The Scientific Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Scientific Method - Essay Example The message seemed to shift from â€Å"don’t drink alcohol† to â€Å"if you drink, drink in moderation†. More scientific study actually found that consuming some sorts of alcohol in moderation, such as one glass of wine per day, actually had healthy benefits for the heart. Now the message changed to â€Å"drinking certain types of alcohol in moderation can actually be good for you.† The most recent studies seem to now indicate that the consumption of alcohol is irrelevant to good heart health. The grapes provide the real benefit, not the alcohol; so drinking a small amount of grape juice can render the same beneficial effects as a glass of wine. These ever-changing messages we get about the consumption of alcohol and how it relates to human health is a good example of what science can and can not do. Following the scientific method is a great way to systematically answer scientific questions. But Science cannot provide the whole picture just from one exper iment. Multiple researchers and experiments need to be conducted to constantly add to our body of knowledge. Eventually, some things may become accepted as proof of one concept or another, but using the scientific method is no guarantee that causality or truth can be established.

Environmental Degradation: Causes and Effects

Environmental Degradation: Causes and Effects Introduction Thesis statement and Purpose statement Nowadays, the development of urbanization, which causes concentrated human population and habitat in small areas, has occurred at a very quick pace. Urban standard of living has risen roughly on the basis of technical innovations and changes in social structure. However, at the same time, there is a widespread concern about unsustainable city development and infrastructure due to the inequality between the progress and the environmental threat (Boyce, 1994, 18). The economic development brings both prosperity for people and damage to the environment, which includes air, water and soil pollution. Lovejoy (1993, p.125) argued this common occurrence is rampantly increasing all over the world, particular in developing countries. With limited time and resources, this paper will explore some common features of urban environmental degradation based on the authors experiences and geographical perspectives of Vietnam. The aim of this paper is to identify what urban environmental degradation is, and then understand the reasons and effects of this issue. From this basis, the research will refer to some assumptions and implications of other authors work and examples before suggesting some possible solutions to ensure the sustainability for new urban developments as well as the environment. Definition of urban environmental degradation Recognition of an environmental degradation is essential for the management of urban environment. Hackett (1993, pg. 116) writes that urban degradation is a result of the rapid growth in urban population and industrialization which causes many negative impacts on the urban landscapes and living quality of cities, such as poor quality housing, inadequate infrastructure and industrial pollution. Simultaneously, some factors seriously affect the environment as well as the balance of nature. According to Bolay et al. (1997, p. 185), urban environmental problems such as air and water pollution and solid wastes are becoming more serious in developing countries, and Vietnam in particular. Most cities in Vietnam have a high level of population density compared to other countries in the world. There are, for example, more than 23,000 inhabitants per square kilometers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The shortage of infrastructure and urban services in those cities has become alarming, which has led to the city amenities not being able to meet the enormous population demand (Bolay et al. (1997, p. 189)). Therefore, pollution of surface and underground water, soil and air by households and production has increased roughly these days. It is expected that the Government would take immediate measures in this issue by identifying and suggesting possible solutions to reduce these effects in order to improve the quality of the urban environmental. As can be seen in the Figure 1, urbanized area in HCMC has been expanding rapidly in the past five years. The population has roughly increased in the fringe areas of HCMC, while decreased in the city center (particular in District 1, 3 the centre Business district (CBD)) from 1999. This partly reflects the changes in the land prices. Higher land prices in the city center are affecting population decrease in that area and population increase in suburban areas. Besides, we can predict that the housing development of HCMC would increase in the West and Northwest directions and start occurring in East and South directions in the next ten years. Problem analysis Urbanization causes an overload on infrastructure, particularly in road network, water supply systems and drainage. As Lovejoy (1993, p. 126) referred, the sudden increase in population puts the city under pressure of basic infrastructure demand. There are many requirements for the expanding urban areas, rising food, water and infrastructure quality as well as offering more jobs. To cater for these demands, industrial companies have to increase products and exploit resources as fully as possible. This creates many environmental problems because the natural resources and urban amenities are limited (Satterthwaite, 2009, p. 546). The major problem of urban degradation is air and water pollution. In urbanized cities, air and water pollution is mainly emitted through industrial activities, especially from the production of electricity generated by fossil fuels. Transportation, households, hospitals, laboratories and pesticide used for crops are also responsible for the release of these pollutants into the environment (Satterthwaite, 2009, p. 546-547). Consequently, this dumping of dangerous waste on open sites produces poisoned air and water probably makes people living around the site suffer from diseases simultaneously increasing the incidence of allergies and other symptoms. In HCMC, due to the progress of urbanization, the quality of air and water gradually decrease these years. It can be seen from Figure 2, since 2003, the index of air pollutions has dropped dramatically and the water quality has been below the standard of Vietnam (TCVN). Especially, because the city residents are accustomed to using motorbike, the emissions from motor vehicles contribute high concentrations of air pollutants and smoke. Therefore, pollutions from traffic congestion are becoming one of the most serious environmental issues in HCMC. In addition, urbanization causes population density and increases the demands on urban amenities. Lovejoy (1993, p. 124) states most new dwelling places have no civic facilities, such as water supply, drainage, roads People living in these places discharge rubbish and dirty water directly to channels and rivers as they used to in rural areas. This condition leads to establish the new slums with many environmental and social problems. There are two basic reasons for the disordered urbanization for the past few years which involve the roles of local Government and residents. The first reason is the lack of specific urban planning. The urban planning management is rather passive and mainly depends on experiences (Lovejoy, 1993, p. 124). In many countries, local governments do not know exactly what the function of a specific land will be and how to control this issue effectively. Investor demands hardly meet government approval, and even worse, several projects have not been able to persuade local residents to accept and be carried out (Satterthwaite, 2009, p. 559). The other factor is the awareness of community about environment problems. Majority of residents are just aware of the visual environmental problems in short-term such as noise pollutions and smoke while the solid wastes and underground water pollutions are actually the elements destroying the natural systems in long-term. As a result, it is necessary to establish more and more education programs for citizens in attempt to rise the understanding of community in the quality of urban environment (Bolay et al. (1997, p. 192). Solutions: In my point of view, to improve the living quality and solve the environmental degradation, the government should establish a comprehensive planning system which includes socio-economic development plan, urban construction plan and land use plan. Planning should regulate where it is appropriate to have certain functions located, where it is necessary to have waste disposal sites or green areas and where is suitable to build industrial zones Besides, urban planning should take into account many other factors such as infrastructure and relevant works, making it favorable for development of an area where urbanization is taking place. As an illustration, Figure 3 shows an example of land use plan which respects the natural principles and probably leads to a sustainable development area. An establishment of laws, regulations and guidelines is also necessary in implementation of the Urban Master plans in each level, such as General plans and Detailed plans. For example, policy makers should establish specific socio-economic characteristics in each local area in order to make new and specific policies for urbanizing areas, which should be different from policies for districts already urbanized. Besides, apply indirect tools such as economic measures, including penalties that a production or company have to pay whenever it causes pollution, is also useful in avoiding the increase of urban environmental degradation. Conclusions Urbanization has clearly caused impacts on the city economic structure, especially in urbanized areas. There are positive changes in many social aspects. There is also environmental deterioration and pollution. If people are not noticed and properly solved, this issue will result in extremely consequences and cause negative impacts on the citys urban sustainable development. References Bolay, J.C Cartoux, S Cunha, A Du, T.T.N Bassand, M 1997, Sustainable Development and Urban Growth: Precarious Habitat and Water Management in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, Habitat INTL., Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 185-197, Elsevier Science, viewed 14 Dec 2009,. Boyce, J-K 1994, Inequality as a Cause of Environmental Degradation, Ecological Economics, vol. 11, pp. 1-20, Political Economy Research Institute, viewed 12 Dec 2009,. Chiapponi, M 1992, Environmental management and planning: The role of spatial and temporal scales, Ekistics 356-357, pp. 306-310. Hackett, B 1993, A landscape basis for planning, Ekistics 360 361, pp. 116-118. Lovejoy, D 1993, The vital role of the landscape architect in solving environmental problems, Ekistics 360 361, pp. 124 126. Satterthwaite, D 2009, The implications of population growth and urbanization for climate change, Environment and Urbanization 2009, vol. 21, pp. 545, Sage, viewed 17 Dec 2009,http://eau.sagepub.com >

education :: essays research papers

children were expected to attend schools where the King James Bible was read, where Protestant hymns were being sung, where prayers were being recited, but most importantly where textbooks and the entire slant of the teaching was very much anti Irish and very much anti Catholic.† â€Å"Many schools required that students recite passages from the Bible, or the Lord’s Prayer. Christian holidays were celebrated, even in cities like New York, where large numbers of students were Jewish (91-92). Even though the parents of the Jewish children did not except the religious teaching and celebrating of holidays such as Christmas they wanted their children to get the best possible academic education. The parents did not want their kids to work in a factory when they become older, which was expected for the Jewish children to work when they grow up, with this being said riots occurred in a time frame of 5 to 7 days, windows of the schools were broken, cars destroyed, and policemen were stoned. These riots came about due to Jewish children not learning about academics, but instead they learned how to sew and shop. According to â€Å"New York Time Upfront, March 5, 2001, stated, â€Å"In the 1870’s some said too much education would hurt a women’s health. FEMALES KEEP OUT. That message might have been posted at colleges in this country’s earliest years, had it not bee thought too obvious to need saying. A woman’s place was in the home, and higher education—like the vote—was the province of the male. In the 19th century, however, colleges for women began to be established, and other new colleges opened their doors to both sexes. The change sparked an earnest public debate. One question in dispute—in an era when housework itself was brutal toil: How much study could female bodies bear without damage? (v133i13 pg24). That was an example of how it uses to be, here is an example of the changes that has been implemented. Back in those days the women had their husband to support them. Today, I am a single black educated professional woman. I worked and went to school full-time and raised two kids. It is true that this is hard for woman, but with no support of a man in the house gives a woman the strength to manage the life of a man to support the family. I knew that if I did not finish my education, I could not earn a deceed salary to support my children.

