricula require use of the Internet for school work. 6. Relationships – People use the Internet to find, maintain, or end relationships. But people can get addicted to social networks, too. More on how to know if you’re a Facebook addict here. 7. Market – People use the Internet to research, find and buy services and products. Or to target and sell to the ultimate consumer. In effect, the Internet has become THE best way to buy and sell merchandise, as online â€Å"stores† are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 8. Sexuality – Although it may surprise you, it’s no secret that a real majority of search is centered around porn. So, people [men] use the Internet to view pornography and to engage their sexual instinct. 9. Self expression – People not only consume information on the Internet, they CREATE it. And in doing so, people are able to express themselves politically, artistically, vocally, socially, etc. and give voice to what is important to them. The Internet is the ultimate forum on which you can discuss or monologue as you like. 10. Ask for help – The protocol for Internet use is one of private consumption without need for naming yourself. By virtue of the privacy and anonymity factor of cyber space, Some people use the Internet to ask for help. People ask for help in the form of emotional support, medical advice, or even simply listening. If you think that you may be an Internet addict, there is help out there for you. If you want to explore the deeper emotional and psychological issues for compulsive use of the Internet, first start by asking for help from your family doctor. S/He may refer you to a mental health specialist or center for technology addictions in your area. Or, if there are no specialists that live in your area, you might even consider videoconferencing, a form of distance psycho therapy that is starting to help people, no matter where you are. Whatever the case, you may need help to uncover the real reasons behind your reliance on the Internet, and to learn how to cut back and monitor Internet use for a healthy mind.

Swot Analysis of Indian Economy

SWOT Analysis of various sectors of Indian Economy. The India economy, which is the 9th largest in the world in terms of nominal GDP, can be broadly classified into three sectors: 1) Primary Sector or Agriculture Sector, which contributes about 15% to the GDP and employs around 57% of the total workforce. 2) Secondary Sector or Industry sector, which contributes about 28% to the DP and employs around 14% of the workforce. 3) Tertiary Sector or Service Sector, which contributes the maximum of 57% to the GDP and employs around 29% of the workforce. SWOT analysis of Agriculture Sector: Strengths : – * The favourable Climate and terrain of the Indian sub-continent makes it suitable for producing a variety of crops. * As it employs majority of population, it enjoys a competitive labour force. * The agriculture sector in India is competitive and hence evolving, produces a large variety of crops, and enjoys a well demanded market as Indians prefer fresh farm produce over the processed food items. Weaknesses:- * As the majority of workforce is uneducated, they are not able to make the most out of the government policies. Moreover, though the government spends enough over the agricultural reforms, but due to the low level of execution on their part, it does not produce the desired results. * Due to the lack of proper storage facilities and road connectivity of the farms with the respective market, around 60% of the fresh farm produce like vegetables, fruits etc get wasted. * Since only 40% of the land under cultivation gets irrigated through canals, tube wells etc. , the farmers depend heavily upon the annual monsoons. Opportunities:- A growing population, availability of modern agricultural techniques, easy availability of banking finance, variety of pest resistance crops, coming up of retail chains and various government schemes and policies, would make both the demand and the production go up. * Rise in demand of pulses and grains in the Asian economies, and the production of fuels like ethanol from grains, provide more market opportunities. Threats:- * More and more of the agricultural land is bei ng taken up to meet with the demands of the housing and industrial sector, thereby reducing land under cultivation. With the increase in the purchasing power of the Indians, the packaged food industry is gaining importance in the Indian market, especially in the cities and among the youth. * Some of the government policies like MGNREGA, is diverting the farm labour to other employment avenues, which could affect the agriculture adversely as it depends heavily on manual labour. * Stiff competition from the international markets, if India opens up the trade barriers in the agriculture sector. SWOT analysis of Industrial Sector: Strengths:- With over half a billion population in the age group of 25-60 years, the industrial sector enjoys a competitive labour market. * Availability of natural resources, skilled and cheap manpower, liberal national policies provide the environment for industries to thrive. Weaknesses:- * Due to India being a democratic country and a mixed economy, the ind ustry has to adhere too many of the protectionist policies of the government, which affects the industry adversely. * The complex labour laws and other political barriers, prevents the industries to work at the best of their efficiency, thus effecting productivity. Opportunities:- * With the rise in the incomes of the Indians, especially the Indian middle class, promises a lucrative domestic market for all the industries. * With the slowdown of the European & American economies, Indian companies should towards the African countries like Ghana, Kenya etc. which are growing at a rate of 7-8%. Threats:- * Stiff competition from developing economies like China, Bangladesh, Indonesia because of lower cost of production. * Delay in policy decisions by Indian policy makers, corruption charges and scandals, hindering the ease to do business. Protectionist policies adopted by various European countries and America to safeguard their own interests. SWOT analysis of Service Sector: Strengths:- * With 64% of the Indian population being educated, the service industry has a large talent poll to work with. * Due to large and skilled work force, the labour market becomes competitive, providing cheap labour. * The Robust Banking and Financial system and regulat ions, provide stability not only to banking sector but also to the entire economy. Weaknesses:- Too much dependence on America and European economies for business. * The Indigenous base of the IT industry is not sufficiently developed to sustain software export. Opportunities:- * With the Increased computerization in various public and government organization, the Indian IT industry has ready-made domestic market. Threats:- * Stiff competition from developing economies like China, Bangladesh, Indonesia because of lower labour. * Due to the economic slowdown, countries like America are adopting policies to prohibit outsourcing, which will affect the IT industry. Swot Analysis of Indian Economy SWOT Analysis of various sectors of Indian Economy. The India economy, which is the 9th largest in the world in terms of nominal GDP, can be broadly classified into three sectors: 1) Primary Sector or Agriculture Sector, which contributes about 15% to the GDP and employs around 57% of the total workforce. 2) Secondary Sector or Industry sector, which contributes about 28% to the DP and employs around 14% of the workforce. 3) Tertiary Sector or Service Sector, which contributes the maximum of 57% to the GDP and employs around 29% of the workforce. SWOT analysis of Agriculture Sector: Strengths : – * The favourable Climate and terrain of the Indian sub-continent makes it suitable for producing a variety of crops. * As it employs majority of population, it enjoys a competitive labour force. * The agriculture sector in India is competitive and hence evolving, produces a large variety of crops, and enjoys a well demanded market as Indians prefer fresh farm produce over the processed food items. Weaknesses:- * As the majority of workforce is uneducated, they are not able to make the most out of the government policies. Moreover, though the government spends enough over the agricultural reforms, but due to the low level of execution on their part, it does not produce the desired results. * Due to the lack of proper storage facilities and road connectivity of the farms with the respective market, around 60% of the fresh farm produce like vegetables, fruits etc get wasted. * Since only 40% of the land under cultivation gets irrigated through canals, tube wells etc. , the farmers depend heavily upon the annual monsoons. Opportunities:- A growing population, availability of modern agricultural techniques, easy availability of banking finance, variety of pest resistance crops, coming up of retail chains and various government schemes and policies, would make both the demand and the production go up. * Rise in demand of pulses and grains in the Asian economies, and the production of fuels like ethanol from grains, provide more market opportunities. Threats:- * More and more of the agricultural land is bei ng taken up to meet with the demands of the housing and industrial sector, thereby reducing land under cultivation. With the increase in the purchasing power of the Indians, the packaged food industry is gaining importance in the Indian market, especially in the cities and among the youth. * Some of the government policies like MGNREGA, is diverting the farm labour to other employment avenues, which could affect the agriculture adversely as it depends heavily on manual labour. * Stiff competition from the international markets, if India opens up the trade barriers in the agriculture sector. SWOT analysis of Industrial Sector: Strengths:- With over half a billion population in the age group of 25-60 years, the industrial sector enjoys a competitive labour market. * Availability of natural resources, skilled and cheap manpower, liberal national policies provide the environment for industries to thrive. Weaknesses:- * Due to India being a democratic country and a mixed economy, the ind ustry has to adhere too many of the protectionist policies of the government, which affects the industry adversely. * The complex labour laws and other political barriers, prevents the industries to work at the best of their efficiency, thus effecting productivity. Opportunities:- * With the rise in the incomes of the Indians, especially the Indian middle class, promises a lucrative domestic market for all the industries. * With the slowdown of the European & American economies, Indian companies should towards the African countries like Ghana, Kenya etc. which are growing at a rate of 7-8%. Threats:- * Stiff competition from developing economies like China, Bangladesh, Indonesia because of lower cost of production. * Delay in policy decisions by Indian policy makers, corruption charges and scandals, hindering the ease to do business. Protectionist policies adopted by various European countries and America to safeguard their own interests. SWOT analysis of Service Sector: Strengths:- * With 64% of the Indian population being educated, the service industry has a large talent poll to work with. * Due to large and skilled work force, the labour market becomes competitive, providing cheap labour. * The Robust Banking and Financial system and regulat ions, provide stability not only to banking sector but also to the entire economy. Weaknesses:- Too much dependence on America and European economies for business. * The Indigenous base of the IT industry is not sufficiently developed to sustain software export. Opportunities:- * With the Increased computerization in various public and government organization, the Indian IT industry has ready-made domestic market. Threats:- * Stiff competition from developing economies like China, Bangladesh, Indonesia because of lower labour. * Due to the economic slowdown, countries like America are adopting policies to prohibit outsourcing, which will affect the IT industry.

