An Educational Counseling Research Proposal Essay

Abstract Educational counseling and guidance on the basis of the effects brought about by the media on the learner is essential in the proper development of personality and behavior. Due to the fact that learning process can be measured by the behavior exhibited by an individual, it can be considered as the main indication in the research conducted. The aim of the research is to determine the possible effects of the entertainment media such as television and computers on the development of aggressive behavior of the learner. Upon the determination of such data seek possible methods of guidance. Effect can be studied based on the results of a quantitative educational research that covers 100 students, 6 to 16 years old both male and female, undertaken through survey research. Introduction There are different ways of learning which can be used and applied in educational process. The knowledge on the effective learning techniques can be considered as an essential factor to be able to attain the goals of education. The different types of learning process guide the educators on the most effective ways of attaining the goals which is learning. Included in the types of learning techniques are the behavioral influences brought about by the different factors in the society. One of the most influential factors in the development of the learner is the media. In the behaviorist point of view in lined with the scientific study of Pavlov and Skinner that behavior is a measurable concept in learning process (Griffin, Holford, and Jarvis, 2003). Thus, on the perception of the effects of media on the learner, one of the ways in the determination of the influencing effects of the mass media is through the behavior being shown by the learner. This is similar to the target learning process. Anderson and Collins (1988) have pointed out that television has an impact not only in children’s pre-pubescent behavior but can also affect adolescent behavior. The main goal of the study is to determine the effects of the media on the behavior of the learner and ultimately present educational counseling methods suitable to manage behavioral problems that are developed, particularly aggressive behavior. There is growing concern regarding increasing aggression and violent behavior among children and adolescents this past decade and media is has been one of the factors being Juvenile delinquency has been increasing progressively not only in number but also in gravity (Snieckute, 2004) The shall be undertaken through the synergy of the library-based and the observation and experimental research that will focus on the effects of the media such as television and related information tools on the development of the different aspects of the personality of the individual. The research is in-lined with the possible behavioral problems that can be expressed by the individuals under study. The study of the development of aggressiveness and violent actions as an effect of media in the development of the personality and behavior of the learner is important due to the fact that majority of he study surmised that the media is one of the major causes of the problems in behavior of the learner as a whole. More children are gaining access and are being exposed to media without or with deficient parental supervision and depend on television as their primary form of entertainment and information (Walma van der Molen & van der Voort, 1999) This is due to the fact that observation and imitation of the situations in the surroundings is also an effective informal teacher not only cognitively but most especially on the behavioral aspect (Sylwester, 2005). Thus, the behavior of an individual can be both an influential factor that teaches other people and at the same time an indication of the person’s learning. To establish the effects of the media to the learner, researches conducted prior to this study will be surveyed and assessed. The background study will enable the establishment of concepts, prevailing theories and other current research investigations on the influence of media as part of the experimental study, an in-depth analysis of the results of the research survey will be one of the primary objectives The purpose of the study is to be able to determine the validity of television exposure as a major cause of the development of aggressive behavior among children. The objective will be achieved through the research both library-based and qualitative data gathering on the behavior influences of the group. The results of previous studies will be assessed and incorporated into the current research to establish the degree of influence of television to aggression in children. The proposed paper aims to answer the following key questions: †¢ Why is there concern regarding the development of aggressive behavior among juveniles or minors specifically ages 6 to 16 years old in relation to the exposure to media? †¢ What television practices or programming are critical in influencing behavior among juveniles or minors specifically ages 6 to 16 years old? †¢ What are the long term implications to the individuals and society of the development of early aggressive behavior among the test group? In line with the aim to test the hypothesis that the violence presented by the media specifically the television has significant effects on the development of the behavior of the children that can cause concern to educational guidance as well as regarding the detrimental effects of the media such as television to the behavior of the learner, theories on the psychological and behavioral norms serves as the bases for the divergence of attitudes and for the identification of deviant behavior that can cause alarm and leads to actions related to educational counseling. Review of Related Literature The proposed study is on the basis of the behaviorist approach to education. In this principle, learning can be measured by the observable traits and behaviors of the individual. The behaviorist point of view depicts the importance of expression of a person in the determination of a successful learning process. One of the most important is the process of conditioning that can be applied through the process (Griffin, Holford, and Jarvis, 2003). Another key concept that is related to the course of this study is the theories on conditioning. Conditioning that can be explained as the exposure to different affective factors in the environment that can affect both the cognitive and behavioral aspects of development. In the study of Sylwester (2005), it was discussed that learning is greatly affected by the emotions and attention capacity of an individual. In this case it can be identified that young children become more attracted to the television and the computer rather than any forms and tools of learning. According to Walma van der Molen and van der Voort (1999), children today retain more information form television viewing compared to reading. A critical concept presented in the study is the theory that television is catering more to the fact that children tend to be attracted to â€Å"changing environments† and more suited to the learning styles (visual and aural), a competency that Media has as strength (American Association of School Administrators, 1991; â€Å"Learning Styles†, 2006). The main concern that arises in relation to the behavioral influences brought about by these types of influences is the fact that television and computer games can present violence that can be imitated by the children and are subject to very little control within most homes. Based on the same study, it was presented that due to the fact that the development is composed of both the physiological and behavioral, education can also cause development of the brain (Sylwester, 2005). The study presented a scientific and physiological approach on the changes associated with the influences of the media to the children. The television and other forms of media were presented with fair treatment, presenting both the perceived advantages and disadvantages were presented. Based on the study conducted by Barker and Petley (2001), concern regarding media content is in relation to the behavior of the children is based on the effects of the programs shown in the television especially those that show violence. Although many studies have expressed such notion, based on the study, there is no convincing evidence that points and measures the interrelationship between the two. The researches argue that violence in the televisions has no direct relationship to the changes in behavior of an individual. The access to computer and the internet was surmised to have a very influential role in the development of the children. Like television, the internet and computers have provided new opportunities and realities for learning and education. Also included in the benefits that can be incurred is the development of children are cognitive improvement and communication skills. On the other hand, such freedom to be able to access the computer can greatly effect the possible behavior of the learners when exposed to violence, pornographic materials and other factors that has negative effects (Cleon and Cho, 2005). One of the conventional studies on the effects of media was presented by Johnson (2005). Based on this study, the computer games can bring about the development of analytical skills of children. The skills that can be developed are the problem-solving and logical skills. Various methodologies that can be applied in the course of the study as well flexibility of reference can be utilized. However, a systematic research should be employed to assess and analyze in the involvement and the effects of the media on the knowledge acquisition and cognitive skills of the children (Livingstone, 2004) Procedures To be able to achieve the projected results of the study, different procedure are needed to be employed. The target of the research to be conducted is to determine the effects that can be attributed to the forms of media such as the television and computers. This can be achieved through the employment of the synergy of the different methods of research. Included in the attainment of the educational research there are essential steps that are taken into consideration. The limitations of the study, the planning phase of the research process, and the decision on the most effective research technique to be undertaken are the primary considerations (Cohen, Manion, and Morrison, 2000). †¢ Document/ Study Research The library-cased research focuses on the studies conducted by contemporary researchers on the basis of concepts presented. This can be considered as the qualitative part of the research process that will be the basis of the analysis on the experimental study that will be undertaken (Cohen, Manion, and Morrison, 2000). An online research or related document will serve as another reference assessment method but also as a benchmark of the research to be conducted. Comparison and Contrast of existing and recently conducted researches will be assessed for their implications. †¢ The Experimental Research The experimental part of the research have two main objective: to assess the degree of aggressive behavior that can be attributed to exposure to television and computer games and to determine the specific content, elements or features that can be directly related to aggressive behavior. o Participants The inclusion criteria in the study are the minor students and learners that are between 6 to 16 years old. These are individuals that are exposed to the television and computer technology. ï‚ § Demography †¢ Equal distribution of male and females †¢ Age range is between 6-16 years of age †¢ Currently enrolled in public schools that incorporate television and computers into their curricula †¢ Participants must have access both to computer gaming or entertainment and television †¢ Have significant exposure to television and computer entertainment, minimum of 1 hour daily exposure or total of 7 hours exposure in a week. ï‚ § Psychographics †¢ Must not be pre-diagnosed with any atypical behavioral conditions †¢ View television and computers as primary sources of information, entertainment or distraction †¢ Has no strong opinion regarding the influence of television and computers to his behavior o Number The ideal number of subjects that will be used in the study is 100 randomly selected from the individuals that are chosen on the basis of the inclusion criteria such as age and the exposure to the television or computer. o Instrumentation The study will make use of the survey process specifically questionnaires for the determination of the opinions of the parents on the exposure of the children to the specified forms of media. The objective is to quantify the responses given by the sample population. The method targets the characteristic or issue of interest by soliciting answers through directed questions. Responses are recorded, measured, organized and analysed to be able to come up with the output. o Sampling Process The primary step required is the preparation of the questionnaires that is needed to elicit from the subjects information necessary to accomplish the objectives of the study. Questionnaire will be made to meet closely readability levels as needed by respondents. Randomization will be employed to be able to acquire the quality of the research results. Data gathering will follow validation of responses until number or samples needed are reached. o Validation and valuation The validity can be achieved though the validation techniques employed in the statistical sampling of random samples. Respondent’s validation will be done using demographic and psychographic criteria. Response validation will be indicated through successful accomplishment of survey forms. Valuation of sampling will be conducted through statistical analysis. Correlation analysis and significance testing will be conducted to establish the actual influence levels of television and computer to aggressive behavior and their impact to aggressiveness as a behavior respectively. †¢ Ethical Considerations The aims and the objective of the survey research are not to implicate any form of media to crimes or delinquencies but to be able to assess the viability of the theories on their influence to aggressive behavior developed by children. To be able to undertake such projects permission is sought from the sample population as well as their understanding of the objectives and procedure of the study. Consent from the parents or guardians and all other pertinent authorities must be acquired to facilitate the validity of the study as well as protect the interest of the participants. Results Results of the preliminary investigation showed the possible ways to determine the reasons for the concern of the public regarding the behavioral problems that is encountered. The preliminary research presents the overview of the possible justification of concern on the development of aggressive behavior of the children. The integration of contextual library-based and survey research will be presented to determine the validity of hypotheses and its pursuit as a further study. Discussion Based on the gathered data from initial research that was undertaken, a larger part of the population perceive the media as having as a negative influence only on behavior instead of it being a direct cause of behavioral problems in children and adolescents. Literature that showed the television, computer and other electronic visual media can contribute to learning, social orientation and perceptions but are not reflective or indicative of behavior for individuals The concern on the level of exposure to violence and pornography without the guidance of responsible educators, parents and guardians of young children Is considered as the most critical and urgent. Although there is cause for public concern regarding its content and control, the lobby is for responsible programming and reviews rather that greater restriction of limitation of access. References American Association of School Administrators (1991). Learning Styles: Putting Research and Common Sense into Practice. Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators Anderson, D., & Collins, P. (1988). The impact on children’s education: Television’s influence on cognitive development. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Barker, M. and Petley, J (2001). Ill Effects: The Media/Violence Debate. New York: Routledge. Cleon, HJ and Cho, CH. (2005) Children’s Exposure to Negative Internet Content: Effects of Family Context. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 49 (4), p. 488. Cohen, L. Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in Education. London: Routledge. Davis, J. (2002) Types of research methods. Psychological Research Methods 2. Retrieved on October 1, 2006 from http://www.naropa.edu/faculty/johndavis/prm2/types1.html. Griffin, C., Holford, J. & Jarvis, P. (2003). The Theory & Practice of Learning. London: Kogan Page. Johnson, S. (2005). Everything bad is good for you: How today’s popular culture is actually making us smarter. New York: Riverhead Books. Livingstone, S. (2004) A commentary on the research evidence regarding the effects of food promotion on children. Prepared for the Research Department of the Office of Communication, Department of Media and Communication. London: London School of Economics and Political Science. Snieckute, Marija (2004). Juvenile delinquency and the Family. Retrieved on October 1, 2006 from http://www.sociumas.lt/Eng/Nr16/nepilnameciai.asp Sylwester, R. (2005). How to explain a brain: An educator’s handbook of brain terms and cognitive process. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Walma van der Molen, Juliette H. and van der Voort Tom H.A (1999). Children Remember More from Television Than Reading. Retrieved on October 1, 2006 from http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/child_behavior/kidsntv.htm Appendix 1. Age _________ 2. Sex _________ 3. Are you married? _________ 4. Do you have children? _________ 5. Do you have school children? _________ (Refers to school children age 6 – 16 years old only) 6. Are they watching TV almost everyday? _________ 7. How many hours spent in watching TV everyday? _________ 8. Having hard time in stopping them to watch TV? _________ 9. Do they sleep late at night because of TV? _________ 10. Are they committing invalid absences frequently? _________ 12. Do you think too much time in watching TV is the cause of this? _________ 13. Do you think their grades are good, maintained and not going down? ________ 14. Did they normally pass all the subjects? _________ 15. Do you get feedback that they are sleepy in the class session? _________ 16. Do they prefer TV than basketball or other sports? _________

