Wednesday, October 30, 2019
United Nations and International Human Rights Essay
United Nations and International Human Rights - Essay Example The protection of these rights by the UN however has been criticized as inadequate and inefficient, especially with reports of human rights violations by international as well as private actors and parties. This paper shall discuss the effectiveness of the UN in the protection of human rights. Specifically, the UN’s effectiveness in ensuring the people’s freedom from torture and oppression shall be evaluated in this paper, with particular reference to relevant case and incidents in the international scene. Body The United Nations was established in 1945 in order to establish and ensure international cooperation and coordination in the resolution of economic, political, social, as well as humanitarian issues; it was also established to ensure that respect is allocated for human rights and that freedom of all individuals regardless of their race, gender, religion, and language is protected1. In order to specifically establish the principles in the protection of human righ ts, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948. Through this declaration, various standards and norms for the protection of human rights norms have been established2. However, even with these declarations, serious human rights violations have been seen in various parts of the globe. ... In 2006, the Human Rights Council replaced the Commission of Human Rights4. This council as well as the treaty passed established obligations for states to implement in their own lands in order to support the international mandates. From such show of support, the first steps towards the effective implementation of these treaties were already considered. The Rwanda Genocide in 1994 led to the deaths of 800,000 Rwandans in the span of 100 days5. Years of conflict between the Hutu tribes and the Tutsi population in Rwanda culminated into 100 days of torture and killing in the country. The country was plunged into a political and economic crisis upon the death of the Hutu President Habyarimana in 1994 and his death served as the spur for the killing of Tutsis by the Hutus6. The Tutsis were targeted in an effort to cleanse the Rwandan population7. In the midst of the civilian killings, the UN withdrew its forces from Rwanda, thereby allowing the genocide and human rights violations to per sist8. The UN was in the perfect position to protect the human rights of the Rwandans, but it did not protect such position. It seemed to appear that the UN was more concerned about suffering another failed attempt at peacekeeping, considering its recent experience of failure in Somalia9. As a result of its prudence, hundreds more would die in Rwanda. Freedom from torture and cruel treatment is considered an absolute right, one which is protected by moral laws and unspoken mandates10. Barnett argues further that the UN bears the responsibility of the Rwandan Genocide11. The UN was in the right position to manage the Rwandan crisis in a way that would have made it possible for the Security Council to consider intervention and entry into the
Monday, October 28, 2019
Police Administration Essay Example for Free
Police Administration Essay The role of police in the safety of the community has long been recognized. It is thus of great importance that the operations behind the police system be well understood in order to identify points that are considered to be exemplary, as well as areas which are in need of further evaluation and reorganization. This research paper will discuss areas of police administration that are related to the recruitment and hiring process. A brief review of other related areas of police administration will also be presented in order to provide a holistic overview of the topic. POLICE WORK AND RELATED PROBLEMS The area of police work is an occupation that is strongly associated with misconduct and criminal acts. The act of performing police work is highly discretionary because it entails a combination of both standard police principles and personal ideologies that influence a police officers values and morale. Police work also involves coercive activity that regularly occurs in the most private situations which are often not in the presence of their immediate supervisors but in the vicinity of witnesses who, unfortunately, often distort the details of the criminal event when interviewed or asked to testify. Police work is also strongly associated with corruption through the extreme abuse of police authority for the wrong benefits of other individuals (Klockars, 2000). Corruption is a form of misconduct that has long been a concern of every society. Several attempts has been made to control the application and use of corruption in police work yet there are several factors that decrease the likelihood of success in controlling this social problem. One of the factors that hinder the control of corruption is that police officers refuse to report activities that are deemed corrupt to their fellow officers. Also known as The Code or The Code of Silence, this secret has been with the police force for decades. Another factor that prevents the control of corruption in police work is that police administrators are hesitant in acknowledging that corrupt events do exist in their respective police agencies. The idea that corrupt activities may benefit the police officers in terms of extra financial income also influences police officers to continue performing or acknowledging corrupt acts. Another factor that prevents the success in controlling corrupt activities within the police force involves the scarcity of victims of these shameful acts who are willing to report the corrupt incident to federal investigators. For some time, corruption has been viewed by police administrators as a sign of the insufficiency of moral standards among police officers. To date, the officials of police administration has actively fought the problem of corruption in the police force by meticulously and cautiously screening the new applicants for positions in the police force in order to lessen the probability that newly hired police officers will not succumb to the perennial problem of corruption in their field of work. In addition, police administrators have also aggressively followed and hunted down any members of the police force that are known to deal with corrupt activities during their line of duty with the police force. Once these morally delinquent police officers are tracked, they are dismissed from their positions so that any additional cases of corruption will surely be prevented. The removal of these corrupt police officers also assure that the negative influences of these police officers will not spread to the rest of the members of the police force. The concept of removal of a corrupt police officer from the police force is similar to the bad apple theory in agriculture and this approach has been strongly criticized in the past years. In order to better understand the problems associated with police work, it is essential that the field of police work first be presented. THE ROLE OF A POLICE OFFICER            A police officer pertains to a working employee of the police force who has been trained in special responsibilities such as counterterrorism and surveillance. A police officer is also equipped with the capabilities for child protection as well as protection of diplomatic individuals. Police officers are experienced in investigating crimes such as murder, burglary, rape and drug trafficking. It should be understood that the duties of a police officer encompass a wide range of functions. These officers are expected to be capable of responding to any type of situation that may occur during their time of duty.  Police officers are considered as government officials during investigatory events of crimes. In specific cities and communities, it is the responsibility of a police officer to maintain peace and conduct in the area, even if they are not on duty.            Society perceives a police officer as a person who is responsible for instilling peace and order in his particular area of duty. Peace and order can be attained through the enforcement of rules or prohibitions in terms of social interactions. Police officers are also responsible in discouraging attempts to commit crimes, aside from investigating a crime that has already occurred in a particular area. In addition, police officers carry the legal role and authority to arrest any suspected individuals that may have played a role in a crime. They also have the authority to interrogate and detain the suspect, as well as report the incident and the associated suspects to the proper authorities.            Police officers may also help in instilling the safety of the public during large gatherings. Such role may be similar to an emergency service wherein they could be called on to facilitate in public operations such as town or city programs and parades. These individuals also serve as a source of immediate response during times of emergency and disasters because they serve as the first person at the scene of an incident. Once a police officer arrives at the particular site and makes a quick survey of the area, he then quickly informs the fire and emergency medical units of the city to respond to the situation. Depending on the state or country, police officers and firemen have the same line of call, wherein these two groups of government employees may respond to the scene of a disaster at the same time.            Minor offenses are also reported by police officers in the form of citations which generally results in the implementation of fine. One good example of a minor offense includes the violation in the laws of driving and traffic such as illegal parking or over-speeding. Other traffic violations may include accosting a driver who has consumed more than the allowable amounts of alcohol drinks. The detention of drivers that manipulate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol prevents car accidents as well as deaths. Police officers are also trained in assisting individuals that are caught in the middle of an accident or even a simple car breakdown. It is interesting to know that police officers are trained in techniques in first aid as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).            Park rangers are also considered as police officers who man the national parks and other open recreational locations. These individuals also enforce specific laws in order to instill peace and order in these specific areas. Police officers are also visible in areas where rallies and political activities are frequently held. These law enforcers are responsible in suppress overly active protests that hinders the rest of the public from performing their daily functions such as going to work. Police officers make sure that rallies and other kinds of protests are held within the allowable parts of the public area such as sidewalks and the rest of the people and vehicles are not hindered from moving through their usual activities. There are some cases wherein protesters may be extremely upset regarding a particular political or ethical issue and these individual may start screaming and acting in more violent behavior. Should this be the case, the police officers are authorized to control such actions to an acceptable level of protest. QUALIFICATION OF A POLICE OFFICER            The credentials of a police officer often vary in each country, mainly depending on the expectations and roles of the police officer in that part of the world. However, it is a general requirement that a candidate for a position of police officer must show proof that he has completed some kind of formal education. Several decades earlier, police officers were not required to finish a college degree yet currently this has changed. Mostly due also to the changing times and the evolution of the society in terms of values and morals, candidates for positions of police officers are now required to carry a tertiary degree. In addition, the candidate for police officer is required to undergo two to three years of training as a police constable prior to promotion to a position of higher rank such as inspector or sergeant. It is a common path that a police officer originates from a military or security position.            