Benefits and Costs to U.S. Adoption of IFRS

There are different ways in which researchers can present the findings of their research to readers or users of the research information. It is important to follow all the rules of research presentation in order for the research information to be clear to all the people who rely on it. This paper aims at analyzing the article on the costs and benefits of US adoption to the IFRS system of accounting by David Albrecht.The aim of this paper is to analyze whether the author has followed the necessary steps and format in presenting the findings on his research, in order to evaluate whether it meets the international standards for presenting research papers. Summary. According to Albrecht (2008), the author carries out a cost benefit analysis in order to evaluate whether the decision to change from GAAP standards to IFRS, by US firms is feasible. He uses the incremental analysis model to come to a conclusion on the subject.He finds that the costs outweigh the benefits, considering that the cost of changing the system in monetary terms is over $3 million. These costs arise from the need to train accountants and conversion costs for companies. The benefits amount to $100 billion, from reduced audit fees. He therefore concludes that the accounting system should not be changed. The paper is written for a general audience judging from the absence of corroborated arguments and evidence from secondary and primary sources, required by experts. Organization. The research paper has not been organized into clearly defined parts.It has been written as one long essay which is not structured into different parts, and this may present problems to readers who are keen to analyze various arguments by the author. A basic research paper should include an abstract, an introduction, the background of the problem, literature review, research methodology and findings, analysis of findings and finally a conclusion and recommendation of the issues discussed (Kothari, 2005). However, in analy zing the article, the author gives a very brief introduction in the first line. He says that US corporations face dilemmas in deciding whether to adapt to the IFRS system or not.He further explains in the second paragraph that this decision should be guided by incremental analysis. This means that the benefits of adapting to the IFRS system should outweigh the costs of the same decision. Research. The author supports his research using the incremental analysis framework. He further uses quotes from the US Securities and Exchange commission. However, he does not quote the source of this information, which makes it difficult to determine the authenticity. Since the research does not cite the references, it is difficult to know the documentation style.It also becomes difficult to know whether the author is paraphrasing quotes from other researchers. Style. The author uses the present tense in writing the article throughout the paper. However, he uses the first person and third person w hen writing different parts of the paper. The first person tense is used when he gives his own opinion, for instance, in the last sentence of the article he says that â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ is the reason why I oppose switching from GAAP to IFRS†. He uses contractions in some parts of the paper, for instance in the eleventh paragraph where the last sentence says â€Å"Let's say another trillion†.The overall grammar used in the article is relatively poor, due to the use of slang, contractions, and short forms among other grammatical mistakes. For instance, in the seventh paragraph, he says â€Å"execs' instead of executives Conclusion. The paper lacks some aspects of research work, most of which have been explained. The author does not also have references to sources which have been used for research. The content can also be said to be biased, since the author does not mention the connection between the GAAP standards and collapse of mortgage crisis in firms like L ehman Brothers.GAAP standards and specifically asset valuation was one of the causal factors of its downfall. However, the article is useful as it can serve as a source of doing further research on the subject. In future, the author should ensure that his research confirms to all aspects of research work. References. Albrecht, D. (2008). Benefits and costs of adoption of IFRS. Retrieved on January 26, 2008 from . Kothari, C. R. (2005). Research Methodology: Techniques & Methods. New York: New Age Publishers.

‘Blessing’ with ‘Island Man’ Essay

Compare ‘Blessing’ with ‘Island Man’ showing how the poets use description to convey the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the poems. ‘Blessing’ and ‘Island Man’ are two very different poems. The theme of ‘Blessing’ revolves around people in a third-world country, who get very little water given to them. A blessing in their eyes occurs when a pipe bursts. ‘Island Man’, however, is about a man from the Caribbean who is now in London, but dreams he was still living in his homeland, even though he wakes up back in London. While the poem’s themes are dissimilar, the poems are both very descriptive, and the poets use description to help us empathise further with their characters. The structure of the poem ‘Blessing’ is quite irregular. The first stanza is a mere two lines: it sets the scene. The next two stanzas increase in length before becoming smaller again at the last stanza. This helps us to picture how, in the beginning, there are only a few drops of water available however when the pipe bursts in the third stanza, the verse size increases along with how much water there is. Also, in the third stanza, commas are omitted in the line ‘every man woman child’ to show the urgency of everyone in the village, who seize this opportunity to grab water. Imtiaz Dharker does use commas however when describing the different materials that the pots are made of. This makes it seem as if, even though Dharker only describes five vessels, there are a multitude of pots and buckets being used. Throughout the third stanza, the lines are free-flowing, and run into each other like the water which is being described. ‘Island Man’s structure is also a fairly irregular one. Lines such as ‘groggily groggily’ and ‘to surge of wheels’ are placed away from the main poem; this gives a sense of confusion, like the man who has just woken up and is still not quite sure where he is. To add to this effect, the lengths of lines in each stanza vary and this gives a muddled or sleepy feel to the poem. The last line ‘Another London day’ is on its own to show that the man has finally come out of the dream, and he is jolted back into reality. Another short line appears at very beginning of the poem. The one-word, staccato sentence shows how the island man has suddenly woken up. ‘Blessing’ uses very descriptive language to convey how the characters are feeling or thinking. Throughout the poem, there are subtle references to church or religion. Using words such as ‘congregation’ or ‘a kindly god’ make the reader feel as if the water is a gift from God. This is amplified by the fact that the poem is called ‘Blessing’, which is a spiritual word and often associated with God and religion. There are more implications that the water is a gift from God, such as when the poem says ‘the flow has found’. This shows that the water finds the people, instead of it being vice versa – it sounds miraculous, because the people didn’t choose for all this water to come at once but it was greatly longed for. Dharker also conveys how important the water is to them by describing it as ‘silver’ instead of just water, and ‘sudden rush of fortune’ to show that in their country, water is extremely rare and never taken for granted. Words with negative connotations for us such as ‘screaming’ and ‘roar’ are turned around in this poem and used to a positive effect. In the last stanza, the phrase ‘flashing light’ could show how water is such a light to these people’s lives and a novelty to them, on the other hand it could also show that the flow of water is slowing down now, and it is only in spurts or flashes but still looks like light. ‘Island Man’ also contains very powerful language. In the first stanza alone there are many interesting word choices. The word ‘wombing’ conveys how comforting and secure the Caribbean seems to the man. It is linked to him feeling safer at his place of birth rather than a bustling city like London. Colour is used several times in the first stanza as well: ‘blue’ for surf, ’emerald’ for the island vegetation and ‘grey’ for the traffic of London. This gives a very strong image in the reader’s mind. ‘Wild seabirds’ is a very natural image which gives a strong contrast with other descriptions such as ‘dull North Circular’ – it shows how artificial London is in comparison to the Caribbean. Some ambiguous words have been chosen too, such as ‘soar’ and ‘roar’. These are ambiguous because they could easily apply to the Caribbean sea, or the London traffic. Various poetic techniques are put to good use in ‘Blessing’. The first one that becomes apparent is the use of end stopped lines. These keep the sentence to the point and fairly literal, which is important when they are used to set the scene, as seen in the first stanza of ‘Blessing’. Imagery is frequently used too, such as ‘liquid sun’ and this adds to the feeling of heat in the poem, helping us to realise how important the water is to the characters. Onomatopoeia is used in the line ‘drip of it, the small splash’ and this is used to give a clearer picture of what is happening in the poem. Another technique used is alliteration. One example of this is the phrase ‘polished to perfection’ which helps the reader to picture the scene. Also, ambiguity features in ‘Blessing’ in the phrases ‘highlights’. While we would tend to think that highlights refers to your hair, in this country the children ar e not as superficial as we are. The highlights probably refers to their skin being changed colour by the reflecting sun and water. This inconclusive word gives a sense of mystery to the last stanza, and it makes it seem like a cliff-hanger ending. ‘Island Man’ shares some of ‘Blessing’s poetic techniques such as the use of metaphors, in ‘pillow waves’. This shows how island man’s dreams of sea comfort him in his sleep. Virtually no punctuation is used in ‘Island Man’ to show how relaxed the personality of the man is, however a capital letter is used to mark a turning point in the poem. It is used in ‘Comes back to sands’ to show that now, the island man is back in London physically and mentally. Grace Nichols relies on sound to make an effective contrast: she makes a clear difference between the breaking of the surf and the roar of the traffic. In conclusion, while these two poems are basically about two very different things, they share many descriptive techniques. I definitely enjoyed both of the poems, but ‘Island Man’ is the one I prefer. I find it quite easy to relate to because I’ve had many dreams I haven’t wanted to wake up from, and even though I live in a city, the huge amounts of traffic is sometimes daunting to me, as it is to the island man. I found ‘Blessing’ harder to relate to, as a lack of water isn’t something we generally experience in this country. However, the poem makes you want to not take things for granted which I think is a moving sentiment.