Bruce Lee Speech

EARLY LIFE Bruce was born in San Francisco's Chinatown. * His father was a famous opera singer and film actor and 1941 they moved back to china which was then occupied by the Japanese. * The Hong Kong neighborhood Lee grew up in became over-crowded, dangerous, and full of gang rivalries it was a tough place to grow up. Gangs ruled the city streets and Lee was often forced to fight them. Bruce's street fighting began to escalate * Eventually, Lee's father decided for him to leave Hong Kong to pursue a safer and healthier avenue in the United States New Life in America While in the United Lee abandoned thoughts of a film career in favor of pursuing martial arts but a martial arts exhibition on Long beach led to the invitation for the role of Kato in the Green Hornet and many other movies including the big Boss which was a big success and catapulted him to stardom. Followed by Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon where he was given complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. * In 1964 Lee had met Karate champion Chuck Norris. * In the movie Way of the Dragon He introduced Norris as his opponent in the final death fight.Today considered one of Lee's most legendary fight scenes and one of the most memorable fight scenes in martial arts film history Essentially bruce lee became obsessed with martial arts and fitness FITNESS AND NUTRITION * HIs interpretation of keeping in shape was constant daily workouts. His workout consisted of three categories: martial arts sparring, weight training, and extensive AB training. * The workout first consists of hours upon hours of martial arts sparring. Secondly, a series of heavy weight training of his main muscles. Finally, is his extensive workout towards his ABs. Bruce Lee's favorite muscle was his ABs and whenever he had time, such as watching TV, he would do sit-ups or crunches. Bruce Lee had what most people called â€Å"washboard ABs† and was not afraid to show it, you can see this in almost every fight scene he had in his films. * PHYSICAL FEATS: Lee could land a punch in around five hundredths of a second (0. 05 second) from 3 feet away * Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind * Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index fingerBruce not only took care of his body by working out but as well as having a proper nutrition. Lee took nutrition seriously and his diet consisted high-protein drinks, vitamins, mineral supplements, green veggies and fruit every day. UNFORTUNATELY HE SUFFERED A SUDDEN DEATH ON DEATH AND LEGACY: * On July 20, 1973, just one month before the premiere of  Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of 32. The official cause of his sudden and unexpected death was a brain edema, found in an autopsy to have been caused by a strange reaction to a prescription painkiller he was reportedly taking for a back injury.Contr oversy surrounded Lee’s death from the beginning, as some claimed he had been murdered. Summary: * Bruce Lee, pound for pound, was arguably the greatest fighter of our time. Twenty-four years after his death, he remains the standard by which all other fighters are measured. His passion, skill, charisma, philosophy, and innovative martial arts concepts brought him worldwide acclaim– incredibly, all by the age of 32. In such a short span, Lee managed to accomplish more than most of us will ever achieve in our lives.

Economics of Volatile Corn Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economics of Volatile Corn Prices - Essay Example The primary reason behind rise in the prices of corn was due to its global demand against its restricted supply. The excess demand could not be met with the restricted supply, which resulted in the rise in prices of corn all over the world. Mexico is the second largest importer of corn in the world. The rise in the corn prices all over the world has affected Mexico to a great extent. Decline in demand of corn due to rise in its price can be depicted by using the following graph:- (Source: Fep, 2004) In this graph it is shown that when the price of corn in Mexico was $3 per bushel, its demand was 2 billion bushels per year and the supply was 1.1 billion bushels per year. Thus there was an excess in demand which could not be met by the supply. As a result of the price rise to $5 per bushel, the demand decreased to 1.1 billion bushels per year and consequently excess supply is generated. The market should move towards equilibrium at a price of $4 per bushel where the demand equalises th e supply. Another reason for the rise in corn prices in Mexico was the production of corn based ethanol in the United States and the European Union. The producers of corn had to suffer due to this price rise. Another reason for the high corn prices was the draught in the United States. ... Thus the country has to find ways to deal with the uncertainties of the volatile markets. The country needs to focus on the market conditions properly. The main problem that the consumers in Mexico will face is when they will visit the grocery stores. Corn and food ingredients made from corn are used in ? of the total grocery products. Thus higher prices will be found throughout the grocery stores. The livestock feed rations contain a considerable amount of corns, a extended impact would be observed on poultry and meat prices due to higher feed costs than in any other food products. Volatility in corn prices brings in unpredictability in the market and may create risk of fundamental food security for consumers as well as governments. Financial risk generated due to the volatility of corn prices dampens investment in agricultural sector which in turn creates uncertainty among traders and producers. Thus the Mexican government must take steps to bring an alternate solution to the exist ing problem. There are several programs involving the cash transfer conducted by the Mexican Government in order to help the poor people there. The procedure of agriculture by means of contracts was another procedure advised by the Mexican Government (The World Bank Group, 2013). When there is an agreement made to buy a particular quantity of corn within a fixed period of time, neither the buyer nor the seller is sure that who is going to be benefitted by the agreement. This procedure supports the producers when there is a fall in the price. The price difference is subsidized between the time of signing the contract and the time of its fulfilment. However, corn prices have plunged from their previous position in June 2011. Ethanol is considered to be a viable source of

Race and Your Community Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race and Your Community - Research Paper Example However, globalization has come to change how people perceive those from other races. There is more appreciation nowadays that people irrespective of race are just but human beings and can live in peace as brothers as sisters. For a society to grow racial tolerance is essential. This paper looks into various influences of race in my community in Phoenix, Arizona. Discussion Working in a copper mining company in Phoenix has helped me to develop the way I perceive people from different racial backgrounds. It is however not easy to intermingle freely with people from other races. There are still minor tensions that exist which get eroded as people work together more and share experiences. I work as a clerk whereby I attend to all people irrespective of their position in the company. I have come to disregard the popular belief that people exhibit differences based on their racial affiliations. It is however true that people from different races normally behave and perceive things differe ntly. My analysis on this issue is that this happens based not on their race but their background or environment. The basic issue is that all people be they Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians or African Americans, exhibit similarities in their values and beliefs. From my family background we were always taught that all people are equal in the eyes of the Creator and as such we should see them in the same light. Racism therefore forms a less important issue of debate in my community but should not be neglected altogether as scattered incidences still happen (Hartmann & Cornell, 2007). I can remember vividly when I was little where both in school and at home children used to play together irrespective of their race. It is after we grew up that we started taking racial differences more consciously. What we were being taught as children was basically to respect other people especially the elders. Respect for each other was also heavily emphasized by our parents where fighting or insulting an other child was heavily punished. Looking back in my childhood neighborhood I can recall that older people from the same race tended to socialize more despite there being no other major differences among people. I think this was due to the fact that the racial differences were quite intense when they were growing up and segregation became part of their life and routine. The media in Phoenix has been unbiased along racial lines. What forms the basis of news is what is worth being aired as news and not an individual’s race. For this media what is important is the way they will deliver their stories to captivate their listeners and viewers. Due to heightened competition between media houses what matters to them is how many listeners and viewers they have managed to capture (Hartmann & Cornell, 2007). As such, they try their best to remain unbiased irrespective of the character at the center of news or controversy. This is partly due to the realization that without people from al l races forming their clientele base, success in the media business is impossible. The media in Phoenix therefore offers African Americans, Hispanics and Caucasians a level playing field when it comes to content in their news and programing. In Phoenix leadership is well shared by people from different races. It therefore presents the rich diversity of races that inhabit this state. It is important to appreciate that inhabitants of Phoenix hail not only from

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example Knowledge alone cannot provide the wisdom and thoughtfulness to take the right decision but experience plays a vital role. One must have the ability to delineate what one must know and what not to act accordingly. Self belief provides confidence to trust perception. When an individual touches any hot object, reflex action works and immediately hand is withdrawn before any mishap occurs. This is based on knowledge that a person acquires, things burn if they catch fire and an experience further strengthens knowledge to stay away from hot objects, such an approach safeguards the individual from any jeopardy. This is based on accuracy of information and experience gained. In a similar manner if there is a leakage of cooking gas, a person immediately senses the potential danger of some mishap and by trusting the accuracy of sensory response an immediate action is taken based on the knowledge, to switch off the regulator and to open the doors and windows. Sense of perception empowers one to drive safely on the road. By trusting the accuracy of sensory response of sight, judgement to drive with precision and to manage the traffic turns up and enables an individual to avoid road accidents. This is based on knowledge, road sense and accuracy in driving. Experience plays a vital role in taking certain decisions, for instance if an individual had an argument with his neighbour and he happens to see his neighbour talking with one of his close friends, immediately a thought enters his mind that the neighbour must be talking about the incident of argument. This perception could be inaccurate as they may be talking about something else. Such perception depends on the nature of the individual, the psychological upbringing which frames the thoughts and hence it is based on the nurture of the individual. In some cases sensory data is interpreted inaccurately. For instance, one may judge the depth of the ditch on the road as shallow and presumes that he can cross

