Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions in the World Essay

An investigation on the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions in the world. Located in a semi-arid zone, South Africa is one of the thirty driest countries in the world with limited water resources, which are unevenly distributed. In this country, five million people of the population have no access to safe drinking water and nearly fifteen million lack basic sanitation. The lack of drinking water is a serious problem, since there are more than 1.6 million children under five years whom die every year worldwide.(the water project 2012). This report will assess the feasibility of different techniques for providing drinkable water to South Africa. It will also present different options suitable for arid regions, looking to improve their water resources comparing them, and then concluding by pointing out which is the most feasible and efficient technique. BACKGROUND From apartheid to epidemics such as aids or tuberculosis, South Africa has experienced several disasters. Now it has to face a new crisis: an abundance of drinkable water. In fact there is several reasons to explain this water crisis. Firstly, the climate change has affected the water supply as rain has become increasingly scarce. For instance â€Å"in Durban the dams are 20 per cent lower than at the start of 2010†. (the water projet) Moreover, the problem of pollution rages; in fact, mining plants in South Africa throw all their toxic and radioactive waste in African rivers. They dump highly toxic substances such as mercury, arsenic and uranium in the river, as it is toxic and reacts violently with water, once in it the water will be contaminated. The water will therefore have a highly acidic pH of 2.2 (pH level close to that of a lemon). For instance, Wonderfontein Spruit River, one of the largest rivers in South Africa is extremely polluted due to the 50 tons of uranium mi ning plants have dumped into the river. Likewise, Lake Robinson, a fishing lake, has today a uranium concentration of 16mg/L due to toxic waste; (the guardian). consequently more than 1.6 million people die each year.(waterwise2012) DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS: 1. Setting up Tidal power plants to purify water which could be installed in the Atlantic Ocean, located next to South Africa; these tidal power plants derive their energy from the force of the tide. With this process, when the water is raised energy is produced, the water could then be filtered through a filtering system (reverse osmosis). Through this, these plants will not only produce energy from a renewable energy source, but also filter the polluted water. (inventors.about.2012) 2. Excavation of a groundwater is another solution to provide a fresh water supply. This resource, which makes up 15 per cent of the drinkable water in South Africa, represents an important source of water. It can provide water to more than 400 cities (water.dwa.gov). In over 90% of the country, it occurs in hard rocks, which have no pore spaces, and it is powered by the infiltration of rainwater (Anthonyturton). This is acquired by drilling a bore, which is then fitted with a pipe into the aquifer, pum ping the water to the surface (gwd, 2012). In addition, it is high quality water, as a layer of clay that acts as a filter protects it. 3. Measuring and monitoring water quality†¨is also a great way to make sure the water in the country are usable. It helps limit and suppress the release of toxic and radioactive waste into the rivers of Africa. The government must put in place measures prohibiting any discharge that may contaminate the water. To achieve this, the government must find an alternative solution for the toxic waste dumped into the rivers such as collection center set up in order to collect the waste and possibly even recycle the waste. If this is done, then many of the rivers and lakes in South Africa will be clean again and could become a clean water resource once again. COMPARISON AND VIABILITY OF THE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS 1. Setting up power plants is another solution that could be used. The tidal power plants provide an almost inexhaustible amount of water, thus sufficient not only for the entire population but also for its agricultural and industrial sectors. Moreover, since these plants use renewable energy and non-polluting, it reduces the concentration of pollution added to the water. However, the implementation of these tidal power plants is expensive and therefore need investment from the government and organizations, which might not be able to provide (Elmelech 2006). However, the invention of new â€Å"nanotechnology† can reduce expenditures and promote the installment. (Polyzou 2010) 2. Excavation of groundwater: The groundwater does not pollute as easily as other water sources. Indeed, according to Carr and Neary it may take years to be able to pollute the reserve’s groundwater. However, the ground has disadvantages as the amount of water, which is not renewable. In fact, the majority of groundwater has been charged over the previous periods, in different climates. As fossil fuels were created under conditions that have not existed for a long time, this â€Å"freshwater fossil† is considered non-renewable. Thus, once aquifers have declined they will cease to be a resource because they will not charge in the future. (groundwater.org) 3. Monitoring or measuring water quality develop†¨enacted anti-pollution measures is a solution that doesn’t require great expenditures. Indeed, water already exists and is eager not to be polluted, to be drunk. But in a developing country, like South Africa, the corruption, which is everywhere, prevents the compliance with these measures. CONLUSION To conclude, the water crisis, which rages in South Africa, is due to human activities. To cope, the country has several alternatives such as set up power plants, excavation of a groundwater or monitoring or measuring water quality. All these options, which have the same aim: to provide fresh water, present advantages but also inconveniences. In one hand, the reserve of groundwater may be out of stock due to the growth of population and the insufficiency of water. However, on other hand, the installment of tidal power plants can be a surprisingly costly project. The best solution seems to implement protocol against pollution of fresh water, as it’s effective, practical, and not an expensive way. REFERENCES: 1. The Water Project.(2012).Water In Crisis – Spotlight South Africa.[online] Available at: < http://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-south-africa.php> [Accessed 24 November 2012]. 2. Waterwise.(2012).Water Wise – Causes of Water Pollution. [online] Available at: [Accessed 20 November 2012]. 3. gwd. (2012). Ground water division of GSSA. [Online] Available at: < http://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/153332/UMCCC_Groundwater_Factsheet.pdf> . [Accessed 23 November 2012]. 4. Bellis.M. How Tidal Power Plants Work. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2012]. 5. Woodford.A and Rosewarne.P. (2012). HOW MUCH GROUNDWATER DOES SOUTH AFRICA HAVE?. [Online] Available at: < http://www.anthonyturton.com/admin/my_ documents/my_files/SRK_Woodfood_How_much_Groundwater_does_SA_have.pdf > [Accessed 16 November 2012]. 6. Polyzou.E. Willigness to pay for drinking water quality improvement and the the influence of social capitall. [Online] Available at: < http://www.liv.ac.uk/libraby/e-books.htlm > [Accessed 12 November 2012]. 7. Elimelech.M.(2005). The global challenge for adequate and safe water. [Online] Available at: < [Accessed 10 November 2012]. 8. Carr,G. and Neary.J (2008).water quality for ecosystem and human health. [Online] Available at: < http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/publications/pdfs/water_quality_human_health.pdf > [Accessed 18 November 2012]. 9. Groundwater.org.what is the groundwater?. [Online] Available at: < http://www.groundwater.org/kc/whatis.html> [Accessed 17 November 2012]. 10. Dwa.gov. Background of the NORAD Assisted Programme on the Sustainable Development of Groundwater Sources under the Community Water and Sanitation Programme in South Africa. [Online] Available at: < http://www.dwa.gov.za/Groundwater/norad.aspx> [Accessed 17 November 2012].

Cousin vinny

Thank you. † The movie Director: Jonathan Lynn Plot Us Mary: Bill Gambling and Stanley Retentions are two friends from New York University who just received scholarships to UCLA They decide to drive throw GHz the South. Once they arrive in Alabama, they stop at a local convenience store to pick up a few snacks. But, no sooner than they leave the store, they are arrested. They had thought that they were arrested for shoplifting, but they were arrested for mum order and robbery.Worse, they are facing execution for this crime. Bill and Stan do not have enough money for a lawyer, so the good news is that Bill has a lawyer in his FAA mill, his cousin, Vincent Laggardly Gambling. The bad news is that Finny is an inexpert n ceded lavaÐ’Â »year who has not been at a trial. So, Finny has to defend his clients and beat lee an uncompromising judge, some tough locals, and even his fiancee, Mona Lisa Vi to, who just does not know when to shut up, to prove his client's innocence.But he w ill soon realize that he is going to need help. Personal Response: Primarily, I thought the film was very funny. I loved the actor/ actress and the overall storyline was great. L liked the movie because it was comical while also being s errors at mom points. Loved the relationship between Finny and Lisa; they were funny together however, they helped each other throughout the film no matter how much the eye argued .It honestly had to be the best part Of the movie for me because even though t hey argued constantly you could still tell that the two bought out the best in one a another. I kind of had a feeling that if Vinson the case it would be in part because of help from sis because the whole time she was so adamant in trying to help him win. So when she showed him the photos I had an idea that something in them would be the kicker to turn the case around completely, and that's exactly what happened.I loved the e fact that Finny turned out to be a good lawyer, and that the case was won. There wasn't much that I disliked about the film, the only problem I had was n the beginning where there were many unnecessary misunderstandings such as w why the two young men were being convicted and how Finny came into the picture. I din' understand the reason that the two boys were getting arrested for something they didn't do because they were too stupid to ask what they were being arrested for, an d the cop didn't bother to tell them until they got there.

Violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Violence - Research Paper Example In order to determine whether messages related to spanking should be attributed to influencing parents or caretakers to spank their children whenever they engage in any form of wrong doing, the appropriate study would be to survey parents or caretakers and interview them on the frequency with which they receive messages related to spanking, and whether they consider the messages that they receive while disciplining their children. In this case, once the frequency of spanking is identified based on the messages that parents and caretakers receive, it would be possible to determine if the messages attributed to spanking play an essential role in influencing the spanking mechanisms. Secondly, the data was gathered from mothers only despite the fact that there are other caretakers who play the role of disciplining children. Therefore, the paper should have considered the information from all the caretakers in order to provide room for understanding the context of discipline and informati on sharing in a household. In case the information was gathered from other caretakers or even the fathers to the children, they would provide other information related to their perception towards spanking, and the alternative mechanisms that they adopt in case they oppose spanking as a means of disciplining a child (Walsh, 2000). For instance, the way in which a father can discipline a child is not the way a mother can do it. To investigate how fathers perceive the issue of spanking, the questionnaires should contain questions that target fathers based on how they view spanking differently from mothers. Questions should be raised on the different approaches they adopt to discipline their children, and which they perceive to be different from the ones that their mothers adopt. There are also those children who are kept under the care of their grandparents. Because of their age, they would not be able to undertake spanking like the way the parents of the children do it. They might not even consider spanking at all as this would demand a lot of strain from them. Since the time for recall with respect to how often parents spank their children was more than six months, the mothers could have forgotten the frequency with which they spanked their children. As a result, the time for recall should be reduced significantly so that parents could be able to provide appropriate details based on how often they spank their children. The time for recall in this case should be approximately two months since this would provide room for gathering appropriate details and analysis on whether spanking is adopted on a frequent basis to serve as a way of disciplining the children. While gathering data from a population, it is crucial to consider diverse groups since they would provide room for the generalization of the results that are generated. This would create room for the realization of appropriate results as opposed to considering just a single group from a population. The samp le for the study came primarily from white people that were based in Midwestern cities (Walsh, 2000). This made it difficult to generalize the findings from the study. Therefore, in order to ensure that this issue is addressed, the study should have considered people from various

Week 4 assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 4 - Assignment Example It mainly focuses on the type of work they undertake, where they get finances and the target community. The united African transition is one community organization that has a focus on African Americans. The target community for this organization is quite different from the habitat for humanity and communities in schools. The habitat for humanity has a focus on any member of the society who cannot afford a home. Communities in schools, on the other hand, focus on at-risk school going children. It is to this respect that the united African organization does not solely relate the whole community. This is a key difference from the other organizations, which are not specific to other members of a society (Marshall et. al., 2007). The habitat for humanity organization, for example, avails cheap, non-profit mortgages to the disadvantaged members of society. This means that their focus is across the board. The communities in schools also do not have a direct focus on a particular school going children. Community organizations mostly have the non-for profit system in terms of their finances. Similarly, the habitat for humanity, community in schools and the united African organization share the same system. The united African organization accepts donations and sponsorships to help the needy African American community. In terms of their workforce, they use volunteers from the local communities. In this sense, they provide jobs for the locals. This is a similar strategy applied by communities in schools. They focus on volunteers and community partners. This helps them become very cost effective. The habitat for humanity, as a non-for-profit organization, acts a center where individuals interact with the aim of viewing the world as a common habitat for humanity. It is this respect that they gather donations and grants to help the disadvantaged community members. Each community organization has a target society.

Material and Inventory Findings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Material and Inventory Findings - Essay Example In this case, the troubles experienced with materials and parts on a regular basis signal that the underlying problem is hidden and should be detected and explored further. Although number of the solutions to the symptom problems is available, ranging from the radical moving the S close to T and P to, for example, more frequent deliveries from S, the problem is not the physical flow of the parts but the informational flow between the divisions. There are "gaps" or "gray areas", as Steven Spear and H. Kent Bower name them, in the information flows and the relationship between the supplier (facility S and its three manufacturing divisions) and customer (facilities T and P) with regard to the product supplied (parts and assembly materials). The above mentioned two authors in their article Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System (1999) formulate an important rule with regard to customer-supplier relationship within the company's supply chain and internal production system. They emphasize that every connection must be standardized and direct, unambiguously specifying the people involved, the form and quantity of the goods and services to be provided, the way requests are made by each customer, and the expected time in which the requests will be met (p. 100). The rule creates a supplier-customer relationship between each person and the individual who is responsible for providing that person with each specific good or service. As a result, there are no "gray zones" in deciding who provides what to whom and when. In Oregano plants manufacturing system embracing facilities S, T, and P does have the "gray zones". It is the result of ambiguous and not streamlined flow of physical parts and information between the facilities. It should be also noted that all the three facilities have different process design and their needs are slightly different. Nevertheless, the facilities T and P, having the single high-volume customer and limited product line range, face the certain demand situation. It is true for the S facility as well, with regard to the demand for the parts from two other divisions, which is derived in nature. Quality control is another issue to be addressed. Possibility of having up to seven subsequent shifts of producing the defective parts in the molding department due to the machine malfunctioning and raw materials defects, indicates that the currently established raw materials, process and finished goods quality control system does not work out. Recommendations: The adequate documentation flow system should be developed, implemented and monitored for possible improvements on a regular basis. The produced, shipped, received, and consumed components should be entered into the system in a correct way and

Sigmund Freud.His Conception Of Mental Illness Essay

Sigmund Freud.His Conception Of Mental Illness - Essay Example For a long time, mental handicaps were seen as completely insurmountable, just something that nobody could engage with or do anything about. In the 20th century, though, that began to change. The notion that mental illness was treatable began to become widespread, and mental hospitals because places of treatment rather than mere confinement. A good example of the changing attitudes is the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, based on Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel of the same title. In it, Randle McMurphy, played by Jack Nicholson, is transferred from prison to a mental institution, where he challenges the way the institution is run. Prior to his arrival, the institution is essentially a holding pen, a place where people are kept because society doesn’t want to deal with them. There is no real expectation that anyone ever will, or ever can, leave the institution or be cured of their problems. Indeed, McMurphy initially goes there because he thinks it will be an easier place than prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence, only to discover that one he’s in the institutional system, he can be kept there indefinitely against his will. However, by engaging with the other patients as human beings, McMurphy challenges the authority of the institutional system.... The 1960s were a fertile time for changing attitudes, and the liberation of McMurphy’s compatriots should be seen in that context. In 1968, the Special Olympics were founded, as parents of mentally disabled children were encouraged for the first time to take pride in their offspring despite their disability. Prior to this era, such parents were frequently told to have their children permanently institutionalized, and tell people they were dead. As another example, three years prior to the release of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, there had been a famous television expose of the Willowbrook State School, a grossly abusive and inadequate institution for mentally disabled children and youths. It led to a public outcry and a series of reforms in how such institutions were run. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in that sense, is chronicling an unfolding cultural narrative about the treatment of mental handicaps; it’s a story about changing attitudes that came out in a time of changing attitudes. There is often an easy narrative applied to the Civil War, one in which evil, racist Confederates are opposed by virtuous, non-racist Union troops. Few would phrase it in exactly that way, but that is the basic structure of the model many people absorb from pop culture and conventional wisdom. Like most such good-vs.-evil narratives, it is a gross oversimplification that misses much of its own point. Reality is, as ever, more complex. At another end of the spectrum, one finds those who insist that the war had nothing to do with slavery, that that was a mere incidental issue. Considering that every state that seceded wrote an elaborate proclamation of their reasons, and that every one of those documents cites slavery as their central ideological issue, the

Southwest airline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Southwest airline - Essay Example The aim of this strategy is to be a producer who maintains low costs in production compared to the competitors. It is also more applicable in a market that uses price as the deciding factor (Pearce &Robinson, 2014). The strategic managers of Southwest Airline use this strategy in a way that they strategically select the production and marketing methods that lead to a reduction in cost. They ensure that the airline uses lower cost carriers to control and reduce costs and to ensure that they operate at lower costs compared to the legacy carriers. With the low operation costs, Southwest Airline is able to maintain a large share of the market since it is able to provide efficient services at low costs. Efficient use of this strategy is enhanced by conducting a SWOT analysis that enables the firm to discover the strengths and weaknesses that it possesses as well as the opportunities and threats available in the market. The effectiveness of this strategy also is maintained if the firm is able to maintain the quality of services despite the reduction in cost (Pearce & Robinson,

The Sequestration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Sequestration - Essay Example One of the challenges that I have had to deal with is the introduction of unpaid off days as one way of reducing budgetary allocations at my work place. One requirement of the sequestration is to carry out deductions on employees pay on the total number of days the employee was off from work. As a result of this move by the government, it has become a necessity to look for part time jobs in order to compensate for the reduced income. Maneuvering between my workplace and my part time job is a real challenge. The second challenge is that I have to make reductions on expenditures on certain luxuries I and my family used to like. This poses a psychological challenge based on the fact that it is difficult to accept that I can no longer afford some services that were part and parcel of my life. Therefore, my performance at the workplace becomes compromised because I can no longer perform to the maximum. Some of the areas that I have been forced to make reductions on include expenditures on cell phone services, movie night and restaurants, cancelling vacations, and general reductions on family expenditures. Servicing mortgages, car loans, and other loans have become real challenges since the introduction of the sequestration strategy of dealing with budgetary deficits. This is as a result of the unexpected reduction in income at a time when mortgages and other loans were under servicing. This is frustrating in the sense that members of the congress who are imposing the sequestering policies may not be subjected to pay cuts similar to those of federal workers (Lee et al, 2012). The fact that reductions on budgetary allocations on government programs are likely to cause layoffs of government workers keeps every government worker with a lot of worries. It is projected that thousands of government workers are likely to lose their jobs as a result of the