Civil V Criminal Law

English law is made up primarily of Civil and Criminal Law. Civil Law is concerned with the the Laws of Tort and Contract. Civil law can be defined as that area of law which is concerned with private disputes that occur between individuals or between individuals and organisations and where a proceedings in court is initiated by the aforementioned. In contrast, criminal law seeks to punish those that has done wrongs against the community. For example, a person who decides to take the life of someone else commits murder. The community by way of its government has a duty to protect itself from being murdered. The result is Criminal Law which is enforceable by the State and initiated by the Police. Therefore criminal law is said to protect the community and punishes those that breaks the law with a fine, imprisonment or community sentences. Whereas, civil law seeks to compensate party who has suffered wrong. Civil law covers many areas of everyday daily life, most notable are domestic relations law like divorces and child custody law, probate like wills and estates, employment like agency and working hours laws, and personal injury law. Under pining those laws are Tort and Contract Law. A high level definition of tort law is that it deals with wrongs or injuries inflicted on one party by another and usually the parties involved are unknown to each other until something occurs which results in the tort action. Contracts on the other hand deals with the roles, relationships and obligations of parties that are engaged in a formal agreement. Under civil law an example of tort is acts of carelessness, or failure to act which result in injury or loss to another person. An example is a driver who fails to drive properly and as a result of that failure injures a pedestrian. This incident can give rise to negligence which is the failure to take reasonable care to avoid injury or loss to another person. However in order to prove a negligent claim, it must be proved that there existed a duty of care on the driver to not cause harm to others. The test of this duty of care is that the court will need to determine that a reasonable person would expect that a certain result might follow from an action. Therefore, by not driving properly the driver mounts the pavement and hits the pedestrian, if the result is foreseeable for a reasonable person, then liability may be imposed for the action. In comparison, contract law is an agreement between two persons where one binds himself, with respect to the other, to give something or to render some service. As such, a contract is said to be binding with obligations, and if not met, may lead to an action in civil court. For example a plumber hired to undertake the repair of a leaky facet has entered into a contract to repair the leaking facet in exchange for payment, if he fails to repair the facet within the terms of the agreement, there might not be any obligation to pay him as the terms of the contract has not met. To conclude, civil law covers several area of laws and is primarily concerned with private individuals or companies. The use of the term civil law as a blanket term to cover tort and contract is not confusing as the actions undertaken by the individuals will be indicative of the area of the law that is applicable. The principles are distinguishable, tort usually involves persons who have not entered into a contract or a formal relationship whereas contracts are legally binding agreements established by two or more persons. Where there might be a blurring of the distinctions is where there arises a case of tort while undertaking a contract. Such as an accident in the workplace where there exist a contract of employment. Bibliographies â€Å"Civil Law† Directgov http://www. direct. gov. uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Thejudicialsystem/DG_4003097 â€Å"Criminal Law† Directgov http://www. direct. gov. uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Thejudicialsystem/DG_4003097 â€Å"Tort† Stanford University http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/tort-theories/

Arguments against abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arguments against abortion - Essay Example The controversy lies on when and whether abortion should be done and the extent to which it should be denied or encouraged. It is this debate that has caused other countries to legalize abortion, such as the US, while others, such as Brazil, still consider the procedure illegal (Naden, 2008). This paper argues against abortion, based on its conflict with religious and moral standards, and thus supports its illegalization. First, abortion involves taking human life away, hence tantamount to murder. With this argument, it would be critical to understand when life begins. Proponents of abortion argue that an embryo is not a human being. They argue that it is only until such an embryo acquires human characteristics that it shall be recognized as a human (Thomson, 2010). However, these proponents do not draw a clear line from which an embryo becomes human. Therefore, it would be more reasonable to consider an embryo as a full human or a person (Beckwith 1992). According to England (1996), the embryo starts developing immediately an oocyte is fertilized by a sperm, a process that results in the formation of a zygote. A zygote is a large diploid cell and is the beginning of human life. It means that life begins at conception and thus the humanness of an embryo immediately after fertilization. This pro-life argument has been in existence in the history of the world for a long time. For instance, Naden (2008) observes that the Bible refers to the unborn as a child. It therefore recognizes the fact that an embryo already qualifies as a human being. Therefore, life begins at conception. This means that at whatever stage of pregnancy, from the first day to the last day of the ninth month, whatever is borne in the womb is a human being. As such, aborting pregnancy at any stage amounts to murder, and thus immoral. Secondly, having observed that abortion is tantamount to murder, it is against religious principles to decide on the death of a person, in this case the embryo, as only God reserves the sole power to decide when one should die. In basic terms, abortion is killing. No one holds the right to decide on the death or even life of an innocent person. However, Thomson (2010) observes that in situations where the life of the woman is at risk of death, say due to a cardiac condition that could prevent carrying the pregnancy to term, then she has the right to abort. Both the mother and the fetus have the right to life. Carrying out an abortion amounts to killing the fetus while doing nothing does not mean killing the mother, but rather letting her die. Furthermore, killing the fetus would be killing an innocent life that does not aim at killing the mother. Choosing between letting one die and killing an innocent person, the former holds moral expectations. However, if the mother opts for an abortion, it would not be considered as immoral, but rather an act to save her life. The mother’s right of deciding what happens to and in her body outweighs the right of the fetus to life. Finally, there are a myriad of physiological and psychological risks associated with abortion making it impermissible. Abortion remains an elusive area of study for a majority of doctors. Even after the procedure was legalized in the US, a Columbia University Medical Center professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, observes that the situation has not changed significantly with large teaching hospitals and medical schools not treating abortion as an important training area (Naden, 2008). This means that the area lacks adequate qualified personnel to handle the procedure. This leaves the task to physicians at freestanding clinics, exposing the women

The Relationship between Induced Abortions Article

The Relationship between Induced Abortions - Article Example This could mean that a person who started out as ertophilic could turn into erotophobic during the process of the abortion. After an exhaustive literature review the authors "question" for their research was to find out whether there was a correlation between pregnancy and abortion and increased sexual problems and to find out whether a group of women who have chosen abortion are already thinking negatively about the abortion before they have it as opposed to "non-pregnant comparison group". The methods employed and detailed explanation of how they conducted the study. The researchers used two groups. The termination of pregnancy group (TOP) showed 98 women who were present in an NHS Clinic/hospital for the first trimester medical (34%) or a surgical (68%) abortion. A two-month follow-up was conducted with 44 women (46%). The demographics of the group showed that 91% were Caucasian and they ranged between 16 and 41 years old. About 33% had some college, 79% were currently in a relationship and 60% had no children. Both groups were given several questionnaires that provided information. They received the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) and the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) and each was to assess a different aspect of their theories. The women were asked to answer the GRISS three times: once to understand sexual problems, again two months into their pregnancy (they did this retrospectively) and a final time to test sexual problems that they encountered during the time in which they were pregnant. Seven weeks after their abortion they were sent a follow-up questionnaire through the mail. The questionnaire was timed seven weeks out to make sure women had already passed through their discomfort and were again having sexual relations. This post questionnaire was used to ask about changes in their relationship; they were also asked to complete the GRISS and the SOS again to ask about sexual problems that they may have experienced two months after the abortion.  Ã‚  

Brand Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Brand Marketing - Essay Example As the report declares marketing for B2B focuses on a rather small market. Business value influences buying decision. In addition, the goal of B2B is to convert prospects into customers. B2B managers, therefore, tend to focus on relationship building through communication. Mainly, the business in B2B is between a business and other businesses. Advertising through media becomes critical in B2B marketing. This paper discusses that most companies consider B2B and B2C markets as diverse ways of marketing that must be handled excessively especially in relation to brand personality. Of importance to note is that, most of the companies that practise these kinds of marketing have brand executives who operate differently where little sharing of information is required. According to Rajeev 2012, brand management might decide to have their brand value generated through the use of both B2B and B2C markets. In contrast, the use of B2B and B2C markets might at times hurt the brand, drastically reducing the impact of brand personality on the given company. In light of this, there is shared brand equality among the product brands especially when there is visible corporate brand that gives credibility to every product that the company owns. The goal of B2C marketing is to purely change known shoppers into buyers in an aggressive but continent manner. In fact, companies that practise B2C marketing us e more merchandise activities like coupons, which are meant to capture the interest of the customers immediately. For instance, companies with B2C marketing may use emails campaign in persuading customers to buy their products. This type of marketing has assisted various companies in realizing the importance of loyalty (Prabakaran 2012). On the other hand, the goal of B2B marketing is to purely convert prospects into customers although it is longer and more involving. Most of the companies that use B2B marketing must focus on the improvement of relationship building and communication. Of importance to note is that content is the most crucial in terms of marketing. With reference to brand personality, Howard 2009 argues that B2B and B2C require brand in ensuring that the markets have more sales as compared to