CRJ 422 Week 4 discussions 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRJ 422 Week 4 discussions 1 and 2 - Essay Example Working with school administrations, community centers, rehabilitation centers and the juvenile courts, the career path will help in fulfilling my life term passion of impacting directly on peoples’ lives through offering expert opinion on how juveniles can be corrected and handled. This significant stride in choosing an ambitious career path must equally be attributed to concrete knowledge instilled in me through my study in Ashford University. In preparation for my final capstone project on juvenile violence and delinquency, I found it surprising at the escalating figures of the number of juveniles who are involved in criminal activities. The degenerating nature of the juvenile institution in the society struck me as an issue that demands immediate mitigation measures. Before beginning my research on the topic "juvenile violence and delinquency," I did not put into consideration the significance of drug abuse as a causative agent of juvenile violence and delinquency. Nevertheless, through the course of the research, I have come to realize that the position of drug abuse coupled with hopelessness among the youth has significantly led to the rise in incidences of juvenile violence and delinquency. Through analysis of criminal theories, I also came to realize that there is a lot the criminal and social justice system can borrow from the sociological, biological, economical and physiological theories of crime. Through the application of these theories and their recommendation, incidences of juvenile violence and delinquency can be reduced in the society. Biological theory for instance recommends a change in characteristics of a mother during pregnancy like avoidance of smoking to ensure that the baby is born to a healthy mental state while economic theory grounds on the need for economic engagement of the youth to prevent them from engaging

Historic Preservation and the Imagined West Term Paper

Historic Preservation and the Imagined West - Term Paper Example It is the oldest and most historic block of the Mile High City. The buildings of the area tell a lot about the birth and the early years of the city of Denver. The Lower Downtown was formed with the intension to encourage the preservation of a significant area which is vital because of its historical area, architectural look and economic value. The historic resources were given protection due to the historic status of the area. Protection was also given to the 127 contributing historic structures by the act of zoning ordinance. This ordinance included building height limitations and encouraged mixed use development. For rehabilitation and new constructing purposes it provided strict design guidelines. This LoDo District was formed when an unorganized group of Lower Downtown property owners joined District Collaborative, a marketing entity, to form the so called LoDo District. This joint effort was focused on the needs of the neighborhood as it produced a diverse group of people whose community and philanthropic interests were based on those needs. Denver City was named after James Denver who was the territorial governor or Kansas and the main street was named after his son General Larimer. Larimer’s cabin which was torn in 1961 and a one-story false-front store was built at its place until in 1982 when the Granite building was constructed. The first bank, bookstore, photographer and dry goods store of Denver was housed at the city block of Larimer Square. Denver’s first post office was also built on the same block, where currently the Bent Lens is located. The block also had Denver’s first theatre in the Lincoln building, currently where the store Eve is located. The North West corner of Larimer Streets had a building which was once a legendary watering hole for politicians, policemen and city hall reporters known as Gahan’s Saloon. Dana Crawford, an award-winning

What were the causes of the Second World War Essay

What were the causes of the Second World War - Essay Example Hitler desired the living space to be self-reliant. He wanted to overpower the world and Europe. The Treaty of Versailles had to be invoked if Hitler had his ways, paving the way to the Second World War. The aggression of Allied forces also led to the Second World War. In Italy, Mussolini propagated Fascism and wanted to establish a Roman Kingdom in the Mediterranean and Africa, to quote his attack on Abyssinia in 1935. Another Allied power Japan desired a Nipponese rule in the Pacific, leading to China and Australia, as is evident from Japan’s attack on Manchuria in 1931. All the three Allied nations, namely Germany, Italy, and France were against Communism of the USSR, thus, sowing the seeds of war among nations. Another cause of the Second World War was the passivity of the Democratic powers. USA was detached while France was not willing to stand in opposition to Germany. France could not depend on Britain and America for support. Britain had a soft corner for recuperation of Germany between 1934 and 1937 and pacified Germany between May 1937 and March 1939. The Democratic powers could have hindered the path of Fascism before 1939 but preferred to remain in low-profile. The League of Nations failed in distancing the warring nations. Not a single factor could be blamed for the Second World War, as stated above but Hitler’s expansionism was the sole reason to cause the Second World War. Fascism was also a leading reason, as bent on expanding and the inability of democratic countries to stop Mussolini from his beliefs in Fascism. There were 9 causes of the Second World War, which are discussed in detail below. 1. The Rearmament of Germany It happened during the Geneva Disarmament Conference held in 1932-4 wherein Hitler made it clear that because other countries were not reducing their military strength to that of Germany, Germany would increase its military power to their level. Till 1935 the process of rearmament of Germany was ongoing by establ ishing conscription and munitions factories. France reacted to the rearmament of Germany by strengthening the Maginot line built earlier between 1929 and 1934 because rearmament of Germany created insecurity in the region. The Maginot line was made of steel and concrete mixture for added strength from Belgium to Switzerland; it was known as ‘a gate without a fence’, which Germany would not crossover and attack France through Belgium. Without the support of Britain, France never appeared on the front foot. Britain, on the other hand, was friendlier towards Germany than it was with France to actively support it. The Anglo German naval Treaty (June 1935) was the result of the sympathetic behavior of Britain towards Germany, which permitted the German Navy to be 35% of the size of the British Royal Navy. Hitler supported Franco in the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) with the ammunition at its disposal. Hitler sent the Condor Legion of the Luftwaffe to attack Guernica on 26th Apr il, 1937. Guernica was eliminated and Franco marched ahead winning the Basque areas of Spain. Hitler had used Spain as a testing ground. 2. The Remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936) Hitler attempted breach of the Versailles Treaty once again after committing a breach once by marching to Cologne on 7th March 1936 with 30,000 soldiers. France could not gather the courage to come face-to-face with Germany militarily although amassing troop strength of 250,000 because Britain was not at its support. Britain expressed the opinion that Germany was ‘marching into her own back yard.’ Hitler held a plebiscite on remilitarization to prove the support of its people, which was vehement to 98.8% in favor of Hitler’s policy on militarization. This prompted Hitler to create his own defensive fortification, the Siegfried Line. 3. The

Different Aspects of Pain Essay Example for Free

Different Aspects of Pain Essay Pain is a subject to which all people can relate. There are many different types of pain, and people react to these pains in various ways. Pain is also caused from many different sources. It could be from grief, stress, or a significant event that occurs in one’s life. Pain is defined in the Dictionary as â€Å"mental or emotional suffering or torment.† The poetry of Robert Frost, James Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson all display different aspects of pain. Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California where his father worked as a newspaper editor. This may have been where Robert was first exposed to the aspect of writing. Robert’s first published poem was in a school newspaper at the age of 16 where he wrote a poem on the subject of Cortez in Mexico. Although he attended Dartmouth for seven weeks and spent two years at Harvard, he never finished a college education with a degree. After he had gotten married, he worked as a schoolteacher, and during this period is when he spent time writing the majority of his poetry. After his teaching career, he moved to England to pursue getting his works published since his poetry was not accepted for publishing in America. His first two books of poems, A Boy’s Will and North of Boston, were published in England and then later in America due to the overwhelming popularity of them in England (Greenberg ix-x). Frost’s poem â€Å"Out, Out† tells a story of the tragic death of a boy due to a buzz saw. The title is an allusion to act five William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where the main character, Macbeth, performs a soliloquy regarding the death of his wife: Out, out, brief candle! / Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing. The allusion to Shakespeare in the title is appropriate to the subject matter because the soliloquy of Macbeth states that life is short, and inevitably will end. That is the message that Robert Frost is trying to convey in this poem. There are two different aspects of pain that appear in â€Å"Out, Out.† The first  one is the aspect of physical pain. This occurs when the buzz saw the boy is using, hits the boy’s hand and injures the hand severely. â€Å"As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, / Leaped out at the boy’s hand, / or seemed to leap (Frost 522)† The boy then begins to feel the pain of what has just happened, the physical pain of his hand being severed by the buzz saw. The next type of pain that can be seen here is the psychological pain, caused by stress. As a result of the boy’s injury, he begins to fall into pieces about the whole matter (clarify this somehow. â€Å"fall into pieces† sounds a little ambiguous as well as clichà ©) . The poem says that the boy â€Å"half in appeal, but as if to keep / the life from spilling. Then the boy saw all (Frost 522).† These two lines of the poem depict that the boy is old enough to understand what is going on with what is happening. His hand is injured beyond what the doctors can repair, and there is a high possibility of death because of what has just happened. The word ‘Life’ in this poem represents the blood that flowing from his hand. One can also see the apathy displayed by the rest of his family. Even though a member of the family has just died due to a tragic accident â€Å"Littlelessnothing!and that ended it (Frost 522)† they show no pain of the loss of a family member. It is depicted in the last two lines of the poem, â€Å"No more to build on there. And they, since they / Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs (Frost 522).† This shows that they had no emotion to the event, and went on to what they were doing as if nothing had happened in the first place. The second piece of poetry presented is one by James Langston Hughes. James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin Missouri. He spent his early life living with his grandmother in Illinois. Hughes began to write poems, and also some short stories, while he was in high school. Hughes mentions that the primary influences to his writing are Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman. His first book of poetry, entitled The Weary Blues, was published in 1926, while he was in college. Hughes graduated from Lincoln University three years following the publication of his first book of poetry. The year following his college graduated, Hughes  won the Harmon gold medal for literature for the first novel that he wrote, Not Without Laughter. James Langston Hughes poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† was the first poem of his that was published. This poem was also set to music later on. It is written from the perspective of a man that ties together African and African-American history. Hughes does this by naming different rivers that are in Africa and also those that are in the United States. This is where the wordplay of Langston Hughes can be seen. The type of pain that is displayed in this poem is not very obvious, but it is more implied than directly stated. Seeing that this poems speaks of African and African-American History, the idea of the oppression that these people groups have gone through is something that can be inferred from what the poem says. Both of these people groups have gone through major oppression because of slavery, inequality, and the like. (while it is not obvious I would recommend trying to find a few lines that can possibly show the pain) The final poem presented here is a poem from Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson was born in the year 1830 in a family that was considered to be very wealthy for that time period. Her father ultimately led the family and was a religious man for the family. He read prayers and passages of scripture to all that lived in the household to maintain this. She attended the seminary for a year, but went home after that year due to a significant amount of unpleasant experiences. After Emily left school, she isolated herself from all activities and responsibilities that were outside of the household, and kept to herself most of the time. She spent a significant amount of time reading books. Because of the morals that her father had, there were not many things for her to choose from, as her father thought that most books that were available at the time might shake up her thinking patterns. She then settled to read the Bible, classical myths, and also the works of William Shakespeare. Because of this, a great amount of the poems that she wrote had allusion to her readings contained in them. Although there is very little that people know of Emily Dickinsons outside life, but after reading the  poems that she has written, one can gain some access to the inside life in Emily Dickinson (Madden 1287). Emily Dickinson wrote nearly two thousand different poems in her lifetime (Madden 1288). Only but a few of these poems were intentionally published by her. Although Emily made her brother and sister promise to destroy all of her works following her death, her sister, Lavinia, could not gain the strength to destroy her sister Emily’s poetry. Not too far following her death in 1886, nine volumes of her works that were revised in wording, punctuation, structure, and rhyme were published. Unedited versions that were true to the original manuscript of Emily Dickinson where not published until 1955 (Madden 1288). Most of the poems of Emily Dickinson were her own personal laments that she did not intend for the public to ever see. â€Å"After A Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes† is an example of one of these extremely personal poems. During the time that this poem was written, Dickinson had just lost a very close friend. She was also beginning to dismiss the ideas of a career, starting a family, and making contact with anything or anyone that was outside of her own house. This whole poem directly deals with the pain of emotional loss that comes with the passing away of a person that is extremely close. Death was something that Dickinson never adjusted to, and it is displayed in this poem. She depicts how the feeling sits heavily and does not seem to go away very quickly â€Å"The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs(Dickinson 1291)† (Lundin 95). In the last two lines of the first stanza Dickinson says, â€Å"The stiff Heart questions what it He, that bore, / And Yesterday, or Centuries before? (Dickinson 1291)† Here she is reliving past pains and grief that have occurred in her life before the death of her friend. She also relives past painful moments in her life in the second stanza â€Å"The Feet, mechanical, go round (Dickinson 1291)† (Grabher 217). In the last stanza, Dickinson focuses on the present pain that is in her life. â€Å"This is the Hour of Lead (Dickinson 1291)† refers to the passing of  Dickinson’s close friend. She then goes over the stages of how she moves on from these painful experiences: â€Å"As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow / FirstChillthen Stuporthen the letting go (Dickinson 1291)† The way that she ends this poems makes it appear as though she is trailing off into a land of thought to go dwell on what has just happened, to begin her process of recovery (Lundin 234). As one can see, many different aspects of pain have been discussed. Robert Frost’s â€Å"Out, Out† discussed physical pain due to an injury, and also the pain of stress due to that injury. James Langston Hughes implied the racial oppression of Africans and African-Americans that had gone before him in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers.† Emily Dickinson goes deep into her personal life and displays emotional pain with â€Å"After A Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes† by reminiscing on past grief and dealing with a new grief due to the death of a friend. As one reads through and analyzes these poems, one can see the way that pain is displayed in the midst of them and how each separate type affects people in different ways.

