Saturday, August 31, 2019

Money Is Not Everything

In fact, poverty is currently one of the major issues in the world. People tend to choose job that has higher salary they can find in order to earn more money for them to spend on, because they think money is everything. Even thought money gives people the opportunity to buy what they need, it does not buy happiness. Job satisfactions are becoming more crucial to achieve happiness in people’s life.Happiness through jobs can be achieved if people choose the job according to their personality and interest in order for them to use their skills and abilities, and sometimes if the job can be done effortless, people tend to encounter boredom and eventually lose motivation. When some people graduated from high school, they choose specific subject field in the university to study. One reason to this is because it gives them the opportunity to establish more understanding and knowledge to what they are interested in for their future career.For example, a graduate law student would most likely want to enter a law related job instead of forestry. People establish skills from what they learned. People also become more active if they are able to work on a task that they are interested on. According to John Holland’s personality-job fit theory, job satisfaction is based on a person’s interest. Their interests came from different types of personality they have. People will ultimately be successfully if they choose a job that best suits their talents and abilities. Therefore, being successful will lead them to a higher-paying job that gives them pleasure.Some people may be luckily enough to have a job that does not require much of an effort but still pays high. However, in a short while, these people might find that they are losing motivations, because of the continuous effortlessly tasks to be done. Motivations play a very important role in job. Without motivations, people’s performance will greatly decrease. Also, people will start losing their te amwork spirit and eventually get fired. Having a bit of a challenging job will not only stimulate the employee to work harder, but also be recognized by the company, and therefore be raised for a greater amount of salary.In fact, according to Stephen P. Robbins, most of the people prefer jobs that offer them a variety of tasks, freedom, and feedback on their performances. Working at jobs that people enjoy makes them more proficient and satisfied with their emotional needs. People should consider their interests and personality fit before they select jobs because both of two characters can motivate the individual potential abilities. It is also recommended that people do personality tests before they search for a new job, therefore, they can find the job they like that they are good at. Money Is Not Everything Money is essential that brings for man all his necessities and luxuries for his comfortable existence. Life without money is undoubtedly a virtual hell, with pangs of hunger and thirst eating into man’s very bones. However, at the same time for man to think that, money is everything, is also a great mistake. Money is necessity only in as much as, it is the thing which buys for us all we need, but, beyond that, money is a harbinger of all sorts of vices. Let us remember that money is to be considered as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. The end, is a comfortable life, and the means is money. If we consider money as a means to our end of having a comfortable life then, we would be seeing money in its proper perspective for without money we can not live as, we are not able to buy anything if we do not have money. So much, so good but, in the present day scenario, money is no more a means to an end but, and in itself. To collect money, to hoard money and become richer and richer has become our sole aim in life. It is here in our outlook towards money that we have erred, and so the disastrous situation we are placed in, is not hidden from any one. Each individual has set a goal of hoarding money and money only, and this also not fixed to a certain amount, we just have to go on and on irrespective of how much we need, for the lust for money has become our very style of life. It is a wild goose chase that we are all indulging in, and that, at the cost of all the rest we had. True, money gives us all that we require but money is not all the only thing that we need to keep happy and fit. There are several other things that make life beautiful and mind that these can not be purchased with any amount of money. For example, a gush of wind from where we take our very breath of life, cannot be purchased at any cost. We can wear the most glamorous dresses but, to give health to that same body, no amount of money is enough. We can buy the thickest and costliest of mattresses with money but, no amount of money can buy for us a good sound, night’s sleep. These few facts are sufficient to awake us to the fact that, there are many other important things that make for a happy life, and money is not all. We should thereby give money only its due importance and not make it all important, for, if we do that, we are certainly going to sacrifice some other vital items of a good life. Now let us analyze to some extent how this money is capable of playing havoc in life. In reality, the position of the society today, is far from being enviable, is largely due to this money mania that has caught hold of the society. Each and every individual is busy in his/her money spinning activities. At this juncture, I would like to mention the fact that in our Hindu mythology, the Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth has an owl for her transport. This is very significant as it is believed that the pursuit of money, as it is today; make an owl of a man. I’d say that we have all become money maniacs, sacrificing every conceivable pleasure on the altar of wealth. Is this not owlish sense? When we lose our equilibrium, we become the significant owls. Today, we have sacrificed the bliss of a happy and contented family in the guise of material luxuries which, we think are all that we need. We have no time to love each other, care for each other or, serve each other in the family because each member of the family is busy in the struggle of making money. In this unit of a family, where, at one time the love we got was an elixir for our tired nerves, is now a missing entity. I suggest that a stage has now come when we must give up our on fighting for money and give it only the amount respect and importance it deserves, it should be treated only as a means to an end, and not an end itself, only then we will be able to strike a balance between the inputs of money and the inputs of other things we need to live a happy and satisfied life.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Advanced Level Diploma in Diabetes Essay