In addition to carrying a college degree, a candidate for police officer is also required to undergo a physical fitness examination. In the United States, there are currently laws that vary by state that describe the requirements for candidates for the position of police officer. The requirements include specific information regarding the applicant’s age and educational level, as well as the criminal records and training. A police agency is generally similar to that of a semi-military organization that requires particular training and experience before applicants are admitted to the police force. There are also specific qualifications before a particular police officer can be promoted to a higher position in the police force. It should be noted that promotion to a higher rank in the police force is not an automatic operation that occurs once a police officer has served for three years. Promotion to a higher rank entails taking additional examinations that serve as tools that will help assess the police officer if he is ready and competent enough to hold a higher ranking position. An interview is also conducted by the review board that serves as a personal questioning session for the candidate police officer for promotion. The stringent requirements for promotion of a police officer to a higher rank are commensurate to the responsibilities that this police officer will hold once he is awarded the higher police rank. It is actually normal for a police officer to remain in the same position ranking for some time and it is usually the highly competent officers that are often deserve a higher rank in the police force. There are some instances when a specific police officer stays at the same position rank for a decade or more because it has been observed through their performance that the particular police officer is not competent to serve from a higher position. Police officers who have served in the police force for a particular duration may also apply for the position of police specialist. The specialist positions include the detective, firearms officer or motorcycle officer. TRAINING AT THE POLICE ACADEMY            A police academy is a training facility that is generally managed by the police department in order to serve as a venue for the education and development of the new recruits. These individual recruits were previously hired by the police department yet they are first required to undergo training at the police academy before they are allowed to work with the police force. The trainees at the police academy are taught essential skills that are expected of a police officer. The training involves both classroom and actual action training that runs for several months. Full-time training requires that the candidates are present for the entire day at the police academy, with provisions for letting them stay in for several months. In private police academies, training is conducted during the evenings so that the trainees are able to work during the day time to earn their wages to support themselves. In police academies that are run by the police department, stipends are given to the trainees because they are already considered as employees of the police force. Training at the police academy includes the principles of arrest and booking of individuals. The use of firearms is also taught at the academy. Special driving skills are also taught at the police academy because this is essential is chasing suspects and criminals. The trainees are also educated in terms of CPR and first aid skills because these capabilities are expected of a competent police officer. Trainees are also taught skills in writing police reports as well as ethical measures in interacting with individuals that they would likely deal with on a daily basis as a police officer. Theories of investigation and criminality will also be undertaken during the training of police officers. Methods in interacting with the community will also be taught at the police academy.            After several months of training at the police academy, the trainees are required to take written and practical examination to gauge the comprehension of the lessons that have been given to them. Upon passing the requirements of the written and practical examinations, the trainee is awarded a certification of police academy training and will then be assigned as a member of the police department. It has been observed that there has been an increase in recruitment of police officers in the past decade and it has been predicted that the number of newly recruited police officers will increase in the coming years. This is mostly due to the change in the society and politics of the country, as well as the increase in urbanization of cities. THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AND EQUALITY AMONG MEN            The hiring and recruitment of police officers has been influenced by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Years ago, Martin Luther King had a dream that all men and women would be equal. The laws and progression of civil rights and immigration has changed the United States. Racial inequality and color prejudice has damaged the United States; affecting the government system through legislation. The differences in culture background and heritage are being traversed. Borders are supposedly being crossed. Educational theories and classroom practices are taking up new forms in order to conform and meet the educational needs of the global societies. Educators and teachers are being expected to share views and recognize values from different cultures, races, societies and ethnic groups. They are expected to move outside the system and custom of the dominant society and incorporate beliefs other than those they are accustomed with. Our laws and progression of Civil Rights and immigration has changed the United States (AARP, 2004). The challenges that face our nation’s children relates to the civil right movements and immigration laws. The 1800’s industrialization expansion and slave trade increased immigration to the United States, bringing around twenty-five million people between 1866 and 1915.  In 1917, the United States began placing and enforcing restrictions on immigration.  The government did have provisions before, however most statutes were requirements for naturalization, government powers, reporting of aliens or items allowed to import. Amid 1875 to 1888, the government wanted to exclude people from coming into the United States that were criminals (whether convicted of crime or misdemeanor), prostitutes, paid or slave laborers, people with contagious diseases, polygamist, anarchist, or any person who wanted or thought it was okay to overthrow a government through forceful violence or assassination of public officials.  On February 5, 1917, a commission set forth by the President Woodrow Wilson, proposed and passed a law that enacted previous exclusions and added to exclude illiterate aliens. The excludable people were â€Å"imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, persons with physical or mental defects which may affect their ability to earn a living, persons afflicted with tuberculosis, children unaccompanied by their parents, persons who admitted the commission of a crime involving moral turpitude, and women coming to the United States for immoral purposes†. The 1920 U.S. census showed that the heaviest immigration prior to that time were from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and other countries in northern Europe. In the course of the ending of World War II in 1945, the number of aliens both legal and illegal increased dramatically. Immigrants were trying to escape poverty and oppression from all over the world. Citizens of the United States began feeling the pressure of immigrants taking their jobs and using expensive social services provided by the U.S. government with American tax dollars. The media began to portray evidence of racial inequality and color prejudice, damaging the image of the United States. Therefore, immigration and racial equality became debated hot topics. In 1857, the National Education Association (NEA) was formed to benefit teachers and students, and work to bring attention to educational issues, such as low teacher’s salaries, teacher retirement benefits, student testing and other bureaucratic demands. The NEA became an advocate for students and teachers through curriculum enhancements to both English language arts and history to benefit Immigrants, African Americans, and Indians (Holcomb 2006). The NEA lobbied to encourage laws like The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Immigration Nationality Act of 1964, which still affects our laws today, encouraging the idea of multiculturalism, thus expanding subjects such as history and language arts to include viewpoints of historically powerless and oppressed groups. During the civil rights movement, there were two America’s, a black America and a white America. The school, bathrooms, water fountains, restaurants, bus seats, libraries, movie theaters, hospital floors, and even the line to see Santa Clause were all segregated based on the color of skin. African Americans went to school four months out of the year because they needed to help earn incomes the rest of the months. Their schools had no cafeteria, most with outside bathrooms; and their books were passed down from the white schools so they were all out of date. The school building that contained African American students were falling apart.  The classes were overcrowded with too many students, and not enough room for all the needed classes and materials. For the most part, these students had teachers that were substitutes who didn’t know what they were doing. The teachers that were in these schools had fixed values for these students and did not provide curriculum that was interesting or pertained to the students who were learning. The assumption of teachers was that these African American students did not deserve â€Å"a great deal in life and that a little, even a very little, (a very little) for a Negro child is a great deal more than he or she has earned†. Complaints were being vocalized with the school districts letting white students ride the bus to attend white schools, and black students had to walk to their school when they lived right next to an â€Å"all white†school. In 1951, the Supreme Court finally had to face and rule on the subject of civil rights. A group called the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), created in 1909 to work towards eliminating segregation and discrimination, came together in a court case Brown versus Board of Education. African Americans had started filing suits against the educational systems as early as 1845, but the Supreme Court combined five cases to hear in 1951. The issues brought before the court was because of school conditions, segregation, deficient curriculum, pupil to teacher ratio, teacher training, extracurricular activity programs offered, transportation deficiencies, and of course teacher salaries. The discriminatory environment derived from civil rights and immigration issues unlocked, and then caused the world to see that human tendencies are to prejudge, discriminate against, and stereotype people based on their ethnic, religious, physical, or cultural characteristics. In 1954, Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka, also called Brown I ruled by Chief Justice Warren, acknowledged learning to be the most significant task of state and local government and repudiated the separate but equal doctrine, deciding that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal (Brown Foundation, 1996). The decision had great impact and important to the civil rights movement. The Supreme Court ruled that school had no place for separate but equal status. A year later the Supreme Court decision in Brown II defined how and when school desegregation would be achieved because there was no standard or deadline set in Brown I. The legal precedence of this time caused far reaching social and ideological implications that brought about changes in the 1960’s and beyond. On the other hand, the legal wrangling did not make immigration and civil right issues disappear because of the ambiguity of the legal decisions. The 1960’s brought about race riots all over the U.S., deaths because of race, and more laws that declared discrimination illegal. On January 20, 1964, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into the Presidency, after the sudden death of President John F. Kennedy. As America mourned the death of JFK, President Lyndon B. Johnson placed his hand on the Holy Bible that was being held by his wife and took the oath of office. On that particular day, Lyndon B. Johnson launched his new program called the Great Society. The agenda was intended to produce a better quality of life for all Americans.  Reporters knew the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson as a legislative miracle.  In fact, Dick West of the Dallas Morning News expressed that Mr. Truman could not get started on a civil rights bill because a rebellious congress passed an immigration law over a veto.  Jack Kennedy took one whirl at federal aid to education, and then backed off. Then he tried to get Congress to set up a Department of Housing and Urban Development with Cabinet Status and was turned down in the House 264 to 150. On the other hand, West writes that President Johnson was able to get these laws passed exactly the way he wanted them, thus being named The Congressional Magician.  President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964, during a luncheon honoring late President Abraham Lincoln in the East room of the White House. The bill was about discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The President sat at a small table in the center with racks holding 72 pens, which was an insufficient amount.  He actually used over 100 pens to sign this triumphant bill into law.  Robert F. Kennedy sat in the front row, Martin Luther King sat in the second row, and other senators and cabinet members attended.  President Johnson’s speech was swift but had great emphasis as he called on all Americans to close the springs of racial poison and eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved America. The President spoke of the challenge that Lincoln bestowed upon America asking for preservation of the union, enlargement of liberties for America and for being true to the Declaration of Independence which gives liberty to all.  