Corporate social responsibility is likely to gain growing importance Essay

Corporate social responsibility is likely to gain growing importance for business, Discuss this statement and relate your answer to ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example This paper defines as â€Å"the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, their local community and society at large to improve their quality of life in ways that are both good for business and development†1 especially as it is framed to accommodate the aspirations of the corporations and the local communities in which they operate. This paper further adds that, since in every society infrastructure basically represents a luxury, corporations should strive at meeting the human standards of the society in which they operate by giving back to that society all that can be considered as humanly from an ethical standpoint. But hardly this is the case. Take the case of CSR problems that arise between SHELL and the indigenes of the Niger-Delta area in Nigeria in which during operations, their main sources of livelihood (i.e. rivers and farmlands) are polluted and destroyed. These damages often lead to conflicts b etween the oil firms and the host communities. Today, the environment is facing increasing pressure from large scale and rapid industrialisation due to modernisation and globalisation that is causing heavy damage all due to mass consumption of the earth’s resources. In a bit to purify the environment, the western world government’s have enacted new environmental legislation aimed at an introduction of major new regulatory regimes such as Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) in England & Wales, where the Environment Agency (EA) is developing new methods of environmental risk screening and targeting of regulatory effort based on the better regulation principles. Under the dynamics of globalisation, economic integration, and global environmental governance, issues of global warming and CO2 emissions have been increasing receiving attention today. This evolution has been unfolding since the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development, through the 2002

Sufficient Staff Training for Prevention and Management of Violence in Research Proposal

Sufficient Staff Training for Prevention and Management of Violence in Acute Inpatient Psychiatric and mental health care Units - Research Proposal Example This essay discusses that over the years, researchers have stressed on the relationship between caregivers and clients. Special consideration to this relationship is given in terms of behavioral health sciences because of the increased potential for aggression with this client population. Mental health caregivers can considerably reduce the number of violent incidents that are more likely to happen in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. Studies have revealed that healthcare workers including nurses, physicians, psychologists and social workers are likely to experience physical assault or verbal violence from patients in behavioral health units. The amount of violence has increased in various workplaces and researchers such as Rippon have identified exposure to violence as a significant problem for health care professional as well. The need to offer timely staff training programs to the healthcare professions for the prevention and management of violence has been pointed out by such researchers as Doughty; Warshaw & Messite; and Flannery et al. Similarly, the adverse effects and negative consequences of patient violence on the health care workers have also been pointed out by such researchers as Doughty and Stathopoulou. The before and after studies conducted by researchers such as Calabro, Mackey and Williams have also revealed that staff training enhances the knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention of the participants towards violence in the work place.... ers including nurses, physicians, psychologists and social workers are likely to experience physical assault or verbal violence from patients in behavioral health units. The amount of violence has increased in various workplaces and researchers such as Rippon have identified exposure to violence as a significant problem for health care professional as well (Rippon, 2000). The need to offer timely staff training programs to the healthcare professions for the prevention and management of violence has been pointed out by such researchers as Doughty (2005); Warshaw & Messite (1996); and Flannery et al (2000). Similarly, the adverse effects and negative consequences of patient violence on the health care workers have also been pointed out by such researchers as Doughty (2005) and Stathopoulou (2003). The before and after studies conducted by researchers such as Calabro, Mackey and Williams (2002) have also revealed that staff training enhances the knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and b ehavioral intention of the participants towards violence in the work place. Training staff servicing in psychiatric and mental health care units are more likely to experience incidents of violence and therefore it is imperative that further researches are undertaken in this regard to identify how far staff training helps in preventing violence in acute health care units. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the correlation of trained staff working in acute inpatient psychiatric units and the number of violent incidents observed within the milieu. The research aims to give prominence to the need of training which is required to prevent and manage the incidents of violent episodes. This research will be helpful for the population in the medical field including nurses, doctors,

God-given attributes Essay Example for Free

God-given attributes Essay The 19th century held some of the very best traditions and practices the United States had. Yet, some of them today are not existent anymore due to the fact that the concept of the â€Å"American Dream† is slowly fading from the recesses of our very consciousness. If we are to examine the art of the late 19th century, we can observe that the paintings project an old fashioned way of American life, where people do what is right and honorable; a peaceful way of life. It is a life full of hopes and dreams that the American people will work and progress further together into the future. Each individual, as a free man, can do what he can with his God-given attributes. The concept of the â€Å"American Dream† has changed so much to the extent that the perception nowadays is that financial stability is the gauge of living this dream. Working parents are always scampering out of their homes in search of monetary gain, leaving their kids behind to care for themselves. This effectuates circumstances of broken homes, where children are neglected and not taught the honest ways of life; thus, they grow as individuals lacking good character traits. This eventually leads to the erosion of the American society; the breaking down of the social structure based on the â€Å"American Dream† concept. If we are to retain the things that make us good Americans, then we have to compromise with ourselves and with our fellow man for the benefit of everybody. Development is not at all bad; yet, we have to integrate some of the fine old-fashioned ways of the 19th century with that of the present in order to alleviate the effects brought upon by some of the destructive ways of present living.

