Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector

Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector Linda Howerton PHI 103 Informal Logic Instructor: Ms. Tanya Martin October 22, 2012 ? Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector Union membership is today at an all time low. It has been steadily declining since the 1980’s. Private sector union membership has been affected the most, while that of the public sector has remained relatively strong (Devinatz, 2011 Spring). Public worker unions, especially state and federal government unions, must be allowed to continue to bargain collectively to ensure the rights and job security of their members.Collective bargaining allows union members to have a voice regarding their wages, benefits, and working conditions. According to Raymond Hogler, in the â€Å"Labor Law Journal†, Fall 2012, â€Å"The erosion of institutions of collective bargaining will inevitably lead to a diminution of wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers† (Hogler, p. 163). Many public employees, esp ecially teachers who work for the state, receive much lower pay than other professionals. Collective bargaining allows public employees a much needed say about their jobs, wages, and benefits.Whereas teachers, for instance, have lower pay than many other professionals, collective bargaining has ensured that they have one of the best retirement systems. In addition, collective bargaining has protected teachers’ job tenure, thus preventing them from being fired without a due process hearing and other protections. The need for unions were a direct result of the unfair labor practices employed during the Industrial Revolution beginning in the late 18th century and continuing on into the early 20th century.Since there were no labor laws initially, especially regarding child labor, women and children were often employed for long hours at low wages. At one time, women and children made up 75% of the factory work force since they could be hired for lower wages. Children proved more m alleable and adapted more easily to the newer methods employed. Children as young as eight years old were sent to work in the factories or in the mines where their smaller bodies could fit into tight and often highly dangerous places (Bond, Gingerich, Archer-Antonson, Purcell, & Macklem, 2003).Children were also preferred at times to work in factories since their small hands could reach into tight places when moving parts became jammed. There were few safeguards in place to prevent the children’s hands and arms from becoming maimed if caught between moving parts on a machine. During the late 1700s in England, a man named Slater employed a Pauper system whereby he used children from poor families as workers in his mills. These children worked twelve to sixteen hours a day for six days a week.Instead of being paid wages, these children received room and board, thereby alleviating the burden of feeding them from their families. Families of the children were appalled at the tight discipline, lack of heat, and the working conditions in the mills. Many of the children chose to run away. When the employment of just children proved problematic, entire households were hired. The father negotiated the contract and stipulated the conditions for each family member (Tucker, 2005 May, p. 24). During the Industrial Revolution, government adopted a hands-off or laissez-faire attitude towards business.Therefore, business owners could treat their workers however they wished. Since children could be hired for less pay, they were hired in great numbers, working 12 to 14 hour days under horrible conditions. Many of these children became apprentices to the factory owners where they lived in miserable dormitories. They were frequently under-fed, ill-clothed, and beaten with fist and whip. There was a high death rate among child laborers (Hackett, 1992). Since all or most members of the family were working for upwards of eighteen hours daily, the family unit broke down.Childre n’s family contact usually amounted to the few hours spent at home sleeping. Since many families lived in shared housing with other families, family units withered even further. Children received little or no education, were malnourished and sickly, and experienced stunted growth. They grew up maladjusted since they had never been taught how to properly behave. The living conditions were appalling with little or no sanitation. As a result, infant mortality skyrocketed during the Industrial Revolution: over 50% of infants died before they eached two years of age (Bond, Gingerich, Archer-Antonson, Purcell, & Macklem, 2003). It is largely due to the unsafe conditions, abuse of laborers, especially women and children, and the workers’ lack of a voice over their employment that labor unions first came into existence. The earliest unions were established as â€Å"friendly societies† that charged dues to be used to assist workers during unemployment or sickness. It was n’t long before they grew into organizations seeking to win improvements for workers by the use of strikes and collective bargaining.Industrial workers increasingly became involved politically to encourage the passage of laws favorable to them. This drive by workers to increase their political power, as well as the right to vote, was largely responsible for the 19th century spread of democracy (Hackett, 1992). Today, labor unions seek to control the supply of labor. This control over the labor supply enables unions to secure collective bargaining agreements that have â€Å"brought millions of America’s workers into the middle class† (Gitlow, 2012 Summer, p. 124).The fear of being unionized exerts psychological pressure on employers which can often serve as a check on their otherwise abusive and exploitative inclinations (Gitlow, 2012 Summer). According to Givan and Hipp, in a 24 nations study of workers’ views about the efficacy of unions, entitled  "Public Perceptions of Union Efficacy: A Twenty-Four Country Study,† most laborers who belong to unions: feel most positive about the ability of unions to improve working conditions and job security. Women tend to hold a more positive view than men of the effects of unions on job security.Women are generally more susceptible to various forms of workplace discrimination, which creates a greater need for the kind of protection provided by unions (Givan and Hipp, 2012 March, p. 25). Thus we can easily see the importance of unions for the protections they offer workers regarding pay, working conditions, the right to strike if necessary, and most especially, the right to collectively bargain. Unions and the right to collectively bargain are increasingly endangered across the United States.At least 17 states have passed legislation or have bills pending that would severely curtail the right of employees to collectively bargain (Rigiero, 2011 April). According to Deb Rigiero, in â₠¬Å"You are now entering the United Corporations of America,† â€Å"We are rapidly becoming the workplace of the past†¦ the workplace without safety regulations; the workplace without workers’ rights; and the workplace without recognition of and appreciation for the worker† (Rigiero, 2011 April, p. 14). Right to work (RTW) laws have been steadily eroding workers’ rights for many years already.Over 22 states have passed RTW laws. The RTW laws aren’t there to guarantee workers the right to a job, but are instead aimed at the unions’ abilities to collect dues to aid in administering the unions. Under RTW laws, it is illegal to for unions to require workers to pay these dues. Without members’ dues to support them, unions’ power and strength of collective bargaining are severely undermined. Many unions may eventually find themselves endangered or extinct (Lafer, 2012 February 6).Then workers will find themselves without represent ation or even a voice regarding their rights. Those people against public employee unions and collective bargaining feel that public sector employees are receiving excessive pay and benefits at the expense of the American taxpayers (Schulz, 2012 January 10). Unions restrict the authority and management of company managers. In addition, unions may have a polarizing effect between management and the employees of a company. Unions also restrict the ability of managers to deal one-on-one with employees.When unions are involved, management is unable to make unilateral changes that may involve hours, wages, or other issues dealing with employment (University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2012). In â€Å"Why U. S. should cheer for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker,† Nick Schulz feels that â€Å"The collective bargaining privilege gives teacher unions political power that is used to block reform efforts and shield K-12 education from entrepreneurial disruptions that threaten established ways of doing things† (Schulz, 2012, Para. 11).Many Republicans espouse school vouchers as the answer to declining test scores across the United States. Vouchers are opposed by teacher unions and most educators who say that they would disrupt or damage our public education system in the U. S. If parents are allowed to use vouchers to choose which school their children attend, then those parents will be able to select the school that best fits their children’s needs and learning style. Whereas this might be great for the child involved, it could pose difficulties for already cash-strapped public schools that would lose some of their state funding.Public school employees who belong to teacher unions should be treated as professionals, yet they receive pay far below that of other professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Collective bargaining has allowed public union members to speak on their own behalf regarding their working conditions and job benefits. Publ ic sector unions are currently â€Å"under attack† by right-wing politicians supported by large corporations (McAlevey, 2011 March 7). If public union members are not allowed to use collective bargaining, then they will no longer have a voice in their wages, benefits, or working conditions.Wages could be cut at the whim of management. To finish their jobs for the day, many public employees might find themselves working â€Å"off the clock† since management can require more from them without recompense. According to an article by Raymond Hogler and Christine Henle, entitled â€Å"The Attack on Public Sector Unions in the United States: How Regional Culture Influences Legal Policy,† â€Å"Coincident with union declines, American workers experienced stagnant wages, a diminution of benefits, and overall degradation of working conditions† (Hogler and Henle, 2011 Fall, p. 37). 22 states have now passed right to work laws which â€Å"interfere with unionsâ€⠄¢ ability to maintain solidarity and acquire resources† (Hogler and Henle, 2011 Fall, p. 138). Those states with right to work laws have less union density, as well as â€Å"less equality for their citizens in terms of health care, education, and income† (Hogler and Henle, 2011 Fall, p. 143). Public union employees must be allowed to continue bargaining collectively to protect their right to have a voice in their working conditions, wages, and benefits.Collective bargaining ensures that public union members make a livable wage to support their families now, as well as having a secure retirement pension waiting for them when they retire. Many politicians indicate that teachers earn too much money. A teacher I know now makes below the national poverty level, yet he holds a Master’s Degree plus 30 hours. He is not an isolated case. Many teachers who belong to a teachers’ union still make salaries below the national poverty level. If their pay erodes even fur ther, then many teachers will be unable to afford to continue teaching.Teachers’ and other public employee unions are there to support and protect great teachers, not cover for any â€Å"bad† ones. Don’t we want to hold on to the dedicated teachers who have given of themselves to ensure that all children receive a free quality public education? ? References Bond, E. , Gingerich, S. , Archer-Antonson, O. , Purcell, L. , & Macklem, E. (2003). Impact of the Industrial Revolution. Retrieved Sunday, October 21, 2012, from http://industrialrevolution. sea. ca Devinatz, V. (2011, Spring). U. S. Trade Unionism Under Globalization: The Death of Voluntarism and the Turn to Politics?Labor Law Journal. 62(1). 16-29. Retrieved Saturday, September 29, 2012, from EBSCOhost AN: 59982464 Gitlow, A. (2012, Summer). Ebb and Flow in America’s Trade Unions: The Present Prospect. Labor Law Journal. 63(2). 123-136. Retrieved Saturday, October 13, 2012 from EBSCOhost AN: 7802312 6 Givan, R. & Hipp, L. Public Perceptions of Union Efficacy: A Twenty-Four Country Study. Labor Studies Journal. 37(1). 7-32. Retrieved Saturday, October 13, 2012, from EBSCOhost DOI: 10. 1177/0160449X11429264 Hackett, L. (1992). Industrial Revolution. History World International.Retrieved Sunday, October 21, 2012, from http://history-world. org/Industrial Intro. htm Hogler, R. (2012, Fall). Constitutionalizing Paycheck Protection: What Knox v. Service Employees International Union Means for American Labor. Labor Law Journal. 63(3). 153-164. Retrieved Saturday, September 29, 2012, from EBSCOhost AN:80170928 Hogler, R. and Henle, C. (2011, Fall). The Attack on Public Sector Unions in the United States: How Regional Culture Influences Legal Policy. Labor Law Journal. 62(3). 136-144. Retrieved Saturday, September 29, 2012, from EBSCOhost AN:66687318References Lafer, G. (2012, June 2). Right to Work – for Less. Nation. 294(6). 24-26. Retrieved Saturday, October 13, 2012, from EBS COhost AN: 70466585 McAlevey, J. (2011, March 7). Labor’s Last Stand. Nation. 292(10/11). 22-26. Retrieved Saturday, September 29, 2012, from EBSCOhost AN: 58504081 Rigiero, D. (2011, April). â€Å"You are now entering the United Corporations of America. † Please leave your union card at the border. Massachusetts Nurse Advocate. 82(3). 14. Retrieved Saturday, October 13, 2012, from EBSCOhost AN: 2011071259 Schulz, N. 2012, January 10). Why U. S. should cheer for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. USA Today. Retrieved Saturday, September 29, 2012, from EBSCOhost AN: JOE207214460212 Tucker, B. (2005, May). Liberty is Exploitation: The Force of Tradition in Early Manufacturing. OAH Magazine of History. 19(3). 21-24. Retrieved Sunday, October 21, 2012, from JSTOR http://www. jstor. org/stable/25161943 University of Maryland, Baltimore County. (2001, January 24). Pros and Cons of Collective Bargaining. Retrieved Monday, October 22, 2012, from www. umbc. edu/uwaaup/ collective. ht m