The key personal features needed Essay Example for Free

The key personal features needed Essay CASE STUDY: Laurie and Joe want to open up a hairdressing salon. They have had previous experience running and managing a shop and now they want to run their own business. Write a report discussing the key personal features needed, suitable establishment options for Laurie and Joe and finance options they should take into account. Key personal features: To ensure success when establishing a business, laurie and joe need have the three key personal qualities – entrepreneurship, personal qualities (motivation, experience, expectation) and other influences (cultural background, gender). Entrepreneurship: As an entrepreneur, the basic qualities required are to be: Assertive, Determined, Very organised and responsible, Willing to take risks, Good with people, A good leader, Motivated, Dedicated, Confident, Realistic, Healthy, Resilient Laurie and joe must have a desire to succeed and have drive and energy which relates to the personal qualities of a person. A person wanting to establish their own business needs to have motivation, experience and expectation. Personal Qualitities: Motivation: Motivation refers to your personal drive, determination and desire to achieve a goal or objective, in this case setting up a business. There are several reasons for why people start up their own business but it is usually due to: Having independence and being your own boss Choosing the location and fellow employees Gaining more control over own destiny and increasing personal wealth Having something to leave to family Accepting a challenge Security Experience: An experienced person would have: Knowledge of the product and service being entered Skills in management such as communication, ER, accounting and finance, marketing and operations Organizational and customer service skills. It would be best if Laurie and Joe satisfied these requirements in order to have the best chance at a successful business. Expectation: Expectation relates to the person’s level of ambition and self confidence. Someone with high expectations will have a vision for the future of the business. Some expectations that Laurie and Joe should have include: Financial rewards Independence Success Role as the boss Security of future employment Opportunity to use skills Other influences: Other influences include cultural background and gender. For laurie and joe, cultural background would not be a big factor for the success of their business as they want to open a hairdressing business. With gender, Laurie and Joe would just have to consider if they will be open to both genders and if customers would allow the opposite gender cut their hair. Suitable establishment options: Before setting up their own business, laurie and joe must choose one of three establishment options – starting from scratch, buying an existing business or buying a franchise. There are advantages and disadvantages for all three options so Laurie and Joe must pick the one most suitable for a hairdressing business. Starting from Scratch: Starting a business from scratch usually only occurs when: A new product is being introduced on to the market Existing businesses aren’t meeting customer needs There is a large demand and the market is growing. If these circumstances don’t exist, it would be more difficult to start from scratch. However as Laurie wouldn’t be providing a new product, only the last two circumstances would need to be considered. Although it can be difficult to start a business from scratch, there are some advantages: The owner has the freedom to set up the business the way they wish If funds are limited you can start on a small scale There is no goodwill to pay for The owner can determine the growth of the business The owner can choose the location However, as noted above, there are some disadvantages when starting from scratch such as: Time is needed to develop a customer base, employ staff and develop lines of credit from suppliers Profit levels could be low at start up and the business could have liquidity problems There is a high risk of failure and a measure of uncertainty Finances could be hard to obtain As Laurie and Joe want to establish a hairdressing business, it is recommended that they choose to start from scratch as it would be most suited for their needs. Buying an existing business An existing business may be purchased instead of starting from scratch as it may already be a successful business and would have an established customer base, employees, equipment and location. Although there are a few advantages, there are also disadvantages when it comes to buying an existing business. Advantages: Sales to existing customers will bring in automatic income The inventory and supply networks are set up Equipment is available for immediate use Employees could be a good source of advice Previous business owner could provide training and advice If the business had been successful it could be easier to obtain finances Disadvantages: Some employees may resent any changes to the business operation The existing business could have had a poor reputation within the community The value of the goodwill could make the business overpriced Assets could be old and overvalued The location can’t be changed and the existing layout may be difficult to change For Laurie and Joe, buying an existing business would be the most suitable†¦. Buying a franchise: A franchise is license by a parent company to an individual to operate the parent company’s business on their behalf. The franchises make up a chain of businesses under the parent companies name. a franchisor is the large organization and a franchisee is the individual(s) that operates the business on behalf of the company. Finance Options: Laurie and Joe have two options when it comes to how to finance the establishment of the business. The two options are owner’s equity and debt finance. Critical issues in business success and failure: When Laurie and Joe first start their business, there are five critical issues to be aware of. They are: Having a business plan Identifying and sustaining competitive advantage Using technology Avoiding overextension of finance Managing cash flow While most small business fail in the first couple of years, careful attention to these critical issues will help the business to succeed. Having a business plan A business plan is the blueprint for future growth and development within a business. It sets out the desired goals and strategies to direct the business. A business plan is essential to long-term success and must be followed. It should also be modified when there are changes in: Technology The competition The economy The customer’s needs When setting up a business plan, Laurie and Joe would need to consider the prime function of the business, the mission statement, plans and strategies and budgeting. Laurie and Joe should also include why they want to establish the business, the goals they wish to achieve, the steps necessary to achieve their goals and the time frame in which the steps and goals should be achieved. Identifying and sustaining competitive advantage Sustainable competitive advantage refers to the ability of a business to develop strategies that will ensure it has an ‘edge’ over its competitors for a long period of time. To have a sustainable competitive advantage Laurie and Joe would need to think about pricing (higher or lower than competitors, prestige pricing), quality, value (a good price for the quality of product/service) and the features of their product or service. Laurie and Joe would be best off charging the same price as competitors but provide a better quality service and hair products. Laurie and Joe could also think about using the differentiation strategy in which they would offer customers something that is not already offered by competitors. Use of technology Technology is having many effects on businesses and the advancements and changing technology are allowing business to advertise and communicate to customers in more convenient ways. As Laurie and Joe are setting up a hairdressing business, technology wouldn’t be a big factor. A hairdressing business wouldn’t rely on internet applications such as e-commerce and most likely wouldn’t even have a website. The only technologies a hairdressing business would require are EFTPOS machines so that customers don’t have to pay cash which therefore widens the customer base. Avoiding overextension of financing and other resources Overextension of financing and other resources refers to when business owners go over the budget and spending money on resources which are usually financed by external sources such as banks. To avoid overextension of financing and other resources, Laurie and Joe need to pay close attention to gearing, equipment/furniture/stock and budget. Gearing refers to the proportion of debt and equity finance that a business uses to finance its activities. If a business is highly geared then there is a high level of debt resulting in a greater risk. Therefore it would be best for Laurie and Joe’s business to have low gearing, so more equity than debt.