Essay on a Contemporary Issue in Financial Services

On a Contemporary Issue in Financial Services - Essay Example The loan departments in banks are charged with appropriately calculated loan risk and lending cash on a much higher charge as compared to what is statistically essential. In response, banks double dip by charging a risk taking premium for depositors.  Banks assure deposit returns in return for a discount.  This spread amid deposit interest compensated and loan interest charged equivalents to much of a bank’s revenue (Macneil & O’Brien, p.66). A Web 2.0 company that is attempting to upset the banking industry is ZOPA in the United Kingdom. Peer lending websites, like ZOPA (2011), intimidate the conventional banking model. These websites link conventional depositors with borrowers. These websites let depositors to turn into direct lenders and agree to risks usually received by bankers as well as project entrepreneurs. By presuming a little amount of risk, investors can get much higher returns. ZOPA also has a risk assessment department like a loan sanction department in a bank. For a little amount of added risk, depositors can receive more than 8 percent as compared to 1.5 percent on a CD or 4 percent on a treasury of 10 year (UK Government Decontamination Service, p.25). ZOPA (2011) was established in â€Å"London during March 2005, and by the end of January 2007, it had 40 workers as well as 105,000 registered member users including lenders and borrowers. ZOPA sets up more than 100,000 US Dollar in loans on a daily basis†. ... The standard project funds return on investment is more than 30 percent. Nonetheless, the majority of individuals can not access angel ventures or project investment. Websites like ZOPA (2011) exist in the middle of conventional banking and venture investment. They let standard individuals to guess some banking risk and create large profits for the problem (Reuvid, p.90). ZOPA (2011) is leading the ‘person to person’ lending model in the U.K. by means of the Internet to smoothen the process and produce what it describes â€Å"a community of like-minded individuals and lend to them and borrow from them in a trusting but secure way† (BPP Learning Media,, p. 66). ZOPA is a latest online market and an eBay for savers as well as borrowers. Apparently, this is a latest alarming danger to the quite a lot of year-old conventional banking models. Their objective is to group people’s investments and lend to other individuals on reciprocally approving charges subseque nt to spreading out the risk between adequate numbers of people. ZOPA is really innovating by creating the current conventional CU saving and lending procedure more clear for the end member or user and by leveraging the inexpensive Internet medium. Securing the Loans ZOPA ensures the conditions of borrowers by carrying out a credit rating research by the use of Experian, Equifax, or any alike corporation; by going through the borrower’s eBay ranking if it is available; by going through borrower’s profile provided that it is available online; by permitting only one account for each borrower; and by checking the chance of identity theft by a borrower by raising queries regarding previous borrowing, demographics, and so on (Finaccord Ltd, p.10). Additionally, ZOPA recommends lenders to

Passage Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Passage Analysis - Essay Example In addition, the author uses sound as a major symbolism in the whole narrative in which case he categorically mentions the distraction that the intermittent but rather scary voices cause to Montesore. Nonetheless, the author reveals the wickedness of Montesore as the narrative progresses until one becomes acquainted with the character traits of Montesore in the end (Poe Web). While it appears from the onset, that Montesore is an industrious and detailed person, his villainous character is later revealed, as it later emerges plainly that he practises undesirable activities including lack of remorsefulness and mockery to victims. In essence, Montesore reveals a great deal of his evil character by mocking Fortunato through the echoing of her voice in order to scare her. Indeed, the main character, who is Montesore, keeps on echoing supposedly Fortunato’s voice with an ill intention. For instance, when he repeats after her scary laughs and words "He! he! he! -- he! he! he!† he is sure that he will confuse the supposed recipient of the sound. Furthermore, he says, â€Å"Let us be gone,† echoing after Fortunato’s voice (Poe Web). This is a clear sign of revenge in the sense that instead of Montesore showing remorse towards fortunate, he has the strong conviction that he is vindicated to offer vengeance against Forunato. Perhaps one important aspect worth noting is that the whole passage is dominated by several episodes of Montesore counting the tiers as he continues laying them. This may have had an impact in raising the tension in the sense that Fortunato was inside these rising walls as she continued to produce noise (Poe Web). In essence, one has no idea about the whereabouts of Fortunato until Montesore reaches the eleventh tier. Owing to the fact Fortunato was also supposedly building the other side of the wall, one sees a clear sign of neglect and ignorance on the side of Montesore. This is particularly so in the sense that he does not reach out to tell

Week 1 discussion questions-Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 1 discussion questions-Marketing - Essay Example For instance, if a company is attempting to increase its sales volume on its hairspray line, the company must understand what makes the customer want their brand over the competition. If a noticeable trend exists which indicates that consumers have stopped buying a firms product, they must understand what factors (both internal and external) have created this sales slump. Are consumers not buying because they believe their friends have suddenly begun demanding high dollar hair products? These are important factors to consider, as a company must routinely monitor trends in buying behavior to provide a product which consumers will adopt. Competitive techniques to appeal to sophisticated customers include visually appealing, contemporary promotional advertisements and continuous monitoring of various trends in consumption. Using modern appeal, such as advertising on portable technology and the internet, are attempts to capture increased interest in complex markets. 2. What are three aspects of your lifestyle that are different than your parents’ lifestyle? What impact does this difference have on the strategies organizations use to market to you compared to your parents? The primary difference in lifestyle would consist of the methods by which we socialize and view our friendships. My parents are more traditional in their viewpoint regarding what constitutes a quality relationship, believing in the comfort of long-term acquaintances. In opposite respect, I tend to be more spontaneous, willing to make many new friends in the pursuit of finding more excitement through social activities. An additional difference includes my current financial situation, which is substantially lower than that of my parents. Further, my parents are more laid-back, content with a lifestyle consisting of the majority of their time spent at home. In opposite respect, I enjoy a more active

Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Existentialism - Essay Example 1. Abstract: Summary or overview of the paper 2. Introduction: An expository and informative pro and cons of existentialism 3. Arguments in support of existentialism 4. Criticism or arguments against existentialism 5. Conclusion. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to underscore the argument for and against existentialism. Even though advocates of existentialism lament that philosophy should begin with individual thinking which is the cornerstone of his or her existence, it’s also prudent to state that individual morals as well as reason and experience does not alone define the true character and origin of a person. This is the thesis of this philosophical movement. The experience one under goes determines the resultant character of that person until that person absurdly perishes. These are among other things that the author explores to understand more about existentialism. The paper is divided into an abstract, as a summary of the author’s intended research goals, in troduction of the topic arguments for and against existentialism and a conclusion of the findings. The author concludes that there is no specific definition of existentialism but it is merely a bundle of ideas that tries to marry Christianity and atheism. It is therefore, a quasi-human secularism philosophy divided into Atheist and theist existentialism. This marriage has so far received considerable criticisms and the writer agrees that it does not justify the philosophical means attached to it. The rationale supporting is that existentialism is more inclined to secular humanism that Christianity and thus theism existentialism has no place in this human philosophy. Introduction The term existentialism is an idealistic doctrine which appeals to individual freedom and responsibility in determining personal actions and motivations. It rests upon the presupposition that â€Å"essence precedes existence† (Sartre 387). Once man appears on the scene, he determines his existence (Sa rtre 388). This philosophy is strongly opposed to the traditional thinking that in search for truth, man appeals rationalism plus empiricism yet you cannot divorce reason and experience from philosophical and human development. These two brains development are sarcastically motivated and have much origin in theism than existentialism. Whereas existentialists developed their thinking based on reason together with experience, all these are a cornerstone of traditional theism. It is agreeable that reason plus experience have linkages with theistic existentialism. And whereas it presupposes that the scientific plus moral ideas cannot sufficiently explain â€Å"human existence† without individual subjective responsibility, collective responsibility cannot also be ignored either. Accordingly, it is a self-descriptive thinking theory of determining one’s own way of life and responsibility than the will of external thinking or force motivated by moral values. Besides, it negat ives the rule of law in society which is divisionary because society without rule on law is a dead society, undemocratic and ungovernable. These advocates are morally dead men looking of moralists to devour. However, this is the ideal of reason, empiricism and freedom to effectively think about what is right and wrong, which are typical moral virtues. It’s a philosophy with no definite definition but its meaning is gathered from the ideas and classical illustrations of philosophers such as â€Å"