Evaluation-Macbeth Coursework Essay

In my english coursework on Macbeth by William Shakespeare the task was to choose two soliloquys and write about them, write how they affect the story, the character, if they are important in that particular scene and if they make any significant mark on the play and the story. The two soliloquys I chose were act 1 scene 7, and act 2 scene 1. I chose these two soliloquys because they are important points in the story. They help shape the storyline and the way in which it goes. These two soliloquys come in the start of the play, and therefore help shape it greatly. They come just before Macbeth murders Duncan, act 1 scene 7 is where Macbeth is thinking to himself whether he should commit the murderous deed or not. His first thoughts to himself are that he shouldn’t, but his devious wife soon persuades him. In act 2 scene 1 Macbeth is on his own and is hallucinating. He sees a dagger before him pointing to Duncans room, almost beckoning him to go and kill his king to which Macbeth has been so loyal to. This soliloquy is famous and helps to shape the storyline because it is just before he kills Duncan. From these soliloquys I have studied I can learn a lot about the ideas of the play. I think the main ideas that I can gather from act 2 scene 1 are that a man can be completely changed by a single action in his life. Macbeth was loyal to his king, but then his wife suggested the idea of kiling Duncan and taking the throne himself. From this act I can also learn about the characters. Macbeth is influenced by his wife and she has a lot of control over him, he is a strong and loyal man to his king and has a fairly strong character. From this I can learn that a play works on characters actions and reactions, this is what builds storyline and character. The ideas of the play here as shown in this soliloquy by Macbeth deciding whether or not he should kill duncan are that a loyal man can be driven to do something that goes against what he stands for, and that the main character does not have much self confidence, and doubts himself. This soliloquy shows me that the character doubts himself, and is considering whether or not he should commit the murder so he can fullfil his wife’s plan of becoming king, which he is now beginning to like the idea of. From this I can learn that this particular play works on deceit, betrayal and selfishness from some characters. Some of the ideas in these soliloquys that interested me the most were how a mans ideas and thoughts of himself and what is right and wrong can be changed very quickly if his pride is under threat, as shown in act 2 scene 1. I find another idea interesting in act 1 scene 7, if someone is under pressure than their mind can work in a completely different way, and they would think to act like they would never act if they were calm and in control. This is shown here in this soliloquy by Macbeth thinking to himself whether or not he should commit the deed or not. In explaining my findings to the class, I was pleased with the way I interpreted the Shakespearean text and the way I wrote the essay in which I was reading from. Also in explaining it to the class, I think I should have looked up more and read as I looked at my essay sheet most of the time. I don’t think I made the audience feel involved enough in what I was saying. This is my evaluation of my Macbeth english coursework on soliloquy’s.

Real Estate Management in Guildford Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Real Estate Management in Guildford - Essay Example (i) A development appraisal to predict developer’s profit for the completed scheme. Your appraisal should be prepared both in a conventional format and by using a spreadsheet. Briefly comment on the accuracy of both methods. (30 marks) (ii) Returns for developer and fund if the scheme is funded long term by (a) Profit erosion with priority yield (b) commercial mortgage and (c) forward sale. Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of each method for developer and fund. (30 marks) Realizing the lucrative earning potentiality of the clustered land and building at in Guildford B1 zone with a high commercial value of properties it is worth to invest for double fold profit with minimum risk factors. It has been observed that a mere investment of GBP 10, 000, 000 straightway get a yield of 62, 203,68 while having the face value of the property integral. A real estate appraisal is a service performed by a licensed appraiser, who develops an opinion of value based upon the highest and best use of real property estimated the price that may go in multiple of ten in next two years. The highest and best use by our recent client after an innovative beautification produces the highest value for the land. This use is based on four parts; physically possible to acquire through our installment facility, appropriate estimation without any hidden cost, legally free from any incumbent, and economically feasible. Also of importance is the definition of the type of value being developed having its high market value and quick sale value. It is important to distinguish between Market Value and price of the property in Guildford highly commercial zone of the residential site. Market value is its fluid concept, ever-changing into ascending order, while the price is a historical fact at the time of a transaction while acquiring the land.  

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Board of Governance Principles - Case Study Example This is the manner, with which the Board ensures revenue for the shareholders' investments with consistent and regular review of long-term plans, decision-making achievements, and replacements for Board members and executive management personnel. At British Petroleum public limited company, the members of the Board entrust their decision-making management authority to the company's Group Chief Executive led by Tony Hayward, the Group Chief Executive, member of the BP board of directors, head of the BP executive management team, and steered by the Board of Governance Principles. Prior to efficient management, the company's Group Chief Executive Tony Hayward must have understood the business ethics of British Petroleum Plc prior understanding the company business, as theoretically, trade is directly related to ethics. In comparison, a good number of commercial executives recognize article of trade-based type of business ethics. This is well-liked by the communication industry, the courses offered in business schools, colloquiums, and educational prose. But, the other type of business ethics called sense-based has been overlooked by the majority in the industry. These two different types of business ethics are supposedly inseparable duo (Pava, 1999). ... Nonetheless, British Petroleum Plc Group Chief Executive Tony Hayward clearly implements article of trade-based and sense-based types of ethics as an indivisible pair which is clearly invoked in the Board of Governance Principles. "The power and success of business are ultimately dependent on manager's beliefs about life's meanings" (Pava, 1999) Corporate success then that is driven by moral code collectively practiced among managers, employees, and shareholders (Pava, 1999) seamlessly fits into these principles. At the British Petroleum Plc, corporate governance structure style is underpinned by the concept of the approach the company manages the business. First, the Board and the executive management of British Petroleum public limited company led by Peter Sutherland, the Chairman of the chairman's and the nomination committees benchmarked image of prominence as the driver of the primary aspiration of the British Petroleum Plc, together with the idea that the company has built through time market edge and asset for advancements. Second, the company is anchored on the conviction that its existence will assists in crafting better opportunities for the human race. For instance, the company will in some way lend a hand to humanity by providing access to heat, light, and transport. All these are achievable with low cost of ener gy production that is safe for mankind and ecosystem friendly (BP plc, 2009). This is being mindful of the chief responsibility of commerce to civilizations. While the business concerns are those of the material needs of a society of people, the corporate company likewise embraces what is beyond substantial wants and desires. In fact, this is the most significant aspect of the company. It is within this realm that company

Marketing and Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing and Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Though, in the developed nations like US and UK, many companies have introduced healthy cold drinks but they have failed to provide balance nutrition to the children. Hence, it can be said that the children and teenagers are the potential customers of Neutrica.   In this fast moving world, even the adults need health drink that can be used as a substitute of soft drinks. People in their old age suffer from several health-related complications like high blood pressure, cholesterol deposition and diabetes. For these people Neutrica is a good way of deriving required nutrition in a more convenient and simple manner. Till date, there are not too many health drinks that are popular among the aged people. The percentage of elderly people is likely to increase with time, thus adding to its potential customer base.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about their health and are willing to shell out money for those foods and drinks that promises better health. Therefore , the demand for health drink is likely to grow, mainly among the children and elderly persons. Target MarketIn developed nations like UK and US, the market is already flooded with different kinds of energy drinks, canned fruit juices and different type of health drinks. As a result, the degree of competition is also high in these markets. This coupled with low population growth will make these markets very stagnant in the years to come.On the other hand, developing countries are performing better because their economies are growing at a fast rate.

The Gathering Storm and Global War (US History) Assignment

The Gathering Storm and Global War (US History) - Assignment Example The Axis powers wanted to rule the world. If not stopped by the combined efforts of the Allies, this could have been a reality. Without the U.S.’s support, the English, Russians, and other Allies might have failed to defeat the Axis powers. 2) JAPANESE INCARCERATION-Should the survivors of the Japanese prison camps have been given a $20,000 reparations payment from 1988 on, or was their imprisonment just the fortunes of war? Explain. Yes. Japanese prison camps should have been given $20,000 in reparations, not only for their economic and material losses, but also for the emotional turmoil at the loss of security of being an American citizen. If we did not issue reparations, then we would have been worse than the NAZIS. We are supposed to be good guys, although America sometimes makes mistakes. These mistakes need to be acknowledged and paid for. Japanese prison camps were not only a mistake, but wrong as well. 3) ATOMIC BOMB-Was there any better option for Pres. Harry Truman to end WW2 than dropping two atomic bombs on Japan? Explain. No. The Japanese had a different perspective about death. Our goal was to protect as many American lives as possible. The Japanese did not mind dying in kamikaze attacks as long as Americans also died. If the atomic bomb had not been used, the war could have lasted indefinitely. This might have caused more causalities, American and Japanese, than the ones that died in Hiroshima or Nagasaki

The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest Movie Review

The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest - Movie Review Example This interesting movie shows the behavior of the market. It makes it easy to see how the performance in real life through a movie. To be an entrepreneur is not an easy thing it requires many things, but above all, you have to be hardworking, smart and innovative to stay ahead of your competitors. This movie revolves around people who want to create a niche in the tough market, but they face many challenges. When Andy quits his job as a marketer because he did not find the job interesting, he finds another job in a research company. Benoit gives him a pc to sell at a cost of $99, but it proves to be a tall order. He quickly finds a team consisting of Alisa who is an artist, Salman Fard, Darrell and Curtis. They together form a team to ensure they cut a niche in the market to sell their product. The strategies they employ are similar to the ones suggested by Michael E. Porter, who suggests strategies to employ whenever a business faces competitive forces. Michael suggests that, a business is faced by the following competitive forces; the threat of new entrants in the market, bargaining power of buyers, threats of substitute product or services, bargaining power of suppliers, and rivalry among existing competitors. It is evident that Andy and his team face similar competitive forces in their quest to sell their product in competitive market with the ones named by Michael. For example, they find that they cannot sell their product at a cost of $99 because it is expensive and nobody will buy it.