INTRODUCTION Together with an identified fellow student a written patient education report regarding a planned diabetes group education is to be completed and presented during a seminar. A suggestion is to study the text book: The Art of Empowerment by Anderson & Funnell (2005). Diabetes group education In UAE diabetes self-management education has been highlighted as a cornerstone in diabetes care (Al-Maskari et al 2013). In order to get patients to manage their diabetes it is needed to arrange possibilities for special diabetes group education sessions for persons with diabetes. Many patients in UAE might have poor metabolic control and they have poor knowledge regarding why. Furthermore many people need to increase their ability to perform life style changes (Alhyas et al 2013). The traditional diabetes education was based upon telling patients what to do. However, the more was learnt about diabetes education the focus has turned more to the patients ´ views of living with diabetes (Anderson & Funnell 2005). Considerations when arranging group sessions for persons with diabetes: Theoretical educational approach – your own pedagogical view and ability; in this circumstances you must have the nosogogic perspective (an adult person with a chronic disease). Setting, time, day of the week Budget, cost, payment, and fees Who and number of participants in each group How often the group meets and where How you start a group session How you interact/communicate with group members Any learning aids to use How you put/initiate questions in the group How you evaluate the different sessions How you work with and approach group discussions What you do to get all patients involved in the sessions Assessment Altogether the report should consist of approximately 6– 8 pages (not including the first page and the reference list). Your proposed group education plan will be presented and discussed with your peers during the tutorial session. After the tutorial session each plan will get written feed-back from the examiner. Grounds for assessment by examiners will be presented and published on ITSL. C2 – Assignment 3 Group education plan/BS/AMW/18 August, 2014 Page 2 REFERENCES Al-Maskari F, El-Sadig M, Al-Kaabi J et al. (2013). Knowledge, attitude and practices of diabetic patients in the United Arab Emirates. PLOS One Vol 8, 1p 1-8. Alhyas L, Jones Nielsen J D. Dawoud D and Majeed A. (2013). Factors affecting the motivation of healthcare professionals providing care to Emiratis with type 2 diabetes. J the Royal Society of Medicine. Doi: 10.1177/2042533313476419. Anderson B & Funnell M. (2005). The art of empowerment. Stories and strategies for diabetes educators. ADA- American Diabetes Association. Hornsten A, Stenlund H, Lundman B et al. (2008). Improvements in HbA1c remain after 5 years – a follow-up of an educational intervention focusing on patient ´s personal understandings of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 81 (1), p50-55. Juul L, Maindal HT, Zoffmann V, Frydenberg M, Sandbaeck A. (2011). A cluster randomized pragmatic trial applying self-determination theory to type 2 diabetes care in general practice. BMC Fam Pract Nov 24, 12:130. Wikblad K, Leksell J, Smide B. (2004). â€Å"I’m the boss’: testing the feasibility of an evidence-based patient education programme using problem-based learning. European Diabetes Nursing, Vol 1 (1) p 13-17.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Human Sexuality - Essay Example The results of existing research comparing gay and lesbian parents to heterosexual parents and children of gay or lesbian parents to children of heterosexual parents are quite uniform: common stereotypes are not supported by the data. Researchers estimate that the total number of children nationwide living with at least one gay parent ranges from six to 14 million. So far only one state, Florida, totally bans gay adoption. Nine states allow for openly gay and lesbian couples to adopt jointly: California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, plus Washington, D.C. It is more common for one partner to adopt and then for the second to apply as the second parent, or co-parent. Second parent adoption creates a second legally recognized parent for the adoptive children. This is the only way for gay couples to both become legal parents of their children. Second parent adoptions have been granted by the courts in twenty-one states as well as D.C. These states include - Alabama, Alaska, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. In general, state agencies and courts now apply a "best interest of the child" standard to decide these cases. Under this approach, a persons sexual orientation cannot be the basis for ending or limiting parent-child relationships unless it is demonstrated that it causes harm to a child. Today social workers must make a difficult decision: should a gay couple be permitted to adopt? In fact, gay men and lesbians have always adopted, though in the past they usually hid their sexual orientation. Today, as they have become more visible in all aspects of society, they are determined to be considered seriously as potential adoptive parents.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Personal Finance Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal Finance Concepts - Essay Example Secured loans are those that are lent by the bank or other financial institutions with some form of collateral or security. Collateral may include personal property that serves to assure the lenders that they will receive their payment or take over the collateral should the borrower fail to pay. On the other hand, unsecured loan is the amount of loan that is lent with an understanding that the borrower will repay it in future according to the agreement without defaulting. The secured loans normally attract lower rates, higher borrowing limits as well as longer repayment period. As a result, they do create less risk to the lender as they can usually sell off the collateral should the borrower fail to make payment (Garman & Forgue, 2012) There are a number of alternatives to loans that can be used by businesses and individuals to finance their financial needs. Such include factoring which refers to a situation in which a business sells its accounts receivables to financial institutions known as the factor and they in turn advance funds to such business under some specified terms and conditions. Hedge-Fund lenders is an alternative financing method that money is lent to higher risk businesses depending on the pitch made by the borrower. The decision to make such a lending is undertaken with due diligence with much

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Distinguish between and discuss McGregor's Theories and Essay

Distinguish between and discuss McGregor's Theories and Maslow'hierarchy of needs in relation to modern marine management practice - Essay Example Any marine management company would like to keep individuals working for the company engaged and motivated in their work. However, the process of engaging individuals as well as providing the motivation to all concerned parties is not an easy one since motivation is based on several different facets depending on the needs of the individual. Understanding this process of motivation requires careful management, a view of the psychological contract and understanding the work-life balance which prevents employees from burning out (Erdogan, 2005). In terms of individual motivation, people who are better able to create and understand abstract motivational symbols for themselves will have better responses to both internal and external factors that help in the process of motivation (Brown, 1999). For instance, the symbol of money can be understood by any civilization which has a basic economy but the idea of pleasure and other higher order needs may vary from individual to individual. The same is the case with the idea of pain; therefore, an individual may not seek out pleasure or avoid pain in a rational way if they are not clear about the symbolic value of these concepts or if the symbolic connections for the individual are completely different as compared to the ideas upheld by the world around them (Weiner, 1992). In that scenario, the humanistic theory can applied to the concept of motivating individuals towards better performance since it takes a baseline of needs which all human beings have. Maslow is considered to be the authority when it comes to applying the Humanistic perspective to motivation. The central contribution made by Maslow deals with the pyramid of needs which was described by him to show the hierarchy of motivational factors for human beings (Maslow, 1971). The first level of needs that have to be satisfied for an individual are physiological, i.e. Oxygen, nourishment, warmth and other necessities which are required for

