Policy Profile Of Senator Richard Lugar The Following Report Will Atte

Policy Profile of Senator Richard Lugar The following report will attempt to provide a brief, yet concise policy profile of Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar. Beginning with a short biographical review, the profile will proceed and concentrate on Senator Lugar's major areas of public policy concern; Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and in part, his 1996 Presidential Campaign which encompasses a myriad of issues, both foreign and domestic. It would be impossible to include every aspect of Senator Lugar's political career and personal life within the scope of this paper. Instead, emphasis will be placed on the most important and critical points of his tenure in American politics, at the federal level. However, in the conclusion of this text a rational explanation will be offered to give insight concerning Senator Lugar's motivations and tendencies to act in the way he does. Biographical Background Richard Green Lugar was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 4, 1932. Attending Sh ortridge High School he excelled academically and was the class Valedictorian. After graduation, Dick Lugar (as he is commonly known) attended Denison University, in Ohio, and met his future wife Charlene Smeltzer. In 1954 Lugar received his degree from Denison and went on to be a Rhodes Scholar at Pembroke College on the campus of Oxford University, in England. Richard and Charlene were married in September, 1956, and now have four sons and six grandchildren. After completing studies at Oxford, Dick Lugar went to the American Embassy in London, England and promptly enlisted in the Navy as an intelligence briefer and was responsible for giving intelligence reports to 'high brass', including the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Along with Senator Lugar's political achievements, he has occupied positions in the private sector, as well as a stint in the United States Navy. As a young man Richard Lugar worked at, and managed the family businesses, a farm, and a food machinery firm started by his Grandfather over 100 years ago, Thomas L. Green Both are located in the Indianapolis area. In 1964, Lugar obtained his first political office with the Indianapolis School Board. He then went on to win the Mayoral bid in 1968, and served two terms at the head of city government in Indianapolis. Senator Lugar's next stepping stone in politics would be a failed attempt for the office of United States Senator in 1974, losing to incumbent Birch Bayh, father of the current Indiana Governor, Evan Bayh. Suprisingly, Lugar lost the election by only 75,000 votes, quite an accomplishment considering the incumbency factor. Lugar ran for the Senate again in 1976 and captured the seat from Democratic incumbent Vance Hartke. Senator Lugar has since been reelected two times (in 1988, he won by an overwhelming 68% percent of the total vote) and is currently in the midst of a campaign for President of the United States where he faces eight other challengers for the Repu blican nomination. Other achievements by Lugar that are worth mentioning are: His selection to the vice-presidency of the National League of Cities in 1970. He was appointed chairman, of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 98th Congress. Served as chairman for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations from 1985 to 1987. He is currently the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senator Lugar also serves on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, and Foreign Affairs sub-committees; Western Hemisphere and Peace Corps Affairs, International Economic Policy, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Trade, Oceans and Environment. (101st, 486-489; 102nd,485-488; Directory,1399; Miller, 95') Foreign Affairs Senator Richard Lugar is acknowledged to be one of the pre-eminent national leaders in the realm of foreign policy. Some have even claimed that he is in reality a "shadow Secretary of State", being recognized around the globe for his involvem ent with international politics. Lugar's involvement and membership to key Senate Foreign Affairs sub-committees, and being the chair of the full committee for one session of Congress shows his willingness and diligence to be involved in this policy area. Note, however, Senator Lugar was forced out of the chairmanship and did not voluntarily leave. (101st Congress, 486) Lugar has four principle premises for good foreign policy. They are as follows:

Atkins Diet’s long term effects. Does it cause stroke or heart disease Essay Example

