The Problem of Evil through the eyes of Moral Theory

Deliberating on the ‘problem’ of evil involves discussing its theodicy, the aim of which may be characterized in the celebrated writer John Milton’s words as the attempt to â€Å"justify the ways of God to men.† That is, a theodicy endeavors to vindicate the justice or goodness of God in the face of the existence of evil found in the world, through reasonable explanation(s) of why God allows evil to exist among his creation (Griffin 1976). For it to qualify as reasonable, such explanation must conform to (a) a commonsensical world view, e.g. there exists other people in the world; (b) widely accepted scientific and historical views, e.g. Plate Tectonics theory and the theory of evolution; and (c) plausible moral principles, e.g. punishment in general needs to be significantly proportional to the offense committed (Griffin, 1976). For Richard Swinburne (1987, 143) in his contribution to theodicy, ‘an omnipotent being can prevent any evil he chooses, but I deny that a perfectly good being will always try to do so.’ That is, a perfectly good being such as a God who is claimed to be both omnipotent and omniscient, has the right to allow evil to occur as such action brings about some greater good. He expounds on several moral views, such as the most basic good of all – the satisfaction of desire, and above all, pleasure, which he considers ‘a good thing’ (Swinburne, 1987).   However, for Swinburne (1987), the satisfaction of certain desires is not good if this is done for things which are bad in themselves, as pleasure no longer becomes good where the belief needed to sustain it is false. His reasoning follows that God has reason to bring forth into existence creatures with desires for good states of affairs which are satisfied, as desires in themselves are good, except when they are desires for what is bad. If God wants to make creatures sensitive to what is good He will allow them to have desires which are permanently frustrated. It follows that God will not give man endless pain, failure and loss in order to allow one to show proper compassion and grief, but he ‘may well give us some pain, failure†¦ in order to allow us to be involved with each other in ways and levels we could not otherwise have’ (Swinburne, 1987, 145). Good action derives its goodness not merely from intention but from its effects. Conversely, an unsuccessful action aimed at something good is also good for the agent, which is better if done freely or not being fully caused. Thus, it is good for the agent to have free choice as an autonomous ‘mini-creator’ (Swinburne 1987) not totally beholden to the mercy of forces in the universe. The choice of ‘forwarding the good’ becomes a lot better if the agent has free choice between good and evil, and not merely between alternate goods. Free choice of action only comes in choosing between two actions the agent regards as equally good, or between two actions which he desires to do equally, or between one he desires to do more and one he believes is better to do (Swinburne, 1998). God cannot give us the great good of the possibility of intentional, efficacious, free action involving a choice between good and evil without at the same time providing the natural probability of evil which he will not prevent so that the freedom he grants us may truly be efficacious freedom. Thus, the â€Å"free will defense† remains a central core theory of theodicy. In addition, a world where agents can only benefit but not harm each other is one wherein they have only a limited responsibility for each other, and in this sense God would not have given much because he would have then refused to share that responsibility with us. Even more so, it is a blessing for a person if his suffering makes possible the good for others of having the free choice of hurting or harming him, and if the actual suffering would make possible the good for others of feeling compassion for him and choosing to show or not show sympathy, or through providing knowledge for others, i.e. ‘blessed is the man or woman whose life is of use’ (Swinburne, 1998). Various evils and the possibility of their existence, including both moral (the harm we do to each other or negligently allow to occur) and natural evils (animal and human suffering) are thus deemed logically necessary for the attainment of good states. In general, the claim is that we need a similar amount of evil if we are to have the similar amount of good by way of satisfaction of desire, significant choice and serious beneficiary action. Furthermore, God does not inflict endless suffering for there is a limit in time and intensity to the suffering of any individual, i.e. the length of human life. From the perspective of eternity, the evils of the world occur narrowly in terms of number and duration, and more importantly, God allows them to occur for the sake of the great goods they make possible (Swinburne, 1998). Getting the evils of this world into the right perspective involves lengthy long-term and long-distance reflection – things outside of life, e.g. cause and effects, makes a greater difference to the value of that life if one does not arbitrarily confine those things near to life in space and time. Given all these, is such a theodicy adequate to account for the existence of evil in this world? Swinburne (1978, 1987, 1991, and 1998) does raise some valid points and offer convincing arguments yet the researcher is of the opinion that in its entirety, traditional moral theory and this particular theodicy by their lonesome cannot stand alone and fully account for the problem of evil. Various objections could still be raised against this theodicy, such as questioning the intelligibility/empirical adequacy of the argument’s underlying notions – i.e. of free will. Others such as Tooley (1980) and Rowe (1996) propose that just as we have a duty to curtail another’s exercise of free will when one is aware of its use to inflict suffering on innocents, God as well has a duty of a similar nature. Furthermore, it provides brilliant insights but still an inadequate account for the existence of natural evil and its ensuing logical arguments and evidential problem, i.e. the problem of determining whether and (if so) to what extent the existence of evil would constitute evidence against the existence of God. References Chrzan, Keith. 1994. â€Å"Necessary Gratuitous Evil: An Oxymoron Revisited,† Faith and Philosophy 11: 134-37. Griffin, David Ray. 1991. Evil Revisited: Responses and Reconsiderations. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Hasker, William. 2004. Providence, Evil and the Openness of God. London: Routledge. Hick, John. 1966. Evil and the God of Love, first edition. London: Macmillan. Hick, John. 1981. â€Å"An Irenaean Theodicy† and â€Å"Response to Critiques,† in Stephen T. Davis (ed.), Encountering Evil: Live Options in Theodicy, first edition. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, pp.39-52, 63-68. Hick, John. 1990. Philosophy of Religion, fourth edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. McNaughton, David. 1994. â€Å"The Problem of Evil: A Deontological Perspective,† in Alan G. Padgett (ed.), Reason and the Christian Religion: Essays in Honour of Richard Swinburne. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp.329-51. Rowe, William L. 1996. â€Å"The Evidential Argument from Evil: A Second Look,† in Daniel Howard-Snyder (ed.), The Evidential Argument from Evil, pp.262-85. Swinburne, Richard. 1977. The Coherence of Theism. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Swinburne, Richard. 1978. â€Å"Natural Evil,† American Philosophical Quarterly 15: 295-301. Swinburne, Richard. 1987. â€Å"Knowledge from Experience, and the Problem of Evil,† in William J. Abraham and Steven W. Holtzer (eds), The Rationality of Religious Belief: Essays in Honour of Basil Mitchell. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp.141-67. Swinburne, Richard. 1991. The Existence of God, revised edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Swinburne, Richard. 1998. Providence and the Problem of Evil. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Tooley, Michael. 1980. â€Å"Alvin Plantinga and the Argument from Evil,† Australasian Journal of Philosophy 58: 360-76.            

Big Stick Abroad John Milton Cooper

Big Stick Abroad John Milton Cooper To get involved or not to get involved in global politics? That was not a question that Theodre Roosevelt ever had. Global politics were at the forefront of his mission as President. Within a year of Roosevelt becoming President he had interceded with Latin American affairs. I believe this was because Roosevelt felt that the problem threatened his visions for the United States. Roosevelt put the United States in the middle of Germany and Venezuela to help collect a debt that Venezuela owed Germany.He did the same thing to Heidi for Europe. By 1904 Roosevelt had made America the financial protector over the Dominican Republic. Roosevelt was impartial to English speaking Countries. In 1902 Roosevelt yet again conspired to gain Alaska land from Canada, but in 1903 he agreed to have an international tribunal settle the dispute. Canada was permitted three judges and so was America. Roosevelt conspired with Senator Lodge and Justice Holmes to side with A merica’s claim. Which in turn won America the rights to the land.One might think of Roosevelt as a bully when it came to foreign affairs because he did not always play fair and would always seem to get his way. As President sometimes you have to do what you think is best for your Country and look further down the line to decide if what you are doing will help or harm your Country. I believe the Roosevelt did what he had to do to make America a bigger and fiercer Country to mess with. I believe that his proudest moment was when he was able to strike a deal for America to have territory that would run through the of the new country.This would not only cut down on the time our men were out to sea but it would also protect them from the disease if they chose to take the path through the mountains. With Roosevelts help we were able to take Panama from Colombia and this was not the biggest victory. The biggest victory would come after Roosevelt had left office and the waterway that we called the Canal Zone was open. This ended up showing the world the maturity of America’s engineering and was thought to be the biggest triumph of technology. I believe that this could have only been done with the help of Europe.When Roosevelt left office he had remorse and guilt for the way that we took the Panama canal. While in office Roosevelt wrote several letters and had a section in his autobiography book on the way that we took Panama and what he did was morally right. Roosevelt was the bully to all of the weaker countries and would be cautious in his approach with countries of equal or greater power than he United States. I believe that the writer of the article Mr. Copper was trying to explain to us that Roosevelt did what he thought was best for America and that he pushed the envelope when it came to foreign affairs.Roosevelt prided himself on his accomplishments with how far he was able to take America with foreign affairs. Mr. Copper writing never seemed to b e one sided and told the story based on facts. I believe that this article was well written and places the facts out there for the reader to take it in and doesn’t distract the readers' views on Roosevelt. This is done by not having a one sided article this helps with not clouding the reader's judgement. After reading the article I have a different perspective on Roosevelt. I feel that he was a bully when he needed to be, but in all honesty isn’t that what America is and always will be?Roosevelt had a goal and a vision and he was able to accomplish them, and for that I applaud him for doing so. The way that he went about gain land and bullying the smaller countries that did not have as much power as we do, to me is not setting a good impression on us as a country. That if you do not give us what we feel is ours or that we want we will take it by force. I also do not agree with interfering in other countries business. Roosevelt felt the need to be the mediator in the Ge rmany and Venezuela situation and the Heidi and Europe transactions.I feel if other countries owe other countries that is for them to deal with not for anyone else to get involved. America has too many other things that should be a higher priority to deal with them to play in other countries affairs. With that being said I do feel that overall that Roosevelt was an amazing president. I am not sure if Roosevelts actions were always justified or made much sense to the citizens at the time. Without Roosevelt we would not have the Panama Canal and that was a major milestone for everyone.