Comparison of The Economies of India and China

Comparison of The Economies of India and China The economies of India and China are among the largest economies in the world. However the differences in the size, composition and other quantitative and qualitative features stand in stark contrast when comparing China and India. India, has a much smaller economy, about only a fifth of Chinas. Its exports are a fraction of Chinas, as are its imports. Indias economy is mostly dependent on its large internal market with external trade accounting for just 20% of the countrys GDP. This is a huge difference from China, given just how large a part of Chinas economy is due to International trade. In fact, Indias balance of payments (BoP) on its current account has been negative. However this is probably due to its ever increasing oil import bill and its overall Balance of Payments (BoP) was positive since the late 60s due to remittances from Non Resident Indians and increased foreign direct investment. However, the darker side to blistering growth rates achieved by China is captured by indices of inequality. While the current Gini Index, a measure of inequality of income/wealth, of India is 36.8, the same for China is 46.9, which is remarkably high. However China has successfully reduced the proportion of population living below the poverty line to 10% while India has 22% of its population living below the poverty line. given the sizes of both populations, the difference is massive, and finding the causes of this difference is crucial. A significant question that many economists have tried to answer is the reason behind Chinas superlative economic growth. Consensus is now broadly reached with the explanation that it was a combination of several factors, not least the proactive actions of the government, coupled with already favorable historical circumstances that are responsible. Chinas very strengths in these areas have been Indias weaknesses. Political Economy The histories of China and India have been very different and critical in explaining the growth contrast. China has been by and large a stable, centrally run state through its history with limited periods of instability and lack of a single authority. Indias history has been exactly the reverse. Since 1949 the government, under Chinas socialist political and economic system, has been responsible for planning and managing national economy. Foreign trade is supervised by the Ministry of Commerce, customs, and the Bank of China, the foreign exchange arm of the Chinese banking system, which controls access to the foreign currency required for imports. Ever since restrictions on foreign trade were reduced, there have been broad opportunities for individual enterprises to engage in exchanges with foreign firms without much intervention from official agencies. INFRASTRUCTURE Compared to India, China has a well developed infrastructure. Some of the important factors that have created a stark difference between the economies of the two countries are manpower and labor development, water management, health care facilities and services, communication, civic amenities and so on.. Although India has become much developed than before, it is still plagued by problems such as lack of civic amenities. In fact unlike India, China is still investing in huge amounts towards manpower development and strengthening of infrastructure. EDUCATION In Education, 99.1 % of Chinese children attend school for 9 years, ensuring a high level of literacy. In India, literacy is 50 to 60% . China and India face similar challenges in their higher education sector with intense competition for admission to the best institutions and universities. But China is far ahead on the supply side with nearly 100 high quality institutions and is investing heavily in creating many more, leaving India far behind. As a result China is turning out many more top quality students than India. China has opened up higher education for both private and foreign investment. Foreign investors can come in by tying up with local Chinese partners. Unlike India, China is experiencing a great deal of two-way international student traffic. China has become one of the worlds great study-abroad destinations. Currently more than 60,000 foreigners study in Chinese universities, and that number is swelling each year. China is the number-one choice for U.S. students who want to study in Asia . China is active and aggressive about becoming a major player in international education. HEALTH In general, for both countries, infectious diseases of the past sit alongside emerging infectious diseases and chronic illnesses associated with ageing societies, although the burden of infectious diseases is much higher in India. Whilst globalisation contributes to widening inequalities in health and healthcare in both countries there is evidence that local circumstances are important, especially with respect to the structure and financing of health care and the implementation of health policy. For example, India has huge problems providing even rudimentary health care to its large population of urban slum dwellers whilst China is struggling to re-establish universal rural health insurance. In terms of funding access to health care, the Chinese state has traditionally supported most costs, whereas private insurance has always played a major role in India, although recent changes in China have seen the burgeoning of private health care payments. China has, arguably, had more success than India in improving population health, although recent reforms have severely impacted upon the ability of the Chinese health care system to operate effectively. Both countries are experiencing a decline in the amount of government funding for health care and this is a major issue that must be addressed. In China earlier extensive public provision of health and education: universal education until Class X, and public services to ensure nutrition, health and sanitation. In India the public provision of all of these has been extremely inadequate throughout this period and has deteriorated in per capita terms since the early 1990s A Close Look: Special Economic Zones (or SEZs) in India and China China pursued an inward-looking developmental strategy from the 1960s to the late 1970s. From late 1978 onward, Deng started to exert a critical role in Chinese politics and the opening of China. In May, fourteen coastal cities became open cities. Deng and other top leaders approved the setting up of the first SEZs in Guangdong and Fujian; they enjoyed geographic proximity to neighboring advanced economies and are coastal cities with access to sea-ports. In addition to picking the right locations for SEZs, Deng and other reformists also carefully appointed leaders to head the major SEZs. In general, these leaders tended to be open minded and possessed a wealth of political experience. Their dedication to work and their upright and honest styles helped them to avoid scandals that could tarnish the reputation of reform. Liang also cracked down hard on official corruption to defuse accusations against the SEZ. Under Liangs leadership Shenzhen created a number of benchmarks in Chinas economic reform in the early 1980s. One was the so-called Shenzhen efficiency, exemplified by the completion of one floor of a high-rise office building within only three days. In addition three new offices responsible for economic policies in the SEZ were placed under the jurisdiction of the Mayors Office: the General Office of the city government, the SEZ Development Company, and the SEZ Construction Company. This centralized and efficient economic decision process in the hand of local leaders paved the way for rapid formation and operation of the SEZ, which was much needed for the newly established zone in its very early years. First, joint ventures and foreign-owned enterprises were allowed in the SEZs, but needed special approval outside them. Second, prices and distribution of goods were not regulated by the market within the SEZs, but by central plans outside the zones Third, SEZs had jurisdiction in approving much larger investment projects than non-zone localities. Fourth, SEZs enjoyed preferential treatment in tax and tariff reductions and exemptions. For example, the corporate income tax at the SEZs was set at a preferential rate of 15 percent, even lower than the 18.5 percent in Hong Kong.25 Finally, SEZs were granted preferential fiscal arrangements. Fiscal autonomy generated tremendous fiscal incentives and exerted heavy pressure for Shenzhen to reform and develop. These privileges enabled investors to enjoy the lowest corporate income tax rates and tariffs on imports and exports, as well as a freer play of markets in SEZs. SEZs become the premier place in China for attracting FDI. Initially, Shenzhen was short of funds necessary for building streets and urban infrastructure. However, within four years, the city accomplished urban development worth 100 million yuan with only 18 million yuan of loans. It built two industrial districts as well as fifty-five streets of a total length of 100 kilometers. In comparison to India we find that Indian SEZs lack in precisely the areas in which Chinese SEZs seem to have an advantage, such as infrastructure, tackling bureaucracy, corruption, etc. While SEZs in India are generally set up all around the country SEZs in China are mostly on the coast, along one side of the country due to better connectivity to the outside world and advantages in exports. Conclusion Popular opinion is that India cannot catch up with China in the near future, at least in the next few years. China leads India in foreign investment, a key contributor to economic growth, by a margin of 10 to 1, because foreign investors, who can place their money anywhere, see more opportunities and fewer obstacles in China. Ironically, Indian democracy is viewed as a hindrance vis-a-vis the stability of Chinas authoritarian regime on its liberalizing market and docile unions. India also lacks a Hong Kong and a Taiwan, next-door technology, and capital hubs that when combined with the mainlands abundant, cheap, and productive human resources create powerful complements. China dominates in manufacturing and has the market size and spending power domestically The constraints on the growth of Indias GDP appear to be insufficient investments according to most economists, including FDI and investments in infrastructure. The most commonly cited constraints on investments is the confusion and slowness of policy change as well as confusion and tardiness at the bureaucratic levels, as contrasted with the single mindedness of the Chinese state. However, changes are gradually being seen in these areas, and political reform could strengthen the role of the government and combat inefficiency. Also the provision of high quality and long lasting infrastructure is beginning to occur. If government initiates these reforms and provides the requisite infrastructure to attracts investment, the possibility that India catches up with China in terms of economic growth does not look so impossible.