Hamlet: Divine Intervention and the Natural Order Essay

The first part of the theory is that of Divine Intervention – this being the easier of the two parts to explain. This works off the idea that some manner of God or All-Powerful Force does actually exist. Divine Intervention is, therefore, the notion that this God can manipulate the world either through direct or indirect action. In the text and film, for instance, the Ghost comes as a messenger from this God, motivating Hamlet to do its will. This is both an example of direct divine intervention – in the appearance of the Ghost; and indirect divine intervention – as the God uses Hamlet to carry out its deeds. The second part of the concept is the Natural Order of the world. This can be brought down to its base form as: ‘What is supposed to happen.’ Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. The Natural Order exists always, however is not always followed. This ‘breaking away’ from the Order is usually the result of Human Intervention, developing one of two outcomes. These are: either the Natural Order is re-aligned, or the world remains a corrupt and terrible place until such time as the first outcome is realised. So, the world is repaired, or an unending loop of badness ensues until it is. In the play, the Order was broken when Claudius killed King Hamlet, and from the opening lines the ‘wrongness’ that lingers in the air is noted, setting the mood for the remainder of the play: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢tis bitter cold and I am sick at heart.† (I,1,8-9) said Francisco as he was relieved from watch-duty. Also, in the film, these words are greatly aided in their purpose by the images of snow-covered Denmark. Another line, in the fourth act: â€Å"something is rotten in the state of Denmark† (I.4.67) reaffirms this mood and goes further to place Francisco’s sickness at heart down to a rottenness in Denmark. Now, how the world is realigned with the Natural Order is the link back to the first part of the concept: Humans are the creatures, knowingly or unknowingly, that fix the problems that throw the world out of Order in the  first place. In Hamlet, this is the case. Without Divine Intervention, however, Denmark would have remained in a state of malaise: The Ghost, you see, gave Hamlet the one piece of information that was needed to manipulate him into action: That his father, King Hamlet, had been murdered. With this knowledge, Hamlet was able to mould his grief into anger – albeit slowly – and fulfill the will of the God by realigning the Natural Order in Denmark. There are two parallels running: the first from King Fortinbras to Fortinbras and the second from King Hamlet to Hamlet. Both are disrupted, causing not one, but two interlocking lines of Natural Order to be upset. This is, perhaps, the reason Divine Intervention was necessary to fix it; Claudius’s murder of King Hamlet gave him power not only over Denmark, but Poland also. As can be seen, the major character that the concept of Divine Intervention and Natural Order can be related to is, or course, Hamlet. He is the most interconnected character in the text; the manipulated being used indirectly by God, and also the one to realign the natural order. But why? This quote, from Philip Edwards, explains: â€Å"What is unendurable to heaven is not to be endured by men. Evil is not ineradicable, and heaven may appoint an agent of its justice to pluck it out – Hamlet.† Thus, Hamlet is Divine Justice, charged by the Ghost of his Father – a messenger from God – to cleanse Denmark of evil. â€Å"Revenge his foul and unnatural murder.† (I,5,71) And he goes about it with a passion. From Philip Edward’s essay this quote is taken: â€Å"The voice he hears gives him his mission, which he rapidly expands into a cleansing of the world, a setting right of disjointed time. As the scourge and minister of heaven, he willfully seeks his own salvation by flailing others with his tongue for their moral inadequacies and redirecting their lives as he moves forward to a killing which will re-baptise the state of Denmark.† To which I add, not just one, but seven killings. The realignment of the Natural Order is realised in the final scene in the  final act, just before Hamlet’s death: â€Å"The rest is silence.† (V,2) As there is no definite in-text acknowledgement that the Natural Order was upset, conclusions can be drawn from other lines, the descriptor of rottenness in Demark being one of them. And so it is that, although there is no line saying â€Å"The world is now in alignment with the Natural Order†, we can say â€Å"The rest is silence† is the realisation that the world is right again. There is no more chaos, no trouble, just peace – usually equated with silence and calm. The major impact of the Divine Intervention and Natural Order theory is upon the audience’s perception of the play after its conclusion. The dominant view taken is that Hamlet, although achieving his goal of revenge, caused a chaotic mess of death that was, in itself, meaningless. This view lends itself to a play-given moral of ‘revenge is bad’ or some other similarly droll statement of absolutes. When applying the text to the Natural Order theory, the deaths of the six apparently innocent characters – Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Rosencrantz and Gildenstern – can be justified. All were wronged by Claudius’s misdeed, all were in the wrong in some part, and thus, all had been moved out of the Natural Order – even if it was without choice. Their deaths are integral to the realignment of the Order; if they remain, the corruption lingers also. In death, they are no longer tools of Claudius – who is the cause of the disruption – and do not obstruct Hamlet’s duty as divine justice. Rather than a purposeless bloodbath, the deaths of the six were actually a necessity to achieving peace and new Order: Gertrude had married her brother-in-law, and it is quite likely had been seeing him before the death of King Hamlet. Incest, in the time of Hamlet (and, of course, in the current time) was looked upon with great distaste and marrying one’s brother-in-law was seen as incest – unlike now. Rosencrantz and Gildenstern had been enlisted by Claudius to spy on Hamlet and gauge his madness. Spying is an immoral act, and their doing so, even if enlisted by Claudius, put them in line for a cosmic spanking. Polonius had spied on Hamlet as well as having plotted with Claudius to partake in many misdeeds. His faults are, perhaps, the most blatant. Laertes, after the death of his father, consents to follow the whim of Claudius and poison Hamlet. A big mistake, for he ends up taking the life of another human – a cardinal sin. Lastly, Ophelia; although there is no hard evidence in the play, she may have slept with Hamlet. If this is the case, and sex before marriage is her â€Å"wrong†, then Shakespeare’s search for evil – and successive eradication of it – was very thorough. As well as altering the perception of the audience, the play itself can be viewed in a new light: Shakespeare’s Hamlet had yet another underlying meaning. Along with concepts of revenge, ambition, love, marriage, gender, class structure, morality, betrayal and deceit, appearances and reality and madness, the idea that evil does not go unpunished can be expounded to include God as a punisher, hunting down every little transgression and demanding payment in triplicate; payable with ones eternal soul. Finally, â€Å"what about Hamlet’s death?† I hear you ask. Charged with the responsibility of divine justice, it would seem wrong that he should die, right? His death was one big accident, occurring because Laertes was persuaded by Claudius to poison the sword he used to fight Hamlet. No. Such a simple and†¦ slack answer does not support the theory of Divine Intervention and Natural Order. Hamlet’s death was also necessary to fixing a jaded world. As can be seen from the flowchart, King Fortinbras’ power passed to King Hamlet with his death – not to Fortinbras as must be assumed it would have. When Claudius gained power, not one, but two Kings had been wronged – their command stolen by evil. Hamlet dying, after killing Claudius and retrieving the power of the Kings, was the final piece in the puzzle. Control passed to Fortinbras – the only major character not to have committed acts of†¦ poor judgement (to put it lightly), and the Natural Order was truly repaired. Both Denmark and Poland had a ruler of integrity and the eternal loop of badness could be overcome, allowing the world to move into new times of industry and wonder. Bibliography: Coyle, M., (ed.) (1992) Hamlet: Contemporary Critical Essays, Macmillan Education Ltd, London. Muir, K., Wells, S., (ed.) (1980) Aspects of Hamlet, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Shakespeare, W., (ed.) Ridley, M. R., (1964) The Tragedy of Hamlet, Mackays of Chatham. Stockton, C. L., (2000) CliffsNotes on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Wiley Publishing Inc., New York.

Dentist Application Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dentist Application - Personal Statement Example In today's world, the field of Medicine is of immense importance to individuals and countries, alike. In this whole process, dentistry in an inevitable part, since apart from medication, the right guidance from professionals in terms of improvement of natural features, is very important to help patients overcome their fear for and grief towards the acceptance of diseased conditions. It also realises that the aesthetic needs of today's world. The main reason behind applying to the University, is because of the fact that I want to learn more and obtain more knowledge about the subject. I possess a thirst for knowledge regarding this subject, and would like to quench it by taking up this course, as per my passion. Firstly, talking about my professional strengths, I am a person who seeks to make the most out of every opportunity that comes my way, as I strongly believe that Opportunity knocks the door only once! I also keep myself up-to-date with the current happenings and researches, br eak-through and inventions in the field of Pharmacy and Healthcare, to make way for improvised quality of output to patients, from my end. Secondly, coming to my personal strengths; very evidentl... Therefore, being a team-worker and working in cooperation is extremely vital.I seek to expand my knowledge base on every possible occasion and am good at crisis management. I am capable of handling complex situations, without becoming panicky and by maintaining my calm and composure, which is a pre-requisite for every professional in the field of Pharmacy. Apart from my humanistic perspective, I do have certain personal reasons for taking up pharmacy in particular. For instance, I was intrigued by human psychology and its acceptance of trying circumstances. I am a compassionate person and enjoy extending a helping hand to those in need. In order to further my goal, I have volunteered at various health camps, which encouraged me to pursue my Dentistry with your esteemed institution. Every field works on a principle of core values. I feel that equality, human dignity and justice are of utmost importance to me. Service to the utmost honesty of one's conscience is what is important, to a doctor or a paramedic. Secondly, attaching the respect and dignity deserved by every human to the patient, is equally necessary. For this, empathy and comprehending the fact that every human is God's creation, is a must. Thirdly, providing justice to every patient is important for me, because I aspire to devote myself to service of humanity, as a tool to give back what I can to the society. Thus, these are my goals and aspirations, which I aspire to achieve by making the most of my strengths and minimising my weaknesses. 3) How

Alternative therapies Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alternative therapies - Coursework Example Johns wort and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for depressive tendencies, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids (Lam, Jones, & Hayward, 2010). Rhadiola rosea is a herb that has been used traditionally in the management of stress. However, it has some stimulating effects that can lift the moods of a depressed individual. S-adenosylmethionine is a nutritional supplement with antidepressant action and can at times trigger mania in bipolar patients. St. John’s wort is a native mood enhancer that alleviates depression. Omega-4 fatty acids from foods such as salmon and sardines tend to lower manic tendencies in patients with bipolar disorders. It is proposed that omega-3 fatty acids facilitate the movement of neurotransmitters in the brain hence assisting in the stabilization of moods. It is worth noting that these alternative therapies should not substitute the prescribed medication for the disorder. They should be considered as complementary treatments. Therefore, patients with bipolar disorders should take their antidepressants whenever they feel that they need them. In addition, most of the alternative therapies have not undergone rigorous evaluation and reviews compared to their pharmaceutical counterparts. Therefore, the nurse should advise family members to do additional research on the treatments to find out whether they have negative effects or adverse reactions with conventional medication that the patient may be taking. For example, it has been reported that S. John’s wort is not safe and that it tends to interact with other medications such as lithium (Deligiannidis & Freeman,

State-building In Developing Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

State-building In Developing Countries - Essay Example This report stresses that during the emergence of Europe, the most dominant powers were Germany and the United Kingdom and later America and the USSR. These nations through the exercise of their military and economic power had significant implications on state building in Europe. For instance, Germany was responsible for political and human turmoil witnessed in Poland during the start of the twentieth century. Germany onslaught on Polish territory resulted in the death of thousand of Polish citizens. This result in slow development of Poland, which in the past has been a recipient of massive amounts of aid from America. This paper makes a conclusion that Europe’s past provides an insightful point of reference upon which one can undertake comparisons. There are several similarities in state building in Europe but also huge disparities between modern day third world nations. A common characteristic in the third world nations is democratic institutions, which lack legitimacy, which is in stack contracts to Europe’s well-entrenched democratic institutions of governance such as the legislature, and judiciary that the citizenry believe in. Clearly, there are obvious disparities between state building in Europe and the third world nations. Violence is common phenomena employed as tool to cause a revolution or enable the state to consolidate power and create order forcefully. Tilly and Cohen’s radical views with regard to the existence of the state and Gerschenkron’s insight into economic history provide insightful perspectives on state building.

