Saturday, August 31, 2019

Internet Does Harm Than Good

The Internet is a web that connects all the computers in the world. It's a good way to connect with people; without the internet people can lose their connections. For me the internet doesn't bring any harm to the world. In contrary with it the people move much faster in every way. Instead i think that is the people that use it are the ones that bring harm to the world . Not only the people but the way they use it. People bring cyber bullying, murders, verbal harm and more to the Internet.In my school there was a case of cyber bullying were one person did an account on facebook; this person put a random name and started insulting people. My grade started to be more away from each other; there were more little groups of people than before. This shows how via the Internet a person broke the unity of a group of people. I do believe The Internet brings more harm than good. There are a lot of people connecting but there is also millions of cases of people being harmed on the Internet. )Th e Internet's definition by wikipedia is a â€Å"network of networks†. The Internet has brought a lot of good points, but as with any tool, I would like to add that misuse has made the Internet bad. Remember, the Internet is a useful tool, but all that glitters is not gold. Firstly, the Internet is a place which is NOT safe for children. This is basically because of threats of pop-ups, pornography and scams that can trick the child. The Internet is not only an unsafe place for children, but also a bad influence to young teenagers.Pornography from the Internet is leading to the rise of a society of perverts, paedophiles and freaks, who are unable to contain their sexual desires. The number of rape cases this year in Malaysia alone has shocked officials and even the Prime Minister. Teenagers are the group targeted by the Internet. 28% of teenagers globally watch pornography. This might be a minority of people, but the way Internet has affected us in such a way is shocking. The b ad effect on the younger generation, our future leaders, is undeniable.Do keep in mind that the presence of â€Å"net-nannies† and safesearch programs does not deter our children as 20% of the so called â€Å"bad† side of the Internet is overlooked by safesearch programs. However, 10% of non-harmful content such as â€Å"breast cancer† on the internet is filtered by the safesearches used to deter pornography. 3)Harm – Visiting inappropriate site. – Involved with E-Bullying. – Privacy is being compromised by the ever increasing storage of personal data on servers. – The Internet can be used for crime as well as legal activities.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Required Qualities Of An Effective Business Leader Essay

Introduction An effective leader is a leader that employees are willing to follow and respond positively to. Terry Leahy, who is the chief executive of Tesco, defined a good leader as someone who takes you further than you would go on your own. Also, a good and effective leader will often have a new vision if the situation needs to be changed and everyone will follow him. Surveys and studies have shown that effective leaders around the globe share the same few traits and same goes for the ineffective ones. So, what are the qualities required in order to become effective business leaders? Characteristics of an effective leader First of all, an effective leader will have undoubted self-confidence in himself. It is the fundamental basis from which leadership grows. A leader without self-confidence is just like a house without foundation of sand. An effective leader will not be afraid to make any decisions. If you, as a business leader, intend to build your self-confidence, you should learn to live with failures. When you have made a mistake, you should learn from it and move on, so that if comes a day when you are met with the similar obstacle, you can face it head-on because you already have experience on how to deal with it. Furthermore, the ability to think outside the box and creativity is also required by an effective leader. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are good examples of the great leaders of our time. Both these men lead their group with extraordinary leadership qualities, plus out-of-the-box creative minds. Leaders should stimulate creativity for two very important reasons, to prevent obsolescence and increase productivity. An effective leader will always come up with new ideas so that the business won’t be obsolete and the changes may make the work of higher quality, lower cost and faster completion. EQ Truly effective leaders are also distinguished by a high degree of emotional  intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self management, social awareness and social skills. It was Daniel Goleman who first applied the concept to business. These qualities may sound â€Å"soft† and unbusiness-like, but Goleman found direct ties between emotional intelligence and measurable business results. It is the ability of managers to understand their own emotions, and those of the people they work with, to achieve better business performance. Therefore, effective leaders should possess high emotional intelligence. Motivational theories In addition, an effective leader must have a thorough knowledge of motivational factors for others. Being a role model is one of the key motivators that influence people in reaching their goals. A leader should set a good example to ensure his people to grow and achieve their goals effectively. He can also refer to Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Herzberg suggested emphasizing recognition, responsibility, growth and other motivators if leaders want to motivate people. However, to become an efficient leader, you must be self-motivated. You must know your identity, your needs and you must have a strong urge to do anything to achieve your goals. Once you are self-motivated, only then you can motivate others to achieve their goals and to harmonize their personal goals with the common goals of the organization. Leadership styles On the other hand, a leader should know what leadership style is appropriate to be used. Different situations will need different leadership style. There are 4 distinct leadership styles, which are autocratic, democratic, paternalistic and laissez-faire. Autocratic leaders like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders that they expect to be obeyed. This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor’s theory X view of workers. This approach has limitations, as highlighted by other motivational theorists such as Mayo and Herzberg, but it can be effective in certain situations. For example, quick decisions are needed in a company or controlling large numbers of low skilled workers. A democratic style of management will put trust in employees and encourage them to make decisions. They will delegate to them the authority to do this and listen to their advice. This requires good two-way communication and often involves democratic discussion groups, which can offer useful suggestions and ideas. Managers must be willing to encourage leadership skills in subordinates. The ultimate democratic system occurs when decisions are made based on the majority view of all workers. However, this is not feasible for the majority of decisions taken by a business- indeed one of the criticisms of this style is that it can take longer to reach a decision. This style has close links with Herzberg’s motivators and Maslow’s higher order skills and also applies to McGregor’s theory Y view of workers. Paternalistic leaders give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. Managers are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways they act as a father figure. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. The leader will however make the actual decisions in the best interests of the workers as they believe the staffs still need direction and in this way it is still somewhat of an autocratic approach. The style is closely linked with Mayo’s Human Relation view of motivation and also the social needs of Maslow. The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the â€Å"hands-off† style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. This style could be effective in the case of research or design teams. In other cases, workers may not appreciate the lack of structure and direction in their work. Financial & non-financial motivators Other than just the theories of motivation, there are also the actual motivations in practice. These motivators are categorized into two specific  groups, which are the financial and non-financial motivators. Financial motivators in forms of payments are of primary importance in most workers’ views and very few people would be prepared to work without financial reward. Effective business leaders should be able to distinguish the type of payment that suits his workers the best, so as to bring out the best in them by application of that financial reward. A few examples of payment methods would be the hourly-wage rate, which pays by the hour, the piece-rate system, which is wages given on every product produced and performance-related pay, a bonus scheme to reward staff for above-average work performance. As the saying goes, ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’. This means that not every worker can be effectively motivated by financial rewards. Like what critics have commented on Taylor’s theory that money is the best motivator, the question hanging in the air is; is it sufficient to generate effective motivation? There are other forms of motivations which don’t involve money, termed non-financial motivators. These are enhancements of the workers’ tasks, like having job-rotations, job-enrichments or delegation and empowerments to the workers. Job rotations are usually applied in factory production as the tasks of workers tend to be monotonous all-year round and rotating their jobs will allow them to have a wider variety of tasks instead of doing the same one all the time while delegations give employees the sense of having some form of authority which would increase their responsibility and hence would be more focused on what they do. It is vital for an effective leader to have the knowledge that no one thing can cater to everyone’s preferences. Management functions In addition, a leader should also know what managers are responsible for, which are known as management functions. The most commonly cited functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, although some identify additional functions. An effective leader is aware that  leading and managing are two poles apart, and being good at either of them does not make him an effective leader. Instead, the leader must be adept at both managing his personnel and leading them along the right track. Ethical decisions Every leader from big or small companies would unsurprisingly face the dilemma of making ethical decisions in the midst of keeping their business running. The growing acceptance of corporate social responsibility has led businesses to adopting an ‘ethical code’, which is a document detailing on a company’s rules and guidelines on staff behaviour that must be followed by all employees. An effective leader would possess the ability to make ethical decisions that takes into account the interests of all members and are within moral dimensions. Traits or drawbacks of an ineffective leader All the characteristics mentioned above are the ones employees hope to see in their leaders. There are, inevitably, also some traits that no worker would want to find in their employers, like lack of integrity. These are also the leaders that don’t walk the talk by setting up standards of behaviour and expectations, then violating the rules themselves. Business leaders should do whatever is possible to get the company up and going, and when a leader is resisting good ideas with the addition of having tunnel vision, the organisation gets stuck. A business also does not need a leader that would run people over. This crushes any worker’s spirits and if this approach is used as a matter of routine, then it is likely to alienate many members of the team. Lastly, taking credit for everything. An effective leader gives credit where credit is due and even though it’s not in the form of financial rewards, everyone appreciates a pat on the back for a job well done. When a leader has this knowledge in his mind, he will help boost the company’s performance as workers feel appreciated and the great sense of belonging. Wrapping this up, there is a plethora of qualities that are required of an effective leader but amongst all the positive traits provided, my personal choice of the most significant quality that an effective leader should be endowed with is high emotional intelligence because the imperativeness of drawing the line between personal life and work is indescribable and without it, a leader might lash out at his workers due to problems in his personal life or even bringing out personal vendettas toward a particular employee.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Critical Appraisal