Morrie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Morrie - Essay Example to always be able to look at death itself straight in the eye and fight back no matter how hopeless the situation can be and then be on the positive side of things, to look at the future in an optimistic way.The professors future looked short as he has only a few months left to live but he managed to touch everyone around him, from family, relatives, peers, colleagues, and even complete strangers who saw his interview with Ted Koppel when it was shown on television. This paper discusses the important things in life worth knowing about to be happy on earth, in particular, how to live life fully by learning how to die gracefully. Despite being diagnosed with ALS with a very bad prognosis, Morrie Schwartz, the old and sickly professor mentioned earlier, was fiercely determined to live a useful life. He is of the belief that dying people need not be entirely useless; instead he encouraged all people who knew him to come and visit him if they had the time and the inclination so he could still be available to listen to their problems and perhaps give them a piece of useful advice. Morrie Schwartz was indeed a wonderful listener who can help other people because he had empathy and understanding; by letting them unload their problems to him, he would willingly listen despite his pains from the ailment. He was fond of aphorisms, of which the statement, â€Å"once you learn how to die, you learn how to live,† he said (Albom 82) had a very profound meaning for everyone who will listen. What he had meant with this statement is that people looking at impending death realize how precious life and valuable is, tha t these people suddenly realize the importance of the idea of living life to the fullest which means enjoy life without any hesitations or reservations about what other people may think and not waste a minute of it on trivial things that do not really matter in the grand sweep of life. In other words, most people go through life as if sleep-walking, doing things

Improvement of the International Trade Essay Example for Free

Improvement of the International Trade Essay Introduction Organizations are facing increased global competition, economic uncertainties, and changing markets. Technology is changing the way we conduct business and manage information. Outsourcing of goods and services enables companies to take advantage of lower costs in areas such as labor, energy, land and capital. By doing this, companies hope to lower their overall cost structure, improve profit margins, and enhance product quality, reliability and distribution, thus allowing them to compete more effectively. Suppliers and vendor partners may be located in the same city, region or country. But they are just as likely to be located halfway around the world, adding new challenges to business management. The growth of international strategic partnerships has risen exponentially in the last twenty years. Competing in a global marketplace has made it increasingly important to align business strategies with a risk management strategy that includes strengthening global supply chains and vendor partnerships. In the near future, it is supply chains that will compete, not companies. Global supply chains must be carefully selected and monitored to ensure the competitive edge required to achieve success in the global market place. Typically, the first order of business has been logistics and operations. 1. Logistics moves the entire economy Economic developments in recent years have led to the creation of complex company networks and systems of goods flow in the process, the globalization of procurement, production and sales as well as the division of labor have increased. In addition, the complexity of international logistics systems in many sectors has grown as a result of increasing product variations and differentiation. Another factor is that many companies are concentrating on their core skills and are reducing their vertical integration. The efficient management of the resulting global flows of goods has boosted both the business and economic significance of logistics. Structure of Global Trade International trade, both in terms of value and tonnage, has been a growing trend in the global economy. It is important to underline when looking at the structure of global trade that it is not nations that are trading, but mostly corporations with the end products mostly consumed by individuals. Inter and intra corporate trade is taking place across national jurisdictions is accounted as international trade. The emergence of the current structure of global trade can mainly be articulated within three major phases: †¢ First phase (immobile factors of production). Concerns a conventional perspective on international trade that prevailed until the 1970s where factors of production were much less mobile. Prior to the end of World War I, global trade was mainly structured by colonial relations. Particularly, there was a limited level of mobility of raw materials, parts and finished products. After World War I international trade became fairly regulated with impediments such tariffs , quotas and limitations to foreign ownership. Trade mainly concerned a range of specific products, namely commodities, (and very few services) that were not readily available in regional economies. Due to regulations, protectionism and fairly high transportation costs, trade remained limited and delayed by inefficient freight distribution. In this context, trade was more an exercise to cope with scarcity than to promote economic efficiency. †¢ Second phase (mobility of factors of production). From the 1980s, the mobility of factors of production, particularly capital, became possible. The legal and physical environment in which international trade was taking place lead to a better realization of the comparative advantages of specific locations. Concomitantly, regional trade agreements emerged and the global trade framework was strengthened from a legal and transactional standpoint (GATT/WTO). In addition, containerization provided the capabilities to support more complex and long distance trade flows, as did the growing air traffic. Due to high production (legacy) costs in old industrial regions, activities that were labor intensive were gradually relocated to lower costs locations. The process began as a national one, then went to nearby countries when possible and afterwards became a truly global phenomenon. Thus, foreign direct investments surged, particularly towards new manufacturing regions as multinational corporations became increasingly flexible in the global positioning of their assets. †¢ Third phase (global production networks). There is a growth in international trade, now including a wide variety of services that were previously fixed to regional markets and a surge in the mobility of the factors of production. Since these trends are well established, the priority is now shifting to the geographical and functional integration of production, distribution and consumption with the emergence of global production networks. Complex networks involving flows of information, commodities, parts and finished goods have been set, which in turn demands a high level of command of logistics and freight distribution. In such an environment, powerful actors have emerged which are not directly involved in the function of production and retailing, but mainly taking the responsibility of managing the web of flows. The global economic system is thus characterized by a growing level of integrated services, finance, retail, manufacturing and nonetheless distribution, which in turn is mainly the outcome of improved transport and logistics, a more efficient exploitation of regional comparative advantages and a transactional environment supportive of the legal and financial complexities of global trade. Trade Facilitation The volume of exchanged goods and services between nations is taking a growing share of the generation of wealth, mainly by offering economic growth opportunities in new regions and by reducing the costs of a wide array of manufacturing goods. By 2007, international trade surpassed for the first time 50% of global GDP, a twofold increase in its share since 1950. The facilitation of trade involves how the procedures regulating the international movements of goods can be improved. It depends on the reduction of the general costs of trade, which considers transaction, tariff, transport and time costs, often labeled as the Four Ts† of international trade. United nations estimates have underlined that for developing countries a 10% reduction in transportation cost could be accompanied with a growth of about 20% in international and domestic trade. Thus, the ability to compete in a global economy is dependent on the transport system as well as a trade facilitation framework with activities including: †¢ Distribution-based. A multimodal and intermodal freight transport system composed of modes, infrastructures and terminals that spans across the globe. It insures a physical capacity to support trade and its underlying supply chains. †¢ Regulation-based. Customs procedures, tariffs, regulations and handling of documentation. They insure that trade flows abide to the rules and regulations of the jurisdictions they cross. Cross-border clearance, particularly in developing countries, can be a notable trade impediment with border delays, bottlenecks and long customer clearance times. †¢ Transaction-based. Banking, finance, legal and insurance activities where accounts can be settled and risk mitigated. They insure that the sellers of goods and services are receiving an agreed upon compensation and that the purchasers have a legal recourse if the outcome of the transaction is judged unsatisfactory or is insured if a partial or full loss incurs. The quality, cost, and efficiency of these services influence the trading environment as well as the overall costs linked with the international trade of goods. Many factors have been conductive to trade facilitation in recent decades, including integration processes, standardization, production systems, transport efficiency and transactional efficiency: †¢ Integration processes, such as the emergence of economic blocks and the decrease of tariffs at a global scale through agreements, promoted trade as regulatory regimes were harmonized. One straightforward measure of integration relates to custom delays, which can be a significant trade impediment since it adds uncertainty in supply chain management. The higher the level of economic integration, the more likely the concerned elements are to trade. International trade has consequently been facilitated by a set of factors linked with growing levels of economic integration, the outcome of processes such as the European Union or th e North American Free Trade Agreement. The transactional capacity is consequently facilitated with the development of transportation networks and the adjustment of trade flows that follows increased integration. Integration processes have also taken place at the local scale with the creation of free trade zones where an area is given a different governance structure in order to promote trade, particularly export oriented activities. In this case, the integration process is not uniform as only a portion of a territory is involved. China is a salient example of the far-reaching impacts of the setting of special economic zones operating under a different regulatory regime. †¢ Standardization concerns the setting of a common and ubiquitous frame of reference over information and physical flows. Standards facilitate trade since those abiding by them benefit from reliable, interoperable and compatible goods and services which often results in lower production, distribution and maintenance costs. Measurement units were among the first globally accepted standards (metric system) and the development of information technologies eventually led to common operating and telecommunication systems. It is however the container that is considered to be the most significant international standard for trade facilitation. By offering a load unit that can be handled by any mode and terminal with the proper equipment, access to international trade is improved. †¢ Production systems are more flexible and embedded. It is effectively productive to maintain a network of geographically diversified inputs, which favors exchanges of commodities, parts and services. Information technologies have played a role by facilitating transactions and the management of complex business operations. Foreign direct investments are commonly linked with the globalization of production as corporations invest abroad in search of lower production costs and new markets. China is a leading example of such a process, which went on par with a growing availability of goods and services that can be traded on the global market. †¢ Transport efficiency has increased significantly because of innovations and improvements in the modes and infrastructures in terms of their capacity and throughput. Ports are particularly important in such a context since they are gateways to international trade through maritime shipping networks. As a result, the transferability of commodities, parts and finished goods has improved. Decreasing transport costs does more than increasing trade; it can also help change the location of economic activities. Yet, transborder transportation issues remain to be better addressed in terms of capacity, efficiency and security. †¢ Transactional efficiency. The financial sector also played a significant role in integrating global trade, namely by providing investment capital and credit for international commercial transactions. For instance, a letter of credit may be issued based upon an export contract. An exporter can thus receive a payment guarantee from a bank until its customer finalizes the transaction upon delivery. This is particularly important since the delivery of international trade transactions can take several weeks due to the long distances involved. During the transfer, it is also common that the cargo is insured in the event of damage, theft or delays, a function supported by insurance companies. Also, global financial systems permit to convert currencies according to exchange rates that are commonly set by market forces, while some currencies, such as the Chinese Yuan, are set by policy. Monetary policy can thus be a tool, albeit contentious, used to influence trade. The close relationship between international economic growth and logistics Mobility is a critical condition for gains to be achieved in productivity, growth and employment in a macroeconomic context. The connection between economic growth and demand for product-transporting services is the result of various effects. These effects can clearly show the growing significance of the economic sector of goods distribution: 1 The effect of goods volume For a long time, it was assumed that in highly developed economies fewer and fewer quantities of goods were produced for the macrologistics system and that the transport volume rose at a slower pace than the economy. Today, it can be assumed that the development actually goes in the opposite direction as a result of the increasing inter-company division of labor created by intensified outsourcing in some highly developed countries. Transport intensity that is, transport performance per production quantity unit increases for many types of goods. Individual parts or components of a product are transported numerous times during various stages of the value chain, e.g., transports between plants. 2 The effect of goods structure In highly developed economies, the number of high-quality consumer and production goods rises. The share of mass goods, on the other hand, stagnates or even falls. The distribution of goods then shifts to high-quality products that must be shipped quickly. Because of the relatively low costs, road transports Road transport generally benefit. Railroads and inland water transports generally suffer because of their low speed. 3 The effect of logistics Logistics systems constantly undergo optimization. Supply chain management Supply chain management, production-synchronization deliveries that employ just-in-time Just-in-time concepts, the forgoing of storage and global outsourcing are just a few examples of this. But the application of modern logistics concepts affects the economic sector of goods distribution. This is because the new logistics focus of industrial and trade companies has altered the demands placed on the goods-distribution system. Road transports can react relatively flexibly and well to these demands. Railroads and inland water transports have a difficult time making this switch. At the same time, air-freight transports profit from time-critical shipments. 4 The effect of integration The creation of large economic regions gives rise to international, cross-border logistics systems. For instance, the European Union and regulations from the World Trade Organization [World Trade Organization (WTO) have propelled globalization Globalization in the goods-distribution sector. As economic regions spread, cross-border trade expands and the distances that must be covered by logistics systems lengthen. The effect of integration describes the increasing demands placed on the economic sector of goods distribution that are arising from the creation of larger economic regions and cross-border logistics systems. Conclusion: In all likelihood, globalization will continue and intensify. Trade is critical to economic growth and to global development. Trade facilitation has been pointed out as the lowest-hanging fruit in this respect. It has also been argued that logistics services play an important role in matching entrepreneurs in poor countries with foreign customers, whether these are retailers or downstream manufacturers. In particular, as the traditional wholesalers are increasingly being bypassed in modern supply chains, developing countries need to ensure that their entrepreneurs have access to modern intermediaries that can help match local suppliers with foreign buyers and with ensuring that products meet quality as well as time reliability requirements. The future growth of world trade will not be evenly spread, any more than world trade has ever been evenly spread in any period in world history. Individual countries are in very different positions with respect to their ability to benefit from world trade. Part of that is luck – having a coast, and rich neighbors help. But part of it is skill. Countries that are open to world trade, that create the infrastructure, and above all the right attitude, will be best placed to weather the current hiatus more successfully, and to prosper in the years ahead. References: http://www.dhl-discoverlogistics.com/cms/en/course/trends/macroeconomics.jsp http://www.na-businesspress.com/Wisma.pdf http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/conc5en/ch5c2en.html http://www.unece.org.unecedev.colo.iway.ch/fileadmin/DAM/trade/agr/meetings/ge.01/document.r/wppdf.pdf

