Monday, December 30, 2019

Essay On Segregation - 713 Words

Segregation politically marginalized black citizens. There are many effects on Segregation as to how it began and ended. It began before the 1950’s. Segregation took place on school buses, in school, and in most public places. Before the Civil War, slavery existed in the United States. However, after the war things evolved and got worse for black people. The south began to start passing laws that limited the rights of blacks and segregated them from whites. Reconstruction after the civil war caused serious challenges to white supremacy and especially in the south where most African Americans continued to live. Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States, and also starting†¦show more content†¦They worked for lower grades too.†Book: (McKissack, 15). The example of the negative effects of segregation affected the way people were treated in the mid 1900’s. Also, they had a much lower class life and were less privileged than other people. Overall, segregation negatively affected the short term effects of society by people being discriminated by their skin color. The long term effects of segregation also had a negative impact on society in several ways. â€Å"Beyond the debate over the origins of segregation, the passage of segregation laws in the 1890s limited the possibilities for black Southerners at the turn of the century.† Database (Sullivan, â€Å"Segregation†). Furthermore, there was finally a way to end segregation by setting in the Jim Crow laws which were important so that everyone could begin to be treated fair and equal. â€Å"The federal government set up agencies and wrote tomes of guidelines to enforce civil rights laws†(Mckissack,23). The government tried to enforce these laws so that Segregation would stop, which was a good thing. A 2014 report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) revealed that segregation, while not legal, still is a reality in the education and residential sectors. (Article, Racial Segregation in Post-Reconstruction America). This study shows that as recent as 2014 segrega tion is not legal but still occurs which is very unfortunate because it can impact peoplesShow MoreRelatedThe Collapse of Segregation Essay618 Words   |  3 PagesThe Collapse of Segregation Segregation and discrimination due to race was made completely illegal by 1970. 1954 saw the end to legal segregation in schools; in 1955 it was made illegal to practise segregation on busses. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1957, which outlawed racial discrimination in employment, restaurants, hotels, amusement arcades, and any facilities receiving government money. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act was imposed to prohibit any discriminationRead MoreRacial Segregation - Essay792 Words   |  4 PagesRacial Segregation Introduction The great nation of America is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world today. Practically all races in America can trace their roots from different parts of the country. From the African-American to the Korean- Americans, and the Hispanic to the Irish people, all these represent the different faces of American people. However, the co-existence of these different races has not been smooth sailing. They have experienced racial discrimination, mostlyRead MoreEssay about segregation1571 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferences and structure inequalities. Race divides people through categories which led to cultural and social tensions. It also determined inclusion, exclusion, and segregation in U.S society. Both inclusion and exclusion tie together to create the overall process of segregation — one notion cannot occur without resulting in the others. Segregation is a form of separation in terms of race that includes the processes of inclusion and exclusion. Race was the ma in factor that caused conflicts among people inRead More Segregation Essay examples824 Words   |  4 Pagesof law; nor nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Segregation is a violation of this amendment; therefore, making it unconstitutional. If segregation is unconstitutional then why is segregation still present in our school system? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Racial segregation is strongly linked to segregation by class: nearly 90 percent of intensely segregated schools for Blacks and Latinos are also schools in which at least halfRead MoreEssay on Occupational Segregation994 Words   |  4 PagesOccupational Segregation Since the beginning of time, from all accounts, there has been some form of inequality between genders in society. This has become especially true in the workplace and for some people occupational segregation may be to blame. Occupational segregation is the grouping of similar jobs at similar workplaces. Not to be confused with job segregation which looks at specific jobs within specific workplaces, occupational segregation focuses on the occupation as a whole. An exampleRead More Gender Segregation in Education Essay1159 Words   |  5 PagesGender Segregation in Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people think only of African Americans when the phrase segregation in education is spoken, but how often do we think of women? Women have gone through tremendous struggles to receive the same rights as men to an equal education. The following pages will explain many aspects of the history of the women’s struggles for desegregation, accomplishes made for desegregation, and the affects of sex or gender segregation still present in today’s educational systemRead MoreEssay on Segregation Now in the USA1015 Words   |  5 Pages24th Amendment to poll taxes, then the Voting Rights Act to allow every man to vote and not be discriminated against. Black Power, the Nation of Islam, and the Southern Christian Leadership conference were just some of the groups that tried to end segregation and promote the African American race. Although these groups did help end it, it still exists in today’s world and many studies have been done to prove it in the past couple of years. Many people across the world still judge based on color, aRead MoreThe Nature of Southern Segregation Essay974 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nature of Southern Segregation Eyes on the Prize v. I, narrated by Julian Bond, was launched by the episode entitled Awakenings. It documents two events that helped focus the nations attention on the oppression of African American citizens: the lynching of 14 year-old Emmett Till in 1955 and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, motivated by the arrest of Rosa Parks, who refused to relinquish her seat on a public bus to a white person. The legal and social separation ofRead MoreEssay on The Segregation of School in America1209 Words   |  5 PagesThe Segregation of School in America In history there are two major turning points in the fight for equal rights. The first was â€Å"Homer Plessey vs. The rail road company† of 1986. Homer Plessey was asked to sit in a black only carriage and refused; he was kicked off the train. He decided to take his case to the supreme court and they ruled in favour of segregation, saying â€Å"separate but equal†. Segregation had been occurring for many years already in the form of â€Å"The JimRead MoreSex Segregation in the Workplace Essay514 Words   |  3 Pagesfemale? Why not female surgeons and male nurses? These are simple and frequent questions that can be answered by most Sociologist and Theorists. Sociologists and Theorists equate this type of job inequality phenomenon with occupational sex segregation. Sex segregation in the workplace is one of the most visible signs of inequality in the labor market. In almost every work setting, it is rare to see men and women working at the same job. When they do, they usually perform different tasks, with unequal

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The War On Drugs Latin America - 2041 Words

The war on drugs in Latin America is no longer just about drugs. Now women cannot live in prosperity due to the current situation that has become a lifestyle in Latin America. Everyday women are picked off of the streets by these criminals. Most if not all of those women will never see their families again. They become property of the drug cartels and victims of violent gangs. The most famous gangs in Latin America are the Mara Salvatruchas 13, and Calle 18, which means 18th Street. While the most prominent drug cartels are Los Zetas, which started off as hit men, The Gulf Cartel, The Knights Templar, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and the Sinaloa cartel. The position of women in Latin America has no true value due to the strong cultural†¦show more content†¦Criminologist Israel Ticas, who digs up clandestine graves for the Attorney General s Office, says more than half of the 90 sites he has excavated in the last 12 years contained the remains of murdered women and girls ( El Salvador Gangs Brutal Sexual Violence against Girls, Women). The drug cartels on the other hand will not follow the example of the gangs and rape to kill. As a consequence, the drug cartels took advantage of the Latin American women and created a new form of human trafficking. Trafficking is all acts involved in the recruitment, abduction, transport, harboring, transfer, sale or receipt of persons; within national or across international borders; through force, coercion, fraud or deception (Richard). Placing people in situations much like those of slavery and forcing them into prostitution, sexual services and sweatshop like labor, is what most cartels will do with their victims. Latin America has become the heart of human trafficking in Latin America (Ribando Seelke). In most cases women are asked to be drug mules. Drug mules often smuggle drugs across the US border or to other countries by hiding the drugs inside of their bodies. The drugs are packed into small capsules tha t contain small proportions of pure cocaine which are wrapped in latex condoms. If for some reason the person carrying the drugs inside of them is allergic to latex, the package is likely to burst causing the almost immediate death of the mule. OtherShow MoreRelated The US War on Drugs in Latin America Essay3424 Words   |  14 PagesThe US War on Drugs in Latin America Introduction The United States has a long history of intervention in the affairs of one it’s southern neighbor, Latin America. The war on drugs has been no exception. An investigation of US relations with Latin America in the period from 1820 to 1960, reveals the war on drugs to be a convenient extension of an almost 200 year-old policy. This investigation focuses on the commercial and political objectives of the US in fighting a war on drugs in LatinRead MoreThe War on Drugs and Its Impact on Latin America Essay examples1684 Words   |  7 PagesEver since the war on drugs was started, most of the battle has been concentrated in Latin America, leaving trails of devastation from deep within Latin America up to the largest consumer of those substances. After years of fighting, and series’ of more and more aggressive policies put into place by the United States, drugs are just as prevalent if not more so than when the war began. Illegal drugs are still easy to obtain, demand for su ch substances has skyrocketed and cartels are becoming increasinglyRead More Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington?s futile war on drugs in Latin America?3153 Words   |  13 PagesBook review: â€Å"Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington’s futile war on drugs in Latin America† Edited by Ted Galen Carpenter Overview Introductionnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;3 Read MoreThe Impact Of Latin American Culture On Latin America1656 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing in an active war zone, living in Latin America would be much like that. The war being fought here is very different, instead of fighting another country, they are fighting drugs. Although war is generally a negative thing, this one is not. In this war there are negatives, but the positives far outweigh them. Latin American countries have witnessed the very noticeable benefits of the drug trade in many aspects of everyday life. The use and production of drugs is important to Latin American cultureRead MorePresident Franklin Roosevelt And The United States1699 Words   |  7 PagesDuring a 1928 goodwill spee ch in Latin America, President Herbert Hoover said, â€Å"We have a desire to maintain not only the cordial relations of governments with each other, but also the relations of good neighbors† (United States History). Hence, the Good Neighbor phrase was coined as the Coolidge Administration was criticized for armed intervention in Latin America. The Hoover Administration’s policies were created to strengthen relations with Latin America; for instance the retraction of the TheodoreRead MoreThe Battle On Terror And The War On Drugs953 Words   |  4 PagesIn many ways, the war on terror and the war on drugs have merged. The type of red scare rhetoric from the McCarthy era became nearly interchangeable with the drug war and terrorism during the Reagan administration. â€Å"We’re in the middle of a major epidemic...Parents have a right to feel terror,† said Donald Ian MacDonald, Reagan’s top drug advisor. He was referring to drugs. Marlin Fitzwater, R eagan’s Press Secretary openly admitted that â€Å"everybody wants to out-drug each other in terms of politicalRead MoreDrug Trafficking And Its Effects On America1600 Words   |  7 Pages In a country of struggling economies, many have viewed the drug trade as one South American’ s most successful businesses. Latin America s drug trafficking industry has been depicted in United States popular culture through motion pictures such as Scarface and Traffic. The purpose of my research is to take away society’s perception of what Hollywood has depicted drug trade to be and bring out what narcotics trafficking really is, as well as trying to coincide with the motivations of those peopleRead MoreThe War on Drugs1580 Words   |  7 PagesThe war on drugs began in the United States in 1971 when President Richard Nixon declared war. President Nixon increased the number of federal drug control agencies, increased mandatory sentences for drug offenders, and utilized no-knock warrants in attempt to get the problem under control. It has been over forty years since President Nixon declared a war on drugs. Did America win the war on drugs? Is it time to legalize il licit drugs in this country? What are other countries doing in referenceRead MoreWar On Drugs : A Comparative Analysis Of Human Rights Violation1339 Words   |  6 Pages07 April 2016 War on drugs or a war on people ? A comparative analysis of human rights violation in Latin America Ever since the War on Drugs campaign began there has been a more complex relationship between the U.S and Latin America. While the media portrays the U.S as providing aid to Latin America to combat such issues, the U.S is also seen as a victim in the war on drugs. Over the course of the war on drugs numerous human rights violations have been reported. In some Latin American countriesRead Moreâ€Å"The War On Drugs Is A Big Fucking Lie†. In Recent History,1560 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The war on drugs is a big fucking lie† In recent history, there has been much rhetoric surrounding the eradication of cross-border drug trafficking. The â€Å"war on drugs† was introduced in the 1970s by Nixon, who wanted to eliminate the drugs coming into the United States, since they were seen by him as a threat to our nation. Many laws have been enacted with the purpose keeping illicit drugs out of the United States, yet they do so through the use of nativist ideology, which upholds white supremacy