Parenting Styles in early childhood

Parenting Styles in early childhood Parenting Style as a Mediator between Childrens Negative Emotionality and Problematic Behavior in Early Childhood Abstract Parenting style is of particular interest in the negative emotional development leading to difficult behavior in children. This paper evaluates research focused on the impact parenting has on childrens negative behavior. The objective was to determine the affects of authoritative and authoritarian parenting as it relates to negative behavior in children. Comparisons will be made to several studies showing similar results. The objective, procedures and results will be evaluated to determine the strength of the research conducted and the validity of the study. Even with limitations, the research does in fact support that authoritative parenting which is firm but loving is more effective at helping children not act out than is authoritarian parenting, which emphasizes compliance and conformity. Introduction Anyone who has ever spent time with preschool children knows that the lives of such young people are marked both by negative emotions and by acting out (often described as temper tantrums). Both are typical and age appropriate. However, also age appropriate to the preschool cohort is the need to begin to learn how to regulate their behavior. While young children have some ability to be self-regulating (as opposed to infants), they lack the cognitive and emotional skills to be able to do so on their own in any consistent matter. Thus one of the tasks of parenting preschool-aged children is to help them learn to separate negative emotions from negative actions. Key to this process is teaching children that negative emotions are perfectly acceptable. The parenting style that is best geared to teaching both aspects of this that negative emotions are natural but that negative acting out is not acceptable is the authoritative parenting style. In contrast, an authoritarian parenting style can be fundamentally harmful to the process of teaching young children to honor but contain their negative emotions such as anger, fear, and dislike. Authoritarian parenting is marked by the parents having very high expectations of compliance to the rules that they put into place and a high level of conformity to the parents beliefs. Authoritarian parents tend to give commands rather than explanations. Authoritative parents also set standards and hold expectations for their children but also allow an appropriate amount of independence on the part of the child and allows for questioning and discussion. Statement of the problem The problem explored in by the research focused on here is how may parents help young children learn how to separate their negative emotions (especially anger and frustration, both very common and entirely acceptable emotions at this stage of life). Parents may often find themselves both angry and frustrated at the child who turns around and bites a friend on the playground or who collapses onto the grocery store floor when denied an especially sugary treat and respond in much the same way as their children yelling back and losing their own tempers. This is hardly an effective response. The most effective response, according to the research examined here, is for parents to help their children understand their emotions, put words to those emotions, and to find appropriate ways to act out their emotions perhaps by tearing paper into small pieces, building up towers of blocks and knocking them over, etc. Parents who help their children separate negative emotions from negative actions are authoritative, allowing children to ask questions and receive honest answers. Parents who insist on compliance and conformity tend to exacerbate their childrens negative behavior. The hypothesis that this paper examines is the following: An authoritative parenting style helps reduce negative behaviors in preschool children that are associated with negative emotions. Literature Review The research summarized here fully supports the idea that parents using an authoritative style are more successful at helping their children reduce their negative behaviors than are parents using an authoritarian style. Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) found that while young children will act out in negative ways at times regardless of parenting style (this is only to be expected at this developmental stage), authoritative parenting helped reduced this behavior. In other words, that the relations between child negative emotionality and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were partially mediated by mothers authoritative parenting style (p. 209). Moreover, when the authors used confirmatory factor analysis to decontaminate possible overlap in item content between measures assessing temperament and problematic behavior, the association between negative emotionality and internalizing behavior was fully mediated by authoritative parenting. (p.209) The researchers used the following definition for authoritative parenting: Authoritative parenting is characterized by a combination of high warmth, firm but fair control, and the use of explanations and reasoning (p. 212). They observed 98 male and 98 female children from two and a half to four years in Dutch daycare centers. They assessed the parents style of interaction with their children and determined how effective authoritarian and authoritative parents were in terms of helping their children disconnect negative emotions from negative externalization. They found that there was a statistically positive correlation between authoritative parenting and childrens ability to disconnect negative feelings from negative actions. The study attempts to provide insight by measuring maternal perception of their children as it relates to their problematic behaviors both internal and external. In an effort to fill in gaps that exist in previous research studies, the focus was on 3 year old toddlers. In collaboration with child health centers in Holland, 196 preschool children and their mother were randomly selected through a letter distributed to 750 families from the health center. The researchers set out to find direct associations on negative emotions and higher levels of negative emotionality based on authoritarian parenting compared to authoritative parenting. The study intended to indirectly relate problematic behavior to the type of parenting style. Lastly, they wanted to show the association between decreased levels of SES in relation to the level of authoritative parenting and the internalizing and externalizing behaviors. (Figure 1, 2008) Findings Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) present us with a number of key findings that have such pervasive implications for parenting. All toddlers engage in behaviors such as biting, hitting, screaming, or otherwise acting out. Such behaviors arise as a result of negative emotions. Parents often find these behaviors hard to deal with along with other children and other caregivers. The response by others in the childrens world may be highly negative itself and may thus provoke additional negative feelings, which in turn provoke additional negative behaviors. This is a cycle that is bad for all concerned. Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) further validated the finding of others that an authoritarian parenting style is aimed at getting children to stop these negative behaviors by commanding them to follow parental orders. However, they also found, such a parenting style ignores the underlying emotions and so is ineffective in preventing the negative behaviors involved. Authoritative parents talk with their children about these emotions, help them understand that such emotions are natural and appropriate, and that there are better ways to express these feelings that will not be seen as negative by others. It is this key part acknowledging emotions while helping children disconnect emotions from actions that makes authoritative parenting effective in reducing negative actions. In other words, parents and young children can work together (with the far greater amount of work being done by the parents, of course) to create a positive feedback system in which children learn to value their emotions while moderating their behavior. The next important finding by Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) was that whatever elements of personality or temperament are innate, any inborn tendency to act out negatively is far less important than parenting style in terms of the behavior of children. IN other words, Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) found that authoritative parenting can overcome innate tendencies in children to act out. This is a very important finding for parents and other caregivers. In this longitudinal study, research showed that while young children will act out in negative ways at times regardless of parenting style authoritative parenting helped reduced this behavior. (Paulessen-Hoogeboom, et al, 2008) Using correlation and covariance showed in preliminary analysis there was no significant differences in the mean scores based on gender or birth-order variables. Using a variety of statistical analysis tools including chi-square, AGFI to measure the amount of variance and covariance the results indicated a good fit. The adjusted model, which omitted certain paths, resulted in removing the authoritarian parenting from the model. This revealed a negative association between emotionality and maternal authoritative parenting. (Figure 2, 2008) Discussion The study sets out to determine possible cause and link to childrens negativity emotionality and problematic behavior through a sample drawn from the general population. There was evidence that a childs negative emotions and problematic behavior is related to parenting and is mediated by authoritative parenting from the maternal parent. This research is echoed by others and in fact substantiates the body of research in this area. Similar findings were reported by Kochanska, Murray, Coy (1997) found that mothers who scored high on sensitivity measures and responded quickly to requests made by their toddlers (that is, mothers who used an authoritative parenting style) were effective in limiting negative behavior on the part of their children. Both sensitivity and speed in responding to requests were made in response to childrens expressing negative emotions in words: The maternal response emphasized and supported the childrens use of verbal expression rather than physical acting out when the child felt negative emotions. In this longitudinal study, one year after the researchers initially observed the toddlers, they found that the children rated higher on cooperativeness and prosocial behavior than did children who had parents with a less responsive style. Kochanska, Murray, Coy (1997) found that both outgoing and shy toddlers benefited from a responsive but firm parenting style. This finding is important because it suggests that parenting style can at least in some measure trump temperament or personality, or Different socialization experiences can predict the same developmental outcomes for children with different predispositions, and a given socialization experience can predict divergent developmental for different children. Another study that that the groundwork for the work by Paulessen-Hoogeboom etal was Clark Ladd (2000). In observing kindergarten-aged children and their mothers, they assessed the level of mutual warmth, happiness, reciprocity, and engagement. (They used these terms to operationalize the concept of authoritative parenting.) They found that children and mothers who scored high on all of these measures (and who thus met the requirements for an authoritative family) scored much higher on positive behavior regardless of internal emotional state. Both teachers and peers described these children as being more empathetic, more socially accepting and acceptable, as having more friends, and as having more harmonious relationships with both other children and adults. The body of research in this area was confirmed and consolidated by Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008). All three of these studies find clear, significantly statistical results between an authoritative parenting style and the ability of young children to contain negative emotions in an appropriate way. Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) summarized their findings: The finding that an authoritative parenting style mediates the relations between negative emotionality and problematic behaviors underscores the importance of providing effective parenting support to parents who have difficulties in dealing with their young childs negative emotionality on a daily basis. When parents can be trained and encouraged to react to their childrens negative emotionality in an adaptive way, parent-child interactions may become more enjoyable, thereby reducing the occurrence of problematic behaviors and preventing more serious behavioral problems later in life (Campbell, 1995; Patterson, 1982). We note that even in general population samples, a substantial percentage of children (up to 10%) may develop internalizing- and externalizing-behavior problems in the clinical range. (p. 226) In any research, you must consider any limitations that may affect the results of the study. In this study, there were several limitations to be noted. The correlation design set limits on the causal interpretation, some findings may be accounted for based on genetics, there was a not a diversity in socioeconomic backgrounds and the study only focused on one parent. The findings also revealed a significant association between increased negative emotionality associated with less supportive parenting and was more prevalent in lower socioeconomic backgrounds. (Paulussen-Hoogeboom, Stams, Hermanns, Peetsma, 2007). Conclusion The findings of Paulessen-Hoogeboom et al (2008) reveal that young children can be helped by authoritative parenting to disengage negative emotions from negative behavior. This is a lesson that has immense value for the entire lifespan. Through authoritative parenting, mothers were able to help them understand that such emotions are natural and appropriate, and that there are better ways to express these feelings that will not be seen as negative by others. These findings are consistent with other studies that have been done. The study is not without limitation but still successfully supports the hypothesis presented. References Grazyna Kochanska,Kathleen Murray,Katherine C Coy.(1997). Inhibitory control as a contributor to conscience in childhood: From toddler to early school age.Child Development,68(2),263-277. Retrieved February 23, 2010, from Career and Technical Education. (Document ID:12543990). Karen E Clark,Gary W Ladd.(2000). Connectedness and autonomy support in parent-child relationships: Links to childrens socioemotional orientation and peer relationships.Developmental Psychology,36(4),485-498. Retrieved February 23, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID:56531644). Marja C Paulussen-Hoogeboom,Geert Jan J M Stams,Jo M A Hermanns,Thea T D Peetsma.(2007). Child Negative Emotionality and Parenting From Infancy to Preschool: A Meta-Analytic Review.Developmental Psychology,43(2),438. Retrieved February 23, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID:1249797641). Paulussen-Hoogeboom,M.,Stams,G.,Hermanns,J.,Peetsma,T.,van den Wittenboer,G..(2008). Parenting Style as a Mediator Between Childrens Negative Emotionality and Problematic Behavior in Early Childhood.The Journal of Genetic Psychology,169(3),209-26. Retrieved February 23, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID:1548809441).

Greed and the Death of Professional Sports Essay -- Argumentative Pers

Greed and the Death of Professional Sports "Show me the money," screamed Rod. "C'mon Jerry, show me the money!" We vividly remember this famous line from the hit movie, Jerry Maguire. The greedy football player, Rod Tidwell, screams these unforgettable lines trying to convince his agent that he will not settle for any less than a top dollar salary as the flashy Arizona Cardinal wide receiver. This scene exemplifies what has happened to professional sports in recent years. The focus of professional sports has evolved from one of teamwork and camaraderie to one of avarice and greed. The specific problems in recent years that have stemmed off this overwhelming greed include exorbitant salaries, lockouts (or work stoppages) in professional sports, and the growing disparity among team payrolls. Most recognize these issues as major problems; however, others overlook the greed and see validity in the financial aspect of today's sports world. They argue that professional sports are thriving and should not be modified. They also contend that sometimes lockouts are unavoidable and are often the only way to work out problems. The opposition reasons that professional teams with huge payrolls deserve all the money because they worked hard to get where they are. They argue that most players work hard to become great athletes and therefore they deserve enormous salaries. They also plead that lockouts are healthy for professional sports because they help each sport continually evolve and adapt to new problems it faces. While the opposition does not notice the gr... ...roblems though, or they will lose everything. Works Cited Abert, Daniel. "Pact Ends NHL Lockout." Monthly Labor Review 118 (1995): 76. "Baseball Owners Approve Interim Revenue Sharing." Available Online: www.espnet.sportzone.com/editors/mlb/features/0321meeting.html Bergman, Ray. "My Baseball Dream." Baseball Parks 1 (1996): 1. Dortch, Shannon. "The Future of Baseball." American Demographics 18 (1996) 25-30. Jerry Maguire. Dir. Cameron Crowe. Perf. Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr. Tri- Star Pictures, 1996. Licter, Richard. "Magical Season." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 12 Oct. 1998, 1. McGraw, Dan. "Baseball Celebrates, Fans Yawn." US News. 2 Nov. 1998, 1. NFL on CBS. Writ. Tom Weinert. Perf. Al Michaels, Henry Tevers, and Brian Green. CBS, New York. 26 Nov. 1998.