Chapter summaries for Better by Atule Gawande Essay

Mr. Gawande starts his literature on washing hands. He introduces two friends a microbiologist and an infectious disease specialist. Both work hard and diligently against the spread of diseases just like Semmelweis who is mentioned in the chapter. Something I learned, that not many realize, is that each year two million people acquire an infection while they are in the hospital. Mainly because the clinicians only wash their hands one-third to one-half as many times as they should. Semmelweis, mentioned earlier, concluded in 1847 that doctors themselves were to blame for childbed fever, which was the leading cause of maternal death in childbirth. The best solutions are apparently the sanitizing gels that have only recently caught on in the U.S. Then there was an initiative to make the sanitizing easier for all. The engineer Perreiah came up with solutions that gave the staff more time which was revolutionary in itself but the format worked only under his supervision. After he left it all went down the drain, so, Lloyd a surgeon who had helped Perreiah decided to do more research and was excited when he encountered the positive deviance idea, the idea of building on people’s capabilities instead of trying to change them. The idea worked and even got funding for ten more hospitals across the country. At the end of the chapter Dr.Gawande ponders upon the idea of how many he has infected because of his lack of cleansing. Chapter 2: The Mop-Up This chapter starts off with the difficulty of diligence. Yet there are some who have managed to deliver that expectation on an incredible scale. The task of distributing polio vaccines to millions of people, many in rural areas, was evidently a long and complicated task. The WHO had a team of only hundreds and had to teach the necessary vaccination procedures to the volunteers and local representatives, people who went door to door in all of these areas. Their target for the introduction of the vaccine was 90%.It was definitely complicated to try to keep the supplies in a constant outpour when there were only so many. For example, the vaccines needed to stay on ice to be effective. Something that seemed counterproductive and bothersome was the lack of information in some places. For example, some villagers didn’t even know the vaccines were coming that day so they had been missed and others blinded by their ignorance didn’t want to vaccine their children. One such case led to a woman who refused the vaccines for her child but later went on to regret it when her own daughter’s legs lay limply aside. Gawande traveled with a Pankaj who made rounds checking on the progress of the volunteers and making corrections as necessary. The diligence in reporting gave the WHO the necessary information to learn from that mop-up. The commitment to accumulating meaningful data and the commitment to studying and learning from that data is just as important as the actual process of vaccination itself. Chapter 3: Casualties of War Casualties of War, covers the efforts of battlefield surgeons in Iraq and Afghanistan to save as many wounded in the wars as possible. A Forward Surgical Team (FST) can set up all their equipment in the combat zones in less than 60 minutes. The travel time of a seriously wounded soldier from the frontlines back to the US averages 4 days; in Vietnam, it occurred in an average of 45 days, which as any doctor knows every second is crucial. The focus of the FSTs is â€Å"damage control, not definitive repair.† The wounded are then sent on to a temporary treatment facility immediately; if their injuries are serious they are then sent back to the US within a few days. The goal is for each level of treatment to give the patient the best chance for survival and then trust the next step in the chain to do its part to carry on the treatment. Gawande relates the incredible story of one individual with blast injuries who was opened up at the FST, received life-saving surgery and had arteries tied off, then he was cleaned out, packed with ice, and sent on an air evacuation; still left open from surgery with a note taped to him explaining what was done to the nearest combat hospital and a new surgical team. By analyzing the patterns of injuries and treatment, other basic life-saving measures were implemented. For example, soldiers coming into treatment were found to be without their Kevlar. When asked why? They would complain about the weight, the heat, and the discomfort. Orders were issued that Kevlar was to be taken seriously and the injuries became less frequent. Gawande’s point is that reporting is vital to diligence just as it was for the WHO supervisor fighting malaria; these doctors recorded the details and results of each case. They understand, as Gawande writes, that â€Å"vigilance over the details of their own performance offered the only chance to do better. Chapter 4: Naked The chapter is titled â€Å"Naked† and concerns the exam room etiquette that doctors and patients expect from one another and often uncomfortably tiptoe around. There is an allusion to a movie that has the female patient separated by a dark blanket like screen from the doctor. The doctor’s son who is about six years old is the communicator. Even though they are clearly audible to each other they wait until the boy speaks to them. This is the matter of decency. According to this literature some doctors feel uncomfortable with the whole process. There is really no established ground as to how to go about it. The author relates anecdotally that some patients and doctors find that having a â€Å"chaperone† present makes things worse. For example, when asking a female nurse to come in when a male doctor is examining a female patient makes the patient more nervous than before. The patient perhaps did not sense a cause for concern and is then put on the defensive. Most of all it’s about trust. The author relates occasions in which he felt aversion for the gowns but when the matters seemed to get to awkward or difficult he resulted to the exposing gowns. One out of every two hundred physicians is disciplined for sexual misconduct. Interns of both sexes on an average have had at least one incident of patient-initiated sexual behavior. So it is not uncommon for the situation to be more than just tricky. The chaperone helps both sides, the patient and the doctor, if any situation were to arise. Chapter 5: What Doctors Owe What Doctors Owe, the fifth chapter of Better continues the discussion of doing right and focuses on malpractice lawsuits. The main focus of this chapter is a doctor-turned-malpractice lawyer; he stands out because most doctors hate malpractice suits. Even the lawyer says he hated them as a doctor. He said he was sued three times and two were nuisance suits with no basis, but the third was a case in which he made a medical error which led to the harm of his patient. He appeared to feel legitimately bad about it. He argued that the system allows those who are harmed to come forward and receive some compensation which makes them better able to deal with their injury. Former Dr.Lang took up a case against Dr.Kenneth Reed for the Barbara Stanley trial. Reed had diagnosed melanoma on Barbara and insisted an extensive surgery was needed and she refused it because it seemed disfiguring to her. He got a ‘second opinion’ and the tests for melanoma came back negative. Two years later the growth reappeared. She died but not before telling Lang she wanted to sue Reed. Doctors strive to care for patients as best as possible, but of course there are instances where they make honest mistakes or are plain negligent, and that has to be addressed because it is the patient who pays. The downside of malpractice, as Gawande argues it, is that it is an essentially adversarial system which pits patients against doctors against insurance. He argues that it brings out the worst in all parties involved. Chapter 6: Piecework Piecework, is on doctors’ pay and its inevitable connection to the health insurance industry. According to this chapter every hospital has a Master Chart of prices for every imaginable health care procedure. Everything from a checkup to a surgery is listed with the price which is later charged to a patient, which inevitably is forwarded to an insurer. This raises an interesting question because it also sets limits on what doctors can make. If you are paying doctors via the Master Chart, then the more diagnosis they perform, the more they are getting paid. Either that or they can charge above the standard rate. One such doctor mentioned in this chapter did just that. He was considered an expert in a certain field and charged nearly ten times the standard rate. He also mandated payments in full by patients, none of this pay-through-insurance mess. He did great business and was paid more than most doctors while doing less work. Another potential solution was attempted by a doctor-run health care cooperative in Vermont. Several doctors with different specializations grouped together and charged patients a flat rate, while they took flat salaries. They were therefore able to manage the efficiency of their medical care. Their network grew, and eventually they added doctors of other specializations. Eventually the co-op became one of Vermont’s biggest insurers, ironic because they were trying to get away from the big insurance methods. Sure enough, size brought problems. The head and founder of the network left after a certain point, somewhat disappointed with the outcome. He cautions at the end of the article that at some point soon, the apparently untenable insurance and reimbursement system will need to be changed for the benefit of do ctors and patients. Chapter 7: The Doctors of the Death Chamber The Doctors of the Death Chamber. This sections starts off with the death of Michael Morales by lethal injection. Under the typical protocol the anesthesiologist administers the sodium thiopental which is expected to halt breathing within a minute of the administration. Then the paralytic agent is introduced, followed by a fatal dose of potassium chloride. Then later, the judge found that at least eight patients had not stopped breathing when the technicians gave the paralytic agent. The California Medical Association, the AMA, and the ASA immediately opposed such participation in a prisoner’s death as a clear violation of the medical ethic codes. The author was intrigued by how the Doctors and Nurses sorted between acting skillfully, acting lawfully, and acting ethically in such situations. Ever since the Gregg v. Georgia matter only two prisoners were executed by firing squad, three by hanging, and eleven by gas chamber. Pages 132 and 133 had details about the extent of each form of punishment. Some like the famous George Wallace were unlucky and had to endure physical pain for an extended amount of time. Many doctors, even though forbidden from participating, still take part in the execution. Some will help or just pronounce the prisoner dead, either way they can’t help feeling they are doing something wrong as reported by some of the interviewed doctors. They can’t help but feel they themselves are the executioners. Chapter 8: On Fighting This chapter is based on the â€Å"fight† so to say some patients have to deal with. The story of a high school history teacher is an example of someone who was willing to risk the complications of life just to be able to live it. He had a reappearing cancer in his left kidney. Through many setbacks he was last seen in a long-term care facility. Despite the great advancements in his health he seemed to be in worse shape physically than before and then he was confronted with the realization that he might not be able to walk ever again. Not only are they, the patients like Thomas, fighting but so are the doctors in charge. Another story about a young twelve year-old Callie had a similar reappearing tumor that came back just as big as before despite all the treatment. Although her family kept fighting, eventually her parents thought it was too cruel to keep Callie living such a difficult life. Many cases have been found that just by the doctors’ fight for a patient’s survival the odds get better for the patient. Many premature babies thought dead were brought back to life and were even able to live as a normal a life as possible. The topic of this chapter was: Never Stop Fighting, because even when the odds are against your favor there is always that one person we wished the doctors never stopped fighting for. Chapter 9: The Score The Score starts off with Rourke’s experiences as a doctor delivering babies. Then the moment comes when she herself has to give birth. She knew the process and wanted the procedure to go as smoothly as possible. The thing she was most afraid of was losing control of what was done to her. The chapter delves deeply into the process of giving birth. For example, the dilation of the cervix, etc. Needless to say it is a complicated process which in consequence led to many child and young women’s deaths earlier on in history. The most problematic is the exiting of the child’s head. There have been many methods that can be effective if used correctly, but deadly in other situations for liberating the child. The concept of the forceps when it first appeared had been kept secret for more than a century. The device was developed by Peter Chamblin. The score relates to the Apgar score that was created to ‘measure’ the child’s chance of survival rate. Th is helped some cases that looked frugal before that, look hopeful. Chapter 10: The Bell Curve This chapter deals with the outliers overall. Dr. Gawande relates a story about a child named Annie. Annie was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. It is a recessive disorder therefore, despite ten million people carrying the gene; about a thousand American children are diagnosed with it per year. Her parents took her to Cincinnati Children’s and despite the hospitals effort they were negligent to say that they were not among the country’s top centers for children with cystic fibrosis. It used to be assumed that differences between doctors and facilities were insignificant. When plotting a graph of the results for each hospital it was expected to see a shark’s fin but instead what was seen was a bell curve. LeRoy Mathews was at the top of that bell curve. As other hospitals adapted to Mathew’s ideas his facility just kept improving at a tremendous rate. In 2001 CF tried a new approach with its patients. They were open. They were willing to speak about how other facilities were doing versus theirs. Berwick a former pediatrician was giving grants to hospitals that were willing to try his idea. Not a single family left the program. CF improved greatly after that. Warwick was another positive deviant. He was aggressive, and inventive. He came up with a cough to be able to get the more accumulated mucus out. The chapter sums up with the overall constant fight against settling for the average. Chapter 11: For Performance For Performance. This chapter sums the book up and is its own piece. It starts off with an introduction of a fellow doctor of his who has CF. Then we are led to a see how a certain Dr.Motewar in the Nanded hospital deals with the mass of people needing attention and care. The man was of ordinary appearance yet he saw at least 36 patients in three hours, most had serious complications. What was astounding to the author were the many skills developed by these doctors. He had lower expectations so to say. There was a man who died from a treatable lung collapse because of the lack of instruments. It is very common for patients to have to go out and buy their own medical instruments and medications for the procedures to be held. Dr.Motewar and his colleagues had developed a better procedure for ulcer removal despite the conditions and lack of equipment they have. Many techniques that seem almost crude and basic were actually life saving. The doctors from which the author observed in the chapter had their own methods which would not have ‘flown’ in the United States. This chapter’s topic was about the never-ending search for a better performance in any situation you have.

