Monday, September 30, 2019

Statistics for Public Administration: Practical Uses for Better

Maureen BernerAs a public administrator, you need to be able to analyze and evaluate policies, and understand analysis and evaluations done by others. This means having a solid working knowledge of how to apply statistics to the types of data used in local government so that you make good decisions. Statistics for Public Administration: Practical Uses for Better Decision Making, a completely updated edition of Statistics Unraveled, focuses on demonstrating how statistics can help you do your job better, rather than on a mastery of statistics.The goal of this book is to make you, as a public administrator, an educated consumer of statistical information—and an effective translator of statistical information. You get the tools you need to design an analysis, gather, analyze and interpret data, present results, and make recommendations. This book is a hands-on, practical, and easy-to-understand introduction to the basic concepts and methods used to analyze data in local governmen t. Vignettes at the beginning and end of each chapter illustrate the concepts through the dialogue of fictional local government employees as they attempt to identify and solve problems. Packed with tables, charts, figures, and review questions to reinforce the concepts, the author’s conversational tone and casual style will set you at ease and make you forget any math phobia you might have! With this book, you’ll be able to understand the general approaches and problems with public sector research and data measurement, conduct basic statistical analysis of raw data using a variety of methods, and evaluate the validity of statistical research performed by others. No other publication is aimed at explaining statistics specifically to the local government audience. There are other books with the purpose of simplifying statistics for a broad audience, but Statistics for Public Administration: Practical Uses for Better Decision Making, uses specific government examples and problems to make the concepts in the book both concrete and applied for local government readers. You get a solid understanding of how data and data analysis can make you more effective in your role in local government. And you’ll see how the sometimes theoretical sounding concepts in analysis can be used to create concrete solutions to everyday problems. About the Author Maureen Berner first joined the School of Government in 1998, teaching program evaluation, statistics, and budgeting. Between 2003 and 2005 she directed efforts to provide new outreach activities for local governments based on the UNC model at the University of Northern Iowa. In 2005 she returned to teaching and writing for MPA students and public officials at the School of Government. Berner has been active in research and teaching in both academia and in government, and her publications include a variety of books, textbooks, and journal articles. She worked for four years with the Budget Issues Group at the U. S. General Accounting Office, including a rotation to the U. S. House of Representatives Budget Committee while serving as a Presidential Management Intern. Berner received an MPP from Georgetown University and PhD in public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Environmental Factors Essay

The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. These factors vary by location and can include culture, customs, and even legal matters. The Coca-Cola Company has been able to successfully examine these factors and create marketing campaigns that have allowed the company to grow in leaps and bounds over the past 100 years. Global economic interdependence Global economic interdependence is when different economies rely upon one another and can include goods and service exchanges. Coca-Cola is one of the most famous soft drink brands in the world because they have successfully marketed their products across the globe. These foreign economies rely upon Coca-Cola products to stock their shelves to meet the consumers demand. With such a strong demand, countries would want the company’s product in local stores to increase sales and thus taxes collected. In order to get products to foreign markets, Coca-Cola is faced with trade restrictions and agreements. Restrictions can include tariffs which impose taxes on imported goods or quotas that limit the amount of certain product that is brought into the country (Kotler, Keller, 2012). These restrictions can lead to questions as to whether entering that foreign market is profitable. A high tariff could cut into profits while other trade restrictions may not allow a product to enter the market at all. A stiff market to enter may require a very detailed and successful marketing plan in order to reach the most potential consumers. A failed plan could result in the company paying more for the product to enter that market rather than the amount of money being made. Demographics and infrastructure Demographics must be examined prior to entering a foreign market. Household income, population, and age can all play a factor in a marketing plan. Poor  countries such as those in Africa may not be able to afford to purchase a product and therefore, would not be included in a marketing plan for a high priced item. Also, if there is a limited amount of infrastructure the product may not be able to be transported. Countries that lack infrastructure such as paved roads or electricity would become difficult markets for Coca-Cola to enter. Without roads or railroads, Coca-Cola would not be able to deliver their product to the consumers. Electricity is typically needed in order to keep the beverage chilled and to record sales transactions. A country lacking infrastructure will have a difficult time getting popular goods to their consumers. Cultural differences Cultural differences play a role in the marketing process. Different cultures will have different ideals and may even use products for different reasons. What may be acceptable in the American market may be a sign of disrespect in another. Knowledge of cultural differences can make or break a marketing campaign and also the entire company. For example, the Japanese commercials tend to have more animation and songs in the commercial. Also, the culture is also more advanced in technology so vending machines are more advanced in Japan than the ones we see here in America. Finally, different cultures may see certain products or ingredients as unhealthy. What may be delicious to consumers in China may be horrid to the taste buds of those in America. Social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations Social responsibility and ethics are values that should be followed but not necessarily obligated to do so. On the other hand, legal obligations force a company to perform certain actions. For example, Coca-Cola is not legally obligated to set a certain price on their product. However, they are legally obligated to place nutritional and ingredient information on the product. As previously mentioned, different cultures play a role in marketing. What one culture may see as a social responsibility may be a legal obligation in another. As many know, Coca-Cola once contained the drug cocaine. Legally, cocaine is outlawed in the United States but may not be in other countries. What some may not know is that Coca-Cola still contains an extract from the coca leaves that is not classified as illegal (New York Times, 2013). In some cultures, it may be unethical to sell a product that has any  derivatives from any mind altering plants. Political systems and the influence of international relations Political systems can decide whether to allow a product to enter their market or impose extreme conditions that must be met. In addition, international relations can play a part as to where a product goes. Currently, the United States has a trade restriction with Iran that limits what can be exchanged between the two countries. Iran, once considered an ally, is now an evil and thus trade restrictions are in place. Coca-Cola may find it difficult to get their product into this market through a legit trade agreement. If Coca-Cola was faced with the fact that nobody would be allowed to import their product, they would be able to develop a marketing plan for domestic use that would portray that they are the only country who gets to receive the product. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 prohibits bribes being paid to foreign officials to assist in obtaining or keeping business (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, n.d.). This Act would prohibit Coca-Cola from bribing an Iranian official to allow them to export their product to the country. Because of this Act, large corporations can no longer pay foreign officials to keep their products in stores of countries that have banned them either by local or international law. These different laws and stipulations create barriers for a product to be introduced into foreign and domestic markets. Technology Advancements in technology have made marketing both easier and more difficult at the same time. Social media sites such as YouTube now promote products before the user can watch the video they intended to view. As technology advances, previous innovations become cheaper and open the doors for new consumers to obtain these products. As the amount of people who are able to access the internet increases, so does the amount of people that can view advertisements. One of the newest fads for technology is making more products â€Å"green†. Environmental friendly products are now the big rage and consumers will pay more for a product if it is deemed â€Å"green†. Advances in technology will eventually lead to more products being green and thus  creating a decline in the demand. Conclusion The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. Factors such as political influences, technology, and cultural differences all play a part on marketing. Differences in these factors can determine whether a product should be entered into the market. It is the responsibility of the manufacture, such as Coca-Cola, to perform their due diligence and evaluate its findings. References New York Times. (2013). How Coca-Cola Obtains Its Coca. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/01/business/how-coca-cola-obtains-its-coca.html U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Spotlight on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/fcpa.shtml

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Humans Place within the natural world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humans Place within the natural world - Essay Example In addition, artists such as Arthur Durand, Thomas Cole, and poet William Cullen Bryant also contributed greatly to past and modern understanding of the place of human being in the natural world. Because of the differing views and the subsequent contributions of these renowned artists, the world today has a better grasp and understanding of the presence and the purpose of human being on earth. People currently have a better perceptive of their purpose in life and the manner in which they should interact not only with humans and non-human animals but also with the rests of the natural world. What is more, the ideas advocated by these people in their artistic works have enabled humankind to make more sense of the social, cultural, economical, and social forces and structures in the civilized world. Although they contributed to the rich artistic history of the American people in different ways, Ralph Waldo, Henry David Thoreau, and Usher B. Durant contributed to the artistic history of America in almost similar manner. Waldo, an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, spearheaded the Transcendentalist movement in the USA the mid-19th century. In so doing, Waldo criticized the societal pressures that dogged peoples’ lives and emphasized individualism in his many published works. In fact, by championing Transcendentalism in many of his published works, Waldo slowly moved away from his contemporaries with whom he had professed rather radical religious and social beliefs. Among the core essences of life as perceived by Waldo included social, cultural, and religious ideas that he did not impose on people but gradually developed to endear people to these perceptions.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Review & Reflection on Peace. Understanding Biblical Themes by Walter Essay

Review & Reflection on Peace. Understanding Biblical Themes by Walter Brueggemann - Essay Example nn has tried to create a piece of work that would actually find the right kind of explanation and solution that would give people, ruler or ordinary, the chance to start PEACE within themselves. Walter Brueggemann, being an expert of theology, has further understanding on how peace is actually noted as an important element to human living. He then has been known for writing materials that suggest the possibility of applying peace into human life through the application of Biblical principles which he believes are the best foundations for human living. Hence, as part of his personal belief, he created several writings that aim to give people a chance to understand better how peace could actually begin in each individual. One of these writings was that of the book entitled â€Å"Peace†, which attracted the attention of the many readers and critics of the fact that peace is such an inevitable matter to consider and at some point even impossible to dream about. Everybody thinks of peace and everyone else hopes for it. For many years, the human generation tries all the different procedures possible to create a considerable way of making peace a possible element that would be easier to dream of and be easier to apply on the part of everybody in the society today. As a result, the reintroduction of the book is being handled today to release the book again since the publishers knew that the process of helping people realize their responsibility on distributing the chance of making peace possible for existence would make a great difference on numerous individuals who would have the chance to read the book. About three fourths of the book of Brueggemann discussed about the personal brickyards that each person has within themselves making it impossible for real peace to ever occur. Undeniably, he then points out that peace begins within a person. It is through this that peace grows out in ones heart and later on gets pass on to others. As based from bible principles, the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Accommodations and Modifications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accommodations and Modifications - Assignment Example Accommodations and modification have been helpful when administering instructions and assessment for students with special needs. This is because accommodations strategies are designed to meet the needs of every individual that ensures equal delivery, as well as standard academic contents. In this research work, the student with specific learning disability (SLD) will be considered. This disability makes the victim to have difficulty in understanding and acquiring language both written and spoken. In addition, being a student learning English as a second language, the student also has a disability of English learning. In specific, the student suffering from this disorder has problems of listening, spelling, writing, speaking and performing complicated puzzles together with doing mathematics (Beech 23). Such student can be supported by the use of the accommodation and modification. This strategy is organized into four categories namely presentation, response, scheduling, and setting. Presentation involves setting the student to access the relevant information. Since this student has difficulty in reading, instructions and assessment can be administered in form of illustrations and graphics such as audio, visual, or tactile. However, this approach cannot be effective in some cases where the information to be relayed cannot be either graphed or illustrated. Additionally, preparing theses illustrations and graphics is difficult and time consuming. For response, the student can be introduced to alternative ways of responses as opposed to the conventional ways such as writing, speaking, and drawing. The alternative methods of response, that student should be introduced to include scribes, computers, or word processors, braille, and word prediction software. Other alternative methods of response are voice recorders, portable sound recording