Management of information technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Management of information technology - Essay Example That same ability raises the specter of nightmarish Orwellian scenarios in which consumer purchasing behavior is captured in databases that are manipulated by corporations and government as a tool for spying. RFID utilizes a tag containing a computer chip that stores data relating to the tagged item, such as color, size, brand, warranty information, etc. Tags can also be affixed to pallets and cartons to identify contents of shipments during the distribution process. An antenna in the tag transmits and receives data through radio waves, which are picked up by a reader (Carlson 2006). In one type of RFID system known as passive, a signal is sent out by the reader creating a magnetic field, which is broadcast by its antenna to create a sensitive detection zone. When a RFID tag enters this zone it picks up the reader’s signals, which turn on the microchip’s transmitter, thus informing the reader of its presence. Passive RFID is a short range system in which the reader must range from one inch to a few feet from the tag in order to engage a signal (Kasavana 2006). Another type of RFID technology is known as active. This is a longer range system because both the tag and reader have power supply units and are capable of sending and receiving signals. The transmission range may be up to one hundred feet due to this mutual transmission. The data on active RFID microchips can also be rewritten (Kasavana 2006). Active tags are far more expensive than passive tags (up to $40 as compared to 15 cents for passive tags) and are therefore less attractive and appropriate in a commercial retail environment (Carlson 2006). Nevertheless, given their long range scanning potential, active RFID has a broader range of potential applications. It also drives greater concerns regarding potential abuse. RFID is considered to be more effective at inventory tracking than traditional bar codes for several reasons. First, it is

Discussion paper Statistical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion paper Statistical Analysis - Essay Example (Gibson, W., 1997). There are several data collection techniques, and the most commonly used data collection techniques are use of available information, observation, interviews, use of written questionnaires, and focus group discussions. There is a large amount of useful data that has already been collected by others, and this makes a useful starting point in the collection of data. It requires locating where the data is available, and identifying data that is useful and relevant to the current exercise, and retrieving it. Using such available data is an inexpensive means to collection of data, and still it may be difficult to get access to the relevant record and reports, and there is the added disadvantage that the data may not be accurate, and complete. Observation calls for the systematic selection, watching, and recording of the behavior and characteristics of living beings, objects or phenomena. It is a commonly used data collection technique in the study of human behavior. There are two ways in which observation can be done. In the first called participant observation, the observer is involved in the situation that is being observed. In the second called non-participant observation, the observer watches the situation either in an open manner, or in a concealed manner, and is not a participant in the situation. The advantage with observation is that it provides more accurate and substantial information, especially where studies of human behavior is concerned. This data collection technique makes use of oral interviews either with a target group or individuals. The responses to the questions posed are recorded in writing, or by recording on a machine, or a combination of both methods may be used. Flexibility is a determining factor in interviews. High flexibility is used, when the researcher is unsure of the subject, or if the subject is sensitive. Low flexibility is used, when the researcher is well informed on the subject, or if the sample group is

Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Family Law - Essay Example U.K.’s family section 8(1) of the Children Act 1989 states that the children must live 50 percent of the growing up with one parent1. Consequently, the children will live the remaining 50 percent of their children years with the other spouse. The essence of the shared residence rule prevents the issue that one parent is better than the other parent. This was the ruling in the D v D (Shared Residence Order case) 2001 1 Flr 4952. The shared residence complies with section 1 of the Children Act of 1989. The section emphasises that the children’s welfare is paramount compared over the welfare of either of the parents. Each parent has equal time rights and decision rights to the development of the children. The Children’s Act of 1989 is grounded on the Law Commission 1986 Working Paper no. 96. The law ensures that both parents are not denied their right to make equal decisions on the children’s schooling, abode, and other related family decisions3. Childrenâ₠¬â„¢s Minister Tim Loughton stated that the state had the duty to ensure the fathers are not eliminated from the child development equation. The fathers have the right have the children live with the father on equal basis, removing the issue of discrimination. In fact, Mr. Loughton stated that the move was to reverse the current United Kingdom scene where children were not given their right to personally feel their fathers’ love, affection, and caresses. ... Consequently, most of the children were refused their right to share time with their fathers. The judge referred to the case T v T judgment stating that court should bring the greatest benefits of the children. The court should never prevent dividing the children’s rights and the father’s right to have 50 percent of the children’s time say with the father4. In terms of case law, A v B Anor [2012] EWCA Civ 285 (14 March 2012) states the court of appeals granted the father’s request to contact his child. The child was living with the spouse’s divorced wife. The wife was a lesbian5. The case states the decision is based on what is best for the children’s interest. The child’s interest includes the child’s need for the father to contribute to the child’s nurturing. The father complainant complies with all the legal requirements of a father role. Consequently, the father prays that the court grant his right to be with his chil d. The court decision states that the father should be granted his right to implement his father image. Specifically, the court can enhance his father –children relationship. The relationship includes providing for the food, clothing, shelter, school, medical, and other real life father responsibilities. By filing a complaint with the court, the court interprets the father’s complaint is convincing proof that the father is serious in his desire to fulfil his right to act as the child’s father. Eric must not get in the way of preventing the father’s right to have the children live with the parent. In the same way, Eric should not prevent the children’s right to stay with the father. By forcing Belinda to North of England, Eric can be charged for preventing the â€Å"stay with child† right of both the

Psychology Reflective Essay Example for Free

Psychology Reflective Essay After having various lessons, I would like to have a deeper evaluation of the chapter â€Å"Behavior in Social and Cultural Context† especially the concept of attributions . It is known that there are two types of attributions which are internal attributions and external attributions that we generally use to explain our own or other’s behaviors. Internal factors concern a person’s traits while external factors concern the external environment. In addition, I am actually shocked by the fact that there is a fundamental attribution error when we are explaining others’ behaviors. There is a real-life example that I would like to share. Last Monday, I was stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour on Nathan Road. I had a lesson at 8:30 am in Core A and I reached the pedestrian bridge at 8:25 am, so I was rushing to the classroom. At that moment, a scene annoyed me most and stopped my way to school. A boy who was around six years old was too energetic. He dashed and rushed around on the footbridge that disturbed others’ way. He also guffawed and touched or played with anything and everything he saw. Suddenly, he paced around and glared at his mum. Don’t walk like a stupid pig! Do you know how to walk? I have been waiting for you for so long! †He shouted at his mum. At that moment, I was very angry and strongly believed that the boy was so naughty and disrespectful that he showed his emotions with no restraint and did whatever he likes without regard for consequences. Based on the above case, the correspondence bias leads me to explain the boy’s behavior by ignoring the influence of situation on behavior. For example, actually he is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so he cannot be patient and always dash around. However, we tend to emphasize the dispositional attribution that the boy is so naughty and disrespectful. Apparently, we tend to overestimate internal factors and underestimate external factors when explaining others’ behavior. After understanding the concept of fundamental attribution error, I have an enquiry related to it. Is there an error too when we explain our own behaviors? In order to find out the answer of it, I do some researches on it. Afterwards, I found out that the concept of actor-observer bias which is proposed by E. E. Jones and R. E. Nisbett in 1971 gives a clearer picture on the error of explaining our own and others’ behaviors. It states that we as an actor are more likely to attribute our own actions to the particular situation than to a generalization about our personality while the reverse asymmetry held for people being an observer and explaining others’ behaviors. Nevertheless, I have doubts about both the fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias. In my opinion, I think that both of the ideas only firmly established when describing negative events. For instance, on the one hand, as an actor, when we get bad result on an exam, we usually attribute the reason to the difficult exam (situational). On the other hand, as an observer, when our friends get bad academic result, we usually attribute the reason to his or her lazy character (dispositional). If the event is positive, the reverse error occurs. With the same example but with the condition that both we and our friends get high marks in the exam, we will attribute the reason to hard-working (dispositional) and easy exam (situational) to explain behaviors respectively. Malle (2006) agrees that a reverse asymmetry held for positive events after conducting a mental-analysis. He states that the discrepancy may indicate a self-serving pattern in attribution that we attribute success to internal factors and failure to external factors. Therefore, I believe that we are explaining others’ by using both the self-serving bias and fundamental attribution error. Overall, the lessons build up my foundation for the psychological concepts and theories and we need to explore the psychological world by ourselves in order to find out more details, conflicts about and relationships between different ideas. For instance, in order to finish this reflective journal, I used Google scholar to search about the actor-observer bias and the criticisms about it that I did not learn on the book and in lessons. By experiencing the searching process, I have deeper understanding on it and it strongly impresses on my memory. The process also enhances my analysis skill, to determine which sources are useful and which sources are not related to my topic. Therefore, I enjoy the process of exploring the psychological knowledge by ourselves.

