Negotiating International Business - Mexico Essay examples

Negotiating International Business - Mexico This section is an excerpt from the book â€Å"Negotiating International Business - The Negotiator’s Reference Guide to 50 Countries Around the World† by Lothar Katz. It has been updated with inputs from readers and others, most recently in March 2008. While some businesspeople and officials in Mexico may have only limited exposure to other cul- tures, many are reasonably familiar with and prepared for doing business internationally. However, that does not always mean that they will be open-minded. When negotiating business here, realize that people may expect things to be done ‘their way,’ in which case you should strive to understand, and occasionally emulate, their behavior in order to gain the†¦show more content†¦This can be a time-consuming process and may require several trips to strengthen the bonds. Mexicans tend to distrust people who appear unwilling to spend the time or whose motives for relationship building are unclear. Once you have established a working relationship, the Mexicans may still prefer to keep the initial engagement small and low-risk. They view this as an opportunity for you to prove yourself. Larger- scale business engagements require time to build. Business relationships in this country exist between people, not necessarily between companies. Even when you have won your local business partners’ friendship and trust, they will not neces- sarily trust others from your company. That makes it very important to keep company interfaces unchanged. Changing a key contact may require the relationship building process to start over. Families play a dominant role in Mexican society and business life. Many companies are family- owned or controlled. Mexican families can be large and may extend into powerful networks that not only include extended family but also friends, business partners, and others. Becoming integrated into such networks through personal relationships is vital to doing business in the country. Whom you know may determine whether people want to get to know you. Similarly, whether people think you are worth knowing and trusting often weighs much more strongly than how competent you are or what proposals you may have to make. PersonalShow MoreRelatedNegotiation Between U.s. And Mexico1689 Words   |  7 PagesNegotiation Between the U.S. and Mexico Angus Macfarlane Southern Utah University This paper reviews the research on negotiation between U.S. and Mexican cultures, provides some data on differences and similarities, offers do’s and don’ts, and concludes with a call for patience when negotiating with other cultures. Cross cultural negotiation can be a trick business. Fisher (1980) writes â€Å"it is naà ¯ve indeed to venture into international negotiation with the untemperedRead MoreThe Five Key Managerial Skills1075 Words   |  5 Pageseffectively as a team member and to build cooperative effort in the unit† (17). An important part of interpersonal skills is communication skills which for managers is multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is â€Å"the ability to work effectively and conduct business with people from different cultures† (18). Conceptual skill is â€Å"the ability to see the organization as a total entity. It includes recognizing how the various units of the organization depend on one another and how changed in any one part affectRead MoreInternational Business Is Not Just About Nationalities722 Words   |  3 PagesIn this present modern world, international business is not just about nationalities, it is also about cultures. Cultures affect negotiation strategies, decisions values and communications. A case in point focuses on a scenario whereby a proficient U.S negotiator travels to Mexico to negotiate for a profitable business deal. Furthermore, the above named negotiator puts into consideration the aspect of time. Time is considered as money and therefore he intends to achieve the best deal within 24 hoursRead MoreThe Strong Need For Proper Negotiations Between Different Cultures949 Words   |  4 Pagesparticular exploration, one will focus on negotiations with Mexico. Therefore, it is for this af fair that everyone must understand how important cross-culture negotiations are for this country. In addition, while involved in negotiations many individuals think that such topics only involves local companies or organizations. This is not always the case. When dealing with cross-cultural negotiations, many times the negotiators are negotiating for the good of the country. For these particular negotiationsRead MoreInvestigation of Mexican and Chinese Negotiations: Culture’s Effect on Negotiating with Chinese and Mexican Negotiators2566 Words   |  11 PagesInvestigation of Mexican and Chinese Negotiations: Culture’s effect on negotiating with Chinese and Mexican negotiators Research Report By Richard Ardito For BUS 545 – Global Business Management - California Baptist University Dr. Marc Weniger – Professor Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the similar driving forces between Chinese and Mexican cultures and how those forces direct the negotiation tactics of Chinese and Mexican nationals. The goal is to determine what theRead MoreImpact of Culture on Negotiating Styles: in Relation1935 Words   |  8 PagesImpact of Culture on Negotiating Styles: in Relation to Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture Abstract An effective business negotiation is very significant in achieving a successful business relationship. As the businesses expand globally, so do the conflicts between the interacting parties. These conflicts only get amplified if the interacting parties are from different cultural background. An individual s cultural background plays a big role in his perception, which affects hisRead MoreGreenfield Venture1738 Words   |  7 PagesTiffany Nelson October 7, 2012 FIN630-1204D-02: Global Financial Management American InterContinental University International Financial Markets Introduction Not to be confused with an acquisition, a Greenfield venture is a strategy in which a parent company enters into a new market without the involvement of another business or partner. This popular strategy entails a company leasing or purchasing land, building a new facility, employing or relocating managers andRead MoreCanada Joining Trans-Pacific Partnership Essay1502 Words   |  7 Pagesincluding Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. However, since its establishment in the year 2005, the number of interested parties has increased to the current 12 countries. As of late 2013, countries such as Canada, United States, Vietnam, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, Japan and Australia had indicated interest to join the pioneer countries in the partnership. Being a member of this partnership has been under consideration for a number of countries. Economists, politicians, and socialists have givenRead MoreWalmart Goes South981 Words   |  4 PagesIBO 58001 Walmart Goes South – Ch. 8 Case Study 1) How has the implementation of NAFTA affected Walmart’s success in Mexico? The implementation of NAFTA has affected Walmart’s success in Mexico by lowering/abolishing the tariff’s which Walmart was originally subject to prior to NAFTA. This has allowed the Walmarts in Mexico to offer the same â€Å"Every Day Low Prices† to its consumers on both sides of the border without having to raise prices due to tariff fees. Prior to NAFTA, WalmartRead MoreAmerica s Diminishing Faith On Free Trade Essay1712 Words   |  7 Pagespresidential election. As the former Secretary of State to a presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton has changed her attitude in regards to the Trans-Pacific Partnership because these different positions have allowed her to view different perspectives in international relations. When she was Secretary of State promoting the TPP was her duty but as a presidential candidate she spoke against it, claiming it is â€Å"for more new good jobs for Americans, for raising wages for Americans.† In an interview with PBS Clinton

The Side Of Getting Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Jonathan Mejia Dr. Luttrell Composition II 3/9/16 Toulmin Argument Immigration is a major topic in the Immigration presidential Race right now. I am on the side of getting comprehensive immigration reform. Reform is the term used in political discussion regarding changes to the current immigration policy. In the political sense of the word, immigration reform may include promoted, expanded, or open immigration, as well as reduced or eliminated immigration. Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for years, moving decisions into the executive and judicial branches of government and pushing the debate into the halls of state and municipal governments. Meanwhile, the fates of the estimated eleven million undocumented immigrants in the country, as well as future rules for legal migration, lie in the balance. I believe the government should provide a fair path to citizenship for the millions of people living in the United States illegally because most people come to America for better lives. Donald Trump is the leading candidate for the repu blicans in this year’s election. He is known for his extreme views and opinions on immigration. I will analyze Trump’s arguments to counter against mine to make my argument the best that it can be. Donald Trump has expressed his solution to the immigration issue is to stop it completely. I ll build a great wall - and no one builds walls better than me, believe me, and I ll build them very inexpensively - I will build aShow MoreRelatedUnited State government has tremendous problem that they continuously agitate. One of the problems1300 Words   |  6 PagesUnited State government has tremendous problem that they continuously agitate. One of the problems they are facing is immigration system. There are hundreds of thousands of immigrants move to our country every year and the number of illegal immigrants in the United State has been increasing enormously over the years. Some people may escape from political or religious oppression and others may come to pursue the American dream. However, this is unfair to those who come to United State legally. UnlikeRead MoreThe Poverty Of The United States1204 Words   |  5 Pagesfamilies because the economy and politics. In addition leaving our countries of origin it is not an easy decision to make; for me it was a dramatic change when I migrated to the U.S Cultural, language and friends wise. It is hard to just let things to the side and trying to adapt to new things. The culture of a country it’s what actually makes a country and the people who live in it. Cultures are so wonderful and different that it is almost impossible to forget them and they will be carried in our soulsRead MoreBeatriz, Salvioli . Ms. Pritchett. 9 Hon Per 1. 08 March824 Words   |  4 PagesBeatriz, Salvioli Ms. Pritchett 9 HON per 1 08 March 2017 The immigration struggle Why should America punish immigrants when they are helping the economy? William J Clinton once said, â€Å"we must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.†(Johnson 1). The American dream should stop being just a dream. It shouldn’t be limited to only a few people. Immigrants shouldn’t have a rougher time coming to America, but handed opportunities that everyone else is offeredRead MoreImmigration Is A Crucial Topic For The Presidential Race1203 Words   |  5 PagesThe Nominees Immigration is a crucial topic for the 2016 Presidential race. It has been an of the issue for many Presidential races in the past. The two candidates I will be discussing and their policy views on immigration are the two that I will believe will be their party’s nominee, Donald J Trump with the Republican Party and Hilary R Clinton with the Democratic Party. Illegal immigration gets underreported and often swept under the rug. D.U.I. deaths and other incarceration statistics causedRead MoreThe Border Security And Illegal Immigration Controversy1401 Words   |  6 Pagesfor drug trafficking, and illegal immigration. There is a border fence that stretches over 30 miles in and around the El Paso area, with a border patrol agent stationed every 300 yards over the same span. With a population of close to 800,000 with over 80% of that being Hispanic, it is a very controversial subject along the border region. (Debate.org Article) There are multiple political forces that are playing a part in the border security/illegal immigration controversy. The current administrationRead MoreImmigration And The Issue Of Immigration987 Words   |  4 PagesRepublicans and Democrats have been fighting over the issue of immigration since the 1900s. Immigration has been an issue declared by both Democrats and Republicans alike over debates, elections and even the presidency. Each political party has different viewpoints of immigration and how it effects society and the U.S. as a whole. Immigration is the great division between two opinions. These two sides are: one being people that are accepting with immigrants coming in and out of the U.S., while theRead MoreThe Immigration Of The United States Government1692 Words   |  7 PagesJamie Bastide Professor Luna Mas/Hist 142-501 6 October 2015 Hispanic Immigration There was once a time when people moved freely across the border between Mexico and the United States. Though there were random patrols along this border, it wasn’t until 1924, when the Border Patrol was created, that there was any real authority over who went where. Jumping ahead to present times, people are crying out for more and more security on our borders, not only to keep out threats of terrorism, but to keepRead MoreImmigration And Immigration1358 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"the dynamic heart of a continuing American success story† But also the atrocious project that could lead the destruction of American history and future. â€Å"The proof was Trump’s plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigration and terrorism†- The Atlantic.com. Every day hundreds of people try to pass the wall, fence and/ or drones across the borders illegally by hiding inside cars or running through rivers and/ or even worse trying to cross the desert in Arizona riskingRead Morecase study immigration4147 Words   |  17 Pages The End of the Culture War over Immigration A culture War has erupted in America. The country has become visibly divided over emotionally charged topics such as: abortion, gay marriage, gun-control, and healthcare. Many Americans have chosen sides in a polarized debate which pins conservative traditionalists against liberal progressives over the direction of America’s future. One topic which has not received as much attention as the rest, yet potentially has the largest impact on the common AmericanRead MoreIllegal Immigration Is The United States1805 Words   |  8 PagesIllegal immigration is the migration of people across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. Some countries have millions of illegal immigrants. Immigration, including illegal immigration, is overwhelmingly upward, from a poorer to a richer country. The easy definition of an undocumented immigrant is someone who was not born in the United States and therefore has no legal right to be or remain in the U nited States. Not all undocumented immigrants