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Food Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food Science - Essay Example The liquid component, which is in the form of droplets suspended in the other component, is known as the disperse, discontinuous, or open phase. The other phase is called the continuous or closed phase. For instance, when oil and water are mixed together vigorously, the oil may be dispersed in water, or the water may be dispersed in oil. In an 'oil in water emulsion', oil forms droplets in water (oil dispersed in water) and in a 'water in oil emulsion', water forms droplets in oil (water dispersed in oil). Fruits can be divided into climacteric and non-climacteric types based on the pattern of respiration during the ripening period. Climacteric fruits include apples, bananas, pears, melons and avocados which have a distinct ripening phase. Non-climacteric fruits include citrus fruits, grapes, strawberry, and pineapple which have no distinct ripening phase. The two classes respond to ethylene quite differently. If immature climacteric fruits are treated with ethylene, the onset of the climacteric and the associated ripening changes is hastened, but the overall pattern of respiration remains unchanged. If non-climacteric fruits are treated with ethylene, the rate of respiration is rapidly increased which leads to changes in colour through loss of chlorophyll, increases in simple sugars and loss of acids. For example, oranges lose chlorophyll Wheat proteins are divided into gluten proteins (generally about 80 to 85% of total wheat protein) and non-gluten proteins (about 15 to 20% of total wheat protein). It is the gluten proteins that largely determine the breadmaking performance of wheat flour. Wheat gluten proteins have the unusual property to form a visco-elastic mass after hydration. When kneading/mixing the flour with water, gluten proteins enable the formation of a cohesive visco-elastic dough that is capable of holding gas produced during fermentation and oven-rise, resulting in the typical fixed open foam structure of bread after baking. Although the dough rheological properties essential for breadmaking are largely determined by the wheat gluten proteins, interactions of the gluten protein matrix with other flour components like flour lipids, non-gluten proteins, may affect its rheological properties. Wheat gluten rheological properties can be modified further by the addition of oxidants, reducing agents, or pro teases that directly change gluten proteins or by the addition of lipids/emulsifiers or hemicelluloses that can modify gluten

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Education System in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Education System in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The United Kingdom, like many other countries, has compulsory education laws. These laws mandate school attendance from age 5 to age 16. Secondary school continues on until the age of 18, but many students leave school at age 16 and move into the workforce. Although compulsory education begins at age five, many three and four year olds attend nursery schools. Currently approximately two thirds of youngsters in the United Kingdom attend nursery school. Attending nursery school socializes children at a younger age and prepares them for compulsory education at age five. The education system in the United Kingdom provides a free education to students in three stages. The first two levels are primary and secondary education which falls under local government control. The United Kingdom has a mandated a national curriculum that is used country wide to ensure that all students in the public school system receive the same standardized education. Tertiary education offers a university level education. Tertiary education falls under central government control and consists of colleges and universities that provide education and training such as vocational education and teacher's training. . Secondary education can include vocational education designed to prepare the student for national vocational certifications. Primary school in the United Kingdom is very much like primary school in other countries. Children are taught by one teacher. This teacher teaches several subjects to his/her students. At about age eleven children move on to secondary school and are taught by a number of teachers. These teachers teach specific subjects. At age sixteen compulsory education ends and students may choose to stay on or leave school. Many students choose to leave school and join the workforce. The United Kingdom does give their youth another choice. This choice is an apprenticeship program. (Steedman, 2001). Students that choose an apprenticeship as a route to a career are tasked with finding an employer that offers an apprenticeship. This can be done by looking for advertisements or through their Local Training and Enterprise Councils (TEC). Most apprenticeships are begun by being directed to a training provider (Steedman, 2001) who trains the student and then directs the student to possible employers. Other parts of the United Kingdom prepare their youth a little differently for higher education. But, in the end all have the same qualifications to move on to higher education. This includes Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. The students who choose to stay on have several options. They can attend to sixth form, choose to attend vocational training, or enter an apprenticeship programme. The apprenticeship programmes and vocational training prepare the students to obtain certification through the National Vocational Qualification Programme. Educational Shortfalls in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom's "main area of weakness is the comparatively large number of school dropouts at the age of 16"(RocSearch, 2006). The low staying on rate at age 16 causes these students to enter the work world with little or no vocational education. These students end up in low paying jobs. There are not enough students staying in school, primarily in vocational education, to train for vocational job in the United Kingdom. Businesses in the United Kingdom require a workforce that is trained and ready to work. The United Kingdom

Monday, September 23, 2019

Philosophy and Pornography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy and Pornography - Essay Example Some people derives pleasure from watching pornographic materials whereas others taking inspirations from such materials and engage in sexually abusive activities. According to James McConvill (2006), â€Å"the incidence of rape in the United States has declined 85 per cent in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers and adults† (McConvill). It should be noted that the last 25 years witnessed tremendous growth in the internet related technologies. Since internet is the prominent channel for spreading pornography, any growth in internet related technologies growth, development and spreading of pornographic materials across the world. There are many countries and states which restricted the spreading of pornographic contents through internet because of the concerns about the possibility of increased sexual violence cases. However, it is found that â€Å"the four US states with the lowest internet access had the highest increase in r ape incidents (53% increases) between 1980 and 2004, whereas the four states with the highest internet access, experienced the largest decrease in rape incidents (27% decrease)† (McConvill). ... Accumulation of any kind of energy at a particular place is results in unfavourable incidents. Teenagers, who are deprived the opportunity to access internet pornography, will try to release their sexual energy through rape like sexual violence. There are many arguments against the spreading of pornography. â€Å"Pornography promotes destructive practices and can lead to progressive addiction† (So what's so bad about pornography?). The general belief prevailing among most of the societies in the world is that pornography has more destructive elements than constructive elements. In many countries, access to pornography is regulated only to the adults. It is a common belief that teenagers derive inspirations from pornographic materials and may try to imitate it in their real life also. In countries where strict laws prevail, sexual violence cases are less even if the access to pornographic materials is easy. For example, in many of the Middle Eastern countries, sex related crime s are less compared to that in other parts of the world because of the stiff laws. On the other hand, in democratic countries like India or America, sex crimes are increasing day by day because of the absence of strong laws to punish sex offenders. The above facts clearly indicate that the response to pornographic materials is different in different countries because of the differences in the criminal justice systems in different countries. In China also, people engage in less criminal activities related to sex, even though they have access to pornographic materials. In other words, culture, belief in morality, criminal justice system and political frame works play an important role in public behaviour in response

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Supervisors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Supervisors - Essay Example This can be promoted through instructive and motivating organizational leadership. The functions of management are discussed, and the traits of effective managers in relation to the management functions. Finally, the relations between managers, supervisors and employees are evaluated and the challenges of a multicultural workforce presented. The Role of a Supervisor in a Typical Organization Supervisors or managers are important in management of teams and processes within an organization. They help in management and coordination of the organization, usually characterized as a pyramid. The supervisors help in achieving essential objectives and goals within the organization through communicating with each other at various levels within the organizational management hierarchy (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Supervisors are committed to grooming organizational personnel for success. Their roles entail the functional duties coupled with a variety of responsibilities. Organizational supervisors train their workers on new information and competencies. Workers ought to be prepared well to ensure they are successful in their duties, and this can be necessitated through supervisors’ training and orientation. The process of training is continual and highlighted for new personnel as well as other workers. Collectively, the supervisors have a responsibility of ensuring that organizational personnel benefit from intermittent professional development opportunities and training (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Supervisors evaluate objectives, goals and future organizational needs to enable them prepare plans, which offer the required resources and action items for the organization to realize success. The supervisors help in strategic planning, implementation and execution of organizational plans. In addition, supervisors prepare schedules for appropriate staffing and availability of resources to satisfy the needs of customers and production. They are respon sible for arranging human, informational and material resource productivity. They are tasked with maximizing organizational efficiency through scheduling inventories, equipment and facilities. This ensures that quality in production of goods and offering of services is attained (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Managers are responsible for inspiring and motivating workers to work appropriately and accomplish common organizational goals. The teams in organizations ought to work collectively, and it is the responsibility of the supervisors to recognize the uniqueness of every employee, establish various incentives and rewards to motivate them (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Three Traits of an Effective Manager Effective managers need to have entrepreneurial thinking and creativity qualities. Contemporary organizations are continually changing, and there is need for the managers to possess creativity and entrepreneurial skills to work effectively in such environments. Super visors with entrepreneurial traits perform their responsibilities effectively because they adapt swiftly and resolve organizational problems creatively. Supervisors are tasked with maximizing organizational efficiency. This can be best achieved if supervisors are entrepreneurial and creative because such traits would help them to develop new ideas to improve productivity and enhance quality besides increasing profit margins and expanding on the organizational

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Human Nature Essay Example for Free

Human Nature Essay After reading Mencius essay â€Å"Mans Nature is Good† and Hsun Tzu’s essay â€Å"Mans Nature is Evil† It made me realize that men are shaped by experience. People are born with a blank mind with a desire of some knowledge. Much of what we learn affects our behavior. Throughout our life, experiences have been shaping what we are. Both Mencius and Tzu believe the complete opposite, arguing that men are born with a nature of being good or evil. By reading these articles I’ve come to assume that people are born neither good nor evil; instead both of these are obtained through the filling of our mind with experiences and all this together has influenced what we become. Hsun Tzu’s theory about how human nature is inherently evil and Mencius about how we are good caught my attention, because it made me realize that man can go either way. Even though I don’t agree with either of them entirely, they opened my mind about how nature can turn one way or another. People are not born inherently good because if that’s the case then every society would have to be good and would not bother with problems like violence and other chaotic scenarios. To go into a good pathway, people must be straightened by mentors. Like Tzu uses on his essay â€Å"A warp piece of wood must wait until it has been laid against the straightening board, steamed, and forced into shape before it can become straight; a piece of blunt metal must wait until it has been whetted on a grindstone before it can become sharp† (101). Family, schools, and religion are a fair way to obtain this goodness. For example these three sources have taught us since childhood to be respectful. This is the kind of experiences one has to follow in order to be good. Family has taught us to have good manners; therefore they work as our mentors. It is just your choice whether to implement these experiences of being good into your life or to go by the experience you been having with the wrong people. People aren’t born evil either. Instead people learn this through experience as well. For example traumatic experience and experiencing poor family conditions can make a child into a delinquent. Mencius said that â€Å"If you plant the seeds carefully at the same time and in the same place, they’ll all sprout and grow ripe by summer solstice. If they don’t grow the same- it’s because of the inequities in richness of soil, amounts of rainfall, or the care given to them by farmers. And so, all members belonging to a given species of thing are the same† (97). In this metaphor Mencius is trying to say that if you are placed in a different habitat where you learn from the outsiders, you are grown by the influence of them, which in his opinion is evil. I found this to be true but also I want to add that it is not always evil, it can be for the good of somebodies development. Being with the family can be good however sometimes we experience inconsistent parenting or poor parenting where it affects our development. Sometimes people can’t avoid these kinds of experiences but others like being with friends and acting up to their level of immaturity can be avoided. It is up to the experiences you’ve had that will form into what you become. After going through both essays my mind is set into these ideas. People are born with a blank mind but also we can change after what become of us, either it is for the good or for the evil. Peers have much to do with a person’s behavior. As friends you might have the feeling of just fitting in, having to change your manners to feel part of the group. It depends much on our surroundings; this is what triggers our brain to learn from others and development starts operating. Society is an important factor to our development because it is that, what forms our way of living and thinking. People might not like society because they don’t agree with something cultural or religious but whatever the circumstances are they still are triggered by it. At last, my beliefs are now more explained and understood after going through the readings. These articles influenced me to the point that I now believe human nature starts as a blank mind which means we are born without any knowledge and habits. This is when experience comes in. Through our experience with everything around us we become what we are. Our experience since childhood has a great impact in what we are; in other words most of our nature comes from family. Nevertheless, I don’t mean that everyone is shaped from their parents, what I mean is that there are other sources from experience out there that shapes our development (nature). It is your choice to either keep following those experiences, whether the good or the evil, but any how nurture is what will define what you become. Works Cited Austin, Michael, ed. Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. New York: Norton. 2010. Print. Mencius â€Å"Man’s Nature is Good†. Austin 94-98 Tzu, Hsun â€Å"Man’s Nature is Evil†.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Agnews General Strain Theory (GST) Summary and Analysis