Atkins Diet’s long term effects. Does it cause stroke or heart disease Essay Example Atkins Diet’s long term effects. Does it cause stroke or heart disease Paper Atkins Diet’s long term effects. Does it cause stroke or heart disease Paper has high content of fat, cholesterol and purines. It   casuses hyperlipidemia and ketosis which are notorious   health risks. Also hypercholesterolemia is to be found   in most   of the takers of this   diet.   Hypercholesterolemia develops rapidly even in children under this ketonic diet.. There was a Sippy diet with high fat content for peptic ulcer treatment   found to be responsible for increased incidence of coronary heart disease. Hence the above known facts of similar diets of early period seem to suggest potentially hazardous risks of Atkins diet and controlled study should be performed to rule out such risks but the study itself would be problematic because of feared risks. Study of Davies ( 1994) says that Atkins diet is rich in high protein and fat but low in carbohydrate. As the diet free of carobohydrate, fat is mobilized resulting in ketogenisis in the body. After one week of Atkins diet, carbohydrate is introduced gradually and urine is tested for ketones and to ascertain the level of   carbohydrate. This level is known as CCL (critical carbohydrate level). Ketones will not be more than this CCL. â€Å"CCL is an indicator for each individual of the amount of carbohydrates that can be consumed while allowing the person to lose weight†. (Atkins R.C. 1974). Davies concludes, yet â€Å"there is. some doubt about the safety of this diet and it should only be followed under medical supervision† (Dickerson J. W.T. and Booth E.M. 1985) Wood RJ, Volek JS, Davis SR, Dell’ova, Fernandez ML in their paper very relevant to this paper   concede that carbohydrate restricted diets (CRD) have   weight loss properties and also improvement in traditional markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet emerging CVD risk factors could not be ignored.. (Nutr Metab (Lond) 2006,May 4). Fraser J.F, Long Den P (2003 Sept 5) have found Atkins is likely to cause acute porphyrias, a condition enzymes deficiency. The Atkins diet is supposedly lacking in enzymes, which are   essential for haem biosyntheis, their conclusion supports their fear of possible triggering of ICU admissions because of   potential conditions for developing Porphyrias. â€Å"A case of relapse of panic and anxiety symptoms, after initiation of High protein, a very low carbohydrate diet† (Ehrenreich April 2006). This report is about a woman with   anxiety disorder history.   Though her panic-disorder was under control, she developed relapse of those panic symptoms after she started on Atkins diet.,apparently because of the low-carbo hydrate content.   Her medical history showed that she had relapse of the panic disorder symptoms on starting on Atkins diet and receding of those condition on withdrawl of the diet.   The report adds that it will be prudent to enquire about dieting style and changes of patients admitted for panic disorder.   An estimated   25 millions of Americans were on Atkins diet and one third of Ameican adult population kept   off too much of carbohydrates in their diet.(Gloede W: Dec 2003) In the treatment of intractable pediatric epilepsy, Atkins diet was tested for its effectiveness as a modified diet and if it would promote ketosis with liberal dose of calories. The plan was to judge the modified Atkins diet would be efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment. The study conluded â€Å"A modified Atkins diet is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for intractable pediatric epilepsy.† .( Kossoff EH et al 2006 Feb). Astrup et al (Lancet 2004 Sept) in their report titled â€Å"Atkins and other low carbohydrate diets: hoax or an effective tool for weight loss?† agree that the Atkins diet book which has been sold in 45 million copies in the last more than 30 years that its   effectiveness in reducing body weight in spite of self directed consumption of   fatty substances with reduction of carbohydrate alone to less than 30 grams per day is paradoxical but it may be due to literally absent carbohydrate causing depletion of glucose stock, excretion of bound water. And that the ketogenisis suppresses appetite with the highproetin, which not only satiates but also, is instantly decreasing food consumption.   However the study insists on a long-term study to observe fluctuations in   nutritional status and body composition while under   the low-carbohydrate diet, â€Å"and to assess fasting and postprandial cardiovascular risk factors and adverse effects. Without that information, low- carbohydrate diets cannot be recommended.† (Astrup et al 2004) While commenting that about 66% of adults in America has BMI25, 30% 30, 8% are diabetic and 24% are having metabolism disorders, Gou GT (2004) says he has compared several diet plans prevailing in the country. In his conclusions on review of books and scientific reports on diets available for weight reduction and reduction of heart disease risk.,   he agrees that Atkins diet results in weight loss with some degree of risk and that it is not useful in the long run. But it seems to stand out amongst other diets studied by him.   According to him ‘Ultra low fat ones have no tolerence, NCEP Step I is not effective, NCEP Step II Diet, low fat with Mediterranean features is effective, Common Sense Diet with restriction in calories and carbohydrates (no comment on end result), South Beach Diet as carbohydrate restricted ( no comments on end result) and Mediterranean Diet heart protective with increased longevity ( no comment on weight loss).However no diet is effective without physical exercises. Bravata et al(2003) on â€Å"Efficacy and Safety of low-carbohydrate Diets†( A systemic Review) have concluded that because of lack of evidence, they are unable   to make recommendations for or against the use of low-carbohydrate diets for use longer than 90 days or for diets of 20g/d or less of carbohydrates for people   older than 50 took part in the   study. It has been observed by them that weight reduction in participants by use of low carbohydrate diet is well established by low caloric consumption in long duration.   . Even after 30 years of Atkins type of diet, the above recent researchers still say and claim that in spite of plenty of literature their study is the first one based on synthesis of evidence collected and published. They add that their findings declare that there is no harmony among the information from medical literature to guide dietary choices. They urge immediate   studies   that will enquire into the long-term results and effects  Ã‚   of low carbohydrate diets among all the age groups   both   with and without diabetes, hyperkalemia. Kossoff Eric H proposes that if a modified Atkins diet is developed, it will greatly replace use of drugs like Phenytoin and anti-convulsants for intractable child hood epilepsy. because a   modified Atkins diet holds assurance   as an effective   therapy for both children and adults with intractable epilepsy depending on the traditional ketogenic diet.. Though this treatment has many benefits, without the active role of neurologists and dieticians, its use can only be restricted. Three studies are nearing completion at  Ã‚   Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD, USA), while future trial plans are also underway.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chen et al ( Lancet . 2006) in their paper titled â€Å" A life-threatening complication of Atkins diet†Ã‚   have concluded that Atkins diet which is a low carbohydrate diet will result in ketonic production as rightly suggested by Atkins to monitor the level of ketonuria. in their book.   Ketoacidosis occurs during t he treatment of refractory child hood epilepsy.   Stress due to Atkins dietary therapy will aggravate starvation-induced metabolic acidosis. However they have not come across any report on such life threatening metabolic acidosis in healthy people on Atkins diet. Their patient’s condition which prompted this study might have been due to glycogen bound water depletion and vomiting caused due to dehydration.   Generally this type of dehydration leads to metabolic alkalosis without renal failure. The patient infact   had been on Atkins diet which must have caused ketosis and her development of ketoacidosis took place when   her oral intake was reduced on pancreatitis or gastroenteritis. They have to say that this type of disorders are likely to become widely prevalent as the Atkins diet is becoming popular allover the world.   B.Frank and C.Walter ( JAMA 2002) on â€Å"optimal diets for prevention of Coronary Heart Disease† say that they have concluded on three dietary strategies as effective from the strong results coming from their metabolic studies, epediomologic investigations and clinical trials. The three dietary plans suggested by them to tackle CDH (coronary heart disease) are 1) to replace saturated and trans-fats by unsaturated fats, 2) to enhance consumption of Omega –3 fatty acids derived from fish oils and plant sources and 3) promote consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. A randomized trial by Dansigner et al compares the diet plans Atkins, Omish, Weight watchers and Zone diets   and in their assessment for effectiveness in weight reduction and heart disease, they have found that all the popular diets did reduce body weight and also reduce cardiac risk factors for only one year duration. Generally dietary adherence are aborted in the middle of the therapy though accelerated compliance resulted in enhanced weight reduction and mitigation of cardiac risks.(Jama 2005. 293.43-53) None of these studies have involved long term research without which the objective of this paper is difficult to achieve except on theoretical considerations and certain premises. Rather no such adverse conditions have surfaced to prompt   long-term studies. It is not as simple as that unless volunteers come forward to subject themselves for the study. This goes to show,   the studies so far conducted suggest they are either prompted by advocates of pro-conventional diet promoters, pro-vegetarian groups or those who are really concerned among the medical fraternity without the support of long-term study participants. This also leads us to wonder if Atkins Dieters are going through or able to sustain a long term therapy for their life time without which data for the long-term side-effects are difficult to obtain. That the Atkins Diet has sold in so many million copies does not mean as many people are following the diet or Atkins Diet’s efficacy cannot be measured in terms o f sales. The obesity problem in U.S. or in any parts of the world are still in   pandemic proportions which go to prove the Atkins diet has not been effective in tackling the problem in spite of its existence for more than there decades. Conversely it should be that Atkins Diet has not been able to prevail over the obese person to follow the plan in spite of its promising features as it happens to so many good   virtues which are not necessarily followed. All these, for want of long term data for conclusion for long-term results. CONCLUSION It is the claim of the Atkins that the plan does cause weight loss when one cuts down on carbohydrates as explained above in the introduction. Besides, body weight is regulated and results in better health with a feeling of well-being to those on Atkins diet as they are forced to chose nutritional food. Diabetes is also kept at bay as intake of carbohydrate is controlled and insulin production also regulated. The   literature review seen above makes an impressive record of medical field’s observations which however is divided in opinion tilting against the diet. Aim of this paper is to arrive at   a conclusion whether Atkins Diet causes heart disease or stroke in the long run. The studies seen above suggest that Atkins diet can lead to various side effects like kidney dysfunction besides possibility of complications such as ketosis, dehydration, loss of enzymes, panic disorders, etc.   It seems to really help in the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Overweight individuals with medical problems such as heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and diabetes are more prone to unexpected complications than   overweight people with no health problems.   But in a weight loss plan, Atkins diet screens such potentially risky people and therefore fears are misplaced including heart diseases with which we are immediately concerned. That this diet plan was introduced 33 years ag o and it is still popular with some setbacks on the financials due to the demise of its inventor, itself is a testimony that Atkins Diet has not caused widespread heart disease epidemiology. Though there are genuine concerns about its long term sides effect to heart’s health, no scientific evidence has been established so far to disown Atkins Diet for any potential risks to the   heart. The U.S   news World Report   has reported on 6/2/2003 that obese persons did report weight loss without side effects. The blood cholesterol level also did not shoot up. It is important to note that bad cholesterol level increased a little but with corresponding increase in the good cholesterol level and triglycerides. Specifically, the diet did not cause the expected deterioration in blood cholesterol levels. (Healy).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A report in Grocer (March 2004) states that more than 3 million Britons and 30 million Americans are on Atkins Diet which only shows that there can be no long term effect on heart in the absence of scientific evidence of healthy individuals developing heart attacks after taking on to Atkins Diet, though the report is skeptical of the Diet as an unethical plan exploiting the consumers (John)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another report shows that due to restrictions on carbohydrate consumption, phytochemicals that go with it and that are responsible for preventing   heart disease, cancer, and other disorders, are also restricted and hence this aggravates   possibility of   contracting the said ailments.   It however   reconfirms that no adverse reports   have come in so far, for over intake of fat containing substances. ( Alan 2003) Although we have come across an instance of a 53 year old man Gorran forced on heart surgery allegedly due to the problems ( cholestrol increased from 146 to 230) caused by the Atkins intake,   who claimed $15,000 from Atkins in a law suit does not appear to have succeeded as Atkins has fought back saying â€Å"Atkins   stands by the science that has repeatedly reaffirmed the safety of the diet. The company believes that Gorran had been helped by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which promotes a vegan diet banning meat, fish, dairy and egg products and had questioned the Atkins diets approach to health in the past.†(Snack food Wholesale bakery) After the death of Dr Atkins, it has come to light that Atkins Diet has not been a product of speculation but a due to the stimulus he received from the series of study of Dr H.J.Roberts, M.D. FACP, FCCP from 1962 to 1967 at Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research, FL, which Dr Atkins admittted to Dr Roberts , as disclosed in his requiem honouring Dr Atkins.   Of particular interest to Dr Atkins was Dr Roberts’ researches relating to his findings   of carbohydrate vis-a-vis weight gain. In fact Dr Robert’s recommendations from the research finding was to   add fat and protein in the diet for management of obese patients while trying to reduce carbohydrate. Like in court findings, when the jury decides in the absence of conclusive evidence, resorts to circumstantial evidence, we are forced to take a view that Atkins Diet has not caused heart disease or stroke in the long run as during the last 33 years of its use there has been no report of heart attack or stroke if one had followed strictly the screening procedures of Dr Atkins Diet plan. Most of the adverse reports that have come in must have been either due to use of Atkins Diet by potentially–at-risk persons or stage managed by vested commercial interests. However we are not going to be complacent over the issue though on going research on Dr Atkins Diet plan may one day finally conclude in its favor. References Alan R Gaby, 8/1/2003 Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients Astrup A, Meinert Larsen T, Harper A, Lancet. 2004 Sep 4-10;364(9437):897-9. Review.   PMID: 15351198 [PubMed indexed for MEDLINE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Atkins, R.C., Dr Atkins’ Diet Revolution, Bantam Books, New York, NY, 1974. Bravata M.Dena et al, JAMA, April 9, 2003 Davies Jill (1974) Nutrition and Food Science, no 5 September October 1994 Dansinger et al, Jama, 2005: Vol 293: 43-53. Dickerson, J.W.T. and Booth, E.M., Clinical Nutrition for Nurses, Dietitians and Other Ehrenreich Mark J, M.D., Dept. of Psychiatry Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD Psychosomatics 47:178-179, April 2006 doi: 10.1176/appi.psy.47.2.178  © 2006 Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine Forster H, Fortschr Med. 1978 Sep 14; 96(34): 1697-702 Fraser JF, Long Den P Crit Care Resusc. 2003 Sep;5(3):193-7.   PMID: 16573483 [PubMed]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gloede W: Diet, Inc. Am Demogr 2003; Dec:32-34   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gou GT (2004) Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2004; 13(suppl):S4 Healy, Berandine P. 6/2/2003 U.S. News World Report John white, March 13, 2004 , Grocer   www.highbeam.com accessed on 26 May 2006 Klein Allison, How the diet plan works, howstuffworks.com/atkins.htmaccessed on 25 May 2006   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kossoff EH, McGrogan JR, Bluml RM, Pillas DJ, Rubenstein JE, Vining EP., : Epilepsia. 2006 Feb;47(2):421-4. . John M Freeman Pediatric epilepsy Center and John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, on â€Å"use of a Modified Atkins Diet for epilepsy†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Snack Food Wholesale   Bakery   May 1,   2004 Wood RJ, Volek JS, Davis SR, Dell’ova C, Fernandez ML 2006 May 4, Nutr Metab(Lond)

