Plato’s Revolution Work

Professor’s Name Class’ Name Date ` Plato was a renowned philosopher in the early times. He has dealt with diverse issues in his work such as the politea, the philosopher king among others. He was in the early years inspired to become a politician but later on was discouraged by the circumstances that happened in the environment that he was in. He however diverted his focus to the study of philosophy. The final work that he did is normally taken to be comprised of a set of seven dialogues. His mentor, Socrates who was also his teacher greatly inspired his work. He was the first to establish an academy in Athens. He greatly helped to lay the foundations of most of the western philosophy. A. N Whitehead asserts that most of the European philosophy contains footnotes of Plato. One of the greatest works of Plato concerns the republic, popular as politeia, which contains a wealth of descriptive materials on the kind of a republic that dispenses justice and the right kind of leadership expected in such a just society. The Plato’s republic dialogues took place around the time of Peloponnesian War. The work describes how an ideal leadership can be achieved in the society. In addition, Plato also describes how an ideal leader can be able to attain the best character that can enable him/her to be the right leader in the society. He calls the ultimate position that one attains to become the best leader as ‘sunnum bonnum’. He describes the concept of justice in an in-depth manner. He treats the concept of justice both from the societal point of view and from the point of view of the individual. He argues out that there are two things that an individual can hold in life. There is reality and just appearance (Plato & Jowett, 1941). There is also the rightful means of acquiring knowledge. The foundations of morality are also clearly elaborated in the work of the republic. He also says that there are the right components of an effective education which an individual must follow in order to be the best leader in any given society. Basing on the work of Plato, the reality of nature is not always contained in what we can be able to see. He says that human beings who have attained the highest sense of knowledge are those whose focus transcends the visible world to focus to the invisible. He perceives hat the visible in most times can be deceiving. His first attempt was to give a detailed account of the analysis of the formation and organization of the state. He then used this to apply to the individual person. According to him, the reason why we form a society is because we cannot be self sufficient as individuals. We are highly dependent on each other. No one is self sufficient that can work alone and acquire of the necessities of life. The society is therefore comprised of individuals who come together so that they can be able to achieve common goals. The discussion on the significance of society elaborates further that specialization and division of labor leads to establishment of a worthwhile community. This concept is in line with the idea held by the functionalism sociological theories which holds the idea that the attainment of harmony in the society results when individuals are held responsible in different positions in the society. He gives an example of a typical society composed of the citizens in addition to other classes that ensure mutual benefit. There are the guardians, who are held responsible for society’s management. There are different types of guardians, the soldiers and the rulers. The function of the soldiers is to defend the state against external attack by enemies. The work of the rulers is to make decisions concerning the public as well as resolve disagreements among citizens. The soldiers cannot have private properties or have children and they can be from both genders. They are perceived to see reality beyond what the senses can allow them to reach. I can agree with Plato’s concept of justice regarding the responsibilities of the different classes in the state. However, I disagree with his concept on the restrictions that are to be imposed on the guardians. The natural division of each person’s responsibilities where the children whose parents are rulers take up the responsibilities as well as the idea of telling lies or myths when they are called. The choice of rulers basing on inheritance is not also objective. This is because the choice of incoming leaders from the outgoing leader’s children leaves out the possibility of electing the rightful leader from among the general population. To be able to govern the state, the guardians have to be special people. They must be endowed with capacity to be temperamental. They have to think philosophically. The value of good education was emphasized in Plato’s concept of the republic. He advocated for an organized and an in-depth system that will ensure that the individual will definitely attain the highest sense of education. This will erase the issue of the person confusing between deceptions/ illusions with reality. The highly educated man will eventually gain all the necessary skills to be able to govern the state. Self-deception on the other hand created by lack of sufficient education, may lead to an individual’s ignorance of the truth about their natures as human beings. From his point of approach, Plato says that it is important to control the kind of materials that children are in touch with. Those that they read see and hear. The training given to the individuals in form of education is the one that equips them to be able to handle the governance of the state. Depending on the level of training of the person, they can either be the soldiers or the rulers. However, the concept of natural selection of leaders will possibly be threatened by a revolution against the guardians if they do not meet the expectations of the subjects. From Plato’s point of view, the society needs first to convince the general population on the idea of natural division of labor from childhood. This idea would play a big role in shaping the thinking of the children and the people in general such that their minds will be fixed. This is contrary to his ideas on the potentiality of human mind as explicitly explained in the analogy of the cave. The justification of naturalness on the position of the individual in the society will create natural hierarchy which will indirectly affect the quality of leadership in the society. His approach is however, aimed at preventing the citizens from rebelling as well as keeping justice by everyone doing what he/she is supposed to be doing. The children according to Plato’s idea should only be taught the relevant material and literature that will ultimately ensure that they are skilled on the area of their duties. There should be restrictions as well as the quality on what the children are taught to ensure that satisfaction and efficiency in the state’s activities are maintained. However, there could be self deception by the children of the guardians that they are the best to take over from their parents which creates a false illusion (Plato & Jowett, 1941). Quality of leadership can be compromised which would hitherto disrupt Plato’s just society. Plato’s concept also emphasizes gender equality. It does not differentiate between the men and women. He believes that both men and women have equal intellectual capacity. Therefore according to him, the women as well can also be able to perform roles such as being guardians because their children will be reared by different parents. They are also detached from enjoying worldly pleasures such as being paid lowly. These disadvantages therefore discourage others from aspiring from becoming guardians. The guardians would approach issues from philosophical points of view and education that provided them with training that ensured that they reach the highest level of education. This would enable them to be able to distinguish between fiction and reality. This achievement is what Plato calls the highest sense of goodness, â€Å"sunnum bonnum† (Plato & Jowett, 1941). With this situation, they have attained the highest level of knowledge that can enable them to rule the people. The progress of the guardians is compared to the case of prisoners in an underground cave who are in darkness. At first, they could see shadows in the cave as reality (Watt, 1997). The people can however detach themselves and receive the light or truth. They are at first reluctant to receive the truth. The process of enlightenment according to Plato is a painful one entailing a lot of courage, persistence and patience. After the individual receives the truth concerning the reality, they should also enlighten others so that they should also know the reality and change the society. This is what produces change in the society. The training explained by Plato is the one that is directed towards the perceived guardians. The level of performance of the children being trained at an early age depends on whether they can be guardians or not. It also depends on whether they will be soldiers or rulers. To Plato, it is the duty of the society to be able to design a kind of educational system that will distinguish the future citizen’s roles. The training of the young people should be in line with their abilities (Plato & Jowett, 1941). Three distinct people in the state are brought out by Plato; rulers, soldiers and the commoners (Plato & Jowett, 1941). He maintained that membership in the guardian class will solely depend on the possession of appropriate skills. However, he held the idea that the off springs of the current guardians will most likely take over from them. These believe held by Plato is probably a means of social control and a tool used to maintain the status quo even by the unscrupulous leaders. Severe restrictions should be imposed to the guardians to control their quest to own properties. Since they are already endowed with superior natures, there is no need for wealth or other external rewards. The guardians should not own private properties. They should not also earn surplus income more than what fulfils their basic needs. In this case, most people will be discouraged from seeking the position of leadership. The kind of leadership that he advocates is the one that seeks the welfare of the state. This will ensure that the best of the citizens will be attained. The different classes working for the common good of the state need to develop certain qualities or virtues in order to achieve the best. The rulers, being responsible for making public decisions which affect the citizens, must have the virtue of wisdom. This is the capacity to make the right decisions, make impartial judgments and comprehend reality. The soldiers are endowed with the capacity to defend the state. They must therefore develop the virtue of courage. This is the willingness to sacrifice oneself and offer themselves to accomplish the interests of the state regardless of their personal welfares such as personal risks. The commoners must not pursue their own personal interests but must in all capacities strive to obey rules that emanate from the leaders. They must therefore exhibit the virtue of moderation. This involves the process of moderating ones personal desires for the purpose of a higher course. Plato asserted that when the different classes play their roles without overlapping with the roles of the other party, harmony is attained in the society and everything flows smoothly (Watt, 1997). Justice according to him is not the exclusive responsibility of one of the classes but it is the harmonious interrelationship between the different classes in the state. He then used the concept of the state to explain the virtues of the individual human beings. He presumed that just like the state, the individual has a