Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Best Ideas Arise from a Passionate Interest in Commonplace Things

The best ideas arise from a passionate interest in commonplace things Mankind has demonstrated a profound ability to draw inspiration from even the most mundane situations and surroundings. Throughout history, the commonplace has often spurred uncommon achievements for impassioned thinkers including Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton. In modern times, the scientific community increasingly gleans groundbreaking ideas from the natural world in the emerging field of biomimicry.Archimedes’ eureka moment in the bath is the stuff of legend, but it is unlikely the great mathematician and inventor would have delivered the famed remark without pursuing his profound interest in hydrodynamics and the intertwined relationships of buoyancy and displacement. On one hand, water was (and remains) a ubiquitous presence for the seafaring Greeks. Likewise, anyone who has watched a child in the bathtub can relate to the simple joys it affords.Archimedes eponymous principle, however, t ook a natural interest in water and floating bodies several steps further to determine whether a crown was made of solid gold and better define the laws of physics. Leonardo da Vinci, the archetypal Renaissance Man, was unquestionably inspired by commonplace things throughout his feverishly productive life. One must look no further than the genius’s manuscripts and notebooks for evidence that da Vinci was intensely curious about some of the world’s most ordinary elements.Studies of the human body, certainly among the most familiar of forms, are likely the master’s most replicated composition. Perhaps it is no coincidence the Italian’s Vitruvian Man pen-and-ink sketch ranks among the most well-known and reproduced drawings in the world. Whether Leonardo’s passion and interest in reproducing the human body contributed to his other innovations and inventions beyond art is difficult to assess, but one thing is certain: da Vinci’s unquenchable th irst for knowledge of his earthly surroundings was inextricably tied to his ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.The unlikely course of events that lead Isaac Newton to formulate the theory of gravity offers an example of a revolutionary idea spurred by something as banal as a piece of fruit. â€Å"What is the invisible force that causes an apple to fall to the ground? † the great thinker wondered. While some have disputed the veracity of Newton’s apple incident, there is no doubting the role the everyday world played in conjunction with Newton’s observant and contemplative mind.While the laws of motion took years to fully devise and compose, there is perhaps no better illustration of the nascent brilliance the human mind is capable of revealing when awakened by the natural elements. Many of the world’s leading contemporary minds continue to find inspiration in their environs. Over the last decade, the scientific community has become m ore willing to turn to nature for answers to difficult questions. As it turns out, potentially outstanding ideas have often been tested and confirmed or rejected by the flora and fauna all around us through natural selection, according to pioneers in the biomimicry field.Proponents of biomimicry have studied humpback whale flippers as a means to improve wind turbine performance and plant leaves as a model for â€Å"green cleaning† process that some paints and building materials now incorporate. Clearly there is much still to be learned from nature. It has been a long time coming, but it appears many in the world are prepared to accept that the best ideas arise from a passionate interest in commonplace things. Perhaps necessity is not the true mother of invention – history demonstrates that inquiring minds and Mother Nature herself more often inspire greatness.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Inmates Welfare and Development