Introduction This essay will critically appraise a paper investigating the relationship between moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy and risk of foetal death written by Andersen et al. (2012). This was a cohort study that used the data from a sample of 91,843 Danish mothers. It was found that 55% of the cohort abstained completely during pregnancy, whilst the rest of the cohort reported consuming alcoholic drinks during this time. The authors reported that there was a substantially increased risk of either spontaneous abortion or stillbirth in women who consumed even moderately low amounts of alcohol (2-3.5 drinks per week) before their 16th week of pregnancy. However, alcohol consumption after 16 weeks appeared not to have an effect. The introduction of this paper is extremely short, although it does manage to summarise why the study was conducted and the aim of the research is clear. The authors highlight that previous research into the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on foetal death have produced conflicting results and that there appear to be geographical trends in the outcome of such studies. Although a lack of conclusive evidence is a solid basis on which to conduct a new study, the authors do not explicitly detail why the current study will be any different and how it will seek to overcome the limitations of previous research. The Critical Appraisal Skills Progamme (CASP, www.casp-uk.net) recommends approaching critical appraisals using three steps. The first step is to assess whether the study is valid by evaluating the methodological quality. The methodology of the current study is clearly laid out and replicable. Despite this, one criticism of the methodology is the use of self-reported alcohol consumption data. Self-reported data is vulnerable to social desirability bias by which participants may withhold or fabricate certain behaviours in order to fit in to what others expectations of them. Social desirability has been found to confound reports of other health related behaviours, such as diet (Klesges et al., 2004) and physical activity (Adams et al., 2005). Using the levels of evidence hierarchy (Foster, 2011), cohort studies lay below systematic reviews and randomised control studies in their ability to avoid bias. Therefore, the study’s design helps reduce the risk of other biases that could confound the results. The statistical analysis used was the hazard ratio. This analysis calculates the ratio of the hazard rate corresponding to the two conditions of an explanatory variable (Spruance et al., 2004). In the current study, it was found that women who drank even just low levels of alcohol during pregnancy had higher hazard rates of early foetal death than those women who abstained. This is a suitable statistical analysis that answers the research question at hand. The second step in the CASP recommendations for appraising evidence is to examine the results. It is important to consider how clinically important the results are and how much uncertainty surround them. Potentially, the current study has excellent clinical utility. Firstly, the sample size was large and as a result, the findings are likely to be very representative of the population as a whole. There is some cultural bias to be aware of as the sample was collected exclusively from a Danish sample. Therefore, the results may not be generalisble to women in other countries. For example, in the UK, alcohol consumption has been found to be much higher, especially among females in their teen years (Mukherjee et al., 2005). The last step suggested by CASP is to assess whether the results are useful. The current results may certainly be useful in the area of health policy development. The knowledge that even low alcohol consumption within the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of foetal death strengthens current Government guidelines that recommend that women abstain completely from alcohol during pregnancy. In the United Kingdom, the Chief Medical Officer currently advises that women should avoid alcohol altogether but that if they must drink, to consume no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week. However, the current paper suggests that just two drinks per week could increase a woman’s risk of losing the baby. Nevertheless, the conclusions drawn by the study are based on the assumption that alcohol consumption contributed to the increased risk of foetal death and should be interpreted with caution. The study did not collect data on various other variables that may have contribut ed to the increased risk, such as illegal drug use during pregnancy has been associated with foetal death (Wolfe et al., 2005). Furthermore, consumption of large quantities of caffeine (Wisborg et al., 2003) has been found to be associated with a higher risk of early foetal death. The current study collected information on coffee consumption and it was found that 32.6% of women consumed between one and seven cups of coffee during their pregnancy. Therefore, coffee consumption and not just alcohol may have had an impact on the results. In the discussion, the authors acknowledge the large number of confounding variables that may have impacted upon the study. The discussion of the study does discuss the potential usefulness of the results. However, the authors state in the introduction that discrepancy amongst previous research was a driving force behind the study but fail to discuss why or how the current study may have alleviated this issue. In conclusion, this is a reasonably strong piece of research that could contribute considerably to health policy. However, it is flawed in some key areas and so the results should be interpreted with caution. For example, if the study is to be replicated, future researchers may consider additional outcome measures that could identify participants at risk of social desirability bias. Nevertheless, the finding that even very low consumption of alcohol before the 16th week of pregnancy may contribute to early foetal death suggests that this should be further investigated as health policy may subsequently consider recommending women abstain completely from alcohol until after their 16th week. References Adams, S.A., Matthews, C.E., Ebbeling, C.B., Moore, C.G., Cunningham, J.E., Fulton, J. and Herbert, J.R. (2005) The effect of social desirability and social approval on self reports of physical activity. American Journal of Epidemiology, 161(4), pp. 389-398. Andersen, A.N., Andersen, P.K., Olsen, J., Gronbaek, M. and Strandberg-Larsen, K. (2012) Moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy and risk of fetal death. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41, pp. 405-413. Foster, N. (2011) Making sense of the evidential hierarchy. In: Carmen, A. (Ed), Assessing Evidence to Improve Population Health and Wellbeing. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Klesges, L.M., Baranowski, T., Beech, B., Cullen, K., Murray, D.M., Rochon, J. and Pratt, C. (2004) Social desirability bias in self-reported dietary, physical activity and weight concerns measures in 8-to-10-year-old African-American girls: results from the Girls health Enrichment Multisite Studies (GEMS). Preventative Medicine, 38, pp. 78-87. Mukherjee, R.A.S., Hollins, S., Abou-Saleh, M.T. and Turk, J. (2005) Low level alcohol consumption and the fetus. British Medical Journal, 330(7488), pp. 375-376. Spruance, L.S., Reid, J.E., Grace, M. and Samore, M. (2004) Hazard ratio in clinical trials. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 48(8), pp. 2787-2792. Wisborg, K., Kesmodel, U., Bech, B.H., Hedegaard, M. and Henriksen, T.B. (2003) Maternal consumption of coffee during pregnancy and stillbirth and infant death in first year of life: prospective study. British Medical Journal, 326, pp. 420. Wolfe, E.L., Davis, T., Guydish, J. and Delucchi, K.L. (2005) Mortality risk associated with perinatal drug and alcohol use in California. Journal of Perinatlogy, 25, pp. 93-100. Critical Appraisal Critical appraisal is the use of explicit, transparent methods to assess the data in published research, applying the rules of evidence to factors such as internal validity, adherence to reporting standards, conclusions and generalizability.[1][2] Critical appraisal methods form a central part of the systematic review process.[3] They are used in evidence-based healthcare training to assist clinical decision-making, and are increasingly used in evidence-based social care and education provision. when an entrepreneur is think about setting up in business it is important to think carefully about what is needed to make the idea a success, how the business will compete against other firms and how much money is needed to run it, these items would usually be included in a business plan. * The nature of the business it history and its legal structure * The product it offers, what make it different from anyone else, why customers would buy it and how it is protected from the competition. * The nature of the market and the firm’s customer base . * The objectives of the business( set-out target that entrepreneur would like to achieve ) * The strategy ( this set out how the objective is going to be achieved * Approach to marketing * The founder and employee * The firm’s operations ( where it is based, the production facilities it requires, the capital it has) * A forecast of sale over a period in the future. Idea generation (ideation) is critical to the design and marketing of new products, to mar-keting strategy, and to the creation of effective advertising copy. In new product development, for example, idea generation is a key component of the front end of the process, often called the â€Å"fuzzy front end† and recognized as one of the highest leverage points for a firm (Dahan and Hauser 2001). Ideation is the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas, where an idea is understood as a basic element of thought that can be either visual, concrete, or abstract.[1] Ideation is all stages of a thought cycle, from innovation, to development, to actualization.[2] As such, it is an essential part of the design process, both in education and practice.[3]

Is Violence the Only Way to Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is Violence the Only Way to Freedom - Essay Example The essay "Is Violence the Only Way to Freedom?" discusses the Fanon's ideas regarding the ways out of colonization and a place of violence in this kind of system. Fanon suggests that violence is the only way out of colonization, which is based on the constant opposition between colonized people and colonizers. It is true that power is the main connector between colonists and colonies. This power is of violent, oppressive and humiliating character towards colonized people in order to state the victory and power of colonists. Even now the rests of the system divide each society into minorities and majorities which are often separated from one another. Fanon suggests that this â€Å"Manichean world† with the clear binary opposition can end only when colonized people collaborate and resist. He states that violent resistance with pain and blood lead people to freedom. If people have grassroots initiatives, local intellectual leaders, one program and shared vision of the future, they can steadily move to decolonization utilizing non-violent methods of opposition. Violence from colonies will be definitely interpreted as danger and threat for their metropolis. Leaders of colonists often ready to violence and human sacrifice for the sake of common freedom, as it is stated by Fanon. Violence serves as a catalyst of this conflict escalation, it attracts attention and sympathy, but it also creates a certain image of the colony, which plays against its successful chances to save their culture, identity, and dignity.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Peace Corps Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peace Corps Program - Essay Example Along with this line, being a volunteer presents unique individual challenges and requires a strong commitment due to the physical, emotional, educational, and intellectual demands. For this work, people undergo 3 months of prior training in terms of language, culture, customs, and traditions of the country they are going to. With this in mind, I am fully aware of the requirements, demands, and challenges that I expect to encounter and I am likewise fully prepared to be a successful volunteer in the country I have chosen and the field of endeavor I will be working in. I want to help other people, promote American democracy and culture in other parts of the world, and serve as a junior diplomat. My academic background is in reality development and I intend to use this knowledge to help formulate some policies concerning environmental preservation in the country I will be working in. As I am a Bachelor of Arts in geography and minor in the urban planning and regional development, my kn owledge will be useful in this aspect. On the other hand, my work experiences are more related with the internet, and I plan to help school kids utilize the internet as a tool for quality education, perhaps teach them how to use software programs in their schoolwork and assignments. My prior work experiences and past academic credentials would be highly useful in this type of volunteer work in a poor country. My two life goals are to help my fellow human beings in a meaningful way and also to spend some time of my youth in another country and another culture and learn from it. Among the ten core expectations, I find number three to be the most challenging. It is because I might be sent to a remote rural area where basic necessities of life are not available.  

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Impact of TESOL Continuing Professional Development programs (CPDs) Research Paper

Impact of TESOL Continuing Professional Development programs (CPDs) - Research Paper Example Impact of TESOL Continuing Professional Development programs (CPDs) Therefore, despite the numerous continues development programs available, the success of such programmes are measured by how best such trainees are able to transfer knowledge gained to their respective duties, skills improvement, in addition to job performance. Due to developments in information technology, there are increasing perceptions that ICT has resulted in major improvements in education, and may transform the learning process when implemented effectively (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005). However, there are still arguments that discussions on ICT improving education are far-fetched, and that ICT has not always resulted to outright improvement of such programs (Smeets, 2005). Therefore, effectiveness of such teachers training programs related to ICT and other platforms have resulted in different findings depending on how such learning programs are implemented in different learning environments. This paper examines the challenges and impact of various professional training programs on both teachers and students. The article investigates several research papers on professional training programs, and outlines various findings to make a general summary regarding the impact of such programs. Short in-service teacher training (INSET) courses are one way in which the skills and knowledge of teachers may be revitalized through enhancing their skills and knowledge on specific aspects.... INSET courses are aimed at facilitating and stimulating new ideas in teachers and as a platform for teachers to meet and share with new colleagues their experiences and skills. However, the impact of the INSET courses according to Lamb may not be effectively realized without proper follow up of the participants. The motivation and stimulus gained by teachers is fast eroded and teachers are frustrated when trying to implement all newly learned ideas; teachers enroll in such professional development courses to learn new ideas, but have difficulties applying the learned concepts and ideas in a static learning system, which does not encourage or facilitate them to apply such ideas (Lamb, 2005). This brings about tensions and frustrations in teachers. However, Bridges (2007) in a controlled group trial on the effectiveness of INSET reports the group actually registered impressive growth in skills, though on what the researcher termed as cautious positive results in an intensive immersion INSET. A study on Tanzania primary teachers on INSET programs showed that such INSET trained teachers were much better in introducing and developing lessons, in addition to involving students in class group work, which was found to improve learning (Hardman & Dachi, 2012). However, in another study, Bridges (2007) asserted that multiple assessments resulted in a lower self-reporting as the participants did not have enough time to express their concerns in the learning process. Despite this, INSET was found to have a varied degree of positive growth in knowledge acquisition. This reveals that measurement of the programme’s success in this case has to be based on enough feedback from such teachers, and how best class lessons improve. One way to measure the success of INSET programme in

