Saturday, August 31, 2019

Iq Test Paper Essay

Battery is the standardized IQ test of the military and most high school guidance counselors recommend this test to their â€Å"lost† students. Each enlistee/student that takes this test will know one of two things, potential career path or what work assignment they will be doing for the next 2-4 years. I myself scored well, any job in the military was available to me, and choose to be an Airborne Petroleum Supply Specialist. This test didn’t really help me as it does with most high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and students in postsecondary schools(Baker, 2002) looking for some kind of guidance for their future . I took the test because I was looking to be a free young man and this test would allow me to do that. I do believe that the ASVAB test is very helpful in shaping today’s youth. Since the first time the ASVAB was administered in1968 to over one fourth of all high school seniors the test has been revised drastically (Baker, 2002). In 1995 the Department of Defense (DOD) asked the American Institutes of Research to find out if the ASVAB test was really working to give high school students career assistance or not. The test already told the DOD what work assignment was best suited for the potential enlistee. Basically the American Institutes of Research decided that it was better to group all of the different test items together, thus creating the Career Exploration Knowledge Scale. The previous standard scale, the Career Decision Scale (Baker, 2002), was found to be a one-dimensional measure of career indecisions. Tests are designed to discriminate among individuals, and therefore contain items of varying difficulty (Gibson & Harvey, 2003). The harder the questions, the fewer enlistee/students answer them correctly. The easier the questions, enlistee/student should answer them correctly more often. Some argue that the ASVAB test, among many others, is bias. Would you know to bake a cake or solve a mathematics â€Å"word problem†? Some women, in addition to men, have no clue how to bake or add. Tests revolve around what any given person has learned or seen before taking it. Anyone can say anything is bias. Overall, many studies have proven that the ASVAB Career Exploration Program both enhanced self knowledge associated with career discovery and reduced uncertainty for high school students. In Conclusion, to give guidance to a young adult who is still creating the networks and pathways of their mind, body and soul, then I say have at it.

Friday, August 30, 2019

How Can Building Surveyors Efficiently Differentiate Asr and Attack

Contents 1. Introduction2 2. Concrete attacks2 3. Alkali-Silica Reaction – ASR3 4. Sulphate Attack5 5. Reference List8 1. Introduction This report was issued in order to provide an in depth understanding of how a surveyor can differentiate between Alkali-Silica Reaction and Sulphate attacks in concrete when inspecting a building. In order to satisfy the requirements for this report, the author will give a detailed description of both kind of attacks, different study areas, experiments, diagnosis and forms of repair.To be able to define and analyse this topic, the author of this report has used different sources of reference such as books, academic journals, World Wide Web and several British Standards. By the end of this report, the writer will be able to demonstrate that the questioned concrete attacks can be differentiated by any professional surveyor when inspecting the concrete in a building. 2. Concrete attacks Chemical attacks usually occurs when using poor quality cemen t although good concrete has been known to be subjected to conditions that can lead to its deterioration.The environment â€Å"supplies† several physical and chemical forces which can contribute to concrete deterioration. BRE (2005) delivered a full list of chemical attacks that can arise both land contaminated by human and natural ground. There are several rarely occurred chemical attacks that are mainly caused by contaminated land; these are chemical species such as ammonium or chromium, but also organic such as phenols. The higher the quantity of these chemicals is, the higher the concrete attack.The most known forms of concrete attacks are: * Chloride penetration leading to corrosion of steel and spilling of the concrete cover; * Inadequate cover of reinforcing steel. Less common causes of concrete deterioration caused by chemicals or chemical reaction are: * Cycles of freezing and thawing; * Carbonation resulting in an increase of steel corrosion; * Sulphate attack; * Sh rinking aggregates; * Alkali-aggregate reactions. . Alkali-Silica Reaction – ASR It is believed that there are three types of alkali-aggregate reactions that will affect the condition of concrete: alkali-silicate reaction, alkali-carbonate reaction and alkali-silica reaction. It is believed that the alkali-silica reaction â€Å"may be found in the concrete because microcrystalline quartz or stained quartz is often present in aggregates contacting phyllosilicates† (Hobbs D. W. , 1988).The Institution of Structural Engineers (1988) described Alkali-Silica Reaction as being a chemical process in which the alkalis, found mostly in cement, when combined with specific types of silica found in aggregates, particularly in moist condition, will produce an alkali-silica gel that eventually will absorb the moisture from concrete, causing cracking and disruptions of concrete. British Cement Association (1993) advised that in order to determine that the inspected concrete cracking is a result of Alkali-Silica Reaction, the surveyor should sample and test the area â€Å"before any definite interpretation can be attempted†.Because of poor workmanship, shrinkage, weathering or differential stresses, the concrete can produce characteristics that will often be confused with Alkali-Silica Reaction. BCA (1993) are aware that â€Å"it is not always easy to distinguish these features from those indicative of ASR†. Their recommendation is that if suspected the sample should be taken into laboratory and further investigated. Because of the damping characteristics, the surveyor should allow dry weather when inspecting a suspected Alkali-Silica Reaction area.The degree of wetting should be recorded by the surveyor as this might be due to rain, condensation, leaking pipes, water run-off or poor detailing of construction. A second inspection is recommended if damp patches at the junction of the cracks are observed. It is known that Alkali-Silica Reaction will form a mapping crack at the surface of the concrete. Fig 1 is and extreme example of macrocracking found at the Hoover Dam, USA. Fig1. Example of cracking due to ASR at the Hoover Dam, USA Image taken from Hobbs, D. W. (1988, pp. 16)As it can be seen from the image, there are specific signs that this is an Alkali-Silica Reaction such as damp patches at the junction of the cracks and the edges of the cracks often appearing to be light in colour. Cracking like this will often be confused by surveyors as being caused by an expansion or contraction. As it was said before, one major feature of Alkali-Silica Reaction in concrete is cracking. In order to record data for further investigations, the surveyor should sketch or photograph the crack pattern. One other characteristic of Alkali-Silica Reaction is discoloration.This occurs along the cracks and although similar to rust caused by reinforce bars within the concrete, the surveyor is advised that colour photographs are to be taken for a n off-site second investigation. If occurred in reinforced concrete, the cracks caused by Alkali-Silica Reaction will tend to follow the lines of the reinforcing bars. Although often confused with the cracks produced by the corrosion of the reinforcements, in order to provide a definite confirmation of ASR, the surveyor should enforce a microscopic examination of a sample taken from the interior of the concrete.It is often that the surveyors confuse the cracking pattern of the affected cement. Other characteristics of Alkali-Silica Reaction are discoloration, efflorescence, exudations and pop-outs. 4. Sulphate Attack â€Å"Sulphate attack is the term used to describe a series of chemical reactions between sulphate ions and the components of hardened concrete, principally the cement paste, caused by exposure of concrete to sulphate moisture† ( Skalny et al. 2002, p. 3) It is well known that sulphate attack mainly affects the brickwork and concrete by creating a disruption of t he mortar. The sulphate attack can create expansion, bowing and/or cracking of affected material. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) are the most vulnerable to sulphate environments (Bonshor 1996, Amin et al. 2007). OPC is one of the most common cement used in construction industry. Its main composition is ground limestone and clay.When burned, these components form the basis of most concretes. According to Ramson (1993, p. 19) if bauxite is used instead of clay, a high-alumina cement is produced. The main characteristic of this cement is its rapid rate of strengths developed and also if not ‘covered’ the high resistance to sulphate attacks. This can be one of the first evidence for surveyors that the concrete is not affected by sulphate attack. The main idea of sulphate attacks is simple.Bonshor and Bonshor (1996) describes that the sulphate salts migrating from neighbouring building materials, or sometimes even enclosed in th e groundwater react with elements of the OPC to produce ettringite or thaumasite. The most common circumstance of sulphate attack is when the unprotected concrete contains sulphate based materials or is exposed to sulphate groundwater. There are three main requirements necessary for sulphate attack to occur: (i) soluble sulphate salts such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.It is important to specify that attacks from different sulphates will have different result. Mortars or concretes attacked by sulphates such as calcium or sodium will have a soft mush; on the other side when attacks form magnesium sulphate occurs, this being considered the most aggressive, the main feature of this attack are the salts that sometimes crystallize out or near the surface of the attacked material; (ii) tricalcium aluminate consisted in ordinary or rapid hardening cement; (iii) a persistent wetness on the material.To understand the main manifestations of sulphate attacks in building component s, the author will describe the visual characteristics that a surveyor will look for, in order to distinguish and recognise when sulphate attack has occurred. * The mortar in the brickwork is considered by Addleson and Rice (1995) to be under sulphate attack from as early as two years after construction. One of the main visual appearances of the attack is the white colour of the cement. The mortar subjected to sulphate attack will become loose at the surface, sometimes presenting cracks along the bed joists.It is important to mention that surveyors often confuse the horizontal cracking from rendered walls caused by corrosion of strip ties in cavity walls with the sulphate attack. Bonshor and Bonshor (1996) recommend that if not confident with the diagnosis from visual inspection, the surveyor should sample the affected mortar and further examine in a specialist laboratory. University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol (2006) advice that sulphate attacks occurs where saturation is greatest and usually around parapet walls and chimney.This is due to the large exposer to rainfall. UWE believe that although in some cases repairs are possible, in most instances once started, the sulphate attack is impossible to stop therefore the only option is the re-building. * When the sulphate attack is detected in rendered brickwork there are several visual signs for a surveyor to distinguish the type of attack. Wide horizontal and vertical cracks will appear in the rendering. Outward curling of the rendering in the cracks might appear as a result of sulphate attack. Fig2. Example of Sulphate Attack on chimney brickworkImage taken from University of the West of England, Bristol, (2006) The adhesion of the rendering on the brickwork may fail; this can result in rendering falling off either from one brick or even a large portion this depending on the seriousness of the attack on brickwork. If untreated, the brickwork may be exposed to efflorescence. * There are several occasi ons when the sulphate attack occurs on the underside of the ground slabs. If not isolated by a damp proof membrane, the salts in the ground will react with the Portland cement causing a map-pattern of cracking.Bonshor and Bonshor (1996) recommend that BRE Digest 363 will provide guidance in the case of a sulphate attack on concrete. Generally sulphate attack in ground-bearing slabs will form cracks in a solid ground floor mainly if the recycled colliery shale has been used as capping layer for the ground underneath the slab. Because the sulphate attack in ground bearing slabs, the surveyor will have to investigate further whether the slab has a damp proof membrane and if possible what sort of material has been used as colliery shale fill.WRAP Organisation (2011) recommends colliery shale should be tested for sulphates especially if it is to be used in proximity to concrete. As building professional, a surveyor will be able to differentiate between Alkali-Silica Reaction and Sulphate attacks in concrete. There are several visual differences between these two chemical attacks. One of the major confusion made by surveyors is when inspecting a cracking pattern in a building. It is highly recommended that if suspected, the surveyor should take samples for laboratory examination. There are numerous chemical reactions that are likely to produce disruptive cracking in buildings.This is the reason why a professional surveyor should not rush and give diagnosis unless entirely sure about the cause. Word count: 1759 5. Reference List Addleson, L. and Rice, C. (1995) Performance of materials in buildings. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Alan Wood & Partners (2012) Sulphate attack . Available at: http://www. alanwood. co. uk/pdf/Sulphate-Attack. pdf (Accessed on 5th October 2012). Amin, M. M. , Jamaludin, S. B. , Pa, F. C. & Chuen, K. K. (2008) ‘Effects of magnesium sulphate attack on Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) mortars’, Portugaliae Electrochimica Acta, (26) , pp. 235-242. Bonshor, R. B. and Bonshor, L.L. (1996) Cracking in buildings. London: Construction Research Communication. British Cement Association (1993) The diagnosis of alkali-silica reaction. Available at: http://homepage. tudelft. nl/n89v3/LinkedDocuments/1992-DiagnosisOfASR. pdf (Accessed on 5th October 2012). Cook, G. K. and Hinks, A. J. (1992) Appraising building defects: perspectives on stability and hygrothermal performance. Essex: Longman Scientific & Technical. El-hachem, R. , Roziere, E. , Grondin, F. & Loukili, A. (2012) ‘New procedure to investigate external sulphate attack on cementitious materials’, Cement & Concrete Composites, (34), pp. 57-364. Farny, J. A. & Kosmatka, S. H. (1997) Diagnosis and control of Alkali-aggregate reactions in concrete. Available at: http://www. nebrconcagg. com/assets/PromotionPages/Mix%20Design/ASR1. PDF (Accessed on 6th October 2012). Giaccio, G. , Zerbino, R. , Ponce, J. M. & Batic, O. R. (2008) ‘Mechanical behavi our of concretes damaged by alkali-silica reaction’, Cement and Concrete Research, (38), pp. 993-1004. Hobbs, D. W. (1988) Alkali-silica reaction in concrete. London: Thomas Telford. Mittermayr, F. , Bauer, C. , Klammer, D. , Bottcher, M. E. , Leis, A. Escher, P. & Deitzel, M. (2012) ‘Concrete under sulphate attack: an isotope study on sulphur sources’, Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 48 (1), pp. 105-117. Ransom, W. H. , (1993) Building failures: diagnosis and avoidance. 2nd edn. London: E & FN Spon. Sachlova, S. , Prikryl, R. & Pertold, Z. (2010) ‘Alkali-silica reaction products: Comparison between samples from concrete structures and laboratory test specimens’, Materials Characterization, (61), pp. 1379-1393. Sarkan, S. , Mahadevan, S. , Meeussen, J. C. L. , van der Sloot, H. & Kosson, D. S. 2010) ‘Numerical simulation of cementitious materials degradation under external sulphate attack’, Cement & Concrete Composites, (32 ), pp. 241-252. Skalny, J. , Marchand, J. & Odler, I. (2002) Sulphate attack on concrete. London: Spon Press. The Concrete Society (1985) Alkali-silica reaction: new structures-specifying the answer existing structures-diagnosis and assessment. London: Concrete Society. The Institution of Structural Engineers (1988) Structural effects of alkali-silica reaction: interim technical guidance on appraisal of existing structures. London: the Institution of Structural Engineers.University of the West of England, Bristol, (2006) Durability of clay bricks. Available at: https://environment7. uwe. ac. uk/resources/constructionsample/Conweb/walls/bricks/section6. htm (Accessed on 20th October 2012). WRAP, (2011) Burnt and unburnt colliery spoil, Available at: http://aggregain. wrap. org. uk/applications/wrap_pdf/aggregain/pdf_material. cfm? id=2910 (Accessed on 22th October 2012). Zerbino, R. , Giaccio, G. , Batic, O. R. & Isaia, G. C. (2012) ‘Alkali-silica reaction in mortars and concre tes incorporating natural rice husk ash’, Construction and Building Materials, (36), pp. 796-806.