How Does Tourism Help The Economy

How Does Tourism Help The Economy The economic effect of tourism on a country Spending holidays abroad with family, is trendy these days. People around the world visit different places during summers and winters. I and my family too visit different places during vacations. When in a foreign country, I have always wondered, How does the country benefit from attracting tourists? I roughly knew the answer that the money that tourists spend in that particular country is the income of the tourism industry. But after this research, I have now understood that tourism is an important part of an economy and the money it earns is helpful to everyone. GENERAL IMPACTS: General Positive effects of tourism: It creates employment for people of the country. It promotes cultural awareness and also helps to preserve local culture and traditions. Money gained from tourism can be used to develop the infrastructure and services e.g. new roads and airports. In LEDCs money can be invested on developing education, clean water and sanitation. The foreign money can become aid to local people. Natural attractions can be protected using income from tourism. GOOD ECONOMIC IMPACTS: It generates foreign exchange. It creates new job and employment opportunities. It stimulates trade, income and entrepreneurship especially in small business sectors. The provision of new infrastructure which is available for non-tourism uses. It increases regional development particularly in isolated areas. It generates greater collection of taxes and revenues. General Negative impacts: It can have a negative impact on the environment. It increases air travel and thereby contributes towards air pollution. Mostly local people are employed in low skill, poorly paid work in unhygienic working conditions. Travel agents, airline companies and hoteliers benefit more than local companies when holidays are booked to destinations in LEDCs. Destroys local culture and traditions. Locally run accommodation companies face competition with foreign companies which build hotels in this new tourist destination. BAD ECONOMIC IMPACTS: 1) Necessity to import goods increase. This is especially with small economies which often do not produce what the tourists demand, and therefore import to meet the demands of the tourist. 2) Displacement effects. When a new tourism project takes customers away from an existing industry or facility, the economy is said to be shifted. 3) Over-dependence on tourism. When initially developing, the tourism industry is in vigour. The people start investing their money in this industry, resulting in downfall of other industries that were initially present. But soon tourists begin to dislike the particular tourist location and the economy falls. 4) Over-reliance on labour. As the tourists would increase, the labour required to fulfil their requirements would increase. The industry would extensively rely on labour; therefore these companies would highly exploit labour to meet the tourist demands. 5) Higher land values. Higher number of tourists would require more accommodation. Therefore hotels, lodges and rest houses are built. These results in shortage of land and the prices shoot up, which affect the locals. 6) Prices of goods increases. More tourists means more needs of supplies example: food, water, electricity, gas supply, etc. Also maintenance and repair would increase. These would make the market more expensive, making difficult for local people. UNITED KINGDOM: According to World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry grew by 1.3% in 2012. This rate of growth means that Tourism industry directly contributed  £35.6 billion to the British economy. The number of jobs that tourism supported was forecasted to increase by 250,000 between 2010 and 2020, from 2.645 million to 2.899 million. One in twelve jobs is currently supported by tourism. The UK has the fifth largest tourism industry in the world. It comprises of 200,000 enterprises. 70,000 establishments include major world-class hotels, country house hotels, guest houses, holiday parks, 110,000 restaurants, bars and pubs are surviving on Tourism. Moreover 7,000 businesses including theme parks, museums, heritage sites, parks, gardens, zoos; 25,000 businesses staging conferences, festivals, exhibitions and concerts are also dependent on Tourism. It has low barriers to entry making it able to respond quickly to changes in demand, and highly efficient in rapidly creating employment. Recently increased visa and Air Passenger Duty charges worsened the situation, as the UKs VAT rates for accommodation and restaurants, have become twice of the main tourism industries in Europe. If these VAT rates are reduced, the Tourism industry might not suffer much. FUTURE SCENARIOS: Tourism is forecasted to contribute over  £100 billion to the UK economy. INDIA: The demand tourism in India is expected to grow by 8.2 percent between 2010 and 2019 and will place India at the third position in the world. Indias tourism sector is expected to be the second largest employer in the world, employing 40,037,000 by 2019. The report forecasts India to get capital investment worth US$ 275.5 billion in 2018. Positive Impacts: It has generated income, resulted in poverty alleviation and has generated great number of jobs. The tourism industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate. It helps in preservation of heritage sites like old monuments (ex. Taj Mahal and Qutab Minar) and saving the biodiversity; therefore attracting more tourists and resulting in more income. It encourages infrastructure development, health care facilities, recreation areas, hotels and restaurants; which again increases the number of tourists attractions. Problem in India: The major problem in the development of tourism in India is inadequate infrastructure including less air seat capacity, accessibility to tourist destinations, accommodation and trained manpower in sufficient number. Poor visitor experience and poor hygienic conditions are also some of the problems. It sometimes leads to the destruction of social fabric of country. When too many tourists visit a place, the chances of development of crime and human trafficking may happen at a great extent. And therefore India has to spend money on crime control. It may lead to suspicion, tension and hostility between locals and the tourists, as they share different cultural backgrounds and lifestyles. This may lead to disputes and violence, overall reducing the tourist count. AUSTRALIA: In Australia, tourism directly and indirectly employed 907,100 persons. In 2010-11, Australia nearly earned $73.3 billion from tourism industry. The total output multiplier is 1.92, which means every $1 tourism industry earns, adds 92 cents extra indirectly to other parts of countrys economy. State Tourism Satellite Accounts (2011) show that out of $65.4 billion, which were contributed by the states mostly were: New South Walesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ $21.3 billion (33 per cent) Queenslandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ $16.3 billion (25 per cent) Victoria $13.4 billion (21 per cent). The number of tourists by 2021-2022 is forecasted to increase by 0.8 %, which means around 308 million tourists would visit in Australia. SPAIN: The tourist boom that began in the mid-1950s was based on the recreational assets of the Mediterranean seashore areas. In 1970s and 1980s, when the tourist boom was playing its role, tourism development lead to the loss of traditional jobs, when workers moved from industries such as : Farming, forestry, mining and Shing into service jobs in tourism and made a serious impact on the overall economy. Tourists had spent around 49 billion Euros in Spain in 2010. The real foreign tourism has increased by 8.65 %. The income was about 159.9 billion Euros in 2011 according to world tourism and travel council. The industry is predicted to gain 180 billion Euros by 2022. Tourism also contributed to 12.7% of total employment and 2,304,500 jobs were created. The employment number is predicted to rise to 2,369,000 by 2022. But if the country experiences major drawback in tourism industry in the future, it would for 12.7 % of the people to lose their jobs.

