Money and Banking

Chapter5 4. Explain why you would be more or less willing to buy long-term AT&T bonds under the following circumstances: a. Trading in these bonds increases, making them easier to sell. More, because if it is easier to sell bond this means that liquidity of bonds increase. b. You expect a bear market in stocks(stock prices are expected to decline) More because these bonds’s expected return will increase compared to stocks. . Brokerage commission on stocks fall Less because the decrease in brokerage commissions on stocks makes them more liquid. d. You expect interest rates to rise Less because when interest rates increase the expected return decreases. e. Brokerage commission on bonds fall. More because the decrease in brokerage commissions on bonds makes bond more liquid. 7. Using both the liquidity preference framework and the supply and demand for bonds framework, show shy interest rates are procyclical If the economy is growing there is a business cycle expansion witch will result to a increase in supply of bonds this means that the supply curve will shift to the right if this happens there will be a new equilibrium point and if everything is constant the new equilibrium point will be lower witch means that price of a bond will decrease and the interest rate will increase. If the economy grows the first effect we can see Is that the income will increase. When income increases the demand for money will increase shifting the demand curve to the right if every thing else is constant this will mean that the equilibrium point will change thus moving up and showing an increase in interest rate. 9. Find the â€Å"Credit Markets† column in the Wall Street Journal. Underline the statement in the column that explain bond price movements, and draw the appropriate supply and demand diagrams that support these statement. The column describes how the price of treasury bonds rose when the stock market faltered. The higher relative expected returns on bonds would then cause the quantity demanded to rise each price, shifting the demand curve to the right. The outcome is a rise in the equilibrium price and a fall in interest rates. Massive amount of supply of bonds is set to enter the market over the next month. The increase in supply would shift the supply curve to the right, causing the equilibrium price to fall.

The Effective Literary Form of Foreshadowing

O’Connor effectively uses the literary device of foreshadowing to create an atmosphere of suspense for a family that is doomed. There are several hints that point to the fate of the family in both the overall theme of a world of change and chaos and in specific lines from the text. Death and doom are frequently discussed and certain descriptive phrases, as early as the first sentence lead a reader to believe that doom is impending. Specifically the grandmother and her choices and her description of choices all contribute to the foreshadowing.Her choice of dress and her reasons given for that is one example, as is the cat she chooses to bring and the animal’s role in the final event that leads to the death of the family. The Grandmother’s choice to take the dirt road and her mistake of direction is the final example of the foreshadowing that can be contributed to the reader’s sense of an almost inevitable and negative end. Firstly, the Grandmother does not wish to go on the trip, but agrees to go with certain pretenses. She refuses to leave her beloved cat at home while the family goes on their trip.The cat, â€Å"Pitty Sing†, is hidden in a basket as the Grandmother fears that the cat may die. O’Connor writes, â€Å"she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself. Her son, Bailey didn’t like to arrive at a motel with a cat† (1135-1136). Her mention of both death and the inconvenience that bringing the cat would impose on the family shows both foreshadowing and irony, as the cat does cause an accident and inconveniences the family in the worst way.Both the concealed cat displayed by O’Connor as the Grandmother’s disregard for her family’s wishes and her lost sense of direction, as well contribute to the danger that the family is placed in. The dirt road that the Grandmother advises the family to go down is explained in detail in an ominou s manner and the plot turns even more ominous as she realizes that she has the wrong road. O’Connor writes regarding the character that a horrible thought came to her†¦her eyes dilated and her feet jumped up†¦ the instant the valise moved, the newspaper top she had over the basket rose with a snarl and Pitty Sing, the cat, sprang onto Bailey’s shoulder (1140). This incident does lead to a car accident on this abandoned, old road. Therefore, both the choice to bring the fateful animal and the choice to take the family in a wrong direction, sends a message of a foreshadowed and foreshortened future for the family.Finally, at the beginning of the story, when the cat is introduced into the plot, the Grandmother’s deception and dress are detailed. The foreshadowing of her outfit and accessories point to the fact that she has designed herself for death, in case that it comes. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once she was a lady (1136).It should be noted that the idea or phrase of the word accident or accidental is used frequently in the story to show foreshadowing. In the citation with the cat and the uproar, there follows an automobile accident, where after the children scream several times both on pages 1140 and 1141, â€Å"We’ve had an ACCIDENT! †. The foreshadowing of the usage of accident is only paralleled by the actions leading to the family’s doom.In conclusion, O’Connor effectively uses examples of foreshadowing in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. Three of these examples illustrate this in the previous paragraphs and all tie in together to help the reader and literary critic understand that the story has deeper meaning and context than one may originally think. The frequent reference to accident or fear that something may happen accidentally all contribute to the undertones and overtones of death, deception, and doom in a world of change and chaos.

Foundational to the Christian faith is the belief that mankind is Essay

Foundational to the Christian faith is the belief that mankind is created in the image of God - Essay Example As such, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with the important and fundamental onus that this understanding places upon the believer; as well as a discussion and analysis of several of the texts within the Bible that confirm the importance of this â€Å"image† connection. Although a literal interpretation of the texts pertaining to mankind (humankind) being created within he image of God lends one to believe that we look and are formed literally similar to our Creator, such an approach only captures part of the meaning that can necessarily be implied. Moreover, the first reference of making mankind in the â€Å"image† of God is found in Genesis 1:26 where God staes on the final day of creation, â€Å"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness†. This dual reference to image and likeness are important; although they may seem rather complimentary at first glance. The reason behind this is that the dual reference both implies a physical and the potential for a spiritual likeness. Whereas Biblical scholars have long debated whether or not a type of original sin or tabula rasa exists within the spiritual soul of mankind, seeking to define this is only part of understanding what the texts relating to image ultimately portend. As such, it is the understanding of this author that the pervasive discussion of image and thelinkages between human and devine that are effected both in the Old and the New Testament show a unique layer of importance being bestowed upon the level of understanding that the believer is able to integrate with this reality of similarity. Though it might be tempting, being created within the mere image of God is not enough in and of itself to allow the believer to assume an air of neither infallibility nor perfection. However, in helping to denote this comparison to an even more profound degree, the New Testament book of Hebrews chapter 4:15 states: â€Å"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to em pathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin†. This of course helps to make the New Testament teachings concerning the path of righteousness that Christ laid out for his followers as even more pertinent and even more salient. Although true that mankind is created in the physical likeness of the Creator, he is also endowed with a unique spiritual ability to develop the relationship with the Father; just as His Son did during his ministry on Earth. The necessity for all of this is manifestly evident with regards to the field of special education. Due to the fact that there exists a clear and determinant relationship between the teacher and the student, similar to the relationship that existed between Christ and his disciples during His ministry on earth, it is necessary for these stakeholders to integrate closely with the idea and understanding for how the image of God can most effectively be transmitt ed to stakeholders within the educational setting. By seeking to engage these individuals with regards to fairness, patience, honesty, and longsuffering, the image of God can be effectively transmitted to these youth; regardless of their developmental level; thereby helping to promote an appreciation and understanding of how the image

METHOD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

METHOD - Essay Example The students who volunteer will be selected randomly using a computer generator to avoid any bias in the after they have volunteered, the students will be randomly selected. The same learning test will be used to assess members from the two sub-groups. In essence, to realize the best results standardization must be upheld. Fundamentally, the test will revolve around a reputable company known to each participant to avoid bias. Furthermore, the test will contain general knowledge questions, which require no prerequisite knowledge to understand. The test will contain some three education questions on teaching methods, preparation of curricula and education system. Interview will be used to get oral answers. The interview will be used separately from the other test. The reason for using interview is to get the inner feelings and perception of the students concerning both learning online and face-t-face learning. The students will be assembled in one lab in order to get better results. On the other hand, the students learning in class will be interviewed face-to-face. The answers will be assessed based on their numerical value (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree and Strongly Agree). Each question within the survey focuses on the traditional, face-to-face classroom versus the online classroom. The experiment will try to find the difference between the online classes and the face-to-face class. The students will be divided into two groups; one group will learn online and the other group will learn in class. The students will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. The control group will participate in a face-to-face class and subsequently take a test. The participants in the second group, which will be considered the treatment group, will sit and have an online class and take their test online. The online test will have similar length of time as the face-to-face class, and the students

Operation and management of china's auto production increased Dissertation

Operation and management of china's auto production increased - Dissertation Example ity and Reliability 27 3.4Conclusion 28 CHAPTER 4: RESULT AND ANALYSIS 29 4.0Introduction 29 4.1Chinese Automobile Industry 30 4.1.1Findings 30 4.1.1.1Chinese Auto Industry Sales, 2006 to 2010 30 4.1.1.2Comparison between China and US 32 4.1.1.3Comparison of brands, 2002 and 2011 33 4.1.1.4Market Share and Growth 35 36 4.1.2Analysis 36 4.1.2.1Chinese Auto Industry Sales, 2006 to 2010 36 4.1.2.2Chinese Auto Industry Sales by Category, 2006-2010 37 4.1.2.3Chinese Auto Industry Performance in the Global Arena 38 4.1.2.4Comparison of brands, 2002 and 2011 39 4.1.2.5Analysis on Market Share and... TIONS 47 5.1Conclusions 47 5.2Recommendations 49 BIBLIOGRAPHY 51 APPENDICES 56 Appendix 1: China’s SWOT Analysis 56 Appendix 2: Market Entry Strategies 57 Appendix 3: Selection of the right Market Entry Strategy 58 Table of Figures Figure 1: China's SWOT Analysis 13 Figure 2: Market Entry Strategies that Chinese Auto Industry can select from 17 Figure 3: Process of selecting the right Market Entry Strategy 17 Figure 4: Sales for Chinese Auto Industry 2006 to 2010 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 31 Figure 5: Line Graph of China Auto Products Sales between 2006 and 2010 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 31 Figure 6: China Auto Industry Sales per Product between 2006 and 2010 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 32 Figure 7: The Top Five Auto Industries 2008 and 2009 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 32 Figure 8: Top Five Auto Industries, 2008 and 2009 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 33 Figure 9: Sales by Brand in %age, 2002 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 33 Figure 10: Sales by Brand in %age, 2011 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 34 Figure 11: Sales by Brand in Units, 2002 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 34 Figure 12: Sales by Brands in Units, 2011 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 35 Figure 13: Market Size and Growth (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 35 Figure 14: Market Share by Brand, 2011 (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 36 Figure 15: Impact of Government Tax Incentive (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 44 Figure 16: Position of Chinese Auto Industry within the Global Market (Synergistic Limited, 2012) 46 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction The increased demand for growth and expansion amongst firms within Chinese automobile industry coupled with the increased demand for automobile products within the globe continue to be the reasons behind globalization (Zhu, Sarkis, & Lai, 2007). The Chinese automobile industry aims at