National Integration in Pakistan

National Integration in Pakistan To combine and bring together all the people of a country is known as national integration. It is a feeling which combines all the people irrespective of their colour, race, caste, region and religion etc. It is the only force with the help of which all types of people live together peacefully and considering themselves the members of single whole. 1 THE STATE OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN PAKISTAN Pakistan is facing the problem of national integration since its creation. The lack of national integration is a big problem. Owing to the absence of national integration Pakistan has been pushed to cruel circle. It has made Pakistan a sorry state of affairs, and has made Pakistan the centre of terrorist activities. Due to this problem Pakistan has become an instable and vulnerable state and a total breakdown of state machinery. This was not the problem at first. Pakistan was the result of integration on the basis of Islam. Unfortunately after the death of Quaid-e-Azam the country was isolated. National integration faced too many problems. At this rate, income inequalities, social injustice, political blow and other evils raised their heads. All of these made national integration weak and fragile. There is lack of consensus on important national issues in Pakistan. For that reason the provinces hate each other. The Punjab is being accused by the rest of three provinces i.e. Sindh, Kh yber Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan for exploiting their resources and not paying there just share. Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa are against the construction of Kala Bagh dame while Punjab wants to construct it. On the issue of NFC award the three provinces having the same reservation from Punjab. There are too much hurdles and difficulties in the way of national integration of Pakistan. It is necessary to vanish the sentiments of regionalism or provincialism languisticism or communalism etc. Some of the important reasons of the failure of national integration of Pakistan are as below: CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP After the death of Quaid-e-Azam there was hardly any leader upon whom the nation could be united. Every leader prefers his personal interest rather than national interest. They built up economic assets on illegal means. Thus they exploited the national purse on the coast of national interest and promoted personal interests. Therefore national integration remained weak and fragile.2 ECONOMIC DISPARITIES There is a big gap between rich and poor. The system of Pakistan has been structured such that the gulf between poor and rich become widen with the every passing day. Rich become richer and the poor become poorer and poorer. It strengthens the upper and privileged class of society. It never cares of the lower class of the society. Thus the economic inequalities led towards the weakness of the national integration.3 PROVINCIAL BIASES AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE Beside the lack of social justice and provincial biases are posing a threat to the basic existence of the country. It leads towards the destabilization of the state and shaking the basis of national integration of the country. The smaller provinces have developed the sense of deprivation. They think that they have been deprived of their just share in the national exchequer and of their just royalty. It has developed the age-old animosities among the provinces. Social justice is the only solution of national integration in Pakistan. The water dispute existed among the provinces. It has posed a major threat to national integration. The provinces have objections on the construction of Kala Bagh dam which has detracted the confidence and unity of the country. Likewise the dispute over NFC (National Finance Commission) award also posing serious threats to national integration. The provinces dont agree on the formula in which the resources are to be divided on the basis of population. This creates great hurdles in the way of national integration of Pakistan. The sense of regionalism has been fuelled by the lack of socio economic justice in the country. Regionalism has divided the whole nation into small and paltry classes. It has created fractions, groups, sects working for their vested interests. Jeye Sindh, Baluch Liberation Front and Baluch liberation army are struggling for the secession from federation. So the question of national integration remain unaddressed and at low priority. There is a trend of promoting personal interest, class interest, group interest and faction and regional interest instead national interests. Almost all parties are talking about Sindhies, Baluchies, Pukhtoons, and Punjabies and other small groups. There is no talk about Pakistan. This politics of regionalism has widened the gulf between different sections of the society. It has shaken the basis of national integration of Pakistan.4 MILITARY INTERVENTION Military intervention has weakened the basis of national integration. During military rule the small provinces has been deprived of there just share. East Pakistan seceded during military rule. The military regime failed to promote the sense of ones in the two wings of Pakistan.5 Baluchistan issue also emerged during military rule. POLITICAL INSTABILITY Political stability is the most important prerequisite for strengthening the national integration. Unfortunately Pakistan is lacking this requirement since very long. The political instability has widened the gulf between the ruling class and the ruled class. It has distorted the picture of Pakistan and made it retrogressive in all spheres. Political instability has posed a big threat to national unity and integrity. Lack of unity and integration has pushed behind the objectives for which Pakistan was created. It has also rhythm of national progress. As a result the nation has become hallow from within in terms of national integration.6 LANGUAGE PROBLEM Pakistani is a plural society. There are living many linguistic groups which is problem. Some time it poses serious threats for the geographical integrity of the state. Pakistan lost its eastern wing owing to many problem of which the language problem was one of the important problem. In todays Pakistan the difference of language is still a problem in the way of national integration of state. It is very much important for Pakistan to have a language policy which is helpful for the promotion of all languages equally. The current policy has created a sense among the small linguistic groups that the government is only promoting Urdu at the coast of regional languages. All the provinces have been divided into more than one linguistic group which contributing to the instability of country.7 MEDIA Media is a source of information and education. It is the most effective mean of change and information. Media is expected to play a positive role in image building of the state. It is the responsibility of media to promote national interest and national integration. In a democratic society the role of media is to be of a watchdog. It is the need of the time that our media should strive for building of soft and positive image of the state.8 Media is the link between the people of a country which propagate the news throughout the country and world by means of electronic devices known as electronic media i.e. radio, TV, net etc and by the means of print media i.e. newspapers, journals, and magazines etc. Media is the most effective source of communication. It enriches the people knowledge about the right and wrong. On the one hand media is breaking false news without proper investigation, yet on the other hand it inform us about the realities.9 POWER OF MEDIA Media is a link between people and societies. Without media they would have been isolated. In the current century media has very much powerful. With the help of media we came to know about the happenings around the world. It unveils the truth and injustice done to people. It rules over the mind of the people. Media educate the people and moulds their opinion, making and toppling the governments makes a hero a villain and a villain a hero. It changes the life style, thinking, culture and tradition of a society. Power of media can be judged through its role as a source of information, education and entertainment. It has changed the world into a global village.10 ROLE OF MEDIA IN NATIONAL INTEGRATION Pakistani media is playing very irresponsible role. Talk shows and political debates dont consider themselves subject to limits. In debates the participants using abusive language against each other. The anchor persons are fuelling the arguments and counter arguments. They dont care for the fact that what type of image they are going to develop publically. What the people will think about them. This trend is conveying a very negative massage inside and outside of the country. Media as opinion maker models the opinion of the people. These talk shows are creating prejudice among the workers of different political parties. And in some cases they get violent against each other.11 In the name of freedom of press media, some time crossing the limits. There is a race among the different channels for breaking news which led to a fierce situation. They are using negative tools for increasing the number of viewership.12 Media has to play a positive and productive role in a society. Education is one of the important factors in promoting national integration. On the same lines media has a very affective role in educating the society. The use of media especially of internet has a lot of contribution in educating society. It is the responsibility of media to unveil the true picture of society. But unfortunately most of the press is prejudice. They are propagating the distorted picture of reality as they want. Media should show responsibility. They should show love and affection instead of hate. They should play a constructive role in providing education to the people and show them the real picture of the world as it is. They should not sensitize the issues. Honest coverage is the spirit of journalism. The media can led the society towards betterment if they start factual reporting. These are some of the major flaws in media if these could be addressed justly they can play an active role in national integration. Ibid media persons and press should be devoted and self reliable. They should show great social responsibilities that would. 13 THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN NATIONAL INTEGRATION Media is the reflection of any country. It shows the way of living and behaviour of the people of any country. The way of expressing news, the way the politicians talking, in talk shows and political debates, show the attitude of the people of that country. The media is bound to spread reality and should be careful of its responsibilities. Media should aware the public without influencing their mind negatively the mind of public and make them able to protest in true manner which could result oriented. Mc Combs and Shaw consider the media as, the mass media sets the agenda for political campaigns, influencing public attitudes toward desired issues. Pakistani media is more responsible than any other media of the other countries of the world because Pakistan needs a big change and the media is the powerful source of change. Now-a-days media is easily accessible to all walks of life through various means electronic means and press i.e. TV, radio, mobile, internet, newspapers, journals, m agazines etc. Media is a force which moulding the opinion of the people. Media changes the approach of the people towards different issues which perform very important role in highlighting certain attributes of issues. Guardians of the media, i.e. news editors, play fundamental role in determining the media outline which become public outline after some time.14 With the appearance of new century the press has become independent. There are TV channels which give coverage to the issues around the country in Pakistan. Media has a lot of contribution in educating the public about issues, but unfortunately media has badly failed in changing the behaviour of the people towards many issues. Media broadcast issues in a way that it boost people instantaneously just after the news report while the people dont know that what they should do in that particular scenario and who they can play a constructive role. Media has to discourage strongly such type of negative approach of the general mass. Demonstrations and protests are good to build up pressure towards solution of any problem but there should be in a right way to demonstrate which should result oriented. With every passing day the reputation of Pakistani media has corrupted owing to its failure in systematically comprehending affairs. Instead of spreading true root cause of issues, media is just adding wordings over the issue and crisis. The coverage of political issues by our media is heavily episodic rather than subjective. There is a number of political talk shows on different TV channels in Pakistan. No programme out of these having an ending or concluding words that could be helpful for people to understand that what will be the possible solution to the problems facing by them. Every program discusses the one and the same issue with different names. Somewhere it is Capital Talk, somewhere it is Aaj Kamran Khan ki sath, To the Point, Kal Tak, Ikhtilaf, Jarga, Likin, etc etc. But no programme has a fruit full ending. There is no difference of information and viewpoint of different political figures. There is no ray of hope regarding the solution of any problem. No politician can g ive remedy nor they coming to the point of solution.15 Constitution of Pakistan gives fundamental rights to citizens. But media does not give importance to it. Instead they are interested in sensitization of issues and news. They are broadcasting such news where they can found something where fundamental rights of citizens are violated.16 Being the powerful pillar of the state media has to save the country form sudden slippage. Media is independent for a long time but it could not show positive role in changing the rebellious attitude of the people. Pakistani media should represent this country with immense care because this country is not only important for Islamic world but for the peace of the world as well. Media should be very much careful while representing this country in the globe and guiding the people of this country to bring out this country form the problems surrounding it. It is the responsibility of media to show the real picture of Pakistani nation to the world, its thinking on the global issues. It represents the culture of Pakistan. Thus media is on the most responsible position. It has to tell the world about Islam and Pakistan and the implications of Islam on Pakistan. Majority of the channels are highly politicised while they should for Islamic norms and values. Some of the channels are religious w hile some are representing secular group. These are representing Pakistan from two different perspectives. This type of media, with two totally different angles widening cultural gap in Pakistan which ultimately results in creating two rival groups in Pakistan. Our media showing the world two different cultures and directing the people to divide into two groups, with one fundamental thoughts and other secular thoughts. 