Monday, August 26, 2019

Comparing two ads from 'durex'condoms company Research Paper

Comparing two ads from 'durex'condoms company - Research Paper Example In order to see whether people’s attitudes have matured towards sex one will have to look at the types of sexual literature, information and public displays that were available in the past against that which is available now. The advertisement of condoms seem to be more popular and acceptable than it was in the eighties; the first condom ad was aired by Fox television in 1991, afterwards three other major TV networks followed, but prohibited the ads from being displayed at certain times as well as to directly focus on the use of condoms as a means to prevent pregnancy ((Changing standards of condom advertising) The reason for the increase in the willingness by the media to advertise condoms are related to the increasing sexual nature of television shows as well as the HIV/AIDS epidemic.(The changing standards of condom advertising). Even though the advertisment of condoms have increased way in which condoms are advertised always stray form the actual act of sex; most Durex ads seem to cater more to the humorous side of sex and to the consequences. One of the visual ads shown by Durex displays a crib with a price tag of $420. Another ad shows two blown up condoms in the form of people having sex in a very promiscuous position and another one has a picture of Scottish men standing in their kilts with a byline saying: Durex XL (nextround.net). While all of these ads shown by Durex are according to me very creative and humorous, one has to wonder why Durex seems to be forced to display the humorous side of sex most of the time. Maybe we are not living in such modern times as we think? Most Mothers and Fathers are not comfortable discussing or even watching a TV program about sex with their children, and this to me is completely understandable, but most parents seem comfortable referring to the consequences of having sex like HIV and pregnancy. In a study on parent-child talks about sex it was founded that 40%of children

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Pennicillin process introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pennicillin process introduction - Essay Example The process of purification of a product especially in a chemical producing plant involves a number of options, and examples of some options which may be involved where a product must be made very pure include:- Some down streaming operations seen in penicillin production chart are not involved in the actual production of penicillin. ( Biwer, Griffith, & Cooney, 2005).For instance, Neutralization is not involved at any stage in this production plant. This is because it will cause decrease in enzyme concentration which will lower the level of penicillin production. In conclusion, a consideration put in the following areas of weakness:-inadequate analytical techniques, simplistic models with assumptions, variance in signals and performance, inefficiencies in use of information, inefficient learning and financial constrains can lead to quality production of penicillin (Biwer, Griffith, & Cooney,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The attractiveness of investing in islamic mutual funds Research Proposal

The attractiveness of investing in islamic mutual funds - Research Proposal Example The British government acclaims that United Kingdom is the principal hub for Islamic economics out of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) region. Countries such as Malaysia have distinct clear policy intentions for growth. In retrospect, studies have confirmed that Britain is the global pioneer for Islamic business education. Islamic pecuniary services are obtainable in Britain by approximately two dozen commercial banks comprising of Barclays, HSBC, as well as RBS. HSBC’s Islamic business department Amanah, which is predominantly the market leader, realised an almanac asset evolution of over 50% in 2007 and 2008 period. Later down the line, the bank had grown its Islamic investment return to almost ten times this amount by the year 2013. This growth is owed to the fact that as Shari’a rule forbids many high-risk doings. Islamic fiscal services have overtime been less influenced by the credit catastrophes than their orthodox counterparts, which swells this appeal. Wester n nations like the US or Switzerland are also endorsing their Islamic fiscal services to appeal to investors. As a multibillion-dollar business within Islamic economics and Islamic share, Islamic mutual funds stand as a gold mine to both Muslims and non-Muslims in the global economic sphere. Over seven hundred Islamic joint funds are presently offered, which concentrate on a diversity of different resources for instance equities, asset finance, as well as real property. Despite the fact that this section of the investment market holds so much potential little information on why it is attractive to investors have been done. In this paper, a sample of Saudi Arabian investors and Islamic mutual funds executives was made to make sense of the phenomenon Despite the fact that Islamic investment has been viewed as a growing and a potentially gold mine venture, the reason why venture is related to the industry’s restricted nature by a couple