Against nuclear power Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Against nuclear power - Research Paper Example However, there is equally a somewhat increasing concentration in the mastering of the nuclear fuel succession to ensure there is an adequate supply in terms of the needed nuclear fuel. The major concern involves the aspect of mastering this fuel cycle, meaning that countries trend riskily close to the nuclear weaponry capability. There have been endless protests in both the United States and Europe opposing the operations and construction of the nuclear power centres. Some of the proponents are said to have argued that the extending of the movement focus beyond the atomic plants was likely to end up alienating the government and public target individuals, thus most of the antinuclear alliances appears to have shied from certain issues including socialism and the corporate capitalism. There has been points of tension with the particular one being the amount of the emphasize that ought to be placed upon the elimination of the nuclear weapons. The antinuclear alliances began basically from an environmental initiative concerning the safety of the atomic plants, with several members in the movement calling for an increased stress involving the connections between the nuclear weapons and the nuclear power. Through the endeavoured occupations of the nuclear power plant centres, the modern movements against the atomic power is said to have adopted the civil disobedience being a primary criteria of protest, together with other various legal demonstrations and protests. It will be noted that an unscrupulous concern for the nonviolence seems to have marked attempted occupations of the atomic plants, thus winning some favourable attention on the national as well as the local media. Most of the antinuclear protesters tend to look up to the nonviolence in terms of philosophical manner that guides the whole of political and personal actions, with many others adopting it as a promising

Analysis of Story Of The Three LIttle Bears by Eleanor Mure Essay

Analysis of Story Of The Three LIttle Bears by Eleanor Mure - Essay Example After reading the short story, I could feel no gratification at all, especially since the ending is quite unusual. Unlike in most children’s stories that have a happy ending or a lesson, the significant lesson to be learned from the story is not quite clear to me, and I think this would be the case for children who would read this too. It implies punishment for people who do not respect other people’s property. For me, this would not be effective. Rewards would be more appealing in teaching children. Perhaps one of the lessons that the author tries to teach here is that of moderation. Goldilocks finds herself choosing the middle path. She likes the porridge that is not too warm nor too cold; she chooses the chair that is not too hard nor too soft; and she prefers the bed that does not have too much space above her head or below her feet. Yet, if this lesson is indeed the intention of this story, then it is not clear as no obvious rewards are given for her actions. On the contrary, punishment is implied for Goldilocks at the end of the story. It troubles me that the words â€Å"she broke her neck† were used at the end to imply punishment for her rude and disrespectful behavior. But then again, whether or not she was indeed punished is left for the reader to guess, as there was no trace of her and the bears never saw her again. I find this quite troubling, since it makes me wonder what the point of the story really is. There is no clear reward or punishment for the actions that Goldilocks did, and thus, whatever the lesson this story is supposed to teach children is not reinforced. During the course of the story, I felt a sense of hope that it would end up great. Since the bears were polite and good-natured, I was hoping that they would forgive Goldilocks for what she did. Yet when it reached the end, Goldilocks simply ran away. The story leaves the reader hanging, and not pleasantly at that. Digging deeper than just reading the short story on the book, I

Management Contracting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Management Contracting - Essay Example Generally, management companies wish to formulate standard form of contracts as it has a wide range of long term benefits. This paper will advise the client about the significance of having a decent contract before getting strait into the construction work. It will also explain the impact of such contracts on both the company and client. Since the client wishes to tie the contractors down with low fixed prices and other similar restrictions, it is better to design an established standard form of contract. In the opinion of Beard, Loulakis, and Wundram (2001, p.347), the standard form contracts assist the parties to contract with economical and convenient way of performance. The authors add that these types of contracts aid both the parties to minimise the costs associated with the lawyering for every subsequent contract in the formation of new projects (ibid). Since standard form contracts do not allow further negotiation on formed contracts, both the parties can take advantage of th e reduced transaction costs. Similarly, this established contract reduces the possibilities of unforeseen anomalies and thereby it would help the client to save unexpected costs that may incur in the future. The client gives great emphasis on time and it can be achieved by the formation of a standard form contract. ... When the project owner or client gives a valid acceptance to the offer, the contract comes into force. The court has developed some additional terms for the standard term contract in order to protect the interests of both the parties. It would be difficult for the large-scale construction management organisations to maintain separate contracts for every individual. Therefore, a standard form of contract helps the firm to escape from the troublesome difficulties of negotiation and other legal formalities. Similarly, it provides conveniences to client also. The standard form contract obliges the firm to give reasonable notice to the client at proper times regarding necessary information. It is also held that the notice should be contemporaneous with the contract so that it would save the client from additional liabilities. Likewise, the client will be legally protected if the firm makes a fundamental breach of the contract on the strength of sub-clauses. In addition, the standard form contracts maintain many provisions that would satisfy the interests of both the parties. For instance, Murdoch and Hughes say that JCT SB 05 is a standard building contract which necessitates the appointment of an architect or contract administrator who has some strictly defined powers such as â€Å"issuing of certain instructions on behalf of employer and also certification of payments, the quality of work, and the contractor’s performance† (Murdoch & Hughes, 2008, p.106). In addition, it includes certain fluctuation clauses which save the parties from losses associated with fluctuations in money market and changes in governmental regulations. There may be variations in labour prices, tax rates, and raw material costs which would

The evolving nature of masculine and feminine roles in relationships Annotated Bibliography

The evolving nature of masculine and feminine roles in relationships - Annotated Bibliography Example ity to push their agenda and advocacy, among which are the legal aspects as well as the ensuring financial benefits of such unions, such as right to get pension and survivorship benefits for the partner or spouse. Goldberg, Abbie E., Smith, Julianna Z., and Maureen Perry-Jenkins. â€Å"The Division of Labour in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual New Adoptive Parents.† Journal of Marriage and Family 74.4 (Aug. 2012): 812-828. Print. This article journal examines the differences in the division of labour among various couples (gay, lesbian, and heterosexual) among newly-adoptive couples who in turn are influenced by their levels of income (resulting in greater discrepancies in contribution to feminine tasks) while number of works hours resulted into a greater discrepancy in contribution to masculine tasks at home. The research examined a total of 160 newly-adoptive couples of various gender orientations but the general finding is that same-sex couples shared child care and house work more equally as compared to heterosexual couples. This gives a newer meaning to the concept of intimate relationships where gender roles are often opaque or ambiguous, such as who plays the father and who plays the mother. This book re-examines the on-going and never-ending debate on the nature of gender and its formative influences. Gender is reviewed again from the perspectives of genetics, molecular biology, evolutionary theory, psychology, sociology, and neuroanatomy. It is an interesting read because it presents a review of the very nature of gender and how masculinity and feminity are each defined. Gender is a very complex concept, with overlapping similarities and differences. Lucier-Greer, Mallory, Adler-Baeder, Francesca, Ketring, Scott, and Thomas Smith. â€Å"Malleability of Gender Role Attitudes: Gendered Messages in Relationship Education.† The National Council on Family Relations. Nov. 2011. 1-2. Print. The research study looked at how relationship education (RE) can be

Tylenol Murders Essay Example for Free

Tylenol Murders Essay 1. If Johnson Johnson had decided to â€Å"tough out† the first reports of the deaths instead of recalling the product things would have gone differently for the company. Their customers would have felt like they were betrayed because the company didn’t do anything about the deaths. It was their job to make sure the product was not the only reason for the deaths and to also reassure their costumers that the capsules are safe to take. 2. They did a good job in responding to the first round of Tylenol murders. They could have giving a press release explaining how the Tylenol capsules were not the only factor for the murders, or showing the process of how the capsules are made and each ingredient that goes into them. 3. Tylenol has been in the business for a long time. If they proved that their capsules weren’t the cause of the murders I don’t see any problem in them reintroducing extra-strength Tylenol. In my opinion, they should have waited a certain period of time to take them out in the market again. Everyone was still trying to see the factors of the murders and having the company reintroducing the product rapidly was not such a good idea. 4. I think they did a good job by removing it fast because in that way the consumers could see that the company cared about them. If they had left the products on the shelves like if nothing had happened, then there would have been more chaos. People would judge Tylenol to the extremes and would not take them serious again since they didn’t do anything about it. 5. Johnson Johnson handled the public properly. The people in charge of the company addressed the media immediately and tried to do the best they could to stop the crisis. It was a good move to use the media as a weapon and because of that they were able to find a solution. 6. The media was pretty helpful when the Tylenol crises occurred. They responded to each of their messages and gave them the solution they needed. If the crises occurred today everything would have been worst. There is much more criticism nowadays than before. Tylenol’s prestige and reputation would have been ruined forever. No one would trust them because I am sure the media would have giving them the worst criticism ever. 7. These sections demonstrate how Johnson Johnson are interest in the safety of their customers. They want the best for them and want to help them in any way they can. They have these sections to show how they want their product to be the best and see the reaction they get from their customers. If a new health scares appears again, they would manage it much better. Now they have everything to prove that they want to satisfy their customers and not harm them. Also they are move involved with the public and are much more concerned with what they produce, so a new scandal would be strange.