Anthropology Exam Review

The scientific study of humans, Including their origins, behavior and physical, cultural and social development. Cultural Anthropology: Explore how culture has shaped people In the past and present day. Physical Anthropology: Explore where human species came from, how our bodies developed In the present form, and what makes us unique. Psychology: The scientific study of the human mind, mental states, and human behavior.Sociology: The scientific study of human social behavior, including individuals, groups, and societies. Inquiry Model: A scientific model used to organize thoughts, observations and relevant scientific information leading us to new questions and ideas. Identify the problem or question Develop a hypothesis Gather data Analyze the data Draw conclusion Archaeology: Excavate physical remains of past cultures to understand and reconstruct them.Some study cultures with no written record (prehistory) or study sites that have a recorded history to supplement their understandin g of the culture. Linguistic Anthropology: Study human languages and how language affects and expresses culture. Ethnology: The study of the origins and cultures of deferent races and peoples. They are concerned with marriage customs, kinship patterns, political and economic systems, religion, art, music and technology. Most often study a culture through participant observation. Humans vs..Primates Similarities Differences The bond between mother and infant is important for survival Humans are the only primates adapted to Bipedal Have a very long infant dependency period (Time until an individual can reproduce) Humans have the longest infant dependency period of any other mammal Have eminence hierarchies and aggression among the males for access to food and females Humans are the only primates with a symbolic, spoken language and the physical ability of speech Groom or clean one another Humans are the only primates who live In groups and mate In pairs Communicate through facial expr essions, touch, visualization, and body language Humans develop grasping feet, forward facing eyes and relatively large brains Pharmacology: Study the anatomy and behaviors of living primates. Paleontology: The study of human ancestors based on evidence from distant evolutionary past. Human Variation: Genetic differences between people and populations to understand the differences between people. They try to find out how and why human beings are different and try to understand these differences from an evolutionary perspective. Forensic Anthropology: Help legal agencies to identify human remains after mass disasters, wars, homicides, suicides, or accidental deaths. They are usually paleontologists or archaeologists who have spent years studying human bones and fossils.Culture: All of the learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals of a particular society or population. Culture is Learned: a We learn most thoughts, behaviors and values we continue to learn for our life Culture is Shared: a If a group or society thinks or acts in particular ways, those become part of culture b If a small group shares cultural value, they may belong to a SUBCULTURE: Share characteristics of the overall culture, but also have important distinctive ideas and behaviors Culture Defines Nature: a Culture can limit, fulfill, expand or in other ways influence our biological needs and inherited tendencies Culture Shapes how we perceive and Understand the World: Ex.Intuit have numerous ways to describe snow because it was important to their survival Culture has Patterns: a Cultures aren't random collections of belief and behavior; if one aspect changes, so do others b Underlying cultures are certain core values and world views that are usually taken for granted by members of the culture c We are often unaware of the values we hold because they seem self-evident Unstructured Interview: No questions are pre-established and the researcher has little control over a respondent's answers. Pros: Allow researcher to test out his or her initial ideas and can lead to a greater understanding of the topic Cons: May be deception between interviewer and interviewee Semi-structured Interview: Go with an outline of types of information wanted but not a strict list of questions. Pros: Good if you have one chance to meet the person Cons: It can be easy to stray away from the topic you need info on Structured Interview: Use a set list of questions that don't change. Should be used when researcher is very clear on the topic and other information is easily available.Pros: Can be used efficiently by non-experts Does not require relationship Can produce consistent data Cons: Cannot adapt to change and are closed questions May obtain limited answers Participant Observation: Observes a group and participates as a member. Kinship Systems Bilinear: A system of family descent where blood links and rights of inheritance through both male and female ancestors are of equal importance. Matri lineal: Societies in which descent is traced through mothers rather than through fathers. Patrimonial: A system in which family descent is reckoned through the blood links of males. Types of Marriage Monogamy: A relationship where an individual has one partner. ProsOnly legal type of marriage in Canada Loyalty to each other Prevents Sexually Transmitted Infections Cons Higher divorce rate Change partners over a lifetime High divorce and remarriage rate Polygamy: A form of marriage that involves multiple partners. Pros Symbol of wealth and acquiring wealth Man is cared for by multiple people Enjoy company of copies Emotionally and financially difficult Unequal love Confusion of family Bridgewater (A cultural system where the groom must pay a father in order to marry his daughter Polyandry: A form of marriage with one wife and multiple husbands pros Lots of space Sexual rights and economic responsibilities Can respond to different environmental and social constraints Cons Increased wo rkload Must look after all husbands Love Marriage: A person chooses who they want to marry.Choose your life partner Personal desires are important 50% percent divorce rate in USA, and 33% in Canada Families may not be close since one family may not like the other Arranged Marriage: Someone else chooses the spouse for the person. Pros Only 5-7% divorce rate Close family ties, extended family households and parental support in maintaining the marriage Cons No real feelings of love for other person Couple's personal desires aren't as important Religion: Cultural beliefs of the supernatural that people use to cope with problems of existence. Religious questions help people to understand ultimate questions such as: Why are we here? What is death? Why does evil happen to some and not others?Religion satisfies psychological needs common to all people in the faces of uncertainty Religion provides community and affirms a person's place in society, making its believers feel part of a communit y and giving them confidence Multiculturalism: An ideology that states that all cultures are of equal value and would be promoted equally within the same nation. Acculturation: The meeting of two or more cultural groups and the resulting cultural changes to each group. Assimilation: Individuals want to have daily interaction with other cultural groups and leave behind their own cultural heritage. Schools of Psychology Behaviorism: Behavioral conditioning in the forms of classical and operant conditioning.Psychoanalysis: ID: Expresses sexual and aggressive instincts; follows the pleasure principle EGO: Mediates between desires of the old and the demands of the Superego; follows the laity principle SUPEREGO: Represents conscience and the rules of society; the moral centre of the mind Humanism: Hierarchy of Needs – Describes the theory of motivation, explaining that basic needs must be fulfilled before higher-order needs become important. Safety Needs Belongingness and love Need s Esteem Needs Self-Actualization Cognitive: The mental process in the brain associated with thinking, knowing and remembering. Classical Conditioning: Created by Ivan Pavlov A kind of learning that occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CSS) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US) EX.Dog drooling test He knew he could get an unconditioned response (drooling) when he presented the unconditioned stimulus (food) To test his theory, Pavlov took a neutral stimulus (bell) and began to ring it at the same time that the dog received its food After a while, the dog began to associate the sound of the bell with receiving food, a conditioned stimulus, since it produced a conditioned response Operant Conditioning: Created by B. F. Skinner A type of learning in which an individual's behavior is modified by its antecedents and consequences EX. Rat and pigeon experiment Skinner developed a box that had a bar on one wall When pressed, a food pellet fell into the cage Inside the box, a rat was r ewarded with food each time it pressed the bar Within a short time, the rat was furiously peddling away hoarding its pellets in the cage Erik Erikson believed that humans continue to develop over their lifetime rather than just in their childhood.He also believed that individual growth depends on society, not Just personal experiences. Anxiety Disorder: Affects a person's behavior, thoughts, emotions, and physical health. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Worrying, nervousness, tension Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (COD) – Obsessions and compulsions Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PUTS) – After a person is exposed a traumatic event Depression: Mood disorder involving a pervasive, unhappy, or irritable mood. It is much more severe than Just unhappiness, and may interfere with a person's life if not treated. Bi-Polar Disorder: A mental illness characterized by periods of elevated mood and periods of depression.Behavioral Change Model Pre-contemplation: Not thin king about or intending to change a problem Contemplation: Aware of a desire to change a particular behavior Preparation: The action is intended in the near future, typically measured as within the next thirty days Action: Marks the beginning of the actual change occurring Maintenance: Maintaining this new behavior Attribution Theory: We link the behavior of others to their disposition or to an external situation. As a result, your interpretation of a person can be different than a friend's view. We are more likely to attribute a person's behavior to their internal disposition rather than a situation.Fundamental Attribution Theory: The tendency to overestimate the impact of arsenal disposition and underestimate the impact of social influences when analyzing the behaviors of others. Social thinking affects behavior by affecting sensation and perception. (Sensation – Activates sense receptors) (Perception – Select, organize and interpret data). Attitude affects behavior Attitudes are infectious and can affect the people that are near the person, which in turn can influence their behavior. Motivation directs behavior towards specific goals. Mental health affects behavior by creating irregular social norms. Intrinsic Motivation: Desire to perform a task for its own sake.Extrinsic Motivation: Desire to perform a task due to external factors, such as reward, threat or punishment. Attitude and Behavior Consistency Theory: Assume that individuals need consistency between attitude and behavior. Change attitude by creating inconsistency in knowledge and behavior. Learning Theories: Study the influence of stimuli on other stimuli to create an emotional response. Change attitude by using classical and operant conditioning techniques. Social Judgment Theories: Study how prior attitudes change the perspectives of persuasive messages that influence their persuasion. Changed attitude by taking fair and unbiased messages. Functional Theories: Questions proposed o f attitudes.Change attitude by creating inconsistency between an attitude and a function. Structural Functionalism: Takes the view that various segments of society serve a purpose for society as a whole; they believe that social problems are temporary and institutions will improve over time. Sociologist – Emilie Druthers Conflict Theory: Expresses the view that power, not function, holds a society together. Society is seen as groups of people acting together in competition and in this, may erupt to bring about change. Sociologist – Karl Marx Symbolic Interactions: Focuses on how individuals learn about their culture – how they subjectively interpret, then act upon their social world.Sociologist – Max Weber Feminist Sociology: Focuses on women and gender equality in society. They emphasize a better understanding of the social roles of men and women in different cultures. Sociologist – Dorothy Smith Primary and Secondary Agents of Colonization Family : The family is responsible for meeting the individual's basic needs and providing beliefs needed to survive in this world. It is within the family structure that you are first introduced to right and wrong, proper and improper, and appropriate and inappropriate. The family shapes behavior throughout life, and is the first agent a person is introduced to. A family is any combination of two or more people who are bound together over time.Types of Families Nuclear Family: A family that consists of spouses and their dependent children Extended: A family system in which several generations live together in one household Lone-parent: A family that consists of one family living with one or more pendent children Blended Family: A family in which divorced partners with children from a previous union marry Same-Sex Family: A family that consists of two individuals of the same gender, with to without kids School/Work: Lasts 12-20 years of an individual's life. School socializes children in kn owledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to help them function in society. Work typically lasts until the age of 65 or until the person can retire. School and work teach attitudes, and habits, such as organization, responsibility, promptness, cooperation, and respect for authority.Peer Groups: At age 2-3, children come into contact with their peer groups which brings along with it new personality types, behaviors and attitudes. Adolescent peer groups tend to influence colonization to a greater degree due to the rapid change in society. Helps to understand relationships and situations like friendliness, compromising, dealing with disappointment, and coping with rejection. Culture and Religion: Each culture has a different perception of gender roles. Society generally determines appropriate roles for a man or woman. Religion is an aspect of ultra and also plays a socializing role in a person's life. It is usually introduced first Media: Media influences what we say, how we say it, wha t we think etc.Positive Influences: Informing us of new policies/laws, promoting healthy eating and exercise, encouraging family values Negative Influences: Focusing on negative aspects, promotes negative behaviors Social Identity: The way you define yourself to the world and to yourself. Life Stages Not everyone passes through them, nor do they have to occur in the same order Stereotype: An exaggerated view or Judgment made about a group or class of people. Discrimination: The act of treating groups of individuals unfairly based on their race, gender, or other common characteristics. Prejudice: An individual judgment, about or active hostility towards another social group.Formation of Discrimination Learned Theory Not innate – Learned through colonization Children often carry prejudicial views until adolescence Can learn through media Competition Theory The key reason for discrimination is economic competition Whenever an economic crisis occurs, people assume immigrants are responsible Creates competition between unemployed and immigrants Frustration-Aggression Theory Shortcomings an individual experiences financially provides reason to resent a group that appear to have greater wealth Frustration can be displaced and turned into culture Can lead to escape goats Ignorance Theory Lack of personal and social experience can cause people to make incorrect assumptions about someone If we refuse to learn, we may see actions as strange or odd Norms: Expectations about how people should behave. Sanctions: Rules within a group that encourage or discourage certain kinds or behavior.Rioting: Takes place because of civil disorder/social grievance. Panic: An irrational response by individuals or a group that is caused by a dangerous event. Abnormal Colonization Child Abuse Physical Abuse: Assault or inflicting personal harm inappropriately Neglect: The failure to provide physical or emotional necessities of life. Emotional Abuse: Repeatedly criticizing or subjectin g a child to an unhappy or disturbing environment. Feral: Children deserted at a young age and were raised by animals. Ex. Joana Malay (Discovered at the age of 8 in her backyard, raised by dogs) Isolate: Children raised in near isolation within human households.