complex system of different parts that function to attain harmony within the individual. The physical body corresponds to the land, buildings and other physical material resources of the city. In addition, every human being has got three souls that correspond to the three classes in the state. Each of them contributes in their own way to the successful operation of the person as a whole. There is the rational soul. It is also the mind or the intellect. This is the thinking portion of all humans that is responsible for discernment of reality and differentiates it with illusions. What is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false. There is also the spirited soul. It is the active portion of the humans that normally acts the will of the intellect. Finally we have the appetitive soul, which is emotional and contains desires. It wants and feels many desires. Most of the desires emanating from it must be deferred if the individual is to exercise self control directed by the rational pursuits. Just as in the case of a well organized state, justice in an individual is achieved when all the components making up the individual work in harmony. The tripartite division as explained by Plato forms the basis of understanding the individual. From the view that Plato develops, justice is better than injustice. True justice in human beings is a kind of good health that can only be attained when all the sections of the soul work together in harmony (Irwin, 1999). In an unjust person, the parts are in constant conflicts, poorly organized and disintegrated compromising the personality. The whole idea of the state is explained by Plato from the philosophical point of view. He states that philosophy opens up peoples thinking to be able to see far. This is parallel to the light provided by the sun. Philosophy is a great tool that helps people to be able to deal with life issues on a logical point of view. Just like the sun sheds light in the morning and darkness disappears, the same way philosophy enlightens the individual to be able to view issues from a wider and in depth perspective. This helps one to solve issues that affect the individual and those that affect the society. According to Plato, the love of philosophy is the love of reality. Those who remain in the world of shadows miss a lot of reality. When they are enlightened, they behave in the most noble way. To elaborate further the issue of enlightenment brought about by philosophy, Plato used the analogy of the cave. The allegory of the cave presents a condition where a group of prisoners are chained in a cave. The cave is dimly lit. The prisoners cannot be able to turn their heads and hands because they are fastened by ropes. They stare to a wall in front all day. There is a small fire outside the cave. A group of puppeteers are walking along a small raised path which is adjacent to the cave. The small fire projects shadows on the wall they are facing on. They just see the shadows of the objects which are outside. They believe that the shadows that they see are true. The people have been in the cave since childhood and have never seen the outside light (Plato & Jowett, 1941). The raised path also contains people who are walking along it. As usual some are talking while others are silent. The prisoners just see the shadows of the objects in the opposite wall. They cannot be able to see the real objects because their legs, hands and necks are fast chained. What they can only see images of themselves as well as the images of the outside objects being projected by the fire which is lit outside. They do not also hear the reality of what the people are saying. To them the truth is literally nothing else than the shadows that they can see (Plato & Jowett, 1941). Plato tries to explain what would happen when the prisoners are released from the underground cave. Plato explains what would happen when one of the prisoners is liberated and allowed to see the real objects outside. When one of the individuals is allowed to see the light outside, the eyes will suffer sharp pains due to the glare of the light outside. At first, he will not be able to see the realities which at first he had seen as shadows. He will also conceive someone saying to him that what he was saying was just an illusion. When he gets nearer to the reality and more light continues to shed on him, he is likely to react differently from his earlier conditions. If he is asked to name the objects that are real, he is likely to say that the shadows he saw earlier were the real objects and that what he was being shown was the illusion. When he is compelled to look straight into the glare, he might feel a sharp pain in the eyes that will compel him to resist reality and instead want to go back to see the objects which he can see without the pain. When he will be forced to see the light of the sun, he is also likely to be pained and irritated. When he approaches to the light, the eyes are likely to be temporarily blinded and he may not see anything of the realities. Other released prisoners are likely to behave differently. Some are likely to be resilient while others are likely to adapt to the reality world. In explaining this, when each of the individuals are placed in such a situation, they are also likely to behave in a similar to the prisoners. The allegory of the cave explains the process in which individuals undergo in the process of being enlightened. Each of the human beings has their own cave that they live in before the process of enlightenment turns an individual to think objectively. When one is not enlightened, they are like prisoners who are living in an underground cave. They always have the habit of seeing darkness. They distort reality and confuse reality for illusions. In a political situation for instance, the leaders do not know the reality about how they are supposed to lead. They therefore lead the people in the wrong direction because of the concepts that they hold which are not universal and are based on superficial reasoning. From a wide field of view, Plato believes that to maintain harmony and justice in society, everyone should be able to perform his/her activity in the society. I agree with this conception of Plato because a just and an efficient society is where there is no overlapping of issues. Where individuals play roles that they are not meant to be playing, there will be confusion and conflict is likely to arise in such situations. For instance, in a typical society where the police have been employed, they are supposed to maintain law and order in order to ensure that activities in the society run normally. They will punish the law breakers which will ensure that vices do not happen in the society. On another level, the traffic police would be able to deal with the drivers who break traffic rules. This will ultimately tend to minimize the accidents that happen on the roads. This ultimately produces harmony in the society. The issue that the lives of individuals are predetermined raises concerns on the freedom of the individual to rise to the position of leadership based on merit. Personal freedom is the key factor that determines who we are. Individuals should therefore be given a chance to choose the kind of life that they want to lead. It is through freedom that people come to know the kind of positions that is best suited to them. This happens through the meaning that is attached to things. In this case, Plato seems to ignore important factors such as hard work, passion and experience that allow humans to do extremely well in their endeavors even though they may not seem to be naturally gifted in such areas. Success in matters concerning leadership requires an integration of different factors apart from the natural qualities. Tasks are accomplished easily by use of the natural talents but they do not guarantee efficient accomplishment. Moreover, people with the zeal to succeed in certain tasks may at times do it better than those who are gifted because they are motivated to excel in such activities. A contradiction also arises in the case where Plato advocates for telling of lies in order to perpetuate the natural division of the different roles. On one hand, Plato advocates for morality. On the other hand, it is ironical to advice the educators to propagate falsehoods in order to reinforce the issue of naturalness of division of labor. Educators are meant to be role models in terms of being a role moral educator. Kant argues that everybody is equal, free and able to reason. Therefore holding the believe that the guardians are pure and are the ones who can only reason logically is a fallacy. The fact that the guardians are endowed with the capability of thinking philosophically does not in any way deny other people a chance to exploit their intellectual capability. The focus of such a concept can only be aimed at maintaining the status quo of the elites. They therefore prevent other categories from accessing chances in such status and analyzing the different possibilities of change that can be effected. (Foster,1937). The concept of Plato seems to bring about discrimination in the society. This happens when he advocates for the guardians to choose their partners from their fellow guardians. This will consequently tend to maintain power and authority among a small group of people. It is viable to choose leaders by producing intelligent people with philosophical thinkers. The idea that the guardians should live in poverty without families or property ownership is a violation of human nature. Plato provides an ideal situation of a different human who can live special lives. They can even fully sacrifice their comforts for the sake of the general population. This however is not always the truth. It could be hard if such a system was to be induced (Foster,1937). Most of the people are employed to gain material wealth. Denying them such kind of a right would repel services from such people. Plato’s concept of the allegory of the cave is highly applicable especially in the contemporary society. First, it brings out the real meaning of education. From his explanation, education is not meant to make individuals conform to the prevailing conditions. It is meant to reform the intellectual capability of the individual such that they can be able to discover issues on their own. The work of the educator is to ignite the person. From there the learner can be able to discover things on their own. He refuses to believe that the human mind is limited in any way. He believes that the human intellect is special in that it has an endless potential to venture into the infinite world of possibilities. From this understanding, human beings may realize their full potential and engage their full potential in solving problems especially those that affect the society. For example in leadership, the leaders should not be limited to the thinking applied since their childhood. As they grow up they should learn to adapt to new ways of solving problems and relating with the general public. Plato’s concept will also help every individual to respect each other regardless of their tribe or race as long as they understand that they are all special creatures. In a nutshell therefore, the work of Plato is still influential today as it can be applied to solve many problems in the current society. Works cited M. B. Foster. â€Å"A Mistake of Plato's in the Republic. † Mind, 46 (1937): 386–393. T. H. Irwin. â€Å"Republic 2: Questions about Justice. † in Plato 2: Ethics, Politics, Religion, and the Soul, ed. , Gail Fine (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 164–185. Watt, Stephen (1997), â€Å"Introduction: The Theory of Forms â€Å", Plato: Republic, London: Wordsworth Editions, pp. pages xiv–x Plato, & Jowett, B. (1941). Plato's The Republic. New York: The Modern Library.

