Favorite Holiday

Favorite holidays As an immigrant, Christmas is not my traditional holiday. I celebrated Christmas for the first time when I was in India. It was my first and last Christmas with my Indian friends. I collected money from friends and we held a little party at my house. Our Christmas party was very different than an American Christmas party. We didn’t decorate the Christmas tree and also there was no snow. I didn’t get different kinds of food for my friends because at the end I left with very little money. We didn’t tell our parents about celebrating Christmas and we made our gifts at home.For example, I made a card and one of my friends made a sewed a hankie. After the celebration we started to clean up and during clean up time we were telling jokes and laughing. It was the best Christmas of my life. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday because Christmas comes with snow, decorations and different varieties of food. First, Christmas is not complete without snow and cold. I love the combination of snow, cold and wind. Every single morning is like a surprise for me because I do not know what the weather will be like.When I glance around, I see snow everywhere just like a white blanket. I usually don’t go outside in the snow, but I adore watching snow from my window. It is also the best time for snow ball fights and for going snow sledding. When I go outside, I see people with heavy jackets and coats roaming around gives me cozy and warm feelings. Sitting on the couch, drinking coffee, and watching snow during Christmas time gives me feelings which are not comparable to any other feelings. Second of all, decorations on Christmas are usual and are very important parts of Christmas.Christmas time decorations are typically put up in stores in early December and people start to white wash their houses for this big occasion. Going to stores in Christmas time, everything looks very colorful to me. I usually see the Christmas decoration s in three colors like red, white and green. A week before Christmas day, people decorate their houses and front yards with lights, wreath, and plastic snowman. During Christmas time I love to go on walks because the decorations of the streets and houses everywhere make the holidays very pleasant for me. Looking at ecorated houses and streets in the night during walk fills my heart with happiness and joy. The sensation which comes to my spirit by looking at the decorations can’t be compared to anything else and makes me love Christmas. Third of all, the best part of the Christmas is the school break. Spending time at home without any worry of school is the greatest thing about Christmas. Every student in high school/college waits for Christmas desperately because teachers don’t give homework. Instead of doing assignments, I get to stay home and relax all day long.Going to school all year and working on school work doesn’t give me enough time to spend with my fam ily. On Christmas break, I help my mom with chores and go to work with my dad. Last year on Christmas I went to India. I didn’t get to stay long but it was memorable trip. Christmas allows me to go on vacation and gives me time to spend with my family. I don’t celebrate Christmas because of my religion, but Christmas is my favorite holidays. During Christmas I love the mixture of fantastic weather, the beautiful decorations and the awesome school break.

A Red, Red Rose Essay

Robert Burns wrote â€Å"A Red, Red Rose† and edited by Peter Urbani. It was first in printed in 1794 in A Selection of Scots Songs. This was shown in ballad stanzas because it was composed with four – line stanzas or quatrains, having alternating tetrameter and trimeter lines which emphasized that the first and third lines of each stanza had four stressed syllables, or beats whereas the second and fourth lines had three stressed syllables. The line of this poem â€Å"That’s sweet / ly play’d / in tune† was an example of iambic meter in which the first syllable was unstressed and the second was stressed. The implication of this poem was about the thoughts and descriptions of love in a way that exceeded beyond the non – literary sources from which the verse was drawn. The poet first similarly declared his love in a blooming rose in spring and then in a melody â€Å"sweetly play’d in tune. † For me, these similes indicated the beauty and happiness of being in love. The metaphor â€Å"sands o’ life† pointed out the eternal nature of the writer’s love that explained the extent of his love. There were much imagery mentioned here like the color red that meant love and passion and the exquisite image of the rose was represented by the recapitulation of the color â€Å"red. † The word â€Å"Newly Sprung† intended for his sincere and great love. As I analyzed this piece, I obtained the knowledge and information about the true meaning of love. The way he illustrated his love, I observed that for him it was precious and worth keeping for. Burns also declared that once we felt love and it was true, it must be for a lifetime. â€Å"Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun†, meant that no matter how far or near the lovers were, love will always be there and stays forever. The entire logic of this poem is about the unconditional love that he can offer to the one he used to love. The true love in a sensible way was being illustrated by John Frederick Nims in his poem entitled â€Å"Love Poem. † The love that was impossible and unreachable was also the idea being shown by this sonnet. The essence of sticking to the one you love regardless of his imperfect qualities was the theme of this poem. From the metaphors in Nim’s piece, he brought to reality the figure of a very clumsy individual. â€Å"All devotion, at your knees† meant that despite of that unpleasant quality, she was so beautiful, charming and refine. Her good qualities were the reason why those who knew her keep her. From the lines â€Å"So gayly in love’s unbreakable heaven/Our souls on glory of spilt bourbon float,† it characterized that even clumsiness wouldn’t affect his love. The line â€Å"Their souls float on spilt bourbon†, which proved that they were happy with the presence of her fault. The metaphor in the line â€Å"Be with me darling early and late,† meant that they must stayed together during their youth and when they became old. The meaning of this line â€Å"Her hands, which â€Å"shipwreck vases,/At whose quick touch all glasses chip and ring,† showed the gracefulness of people. , and â€Å"should your hands drop white and empty/All the toys of the world would break,† described that the things she did using her hands wouldn’t fade away but will still remain and unreplacable. There were also symbolic images like â€Å"my clumsiest dear,† â€Å"chip and ring,† â€Å"bull in china† and a â€Å"bur in linen† that showed the partnership of appreciation and condemnation. But in the stanza â€Å"The refugee uncertain at the door/you make at home†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (6 – 7) he commended the quality of his lover as a charitable one. Nevertheless, the whole idea of this poem was about the exposition of the girl he loved, her positive and negative side. He wanted to share the readers that in loving a person, we must adore his good qualities and love them despite of flawed qualities. The two poems are the same in iambic meter and in quatrains. The tone of both writers as they convey their feelings on their loved one’s shows that they are so much in love with love. They are so sincere in expressing their affection and passion towards their lovers with no hesitation and no limitation. When it comes to the voice according to the writers, I can see that Burns is so fascinated to his lover. All the things that he can see are all beautiful and the way he promises his love is so precious for him. As we go deeper beyond the meaning of the poem, the author doesn’t mind the negative traits of his lover nor mentions his flaws. Nevertheless, Burns only indicates how big his love is for the girl whom he loved. Moreover, how he promises that he can offer and sacrifice a lot for the fulfillment of his love. While, Nims obviously starts his poem in a different way. He shows the negative side of his lover. He even mentions the wrong impressions toward his girl. He doesn’t even bother to cover up the flaws of the one he loves instead of covering, he exposes the blemishes of his lover. However, the author doesn’t mean that he just wants to intimidate his girl but proudly tell the whole world and all the readers that despite of her flaws and shortcomings, he loved her so much. Now the difference of the two poems when it comes to declaring the love for their special someone is that the first author loves without looking or even mentioning the flaws of his girl or loving the person unconditionally while the latter explains how to love by accepting the reality that a person has the negative and positive characteristics. The symbols or images use in both poems also differ. Burns uses similes that focus on the natural resources like rose, music, seas, sun, sands, and rocks. For me, it implies that the author is a nature lover. He shares to the readers that when we are in love, the beauty of the things that surrounds us are all that we can see and appreciate and it gives a happy feeling. While, Nims uses metaphors where in the center idea is about the things or toys that can cause noise and to the things that we usually use everyday like vases, glasses, bulls, burs, dime and toys. In here, he shows the poem as if it is in a movie or in a story telling type. He details what are the happenings and how he accepts the flaws of the one he loves. For me, this poem is so interesting because he directs the readers to the exact situation of the things that are happening to him. He never hides the flaws of his girl maybe because the true meaning of this poem is about acceptance. According to my evaluation, accepting the weaknesses of the one he loves will show the true meaning of love. We don’t have to hide the imperfections of our loved ones because if we learn to love and accept them despite of the blemishes of the one we use to love, I think the power of love will strongly manifest and can’t be broken or shaken easily. But for me, both poems are so interesting and appealing. In reality, there are two kinds of lovers. The first one is the one who doesn’t see the negative side of the person that he used to love because he is blinded by his love while the other one is that he sees first the weaknesses of his lover and then learn to love that person. Both kind of love is passionate and ideal. Learning how to love though in different ways depends upon the person but we must love unconditionally, fervently, without hesitation and reservation, with acceptance and forgiveness, and by showing it through actions and words. Works Cited Burns, Robert â€Å"A Red, Red Rose† http://www. poemhunter. com/poem/a-red-red-rose/ Nims, John Frederick â€Å"Love Poem† http://www. poemhunter. com/poem/love-poem/