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A beneficial method to use during negotiations is called collaborative principled negotiations.   The idea is for both parties to enter into the collaborative process with the focus on the interest, not positions. Previously, the parties would enter into negotiations with certain positions in mind and the positioned negotiations proved to be long and unsuccessful. This paper will discuss how trust is used in during principled negotiations and how BATNA makes the negotiations more successful than the previous positioned negotiations. The ideal way to begin negotiations is to create a collaborative team environment and separate the parties from the problem. The way to achieve this is to encourage the people focus on the interest at hand and not their specific positions. Together the parties can brainstorm and create a variety of solutions before making a final decision. The final agreement can be based on objective external standards and both parties can work together, through trust to find the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). â€Å"Integrating trust-building approaches into the collaborative team environment will help position teams and their respective companies for strategic competition in the marketplace† (Herzog, 2001,  ¶ 1). Any relationship involves giving a little and taking a little – cooperation, trust, and meeting expectations. Business relationships are no different; they too require trust, cooperation, and having expectations being met by both parties. Macoby says, â€Å"Profitable partnering relationships between companies are cemented by building trust, not by contracts. A relentless assault of trust and respect is a major factor in making alliances work †¦ trust [is] the single most important ingredient in making ventures work. You have to be allied with someone whom you can work through problems. (1997) Life and any business relationship is easier if both parties know that they can trust the partners or other parties to uphold an agreement. Additionally, knowing that the other parties is not just in the relationship for ulterior motives helps keep ethics and honesty at the forefront of the collaborative partnership. On successful and unsuccessful projects, collaborators begin the projects with perceptions regarding their own and their fellow collaborators' motives and expectations. Collaborative teams on successful projects participate in the shared conditions and processes identified in the research. The result is open and honest communication, collaborating team members getting along, and a trusting environment. The consequence of this is that high levels of trust are built between the collaborators, the project is successful, and consideration is given to continuing the relationship. (Herzog, 2001,  ¶ 15) On unsuccessful projects, the processes and conditions for success are present. However, without collaborative sharing of these conditions and processes, understanding of others and open and honest communication does not result, conflict and misunderstanding is normal, and levels of trust are low. Consequently, the projects will likely be unsuccessful, the collaborators will not establish trusting relationships, and new collaborative projects will not result. (Herzog, 2001,  ¶ 16) Hartman and Romahn (1999) extensively researched various types of trust described by others. They found that trust falls into the three main categories of emotional trust, competency trust, and ethical trust. If people are aware of how trust affects them, they are better able to build that trust in a relationship. For example, when working on a business relationship and one of the parties knows that the other party does not feel there is a great deal of competency than the first party can work harder to prove competence and help sustain the relationship and build greater trust. Hartman and Romahn developed a model that shows how combinations of these three types of trust influence collaborative levels of trust. This study suggests that â€Å"collaborative sharing† may be instruments through which emotional, competency, and ethical trust are built on collaborative project teams (1999). The whole idea is to give a little and work together. Collaborative project teams are designed because the parties involved can become more and provide more when working together and helping one another through areas of strength and weakness. By working together the final product or service is superior to just party doing it alone. Principled negotiations are all about working together. Using principled negotiations helps the team collaborative effort because the effort is put forth to achieve success in the end rather than immediate gratification for one party or another. Trust is essential and strong foundations are built on trust and once both parties involved in the negotiations knows that the trust is present and unwavering, the ability to contribute more becomes more apparent and negotiations become a very successful result and future negotiations are less of a problem. References Hartman, E, & Romahn, E. (1999). Trust: A new tool for project managers. Project Management Institute 1999 Seminars & Symposium, Philadelphia, PA: Papers presented October 10 to October 16, 1999 [CD-ROM]. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. Herzog, V.L. (2001). Trust building on corporate collaborative project teams. Project Management Journal. Sylva: Mar 2001.Vol.32, Iss. 1; pg. 28, 10 pgs Macoby, M. (1997). Building trust is an art. Research Technology Management, 56-57.

Educational technology Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educational technology - Personal Statement Example Whether a person achieves a good learning experience or not is determined by the factors that affect the employment or administration of teaching, since educational tools are normally tangible and are readily accessible by students with whom a specific knowledge or training is communicated. At this stage, the widespread technology logically plays the key role in educating people, for the modern age has proven to have used and modified technology in almost everything that drives our living. Having obtained an academic background in clinical nutrition, I have realized how important health is for people to be able to execute tasks effectively, as well as for them to live life to the full measure. Helping people become better in terms of proceeding with personal growth and aspirations despite all the risks constitutes my passion. Equivalently, I suppose that this goal even extends to concerns with education and technology, much as it applies well through nutrition and health. I believe that every individual has the right to proper education which is conducted with appropriate materials, instructions, and especially technological resources everyone must gain access to, so that learning comes with ease and may be sought to enhance the studying capacity of each learner. In meeting this objective, hence, educational technology may be claimed highly necessary for students to figure different areas of improvement once they can afford to incorporate technology in the realm of ed ucation. Educational technology, alternatively known as e-learning, instructional technology, or learning technology, pertains to the use of technology to aid learning with sufficient input, and an academic institution bearing a competency-based curriculum can undoubtedly support students who aim to pursue career with educational technology. My desire to continue such studies with Concordia University

HEA409 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HEA409 - Essay Example In estimating the contract format, contributors must provide acceptable considerations to the business, objectives, abilities to handle the assignment, expenses, economic requirements, as well as, the potential value of the contract with managed care contract (Paul & Kylanne 169). These terms exist in the contract in the estimation of the contract period, as well as, extinction clauses. Prior to the agreement to nay condition or extinction stipulations, it is best and vital for the contributor to contain a wide perspective and determination of adding up the provisions that will accurately address the requirements of both the management care contracting and the contributor. The purpose is to establish the most suitable and enduring association. Contract Term All available contracts recognize a certain contract term. The contract term involves an episode of time for the period of which the contract exists and followed to the letter. In general, managed care contracts may be written wit h a starting period of time that is estimated to be one year maximum. This is usually to foresee the terms that contribute for an automatic reintroduction of the contract except when one group sees a certain number of days that may be foreseen to end in the annual period. Contributors should always be considerate of automatic revival provisions, as well as, their benefits and non benefits. Automatic revival provisions may arrange the stage for a wide period association that requires less control effort from the parties at the same time as providing the parties litheness to renegotiate conditions if possible and required. The risk for the contributor is that prior to the provisions, the workload is on the contributor to start a rate boost dialogue. Prior to similar conditions, the managed care contract may utilize its time in dialoging a rate boost for the after that terms of conditions and agreement. Form this, Contributors can search their benefits into a fresh contract period of t ime before a fresh economic term can be articulated and implemented; this is to formulate a substantial control, as well as, financial workload for the contributor (Clancy 919). Several annual contracts can be suitable alternative due to the potential lock in the contributor’s market share for a considerable period of time, as well as, make certain predictable income source. On the other hand, such agreements also constitute additional economic risks. Initially, prior to inward bound into such agreed conditions, the contributor must come into conclusion whether it will be possible to add protection adjacent to the prospect adverse economic situations. To contribute the appropriate protection, a contributor can involve an escalator clause for the level increase at suitable periods. If the starting assumptions on the contract may be founded prove imprecise, an example is when the projections for application per a thousand or any other expense assumptions can be off the conditio n, the escalator constructed into the contract may also experience less assumptions. Another chance to an escalator clause is for the contributor to try and dialogue the risk channels that contribute additional revenue cover up. Nevertheless, payers mainly wish that the compensation ratio constantly be equal during the provided period of time, this due to the best interest of the contributor. Furthermore, in the present dialogue

