Thursday, October 31, 2019

Cameron and Obama Show Unity on Afghanistan Essay

Cameron and Obama Show Unity on Afghanistan - Essay Example Hoffman describes the terrorist groups as â€Å"rational actors† who are terrorizing for gaining political power. The same was exercized by Israel in 1946 to get a separate homeland from Palestinians. They massacred 91 people and terrorized them to seek political power. Today, although the president Obama is much stick on his footings to take tough measures against Iran for its nuclear programme but what keeps him bound is the approaching elections. Because US is not yet ready to trigger guns against Iran because she has a strong opinion from the public that they should not opt for any war further after the bitter experience of Afghanistan and Iraq. US is holding back its terrorist policies yet for the gain of political power as it can turn the masses against him. The game that every terrorist plays is for the gain of power and politics, so are doing the big political powers like US and Britain. The expression of totalitarianism in Afghanistan and Libya has been a phenomenon o f much concern for the world. Because the power US and its allies have expressed in terms of gaining world peace is outrageous. But definitely the definition of terrorism differs for every one. Although the USA is showing terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya but it is not viewed as terrorist in that critical term of terror as Al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden is being viewed. The meeting between US and Britain affirm that Hoffman was right in explaing the terorism as a ‘globalized factor’. It has emerged from its historial roots to contemporay dilemma. 9/11 attacks, existence of Al-Qaeda and nuclear programme of Iran have united the globe against terrorists who are moving ahead to get their objectives. Hoffman is of the idea that the fears disseminated and political gains of terrorist have enabled the two adversaries of the past to merge together. British once set white house at fire, today US and Britain are allies against their common adversaries like Al-Qaeda who attacked US on 9/11 and Britain on 7/7. Terrorism was once a tool for only some small terrorist organizations but today it has gained popularity on state level. Now states like US, Britain, France are waging wars against the groups like Al-Qaeda etc. Hoffman gives one of the definitions of terrorism as, â€Å"the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change (p.40). It seems quite fit to the current political situations where nation states are working for their specific political gains and change policy. As United States policy on Libya and Syria differs. The US used all possible means and measures to bring the political change in Libya while with reference to Syria; we see a clear cut diversion in US policies. The use of violence and threat that was exercised in Libya, completely complies with the new definitions of terrorism by Hoffman. The states use the tools of threat and violence to get political changes of their own choices. â€Å"When we see what’s happening on television, our natural instinct is to act† was the statement by Obama that enables us to relate the link between terrorism and media as viewed by Hoffman who said, â€Å"

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Psychology article summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology article summary - Essay Example This is an important source of physiological stress for them because of the risk for dehydration. So the two experiments here rely on the toads sensitivity for detecting the composition of fluids around him and the stress it feels when conditions arent suitable for it- which leads to changes in both his heart rate and in its attempts to avoid these conditions and run away. Researchers therefore used an amount of sodium chloride which neither caused the toads to gain weight or loss weight, to create a "neutral" situation and then test their responses. A pilot experiment showed an increase in the heart rate of toads, which is important to set off their attempts to flee the environment. It used two solutions, one was good for the toads and the other wasnt. This technique was also good to evaluate the functional significance of conditioning (like in Pavlovs experiment with the dogs) in the context of water balance. During the experiment, researchers put the toads in Plexiglas cages, added water, changed the chemical composition of the water and lastly drained the tank. Toads were either put with another toad in the tank or placed there alone. There were mostly insignificant differences between the groups, but one significant find was that the toads placed with another toad in a tank learned to expect the reinforcement better. The toads showed learning abilities, as they anticipated the changes in water composition after it was done to them several times. Their anticipation could be witnessed by their increased heart rate. They managed to avoid losing weight almost as well as the toads never exposed to the different solution in the water. This experiment added another feature- an added compartment in the Plexiglas tank in which there was no altered solution. The toads could escape there to avoid being in contact with the solution. The results showed that all toads showed a consistent weight loss and did learn to avoid being in

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Neuropsychopharmacology Concepts: Overview and Analysis