Friday, August 23, 2019

Establish your Building Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Establish your Building Business - Assignment Example Without doubt, the company will have process flows representing how all of these errands and employees interact with each to produce the ultimate service or product (Gainforte, 2010) As partners, we are going to set out expectations, entrust, progress the training time, and duplicate for growth. We will also be required to have procedures documented. In some cases, we will be required to have operations manual in place. This operations manual will ensure that customers have the same experience every time they encounter with my company. Conversely the relation between complexity and planning for buildings is something we are not going to overlook. We are going to build a large a large building enterprise, where the mission is critical and the system highly distributed, the need for data architect, infrastructure architect, business architect enterprise architect and solutions architect is going to arise. To maintain the building licenses it is important that to consider having a super intendent in place (Yetton, 2010). The superintendent should be included in the hierarchy of the buildings management. It is important to should ensure that the superintendent is respected and respected by the board and management. Ideally, the job of the board is to lay down policies, while the job of the management will be implanting those policies. The superintend job is to supervise the building staff, and report back to the management. Furthermore, for board to be successful, it should keep its directives and policy decisions to a minimum to allow their subordinates, to carry out polices and procedures that not only benefit the company, but also meet the building policies. Quality and control and safety should also be major concerns for project managers. Defects in constructed facilities could lead to heavy costs. Even so, with slight defects, this could lead to re-construction and or the closer of the facility operation. Additionally, accidents either fatal or not fatal may oc cur during construction processes. It will be, therefore, paramount that I hire project managers who are highly qualified. The project managers will ensure that proper job in done, and that no accidents occur in the construction process (Yetton, 2010). In order to keep and maintain the business and building licenses, I will be required to hire inspectors and quality assurance personnel. There job will be inspecting samples of materials in specialized laboratories to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements (Gainforte, 2010). It will be my great concern that I ensure the contractors I will hire in my company, will b conscious of these standards. I will also ensure that I encourage quality control among employees, too. As a contractor, my company will be responsible for all safety site operations, in accordance with the terms of the contract. Adequate training of employees is something I will ensure is observed so that the employees can implement their particular duties property. A fter being advised by my financial advisers, I favored a business that will be owned and operated more than individual. In short, I decided to structure the business as a partnership. Even so, I settled for general partnership, whereupon the partners will manage the company and bear debt responsibilities of the company. I settled for partnership business structure because of the tax treatment associated with it. Ideally,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Political Philosophy Essay Barber (1999) refers to strong democracy as one of the democratic responses to contemporary political condition. The author clearly distinguishes the strong democratic type from unitary democracy, pluralist democracy, authoritative, and juridical democracy. All these types of democracy are idealistic, and are never applied to real political conditions in their pure forms, but they represent the five different visions of the democratic order which deserve attention and should be objectively reviewed. Barber (1999) defines authoritative democracy in centralized executive terms. Authoritative democracy exercises the principles of differential citizenry; although authoritative democracy is fully accountable to the democratic community which elects it, this type of democratic order relies on the excellence of elites (Barber, 1999). The two major deficiencies are characteristic of authoritative democracy: first, it tends towards hegemony; second, it tends to camouflage its political representation under the cover of political wisdom. As a result, individuals risk confusing the political virtue with the political excellence (Barber, 1999). Juridical democracy is based on the principles of protecting human rights. Arbitration and adjudication are the necessary preconditions of juridical democracy (Barber, 1999). In juridical democracy, the principle of differential citizenry is expressed through excessive reliance on courts, which resolve and mediate political issues and substantially limit the power of the democratic government. Barber (1999) writes that â€Å"juridical democracy is deficient because it subverts the legislative process†. The author is confident that juridical democracy initially distorts the notions of the natural right and the higher law, using them as the disguise for political reintroduction and representation (Barber, 1999). Pluralist democracy is the most ideal democratic form of all Barber describes in his work. Pluralist democracy is based on the principle of the social contract which free political markets use in the process of political exchange (Barber, 1999). In distinction from the two previous forms of democracy, the pluralist form relies on active (not differential) citizenry. All conflicts and issues are arbitrated with the help of bargaining in which free equal individuals are involved. The pluralist democracy is deficient because the power of the social contract and bargaining is very weak. In Barber’s (1999) view, pluralist democracy is too innocent, and cannot lead to formation of any public thinking. Unitary democracy could initially become the political representation of certain norm as the central element of democratic order. Although unitary democracy promotes the unanimous character of political decisions, it tends to undermine the principles of individual autonomy. The role of citizenry in unitary democracy is vague (Barber, 1999). The problem is in that the unity of political deliberation requires that individuals merge with the rest of the political community. As a result, they risk losing their political individuality, and promote collective political thinking. Unitary democracy cannot foster self-realization; in massive forms, unitary democracy borders on coercion and malevolence (Barber, 1999). In many aspects, unitary democracy is synonymous to â€Å"conformist† type of political order, which mixes tyranny with terror and views community consensus through the prism of collectivity and collective political interests. Barber (1999) is confident that strong democracy is the political order of the future. The author views this type of democratic order as a community which will never be collectivistic, and which is the most compatible with the contemporary society. The core of strong democracy is the self-government, in which citizens govern themselves (Barber, 1999). The conflict resolution is based on self-legislation, and the creation of the political community. The mentioned political community is the key element of strong democracy, and it is the necessary condition for transforming the political conflicts into the useful epistemological tools of public thinking (Barber, 1999). Simultaneously, Barber fails to define the criteria for the creation and existence of the already mentioned political community. If strong democratic community exists to transform political conflicts or implement political decisions (Barber, 1999), it is unclear whether this community will keep its previous form as soon as it achieves its political goals. One can’t but agree with Barber (1999) in that in strong democracy community is invariably linked to the notion of citizenship, but there are striking disparities between the notions of community and participation. Although strong democracy claims striking the misbalance between participation and community, it does not offer any reliable criteria for achieving the democratic world of the common ends, in which conflict serves the dialectical means of turning the masses into the democratic citizenship. Conclusion Strong democracy is viewed by Barber (1999) as the best and the most realistic type of democratic order. Barber (1999) emphasizes the deficiencies which authoritative, juridical, unitary, and pluralist democracies display. Simultaneously, Barber (1999) fails to provide the criteria for creating and supporting the strong democratic community and participation. The relation between community and participation remains misbalanced, and strong democracy will hardly strike it.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Leading Equality and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Leading Equality and Diversity Essay Be able to understand the commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity 1. 1 – Evaluate the organisation’s commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity Equality and diversity means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. He or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. Ashley Care LLP is firmly committed to diversity in all areas of our work. We believe that we have much to learn and profit from diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives, and that diversity will make our organisation more effective in meeting the needs of all our stakeholders. We believe that equality and diversity within our organisation contributes to our objectives and we are especially conscious of the fact that effective partnership relationships require a shared commitment to equality of opportunity and valuing and managing diversity. Our Equality and Diversity Policy helps to ensure that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment, retention, training and development of staff on the basis of gender including transgender, marital status, sexual identity, religion and belief, political opinion, race, work pattern, age, disability or HIV/AIDS status, socio-economic background, spent convictions, on the basis of having or not having dependants, or any other irrelevant grounds. Our Policy is an integral way on which we handle our recruitment procedures to ensure a fair and approachable image of our organisation. Ashley Care LLP have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Policy and its purpose is to ensure that its service is fully committed to these principles and values and to communicate this commitment to all stakeholders. The policy should always be referred to wherever differences of view based on lack of understanding or prejudice about diversity, equality and inclusion are evident. Equality, diversity and inclusion means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed he or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. 1. 2Discuss how behaviour, actions and words of all members of the organisation support the commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity At Ashley Care LLP we are committed to working together to build a community founded on equality of opportunity a social care community which celebrates the rich diversity of our service users and staff populations. Discriminatory behaviour has no place in our community and will not be tolerated. Within a spirit of respecting difference, our equality and diversity policies promise equal treatment and opportunity for all regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability, religion, age, and ethnicity or nationality. We call on all members of our company to make a personal commitment to these aims. Our Partners of the Company will ensure that its own actions promote equality and diversity. Through their words and behaviours, Partners will aim to provide genuine equality of opportunity regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability, religion, age, and ethnic or national origin. In considering its own composition and filling vacancies, the Partners will seek to ensure that its membership embraces the widest possible variety of backgrounds and views, consistent with the need to maintain a Partnership with the skills and experience necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Ashley Care LLP expresses its commitment to equality and diversity by: a. especting service users’ ethnic, cultural and religious practices and making practical provision for them to be observed b. reassuring its service uses that their diverse backgrounds enhance the quality of experience of the service c. accepting service users as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes d. involving service users to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals e. howing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity principles f. developing an ethos throughout Ashley Care LLP that reflects these values and principles g. expecting all staff to work to equality and diversity principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways h. providing, training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this i. aving a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and service users and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly. Partners will devote time to the development of their own knowledge, understanding and practices to promote and achieve equality and respect for diversity and will see such development as one test of their effectiveness. The achievement of genuine equality of opportunity is at the heart of our mission as a provider of higher education. We aim to build a learning community which exhibits the diverse range of skills and experience which cannot be found within any single group of students or staff. In pursuing this aim, we want our community to value and to be at ease with its own diversity and to reflect the needs of the wider community within which we operate. Although we accept all of our responsibilities under current legislation, we aim to reach beyond the strict confines of the law to provide equality of opportunity for all. We will continue to formulate and implement policies to that end. Every member of our company has a moral and legal responsibility to promote equal treatment within that community and to respect its diversity. Overall responsibility for working with our community in support of these aims lies with the Senior Partner, closely supported by the other Partners. The HR amp; Workforce Development Manager is responsible for matters relating to equality of opportunity in employment, for developing policies which meet legislation and best practice, for monitoring the impact of these policies on different minority groups, and for providing relevant employment statistics. All staff and service users are responsible for ensuring that their actions are carried out in accordance with this policy. They may be held personally to account should their actions fall sort of the requirements of this policy in any way. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We wish to see people from all groups in our society represented at all levels of employment, to ensure that no available talent is overlooked and to provide role models for our staff members. 1. 3Identify organisational and personal responsibilities and liabilities under equality legislation and codes of practice The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what we needed to do to make our workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law. â€Å"This was, primarily , the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. † en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Equality_Act_2010 The public sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Act) came into force on 5 April 2011. The Equality Duty applies to public bodies and others carrying out public functions. It supports good decision-making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities, helping them to deliver policies and services which are efficient and effecti ve; accessible to all; and which meet different peoples needs. The Equality Duty is supported by specific duties, set out in regulations which came into force on 10 September 2011. The specific duties require public bodies to publish relevant, proportionate information demonstrating their compliance with the Equality Duty; and to set themselves specific, measurable equality objectives. The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity it extends some protections to some of the groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. The Equality Act is a mixture of rights and responsibilities that have: * Stayed the same for example, direct discrimination still occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic * Changed for example, employees will now be able to complain of harassment even if it is not directed at them, if they can demonstrate that it creates an offensive environment for them * Been extended for example, associative discrimination (direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic) will cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex as well as race, religion and belief and sexual orientation Been introduced for the first time for example, the concept of discrimination arising from disability, which occurs if a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disability. As a result, I needed to review and change most of our policies and practices. 