Family Delinquency Essay

There are several factors that might lead to inept parenting in single parent households. Among these factors are the available economic and parental resources to children and the stressful conditions that characterize such families. Majority of single parents are economically disadvantaged. As such, they often lack the material resources that they can offer their children. The result is that their children remain uncompetitive especially in school. Their children thus lack status among their peers owing to the inability of the parent to provide things that they may need. Due to the fact that majority of single parents suffer from various economic difficulties, they are likely to live in run down neighborhoods characterized by high crime rates, low quality schools and few community services. The majority of single parents also find it difficult to function effectively as parents. They are in most cases less emotionally supportive of their children, are less restrictive, dispense harsher discipline, are more inconsistent in dispensing discipline, offer less supervision and engage in more conflict with their children (Simmons and Simmons, 2005). These deficits in parenting emanate from the struggle to provide for the family with limited financial resources and attempting to raise children in the absence of the other biological parent. Various studies associate inept parenting by resident single parents with a variety of negative consequences among children. Relationship between informal and formal labeling to adolescent delinquency According to labeling theory, perceived negative reactions result in the development of negative self conceptions and greater delinquent involvement (Glueck, 1962). The proponents of this theory emphasize on the importance of both formal and informal labeling. Formal labels are those acquired through contact with social control agencies while informal labeling are those that parents, peers and teachers generate. Juveniles become stigmatized through contact with social control agencies. Involvement in delinquent behavior is one of the possible responses to being negatively labeled or stigmatized. Negative parental reactions may also lead to a juvenile becoming delinquent. In their routine activities, juveniles encounter different cues and clues on how members of the community they live perceive them. Juveniles can interpret accurately the meaning of symbols and gestures employed to project labels upon them through role taking and defining situations. Human beings cannot be said to be passive receptors of negative labels since they possess the capacity to take part in cooperative interaction through significant symbols. Some juveniles negotiate labels and at times attempt to repudiate their deviant imputations (Simmons and Simmons, 2005). Naming or defining something is never an idealistic procedure but rather a consequence of an action. As such, social groups establish deviance by their response to known acts. A label therefore designates something that is a consequence of successful conversation of gestures. It is this successful conversation of gestures that makes the process of labeling the self possible. Labeling theorists assume that individuals project themselves into the role of significant others during real or imagined interactions and make assessments or self appraisals. The self becomes an object for which the person attaches labels which can either be positive or negative. This assumption is guided by the conception that human have the capacity to choose among competing labels for their self conception. Discuss the factors relating to the possibilities of the family structure being a major contribution to a juvenile becoming involved in delinquent behaviors. Family structure influences to a large extent the behavior of children. Research findings indicate that children growing up with single parents have an increased risk of becoming delinquents (Glueck, 1962). The structure of the family influences economic and parental resources that are available to children. Single parents, being financially constrained, are less likely to take care of their children’s need. The result is that the children experience low self esteem as they lack the majority of things that other children possess. Children who are growing up in a family where both parents are present are unlikely to experience behavioral problems. Research also indicates that children from single parent families that receive support from non-resident fathers also exhibit fewer behavioral problems than those without support. With this regard, economic factors influence the possibilities of a child becoming deviant and this mainly depends on the structure of the family. If both the parents are present, the economic conditions are likely to be better as both parents may take the responsibility in providing for the children. As such, the children may not feel deprived thereby reducing the possibilities of becoming deviant. Children become conformists when their parents possess cooperative co-parental relationship. When parents support each others decisions and agree on the rules of the family, the children learn that the parent’s authority is not arbitrary. Parental agreement therefore means that the children are not exposed to inconsistent discipline when they misbehave. This consistency between parents encourages children to learn and internalize moral values and social norms. Causes of marital violence Social theories see marital violence to be the product of the society. As such, they see marital violence as emanating from the social structures and the cultural values and norms that accommodate the use of violence among partners. Furthermore, the causes of marital violence have been attributed by some sociologists to be rooted in the structure of the family; the interaction between the members of the family and their social interactions. For instance, family systems theory relates the cause of marital violence to communication flaws and conflict in intimate relationships. Psychological theories on the other hand attribute the causes to individual experiences and predispositions. Marital violence may be linked to biological inclination to violence and personality disorder, or as suggested by social learning theories, to the offender’s social environment during his early stages of development. Attachment theory emphasizes on the relationship between parents or caregivers with their children and the consequences of such attachments on the ability of an individual to develop safe and healthy relationships later in life. Psychological perspectives hold that individuals may be predisposed to violence by personality disorders or early experiences of trauma. As such, being abusive physically is seen as a manifestation of an underlying emotional problem. Childhood experiences such as parental abuse, rejection and the inability to satisfy the dependence needs of a child may provide a source of later violence. Double Jeopardy Statistics show that women are at a higher risk of being victims of marital violence than males. Quite a number of reasons have been postulated to explain this phenomenon. Among the widely held theories is that women are inherently weak. With regard to physical strength, it is widely known that males far much out-weigh females in strength. Many female victims often find themselves in difficult situation when they are taking the decision to report their partner for abusing them physically. This is because they are likely to do something worse when they come out. As such, female victims of marital violence are always at the risk of double jeopardy. Even though violation of protection order may lead to federal criminal prosecution, advocates may develop procedures to avert double jeopardy. Population heterogeneity theory These theories postulate that there is an initial proneness to commit violent offenses and that this early difference in the development of an individual remains quite stable over time (Glueck, 1962)). People with numerous risk factors before birth, during toddler hood and during childhood are more likely to develop violent tendencies during adolescence and adulthood. In other words, there is a correlation between past and current criminal behavior. Population heterogeneity process attributes stability in offending over time to differences in anti-social characteristics across individuals that is established early in life. One of the implications of a population heterogeneity explanation for continuity in crime over time is that the antisocial feature is likely to have reverberations throughout life, adopting many manifestations later in life. Any observed correspondence between later life events and criminality is spurious due to the fact that they are all the consequence of a common cause. Concepts and principles of social learning theory The fundamental assumption of social learning theory is that the same learning process that operates within the context of social structure, interaction and situation produces both conforming and deviant behavior. The direction of the process in which these mechanisms operate is the basis of their difference. What is involved is the balance of influences on behavior. In most cases, that balance exudes some form of stability over time but it can also become unstable and change with circumstances and time. Conformity and deviant behavior is learned by the mechanisms in this process even though the theory proposes that the principle mechanism are part of the process in which differential reinforcement and imitation produce both overt behavior and cognitive definitions that function as discriminative stimuli for the behavior. Parenting skills The success of any family is dependent upon effective parenting. As such, it is important for every parent to establish healthy methods of raising their children. New parents should know that the future of their children lie in their hands. The first step to parenting is developing clear expectations of what both parents want. Depending on the background of what is being considered right or wrong, parents should plan and communicate their expectation to each other. Establishing a list of social, academic, religious and family oriented expectations for different settings and activities will enable parents to be very particular and concrete in teaching their children. They must however take into consideration the ability and age of the child, developmental status and the available resources. After setting the appropriate rules and expectations, the second most important thing is to unambiguously communicate these expectations in word and in deed. References Glueck, E. (1962). Family environment and delinquency. Houghton Mifflin Simmons, R. & Simmons L. (2005). Families, delinquency, and crime: Linking Society’s Most   Ã‚  Ã‚   Basic Institution to Antisocial Behavior. Oxford University Press