Study On The Balfour Declaration History Essay

1. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinians live in an unusual and unjust undetermined province. They have no state province, no nationality, and no decisive control over their ain lives. Israel occupied these countries in 1967 and till today Palestinians have been populating under her business. A few maps of the authorities like wellness attention, instruction, transit and policing, Israel maintains overall power. 2. It is the policy of Western Media that whenever Israel commits yet another atrociousness, its guardians are speedy to airt public attending off from the grisly offense scene by giving intelligence sing Al-Qaeda or Taliban, to make hatred amongst the Christians for Muslims. Due to these sorts of intelligence on western media, most of their people start to believe that the Muslims are terrorists and Western policies are traveling in the right way. 3. We may name Palestine as a ‘nation ‘ but non the ‘nation province ‘ . As per the definition Nations are culturally homogenous groups of people, larger than a individual folk or community, which portions a common linguistic communication, establishments, faith, and historical experience. When a state of people has a State or state of their ain, it is called a nation-state. 4. An busying force or a province has the duty to protect the civilian population harmonizing to the international jurisprudence. Israel, nevertheless, pays no attending to this restraint. She violates the Geneva Conventions as a everyday affair. Geneva Convention was introduced after World War II to guarantee that civilians are non humiliated as they were by Nazis. 5. Palestinian private lands are occupied by Israeli forces on a regular basis. Israeli military personnels detain persons without procedure, collaring kids and physically mistreat them under imprisonment ; destroy household places ; topographic point full towns under curfew ; demolish stores and concerns ; shoot, injury, and slaying civilians and Palestinians are without influence to halt any of it. 6. One of the day-to-day scenes is of kids arrested, beaten and abused by Israeli soldiers, which is ne'er reported by the western media. These kids are humiliated in prison, and their parents do non hold any right to even run into them. The most of import and non frequently understood by international community is the fact that Palestinians fundamentally live in a top-security prison in which Israel holds the keys. They are non allowed to go forth the West Bank or Gaza without the permission of Israeli military personnels, and if they are allowed, they can non return to their places. Scholars invited to go to seminars abroad, high school pupils given US authorities scholarships to analyze in the United States or even do-gooders wishing to assist hapless Palestinians are denied permission by Israel to go forth or come in their ain land.The â€Å" Intifada †7. In the twelvemonth 2000, Palestinians began a motion against Israeli Occupation known as the â€Å" Intifada. † This is an Arabic term means to â€Å" agitate off. The first Intifada began in 1986 and ended in 1993 when the peace procedure proposed outlooks of justness. But in the undermentioned old ages these outlooks were trampled when Israel continued to spread out the occupied district. During this first Intifada, Palestinians were killed at a rate of about 7-10 times that of Israelis. One of the ways Israeli forces attempted to set down this rebellion was through the â€Å" interrupt the castanetss † policy, implemented by Yitzhak Rabin, in which people who had been throwing rocks were held down and their weaponries were broken. On the first twenty-four hours of this policy entirely, one infirmary in Gaza treated 200 Peoples for breaks. 8. The â€Å" Second Intifada † was ignited when Ariel Sharon, an Israeli general at that clip, visited a Jerusalem sanctum site, accompanied by over a 1000 armed Israeli military personnels. When some Palestinians threw rocks, Israeli soldiers responded with unrecorded gunshot, killing 15 young persons. This motion has now continued for over 10 old ages, and many civilians are killed in Israeli bombardment by combatant jets and choppers. 9. Israel has started to build a wall about Palestinians, so that they are wholly stopped to travel out of the country and cipher should be able to back up them. The bulk of Palestinians believe that the Israeli authorities ‘s aim is to coerce them off the land, and there is an huge trade of cogent evidence that this is the purpose of many Israeli leaders. At the same clip, nevertheless, some of the Israeli military personnels have refused to kill guiltless people in order to spread out Israeli district. Few of the Israeli civilians besides oppose the enlargement of Israel beyond 1967 boundary lines. 10. During the elections of 2005, many Palestinian campaigners were arrested and beaten by Israeli soldiers to deny them to take portion in elections. However, this facet was non reported by the American media. Now if we look at the function of Pakistani media in this respect, merely a small coverage is presented and that excessively on the province Television. Private Television channels have wholly ignored these hapless people, and most of them discourse local political relations most of the clip.Chapter: TwoBackground1. In the 20th century, the part known as Palestine has been a field of intense struggle between peoples who have laid claim to it as their national place on evidences of long abode and historic and spiritual associations in the development of national provinces in the part after World War I, â€Å" Palestine † was non a separate political entity, but the name had long been in usage. It was the name of a Roman state, and in the 10th century, Arab geographers re ferred to â€Å" Filastin † ( the Arabic name for Palestine ) as one of the states of Syria. From the 15th century until World War I, Palestine formed portion of the Ottoman Empire, and altering provincial boundaries blurred its separate position. However, for disciples of the three chief monotheistic faiths – Islam, Judaism, and Christianity- † Palestine † remained the venue of holy sites of great significance. 2. The development of a separate and typical Palestinian individuality was a effect of two major historical developments which began in the late 19th century. The first was the growing of European economic, political, and military intercession in the Middle East. This culminated after World War I in the division of the Middle East into domains of control among the major European powers, chiefly Britain and France, with Palestine falling under a League of Nations Mandate assigned to Britain. Arab nationalist and pan-Arab motions had grown in response to Western intercession in the 19th century. With the drawing of new national boundaries under the post-World War I pacts, these Nationalisms took more specific signifiers. 3. A 2nd cultural factor in the development of a separate Palestinian patriotism was the Zionist motion which sought to set up a â€Å" national place † for the Jews in Palestine under the auspices of British regulation. Zionism aimed to make a Judaic fatherland in Palestine, and hence of its nature was unable to suit the demands and aspirations of the Arab population. The Judaic population grew, chiefly through in-migration, from 11 per centum of the sum in 1922 to thirty per centum of the entire population of 1,739,624 in 1994.The Balfour Declaration4. In November 1917, before Britain had conquered Jerusalem and the country to be known as Palestine, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration. This declaration was a missive addressed to Lord Rothschild, based on a petition of the Zionist organisation in Great Britain. The declaration stated Britain ‘s support for the creative activity of a Judaic national place in Palestine. The declaration was the effect of lobbying by the little British Zionist motion, particularly by Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who had emigrated from Russia to Britain, but it was motivated by British strategic considerations. Ironically, possibly, a chief motive for the declaration may hold been the belief, inspired by antisemitism, that international Jewry would come to the aid of the British if they declared themselves in support of a Judaic province. 5. After that at the Paris peace conference in 1919, Zionist and Arab council pleaded their instance, and met each other. The Zionists presented a map of the country they wanted for the Judaic province. Amazingly, Dr. Weizmann and the Emir Faisal reached a signed understanding sing Arab support for a Judaic national place. Faisal besides guaranteed the American Zionist minister plenipotentiary, Chief Justice Frankfurter, of his support for the Zionist cause. However, Faisal conditioned his support on satisfaction of Arab aspirations in Syria. Alternatively, Syria was given to the Gallic as a League of Nations authorization and Feisal non merely withdrew his support from the Zionist undertaking, but claimed he had ne'er signed any such paperss. 6. After World War-I much of the Ottoman Empire was divided into mandated districts assigned to the masters of the war. The British and Gallic saw them as permission of imperial aims. The British were acute to maintain Palestine off from the Gallic, and decided to inquire for an mandate that would implement the Judaic national place of the Balfour declaration, a undertaking that would be supported by the Americans. The Arabs opposed the thought of a Judaic national place, sing that the countries now called Palestine were their land. The Arabs felt they were in hazard of eviction by the Zionists, and did non appreciate populating under Judaic regulation. But as the ‘League of Nations ‘ authorized it, Jews continued to migrate to Palestinian dirt. 7. Palestinian patriotism has had a switching relationship to Arab patriotism and pan-Arabism. Palestinians have invoked Arab patriotism and integrity to assist repossess the district of Palestine. However, in the last two decennaries Palestinians have expressed increasing resentment that while the release of Palestine has served as a motto to prolong pan-Arabism, the Arab provinces have provided merely limited support to the Palestinian cause. 8. However, several important inquiries remain. The first regards the position of Jerusalem, which contains sites holy to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and is claimed by both Palestinians and Israelis. Second, the geographical discontinuity of such a Palestinian province would make strategic and economic jobs. Third, after over 20 old ages of Israeli business, the economic sciences of the districts have been made extremely dependent on the Israel or other adjacent provinces, would be hard to interrupt. Finally, the inquiry of Palestinian Diaspora remains a large challenge.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Causes of the Financial Crisis in 2008 Essay