Neuropsychopharmacology Concepts: Overview and Analysis Cole Garcia Introduction This research paper was written explore and demonstrate my personal interests in my field of study, neuropsychopharmacology. The research papers discussed were selected to provide a diverse range of topics within the field, and to convey findings that I’ve deemed to be particularly unique or useful in real-life application. Neuropsychopharmacology: a Brief, Multidimensional View Although frequently demonstrated to be neurotoxic in humans, amphetamines have been therapeutically prescribed and abused recreationally since their discovery over a century ago. One form of amphetamine, infamous for its high rates of addiction and toxicity in users, is methamphetamine (METH). The researchers of this study posed the question of whether the traditional animal models demonstrating that METH use decreases caudate-putamen dopamine levels (DA) can be applied to human patterns of abuse and resulting neurotoxicity. Substantial research has indicated that tolerance to METH reduces many of the toxic effects associated with binge use of the drug. To demonstrate this, the researchers aimed to find if the neural death in rats associated with an acute METH binge following an escalation-dose (ED) pretreatment would be less severe than the damages stereotypically observed after high dose â€Å"binge† exposure without prior ED treatment. The researchers hypothesized that curr ent research overstates the neurotoxicity associated with METH abuse, since animal model studies fail to account for the ED pattern typically observed before binge-use in most human users of METH. To test their hypothesis, the researchers selected groups of healthy male rats for experimentation. The living conditions of the rats were kept stable and relatively natural. Following a normalization period of at least a week, the rats were administered three separate, increasing doses of d-METH each day for two weeks. The period began with a dosage of 0.1mg/kg and finished with a dosage of 4.0mg/kg, a dose considered extraordinarily high for human users. Following the last day of ED pretreatment, the rats were administered a â€Å"binge† regimen, consistent with those traditionally used in similar studies, of four injections of 6mg/kg at two hour intervals. Throughout the experiment, a variety of data regarding behavioral responses to the drug, physiological responses like hyperthermia, and other immediately observable variables were gathered. Three days after the last METH administration, the rats were killed and their brains were analyzed to measure DA content and the leve ls of DAT transporter binding that is typically reduced as a result of METH binge use. Analysis of the data showed that the acute METH binge administration produced lower than average neurotoxicity in rats that were subject to ED pretreatment. All but one of the post-mortem neural tissue measurements displayed a reduction in damages in the pretreated rats while non-pretreated rats displayed normal levels of neural death following the acute binge. In vitro data showed similar results; rats administered the binge regiment without pretreatment displayed stereotypic movement associated with acute an METH binge. Most significantly, the data showed that the reduction in DA levels typically resulting from METH binge administration was considerably less severe in the rats that underwent ED pretreatment. All p values for this data were less than 0.01 or 0.001. The researchers concluded that a significant portion of the neurotoxic effects of METH binge use observed in rats can be attenuated by a prior escalation dose regimen. Since past studies on METH’s neurotoxicity fail to examine the drug’s neurotoxicity in subjects that followed â€Å"regular† human patterns prior to administration of toxic doses, the researchers argued that future research on stimulant abuse should follow an escalation dose pretreatment in order to produce data that is actually applicable to the majority of human subjects. For psychopharmacology researchers concerned with reducing drug related harm, this is extremely important information and future studies should explore further by finding a rodent ED pretreatment that is most comparable to actual human behavior patterns. The effects of hallucinogenic drugs like psilocybin and LSD have been documented to profoundly alter visual perceptions of the world. For thousands of years, psilocybin and similar substance have been used for spiritual and religious rituals in many different cultures. Until recently, the neurological causes for the visual distortions have been largely unknown. Past research has found that the serotonin receptors, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, 5-HT2C, are likely highly involved in visual processing as well as hallucinations associated with Schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Past animal studies indicate that activation of the 5-HT2A receptors increases the excitability of the visual cortex. This research paper, published by the Journal of Neuroscience, investigates the possibility that the activation of 5-HT2A receptors through psilocybin causes modulation of parietal-occipital ÃŽ ± oscillations, resulting this noted increase in excitability of visual processors. The researchers further hypothesized that the hallucinations could be caused by the 5-HT2A receptor modulation of the visual cortex’s visual recognition â€Å"potentials.† Specifically, the researchers questioned whether or not the P1 and N170 (visual recognition and mid-level processing potentials) are modulated by psilocybin’s activations of the 5-HT2A receptors. The researchers attempted to answer these questions by administering across multiple doses a combination of psilocybin, a placebo, and ketanserin (a 5-HT2A antagonist to cancel the effects of psilocybin in certain trials) to seventeen healthy individuals on four different experimental days. After administration of each drug(s), visual stimulus and response tests were carried out with continuous EEG monitoring during each trial. ÃŽ ± waves were measured for a short duration before and after the administration of the visual stimulus, and the resulting strengths were compared. Six hours after the administration of the drugs, the subjects were required to fill out a standardized questionnaire addressing their subjective visual alterations and changes in perception as a result of the drugs administered on that day. A variety of corrections and comparisons were performed on the data to analyze it with respect to the hypotheses, and results were constructed from the implicated correlations. The first finding was that all subjects administered psilocybin subjectively experienced hallucinogenic effects or visual distortions. It was also found that the all subjects administered the placebo or ketanserin reported no hallucinations or visual distortions. P and r values for these data suggested very strong replicability and correlation. From the ÃŽ ± oscillation data, the researchers found that, under normal conditions, the ÃŽ ± oscillations were stronger during the prestimulus phase than the poststimulus phase. From the psilocybin administered subject trials, the researchers found that the ÃŽ ± oscillations were weaker than usual in the prestimulus phase and the subsequent reduction of strength was not observed in the poststimulus phase. In the placebo and ketanserin tests, no attenuation of ÃŽ ± oscillations were observed. Similarly, in trials where ketanserin was administered 1 hour following psilocybin administration, the decrease in ÃŽ ± oscillations was not observed, in dicating that the 5-HT activation following psilocybin administration is likely a cause for the observed ÃŽ ± oscillation modulation. Since ÃŽ ± oscillations have been shown to be involved in the brain’s construction of vision, the researchers concluded that the hallucinogenic effects of psilocybin are, at least partially, caused by modulation of ÃŽ ± oscillations by activation of 5-HT2A. Along with the modulation of ÃŽ ± oscillations through psilocybin’s activation of 5-HT2A, the researchers also monitored modulation of the P1 and N170 potentials. Activation of 5-HT2A was found to decrease the P1 potentials while increasing the N170 potentials during stimulus. Differences between the psilocybin and non-psilocybin trials showed trends and replicability similar to the observed ÃŽ ± oscillation data. Since these potentials have been shown to be important neurological processes associated with the brain’s recognition and construction of visual input, the researchers concluded that modulation of these important visual potentials is likely somewhat responsible for the perceived changes in visual perception. These data are among the first to show a potential neurological mechanism of action for the changes in visual perception caused by psilocybin, and future research could seek to understand how the modulation of these systems directly relates to specific vis ual changes. Alcoholism is an affliction facing millions of people worldwide and its consequences stretch far beyond the individual. Despite the mounting medical and social costs of alcohol addiction, little progress has been made towards developing effective medication as treatment. Ibogaine, a hallucinogen found in a plant native to Africa, has been anecdotally observed to reverse or undue addiction to many drugs of abuse, including alcohol. Due to its safety profile and nature of the drug’s effects, ibogaine has not yet been considered a potential medication. In this study, the researchers posed the question of whether ibogaine reduces behaviors of addiction; and, if so, how and where it produces these effects in the brain. Digging deeper, the researchers aimed to refute or confirm evidence indicating that ibogaine causes neurotoxicity at doses associated with the addiction reducing action of the drug. To answer these questions, the researchers used both behavior studies and in vivo `brain analysis. The behavior studies, testing the anti-addiction potential of ibogaine, were carried out by habituating rats to ethanol (self-administered or systematically) and then recording preferences following treatment with ibogaine. One study allowed the rats continuous access to both water and ethanol for a period of two months before administration of alcohol. In another study, rats were placed in a cage with two levers, one delivering water and the other delivering ethanol. After a period of three days without the water lever being active, ibogaine was administered and the responses were recorded. A variety of similar experiments were carried out, each of them aiming to eliminate one area of uncertainty regarding the nonspecific activities of the drug. To test for the mechanisms involved in ibogaines addiction reversal, the researchers carried out a series of ibogaine microinjections into the brains of ethanol self-administering rats. In order to clarify which area of the brain is mediates ibogaines effects, each injection was localized at a different brain structure associated with addiction and the resulting behaviors were observed. In vivo, the researchers further isolated ibogaines mechanism of action by examining the drug’s effects on cells in the rodent’s midbrain. To test for neurotoxicity, the brains of non-ibogaine treated mice were analyzed against the brains of ibogaine treated mice. After analyzing the data, the researchers found that all trials indicated attenuation of alcoholism in rats treated with ibogaine. With continuous access to alcohol before and after treatment, ibogaine treated subjects showed a reduction in preference for alcohol (when given a choice) as well as a reduction of intake when no choice was offered. Further clarifying the findings, the data showed that rats treated with ibogaine showed very little change in preference for water or sucrose control solutions. P values for these data was less than 0.02 consistently. The findings confirm that ibogaine, when administered to alcohol preferring animals, reduces the animals consumption of alcohol. Among the secondary findings, the researchers also determined the specific area mediating ibogaine’s action to be the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In trials where ibogaine micoinjections were performed in the VTA, rats decreased their consumption of alcohol considerably. In trials where the same microinjections were made in neighboring substantia nigra, no reduction in alcohol was observed. Another important result was the lack of cell death observed in mice treated with the same therapeutic doses administered to the rat subjects. This was found by observing comparing brain sections of mice exposed to known neurotoxins, ibogaine, or nothing. Similarly, no coordination impairment or bodily harm was found to occur after ibogaine administration at therapeutic doses. The researchers also found that the expression of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is directly affected by the drug ibogaine. This leads to what is probably the most important discovery of the data: when GDNF neutralizing antibodies are injected into the VTA of ibogaine administered alcoholic rats, the reduction of alcohol intake was negated. These findings confirm previous studies that show GDNF negate some of the effects of psychoactive drugs. The results of the experiment indicate that ibogaine is not only a potential treatment for alcoholism and addiction, but that this effect is likely carried out through increase in GDNF expression after administration of ibogaine. In the research field seeking to find treatment for drug abuse, these results are potentially revolutionary. To develop an effective treatment, future studies could seek to develop a molecule that induces the upregulation of the GDNF pathway. Alternatively, further research could be done on ibogaine in order to develop a treatment that excludes the hallucinogenic effects of the drug. Mertons theory of Anomie: Girl gangs Mertons theory of Anomie: Girl gangs Topic: Read the report A study on girls in gangs by Hong Kong Federation of Youth and evaluate the possible explanations offered by Merton’s strains towards anomie theory. After reading the report A Study on Girls in Gang by Hong Kong Federation of Youth , to a large extent I disagree to Merton’s strain towards anomie theory. Lets begin with the definition of Girls in Gang. Firstly, Girls in Gang means those girls are not contribute in any triad or serious criminal cases like murder, but they mainly committed in physical violence, stealing from shop or strangers, dishonesty to use their phone or bullying some people that they do it for fun. Secondly, they aged from 10 to 17 years old. Thirdly, gang members are or above 3 people.(Chu Yiu Kong, An Analysis of Youth Gangs in Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong) Moreover, there are 5 types of structure in gangs. They are autonomous which is girl-dominant, auxiliary which is also girl-dominant but also rely on boy gangs, mixed which included girls and boys, independent group which is not control by anyone, satellite group which is girl-dominant, rely on boy gangs but independent. But what we know is, auxiliary and satellite are the main structures which were more common in Hong Kong society, and the decision-making are mainly from the boys. According to the theory of Structural Functionalism, the society is co-related. The social relationship extending over time and form stable patterns of interaction, then these structures in turn constituted social institutions when times gone. Therefore the social problem happens when function of an institution is not being performed properly, results from the malfunctioning. Also, from Mertons theory, deviant behavior and social disorganization were separate and distinct; tended to see each as causing the other. (Merton, 1938) In the case of Girls in Gangs, there is malfunction in the social relationship of their family, which cannot achieve prerequisite of socialization in order to inherit values, social norms, customs or ideologies by the society. That means their relationship cannot engage those girls in such a way that we find appropriate and acceptable. At the same time, their family cannot give out as the role of the family does such as give them love and belonging, financial support. Thus, girls may easily accept the deviant behaviors such as join gang to satisfy their needs. Refer to Mertons theory of strains towards anomie society, separate deviance into cultural structure and social structure. First, anomie means the low level of moral regulation which regard as normlessness, on the one hand, it is about when we are free to act and not constrained by social norms. Second, cultural structures means a hierarchy of shared values that govern our behaviors and provide us with cultural goal like achievement on education or career, material comfort of wealth. On the other hand, social structure means institutional norms which define and regulate the acceptable mode of reaching these goals.'(Merton, 1938) In other words, is to provide legitimate means by which members can pursue their goals. From his theory, there are five types of adaptations to achieve either cultural goals or social means. To a large extent, I agree to the conformity adaptations, but small extent agree to the ritualism adaptations, the innovation adaptation, the rebellion adaptations and th e retreatism adaptation did applicable to the case of girls join gangs in Hong Kong. The reasons are as of the following. The report of A study on Girls in Gangs have shown that the several reasons of the girls join gangs because of emotional attachment and protection. As most of the interviewees responded that they were lack of affiliation, which they do not have a good or even lack of relationship with their family, school or working place. In order to fulfill their mental needs or emotional attachment, they joined gangs to achieve the conformity with other people in order to lower the loneliness. Besides, girls in gangs will be named as ah-so, English means either sister-in-law or girlfriend, or ka -mui, in English means little sister, both names did not have a direct relationship, but somehow they can get protection from the gangs because of what their fake relationship is simply as same as the real family. This structure represents that the girl participating in gangs is trying to achieve their cultural goal and they do have social means which is join gangs . Thus, the girls participate in gangs d oes regard as an conformity adaptations since they have their cultural goals and social means. According to the report, A study on Girls in Gangs, the two interviewees told that they were pleasant and happy because of they can enjoy free entertainment when they join gangs. (18 years old, student) They will go to sing karaoke, dancing or go to mainland sometimes, depend on where the gangs go, and the girls in gangs do not need to pay any money, which for boys to show their gentleness and power. (16 years old, employee). From the research, it presents the girls do have cultural goal which is free entertainment regard as use the social means, but they use the same means which do not have any new goals or new means. In addition, the society was also assume the goal as materialism or material comfort, when they did not achieve their goals in legitimacy means, so they will reject the mean. Therefore, the ritualism adaptation which refers as no goals but with means cannot apply in this case. Nonetheless, the report A study on Girls in Gangs, One of the interviewees said that she joins gang because of her boyfriend is one of the members in gangs.(16, student)Furthermore, from what she has said, girls join gangs may seem to have a new goal which is find a boyfriend and maintain a stable love relationship with their partner, but it is also talk about they need emotional attachment, love and belonging by the mean. Thus, rebellion adaptation which have new goals and new means, and innovation adaptation which have goals and new means are not applicable in girls join gangs in Hong Kong, because they do not have the new goals and new means. The above report datas also presented some of the girls know that when they need to leave the gang. The report shown that girls join gangs which they think they were smart enough to protect themselves, and they know what they are doing, they always did something for aim.(18, employee) This shows that they are not as what retreatlism adaptation means have no goals and no means to do some deviant behavior, and what Merton regards as true deviant. Therefore, retreatlism adaptation cannot apply in this case, as the girls join gangs for goals. In our life, different countries or places may bring a different social structure. Compare to America, Hong Kong is rarely have serious criminal cases, and the girls in gangs which were totally different. Mertons theory can explain why rates of deviant behavior are higher in some sectors of the society than in others. American culture is characterized by great emphasis on the accumulation of wealth as a success symbol without a corresponding emphasis on using legitimate means to match toward their goal.'(Marshall B. Clinard, 1964) Refer to the theory, it told that in America society, if the one who want to achieve goals of being wealthy, they can use any means leaned success, even illegal or criminal should be accepted by the theory. Thus, American are more focus on wealth, and do not care all other things such as relationship, love, caring, academic, and they may not facing the same problems of Hong Kong girls in gangs which was lack of affiliation or facing failure. Then, compare t o the case of Hong Kong girls in gangs, mainly concerned about the emotional attachment and conformity, join gangs seek as an instruments to achieve their conformity, they may have goals but they do not have any new means. So in this way, Mertons theory may not be appropriate to apply on the girls join gangs in Hong Kong society which is more applicable on American society. Last but not least, Hong Kong girls join gangs should be regarding something they want like affiliation to achieve with means, which is Hong Kong girls join gangs were trying to gain conformity by satisfy their emotional attachment, love and belonging. So conformity adaptation of the Mertons theory is the only one can apply and suit on the girls join gangs in Hong Kong. On the other hand, girls in gang of Hong Kong society need to fulfill their need with means, but not with new goals or new means, so other adaptation of the Mertons theory may not be the best to apply in Girls in Gangs of Hong Kong society. Therefore, to a large extent I disagree to Merton’s strain towards anomie theory. Reference Readings Chu, Yiu Kong (2005)An analysis of Youth Gangs in Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong in Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences NO.29 Spring/Summer 2005. Clinard, Marshall B.(1995) Robert Merton: Anomie and Social Structure in Earl Eubington and Martin S. Weinberg ed. The study of Social Problems Seven Perspectives, London : Oxford University Press. Haralambos, Michael and Holborn, Martin (2000) Sociology Themes and Perspectives ,London Collins. Mok, James and Chan Shui-ching(2008) A study on Girls in Gangs, Hong Kong : Research Centre, Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Comparing the Role of Women in Indian Camp and Shiloh Essay -- compari