17 For promoting a peaceful and balanced society it is important for all media channels to represent the real culture neither of Pakistan which is neither extremist nor vice versa. Francis Fukuyama, (1995) says that, A thriving civil society depends on a peoples habits, customs, and ethics- attributes that can be shaped only indirectly through conscious political action and must otherwise be nourished through the increased awareness and respect for culture. Unfortunately in Pakistan we are lacking a free and transparent political system, but we have an independent media. Media is more powerful than political parties. Hence media can play an important role in moulding the fate of society towards betterment. Pakistani culture is one and the same and that is Islamic. By dividing it into two divergent cultures creates democratic problems for our society. Media can bridge both the gulf which has been created by one way or other since the creation of Pakistan by playing positive and sensitive role. Some of the already existing groups are distorting the picture of Pakistan by developing false picture of Pakistan and Islam. To minimize the influence of such groups all Pakistani media should represent the true picture of Islam and Pakistan. The entire news and drama channels should adopt national dress symbols of Pakistan which at the same time is Pakistani and Islamic. Unfortunately models, actors, reporter and anchors of media channels follow such a way of speaking, negotiating and apparels which are not true picture of Pakistan and Islam. In a nutshell we can say that media should enhance its role in educating the people that they may be able to participate sensibly to influence the mess. Furthermore media have to build up its status among the society by touching the hidden bonds of society i.e. its culture. Though there are varieties of cultures in our society but all of them surrender to a common culture of Islam. Media has to communicate with the people of society as its part. Tariq Alvi says, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Stress the importance of culture, which may vary even within a country, in negotiating any complex deal you need to understand the values of the people you are dealing with, even if you do not accept their values yourselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦... Therefore media should be very much carful about the culture of Pakistan to integrate the people of Pakistan towards prosperity and development while living within Islamic boundaries.18 Media is being considered as the fourth pillar of the state. In this regard it is expected that it may play a very active role in promoting national integration especially our plural and heterogeneous and divergent society. But unfortunately it has been observed the so called independent media has created violence and hatred on many occasions. Recently Muttahidda Quami Movements leader Altaf Hussain and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Zulfiqar Mirzas speeches has been widely reported in our media which resulted in hundreds of mass killing in Karachi. Likewise medias strong campaign for Lal Masjid operation in 2007 had promoted extremist to kill thousands of soldiers and civilians in target killing and suicide attacks.19 Our media provides us entertainment in forms of Dramas, songs and movies and some funny programmes as hum sub umeed se hain etc. All these are surrounded by romance, love affairs, violence, glamour, big cars, big houses and a clash of poor and rich. All these in no way reflect our culture or represent our culture and civilization. Hardly we can see a programme with a positive and moral result in the democratization of our young generation.20 All these provided to us by media, are responsible for disaster and anarchy in our society. Media has badly failed in providing us role models that could unite our divergent society.21 Medias interest is market drivers and for the sake of rating. It can even compromise on national integration. The supporters of this media argues that media is beating the triumphant Aman ke Asha, which will stop the flow of water towards Pakistan. They projecting the marriage ceremony of Shoib and Sania Mirza, telecasting Altaf Hussains singing, the hatred remarks of Zulfiqar Mirza are breaking news for them for increasing rating and number of viewership. In this scenario how one can expect from media that they will promote national integration rather they are causing disintegration.22 The most recent example of rating is Malalas issue which have been given undue coverage. tens of children die almost every day in drone attacks no channel roused voice for any one of them. It makes the people to think who are being suffered that are they not been given that much projection and thus finally they came on violence against state and all other players of the game. This trend finally led towards destruction of national integration. Before the attack on Malala the media gave very unfair projection to Sharmin Obaid Channaoye. She has made a movie with the name of, Face Saving. In this she had highlighted an issue in which the husbands threw acid on the faces of females. In this issue she has given very negative picture of Pakistani society. She has represented the people brutal, merciless and cruel. She had used the innocent women for her movie. According to print media reports the women who was used for this purpose was not given her wage and neither was given medical treat ment. For her this alleged movie she was prised in Europe and USA and awarded with Oscar Award because she presented a highly exaggeratedly negative picture of Pakistan. Pakistani media given that lady very high projection and presented her as heroin of Pakistan. This kind of reporting and projection is very negatively impacting the image of Pakistan abroad. Media is selling negative news hypes. Media will never make breaking news of a positive development in the violence turned tribal area. Professor Inam Ullah of department of Journalism university of Peshawar says, If you tell any channel that 20 girls got admission in a school in Mohmand Agency no channel will broad cast this news because there is no sensitization in this news and channels dont take interest in such news. On the other hand if you told them that a school has been blown up in the same place or any other area then switch on your TV and tune any channel you will see that all channels are broad casting that news with any investigation and conformation. This is the interest of media. They are sensitizing the issues creating thrill. They are in race and competition. They dont care for national integration or any other positive activity. They just want to break the news before any other news channel breaks it.23 By promoting news with hype is just for the increase of viewers and earn maximum money by commercial advertisement. The people are also responsible for this trend of media. Media is selling what the people want to buy. It is now a business not a source of education or information. People like Indian movies, songs and programmes. TV channels broadcasting these things for increasing the number of viewership. If a channel even tries to telecast a debate on national integration the people dont like to watch it. According to this school of thought if media does not broad caste the hatred of the politician they have in their hearts they wont be able to do justice to themselves.24 Another irony is that media does not give equal coverage to each political party. They are broad casting a five hours press conference of Altaf Hussain directly from England while the next day they dont give 5 minutes time to another political party. They dont publish the manifesto some parties while giving coverage to the minute things of other political party. (amir jamati Islami sayed munawar Hassan interview with Wajahat Saeed Khan, Ajj TV talk show Ikhtilaf on Nov 2, 2012). This trend of media is damaging for national integration of our country. TV channels have no concern to play positive role to bridge the gap which has been created the absence of good governance in different section of society. They are just interested in sensitive news and want to break such news which can attract more and more viewers.25 Almost all TV shows are made for urban consumerist population a soft victim for advertisers. These shows are full of sumptuous cooking; ingredients are the product so of huge companies and plays in which families Banarasi Saris, gold jewellery, and full makeup in their daily lives at houses.26 When the working class are the lower and poor class of a society who are hardly living their lives, watch all these things a desire came in their heart for such lavish life. But their pocket does not allow them to afford. They get frustrated and thus a feeling of hate emerges inside them. they turned severely against the upper and privileged class of society and thus against the whole system. This finally poses many threats to national integration. This mindset is responsible for so many social evils. TV commercials also playing the same role. They ate are showing the products of big companies which are practically out of the range of the society at large. In these commercials the life is imaginary which can be seen only on TV screen but not possible in practical life. The culture is being represented neither in dramas and movies nor in TV commercials.27 With so much social estrangement between haves and have-not, can they identify with the country our media depicts? How we can expect them to have patriotic feeling or the right values? the writer of the article wrote her personal experience in such words, I remember a child show in which actress was asked if she would give a massage to children, enthusiastically she replied, khao, peyo aur maze karo,.28 this is the massage normally given by TV anchors and shows. When a child of poor parents receive such massage and then they demanding for such a life where ones concentrate is just upon eating, drinking and enjoyment, and his/her parents could not afford this both parents and child get frustrated and turned against the system. They will try to snatch this luxurious life form those who living it irrespective of the fact that he can live such life or not but at least the upper class should not live it. Instead of a massage could be given to care about the less fortunate, do study better, to be respectful towards their elders, to be honest in their dealing or not to litter and through garbage all over the place. Insight and aspiration for nation building could have been given. But do media persons care? 29 RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMES AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION There are so many so called religious programmes in which religious scholars appear who came on different TV channels and interpret Islam from their own perspective and point of view. They are crazy of popularity, money and modernity. There is a huge gap between the interpretation of modern ulama and the orthodox ulama. There are people who cannot bear either of the opponent group. They turned against each other and especially the followers of orthodox ulama even came on aggression which causes too many problems in our society. Dr Javed Ahmad Ghamdi, Dr Faroop (late) Dr Aamir Laiqat Hussain is among the modern ulam. Orthodox ulama have issued fatwas against them. The death of Dr Farooq is being connected with this opposition of ideas among orthodox and modernists. He was given threats to take his modern ideas back or then get ready for drastic consequences. CONCLUSION Without media neither we can formulate an opinion nor can resolve any problem. Media has the potential of projecting any culture and give a sense of belonging to people belonging to different backgrounds. But unfortunately there are many examples where media could not come up with the expectations of the people. From the above discourse it reveals that media in Pakistan does not deliver according to the needs of the nation. Their more concentration remains on market. How to increase the number of viewership, how to attract advertisers and how to break fresh news before any other do it. In this race and competition they often broadcast false and sensitive news. Media is the most responsible institution of any state. In a state like Pakistan its responsibilities are more sensitive than any other country. Today Pakistan is the focal point of the world. All the countries have interest in Pakistan and thus they analyzing the situation every minute. Being a responsible institution media in Pakistan should avoid sensitizing the news. All those news should not be telecasted which can rise the communal or ethnic crisis. Every day we observe that someone has committed suicide, someone has been killed for being shia or Sunni, a school has blown up in so and so area, target killing are going on in Karachi, a shrine of some famous personality has blown up by terrorists etc, etc. After careful analysis all this type of news are poison for national integration. It weakens the roots of national unity and feeling of oneness. A feeling of hatred emerges in the hearts of people against each other which led towards communal crisis, ethnic crisis, provincialism and regionalism. The media should avoid such type of news and reports. They should give very little coverage to such news and concentrate on positive news that the people may get hopeful for better prospects in future. Different talk shows on different TV channels are creating illusion among the people. The politicians who are supposed to guide the people in difficult times are talking in a highly uncivilized manner in TV programs which does not suite their status. Media should work as a beacon and candle. It can do anything to make hero a villain and a villain a hero. It should lead the nation in a right direction. They should not work as the agent of western media and organization as puppet in their hands as it has been working. It is the need of the day that the intellectuals should discuss this problem seriously. Media is a tool which can be used for positive purposes very fruitfully.