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 55

English - Essay Example He uses realism to express his belief that physical objects exist when they do not (Forrester 51). He refers to dark clouds that brought rains and resulted in blockage of the sun as fancy. Bradbury also shares his vision of realism involving things that once lived but are not currently in existence. In the essay, it will be necessary to start by defining what imagination is in various dimensions, viewpoints, or perspectives. Second, the essay would examine on the role that imagination has on humans in their day-to-day lives. Further, the essay would address how imagination enhances the possibility for an individual to tour and experience the world, virtually, without being physically present in the perceived destination. In the essay plan, the outline would also cover creation of pictures in the mind. The image creation would involve all the five human senses as well as feelings towards expressing imagination (Barlow 115). The essay will also elaborate the importance of imagination. For instance, imagination does not make an individual a daydreamer or

Is the Federal Reserve Necessary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is the Federal Reserve Necessary - Research Paper Example One such mistake, in United States history, that seems to be repeating its self, is the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a twelve year span, lasting from 1929 to 1941, in which the U.S. market was down and unemployment was at an all time high. It is, by far, considered one of the lowest points in U.S. history, but what is really intriguing is it was preceded by the â€Å"roaring twenties† a time of great economic growth and wealth. Many are comparing this with the recent economic boom of the late nineties, early two thousands; followed by the â€Å"recession† the U.S. is currently in. So the question arises, what led to these two periods of growth, followed by a severe recession? By taking a look at what, the value of a dollar is, what fractional reserve banking versus free banking are, and what caused the increase in moral hazard; and by looking at the arguments for and against each of these, we can identify the factors that led to this tragic example of hist ory repeating itself. This first factor we are going to uncover is what determines the value of the U.S. dollar, how it has changed over the years, and we as a nation are now suffering from those changes. The majority of governments use to base their circulation of paper money, or notes, on the amount of gold that backs up the notes; this is known as the gold standard. Toward the end of the great depression many individual still did not trust banks and so they were holding on to a large portion of gold. This led to a deficit of gold to support the dollar, so President Roosevelt ordered the gold confiscation of 1933 in which all individuals were required, with some exceptions, by law, to bring their gold to the U.S. treasury in exchange for a dollar equivalent. Another by product of the great depression was the Bretton Woods System; this is a system that was agreed upon by most of the world’s powers in 1944 which hoped to govern the monetary regulations of the nations. As a re sult they established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which today is part of the World Bank Group. One of the major implications to the U.S., however, was the fact that they agreed maintain exchange rates by tying its currency to the U.S. dollar. Then in 1981, under the presidency of Nixon, the U.S. terminated the convertibility of the dollar to gold. This meant that the dollar is now a fiat currency backed by nothing but the promise of the federal government; this, in essence, did away with the gold standard. Proponents of doing away with the gold standard based their logic on the fact that they assumed the U.S would remain the number one world power. Though this held true for the first fifteen plus years after the gold standard was removed, that reign soon ended. Now with the U.S. owing over fourteen trillion dollars, and rising, to other nations, and our economy in a deep recession, many are left to wonde r if allowing our currency to be backed by only our government’s worth was such a good idea. Other groups against this move away from the gold standard, also argue that these nations which the U.S. government now owes are growing weary of whether or not the will be repaid. This is leading them to do more trading and lending with the still gold based European market, pushing our country deeper into the recession. This leads to where the dollar is distributed and stored by individual Americans and corporations, which is the U.S. banking system. There are two types of

Improving Transactional Processing in Accounting Information Systems Research Paper

Improving Transactional Processing in Accounting Information Systems - Research Paper Example Transaction is an instance of doing business of any kind and may include buying of stocks from a security market and consumable goods at from a retail shop. In all the instances, there is exchange of money for goods or services. During the transactions, the need to keep the record of transactions increases, in order to be able to monitor the performance of the business. Businesses have adopted several strategies of maintaining their records, preparing forms and reports for financial purposes such as tax among others (Mattessich, 1998). These records are a part of the entire Information System maintained by a business. For a business to remain in market there must be a well set out Information System that enables all the stakeholders to interact with, and benefit from the available information. These systems have further been adopted into accounting due to efficiency, in some cases due to integrity. There has been an upward development of how accounting is carried out since the dawn of civilization. These changes have been necessitated by the tremendous growth of business transactions. Sometimes, the changes have been as a result of complexities involved in these transactions (Mattessich, 1998). With the emergence of technology in the past years, business operations have been affected. This includes how transactions are handled and the parties that are involved. It is however important to note that although technology may be disadvantageous in some cases, its adoption has greatly improved operations of businesses in general and more benefits can be realized should technology be monitored effectively (CBS Library, 2011). From the old days of Mesopotamia, ancient people kept records of businesses using clay tablets where they inscribed details of transactions (Mattessich, 1998). The inefficiency of such record keeping has over the years, pushed people to develop new methods

The reality TV and media in The Hunger Games Essay

The reality TV and media in The Hunger Games - Essay Example easure of the upper echelons of the society, is that representatives from each of the districts will participate in a competition for survival from which only one will emerge alive. On the surface level, the novel is a political criticism as those who rule the country are both the organizers of the game as well as its connoisseurs, who repress and exploit their people. However, a more significant aspect of the novel is Collins’ use of moral and emotional rhetoric to criticize the manner in which media and reality shows, as illustrated through the game, are exploiting the sentiments of an audience that sells themselves to cheap gimmicks. Katha Pollitt, a noted writer, opines that the work of Collins can be interpreted as an â€Å"indictment of reality television, in which a bored and cynical audience amuses itself watching desperate people destroy themselves† (Pollit par.2). In the novel, the people in the Capitol seek gory and gruesome entertainment by pitting the teenagers from the 12 districts to fight against one another in a battle of survival. Collins deftly deploys the strategy of the rhetoric of morality by challenging the propriety of a reality TV show, where the participants as pawns. To achieve this objective, she uses the voice of Peeta, a teenage boy from District 12, when and makes the character say that he wants to show the people in Capitol that they do not own him and that he is â€Å"more than just a piece in their Games† (Collins 142). By illustrating such sentiments of the character, Collins primarily wants to communicate to her audience that the people in governance, through the he lp of media and reality shows are in fact exploiting people. Thus, by using the rhetoric device of moral appropriateness, Collins reveals to her audience that the government in Capitol is exploiting their own people. Secondarily, she makes her character retort that he is not a mere piece in their games. By emphasizing the character’s sense of self-respect, the

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Strategic management - Essay Example ng is becoming a fundamental because the industry regulator wants to know techniques that a business uses to prevent violation and abuses from happening. In view of this, the GRC acts as a coach in the planning process. In addition, the concept helps industry regulators to know about the measures a business takes when it identifies violations and abuse of employees and policies. According to DiPietro (2013), technology could assist make a business’s governance, threat, and compliance plans more defendable when placed under regulatory analysis. In view of this, GRC must be aligned with the risks that a business is likely to encounter, so that it can help the business stop the risks from happening or help the business mitigate the risks. The GRC acts as a strategy that influences management decision in the industrial and the transnational environment of a business because it helps business prevent risks involved in foreign business ventures, such as bribery and compliance with local policies. A business engaging in foreign investments, such as construction would benefit from GRC, as it would help the business impede the regulatory risk of costly investigations on issues involving in bribery and policy violation. The GRC concept has become a fundamental aspect of improving business performance in the modern business environment (Bloomberg L.P,

Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Services - Essay Example In December 2010, the Basel Committee had come up with a fresh version of its latest standards for bank capital as well as liquidity obligations. This latest set of worldwide regulatory standards for banks is referred to as the Basel III. The core facets of Basel III are planned to be realised as nationwide regulation by the first half of 2013. However, while certain portions of the new Basel principles are supposed to become effectual upon execution, the others would be implemented over a phase of numerous years. The main reason for the development of the Basel III was the deficits in the financial policies of the Basel Accord II that were exposed during the worldwide financial calamity in the year 2008 (Bank for International Settlements, 2011). This paper critically examines the general approach to measuring capital adequacy levels of banks as per the new standards implemented by the Basel III. The paper subsequently discusses the drawbacks of the Basel II standards that were expo sed during the 2008 worldwide financial catastrophe and which consequently led to the development of the Basel III standards. Additionally, the paper also appraises whether the imposition of the Basel III standards for capital adequacy as well as liquidity obligations of bank will be sufficient to prevent a further financial calamity in future. Background to Basel III Various regulatory bodies have recognised that the prevalent strategies of capital regulations of the banks in the United States as well as the European Union, on the basis of the Basel I and the Basel II Accords as a major reason contributing to the 2008 financial disaster (Shearman & Sterling, 2011; Dowd & Et. Al., 2011). This can be substantiated from the fact that under the prevalent... The paper tells that various regulatory bodies have recognised that the prevalent strategies of capital regulations of the banks in the United States as well as the European Union, on the basis of the Basel I and the Basel II Accords as a major reason contributing to the 2008 financial disaster. This can be substantiated from the fact that under the prevalent capital adequacy policies prior to the financial crisis, the least regulatory capital obligations of banks were inadequate. The low capital obligations imposed on the banks as per the Basel II in addition to certain standards linked to the Basel I were deficient in the context of the elevated exposures and real tangible losses endured by the banking entities during the economic downturn. It was also stated that the quality of the capital maintained by the banks as per regulations were time and again found to be inadequate in absorbing the losses sustained by the banks during the economic crisis successfully. The capital adequacy policies set as per the standards of the Basel II along with that of the Basel I, did not sufficiently detain the risks that were caused by bank exposures to certain dealings. The transactions or dealings that increased the exposures of the banks that the regulatory standards failed to capture were securitisations, repurchase agreements and derivatives. The regulatory policies of Basel I and Basel II also failed to effectively take into account the systemic risks related to the upsurge of leverage in the fiscal and monetary system.