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

Financial Information - Essay Example There are many evaluation methods followed and the most relevant of them are the evaluation based on the Economic Value Added (EVA) which is Net Operating Profit Minus Adjusted Taxes reduced by (Invested Capital*Cost of Capital). This method takes into account the opportunity costs of capital. EVA too suffers from the drawbacks as from accounting. Another theory, Shareholder value theory suggests that through the interests of the stake holders, the shareholder value can be reaped. This is for ensuring return satisfaction to all the interested parties in the long run. The stakeholder theory aims at a collective interest of all stakeholders or sees the realization of their goals as the ultimate objective. Double value creation system is also followed where a company increases its customer value through its operations as well as creates its shareholder value through the sale of its produce. Thus, it could be noted that the company value could be increased only if both the shareholders and stakeholders interest are considered simultaneously while doing the performance evaluation. Present Value of Abnormal Earnings (PVAE), which will b... Present Value of Abnormal Earnings (PVAE), which will be available with the Present Value of Expected Dividends (PVED) and Abnormal Earnings based on Capital Employed, states the value in efficient markets as: MVE = CSE + PVAE This results in the distortions or disparity between the MVE and the CSE (market value and book value) and the conditions for this are (i) Economic rents (unbiased accounting) (ii) Accounting distortions (Perfectly competitive equilibrium) Thus, the information bearing upon the performance evaluation of a company helps in explaining the reason for the difference between the market value and the book value. Ideally, it could be inferred that the most important things to be considered in value creation processes are: - The Performance evaluation should be able to provide information for proper decision-making and ensure feedback. - The kind and nature of the information collected and the source from which the information is collected for valuations are therefore significant. The source, its nature, the methods used for valuation, the coherency, the adaptability with the strategic objectives etc serve as crucial indicators. Discuss the relevance of financial information in the context of the valuation of internet stocks. The main characteristics of internet stocks are that they are younger, fast-growing, riskier and larger when compared to the non-internet stocks. Nevertheless, the capital requirements of internet companies are very high. They need capital to establish the technological architecture, create a pool of customer base, and also have to spend a major portion on the sides of Research and Development, Marketing etc. On contrary, the

Carbon dating the shroud of turin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Carbon dating the shroud of turin - Essay Example During the fourteenth century, the people in the little town of Lirey would not have been able to prove or disprove the image on the Shroud of Turin. What they h ad to rely upon was – again – faith, and faith was going around like the plague. Catholics in the fourteenth century were experiencing a form of hyper-religiosity, and the notion of associating â€Å"geography with ethnography was taking hold and manifesting itself through the singling out of non-Catholics, and was soon followed by expelling Jews from their homelands because of their non-Christian beliefs.† Blind faith, encouraged and fueled by Church priests, monks, and others who held positions in the upper echelons of the social ladder, led to cases of â€Å"ethnic cleansing, and, eventfully the expulsion of thousands of Jews from their homelands†. The time was ripe for exploitation of Christian fanaticism and for the Catholic Church to enlarge its sphere of influence. Relics, of course, served as a way by which to link certain areas, especially those remote areas, with Church-mindedness, causing villagers to form close and tight-knit bonds with the Church.

Time Definition Essay Example for Free

Time Definition Essay The thought Dont leave until tomorrow what you can today holds very important in this fast pacing world where time is a very important factor and I fully agree with the statement. The main reason for me to believe in this statement is a small but very significant word time. Time is a very precious gift bestowed to us by God and it must be used at the best of our ability. Man tends to get torpor at times, which makes him to keep work and other assignments pending. This increases his load of work and would require him more time to complete the task pended. There is another reason that I would like to lay stress on. Let me take a very common example to explain the point. A small hole in a cloth piece should be stitched when noticed in the earlier stage before it becomes a bigger hole when there will be a greater difficulty to thread up the damage. In a lineA stitch in time saves nine . One should never keep work pending and must be completed as early as possible. This would avoid a greater stress that would be taken to complete a pending assignment. Thus, one should never put off till tomorrow what can be done here and now. Besides time and load of work, there is another small factor that makes me agree to the thought-provoking adage. By post-poning things and keeping them to be done on the eleventh hour would make a person tensed. It would make a person feel more anguish and remorse about the pending task. He would not feel comfortable until and unless the task is completed. At times, when work especially an important task assigned is put off till tomorrow keeps getting postponed and never does the tomorrow come. He tends to put off his work and eventually may forget to complete what is assigned. Such carelessness costs a lot and can make a person get fired by an employer or even lose a job. So, why take such a chance. It is better to do work promptly or earlier for the better. Hence I conclude by the statement to never put off till tomorrow what can be done here and now.

The General Crisis In The 17th Century History Essay

The General Crisis In The 17th Century History Essay The period of crisis that happened in Europe in the seventeenth century was one of the toughest in history. After the process of expansion and growth experienced during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Europe found itself in a deep crisis that lasted nearly a century. A crisis that was characterize by various features, foremost the demographic, because after the late Middle Ages the population had increased steadily; until it stops abruptly in the sixteenth century even to recede in many places. Other reasons that were attributed for causing this crisis included hunger, wars, revolts, politics, plagues and climate changes. Eric Hobsbawn argues that on the big picture, it was economic and social forces that created this mid 17th century crisis. On the other hand, Trevor Roper emphasized that the main causes for this crisis were the religious and political conflict. Although both arguments can be valid and were present in this disaster, I believe that the root causes of this cris is were religious and political differences, which ultimately led Europe to have economic and social conflicts as well. One important example of this crisis is the thirty years war. It was a war that took place in central Europe (especially in Germany) between 1618 and 1648, in which the majority of the great European powers intervened. This war would mark the future if the European continent in the centuries to follow  [1]  . The origin of this war goes back to the Peace of Augsburg, which basically stated that the religion of the ruler of the land will be the religion of the people. This resolved the conflicts between the Catholics and the Protestants for a while, but due to the diverse religions practiced in the German states, it did not solve the underlying religious issues definitively. Just by analyzing the phrases above, we automatically get the sense that it was religious conflicts the root cause of this war. This is confirmed by the event that sparked the war, the revolt in Bohemia. In this revolt, member of the predominantly protestant bohemian legislature threw two catholic government o fficials pot the window, as a sign of protest against the religious policies of the newly elected king, the catholic Ferdinand II  [2]  . However, the Catholics defeated the protestants, and this leads us to another example of religion causing the 30 years war; the intervention of the Danish and then the Swedish. This happened because of the fear of these kingdoms that their sovereignty as protestant lands was threatened by the Catholic success in the war, and also because the declarations of the king Frederick V, where he said that all Europe should be back to Catholic. Nevertheless, at this point the Catholics are still winning the war, and this catches the awareness of Cardinal Richelieu, who was the chief minister of King Louis XII of France. From this point on, this religious war becomes political, because even though he was catholic, France decides to join the war and help the Protestants. The reason for this was simple, balance of power; the French felt that Habsburgs hav e gained too much power and they did not want just one great power to control Europe  [3]  . This war is a great example of how religious and political reasons shaped this European crisis, and how these events led to the economic and social problems that a war brings, in order to fund the war with money and men. After all, this war was ended with the Treaty of Westphalia; which ironically ended up being like the treaty of the peace Augsburg that stated that the religion of the prince is the religion of the people. The political effects of this war were very traumatic as well, first it weakened the power of the empire, and the individual territories of the Germany gained more autonomy even than before the war  [4]  . Another problem that rose during this crisis was the war of the three kingdoms. This is another great example to argue that Trevor Roper was correct in explaining the main cause of the crisis. This war happened after England, Ireland and Scotland became united under the power of only one ruler. This was possible because, since Queen Elizabeth of England had no direct heir to her throne, the next in line was James Stuart, the king of Scotland  [5]  . So what types of problems this created? First, James was a firm believer of the divine right monarchy, which basically means that he was placed there by god and does not have to report to anyone else. This belief did not bring many problems to other nations; however, the fact that England had a parliament created a lot of political tensions in this era. Expanding upon this, the wealth that the members of the parliament had acquired from the agricultural innovation, the expansion of their land and sheep count, increased this problems e ven more, because they now wanted to match their political power with their economic power. The fact of this happening brings us back to our thesis, and shows a religious problem becoming political, which ultimately becomes social. I argue this because the parliament starts to have power from the times of King Henry, when he needed their approval to separate from the Catholic Church (religion). Years after, this backfires to King James, because it gave more authority to the wealthy parliament, and clash with his ideals of divine right and absolutism (Politics). Subsequently, creating a lot tension and confusion among the people of the three kingdoms, whose laws and taxes kept changing as the power of the monarchy and the parliament would fluctuate (Social)  [6]  . To further support our point, we can cite the historian Paul Hazard, who coined the term crisis of the European consciousness to define an ideological crisis that could be found in the intellectual ambient of Europe after the wars of religion  [7]  . This is a valid argument since it is logical to believe that religious conflicts could rupture the emotional stability of a society that is very much influenced by god and religion. The raise and growth of new religions that differed in many matters with ancient Catholicism brought into the map many thinkers that challenged even more the traditional beliefs.   Intellectuals such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke and Newton share a common time, it can even be dated astronomically with the famous Halleys comet of 1680 which allowed Pierre Bayle drafting its Charter, and use this to make fun (in a way) at the Religious superstitions and affirm that knowledge must be constantly proven and updated  [8]  . However, this eventuall y created some social problems, since most of the universities and teaching centers were controlled and had the patronage of the church, being either catholic, like the Jesuits, or protestants. This is another example of how religious conflicts (Trevors argument) happened first and the led to social problems (Hobsbawn argument) Possibly the best example of the religious and political causes of this crisis was the glorious revolution. Going back to the origin of the problem, old King James II was a Catholic that had already irritated the parliament by relaxing the restrictions on the Catholics and allowing them to hold positions in public offices  [9]  . Nevertheless, James was old and next line for the throne was his daughter Mary, a protestant that was married to William of Orange; so the parliament does not really take any action. However, things turn ugly after James II has a son that would mean the continuity of Catholic rule in England, which the parliament would not allow. This caused the glorious revolution, and causes James to escape to France with his son, and William of Orange is invited to be king of England  [10]  . It is interesting to see how the biggest political problem that King James II had was the fact that he was catholic; once again religion. In addition, the fact that the parliament is the one that invites William to be king summarizes the amount of power that he would have, which as we can see, was very limited. He was given many restrictions, such as the obligation to be an Anglican, he was not allowed to have a standing army, he was not allowed to veto a parliament act and there was no arbitrary arrest  [11]  . Based on this, comes a liberal social movement that will support the ideas of the parliament in a way, and moves England even further away from absolutism. A leader of this movement is John Locke. We can see in his Two treatises to the government his idea of the natural right to live, which basically states that we all have a right to liberty and the possession of property. Moreover, if the government does not protect the natural right to live of the people, they can reve l and a demand a ruler who does not violate their rights  [12]  . Trevor and Hobsbawn use the Fronde in France as another example of the general crisis. It begun because of general discontent of the people. His beginnings were based on the economic crisis and increasing the tax burden generated to address the cost of participation of France in the Thirty Years War. Its most direct cause, however, can be found in the means used by the monarchy to raise taxes. With the arrival of the regent the people expected the monarchy to cut rates, but not so: Cardinal Mazarin thought that France could support the war and did not let up the pressure. In addition, the Parliament of Paris tried to limit the power of King Louis XIV and also the nobility felt threatened by the king and wanted more of a voice in the government. All of the causes of the Fronde have political implications to it. Even If it is argued that the raise of the taxes was a social problem, it was a political decision to raise the taxes for war and specially to actually enter the war, with the ideals of balance of power  [13]  . In conclusion, the general crisis was characterized by a series of wars, revolts, decline of population and political and social changes that in many cases could have been avoided if the right precautions would have been taken. However, the fact Europe was undergoing a time political absolutism (at least that is what the rulers intended) and the close relation between church and government, made it impossible to avoid the conflicts. The numerous wars that happened (all for political and religious reasons) aided by plagues and diseases, caused the first decline in the population after the middle ages, therefore creating social and economic problems in the region. This is the reason why I believe that Trevor Roper was right by saying that the root cause of the crisis was political and religious (decisions to go to war, monarchs selected for their religion, etc); which then led to economic and social problem(increase of taxation, price revolution, and decline in population), aggravating even more the situation.