Generality and Reality

To answer the aforementioned questions, the paper primarily employs a qualitative approach, although a degree of quantitative data will also be utilized. From a qualitative perspective, the paper will draw heavily on case studies and historical and contemporary examples in order to take a comparative approach in explaining and identifying the effect that refugees have on the nations that receive them. Particularly, the case study approach and the identification of the relevance to the current crisis in Lebanon and Jordan will allow for the exploration of why specific positive or negative effects may be magnified in some cases and not others. Solely focusing on discussions of this issue can cause the reader to be bogged down by generalities that, although often making intuitive sense, lack historical evidence. For example, those who might argue that an influx of refugees has a negative effect on host countries might say â€Å"refugees cause overcrowding in the host country.† While this explanation may be intuitive, it is also simplistic. I hope to examine past case studies and research in order to bridge the gap between generality and reality in order to qualitatively explain; if this is a valid point on the negative side of the argument the manner in which overcrowding manifests itself, how that affects the broader economy, whether that argument has relevance for the Lebanese case, and the potential implications for policy. These conceptual, qualitative explanations will also require a degree of quantitative backing as well. As the paper is discussing economic impact, quantitative metrics for example, GDP figures, money spent on infrastructure development, wage data, and employment data will be employed to give more clarity and evidence to conceptual claims. This quantitative component—although not at the level of sophistication of regression analysis and not primary data in nature—will be useful in both the historical and contemporary parts of the paperLiterature reviewThe modern world is one of constant change and upheaval. For many in the Global North, this change is characterized by dramatic advances in technology and progressive policy reforms. But for still many more, the story is a markedly different tale of survival. Today, the world is confronting its worst refugee crisis since World War II. Facing political turmoil, violence, and war, over 60 million people have fled their homes in search of safety and with hope for a better future (Graham 2015). As these refugees pour over the borders of Iraq and Syria, pile onto smuggling boats in Libya and Burma, and flee to neighboring lands from Yemen and Somalia, they have captured the world's attention. Currently, much of the popular and academic discourse has addressed the moral and humanitarian components of refugee crises. Accordingly, whether due to mounting international awareness and pressure or humanitarian compassion; many developed regions, such as the United States and the European Union, have boosted their capacity to receive refugees. The human rights element inherent to refugee crises is relatively more clear-cut. But a broader academic discussion has been developing around the following question: what are some of the economic effects; both positive and negative, of the sudden influx of refugees on host countries? These economic questions are particularly important to a country like Lebanon, where Syrian refugees now make up over 20 percent of the population (Richard, 2014). Before these effects can be analyzed, it is important to distinguish refugees from other types of migrants. The United Nations, via the 1951 Refugee Convention, defines a refugee as someone who â€Å"owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country. The key point here is movement out of fear and necessity, rather than, say, economic opportunity. This definition has also been expanded by many to include violence and war, famine, and natural disaster. Scholars have further delineated the difference between refugees and migrants by looking at size of the group and nation of origin. In particular, refugees are noted for typically moving as a part of a larger group of people rather than as individuals; they also generally come from relatively less developed economies. With these definitions in mind, the paper now turns to examining the economic impact that refugees have on host countries. Positive economic impacts Refugees can often bring positive economic impacts to the countries that receive them. The existing literature discusses a number of ways in which this can occur, five of which are discussed below. First, provisions designed and implemented explicitly for refugees can often lead to broader utilization by the host country's population. Specifically, schools built explicitly for refugee children have served local students, who might not otherwise go to school at all as well. The presence of refugees ensures enrollment stability, thereby helping to keep the schools open and functioning for all children; this in turn encourages continued investment and can improve the educational infrastructure of the country and boost long-term economic productivity. Aside from educational institutions, governments and international aid organizations may, because of the crisis, often invest in other infrastructure developments; such as medical clinics, housing developments, and roads to access refugee camps that can be maintained and used for the population at large when the refugee crisis subsides. These temporary structures—originally built to support refugees—can persist beyond the crisis and bolster the host country's infrastructure and development prospects. In this sense, these short-term negative economic shocks that refugees provide to the system can give way to a longer-term positive economic outcome. Second, it is also important to consider the demographics of the refugees themselves.Many of the factors that drive refugee crises; especially war or terrorism, are relatively indiscriminate to class. Because of this, refugees can often come from skilled and educated backgrounds. ResultsMost studies of the effect of unskilled migration on the wages of unskilled workers find only small negative effects. The early literature on the subject typically concluded that a 1 percent increase in the immigrant share in the population causes no decline in wages or a decline of 0.1 percent. These area studies that attempted to exploit the variation in migration incidence across countries, or more typically across localities in Lebanon and Jordan. As is most clearly seen in developing countries receiving large numbers of refugees, such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, the concentration of refugees in specific localities can â€Å"crowd out† public services such as schools and hospitals, or cause the transport infrastructure to become congested. In advanced countries, where the infrastructure is well developed and the refugee inflow is much smaller relative to the native populations, these effects can be observed in specific neighborhoods, typically in low-income areas.Mitigating these concentration effects while at the same time avoiding the temptation of encouraging refugees to settle in distant locations where it is difficult to find work and people do not want to stay poses a genuine challenge to policy-makers. At the same time, it is clear that unskilled migrants can reduce the price of many market services and also reduce the cost of many public services like unskilled migrants help cleaning streets An important benefit that natives; whether they are skilled or unskilled derive from unskilled refugees, and one that until recently was largely neglected, is that they help reduce the prices of non-traded goods and services that natives use intensively. Researchers have proved that the surge in immigration in the Jordan and Lebanon since 2011 may have reduced the prices of these services by about 10 percent. By contrast, as discussed further below, the arrival of refugees can put upward pressure on housing in localities where they are concentrated. This can make low-income housing less affordable even as it represents a net wealth gain for the native population that owns housing. Since many advanced countries, most notably in Europe, experience high and persistent unemployment over many years, even when growth is near or above long-term potential, the worry that increased immigration will simply make the structural or cyclical unemployment problem worse resonates widely. Consider an economy where collective bargaining predominates in some â€Å"rigid† sectors and where the labor market is very flexible in others. They find that migration can increase unemployment in the rigid sector, while having a relatively small negative effect on wages in the rigid sector, and reduce the wage in the flexible sector where unemployment remains low by definition. In the long run, these effects tend to dissipate as investment responds. Thus, the model that assumes perfect labor markets tends to overestimate the impact of migration on average wages and to underestimate the effect on unemployment; meta-analysis of studies examining the effect of immigration on unemployment in developed countries found out that in general, an increase in immigration by 1 percent of the population leads to an increase in unemployment of no more than 0.3 percent. In contrast, studies of the Lebanon and Jordan labor markets, which are among the most flexible, have found no significant effect of immigration on employment opportunities for native workers; including low-skilled native workers. They found that, among less-educated workers, those born in the two countries tend to have jobs in manufacturing or mining, while migrants tend to have jobs in personal services and agriculture, providing an explanation for why low-skilled migration has a limited impact on employment. In fact, the share of migrants among the less-educated is strongly correlated with the extent of Jordan born worker specialization in communication tasks. In states with a heavy concentration of less-educated migrants, Lebanon born workers have shifted toward more communication-intensive occupations. Those jobs pay higher wages than manual jobs, and so such a mechanism has stimulated the productivity of workers born in the two counties and generated new employment opportunities.

Personal, Professional and Career Development Assignment

Personal, Professional and Career Development - Assignment Example nced or reworked for the better and through my curiosity, I often strive to reach at the best possible solutions or approaches to issues or challenges in the course of my personal and professional development. Most importantly, my drive to explore the new and unfamiliar territories often leads to more creativity since I often discover new opportunities that can be exploited for better results or enhanced outcomes. Nonetheless, I am highly uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity both in my personal and professional life and I often prefer to have the specific information regarding everything such as the right answers to all questions, the exact time schedules for particular events, and so on. This natural desire for certainty comes in handy in my line of work as a project manager, particularly in the project implementation stages since it contributes to timely completion of projects and proper planning beforehand for specific roles to be performed by key individuals. I am reasonably confident in my own capacity to originate and work with ideas and even if I may not be so creative, I never shy away from experimenting with ideas; whenever I am faced with a challenge or opportunity to solve a problem, I like to experiment with creative solutions to the issues at hand because creativity can yield solutions to real life problems (Fobes 1996, p.19). I am more likely to take up the roles or tasks that present me with the chance to exploit and prove my creative genius and I consider all challenges as stepping stones to discovering new approaches to success, particularly in work environments that are highly demanding in terms of high pressure to perform (Ahmadi 2014, p.19). I am more inclined to sharing ideas since I strongly believe it does help in stimulating more ideas in other people as well as new dimensions of novelty in coming up with new ideas; furthermore, the collaborative thinking effort in group settings highly contributes to the collective p roblem-solving

Essay/short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

/short answers - Essay Example The war integrates the constitutional and agrarian plebeian’s demands. Marcus Furius Cammillus, the conservative Patrician leader viewed the law as possible concession. The law is initiated towards the end of the 375 BCE anarchy periods. In the period, there were no elected or legitimate chief magistrates at Rome. Several constitutional aspects attempted to address the legitimacy of the chief magistrates, and also ensure more power to the plebeians (Walter 38). The agrarian aspects of the compromise illustrated higher form than substance, and hence were easily evaded. The year immediately after the compromise, saw a plebeian express interest in the consul. Majority of the historians illustrate that this is the initial time plebeians were allowed to work as consuls. The Lucinio-Sextian law also handled the economic demand of the Plebeians. The Consulship opening to Plebeians is the main reason for the 366 BCE concessions that developed both Praetorship and Curule Aedileship, which was open to only the Patricians. The Punic Wars entailed three wars that took place between 264BC and 146BC, from Rome to Carthage. The wars were the largest during that historical period. The main reason for the Punic Wars involved the conflicting interest between the Carthaginian Empire and also the Roman Republic which was expanding at high rates. The main interest of the Romans greatly depended on the expansion through Sicily, which was a strategic cultural melt point. A huge portion of Sicily was under the control of the Carthaginian authorities. The beginning stages of the Punic War illustrated Carthage as the dominant authority in Western Mediterranean, controlling a huge maritime empire. Rome was continuously dominating power in Italy; however, it did not possess the naval power that was illustrated by the Carthage (Bradley 97). During the final stages of the Punic Wars, Rome too effective control of the Carthage Empire, entirely destroyed Carthage

Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Marketing - Essay Example egments, selecting one or more attractive market segments and deciding on the appropriate and effective market strategies to implement in these segments. The next step following target marketing is positioning, which refers to the process of creating a brand image, in consumers’ minds, that is unique, distinct and clearly different from that offered by competitors. Successfully positioning relies on the development of effective differentiation strategies. Differentiation is an aspect of marketing that entails development of unique strategies, which are difficult for competitors to imitate. There are several bases and approaches to market segmentation (Lynn, 2011). Firstly, marketers may use demographic variables including income, age, gender and education level. Secondly, marketers may use psychological variables including values, opinions, attitudes and interests. Thirdly, behavioral variables such as channel usage, brand preference, purchase frequency and media habits may also be used. Fourthly, segmentation may also be based on geographic variables including nation, state, region or neighborhood type. Dibb (1999) observes that apart from these variables, marketing experts also determines the attractiveness of the various market segments in relation to the responsiveness of customers to the marketing strategies, accessibility of the segments in terms of product distribution and communication, size and stability of the segment. Havaldar (2005) observes that market segmentation process involves three key steps namely market research, segment analysis and creation of segment profiles. Market research involves collection of relevant and appropriate information about the market. Typical information collected includes buyer purchase considerations, current and future market needs, competitor information and customer buying behavior. Once market data is collected, Havaldar argues that it is necessary to analyze and refine this information using analysis tools such

#2,#3,#4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

#2,#3,#4 - Essay Example The four Es refers to: having positive energy; being able to energize other people; ability to make critical decisions; and ability to get work done in the required manner. Looking at the article â€Å"How to Conduct Interviews† it is noticeable that none of the information entailed in the article would be new for a typical student in BNAD 301. Just like it was taught during BNAD 301 lectures it is of importance for an interviewer to prepare in advance by creating a structure and agenda for the interviewing process. It is also notable that the article points out that an interviewer should consider creating questions in four categories, namely: fact-finding, problem-solving, creative-thinking, and behavioural. Fact finding questions will help and interviewer in finding details such as skills and experience of the candidates. Creative thinking questions are important in determining the extent to which the candidate can be creative. Problem solving questions are important in finding out the extent to which a candidate can use critical thinking in solving problems. Behavioural question can help in knowing how a candidate will react to certain situat ions. The article also asserts that it is always important to interview the candidate in person whenever possible. This helps in observation of interviewees’ non-verbal cues and communication skills. Taking notes is also given emphasis as it had been in BNAD 301 since it helps in making sure that an interviewer is able to use the details for the final decision later. Sometimes an interviewer might forget some of the details and observations made during the interview process. However, there are some new things that can be learnt from this article. For instance,even a typical student in BNAD 301 will find the information about taking candidates off campus for a meal or drink after the formal interview process is over new.