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Traffic Congestion Alert System Using Gsm Free Essays

Lens Antenna an antenna whose directivity pattern is a result of the difference between the phase velocity of propagation of an electromagnetic wave in air and that in the lens material. Lens antennas are used in radar and metering equipment that operates in the centimeter wavelength range. A lens antenna consists of a lens proper and of a feed. We will write a custom essay sample on Traffic Congestion Alert System Using Gsm or any similar topic only for you Order Now The shape of the lens depends on the refractive index n (the ratio of the phase velocity of propagation of a radio wave in a vacuum to that in the lens). A decelerating lens antenna, as in optics, is one for which n 1. An accelerating lens antenna (without an optical analogy) is one for which n 1. The feed is usually a horn antenna that generates a spherical wave front or an antenna array that produces a cylindrical wave front. Decelerating lens antennas are made of high-quality low-loss homogeneous dielectrics (polystyrene, fluoroplastics) or synthetic dielectrics (systems of variously shaped metallic particles suspended in air or in a homogeneous dielectric with a relative dielectric constant approaching unity). The refractive index can change within wide limits with extremely low losses. Accelerating lens antennas are made of shaped metal sheets. There is no analogy in optics. The principle of operation derives from the fact that the phase velocity of an electromagnetic wave propagating between parallel metal sheets depends on the distance between them if the electric field vector is parallel to the sheets. In such a case the phase velocity is greater than the speed of light, and the refractive index is less than unity. Zoning the surfaces of a lens antenna reduces its weight and dimensions. The shape and height in profile of the individual zones are chosen such that the electromagnetic waves refracted by adjacent zones leave the lens with a phase shift of 360Â °. The field at the aperture remains cophasal. With aplanatic and Luneberg lens antennas it is possible to control the directivity pattern virtually without distortion. How to cite Traffic Congestion Alert System Using Gsm, Papers Traffic Congestion Alert System Using Gsm Free Essays Lens Antenna an antenna whose directivity pattern is a result of the difference between the phase velocity of propagation of an electromagnetic wave in air and that in the lens material. Lens antennas are used in radar and metering equipment that operates in the centimeter wavelength range. A lens antenna consists of a lens proper and of a feed. We will write a custom essay sample on Traffic Congestion Alert System Using Gsm or any similar topic only for you Order Now The shape of the lens depends on the refractive index n (the ratio of the phase velocity of propagation of a radio wave in a vacuum to that in the lens). A decelerating lens antenna, as in optics, is one for which n 1. An accelerating lens antenna (without an optical analogy) is one for which n 1. The feed is usually a horn antenna that generates a spherical wave front or an antenna array that produces a cylindrical wave front. Decelerating lens antennas are made of high-quality low-loss homogeneous dielectrics (polystyrene, fluoroplastics) or synthetic dielectrics (systems of variously shaped metallic particles suspended in air or in a homogeneous dielectric with a relative dielectric constant approaching unity). The refractive index can change within wide limits with extremely low losses. Accelerating lens antennas are made of shaped metal sheets. There is no analogy in optics. The principle of operation derives from the fact that the phase velocity of an electromagnetic wave propagating between parallel metal sheets depends on the distance between them if the electric field vector is parallel to the sheets. In such a case the phase velocity is greater than the speed of light, and the refractive index is less than unity. Zoning the surfaces of a lens antenna reduces its weight and dimensions. The shape and height in profile of the individual zones are chosen such that the electromagnetic waves refracted by adjacent zones leave the lens with a phase shift of 360Â °. The field at the aperture remains cophasal. With aplanatic and Luneberg lens antennas it is possible to control the directivity pattern virtually without distortion. How to cite Traffic Congestion Alert System Using Gsm, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

University of Maryland college essays (short) free essay sample

Essay 1 prompt: Other than fashion, what medium do you use for self-expression and why? It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but my means of self-expression is becoming someone else. As an actor, my ultimate goal is to engulf my audience in a story by adopting an identity outside myself, and adopting it with conviction. I aspire to make my performances experiences, not just shows. Sometimes it is difficult to explain to people who do not act how acting can be a means of self-expression. It is strange to think that you can express yourself by trying to become someone else. What I have learned from every role I have acted, large or small, is that each character becomes a new lens through which I see myself. I learn about my own identity by realizing which traits are easy to act out and which are more difficult. I have always considered myself a loud person, self-assured and secure. We will write a custom essay sample on University of Maryland college essays (short) or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But I found it incredibly difficult to play the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wiz, even though the character shared those traits. In playing that role, I was able to learn more about myself by realizing what I was not. I began to see myself as a girl with insecurities and weaknesses just like everyone else, and yet a girl endowed with the power to overcome them. When I played the role on stage, I was able to express this self-discovery by teaching myself to become a character who I realized was very different from myself. You will often hear the idea of actors â€Å"getting lost in their roles,† but in reality, every actor brings individuality to every role; no two actors will play the same character in the same way. Acting is a catalyst for my individuality and self-discovery, and I hope to continue to find myself in every role. Essay prompt 2 (create your own question) Describe an era of history that you’ve learned about and its impact on you. Last year in American Civilizations, we studied the 1960’s. I fell in love with the hippie movement, in all its color and beauty. To me, fighting for something like the hippies fought for peace and equality seemed to embody a life with grater purpose. When I told my mom how I felt, she tried to show me reality, how living in such turmoil was often dangerous, frustrating and scary. I told her that I understood, but explained to her my frustrations about being such a passionate person and feeling like I had nothing to fight for. â€Å"I was born in the wrong time,† I told her, â€Å"I want to feel passion for my generation, but I don’t. I want a rebellion, but there’s nothing to rebel against.† A long time before I was in high school, one senior class organized a school â€Å"sit- in† to protest how school rules were enforced. A bunch of friends and I agreed that our senior class would try to have a sit-in ourselves; we just had to wait for a reason. After a while, we got our wish: a student was punished and later ended up leaving our school for reasons we considered unjust. But we knew we couldn’t organize a sit in. It would have felt like taking advantage of someone else’s tragedy. I realized then that rebellion is not something you can force or make happen, and you can’t be passionate about being passionate; you have to find something that inspires you to work and fight for a way to be a catalyst for change. I still love learning about the sixties, but I am confident now in my ability to make a change in my own world.

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Raven Essay Example

The Raven Paper lattice a structure of crisscrossed strips commonly wood or metal that forms a pattern of openings beguile to influence by deceit; to trick placid calm; peaceful; undisturbed respite a period of rest or relief, as from work or sorrow balm something that heals or soothes, as an ointment he is trying to distract himself from his sorrow Why is the speaker reading at the beginning of the poem? He moves from grief to curiosity to fear and fore boding How would you describe his emotional state in the first six stanzas? He is startled and yet amused What is the speakers first reaction to the Ravens entrance? He is relieved to be distracted from his melancholy mood Why does he react to the Raven that way? He thinks that he came from the underworld Where does the speaker think the raven came from at first? The speakers soul will never be lifted from the shadow What will never be lifted from the Ravens shadow? The future will probably be one of despair What does the future probably hold for the speaker? The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words What is Alliteration? to look out for the speaker What is the Ravens main purpose? it unifies the poem and adds to the mystery of the Ravens arrival and ability to speak What is the effect of the repetition of the ravens single word, nevermore? the word nevermore is appropriate Is the word appropriate in the context of the poem, or would some other word have been as effective? The speaker wants his lost lenore What does the speaker want? Poes purpose was to write a poem that would create a mood of melancholy and portray a speaker haunted by memories of his lost love How would you describe Poes purpose in writing this poem? The poems enduring popularity is evidence that Poe achieved his purpose Did Poe achieve his purpose with this poem? The speaker, who is a man distraught over the loss of lenore, someone he loved, and the raven, a large bird that taps on the speakers window and repeats only 1 word. Who were the characters in this poem? the speaker feels curiosity about the Raven , yet when the birds single response continues to make sense in the context of his thoughts and outbursts of speech, he begins to look upon it as a prophet sent by God or the devil. The raven destroys any hope the speaker has about reuniting with lenore after death What is the plot? the speakers chamber at midnight on a cold dreary night in December What ia the setting? Details such as darkness, midnight dreary, fantastic terrors, and omnious bird, as well as details about the speakers distress, create a haunting mysterious mood that reflects Romanticisms dark side Which details contribute to the mood of this poem, and how do they illustrate the dark side of Romanticism? Death, loss, suffering, sorrow, evil, memory of death and loss; our worst nightmares What does the Raven Symbolize or represent in this poem? Like death, loss, and suffering, the raven is part of the speakers life and will remain so. The raven casts a shadow on the speakers life and seems to threaten the speaker. He comes unexpectedly and acts as it pleases without any concern for the effect it has on others. What theme or main idea do you think this symbolizes?