Monday, August 26, 2019

Chapter 8 Reaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 8 Reaction - Essay Example .. It is a very peaceful way to stop the anger of the other parties involved in conflict and can decrease the element of stress, fight and violence involved in usual conflicts. Things I dislike about this chapter The thing I dislike about the chapter is the section where it discusses about the priority conflict. This conflict where moral judgment is given attention is not taken by me as an ideal way to handle a situation. For example it is shown that in a medical emergency where injured old aged are given priority rather than people with serious injury is not an acceptable method of handling conflict. This cannot be comprehended as in some cases; an individual might be in a fatal situation and if an old person is treated just because of his age, cannot be considered a justifying act. Also in the section for priority conflict, it is explained that, borrowing is considered as bad concept in Germany, which is hard to understand. Borrowing is not a bad concept, as human being come across problems at some point of their life, they definitely demand help from others undoubtedly. So, if one take financial help from government or family members it is not a sin or a morality issue. What I learned about the chapter This chapter is all about methods to deal with conflict and how people in different cultural backgrounds practice various approaches to handle conflicts they encounter in their day to day life. It is very interesting and surprising to know that there are so many ways to control conflict like accommodating, avoiding, competing and collaborating. It is even more interesting to know that Japanese follow a very non aggressive way of avoiding conflicts in comparison with American who follow a competing method. I believe that being tactful about conflicts is the main message of this chapter. The chapter helped in learning that people in the West look in for their benefits when helping out people, and does not just arrive in a cultural scene just for the benefit of t he other party. In the chapter it is also shown that people of different culture around the world have their own beliefs and practices when it comes to conflict management. Some practice outrageous and open- minded method, whereas other takes calm and peaceful tactics to solve a raging situation. It also allowed me to learn that in conflict there are various branches to deal with like as intergroop conflicts, interpersonal conflict and inter cultural conflicts. In all these conflicts the main issue is considering the priorities of the parties involved in the conflict and gives justice to people who support more of a moral ground. What 5 things I learned about myself from this chapter 1) Patience: I believe during conflict it is necessary to have patience, which I lack and need to be cultivated to deal with conflicts in a better way. If other party gets violent in a conflict my peacefulness can suppress the heat of the conflict to a great level. The main factor which makes a conflict worse is when two parties or many parties violently argue or shout during a conflict. In brief, avoiding is the best approach in regard to conflicts even though it is difficult to practice. 2)Morality: I learnt that my morality can help me in dealing with conflicts as I give myself less chance to arouse frightful situation. Being moral, an individual can be more humble, understanding and truthful which gives less chance to fights

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Parents Role in Our Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parents Role in Our Life - Essay Example It is on the basis of these points of view that early American kindergartens normally involved parents in nursery activities including participation in clubs inside the school. (Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge [1999] [Vol.15 p.202], United States of America; Grolier, Inc.) In the literary memoir "In this Boy's Life", the arguments that support parental persuasions in the upbringing of a child are clearly evident. The son (Toby who later on became Jack) is bitter because the mother is bitter. There is hatred in the heart of the young because there is hatred in the heart of the old. And as far as concerning the father who left the home, the abandonment had created a strong rebellion inside the forsaken son. This went to the extent of a change of name to forget the runaway parent. Going back to the mother who resorted to finding some luck in quick solutions to get rich possibly in retaliation to what her estranged husband did, the son was there overly eager to help the isolated and lonely mama. This is validated by the child's account of his fondness toward the mother when he recalled that "for the rest of the day, she kept looking over at me, touching me, brushing back my hair" (Wolff 4) and of his sharing in her dreams when he observed that he "was caught up in my mother's freedom, her delight in her freedom, her dreams of transformation" (Wolff 5). Another man later came into the life of Jack's mother. But while the stepfather gave some comfort and company to the duo, the young boy was not totally convinced to believe in the offered help of the stranger. The journey about the mother and son hopping from place to place also demonstrated the negative effects of the unstable pursuits. We later see the son himself without firm convictions and controlled personal dispositions. In his juvenile years, he pretended to be obedient but he was not. He pretended to be a fine gentleman yet he was rough. His attempts were shown by the multi-paged letters which he sent to a pen friend. The number of pages only meant how much he yearned to prove to the world that he was not what he actually was. He pretended to be a rich fellow or tried to be so. When he did this, he was just actually following into the footsteps of his poor mother who tried to do all the best she could, bad or good, to give herself and her son a certain level of success. Unfortunately, everything was in vain. In sum, children become what they are on the foundations that were inculcated into their minds during the early stages of life. At this period, whatever observations impressed on the youth will leave lasting marks. Toby or Jack in the story, for example, was told by his mother of tales of fame and wealth in her own childhood. As he grew, the son became obsessed by the imagination of affluence or the ambition to gain fortune, no matter how to. The imprint on the youthful mind almost always comes from the parents. This is logically so because of the physical association that starts from birth. Except in unusual cases like adoption, the bonding of parent and child is solidly built and developed in the passing of time. In the case of Jack, he stayed on with his mother, although this did not appear to be his own choice. Their day-to-day encounters were thus inevitably present, in sad or happy moments and under great challenges or