Epidermiology process in movie Outbreak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Epidermiology process in movie Outbreak - Essay Example However, it is unknown to many that, the carrier of the virus which is a monkey, was brought to the U.S by a freighter. It is through an under-table bribe by a young man that the monkey escaped being tested for the virus in the animal testing lab. This man then gets infected and the Col. Sams ex-wife, Dr. Keough, who is currently with the CDC, is called to a Boston hospital where the man is admitted, to assist with the situation (Wolfgang, 1995). The doctor soon confirms the death of a young man that has been caused by a virus. At the same time, there was an outbreak of the virus in a little town in California. The concerned organizations then set up a quarantine that would stop the virus from spreading. However, Fords boss, sinister Major-Gen. McClintock has an agenda with this situation, where he wants to use the lethal bug as a bioweapon. At the point where the President wants to order a fuel-air bomb to be dropped in the small town to stop the spread of this virus, Col. Daniel tr ies ways to unravel the plan of McClintock. The process of epidemiology is presented in the movie just from the point when a scientist identifies the virus as Motoba. They then understand the pathogenesis of the disease as well as its infectiousness. The mutations of the virus were then determined and classified. The scientists then work hard with the results of their research to develop a drug that can treat the virus. They then embark on treating the infected people and contain the outbreak in the most effective ways possible to stop further spread of the virus. On epidemiology, the geographic prevalence was first considered. Here, the concentration was on the small town in California where the outbreak was first experienced. This town became the center of focus where people from outside the region were advised not to visit the town at the moment. Similarly, there was no movement outside the town, since that could spread the virus even further.

Australian taxation law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Australian taxation law - Assignment Example According to the above definition of Australian resident for taxation, the Indian consultant does not qualify to be a resident, since the period of stay during the year of income is only five months. The financial year begins on 1st July to 30th June. In this respect, income earned by the Indian IT consultant between 1st July 2012 and 30th June 2013 will be taxed in financial year ending 31st July 2013. Further, according to provisions of the same section, income earned in July 2013 will be assessed for tax in July 2013. Section 6-5(3) of ITAA 97, income according to ordinary concepts states that income derived by a foreign resident directly or indirectly from all Australian sources is assessable for income taxes. 2. An Australian born viticulturist (wine maker) who accepts seasonal contracts in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. The Australian born viticulturist is a resident for taxation purpose. Even though the wine maker accepts seasonal contracts from foreign count ries, by birth and stay qualifies as a resident. According to ITAA 97 section 6-5(2), income according to ordinary concepts, assessable income includes all incomes derived directly or indirectly from all sources whether in or outside Australia during the year of income. Therefore, the Australian Viticulturist will be taxed on income derived from seasonal subcontracts in the stated countries. In Malayan Shipping Co Ltd v FCT, the court held that even though the company engaged in foreign trade, the management was Australian resident and therefore income derived from foreign income was assessable for tax purposes. 3. An Italian born tradesman who migrates to Australia on 30 March 2013. According to the definition of Australian resident, an individual qualifies to be a resident by among other things moving to live in Australia. Therefore, the Italian tradesman qualifies to be a resident by migrating to Australia. Based on ITAA 97 section 6-5 (3), Income according to ordinary concepts, the income of the Italian tradesman to be assessed includes that part derived directly or indirectly from Australian sources between 30 March 2013 and 30th June 2013 when the year of income ends. 4. An Australian born bank employee sent to a Singapore branch for 6 months. The bank employee is a resident by birth. According to ITAA 97 section 6-5(2), income according to ordinary concepts, assessable income to Australian residents includes income derived directly from all sources be it local or foreign sources during the year of income. Therefore, the income earned will be assessed in the financial year within which it falls. 5. A person of Australian domicile living in Sydney. The fact that the person is a domicile and lives in Sydney, Australia is sufficient qualification for residency. According to ITAA 97 section 6-5(2), income according to ordinary concepts, assessable income for Australian residents includes income derived directly and indirectly from all sources. This means tha t income for Australian domicile will be taxed in the year of income it falls. PART B CALCULATE the minimum amount of net capital gain which is to be included in his assessable income. You must indicate how every item mentioned above

M3A1 PART B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M3A1 PART B - Essay Example Improve the communication patterns of the company: Communication is one of the fundamental requirements for any company to succeed. Unlike in GM, where the communication channels involved long rigorous procedures that discouraged the employees (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). The communication channels between the employees and the senior management should be open and reliable to enable the employees have a feel that the company acknowledges their views and ideas. Therefore, their productivity would improve as they forward their challenges to the management (Huq, 2010). Enhance teamwork within the company: Teamwork enables the employees have a better understanding of each other and promotes cordial relations within the working environment (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). By so doing, the workers feel comfortable while at work and this enhances their overall productivity due to the existence of good understanding and sharing of ideas. Sharing ideas is important since the workers can come up with an idea that could prove to be the turn-around moment for the company like a new invention (Moorhead & Griffin, 2011). Creating a sense of responsibility among the employees: The management ought to let the employee’s opportunities to demonstrate their levels of responsibility by making them in charge. This may involve letting them have total control over an asset and monitoring its usage from a vantage point (Lashley, 2012). This makes them have the idea that they are trusted in the company hence they form a sense of responsibility and consequently carry out their works diligently. Moreover, they can sum up courage and make viable decisions in the absence of the company managers (Huq, 2010). Involving the employees in the decision making process of the company: When employees get involved in the decision making processes of a company, they are instilled with a sense of belonging and they get a mental set of associating

Buss law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Buss law - Essay Example 2. A partnership ceases to exist or in other words is terminated where the single venture that was pursued is terminated; or where the term of the partnership was for a fixed period of time, which has lapsed; where it is consequently found that the partnership is illegal or for an illegal purpose; or where a court grants an order to one of the partner. 3. The courts in Barclays Bank v. O’Brien1 have classified undue influence into two classes; the first is actual undue influence where the claimant has to prove that the offender had used undue influence on the claimant to enter into the particular transaction. In the second class that is presumed undue influence, the claimant only has to prove that there was a relationship of trust and confidence which has been breached; there is no need to prove actual undue influence, once a confidential relationship has been established. 4. A lessee is under a duty to abide by the leasehold covenants which have been agreed upon in the agreement. Further the lessee has to maintain property so that third party entering the premises does not get affected from such non-maintenance. 5. Under the Statute of Frauds 1677 it has been clearly stated that contracts of surety must be made in writing and should be duly signed. However there are two exceptions which might be said to be relevant to surety, the first one is where there has been part performance and the second is where the defendant addresses the existence of a contract under an oath. 5 The general formation of a contract requires an offer (that is a definite promise to be bound by the contract provided that that certain terms and conditions are fulfilled), acceptance (an unequivocal intention to abide by the offer from the offeree), intention to create legal relations and certainty. S.40 (1) of the Law of Property Act 1925 (repealed by s.2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act