Best Model For The Welfare State Politics Essay

Best Model For The Welfare State Politics Essay A welfare state engages the responsibility of a state to secure the basic modicum of welfare to its citizens. It seeks to know whether social policies are liberatory and help in legitimization or help in the market process (Castles Pierson, 2007). In a welfare state, the government plays a big role in protecting and promoting the economic and social well-beings of the citizens. It believes in the social equity and justice in that there is equality of opportunity, wealth allocation is equivalent, and the people are philanthropic in that they help the less fortunate. In a welfare state, there is democracy, welfare and they practice capitalism. The Western Europe and the United States have been examples of welfare state models. The welfare state created by conservatives and opposed by socialist and labour unions has been of continuous debates on whether it is beneficial. There was the German welfare state, the British welfare state, the French welfare state and the modern Europe (Kenne tt, 2004). The United States followed suit and joined the western countries in instituting social welfare policies. The models dealt with mainly poverty relief but the modern models are universal in that they tend to concentrate on all citizens. Firstly, this paper is going to introduce the best welfare state model which seems as Social democratic model. Lastly, the reader should be able to know and explain the best regime by the end of the study. According to Esping -Anderson (1990), welfare regimes refer to bunches welfare states in terms of their level and quality of social rights and bases of stratification on which the welfare state is built. As Esping-Anderson acknowledged, the importance of the three welfare state models in Europe and America which were social democratic, corporatist and liberal (Castles Pierson, 2007). The social democratic welfare state believes in universalism in which all citizens are entitled to access the benefits. They believe in politics against the market. Examples of such states are Norway, Sweden and Finland. The corporatist welfare states believe in subsidiaries in which they offer insurance schemes. Examples of the states are Germany and Austria. The liberal states believe in market dominance and private investment in which the government helps only the poor and can provide for basic needs. The forces of supply and demand set the price of goods and services. They are the UK and the United States. All welfare states use either one of the models but to varying, extend. In the social democratic state, the criteria of citizenship are pervasive. The liberal welfare state is characterized by a stronger emphasis on means tested programs. In a social democratic state, individuals should be free and equal in the determination of the conditions of their own lives in that they should enjoy equal rights and equal obligations (Mookherjee, 2010). Rights to political participation should be distributed equally among citizens to provide them with an equal share of opportunities to act in public life. The democracy peace theory argues that citizens in a liberal democratic state are peaceful and liberal democracies have never engaged in war. Social democratic model puts more emphases on universalism, comprehensive risk coverage, generous benefit levels and egalitarianism. The state controls the economic and social policies. The state provides social services to its citizens and cares for the elderly and children. There is a high level of employment for women and people with disabilities. It heavily relies on the government provision to meet social needs and believes ion full employment as part of the welfare state. It is active and in the generation and maintenance. The social democratic model varies with others in terms of how it accords to the state, the market and family. While the corporatist model relies on social insurance and generous transfers to keep people well fed, social democratic welfare states provide a variety of social services and utilized the labour force to the best (Huber Stephens, 2001). Both of them are concerned with getting people out of poverty and are highly redistributive. The essential characteristic of the social democratic welfare is that they are comprehensive and inclusive, Universalist, redistributive, gender egalitarian and labour mobilizing. People can be able to apply their talents in generating more revenue or wealth for their nation. Profit margins are much more less than the other types, which leads social justice among the community (Glyn, 2001). The social democratic commitment to solidarity and equality gave rise to the universalistic and redistributive aspects of the welfare state. It advocates for citizenship criterion, which offer a basic, equal benefit to all irrespective of earnings, contributions or perfo rmance. This makes it better than the liberal model were one contribution to the insurance scheme determines his health care. In this model, citizenship is the membership in society and the rights. The gender is equal as far as obligations are concerned. The models views capitalist entrepreneurs as people much after achievement of self-interest. This tends to slow down the pace unto which capitalism is to be spread. Capitalism does not use the labor of undisciplined and neither can it make use of unscrupulous businessperson. However, there are those who can do anything to get wealthy as it the case of a Dutch sea captain. It therefore depicts that since capitalism is as old as human history there are those who are ruthless, may get involved into war and piracy to achieve wealth (Kennett, 2004). The redistributive model in the social democratic welfare believes that the market economy is successful in producing wealth. Unlike in capitalistic liberals where the wealth is unequally distributed, in this model there is equity for all irrespective of their social status. It does not advocate for health insurance as the liberal markets do. This is because it believes state health insurance schemes are able to achieve better results. The limitation is that opponents protest that the state should not engage in economic interventions. Gini coefficient measures the degree of income inequality. The coefficient varies between zero indicating equality and one hundred indicating inequality (Arnold, 2008). This means that in many capitalistic countries one person has all the income while others have none.. Inequality exists because people do not receive the same labour income, asset income and do not pay the same taxes. As CIA (2005) reported the coefficient was 45 in the US which is liberal state and 27 in corporatist country, Germany. The least coefficient was in Sweden, 23 which is social democratic country. In the social welfare state which advocates for equality most of the assets are owned by the state and it somehow controls wealth. Capitalism has a tendency of causing instability especially in cases of financial crisis. The claims for capitalism differ from the classical case for a competitive market. Some theorists such as Adam Smith had argued that presence of many buyers and sellers competing with one another in the marketplace would cause wasteful resource allocations. Capitalism has been associated with innovations and many economists argue that capitalism has to generate endogenous innovations. Joseph Schumpeter argues that innovations are normally a creation of business people and they are rules embodied in the new firms. The agents of change are the entrepreneurs who come up with new ideas and invest to generate profits. Limitations of social welfare states The social welfare states have some limitations. In a state where there is equality, the tax burden will be high to meet the expectations of the citizens. But it does not seem as a problem for the people of social democratic counties as labour market and taxation are balanced (Arts and Gelissen, 2002). Most welfare states are bureaucratic in that the citizens do not have much freedom since everything is being controlled by the state but the state to offer the best quality of services (ibid). It is expensive to run a social welfare state since the government can be forced to borrow to meet the demands of the people. However, the governments use that money in order to cover the socio-economic gap between poor and rich (Castles et al, 2010). Government interventions kill businesses since they dont allow for the prices to be set by demand and supply forces but the government controls the prices. But it gives stronger role in managing welfare (Ferragina Seeleib, 2011) Conclusion Although many capitalists will not agree with the conclusion is good hen a country is a social democrat than a capital democrat. The benefits of the social democratic welfares which believes in universalism is best compared to capitalist in which wealth lies in the hands of the few at the expense of others. The equal distribution of wealth and state ownership of assets as adjudicated by the Soviet Union in my opinion was the best. Though this will have been a topic of debate, forces of demand and supply should determine the prices of goods and services. This might lead to a monopolistic culture, which victimizes consumers. The social democratic welfare state believes in universalism in which all citizens are entitled to access the benefits. They believe in politics against the market. The paper concludes that it borrow some characteristics from Christian democratic state welfare, which will make this model a superb one. Countries using the two models have been economically equal unli ke countries like the United States where the gap between the rich and the poor is very wide.

Attempting to Understand Eliezer Wiesel’s Night :: Eliezer Wiesel Night

Attempting to Understand Eliezer Wiesel’s Night Night is a story about a young boy's life during the Holocaust. He uses a different name in the story, Eliezer. He comes from a highly Orthodox Jewish family, and they observed the Jewish traditions. His father, Shlomo, a shopkeeper, was very involved with the Jewish community, which was confined to the Jewish section of town, called the shtetl. In 1944, the Jews of Hungary were relatively unaffected by the catastrophe that was destroying the Jewish communities of Europe in spite of the infamous Nuremberg Laws of 1935-designed to dehumanize German Jews and subject them to violence and prejudice. The Holocaust itself did not reach Hungary until 1944. In Wiesel's native Sighet, the disaster was even worse: of the 15,000 Jews in prewar Sighet, only about fifty families survived the Holocaust. In May of 1944, when Wiesel was fifteen, his family and many inhabitants of the Sighet shtetl were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The largest and deadliest of the camps, Auschwitz was the site of more than 1,300,000 Jewish deaths. Wiesel's father, mother, and little sister all died in the Holocaust. Wiesel himself survived and immigrated to France. His story is a horror story that comes to life when students in high school read this novel. Even though many students have not witnessed or participated in such horror, they relate to the character because Wiesel is their age. They cannot believe someone went through the nightmare he did at their age. This book focuses on many themes: conflict, silence, inhumanity to others, and father/son bonding. We see many, too many, conflicts this young man faces. Eliezer struggles with his faith throughout the story. He believes that God is everywhere, and he can't understand how God could let this happen, especially as Eliezer faces conflict everyday in the concentration camp. He also learns silence means. He says he says it is God's silence that he doesn't understand. He feels that God's silence demonstrates the absence of divine compassion. Another silence that drive confuses Eliezer is the silence of the victims. He cannot understand why they don't fight back, especially with the inhumanity that is forced upon them. It is because of this inhumanity that he loses faith, not only in God but also in men. He tells how at the beginning, the Germans were "distant but friendly." However, when they reach the camps, the soldiers are transformed from men to monsters.