De Havilland Mosquito in World War II

De Havilland Mosquito in World War II The design for the de Havilland Mosquito originated in the late 1930s, when the de Havilland Aircraft Company began working on a bomber design for the Royal Air Force. Having had great success in designing high-speed civilian aircraft, such as the DH.88 Comet and DH.91 Albatross, both constructed largely of wood laminates, de Havilland sought to secure a contract from the Air Ministry. The use of wood laminates in its planes allowed de Havilland to reduce the overall weight of its aircraft while simplifying construction.   A New Concept In September 1936, the Air Ministry released Specification P.13/36 which called for a medium bomber capable of achieving 275 mph while carrying a payload of 3,000 lbs. a distance of 3,000 miles. Already an outsider due to their use of all-wood construction, de Havilland initially attempted to modify the Albatross to meet the Air Ministrys requirements. This effort fared poorly as the performance of the first design, possessing six to eight guns and a three-man crew, projected badly when studied. Powered by twin Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the designers began seeking ways to improve the planes performance. While the P.13/36 specification resulted in the Avro Manchester and Vickers Warwick, it led to discussions that advanced the idea of the fast, unarmed bomber. Seized upon by  Geoffrey de Havilland, he sought to develop this concept to create an aircraft would exceed the P.13/36 requirements. Returning to the Albatross project, the team at de Havilland, led by Ronald E. Bishop, began removing elements from the aircraft to decrease weight and increase speed. This approach proved successful, and the designers quickly realized that by removing the bombers entire defensive armament its speed would be on par with the fighters of the day allowing it to outrun danger rather than fighting. The end result was an aircraft, designated DH.98, that was radically different from the Albatross. A small bomber powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, it would be capable of speeds around 400 mph with a payload of 1,000 lbs. To enhance the aircrafts mission flexibility, the design team made allowance for the mounting of four 20 mm cannon in the bomb bay which would fire through blast tubes under the nose. Development Despite the new aircrafts projected high speed and superb performance, the Air Ministry rejected the new bomber in October 1938, over concerns regarding its wooden construction and lack of defensive armament. Unwilling to abandon the design, Bishops team continued to refine it after the outbreak of World War II. Lobbying for the aircraft, de Havilland finally succeeded in obtaining an Air Ministry contract from Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman for a prototype under Specification B.1/40 which had been tailor written for the DH.98.   As the RAF expanded to meet wartime needs, the company was finally able to obtain a contract for fifty aircraft in March 1940. As work on the prototypes moved forward, the program was delayed as a result of the Dunkirk Evacuation. Restarting, the RAF also asked de Havilland to develop heavy fighter and reconnaissance variants of the aircraft. On November 19, 1940, the first prototype was completed and it took to the air six days later. Over the next few months, the newly dubbed Mosquito underwent flight testing at Boscombe Down and quickly impressed the RAF. Outpacing the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II, the Mosquito also proved capable of carrying a bomb load four times larges (4,000 lbs.) than anticipated. Upon learning this, modifications were made to improve the Mosquitos performance with heavier loads. Construction The Mosquitos unique wood construction allowed parts to be made in furniture factories across Britain and Canada. To construct the fuselage, 3/8 sheets of Ecuadorean balsawood sandwiched between sheets of Canadian birch was formed inside large concrete molds. Each mold held half of the fuselage and once dry, the control lines and wires were installed and the two halves were glued and screwed together. To complete the process, the fuselage was covered in a doped Madapolam (woven cotton) finish. Construction of the wings followed a similar process, and a minimal amount of metal was used to reduce weight. Specifications (DH.98 Mosquito B Mk XVI): General Length: 44 ft. 6 in.Wingspan: 54 ft. 2 in.Height: 17 ft. 5 in.Wing Area: 454 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 14,300 lbs.Loaded Weight: 18,000 lbs.Crew: 2 (pilot, bombardier) Performance Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" Rolls-Royce Merlin 76/77 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,710 hpRange: 1,300 milesMax Speed: 415 mphCeiling: 37,000 ft. Armament Bombs: 4,000 lbs. Operational History Entering service in 1941, the Mosquitos versatility was utilized immediately. The first sortie was conducted by a photo reconnaissance variant on September 20, 1941. A year later, Mosquito bombers conducted a famed raid on the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo, Norway which demonstrated the aircrafts great range and speed. Serving as part of Bomber Command, the Mosquito quickly developed a reputation for being able to successfully carry out dangerous missions with minimal losses. On January 30, 1943, Mosquitos carried out a daring daylight raid on Berlin, making a liar of Reichmarschall Hermann Gà ¶ring who claimed such an attack impossible. Also serving in the Light Night Strike Force, Mosquitos flew high speed night missions designed to distract German air defenses from British heavy bomber raids. The night fighter variant of the Mosquito entered service in mid-1942, and was armed with four 20mm cannon in its belly and four .30 cal. machine guns in the nose. Scoring its first kill on May 30, 1942, night fighter Mosquitos downed over 600 enemy aircraft during the war. Equipped with a variety of radars, Mosquito night fighters were used throughout the European Theater. In 1943, the lessons learned on the battlefield were incorporated into a fighter-bomber variant. Featuring the Mosquitos standard fighter armament, the FB variants were capable of carrying 1,000 lbs. of bombs or rockets. Utilized across the front, Mosquito FBs became renowned for being able to carry out pinpoint attacks such as striking the Gestapo headquarters in downtown Copenhagen and breeching the wall of the Amiens prison to facilitate the escape of French resistance fighters. In addition to its combat roles, Mosquitos were also used as high-speed transports. Remaining in service after the war, the Mosquito was used by the RAF in various roles until 1956. During its ten-year production run (1940-1950), 7,781 Mosquitos were built of which 6,710 were constructed during the war. While production was centered in Britain, additional parts and aircraft were built in Canada and Australia. The Mosquitos final combat missions were flown as part of the Israeli Air Forces operations during the 1956 Suez Crisis. The Mosquito was also operated by the United States (in small numbers) during World War II and by Sweden (1948-1953).