Chapter 1 THE RESEARCH PROBLEMIntroductionThe Bureau of Jail Management and Penology envisions itself as a dynamic institution highly regarded for its sustained humane safekeeping and development of inmates. This is indeed a very noble vision which has guided the institution over the last 20 years. With this, the Bureau aims to enhance public safety by providing humane safekeeping and development of inmates.In line with the vision, the Bureau endeavors to formulate policies and guidelines in the administration of all district, city and municipal jails nationwide, provide for the basic needs of inmates, and conduct activities for the development of inmates to ultimately improve their living conditions in accordance with the accepted standards set by the United Nations. Our Constitution provides that any person accused of committing a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Thus, a person charged with a crime should not be denied of his freedom to choose and li ve at par with other innocent people who are not incarcerated, unless there is a good reason. In connection to this, the government is a party to several Geneva Conventions such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to name a few.Our government’s formal commitment to principles of human rights and international humanitarian law has been translated into various local laws and foremost is the 1987 Philippine Constitution which has often been referred to as the Human Rights Constitution. However, in spite of all these international and local laws, the government is still unable to comply with its obligations because of very limited resources. As a result, most of our jails are unpleasant and dehumanizing.It dwells stress, boredom and can even harm the individuals and their visiting families in countless ways. It is therefore a great challenge on the part of the administration of the BJM P to efficiently and effectively utilize its resources in the implementation of its mandate. And to address the increasing and recurring problems inside detention facilities not to mention the different personalities and varied needs of inmates, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has intensified the implementation of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program.Theoretical Framework This study is anchored on the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which states that if motivation is driven by the existence of unsatisfied needs, then it is worthwhile for a manager to understand which needs are more important for every individual under his/her management. In this regard, Abraham Maslow developed a model in which basic, low-level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before higher-level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued.In this hierarchical model, when a need is mostly satisfied, it no longer motivates and the next higher need takes its pla ce. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is shown in the following diagram:Figure 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs The Physiological Needs are those required to sustain life, such as air, water, nourishment, and sleep. According to Maslow’s theory, if such needs are not satisfied then one’s motivation will arise from the quest to satisfy them. Higher needs such as social needs and esteem are not felt until one has met the needs basic to one’s bodily functioning.For the Safety Need, once physiological needs are met, one’s attention turns to safety and security in order to be free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. Such needs might be fulfilled by living in a safe area, medical insurance, job security and financial reserves. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, if a person feels that he or she is harm’s way, higher needs will not receive much attention. Then once a person has met the lower level of physiological and safety needs, h igher level needs become important, the first of which are Social Needs.Social needs are those related to interaction with other people and may include need for friends, need for belonging, need to give and receive love. Then, once a person feels a sense of â€Å"belongingness†, the need to feel important arises. Esteem Needs may be classified as internal or external. Internal esteem needs are those related to self-esteem such as self-respect and recognition. Some esteem needs are self-respect, achievement, attention, recognition, and reputation.Maslow later refined his model to include a level between esteem needs and self-actualization: the need for knowledge and aesthetics. Next is the Self-actualization Need, it is the summit of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is the quest of reaching one’s full potential as a person. Unlike lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied; as one grows psychologically, there are always new opportunities to continue to grow. Self-actualized people tend to have needs such as truth, justice, wisdom, and meaning.Self-actualized persons have frequent occurrences of peak experiences, which are energized moments of profound happiness and harmony. According to Maslow, only a small percentage of the population reaches the level of self-actualization. This study was based on the above mentioned theory because it is inherent for Jail Officers to safeguard the conditions of inmates inside jails and to develop their personalities. Jail Officers have a major role to help these individuals help themselves for them to become a law-abiding member of the society and be a productive one.Hypothesis The different programs, projects and activities of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program of the Laoag City Jail are very relevant to the holistic development, welfare and rehabilitation of the inmates during their incarceration through the efficient implementation of the concerned BJMP personnel. Statement of the Pr oblem The study aimed to assess the implementation of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program at Laoag City jail.Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:1.What are the different programs, projects and activities being undertaken at the Laoag City Jail to address the welfare and development of the inmates?2. Who are responsible in the implementation of the different programs, projects and activities of the IWD Section?3. How does the jail administration source out funds to realize and implement the various programs, projects and activities of the IWD Program?4. What is/are the perception/s of the inmates on the implementation of the different programs, projects and activities undertaken by the IWD Section in terms of 2. Relevance; and 2. 2 Efficiency5. Are the programs, projects and activities of the IWDP effective in advancing the welfare and development of the inmate s during their incarceration? Significance of the Study This study shall be beneficial to the following: The Lawmakers. The result of this study would help our lawmakers in crafting and promulgating laws to improve the living conditions of persons deprived of liberty and promote the general welfare and development of these inmates. The Jail Bureau.The outcome of the study would be of great help to the top management of the Bureau in drawing out and formulating programs and policies for the strict implementation of the IWD Program. The Inmates. The welfare and condition of inmates is the primordial concern of the BJMP. The insights provided in this study will serve as a basis to enhance their situation while being incarcerated conforming to the United Nation’s standard in the treatment of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). The Community.The community which is composed of the families, the academe, various government and non-government organizations, cause-oriented groups, several religious groups and other capable and concerned private individuals who are actively supp orting the programs of the Bureau would use this study as a stepping stone towards building lasting partnership with the BJMP, working together as one, sharing a collective, comprehensive and a holistic approach to help the plights of the PDLs. The Researchers.Other than for the compliance for the requirement of the course, this work would satisfy the healthy and curious minds of the researchers on the different activities of the inmates during their incarceration. Moreover, the joy of sharing a humble contribution for the future of BJMP and its clientele is a joy so profound. This paper would also serve as a guide along the way for the researchers who have the same concern and passion for a humane safekeeping and development of inmates and might consider working and building a career with BJMP. Scope and Delimitations of the StudyThe study deals with the determination of the different programs projects and activities undertaken by the Inmates Welfare and Development Section of the jail and the different personalities involved in its implementation. It is also geared to establish the perception of the personnel and inmates on the relevance and efficiency of the different programs, projects and activities of the IWD Section of the jail. In the conduct of the interview, it was limited only for the concerned personnel involved in the implementation of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program of the jail.For the inmates as respondents in the survey, a certain number of inmates from each of the eight (8) cells of the jail were included to represent the total number of inmates’ jail population. The Laoag City Jail was chosen to be the locale of the study. It is interesting to note that the Laoag City Jail has won the Best City Jail award in Region 1 for two consecutive years because of the intensified implementation of the IWD Program. It was also nominated as Best City Jail nationwide for the year 2011. Definition of Terms To better understand the study, the following terms are defined operationally and contextually:BJMP. This stands for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Cell. It is a place inside the jail wherein the inmates are confined. City Jail. This refers to the Laoag City Jail which houses detainees awaiting judicial disposition of their cases and prisoners whose sentences ranged from one day to three years. Community. It is a group of interacting people living in a common location. Court Order. This is a legal document or proclamation in which a court orders a person to perform a specific act, prohibits from performing an act, sets a court date, or legally establishes something.Detainee. This refers to the accused person of a crime before a court or competent authority that is temporarily confined in jail undergoing investigation and trials or awaiting for final judgment and conviction. Efficiency. The quality or property of being efficient that is the degree to which this quality is being exercised. Implementatio n. This refers to the carrying out or physical realization of the program. Inmates. This refers to either a prisoner or detainee confined inside jail. IWDP. Inmates Welfare and Development Program Personnel.This refers to a bona fide member of the BJMP. PDL. This refers to persons Deprived of Liberty. These are detainees who are incarcerated pending trial and/or final judgment. It includes all persons who are arrested, detained, imprisoned or otherwise under custody of government authorities. PDLs maybe held in jails, prisons, detention centers, â€Å"lock-ups†, hospitals, rehabilitation centers elsewhere. Relevance. This refers to the applicability or helpfulness of the different programs, projects and activities; applicability to social issues. TCMP. Therapeutic Community Modality Program Inmates Welfare and Development Chapter 1 THE RESEARCH PROBLEMIntroductionThe Bureau of Jail Management and Penology envisions itself as a dynamic institution highly regarded for its sustained humane safekeeping and development of inmates. This is indeed a very noble vision which has guided the institution over the last 20 years. With this, the Bureau aims to enhance public safety by providing humane safekeeping and development of inmates.In line with the vision, the Bureau endeavors to formulate policies and guidelines in the administration of all district, city and municipal jails nationwide, provide for the basic needs of inmates, and conduct activities for the development of inmates to ultimately improve their living conditions in accordance with the accepted standards set by the United Nations. Our Constitution provides that any person accused of committing a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Thus, a person charged with a crime should not be denied of his freedom to choose and li ve at par with other innocent people who are not incarcerated, unless there is a good reason. In connection to this, the government is a party to several Geneva Conventions such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to name a few.Our government’s formal commitment to principles of human rights and international humanitarian law has been translated into various local laws and foremost is the 1987 Philippine Constitution which has often been referred to as the Human Rights Constitution. However, in spite of all these international and local laws, the government is still unable to comply with its obligations because of very limited resources. As a result, most of our jails are unpleasant and dehumanizing.It dwells stress, boredom and can even harm the individuals and their visiting families in countless ways. It is therefore a great challenge on the part of the administration of the BJM P to efficiently and effectively utilize its resources in the implementation of its mandate. And to address the increasing and recurring problems inside detention facilities not to mention the different personalities and varied needs of inmates, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has intensified the implementation of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program.Theoretical Framework This study is anchored on the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which states that if motivation is driven by the existence of unsatisfied needs, then it is worthwhile for a manager to understand which needs are more important for every individual under his/her management. In this regard, Abraham Maslow developed a model in which basic, low-level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before higher-level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued.In this hierarchical model, when a need is mostly satisfied, it no longer motivates and the next higher need takes its pla ce. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is shown in the following diagram:Figure 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs The Physiological Needs are those required to sustain life, such as air, water, nourishment, and sleep. According to Maslow’s theory, if such needs are not satisfied then one’s motivation will arise from the quest to satisfy them. Higher needs such as social needs and esteem are not felt until one has met the needs basic to one’s bodily functioning.For the Safety Need, once physiological needs are met, one’s attention turns to safety and security in order to be free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. Such needs might be fulfilled by living in a safe area, medical insurance, job security and financial reserves. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, if a person feels that he or she is harm’s way, higher needs will not receive much attention. Then once a person has met the lower level of physiological and safety needs, h igher level needs become important, the first of which are Social Needs.Social needs are those related to interaction with other people and may include need for friends, need for belonging, need to give and receive love. Then, once a person feels a sense of â€Å"belongingness†, the need to feel important arises. Esteem Needs may be classified as internal or external. Internal esteem needs are those related to self-esteem such as self-respect and recognition. Some esteem needs are self-respect, achievement, attention, recognition, and reputation.Maslow later refined his model to include a level between esteem needs and self-actualization: the need for knowledge and aesthetics. Next is the Self-actualization Need, it is the summit of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is the quest of reaching one’s full potential as a person. Unlike lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied; as one grows psychologically, there are always new opportunities to continue to grow. Self-actualized people tend to have needs such as truth, justice, wisdom, and meaning.Self-actualized persons have frequent occurrences of peak experiences, which are energized moments of profound happiness and harmony. According to Maslow, only a small percentage of the population reaches the level of self-actualization. This study was based on the above mentioned theory because it is inherent for Jail Officers to safeguard the conditions of inmates inside jails and to develop their personalities. Jail Officers have a major role to help these individuals help themselves for them to become a law-abiding member of the society and be a productive one.Hypothesis The different programs, projects and activities of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program of the Laoag City Jail are very relevant to the holistic development, welfare and rehabilitation of the inmates during their incarceration through the efficient implementation of the concerned BJMP personnel. Statement of the Pr oblem The study aimed to assess the implementation of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program at Laoag City jail.Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:1.What are the different programs, projects and activities being undertaken at the Laoag City Jail to address the welfare and development of the inmates?2. Who are responsible in the implementation of the different programs, projects and activities of the IWD Section?3. How does the jail administration source out funds to realize and implement the various programs, projects and activities of the IWD Program?4. What is/are the perception/s of the inmates on the implementation of the different programs, projects and activities undertaken by the IWD Section in terms of 2. Relevance; and 2. 2 Efficiency5. Are the programs, projects and activities of the IWDP effective in advancing the welfare and development of the inmate s during their incarceration? Significance of the Study This study shall be beneficial to the following: The Lawmakers. The result of this study would help our lawmakers in crafting and promulgating laws to improve the living conditions of persons deprived of liberty and promote the general welfare and development of these inmates. The Jail Bureau.The outcome of the study would be of great help to the top management of the Bureau in drawing out and formulating programs and policies for the strict implementation of the IWD Program. The Inmates. The welfare and condition of inmates is the primordial concern of the BJMP. The insights provided in this study will serve as a basis to enhance their situation while being incarcerated conforming to the United Nation’s standard in the treatment of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). The Community.The community which is composed of the families, the academe, various government and non-government organizations, cause-oriented groups, several religious groups and other capable and concerned private individuals who are actively supp orting the programs of the Bureau would use this study as a stepping stone towards building lasting partnership with the BJMP, working together as one, sharing a collective, comprehensive and a holistic approach to help the plights of the PDLs. The Researchers.Other than for the compliance for the requirement of the course, this work would satisfy the healthy and curious minds of the researchers on the different activities of the inmates during their incarceration. Moreover, the joy of sharing a humble contribution for the future of BJMP and its clientele is a joy so profound. This paper would also serve as a guide along the way for the researchers who have the same concern and passion for a humane safekeeping and development of inmates and might consider working and building a career with BJMP. Scope and Delimitations of the StudyThe study deals with the determination of the different programs projects and activities undertaken by the Inmates Welfare and Development Section of the jail and the different personalities involved in its implementation. It is also geared to establish the perception of the personnel and inmates on the relevance and efficiency of the different programs, projects and activities of the IWD Section of the jail. In the conduct of the interview, it was limited only for the concerned personnel involved in the implementation of the Inmates Welfare and Development Program of the jail.For the inmates as respondents in the survey, a certain number of inmates from each of the eight (8) cells of the jail were included to represent the total number of inmates’ jail population. The Laoag City Jail was chosen to be the locale of the study. It is interesting to note that the Laoag City Jail has won the Best City Jail award in Region 1 for two consecutive years because of the intensified implementation of the IWD Program. It was also nominated as Best City Jail nationwide for the year 2011. Definition of Terms To better understand the study, the following terms are defined operationally and contextually:BJMP. This stands for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Cell. It is a place inside the jail wherein the inmates are confined. City Jail. This refers to the Laoag City Jail which houses detainees awaiting judicial disposition of their cases and prisoners whose sentences ranged from one day to three years. Community. It is a group of interacting people living in a common location. Court Order. This is a legal document or proclamation in which a court orders a person to perform a specific act, prohibits from performing an act, sets a court date, or legally establishes something.Detainee. This refers to the accused person of a crime before a court or competent authority that is temporarily confined in jail undergoing investigation and trials or awaiting for final judgment and conviction. Efficiency. The quality or property of being efficient that is the degree to which this quality is being exercised. Implementatio n. This refers to the carrying out or physical realization of the program. Inmates. This refers to either a prisoner or detainee confined inside jail. IWDP. Inmates Welfare and Development Program Personnel.This refers to a bona fide member of the BJMP. PDL. This refers to persons Deprived of Liberty. These are detainees who are incarcerated pending trial and/or final judgment. It includes all persons who are arrested, detained, imprisoned or otherwise under custody of government authorities. PDLs maybe held in jails, prisons, detention centers, â€Å"lock-ups†, hospitals, rehabilitation centers elsewhere. Relevance. This refers to the applicability or helpfulness of the different programs, projects and activities; applicability to social issues. TCMP. Therapeutic Community Modality Program