Monday, November 25, 2019

A Small Price to Pay essays

A Small Price to Pay essays Similar to my experience with stricter airport security rules, the United States Senate has approved of the creation of a massive Department of Homeland Security that will transform the way the federal government responds to emerging terrorist threats. Many Americans have argued against the creation of this department saying that it will take away too many freedoms. I ask these people, What good are these freedoms if terrorists wipe you out before you can enjoy them? Although many fear that the new laws created since 9/11 will transform our nation into a police state, the new laws exchange a minimal amount of freedom for vital security against terrorism. Let us begin with what the Homeland Security Act is and how it can benefit Americans. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th have changed United States operations, attitudes, and priorities, the government has created the Homeland Security Act. The four main divisions of this act are the Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures, and Information Analysis and Infrastructure protests. Each division works to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduces America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimizes the damage and recovers from attacks that do occur. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, sums up the effect the act will have. It gives us the structure that we need in order to implement the national strategy and will bring together everyone under the same roof, working toward the same goal and pushing in the same direction. However, each division of the act will limit freedoms and privacy that Americans enjoy. For example, the Border and Transportation Security will subject Americans riding in cars crossing the state or country border subject to thorough inspections of their vehicles, yet this is a small price to pay for security. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The effects of the 2008 financial crisis on the investment in the Gulf Research Paper - 2

The effects of the 2008 financial crisis on the investment in the Gulf area and Qatar(different copy) - Research Paper Example The initial impact of the financial crisis was felt partly in some Arab states depending on their participation in the international markets (Qatar 6). Impact on Finance and Economy The 2008 global economic crisis affected the financial markets of countries in the Gulf region. In many states, the stock exchange index declined by nearly 62% in 2008. By 2009, the projected GDP growth rates had fallen from 3.5% to 0.5% (Rocha & Subika 71). In addition, the economic growth decreased by more than 3% in the same year. With the exception of Qatar and Yemen, most states in the gulf area have projected lower GDP growth rates. The cornerstone of Qatar’s’ economy is petroleum. Most of the government revenue, export earnings, and GDP are derived from oil reserves and gas exports. Qatar is the third producer and exporter of oil in the world making it the richest country in the world (Rocha & Subika 71). Effects on banking The banking sector in Qatar escaped the impact of the financi al crisis. Most banks all over the world lost their role as creditors and financiers because of the crisis. Banks in Qatar posted big profits in the Gulf Cooperation Council markets in 2009 despite the financial crisis (Sheng 45). ... Qatar’s Central Bank has taken measures particularly in the real estate sector. Qatari Central Bank issues instructions on buying of shares and financing of real estate projects. Decisions of lowering interest rates, enhancing the compulsory reserve ratios and other key issues in management of banks have been properly addressed in accordance with market mechanism. Qatar’s monetary policy is risk free due to the sound policies implemented to attract foreign markets (Rocha & Subika 65). Economic growth and Employment Before the financial crisis, the gulf region had numerous job opportunities in the world. The financial crisis led to a decline in job opportunities in the gulf area. Total employment decreased greatly. Research shows that the percentage of women seeking employment also increased in the region due to the effects of the financial crisis that caused slow economic growth, inflation, and economic meltdown. Agriculture and manufacturing that were once the main sou rces of employment are now less competitive because of the export of goods to the global markets. It is difficult for women and girls to find jobs that are considered gender appropriate (Sheng 34). The financial crisis led to a decline in labour productivity in the non-oil sectors in the Gulf region and especially in Qatar. An expectation of future pick up in labour has led to hoarding resulting and reduced productivity of labor. Recent conducted analysis shows that the working age and gender have a great impact on the labour force. The global crisis has led to a reduction in migrant remittances. Migrants are important because they contribute to the labor force in the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

World Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World Literature - Essay Example Set in Corinth in Greece, the whole play is enacted in a single scene in front of Medea's house. The nurse and chorus act as conscious-keepers of Medea and the attenders and messengers are employed by the playwright to depict scene shifts through their speech. In fact, the very opening of the play sets the tone of the horrific nature of events to follow. With a voice of doom of one of the nurses of Medea clearly indicates that her mistress, a victim of fate, is out to contrive some untoward scheme. The nurse acts as a foreteller of deeds to ensue. Through her speech we learn how in love she was with Jason and how her dangerous mood was capable of so much anger evil. "There is a subtle but fascinating theme of ethnic tension as Medea and Jason clash" (Mazza, Michael J) throughout the play. Medea lies fasting and weeping ever since she learnt that she was wronged by her husband, recalling memories of her dear father, her country and her home, which she gave up to come away with the man who now holds her in dishonor. Medea had antagonized her father and even killed her own brother in order to run away from a barbarious land to a land of promise along with Jason whom she blindly loves. "My love for you was greater than my wisdom" (lines 571-72) she says. After a series of adventures in which Jason is helped by Medea, they seek asylum in Corinth. Here they lead a respectable life and beget two children till they almost reach their middle age. Trouble brews when Jason gets restless with his complacent life. He wants a secure, wealthy future for his wife and children and hence resorts to infidelity. He wins the heart of Glauce, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. He tells Medea that it was not for love that he had promised to marry the princess, but to win wealth and power for himself and his sons. But Medea is infuriated and her unfailing love immediately turns to sheer anger. In a sense, it is Medea's own nature and vicious temper that proves her undoing. "Women don't like violence, but when their husbands desert them, that is different. In life, the worst disasters come from passion" (lines 467-69) Medea gets into a constant state of confusion and anxiety. Initially she weeps over her hapless situation. She feels women are most wretched because they care for one man only. But she gains a little confidence when Aegeus, King of Athens grants her asylum in exchange for helping him beget children by her skills in sorcery. Aegeus realizes that her scorn is justified and sees her as a woman with remarkable forethought. "A brain like yours is what is needed" he says. He fully believes in her powers of creation which is equal to her powers of destruction, which is why he uses her witchcraft to make his queen beget children. With the success of each scheme Medea devises, her resolve hardens and reaches a point of no return. "One can clearly trace the progression within the play of a victim with certain heroic traits who, because of her ill fate and her ruthlessness, becomes a villain" (Kliegl, Michael) Deciding to take her plans forward, she manages to buy a day's time from Creon befor e she is sent on exile. Creon's fate is sealed even though he knows that Medea is "A clever woman, very experienced in evil ways" (lines

Monday, November 18, 2019

Thoughts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thoughts - Assignment Example The changes in these elements often cause alterations in the organizational behavior. Thus, for an organization to be more efficient and productive, it is essential to lay significant importance on these elements. It has been identified that organizations where these elements are respected and recognized, the individuals within it are motivated and enthusiastic in performing more efficiently. These individuals also experience high job satisfaction, when the organization takes proper care of those elements. They feel of being an integral part of the organization and are more willing to deliver their best towards the accomplishment of the broad organizational goals (Jenifer, 2009). Moreover, as stated by Simon, the four elements of organizational behavior also lead to the development of leadership skill amid employees and the top managerial bodies. Simon, in his statement, explicitly pointed out a few of the greatest leaders produced by the world. In this regard, Simon noted the names of few prominent leaders such as Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs of Apple Inc., and the Wright brothers. Accordingly, it is argued that these leaders had been successful in accomplishing several milestones, only because of their well-developed organizational behavior skills. It is further claimed that these leaders had strongly recognized ‘values’, ‘attitudes’, and ‘moods and emotions’, of their followers which enabled them to influence the behavior of their followers and attain their total commitment (Sinek, 2009). Thus, I firmly believe that for any organization to be more effective and efficient in this competitive world, the four key elem ents of an organizational behavior need to be

Saturday, November 16, 2019

A stressful life is an inevitable consequence

A stressful life is an inevitable consequence In our career-driven society, work can be a pervasive source of stress. According to a report cited in an edition of the Financial Times, stress at work is one of the biggest problems in European companies. It is evident that the prevalence of stress at work majorly influences job satisfaction, work performance and productivity (Mullins, 2002). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define stress as the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them (ISMA, 2004). Stress can be accumulated through constant tension and frustration, and can arise from a number of issues including individual, group, organizational and environmental factors. In this essay, I am going to discuss the implications that stress incurs on the individual, and on the organization as a whole by looking at some of the most important issues such as cost, stress-related illnesses, and how to tackle stress in the workplace for a better and healthier workforce. With the changing lifestyles of people today (25-year mortgages, easier credit arrangements, etc.) most people are looking for permanent, full-time employment. Nevertheless, with the current economic crisis, many businesses are cutting back on staff and many jobs are being lost. This has lead to an increase in stress levels. An article published by the Daily Mail on 5 November 2008 (National Stress Awareness day) stated that almost 2/3 of 2700 workers polled said that they felt more run down, stressed and prone to illness than they did three years ago. This has resulted in many of them putting in seven hours of unpaid overtime a week. The article urged employers to tackle this problem as the research shows the credit crunch is having serious implications on the nations workforce, with people working and worrying more (Daily Mail, 2008). As these findings demonstrate, the stress caused by the current economic situation will lead to grave consequences for both individuals and organizat ions; if the individual suffers, the organization is inevitably going to suffer, and vice-versa. Certainly, a healthy workforce gives a larger contribution to a business. Working in a stressful environment means that not only performance is decreased, but productivity is also reduced. So what causes stress? Some would say that being under a lot of pressure causes one to be stressed. However, there is a difference between working under pressure and working under stressful conditions. It is said that a certain level of pressure is needed in our daily life to motivate us and enable us to perform at our best (ISMA, 2004). Cooper et al. (1988) have identified six major sources of stress at work: intrinsic to the job, role in the organization, relationships at work, career development, organizational structure and climate and home-work interface. He also added that conflicts, such as bullying and harassment, at work are another cause of stress. However, stress is said to be a very personal experience as individuals respond and cope differently with the causes and effects of stress. One major source of work stress develops from role incongruence and role conflict. When workers are not clear about their roles in the company, it creates difficulties in communication and interpersonal relationships. In addition, it can have an emotional impact on morale, performance and effectiveness at work, and health. In order to improve business, many organizations restructure and reduce staff, leading to more pressure on the remaining staff. This often results in an increase of work-related health problems, work stress and a less efficient workforce (Mullins, 2002). Handy (1993) has suggested five organizational situations that are likely to produce role problems, and thus stress for the individual: having responsibility for the work of others such as reconciling conflicting objectives of groups and organizations; conflict between the routine aspects of the job and the creative side; being the outside contact is particularly stressful due to the lack of control over demands or resources; relationship difficulties in the company, such as problems with a boss or colleagues; and last but not least, having career doubts if future career prospects are uncertain. Role ambiguity has greater effects on the physiological and psychological well-being of the individual, among them being low self-confidence, low motivation, higher job-related tension, and even depression (Handy, 1993). Karasek and Theorell (1990) have predicted that the most unpleasant reactions of psychological strain such as fatigue, anxiety, depression and physical illness, occur when the psychological demands of the job are high and the workers have low freedom in deciding the task. This model of the high strain situation suggest that arousal energy is transformed into damaging, unused residual strain because of an environmental constraint on the persons optimal response (e.g. trying to get lunch and queues are very long, travelling distance involves a crowded, heavy traffic road; this results o n the residual strain which lasts longer than a normal arousal reaction). Basically, this model implies that environmental stressors that we are presented with in our everyday life can leave us aroused for hours, thus leading to psychological strain and therefore stress. This has great implications for individuals that tend to be more affected by these environmental factors than others. The burden of strain that workers experience on a daily basis has therefore an indirect implication for the organization as performance is affected by the unpleasant, unproductive, and in the long term, unhealthy state of workers. In respect to the unhealthy state of workers and psychological strain, extended exposure to stress has been linked to almost every illness imaginable: heart disease, high-blood pressure, metabolism problems, colds, depression, obesity, memory problems and migraines (Jaffe-Gill et al. 2007). It all comes down to the biological response to stress, Fight or Flight mechanism, which prepares us for emergency. When in danger, the hypothalamus in the brain sets off a chemical alarm. The sympathetic nervous system responds by releasing a flow of stress hormones, including adrenaline, nor epinephrine, and cortisol, which race through the bloodstream, preparing us to either escape the scene or battle it out. However, the more the stress response its activated, the harder it is to shut off which causes the stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure to remain elevated even after the crisis has passed. In addition, continuous activation of the stress response causes havoc on the body. This i mplies that workers who are continuously responding to stress are damaging their body; the stress response system will eventually become exhausted causing the immune system to break down, thus making it easier for various illnesses to attack the body. Consequently, this will have enormous effect on the individual, leading to reduced performance in every domain of their life, in particular work. Not to mention the number of increased absence from work that will affect the organization, financially as well as performance wise. In the December 2008 issue of Glamour Magazine, there was a very interesting article about the consequences of stressful life situations. Research shows that women are more prone to negative effects of stress as they tend to be more emotionally tuned in than guys. Women seem to stress more over a problem, they keep thinking about it over and over in their head. The stress caused by a bad day at work is an example of what experts call acute stress, which triggers the fight-or-flight response, but it is temporary and therefore it is harmful as such. It only leads to a tiring day as it burns up a lot of energy. However, when every day at work is a bad day, the acute stress turns into chronic stress, which could cause a lot of damage to your body. As mentioned before, this leads to the fight-or flight response being constantly activated and thus causing strain on the body which in turn can lead to stress-related illnesses. All body systems are affected by this. Recent British research fo und that while stress doesnt necessarily cause cancer, women that have high-pressure jobs had at least a 20% higher risk of breast cancer than those with less job strain. Research also shows that we are getting more stressed with each decade. In a report that looked at the incidence of work-related stress and mental ill-health in the United Kingdom (1996-2001), an estimated annual average of 3624 new cases were reported by psychiatrists (reported higher rates for men), and 2718 by occupational physicians (reported higher rates for women). Anxiety/depression or work-related stress were mainly diagnosed, and post-traumatic stress accounted for ~10% of cases reported by psychiatrists. Inherent to the job factors (for instance work overload) and interpersonal relations problems were generally the most common causes. Nevertheless, those in personal and protective services and professional workers also showed high rates of ill-health (Cherry et al. 2006). Managing mental ill-health requires the adaptation of the workplace to meet legitimate expectations and capacities of the worker, as well as the adaptation of the worker to increase his/her capacity to cope with work demands, through training and cognitive therapy. Therefore t o be able to do this, workers and managers need to collaborate together in order to ensure that both parties know what is expected, thus stress levels reduced. In collaboration with stress management professionals, the Health and Safety Executive has developed the Management Standards approach to reduce levels of work-related stress. This approach displays good practice through risk assessment, allows for the current situation to be measured using various data-collection techniques, and encourages active discussion with employees to help decide upon the practical improvements that can be made (HSE, 2005). This was developed after figures of stress have risen to 1 in 5 people finding work very or extremely stressful. The Management Standards include six key areas of work, which if not properly managed, can cause poor health, lower productivity and increased sickness absence. These primary sources of stress at work are: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. As the main causes of stress are now well-known, managers can work with employees to find solutions in order to reduce stress at work, unlike in the past that modest a ttempts were made to deal with them. This approach will be excellent news for organizations if followed and applied in the right manner, as well as good news for the worker as hopefully, stress levels will be reduced. One huge factor that has lead to the development of such an approach is the financial cost that work-related stress incurs on the organisation and the society. Stress is the single largest cause of occupational ill-health in the public sector, accounting for around half of all days lost to work-related ill health. In financial terms the estimated cost of sickness absence to the UK as a whole is around  £12 billion a year, and around  £4 billion of this has been attributed to the Public Sector (HSE, 2006). Each case of stress-related ill health leads to an average of 29 working days lost. A total of 13.4 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2001. Work-related stress cost society  £3.7 billion a year in 1995, a figure which has undoubtedly risen in 2008, as stress levels have undeniably soared considering the sharp fall of house prices, cut of interest rates and the loss of numerous job posts due to the current economic climate (HSE, 2005). The cost factor has great implications for organisations as they are spending unnecessary money which could instead be spent effectively to develop their business and create a less stressful work environment, rather than covering the costs of stress-related illnesses that workers seem to endure from working in a stressful work environment. Stress is upsetting to the individual and detrimental to the business at a time when the need to control business costs and ensure an effective and healthy workforce is greater than ever (Mullins, 2002). Much of ill-health is associated with the discrepancy that is caused when changes in job demands exceed the worker capacities. Mental-ill health which arises from traumatic events at work can be avoided by employing good managerial techniques to tackle stress, and in the event of the occurrence, it should be dealt with promptly and effectively.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Americas First Black President Essay -- Obama, racism, American Presi