Human Resource Development--Question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Development--Question - Assignment Example They would also need lesser time to prepare because they know the organization already. 2. Consider a training topic or module that interests you. Go to your assigned team area and work with your team to generate one or two questions that could be used to facilitate a group or classroom discussion. As a team evaluate the extent to which each question is likely to stimulate useful discussion. As a team select one or two questions to share with the rest of us by posting here. Personality development would be an interesting topic for me. This is a very skill set that is required not at work when working with people but could also be a useful skill outside of work. It is also a fun course to take because it deals with human interest of what makes us more interesting or amiable to work with. 3. Many organizations have been moving toward web training. An advantage is that employees can train at their leisure. That is, they can come home from work, eat dinner, relax, and then when everyone has gone to bed get on line and work their way through the training program. The advantage to the organization is that there is no opportunity lost, that is the employee is not using company time to train. Has your company moved to this training strategy? And if so, what are your thoughts on its success? If not, what are your thoughts on its advantages and disadvantages? Yes our company has already moved to that training strategy. But we have to limit that to only certain modules because of its limitations. In training core skills that is directly related to their jobs, we prefer to do it in a regular classroom than virtual training. First, we do not know if the employees taking it are taking it seriously. Second, we have very little control of their progress. Despite of this limitation, its advantages far outweighs its disadvantages. It is cost efficient, convenient, effective and can be delivered to a

Business Model of Cooper & Stollbrand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Model of Cooper & Stollbrand - Essay Example Business Model of Cooper & Stollbrand This essay is based on the video as seen on Channel 4 depicting how the factory is run and how this small company is sending across a big message that manufacturing in England is not dead as yet. Business Model The existing trend in the market is manufacture in huge quantities, utilize economies of scale and sell cheaper. Turn over is the key for most of the companies to make money. For costlier brands, its not turnover so much, as much as its about manufacturing cost. They prefer to get it produced outside England as labor is pretty cheap in third world countries. But as heard from the Managing Director, Eden, its not about mass production. If the quality is right and the approach is right, one can manufacture products locally and still have a good margin on it. Company is able to manufacture for top brands like Quba & Co., Topshop and Selfridges credit of which to an extent goes to the current business model as follows Sourcing Raw Materials Everything from machines to mats, needle s to nozzles and fabric to fittings are sourced locally from the UK. This saves time in its delivery, saves on transport cost and is local which supports local industry. Labor All of the staff of Cooper & Stollbrand is local ladies who have been working in the industry for decades. They are dedicated and passionate about the manufacturing of products in UK. They are highly skilled and are very reliable when it comes to delivering results. There are young polish, Pakistani and afghanistani ladies who have joined the team and are happy working here. Processes The processes of production are well managed by supervisors and management team. There is a clear demarcation in job roles of machinists, supervisors and quality control and management which makes the hierarchy small and manageable. Supervisors ensure that stuff is cut much ahead of stitching so the machinists know what coming and how much is left. Positioning of the company and its products If you note, throughout the video mach inists are working on high profile coats which will be sold in posh central London stores with a pricey tag. Topshop coats retail at around ?175, and order is significantly small at 325 coats in 3 days. 50 Quba & Co. coats are to be prepared in a short period which will retail at ?500. The positioning of the company is that it is able to produce highest quality of garments, which are produced locally. There is a new awakening among British consumers to buy stuff ‘made in England’ to support local industry. Since most of the corporate customers are high end retail stores, the no. of pieces they would order would be small and hence manageable by Cooper & Stollbrand. Such quick delivery, high quality and cost effectiveness cannot be provided by manufacturing units in India or China. It will not be cost effective for the buyers either to order as the quantities are far too less for it to be ordered from other countries. Staff management / HR Staff is extremely happy and sat isfied with what they are doing. A happy team of staff members would be less demanding, will work at reasonable pay and work hard to meet set delivery targets. This gives Cooper & Stollbrand a unique edge which other manufacturers might not have. Secondly the staff members are paid on number of pieces they delivery subject to stringent quality checks. This ensure that the staff members are quick in producing the garment so that they earn more money, and the co. is able to deliver on time.

Bushido & Kagekiyo Essay Example for Free

Bushido Kagekiyo Essay Through his Kagekiyo, a Noh Play, playwright Martin Burke describes events that reflect the Japanese Samurai Bushido spirit especially through the character called Kagekiyo. For example, according to the Bushido concept, warriors were supposed to demonstrate fearlessness and athletic prowess, an aspect that is explicit through Kagekiyo’s actions. To illustrate, Kagekiyo faces the advancing Genji warriors head-on, thus successfully leading his Heike platoon in vanquishing their opponents. This act demonstrates bravery and an athletic spirit. Further, according to the Bushido tradition, persons are supposed to demonstrate an inclination to leading a frugal life. Likewise, Burke describes Kagekiyo as living like a somewhat anonymous beggar in Hiuga’s Miyazaki area. The warrior thus demonstrates wisdom in trying to erase all the past historic events that he was previously involved in. Kagekiyo realizes that he cannot realistically live on such past honor. Conversely, Bushido requires people to demonstrate honesty and kindness. Kagekiyo thus demonstrates compassion for Hitomaru his daughter by not rudely sending her away. The father even heeds to the daughter’s pleas that he narrates his past war stories. To demonstrate honesty, Kagekiyo owns up that his life is beyond repair and that he does not want this issue to unnecessarily antagonize his daughter. Bushido spirit is thus evident through the behavior that Kagekiyo depicts. Conversely, Haiku a Japanese poetry development method was eventually assimilated into the Bushido culture. I am of the view that a number of notable Haiku characteristics facilitated such assimilation. For example, Haiku generally demonstrates internal sufficiency and independence with regard to context. It can thus stand alone as an autonomous literary work. Since Bushido advocated for internal competence and independence, a similarity between the 2 entities is evident. Such similarity thus possibly pushed for the adoption of Haiku into the Bushido tradition. Work Cited Higginson, William J. and Harter, Penny. The Haiku Handbook, How to Write, Share, and Teach Haiku. Tokyo Japan: Kodansha, 1989

