John Hattie s Synthesis Of Approximately 800 Meta...

John Hattie’s synthesis of approximately 800 meta-analysis studies involving over 52,000 studies of educational achievement led to the development of six signposts of excellence in education. Hattie determined that of these â€Å"the most powerful determinants of educational achievement all involved teacher-student interaction† (Drew, 2011, pp. 85-86). Furthermore, Hattie noted that â€Å"it is less the content of curricula that is important than the strategies teachers use to implement the curriculum so that students progress upwards through the curricula content† (2009, p. 159). The aspects of my current practice that support quality STEM education correlate to the strategies employed to implement the curriculum. Fundamental towards this approach remains the establishment of a learning community that values mistakes as learning opportunities, where students â€Å"can feel safe to learn, relearn, and explore knowledge and understanding† (Hattie, 2009, p. 240). Establishment of such a community requires front loading from the beginning of the school year and daily maintenance throughout the academic year. The foundation for community is laid during the morning meeting. This student led meeting consists of a greeting, sharing, group activity, and a morning message and is in keeping with the Responsive Classroom approach. â€Å"The Responsive Classroom approach consists of a set of practices that build academic and social-emotional competencies and that can be used along with many other

Cultural Sensitivity in Counseling Native Americans Free Essays

string(60) " doing what is right for oneself and for one’s community\." Three of the most popular techniques in use by the counseling profession were examined in relationship to Native American culture and worldview, in order to determine the reasons for their ineffectiveness among these people groups. The results indicate that a lack of understanding and sensitivity to Native American culture and belief systems by counselors may be the major contributing factors in the failure of these methods to produce lasting change. Three alternative methods were then investigated. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Sensitivity in Counseling Native Americans or any similar topic only for you Order Now Together, these examinations show that cultural sensitivity and an in-depth understanding of belief systems and practices are critical in helping Native Americans heal from historical traumas and affect real transformation within the Native American community. Cultural Sensitivity in Counseling: A Perspective on Native Americans Why is it that many Native Americans fail to benefit from counseling? Why is there such an enormous â€Å"burn-out† rate among counselors who work with this people group? These questions are becoming increasingly more important in the counseling profession. There have been many studies on competencies and practices in multicultural counseling. One such study although dealing primarily with career counseling (Vespia, Fitzpatrick, Fouad, Kantamneni, Chen, 2010), reinforced the necessity for training in developing a counselor’s competency with diverse cultures. Another study which dealt specifically with psychotherapy (Lambert, Smart, Campbell, Hawkins, Harmon, Slade, 2006), echoes this sentiment. However, the cause of ineffectiveness may not necessarily be the incompetence of counselors, but their tendency to use inappropriate methods which fail to consider the unique cultural heritage of Native Americans. These culturally-insensitive methods can sometimes compel clients to violate basic personal values. For example, Native Americans place great emphasis on a harmonious co-existence with nature. If a counselor advocates individual responsibility for mastering the environment, he is, in fact, asking his Native American client to disregard a part of his client’s cultural belief system. Take the case of Robert Red Elk (not his real name), a White Mountain Apache, hired at a manufacturing plant in Phoenix, Arizona. Robert’s supervisor witnessed many instances where Robert’s fellow employees asked to share his lunch or complete their work assignments. Robert never refused and willingly overworked himself (to the point of exhaustion) finishing the tasks of others. Eventually, after several absences from work, Robert was referred to counseling by his supervisor. The counselor, after an initial assessment, enrolled Robert in assertiveness training. The counselor, however, failed to understand one very important aspect of Robert Red Elk’s value system: Native Americans are not individualistic. Their culture places great value on sharing and service. There are over 500 federally recognized Indian tribes in the United States. Each tribe has its own beliefs, customs and traditions. Many Native Americans have left the reservation and know very little of their tribal culture, having assimilated into White society. There are, however, many common threads running through Native American culture and philosophy, which if misunderstood can open a breach between counselor and client that can be difficult to heal. For the purposes of this paper, we will be dealing primarily with Native Americans raised and residing within traditional Indian reservation communities. These individuals have retained much of their cultural identity, as opposed to those who have moved into the cities and have become westernized into the White culture. Nearly every tribe has wide-spread personal and social issues which are threatening lives and creating broken homes and broken people. Compared with other racial and ethnic groups, Native Americans have more serious problems with mental health disorders (Olson Wahab, 2006, p. 19-33). For example, on the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Lakota Sioux, over 50% live below the poverty level. In 2007, the suicide rate there was 3. 2 times that of Whites, between 50% and 90% were unemployed, and the death rate due o alcoholism was 7 times the national average (Diller, 2007). Counselors employ many methods in an attempt to help Native American clients heal from brokenness. This investigation will examine three popular techniques: Free association, cognitive therapy, and behavior modification. In addition, we will discuss why these methods are failing with many Native American clients. First, however, there is a need to explore the average Native American value system. The Native American Value System Silence and Talking. Native Americans believe that listening is the best way to learn. They understand that there are many â€Å"voices† to hear, not merely from other people, but from the earth, the wind, the sky, and the animal kingdom. They listen not only with their physical ears, but with their whole being in an attitude of â€Å"watch, listen and then act† (Nerburn, 2002). They believe it unwise to speak before completely formulating one’s thoughts. They understand the power of words, and so they speak carefully, choosing words judiciously. In most non-native cultures, interaction with others must be filled with words and speaking that can sometimes become argumentative. Just the opposite is true in most Native American cultures. When asked a question, there will normally be a pause before answering, because any question worthy of an answer is worth considering. When they finally do speak, it is expected that the hearer will listen. Interrupting is considered rude and a sign of ignorance. This practice of silence has a tendency to disconcert someone who is unfamiliar with it, and historically, Caucasians have viewed it as a sign of stupidity. Freedom and Honor Native American cultures value honor far above freedom. Honor is the internal guide for nearly everything they do. The focus is more on what is right, rather than what is wrong. This is one reason why Native Americans have a difficult time understanding the concept of sin. In addition, honor is something that cannot be taken away. If one loses his freedom, he still retains his honor. These views of freedom and honor are very different from those held by western peoples. In the White world, honor means paying homage to or admiring an individual’s accomplishments. To the Native American, honor means knowing and doing what is right for oneself and for one’s community. You read "Cultural Sensitivity in Counseling Native Americans" in category "Papers" It has no relation to laws or the desire to avoid punishment. Freedom only becomes important after one has been â€Å"chained up,† either literally or by the enactment of laws and restrictions (Nerburn, 2002). All My Relations and Racism According to the New Lakota Dictionary, â€Å"Mitakuye oyasin† translates to â€Å"all my relatives† in Lakota Sioux (Ullrich, 2008, p. 37). The concept of all my relations constitutes an understanding of and honor for the sacredness of each person’s individual spiritual path. It acknowledges the sacredness of all life (human, animal, plant, etc. ) and creates an awareness that strengthens not only the individual, but the entire pl anet. It essentially means that everything is inter-related. In the living of daily life, all my relations â€Å"means learning how to connect with certain constructive or creative forces, and disconnect from destructive forces† (Portman Garrett, 2006). It’s the understanding that whatever hurts one aspect of the world hurts everything else. Rolling Thunder, the late spiritual leader of the Cherokee and Shoshone tribes, said, â€Å"Too many people don’t know that when they harm the earth they harm themselves, nor do they realize that when they harm themselves they harm the earth†¦We say there’s room for everyone, if we all share as brothers and sisters† (â€Å"Plowboy Interview,† 1981). This belief in the brotherhood of the human race is one reason why Native Americans abhor racism. Another reason is their suffering because of it. From the 1490’s to the 1890’s, Europeans and white Americans engaged in an unbroken string of genocide campaigns against the Native people of the Americas† (BigFoot Willmon-Hague, 2008, p. 54). A study on multi-faith perspectives in family therapy made note of the following historical treatment of Native Americans: â€Å"In government and missio nary programs to educate and acculturate Indians in Christianity and Western ways, children were forcibly taken from their families to boarding schools and stripped of their cultural and spiritual heritage† (Walsh, 2010, p. 3). Consequently, Native Americans