Role of Women in Indian Camp and Shiloh  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The women of "Indian Camp" experience a life much different from the woman in "Shiloh." Ernest Hemingway wrote "Indian Camp" giving the women a definite role in their families while Bobbi Ann Mason wrote "Shiloh" leaving the woman’s definite family role ambiguous. Because they are responsible for the birth of the babies, the Native American women of the preceding story are the nurturers as opposed to the men. The women accept their roles and partake in their duties without any protest. On the other hand, Norma Jean’s role is not as traditional compared to the other women’s since she and Leroy have no children, she basically lives alone, and she maintains a job. While the Native American women and Norma Jean live different lives, they share the same problem of enduring the men’s ignorance to their needs. However, as the story progresses, Norma Jean realizes she wants to move on in her life, so she does not accept her situation. The Native Ameri can women continue their lifestyle not because they choose to be submissive, but because they know no other way. The women of the two stories lead totally different lives in that the Native American women accept their situation, assume submissive behavior, and endure the ignorance of men, while Norma Jean does not accept her situation, assumes assertive behavior, and does not put up with the ignorance of her husband. Not being exposed to Norma Jean’s independent way of life, the Native American women accept their lives of nurturing and care taking. The doctor’s visit to the Indian camp shows only women helping with the delivery of the baby. As they help the doctor, the men sit up the road away from all the commotion. No signs of resent... ...ver the period of his absence, Norma Jean develops into a stronger person from being on her own. Having Leroy home makes her realize she needs to move on and employs her assertiveness to get out of the situation. Although they remain loyal to their duties through all of the drudgery, the Native American women are strong because they lead a very important role in the family. Norma Jean also proves herself to be strong as she leaves her husband to move on to achieve more in her life. The women share different experiences, but they all exhibit strength in being the way they want to be. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. "Indian Camp." In Out Time. New York, Scribner’s, 1955. 16,17. Mason, Bobbi Ann. "Shiloh." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Sixth edition. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 495, 496, 500. Comparing the Role of Women in Indian Camp and Shiloh Essay -- compari Role of Women in Indian Camp and Shiloh  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The women of "Indian Camp" experience a life much different from the woman in "Shiloh." Ernest Hemingway wrote "Indian Camp" giving the women a definite role in their families while Bobbi Ann Mason wrote "Shiloh" leaving the woman’s definite family role ambiguous. Because they are responsible for the birth of the babies, the Native American women of the preceding story are the nurturers as opposed to the men. The women accept their roles and partake in their duties without any protest. On the other hand, Norma Jean’s role is not as traditional compared to the other women’s since she and Leroy have no children, she basically lives alone, and she maintains a job. While the Native American women and Norma Jean live different lives, they share the same problem of enduring the men’s ignorance to their needs. However, as the story progresses, Norma Jean realizes she wants to move on in her life, so she does not accept her situation. The Native Ameri can women continue their lifestyle not because they choose to be submissive, but because they know no other way. The women of the two stories lead totally different lives in that the Native American women accept their situation, assume submissive behavior, and endure the ignorance of men, while Norma Jean does not accept her situation, assumes assertive behavior, and does not put up with the ignorance of her husband. Not being exposed to Norma Jean’s independent way of life, the Native American women accept their lives of nurturing and care taking. The doctor’s visit to the Indian camp shows only women helping with the delivery of the baby. As they help the doctor, the men sit up the road away from all the commotion. No signs of resent... ...ver the period of his absence, Norma Jean develops into a stronger person from being on her own. Having Leroy home makes her realize she needs to move on and employs her assertiveness to get out of the situation. Although they remain loyal to their duties through all of the drudgery, the Native American women are strong because they lead a very important role in the family. Norma Jean also proves herself to be strong as she leaves her husband to move on to achieve more in her life. The women share different experiences, but they all exhibit strength in being the way they want to be. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. "Indian Camp." In Out Time. New York, Scribner’s, 1955. 16,17. Mason, Bobbi Ann. "Shiloh." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Sixth edition. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 495, 496, 500.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Evaluate a Significant Experience, Achievement, Risk You Have Taken, or Ethical Dilemma You Have Faced and Its Impact on You

I would like to tell you about an achievement that had impact on me, is learning English language. I that that would be easy but I figured that is very hard to learn a new language, learning English helped me a lot. I can understand better movies, songs even people speaking in English, and knowing this language is going to help me to have a better education in university, and in English course I made a new friends. Now I can understand much more English. Knowing English helped me a lot, now when I watch movies I understand better than before. Also songs that I listen I can understand what the singer is trying to say. When I travel with my parents in a different state that don’t speak Albanian I can talk with people in English and it help me a lot. A lot of my cousins continued studies in other countries and I always wanted to go outside of Kosovo to study. Now that I can learn in English I also can go somewhere else. Or I can stay in Kosovo but study in a American University and someday I will have a chance to go outside the state for masters. I can do this thank to English course. In that course I also made new friends, some of them maybe where going to be in same University so when I go in university I will have friends from Peja. And that will help me in first days in university where I’m going to be in totally new city and my life will change. My life change a lot when I learned English, which made me possible to understand better, to have a chance to get a better education, also during that time that I learned English I made new friends. So all those change are because I learned a new language which I can say was hard but had a big value.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Trap Ease Answer