The speech was a direct challenge for all Americans to ensure that all people including Black American’s will be a part of a complete and equal society. Immigrants thus have an equal opportunity to apply as police officers. However, it has been observed that most immigrants do not perform well in the written examination for police officers because the links between illiteracy and illegal immigration is astounding. Hispanic immigrants come to the United States without having the basic literacy skills needed (Garraty and Carnes, 2001). Teachers in Texas are finding that their classes are mostly English language learners. Bilingual assistants are there to translate to students and teacher regarding teaching information and notes; they are also there to translate during parent teacher conferences. Each state requires that each police officer candidate establish a language proficiency assessment to show that he passed the proficiency and achievement-level this is required for those individuals whose primary language is not English. The examining committee classifies the applicant and recommends placement and help to benefit the applicant.  There are now reports that the translator and the English Language Learning programs are now improving. Most immigrants are visual learners hence English or Spanish languages are no barriers to learning. The problem is when the Hispanic people take the summers off to return to Mexico. Jackie stated that it seems like they lose the English proficiency learned previously. While some teachers see the problem improving there are immigrants who have voiced their concern. There are certain citizens who are concerned that teachers are spending more time because of English Language Learners and have even dealt with hearing the American-born individuals in a special class because of observation as a slow reader. Upon further investigation, it was realized the teacher was teaching and reading to the children in Spanish, which English-speaking students did not understand. Because education focus has become multi-cultural teachers use literature to teach about other cultures. Multi-cultural literature develops values and self-concept for students. On the other hand, some say American-born students reading and writing scores are declining and achievement gaps are closing. Some believe that many linguists and educators focus on the multicultural aspect, degrading the English Language. As of 1992, many states require teachers to have a certification to teach English as a Second Language, also called ESL in order to assist immigrants who are in training.  Teachers must have the appropriate academic background is ESL theory and methodology. While there are some educators who back bilingual education, which is where students learn basic skills in their own language while they are learning to speak English. English-speaking students will have a chance to learn Spanish. However, we are facing political efforts to make English the United States official language.  Senator Pete Domenci of New Mexico expressed that the inherent shallowness behind ‘English Only’ would deny the United States the opportunity to meet is full market potential. Therefore, he introduced an approach called English Plus.  English-plus, adopted in New Mexico’s constitution requiring those public school teachers must be trained in both English and Spanish so that Spanish-speaking students will be taught English properly.  On the other hand, many believe there is no need to make English the official language of the United States because it limits us from having a world–view.  The English Language is the most multi-cultural language and it celebrates diversity because of the multi-cultural influences from the French, Germans, and African’s, which continually make it powerful and diverse. There is an increase in the need for police officers to establish peace and order in the country. At the same time, the country is experiencing a rapid immigration increase of Hispanics and African American students. The appeal of the current level and police administration in terms of the hiring and recruitment process is an interesting area to cover. The costs of raising education potential for both African Americans and Latino students in order to provide equal opportunity for hiring immigrants would be high, yet there would be benefits by savings in public peace and order expenditures and increased tax revenues based on higher incomes.  Holding onto our legacy of the past, we are now teaching with a cultural approach attempt to raise the academic and professional achievement of all trainees and students through culturally relevant lessons.  Reference AARP, LCCR, Library of Congress (2004). Save Our History: Voices of Civil Rights. The History Channel: The Hearst Corporation. Brown Foundation (1996). Brown VS Board of Education: About the Case. Retrieved March 9, 2006 from http://brownvboard.org/summary/. Garraty, J.A. Carnes, M.C. (2001). A Short History of the American Nation. (P. 450). New York: Longman Klockars CB (2000): The measurement of police integrity. U.S. Department of Justice Research Briefs. May 2000.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Change in Perspective :: Personal Narrative Abercrombie Papers
Change in Perspective Saturday morning, time to blow through Friday's paycheck at the mall.After entering through the massive glass doors into Summerset Plaza, I am overwhelmed with the sheer size and exquisite detail of the structure.Marble covers the walls and flooring while the ceiling is masked in a network of geometric arcs that support the giant pieces of glass creating a gigantic skylight.Walking further towards my favorite store, I pass through the center of the mall where lies an elegant marble fountain with perfect symmetry pouring water off in all directions.From here all three main wings and the three stories on each wing are visible.There are more stores than I would ever want to enter, filling up every inch the mall has to offer.Now, still walking and within one hundred feet from my destination I can begin to hear the music radiating from within, over powering the mall's choice of songs.Getting closer to the store I can now see the blue awnings over each window and the words Abercrombie & Fi tch that rest just above the oak boarded glass doors.Before entering the store I take time to examine the newest styles that clothe the mannequins in the windows.From here I can easily hear each lyric of the song that echoes out the store, I am intimidated.After giving myself an idea of what there is to buy I proceed into Abercrombie. Now inside and completely intimidated by my surroundings, I do my best to get what I want and get out.Unfortunately that is not as easy as I had planned.The music is disorienting, coming very loudly from all angles, and I have not the slightest clue as to who is behind me or what he or she is saying.Then I begin to realize how bright the environment is, and I can actually feel the heat of the bulbs on the back of my neck.Feeling completely uncomfortable and out of place, I take a look around to observe how others are acting in the same situation.Peering around, I see primarily all teenagers who look identically like the mannequins on the tables.Every guy is tall, handsome, and dressed perfectly and all the girls are slender, pretty, and again dressed in the latest fashion.Now that I have developed an inferiority complex, I try to take my eyes off the people and onto the merchandise.Browsing around I see the countless stacks of perfectly folded pants covering every wall, and every swe ater, button-down, t-shirt, and hooded sweatshirt meticulously placed into stacks of ten or twelve.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Physioex 9 Exercise 6 Notes
PhysioEX notes Autorhythmicity- heart’s ability to trigger its own contractions Phase O- a lot like depolarization in neuronal action potentials. Sodium channels open, increase of sodium INTO cell. Phase 1- sodium channels close, potassium channels close, decrease in potassium and sodium. Calcium channels open, increase of calcium into cell. Phase 2- Plateau phase, membrane still depolarized (contract). Potassium channels closed, L-type calcium channels stay open. Lasts 0. 2 seconds/200 milliseconds.Phase 3- second set of potassium channels open, potassium decrease. Failing membrane potential cause calcium channels to close, calcium decrease to cell. Membrane repolarizes to resting potential. Phase 4- resting membrane potential is reached until next depolarization from neighboring cardiac pacemaker cells. Total cardiac AP last 0. 25-0. 3 seconds or 250-300 milliseconds Wave Summation- occurs when a skeletal muscle is stimulated with such frequency that muscle twitches overlap and result in a stronger contraction than a single muscle twitch.When enough of these twitches occur at a frequent rate, muscle reaches fused tetanus, or smooth movement. Individual twitches cannot be distinguished. Tetanus occurs in skeletal muscle because skeletal muscle has a relatively short absolute refractory period(a period during which APs cannot be generated no matter how strong the stimulus). Cardiac muscles has a relatively long refractory perios and is thus incapable of wave summation. Cardiac muscle is incapable of reacting to any stimulus before middle of phase 3 and will not respond to a normal cardiac stimulus efore phase 4. Absolute refractory period- time between the beginning of the cardiac AP and middle of phase 3. Relative refractory period- time between absolute refractory period and phase 4. Total refractory period = 200-250 milliseconds. Almost as long as the contraction of the cardiac muscle. Vagus Nerve Stimulation The autonomic nervous system has two branc hes: Sympathetic- fight or flight Parasympathetic- resting and digesting At rest, parasympathetic is more active. Sympathetic is more active when needed, during exercise or confronting danger. Read Renal System Physiology PhysioexBoth supply nerve impulses to the heart. Sympathetic stimulation increases rate and force of contraction. Parasympathetic stimulation decreases rate without changing force of contraction. Vagus nerve carries signal to heart (cranial nerve X). Excessive vagal stimulation causes heart to stop beating. Ventricles will start beating after short time. Resumption of heartbeat is called Vagal Escape. Result of sympathetic reflexes or initiation of rhythim by Purkinje fibers. SA node is cluster of autorhythimic cardiac cells in right atrium. SA has fastest rate of spontaneous depolarization.Determineds heart rate and is referred to as pacemaker. SA node generates 100 Aps per minute. Humans are homeothermic- maintaining an internal body temperature at 35. 8 to 38. 2C regardless of outside temperature. When external temp is elevated, hypothalamus signals heat releasing mechanisms (sweat, vasodilation). In extreme external temperatures, body cannot compensat e and hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) or hypothermia(decreased body temperature) occurs. Frog is poikilothermic- internal body temperature changes with external environment temperatures.Ringer’s solution/irrigation- essential electrolytes (chloride, sodium potassium, calcium and magnesium), keeps isolated, intact heart viable. Sympathetic nerve fibers release norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline) at cardiac synapses. Norepinephrine and epinephrine increase frequency of AP by binding to B1 adrenergic receptors embedded in plasma membrane of SA cells. cAMP second messenger mechanism, bing of ligand opens sodium and calcium channels, increasing rate of depolarization and shortening period of repolarization, increasing heart rate.Parasympathetic NS usually dominates; releases acetylcholine at cardiac synapses. ACH decreases frequency of AP by binding to muscarinic cholinergic receptors in plasmas membrane of SA cells. ACH indirectly opens potassium channels and closes calcium and sodium channels, decreasing rate of depolarization and decreasing heart rate. Cholinergic- chemical modifiers that inhibit, mimic or enhance action of ACH. Adrenergic- chemical modifiers that inhibit, mimic or enhance action of epinephrine. If the modifiers works like a neurotransmitter, it is an agonist.If the modifier works opposite of a neurotransmitter, it is an antagonist. Resting cell membrane favors movement of potassium more than sodium or calcium. Resting membrane potential is determined by ratio of extracellular and intracellular concentrations of potassium. Phase 0 (rapid depolarization)- sodium moves in Phase 1 (small repolarization) – sodium movement decreases Phase 2 (plateau) – Potassium movement out decreases, Calcium moves in Phase 3 (repolarization)- potassium moves out, calcium movement decreases Phase 4 (resting potential) – potassium moves out, little sodium or calcium moves inCalcium channel blockers used to treat high BP and abnormal HR. Block calcium movement in all phases of cardiac action potentials. Result- depolarization rate and force of contraction reduced. Modifiers that affect HR are chronotropic Modifiers that affect force of contraction are inotropic. Modifiers that lower HR are negative chronotropic Modifiers that increase HR are positive chronotropic Modifiers that decrease force of contraction are negative inotropic Modifiers that increase force of contraction are positive inotropic
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
What Gives Us More Satisfaction: the Pursuit of Our Desires?