Agnews General Strain Theory (GST) Summary and Analysis INTRODUCTION According to an American Psychological Association survey, 73% of Americans named money as the primary affecter of their stress levels. Stress can be influenced by a variety of factors however, whether it is accumulation of wealth, death of a friend, or perhaps loss of job. Anger and depression are often are the results of failing to achieve goals, such as a student struggling to fit in with his peers or with the loss of a positively valued stimuli such as a friend or family member. Peoples methods of coping with stress can take two general avenues, the first avenue being the use of legitimate means of achieving goals or coping with stress, such as seeking professional help, and the second being illegitimate means, for example, bullying kids at school because of frustrations of not fitting in. Are people more likely to commit crime when stressed? This question would be answered yes by Robert Agnew and can be examined using his General Strain Theory which explores the causes strain, h ow to measure strain, the relationship between strain and crime, as well as policy implications based directly off his theory. A BRIEF HISTORY OF STRAIN THEORY Emile Durkheim first popularized the term anomie, which essentially is defined normlessness, or the instability that occurs when norms and cultural values breakdown. Durkheim argued that during rapid changes that take place in society, norms will breakdown. Robert King Merton in 1938 used the idea of anomie to help develop the foundation for strain theory. Merton argues that the struggle to accumulate wealth is the chief cause of strain (Merton 1938: 670). Merton suggests that there are two important elements of social structure. The first contains cultural goals, the function of the goals, and interests (Merton 1938: 672). The second phase of the social structure defines how society is to go about achieving these goals, by placing regulations and creating laws (Merton 1938: 673). The American dream is a popular culturally defined goal, Merton argued, which through honest-dedicated work, anyone can achieve this dream of wealth. Society defines what avenues are to be considered legitimate to achieve this goal, for example, earning a college degree and earning a high paying job would be a legitimate path as defined by our society. Since wealth in American is not distributed equally Merton (1938) argued that strain often occurs for those who are undercapitalized and do not have access to these legitimate means. Merton (1938) illustrates four responses to this strain. The first, conformity, Merton suggests that people who take this path subscribe to cultural goals and go about achieving these goals by using societys institutionalized means. The second path, innovation, suggests that when a person finds that an obstacle inhibits the ability to achieve the cultural goals, the person will not use institutionalized means; rather, they will employ other means. The third path, ritualism, describes a person that will reject the culture goals of society, but use its institutions as an avenue for advancement. The fourth, is the polar opposite of the path of conformity such that a person who is retreatist will reject cultural goals and its institutionalized means, people that take this path are people who essentially are not part of society (Merton 1938: 674). Furthering Mertons ideas in 1994, Messer and Rosenfeld expanded on idea of the American Dream as an origin of criminality. Messer and Rosenfeld (1994) state that the heavy emphasis on American Dream encourages criminal impulses while creating a weak normative environment. Agnews Revision of Strain Theory Robert Agnew, who devised a revision to previous strain theories, argued that most of the previous theories accredit crime to the failure of adolescents to accomplish traditional goals defined by society through legitimate avenues (Agnew 1985). Agnew (1992) states that despite criticism from distinguished theorists such as Travis Hirschi, strain theory can be vital in the explanation of some delinquency, although to do so effectively, strain theory needs revision. Agnew cites that if in fact the previous theories were to be true, it would be expected that crime would occur when there would be there a strong desire for monetary success and a low expectation of fulfilling that desire (Agnew 1985). However, Agnew (1985), suggests that tests have proved differently. According to Agnew (2001) studies show that delinquency peaks when desires, goals, and the expectation of achieving the desires or goals are low, and delinquency is lowest when desires, goals and the expectation of accomplishing the goals are high(Agnew 2001:). This is only one example of how Agnew began his revision Agnews General Strain Theory Agnews strain theory is focused on the individual level and their immediate social environment (Agnew 1992:48). Where most other strain theories, such as Mertons, put a heavy focus on accumulation of wealth, a structural cultural goal, Agnew tends to focus on goals that cause strain other than wealth accumulation. Agnew (1992) identifies three major sources of strain, being, the prevention or blockage of achieving positively valued goals, the removal of positively valued stimuli, and the threat or presentation of negatively valued stimuli. Failure to Achieve Goals Agnew (1992:51) describes multiple types of strain that fall under the category of failing to achieve positively valued goals. They are (1) strain as the disjunction between expectations and actual achievements; not achieving these goals is likely to cause anger, dissatisfaction, and disappointment, this cause of strain connects back to previous strain theories, such as Mertons (Agnew 1992:51). (2) Strain as the disjunction between just or fair outcomes and actual outcome. This source looks beyond simply failing to achieve a goal of monetary success or doing well in school (Agnew 1992:53). An example of this source of strain would be when an outcome of a situation conflicts with what the individual believed they deserved. Lets say a sales worker who thought they deserved a promotion due to good sales performance gets demoted while someone with less credentials get promoted. This can lead to strain due to inequity, where an individual will feel that they are unequal to those of their peers and will subsequently increase the chances they engage in delinquency. The main reason for delinquency in this case is to attempt to improve their outcome, such as lying on sales and fudging the books, or affect others outcome, such as writing slanderous rumors that get someone fired (Agnew 1992:54). Removal of Stimuli Agnew describes that by removing a positively valued stimuli it has the potential to cause strain. Getting something of great value stolen from you would be an example of the removal. The desire to get the object back could lead to a person committing delinquent acts by seeking revenge for those responsible. Negative Stimuli The existence of unpleasant stimuli can lead to delinquent behavior through the following avenue: Agnew (1992) states that a person may seek an escape from the negative stimuli, by trying to dispose of the stimuli. An example of removing stimuli could be someone shooting up a school because they were bullied, thus terminating the negative stimuli. Crime In short, using the above sources of strain, it is clear that negative relationships with other have potential to cause strain in an individual and in turn result in negative emotions. Agnew (1992) argues that the key emotion associated with General Strain theory is anger. A negative affect such as anger, is likely to lead an individual to take corrective steps to quell their anger. Often times anger leads an individual to seek revenge and is also a strong motivator for action. Broidys Test Agnews Theory state that strains are shaped by various factors, including the nature, intensity, and duration of the strain, the emotions that the strain produces in the individual, the collection of coping mechanisms at an individuals disposal (Broidy 2001:10). By measuring these factors, primarily intensity and duration of strain, General Strain Theory can be empirically tested by criminologists. (Broidy 2001:10) Lisa Broidy, from the University of New Mexico, examined cross sectional data of 896 undergraduate students from seven different disciplines, who participated in self report surveys. Although Broidy (2001) suggests that the non random sample is not ideal, being neither representative of all college students nor representative to the population as a whole is useful for the purpose of this test. Broidy (2001) asserts that by testing the theory with most middle-class, white college age students, it ensures that the results of the test are not spurious. Using the survey data to test three hypothesizes, Broidy found that a failure to achieve goals that were set by an individual were less likely to result in anger where a failure to achieve goals due unfair circumstances were much more likely to cause negative emotions. This study done by Broidy appears to be consistent with general strain theory such that, anger induced from strain is likely to lead to illegitimate coping strategies. However, Broidys study yielded some results that were not consistent with General Strain Theory. For example, the finding that anger is unrelated to the likelihood of legitimate coping, is a finding that is not assumed in General Strain Theory (Broidy 2001:29), as the theory does in fact predict that negative emotions like anger would be associated with legitimate coping strategies. Also found in this study was that females were much less likely to employ illegitimate coping strategies than males, leading Broidy to suggest that future studies of general strain theory should study the effect that gender has on assumptions described in general strain theory. (Broidy 2001:) Since Agnews major revision in 1992 there has been a substantial amount of empirical tests like Broidys, which there had not been previously (Froggio 2007: 392-394). Much of the test results conducted between 1992 and 2003 confirms that correlation exists between stressful events, strain induced anger, and criminal activity. However, Froggio (2007) argues that despite evidence of correlation between delinquency and assumptions of General Strain Theory, the correlation is not clear cut in that many of the surveys conducted were limited. Moreover, Froggio (2007), argues that surveys in the future should incorporate Agnews assumptions of when crime is most likely to occur. Policy Implications After reading the literature, policy implications for General Strain Theory become obvious. Since General Strain Theory builds off the idea that blocked goals cause negative emotions such as anger, it should be emphasized that going to anger management is appropriate route to coping with stress rather than using alternative means such as beating someone up. Encouraging K-12 schools to teach children that the accumulation of wealth is not what is success necessary is could be another implication based off of this theory, by doing this it could encourage children to value family, job stability, and good health rather than simply becoming wealthy. Although difficult, equalizing the opportunity for all to become successful would prove to be effective based on the assumptions of strain theories. Equalizing opportunities could include paying females equal wages, or provide more intensive education in low income areas, as well as making it easier for those in lower socioeconomic classes to attend college. Strengths, Weaknesses, and Comments General strain theory can be easy to subscribe to due in part to its broad scope, and General Strain Theory unlike previous strain theories is able to focus on middle and lower class delinquency, rather than exclusively lower class like Merton. Some empirical evidence regarding general strain theory shows a strong correlate between negative emotions (anger) caused by strain and criminal activity. However, General Strain Theory fails to explain why some individuals who experience great amounts of strain fail to resort to illegitimate coping strategies. General Strain Theory by definition is a logically sound theory, as it is not tautological, and can clearly be falsified. General Strain theory in my opinion is parsimonious in its general explanation of why strain causes crime, but latent variables such as gender, age, race, neighborhood, and other factors make it complicated when it boils down to experimental testing. Although the theory appears to be logical and fits the criteria for being a good theory by what was learned in CRMJ 301, I have become a skeptic of the theory. In order for a person like me, who is eternally critical, to become an advocate of a theory like such, I would like to see more comprehensive studies done. If money and resources were not an issue I would suggest organizing a birth cohort study, where a team follows children from birth until they are in their 25. This would let the researchers look at various factors that cause strain firsthand, by doing interviews and surveys more frequently. Until then I beli eve that General Strain Theory is incomplete but if incorporated with other theories it can be helpful in explaining some delinquency.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

computer viruses :: essays research papers

Computer VirusesIt is morning. You’re awakened to the sweet smell of flowers and the sound ofBirds chirping. You turn on your new I B M computer only to findThat every bit and byte of information has been erased. A computer virus hasStruck. These small bits of computer code have slowly overtaken the world ofComputing. A computer virus is a small program that attaches itself to disksAnd computer systems with instructions to do something abnormal. Sometimes theEffects of a computer virus can be harmless. But sometimes the effects of aComputer virus can be dangerous. But whichever way you look at it they stillCause problems. There are many kinds of computer viruses. Three of the mostCommon are the time kill, the logic kill and the Trojan horse. The time kill isA virus triggered by the computers clock reaching a certain date and time (oftenFriday the thirteenth). The logic kill is a virus triggered by a certain valueAppearing a certain part of the computers memory, either relevant to the virusesPurposes or at random. The Trojan horse is an innocent seeming programPurposely infects with a virus and circulated publicly. There is a cure forThese viruses, though. These "cures" are called remedies. A remedy is aProgram that watches for typical things viruses do, halts them, and warns theComputer operator."Put a child with the small pox together with a bunch of healthy childs and notAll of them will get sick." But that is not the case with computer viruses.You see when a computer virus passes on a virus it never fails unless theComputer is protected with a remedy. A typical computer virus spreads fasterThan the small pox too. Now as I said before when a computer virus attemptsTo infect another computer the attack is not always successful. However thatDoes not mean the infected computer stops trying. An infected computer willPass on the virus every chance it gets. Computer viruses are spread by twoMethods Floppy disks and modems. A modem is a phone link connected to aBulletin board service (B.B.S.). A B.B.S. is a lot like what it sounds, aBulletin board. If a human calls you and you're not home he leaves a messageSo that the next time you use the B.B.S. you can see the message. HoweverSometimes a human can leave a virus in a B.B.S. or an unsuspecting computerUser whose computer is infected the next time you hook up to the B.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Ruthless Intentions :: essays research papers