EU Competition Law and Economics

EU Competition Law and Economics Discuss the use of terms drawn from economics in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice, which relate to the interpretation of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Examine, in particular the role such terms play in the legal argument. This essay will examine the economic theories, both from a classical point of view and neo-classical to determine the underpinnings of competition law. Through the works of Adam Smith regarding monopolies in the Wealth of Nations[1] and John Stuart Mill through his theories on restraints of trade in On Liberty[2] this will demonstrate some economic objectives in pursuing laws regarding competition law. This will be supplanted with the neo-classical theories that have given more reasons through economic terms for laws regarding competition. This will provide a bedrock for an analysis of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which have been noted as the two principal Articles dealing with competition law in the European Union (EU).[3] The fundamental reason for having competition law in the EU is to allow for a flourishing free market and to ensure that corporate enterprises do not have undue influence or dominance in the market or even thr ough political influence.[4] This analysis of Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU through the cases that have come through the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will be looked at through the prism of the economic theories that have been outlined. By looking at it through that prism, it will allow for a determination in terms of whether the role of the economic terms are brought into the legal arguments. It has been suggested that the lawyers and the economics are co-pilots of the competition law aeroplane[5] and this essay will determine whether that is true by looking at the economic theories and the cases through the EU framework on competition law. Economic Theory and Competition Law Prior to delving into how competition law has adopted economic terms and theories, it is imperative to understand how economics operates vis-Ã  -vis competition law. The classical economic theories, as noted by John Stuart Mill state that it is through competition that the political economy can have a scientific basis through which wages, rent and prices can be regulated. Whilst Mill does not provide a definition on what he meant by competition his theory on what laws surrounding competition could achieve were indicative. Smith took this further in Wealth of Nations when he stated it is the right of every man to enter into competition with any other man insofar as it does not violate the laws of justice and the idea of competition was to ensure that those in business bought dearer and sold for cheaper rather than having a monopoly with the opposite occurring. This theory was noted as a statement of perfect competition. This demonstrates the classical theories that exist but as time as gone on there have been neo-classical theories that give more defined responses. In terms of the neo-classical theories, the USA has seemingly stated that competition law should be interpreted solely through what the theories in economics dictate;[6] however, this is questioned in the EU structures. The competing views in the EU look at the efficiencies as well as other concerns such as the environment and the effect on employment.[7] In terms of taking into account the outcome of having perfect competition, it has been stated that allocative and productive efficiency is achieved which leads to the maximisation of social welfare.[8] In terms of allocative efficiency this is an economic term that means the resources will be allocated to different goods and services but will be divided insofar as it remains privately profitable to do so.[9] The second is that of productive efficiency which means that goods and services in society will be produced at the lowest cost.[10] In this regard, competition is seen as beneficial for the productive efficiency because if monop olies exist then it is likely that they will be high cost producers and they can pass that on to the consumer.[11] A third efficiency has been put forward that explains the need for competition, that being dynamic efficiency which cannot be accurately proved[12] but states that competition allows for products to be developed and created to gain the custom of consumers. This theory, in all but name, had been put forward by Smith when he stated that competition allows for new improvements of art[13] showing that this efficiency has long been spoken of. This has been questioned as monopolies have the money to carry out research[14] and where there are monopolies others will try to intervene to get their custom.[15] On this basis, how the EU and CJEU have dealt with situations where monopolies arise must be examined to determine whether the economic terms have led to the decision that has been made. Article 101 TFEU In terms of Article 101 of the TFEU, this is designed to ensure that restrictive practices are deemed incompatible with the common market. The restrictions that are placed on undertakings, which cover all entities that are involved in business,[16] have been seen to be circumvented for a number of reasons. In the case of Wouters Others v Algemene Raad van de Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten[17]it was held that despite a restriction on the legal profession, it was pursuing a legitimate objective in ensuring proper legal practice and therefore was allowed. It has been noted that this idea of a legitimate objective will stay within the competition law of the EU,[18] however, it is what constitutes a legitimate objective that can have implications for economic terms being used in the CJEU. In terms of a finding a legitimate objective, it has been noted that it is not necessary to look at the economic and non-economic objectives as they often go hand in hand.[19] In cases involving profess ional services such as Wouters and other cases such as Asnef Equifax[20]it was noted that the CJEU took into account the issue of information asymmetry whereby despite the fact that there is a restriction on competition which could increase the cost the consumer, the quality will go up which is especially prevalent in professional services.[21] These decisions tend to go against the productive efficiency in that the cost will go up by allowing increased restriction on trade in professional services, however, the allocative efficiency would be seen to improve as the quality given to the consumer improves. This demonstrates that Article 101 of the TFEU has taken the economic viewpoint into account in ensuring that the Treaty does not act rigidly vis-Ã  -vis competition law. The mechanism of Article 101 has not completely followed the economic arguments and this is seen with cases involving free riders. This was seen in the case of Consten and Grundig v Commission[22]which involved Consten who was to be the exclusive distributor in France of Grundig electrical goods with the effect that free riders, who would wait for Consten to promote the goods before then selling the Grundig electrical goods at a lower price than Consten.[23] The free rider economic system has been allowed in the United States of America in the case of Continental TV v GTE Sylvania[24] on the basis that it was economically sound. However, this was rejected in Consten on the basis that the fundamental objective of the EU plan is to have greater integration within the single market and not just to increase consumer protection and welfare.[25] Indeed, in the more recent case this viewpoint was reaffirmed in the case of GlaxoSmithKline v Commission[26]where the guidance from the EU was co nsidered and it was noted that companies are not allowed to establish private barriers within the single market of the EU.[27] These decisions from the CJEU demonstrate that whilst the economic considerations have to be taken into account, they are secondary to the fundamental aim of the EU project to have ever closer Union[28] and to ensure that there are no private barriers within the single market. To compare this to the co-pilot analogy at the beginning of this essay, these decisions would suggest that the policy makers of the EU are the pilots and the lawyer and economist are mere passengers. It must be noted that Article 101 has a defence mechanism at 101(3) which is primarily based on the economic considerations that have been outlined. This defence is for a defendant to prove but all agreements made are eligible to qualify under Article 101(3) if the requirements are met.[29] The requirements state that technical and economic progress must be improved which links with the dynamic efficiency theory of competition law economics.[30] The other requirements involve not eliminating competition on the market as well as ensuring that consumers receive a fair share of the benefits from the agreement. This ties in with Smiths theory on monopolies and improving the market through competition laws as well as the allocative and productive efficiencies noted in the more neo-classical theories regarding economics and competition law. Indeed, this defence under Article 101(3) has been given a wide interpretation as seen in CECED[31]where the economic efficiencies were central to the judgment in declaring that the environmental benefits had to be looked at in terms of their effect on the consumer.[32] As this defence is couched in terms that are readily identifiable with the economic theories, it demonstrates that the economic terms have a huge role in competition law within the EU. Article 102 TFEU In terms of Article 102 of the TFEU, its whole basis is in economic terms as it is designed to stop dominance and abuse. The use of the term dominance in economics is deemed to be wider than that of a monopoly[33] and is a position of economic strength that prevents effective competition being maintained.[34] This type of dominance goes beyond just a single entity and the CJEU can look at more than one economic enterprise to see whether there is dominance, with what is known as collective dominance.[35] In this regard, the economic term of collective dominance and dominance generally was indicative in the case of Italian Flat Case to show that there was a breach of Article 102.[36] The second economic term alongside dominance in Article 102 is that of abuse, which is where a dominant entity can use its economic strength to obtain more benefits that it would have if it was a smaller entity.[37] The use of economic terms in Article 102 cases can be seen when abuse is discussed. Article 102 makes reference to unfair prices but the CJEU has looked beyond this to see situations where there has been predatory pricing[38] and excessive pricing that look at economic terms in terms of how undertakings with great economic strength may attempt to price their competitors out of the market.[39] This tends to demonstrate that there are some economic terms that are used not only in Article 102 itself but also by the CJEU in its interpretation of the Article. However, this view has not been completely replicated across the spectrum. The use of the economic terms in invoking Article 102 has been seen as haphazard[40] and this can be seen through the cases where there has been some reliance on economic terms such as predatory pricing noted above but there are others where it has been based more on the legal concepts such as where there is commission attached for selling a certain brand.[41] In this regard, when Article 102 is looked at solely it can be seen that it is couched in economic terms such as dominance and others have come in through cases such as predatory pricing but when it is compared to its counterpart, Article 101, the effect of economics on its interpretation has not been as widespread.[42] Accordingly, when it comes to the aeroplane analogy with Article 102 it is very much that the lawyer takes the chief pilots role whereas the economist operates as a co-pilot that attempts to bolster any legal arguments that have been made. Conclusion This essay has examined EU Competition Law to determine whether the role of economics or law is prevailing in its application. The economic theories, both classical and neo-classical, demonstrate that the basis for competition law is allowing a free market to ensure that the consumers are able to receive products at a low price and other individuals are able to compete with the larger firms. In relation to Article 101 it can be seen through the use of legitimate aim and the defence given in Article 101(3) that the economic terms have a great role to play in how the case would be decided by the CJEU. However, as noted with the free rider cases such as Consten it is readily identifiable that the economics will only be taken into account after the fundamental aim of the EU, that being ever closer Union, is dealt with. This shows that the economic terms as well as the legal terms are very much secondary to the fundamental aims of the EU project. When the policy issue is put to one side, it can be seen that the economic terms and the legal terms in deciding a competition law case under Article 101 are co-pilots ensuring that the correct decision is made. In terms of Article 102, the use of economics has not been as prevalent as with Article 101 but this is largely due to the fact that there is a lack of a general theme. Perhaps as the law develops vis-Ã  -vis Article 102, the economic terms will have a greater role to play. Bibliography Legislation Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Cases Akzo Chemie BV v Commission [1991] ECR I-3395 Asnef Equifax Servicios de Informacion sobre Solvencia y Credito SL v Asociacion de Usuarios de Servicios Bancarios [2006] ECR I-11125 British Airways Plc v Commission [2007] ECR I-2331 CECED [2000] OJ L187/47 Consten and Grundig v Commission [1966] ECR 299 Continental TV v GTE Sylvania (1977) 433 US 36 GlaxoSmithKline v Commission [2009] ECR I-9291 Klaus Hofner Fritz Esler v Macrotron GmbH [1991] ECR I-1979 Matra Hachette v Commission [1994] ECR II-595 PPG Vernante Pennitalia Spa v Commission [1992] ECR II-1403 United Brands Company v Commission [1978] ECR 207 Wouters Others v Algemene Raad van de Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten [2002] ECR I-1577 Books Akman P, The Concept of Abuse in EU Competition Law: Law and Economic Approaches (Bloomsbury 2015) Bork RH, The Antitrust paradox (The Free Press, 1978) Chalmers D, Davies G Monti G, European Union Law (2nd edn, CUP 2010) Jacobs K (ed), Effective Standardization Management in Corporate Settings (IGI Global, 2010) Galbraith, American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power (Houghton Mifflin, 1952) Huerta de Soto J, The Theory of Dynamic Efficiency (Routledge 2009) Jones A Sufrin B, EU Competition Law: Text, Cases and Materials (6th edn, OUP 2016) Kaczorowska A, European Union Law (Routledge 2008) Kaczorowska-Ireland A, Competition Law in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (Routledge 2012) Mill JS, On Liberty (Vail-Ballou Press, 2003) Scherer Ross, Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance (3rd edn, Houghton Mifflin, 1990) Schulze R, An Introduction to European Law (2nd edn, CUP 2015) Schumpter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (Taylor Francis, 1976) Smith A, An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Penguin, 1999) Whish R Bailey D, Competition Law (8th edn, OUP 2015) Articles Apostolakis I, E-Commerce and Free Rider Considerations Under Article 101 TFEU (2016) ECLR 114 Ibanez Colomo P, Market Failures, Transaction Costs and Article 101(1) TFEU Case Law (2012) 37(5) ELR 541 Janssen C Kloosterhuis E, The Wouters Case Law, Special for a Different Reason? (2016) ECLR 335 Lianos I, In Memoriam Keck: The Reformation of the EU Law on the Free Movement of Goods (2015) EL Rev 225 Nowag J, Wouters, When the Condemned Live Longer: A Comment on OTOC and CNG (2014) 36 ECLR 39 ODonoghue R, Defining Legitimate Competition: How to Clarify Pricing Abuses under Article 83 EC (2002) 26 Fordham Intl LJ 83 Posner RA, The Social Costs of Monopoly and Regulation (1975) 83 JPE 807 Ratliff J, Major Events and Policy Issues in EC Competition Law, 2001: Part 1 (2002) ICCLR 6 Stigler G, Perfect Competition, Historically Contemplated (1957) 65(1) J Pol Eco 1 Temple Lang J, Some Aspects of Abuse of a Dominant Position in EC Antitrust Law (1979) 3 Fordham Intl LF 1 Tsoulfidis L, Classical vs Neoclassical Conceptions of Competition (2011) MPRA 1 Vickers J, Concepts of Competition (1995) 47 Oxford Economic Papers 1 Miscellaneous Commission, Notice Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2010) OJ C130/1 de la Mano M, For the Customers Sake: The Competitive Effects of Efficiencies in European Merger Control (Enterprise Paper No 11, 2002) [1] A Smith, An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Penguin, 1999). [2] JS Mill, On Liberty (Vail-Ballou Press, 2003). [3] D Chalmers, G Davies G Monti, European Union Law (2nd edn, CUP 2010) p. 962. [4] RA Posner, The Social Costs of Monopoly and Regulation (1975) 83 JPE 807. [5] R Whish D Bailey, Competition Law (8th edn, OUP 2015) p. 2. [6] RH Bork, The Antitrust paradox (The Free Press, 1978). [7] I Lianos, In Memoriam Keck: The Reformation of the EU Law on the Free Movement of Goods (2015) EL Rev 225, 244. [8] Scherer Ross, Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance (3rd edn, Houghton Mifflin, 1990) Ch. 1. [9] R Whish D Bailey, Competition Law (8th edn, OUP 2015) p. 5. [10] M de la Mano, For the Customers Sake: The Competitive Effects of Efficiencies in European Merger Control (Enterprise Paper No 11, 2002) p. 8. [11] J Vickers, Concepts of Competition (1995) 47 Oxford Economic Papers 1. [12] J Huerta de Soto, The Theory of Dynamic Efficiency (Routledge 2009) p. 1-2. [13] Smith (n 1) p. 706. [14] Galbraith, American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power (Houghton Mifflin, 1952). [15] Schumpter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (Taylor Francis, 1976). [16] A Jones B Sufrin, EU Competition Law: Text, Cases and Materials (6th edn, OUP 2016) p. 116. [17] [2002] ECR I-1577. [18] J Nowag, Wouters, When the Condemned Live Longer: A Comment on OTOC and CNG (2014) 36 ECLR 39. [19] P Ibanez Colomo, Market Failures, Transaction Costs and Article 101(1) TFEU Case Law (2012) 37(5) ELR 541, 560. [20] Asnef Equifax Servicios de Informacion sobre Solvencia y Credito SL v Asociacion de Usuarios de Servicios Bancarios [2006] ECR I-11125. [21] C Janssen E Kloosterhuis, The Wouters Case Law, Special for a Different Reason? (2016) ECLR 335, 337. [22] [1966] ECR 299. [23] Chalmers (n 3) p. 979. [24] (1977) 433 US 36. [25] I Apostolakis, E-Commerce and Free Rider Considerations Under Article 101 TFEU (2016) ECLR 114, 116. [26] [2009] ECR I-9291. [27] Commission, Notice Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2010) OJ C130/1. [28] A Kaczorowska, European Union Law (Routledge 2008) p. 86. [29] Matra Hachette v Commission [1994] ECR II-595. [30] R Schulze, An Introduction to European Law (2nd edn, CUP 2015) p. 318. [31] [2000] OJ L187/47. [32] J Ratliff, Major Events and Policy Issues in EC Competition Law, 2001: Part 1 (2002) ICCLR 6. [33] Klaus Hofner Fritz Esler v Macrotron GmbH [1991] ECR I-1979. [34] United Brands Company v Commission [1978] ECR 207, para. 65. [35] A Kaczorowska-Ireland, Competition Law in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (Routledge 2012) p. 170. [36] PPG Vernante Pennitalia Spa v Commission [1992] ECR II-1403. [37] J Temple Lang, Some Aspects of Abuse of a Dominant Position in EC Antitrust Law (1979) 3 Fordham Intl LF 1, 9. [38] Akzo Chemie BV v Commission [1991] ECR I-3395. [39] P Akman, The Concept of Abuse in EU Competition Law: Law and Economic Approaches (Bloomsbury 2015) p. 188. [40] R ODonoghue, Defining Legitimate Competition: How to Clarify Pricing Abuses under Article 83 EC (2002) 26 Fordham Intl LJ 83. [41] British Airways Plc v Commission [2007] ECR I-2331. [42] Chalmers (n 3) p.1007.