Q1: They face once in a lifetime opportunity means that they are talking about the potential for profit and growth required following Information to Evaluate the Opportunity:-Determine the product selling point that will put it as a competitive advantage over other products. -make a survey about customers if they are willing to pay a higher price for the innovative product offered by the company.– make Competitive Frame of Reference (customer awareness-product quality-product availability-technical assistance-selling staff) -Identify the market segments (com/mkt3013-practice-2/">market segmentation), and select the target segment (market targeting). – Advantages of using the Ease-Trap over other competitors product (User Friendly-Child Friendly-Pet Friendly-No Poison-reuse-no clean up)I think the group is going to write the following â€Å"mission statement†: We produce a trap that you could use safer and easier than the traditional one, with no risk of catching your fingers while loading itI suggest writing the following â€Å"mission statement†: â€Å"we are making innovative mousetrap that traps mice easily, friend of the environment, and good value of money with no danger for your child†.Q2/ She identified the best target market (women) because they don’t like the mess or the risks created by traditional mouse traps. This is a good marketing segment to begin with They could try to focus on– Environmentalists as trap-ease is reusable so creates less of a strain on the environment which would make it a very attractive thing for them, -Animal lovers would love the Trap-Ease mouse trap because it doesn’t require poison or pose the risk of snapping closed on a paw or tongue of a pet. -Corporate Businesses as Food Company would probably like the Trap-Ease mouse trap because of its high quality more futuristic image and the fact that it would create as much of a mess, -families which have a kids as trap-ease with no danger for kids -hospitals-people who live in new cities as mice were spreadQ3/ They had positioned the product by mentioning that it is safer and easier to use than the competitors' products (Traps Mice Easily), and that there is no risk of catching one's finger while loading it.I think they can position the trap-ease as no dangerous for small children at home, Never seeing or touching a dead mouse again, fewer waists because it is re-useable, by having an incredibly good customer service team that could deliver services to their customers that were having problems using the productQ4/ The marketing mix of a company consist of the four P’s: Product: trap-ease.Price: about five times more expensive than standard trap.Place: trap-ease distributed directly through national grocery, hardware and drug chains (retailers) such as Safeway, sellers, Canadian tire, and shoppers drug mart avoiding any wholesaler or other intermediaries. Promotion: Trap-Ease had an promotion bud get about $60.000 They are spent $10,000 on advertising, the other $50.000 are spent on travel costs to visit trade shows and to make sales calls on retailersProblems:– Price is very high; she could offer a wider range of prices on the different models of their trap in order to offer more variety – Place: she was trying to distribute their product through large stores. They can use internet shop (E-shop) as People on the internet are often caring with quality, ease of use, and innovativeness and don’t mind spending a little more money to get what they want.It is also a high profit market because it reduces transportation costs and there are no middle man costs – promotion: she concentrated whole marketing budget on visiting trade shows and advertising on chatelaine and other home magazines ,she should promote over the internet for certain on sites and also think about putting out ads on TV. Q5/ Trap-Ease America’s competitor is any company that cre ates mouse traps competitors include Victor, JT Eaton, Riddex and D-CON who offers both baits and traps.They actually also offer a version of a no touch mouse trap in which you don’t have to touch the mouse after you have trapped it. They are selling this for $4.29 which is higher than the suggested retail price for the Trap-Ease mouse trap which is $2.99, which will give trap-ease a pricing advantage. Havahart offer traps which humanely catch everything from mice to voles and shrews and are competition for the humane factors of the Trap-Ease. There are also in direct competitor as poisons that are sold which are a danger to pets and animals as well as the mice they are supposed to kill.Q6/ Swot analysisInternal Strengths Weakness 1/very innovative product and engneered well 2/long life product as it is re-useable 3/with low risk specially for kids 4/highly environmemntal 1/high price 2/low promotion 3/do not detemine good target of market segmentation 4/product oriented stra tegyExternal Opportunities Threats 1/unique product,so it is a high potential market 2/less competitors 1/traditional marketers 2/chemicals and pesticidesNew marketing strategy:- 1/targeting:The targeting should have been done within a broader demographic area. Slums, warehouses, go downs, docks, kirana shops, retail stores, restaurant, canteens and cold storages must be targeted for potential customers. The segmenting must avail wholesalers and the intermediaries too apart from the retailers. Marketing channels like Toll-free numbers, newspapers, television, radio and mobile marketing must be used effectively to target MEN. Pest control companies must be primarily targeted and a joint venture can be planned if necessary. We should target to environmentalists, animal lovers and corporate business. 2/ PromotionsWhen two traps are sold in a single package it might not be appealing to the customers who are ready to experiment. So it should be one at a time. The cost must be cut down as low as possible at least for initial days because the customers are driven to products that are freely available for fewer prices. Here the packaging plays a prominent role. Free samples to the agencies must be initially given so that they get the customers acquainted to the product in order to gain a good name in the market. There should be mass distribution of the product and free demo services must be provided.The marketing network within the organization must be increased, instead of Martha being the single salesperson. There must be door-to-door salesperson to make the sales effective. The administrative costs must be cut down and more money should be spent in promotional activities like advertising in movie theatres. Showing a demo in the retail shops, approaching government to promote in railways and bus-stands as a social cause and environment savior. A brand ambassador must be endorsed to promote the product in order to attract the customers. Money back promise should be m ade to the customers if the products are found defective. This way they will gain the trust of the customers. 3/ Using Customers Value Triad:Though there’s value in terms of quality, satisfaction of the customers from the product is less because of its high price. And proper feedbacks must be taken from the customers as well as the retailers in order to assess the true position of the product. Online booking facilities must be provided so  that more customers can know the details about the product and buy it easily.The cost and communication of the four 4c’s concept must be kept in mind. The safety and re-usability aspects of the product must be communicated well to the customers. Retaining customers is very important and that can be done only through quality service. Customers are gods and promises made to them should be kept. They lost an order because of time the management and Matha doesn’t seem to learn from the mistake. The goodwill of the organization i s necessary for any product to remain for a long time. 4/ Planning:A proper market research is necessary to understand the wants of customers. Timely adjustments must be done based on the marketing environment. There must be a backup plan always when the target sales and profits are not achieved. When the sales have gone down in April, the marketing strategy must be immediately changed.The administrative costs must be cut down heavily. Also the reasons for why the product is not bought the second time must be found out and necessary changes made to the product as per customer benefits. Repeat buying will happen only when the services provided are beneficial to the customers. When the trade shows haven’t bought enough sales, the costs should be cut down there and allocate more money for advertising.Target Group Product Strategy Distribution Strategy Promoting Strategy ControlThe first thing I would do to change Trap-Ease’s marketing strategy would be to increase the amo unt of people in their marketing team. Although Martha was probably trying to keep down costs by not hiring anyone for her marketing team she made one important mistake. One of the most important things when coming out with a new product is the Marketing because until you’ve communicated the benefits of your product to the Consumer there will not be sufficient demand for it. Her entry into the market was too small scale and chances are that with such an innovative

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Is Wuthering Heights Romance or Tragedy essays

Is Wuthering Heights Romance or Tragedy essays Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living (Bronte, 163)! In this quote, Heathcliffs pain from Catherines death is obvious. Wuthering Heights is a Victorian novel regarding the lives of the Earnshaws and Lintons. Through three generations, they all experience wave after wave of tragedy all originating with Heathcliffs overwhelming desire for revenge against the Lintons. This hatred is brought on by the treatment Heathcliff receives from the Lintons as well as Edgar Lintons marriage to Catherine, his soul mate. Although many passages of love are exposed in Wuthering Heights, the true genre of this book is tragedy due to the role of characters other than Heathcliff, the untraditional happy ending, and the death of the heroine early in the story. The role of several characters makes this novel a tragedy. Hindley, Hareton, Cathy, and Linton would be completely unneeded if this were a true love story. Hindley becomes Heathcliffs Nemesis from the very beginning. He is cruel and hateful towards Heathcliff. He [Hindley] drove him [Heathcliff] from their company to the servants, deprived him of the instructions of the curate, and insisted that he should labour out of doors instead, compelling him to do so as hard as any other lad on the farm (Bronte, 49). Hareton is also unessential to a love between Catherine and Heathcliff. Hareton is Hindleys son and is treated like a slave, much the way Heathcliff was treated as a boy by Hindley. At one point, Heathcliff, talking to Nelly, describes what is in store for Hareton, I know what he suffers now, for instance, exactly; it is merely a beginning of what he shall suffer, though"(Bronte, 211). Hareton and Cathys love does make for a reconciliation of all this tragedy. However, it is after the majority of the book and therefore does not negate the previous misfortune. Linton is a path ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Critical reflection on waste management class project The WritePass Journal