Soul Searching’s Pyschological and Moral Aspects

This analysis makes no pretences of keeping with the psychological and moral convictions that Heidegger ignored. His structural analysis is simply not complete enough to represent Dasein†s phenomenological orientation in the world without considering some aspects which are inherent to each Dasein such as a psychological history and a moral destination. Although speculation as to the reasons behind his choice to ignore such overwhelming attributes is forever possible, leaving out psychology and morality leaves Dasein with no soul. Dasein then is nothing more than a component of the world through other Dasein. One can only Be when one†s Being is disclosed by Others until the they is escaped in Death. Heidegger doesn†t enjoy the negative connotation of the word escape in the context of relationships with Others, but this seems to be more important as a question of true existence, true realization of the authentic Self. I argue that the soul, the spirit, the essence of Dasein must be explained as well as the phenomena of existence in order to clarify the question â€Å"What does it mean to be (Dasein)? † Through the soul, Dasein may bridge the gaps of loneliness that occur in the solitude of single existence amongst Others. Psychology and morality provide excellent headquarters from which to launch this campaign in search of the soul of Dasein†¦ How can one†s soul exhibit both concernful solicitude and care while experiencing existential loneliness in the face of Death? When looking at the temporality of Dasein†s existence, psychology corresponds to Heidegger†s concept of already-being as does morality to being-ahead-of-itself, in relation to the prospect of having a soul. Psychology and morality play such large roles in the creation of both the they-self and the authentic self that some definitions are in order. Psychology explains the relationships between phenomena and both voluntary and involuntary behavior patterns. Behavior is the reaction of the subconscious with the conscious before decisions are made and actions taken. The sum of the behavioral limitations of these reactions, symbolically speaking, equals the finite potential of possibilities after already-being-in-the-world. Thus behavior displays an abundant importance when considering Dasein†s interpretation of events on an authentic as well as an inauthentic level. It seems that Heidegger shies away from psychology because behavior can vary so much from one person to another and creates problems for his strictly structural analysis of being. Morality is also of great concern in a personal view of Heidegger†s Being and Time due to the touchy nature of his use of such terms as conscience and guilt to describe qualities that are present in all Dasein. Even though he attempts to use these words (guilt and conscience) without bringing extra baggage along with them, one cannot resist considering the implications that vernacular semantics suggest about the nature of Dasein. Heidegger explains: â€Å"†¦ he concept of moral guilt has been so little clarified ontologically†¦ interpretations of this phenomenon could become prevalent and have remained so† (Blackwell, p. 328). If this is the case, moral guilt should hold a place in the discussion because it is so prevalent. He also uses his own fresher definition of guilt to explain his idea that guilt is merely the lack of something that should and could be. If guilt is the main impetus for authentic Being, then wouldn†t morality be immediately involved in the discussion as a source of guilt, or as the next step above the middle management provided by conscience? For how else could one describe what should be other than in terms of a personal view of integrity towards living towards Others-otherwise stated as morality? Dasein defines what should be by looking forward to the possibility of being self-governed by an individual sense of what is correct behavior in the world into which one has been thrown. For Heidegger, the conscience alerts Dasein not only to failing to realize an authentic Being for one†s Self, but also provides a constant source of guilt that becomes manifested in anticipation towards Death. He says of Being-towards-Death: †¦ nticipation reveals to Dasein its lostness in the they-self, and brings it face to face with the possibility of being itself, primarily unsupported by concernful solicitude, but of being itself, rather, in an impassioned freedom towards death-a freedom which has been released from the Illusions of the â€Å"they†, and which is factical, certain of itself, and anxious (Blackwell, p. 311). This passage summarizes Heidegger†s position of leaving the Others behind to pursue one†s own Death in whatever manner might suit one†s individual conceptualization of the inexplicable phenomenon of Death. He calls this anticipatory resoluteness-a projection of possibilities for Dasein onto itself. His reference to concernful solicitude implies that some part of the they-self assumes responsibility for the well-being of Others with respect to their own personal care towards the world. Heidegger explains this as part of the idle talk respective to inauthenticity, but the sympathy one feels obliged to show another exceeds simple social convention and finds a home in the desire to assume some part of the loneliness shared by all Dasein. In this way, we establish the connection of authentic existence with morality. Guilt in the face of inauthentic being is a key factor in Heidegger†s connection of anticipatory resoluteness towards Death. But, each Dasein has some sort of moral disposition which is a sort of goal for how one might define one†s-Self. Since this moral consideration is present, it is inescapable when examining the way Dasein arrives at its resolute decision of which possibilities will be executed. Thus morality corresponds to Heidegger†s Being-ahead-of-itself. Not only does Dasein care about the guilt it experiences in the face of inauthentic Being, but it wishes to alleviate the same suffering in those it perceives to be troubled. Looking ahead, Dasein knows there will be sorrowful phenomena coming towards it and so feels the sting of the misfortunes of an Other as well. This sentimental sharing can be directed towards joy in that joy is a benefit to all Dasein when accepted, just as sorrow is a detriment to all Dasein when the burden is shouldered amongst their many lonely souls. Psychology and morality depend mostly upon the ontical interpretation of events involving other Dasein-the Others. In the anonymous placement of Dasein amongst Others, Dasein falls into the inauthentic mode of being described by Heidegger as the they-self. The they-self is crucial to an understanding of how Dasein can transcend the ignorant (but not necessarily diminished) existing of average everyday life to find a seemingly more perplexing state called authentic existence. Dasein†s they-self is primarily concerned with the events and requirements demanded of it through living in what is conceived as the present time with other people. This they-self is prevalent to all modes of Being which Dasein might exhibit in that one can never escape a certain degree of anonymity in one†s relations with others. The they-self revels in its proximity to the Others with which it may identify itself; however, the they-self also strives to keep a reasonable distance from the Others to avoid becoming lost as an individual entity. The phenomenon of distancing one†s they-self from Others may happen consciously or unconsciously to Dasein. In the distancing and proximalizing of Dasein to Others and the collective they, Dasein psychologically constructs a social script that reads all of the lines that are â€Å"proper. † The social script is simply a dialogue between Others and/or Dasein that corresponds to the different situations (this could also refer to the authentic Situation which Heidegger describes on pages 346-347) in which Dasein finds itself. These social scripts are provided by the relationships to Others and are derived from idle talk and personal meditation on the questions which conscience brings to Dasein†s attention. Although critical observation is not necessary for proper psychological synthesis of social scripts, the implications of devouring past events and reinterpreting them for future reference is the fulcrum of the interrelatedness of psychology, morality, and temporality as these factors can be named as the shining stars from which the soul of Dasein will descend. It is important to remember that no standard of morality may be set but rather all Dasein has an individual interpretation of it. One may follow traditional Judeo-Christian morality concerning the theological disdain held for physical pleasure and the propagation of guilt through admonitions of original sin. One may decide that the texts† readings are presented for personal interpretation. One may not have any real moral convictions whatever except for an amoral avoidance of pain and pursuit for pleasure. In short, each Dasein must synthesize its own moral, amoral, or immoral disposition through the practice of making decisions based upon an individual character code of morality which is created from observation or experience of social interaction from the beginning of life. So, how does Heidegger leave the soul out of his analysis? Where is the connection? Morality, being a facet of existence concerned with the â€Å"I live my life in this way because it is right for me† is analogous to Heidegger†s â€Å"for-the-sake-of-which† that he uses to describe the structure of the world. He says, â€Å"The â€Å"for-the-sake-of† always pertains to the being of Dasein, for which, in its being, that very being is an issue† (Blackwell, p. 116-117). Hubert Dreyfus† Being-in-the-World (commentary on Being and Time) says: Heidegger uses the term ‘for-the-sake-of-which† to call attention to the way human activity makes long-term sense, thus avoiding any intimation of a final goal. A for-the-sake-of-which, like being a father or being a professor, is not to be thought of as a goal I have in mind and can achieve. Indeed, it is not a goal at all, but rather a self-interpretation that informs and orders all my activities (Dreyfus, p. 5). Why does Dasein feel a need to order its activities? What has the influence over Dasein to create this striving towards a higher existence? Although biologically dubious and philosophically unproven, the soul is the only possible answer. The spirit which moves Dasein, the essence that drives Dasein to seek something better, something higher is an inexplicable yet necessary part of the ontological structure of Dasein. Heidegger explains this phenomenon as Being-towards-Death. Authentic Being-towards-Death signifies Dasein realizing the temporality of its existence and looking-ahead with anticipatory resoluteness. Anticipatory resoluteness is the act of projecting one†s ownmost potentiality for Being against the anxiety of nothingness which Death inspires. Explicitly, this is a realization of moving towards Death as a phenomenon central to existence itself. Authentic Dasein anticipates Death with a resoluteness derived from guilt. Anticipation correlates to authenticity in that it â€Å"brings Dasein face to face with a possibility [Being] which is constantly certain but which at any moment remains indefinite as to when that possibility will become an impossibility [Death]† (Blackwell, p. 56). Inauthentic Being-towards-Death is denoted by Dasein exhibiting its typical average everyday falleness where the they-self sees Death as an impending event that will happen â€Å"someday in the future† without allowing the knowledge of this event to affect any of the â€Å"possibilities of Being† with which Dasein might be presented. If there is an effect on the possibilities of Being in respect to Death, it is very limited and not fully comprehending of the actual nature of Death. In the inauthentic Being-Towards-Death the they-self never â€Å"dies† in the â€Å"existential† conception of Dasein because it is constantly too involved in the world around it to be concerned about its coming possibility-of-not-being-with-Others. Thus, one of the main reasons understanding Death is central to the authentic Being-one†s-Self boils down to understanding exactly how one†s-Self is related to Others. Experiencing Death from a second person point-of-view is psychologically riveting-traumatic, alienating, increasing existential awareness &c. The looking ahead of Dasein to Death produces an anxiety towards nothingness-nullity-a lack of care that is inherent in not-Being-with-Others. Heidegger says, â€Å"Care itself, in its very essence, is permeated with nullity through and through† (Blackwell, p. 331). Lacking care yields guilt in the form of not being able to grasp the meaning of not-Being-with-Others. To make up for this guilt, Dasein moralizes its existence with respect to how life should be lived versus all other possibilities of how it could be lived. Morality must then describe the relation of Being-one†s-Self through Others in relation to former psychological phenomena such as attending a funeral. Care, however, cannot be pure nullity as this undermines the entire structure of care in a nihilistic fashion. Heidegger is proposing that care is nothingness, thus eliminating its necessity and making it merely an arbitrary condition of Dasein. In contrast to this perspective, morality is not only looking ahead, but also compensation for the thrown loneliness of existence. Since no one can share in the phenomenon of Death, no one ever has a partner, friend, lover, or mate forever. This inspires a moral sympathy that caters to social utility and also individual welfare. Others† Being-towards-Death can be contemplated by Dasein but never experienced. This links all Dasein by way of providing a moralized and honest care towards each other and is explained by the inexplicable concept of a unitary Soul composed of the psychologically crafted and morally directed souls of all Dasein who are locked in their thrown loneliness. This of course raises still more questions that must be answered before Dasein is fully elucidated.