Minutes of Meeting free essay sample

Alternate Signatory- At a members request, the chairman gave explanation on why the association needs an alternate signatory. Disbursement of $100 fund to our college children- members present after revisiting the issue, deliberated and unanimously agreed to rescind the previous decision to ask our College Children to bring official letter of admission before the agreed sum of $100 could be disbursed. This issue was put into vote, Mr Cyril Amadiegwu moved a motion to rescind the decision seconded by Mrs Ebele Enwerekowe, Issue resolved with 6 members voting for and I against the motion.Majority of members present agreed that the sum of $100 should be given to each of our college children without requesting for official college admission letter. Association Account- members can only sign in and read but cannot tamper with the account. Change of Signatories- While still waiting for Mr Nathan Enwerekowe to bring a sample of drafted letter as previously promised, the house designated the chairmen to go to the bank and find out the requirements needed to change signatories. We will write a custom essay sample on Minutes of Meeting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Absenteeism- Suggestions were made to find out from elected members who do not attend meetings, if they are no more interested in their post.Meeting should be scheduled in their houses and by so doing they will be made to attend . Mrs P Ndumele advised that the meeting hosting, should be done accordingly- ie according to the association’s register. Next meeting- Okechuku and Linda Imeogu will host the next meeting on 6-19-20 If they cannot, JC and Caro Ndumele will host . Mothers day- The men said they will hold conference call to decide on what they can do to appreciate their wives who have been very good backbones to reckon with . This they said is out of the constitution.Summer Cook out- The present said he will check out South Orange and West Orange park and give report during the next meeting. AOB- Any other Business News from Home- Obituaries- Titus Anyawu Died at home- Ubakala- May his Soul RIP. The Nwokos of Nsukwe lost a dear sister here in the USA and the body will be taken home- The president asked if there is anyway this association can help them financially. In reply, the house said that there is no provision for financial help in the constitution . Financial help could be given individually not collectively.Okechuwku and Linda Imeogu- Bought new home and will be visited. Grievances- At this point Juliet registered her grievance as regards the house issue, she said they moved into a new home before the Imeogus but nobody mentioned it. The house apologized and promise to make up. Vote of thanks-Cyril Amadiegwu on behalf of the association thanked the family of Obi and Juliet Ezeigbo for hosting the association. Adjournment-Caro Ndumele moved for adjournment while Ebele Enwerekowe seconded. Closing Prayer-Obi JR Ezeigbo and mrs Patience Ndumele at 6. 45pm.

Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby Essay Example

Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby Essay ?F Scott Fitzgerald was a well-known novelist in the 1920’s. He wrote many novels such as The Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender Is the Night and his well-known novel, The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald called the 1920’s the â€Å"Jazz Age† because it was a time if economic success and cultural upbringing. Poetry, music and fashion were at its peak and constantly evolving. An example of the Jazz Age was, The Harlem Renaissance also known as the New Negro Movement. The Harlem Renaissance was the cultural, social, and artistic flare-up that took place in Harlem at the the end of World War I. During this period Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars like Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen. When you think of the Roaring 20’s, you feel awake, free and alive and with all the glamour, the music and the excitement there is no wonder the term â€Å"Jazz Age† was stated by Mr. Fitzgerald. Economics were good, prosperity for all was on the rise, changes in lifestyle and Technology revolutionized Americans life in a way that it has never been the same. It was the end of WW1 and America was showing their strength as a powerful Nation, but among this, it was the parties, the alcohol, the dancing, and the frivolous sex that took a hold of what dreams were made of. We will write a custom essay sample on Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Music was the fore runner of this evolvement, Jazz and Blues were being inventive by all who had something to say and express. When it came to music at this time in American history, there seem to be no barriers sharing your soul through the words and the melody.Music back then was made to listen too, made you move, made you wanted to drink, dance and be happy, which is what Mr. Great Gatsby as he is known, was at the front of this movement. Clothes back then had flair of style that even today is still represented throughout the world.Suits that were ta

The Renaissance Was it a Thing Crash Course World History Essay Example For Students

The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? Crash Course World History Essay How does John Green define the Renaissance? It was an effloresce of arts. 3. Where do we commonly see the classical influences visually expressed in the Renaissance? The renaissance saw the rebirth of European culture after the dark ages and rushed in the modern are of secularism, rationality, and individualism. 4. Why are the scholars who worked with ancient Greek and Roman texts called humanists? What misconception has this name led to, and how is that misconception debunked by John Green? Because it implied that they were concerned with humans ether than the religious world. This led to the assumption that Renaissance writers, artists, and scholars were secretly not religious, but they actually were studying the humanities. 5. Which dates are most commonly associated with the Renaissance? Why do we not have a specific series of dates, or beginning and ending point? 1 5th and 16th century. We dont have specific dates because they werent physically written down. 6. Why specifically, did Italy become the center of the Renaissance? Money 7. How and why did the Venetians become so rich? They exported textiles to the ottomans. We will write a custom essay on The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? Crash Course World History specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now They were expert sailors and shipbuilders, and merchants. They figured out ways to trade with Islamic empires which included the biggest economic power in the region, the ottomans. 8. Why were Florentine textiles so valuable? What were the two ways they acquired the meaner to make these textiles so valuable (be specific). The color remained vibrant Dyed with a chemical called alum Italians needed the alum but could only get it from the ottomans 9. In what way did the Islamic world contribute to the Renaissance? (Include specifics) The Muslim world was the source of many of the writings that the renaissance scholars studied. 10. Why is Copernicus so cool? What did he do? Because he was a lawyer and a doctor and could speak 4 different languages, he also discovered that the earth was not in the center of the universe. 1 1 . Why does John Green say the Renaissance didnt really happen? Most people didnt know about the renaissance because its art and learning affected only a sliver of the European population. Also the life expectancy went down in many areas of European during the renaissance.