Common European Army Essay Example for Free

Common European Army Essay The UK and France have been willing to follow the USA’s example of military force and shown support for the idea of an EU army. Other nations have clearly rejected this approach on the basis of pacifist arguments and because they are reluctant to commit to the high level of military spending this would imply. While the EU does like to see itself as the diplomat of the world and flaunt its achievements with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), it still ponders the possibility of a middle-of-the-road strategy of militarization and securitization. There is no necessity as regards the creation of European Union Army because member states already cooperate sufficiently with each other. Creating an EU army would prove to be unnecessary because most European states are already members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. For several decades NATO has been defending the military interests of Europe. It is hard to see a problem that NATO cannot solve, which the European Defence Force could instead. NATO exists to deal with situations of such magnitude that the nations of Western Europe are likely to adopt a common defence policy. In contrast, the EDF is targeted at smaller geopolitical incidents which would otherwise be ‘beneath’ the notice of NATO. Unfortunately smaller incidents by their nature do not have uniform effects on all EU member-nations, and are therefore unlikely to generate a consensus of policy among EU nations. The EU has as much power as it has, regardless of whether they have a single military or each nation cooperates accordingly with its own forces. A single military may give the appearance of more power, but nothing more unless great policy changes went along with its creation. It can be concluded, therefore, that there is no urgent necessity for creating a common European army at this moment and for now NATO is sufficient for the EU defence policy. Creating a common European Army would not be in accordance with the EU policy and would undermine the sovereignty of member states. Even if we assume that the massive costs of a standing military force can be borne by the EU and ts members, the key barriers to establishing a standing defence force are often political. Creating a European Defence Force de novo would require to decide on several questions, namely the command structure, whether the role should be merely defensive or include peacekeeping, the choice of equipment and supplier, creating a common defence policy, and choosing a language of communication. All of these questions involve political considerations or economic vested interests, all of which are likely to result in ongoing wrangling that will yield an ineffective EDF. The Treaty of Lisbon foresees that Member States can make available civilian and military resources to the Union for the implementation of its Common Security and Defence operations. However, any Member State has the right to oppose such operations and all contributions to them will be always on a voluntary basis. There is little or no will amongst EU governments to increase defence spending to the sort of levels required to make an EU based defence and security credible. Indeed, only the Dutch government has designated a specific part of their defence budget for the ESDP. A group of Member States who are willing and have the necessary capability will be able to undertake disarmament operations, humanitarian and rescue tasks, military advice and peace-keeping tasks. No Member State can be forced to participate in such operations. In conclusion it is reasonable to say that, although the creation of a common European army might bring more unity it will be an unfair act, since the interest of member-nations in the area of defense policy are very divergent. Therefore, in order to preserve sovereignty and financial stability military capabilities in the EU should remain in national hands.

Strategies to Reduce Water Scarcity

Strategies to Reduce Water Scarcity Water Woes- how can you reduce fresh water scarcity in a country? Abstract The essay can be divided into three parts. First of all, it will introduce the fresh scarcity in Israel. secondly, it will discuss some questions and methods for the water scarcity in Israel. finally, I will give my own opinion and image what will the water scarcity be in the future in Israel. Introduction The essay is going to introduce that how to reduce fresh water scarcity in Israel. The water is very lacking in this country. Not only for human, but also for the animals and plants live this country. In the other hand, the government of Israel has tried many methods to reduce the fresh water scarcity. Even they had the war for the water. But still is powerless on this way. Per capita water for the people of Israel is only 150 MCM. But in fact the capita water they used have reached 290 MCM. Otherwise, because of the pollution from the industries, the water chemistry in local river is not good. At all, the best way to reduce the water scarcity in Israel is to combine many methods like artificial rainfall, the implementation of each person to save water with reward system, the use of recycled water to solve this problem. Methodology The plan for achieving research purpose for 3 stages. They are first collect all the methods that can reduce the fresh water scarcity. Next, compare these methods and get the finally few methods which are suitable for Israel. Finally, image to put these methods to Israel and compare the data from Israel. Check whether they are suitable for Israel. The most of the information I got was form Bing. Because this website is relatively large and reliable. Furthermore, I chose the resource as possible which has the author and the date of creation. In addition, I deliberately chose the information on the websites which have different data that I want to use as the sources I used. And I think the name of website which is socialistworker.org is the best website I found. Because it got a lot of useful information. For example, it introduces the terrain of Israel, the history of the methods which the government ever used before and so on. Findings There are two issues are serious about water scarcity in Israel. One issue is the per capita water for the people who lives in Israel uses too much. In the front of the essay, mentioned the per capita water for the people of Israel is only 150 MCM. But they did not save to use water. So the result of the usage amount is far beyond the standard. If Israel wants to reduce the fresh water scarcity. They must overcome this difficulty. I think that the government in Israel can give some policies. For example, if someone save to use water reach to some standard. He can get some money like this. Another issue is because of about 80% of water in Israel has already reused many times. The quality of the water is not good. In my opinion, Israel must find the other water resource. We all know, Israel face two seas. They can make full use of this condition. In my view, they need to vigorously develop the technology that can convert seawater into fresh water. Although the cost is very high. But if they solved the water scarcity problem, they can get more money return. Now the population of Israel is about 8 million 500 thousand. And the area of Israel is about 25740 square kilometers. Compare Israel with china. We all know that there are a lot of people in china and the per capita water for per Chinese is very low. But the per capita water for Israel people are only 1/4 of chinas per capita water. The chart shows the proportionof the water resources situation in Israel. The data came from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/brief/Water.html and http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/scarcity.html Discussion In this section, this essay will evaluate the findings in light of the hypothesis firstly. Secondly, discuss the proposed solution. I think the content I wrote in the findings section is more clearly provides the solution. Then, combine the pie graph in the findings section and think about my proposed solution that is find other water resource. Form the graph, we can know that most of the fresh water of Israel is from seawater. This means my proposed solution is working. On the other hand, the problem about the per capita water for the Israel people. This is the most important problem actually. In this issue, the government of Israel has ruled that 100 liters of water per capita per day on average for the people in Israel. Expect the Palestinians. They can only get 70 liters of water per capita per day on average. Furthermore, in some areas, the figure is as low as 20 liters per day for Palestinians. By contrast, Israelis consume up to 300 liters per capita per day. That is unfair. I n addition, the local people in Israel are using too much water. They still not pay attention to the importance of water conservation. Although the government always propagandas water conservation. we can do a calculation. Lets say one local people in Israel use 300 liters per day and expect the Palestinians firstly. There are about 8 million 500 thousand people. It is amount of 255 million liters. It is a big number for a country which is lacking of the water. Conclusions and Recommendations In conclusion, the proposed solution that the essay mentioned is suitable for Israel after the comparison of the data and in light of the background of Israel. but actually the government of Israel is doing the solution that the essay given. Just not enough for reach the point that can solve the water scarcity. So, whether can solve the water scarcity in Israel fundamentally is depend on the per capita water the Israel people using. On the other hand, if the government of Israel limits the consume of water for Israel people compulsory too much. They will be unhappy and remonstrant absolutely. So, government must give some other benefits to instead of this. Finally, according to my research, Israel also use many other methods to get fresh water. One of them is artificial rainfall. This is the easiest way. Israel is the famous country that has the lowest natural resources. So, in my opinion, they should use many methods at the same time for saving water. Like use artificial rainfall, t he implementation of each person to save water with reward system, the use of recycled water to solve this problem. Reference list       Sumaya Awad, Apartheid Israels war on water (2016). Available from: https://socialistworker.org/2016/07/28/apartheid-israels-war-on-water [Accessed 29 December 2016] Water Resources of Israel(online). Available from: http://www.gsi.gov.il/eng/?CategoryID=112ArticleID=159 [Accessed 29 December 2016] Water in Israel: Israels Chronic Water Problem (2016). Available from: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/scarcity.html [Accessed 29 December 2016] Arwa Aburawa. Water And Israel The Facts (2011). Available from: http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/08/water-and-israel-the-facts/ [Accessed 29 December 2016]   Ã‚  