Support from Individuals Social Network Essay -- Sociology, Family an

Before discussing the different kinds of support that can be given by a person’s social network, an understanding of what a social network is and the people it can include is necessary. This essay will begin with a brief definition and then go on to list and review the different kinds of support that can be provided. ‘A social network consists of a set of people with whom one maintains contact and has some form of social bond’. (K101, Unit 10, p75). This means that a social network is a group of people with which a person has regular interaction with such as Family, Friends, Neighbours or Work colleagues. However taking into account the introduction of easier, cheaper access to the Internet, E-mail and mobile phones over recent years and of course people moving across the country or world, social networks are no longer just confined to where people live. Family and friends can offer informal support such as Practical help and advice with things like childcare or household topics and chores. Emotional support if an individual is undergoing feelings of uncertainty or personal difficulties, and financial help by lending money for debts, everyday living or perhaps advice on spending. Informal support is often a relationship with a degree of mutual help, as seen in various sections throughout the K101 module; such as Peter Townsend’s research into family life in Bethnal Green. He explained how ‘Help was reciprocated- through the provision of meals, the care of children and in other ways’ (Bornat and Blakemore, 2008, P 13) and also Pauline, an active volunteer from Thornhill who after suffering a stroke, her best friend Elaine became her day-to-day source of emotional support, while Pauline’s neighbours provided practical help an... ...r found that paying her bills and everyday routines like shopping where hard to manage. Care workers supported her by going with her to pay bills and to buy food at first. As the service user still wanted to maintain her independence suitable adaptions to her telephone was made and a voluntary shopping service was offered to her with a trained worker that could understand her over the phone, aids to help with memory and everyday tasks where also provided. In conclusion an individual’s social network can be extremely important not just for support but also for physical and mental well-being. Limitations to creating or maintaining social work can vary from person to person such as isolation, vulnerability and impairments. Care workers must be mindful of these limitations so that they can provide and introduce the correct support needed for the right individual.

To put on their clothes made one a sahib too: Mimicry and the Carnivale

To put on their clothes made one a sahib too: Mimicry and the Carnivalesque in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable The character of Bakha, in Anand’s Untouchable, is drawn from the lowest caste in Indian society, that of sweeper, or cleaner of human ordure. Despite his unpromising station in life, the central figure in the novel operates at a variety of levels in order to critique the status quo of caste in India. Well aware of his position at the nadir of Indian society, Bakha is able-via his untouchability-to interrogate issues well above his station in life, such as caste and its inequities, economics and the role of the colonizer. Due to the very characteristics of the character's position, Anand is able to examine issues such as society’s revulsion at untouchablility; some local, innate societal sympathy for Bakha's plight, and the fact that in the 1930s Gandhi used his Harijans-untouchables-as a symbol for change in Indian society. This essay examines the modes by which Anand deploys mimicry and the carnivalesque to critique Indian society in the 1930s. The author has constructed a mimic-man, fundamentally carnivalesque in the Bakhtinian sense, who is simultaneously parodic and subversive. Indeed, the linguistic similarity Bakha/Bakhtin is in itself superficial yet tempting. For Bakhtin, "Carnivalesque literature uses elements of parody, mimicry, bodily humour and grotesque display to achieve the ends of carnival, that is, to jostle ‘from below’ the univocal, elevated language of high art and decorous society". During the course of his day, Bakha causes widespread unease, not merely at his physical presence. Although he is aware of the "six thousand years of racial and class superiority"(16) that bears down on him, as he... ...remarkable breadth of issues, and it is only to be hoped that one day this text will be regarded as a useful tool in a past campaign, rather than as part of a continuing and unfinished project. Useful links: Dalit Liberation Education Trust: http://www.pcsadvt.com/dlet The Imperial Archive. http://www.qub.ac.uk/english/imperial/imperial.htm India Survey, Biography: http://www.indiasurvey.com/biodata/mulkrajanand.htm Literature in English of the Indian Subcontinent in the Postcolonial Web: http://landow.stg.brown.edu/post/india/anand/anandov.html Bibliography Anand, Mulk Raj Untouchable London: Penguin Books, 1940 Ashcroft, Bill, Griffiths, Gareth, and Tiffin, Helen. Key Concepts in Post-Colonial Studies. London: Routledge, 1998. Ashcroft, Bill, Griffiths, Gareth, and Tiffin, Helen. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. London: Routledge, 1995.

Religion and Various Team Members

What does the Bible say about caring for the sick? How do the roles of the various team members within the healing-hospital blueprint address caring for the sick from a biblical standpoint?The biblical passage supporting caring of the sick is: â€Å"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.† (James 5:14). This scripture states the power of prayer and that God has the direct power to fully heal any illness that overcomes a body. It also means that God has power over someone who is sick or for someone who is praying (elders of the Church), over a sick person, and the power to keep praying until the person is healed. This bible verse also means that if a person is a follower of the Lord they will be relieved of their sickness and their sins will be forgi ven. The roles of various team members in the healing hospital addresses caring for the sick without bias on diversity and individualism. The biblical standpoint is by doing spiritual assessments and interventions for all religions , beliefs , faiths, and allowing the spiritual leader such as a chaplain to perform prayer or practices that allows components of healing.

Rationalist Vs. Romantics Essay

Writers during the Revolution were classified as either positivist or romantic. but whether they were classified as positivist or romantic depended on their manner of composing. Positivist and romantic writers wrote smiliarly utilizing the same techniques. but they besides were different from each other. A positivist writer during this clip period was Patrick Henry. In the Virginia Convention of 1775. Henry stood up and gave a address. Its topic was about Independence that they need from Great Britain. Henry believe that â€Å"No adult male thinks more extremely than I do of the patriotidsm. every bit good as the abilites. of the really worthy gentlemen who have merely addressed the House† ( 1. 1 ) . Henry is stating that their nationalism is the feeling they need so they can interrupt away from England. One of the sentence structure that Henry uses is an Anaphora. Henry repeats the word battle twice in the 4th paragraph. and correspondence is besides used in the transition. In the 4th parapraph. the writer uses period sentence. â€Å"If we wish to be free-if we mean to continue inviolate those incomputable privileges for which we have been so long contending-if we mean non meanly to abandon the baronial battle in which we have been so long engaged. and which we have pledged ourselves ne'er to abandon until glorious object of our contest shall be obtained. we must contend! I repeat it. sir. we must contend! An entreaty to weaponries and to the God of Hosts is all that is left of us† ( 4. 22 ) . Rhetorical schemes are what Henry uses to do his address more effectual. Arguementation is used throughout paragraph 4. by inquiring rhetorical inquiries such as â€Å"Shall we gather strength by indecision and inaction† ( 5. 6 ) . Appastion is used in paragraph 6 with â€Å"Gentlemen may shout peace. peace-but there is no peace ( 6. 2 ) . A romantic writer of this clip period was Ralph Waldo Emerson’s From Nature. Emerson uses figures of address such as imagination. He says. â€Å"But every dark come out these minister plenipotentiaries of beauty. and light the existence with their admonishing smile† ( 1. 8 ) . Another illustration of imagination is. â€Å"The flowers. the animate beings. the mountains. reflected al the wisdome of his best hr. as muchas they had delighted the simpleness of his childhood† ( 2. 5 ) . A similie was a figure of address in paragraph 4. â€Å"In the forests excessively. a adult male casts off his old ages. as the bite his gangrene. and at what period soever of life. is ever a child† ( 4. 14 ) . Cause and consequence was used in Emerson’s transition ; â€Å"Then. there is a sort of disdain of the landscape felt by him who has merely lost by decease a beloved friend† ( 7. 6 ) . Both of the writers have similarities between the manners of authorship. They both contained the syntax elements to do their address and transition powerful. They were both considered to be Rebels. because of their actions towards regulations and or Torahs. The difference between these writers. is the fact that Henry was really passionate about nationalism and how America needs to contend Britain to be free from their regulation. Emerson writes about nature and how nature is beautiful. and relates to adult male. Emerson wasnt involved with any of the rationalist actions against the British. In Conclusion. Henry and Emerson manners of composing were similar anddifferent. Those both contained cardinal elements of literature. while they used different words and phrases.