Psy Analysis

Marla is a 42-year-old Hispanic female who comes to the mental health clinic complaining of having trouble sleeping, feeling â€Å"jumpy all of the time,† and experiencing an inability to concentrate. These symptoms are causing problems for her at work, where she is an accountant. Resources: Appendix A, Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, and the Faces of Abnormal Psychology Interactive application at the McGraw Hill Higher Education Web site Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper analyzing Marla’s disorder. Address the following:Decide which disorder Marla may have using the information in the Faces of Abnormal Psychology Interactive Application at http://www. mhhe. com/socscience/psychology/faces/#. The profile introduction will match more than one of the disorders found in the application. You must choose one of the disorders and complete the profile. Include the 10 question from the week Four CheckPoint. Summarize the disorder using the information provided in the inte ractive application. Explain the origin of the disorder and any potential treatments by using one of the models of abnormality found in Ch. of Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. * * 1. Tell me some basic information about yourself†¦ Name, age,etc Marla, 42 Hispanic female 2. What brings you in to see me? Having trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy, lack of concentration, affecting her accountant job 3. Why do you feel that you need a clinical interview? For the larger part of her life she has been fighting depression, suicide thoughts, 2 attempts of suicide, self mutilation period 4. How do you feel most days? Worthless, low, no energy 5. Is there anything that makes you more happy/sad?Shopping, spending money to make she appear nicer, looks 6. How long have you been experiencing these feelings? Most of her life but in the past couple of years it has gotten worse 7. How is your relationship with your parents? Father knows him but has never been around, molestation, â€Å"she was never his son† had son straightened up but Marla wasn’t worth it Mother a drunk in bed at 7, cheated, and raised her by herself and new husband 8. How often do you go out and socialize? Homebody 9. Have you noticed anything specific that triggers your moods?Anything, everything, stupid people, people in general 10. Is there anything else you feel like sharing with me? My life sucks and my wife says that my moods suck and I go from on top of the world to being underneath it in. 1second After meeting with Marla and doing my initial interview with her, where Marla revealed that she has been clinically diagnosed with depression. Marla has much more mental disorders than just depression. She has lived her life trying to be enough for her dad, mom, everybody else in her life. Marla was never taught love, acceptance.I am diagnosing Marla with Bipolar disorder with ADHD with anger tendencies. Marla has a feeling of jumpiness and lacks concentration, which is affecting her accou nting job. Marla informed me in our interview that she knows her father but he was never really around. He tried to buy her love and gave her a lot of empty promises. Marla’s father use to tell her that she was not his son, that he always wanted a son and that she was not. She had animosity towards her father for straightening his life out once his son was born. This left her with feelings of not being enough for his love.Carrying this feeling her entire love grew to anger as an adult. Her father did not matter anymore but that pain she felt as a child she turned into anger. Marla’s mother raised her but she was a drunk. Her mother married a new husband, showed Marla how to cheat on this man. When that marriage failed lived with another who made fun of Marla for being a lesbian. Her mother cheated on him with who would become her husband now. Marla has periods of mania more often than she is happy. Marla went through more serious and long periods of mania where she wen t through self mutilation phases.During these times Marla has attempted suicide many times, two times she was hospitalized. When Marla is feeling low, she has realized that she likes to shop to make her appearance appear pricier. I came to my diagnoses of Bipolar with ADHD with severe anger tendencies due to the following facts. ADHD’s symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). Bipolar Disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and  depression.The â€Å"mood swings† between mania and depression can be very quick. Bipolar individuals go from manic to mania in a split second or in some cases over lap each other. The manic phase may last from days to months. It can include the following symptoms: * Easily distracted * Little need for sleep * Poor judgment * Poor temper control * Reckless behavior and lack of self cont rol * Binge eating, drinking, and/or drug use * Poor judgment * Sex with many partners (promiscuity) * Spending sprees * Very elevated mood * Excess activity (hyperactivity) * Increased energy * Racing thoughts Talking a lot * Very high self-esteem (false beliefs about self or abilities) * Very involved in activities * Very upset (agitated or irritated) These symptoms of mania occur with bipolar disorder I. In people with bipolar disorder II, the symptoms of mania are similar but less intense. The depressed phase of both types of bipolar disorder includes the following symptoms: * Daily low mood or sadness * Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions * Eating problems * Loss of appetite and weight loss * Overeating and weight gain * Fatigue or lack of energy Feeling worthless, hopeless, or guilty * Loss of pleasure in activities once enjoyed * Loss of self-esteem * Thoughts of death and suicide * Trouble getting to sleep or sleeping too much * Pulling away from frien ds or activities that were once enjoyed There is a high risk of  suicide  with bipolar disorder. Patients may abuse alcohol or other substances, which can make the symptoms and suicide risk worse. Sometimes the two phases overlap. Manic and depressive symptoms may occur together or quickly one after the other in what is called a mixed state. (http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. ov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001924/) Some individuals may be diagnosed with both ADHD and bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, some are misdiagnosed because the symptoms of the two disorders can overlap or look similar. In mania, individuals may appear distracted, always moving and restless, which may look similar to symptoms of hyperactivity. Also, individuals with ADHD may demonstrate some mood symptoms, but not to the extreme necessary for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. It is important to ensure that an individual meets the criteria for both of the disorders, rather than just demonstrating symptoms that could be constru ed as both. http://www. livestrong. com/article/252912-adhd-bipolar-disorder-in-adults/). The treatments for these disorders are medications such as, Adderall, and or Vyvance, there are also non stimulant medications such as Strattera. With the stimulation medications most individuals are put on a sleeping agent to bring them down such as Clonodine. Medications for Bipolar can include Abilify, and or Cymbalta. Most Bipolar individuals take an anxiety agent as well. Individuals such as Marla may be prescribed Adderall, Clonodine, Abilify, and Depokote.The disorder ADHD originated in 1902, there is the first documented disorder relating to impulsiveness. This was in Britain, and the doctor who diagnosed the impulsive disorder was named Dr. Still. He called this disorder â€Å"Defect of Moral Control† and he believed that the diagnosed individual had a medical disorder beyond their control. (http://ezinearticles. com/? History-of-ADHD&id=217254). Bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the oldest known illnesses. Research reveals some mention of the symptoms in early medical records. It was first noticed as far back as the second century.Aretaeus of Cappadocia (a city in ancient Turkey) first recognized some symptoms of mania and depression, and felt they could be linked to each other. His findings went unnoticed and unsubstantiated until 1650, when a scientist named Richard Burton wrote a book, The Anatomy of Melancholia, which focused specifically on depression. His findings are still used today by many in the mental health field, and he is credited with being the father of depression as a mental illness. (http://www. caregiver. com/channels/bipolar/articles/brief_history. htm).

Social Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Theory - Essay Example 66). Marx argues that there is a relation between ideas and material activity in society. The different ways of production thus determines relations. For example, in modern capitalist societies such as Britain, labour is valued and is exchanged voluntarily with wages so as to earn a living because the society is based on exchange of commodities and labour. All labour that is not used for producing commodities for exchange such as housework is valueless and is not accounted for in national income calculations as it does not add any value. The manner of production also divides the society into classes with one class being dominant and the other subordinate. In a society based on exchange, the bourgeoisie or capitalist is the owner of means of production hence is dominant and the wage labourer is subordinate. Contrary to Hegel’s perception that ideas were the forces in history, Marx argues that ‘ideas and beliefs symbolize our economic and class relations and experiences we have with others in society’ (Morrison, 2006 p. 66). He also acknowledges that the political economy develops in stages through historical events. In the critique of the political economy, they explained how economy moved from feudalism to capitalism as a result of English civil war which dismantled it thus putting land under private ownership. Serfs were separated from means of production hence were forced to offer their labour to owners of the means of production (Gaunt, 2000).Using the labour, the capitalists transform raw materials into finished products with own forces of production and become owners of the products. Labour in this case is transformed from its use-value into a commodity and become labour power which has an exchange value. They criticized the work of Adam Smith and Ricardo who were advocates of capitalism and were of the view that capitalist society is governed by fixed economic laws and that value was inherent in commodities. For Marx, consumption and p roduction were related contrary to Smiths assertion that they were independent. He also saw commodities as not having value as they had two uses; consumption and exchange in the market. If a commodity is not for use as in feudal society, then value is obtained when it is exchanged in the market thus the labourers lose ability to freely employ means of production and have no control of the product (Morrison, 2006). The system of exchange thus determines the relations of production in capitalist societies. The exchange of labour according to Marx is a historically developed system of division of labour from family labour which only had use value to capitalism where labour power is exchanged for wages and that in future, labour would be free where one would work according to his needs. In Britain, the products produced by wage labourers are exchanged in the market and so as to measure value, the monetary system was introduced such that price actualizes the exchange-value instead of exc hanging goods with other goods or with gold. However, prices are affected by other factors involved in the activity of exchange such as input prices. Marx acknowledges that wage labour is a form of exploitation (Marx & Engel, 2002). Wage labourers produce surplus value which Marx defined as the proportion of unpaid, surplus labour workers perform for their employer to the necessary labour workers pe

Final Exam Questions and Answers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Exam Questions and Answers - Assignment Example Vapor from the surface of the earth into clouds of water in the air which then falls to the ground as rain is however excluded from this model. The concept of a healthy and an environmentally sustainable diet is a call for many in today’s generations. However, with ever-increasing concern about the future of food security and climate change there is significant renewed interest in the subject. Healthy and sustainable diet keen to help in reducing greenhouse gas emission have focused on reducing consumption of meat and dairy products. Recent research shows that it is practical to meet a proper diet that that is healthy and has lower emissions (Macdiarmid 14). A third of the cereals produced are fed to animals; the number of people that can be fed from these cereals is more than those fed from the animal products. Therefore, incentives through legislation can be employed to realize this. For example, input subsidies among others. The masses can also be educated on other benefits of a vegetarian diet such as healthy eating (Clonan 460). LCA is an assessment that quantifies the environmental impact, which includes raw materials, energy and emissions from eraction to end of life. The steps involved include; Scoping- involves defining the system and its boundaries. Inventory Analysis involves quantifying material and energy flows throughout the system. Impact assessment encompasses translating inventory data into meaningful impacts for example acidification, eutrophication. Improvement and interpretation analysis- making deductions and recommendations for example reduced carbon emissions. Sustainability is use of renewable and non-renewable resources for economic reasons in a way that does not hinder future generations from utilizing the same resources in future. The triple bottom line suggests that impact on environment due to resource use should be bearable to the society, the economic gains should be equitably distributed to

The US Importation Benefits for World Development Term Paper

The US Importation Benefits for World Development - Term Paper Example Countries trade with each other because of the concept of comparative advantage and specialization.   Using the concept of Adams Smith as the basis of the theory it would not able to remember the foundation of having to import or to buy when it would cost more to make. If a foreign country can supply the United States with a commodity which would be cheaper than it can make, then there is a reason to buy from said foreign while at the same time allowing some of the produce of the US industry to be sold. In other words, the US would produce where it has some advantage. The need to specialize and trade for the same reason should govern the behavior of individuals at it meant to result in greater out and income.   A lawyer who is also a skilled painter can benefit to just hire a painter to paint his house. It is assumed that the lawyer can earn $50 dollars per hour and that the painter earns $20 an hour. Although the lawyer is a good painter, he would do best to just specialize in his work as a lawyer by hiring a painted, as he could be saving $20 per hour. That the world economy is benefited by US importation cannot be denied.   Ã‚  One cannot talk about the economy without going back to things about demand and supply of good and services. The demanders are the households, individuals, and entities and the suppliers are the firms. This interaction could result in economic activities that will the cause the continuous production of needs and wants as sustained by the continuing demand.   From the macroeconomic model, the economy of every country is then measured by GDP growth with the necessary components of consumption, investment, government spending, and net export or the result of exports after deducting imports. Imports by the US may result therefore to trade deficit whether the US could actually be consuming more than it produces or exports. It may there have a negative effect on its GDP. However, in business, one’s loss is another’s gain.

WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

WWII - Essay Example It was a pill which contains estrogen and progestin. It was introduced (approved for contraceptive use) to the United States market back in 1960 and immediately triggered a huge social change in the way people viewed sex. It had a profound impact on how men and women treat each other as well. Prior to the birth control pill, social roles for men and women were very well defined (Brandon, 2010, p. 69). The adult male was the alpha person in the household and the sole individual who can decide on crucial matters such as employment, schooling of the kids, purchase of a house or car and the other things usually reserved for the head of the house. The adult female was expected to be docile and obedient as the housewife and takes care of the home nest and the children while the man goes off to work and bring food to the table. The pill freed the people from their usual social constraints as women became more assertive of their reproductive rights and also demanded a right to abortion. It a lso led to sexual permissiveness and promiscuity. Civil Rights Movement – the demand by black Americans for equal rights had a big effect on how people today treat each other. Prior to the movement, racial discrimination was an accepted way of life and was the cause of the US civil war which almost split the American nation some centuries earlier. The Civil Rights Movement included their demands for a right to vote, an official end to racial discrimination in various aspects of daily life such as in jobs, housing, education and health care, among many other discriminatory acts and practices. The set of liberal reforms implemented were intended to eliminate poverty due to racial inequality and considered as a political watershed in American life (Milkis & Mileur, 2005, p. 365). Bretton Woods Agreement – this important economic agreement established the world

Slaughterhouse Five and 1984 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Slaughterhouse Five and 1984 - Essay Example This war not only drastically changed the geo-political landscape, but had ramifications that ran deeply into artistic and philosophical paradigms. While published directly after the War, George Orwell’s 1984 is a strongly modernist text. In this work Orwell presents a political satire set in the future context of Oceania. This city has given way to extreme an extreme collectivist and totalitarian regime known simply as The Party. Within this context of understanding Orwell presents a significant perspective on the nature of the human condition, warning future generations about potential threats to human existence. Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five is firmly rooted in modes of post-modern expression. This work follows protagonist Billy Pilgrim through a variety of wartime narrative explorations. Ultimately this novel’s depiction of the human experience is profoundly unsettling and destabilizing. Even as these texts demonstrate many contrasting concerns, at thei r core they both explore the essence of the human condition. This essay compares and contrasts Orwell’s 1984 and Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five in terms of their portrayal of what it means to be human and what the respective novels offer as the major threats to the humanity of humans. Analysis The exploration of the human condition and threats to humanity form the backbone of thematic explorations in George Orwell’s 1984.... In these regards, Orwell notes, The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerned itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintained law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which was responsible for economic affairs. Their names, in Newspeak: Minitrue, Minipax, Miniluv, and Miniplenty (Orwell, pg. 3). Here, Orwell plays on both the nature of language and satire in his consideration of modes of government. Consider the cyclical recurrence of The Party’s slogan, â€Å"WAR IS PEACE/ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY/ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH† (Orwell, pg. 1). In addition to further establishing the political message of the oppressive government apparatus, Orwell’s implementation of this mode of propaganda speaks to one of the fundamental threats to humanity existing in the linguistic realm. In these regards, The Party slogan where traditional words that were associated with virtuous pra ctices, such as peace, freedom, and strength, are replaced with words that have traditionally been associated with negativity – war, slavery, and strength. This aspect of the novel, which is also exemplified in the naming of the government institutions as well as in a variety of other incarnations including Newspeak is significant in that it shows one of the fundamental aspects of the human condition is humanity’s access to reality through language. As these certain elements in language have become traditionally associated with positive values, a prominent threat to humanity becomes the potential of the government or political interests to co-opt these modes of language for their own political aims. The prominence of language to the human condition is further expressed

Ecological Footprint Analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecological Footprint Analysis - Article Example Further on the most popular methodologies of environmental impact measurement, such as the Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) and the Carbon Footprint are considered. The Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) first occurred in 1996 and was focused on measurements of consumed natural resources. This concept is defined in the following way: â€Å"the total area of biologically productive land and water required by an entity to sustain its current consumption levels† (Haque 2005). EFA is a helpful tool defining the magnitude of consumption. Every nation has its own measurement of EFA. For example, Canadian footprint is 7.8 ha per capita (Schmidt 2002, p. N/A). Therefore, in average, every citizen of the planet consumes 2 hectares of earth. There are many benefits of EFA as the measurement method of ecological consumption. This measurement enables nations to develop patterns of consumption. Moreover, the EFA serves as a factor of sustainability influencing policy changes and practi ces. Nevertheless, there are also some drawbacks in EFA. This measurement is a static and consumption is presented as a static phenomenon measured at a certain point of time. Each person can consume less goods and services and in such a way, it is not a realistic way to appropriate and consumption measurement of ecological resources. There are many factors missed in measurement of EFA, such as toxic waste production and assimilation, but much attention is paid only to environmental impact of the consumption. Very often EFA is beneficial, because it is very quick and does not require numerous attributes to the sample. There are many impurities related to gas, crucible and accelerator. In average, carbon contribution to the carbon signal can be measured and calculated (York, 2009, p. N/A). There are numerous inconsistencies triggered by the levels of impurity and this affects a failure of exact measurements. The accuracy of determination is often questioned because of quick measuring methodologies. Basically, EFA refers to the amount of resources consumed by people, especially water and land. A Carbon Footprint is focused on greenhouse gases emission. EFA contains greenhouse gas calculations. Both of these methods are focused on human activities’ impact on the ecology and the environment. Actually, there is an evident difference between these two methods, such as operational mode of methods. EFA looks like an accounting balance sheet of the global world. Minus side of the sheet is occupied by resource-consuming activities supporting human life, such as energy consumption, logging, construction, fishing or hunting and waste caused by those activities. On the plus side there is the Earth's bio-capacity, i. e. the natural ability of the environment to replace the resources and consume the waste (Heddings and Wendy, 2009, p. N/A). Ecological footprints are focused on estimation of sea and forest areas, which absorb greenhouse gases. The strategy of carbon foo tprints measurements has been widely spread for a long period of time (Wheeler 2004, p. N/A). The areas of greenhouse gas waste are used for increasing awareness of the gas impact on climate change. People contribute much to burn fossil fuels directly impacts an ecological footprint. More greenhouse gases require more sea and forest

Berlin Wall Essay Example for Free

Berlin Wall Essay [] A few decades ago, before the beginning of the 21st century, the world was divided between the East and the West: US Capitalism and USSR Communism. Indeed, after World War II, two of the world’s superpowers fought each other indirectly; developing the idea of a silent war which later came to be known as the Cold War. During the Cold War, the world’s division was symbolically represented by the Berlin Wall – the iconic divide that separated East Germany from West Germany. With this division came the idea of a divided world separated by political paranoia, hegemonic supremacy and ideological dominance – all of which played a role in masking the other side of world with darkness and misinformation. Truly, the world was not integrated at that time. To a person living during that time, it may have seemed hopeless to dream of a world where everything is connected; where neither political, economical nor cultural (ideological) forces and agendas shaped and determined, not only international affairs, but also the internal affairs of other countries. Fortunately, history has its ways. In 1989, the Berlin Wall met its utter destruction. The USSR â€Å"lost† the Cold War and the United States was left as the only surviving hegemonic state that was fortunate enough to enter the 21st century with victorious colors. With its supposed â€Å"victory† at hand, the United States was left with no other choice but to encourage other countries to adopt their own policy of capitalism and free trade. As such, with the world’s entrance to the 21st century, a new field of study was conceptualized and disseminated: Globalization. Though controversially dubbed as Americanization by some, Globalization is, indeed, a force of free trade that is augmented by the United States’ idea of Capitalism. As more and more countries began to adopt the concept of Capitalism, free trade grew in the International Community; thus, sparking a phenomenal revolution – a revolution where goods, services, labor and, most important of all, information moved unprecedentedly across borders and sovereignties. In fact, this revolution was so intense that academics and economists alike began talking about the notion of a â€Å"shrinking† world. Indeed, with the advent of globalization came the shrinking of the world – shrinking simply because people and goods can now move across countries without hindrance. Furthermore, communication took new heights into allowing individuals from a certain country to communicate with another person from a different that is largely opposite of his/her side of the world’s hemisphere. Truly, for the first time in the history of the world, the International Community became almost completely integrated. Though detrimental to some countries, it cannot be denied that this form of integration caused by the powerful force globalization has benefited almost every country in the world. For one thing, it has allowed consumers from different countries to experience having different choices when it comes to buying goods. Another is that every country in the International Community today have begun to realize that economic interdependence is the key to immense growth and development. In other words, trading with other countries may seem a better option than conquering them. Truly, such economic integration brought about by Capitalism has made the world less likely to enter into a Third World War. Though not the first of its kind in the history of humankind, this form of integration in the 21st century is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive and most beneficial of all. It has allowed different cultures to flourish, not only within each country’s respective societies, but also within other countries’ societies as well.

Why Do Youth Join Gangs?