view racism as evil and most avoid retaliation, because they believe it creates a loss of honor. However, many American Indians still retain an inherent mistrust of Whites (Bryant-Davis Ocampo, 2006, p. 16). In a study on reservation violence, it was noted that traditionally one important factor regarding Native American philosophy was â€Å"humility to those with whom one does not share beliefs; and teaching nonviolent behaviors† (Hukill, 2006, p. 249). A reintegration with traditional beliefs and practices could help stem the violence on reservations. Concept of Time Native people are not enslaved by a clock or calendar. Their concept of time is related more to the seasons, nature, relationships, and life spans. Time is a cycle as, in the sacred hoop. Time is not measured in linear fashion, having a past, present and future. Living each day as it comes is linked to the belief that one should focus more on being than becoming. This concept of time can explain why Native Americans might be late for counseling appointments by the hour or by days. Adherence to a rigid schedule is not traditionally an Indian practice. Things are done as they need doing. Time is flexible and geared to the activity at hand. Some other examples of this concept of time are: * A right time and a right place, as opposed to making every minute count. * Today is a good day, as opposed to preparing for tomorrow. Other concepts that affect how Native Americans react to traditional counseling methods include striving for anonymity, discouraging aggressiveness (such as boasting and loud behavior), the value of inaction over action, and the use of tribal healing ceremonies. Understanding Native American healing practices requires helping professionals to have knowledge of the cultural belief systems that are unique for each tribal nation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Portman Garrett, 2006, p. 455). Culturally Insensitive Counseling Methods Counseling methods that fail to consider culturally-relevant issues are realizing few successes with native peoples. Three of the most prominent techniques fail to take into account the Native Americanâ⠂¬â„¢s holistic belief system and attempt to merely change behavior by changing one’s thinking. Free Association. Free association is a spontaneous, logically unconstrained and undirected association of ideas, emotions and feelings in which words or images suggest other words or images in a non-logical chain reaction. The basic concept is for the client to sort things out, and assign reasons to their feelings, with the intention of changing unhealthy ideas and emotions into a more acceptable way of living. Native American clients typically shy away from participating in this type of activity, because they see it as senseless babbling that accomplishes little and makes a person appear to have lost their mind. They much prefer being silent and listening to talking and babbling themselves into a reasonable state of mind. In addition, they are very cautious about sharing personal and family problems, and have difficulty communicating their reactions to situations. Cognitive Therapy Cognitive therapy aims to identify and correct distorted thinking patterns that lead to feelings and behavior that are troublesome, self-defeating or self-destructive. The objective is to replace distorted thinking with a balanced view that leads to more fulfilling and productive behavior. Due to the epidemic of depression, alcoholism and suicide among Native Americans, this is an admirable objective for counselors to attempt to achieve. However, for a people, who are holistically-minded, cognitive therapy considers only one facet of the whole person, and ignores the connection humans have with nature and the world. This approach disavows the unity of the person, a central core belief in Native American culture. To separate the mind from the body and spirit, and with the rest of creation, is an illogical and foreign concept to them. In addition, most Native Americans are pragmatic and tend to see life in concrete terms rather than abstract ones. Therefore, â€Å"counselors may consider working from a holistic, wellness-based framework,† so that harmony and balance can be restored (Rayle, Chee, Sand, 2006, p. 72). Behavior Modification This approach is a treatment approach based on operant conditioning that seeks to extinguish or inhibit abnormal or maladaptive behavior by positive or negative reinforcement. As with cognitive therapy, behavior modification focuses entirely on one facet of the whole person. Native Americans are very resistant to this approach, because they do not always focus on their thinking. Historically, they have been exposed to the inconsistency of people thinking one way and behaving another way. According to Native American culture, behavior reflects belief. Attempting to change behavior from the outside and failing to deal with internal issues is viewed as a waste of energy and considered unproductive. Typically, Native Americans respond better to holistic methods that involve the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Culturally insensitive approaches to counseling can actually introduce a sense of mistrust into relationships between native clients and non-native counselors derailing attempts to help them overcome the issues that defeat them. This is one reason why Native Americans â€Å"underutilize mainstream mental health resources† (Parrish, 2006, p. 15). Culturally Supportive Approaches to Counseling As understanding and knowledge of cultural beliefs and practices grows, holistic approaches to counseling are becoming more prevalent in clinics and practices in which the majority of clients are Native American. There are several methods which are showing great promise in helping these clients. Inner Healing Prayer Because Native American culture is infused with the spiritual and encompasses a holistic view of the body, soul and spirit, the concept of listening, which is the foundation of this method, lends itself to a more culturally-relevant way of approaching the mental and emotional issues found among indigenous peoples. Native cultures are already accustomed to listening because of their practice of being attentive to the sounds of nature and the practices of oral traditions passed down through the stories of tribal elders. They understand that listening is one of the best ways to learn. The inner healing prayer can offer Native Americans a way to re-establish harmony with their body, their emotions, and their spiritual selves (Rayle, Chee Sand, 2006, p. 77), since it begins with addressing one’s emotional hurts. â€Å"It is counselor-led and client-consented prayer intervention with the specific intent of healing and breaking the chains of past traumas† (Clinton Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 240). When woundedness goes unresolved, it affects the whole person creating disharmony within the body, soul and spirit. Native American culture already understands this concept. The typical scenario is to give the client permission to experience what they feel, and allow their inner emotions to express themselves in a controlled, safe environment. Encouraging them to remember those painful places and the trauma that occurred there helps bring emotions to the surface where they can be explored, felt, owned, and released from the captured place within the spirit. Once accomplished, the counselor can then ask the Lord Jesus [Great Mystery] to minister His love and grace, revealing truth in whatever manner He chooses. The counselor then remains silent, encouraging the client to verbally express whatever is transpiring within them and articulate whatever truth the Lord is revealing to them. The counselor’s role is to discern whether the client is receiving truth from the Lord (according to the revealed Word of God) or error manifested from within themselves, which would constitute feelings and/or thoughts that run contrary to scripture. Once it is determined that authentic truth has been received, the counselor then asks the client what is now different about that traumatic event when they reconsider it. At this point, an entirely different perspective is usually revealed by the client. It is important when using this method, as it is with any technique, to â€Å"weave Western counseling techniques with elements of the AI [American Indian] culture, beliefs, and philosophy† (Rayle, Chee Sand, 2006, p. 73-74) [emphasis mine]. It is well to remember, however, that many Native Americans do not believe in the â€Å"white man’s God. It is important, therefore, to use terms for deity that are culturally relevant, such as Great Mystery, Great Spirit, etc. This approach has shown great potential in overcoming issues such as depression and addiction. Spiritual Talking Talking circles, storytelling and remembering/reflecting on life is very common in Native American culture. Many indigenous children receive the ir first life lessons sitting at the feet of their elders as grandmothers and grandfathers recount tribal stories that teach the traditions of the tribe (Rybak Decker-Fitts, 2009, p. 337). Since native people relate more to â€Å"the now,† it is very therapeutic to recall and embrace the good things in one’s present situation. Talking aloud about pleasant experiences helps clients see the good in their present circumstances and allows their spirit to â€Å"be as one† with their body-mind uniting them with the world at large. This enables them to see the big picture and brings everything into a healthy perspective. The role of the counselor in this technique is to facilitate the talking and keep the client on track, while providing a safe environment for them. Another form that spiritual talking may take is in the use of humor. Native cultures inherently understand the old cliche: Laughter is the best medicine. Encouraging clients to share comical stories and experiences can provide insight into the client’s identity and self-image. However, counselors should exercise caution in using humor. It should only be introduced â€Å"when and if the client invites it, meaning that the client trusts the counselor enough to connect on that level† (Garrett, et al. , 2005, p. 202). The Holistic Medicine Wheel or Red Path One of the most effective healing techniques and one which incorporates extensively the Native American culture is the Medicine Wheel, sometimes called the Red Path or Red Road. The Medicine Wheel is a symbol of Native America in which four colors (white, black, yellow and