Evidences and Reflections of an Artist

Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1610) was more than the greatest sculptor of the Baroque period. He was also an architect, painter, playwright, composer and theater designer. A brilliant wit and caricaturist, he wrote comedies and operas when not carving marbles as easily as clay. More than any other artist, with his public foundations, religious art, and designs for St. Peter’s, he left his mark on the face of Rome (Strickland and Boswell, 1992). â€Å"The Ecstasy of St. Theresa† and â€Å"Apollo and Daphne† are evidences of Bernini’s outstanding skills.Bernini’s marble sculpture, â€Å"The Ecstasy of St. Theresa†, represented the saint swooning on a cloud with an expression of mingled ecstasy and exhaustion on her face. Since the Counter Reformation Church stressed the value of its members reliving Christ’s passion, Bernini tried to induce an intense religious experience in worshipers (Strickland and Boswell, 1992). On the other hand, few works in the history of sculpture are more admired for the sheer skill of their carving than Bernini’s â€Å"Apollo and Daphne†.Bernini began the â€Å"Apollo and â€Å"Daphne† in 1622 and had largely completed it by 1624, the last year of his employment with Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The â€Å"Apollo and Daphne† has come to stand as the perfect antithesis to the modernist principle of â€Å"truth to materials†, the ultimate illustration of the artist defying his medium’s very nature (Sofaer, 2007). For both works, Bernini used all the resources of operatic stagecraft, creating a total artistic environment (Strickland and Boswell, 1992). Being able to observe Bernini’s extraordinary skills in art is a truly noteworthy and significant experience.Just watching his works through the video made me feel the ecstasy, the pursuit and the love contained within those works. Somehow, it makes me want to sculpt a masterpiece of my own, reflec ting my own skill and my own knowledge. Michaelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s (1571-1610) genius resided in his ability to overlay one principle upon another, to cross aesthetic boundaries seamlessly while seldom calling attention to the means by which he did so. Moreover, even when he was painting the human figure, Caravaggio was a still-life painter at heart.Caravaggio’s â€Å"Basket of Fruit† has been dated by modern scholars to the years 1593 to 1600, with most placing it closer to the end than the beginning of the first phase of his career. If indeed datable to the moment of his emergence as a public painter in the Contarelli Chapel, the little picture was not one of the realistic depictions of â€Å"flowers and fruit†. Coming at a critical juncture in his professional career, one can imagine the â€Å"Basket of Fruit† serving as a polemical expression of his ideas on the nature of creativity itself.In this work, he blended the lowly method of Ligozzi’s mimetic and didactic illustrations with higher-minded emulations of ancient literary and visual sources, prompted perhaps by his awareness of the current fashion for Northern still-life painting among collectors like Del Monte himself (Varriano, 2006). In the first Roman years, Caravaggio was isolated. He was rushed to hospital for a malaria attack, as witnessed in the famous self-portrait â€Å"Sick Bacchus† in the Galleria Borghese (Pomella, 2004). The â€Å"Sick Bacchus† is a meditation on the theme of â€Å"love’s sting†, that is, on the woes of love gone awry.During the Baroque, the awareness of point of view led, for the first time in Western history, to something which can be considered today as self-reflection, a self-consciousness of the human individual (Bal, 1999). Studying â€Å"The Incredulity of Saint Thomas’, also known as â€Å"Doubting Thomas†, it may come as no surprise to learn that Caravaggio failed to w in the commission to paint a resurrection for the Jesuits. By the time he had completed this painting, Caravaggio’s notion of a â€Å"religious† image had already worried Counter-Reformation churchmen.His reputation for painting in a style which has neither sacred, nor profane, but a hybrid of the two, had attracted uneasy commentary among potential ecclesiastical patrons. In this respect, the â€Å"Incredulity of St. Thomas† might almost be read as gauntlet thrown in the face of counter-reformation orthodoxy. This works is an evidence for Caravaggio’s decision to explore the central mystery of the Christian faith, the incarnation and the resurrection, with what might, tendentiously, be termed an almost Protestant literal-mindedness (Porter, 1997).To be able to understand the personality of Caravaggio through his works, as observed from the video, is an unforgettable occurrence for me. It had shown me that sometimes, there are certain things which artists have to do that defies the society and still, defines them as a whole individual or as a skilled artist. It also made me understand that most of the time, the paintings or artworks do not simply show particular sceneries or another model, but reflects the skills, personality and visions of the creator itself. References Bal, M. (1999). Quoting Caravaggio: Contemporary Art, Preposterous History.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Pomella, A. (2004). Caravaggio: Art Courses. ATS Italia Editrice. Porter, R. (1997). Rewriting the Self: Histories from the Renaissance to the Present. New York: Routledge. Sofaer, J. (2007). Material Identities. Australia: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Strickland, C. and J. Boswell. (1992). The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-modern. Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing. Varriano, J. (2006). Caravaggio: The Art of Realism. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press.

Gender Discriminiation

Gender Discrimination through Japanese Language Gender discrimination can be observed through many factors within a specific culture. These factors include, a person's position within the family, social class, use of language, and religious beliefs. I am going to focus on language and its cultural significance within Japanese society. By studying language, you can see the gender expectations Japanese women experience everyday. However, language can be used to identify the transformation of women throughout the changing structure of words.The language used to communicate within a culture helps us to understand why Japanese culture functions the way that it does, and how language determines the roles of a man and a woman. There exists a stereotype that Japanese women are submissive and subject to the patriarchal system. However, this was not the experience that I found. I found it interesting that many women in articles and interviews I had found featuring Japanese women had defied my initial expectations of the â€Å"typical† woman. This modern woman never liked to cook for anyone other than herself, loved to travel, and hoped to move on to graduate school.In my opinion, independence defies weak and submissive heartsickness, including a life dedicated to gender role expectations; I. E a woman serving a man. Along with the stereotype of remaining ‘submissive and subject' to the patriarchal system, I understood that to mean that Japanese women rarely put a word in matters such as higher education and the workforce. Now however, there are Japanese women who live alone, cook for themselves, and study in higher education. These are all characteristics that support strong and independent women of 21st century Japan that have a life outside of the family.And since the Law for Equal Employment Opportunity of Men and Women in 1986, the social standing of women greatly improved. Despite this, gender discrimination still exists in Japan. It is important to und erstand why, and how the cultural significance of Japanese language contributes to this discrimination. First you have to ask; do all cultures have the same element of gender discrimination through language? Not quite. If you compare the attitudes of both Chinese and Japanese speakers, you could start to sense and feel a difference between the two languages.The Japanese-Jose equivalent to Chinese could most likely be considered ‘lady talk,' as mentioned above. Although there are similarities within each language, there is no equivalent built-in-structure of Jose and danseuse to Chinese language, instead it is more the context of word choice and intonation. This leads us to believe that Japanese does in fact carry gender discrimination throughout language alone. Japanese Women's Language, JOWL, is a style of speech is connected with tradition and culture and is seen as ‘uniquely Japanese,' showing the beauty and femininity of the Japanese woman.JOWL has been a part of Jap anese culture and tradition long enough to where this style of speech remains in Japanese society today. A likely source of JOWL is from Japan's period of modernization. With modernization came the glorification of the traditional ideal women, arroyos combo shush (good wife, good mother). Interestingly enough, after World War II, this concept was pushed even further. JOWL was used to serve as a tool in integrating women into the national culture, making them more likely to submit.The goal here was to reinforce gender roles by regulating language in order to unify the people during the war. In this case, history has largely contributed to gender discrimination. The overpayment powers of Japan did this by creating a nationalistic pathway to freedom' by taking away the freedom of language. The government plays a major role in defining language restrictions/rules also. Although history shapes the platform on which language and gender roles are built, there are a variety of changes and f actors that can be seen through modern society.Solo character's are usually younger and use young people's language more often. This lack of feminine language rejects old gender roles. Even with these two possibilities, women are trying to convey a message. That they are changing, or have a desire to change, from traditional gender roles to an age of freedom. Education is key in making this change possible. Before World War II, education was centered around the â€Å"good wife, good mother,† mentality while instructing the youth towards nationalism.Educated men and women are sprouting from these changing educational institutions, and with them, new gender expectations of the 21st century. Whether these women know it or not, they are promoting the modern woman by Just adopting a new style of language. There still remain many deep-seated issues within gender discrimination and language that will be difficult to escape. However, by recognizing that it is an issue, society is one step closer to breaking it down.

Sport should govern itself on the field of play. The criminal law has Essay

Sport should govern itself on the field of play. The criminal law has no role to play in the regulation of sports field violence - Essay Example The argument surrounds the presence of the defense of implied consent, whereby the victim, realizing the possibility of harm involved, has given his consent to the risk of its occurrence. This applies to all contact sports, be it football, basketball, or wrestling and works in favor of the athletes in so much as allowing them to play to their fullest in the knowledge that, if they were to correspond to the rules of the game, they would not be liable for any consequential bodily harm. It seems, however, that the injured victim has to bear the entire burden, as he may have to spend time in the hospital, away from his livelihood. It is suggested that the issue is one of appropriate balance, where the courts, in favor of upholding public policy, may find themselves awarding punishment for intentionally injurious acts in order to provide effective deterrence to careless athletes in the future. The courts normally only intervene to determine the presence or absence of consent, which is provided as a defense by case law as well as statutory law to both assault and battery as prescribed by s. 47, 20, 18, and 20 of the Offense Against the Person Act 1861. In R v Brown (Anthony Joseph)1 Lord Templeman and Lord Jauncey declared that consent is more aptly deemed a defense as opposed to an element of the offense, a view endorsed by the Law Commission2. The effect of this is in shifting the burden of proof towards the defendant. In sports law, it is the victim’s implied informed consent to partake in the nature of the sport that shows his awareness to the risk of bodily harm. The requirement of knowledge of the degree of harm can be explained by the case of Konzani (2005)3. In that case, it was accepted by the courts that consent to the exact nature of the harm (such as the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease) must be there before the defendant can use it as a defense. Consent given must

New product development process in the aerospace industry. the Essay

New product development process in the aerospace industry. the introduction of new process - Essay Example History presents several organisations that have ceased to exist simply because of their lack of innovativeness and new products. In the present global society where products become obsolete and services out of date very quickly, new products are the key to success for any business house, be it domestic or international (Lancaster, & Withey, 2007). On the other hand, it is also true that NPD involves huge costs. In fact it is one of the most risk-laden areas among all the operational activities. Moreover, new products are often found to be struggling to achieve the expected success in the market. Failure of new product is very likely to damage the company’s reputation. New product development process of any company is subjected to several barriers which vary from country to country. This literature review includes a discussion on the barriers to new product development process in the context of UK. However, prior to that it is very important to gain insight into the details of the fundamentals that govern a new product development process. The process of new product development involves several steps. The process starts from idea generation and ends with commercialisation. In between of these two, there are steps like screening, business analysis, development and test marketing. Success of a new product depends on the diligence with which a company has followed these steps. According to David L. Kurtz, MacKenzie and Kim Snow, â€Å"traditionally, most of the companies have developed new products through phased development, which follows the six step process in an orderly sequence† (Kurtz, MacKenzie & Snow, 2009). Responsibility regarding each phase moves first from product planners to engineers and designers. In the final phase it passes to the marketers. The phased development process is effective for those firms that dominate