History Essay

History Essay History Essay Hoover’s Response to Great Depression: He believed it was a crisis of confidence not of capitalism. The market is self-correcting. Hoover had a Laissez-Faire approach to the economy. He encouraged organizations of farmers, industrialists, and bankers to share information, bolster one another’s spirits, and devise policies to aid economic recovery. He urged farmers to restrict output, industrialists to hold wages at pre-depression levels, and bankers to help each other remain solvent. The federal government would provide them with information, strategies of mutual aid, occasional loans, and morale-boosting speeches. He relied heavily on volunteerism. Bread and soup lines were very popular during this time. He enacted the Smoot Hawley Tariff in 1930 which raised tariffs by 30%. The idea was that it would protect American farmers from international competition. Because of this world trade plummeted and it deepened depression in Europe, which hurt the US because they were paying back the US for war debts. Then Hoover declared a 1 year moratorium on European war debts which deepened the US depression. He also tried to balance the budget by raising taxes and the US GDP went down. He then created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932. It gave $2 billion loan to banks, railroads and state governments. He did not give money to the poor. It was a form of trickle-down economics and it was too little too late for Hoover. Roosevelt’s Response to Great Depression: FDR believed strongly that action needed to be taken immediately. He started off with The First New Deal. It was a dizzying array of laws, agencies and programs to bolster the economy. It was experimental in nature not ideological. Its three basic components were Industrial recovery, agricultural recovery, and short term relief for the jobless. One of the first things he did was put a 4 day bank holiday, and called an emergency session of congress. If after the 4 days the bank reopened, then it was deemed in good shape. This restored confidence to the American people and ended bank runs. For industrial recovery he created the National Recovery Act which had many different components for everybody. Examples were lifting anti-trust laws for business, Created jobs by giving money for public works, right to collective bargaining for workers, created the FDIC and SEC for regulation and confidence. For agricultural he created the Agricultura l Adjustment Act which extended credit to farmers. It also bolstered crop and livestock prices by reducing production, by paying farmers to plow over crops and kill livestock. For the jobless he created the Civilian Conservation Corps which created jobs for young men. The built state parks, roads, playgrounds etc. There was also the Tennessee Valley Authority which used dams to create electricity for poor people throughout the Tennessee valley area. There was some criticism of The First New deal and the Supreme Court ruled the NRA and AAA unconstitutional, this led to the Second New Deal. Started out with direct aid to the needy and created the Works Project Administration, which employed 8.5 million people. They were concerned with public works projects, as well as, writing, theater, art and youth projects. Another part of the Second New Deal was the Social Security Act to protect the elderly. It was just the very beginning of Social Security and it excluded many professions. Why Hoover responded that Way: Hoover was a strong believer in Lassiez-Faire economics. He believed that the economy has periods of ups and downs and that when the economy goes down it will eventually come back up again. He believed that the government must intervene as little as possible. As Secretary of Commerce did not want government to control industry but he wanted the government to persuade corporations to cooperate and make things better for industry as a whole. Another reason he may have responded that way is History essay History essay What were the most significant events in helping Indigenous Australians achieve positive change since World War II? World War 2 was an atrocity for many, its crimes spread far and wide including the execution of Jews, and torturing prisoners of war. But in its wake came a call for change, and all through the world people started to see human rights in a new way and improvements were made all round including for our own Aborigines. The first major changes were to come in 1949, which came with Australian citizenship for all Aboriginals. 1949 also brought them the right to vote in federal elections, if they had served in the army during the world wars, or if they were allowed to vote in their state election. This was countered however in Queensland where voting was entirely disallowed for Aborigines, and in Western Australia and the Northern Territory the right was conditional and was rarely granted. 1949 brought several other changes but most were delayed or simply refused, the major changes would have to wait until later. In 1962 the common wealth electoral act Gave Aborigines the option to vote in all federal elections, regardless of state or location. 1965 brought the integration policy which replaced the white Australia policy and sought to end discrimination towards Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, it also allowed the federal government to overrule state policy if they saw that the states were mistreating Aborigines or ignoring their policies. On the 27th of May 1967 the commonwealth referendum to have aboriginals counted in the national census. It also made changes to our constitution removing section 127 of the constitution which stated â€Å"In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted.† And changed section 51 paragraph 26, which then allowed the federal government to make laws regarding the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. On the 1st of June 1975 the Racial Discrimination Act was passed allowing the federal government to History Essay History Essay For writing History essays such as US history essays, American history essays, European history essays and world history essays, the first thing that is obligatory is the knowledge of the historical topic on which on which you have opted to write. For gaining that knowledge, you can read the history books, journals and articles depicting any historical event or incident. In a history essay, you have to concentrate on only one topic and have to write paragraphs dealing with that topic only. Remember that you should not include irrelevant information in history essays, as it will spoil your history essays. The paragraphs that you write in your history essays should be connected to each other and should be continuous until the argument is over or until the historical essay topics on which you are writing are justified. In a history essay, you have to deal with a number of paragraphs and each of these paragraphs deals with a particular idea or thought. No paragraph should discuss more than one idea or thought or it will look like a rambling paragraph that will have nothing particular and precise. History essays should be written with a clear idea in mind. First of all, an outline should be made that can help you arrange your ideas in a particular format. Before writing the final copy of your history essay, always write a draft. A draft will always inform you about your mistakes and errors regarding to the essays on history. For writing essays in history, students should gather relevant and authorized information from authorized sources to write a history essay. World history essays require enough hard work from the student, as they are very crucial and should not contain any mistake in terms of factual information. In case of delivering incorrect information, the history essays are completely rejected. World history essays require a lot of researching and analysis for the final drafting of a history essay. You have to arrange all the paragraphs using the format of introduction, body and conclusion. The introductory paragraph should introduce the topic fully while the conclusi on should summarize your stated information and the results that you have obtained from all your research. The history essay should be concluded in such a manner that it gives the writer and the reader a sense of completion. The body paragraph of history essays should contain all the information that you want to discuss in your history essay. Art history essay should also be written by following the same format that is described above. The above stated details must have added to your knowledge related to history essay writing. If you still want some sort of assistance related to history essays, you can get non-plagiarized essays on History from our essay writing company, which is there for your service and assistance. You can get AP history essays from our company and you will not be disappointed. You can get all kinds of history essays an all kinds of history essay topics from our custom essay service.

Human resources ( Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human resources ( - Essay Example In my opinion, more emphasis should be place on tax reforms and on the redistribution of funds between the rich and poor district schools. This will help improve the quality of education in public schools in different states. In general, states decide on the amount of funding received by schools and in some instances, there is inequality in the distribution of tax dollars between privileged and poor district schools (Hohenberg, 2010). Poor performing public schools lack the necessary resources and facilities to ensure high education performance thus effective distribution to poor schools will ensure that they have the appropriate funding to acquire the resources and put in place appropriate facilities. The K-12 system in the modern times dictates that funding is tied to performance and this system of tax distribution is unfair. Increasing competition in the K-12 system ensures an improvement in the quality of education (Hohenberg, 2010). This is because the schools in various states will work hard to beat each other. On the other hand, increasing competition is unfair, as it will benefit the schools that have the appropriate resources. Increasing equality in tax distribution among the poor public schools is beneficial, as it will help these institutions acquire the necessary resources needed to improve the quality and access of education. On the other hand, tax redistribution in the poor schools promotes laxity in these institutions. There is need to attain greater equalization in the education system in the US. In public schools, the distribution of funds between schools is clear leading to an inequality in access to benefits and funds. Benefits refer to the educational opportunities present in the system (Kozol, 2012). However, the benefits received argument does not refer to equalization in society, as too much tax burden would be placed on the poor without the ability to pay taxes

Company Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Company - Coursework Example The report has also examined little management accounting techniques. Finally, the report has attempted to evaluate some current techniques that are appropriate for strategic management accounting. The report is generally to be used within Spacenet.inc; a well-established ICT firm based in Brussels. The board of associations and the management depend on financial reports to be able to cognize the economic situation of the board and to help the whole team in the process of decision making. For the purposes of improving the usefulness of financial information in the perspective of the decision making process, financial statements should be analyzed (Young, 2003). In that perspective, financial statement analysis can be described as the process where data is converted from financial statements into meaningful information for the organization quality evaluation by use of diverse analytical methods, which is very essential in the entire process of rational management. The function of financial report analysis is to identify good characters of Spacenet.inc so that the management can apply most beneficial characteristics. At the same time such reports also help an organization to recognize its weaknesses and take the necessary actions. A good financial strategy should consider both strength and weaknesses of the company. The use of internal financial statement prepared for top management provides the information they require in monitoring the organization’s operation and aid in decision making. Published reports rely on internal financial reports to inform investors, lenders and suppliers about the firm’s financial position. One limitation of both internal and published financial report in decision making is that the data given is based on the market at that particular time (Young, 2003). Subject to the nature of the market, change may be observed very quickly, so top managers are not supposed to assume that figures as per the last reports will be stagnant

Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Week 2 - Essay Example This performance management plan in healthcare is efficient in gauging the organization for success. This paper will explain the maintenance and development of a culture for outcomes oriented care within a healthcare organization. An organization-wide performance management plan focuses on the performance of an organization, a department or even the employees in the organization. This also applies in healthcare organizations in order to improve healthcare quality. In the past, the clinical decision support system was derived from an expert research. According to various sources, these systems have a significant impact on patients. The system developers were striving to create a program which was able to act just like a human clinician (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, 2009). Nowadays, these systems relate to a wide range of options. Furthermore, there are several types of the support systems in healthcare. Research asserts that these systems are effective in improving the quality of health services provided in a healthcare organization. For example, these systems have significantly lowered the rate of medication errors. This has immensely lowered the adverse drug effects on numerous patients. These systems also provide supportive diagnostic suggestions for some infections. Furthermore, the system is also able to predict some of the potentially hazardous drug interactions. The clinical decision support systems also have an impact on the structure of the organization. Research asserts that these systems have substantially lowered health care cost which is caused by the side effects presented by drugs (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, 2009). On the other hand, cultural competence in health care can be achieved by the hospital staff when they examine their own beliefs and values (Galloway, 2005). The nurses are usually advised to implement and evaluate culturally sensitive care in order to challenge prejudice and