What gives us more satisfaction: the pursuit of our desires or the attainment of them? People have diverse definitions of happiness. Psychologists relate happiness to emotions and feelings of gratification. Economists define happiness in terms of wealth of individuals. Some people attribute happiness to attainment of desires. Some others believe that satisfaction lies in accepting the fact that human life is miserable and expectations just betray men. But where does real happiness and satisfaction lie?Although attainment is the objective of every pursuit and sense of accomplishment is an ingredient for further progress but still desires and destinations don’t completely satisfy humans yet it is the pursuit which instills a positive attitude towards life and struggle, makes the process enjoyable, it explores ones capabilities and eventually enables humans to transcend from petty pleasures to the higher purposes of their life. Happiness is not something to be derived from achiev ements as such; rather it comes after the pursuer who knuckles down for his desires.The proponents of attainment of desires say that achievement of desires, the motive of every pursuit, is the only way to happiness. They support their claim by saying that achievement is the final point of all human actions done in regard to pursuit of particular desire and outcome is what determines happiness not the pursuit. They exemplify that people and nations who have attained more are better than those who have attained less. Some economists went so far to claim that GDP and GNP can also measure the happiness level of nation. However, supporters of this point of view fallaciously ascribe happiness and pleasure to attainment.Attainment does not necessarily give us happiness and contentment. Furthermore, the example that they cite to support their point is hardly persuasive. This can be proven by the recent study conducted by WHO on over 90000 citizens of various countries. The study found that affluent nations like France (21 percent), New Zealand (18. 2 percent) and the United States (19. 2 percent) had the highest depression rates and people are unsatisfied for their lives, while lower-income countries such as China (6. 5 percent) and Mexico (8 percent) had the lowest incidences of depression. This discontentment is ecause the man, who acquires things easily, cannot stay satisfied and contented for long. Pursuit is better than attainment in the sense that they keep a person alive and satisfied in his work and also synergize his desires in accordance to his pursuit and eventually give him a bigger reward. Sense of accomplishment no doubt comes with attainment of desires and tangible success. Humans feel confident when they have success. Their achievement brings a positive attitude, and proud feeling. Still it would be quite superficial to say that attainment can give a kind of lasting happiness.In fact accomplishment and the happiness associated with it are based little on the net outcome but the way we reach our outcome. Thomas Paine rightly says, â€Å"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly†(qtd. in Bogle 36). It is our pursuit and hard struggle that gives everything its meaning and contribute to human happiness. For instance, Sir Edmund Percival Hillary would have no charm in conquering Mount Everest if he could do it by an elevator; similarly there is no point in conquering moon and mars if humans could do it as easily as climbing on the roof of house.The greater the pursuit involved in any achievement the greater the charm, thrill and pleasure of doing it. Furthermore, it is human nature to want what we don’t have. Human brain values distant things very attractively and our imagination also magnifies the importance of that particular desire in our mind. We struggle for things but once achieved they lose their fervor. This is the time when the person who exclusively focuses on attainment realizes that human life is a wretched life and desires don’t satisfy us. These are mere illusions which keep us busy.However, the person who has struggled for the thing has enjoyed the whole pursuing process and he is satisfied because his struggle, irrespective of outcome, has proved his capabilities and hard work. Pursuit of goals provides humans with real pleasure by giving him bigger success. Pursuit is not only the struggle but it is a whole paradigm which can inspire a person to keep working hard to achieve his goal and redefine the new goals after the achievement. Pursuit oriented persons dream bigger in life and they are more idealistic in their approach.It’s in fact the unending pursuit that bears the sweet fruit of extraordinary success and satisfaction. For instance, Alexander Fleming, Nobel laureate in medicine, never knew that he would win Nobel Prize. He even never aimed at discovering the Penicillin. He was just pursuing his inter est of studying microorganisms with devotion. The discovery of Penicillin, the noble prize and the title ‘Father of Biology’ were the by-products of his pursuit (Sir Alexander Fleming – Biography). Another point illustrating importance of pursuits is that pursuit has many gains in addition to the goal. It has content in itself.It is human nature that he finds himself satisfied in efforts towards his goals. â€Å"The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life, and when by means of great wealth homo sapiens can gratify all their whims without effort, the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness†(Russell 30). Thus, people enjoy the hard work only when they are interested in pursuits rather than in desire. History shows various relevant examples, â€Å"Louis Pasteur was so buried in his work on his wedding day that he entirely forgot the ceremony and had to be fetched by a friendâ⠂¬ (Avery).Similarly, John Nash, a great economist, found that his interests, fun and pleasure lie in Economics and its understanding. It is the pursuit which gives Stephen Hawking enough pleasure and happiness that despite of all his physical disabilities he is still living a contented, meaningful and productive life. Famous American philosopher and poet, Henry David Thoreau, says, â€Å"Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder†(qtd. n Brentar 36). An attainment oriented person always focuses on the upcoming excitement and pleasure because the purpose of his attainment is neither struggle nor pursuit. But do excitements and luxuries give us happiness? â€Å"A life that is too full of excitement is actually an exhausting life in which continually stronger stimuli are needed to give the thrill that has come to be thought as an essential part of pleasure†(Russell 62). And a time comes when it becomes almost impossible for humans to satisfy themselves with attainment of desires and excitements.For instance, Maharaja Patiala in spite of having all the luxuries and attainments could not withstand boredom and died of unhappiness and discontentment (Collins and Lapierre). For a happy life it is necessary to pursue for desire, as pursuit is never ending and it also modifies your goals and desires. This brings us to conclude that all the extra ordinary successes have been made possible by the great pursuit undertaken by human beings.Pursuit by virtue of stretching the human capabilities beyond their limits, enriching human personality with positive attitude and by creating a balance in life provides us real imperishable happiness. A pursuer finds contentment, learning and development for him in every struggle irrespective of the result. On the other hand an attainment oriented person is more interested in net outcomes, therefore, he finds his happiness confined and diminishing. It is pursuit which makes human entity superior to his attainments and transcends his happiness beyond his desires.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Theories of Creativity Essays
Theories of Creativity Essays Theories of Creativity Paper Theories of Creativity Paper Theories of Creativity and Quality Theories of Creativity and Quality Theories of creativity are vast. Several psychological theories on the process of creativity are chronicled. Some theorists explain creativity as intrinsic creative motivations, which individuals create a project for the sake of creating (Wibell, 2011). Other theorists convey the brain controls levels of creativity, and mental illness has an impact on creative process. Further, many believe the humanistic theory of creativity spawns the creative process. Through self-actualization creativity comes in peak experiences. The quality of the work depends on what is measured. The quality of the creative work depicts the message of the writing. The message can be entertaining, or educational. The humanistic theory of creativity stems from self-actualization described by Abraham Maslow, a pioneer in humanistic psychology. Maslow believes that creativity is divided into three categories; primary creativity, secondary creativity, and integrated creativity. This theory encompasses the gestalt of human intelligence and emotional state as well as the needs that must be met in order for someone to be completely able to express his, or her creativity. Primary creativity according to Maslow, allows self to escape from life stress. Individuals channel life stresses into creative art such as painting, sculpture, or writing. Secondary creativity results from the use of higher thought powers. Secondary creativity takes over from primary creativity and adds to it through the preparation stages (Bergquist, 2011). Integrated creativity stems from combining primary and secondary creativity that results in great works in art, philosophy, and scientific discoveries. The creative integration is also characteristic of self-actualized emotionally healthy individuals. Self-actualization is the full use of talents, capacities, and potentials. In order for the individual to reach the self-actualization level a series of hierarchy achievements must be accomplished; creativity can flourish only after the levels described have been reached. For example, the need for safety can come in various forms such as a safe place to live. Creativity may be hard to accomplish if an individual is homeless with the exceptions of J. K Rowlings the author of the Harry Potter series, and Tyler Perry, playwright; both homeless, living in cars when writing mega-hit products. The mental illness theory allows the writer to access the parts of the brain that generates abnormal ideas, which can differ from the norm as they may be considered strange. Not everyone who is considered creative is stark-raving mad, however; there are certain elements that tend to be present in highly creative people who cause them to view the world differently and choose to portray it in a different light. Additionally, people whose thought processes differ from the majority have a tendency to want to escape from reality and may choose to do so through the creative arts. The extent of level of mental illness is not necessarily relevant to an individual’s creative ability. In individuals such as Vincent Van Gogh- where it was believed he suffered from mental illness- the level of this illness was not fully determined or relevant, yet his creative works remain very much alive in the world today. The mental illness theory suggests that individuals intensely creative- and whose creative ideas are viewed as strange- are believed to suffer from mental illness that also diminishes their ability to fully function in society. This theory offers the possibility that an abnormality is present in some people to cause the desire to explore a darker side of their psyche. Any difference in a persons thought process that differs from the norm can be considered a mental illness in some way, or can be linked to one; this difference is not necessarily a negative thing because if this abnormality is mild, and it will rarely interfere with an individuals’ ability to operate in society. Carl Jung (1953) extends creative functioning by further dividing artistic creativity into two categories, psychological art, and visionary art. Art is considered psychological art and appears to be generated by primary processes. With this Maslow’s humanistic theory of creativity ties into with his theory about needs requiring to be met before reaching a higher point of creativity. Visionary art which derives its existence from the hinterlands of the mans mind, is the type of art where the strange worlds and ideasdescribed by the mental illness theory of creativityare generated from, as it connects creative individuals with the super-human and timeless worlds beyond their conscious knowing. A plausible explanation for the relation of both the humanistic and mental illness theories similarities is attributed to author, Koestler who fails to represent any particular school of thought, but has had much success in creativity research. His premise on creativity is â€Å"bisociation†a term â€Å"coined by Koestler meaning to join unrelated, often conflictual, information in a new way. †He also goes on to say that this is similar to being double minded or able to think on more than one plane of thought simultaneously, and Frank Barron (1988) places the possibility that developing the ability to â€Å"tolerate chaos or seemingly opposite information is characteristic of creative individuals†(Bergquist, 2009). In short, appears both theories may very well be related, but worded differently. The attributes discussed by the mental illness theory touches on the humans’ ability to think on two distinct planes. The humanistic theory also holds truth when discussing the various needs one must attain before clearly being free to explore creativity as the whole. Concerning creativity, everyone has an opinion as how to approach it and judge its core. Some believe that for a work to be considered creative it must meet a few specific requirements such as being of fantasy or science fiction. Others believe that in order for creative works- whether they are art or music based- to be considered creative they have to be based on imagination; however, Al Gore’s book, paper, and PowerPoint presentation on global warming was quite creative even though it only appeared to be in functional writing format. Analyzing