David PagelC.W. 1st hourCorrectionsFiction Story Ruthless IntentionsWall Street, June 18, 1999. A man in dark sunglasses and an expensive sleek Armani suit stands on a gloomy corner waiting. A golden Benz with black tinted windows stops at the curb. Another man dressed in similar attire calmly steps out of the back seat of the car and shots the man on the curb repeatedly. He than just as calmly steps back into the car and the golden Benz darts away in one swift motion.Chicago, June 19, 1999. Mr. Green sits on top of a giant skyscraper in his beautiful executive office. He is smoking a Cuban cigar in his big leather chair with golden trim. The same man who shot the man on the street walks in and takes a seat."The job is done," said the man in a bold voice. Mr. Green does not react. He fills his mouth with smoke, leans forward, blows it into the man's face and than slowly leans back and says, "Then where is the briefcase?""He didn't have it with him," said the man in a shaky voice.""You fool!" screamed Mr. Green."I couldn't help it, he didn't have the briefcase!" retorted the man.Mr. Green replies, "Understand that if you don't have the briefcase in forty- eight hours you are not receiving fifteen percent of the money and I am taking 100 percent of your life."Wall Street, June 17, 1999. A man in dark sunglasses and an expensive Armani suit walks down the street. In his right hand there is a briefcase. His fingers are clenched tightly around the handle.In the shadows lies a poor beggar. The beggar asks the man with the briefcase for some spare change. The man with the briefcase, under his breath replies, "Get a job."The beggar hears this and replies, "What did you say?""Nothing!" says the man with the briefcase. The beggar than takes out a knife and holds it to the man's throat. The beggar grabs the briefcase and takes off down the street. The man darts after him but trips on a dog that is being walked by his owner.Chicago, June 21, 1999. Once again Mr. Green sits in his office smoking a cigar. He took a long look at his diamond laced Rolex watch. In walks the other man who shot he man on the street. He takes a seat with a dark look on his face.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Special ed is not a Scandal Essay -- essays papers

Special ed is not a Scandal Special Education Is Not A Scandal Article #33 I think the biggest most important law having to due with education and the general public is PL 94-142. It is because of this laws effect on the school system and the impact that it left in the history of special education that I chose to write about it. Implemented in the 1970’s PL 94-142 is responsible for a change in which all handicapped children are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), a change that gave the disabled a fighting chance towards education in a world that was very discriminating. This law was amended in 1983, 1986 and reauthorized in 1990 ensuring that every child receives an individualized appropriate education in the least restrictive environment at no cost to the parents. Although PL 94-142 is a great law and has protected many Americans since it first went into effect in 1975 times were not always so good. In the early days of education it was not uncommon for the mentally challenged to be sent home from school denied their right to learn. Parents would have to find alternative methods or institutions for their child’s learning and usually pay a hefty price for what should of come for free. However, a steady line of law suites continually bombarded local states. Famous cases like Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania set the way for transition in...

Monday, September 16, 2019

Exclusionary Rule Essay

The Fourth amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. The interpretation and execution of the Fourth amendment in the courtroom however, is decided by the Supreme Court in an attempt to find a fair balance between individual and community interests. The exclusionary rule for example, is a Supreme Court precedent that holds police departments responsible for seizing incriminating information according to constitutional specifications of due process, or the information will not be allowed as evidence in a criminal trial. The question that arises in turn, is whether the exclusionary rule has handcuffed the abilities to effectively protect the community by the police, or if it has actually resulted in a positive police reform which needs to be expanded upon. My opinion is that although the exclusionary rule may significantly slow down the police department’s investigation and arrest process, it is a necessary â€Å"evil† in order to protect the rights of the individuals who in fact should not have their homes searched. I do however, agree that without the restrictions of the exclusionary rule police departments would be able to do their job a lot faster and more effectively, without having to worry about first getting a search warrant or after getting â€Å"slam dunk† evidence, having to see a case thrown out because it was not obtained through due process. My personal concern for allowing the police such a high level of discretion though, is that in the heat of the investigation and desire to catch or lock away a suspect, police may search the homes of people related, associated, or even suspected of having connections to the suspect in order to get information that could result in a guilty verdict, which would pote ntially violate the privacy of people who potentially are not connected to the crime or suspect being investigated. If I was personally appointed by the President of The United States to serve in the Supreme Court for example, I would take a close look at the case of Mapp v. Ohio. In Mapp v Ohio the Cleveland Police Department forcibly entered the home of Dollree Mapp without a warrant in search of a wanted fugitive. The Cleveland Police failed to find a fugitive, but instead found a trunk full of obscene material which under Ohio law was illegal. When the case went to court Mapp was initially convicted, through a series of appeals that eventually made it to the U.S. Supreme Court however, the conviction was overturned. As an appointed Supreme Court Justice, I would have absolutely done the same thing in overturning the decision on Mapps case. The reason for my vote or decision, would be that the police did not only forcibly enter the defendants home without a warrant, but they lied about having a warrant, and arrested her for a crime completely unrelated to what they were looking for if they had a warrant. Even if the Police department had a warrant to search Mapp’s home for a fugitive, my first question would be what size the trunk was. If the trunk was a small one in turn, I would question why the Police opened it if the fugitive could not possibly be hiding inside the trunk. I believe that the actions of the Cleveland Police Department were abusive, deceptive, and overall destructive for the reputation of their police department, their complete disregard for due process if overlooked, could have possibly encouraged other police departments around the country to take similar approaches to investigations without consequence. I am confident in the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court and would not change it at all if I were appointed as a Supreme Court Justice myself.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Proof Media Assignment

Proof Media Assignment (Topic#1) Alice Wang The directorial decision to include Catherine’s eulogy and the post funeral party scene in the film effectively enhanced character development. Catherine’s eulogy was significant in displaying Catherine’s behaviour in front of crowds, and her rash decision to make a speech at her father’s funeral. Catherine is shown to make emotional and rash decisions on the spot, not thinking of consequence. Catherine’s shocking speech is made in a calm tone of voice, but shows her clear resentment towards the crowd gathered at her father’s funeral – â€Å"Where’ve you all been the last 5 years? At the end of her speech, she exclaims â€Å"I’m glad he’s dead† and walks out. As she is walking out, we see that Clair stands up after her, but it is Hal who chases her down – this event showing that Hal is more caring about Catherine’s well-being as well as Clair’ s stance in her regard towards her sister. After Catherine walks out, she shows (to Hal) her disbelief at herself and her regret for saying what she said, and walks home. Later in the Post funeral party, Catherine is shown as a solitary person, away from the party.Hal tells Catherine flirtatiously that her dress looks good on her, which effected in Catherine later telling Clair, â€Å"Clair, I love it† (the dress). This shows that Hal’s opinion matters a lot to Catherine, and that Catherine is beginning to have feelings for Hal. Catherine and Hal exchanges words at the party, and Catherine reveals her intelligence to Hal when they begin discussing about the famous female mathematician, Sophie Germaine. Here, Catherine is revealing that she is, in fact, very intelligent – hinting at her inheritance to her father’s intellectual mind.Meanwhile, Clair at the party, is shown drinking and socializing- the complete opposite of Catherine; highlighting the differe nce between the sisters and their behaviours. Flashing back to Catherine and Hal, as Catherine is opening up to Hal, she shows him up into her room, and Hal kisses her. After Hal pulls away he apologizes to Catherine, saying â€Å"sorry, I’m a little drunk†. This shows that Hal is considerate and has feelings for Catherine as well. They continue kissing and they engage in coitus.Before the act, Catherine expresses that she feels like she is â€Å"like an egg† and â€Å"about to crack open†, and after the act, she is shown crying. This scene further develops Catherine’s character, showing that she is very emotional, but she is still in a rational state of mind, able to feel and give love. Overall, the scenes show character development in how different Claire is from her sister, and how Hal cares deeply for Catherine. Most of all, the scenes show Catherine’s resentment, regret, intelligence, that she is in an emotional state, makes rash decisi ons, and that she is not crazy – that she is still in a rational state of mind.