Constructing On Constructivism The Role Of Technology Education Essay

AbstractionA complementary relationship exists between engineering and constructivism, the execution of each one profiting the other. Constructivism is a philosophy saying that larning takes topographic point in contexts, while engineering refers to the designs and environments that engage scholars. Recent efforts to incorporate engineering in the schoolroom have been within the context of a constructivist model ( e.g. , Richards, 1998 ) . The intent of this paper is to analyze the interrelatedness between constructivism and engineering as revealed by empirical research. The instances include a assortment of surveies in a assortment of scenes – instructor instruction, on-line acquisition, and K-12 instruction ; constructivist schemes include collaborative and concerted acquisition methods, prosecuting in critical and brooding thought, rating through electronic portfolios, and a critical expression at emerging instructor functions within constructivist paradigms. Success has be en reported in the development of constructivist class faculties utilizing engineering as cognitive tools, profiting both pupils and module. However, many instructors do non utilize constructivist patterns, and those who do are non wise in their choice of engineering usage ( Rakes, Flowers, Casey, & A ; Santana, 1999 ) . Technology needs to be viewed in a 3-dimensional position: semiotic, epistemological, and matter-of-fact, enabling the â€Å" building of cognition † by scholars through a procedure of socialization.Introductionâ€Å" Once cognizing is no longer understood as the hunt for an iconic representation of ontological world, but, alternatively, as a hunt for suiting ways of behaving and thought, the traditional job disappears. Knowledge can now be seen as something that the being builds up in the effort to order the as such formless flow of experienceaˆÂ ¦ † von Glasersfeld ( 1984, p. 39 ) The usage of computing machine engineering to back up acquisition has been hard to document and quantify ( Clark, 1994 ; Russell, 1999 ) , go forthing the function of computing machines in the schoolroom unstable. In the past decennary, a sudden revival of involvement was markedly observed in the schoolroom usage of technological inventions, along with the increased usage of the Internet and other digital engineerings ( Reiser, 2002 ) . The field of Instructional Design and Technology, excessively, saw the development and outgrowth of alternate attacks, such as cognitive and constructivist theories, that deviated aggressively from traditional patterns, such as behavioural theoretical accounts. New accents, like electronic public presentation support systems, web-based direction, and knowledge direction systems, non merely agitate the cognition base of the field, but besides widened its skyline across concern and industry, the military, wellness attention and instruction, worldwide ( Reiser, 2002 ) . Enterprises, such as located larning theory and constructivism presented fresh attacks to convey about reforms in the spheres of public instruction and higher instruction ( Anderson, Reder & A ; Simon, 1996 ; Brown, Collins & A ; Duguid, 1989 ; Jonassen, 1999 ; Reiser, 2002 ) . To understand the potency of engineering execution in heightening the teaching-learning procedure, the impact of constructivism on schoolroom patterns has been studied by many research workers ( e.g. , Black & A ; McClintock, 1995 ; Richards, 1998 ; Brush & A ; Saye, 2000 ) . Other research workers have suggested that constructivist schemes exploit engineerings for greatest impact in larning ( e.g. , Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . A complementary relationship appears to be between computing machine engineerings and constructivism, the execution of each one profiting the other. Constructivism, derived chiefly from the plants of Piaget ( 1970 ) , Bruner ( 1962, 1979 ) , Vygotsky ( 1962, 1978 ) , and Papert ( 1980, 1983 ) , is both a philosophical and psychological attack based on societal cognitivism that assumes that individuals, behaviours and environments interact in mutual manner ( Schunk, 2000 ) . Constructivism is a philosophy saying that larning takes topographic point in contexts, and that scholars form or construct much of what they learn and understand as a map of their experiences in state of affairs ( Schunk, 2000 ) . More late, research workers ( e.g. , Lave, 1990 ; Saxe, Guberman & A ; Gearheart, 1987 ) have presented more qualitative certification of larning in context. Technology, harmonizing to Jonassen, Peck, and Wilson ( 1999 ) refers to â€Å" the designs and environments that engage scholars † ( p. 12 ) . The focal point of both constructivism and engineering are so on the creative activity of larning environments. Likewise, Hannfin and Hill ( 2002 ) depict these larning environments as contexts: in which knowledge-building tools ( affordances ) and the agencies to make and pull strings artefacts of understanding are provided, non one in which constructs are explicitly taughtaˆÂ ¦ a topographic point where scholars work together and back up each other as they use a assortment of tools and larning resources in their chase of larning ends and problem-solving activities ( p.77 ) . The intent of this paper is to reexamine the research on the integrating of engineering in the schoolroom, foregrounding the connexion between constructivism and engineering. The focal point is on the constructivist position of larning as an active procedure of building instead than geting cognition, and direction as a procedure that supports building instead than pass oning cognition. The reappraisal is followed by a series of instance surveies, stressing constructivism and engineering ‘s relationship. Finally, deductions for instructors and instructor pedagogues are presented.Review of Related LiteratureIn order to understand larning within a constructivist model, as an activity in context, the whole acquisition environment must be examined. However, the broad diverseness of constructivist positions makes the task really complex and beyond the range of this paper. These positions normally emphasize the function of the instructor, the pupil, and the cultural embeddedness of ac quisition ( see for example, Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Honebein, Duffy, & A ; Fishman, 1993 ; Simons, 1993 ) . Using these commonalties as guidelines, this reappraisal outlines the relationship of constructivism with engineering by looking at ( a ) engineering as cognitive tools, ( B ) constructive position of the thought procedure, and ( degree Celsius ) the function of the instructor in engineering enhanced environments. Technology as Cognitive Tools A cardinal premise of constructivism is that larning is mediated by tools and marks ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Ezell & A ; O'Keeffe, 1994 ) . â€Å" Culture creates the tool, but the tool changes the civilization. Participants in the civilization appropriate these tools from their civilization to run into their ends, and thereby transform their engagement in the civilization † ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996, p. 180 ) . The computing machine is an example of mediational agencies that has facets of both tool and mark. The computing machine ‘s function in instruction has been mostly viewed as an instructional tool and for supplying a richer and more exciting acquisition environment ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Jonassen & A ; Reeves, 1996 ; Taylor, 1980 ) . However, by concentrating on the scholar, the function of engineering can back up new apprehensions and capablenesss, therefore, offering a cognitive tool to back up cognitive and metacognitive procedures. For i llustration, an electronic exchange plan between pupils of a category in the U.S. with a similar schoolroom in Northern Ireland shared multiple cultural positions through images, narratives, letters and multimedia plans ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . The experience was enriching, increasing their apprehension. Further, clear uping the function of engineering in acquisition, Duffy and Cunningham ( 1996 ) province: Technology is seen as an built-in portion of the cognitive activityaˆÂ ¦.This position of distributed knowledge significantly impacts how we think of the function of engineering in instruction and preparation, the focal point is non on the person in isolation and what he or she knows, but on the activity in the environment. It is the activity – focused and contextualized- that is cardinal†¦ The procedure of building is directed towards making a universe that makes sense to us, that is equal for our mundane operation ( pp. 187-188 ) . Therefore, the undertaking of the scholar is seen as dynamic, and the computing machine makes available new larning chances. The position of engineering as cognitive tools is besides shared by other research workers ( e.g. , Jonassen, 1994 ; Jonassen & A ; Reeves, 1996 ; Lajoie, 2000 ) . The traditional position of instructional engineerings of direction as conveyers of information and communicators of cognition is supplanted with active function the scholar plays in larning with engineering. Technologies, chiefly computing machines, help construct cognition bases, which will â€Å" prosecute the scholars more and ensue in more meaningful and movable knowledgeaˆÂ ¦ Learners map as interior decorators utilizing the engineering as tools for analysing the universe, accessing information, interpretation and forming their personal cognition, and stand foring what they know to others † ( Jonassen, 1994, p. 2 ) . Technological tools such as spreadsheets, databases, adept systems, picture conferencing and others can be used by pupils to analyse capable affair, develop representative mental theoretical accounts, and so transcribe them into cognition bases ( Jonassen, 1994 ; Jonassen & A ; Carr, 2000 ; Jonassen & A ; Reeves, 1996 ) . An illustration is the development of fake microworlds and games by kids utilizing Logo scheduling. Logo scheduling has evolved since the early text-based medium conceived by Seymour Papert and his squad at MIT in the 1970 ‘s, to a well easy, digitized format. Kafai, Ching, and Marshall ( 1997 ) gave an introductory preparation plan to fifth and sixth grade pupils one hebdomad before the design undertakings. The Logo version included support for modern computing machine characteristics like multimedia, sprite life, sounds, films, and pigment tools. Harmonizing to Kafai and her co-workers ( 1997 ) , the multimedia package proved to be a good context for pupils to larn through coaction and undertaking direction. The interaction between squad members, the flow of thoughts and loud thought encouraged the kids to experiment and happen alternate ways for planing and work outing jobs. For illustration, the pupils worked on different characters separately, but so worked together to inc orporate all the characters, and in debugging ( Kafai et al. , 1997 ) . Cognitive tools do non prevent the usage of computing machines to increase productiveness for larning. Off-loading insistent undertakings and lower order undertakings to cognitive tools frees cognitive resources for deeper thought ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Jonassen, 1999 ) and reduces mistakes. Harmonizing to Swain and Pearson ( 2001 ) , instructors and pupils must be educated to utilize the computing machine as a productiveness tool, every bit good as a tool for acquisition, research, networking, coaction, telecommunications, and problem-solving. Using computing machines as a productiveness tool is one of the six National Educational Technological Standards ( NETS ) ( hypertext transfer protocol: //cnets.iste.org/ ) for instructors which states that instructors will â€Å" utilize engineering to heighten their productiveness and professional patterns † ( Morrison, Lowther, & A ; DeMeulle, 1999 ) . Constructive position of â€Å" Thinking † The procedure of thought in constructivist paradigms requires higher-order accomplishments, diging deeper and harder into content and context ( Black & A ; McClintock, 1995 ; Jonassen, n.d. ; Manzo, 1998 ; Swain & A ; Pearson, 2001 ) . Traditional schooling, harmonizing to Manzo ( 1998 ) , really discourages constructive believing with ends of conveying bing cognition that conflicts with any existent effort to bring forth new apprehension. â€Å" Constructivist thought combines both the critical and originative rational procedures. It can be practiced by promoting critical analysis in activities. Schools, instructors and pupils can be conditioned to swerve away from traditional schooling regimen to promote constructive thought † ( Manzo, 1998, p. 287 ) . Cognitive tools, along with constructivist larning environments, usher and activate cognitive acquisition schemes and critical thought ( Jonassen, 1994 ) . Cognitive tools help in cognition building and non knowledge reproduct ion. The cognition constructed by the scholars reflects their comprehension and construct of the information. To exemplify, when pupils build cognition bases with databases, they need to analyse the content sphere and engage in critical thought. Black and McClintok ( 1999 ) emphasis the importance of reading as being cardinal to knowledge and acquisition. Their design of Study Supported Environments ( SSEs ) based on constructivist design rules called Interpretation Construction Design ( ICON ) focused chiefly on the interpretative building of reliable artefacts in the context of rich background stuffs, and crossing across different Fieldss of survey. Their survey showed that in add-on to larning specific content, pupils were able to get generalizable reading and debate accomplishments. For illustration, in learning 6th grade antediluvian history, a plan called Archaeotype A © was used that presented pupils with a in writing simulation of an archeological site. Students who worked collaboratively in groups, had to delve up artefacts through simulation, observe and mensurate them in fake research labs, and eventually through a procedure of reading and debate, arrived at the apprehension of general rules behind what they were making. In a follow-up rating survey, it was found that there were important additions in the interpretive and debate accomplishments of pupils who had participated in the survey against a control group ( Black & A ; McClintock, 1999 ) . Brooding thought, that requires careful deliberation, is besides encouraged by constructivists ( e.g. , Kafai et al. , 1997 ; Swain & A ; Pearson, 2001 ; Walker, 2000 ) . Metacognition, or the self-monitoring and self-denial of the acquisition procedure, is emphasized. New cognition which is composed is added to old representations, modifying them in the procedure. This