Theories Two types of writing, creative, and functional writing are of focus. Functional writing encompasses writings such as those found in phone manuals, data analysis, and essays; whereas creative writing has often been judged upon the inventiveness of the topic, for example, a fable or parable, a fiction story, or poetry. However, it has been determined by this team that the creativity writing and its quality should be judged on the content as well as the message it delivers to its intended audience. According to Mark Barrett, a writer and opinionated individual, writing should be judged according to the basis for writing. For example, if a writer writes to entertain or inform, the writing should be judged on whether or not it is powerful and clear or muddy and confusing. If writers write for the simple pleasure of writing or to have others enjoy their work, then the content should be judged on whether or not it is enjoyable (Barrett, 2010). Furthermore, there exist various methods of judging writing are based on what the judge considers to be correct according to the extent of their personal experience. However, most writers have agreed that the fundamental rule for judging lies in assessing the total impact of the passage, i. e. the combination of the creative ingenuity and the use of language (Chedzoy, n. d. ). The quality of a specific work should be evaluated for message and interest; in other words is the writing based on the interests of the writer. The creative work should be judged on the value, lesson, or educational message it conveys and the impact this has on the audience. Additionally, the flow and technical aspect of the writing should also be judged because the creative piece should flow naturally without fault or hindrance of grammatical errors and should emphasize pauses for thought, commas, or periods, (Hoosierpoet, 2004). As judges, questions regarding the writer’s choice in language or words must always be examined because these have an effect on the works’ purpose. Originality is key to being a great writer; it is important to use personal thoughts, ideas, and words when creating a work and if inspired by another’s work, it must be so noted. Finally, the judging of any work is complete when elements of the work are brought together and an impact has been made. Applied Theories Abraham Malsow’s humanistic theory of creativity specifies creativity occurs in stages. According to Maslow levels of achievement must be accomplished in order for creativity to flourish. Self-actualization is the goal of humanistic theory, and self-actualization occurs in stages. Once the stages are accomplished the individual has peak experiences, and peak experiences allow creativity to flourish. As a self-actualized creator there is an inclination to spark creativity across a vast number of areas. Through writing self-actualized creative writers can express ideas and impulses without fear of criticism, and thus are better able to produce, or express creative ideas, (Cassandro Simonton, 2011. ) Humanistic theory of the process of creativity for writing occurs in stages. In fiction writing hierarchy levels of achievement were required. First physiological needs met, the need for creative space. Creative space is anywhere from a room of one’s own to write in, to a small desk, in a shared room. Depending on the creative project the space may require isolation. Next is the need for creative peers such as classmates, or others in the same area of creativity to provide feedback. A need to surround self around others to obtain insight, information, ideas, or encouragement is essential (Morris, 2009. The need for creative inspiration follows. Inspiration can come in a variety of methods. For example, books, magazines, life experiences, the outside environment, and people watching inspire many creative writing processes. Another level on the hierarchy pyramid is imaginative space to doodle, scribble, or journal writing, which is different from physiological space, and allows creative energies to flow. The ability to have the freedom to expose the crea tive edge in the creative writing process assists in meeting the hierarchy levels of achievement. Solving problems, pushing boundaries, or developing something new is the heart of the creative writing process (Morris, 2009. ) When writing something from nothing more than a thought the writer needs to have faith in what he, or she is writing and believe in the final writing project. Additionally creative writing seeks an audience. In writing fiction the writer normally looks forward to his, or her work receiving feedback from peers, and enthusiastic responses from friends, and family. The need for certainty in an uncertain market is required. Creative writing, or creative arts of any sort require certainty in other areas such as home, relationships, or income assist in financially sustaining the writer throughout the creative writing process as he, or she work on the craft. Last on the humanistic theory of creativity hierarchy level of achievement is the need for time to cultivate the art of writing. Writers have to make choices in daily activities that allow for creative writing time to unfold. This means telling others no to activities, or completing chores early to allow time to write. Hierarchy levels of achievement are individualistic as pertains to the humanistic theory of creativity. Reference: V. Cassandro, and D. Simonton, (2011) Creativity and Genius. Retrieved from: www. nipissingu. ca/faculty/strange/courses/p2257/creativityandgenius. pdf. C. Morris, (2009) A Creative Person’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from: www. journeyjuju. com/ /the-creative-person’s-hierarchy-of-needs. html Webill, K. (2011) Cognitive Creativity. Retrieved from: http://faculty. mercer. edu/spears_a/studentpages/creativity/cognitivecreativit
Monday, October 21, 2019
Black Paths of Leadership essays
Black Paths of Leadership essays Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, and Marcus Garvey were all leaders in a black community that was struggling to earn rights that they had strived for for so long. In America, blacks were still without a home, as they were titled citizens yet did not really live the life of a citizen. Blacks were separated from society, as separate but equal became legal and was thought of as fair by the whites of the nation. In an epoch when times were rough, these three men made valiant efforts to relieve these African-Americans of the pain they had suffered for so long. Booker T. Washington was born a slave and began his life without formal education. It was this fact that led to him to desire education for all blacks. After working since he was nine years old, he enrolled at the Hampton Institute when he was sixteen years old. After graduating, he spent a few years as a teacher and understood that his role as a teacher could change the situation of many of his fellow blacks. He left his home and began work at Tuskegee Institute, which became a prominent institution in Alabama. Washingtons main strength lied in the fact that he was practical, and wanted to teach practical skills to blacks. This method he figured, would enable blacks to integrate into society as quickly as possible. His main weakness however lied in the fact that Washington often acted as though he was a dictator. Regardless, Washington helped to improve equality in this country. W.E.B Dubois was a well-educated man, a fact that enabled him to work on setting new standards for blacks. Dubois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In this town, he was the first black to graduate from his high school, a trend that would continue for much of his adult life. After attending Fisk University, he became the first black to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. After his days of education were over, he began to return the favor by teaching. H...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Prime Minister John Turner Biography
Prime Minister John Turner Biography John Turner was a Prime Minister in waiting for too long. By the time John Turner had waited out the Trudeau era and was elected Leader of the Liberal Party to become Prime Minister in 1984, the country was fed up with the Liberal government. Turner himself seemed out of date and out of touch. He made a number of political gaffes, including calling an early election, and the Conservatives won a massive majority. For six years as Leader of the Opposition, John Turner fought, unsuccessfully, against free trade with the United States. Prime Minister of Canada 1984 Birth June 7, 1929, in Richmond, Surrey, England. John Turner came to Canada as a young child in 1932. Education BA - University of British ColumbiaRhodes Scholar, BA in Jurisprudence, BCL, MA - Oxford UniversityUniversity of Paris Profession Lawyer Political Affiliation Liberal Party of Canada Ridings (Electoral Districts) Over the years, Turner held ridings in three different provinces - Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. St-Laurent - St-Georges 1962-68Ottawa-Carleton 1968-76Vancouver Quadra 1984-93 Political Career of John Turner John Turner was first elected to the House of Commons in 1962.He was a Minister without Portfolio from 1965 to 1967, and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs from 1967 to 1968.He ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1968 but lost to Pierre Trudeau.In 1968, John Turner became Solicitor General of Canada.He was Minister of Justice from 1968 to 1972.From 1972 to 1975, John Turner was Minister of Finance. In 1974, his second budget was voted down in the House of Commons, and a general election was called.The Liberals won the 1974 general election and John Turner was again appointed Minister of Finance.Unhappy with the job of Minister of Finance and the economic policy of the government, John Turner resigned in 1975 to return to the practice of law in Toronto.When Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau retired in 1984, John Turner was elected Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.John Turner was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada in 1984.A series of patronage appointments by both Pierre Trudeau and John Turner, and an electorate tired of 16 years of Liberal government led to a Conservative victory in the 1984 general election. Brian Mulroney became Prime Minister. John Turner stayed as Leader of the Opposition for six years from 1984 to 1990.He retired from politics in 1993 and returned to the practice of law.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Reflection paper on a comparison of the narrative Ararat by A. Egoyan Essay
Reflection paper on a comparison of the narrative Ararat by A. Egoyan and documentary AGHET(catastrophe) - Essay Example Although they rarely take part in solving these problems, they provide an avenue of addressing these problems. Many films, targeting the social arena focus on issues such as drug abuse, crime, prostitution, child abuse among others. Further, they suggest solutions to these issues. Other films shed light on the certain important issues among us. While some are investigative, others base their ideas on research. Such are the kinds of films that either seeks to unearth certain phenomena affecting our current society. In various instances, we disregard film directors whenever they come up with a science fiction movie, creatively directed and produced to entertain us. Few are the times when we however disregard films when they address reality. This remains the biggest role played by the two films discussed in this essay, the narrative Ararat and AGHET Documentary. Based on the same idea, these two films mainly address the same topic, which is the Armenian Genocide. Approaches used by thes e films’ directors form the only difference in the films. While the Ararat is an acted narrative, the AGHET is a documentary of various accounts of witnesses during the genocide. They thus boost the human rights campaign, just as other films focusing on the social issues have done. Commonly referred to as the Armenian genocide, actions by Ottoman’s government of systematically exterminating a majority of the Armenian subjects from their historic homeland in the current State of Turkey define the genocide. The genocide took place in two phases. One of them was the mass murder of all bodied men in the region, as well as subjection to forced hard labour. The second phase was the deportation of women, children and the elderly where they were marched to the Syrian Desert, leading to numerous deaths. This was an inhumane way of dealing with these subjects. What was so important, leave along the political power and supremacy to warrant such actions to the people? For a long t ime, power hungry individuals have sacrificed innocent citizens for their individual selfish gains. Since the time of evolution, as revealed by Darwin, people and animals have had to override on others for success. This however did not warrant the Germans to treat people with the heightened levels of cruelty portrayed by the films during the genocide. Nothing justifies the actions of Ottoman Turk and his administrators to the Armenians during the genocide that claimed at least one and half people. Observers and experts describe the Armenian genocide as the first ever genocide to occur in the modern world. Owing to the organised manner in which the Ottoman’s administrators conducted the massacre to eliminate the Armenians, this is one of the most studied cases in the world so far from the holocaust. This forms the main reason why the filming of the events took place, 96 years later after their happening. They are still very significant to the world until this day. The effects of the genocide felt among the Armenians 98 years later after it took place shows the depth of the matter. The genocide started on the 24th April 1915 when Ottoman’s army arrested at least 250 Armenians and took them away from their homes. This day, commonly referred to as the Red Sunday was the night, which the interior minister Mehmed Talaat ordered the army to arrest and move to two holdings in Ankara, all notable Armenian leaders. However, the Tehcir War of 29th May 1915 led