The Causes of the Financial Crisis in 2008 - Essay Example It played a striking role in the failure of key businesses. It also contributed to the decrease in consumer wealth estimated to be in trillions of US dollars and a downturn in economic activities that led to global recession of 2008 – 2012 and also contributed to the European sovereign – debt crisis. It led to the increase of the TED spread that reflected an increase in perceived credit risk. The TED spread is the difference between rates of interest on interbank loans and on short – term U.S government debt. The spread of TED increase is shown in the graph below: The spread (in red) increases significantly during the crisis. The spread size is usually denominated in basis points e.g. if the bill rate (T - bill) is 5.1% and ED trades at 5.5% then the TED spread is 40 basis points. The TED spread has fluctuated over time but generally has maintained the range of within 10 and 50 basis points except during the financial crisis. In general the financial crisis cause d a very big damage to the world economy and many researchers have carried out studies to explain the causes of this crisis. We try to look into some of the causes below. Imprudent mortgage lending is considered a cause to the crisis as compared to a backdrop of abundance in credit, reduced interest rates, and over the roof prices for houses, lending standard became hassle free enabling many people to engage in the purchase of houses they couldn’t afford. ... Competitive pressures contributed to the increase in the amount of subprime lending during the years preceding the crisis. Source: U.S census bureau, Harvard University. State of the nation’s housing report 2008 The graph shows the dramatic expansion of subprime lending in the U.S between 2004 and 2006. Another cause was the housing bubble where the Federal Reserve allowed housing prices to sour to an all-time high that was unsustainable. Once the bubble burst as it was bound to, it triggered the crisis. The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates artificially low, per month payments to mortgage were low too and housing prices went up. Home owners took equity loans to pay their initial mortgages and credit card debts until the home prices peaked and the house of cards started to crumble. Mortgage debts would not be increased to pay previous debts. Lack of transparency and accountability in mortgage financing also did contribute to the 2008 financial crisis. Many participants in the housing finance sector contributed to the crisis through the creation of bad mortgages and selling of bad securities with confidence that they won’t be held accountable. Lenders would sell exotic mortgages to home owners without considering the repercussions in case the mortgages failed. Similarly, a trader would sell to investors’ securities that are toxic with fear of personal responsibility in case the contracts failed. The system collapsed through the maximization of personal gains and passing of the problem down the chain from brokers, to realtors, to individuals in rating agencies, and to other market participants. The great promise of managing risk by the ‘originate – to – distribute’ model of finance failed with

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Summary of experience in zoo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of experience in zoo - Essay Example They swallow large chunks of food. It sleeps only when very full and curls up in the grass to rest. They eat and lie during the day. None are nocturnal. They like long grass and dense to lie on. It is an insectivorous mammal that feeds on large and small insects mostly ants because termites were not in plenty. It uses the back to carry small ones. They also use their fore limbs to reach on trees with feet to the ground. It uses its front limbs to walk and then pulls the rest of its body forward. Thus, the hands serve as the legs too. They do not vocalize anything. They seem to lack expressions more so due to their elongated snouts. Females take care of their young ones protectively. The gorilla is a terrestrial quadrupedalism primate. It however is more like a human. It uses its front limbs to eat and hold with its fingers. They rest on grass or open ground; play with others and even with humans. They also rest on tree branches. They sleep on trees where mostly have built their own nests. When climbing one may say they are vertical clinging and leaping primates. They are fed with fruits and leaves of certain plants. They also eat roots and feed on succulent things. They are always looking for something fleshy to feed on such as a fruit. They hold on the hand and eat like a human. They hold on to their young ones with front limbs like the arm of a human. They also carry them on their backs when walking. A gorilla knuckle walks using its four limbs. They make some utterances that cannot be understood. They mostly have the horizontal pout. However, they grin when food is brought to them or when asking for food they pout. They live in groups. The monkeys are mostly arboreal. They are vertically clinging and leaping primates. They rest on trees and hold on to branches with arms like humans or their tails which are rather flexible. They sleep on trees where mostly have built their own nests. They like to sleep high on the trees they live on.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

War between China and Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

War between China and Japan - Essay Example The main countries, China and Japan, continue to stoke the embers of the war till today with China seething at the trauma and humiliation caused to her. Their relationship has not thawed even after an official apology offered by Junichiro Koizumi, former prime minister of Japan. (Jin Ni). The brutality of Japan, the power struggle in China during this period, and the resilience or annihilation with which the native Chinese faced it are all succinctly summarized in films like Devils on the Doorstep and The Last Emperor. During the time the war was being waged, China was a divided nation with warlords in different regions more keen on consolidating their own position and interests. Some of them even openly sided with the invading Japanese troops for political gains and military supremacy in the region. The National Revolutionary Army, successor to the erstwhile Kuomintang Army, founded by General Chiang Kai-shek succeeded in unifying the belligerent factions in 1928. However, it was weak motley whose only purpose was to repel the atrocious Japanese invaders. They had no real desire to defend the nation and only wanted to drive out the Japanese so that they could carry on with their bellicosity with their neighboring warlords afterwards. Moreover, the National Army had to contend with ominous threats from the communists. In fact, Chiang Kai-shek was aware the threat posed by the communists was even more dangerous than the conflict with Japan. The Red Army of the communists in China fought Japan as part of the National Revolutionary Army. However, the wily Mao Zedong was gingerly sowing seeds of power entrapment through coercive and overtly strong arm tactics. He got the large segment of the peasant population to his side by reducing taxes and other reforms. The preparations were afoot with both sides waiting for the final showdown after World War II to see who would emerge as winners. (MacGowan, J). 3. Outside powers China's meager weaponry consisted of the artillery and ammunition provided by Germany. Others like Russia, Britain and the USA joined in at the closing stages. They did not wish to get involved in a fight taking place thousands of miles away from their own shores at the cost of their own defense. Russia and Britain initially refused to get involved due to their own problems with the Axis powers. The USA was not keen on fighting a war in somebody else's land. 4. Films on the war Produced by Jiang Wen, Devils on the Doorstep highlights the horrors of the war with a brilliant mix of facts and humor. Set in the climes of a farming village, the film simmers and smolders with interactions between humble local farmers and the malevolent Japanese occupiers. The events, dialogues and interpretations between the simple residents and the no-nonsense predators are ensconced in the humor of an hapless interpreter caught between a suicidal Japanese captive and their ignoble bloodthirsty captors.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Cost and Value Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cost and Value Management - Case Study Example This certainly shows the pragmatism of the firm with regards to its products in the sense that none of the products are rushed into production whatever the results these said products show on the testing phase. That is directly linked to the cost management practices of the firm i.e. the firm is willing to bear some short-term costs given that these cost can initiate the birth of products that are successful and long-lasting in the long run. In addition, the entire case of the Boeing 7X7 shows the commitment and drive of Boeing towards research and development. It says in the case study before the name was changed to 767, approximately $100 million had been spent on this project which were demarcated as costs for the on-going research and development. Therefore, we can see that the costs management practices of Boeing had a significant place in them for large scale research and development projects. Suffice to say, the cost management practices of Boeing are pragmatic yet expansive a nd directed towards the long run. [1] [2] [3] Now, after determining these facts, we will now look at the strengths and weaknesses of these practices of Boeing in light of the concept of earned value management. Before, I delve much deeper into this topic, it is critical to explain that contrary to popular belief, there is a world of difference between the factors that determine earned value and earned value management systems (EVMS). ... ts importance vis--vis the mechanism can be gauged by the fact that large adapt ably priced military defense contracts have required the presence of these prerequisites in order to ascertain the reliability of the results given by the earned value metric as far back as 1967. It is important to note that despite the great important of these prerequisites, they are not essential for the workability of the earned value method. However, the presence of a management control system that fulfills at least part of the standards that have been demarcated by the prerequisites is extremely essential in this case. From here on, the term "earned value management process" will include the pre-requisites for both the earned value and the EVMS criteria. [4] [5] [6] I will first look at the strengths of these practices at Boeing. The earned value approach of Boeing is directly in line with the cost management practices that we have seen in the case study. Despite the very large initial expenditure that is related to the product, the project only went into productions when commitments to purchase were received from one foreign and two domestic airlines, and preproduction orders totaled at least 100 planes. This showed the risk management abilities of the company in the sense that they wanted to ascertain to the minimum a certain number of prospective clients which would be interested in their products. This also showed the strengths of the earned value management process of the business as they want to determine a flexible budget of costs which they would need to undertake in order to complete a theoretical number of orders. Now, this theoretical number would be based on the pre-posed number of prospective clients who had guaranteed their intere st to purchase. Therefore, the entire