Analysis of Construct Traits in Personality Theory

Analysis of Construct Traits in Personality Theory Word Count: 1521 Q: It is said that traits are important constructs in personality theory. Support or refute this statement. 1. INTRODUCTION If you were every to ask a person to describe him or her self, he or she would probably make use of adjectives such as ‘motivated’, ‘fun-loving’, or maybe ‘lazy’ and ‘disorganised’. These people would, in essence, be describing themselves by identifying aspects of what makes them who they are, factors or traits. Kassin (2003) identifies individuals’ emotions, thoughts and behaviours as making up his or her personality. These can vary considerably from one person to the next. Therefore, in order to make the subject of personality more scientific, researchers such as Allport, Eysenck and Cattell, through a process of factor analysis, identified factors or aspects of personality, that are considerably stable across time. Personality traits. These researchers have not yet reached an absolute consensus on the precise number of traits, which may be used to accurately describe personality. Eysenck, for example identified the traits neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism as sufficient in describing most aspects of personality. Cattell, however, identified 16 traits necessary in accounting for aspects of personality. These disparities arise out of differences in factor-analytic method used and the range of items analysed (Carr, 2004). The most dominant trait theory of recent years is the Five-Factor Model of Personality (MacCrae Costa, 1999); a richer exploration of this will follow. The following will consider the value of the construct traits in personality theory, by providing an overview of the literature on the construct traits, related theories and current research, concluding with a discussion on the findings. 2. DEFINITION In considering the importance of the construct traits in personality theory, the author will look closer at the definition of personality and that of the construct traits. 2.1. A Definition of Personality It is said that there are as many definitions of personality as there are personality theorist. Pitts (1991: 609) highlights Gordon Allport’s definition of personality, which identifies it as, ‘the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behaviour and thought’, as being widely accepted by most theorists. Kaplan and Sadock (1998: 775) define personality as, ‘a person’s characteristic totality of emotional and behavioural traits apparent in ordinary life, a totality that is usually stable and predictable’. From these two comprehensive definitions, personality could therefore be seen as being both distinctive and characteristic, and as describing a style of interacting in everyday life. Since each person is complexly unique, it is not surprising that the task of describing, and even more so, measuring personality is also highly complex. On returning to the question, and considering the above definition of personality, it would appear that for the construct traits to play a significant role in personality theory they need to be able to accurately describe an individual’s general disposition, and identify these as being stable across the life-span. 2.2. A Definition of Traits Traits are said to be those things that make us who we are. More specifically, ‘traits are relatively enduring personal characteristics, which, along with situational variables, influence behaviour, cognition and affect’ (Carr, 2004: 181). In considering the above definition, the following terms are highlighted: relatively enduring and situational. The author highlights these terms specifically, as they impact on the importance of traits on personality theory, in that traits, according to this definition, are not necessarily stable across the life span and are situationally influenced. For example, the trait ‘honest’ is very often used in describing an individual, yet this particular trait is often very dependent on a given situation. Despite these possible limitations of trait theory, the author considers the clear approach traits provide in understanding and describing personality and personal interactions, as well as a tool for comparing individuals. 3. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS Factor-analytic approaches and trait theories have arisen in recent years as a welcomed alternative to abstract theorising, in identifying aspects of personality that influences an individual respond in varying situation (Pitts, 1991). Raymond Cattell, using a set of observable, surface personality traits, identified a small group of 16 primary traits, as being central to personality. While, Hans Jurgen Eysenck proposed a 3-trait model. More recently, the Five-Factor Model (MacCrae Costa, 1999) has emerged as a front-runner of trait theories, as it provides a middle road between the extreme positions of Cattell and Eysenck (Carr, 2004). The Author will now consider these approaches to trait theory in greater depth. 3.1. Raymond Cattell In his aim to improve the predictive techniques of personality theory, in estimating a persons behaviour in a given situation, Raymond Cattell began by identifying names, ‘used to describe traits or characteristics of personality’ (Pitt, 1991: 623). From a list of 18 000 trait names, Cattell reduced this to 160. Then, through a process of factor analysis, he further reduced this number to 16 factors. Cattell described these 16 factors on a continuum, in a view that each person possess, to some degree, every trait. Everybody has some degree of every trait. These traits in: Abstractedness, Apprehension, Dominance, Emotional Stability, Liveliness, Openness to Change, Perfectionism, Privateness, Reasoning, Rule Consciousness, Self-Reliance, Sensitivity, Social Boldness, Tension, Vigilance and Warmth. Cattell considered these 16 factors as ‘source traits’, which form the basis of personality (Pitt, 1991, 623). In 1949 Cattell published these findings in an assess ment tool, the 16PF. According to Fehriinger(2004: Â ¶16), despite Cattell’s 16-factor theory having made great contributions to the development of personality theory, his theory has received vast criticism. The most prominent criticism being that despite numerous attempts to replicate the 16 Personality Factor Model, an entire replication has never been achieved. Yet, despite criticism, Fehriinger (2004: Â ¶16) identifies the contribution of Cattell’s theory in that, ‘investigation into to the validity of Cattells model researchers did discover the Big Five Factors, which have been monumental in understanding personality, as we know it today’. 3.2. Hans Jurgen Eysenck According to Eysenck, personality can be represented on three dimensions, which are uncorrelated with each other; he labelled them extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism (Pitt, 1991). Eysenck suggested that each person exhibits set responses to external and internal stimuli and that these will vary in accordance with the intensity of the stimuli, the situation and state of mind (Pitt, 1991).These set responses then develop into predictable trends, for example, a person may feel intimidated by large crowds, and as a result, limit his or her contact with specific situations. When this avoidance becomes a normal defence to coping with crowds, it becomes a habit. This behaviour may also then extend to other situations, such as social functions or days out in the city. When these responses are combined, they form traits. Jang (1998: Â ¶27) identifies the following contributions of Eysenck’s approach to the development of personality theory. By combing descriptive and casual aspects of personality, Eysenck’s model is considered more credible than other descriptive models. It is both comprehensive and descriptive, a critical aspect for comparison with other trait theories. The experimental approach adopted by Eysenck in the study of personality, makes this model more evidence based. Making this model more likely to generate more specific predictions because knowledge about the functioning of the specified physiological structures is available. Despite these identified contributions, Eysenck’s theory has received criticism in that it has been found to concentrate too extensively on extraversion, and has not made any expansion. A further criticism is that the unitary nature of extraversion, a premise of his theory, has been questioned. 3.3. Five-Factor Model The Five-Factor Model has drawn on the insights of Cattell, Eysenck and others, and includes the following dimensions: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience and Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (Carr, 2004). According to Srivastava (2006), the five-factor model has made significant contributions to the development of personality theory, in that it established a common taxonomy, doing away with a previously disorganised field. Furthermore, the five-factor model is distinguished from other theories is that it is based on language, rather than on ideas from an individual psychologist. Further support is found for the five-factor model, in that meta-analysis has confirmed the predictive value of this model across a range of behaviors. Saulsman and Page (2004, as cited in Srivastava, 2006) examined the relationship between the five-factor model and each of the 10 personality disorder categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). These researchers found that across 15 independent samples, each disorder displayed a unique and predictable five-factor profile (Srivastava, 2006). 4. DISCUSSION From the afore gone exploration on personality theory and traits, the author is able to identify both strengths and weaknesses of the construct traits. Since trait theory is largely based on statistical data, it removes any bias influence and remains objective, unlike other personality theories, which are based on subjective personal experiences. Furthermore, it is a clear and easy to apply approach for use in understanding people. However, the criticisms remain that it is a poor predictor of future behaviour and fails to address developmental issues. Despite these, the author is able to identify the importance of the construct trait in personality theory. 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY Carr, A. 2004. Positive Psychology: The science of happiness and human strengths. Hove: Brunner-Routledge. Fehriinger, H.M. 2004. Contributions and Limitations of Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Model. Retrieved on the March 2nd, 2007, from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/fehringer.html. Jang, K. 1998. Eysenck’s PEN Model: Its contributions to personality psychology. Retrieved on March 2nd, from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/jang.html Kaplan, H. I., Sadock, B. J. 1998. Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/ clinical psychiatry. (8th ed.). USA: Lippincott Williams Willkins. Kassin, S. 2003. Psychology. USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc. McCrae, R., Costa, P. 1999. A five factor theory of personality. In L. Pervin and O. John (Eds.). Handbook of Personality (2nd ed.). pp. 139-153. NY: Guilford. Pitts, M. 1991. Personality. In J. Radford and E. Govier (Eds.). A Textbook of Psychology (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. Srivastava, S. (2006). Measuring the Big Five Personality Factors. Retrieved March 2nd, 2007 from http://www.uoregon.edu/~sanjay/bigfive.html.