Critical Social Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Critical Social Analysis - Essay Example The basic assumption of the article underlined the fact that the privileges enjoyed by the whites deliberately override the basic rights and freedom of persons belonging to different color of skin, culture and religion. The repercussions of such discriminations are extensive and often abusive for underprivileged segment of society living in extreme poverty and sub human conditions in various parts of the world. The condition in South Africa is worth mentioning because of the abject poverty which has resulted in HIV/AIDS pandemic. As per the article, out of 3 million cases, 2.4 million HIV/AIDS cases were in Africa only! The writers are appalled that such human misery has, neither evoked empathy among the rich nations nor has it penetrated their hard faà §ade of self interest. One of the major ideas that the article propagates is that of health being one of the fundamental rights of all persons. Health is incorporated in the 1946 constitution of WHO2 and 1948 declaration of Human Rights. They clearly state the need for a minimum standard of living and access to medical facilities, food and housing for every human being, irrespective of race, religion, political belief and socio-economic conditions. The concept has been accepted in theory but practical implementation has yet to take off. The callous attitude towards the less fortunate can be gauged by Andrew Natsios, USAID Director when he said that Africans should not receive lifesaving AIDS treatment because ‘they don’t know what Western time is’(Salim). This is most blatant expression of racism at its worst not because of its offensive content but that it is uttered by a man of authority who is fully aware that he will get away with any blasà © attitude because he is white and he is American. America indeed, has turned out to be the biggest promoter of global apartheid. The inequalities and discriminatory practices are a legacy
Friday, October 18, 2019
Master slave relationships in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay
Master slave relationships in Shakespeares The Tempest - Essay Example (I, ii, 519-520). The word ‘slave’ is repeatedly used in the text to refer to Caliban which throws light on the European attitudes towards the people they conquered through imperialism. Similarly, Prospero calls Caliban â€Å"beast†(IV, i, 140), â€Å"devil†(IV, i, 188) and other derogatory terms to refer to his savagery and uncivilised ways. Even though Prospero claims to have imposed penalties on Caliban for violating the honour of his daughter (I, ii, 347-48) one really tends to doubt whether Caliban really deserves all those punishments inflicted on him. Tiffany, in this respect, purports that Caliban’s attempted rape on Miranda â€Å"stemmed from untaught natural impulse than from considered evil.†However, Caliban is destined to suffer from the wrath of his master. However, Caliban is not always submissive or servile. He reacts and yearns for his freedom and rights like a true colonist. His poems display both imaginative and intellectu al capabilities. He is bold enough to state that the island was presented to him by his mother: â€Å"This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother†(I, ii, 331) and thus he expresses his rightful claim to own the island. In the same way, Caliban’s intense longing to take revenge on his master is also evident in the play when he joins with Stephano and Trinculo to plot against Prospero. His revengeful attitude also made clear when he regrets of not being able to molest Miranda. He believes that if he had succeeded in his rape attempt he could have â€Å"peopled..../This isle with Calibans†(I, ii, 350-51) and taken the power back from Prospero’s hands. Thus, Caliban’s character displays feelings of... This paper illustrates that one can find Prospero’s magical powers being highlighted in The Tempest whereas his oppressive nature is depicted as subtle. However, deconstructive critics hold that â€Å"each term in the opposition depends on the other for meaning†and as such it is clear that Prospero masterly position in the play is directly related to Caliban’s servile or beastly existence. A deconstructive understanding of the text shows The Tempest is not merely a story of an island inhabitant and his master; on the other hand, the text aims at breaking the legacy of colonialism or imperialism that underpinned Britain’s history of slavery and empire. It can thus be seen that The Tempest deals with the themes of power and control within a master slave relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Caliban remains a servant to many masters varying from his mother Sycorax, the original colonizer to Stephano whom he takes as his own master to challenge Prospero. One can clearly notice that a number of characters in the play compete for the colonial control of the island and each one has specific colonial ambitions for the island. Even though Prospero succeeds in retaining the control of the island against all conspiracies his rule and the way he treats Caliban who is the rightful owner of the island raises questions of fairness, morality and rights. Thus, it is evident that the play depicts all the necessary tensions, uncertainties and master-slave relations that characterise colonialism and both Prospero and Caliban are signifiers for the greater imperial world order.
Ethical Frame Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Ethical Frame Work - Research Paper Example ct, performance and ethics of nurses is supposed to be guaranteed and information about the patient not to be divulged to anyone without the consent of the patient. In The National Health Service (Venereal Diseases) Regulations 1974 (Halsbury et al. 2010), which is in line the article, states that confidentiality can be breached for the purposes of treatment or prevention of that health condition. This is applicable to the case in the article where the patient’s medical condition required treatment and that could be done only with parent’s consent and hence that information about the cervical cancer had to be disclosed breaching the confidentiality code (Nathanson Feb 24th 2000). This was the ethical decision that the doctor had to make in order for the patient to receive treatment and proper care. The first step is to identify how that problem will affect the individual. In the case, if no treatment is offered and in time, the patient could spread it to others and she could also die. The second step is to identify who will be affected by the decision not to breach the confidentiality and in this case it’s the sex partners and parents. Then you should analyze the values of those to be affected and especially the parents in this situation because of the medical costs and responsibilities of the cancer. At this point make the decision which will be beneficial to the patient’s health condition, which means finally deciding on the course the course of action before it is too late for the patient. In this case, the doctor should convince the student about telling her parents for her own health safety and treatment (Jasper 2007). The ethical framework of decisions requires an individual to be very familiar with the issue under discussion, then think about it very carefully examining its pros and cons, decision on what to do should then follow, after which communication of the decision to the patient/ client is necessary and try to convince them about the
Thursday, October 17, 2019
What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks Essay
What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks - Essay Example The conclusion will include a critical assessment of ethical consumerism in lieu of the evidence collected from primary and secondary research. The assessment will be limited to Starbucks. Finally, the paper will present recommendations as to how Starbucks can become more ethical. Consumers always want to be associated with products or services that are â€Å"clean,†meaning they do not bear any mark of malpractice. This orientation is influenced by many things, but it forms part of consumers’ personal philosophy. With natural resources becoming increasingly limited, and the degradation of human principles becoming increasingly blatant, governments and consumers have shifted attention to sustainable business practices. The sustainability message has been spread widely since the advent of the 21st century, and its core lies ethical consumerism. Globalisation has made society more interconnected, so much so that negative situations at one end of the globe are felt another end. A century ago, consumers did not care much about the methods used to deliver products and services provided they satisfied their needs. However, globalisation has ensured that unethical and immoral business practices affect consumers around the world in one way or the other. This explains the increasing popularity of ethical consumerism. This paper will discuss the various dynamics surrounding the concept. Ethical consumerism, also known as positive buying, can be defined, first, as a variant of consumer activism. Its basis lies in the belief that consumers should have a say in the products and services they pay for, and that they should be recognized and respected as valuable members of the supply chain. Ethical consumerism is guided by the notion that all purchases are motivated by moral choices.
Health Care Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1
Health Care Reform - Research Paper Example It was in this context that new health care reforms were introduced. These reforms have given America's people, lots of rights and benefits regarding their health options but also have brought in some inconveniences along with that. The need for reforms Ten years back, around 45 million Americans were still outside insurance coverage (Garson). Kronenfeld and Kronenfeld have observed that â€Å"health care reform, or modification of the US health care system so that affordable, high-quality health care services are available to every one, is a public policy issue that has received discussion in the United States off an on since World War II†(1). One major criticism that arose from the period of George Bush’s Presidentship was that, â€Å"once the events of September 11, 2011, and the war with Iraq in 2003 led to a greater focus on international concerns and terrorism, the prominence of health care issues became fairly low†(Kronenfeld and Kronenfeld, 1). It was i n this backdrop that public demand arose for a health care reform. The 'Acts' The health reforms comprise of two bills (The Economist). Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act became was introduced and adopted in March 2010 (Healthcare.gov). The second has been a â€Å"reconciliation†act which was added to the reform package to compensate some of the pitfalls in the initial act (The Economist). This reform has been termed as the â€Å"biggest reform of health care in the country for 40 years†(BBC). This reform has also been hailed as an act to end â€Å"some of the worst abuses of the insurance industry†(Healthcare.gov). The government sponsored web site, Healthcare.gov, has also described this act in terms of its benefits to the citizens in the following words: These reforms will give Americans new rights and benefits, including helping more children get health coverage, ending lifetime and most annual limits on care, and giving patients access to reco mmended preventive services without cost-sharing. These reforms will apply to all new health plans, and to many existing health plans as they are renewed. Many other new benefits of the law have already taken effect, including rebate checks for seniors in the Medicare donut hole and tax credits for small businesses. Advantages This new law has also extended â€Å"the life of the Medicare Trust fund at least 12 years†thereby benefiting the senior citizens (Healthcare.gov). This is supposed to be brought about by â€Å"reducing waste, fraud and abuse, and slowing cost growth in Medicare†(Healthcare.gov). The expectation is that, â€Å"this will provide [the beneficiaries][†¦] with future cost savings on [†¦] premiums and coinsurance†(Healthcare.gov). One ambitious declaration made by President Barek Obama has been that medicare fraud will be reduced by â€Å"50 percent by 2012†(Healthcare.gov). Another major feature of this act has been that i t, â€Å"starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act offers additional protections for Medicare Advantage Plan members by taking strong steps that limit the amount these plans spend on administrative costs, insurance company profits, and things other than health careâ€
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks Essay
What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks - Essay Example The conclusion will include a critical assessment of ethical consumerism in lieu of the evidence collected from primary and secondary research. The assessment will be limited to Starbucks. Finally, the paper will present recommendations as to how Starbucks can become more ethical. Consumers always want to be associated with products or services that are â€Å"clean,†meaning they do not bear any mark of malpractice. This orientation is influenced by many things, but it forms part of consumers’ personal philosophy. With natural resources becoming increasingly limited, and the degradation of human principles becoming increasingly blatant, governments and consumers have shifted attention to sustainable business practices. The sustainability message has been spread widely since the advent of the 21st century, and its core lies ethical consumerism. Globalisation has made society more interconnected, so much so that negative situations at one end of the globe are felt another end. A century ago, consumers did not care much about the methods used to deliver products and services provided they satisfied their needs. However, globalisation has ensured that unethical and immoral business practices affect consumers around the world in one way or the other. This explains the increasing popularity of ethical consumerism. This paper will discuss the various dynamics surrounding the concept. Ethical consumerism, also known as positive buying, can be defined, first, as a variant of consumer activism. Its basis lies in the belief that consumers should have a say in the products and services they pay for, and that they should be recognized and respected as valuable members of the supply chain. Ethical consumerism is guided by the notion that all purchases are motivated by moral choices.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The Federal Open Market Committee Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