Behavioral and Side Effects of Caffeine :: Coffee Caffeine Science Chemistry Research Papers

Behavioral and Side Effects of Caffeine Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive drug in the world (Solinas et al, 2002). Caffeine has been known to have many side effects on hour external behavior and our internal physiological behavior. We use caffeine in our lives to sometimes stay awake to study or just get through the day. Caffeine decreases the blood flow to the brain by constricting the blood vessels but can also increase blood flow after continuous intake that may cause headaches (Kalat, 2004). Caffeine has a tendency to block adenosine (A1-, A2A-, A2B-, A3), which increases throughout the day to allow us to sleep and then decreases as we sleep which allows us to wake. Thus, if caffeine blocks adenosine we are unable to sleep when feeling the urge or wanting to sleep, which may cause us to decrease our caffeine intake. Caffeine acts to antagonize adenosine receptors, which then affects cell populations because it counteracts many adenosine effects. The caffeine mainly has an effect on the A2a adenosine receptors which then elevates the energy metabolism in the brain and also causes a decrease in cerebral blood flow (Cameron,et.al, 1990; Ghelardini, et.al, 1997; Nehliget.al,1992; Neuhauser-Berthold et.al, 1997). Along with caffeine affecting the adenosine it also has an effect on GABA receptors and the release of dopamine (Nehlig et.al, 1992). Caffeine not only blockades adenosine it also releases intracellular calcium, inhibits phosphodiesterases and blockade or regulatory sites of GABAa-receptors (Gupta and Gupta, 1999). Withdrawal symptoms of caffeine are headache, drowsiness, fatigue and lethargy (Gupta and Gupta, 1999). Dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission is modulated by adenosine in the striatum. Adenosine A1 in the nerve terminals inhibits dopamine and glutamate from being released. Caffeine has an effect in this system by antagonizing of adenosine, which can then stimulate neurotransmitters to release dopamine and stimulate dopamine receptors (Solinas et al, 2002). A study done on rats showed that caffeine increased extracelluar concentrations of dopamine and glutamate in the shell of the nucleus accumbens (Solinas et al, 2002). These results of dopamine and glutamate in the shell of the nucleus accumbens might be related to the psycho stimulant effects of caffeine (Solinas et al, 2002). Studies show that Dopamine2 receptors are needed for caffeine activation in the brain (Zahniseret al, 2000). Adenosine receptors, dopamine receptors and GABA have been shown in studies to be involved in

Recreational Property Negligence :: essays research papers

M E M O R A N D U M TO:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FROM:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   DATE:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   RE:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cole Gershwin- Immunity for Negligence on Recreational Property _________________________________________________________ I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  STATEMENT OF FACTS Our Client, Mr. Cole Gershwin, is considering suit against the Chicago School District for injuries sustained as a result of tripping in a pothole. Gershwin, a teacher at Washington Elementary School, alleges that on October 10, 2000 at 12:20 pm, he was walking from the school to the teacher’s parking lot, and tripped in a pothole and fell. The walkway where Gershwin fell is adjacent to a parking lot that was converted from a portion of the playground area. The walkway is used by teachers to travel to and from the parking lot. The walkway is marked with yellow stripes and is bordered on the southern edge by orange construction cones that the school is going to replace with additional fencing. There is a sign on the fence separating the parking lot from the walkway that reads: â€Å"Walkway for Teachers Only.† Students occasionally use the walkway as a â€Å"safe† zone for games of tag. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  QUESTION PRESENTED Whether school property, classified as recreational and cursorily used by students during their recreation, immune from civil action under the Illinois Tort Immunity Act 3-106; when the school has the area sectioned off implying that it does not intend for the property to be used recreationally. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CONCLUSION No. The elements necessary to make the property recreational are not satisfied in this situation. The school district shows no intended use of the property for recreational purposes, nor does it show permitted use of the property for recreational purposes. Although the walkway is occasionally used by children for games of tag, this is incidental usage of the property, and thus  § 3-106 is inapplicable. Additionally, the primary purpose of the walkway is to facilitate travel to and from the parking lot, making the walkway nonrecreational in character. IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DISCUSSION Immunity from liability is determined by examining the character of the property in question. In order to establish immunity, the school board must show intent for the property to be used for recreation, or that the property is permitted to be used for recreational purposes, where that use is not incidental. Factors that weigh on the court’s decision to identify property as recreational include the overall usefulness of the walkway to facilitate access to the recreational facility, the primary purpose of the walkway, and viewing the property in question as a â€Å"unified whole.

Empirical Articles Summary Essay

Empirical research is a study that is based on experimentation or observation. This kind of research gathers evidences coming from collective experience in the field. It is often conducted in order to answer a specific question or to test a hypothesis or an educated guess. Moreover, it is different from other types of research because it goes beyond simply reporting an observation but rather it enhanced the understanding of a theory’s relevance to the real environment (Manor College, 2006). An analysis of two articles involving empirical research would aid in further understanding the nature of this kind of study. The Illusion of Transparency in Negotiations The Illusion of Transparency in Negotiations is studied by three researchers namely: Leaf Van Boven, Thomas Gilovich, and Victoria Husted Medvec. This empirical research aims to examined the question of whether negotiators are susceptible to having an â€Å"illusion of transparency. † Illusion of transparency is the belief that ones’ private thoughts and feelings are obvious or known by their negotiating partners than what is really happening. Basically, it is the idea wherein the negotiator overestimates their negotiating partner’s knowledge of their preference. The discussion also looks at how such idea could affect negotiations, on whether it impedes the negotiators’ success. The qualitative method of empirical research was utilized in order test the educated guess made in this study. They experimented by using a controlled group composed of participants that have to make preferential choices about various cases and situations. These participants have to negotiate among each other based upon the instructions given by the researchers. The results of the experiment where interpreted by utilizing the t-test method. The t-test is conducted in order to see the statistical relationship of these groups of data. The findings show that in Study One, negotiators overestimated their negotiating partners’ ability to identify their preferences. Upon the utilization of the t-test, results show that percentage from the early negotiation was not statistically reliable. It was during the post negotiation that this result was obtained because the data shows that 3. 30 is statistically reliable as it is greater than the significance level of p < . 05. Study Two, proved that negotiators who were trying to show rather than hide their preferences to other negotiators tended to overestimate those preferences’ transparency. The data supported this finding. Based on the first round of voting, negotiators overestimated the number of their corresponding partners’ ability to see the importance of a particular issue to them. These differences were all reliable because they all resulted to ts > 2. 30. During the final round of voting, it was concluded that negotiators overestimated their fellow negotiators ability to identify their top important issues. This is proven by the statistically reliable results of the t-test, which are all t > 2. 25. Study Three, proves that negotiators showed an illusion of transparency. This is supported by data that shows negotiators overestimated their partners’ ability to find out they preferred the most by 20 percent, which is statistically reliable. They also overestimated the probability that their partners’ would identify their least preferential choice. Data supported this findings by 25 percent, which is statistically reliable at t = 4. 34. Moreover, the study also find out that control participants showed a â€Å"curse of knowledge† because they overestimated the probability that their negotiating partner would identify correctly their counterpart’s preferences. It is statistically proven by ts = 2. 58 and 4. 49. The empirical study made by the researchers about illusion of transparency in relation to negotiation is very interesting because it gives an idea of what goes around inside the minds of these negotiators while they bargain and compromise among each other. The researchers were also able to devised a method where this idea could actually be applied and tested on situations that actually take place in the real environment. The three studies that they conducted where able to tests their hypothesis and the utilization of the t-test method is also appropriate in measuring the participants outlook on their counterpart’s preferences. However, further study needs to be conducted in order understand the other dimensions of illusion transparency like its impact in the negotiating process and its outcomes. Strategic behavioral mimicry facilitates negotiation outcomes The researchers, namely William Maddux, Elizabeth Mullen, and Adam D. Galinsky investigated in this empirical research the hypothesis that the outcomes of negotiations can be facilitated with strategic behavioral mimicry. This means that a negotiator who follows or imitates the actions of his counterpart could greatly affect what would take place in the negotiation. Since negotiation is an interpersonal activity wherein it is largely dependent upon the negotiator’s ability to influence, persuade, and interact effectively with one’s opponent, it becomes possible that the idea of behavioral mimicry is applicable in this kind of interaction. The Quantitative method is used in this research that is composed of two sets of studies. The researchers measured the viability of their hypothesis by conducting an experiment using a controlled group of individuals. These participants were asked to perform certain activities based upon the instructions of the researchers. Study one, tested the hypothesis through an employment negotiation with numerous issues. On the other hand, study two focused on the ability of mimicry to influence a negotiator’s ability to find out the underlying compatible interests of ones’ negotiating partner. The data gathered was interpreted by using ANNOVA. In study one, the researchers’ examined the joint gain obtained by the negotiators through summing the individual scores of the negotiators in each dyad and then forwarded it to a one-way ANNOVA. Results show an essential effect for mimicking condition on joint gain, which is supported by F(2, 49) = 4. 02, p = . 02, n2p =. 14. They also found out that the more negotiators’ mimicked their opponents, the more points the parties’ obtained. Moreover, the increase in joint gain is also tested in terms of individual benefits for each party. The findings proved that recruiter individual gain showed a significant effect for mimicking condition at F(2, 28) = 4. 45, p = . 017, n2p = . 15. They also found out that increase in joint gain for both parties also resulted in an increase in individual gain by whichever of the two parties did the mimicking. However, mean comparisons exemplified that the idea of â€Å"being mimicked† had no adverse effect to one’s individual gain. In study two, the researchers’ examined the percentage of deals that was obtained in dyads wherein the buyer mimicked as compared with dyads where the buyer did not mimic. Results show that ten out of fifteen dyads or 67 percent, in which a buyer mimicked achieved a deal unlike when a buyer made a deal but did not mimic, which is only two out of sixteen dyads. Moreover, the researchers also performed a binary logistic regression analysis. The results obtained from this experiment indicated that the amount of mimicking was an essential factor in determining whether a deal was reached with this data, Ratio = 1. 047, Wald test = 6. 36, p = . 012 proving it. Therefore, the greater the number of participants mimicking their opponents, the greater the possibility of these people getting the deal. The mediating role of trust was also examined. The researchers utilized the Sobel’s test in order to validate that the mediational effect of trust was essential to negotiation. Results show z = 1. 99, p = . 047, which could conclude that mimicry affects the process of deal making and this was mediated through trust. The study about the role of mimicry in negotiation is an example of a contemporary approach to this subject. Previously, mimicry was simply tested through actions whether a participant would mimic someone who dropped a pen. In this case, however, it becomes more essential because it included the way people analyzed situation in order to make their corresponding decisions. The researchers were able to properly interpret the data as they performed numerous tests as well as various methods in order to assure the validity of its results. Further study would also be beneficial in testing the efficacy of mimicry in negotiation that does not only involve a single issue. Testing mimicry to distributive issues or those zero-sum situations could be a good way to enhance this study. Empirical research indeed has a huge contribution to the pursuit of knowledge. It is through this kind of research that vague concepts could be clearly understood. This gives a reality-based application of ideas that makes a simple study essential in the everyday lives of people. References Van Boven, L. , Gilovich, T. , & Husted Medvec, V. (2003). Research Reports: The Illusion of Transparency in Negotiations. Negotiation Journal. Plenum Publishing Corporation. Maddux, W. W. , Mullen, E, & Galinsky, A. D. (2007). Chameleon bake bigger pies and take Bigger pieces: Strategic mimicry facilitates negotiation outcomes. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from www. sciencedirect. com.