Examining the Constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase Essay

The acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase caused a political debate of the constitution in the early United States government. There was a difference of opinions between politicians including Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. Many believed that the provisions outlined in the United States Constitution should be strictly followed, but others believe that the Constitution was open to interpretation. These differences of opinion over the interpretation came into play when Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase with France. Jefferson was a staunch Federalist who believed in applying the words of the Constitution verbatim. However, Jefferson would later justify a broader interpretation of the Constitution based on the argument that the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase would solidify the safety, security, and unity of the young United States. Spain had a contract with the young United States that they would share use of this major port for both imports and exports. Theriault states, à ¢â‚¬Å"Americans much preferred Louisiana in the weaker and more benign Spanish hands.† (Theriault 297). However, Spain sold this territory to France. As a result, the United States lost access to a major trade route and citizens lost their businesses and goods. Jefferson recognized that the port of New Orleans was vital for the United States’ economic success and power. France was going to use the land to form a sugar empire. Having access to the Mississippi River would give France an advantage over the United States and other countries. Harriss explains, â€Å"When Jefferson heard rumors of Napolà ©on’s secret deal, he immediately saw the threat to America’s Western settlements and its vital outlet to the Gulf of Mexico† (Harriss). The Louisiana territory would also provide France with a geographical advantage over the United States should any tensions occur in the future. Theriault states, â€Å"Federalists could explain their strident view in p rotecting the West as an outgrowth of their strong defense policies† (Theriault 304). Additionally, the Louisiana Purchase would also ease current tensions between France and the United States, preventing a possible  war. Jefferson also supported his decision in buying the Louisiana Purchase on the basis that it would provide additional land for the United States. This land could be used for western expansion as the population of the young country continued to increase. Thomas Paine was one of the main politicians who voiced concern over the religious differences between the populations of the current United States and those that would inhabit the new territory. It was a problem of national unity. He was concerned over how the United States would add those who already resided in the territory. These inhabitants had gone through a transfer of power and control from Spain, France, and now the United States. The religions worshiped by these inhabitants were based on the prior countries that held control. Paine was very concerned by this because the territory had a large population of Catholics, whereas the majority of the United States was Protestant. These inhabitants had also been in control based on rulers based on divine right. Paine was concerned with how the newest citizens of the United Stated would accept the Constitution, based on a separation between church and state. Despite these concerns, Paine did acknowledge that assimilation would be su ccessful, but it would take time. The Louisiana Purchase marked the beginning of a debate over interpretation of the Constitution that still goes on today. Jefferson himself argued that â€Å"a president could step outside the Constitution but only with the knowledge and consent of the people for whose benefit the Constitution was framed and adopted† (Bernstein). While not directly stated, Jefferson’s actions could be supported by a broad interpretation of the tenth amendment. The tenth amendment states, â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people† (National Archives). This amendment justifies the acceptance of Louisiana as a state within the United States. It also addresses the rights of the people residing within Louisiana as citizens. The tenth amendment provides a solution over the concerns of Thomas Paine. Jefferson’s actions prevented possible conflict between th e United States and France, using executive powers to ensure the safety, security, and unity of the United States. Works Cited Bernstein, R.B. â€Å"Thomas Jefferson and Executive Power.† Journal of the Early Republic, 30.1 (2010): 139-142. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. Harriss, Joseph. â€Å"Westward Ho!† Smithsonian 34.1 (2003): 100. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. National Archives. â€Å"Bill of Rights Transcript.† The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 27 Jan 2013. Theriault, Sean M. â€Å"Party Politics During The Louisiana Purchase.† Social Science History 30.2 (2006): 293-324. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.

Free Essays on Consciousness Ambiguous

Is ‘Consciousness’ Ambiguous? (appears in Journal of Consciousness Studies 8(2), 2001, 19-44) Abstract: It is widely assumed that ‘consciousness’ (and its cognates) is multiply ambiguous within the consciousness literature. Some alleged senses of the term are access consciousness, phenomenal consciousness, state consciousness, creature consciousness, introspective consciousness, self consciousness, to name a few. In the paper I argue for two points. First, there are few if any good reasons for thinking that such alleged senses are genuine: ‘consciousness’ is best viewed as univocal within the literature. The second point is that researchers would do best to avoid the semantics of ‘consciousness’, since resorting to â€Å"semantic ascent† typically serves no clear purpose in the case of consciousness, and confuses matters more than anything else. †¦if we always insisted on precise definitions we all would be speechless almost all the time. Definitions and precise theoretical constructs are the final product, not the starting point of inquiry. - Lawrence Weiskrantz (1988, p. 183) Introduction As anyone acquainted with the consciousness literature well knows, it is common for works on consciousness to contain- usually somewhere near the start- a discussion of the semantics of the word ‘consciousness’ (and its cognates: ‘conscious’, ‘consciously’, etc.). And in spite of there being little widespread agreement among researchers on most matters falling within the domain of consciousness studies, when it comes to ‘consciousness’ it is virtually universally agreed is that the term is multiply ambiguous. The idea, moreover, is not merely that lay people use the term with various meanings, or that they use it differently from how researchers do, or that the term has had different meanings throughout its history. It is that researchers themselves currently use t... Free Essays on Consciousness Ambiguous Free Essays on Consciousness Ambiguous Is ‘Consciousness’ Ambiguous? (appears in Journal of Consciousness Studies 8(2), 2001, 19-44) Abstract: It is widely assumed that ‘consciousness’ (and its cognates) is multiply ambiguous within the consciousness literature. Some alleged senses of the term are access consciousness, phenomenal consciousness, state consciousness, creature consciousness, introspective consciousness, self consciousness, to name a few. In the paper I argue for two points. First, there are few if any good reasons for thinking that such alleged senses are genuine: ‘consciousness’ is best viewed as univocal within the literature. The second point is that researchers would do best to avoid the semantics of ‘consciousness’, since resorting to â€Å"semantic ascent† typically serves no clear purpose in the case of consciousness, and confuses matters more than anything else. †¦if we always insisted on precise definitions we all would be speechless almost all the time. Definitions and precise theoretical constructs are the final product, not the starting point of inquiry. - Lawrence Weiskrantz (1988, p. 183) Introduction As anyone acquainted with the consciousness literature well knows, it is common for works on consciousness to contain- usually somewhere near the start- a discussion of the semantics of the word ‘consciousness’ (and its cognates: ‘conscious’, ‘consciously’, etc.). And in spite of there being little widespread agreement among researchers on most matters falling within the domain of consciousness studies, when it comes to ‘consciousness’ it is virtually universally agreed is that the term is multiply ambiguous. The idea, moreover, is not merely that lay people use the term with various meanings, or that they use it differently from how researchers do, or that the term has had different meanings throughout its history. It is that researchers themselves currently use t...

Free Essays on Fidel Castro And Cuba

Fidel Castro and Cuba When Columbus came to Cuba in 1492, he and his predecessors would probably never have imagined of this island’s outcome within the centuries ahead. From conquering the country, to its independence, to the rise of the current totalitarian regime, all these major events have made the island what it is today. Before giving the whole story about the Communists, one must understand how the country was born so here’s a little bit of a background history: Spain had conquered Cuba in 1511 under Diego Velasquez. Frequent insurrections failed to end Spain’s harsh rule. From 1868 to 1878 occurred the Armed rebellion known as the Ten Year’s War, led by plantation owner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, a co-author of Cuba’s declaration of independence. After the loss of more than 200,000 lives, the revolt ended in failure. In 1933, Fulgencio Batista led a â€Å"sergeants† revolt† that toppled the despotic rule of Gen. Grarado Machado and it was at that t ime that Batista became the most powerful man in Cuba. He was elected president in 1940 and made himself chief of state with dictatorial powers. Years of corrupt government, terrorism and embezzlement made by the United States led to a revolt in 1958 under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Batista fled to the Dominican Republic and the Fidelistas were in control of Havana. Castro then became Cuba's leader at the young age of 32. At first people applauded the downfall of Batista and hoped that Castro could bring the country the prosperity it had wished for. Unfortunately, before long, people came to realization that the new regime had embraced Communism. In Cuba, Castro’s regime has created the most repressive police state apparatus in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba is like the George Orwell nightmare predicted in the book â€Å"1984† except that this time the country is set in the tropics with Big Brother sporting a beard and cigar. Cuba never believed in Human Rights as C as... Free Essays on Fidel Castro And Cuba Free Essays on Fidel Castro And Cuba Fidel Castro and Cuba When Columbus came to Cuba in 1492, he and his predecessors would probably never have imagined of this island’s outcome within the centuries ahead. From conquering the country, to its independence, to the rise of the current totalitarian regime, all these major events have made the island what it is today. Before giving the whole story about the Communists, one must understand how the country was born so here’s a little bit of a background history: Spain had conquered Cuba in 1511 under Diego Velasquez. Frequent insurrections failed to end Spain’s harsh rule. From 1868 to 1878 occurred the Armed rebellion known as the Ten Year’s War, led by plantation owner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, a co-author of Cuba’s declaration of independence. After the loss of more than 200,000 lives, the revolt ended in failure. In 1933, Fulgencio Batista led a â€Å"sergeants† revolt† that toppled the despotic rule of Gen. Grarado Machado and it was at that t ime that Batista became the most powerful man in Cuba. He was elected president in 1940 and made himself chief of state with dictatorial powers. Years of corrupt government, terrorism and embezzlement made by the United States led to a revolt in 1958 under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Batista fled to the Dominican Republic and the Fidelistas were in control of Havana. Castro then became Cuba's leader at the young age of 32. At first people applauded the downfall of Batista and hoped that Castro could bring the country the prosperity it had wished for. Unfortunately, before long, people came to realization that the new regime had embraced Communism. In Cuba, Castro’s regime has created the most repressive police state apparatus in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba is like the George Orwell nightmare predicted in the book â€Å"1984† except that this time the country is set in the tropics with Big Brother sporting a beard and cigar. Cuba never believed in Human Rights as C as...