2. Be able to understand the application of equality of opportunity and diversity 2. 1 – Describe the organisation’s equality and diversity policies and how these are communicated within the workplace To ensure equality and diversity is no longer viewed as something only affecting minority groups, any issues need to be viewed not as issues, but as something to be explored and celebrated. Staff could be personally affected by stereotyping, prejudice and/or discrimination when attending work, which could lead to non attendance or non achievement. As a manager I need to ensure all my staff value one another and that the basic rights they are entitled to, for example to learn in a comfortable and safe environment are met. The Pre-Employment Induction to Ashley Care LLP include details of all policies and procedures, including equality and diversity, which are brought to the attention of the staff members during their initial interview and during the induction session. Having a policy is not enough, Ashley Care LLP also have a working group to ensure that the policies are promoted, monitored and regularly reviewed. Policies are also communicated to all staff through the following mechanisms: * Staff handbook * Contract of Employment * Application Form * Team meetings * Staff meetings Ashley Care LLP fully supports all principles of equality and diversity, and opposes any unfair or unlawful discrimination on the grounds of ability, age, colour, culture, disability, domestic circumstances, employment status, ethnic origin, gender, learning difficulties, marital status / civil partnership, nationality, political conviction, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and/or social background. Ashley Care LLP aims to ensure that equality and diversity is promoted among all staff and service users and that unfair or unlawful discrimination, whether direct or indirect, is eliminated to promote a climate of equality and respect. All staff can expect to work in an environment free from harassment and bullying. † Taken from Ashley Care LLP’s policy on Equality and Diversity 2. 2 – Assess the application of the organisation’s commitment to equality of opportunity and dive rsity The evidence that Ashley Care LLP have collected over the years clearly demonstrate our commitment to equality and diversity. The application form states that â€Å"Ashley Care LLP is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all work seekers and shall adhere to our policy at all times. We review all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. † Our policy states that â€Å"Equality and diversity means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. He or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. † Within our policy we also state that â€Å"Ashley Care LLP expresses its commitment to equality and diversity by: a. respecting service users’ ethnic, cultural and religious practices and making practical provision for them to be observed b. reassuring its service uses that their diverse backgrounds enhance the quality of experience of the service c. accepting service users as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes d. nvolving service users to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals e. showing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity principles f. developing an ethos throughout Ashley Care LLP that reflects these values and principles g. expecting all staff to work to equality and diversity principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways h. providing, training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this i. aving a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and service users and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly. † 2. 3 – Review the diversity of the workforce against the local and/or national population and identify areas for review. Diversity is about valuing and respecting the differences in the workforce, regardless of ability and/or circumstances or any other individual characteristics they may have. If you have more than one member in your workforce you will experience diversity. I am also different from my workforce in many ways, and they are different from one another, therefore they are entitled to be treated with respect, wi th their differences taken into consideration. Combined together, equality and diversity drive an organisation to comply with anti-discrimination legislation as well as emphasising the positive benefits of diversity such as drawing on a wider pool of talent, positively motivating all employees and meeting the needs of a wider customer base. Differences should be acknowledged, celebrated and embraced, to ensure all employees feel included in the process to be followed, and that the working environment is suitable for all. Examples of these differences are: * ability| * disability – physical or mental| * age| * domestic circumstances| * belief| * educational background| * colour| * employment status| * class| * ethnic origin| clothing worn| * experience| * confidence| * gender| * culture| * intelligence| * language, accent, dialect| * race| * learning difficulties| * religion| * marital status / civil partnership| * sexual orientation| * nationality| * social class or identity| * occupation| * talent| * parental status| * tr adition| * physical characteristics| * transgender| * political conviction| * wealth| Promoting diversity in the workforce is about attracting and retaining the best people, regardless of what group they belong to. â€Å"There is considerable evidence to show that inclusive organisations benefit from diversity through: enhanced competitiveness, attracting and retaining more competent employees, who understand the needs of their workforce and respect differences; * improved performance and outcomes, creating a working environment in which everyone is encouraged to perform to their maximum potential; * improved customer services, being able to reflect and meet the diverse needs of the workforce and; * improved staff relations, which reduced the risk of costly tribunals by complying with anti-discriminatory legislation. † www. lluk. org. uk/3167. htm As a manager working within the Health ;amp; Social Care Sector, I agree with the above statement, particularly creating a working environment in which everyone is encouraged to perform to their maximum potential. An inclusive organisation will ensure that their workforce are not excluded for any reason, either directly or indirectly, from part aking in a chosen programme. All the workforce will bring with them valuable skills, knowledge and experiences, I try to incorporate these within any training sessions and treat everyone as an individual. I am always positive and proactive where equality and diversity are concerned, even if my opinions differ from those of my workforce. I have to challenge my own values and beliefs. However, as a professional, I am first and foremost a manager, and my personal opinions must not interfere with the employment process. I must also be careful not to indulge the minority to the detriment of the majority. 3. Be able to understand the needs of others in relation to equality of opportunity and diversity 3. 1 – Explain the requirement to understand individual’s needs, feeling and motivations and to take an interest in their concerns The fundamental reason for promoting equality is to meet the needs of the workforce. Individuals are at the heart of the company and meeting their needs requires an active approach to equality of opportunity at all stages of their employment. It is about the removal of social and economic barriers to participation. Good equal opportunities ensure that all employees: * are respected and not discriminated against; * become aware of equality and inclusion; * benefit from high quality opportunities * work in an environment that supports their development. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) look to employers and learning organisations they fund to help promote equality of opportunity, widen participation and improve performance. They recommend the following. â€Å"Explicit references: equality of opportunity should be promoted and discrimination tacked so that all employees achieve their potential, * guidance and support should be sensitive to quality of opportunity, * organisations should have effective measures to eliminate oppressive behaviour, including all forms of harassment, * companies should be socially inclusive, ensuring equality of access and opportunities for workforces, * managers should use materials and methods that promote equality of opportunity, * there should be explicit aims, values and strategies promoting equality for all that are reflected in the organisation’s work. Implicit references: staff should have access to relevant, effective support on personal issues, * staff should understand their rights and responsibilities, * resources and accommodation should allow all staff to participate fully, * organisations should promote good working relationships, * programmes should be responsive to local circumstances, * the organisation’s values should be fully understood by staff, including sub contractors and work placement organisations, * the performance of different groups of staff should be used to guide programme development. As a manager I need to take positive steps to promote a culture of equality and diversity in everything that I do that may affect the employment process. 3. 2 – Evaluate the impact of showing respect to others, recognising their value and upholding their rights An example of showing respect to others, recognising their value and upholding their rights could be: An employee has declared to me during this Common Induction Standards training that he is transgender and wants to know which toilet facilities he can use. He has not asked this information remain confidential. This declaration by the employee means that my whole organisation is deemed to know under the Equality Act 2010, and will need to make reasonable adjustments so that the employee has access to toilet facilities he is comfortable with. I may suggest that the employee can use the disabled toilet which is accessed by both males and females. If I am unable to respond to the employee’s needs, he may feel that under the Gender Reassignment Regulations (1999) his needs have not been given the same consideration as those of male and female gender. Some employees may not want to may not want to complete the section on the application form (pre 2008), which required them to disclose details such as a disability, ethnic origin, date of birth etc. Although it was not compulsory, the information often helped our organisation support the workforce, as well as collect data for purposes such as funding and statistics to inform policies. 3. 3 – Describe the need for integrity, fairness and consistency in dealings with individuals When considering forms of harassment, it is important to bear in mind that different people have different cultural and social perceptions as to what they consider to be hostile or degrading. If possible, deliver sessions with your workforce to try to address these perceptions or assumptions. During the recruitment and selection process, I often ask the interviewers what they understand by equality and diversity and how they ensure it in their interviewing. Very often the response is that they would treat everyone the same. However, diversity, fairness and equality are about treating others as they would wish to be treated, rather than making assumptions on their behalf. The workforce is all different and therefore have different needs and different degrees of need which will lead to equal outcomes at the end of their training. Language has a fundamental role to play in treating people fairly. Words you use should give a clear message to all the workforce that myself and my organisation value diversity and respect individual differences. Carefully examining the language I use and the way I use it will help ensure that I treat my workforce as individuals and not merely as members of staff. Communication is not just about words, however, and I also should ensure that my tone of voice, demeanour and body language convey the same message of inclusiveness. An example may be: Gemma has been asked to plan, design and deliver a four week Job Skills programme as part of a Support and Achieve Programme for Lone Parents. The clients are referred to the programme from JobCentrePlus and the aim of the project is for the one parents to return to work. The very title of this project typecasts these clients into a particular group. They are immediately identified as lone or single parents. Gemma therefore suggests the title be changed. Reports from the media project an image of lone parents as predominately young mothers or fathers with children living on their own and claiming state benefits. There are many diverse people who find themselves as lone parents due to different circumstances, for example, widows, windowers or divorcees. The title of a programme can therefore affect who will apply for it, in this example it is positive discrimination in favour of lone parents. However, the content will be based around returning to work and could easily be adapted to suit others, and the mix of workers will help promote inclusion and equality. 3. 4 – Outline a process for dealing with others whose behaviours, words or actions do not support a commitment to equality of opportunity or diversity When an inspection is planned, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uses the provider’s annual self-assessment report, along with other information such as data on achievement and development plans. Inspection reports include judgements on self-assessment and the self-assessment report. During the inspection the self-assessment report will continue to provide CQC inspectors with crucial evidence to support judgements about the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety’s main aspects, the contributory grades for equality and diversity, safeguarding and the provider’s capacity to improve. Inspectors will use the report to assess risk, monitor standards and plan for inspection. Where subject areas are to be inspected, the report will help the lead inspector select the areas to inspect. Findings during the inspection will be compared with those in the self-assessment report, and a conclusion reached on the accuracy of those judgements. Judgements on the accuracy and use made of the self-assessment report contribute to the grade awarded for the provider’s capacity to make and sustain improvements. A provider that is judged to be outstanding in this area will have a self-assessment report that is highly accurate. The process of self-assessment will be comprehensive and inclusive. It will be used very effectively to secure sustained improvements in all aspects of the provider’s work. A provider that is judged to be good in this area will have a self-assessment report that is largely accurate. The process will be thorough and used well to secure improvements in most aspects of the provider’s work. A provider that is judged to be satisfactory in this area will use self-assessment well to identify most of the provider’s strengths and weaknesses and bring about improvements. A provider judged to be inadequate in this area may be one where quality improvement and self-assessment do not lead to demonstrable improvements. After inspection you must review and update your plans to take account of the inspection findings. Providers are required to set out clearly what actions are needed and to link this explicitly to the inspection findings within two months of the publication of the inspection report.