A Study On Disability Social Problem Social Policy Essay

A Study On Disability Social Problem Social Policy Essay Disability excites interest because disability is seen as a social problem i.e. it is seen either in terms of personal tragedy or of blame. Social problems generate public concern and private misery and call for collective action to remedy this (Worsley, 1972). Disability has been theorised in a number of different ways, most of which locate the problem in the individual rather than the broader social, political, and economic influences. This has implications for the location of the blame for social problems, such that they become depoliticised. The rise in the idea of the politics of minority groups is well documented and implies that in the case of people with disabilities who are unable to work the Government should provide a whole range of services. Because most Governments are unwilling to commit themselves this far, disability is again defined as a social problem, and often the burden of care lies with the family (Moore, 2002). This paper will give an account of definitions of disability and the ways in which they impact on disabled people. There will be an exploration of the concept and history of the family and its contemporary diverse forms, and an examination of the ways in which the ideology of the family has problematised the concept of care. The paper will then assess how the family has been implicated in both solving and defining the problem of disability and to what extent the social problem that is disability is a matter of private concern for families. Models of Disability The medical model of health is the most powerful in western society, doctors introduced a curative model of health that concentrated on the body where the hospital became the space for such models were put into practice (Walsh et al, 2000). This model situates ill health in the individual and ignores the social circumstances that may give rise to ill health, furthermore it has impacted on government healthcare policy throughout the twentieth century. The situation is exacerbated by the medicalisation of many conditions making them into a problem that can only be addressed by experts, as Brisenden(1986) comments: The problem is that medical people tend to see all difficulties solely from the perspective of proposed treatments for a patient, without recognising that the individual has to weigh up whether this treatment fits into the overall economy of their life. In the past especially, doctors have been too willing to suggest medical treatment and hospitalisation, even when this would not necessarily improve the quality of life for the person concerned. Indeed, questions about the quality of life have sometimes been portrayed as something of an intrusion upon the purely medical equation. (Brisenden, 1986:176). The medical model leads to the treatment of people with disabilities as passive objects of medical attention. This is oppressive of disabled people and spreads to other social relationships, it sees disability as pathological i.e. rooted in a persons biology, and thus unchanging. Contained within this model is the perception of people with disabilities as problematic. Disability has also been theorized as a personal tragedy, resulting in individuals with a disability being seen as victims. This results in policy making whereby people with disabilities need compensating for their disability. This model also affects social relationships. The view of disability as personal tragedy individualises disability so that it becomes depoliticised and the disabled person must make his or her adjustments to that disability as best they can (Dalley, 1990). In locating disability within the individual society denies any responsibility to cater for the diversity of their needs (Oliver, 1990). The third way in which disability has been theorized is in the social model of disability. This model is becoming increasingly dominant in research on disability. Vassey (1992) has described it thus: redefining disability in terms of a disabling environment, repositioning disabled people as citizens with rights, and reconfiguring the responsibilities for creating, sustaining and overcoming disablism (Vassey, 1992:44).. Here the person is disabled because of the refusal of society to provide for example suitable access for the wheelchair user. This model stresses that a disabling society leads to the exclusion of people with disabilities. Oliver (1996) contends that this notion has been politically empowering for disabled people, and has allowed a previously contested notion to develop an agenda that has influenced policy making. Some people see disability as entirely a result of social structures and processes while others feel that society compounds the difficulties that disabled people encounter. Disability is not a universal category, people have different types and degrees of impairment, some can function well with technical aids while still others are, to a greater or lesser degree, dependent on the care of other people (Dalley, 1988). The Concept and History of the Family Parsons (1955) argued that the family is the primary place of socialization and serves to introduce and instill the norms and values of society. Parsons model was what is commonly known as the nuclear family, i.e. parents and children living together to provide the mutual love and support that individuals need to be productive members of society (Giddens, 2001). Murdock (1949 cited in Giddens, 2001) maintains that traditional concepts of the family are a universal phenomenon. Others criticise the nuclear model for being too narrow and for neglecting the fact that not all family members experience life in the same way (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Whether the nuclear family is regarded as universal depends largely on how the family is defined, certainly it is no longer the norm in contemporary society. Gittins (1993) maintains that there are a wide variety of domestic relationships. Thus relationships may be universal but the forms they take can be infinitely variable. There are many single parent families, whether through death, divorce or choice, there are also second marriages that often result in reconstituted families. The nuclear model relates specifically to nineteenth and early twentieth century ideological views of the family (Giddens, 2001). The Family and Ideology Until the late seventeenth century there was little or no distinction between the public and the private sphere, families generally worked the land and they did this together. The rise of industrialization and the growth of the towns brought massive changes to what had constituted family life up until that time. Feminists argue that for centuries women have been the subordinate sex in society and this subordination is largely a result of the fact that they have been born women rather than men. This subordination increased with industrialisation and the separation between public and private spheres (Oakley 1982). The coming of the factory meant that the family was replaced as the unit of production. The growing dependence of children, Oakley (1982) states, led to womens increased dependence on men and their restriction to the private sphere. Throughout the nineteenth century there was a growing idealisation of the feminine. Women were regarded as both physically and emotionally weaker than men and unfit for the same roles. Victorian ideology said that women were created to help men and should thus remain at home. This primarily affected the middle classes but as the century progressed the working class were also influenced by this ideology, locking women into the housewife role (Oakley, 1982). Murdock (1949 in Giddens, 2001) argued that gender roles are the natural result of the biological differences between men and women. Mens superior strength and womens childbearing capabilities make the sexual division of labour the most sensible way of organising society. Delphy (1977) maintains that this results in sexual inequality. Gender differences are not innate but socially constructed to serve the interests of the socially dominant group. Delphy contends that women are a separate class because the categories of man and woman are political and economic, rather than eternal biological categories. Within the family particularly, women form a class who are exploited by men, as Delphy states: While the wage-labourer sells his labour power, the marrie woman gives hers away; exclusivity and non-payment are intimately connected. To supply unpaid labour within the framework of a universal and personal relationship (marriage) constructs primarily a relationship of slavery (Delpy, 1977:15). This relationship has been exploited by successive Governments and is implicit in many social policy initiatives. The Family and the Welfare State The post-war welfare state which promised universal welfare provision, was set up on the assumption of full employment and the notion that men would go out to work while women stayed home (Abbott and Wallace, 1997).. Moore (2002) maintains that this is an ideological view of the family and how it might function. In the late 1970s the Tories actively discouraged alternatives to the traditional family e.g. cohabitation and gay partnerships (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Since the Thatcher Government public and policy debates on family life, parenting and health have centered around the idea of responsibility (Such and Walker 2004) Moore (2002) maintains that in the thinking of the seventies and also in Labours Third Way, family members have a duty to help each other as it is not the job of the state to look after them. The state takes over when no-one else is around to share the burden. The fact that the State has had to intervene, it is argued, is one of the reasons why the traditional family is on the decline. In a good society members should help each other without regard to personal benefit. The State should be there to provide a safety net when there is no other help available. New Labour advocate a mixed economy of welfare where welfare is provided in part by the state and partly by private companies operating for profit. The shift from public to private has received much publicity and contributed to social problems and to social exclusion. Previously highly subsidized, or universal, services have either become part of the private sector, or have been subject to means testing, some welfare provision has been handed over to voluntary organizations. This has increased the likelihood that welfare and caring are now a private rather than a public responsibility (Giddens, 2001). This tends to stigmatise further those who are forced to rely on benefits, e.g. the disabled and their carers, usually women. The State and Womens Caring Role Marxist feminists e.g. Walby (1990) argue that the gender ideology that has filtered down to the working classes has affected their solidarity as a class and this makes them more easily controllable by the Capitalist system. While Marxism gives an explanation of exploitation by the capitalist system it does not explain the inequalities between women and men. Delphy (1977) maintains that gender and sexual inequality should be the fundamental categories of feminist analysis. Marxism alone does not explain for example why women are seen as responsible for household tasks. Capitalism could still profit if men stayed at home. The Community Care Act of 1990 has imposed further responsibilities on women in the role of informal carers. Dalley (1988) argues that much Governments policy making has been based on ideologies of caring with the assumptions behind the idea of community care being based on outmoded notions of the family. In practice this notion of caring disadvantages women carers and also many disabled or older dependent relatives. Within such an ideology, the caring that women do in the home is considered to be a natural part of womens role within the family. Thus, her caring role become invisible and shouldering the burden increases the likelihood that women will themselves be in need of care (Graham, 1993). This is borne out by the increasing number of women who suffer from disabilities and mental health problems. Womens caring role is further undermined by the idea that any health care that matters is given by professionals. When this is accompanied by Government discourses of self-help, self-reliance and the responsibility of the family this adds to the social stigma that disabled people face. It focuses on the disability, not the person themselves, inevitably this places an added strain on families. The prevalence of the medical model of health and the ways in which families are kept under-informed regarding the disability of a family member, particularly a child, affects family relationships. Gregory (1991) maintains that when a person is diagnosed as diabled this affects the ways in which society and the family respond to and deal with that person. Families themselves can tend to see the disabled family member as sick and different. Gregory (1991) found that having a disabled family member also affected the way in which mothers viewed themselves because ideological images of motherhood focus on having an able child. Thus a woman may feel that she is somehow not a mother because of the ways in which society defines motherhood. Press reports on disabled children and their families usually present them in terms of sacrifice and heroism (Gregory, 1991). This can affect family members response to the disabled person, their forced reliance on the medical model, and the view of disability as a tragedy becomes universalized. This misses the individuals personal needs and circumstances. It seems that increasingly the social problem of disability is becoming a matter of private concern for the family. The NHS appears to take this view. While doctors may diagnose a physical or learning disability families are often left to cope without ei ther sufficient information or professional help. In a number of cases families have reported that hospitals have refused to admit non-emergency cases unless a parent or carer remains on site to provide additional support (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). A shortage of nursing staff and the increasing tendency to perform surgery on a day care basis means that many families are left with extra caring responsibilities once they take the disabled child or adult home. (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). Conclusion Back to: Example Essays Ideologies of the family and the medical model of disability exacerbate the social problems of disability. Discourses of family responsibility place a much greater burden on many people, particularly women who bear the burden of responsibility of care. Such discourses tend to make women who find it difficult to cope feel that they are a failure. This in turn reflects back on the disabled person who may feel that they are a burden. Clearly current policies and debates over partnership between the Government and families and family responsibility is moving closer to the view that disability is no longer a public concern but a private family one. Dalley (1988) argue that some form of institutional care e.g. supported living should replace care in the family. While there are support structures in place for people with disabilities, the extent to which informal carers have access to such facilities is very limited (Baldwin and Twigg, 1990).. Perhaps supported living arrangements along wit h family involvement in personal care would, arguably, take some strain off of the family and give more independence to the person with disabilities thus making the social problem of disability a shared public and private concern rather than simply a concern for the family. Bibliography Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Baldwin, S and Twigg, J. 1991 Women and community care: Reflections on a debate in Maclean, M and Groves, D eds 1991 Womens Issues in Social Policy London, Routledge Crowe, G. and Hardey,M.1992. Diversity and ambiguity among lone-parent households in modern Britain. In Marsh, C. and Arber, S. (Eds.) 1992. Families and Households: Divisions and Change. London: Macmillan. Dalley, G. 1988 Ideologies of caring: Rethinking Community and Collectivism London, Macmillan Delphy, C 1977 The Main Enemy London, Womens Research and Resource Centre Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Gittens, D. 1993 The Family in Question: Changing households and familial ideologies London, Macmillan Graham, H. 1993 Hardship and Health in Womens Lives Hemel Hempstead, Harvester/Wheatsheaf Gregory, S. 1991 Challenging Motherhood: Mothers and their deaf children in Phoenix, A and Lloyd E, eds. 1991 Motherhood: Meaning Practices and Ideology London, Sage Moore, S. 2002 Social Welfare Alive 3rd ed. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Oakley, A 1982 Subject Woman London, Fontana Parsons, T. and Bales, R. 1955. Family, Socialisation, and Interaction Process. Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press Oliver, P. 1990 The Politics of Disablement Basingstoke, Macmillan Oliver, M 1996 Social Work with Disabled People Basingstoke Macmillan. Such, E. and Walker, R. 2004 Being responsible and responsible beings: childrens understanding of responsibility Children and Society 18 (3) Jun 2004, pp.231-242 Swain, J. Heyman, B and Gilmour, M 1998 Public Research, private concerns: Ethical issues in the use of open-ended interviews with people who have learning disabilities in Disability and Society 13 (1) pp. 21-36 Thomas, C. eds 2004 Disabling Barriers, Enabling Environments London, Sage Vasey, S. (1992) A response to Liz Crow, Coalition, September, 42-44 Walby, S. 1990 cited in Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham Worsley, P and Chatterton, M 1972 Problems of Modern Society: A Sociological Perspective Harmondsworth, Penguin More Free Social Policy Essays