Netflix And Blockbuster Battle For Market Leadership Marketing Essay

Netflix And Blockbuster Battle For Market Leadership Marketing Essay Movie retail industry includes such companies that rent DVDs, Blu-ray discs and even video games which are usable on home-based electronic equipment (Espedido Julian, 2010). Many companies are participants in this lucrative business and they include such companies as Wal-Mart, Netflix, Blockbuster, Intelliflix, Redbox and GameZnFlix among others. Both Netflix and Blockbuster companies are presently the leaders in the rental movie industry and therefore the major rivals in the rental movie industry. As to Blockbuster, it has a quite lengthy convention in the business. The Blockbuster has existed since the year 1985, even as Netflix entered its 12th anniversary this year. This gives Blockbuster an edge of existence over its close competitor Netflix. This paper intends to critically provide an in depth analysis for Arthur Thompsons case study entitled Competition in the Movie Rental Industry in 2008: Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership. It will comb thoroughly issues li ke the trends which affect either negatively or positively the movie rental industry with utmost reference to Netflix and Blockbuster in respect to their fight for the market headship, scrutinize in detail the competitive movie rental industry environment, and by extension give detailed discussion on the use of both the SWOT as well as reasonable scorecard to evaluate Netflixs battle strategy for market leadership on the whole. Dominant Business and Economic Characteristics of Movie Rental Industry: The video rental industry (formally known as home entertainment or leisure) is actually an economic segment duly involved with the development, marketing and sale of movie as well as other computer games. It includes such video games as consoles, game software, mobile games, handheld devices as well as online games. In recent years, the movie industry of has been experiencing exponential growth. The growth has been such that it is expected even to further leap-frog in the near and far future (Espedido Julian, 2010). According to Espedido Julian (2010), the industrys dominant economic features include 1) Market bulk and growth pace More than $35 billion was spent on video games consoles, game software etc. Industry is expected to have more than $51 billion sale by 2010. 2) Numbers of rivals The two main contenders are Netflix and Blockbuster. 3) The extent of competitive challenge Global presence with regional focus is required for companys competitive long term success. 4) Numbers of buyers around 250 to 300 million people globally did watch movies and nearly the same number did play video games in the year 2007. There is for instance, an estimated average age of those actively involved in the video games. The estimated age has actually jumped to 33 years in 2005, and about 25 percent of video gamers were in excess of age 50. 5) The extent of product discrimination The bigger the extent of differentiation, the further the competitive advantage. 6) Product innovation merchandise innovation plays noteworthy role in capturing the market share and to take competitive advantage in the market. And finally, pace of technological advancement Newly sophisticated technology advancement does plays a crucial role in entertainment industry particularly with due regard to movie rental industry. The emergence for instance of internet services have made it quite easier for Netflixs founder, Reed Hastings who did become aware of the demand for online renting of movies way back in the year 1997. Without hesitation, he began the vibrant online movie rental business indeed to a large scale. Netflix became successful, and it did not take long before he began to bring in the reimbursements of someone elses idea. Competition: In the movie rental industry, there has been an intense competition between two major business rivals; Netflix and Blockbuster. The competition in the movie rental industry has been so frighteningly fierce for the precedent few years that it has been termed by many opinion leaders as unhealthy business wise. Netflix and Blockbuster are actually the current leaders in the booming rental movie industry and by extension and to that effect the major rivals. The Blockbuster has been in the business for long, in fact, since 1985 on the other hand, Netflix only entered its 12th existence year this year. Actually the founder, Reed Hastings did establish Netflix in the year 1997. Nevertheless, at the moment, Netflix appears to lead the market in terms of market acquisition. Netflix which is largely viewed as a newcomer does have around 9.6 million online customers who have subscribed to their services. In comparison, Blockbuster has just slightly more than 3 million online subscribers despite its longer years of existence. In the United States of America, there are other online movie rental companies which include companies such as Intelliflix, Redbox and GameZnFlix. However, GameZnFlix and Redbox do not serve the locals most of the time. Instead they more often than not target Asian markets. Additionally, Wal-Mart also did attempt to spawn profits in the movie rental industry but sooner was outrun in the business by Netflix. These days Wal-Mart merely possesses an advertising contract with Netflix in the industry. Online Service General Idea: Both the Netflix and Blockbuster entire right of entry are online movie rental services. This implies that one can look through their records and place movies or even a favorite program in ones queue. A customer or a member is permitted to maintain a DVD so long as she/he so wants and there also exist no outstanding dates or even late charges. The operation is such that once a movie had been seen it is wrapped in an envelope and immediately sent back to either Netflix or Blockbuster. So responsive are the movie rental companies such that as soon as a movie sent back is received, the next movie to be sent in the stand in line will duly be sent to the customer or member. Indeed, Both Netflix and Blockbuster do have many different strategies from which to choose. The possible options are two-fold and they include limited rentals and unlimited rentals. In its infinite DVD rental option, Netflix does offer eight (8) strategies. The costs normally vary from about $10 for a movie at a parti cular time to around $50 for 8 movies. On the other hand, Blockbuster has four (4) different schemes which fall between $10 and $24. As regards limited rentals, Netflix normally offer two (2) DVDs per month for about $6 or four (4) DVDs for a period of one month for about $12.however, with reference to limited rentals, a Blockbuster member is able to get two (2) DVDs for the equivalent value as their market challengers or four (4) DVDs for about $8 only. Netflix has more continuous entertainment flow merits. Netflix utilizes technological advancement than no other company. For example if an individual is a member of Netflix, it is highly possible movies are watched from the individuals website at the same time as the person is waiting to obtain the subsequent movies from the list. This benefit is only to be had to Netflix customers. Nonetheless, Blockbuster also has certain incentives to their customers. It normally let a rental customer to turn back a watched movie physically. On f urther advancement to outdo each other, Netflix more often than not sends a new show within a day, whereas it takes Blockbuster around two to three days to deliver a new movie. Netflix is really sophisticated in this business. It does offer a wider assortment of movies as compared to its biggest competitors and even a rare expediency of watching shows online. Further still, they are also faster on matters shipping. With regard to technological use, Blockbuster only lets a member arrange and order movies online. Their movies are also largely obtainable in their stores. As a result, they lack online movie watching services. However, Blockbuster does give a rare chance to its customers to acquire as much as double shows given that their in store rental services is free with a Total Access Pass. The Forces Driving Movie Rental Industry: Several forces do propel the movie rental industry especially with regard to the performance of one of the market leaders, the Netflix, and they include such forces as i) Market Features-The industry was in actual market maturity stage previous to the application and utilization of the Internet technology as a medium of distribution. Netflix did capitalize and subsequently utilized the Internet sophistication to gain huge market share by offering customers and members with direct movie download accessibility and undeviating shipments to their home. Â   As earlier stated, Netflix was and for that matter still remain a market leader that realized the first potential of the market which did exist for Internet movie rentals. Â  According to Espedido Julian (2010) they did make the product less complex for the consumer to acquire by eliminating unnecessary hassle that existed before and in lieu provided accelerated delivery. ii) Profit Margins of the Industry- the gross profit of Netfli x did shoot up from $8 million in the year 2000 to around $419.6 million in the year 2007. Â  it was an indication that Netflix was proficient and capable of capitalizing on the existing market trends which affect the entire movie rental industry. Netflix market entrance was quite successful and this contributed to their fast growth and expansive market share acquisition. iii) Competition Intensity- when Netflix was entering movie retail industry, the industry then was operating as an oligopoly as Blockbuster did control a major market share. Â   Netflix was amazingly able to compete against the then well established Blockbuster by effectively and efficiently using the Internet technology and the policy of one day delivery distribution channels were its central competitive advantage over Blockbuster and other allied companies in the market that was largely oligopoly. iv) Variations in Demand-Movie demand appears to be somewhat consistent. Â   Nevertheless, more and more customers seem to be too conventional. They are reminiscent of the idea of requesting for the DVDs off the Internet. v) Capital and Technological Requirements- A huge amount of initial capital is duly required to start the business of movie rentals and in turn obtain any momentous share of the market since fees that must be paid is quite exorbitant. Compare Netflix and Blockbusters competitive strategies: Both Netflix and Blockbuster have employed diverse strategies, plans and schemes to gain more market share as well as revenues as they can. They have before engaged in business tussles. Both the companies have actually been involved in price battle, each lowering its operation cost compared to the cost charged by their rival (Thompson, et al. 2010). This strategy however, popular with many competing companies does work advantageously to consumers since the consumers get the same kind of services for a smaller amount of money they pay. The CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings strategies is to reach about 20 million customers by the year 2012. Netflix therefore puts a great deal of anxiety on Blockbuster compelling them to change something in their strategy and future plans. In fact, up till about two years ago, Blockbuster was charging for their services late fees for failure to return on time DVDs back (Thompson, et al. 2010). The company henceforth changed their strategy and no longer char ge late fees any more. Netflix has very aggressive strategies. They have been purchasing privileges to autonomous films. This plan will permit Netflix to rent or even sell DVDs or movies in the theatres. In so doing, Netflix gambles and attempts to make more cash on movies which Hollywood never considers. It duly works in their favor since only 30 percent of Netflixs rentals are new releases (Thompson, et al. 2010). Advantages/Disadvantages of Two Rivals Advantages of Netflix: Netflix provides more advantages to its customers. According to Roth, Daniel (2009) their customers do watch more than 7000 movies online as a member. Their website also makes recommendations based on your previous ratings. Further, their website keeps track of movies rented. Moreover, they have a large selection of special interest DVDs. Finally, they avail to their customers a 2 week free trial. Disadvantages of Netflix: Netflix have numerous merits. However, they also have few demerits. For instance, they show poor customer service. Their services subject customers into a long wait for new releases. Advantages of Blockbuster Total Access: Blockbuster as a market rival to Netflix has merits too. They offer 2 free video/game in store monthly rentals to their members. Their members also enjoy privilege to return online order to any local Blockbuster store and this is very convenient to customers (Roth, Daniel, 2009). In addition, their customers pay a paltry $9.99 for the first month of subscription. Disadvantages of Blockbuster Total Access: Nevertheless, Blockbuster also has disadvantages. For that case, their customers are barred from returning rented Movies by mail. Finally, their consumers are conditioned to have 2 separate accounts in order to rent in store and online (Blockbuster, 2008). A Complete SWOT for Netflix: The founders of Netflix were Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. This was way back in the year 1997. They both viewed the business as a blend of customary video store as well as a subscription or payment cable TV services. Since April 1998, Netflix has been offering DVD owners an expedient as well as a cost effectual alternative to rent movies. Netflix has been operating as an internet based rental movie subscription services provider particularly for formatted movies of digital video disc (DVD). Its website provided its members to not only surf its catalogue of shows without difficulties, but also offered clips of movies which customers could afford to rent. Its prime mission is to offer versatile services which can help its members pick and obtain rental movies with an absolute gratification. Netflixs founders were very intelligent. They were able to foresee the positive potential of technological trend of the digital video disc player market jointly with the fast growth of internet access. Netflix as a result placed itself immediately in the internet DVD rental business. Their main focus was on those Americans who love movies, can access the internet, owns a DVD player or possess PCs or have DVD-ROM. Unsatisfied customers with the rule of the game of the other local movie rental companies preferred the online stores which was offered principally by Netflix. The online stores did cover scores of demographics. Summary From the point of view of the user, there is bound to occur varied preferences towards one service. It mostly relies on individual needs of a service member. For instance, versed with technological advancement will more likely favor Netflix, whilst a family living at home and is close to a Blockbuster store would prefer its services. Relying on the observation above, it is adequate to say that Netflix is more than able to be steps ahead of Blockbuster because they do not incur overbearing overhead cost of possessing its stores as well as storing all DVDs.