Applications Of Electrostatics Analysis Engineering Essay

Applications Of Electrostatics Analysis Engineering Essay The practical application of electrostatics is represented by such devices as lightning rods and electrostatic precipitators and by such processes as xerography and the painting of automobiles. Scientific devices based on the principles of electrostatics include electrostatic generators, the field-ion microscope, and ion-drive rocket engines. There are many applications of electrostatics:- 1).Van de graff generator. 2).The electrostatic precipitator. 3).Xerography and Laser Printers. 4).Electron Gun for 6-18 GHz,20 W Helix-TWT Amplifier. 5).CST particle studio simulation of a Depressed Collector. 6).Electrostatic Simulation of a medical X-Ray device. 7).Electrostatic Simulation of a High Voltage Bushing. 8).MEMS Comb Sensor. 9).Consistent charged Particle Simulation of a Pierce Gun. The brief explanation of above applications is given below:- The Van de Graaff Generator Experimental results show that when a charged conductor is placed in contact with the inside of a hollow conductor, all of the charge on the charged conductor is transferred to the hollow conductor. In principle, the charge on the hollow conductor and its electric potential can be increased without limit by repetition of the process. In 1929 Robert J. Van de Graaff (1901-1967) used this principle to design and build an electrostatic generator. This type of generator is used extensively in nuclear physics research. A schematic representation of the generator. Charge is delivered continuously to a high-potential electrode by means of a moving belt of insulating material. The high-voltage electrode is a hollow metal dome mounted on an insulating column. The belt is charged at point A by means of a corona discharge between comb-like metallic needles and a grounded grid. The needles are maintained at a positive electric potential of typically 104 V. The positive charge on the moving belt is transferred to the dome by a second comb of needles at point B. Because the electric field inside the dome is negligible, the positive charge on the belt is easily transferred to the conductor regardless of its potential. In practice, it is possible to increase the electric potential of the dome until electrical discharge occurs through th Because the breakdown electric field in air is about 3000000 V/m, a negatively charged oil droplet in sphere 1 m in radius can be raised to a maximum potential of 3 % 106 V. T he potential can be increased further by increasing the radius of the dome and by placing the entire system in a container filled with high-pressure gas. Van de Graaff generators can produce potential differences as large as 20 million volts. Protons accelerated through such large potential differences receive enough energy to initiate nuclear reactions between themselves and various target nuclei. Smaller generators are often seen in science classrooms and museums. If a person insulated from the ground touches the sphere of a Van de Graaff generator, his or her body can be brought to a high electric potential. The person hair acquires a net positive charge, and each strand is repelled by all the others. Van De Graaff Generator The Electrostatic Precipitator One important application of electrical discharge in gases is the electrostatic precipitator. This device removes particulate matter from combustion gases, thereby reducing air pollution. Precipitators are especially useful in coal-burning power plants and in industrial operations that generate large quantities of smoke. Current systems are able to eliminate more than 99% of the ash from smoke. A high potential difference (typically 40 to 100 kV) is maintained between a wire running down the center of a duct and the walls of the duct, which are grounded. The wire is maintained at a negative electric potential with respect to the walls, so the electric field is directed toward the wire. The values of the field near the wire become high enough to cause a corona discharge around the wire; the air near the wire contains positive ions, electrons, and such negative ions as oxide ions. The air to be cleaned enters the duct and moves near the wire. As the electrons and negative ions created by the discharge are accelerated toward the outer wall by the electric field, the dirt particles in the air become charged by collisions and ion capture. Because most of the charged dirt particles are negative, they too are drawn to the duct walls by the electric field. When the duct is periodically shaken, the particles break loose and are collected at the bottom. In addition to reducing the level of particulate matter in the atmosphere the electrostatic precipitator recovers valuable materials in the form of metal oxides. Electrostatic Precipitator Xerography and Laser Printers The basic idea of xerography5 was developed by Chester Carlson, who was granted a patent for the xerographic process in 1940. The unique feature of this process is the use of a photoconductive material to form an image. (A photoconductor is a material that is a poor electrical conductor in the dark but becomes a good electrical conductor when exposed to light.) The xerographic process is illustrated in Figure 25.31a to d. First, the surface of a plate or drum that has been coated with a thin film of photoconductive material (usually selenium or some compound of selenium) is given a positive electrostatic charge in the dark. An image of the page to be copied is then focused by a lens onto the charged surface. The photoconducting surface becomes conducting only in areas where light strikes it. In these areas, the light produces charge carriers in the photoconductor that move the positive charge off the drum. However, positive charges remain on those areas of the photoconductor not exposed to light, leaving a latent image of the object in the form of a positive surface charge distribution. Next, a negatively charged powder called a toner is dusted onto the photoconducting surface. The charged powder adheres only to those areas of the surface that contain the positively charged image. At this point, the image becomes visible. The toner (and hence the image) is then transferred to the surface of a sheet of positively charged paper. Finally, the toner is fixed to the surface of the paper as the toner melts while passing through high-temperature rollers. This results in a permanent copy of the original. A laser printer operates by the same principle, with the exception that a computer-directed laser beam is used to illuminate the photoconductor instead of a lens. Xerography Laser Printer ELECTRON GUN FOR 6-18GHz,20 W Helix-TWT Amplifier Electron guns are the starting point of every charged particle application. There the DC energy is translated into an extracted beam which later on interacts with all kinds of RF structures. The design and analysis of an electron gun can be performed with the tracking code of CST PARTICLE STUDIO. Schematic of an electron tube The electron gun has to provide the slow wave structure with a beam, which then interacts with the electromagnetic wave existing in the structure and finally is  collected in the collector. In order to enable the interaction, the particles velocity has to match the EM-waves velocity on the circuit. The necessary velocity determines the voltage to be applied. The electron gun then has to be designed in a way, that the emitted current is maximized. The relevant parts for the Electrostatic (Es) simulation are the cathode, focussing electrode and anode  (left). Important for the Magnetostatic (Ms) simulation are the iron yoke and permanent magnets. The potentials and permanent magnets serve as sources for the Es and Ms solver of CST EMS (here run from CST PS) respectively. The iron yoke is considered as non linear material, where the working point is obtained by a non linear iteration scheme in the  Ms solver.   CST PARTICLE STUDIOHYPERLINK http://www.cst.com/Content/Applications/Article/CST+PARTICLE+STUDIOà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢+Simulation+of+a+Depressed+Collector Simulation of a Depressed Collector CST PS simulation of a depressed collector. A multi-stage depressed collector for the Rijnhuizen Fusion Free-Electron Maser (FEM) is simulated with CST RTICLE STUDIO. The results are reproduced with permission of Pulsar Physics. See also M.J. de Loos, S.B. van der Geer, Pulsar Physics, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. B, Vol 139, 1997. CST PARTICLE STUDIO(CST PS) is dedicated to simulating charged particles travelling through electromagnetic fields. To accomplish this task, CST PS requires fields from other CST STUDIO SUITE 3D EM solvers, particularly CST EM STUDIO and CST MICROWAVE STUDIO, as input. CST PS tracks charged particles through this fields, considering relativistic effect, space charge and secondary emission, delivering particle trajectories, phase space distribution, remitances. Electrostatic Simulation of a medical X-Ray device   Electric Field Distribution in the X-Ray Device CST EM STUDIOs Electrostatic Solver can be used to establish electric breakdown fields in X-Ray devices. A STEP model of the device was imported via CST EMSs comprehensive CAD Interface. The main goal of the simulation is to determine the maximum field strength in the model. The design of the housing for the X-Ray tube  can then be optimised to reduce the potential of arcing. Results may be post-processed in terms of field values at specific points, along curves or on material surfaces. . The field was plotted on a central cut-plane using a logarithmic scaling to aid visualisation. Maximum field values in the  model may be extracted automatically in the post-processor. Electrostatic Simulation of a High Voltage Bushing   Cross-sectional View of the Transformer Bushing The above figure shows the  construction of the  bushing  comprising a central  conductor,  a ceramic insulator,   and a housing  containing the transformer oil. The structure was created using the powerful modeling tools in CST EM STUDIO  . The bushing was created by sweeping over 360 degrees a curved profile. To complete the bushing geometry, the blend tool can be applied to round off the bushing edges. The permittivity of the ceramic  has been  set to 1000 with an epsilon of 2.9 for the oil. The housing and the central conductor were both defined as perfect electric conductors (PEC). Symmetry is exploited via the use of tangential symmetry conditions and an open boundary has been applied to reduce the simulation domain MEMS Comb Sensor Potential and electric field for the rectangular and triangular comb tip The design process of the comb sensor starts with a shape optimization in CST EMS. Here two different shapes are modeled and compared.   Therefore, by using parameters a true shape  optimisation of the force can be  performed. After the calculation of fields the forces can be determined as a post processing step. Using appropriate boundary conditions, the  single combs are assumed to be part of an infinite array.  Due to  its special shape the triangular comb tip has a 14% higher attracting force. Consistent Charged Particle Simulation of a Pierce Gun The pierce type gun example demonstrates the analysis of an electrically   large gun configuration. The acceleration of the electrons takes place in only a small part of the computational domain, nearly 90% of the gun consists of a drift-tube.   The electric field is established by the cathode, which acts  at the same  time as particle source, a guiding electrode and the anode, which incorporates the drift-tube. The magnetic field is produced by a large current-driven coil and guided by  a highly   permeable cylinder which encloses the whole configuration. The above figure shows the geometry of the gun which consists of hollow cylinders forming the guide for the magnetic field, the drift tube, the emitting cathode and the  focussing cathode. typical construction features used to create the model include lofting, chamfering and blending operations.  The geometric properties of the coils were created  with the aid of  two curves, one for the coil cross-section, the other for the coil sweep path.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Transformation of Islam: Islam in the societies of Central Asia Essay e