San Gabriel River and its drainage problems :: essays research papers fc

In 1938, the San Gabriel Mountains (Los Angeles, USA) experienced heavy amounts of rain. This then led to mass movement, such as mudslides, and flash flooding, which flushed through downtown LA, damaging buildings, homes and vehicles. After these events, a flood committee was formed, and networks of hard defences were set up along the long profile of the San Gabriel River. The aim: decrease the hydrograph, and reduce the risk of flooding. In the upper course of the San Gabriel River, the San Gabriel Dam was built. This is a filtering dam, and uses sluice gates to prevent large boulders from progressing down river. By doing this, the amount of sediment in the river decreases, which reduces the possibility of flooding from high sediment yield, and in the case of a flood, there will be no harmfully large sediment. Problems, however, are that the velocity of the river increased as there is less load to carry, which makes the erosion process scarce, as attrition and corrasion cannot take place. Also the riverbed and slip-off slopes of the river are very weak and can erode easily from hydraulic action. Then there are open dam systems, like Santa Fe and Maddock, where the river is stored and filtered of its sediment. This shares the same benefits of the sluice gates, however, it means no natural levees can form on the riverbanks. Further downstream, there are large control dams and artificial diversion-zone river basins, like the Wittier Narrows. When the river begins to flood, the control dams close, and form a barrier. This completely prevents the river from flowing downstream. The water is then detoured into the artificial basins, like the Wittier Narrows where it is stored until the river returns to its normal level. Then the control dams gradually re-release the stored water into the stream flow. This is effective as it prevents the flooding entering the downtown area. It also allows for things like hydroelectric power and water supply to be easily obtainable, without affecting the main river flow itself for too long. This problem is that this can lead to the starvation of habitats living alongside the river, as there is no water flow.

Working with the Handicap Ski Program Essay -- Personal Narrative Essa

Working with the Handicap Ski Program    The roots of adaptive skiing were in war and accidental injuries. In 1942 Franz Wendel was the first person to enter a competition for people who are handicapped. After suffering a leg amputation in the war, he fashioned a pair of crutches and attached them to short skis enabling him to crutch ski. By the late 1940's the Austrian Ski Association was financing a division for handicapped skiers while at the same time European and American programs at army hospitals were developing. The Vietnam War produced many unfortunate casualties but also provided a boost to the development of adaptive skiing. Equipment and facilities have continued to grow and improve in recent years. A new era began in 1983 when the International Olympic Committee sanctioned the Third World Winter Games for the Disabled. Not only did this boost the prestige of the program, it also helped to promote fund raising efforts and program development worldwide. The Third World Disabled Ski Championships were held in 1986 in Sweden and the United States placed first.    So why is there skiing for people with disabilities? Outdoor recreation is fun and healthy for everyone. For people with disabilities, skiing means adventure, exercise, se... ...skis are used for skiers unable to ambulate at all. Mono skiers require more upper body strength to use the equipment. Today with advanced technology, the bi ski is replacing the sit ski.    Since the completion of my training program I have had students of varying ages, disabilities and skiing levels. They have provided many new learning experiences for me. Without a doubt I have consistently observed the pleasure this sport gives to the students and their families. Physical and mental growth are very important to the overall well being of the student. Sharing my skills and love of skiing has been fun and rewarding to me.

“Wine of Astonishment” Analysis

Setting In  The Wine of Astonishment, the setting is very significant as it gives the reader a better understanding of the background and atmosphere of the story. The story is set over a twenty year period somewhere between nineteen thirty two and nineteen fifty one. It is in a small, remote village in Trinidad called Bonasse where everything takes place. The setting is one of the best techniques in a story, as it has the power to make us feel like we are actually in the story and watching everything take place right before our eyes.The village setting is surrounded by African folk culture which is seen by the stick fighting and chantwell traditions, the communal pride in Bolo's prowess over Ivan Morton's achievements. By this rural setting the reader has to consider their way of life seen by Eva's plantain crushing to the calypsos by light of the flambeau outside Buntin's shop as well as their economic background which at that time was predominantly agricultural with the plating o f cocoa and sugar. It also makes the characterization more intimate where we see love between Joyce and Clyde.The events more symbolic such as the Spiritual Baptist religion which plays a pivotal part in the story. Characterization EVA Eva is the narrator of the story ‘Wine of Astonishment’. She is the wife of Bee and the mother of five. Eva lives in the village of Bonasse with Bee and the three younger of her children. She is of African descent and is of the Shouter Baptist faith. She is a very religious woman and she believes all things happen for a reason. She believes that God gives them all their trials and tribulations because they can bear them.She is a loving mother as she tells her son Reggie that even though he failed his examination, he still had his life in front of him. Her motherly nature is also shown when she was worried about Joyce, her daughter, and Clyde’s relationship. Eva and Bee have been married for twenty-three years and are very close to each other. Eva tries to help Bee by convincing him that they could bear their burdens and convincing him that Ivan Morton would help them. She also tells him that while they do not have as much as others, they have the necessities, and need no more. BEE Bee is the leader of the Shouter Baptist Church in Bonasse.He is married to Eva and has five children, three of which lives with him and his wife in Bonasse. He is of African descent. He is often burdened by his position, yet he cannot simply leave, he must go on, as seen when Eva narrates in page 3, â€Å"†¦and maybe he want to say to hell with the church, to hell with Ivan Morton, to hell with everything, but he can’t get out the web, he must go on hoping. † Ivan Morton was in the Council for Bonasse and Bee sacrificed for him to be there, however Ivan Morton was doing nothing to help the Shouter Baptists and that frustrated Bee greatly.He is very religious and hates the fact that they could not worship God in t heir own way but had to abide to the laws. He relies on his wife, Eva, as his confident and supporter. She helps him to get back up when he is down. Bee seems to be very wary of letting his last son, Reggie, to go to high school because he fears what it may make him. Narrative Technique The story is told in first person, as the narrator is known to be Eva a main character of the play.The first person narrative, captures the attention of the reader in an early stage of the piece of literature, understanding and wanting to understand the situation that the narrator would currently be involved in . We look at the story through her point of view and see the turn of events as they occur through her eyes. Most of the story is written in dialect, as it would be the way that Eva, the story teller would commonly be speaking. It also encourages the readers to be in favor of one party(s) in the story, not having the input of another narrator or that of an omniscient narrator, who would not giv e the story only one point of view.This narrative technique is very useful in capturing the reader’s attention as it helps him/her (as the case may be) get a better grasp into what’s going on within that person’s life and having full access to that person’s most private thoughts and feelings. As it is in Eva’s case, we see her life and struggles within herself, causing the reader to take a special interest in Eva and to empathize for her in whatever situation she is facing, as she describes it to the reader(s).