For many years, American Presidents were viewed as being white and powerful leaders. Why were they only white? Is it because Americans felt Blacks were not smart enough to run a country on their own? African Americans were viewed as less dominate people and have been discriminated because of the color of their skin. In 2008, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States making him the first black president ever. In this paper, I will discuss how Barack makes a change and if America can accept him as our first black president. Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu Hawaii. He is of mixed parentage: his father, a black African born in Kenya, while his mother, a white American that came from Kansas. When he was six years old his parents divorced and his mother married an Indonesian oil manager. They moved to Indonesia where Obama was educated in a Roman Catholic School. He then returned back to Hawaii to continue school while living with his grandparents. Barack struggled with his own racial identity in his late teens. (Funk & Wagnalls) Barack received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and then worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago. This helped him gain a lot of confidence and responsibility. He had many plans and goals to make the community better. He achieved his goals and this was just the beginning of a successful path in his life. He decided to attend Harvard Law School, which helped him bring change for himself, his family, and especially to his community. Also in that school he also gained the knowledge and power of becoming a leader that he wanted to become. In 2008, Barack Obama was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. I... ..., infrastructure investments, and direct aid to hard, pressed states and cities. He says all of his goals to fix America would take just one term, it may take two terms, so change would slowly and done right. Today, Obama is handling all of what he is expected and promised to do. He’s our first African- American president that is very cool and down to earth. He had the same type of problems any American had and had some struggles while growing up to . Obama is also very educated and determined to do what is right as our leader. In conclusion, I do believe that America can accept its first black president because we have proof to show it. He has done so much to become who he is today and he showed us that he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him. America can accept him because he’s young , fresh, full of new brilliant ideas, down to earth and he’s all about change. America's First Black President Essay -- Obama, racism, American Presi For many years, American Presidents were viewed as being white and powerful leaders. Why were they only white? Is it because Americans felt Blacks were not smart enough to run a country on their own? African Americans were viewed as less dominate people and have been discriminated because of the color of their skin. In 2008, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States making him the first black president ever. In this paper, I will discuss how Barack makes a change and if America can accept him as our first black president. Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu Hawaii. He is of mixed parentage: his father, a black African born in Kenya, while his mother, a white American that came from Kansas. When he was six years old his parents divorced and his mother married an Indonesian oil manager. They moved to Indonesia where Obama was educated in a Roman Catholic School. He then returned back to Hawaii to continue school while living with his grandparents. Barack struggled with his own racial identity in his late teens. (Funk & Wagnalls) Barack received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and then worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago. This helped him gain a lot of confidence and responsibility. He had many plans and goals to make the community better. He achieved his goals and this was just the beginning of a successful path in his life. He decided to attend Harvard Law School, which helped him bring change for himself, his family, and especially to his community. Also in that school he also gained the knowledge and power of becoming a leader that he wanted to become. In 2008, Barack Obama was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. I... ..., infrastructure investments, and direct aid to hard, pressed states and cities. He says all of his goals to fix America would take just one term, it may take two terms, so change would slowly and done right. Today, Obama is handling all of what he is expected and promised to do. He’s our first African- American president that is very cool and down to earth. He had the same type of problems any American had and had some struggles while growing up to . Obama is also very educated and determined to do what is right as our leader. In conclusion, I do believe that America can accept its first black president because we have proof to show it. He has done so much to become who he is today and he showed us that he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him. America can accept him because he’s young , fresh, full of new brilliant ideas, down to earth and he’s all about change.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Response Journal for “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro Essay

Alice Munro’s â€Å"Boys and Girls† tries to view a young girl’s rite of passage into womanhood, through a limited feminist perspective. The narrator battles with conformity on a 1940’s Canadian Fox Farm. As this time period was still centred on male dominance, her desire to become a powerful woman wastes away when she finally submits to the rules that society has imposed on her. The story is written in first person narration and is seen through the eyes of a young and free-spirited girl. The themes of this story are self-discovery, stereotypes, and rebellion. To portray these themes, literary devices such as allusion, similes and situational irony were used. Allusion is present in the line â€Å"his favourite book in the world was Robinson Crusoe,† as the author attempts to portray the father’s inventive nature by relating it to a well-known novel. Similes can be seen in the narrator’s descriptions of her environment as she states that the â€Å"snowdrifts curled around the house like sleeping whales,† to bring to attention the howling of the winds. Situational irony is evident throughout the story because the narrator despises her mother for being a woman and working in the house, but in the end, she too develops into a woman and takes on the roles of the title. This story of inequality between the sexes appropriately opens with a detailed account of the narrator’s father. The narrator describes every aspect of her father’s life, including his occupation, and even his friends. Throughout this first part of the story, the narrator’s mother is virtually inexistent, outside her disapproval of her husband’s pelting business. The reader is left uncertain about the mother’s whereabouts, but is aware that the father figure is somewhat of an idol in the narrator’s mind. As a young girl, the narrator, holding on to her carefree spirit and strong sense of individualism, is unaware of the constraints of her gender. Although she is the main character, the narrator is not given a name. This seems to enhance her lack of purpose in society, and stresses that the attitude of the narrator is not that of just one woman, but women in general. Munro’s decision to allow the narrator to remain nameless assists in the progress and significance of the character. The narrator’s brother, however, is given the name of Laird. Synonymous with â€Å"lord,† the boy’s name plays an important role in outlining the rules society has forced upon the narrator. This name symbolizes society’s favouritism towards men, and how the male child was superior in the eyes of the parents. The fact that the narrator remained anonymous, whilst her brother was given the name of Lord, signifies the difference between the sexes at the time. It is quite odd that Munro used the girl to portray the feelings of female stereotyping of this story. Munro captures the attention of her audience through the lines, â€Å"It was an odd thing to see my mother down at the barn. She did not often come out of the house unless it was to do something- hang out the wash or dig potatoes in the garden.† These lines are full of sexism and serve only to relay the common roles that women were forced into. Although aware that the girl would much rather spend time with her father, the family constantly attempts to encourage her to act as a proper girl should. The fact that the narrator idolizes her father, just provides further proof of her strive to gain equality. As the girl grows older, the pressure from her family becomes more intense. The narrator’s grandmother comes off as the perfect example of the how women were thought of at the time. Having been raised in a time where the rules imposed on women were even stricter, the grandmother best voices what the attitude of a girl should be. The narrator, however, refuses to listen to the advice offered to her, and responds with defiance. The girl still seems to believe that if she does not conform to society’s rules, she can hold on to her freedom and will somehow be able to escape with her individuality. It is only through the killing of the horse, Flora, that the narrator finally assumes her appropriate gender roles and enters her rite of passage. To help Flora escape her inevitable fate, the narrator leaves the gate open. It seems as though the narrator believed that it was the gate that held Flora back from the freedom she was entitled to. Flora, however, could never escape her fate and was eventually caught and killed. Through Flora’s death,  the narrator comes to realize that her acts of disobedience will always be in vain because her fate is unavoidable. The gate symbolizes the girl’s hope of liberation outside of the farm. The war against society could not be won, so she gives up and proceeds to help her mother with dinner. By assuming the roles of a woman, she completes her rite of passage into womanhood. The killing of Flora also leads to Laird’s rite of passage, though in his case this is the cause of different reasoning. Whereas the narrator learns that she cannot escape her fate, Laird visualizes a new life for himself. He reaches maturity by priding himself in his kill, symbolized by the horse’s blood. He boasts to his mother about the blood on his arm, and feels as though he is finally man enough to stand beside his dad. This is part of the symbolism behind the name â€Å"Boys and Girls,† as the contrasting natures of the two children are portrayed. In order to advance her feminist viewpoint, Munro touches upon only the minor aspects of the female stereotypes. She focuses on the girl’s newfound interest for fashion, beauty and decor to portray her femininity, rather than the harsher traits that were frequently placed on women. The author uses this limited feminism to stress the fact that this protest and change were the actions of a mere child that had not yet seen the full effects of prejudice. When taking into consideration the time period and setting, it can be clearly understood why the narrator and her brother both conformed to their gender-specific roles. As the world entered into the Second World War, women replaced their husbands in the workforce and started gaining recognition. However, because this story takes place in the rural side of Canada, the war’s social impact does not seem to have yet reached this area. The narrator’s mother being just a simple housewife causes the narrator to have a negative bias towards her, illustrating how women are looked down upon by society. Through her ultimate disapproval of her father’s inhumane occupation, the narrator reveals a side that is driven by emotion. Her concern for the helpless animal’s well-being displays her affectionate and loving character. Alice Munro’s story of â€Å"Boys and Girls† is an enlightening tale of the struggle that each child undergoes in discovering their own identity. The author insists throughout the story that the narrator’s acceptance of her place in society is influenced by her family and setting. Her resistance is useless because she has no choice but to conform into a proper woman. She is forced to hide her yearning for individualism in order to be socially acceptable. Current literature uses the feminist approach to convey the views of oppressed women, but Munro’s use of the limited amount of feminism allows the reader to make up their own opinion on the matter.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Examples of Linguistic Conversion or Zero Derivation