Computers and Construction Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 22500 words

Computers and Construction - Dissertation Example Importantly, the literature review will give the study a rather vital starting point and framework, especially for an incisive comparative analysis of the current, past and future status of BIM and other technologies in the construction industry. Generally, the last three decades have seen a tremendous upsurge in the number of literatures written on BIM and other computer technologies applied in the construction, architecture and engineering sectors. In some of the old and even recent literary materials, BIM is also portrayed as a comparatively new subject, serving the interests of the AEC sciences and the construction industry (Wong & Wong, 2010). These literatures also emphasise the role of BIM in availing excellent opportunities for academics, researchers and practitioners to significantly contribute to the development and further implementation of BIM across AEC sectors of economy. Among the most popular topics in the reviewed literatures include BIM implementation in architectur al and construction practice, the influence of BIM on construction management, the changes that BIM creates to the cost estimation, virtual construction development and collaborative technique in construction industry. ... While countries such as England, Canada, Scandinavia, Australia, Singapore Slovenia, the USA and Hong Kong have reported considerable progress in the development of BIM, accompanied by adequate and valuable case studies, surveys, publications and researches, other regions such as Africa, South America, Ireland and Russia are lagging behind in BIM adoption and implementation (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2009). Similarly, big construction firms such as AutoDesk, Bentley and McGraw-Hill Construction have made tremendous steps in BIM adoption and implementation while their smaller counterparts such as those involved in building residential homes lag behind in this regard. The following sections review some of the literatures and studies related to BIM and the economic importance of its implementation. Past Publications and Results If the evidences from past and current studies and literatures on Building Information Modelling are anything to go by, BIM can be said to have immense economic value not only to its designers, owners and constructors but also to the users of the built structures (Rice & Gerber, (2010). The achievement of this project’s objectives is likely to be dependent on the information that will be assembled from past studies and literatures on the subject of the economic value of BIM. Although individual writers and researchers have also covered the subject of BIM in general and that of the economic impacts of the technology in particular, most of the authors and researchers are corporate organisations in the construction, engineering and architectural industries (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2009). One such authors and researchers is McGraw-Hill Construction. One publication by this organisation, which touches on the economic importance and impacts

Sustainable Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainable Operation Management - Essay Example The sudden shift in the approach of companies towards sustainability occurred due to the sheer pressure from the customers, investors, local people in the area of operation and to some extent the employees (Dernbach, 2002). This report will shed light on the importance of sustainability in an organization. In addition, factors such as benefits of sustainability will also be covered. However, the principal purpose of this study is to address the issues that companies are facing in developing and implementing sustainability policies. Apart from addressing the aforementioned issues, the report will also emphasize the effectiveness of the approaches of different companies towards sustainability. The persisting inconsistencies of those companies in terms of their sustainability will be also highlighted. Finally, based on the outcomes the study will draw a conclusion and will provide recommendations on how to improve sustainability. Before getting further deep into the study, a brief synop sis of what sustainability actually means will be presented below. Discussion Sustainability has always been a significant and relevant issue for a large number of organizations. Sustainability management practices and strategies are of growing importance to every department of the organization. Sustainable development can be defined as a process of development in which the companies meet the present needs of the customers without compromising on the future needs (Bigg, 2004). Over the last few years, there has been an increasing pressure on the companies to reduce operations which harm the environment. Therefore, it is important for the companies to follow sustainable development. The principal driving factors of this drastic shift are competitive pressures, perceived marketing advantages, legal obligations, demands of investors and internal ethical values of the firm. The organizations which have considered sustainable development got benefitted to a large extent. For example, the se companies have been able to reduce their operating costs, increase market share and market penetration, increase investment levels, enhance brand reputation, developed new products and markets and improve customer satisfaction process (Misra, 2008). In order to get these advantages, it is important to take sustainable initiatives. According to a study carried out by Deloitte, several factors act as the enabler of sustainability. The major ones are allotted budget, dedicate employees, technology and also the company’s capability to focus on financial and strategic considerations. The table below will depict these factors more clearly. Figure 1 (Source: Deloitte, 2010) It is important that companies should meet the present needs without diminishing the capabilities of meeting future demands. Sustainable development is therefore regarded as a challenge for the organizations. In order to implement sustainable development, companies have to deal with a large number of issues. F or example, the increase in energy and food prices during the year 2008, led to severe food crisis. Despite in the reduction of energy prices, the food prices continued to remain high. The global economic downturn of 2009 has further exacerbated the condition. The negative impacts were reduced growth rates and increasing unemployment (Department of Economic and Social Affair, n.d.). Figure 2 (Source: Carter and Rogers 2008) The significance of sustainability in every department of an organization cannot be denied. However, the importance is more for a

Book smarts with intellectualism and street smarts with Essay

Book smarts with intellectualism and street smarts with anti-intellectualism - Essay Example By agreeing with his premise, this student will retrace Graff’s logic and provide a level of external analysis that will provide the reader with a more informed understanding and logical progression with respect to how Graff’s transformation took place. Firstly, before delving directly subject matter, it must be understood that scholars and societal stakeholders alike oftentimes to distance intellectualism from anti-intellectualism. It is without question that there is tension and strife between these two points of view; with both intellectuals and anti-intellectuals being distrustful, spiteful, and downright cruel to one another. Lunch has with regards the way in which individuals of different classes have separated themselves, lunch in the same way that individual races have been sidelined within American society, Graff argues the fact that intellectualism has separated itself from anti-intellectualism, and vice versa, to such a degree that these two distinct groups have come to an even further level of conflict within the current world. However, these social constraints aside, it is clear and apparent that the similarity that exists between these two groups is greater than the dissimilarity that they purport to espouse (Fridlan 890). For instance, Graff represents the early childhood disagreements, arguments, and disputes that he had with fellow adolescents in his youth. Instead of serving as mindless and un-intellectual banter, as many might assume, these levels of argumentation encouraged and coaxed the stakeholders into providing a level of substantiation, facts, and representative understanding with respect to the position that they espouse. Although they most certainly did not understand it at the time, the need to substantiate their beliefs and promote a level of understanding concerning their points of view was

Argument essay on Should the government provide health care Research Paper - 1

Argument essay on Should the government provide health care - Research Paper Example This is made worse by the fact that the country has continued to record slow economic development leading to a significant rise in the rate of unemployment, meaning that more and more people will continue to consider healthcare as a secondary necessity as compared to other needs such as food, education and shelter. This paper is a critical evaluation on whether the government should provide healthcare to its citizens. As earlier mentioned, a healthy population is a healthy nation. This means that a country which is free of diseases stands to benefit from its human resources especially in various sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, building and construction, mining, management among others. This is due to the fact that these people earn their living by the virtue of their presence and attendance to their duties and responsibilities, which can be compromised by sickness. In this context, the government should come up with a policy of ensuring that healthcare provision especially in medical check ups is paid for by the government. This would encourage people to visit health centers on regular basis to have their checkups (Halvorson 26). Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart infections, and tuberculosis among others would then become easy to detect and control at their earliest stages of development. This principle has been applied world wide for testing and treating infections such as HIV /AIDS and it has proved to be fruitful. It is wrong to find that medical checkup among majority of citizens is perceived as a luxury since it demands for them to dig deeper into their pockets. Consequently, infections such as those of the eyes and teeth continue to affect citizens despite the fact that they can be corrected if detected early enough. It is estimated that approximately 15 million people failed to acquire eyeglasses while another 25 million could not access dental care with regard to 2005 statistics (Halvorson 45). It is sad to

Body Ritual among the Nacirema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Body Ritual among the Nacirema - Essay Example It has similarly attracted many anthropologists whose concern is to identify and to expose the special unique practices (Murdock, p. 506) their practices embrace the limits to which people’s behavior could explore. The name Nacirema would be reversed to mean American and in that context the majority of the outsiders actually consider them total reverse due to their strange and unique practices. In addition to that, the culture of body ritual among the Nacirema asserts that the body is quite in an ugly state and is vulnerable to diseases and infections. These are a major concern since man intends to make the body appealing, stronger and resistant to illness. And this they believe can be countered through a series of rituals and traditional ceremonies. In respect to that, every household owns a shrine indoors for these purposes. The amount of the shrines owned by a household would, therefore be dependent on their social status and economic depth. For instance, the opulence of a family is based on the number of ritual shrines that they posses. Most houses of the Nacirema group of individuals are made of daub and wattle. However, the shrines are built with strong magnificent stones an illustration of the special attachments and considerations of the shrines.this may seem so public but the rituals of every family secret to its members. Among the many daily body rituals performed include the mouth rite. It entails an insertion of a smaller hog of hair pieces into the mouth accompanied with a powder that is magical and ultimately running the bundle in precious formalized routines of gestures. Another mouth rite, though done once or two times a year, is the private mouth rite. The procedure looks scarier and is a visual torture to most anthropologists who dare to unveil the practice. It involves more paraphernalia that consists of probes, augers