The next work used to study the Islamic government is â€Å"Siyasatnama† (â€Å"Treatise on government†) which provides a model of statecraft and administrative practice. â€Å"Siyasatnama† was written by a distinguished statesman of 11th century, a grand vizier, Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan al-Tusi (1018-92), who was given a title of â€Å"Nizam al-Mulk† (â€Å"the regulator of the state†) for faithful service to Seljuk sultans Alp Arslan and Malik-Shakh (Ibn Khallikan, page 90). â€Å"Siyasatnama† is chosen for present investigation because it reflects social and political life and moral values of the Seljuk period (Scott Meisami, page 145). â€Å"Siyasatnama† allows approaching the Islamic government from two perspectives. First, the Seljuk environment in the late 11th century will be discussed, and last, Nizam al-Mulk’s life experience will be considered. The 11th century Islamic world was characterized by strife and turmoil (Zakhodyor, page 244). Different sects appeared undermining the unity of the ummah, and the Ismailian sect of Muslims was gaining strength in Khorasan (Scott Meisami, page 161). Constant struggle for power between Shiites, Sunnis, and heterodoxy weakened the protection of the state, what was enjoyed by other nations taking military campaigns against Seljuks (for example, Dandanaqan battle) (lecture 2, week 7). In such political situation viziers were especially important, and a valuable contribution to strengthen the Seljuk Empire was made by Nizam al-Mulk, who conducted the state's domestic and foreign policies. Nizam al-Mulk’s theory of government is mainly based on a religious approach. Indeed, Seljuk court was important protectors of Islamic traditions (lecture 2, week 7). A picture of Seljuks as ardent Muslims is given by Aristakes Lastivertc’I ... ...y Nizam al-Mulk’s deep piety. Nizam al-Mulk devotes much attention to strengthening the faith on which Islamic government is based. Nizam al-Mulk relates that when the faith is weakened the state collapses (Ð ¡Ã ¸Ã' Ã' Ã °Ã'‚Ð ½Ã °Ã ¼Ã °, page 61). Indeed, ideology really matters for theocracies, it is the main factor that unites it, and destroying of it lead to break up of the whole state. To sum up, the issues of justice, virtue, and benevolence raised in the work determine the political views of its author. In turn, a socio-political system built by Seljuks had a significant impact on the formation of Nizam al-Mulk’s views. Thus, â€Å"Siyasatnama† is not only an excellent literary monument but also an important material in studying an Islamic governmental system of the Middle Ages, which contains a knowledge gained in practice and gives an idea of what an ideal government should be.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights Essay examples -- Democracy,

The founding fathers of the United States Constitution suspected that through democracy, a government ruled by the majority, the majority could easily become tyrannical in its usage of unrestricted power. That is, in denying or denoting the rights of certain minority groups. These fathers included Thomas Jefferson who stated in his 1801 Inaugural Address for President of the United States, â€Å"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.† Despite the possibility of defying majority rule resulting in some disastrous upsets, the government's most ardent responsibility should lie more in its responsibility to protect minority rights rather than to abide by majority rule. Since, of any possible outcome, the worst would be a situation in which a minority group is denied rights, not due to simple social complication, but instead due to a general lack of government protection. While a democracy is based on majority rule, minority rights must not be disregarded. One of the principles of democracy includes a minority receiving equal opportunity to become a majority, and thereby providing competition for the majority of the time. Competition has potential to force a majority to become a minority, needing the protection of its rights to provide opportunity for it to become a majority again. Furthermore, the smallest minority is the individual. By protecting minority rights from majority oppression, the individual is protected and vice versa. For example, individual rights of expression and speech ... ...certain minority group: african-americans. Yarbrough, Tinsley. "U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Democracy Papers ." à §Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ŽÃ ¥Ã‚Å"‹Ã ¥Ã‚Å" ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚”à ¦Ã‚Å"ÂÆ' - à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã‚â€"à ©  . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Yarbrough intimately and accurately describes the trials of the â€Å"African American Experience†. These trials include, but are not limited to slavery, denial to suffrage, and the retraction of equality through governmental policy. Yarbrough is thorough in the description of this experience, refusing to allow sheer opinion to even decimate fact. He â€Å"African American Experience† is a big part of minority rights being that african americans’ entire â€Å"experience† consisted of the government failing or prevailing in protecting their basic rights guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights Essay examples -- Democracy, The founding fathers of the United States Constitution suspected that through democracy, a government ruled by the majority, the majority could easily become tyrannical in its usage of unrestricted power. That is, in denying or denoting the rights of certain minority groups. These fathers included Thomas Jefferson who stated in his 1801 Inaugural Address for President of the United States, â€Å"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.† Despite the possibility of defying majority rule resulting in some disastrous upsets, the government's most ardent responsibility should lie more in its responsibility to protect minority rights rather than to abide by majority rule. Since, of any possible outcome, the worst would be a situation in which a minority group is denied rights, not due to simple social complication, but instead due to a general lack of government protection. While a democracy is based on majority rule, minority rights must not be disregarded. One of the principles of democracy includes a minority receiving equal opportunity to become a majority, and thereby providing competition for the majority of the time. Competition has potential to force a majority to become a minority, needing the protection of its rights to provide opportunity for it to become a majority again. Furthermore, the smallest minority is the individual. By protecting minority rights from majority oppression, the individual is protected and vice versa. For example, individual rights of expression and speech ... ...certain minority group: african-americans. Yarbrough, Tinsley. "U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Democracy Papers ." à §Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ŽÃ ¥Ã‚Å"‹Ã ¥Ã‚Å" ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚”à ¦Ã‚Å"ÂÆ' - à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã‚â€"à ©  . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Yarbrough intimately and accurately describes the trials of the â€Å"African American Experience†. These trials include, but are not limited to slavery, denial to suffrage, and the retraction of equality through governmental policy. Yarbrough is thorough in the description of this experience, refusing to allow sheer opinion to even decimate fact. He â€Å"African American Experience† is a big part of minority rights being that african americans’ entire â€Å"experience† consisted of the government failing or prevailing in protecting their basic rights guaranteed by the constitution of the United States.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Technology in the Mathematics Classroom Essay -- Computer Technology

Technology in the Mathematics Classroom While reading the NCTM summary on Technology, it is to my understanding that use of technology is at the teacher’s discretion. Therefore, the teacher is charged with the responsibility of preparing students before venturing into the field of technology. Essentially, students should be able to grasp and understand basic concepts and ideas, before intertwining computers or calculators into a lesson to further explore the concepts in said lesson. When visiting the U.S. Department of Education’s National Education Technology Plan website, I did not find any information on how technology should or could be integrated with mathematics. Their entire site was devoted to integrating technology but simply left an open forum for ideas. Now the ideas submitted by teachers were interesting, however, the matter still remains on whether a teacher feels that their students are prepared and receptive to integrate technology with a lesson or idea. I believe a teacher would be less inclined to use technology especially given that no ideas have b... Technology in the Mathematics Classroom Essay -- Computer Technology Technology in the Mathematics Classroom While reading the NCTM summary on Technology, it is to my understanding that use of technology is at the teacher’s discretion. Therefore, the teacher is charged with the responsibility of preparing students before venturing into the field of technology. Essentially, students should be able to grasp and understand basic concepts and ideas, before intertwining computers or calculators into a lesson to further explore the concepts in said lesson. When visiting the U.S. Department of Education’s National Education Technology Plan website, I did not find any information on how technology should or could be integrated with mathematics. Their entire site was devoted to integrating technology but simply left an open forum for ideas. Now the ideas submitted by teachers were interesting, however, the matter still remains on whether a teacher feels that their students are prepared and receptive to integrate technology with a lesson or idea. I believe a teacher would be less inclined to use technology especially given that no ideas have b...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Final Study Guide for Livanis Intl 1101