Magical Realism: Theory and History :: Magical Realism Literature Papers

Magical Realism: Theory and History While reading Franz Roh, Angel Flores, Amaryll Chanady, and Luis Leal, I have learned many things about magical realism. I also learned that there are many different definitions for magical realism. I have learned that magical realism is not considered a fairy tale. Amaryll Chanady feels that magical realism is focused more toward reality. However, Luis Leal feels that magical realism is used to express emotions. While reading these essays and finding some research on magical realism, I found that many people have many different views on what magical realism is. By doing research, I have found that it can mean many different things, and it is exciting to learn about something as interesting as magical realism is. Learning about magical realism has been very interesting for me. When reading Franz Roh, I learned a lot about Post- Expressionism and Expressionism. Expressionism involved a painting. It involved animals walking in the sky, and it also showed heated heads popped like corks from overflowing bottles, while Post- Expressionism dealt with painting and pictures with frames (Roh 16-17). On the other hand, Angel Flores was a little hard fro me to understand at first. I found myself asking questions such as "Will I understand what I am reading?" "Is this going to make sense to me?" "What am I suppose to see in this American Fiction?" I did learn that magical realism has to deal with fantasies written in Spanish (Flores 110-111). Then looking at Amaryll Chanady, I learned that Flores stated that, "practitioners of magical realism clings to reality as if to prevent their myth from flying off, as in fairy tales, to supernatural realism." Luis Leal also has many different opinions toward magica l realism. However, I did not agree with a few of them. I did understand and agreed with a few, though. In Luis Leal's essay, I learned that Roh explained the origin of the term by saying that with the word "magical," as opposed to "mystical," he wanted to emphasize that the mystery does not descend to the represented world, but rather hides and palpitates behind it (120-121). I agreed with what he wanted to emphasize. It was also mentioned that magical realism is not magic literature. Magical realism is used to express emotions not to evoke them (120-121). I feel that magical realism is definitely used to express emotions, not to evoke them.