Narrative Voice in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Read the passage from Pride and Prejudice (volume 1, chapter XVII) carefully several times. Then, in an continuous essay of no more than 1,000 words, analyse the passage, discussing ways in which the narrative voice and dialogue are used. Throughout the passage, Jane Austen uses a variety of different narrative and dialogue techniques. The reader hears from three different people, an omniscient narrator, Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Bennet. Through these characters the technique of â€Å"showing† is used, which involved direct speech and â€Å"telling† where the narrator describes what is happening, what the characters are saying and how they are feeling. The â€Å"showing† technique allows the reader to see what the characters are saying to each other, so in this passage, the reader ‘sees’ the conversation between Elizabeth and Jane. â€Å"Telling† involves the use of free indirect speech and focalization, giving the reader a detailed view of the character and â€Å"telling† the reader what the character is thinking and feeling. The passage opens with the omniscient narrator introducing a discussion between Jane and Elizabeth regarding Mr. Wickham’s dealings with Mr. Darcy. Austen uses the â€Å"telling technique† to introduce this passage to give clarity to the reader as to what the discussion is about, Austen opens with â€Å"Elizabeth related to Jane the next day, what had passed between Mr. Wickham and herself†. Elizabeth has decided to share her conversation with her sister Jane the following day, which means that Elizabeth has firstly had time to digest what Wickham has told her and secondly the narrator is telling us that she is close to her sister, because she is sharing this important information with her. The narrator uses free indirect speech which allows the reader to trust Elizabeth’s account of Wickham to be true, even though the reader does not know what has been spoken between the sisters. The narrator uses Jane for focalization. Through the â€Å"telling† technique the reader is allowed to see Jane’s reaction to Elizabeth’s encounter with Wickham, Austen writes â€Å"Jane listened with astonishment and concern†. Jane is â€Å"astonished† because the reader knows she thinks so highly of Bingley and she does not believe he would be connected with Mr. Darcy if the statement was true, â€Å"she knew not how to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley’s regard†. Jane is concerned as she is hoping for a marriage with Mr. Bingley and does not want anything to ruin her plans, the narrator informs, â€Å"it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man†. Jane’s character is not one which would look for bad qualities in a person and through this form of free indirect speech; Austen is able to create a tone and expression which Jane’s character would use. Jane concludes that s he wishes to keep an open mind and believes there is another explanation for what has passed stating â€Å"It is in short impossible for us to conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them†. The next part of the passage shows direct speech between Jane and Elizabeth, and the â€Å"showing† technique is used to state their difference of opinions. Jane feels there is no one to blame other than misunderstanding on both parties. Elizabeth however, uses a mocking tone in her response to Jane exclaiming â€Å"and now, my dear Jane, what have you got to say on behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the business?† Elizabeth is trying to convince her sister that her point of view is the correct one, and also by referring to Jane as â€Å"my dear Jane† although she is mocking her, there is fondness and closeness for her sister and it highlights Jane’s character of seeing the good in all people and a little naivety on Jane’s character. Throughout the dialogue between Jane and Elizabeth the narrator is â€Å"showing† the reader how Elizabeth is trying to convince her sister that Wickham is being honest in his account of his dealings with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth gets the reader to instinctively believe what Wickham has told her, without question or doubt. The reader trusts what Elizabeth is saying and the likability of the character also emphasises this. Elizabeth past accounts of events have been very shrewd if a little ironic, however the reader may guess that Elizabeth may be wrong in her prejudice towards Mr. Darcy. Although Elizabeth uses facts and names to convince Jane, Jane is still doesn’t believe the situation to be true, Jane proclaims â€Å"It’s difficult indeed†. Again the reader sees Jane’s personality as someone who does not look at anyone in a bad way through this direct speech. The narrator uses â€Å"showing† in Elizabeth’s reply of â€Å"I beg your par don – one knows exactly what to think†, meaning that Elizabeth is still convinced Wickham is being truthful and she feels very strongly about this and almost convincing herself Darcy has most defiantly done wrong. Jane’s character is used to focalize again, allowing the reader to see how she reacts to Elizabeth. The narrator then uses free indirect speech to show the reader how Jane is thinking and worrying about Mr. Bingley and how could be viewed publicly – â€Å"Jane could think with certainty on only one point, – that Mr. Bingley, if he had been imposed on, would have much to suffer†. The passage closes with the arrival of the Bingley’s, going from narrative voice to authorial comment, Austen writes â€Å"the arrival of the very persons of whom they had been speaking†. The Bingley’s give their invitation to Netherfield ball and the narrative voice changes to indirect speech reporting what the characters say. The reader learns of how the Bingley sisters treat Jane and her family through the narrative voice and showing the fondness they have for Jane, â€Å"The two ladies were delighted to see their dear friend again† however the reader sees the rest of the family are treated differently stating â€Å"To the rest of they paid little attention; avoiding Mrs. Bennet as much as possible, saying not much to Elizabeth, and nothing at all to the others†. The techniques of showing and telling which Austen uses this allows the reader to see how convinced Elizabeth is with Wickham’s story of Darcy and how she pre judges him on the basis of someone else’s story, linking to the major theme and title of the book. Wickham is now shown as a good character an Darcy as a bad character. Through the sympathy the reader has with Elizabeth the reader is able to believe Elizabeth’s judgment on both Wickham and Darcy’s character.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

How does Stevenson present good and evil in “Jekyll and Hyde”? Essay

The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a tale of contrast between good and evil. Robert Louis Stevensons novel demonstrates the adverse effects of scientific experiments and how the perception of doors can lead to evil. Furthermore â€Å"Jekyll and Hyde† is full of dual personality which in itself creates god and evil. Also it suggests that good cannot exist without evil. Firstly many of the rich and respected went out at night to experience how the other half lived. Here among the dim lit alleyways of the East End and under the protection of darkness did the upper class come out to play. They were frequently involved in illicit activities such as gambling, prostitution, brawling, heavy drinking and opium taking. They wanted to break away from the restraining shackles of society and enjoy the thrill of a concealed life at night away from the tight morals that governed the upper class. It was therefore no surprise that Enfield also led a secretive concealed life at night. ‘Coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock of a black winter morning’. ‘Some place at the end’ suggests that Enfield is letting on too Mr Utterson that he was taking part in the extreme pleasures the city had to offer. However he was not going to openly admit as the effect on his reputation would be damming and the respect of Utterson would be lost as this secret life was a secret that could not be disgusted even to fellow aristocrats. ‘Extreme’ being that it is commented on as being the end of the world. Furthermore ‘black winter morning’ is using pathetic facility to show us that Mr Hyde is about as the author portrays the weather to be Mr Hydes appearance. Even though these illicit wanderings may be considered to some as being evil, the person who is partaking in the activities should be may be considered as good as he is not lying but also saving disgrace and disrespect from all other lawyers. The secret, shaded society knew full well that if they were discovered their well respected position and occupation would collapse from underneath them. This was even more so for lawyer as they earned a living from devils advocate therefore due to the strong religious beliefs in the 1870s people already hated lawyers as they do today due tot heir association with the devil. This shows that good cannot live without evil, as if their was no evil how could there be good. Secondly Stevenson presents good and evil through the perception of doors. Mr Hyde’s door is described as being ‘blistered and disdained’. The author presents the door as a personified form of Mr Hyde, ‘Blistered’ can mean burnt; burnt is disfigured; disfigured is mutated. Mr Hyde has been created through the mutation of Dr Jekyll’s ego. The author does this because the door is the entrance to Mr Hydes beginning and other egos’ life. Also the word ‘disdained’ means rejected and as Mr Hyde appears to be lonely due to him never mentioned as being civilized or having friends he could be described as being rejected. Therefore the door is shown as a personified form of Mr Hyde’s mind and body due to the door being rejected and mutated. Finally due to the door being the beginning of the creatures life if this door did not exist good could have been destroyed and at the same time evil destroy itself aswell. Another example of good not being able out live without evil is the street in which the door of Hyde’s house resides, ‘the street shone out in contrast’ supports Stevensons theory of good being unable to exist without evil. As the street ‘shone’ which is usually associated with happiness, and happiness is one of the many emotions of good. Therefore this street was good yet to support the authors theory he had to include evil some how and so decided to put the entrance to pure evils residence. Thirdly Stevenson portrays Mr Hyde as a sinister, violent, evil man. ‘Trampled calmly over the child’s body’ suggests to us the reader that this man is evil as why does he just trample over a child’s’ body. The adverb ‘calmly’ implies that his moves were not premeditated but fluid as if his actions came naturally to him, almost as if he walks over children regularly. Whereas the word ‘trampled’ implies that Mr Hyde is not all there, as if he is intoxicated with drug usage or excessive alcohol consumption. Also trampling may suggest that a state of panic has arisen in Mr Hyde’s mind to get home without being recognized or arrested due to his mutation of Jekyll. Furthermore Mr Hyde is described as being indescribable ‘he gave an impression of deformity without any namable malformation’ suggests that Mr Hyde possesses an aura of evil but shows know deformation from normal human form. This implies that no one knows how to describe Mr Hyde yet he is not deformed therefore suggesting his pure evil. No one has ever seen pure evil they have only felt or seen examples of what it can do also evil has never taken human form before. Whereas Dr. Jekyll is described as, ‘a well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty†¦ with every mark of capacity and kindness’. The word ‘kindness’ suggests that he was a generous, good man. Furthermore from these two examples you can see that Stevenson implies that Hyde represents evil and Jekyll represents good through the novel. In addition the Victorians believed in physiognomy which was where they thought that the way you looked linked with your personality. This relates to what I have already mentioned about the appearances of Jekyll and Hyde- Hyde being evil as he was ugly and Jekyll being good as he was an attractive man. In the Victorian times everyone would have believed this as they were all very superstitious due to there being no scientific proof to argue against some of the misguided teachings of the church. Fourthly Stevenson presents good and evil through referring to the teachings of the bible due to the fight of good and evil, and duty and temptation in the human soul: a story as old as genesis. Jekyll says that ‘the terms of this debate are as old and common place as man’. ‘This debate’ refers to the eternal struggle of all forms of good and evil. ‘Common place’ suggests that us the reader has grown accustom to evil always accompanying good. Furthermore ‘as old†¦as man’ is referring to the struggle of good and evil which Adam and Eve encountered with the temptation to eat the fruit off the forbidden tree. Due to this Stevenson created a philosophical theory that without human interference there would be no emotion as only good would exist and as Stevenson has demonstrated throughout the novel good cant exist without evil. This is therefore suggesting that mankind is the evil in the world which is why Stevenson portrays Hyde as being ‘Ape like’ suggesting that if mankind had not evolved from apes the evolution of evil would not have happened, Fifthly Stevenson portrays good and evil through evolution. Jekyll is shown as conceiving Hyde as his ‘lower element† Hyde is actually perceived as being lower on the evolution scale by the author. Utterson found Hyde both ‘dwarfish’ and ‘troglodytic’. ‘Dwarfish’ and ‘troglodytic’ are both associated with cave dwellers and through the course of evolution we have lived in caves however that was some ten thousand years ago thus suggesting of his un-evolved nature. Whilst other remarks describe Hyde as being ‘ape-like’ it is with no doubt then that Hyde is suppose to not have evolved fully therefore suggesting that Hyde is immortal. Therefore if Hyde is shown as being immortal then the author is implying that evil is indestructible whilst good exists. Finally Stevenson presents good and evil through the use of pathetic facility in the weather. When Hyde is around Stevenson uses â€Å"at night under the face of the fogged city moon† to increase the tension of Hydes appearance. The word ‘fogged’ suggests that it’s misty and eerie. Eerie usually been associated with spookiness/horror so therefore the presence of horror is created by the appearance of Hyde. This type of weather is a pun on Hyde’s name due to you being able to ‘hide in fog’. Alternatively the weather seems to be nice and pleasant when Jekyll’s around. â€Å"It was a fine, dry night†¦ the lamps unshaken by the wind†. The word ‘unshaken’ may suggest how calm the weather is, comparing to Jekyll as he is also a ‘calm’, ‘gentle’ person. However towards the end of the novel anti-pathetic facility occurs as the weather is good yet Hyde appears. ‘I sat in the sun†¦ I was once more Edward Hyde ‘. Moreover you would think this would occur all through the novel, however near the end anti-pathetic fallacy is used as when Jekyll is around the weather is also bad. This may reflect on the personalities as Jekyll is starting to be overcome by the evil of Hyde and so in turn is becoming evil. This makes the reader confused and not sure what to think with this unexpected change however that is how Stevenson has presented some of the different forms of good and evil throughout the novel. In conclusion Robert Louis Stevenson presents good and evil as being partners, partners that should never be separated over wise the effects could be disastrous. Therefore Stevenson has shown us the reader that evil must co-exist if not to cause self-destruction. Furthermore he presented Jekyll as being addicted to Hydes evil and the more he tried to fight his addiction to further he sank into its horrific power. Also Stevenson shows us that for the world to survive good has to be forever locked in conflict. However Stevenson also presents good and evil through the perception of doors and how the shackles of society which many people crave are so easy to come by as to loose. We have grown up to believe that good always triumphs over evil yet if that is so eventually one day nature will conquer over man kind, as Stevenson proves that mankind is the route of all evil and therefore it is us that has to co-exist with nature.