Peoples Republic of China Facts and History

Peoples Republic of China Facts and History The history of China reaches back over 4,000 years. In that time, China has created a culture rich in philosophy and the arts. China has seen the invention of amazing technologies such as silk, paper, gunpowder, and many other products. Over the millennia, China has fought hundreds of wars. It has conquered its neighbors, and been conquered by them in turn. Early Chinese explorers such as Admiral Zheng He sailed all the way to Africa; today, Chinas space program continues this tradition of exploration. This snapshot of the Peoples Republic of China today includes a necessarily brief scan of Chinas ancient heritage. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Beijing, population 11 million. Major Cities: Shanghai, population 15 million. Shenzhen, population 12 million. Guangzhou, population 7 million. Hong Kong, population 7 million. Dongguan, population 6.5 million. Tianjin, population 5 million. Government The Peoples Republic of China is a socialist republic ruled by a single party, the Communist Party of China. Power in the Peoples Republic is divided between the National Peoples Congress (NPC), the President, and the State Council. The NPC is the single legislative body, whose members are selected by the Communist Party. The State Council, headed by the Premier, is the administrative branch. The Peoples Liberation Army also wields considerable political power. The current President of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party is Xi Jinping. The Premier is Li Keqiang. Official Language The official language of the PRC is Mandarin, a tonal language in the Sino-Tibetan family. Within China, however, only about 53 percent of the population can communicate in Standard Mandarin. Other important languages in China include Wu, with 77 million speakers; Min, with 60 million; Cantonese, 56 million speakers; Jin, 45 million speakers; Xiang, 36 million; Hakka, 34 million; Gan, 29 million; Uighur, 7.4 million; Tibetan, 5.3 million; Hui, 3.2 million; and Ping, with 2 million speakers. Dozens of minority languages also exist in the PRC, including Kazakh, Miao, Sui, Korean, Lisu, Mongolian, Qiang, and Yi. Population China has the largest population of any country on Earth, with more than 1.35 billion people. The government has long been concerned about population growth  and introduced the One-Child Policy in 1979. Under this policy, families were limited to just one child. Couples who got pregnant for a second time faced forced abortions or sterilization. This policy was loosened in December of 2013 to allow couples to have two children if one or both of the parents were only children themselves. There are exceptions to the policy for ethnic minorities, as well. Rural Han Chinese families also have always been able to have a second child if the first is a girl or has disabilities. Religion Under the communist system, religion has been officially discouraged in China. Actual suppression has varied from one religion to another, and from year to year. Many Chinese are nominally Buddhist and/or Taoist  but dont practice regularly. People who self-identify as Buddhist total about 50 percent, overlapping with the 30 percent who are Taoist. Fourteen percent are atheists, four percent Christians, 1.5 percent Muslims, and tiny percentages are Hindu, Bon, or Falun Gong adherents. Most Chinese Buddhists follow Mahayana or Pure Land Buddhism, with smaller populations of Theravada and Tibetan Buddhists. Geography Chinas area is 9.5 to 9.8 million square kilometers; the discrepancy is due to border disputes with India. In either case, its size is second only to Russia in Asia  and is either third or fourth in the world. China borders 14 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. From the worlds tallest mountain to the coast, and the Taklamakan desert to the jungles of Guilin, China includes diverse landforms. The highest point is Mt. Everest (Chomolungma) at 8,850 meters. The lowest is Turpan Pendi, at -154 meters. Climate As a result of its large area and various landforms, China includes climate zones from subarctic to tropical. Chinas northern province of Heilongjiang has average winter temperatures below freezing, with record lows of -30 degrees Celsius. Xinjiang, in the west, can reach nearly 50 degrees. Southern Hainan Island has a tropical monsoon climate. Average temperatures there range only from about 16 degrees Celsius in January to 29 in August. Hainan receives about 200 centimeters (79 inches) of rain annually. The western Taklamakan Desert receives only about 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain and snow per year. Economy Over the past 25 years, China has had the fastest-growing major economy in the world, with annual growth of more than 10 percent. Nominally a socialist republic, since the 1970s the PRC has remade its economy into a capitalist powerhouse. Industry and agriculture are the largest sectors, producing more than 60 percent of Chinas GDP, and employing over 70 percent of the workforce. China exports $1.2 billion U.S. in consumer electronics, office machinery, and apparel, as well as some agricultural produce each year. The per capita GDP is $2,000. The official poverty rate is 10 percent. Chinas currency is the yuan renminbi. As of March 2014, $1 US 6.126 CNY. History of China Chinese historical records reach back into the realm of legend, 5,000 years ago. It is impossible to cover even the major events of this ancient culture in a short space, but here are some highlights. The first non-mythical dynasty to rule China was the Xia (2200- 1700 BCE), founded by Emperor Yu. It was succeeded by the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE), and then the Zhou Dynasty (1122-256 BCE). Historical records are scanty for these ancient dynastic times. In 221 BCE, Qin Shi Huangdi assumed the throne, conquering neighboring city-states, and unifying China. He founded the Qin Dynasty, which lasted only until 206 BCE. Today, he is best-known for his tomb complex in Xian (formerly Changan), which houses the incredible army of terracotta warriors. Qin Shi Huangs inept heir was overthrown by the army of commoner Liu Bang in 207 BCE. Liu then founded the Han Dynasty, which lasted until 220 CE. In the Han era, China expanded west as far as India, opening trade along what would later become the Silk Road. When the Han Empire collapsed in 220 CE, China was thrown into a period of anarchy and turmoil. For the next four centuries, dozens of kingdoms and fiefdoms competed for power. This era is called the Three Kingdoms, after the three most powerful of the rival realms (Wei, Shu, and Wu), but that is a gross simplification. By 589 CE, the Western branch of the Wei kings had accumulated enough wealth and power to defeat their rivals  and unite China once more. The Sui Dynasty was founded by Wei general Yang Jian  and ruled until 618 CE. It built the legal, governmental, and societal framework for the powerful Tang Empire to follow. The Tang Dynasty was founded by a general called Li Yuan, who had the Sui emperor assassinated in 618. The Tang ruled from 618 to 907 CE, and Chinese art and culture flourished. At the end of the Tang, China descended into chaos again in the 5 Dynasties and 10 Kingdoms period. In 959, a palace guard named Zhao Kuangyin took power and defeated the other small kingdoms. He established the Song Dynasty (960-1279), known for its intricate bureaucracy and Confucian learning. In 1271, the Mongolian ruler Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis) established the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The Mongols subjugated other ethnic groups including the Han Chinese  and eventually were overthrown by the ethnic-Han Ming. China flowered again under the Ming (1368-1644), creating great art and exploring as far as Africa. The final Chinese dynasty, the Qing, ruled from 1644 to 1911, when  the  Last Emperor  was overthrown.  Power struggles between warlords such as Sun Yat-Sen touched off the Chinese Civil War. Although the war was interrupted for a decade by the Japanese invasion and World War II, it picked up again once Japan was defeated. Mao Zedong and the Communist Peoples Liberation Army won the Chinese Civil War, and China became the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. Chiang Kai Shek, leader of the losing Nationalist forces, fled to Taiwan.

Diverse workforce management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Diverse workforce management - Essay Example Diverse workforce is necessary for the successful management of cross cultural business. For example, it is impossible for American company Apple to manage their business successfully in China with the help of American employees alone. It should be noted that the locals have better knowledge about the local market and hence their services are essential for Google like big international companies to manage their business successfully at different parts of the world. Moreover, immigration has been increased a lot in the recent past because of globalization. Exchange of workforce between countries is a common thing nowadays because of globalization. In America, Middle East and European countries, manpower is extremely scarce and hence it is extremely expensive there. On the other hand, in India and China like countries manpower resources are abundant and hence it is cheap there. Globalization helps expensive labour oriented countries to utilize cheap labour force available in India and China like countries. In short, management of diverse workforce is essential in most of the international companies at present. This paper analyses management of diverse workforce by taking American company Apple Inc. as an example. ... Torrington (2011) pointed out that â€Å"Apple is currently facing lot of difficulties in its recruitments and selection processes. â€Å"The key difficulty in recruitment process is the lack of specialist skills in the labour market† (Torrington et al., 2011, p.43). America is a country which is labelled as an expensive labour oriented country. In other words labour costs in America are extremely high compared to the labour costs in other parts of the world. So, in a heavily competitive business world, it is difficult for Apple to manage their business functions with the help of locals alone. It is necessary for Apple to exploit the services of overseas workforce not only for their American operations but also for their international operations. Kirton & Greene (2005) mentioned that â€Å"Diversity exists among men and women of the same ethnic group. It also exists among women community as well as men community of the same ethnic group (Kirton & Greene, 2005, p.14). In othe r words, diverse workforce is not at all a term related to people from different cultures or communities. Diversity can exist even among domestic workforce since no two individuals are alike. So, managing diversity means managing individuals of different kind. â€Å"It can be the integration of different parts of an organization; it can be the issue of national culture within a multinational organization and it can be the development of equal opportunities† (Kandola and Fullerton, 1998, p.6). Even though Apple is keen in maintaining a diverse workforce, several overseas employees working in Apple has many complaints about the attitude of the company towards them. Many of the top managers in Apple Company behave like

The Impact Of Globalization On The Economy Research Paper

The Impact Of Globalization On The Economy - Research Paper Example Globalization has helped the realization of the world economy characterized with various features although some factors are not exclusive; they are not present in every country on the globe. To help in gaining more understanding of globalization and the world economy, it is paramount to consider the case of Japan and the US economies. There is a considerably stable status of the world economy, with some economies such as Japan and US indicating an upward progression over the recent years’ time. More specifically America has registered a healthy economic growth rated at 3.5% in 2005 and 5% in 2006’s first quarter of the year. However, the healthy economic growth was hard to be sustained following the consistent increase in oil prices globally as well as the extensive Katrina’s hurricane devastation. However, the US government adopted immediate fiscal and monetary policies which had effective responses. The adopted measures helped in regaining the economic stabilit y of the US. The economy of Japan receives a substantial economic boost registering phenomenal progression rates following the country's continued trading with China. The continent of Europe has also indicated a marginal growth in the recent past. Several European Union countries have recorded unexpected growth rates economically. The establishment of the key free trade consensus including the "North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)" as well as South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) in an effort of boosting globally exercised trade

EVALUATION OF RESOURES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EVALUATION OF RESOURES - Essay Example Considering the potential impact of ICT in the learning activities of the students, educational researchers have been consistently studying how ICT can be used as a pedagogical tool in improving the learning ability of the students. (Pearson, 2003; National Research Council, 2000) For this study, the researcher will determine the contribution of the following learning resources: digital cameras, Alphasmart key guard, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and Microsoft Word towards the learning activities of the mainstream and special educational needs (SEN) students by conducting a short literature review. Prior to the conclusion, the researcher will conduct a quantitative and qualitative survey analysis in order to evaluate the impact of these learning resources with the Science learning activities of mainstream and SEN students. In relation to the learning activities of mainstream and SEN students, technology can be used as a teaching and learning tool that enables the school teachers and students to become co-learners by collaboratively constructing knowledge. (Reed & McNergney, 2000) For instance, the use of digital cameras enable the school teachers and students to record educational trip or a specific learning experience to enable both parties to review the learning process on a later date. In line with this matter, technology behind digital cameras make it possible for school teachers and students to experience a real-world examples of ‘learning by doing.’ Depending on the learning ability of these students, students could easily make a school report by recording certain learning events using the digital camera for the purpose of a group or individual class presentation. (Wellington & Wellington, 2002) In the process of being able to make a class presentation using digitalized visual materials, the students will be able to build self-confidence with their work since these materials could enable them to capture