Changing Attitude Towards Child Sex Preference Essay

This paper focuses on the intensity of preference for sons over daughters in anticipation of old age security both physically and financially, and its impact on the care and support/ well-being of the elderly in Nigeria in general, and in particular among the Yoruba of Southwest. The paper examines the impact of social change on child sex preference as old age security. Before delving into the theme of the paper, the concept of social change was briefly discussed. The reasons for having children generally are discussed, child sex preference among the elderly were equally analyzed; the pattern it took before now, the changes that have occurred and the attitude of parents toward child sex preference as old age security in the contemporary Nigerian society were equally examined. The effects of sex preference and other socio-economic factors on the status of the elderly and its implications for the family were mentioned. Various literature and theoretical models on the subject matter were reviewed and finally, a general conclusion was drawn. Introduction Startling transformations have occurred all over the world, particularly on the mode of caring and supporting of older persons and there are a number of important issues, which arise as a result of these transformations and the major structural shift in the population. One of these issues is the concern of social gerontologists for the needs of older people for support in the society. Although, it should be mentioned at this uncture that this transformation (that is, social change) affects different people in different ways, depending on sex, location, size of cohort, economic resources (individual, familial and national), norms inherited from the past and individual’s live experiences and personality. For example, marital status and earlier patterns of childbearing are significant factors influencing the nature of the support available in old age. While co-residence of older persons and adult children is common in many developing countries, the tendency worldwide is for this arrangement to become less common. This has direct consequences for economic security, especially in the numerous societies (and particularly, their rural sectors), where pensions are paid only to a small proportion of older persons who are eligible because of earlier employment in the former sectors or few older persons who were able to save or invest for their old age. Even in countries where pensions are more generally available, the burden of an ageing population is increasingly being regarded as unsustainable, particularly since there is an increasing tendency for those able to do so to take early retirement. For many, especially women, there is a real threat of poverty in old-age, and this problem may be exacerbated by social exclusions and the deteriorating health conditions experienced by many older persons particularly, women at more advanced ages. Care of the frail and disabled becomes increasingly problematic, both in terms of stress placed on care providers and care-givers and also the mobilization of the appropriate resources of families, agencies and programmes to meet even the basic needs of older persons. According to Peil (1991), as life expectancy rises, young couples are more likely to be called upon to provide for their older parents than these parents were at the same stage of the life cycle, at a time when increasing emphasis on educating one’s children, rampant inflation and widespread unemployment of young adults make adequate provisions for older parents difficult. The situation among older people without children of their own were even more pathetic. For instance, old people who have no living children tend to risk the chances of isolation and lack of support. Personality is another very crucial factor to be considered; this is because, personality can make considerable difference to the help received. For example, an older person who was hard to get along with is more likely to lack support than the cheerful old person who gets along well with family and neighbours (Peil, 1991). All these are important variables, which determine whether individuals will receive adequate care and support from family and society. It is evident from the various literature that, very little attention has been paid to older people of modern industrializing societies of the world. In Nigeria for example, as well as in most developing countries, the need to plan for the welfare of older persons has received very little attention. There are clear evidences of lack of formal social support services for older people in Nigeria, such as Social Securiy, Pension, Health Insurance Scheme, Old Peoples Home, etc. One of the explanatory factors arises from the belief that the existing extended family system generally protects and provides for the welfare of old people in rural and agricultural societies. Hence, where an older person is childless, his/her brothers or sisters or even the children of his siblings are believed to be responsible for his/her maintenance. This may not be unconnected with why most policies, programmes and projects in the developing countries such as Nigeria have been concentrated on the children and the youths at the expense of older persons in the country. Both national and international organizations are seen working tirelessly on programmes and projects that would benefit the children and the youths, forgetting that the children and the youths of today would be the adult and older persons in the near future. Such beliefs and practices give the impression that the aged, unlike children, represent a discomforting second-order dependency on the younger working generation. But it should be mentioned at this juncture that old people are not always dependent on others for survival. For example, old age may not necessarily symbolize dependency especially in modern Nigeria in which the possession of landed property by older people and access to business opportunities may earn them some income. Hence, while it is generally believed that old people in general depend on the younger people for their survival, it can be equally true that some younger people do depend on such old people for their survival. In fact, some older persons in Nigeria may be rich enough to provide educational assistance for the children of their brothers and sisters as well as their own. Put differently, the prevailing view of older people as a ‘social problem’ emphasizes the ‘burden’ of older people in the population. This negative and blinkered vision has almost entirely neglected the provision of care by older people themselves, although there are some notable exceptions. It should also be said that prevailing ‘social problem’ focus has stigmatized older people as a dependent and unproductive group. This negative stereotyping is partly because of invisibility of informal work as a contribution to society. Older people are givers as well as receivers through their substantial caring for other older people, unpaid domestic work, care for grandchildren and voluntary work. However, it should be mentioned that differences occur between male and female in terms of access to, and possession of wealth in the society. This, in turn, leads to differences in the care and support given and received by older men and women in the society. This we must emphasized has affected older persons’ attitude towards child sex preference as old age security globally and particularly in Nigeria society. A pronounced preference of parents to have male children has been noted in a number of countries, although a desire for a balanced number of sons and daughters is also common (Williamson, 1976; Arnold and Kuo, 1984). Son preference is particularly prevalent in countries with strong patriarchal system or tradition (Cleland, Verrall, and Vaessen, 1983; Cho, Arnold, and Kwon, 1982; Freedman and Coombs, 1994). The extent of son preference has been the subject of considerable discussion and debate in most literature. Sons are preferred for a variety of reasons, including family name propagation, old age security, provision of labour, and the performance of ancestral rites (Wolf, 1985; Zhao and Zhu, 1983). Also, the Fifth National Women’s Congress (1983); Haupt (1983); Li (1982); Liu (1984); Tien (1985); Wolf (1985); all maintained that traditionally, sons were considered advantageous for two economic reasons, namely: support for their parents in old age and the provision of labour for the farm or family business. They argued further that the former is still an important consideration in most societies, despite the recent introduction of some forms of social security. So much has been written about social change that it is really not of much use for us to start a process of seeking definitions. At the level of the daily lives of ordinary citizens, it is even doubtful whether our people are really interested, one way or the other, in what intellectual ideas may really be. It is the manifestations of their collective cynicism towards this concept that one feels ought to worry us, unless we are able to capture the reasons for this drift, we run the risk of merely speaking to ourselves. The concept of social change may mean different things to different people, depending on the available indicators in any given social milieu. Many sociologists view social change in the structure of society or alteration of the social structure (Morris Ginsberg, 1958:205). Others stress that social change is not only a change in the structure, but also in the functioning of society. According to Allen, (1971:39) social change comprises modifications in social systems or subsystems in structure, functioning, or process over some period of time. It should be mentioned at this juncture that quiet a number of scholars have adopted a number of different definitions/approaches to the study of social change at various levels. (For more details see Amitai (1964), Appelbaum (1970), DeVries, (1961), Peter, (1966), Moore & Ogburn, (1922), etc. ) In spite of the cynical attitudes of the people about the concept of social change, effort is made to give a working definition of social change within the context of this paper. Social change within the context of this paper can be defined as he transformation of culture and social institutions over time. It should be mentioned at this juncture that our society has experienced social change over the past two or more centuries. Nigeria, like any other country of the world, has changed particularly, in the area of agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, family/personal relationships. Social change has influenced nearly every aspect of our life. Although, we should also mention here that people are not equally affected by these changes. This is because social change affects different people in different ways, depending on sex, age, work experience, location, class, size of cohort, economic resources (individual, familial and national), norms inherited from the past, individual’s live experiences and personality. All these are important variables, which determine how individuals are advantaged or disadvantaged by their position. Reasons for having children In many Third World countries or societies, having a large family is an eminently rational strategy of survival. Children’s labour particularly that of sons is a vital part of the family economy in many peasant communities of Africa in general, and in Nigeria in particular. Children help on the fields, tend animals, fetch water and wood, and care for their younger brothers and sisters freeing their parents for other tasks. Quite early in life, children’s labour makes them an asset rather than a liability on family income (Betsy Hartman, 1998) . In urban settings, children often earn income as servants, messengers, etc, or else stay at home to care for younger children while their parents’ work. Among the Yoruba community in Nigeria, demographer John Caldwell (1982) found that even urban professional families benefit from many children through ‘sibling assistance chains’. As one child completes education and takes a job, he or she helps younger brothers and sisters move up the educational and employment ladder, thus the connections and the influence of the family spread. Another reason for having many children, according to Cain (1983) is security. According to him, in many Third World societies, the vast majority of the population has no access to insurance schemes, pension plans, or government social security. For instance, in Nigeria, little or nothing is known, said or done about social security, i. e. about how to guarantee the individual against want, poverty, destitution, disease and idleness which may be thrust upon him by the varied hazards and vicissitudes of social life: notably loss or suspension of income or means of sustenance, resulting from sickness, maternity, injury, invalidity, old age, death of a breadwinner or unemployment. According to Nwabueze (1989) there is no clear statement of policy regarding social security and little is spent on it by the state, except in the capacity of the employer. This neglect manifests itself in the hordes of the elderly people engaged in public alms solicitation in our urban cities in the country at large, and most especially in southwestern Nigeria. One of the reasons adduced for the policy neglect is that, children are expected to care for their parents in their old age. Without them, one’s future is endangered. The help of grown up children, particularly male children, can then be crucial in surviving the periodic crisis-illness, drought, floods, food shortages, land disputes, political upheavals, which, unfortunately, punctuate village life in most parts of the world. Folbre (1983) further maintained that, in most developing countries of the world in general, and in Nigeria in particular, son preference can be another important motive for having larger families. The subordination of women means that, economically and socially daughters are less or not valued as highly as sons in many cultures, particularly among the Yoruba of the southwest Nigeria, most especially in the traditional era. Not only does daughters’ domestic work have less prestige, but daughters typically provide fewer years of productive labour to their parents, and leave home to live with their husbands and in-laws shortly after puberty. Son’s preference, combined with high infant and child mortality rates, means that parents must have many children just to ensure that one or two sons survive so as to serve as old-age security, most especially in the face of economic uncertainty. As a corollary to the above point, Lappe et al (1979) maintained that in the 1960s, an Indian couple had to bear an average of 6. 3 children to be confident of having one son who would survive to adulthood. Male dominance in the family, patriarchal social mores, the systematic exclusion of women from the development process, and the absence of decent birth control services combine to force many women into having more children than they want. Put differently, the social environment, in effect, leaves them (women) little or no reproductive choice. Thus, there is tendency among them, to have more children in order to guarantee the future of the lineage. Sex Preferences and Worldwide Patterns Parental preference for sons over daughters is a common phenomenon in many parts of the world. Son preference has been well documented in a large number of countries, including Nigeria. But the degree of such preference varies substantially from one country to another, depending on such factors as the level of economic development, social norms, level of education, cultural and religious practices, marriage and family systems, degree of urbanization, and the nature of social security systems available. The preference for sons tend to be particularly pronounced in developing countries, in rural areas, and among more traditional couples and couples of lower socio-economic status. Although son preference is still common even in many economically developed countries (Bennett, 1983), this preference often exists side by side with parents’ desire to have, at least, one child of each sex. The World Fertility Survey (WFS) found that son preference was moderately strong in Lesotho and the Sudan, and very strong in Jordan and Syria. In Asia, son preference was found to be weak among women from Indonesia (except for the first child). The survey also found a moderate degree of son preference in Malaysia, Thailand, and SriLanka, and son preference was extremely strong in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and South Korea. The WFS result for Asia generally agrees quite closely with the findings of Williamson (1976), who reviewed the literature on sex preferences throughout the world in the mid 1970s (Arnold and Liu; 1986). Further, son preference has been found to be prevalent in all East Asia and among groups outside of that region that share a heritage of Confucian patriarchal tradition. According to Arnold and Kuo (1984:301), son preference in South Korea and Taiwan is both pervasive and extreme. This finding has been confirmed by a number of other studies (see Williamson, 1976; Coombs and Sun, 1981; Cho, Arnold and Kwon, 1982; Chung, Cha, and Lee, 1974). In spite of the foregoing, it should be mentioned that in some countries, couples exhibit little or no son preference, and there are even a few instances in which a preference for daughters has been documented. For example, WFS found that considerably more women wanted a daughter for their next child than a son in Jamaica and Venezuela (Cleland, Verrall, and Vaessen, 1983). The WFS also found little or no sex preference of any type in most South America countries, in parts of the Caribbean and in Kenya and so on, to mention but a few (Arnold and Liu, 1986). Sex Preference among the Yoruba Concern among the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria about son preference, as an old age security is a long-standing one. Mao Zedong vividly depicted this problem in a talk with Edgar Snow in 1970. â€Å"In the country side, a woman still wants a boy child. If the first and second babies are girls, she will make another try. If the third one comes and is still a girl, the mother would try again. Pretty soon, there are nine of them, Then, the mother is already over 45 or so and she finally decides to leave it at that† (cited in Katagiri and Terao, 1972:2). A variety of historical, moral, ethical, and economic factors underlie son preference among the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria. In the past, the male patriarch dominated the family in Nigeria, and the practice of ancestor worship gradually developed. Hence, the patriarchal family structure and the resulting strong preference for sons became institutionalized values among the Yoruba. These traditions also stress the importance of carrying on the family line through male progeny. Traditionally, apart from social prestige and the felt need to continue the family line, the existence of sons among the Yoruba is considered advantageous for two economic reasons. These are, support for their parents in old age and the provision of labour for the farm or family business. The former is still an important consideration in Nigeria in general, and among the Yoruba of Southwest in particular, despite the recent introduction of some forms of social security in Nigeria. Other reasons for sex preference among the Yoruba include son’s financial contribution to the family income; emotional support and the need for sons to meet religious obligations, and so on. Finally, the productive utility of sons is still an important factor underlying son preference among the Yoruba, where traditional notions about the appropriate division of labour by sex are still prevalent. Child Sex Preference, Old Age Security and the Welfare of the Elderly. Income in later life may come from a variety of sources, including earnings, family members, the children, the state or charity. The balance of these sources has shifted over time as a result of social change, modernization, urbanization, westernization, education of women, more women in formal sector of the economy, coupled with the cracks in the extended family tie and introduction of pension systems by government. In particular, older people’s economic reliance on their children or older people’s reliance on their children as old-age security has declined, allowing them the dignity of financial independence of kin. The twenty-first century has seen a dramatic shift in the sources of income of older people in both industrialized and non-industrialized countries of the world, but the changes differ profoundly according to gender. For men, the change has been from mainly earnings to mainly pensions, while for women, the change has mainly been from reliance on family members (particularly the children), to income from private business and the support from the spouse. Heavy reliance on private support and support from spouses have not guaranteed or ensured women’s economic security in later life and this has further led to gender inequality of income among older people (Ginn, 2001). Having said the foregoing, it is germane to mention that the old-age security and child sex (gender) preference are two highly controversial hypotheses regarding the influence of household fertility and welfare in less-developed and developing countries of the world such as Nigeria. The old-age security hypothesis postulates that in environments where parents face uncertainty about the ability to support themselves during old age, they would expect such support from their children (Raut, 1996:81-104). This motive could be strong particularly in rural areas of less-developed or developing countries such as Nigeria, particularly among rural dwellers of the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria where available resources both financial and physical (materials) tend to yield low or negative interest. Therefore, these are not able to provide for parents’ needed welfare at old age, so that children may provide a more efficient hedge against old age disability risks (Raut, 1985; 1990; 1992; Nerlove and Raut, 1995; Cain, 1981; 1983; Nerlove, Razin, and Sadka, 1987 and Nugent, 1985). The gender preference hypothesis postulates that parents exhibit preference for having children of a particular sex. In most developing or less-developed societies, parents seem to have preference for sons rather than daughters. The preference for sons may be rooted purely in taste and cultural values or it could be the outcome of some economic calculations. For instance, sons generally stay with their parents, while daughters are married off to another household or family, so that sons tend to provide better support in old-age as well as augment current household income. The extent to which the preference for sons occurs as an economic response to underdeveloped capital markets and incomplete risk markets has been a long-standing issue in economic demography literature. Ben Porath and Welch (1976); Heer (1983); and Leung (1988) have examined the consequences of this motive for population growth, and sex ratio. Also, the consequences of child sex preference (sons preference) on the allocation of human capital and bequest among children have been discussed by Behrman, Pollak and Taubman, (1982). Generally, children are expected to provide long term net benefit streams by supplying labour for family enterprises, generating monetary income stream, providing for old-age security, and acting as a form of insurance. In a setting of risk and uncertainty, parents engage in strategies to influence the pattern and guarantee the reliability of long-term intergenerational benefit flows. Such self-interested strategies to promote parental well-being at old age include conditional inheritance benefits, practices controlling the mobility of children, and sex differentiated educational and nutritional investments. According to Fapounda et al (1988), West African parents invest more in the education of male children since the financial returns on their education are relatively high. On the other hand, parents are more oriented towards the receipt of a one-time financial payment, a bride price, from the marriage of their daughters than to an economically uncertain investment in their daughters’ schooling (Fapounda et al 1988). Caldwell further maintained that, in rural Nigeria, for example, one of the reasons for sons preference is that, male children (boys) produce more than they consume by the age of ten to thirteen; and by the age of fifteen their total production has exceeded their cumulative life-time consumption. Although, female children (girls) likewise perform a number of valuable economic tasks, which include helping their mothers with cooking and the post-harvest processing of crops etc. , this is insignificant when compared to the contributions of their male counterparts to the family economy (Caldwell, 1982). Today, the expected increase in the absolute number and proportion of the elderly raises serious concerns about their welfare in the country, particularly given the absence of social security scheme and formal social welfare services for the old in most African countries. A number of studies have therefore, focused on examining the extent to which the family is involved in providing assistance to the elderly (Peil, 1995; Apt and Katila, 1994; and Togonu-Bickersteth, 1989, 1997). All confirm that the families, particularly children, are the principal source of old-age support in the various African countries studied. It has also been found that assistance is usually offered by children to ensure some level of physical and economic survival for their elderly to the extent that the former can afford. By contrast, parents in industrialized countries and their affluent counterparts among Third World urban elite have much less need to rely on children either for labour or old-age security. The economics of family size changes as income goes up, until children become a financial burden instead of an asset (Folbre, 1983). According to him, when children are in school, for example, they no longer serve as a source of labour. Instead parents must pay for their education, as well as for their other needs, which cost far more in a high consumption society than in a peasant village. And there is often no guarantee that parents’ investment will buy the future loyalty of a grown up child. As economist Nancy Folbre (1983) noted, â€Å"The gift of education, unlike a bequest, cannot be made contingent upon conformity to certain expectations. Once given, it can hardly be revoked†. In industrialized societies personal savings, pension plans, and overnment programs replace children as the basic forms of social security. These social changes fundamentally alter the value of children, making it far more rational from an economic standpoint, to limit family size. Folbre (1983) also argued that as the value of children decreases, male heads of households are more willing to allow their wives to work outside the home, since the contribution of their wages to the family economy now exceeds the value of their household work. This further spurs low demand for children and less craze sex preference of a particular child.