normally requires external staging in the signifier of people, books, or engineerings such as computing machines. Swain and Pearson ( 2001 ) recommend the pattern of brooding thought by instructors to measure their engineering usage. They stress the importance of certification of brooding ideas to find the extent and quality of personal versus instructional utilizations of engineering, organisation and execution of environments and activities. Jonassen ( 1994 ) describes technological tools as â€Å" rational spouses † and â€Å" powerful accelerators † in the procedure of acquisition, â€Å" scaffoldin g the all important procedures of articulation and contemplation, which are the foundations of cognition building † ( p. 5 ) . The Role of the Teacher in Technology Enhanced Environments The function of the instructor as a facilitator is seen as most of import in a constructivist context ( Witfelt, 2000 ; Richards, 1998 ) . Within a constructivist schoolroom, the instructor engenders societal and rational climes, where collaborative and concerted acquisition methods are supported. In parallel, technology-enhanced schoolrooms tap constructivist schemes ( Jonassen, 1999 ) , set uping problem-based undertakings where pupils actively construct cognition, associating knew cognition with old cognition. In non-traditional schoolrooms such as the open/global schoolroom ( Walker, 2000 ; Witfelt, 2000 ) , the function and duties of the instructor have changed. The instructor, as an agent, has to invariably update information and engineering for doing learning reliable and relevant. For illustration, while developing a class faculty for instructors and taxonomy for instructor competences in the usage of educational multimedia, Witfelt ( 2000 ) observed that it was of import to unite several theories such as constructivism, postmodernism, situated intelligence and multiple intelligences. However, the theoretical model would be constructivist in nature with the instructor presuming the function of the facilitator, supplying an environment for self-generated research, understanding the societal and collaborative nature of acquisition, assisting kids concept cognition and initiate problem-based, project-oriented work. With this passage in functions and duties, Witfelt ( 2000 ) listed new in structor competences in constructivist contexts that include supervisor makings, protagonist and facilitator of pupils ‘ work, adviser and subject-matter expert, galvanizer and encourager, supreme authority at group treatments, critic in mobilising greater attempt when aims are non being met, and judge to better general larning capacities of pupils.Case StudiesAfter analyzing the literature on engineering integrating and constructivist rules, a complementary relationship between engineering and acquisition within a constructivist model seems sound and advantageous to instructors and scholars. To exemplify these rules discretely, model instances are presented that reflect the doctrine established above. Teacher-trainees at Winthrop University in South Carolina undertook a meaningful technology-based activity to carry through literacy ends ( Richards, 1998 ) . They developed an electronic portfolio around a literacy-related subject, including informations, contemplations and critical responses, which they shared with their equals and other pedagogues. The extract of engineering was helped by implementing constructivist-based activities, such as coaction and cooperation in a group, prosecuting in job resolution and building possible solutions to social quandary, and pass oning the deeper processing of content and the critical development of literacy accomplishments and schemes ( Richards, 1998 ) . Student perceptual experiences were determined through formative and summational appraisal methods. Students responded positively toward achievement of concerted and collaborative acquisition, the engineering constituent maps and the relevancy of the activities to future callings in schools. However, they recommended that more clip be provided for treating thoughts and synthesising them in the portfolio. Research conducted at the Open University, U.K. besides demonstrated a positive relationship between constructivism and engineering integrating ( Walker, 2000 ) . A distance-learning class was developed maintaining in head the experiential and constructivist positions of larning. The intent was to assist pupils in a distance-learning class learn in better and more effectual ways, to be active scholars, building their ain apprehension. Assignments and appraisals were besides oriented towards constructivist ends. Their attempts culminated in a new paradigm of class development. A study of all the pupils who completed the class and took the scrutiny revealed that the bulk felt that they had improved their acquisition accomplishments to a considerable extent. A follow-up study was undertaken the undermentioned twelvemonth. These findings revealed a high proportion of positive responses to inquiries sing the continued usage of contemplation to better assignments, based on teachers ‘ feedback and rating standards. However, pupils were less positive about their usage of contemplation in general. These pupils like those described above ( Richards, 1998 ) struggled with maintaining and utilizing contemplation efficaciously. Students were non the lone donees of the mixture of constructivist schemes with engineering tools. Harmonizing to Richards ( 1998 ) and Walker ( 2000 ) , the development of class faculties based on constructivist patterns and the integrating of engineering were besides good to the module, as they had to be after and revise to incorporate engineering so that pupils could be helped to go more capable and mature scholars.Deductions for PracticeThese instances have important deductions for instructor pedagogues and instructors. In the country of instructor instruction, Kim and Sharp ( 2000 ) observed that the planning of instructors consistent with constructivist patterns was extremely variable with most preservice instructors cognizing really small about the effectual integrating of engineering in instruction. Since instructors tend to learn as they were taught, it is indispensable that both preservice and inservice instructors must be exposed to constructivist-based direction, which wo uld so ease the development of learning schemes consistent with recent reform motions ( Kim & A ; Sharp, 2000 ) . An exposure to constructivist learning methods and coincident multimedia acquisition experiences influenced the planning of constructivist behaviours and extract of engineering ( Kim & A ; Sharp, 2000 ) . Technology may besides act upon teacher pattern to integrate constructivist rules. Rakes, Flowers, Casey and Santana ( 1999 ) study that as the sum of engineering available, the degree of engineering accomplishments of the instructors, and the usage of engineering increased, the usage of constructivist schemes in the schoolroom besides appeared to increase. â€Å" Technology can supply the vehicle for carry throughing constructivist instruction patterns † ( Rakes et al. , 1999, p. 3 ) . So, increasing the accomplishment degrees of instructors with respect to computing machines and supplying extra chances for instructors to incorporate engineering into lessons may promote the usage of constructivist behaviours. Availability, skill degree and usage may non, nevertheless, warrant purposeful usage of engineering nor constructivist rules. Rakes et Al. ( 1999 ) reported many instructors concentrated on the drill and pattern type of package, pretermiting basic computing machine accomplishments development, or dealt merely with presentation accomplishments and Internet resources. These research workers recommended concentrating on staff development and preparation in engineering usage and constructivist patterns that moved beyond literacy accomplishments to turn to more thoroughly application and curriculum integrating issues. When turn toing the function of the instructor in constructivist paradigms, there should be no misconstruing sing the importance of the instructor. Yet, many instructors feel uncomfortable with the deficiency of a chiseled content and the displacement of venue of control to the scholars ( Brush & A ; Saye, 2000 ; Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . Making suited contexts is non simply supplying scholars with resources and allowing them discover things for themselves, but forming resources in such a manner to breed cognitive disagreements in the heads of the scholars, animating them to larn how to larn through a procedure of coaction and defendable apprehensions ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . As a facilitator of acquisition, the instructor is non ineffective and on the out of boundss. On the contrary, the instructor is free to utilize a assortment of constructivist schemes, such as coaching, mold, and scaffolding, to help each scholar ( Collins, Brown & A ; Newman, 1990 ) . Scaffolding may include support from other persons and artefacts, every bit good as the cultural context and history that the scholars bring to the environment. Scaffolding, nevertheless, does non intend guiding and learning a scholar toward some chiseled end but back uping the growing of the scholar through cognitive and metacognitive activities ( Hannafin, Hill & A ; Land, 1997 ) . Therefore, the instructor assumes the function of a manager and ensures common apprehension of the positions of the scholar. In utilizing collaborative and concerted groups, the instructor must be careful in guaranting that they are non merely schemes for acquisition, but means to advance dialogical interchange and reflexi veness ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . As Morrison, Lowther, and DeMeulle ( 1999 ) competently suggest, â€Å" Technology and a constructivist attack need non be at odds with each other. If we change our position of computing machines from simply a agencies to present direction to one of a tool to work out jobs, so the reform motion can act upon the usage of engineering, and engineering can act upon the reform of instruction † ( p. 5 ) .DecisionConstructivist positions assert that acquisition is the active procedure of building instead than passively geting cognition, and direction is the procedure of back uping the cognition constructed by the scholars instead than the mere communicating of cognition ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Honebein, Duffy & A ; Fishman, 1993 ; Jonassen, 1999 ; ) . Truth is determined by the viability of the scholars ‘ apprehension in the existent universe, where viability is culturally determined. The constructivist model seeks to understand multiple positions, and challenges the s cholars ‘ thought ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Jonassen, Mayes & A ; McAleese, 1993 ) . It examines the societal beginnings of buildings, whereby it acknowledges larning as a procedure of socialization. Therefore, the survey of societal and cultural procedures and artefacts becomes a cardinal issue. Context is a dynamic whole including the person and sociohistorical facets ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Ezell & A ; O'Keefe, 1994 ) . Thinking is ever dialogic, linking heads, either straight or indirectly. The indirect or semiotic agencies are the marks and tools appropriated from the sociocultural context ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . Within this displacement in focal point from the objectivist to the constructivist context sphere, engineering can play an built-in portion in the acquisition environment ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996 ) . â€Å" The profusion of the engineering permits us to supply a richer and more exciting ( entertaining ) larning environmentaˆÂ ¦ our concern is the new apprehensions and new capablenesss that are possible through the usage of engineering † ( Duffy & A ; Cunningham, 1996, p. 187 ) . By incorporating engineering with constructivist methods, such as problem-based acquisition and project-based acquisition, scholars are more responsible for and active in the acquisition procedure ( Grant, 2002 ) . Additionally, mundane applications, such as word processors and spreadsheets, become powerful instruments for reliable acquisition. Constructivism offers flexibleness to instructors to individualise larning for each pupil while utilizing engineering tools to augment cognitive and metacognitive procedures.SubscribersAloka Nanjappa is presently a doctorial campaigner, Instructional Design and Technology, Department of Instructional Curriculum and Leadership, University of Memphis, Tennessee. She was Assistant Professor in a college of instruction, affiliated to the University of Bombay, India, learning Experimental Psychology, Educational Technology, and Methodology of learning Mathematicss. She has besides taught in the K-10 and undergraduate degree ( Zoology ) in India. Aloka was late awarded the Outstanding ID & A ; T Graduate Student Award by the University of Memphis, Tennessee. Her research involvements lie in teacher instruction with a focal point on engineering integrating in the schoolroom. Michael M. Grant is an Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis in the Instructional Design and Technology plan within the teacher instruction section. His most recent research has focused on suiting single differences and constructionism. He has worked with both preservice and inservice instructors on incorporating engineering.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Leadership traits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership traits - Essay Example This trait enables leaders to stand boldly with policies and vision set for a successful organization. Thirdly, determination is the aspect of being firm for a purpose. Determination makes a leader focus in enhancing the growth of organization through profound management skills. It enables leaders to have appropriate decision that brings worth to the organization. Fourthly, integrity is abiding to ethical or moral principles. A leader should base actions upon a solid framework of moral and ethical principles. Lastly, sociability is the aspect or act of being friendly. A leader should be friendly to his followers to create a friendly environment whereby people work towards a common goal. This list is not all-inclusive as leadership traits are associated with many endless traits. Other traits of effective leaders include emotional intelligence, which is being well-adjusted to deal with situations, should be tough mindedness by being logical and practical towards achieving goals, and compulsiveness by being protective of their reputation and integrity for an abundant foresight. The list is endless as there are many traits associated with