Cosmopolitanism and People Essay

The Internet is playing a very important role in the evolution of digital technology, but although it has seen remarkable growth over the last few years, its dispersion remains highly asymmetric. It is widely believed that the so called information age will bring radical change and improvement, and countries all over the world are busy with constructing the necessary infrastructure, the â€Å"information superhighways,† in order to meet the challenges of the information society of the twenty-first century. Kwame Anthony Appiah’s essay â€Å"Making Conversation† tell us about human’s conversation is better expressing themselves in person. Marshall Poe said in his article â€Å"The Hive† talks about the evolution of Wikipedia and how people are interacting online. The internet serves a purpose for research, schoolwork, and connections. However, the result from the internet age is loosing communication,lack of social interaction, and the unreliable nat ure of websites. First, Communication is key with success, however because of the internet age the ability to communicate face to face is dwindling.â€Å"Making Conversation† by Appiah is an idea on the expression cosmopolitanism and the feeling people in any nation have to take in order to achieve cosmopolitanism and globalization. Appiah wants to be citizen in the world not to separate by culture because people can learn each other different culture from other countries. Appiah said â€Å"One is the idea that we have obligations to others, obligations to others, obligations that stretch beyond those to whom we are related by the ties of kith and kind, or even the more formal ties of shared citizenship. The other is that we take seriously the value not just of human life but of particular human lives, which means taking an interest in the practices and beliefs that lend them significance† (Appiah 69). People learn from other cultures, with communication and with having an open mind. If People are closed off to new ideas from other cultures and we we will never grow. Communication is the  most important one topic because people communicate no matter what we need communication to express ourselves to others. Appiah said it is more important to communicate one another in person instead of using other networks. The conversation is the first important step to understand others. People of other cultures will then learn to accept the beliefs of others and by â€Å"changing our minds†, Appiah makes it clear that conversing with people does not often begin with agreeing on a set of principles, but rather exchanging our ideas and learning from another one. Eventhough, the internet can be helpful with education, it can also be unreliable. However, â€Å"The Hive† by Marchall Poe, was the openness of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can use it. This might work for some people specially that ones who attend school or college. This is very helpful for them because in Wikipedia you can search or find anything you would like. Since anyone can write, or delete or use information off of Wikipedia, it makes it less controversial because anyone can put their input into the website. If don’t agree with something, that’s alright because you can add your own opinion. Poe describes how authors of certain wiki pages write with a bias to support their facts. Facts become opinions when feelings and emotions of bias get involved. â€Å"Instead of relying on experts to write articles according to their expertise, Wikipedia lets anyone write about anything† (Poe 349). It means people are free to write whatever they want and they feel so others could see and write their opinions. This concept is important because it allows the author to give a good explanation on why this kind of group could work well with society. Wikipedia was created to help with learning. This is important because the people behind Wikipedia want us to learn more and to have better knowledge. The whole idea of Wikipedia is so people can post whatever they want and when they want. Every single day people are posting and reading others comments and having opinions. Wikipedia is so successful. Lastly, when working on a research project, using these websites can add some quick insight at hand. â€Å"The cathedral â€Å"and â€Å"The Bazaar† are the biggest difference between Nupedia and Wikipedia is how the information is edited. With Nupedia, people who would submit articles would have to wait for it to be published because it what is reviewed by editors. The process took loads of  time. People behind Wikipedia, can post something and it is reviewed by a never ending amount of people and therefore because of the sites popularity, posts can easily be weeded out. Nupedia was designed to be more professional and they tried to find knowledgeable scholars to oversee the site, and all the entries would be written by experts and those pieces would be read and revised by another group of scholars. Wikipedia is for anyone who wishes to add an article for something they specialize in. It could be something as simple as a definition or a more extensive article. They are posted and then other readers can edit the pieces if they discover incorrect information. This difference helps us understand why Poe named his subheadings the Cathedral and the Bazaar. A cathedral is very organized and has very district, intelligent leaders who oversee the operations. â€Å"There was simply no question in his mind that Nupedia would be Guided by a board of experts, that submissions would be largely written by experts, and that articles would be published only after extensive peer review† (353) This means only post that are actually true would be seen by an editor and be publish. Nupedia has very neat guidelines, and is overseen by professionals. A Bazaar, is much more casual and is usually a market that contains a large variety of items. Wikipedia has very few guidelines and has lots of types of information on millions of subjects. In summary, the result from the internet age is loosing communication,lack of social interaction, and the unreliable nature of websites. Wikipedia is helping the humanity to express their feeling and be seem by others and have opinions. Nupedia is seemed by experts where they can see if it’s true or not to be published. The information has to have credibility to be valid without sacrificing human interaction. Anthony Appiah. â€Å"Making Conversation. The Primacy of Practice.† Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios, Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 66-82 Print. Poe, Marshall. â€Å"The Hive†. Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios, Boston, MA: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2010. 349-363. Print.

Hostel Life Essay

After completing Class 10 or 12, it may be time for you to move out of the comfortable confines of home into a hostel, if you are attending a college located far away from your hometown. Hostel life is almost a parallel culture, an experience that takes you out of your comfort zone and exposes you to several experiences. Living by some stringent rules is one of them. Getting to know a host of students from diverse backgrounds at very close quarters, is another. Read on for an insight into this parallel life. Hostel life is a very memorable period in one’s life, but due to lack of knowledge or a casual attitude or irresponsible behaviour, you may have problems of adjustment to the hostel environment, which can affect your studies and career. This is the stage where you have to take care of yourself. From childhood, parents take care of children in every possible way, but while staying away from home and parents, you have to own up for your actions and their consequences, and become responsible for making the most of the opportunity available to enhance your knowledge as well as take the initiative for your personality development. At Management Development Institute (MDI), these are the two crucial years of student life before entering the workforce and one needs to consider it as an investment in one’s future. So, acquaint yourself with the rules, regulations and norms of the institute and seek guidance from the faculty. The 3 Ds of hostel life †¢ Discipline †¢ Duty †¢ Devotion Your hostel is a place where you can learn a lot of things including how to conduct yourself. Students are expected to follow these rules when they join the hostel: 1. First and foremost, all students are expected to acquaint themselves with the hostel rules and regulations. Lack of awareness about the rules will not be seen as a reason for not following them. 2. You will need to share your room with another student and you have to adjust with each other. 3. Following hostel rules and timings is a must. Any violation can result in strict action being taken by the wardens. 4. Students are not allowed to leave the hostel after a certain time, and this is to be followed very strictly. 5. Keeping in touch with your parents will ensure that you don’t feel homesick. 6. Give the phone numbers of your roommates and some other friends to your parents along with the hostel contact number, so that your parents can get information about you in case your number is not reachable. 7. If your roommates intentionally disturb you while studying, try and make them understand this. If this does not work, bring it to the notice of the hostel warden at the earliest. 8. Be friendly and helpful to other hostel members. 9. Participate in functions or programmes organised in the hostel. You will develop your friend circle and extra-curricular activities. 10. If your seniors ask you to introduce yourself to them, cooperate if it is in the spirit of fun and not harassment. If they try to trouble you physically or mentally, immediately speak to the warden. 11. Give priority to your studies. Remember your parents have let you to study outside because they trust you. 12. Try to maintain a healthy relationship with other students. Never interfere in others’ personal matters. 13. Bring along these things: mattress, towels, soap and shampoo. They are usually not offered by the hostels. 14. Learning cultures: One feature of hostel life is you must learn to share your room with a person from another state or region. This can be a real learning experience. There may be initial adjustment problems, but gradually you learn about other cultures. 15. Last but not the least — avoid carrying valuable things as you alone will be responsible for their safety.