Terrorism: Definition, History and Solutions

Terrorism: Definition, History and Solutions TERRORISM:  AN EXPLORATION OF ITS DEFINITION, HISTORY, AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS â€Å"Terrorism upsets people. It does so deliberately. That is its point, and that is why it has engrossed so much of our attention in the early years of the 21st century.† Townshend [1] Ask any ten individuals on the streets of London, Paris, Moscow, or New York for the top three issues facing the world today and one common response is likely to be terrorism. Inquire further about how the same people would define terrorism, when terrorism began, and how terrorism can be stopped and you will probably be faced with a myriad of answers, or maybe just looks of puzzlement. The range of responses (or lack thereof) from the public should not be surprising. Not even experts agree on responses to these seemingly fundamental questions on an issue of such importance to worldwide security, an issue that Thackrah suggests is â€Å"one of the most intractable global problems at the start of the twenty-first century†.[2] This essay begins by surveying the vast array of definitions for the term terrorism, providing some insight into the reasons that terrorism is so difficult for experts to define, and adopting a working definition for the term. The historical roots of terrorism will then be explored and results of a review of selected literature on possible solutions for dealing with terrorism will be introduced. Finally, a conclusion discussing the results of the literature review will be presented. Terrorism Defined What is terrorism? The definition assigned to the term very much depends on who you ask, although, as Hoffman writes, â€Å"few words have so insidiously worked their way in to our everyday vocabulary†.[3] Oots writes that terrorism has been defined in different ways by various scholars.[4] Hoffman suggests that most individuals have vague notions of what the term means, but cannot offer precise, explanatory definitions. The Terrorism Research Center claims that â€Å"[t]errorism by nature is difficult to define†.[5] Townshend writes that both politicians and scholars have been â€Å"hung up† in attempting to define terrorism in a way that distinguishes it from other criminal violence and even military action.[6] Complicating attempts to define terrorism, the meaning and usage of the term have changed over the years.[7] Complications aside, most people would agree that terrorism is a subjective term with negative connotations, a pejorative term, used to describe the acts of enemies or opponents. The term has moral connotations and can be used to persuade others to adopt a particular viewpoint. For instance, if an individual sympathises with the victims of terrorism, then the perpetrator is considered to be a terrorist, but if an individual sympathises with the perpetrator, then the perpetrator is considered to be a freedom fighter or is referred to by equally positive characterisations.[8] About this, the Terrorism Research Center writes: â€Å"One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.†[9] Whittaker distinguishes between terrorists, guerrillas, and freedom fighters in writing: â€Å"the terrorist targets civilians†; â€Å"the guerrilla goes for military personnel and facilities†; and â€Å"the freedom fighter conducts a campaign to liberate his people from dictatorial oppression, gross disarmament, or the grip of an occupying power†.[10] One author included over one hundred definitions for the term terrorism.[11] Another quoted over ninety definitions and descriptions.[12] The definitions range from those that are quite simplistic to those that are equally comprehensive. The following definitions are illustrative of the broad range of thought: Terrorism is â€Å"violence for purposes of creating fear†.[13] Terrorism is â€Å"politically and socially motivated violence†.[14] â€Å"Terrorism is political violence in or against true democracies.†[15] â€Å"Terrorism may be described as a strategy of violence designed to inspire terror within a particular segment of a given society.†[16] â€Å"Terrorism is the most amoral of organised violence†.[17] Terrorism is â€Å"a form of warfare†¦used when full-scale military action is not possible†.[18] â€Å"Terrorism is a method of action by which an agent tends to produce terror in order to impose his domination.†[19] â€Å"Terrorism is the systematic use of coercive intimidation, usually to service political ends. It is used to create a climate of fear.[20] Terrorism is â€Å"the threat or use of violence, often against the civilian population, to achieve political or social ends, to intimidate opponents, or to publicise grievances†.[21] â€Å"Terrorism is the use of coercive means aimed at populations in an effort to achieve political, religious, or other aims.†[22] Terrorism is â€Å"politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience†.[23] Whittaker explores the complexity of defining terrorism by furnishing a comprehensive list of terrorism criteria:[24] The violence or threat of violence inherent in terrorism is premeditated and politically motivated for the purpose of intimidating or coercing a government or the public in general. The strategy of terrorism is to instil fear and insecurity. Sustained campaigns or sporadic incidents are applied by terrorists in conducting their unlawful activities. Calculated use of violence is applied against civilian, non-combatant targets. Acquiring, manipulating, and employing power is at the root of terrorism. Revolutionary terrorism attempts to completely change the political system within a state; sub-revolutionary terrorism attempts to effect change without totally replacing the existing political system. Terrorism consists of carefully planned goals, means, targets, and access conducted in a clandestine manner. The goals of terrorism focus on political, social, ideological, or religious ends. This distinguishes terrorism from other criminal activity. Terrorism is conducted occasionally by individuals, but most often by sub-national groups. An important objective of terrorism is to obtain maximum publicity. Increasingly, terrorist â€Å"zones of action† are extending beyond national borders, becoming transnational in effect. The vast number of definitions proposed for the term terrorism might make one wonder if there could ever be agreement around a common definition. For without a common understanding about what terrorism is, how can it be challenged and ultimately removed as a threat to modern civilisation? Despite the many definitions for terrorism, there does seem to be an emerging consensus on the definition of the term, according to Jenkins.[25] For instance, Enders and Sandler offer the following comprehensive definition of terrorism: â€Å"Terrorism is the premeditated use or threat of use of extranormal violence or brutality by subnational groups to obtain a political, religious, or ideological objective through intimidation of a huge audience, usually not directly involved with the policy making that terrorists seek to influence.†[26] Enders and Sandler’s definition will be used for the purpose of this essay not only because it is an example of a current consensus description, but also because it contains criteria suggested by other definitions surveyed in the literature review – violence or threats of violence; intimidation of large civilian audiences; desire to influence; subnational terrorist groupings; and political, religious, or ideological objectives. Historical Roots of Terrorism Colin Gray writes that terrorism â€Å"is as old as strategic history†.[27] The roots of terrorism can be traced back in time to ancient Greece, and terrorist acts have occurred throughout history since that time. The term terrorism, however, originated in the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror [28] and was popularised at that time.[29] Terrorism in this era carried a very positive connotation as it was undertaken in an effort to establish order during the anarchy that followed uprisings in France in 1789. It was considered to be an instrument of governance instituted to intimidate counter-revolutionaries, dissidents and subversives and was associated with the ideals of democracy and virtue. In fact, according to Hoffman, the revolutionary leader Maximillien Robespierre claimed that â€Å"virtue, without which terror is evil; terror, without which virtue is helpless† and that â€Å"[t]error is nothing but justice, prompt, severe and inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue†.[30] Terrorism at the start of the twentieth century retained the revolutionary connotations it had acquired during the French Revolution as it took aim on the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires. In the 1930s, the meaning of terrorism mutated to describe activities of totalitarian governments and their leaders against their citizenry in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Stalinist Russia. For instance, in Germany and Italy, gangs of â€Å"brown shirts† or â€Å"black shirts† harassed and intimidated opponents, although leaders of these nations denied that this occurred. After World War II, the meaning of terrorism changed once again, returning to its revolutionary connotations where it remains today. Terrorist activities in the 1940s and 1950s primarily focused on revolts by indigenous nationalist groups opposing colonial rule in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, resulting in independence for many countries. Although terrorism retained its revolutionary connotation in the 1960s and 1970s, the focus shifted from anti-colonialist to separatist goals. Today, terrorism involves broader, less distinct goals.[31] The right-wing and left-wing terrorism that became widespread in recent times included acts by diverse groups such as the Italian Red Brigades; the Irish Republican Army; the Palestine Liberation Organisation; the Shining Path in Peru; the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka; the Weatherman in the United States; various â€Å"militia† organisations, also in the United States; radical Muslims through Hamas and Al Quaeda; radical Sikhs in India; and the Aum Shinrikyo in Japan.[32] Some governments, such as those in Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, are also considered to be involved in terrorism as sponsors of terrorist activities.[33] Some people, such as American dissident Noam Chomsky, contend that the government of the United States is engaged in terrorism, as exemplified by the title of Chomsky’s 2001 article entitled â€Å"U.S.â₠¬â€A Leading Terrorist State†, which appeared in the Monthly Review[34]. Terrorism associated with the French Revolution had two important characteristics in common with terrorism today. Firstly, terrorism was, and is today, organised, deliberate, and systematic. Secondly, the goals of terrorism then and now were and are to create a new, better society.[35] But, terrorism today has changed in some very fundamental ways: (1) terrorist organisations have evolved into network forms and are less often organised in hierarchies; (2) the identities of transnational terrorist organisations are harder to identify because they claim responsibility for specific acts less often; (3) today’s terrorist groups do not make demands as often as in the past and their goals appear to be more hazy and vague; (4) motives have generally shifted from those that are more politically-oriented to those that are more religiously-oriented; (5) targets of terrorists are more dispersed around the globe; and (6) terrorist violence, today, is more indiscriminate, involving signifi cant collateral damage to the public.[36] With this historical foundation, particularly the description of the evolution of terrorism into its current form, the focus now shifts to possible solutions to dealing with the issue today. Possible Solutions to Terrorism To effectively meet the challenges of terrorism, one should consider the history of terrorism, but must also look to the future. Kress and colleagues contend that terrorism is increasing in â€Å"geographical scope, numerical frequency, and intensity† as well as in â€Å"ingenuity and subtlety†. They suggest that these trends could well translate into more varied threats and more powerful tools and weapons, adding that â€Å"bombs will get smaller and more powerful, poisons and mind-blowing drugs more insidious, psychological techniques for converting or brainwashing the victims more effective, and psychological tortures more agonizing.