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Global Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Entrepreneurship - Essay Example   The scientific management resulted in great evolution of US business and the innovation management and sub division of labor helped the US business to grow at faster pace than the rest of the world. Research and development, mass production, efficiency and increased wages for the labors also provided adequate boost to the American business and the vast growing firms geographically expanded and took over the European markets through their corporate Americanization. At the same time, problems emerge in the system like agency problems, separation of control from the ownership, unrelated diversification, etc. US businesses stay sustainable through innovation and change management however economic meltdown obliges them to downsize. German business system has been able to sustain the non-price sensitive markets through collective bargains and consensus management and their primary focus is on long term strategy of production and export.UK business system is also quite similar to that a nd follows long term strategic planning. In the UK, businesses tend to expand geographically like that of US corporations e.g. Tesco, BT, etc. French business system is driven by functionality and rigid hierarchy and is found more directive than collaborative. The focus is to produce and supply hi tech products to the international markets.    European business systems endeavor to stay sustainable in the economic crisis through strategic management that helps them to cope up the crisis like merging, joint venturing, co-branding, etc.

Law Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Law Case Study Analysis - Essay Example The term "expression" can be defined as the different forms such as newspaper, email, letter, fax, and conduct; till the communication is based on the mode of communication for which the offeror is ready to contract. The term "intention" is defined objectively by different judges of the courts. In the case of Smith v. Hughes (1871) LR 6 QB 597 lays an emphasis on the fact that the important thing in any offer is not the real intentions of the parties involved but instead important thing is the reasonable view of the person regarding the situation. Revocation of offer An offer can be revoked by the offeror prior to the acceptance of the offer; but this must be communicated to the offeree. But it is not necessary that the offeror needs to communicate the revocation. In case the offer was made by the offeror to the whole world, the offeror need to revoke the offer in a similar form. This was evident in the legal precedent of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 Court of Appe al. But, in case the offer has been turned into an option, then the offer cannot be revoked by the offeror. In case the offer is in the form of an unilateral offer, the contract can be revoked by the offeror any time. ... But even in this case, the acceptance must be communicated. The offer can be withdrawn, prior to the acceptance of the offer. v The offer can be solely accepted by the offeree only, i.e.the party which receives the offer offer was made. v In case the offer is accepted by someone else in the family or business on the behalf of the offeree without his/her authorization, then the offer cannot be considered as binding v Silence on an offer cannot be considered as an acceptance of the offer. This is evident in the legal precedent of Felthouse v. Bindley (1862) 142 ER 1037. Counter-offer and correspondence The "mirror image rule" within the law of offer and acceptance, the offer needs to be accepted by the offeror or offeree without any modifications. If there are any changes which are done in any way to the offer, then the counter-offer with changes kills the original offer and the latter cannot be accepted by any of the parties in future. This is evident in the legal precedent of Hyde v. Wrench (1840) 3 Beav 334. The Case Presented Tom chooses to put up for sale his car by parking it outside his residence with a note on the windscreen mentioning: "For auction, exceptionally excellent state, single owner complete service history, complete MOT, ?5,000 or nearby offer. Please get in touch number 37 or telephone 9911929 only." On Tuesday morning around 9.00am, Dick sees the car, but as he is behind schedule for work he is incapable to stop and call Tom at 10.00am and makes an propose of ?4,750 which Tom says he will think about. Harry was crossing through Tom's house on Tuesday morning around 11.00am, saw the car and called at the residence but Tom was not

Friday, August 23, 2019

In what ways does the environment appear to shape organisations Essay

In what ways does the environment appear to shape organisations - Essay Example Political stability and civilized social culture are some other environmental factors; organizations are looking for before investing in a country. Most of the African countries are infamous for the internal agitations and political instability. Such countries are incapable of attracting foreign direct investment because of the negative environment they possess for the business build up. In short, healthy environment is essential for organizations to cement their bases and strategies. Business Psychology is one of the rapidly developing business segments in which the psychology of the employees, and the environmental parameters (customers, society and other stakeholders) are comprehensively investigated. Proper awareness of psychological dimensions of the environment can help the organization immensely in advertising, public relations and the way in which the organization visualise its customers and in the management of organization- employee relationships. This paper briefly explains the environmental impacts on organizations. Musacco Ph.D (2009) has argued that harassment, mobbing, bullying, and emotional abuses are common at the workplaces which resulted in increased fear and minimal trust between workers (Musacco Ph.D, 2009, p.2). No two individuals are alike either in their physical appearance or in their behaviours. An organization is a place where different people from different social, economical, cultural, communal and political backgrounds are working together. These people may have extremely different attitudes and characters. Even though they are working for the same organization, it is difficult for them to leave all their individual differences outside the organization and work for the common objectives inside the organization. Different opinions and views may occur between workers which may often result in harassment, mobbing, bullying, and emotional