The Federal Open Market Committee - Coursework Example The depository institutions of the economy hold some balances with the Federal Reserve Bank. The depository institutions also lend balances at the Federal Reserve to other such institutions overnight. The interest rate at which these balances are lent is known as the federal funds rate. The Federal Reserve, with the help of its three policy instruments, influences the demand and supply of these balances held by the depository institutions at the Federal Reserve and thus also changes the federal funds rate. As the federal funds rate changes, this starts a sequence of activities which influences other short term interest rates, long term interest rates, foreign exchange rates, amount of money and credit circulating in the economy, employment, output, the prices of goods and services and many other economic variables. (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2011) The Three Main Tools of Monetary Policy Open Market Operations: Under the open market operations, the Federal Reserve Bank buys and sells U.S Treasury bills and federal agency securities in the market. These operations are usually conducted to achieve a desired level of balance reserves which the depository institutions hold with the Federal Reserve. The operations can be conducted to achieve a desired value of the federal funds rate too. Usually, the short-term objectives of the open market operations are specified by the Federal Open Market Committee ... m, 2011) (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2011) The Discount Rate: The Federal Reserve Bank has its branches located in the different regions of USA. These regional Reserve Banks have a lending facility called the discount window through which they extend loans to the commercial banks and other depository institutions of that region. The interest rate charged on these loans is the discount rate. The Federal Reserve Banks offer three types of loans through their discount windows: primary credit, secondary credit and seasonal credit, extended at their respective discount rates. The primary credit discount rate is stipulated above the short-term market interest rate level. The secondary credit discount rate is set above the primary discount rate. The seasonal credit discount rate is determined by calculating an average of selected market interest rates. The regional Reserve Bank’s Board of Directors determines their respective discount rates, although they remai n to the review of Board of Governors of the central Federal Reserve Bank. The funds borrowed by the Commercial Banks from the Federal Reserve Bank from January- July 2011 can be seen from the following table: (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2011) (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2011) Reserve Requirements: The Federal Reserve Bank stipulates an amount of funds that the depository agents should keep as reserves against specific amount of deposit liabilities. These are known as reserve requirements. The depository institutions usually hold these reserve requirements in the form of deposits or vault cash with the Federal Reserve Bank. Only the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank holds the power to change the reserve requirements. (Board of Governors
Monday, October 14, 2019
Sherwin williams Essay Example for Free
Sherwin williams Essay No matter how you coat it, Sherwin-Williams is one of the largest paint manufacturers in the US and worldwide. Sherwin-Williams has rose to his level of success by excelling in the their strategic management process and Sherwin-Williams implements its strategy with its mission statement: For over 140 years, manufacturers have trusted Sherwin-Williams for innovative coatings and exceptional service. And you can count on us for the expertise and the support you need to get better results, from start to finish. Also The Sherwin-Williams Company has established a vision statement and quality commitment, which states: We commit to seek out the expectations of our customers and to consistently meet and exceed those expectations through our service, products and attitudes. To achieve this vision Sherwin Williams will use a combination of innovation and market development grand strategies to realize the long-term objectives of improving local market position, creating a high focus on customer satisfaction, attaining high employee morale, and increasing market share. The Sherwin-Williams Company is committed to the products finishing industry and strives to be a valuable supplier and resource for their customers. Sherwin Williams intends to overcome challenges and take advantage of all market opportunities through committing to the strategic implementation. This commitment starts right at the top and is expected throughout every level of management all the way down to the frontline sales force. Strategic Managers have been utilizing a plan in supporting personnel in order to direct their efforts at specific markets and customers of a global scope. A group of Strategic Account Managers dedicates their efforts towards total service of specific global accounts through close communication with customer facilities, their emphasis is coordinating sales and service activities. Currently, Sherwin-Williams growth strategy is to acquire Consorcio Comex, the second largest specialty paint store organization in the Western Hemisphere. The acquisition will expand the architectural paint business in Americas and increase retail distribution in many markets where the store count is low. Sherwin-Williams is engaged and has invested in capital expenditures to increase manufacturing capacity, enhance productivity of its existing facilities and expanded its store network. Management is continually re-evaluating the company’s operating facilities, including acquired operating facilities, against its long-term strategic goals as the company continues within its growth strategy. Sherwin-Williams maintains its strategic control using an operational excellence program which is a methodology for pursuing continuous improvement. Utilizing this process for defining, measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling the business, manufacturing, and service facilities will help management be prepared to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary process or procedural changes. Management has a significant commitment in utilizing these control resources that will result in improvements in service and quality to our customers for years to come. From Sherwin-Williams expansive distribution and multiple manufacturing locations, to their experienced sales and technical service professionals they have excelled in implementing their strategic management and planning process by listening and responding to specific product, service and performance needs of their customers. Levy, Keith. Sherwin-Williams Is Painting a New Picture of Marketing. Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 08 Nov. 2011. Web. 27Apr. 2013. Sherwin-Williams. Investor Relations. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Want to Learn More about Our History, Career Opportunities and Investor Relations? Sherwin-Williams. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Impact Of Liquidity On Profitability Finance Essay
The Impact Of Liquidity On Profitability Finance Essay Padachi observed the trends in working capital management and its impact on performance of a firm. Return on assets and cash conversion cycle was used to measure the firms profitability and efficiency of working capital management respectively. He described that a firm should maintain stability between profitability and liquidity while maintaining its day to day activities. The manager of a business want to maximize firms value by achieving preferred tradeoff between liquidity and profitability of a firm. The results indicated that the more investment in inventories and receivables lower the profitability of a firm. Raheman Nasr (2007) discussed the impact of working capital management on profitability of a firm. They also highlighted that the basic objective of a firm is to maximize profit but maintaining liquidity is also an important objective. There will be a serious problem if firm increase profit at the cost of liquidity. Both objectives are important for the firm. If a firm does not concerned about profit then it cannot survive for a longer period. On the other hand, if a firm does not concern about liquidity it may face bankruptcy. They took 94 firms of Pakistan and analyzed that there is a negative relationship between liquidity and profitability of a firm. Michalski (2008) empirically analyzed the relationship between firms policy regarding net working investment and firms profitability. Too low liquidity level may come up problems with timely reimbursement of its liabilities while surplus liquid assets would negatively affect firms profitability. He discussed that decisions regarding liquidity is very difficult, a firm has to choose one of the three policies: first an aggressive policy i.e. a large part of the firms fixed and volatile demand to finance fixed assets is supported with short term financing, second a moderate policy i.e. a fixed part of current assets is financed with long term funds and volatile part is financed with short term funds lastly a conservative policy i.e. both fixed and volatile parts of current assets are financed with long term funds. Dash Hanuman (2009) were concerned about working capital management and they analyzed the liquidity-profitability trade-off model named as goal programming model. They supported that proper flow of fund is needed to run any business. A firm has conflicting objectives regarding liquidity and profitability so the goal programming model determines how targeted levels of profitability and liquidity would be achieved by maintaining current and fixed assets and at the same time minimizing opportunity cost. Their model proposed that working capital and inventory must be streamlined to profitability. Nazir Afza (2009) tried to find out the relation between aggressive working capital management policy and firms profitability by using panel data regression model and Tobins q of 204 Pakistani companies for the period of 1998-2005. They claimed that investors give importance to stocks of those firms which adopt aggressive policies to manage current liabilities. Their findings suggested that aggressive working capital investment and financing policies and profitability are negatively associated. They claimed that investors consider that firms which have less long term loans and equity can have better performance than the others. Burtescu (2010) documented the reflection of liquidity and profitability of a company in the accounting result. He emphasized that it is not adequate for a firm to follow only economic indicators but it is also essential for a firm to make sure its liquidity in its quality of a specific dimension of financial management. The information about solvency and liquidity are beneficial for a firm to predict the ability of a firm to fulfill its financial obligations. He argued that investors have a great concern about the cash flow of a company and it becomes obligatory for a firm to include cash flow statement in its annual financial statements. Gill, Biger Mathur (2010) attempted to examine the relationship between working capital management and profitability. They used sample of 88 firms listed on New York Stock Exchange for the period of 2005-2007. The results suggested that the relationship between cash conversion cycle and gross profit margin is statistically significant. They also concluded that account receivables and profitability are negatively associated. The managers can enhance profits of their company by handling the cash conversion cycle efficiently. Mohamad Saad (2010) attempted to scrutinize the impact of working capital management on profitability and market valuation of a firm. They analyzed the secondary data of 172 Malaysian companies for the period of 2000-2007. They took working capital variables such as cash conversion cycle, current ratio, debt to asset ratio, current asset to total asset, current liabilities to total asset and profitability variables are return on asset and return on invested capital. By using multiple regression analysis and correlation, their results revealed that working capital variables have negative association with firms profitability. Firms cannot exist without working capital and it can improve the profitability and market value of a firm. Dong Su (2010) also conducted a study to find out the relationship between working capital management and firms profitability. The working capital management has an important part in the success and failure of a firm because it has a great impact on the profitability and liquidity of a firm. Their sample is based on 130 firms which are listed in Vietnam stock market for the period of 2006-2008. Their findings proved that profitability and cash conversion cycle is strongly negatively associated. By optimum working capital management, the managers may create a value of stock for the shareholders. The firm should maintain a balance between its two objectives; profitability and liquidity. One objective should not be achieved at the cost of other. Their findings also suggested that profitability can be increased by decreasing the number of days accounts receivable and inventories. Saleem Rehman (2011) observed a significant relationship between liquidity and firms performance. Liquidity of a company is very important for its every stack holder. If a firms cash and near cash assets are insufficient to satisfy its immediate payment obligations than firm may face