†[37] Ian Lesser offers a comprehensive approach for meeting the challenges of terrorism. His approach consists of a core strategy and supporting strategies aimed at targeting security threats posed by terrorists within a context of global security threats from all sources. Lesser’s core strategy consists of four components: (1) reducing systemic causes of terrorism, (2) deterring terrorists and their sponsors, (3) reducing risks associated with â€Å"superterrorism†, and (4) retaliating in instances where deterrence fails. In reducing system causes of terrorism, Lesser is referring to the long-term goal of addressing issues that give rise to terrorism such as social and economic problems, unresolved ethnic and nationalist conflicts, frustrated political ambitions, and personal experiences of individuals who may become future terrorists. In deterring terrorists and their sponsors, Lesser suggests taking â€Å"massive and personal† actions against terrorist leadership, although he concedes that this is becoming more and more difficult as terrorists and their sponsors become more diverse and diffuse. In reducing risks associated with â€Å"superterrorism†, Lesser calls for eliminating weapons of mass destruction that terrorists could use in inflicting destruction and suffering. And, finally, in retaliating when deterrence fails, Lesser suggests developing the means to retaliate quickly and specifically to terrorist activities.[38] One of Lesser’s strategies supporting his core strategy is â€Å"environmental shaping†, which involves exposing sponsors of terrorism to global scrutiny and isolation; shrinking the â€Å"zones of chaos and terrorist sanctuary; including counterterrorism as an integral component of strategic alliances; limiting global exposure; and targeting terrorist networks and funding. His â€Å"hedging strategy† involves hardening key policies and strategies to limit risks of terrorism, increasing ground and space-based surveillance of terrorist resources, and preparing to mitigate the effects of terrorism to limit negative effects.[39] Kress and associates reiterate the first component of Lesser’s core strategy in offering their proactive approach to dealing with terrorism; specifically, addressing â€Å"genuine political injustice† and resolving â€Å"supposed injustices†.[40] Chalk contends that a state response to terrorism must be â€Å"limited, well-defined and controlled† to avoid compromising â€Å"the political and civil traditions that are central to the liberal democratic way of life†. He suggests that â€Å"any liberal democratic response to terrorism has to rest on one overriding maxim: a commitment to uphold and maintain constitutional principles of law and order†.[41] Conclusion The long history of terrorism, dating as far back as ancient Greece, suggests that this phenomenon may never be eliminated as a tactic by those people or groups without sufficient formal legal power to achieve their goals. However, this does not imply that terrorism cannot be engaged proactively and reactively. Logically, it seems that the first step should be to agree on a universally-accepted definition for terrorism because, without a consensus on the meaning of the term, effectively addressing its causes and its effects may be difficult at best and impossible at worst. With a consensus definition in hand, the comprehensive strategy for dealing with terrorism proposed by Lesser – reduction in systemic causes, deterrence, â€Å"superterrorism† risk reduction, and retaliation – would appear to offer the most balanced, effective approach. Today’s leaders should realise that offensive and defensive military action, so typical of traditional warfare, is quite ineffective as a sole method for dealing with modern forms of terrorism as demonstrated by failures experienced by Israel in dealing with the Palestinian terrorist problem and the greater-than-expected difficulties experienced by the United States, the United Kingdom, and others in ridding the world of radical Islamic terrorists. These efforts may not only fail to ultimately deal effectively with preventing terrorist activities, but may also produce more terrorists who are offended by military actions. Alternatively, a holistic approach – one which includes proacti ve prevention and reactive punishment measures such as the approach advocated by Lesser – should be employed. In any solution to the global problem of terrorism, the cautionary advice offered by Peter Chalk should be considered; that is, political and civil liberties should not be sacrificed in responding to the terrorist threat. For the very way of life the governments of free societies are trying to protect in their attempts to combat terrorism could be compromised by actions that are not limited, well-defined and controlled. Interestingly, this thought was eloquently proffered more than two centuries ago by American inventor, journalist, printer, and statesman Benjamin Franklin in warning that â€Å"[t]hose who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.† The recommendation, then, is to deal with terrorism in a holistic, balanced manner stressing proactive and reactive measures whilst preserving political and civil liberties. References Bassiouni, M. â€Å"Terrorism, Law Enforcement and the Mass Media: Perspectives, Problems, Proposals†, The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 72:1 (1981). Cited in Thackrah (2004). Bergesen, Albert J., and Han, Yi. â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). Bite, V. â€Å"International Terrorism†. Foreign Affairs Division, Library of Congress, Appendix of U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1975. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Chalk, Peter. â€Å"The Response to Terrorism as a Threat to Liberal Democracy†. The Australian Journal of Politics and History 44:3 (1998). Chomsky, N. â€Å"U.S. – A Leading Terrorist State†. Monthly Review 53 (2001): 10-19. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Enders, W., and Sandler, T. â€Å"Patterns of Transnational Terrorism, 1970 1999: Alternative Time-Series Estimates†. International Studies Quarterly 46 (2002): 145-65. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Fromkin, David. â€Å"The Strategy of Terrorism†. In Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978. Gray, Colin S. Modern Strategy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Heyman, P. B. Terrorism and America: A Commonsense Strategy for a Democratic Society. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1998. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Jenkins, B. M. â€Å"Terrorism and Beyond: A 21st Century Perspective†. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 24 (2001): 321-27. Cited in Bergesen and Han. â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). Kress, Bruce, Livingston, Marius H., and Wanek, Marie G. International Terrorism in the Contemporary World. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978. Lesser, Ian. â€Å"Countering the New Terrorism: Implications for Strategy†. In Countering the New Terrorism, Hoffman et al., eds. Santa Monica, California: Rand, 1999. Mallin, Jay. â€Å"Terrorism as a Military Weapon†. In Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978. Cited in Oots (1986). Oots, Kent Layne. Political Organization Approach to Transnational Terrorism. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986. Ruby, C. L. â€Å"The Definition of Terrorism†. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 2(1) (2002): 9-14. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Terrorism Research Center, What is the Definition of Terrorism? (n.d.) Available from: http://www.terrorism.com. Accessed: 29 November 2005. Thackrah, John Richard. Dictionary of Terrorism. New York: Routledge, 2004. The Columbia Encyclopaedia. â€Å"Terrorism† (2004). Townshend, Charles. Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Waciorsky, J. La Terrorisme Politique. Paris: A Pedone, 1939. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Whittaker, David J. Terrorists and Terrorism in the Contemporary World. New York: Routledge, 2004. Wilkinson, P. Terrorism versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response. London: Frank Cass, 2000. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Wilkinson, P. â€Å"Three Questions on Terrorism†, Government and Opposition 8:3 (1973). Cited in Thackrah (2004). 1 Footnotes [1] Charles Townshend, Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002). [2] John Richard Thackrah, Dictionary of Terrorism (New York: Routledge, 2004). [3] Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998), 14. [4] Kent Layne Oots, Political Organization Approach to Transnational Terrorism (New York: Greenwood Press, 1986). [5] Terrorism Research Center, â€Å"What is the Definition of Terrorism?† (n.d.), Available from: http://www.terrorism.com, Accessed: 29 November 2005. [6] Townshend (2002). [7] Hoffman (1998). [8] Hoffman (1998). [9] Terrorism Research Center (n.d.). [10] David J. Whittaker, Terrorists and Terrorism in the Contemporary World (New York: Routledge, 2004). [11] Townshend (2002). [12] Thackrah (2004). [13] David Fromkin, â€Å"The Strategy of Terrorism†, in Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. (Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978), cited in Oots (1986). [14] V. Bite, â€Å"International Terrorism†, Foreign Affairs Division, Library of Congress, Appendix of U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1975), cited in Thackrah (2004). [15] P. B. Heyman, Terrorism and America: A Commonsense Strategy for a Democratic Society (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1998), cited in Thackrah (2004). [16] M. Bassiouni, â€Å"Terrorism, Law Enforcement and the Mass Media: Perspectives, Problems, Proposals†, The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 72:1 (1981), cited in Thackrah (2004). [17] P. Wilkinson, â€Å"Three Questions on Terrorism†, Government and Opposition 8:3 (1973), cited in Thackrah (2004). [18] Jay Mallin, â€Å"Terrorism as a Military Weapon†, in Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. (Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978), cited in Oots (1986). [19] J. Waciorsky, La Terrorisme Politique, (Paris: A Pedone, 1939), cited in Thackrah (2004). [20] P. Wilkinson, Terrorism versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response (London: Frank Cass, 2000), cited in Thackrah (2004). [21] The Columbia Encyclopaedia, â€Å"Terrorism† (2004). [22] N. Chomsky, â€Å"U.S.A Leading Terrorist State†, Monthly Review 53 (2001): 10-19, cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [23] C. L. Ruby, â€Å"The Definition of Terrorism†, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 2(1) (2002): 9-14, cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [24] Whittaker (2004). [25] B. M. Jenkins, â€Å"Terrorism and Beyond: A 21st Century Perspective†, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 24 (2001): 321-27, cited in Bergesen and Han, â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†, International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). [26] W. Enders and T. Sandler, â€Å"Patterns of Transnational Terrorism, 1970 1999: Alternative Time-Series Estimates†, International Studies Quarterly 46 (2002): 145-65, cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [27] Colin S. Gray, Modern Strategy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999). [28] The Columbia Encyclopaedia (2004). [29] Hoffman (1998). [30] Hoffman (1998). [31] Hoffman (1998). [32] The Columbia Encyclopaedia (2004). [33] Hoffman (1998). [34] N. Chomsky, â€Å"U.S.A Leading Terrorist State†, Monthly Review 53 (2001), cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [35] Hoffman (1998). [36] Albert J. Bergesen and Yi Han, â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†, International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). [37] Bruce Kress, Marius H. Livingston, and Marie G. Wanek, International Terrorism in the Contemporary World (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978). [38] Ian Lesser, â€Å"Countering the New Terrorism: Implications for Strategy†, in Hoffman et al., Countering the New Terrorism (Santa Monica, California: Rand, 1999). [39] Lesser (1999). [40] Kress, Livingston, and Wanek (1978). [41] Peter Chalk, â€Å"The Response to Terrorism as a Threat to Liberal Democracy†, The Australian Journal of Politics and History 44:3 (1998).