Perspectives on Human Nature Essay

For the past five weeks we have studied three different but influential people in our perspective on human nature class. They are Freud, Plato and Tzu. The main discussion between all of them is nature versus nurture. I will discuss the difference between nature and nurture and then I’ll apply to each of these philosophers and how they react to it. When looked up in the dictionary the term nature means the universe and its phenomena or one’s own character and temperament. When discussed with these philosophers it is meant as one’s own character revolved around the universe for which they live in, basically they’re surroundings. At the same time when I looked up the word nurture it said the upbringing, care or training of a child. And in this meaning it stands on its own. Meaning exactly how it’s listed in the dictionary. Freud’s point of view on this topic is that the human development depends on nurture and nature at the same time. Freud believes that human nature contains powerful uncontrollable innate drives and repressed memories. The only way that these can happen is by nurture, because of some of the innate drives have been brought up through one’s upbringing. In a way Freud’s point of views are definitely supported by both nature and nurture. Another reason for this is because if you look at just Freud’s Psychoanalytic Perspective they too support both. As an example look at the id, the id is all due to nature, the reason being because hunger, thirst, sex and aggression is in nature. But if you look at superego, you find out that it is supported by nurture for the simple fact that the superego is brought through the upbringing by the training of the child. Another example of Freud’s use of nature and nurture together was stated by Freud on page 15 of his book and it says, † Originally the ego includes everything, later it separates off an external world from itself. Our present ego feeling is, therefore, only a shrunken residue of a much more inclusive indeed, an all-embracing-feeling which correspondence to a mere intimate bond between ego and the world†(15). In my opinion I also think that Freud’s analyses both support nature and nurture. A perfect example is the quote I left in the last paragraph. Therefore, a lot of Freud’s points support nature and nurture. Perfect examples of this are his Psychoanalytic Perspectives. Examples of that topic are the topological model which would represent nature for the simple fact that the three main things described about it are all things that we have had in our minds for a long time and are in the subconscious mind. Not because we were taught those things but for the fact that they are instincts embedded in our minds for survival. For nurture the psychosexual development is due majorly because of nurture. From oral to anal-retentive these are all due to expressive characteristics that are given or raised from birth. The one that has the most effect is the structural model. Reasons for me stating this is because the id is the primitive part of the mind that is basically a natural instinct. At the same time the ego is also because of natural instinct simply because of the reality principle. Freud even went as far as stating, â€Å".. adults ego-feeling can’t have been the same from beginning. It must have gone through a process of development†(13). The part where it changes is the superego, which is the only form of nurture in the psychoanalytic perspective, which is because the superego only developed because the child began to incorporate parental values and also operates according to the raising and discipline of the parents. Now if you look at Plato’s point of view Plato supports nurture more than nature. The only points that Plato made that would seem to support nature is the point he made for example is when he talks about female guards. The reason for this is also because he feels that women should be given lighter work. Because of nature it has always been seen that the women would do the weaker work compared to man. At the same time it could also be seen as nurture for the simple fact that the cultures are raised in a way such that women are seen as not being able to handle the workload of man. My reasons for choosing nurture is because Plato through out his book makes many distinguishes which in these cases requires very well organized societies which could only be accomplished through nurture and not nature. The reason for nurture is because every position held in these societies are well thought up which would require training from the upbringing to adulthood in order for these societies to run properly. I have to admit though I found Plato a little more difficult to talk about for the simple fact that Plato spent more time discussing about society. So when reading Plato, I came to the conclusion that Plato supports nurture more than nature. My reason for this is societies through out history have to be developed and when they are it is because of strong influence from a group of people. Rather than nature where people would just live amongst each other without order or authority that comes with a selection process. The final person I’ll talk about is Chuang Tzu. In reality Chuang Tzu stated what he supported from the beginning of the book and that is the simple fact that he supports nature over nurture. Chuang Tzu even went as far as making the statement that, â€Å"Nurture keeps you out of touch with your true self†(Healey). Chuang Tzu spoke greatly about other things, which had a deep routed meaning, but in all that he talked about he made one distinction and that is the fact that he supported nature over nurture. As Chuang Tzu said, â€Å"Those who go quietly with the flow of nature are not worried by either joy or sorrow. People like these were considered in the part as having achieved freedom from bondage. These who cannot free themselves are constrained by things†(53). Chuang Tzu made many comments like this after all, â€Å"?if you are prepared to accept this and flow with it, then sorrow and joy cannot touch you†(24) † The best thing to do is leave it all to fate, even if this is not easy to do†(32). In reading Chuang Tzu I had felt that the things he said did not need any explanations. At the same time his view on life have deep meanings to me. His view on nature was incredible and reasonable but at the same time I feel that through the right influential nurture mankind can develop the right spiritual and psychological mind to understand why nature alone should work. In simple meanings I see nurture as way to lead to the utopia that Mother. Nature provides. My reasons are that without proper understanding that would be taught by nurture, mankind wouldn’t know how to handle the freedom from nature. In conclusion reading these books from Plato, Freud and Tzu on nature versus nurture was very intriguing although it does leave one especially me pondering what life would be like if we lived on nature. But at the same time the reasons for wondering reasonably or realizing the reality of how it would be done is all because of nurture. Through nurture I’ve had time to rationalize and mature as one person.

The Impact of Sports on Politics and Cultural Representation Research Proposal

The Impact of Sports on Politics and Cultural Representation - Research Proposal Example Likewise, sports have increasingly incorporated elements of politics and nationalism, depending on the public sphere in which they represent. This can be effectively elucidated by the move by the Sri Lankan theatres to adopt a play that stages in the form of cricket. In this case, cricket is a significant element of the Sri Lankan public sphere. The same case applies for various forms of public spheres across the regions of the globe. The eventuality of these has been that the growing relationship between cultural elements, sports and, and national politics. In turn, even the spectators to all these bring themselves out as the subjects of the nations. In close reference to UK, the subjects of concern have pertained to the question of culture and politics, in relation to sports. In the UK, sports are viewed as an area where everyone can venture and succeed; hence, may be referred to as the source of unity. However, upon close examinations, the UK sports are also a form of divisiveness , as well as exclusion. This is what may have sparked irrational fears, especially from the neighboring nations with groups with similar orient. Some sports have been associated with elite groups, especially those by the Anglo-non-indigenous groups. In other cases, some sports have spectatorship to certain sports have either been dismissed on the account of feminism, such as belonging to men or women hence, delimiting the interests. As such, this has tended to exclude the indigenous groups, who also view such sports as pure legacies of colonialism. Whether it would ever be possible for spectators to cheer sport teams on the virtue based on how they are organized, rather than as a nation is an issue subject to debate. Sport is presented as a symbol of cultural orientation, political empowerment, economic empowerment and nationalism, and the spectators are drawn to act as nationalists. However, not all have supported this view. This has been in consideration to the fact that a there i s general lacking understanding of the link between sports, politics and cultural orientation. Moreover, the sense of nationalism is increasingly being diluted by the immigration and establishment of Diasporas, as facilitated by the trending wave of globalization. The proposed research project shall discus the impacts of sports on cultural orientation and politics. Objective/Purpose of the Study The key aim of this study is to establish the link between sports, politics and cultural orientation. This way the proposed study shall seek to establish the impacts of sports on politics and cultural orientation. Research Questions The following research questions shall be considered: What are the effects of sports on the identity politics? What are the impacts of sports on different cultures? Does politics influence on the way politics of any given country play out and how closely related are they? Do the histories of politics, culture and sports have any link? Significance of the Study Su ccessful completion of this research work will come with a lot of significance to a lot of people, especially the politicians, those affected by culture, as well as the sportsmen. First, data, results and conclusions from this research shall serve as updated literature on politicians and sportsmen within the population size targeted for this research work. To a large extent, this research shall help in coming out with new models on the type or kind of challenges sportsmen go through as they try to overcome

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

American History - Essay Example In the Encyclopedia Smithsonian, Roosevelt is labeled as the â€Å"Icon of the American Century,† right after the war against Spain in Cuba, he was chosen to be a governor in 1898 and as a vice president in 1900 (National Portrait Gallery). He strived to be the person anyone wants to be despite the tragedies that he have undergone – the death of his mother and wife. With the assassination of President McKinley, Roosevelt’s fate has been decided, he became the youngest US president at that time. He made sure to make the government be of service with the people – he made sure that despite the growing inequalities, President Roosevelt normalized huge businesses’ trusts to create fair competition and he also closely watched the railroads, labor and processed food industry (National Portrait Gallery). He also did everything he could to maintain the status of USA in world affairs and leadership. As a president, he was characterized as progressive and mode rn, he also believed that it was his duty as president to lead the initiatives that will be beneficial to them and to the welfare of their country. He was also one of the few president who used their executive powers in the same level of the other branches of the government and he believe that the powers of the president should also be put under limitations and restrictions (National Portrait Gallery). Roosevelt is only one of the many that can be called an American hero. There is Jane Addams who was a social reformer who led the international initiatives to intervene between the countries who are going against one another in World War I, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman who was a feminist author who reasoned out that women should be capable of participating actively in the realm of politics and that women should be economically independent – all of these were written in â€Å"Women and