Thursday, August 22, 2019

What Matters in Time Essay Example for Free

What Matters in Time Essay Im never gonna do that again . . . . During my work as a staff nurse, any time I heard one of the patients going through detox make this vow, I would cringe and think: Sure, you will. You all do. Its just a matter of time. I dont know why you even bother going through detox. Its a waste of time and money. You just need to stop doing whatever youve been doing and just stop drinking. Its plain and simple. Just quit drinking. Those thoughts, however, occured prior to my attending the Therapeutic Interventions (Alcohol) Course. While attending this seminar, the more I learned about detox from alcohol, the more I began to assess my faulty thinking regarding individuals who, for whatever reasons, seemed incapable or unwilling to change their destructive drinking patterns. Most of the people I worked with, I felt, were not at the ideal point I heard about during this training, where they wanted to change and/or stop drinking. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 41) Those I encountered in my work at an acute medical ward had usually been admitted wiith high alcohol intake. Most of the time, my feelings toward them were ambivalent. During the time they were in my care, withdrawing from alcohol on Benzodiazepins-Chordiazepoxide, I treated them without empathy. I felt I knew each of these patients, even before I heard their story or studied their chart. Even though I didnt consider myself to be at the point I was void of any feelings toward these individuals, nevertheless, I made a point to keep a safe emotional distance from them. In a sense, my feelings were numbed as I repeatedly watched what I perceived to be a merry-go-round of their self-inflicted madness. In my mind, these individuals needed something more than what they were receiving from the detox program. More often than not, I found myself thinking disparaging thoughts, as I watched those struggling through planned detoxifications, alongside others unwillingly commited to the detox program. In planned detoxifications, I learned during training, individuals are more likely to succeed with maintinaing sobriety, if they want to discontinue drinking. During an immenent need to detox, however, when someone is hospitalized or has been arrested and/or locked up to begin serving a prison sentence, when alcohol detoxification may or may not be pre-planned, if the person does not want to change, success is less likely. A second detox scenario occurs when individuals enter a residential treatment program. At this time, alcohol detoxification is considered routine. A third type detoxification tranpires at times, following a period of sobriety, in order for a person to restablaize. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 41) Toms detox, I felt, represented the third kind. Prior to detox training, my feelings of frustration intensifired whenever I would work with some of the repeat detoxers like Tom*, an old man in his early forties. I had watched Tom go through the same detox scenario four times during the past two years. Tom sometimes became so confused he would forget where he was and try to leave the unit. I have to go home now. My wife wants me to cook lunch for her today. Its her birthday. Tom told me one day right before his evening meal. I knew Toms wife had left him several years ago. Later, I had to stop him when he tried to walk out the door behind one of the orderlies. No, Tom, you cant leave here yet. Youve only been in detos two days, I said. You have to remain here at least another 5 days. Attending this course helped me understand that like Toms, a patients confusion during detox is normal. Individuals detoxing, one speaker stressed, may display symptoms from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, and with increasing severity, hallucinations . . . to the terrors of delirium tremens in which orientation in time, place and person is lost, and vivid hallucinations are experienced along with clouding of consciousness (akin to dreaming whilst awake). (Petersen Mcbride, 2002, p. 167) Prior to attending the Therapeutic Interventions (Alcohol) Course, I did not seriously note that one of the vital reasons detox needs to take place within care of medical personnel as â€Å"detoxing from alcohol can be fatal. Alcohol, para. 2) When alcohol is suddenly taken away from a person who has been abusing it for a long period of time, that persons body experiences reactions which could prove to be deadly. Matrisha*, another patient I became frustrated with during her detox, on the other hand, knew exactly where she was, along with the date and time. She also made a point to repeatedly upset the others in the ward. Recently, when another nurses caught Matrisha riffling through another patients night stand and helping herself to candy, she confronted her. Matrisha, like other detoxing patients at times, became aggressive and violent. Although I tried to understand patients like Tom and Matrisha, however, the merry-go-round these patients seemed to choose to ride didnt make sense. Knowledge I gained while attending the Therapeutic Interventions( Alcohol) Course helped me begin understand concepts contributing to the mirage of difficulties those detoxing regularly experience. The time invested in this learning also helped me begin to see these people as individuals just like me. Even though we may struggle with different scenarios in life, and even though at times, I may not fully understand what those in detox were going through, this training helped me realize I could try to empahatize with them. Instead of building a fence between myself and patients in detox, I could remember a point promoted by one prominent speaker. The success of these centres (sic) depends upon training staff to feel confident about monitoring withdrawal in order to identify those clients who are in need of medical help, and training that enablesstaff quickly to form a helping alliance with clients. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 41- 42) I could also make a point to be one of the staff to take training seriouusly and whenever possible help without cringing. I could also, as AD counselor encourage those going through alcohol detox and treatment, look within myself to see how I could change for the better. Attending the Therapeutic Interventions (Alcohol) Course proved to be more helpful than I anticipated and allowed me to see how I could improve within my self and strengthen my professional and personal skills. As I reflect on things I learned, I understand that I could have listened more to what patents were telling me with their words and actions. I remind myself often that my job as as a staff nurse in detox is to help bring those going through the painful difficult medical, physical, and emotional aspects is vital. Alcohol detox is the first step in the treatment of alcoholism. The recovery of the alcoholic cannot begin until they have undergone alcohol detox. And since alcoholism is a disease that kills, alcohol detox is the first line of defense in saving the patients life. ALCOHOl† para. 1-5; 7) As I work with others to try to help problems drinkers come to a point they are ready to change and realize their life would be better without alcohol, I no longer focus on their past failures. I stive, instead, to be supportive and encourage them to do their best today. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 40) Toady, I no longer cringe when someone tells me, Im never gonna do that again . . .. Nor does something in detox that does not make sense upset me. Some things, I realize, dont have to be completely understood. When I try to understand what it feels like to walk in another persons shoes and look at the world through their eyes, however, that matters. Today, I have more respect for the patients entrusted to my care. I have gained a sense of empathy for their plight. What does matter, I now understand, is that time invested in helping another person, in or out of detox, does matter. *Names of indviduals portrayed in paper have been changed. References ALCOHOL DETOX. retrieved May 5, 2006 from http://www. spencerrecovery. com/alcohol- detox. html. Champney-Smith, J. (2002). Chapter 22 Dual Diagnosis. In Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice, Petersen, T. Mcbride, A. (Eds. ) (pp. 267-273). New York: Routledge. Lewis, J. , Williams, S. (2002). Chapter 15 Home Detoxification. In Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice, Petersen, T. Mcbride, A. (Eds. ) (pp. 197-204). New York: Routledge. Petersen, T. Mcbride, A. (Eds. ). (2002). Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice. New York: Routledge. Raistrick, D. (2004). Chapter 3 Alcohol Withdrawal and Detoxification. In The Essential Handbook of Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol Problems, Heather, N. Stockwell, T. (Eds. ) (pp. 35-48). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Enviromental Impact Assessment Of New Kuantan International Airport Engineering Essay