Examples of Linguistic Conversion or Zero Derivation In English grammar, conversion is a word-formation process that assigns an existing word to a different word class (part of speech) or syntactic category. This process is also known as a functional shift or zero derivation. The rhetorical term for grammatical conversion is anthimeria. Examples ofLinguistic Conversion Lets not Rumsfeld Afghanistan.(Senator Lindsey Graham, quoted in Time magazine, Aug. 24, 2009)Boyes spent the night with Mr. Vaughan, and they breakfasted together in the usual way upon bacon and eggs, toast, marmalade and coffee.(Dorothy L. Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, 1928)One writer who went on a tour of New Yorks Harlem district was shown the place where Adam C. Powell was funeralised. Another letter detailed an American friends eagerness to see the Prince of Wales coronated. On a flight to Boston, flight attendants promised passengers they would soon beverage, but later, because of adverse weather conditions, they said they were unable to complete beverisation. Asked about this trend, one American quipped: Any noun can be verbed.(Kevin Courtney, Con Text Verbing. The Irish Times, March 18, 2008) The Strategy of Conversion Consider sentences such as:- Henry downed a pint of beer.- Melissa went to town and did a buy.English, we note, lacks a simple means of saying to do something in one fell swoop. This may be why the word down can be converted into a verb to mean drink down in one gulp, and the word buy into a noun which, when combined with the verb do, means go on a single massive shopping spree. This type of fast-moving, thorough activity may represent a change in the pace of life, which is in turn reflected in the language since we increasingly make use of conversionsthe conversion of one part of speech into another.(Jean Aitchison, Language Change: Progress or Decay? Cambridge University Press, 1991) Shakespeare's Conversions Shakespeare was the conversion expert. I eared her language. He words me. Some of his conversions seem really daring. Even the name of a person can become a verb. Petruchio is Kated. But all he was doing was tapping into a natural everyday usage that is still with us.(David Crystal, The Story of English in 100 Words. St. Martins Press, 2012) Which Came First? Almost all the examples [of zero conversion] are of shifts between noun, verb, and adjective. In some instances the direction of the shift is clear. We have had the noun text for a long time, but it has come to be used as a verb only recently with reference to sending messages full of abbreviations via mobile/cell phone. In other instances, we might hesitate to say which part of speech came first, as with plot, for instance. Was it a noun first or was it a verb first?(Barry J. Blake, All About Language. Oxford University Press, 2008) Conversion and Meaning Meaning is crucial to the system of word-classes, [...] as it is to the recognition of instances of conversion. Even if it were not for the homophonous noun plane carpenters tool, we would not wish to relate to plane smooth a piece of wood and a plane aircraft by conversion, because their meanings are not sufficiently close. What is a sufficiently close meaning (and how it can be defined) remains an open question. A slightly dubious example is to bank turn an aircraft and a bank side of a hill which, despite their etymological relatedness, may no longer be close enough semantically for us to wish to say that the same relationship holds between them as between to bridge and a bridge. Somehow, then, we need to operationalise the notion of related in meaning to a sufficient degree to allow us to recognise potential instances of conversion.(Laurie Bauer and Salvador Valera, Conversion or Zero-Derivation: An Introduction. Approaches to Conversion/Zero-Derivation, ed. by L. Bauer and S. Va lera. Waxmann, 2005) Pronunciation: kon-VER-zhun (a/k/a functional shift, role shifting, zero derivation, category shift)

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Types and forms of FDI Essays

Types and forms of FDI Essays Types and forms of FDI Paper Types and forms of FDI Paper Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a direct investment into production or business in a country by an individual or company of another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country. Foreign direct investment is in contrast to portfolio investment which is a passive investment in the securities of another country such as stocks and bonds. Foreign Direct Investment as any flow of lending to, or purchase of ownership in a foreign enterprise that is largely owned by the residents of the investing company. It may take the form of Cash, securities, plant, equipment, and other factors of production, such as managerial skills, technology, or know how. FDI usually involves some combination of the above. The transfer of this package of capital assets as well as the retention of control is what distinguishes FDI from portfolio investment. Foreign Direct Investment is generally classified into fives types which is: 1. Inward Foreign Direct Investment 2. Outward Foreign Direct Investment 3. Horizontal Foreign Investment 4. Vertical Foreign Investment 5. Platform Foreign Investment Inward FDI: An inward investment involves an external or foreign entity either investing in or purchasing the goods of a local economy. A common type of inward investment is a foreign direct investment (FDI). This occurs when one company purchases another business or establishes new operations for an existing business in a country different than the investing companys origin. In this case investment of foreign resources is local resources. The factors encourages the growth of Inward FDI contains relaxation of existent regulations, tax breaks, loans on low rates of interest etc. Outward FDI : A business strategy where a domestic firm expands its operations to a foreign country either via a Green field investment, merger/acquisition and/or expansion of an existing foreign facility. Employing outward direct investment is a natural progression for firms as better business opportunities will be available in foreign countries when domestic markets become too saturated. Outward Foreign direct investment is also referred to as direct investment abroad. In this case it is the local capital, which is being invested in some foreign resource. Outward FDI may lso find use in the import and export dealings with a foreign country. Horizontal FDI : Foreign direct investment by a firm to establish manufacturing facilities in multiple countries, all producing essentially the same thing but for their respective domestic or nearby markets. Horizontal FDI refers to the foreign manufacturing of products and services roughly similar to those the firm produces in its home market. This type of FDI is called horizontal because the multinational duplicates the same activities in different countries. Horizontal FDI arises because it s too costly to serve the foreign market by exports due to transportation costs or trade barriers. in multiple countries, each producing a different input to, or stage of, the firms production process. Vertical FDI refers to those multinationals that fragment production process geographically. It is called because MNE separates the production chain vertically by outsourcing some production stages abroad. The basic idea behind the analysis of this type of FDI is that a production process consists of multiple stages with different input requirements. If input prices varies across ountries, it becomes profitable for the firm to split the production chain. Vertical FDI consists of two groups: backward and forward vertical FDI. In case of backward FDI multinational enterprise establishes its own supplier of input goods which delivers inputs to the parent company. Conducting forward FDI, the firm builds up a foreign affiliate, which draws inputs from the parent company for own production, thus staying after the parent in the production chain. Platform FDI : Foreign direct investment from a source country into a destination country for the purpose of exporting to a third country. Horizontal FDI decreases international trade as the product of them is usually aimed at host country; the two other types generally act as a stimulus for it. Green Field Investment direct investment in new facilities or the expansion of existing facilities. Greenfield investments are the primary target of a host nations promotional efforts because they create new production capacity and Jobs, transfer technology and know-how, and can lead to linkages to the global marketplace. However, it often does this by crowding out local industry; multinationals are able to produce goods more cheaply because of advanced technology and efficient processes) and uses up resources (labor, intermediate goods, etc). Another downside of greenfield investment is that profits from production do not feed back into the local economy, but instead to the multinationals home economy. This is in contrast to local industries whose profits flow back into the domestic economy to promote growth. Mergers And Acquisition occur when a transfer of existing assets from local firms to foreign firms takes place, this is the primary type of FDI. Cross-border mergers occur when the assets and operation of firms from different countries are combined to stablish a new legal entity. Cross-border acquisitions occur when the control of assets and operations is transferred from a local to a foreign company, with the local company becoming an affiliate of the foreign company. Unlike greenfield investment, acquisitions provide no long term benefits to the local economy even in most deals the owners of the local firm are paid in stock from the acquiring firm, meaning that the money from the sale could never reach the local economy. Nevertheless, mergers and acquisitions are a significant form of FDI and until around 1997, accounted for nearly 90% of the FDI flow into the United States.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Unit 8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 8 - Assignment Example al substance invites us to think deeply and conclude that ideas built by means of someone’s sense, memory and imagination are the only tools to create the presence of a material substance. By studying the arguments of Berkeley, one learns to incorporate the ideas of different senses to perceive the various objects, substances and materials. In short, Berkeley’s vision highlights the mind along with ideas and offsets the Newton’s absolute space and time. The time becomes merely a succession of ideas in individual’s mind, and the space is reduced to an extension perceived by senses. (Fogelin, 2001) Berkeley’s arguments positively relate with Phillonous who disagrees with majority of the philosophers to believe in the existence of matter. He like Berkeley emphasizes strongly upon mind and argues that every thing in this world depends upon mind. Hylas, who was the student of Phillonous believes in the matter. He states that all the worldly experiences of life remain unexplained without the existence of matter. This philosophy of Hylas does not resemble with that of Berkeley. Because Berkeley seems to stick on his famous principle, â€Å"Esse est percipi† (â€Å"to be is to be perceived†). Berkeley stated in his books that spirit itself cannot be perceived but can be perceived by its own effect. Similarly Locke states that one has a relative idea of substances in