Why Do Youth Join Gangs? Why do teens join gangs? This is a question many parents ask themselves. There are several reasons why teens join gangs, but ranging from; to fit in or to feel accepted, come from a broken home, being rebellious, these are the most common. Peer pressure is a major influence on some teens decision to join gangs. Teenagers in the world today face more peer pressure than ever before. Gang involvement has been higher in the last ten years. While doing research on teens, I came across a website called Peer Pressure During Adolescence (www.mc.maricopa.eduept/dev/Fall99?peer_pressure/index.htlm). In this reading it states; Two major concerns about the influence of peer pressure are gang involvement and the use of alcohol and other drugs. It also goes onto say that gangs provide a sense of safety not just belonging. The youth are searching for anyone who will listen, even if it means giving in to join a gang. We as parents need to speak with our children and actually listen. The teens of todays generation seem to b more aggressive and persuasive than ever before. We as parents may even feel intimidated by our own children. Can you just imagine how intimidated the children must feel when approached by a gang member? According to the TUSD Department of School Safety, it states that the primary age of gang members ranges from 13-21years of age. It also indicated some common reasons teens join gangs, which listed as: Identity Gang members cannot achieve an identity in their larger community, so they gain culture. They often visualize themselves as warriors against the outside world, protecting their neighborhood. Protection Joining a gang in a community with several gangs offers considerable protection from violence and attack from rival gangs. Fellowship Studies indicate that a tight structure tends to be lacking in the homes of gang members. Gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home. Intimidation Pressure to join a gang can become very dangerous. New members may be forced to join by threats, violent beatings, and initiations in order to increase gang membership. (www.tusd.k12.az.us/contents/deparment/safty/general.htl) Another reason to be address for teens joining gangs is fellowship. Many would refer to this as a broken home. Maybe the parents got a divorce, or another family member raises the child. Fellowship for instance, as listed above gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home. This is actually something that parents/guardians can correct in their own household. If people would communicate with the youth there maybe less number of teens, joining gangs. Having a good communication with your children will not only be less likely to join gangs but the drug use and violence standard for teens could also be lowered. Another reason why some teens might join gangs would be to make fast money. There are several reports of gangs robbing people, banks, and other locations. Another thing would be the usage and selling of drugs. If a teen comes from an underprivileged home or even if he/she comes from an extremely wealthy home, the selling of drugs in a gang could bring them fast cash. There are still going to be reasons for the increase number of teens in gangs due to various situations. The excitement factor can be considered. Teens may feel a thrill in the rebellious acts that gangs perform. They may feel as if they are living in a movie or fantasy world when actually it is reality. While belonging or claiming a certain color that their enemies do not like, that can spark interest in a young youths eyes. To have a rush in the crimes gangs commit or just the whole lifestyle in general can capture some teens minds. There are several movies that portray the cool kids as rebellious teens. The wanting to be cool can lead to many troubling situation including joining a gang. It is time for all the reasons and excuses to be done away and have the youth pulled back to reality, in so do by, show them the after effects of the gang life style, and the other options they have in life. In my research, I found a website informing people of their decisions to live the gang lifestyle. The writer Rob Gallardo indicates, One joins a gang for various reasons. However, choosing to continue to live out the gangster lifestyle always involves a series of choices. .choices we make now always correlate to consequences immediately or just down the road. (Operation No Gangs, www.operationnogangs.org) What Rob is saying is that there may be a lot of reasons for teens joining gangs ,the greater concern would be the consequences that could take place resulting in that reason . We need to step up and reach out to the youth of today. The youth will be the next president, vice president, or even a counselor for teens that join gangs. I have a stepson who had a good life growing up, or we thought he did. When he became a teenager, he went down the wrong path so to speak. He stole cars, robbed people, shot at peoples homes while people were inside. Let us just say he was not the same boy we knew. He spent all his teen years in and out juvenile facilities. He came out with several tattoos, and his vocabulary included gang slang. He claimed to be in the MS13 (one of the worst gangs in Texas). When he came out one time, my husband asked him why he was do all the stuff he was doing, his response was a very emotional one. He mentioned the fact that his mother and my husband were not together. My husband tried to explain everything to him. That was one indicator that the choice he made was for coming from a broken home. He now has a son and recently came out of the c ounty jail for breaking probation. Now the choice he makes has a much worse consequence. If we were to interview all the former teen gang members, I am sure there will be several reasons for their choice to join a gang. Peer pressure, fitting in, and coming from a broken home will be the top answers that will be given. Lets try to eliminate these reasons for our youths sake and encourage a positive way of life for them. Do Customers Want a Standardised Product? Do Customers Want a Standardised Product? â€Å"Customers no longer want a standardised product and their expectations determine quality, Differentiation and Customisation should therefore replace standardisation as the way to meet those expectations in the hospitality sector† – To what extent do you agree or disagree this point? It can be seen that customers wants standard quality of commodities and facilities they consume in their day to day life. Change in their needs may sometimes create discontent to the customers and absence of delightfulness can be seen. Along with the product being standardised it is mandatory for that to also be of approved quality. This statement falls true in case of â€Å"High Quality Product attracts more Number of Customers†. One can get benefited by adopting the Standardisation policy as the rules and regulations of the particular company will be the same and hence the procedure of the company runs smoothly as the policies are determined as per the rules. Standardisation helps in getting expected quality of commodities to the customers and their expectations determine the quality which they want to perceive. The importance of Standardisation can be understood by linking it with quality of service perceived by the customers. Customers want better quality of service at standardised level. For example, if in a pizza hut restaurant, one table gets proper personalised attention with quick service and the other table does not get the same level of service when compared then this leads to high quality of dissatisfaction amongst the customers getting poor quality of service. This factor will not create delight to the customers and would not meet their expected standards as well as their expectations. It is not every time that customization proves to be better but also standardization helps customers to fulfil their requirements in their day to day life. Though it is rightly said that customisation means to modify the things as per the customers individual requirement and choice but standardization is to keep the uniformity of the product designed and maintaining its standards. Standardisation means to conform to a uniformly pre-described set of norms, repeatedly by standardizing any product. Standardized product gives better quality of service. As the products and commodities are standardized it becomes easy to provide service in accordance of the same. In other sense customization means making changes in particular product as per the customer’s requirement and desires. This helps customers making their own choice about any standardized product. Customization and Standardization either of two satisfies customers needs in their own terms and services. Considering all such factors customization and differentiation can be replaced by standardization based on some norms and policies. One of the benefits of standardization is the cost effectiveness leading to high price. Compared to pizza hut one can notice the price effectiveness of the restaurant. There are costly dishes in the restaurant which are not actually afforded by lower class of people even if they desire the pizza hut food. Further, if the products and commodities are standardized consistency and uniformity is maintained and it becomes easy to work so the management runs smoothly and efficiently. Adding to this, it is also necessary for a restaurant to plan its future uncertainties and certainties affecting the business. Similarly on other note, there are some disadvantages of standardization affecting the creativity of a personnel working in a particular sector. Referring to Pizza Hut restaurant, it can be observed that as all the procedures and recipes are standardized, this shows death of one’s own personal touch and also kills their creativity. Also for that, to make workers and employees un derstand their work properly it becomes mandatory to provide them with required training and for that high cost is imposed on such activity which leads to increase in labor cost factor. As all the work and the procedures are standardized lack of motivation is being provided to the employees, somehow leading to dissatisfaction for the employees. On other side adopting standardization policy fails to satisfy customers based on their needs and wants as all the things are standardized and no further changes can be made as per their own choice but comparing this to pizza hut, they help us customizing the product we want to some extent. The base of standardization is the policies determined at the time of formation of the standardized products and services. Companies marketing their products and services overseas are faced with the decision of whether to standardize or adapt their product offerings. The standardization of products across cultures is increasingly becoming an important issue nowadays that is difficult to follow for some company. Standardization policy means to sell the same product throughout the world making no changes even at one particular place, as this maintains the uniformity over the world of such company or brand. Adding to this, as all the products are standardized it becomes easy for the manufacturing and production committee to manufacture the products uniformly as per the requirements throughout the world. Doole and Lowe (2008), mainly advocate product standardization. In their observation, Doole and Lowe (2008), point out that the standardization discussion leads at one extreme, a global approach in which everything in the international marketing activity is standardized in all countries as standardizing the various elements of the marketing process has the aim of scale economies in production thereby leading to improved efficiency. As the world becomes smaller and the markets are seen as being the same, others have been advocating a standardized product strategy as they view the market to be the same as it is increasingly becoming homogeneous. Further, Doole and Lowe (2008) point out that if the product is not attractive or appealing to the customers, then no amount of sales promotion, appropriate channel of distribution or reduction in price will help to achieve the marketing target. Hence, physical design, brand name, quality, packaging, durability, taste and services attached to the product are very important from the marketing point of view. It is an obvious thing that a product’s appearance, function, and support make up what the customer will actually buy. Therefore, it is vital for managers to pay close attention to the preferences and tastes of their product packages in addressing their customers. Further, in managing product components, product planning and development entails careful planning with the customer in mind. Thus suggesting that, the decisions are required to be taken regarding product range, packaging, branding, quality, labeling and other features of the product. In the question as to whether to standardize or adapt, a product manufactured for market should be according to the needs and expectations of consumers. Comparing this to pizza hut, it can be seen that if the product is attractive it creates delight to the customers and make them desire about the particular item. A customer gets attract seeing the marketing strategies of the restaurant providing facilities perceived by the customers ful filling their individual desires and wants. In pizza hut we can see that the menu at different branch of it differs and is attractive which attracts more customers and also the advertising element plays a vital role for the same. It is also mandatory for such brand to check whether the qualities of the products they are using are of standard quality or not. According to the understanding of the authors, standardization is a practice of setting identical characteristics for a particular good or service. Lundeteg, A. (2012) also suggests a standardized approach as a â€Å"one size fits all† approach. It can be seen that the standardization of products across cultures is increasingly becoming an important issue that the managers of global firms are facing today. Adding to this, Valdez (2011) points out that those firms following a standardization strategy enter foreign markets using the same advertisements, packages and presentations that were used in the domestic market. Because making new advertisements, packages and product lines is expensive, standardization requires less investment as compared to other such policies of the company. Pizza hut brand also follows these norms, as in our day to day life we can see that the brand is trying to achieve success more by offering affordable offers to the customers also by delivering their desired product at home and also by announcing new products and strategies in the market by attractive advertisements and publicity for the same. Thus, such adoption of strategy helps more customers to attract towards such facilities. According to Kustin (1994) in making a marketing plan, the type of market is important to be considered and additionally the degree of standardization must be thought well. Later on it is indicated that the product standardization plays more of a big role in durable and nondurable consumer goods. Kustin notes that standardization of strategies is better off in markets that are categorized with similarities. He mentions that global marketing attempts for success and competence in standardized product strategies, where products are sold in global markets at reasonable prices and same country strategies are set to be same for all markets in the world. Therefore, it is worth noting that from a company’s perspective it is strongly recommended to reflect standardization strategy when wanting to develop a global product strategy while considering the market characteristics. There is continuous competition in the global market about the better quality of service and commodities provid ed by the different brands like pizza hut, dominos, etc. as the taste, presentation, procedures and the policies differ from one and the other type of brand. The standardization policy in India and foreign countries may differ because of the eat pork. This problem has no solution yet until the approval of permission is done. unavailability of some products in India which are used in foreign countries. For example in India, ban on beef and ham fails to satisfy the needs of the customers desiring for the same which causes dissatisfaction to the customers to some extent, so to overcome this problem an alternative measure has to be taken instead of not delivering the desired product change the design of the product and deliver to the customers making some innovation and creativity. This somehow creates delight to the customers by not fully dissatisfying them. The products offered in pizza hut in India is different from the product being offered in pizza hut of USA because such unavailability of resources in the market. The major issue in the McDonalds standardized products was beef. Hence the biggest challenge to any food business in India de finitely was about balancing the diversity and the product offerings. As such, cow being sacred and worshipped, beef could not be served and in the same vein Muslims did not eat pork. This problem has no solution until the permission for the same is being approved. It is said that there have been international companies, which have introduced their product line across borders using the standardization strategy and have been successful. Standardization helps in achieving the pre described set of goals by following some pre determined policies and the procedures. However, Customization helps in getting the customers what they actually want and in which manner but Standardization comes to a limitation to this which somehow stops customer’s to get what they want and desire for their needs. Thus it makes clear that the motives of standardization should be adopted for smooth and accurate running of the business or a firm. It also becomes easy to follow the norms and policies if everything is standardized. The implicit argument in this article is that whether to replace standardization with differentiation and customization and if, then to what extent it should be replaced. Here, standardization proves to be better than that of customization and differentiation in the products and the commodities. The biggest benefit of adopting standardized procedures is that the work becomes easy and ease of management can be seen which in case of customization does not follows the same. Many problems are faced when the procedures are to b customized as per one’s own requirement at every level of service. Standardization is more beneficial as there are many restaurants or such brands adopting same policies and procedure throughout the world which creates uniformity in following such rules. In other hand, customization does not proves to be this much convenient as standardization because it demands variations in many ways which is not possible for a world wide spread company to follow different procedures at different places. Hence, emphasis is laid more on standardization than on customization. Hence the degree of Pizza Hut’s standardization of their products is greater as compared to any other company. Here by, all the companies should follow the standardization policy for their ease and smooth running of their business. List of References: Doole, I and Lowe, R. (2008), International Marketing Strategy: Analysis, development and Implementation, 5thed. London, Thomson Learning. Lundeteg, A., Knowledge Management: Standardization Vs. Adaption in MNCs, unpublished thesis, (Sweden: Uppsala Universitet, 2012). Kustin, R.A (1994), Marketing Globalization: A didactic examination for corporate strategy, The International Executive (1986-1998), 36(1), pp. 79-79.