Cheesy Wheezy Essay

Starting as a small retail store in New Glarus, Wisconsin, the Cheezy Wheezy firm had slowly grown into a chain of nine retail shops located in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. In recent years, nearly all its competitors had begun issuing catalogs, widely distributed in late October, advertising gift packages of cheeses, jams, jellies, and other fancy food items. Henry Wilson, son of the firm’s founder, had convinced his father that Cheezy Wheezy should also issue a catalog. It was then March, and the last snows were melting. Henry Wilson had called his third staff meeting in as many weeks to discuss the catalog project. Present were Henry (whose title was vice president); Susan Moore, the sales manager; Jeff Bell, the inventory manager; and Robert Walker, the traffic manager. Also present was Robert Caldwell, from a Milwaukee-based ad agency that was handling many aspects of the catalog project. Moore and Caldwell had just finished describing the catalog’s tentative design and the allocation of catalog pages to various product lines. Caldwell then said, â€Å"We are to the point where we must design the order form, which will be stapled inside the center pages. It will be a single 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet. The customer will remove it from the catalog, complete it, fold it into the envelope shape, lick the gummed lines, and mail it in. The order form will be on one side of the sheet. On the other will be the instructions for folding and Cheezy Wheezy’s mailing address in New Glarus; the remainder of the space will be ads for some impulse items. Right now we’re thinking of a Santa Claus–shaped figure molded out of cheese. â€Å"Enough of that,† said Wilson, â€Å"this group isn’t here to discuss Santa dolls. We’re here to design the order form. We may also have to talk a little about selling terms. Susan? † Responding to her cue, Moore said, â€Å"Our biggest problem is how to handle the transportation and shipping costs. We’ve studied all our competitors’ catalogs. Some absorb the costs into the product’s price, some charge by weight of the order, some charge by money value of order, and some ship COD. † â€Å"How important are shipping costs, Susan? † asked Bell. â€Å"Plenty,† was her response. They run $2 to $3 for a 1- or 2-pound package. If you take a pound of cheese that we sell in our retail stores for $2, here are our costs if it goes by catalog: cost of goods, $1; order management, 50 cents; overhead, including inventory carrying costs, 50 cents; packaging for shipment, 50 cents; and transportation costs to any point in the United States ranging between $1. 75 and $3. 20. If, however, we’re dealing with bigger shipments, the relative costs vary. †  "I’m not following you,† said Wilson. â€Å"It’s like this,† responded Moore. The wholesale cost of cheese to us is the same per pound, no matter how much is sold. Order-processing costs are approximately the same for each order we’ll be receiving by mail. Overhead and inventory carrying costs are always present but may be allocated in a variety of ways. Packaging costs are also about the same per order. They go up only a few cents as we move to larger cartons. Transportation costs are hard to describe because of their tapers. Right now our whole catalog project is bogged down with the problem of transportation cost tapers. † â€Å"Tapers? † said Wilson, turning to Walker. You’ve never told me about tapers before. It sounds like some kind of animal. † â€Å"That’s tapir, t-a-p-i-r,† said Walker. â€Å"We’re talking about tapers, t-a-p-e-r-s. † â€Å"Oh,† said Wilson. â€Å"What are they? † â€Å"When one ships small packages of cheese,† said Walker, â€Å"rates are based on two factors, the weight being shipped and the distance. As weight or distance increases or both—the rates go up but not as quickly. This is called the tapering principle. To ship 2 pounds of cheese from New Glarus to St. Louis costs $2. 40; 3 pounds cost $3. 30; 5 pounds cost $4. 60; and so on. One hundred pounds—no, 50 pounds is a better example because some of the parcel services we’ll be using won’t take 100 pounds—50 pounds would cost $21. There’s also a distance taper. The 2-pound shipment that costs $2. 40 to St. Louis is $3. 40 to Denver and $4. 15 to Los Angeles. † â€Å"Can’t we use the average transportation costs? † asked Bell. â€Å"That’s what we do with inventory carrying costs. † â€Å"Won’t work,† said Caldwell. â€Å"You’ll be overpriced for small, short-distance shipments and will lose sales. For heavy long shipments, you’ll be underpriced and will make so many sales that you might soon go belly up. Wilson shuddered and inquired, â€Å"Does that mean we charge by weight and by distance? † Moore answered, â€Å"It’s not that easy. In the cheese business, people buy by the pound, but shipping weights—which include packaging—are actua lly more. A customer who orders 3 pounds of cheese is in fact receiving 3 pounds of cheese plus 6 ounces of packaging materials. I wish we could sell a pound of cheese that consisted of 14 ounces of cheese and 2 ounces of packing material, but that would be illegal at worst, and of questionable ethics, at best. † â€Å"We have the same problems with distance,† added Walker. We’re trying to sell in 50 states, but who knows how far they are from New Glarus? We could have tables and maps in the catalog, but they take up valuable selling space. Also, if it looks too complex, we may just turn off some potential customers before they complete their orders. † â€Å"Some of our clients have another problem,† added Caldwell, â€Å"and that is split orders. The customer will want 10 pounds of cheese, but it will be five 2-pound packages sent to five different locations. That has an impact on both packaging and transportation costs. † â€Å"So, what do we do? â₠¬  asked Wilson.

Development of a Communications Plan for a Corporate Website Launch

AWARDS CEREMONY FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND PROVINCIAL LEGISLATORS AT UNISA on 18 November 2011 GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME DRAFT COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Background An awards ceremony will be held on 18 November 2011 in Pretoria for 158 Members of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures who have completed the Governance and Leadership Programme. The programme is offered under the auspices of the University of South Africa (UNISA). A total of 293 MPs and MPLs registered for the programme initially but some could not complete their studies on time. The Programme is supported by the South African Legislative Sector, under the guidance of the Speakers’ Forum and Public Administration Leadership Academy, PALAMA. Communication Objectives Parliament considers the role of public representatives to be central in exercising its role as the supreme law-making body in the country. As such, Members of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures need to acquire the requisite skills and competencies that will enable them to approach their work more judiciously and to participate more effectively in Parliamentary processes of law-making, oversight and public participation. Target audience Members of Parliament Members of Provincial Legislatures Speakers’ Forum SALSA General Public Key Messages †¢ The Capacity Building Development Programme enhances Members’ ability to execute their constitutional responsibilities more effectively †¢ Members are able to analyse policy, legislation, strategy more effectively †¢ The role of Parliament and Provincial legislatures is considerably enhanced in the public arena †¢ The South African public gains confidence in the ability of MPs and MPLs to execute their public duties in a responsible manner COMMUNICATION TOOLS Internal Newsletters (Parliament, Legislatures and PALAMA) (Responsibility: Michael Ralo, Gerbrecht van Heerden, PALAMA and provinces) †¢ Intranet and website (Parliament, Legislatures and PALAMA) (Responsibility: Michael Ralo, Gerbrecht van Heerden, PALAMA and provinces) External †¢ Media statement (Radio, TV and print) Action: Media statement drafted, waiting for approval Action: TV, radio and print interviews to be arranged from 14-18 November 2011 Speakers scheduled for interview include the following Members of the Reference Group on Training: Deputy Speaker: National Assembly, Ms NC Mfeketo Deputy Speaker: Free State Legislature, Ms MA Tsopo Speaker: Limpopo Legislature, Mr KA Phala Deputy Speaker: Eastern Cape Legislature, Ms N Moerane-Mamase Deputy Speaker: KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Mr M Mthimkulu PRINT MEDIA The Star Citizen Beeld Sowetan Daily times City Press Sunday Times Sunday World RADIO & TV Jacaranda Kaya FM yfm SABC Radio News Metro FM Thobela Motswedi Ukhozi Umhlobo Wenene Mohlodi Ligwalagwala SABC TV News Radio 2000 Radio 702 (Responsibility: Michael Ralo, Abe Mokoka – Gauteng Legislature, Sanelisiwe Mbhele – PALAMA and provinces) †¢ Event (Graduation ceremony and gala dinner and photography) (Responsibility: Msimelelo Nyikana, Millie Daweti and Task Team) †¢ Sector-wide publications (Responsibility: Michael Ralo, Parliament) †¢ Sector Annual Report (Responsibility: LSS)