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Financial markets and institution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial markets and institution - Essay Example A good combination of a well-developed financial market and a diversified financial instrument and products sufficiently provides for the needs of lenders and borrowers, and hence improve the overall economy. For instant, financial institutions like banks have special roles to play for multiple companies that are in need of funds. Banks can contribute to prevent the effect of a sudden economic shock that might affect their customers. The banking industry always stands ready to provide their clients with financial aid even in difficult circumstances, like when the liquidity of financial market dries up. They are the financial intermediaries that add cost to the allocation of capital. In addition, some economic projects can be financed by financial institutions such as banks in cases where the market cannot finance such projects. Big financial markets which have lots of financial and trading activity ensure that more liquid funds are provided to the market participant than in smaller markets. Most assets of financial market are liquid which may sometimes have secondary market to ensure that the existing financial asset transfer occur at a very low cost (Willem, 2001). The effective flow of finance in a given market ensures that the market participants are able to provide their goods and services effectively and therefore ensures an improved economic growth of the given country. Commercial banks are the most diversified and largest financial intermediaries due to the enormous range of liabilities and assets that they hold. Most of their liabilities are always in the form of saving deposits, time deposit and various types of checks. The type of assets that commercial banks hold are the securities of the various denominations and forms, which include consumer loans, mortgage loans, loans that are given to the state and the local government. These banks are the most

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Critically evaluate Althussers and Marcuses critiques of capitalism Essay

Critically evaluate Althussers and Marcuses critiques of capitalism - Essay Example Althusser advanced a progressive critique of humanism, historicism, and empiricism, which he depicted as the medium of the influence of bourgeoisie ideology on the modern Marxist theory. Althusser’s collection of essays titled Pour Marx (1965) and Lire de Capital (1965) inspired a number of new left thinkers. He focused on the mature Marx as exhibited by his analysis of alienation in the capitalist society. The essays represented intellectually hard-line Marxism but not dogmatism. Althusser attempted to employ Marx’s tools such as mode and means of production to probe the production of Marxian knowledge and highlight its uniqueness from other philosophical systems. This aided in promoting the credibility of Marxism as a science. Althusser confronted contemporary softer interpretations of Marx’s work. In particular, he sought to reread Western Marxist theory and free it from Soviet dogmatism, as well as humanistic interpretations (Michael 2011, p.134). Meanwhile, he wanted to reinstate their pace in the class struggle. Pour Marx is considered as the founding text of the school of structuralism in Marxism. Although he refused to be labeled as a structuralist, he used structuralism to abolish the â€Å"knowing subject† as the centre of thought and action. According to Althusser, Marxism is not an ideology or a world view but a revolutionary science. He holds that Marxism should ultimately be the science of society. He claimed that Marx had introduced a theoretically plus practically revolutionary philosophy such as dialectical materialism (Ferretter 2006, p.32). According to Althusser, the â€Å"epistemological rupture† witnessed around 1845, climaxed Marx coming out as a ‘scientific’ theorist. Althusser wanted to sever ties from idealist (Hegel’s philosophy) and materialist (Feuerbachian) philosophies. Althusser adopted the method of â€Å"symptomatic reading,† which is a deep analysis of structures

Friday, August 23, 2019

Public Goods and Common Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Goods and Common Resources - Essay Example Turkey being the sixth largest textile industry in the world is losing its comparative advantage in the textile industry. The country is losing its comparative advantage due to loss of cheap labour advantage. The cost of labour escalates every year. Statistics indicate that the prices are currently five times that of China. Turkish textile industry has a comparative advantage over the Indian textile industry as a result of the wide market available. Its proximity to European countries makes it easy to reach out for consumers (Sugur, 2005). This gives the company advantage in transportation and access to a large market share. The professor may start a marketing firm. With the professor’s vast knowledge in economics, a marketing consultancy firm would be appropriate for him or her. This enables the professor to be an entrepreneur in a field he or she is quite sophisticated. The professor would provide consultancy services to the clients just as he or she taught while teaching in the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Refelction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Refelction - Essay Example On the other hand, the situation asks teachers to arouse thought, outline examples, list probing questions for students to respond to, and counterexamples Other roles assigned to the teacher include highlighting genuine forms of application, carry out the role of the devil’s advocate, demand explanation, examine understanding, and seek justification. To justify this assertion, the author writes that, ‘teaching for understanding includes effective whole-class, small-group, and individual approaches.’ Evaluating approaches used in uncovering content require a bigger approach than the one applied in the article. In the same respect, the article delves into three methodologies of imparting knowledge in a manner that learners in an academically diverse classroom can understand the content. (Marzano, 2010, 21) The instructional techniques are six facets of understanding, crucial questions, as well as the WHERETO model. Applying critical questions as a technique of enhancing understanding starts at stage 3. It builds on activities that take place in the first stage where the teacher guides learners in developing questions that will help them in comprehending the concepts as the topic progresses. Questions are necessary teaching aids in making students grasp the concept from a close environment. The author of the article posits that ‘essential questions serve as doorways to understanding.’ This article aims at helping learners grasp crucial concepts and processes that rema in abstract always. The author proposes great modification in the allocation of the roles assigned to both teachers and learners with much emphasis on the roles of a teacher. It is at this moment that the article proposes that teachers must uncover the exact content to deliver. The article picks an image iceberg as an example to illustrate the point under discussion. ‘A certain portion is visible above the surface of the water,

Participatory Research Design Essay Example for Free

Participatory Research Design Essay The changing nature of the global business culture has necessitated various aspects of organizational behavior. This is the spirit of the overwhelming variables that define how employees interact and integrate with the corporate processes with the basic goal of meeting the corporate objectives and missions. Understanding the requirements of the organizational behavior is an important aspect which helps to align its procedures and processes in line with the behavioral conception within the corporation (Dan, 1998) The research team  The parameters that provide the best knowledge would involve carrying out a research study across various organizations aimed at learning the statutory components of the concepts of organizational behavior. This would involve a controlled dissemination of research team across the sample of selected corporations. The layout of the research process would involve the evaluation of the aspects that articulate within the fundamental concept of organizational behavior as an important factor in the success of the corporation. Investigating the issue and its assumptions. The concept of organizational behavior is chiefly incorporated at a diverse autonomy within different cases of organizations. This research study will therefore aim at studying the scope of influence of organizational behavior to the functionality of different organizations that differs in terms of capacity, functions, and managerial processes. The underlying assumptions will also be developed in terms of the result provision of the research process about what impacts are endowed by the concept of organization behavior (Dan, 1998) Developing an action pal and data collection strategies In order to collect the most reliable data, the researcher would pursue various methods of data collection strategies and methods that would help to yield the most reliable research results and outcomes. This would include the use of methods such as observation, questionnaire and survey. A stream of related data responses shall be collected through these methods which would then be used in arriving at rational conclusions and recommendations about the impact of organizational behavior to the contemporary functionality of the organization (Dan, 1998) Data analysis The research process would not be fully met until the collected data in passed through various methods of data analysis that would help to yield the most reliable results and findings. This could be through methods such as correlation, T-test, F-test, barographs, pie-charts and other significant methods of data analysis.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Approaches To Challenging Behaviour