Enviromental Impact Assessment Of New Kuantan International Airport Engineering Essay This environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been prepared by Gemilang Alam Sekitar (M) Sdn. Bhd. as appointed consultant by the Government to evaluate a complete environmental impact assessment on New Kuantan International Airport (KIA) in Kuantan, Pahang. This report is prepared for the authorities review, accounting Malaysia Government guidelines and regulation under Environmental Quality Act 1974 Act 127. This report has been produced firmly based on: Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Field visits to the Project site, and, Few discussions with State government and related Federal government officials with environmental responsibilities. To carry out EIA process, some methods are used including; Meetings and discussions with Federal and State government officials, Visit to the Project site and surrounding areas, Discussions with citizens near the Project site, Surround noise, air quality and surface water quality, Sampling and testing the sample taken in the field and in the laboratory, and, Gathering the methods with professionals knowledge, expertise and experiences. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The rapid economic development and tourism industry in Kuantan, Pahang has resulted in a growing demand for air transportation. The capital city of Pahang, Kuantan occupied with more than a half million of citizens, approximately 607,778 people. This 9th largest city in Malaysia has 57% Malays, 32% Chinese, 4% Indian and 7% other races. Kuantan is currently served by air mainly by Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport but it is more on military purposes. Public passenger and cargo loading are no more available. The nearest airport for public air transportation can be accessed from Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu, about 207km or 4 hours journey on road. A small airport in Kerteh which called Kerteh Airport is located 115km from Kuantan city centre and it takes almost two hours to reach the small airport. Kerteh Airport operations are restricted to oil-rig labours whose working for anchor national petroleum company, PETRONAS. This proposed Project is to design and construct a new international airport for Kuantan in order to re-operate the public passenger and cargo air transportation in the city, thus rejuvenate and induce the tourism industry into higher level. Site location studies were conducted in 2005 by appointed consultant, Megah Hijau (M) Sdn. Bhd. and the subject to run the EIA process was identified. In 2007, about 250 hectares (ha) of land was purchased by Federal Government of Malaysia to construct the KIA. Based on Megah Hijaus study, site clearing was completed in 2008 by local contractor within 6 months. The clearing process was under contract with the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia. The KIA development phase at first will meet the forecasting air traffic demand for the year 2010. This will engage large turboprop aircraft with relevant range to cover numerous destinations locally and internationally. The development process takes in the improvement of soil and earthworks preliminarily to construct a runaway with 4000m length and 50m width. The Project also will embrace the construction of: Passenger and cargo terminal Access road and car park Control tower Rescue building Airport staff residences Waste water management system Electricity generator unit and Fuel farm Airport navigational aid and safety equipments ENVIRONMENT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT SITE Physical Resources and Environment Project Location The Project location is in flat areas with small hills, which typically the topography of Kuantan located near to the Titiwangsa range. Elevation on the project site is range between 20 and 53m above the mean sea level. The soil of the Project site consists of muddy clay with less organic material. The condition of the soil sufficiently fit the requirements of constructing the embankment. The embankment is used to flat the terrain areas. Luckily, the Project site is free from earthquake and soil erosion hazard. The climate at the Project site is warm and wet, typical with the climate of Peninsular Malaysia which located proximity to the equator. Rain falls throughout the year, with heavy rain normally in November to March due to northeast monsoon. The average monthly rainfall in Kuantan is 250 mm. Meanwhile, the monthly temperature during the day is between 29 °C 35 °C, and 26 °C 29 °C at night. Kuantan average monthly wind velocity is 4km/hour directed to the Southwest, hence there is no typhoon recorded so far. The EIA performed the monitoring test for the air quality and noise in three locations, where two on the Project site and one in the Kuantan city centre. The results are shown in the table below. Parameter Unit Sample Point 1 2 3 Wind direction From SW `SW SW Wind speed m/s 4 3 7 Temperature  °C 31 33 35 Humidity % 89 91 83 Atmospheric Pressure cmHg 71 71 71 Suspended Particulate Matter ÃŽ ¼g/m3 34 32 36 Oxide Nitrogen (NO2) ÃŽ ¼g/m3 5 6 14 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) ÃŽ ¼g/m3 1 1 5 Carbon Monoxide (CO) ppm 0.101 0.112 0.173 Hydrocarbon ppm 0.020 0.017 0.031 Noise dBA 34-41 36-43 45-67 Air Quality Standard is based on Recommended Malaysian Air Quality Guidelines (RMAQG) Department of Environment, Malaysia. Sample point 1 and 2 are taken from two different spots at the Project site, whereas the 3rd point is located in the Kuantan city centre. We can see the different in the test results at different location. The air quality in each location was better than the recommend national standard. The volume of hydrocarbon and Carbon Monoxide were higher in the city centre compare to the other sample points. On the Project site and surroundings, there is no river, stream, or lake identified. So, there will be no impact of water pollution in the area. For this reason, the quality of the groundwater undoubted with minimal treatment and can be used to supply water to the Project facilities rather than taking the water directly from nearest river which may considerably higher in cost. Ecological Resources The flora and fauna on the Project site are commonly found in most Peninsular forest. So, they are not endangered or protected species. Animals like snakes, wild boars, and typical local birds are the group of animal inhabit in the Project site. The flora