Salmonella enterica typhi Essay -- Medical Health Biology Essays

Salmonella enterica typhi Introduction: Worldwide, typhoid fever affects roughly 17 million people annually, causing nearly 600,000 deaths. The causative agent, Salmonella enterica typhi (referred to as Salmonella typhi from now on), is an obligate parasite that has no known natural reservoir outside of humans. Little is known about the historical emergence of human S. typhi infections, however it is thought to have caused the deaths of many famous figures such as British author and poet Rudyard Kipling, the inventor of the airplane, Wilbur Wright, and the Greek Empire’s Alexander the Great. The earliest recorded epidemic occurred in Jamestown, VA where it is thought that 6,000 people died of typhoid fever in the early 17th Century. This disease is rare in the United States and developed nations, but always poses the risk of emergence. History: Originally isolated in 1880 by Karl J. Erberth, S. typhi is a multi-organ pathogen that inhabits the lympathic tissues of the small intestine, liver, spleen, and bloodstream of infected humans. It is not known to infect animals and is most common in developing countries with poor sanitary systems and lack of antibiotics, putting travelers to Asia, Latin America, and Africa in a high risk group. Of the 266 people infected in the United States in 2002, approximately 70% had traveled internationally within 6 weeks of the onset of disease. Microbiological Characteristics: This gram-negative enteric bacillus belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a motile, facultative anaerobe that is susceptible to various antibiotics. Currently, 107 strains of this organism have been isolated, many containing varying metabolic characteristics, levels of virulence, and multi-drug r... ...asters have compromised sanitation. Although the incidence in the United States is very low, outbreaks and substantial epidemics still remain possible due to worldwide travel and unknowing carriers of the disease. The development of antibiotic treatments and several vaccines have presented the possibility of worldwide eradication. Until this is achieved, however, S. typhi and its characteristic typhoid fever will remain a threat for future epidemics. References Cited: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc. Health Canada: MSDS of Infectious Substances World Health Organization: Typhoid Fever Fact Sheet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Typhoid Fever Disease Information University of Florida Medical Micribiology and Infectious Diseases Department: Salmonella typhi Info Wikipedia.org: Typhoid Fever U. of Maryland Medical news: Typhoid Fever

The Impact of Teen Pregnancy on the American People Essay -- Explorato

The Impact of Teen Pregnancy on the American People Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States has been on an overall decline, it remains the highest in the entire world. Teenage pregnancy is obviously still a problem in today's American society with roughly 97 per 1000 women aged 15-19, which rounds up to be roughly one million teenagers, becoming pregnant each year. Interestingly enough, 78% of these pregnancies are unintended. The births of these children are not only a problem for the parents and the families of the babies, but it is a huge problem and burden upon American Taxpayers. Taxpayers pay roughly 16.5 billion dollars every year to welfare and Medicaid programs to aid these young parents who are almost always incapable of taking full financial responsibility for the child. In addition, because the average age of menarche has reached an all-time low of about 12-13 years of age, a larger percentage of teenage girls have a higher risk of getting pregnant more now than ever. The fact that four out of five teenagers are sexually active also contributes to the fact that teenage girls have a higher risk of getting pregnant. Teenage mothers are often living in single-mother houses, are minority, and are already considered poor. The consequences of teenage pregnancy can be costly and grave. The consequences of teenage pregnancy and childbearing are relatively serious. Teenage mothers are less likely to graduate from high school and are more likely to rely on welfare and live in poverty opposed to their friends and peers who delay childbearing. Not to mention having to give up their social life in order to take care of the baby. The children of these teenage mothers are often born at low ... ... Works Cited Bonjean, Leslie. M., and Dennis. C Rittenmeyer. Teenage Parenthood: The School's Response. Bloomington: PhiDelta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1987. Ventura, Stephanie. J., Sally.C. Curtin, T.J Mathews. Teenage births in the United States: National and State trends, 1990-1996. National Vital Statistics System. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 1998. Williams, Constance Williard. Black Teenage Mothers: Pregnancy and Child Rearing from Their Perspective. Lexington Books. Lexington, Massachusetts. 1991. Furstenburg, Frank F, Jr. Teen Mothers and the RevolvingWelfare Door. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. 1997. Planned parenthood. Reducing Teenage Pregnancy. Retrieved April 2, 2002 from the World Wide Web. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/library/TEEN-PREGNANCY/reducing.html

Piagets Four Stages of Learning in Cognitive Development Essay

Jean Piaget's Four Stages of Learning in Cognitive Development Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who did work on the development of intelligence in children. His studies have had a major impact on the fields of psychology and education. Piaget liked to call himself a genetic epistemologist (is a person who studies the origins of human knowledge) His theories led to more advanced work in child psychology. Piaget does work involving both experimental and observational methods. Piaget believed that from birth humans are active learners, he also believed that cognitive development occurs in four stages. Stage I, sensorimotor intelligence (birth-2 years), takes the child from unrelated reflexive movements to behavior that reflects knowledge of simple concepts. During this stage, the child learns about himself and his environment. Thought derives from sensation and movement. The child learns that he is separate from his environment and that aspects of his environment -- his parents or favorite toy -- continue to exist even though they may be outside the reach of his senses. Teaching for a child in this stage should be geared to the sensorimotor system. You can modify behavior by using the senses: a frown, a stern or soothing voice -- all serve as appropriate techniques. Stage II, preoperational thought (2-7 years), is characterized by an increasing use of abstract symbols as 0reflected in imaginative play. Preoperational Thought is the capacity to coordinate symbols in a meaningful way it increases, mental reasoning emerges, use of concepts increases. Applying his new knowledge of language, the child begins to use symbols to represent objects. Early in this stage he also personifies objects. He is now better able to think... ...umber of each kind. The expected answer is "The same." Rearrange one row as shown and ask the same question again. This time around a child would say "More squares." Another example would be if you had two balls of clay that were the same size, then you flattened one; the children would say the flat one is bigger. The example that was really neat to see was; when you take two straws exactly the same size and put them side by side, the children think that they are the same; when you push one up a little further the children think it is bigger because it is higher. There are lots of examples to show that children in grades primary through to about 5 or 6 can not get these questions right. One of the achievements of Piaget's research is the universal acceptance of the fact that children do not think like adults, they think differently and in different categories.