Approaches To Challenging Behaviour This essay intends to talk about innovative approaches to challenging behaviour in a specific Social Care Setting. The writer will discuss about approaches like counselling, the Low Arousal Approach, the Time-out Approach, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and many more and will then give examples using practical examples from practice placement. Challenging behaviour has being an issue on the spot light over the past years especially in young children and people with intellectual disabilities. This essay will also bring some issues that causes or promote challenging and aggressive behaviour in the social care setting. The term challenging behaviour was adopted from The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH), and emphasises that behaviours represent challenges to services, rather than problems which are solely intrinsic to the individuals with learning disabilities. Emerson, et al (1987) suggests the following as a definition of severely challenging behaviour Severely challenging behaviour refers to behaviour of such an intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is likely to be placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or delay access to and use of ordinary community facilities (Emerson, Barrett, Bell, Cummings, McCool, Toogood, Mansell 1987; cited NSH Evidence, 2011). There is a great concern for how people with challenging behaviour view themselves the issues of self esteem and self view. Work on communication and relationship goes hand-in-hand with these issues and is likely to contribute mightily to a persons self worth if he/she is having regular positive valuing experiences in interactions with others. This is an area which might require great thought and professionalism. However, it can be very difficult to be with and generally displays negative or abusive behaviour towards others. There is no doubt that these positive experiences are necessary and likely to increase peoples sense of feeling good about themselves, resulting in positive effects in their behaviour (Hewett 1998:7). Different peoples state of normal arousal may be at different levels; indeed some people with challenging behaviours may have a level of arousal which is normally very high. Many people with learning difficulties may experience, due to their difficulties with understanding what is going on around them. The trigger is the event occurring either within the environment or within the person which activates the state where the persons behaviour becomes challenging (Hewett 1998:154). For example, during my placement I was able to observe this arousal in the service users I worked with and what the social care worker staffs did in situations like that. We have a male service user in the house who suffers from Bipolar Mood Disorder (BMD), this means that sometimes he feels high and sometimes low which is controlled by daily medication. The following are signs that show when he is becoming unstable: burping, smoking, eating more than usual, talking excessively without waiting for reply (pressure of speech) sleeping badly, general bad mood, and giving out or teasing other service users. When he is unwell, he wakes up at the middle of the night because he gets mixed up between day and night. At this point there is always a wake up night staff with him when the service user is feeling high. According to Hewett (1998:164) the first indications of triggering in a person should lead to staff surveillance and vigilance this should be the start of tuning-in. Members of the staff need to start monitoring the person for the signs and signals that the persons feelings and behaviour are starting to escalate. When the staffs working with the service user notice that the service users behaviour is becoming unstable as explained above and the service user is presenting with a challenging behaviour to the staff and other service user in the house, the staffs will try to de-escalate the situation because the service user in question will be verbally abusing (teasing) other service user which will make the other service user to be upset and the service user will continue to talk excessively without waiting for response and their will be pressure in the service users tone. In this case, the staffs will bring these to the social care leader and the social care leader will then arrange for an awake staff that will be with the service user throughout the night. With regards to other service user in the house, we always organise outings with them like bowling, going to the pub and so on just to keep them away and they can have a break as well. Another service user in the house with moderate intellectual disability present challenging behaviour as a way of seeking attention. This service user is so much attached to a particular staff and when the staff is not working, the service users behaviour is completely different compared to if the staff is on duty. If the staff is on duty, the service user would want the staff to always be with her and attend to all her needs. However, if other staff tries to make the service user understand that the staff is busy for example, writing a report or giving personal care to other service user, the service user will become abusive and her tone of voice will be very high. Whenever the service user is in that mood, other service user in the house will be upset. The staffs use Behaviour Modification on the service user. Behavioural Modification according to Atherton (2011) is the approach used by behavioural psychologists to modify behaviour. It is usually based on the reinforcement of desir ed behaviours and ignoring undesired ones. Therefore, the staff uses a Star Chart for the service user to modify the service users undesired behaviour so whenever the service user is being aggressive to other staff because the service users favourite worker is not there, the service users sticker will be taken off and the service user has to earn it back with good behaviour unless the service user will be in trouble with her key-worker and the social care leader, because all the service user wanted was for the staff to come down and then the service user will be calm. This service user does not behave like this when another staff is on duty. Training courses in the management of challenging behaviour may help to provide carers with the belief that a person can cope with the violent and aggressive behaviours. This increase in confidence can increase the likelihood that a person with learning difficulties will have the opportunity to have access to ordinary community service (Blunden and Allen 1987; cited McDonnell 1997:160). This is because the reputations that people with challenging behaviour acquire can affect their relationship with their carers. Literally, you cannot have a positive relationship with a service user who frightens you. Training can help to build a relationship of trust between the client and the carer (McDonnell 1997:160). Particularly, staffs working in social care setting need more support and training in challenging behaviour because it is the key to identifying and maintaining the equilibrium of challenging behaviours being presented by the service users. An innovative approach to challenging behaviour is counselling. Counselling as defined by Elliot and Place (1998) is the process of listening to problems, advising on actions and explaining the constraints within which children and adult should operate. It is associated with paying attention to non-verbal cues, developing good listening skills establishing trust, maintaining positive attitudes, developing expectations and showing non-judgemental attitudes and respect for privacy (Papatheodorou 2005:56). Dave (1989) Carpenter and Apter (1988) went on and say that counselling aims to enable the client to increase their conscious awareness of distorted perceptions of existing realities, and to provide emotional support in order to reduce their level of frustration (Elliot and Place 1998; Dave 1989; and Carpenter and Apter 1988; cited Papatheodorou 2005:56). Counselling in this sense will work very well with the service user that uses challenging behaviour as a mechanism of seeking atten tion to the particular staff. It will be a good idea if the service users key worker arranges for an appointment with a counsellor because it will make the service user not only to understand that the staff is not just there to attend to her but to other service users in the house which will change the service users behaviour and attitude on it. Operant approaches have stressed the importance of the environment in causing and maintaining aggressive behaviours (Skinner, 1953, 1957; cited McDonnell 2010, 2). Reinforcement of behaviour, both positive and negative, has a causal effect on antecedent stimuli and behaviour. However, there is little doubt that the application of scientific approaches to behaviour analysis has led to significant positive developments in care settings. Early approaches tended to focus on the manipulation of consequences to behaviours and the use of token economy system to control and manage behaviours can provide some insight into the change and adaptation of behaviour technologies. Token economies tended to be used in larger institutionalised system in the past (Ayllon and Azrin 1968; cited McDonnell and Sturmey 2010: 5). This approach can be found in a social care because some service users might not like the house that he or she is living in, maybe due to other service users behaviour towards him o r her and this can increase the likelihood of aggressive and challenging behaviour. If the behaviour of staff inadvertently triggers aggressive behaviours, then altering these behaviours may have an impact on the management of aggressive behaviours. The construct of reflective practice in which an individual evaluate their performances in situations and learns from both positive and negative experiences (Schon, 1987) is useful to apply to staff who may experience violence and aggression in care settings. It is possible by staff, although in many cases they may be unaware of their influence. In the circumstances, it may be difficult to expect staff to examine their own contribution to these situations (Schon, 1987; cited McDonnell 2010: 20). This explanation shows the second scenario in this essay that the staff might have contributed to it, for example initially the staff might be showing too much attention to that particular service user and then the service user became too attached to the staff and the only way the service could get attention by the staff is by em ploying challenging behaviour towards other staff and service users when ever the staff is on duty. According to McDonnell 2010: 21) behaviour management strategies need to develop a questioning approach to managing behaviours, which should include an honest and critical appraisal of the staff members contribution to violence, aggression, and challenging behaviour. In order to achieve this, encouraging an open dialogue in human services about the role of staff beliefs and expectations in maintenance of aggressive behaviour is crucial. A low arousal approach is predominantly a staff based intervention which focuses on reducing arousal in crisis situations. Organisationally there is am emphasis on strategies which aim to reduce confrontation through primarily staff based reduction of arousal. Immediate staff-based strategies focus on the reduction of requests and demands and on the non-verbal cues and triggers employed by staff in conflict situations. A general reduction of rules and boundaries which may also create a culture of control are implicit aspect of the approach (McDonnell 2010: 24). De-escalation offers a nonviolent way to manage disruptive and assaultive behaviour. The technique can be used in all types of health care organization. A number of well-known programmes offer a consistent approach to the safe management of out-of-control behaviour. One general programme is Nonviolent Crisis Intervention provided by Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). Another technique is Time-out which is a procedure used to help individual regain emotional control by removing him or her from the immediate environment and restricting him or her to a quiet area or unlocked room. It generally involves a brief of standard duration, such as 5 minutes or 20 minutes. Brief isolation (through a time-out) provides more learning trials and opportunities to see the consequences of behaviour. Time-out can be used very effectively as part of an early prevention programme (Joint Commission Resources 2002: 50-52). Conclusion Having gone through several books and websites, it is understood that staff might contribute to upsetting behaviour towards the service user thereby invoking challenging behaviour. Nevertheless, challenging behaviour is a serious issue among children, and people with intellectual disability especially those in residential home care. There are some techniques and strategies for example the low arousal approach, the time-out approach, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, outlined in this essay which can help both the service user and their carers to be ware of their own behaviours which can trigger aggressive behaviour in others.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Socio Cultural Impacts on Ethical Advertisement