Critical reflection on waste management class project Executive summary Critical reflection on waste management class project ), and the other is from the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) requirements to reduce carbon emissions, which are derived from waste (HEFCE, 2010).   These two factors have meant that universities across the United Kingdom have had to seek to reduce the amount of waste that they dispose of to landfill sites. This project has been undertaken to seek to investigate the ways through which bio-waste, which is derived from food sources may be reduced.   To this end, my mission is to introduce a waste management system for food disposal, with the aim of lowering the Universitys carbon emissions. This essay focuses on the cost of composting in relation to landfill sites.   These shall be examined from three different perspectives, which are derived from environmental, social and economic considerations.   Each of these shall be discussed and examined to seek to critically evaluate the options, which may be available to seek to redress the aforementioned issues. 1.Introduction This project seeks to ascertain which options are most suitable to seek to reduce food waste, which is produced from a university site being sent to landfill. There are three main factors, which need to be considered in order to ensure that, this viable.   The first of these are the economic considerations, the second are the environmental benefits, which may be derived from this, and the third are the social advantages to disposing of food waste.   Each of these options shall be discussed and critically evaluated in turn.   However, before this analysis is undertaken, a brief background to the reasons why this is so important shall be presented. Food waste is an intrinsic part of the economy. It is, in effect, a result of economic activity produced by businesses, government and homes. The management of food waste has economic implications (DEFRA, 2012). A green economy is underpinned by maximal economic value and growth coupled with sustainable management of all natural assets (DEFRA, 2011). The Government’s ‘Review of Waste Policy 2011’ aimed to deliver a ‘zero waste economy’. Over the last decade, significant advances were made to reduce the quantity of food-waste transport to landfill sites and increase the rate of more environmentally friendly methods (DEFRA, 2012). Reducing bio-waste is an important target of the UK government. The ‘Waste Strategy 2007’ for England identifies food waste as a key aim, thereby reducing landfills for local authorities. The ‘Waste Emissions Trading Act’, ‘Landfill Allowance Schemes’ and the ‘EC Landfill Directive’ include key objectives that encourage local authorities to utilise environmentally friendly means of processing food waste or face financial penalties (WRAP, 2009). In line with each of these targets in April 2010, HEFCE announced that it expected all universities to have a carbon management plan in place by December 2010.   This was to include how universities would seek to reduce their carbon emissions from all sources (including Scope 3 emissions included all sources of waste, which may arise from universities).   Therefore, since this time many UK universities have sought to find ways through which they may reduce the waste, which they send to landfill sites (HEFCE, 2010). In line with each of the requirements which have been highlighted above, my mission is to introduce a waste management system for food disposal.   Therefore, the aim of this project is to seek to lower the Universitys carbon emissions, which may arse through the disposal of food waste to landfill sites (see the poster and learning log). The objectives of my project are to: Create an operation that allows us to process food waste into compost whilst maintaining green principles Increase the involvement of staff and students, creating an awareness of the importance of implementing a food waste system Implement a well maintained operation that manages food waste sustainably This essay will focus on the cost of composting in relation to landfill sites, which can be placed into three categories: environmental, social and economic. 2. Environmental costs Food waste provides a feeding ground for rodents and insects, harbouring diseases and parasites that are harmful to humans (Sharp, 2007). Food waste may contaminate surface water, soil, air and ecosystems (Rushton, 2003). Most notably, landfill, the most frequent method of disposal, produces significant GHGs (Bogner et al. 2008). The food degrades over a period of years, emitting methane, a CHG that is 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (Shin et al. 2005).   Therefore, from this we can start to ascertain that it is possible to reduce the amount of food waste that is sent to landfill sites as this waste is biodegradable. Twenty million tonnes of CO2e emissions are generated from food waste every year.   This equates to around 3% of the UK’s CHG emissions and 6% of its global water footprint (DEFRA, 2011b). Some food waste is not biodegradable such as teabags, bones and banana skins. However, it remains an essential principle to prevent this waste from being sent to landfill sites unnecessarily.   Food waste should be treated in the most sustainable way, minimising GHG emissions and other environmental harm (DEFRA, 2011b). Article 4 of ‘EU Waste Framework Directive’ outlines the five steps for dealing with waste, referred to as the ‘waste hierarchy’. Prevention, the best impact on the environment, is at the top of the hierarchy, then, in descending order, preparing for re-use, recycling, recovery and landfill (Directive 2008/98/EC) (see Figure 2.1). Figure 2.1: Waste hierarchy (based on the EU Directive 2008/98/EC) Segregated waste is the waste that has been removed from the normal waste stream for recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion or landfill. This waste includes both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste (DEFRA, 2011b). Residual waste refers to the waste left following sorting or waste emanating from purely unsorted waste (such as black bag waste) (DEFRA, 2011b). There are a number of advantages to collecting food waste separately from the refuse stream (WRAP, 2009b): Improving recycling efficiency Reducing waste disposal costs Reducing the environmental harm linked with landfill Reducing CHGs However, despite each of these advantages implementing a food waste system within a university is a complex task.   One must consider a number of drivers for example, how will students and staff react to the introduction of a new waste management system under the guise that it is environmentally beneficial, how often are waste collections required from different areas and how will this be managed to ensure that odours or other factors which may cause different forms of environmental harm do not arise from these operations.   Of course, this does not mean that this is impossible, but a number of issues need to be considered, for example, does the cost of recycling this food waste out weigh the environmental benefits, which may be gained from diverting this from landfill.   One must consider that there are a number of options, which could cause more harm to the environment and be less cost efficient.   For example, if on site composting is to be used, how will this be managed, who will pay for the facilities required, where will the residual waste from the food disposed of be managed.   Or if one was to pay refuse collector to dispose of this waste, would the number of the collections by vehicles increase the overall environmental effects of composting this food waste or not? Therefore, implementing a food waste system, which is environmentally beneficial, is complex.   However, if this is undertaken properly a number of environmental advantages may be realised.   Each of the aforementioned factors need to be carefully considered and a number of calculations need to be performed to seek to ensure that emissions to air and water or land contamination do not arise through the implementation of a composting system.   Therefore, the university needs to consider each of these factors before they decide whether this is an environmentally friendly way, through which waste, which arises from food, may be managed rather than sending it to landfill sites.   In conjunction, with each of these considerations there are also a number of economic factors which need to be consider, these shall now be discussed and critically evaluated in more detail. 3. Economic costs Food waste is excessively high in the UK; each year households in the UK waste over 8 million tonnes of food, which equates to a cost of  £12 billion (costing the average household  £480/year). A further 5 million tonnes are lost in the supply chain, costing  £5 billion annually (Chapagain James, 2011). The National Health Service wasted  £26  million on food wastage alone (Ssentif, 2011). In a rare example, Cornwall primary care trust has implemented a sustainable food waste management program coupled with locally sourced food (Tudor et al. 2008). By adopting prevention, the UK would save combined manufacturing and distribution costs of  £1588/tonne of waste (Lee Willis, 2010) to its food supply chain. Based on that figure alone, it makes economic sense to avoid food wastage both for the private and public sectors.   However, there are a number of factors, which need to be considered before the university decides whether they will be changing the ways in which they dispose of their food waste.  Ã‚   The first of these is related to the potential means through which this new system will be implemented.   Here there are two options to be considered, the first is siting a composting facility on site.   The second of these is to pay a waste disposal contractor to dispose of the waste at their composting plant.   The economic considerations, which need to be considered in regards to both of these options, are how much do they cost?   For example, does the university dispose of enough food waste to justify the initial costs of setting up a composting plant on their site?   Alternatively, is the amount of food waste that they generate a smaller amount, which could be cost effectively, collected by a waste contractor?   Once these questions have been answered, the considerations for each of these two options start to differ considerably. In regards to the first of these options, one must consider whether it is economically viable to set up a composting facility on site, for example what are the potential savings that could be generated from not paying landfill tax and how soon will these be realised?   How much would it cost to set up a new waste management system in the universities halls and food outlets and around the campus?   How much will the plant cost to set up, manage and operate?   Do the costs of these enable a quick pay back, if for example this was done in conjunction with a biomass plant where waste could be used to generate electricity?   What would be the costs of siting this on the campus and how efficient would the plant need to be to achieve optimal savings.   Would the advantages of the cost savings outweigh the disadvantages?   Could this be achieved in other ways, such as working with suppliers to seek to reduce the amount of waste, which is generated? Each of these needs to be caref ully analysed before this option is chosen by the university. Further to this, if a waste contractor were going to be employed by the university to take the waste away, a number of other factors would need to be considered.   These are would the costs of sending this waste to a composting facility be cheaper than sending it to a landfill site.   Most waste contractors work on a pay per weight basis and if most of the food waste is wet, this is heavy.   Therefore, it may cost more per tonne of waste to send this to landfill than it would to a composting facility.   Furthermore, other saving also need to be considered, for example would the university save more money if these were sent to any energy from waste plant?   How many collections would be required per week to seek to ensure that the waste was appropriately managed?   What would the costs of extra collections be when the university hosts functions such as, conferences or graduation week?   Each of these factors needs to be carefully considered.   However, some have said t hat the costs linked with the implementation of food waste collection are negated by savings generated in the reduction of waste collection (ACR, 2009).   This may not be true of all university sites as the cost efficiencies also depend on the size, location or layout of a campus, the number of food outlets or student halls on the campus and the number of students and anticipated volumes of waste that may be derived from foodstuffs.   Therefore, one must carefully not only consider the environmental benefits, which are complex, but they must also seek to ensure that any new waste management system is economically sustainable in the longer term.   The final factor, which needs to be considered by the university in regards to implementing a new waste management system to dispose of food waste, is the socially based. 4. Social costs Food waste prevention is an area of waste prevention where there is little public resistance, with 90% of people being unopposed to the idea of reducing their food waste (WRAP, 2008).   However, this does not mean that they are happy or willing to segregate their waste in practice.   Encouraging both staff and students to properly segregate their food waste from other streams is a complex task.   This is because each individual has their own values and beliefs and often though they say they believe in something, it does not mean that they will act in accordance with these.   Therefore, one of the most important considerations that needs to be taken into account before changing over to a composting system is how are we going to get staff and students to segregate their waste?   How will we sell this idea to them?   Will we use economic, environmental or ethical arguments to seek to change their behaviours?   Each of these groups behaviours, values and attitudes need to b e aligned to seek to successfully implement a new waste management system with a university.   Therefore, this is one crucial factor, which needs to be carefully considered before any changes are implemented in practice and this costs money. Further to this, other considerations arise from the publics feelings of the health risks associated with waste management highlight differences in understanding, education and underlying social values (Vrijheid et al. 2002).   This is another challenge, which needs to be carefully considered before the new waste management system is implemented.   Factors such as, the siting of waste receptacles or plant, how the waste is stored ore how often it is collected also need to be considered.   This is because if they are not issues such as, complaints about odours, increased visits from pest e.g. foxes or rats, noise from the collection vehicles or the composting plant, the appearance of waste that has been insufficiently stored or left for too long could all cause serious social problems for the university or result in legal action being taken by the local authorities.   Therefore, each of these factors needs to be carefully considered to seek to ensure that the risks of each of these problems arising are mitigated as much as possible. Conclusion Food waste is an intrinsic part of the economy. It is, in effect, a result of economic activity produced by businesses, government and homes. The management of this waste has economic implication. Reducing bio-waste is an important target of the UK government. The ‘Waste Strategy 2007’ for England identifies food waste as a key aim, thereby reducing landfills for local authorities. The ‘Waste Emissions Trading Act’, ‘Landfill Allowance Schemes’ and the ‘EC Landfill Directive’ include key objectives that encourage local authorities to utilise environmentally friendly means of processing food waste or face financial penalties. Our strategy uses ‘price penetration’ strategy. Our service will be of good quality, but initially would not stand out as superior against competing compost services. However, our initial service charges will be low to undercut any rival competitors, thereby penetrating the marketplace. The evidence highlights the fact that a large percentage of local authorities in the UK are implementing food waste collections. Additionally, educating householders on their responsibility to the environment is critical in changing public attitudes to food waste. Half of all landfill site complaints relate to their odours. There is, additionally, conflicting evidence on the health effects of living within proximity to a landfill site. Evidence suggests that living within proximity it may also negatively impact on house prices. However, the public’s normally positive behaviour, even in those aware of the positive impact, may change should a compost plant be constructed in their neighbourhood. References ACR+ Municipal Waste in Europe Towards a European Recycling Society’. Victoires Editions. 2009. ISBN: 978-2-35113-049-0. Print Bogner J, Pipatti R Hashimoto S (2008). Mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions from waste: conclusions and strategies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. Working Group III (Mitigation) Waste Manag Res; 26: 11–32 Chapagain A James K (2011). The Water and Carbon Footprint of Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK. Banbury, Oxon: Waste Resources Action Programme. Available at: wrap.org.uk/retail_supply_chain/research_tools/research/report_water_and.html. Available August 2013 DEFRA (2011a). Applying the Waste Hierarchy: evidence summary. London: DEFRA DEFRA (2011b). Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011. London: DEFRA Department of Environment and Conservation (2004). Composting and related organics processing facilities. Sydney: Department of Environment and Conservation Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives Elliott P, Briggs D, Morris S et al (2001). Risk of adverse outcomes in populations living near landfill sites; BMJ: 363–8 Environment Agency (2013). Composting and potential health effects from bioaerosols: our interim guidance for permit applicants. Available at: environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/Composting__bioaerosols.pd. Accessed August 2013 Evans TD; Andersson P, Wievegg, A et al (2010). Surahammar – a case study of the impacts of installing food waste disposers in fifty percent of households. Water Environ. J; 241: 309–319 EN330 Measuring to Manage: How reducing waste can unlock increased profits, Envirowise. Available online at envirowise.gov.uk/page.aspx?o=117540 Accessed August 2013 HEFCE (2010) Carbon Management Plan.   Available from hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2010/201002/ Access 08/08/2013. HM Treasury. Budget 2010. Available at officialdocuments. gov.uk/document/hc1011/hc00/0061/0061.pdf. Accessed August 2013 HPA (2011). Impact on Health Emissions from landfill sites. London: HPA Hutchins, D and White, S (2009). Coming round to recycling. British Medical Journal; 338: 746-748 Lee P Willis P (2010). Waste arising in the supply of food and drink to households in the UK. WRAP, Branbury, UK. McCarthy EJ and Perreault WD Jr. Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach. Irwin, 1990 Noble R, Elphinstone JG, Sansford CE et al (2009) Management of plant health risks associated with processing of plant-based wastes: A review. Bioresource Technology; 10: 3431-3446. NHS. The NHS in England. Available at nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/overview.aspx. Accessed August 2013 Rà ¶sch C Kaltschmitt M (1999). Energy from biomass do non-technical barriers prevent an increased use? In: Biomass and Bioenergy; 16: 347-356. Rushton L (2003). Health hazards and waste management. British Medical Bulletin; 68: 183–197 Sharp D (2007). On Rats, Refuse, and Recycling. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine; 84: 637–638 Shin H-C, Park J-W, Kim H-S, et al (2005). Environmental and economic assessment of landfill gas electricity generation in Korea using LEAP model. Energy Policy; 33: 1261–70. Ssentiff (2011). Protected mealtimes failing as nine million hospital meals go uneaten. Available at: ssentif.com/archive/4_oct2011.shtml. Accessed August 2013. Tudor T, Barr S Gilg A (2008). A novel conceptual framework for examining environmental behaviour in large organizations: a case study of the Cornwall National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. Environment and Behaviour; 40: 426–50. Vrijheid M, Dolk H, Armstrong B et al (2002). Chromosomal congenital anomalies and residence near hazardous waste landfill sites. Lancet; 359: 320–2 WRAP (2008). The food we waste. Available at http://wrap.s3.amazonaws.com/the-food-wewaste.pdf. Accessed August 2013 WRAP (2009a). Food Waste Collection Guidance. Banbury: WRAP WRAP (2009b) Food Waste Collection Guidance. Available at: wrap.org.uk/downloads/food_waste_collection_guidance_-_amended_Mar_2010.451b7293.7749.pdf. Accessed August 2013 WRAP (2013). Information sheet – Courtauld Commitment. Available at wrap.org.uk/content/information-sheet-courtauld-commitment. Accessed August 2013 Yun H, David M and Elliott R (ud). The Valuation of Landfill Disamenities in Birmingham