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

CASE BRIEFING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CASE BRIEFING - Essay Example Hence, MGM sought damages while respondents claimed that they did not control or monitor the use of the software (Casenote Legal Briefs, 2009). 3. History: The district court and the court of appeals both had ruled the decision in favour of MGM with respect to copyright infringement but did not hold the respondents responsible for it and summary judgement was granted. MGM had then decided to move to Supreme Court appealing for summary judgement in their favour (Casenote Legal Briefs, 2009). 6. Reasoning: The evidence that MGM produced clearly showed that the respondents marketed and sold the software as tool that could be used to share copyrighted material. The respondents had a clear purpose of making profits from the violation of the act from the users. The respondents had actively promoted pirating. File sharing tools are not illegal and the manufacturers of the tools are not responsible for how the users use the tool until and unless the manufacturer actually encouraged infringement. I am of the opinion that the respondents encouraged sharing of copyrighted material on their software. Yes, the respondents cannot control how their software will be used once it is sold but if they generate a sale by promoting the software as a tool to share copyrighted material, then the main purpose of the software will be pirating. Hence, respondents should be held responsible for copyright infringement. Unlike the Sony Corp v. Universal Studios, the only use of software is to share files which can be copyrighted or not. In Sony, VCRs could only play already copyrighted content and in no way contributed directly to