Friday, September 13, 2019

MIH548 - Theory Based Research - Mod 3 Case Assignment Essay

MIH548 - Theory Based Research - Mod 3 Case Assignment - Essay Example The EFPT was designed with the need to determine how people post stroke were doing in the real world. It determines what the patient can do and what kind of support he needs to be able to perform that function. In other words can this person cook, make a telephone call, manage their medications or pay a bill? In comparison, previous tools have been set up to assess the patient but not in the actual home setting. There are several types of variables. These include independent and dependent, extraneous, demographic, moderator and mediator, and operational zing. Most of the variables in this case are listed in the explanatory table 2 on page 449 of the study. There are demographic variables which include race and gender, as well as education and age. There are also operational zing variables which include tasks and components. There was some variation created as both mild stroke and moderate stroke were studied Reliability has to do with the reduction of variables. For instance reliability is important in selecting and using a scale for study. Reliable instruments make the value of a study much higher. When a tool or study is reliable, it is consistent. For example, if you ask the same set of questions to the same group of patients at two different times, the answers should me the same. This makes the instrument reliable. EFPT was tested on a group of 10 participants in which the consistency of the sample results showed to be .94 which shows a high reliability rate. Validity is the determination that the instrument actually describing what is happening or moving the information from abstract to concrete. It is usually seen as having three primary types. Those are content validity, predictive validity, and construct validity (Burns, et.al. 2007). Validity, like reliability happens in degrees. Nothing is completely reliable and no instrument is completely valid. Using an

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Extra Credit Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Extra Credit Assignment - Essay Example People in Orlando began to believe the media reports randomly, although most of them were not entirely based on actual facts, this essay attempts to examine the background and effects of Casey Anthony trial in relation to Orlando. The disappearance and death of a girl child Caylee Anthony received high media attention and triggered off considerable legal debate in USA. Afterwards, the trial of Casey Anthony (mother of Caylee) attracted significant coverage in social, national, and international media. On 18th July, 2008, Cindy Anthony (grandmother of Caylee) reported that her granddaughter had gone missing. Almost five months later, Caylee’s skeleton was found in a jungle area in proximity to the family home. Subsequently, Casey Anthony was charged of having murdered her daughter and a rigorous trial began. The prosecution charged Casey of first degree murder and sought death penalty for her (Fuhrman, 3). However, the jury did not find Casey guilty for child abuse and murder. But it was held that she had given misleading information to the police in connection to the case. Hence, she was given a ruling of four years in prison and a total fine of $4000 was charged. Finally, she was released on 17th July , 2011 due to good behavior and the credit for the time already served. The case of Casey had profound effects on the international and national media and public opinion. Therefore, in Orlando area too, the trial had an effect that could be deeply felt. Could a mother murder her two and a half years old child? How can one murder a child in such a cruel way? How is the society at large responsible for what happened? The questions that loomed in the air were uneasy to answer. Quoting from Fuhrman (2), the developments can be explained in the following way: â€Å"This is the story of how the media create alternate realities that serve their quest for ratings, while the criminal investigation that might solve the case is all but derailed. The

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Develop the Eden Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Develop the Eden Project - Research Paper Example It is of high importance to mention that the evolution of the telecommunication technology along with the process of evolution of high speed internet and various kinds of technology enabled gadgets has resulted in the process of playing a tremendous amount of influence in the lives of the masses around the world. It needs to be mentioned that because of the lines of emergence of high speed internet connectivity, the network of communication channels has improved in a drastic manner all over the world. The internet has played a major role in the process of creating the channels of communication in the various regions of the developed as well as the developing economies. It can be rightly said that it is of considerable importance to highlight that this technology powered development has resulted in the process of transformation of the globe, where the entire world can be represented and increasingly seen as a single and well connected global entity. Because of this technology powered transformation of the world around us, there has always been a steady evolution of various kinds of trends associated with the factor of globalization and innovation. The trends of globalization as well as innovation that are emerging from all corners of the world are increasingly getting diffused at a very rapid pace and it is happening irrespective of the fact of whether the regions are located in the developed or developing economies. The rapid diffusion of the trends of globalization and innovation is resulting in the process of evolution of various kinds of new types of consumer demands. These new consumer demands are increasingly paving the way for a significant amount of business opportunity. In this case, the focus is on Eden Project. The Eden Project is a tourist setup in the region of Cornwall in United Kingdom. The project has been developed on a very entrepreneurial as well as innovative note. The entire tourist attraction spot has been built on a former 200 ft deep clay fit and currently comprises of two giant biomes. It has been opened to the public in the year 2001 (Smale, 2006). The uniqueness of the entire project is the fact that the project is aimed to develop and enhance an understanding among the public that a successful business can be conducted by developing a sustainable approach to life as well as to the planet as whole. This assignment is focused on developing a strategic analysis using various models as well as identifying various possible courses of action which will have a compatibility with the various short and long term goals as well as operational perspectives of the tourist site. Strategic Capability analysis using Kay’s distinctive capabilities framework From the academic point of view, the strategic capability

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Art Curation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art Curation - Research Paper Example With the accommodation of terms such as performative, or self-reflexive, it is clear that curating is no longer only about exhibitions. This form of discourse proves that curating is slowly turning into a visible, self-critical and transparent process. The rising transformation and visibility of the exhibition since the 20th century has encouraged students to develop a motivation for engaging with the history of curation. On one hand, the transformation narrows down to the foundation of new institutions that accommodate for the exhibition of contemporary art, increasing temporalisation of museums as well as expanding the art market with countless art fairs and gallery shows(Vogel, 2013)1. Besides the need to renovate museums and enlarge their temporary exhibition spaces for marketing and other economic-related reasons, an artistic engagement with the museum’s collection has become a critical requirement for everymuseum. Regardless of the fact that these strategies are based on permanent collections, the presentation approaches have replaced the atemporal collection displaythat is viewed as rigid and authoritative(Altshuler, 2012)2. On the other hand, the art exhibition is changing to an extent that it encourages us to appreciate a range of typologies that overshadow the conventional formats of solo, group or thematic shows. The discourse in art curation considers the growth of new artistic practices that include institutional critique or conceptual art(Bourriaud, 2002)3.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Red Blood Cells Cytoskeleton Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Red Blood Cells Cytoskeleton - Article Example The membrane of a red blood cell is a lipid bilayer with transmembrane proteins and a myriad of filamentous proteins along the whole membrane. In the membrane cytoskeleton, spectrin is the most commonly found protein, forming long and elastic heterodimers, that join head to head to form heterotetramers, the tails of which are composed of F-actin, protein 4.1, and actin-binding proteins called dematin, adducin, tropomyosin, and tropomodulin (Stokes). This whole meshwork of proteins is attached to the cytoskeleton at two places: â€Å"one mediated by ankyrin that couples spectrin to Band 3 and the other mediated by protein 4.1 that couples the junctional complex to Glycophorin C† (Stokes, para.2). So, we see that human red blood cells are deficient in actin–myosin–microtubule cytoskeleton, which is helpful in cell shape determination, according to a recent research (Acton 69). The proteins of the cytoskeleton plasma membrane interact to form a barrier for toxins, b ut help the ions and information signals to pass in and out of the cell membrane. Stokes, David. â€Å"Architecture of the Cytoskeleton in Red Blood Cells.† Laboratory of David Stokes. NYU School of Medicine, 2011. Web. 18 Nov 2012.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Network security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Network security - Essay Example Also, partnership with application vendors needs some consideration. The solution should render application traffic as safe and avoid data corruption or change risks. Application vendor partnerships are required to achieve this. These services enhance convenience and efficiency to the users. File serves enable users share their files over the network in a transparent manner. Most importantly, users can access a specific file over the network without necessarily sharing it (Diablotin, 2014). In order to support diskless workstations, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP) is enabled hence users can come up with their own open network protocols. An alternative protocol may include Network File System (NFS). On the other hand, a printer server provides a platform for users to access the same printer over the same network. Some of the advantages associated with printer sharing include; reduced costs on the number of required printers, reduced maintenance costs due to fewer machines, and maximum utilization of expensive resources as a result of access to special printing machines. The servers enable users get in touch with their office work, family and customers among others. Users can customize their web mail according to their preference. The servers provide a platform to send and receive messages from users connected over the same network, especially over the internet. Users can set up filters whenever they want to organize their email folders. Also, groupware collaboration options enable users to share their distribution lists, classified notes, and email folders in a convenient way. Users can install ComAgent application that would run on their workstations and monitor all their classified emails. These kinds of servers are applicable for any user that utilizes either high-performance cloud or a

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Generals Revolt on Rumsfeld Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Generals Revolt on Rumsfeld - Essay Example This perception is based on shared perceptions and values followed by the organization and its members. The task and duty of a military leader is to create positive and supportive culture and climate based on principles, rituals and values of the military organization1. The Revolt of the Generals is a vivid example of how climate and culture caused a breach in the civil-military relations. The Revolt of the Generals is a vivid example of assault on military culture. Secretary Rumsfeld was accused in "willfully ignoring military advice and initiating the war in Iraq with a force that was too small"2. The generals state that his leadership led to low level of morale and poor climate, poor performance and personal relationships. Following Hustings (2006) culture and climate are important in the Army because connected with team spirit and commitment soldiers. It is possible to say that the Army structure is based on strong military culture supported and reinforced by soldiers and the officers3. The case of Rumsfeld portrays that a leader's behavior sets the course others follow and determine the values and other measures used to account for group actions. The responsibilities of strategic leaders include identification of a task and the quality of its fulfillment.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart Essay Example for Free

Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart Essay He had a slight stammer and had no patience with unsuccessful men. Okonkwo’s fears were becoming like his father, Unoka because his father was a failure. The characteristics of his father was his father was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat and people laughed at him because he was a loafer and they swore never to lend him money again because he never paid it back. Unoka was inactive, deprived, wasteful, weak, moderate, and always very fascinated in music and conversation. Okonkwo on the other hand was the total opposite of his father, he just married his third wife, he was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams last but not least he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars. 2. Kola is a stimulant, comparable to very strong tea or coffee, which is served on most social occasions in this culture. It is also one ingredient after which Coca Cola is named. Note how the ritual for sharing kola is described without being explained. Why do you think Achebe does this? He will continue to introduce Ibo customs in this fashion throughout the novel. * Achebe describes kola without explaining it because he wants the reader to know that Kola nuts plays a big part in the African culture due to the fact that in the book it states â€Å"He who bring Kola Nuts brings life†. Kola Nuts is to be presented to the titled man or a village head. This plays a very important social and ritual role in the Igbo culture. The kola-nuts are the highest symbol of Igbo hospitality. Whenever a kola-nut appears in a gathering, the matter to be discussed at that particular time is regarded as very important. When an important guest visits the community, kola-nuts are brought out and handed to the elder person. 3. One becomes influential in this culture by earning titles. As with the Potlatch Indians of our region and many other peoples, this is an expensive proposition which involves the dispersing most of ones painfully accumulated wealth. What do you think are the social functions of such a system? I believe the social functions of such a system is to show your people how far you have come as a person and how successful you are. So the more money that you spend it shows people how victorious you are. If you just have a regular old party without putting much money into it you aren’t that successful in other people’s eyes. 4. One of the most famous lines in the novel is proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten. What does this mean? Palm oil is a rich yellow oil pressed from the fruit of certain palm trees and used both for fuel and cooking. Look for other proverbs as you read. Cowry shells threaded on strings were traditionally used as a means of exchange by many African cultures. The villages distance from the sea makes them sufficiently rare to serve as money. Cowries from as far away as Southeast Asia have been found in sub-Saharan Africa. * This important quote shows how the Igbo people use their art of rhetoric so plainly. The quote shows how our lifestyle is one of fast-paced conversations, yet the Igbo prize conversation as an art form. That art form shows how the Igbo people use rhetoric so plainly. We all know proverbs are meant to be well thought-out and intentional but not quickly digested and forgotten. In the quote the metaphor suggests that words are organized by proverbs for digestion. Palm oil was a common form of cooking oil, and many foods were prepared with it for use. For that reason, proverbs are the source by which words or conversations are made. The same value that they place on food, the nourishment of life, to words, the sustenance of communication and for these reasons the community.