Disraelis second ministry Essay Example for Free

Disraelis second ministry Essay Disraelis second ministry deserves the title a great reforming ministry Discuss how far you agree with this view in relation to Gladstone first Ministry. A great reforming ministry is a government which manages to radically alter the political and social scene, aiming to deal with the most pressing problems and creating a long term legacy whereby later ministries aim to protect and improve what has been achieved instead of trying to alter radically. This is why it becomes clear that Gladstone ministry and not Disraelis should be considered a great reforming ministry. The aims of both ministries were radically different. Gladstones aims for his ministry when he came into power in 1867 were to try and create a more efficient and meritocratic society which removed privileges and advocated individualistic self-reliance. This ideology of beliefs were formed due to Gladstone long held religious beliefs which drove him and in the liberal ideas of equality of opportunity, tolerance and individualism he saw the best system to try and create a society based on Christian morals. Throughout all his legislation Gladstone aimed for the fair and just decision explaining his desire to try and pacify Ireland. This is in contrast to Disraelis aims as Prime Minister from 1874. Disraeli had managed to finally get the conservatives elected after being out of power for over ten years, and he achieved this through radically modernising the Conservative party which was represented in his Tamworth manifesto speech where he proclaimed the aims of the Conservative party were to protect institutions and traditions, strengthen the empire and alleviate the condition of the people. However Disraeli never had a clear agenda of reforms before he came into power instead his main aims were ensuring the continuation of power for the Conservative power, this meant Disraeli aimed not to disrupt his key support base of the middle and upper class and focused on reducing taxes. Additionally although due to his promise of alleviating the condition of the people he was forced to create social legislation to ensure minimal government intervention he aimed to make the acts permissive weaken their impact and focussed on areas which were non-controversial and where mild reforms could be implemented. This contrast reflects the differing impacts the two ministries wanted to achieve. Gladstones ministries reforms had a substantial impact. The 1870 education act with the setting up of board schools to complement the existing structure of voluntary religious schools reflect Gladstones desire to try and create equality of opportunity and to encourage individual self-reliance. This reform became the very foundations of the mixed school system which is present today, reflecting the long term impact this reform had. Additionally Gladstone introduced key reforms to remove privilege and create a more efficient government and army with the 1871 civil service reforms which meant entry to the civil service could only be achieved through examination and the army reforms that were carried out between 1870-1872 whereby the act of purchase was abolished and instead officer class could only be achieved through merit and amount of time privates would have to spend in the army was reduced to encourage higher uptake. This reflects the impact Gladstone was trying to achieve he didnt shy away from attacking key sectors of power within society because he believed it was morally right and fair to remove privilege from the upper classes. This was particularity important for a working class which aimed to be free individuals who wanted the vote and an equal footing. Whilst Disraelis legislation although Important was hampered due to Disraelis desire to minimise the impact of reform and to only focus on non-controversial areas. The 1875 Artisans dwelling act is a clear example of weak legislation, the act meant that councils could compel owners of slums to sell their property and allow the council to knock-down the slums and then sell the land to private building firms. However the legislation was permissive so the council didnt have to ensure slums were removed and it required councils to give compensation to the landowners and so by the end of Disraelis term the act had only been used in 10 councils m aking its impact very mild. Whilst other acts such as the 1875 Agriculture holdings act show Disraeli is unable to make truly effective legislation because he wishes to protect the power base of the upper class. The act should of ensured that tenants that improve their land receive compensation but Disraeli made the act permissive and stated that if there was a condition in contract which stated the landowner didnt have to pay compensation then the landowner didnt have too. Due to this again the impact of the legislation was minor. Other legislation shows Disraelis opportunistic nature and aim to keep power such as the 1875 conspiracy and protection of property act which reformed a piece of Gladstonian legislation which banned peaceful picketing this act allowed peaceful picketing which Disraeli hoped would give the Conservative support from the trade unions, to try and weaken the threat from the Liberal party. Even when Disraeli produced legislation which was aimed at alleviating the condition of the people such as the 1874 Factory Act which meant that by law women and children werent allowed to be made to work more than nine and half hours in a day but deliberately avoided the majority of the working population which was male and although the legislation had the impact of forcing factories to close earlier which effected male working hours as well it wasnt the intention. Overall examining the legislation shows the difference in impact the two different ministries legislation had with Gladstone causing a huge impact whilst Disraelis showing only a very minor effect focusing on refining Gladstone previous legislation or reforming on very specific small issues to try and gain support. However both ministries were flawed though, for all Gladstone large and influential reforms he was voted out in 1874 and although Disraeli aimed not to lose any support he also was voted out in 1880. The reason why Gladstone was voted out were that his legislation was so wide ranging it impact on nearly every sector of society and as such Gladstone also lost his wide spectrum of support. The upper classes disliking his aims of efficiency feeling that they were breaking the traditional power structure of society against their favour. The middle and working classes were effected by Gladstones controversial legislation which was highly unpopular at the time such as the Licensing Act of 1872 and the 1871 Criminal Amendment Act. Both of these act reflects sometimes Gladstone misjudgement on what was beneficial for the people and how to create a fairer society. Also Gladstone failed in one of his key aims which was to pacify Ireland but he was the one of the few politicians who was truly trying to find a workable solution instead of coercion. Whilst Disraeli was voted out not because he had made a massive impact but because he was Prime Minister whilst the economy entered recession, this meant that his mild measure had even less impact and his expensive imperialistic aims were highly controversial. So due to the recession Disraeli failed to alleviate the condition of the people and his other aims meant his government appeared to stall resulting in his popularity dropping. Overall although his legislation was occasionally flawed the overall improvement and effect that Gladstones ministry had on the country reflect a great reforming ministry. Gladstones Liberal beliefs in meritocratic and individual society have become corner stones of British society reflecting the ministries long term impact and legislation such as the licensing act although unpopular at the time has only been amended never removed by later governments as they see the positive impacts of the restriction of alcohol. This reflected against Disraelis achievement of mildly modify Gladstones legislation and avoiding awkward decision domestically or trying to alter the status quo shows that his ministry cannot be considered a great reforming ministry. As such I disagree with the view that Disraelis government was a great reforming government instead arguing that it was his predecessor Gladstone that was clearly the great reforming ministry.

Warfare In the Middle East Essay Example for Free

Warfare In the Middle East Essay The babies cry. The teens scream. The adults are lead into battle. It is a controversy of what is the conflict in the Middle East. What is going on with the balance of these two cultures between the Israel government and the Arab government? The question is why can’t they get along? The evidence of their resolution to conflict is war. The deaths of many lives due to this conflict of ownership and identity between these two cultures are leaving families in devastation and creating a genocide effect. One of the conflicts is religion. The Middle Eastern conflict in war is religion. In history has shown that the conflict has remained against the Israel and Ishmael family. The ideas of conflict between Arab and Israeli culture have been the central point of what is governing the world policy and world politics. It is unfortunate that the ideologies are based on who’s in control of estate and how that estate is being govern. The fact of the matter is that government control is based on power and demand. The demand is the central location of control and regulation. The Middle East culture of Arabs and Israeli forces are based on the ideas of force and power. First, the conflict has been speculated that the war is based on ownership of land. This ownership is based on identities of the rightful heir of the property. Thus far, the equal conflict of the issue of ownership of property is the fundamental basis of these two culture’s conflict in the war and peace. In many cases, other cultures have conflict using the same ideology. The conflict of ownership of property has been the Western culture conflict as well. The history of conquering and subduing property by force has been a pivotal role in the Western culture. The ideology of Western civilization has been the control of property. In the same ideas of the Middle East conflict, the role they play is conflict with ownership. Due to the ethnic identity, both conflicts are similar in the pursuit to obtain property ownership using force or control. Second, the conflict is the ethnic identity of superiority, or who’s in charge? The remaining conflicts are due to the priorities of power and control through identity and strength. The two cultures that are in battle are using the tools of force and demand because the ideas of religion and regulation are ownership and control. For example, in the 19th century, the peace treaty as a resolution was due to the defeat in war not compromise in esteem. These conflicts are not resolved permanently due to the temporary resolutions chosen to settle the disputes of power and ownership. The Arab culture is governed by two principles of religion and politics through faith and practice. On the other hand, the Israeli culture is governed by two principles of worship and truth. These two ideas and practices come into conflict because one culture is by force and the other culture is by power. The differences of these two cultures in conflict are the ideas of warfare through the Arabian government forcing their practices and religion on the Israeli culture for government and power. On the other hand, the Israeli culture conflict is the ideas of warfare are through the Israeli God of peace and sustainability of peace through control and demands. The ideas of peace using power are created by the Israeli force of control and demand. The evidence of these two conflicts is seen through the motivations of ethnic identity and military force. On one hand, the effort toward resolution was temporary due to the regulation of faith and worship. In the same practice, the effort of destruction of military power was temporary due to weapons and control. It has been observed the similarities of conflict with Western culture have also been the same as control and demand. The wealth of the land and the wealth of the identity of the culture are used as motivations of power. These similarities with the Middle Eastern conflict are a demonstration that the problem of their conflict is not foreign or unusual, but the conflict is a spreading disease and world affairs, â€Å"normal. † The government and its leaders perform their duties using force through the motivations of war and conflict. It is an old approach to sustain peace but in observation this is proven to be a false remedy for any peace treaty and resolution for conflict. In the past, the history shows that in the lineage of Arab force, the ideas of war and peace have been limited due to the exceeding power, skills and wealth of the Arab culture. The ideas that regulate this culture are based upon the belief system of sacrifice and fortune. In any case, the opposite is for the Israeli culture. The Israeli culture has committed to the ideas of peace and truth, the theory of practice and worship of peace within each culture. During the time of war and conflict, the Israeli culture had to depend on peace to create change and order. During the time of peace, the Israeli would use force and demand using laws and regulation against ethnic identity and religion preference. In the Middle East conflict the warfare is stemmed through laws and regulation against ethnic identity. It has been observed that the similarities of these practices are continual in the world affairs with the Western culture as well. The peace control is used through stripping ethnic identity and freedom of religion. It is a normal practice of creating peace and control. In any case, the continual conflict between these two universal families that have become a foundational spectrum of the world affairs of ethnic and behavior, the war will continue on between these rivals due to the fact of ethnic identity and control of estate. The bottom line to these two ideologies and cultures, the resolution to their conflict is a cross cultural liaison that may delegate a balance and compromise between culture and practice. The overall sense of these two cultures creating peace in their mind is to eliminate one or have the other as dominate over each other. In this current age, the central point to management of cultures and balance begins in creating a compromise of equal opportunity for both ideologies and identities in their own space within one space. It is a new practice of negotiation of conflict using management and shared stewardship. It is obvious that this is a practice that is not widely used as of yet, but the ideology of shared stewardship of ownership, property, wealth, identity control through politics and religion is created through balance of control and power. It is unfortunate that the Middle East conflict cannot be resolved due to the resolution of war rather negotiation. It is evidence that too much power given to one culture of any cultures can lead to a conflict of control and power. The sacrifice and worship of any culture that is used against a culture can be devastating to ownership of property and identity of ethnic behavior. The war of the Middle East will not be resolved until the power has shifted to regulate and equally delegate control over each other. In order to see some type of balance the ideologies will have to change, shift or become equal in power and control to find balance and resolution. Until then, the conflict will be a competition of ownership and identity. It is in this critical time that the Middle East should set as a priority to sit around a table and discuss control, property and identity of ideology and regulation. Otherwise, the next conflict will be a global conflict control of these two governments, cultures. It is evidence that the Western culture has similarities of the Middle East conflict within their own control of power within the world affairs as well. The Middle East conflict is not alone in learning how to manage control without using force. For an example, the recent mass destruction of weapons, lead to war without negotiation due to the threat of ownership, power and identity. The Middle East conflict is not an unusual behavior. The world affairs is heading toward a direction of choice in the affairs of management in peace, negotiation and treaties of promise of commitment and faithfulness. Whether ethics are going to become a central matter or faith will continue to be the root of the matter of worship and practice within the actions of power and wealth. This is the conclusion that the Middle East culture of conflict is not stemmed based on religion alone, but based on ownership. The people involved in ownership is threatened by the loss of ownership what can a culture do if they are taught to fight to keep up with power and control? It is a factor of ethnic control using force. Can anyone get to the bottom of conflict and war? The babies cry. The teens scream. The adults are lead into battle. A sad story without a happy ending, conflict is like fire leaving nothing but devastation and loss.