White Collar Crime Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

White Collar Crime - Term Paper Example White collar crimes are less obvious due to their ability to incorporate legitimate and criminal behavior. Whether committed by corporations or individuals, white collar crimes cause serious financial and social repercussions in the society. These crimes tend to increase the cost of doing business, which is in turn passed on to consumers in the form of increased prices and decreased services. Victims of white collar crimes and all members of society affected by these crimes experience emotional consequences, which include violation of trust, stress from victimization, and damage to public morale. Categories of crime include fraud, conspiracy, embezzlement, tax evasion, and money laundering. All these types of crimes have different magnitude of negative impact in the society, and this report has recommended turf penalties to be imposed on those who are implicated. The issues are recurrent and are likely to reoccur with the emergence of new opportunities, therefore, measures should be taken to avoid loss of property, money, markets, or personal possessions. For that reason, the society has the responsibility to deploy its private and public administrative, law enforcement resources and research in trying to contain white collar crime. White collar crime Introduction The phrase white collar crime best describes a violence free method of obtaining money illegally. With regards to criminology, Edward Sutherland was the first to use the phrase during the 1939 speech to the American Sociological Society. In 1940, more than forty years ago, Sutherland coined the term white collar crime. ... In the early 1930s, the passage of the first securities act laid a powerful foundation for the legislative weapons against financial fraud as it saw the prosecution of bankers and government officials for abuse of trust; whereas the federal mail fraud statute took a key role as part of an extensive law enforcement tool against business fraud. Furthermore, a president of the New York Stock Exchange was convicted before Sunderland discovered white collar crime. Nevertheless, he discovered white collar crime for the American criminologists; and although it has been dormant, white collar crime has been a top agenda for over forty years (Glovin, 2009). White collar crimes often relate to crimes that have to do with large finances yet no physical violence takes place (Levi, 2010). The same rights and protections given to defendants of other crimes are accorded to people accused of white collar crimes. White collar crimes involve most of the legal principles as other crimes, but they are co mplex than other crimes as they involve complicated legal and factual issues. Criminal forfeiture, fines, restitution and prison sentences are among the penalties involved in white collar crimes. A consultation with an experienced white collar criminal defense attorney should be the first option for anyone charged with white collar crime. Discussion White collar crimes vs blue collar crimes What is available to the potential offender constitutes the function of the types of crimes committed. Therefore, the risks to engage in crime are lower in those employed in unskilled environments and living in inner-city areas as compared to those who live in prosperity and where large financial transactions take place. Shoplifting and vandalism are types of blue

Workplace Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Workplace Stress - Essay Example The stress and strain day in and day out may result in broken families and relationships. It can also cause depression, anxiety and mental ill-health. Ever since the creation of the Law Enforcement Administration in 1968, tremendous amount of research on policing, police departments and police officers in the United States, has been carried out. Examining the effects of service, work and gender activities of the perception of officers of the workplace and their general work world, revealed that this perception is closely related to what they do than who they are ( Winfree, Jr. Guiterman & Mays, 1997). Police work tends to be regarded as inherently stressful because of the personal risk of being exposed to violence, confrontation, and the day to day involvement in various traumatic incidents. The stress faced by the police officers has been referred to as the "police paradox" (Cullen et. al. 1983) because both the safe and unsafe aspects of the job combine to produce the stress symptoms. Policing is considered to be a highly stressful job especially for female police officers, who are caught up between the increasing threats of violence on our streets. In a research focusing on the workplace stress problems for both men and women in the police force, a survey carried out in 25 departments revealed that although both men and women experienced many similar problems, the gendered nature of the police organizations cause unique stresses for women (Morash & Haarr, 1995). Work stress is observed to be associated with depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress symptoms and chronic back pain (Gershon, Lin & Li Xianbin, 2002). They also assessed that work characterized stress, coping strategies and health related outcomes from a sample of police officers aged 50. The findings suggested that older officers especially the female police officers are at an increasing risk of being subjected to work stress related health problems, if they rely on risky health behaviors in order to cope with stress. Although both the male and the female police officers are exposed to relatively the same types of work stressors, but the female officers report higher rates of sex discrimination and prejudice which contributes to psychological distress. Another work stressor to be taken into consideration is that there are more chances of the female police officers and detectives to be involved with sexual offenders or victims of violence. This causes higher levels of self-perceived stress in females than faced by male police officers (Brown & Fielding, 1993). The results also showed that uniformed women constables were less likely to be exposed to police operational stressors which involved the chances for violence, but in case of such exposure, the reactions reported by female officers were brutal than those from uniformed policemen. In addition to that the organizational issues such as the demands of work intruding upon the life at home, lack of communication and consultation, lack of control over the workload, insufficient support and excess of workload in general; are major work stressors. It is also observed that both personal and occupational stressors in female police officers from personality constraints appeared to be more stress-prone. All these stressors are symptoms of

50 First Dates(2004) Rated PG-13 Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

50 First Dates(2004) Rated PG-13 - Movie Review Example It is then that he realizes that Lucy has a condition of short terms memory loss and that she is unable to remember the previous day and each individual day. Henry is in love with her and will not give up easy he is ready to win her over every single day for fifty days and makes her fall in love with him. Since she cant remember him every single morning, the story is a romantic comedy of Henry’s efforts to get Lucy to remember him every single day with the single hope that she would fall back in love with him again. There are a few scenes which reveal this point in the movies. First is the scene in the movie where Henry (Adam Sandler), makes the video for Lucy (Drew Barrymore). The video includes all the details of the various events that she missed during the year. Also he delivers the video with a bunch of lilies which he is aware that she loves. Second is the scene where Henry arranges a get together for Lucy and her friends. In this scene there is a clear mention of the fact that Henry tries everyday to make Lucy fall in love with him. This was also mentioned in the scene where Lucy’s friend was shocked on how Henry would do this on a daily basis just to maintain the relationship and love that he has for Lucy. The communication mode used here by Henry in the video is one which is positive. A video is one of the most appropriate modes of communication. As seen in the movie as well, the previous day the fact of the short term memory loss is conveyed by her family to her, however the mode of communication is one which leaves her needing to more proof. The mode of communication adopted by Henry is very positive and he gives out the same information to her in a lighter and less stressful manner. It is however essential to understand that this can also be a little negative for of communication. This is mainly because Lucy is a very happy person and every time her accident is told to her, she

Workplace Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Workplace Stress - Essay Example The stress and strain day in and day out may result in broken families and relationships. It can also cause depression, anxiety and mental ill-health. Ever since the creation of the Law Enforcement Administration in 1968, tremendous amount of research on policing, police departments and police officers in the United States, has been carried out. Examining the effects of service, work and gender activities of the perception of officers of the workplace and their general work world, revealed that this perception is closely related to what they do than who they are ( Winfree, Jr. Guiterman & Mays, 1997). Police work tends to be regarded as inherently stressful because of the personal risk of being exposed to violence, confrontation, and the day to day involvement in various traumatic incidents. The stress faced by the police officers has been referred to as the "police paradox" (Cullen et. al. 1983) because both the safe and unsafe aspects of the job combine to produce the stress symptoms. Policing is considered to be a highly stressful job especially for female police officers, who are caught up between the increasing threats of violence on our streets. In a research focusing on the workplace stress problems for both men and women in the police force, a survey carried out in 25 departments revealed that although both men and women experienced many similar problems, the gendered nature of the police organizations cause unique stresses for women (Morash & Haarr, 1995). Work stress is observed to be associated with depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress symptoms and chronic back pain (Gershon, Lin & Li Xianbin, 2002). They also assessed that work characterized stress, coping strategies and health related outcomes from a sample of police officers aged 50. The findings suggested that older officers especially the female police officers are at an increasing risk of being subjected to work stress related health problems, if they rely on risky health behaviors in order to cope with stress. Although both the male and the female police officers are exposed to relatively the same types of work stressors, but the female officers report higher rates of sex discrimination and prejudice which contributes to psychological distress. Another work stressor to be taken into consideration is that there are more chances of the female police officers and detectives to be involved with sexual offenders or victims of violence. This causes higher levels of self-perceived stress in females than faced by male police officers (Brown & Fielding, 1993). The results also showed that uniformed women constables were less likely to be exposed to police operational stressors which involved the chances for violence, but in case of such exposure, the reactions reported by female officers were brutal than those from uniformed policemen. In addition to that the organizational issues such as the demands of work intruding upon the life at home, lack of communication and consultation, lack of control over the workload, insufficient support and excess of workload in general; are major work stressors. It is also observed that both personal and occupational stressors in female police officers from personality constraints appeared to be more stress-prone. All these stressors are symptoms of

Medications in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Medications in Nursing - Essay Example 228). As a nondepolarizing agent, this drug causes skeletal muscle paralysis by blocking the myoneural junction, interfering acetylcholine’s bid for cholinergic receptor sites and then binding with the nicotinic cholinergic receptor at the postjunctional membrane (Stoelting and Miller, 2007). Unlike other depolarizing agents however, vecuronium does not have much agonist activity and has no depolarizing impact at the motor endplate (McEvoy, et.al., 2009). As a muscle relaxant, this drug acts first on the eyelids and the jaw, then acts on the limbs, the abdomen, and then the diaphragm and the intercostals (Bledsoe, Clayden, and Papa, 2005). Adverse reactions of the drug may include skeletal muscle weakness and prolonged respiratory insufficiency or apnea (NDH, 2006). The intubating dose of 0.1mg/kg is sufficient to create intubating conditions within 3 minutes with effects lasting up to 45 minutes (Kovacs and Law, 2008). Co-administration with antibiotics can enhance neuromuscu lar blockade, thereby also causing increased muscle relaxation and increasing the potency of the drug (NDH, 2006). Using the drug with opioid analgesics can also increase neuromuscular blockade, thereby also causing increased skeletal muscle relaxation. ... This drug also acts on the CNS to improve the vagal tone, thereby, slowing the conduction through the nodes and thereby ensuring antiarrhythmic effect (NDH, 2006). Digoxin has a significant role in reducing ventricular rate in supraventricular arrhythmias in atrial fibrillations; hence it is the better drug choice for Mr. Jian. It can however cause fatigue, muscle weakness, agitation, headache, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea (NDH, 2006). In relation to other drugs, co-administration with verapamil and quinidine can increase the blood digoxin levels and provoke atrioventricular block; administering it with diuretics can cause hypokalemia which can increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias (Berger, 2010). This drug is not advised for those with hypersensitivity to digoxin, for those with digitalis-induced toxicity, ventricular fibrillation, or ventricular tachycardia (NDH, 2006). For the nurse, there are various nursing precautions which should be considered in the administration of digoxin. After administration of the drug, the nurse needs to monitor Mr. Jian’s pulse rate because extreme slowing of the pulse may indicate digitalis toxicity (NDH, 2006). The nurse also needs to monitor the patient’s potassium levels carefully and take appropriate action before hypokalemia occurs. Before the drug is administered, the nurse needs to take the apical-radial pulse for 1 minute. She then needs to notify the prescriber for any changes (any significant increase or decrease in pulse). If such increase of decrease is seen, the patient’s BP needs to be checked and for an ECG to be performed (NDH, 2006). Question 3: Flecainide and Dofetilide Flecainide is a Class Ic