INTL 1101 Final Exam Study Guide Americanization – Consumerism, individualism – American products and values – Cultural imperialism? Trying to homogenize world? McDonaldization – Fast-food principles dominant in American and other societies – Uniform standards – Lack of human creativity – Dehumanization of social relations Infantilization – Benjamin Barber â€Å"consumed† – Against â€Å"ethos of infantilization† that sustains global capitalism – Turning of adults into children through dumbed down advertising and consumer goods – Targeting children as consumers Homogeneous global products for young and wealthy, and for children => soulless and unethical global consumerism in pursuit of profit Cultural homogenization – â€Å"More alike† theory of effects of globalization – Western culture industry – Homogenization of popular culture – Can be within western soci eties (McDonaldization) Market for loyalties – Regulation of communications to organize cartels of imagery – Domestic broadcast regulation maintains distribution of power – National identity reframed to political views and cultural attitudes that maintain existing power structure Facilitates predominance of one ideology Cultural imperialism – World patterns of cultural flow, mirror the system of domination in world economic and political order – Not confined to the west: see Mexico, Brazil (Latin America), India (East Asia), Hong Kong, Taiwan (China) Sustainable development – Long-term economic growth depends on careful stewardship of the natural environment – Environmentalists – Liberalization= unequal economic growth, resources for debt, competition (race to the bottom), increased pollution, unsustainable consumption of resources, political unrest – Free Trade Trade promotes growth and alleviates poverty= environmental benefits – Elimination of trade barriers= increased value of resources – Environmental progress is easier to achieve under conditions of prosperity Deterritiorlization of religion – Primarily caused by migration – The case of Islam: – Muslim Ummah – Re-islamisation as deculturalisation of Islam (not linked to a particular pristine culture, global Islam) – Quest for definition: Islam to fit every culture – By bridging the gap between secularism and religiosity, Fundamentalism overstretches religion to the point that it cannot become embedded in real cultureFree trade and the environment Technological Change and Disease – Transportation – Short term travel: 940 million tourists – Meningitis: 70,000 pilgrims to Mecca every year, secondary pandemics upon return – Expensive diseases in developing countries and eradicated diseases in developed countries – Medical technologies – Greater colla boration, more information – BUT, new technologies can be badly used – Ebola in DRC, AIDS epidemics in China from unsterilized needles Demographic Change and Disease – Population mobility Conditions that lead people to move are the same that favor the emergence of infections (poverty, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, state failure) – Refugees: sanitation, food, healthcare – 50,000 dead in a month (Rwanda, 1994) – Haiti: cholera from Nepal? (4,800 mortalities) – Long-term migration – Disease to non-immune populations, and transfer of new disease back home – Eradicated diseases re-introduced – Migrant workers in Africa (AIDS epidemics) – Urbanization – Megacities=megaspread Global economy and disease – Global trade IMF/structural adjustments and liberalization reduces the role of governments (mostly in providing healthcare) – Trade in food – Change in dietary habits, convergenc e of tastes – Demand for year-round availability of fresh fruit and vegetables – Products from less expensive labor markets, worldwide ingredients and transport – Food may be contaminated – Unhygienic irrigation, packaging practices, storage, non-indigenous crops more susceptible to indigenous pathogens – E-coli in Germany: 2,800 affected, 26 dead (91 in EU) – Mad Cow Disease Environmental change and disease Climate change-global warming – Higher ambient air temperature, precipitation/humidity (mosquitoes) – Water supply-dams etc – Profound ecological changes that affects disease vectors-most dams associated with increase in malaria – Deforestation – Increases contact between humans and pathogens – Decreases natural predators of disease vectors – Increases in malaria (runoff water stagnant in pools) – Loss of biodiversity Jihad and McWorld – Dialectical nature: one cannot exist w ithout the other – Babel: retribalization – Global jihad against globalization – Disneyland Globalizations – Jihad and McWorld make war on the sovereign nation state – Indifference to civil liberty – McWorld, focus on consumption and â€Å"invisible hand† for common good (rather than democratic institutions), repeal government regulations – Jihad, bloody politics of identity, exclusion and hatred, paternalism and tribalism – Neither global markets nor blood communities service public goods or pursue equality and justice – Future? – In the short run – Jihad likely to dominate? – In the long run – McWorld dominates? – Convergence of political ideologies? Triumph of liberalism? Convergence of political cultures? Triumph of Western individualism? – Or greater divergence and even conflict? Ethnicity – High ethnic solidarity: willing to redistribute resources within the g roup – No â€Å"master list†; what differentiates groups in one place may not be important in another – Example: in Serbia, common language and culture, but religion divides (Hutu and Tutsi) – Ethnicity as a â€Å"social construction†Ã¢â‚¬â€not inherently political Ethnic identity – Any specific attributes and societal institutions that make one group of people culturally different from others Language, religion, geography, customs, history, and others – Ascription—an identity assigned at birth – Largely fixed during our lives Clash of civilizations – Samuel Huntington: â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations† – â€Å"The next world war, if there is one, will be a war between civilizations† – De-Westernization and indigenization of societies – Hinduization of India and Islamic fundamentalism (Iran, Algeria, Egypt, Turkey) – The Confucian-Islamic connection – Kin-country s yndrome (Bosnia, Iraq) – Civilizations do not control states; states control civilizations Interpreted the same events as Fukuyama, but made very different conclusions †¦ — Outlined 7 main cultures (and a possible 8th); equates â€Å"culture† with â€Å"religion†: â€Å"people who share ethnicity and language but differ in religion may slaughter each other, as happened in Lebanon, the former Yugoslavia, and the Subcontinent. † 1. Western 2. Confucian 3. Japanese 4. Islamic 5. Hindu 6. Slavic-Orthodox 7. Latin American 8. Possibly African – Why will they clash? – Differences are both real and basic (â€Å"fundamental†) – World smaller due to globalization – Nation-state as source of identity grows weaker Fundamentalist religion grows stronger – Backlash against West enhances civilization consciousness – Cultural differences less easily compromised than political and economic ones (can you be both Catholic and Muslim? ) – Economic regionalism is growing – Result: unable to mobilize support for governments based on ideology, turn to religion and civilization identity Environmentalism and the developing south Collectivity Irreducibility Characteristics of environmental issues – Complexity – Interpenetration, pollution down the road. – Temporal and spatial uncertainty – What will happen in the future, how much is it going to affect us. Irreducibility – Holistic in nature, we cannot approach only one part, we have to consider them as a whole. – Spontaneity – Things tend to happen fast especially in environmental disasters. – Collectivity – Collective action problems, common pool resources, shirking/free-riding Chinese triad Food security – All people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, self-nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active an d healthy life. (UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization) – Peak oil, peak water, peak phosphorus, peak grain, and peak fish Green revolution Problems in beginning of 20th c: not producing enough food to feed expanding population – Green Revolution: 1950-1984 – Development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains – Expansion of irrigation infrastructure – Hybridized seeds & – Synthetic fertilizers & – Pesticides to farmers in developing countries – Transformed agriculture around the globe – World agricultural production more than doubled (world grain production increased by 250%) – Increased fossil fuel-based energy use: – Natural gas (for production of synthetic fertilizers) – Oil (for development of pesticides) – Hydrocarbon fuelled irrigation Unsustainable? (Malthusian argument) – May not necessarily increase food security (other political causes) – Promotion of monoc ultures, hunger vs malnutrition – Benefited wealthier farmers at the expense of poorer ones => urban migration – Extensive use and abuse of pesticides and fertilizers associated with negative health effects (cancer) – Land degradation, soil nutrients depletion Earth’s carrying capacity – No one knows!!! The Future of Food – Film watched in class, google if can’t remember GMOs Montreal Protocol – The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer mandated that industrialized countries reduce their production and use of the five most widely used CFCs by 50 percent. – Delegates agree to give developing countries a ten-year grace period, allowing them to increase their use of CFCs before taking on commitments – Without the Montreal Protocol, global CFC consumption would have reached about 3 million tons in 2010 and 8 million tons in 2060, resulting in a 50 percent depletion of the ozone layer by 203 5 – Montreal Protocol currently calls for a complete phaseout of HCFCs by 2030 (does not place any restriction on HFCs)Arms Trade Treaty – 2003, Control Arms Campaign was launched (Controlarms. org) – 2006, Control Arms handed over a global petition called â€Å"Million Faces† to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan 2006 – 2006, 153 states vote resolution 61/89 requesting the UN Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States (U. S. votes against, national controls better) – 2009, UN General Assembly launches a time frame for the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty. U. S. osition overturned – 2-27 July, 2012 (New York) – Currently under final negotiations – Require states to have national mechanisms for express authorization of international transfers of arms – Prohibit transfers of arms that could violate human rights and international law – Treaty Failure: – United States said it â€Å"needed more time† to review the short, 11-page treaty text (Obama administration torpedoed the treaty exactly one week after the massacre in Aurora, Colorado) Not to export weapons to countries that are under an arms embargo, or to export weapons that would facilitate â€Å"the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes† or other violations of international humanitarian law. – Exports of arms are banned if they will facilitate â€Å"gender-based violence or violence against children† or be used for â€Å"transnational organized crime. † – The sides, now: – Nearly 120 countries, led by Mexico, issued a joint statement on Monday saying â€Å"the overwhelming majority of (U. N. ) Member States agree with us on the necessity and the urgency of adopting a strong Arms Trade Treaty.Our voice must be heard. † – The five permanent Security Council members – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia â⠂¬â€œ issued their own joint statement of support for a treaty that â€Å"sets the highest possible common standards by which states will regulate the international transfer of conventional arms. † – Important Points: – Ammunition. – Exports of ammunition are covered in the draft treaty but not imports. – Self-defense. – Some major arms-importing states (Middle East), expressed concern that their ability to import weapons could suffer if the treaty comes into force. Exemptions. – There are a number of scenarios under which arms deals would be exempt in the current draft, such as defense cooperation agreements (India) – and gifts, loans and leases of weapons. – Reporting. – Current draft says countries will send reports to the U. N. on their international arms trade but does not call for them to be made public. China, Iran and others do not want that information disseminated openly. – The NRA says the treaty would undermine gun ownership rights under the Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. MalnourishmentObstacles to cooperation on environmental issues (regime, actor, general) National Identity – National identity is inherently political – Defined as a sense of belonging to a nation and a belief in its political aspirations – Often, but not always, develops from existing ethnic identity – Sense enhancers: – Common history, territory, culture, economy, rights – Why form? – Ethnic group may feel oppressed – Ethnic group may form a minority population – These conditions may call for self-government Boat people Ozone success – The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer mandated that industrialized countries reduce their production and use of the five most widely used CFCs by 50 percent. – Delegates agree to give developing countries a ten-year grace period, allowing them to increa se their use of CFCs before taking on commitments – New scientific evidence late 1987 – scientists announced that CFCs probably were responsible for the ozone hole – 1988, satellite data revealed that stratospheric ozone above the heavily populated Northern Hemisphere had begun to thin – Changes in the pattern of economic interests Du Pont announced that they would soon be able to produce CFC substitutes – Followed the next year by other large chemical manufacturers, including several in Europe – Major producers no longer opposed a CFC phase-out – Lobbied for extended transition periods and against controls on potential substitutes – Particularly hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)—a class of CFC substitutes that deplete ozone but at a significantly reduced rate. – The ozone regime stands as the strongest and most effective global environmental regime. – The worldwide consumption of CFCs, which was about 1. m illion tons in 1986, was approximately 100,000 tons in 2010. – Without the Montreal Protocol, global CFC consumption would have reached about 3 million tons in 2010 and 8 million tons in 2060, resulting in a 50 percent depletion of the ozone layer by 2035 – HCFCs, and HFCs, are now thought to contribute to anthropogenic global warming – Up to 10,000 times more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide – Montreal Protocol currently calls for a complete phaseout of HCFCs by 2030 (does not place any restriction on HFCs) Restaveks (or stay-withs) 300,000 children in domestic bondage in Haiti – Forced – Unpaid Overcropping – Deplete soil by continuously growing crops on it Overpopulation – Carrying capacity – Estimates vary widely – Inadequate fresh water – Depletion of natural resources, especially fossil fuels – Increased levels of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination – Deforestat ion and loss of ecosystems – Changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming – Irreversible loss of arable land and increases in desertification – Mass species extinctions from reduced habitat in tropical forests due to lash-and-burn techniques (140,000 species lost per year – High infant and child mortality. – Intensive industrial farming: evolution and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria diseases – Increased chance of the emergence of new epidemics and pandemics. – Low life expectancy in countries with fastest growing populations. – Unhygienic living conditions – Increased levels of warfare – Elevated crime rate – Less Personal Freedom / More Restrictive Laws. Demographic Transition – If standard of living and life expectancy increase, family sizes and birth rates decline Later ages of marriage, careers outside child rearing and domestic work, decreased need of children in indu strialized settings – Led to increased worry about aging populations and decreased worry about future impact of population growth – BUT, after a certain level of development the fertility increases again! – Fertility-opportunity hypothesis Food vs. fuel Precision farming – Soil erosion dropped, no-till seed planting – Drip irrigation, level fields (eliminate runoff) – Global positioning: efficient harvest, less chemicals Citizenship Citizenship: individual’s or group’s relationship to the state – Swear allegiance to the state – State provides benefits – People have obligations in return – Ethnicity is fixed but citizenship is not – Can be changed by individual or state – Potentially more inclusive concept than ethnicity or national identity – Three (ethnicity, citizenship, national identity) are often connected—an ethnic group forms the nation, and they represent the citiz ens of a country Nationalism – Nationalism as a pride in one’s people and belief in sovereign destiny Seek to create or preserve one’s own nation (political group) through an independent state – Sovereignty is thus key – Example: Great Britain – Governments determine nationality – 1707 – The United Kingdom came into existence – Yet there was no British nation since the people of the English isles were thinking of themselves as English, Welsh, Scots, or Irish. – Propagation of the dominant English culture and language through the years created a sense of English identity. – During the 19th century non-English cultures were suffocated. Global fundamentalism Return to traditional religious values as a reaction to modernity and global culture – Restoration of sacred tradition as basis for society – Cultural authenticity vs universalizing global culture – Global phenomenon – Modern ph enomenon – Fundamentalism vs globalization or fundamentalism as part of globalization? AIDS – Peaked in 2005 with 3. 4 million deaths – ~35 million infected – 14,500 new infections daily – Approximately 8000 deaths daily (3million/year) – > 90% new infections in Global South – Global responses – Millennium Development Goal 6 – Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Government-subsidized antiretroviral medications (Brazil, Argentina etc) – Samaritan’s Purse – The importance of Global Health Partnerships – Improving access to medicines – Financing health activities – BUT, primarily â€Å"vertical† (focus on specific diseases, and development/distribution of medicines) – Retroactive: does not focus on improving health care systems and primary care – Multiplicity of donors and actors: not aligned with government priorities International Organized Crime †“ Effort to exploit mechanisms of globalization – Transportation and communications technology Aided by deregulation – Possible through corruption of authorities, unethical practices of individuals and corporations – Extremely large profits (and high risk) – Global cities are main areas of activity (New York, London, Tokyo, etc. ) – Using financial services to disguise criminal activities – Defy the state, offer parallel black market structure Deforestation – Increases contact between humans and pathogens – Decreases natural predators of diseases vectors – Increases in malaria (runoff water stagnant in pools) (mosquitos) – Loss of biodiversity Arms Trafficking Lack of international treaty regulating legal arms trade – Illegal arms trade – Arms fuel conflict and crime – $60 billion a year industry – Lack of transparent data – UN: attempt to â€Å"crush illicit trade of small ar ms† – Cold War – Preoccupation with nuclear arms control – Small arms were not as widely disseminated – End of Cold War – Small arms â€Å"surplus† – Warsaw Pact/NATO upgrades – Difficulty in negotiations? – U. S. position – Nuclear weapons easier to negotiate Human trafficking – Labor trafficking – Sex trafficking – Victims are primarily women and children – Organ trafficking Trafficking of babies and pregnant women – Baby farm in Nigeria: sold for illegal adoption or for use in ritual witchcraft Child Soldiers Slavery – â€Å"A slave is a human being forced to work through fraud or threat of violence for no pay beyond subsistence. † (Benjamin Skinner) – â€Å"Do you want a job? † – Modern slavery: – More slaves now than ever before in history, 27 million – Each year 50,000 children and teenagers enter the US against their w ill for purposes of sexual slavery (CIA est. ) – Over 2 million trafficked slaves forced into prostitution and labor around the world 10 million slaves in South Asia (many through more than one generations) until they pay off their â€Å"debt† – 300,000 children in domestic bondage in Haiti Small arms – Over half a million people are killed each year with small arms across the world – In the United States 34,000 people are killed per year by small arms – The cost of small arms on public health, in Latin America at 14% of GDP, 10% of GDP in Brazil, and 25% of GDP in Colombia. – Registered homicide rates for Colombia, the United States, Brazil, and Venezuela among males aged 15–24 have doubled in the last ten yearsMonocultures – The agricultural practice of producing or growing a single crop or plant species over a wide area and for a large number of consecutive years. – It is widely used in modern industrial agricu lture and its implementation has allowed for large harvests from minimal labor. – Monocultures can lead to the quicker spread of diseases, where a uniform crop is susceptible to a pathogen Sustainable agriculture – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sustainable_agriculture Environmental change and conflict – http://www. accord. org. za/downloads/ct/ct_2011_2. pdf Environmental security Environmental change is an important source of social conflict – Many societies face more dangers from environmental change than from traditional military threats – Security policies must be redefined to take account of these new realities – Only by framing the environmental problem in security terms can the necessary level of governmental attention and social mobilization be ensured – Security institutions could contribute directly to environmental protection, given their financial resources, monitoring and intelligence-gathering capabilities, and scientif ic and technological expertise – Is there enough evidence to support the claim that ecological change is, or will be, a major new source of conflict? – Proponents: – Environmental scarcities are already contributing to violent conflicts in many parts of the developing world. These conflicts are probably the early signs of an upsurge of violence in the coming decades that will be induced or aggravated by scarcity – Opponents – Environmental problems are a symptom of conflict-prone social systems rather than a root cause of conflict – Are the advantages of linking environmental problems to security concerns worth the risk of militarizing a society's responses to environmental problems? Risks undercutting the globalist and common fate understanding that may be necessary to solve the problem – If pollution a national security problem, then pollution by other countries worse than home born – It is analytically misleading to think of environmental degradation as a national security threat. – Environmental degradation and violence are very different types of threats – Organizations that provide protection from violence differ greatly from those in environmental protection – Military organizations are secretive, extremely hierarchical and centralized, and normally deploy vastly expensive, highly specialized and advanced technologies – Is environmental security an idea with more appeal in the North than the South? An excuse to continue the North's longstanding practice of military and economic intervention – Focus on the South is a way for the North to deny its own responsibility – Calls to link the environment with security raise deep suspicions about ulterior motives Concern, contractual environment, capacity – da fuk? Fertility opportunity hypothesis – Fertility follows perceived economic opportunity – Against food aid, and development Transnational organized crime groups – Operate above and below the state – Create demand – Reach to the marginalized, impoverished and other â€Å"losers† of globalization – Use market strategies: – Hierarchically structured – Strategic alliances – investing/laundering capital – New growth areas (ex. umping toxic waste in developing countries and then negotiating lucrative contracts for the cleanup industry) – R&D – Modern accounting systems, information technologies, insuring against risk Global health partnerships Global food crisis – Enough food in the world to feed everyone but†¦ – 925 million people experience hunger – 2/3 of these people are in Asia and the Pacific region – Highest concentrations in India, China, DRC, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Ethiopia – 5 million children under 5 die of hunger in developing countries – Charity may help immediate problem but is no long-term sustainable solution – Causes for food crisis 1: Natural disasters – Floods, tropical storms, and, especially, long droughts – More common and more intense (global warming) – Wars – Population displacement – Famine used as a weapon – Fields and water wells mined or contaminated – Poverty trap – Lack of seed money, land and agricultural education – Trapped in poverty by hunger – Causes for food crisis 2: – Lack of agricultural infrastructure – Lack of roads, irrigation systems, warehouses – Emphasis on urban development – Overexploitation of the environment – Poor farming practices – Deforestation – Overcropping – Overgrazing – Economic downturns FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Policy and technical assistance to developing countries for food security, nutrition and agriculture – Forum for negotiation of a greements and debate on policies Fukuyama (the end of history) – Francis Fukuyama, â€Å"The End of History† – â€Å"The triumph of the West†¦an unabashed victory of economic & political liberalism†¦& the total exhaustion of viable systematic alternatives to Western liberalism. † – Liberal democracy will make the world safer – Democracies do not go to war against each other – Globalization – interdependence – Great faith in International Organizations – Washington Consensus – Critics: – Environmentalists – Marxists – Anarco-capitalism – Etc.