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia :: Causes of Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. Anorexia usually begins in young people around the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss. Weight loss is usually 15% below the person's normal body weight. People suffering from anorexia are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Weight loss is obtained by many ways. Some of the common techniques used are excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating. Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia nervosa is not associated with any pre-existing physical illness. It is on the increase in adolescent girls and younger women, although the incidence is also increasing in young men. It is often associated with depression and low self-esteem, and sometimes with a resistance to growing up, or problems with sexuality. Many medical workers and others claim that the emphasis in Western society on thinness as being central to the concept of beauty is a prime reason for the increase in anorexia nervosa. Because many individuals with anorexia nervosa never seek medical treatment, the exact prevalence of the condition is unknown. People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they become extremely thin, are very ill or near death. Often they will develop strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. Sometimes the individuals will prepare big meals for others while refusing to eat any of it. The disorder is thought to be most common among whites, people of higher socio-economic classes, and people involved in activities where thinness is especially looked upon, such as dancing, modelling, and distance running. If you have a family member that with an eating disorder, they need a lot of support. Suggest that your family member see an eating disorder expert. Be prepared for denial, resistance, and even anger. A doctor and/or a counsellor can help them battle their eating disorder. There are many symptoms for anorexia, some individuals may not

Essay --

Jane Eyre â€Å"Jane Eyre† by Charlotte Bronte is a novel about an orphan girl growing up in a tough condition and how she becomes a mature woman with full of courage. Her life at Gateshead is really difficult, where she feels isolated and lives in fear in her childhood. Her parents are dead when she was little, her dead uncle begged his evil wife, Mrs. Reed, to take care of Jane until she becomes an adult. But Mrs. Reed does not keep her promise, no one treats Jane like their family members even treats her less than a servant. By the end of this essay it will be proven that Jane’s life at Gateshead has shaped her development as a young woman and bildungsroman. In the beginning of â€Å"Jane Eyre†, Jane describes that she was happy before she moved to Gateshead. She says, â€Å"With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy; happy at least in my way. I feared nothing but interruption, and that came too soon.†(8).In this quote, Jane was like other happy girls with their family, she had nice house to live and fine food to eat. Everything has changed after her parents died. After she moves into Mrs. Reed’s...

Groupe Ariel Sa Case Analysis Essay

This case discusses Cross-Border valuation of projects. This kind of analysis is common for companies that are operating in many countries. Groupe Ariel is one such company that is considering investing in a project in its own subsidiary in Mexico. The company manufactures and sells printers, copiers and other document production equipment in many countries. As far as, expansion into new markets is concerned, company is very slow in taking initiatives as compared to its competitors owing to the recent recession. But the management of the company believes that better durability and lower after-sales service costs of their products enable the company to build customer loyalty. The company is now considering replacing the manual equipment used for recycling in Mexico by new equipment that requires less material and labour costs. But, the uncertainty linked with certain macroeconomic factors like exchange rate, inflation and interest rate has made the valuation of the project very comple x. Compute the NPV of Ariel-Mexico’s recycling equipment by counting incremental peso cash flows at a peso interest rate. How should this NPV be translated into Euros? Assume expected future inflation for France is 3% per year. For the purpose of calculating NPV in Pesos, incremental cash flows of the project for the next 10 years should be calculated first. The initial outflow of cash flow at time â€Å"0† is the cost of new equipment. This cost is 3500,000 Pesos. The cash value of 175,000 Pesos obtained by selling the manual equipment should be subtracted from this amount to come up with the net out flow. As far as, the inflows of cash for next 10 years are concerned, they can be calculated by taking the difference of the cost of operating both manual and new equipments. The tax savings owing to the depreciation of the new equipment can be calculated by multiplying the corporate tax rate of 35% with the amount of depreciation each year. These amounts of tax savings should be added to the incremental cost savings for each year to come up with the total cash inflows. The present value of all thes e cash inflows and outflows can be calculated by discounting them at 12.19%. This rate is calculated by assuming that the purchasing power parity holds in this scenario. The company can do the feasibility analysis by looking at both from the subsidiary’s and parent’s perspective by assuming that the purchasing power  parity holds. Hence, this rate can be regarded as opportunity cost of investment because it is the second best alternative for the company for investment purposes. So, the NPV can be calculated by taking the sum of present values of all the cash flows. This NPV comes out to be 3,703,176 Pesos. This NPV value can be converted into Euros by dividing the NPV value by the spot exchange rate. The spot exchange rate is 15.99 MXN/EURO. Hence, by dividing 3,703,176 by 15.99, NPV value in terms of Euro comes out to be 231,593 Euros. Compute the NPV in â‚ ¬s by translating future peso cash flows into â‚ ¬s at expected future spot rates. Note Ariel’s â‚ ¬ hurdle rate for this asset class was 8%. Annual inflation rates are expected to be 7% in Mexico and 3% in France. NPV calculated for this scenario comes out to be 231,507 Euros. The first thing required for calculating NPV in Euro is the forward premium. It is calculated by adding 1 to the inflation rates of France and Mexico respectively, and then by taking their ratio. This ratio comes out to be 1.0388. This ratio is then multiplied by current exchange rate of 15.99 MXN/EURO for every year. This exercise gives the prediction of exchange rates for next 10 years. The cash flows in pesos are then converted into Euros by dividing them by the relevant exchange rate. Once the cash flows are obtained in Euros, their present values can be calculated by using the hurdle rate of 8% as the discount rate. NPV can then be obtained by taking the sum of presen t values of all the cash flows. Compare the two sets of calculations and the corresponding NPVs. How and why do they differ? Which approach should Arno Martin use? Relate your answer to the textbook’s treatment of parity disequilibria in capital budgeting. NPV calculated for the first question is higher than that calculated for the second question. The difference (231593-231507) is 86 Euros. This difference explains that the project has more value for investors in Mexico. The value addition of this project is more to the subsidiary of the company in Mexico as compared to the parent company in France. Hence, the company should hedge the foreign exchange risk to reduce exposure to the currency risk. Hedging provides the company with higher expected value and lower risk. Suppose Mexican inflation is projected at 3% instead of 7% per year. Assume French inflation remains at 3%. How does this affect the NPV calculations? If, the inflation rate for both the countries remains the same i.e. 3%, then in that case, the forward premium comes out to be 1. Hence effectively, the exchange rate remains the  same for next 10 years i.e. 15.99 MXN/EURO. By dividing the cash flows in Pesos by this exchange rate for every year, cash flows in Euros are obtained calculated for this scenario. These cash flows are then discounted at the hurdle rate of 8% used for assets in France by the company. The present value of these cash flows is then added to come up with the NPV. This value comes out to be 332,459 Euros. Hence, the value of NPV has increased by decreasing the inflation rate of France in the analysis. Since, the inflation rate is the same in both countries, exchange rate also remains the same and the values of cash flows in Euro terms come out higher for every year. Suppose Ariel expects a significant real depreciation of the peso against the Euro. How should Martin incorporate this expectation into his NPV analysis? For simplicity, assume inflation is expected to be 3% in each country. What is its effect on NPV under each of the approaches in questions 1 and 2? This expectation of a real depreciation of Peso against Euro is essentially an exchange risk. Real depreciation of Peso against Euro means a greater exchange rate. Hence, this aspect can be incorporated in our analysis by increasing the exchange rate for every year that reflects the real depreciation in value of Peso. This change will not have any effect on the NPV calculated in Pesos. However, since the cash flows for NPV calculation in Euros are obtained by dividing the cash flows in pesos with the exchange rate, their value in Euros will be lower. Therefore, NPV of these cash inflows and outflows should be less. Firms can face violations of the parity conditions in addition to the parity violation in Question 5. What might these violations be, and what might be their consequences? Besides real depreciation in the exchange rate, there are many other ways in which parity conditions can be violated. Any sort of risk that is unique and effects businesses more in one country than another leads to the violation of parity conditions. Risks like political risk and exchange risk may lead to the violation of law of one price. These risks emerge from changes in government policies related to tariffs, quotas, trade agreements and inflation. These violations make the valuation of international projects more complex. The local perspective of a project in a country may be lead to very different conclusions as compared to an international. So, a project may prove to be very profitable for a local investor, but the same project may not be as attractive for an international investor. Similarly, some  projects appear good for an international investor while a local investor may incur losses by investing in the same project. Are there any real options embedded in Ariel’s decision? What is a real option, anyway? Yes, there is a real option embedded in Ariel’s decision. This real option refers to the option of replacing the manual equipment by the new equipment to increase the profitability. Real options are similar to the options of financial markets as far as the option of investing, or abandoning is concerned. Real options essentially mean having the real and tangible option of accepting or leaving a project if circumstances change. NPV analysis ignores this option and hence it is normally regarded as a more conservative capital budgeting technique. Just as, a call premium or put premium is the price of having the option, initial investment is the cost of real option. When an option is in the money, it means that the option holder can earn that amount by exercising the option. Similarly, in case of real options, a positive NPV refers to the value addition if the project is accepted. Should Group Ariel approve the equipment to purchase? A positive NPV of a project means that the project will give a return higher than the hurdle rate and the dollar value of NPV is the value addition to the company. The NPV in all the scenarios has a significant positive value. Hence, the company should approve the equipment purchase because the project adds value to the company. As far as, exchange risk is concerned, it can be minimized by the parent company through hedging. If the firm does not choose to hedge, then the discount rate should be adjusted upwards to reflect higher risk.