Effects of Foreign Direct Investment Essay

The possible positive and  negative effects of FDI  inflows Ing. Tomà ¡Ã… ¡ Dudà ¡Ã… ¡, PhD. Possible positive effects FDI provides capital which is usually missing  in the target country Long term capital is suitable for economic  development Foreign investors are able to finance their  investments projects better and often cheaper Foreign corporations create new workplaces Possible positive effects FDI bring new technologies that are usually  not available in the target country. There is empirical evidence that there are spillover effects as the new technologies usually spread beyond the foreign corporations Foreign corporations provide better access to  foreign markets Ex. Foreign corporations can provide useful  contacts even for their domestic subcontractors Possible positive effects Foreign corporations bring new know-how and  managerial skills into the target country Again, there is a spill-over effects – as people leave the corporations they leave with the knowledge and know-how  they accumulated Foreign corporations can help to change the economic  structure of the target country With a good economic strategy governments can attract  companies from promising and innovative sectors Possible positive effects â€Å"Crowding in† effect The foreign corporations often bring additional  investors into the target country (ex. their usual subcontractors) Foreign corporations improve the business  environment of the target country Ethical business or rules of conduct Possible positive effects Foreign corporations bring new â€Å"clean†Ã‚  technologies that help to improve the  environmental conditions Foreign corporations usually help increase the  level of wages in the target economy Foreign corporations usually have a positive  effects on the trade balance Possible negative effects Foreign corporations may buy a local company  in order to shut it down (and gain monopoly  for example) â€Å"Crowding out† effect We can see this effect if the foreign corporations  target the domestic market and domestic  corporations are not able to compete with these  corporations Possible negative effects Foreign corporations may cut working  positions (privatization deals or M&A  transactions) Foreign corporations have a tendency to use  their usual suppliers which can lead to  increased imports (no problem if the  production is export driven) Possible negative effects Repatriation of the profits can be stressful on the  balance of payments The high growth of wages in foreign corporations  can influence a similar growth in the domestic  corporations which are not able to cover this growth  with the growth of productivity  The result is the decreasing competitiveness of domestic  companies Possible negative effects Missing tax revenues If the foreign corporations receive tax holidays or  similar provisions The emergence of a dual economy The economy will contain a developed foreign  sector and an underdeveloped domestic sector Possible negative effects Possible environmental damage  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Incentive tourism†

Big Brother: A Depiction of 1984’s Dystopic Society

The term Big Brother was initially coined from George Orwell’s novel 1984. In 1984, Orwell describes the mechanisms of a dystopic society, Oceania. From the start, there is the very real warning that Big Brother is watching over everything happening in Oceania. Big Brother in Oceania is an all-seeing and omnipotent ruler. The society of Oceania lives in miserable circumstances and yet they willingly consent to this form of living believing their conditions are normal. The citizens believe it is normal for Big Brother to be watching their every move. Even the thoughts and opinions of Oceania’s citizens are constantly being monitored by Thought Police. Two-way screens are also present in all public spaces and living quarters to ensure Big Brother’s monitoring of Oceania. George Orwell’s 1984 has become renowned until this day for its clear depiction of surveillance and encroachment of individual rights. In the present-day Big Brother, a television series broadcast in numerous countries around the world, a very similar dystopia is portrayed. Contestants of the reality show enter Big Brother’s house willingly. Upon entrance, they allow themselves to be put under the scrutiny and watchful eye not only of Big Brother but also of the public outside. George Orwell’s two-way screens have been replaced with cameras that have been placed all over the house. The Thought Police have been replaced by Big Brother and the audience of the show. The limitations of the lives of the people in Oceania are also meted out on the contestants upon entrance to the house. They are made to follow certain rules and regulations provided by Big Brother. They are also required to follow all Big Brother’s orders without question. Food, money and other amenities are only available to the contestants if Big Brother supplies them with these and only if he allows them access to the supplies he has placed in the house. Big Brother in the reality show possesses many of the qualities of the Big Brother in 1984. He is both all-seeing and all-powerful. Big Brother not only monitors all of the actions of the contestants but he also dictates the actions by talking to them and ordering them around to perform specific tasks. Rules and regulations are numerous in the house and the contestants themselves are not allowed to secretly communicate with one another. Conversations or written communications that are not audibly heard by the sensors in the house are often met with punishments from Big Brother. Big Brother is indeed a portrayal of dystopia. It does not pretend to be a perfect society gone awry. From the start, the goals of Big Brother has been clear. It aims to create a living society within Big Brother’s house with members that have been stripped of their rights and forced to subject themselves to the watchful eye and unpredictable whims of Big Brother. Dystopia is very much present in the Big Brother house. Outside of its setting as a television show, the goings-on in the house are clearly negative and undesirable to anyone else. No one would want to be subjected to the living circumstances of Big Brother’s housemates. Despite the fact that Big Brother shows the very workings of a dystopic society, the show’s ratings clearly attest to its popularity. Dystopia, it seems, has become a popular notion. Big Brother, in fact, is held in much respect and adoration by the very housemates made to endure the limitations of dystopia. Perhaps this is proof of the show’s success in portraying true dystopia. In 1984, dystopia was only able to continue because of the brainwashing done on the citizens of Oceania. They wanted to be under Big Brother’s surveillance and even loved him for it. The same â€Å"love† for Big Brother is seen in the dystopic reality show.

Environmental Science Chapter 1 Notes Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Essays