red) are used to represent the four directions and the four races of people (Caucasian, African, Asian and Indian), respectively. This symbol also represents the harmony and balance of the mind, body and spirit with nature. The Medicine Wheel is regarded as sacred among Native Americans, since â€Å"medicine† is a spiritual entity within their culture. The Medicine Wheel is recognized by all tribes and is a common symbol of unity. It represents healing, not only for oneself, but for the entire native community. This technique, when employed in the counseling setting, includes not only the counselor and client, but also family and friends. It can also be a good tool for use in group counseling where all participants share in a common issue. The facilitator/counselor invites all present to form a circle. The concept of the four directions and their meanings is then discussed. A good representation is: * East represents the rising sun and the spirit or inner being of man (red). * South is connected to full daylight and represents a connection with nature (yellow). * North is the home of winter and represents the mind or thoughts (white). * West is where the sun sets and is connected with the body or physical being (black). (Molina, Monteiro-Leitner, Garrett Gladding, 2005, p. 9). The counselor then explains the concept of circles within circles. Dallas Williard’s Model of the Person is an excellent starting pattern for this concept (Clinton Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 190). Molina, et al. explain this technique well: An inner circle represents the connection to one’s Spirit and to the Greater Spirit; an outer circle represents the importance of relationships with family members; and a community circle represents the importance of relationships with the greater community. At this point, volunteers sit behind each person in the inner circle, forming an outer circle. Finally, the remaining participants form a third circle, which lends support to the inner and outer circles. Throughout the process, life stories emerge. Counselors identify client strengths and validate their experiences, and participants offer support to one another and create â€Å"happy† endings to their stories (p. 9). This method helps clients see â€Å"how they create and remove the masks of the self† (Molina, Monteiro-Leitner, Garrett Gladding, 2005, p. 9). The removal of masks allows the client to be open with their true feelings and to see their issues from a different perspective. A doctoral dissertation by Mark Parrish (2008) offers another well-described view of the Circle Within Circles Approach: The elements of the circle within circles includes: (1) the spirit within us including the culmination of each individual’s experiences representing the power that comes from the very essence of one’s being; (2) the family and/or clan, the relational center of the community; (3) the natural environment and all of its relationships with living beings; and (4) the spirit world which includes the other elements as well as the Creator, ancestors and other spirit helpers and guides. In essence, all life is interdependent and exists in a dynamic state of harmony and balance which maintains a continuous flow and cycling of energy which each living being contributes to the Circle of Life (p. 16). The Medicine Wheel and the Circle Within Circles â€Å"serves as a reminder that all aspects of life are important and need to be balanced† (Rybak Decker-Fitts, 2009, p. 336). Although most individuals will still require more intensive therapy, the Medicine Wheel is a good starting point to help clients remember that they are not an island, but are connected to other individuals and to the world as a whole. Personal Reflections Understanding Native American culture, and learning their views life has caused me to reconsider my own lifestyle and my Caucasian worldview. As westerners, we are an inherently individualistic society, whereas Native Americans are more collective. The mindset and complex belief systems of indigenous people are more similar to God’s original plan for mankind than that which White society has developed. Jesus prayed to the Father for unity: that His followers would â€Å"be one, as we are. (John 17:11b, KJV). Native American culture appears to mirror His prayer more than that of Caucasians. Native Americans are more in tune with their spiritual natures than we, and were the original holistic healers. They understand the concept of man’s triune nature as set forth in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: â€Å"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Ch rist† [emphasis mine]. This concept has been a vital part of their culture for hundreds of years, whereas we are just now (within the past decade) becoming more sensitive to a holistic approach in counseling and medicine. It is very interesting that as one learns the culture and values of Native Americans, one begins to see that there are many aspects that reflect basic biblical principles. Western counseling methods, which have been imposed upon the Native Americans for many years, are very foreign to a people who already understand an important truth of God’s Word. It makes much better sense to first understand their culture and beliefs and then adapt our methods and techniques accordingly, in order to be more effective facilitators in the healing process. Not only will these historically-wounded people be set free with true inner healing, but at the same time many may come into a full knowledge of and a relationship with the true Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus healed the blind man of his physical ailments before healing him of his spiritual malady. Therefore, if we connect with Native Americans through their ways of life, love them in Christ, and keep the Holy Spirit as the center of our ministry to them, many of these forgotten people can enjoy a fullness of life that only comes through the healing power of Christ. As a Christian counselor, I will be committed to providing the Native American people with a biblically-sound, culturally-relevant approach to helping them heal the issues from which they suffer, both historically and personally. As I become more knowledgeable in their beliefs, traditions and worldview, I can foresee a time when what I am learning now will blend with that insight to produce techniques which will enable me to be a more effective counselor to the people to whom God has called me to minister. Conclusion To be effective counselors within the Native American community, it is not enough that we increase our knowledge of psychology and our skills in counseling. We need to immerse ourselves in the cultural issues pertinent to each individual client and the community which has shaped them. This comes by understanding belief systems and cultural contexts, and determining what methods can and cannot work based upon these parameters. Native American culture is centered on certain holistic viewpoints: the wholeness of the individual (body, mind and spirit), the individual’s interconnectedness with creation, and the relationship all people have with one another. Counseling such a people involves understanding and respecting values, beliefs and traditions, and tailoring our methods and techniques around restoring harmony and balance in ways which do not demand or manipulate Native Americans into ceasing to be Native American. One very good exercise for assisting in the development of counselor competency in this area is cultural auditing, which is a â€Å"systematic and practical reflective method designed to address critical elements of the multicultural competency development process† (Collins, Arthur Wong-Wylie, 2010, p. 340-346). The 13 steps of this process lead counselors through the first to last counseling sessions by helping them reflect on key issues of culture that can help them develop competent strategies and monitor their practices â€Å"to ensure that the goals and processes of counseling are consistent with clients’ perspectives and needs† (Collins, Arthur Wong-Wylie, 2010, p. 341). In order for greater effectiveness to be realized in counseling Native Americans (and indeed people of all cultures), mental health professionals and researchers must understand that all methods do not work with all people. Milton Erickson, one of psychotherapy’s most respected figures, who was of Native American descent, understood this very well (Thomason, 2009, p. 351). A 40-year study of multicultural counseling, completed in 2008 by Michael D’Andrea and Elizabeth Foster Heckman, discovered many inconsistencies and out-dated methods being utilized with clients of diverse cultures, and called for researchers to â€Å"expand their outcome studies to examine the impact of other types of helping services among culturally different populations† (D’Andrea Heckman, 2008, p. 62). Their final statement summarizes beautifully what is needed for effective, long-term resolution for Native Americans: We suggest that the multicultural counseling movement is a movement of faith and hope: faith in counselors’ ability to generate new understanding of mental health from a multicultural perspective and hope that future counseling and research endeavors will be implemented to more ef fectively promote human dignity and development through people’s collective diversity (D’Andrea Heckman, 2008, p. 362). The increase of diverse of cultures within the United States makes it imperative (a) â€Å"that therapists have the skills to work with a variety of clients from a multitude of social backgrounds (Murphy, Park Lonsdale, 2006, p. 310); and (b) â€Å"for the counseling profession to take a proactive stance on cultural diversity† (Phiri-Alleman Allman, 2010, p. 157). Culturally competent counseling has been addressed by the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (ACA) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Both of these groups stress the importance of social and cultural diversity in training programs for counselors, and emphasize the need for culturally-relevant treatment planning, especially when working with Native Americans (Parrish, 2008, p. 17). The competency of multicultural counselors can best be developed by encouraging them to become knowledgeable in the beliefs, traditions and worldview of various cultures and utilize that knowledge to tailor their counseling techniques in ways that will boost the effectiveness of their practice. How to cite Cultural Sensitivity in Counseling Native Americans, Papers