Business Studies with Specialisms Essay

Discuss the characteristics of the scientific method which makes it superior over other methods as a means of obtaining new and reliable knowledge Introduction Marketing research has borrowed liberally from other disciplines; this is not surprising because research methodologies and techniques have application over many fields of study. Like other emerging disciplines, marketing research theory has been developed by creative adaptation rather than blind adoption. The extent to which marketing theory has been built on borrowed concepts was noted some years ago by the Marketing Science Institute of America. Historically, most sciences started by borrowing their conceptual approach and general theoretical ideas from other sciences. Joyce1 has observed that: Market research is not a practice or study isolated from other practices or studies. It has drawn freely from certain expert academic fields and will no doubt continue to do so. Further, market research organisations make use of people with expert, specialist training – especially from those fields known broadly as ‘the social sciences ‘ – both as staff members and consultants. It took a long while to determine how is the world better investigated. One way is to talk about it. For example: Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, stated that males and females have different number of teeth, without bothering to check; he then provided long arguments as to why this is the way things ought to be. This method is unreliable: to determine whether a statement is correct it requires evidence. Debating over a subject or putting an argument forward does not qualify as proof. Consideration of the history of research methods requires a look at the history of science. What is Science? A basic question asked by many and answered in almost as many ways. Early roots of science begin with Plato (427-347 B.C.) and his search for everlasting truth and reality. James Randi2 defines science as: ‘a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence. What’s left is magic. And it doesn’t work.’ We can define science as a methodical approach to the acquisition of knowledge. This important word distinguishes how a scientist works from how people learn about the world. Ross Koning3 has some personal observations: ‘Creation must have occurred because life was not always here. Science is merely saying creation was not sudden and is still on-going. Science does not deny existence of God, God just cannot be tested scientifically. Scientists are commonly very religious. Science is the acquisition of truth.’ Modern science is an amazing phenomenon, and curiosity of how it works will continue to occupy people’s minds. The Scientific Method On a broad level, science is a methodology for attaining knowledge, where knowledge is a form of belief distinct from mere opinion or uninformed guesswork. Science is not the knowledge gained through the approach; hence, knowledge can be gained through a variety of ways. Science seeks out better ways of representing our experiences. The experiences and their representation in a system of beliefs are termed, respectively, observation and theory. Recognizing that personal and cultural beliefs influence both our perceptions and our interpretations of natural phenomena, the aim is through the use of standard procedures and criteria to minimize those influences when developing a theory. A better approach is to do experiments and perform careful observations. The results of this approach are universal in the sense that they can be reproduced by any skeptic. It is from these ideas that the scientific method was developed. What is the â€Å"scientific method†? The scientific method is the best way yet discovered for scrutinizing the truth from lies and delusion. It is based upon evidence rather than belief. This distinguishes science from faith. The scientific method revolves around the following key steps: 1. Observe some aspect of the universe 2. Invent a tentative description, called a hypothesis, that is consistent with what you have observed 3. Use the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations 4. Perform experimental tests of the predictions and modify hypothesis 5. Return to step 3 to ensure of no discrepancies between theory and experiment. The scientific method is founded upon direct observation of the world around us. A scientist looks critically and attempts to avoid all sources of bias in this observation. But more than looking, a scientist measures to quantify the observations; this helps in avoiding bias. Which of these lines is longer? The both lines are the same length, though human bias might generate belief that one is longer than the other. The scientific method attempts to minimize the influence of bias or prejudice in the experiment when testing a hypothesis or a theory. The next part of the scientific method is to form a hypothesis. This is merely an educated guess. You examine the literature on the subject and gather as much knowledge from books as possible to begin to arrive at an answer. This tentative answer†¦this best educated guess†¦is your hypothesis. There is one important aspect to the hypothesis. It must be rejectable. There must be a way to test the possible answer to try to make it fail. If you design an untestable hypothesis, then science cannot be used to help you decide if it is right or not. For example: you hypothesis that ‘God is awake’. There is no way to test your hypothesis scientifically; therefore, there is no way to make it fail. If the experiments bear out the hypothesis it may come to be regarded as a theory, which then provides rational statements that explain a phenomena. This theory produces explanations to observations and predictions are made. To a scientist a theory is a conceptual framework that explains existing observations and predicts new ones. On the other hand, if the experiments do not bear out the hypothesis, it must be rejected or modified. Prediction is a way to put the hypothesis to a test. The prediction has three parts: 1. If my hypothesis is true†¦ 2. Then_____ should happen 3. When_____ is manipulated The manipulation is what you knew would likely falsify your hypothesis. If this prediction holds then you will not be able to reject your hypothesis. If this prediction does not hold then you will reject your hypothesis. The scientific method requires that an hypothesis be ruled out or modified if its predictions are clearly and repeatedly incompatible with experiment tests. In every experimental science, ‘experiment is supreme’ and experimental verification of hypothetical predictions is absolutely necessary. Experiments may test the theory directly or may test for consequences derived from the theory using mathematics and logic. The necessity of experiment also implies that a theory must be testable. Theories which cannot be tested, because, for instance, they have no observable ramifications, do not qualify as scientific theories. One of the key factors of scientific method is that the theory must be falsifable. Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994): Falsificationism (1993) Demarcation Criteria: Science is divided from psuedo-science or â€Å"myth† by making statements which are potentially falsifiable. When a hypothesis passes the test it is adopted as a theory it correctly explains a range of phenomena it can, at any time, be falsified by new experimental evidence. When exploring a new set or phenomena scientists do use existing theories, however, it is always kept in mind that the old theories might fail to explain the new experiments and observations. In this case new hypotheses are devised and tested until a new theory emerges. A theory is accepted not based on the prestige or convincing powers of the proponent, but on the results obtained through observations and experiments which anyone can reproduce. Most experiments and observations are repeated many times. If the original claims are not verified the process returns to the origin of such discrepancies. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies knowledge. It attempts to answer the basic question: what distinguishes true (adequate) knowledge from false (inadequate) knowledge? Practically, this question translates into issues if scientific methodology: how can one develop theories or models that are better than competing theories? It is possible to construct a useful and reliable model for understanding scientific reasoning, known as the â€Å"Hypothetico-Deductive† model. The heart of the â€Å"Hypothetico-Deductive† model is deductive reasoning (induction plays a role primarily in generating laws about observations that are then deduced from theory, such as the law of multiple proportions). According to the H-D model, hypotheses and theories are sets of general principles that are said to explain and predict observable results. A theory is successful insofar as observable consequences can be deduced from those general principles and statements. When a positive instance of a predicted observation occurs, it is said to confirm that theory. Deductive and Inductive Thinking In logic, two broad methods of reasoning are referred to: the deductive and inductive approaches. Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific. Sometimes this is informally called a ‘top-down’ approach. The process may begin with thinking up a theory about our topic of interest. We then narrow that down into more specific hypotheses that we can test. We narrow down even further when we collect observations to address the hypotheses. This ultimately leads us to be able to test the hypotheses with specific data – a confirmation (or not) of our original theories. Inductive reasoning works the other way, moving from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories. Informally, it is often known as a â€Å"bottom-up† approach. In inductive reasoning, the process begins with specific observations and measures, then patterns and regularities are detected, formulating some tentative hypotheses that we can explore, and finally end up developing some general conclusions or theories. Inductive reasoning, by its very nature, is more open-ended and exploratory, especially at the beginning. Deductive reasoning is narrower in nature and is concerned with testing or confirming hypotheses. Even though a particular study may look like it’s purely deductive (e.g., an experiment designed to test the hypothesized effects of some treatment on some outcome), most social research involves both inductive and deductive reasoning processes at some time in the project. The two graphs above can be assembled into a single circular one that continually cycles from theories down to observations and back up to theories. Even in the most constrained experiment, the researchers may observe patterns in the data that lead them to develop new theories. Comparison of Properties Deduction 1. In a valid deductive argument, all of the content of the conclusion is present, at least implicitly, in the premises. Deduction is nonampliative 2. If the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. Valid deduction is necessarily truth preserving. 3. If new premises are added to a valid deductive argument (and none of its premises are changed or deleted) the argument remains valid. Deduction is erosion-proof. 4. Deductive validity is an all-or-nothing matter; validity does not come in degrees. An argument is totally valid, or it is invalid Induction 1. Induction is ampliative. The conclusion of an inductive argument has content that goes beyond the content of its premises. 2. A correct inductive argument may have true premises and a false conclusion. Induction is not necessarily truth preserving. 3. New premises may completely undermine a strong inductive argument. Induction is not erosion-proof. 4. Inductive arguments come in different degrees of strength. In some inductions the premises support the conclusions more strongly than in others. Source: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. Merilee H. Salmon, John Earman, Clark Glymour, James G. Lennox, Peter Machamer, J.E. McGuire, John D. Norton, Wesley C. Salmon, and Kenneth H. Schaffner. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1992. Available: http://dharma-haven.org/science/myth-of-scientific-method.htm Non-Scientific Sources 1. Common Sense People often refer to their knowledge and skills as common sense. It is good sense in everyday affairs. For example: The old farmer didn’t have much education but had always gotten along on a lot of common sense. He is hopeful that in the event of another war the world powers may summon enough common sense to avoid mass atomic destruction. Having a practical intelligence in different situations can derive knowledge that is of immense value. This practical intelligence has been gained naturally from the individual’s experience throughout their life and cannot be applied to any education or training. The experiences that an individual has been through during their life may affect their ability to produce unbiased knowledge. 2. Trial and Error Trial and Error is a method of learning by trying out different responses to a new situation until one response is successful. The desired result is then played on for future use and noted by the researcher. It can be quite a time consuming activity, however, similar problems in the future may benefit from the experiment. 3. Tenacity Tenacity is the determination to continue what you are doing. It means that the knowledge derived from previous studies must be recognised as it holds true value for a long period of time. 4. Intuition Intuition is a psychological and philosophical term which designates the process of immediate apprehension or perception of an actual fact, being or relation between two terms and its results. As an element of educational method intuition means the grasp of knowledge by concrete, experimental or intellectual, ways of apprehension. The importance of intuition as a process and element of knowledge is easily seen if we observe that it is intuition which furnishes us with the first experimental data as well as with the primary concepts and the fundamental judgements or principles which are the primitive elements and the foundation of every speculation. 5. Authority An expert provides knowledge on a particular subject, whereby subordinates accept the idea or concept as a respected source of knowledge. 6. Rationalism Rationalism is a philosophical movement which attempts to study the universe using reason, in the form of deductive and mathematical methods, rather than sense experience. Descartes, for example, tried to deduce what God’s world is like from the axioms of divine existence and goodness. When sourcing knowledge rationalism can be misleading when it is used alone, however, improving the accuracy of the principles associated with the subject will result in better sourcing. 7. Empiricism Any view which bases our knowledge, or the materials from which it is constructed, on experience through the traditional five senses. It is opposed to rationalism and denies that we have any a priori knowledge or innate ideas: we owe all our concepts to experience of the world. A priori knowledge is any kind of knowledge that is in no way derived from sense experience, observation or experiment. What might be called the classical empiricist view is associated especially with Locke, the first of the so-called British Empiricists, and his successors Berkeley and Hume. Empiricism has its roots in the idea that all we can know about the world is what the world cares to tell us; we must observe it neutrally and dispassionately, and any attempt on our part to mould or interfere with the process of receiving this information can only lead to distortion and arbitrary imaging. Conclusion The scientific method is intricately associated with science, the process of human inquiry that pervades the modern era on many levels. While the method appears simple and logical in description, there is perhaps no more complex question than that of knowing how we come to know things. In comparison with the non-scientific sources the emphasis here is that the scientific method distinguishes science from other forms of explanation because of its requirements of systematic experimentation. We use specific methods because they are objective, public and can give repeatable results. The question of how science is so successful at improving understanding is hardly every presented as a question at all. No matter what happens, you will learn something. Science is not only about getting ‘the answer’. Scientists who study extremely complex problems can spend a lifetime and not find ‘the answer’. Even so, their results may eventually play a part in completing the full picture of understanding. Animal and children may learn about whatever they pay attention to, and so do scientists.