Reply to Post of Jennifer Schaefer Essay Example for Free

Reply to Post of Jennifer Schaefer Essay The outline set by the learner for the conduct and content of the initial interview is very traditional and methodological. It starts out with the gathering of relevant information, analyzing the data and then formulating solutions to the problems of the clients. This method is the commonly used approach in the world of therapy because it has been proven effective and easy to use by many therapists. For the first part of the outline, I think that the learner is very formal. This may make the client feel that he or she is being examined by a professional which is not helpful in forging a relationship with the client. This stage is very important because it empowers and enables the client to disclose all his or her experiences that will lead the therapist to find or provide solutions to the client’s problems. In the end, this formal or rigid approach can impede the progress of the counseling session. Reply to Post of Michele Moran The outline drafted by the learner tackles the issues of the client from recent to old. The problem that I see with this kind of approach in conducting an initial interview is that it seems very invasive to the client. At the beginning of the interview, the therapist or counselor would immediately ask for personal information about the client. Then, the client will be bombarded with questions or insinuations regarding his or her problem. I think these stages are essential but a rapport first must be established between the client and the therapist. Through this, the client can feel the he or she is not just talking to a professional who is doing his job but more of a friend or confidant who is willing to help and concerned about the welfare and development of the client.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Downstream Linkages in the Zambian Copper Industry