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Multiculturalism Issues in Curriculum Assignment

Multiculturalism Issues in Curriculum - Assignment Example It shall also make recommendations and/or predictions for the future of this issue. Finally, it shall establish support for recommendations and/or predictions with this research. Body The multicultural curriculum has its roots in the history of multicultural education which follows the history of the US civil rights movement (Fillion, n.d). The desegregation practices during the 1950s were established in order to provide equal education for all individuals, regardless of race or any other demographic considerations. The 1960s and 1970s, desegregation practices expanded to include application in seeking equity of all students in terms of their human rights (Banks, 2000). With the focus on human rights, multicultural concerns in education were considered, recognizing the importance of establishing awareness in a culturally diverse community. The changes in the teaching curriculum came under the collective heading of multiculturalism. These changes were also apparent in Britain and in A ustralia just as they were unfolding in the US (Lynch, 1983). The educational authorities recognized the fact that the curriculum must come from the social and the ethical concepts being seen in the multicultural setting. Various references to the inherent value of all human beings were also highlighted, and this attached value was also seen in the human rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s (Lynch, 1983). In these states, the focus was on acknowledging the need for the multicultural curriculum and for teachers to support and promote such a program. Research was then carried out and workshops with teachers implemented. Such actions were able to establish that even as many resources were needed in order to â€Å"bring teachers to the level to the level of multicultural teaching acceptable to the proponents of multicultural curriculum, an emphasis must be placed on institutions of higher learning to require the incorporation of inclusionary multicultural methods and practice in the teacher certification process† (Fillion, n.d, p. 1). In effect, without any inclusionary methods in the institutions of higher learning, the multicultural curriculum could not find its place in the educational system. One of the issues in the multicultural curriculum revolves around the fact that the US is composed of different racial groups, but the educational system, including the curricula, the books, the resources, and other teaching materials are founded on White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, otherwise known as the mainstream Americans (Tiedt and Tiedt, 2000). This type of curriculum largely does not consider the experiences, the history, and the culture of other racial and ethnic groupings in the US (Banks, 1988). This type of curriculum has a negative impact on minorities as well as those belonging to the mainstream culture. This is because racism and ethnocentrism are protected and nourished under this mainstream-supported culture. A mainstream-focused curriculum has a neg ative impact on the mainstream students because it further supports their sense of superiority, misleading their understanding of their relationship with other members of society, especially the ethnic minorities (Banks, 1988). The lack of a multicultural curriculum also prevents the process of understanding concepts and information from the point of view of other cultures and races. Another issue with the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Public Relations Campaigns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relations Campaigns - Essay Example Public relations are considered as a management function now. It focuses on public behavior or attitudes, and based on that it defines the policies and procedures of an organization. PR should act as a two way path for communication; from public to organization and from organization to public. Such mutual transfer of information will build up confidence between the organization and the public. Though the aim of PR activities doesn’t mean for publicity, most of the PR campaigns include provision for publicity as well. From the above discussion I think it is clear that a mere media release is not enough for recruiting talented graduates in our organization. Since media release is only a one way communication, we will never be able to analyze the public response towards it correctly. The public opinion towards a charity organization like us has to be studied carefully before going for the recruitment. The illusions about charity organizations among the public has to be corrected first. I accept that most of the potential graduates coming out from the colleges will look for other organizations to establish themselves. It is a fact that the youths always like big cities to start their careers. They will always like to have some challenging assignments to start their careers to cement their places in the corporate industry. It is correct that though we are offering competitive remuneration packages and job facilities, it is difficult for us to recruit potential talents to our organization. Considering all the above possible challenges in recruiting potential graduates, I believe that we have to change our conventional strategies of PR campaign. Our campaign should focus on the following things; avoid prejudices about the public opinion especially that of the graduating youths, about charity organizations like us. The results obtained through such researches will definitely help us in making successful

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Buddism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Buddism - Essay Example Buddhism is considered a philosophy and a religion at the same time, due to various reasons. First, it is a philosophy since it is a way of life. People have to adhere to the set standards of the way of life to be connected to the religion. Without focusing on this, one cannot be considered to be a Buddhist. In its philosophy or way of life, it is stated that people allied to Buddhism should have acceptable standards of behavior. This means that all the people in the religion have to adhere to the set standards to be considered as followers of the religion and philosophy. In many instance, the people have to connect their way of life to an awakening call. They have to change their way of life as they have been â€Å"awaken† from their previous lifestyle. This shows that when a person is joining Buddhism, they have to change their way of life to fit the religion. This will go a long way in ensuring the religious norms are observed to utter optimum. Buddhism as a philosophy in t he world has been elaborated to mean love for wisdom. The people in Buddhism must have unending love for wisdom to develop as straight and obedient followers of the religion. Since this is the vital element of the religion, anyone wishing to join the religion must adhere to the philosophy of awakening, and elaborate on unending need for wisdom. In the Buddhism teaching, people with freedom have to lead a better way of life due to their decisions on matters in the world (Keown, 6). With their increasing wisdom, they are able to make decisions that are for the benefit of their life and the religion as a whole. As a Buddhist, the immortal love for wisdom is a practical lesson that should be adhered to and protected. Since this is the core element in the religion, the love for wisdom was split into three main parts. Simplifying the love for wisdom was a practical element that ensured the people allied to the religion understood the message to core. In the first presumed path of the love for wisdom, a person allied to the Buddhism religion should lead a moral way of life. This is an acceptable standard that has been highlighted by the Buddhism culture. All the people that are in the religion should have a connection to other people that lead a moral life. As such, there is a need to have universal way of life, which is moral. This is by avoiding any activities that may be deemed mortal to the Buddhism culture. As such, leading a universal way of life that is moral is an element that needs to be achieved in the Buddhism culture. According to the Buddhism philosophy, people have to consider their away of life as sacred and only attempt activities that are acceptable. This is both in the society and the normal way of life (Keown, 7). With such in mind, the Buddhism culture will have a dominant society that initiates morality in the society. When a person leads a moral life, it creates a scenario where people accept the religion and its philosophical grounds. In bringi ng up the Buddhism culture, the prince, Buddha had been distracted in his early life. He was raised in the loyal life as a prince and had loyal life of ease. This was a life that would shield him from the miseries and cruelties of the world, which made the prince, live lavishly. However, he was often distracted by sensual pleasures and this led to luxurious living. With such a living, he had never encountered any form of

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Second assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Second - Assignment Example Hitherto, one needs to clarify this result: was she pushed to stealing because of her social structure or was it her choice? In anthropology, this question can be shaped and reformed into one of the most famous debates in this field: what drives human action? Is it the social structure in which the human exists, or the agent, wherein the human action is due to decisions and free will? Not so long ago have I had the fortune to enter such a debate with some friends. The main subject of the debate was: was one of our friends actions due to her environment or was it her decision? I, honestly, believed that it was because of her environment and apparently her ability to deal with it was all because of how her environment shaped her. Therefore, going back to Liesel, I would say that her stealing was caused by her choking environment. In other words, its the social structure that shapes the human actions. Likewise, theorists such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Marvin Harris would also agree in such notion. Social structure, in the simplest definitions, would be the arrangement of human relations in a society. At the same time, social structure would also be the environment in which humans exist. In this environment, it could either be the society or of the biological, physical or chemical origin (Harris). Now, going back, Marx, being one of the key theorists in anthropology, looked at human actions based on the interest of the individual itself. He gave the idea that an individual formulating ideologies force these ideas to the society in order to reshape the society where this individual grew up in. Incidentally, these ideologies formed by the individual came from the ideas presented by the society. In other words, Marx was trying to point out that humans would not be altering their society if, in the first place, they were not introduced to such

Friday, August 23, 2019

Mock IRB Proposal for Experimenta Psychology Class Essay

Mock IRB Proposal for Experimenta Psychology Class - Essay Example Then I planned to provide the questionnaire to different students at State universities to gauge their reactions to both the job candidates and their preference of which candidate for the job. By having students of both Caucasian and Black pigmentations take the questionnaire, I’ll be able to derive a clear idea whether racism is still present in the perceptions of young adults today. Although media and education have tried to erase the effects of hundreds of years of mental and physical slavery from the memory of American children, but the fact remains that prejudice comes naturally with human instinct (Buhler & Heim, 2001), thus even by meticulous education, people will tend to be biased against anybody who is in some way slightly different from them. According to previous studies, racism is as yet present in society and continues to have an adverse effect on the psyche of the African American community (Landrine & Klonoff, 1996). But those surveys were held on a general level, with the subjects being people from less-educated backgrounds as well as professionals and academics. I hope to be more specific and will target basically younger people who would be less susceptible to racism. In very obvious cases such as gender and pigmentation of skin, it can be easier to divulge whether bias still functions unconsciously (Landrine & Klonoff, 1996), whereas matters such as different nationality, religion, and background cannot usually be judged at first sight nowadays due to globalization (clothing, appearance are similar internationally). Hence by comparing two people identical in every manner except the color of their skin, and asking people their preference of one over the other; we can easily discover whether racism is as yet still latent in the normal American’s mindset. Another feature of interest would be whether racism is marked ‘white only’. Throughout history, the Caucasian’s remarkable ability to be hostile

Thursday, August 22, 2019

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION - Essay Example The corporation was initially facing stiff competition with Circuit City; however, the failure of Circuit City (a former electronics dealer) in 2009 after deep economic recession and subsequent decrease in both domestic and international demand of electronic equipments, accessories and machinery has enabled the corporation to freely play in the market and gain additional market share. Its operational stores are more than 1,000 in USA and Canada besides online presence, whereas sales in 2010 remained over $40 billions. This is an evidence of Best Buy’s financial strength, resources and abilities. In addition, the company has solid brand recognition, consumer acceptance, an established supply chain and chain network followed by a large pool of loyal (plus satisfied) consumers who have an inclination to purchase Best Buy products. Also, the consumers are inclined towards electronics and gadgets perhaps because of their fast life and heavy exposure to media that portray innovation s. It must be highlighted that Best Buys has already introduced and has adopted various customer and partner relationships improvement strategies such as focusing on after-sales services, product installation (home theatres, computer configuration etc.), product warranties, and others etc. These were not adopted in past, but have now been a major part of firm’s strategy to entice customers, improve their perceived loyalty and value, and to gain a competitive edge over its rivals something it has done better in the past than any national electronics retailer. It is also expected that it would increase the sales of company in both short and long run. However, the economic recession, reduction in households’ real incomes and purchasing because of poor employment prospects is a threat that could hinder the growth of this industry in the short run, but the recovery of economy from recession, improvement in business outlook, certainty and security in job market will improve the