Irish Taxation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Irish Taxation - Assignment Example This paper assesses the extent to which these tax measures are equitable. It also argues the ease of implementation of the measures. In addition, it discusses the societal and economic impact of the tax measures on the growth and development of Ireland. The budget states that the rates of tax for tobacco products will increase to 40 cents. This is inclusive of VAT and applies to the packet that has 20 cigarettes. The increase is in the popular category of prices and the VAT on other tobacco products to increase on a pro rata basis. The packet that weighs 25 grams will have an increase of 20 cents that is an inclusive figure of the VAT. This measure will increase the minimum rate of the Tobacco Products Rate. This tax measure has significant implications to the Irish government. The increase in tobacco taxes is an effective measure to ensure the reduction of tobacco use. This results in a decrease of the number of deaths due to the excessive use of tobacco (Cremins & Brien, 2005). From this perspective, the increase in taxes could be an equitable measure for the societal concerns. This is also evident in that the Irish government would use the revenues from such taxation to increase awareness of the negative effects of excessive use of tobacco. However, the increase is not an equitable measure of the tobacco users. It could lead to an increase in the use of illicit tobacco products due to the inability to afford legit products. The implementation of the tax measures would depend on the effectiveness of the taxation systems in Ireland. The market for the products could be hesitant to buy the products, as they will be expensive. This would decrease the revenue accrued from the purchase of the products. The country needs to develop comprehensive taxation systems that monitor the rates of tobacco taxation from the manufacturer to the retailer. The Irish government could have challenges in the

Supreme Court Justices (Government 2) Research Paper

Supreme Court Justices (Government 2) - Research Paper Example Both men are on the conservative wing of the court and have held their position there for many years. Both are remarkably intelligent men who have also been lightning rods for political controversy. Antonin Scalia is a Reagan appointee and has sat on the Court since 1986 and is the senior associate judge. He still has many years of service left. He is known for his sarcastic wit and sharp tongue, as well as for his hard-headedness. He is known for his dissenting opinions. A dissenting opinion disagrees with the majority opinion and is issued separately, often attacking the reasoning of the judges who sided with the majority. As one critic observes: His writing style is best described as equal parts anger, confidence, and pageantry. Scalia has a taste for garish analogies and offbeat allusions—often very funny ones—and he speaks in no uncertain terms. He is highly accessible and tries not to get bogged down in abstruse legal jargon. But most of all, Scalia's opinions rea d like they're about to catch fire for pure outrage. He does not, in short, write like a happy man (Clarke). Nevertheless, Scalia knows what he believes. In the end, he is not interested in the government forcing people to act in certain ways. Although he is a pro-life Catholic, in 1992 in a case about funding for Planned Parenthood, Scalia has this to say about the legality of abortion: â€Å"The States may, if they wish, permit abortion on demand, but the Constitution does not require them to do so. The permissibility of abortion, and the limitations upon it, are to be resolved like most important questions in our democracy: by citizens trying to persuade one another and then voting.† Another famous ruling by Scalia came in Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003. This was a case about affirmative action. The court ruled that the University of Michigan should permit affirmative action in order to create a more diverse, harmonious school. Scalia, in a dissent, said he found this ridicu lous. These were ideals that the government should not legislate but are taught by general practice. Respect for others was something that â€Å"is a lesson of life rather than law—essentially the same lesson taught to (or rather learned by, for it cannot be 'taught' in the usual sense) people three feet shorter and twenty years younger than the full-grown adults at the University of Michigan Law School, in institutions ranging from Boy Scout troops to public-school kindergartens.† Both of these cases show that Scalia is a man of principle. He is not willing to sell his ideals down the river. He understands that even thought the constitution may be a document written many years ago, a living tree is just as likely to rot as it is to grow. Clarence Thomas was appointed by President George H.W. Bush. He has many years of service ahead of him. He is originally from a poor family in Georgia. He is only the second African-American to sit on the Supreme Court, after Thurgood Marshall. He is known for his quiet and serious demeanour on the bench. The issue of his appointment was one of the most scrutinized and divisive issues in politics in America in the 1990s. During his confirmation hearings in the Senate, a woman named Anita Hill came forward to say she has been sexually harassed by Thomas. Thomas denied this. Thomas' response to the allegations was truly memorable. Faced with a huge circus around unproven allegations, he told the Senate, â€Å"This is not an opportunity to talk about difficult matters privately or in a closed

Public speaking and democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public speaking and democracy - Essay Example While one may argue that the importance that is given to demagoguery in a democratic setup subverts the role of an intelligent citizen by tricking him and showing disrespect to the wisdom and trust of an electorate, it is also true that extremely important points are made during speeches that serve to move people to the side of righteous causes and also to rightly channelize the anger of a nation for productive purposes. This has been seen time and again in the history of the United States of America. A successful democracy, America has always placed a great amount of importance on the ability of its public figures to engage in oratory. It is no coincidence that most of the American presidents were excellent orators and could move masses to their point of view time and again and in the process, win their trust and love. The importance that is placed on oratory in a free democracy may also stem from the basic right to speech that citizens are provided with in a democratic nation. The right to express oneself from a public platform in order to communicate one’s views to another person or group remains the highest expression of one’s right to free speech. ... People also share a great interest in the contents of political speeches, with replies and counter-arguments being a part of the discussions that permeate the lives of a modern man in a democratic state. These events are also a site where the political leaders who give speeches are able to demonstrate the strength of the numbers of people that follow their views, apart from being an opportunity to win more followers and thus increase their base of supporters. This would enable them to not only win elections, but also to sustain the trust that people have in them. In many cases, an emotional and moral mandate of the population is necessary before a government undertakes any action of grave importance, something that may have a profound effect on the lives of the people of a country. This may be made possible through a powerful verbal assertion of the reasons that a leader may have for undertaking that particular action. This also demonstrates the effectiveness of public speaking as a tool in a democracy for the purpose of maintaining communication between the holders of executive authority and the electorate. In a democratic nation, public speaking is a tool that political and other leaders may use in order to stay in constant contact with the masses. This may help to impart to the masses the feeling that the state is being looked after in a good manner. This also enables the government in power to block allegations that may be leveled against it by people of differing viewpoints. The act of public speaking, thus, enables a citizen of a democratic country to express dissent that may then be shared by many sections of the society. It may also be used to attract attention to a certain problem that may have otherwise gone unnoticed by the

Plastic bags should be concerned more before it poisons our planet Term Paper

Plastic bags should be concerned more before it poisons our planet - Term Paper Example There were even 63 identified uses of plastic bags, specifically Walmart bags. (Trucker 2009) However, as the world progressed and the environment began to be clogged by these plastic bags, its harmful effects could not be idly dismissed. It is in this regard that this essay is written to determine the effects of plastic bags in our environment. After briefly tracing the origins of the plastic bags, the essay would initially present its uses and its over-consumption and discuss its ultimate effects in our environment. Finally, this essay would suggest recommendations address the issues concerning the harmful effects of these plastic bags in the environment. The first identified use for plastic bags is to wrap food products. In 1969 Appierdo (2008) presented that â€Å"the New York City Sanitation Department’s ‘New York City Experiment’ demonstrates that plastic refuse bag curbside pickup is cleaner, safer and quieter than metal trash can pick-up, beginning a shift to plastic can liners among consumers†. The 1970s likewise marked more uses for plastic bags as recognized by retail giants such as Sears, J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Jordan Marsh, Allied, Federated, and Hills. (Appierdo 2008) During the 1990s, the technology for recycling enabled the plastic bags to transform its utilization to other productive benefits. Barnard (2007) stipulated that â€Å"with some trial and error we were able to construct a pretty durable and usable shopping bag.

Criminal Justice System College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Justice System College - Essay Example Indeed, as early as mid-1990's criminal justice constituents such as law firms, independent lawyers, national agencies and law enforcement personnel have had an eye on emerging potentials of Internet and computer not only as tools for cost effectiveness and performance enhancement but also as tools for wider community awareness and decision making. A 1997 keynote speech by Jeremy Travis - Director of National Institute of Justice Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences - for example, has addressed, among other issues, IT question as of deep impact on criminal justice and law enforcement practices ("Technology in Criminal Justice"). Specifically, With the click of a mouse, we can enter the libraries of the research institutions of the world, retrieve a document in foreign language, have it translated into English, and print it in our home. Police officers responding to a 911 call can access the crime history of a particular location [online], check the background of a particular suspect using fingerprints, fill out what we used to call paperwork in the squad car by using a hand-sized computer, and return to patrol. ... Probation officers can track the movements of probationers using electronic monitoring devices; victims of domestic violence or stalking can be alerted when monitored individuals get within a specified range; community groups can access computerized crime maps to understand the patterns of crime and disorder in their neighborhoods; investigators can quickly scan hundreds of databases to learn about the most intimate details of people under investigation. (Travis) This is apt ultimately, according to Travis, to spread knowledge and awareness about crime and justice within and between constituents. Interestingly, new breeds of law firms have been emerging specifically offering advice on retrieval of electronic legal data as well as training for law enforcement personnel on managing electronic resources. According to one authority - Michael Arkfeld - on electronic document retention, discovery, production and admissibility of electronic information, Arizona has been a leading state in providing Internet access to justice system data, forms and legal tools to citizens and practitioners free of charge. Moreover, State Bar of Arizona has provided fully searchable ethics opinions as of 1985 online as well as an online facility for clients to locate lawyers by last or first name, firm/organization, practice area, area of specialization, section membership, language spoken, city, or state. Arkfeld suggests a range of ideas for a more effective crime and justice system such as settlement and pretrial conferences on-line, ordering court documents over Internet, electronic filing, actual court documents searchable on-line, witness appearances via Internet, e-mail DATA MANAGEMENT ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 5 notification of court orders, jury

Psychosocial theory Essay Example for Free

Psychosocial theory Essay Erik H. Erikson adapted and expanded Freud’s theory of development to include the entire life span, believing that people continue to develop throughout life. He describes eight stages of development. Erikson envisions life as a sequence of levels of achievement. Each stage signals a task that must be achieved. The resolution of the task can be complete, partial, or unsuccessful. Erikson believes that the greater the task achievement, the healthier the personality of the person; failure to achieve a task influences the person’s ability to achieve the next task. These developmental tasks can be viewed as a series of crises, and successful resolution of these crises is supportive to the persons’ ego. Failure to resolve the crises is damaging to the ego. Erikson’s eight stages reflect both positive and negative aspects of the critical life periods. The resolution of the conflicts at each stage enables the person to function effectively in society. Each phase ha sits developmental task, and the individual must find a balance between, for example, trust versus mistrust or integrity versus despair. When using Erikson’s developmental framework, nurses should be aware of indicators of positive and negative resolution of each stage. It is also important to be aware that the environment is highly influential in development, according to Erikson. One can enhance an individual’s development by being aware of the person’s developmental stage and by helping the person develop coping skills relative to stressors experienced at that level. One can strengthen an individual’s positive resolution of a developmental task by providing the individual with appropriate opportunities and encouragement. For example, a 10- year- old child can be encouraged to be creative, to finish schoolwork, and to learn how to accomplish these tasks within the limitations imposed by health. Erikson emphasizes that people must change and adapt their behavior to maintain control over their lives. In his view, no stage in personality development can be bypassed, but people can become fixated at one stage or regress to a previous stage under anxious or stressful conditions. For example, a middle- aged woman who has never satisfactorily accomplished the task of resolving identity versus role confusion might regress to an earlier stage when stressed by an illness with which she cannot cope. Erikson’s eight stages of development include Infancy, central task is trust versus mistrust; Early Childhood, central task is autonomy versus shame and doubt; Late Childhood, central task is initiative versus guilt; School Age, central task is industry versus inferiority; Adolescence, central task is identity versus role confusion; Young Adulthood, central task is intimacy versus isolation; Adulthood, central task is generativity versus stagnation and Maturity, in which the central task is integrity versus despair. The indicators of positive resolution for each stages are; learning to trust others for Infancy; self control without loss of self –esteem, ability to cooperate and to express oneself for Early Childhood; learning the degree to which assertiveness and purpose influence the environment, beginning ability to evaluate one’s own behavior for Late Childhood; beginning to create, develop, and manipulate, developing sense of competence and perseverance for School age; coherent sense of self, plans to actualize one’s abilities for Adolescence; intimate relationship with another person, commitment to work and relationships for Young Adulthood; creativity, productivity, concern for others for Adulthood and; acceptance of worth and uniqueness of one’s own life, acceptance of death for Maturity or in the last stage of life of being an adult.