Atomic Bombs :: Bombs History Essays

Atomic Bombs Today, bombs are a part of life. People hear about bomb explosions, or a story related to bombs, almost daily. No one is really in harm today because of the strict regulation of bombs. The United States government as well as many governments all over the world have limited the use of bombs. Since the atomic bomb was introduced, the only thing that the world has been able to relate to it is destruction. This, of course, is due a great deal to World War II. The â€Å"famous† bomb that was dropped in Japan was the straw that broke the camel’s back. There is a plethora of information on the negative effects of the A-bomb and topics that relate to the atomic bomb: its origins, its effects on the environment, and its effects on humans. First of all, a brief outline of nuclear history can tie up loose ends of the life of radiation. In 1789, Martin Klaproth discovered uranium. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895. One year later, Henri Becquerel, a French scientist, discovered that some atoms give off energy in form of rays; uranium gives off radiation. In 1899, Ernest Rutherford concludes that radiation can be divided into two types, alpha and beta rays. One year later, Pierre Curie observes another type of radiation, the gamma ray. In 1905, the first food irradiation patents are issued in the U.S. and Europe. This is a method for processing foods by treating them with radiation. (It does not make the food radioactive.) This time line shows how quickly radiation came to be in relation to uranium to the effects of the radiation it gives off. This is an important idea to note because it forecasts the speed at which the atomic bomb was later created. The scientific development surrounding the A-bomb has been a pivotal point in the world’s history, launching the world into the Atomic Age. The discovery of the nuclear atom dates back to 1911, but its potential power was not realized until the late 1930’s. Both the idea and study of atoms as a weapon originated in Germany. Albert Einstein even had knowledge of atomic weapons. He wrote a letter to President Roosevelt to inform him of the potential power of them.

Julius Caesar Comparsion :: essays research papers

Many of the problems that Julius Caesar faced during his rule are still problems that the world still faces today. In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar the problems are clearly evident. The main problem is the inherit distrust in people of government that is caused by unstable governments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One relationship between the PRI in Mexico and the Government of J.C. is that the people might think that they are running the government but they actually are not. For example in Mexico the PRI appoints every political offices and nominations. The same event happened in J.C. Brutus did not like the way J.C. was ruling things and was afraid that he was going to take the crown. Brutus and some other friends planed a conspiracy and assassinated J.C. That ties in to Mexico’s dilemma because the people like having J.C. ruling but Brutus did not care about the people. That is happing in Mexico too the PRI is just looking out to help out them self’s they don’t care about the well fare of the people. One other relationship is that Brutus portrays the PRI in a way that the PRI does not care about the way the government is functioning now. Brutus will turn it upside down I a second to try and make it they way he want’s. When Brutus killed Caesar it disorganized the government until the war over and Mark Anthony took over. When a country has a civil war it creates a real vonerable time for the country, when Mark Anthony and Brutus split up the Roman Empire for a civil war it left Rome extremely defenseless. Any big county could reek havoc over Rome which just had there favorite leader assassinated by a trusted general with a lot of honor. The same event is happing right now in Mexico the peso is dropping every day and for the past twenty years the president has promising that they will stop being a third world country. As you can see having trust in a leader is vital to the well being of a county, do you think if the citizens knew that there president would not get them out o f being a third world county they would have chosen them. Of course not, but Mexico also has some other problems like corruption a lot of the political stuff that happens in Mexico is under the table.

John Rawls Ethical Theory Essay

On February 21 on the year 1921 a man who’s in the future will be regarded as a prominent philosopher John Rawls in Baltimore Maryland was born. He graduated in Kent School in 1939; Rawls completed BA at Princeton University and received in here his Ph. D. in 1950. Great American Political Philosopher John Rawls was highly considered as an important person at the time, as the most prominent liberalisms’ advocate. He was also working as a Professor at Harvard University in his field of expertise, in the field of Political Philosophy. Rawls’ theory that often calls â€Å"justice as fairness† and its concepts presented in 1971 Theory of Justice, his primary published book. He is also the creator of 1993 Political Liberalism that means distinctive things into different people and The Law of Peoples in 1999. It presents a non-historical or hypothetical variation on the social contract theory. In the said theory, it declares that agents are making a balanced and rational social decision following a certain rule at the rear of â€Å"veil of ignorance†. The said theory makes them able to prevent from knowing in progress what condition and category they will hold. Rawls proclaimed that this method will be beneficial for all the citizens for it will surely produced a society in which the freedom of everyone embrace and their independence will be practiced. His proclamation also emphasized that this will maximize for the entire nation and social disparity will only happen when the circumstances prove that it will benefit a least favored constituents. In brief, what he has done is to combine the very strong principle of social and economic equality. In the issue entitled â€Å"When is creating a turnover situation the right thing to do†, the author, â€Å"MEK†, tells the story an employee who is really doing quite well in the job. However, it is also said that the employer of the said employee although willing to keep him for the job, is not willing and interested in making such investment for the development of the employee’s career. â€Å"MEK† also tells his story in regarding his past employer. In order to understand the situation let me first give a summary of the story. MEK once work as a shift supervisor in a certain company. By that time, the operations manager is really skilled not only in the job but as a leader too. After some time, the shift manager was promoted leaving MEK in charge of the vacant position. MEK works as acting operations manager for about 4 months and it can be said that he is doing a great job with increase in the sales and low turnovers during his time as the operations manager. Suddenly, after more than 160 days of working in the said position, it is said that he is to be replace by fresh graduate of BA degree. The said replacement had absolutely no experience in running a business. MEK is even asked to train the person who is to replace him. Thus, MEK was in actuality upset and decided not to work in the company to any further extent. The presence of ethical issue can be seen in this story. And this presence of issue can be resolved and accomplished using a concept formulated by John Rawls in what appear to us and popularly known as the â€Å"justice of fairness†. According to Rawls, two conditions must be satisfied for social and economic inequalities. First, fair equality of opportunity must be given when it comes to positions and as well as offices that are often to all who can be considered under condition. Second, it has to benefit those that are considered least advantage member of the society. Applying Rawls’s concept in the case of MEK, it can be said that MEK has the right remain as the operation manager of the said company. It can be said that MEK was not given equal opportunity because the company based their decision on the educational attainment of the individual (which is the main basis for most companies), something that MEK lacks. However, MEK had proven that although he does not have a BA degree, he is still able to do the job. Thus, applying Rawls concept in the situation, it would had been in goodwill and favor of MEK. Aside from what had been mentioned earlier, there had also been several concepts of Rawls that are considered of great value and importance in political philosophy. It is believed that John Rawls made an important contribution in the said field. Rawls’s work not only attracted the attention of those who are interested and are in the field of philosophy but many other fields as well such as political scientist, economist and even legal scholars and theologians. This only proves that his ideology is well known and regarded as one of the best if not the best. Among all of the works of Rawls, his books of Justice as fairness, his original position, the reflective equilibrium, Rawls’ overlapping consensus, and public relations are the ones that had been given and receive extensive attentions. Rawls is regarded as unique among political philosophers in the contemporary time. Ethics involves the study of norms and values in particular action knowing what is right or wrong and the consequences of it weather bad or good and character virtue and this practices are importance in the fields of governance as well as in business world. Ethics aim was to provide a systematic explanatory account and inquiry that the people may actually have. The use of ethics in business and government world also imply public policy as a way of balancing or weighing relevant considerations usually identified by principles of common use. In my personal opinion, I also believe that in today’s business and government world study of ethics is of great value. In business, ethics examined moral and ethical problems that can arise and take it’s place in a business environment. Through this study, they will able to trace how the corporations conduct business, hold both within and outside workers of the company. Through this company can strengthens its relationship with the employees how they can manage and treat every member the right and most effective way, or workplace ethics, they can also formulate a proper governance, and make policies, decision making, appropriate techniques and understanding individual behavior. In the case of governance, it creates a leadership process and social responsibility to be able to administer and process the system. And so the governance for the organization, like a government would include such common feature such as a clear mission, a good responsibility, accountability, transparency, stewardship, flexibility, representation and most of all they may acquire success. The fulfillment of the organizations mission is a paramount concern be it to make profits do good works or act as a government.