Analysis of two stories from Roald Dahls Tales of the Unexpected Essay Example for Free

Analysis of two stories from Roald Dahls Tales of the Unexpected Essay The story is about an old lady, Mrs. Foster, who doesnt like to be late. Her husband teases her by always being a little bit too late, just to make her suffer. One day, she is going to Paris to see her daughter and her family, but she has to wait for her husband to be done, because he is driving with her, to be dropped off at a club. When he finally out in the car with her, he has forgot his present for her daughter, so he goes back into the house to get it. She goes up to the door of their house, but when she is about to open it, she suddenly hears a strange sound and goes back into the car. She tells the driver to go, even though; Mr. Foster is still in the house. She catches her plane and enjoys her time in Paris, but when she gets back home, after six weeks, there is no lead of Mr. Foster. Then she calls a guy, which can come and fix their lift. You would think that Mrs. Foster is the main character in this story, because we are following her life and the story starts up with an introduction of her. But at the same time, we are also introduced to Mr. Foster right after, and in the end of the story, you wonder if it actually was Mr. Foster, that we were supposed to keep up with, because he is kind of the victim in the end. Almost like we are told about how he died in their lift, because of his lunatic of a wife. And then still Mrs. Foster can be seen as the victim, because she is this sad woman, who is manipulated by her husband, and then finally does what she has always wanted to do, just in a more drastic way. So therefore I see them both as main characters in this story. Mrs. Foster is described in the text as a woman with a pathological fear of missing something, and if she feels that she is about to miss something, she gets into a state of nerves and starts to wink with her left eye, because of a vellicating muscle in the corner of her eye. She lives in a large six-storey house in New York City, on East Sixty-Second Street with her husband and they have four servants. She is also a modest woman, who has served his husband loyally and well, for over thirty years, but she still wonders sometimes, if his husband always is being late on purpose, just to torture her. Her biggest wish is to live in Paris, so she can see her daughter, her son in law and her grandchildren all the time. Mr. Foster is nearly seventy years old and also living with his wife in their large six-storey house. He is described in the text as a man who tortures her wife, by always being late, because he is irritated by her making a fuss about everything. And he smokes cigars. We can tell by their big house, their four servants and their rented car with a chauffeur, that they are a very wealthy couple. They dont speak to each other like a normal couple; Mr. Foster has disciplined Mrs. Foster to not say, what she wants to say, like she is under his control. Like it says in the text; that she would never dare to call out and tell him to hurry. He had disciplined her too well for that. The Landlady The story is about a young man, Billy Weaver, who has travelled down from London, and now he needs a place to sleep. He was told that he should try The bell and dragon, but on his way down to the hotel, he suddenly catches sight of a printed notice, that says BED AND BREAKFAST on a boarding house. He stares at the notice and feels like the words are a large black eye that is staring at him, like he is forced to go in, so he decides to do it. A middle-aged woman invites him in and shows him where he is going to sleep, and she keeps talking about how she has been waiting for a young boy like him. He later finds out, when he is about to write in her guestbook, that only two other guys has been staying there, and the latest guest is over two years ago. He finds it strange that he feels like he has heard these two guys names before. She keeps getting him to drink her tee, and then he suddenly notices that the dog he thought was alive is dead and stuffed. She tells him that she has stuffed them herself. When he sits for a moment, he finds out where he has heard the other guests names before, he has read about them being missing, in the newspaper. The main character in this story is definitely Billy Weaver, because we are following his moves and thoughts of the weird lady. Billy Weaver is seventeen years old and he has travelled from London. He is wearing a navy-blue overcoat, a brown trilby hat and a brown suit. He is a young businessman and he is trying to do everything briskly. When he is told that there has only been two guests before him and that the last guest was over two years ago, and that they are even still living there, he is a bit naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve not to see that something is really weird. But you also know that he must be a smart kid, if he is already a businessman and he reads the newspaper. The old lady seems kind and harmless in the beginning, because she is calling him my dear and smiling all the time. And like it says in the text; She looked exactly like the mother of ones best school-friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays. But when things get more and more weird, Billy starts to think that she is slightly dotty and off her rocker. We also know that she has a bad memory, because she has a hard time remembering her guests names. Billy and the old lady have no relation, the old lady is a total stranger to Billy, but he somehow seems to trust her anyway. And Billy is also a total stranger to the old lady, but she keeps talking like if she knew that exactly he would show up on her doorstep, almost like if she had been watching him. Comparison of the two stories Both stories are written by an omniscient 3rd person. And in both of the stories they are using the language dear; In The landlady the old lady probably uses it, because many British old women spoke like that in the old days, but also to sound extra kind, to Billy. And in The way up to heaven, it sounds like they are only using it because the finer families spoke like that in the old days. So both of the stories could be going on in, maybe the 50s. Mrs. Foster and the landlady are both killers, but really different kinds; Mrs. Foster is feeling trapped in her marriage and she has a fair reason not to save him, when she has the chance. And the landlady is simply a lonely lunatic, who wants fake company, by stuffing her victims. The landlady is killing them herself and Mrs. Foster just didnt save him, when she could. The main theme in both of the stories is deception, because in both of the stories, the victims have faith in their killers, but are duped by them. The ending of The landlady Then he said Are you sure Mulholland and Temple are upstairs? with a stiff look on his face. Of course they are, my dear. Im sure they are enjoying themselves, you shouldnt worry that much. She answered. Billys eyes flickered and his legs felt so heavy, when he tried to stand up. Sit down, my dear. It will soon be over she said, with a calm tone in her voice, like nothing was wrong. Billy couldnt walk, so he sat down again and tried to hold his head still. Something is wrong with me! What did you give me? he yelled with a pathetic voice. She smiled and went over to the windows to draw the curtains, and when she sat down again, she started telling him, that she had been looking forward to having such a young boy in the house, and that she had been waiting for him for such a long time. Why do you want me, you crazy woman? he said. Youre just perfect, my dear. So young and handsome! she said, still witch a nice and calming voice. Billy didnt get to say much more, before everything turned black. One month later MISSING! A seventeen year old boy named Billy Weaver, last seen in Bath.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Pros And Cons Of North America Free Trade Marketing Essay

Pros And Cons Of North America Free Trade Marketing Essay This report provides an analysis of the current and prospective profitability, pros and cons of North America Fee Trade Agreement. The analysis also includes the origins, objectives trend, and the advantages as the comparative advantages, standard living and nation policy, together with the disadvantages such as the deep analysis about the job loss in United State and the human right and nature. Other supporting ideas includes the detail information about the profit that this agreement bring to the people in US, Canada, Mexico and the wide countries, its purposes and goals, or the return from the investment as well as the loss. All the related detail and calculation can be found in the appendices. General earning from this free trading also estimated below industry averages. In particular, comparative performances in the areas of the markets control as well as the evaluations from NAFTA. The report finds the prospects of this agreement in its current position are evaluating and developing. The major areas of weakness require further investigation and remedial action by governments. Besides that, because NAFTA has many pros, governments also need to adapt and try to reduce the bad effect to countries which already become the one union. The report also investigates some limitations that NAFTA had through the analysis of advantages and disadvantages. Some of them are the connection between the government and companies, which lead to the fact that many companies have the disadvantages without the supporting by the union if they choose to stand independently. Furthermore, the lack of attention to the right of human due to the rush and overwhelm working hour and their insurances are low and unfair which develops by the maquiladora programs from NAFTA. II. Introduction. Origins. According to Paulette  L.  Stenzel (2010), The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement signed on January 1, 1994 within the 3 three countries United States, Canada, and Mexico which become the largest free trade area in the World (GDP). NAFTAs purposes are reducing the trading costs, increasing the business investment and help North America to achieve a wider position in the global marketplace.   When these three countries signed NAFTA, US and Canada had agreed to sign the United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and added this agreement into NAFTA. Because of CFTA, there will be a change in place of the agricultural trade before NAFTA. Most of the food in United State and Canada became duty free on January 1, 1998. NAFTA began the implementation on January 1st, 1994 and going to be develop in 15 years.  Ã‚   Objectives. Some of the objectives from the agreement include the tariffs eliminate on the trading between Canada, US and Mexico and prepare a standards the provision of national treatment for other signatory countries foreign investors. Furthermore, to ensure markets secure access with the improvement on the settlement mechanism of the dispute, this agreement also help the member countries companies to have more procurement opportunities to increase the access of the government. In addition, NAFTA improves the professionals of business people and their cross-border movement within some selected countries to be stronger in protection of intellectual property right. A vast of new business opportunities had opened up by NAFTA for the three partner countries and other countries that want to enter North American market. Based on this, the investors come from other countries stay at a location in Canada can have the ability to attend the whole area of North American market.  Moreover, NAFTA has an entry in force which said that the significant increases experienced by the parties a in the goods and services trade among them. There also an agreement from the three Customs Administrations about NAFTA Rules of Origin Regulations (the Regulations) and the Rules of Origin of the NAFTA. In the worsened conditions of the economic in 2008; during the U.S. Presidential campaign, NAFTA became a hot issue again. Senators Hillary Clinton a democratic candidates and  Barack Obama  both blamed the loss of American jobs manufacturing to NAFTA and make a suggestion about the renegotiated for this term which will need to include the higher labor cost and the environmental standards. III. NAFTA pros and cons. Advantages. It is no doubt to say the most advantages that NAFTA bring to 450 million people in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is the free entrance in trading not only in their own country zone but also in the worldwide market place. With the national policies which support those countries with lower cost in export and import, it is responsible for $1.6 trillion in goods and services annually. It also decreases the inflation by reducing the cost of import to have more view, lets look into the figure of United States economy via the data of GDP rate which increased steadily 5% a year; it is the clear evidence to show the advantages the NAFTA bring to their countries. Comparative advantages. According to David Ingram (2009), NAFTA helps international trade to eliminate the tariffs between members countries by boasting the natural advantages that they owned. This means that they can low down the cost of production line and provide to the consumers more reasonable price of product because of cheap materials come from their natural resources advantages. U.S is famous for their high quality consumers good with low cost, while the strength of Mexico is agricultural product such as foods and crops. NAFTA eliminates the tariff between two countries so that US can purchase the crops and poultry with cheap price from Mexican, while Mexican can buy the cheap consumer product with high quality from US also. Thanks to NAFTA, agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico grew from 22% of total U.S. farm exports in 1993 to 30% in 2007. Standard living. NAFTAS goal is to reduce tariffs among Mexico, Canada, and the United States over a period of years, making it easier to trade goods across national borders, and increasing economic efficiency in North America. It clearly deserve the strong support of all those who believe in liberty and free markets. Moreover the standard living of people in those countries has risen day by day together with the demand of high quality produce comes from US (Freedman, 2004). NAFTA provides the free market with high demand of product, which will lead to the risen in the number of jobs needs. 25000 jobs are created for any additional billion dollars the US export. Over 150000 new jobs associated with NAFTA were reported during the last 5 years (Shahabbuhin, 2003). Nation policy. Free trade innovation will give nation the chance to step closer to each others and be more active in coordination. It also helps to reduce the rate of illegal immigration and international smuggling from nation to nation. Moreover, NAFTA protect the intellectual property right of members nation with their own policies regulations. Disadvantages. Job loss in United State. Many manufacturers in United State had to move jobs to lower-cost Mexico with lowered wages, manufacturers still competed in industries. NAFTA did not support enough for Mexican labour and environment protection and caused the lost of manufacturers 1.3 million farm jobs in Mexico. The organization exported corn and other grains with low-cost so Mexicos farms reduced output from 33.2% in 1990 below 13.2% in 2001. So many rural Mexico s farmers refused to cooperate with NAFTA because they could not compete with the other as well. Moreover because Mexicos labour were cheap, many manufacturers in United State chose to move the place they put all of their production line. It leads to the fact that bbetween 1994 and 2010; Mexico totalled $97.2 billion, were displacing 682,900 by U.S. jobs. About 80% manufacturers were in trouble situation such as: California, New York, Michigan and Texas. Besides, the companies did not move to Mexico they selected one of two options: belonging to the union or losing the factory. And they without supporting by the union so they had so many disadvantages to compete with little bargain power. Human right and nature. NAFTA opened many maquiladora programs where employees were paid low salary and exploited with more 12 working hours in a day. These workers have no labor rights or health protections, workdays stretch out 12 hours or more, and if you are a woman, you could be forced to take a pregnancy test when applying for a job, according to Continental Social Alliance. On the other hand, with manufacturing products influenced on environment directly in Mexico because of using fertilizers and other chemicals. So enviroment took pollution and they spent more 36 billion each year to deal with environmental consequences. NAFTA are many pros so the union should adapt and reduce bad effects to countries which belong to the one. IV. Conclusion. From the former paragraph we can see that NAFTA was established for 18 years from 1994. During this period, we can know NAFTA has its own advantages and disadvantages. In 10 years, NAFTA promotes the economy of Mexico, but Mexico still need a long time to catch up with another two countries. And Mexico should catch this chance and invest in education, telecom and innovation, America and Canada should avoid the risks to create the bigger business opportunities. All in all, NATFA should be kept and develop, it will promote the economy in North America.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Supply Demand And The Market For Drugs Economics Essay