Socio Cultural Impacts on Ethical Advertisement Advertising ethics affects the practice of our lives, and also the practice of business, in prominent ways. Advertising ethics concerns us all-academicians, ad agency personnel, advertisers, consumers, media personnel, and regulators-in one way or another. Moreover, advertising has become a race for creating a unique, cutting-edge, and enticing way of passing on relevant information to customers to facilitate and positively influence their buying decisions. Specifically, TV advertising has long focused on ethical choices faced by news practitioners as they deal with conflicting pressures and goals. Recent scholarly attention to media ethics has focused mainly on case studies of TV advertisers actions regarding such issues as invasion of privacy, ef ­fect of profit motive on advertisement content, and advertisers relationships to their sources Research Objectives Find the determinants that lead to unethical advertising Identify various impacts of unethical advertising on the organization Identify the social and cultural impacts of unethical advertising in particular To understand the importance of ethical advertising for business How ethical advertising is affected by the social and cultural values? Impacts of unethical advertising on the children Impacts of unethical advertising on the society and culture Reasons why firms get involve in unethical advertising To analyze the need of ethical advertising for business Literature review George M. Zinkhan (Sep1994) stated that buying behavior of consumers which is influenced by cultural and social factors include social class, family, demographics and geography. Culture is a combination of tangible factors and intangible values that articulate the lifestyle of a person. Social class is defined as the income group the individual belongs too which depends on the income earned, which determines buying behavior of a person. Reference group would usually include celebrities who endorse brands, members of the family and close friends etc. Family is totally different from the former ones because of the preferences, norms and values of a family in which the individual resides. Moreover the individuals buying decision is influenced by the ambience of his family and also values are grasped unconsciously in a particular family setting. Thus, the individuals buying decision is collectively and unconsciously is influenced by the family. Demographics are specific details about a p erson which include gender, income, age etc. this also include the geographical location of a person which influences the buying behavior of a person. Factors which can affect a persons decision making include climate, weather etc. These tangible and intangible factors affect the marketers in making ethical decisions about marketing. Bowie (2002) stated in his article that marketing ethics is subset of business ethics and deals with the application of moral standards marketing decisions, behaviors and also the institutions at large. Marketing ethics examine the moral issues that marketers faces in organizations. Important topics include advertising honesty and truthfulness, fairness in pricing, safety and liability and forthrightness in selling. During recent years positive developments in marketing ethics include recognition of the difference between normative, descriptive and analytical work in the field. Normative ethics deal with articulating and defending basic moral norms. Descriptive ethics deals with the scientific study of ethics conducted by social scientists while analytical marketing ethics include works that examine basic ethical marketing concepts and norms. Moreover there are five core virtues listed; integrity, fairness, trust, respect and empathy. These are relevant for marketing in a multi-cultu ral and multinational context. There are many different theories which were tested. Amongst them which received substantial attention is Kohlbergs theory of cognitive moral development (CMD).this study found out that marketing practitioners are similar to professional groups on the CMD scale and secondly highly educated female workers score highest on CMD and thirdly those marketers most advanced in moral reasoning also exhibit socially responsible attitudes and behavior. Marketers must accept moral responsibility for their strategies as well as for marketing efforts aimed at that segment. Cecilia (April 1999) stated in his article that in western countries conflicts between ethical/moral and social/economic values are observed. Many professionals see themselves disoriented concerning the correct attitude to take when facing dynamic and diversified possibilities for their marketing strategies. The explanatory study was conducted titled The Moral Themes in Advertising was conducted to know what actually the marketers think or what is their perception about the concept of ethics in their ethical performance, social responsibility in marketing and the standards and guidelines. This study was conducted through mailing questionnaires to 78 foreign countries. This questionnaire had 170 questions, most of them had to be rated 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .The results were gathered and variance was analyzed. There were a lot of variations in the results of different countries. Some countries had more moral values and therefore were more ethical in their marketing strategies. The social uses do influence the human behavior, since they reflect and condition the values system of a society. The morality of these uses and means correspond to the dignity of the social and human nature. It justifies that advertisers and other marketing practitioners or professors throughout the world study a way of becoming more sensitive to the grave responsibility they assume, concerning their apparent alienation about ethical duties and obligations toward the citizens. Fritzsche (November 1995) stated in his article that personal values significantly influence the decision making process of a person. The article studies the relationship that exists between personal values and ethical dimensions of decisions. There are numerous studies that show that that personal value plays an important role in influencing the behavior of marketing managers. Studies also suggest that managers should be screened out on the basis of their values while hiring. The basic definition of values is defined as A value is a conception, explicit or implicit of the desirable that influences the selection from available modes, means and ends of action. Another definition states that a value is an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conducts or end state of existence. Studies by numerous scholars suggest that behavior is a result of values and attitudes and that value p rovide a basis for the development of individual attitudes which lead to specific decision making. A personal value questionnaire was developed in England in which managers were asked to evaluate the performance of 66 values. This was measured on a success scale, a right scale and a pleasant scale, which showed a high variation in values of different people. Becker(November 1990) states in this article that ethical behavior of marketing managers can be examined by their reactions and responses to a varied sequence of ethical dilemmas presented to them. These include coercion and control, conflict of interest, physical environment paternalism and personal integrity. To conduct this study the respondents were selected from a random sample of 593 marketing practitioners from American Marketing Association.Memebers who were listed were either consultants or academics were not included in the sample. Total of 124 questionnaires were received and processed. The results were evaluated on three broad categories which were the individual, the individuals peer and the individuals top management. However there were some limitations to this study because the response rate was very low. Secondly the data was based on statements of what the respondents. The managers responded to coercion and control dilemmas differently than they responded to conflict of interest problems. This response in turn differed from their response to personal integrity dilemmas. The paternalism response did not differ significantly from either the conflict of interest or the personal integrity response. Therefore care should be taken when interpreting past and future empirical studies of ethical behavior to avoid generalizing across categories of ethical problems. Desmond (2004) stated in his article that regardless of argumentative concerns of marketing ethicists, a societal based morality continues to suffer because of marketing practices. This article in the light of ethicist and egoist elements of moral theory discovers the outcomes of marketing actions relative to the normative elements. Ethicists are the scholars arguing that better moral outcomes can be reached via the embodiment of the maxims of moral philosophy within management theory. Whereas egoists those who profess Adam Smiths view that the pursuit of different forms of self-interest will eventually lean towards the best, or least worst, of moral consequences in economic situations. Ahmed (May 1996) in this paper examines the features, similarities and differences in advertising expressions and strategies. The study is on a cross cultural analysis which compared USA a high context culture with India a low context culture. A random sample of advertisements were chosen for this research, consumer products were selected which were from nationally circulated newspaper and magazines of each country. The study found out that there are substantial differences in the advertisements produced by the two countries and reflections of their cultural values could be seen in their advertising expressions. Moreover it was revealed that US advertisements were direct, distinctive in which sexual portrayals of women were used whereas in Indian ads indirect style was used with combined visuals and stereotypical portrayals of women were more frequently used compared to US ads. Furthermore it has been said that most of the cross cultural empirical studies that have been conducted to date compared either two or more Western industrialized countries or Western and Eastern industrialized countries. Other cross cultural analysis were also conducted which compared US with UK. Every analysis showed a different and varied result. Hayman (September 1994) stated in his article that the practice of our lives and businesses is affected by advertising ethics in prominent ways. Advertising ethics concerns too many people which include consumers, academicians, ad agency personnel, advertisers, and media personnel somehow. Recent articles have scrutinized the ethicality of ads with exploitive appeals, persuasive appeals and stereotyped actors. Other articles studied the ethicality of ads for professional services, politicians or political causes and questionable products like cigarettes. Different tests were carried out which showed different results. Respondents said that they value funding constraints and concomitant reliance on convenience significantly more than other impediments. Moreover the use of dishonesty, advertisement for children, tobacco ads, use of stereotypes should also be avoided according to the respondent. Buijzen (2003) in his article introduced a model on the unintended effects of advertising and conducted tests to test the validity of three hypothesis about the impact of advertising on materialism, parent child conflict and unhappiness. It was observed that there was a moderate relationship between advertising and materialism and advertising and parent-child conflict however no significant relationship was found between unhappiness and advertising. Moreover it is stated that television advertisements aimed at children were a subject of concern in US and Europe in early 1970s. Furthermore it is discussed that effects of advertising directed toward children are based on two paradigms; paradigm of empowered child and paradigm of vulnerable child. In paradigm of empowered child, children are viewed as skilled consumers critically processing commercial messages whereas in paradigm of vulnerable child assumes that children lack cognitive skills to protect themselves against advertising m essages. It was also examined that children are more susceptible than adults to the seductive influence of commercials. Robert Bartels (1997) stated in his article that he contributed the first comprehensive model for ethics in marketing. This conceptualization of the variables that influence marketing ethics decision making determine the logical basis for marketers to determine what is right or wrong. In this article a schematic plan for analyzing the variables inherent in the ethics of decision making; and provided a framework for social and personal ethics in marketing decisions. This model was successful in outlining variables that influence ethical decision making, including participants, cultural influencers, role expectations, and the complexity of ethical decision making. Chapter 3: Methodology This section outlines and elaborates on the research and how it was conducted. It covers the details of the research design, methodology for collecting the data, population, questionnaire development and data analysis. 3.1 Research Design The aim of the paper is to figure out how Socio cultural factors affect ethical advertising. The basic idea is to equip ourselves with additional research on the phenomenon of consumer response with respect to unethical advertisements; this makes the research a basic research. Since the objective is to find socio cultural factors affect ethical advertisements, this research was termed as descriptive and casual in nature. 3.2 Data Collection Method Data can be collected from primary or secondary sources. A primary data refers to information collected firsthand by the researcher based on the variables of interest for the specific purpose of study. Whereas a secondary data refers to information collected from sources already existing. This research was based on primary data collection approach. Questionnaires were used for collecting data. Personally administered questionnaires were used. They were distributed to a total of 29 people of different ages, occupation and income. Once the questionnaires was filled they were collected from the respondent, the researcher was accompanying the respondent so that queries from respondent can be answered. The anonymity and confidentiality of the researcher and their responses was ensured and were analyzed at the aggregate level only. Close ended questions were used in the questionnaire which helped the respondents to make quick decisions to choose among the several alternative before them (Sekaran, 2000). Such type of questionnaires also helps the researcher to code the information easily for subsequent analysis. Likert-style rating scale was used; it consists of subsequent options: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Different statements were made in the questions and respondents were asked the degree as to what they agree or disagree upon. 3.3 Questionnaire Development The layout of the questionnaire is very important to reduce the biases in the research (Sekaran, 2000); due to this the layout is kept simple and limited to 4 pages only. Questionnaire starts with an introduction of research. The design of the questionnaire is attached in Appendix 2. Theoretical framework Operational Definitions 1) Industry Standards: Industry standards are orderly and systematic formulation, adoption, or application of standards used in the industry. An industrial standard is a generally accepted requirement to be met for the attainment of a recurrent industrial objective. These standards would be evaluated through secondary data obtained from Internet. 2) Personal Conscience: It explains the concomitant moral judgment that determines the morality of actions; it can be right, correct, doubtful or scrupulous. Data would be gauged by asking indirect questions from the respondents and their answers would reflect their conscience. 3) Company Policy: Company policies are guidelines-statements (guide to plans decision making) to facilitate predetermined objective on the mode and manner in the structural functional aspects to achieve the objective formulated as plans at all levels of management in the business organization. Data related to company policy would be gathered by visiting Telecom companies like Telenor and Warid. 4) Moral values: Moral values explain the standards of good and evil, which govern an individuals behavior and choices. Every person has different morals and it is difficult to judge a persons moral values therefore data for moral values would be gauged by asking indirect questions from the respondents and their answers would reflect their moral values. 5) Government laws and regulations: Government is a system of social control which grants a particular group of society the right to make laws, and the right to enforce them. Laws and regulations are rules that order human activities and relations through systematic application of the force of politically organized society. Data would be gathered through Internet and Government publications. 6) Regulatory agencies: Regulatory agencies are independent government bodies formed or mandated under the terms of a legislative act to ensure compliance with the provisions of the act, and in carrying out its purpose. Data related to regulatory agencies would be gathered from secondary data available on internet and government publications. 7) Religion: Religion is defined as a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. Religion is an important factor that affects advertisements. Data would be gathered through Questionnaires and focus groups. 8) Cultural values: Cultural values are Commonly held standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, workable or unworkable, etc., in a community or society. Data related to Cultural values would be gauged through Questionnaires and focus groups. Hypotheses 1 Socio-Cultural factors have a significant/insignificant impact on ethical advertisement Ho: Socio-Cultural factors have a significant impact on ethical advertisement H1: Socio-Cultural factors have an insignificant impact on ethical advertisement Multiple Regressions Q6 Dependent variable: Q6 Independent variables: Q12 Q13 Q15 Q19 Standard T Parameter Estimate Error Statistic P-Value CONSTANT 0.00863931 0.355308 0.024315 0.9808 Q12 0.391237 0.171878 2.27624 0.0320 Q13 0.321197 0.12931 2.48393 0.0204 Q15 0.0993521 0.179206 0.554402 0.5844 Q19 0.19747 0.0812598 2.43011 0.0229 Analysis of Variance Source Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F-Ratio P-Value Model 7.96444 4 1.99111 44.66 0.0000 Residual 1.07004 24 0.044585 Total (Corr.) 9.03448 28 R-squared = 88.156 percent R-squared (adjusted for d.f.) = 86.1821 percent Standard Error of Est. = 0.211152 Mean absolute error = 0.127206 Durbin-Watson statistic = 2.18452 (P=0.6825) Lag 1 residual autocorrelation = -0.0946458 The StatAdvisor The output shows the results of fitting a multiple linear regression model to describe the relationship between Q6 and 4 independent variables. The equation of the fitted model is Q6 = 0.00863931 + 0.391237*Q12 + 0.321197*Q13 + 0.0993521*Q15 + 0.19747*Q19 Since the P-value in the ANOVA table is less than 0.05, there is a statistically significant relationship between the variables at the 95.0% confidence level. The R-Squared statistic indicates that the model as fitted explains 88.156% of the variability in Q6. The adjusted R-squared statistic, which is more suitable for comparing models with different numbers of independent variables, is 86.1821%. The standard error of the estimate shows the standard deviation of the residuals to be 0.211152. This value can be used to construct prediction limits for new observations by selecting the Reports option from the text menu. The mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.127206 is the average value of the residuals. The Durbin-Watson (DW) statistic tests the residuals to determine if there is any significant correlation based on the order in which they occur in your data file. Since the P-value is greater than 0.05, there is no indication of serial autocorrelation in the residuals at the 95.0% confidence level. In determining whether the model can be simplified, notice that the highest P-value on the independent variables is 0.5844, belonging to Q15. Since the P-value is greater or equal to 0.05, that term is not statistically significant at the 95.0% or higher confidence level. Consequently, you should consider removing Q15 from the model. Multiple Regression Q6 Dependent variable: Q6 Independent variables: Q12 Q13 Q19 Standard T Parameter Estimate Error Statistic P-Value CONSTANT 0 0.350015 0 1.0000 Q12 0.453202 0.128754 3.5199 0.0017 Q13 0.369458 0.0942868 3.91845 0.0006 Q19 0.187192 0.0780131 2.39949 0.0242 Analysis of Variance Source Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F-Ratio P-Value Model 7.95074 3 2.65025 61.14 0.0000 Residual 1.08374 25 0.0433498 Total (Corr.) 9.03448 28 R-squared = 88.0044 percent R-squared (adjusted for d.f.) = 86.5649 percent Standard Error of Est. = 0.208206 Mean absolute error = 0.123662 Durbin-Watson statistic = 2.1867 (P=0.6811) Lag 1 residual autocorrelation = -0.0951858 The StatAdvisor The output shows the results of fitting a multiple linear regression model to describe the relationship between Q6 and 3 independent variables. The equation of the fitted model is Q6 = -6.99441E-15 + 0.453202*Q12 + 0.369458*Q13 + 0.187192*Q19 Since the P-value in the ANOVA table is less than 0.05, there is a statistically significant relationship between the variables at the 95.0% confidence level. The R-Squared statistic indicates that the model as fitted explains 88.0044% of the variability in Q6. The adjusted R-squared statistic, which is more suitable for comparing models with different numbers of independent variables, is 86.5649%. The standard error of the estimate shows the standard deviation of the residuals to be 0.208206. This value can be used to construct prediction limits for new observations by selecting the Reports option from the text menu. The mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.123662 is the average value of the residuals. The Durbin-Watson (DW) statistic tests the residuals to determine if there is any significant correlation based on the order in which they occur in your data file. Since the P-value is greater than 0.05, there is no indication of serial autocorrelation in the residuals at the 95.0% confidence level. In determining whether the model can be simplified, notice that the highest P-value on the independent variables is 0.0242, belonging to Q19. Since the P-value is less than 0.05, that term is statistically significant at the 95.0% confidence level. Consequently, you probably dont want to remove any variables from the model.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Women in a Global Economy :: Globalization Economics Essays