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Surrogate motherhood Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Surrogate motherhood - Dissertation Example Surrogate motherhood is a theme that evokes numerous opinions. There are many supporters of surrogate motherhood as well as many opponents. Neither of them is right or either of them is right in their own way. This research project is not focused on considerations of opponents or proponents. The literature review presented further on is focused on a current paradigm of surrogate motherhood. It is supposed that it is relevant to pay for surrogate motherhood to women who have already given birth to their own children. Physical and emotional load of surrogate motherhood is evident and it is not an easy labor. There should be no commercial spirit of surrogate motherhood, but it should be paid like any other kind of labor. Legal aspect of surrogate motherhood A common surrogate motherhood criticism is determined by the claim that it is impossible to buy or to sell a child. A child is not a commodity and money relationship is irrelevant from this perspective. In the New York State Task For ce on Life and the Law it is concluded that â€Å"the exchange of money for possession or control of children.., threatens to erode the way that society thinks about and values children, and by extension all human life†Ã'Ž Thus, from this perspective, a child’s birth is the natural outcome of a certain deal and it can be transferred from one party to another for money. A supposition that children in this case are treated like commodities can be contradicted by the fact that sometimes parts of a human body are treated like objects (Meehan, 2000). It can be argued that commodities require cleaning, cherishing etc, so it is not wrong in this context to treat children as commodities or objects. Thus, it is relevant to consider in this context people who pay money to buy a child from a surrogate mother. A good treatment is usually guaranteed to a child who is bought. From another perspective, such kind of an immoral treatment is irrelevant, because children are not commodi ties from the very beginning. Babies are given by God and it is not proper to sell or too buy them. With this respect one may argue that for example, when an individual wants to meet his spouse he pays for a matrimonial agency. But in this case a future spouse is not bought; it is just a money transfer to a matrimonial agency. Thus, it can be said that not a child is bought, but services of a surrogate mother are bought. Moreover, the services of a commercial surrogacy agency are bought. At this point it is relevant to talk about surrogacy arrangement. It is a cruel reality of the modern world that parents want to become legal parents and receive custody rights and for this purpose they have to pay a certain sum of money. A surrogate mother wants to get money for her services of bearing a child since it is a hard work to bear a child. An interesting suggestion is provided by†¦: â€Å"In a commercial surrogacy agreement, the commissioning couple could be thought of as buying pa rticular services from the surrogate mother. But it is not necessary to suppose that anything at all is bought or sold† (Mitchell, Pellegrino, Elshtain, Kilner & Rae, 2006). In this case obligations of one party imply that it gives money to another party in case obligations are fulfilled. This is a pragmatic paradigm that is often discussed in the contemporary researches and studies in this field. Therefore, we can surely claim that no illegal basis lies in terms of these contracts. There is a well-known paradigm suggested by Blyth and Potter, who claim that surrogacy does not imply buying or selling children, because future parents â€Å"might even imagine that they have purchased a particular baby.., what they have paid for is not necessarily the same as what they think they have paid for† (Mclachlan&Swales, 2009). This is an interesting claim and it is worth considering. There is such kind of cases, when future parents rejected to take the baby from a surrogate mothe r when it has already come into the world. Therefore, a legal

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Discuss the political significance of shifting structural (economic, Research Paper

Discuss the political significance of shifting structural (economic, cultural, social, demographic) trends in Texas - Research Paper Example When examining the interactions that interconnect economic outcomes and decision making politically, we are studying structural trends and political economy. Therefore, this paper will discuss the political significance of shifting structural (economic, cultural, social, demographic) trend in Texas. Political economy The economy creates a significant context in understanding of Texas’ political culture. It can assist in the shaping of the political culture. The economy’s development can shape certain political stereotypes and perceptions-and the society’s various sectors. With much involvement of the government in the economy, economic actors from private sectors have every reason to get involved in political participation to become actors in politics (Gutierrez 217). Since the earlier settlement improved by oil production and land grants boosted by state law to the technology backed by the government in the past two decades, the government has been protecting an d promoting state economic interests. It has happened so with the positive participation of political representatives of the interests. This marriage of politics and business has been successful in the Texas government’s council. ... The stability of the marriage of politics and business stands on pragmatism of both the result and the cause of the state’s booming economic history. In Texas, the culture has created entrepreneurial politicians and giants of savvy entrepreneurs, the government has made and protected businesses and established industries with incentives, exemptions, state contracts and subsidies during both wicked and good economic times (Mayer 265).The resulting distortions and inefficiencies in the economy’ structure and negligence of public interests have hindered a diversified development of a modern economy. The in-come tax absence, the reluctance to set a side funds for the delivery of education and social services have distorted the state’s growth and development. With the agreement that the government’s business is to uplift business, it has been constant throughout the history of the state, the public services delivery like public health and education has been pre sent despite constitutional and legal mandate. It is no surprise that the link between the economy and government is political and occupied by the influence of well-financed and well-organized private interests. It is too unsurprising that state governments perpetuate efforts to deriver public services that might raise the state of Texas amongst other states. The interaction patterns between the policy makers and the economic interests in the â€Å"reduced services, low taxes â€Å"government dominance to both the broader body politics and government halls (Mayer 205). Business leaders, such as political leaders and several voters saw government income tax as beyond the reasonable realm. As a result, the state services provision remains low because the money to fund them is little.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Original writing Essay Example for Free

Original writing Essay I desperately waited for the answer. Laura has been murdered I was speechless once again come on honey, think, youve been in this situation before. My brain started to hurt, I was in utter confusion. She was only 9 years old and she was a Buddhist, she had no health problems, she had no enemies well not that I could think of 20 seconds from then has just gone passed without any speech, I received a fax from the south, it was a picture, I took it, I gazed at it in horror. What I saw was something that would never leave my mind. It was a picture of my best friend, brutally murdered a piece of her body probably her arm had been cut into almost equal boxes of about 10 cm each and placed in a certain way to spell something something that still continues today. the LTT. LTT is the Liberation Tigers of Tamil, a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka that began in 1970 as a student protest over the limited university access for Tamil students; currently seeks to establish an independent Tamil state; relies on guerrilla strategy including terrorist tactics that target key government and military personnel; the Tamil Tigers perfected suicide bombing as a weapon of war. They attack the southern part of Sri Lanka where there are many Buddhists, Muslims and Catholic. I never thought the LTT would have gotten this far. but they have. The questions and the disappointment that reached my brain were agonizing. I thought she trusted me, I thought she would tell me everything, I thought she would never doubted me. I thought she told me that there was NO ENEMIES, although I did know she had her little plans for peace, but not clearly. That instance I realised all these years of knowing each other was a bogus we didnt really no each other if we did then why am I so confused? 1. Today is the 22nd of August 2002, 9:15 pm. I stared at the newspaper in my bedroom. The newspaper I remember its the last thing we were talking about before we left, you were very clever for your age, I valued your words highly, I sure didnt seem to care about them, but I did keep it in my head, thats the only thing I have to remind myself of you. Remember once you were reading this newspaper about enlightenment? You gave me the English section; I thought it was pretty stupid, I remember reading it, and putting it away. Do you also remember the next day you went home angry at me for putting curd in your shoes and tying the shoelaces together? I felt bad okay, I waited with the newspaper for you to come back and give it to you, as stupid as it may sound of giving you an old newspaper, I kept it in a way to apologize to you after annoying you and show you that I do take care of your things. but you never came back. I cant ask you anymore, the answers to the questions, the answers to this mystery, and the answers to life. I cant talk to you no more, Mum will think Im gone insane because only mad people talk to a newspapers. But then I wouldnt mind because if murdering people is how sane people are, then Id love to be insane. I can however read it to you; this page will always be in my mind. Ill hold you to my ear so you can tell me what happened, but I know newspapers cant talk. Ill draw you in the newspaper and then you can talk But only computer animations do that. Remember yesterday when you flew over to the temple through my window, and you were floating with the wind? Remember I ran after you screaming and shouting your name? Remember people staring at me, thinking I was a stupid child running after a newspaper? I dont care what they think, what matters is what I think, I think of you, Ill cuddle you, Ill die for you, you are that one person that I ALWAYS trust, that one person who is very dear to me, even if you are just a friend, you were part of the family. Sorry for all the things I told you, it was a misunderstanding, you understand right? Thats what best friends do, thats what humans do. Please come back, at least give me a clue pointing me to the direction of where this happened, maybe how the angels pointed to the illumination church in Vatican city just like Dan Brown says in his book of Angels and Demons, but yours with newspapers perhaps? Remember when we played this little game of treasure hunt in the back garden? Please tell me this is one of that, you know I hate mysteries, then why did have to leave me mystified? Give me the answer to this mystery, Ill try my best, point me towards it, whatever, Ill find my way, I know you will guide me so I wont get scared. Ill promise you Ill do whatever you wanted me to do; Ill play lots and lots of treasure hunt games with you, even if I think its stupid. Are you satisfied now? Please come back. Please tell me this is a joke. Ill email you, but I cant, I dont have your address, Theres no point in emailing you because maybe you dont have computers up there or you just dont a email account. Is it [emailprotected] com? You have to live in a place you have computers to read my mail. I cant send you a post card or a letter can I? I dont have your address; do you have a postman up there? Im sorry I spilled water in your painting, I hope thats not why you went, I promise I wont do it again, you know Im clumsy and thats how I learn. Only I know how painful it is to tell you this, but I regret shouting at you, annoying you just because I was bored, I know you were joking those times but I took it seriously. But anyhow and anyway I wish you were back. Ill staple my mouth so I wont scream at you and loose you again. I read this newspaper over and over again, to see if you had left me a clue, the only clue I found was heaven, is that it? If I keep this, it will remind me of you, Ill place it carefully and keep it organised the way you like it. Ill make sure your letters wont dissolve in my tears. I should stop now, I wouldnt want to wet you, dont worry Ill look after you. I take care of you like you took care of me and stood beside me in everything I did. Oh how I wish you were back. Please, please, please come back. I miss you awfully.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Conflict and Natural Resources Relationship to Growth