International Trade Theories Essay Example for Free

International Trade Theories Essay 1. Theory of Mercantilism Introduction: Mercantilism is a trade theory holing that a country’s wealth is measured by its holdings of â€Å"treasure† which usually means its gold. The mercantilists proposed theory of mercantilism. They were a group of economists who preceded Adam Smith. The foundations of economic thought between 1500 and 1800 were based on mercantilism. Mercantilists believed that the world had a finite store of wealth; therefore, when one country got more, other countries had less. Mercantilists restricted imports and encouraged or subsidized exports as a conscious policy to make their citizens better off. Mercantilists judged the success of trade by the size of the trade balance. Mercantilism was a sixteenth-century economic philosophy that maintained that a country’s wealth was measured by its holdings of gold and silver. This required that the countries to maximize exports and minimize imports. The logic was transparent to sixteenth-century policy makers that if foreigners bought more goods from us than we bought from them, then the foreigners had to pay us the difference in gold and silver, enabling us to amass more treasure. With that treasure we could expand the nation’s global influence. Mercantilists pressed for favorable balance of trade (BOT) or balance of payments (BOP) as against the unfavorable one. In a way it is good because your currency appreciates with mounting surplus on the Fore front, and the country can attract more foreign capital infusion further strengthening the country’s economy, infrastructure, etc. Now China and Japan with enormous favorable BOT and BOP get all the benefits envisaged by mercantilists. According To Adam Smith- -Mercantilism is an economic theory popular in the 1500s and was the biggest reason for Europe’s desire to colonize new lands the theory states that there is a certain amount of wealth in the world and it is in a nations best interest to accumulate it through wealth, a nation can achieve power a country achieves wealth through producing and exporting more good then they import this theory was invented to serve the interest of the empire, not the colony Evaluation of Mercantilism Theory: Mercantilist writers have been lauded and criticized in the literature on foreign trade at least since Hume’s Political Discourses in 1752. Mercantilists have been criticized for everything from their views regarding the gains from trade to their self-promotion of the merchant’s role in society as being important. Mercantilist writers assumed that the economy will generally operate at a pace that leaves resources –land and labor – idle, but in reality the economy naturally tends to full employment. This is a â€Å"flaw† in the logical foundation of mercantilist thought. The regime of WTO has moved the world away from mercantilism by pressing for free trade with reduced protectionism. Theory of Neo-Mercantilism: Mercantilism is still in vogue. Mercantilist policies are politically attractive to some firms and their workers, as mercantilism benefits certain members of society. Modern supporters of these policies are known as neo-mercantilists, or protectionists. The neo-mercantilists want higher production through full employment and that every industry produces an exportable surplus leading to favorable BOT. Consciously or otherwise, every country is concerned about increasing export earnings. The merits of surging Fore surplus built through exports speaks well of a country’s capability to cater to world’s needs qualitatively, quantitatively and in varied product/service ranges. Every country does what is possible to meet this end. But the modern trade emphasis is ‘Export more and Import more’. Finally: The main economic system used during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The main goal was to increase a nations wealth by imposing government regulation concerning all of the nations commercial interests. It was believed that national strength could be maximized by limiting imports via tariffs and maximizing exports. This approach assumes the wealth of a nation depends primarily on the possession of precious metals such as gold and silver. This type of system cannot be maintained forever, because the global economy would become stagnant if every country wanted to export and no one wanted to import. After a period of time, many people began to revolt against the idea of mercantilism and stressed the need for free trade. Mercantilism is a theory developed by the merchants; hence the name. It rests on the role of a strong state in supporting (state-granted) monopolies and protecting shipping and trading lanes. Mercantilism encourages exports and discourages imports. Gold and silver are used to keep score of the game played between nation-states, and represent the wealth of the nation. _______________________________________________________________ 2. Absolute Advantage theory Introduction: Adam Smith, in The Wealth of Nations, postulated that under free trade, each nation should specialize in producing those goods that it could produce most efficiently. Some of these would be exported to pay for the imports of goods that could be produced more efficiently elsewhere. Smith ridiculed the fear of trade comparing nations to households. Since every household finds it worthwhile to produce only some of its needs and to buy others with products it can seal, the same should apply to nations: It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family, never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to make than to buy. The Taylor does not attempt to make his own shoes, but buys them from shoemaker What is prudence in the conduct of every private family, can scarce be folly in that of a great kingdom. If a foreign country can supply us with some part of the product of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage. The theory of absolute advantage is based on the assumption that the nation is absolutely better (i.e., more efficient) at production of certain goods than are its trading partners. Smith showed by his example of absolute advantage that both nations would gain from trade. ADAM SMITHS TRADE THEORY OF ABSOLUTE ADVANTAGE: The first classical theory of international trade was propounded by Adam Smith, the founder of classical economics. His theory is known as the Theory of Absolute Advantage. It may be possible for all the countries to produce all the commodities they need, in spite of resource constraint. But, the cost of production of goods for which a country is deficient in its resources would be exorbitantly high. It is better to import such goods rather than produce them. Most Countries therefore tend to specialize in producing commodities in which they have absolute advantage in cost of production. Therefore, most countries export goods which they can produce at a lower cost and import what they can produce at a higher cost. This common sense logic of international division of labor suggested by Adam Smith marks the beginning of modern theories of foreign trade. The theory of absolute advantage states that the basis of trade between the nations is the absolute advantage a country has in producing a commodity over the other countries. In simple words, two countries are able to trade between them because each one of them is able to produce at least one commodity at a comparatively lower cost. Assumptions: The theory of absolute advantage was advanced to buttress Smiths argument that if there was no government involvement in trade, and if each individual was left to do what in his or her own best interest, then there would be more goods and services available, prices would be reduced, and the wealth of each nation, measured as the welfare of the citizens, would increase. Smiths theory was offered to replace mercantilism. The Theory of Absolute Advantage and the Theory of Comparative Advantage rest on very strong assumptions, as follows: Two countries, two commodities assumed in both theories. The theories are obvious for this case. The three-by-three case (and those beyond) cannot be established analytically, and it is not even clear how the principle should be formalized. (See p. 3 of Ronald Jones, The Positive Theory of International Trade, Handbook of International Economics, R. Jones and P. Kenen (eds.), 1984.) Efficiency objective The Absolute and Comparative Advantage theories assume that total world production, and therefore efficiency, is the objective. Efficiency is not always a country goal. Zero Transportation Costs both theories presume that transportation costs between and within countries are zero. Factor Mobility/Immobility both theories presume that resources are absolutely mobile within a country and absolutely immobile between countries. Full employment Both theories assume full employment in each country. Comparative Advantage versus Absolute Advantage: As we can see from the example above, a country can have a comparative advantage in producing a good even if it is absolutely less efficient at producing that good. To understand this more clearly, think of an example of a doctor in private practice: A young doctor opens her own practice, working by herself, and within a few months has developed a substantial clientele. At first, she was performing all her clerical work—filing, typing and answering the phone—by herself. With an ever-busier schedule, however, she realizes that she could spend more time seeing patients, and thus see a greater number of patients, if she hired an assistant. As it turns out, the young professional is not only a brilliant doctor, but is also lightning-fast at typing and filing. She is, in fact, better at doing both jobs than the clerical assistant she hires. In other words, she has an absolute advantage at both tasks: medical diagnosis and clerical work. Does it make sense then for the doctor and her assistant to share both tasks, each spending part of the day diagnosing patients and doing clerical work? The answer is no. By having the assistant perform all the clerical work, the doctor is able to maximize her specialization and see more patients. The patients are undoubtedly better off too. In other words, even though the assistant is worse at performing both tasks, an economist would say that he nonetheless has a comparative advantage at clerical work. As you can see, by working together – trading their services – the doctor and the assistant are able to maximize their skills, making both better off. As these examples show, trade allows countries to specialize in the production of what they do best and make the most efficient use of their resources, thereby decreasing the price of both goods. No matter how inefficiently a country produces every kind of good, it can always be said to have a comparative advantage in at least one of those goods. That is the theory of comparative and absolute advantage. It helps explain what happens in the real world of international trade, and it offers broad guidance to countries as they decide which goods and services to produce and subsequently export, and which, in turn, to import. Trade in Theory and Practice: In reality, of course, trade specialization does not work precisely the way the theory of comparative advantage might suggest, for a number of reasons: No country specializes exclusively in the production and export of a single product or service. All countries produce at least some goods and services that other countries can produce more efficiently. A lower income country might, in theory, be able to produce a particular product more efficiently than the United States can but still not be able to identify American buyers or transport the item cheaply to the United States. As a result, U.S. firms continue to manufacture the product. Finally: The Scottish economist Adam Smith developed the trade theory of absolute advantage in 1776. A country that has an absolute advantage produces greater output of a good or service than other countries using the same amount of resources. Smith stated that tariffs and quotas should not restrict international trade; it should be allowed to flow according to market forces. Contrary to mercantilism Smith argued that a country should concentrate on production of goods in which it holds an absolute advantage. No country would then need to produce all the goods it consumed. The theory of absolute advantage destroys the mercantilist idea that international trade is a zero-sum game. 3. Comparative Advantage theory Introduction: David Ricardo, in 1817, enunciated his refinement of Smiths concept by postulating the principle of comparative advantage (as opposed to Smiths concept of absolute advantage). The theory of comparative advantage states that even if a country is able to produce all its good at lower costs than another country can, trade still benefits both countries, based on comparative costs. His writings demonstrated what has become known as: the principle of comparative advantage: a nation, like a person, gains from the trade by exporting the goods or services in which it has its greatest comparative advantage in productivity and importing those in which it has the least comparative advantage. The key word is comparative, meaning relative and not necessarily absolute. There are gains from trade whenever the relative price ratios of two goods differ under international exchange for what would be under conditions of no trade. In addition, the theory of comparative advantage demonstrates that countries jointly benefit from trade (under the assumption of both goods). With the theory of absolute advantage, Ricardos theory of comparative advantage does not answer why production cost differ within each country and also no consideration is given to the possibility of producing the same goods with different combinations of factors. Assumption: A situation in which a country, individual, company or region can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than a competitor. This theory that global efficiency gains may still result from trade if a country