Yin and Yang: the Nature of Scientific Explanation in a Culture Essays

Yin and Yang: the Nature of Scientific Explanation in a Culture ABSTRACT: I explore the nature of scientific explanation in a culture centering on the doctrine of yin and yang combined with that of five phrases, wu-hsing (YYFP). I note how YYFP functions as an alternative to the causal way of thinking, as well as the meaning of scientific explanation in a culture. I also consider whether a scientific concept becomes metaphorical when it is superseded by an alternative organizing concept. To a Western eye, or even to a contemporary Eastern eye, many explanations given under the doctrine of yin and yang combined with that of five phases (wu-hsing), apparently intended to be scientific, would seem either absurd or too arbitrary at first sight. An intriguing fact, however, is that the doctrine of yin and yang and that of five phases (hereafter YYFP) has prevailed until quite recently in almost all the areas of Far-Eastern cultures including medicine, astronomy, music, dance, architecture, geomancy. In this essay, I pay attention to the questions such as how YYFP functioned as an alternative to the causal way of thinking, and what it is to be a scientific or theoretical explanation in a culture. I also consider the question of whether a scientific concept becomes metaphorical when it is superseded by an alternative organizing concept. Let me begin with the development of the concept of YYFP, as you may not know in the first place what YYFP is. Until around the 4th century B.C., yin and yang were current words for "sunshine" and "shade" and were used separately from the five phases of change. Soon after, they came to be included in the six ch'i (six powers or forces) of Heaven. The six ch'i refer to wind, rain, dark, light,... .... Recent developments in quantum physics, biology and information science have put us in a position where we question the uniqueness of the causal-mechanical model of science. But these developments, even though sciences based on non-causal concepts might dominate in the culture, would not eradicate the causal way people have viewed the world and themselves, but only relegate the concept of cause to the realm of metaphor, a rhetorical way of putting things. The concept of cause then would no longer be a scientific concept, but would still be alive in the culture. What brings a change in the general worldview then? This would be the question I still have to ask. Notes (1) Tr.(in Korean)& ed. by Chung Young Ho (Jayou-Moongo, 1993), pp.22-23. English translation is mine. (2) Cf. Tung Chung-suh, Ch'un-ch'iu fan-lu (Luxurian Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals).

Poseidon :: essays research papers

Poseidon is a god of many names. He is most famous as the god of the sea. The son of Cronus and Rhea, Poseidon is one of six siblings who eventually "divided the power of the world." His brothers and sisters include: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Zeus. The division of the universe involved him and his brothers, Zeus and Hades. Poseidon became ruler of the sea, Zeus ruled the sky, and Hades got the underworld. The other divinities attributed to Poseidon involve the god of earthquakes and the god of horses. The symbols associated with Poseidon include: dolphins, tridents, and three-pronged fish spears. Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for a safe voyage on the sea. Many men drowned horses in sacrifice of his honor. He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral and gems, and drove a chariot pulled by horses. However, Poseidon was a very moody divinity, and his temperament could sometimes result in violence. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands in the water and a calm sea. In contrast, when he was in a bad mood, Poseidon would strike the ground with a trident and cause unruly springs and earthquakes, ship wrecks, and drownings. Poseidon was similar to his brother Zeus in exerting his power on women and in objectifying masculinity. He had many love affairs and fathered numerous children. Poseidon once married a Nereid, Amphitrite, and produced Triton who was half-human and half-fish. He also impregnated the Gorgon Medusa to conceive Chrysaor and Pegasus, the flying horse. The rape of Aethra by Poseidon resulted in the birth of Theseus; and he turned Caeneus into a man, at her request, after raping her. Another rape involved Amymone when she tried to escape from a satyr and Poseidon saved her. Other offspring of Poseidon include: Eumolpus, the Giant Sinis, Polyphemus, Orion, King Amycus, Proteus, Agenor and Belus from Europa, Pelias, and the King of Egypt, Busiris. One of the most notorious love affairs of Poseidon involves his sister, Demeter. Poseidon pursued Demeter and to avoid him she turned herself into a mare. In his lust for her, Poseidon transformed himself into a stallion and captured her. Their procreation resulted in a horse, Arion. Poseidon is Greek for "Husband" (possibly of wheat), and therefore it is thought that he and Demeter (goddess of wheat) are a good match because they reign as the god and goddess of fertility.