Role of Ethics in the Life of an Engineering Student

As a college student for the last 2 years, if there is one important thing that I have learned, it is to follow the ethical guidelines of your school. Moreover, maintain the ethical code throughout the semester and more specifically for every course. Now, as an engineering student at The University of Texas at Tyler, I have an Engineering Code of Ethics to follow. This, in my opinion, is the closest to an actual professional code I have seen thus far. As a learned profession, engineering students are expected to show the upmost standards of integrity and honesty. Since this is the code that we will be following while providing services as an engineer, our complete honesty & fairness should be dedicated to the safety and welfare of the people. As an engineer, you are required to perform under a standard of professional behavior. It requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct. As students, we are to practice the Code of Ethics on both the college and the District level. Every student in the college/district is expected to represent himself respectfully, whether it is on paper or verbal. This representation calls for honesty of information on all forms, applications and official documentation. In addition, we are to behave respectfully faculty, staff, administrators, other students and visitors as we represent our college and district. Academic honesty and academic integrity are to be maintained at their highest standards. All of the student’s work should be original. No type of academic dishonesty is acceptable. This includes cheating or lying on any assignment, quiz or exam. Providing false information or making false statements is impermissible. Gaining an unfair advantage over other students by any means of cheating is also against the ethical conduct. Cheating furthermore includes plagiarism, which is when a student uses the ideas of another and declares it as his or her own. Students are required to properly cite the original source of the ideas and information used in his or her work. Students of the district are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations set by the District. Students are to be responsible for any costs of the damages resulting from their behavior. Furthermore, use of illegal drugs, prescription drugs and alcohol should be highly avoided. We shall also refrain from using language or acting in a manner that is disrespectful or inappropriate towards other students and members of college. This also includes sexual assault and harassment. Students must behave respectfully toward their peers and professors. In the classroom setting, students may not interrupt their classmates or professor, make fun of them or their expressed views, or disrupt the learning environment. It is important to maintain the best learning environment for all students and professors. The fundamental canons lay down general duties. For example, engineers are required to â€Å"hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public,† to â€Å"issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner,† to â€Å"act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents and trustees,† and to â€Å"avoid all conflicts of interest. † Each engineer stands to benefit from these requirements both as ordinary person and as engineer. The benefits for an engineer as ordinary person are obvious: As an ordinary person, an engineer is likely to be safer, healthier, and otherwise better off if engineers generally hold paramount the public safety, only make truthful public statements, and so on. How engineers stand to benefit as engineers is less obvious . Generally, all the ideas from the Code of Ethics for Engineers apply to an engineering student. Two fundamental canons that stand out are number 3 and 6. Number 3 states that public statements issued should be in an objective and truthful manner. This means that all reports and statements from an engineer should include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports, statements, or testimony, which should bear the date indicating when it was current. The same way an engineering student is responsible for stating correct information on his/her assignments and reports with the mention of the correct date and time of any analysis or experimentation involved. Number 6 states the engineer conduct themselves honorably, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession. This applies to engineering students as much because we are responsible for our own work and are expected to incorporate originality in our work. We should acknowledge our errors and shall not alter or distort the facts. We, as students, should look at the big picture and realize the long-term commitment to the field of engineering. Misrepresentation of any kind is unacceptable. A code of ethics is necessary in part because, without it, the self-interest of individual engineers, or even their selfless devotion to their employer, could lead them to harm everyone overall. The authors of a code of engineering ethics are all more or less rational persons. They differ from most other rational persons only in knowing what engineers must know in order to be engineers and in performing duties they could not perform but for that knowledge. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that their code of ethics would not require them to risk their own safety, health, or welfare, or that of anyone for whom they care, except for some substantial good. It also seems reasonable to suppose that no code they authored would include anything people generally consider immoral. Most engineers are probably morally decent people, unlikely to endorse an immoral rule. All scientific and engineering professions have a high standard of ethics. It is quite necessary, because many of the things scientists and engineers do affect both their own lives and those of the public as well. If a scientist reports a development from the laboratory incorrectly, it can even endanger someone's life. If an engineer cheats on a design, it can also cost lives. Similarly, all of us would be concerned about driving over a bridge built by an engineer who cheated in school. We have learned of a number of situations in recent years in which people have acted unethically and the results have been very bad for the people who trusted them. This is also the reason why new disciplines of engineering ethics are emerging all over colleges and universities. Handouts and instructor's guides in different courses in the electrical, civil and mechanical engineering departments are made mandatory to a student to have a good sense of. Understanding the Code of Ethics for Engineers as a convention between professionals, we can explain why engineers cannot depend on mere private conscience when choosing how to practice their profession, no matter how good that private conscience and why engineers should take into account what an organization of engineers has to say about what engineers should do. What conscience would tell us to do absent a certain convention is not necessarily what conscience would tell us given that convention. Insofar as a code of professional ethics is a kind of a morally permissible convention, it provides a guide to what engineers may reasonably expect of one another. It describes what the rules of the game are. Just as we must know the rules of baseball to know what to do with the ball, so we must know engineering ethics to know, for example, whether, as engineers, we should merely weigh safety against the wishes of our employer or instead give safety preference over those wishes. A code of ethics should also provide a guide to what we may expect other members of our profession to help us do The question now is why, all things considered, an engineer should obey her profession's code. We should begin by dismissing two alternatives some people find plausible. The obligations of an engineer do not seem to rest on anything so contingent as a promise, oath, or vow. So, the convention between professionals is not a contract. It is more like an obligation resting not on an actual agreement, but on what it is fair to require of someone given what he has voluntarily done, such as accepted the benefits that go with claiming to be an engineer. One way society has of saying things is through law. No law binds all engineers to abide by their profession's code. Of course, society has ways of saying things other than by law, for example, by public opinion. But it seems doubtful that the public knows enough about engineering to have an opinion on most matters of engineering ethics. After all, there have been both irrational laws, those requiring the use of outmoded techniques and immoral laws, those enforcing slavery. The public opinion supporting such laws could not have been much less irrational or immoral than the laws themselves. In conclusion, Engineers should not only do as their profession's code requires, but should also support it less directly by encouraging others to do as it requires and by criticizing, ostracizing, or otherwise calling to account those who do not. They should support their profession's code in these ways for at least four reasons: First, engineers should support their profession's code because supporting it will help protect them and those they care about from being injured by what other engineers do. Second, supporting the code will also help assure each engineer a working environment in which it will be easier than it would otherwise be to resist pressure to do much that the engineer would rather not do. Third, engineers should support their profession's code because supporting it helps make their profession a practice of which they need not feel morally justified embarrassment, shame, or guilt. And fourth, one has an obligation of fairness to do his part insofar as he claims to be an engineer and other engineers are doing their part in generating these benefits for all engineers.

Representation of Women in the Action Film Genre – Marion Ravenwood + Lara Croft

In this essay, I will be looking at the representation of women in the action film genre and study the social messages that are constructed and conveyed by the media. The two media texts I will be comparing from are The Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tomb Raider. The female lead in Raiders of the Lost Ark is Marion Ravenwood who is played by Karen Allen and the male lead; Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones. In Tomb Raider Angelina Jolie plays the female lead, Lara Croft. Marion Ravenwood is seen as a typical action heroine.In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Marion unveils different characteristics about herself; for example Marion tends to be quite feisty. She displays this in the beginning, when we see Indy walking into her bar. Acknowledging that they had a past and that Indy left her, instead of being quiet, she goes and slaps him. Another scene is when she’s trying to escape after she’s been kidnapped and this opens another idea that she does not give up. This suggests that wo men, however stereotypically gentle and calm, can be zestful.However courageous, Marion also has her female traits. For example, when she’s in the Well of Souls and there are dangerous creatures lurking at each angle, she screams and complains. This different portrayal of Marion suggests that she as well as being tough, she can also be a female who’s frightened and needs a man (Indiana Jones) in this case to protect her. She is smart and uses whatever she can find, for example the frying pan, to protect herself and her man with.But at the same time, she’s also always getting into trouble because of her zesty self, for example when she refuses to give the gold medallion to the Nazis and nearly getting killed. Lara Croft is seen more as an unconventional action heroine. In Tomb Raider, Lara plays a British Aristocrat and is seen as a woman who likes to live on the edge and can seem as a quite stonehearted woman as she is very focused in what she does. The fact tha t she does martial arts propose of Lara Croft to be of a manly character by carrying and applying traits that are mostly used by successful.When Lara’s butler tries to get her to put on a dress, she drops her towel to reveal herself, which portrays her a sexual character. I believe that the media wants to convey that women can be seen equal to men and although usually underestimated, they can do a lot more than men can. On the other hand, Lara also is very emotional and we see that this is a great weakness of her, which is used against her. Lara is emotionally unstable by her father’s death and tries to take a big risk in order to fulfill her desire of meeting him once more. We see this when Mr.Powell emotionally blackmails her and offers her By this, we can see that Lara has a very emotional aspect in her, which is mostly seen as a womanly trait is the strongest and only thing which is stopping her to become a man. Lara can be seen as a positive character in the fact that she’s self reliant and successful in it, which Marion doesn’t prove to be. Looking at Marion Ravenwood and Lara Croft, we can see that there have been some major changes in the Representation of Women in the Action Film Genre. In both films, the female character is portrayed in a different way.For example, Raiders of The Lost Ark which is a film that was set in the 1936's showed Marion as a side heroine who was dependent on the Male Lead. On the other hand, Tomb Raider which is much more modern movie depicted Lara to be the main star and was independent and even though had a past, didn't necessarily need a man. As a common stereotype created for them, females were shown as smart but by using their brains – Marion, for example when trying to get Belloq drunk so that she could escape while he'd gone unconscious.In modern times, however women are also shown to be using their physicality and brainpower – Lara Croft could be used as an example as she was known to figure out the correct area to place the triangle and defeated the creatures that came her way. Female leads were much more believable back then as they mostly stuck to the stereotype built for them, however Female leads now are not as believable as they showcase more male stereotypical characteristics, one of them being physical strength.This As times have changed so have women's roles in society, and accordingly their representation in the media. The representation of women has improved as they have moved forward into a more equal society. Hollywood is a reflection of real life, and the point that the representation has improved because of society views, making it easier for the audience to relate in general, has proved this. Also, if an Action film has a male lead, chances are that the majority would be male audience as women are mostly not interested.But if an Action film has a female lead, there's more possibility of both gender audiences, as it would contain a bit of emotional drama that women would enjoy and the female lead would have to be attractive, appealing to the male gaze. This shows that Hollywood imitates what has been going on in the natural world. In conclusion, I believe that women in action films are positive role models if we’re looking only at Marion and Lara. Marion and Lara are both very different placed because of the timings

Case: Patients like me Essay

Patients like me(PLM) is a social network which covers different diseases. Members get access to a large database of information about other people who has the same illness as them selves. They also have access to forums, which lets them communicate with other patients as well. This enables patients to get information about their disease and gain new insight, the possibility to ask for practical advice, which doctors do not know about. Other reasons for becoming a member can be to contribute to research about their disease, to help other people with the same medical problems, sharing experiences and having someone to relate to and who knows what they are going through. The site thus covers human needs for both information and emotional support when handeling complex problems in pressing situations. Does the platform work for any diseases? In the short term the platform is most useful on diseases that have a lot of daily practical aspects to it. This is because this is where other patients can best contributing with advice. In the longer term medical companies can use the information to research new drugs. 2. What are the reactions of physicians to sites like PLM? Do you agree with them? Reactions for physicians are mainly issues of misinformation and for what purpose the information is used. When it comes to misinformation this is related to people self reporting on their illness and people without a medical degree voicing their unqualified opinion about drugs, other peoples symptoms ect. The statements on these pages can have consequences that unqualified person did not intend. When it comes to misinformation I have agree with the physicians. There are limitations to the data posted by the unqualified members of sites like PLM. On the other hand I am also of the opinion that even though the information is self-reported, it can be a valuable lead and provide information that is good enough for a particular use. This large amount of self reported information could also be a way to gain new insights that were previously unknown. 3. Should PLM launch the General Platform? If yes, how does it ensure that it is as successful in engaging patients as its current platform? If no, how does PLM grow? From a business standpoint, PLM should launch the General Platform. This creates a business opportunity to start the first communities for a lot of different illnesses that does not yet have a social network. The first mover advantage is very significant in social media and should be taken advantage of. There are a number of factors that make up a digital social network with engaged users. One of them is functionality and ease of use. This is very important so that the user experience is as enjoyable as possible and thereby barriers to usage are as low. Secondly, the content that is on the site needs to be of use for the members using it. This means that there should be some sort of moderation on the site. This is important since bad/abusive/misinforming users tend to crowd out the good/contributing users. If abusive users are allowed to still be active on the site can make potential members shy away from the site. This will seriously damage the PLM brand and profitability in the long run. By being aware of this and having prepared systems to handle this kind of problem the risk of this happening is limited. 4. So far, PLM has generated revenues by providing market research to pharmaceutical companies. Should it expand its business model to insurance companies and research institutions? Does it have the potential of becoming the â€Å"Bloomberg of medical data’? PLM has opened a large amount of data about different patients that would otherwise not be avaliable to third party institutions. This makes it possible for them to become a †Bloomberg of medical data†. It is without doubt that this can be a large business opportunity for PLM and the firms in need of medical information. If insurance companies could get better insight into how the populations health is, they could write more precise policies which better descibes the risk that patients are exposed to. If the risk is overstated, this means more expensive insurrance. This can lead to a loss of marketshare for the insurrance company and higher prices for consumers. Research institutions can get access to data that they might not have been able to get or would have cost a lot of money to gather. This would be a win-win situation for both PLM, the research institutions, insurance companies and patients.