Ecomomy In 2000 Essay Example For Students

Ecomomy In 2000 Essay Evaluating the bull market today, it is almost impossible to pick up a financial journal without seeing news on the bull market that some consider to be overvalued. Overvalued or fairly valued, only the future will show the truth. Either way, this market is one that has shown greater run ups and returns, than any other market in history. (Reference Appendix #1a) Recently the Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached historical highs and then receded back to previous levels, leaving investors who are used to consistent and record setting gains month after month, baffled. Both the Dow Jones and the S P 500 indices have seen modest and even flat performances over the past three months. (Reference #1b)A recent article that was published on the front page of the Wall Street Journal emphasized that returns were flat due to the fact that investors were concerned of the possible on set of inflation. If these concerns are warranted and inflation is thus expected, the Bull market may very well be over. This after all makes sense, inflation has slowed and stopped many run-ups in the past, and the onset of inflation now could very well do the same. While the article introduced some possibilities, it said nothing of the likelihood, the causes of, the Fed.s reactions to, and the probability of expected inflationary increases in the future. This paper is thus dedicated to expanding on these ideas by exploring the rationality of these concerns by examining the circumstances surrounding inflation. It is my speculation that the Bull market may eventually correct itself in the future, but not in the short term due to immediate inflation. That is, that the market was in fact flat due investors concerns, but actual imperative inflation does not look to be expected in the near future. In order to begin to understand the nature of market trends and forces, one must first consider the current state of the U.S. economy relative to its business cycle. Certain aggregates can be measured that tell us a great deal about this. These aggregates have a strong history of leading, coinciding, or lagging the relative business cycle with a high amount of regular correlation. In fact the composite index of leading indicators shows that they have not experienced a significant downturn since the early 1980s, and have been increasing rather sharply over the past 3 years. The fact that all of these indicators are currently rising indicate that the economy is in a period of robust growth, or an expansionary phase. The fruits of this expansion have proven to be many, however it is often said that too much of a good thing can be bad. In this regard there are factors associated with the degree and nature of this economy, which could cause slowdown. For example, how is inflation measured, and to what degree should we be concerned with the effects and attributes of cost- push and demand- pull sources of inflation in this robust economy? According the Baye and Jansen, inflation can be measured by considering the growth of the money supply, the growth of M velocity, and the growth of real output. Algebraically this is represented by the equation: inflation = (gm + gv) gy. This equation thus considers the monetary, supply-push, and demand-pull factors. When the rate of inflation is measured in this way one can see, that over the last few years inflation has been relatively stable about its trend. This is in part, a result of the steady growth of GDP over the same period, and is testimony to the success of the Federal Reserve Boards monetary and fiscal policies. The rates of inflation over the last 10 years are graphically illustrated in Appendix 3A. Cost-push inflation incurs when the prices of inputs for production increase and thus cause profit margins to diminish. If firms are unwilling or unable to accept the declination in operating income, they will pass these increases on to consumers in the form of increased prices. In a competitive market it would seem th at firms would be unable to raise prices, unless there was uniform pressure affecting the aggregate whole of suppliers. (Examples include per unit costs of production, labor costs, energy prices, etc..) Both the dollar cost per person per hour, and the output per person have been increasing since 1997. These increases are most likely in response to technological advances in the public and private sectors. It is worth noting that the advances in compensation have exceeded those in output. Hence firms may have experienced a decline in marginal revenues. Another important aspect regarding wages and output is that the rates of increase for both have been declining since the second quarter of 1998. In the third quarter of 1999, real output was increasing more than the rate at which wages are increasing. This correction may be important when considering cost-push inflationary pressures. (Appendix 3b) On an aggregate level one can measure rising producer costs by examining the producer pri ce index. Appendix 3c graphically explores trends related to the PPI over the past three years. Upon examination it is clear that producer costs have been increasing steadily since 1997. This may be due in part to rising costs of compensation along with recent run-ups on crude oil prices. There is likely a strong correlation between the producer price index and the consumer price index, (The dependent variable) and is therefore important to include when making a forecast of future inflation. There may also be inflationary pressures attributable to demand-pull effects. This occurs when there are too many dollars chasing too few goods. A point to consider here is worker compensation and disposable personal income. The aggregate disposable personal income has been increasing over the recent economic prosperity. The key here is that the increases in income have been fairly stable. It is because of this stability that there appears to be little correlation when disposable personal income is regressed against inflation. Despite the low R^2 variable it still may be a worthy component to add to an inflation forecast. The growth of this economy has been very great, and this is support by strong consumer confidence. An area that would seem to contribute to this robust growth and inflationary pressure is the savings rate. Regardless of which indices or months one looks at, it is clear that personal saving in 1999 in considerably down from all other years. This may have an impact on the velocity of money and thus inflation in the future. The cyclical and irregular activity of the business cycle can be determined by detrending and deseasonalizing the real GDP data. (Appendix 4a) In doing so, one can see how the rates of inflation are correlated with that of the business cycle. The cyclical percentage changes in GDP serve as a good variable in inflationary forecasts because; significant amounts of real increase or decrease tend to be correlated with changes in inflation. Wh en inflation is regressed against the cyclical increases in real GDP, the R^2 value is approximately 32%, indicating a moderate and useful amount of correlation. Therefore I have also include this variable in my forecasting models. Perhaps the most significantly correlated variable that I have come across is percentage changes in monetary velocity. This predictor shows R^2 percentages in excess of 76%. Clearly, fluctuations in the velocity of money have a significant effect on inflation. Once the inflationary pressures of the 1980s resided the velocity of money began its steady upward climb. Only in the last few years has this rate begun to slow and decline. It would appear that the current trend in the velocity of money is one that reflects optimistic consumer behavior. (Appendix 5a shows the trends in the velocity of money over the past few decades.) Meanwhile the M2 money stock has been increasing at a fairly consistent rate for some time, with very little variation about its tre nd. (A.5b) Although in the second quarter the M2 money stock increased by a somewhat larger margin than was originally expected. The above considerations were important when I attempted to create a forecast for inflation by applying techniques discussed in Economic Forecasting 470. In order to attain the most accurate forecast I tried several different methods; including a bivariate, a multivariate, a multivariate with dummy variables, an automatic forecast, and a combination of techniques model. The Bivariate model was based on regressing inflation against the cyclical and irregular behavior of gross domestic product in order to see how the business cycle affected the rate of inflation. This model produced a significant regression statistic near 32%. In other words, roughly one-third of the variation in inflation can be explained by the stage of the business cycle. Both of the multivariate models contained the following predictor variables; detrended seasonally adjusted GDP, change s in the M2 money stock, changes in the velocity of money, changes in the Ppi, and changes in real wages. The most highly correlated variable being percentage changes in the velocity of money (76)%, and the least correlated being changes in the Ppi (4%). The multivariate model was able to produce a regression statistic of approximately 46%. The multivariate with dummy variables actually produce a lower R^2 value, and thus a less dependable model. The automatic forecasting method with Smart software produced a model, which could explain 79% of the data. The software chose a single exponential smoothing model for its forecast which produced a Durbin Watsin statistic of 1.85, and standard error statistic of 1.211. This model eventually proved to be the superior model because of its lower than others error statistics. The combination model produced lower MAD, MSE, RMSE statistics than did the automatic method, but smoothing model was more accurate in that it produced a significantly low er MAPE. The summary of method errors, as well as forecasting models, are contained in appendix 6a. Therefore, using these crude methods I have been able to determine that Smarts single exponential smoothing model provides the most accurate forecasting tool for considering this type of numerical data. Based on this model, the forecasted values of inflation for the third and fourth quarters of 1999 are as follows: Q3 = -3.166*.258*3.682 Q4 = -3.216*.258*3.732 Smart software estimates these value ranges with 95% confidence and an average forecast error of 1.689. By considering some current events that are taking place in the domestic and global economy one might be able to more reasonably estimate this range, and thus assert some greater probabilities upon it. As of August 24, 1999 the Federal Reserve Board took a stance to reduce the leverage of some contributive inflationary aggregates. These actions included a .25% increase in the federal funds rate, bringing the total to about 5.2 5%. As discussed in Money and Banking, this will have a direct impact on the reserve positions and actions for lending institutions. The FOMC helped to accommodate this position stance by selling treasury securities in the secondary market. This is but one of the FOMC directives that can produce this effect. By doing so it detracts funds from the banks, thus further tightening their positions. On November 3, 1999, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis released a document prepared with information accumulated before October 25, 1999. These findings were summarized and placed in the Beige Book. Within this report there is data pertaining to the latest statistics on consumer spending, manufacturing, labor markets, wages and prices, real estate and construction, and banking and finance. The article points out that the majority of districts are reporting increases in consumer outlays, and only a handful show signs of slowing. Some of these districts report that consumer expenditures mi ght be down only due to the effects of hurricane Floyd. Most reported positive outlooks as the economy continues its wild ride and the Holiday seasons are soon approaching. Virtually all districts reported increases in manufacturing across a wide variety of economic sector and industries. This includes massive increases in biotechs to strong growth in paper processing. The November 3 Beige Book for Minneapolis also points out that labor markets are saturated and the demand for workers exceeds that of the supply in many areas. This may be taken as good news from a college students perspective, but at the same time it might also add to cost-push inflationary pressures. Given the increases in wages and disposable income, it is no doubt that mortgage markets continue to prosper. The east coast has seen 5 to 6 % increases in property value, but the volume of loans is growing at much smaller rate. (1 to 2%) On December 1, 1999 the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released their informati on pertaining to the third quarter of 1999. This article contained much information, including some of the most recent economic estimates and reports. Among them was news concerning the trade deficit. Because net exports is a component of GDP, it is important to recognize the nature of this sector when considering the future magnitude of GDP, potential inflation, and future monetary and fiscal policies determined by the Fed. It is plain to see that the recent currency crisis, increasing energy costs, and tariff problems with China have had a profound effect on the trade deficit. (As demonstrated graphically in appendix 7a) The rate of increase related to the trade deficit, and imports exceeded that of any other in two decades. It is also noteworthy that export growth during this time had slowed considerably and even decreased. The BEA noted that for the first time in many months, foreign markets were beginning to show signs of real recovery. Having noted this the article went on to mention that import growth had showed only a slight increase above last quarters, and exports showed a 7% increase over last quarter. If these trends continue it could mean additional growth to gross domestic product. The increases have predominantly from Japan and other industrial countries, while the Asian tigers and Latin America are still in turmoil. To what extent this news is relevant to the domestic economy in terms of growth and inflationary pressures has yet to be seen. However it does seem logical that we can expect the trade deficit to at least flatten out in the coming months, or even experience some decline depending on the resiliency of the other foreign markets. The BEA also estimated that GDP had increased by approximately 5.5% in the third quarter up from an increase of 1.9% in the second. This number was slightly higher than the upper range of an earlier estimate. Related to this increase the bureau noted that corporate profits related to current production were up , although the profits per unit of real production have decreased. These tendencies might be correlated to the factors earlier discussed relating to wage increases relative to productivity. Though not mentioned by the BEA the rate of unemployment continues to slide toward all time lows. Day in and day out, reports of local, state, and federal record low unemployment is being reported. Thus the amount of cyclical unemployment in the economy is virtually zero, and the economy is operating at near full capacity. The unemployment rate is graphically illustrated in appendix 7b. This economics student is not ready to say how long the economy can sustain these r.p.m.s, but does know that eventually the engine must be cooled or the economic expansion and bull market may come to an abrupt end. At the time of the August 24 meeting the Federal Reserve Board and Dr. Greenspan did not anticipate the need for any further tightening of the reserve markets in the near future. Given the fact that th e economy has continued to outperform economists expectations over the inter-meeting period, it will be interesting to see what courses of action and concerns the Fed discusses at the next meeting. (Scheduled sometime near the end of November) What do these rapid and consistent increases mean for the domestic economy. From my perspective, this economy is all I have known. Many of the problems that used to face Americans seem to have been deleted. Leaving us today with the new challenges and fronts to conquer. One of these challenges is keeping this economy heading in a positive and stable direction. A looming threat to the stock markets and domestic economy is inflation. While doing research for this paper I stumbled across the unofficial fan club for Alan Greenspan. I had never heard of a fan club for an economist, but after seeing how stable the growth rates of GDP and inflation have been, my interest and admiration are growing quickly. Earlier this year Fred Vogelstein wrote an a rticle quoting Mr. Greenspan as saying, Do worry. Be unhappy. This from an economist with his own fan club; sounds like trouble. The article summarized some of Greenspans remarks in which he speculated about the increasing probability of an inflation spike and increased interest rates. He also pointed the possibility of a stock market correction, and the possible onset of a bear market. Given the above remarks from Mr. Vogelsteins article it seems likely that the inflation forecast previously presented will likely be in the upper portion of the range. That is, it is likely to be between .25 and 3.7% for the remainder of 1999. Though it is important to note that this analysis is based strictly on numerical data, and does not consider the realities of global economics. Inflation to investors generally means that their actual returns are going down. As a result the prices are usually bid down in order to better reflect the required yield on equity. Based on my further analysis of this article it seems that investors concerns about inflation were and are indeed genuine, and the onset of inflation in the future could mean further plateaus in equity prices and increases in interest rates. However, I believe that this course of events might also present diversified and risk adverse investors with several opportunities to strengthen their positions, and add some securities that might be presently overvalued. (Increasing energy prices also increase the attractiveness for companies such as bldp and ucr.) Bibliography Works Cited (1) Baye/Jansen. Money and Banking. Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company. (1995) Pages 61-88. (2) Economagic, (1999) Economic Time Series Page. ; http://www.economagic.com/; (3) Employment Cost Trends. BLS, (1999) ; http://stats.bls.gov/ecthome.htm; (4) Freidma. PPT Slide Show. http://www.ecom In order to carry on photosynthesis, green plants Essay