in the site consists mainly with brushes and grasslands with no canopy trees. There site currently has no sign of logging activity as the trees available are not suitable to log. Furthermore, there is no agricultural activity on the Project site with more arable land available. Economic and Human Development The KIA project site is located in an area with low population volume. No indigenous population found in the area. There are about 500 families living in two villages, Kampung Melayu dan Kampung Cina, within a range of 10-15 km from the Project site. These residence areas are dwelling by migrants within past 20 years. They come from different places in the Peninsular Malaysia. Moreover, there is no mineral resources on the site, so that, there is no mining industry. The residents in the area are mostly working in the town as government servants, self-working, small businessman and housewife. There are mixture income backgrounds of the dwellers in the area. Overall, the income level in the area is in middle range. Kuantan, as with the rest of major capital city in Malaysia, is the one of the main focus of the Federal Government to develop the city with more economical value. Federal Government in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) has identified the tourism industry potential in Kuantan. So, the Federal Government take this opportunity through the plan to coordinate an appropriate approach to enhance Kuantan attraction by constructing KIA. Quality of Life Values On the site, there are no historical, wildernesses, archaeological, cultural or protected resources, or in proximity to the site. Public facilities such as school, health care centre, power line, telephone line, are not located in the Project site area or within 8km from the site. Most of the facilities are located near to the residential areas. The main roads to be access are East Coast Highway and basic access road provided by the authorities near to the neighbourhood. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES In this section, we will disclose the potential impact of the KIA development project on the surrounding environment and suggest mitigation measures. The report will cover the potential impacts associated with design, location, construction and operation. Briefly, the impacts are summed in the next table. Other additional impact on environment also will be discussed out of the table. Loss of Ecological, Cultural, or Other Resources Action Affecting Environmental Resources and Values Possible Effects on the Environment Significance of Possible Effects Not significant Significant Low Medium Impact of KIA Design Flooding Downstream flooding, erosion X Slope erosion Siltation of caught water affecting surface water quality X Human and petroleum waste disposal Pollution of surface and groundwater X The construction of KIA will create a solid surface in the area its covers. There will be less significant impact on slope erosion and flooding or flash flooding. A proper design of the airport base and cutting-edge construction technology will alleviate adverse impact on the drainage system. The embankment that will be built at the runway strip potentially mitigates slope erosion effect. Wastewater treatment plant will be place at the site project to reduce the effect of bacteria and turbidity from human waste. KIA will use recent human waste treatment technology with environment friendly processes. It is undeniable that there will be fuel spilling occurring during the aircraft refuelling. So it is crucial to trap and treat these wastes before the wastes enter the main drainage system. To mitigate the impact, KIAs drainage system will be designed properly to channel the waste into the subsurface drains which contain trapping system to filter out the petroleum waste. Then, the petroleum waste streams to the wastewater treatment plan to break the hydrocarbon bonds which it initiated. Action Affecting Environmental Resources and Values Possible Effects on the Environment Significance of Possible Effects Not significant Significant Low Medium Impact of KIA Location Disruption of groundwater Changes in hydrologic regime Pollution by spoils leach ate impairment of profits impairment of drinking water source irrigation usage X X X Resettlement Disruption of houses X Changes in nearby land values Increases land values around the KIA and general area X Environmental aesthetics degradation environmental aesthetics values decrease X Loss of archaeological, cultural, or historical sites Loss of significant sites X The groundwater will not disrupt by the project because the level of the groundwater is 10-12 metres below the surface level of the KIAs construction site. So the Project would not impair drinking water resources and irrigation usage. The nearest residential area located about 10km outside the Project site and adequately far from airport operation. So, there is no necessary to relocate they settlement. It will be minor appreciation of land value, particularly the land that closest to the Project site and main road access, East Coast Highway and basic road access to the Project location. This impact can be mitigated by a strict regulation by the local government who may control the development project off the site. Planning, zoning and appropriate permits could help avoiding unnecessary development. Action Affecting Environmental Resources and Values Possible Effects on the Environment Significance of Possible Effects Not significant Significant Low Medium Impact during KIA Construction Sediment runoff Damage to aquatic ecology and/or flooding problems X Workers safety Hazards to workershealth and safety X Endemic communicable disease hazards Damage to workershealth X Malarial disease hazards Damage to workershealth X Slum creation hazards Slums forming in construction housing after completion X Cultural differences hazards Social disruption X Escape of hazardous materials Damage to health of nearby residents X Escape of air pollutants and dust Damage to health and nuisance X Noise and vibrations Damage to health and nuisance X Quarrying/blasting Blasting hazards Failure to restore quarry site Hazards to safety of workers and nearby residents Loss of environmental aesthetics and land values X X Disruption of nearby utilities Disruption to services X Blocking of traffic/access to the KIA Disruption of through highway traffic X During the Project construction, there are expected to subject minimal impacts, provided that the construction will