Life of a Chinese Farmer Essay

If I were a Chinese farmer in 2006 I would be continuing my livelihood that I have done all of my life even when I was a child helping my family. I later got married and I now have 6 children ranging in age from 4 to 18. We all live in a village called Xinzhuang (Village of Xin) in China. This is a farming village that is about 1481.3 miles outside of Shanguani, China that is the closest well known city. My typical day starts out at 7:15 AM when I get up and eat breakfast with my family and then I go out into the garden and pick the vegetables that are ready and we use these vegetables for our dinner that evening. Then I have time to do some other things around the house including laundry and household repairs that need to be completed. Our normal meals consist of rice and vegetables unless I have the money to purchase some meat from one of the small shops in the village. For entertainment we normally visit with others in the village, sing songs, and occasionally we are able to access the internet, and watch television. The biggest concerns that I have for my family is are we going to have enough food and is our farm going to be taken over and built on so that we don’t have enough room to grow our vegetables. I also worry about my family and their health because we do not have a doctor in our village. We must travel to Shanguani for any healthcare issues that arise with our family. REFERENCES www.chinatoday.com/entertain/entertain.htm www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/19/content393991.htm

CRJ565 AL 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRJ565 AL 4 - Essay Example People and especially clients are likely to see him as a leader that trusts his employees as well as one that is democratic in his leadership. The main problem is lack of interpersonal communication with her employees that is face-to-face which makes her leadership somehow cold. By her reducing her use of social media to communicate as well as utilizing lunch and tea breaks to interact with her employees on a more personal level, they are likely to start regarding her in high status and opening up to her. She will get to know her employees more if she spends much more time with them in meetings. Brenda however needs to have a team building experience with her employees away from the workplace in order to get to learn about her employees on a more personal level. This will enable much warmer communication, identify skills and talents and utilize them to increase performance. I agree on the point of appreciating the work the managers are doing by letting them seal the seal with the clients as they have been working at it for a long time. This will be empowering the employees and building up their confidence and managerial skills. Employees look up to their leader for inspiration, guidance as well as a role model. If the leader continues portraying certain behaviors that are not empowering, the employees will in turn emulate and repeat these same behaviors and this would affect the productivity of the company. If the CEO wants to be involved in the final signing of the contract by the clients, he should simply be present as a support figure and not interfere in any way. The nicotine test I agree is an invasion of the privacy of the employees and instead of doing so which only leads to his resentment by the employees, he should seek incentives to encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle. The nicotine test should be voluntary rather than mandatory. By providing incentives and rewards to the employees taking initiative over their

Leadership Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Analysis - Essay Example Covey) Habit 6: Synergize "Do I value different opinions, viewpoints, and perspectives of others when seeking solutions" (Stephen R. Covey) Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw "Am I engaged in continuous improvement in the physical, mental, spiritual, and social/emotional dimensions of my life" (Stephen R. Covey) As these seven habits are taken into the context of the business organization, the importance of how these habits transform into the business entity are best described by the Franklin Covey website as follows: The Habit Results Received from the 7 Habits Training Be Proactive Fosters courage to take risks and accept new challenges to achieve goals Begin with the End in Mind Brings projects to completion and unites teams and organizations under a shared vision, mission, and purpose Put First Things First Promotes getting the most important things done first and encourages direct effectiveness Think Win-Win Encourages conflict resolution and helps individuals seek mutual benefit, increasing group momentum Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Helps people understand problems, resulting in targeted solutions; and promotes better communications, leading to successful problem-solving Synergize Ensures greater "buy-in" from team members and leverages the diversity of individuals to increase levels of success Sharpen the Saw Promotes continuous improvements and safeguards against "burn-out" and subsequent non-productivity How to Effectively Implement the Seven Habits Today's managers and business leaders tend to find themselves less apt at making a cohesive team of employees continue to be productive than at making business deals. The following is a table outlining how each of these habits can effectively be implemented as an up and coming... Any effectual manager will no doubt advise that the road to success has many pitfalls and danger signs for the team in an effort to be happy and productive. By incorporating Stephen R. Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" the path to such fortune can be paved in either gold or quicksand. The first segment of this paper will outline what these habits are as described by Stephen R. Covey to understand why these habits have actually been so effectual in anyone that takes on a leadership role. The following outlines what the seven habits are and a brief description as provided by Stephen Covey: As these seven habits are taken into the context of the business organization, the importance of how these habits transform into the business entity are best described by the Franklin Covey website as follows: Today's managers and business leaders tend to find themselves less apt at making a cohesive team of employees continue to be productive than at making business deals. The following is a table outlining how each of these habits can effectively be implemented as an up and coming leader of our organization: Take on projects that will seem risky at first in an effort to increase company re

Gender studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gender studies - Essay Example ough the work of Beauvoir is influenced by Sartre, one such unique facet has keep herself isolated from the style of Sartre and that is her generosity which is the focus of Beauvoir’s ethical position. Passion and extremism have made this book the significant as well as original. (The Philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir, Gendered Phenomenology, Erotic Generosities) points out the different sources of Beauvoir’s philosophical positions. Bergoffen in the above book has analyzed two streams of thoughts i.e. two voices. One is dominant philosophical and existential while the other is muted voice which operates as the margins of Beauvoir’s primary philosophical identity. Here we are going to study the theme of sexual relationship of man and woman from different feminist’s writers’ point of view. Man and woman relationship has been the engrossing subject of study and many philosophers and critics. The aim of this topic is to discuss and compare the platonic love with the love from modern feminist point of view. In this topic we have considered the different perspectives of love from different writers and philosophers. Plato’s philosophical work called ‘Symposium’ discusses this theme through very thought provoking dialogues. It is a conversation and a type of debate which is happening between Socrates and a lady called Diotima. Here she explains the extent of love. Diotima is very philosophical and abstract in her view and she has exalted attitudes towards love. According to her love between man and woman is divine and very beautiful. ‘It is immortality in a mortal creature.’ (â€Å"Symposium† page 49) Diotima opines that the real object of sexuality is to give birth. Sexual love is the medium which Nature uses for this same purpose. T hus the purpose of love is very noble and that is the reproduction. While describing about the difference between physical beauty and intellectual beauty Diotima argues that intellectuality plays a vital role. The person

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

Assess - Essay Example It enables a person to understand things on a much higher plane and provides them with the leverage of better expression, when it comes to giving their opinions and ideas to others. My past memories of literacy, takes me back to my childhood days, when I lived with my family in Saudi Arabia and was in constant touch with my mother tongue Arabic, that came naturally to me because everyday, my mother would read me stories and narrate her own life events as the years passed by. Going to school and learning my lessons, taking part in school activities and moving with a good circle of friends, helped to influence me further and make me more literate over the years. A lot of my leisure time during the My adolescent years were greatly influenced in supplementing my reading by watching movies or engaging in multi-media by playing computer games and even entertaining role plays with my friends that I enjoyed so much. Both my parents played major roles where my language learning was concerned. They helped me imbibe a deep love for reading and speaking well, by taking me to meetings, debates and oratorical presentations where I had the opportunity of watching great speakers speak in depth on important subjects. Knowing that only my mother – tongue would not be sufficient for an all round education, they engaged me in special classes for learning the English language which I loved and further developed through reading and writing both at school and at home. Reading assignments given by my teachers over the years, helped to harness a deep understanding of both English and Arabic language and served to further influence my use of grammar and arrangement of sequential thoughts of expression, when I was given writing assignments. My English teacher was a major influential factor in my life because not only did she possess profound knowledge of the subject, but she showed genuine interest in every student while imparting that knowledge to us. understand that literacy has a

Chinese art - From the Foundation-fount of Painting Essay

Chinese art - From the Foundation-fount of Painting - Essay Example The essay "Chinese art - From the Foundation-fount of Painting" discovers Chinese philosophy of art from the foundation fount of painting. Chinese painters were a conservative bunch. They did not see the relevance of exploring other themes aside from their culture until the Europeans came to their land. However, this does not mean that the Chinese art of painting did not evolve at all. Initially, the painters were tied to making frescoes on temple and palace walls. The frescoes’ themes were mostly religious in temples while in palaces, the paintings were meant to celebrate the ruling family at that time. From frescoes, painting shifted to silk surfaces and paper. Artists relied on their own inspiration and pleasures to come up with the paintings. Painters concentrated on the beauty of landscapes and also strived to keep the memory of prominent leaders and individuals from disappearing once their eras came to a close. From literati paintings that concentrated on landscapes, hum ans and physical things, the craft shifted to formless beings and creatures. The painters became conscious of the spiritual world and they tried to enjoin the visible and invisible world through their paintings. At this point, art was acknowledged as a power to explore both the physical and spiritual world. They believed that physical creatures depended on these formless creatures for survival. Quoting from the text: what has form must rest on the without form. This means that physical life is a continuation.

Errors of metabolism (newborn screening) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Errors of metabolism (newborn screening) - Essay Example (CPSP, n.d.) (Rinaldo, 1988) Various findings also suggets that this disease is genetically inherited via autosomal recessive pattern. Going deep into the molecular mechanisms of this enzyme’s expression, it was found that MCAD enzyme is expressed by ACADM(alias MCAD) gene located on chromosome 1p31. Due to a point mutation at position 985 on the gene, results is swapping of an adenine by a guanine, that results in replacement of a lysine by a glutamate residue in the protein leading to onset of disease. (Grosse, 2006; Wang SS, 1999; Matsubura, 1990). Around 80% of European individuals have at least two copies of this mutation. (Wang SS, 1999). Considering high mortality rate of 20 to 25% in undiagnosed cases, this disorder was included in the list of newborn screening programmes. (Wilson, 1999) Variation in Symptoms and Prognosis The deficiency of this enzyme is characterised by symptoms such as hypoketotic hypoglycaemia, vomiting (Egidio RJ, 1989) and hypotonia progressing t o coma. (BPSU, 2006). Other symptoms include seizures, coma, residual neurological deficits. No symptoms are exhibited at birth, except for the case when newbron screening is conducted. The symptoms show up any time between teh age of three to twenty-months; in some cases, it may show up much later. Once it is successfully diagnosed, prognosis becomes much effective by administering the patient with adequate treatment regimes (Matern, 2013). Diagnosis Prenatal-testing: Prenatal testing includes molecular genetic testing that helps in early diagnosis of the disease and thus enable the parents to be mentally aware and cautious of their child’s health. The first test includes the testing of analyses that include plasma acylcarnitines, urine organic acids and urine acylglycines. Biochemical diagnoses include the measurement of fatty acid ?-oxidation in fibroblasts as well as measurement of MCAD enzyme activity in fibroblasts and other tissues (Leydiker, 2011). Molecular Genetic t esting comprises of two methods that include Targetted Mutation Analysis and Sequence Analysis. Targetted mutation analysis a.k.a Allele specific mutation analysis involves the testing of the mutations p.Lys304Glu (985A>G) and p.Tyr42His (199C>T). Sequence analysis involves the testing of sequence variants may also include other mutations such as splice site mutations, non-sense and mis-sense mutations as well as small deletions/ insertions. This method does not target mutations identified by Targetted mutation analysis. Newborn- Screening: Newborn Screening differs from Pre-natal testing such that pre-natal testing is carried out during pregnancy and before the child’s birth, whereas the former involves the testing of the child’s health condition within first few days of birth (Matern, 2013). Tandem mass spectrometry was developed by Millington et al, for analysis of acylcarnitines in blood collected from umbilical cord as well as neonatal blood. This method proved to efficient diagnostic tool to diagnose MCAD deficiency. The simplicity and speed of the method enabled its use in everyday neonatal screening of infants (Millington, 1990; Kennedy, 2010) This tool has been widely used for screening of MCAD and has proved to be a robust, efficient tool. Newborns who are MCAD deficient have higher octanoylcarnitine levels than normal individuals; this forms an effective screening test, and has helped to decrease mortality and