Margaret Thatcher’s Economic Policies: An Evaluation

Margaret Thatcher’s Economic Policies: An Evaluation Abstract Margaret Thatcher inherited an ailing economy, which was the result of several factors inclusive of actions by the previous Labour government, as well as some which were peculiar to Britain. The pivotal focus of her economic policy was reduction in the influence of the public sector, on which she launched a frontal attack by systematically defeating the labour unions, especially in the manufacturing and mining industries, and fall in unemployment and inflation. These were her highest priorities when she assumed office. These were the themes around which her doctrine to tackle these issues, Thatcherism, was predicated. Although the broad term also had some political and cultural connotations,[1] they were essentially economic in nature. The rot that had set in into the economy necessitated major, radical actions on her part; she had to antagonise the labour unions and the public sector, and had to revitalise the ailing economy. The overall results of her policies spread over three terms as prime minister were mixed: while her most resounding success was in rendering the labour unions ineffective and making them defunct in all but name, her other major policy, namely controlling unemployment and inflation, was successful, but not to the same degree, and which too, came about by external, unforeseen favourable factors. Introduction This paper is an assessment of Margaret Thatcher’s economic policies. Since no evaluation is effective when made in a vacuum, in arriving at this evaluation, this paper first makes a narration of her economic inheritance, since this serves as the benchmark for her achievements. After describing the situation the economy was in at the time of her ascension, this paper moves on to describing the major initiatives she undertook to rid the economy of its ills, which are described in detail in the coming paragraphs. In the course of this narration, the major indicators listed are the monetary policies. In this part, her actions in relation to the unions and in taking on unemployment are described; her political and religious philosophy and quantitative analyses are interspersed in the paper in passing, where they fit into this narrative. Finally, this paper offers its conclusion by making an assessment of the sum total of her policies vis-à  -vis the economy, in which its findings are that her policies were neither a startling success nor a miserable failure. It needs mention that this paper takes under its purview only her domestic economic policies, and makes no mention of her actions in relation to economic integration with the EU, because this was at an unfinished stage at the end of her term. Discussion Mrs. Thatcher’s economic policy was derived from the New Right economic philosophy of noted economists, F.A. Von Hayek and Milton Friedman, with its opposition to corporatism, and its belief that the individual and markets performed best when left free of intervention from the state; (Childs Storry, 1999, p. 540) it was grounded in the political and social circumstance of the day. Since her ascension, the cornerstone of her economic policy was the way in which it â€Å"linked the aim of restoring dynamic economic growth with a crusade to revive traditional social values†. The pivot around which it centred was what came to be called â€Å"new realism†. The core theme of this ideal is rooted in drastic economic change; this change implied freeing the industry of crippling state intervention, which she believed was what was depriving capitalism of its innovativeness and vitality. For this, the most important action she had to take was to enervate the trenchant trad e unions, which she saw as the direct and severest obstacle. This was especially so in the manufacturing industry. (Rose, 1991, p. 307) Background to economic policy When the Tories took power by defeating Labour by a margin of 28 seats in the elections of 1979, Thatcher led a Cabinet that inherited an economy in a state of decline, a decline that had been set about three decades earlier, right to almost the end of the war. Thus, her utmost priority was reversing this situation;[2] her most important task was to reduce taxes and more importantly, the overbearing influence of the public sector undertakings, which had turned out to be the economy’s guzzlers, and drastically reducing Public Sector Borrowing Requirement (PSBR) Reversing such entrenched policies needed political conviction and courage. As against the inflation rate of 10.3 percent, the GDP real growth rate was 2.3 percent. The most important tool with which to reach this economic goal was an increase in taxes. When this was introduced, the first effects were results were negative, and only started looking up later. The first and third budgets her Finance Minister, Sir Geoffrey Howe presented, had enormous tax rates. A look at how high Britain’s income tax rate was compared to other industrialised nations gives some idea about the monetary policy: in 1979, Britain had a highest Personal Income Tax Rates of 83 percent, while the same figures were 61.5 percent in Australia, 61.9 in Canada, 73 in Denmark, 60 percent in France, 56 in West Germany, 72 in Italy, 88 in Japan, 72 in Netherlands, 86.5 in Sweden and 70 in the US. This shows that of these 11 countries taken for this comparison, only Japan and Sweden had a higher rate of highest income tax levels. (Canto Laffer, 1990, p. 250) Another critical area that required handling was curbing inflation, whose gravity was spelt out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Geoffrey Howe, who made an impassioned plea stating his government’s determination to fight this malaise: It will be clear from what I have already said that the Government continue to regard the fight against inflation as the first priority. It is an illusion to suppose that we have any real choice between defeating inflation and some other course. It is quite wrong to suppose that inflation is something with which only Treasury ministers need be concerned. And in the defeat of inflation, monetary policy has an essential role to play [t]he level of spending is planned to fall steadily throughout the next four years. Without these economies, a coherent policy to reduce inflation would be unattainable. . . At the heart of the medium-term strategy is the need to return to a sensible level of public spending and to see government borrowing reduced. In the last 20 years the ratio of public expenditure to GDP has risen by a quarter. It would be all too easy for this ratio to go on rising indefinitely, unless we addressed ourselves to fundamentals†¦This review is crucial to the strategy. Crucial to success in reducing the PSBR, lowering interest rates, and bringing down inflation. And crucial if we are to find room for lightening the tax burden and so to provide scope and encouragement for enterprise and initiative. . .Expenditure in 1983-84 is planned to be about 4 per cent lower in real terms than in 1979-80. The effect will be a marked shift in the burdens imposed by the Government and in the balance between the public and private sectors. Above all we shall have set the volume of public spending on the right course. We shall be creating a climate much more favourable to economic growth. (Holmes, 1985, p. 55) [3] For sure, this method was to turn out to sow the seeds for bearing fruit in later years: the economy had a real growth rate of 3.64 percent in 1985, 3.4 percent in 1986, and 4.21 and 2.59 in the next couple of years. (Canto Laffer, 1990, p. 250) These details are spelt out in later sections of this paper. Thatcher’s policies had the effect of increasing inflation initially, before turning it around: in February 1980, inflation had touched a high of 18.4 percent, a rate that was double the rate of what it was just over half a year ago. (Holmes, 1985, p. 52) In addition, in the first year, PSBR and the money supply indicator, the M3, did not meet their targets, falling short substantially. Another factor impeded successful implementation of reducing inflation in this critical first year of her governance –rise in public expenditure caused by the government’s commitment to increase spending on health, defence, law and order and other social benefit schemes. Added to all this, the government raised public sector pay, as recommended by the Clegg Commission set up during the previous Labour government, which the Conservatives had agreed to. All these resulted initially in fall in employment, the exact opposite of what the government had pledged to achieve. (Tomlinson, 1 990, p. 333) To this, her response was that â€Å"basic economic laws (cannot) somehow be suspended because we are British. . . For government, facing our national problems entails keeping the growth of the amount of money in line with the growth in the amount of goods and services. After years of printing too much money, to which the economy has become addicted, this will take time, but it must be done† (Holmes, 1985, p. 52) During the first three years of Thatcher’ rule, tax revenues rose by 4.7 percent from 25.3 to 30 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but its budget deficit rose by a whopping 43 percent, to over  £13 billion. (Canto Laffer, 1990, p. 245) Thatcherism[4] Thatcherism was constructed under the guidance of her mentor, Sir Keith Joseph. Its belief was rooted in the Victorian tenets of hard work, independence and self esteem. This perhaps explains why she was so aversive to parasitic public sector industries, in whose reform she believed lay the solution to the economy’s ills. (Cooper, Kornberg, Mishler, 1988, p. 261) The firm and unshakable belief she had in industry were the result of her middle class upbringing. A historian, Paul Johnson, had this to say about her beliefs: [ Margaret Thatcher] has never been able, or wished, to separate her strong religious convictions from her equally strong political ones. In her mind, they are indivisible, springing as they do from the teachings of her father, a storekeeper and local councillor in the small town of Grantham. Her fathers code was simplicity itself: there are real and absolute distinctions between good and evil. Everyone has a personal responsibility to choose the good. This applies equally to public and private life. Choosing the good means working hard to better ourselves and our families and to serve the community. Deal honestly and keep the spirit as well as the letter of the law. Borrow only when absolutely necessary and repay promptly. Save systematically for the future. Give generously. In public life, apply the same high standards as in your private dealings. Remember at all times that you are accountable not only to the voter in this life but to Almighty God in the nextand God sees into our s ecret hearts and judges our motives as well as our actions. (Geelhoed Hobbs, 1992, p. xvii) [5] She believed in the better side of capitalism, which allowed the individual the maximum scope for growth. The route to wealth creation, in the ideal of Thatcherism, was not in creating or pampering the white elephants of the public sector; rather, it was in introducing healthy competition, calculated risk taking and smart marketing, to all of which the public sector was the antithesis. The small capitalist, in her vision, was the microcosm of the bigger enterprise on which the economy was built. The public sector was becoming one of the biggest sources of public expenditure, whose power had to be cut only by emasculating the trade unions, which were hampering productivity and free enterprise. Her idea of free enterprise was one that aimed at creating financial stability that was borne out of curbing public expenses; the greatest barrier to productivity and competition in her perception, the trade unions, were to be targeted forcefully. Her monetary policy was thus aimed at unchaining the economy by introducing capitalism. The role of the government was specific and clear –pulling out of the economy while strengthening its hold and role over other areas. (Cooper, Kornberg, Mishler, 1988, pp. 261-263) Thatcherism was thus â€Å"a package of fiscal and monetary austerity with tight restraint on government spending and borrowing intended to curb inflation and reduce interest rates, thereby overcoming the electoral burden of an unemployment rate that had more than doubled during Thatchers first term.