Conflict and Natural Resources Relationship to Growth Is the incidence of Conflict and an abundance of Natural Resources in African States  correlated with Economic Growth? Table of Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Aims and Objectives 1.2 Overview Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 The â€Å"Resource Curse† economic theory 2.1.1 The African Link 2.2 The causes of the â€Å"Resource Curse† 2.2.1. The â€Å"crowding out† cause 2.2.2. Quality of institutions 2.2.3. The â€Å"Dutch Disease† model 2.2.4 Other theoretical economic arguments 2.3 Civil war and economic growth 2.4 Natural resources role in Civil war Chapter 3: Influence of natural resources on economic growth 3.1 The cause of â€Å"the resource curse† 3.2 Is â€Å"the recourse curse† relevant to Africa? 3.3 Other influential factors Chapter 4: The role of conflict Chapter 5: Empirical evidence Chapter 6: Conclusion References During the course of the past two or three decades many economists and academics have been endeavouring to discover why a proliferation of natural resources, which is normally considered to be a wealth generating sources often have an adverse effect upon emerging economies, slowing rather than increasing the pace of development (Rodriguez and Sachs 1999, p.277 and Isham et al 2005, p.1). Other studies, concentrating particularly upon emerging nations is areas such as the African continent, have also claimed that there is a link between the proliferation of natural resources and political unrest and conflicts, which manifest themselves in â€Å"civil wars† (DiJohn 2002, p.1). A number of theories have been advanced in an effort to offer an explanation for this phenomenon. These include the â€Å"resource curse† theoretic model promoted by Gelb (1988) and Sachs and Warner (1997); the â€Å"rent-seeking† and â€Å"Dutch Disease† models referred to in research carried out by Torvik (2001 and 2002) and DiJohn (2002), whilst others link the causes more directly to the institutions and political conditions pertaining to the individual nation (Mehlum et al 2005 and Isham et al 2005). However, other researches have suggested that such models should be treated with caution. For example, Stijins (2005, p.3), suggest that earlier â€Å"resource curse† models have limitations, and this view is echoed in the works of Rosser (2007, p.39) and others. There have been similar divisions across the academic divide regarding the link between the level and treatment of natural resources and the propensity for civil unrest and violence, which culminates in most cases in civil wars. Whilst many observers view the cause of this unrest as being linked to natural resources and the political environment (Keen 2005, p.12) and the â€Å"difference in quality of institutions† (Mehlum et al 2005, p.3), others, including Rosser (2007, p.40), suggest that the level of strategic importance of the location of the individual nation may also be a determining factor, if not in the causality of civil war then in its potential longevity and likelihood of its reoccurrence. In addition, as Collier (2003, p.6), the globally perception held in many areas, that â€Å"nothing can be done† to end such disputes, add to the problem. The divergence of views and research results indicated previously does raise questions regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of any action that may be taken to resolve the issues outlined, either within an individual nation or when addressing a specific geographical area. For example, whilst addressing the â€Å"resource curse† or â€Å"Dutch disease† may have some positive impact on the economic growth and development in emerging economies, it could follow that without a simultaneous response to address the issue of political structure, institutions and civil war, such benefits would be negated by other influences. 1.1 Aims and Objectives The intention of this paper is to evaluate whether there is a common denominator that can be found to link the entire multitude of research together into one cohesive argument. Using the African states as a basis for this research it is felt that the conclusion of the paper could add to the continuing research into finding a unique theoretical model that will provide a format for improving the economic growth and development of poorer nations, particularly those that have not been seen to have gained economic growth and development benefits from their natural resource levels and capabilities. Thus, to identify a fundamental aim for this paper, it is considered that the conclusion of the study will be intended to seek an answer to the following question: â€Å"Is the incidence of Conflict and an abundance of Natural Resources in African States correlated with Economic Growth?† Furthermore, in order to provide a structure that will assist with the achievement of a conclusion to this conundrum, the author has set four main objectives for the research, which in concise terms can be identified as: Providing an assessment the relationship between a country’s economic growth and its dependence upon the export of natural resource products. Evaluating the claim that there is a link between civil war and economic growth and seek to distinguish the key elements that pertain to that link, which might include institutional and political performance. Assessing the level of probability of civil war resulting from a nations dependence upon natural resources. Reviewing the impact of strategic location, or lack of, and the potential influence this has upon internal conflict that might exist within the development process of an individual national or regional economy. 1.2 Overview For ease of reference the paper has been organised in the following manner. Following on from this introduction, in chapter two a critical review of recent theoretical literature relating to the subject being studied will be conducted. This will include an overview of the theories relating to natural resource impact and dependency, the relationship between civil war, natural resources and economic growth and other arguments that have been expounded upon in recent literature. Chapter three includes a discussion on the influence that natural resources has economic growth and political unrest and this is followed in chapter four by a more detailed analysis of the role of that conflict plays economic performance of nations who have these resources. In chapter six we provide and analyse the empirical evidence as it relates to the nations of Africa. This structure will enable us to reach a conclusion in chapter sever regarding the question set for the study (see page 5). A bibliography of sources and appropriate appendicles follow the conclusion of the research. As stated in introduction to this research, there has been a considerable amount of research carried out in regards to the influence that a wealth of natural resources has upon the economic growth of the poorer and emerging countries, as well as the relationship this has upon civil war and political unrest or imbalance. Within this review it is intended to focus upon the main economic and conflict theories that have been developed and discussed in recent decades. 2.1 The â€Å"Resource Curse† economic theory It is the negative or reduced economic growth patterns that have been experienced by nations that have significant natural resources, which has given rise to the term â€Å"resource curse,† and which has given rise to a considerable amount of literature and research since the late 1980’s, amongst the foremost of which is that conducted by Gelb (1988), Sachs and Warner (1997), Rodriguez and Sachs (1999) and Sala-i-Martin, and Subramanian, (2003, p.833), although there has been a proliferation of other works. The starting point and motivation for much, if not all of the research and literature relating to the â€Å"resource curse†, resulted from the significant difference that had been found to exist between the real economic growth performance of manufacturing and natural resource exporting countries over the years, as measured by the movement of GDP[1]. One of the latest examples of an analysis of this differential can be found in the review carried out for the World Bank by Isham et al (2005), which compared growth rates over a 40-year period (see figure 1). When converted into graphical format (see figure 2), the extent of the deceleration of national resource exporters and the differential between these and manufacture becomes more obviously apparent. As can be seen from the analysis (figure 1) in the first half of the period, when natural resources were being discovered and exploited, the GDP gap between these exporting nations and the manufactures exporters was more than halved, in fact in some periods the growth rate for natural resource rich countries was outperforming other areas (Le Billon 2005, p.13). But this improvement saw a dramatic reversal between 1975 and 1997. This performance has been directly linked to the movement of the natural resource revenue in other research, for example that conducted by Rodriguez and Sach (1999), where a similar pattern is revealed to be linked to the production of petroleum (see figure 3). However, taking the period in its entirety, as the figures and graph show, whilst the GDP for those countries that did not have a significant level of natural resources (the manufacturing exporters) grew by 1.02 %, even the best performing growth rates for natural resources elements, being diffuse at -0.43%, reveals a growth rate gap of 1.45%. At the extreme end of the scale according the Isham et al (2005, p.12) that gap exceeds 3.5%, which explains why when taken as a whole the differential between the two types of exporters increases to 3% by the end of the period being studied. 2.1.1 The African Link The majority of the research that has explored the â€Å"resource curse† has determined that this phenomenon has been particularly noticeable in the case of poorer and developing nations where, despite their high levels of natural resource and reserves, growth levels have been low or even regressed, in stark contrast to the performance of other nations that do not have the luxury of natural resources (Rodriguez and Sachs 1999, p.277 and Sach and Warner 2001, p.828). For example, Mehlum et al’s (2005) research concludes that many African countries with such resource levels have been afflicted by the curse, particularly those in the Sub-Saharan regions, which include Nigeria, Zambia, Sierra Leone and Angola. In support of the link between the â€Å"resource curse† and the African nations, researchers have used data from a variety of sources as evidence to support their hypotheses, most of which is based upon the analysis of GDP. For example, using a similar period to Isham et al (2005) (see figure 1 on page 8), the World Bank â€Å"World Development Indicators† show that, although rich in resources to a similar if not better level than other developing countries, the Sub-Saharan regions of Africa have fared much worse than others (see figure 4), Similarly, long-term patterns, dating back nearly two centuries (see figure 5), are used to support the fact that the curse is caused by factors outside of the possession of the resource itself. 2.2 The causes of the â€Å"Resource Curse† In investigating the cause of the â€Å"resource curse,† current literature has a divergence of views relating to the economic, political and other elements that conspire to create this environment. Various researchers have identified a number of different factors as being the root causes of, or significant contributory reasons for the â€Å"resource curse.† 2.2.1. The â€Å"crowding out† cause Of the most widely cited research, which includes the studies of being Sachs and Warner (2001) and Gelb (1998), describe the main issue as a effectively being a â€Å"crowding out† situation, whereby the concentration upon the natural resource has led to a situation where other exportable resources, such as manufacturing and production exports, which are considered to be important elements in a nations economic growth process, are at worst effectively neglected, or at best considered to be of reduced importance. This theory is supported by other research. Torvik (2002, p.455-456) acknowledges that this â€Å"crowding out† theory works on the premise that â€Å"an increased amount of natural resources then lowers productivity in all [other] sectors† of the economy. One popular variation of this model that has been developed is known as the â€Å"Rentier† state model (Torvik 2002, p.455). Torvik (2002, p.456) explains that in this case the negative impact on growth is generated by the fact that as powerful groups are attracted to the natural resource, they create an overcrowding within the natural resource sector, which again has the effect of contributing to the lowering growth rates. Sachs and Warner (2001, p.833) suggest that the major elements of â€Å"crowding out† are the fact that perceived and actual increase in wealth generated from the resource increases demand and leads to higher prices throughout the economy, thus making manufacturing less competitive, particular in respect of international trade. In addition (Ibid, p.835) the research also suggests that another contributory factor is the loss of â€Å"knowledge† available to manufacturing and other sectors caused by the profit attraction of the natural resource sector, which adds to the diminishing of the competitiveness of these sectors. Innovative entrepreneurs will be attracted to take their resources away from production and into the natural resource sectors, which offers them a higher level of profit and return at a relatively lower costs. In comparison therefore, the manufacturing areas are seen to be unproductive (Mehlum 2005, p.5), which is bad for economic growth. This explanatio n concurs with the results of Sala-i-Martin and Subramanian (2003, p.15 and Le Billon, 2005, p.5), which indicates that the movement of labour away from agriculture to natural resources has contributed to a near halving of this sectors share of GDP in many countries, as evidence in Nigeria. 2.2.2. Quality of institutions Other research, in dissimilarity to the popularity of the popular Sach and Warner view (Mehlum et al 2005, p.5), promotes the theory that the causes of â€Å"natural resource curse† are more closely related to the political and institutional failure to deal with the revenue, or â€Å"Windfall Gains† as Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.1) and others describe them. Sala-i-Martin and Subramanian (2003, p.8) findings in a study of the economic growth situation in Nigeria suggest that natural resources are â€Å"detrimental to institutional quality.† However, their research does find that this adverse effect of institutions appears to be more significant with oils and minerals than other natural resources and that once there is control within these institutions, the negativity impact ceases (Sala-i-Martin and Subramanian 2003, p.12), a view that Isham et al (2005, p.21) takes further by suggesting that the type of resource will â€Å"play a large role in shaping what kin ds of institutional forms exist and persist.