Women in a Global Economy The Globalization of the market and corporations have created problems for women everywhere. Because of the search for a higher profit, corporations in the United States move their factories to â€Å"developing† countries. There, they can force the workers to work longer than an eight hour day, and the wages they pay to their employees are considerably less than the minimum wage in the U.S.. When the women in these factories make an effort to fight back by protesting or striking for better pay, or better working conditions, the corporations simply move out. There are many other nations who can work just as hard without all the complaints. So, because these women ask to be treated decently, they are denied a job. This practice has also created problems for women factory workers in the U.S. because the factories here are all being shut down. I knew one woman who lost her job at Motorola because they moved their testing ground to Mexico. The variety of middle class jobs has decre ased in the U.S., creating poorer poor and wealthier rich, who get their money directly or indirectly through the exploitations of poorer countries. The most interesting and best summarizing paragraph of the reading was about The Myth of Progress. (pg. 267) It states that progress is equated with economic growth and ignores â€Å"intellectual, social, moral and spiritual dimensions†, and that this definition persuades people to value themselves according to the materials they are able to obtain. This can create a world of problems. By stressing money and material it is easy for some to forget how it is obtained, both in a methodical, and a humanistic sense. By this I am referring specifically to the people of the three classes in the U.S.. Poor people instead of concentrating on education or buying assets or spiritually connecting and becoming a leader, tend to trade their labor for some money, then use all of it to buy â€Å"stuff†. They’ll buy clothes, or DVDs, or trinkets, and they feel good about these purchases because they got a good deal, and it increases their material value. None of them will think about where or how it was assembled, because they are distanced from it, and are content with their new acquisition. The middle class trade stressful working days for a little more money, with which they use to buy liabilities like cars or boats, again not thinking about the how they came to be.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games Essay -- Papers Children

Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games The video game technology, like most technologies, has changed drastically in the last few years. Arcades may look much the same on the surface as they did a decade or two ago, but the games have become far more violent, sophisticated and addictive. When one visits the video arcade it is not surprising to see children pointing and shooting something that looks suspiciously like a real weapon. If Pong – or, for that matter, Pac-Man and Super Mario Brothers – is one’s point of reference, one needs to think again. What one assumes about the benign, outdated games of the 1970s and the 1980s, even of the early 1990s, the research regarding them cannot be considered valid as video games put in the market in the last five years. It is a whole new world, and it is evolving at a rate that is hard for parents to keep pace with (Funk. Jeanne 1993). How fast a rate? Consider this: During the last two decades interactive video games have emerged as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, particularly among teens. According to the non-profit organization, Mediascope, â€Å"Globally, annual video games revenues now exceed $18 billion. In the United States alone, video game revenues now exceed $10 billion annually, nearly double the amount Americans spend going to the movies. On average, American children who have home video game systems play with them about ninety minutes a day. The kids are changing with the technology – how could they not be? They are riding technology curve in a way we are not and never can. On many levels, it’s wonderful to have them exposed to this brav... ...tors in Computing Systems CHI '04 Abstracts on Human factors in computing systems. ACM Press New York, NY , USA p. 1375-1378 Provenzo, Eugene. Video Kids. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991 47-48. Schmitt, B.D. (2004). Disadvantages of Video Games. Clinical Reference Systems. Jan 1, 2004 p 3356. Behavioral Health Advisor 2004.1 McKesson Health Solutions LLC Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction Association for Computing Machinery, ACM Pres, New York, USA The First Fighting Game That Let You Just Be Friends. Take Greatest Games of All Times. Mortal Kombat II. Midway 1993. Accessed 2 Sept 2005 at: http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-17.html Videogame- mind control? Accessed 2 Sept 2005 at: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread37141/pg1

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Response to “People Like Us” Essay

In the essay â€Å"People Like Us†, Brooks states that maybe we are indeed a diverse nation when considered as a whole, but when you look at us on the community level, we are homogenous. Brooks describes numerous ways in which Americans separate themselves from one another. Overall, I agree with the points made by Brooks and can draw many similarities to my own life. For example, when Brooks describes how our towns or cities can become racially homogenized. â€Å"People Like Us† begins by Brooks giving some examples of how people isolate themselves. Many people think of race when they think of diversity, but that is not the only aspect described by Brooks. He takes a look at racial, geographical, background, and work place diversity. People are very capable of finding the seemingly smallest differences between themselves. They will even make some of their biggest life choices based off of these differences. By drawing these subtle distinctions we continue to surround ourselves with people more and more like us, causing certain areas to have certain characteristics. Brooks goes on to state that our cities and neighborhoods are becoming more and more like themselves. He says that when a place becomes grouped with a certain trait or attribute it gets multiplied and becomes more and more true. Brooks goes on to say that this isn’t some tragedy that we are trying to avoid. In fact, he goes as far as to say that we love this segmentation, and that it actually makes us happier. We feel more comfortable when we are surrounded by people who we consider to be like ourselves. Brooks then says that even though we seem to strive for racial integration we are, in some cases, becoming more segregated. Reformers have been at work for years to end housing discrimination, but trends are showing that, even though people of different races can live amongst one another, they are  choosing not to. People separate themselves by race. By doing this, they begin to give certain places a reputation for being home to a specific race. As these reputations start to develop they become facts reinforced by people choosing to live with people like themselves. Next, Brooks supports his idea by describing the ways in which we can be divided into demographics based off of where we live geographically. There are many companies that direct potential business owners to the best place for them to market their product based off the tendencies of those who live there. He explains that it really is quite amazing how easily we can be split into these groups. Once again, our tendencies to associate ourselves with those who are similar to us are made apparent. Brooks moves on to explain that not only do we separate ourselves by minute differences, race, and geography, but also by our own backgrounds. People will group themselves based off of their education level or class, for example. If someone has had a similar past to you, you will be more likely to want to be around them. People are drawn to one another based off past experiences. Perhaps the places in America that speak the most of diversity are actually some of the least diverse, Brooks explains. He is talking about our country’s elite universities. It seems they go on and on about striving for diversity, and claim they readily accept it. Brooks illustrates that this is not the case, especially for the educators. Our universities’ faculty members seem to be almost exclusively liberal. Brooks displays concerns for how we seem to isolate ourselves with those who are like us. He points out that when we so deeply immerse ourselves in communities that reflect ourselves, we fail to see the other sides. We do not get the other points of view. Our own ideas and beliefs are only reinforced. I agree with many of the points made by Brooks in his essay. I can personally relate to his statement that we tend to congregate with people of  our own race rather than branching out. I grew up in the small community of Independence, Iowa. We had a population of roughly five-thousand people. Almost all of that population was accounted for in the numerous white families. When I was growing up it was very rare to see someone in town who wasn’t white. I never really had much exposure to people who didn’t look like myself. In fact, the only minority in my class was a Mexican boy whose parents were immigrants. Even though my town had an obvious lack of racial diversity, the thought of why had never crossed my mind. When I was in fifth grade a black family moved into town with a boy that was put into my class. He did all of the same activities as me and even lived in my neighborhood. We quickly became friends. Over the years, I got a front row seat to many instances of people who were not tolerant or understanding of other races. My friend would often get singled out at school by other kids because his skin color was different than ours. Sometimes, people would even shout racial slurs at him when we were walking down the street. These events got me to think about why we were a predominately white community. It wasn’t just some coincidence. It was that way for a reason. Most of the members of my community chose to live there because we were mostly white. People of different races scared them or made them uncomfortable. Being with people who were like them gave them a sense of belonging and comfort. He and his family being there ruined their security blanket. They brought in experiences, ideas, and lifestyles that were different from their own. Waterloo, Iowa is a city that was roughly twenty minutes away from me. In my area it was known as the â€Å"black town†. There is a large black community there and it held a reputation for exactly that. When I was a sophomore in high school my friend and his family moved there. They said it was because of more job opportunities, but after reading Brooks’ essay I wonder if the ideas described by him somehow applied. I now think that that maybe they moved there because Waterloo held a reputation for being home to people more like them. This is exactly what Brooks meant when he explained that places’ reputations for being home to a certain race only get intensified. I believe that Brooks’ points about our tendencies to group ourselves with similar people are valid. When I look round at my own life I can see examples of what he was talking about. Brooks’ ideas do a good job at  explaining why many aspects of our lives are the way they are. He states that we should ask ourselves if we even care that we have this sort of sheltered life. Brooks says that maybe there is nothing we can do about our tendencies for homogeneity, but perhaps we can try to lead diverse lives. In conclusion, I think we enjoy living in our own little homogenized groups, and because of that we will never become a truly integrated and diverse country.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Peruvian Andean Women