Sunday, October 20, 2019

VANDERBILT Surname Meaning and Origin

VANDERBILT Surname Meaning and Origin The Vanderbilt surname has two very different accepted origins: a topographic surname for someone living near a low hill, from the Middle Low German bulte, meaning mound or low hill.originally Van de Bylt, from Die Byltye, a nickname given to ship-carpenters in Holland. From the Dutch byltye, meaning a little hatchet or bill. Surname Origin: Dutch, North German Alternate Surname Spellings: VANDERBILDT, VAN DER BILT, VANDERBUILT   Where in the World is the VANDERBILT Surname Found? While it originated in the Netherlands, the Vanderbilt surname is now most prevalent in the United States, according to surname distribution data from Forebears. However, it is also somewhat common in Chile and Columbia. The name was more common in the United States during the 1880s than it is now, especially in the states of New York and New Jersey. The Vanderbilt surname is now most common based on percentage in the U.S. states of Alaska, Arkansas, New Jersey, Illinois, and Connecticut, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler.   Famous People with the Last Name VANDERBILT Cornelius Vanderbilt -  head of the prominent American Vanderbilt family; became the wealthiest man in America in the mid-19th century through his shipping and railroad empiresAmy Vanderbilt - American authority on etiquetteGloria Vanderbilt -  American artist, author, actress, and heiress, well known for her line of designer blue jeans from the 1970s and 80s.George Washington Vanderbilt, II - member of the prominent Vanderbilt family who commissioned the construction of Biltmore between 1889 and 1895; the estates name derived from Bildt, the origin of his Vanderbilt ancestors in Holland. The Famous VANDERBILT Family The prominent American Vanderbilt empire began with Cornelius Commodore Vanderbilt, born in Staten Island in 1794. His 3rd-great grandfather, Jan Aertszoon (1620–1705), a Dutch farmer from the village of De Bilt in Utrecht, Netherlands, was the immigrant ancestor, arriving in the Dutch Colony of New Netherland as an indentured servant in 1650. When he was sixteen, Cornelius, the fourth of nine children, convinced his parents to lend him $100 to purchase a sailboat so that he could start his own passenger and freight service between Staten Island and New York City, a service that eventually became known as the famous Staten Island Ferry.  Young Cornelius then signed on as an apprentice on a variety of ships in order to master all aspects of the seagoing industry. By the age of 50, his shipping empire had afforded him millionaire status. He then turned to buying up  small railroads and turning them into profitable ventures. At the time of his death in 1877, Cornelius Vanderbilt was worth  $105 million. Anderson Cooper, son of Gloria Laura Vanderbilt, is currently the only known prominent, active descendant of the famous Vanderbilt family.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname VANDERBILT Vanderbilt Family Genealogy: My Fascination with All Things VanderbiltTaneya Koonce, who fell in love with the Vanderbilt family after visiting the Biltmore estate for the first time, has built a comprehensive family tree of the Vanderbilt family, and also links to other Vanderbilt resources. Finding Your Roots: Anderson Coopers Interactive Family TreeThe PBS genealogy show, Finding Your Roots, traces the lesser-known heritage of Vanderbilt descendant Anderson Cooper- that of his father, Wyatt Emory Cooper.   Most Common Dutch Surnames and their MeaningsDe Jong, Jansen, De Vries... Are you one of the millions of  individuals of  Dutch ancestry sporting one of these top common last names from the Netherlands?   Vanderbilt Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Vanderbilt family crest or coat of arms for the Vanderbilt surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. FamilySearch - VANDERBILT GenealogyExplore over 400,000 historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Vanderbilt surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. VANDERBILT Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Vanderbilt surname. DistantCousin.com - VANDERBILT Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the popular last name Vanderbilt from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Critical evaluation of financial markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Critical evaluation of financial markets - Essay Example As stated by Bolbol & Omran (2003) in their paper on stock market emergence in Arab countries, a change in the technology and output mix of the indigenous industries will require the stock markets to allocate the resources to the industries more efficiently. This is because stock market activities provide an effective way to check the performance of the new firms in the event of any opinion divergence in the manner it is managed. At present in the Arab countries there are stock exchanges in Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sudan, Dubai, Bahrain Abu Dhabi, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Among these countries it is said that the Arab stock markets are dominated by five countries in terms of active and large markets- Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia. On 3 June 2006 a resolution was passed in Libya which paved the way for the creation of the Libyan stock market, set up as â€Å"Syarika Musahima† with capital strength of LD20 million split i nto 2 million shares of 10LD per share. The headquarters as per Article 2 of the resolution was decided to be Tripoli with main branch to be set up in Benghazi. Levine & Zervos (1996) used a dataset of 47 nations for the period 1976 to 1993 to highlight that the stock market liquidity is an important predictor of real per capita gross GDP growth, physical growth in capital and growth rate in productivity. This highlights the importance of the establishment of Libyan Stock Market for the authorities in Libya1 The banking system in the country comprises four major banks which are either fully owned or in majority ownership of the Libyan Central Bank. This list of banks includes Wahda bank, Jamahiriya Bank, Umma Bank, Sahara Bank and National Commercial Bank. These banks comprise nearly 90 percent of the assets related to the Libyan banking sector. All these banks have capital strength of minimum 100 million Libyan Dinars with the two of these banks on the verge of privatisation. The f inance availability in the local market is frugal. The Libyan banks provide limited number of financial products, loans are granted based on personal rapport and the managers of the public banks do not seem to have any incentives in portfolio expansion. Scarcity of financing is a major deterrent in local development impeding the completion of the projects and the initiation of new projects. Presently the banking system in the country is undergoing a modernisation program to improve the existing products or services, handling of non-performing assets, promotion of the use of payments in modes other than cash and establishment of new accounting standards2 Reforms in Libyan Financial Sector The Libyan government is jointly working with reputed international organisations to facilitate improved transparency in the financial sector, chalking out plans to bring in international credit rating agencies in the country to evaluate the domestic financial instruments and the recently