Distinctions Between Whats True, Whats False

Distinctions Between Whats True, Whats False The statement There are no absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false is both correct and incorrect when examining certain areas of knowledge and ways of knowing. To evaluate the statements accuracy we must understand the meaning of the words true, false and absolute. In my opinion something that has been proven as correct or real is true. On the other hand, something which has failed to be proven true is false, yet this definition itself may be incorrect as others might argue that a claim which has not been credited as true does not necessarily mean it is false. Lastly, the term absolute is something perfect or unlimited. However, how can something be proven true, and if it has, then who determines when there is enough proof to make it true? Normally we rely on evidence to help us prove the validity of a claim, particularly for historical and scientific claims. On the other hand, evidence used could contain problems of knowledge due to bias which could be associate d with it. Therefore, what kind of evidence is needed to have a justified truth in the different areas of knowledge? In my opinion, perception is one of the most important ways of knowing, since we often depend on it to determine whether a claim is true or false. For example, the existence of light is considered a fact due to perceptionyet to a person who has been blind their whole life, light would be considered a myth since they have never perceived it. On the other hand, perception can deceive us and lead us away from the truth. Take for instance a schizophrenic patient. Science has proven that people who suffer schizophrenia are delusional.  [1]  The people they interact with are true to them but their existence to us is false. What gives us the right to deny their existence? Perhaps we are the ones who have a barrier to our senses that stops us from seeing what schizophrenic patients see. Therefore perception could be considered relative as it creates different truths to different individuals and is therefore subjective. Nevertheless it is not just perception alone which leads us to the tr uth. Science is a discipline that is based on hard, objective and systematic evidence before truths can be reached. Through tests and observations possible explanations or hypotheses are formed and later developed into scientific claims which could be regarded as true or false. For example, the cell theory, which states that all living organisms are composed of cells, that cells are the smallest units of life and that they come from pre-existing cells, was derived from several similar hypotheses and then confirmed after many scientists experiments and observations.  [2]  The cell theory is considered true by a large number of scientists yet it can be argued that we cannot claim that the theory is an absolute truth since new evidence can appear and contradict explanations to the theory which could lead, after further experimentation, to new and improved knowledge and a more accurate truth. This is apparent when examining the induced-fit model by Koshland which was discovered after the lock and key model was developed to describe the mechanism of enzyme action.  [3]  The induced model highlighted that certain enzymes could catalyse several similar reactions contradicting the belief that enzymes were as rigid as previously proposed by the lock and key model. From the above examples we can see that scientists are able to distinguish between a true claim and a false one, to a certain extent, and that new truths are built from previous claims which were/are believed to be true but, that it is almost impossible to state that a claim is the absolute truth. I believe the problem with scientific claims is that most scientists have not tested the validity of the previous scientific truths on which they build their new scientific claim. This makes the previous scientific truths, subjective truths, but scientists use these subjective truths in the hope of finding objective truth. Meanwhile, not all scientific claims which have been proven true remain true. Science has witnessed paradigm shifts such as the shift in the belief that stress and spicy food were the causes to stomach ulcers. This was thought because the idea of bacterium surviving in the acidic environment of a stomach was not a possibility, yet it was later proven that the true cause of ulcers was a bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori which lives in the mucus layer near the stomach wall cells.  [4]  This example shows that science has its limitations at certain points of time and that what we believe is true today may not be true tomorrow, therefore embracing Karl Poppers idea of falsification. These paradigm shifts also lead to the idea that there may be no absolute proof in science that can verify nor falsify the validity of a scientific hypothesis. Therefore, should science embrace the concept of relativism, the idea that some claims are true for some people but not necessarily true for all?  [5]  If we deny the concept of relativism, would it prevent us from moving forward and gaining new knowledge since scientific knowledge comes from known truths? I believe that we should bear in mind the chance that any scientific claim known now could be altered or changed at any moment, but as knowers ourselves we should avoid gullibility by continuing to question these scientific claims especially during classes such as the sciences where we as students are exposed to these claims through secondary sources. History is an area of knowledge where determining true historical claims is very different from in science since knowers cannot directly observe the past.  [6]  It is up to historians and the evidence left behind to develop historical claims and prove their validity. During a History class, I was asked to evaluate a few sources of evidence in relation to the Vietnam War. Each source showed different aspects of the war. Here, I was introduced to propaganda and how far off from the truth it can lead people. Certain evidence such as photographs can deceive us again due to our perception as each person may conclude something different. The media is often accused of using certain photographs which appear to convey a certain message leading to biases. Reasoning, one of the ways of knowing, is used in order to conclude on past events. However, how reliable is the historical evidence? Is it all correct, or does it consist of fabricated facts? I once gave a seminar on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the central conflict in the novel One More River, by Lynne Reid Banks. Countries such as the US have failed to solve this conflict due to the two stories of each nation. For both Palestinians and Israelis, most of the evidence they have is based on their beliefs and stories. However stories in history are often not considered as legitimate evidence, for the truth to be determined. Where does the truth really lie with the assumption that previous generations of both sides may have tried to hide the truth in order to insure that future generations could continue to claim the land as their own? Other nations are involved in trying to resolve this conflict, and emotions can play a major part in determining whose side you take through religious or linguistic affinity. The media play on emotion and help shape peoples opinions towards certain topics through the very language, tone and imagery that are used. Language and emotions can either mask the truth or make it clearer. The media are full of news stories that project their own biases, often negatively influencing the perception of the readers/viewers. In such instances, it is almost impossible to establish what is true and what is really false. Mathematics is an area of knowledge which begins logically from a set of axioms (assumptions)  [7]  from which objective truth is stereotypically claimed to be present. For example, 1+1 will always equal 2 yet this example faces counter-claims such as the fact that 1+1= from an artistic perspective forms a window. It could also be argued that when looking at a real life situation where 1 man and 1 woman enter a house we should have 2 people in the house according to the definition, but what if the woman is in the early stages of pregnancy? Therefore in contrary to perception, there would be more than two living human beings in the house, disproving the mathematical definition. An example of objective truth in mathematics is the fact that parallel lines never meet. If they meet, then they would no longer be parallel. In my opinion, math is the not the strongest area of knowledge which agrees with the statement at hand since distinctions between true and false mathematical claims i s possible. However, some areas in mathematics remain subjective. For instance, it could be argued that in order to solve a mathematical equation, mathematical theories and laws must be accepted, making the truth in maths subjective. Over all, after examining three of the six main areas of knowledge, mathematics seems to least support the claim that There are no absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false, as there is much objective truth in mathematics. We see that different areas of knowledge use different ways of knowing as evidence to distinguish between true and false statements in addition to the problems associated with them. Lastly we see how difficult it is to state that absolute truths exist as well as form an absolute distinction between what is true and what is false. Word count: 1598