† An efficient, effective or strong institution or government can be modeled largely on the western demographic models, where this is a large degree of interaction and connection between the political forces and the citizens, with transparency and accountability being an integral part of the institutions structure (Moore 2004, p.313). Similarly, in cases where strong institutions exist, he likelihood is that the natural resource will be owned by the people, (albeit it through shares in corporations), rather than the state itself. The only connection between state and resource will be through the taxes that it levies on the commercial profits made from that resource. Weak institutions tend to be less democratic, in some cases being controlled by dictators and military juntas that pay little heed to the needs of the citizen, preferring simply to concerns themselves with the needs of their power and personal wealth. Mehlum (2006, p.5) studies also confirm the institutional quality as being an important influence, in this respect leading to their conclusions that the â€Å"resource curse† is more prevalent in countries that have weak or poor quality of institutions, being those that are undermined by ethnic or non-democratic processes (Le Billon 2005, p.24). They describe these weak institutions as being â€Å"grabber friendly† A survey carried out during the course of their research found that out of 87 countries examined, only 15 were considered to have level and quality of institutions necessary to be effective in avoiding the affects or the curse. As with the earlier discussion on GDP, Isham et al (2005, p.13), again provides us with data support of the institutional influence (see figure 3). If we look at the top half of this list, which represents the elements of weak institutions, we see that whilst manufacture exporters still achieve a growth pattern, albeit small, resource exporters are afflicted with negative growth. Conversely, with the stronger elements of institutions in place, the natural â€Å"resource curse† is not apparent, with the resource exporters showing all the signs of reasonable levels of economic growth. Whilst agreeing with the principle that, particularly in Africa, institutions and the political structures are weak and therefore at risk from the â€Å"resource curse,† Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.4) add another element to the discussion, claiming the â€Å"windfall† element of the resource rent, added together with the level of Aid the country receives, exacerbate the problem of â€Å"resource curse.† Likening the resource windfalls to a lottery win Dalgaard and Olsson suggest that, faced with this relatively sudden new found source of wealth, the institutions are not sufficiently experienced in being able to administer it effectively and this produced a negative effect in institutional areas such as the rule of law and levels of corruption (Dalgaard and Olsson 2006, p.25). This is evidenced by the fact that â€Å"An IMF report on Angola, for example, suggests that close to $1 billion disappeared from the state coffers in 2001 alone, due to corruption, while fiscal discrepancies over the previous several years represented between 2 and 23% of the country’s GDP† Ross, 2003, p.9). 2.2.3. The â€Å"Dutch Disease† model To the extent that the â€Å"Dutch Disease† model relates to the potential for a reversal of industrialisation Sach and Warner (2001) favour the â€Å"Dutch Disease† model, although they do not support the element of this argument that suggest an increase in workers wages in all areas of the economy (Sach and Warner 2001, p.836). As the term indicates, the â€Å"Dutch Disease† theory was based upon the events experienced by the Netherlands following the discovery of natural â€Å"gas† resources within the country’s national waters in the mid 1950’s (Gylfason 2001, p.2). The elements of this theory rest upon three main areas. Firstly, the fact that the upward movement of the currency for a particular country following the discovery of resources exacerbates the manufacturing and servicing sectors, in that it reduces their price competitiveness (Gylfason 2001, p.2 and Sach and Warner 2001, p..834). As Torvik (2002, p.2) indicates, because it is because â€Å"changes in the composition of production that determines the level or the growth rate of productivity,† that the upward movement of currency prices has such a negative impact on internal production and welfare. Secondly, historically is has been noted that the global prices of resource materials is subject to a high level of fluctuation, which is caused by changes in the stocks, both in the resource rich country and other areas of the world (Gyflason 2001, p.3) For example, in the case of Norway, if other gas resource rich nations run out of supplies, the Norwegian resource will increase in value. Finally, the combination of the two previous elements causes financial exchange rate instability (Sach and Warner 1997 p.358 and Gyflason 2001, p.4). Gfylason suggests that this has an adverse effect on other areas such as foreign investment. Nevertheless, irrespective of these factors, in the case of Norway, their effect was limited and this is an element that Gylfason concentrated his efforts on discovering why this country’s economic performance did not perform in the same adverse way that other â€Å"OPEC† countries experienced as a result of the discovery of natural resources, which included nations located in Africa, nor did it have the same longer term effect. The discovered differential relied upon two main elements. Firstly, that Norway had been a developed nation for some years prior to the discovery and, secondly, as a result of the development position financial, social and political institutions in Norway were more â€Å"mature† (Gylfason 2001, p.10), therefore more likely to be able to avoid the adverse effects of the â€Å"resource curse,† which was not the case with other OPEC countries. These results reinforced the conclusion of other researchers in regards to two areas, these being that there is a relationship between â€Å"weak institutions† and the curse of natural resources and that the negative elements of the â€Å"Dutch disease† is essentially only a major issue for such institutions. 2.2.4  Other theoretical economic arguments Recently, economists and observers have sought to further clarify the theoretical argument relating to the â€Å"curse† of national resources by looking at other potential theoretical arguments, which would both support and potentially extend the existing literature on the subject of the â€Å"resource curse.† For example, Dalgaard and Olsson’s (2006, p.25) research indicated that there might be a connection between foreign aid and the resource curse, particularly in African nations that are the recipients of such aid. Whilst stopping short of agreeing with Burnside and Dollar’s (Quoted in Dalgaard and Olsson 2006, p.13) conclusion on this subject, this being the â€Å"aid only stimulated growth if accompanied by sufficiently sound macro-economic policies: e.g. low inflation and budget balance,† it was felt that further research into the systems and processes used for the distribution of aid was needed, as the likelihood of a connection with the eco nomic performance of a recipient nation could not be discounted. Another argument that has been put forward as elements of cause for the â€Å"resource† curse is the impact of an individual nation’s culture and geographic position. Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.19 and 20) believe that these issues should not be discounted. They point out that culture has been found to have a direct link to the level of corruption that exists within a nations political institution. In terms of geographical position, Dalgaard and Olsson’s study promote two arguments to support this being a classed as a source. The first of these is related to size, where it is argued that the greater the size of the country, the more extensive will be its institutions and, therefore, if the culture has a high corruption level, this will be increased (Dalgaard and Olson, 2006, p.19). Secondly, there is a potential for a historical link between geographical and institutions (Dalgaard and Ollsson 2006, p.14). In this case, the study sets the case for arguing that, because of the problems associated with areas such as the tropics, which includes high mortality rates and tropical climates, the early influence of Western institutional structure did not expand into these areas of the world as they had in others. As an example, they cite the colonial spread, which was not as widespread in the African continent as it was in places like India. Thus, this element of the theory is based upon the fact that those countries who had a foundation of good western institutions being better able to escape the â€Å"resource curse.† Phenomenon. However, other researchers do not agree with this scenario. Sach and Warner (2001, p.2 and 3) argue that using these determinates within the resource curse studies would lead to anomalies id data, with some countries appearing to be â €Å"high-natural resource† economies simply as a result of the inadequate or negative performance of other area of their economies, and visa-versa. In this regard they hold that â€Å"geography and climate variables do not eliminate the natural resource variable.† Sach and Warner 1999, p.5). Finally, but not totally unconnected with other arguments, is the argument relating to the problem of managing sudden excess. Referred to within Dalgaard and Olsson (2006, p.1) as the ineptitude of institutions at managing â€Å"windfall gains,† other reason it is the false perception of security that accompanies natural resources, which effectively provide â€Å"people with a false sense of security and lead governments to lose sight of the need for good and growth-friendly economic management, including free trade, bureaucratic efficiency, and institutional quality† (Gylfason 2001, p.7). Taking a slightly different tangent, although with a similar vein, Rodriguez and Sach (1999, p. 278), define that these countries are effectively â€Å"living beyond their means.† The view here is that resource rich countries are consuming the revenue from this resource without taking into account the fact that, unlike other areas of production, the stock of these resources can not be produced or expanded as quickly, therefore creating an increasing gap between revenue and expenditure, which eventually lead to a situation where the nation will reach a point where future revenue may have to be mortgaged to meet current expenditure. In summary, perhaps Gyflason (2001, p.8) puts it succinctly when he states that, irrespective of which argument one supports or how the individual may qualify it in academic terms, the core agreement is that â€Å"an abundance of natural capital may erode or reduce the quality of social, human, and physical capital, and thus stand in the way of rapid economic growth.† 2.3 Civil war and economic growth Irrespective of the divergence of views expressed within the literature outline in the previous sections of this chapter, one area that almost all are agreed upon is that in addition to the lack of economic growth resulting from the â€Å"resource curse,† this growth can also be adversely affected by the political stability of the nation, particularly where conflict and civil war is involved. The common definition of civil war is that conflict which leads to one thousand deaths or more. Similarly, the popular western perception is that the causes of such conflicts are caused by racial or religious tensions (Collier 2000, p.95-96). Whilst this may be true in terms of the sides taken in internal power struggles (Keen 2000, p.24), in most cases these are fuelled by a struggle to control resources. To this extent there is an economic element (Keen 2000, p.22 and Berdel and Malone 2000, p.28). Mehlum (2003, p.275) and Keen (2000, p.29) reinforce this viewpoint with the findings that those involved with these conflicts include elements from all aspects of society, such as rebels, military, political and commercial factions. In other words, particularly in countries with weak political controls â€Å"a war may be seen as continuation of economics by other means† (Keen 2000, p.22) rather than a simple clash of ideologies. Methlum et al (2005, p.6) confirm this argument, showing that in a country that have institutions and governments deemed to be weak, which is the case in many African states, this results in a situation where â€Å"the government is unable to provide basic security.† They conclude that such a situation creates an environment that fuels an increase in violence and civil wars, with control of natural resources being the main success target of the conflict and, ironically, used to finance many of these activities. Providing evidence of this in his study relating to the phenomenon of conflict diamonds, Olsson (2004, p.3) states that in countries with rich resources and weak institutions, natural resources can often lead to a triangular conflict environment of â€Å"a ruler (the prey) in control of a flow of natural resource rents, and a rebel (the predator) who might choose to prey on the ruler’s natural resource,† with the ordinary person in between these, that can create an adverse economic effect. Because the rebel wants to appropriate the natural resources, this forces the ruler to invest resources in defence, thus lessening the resources available for production and reducing the potential for economic growth. As is indicated later in this same research (Olsson 004, p.14), this situation of fuelling conflict and lining the pockets of dictators is not just limited to diamonds, but extends to a number of other natural resources. Other literature has confirmed the connection between the potential for conflict and economic growth. Rodrigueaz and Sach (1999, p.19) commenting upon the aspect of nations living beyond their means, found that, in the case of Venezuela, this leads to unrest and conflict. Dalgaard and Olsoson (2006, p.8) also identified that the high level of natural resources, when combined with weak government and low productivity in areas of production not related to natural resources, produced a â€Å"higher risk of potential conflict.† Both of these studies concluded that these conflicts served to deepen the adverse effects on economic growth. As Rodrik (1998, p.3) showed in his research, the biggest falls in GDP rates post 1975 occurred in countries that were socially divided and unable to manage conflict and these countries, more often than not, were those with high levels of natural resources (Wagner 2007). Thus it is concluded that civil war can serve to significantly damage economic growth (Rodrik 1998, p.3). 2.4 Natural resources role in Civil war One of the recurrent themes in the literature relating to natural resources, as has been identified within the previous sections, is the impact that natural resources and economics has upon social unrest and conflict. For example, Le Roux’s (2004, p.3) research suggests that as