† (Alt Alt, 1988, p. 217) In the pursuit of her clearly defined objectives, Thatcher had not really differed fundamentally from Conservative ideology; the area in which she differed was in the statecraft used to achieve her political and economic aims. The basic fabric of the Tory philosophy of governance, of an increase in the state’s autonomy, did not undergo a major change. In this sense, there was a similarity between Conservative ideology unde r Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan on the one side, and Thatcher on the other. (Bevir Rhodes, 2003, p. 110) Dealing with the unions Owing to policies by both Labour and the Tories from about 1962, successive governments, in their efforts towards controlling prices, had pampered labour unions and had involved them in major economic decisions, in an era also characterised by growing nationalisation of vital industries. As a result, their numbers had grown from 40 percent of the employees to 55 in this period; this had had the effect of making them aggressive, recalcitrant and militant in their outlook, having grown on the diet of indispensability for the government. They had reneged on most of the promises they had made of their conduct. The role of the government in the affairs of administration almost resembled a socialist state –the government had held not only owned corporations dealing with coal, steel, rail, transport, natural gas, it also had been handling most public utilities. It was a departure from these established Keynesian norms that Thatcherism was conceived and enacted. Because as a result of all these policies, by the time she came to power, the economy had been left in tatters –inflation stood at 10 percent, although this itself was far better compared to the 25 percent of 1975, unemployment had risen to six percent, national income had risen in the six years leading to 1979 at half the rate at which it had in the preceding 13 years, and public sector deficit had multiplied by 400 percent to four percent of the economy. To cap it all, strikes by one or another union were becoming almost a quotidian occurrence. In addition, the labour unions refused to cooperate with the Labour government for wage control below inflation rate. All these added to constitute the notorious â€Å"Winter of Discontent†[6] in the year in which Thatcher took office. Thus, the enormity of the situation was quite high at the time of her ascension. (Alt, 1994, p. 61) There were some important legal actions she took in relation to trade unions to curb their clout. Among her first re gulations was a legal ban on secondary picketing by the unions. In the same breath, she also curtailed the power of the unions by removing their immunity to pay fines they had been imposed by courts for violations of industrial relations laws. (Alt Alt, 1988, pp. 218-219) One more important legislation, perhaps the most radical one she promulgated, was in 1982. Called the Employment Act, it forcefully restricted the ambit of strikes to only the issue of pay and working conditions; the same legislation also tightened procedures on closed shops, and reduced unions’ other immunities, and more importantly, followed up in subsequent legislations by making strike ballots more stringent, and made it compulsory for unions to give seven days’ notice when going on strike. Perhaps the most important part of this legislation was that it deprived workers the automatic right of becoming union members. (Childs Storry, 1999, p. 540) Yet another important step she took in this direct ion was to separate their loyalty to the Labour Party. This she did by making public and mandatory the periodic secret ballots that were being held to some trade establishments such as shops, their members’ right to elect leaders to their association, and finally, their allegiance to the Labour Party. She reduced their importance by deliberately snubbing them by not consulting them over important economic policy,[7] and not seeking their opinion or cooperation over implementation of several economic measures. She also sought to wean the youth away from unions by generating some employment schemes targeted at them. (Alt Alt, 1988, pp. 218-.223) As a result of the systematic attack on the unions, the most important success she achieved, perhaps the most notable one of all her entire economic policy was the dismemberment and break up of the nation’s most powerful union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). When this union went on strike for a whole year protesting pi t closures, the government simply refused to buckle down; rather, the union, apart from ending its strike in April 1985, also had to face the mortification of getting split, almost rendering it impotent. Subsequently, figures of strikes and working days lost to them fell to post-war lows. (Kavanagh, 1997, p. 129) The effect of all this was that these acts debilitated the unions like no other legislation had in the past. Membership was no longer an enticing or lucrative proposition in unions sapped of their vitals; by 1994, total union membership of the workforce had fallen to nine million from 13 million in 1979. Unionism did continue, but with a vastly diluted character. Unions were no longer truculent or militant; instead, they had toned down to becoming business-oriented, strike rates fell down drastically, and were, in their watered down form, almost solely restricted to the public sector, almost totally deserted the private sector. (Childs Storry, 1999, p. 540) Curbing inflation Along with the unions, she had another task that required equal attention –high inflation, which was a major challenge to the economy. Controlling inflation was no easy task, again given the nexus that existed between managements and labour unions; in the words of Sir Walter Salomon, â€Å"both sides of industry were in unholy alliance: management thought a little bit of inflation would increase profits, while labour was persuaded that a little bit of inflation would maintain employment. It was as though a little bit of pregnancy need not lead on to bigger things!† (Holmes, 1985, p. 50) By 1980, inflation was easily among the most important problems for the nation; the government of the day had to take some very stringent, even harsh measures that would cause other problems, if only to control galloping prices. In the immediate months of assuming office, she introduced the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). In a sense, it was a takeoff from the policy undertaken by the previous Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Labour Party, Healey as part of an agreement with the IMF. Thatcher’s aim was to stringently divert targets to narrowed down goals like money and borrowing, and an absence of clearly stated goals for prices and economic output. (Alt Alt, 1988, p. 224) Raising taxes and cutting public spending were identified as the mantras with which to tackle inflation, even if it meant administering the economy a mild shock to jolt it out of its situation, akin to using one thorn to remove another. The immediate shocks the nation was administered had immediate effects that were extremely damaging –in 1980-81, industrial production in manufacturing fell by a whopping 14 percent, GNP contracted by over three percent, and unemployment rose by close to three million. This was the steepest rise in Britain’s history since the Great Depression of half a century ago. The slump in manufacturing was so great in terms in gravity that the nation lost a quarter of its manufacturing capacity in 1979-81. Just when a really potent crisis, a seemingly insoluble one, seemed to have gripped Britain, as if out of nowhere, two events turned the tide –the sudden spurt in prices of North Sea oil and gas, over which Britain had access, by an extrem ely pleasant high of 70 percent, (Evans, 2004, p. 21) which balanced the trade account and cushioned the violent swings in the economy, and the Falklands War, which completely diverted the internal turmoil and infused a sudden spurt of nationalism into the country, (Geelhoed Hobbs, 1992, p. xii) making people look to Thatcher as a kind of messiah who had delivered. The truth was that both these were events whose timing could not have been more appropriate for the nation in a morass. Conclusion One of the major charges levelled against Thatcher[8] is that Thatcherism was built on a highly simplified, yet rather cynical view of human nature,[9] and of its subservience to authority. She was extremely stern in her dealings with everyone, and believed that she had to use force to make people accept what she believed in. She was aptly described as â€Å"a Royal Marine drill sergeant inside a classic English matron†. (Champy Nohria, 1999, p. 191) Authors such as Gilmour are unsparing in their criticism of Thatcher’s assumption that every human action is driven by selfish motives, and that unless a leviathan-like government oversaw and strictly regulated it, it would be left to its primeval, selfish interests. Also coming in for severe criticism by this author is the view that Thatcher was less than positive in her perception of how and why people conform to authority, which is she is believed to have used to coerce people into her way of thinking. In the view of th is author, if the One Nation Toryism was not to people’s liking, which they had no compelling reason to like, then, people had no reason to automatically have an interest in the state. (Bevir Rhodes, 2003, p. 110) The whole range of her achievements needs to be seen in the pathetic situation the economy was in when she was appointed Prime Minister. She had come to power inheriting a largely sluggish economy. During this time, in 1978-79, the economy had all it took to take the country towards disaster –high inflation, trade union hooliganism and social problems had eaten into British politics. All this had earned it the dubious epithet, Europe’s â€Å"sick man† at the time; this condition was dubbed the â€Å"British Disease†. So deep had Britain’s image sunk in the eyes of the world that when he was elected to his first term as the president of the US, one of the foremost advices Ronald Reagan received was to strictly avoid taking up any economic policy that resembled Britain’s. The reasons for this were partly to be laid on the previous government, and mostly on the worldwide economic recession that had hit industrialised economies very badly. In fac t, Europe and the US were going through the worst recession they had witnessed since World War II. By the time she had been elected for a record third term in 1987, the economy had seen its sixth consecutive year of good performance; most barometers of the economy –production, foreign trade balance, establishment of new businesses, investment and economic growth, had all looked up. The economy had quietly been put back on its rails, with a consistent three percent growth rate since coming out of the recession. This was by all accounts a remarkable turnaround for an economy that was teetering on the brink less than a decade ago. (Geelhoed Hobbs, 1992, pp. xii- xiv) At the end of her reign, some perceptible changes were indeed seen in the economy: the shifting of the tax burden from individuals to corporations, increase in allocation to defence compared to social welfare, and a significantly lower spending on public investment compared to consumption. One of her apparent successes, reduction in unemployment, was not a uniquely British or Thatcherite phenomenon; it was more in tune with changes wrought about by the international markets attendant on exchange rates. (Alt Alt, 1988, p. 218) As we have seen, her attempted cure of the terminally ill â€Å"British Disease†[10] that she inherited could have actually been worse than the disease, but a streak of fortuity somehow saw the economy making lost ground, when it had been pushed to the brink in the initial years of her office. It is difficult to imagine to what further level the economy would have sunk had it not been for these events. But once this impetus was given, the recovery was quick –inflation was down to single figures by the spring of 1982. From even this dismal scenario, inflation was nipped, during 1982, it had come down to half its rate in 1979, and by the beginning of 1983, it stood at 5.4 percent, its lowest level since 1970. Yet, even this was not very real. The now-oil rich country caused an appreciation in the pound, because of which it was becoming extremely difficult to export manufactured goods. Low price of imports were aggravated by huge rises in unemployment levels, because of which reduced bargaining power by employees was also reducing the rate of wage increase. Added to all these, the government’s best efforts to reduce public spending were making no dent on institutionalised heavy public spending –it continued unabated to 44.5 percent of the GDP even in 1982, and the total tax burden was put at 34 percent of the GDP in the first year of office, and 40 percent in 1982 -83. Thus, whatever successes her policies had in tackling inflation had been more due to luck than anything else. (Evans, 2004, pp. 21-30) Yet, she could not find the same luck or effectiveness when it came to containing unemployment, which continued to be the enemy she could never really defeat till the end. Despite all her policies, although it was her topmost priority, in the period between 1979 and 1988, the cream of her Prime Ministership, UK’s unemployment rate, which was five percent in 1979, the year in when she took office, rose to 6.4 percent in 1980, and was 9.8 in 1981, 11.3 percent in 1982, 12.5 percent in 1983, 11.7 percent in 1984, 11.3 in 1985, 11.5 percent in1986, and10.2 percent in 1987 before finally falling to 8.2 percent the following year. With very few occasional exceptions, no other