Pursuit of Material Wealth Essay Sample free essay sample

Material wealth brings felicity and joy to people. leting people to be freed from fiscal issues. However. one may non cognize that the chase of stuff wealth is taking a immense hazard and may convey approximately much injury to a individual. a household or even the whole community. In my sentiment. the material wealth will do damaging effects to a individual. should a individual chase stuff wealth. Therefore. the chase of wealth is non the most of import thing in life. Hedging some of the issues. the chase of stuff wealth will take to an eternal desire of a peculiar privation and eventually. emotional poorness. One illustration is the chase of branded goods with the snob entreaty. Many adult females would hunger for munificent bags such as Louis Vuitton. Chanel and many others. Unsatisfied. these adult females would hanker for more and more of such branded goods of an even higher monetary value each clip they buy. We will write a custom essay sample on Pursuit of Material Wealth Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In a similar manner. the chase for money is endless. Slowly. this leads to an compulsion as money is the lone end that people will take to accomplish. Besides. cool appliances. the latest and best techno-gizmo. voguish clothes the newest manner has been the hot pick of teenagers’ chase. Such chase has been brought about by advertizements and peer force per unit area. merely to call a few. A mercenary life style will convey much sadness and uncomfortableness to people as the end of chase for a demand will ever be etched on the person’s head. neer traveling off. Therefore. the chase of stuff wealth will take to an eternal desire and finally emotional poorness. In add-on. the chase of stuff wealth besides causes interpersonal relationships among people to endure. The Straits Times reported late that an ex-bank executive. Winnie Goh Li Ching. 33. was charged of cabaling with lodging agents to rip off OCBC over $ 61 million lodging loans scams. This shows that the greed for high terminal belongingss like lodging and autos are the thrust for people’s desire. To obtain such material wealth. people will seek and obtain it through all agencies. In the above illustration. Winnie would hold non merely lost her occupation. but besides the trust and she had built with her fellow co-workers. Finally. her friends and household. would besides look down upon her and the relationships she have with them may turn rancid in the terminal. Therefore the chase of stuff wealth causes interpersonal relationships to endure. Material wealth does play an of import portion in our day-to-day lives. Material wealth helps us to pay. among other things food market. mortgage. children’s instruction. public-service corporation measures or even lodging loans. Acquisition of stuff wealth is really of import as it could be of a immense aid in endurance. the quality of life and may convey success to an person. a household or even to the whole society. However. the complete acquisition of stuff wealth will take to the chase of stuff wealth. which in bends bring damaging effects like emotional poorness and how interpersonal relationships will endure. Hence. it can non be said that the chase of wealth is the most of import in life. Overall. alternatively of the chase of stuff wealth. one should travel for non-material wealth and that is passing more choice clip with their household and friend. In my sentiment. the chase of stuff wealth is eternal and this causes us to lose our intent in life. non merely does it impact a person’s emotional province but besides causes relationships to endure. hence. the chase of stuff wealth is non the most of import thing in life.

A Creative Way to Get Paid for Talking

A Creative Way to Get Paid for Talking In a recent Funds for Writers issue, Hope continued her steady mentorship of us writers But, we all cry, how do we get our names out there in the world? How will anybody ever know about the fabulous books we have written if we dont talk to every audience that will have us? I have hit on an easy solution to the event-doesn’t-want-to-pay problem, so I wanted to share it. It started as just an experiment, but was so successful that I have used it half a dozen times since and plan to employ it whenever I have the chance. Many of the groups that invite me are chapters of charitable organizations or civic groups. That means they operate on very tight budgets and dont have the means to pay much of a speakers fee. Im not talking Madeleine Albright or Carly Fiorina –level payments here ($50,000 and $73,000, respectively), but a modest $250 honorarium plus travel expenses. So, instead of an honorarium, I have asked the organizers to buy one book for every attendee at their conferences and programs. I offer to sell the books to the group at deep discount, books that I purchased at an even deeper discount from the publisher. The group can then build the cost of the volume into the registration fee. This is a fairly painless price tag for both the sponsoring organization and the participant, and attendees get to walk away with some pretty substantial swag. To illustrate: I purchase books for $5 each from the publisher. I charge the groups $10 each - still far less than the list price of $28.95. In an audience of fifty people, I can make $250, precisely what I would have earned had I charged an honorarium, and much more than I would have netted from royalties – at $1.20 per book, only $60. And, of course, since royalties depend both on sales and the speed of calculating those sales at the publishing house, those payments arrive in my checking account much more slowly than the check from the host group does. In fact, if I must fly to the speaking gig, I ship the books ahead. The check arrives before I even pack my bags. So, you see, my method yields quicker and greater results. Not bad for a few hours of time. Even better, people have my book in their hands. If they like what they read, they may be more likely to buy my next book, especially when they have had the opportunity to meet the author and discuss the book with her. Isnt that the point of getting out there to speak in the first place? Finally, a bonus: I get the books out of my house! (I know you have cases of books in your closet/attic/basement, too.)

The History and Domestication of Goats

The History and Domestication of Goats Goats (Capra hircus) were among the first domesticated animals, adapted from the wild bezoar ibex Capra aegargus in western Asia. Bezoar ibexes are native to the southern slopes of the Zagros and Taurus mountains, and evidence shows that the goat descendants spread globally, playing an important role in the advancement of Neolithic agricultural technology where they were taken. Beginning between 10,000-11,000 years ago, Neolithic farmers in the Near East starting keeping small herds of ibexes for their milk and meat, and for their dung for fuel, as well as for materials for clothing and building: hair, bone, skin, and sinew. Today over 300 breeds of goats exist on our planet, living on every continent except Antarctica and in a quite astonishing range of environments, from human tropical rain forests to dry hot desert regions and cold, hypoxic high altitude regions. Because of this variety, the domestication history was a bit obscure until the development of DNA research. Where Goats Originated Domestication in goats has been recognized archaeologically by the presence and abundance of the animal into regions that were well beyond western Asia, by perceived changes in their body size and shape (called morphology), by differences in demographic profiles in wild and domestic groups, and by stable isotope recognition of their dependence on year-round fodders. Archaeological data suggested two distinct places of domestication: the Euphrates river valley at Nevali Çori, Turkey (11,000 years ago [bp], and the Zagros Mountains of Iran at Ganj Dareh (10,000 bp). Other possible sites of domestication posed by archaeologists included the Indus Basin in Pakistan at (Mehrgarh, 9,000 bp), central Anatolia the southern Levant, and China. Divergent Goat Lineages Studies on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences (Luikart et al) indicate there are four highly divergent goat lineages today. Luikart and colleagues suggested that means either there were four domestication events, or there is a broad level of diversity that was always there in the bezoar ibex. A study by Gerbault and colleagues supported Luikarts findings, suggesting the extraordinary variety of genes in modern goats arose from one or more domestication events from the Zagros and Taurus mountains and the southern Levant, followed by interbreeding and continued development in other places. A study on the frequency of genetic haplotypes (basically gene variation packages) in goats by Nomura and colleagues suggests that it is possible there may have been a southeast Asian domestication event as well, but its also possible that during the transport to southeast Asia via the steppe region of central Asia, goat groups developed extreme bottlenecks, resulting in fewer variations. Goat Domestication Processes Makarewicz and Tuross looked at stable isotopes in goat and gazelle bones from two sites on either side of the Dead Sea in Israel: Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) site of Abu Ghosh and the Late PPNB site of Basta. They showed that gazelles (used as a control group) eaten by the occupants of the two sites maintained a consistently wild diet, but goats from the later Basta site had a significantly different diet than goats from the earlier site. The main difference in the oxygen and nitrogen stable isotopes of the goats suggests that Basta goats had access to plants that were from a wetter environment than that near where they were eaten. That was likely the result of either the goats being herded to a wetter environment during some part of the year  or that they were provisioned by fodder from those locations. That indicates that people were managing goats in so far as moving them from pasture to pasture and/or providing fodder by as early as 8000 cal BC; and that was likely part of a process that began earlier still, perhaps during the early PPNB (8500-8100 cal BC), coinciding with reliance on plant cultivars. Important Goat Sites Important archaeological sites with evidence for the initial process of goat domestication include Cayà ¶nà ¼, Turkey (8500-8000 BC), Tell Abu Hureyra, Syria (8000-7400 BC), Jericho, Israel (7500 BC), and Ain Ghazal, Jordan (7600-7500 BC). Sources Fernndez H, Hughes S, Vigne J-D, Helmer D, Hodgins G, Miquel C, Hnni C, Luikart G, and Taberlet P. 2006. Divergent mtDNA lineages of goats in an Early Neolithic site, far from the initial domestication areas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103(42):15375-15379.Gerbault P, Powell A, and Thomas MG. 2012. Evaluating demographic models for goat domestication using mtDNA sequences. Anthropozoologica 47(2):64-76.Luikart G, Gielly L, Excoffier L, Vigne J-D, Bouvet J, and Taberlet P. 2001. Multiple maternal origins and weak phylogeographic structure in domestic goats. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 98:5927-5932.Makarewicz C, and Tuross N. 2012. Finding Fodder and Tracking Transhumance: Isotopic Detection of Goat Domestication Processes in the Near East. Current Anthropology 53(4):495-505.Naderi S, Rezaei H-R, Pompanon F, Blum MGB, Negrini R, Naghash H-R, Balkiz Ãâ€", Mashkour M, Gaggiotti OE, Ajmone-Marsan P et al. 2008. The goat domestication process inferr ed from large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis of wild and domestic individuals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(46):17659-17664. Naderi S, Rezaei H-R, Taberlet P, Zundel S, Rafat S-A, Naghash H-R, El-Barody MAA, Ertugrul O, Pompanon F, and for the Econogene C. 2007. Large-Scale Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of the Domestic Goat Reveals Six Haplogroups with High Diversity. PLoS ONE 2(10):e1012.Nomura K, Yonezawa T, Mano S, Kawakami S, Shedlock AM, Hasegawa M, and Amano T. 2013. Domestication Process of the Goat Revealed by an Analysis of the Nearly Complete Mitochondrial Protein-Encoding Genes. PLoS ONE 8(8):e67775.Vahidi SMF, Tarang AR, Naqvi A-u-N, Falahati Anbaran M, Boettcher P, Joost S, Colli L, Garcia JF, and Ajmone-Marsan P. 2014. Investigation of the genetic diversity of domestic Capra hircus breeds reared within an early goat domestication area in Iran. Genetics Selection Evolution 46(1):27.Zeder MA. 2001. A Metrical Analysis of a Collection of Modern Goats (Capra hircus aegargus and C. h. hircus) from Iran and Iraq: Implications for the Study of Caprine Domestication. Journal of Archaeological Science 28 (1):61-79. Zeder MA, and Hesse B. 2000. The Initial Domestication of Goats (Capra hircus) in the Zagros Mountains 10,000 Years Ago.Science 287:2254-2257.

The Downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate - Essay Example This can be pointed to the changes in research methods and analysis that are becoming more and more professional, and better equipped. With these kinds of tools, various historical researchers find different evidence that they support as to how the empire fell. Some historians argue that the empire fell due to the social problems that the Tokugawa Shogunate faced during this time amongst them. Other scholars however insist that the empire fell due to the economic problems that the Tokugawa Shogunate empire faced in their last moments. This paper is a critical review of some of the historian’s view of the reason as to why the kingdom fell. The paper does not focus more on the reasons why the empire fell but looks at the conditions that surrounded the fall and how historians have been changing their views over the past years regarding the fall of the Tokugawa Empire. Other historians have criticized some of these historical interpretations. However, a keen look at some of the ar guments that led to the fall of the empire reveals that most historians have a similar view as to why the empire fell with slight differences. From most of their interpretations, the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate is attributed to their obsolete methods in economical, political and foreign affairs, other than the civil wars and battles over various positions in the colony among the Samurai. During the reign of the Tokugawa, there was a hierarchy of living. Politicians and those in government were considered to be at the top of the hierarchy while farmer’s carpenters and other laborers were considered to be at the bottom of the hierarchy. Due to this, the Samurai soldiers were fond of numerous killings and would be found cutting off people lower in the hierarchy without any reason1. Due to this, some of the people in the lower hierarchy would resists and come to war with the people in the upper and centre of the hierarchy. This was a common phenomenon since the early perio ds of the empire. Some early Japanese historians attributed this to the fall of the Tokugawa Empire. However, to Sir George Sansom, this is completely wrong. He points out that the oppressions of the Samurai people had been there since the beginning and that this did not point out to the fall of the empire. Published in 1932, Sir George’s history of the Japanese people has been widely used in the US to teach history students. Even though he disagree that the empire fell due to the oppressions felt on the people, he is fast in pointing out that the Tokugawa period was characterized by oppression and feudal rule. He clearly points out that people considered lower in the hierarchy were highly mistreated and some of them killed without mercy. He however points that soldiers solved such disputes and that it had nothing to do with the fall of the empire2. George points out that the Tokugawa government kept to themselves and never opened up to the west that was bringing change to th e rest of the world. Because of this, the government was left alone and continued to practice the old methods of governance, which had poor financial knowledge. Due to this, the economy of the empire did poorly as compared to that of its neighbors who had agreed to accept the west. There was therefore a cultural arrest of the Samurai people due to poor governance. Sir George therefore points out that poor governance led to the downfall of the Tokugawa Empire. This was depicted in many films and plays that was done on japans

The Downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate - Essay Example This can be pointed to the changes in research methods and analysis that are becoming more and more professional, and better equipped. With these kinds of tools, various historical researchers find different evidence that they support as to how the empire fell. Some historians argue that the empire fell due to the social problems that the Tokugawa Shogunate faced during this time amongst them. Other scholars however insist that the empire fell due to the economic problems that the Tokugawa Shogunate empire faced in their last moments. This paper is a critical review of some of the historian’s view of the reason as to why the kingdom fell. The paper does not focus more on the reasons why the empire fell but looks at the conditions that surrounded the fall and how historians have been changing their views over the past years regarding the fall of the Tokugawa Empire. Other historians have criticized some of these historical interpretations. However, a keen look at some of the ar guments that led to the fall of the empire reveals that most historians have a similar view as to why the empire fell with slight differences. From most of their interpretations, the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate is attributed to their obsolete methods in economical, political and foreign affairs, other than the civil wars and battles over various positions in the colony among the Samurai. During the reign of the Tokugawa, there was a hierarchy of living. Politicians and those in government were considered to be at the top of the hierarchy while farmer’s carpenters and other laborers were considered to be at the bottom of the hierarchy. Due to this, the Samurai soldiers were fond of numerous killings and would be found cutting off people lower in the hierarchy without any reason1. Due to this, some of the people in the lower hierarchy would resists and come to war with the people in the upper and centre of the hierarchy. This was a common phenomenon since the early perio ds of the empire. Some early Japanese historians attributed this to the fall of the Tokugawa Empire. However, to Sir George Sansom, this is completely wrong. He points out that the oppressions of the Samurai people had been there since the beginning and that this did not point out to the fall of the empire. Published in 1932, Sir George’s history of the Japanese people has been widely used in the US to teach history students. Even though he disagree that the empire fell due to the oppressions felt on the people, he is fast in pointing out that the Tokugawa period was characterized by oppression and feudal rule. He clearly points out that people considered lower in the hierarchy were highly mistreated and some of them killed without mercy. He however points that soldiers solved such disputes and that it had nothing to do with the fall of the empire2. George points out that the Tokugawa government kept to themselves and never opened up to the west that was bringing change to th e rest of the world. Because of this, the government was left alone and continued to practice the old methods of governance, which had poor financial knowledge. Due to this, the economy of the empire did poorly as compared to that of its neighbors who had agreed to accept the west. There was therefore a cultural arrest of the Samurai people due to poor governance. Sir George therefore points out that poor governance led to the downfall of the Tokugawa Empire. This was depicted in many films and plays that was done on japans

Swot Analysis of Car Company SAAB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Swot Analysis of Car Company SAAB - Essay Example The company is currently operating in narrow market and therefore has small and limited target market. Another weakness of the company is that, it is offering limited number of vehicles as compared to other large automobile companies in the industry. From the start the company has been owned and overtaken by different organizations (Reuters; Saab Automobile Press Office), therefore there is no stable organizational culture or practices in the company. This shifting have also resulted in negatively affecting the brand image of the company as the company has not been able to build a consistent brand image.  There is high opportunity for the car company if it expands its product portfolio and comes up with fuel efficient and environment friendly vehicles. The company can expand its market share with the help of new ideas and innovative vehicles.There are increasing political and government regulations in the automotive industry. Almost all automobile companies are facing the issue of increase regulations on part of the government. These legal and political regulations are being affecting the status of the automotive industry from the year 1960. Most of the recent regulations and rules have been influenced from the increasing concerns about the environment. Apart from this there are increasing taxes and duties from the government. There are also considerable amount of subsidies offered by the government for the companies operating in automotive industry (Plunkett Research). Like any other industry, the automotive industry is also affected by the recent economic crisis. The economic recession has resulted in decreasing the demand of the vehicles leading to the issue of excessive capacity. The companies are looking for different methods in order to achieve economies of scales. For this purpose, most of the automobile companies are either diversifying into other related businesses or are going for mergers and strategic alliances (Global Foresight). The social and cu ltural preferences are changing rapidly. Car or vehicle is perceived to be the status symbol in the society. Apart from this the consumers are reluctant to spend more money due to the recent economic crisis and are looking for economical cars and vehicles.