Friday, October 18, 2019

Physical science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical science - Essay Example Thirdly, fission and fusion reactions possess the capacity turn the energy associated with ordering of subatomic particles into nuclear energy (How is Energy Converted). Fossil fuels pertain to fuels formed out of the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals that undergo natural process of anaerobic decomposition and these fuels are chiefly comprised in coal, gas, and oil. It normally takes nearly 700 million years for decaying plant and animal matters to be fossilized upon exposure to extreme levels of heat and pressure into usable fossil fuels which are mostly rich in carbon with coal, natural gas, and petroleum by composition. Being a non-renewable source of energy, fossil fuels may be volatile or non-volatile as materials ranging from those of minimal C to H ratios as methane gas and liquid petroleum to materials with heavier carbon content than hydrogen as in the case of anthracite coal. In modern times, fossil fuels are confronted with the perils of continuous depletio n at a rate that alarmingly exceeds that of their production which implies that renewable substitutes with equivalent advantages ought to be discovered and settled at for corrective resolution (Lecture 10: Fossil Fuels as Energy Sources). Aside from being a flexible non-renewable energy source, according to their structure, depositional environment, and thermal reactions, fossil fuels draw a potential attraction due to the fact that most of world’s reserves of oil and natural gas come from deformed rocks whereas a great quantity of coal may be derived from sedimentary rock layers that do not undergo deformation. Sediments are readily found everywhere on which are comprised marine organic matter filled with oil and gas in high proportions to make opulent fossil fuel amounts. Because of low oxygen concentration on environments in which massive deposits are preserved and coal forms that gather toward bogs and swamps, fossil fuels can be acquired with much convenience. Under natu ral circumstances, fossil fuels are made beyond human intervention since thermal processes may occur spontaneously after decomposing organics goes through preservation to become fossil fuels at a later time. Aside from fossil fuels, renewable alternatives could be wind energy and geothermal energy or heat derived from the earth by means of a natural geologic process. As a form of solar energy, the energy of the wind is found to comprise turbulent masses of air rushing to even out the differences in atmospheric pressure formed when the sun heats the air more in one place than in another. For centuries, wind power has been utilized extensively in pumping water, grinding grain, and producing electricity of the modern age. Wind turbines as major replacements to windmills perform the course of wind power upon conversion of the wind’s kinetic energy to mechanical energy which sustains small to large farms and villages with clean and renewable loads of electricity (Freris, 1990). Mo dern technological advancements in the fields of engineering and science have revolutionized the old design in windmills with a flexible range of

Sociological perspective Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sociological perspective - Assignment Example Rather, external influences – our experiences – become part of our thinking and motivations. The society in which we grow up, and our particular corners in that society, then, lie at the center of our behavior,† (Henslin 5). Accordingly, the role imagination plays from the sociological perspective is that it must be employed as a tool to comprehend the experiences of others and, consequently, their social understanding of the world. Of course, social imagination is an imperfect tool. I come from a lower middle-class background, but was raised in an upper middle-class neighborhood. As such, it was always difficult for me to fully comprehend the nature of the drug culture and the situation of those living in the underclass of American society. My closest exposure to this social perspective was simply coming into contact with heroine and cocaine addicts and dealers while walking down the street. From this point of view, it was difficult to understand how confined and oppressive their situation was; the exclamation of many work-a-day citizens toward such people – â€Å"get a job!† – almost made sense to me. However, this was until I came into contact with David Simon’s book, The Corner, in which he immersed himself in the drug culture of Baltimore. Simon brings this experience right to the audience and with profound effect. Because of my experience with this book, I believe I have develo ped a vastly more accurate social imagination regarding those caught-up not just in drug addiction but also in the culture surrounding its sale. Naturally, where it not for Simon’s experiences and his communicative ability, this social perspective would still be completely foreign to me; and my imagination would not be nearly as

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Leadership Theories and Their Usefulness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 1

Leadership Theories and Their Usefulness - Essay Example This paper illustrates that leadership can be defined as a set of attributes that allow an individual to influence behavior, thoughts, and attitudes of others. Leadership process emphasizes the ability to utilize the valuable resources of a group to accomplish a common goal. Leaders in any organization, groups or community are responsible to set visions as well as create directions to achieve new goals. Leaders must create an image that would be appreciated and followed by others. Over a period of time, researchers have offered a wide range of leadership theories to evaluate the roles, responsibilities, and characteristics of an effective and efficient leadership process. Earlier theories of leadership have mainly considered the leadership attributes as an innate trait or quality of any individual. The Trait and Great man theory of leadership have introduced a set of skills and competencies that are considered as the born qualities and attributes of leaders. The requirement and essen ce of leadership qualities have been changed according to the transformation of business culture, employment relationship and organizational behavior. Due to the changing demand of workplaces, it has been analyzed that good and effective leadership can be learned and developed through experiences, self-study, training and proper education. Researchers have suggested that the leadership style needs to be altered as per the change of organizational situation and work culture. It has also been evaluated that leadership is not only about leading people, it is also about creating a strong relationship with different teams and communities of the organization.  

Positive Impacts of London Olympics to UK Economy Essay

Positive Impacts of London Olympics to UK Economy - Essay Example The impact of the Olympic Games to the United Kingdom will ever be felt and seen even after the games ended in relation to economic advancements, developments, and features, which include unmatched infrastructure and other economic impacts. the Olympic Games have led to rapid modernization of transport services. This is in relation to infrastructure such as then underground and Docklands Light Rail in an attempt to cut back on the pollution related to high transport rates. The country has also ripped benefits from the Olympic Games following the reduced congestion that was experienced because of expanded transport systems. This means that the UK gained substantially since without the Olympics the remaining infrastructure can still handle the reduced population using the transport system. In addition, the UK has benefited concerning the environment due to reduced emissions of both sound and noise. On the other hand, airports have received a significant boost from increased traffic from international tourists looking to enjoy the English culture after the tourism marketing from the Olympic Games. The United Kingdom has reaped the benefits of the Olympic Games on a large scale in all sectors of its economy. Therefore, in relation to this, it is safe to say that the Olympics were a blessing for the nation in spite of the costs involved in organizing the games. This shows how much the UK gained from international tourism, which brought in significant amounts of foreign exchange and sold more of the English culture to the rest of the world. It also creates an opportunity for international marketing of the UK as a tourist’s destination after the Olympics.... It also creates an opportunity for international marketing of the UK as a tourist’s destination after the Olympics. In addition to the economy, the Olympics have set the UK as a destination for business tourism; this is following packages developed by different companies in an attempt to cash in on the Olympics held in London. Such companies include Excel and O2 with a significant case of event venues tailored to meet the needs of business tourists due to the lack of dedicated international conference centres in the UK (Communities and Local Government 2009, p.49). In addition, following the influx of tourists, other industries such as housing and rent have enjoyed the benefits of the Olympics. In housing and accommodation services, the Olympic Games created an opportunity for property owners to rent out their properties to interested parties. This happened for prices similar to those that were used in previous Olympics, where the rental price went up by over ten times the nor mal going rate. As a result, the economy has reaped significant economic benefits in form of finances from domestic and international tourists who were interested in living near the venue of the games. In relation to transport, the United Kingdom has achieved substantial progress all thanks to hosting the Olympic Games since before the games were held; the country had to make preparations in readiness for the games, which means that there must have been infrastructural developments to handle the large amounts of traffic. In this case, traffic refers to both human and vehicular systems that include motor vehicles and trains meant to assist in the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Employment Law - Essay Example By enacting the ERA, the government deemed employers should be able to negotiate provisions with workers that allow them to meet the needs of their customers. Businesses need to be able to adjust to changes.   The ERA structure is intended to aid employers by allowing different types of employment relationships that suit the needs of employers.   Enacting this flexibility should enable businesses to become more competitive in national and international markets.   At the same time, according to the Department of Trade, the Act should translate to a variety of working arrangements enabling more people to participate in work suitable to their individual circumstances2.By virtue of the ERA, employees have several rights not enjoyed by atypical workers.   These include the ability to take leave for a wide variety of personal reasons, guaranteed wage payments, the right to protection of wages in the event of an employer’s insolvency, to seek representation, and to receive a written statement of dismissal among many others benefits.   Temporary workers may be regarded as employees under certain conditions and thus qualified for provisions contained within the ERA.   Employers fill long term assignments through employment agencies.   When a worker employs through an agency for one company for more than a year, the question has arisen whether the worker is considered an employee and if so, who is the employer, the agency or the company (end-user)? These workers, under contract with a hiring agency, may be considered independent contractors.