Environmental Science Chapter 1 Notes Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Essays Environmental Science Chapter 1 Notes Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Paper Environmental Science Chapter 1 Notes Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Paper Essay Topic: Notes From Underground Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Chapter 1 Case Study Living in an Exponential Age Exponential growth – concept in which a quantity increases at a constant rate per unit of time Global economic output is a rough measure of the human use of the earth’s resources Poverty affects environmental quality, from the poor depleting and degrading forests, grasslands, and wildlife Exponential growth plays a key role in five important and interconnected environmental issues: population growth, resource use and waste, poverty, loss of biological diversity, and global climate change Questions What keeps us alive? What is an environmentally sustainable society? How fast is the human population increasing? What are economic growth, economic development, and globalization? What are the earth’s main types of resources? How can they be depleted or degraded? What are the principal types of pollution? What can we do about pollution? Wha t are the basic causes of today’s environmental problems? How are these causes connected? Is our current course sustainable? What is environmentally sustainable development? Living More Sustainably 1-1 What Is the Difference between Environment, Ecology, and Environmental Science? Defining Some Basic Terms Environmental science is a study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how to deal with environmental problems. Environment – everything that affects a living organism (any unique form of life) Ecology – a biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment Environmental science – study that uses information from the physical sciences and social sciences to learn how the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how to deal with environmental problems; it involves integrating ideas from the natural world and our cultural world Environmentalism – social movement dedicated to protecting the earth’s life support systems for us and oth er species What Keeps Us Alive? The Sun and the Earth’s Natural Capital All life and economies depend on energy from the sun (solar capital) and the earth’s resources and ecological services (natural capital) Solar capital – energy from the sun Solar energy – direct sunlight and indirect forms of renewable solar energy such as wind power, hydropower (energy from flowing water), and biomass (direct solar energy converted to chemical energy and stored in biological sources of energy such as wood) Natural resources / natural capital – resources and ecological services from the planet itself such as air, water, fishery, mineral, processes of natural purification, and recycling Biological income examples are renewable supplies of wood, wish, grassland, and underground water for drinking and irrigation What is an Environmentally Sustainable Society? One that Preserves Natural Capital and Lives Off Its Income An environmentally sustainable society meets all the basic resource needs of is people indefinitely without degrading or depleting the natural capital that supplies these resources Environmentally sustainable society – society that meets current needs of its people for food, clean water, clean air, shelter, and other basic resources without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs Living sustainably means living off natural income replenished by soils, plants, air, and water and not depleting or degrading the earth’s natural capital that supplies this biological income Protect your capital and live off the income it provides Population growth, economic growth, economic development, and globalization 1-2 How Rapidly Is the Human Population Growing? Pretty Fast The rate at which the world’s population is growing has slowed but is still growing pretty rapidly Currently the populati on is growing exponentially at a rate of ~1. 25% a year It is actually a lot (average increase of 219,000 people a day) What Is the Difference between Economic Growth and Economic Development? More Stuff and Better Living Standards Economic growth provides people with more goods and services and economic development uses economic growth to improve living standards Economic growth – an increase in the capacity of a country to provide people with goods and services, often requiring population growth, more production and consumption er person, or both Gross domestic product (GDP) – the annual market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, operating within a country; usually measures the economic growth Per capita GDP – the GDP divided by the total population at midyear; indicator of standard of living Economic development – the improvement of living standards by economic growth What Is the Difference bet ween Economic Growth and Economic Development? More Stuff and Better Living Standards (cont. ) Developed countries – highly industrialized countries with high average per capita GDP –E. g. US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and countries of Europe Developing countries – low to moderately industrialized countries with low to moderate per capita GNP –E. g. China, India, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Peru, Afghanistan ~97% of projected increase in population is expected to take place in developing countries Trade-offs of Economic Development What Is Globalization? Being Connected We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected through economic, cultural, and environmental interdependence Globalization – the process of social, economic, and environmental global changes that lead to an increasingly interconnected world Involves increasing exchanges of people, products, services, capital, and ideas across international borders Factors accelerating it: technology (e. g. internet), human mobility, and international trade and investment Society has become a democratization of learning and communication that has never been seen before it’s so crazy Resources 1-3 What Is a Resource? Things We Need or Want We obtain resources from the environment to meet our needs and wants Resource – anything obtained from the environment to meet our needs and wants (e. g. ood, water, shelter, transportation, recreation) Material resources gotten from the environment is classified as perpetual, renewable, or nonrenewable What Are Perpetual and Renewable Resources? Resources That Can Last Resources renewed by natural processes are sustainable if we do not use them faster than they are replenished Perpetual resource – resource that is renewed continuously (e. g. solar energy) Renewable resource – resource that can be replenished fairly rapidly (e. g. forests) Sustainable yield – the highest rate at which a renewable r esource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply Environmental degradation – when a renewable resource’s natural replacement rate is exceeded, shrinking the available supply (e. g. eforestation) Case Study: The Tragedy of the Commons- Degrading Free Renewable Resources Renewable resources that are freely available to everyone can be degraded Common-property / free-access resources – overused and causes environmental degradation (e. g. clean air, public land) Tragedy of the commons – degradation of renewable free-access resources, coined by Garrett Hardin in 1968 –â€Å"If I do not use this resource, someone else will. The little bit I use or pollute is not enough to matter, and such resources are renewable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Solution: use free-access resources at rates well below their sustainable yields, by regulating them or reducing population Not as good solution: convert free-access resources to private ownership. However, they may not always protect their resources and is not practical for global common resources What Is Our Ecological Footprint? Our Growing Environmental Impact Supplying each person with renewable resources and absorbing the wastes from such resource use creates a large ecological footprint or environmental impact Per capita ecological footprint – amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply each person or population with the renewable resources they use and to absorb or dispose of the wastes from such resource use Currently, humanity’s footprint exceeds the earth’s biological capacity to renew resources by 15% What Are Nonrenewable Resources? Resources We Can Deplete Nonrenewable resources can be economically depleted to the point where it costs too much to obtain what is left Nonrenewable resources – resources that exist in a fixed quantity or stock, can be renewed in maybe a few hundreds or thousands of years –Energy resources (coal, oil, and natural gas that cannot be recycled) –Metallic mineral resources (iron, copper, aluminum that can be recycled) –Nonmetallic mineral resources (salt, clay, sand, and phosphates which are difficult to recycle) We never complete exhaust a resource, it becomes economically depleted when it costs more to extract it than it’s economical value We can either try to find more, recycle or reuse existing supplies (not nonrenewable energy resources), waste less, use less, develop substitute, or wait millions of years (GOOD IDEA. ) What Are Nonrenewable Resources? Resources We Can Deplete (cont. ) Recycling – collecting waste materials, processing them into new materials, and selling the new products Reuse – using a resource again in the same form Recycling nonrenewable metallic resources takes much less energy and resources than using virgin metallic resources pollution 1-4 Where Do Pollutants Come From, and What Are Their Harmful Ef fects? Threats to Health and Survival Pollutants are chemicals found at high enough levels in the environment to cause harm to people or other organisms Pollution – presence of substances at high enough levels in air, water, soil, or food to threaten the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms Most pollution is anthropogenic, near urban and industrial areas Industrialized agriculture is also a major source of pollution Point sources – single, identifiable sources of pollution Nonpoint sources – dispersed and often difficult to identify Three types of unwanted effects –Disrupt or degrade life-support systems for humans and other species –Damage wildlife, human health, and property –Can be nuisances such as noise and unpleasant smells, tastes, and sights Solutions: What Can We Do about Pollution? Prevention Pays We can try to clean up pollutants in the environment or prevent them from entering the environment Pollution prevention / input pollution control – reduces or eliminates the production of pollutants, more effective Pollution cleanup / output pollution control – cleaning up or diluting pollutants after they were processed Problems with pollution cleanup –Only temporary –Remove one pollutant? You get another pollutant –Too expensive to reduce to acceptable levels Environmental and resource problems: causes and connections 1-5 What Are Key Environmental Problems and Their Basic Causes? The Big Five The big five: –Rapid population growth –Unsustainable resource use –Poverty Not including the environmental costs of economic goods and services in their market prices (poor environmental accounting) –Trying to manage and simplify nature with too little knowledge about how it works (ecological ignorance) What Is the Relationship between Poverty and Environmental Problems? Being Poor Is Bad for People and the Earth Poverty is a major threat to huma n health and the environment They deplete and degrade land for survival They live in places with high levels of air and water pollution and with a great risk of natural disasters More poverty also means more population growth (more children = more economic security) Premature deaths –Malnutrition –Increased susceptibility to normally nonfatal infectious diseases –Lack of access to clean drinking water –Severe respiratory disease and inhaling indoor air pollutants What Is the Relationship between Resource Consumption and Environmental Problems? Affluenza Many consumers in developed countries have become addicted to buying more and more stuff in their search for fulfillment and happiness Affluenza – term used to describe the unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism exhibited in the lifestyles of affluent consumers in the US and other developed countries Admit your problem, go on a stuff diet –Law of progressive simplification: â€Å"True growth occurs as civilizations transfer an increasing proportion of energy and attention from the material side of life to the nonmaterial side and thereby develop their culture, capacity for compassion, sense of community, and strength of democracy† How Can Affluence Help Increase Environmental Quality? Another Side of the Story Affluent countries have more money for improving environmental quality yup How Are Environmental Problems and Their Causes Connected? Exploring Connections Environmental quality is affected by interactions between population size, resource consumption, and technology In developing countries, population size and degradation of resources are key factors to the environmental impact, low per capita resource use In developed countries, high per capita resource use and high levels of pollution and environmental degradation per person usually are the key factors determining overall environmental impact and a country’s ecological footprint per person Is our present course sustainable? 1-6 Are Things Getting Better or Worse? The Answer is Both There is good and bad environmental news Technological optimists overstate the situation because technological innovations and conventional economic growth and development will lead to a wonderful world Environmental pessimists overstate the problems to the point where our environmental situation seems hopeless How Should We Live? A Clash of Environmental Worldviews The way we view the seriousness of environmental problems and how to solve them depends on our environmental worldview Environmental worldview – how you think the world works, what you think your role in the world should be, and what you believe is right and wrong environmental behavior (environmental ethics) Planetary Management Worldview As the planet’s most important species, we are in charge of nature We will not run out of resources because of our ability to develop and find new ones The potential for global economic growth is essentially unlimited Our success depends on how well we manage the earth’s life-support systems, mostly for our own benefit Stewardship Worldview We are the planet’s most important species but we have an ethical responsibility to care for the rest of nature We will probably not run out of resources but they should not be wasted We should encourage environmentally beneficial forms of economic growth and discourage environmentally harmful forms of economic growth Our success depends on how well we can manage the earth’s life-support systems for our benefit and for the rest of nature Environmental Wisdom Worldview Nature exists for all species, not just for us and we are not in charge of the earth The earth’s resources are limited, should not be wasted, and are not all for us We should encourage earth-sustaining forms of economic growth and discourage earth-degrading forms Our success depends on learning how the earth sustains itself and integrating such lessons from nature (environmental wisdom) into the ways we think and act What Are the Greatest Environmental Problems We Face Now and in the Future? The Big Picture Poverty and malnutrition, smoking, infectious diseases, water shortages, biodiversity loss, and climate changes are the most serious environmental problems we face What Is Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development? Rewarding Environmentally Beneficial Activities Environmentally sustainable economic development rewards environmentally beneficial and sustainable activities and discourages environmentally harmful and unsustainable activities Environmentally sustainable economic development – uses economic rewards to encourage environmentally beneficial and more sustainable forms of economic growth and economic penalties to discourage environmentally harmful and unsustainable forms of economic growth