specializes in those products it can produce more efficiently than other products-regardless of whether other countries can produce those same products even more efficiently. It denotes gains from trade will occur even in a country that has absolute advantage in all products because the country must give up less efficient output to produce more efficient output. Assumptions underlying the concept of comparative advantage Perfect occupational mobility of factors of production resources used in one industry can be switched into another without any loss of efficiency Constant returns to scale (i.e. doubling the inputs in each country leads to a doubling of total output) No externalities arising from production and/or consumption Transportation costs are ignored comparative advantage and international trade: Comparative advantage exists when a country has a margin of superiority in the production of a good or service i.e. where the opportunity cost of production is lower. The basic theory of comparative advantage was developed by David Ricardo Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage was further developed by Heckscher, Ohlin and Samuelson who argued that countries have different factor endowments of labor, land and capital inputs. Countries will specialize in and export those products which use intensively the factors of production which they are most endowed. If each country specializes in those goods and services where they have an advantage, then total output and economic welfare can be increased (under certain assumptions). This is true even if one nation has an absolute advantage over another country. Worked example of comparative advantage consider the data in the following table: | Pre-Specialization | CD Players | Personal Computers | | UK | 2,000 | 500 | | Japan | 4,000 | 2,000 | | Total Output | 6,000 | 2,500 | After trade has taken place, total output of goods available to consumers in both countries has grown. UKs consumption of CD players has increased by 200 and they have an extra 100 PCs. For Japan, they have an extra 200 CD players and 200 PCs. If businesses exploit increasing returns to scale (i.e. economies of scale) when they specialize, the potential gains from trade are much greater. The idea that specialization should lead to increasing returns is associated with economists such as Paul Romer and Paul Ormerod Determinants regarding comparative advantage: Comparative advantage is a dynamic concept. It can and does change over time. Some businesses find they have enjoyed a comparative advantage in one product for several years only to face increasing competition as rival producers from other countries enter their markets. For a country, the following factors are important in determining the relative costs of production: The quantity and quality of factors of production available (e.g. the size and efficiency of the available labor force and the productivity of the existing stock of capital inputs). If an economy can improve the quality of its labor force and increase the stock of capital available it can expand the productive potential in industries in which it has an advantage. Investment in research development (important in industries where patents give some firms significant market advantage) for more information on this have a look at this page Movements in the exchange rate. An appreciation of the exchange rate can cause exports from a country to increase in price. This makes them less competitive in international markets. Long-term rates of inflation compared to other countries. For example if average inflation in Country X is 4% whilst in Country B it is 8% over a number of years, the goods and services produced by Country X will become relatively more expensive over time. This worsens their competitiveness and causes a switch in comparative advantage. Import controls such as tariffs and quotas that can be used to create an artificial comparative advantage for a countrys domestic producers- although most countries agree to abide by international trade agreements. Non-price competitiveness of producers (e.g. product design, reliability, quality of after-sales support) Criticisms: However, the principle of comparative advantage can be criticized in a several ways: †¢ It may overstate the benefits of specialization by ignoring a number of costs. These costs include transport costs and any external costs associated with trade, such as air and sea pollution. †¢ The theory also assumes perfect mobility of factors without any diminishing returns. The reality may be very different. Output from factor inputs is likely to be subject to diminishing returns. This will make the PPF for each country non-linear and bowed outwards. †¢ Complete specialization might create structural unemployment as some workers cannot transfer from one sector to another. †¢ Relative prices and exchange rates are not taken into account in the simple theory of comparative advantage. For example if the price of X rises relative to Y, the benefit of increasing output of X increases. †¢ Comparative advantage is not a static concept it may change over time. For example, nonrenewable resources can slowly run out, increasing the costs of production, and reducing the gains from trade. †¢ Many countries strive for food security, meaning that even if they should specialise in non-food products, they still prefer to keep a minimum level of food production. †¢ Finally, the principle of comparative advantage is derived from a simple two good/two country model. The real world is far more complex, with countries exporting and importing many different goods and services. Finally: It seems obvious that if one country is better at producing one good and another country is better at producing a different good (assuming both countries demand both goods) that they should trade. What happens if one country is better at producing both goods? Should the two countries still trade? This question brings into play the theory of comparative advantage and opportunity costs. The everyday choices that we make are, without exception, made at the expense of pursuing one or several other choices. When you decide what to wear, what to eat for dinner, or what to do on Saturday night, you are making a choice that denies you the opportunity to explore other options. ______________________________________________________________ 4. Heckscher-Ohlin theory Introduction: the Heckscher–Ohlin theorem is one of the four critical theorems of the Heckscher–Ohlin model. It states that a country will export goods that use its abundant factors intensively, and import goods that use its scarce factors intensively. In the two-factor case, it states: A capital-abundant country will export the capital-intensive good, while the labor-abundant country will export the labor-intensive good. Definition: This theory said that differences in countries’ endowment of labor compared to their endowment of land or capital explain differences in the cost of production factors. Assumption: The critical assumption of the Heckscher–Ohlin model is that the two countries are identical, except for the difference in resource endowments. This also implies that the aggregate preferences are the same. The relative abundance in capital will cause the capital-abundant country to produce the capital-intensive good cheaper than the labor-abundant country and vice versa. Initially, when the countries are not trading: the price of capital-intensive good in capital-abundant country will be bid down relative to the price of the good in the other country, the price of labor-intensive good in labor-abundant country will be bid down relative to the price of the good in the other country.Once trade is allowed, profit-seeking firms will move their products to the markets that have (temporary) higher price. As a result: the capital-abundant country will export the capital-intensive good, the labor-abundant country will export the labor-intensive good. Features of the model: †¢ Relative endowments of the factors of production (land, labor, and capital) determine a countrys comparative advantage. Countries have comparative advantages in those goods for which the required factors of production are relatively abundant locally. This is because the profitability of goods is determined by input costs. Goods that require inputs that are locally abundant will be cheaper to produce than those goods that require inputs that are locally scarce. †¢ For example, a country where capital and land are abundant but labor is scarce will have comparative advantage in goods that require lots of capital and land, but little labor — grains. If capital and land are abundant, their prices will be low. As they are the main factors used in the production of grain, the price of grain will also be low—and thus attractive for both local consumption and export. Labor intensive goods on the other hand will be very expensive to produce since labor is scarce and its price is high. Therefore, the country is better off importing those goods. Factor Proportions Theory: Trade theory, like all of economic theory, changed drastically in the first half of the twentieth century. The factor proportions theory developed by the Swedish economist Eli Heckscher and later expanded by his former graduate student Bertil Ohlin formed the major theory of international trade that is widely is still widely accepted today. Whereas Smith and Ricardo emphasized a labor theory of value the factor proportions theory was based on a more modern concept of production that raised capital to the same level of importance as labor. Factor Intensity in Production: The factor intensity in production theory considered two factor of production, labor and capital. Technology determines the way they combine to form a product. Different products required different proportions of the two factors of production. It is easy to see how the factor proportions of how a product is produced differs substantially among groups of products. For the manufacturing of leather footwear is still a relatively labor intensive process even with the most sophisticated leather treatment and patterning machinery. Other products such as computer memory chips, however although requiring some highly skilled labor require massive quantities of capital for production and development and the manufacturing facilities needed for clean production to ensure the extremely high quality demanded in the industry. The concept of factor proportions is very useful in the comparison of the production processes of goods. According to factor proportions theory, factor intensities depend on the state of technology and the current method of manufacturing a product. The theory assumed that the same technology of production would be used for the same goods in all countries. It is not therefore differences in the efficiency of production that will determine trade between countries at it did in classical theory. Classical theory implicitly assumed that technology or the productivity of labor is different across countries. Otherwise there would be no logical explanation as to why one country requires more units of labor to produce a unit of output than another country. Factor proportions theory assumed no such productivity differences. Factor Endowments, Factor Prices, And Comparative Advantage: If there is no difference in technology or productivity of factors across countries, what then determines comparative advantage in production and export? The answer is that factor prices determine cost differences. And these prices are determined by the endowments of labor and capital the country possesses. The theory assumes that labor and capital are immobile, meaning they cannot move across country borders. Therefore the countrys endowment determines the relative costs of labor and capital as compared to other countries. Each country is defined or measured by the amount of labor and capital that it possesses. If a country has when compared with other countries more labor and less capital it would be characterized as relatively labor abundant. That which is more plentiful is cheaper; so a labor abundant country would therefore have relatively cheap labor. For a country such as China possesses a relatively large endowment of labor and a relatively smaller endowment of capital. At the same time Japan is a relatively capital abundant country with a relatively smaller endowment of labor. China possesses relatively cheaper labor and should therefore specialize in the production and export of labor intensive products. Japan possesses relatively cheap capital and should specialize in the production and export of capital intensive products. Comparative advantage is derived not from the productivity of a country, but from the relative abundance of its factors of production. Using these assumptions, factor proportions theory stated that a country should specialize in the production and export of those product that use intensively its relatively abundant factor. (i) A country that is relatively labor abundant should specialize in the production of relatively labor intensive goods. It should then export these labor intensive goods in exchange for capital intensive goods. (ii) A country that is relatively capital abundant should specialized in the production of relatively capital intensive goods. It should then export these capital intensive goods in exchange for labor intensive goods. Finally: The Heckscher-Ohlin theory states that international and interregional differences in production costs occur because of differences in the supply of production factors: Commodities requiring for their production much of [abundant factors of production] and little of [scarce factors] are exported in exchange for goods that call for factors in the opposite proportions. Thus indirectly, factors in abundant supply are exported and factors in scanty supply are imported (Ohlin, 1933).These simple statements lead to an important conclusion: under free trade, countries export the products that use their scarce factors intensively and imports the products using their scarce factors intensively.