Conflicts between perspectives and points of view Essay

Conflicts between perspectives and points of view - Essay Example I always wondered where I was doing the mistake when I studied so well. I used to tell my class fellows to stay awake at nights and study because I was of the point of view that night time allows one to concentrate on the study well. One friend of mine, Joe, always would disagree with me. This was the friend who used to get all straight A’s. I used to make fun of him when he used to tell me that he slept early at night and got a full eight hours sleep before going to college. I would tell him the advantages of studying at night and he would advise me to change my routine and see the difference. I was not ready to change my perspective yet I always wondered how come he was able to get the highest GPA in class when he slept so early until morning. In fact, my mother in her childhood used to study late night and I was following her. But, I should not blame her, as J.K. Rowling states in her article that she does not blame her parents for their point of view because a time comes when children should start making their own decisions rather than gettin g directed by the and then blaming them for wrong consequences. One morning, I failed in getting up for college as I had been studying all night and had fallen asleep just one hour before leaving for college. And that day I had to take a test. I was absent and I missed the test. I was so furious at myself but then again, Joe told me that I would have gotten up right in time if I had fallen asleep at time. That was when I decided to change my routine. I discussed this thing with Joe and he told me that there is a vital role of sleep time and schedule in the student’s academic outcomes. I also went into the library to do a research on this issue and found some journals in which the researchers had concluded that students getting at least eight hours of sleep each night will have higher GPAs than students who get less than eight hours of

Death at midnight by Donald A. Cabana Essay Example for Free

Death at midnight by Donald A. Cabana Essay Death at midnight is the story of Donald Cabana of his encounters while working in a prison called Parchman Penitentiary which was located in Mississippi. When cabana first landed in Parchman, the prison was somewhat ‘human’ what with inmates being subjected to tasks such as planting cotton, vegetables and slaughtering the pigs and cows for their own consumption. On leaving Parchman a year later, Cabana returns as a warden only to find that it had been altered what with the crops now lacking and a new gas chamber put in place. We can tell that cabana is against the death penalty judging from his adamancy to enter the chamber for years. Moreover, we note Cabana’s efforts to visit the men on death row. He observed that all these men had one thing in common; a disadvantaged background. In his escapades, he cultivates a special friendship with one inmate named Connie Ray Evans whose crime was murdering a convenience store clerk. They manage to form a strong bond and through this, he is able to see just how humane Connie is judging from how sorry he is for his crime. In one instance, Cabana says, â€Å"Executions strip away the veneer or life for both the warden and the prisoner. Connie Ray Evans and I transcended our environment, and the roles in which we had been cast. The two of us had somehow managed to become real people to each other. There were no more titles or social barriers behind which either of us could hide. † However, their union is cut short when Connie is randomly chosen for execution by the state of Mississippi in a tide of anti-crime fervor. (Cabana A. , 1998) According to Cabana, death penalty is not the solution to getting rid of the roots of crime. He proposes first â€Å"examining the causes and consequences of the protracted warfare that our system of justice fosters and then proceed thereof depending on whether we find it palatable or not, even in the face of bitter contrary experiences. † He is of the belief that â€Å"every human being has a spark somewhere hidden in him that will make it possible for redemption and rehabilitation. †(Cabana A. , 1998) Clearly, the aim of this book is to oppose the death penalty and to show just how irrelevant it is in rooting out criminal behavior. The theme of friendship and disillusionment is well portrayed here. Cabana tries to demonstrate this using his relationship with Connie who he feels did not deserve to be executed. The author’s style in this book is both narrative and analytical because as much as he narrates his encounters and experiences in prison, he is also quick to analyze and form an opinion regarding the justice system. References: Cabana A. D. , (1998) Death at Midnight: The Confession of an Executioner. City: UPNE

Religious beliefs Essay Example for Free

Religious beliefs Essay In What Pragmatism Means, James writes that the central point of his own doctrine of truth is, in brief, that truth is one species of good, and not, as is usually supposed, a category distinct from good, and coordinate with it. Truth is the name of whatever proves itself to be good in the way of belief, and good, too, for definite, assignable reasons. Richard Rorty claims that James did not mean to give a theory of truth with this statement, and that we should not regard it as such; though other pragmatism scholars such as Susan Haak and Howard Mounce do not share an instrumentalist interpretation of James. Bruce Kuklick, (Kuklick, tells us that, â€Å"James went on to apply the pragmatic method to the epistemological problem of truth. He would seek the meaning of true by examining how the idea functioned in our lives. A belief was true, he said, if in the long run it worked for all of us, and guided us expeditiously through our semi-hospitable world. James was anxious to uncover what true beliefs amounted to in human life, what their Cash Value was, what consequences they led to. A belief was not a mental entity which somehow mysteriously corresponded to an external reality if the belief were true. Beliefs were ways of acting with reference to a precarious environment, and to say they were true was to say they guided us satisfactorily in this environment. † In this sense the pragmatic theory of truth applied Darwinian ideas in philosophy; it made survival the test of intellectual as well as biological fitness. If what was true was what worked, we can scientifically investigate religions claim to truth in the same manner. The enduring quality of religious beliefs throughout recorded history and in all cultures gave indirect support for the view that such beliefs worked. James also argued directly that such beliefs were satisfying—they enabled us to lead fuller, richer lives and were more viable than their alternatives. Religious beliefs were expedient in human existence, just as scientific beliefs were. † William James gave a further direction to pragmatism, developing it as a theory of truth. True ideas, according to James, are useful leadings; they lead through experience in ways that provide consistency, orderliness, and predictability. John Dewey was another leading pragmatist whose influence on educational and social theory is still prevalent in American society. We learn from (American Pragmatism I), that â€Å"James elaborated his theory of pragmatism in works such as Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking (1907) and The Meaning of Truth: A Sequel to Pragmatism (1909). He considered pragmatism to be both a method for analyzing philosophic problems and a theory of truth. He also saw it as an extension of the empiricist attitude in that it turned away from abstract theory and fixed or absolute principles and toward concrete facts, actions, and relative principles. James considered philosophies to be expressions of personal temperament and developed a correlation between tough-minded and tender-minded temperaments and empiricist and rationalist positions in philosophy. Theories, he felt, are instruments that humans use to solve problems and should be judged in terms of their cash value or practical consequences for human conduct. Reference American Pragmatism I. â€Å"Pragmatism†. Adventures in Philosophy. James, William. (1902-1920). â€Å"What is Pragmatism†. The Library of America. Lecture II Kuklick, Bruce. â€Å"William James†. The Introduction to William James’s Pragmatism. Wikipedia, The Free Dictionary.