Catcher :: essays research papers

Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfied: Saint, Snob, or Somewhere In-between? Although J.D. Salinger has only one novel to his credit, that novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is recognized as an exceptional literary work. The key to the success of The Catcher in the Rye is the main character, Holden Caulfield. There are many different critics that view Holden in many different ways. Some believe Holden to be a conceited snob, while others see Holden as a Christ-like figure. It is my opinion, however, that Holden is somewhere in the middle. Holden Caulfield is a character who has a definite code of honor that he attempts to live up to and expects to as abide by as well. Since the death of his brother Allie, Holden has experienced almost a complete sense of alienation from the world around him. This alienation is evident in every part of his life. Holden is unable to relate to anyone at the three prep schools he has attended. While standing on Thomsen Hill, Holden cannot help but feel isolated when he observes t he football game, â€Å"you were supposed to commit suicide or something if Old Pencey didn’t win† (Salinger 2). Not only does Holden feel isolated at the schools he has attended; he has this feeling when it comes to his family as well. Upon his return to New York City, Holden does not go home. Instead, he chooses to hide out from his family. According to Ernest Jones, â€Å"with his alienation go assorted hatreds – of movies, of night clubs, of social and intellectual pretension, and so on. And physical disgust: pimples, sex, an old man picking his nose are all equal cause for nausea† (Jones 7). Holden feels Previts 2 as though all of these people have failed him in some way or that they are all â€Å"phonies† or â€Å"corny† in some way or another. It is Holden’s perception of those around him as â€Å"phonies† and again according to Jones; â€Å"Holden’s belief that he has a superior moral standard that few people, o nly his dead brother, his 10-year-old sister, and a fleeting friend [Jane] can live up to† that make him a snob (7). Presenting Holden as â€Å"snobbish† hardly does him justice. Critics such Frederick L. Gwynn, Joseph L. Blotner, and Frederic I. Carpenter view Holden as a character who is â€Å"Christ-like in his ambition to protect children before they enter the world of destruction and phoniness† (Carpenter 24).

Essay --

University of La Verne, MBA Program BUS 665-CRN1285 Strategic Marketing Management Mid-Term Examination by Vivek Vaswani Mid Term Answers: Part I) For a single product or service that your firm provides, discuss and evaluate how your customers perceive value and how your organization delivers customer value. Answer: Company: I work as a Talent Manager at the ESI Network. The ESI Network is a talent management firm that has built its reputation in the entertainment industry over the last two decades. Though it is a full-service management firm, which means it represents the careers of actors, directors and writers, I will be focusing the scope of this answer on the on-camera division that manages the actors. Product: The product, or in this case the service I am focusing on is the on-camera division that manages the careers of actors. Our youngest talent is 2 years of age, and our oldest client is 97 years old. This division’s expanse covers about 260 clients. To make it easier to manage, the roster is broken up into categories by age a) The Kidz which covers 2-17 years old, b) The Young Adults which covers 18-29 years old, c) The Adults which covers 30-55, and d) The Seniors which covers 55 and up. These are further divided into â€Å"Tiers† internally that help us as a team to prioritize our focus on individuals who we consider as the upper echelon of our roster. The existence of these Tiers and the knowledge of which individuals are compartmentalized within them are privy only to the members of the firm and never the clients. In keeping with the Pareto principle, Tier 1 comprises of talent that deliver 80% of the total of ESI’s gross earnings annually, Tier 2 comprises individuals who bring in 10% of revenue... ...e parent’s status in their social circles. A lot of them like to gush that â€Å"their eight-year old† has a manager. On the other hand an adult client in our Tier 1 section who is bringing in upwards of $250,000 per year will require management that is extremely hands-on. For such clients we are running their daily schedules, working with them on a business plan to build their brand, monitoring their projects and checking in with their publicists and agents on a daily basis. Thus through the use of CRM, we at ESI can promote successfully to market segments. By retrieving information in our database various departments can customize products and create promotions designed to cater to very specific customer’s wants and needs. This increases profitability for the firm overall, and more importantly is able to allow us to retain more customers for a longer period of time. Essay -- University of La Verne, MBA Program BUS 665-CRN1285 Strategic Marketing Management Mid-Term Examination by Vivek Vaswani Mid Term Answers: Part I) For a single product or service that your firm provides, discuss and evaluate how your customers perceive value and how your organization delivers customer value. Answer: Company: I work as a Talent Manager at the ESI Network. The ESI Network is a talent management firm that has built its reputation in the entertainment industry over the last two decades. Though it is a full-service management firm, which means it represents the careers of actors, directors and writers, I will be focusing the scope of this answer on the on-camera division that manages the actors. Product: The product, or in this case the service I am focusing on is the on-camera division that manages the careers of actors. Our youngest talent is 2 years of age, and our oldest client is 97 years old. This division’s expanse covers about 260 clients. To make it easier to manage, the roster is broken up into categories by age a) The Kidz which covers 2-17 years old, b) The Young Adults which covers 18-29 years old, c) The Adults which covers 30-55, and d) The Seniors which covers 55 and up. These are further divided into â€Å"Tiers† internally that help us as a team to prioritize our focus on individuals who we consider as the upper echelon of our roster. The existence of these Tiers and the knowledge of which individuals are compartmentalized within them are privy only to the members of the firm and never the clients. In keeping with the Pareto principle, Tier 1 comprises of talent that deliver 80% of the total of ESI’s gross earnings annually, Tier 2 comprises individuals who bring in 10% of revenue... ...e parent’s status in their social circles. A lot of them like to gush that â€Å"their eight-year old† has a manager. On the other hand an adult client in our Tier 1 section who is bringing in upwards of $250,000 per year will require management that is extremely hands-on. For such clients we are running their daily schedules, working with them on a business plan to build their brand, monitoring their projects and checking in with their publicists and agents on a daily basis. Thus through the use of CRM, we at ESI can promote successfully to market segments. By retrieving information in our database various departments can customize products and create promotions designed to cater to very specific customer’s wants and needs. This increases profitability for the firm overall, and more importantly is able to allow us to retain more customers for a longer period of time.