Supply Demand And The Market For Drugs Economics Essay Supply-side initiatives are actions meant to cut or reduce the supply by preventing drugs from entering the country. A supply reduction, unless it totally eliminates the flow of drugs into the market, works by raising price so that consumption is cut. A decrease in supply, without a change in demand, will result in a new market equilibrium where the market price is higher , but the quantity of drugs bought and sold is lower. However, the critical factor that determines the magnitude of the changes in price and quantity is the elasticity of demand. Two concerns have emerged with regard to drug supply restriction in the context of an price-inelastic demand. First, it has been observed that lower-income addicts who cannot substitute away from the drug after the price increase tend to resort to minor crimes to support their habit. Second, addicts who have to reduce purchases tend to adopt the faster, but riskier, route of inducing euphoria by injecting the drug. A policy-maker must be aware of these potential consequences. Clearly, therefore, if both supply-side and demand-side initiatives are costless, well conceived demand reduction efforts (i.e., schemes to prevent drug abuse by the young through prevention, education, rehabilitation of existing drug users) promise an unambiguously positive outcome relative to effective supply restrictions where there may be an offsetting expenditure effect arising out of the price increase (i.e, when the demand for drugs is inelastic, 0 > ÃŽÂ µ > -1, D2: , or perfectly elastic, ÃŽÂ µ=0, D1: y=1000). As shown in panel (a) in Figure 1, a vertical demand curve is perfectly inelastic at every price. If the price goes up, the quantity demanded is unchanged (), so the elasticity of demand must be zero: ( A demand curve is vertical for essential goods goods that people feel they must have and will pay anything to get. In our case (i.e., drug addicts), the demand curve for drugs could be vertical at a days dose, Q*=1000. More realistically, an individual drug addict may have a demand curve (panel (b), Figure 1) that is perfectly inelastic only at prices below p*, the maximum price he can afford to pay. Because he cannot afford to pay more than p*, he buys nothing at higher prices. As a result, his demand curve is perfectly elastic up to y* doses at a price of p*. In Figure 2, the demand for drugs is shown by the downward-sloping demand curve (D2) to reflect the negative relationship between price and the quantity demanded. It has been drawn with a steep slope because it is commonly held that addiction suggests price inelasticity in the demand for drugs, If true, it implies that an increase in price will be accompanied by a less-than-proportionate decrease in the quantity demanded. The supply curve (S), on the other hand, mirrors the behaviour of drug suppliers. It is drawn with a positive slope since higher prices will attract larger quantities from suppliers and vice versa. Moreover, the value of the elasticity coefficient (È  >1) suggests that the supply is price elastic; small increases in the price of drugs are thought to draw a more-than proportionate increase in the quantity supplied. As shown in both Figure 1 (panel a) and Figure 2, the initial equilibrium is represented by point e, where price is established at p* and the quantity transacted is y*. For a supply reduction shown by S, the demand reduction must be at least as large as that represented by D2 and D1 in order for price to remain at its original level of p*. This is to ensure that the quantity transacted falls (to y*) without any increase in price. If supply reduction keeps the price high enough (at p*) and long enough to prevent a new generation from falling victim to the habit, demand may fall in the long run and succeed in lowering consumption and drug-related harms. Moreover, the twin benefits of a lower price and lower quantity transacted will only be obtained if demand reduction exceeds supply reduction, as illustrated by point f. Even so, the continued presence of drug sales and use, although at a lower scale, suggests that a drug-free society has not been achieved. However, the evidence everywh ere suggests that this goal remains a dream (Wood et al. 2009). In sum, the net benefit from attempting a pure supply reduction of drugs remains ambiguous if demand is price-inelastic (in our case, D1: y=1000 and D2: ). Thus, by launching simultaneous initiatives on both the supply and demand sides might guarantee an unambiguously positive net result, that is reduce the consumption of drugs. G2: A reduction in the drug-induced criminality à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Pure Demand-side initiative Demand-side initiatives attempt to reduce the demand for drugs at all prevailing prices or, in purely graphically terms, shift the entire demand curve to the left of its original position. Schemes to prevent drug abuse by the young through prevention, education, rehabilitation of existing drug users, minimisation of relapses among rehabilitated users and controlled and supervised substitution therapy, meant to deprive users away from harmful drugs, constitute some of the commonly used demand reducing measures. As depicted in both Figure 3 and Figure 4 above, starting from the initial equilibrium (e), I assume supply remains unchanged. A successful demand reduction will shift the demand curve leftwards (D2), causing it to intersect with the given supply curve at a lower price (p*). The new lower demand curve, D2, intersects with the original supply curve (S), resulting in a lower price (p*) and a lower quantity bought and sold (y*). The total expenditure on drugs is reduced as well, providing less incentives for drug-induced criminality or drug substitutions. The elasticity of supply now determines the relative magnitude of the movement in price and quantity. The more elastic (inelastic) the supply, the smaller (larger) the decline in price and the larger (smaller) the decline in consumption (i.e, drug-induced criminality) induced by a given demand reduction. Nevertheless, both variables move in the same direction. G3: A reduction of the emergence of organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Demand-side and/or Supply-side initiatives In the case of an inelastic demand and a elastic supply, the options for achieving a drug-free society are illustrated in Figure 5 above. Point e, as before, represents the equilibrium price and quantity before the anti-drug campaign. A purely demand-reduction effort to reduce drug trade (and consumption) to zero requires a big reduction in demand in order to shift the demand leftward to a point like f, where the lower demand curve (D2) intersects with the existing supply curve (S) and yields a street price (p*) that is so low that it is no longer profitable to supply drugs at all. In other words, the drug trade is wiped out due to insufficient demand. Alternatively, a purely supply reduction initiative to eradicate both the drug trade and consumption requires a substantial supply shift leftwards to a point like g, which yields a price so high (p*) as to make the drugs beyond the reach of buyers. Finally, a simultaneous shift leftward of both the demand and supply curves (arising from very effective supply and demand reduction initiatives) could, theoretically, see the reduction of the drug trade and consumption (and respectively a reduction of the emergence of organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs) at a price level that lies between the two extreme limits of p* and p*. Such a situation is shown by point h, where the highest price offered by the drug user (p*) is just below the threshold price (p*) considered profitable by the supplier. Moreover, the three options from above could be applied as well in the case of a perfectly inelastic demand in order to reduce the drug trade (and consumption) and respectively, to reduce the emergence of organized crime connected with the illegal sale of drugs. However, the drug-free society cannot be achieved (Figure 6). To summarise, price elasticities of demand and supply play a key role in determining the magnitudes of change in price and quantity induced by supply-side and demand-side initiatives. As noted, a pure supply reduction lowers consumption but increases price and, unless demand is very price-elastic, the reduction in consumption will be small but the total expenditure on drugs will increase considerably. On the other hand, a pure demand reduction lowers both price and quantity, with supply elasticity determining the relative size of the decline in both variables (additionally, consumption and expenditures on consumption will also be lower relative to the original level). In addition, whether an extreme objective of taking both demand-side and supply side initiatives is worth pursuing will depend upon how much it costs society to do so. If large shifts in demand and supply can be achieved at relatively low cost, a drug-free society is indeed a noble goal. b) The interpretations given to G1, G2 and G3 above looked at supply and demand shifts, ignoring costs. In deciding on an optimal policy, defined as one that maximises social welfare, costs become very important and must be weighed against the expected benefits. To be more precise, social costs must be weighed against the social benefits expected from a chosen policy option. P1: Increased punishment and/or increased probability of getting caught for drug-pushers To the extent that drug consumption transmits a negative externality, the social marginal benefit (SMB) from drug use must lie below the private marginal benefit (PMB), as reflected by market demand curve (D2, and D1 respectively) in Figure 7 and Figure 8 below. Assuming no externalities on the supply side, the market supply curve (S) reflects the cost of producing and distributing drugs. In a market without restrictions on drug supply or demand, the level of drug consumption (y*) will exceed the socially optimum level (y*). Enforcement on the supply side (i.e., increased punishment and/or increased probability of getting caught for drug-pushers) will reduce the market supply (shift the curve leftwards to SE), raise the price to p* and reduce drug consumption to the socially optimal level of y*. The after-enforcement supply curve will now incorporate the additional costs incurred by illegal suppliers to avoid detection and punishment (area abcd in Figure 7 and Figure 8). If demand is inelastic (D2 in Figure 7), the reduction in drug consumption will be small and the gain in social welfare from avoiding the negative externality associated with drug use will also be small. This gain is shown by the shaded area marked def (Figure 7). It is clear that these additional costs (area abcd) exceed the additional gain from reducing consumption (area def). However, by reducing consumption to y* via supply enforcement, society avoids the net loss shown by the def area. If demand is perfectly inelastic (D1 in Figure 8), despite the reduced consumption induced by the higher price (from p* to p*; since an individual drug addict cannot afford to pay more than p*, he buys nothing at higher prices, p*) due to a supply enforcement, total expenditure on consuming drugs will increase (area abce). This increased spending by persistent users translates directly into higher revenues for drug suppliers who remain in business. Hence, if the demand is inelastic (D2), or perfectly inelastic (D1), the total spending on drug consumption and the total resources committed to supplying drugs will increase. Thus, supply reduction under these circumstances has the unintended effect of drawing more of societys resources into an activity (illegal sale of drugs) that is being discouraged. Moreover, the impact of supply enforcement is also influenced by the price elasticity of supply; in general, the lower (higher) the supply elasticity, the smaller (larger) the effect of a given increase in enforcement in raising price and lowering consumption. Thus, the lower (higher) the price elasticity of supply, the greater (smaller) the enforcement costs and the likelihood of reducing the net social gain. In sum, if the demand for drugs is inelastic (D2) or perfectly inelastic (D1), supply enforcement may not be an efficient method of achieving the optimum level of consumption. This is because the cost of additional resources committed by the society (i.e., the additional expenditures by drug dealers plus the costs of supply enforcement) towards achieving this end will far exceed the benefits to the society. P2: Legalize the sale of drugs The effect of a supply restriction can be reproduced with a clear improvement in welfare by legalizing drug production and imposing an excise tax to reduce consumption to the optimal level. This is illustrated in both Figure 9 and Figure 10 below. In the case of inelastic demand, (D2 in Figure 9), assuming drug supply is legalized, the pre-intervention price and consumption are shown, as before, by p* and y*, respectively. Consumption can be reduced to the socially optimal level, y*, by imposing an excise tax equal to cd per unit of output. This raises the cost of production and the after-tax supply curve is indicated by ST . The market price of drugs increases to p*, consumption falls to y* and, as in the case of supply enforcement, net social losses (equivalent to def) are avoided. However, in contrast to supply enforcement, the tax extracts resources from the drug industry equal to the value of abcd. The effects of this reduction in resources are borne by both consumers and producers: the former, via a higher price and lower consumption rate, and the latter, by way of lower price and output. The resources are transferred to the government and will (hopefully) fund activities with a higher net social value. Of course, the suppliers and consumers do not necessarily bear the tax burden equally. The more inelastic the demand, the greater is the share of tax borne by the consumers. Similarly, the more inelastic the supply, the greater is the tax share borne by the suppliers. This point is better appreciated by looking at the equivalent estimate of the revenue collected, shown by the area marked p*cdp*. While the tax raises the consumer price from p* to p*, it lowers the unit price received by suppliers from p* to p*. Thus, in this example of inelastic demand, consumers pay a bigger share of the tax (area p*cdp*), relative to suppliers (area p*gdp*). In case of perfectly inelastic demand (D1 in Figure 10), Consumption can be reduced to the socially optimal level, y*, by imposing an excise tax equal to ce per unit of output. This raises the cost of production and the after-tax supply curve is indicated by ST . The market price of drugs increases to p* and consumption falls to y*. However, in contrast to supply enforcement, the tax extracts resources from the drug industry equal to the value of abce. The effects of this reduction in resources are borne by both consumers and producers: the former, via a higher price and lower consumption rate, and the latter, by way of lower price and output. Of course, the suppliers and consumers do not necessarily bear the tax burden equally. This point is better appreciated by looking at the equivalent estimate of the revenue collected, shown by the area marked p*cep*. While the tax raises the consumer price from p* to p*, it maintains the unit price received by suppliers at p*. Thus, in this exa mple of inelastic demand, consumers pay a bigger share of the tax (area p*cdp*), relative to suppliers (area dce). The net increase in welfare under the legalise-and-tax approach is assured because the tax, in effect, internalises the negative externality associated with drug consumption. Furthermore, apart from generating tax revenue, the resources necessary to discourage illegal production and control tax avoiders will be far smaller than the enforcement costs under a regime where all production is illegal. The authorities only have to raise the cost of illegal production above the cost of legal production to discourage the former. Despite the theoretical elegance of this approach, governments hesitate to adopt it because it is seen as morally wrong to legalise drug use, even if the longer-term objective is to restrain consumption more effectively. P3: Distribute drugs for free If the government were to distribute the drugs free (p*=0), the quantity would be y*=1000 when demand is perfectly inelastic (D1), and y*=2000 when the demand is relatively inelastic (D2). As depicted in both Figure 11 and Figure 12 below, starting from the initial equilibrium (e), I assume supply remains unchanged. In Figure 12, a successful demand reduction would be possible only in the case of perfectly inelastic demand curve, (from D1 to D1), causing it to intersect with the given supply curve at a lower price (p*). The new lower demand curve, D2, intersects with the original supply curve (S), resulting in a lower price (p*) and a lower quantity bought and sold (y*). The total expenditure on drugs is reduced as well, providing less incentives for drug-induced criminality or drug substitutions. However, the drug trade (and consumption) could not be reduced to 0. Furthermore, in Figure 11, in the case of inelastic demand (D2), the consumption is more likely to increase than to decrease. The implementation of a policy such as distributing drugs for free, will increase the quantity from y* (equilibrium quantity) to y*=2000 and reduce price from p* (equilibrium price) to p*=0. P4: Decrease the demand for drugs As discussed earlier in the paper regarding policy P1, the social marginal benefit (SMB) from drug use must lie below the private marginal benefit (PMB), as reflected by market demand curve (D2, and D1 respectively) in Figure 13 and Figure 14 above. Assuming no externalities on the supply side, the market supply curve (S) reflects the cost of producing and distributing drugs. In a market without restrictions on drug supply or demand, the level of drug consumption (y*) will exceed the socially optimum level (y*). In both Figure 12 (and Figure 13), persuasion efforts to reduce the demand for drugs are unaffected by the price elasticity of demand. Successful persuasion will result in the original demand curve, D2 (and D1) declining to D0. This will raise the overall social welfare, provided the costs of such efforts are not excessively large and if persuasion itself does not generate a large negative social value. As to sum up, the analysis of the optimal policy-instruments to be implemented on the market for drugs supports the conclusions of the earlier interpretations (G1 to G3): when the impact of a policy on welfare is considered explicitly, demand reduction delivers a clear improvement in outcome whereas supply reduction requires special conditions to do so. c) Goals G1: Reduction in the consumption of drugs G2: A reduction in the drug-induced criminality G3: A reduction of the emergence of organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs Policy-instruments P1: Increased punishment and/or increased probability of getting caught for drug-pushers D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S By launching simultaneous initiatives on both the supply and demand sides might guarantee an unambiguously positive net result, that is reduce the consumption of drugs. If the demand for drugs is inelastic or perfectly inelastic, supply enforcement may not be an efficient method of achieving the optimum level of consumption. Well conceived demand reduction efforts promise an unambiguously positive outcome (i.e., less incentives for drug-induced criminality) relative to effective supply restrictions where there may be an offsetting expenditure effect arising out of the price increase. A simultaneous shift leftward of both the demand and supply curves (arising from very effective supply and demand reduction initiatives) could, theoretically, see a reduction of both the drug trade and the organized crime related with the (illegal) sale of drugs). However, a drug-free society cannot be achieved. A simultaneous shift leftward of both the demand and supply curves (arising from very effective supply and demand reduction initiatives) could, theoretically, eradicate the drug trade, and respectively , the organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs), thus achieving a drug-free society. Goals G1: Reduction in the consumption of drugs G2: A reduction in the drug-induced criminality G3: A reduction of the emergence of organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs Policy-instrument P2: Legalize the sale of drugs D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S Governments hesitate to adopt this policy because it is seen as morally wrong to legalise drug use, even if the longer-term objective is to restrain consumption more effectively. To the extent that legalizing drugs would make them cheaper, it would create many new addicts and the incidence of drug-induced crime would increase. Thus, legalizing drugs not only does not decrease criminal behaviour; almost certainly, it would spur its increase. If there are any regulations or taxes of (for example, an excise tax)placed upon the legalized drugs, the emergence of organized crime, most certainly, will not be reduced. Governments hesitate to adopt this policy because it is seen as morally wrong to legalise drug use, even if the longer-term objective is to restrain consumption more effectively. Goals G1: Reduction in the consumption of drugs G2: A reduction in the drug-induced criminality G3: A reduction of the emergence of organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs Policy-instruments P3: Distribute drugs for free D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S A successful demand reduction would be possible only in the case of perfectly inelastic demand curve, causing the new lower demand curve to intersect with the given supply curve at a lower price and a lower quantity bought and sold. Thus, the consumption is expected to decrease. In the case of inelastic demand, the consumption is more likely to increase than to decrease. A successful demand reduction would be possible only in the case of perfectly inelastic demand curve, causing the new lower demand curve to intersect with the given supply curve at a lower price and a lower quantity bought and sold. Thus, the total expenditure on drugs is reduced as well, providing less incentives for drug-induced criminality or drug substitutions. If one sees drug-induced criminality as criminality under the influence of drugs, then free distribution would increase drug-related criminality. Since drugs are distributed for free (p=0), the emergence of organized crime connected with the illegal sale of drugs is expected to be eradicated. Goals G1: Reduction in the consumption of drugs G2: A reduction in the drug-induced criminality G3: A reduction of the emergence of organized crime connected with the (illegal) sale of drugs Policy-instruments P4: Decrease the demand for drugs D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S D1, S D2, S Persuasion efforts to reduce the demand for drugs are unaffected by the price elasticity of demand. Successful persuasion will result in the original demand curve to decline. Thus, the consumption of drugs is reduced. However, the drug consumption cannot be reduced to 0. Persuasion efforts to reduce the demand for drugs are unaffected by the price elasticity of demand. Successful persuasion will result in the original demand curve to decline causing a reduction in drug-induced criminality Persuasion efforts to reduce the demand for drugs are unaffected by the price elasticity of demand. Successful persuasion will result in the original demand curve to decline, causing a lower demand curve that intersects with the existing supply curve and yields a street price that is so low that it is no longer profitable to supply drugs. In other words, the organized crime related to the illegal sale of drugs is reduced (if not wiped out) due to insufficient demand.