Effect of GDP on Electric Energy Consumption

Effect of GDP on Electric Energy Consumption A Regression Analysis of Energy Consumption with Cross-Country Data Abstract This paper reviews four existent studies and performs a cross-country multivariate regression analysis in order to determine the relationship among electric energy consumption, population, land area size, and economic growth as measured by GDP using data from authoritative sources. Results from the statistical tests confirm a positive correlation between the three regressors and the dependent variable. Introduction Energy is as much a part of us and our daily lives as is our very DNA. We need and use energy every single day even more than we may realize and it is available in an array of different forms. This analysis will focus on energy in its electrical form, where it is derived from the flow of electric charge caused by electrical attraction or repulsion between charged particles (Helmenstine, 2017). Since energy is such an essential part of life as we know it, it is not surprising that the topic has made headlines time and time again. The New York Times claims that, in a recent study, the United States was ranked eighth among twenty-three of the world’s top energy-consuming countries in efficiency, and that, according to Federal data, America loses as much as two-thirds of the power it generates through simple waste (Cavanagh, 2017). Understanding the impact of these statistics and deciding how to improve electric energy efficiency begins with interpreting the demand for and consumption of electric energy. This regression will seek to quantify the effects of a selection of variables on electric energy consumption, specifically examining Gross Domestic Product (GDP), national populations, and land area size across diversified countries around the world, and to serve as a reference and aid for policy makers in estimating marginal energy capacity needs in accordance with flu ctuations among these variables. I hypothesize that the coefficients on a country’s GDP, population, and land mass are positive when regressed against national, annual electric energy consumption. Review of Previous Literature There are a considerable number of studies that look at the effects of a nation’s production level as an economic component of its energy consumption. One pioneering study by Kraft and Kraft (1978) compiled annualized expenditure data for the time period between 1947 and 1974.   Using a bivariate Sims causality test, results presented a causal, unidirectional relationship from gross national product (GNP) to energy consumption for the United States. In order to adapt and distinguish my analysis from this 1978 study, I will focus on updated data from the time period between 2010 and 2015. Similarly, in order to improve general comprehensibility, I will regress gross domestic product (GDP), rather than GNP, on electric energy consumption. GNP is a logical and effective variable to use since it quantifies a country’s production values regardless of the geographic location of the production, but GDP is the more commonly utilized method for calculating a country’s e conomic standing and success in the world, so GDP is the particular measure we will use. Mohanty and Chaturvedi (2015) interpreted an extensive assortment of secondhand findings to determine whether electric energy consumption drives economic growth or vice versa. Mohanty and Chaturvedi reviewed forty-seven independent studies to compare the presence and direction of a causal relationship between economic growth and energy consumption. Twenty-six of the articles examined suggested the existence of a causal relationship from economic growth to energy consumption; thirty-two found energy consumption to have a causal relationship to economic growth. Eleven analyses found simultaneous causality between economic growth and energy consumption, and three found no relationship either way. After reviewing the empirical research, Mohanty and Chaturvedi then collected annualized data from India for the time period from 1970-1971 to 2011-2012 and applied the two-step Engle-Granger technique along with the Granger causality/Block exogeneity Wald test. Results suggested that electric energy consumption does in fact fuel economic growth in both the short run and the long run. However, this analysis revolves around Indian data, and the authors conclude that the lack of consensus on the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is primarily a result of country-specific economic structures, methodology adopted, and varying period of study. In order to build upon this study, I will use a similar time frame, from 2010-2015, and I will include data from one hundred seventy countries to evaluate energy consumption amongst a diverse selection of industrial systems. Ameyaw et al (2007) argues that electricity performs an essential function in the economic development of most countries. The detailed analysis specifically explores the causality nexus, the estimation of elasticity of energy consumption on economic growth and vice versa, in response to its importance in formulating and implementing energy consumption policy and environmental policy. Ameyaw et al targeted the study around Ghana after discovering that the country has not been evident or represented in much of the existent research. Amassing time series data for Ghana between 1970 and 2014, the study implements the Cobb-Douglas growth model and conducts the Vector Error Correction model in order to strategically verify the error correction adjustment. Finally, similar to the test performed by Mohanty and Chaturvedi, Ameyaw et al exercised the Granger Causality test to determine the direction of causality between electric energy consumption and economic growth. The observed findings rev ealed the existence of a unidirectional, causal relationship running from GDP to energy consumption. As a means of expanding upon this analysis, I will, as mentioned previously, use cross-country data and more recent data from 2015. Pao et al (2014) performed the final analysis which we will examine in this study. Data for this investigation were collected from Brazil during the time period between 1980 and 2008. Similar to Mohanty and Chaturvedi and to Ameyaw et al, Pao et al applied the Granger Causality test to the dataset. The results revealed a unidirectional, short-run causality from energy consumption to economic growth along with a bidirectional, robust causality between the two variables. A co-integration test was also implemented, and the outcome was the indication of a long-run equilibrium relationship between variables with electric energy consumption seeming to be real GDP elastic, which suggests that energy consumption has a strong, positive influence on variations in GDP. In the acknowledgement of previous literature, Ameyaw et al found evidence to support bidirectional, unidirectional, and no causality. This inconsistency was attributed not only to differences in location and economic structure, but also to the methodologies used in each analysis. The policy and social impacts of each outcome were explained, beginning with unidirectional causality from economic growth to energy consumption, as this paper seeks to prove. Such an outcome may, according to Ameyaw et al, imply that the implementation of energy conservation policies may have little or no adverse effect on economic growth. On the other hand, if a unidirectional causality is found to run from energy consumption to economic growth, then it is possible that reducing energy consumption could lead to a recession in economic growth, and that increasing energy consumption might positively contribute to a country’s economic growth. In contrast, the presence of bidirectional causality between energy consumption and GDP is likely to mean that economic growth may demand more energy while greater energy consumption might encourage economic growth. Accordingly, energy conservation attempts may inadvertently stunt econo mic growth. Finally, a lack of causality in either direction would indicate a rise in GDP may not affect electric energy consumption, and that energy conservation policies may have no influence on economic growth. It is important to note that all of the data in this study were converted into natural logarithms prior to the empirical analysis so that this series can be interpreted in growth terms rather than raw values. Similar to this study, I will include policy recommendations in the conclusion according to the empirical results from my regression. Specification of the Model Following the empirical literature in energy economics, it is logical to form a multivariate regression model between electric energy consumption and economic growth as follows: ECt = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1Popt + ÃŽ ²2LAt + ÃŽ ²3GDPt + ut, where EC represents energy consumption, Pop is population size, LA represents the land area as determined by the physical size of a country, and GDP is real GDP. The error term, ut, is assumed to be independent and identically distributed (iid) with a mean of zero and a constant variance. GDP, for this experiment, has been calculated as follows: GDP = C + I + G + NE, where C is national consumption, I is representative of investment, G is government expenditure, and NE is net exports which is measured as total imports subtracted from total exports. In accordance with observed research, the estimator coefficient on GDPt is expected to be positive; I further hypothesize that the coefficients on Popt and LAt will also be positive, such that: H0: ÃŽ ²1 ≠¤ 0, ÃŽ ²2 ≠¤ 0, and ÃŽ ²3 ≠¤ 0 H1: ÃŽ ²1 > 0, ÃŽ ²2 > 0, and ÃŽ ²3 > 0 Data Description Data for this study has been collected for the time period between 2010 and 2015 across one hundred seventy countries around the world. The regression will be performed using the 2015 data for the following three independent variables: population, land area, and GDP. Population is a sensible variable since it is logical to hypothesize that an area with higher population will have a more complex economic and social infrastructure and consequently greater demand for electric energy. Land area is reasonably expected to have the same effect on electric energy consumption as population does, since a larger country likely has a greater population and so on. The final variable to be regressed is GDP since it is a rational measure of economic growth and success. More developed countries, a.k.a. those with higher GDP, commonly have more advanced infrastructures and more taxing industrial and agricultural systems; subsequently, greater demand for electric energy is inferential. Population and GDP data were compiled from the World Bank, a regularly updated, open-access center for international data and statistics. To enhance comprehensibility, GDP values have been adjusted for inflation to reflect current U.S. dollars (USD). Electric energy consumption data were drawn from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), a government funded organization dedicated to collecting and analyzing impartial, independent energy data. Information from the EIA’s public access website is trusted and used by legislators, policy makers, and statisticians around the world. Figure 1. Cross-country scatter plots of the energy consumption and real GDP, 2015 Figure 1 is a scatter plot showing the relationship between electric energy consumption (in billion Kilowatthours) and GDP (in real USD). Containing all one hundred seventy observations, a cluster in the bottom left corner is undeniable, given the exception of a few outliers. Figure 2 adjusts to show a clearer view of the majority of the data, excluding the top ten countries with the highest GDP. Figure 2. Zoomed in view of Figure 1 to exclude outliers Figure 3. Summary statistics for the year 2015   Figure 3 shows the descriptive statistics of each variable with the full one hundred seventy observations included. Results The following table, Figure 4, presents a summarization of the results from four separate regression tests performed on the dataset: As expected, the outcomes offer beta coefficients which estimate a positive correlation between each independent variable and the dependent variable. However, it is interesting to note that the intercept value is only statistically significant in the fourth regression, when all variables have been included. Simultaneously, the fourth regression possesses the highest R2 and adjusted R2, which proposes a reliable, positive relationship between the independent variables and electric energy consumption. Regardless of the insignificant intercept terms, each of the first three regressions is worth noting. In the first analysis, population alone is regressed against energy consumption. The coefficient on the population is positive and statistically significant at the 1% level. This indicates that countries with larger populations will, at least theoretically, have greater demand for electric energy. The magnitude of the coefficient estimator on population is minimal, such that a unitary increase in population will cause a subsequent increase in demand for electric energy by just 0.00000257; nevertheless, it is a positive influence, and that satisfies our originaly hypothesis. R2 and the adjusted R2 for this test are 0.56 and 0.55, respectively, indicating overall significance in explaining variance among the dependent variable. Land area is treated as the sole regressor in the second regression. Similar to the first regression, the coefficient on land area is positive and statistically significant at the 1% level. One key difference, however, is the value of the intercept term. The first regression shows a positive intercept, while the second has a negative one. The coefficient estimator value and magnitude are roughly the same though, with a value of 0.000232 and unsubstantial magnitude. R2 and the adjusted R2 are 0.48 and 0.47, respectively, signifying acceptable importance in explaining variance among the dependent variable. The final simple linear regression performed is the third test which considers GDP as the lone regressor. Again, like the previous two regressions, this test shows a positive coefficient on GDP that is statistically significant at the 1% level. The intercept value is positive, similar to the first regression and different from the second. The coefficient estimator is noticeably smaller in this regression, however, with a value of 0.000000000153. Such a low value suggests questionable magnitude and importance, especially when combined with the inferior R2 and adjusted R2 value of 0.43. The fourth and final regression completed is the test which regresses all three of our independent variables against energy consumption. This test is the only one which has a statistically significant intercept, but it is similar to the other regressions in that the coefficient on each independent variable is positive and significant at the 1% level. The values on the intercept, population term, land area term, and GDP term are as follows: -52.03, 0.00000136, 0.000129, and 0.0000000000498, respectively. The R2 and adjusted R2 share a value of 0.70, explaining an impressive percentage of variation among the dependent variable. Conclusion The analysis in this paper shows that GDP, population, and land area size all have a positive impact on energy consumption. These effects are statistically significant, even at the 1% level. My results match those of much of the existent literature, including Kraft and Kraft (1978), who use data from 1947 to 1974. This analysis confirms their findings using recent data, suggesting that experimental methodologies adopted by individual researchers may play a bigger role in variations among results than time periods do. The fact that there is such a lack of consensus among empirical results implies that policy makers should closely examine the techniques used to achieve the results they are given and thoroughly consider the differences in the economic structure of their country compared to countries included in studies. This is exactly what Ameyaw et al (2007) had in mind when they specified their test around Ghana’s data, improving applicability of the results to environmental and energy conservation policy makers in the country of Ghana. The conclusions above, however, are indeed subject to a number of limitations. First, it is unclear to what extent these results can be applied to any individual country. Looking at global policy decisions, it is arguable, based on my results, that energy conservation attempts would likely have no negative impact on economic growth and development. However, previous literature has proposed that the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption is likely to differ among diverse countries with unique economic structures and geographic conditions. Second, there may be a host of other variables that affect electric energy consumption, such as funding available for, technological advancement in, and national ability and willingness to adopt renewable energy sources as these sources may be more or less efficient and consequently alter our interpretation of the energy consumption data. Including such quantities in my regression would increase the precision of the estimations a nd simultaneously help to eliminate potential omitted variable bias. The ways in which economic growth impacts electric energy consumption are not necessarily clear. A rise in economic growth may be associated with an initial increase in CO2 emissions, which could worsen economic activity or encourage individuals to seek alternative energy sources. As a result, GDP would fall while renewable energy consumption would grow exponentially. Such investigations, however, are left for future research. Bibliography Ameyaw, B., Oppong, A., Abruquah, L. and Ashalley, E. (2017). Causality Nexus of Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth: An Empirical Evidence from Ghana. Open Journal of Business and Management, 05(01), pp.1-10. Cavanagh, T. (2017). Opinion | Why Is America Wasting So Much Energy?. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: [Accessed 2 Dec. 2017]. Data.worldbank.org. (2017). GDP, PPP (current international $) | Data. [online] Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD [Accessed 2 Dec. 2017]. Eia.gov. (2015). International Energy Statistics. 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