Discrimination in America Essay -- Racial Discrimination

According to research that has been conducted by The Indiana Civil Right Commission (2012) between October 2010 and October 2011, 58% of participants experienced some sort of discrimination. Discrimination can be defined as treating people differently, negatively or adversely without having a good reason. It is an act making distinction in favor of or against a person based on their group, class or category. There are four major types of discrimination which are gender discrimination, racial and ethnic discrimination, age discrimination and disability discrimination. The first type of discrimination is gender discrimination. Gender discrimination involves treating someone unfavourably because of the person’s particular gender. There are three categories of gender which are female, male and transgender. A bad practice of discriminating against female can be seen in most developing countries. In almost all parts of the world, men are more likely to have a paid job. Whereas, women are less likely to be out in the public than men, and when they are, have fewer resources to earn incomes Connell (2009). Female constructed to do another form of work namely unpaid domestic and care work. For instance, women do most of the cleaning, cooking and other household chores. On the other hand, male often face discrimination because of their gender appearance. Male looks stronger, tougher and masculine which make community thought that some work field is not suitable for their gender and may result unfair in employment opportunities. Such as, nursing schools often rejects male applicants because of their masculine appearance which not posses gentle attitudes like women do since nursing schools prefer patience and caring employees. Meanwhi... ...Short Introductions Series. Cambridge: Polity. Department of Fair Employment and Housing. (n.d) Employment discrimination and Harassment. Retrieved from http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/res/docs/Publications/DFEH-184.pdf Disability Discrimination Act. (1995). Guidance on Matters to be Taken into Account in Determining Question Relating to The Definition of Disability. Retrieved from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/guidance_on_matters_to_be_taken_into_account_in_determining_questions_relating_to_the_definition_of_disability.pdf Indiana Civil Rights Commission. (9 March, 2012). In Indiana Governor. Retrieved from http://www.in.gov/icrc/files/Discrimination_Indiana_Results_Survey_Feb2012.pdf National Association of School Psychologists.(2010). In Position Statement. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/positionpapers/RacismPrejudice.pdf

Nanomedicine Essay

Nanomedicine: Obtaining the Benefits, Managing the Risks The phrase â€Å"small is beautiful† has taken on new meaning to Some nanomedicine drug-delivery systems and anti-cancer drugs those involved in the scientific field known as nanotechnology, are already in use. Many other applications are in various phases which involves engineering and utilizing materials at the nano- of clinical or pre-clinical testing, and, if found safe and effective, meter scale – that is, as small as one-billionth of a meter. Reduced may reach the market in five to 12 years. More advanced nano- o these minute dimensions, substances often undergo significant medicine products – such as biocontainers for medical diagnostics changes – for example, carbon becomes stronger than steel and and cell treatment – are in earlier stages of development. copper is transparent. The increasing ability of science to compress materials to the submicroscopic level is affecting many fields of human endeavor. Current and emerging nanotechnology applications include advanced energy generation and storage systems, as well as new chemical additives and industrial materials.More than 300 products with nano-scale ingredients are already on the market, ranging from sunscreens to bowling ball coatings. Regulatory and Risk Issues Despite the accelerating pace of nanotechnology progress, many fundamental regulatory issues are only now being addressed by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These include defining what constitutes a nanotechnology product, establishing regulatory authority over various types of products, adopting labeling requirements, and calculating the health and environmental impact of emerging applications.One rapidly developing area of nanotechnology research is nanomedicine, the process of â€Å"using molecular tools and molecular knowledge of the human body† for the purpose of diagnosing and treating illness. (Freitas, R. , Nanomedicine, V ol. 1: Basic Capabilities, Georgetown, Texas: Landes Bioscience, 1999. ) The swift progress of nanomedicine research makes it necessary to understand the risks and begin the process of limiting potential exposure. Risk assessment is one of the major challenges facing the FDA, as techniques designed for macroscopic materials may be unreliable for nanotechnology products.A National Research Council report (available at http://www. nap. edu/catalog. php? record_id=11752) noted that until the risks associated with nanotechnology are more clearly understood, â€Å"it is prudent to employ some precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of workers, the public Nanomedicine Applications and the environment. † Nanomedicine may potentially revolutionize our ability to screen, This precautionary philosophy applies equally to healthcare organ- diagnose and treat conditions ranging from cancer to cardio- izations. While the promise of nanomedicine is bright, the risks ascular disease to diabetes. Scientists are at work on the following and ethical questions posed by these advances must be consid- projects, among many others: ered carefully. Major potential risks include – infection and genetic testing tools that are faster, more accurate and less invasive than conventional methods – nanoneedle and pulsed laser surgery that alters cell structures without damaging surrounding areas – targeted drug-delivery systems that transport the drug exactly where needed and monitor its effect – nanotube-based biosensing devices that provide in vivo iagnostic testing capabilities, such as tracking electrolyte and blood glucose levels – gold-coated nanoparticles that destroy individual tumor cells while leaving nearby healthy cells unharmed – â€Å"intelligent† synthetic biomaterials that mimic body – possibly heightened toxicity of free nanoparticles, which may be able to bypass the body’s defenses a nd interfere with basic biological processes – genetic alteration, as some therapies operate at the chromosomal level and hence raise complex ethical questions, ranging from informed consent of the unborn o the prospect of genetic enhancement for the few to the issues surrounding stem cell research – environmental and workplace impact, as the particles are often too small to be trapped by available filtration systems and may accumulate in water, air or plants, with unpredictable consequences tissues and may eventually enable organ regeneration AlertBulletin A R i s k M a n a g e m e n t U p d a t e f ro m C N A H e a l t h P ro 08 issue 6 – healthcare paradigm shift, as new technologies possibly result in obsolescence for some established therapeutic modalities, creating new financial and administrative emands in terms of equipment, care settings, and staff training and competencies. Strategies As the nanomedicine revolution unfolds, healthcare organizations must find effective ways to ensure patient safety and reduce the liability risks inherent in adopting cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment techniques. The following proactive measures can assist your healthcare organization in maximizing the potential benefits of nanomedicine while minimizing associated risks: – Create a nanomedicine task force composed of clinical and administrative leaders with a high level of scientific ophistication to research nanomedicine prospects, benefits, costs and risks, and incorporate the group’s findings into the strategic planning process. – Undertake prospective risk analysis to address areas of potential enterprise liability, including adverse outcomes, environmental hazards, and implicit warranties or guarantees contained within marketing materials. – Initiate a discussion with the ethics committee regard- ing emerging nanomedicine issues, including use of stem cells and the question of genetic enhancement. – Develop a risk posture vis-a-vis nanomedicine, in collabo- ation with legal counsel, and ensure that risk and insurance coverage issues are factored into decisions involving nanomedicine. Recognize that insurers may not be able to make a blanket generalization concerning coverage for nanomedicine risks, which at this point are difficult to predict and/or quantify. As with all legal causes of action, nanomedicinerelated claims would be assessed on an individual basis. – Adapt your organization’s informed consent policies to the new realities, taking into account the generally low state of consumer awareness regarding nanomedicine and he unknowns that accompany a radically new technology. Specifically, your informed consent process for nanomedicine therapies should encompass an extensive educational component for patients and acknowledge the limitations of current knowledge and experience in this area. – Strengthen policies and systems designed to track patie nts within the institution, report adverse events, and monitor equipment and suppliers. Designate those responsible for reporting incidents to the FDA and/or the manufacturer and ensure that personnel understand internal reporting rules and procedures. Revise competency and credentialing models for pro- viders and staff to include emerging technologies and approaches. Ensure that staff members are familiar with policies regarding nanotechnology applications and acceptable off-label uses. – Manage the product supply chain and establish policies regarding the presence of vendor representatives in clinical settings where treatment is rendered. – Advocate for more basic scientific and safety research on nanomedicine and nanotoxicology, as sound regulation and more manageable risk will require a deeper level of theoretical and empirical knowledge.Resources Ebbesen, M. , Jensen, T. â€Å"Nanomedicine: Techniques, Potentials and Ethical Implications. † Journal o f Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2006, Article ID 51516, pp. 1-11. Available at http://www. hindawi. com/getarticle. aspx? doi=10. 1155/jbb/2006/51516. Freitas, R. â€Å"Current Status of Nanomedicine and Medical Nanorobotics. † Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, 2005, Volume 2:1, pp. 1-25. Available at http:// www. nanomedicine. com/Papers/NMRevMar05. pdf. Nanotechnology: A Report of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration Nanotechnology Task Force, July 25, 2007.Department of Health & Human Services. Available at http://www. fda. gov/ nanotechnology/taskforce/report2007. pdf. â€Å"Nanotechnology: Untold Promise, Unknown Risk. † ConsumerReports. org, July 2007. Available at http://www. consumerreports. org/cro/health-fitness/nanotechnology7-07/overview/0707_nano_ov_1. htm. Walker, B. , Mouton, C. â€Å"Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine: A Primer. † Journal of the National Medical Association, December 2006, Volume 98:12, pp. 1985-1988. 1. 888 . 600. 4776 www. cna. com/healthpro/ CNA HealthPro, 333 S.Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604 Published by CNA. For additional information, please call CNA HealthPro at 1-888-600-4776. The information, examples and suggestions presented in this material have been developed from sources believed to be reliable, but they should not be construed as legal or other professional advice. CNA accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this material and recommends the consultation with competent legal counsel and/or other professional advisors before applying this material in any particular factual situations.This material is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to constitute a contract. Please remember that only the relevant insurance policy can provide the actual terms, coverages, amounts, conditions and exclusions for an insured. All products and services may not be available in all states. CNA is a service mark registered with the United States Patent an d Trademark Office. Copyright  © 2008 CNA. All rights reserved. Printed 11/08.