European Industrial Revolution

In this era of modernity and high technological advancement, the conveniences and efficiency that it brought can be credited to the birth of the Industrial Revolution. The first wave of this phenomenal social, economical, and cultural event came from the European coast at around the 18th century. From the moment the revolution came into its climax, it spread around outside Europe and progressively steered the world into the path of modernity.A new era has been born by the moment the Industrial Revolution took place. Like all things in this world, the revolution has its own negative and positive attributes but despite whatever hazards it may have incurred in today’s societies, this essay will look at the good news which the Industrial Revolution brought. Before its inception, European societies were under the rule of feudalism. It is in this context where lands were owned by the landlords given as a reward by the monarchy.The era of feudalism can be described as a period of soc ial and economic organization where the economy and politics of the feudal states were autonomous and the power of the feudal lords were derived from close relations with the aristocrats (Morrison 13). This period provides a fixed structure in the society where laborers will eternally serve the feudal lord in exchange for a piece of land. The people belonging to the working class do not have much opportunity to prosper or to get out of the social ladder to which they belong. The lifetime rule of the lord over his workers will not let the masses free from poverty and slavery.By the time feudalism was destroyed, urban societies started to develop. The need for individual independence gave birth to the rise of the cities where everyone can work, can gain education, and can have political and social participation within an equal status in the society (Cipolla and Woodall 121). It is in this light that the Industrial Revolution was born. The construction of factories and the start of imp lementing division of labor made the mark for efficient and mass production of goods and services. The system of factories became the instigator in developing more machines to maximize production and profit.The production in the Industrial revolution shifted from manual labor to the usage of machines and from human and animal power to steam power (Barron’s Passware 382). Contrary to the constricting and limited context of feudalism, the growing economic activities within the Industrial Revolution provided more freedom to the masses to earn their own profit by mean of the entering in the growing demands of factory labor. To earn independently entails opportunity to save salary to be able to own properties and to educated themselves, having a chance to climb up the social ladder.The job specialization that the division of labor implemented on factories paved the way for training more people in those fields providing the workers a chance for promotion. Education thrived in sync with the needs of the Industrial Revolution focusing more on scientific education to expand the knowledge in machine cultivation (Mokyr 10). Subsequently, as more rural places in Europe became urbanized due to this revolution, the standard living of the people improved and gradually shied away from poverty.Aside from the drastic changes that the Industrial Revolution inflicted to labor and the economy, the continuous progress in the development of machine and technology produced convenient means of transportation and communication which made transactions in the government, education, and businesses much easier and quicker. The innovation of machines became one of the main results of Industrial Revolution where the demands of making things faster and more efficient became the consistent objectives.The cities became the center of political and economic activities during this time and as the Industrial Revolution flourished, banks became active in giving out loans to people who wanted to venture on small-scale businesses. Seeing the economic growth that the revolution caused, people from the labor sector took risks in building up their own business made possible by these bank loans (Hudson 26). The Industrial Revolution was not pure success. It was an era where most – if not all- of the technological innovations have been made formulated and made.As European societies enter a new social context, its adjustment to current condition of the revolution became a rigorous trial and error process. This can be considered as the transitional and at the same time, an experimental period for most of the European societies where most of its processes were tested and perfected before it has been spread to the world. Most of the positive effects that have been brought by the revolution are manifested for the following decades – a progress where its effects were long-term and provide stability to its people.Comparing the conditions between Feudalism to the Industr ial Revolution, the birth of the latter became a path for the European citizens to individually gain autonomy in terms of social participation in the economy. It can be said that the living conditions of the people drastically improved compared to the limited rural lifestyle that the masses had under serfdom. The slaves were able to see an opportunity to get out of that status and improved their conditions. There maybe hazards weighing more than the advantages but the fact that the Industrial Revolution was a world phenomenon which brought the kind of progress that we have now.Based from the arguments discussed on this essay, this implies that the Industrial Revolution changed the world for the good. The aspects of equality that was provided for people to participate in labor can serve as a mark for the pursuance of equality in terms of justice, freedom, and individual rights. It opened up new roads for human liberation where each individual are not just free to participate for econ omic progress but to live a good life enjoying the rights that a citizen should receive.