difficulties. This can affect firms day to day business operations and profitability. They evaluated that liquidity and profitability are inversely related, one increases the other will decreases. Bhunia, Khan Mukhuti (2011) provided the evidence with respect to the relationship between liquidity and profitability of a firm. They took steel companies of private sector in India to assess the management of liquidity as a factor of performance. They studied important liquidity indicators and analyzed that optimal working capital management can be achieved by controlling the trade-off between profitability and liquidity of a firm. Firm value is positively affected by optimal working capital management so the investment in working capital must be satisfactory. They concluded that liquidity and profitability are significantly positively associated. Saghir, Hashmi Hussain (2011) studied the relationship between working capital management and profitability of a firm. They used cash conversion cycle to measure working capital management efficiency and return on asset to measure profitability while analyzing the financial data of 60 textile firms listed on KSE for the period of 2001 to 2006. They suggested that smooth inflow of profit is mainly affected by the optimum point of working capital. Working capital means companys current assets and it has a direct effect on the liquidity and profitability of a firm. According to the risk and return theory, when firms liquidity of working capital is high then it has low risk and low profitability and vice versa. The shorter cash conversion cycle is better for the firm profitability. Their result shows the negative relation between working capital management and profitability of a firm. Alipour (2011) researched about working capital management and corporate profitability while taking sample of 1063 companies from Tehran stock exchange. To test the hypothesis, multiple regression and pearsons correlation was used. He analyzed that sale and profit of a company is greatly influenced by the working capital management. Due to inefficient working capital management, a company may be incapable to pay its debts on time. The results show a significant relationship between working capital management and profitability of a company. There is a negative relationship between cash conversion cycle, average collection period, inventory turnover in days and profitability. Qazi et al. (2011) examined the impact of working capital on the profitability of a firm. Using the financial data of Pakistani automobile and oil and gas industry for the time period of 2004-2009, he proposed that the important components of working capital are debtor, creditor and inventory. The efficient and effective working capital can create value of the shares to shareholders. He persuaded that maintaining the companys liquid level is a major task of a company. So, by ignoring liquidity objective, company may face insolvency or bankruptcy. Their results showed the positive impact of working capital on profitability. Ching, Novazzi Gerab (2011) scrutinized the financial statements of two separate groups of companies: working capital intensive and fixed capital intensive having16 companies in each group listed on Brazil Stock exchange during 2005-2009. They used return on assets, returns on sales and returns on equity to measure profitability and cash conversion cycle, debt ratio, days receivables, days inventory and days of working capital are used as independent variables. Their results showed that managing working capital is very important for both type of companies. Moreover, working capital intensive type of company gets more profit by managing inventory and cash conversion efficiency at optimum level and fixed capital intensive type of company yield more profit through other two variables. Karaduman et al. (2011) also investigated the link between management of working capital and profitability of a firm. In the recent economic conditions, the survival of a firm greatly depends upon the ability to manage its financial function. Their sample is based on 127 companies listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange during 2005-2009. The cash conversion cycle was used as a proxy of working capital management and returns on assets was used to measure profitability. The results portrayed that ROA is positively affected by the reduction in CCC. The profitability is increased by developing efficiency of working capital. Alam et al. (2011) studied the influence of working capital management on the profitability and its market value of firms which are listed on Karachi stock exchange. They claimed that a misconception that firm survival is based on its profits has been cleared due to the present liquidity crises. They used financial data of 65 companies listed on Karachi Stock exchange during 2005-2009. Return on assets and returns on invested capital were used as proxy for measuring financial performance of the firm, Tobins Q was used to determine the market value of a firm and five financial ratios such as cash conversion cycle, current ratio, debt to asset ratio, current asset to total asset ratio and current liabilities to total asset ratio were used as dependent variables. Their empirical results presented sufficient evidence that firms strongly depends upon current assets to generate profits. Ogundipe, Idowu Ogundipe (2012) provided evidence regarding the influence of working capital management on performance of a firm and its market value. They collected data from annual reports of 54 Nigerian companies for the period of 1995-2009. They explained working capital management as management of current assets and current liabilities and it has a direct effect on firms profitability and market valuation. Their findings suggested that as cash conversion cycle decreases firms profitability increases and efficient working capital management also increases the market value of a firm. Barine (2012) established the relationship between efficient working capital management and firms profitability. Working capital management ensures a firms ability to satisfy both short term obligations and forthcoming operational expenses. They compared the cost and returns of working capital of 22 listed firms on Nigerian stock exchange. Their findings proposed that if cost of working capital is greater than returns on working capital investment then it negatively affects profitability and firms should have optimized working capital investments to stay away from over or under investments. Bhunia (2012) explored the influence of liquidity on profitability while taking the sample of FMCG companies in India during 2001 to 2010. He argued that working capital management plays an important role in the financial management decisions of a firm and managers should manage the trade-off between liquidity and profitability to attain optimal working capital management as it can create value for the firm. By using applied normality test, correlation and regression, the results indicated that liquidity and profitability are positively associated. The research of Vahid, Mohsen and Mohammadreza (2012) also highlighted the affect of working capital management policies on firms profitability. They explained that working capital management has a great impact on profitability and liquidity of a firm and it is responsible for the success and failure of a firm. Their sample consists of 28 Iranian companies listed on Tehran stock exchange for 2005-2009. Their results suggested that conservative investment policy i.e. high level of short term investment have a negative impact on profitability and value of a firm, while aggressive investment policy i.e. long term investment have positive impact on profitability and value of a firm. Their results also showed that aggressive financing policies i.e. high level of current liabilities to finance firms project have a negative impact on profitability and value of a firm, while conservative financing policies i.e. having more long term liabilities to finance firms operating activities have a po sitive impact on firms profitability and value. Al-Mwalla (2012) tried to observe the affect of working capital management policies on the profitability and value of a firm. He persuaded that a firm has to maintain adequate level of working capital to fulfill its short term obligations. Therefore, a firm can adopt one of the two policies; a conservative policy by maintaining low level of current assets to total assets or an aggressive policy by keeping high level of current liabilities to total liabilities. He took annual data of 57 firms listed in Amman Stock Market during 2001 to 2009 for analysis. The results portrayed that conservative policy of investment and financing are positively associated with profitability and value of a firm. Ahmad (2012) highlighted the influence of working capital management on forms performance while taking a sample of 253 companies related to non financial sector listed on Karachi Stock Exchange, Pakistan. He use ROA and ROE as proxy of firm performance and current asset over total sales, current asset over total asset, debtors turnover, current ratio and inventory turnover as proxies of working capital management. Using OLS regression, Pearson correlation analysis and logistic regression techniques, he found that all explanatory variables are positively correlated to firm performance except current assets to total sales as it has a negative correlation with firm performance. Usama (2012) extended the work of Rehman and Nasar regarding working capital management while taking the sample of 18 companies from other food sector listed on Karachi Stock Exchange for the period of 2006-2010. The researcher used different variables to measure working capital management such as average collection period, inventory turnover in days, cash conversion cycle, average payment period, debt ratio, firm size, current ratio, and financial asset to total asset. Using common effect model and pooled least square regression, the results indicated that working capital management has significant positive association with firms profitability and liquidity. He also concluded that firm size and minimum inventory turnover in days has positive influence on firms profitability. Myers (2001) purported that there is no general theory regarding debt and equity choice. He discussed three main theories for the choice of debt and equity. He described that according to trade off theory firms adopt that debt level which balances the tax benefits of additional debt against the cost of financial distress. Debt financing gives a tax shield to a firm therefore they took high level of debt to gain maximum tax benefits and eventually increase profitability. However, the increase of debt financing increases the possibility of bankruptcy. According to pecking order theory, when firms internal cash flow is not enough to fulfill its capital expenditure then firms prefer debt on equity. Mostly low profitable firms entail external financing and accumulate debt. According to the free cash flow theory, when a mature firm has profitable investment opportunities and its operating cash flow is considerably exceeds its investment opportunities, so this dangerous level of debt will h ave a positive effect on firms value regardless of threat of financial distress. Berger Bonaccorsi di Patti (2003) supported that leverage has a direct impact on agency cost which influences firm performance. They proposed that high leverage or a low equity capital ratio causes to reduce the agency cost related to outside equity and raises firm value. They used annual information of U.S. commercial banks from 1990 to 1995. Their result showed that a 1% increase in leverage decrease equity capital ratio surrenders a predicted 6% increase in profit efficiency. Fama French (2005) described the financing decisions of firms. They tested predictions of pecking order theory about financing decisions and claimed that more than half of their sample firms defy the pecking order predictions. Their first result is against the pecking order prediction that firms hardly issue stock. Under their sample, 67% of the firms issue stock each year during 1973-1982 and it rises to 74% for 1983-1992, and 86% during 1993-2002. So, equity decisions of a firm frequently violate the pecking order. Second prediction is that capital structure of a firm is derived by asymmetric information problem but their findings are against this prediction. They suggested that this problem can be avoided by issuing equity through different ways. Elsas, Flannery Garfinkel (2006) studied firm major investment, financing decisions and long run performance. They took 1,185 U.S. firms which made huge acquisitions or capital expenditures during 1989-1999. They observed that large firms financed their new investment with debt whereas equity has a small role. With the passage of time, new debt replaced with equity funds. Small firms mostly rely on issuing equity when financing its new investments to replace debt while internal cash flow is used by medium sized firms. They analyzed that debt financing produces negative long run performance more than equity financing whereas financing with internal funds never produce important share underperformance. Dittmar Thakor (2007) developed a new theory of issuance of security that is when stock prices are high then firms issue equity. This issue is contradictory with the two major theories of capital structure: pecking order and trade off theory. The main idea of their theory is that managers decision about security issuance is based on how their decisions will influence the investment choice of the firm and how this choice will influence the post-investment stock price of the firm. After the investment in the project, managers are more concerned about the stock price and the long term equity value of the firm. The shareholders and bondholders may object to the managers choice of investment because they have dissimilar beliefs regarding the value of the project. Their findings suggest that firms which issue equity have higher stock prices, higher values of agreement parameter and higher increase in investments.
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