leading country in the OECD had this rate during this period. (Tomlinson, 1990, p. 334) Again, like the North Sea oil[11] which came as a godsend to her at a most critical time, another factor, though not quite so great a paroxysm, bailed her out of the unemployment morass –the transition of the economy from manufacturing to service and knowledge. Again, this was due in part to the global changes in the mode of industry, than to anything to which she could claim any singular credit. (Geelhoed Hobbs, 1992, p. xv) Thus, in assessing the most crucial parameters of the success of her economic policies, on two major counts, she was blessed to be the right person at the right time. It cannot be denied that Thatcherism brought about some very important changes. In effect, there was a pendulous effect of her economic policies –at first, when she introduced reforms aimed at curbing inflation, they boomeranged, then showed some very perceptible signs of having worked, and then, towards the end of her reign, had brought back the economy to a healthy state. One area over which she could claim total success was in dealing firmly with trade unions. There can be no doubt that this was an unequivocal stamp of her assertiveness. However, assessing her ability to deliver in other crunch areas does not bring the same decisiveness. Seen in this prism, her overall economic policies were a success, but were a qualified one. Considering the onus she inherited, it was commendable that she was able to implement so many changes. Thus, in finally evaluating Thatcher’ economic policy, it needs to be said that they indeed were successes, but a good part of this was due to events over which she had little control. References Alt, J. E., (1994), 3. â€Å"Thatchers Ideology: Economic Cures for English Diseases†, in Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister Indomitable, Thompson, J. S. Thompson, W. C., (Eds.), (pp. 55-72), Westview Press, Boulder, CO. Alt, J. E., Alt, J. E., (1988), 8. â€Å"New Wine in Old Bottles: Thatchers Conservative Economic Policy†, in The Resurgence of Conservatism in Anglo-American Democracies, Cooper, B., Kornberg, A., Mishler, W., (Eds.), (pp. 217-257), Duke University Press, Durham, NC. Bevir, M., Rhodes, R. A., (2003), Interpreting British Governance, Routledge, New York. Canto, V. A. Laffer, A. B. (Eds.), (1990), Monetary Policy, Taxation, and International Investment Strategy, Quorum Books, New York. Champy, J., Nohria, N., (1999), The Arc of Ambition: Defining the Leadership Journey, Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, MA. Childs, P. Storry, M., (Eds.), (1999), Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture, Routledge, London. Cooper, B., Kornberg, A., Mishler, W., (Eds.), (1988), Little Bee, by Chris Cleave: Analysis Little Bee, by Chris Cleave: Analysis Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, is a novel that explores both the frailty of the human condition and the endurance of the human spirit. It delves into unthinkable evil, but simultaneously celebrates its characters in their ability to transcend all that weighs them down, including their pasts, their secrets, and their flaws. The book is about the bond formed between two women and how the relationship that has arisen from the most tragic of circumstances functions to resurrect both of them. For the character of Little Bee, identity is inescapably tied to ethnicity, nationality, gender, race, and class. She is hampered by the weight of her past; yet she also rises above these distinctions in her continued hopefulness, as evidenced in her dreams and active imagination. A representative passage of the book that explores Little Bees point of view (both its unceasing optimism and stark realism) occurs in the books final chapter. Little Bee is on the beach, awaking from a dream. The dream was of her ideal life going forward: Living in a beautiful home in her native Nigeria, working as a journalist who collects stories like her own, Sarah and Charlie with her as family. Little Bee is peaceful, thinking about the noise that has awoken her and, by extension, her place in the world. After the passage are the last few pages of the novel, in which Little Bee separates from Sarah and Charlie because the armed men (presumably soldiers) are searching for her. Ultimately Little Bee, prompted by the men shooting at Charlie, sacrifices herself by revealing her identity to them. The passage is ominous. Structurally, the reader is aware by this point that they are mere pages away from the end of the story. The pages prior have seen several good developments after the turn of Little Bees deportation to Nigeria. Sarah and Charlie have returned with her and they are setting about collecting stories from other native people in order to expose the truths of the oil companies cruelty to the world. They are relaxing in the sun, on the beach near where Little Bees sister Nkiruka was killed. Little Bee is awoken from a good dream, but immediately the reader gets the sense that something bad is about to happen. This comes as a result of the first sentence of the passage, There is a moment when you wake up from dreaming in the hot sun, a moment outside time when you do not know what you are (Cleave 258). The sentence shows that Little Bee is questioning her identity at just the moment when she should be most sure of it. Because Little Bee has been seeking a home, a fami ly, and belonging, and has seemingly found it, the reader realizes that it is still uncertain. It is significant to point out that the reader knows that the thesis of the book is that it is a sad story. We are told early on, Sad words are just another beauty. A sad story means, this storyteller is alive (Cleave 9). Thus we know that the story can not have a happy ending, but nor is the ending ultimately tragic. It is clear that Little Bee has survived merely in the telling of the story, but also that something bad will happen to her in the end. So the passage on the beach is situated at the exact moment between Little Bee at her happiest and the awful events that will make this a sad story. The book as alternates between the points of view of Sarah and Little Bee, though this section is told in Little Bees voice. It is critical that the final chapter be her perspective, given that the so much of the book deals with the lack of western knowledge of people like Little Bee, the silence regarding their stories, and the healing power of storytelling. The most significant element of voice in this passage is the tonal shift between its two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, Little Bee is coming out of her dream and the narration is reminiscent of that half-awake state. The second paragraph is Little Bee, eyes open, in the fog of remembering who and where she is, when she says, a white woman was sitting next to me on the beach in the thing called shade (Cleave 259). This paragraph also hints at the return of Little Bees Africanness in its wording. The implication is that shade, a relatively simple word with her advanced level of English, is again foreign to her. Then she says, regarding Sarah, I searched for the name of her expression in your language frightened, again struggling for easy language. Given that in the previous paragraph she has discussed transformation at length, it is as if the reader is seeing Little Bee regress to the self she was before England and Sarahs influence. Another important element of voice is the use of the second person point of view in the first paragraph. This technique is also used throughout the book, as filtered through Little Bee. The second person is an affecting way of getting the reader to empathize with its speaker. While Little Bees circumstances may be hard for many readers (particularly the audience that might have access and motivation to read the novel) to understand, the second person forces the reader to imagine herself in her stead. The use of second person as a tool ties in with one of the central themes of the book: what it takes for one person to understand the plight of another. This theme is evident at many points: Sarah and Andrew choose to vacation in Nigeria despite its war; Andrew refuses to cut off his finger though it may mean the girls will die; Sarah dismisses Andrews depression. Thus when Little Bee realizes you are a creature with skin she is realizing it not only for herself, but for all the readers (Cleave 259). Being human, they are subject to all the same agonies and ecstasies that she is and are similarly mortal. The passage explores the idea of identity, specifically who one is in relationship to the world and how one knows she is human. The idea is reinforced through the use of several extended metaphors. Repetition of these metaphors gives them heft. The first is you must be money (Cleave 258). This alludes to the previous section, in which she says that the noise that woke her up is the sound of the surf pounding on the beachCrash, like the drawer of a cash register springing open and all the coins inside it smashing against the edge of their compartments (Cleave 258). That the you character is money is ironic, given that prior the reader is told you feel absolutely free (Cleave 258). Money in the book represents evil. It is the main motivation for the oil companies that have corrupted Nigeria and divided its people. Additionally, Sarahs finger is taken as a kind of payment for Little Bees life and as such, she is resentful of her own commodification. Next Little Bee compares herself to environmental elements of the beach itself. The beach represents the very best and worst parts of Little Bees life: It is where her sister was murdered, but also where she met Sarah and Andrew. In the moment of the passage, it is where she is relaxing and dreaming of a better life, but also where she is about to be recaptured. Cleave writes that Little Bee is that hot breeze, (258) but even as breeze she is burdened, as he describes the heaviness you feel in your limbs is the weight of the salt in the wind and the sweet sleepiness that bewitches you is simply the weariness that comes from the day-and-night pushing of waves across the ocean (259). It is as ironic as the monetary comparison: Just as we consider money to be the opposite of free, so is breeze the opposite of heavy. The passage tells us that identity is mutable, at least in ones own imagination. Just as Little Bee has made herself English, she can be African again. She can imagine herself as free as the breeze or as inconsequential as a grain of sand. In the mind, it is as if you could transform yourself into anything at all (Cleave 258). After she is the breeze, she is the sand that the breeze blows up the beach, just one grain of sand among the billions of blown grains (Cleave 259). Again she is a natural element of the beach, but this time one that is inconsequential and one that can simply to go back to sleep, as the sand does, until the wind thinks to awaken it again (Cleave 259). With this comparison, Cleave is exploring Little Bees as an entity that is not burdened (as the wind is) by responsibility, but instead is burdened by others acting upon her. This parallels with Little Bees tragedy, as she had no agency over her own fate or that of her village, or any ability to protect her sister . Next Little Bee realizes her own corporeal presence and its inherent mortality. She says, this skin is your own and a billion fishes have slipped away like this, flapping on the blinding white sand, and what difference will one more make? (Cleave 259). Just as she has realized her inability to control her own destiny, she is realizing her insignificance. This is all the more noteworthy as next she realizes, I am a girl, then, an African girl (Cleave 259). She is subject to the oppression that her gender and her nationality carry with them. As a girl, she has less power than a man, and men in this novel are agents of destruction. The reader is told this earlier in the story when Little Bee says, The men came and theyThat was how all of our stories started (Cleave 79). Her Africanness, as well, leaves her open to danger, as Sarah can return to England and be guaranteed safety but she can not. This realization does not leave Little Bee so much depressed as resigned. She will stay hersel f, as the shape-changing magic of dreams whispers back into the roar of the ocean (Cleave 259). It is a foreshadowing of her final decision. She does not choose to flee or fight, but instead to surrender herself for the sake of Charlie, because he is young and will continue the dream for her. The reader takes from Little Bee the idea that identity is fluid and ones own self-perception can be a tool of transcendence. Little Bees circumstances require that she reinvents herself from village girl, to refugee, to member of an upper-class British family. Because of her brain, her language, and her imagination, she cannot be marginalized, even though she must succumb to evil. To the reader, Little Bee will remain as free as the wind and as peaceful as the undisturbed sand, because she has offered her voice and her story as testimony.