Psychology Project Essays - Behaviorism, Historical Reenactment

Psychology Project Essays - Behaviorism, Historical Reenactment Psychology Project Psychology Project 2) I think its ethical to force youngsters to reenact their crimes as it helps in making them better people and may avoid them from commiting any new crimes. By resorting to the positive punishment , The teenagers will figure out that what they had done is wrong and they should not do it another time. They feel uncomfortable during the reenactment and as a result they will avoid comitting any crime because they will feel the same way and suffer from fear of doing the process again. As a result , Reenactment is the undesirable action and and its used to stop them from commiting crimes. The teenagers have experienced operant conditioning and as a result they link making a crime with reenactment which they dont like or want to do. 3) I dont think that this treatment would be useful if applied to adult violent offenders. This treatment is useful with teenagers because their minds arent fixed and able to be changed like the teenagers. Teenagers may reach a point where they can be scared and they lack much experience in life unlike the adults who are afraid less due to their experiences in life. In reference to psychology the adults reached a point called STIMULUS DICRIMINATION in which they respond to certain stimuli but not to others. Negative punishement can be applied to postpone a certain undesirable reaction which is ( committing crimes ) in this case.

Effect of the Berlin Airlift on the future of the U.S. Air Force Term Paper

Effect of the Berlin Airlift on the future of the U.S. Air Force - Term Paper Example Berlin, being the capital city of Germany, it was located in Soviet Zones therefore they handed over a great deal of the administrative responsibility for running Bizonia to the Germans-in particular to an designated economic council of fifty-two Germans who, under Allied regulation, shouldered the task of economic rebuilding. On July 1 Britain and America freely devoted themselves to the support of the West Berliners. Six months earlier, the Soviets had placed a blockage around the West Berlin that no supplies could come into the city by road, water or even rail. Therefore the U.S Airlift and British planes made round the clock flights into the city, carrying medical supplies, food and other goods. This combined Air-Lift task force was an Anglo-American act. The Berlin Airlift: Breaking the Soviet Blockade By Michael Burgan Capstone, Jan 1, 2008 At some point, Biliners saw their city rise, and for this reason, they gained confidence to the officers running the airlift. The winter ea sed somewhat and improved technology was making it easier to direct the planes. They had guiding principles in order to conduct airlift and it was observed by all the aircrews and airfields. Berlin Airlifts had some certain precautions. The first rule was that the aircraft would fly at three minutes interval whilst the next rule was that the plane may perhaps not land in Berlin at its first try. In Berlin Airlift, pilots would fly under the similar set of rules at all moment in time. To Save a City: The Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949 Roger G. Miller, R Miller, Pro Texas A&M University Press, 2008 Contrary to these, U.S Airforce is a military service that provided air support to the United Nation troops as well as protecting people in other parts of the world by preventing the fight between countries using pilots who were deployed to patrol in the sky. By early 1947, the Air Force became an self-regulating service, tension between the United States Air force and the Berlin airlift led to the change in foreign policy. It was declared that the United States must aid any nations struggling to prevent a Communist takeover. This policy was known as the Truman Doctrine which justified the use of the forces to prevent the spread of Communism. The U.S Air force supported the countries which are trying to recover from the war by providing supportive troops. The U.S. Air Force By Sandra Donovan Lerner Publications, Sep 1, 2004 Effects of Berlin Airlift on the future of the U.S Air force However, the study of crisis is approximately as old as the study of international relations because it has never been systematic. The majority of the commercial aircraft in Berlin, however, flew nonscheduled routes between to the United States. There are several effects that Berlin caused on the U.S Air force that caused debate in the United States economic status therefore coming up with a National Security Act which was established by the security of defense on the air force. To start with, Berlin Airlifts began to detain U.S troop trains bound for their respective trains. This became a threat to the country which led to the call upon the independent U.S Air Force so that it can organize a massive emergency airlift to keep Berlin Airlift away. Berlin Airlift also made the United States Air force officially lifted the blockade that made the Berlin Airlift with a rationale of scarce supplies because troops were no longer sent to Berlin. Blockade of Berlin was one of the most serious immediate problem. As far as the appropriate method for holding Berlin was concerned, airlift was the right choice for the U.S Air force to deploy. The U.S. Air force sent its military forces to Berlin several times thus

Antihypertensive and antilipidemic medications Essay

Antihypertensive and antilipidemic medications - Essay Example 7. Follow up will include Re-appointment in one month for repeat labs and then in three months for follow up. Labs to repeat will be renal panel, liver panel and Hgb. as well as K. If patient is diabetic HA1c. 8. Special education should include diet and exercise. However, adverse reactions are often chronic headache, dizziness, abdominal pain and nausea and URI symptoms. The patient will need to be aware of these. 10. He will need to keep his appointments as scheduled, follow diet and exercise, change position slowly, and drink adequate amounts of fluid during the day. He will need to take this drug for a lifetime, unless told by a primary provider to discontinue. Do not use any nonprescription drugs that might increase blood pressure. Do not drink alcohol. 11. Hypertension if left uncontrolled can cause stroke or heart attack. Chronic hypertension often causes renal failure and the need for dialysis. Untreated hypertension works the heart harder and contributes to atherosclerosis 12. Not all antihypertensives work equally well in any given patient. Vasodilating activity occurs with this class of drug. Postural or orthostatic hypotension may occur in some patients causing falls. 2.

Alzeimer's Disease Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alzeimer's Disease - Research Paper Example Alzheimer’s disease, also known as Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type is a brain complication, which results in deteriorated brain functionality (American Health Assistance Foundation, 2011). It is the most reported case of dementia complication and develops gradually in a victim. The main effects of the disease are a permanent damage on neurons, which leads to intellectual incapacitation through loss of memory and rationality. As the disease develops in a person, it impairs brain related functionality leading to poor judgment and rationale in making decisions (Nordqvist, 2009), (American Health Assistance Foundation, 2011) The two major causes of Alzheimer’s disease are family history and age (Crystal, n.d.). Although developing Alzheimer’s disease is not a part of normal aging (Crystal, n.d.), it has been proven that age increases the risk of developing this disease (Crystal, n.d.). Family history also plays a major role in Alzheimer’s disease and having a close blood relative such as mother, sister, a brother; etc who has developed Alzheimer’s disease increases the risk of developing this disease. Other unproven causes of this disease include a history of head trauma, long-standing high blood pressure, and female gender (Nordqvist, 2009). There are two major types of Alzheimer’s disease, which have been identified according to the age of the patients: Early Onset Alzheimer’s not very common and is said to occur when a patient displays symptoms of the disease before reaching the age of 60 (Kantor, 2010). Late Onset Alzheimer’s is however very common and is said to occur when a patient aged 60 years or higher displays symptoms of the disease. The two types are both fatal (Kantor, 2010). The basic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are language and memory problems (forgetting familiar names, words, routes etc), flat moods, and personality changes (Kantor, 2010). A more in-depth discussion about the