Galactic type Essay Example for Free

Galactic type Essay Galaxies can be explained as massive systems of stars, dust, gas as well as other types of matter that are bound together by gravitational forces to form a single physical mass. As Binney and Merrifield (1998: p 34) explain, on the basis of extensive imaging surveys that have been carried out, it is estimated that there are more than 40 billion galaxies in the universe, that are spread out in a complex large-scale systems for example, clusters, super-clusters. There are also boundaries of huge empty spaces referred to as voids. The sun is just part of galaxy called the Milky Way. This galaxy is a much flattened spiral galaxy that could be comprised by more than 400 billions stars. Through the use of telescopes, it is possible to view these galaxies. Gravitational Lenses Gravitational lenses can be described as galaxies and clusters of galaxies, which are so huge that they cause bends to the route of light objects towards their directions, thus they distort the forms of backdrop galaxies into curves as well as rings. At times these gravitational lenses can even lead to photos of galaxies and quasars to be seen in symmetrical outlines around them. However such cosmetic arrangement is very rare and only occurs in out of a thousand elliptical galaxies. Galaxy merges It has been noted that galaxies comes together to create merges. In such a case galaxies can merge in two different ways. One is through forming stars, and the second way is by merging together. Basing on the present theories of how galaxies are formed, it is expected that they are must be extensive merging going on. In fact, there are many examples to attests this point. However, it is very hard to consistently measure the extent of merging that is happening; it calls for huge samples and keen measuring machines and eyes. (http://www. galaxyzoo. org/science) Understanding these galaxies is a significant part of contemporary astronomy. Galaxies are basic units of matter within the space, and explaining the way they are formed as well as how they have achieved their present form is very critical for various aspects in astronomy. Indeed it is significant to note that what is presently known regarding galaxies started with just a simple classification of how the galaxies appeared through the photos taken using huge observatory telescopes. From these photos, galaxies present a broad diversity of forms, or shapes and can basically be divided into various classes just like living things are classified. Classification of galaxy Visual galaxy classification has continued to be helpful at a moment when galaxies still are not better understood. Classification of galaxies offers an outline for more studies and proposes a sound approach to studying these complex galaxies. Classification of galaxies Binney and Merrifield (1998 pp 36) tells us that, different schemes have been formulated to bring some order to galactic zoo; this has been done through pigeonholing galaxies in relation to one or various properties that include shape, luminosity and spectrum. This section has listed some galaxy classification. Hubble classification The well known and mostly used general scheme of galaxy classification is the Hubble classification. In this classification, galaxies are classified according to how they appear. This system was formulated by Edwin Hubble, and it splits the galaxies into spiral (normal as well as barred), elliptical and irregulars. This scheme is characterized by the well known turning-fork figure. Elliptical galaxies are further grouped from spherical (E0) to highly elongated (E7) in relation to their increasing eccentricity. Generally, spirals vary from Sa (those with arms closely wound) to SBc (those with arms extensively spaced). Irregulars are referred to as Ir. However, Alan Sandage added an extra category to this initial scheme. What was added is S0 for describing lenticular system that has a nucleus that is surrounded by a circle-like structure that does not have spiral arms. Accordingly Buta, Corwin and Odewahn (2002, p, 3) explains that, Galaxies are as well usually termed as ‘early’ for those designated as E and S0 or to be ‘late’ for those designated as Sb, Sb and Irr, in essence this is a remainder of early ideas that galaxies physically evolved alongside the Hubble order. Sadly, this classification is contrary to that of the leading stellar population among these types, and it is also contrary to the early-late classification used in the Yerkes nomenclature. The figure bellow shows some of the galaxy classifications Source: http://www. daviddarling. info/encyclopedia/G/galaxies. html Morgan classification William Morgan also formulated a scheme of classifying galaxies that applies the integrated spectrum of stars and their shapes (apparent and real) together with the degree of the galaxy central concentration. This scheme spells out the galactic spectral form as, a; af; fg; g; gk or k (the letter/s corresponds to the various integrated stellar forms). There are other form used for example, S for spiral; B for barred spiral; E for elliptical structure; L for low surface brightness and N for tiny bright nucleus. Numbers are used to classifying the inclination line of vision, thus, 1 is used for face on while 7 is used for edge-on (numbers 1 to 7 are used). Accordingly, Andromeda Galaxy classification is as kS5 De Vaucouleurs-Sandage classification In this classification, SA designates ordinary spirals, while SB designates barred spirals. Then a lower case s in brackets designates S-shaped spirals. Alternatively r will designate ringed shape. Lastly, various transitional phases have been incorporated between SA spirals and Magellanic irregulars Im. Thus using this classification, Andromeda Galaxy is classified as Sa (s) b. Van den Bergh (DDD) classification This classification comprises two parameters. The first one is galactic type (this are Sa; Sb; Sc and Ir). The second parameter is the luminosity class (designated as I, II, III, IV and V). Just like the MKK structure of stellar luminosity classification, the notations S- as well as S+ are applied to designate sub-giant species that have low or high resolution, correspondingly. S (B) notation has created to designate objects that are intermediate between real spirals and the barred spirals. Conclusion Galaxy classification is very useful since it provides a lot of insight information on physical aspects of galaxies. In classifying galaxies, there are various schemes that are used; however, the scheme formulated by Edwin Hubble though revised over the years still remains the most widely used. Classification of galaxy has laid down the foundation of future study in understanding the galaxies. Through correct classification we gain better understanding of these complex galaxies and indeed of our universe. Reference: Binney, Joseph and Morrison Merrifield: Galactic Astronomy: Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998: pp 34-37 Buta, Ronald; Howard Corwin and Stephen Odewahn: Galaxy classification: Cambridge University Press, 2002, p 2-4 Galaxy Zoo: The Science: Accessed from: http://www. galaxyzoo. org/science on 12/6/2009 Galaxy Zoo (2009): The Story So Far Accessed from: http://www. galaxyzoo. org/story on 12/6/2009 The internet Encyclopedia of science: Galaxy classification: Accessed from: http://www. daviddarling. info/encyclopedia/G/galaxies. html on 12/6/2009

Essay on Fate in Oedipus Rex and The Seagull :: comparison compare contrast essays

Role of Fate in Oedipus Rex and The Seagull       The inevitability of fate is a key theme in Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex' and in Chekhov's 'The Seagull'. I was fascinated by the ways this inevitability was conveyed by Chekhov and Sophocles respectively and the ways in which the actions of the characters contributed to and heightened their fate. I shall attempt to compare and contrast the way in which Oedipus and, to a lesser extent, Nina make their fates more unbearable by their own actions and choices. In each case the author uses characterisation to enhance and increase the sense of inevitability and hence the sense of tragedy in the respective plays.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles has created his Oedipus not as innately evil but as a likeable character.   It is this that makes the conclusion of his play even more tragic.[1]   Had Oedipus been presented as an evil character we would have felt much less sympathetic towards him, as it is Oedipus appears to be the very essence of goodness at the commencement of the play and in this way makes his downfall owing to a realisation of the truth even more dramatic.   He is an 'ideal king' - one who feels for his people.   This addition to a well-known story by Sophocles makes the resultant dramatic irony extremely effective.   His evident flaws of character make it plausible that he could have unknowingly killed his father and married his mother.   He is human but at the start of the play his excessive pride, impetuousness and efficiency, all human failings, seem to obscure and divert his search for the truth. Furthermore, he is arrogant and conceited, particularly concerning his personal successes:    "Oedipus: Why, when the monster with her song was here, spak'st thou no word our countrymen to help? And yet the riddle lay above the ken...and called for prophets skill...but then I came...and slew her."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These features of Oedipus' personality lead him inevitably to assume that he, the great Oedipus, liberator of his people, could not possibly be the murderer that they seek. Hence, it is Oedipus' inflated ego that causes his fate to be so severe and his downfall so great at the end of the play.   Furthermore, despite Teiresias' words early in the play, Oedipus refuses to believe the truth that he is responsible for Laios' death.   His arrogance leads him to unknowingly curse himself, thus making his fate worse:

British Imperialism in India

â€Å"All the leadership had spent their early years in England. They were influenced by British thought, British ideas, that is why our leaders were always telling the British â€Å"How can you do these things? They’re against your own basic values. â€Å". We had no hatred, in fact it was the other way round – it was their values that made us revolt. † -Aruna Asaf Ali, a leader of the Indian National Congress. There is no doubt that British imperialism had a large impact on India. India, having previously been an group of independent and semi-independent princedoms and territories, underwent great change under British administration. Originally intended to consolidate their hold on India by establishing a population that spoke the same language as their rulers, the British decision in the 1830s to educate Indians in a Western fashion, with English as the language of instruction, was the beginning of a chain of events, including a rise in Indian nationalism, that led to Indian resentment of British imperialism and ultimately to the loss of British control over India. One of the most important factors in the British loss of control over India was the establishment of English as a unifying language. Prior This in turn led to further resentment of British imperialism, and claims that military regulations were an attempt by the British to destroy the traditional caste system. There was, however, much suspicion that this declaration meant nothing and that Britain had no intention of relinquishing control beyond simple aspects such as health services, agriculture and public works (Cowie, 39, 1994). Ghandi†tms Western education allowed him to develop his radical technique of â€Å"satyagraha†tm or â€Å"truth force†tm, whereby laws were opposed with the force of truth and moral consciousness instead of violence. This movement consisted mostly of British-educated intellectuals, and ironically was made possible by the British encouragement of higher education, originally intended to create a middle management that could carry out simple administration jobs. Ghandi was â€Å"†shrewd enough to utilise the nature of British rule in India to win independence without too much bloodshed† (Masani, quoted in Wood, 32, 1989). With this in mind, the Montagu Declaration was issued in 1917, promising â€Å"gradual†tm and â€Å"progressive†tm self-government for India. As well as the moderate nationalism that grew within the Indian National Congress, extreme nationalism was also becoming prevalent. While earlier in the century, the English language and European political principles gave rise to the Indian nationalist movement, these were the tools used to strengthen the movement and to create unity among the Indian people. † (Cowie, 36, 1994) This Congress, however, had no power in terms of action and it can be seen as an attempt by the British to appease Indian nationalists who wanted progress. The Indian National Congress was the largest and most obvious nationalist group, formed so that â€Å"educated Indians†could express dissatisfaction with the British colonial administration and suggest reforms. Ghandi also gained insight into his culture through â€Å"discussion with English friends on religion, both Christianity and Hinduism, which he now began to discover on a philosophical level† (Masselos, 121, 1972). The publication of magazines and journals in English was also a great influence on the rise of Indian nationalism. to British colonisation, India was fragmented and multi-lingual, with 15 major languages and around 720 dialects. But in both cases there were actually both.