Evaluate the role of instituti essays

Evaluate the role of instituti essays Evaluate the role of institutions in controlling surf culture. Assess the future of surfing on a global scale over the past 20 years. The Art of Surfing may be considered, as one of the greatest athletic feats known to man. Institutions have played a significant role in surfing. By controlling access and consumption through media and marketing. Surfing in my own personal opinion will on a global scale continue to expand and spread throughout every possible area in the world, so that all nations are able to experience surfing, and if this is not possible then at least experience the culture. Concepts such as media, commercialisation, consumption of culture, and marketplace all intertwine with surfing culture and the institutions that control it. Popular Culture also referred to as high culture in recent times, relates to the way in which a certain culture is made popular by the media, marketing and consumer products and also institutional powers such as Surf Clubs, local government etc. In surfings case it has been made popular through mass media and marketing of a certain image and attracted million upon millions of people all over the world to it. Institutions that are related to surf culture are the ASP, which is the Association of Surfing Professionals, the Government, which controls beaches and how they are used and protected, and also TNCs, which stand for Trans-National Corporations and are associated with the marketing, distributing and spreading of surfing as a culture. In recent years surfing has become an extremely big marketplace. Trans-National Corporations control surfing culture through the production and selling of merchandise, clothing etc. through companies such as Rip Curl, Billabong and Quicksilver. At the present time the advertising and surfing market is worth approximately seven billion dollars. Products that can be bought, that are associated with surf culture can vary from boa ...

Ancient History Essay Example for Free

Ancient History Essay Ancient history (10) , Pompeii (4) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints New research has immensely impacted on our understanding of daily life in both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Experts in archaeology, science and other fields have revealed copious amounts of information about people, buildings and food found in the two cities prior to the eruption in 62 AD. Experts such as Estelle Lazer and Sarah Bisel have assisted in heightening our understanding of the daily life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. From 1986 Estelle Lazer worked on a sample of over 300 individuals who were represented by a collection of disarticulated bone. The techniques of forensic medicine and physical anthropology were used to determine sex, age-at-death, height, signs of disease and population affinities of the victims. The results indicated that almost equal numbers of males and females from all age groups did not manage to escape the town before it was destroyed. Sarah Bisel worked with the bone analysis of the skeletons of Herculaneum to determine and study the lifestyle differences between the social classes present within Herculaneum. She discovered many things about the people of Herculaneum such as the town was a genetically diverse society, children were often malnourished due to the lack of calcium in their teeth and the bodies had high levels of lead. This new information has majorly effected and broadened our understanding of daily life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The evidence of food in the two towns and the study of these by experts such as Wilhelmina Jashemski and the team of principal researchers known as the Pompeii Food and Drink Project, further develop our knowledge of daily life in these famous towns of Campania. Jashemski’s project had the purpose of studying animal and plant remains in order to gain an understanding of the kinds of gardens in and around Pompeii as well as gathering information on the wine and oil industries of the area. By examining soil contours and carbonised plant remains, archaeologists have gained a more accurate picture of produce and ornamental gardens in Pompeii. The purpose of the Pompeii Food and Drink Project was to analyse the patterns of daily life in a non-invasive way to study the structures that are associated with food and drink. The Project has collected many ancient artefacts and information, and answered many questions about the food and drink storage, distribution, preparation, serving, and consumption in Ancient Pompeii. All these sources combine to give us a more acute knowledge of the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The buildings found in Pompeii and Herculaneum provide extensive information about the lifestyle of people living there. The House of Pompeii Project, started in 1977, had the focus of investigating and salvaging buildings which had been excavated in previous years but had not necessarily been recorded. The two houses that were particularly studied was the House of the Ancient Hunt and the House of the Coloured Capitals. The Project has not uncovered any new information, only recorded findings on certain housing which were either not properly recorded or completely ignored. The Insula of Menander Project had much the same aim as the House of Pompeii Project, in that they were redressing the deficiencies in earlier records. Their main focus, though, was the insula conducted under Amedeo Maiuri. The Project provided a detailed history of the insula showing that there had been frequent building changes over time and that there appeared to be a late appearance of shops and the addition of upper storeys in the last years of the city. The Pompeian Forum Project’s main objective was to produce more accurate plans of surviving remains by the use of architectural analysis to widen the understanding of contemporary urban problems. The traditional view that the Forum was a ‘builder’s yard’ after the 62 AD earthquake was disproved. There was also evidence found of a comprehensive earthquake plan for the Eastern side of the Forum. In Source A we can see how new research has amplified our knowledge of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Through research by Italy’s National Institute of Optics, it has been discovered that the famous ‘Pompeian red’ was a colour created from the mixture of yellow paint and the gases from Vesuvius. In conclusion, the impacts of new research and technologies have considerably expatiated our enlightenment of the daily life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The many sources uncovered and analysed from these towns have been much more useful as a result of developing technology and research. In the years to come, technology will continue to develop, along with more information being discovered and this will result in more and more information being provided about the famous ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Ancient History. (2016, Oct 30). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Ethical and moral dilemmas in regards Ebola Research Paper

Ethical and moral dilemmas in regards Ebola - Research Paper Example Here in this study ethical and moral dilemmas of the disease around the world will be analysed. The study will include research question or objective, methodology and findings and analysis. Research question is significantly important and an integral part of any research paper. Research question helps the researcher to build a whole research report. It poses lots of questions that other people care about. According to Bordage and Dawson, research question is one of the most important components of any research paper. It provides a clear picture about the research topic. Research question guides the research outcome. Without the help of research question a research paper cannot find the proper direction. Here in this case the research question is whether the world is facing ethical and moral dilemmas related with Ebola. According to Enemark & Selgelid, (2012), ethical and moral dilemmas are quite evident in the cases of various infectious diseases. They have stated that ethical and moral dilemmas are not new factors as far as the infectious diseases are concerned. It is an age old issue that the global fraternity is facing since long. The authors have categorically stated that nurses and doctors are also human being. They have the equal chances of being impacted by the infectious diseases. But on the other hand healing patients is the fundamental objective for the doctors and nurses. So there is a huge scope of ethical and moral dilemmas. According to them these kinds of ethical and moral dilemmas are common and automatic in nature. There is nothing astonishing into it. It is often being noticed that patients affected by the infectious diseases are generally being kept at the isolation chambers where entry and exists are restricted. The authors have stated that doctors and nurses take extra precaut ions before entering into those isolation chambers. But still there remains a sense of moral and ethical dilemma. Doctors and nurses feel