Patting Down the TSA

Patting Down The TSA Before 9/1 1 happened our country was not as strict with security as we are today. You could once go through air travel without the hassle of having to go through full body scanners and taking off your shoes, belts, hat, etc. Ever since 9/1 1 our country has made a huge change in the security industry. They havent made many changes to buses, ships, and trains. Buses may have security cameras, but no one is checking people for bombs or weapons. Cargo ships get searched, but not to the extent they should be.Tons of people ride the subway system in big cities such as New York and Chicago, but there is no security on the subway. Our country is so worried about air travel security that they do not put enough time and money into the other types of transportation security. â€Å"Transportation is often likened to the bodys circulatory system† (Kulash 5). The circulation of blood is essential for the human life. In the same way the circulation of goods and people is critical to keep society running smoothly. If people and goods are not circulated smoothly, then society will start to slowly fall apart.Doctors remove blood clots and replace valves that have sprung leaks; transportation and logistics rofessional practice the same concept. They are used to keep the distribution system running by eliminating congestion and managing the flows of human traffic. Today there are new concerns about the transportation security (Kulash 5). September 1 1, 2001 shocked the United States by showing us exactly how dangerous our transportation system can be. It made us realize terrorists can make weapons out of any transportation vehicle.The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recognized early on the threats that a terrorist can put on the transportation system. It is not Just an attack by terrorists we should worry about; we have a massive ransportation system that can go virtually anywhere. There are hundreds of thousands of people that are employ ed in the transportation department; an attack could also be an inside Job by an agents. They know how the security system works and could easily get by. Any company can ship goods all around the world on cargo ships, train, cars, and having every container, car, boxcar, and ship inspected would cause the flow to freeze.The goods that are being shipped would take a very long time to get to their destination. The buyers would start to get angry about their goods not arriving on ime, and would stop buying the good from their supplier. The problem has to be solved by not slowing down the transportation flow. The transportation flow is how quickly and efficiently people and goods get from one place to another. Security is a top priority at the U. S Department of Transportation. Their goal is to come up with the most advanced technology and safest and smoothest way to run security. The range of discussions at the meetings are from inexpensive technological gizmos to sophisticated electro nic systems, from common sense business practices to sophisticated end-to-end programs governing the entire supply hain† (Kulash 5). Their are many agencies and companies that have ideas they want to put in place, but they are weighing the costs and benefits, and assessing what really needs to be changed. As decisions get made at many levels, change may come. As they discuss more and more about these issues they will come to an agreement about what is best for the transportation security, and where they should put their time and money.Airport security is the most secure type of public transportation. In the past people did not have to take their shoes or belts off, and they could even bring their drinks through security, but not anymore. Airport security has become more and more secure after the terrorist attacks on September 11 2001. Up until recently everyone had to take their shoes and belts off and throw their drinks away. Everyone is still required to throw any food or dr ink item they may have away. The TSA is becoming more lenient with older people and young children, so they no longer have to take their shoes off and can leave their Jackets on.They feel that these two certain age groups are less likely to commit a terrorist attack. Now the airports have full body scanners that everyone has to step into. This is an upgrade for the TSA so that they an be absolutely sure that no one has any type of weapon on them. The airplane itself is also more secure by adding bullet proof doors to the cockpit, so only people with access to this door can get in. Security is a very time consuming and costly expense. Since 2001 there has been 57 billion dollars spent on the TSA. Most of the money is used by the airports.The TSA is also not as trustworthy as most of us may think. There have been reports of agents stealing money, harassing passengers, and misuse of the money they are given for security. This table explains vey well the cost of security and exactly wha t he TSA does with the money and what they are doing wrong. Elliott, Christopher. â€Å"Patting Down The TSA. † Newsweek 159. 12 (2012): 16. As the table shows there is an awful lot of money that goes into airport security. It also shows how they are loosing money by the inconvenience of screening.Everyone has to take everything off and out of their pockets when they go through a medal detector. Screening is enough for the airport security. It takes up more time and money to have the metal detectors there when the screeners see everything else. More money could be used for other types of transportation. Recommended Security Guidelines for Airport Planning, Design, and Destruction† is a book that describes all the guiltiness that airports and other types of transportation need to follow. 96 percent of this book is followed by airports and only 5 percent is tollowed by all other types ot transportations.Security is virtually percent non-revenue overhead cost; every dollar spent on security is unavailable for new or upgraded facilities, operations, maintenance, manpower, public amenities etc (Kosatka 32). Security requirements are continually changing and the costs are out of the airport managements control. Buses, Trains, and ships do not have nearly the amount of security that airports do. Since there has been no terrorist attack in the United States on a bus, train, or ship, the transportation security administration does not feel the need to spend the time and money to keep these types of transportation very secure.There has been talk about putting bag scanners on ships and trains. As they talk about this more scanners on trains and ships may come into play ( Frank 3a). Money is the most important part, so if the TSA put more money and time into the security of these types of transportation then they would be more secure. Other aspects of the airport may be at risk also. Fuel trucks, construction vehicles, catering equipment and air cargo could b e dangerous if not thoroughly checked. Yes these people have all gotten background check, but someone could easily by-pass that.Michael Boyd, president of the Boyd group international, an aviation consulting firm, says the solution is simple to keep these aspects of the airports secure. â€Å"Having a TSA run by trained security professionals at all levels, with total performance accountability' (Boyd 10a). Today there are Federal Security directors who have very little experience in this field. Boyd says, â€Å"We've also had TSA with zero background in security. † He is saying even though they have strong security there may be a chance a TSA agent with no experience may slip up and let something happen that they did not mean to happen.They have become too concerned with finding things that can be used as weapons than identifying or deterring security threats (Boyd 10a). However, with these other types of transportation only following 75 percent of security guidelines Homel and Security Janet Napolitano says, â€Å"l plan to focus more on mass transit, possibly through redeployment of resources from other areas† (Frank a). She said that they have done a lot of work in that aviation department and could pay more attention to ground transportation.Just before Napolitano took office she found that 37 out of 48 of the nations largest transit systems are not complying with the security guidelines. Paul Lennon, head of mass transit for the TSA, says, † there is no sanction for non-compliance† (Frank 3a). Major systems in big cities such as New York and Washington have greatly improved security while the other smaller agencies to do not see the need of urgency that the larger agencies see. Greg Hull, ecurity director for the American Public Transportation Association, says, â€Å"The industry knows it has difficulty fully complying with guidelines† (Frank 3a).Hull said transit agencies simply need more money from the government to im prove their security. Money is a huge part of security so, the TSA uses it to purchase new and more modern technology and hire more staff member. Without tons of money being poured into the transportation security industry the security would be very weak. They have used a lot of money for the updating technology and new ideas for the airports, but they have not put a lot of money into trains, buses, and ships. The more money these other services can get the better their security will be.The subway system is a huge part ot public transportation in big cities. In major cities such as Boston, New York and Chicago people use more public transportation than in the smaller cities. These cities are so fast moving that putting extra security on them would slow everything way down. In New York City millions of people ride the subway every day. It is more efficient for people to take the subway than drive a car. There can be a high risk of an attack because these cities are so congested and e verybody is moving so quickly. Because of this the subway systems are not very safe.Putting security scanners on every subway system would cost the cities a lot more money and more taxes from the people. Most people do not like paying taxes and most would be very frustrated if they had to pay more for security. Some may argue that nothing terrible has ever happened on a subway to make security necessary on it. Everyones that takes the subway would have to change their routine. They would no longer get to where they are going fast. They would have to plan their schedules accordingly. No on really excepts security to be the best it can be.No matter how much is spent on security, there will always be more that could be done. The challenge is whether or not where and how much security there should be. Wherever the line is drawn, we will have to live with the risk (Kulash 7). For example, everything that has been done to diagnose, prevent, and treat coronary heart disease, they still are America's number one killer. One in five Americans suffer from some form of coronary disease; 954,000 americans die each year from it (Kulash 7). It cost the United States 259 billion dollars each year in health costs and productivity losses (Kulash 7).These numbers do not discourage medical progress, they encourage it. In the same way, exposure to transportation security risks will lead to new organizations, new technologies, and new system. Maintaining the flow of secure transportation has a down side. â€Å"Don't hold your breath and wait for a solution this will be evolving for years; improvements can and will be made† (Kulash 7). It is vital that the United States transportation system be kept running smoothly. U. S transportation and security have made incredible progress in the last twenty years. International trade and freight are expected to double in the next twenty years.Excellent transportation capabilities will continue to spur the nations economic growth (Kulas h 7). Just about everything in life needs money to operator or become better. Security gets better and better the more money that is poured into it, so more money needs to be put into other types of transportation. All types of transportation need to be as safe as possible. Money should not be an issue if it deals with saving a life. No one wants anything tragic to happen to their family so the TSA needs to do whatever it takes to take the security as far as it can go, because you cant put a price on family.

Nathan “Songs of Silence” Essay

The chapters of Songs of Silence hold together as a chorus of songs from one community, but shaped by the recollections of a narrator whose perspective ranges from the innocence of childhood to the maturity of a young adult who emerges unbroken from a failed relationship. One such chapters is ‘Nathan’ and here the narrator is the reflective adult with a sophisticated notion of the wide range if meanings ‘silence’ holds. Through the character of Nation she is able to present some aspects of this theme, which runs throughout the text in many different ways. Nathan acts strategically without words, but with potent meaning – revenge (poking Tony’s eye). Silence is a characteristic feature of Nathan’s personality, which is deep and profound even though he uses few words. The absence of words can mask/hide a great deal (still waters run deep). Nathan’s deep and profound silence was evident even from his birth and the close connection he had with his sister, the narrator – ‘†¦soulmates, welded together by our common need for silence.’ They both started speaking late. However, her silence was different from his – ‘he was a man of dark blue silences,’ while hers ‘hers was a silence of moons.’ Here the narrator suggests that contrary to the saying ‘silence means consent’, silence does not always mean ‘consent’ or agreement nor are all silent people to be treated the same. The ‘manna manna manna mahkita’ game establishes the communication between the narrator and Nathan. It has unspoken personal meaning for them and suggests that its ritual is saturated with almost religious or spiritual significance. It shows that codes of communication which may appear insignificant or meaningless to others looking on, may be a way of expressing connections that (known) words cannot express. The different silences of the siblings allow them to explore, define and find their own authentic selves in their own ways. (E.g. The narrator and the ants, Nathan and his tightfistedness with money). Silence, like money, can express identity.

High School and Younger Girls Essay

I chose to write this paper on bullying and its effect on school. In my middle school years, after I had moved here from Alaska, I was bullied a lot because I was new to the school and it was such a small town. It had effects on me that still affect me today. For example, if someone says my name or taps me on the back I don’t turn around because when I was younger girls would do that to me and then laugh at me. I feel bullying is a serious subject and that’s why I chose to look further in to it. The article I chose to do was Bullying in School: The Traumatic Effects of Bullying on Children by Dr. Terry Ehiorobo. The beginning of his article starts off by explaining how bullying has gotten out of hand and what is being done about it. For example, a child getting bullied ended up suing his school because on one was doing anything to stop the bullying, and he even won. In his article he explains different types of bullying situations using certain examples. Dr. Ehiorobo says in his article, â€Å"The world of bullying has a life of its own. It takes no prisoners and its effects can be long lasting and endemic in some cases.† Bullying is a very serious issue in today’s society and I’m glad something is being done to put a spotlight on it. If a stop is put to bullying kids will do better in school, therefor having a better effect on the rest of their lives. Works Cited Ehiorobo, Terry Dr. â€Å"Bullying in School: The Traumatic Effects of Bullying on Children.† CPI. n.p. 25 September 2013. Web March 2012. http://www.crisisprevention.com/Resources/Article-Library/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention-Training-Articles/Traumatic-Effects-of-Bullying-Children