International Political Economy

Part Perspectives on International Political Economy The first chapter of the text deals with the fundamental nature of International political economy (PIP) and some analytical Issues related to Its multidimensional character. Chapters 2 through 4 are the core chapters of the text that explore the history and policies associated with the three dominant PIP perspectives, namely economic liberalism, mercantilism, and structuralism. These theoretical tools are useful In understanding many political, economic, and social Issues In the global economy of the past as well as the present.Chapter 5 develops two alternative PIP respective?constructivism and feminism?that derive, In part, from the three mall outlooks under study. Chapter What Is International Political Economy? We Are the 99%: A Haitian hillside. Georgian Allen When a philosopher has once laid hold of a favorite principle, which perhaps accounts for many natural effects, he extends the same principle over the whole creation, a nd reduces to it every phenomenon, though by the most violent and absurd reasoning. Our own mind being narrow and contracted, we cannot extend our conception to the variety and extent of nature †¦David Hump, â€Å"The Septic† 2 The Darkness on the Edge of Town he Darkness on the edge of town What are the chances you will find a good paying Job?or any Job for that matter? when you graduate from college In the next few years? Have your parent's or people you know lost their Jobs, the family home, or a big chunk of their retirement savings? How are you adjusting to the financial crisis? Maybe things haven't been that bad for you, yet! Reading the headlines of any major newspaper, you might sometimes worry that the world is on the brink of a global economic catastrophe, if not a second Great Depression.The effects of the global economic crisis have made many people feel ensue, tearful, and depressed. The collapse to the US housing market in 2 morphed into a credit crisis tha t threatened some of the biggest banks and financial institutions in the United States and Europe. Government leaders responded with a variety of bank rescue measures and so-called stimulus packages to restart their economies. These interventions angered many ordinary folks who felt that the bailouts rewarded bankers and Coos who had caused the crisis in the first place.Meanwhile, many people around the world were forced out of their homes and became unemployed. They suffered cuts in social services, health care benefits, and education spending when governments were forced to trim budgets. As we write in late 2012, the hoped-for recovery has proved elusive. Unemployment in the United States is stuck at 7. 9 percent; in the European Union (ELI), it has risen to 1 1. 6 percent (23. 4 percent for young people). Home foreclosures and stagnant incomes continue to place enormous strain on many families' finances.The EX. has fallen into another recession, with countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal so deep in debt that they might slide into national bankruptcy, causing the Else's monetary system to collapse. People seem to have lost confidence in national and international political institutions that underpin capitalism and democracy. Is this what the Great Transformation from industrial to post-industrial society was supposed to look like? Are globalization and the so-called â€Å"creative destruction† of new technologies shrinking the middle classes in Western countries and permanently shifting economic dynamism to Asia and Latin America?Adding to the sense of gloom are events around the world in the last few years. High oil prices have benefited giant oil companies while hurting consumers. The giant British Petroleum (BP) oil spill reciprocated an environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. Japan's Fuchsia earthquake and tsunami damaged several nuclear power plants, causing release of dangerous radioactive material across a large swath of te rritory. High agriculture commodity prices have raised the cost of food and increased levels of world hunger.Because there has been little progress in reducing reliance on fossil fuels, capping carbon emissions, or investing in alternative energy resources, the threat of catastrophic climate change looms larger. And wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Congo are destroying the livelihoods of millions of people. Hope on the Horizon? Is there only gloom and doom around the globe? Surely, no! As we discuss in Chapter 13, emerging powers such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia have dramatically reduced poverty in the last fifteen years and made it possible for hundreds 4 Chapter 1 of millions of people to Join the middle class.Fortunately, they continued to grow at a fairly robust pace after 2007; more Jobs, investment, and consumption in these countries helped keep the rest to the world trot tailing into a deeper recession. Of most of the last decade, sub-Sahara Africa has als o grown surprisingly fast, thanks n part to high prices for oil and commodities exports. And the European Union won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, a reminder that?despite its serious economic and social problems today?the community has advanced the causes of â€Å"peace and reconciliation, democracy, and human rights† for more than sixty years.Along with these rays of hope are three interrelated global developments that merit discussion at the beginning of this textbook because they are profoundly shaping the international political economy: the Arab Spring, the European sovereign debt crisis, and the Occupy Wall Street (SOWS) movement. Taking place on three different continents since 2011, they have shaken political institutions and spurred waves of political protests in response to a variety of social and economic ills. None of us knows how these momentous developments will play out, but we can be sure that they will affect our daily lives and pocketbooks for many years.Each i s a double- edged sword: a potential harbinger of positive change and a potential foreshadowing of worse yet to come. In other words, each development can either help lead to a more stable, prosperous world in which human security is better guaranteed or ender divisions within and between societies wider than before so that cooperative relations and a fairer distribution of resources remain ever more elusive goals. The Arab Spring took the world by surprise?a reminder that social scientists still do not have good tools to predict when and why large-scale changes will occur in complex socio-political systems.On December 17, 2010, a Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouzouki set himself on fire in reaction to harassment by police officers. His death sparked street demonstrations that brought down the Tunisian government one month later. Protests spread like wildfires to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. After eighteen days of mass demonstrations, Egypt authoritar ian president Hosting Embark resigned on February 11, 2011, replaced by a military council. On February 15, residents of Bengali, Libya, rose up against the regime of Miramar Qaeda.Following months of NATO bombing and rebel fighting, Qaeda was killed on October 20, 2011, and a National Transitional Council took power. The dramatic political protests?which captivated television viewers and Twitter-feed followers around the world?created an opportunity for a number of Arab countries o Join the community of democratic nations. Yet the crackdown in Syria showed the world how determined some authoritarian leaders in the Middle East are to remain in power?even at the expense of killing tens of thousands of their own citizens.With the genie of Arab political opposition out of the bottle, countries in the Middle East and North Africa are rapidly changing. Fortunately, high oil prices and a return to relative stability in many places could improve conditions in 2013. Along with the Arab Spri ng came President Barack Beam's withdrawal of all U. S. Troops from Iraq at the end of 2011. An ignominious end to an imperial endeavor, the withdrawal seemed to signal that the U. S. Public was no longer willing to pay for wars that drain the public treasury.President Obama refocused U. S. Policy on fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan and ratcheting up pressure on Iran to abandon its effort to develop nuclear weapons. Many analysts believe that Beam's decisions reveal a significant weakening of U. S. Influence in the Middle East. Perhaps to counteract this decline, Obama decided to bolster the American military presence in the Pacific by cultivating ties with countries afraid of China's rise and attaching 2,500 troops permanently in northern Australia beginning in November 2011.A second development?the European sovereign debt crisis?relentlessly gathered steam after 2010 in the face of a prolonged recession that made it hard for some countries to pay back huge loans to dome stic and foreign banks. European Union leaders had hoped to contain the debt problems in Greece and Ireland, but governments in Spain and Portugal also began to have trouble raising new money by issuing new government bonds. All four countries in 2012 had to get financial bailouts in exchange for adopting painful government spending cuts that contributed o high unemployment.Even with help from the European Central Bank, these countries have dire conditions that threaten the stability of the European financial system. Rupee's responses to its debt crisis have stimulated widespread social unrest. Severe austerity measures have spawned street protests throughout the continent and brought changes of government in Greece, Italy, and Spain. Some EX. leaders and analysts believe that the crisis will spur European countries to form closer ties, while others foresee the death of the Euro and the prospect of national bankruptcies as some countries refuse to pay back onerous loans.If problems worsen in France and Italy, the EX. could unravel economically, causing another deep global recession. The crisis is forcing Germany to decide if it is willing to share the costs of making the EX. stronger, or if it will pursue its purely national interests. The outcomes will likely cause changes in Rupee's traditionally generous social programs and in Rupee's influence in the world. A third development started as an anti-wall Street protest in New York City's Cutting Park on September 17, 2011. Two weeks later, the Occupy Wall Street movement had quickly spread to many major U. S. Ties, tit encampments and â€Å"general assemblies† in public spaces. Similar â€Å"occupations† occurred in Europe, Israel, Chile, and Australia. Although the majority of participants in the SOWS social movement have been students, union workers, progressive activists, and the unemployed, their ideas seemed to resonate with a significant number of the middle class. Calling themselves the â €Å"99%† (in contrast to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans), SOWS protestors criticized financial institutions, condemned Wall Street greed, and called for a reduction of corporate control over the democratic process.Although SOWS encampments disappeared, the movement kook up new campaigns in 2012, including efforts to stop home foreclosures and reduce student debt. What do these three developments have in common? While each has its own causes, the protestors collectively represent a reaction to corrupt government and growing inequality. In three large regions?the Middle East, Europe, and North America?movements sought protection from financial and cultural globalization that left people feeling at the mercy of market forces.In many cases, protestors felt that they were unfairly forced to bail out the wealthy but denied a chance to snare many o governments 6 s to previous growth. Austerity policies that many had adopted since 2008?and even earlier in the Arab countries?cu t into a host of public social programs such as education and relief for the poor. Many disgruntled citizens disagreed with their leaders, who argued that such reductions were necessary to reduce the size of government, balance national budgets, and stimulate economic recovery.While Arabs claimed a political voice that had been squashed by decades of dictatorial rule, Americans and Europeans seemed to demand a new kind of politics freed from the grip of special interests and big money. In all three cases, elites who were supposed to be the experts on political and financial affairs suddenly were at a loss to explain why things had gotten so bad under their watch. With a loss of faith in Arab regimes, EX. leaders, and U. S. Bankers came a certain â€Å"denationalization† of ruling ideologies such as economic liberalism.A new emphasis was placed on democratic participation and economic fairness. Despite a new zeitgeist in the air in three continents, old political and economic institutions were still resilient. Many regimes held firm in the Middle East. American banks grew even egger after government bailouts, and more money than ever poured into the campaign war chests of Democratic and Republican political candidates. EX. political elites continued to make deals that seemed designed to save big investors and banks rather than ordinary citizens.The alternatives to the old did not always promise a better future, either. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Psalmists like Egypt new president Mohamed Moors' made their own undemocratic power grabs, seeking to impose religiously conservative policies and weaken women's rights. Reactions against austerity in Europe strengthened extreme right-wing parties in Greece and France while fueling anti-E or secessionist sentiments in the United Kingdom and Catalonia.And by refusing to organize and engage in â€Å"normal† politics, the SOWS forces dissipated?leaving normal two-party gridlock in Washington after t he November 2012 elections. The Road Ahead By discussing above the three big developments, as well as the problems and promises in the global economy, we have hopefully given you a sense of some of the important phenomena we seek to understand in international political economy. Not unsurprisingly, there are fierce debates about the causes of current crises and the best solutions to them.One of the arguments we make in this text is that to adequately describe and explain the current global financial crisis?or any of the other issues covered in the different chapters?we must use an analytical approach that synthesizes methods and insights derived from economics, political science, and sociology as conditioned by an understanding to history and philosophy. As you delve deeper into the material, you will learn a variety of theories and analytical tools that help us interpret the interrelationships of the state, market, and society in different nations.The PIP method bridges different a cademic disciplines to better explain employ, real-world problems that span physical and intellectual boundaries. While this statement might sound a bit formal and confusing at this point, keep in mind that we do not think you need to be an economics major, a specialist in finance, The What, Why, and How of International Political Economy or a Middle East expert to understand the basic parameters of the global financial crisis or the Arab Spring.This book is written for students who have limited background in political science, economics, or sociology, as well as for those who want to review an assortment of topics in preparation for graduate school. In the next section, we look at how to study PIP?its three distinct analytical perspectives and a number of methodological issues with which PIP students should become acquainted. All the chapters in the book cover important theoretical and Policy issues that have connections to the three developments we have mentioned?and to many more. In this way, we hope students might better understand different dimensions of the problems and then make some reasoned Judgments about how to solve them. Later in this chapter, we discuss the popular phenomenon of globalization as a way o introduce students to many of the political-economic conditions that led up to the global financial crisis. Many PIP experts have asserted that the economic liberal ideas behind globalization may have contributed to the crisis. Opinions differ, however, on whether or not the crisis signals the end of laissez-fairer economic policies, or even the end of capitalism itself. He what, why, and how of International Political economy Our discussion of the financial crisis and its consequences makes clear that today's complex issues can no longer be easily analyzed and understood by using any single et of disciplinary methods and concepts. Those who study PIP are, in essence, breaking down the analytical and conceptual boundaries between politics, economic s, and sociology to produce a unique explanatory framework. Following are several examples of questions that traditional academic disciplines might ask as they seek to explain the global financial crisis.Each discipline focuses on different actors and interests: International Relations: How much has the financial crisis detracted from the ability of states to pay for military defense? How has the crisis affected the conditions of war or terrorism in poor states? As Europe, Japan, and the United States struggle, will emerging countries like China, India, and Brazil gain more political influence in international institutions? International Economics: How has the crisis impacted foreign investment, international trade, and the values of different currencies?Comparative Politics: What is the capability of political institutions within different nations to respond to the needs of the unemployed? What new political forces are emerging and with what effects on political coalitions? Sociolo gy: How has the crisis affected consumption trends for different groups such as the upper, middle, and rower classes? How do the effects of inequality vary on the basis of ethnicity and gender? Anthropology: How have different societies in history dealt with crises related to how they allocate scarce resources?And how have these crises impacted their cultures, values, and societal norms? 8 Focusing on a narrow range of methods and issues enhances intellectual specialization and analytical efficiency. But any single discipline offers an incomplete explanation of global events. Specialization promotes a sort of scholarly blindness or distorted view that comes from using only one set of analytical methods and incepts to explain what most decidedly is a complex problem that could benefit from a multidisciplinary perspective.When defining PIP, we make a distinction between the term â€Å"international political economy' and the acronym PIP. The former refers to what we study?commonly re ferred to as a subject area or field of inquiry that involves tensions among states, markets, and societal actors. In this text, we tend to focus on a variety of actors and issues that are either â€Å"international† (between nation-states) or â€Å"transnational† (across the national borders of two or more states).Increasingly today, any analysts use the term â€Å"global political economy' instead of â€Å"international political economy' to explain problems such as climate change, hunger, and illicit markets that have spread over the entire world, and not Just a few nations. In this book, we often use these two terms interchangeably. The acronym PIP also connotes a method of inquiry that is multidisciplinary. PIP fashions the tools of analysis of its antecedent disciplines so as to more accurately describe and explain the ever- changing relationships between governments, businesses, and social forces across history and in different geographical areas.What are some of the central elements of the antecedent melds to study that contribute to IP 7 First, PIP includes a political dimension that accounts for the use of power by a variety of actors, including individuals, domestic groups, states (acting as single units), international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (Nags), and transnational corporations (Tens). All these actors make decisions about the distribution of tangible things such as money and products or intangible things such as security and innovation.In almost all cases, politics involves the making of rules pertaining to owe states and societies achieve their goals. Another aspect of politics is the kind of public and private institutions that have the authority to pursue different goals. Second, PIP involves an economic dimension that deals with how scarce resources are distributed among individuals, groups, and nation-states. A variety of public and private institutions allocate resources on a day-to-day basis in local markets where we shop. Today, a market is not Just a place where people go to buy or exchange something face to face with the product's maker.The market can also be thought of as a driving force that shapes human behavior. When consumers buy things, when investors purchase stocks, and when banks lend money, their dependability transactions constitute a vast, sophisticated web of relationships that coordinate economic activities all over the world. Political scientist Charles Limbo makes an interesting case that the economy is actually nothing more than a system for coordinating social behavior! What people eat, their occupation, and even what they do when not working are all organized around different agricultural, labor, and relaxation markets.In effect, markets often perform a social function of â€Å"coordination without a coordinator. L Third, the works of such notables as Charles Limbo and economists Robert Hellbender and Lester Throw help us realize that PIP does not reflect enough the societal dimension of different international problems. 2 A growing number of PIP scholars argue that states and markets do not exist in a social vacuum. There are usually many different social groups within a state that share identities, norms, and associations based on tribal ties, ethnicity, religion, or gender.Likewise, a variety of transnational groups (referred to as global civil society) have interests that cut across national boundaries. A host of Nags have attempted to pressure national and international organizations on issues such as climate change, refugees, migrant workers, and gender-based exploitation. All of these groups are purveyors of ideas that potentially generate tensions between them and other groups but play a major role in shaping global behavior. How to Study PIP: Contrasting Perspectives and Methodologies The three dominant perspectives of PIP are economic liberalism, mercantilism, and structuralism.Each focuses on the relationships between a va riety of actors and institutions. A strict extinction between these perspectives is quite arbitrary and has been imposed by disciplinary tradition, at times making it difficult to appreciate their connections to one another. Each perspective emphasizes different values, actors, and solutions to Policy problems but also overlooks some important elements highlighted by the other two perspectives. Economic liberalism (particularly unilateralism?see Chapter 2) is most closely associated with the study of markets.Later we will explain why there is an increasing gap between orthodox economic liberals (Eels), who champion free arrests and free trade, and heterodox interventionist liberals (Hills), who support more state regulation and trade protection to sustain markets. Increasingly, Hills have stressed that markets work best when they are embedded in (connected to) society and when the state intervenes to resolve problems that markets alone cannot handle. In fact, many Hills acknowledge that markets are the source of many of these problems.Many liberal values and ideas are the ideological foundation of the globalization campaign. They are derived from notable thinkers such as Adam Smith, David Richard, John Maynard Keynes, Frederica Hayes, and Milton Friedman. The laissez-fairer principle, that the state should leave the economy alone, is attributed to Adam Smith. 3 More recently, economic liberal ideas have been associated with former president Ronald Reagan and his acolytes, who contended that economic growth is best achieved when the government severely limits its involvement (interference) in the economy.Under pure market conditions (I. E. , the absence of state intervention or social influences), people are assumed to behave â€Å"rationally' (see Chapter 2). 10 That is, they will naturally seek to maximize their gains and limit their losses when reducing and selling things. They have strong desires to exchange and to generate wealth by competing with others for sales in local and international markets. According to Eels, people should strongly value economic efficiency? the ability to use and distribute resources effectively and with little waste.Why is efficiency so important? When an economy is inefficient, scarce resources go unused or could be used in other ways that would be more beneficial to society. This idea has been applied to the new global economy and is one of the basic principles behind globalization. Mercantilism (also called economic nationalism) is most closely associated with the political philosophy of realism, which focuses on state efforts to accumulate wealth and power to protect society from physical harm or the influence of other states (see Chapters 3 and 9).In theory, the state is a legal entity and an autonomous system of institutions that governs a specific geographic territory and a â€Å"nation. † Since the mid-seventeenth century, the state has been the dominant actor in the international community based on the principle that it has the authority to exercise sovereignty (final authority) over its own affairs. States use two types of power to protect themselves. Hard power refers to tangible military and economic assets employed to compel, coerce, intelligence, tend tot, or death enemies and competitors.Soft power comprises selective tools that reflect and project a country cultural values, beliefs, and ideals. Through the use of movies, cultural exports and exchanges, information, and diplomacy, a state can convince others that the ideas it sponsors are legitimate and should be adopted. Soft power can in many ways be more effective than hard power because it rests on persuasion and mutual exchange. For example, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Barack Obama partly regained some of the world's support for the United States through a discourse emphasizing multilateral cooperation.Structuralism is rooted in Marxist analysis but not limited to it (see Chapter 4). It looks at PIP issues mainly in terms of how different social classes are shaped by the dominant economic structure. It is most closely associated with the methods of analysis many sociologists employ. Structuralisms emphasize that markets have never existed in a social vacuum. Some combination of social, economic, and political forces establishes, regulates, and preserves them.As we will see in the case of the financial crisis, even the standards used to Judge the effectiveness of market systems reflect the dominant values and beliefs of those forces. The Benefits of PIP Each perspective in PIP sheds light on some aspects of a problem particularly well, but casts a shadow on other important aspects. By using a combination of the three dominant PIP methods and concepts (outlined in Table 1-1), we can move to the big picture?the most comprehensive and compelling explanation of global processes.Not surprisingly, mixing together the disciplines of economics, political science, and sociology gives rise to a n analytical problem: It is difficult to establish a single explanation to any PIP issue because each discipline has its own set of analytical concepts, core beliefs, and methodologies. Does this weaken the utility of PIP? Not at all. We must recognize that PIP is not a â€Å"hard science†; it may never table 1-1 Conflicting Political economic Perspectives about state-market relations in Capitalist societies Monetarism (Orthodox Economic Liberals) Main Ideas aboutCapitalism â€Å"Laissez-fairer†; minimal state intervention and regulation of the economy Keynesian (Heterodox Interventionist Economic Liberals) The state primes (injects money? liquidity) into the economy to restore confidence in it and to stabilize it Efficiency mixed with a variety of state political and social objectives Developmental State Model (Mercantilism) Socialism (Structuralism) Social Democracy (Structuralism) The state plays a proactive role in the economy to guide and protect its major industr ies The state controls the economy. Prices set by state officials. Emphasis on state