John Clare Essay

John Clare (1793-1864) was born on July 13 at Helpstone, a village in Northamptonshire, close to the Lincolnshire fens. His father, Parker Clare, worked as a farm laborer. In his spare time his father was also a rustic wrestler and ballad singer. Clare attended a dame school in his native village, and then went to Glinton School in the next village. When his father became ill with rheumatism, Clare began work first as a horse-boy, then ploughboy, then as a gardener at Burghley House. In 1812 he enlisted in the militia, returning home eighteen months later. He met Martha Turner in Casterton, who joined the Clare family just before the birth of the first of their eight children. Clare’s first book of poems appeared in 1820, published by Hessey and Taylor. The volume ran to four editions in the first year, and he became celebrated in London literary society as the â€Å"peasant poet†. In 1837 Clare was admitted into Mathew Allen’s private asylum of High Beech in Epping Forest, where he stayed for four years until he discharged himself, walking the eighty miles home to Northborough in three days, eating grass on the way. He wrote two long, suffering poems, Don Juan and Child Harold, which documented his precious mental state. He was certified insane by two doctors in December 18841 and was admitted to St, Andrews County Lunatic Asylum in Northampton, where he was treated well and continued to write, producing many short, semi-mystical poems. John Clare later passed away in the institution in 1864 at the age of 71. First Love I ne’er was struck before that hour With love so sudden and so sweet, Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower And stole my heart away complete. My face turned pale as deadly pale. My legs refused to walk away, And when she looked, what could I ail? My life and all seemed turned to clay. And then my blood rushed to my face And took my eyesight quite away, The trees and bushes round the place Seemed midnight at noonday. I could not see a single thing, Words from my eyes did start — They spoke as chords do from the string, And blood burnt round my heart. Are flowers the winter’s choice? Is love’s bed always snow? She seemed to hear my silent voice, Not love’s appeals to know. I never saw so sweet a face As that I stood before. My heart has left its dwelling-place And can return no more First love is a poem, which shows the experience the poet has falling in love for the first time. It is rejoicing the love he attained for a woman named Mary Joyce however there is sadness and a feeling of dissatisfaction hovering in the background. This feeling exists, as the love was unrequited. The poem has an underlying tone of innocence and flurry of emotions as it is the poets very first attempt at love exhibiting his feelings for Mary. The opening of the first stanza only shows how sudden and unexpected the feeling was as he was never â€Å"struck before that hour†, this is followed my sibilance alliteration so sudden and so sweet further emphasizing on the shock and bewilderment of the overwhelming feeling confirming it is a new experience. He uses his heart as a symbol that she has stolen completely away however unknowingly. The paragraph continues to describe how he physically felt ill as his face turned pale a deadly pale. Generally when a person falls in love the instinct is that the blood rushed to the face, which occurs as a latter reaction. This could be because he probably already sensed that the love could not be returned as he didn’t say anything to her instead he hoped that his eyes would convey the message â€Å"words from my eyes did start†. He never came close to even touching or  talking to her however the line â€Å"all seemed to turn to clay† conveys the strong affection he attained for her. He also shows how the woman is in control of their relationship as she could mould and re-mould him as per her wish. In the second stanza he goes on to describe more of his emotions brought forward by this interaction. He makes it quite visual for us of how the love has its affect on him and how he flushes with embarrassment so much that for a moment he feels blind. The physical impact of love relates the experience of love and loss.

Free Online Public Schools for Ohio Students, K-12

Free Online Public Schools for Ohio Students, K-12 Ohio offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. This list shows some no-cost online schools serving elementary and high school students in Ohio as of May 2017. In order to qualify for the list, schools met the following qualifications: classes available completely online, they must offer services to state residents, and they must be government funded. The virtual schools listed may be charter schools, statewide public programs, or private programs that receive government funding. Ohio Connections Academy The mission of Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) is to partner â€Å"with families, students and educators to provide a high-quality and personalized online education that meets the individual needs of students and empowers them with the skills required for success in a changing world.† OCA offers a curriculum developed by leading education experts. Instructors have been deemed â€Å"highly qualified† by the state of Ohio. Ohio Connections Academy also prides itself on creating a well-rounded experience for students, with clubs and field trips, as well as personalized teacher-student attention. OCA maintains teaching centers in the Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati areas. Ohio Virtual Academy The Ohio Virtual Academy (OVHA) uses the individualized K12 curriculum, which covers core subject areas and electives. Based on decades of research, K12 has been an established leader in online education throughout the United States, packaging curriculum with high-quality lessons and mastery-based assessments to ensure that students achieve success at every level. The supportive school community arranges enjoyable and helpful monthly get-togethers for students,  parents,  and staff to share their experiences.

Analysis of fast fashion

Analysis of fast fashion Fast Fashion has been explored within the context of supply chain management (Ko and Kincade, 1997; Fiorito et al., 1995,1998; Sohal et al., 1998; Perry and Sohal, 2000; Guercini,2001; Azuma, 2002; Mattila et al., 2002; Birtwistle et al., 2003; Lee and Kincade, 2003). According to Barnes, L. and Lea-Greenwood, G. (2006, p259) â€Å"fast fashion is a business strategy which aims to processes involved in the buying cycle and lead times for getting new fashion product into stores, in order to satisfy consumer demand at its peak.† Saren,M. (2006) points out fast fashion refers to the time scale that exists between the emergence of a new fashion trend and the time it takes for a company to respond to that trend by having the product available in the market for sale. A commitment to fast fashion puts considerable strain on an organization. It requires that they are totally up to date with consumer trends and developments as these emerge and that they be fully prepared to respond to these developments with new product ranges in advance of their competition (Saren, M, 2006). Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2010) states fast fashion is the company can recognize and respond to fashion trends very quickly, create products that mirror the trends, and get those products onto shelves much faster and more frequently than the industry norm. 2.1.1 The characteristics of Fast Fashion In recent years, the fast fashion rise rapidly to become the new bright spot in the world’s clothing market. Fast fashion is a term used to describe clothing collections which are based on the most recent fashion trends presented at Fashion Week in both the spring and the autumn of every year (Muran, L, 2007). One of the biggest retail success stories of the past decade has been the phenomenal rise of fast fashion, a shopping trend spurred by rapidly changing styles and the ready availability of cheap brands (Barrie, L, 2010). The characteristics of fast fashion are ‘fast’ and ‘fashion’, by capturing fashion quickly, launch new fashion design quickly, product updates quickly at a lower price to meet consumer’s demand for access to fashion. The growth in the fast fashion industry â€Å"seems to be phenomenal† (Arvind Singhal, 2010). The reason of the development of fast fashion increasing and soon occupied the market, the main characteristics are: compared with the traditional clothing brands, the product development of fast fashion to the market is short, with the flow and not create trends, seasonal design rather than to go further the design, focusing on breadth rather than depth of products and with frequently new product in the market. Fast fashion can also be treated as the inevitable backlash by consumers against the homogenization of the retail industry (Mya, F, 2006). Fast fashion, an evolving retail trend that has store chains filling their racks with new, gotta-have-it merchandise (Erin, W, 2004). The aim of fast f ashion is specifically at a culture of rapid purchasing and disposal (Fast Fashion, 2007). Fast fashion may be moving too fast for customers to keep up (Wilson, E and Barbaro, M, 2006). As everything is getting faster, which including fashion, but Robin Anson (2010) argues that there are still few things that influence fast fashion, he says that â€Å"fast fashion can’t happen without facilitators, while low prices might encourage more purchases, to get low prices you need low labour costs, low raw material costs, and high productivity – but the quality must still be good.† According to Lovejoy, J (2007), the characteristics of fast fashion are: Primary emphasis is speed with fashion

Analyze Emmi in Switzerland and predict how they can be more Essay

Analyze Emmi in Switzerland and predict how they can be more sustainable in 2054 - Essay Example This essay will set out to examine the sustainability of Emmi Company, and its sustainability potential in the future, especially in relation to environmental impacts and anticipated changes in the next forty years. Emmi has sought to differentiate its brand by enhancing sustainability in the past through careful and sustainable use of resources, and in its production activities. By doing this, Emmi seeks to satisfy required food standards for its market niche, ensuring that its products are safe and of high quality (Emmi Group: Genuine Swiss Premium Taste, 2014: p1). Basing their activities on economic production, they are also aware of the customers’ anticipation that Emmi pursues a strategy of sustainability that should have continuous price reductions as an attribute. This brings up a crucial aspect of Emmi’s business strategy in attempting to satisfy the customers’ expectations for superior brand quality in relation to maintaining customer friendly prices. This paper discusses the strategy pursued by Emmi in using competent and sound technologies that enable them to carry out energy intensive processes, making the company one of the industry’s leading entity in corporate responsibility. Sustainability is also a critical aspect of Emmi’s mission statement that all its employees are expected to adhere to in sustaining the company’s commitment to corporate management that is environmentally friendly. The sustainability strategy at Emmi is based on three key pillars, which are social commitment, economics, and ecology and finding a balance between these pillars (Three strategic pillars, 2014: p1). These pillars are grounded on corporate values that are aligned with its corporate philosophy, which will bring the pap er to an analysis of Emmi’s environmental impacts and changes anticipated in the next forty years, in relation to their global business’ sustainability potential. Emmi’s environmental policy holds that

International Auditing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Auditing - Assignment Example Ananda (2004) argues that, environmental auditing involves assessing whether the company is functioning in accordance with the requirements of environmental legislation. In addition, the audit intends to attain an independent external appraisal whether the management has formed proficient environmental policy and offered for satisfactory environmental approach. Environmental audits results to recommendations on how companies should reduce detrimental impacts to the environment in a cost-benefit and efficient approach, and how in the long term the company can save finances by via environmental friendly technology (Ananda 2004). According to Ananda (2004), social audit is the process of evaluating a company’s code of conduct, operating procedures and other factors to determine its effects on the society. Social audit is a formal assessment of a companys activities in social responsibility. It evaluates factors such as an organizations record of charitable giving, energy use, volunteer activity and work environment-transparency (Ananda 2004). Additionally, it assesses, worker pay and benefits to appraise what kind of environmental and social impact a company is having in its locations of operation. Social audits are not obligatory since companies can prefer whether to execute them and whether to make public the results or only use them internally only (Donald 2004). According to Anthony & Michael (2003), historically, public, corporate documentation of financial statements goes back to the 1850s. At that period, reporting on environmental and social matters was not so included in the corporate financial reports. The management included only financial accounting on their presentations on the financial statement information. The corporate entities focused on their economic activities only in their approaches to accounting. Such activities affected the economy through