This research will focus on the Andean woman of Peru in the sixteen century. First, I will explore the role that the woman played in the Inca society. Secondly, I will reflect on the impact the Spanish invasion had on the role woman played in her kinship, in the household, in religion and in relation with productive activities and politics. Later on, I will discuss the contradictory perceptions of the Andean woman as a victim and as a skilful negotiator. Furthermore, I will focus on change and continuation of the roles that women played in society. The impact of the changes in the demography of Andean communities and all over the Inca empire, the labour division and degradation of the status that women played in society in contrast with the relationship between Spanish men and Indigenous women and its repercussions in the society. Peruvian Andean Woman Before the arrival of Spaniards onto Peruvian soil, Andean woman enjoyed a respected position in the Inca society and was an active collaborator and participant of the political, religious and economic life of the Inca Empire. Silverblatt (1978); presents different elements to show the parallel role of woman and man in Inca societies, like the structure of kinships, she noticed that women were entitled to inherit lands following her maternal line and men through their paternal line. She also observes that the authority in the kinship was not related to gender but to birth order. She continues focusing on the active role of women in the economy and their labor roles; specializing as weavers, brewers, traders and agronomists. A reference to a plead to Carlos V of Spain, requesting protection for indigenous women from Spaniard’s abuses, stresses the importance of women’s work as essential to household labor and complementary to men’s. Karen Viera Powers (2000) noticed the clash between Spanish and native understanding of gender relations, gender roles and sexuality. She puts special emphasis in gender parallelism and complementary roles of men and women, acknowledging that women and men performed different social, political and economic roles; but that these where perceived as equally mportant and that their contributions were valued in the same manner. Powers argues that marriage was not a form of subordination but that â€Å"the Andean ceremony clearly symbolized a union of equals through a ritual gift exchange between husband and wife and between their families that was intended to create balance and harmony between peers. † The Spanish could not understand the way in which t he Inca Empire worked, the Spanish failed to comprehend the reciprocity, parallel and complementary activities performed in the community and impacted a well organized system forever. The role of women in pregnancy, childbirth and childcare was associated with fertility and considered significant to the subsistence and survival of the community. Every year the communities in the Inca empire were inspected by the Inca officials whom had the task to chose the most beautiful virgins to become wives of the Inca. The virgins called acllas, that means chosen in Quechua, were secluded in special institutions to guard their sexuality. These women were expert weavers that produced fine cloths that were used in religious ceremonies or given as gifts to Inca’s allies. Some were taken by the Inca as second wives or married to Inca nobles or to rulers of conquered territories to seal alliances. Polygamy and exogamy for political purposes was very common among the elite members of the Inca Empire. When the Spanish arrived, the Incas tried to consolidate alliances with them through offering women in marriage. In the words of Karen Viera Powers: The Inca’s assignment of beautiful young women to be wives to his allies, not only created intra-elite and interethnic bonds through a reward system, but also produced a sophisticated, hybrid political system. The role of the women in the colonial society has been studied with prejudice towards women. Elinor Burkett (1978) condemns authors who have written with prejudice towards women and presents a different approach focusing on â€Å"indigenous society by considering tribute as a household rather than an individual obligation. † Men and women worked as a team, as did the whole family. Indeed men and women even shared some professions. Karen Graubart (2000) explains this by citing the chronicles of Fray Bernabe Cobo: The Indian women spin not only at home, but when they go outside, whether they are sanding in one place or walking. As long as they are not doing something else with their hands, walking does not interfere with their spinning, which is what most of them are doing when we meet them on the streets†¦. Although women are the ones who generally practice this occupation as their own, nevertheless, in some places the men consider it to be their own also. After making the thread, it is doubled and twisted; they never weave with single threads. The same women twist it in the same way as they spin it, and some of the men will generally help in this, especially the old men who are not able to do other work. Karen Graubert (2000) argues that the chronicles are bias identifying the work performed by Andean women as proper: when they weave, make chicha (corn beer), cook and undertake other type of agricultural work. When the Andean men produced textiles they were considered as artisans. While both, men and women were producing a garment to be paid as tribute for the state and religion, these activities were identified and constructed as distinct. Graubert observed a more detailed description of the works performed by women in the writings of Pedro Cieza de Leon, when he says: These women are hard workers: because they are the ones who break the ground, and sow the fields, and reap the harvests. And many of their husbands are in the house weaving and spinning and repairing their weapons and clothing, and†¦ doing other female activities. The Spanish had an ethnocentric view of how society, gender relations and religion were supposed to be. They imposed their political models onto Andean societies and destroyed the organization of the Inca society. Women were removed from their former positions of authority, and the society was transformed into a male-centric society where women had to depend on men for formal representation. Under Spanish rule, the Inca noblewomen were not allowed to attend to new schools, only indigenous men were allowed into the educative system set up by friars to educate the native elite. The Inca Queens of the Andes lost her status. Her role as the axis of the female political system was eliminated. The Spanish faith excluded women of all participation in religious practices and women were forbidden to perform former roles of midwife, healer and confessor. Although, despite all the efforts of the Spanish to convert Indians and introduced them to Christianity, Indians found ways to hold onto their beliefs and to continue their ancestral practices. According to Irene Silverblatt (1978): Among the archival material there is a legal suit which documents a cult to â€Å"Woman Moon,† a goddess venerated by women from several neighbouring communities. This feminine cult crossed community boundaries, articulating women from different kin groups in an organization centred around the worship of the moon. The Spanish, influenced by 800 years of war with the Moors, viewed the world under patriarchal eyes and condemned these practices. The transformation of the Inca society took place through Catholic syncretism; Andeans understood the new religion through their religious believes, associating the image of Mary and female saints with the moon and mother earth. Spanish priests did not rest emphasising the importance of virginity and introduced legal codes that defined extramarital sex as criminal (Powers, 2000). The new Spanish system to forced labor, created changes in the role of women but also impacted the demography of the communities all over the Inca Empire. An example of this is found in the work of Bianca Premo; she observed an imbalanced population in the Chucuito census, imbalance that she attributes to a â€Å"combination of deception and real absence† of men: Almost 45 percent of adult women were said to be unmarried†¦ The total number of unmarried adults in the province seems higher than might be expected in communities where land rights were linked to marriage and where marriage amounted adulthood. The way in which the Spanish used, abused and transformed the organisation of the tributary Inca system and its networks and lines of kinship have resulted in impoverishment and isolation of Andean regions. While in the Inca tributary system, the government taxed only men and women who were married, during the Spanish rule the taxes were imposed on men, women and widows. While the Andean male population was being depleted in the mines and through infections and diseases, the Spanish populations grew due to immigration and higher birth rates (Powers, 2000). In 1618, legislation was enacted requiring women to stay in the villages, even if their husbands were absent or had disappeared. As Premo (2000) observed, the labor in mines, especially in the case of Potosi, left the community of Chicuito and other nearby communities without the support of men; single women and widows were paying tribute by weaving textiles, with the aid of young children. Premo cited a local leader reporting: The whole community is working for the benefit of the tribute and it is impossible to pay in silver more than we already are neither women nor the old nor the children can contribute more. In a community called Juli, Jesuits priests were accused to have had women locked up, sewing day and night. Another example of exploitation of the women labor is found in a reference to a letter dated on 1672, where Viceroy Conde de Lemos is quoted: In these already dissipated provinces, the judges from Potosi take these Indians, leaving the land uncultivated and the women and children without anything to eat. In contrast to views that the women were exploited and abused by the Spanish, we also have the accounts of Elinor Burkett; she recompiled information about Andean women working in household as domestics, inheriting from Spanish people, sewing and engaged in small trading; while men were isolated in mining work, construction and agriculture. According to Burkett, the proximity of Andean women to Spanish men, Spanish women and Spanish families put her in a privilege position than the Andean men; she learnt the language, customs and ways of the Spanish. Burkett (1978), examining records of Potosi, finds Indian women selling pastry, candy, silver items, groceries, bread, preparing food and selling other goods and concludes that the Andean women is depicted as a strong, wilful woman, either Indian or mestiza, aggressive economically and socially. Conclusions After a thorough research of the role of the Peruvian women in the sixteen century, I have observed the great challenges that Peruvian women had encountered during that period, from having a religion an identity related to beauty, reproduction and in some cases chosen as priests, they were not only forced into a new belief system but also forbidden to practice their religious rituals. Their Inca queens also lost any trace of royalty and became mistresses. Their man, partner and parallel was taken by the new government and forced to labor. From being an integral part of the kin, women became workers, in many cases they were enslaved, chained, raped and treated like the last rung in the ladder of society. Nevertheless, the Peruvian women, went to the mines looking for their partners, to the point that Spain had to edict legislation to stop them. The Andean women, adjusted to the changes, she wove when she had to weave, but she also looked for other opportunities, migrated, sold cloths, became a trader, worked in Spanish household and also learnt the language. Nowadays, Peruvian indigenous women have just as much a central role within a household as 500 years ago; they are often the primary caregivers of family and kinship and continue to play a vital role in the Peruvian society.