Positive Impacts of London Olympics to UK Economy Essay

Positive Impacts of London Olympics to UK Economy - Essay Example The impact of the Olympic Games to the United Kingdom will ever be felt and seen even after the games ended in relation to economic advancements, developments, and features, which include unmatched infrastructure and other economic impacts. the Olympic Games have led to rapid modernization of transport services. This is in relation to infrastructure such as then underground and Docklands Light Rail in an attempt to cut back on the pollution related to high transport rates. The country has also ripped benefits from the Olympic Games following the reduced congestion that was experienced because of expanded transport systems. This means that the UK gained substantially since without the Olympics the remaining infrastructure can still handle the reduced population using the transport system. In addition, the UK has benefited concerning the environment due to reduced emissions of both sound and noise. On the other hand, airports have received a significant boost from increased traffic from international tourists looking to enjoy the English culture after the tourism marketing from the Olympic Games. The United Kingdom has reaped the benefits of the Olympic Games on a large scale in all sectors of its economy. Therefore, in relation to this, it is safe to say that the Olympics were a blessing for the nation in spite of the costs involved in organizing the games. This shows how much the UK gained from international tourism, which brought in significant amounts of foreign exchange and sold more of the English culture to the rest of the world. It also creates an opportunity for international marketing of the UK as a tourist’s destination after the Olympics.... It also creates an opportunity for international marketing of the UK as a tourist’s destination after the Olympics. In addition to the economy, the Olympics have set the UK as a destination for business tourism; this is following packages developed by different companies in an attempt to cash in on the Olympics held in London. Such companies include Excel and O2 with a significant case of event venues tailored to meet the needs of business tourists due to the lack of dedicated international conference centres in the UK (Communities and Local Government 2009, p.49). In addition, following the influx of tourists, other industries such as housing and rent have enjoyed the benefits of the Olympics. In housing and accommodation services, the Olympic Games created an opportunity for property owners to rent out their properties to interested parties. This happened for prices similar to those that were used in previous Olympics, where the rental price went up by over ten times the nor mal going rate. As a result, the economy has reaped significant economic benefits in form of finances from domestic and international tourists who were interested in living near the venue of the games. In relation to transport, the United Kingdom has achieved substantial progress all thanks to hosting the Olympic Games since before the games were held; the country had to make preparations in readiness for the games, which means that there must have been infrastructural developments to handle the large amounts of traffic. In this case, traffic refers to both human and vehicular systems that include motor vehicles and trains meant to assist in the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Factors of foreign policy Essay Example for Free

Factors of foreign policy Essay In the first place the size of a states territory as well as it’s population greatly influences its foreign policy. Generally the leaders and people of countries with small territory and population do not expect their country to carry great weight in international affairs. On the other hand the leaders and people of large countries are ready to assume special responsibilities. However, sometimes even small states which have rich resources also leave a deep impact on world politics. For example, Britain, a small country, played leading role in world politics in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In our own times the oil-rich countries of the Middle East, though small in size are playing a significant role in international politics. On the other hand large states like Canada and Australia have not been able to pursue effective foreign policy. Commonwealth of Independent states (CIS) which came into existence after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, though quite large in size, is not able to play an effective role in contemporary international relations. The geography of a country, including its fertility, climate, location in relation to their land  masses, and water-ways etc. also influence the countrys foreign policy. It is a major factor in determining self-sufficiency of a country. Generally land-locked countries, nations in the tropics and those bordering a superpower are less self-sufficient in comparison to the countries which have access to warm-water ports or are located in the temperate zones and far removed from superpowers. For example in the nineteenth century USA adopted isolationist policy chiefly on account of its geographical location. Though the importance of geographic factors is acknowledged almost at all hands, its importance has considerably declined due to technological and scientific developments. For example, due to improvement in the means of transport and communication the world has greatly shrunk and the perception of large bodies of water as natural barriers to military attack has greatly diminished. But still geographical location of a country has a deep impact on the determination of its foreign policy. India adopted policy of non-alignment because of geographical location. The presence of two major powers on its borders (USSR and China) deterred it from joining power blocs. 3. Culture and History. The cultural and historical traditions of a country also deeply influence the foreign policy. Generally people possessing a unified common culture and historical experience can pursue an effective foreign policy because of the support of all sections of society who share the same values and memories. On the other hand, a country which is culturally and historically fragmented cannot pursue an equally effective foreign policy. According to Prof. Roseau the influence of cultural factors is not limited to the impact of societal unity upon the formulation and implementation of foreign policy. Equally important are the processes through which the contents of Shared norms and practices of society, as distinguished from the degree of unity that supports them shape the plans that are made and the activities that are undertaken withrespect to the external world 4. Economic Development. The stage of economic development which a country has attained also has its impact on its foreign policy. Generally the industrially advanced countries feel more deeply involved in relations with other countries because they have to import different kinds of raw materials and commodities from other countries. They are also on the lookout of latest knowledge and technical know-how. Therefore they maintain intimate trade relations with their trading partners. All this leads to intimate links between the groups and people of one country with their counterparts in the other country. Again, an industrial country is expected to have a higher gross national product (GNP) and can devote greater funds for external purpose, economic aid programme, military ventures and extensive diplomatic commitments. On the other hand, industrially backward countries are not able to actively involve themselves in external affairs. The lack of scientists, engineers and other specialists in the country prevents them from taking advantage of the technological break-through abroad. In recent years United States has been able to pursue more vigorous foreign policy and secure its national objectives, mainly on account of its high degree of economic development. It has made liberal use of foreign aid as an instrument for the promotion of its foreign policy goals. It is a matter of common knowledge that in our times the industrially developed countries (popularly known as G-7) are playing an effective role in international politics as compared to other developed or under-developed countries. This is but natural in view of fact that economically developed countries possess greater military capability than the less developed countries, and can exert greater influence on international relations. In our own times the decline of Russias economic power has considerably undermined her political role in the international arena. 5. Technology. Advancement in technology, which affects the military and economic capabilities of a state, also exercises profound influence on the foreign policy. However, this factor influences the foreign policy only in an indirect manner, by influencing other sources of foreign policy. It has been observed that countries which possess advance technology are able to provide technical knowhow to less developed and developing nations and thus exert necessary influence on their foreign policies. Roseau has rightly observed Technological changes can alter the military and economic capabilities of a society and thus its status and role in the international system. The dominant role which countries like France, China, Germany and Japan have been able to play in recent years is largely due to excellent technological developments in these countries. 6. National Capacity. The national capacity of a state also exercises profound influence on the foreign policy of a state. National capacity of a state depends on its military preparedness, it’s technological advancement and economic development. It is well known that United States which continued to pursue policy of isolation till the beginning of the present century got deeply involved in the international arena in the present century mainly due to tremendous increase in her national capacity due to rapid economic development. Similarly, the foreign policy of Britain underwent great transformation in the post World War II period, mainly due to decline in her national capacity. 7. Social Structure. The social structure of a society also exercises profound influence on its foreign policy. A society which is sharply divided on the basis of wealth,  religion, regional imbalances, etc. cannot pursue effective foreign policy on account of division and lack of co-operation among various groups. On the other hand a homogeneous society possessing strong sense of national unity can pursue a more effective foreign policy. It is well known that Britain stood as one person under the leadership of Churchill during the Second World War and the people gladly suffered all kinds of hardships to preserve their unity because of social solidarity. 8. Public Mood, Public mood is another important determinant of a countrys foreign policy. Though public mood usually follows rather than guides the foreign policy making process, it can exercise lot of influence on the determination of a foreign policy if the basic realignment in the prevailing great power structure takes place and the state becomes more involved or more isolated from the world affairs. It may be noted that generally in an authoritarian system the public mood does not influence the foreign policy, but in a democratic system based on political accountability considerable weight has to be accorded to the changing public mood and sentiments. Political Organization. The political organization found in a country also greatly influences the foreign policy. Generally under authoritarian system quick foreign policy decisions are possible because the decision making power rests with an individual assisted by his clique. But as the leaders under this system are isolated from the operational environments and the subordinate policy makers provide the information which is perceived by the superiors, there is every possibility of a discrepancy between the psychological and operational aspects of the foreign policy. Further, under this system undesirable opposition can be suppressed through censorship and promulgation of regulations. On the other hand in a country possessing a democratic structure the citizens can freely express their opinion on the domestic as well as foreign policy which naturally leave its impact on the foreign policy of the country. Under democratic system there is very little discrepancy between what the officials want to believe about the state of world politics and the actual position because the subordinate policy makers make available critical and detached information. Within the democratic system itself the difference in a political structure has its impact on foreign policy. For example, under a parliamentary system of government based on co-operation between the Legislature and the Executive, the cordial relations between the two wings have an impact on countrys foreign policy. On the other hand under presidential system based on the principle of separation of powers, the relation between the two wings are likely to be more strained, which affect the ambiguity or continuity of foreign policy. Similarly, different foreign policy is likely to emerge under bi-party system and multi-party systems. Generally under bi-party system the government is likely to have a clear-cut majority and conduct itself in a more decisive manner regarding the conduct of foreign relations. In contrast of this, under multi-party system conflicting view points and interests may have to be reconciled. This may lead either to the avoidance or postponement of the decision. 10. Role of Press. The press also plays a vital role in the foreign policy formulation process. The press contributes to this process by supplying factual information on the basis of which the people take decision by publishing specialized articles on current international developments which enable the people to understand the significance of developments in their country in relation to the past developments and by analyzing the policy of the government in regard to foreign affairs. The press also plays an important role in publicizing the foreign policy of the country. The role of the press, however, depends on the political system prevailing in the country, the rate of literacy as well as the attitude of government. The nature of political accountability prevailing in a system also greatly influences the foreign policy of the country. Generally in an open political system, the demands of citizen and groups get articulated and transmitted to foreign policy formulators. The framers of foreign policy cannot ignore these demands. In fact quite often the policy formulators anticipate these demands while formulating the foreign policy. On the other hand under a closed system the public reactions are neither available nor given much importance. The leadership also plays a vital role in the shaping of a countrys foreign policy. According to Rosenau: A leaders beliefs about the nature of international arena and the goals that ought to be pursued therein, his or her peculiar intellectual strength and weakness for analyzing information and making decisions, his or her past background and the extent of its relevance to the requirements of the role, his or her emotional needs and most of other personality traits—these are but a few of the idiosyncratic factors that can influence the planning and execution of foreign policy. No doubt, the qualities of leadership have a deep impact on the countrys foreign policy but their role is greatly constrained by the governmental and social structure. Further the role of leadership is not identical in all countries. In less developed countries their role is greater as compared to industrialized societies. In industrialized societies the individuals enjoy very limited discretion in high governmental and non-governmental positions. Posted 2nd July 2012 by Ken Ngeny