The Abolition of Man Cs Lewis Review Essay Example for Free

The Abolition of Man Cs Lewis Review Essay The Abolition of Man was written by C.S. Lewis in 1943. It was subtitled Reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the upper forms of schools†. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963 (same day as Robert F. Kennedy). He was a fiction and non-fiction writer whose most popular non-fiction work was â€Å"The Chronicles of Narnia†. Lewis was a Classicist who agreed philosophically with Plato and Aristotle and also considered himself a â€Å"Pagan in a World of Apostate Christians†. Lewis was also a friend of JRR Tolkien. The Abolition of Man is listed as #7 on the top 200 greatest works of the 20th Century. In Abolition Lewis writes of two opposing views: The World off the Green Book vs. the World of the Tao. â€Å"Abolition of Man† is a short philosophical work about moral education. In Chapter 1 â€Å"Men Without Chests† the Tao is described as a broad generalization of traditional moralities of the East and West consisting of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Confusion, Jewish, Muslim, and Socratic ideologies. The Tao is the sole source of valued judgments and something we cannot change otherwise the Tao would cease to exist. Within the Tao judgments are either right or they are wrong. Within the â€Å"World of the Green Book† all valued judgments and morality are subjective. The green Book itself is really an English textbook used in English upper advance primary schools. The text of the Green book teaches students that sentences containing the predicate of value are not statements about qualities in their subjects but rather unimportant statements about the speakers own feelings. Lewis believed that this philosophy was out of place in an English text book, regardless o f its validity, and proceeds to tear the philosophy apart. The Green book states that objects can merit our approval or disapproval. Lewis describes The Mind of Man in a platonic division of three: Head- the Center of man’s intelligence Stomach- The center of man’s desire Chest- The center of man’s will Lewis argues that removing all sentiments from the mind (as rationalists try to do) produces â€Å"Men Without Chests†. Lewis believes that making valued judgments are an essential part of clear thinking. In Chapter 2, â€Å"The Way†, Lewis hacks away at all other alternative system of values. Lewis goes on to argue that no one can debunk the Tao. To debunk the Tao and have a defensible position against it, one must invoke it. While attempting to debunk the Tao all other systems such as Progressivism, Utilitarianism, and instinct based ethics can be debunked themselves. â€Å"Debunking the Tao debunks itself† Lewis write of other systems. Lewis states that all other systems fall apart among further examination and people who try to debunk the Tao are trying to substitute some other system for it. In Chapter 2 arbitrary goals of other systems are described as necessary, progressive, and efficient. Lewis asks of these systems: Necessary for what? Progressing towards what? Affecting what? What are these goals and why are they desirable? The Tao states that â€Å"certain states of affairs are intrinsically meritorious†. To Lewis, Utilitarianism fails because it is a social ethic and that it lacks personal obligation. Instinct based ethics are our moral values that are derived from animal instincts. Lewis asks â€Å"Do our animal instincts make our morality?† Concerning ethics Lewis tells us that ethics are not something that tell us what we actually do but rather ethics is about telling us what we OUGHT to do, should do, should have done, ought to have done, and OUGHT to be doing. He goes on to say that basing our ethics on instincts does not make sense and that basing ethics on instincts is basing ethics on what people tell us to do. â€Å"People say different things†¦so do our instincts. Our instincts are at war with each other.† There are times in which we should control and suppress our instincts and that there is no one great instinct we should obey. In summation, ethics cannot be derived from our instincts. Chapter two ends with Lewis concluding that the Tao is the sole source of all valued judgment and that nothing is intrinsically evil. All evil is the result of twisting something good and that moral progress is â€Å"timeless, constant, and unchanging.† Lewis referred to chapter one â€Å"Men without Chests† as the present, chapter two â€Å"The Way† as the past, and chapter three â€Å"The Abolition of Man† as the future. The Abolition of man comes in when one tries to exercise the Tao from humanity, because man cannot be man without it. The Tao is a defining characteristic of man, found in no animals, and nowhere else in the universe that we know of. â€Å"To become a race that rejects the Tao is to become something other than human.† I have to admit, â€Å"The Abolition of Man† is one of the hardest reads I’ve ever had. I think if there was some way to modernize it and translate some of what Lewis was talking about it could end up b eing one of the great works of the 21st century. All in all I have probably read this book three times and I’m still a bit confused. My take on it is this; Lewis describes a principle of right and wrong. There is no grey area of the Tao, it is what is intrinsically good in the universe regardless of which philosophy you choose to follow. By trying to discredit what is intrinsically good you are discrediting yourself as any argument that stands against what is all good must contain something that is bad†¦therefore it is wrong to even try. Ethics are not instinctive and instincts themselves, although natural, are not always good just because they are instinctive.

Michael Manley and Rastafarianism Essay -- essays papers

Michael Manley and Rastafarianism Jamaica and it’s people have been involved in a constant struggle for prosperity. After gaining independence from Britain on August 6, 1962, Jamaica attempted to flourish under a democratic system of their own. The formation of the People’s National Party and the Jamaica Labor Party marked the beginning of this movement. During this time of exploration, Rastafarians residing in Jamaica were faced with little political support. Government objectives and reform were generally not concerned with the plight of the Rastafarians, and they were treated as a group of vigilantes. Michael Norman Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972-1980 and 1989-1992, was the first political figure to provide support for the large population of Rastafarians residing in Jamaica. It was under the rule of this man that reform for the people began to take place. The following paper analyzes Manley and his influence on Jamaican society. To begin, it is important to understand some background information on Michael Norman Manley. Born to a prominent political figure, Manley attended Jamaica College in Kingston from 1935-1962. He was also in the Royal Canadian Air Force during 1939-1945. After earning a bachelor’s degree and leaving the air force, he attended the London School of Economics from 1945-1949. Hoping to explore the world, he remained in London and took a job as a journalist with the BBC. In 1952, Manley decided that he wanted to return to his homeland. Being a strong-minded individual striving for change, Manley took on the responsibility of becoming a trade union negotiator, and the president of the National Workers Union of Jamaica. He strove to provide a better life for all those who lived on Jamai... ...hat indirectly benefited Rastafarians. Sources The Politics of Change: A Jamaican Testament. Michael Manley. Howard University Press. Washington D.C. 1990. (tpoc) Democracy and Clientelism in Jamaica. Carl Stone. Transaction Books. New Brunswick, NJ. 1980. (dacij) Democratic Socialism in Jamaica: The Political Movement and Social Transformation in Dependent Capitalism. Evelyne Stephens and John Stephens. Princeton University Press. Princeton, NJ. 1986. (dsij) The Rastafarians. Leonard Barrett, Sr. Beacon Press. Boston, MA.1997. (tr) Class, State, and Democracy in Jamaica. Carl Stone. Praeger Special Studies. New York. 1986. (csadij) Reggae: The Rough Guide. Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton. Rough Guides Ltd. London, ENG. 1997. (rg) WWW.publicpurpose.com WWW.usinfo.state.gov WWW.discoverjamaica.com WWW.encarta.msn.com - online encyclopedia

Modernism vs. the era of realism in art history

Modernism in art history is used to refer to art forms that according to Witcombe (2000) date back roughly from 1860 to 1970, starting with the paintings of Édouard Manet in the 1860s. The issue of historical dating or definition of art forms in art history is a debated one, but this paper will not undertake debates relating to the dating of different epochs in art history. Going by Witcombe’s definition, it could be said that different categorizations or ‘sub-eras’ under modernism can be made – e.g. Postimpressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism and Expressionism, Constructivism, and Surrealism. (Chipp 1968) Modernism as a general concept symbolises the age of enlightenment that began in Europe from the seventeenth through to the eighteenth centuries and witnessed the ascendancy of science and reason and the rejection of absolute beliefs passed down from theology and classical writers. The break with the ‘ancients’ and the focus on the ‘modern’ man as the center of intellectual activity and knowledge thus typified the modernist era. The use of science and reason was seen as presenting humans with the ability to solve the problems that face human society. In the area of art as well, the era of modernism also signalled the break with the classical depiction of beauty that idealised beauty in an unattainable form. In this sense, Realism can be said to be part of the modernist definition in art history. (Witcombe, 2000) New forms of ‘beauty’ that were not idealistic were explored through paintings and other art forms like sculpture and architecture. The term Realism or the Realist School refers to the nineteenth century art movement that departed from the art forms of the Neoclassicalists and the Romantics.   The painting of artists like Gustave Courbet, Honorà © Daumier, John Singleton Copley, Thomas Eakins, and Ignace Henri Theodore Fantin-Latour, typified the Realist era in art history. The paintings of the Realists depicted everyday characters and situations instead of the idealist and theatrical presentations in the paintings of the Neoclassicalists and the Romantics. Realism thus sought to present paintings that are as original as the subject matter being painted. Gustave Courbet for instance saw his paintings as the pursuit of truth and as such presented nature in sometimes unsettling truths that ruffled the sensibilities of the society. In his L'Origine du monde (origin of the world) painted in 1866 for instance, Courbet depicted in graphic detail, a nude woman and her genitalia, in a very natural and realistic manner without any embellishments of an idealized beauty. The realist era could in a sense can also be said to be an interface between modernism and the neoclassical era. The pursuit and depiction of truth in its honest and sometimes ugly reality could be said to be the precursor of the modernist era in art history. The depiction of nature and natural everyday situations in paintings in the Realist era could thus be found in the paintings of the Postimpressionist painter Paul Cezanne.   Cezanne for instance stated in a letter in 1866 (October 19 1866) to his boyhood friend, Emile Zola, that: â€Å"†¦ all pictures painted inside, in the studio, will never be as good as the things done outside. When out-of-door scenes are represented, the contrasts between figures and the ground are astounding and the landscape is magnificent. I see some superb things and I shall have to make up my mind only to do things out-of-doors.† (cited by Chipp 1968, 16) Vincent van Gogh also commented about the realistic presentation of his painting – The Potato Eaters, 1885. He stated in a letter to his brother in 1885 that he wanted the Potato Eaters painting to â€Å"†¦ prove to be the real peasant picture. I know it is. But he who prefers to see peasants in their Sunday-best may do as he likes. I personally am convinced I get better results by painting them in their roughness than by giving them a conventional charm.† (cited by Chipp 1968, 31) It must be noted however that whereas Realism typified the art form of a particular ‘school of art’ notably in France and England (the Barbizon School and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood), different ‘schools of art’ or epochs in art history can be categorized under modernism. As stated earlier Postimpressionist painters like Cezanne van Gogh explored a naturalist subject matter in their paintings. However, the Postimpressionists broke away from the impressionistic/naturalist ethos of Realism and explored a more emotional and colourful presentation of nature in their paintings. The Postimpressionist era with its emphasis on the vibrant use of colours and emotion thus paved the way for other modernist art forms like Symbolism, Cubism, and Fauvism to emerge. Symbolism for example started exploring the depiction of the artist’s personal feelings in paintings. (Chipp 1968, 48) The subject matter was thus not issues that were exterior to the artist and could only be found in nature. A subjective form of expressing the artists feelings even in the portrayal of exterior subject matter became the emphasis. This was done through ‘sensual’ presentations in the use of colors and form. Selz (in Chipp 1968, 124) thus argues that: â€Å"The Symbolist’s attitude of evoking sensations by means of forms and colors established the basis for the trend toward abstraction which is central to the art of the twentieth century†. References Herschel B. Chipp (with contributions by Peter Selz and Joshua C. Taylor) Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artists and Critics. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968) Christopher L.C.E. Witcombe, ‘Modernism’ (2000) http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/roots.html   (accessed on 18/03/08) ;