Downstream Linkages in the Zambian Copper Industry Resource extraction is often regarded by governments and people of resource-rich countries as a solution to poverty alleviation, ranging from tax revenues, technology transfer, and employment creation, export enhancement to upstream and downstream linkages. Downstream linkage industries do promise the widening of employment opportunities and high foreign earnings as a result of value-addition. Western resource intensive economies such as Australia, Canada, US and the like are examples of well-managed, resource-rich economies in which the mineral sectors spurred knowledge-intensive processes, created jobs and foreign exchange earnings and resulted in spill-overs into new industrial and service sectors. The scope of downstream linkages is often considered an important determinant of the extent to which a mineral-rich nation stands to gain additional economic benefits that come with it. This explains the continuous pressure that is always mounted on mining companies by host governments to engage further in downstream activities. However, downstream activities irrespective of their location are influenced by global market dynamics and competitive elements. Therefore, in an attempt to grasp the benefits that come with downstream activities, it is extremely imperative to examine the opportunities, risks and possible ways of striking a balance taking cognizance of the global demand and supply interplay to ensure that the highest possible net positive benefits are achieved and sustained. In focus is Zambia which has been an active copper mining country since 1900s though performed poorly along the line but revamped barely in the last decade. In 1968, Zambia held an important position as a copper producer, with peak output at 815,000 ton and a 15% share of world output, but the abysmal performance of its state-owned enterprises that took over after the 1969 nationalisation resulted in a drop of output to a trough of 250,000 tonnes in 2000 (Radetzki, 2009p.182). Nevertheless, the copper industry has been revitalised with the privatization of the mining sector which occurred between mid-1990s and early 2000s. In the period 2000-2005, copper exports contributed to around half of total foreign exchange earnings, but from 2006 onwards, this share increased to 73.5% 83.2% ( Fessehaie, 2012 p.3). Copper also provided 10% of formal employment and its contribution to GDP in the last decade increased on a yearly basis, reaching 9.1% in 2009. Copper mining has and continues to be one of the largest economic activities in Zambia, comprising approximately 10 percent of GDP and more than 60 percent of exports (Wilson, 2012pp798-799). The paper therefore examined downstream or for ward linkages to copper production in Zambia by first exploring the scope of downstream linkages and examined the risks, opportunities and risks mitigation measures in the downstream sector of Zambias copper industry. The rest of the paper is structured as follows; section two introduces the background and established the theoretical framework. Section three examined the scope of downstream activities, the risks, opportunities and possible measures for risks mitigation and section four concludes with recommendation. 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 A Brief Overview of Global Copper Production and Consumption The global cumulative annual growth in global mine output of copper has gone through significant changes over the period 1750 to 2007. It stood at 0.8% in 1750-1800, rose to 2.6% in 1800-1850 and from 1850 and until 1900, the annual growth of copper production accelerated to 4.5%. Output expansion subsequently reduced to an average of 3.3% between 1900 and 1950, and remained at this level until 2007 (Radetzki, 2009p.182). In 2011, global copper production reached an output level of 16100 metric tonnes from 15900 metric tonnes in 2010 with a total reserves value of 690000 metric tonnes (USDSp. 49) (2012). On the other hand, growth rates in global copper consumption fell from 4.48% in the period 150-1973 to 0.65 covering 1973-1983 largely explained by the oil price shocks of the 1970s and 80s and picked up again, reaching 2.51% for period 1983-2003 (Nishiyama, 2005p..132). The period following 1990 saw a significant increase of Asia, especially Chinas share of global copper consumption , currently about 40% (ICSG) which gradual spurred up copper prices in the mid-2000s. The interplay of Chinas demand growth and appropriate timing of additions to production capacity speaks a lot about the future global trends in both production and consumption. 2.2 Overview of Copper Mining in Zambia Copper mining in Zambia dates back to the 1900s under the control of two mining companies, Rhodesia Selection Trust and Anglo-American Corporation (AAC)( Fessehaie, 2011p.16) .The industry came to be nationalized in the late 1960 and was operated under state ownership and control, a typical characteristic of mining operations in mineral exporting countries in the decades following the Second World War. The government, following years of significant losses, privatized its copper mines, which were later consolidated into the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM), majority-owned by Government (60.3%), with a minority share owned by AAC (27.3%)( Fessehaie, 2011p.16). For instance, Kansanshi mine, the largest copper project in Africa is 80% owned by First Quantum Minerals Ltd and 20% by the state run ZCCM Investments Holdings which replaced ZCCM (ARB, 2012). The mining sector is regulated primarily by Act No. 7 of 2008 (the Mines and Mineral Development Act of 2008). The Zambian copper industry is not insulated from the acquisitions and mergers characteristic of the global mining industry. In 2011, Barrick Gold Corp. of Canada acquired Equinox Minerals Ltd. of Canada (USp43.1). Newshelf 1124 (Proprietary) Ltd. of South Africa, an indirect subsidiary of the Jinchuan Group Ltd. of China acquired Metorex Ltd. of South Africa and its underground Chibuluma copper mine (Metorex Ltd., 2011, p. 8). Konnoco Zambia Ltd., a joint venture of African Rainbow Minerals Ltd. of South Africa and Vale, continues with the development of the Konkola North underground copper mine (African Rainbow Minerals Ltd., 2012, p. 70). Mining companies equally undertake joint ventures in explorative activities in Zambia. Argonaut Resources NL of Australias subsidiary Lumwana West Resources Ltd. in a joint venture with Mwombezhi Resources Ltd. of Zambia set to explore in Northwestern Province (Argonaut Resources NL, 2012, p. 2). Zambias economy is heavily reliant on mining, particularly its copper and cobalt, and the mining sector makes significant contribution to Zambia exports and economic growth. Copper output rose dramatically following the copper price rise in the mid-2000s with annual copper production increased from 335,000 metric tonnes in 2002 to over 569,000 metric tonnes in 2008 (Wilson, 2012) . From 2007, copper exports contributed 73.7-80.5 per cent of total foreign exchange earnings, 10 per cent of formal employment, and in 2010 Zambia was the largest copper producer in Africa and the 7th largest in the world ( Fessehaie, 2012). Copper exports jumped from $474 million in 2000 to almost $4 billion in 2008. In 2010, the mining and quarrying sector accounted for 9.9% of Zambias real gross domestic product (at constant 1994 prices) compared with a revised 9.3% in 2009. Copper exports earnings increased by 15.5% to US $6,660.2 million from US $5,767.9 million in 2010 (Bank of Zambia, 2012, p. 23,) a nd in 2011, copper exports were valued at $6.9 billion (Mobbs, 2012 p.43.1). 2.3 Theoretical Framework The concept of linkage development in the academic discourse has its root from early works of Leontief (1936) who applied an input-output analysis to static quantity modeling (Lenzen, 2003 p.1), modified by Rasmussen (1956) for inter-industrial analysis as setting the basis for structural interdependence. In determining the key sectors of an economy, Hirschman (1958) argued that above-average linkages are pre-requisites for economic development and structural changes within an economy or a region (p1-2). Contrary to this argument, Bharadwaj (1966), Panchamukhi (1975) and McGilvray (1977) highlighted that international comparative advantages, technical and skill endowment, final demand structure are among the driving forces of economic growth and concluded that linkage interconnectedness is a weak rod to rationalising a development policy(1-2) According to Hirschman as cited in Morris et al (2012), there are three main types of linkages in the commodity sector thus, fiscal, consumption and production linkages. In his view, fiscal linkage encompasses royalties and taxes which together form mineral rents; consumption linkage entails the consumption demands of workers of the commodity sector, whereas the production linkage encapsulates both backward and forward linkages. Authors such as Sonis and Hewings (1989, 1999) and Sonis et al. (2000) in their works on the dynamics of backward and forward linkages, and economic landscapes of multiplier product matrices pushed further the arguments of Hirschman and Rasmussen (Lenzen, 2003 p. 2). The linkage thesis has been applied in a number of studies in attempts to examine the impact of mining on economies. Lenzen (2003) utilised the input-output application in his analysis of the key environmentally important factors of production, linkages and key sectors in the Australian economy and concluded without a factual basis that strong forward linkages are characteristic of primary industries like grazing and mining whereas strong backward industries characterized secondary industries (p.29). Similarly, Cristobal and Biezma (2006 p1,5) analysed the forward and backward linkages of mining and quarrying in ten EU countries to determine whether the industry constitute a key sector and came to a conclusion that the mining and quarrying industry has a strong backward link to regional economys production more than other sectors and otherwise holds for forward linkages. Though not a metal mineral, the Southern Louisiana offshores oil fields is the most apparent successful linkage ca pture identified throughout the 20th century. The ability to sustain pre-existing competition and the availability of the commodity in large quantities were largely responsible for the successful linkage capture (Freudenburg and Gramling (1998p 575-576). Moreover, Aroca (2001p 131) employed the input-output Leontief matrix to determine the impact of the mining sector on the Chilean II region and analysed the driving forces to the extent of the impact. With regards to the volume of production, his analysis indicates that the mining sector is very important but loses its importance in developing forward and backward linkages in the economy. Lydall (2009 p.2, 119) investigated backward linkage capture of South Africa platinum group metals and found different categories of supplier firms, ranging from base, medium to large able to satisfy the needs of the various PGM mines, concentrator plants, smelters and refineries. She however cautioned the existence of market-related and firm-speci fic factors militating against the growth and expansion of such linkages. Morris et al (2012 p 1-2,14) examined the underlying factors to linkage capture in the commodity sectors in low income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with much attention on backward linkage capture and recommended for strategies to be mapped to propel industrial sector upgrading especially in commodity exporting countries. Also, Fessehaie (2012p 2,7) examined the determinants of upstream linkages to copper production in Zambia. She noted that backward linkage was growing and copper mining presents opportunities and recommended that in order to broaden backward linkage to utilize such opportunities there is the need to eliminate barriers to upgrading through an industrial policy which takes care of supplier competitiveness constraints. From the preceding literature reviewed, much attention on linkage capture studies has been directed at the backward linkage capture. The few works on linkage development in Zambia copper (Fessehaie, 2011 and 2012; Morris, 2012), the emphasis has been on the backward linkage. Therefore, the existence of paucity of studies that investigate forward linkages in the mineral sector particularly the copper industry in Zambia exposes a gap which the study aims to contribute to. 3.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 The Scope of Downstream Activities Forward linkages encompass the establishment of downstream activities, at least processing and refining of copper ore and concentrates into primary metal, the fabrication of primary metal into semi-fabricated products and possibly, induced industrialisation. For the purpose of this study, mining ends with primary metal production and downstream activities begins with semi-products fabrication and beyond. Zambian copper industry has long history of existence but became more active and copper mine production of ore, anode and cathode increased following the privatization of the mining industry through the 1990s to early 2000s. The majority of copper ore mined in Zambia is smelted locally before being exported to foreign markets (Fraser and Lungu, 2007 Wilson). Fig 3.1 confirms that though greater share of mine output is refined locally, very less of it is used in the country. The graph covered a short period due to lack of access to up-to-date quality data. Zambias copper is mainly exported as cathode or blister, the standard forms of the internationally-traded commodity. Zambia uses less than 5 percent of its copper output to make fabricated products (World Bank, 2011 p ii). However, finished goods containing copper are mainly imported into the country. Zambia has developed a small copper fabrication industry that produces a narrow range of products for domestic use and for export to regional markets, largely informed by proximity to customers guided by profitability. However, these markets are small, and yet the industry competes with larger and more developed industries especially that of South African copper fabrication industry. Zambias fabrication industry is growing rapidly, but from a small base, led by Metal Fabricators of Zambia Ltd (ZAMEFA), a subsidiary of the US-based General Cable Corporation followed by others such as the Cast Product Foundry Non Ferrous Metals, Kavino and Central African Recycling in the scrap metal busi ness (World Bank, 2011p ii). ZAMEFA which has a domestic, regional and international market orientation produces wire rod, wire, cable, and a few other products. Its product portfolio is growing. Kavino, wire and cable manufacturer has a domestic market orientation whereas Central African Recycling is well positioned to utilized opportunities as they arise. Total number of employees falls below 1000. In 2008, Zambian mine, smelter and refined copper output in tonnes stood at 546 600, 232,000 and 416,900 respectively. The fabricated metals production sector contribution to GDP grew at an annual average of 0.2 percent for the period 2002 to 2008.(World Bank, pp 18). 3.2 Risks Associated with Downstream Activities The resource-based industrialiation that characterized the development process of resource-rich developed economies is often quoted to back resource-rich developing countries quest for resource-driven industrialisation which in their view masterminded the in dustrialiation process of some mature economies. However, the growth strategy of the Nordic countries, United States and Canada for instance did not based entirely on mineral extraction but span from a low-technology based on low-cost labour to highly sophisticated knowledge-intensive activities (Walker and Jourdan, 2003. P.30.). Nevertheless, risks, largely economic, abound alongside the potentials of further downstream activities. Downstream activities beyond primary processing are capital intensive and require less skilled labour. Guided by profit motive, firms seriously consider capital cost in securing capital to finance assets. Backed by the electronic revolution, market efficiency sets the ground for capital and skills to be deployed to most productive locations (Walker and Jourdan, 2003p 30) and countries without traditional comparative advantages like Zambia are less strategic in competing for foreign direct investment. Again, the capital intensive nature of further processing of copper questions the employment multiplier and rather breed associated risks of either expanding or contracting employment opportunities. Moreover, the fabrication industry uses 37 percent of copper that is derived from scrap metal which is limited in the country (World Bank, 2011p.iii). Therefore, importing other raw materials including scrap for fabrication may not make any comparative advantage sense in the short to medium t erm and highlights the risk associated with an uncompetitive and injudicious allocation of the nations scarce economic resources. The ability to compete and access adequate market, both regional and global to justify downstream activities on any significant scale comes with a risk. Committing resources into fabrication without any competitive market edge exposes the copper mining sector to possible collapse and the entire economy to possible shocks. This is because upon the small size of the sub-regional market (less than 1 percent) of the global total for fabricated copper products (World Bank, 2011p ii) better established firms in South Africa have captured a greater portion of the regional market. Internal demand for fabricated products is woefully inadequate and therefore, the promised job expansion, high foreign earnings and associated growth potential are easily erodible, if even attained. Walker and Jourdan, 2003p 33 noted that domestic demand was instrumental in Swedens initial resource-oriented industrialisation. Closely linked is tariff escalation that discourages exports of higher value-added products from Low Income Countries (LICs) (IMF, 2011p.16). Tariff escalation and high physical transport cost jointly further accentuate the risks to Zambian copper downstream activities. Consuming countries of copper metal and semi-fabricated products especially the newly industrializing countries and roaring developing countries of China and India, in their industrialization drive, have in one way or the other resort to restrictions in the form of differential tariffs (varies directly with the value already added) on raw materials imports for their industries. Dimaranan et al, (2006 p. 13) note that Indian policy measures in this regard include more effective duty exemptions for intermediates used in the production of manufactured exports. The high transport cost and tariffs imposed on value-added products together can cancel completely if not negate the often expectant high profits and associated em ployment multipliers. The prices for both the primary and fabricated products of the mining industry are characterized by troughs and peaks. However, the existence of terminal markets such as London Metal Exchange (LME), the Commodity Exchange Division of the New York Mercantile Exchange (COMEX/NYMEX) and the Shanghai Metal Exchange (SHME)(ICSGP.33factbook) provides mitigation to the risk on primary metal resulting from price volatilities. On the other hand, high-value added downstream products are more prone to price shocks as there exist no such terminal markets in that sub-sector of the industry. Therefore, the often envisaged employment multipliers and high foreign earnings that motivate pressure for further downstream processing places the entire economy at risk in the event of weak prices without any competitive edge. Mainstream fabricated metal products are largely low margin items. However, high level of capacity utilization and throughput is required to generate sufficient margins which are currently in non-existence in Zambian copper industry. This is largely informed by the uncompetitive and comparative disadvantages to the downstream sector of Zambian copper industry. The situation exposes the downstream copper fabrication industry to the risk of at best earning low margins. In 2008 for example, First Quantum Ltd, a leading European copper rod producer made profits of 12.2% and 49.6% from large Cap Cast Copper Rotors (CCR) rod mill and Oxygen-free High Conductivity (OFHC) rod fabrications respectively (World Bank, 2011p.13) but earned a profit of 85.4% from primary cathode production. Such low margins in fabrication gives the signals that even internationally competitive manufacturers of range of specialist copper products rather earn high margins in primary metal production. 3.3 Opportunities in Downstream Value-addition The existence of copper deposits in substantial quantities is a basic requirement for mining in the first place and possibly, further downstream processing (Freudenburg and Gramling, 1998). The existing domestic and regional market does not incentivise further copper fabricating on any significant scale, but some localised small-scale opportunities may emerge. In this regard, there may be a scope for some gradual scaling-up of existing output and/or product diversification by existing operations especially ZAMEFA and for some small-scale artisanal processing, probably based on scrap metal. Sectorial opportunities could be enhanced if the basic and mainly infrastructural bottlenecks are remedied. One of such opportunities is the World Bank support to revamp Zescos existing distribution networks in selected areas to reduce losses and improve supply quality (World Bank, 2011p.33,34). Depending on the roll-out of electrification extensions, there may be some demand for low and medium vol tage. Moreover, the global copper industry has identified a potential market which could exploit the known biocidal properties of copper in combating Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA,) spread by its use in touch surfaces and all fixtures and fittings in hospitals and clinics. The international competitive nature of the downstream activities of fabrication limit these opportunities as well established firms are ever ready and prepared to cease any market opportunities as they arise and compete out less competitive ones. Chinas dominance in the recent global copper consumption forecloses in comparative and competitive terms, any opportunities of developing an internationally competitive further copper processing in Zambia at least, for the short to medium term. For instance, Chinese refined copper consumption expanded by an annual 15.3% in the 1998-2007 period and by 2007, Chinas share of global copper usage rose from 10.5% to 26.9% (Radetzki , 2009. P. 177) in a decade. Though very important, the geological potential does not itself guarantee comparative and competitive advantage in any appreciable further downstream processing. For instance, Chile, the worlds largest copper producer, accounting 34 percent of world mined copper output and 17 percent of wor ld refined copper output, yet its use of refined copper is less than 1 percent of the world total (World Bank, 2011.8) 3.4 Mitigating Downstream Activities-Associated Risks and the Way Forward Value-addition is critical to ensuring greater benefits and competitiveness for countries incorporated in the global economy (Mtegha and Minnitt, 2006 p. 236) hence further downstream processing should be encouraged and driven by state incentives taking cognizance of the external environment. A strong manufacturing base has to be developed if any significant expansion of copper value-addition activities is to grow. In order to grow and sustain a downstream fabrication sector and even beyond, new sources of accessing competitive foreign direct investment and the continual adaptation and innovation of technology which is critical to maintaining technological competitive edge globally are ideal prerequisites. Moreover, demand is indispensable in industrial development and therefore any effort in that regard must first address the market end of the value chain ranging from local, regional to global levels. The ability to create a clear niche advantage is required if the copper downstream activities are to undergo substantial growth. Ideally, attaining global competitiveness is the single most important driver in mitigating risks ranging from further downstream processing or fabrication. While this may possibly be a long term growth and development goal in the downstream sector, the provision of adequate energy, communication and other infrastructure coupled with the effective and judicious use of economic returns from copper mining for diversification in new comparative advantage industries would in the papers view set the foundation for any competitive industrialisation in the long run. From table 1 below, South Africa is better positioned to cease any downstream copper fabrication and market opportunities at regional level and at the global level, China. 4.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION The study explored the scope of downstream linkages in the Zambian copper industry and examined the risks of engaging in downstream fabrication as well as the opportunities and suggested ways for mitigating the risks. The study reveals a small and modest fabrication activity producing a narrow range of products for domestic use and for export to regional markets, largely informed by proximity to customers guided by profitability. The decision in going downstream beyond primary metal processing encapsulates political and economic dimensions hence, requires striking a balance between both dimensions. Shaping a competitive mining industry alongside conscious efforts to diversify into other industries which gradually grow to shake off the initial copper-based dependence is a policy option and at the same time revitalizing the national science, technology and innovation policy to provide the foundation for long term skills and knowledge development. Chile, having built a competitive minin g industry, diversified its economy into other competitive sectors which propelled its growth. In the short to medium term, developing a competitive copper mining industry is plausible and more realistic in comparative advantage terms while mapping out strategies to attain competitiveness from national, regional to global scales which will mitigate further copper processing or fabrication risks.