adopt environment friendly and high technology design and construction practises and procedures. A contractual guarantee between the contractors and the local government will be signed before the works begin, as this agreement will be the provision to mitigate environmental impacts. Special conditions and specification will be detailed in the contract to drive the construction projects undertakings in a good manner with no unduly effect to the natural environment. The impact of sedimentation and siltation will be mitigated by structuring silt barriers and sediment ponds. These temporary retention ponds practically useful to produce topsoil for agricultural purposes because the topsoil is enriches with organic matter. There will be no quarrying activity near to the site or on the site. The noise and vibration from the construction works will be minimal as no piling and drilling activities expected. Since the residential areas are 10km away from the Project site, it is expected that dust from the main construction operations and the noise from the machinery will not affect the villagers prominently. The local government regulated that there is no construction operation allow at night, as a part of the mitigation measures. Worker safety is one of the main factor should be highlighted by the developers. The workers will be protected by a contract and insurance policy. Good construction practise guidelines must be complied to implement safe site undertakings. Apparently, there is no hazard from aircrafts onto the workers as KIA is a new airport project. Workers health will be monitored by the panel health care centres appointed by the developer companies. To mitigate traffic congestion in main access roads, contractors will construct a temporary lane especially for the trucks and heavy equipments to access easily into the Project site. Also there is no disruption of utilities expected because the Project will be powered by special generator. Action Affecting Environmental Resources and Value Possible Effects on the Environment Significance of Possible Effects Not significant Significant Low Medium Impact during KIA Operation Noise disturbance Hazard or nuisance to nearby residents X Vibration disturbance Damage to nearby residents X Water pollution Damage to surface and groundwater quality X Air pollution Hazard or nuisance to nearby residents/buildings X Erosion from newly completed earthworks Risks to aquatic ecology or flooding X Pollution from normal highway runoff Risks to aquatic ecology X Highway spills of hazardous materials Risks to residents and passerby X Escape of sanitary wastes Health hazards to passengers or nearby residents X Congestion at airport access or exit points Loss of time/air pollution X Hazards to traffic on highways near KIA from proximity to planes landing/taking off Highway accidents X As the KIA operates, there will be minimal effect of noise and vibration to residential area nearest to the airport. During the EIA study, the 10km away residents are just subject to 36-43 decibels from daily vehicle traffics. The noise analysis has been implemented using approved methods by the International Civil Aviation Organization with the help by Department of Civil Aviation of Malaysia. The analysis proved that the aircraft noise would not bring significant impact to the residential area as anticipated earlier. The sanitary wastes will be treated in the wastewater treatment plan. Therefore, there is no issue of contaminated water around the Project site. Furthermore, Malaysia has adequate experience in managing sewage treatment operation and maintenance in KIA as the plant system adopted and improved Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) wastewater management system. The system meets the World Health Organization (WHO) standards as part of the Project requirements. As explained earlier, there is minimal air pollution around the KIA site. The absence of industry around the site area minimizes the impact. Carbon emission from the operated aircrafts will not massively alter the condition. It is anticipated that during the KIA operation, the quality of life of the nearest population to be much better compare to existing life. The construction of KIA more-or-less will contribute to the advancement in the socioeconomic to the area near the KIA as well as city of Kuantan and other neighbouring districts, Pekan and Rompin. In addition, the infrastructure and public facilities indisputably will be improved due to the operation of KIA. COST BENEFIT ANALYSES Items Description Internal Rates of Return Estimated economic rate of return is 15%. Financial internal rate of return is 4.5%. An increase in financial rate is due to increase in airport rates and charges. Economic Benefits Increase in net visitor expenditure Savings travel time Value to foregone passengers and cargo traffic Savings cost in domestic aviation operation. Reduce hazards to aircrews and passengers. Generate employments Increase property values at nearest land. Project Costs Civil works Equipment and its installation works Consultation costs Supervision costs Environmental conserving costs Monitoring and Reporting Costs Monitoring environmental impacts costs Consultant and Supervision costs Maintenance costs Nonquantified Environmental Impacts Noise pollution Air pollution Surface and groundwater pollution Monitoring Program The impacts on environment of the proposed KIA Project are expected to be less significance. However, a delicate monitoring program is required to make sure the environments are not arbitrarily harmed by the irresponsible personnel. Monitoring program started as early as the Project begins. Monitoring during the construction process primarily highlighted on controlling the sedimentation and soil erosion. Water quality, worker safety and traffic smoothness also will be covered. After the project finished, estimated 4 years, monitoring program will be continued during the operational phase. Water flow and quality, noise and vibration and air quality will be checked on monthly basis. Department of Civil Aviation and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad are the bodies that responsible to monitor the construction process so that the Project construction progress well. Department of Environment and local authorities are responsible to monitor regulations on environmental issues. The bodies must ensure that the contractors carry out necessary controls and mitigation measures as written and signed in the contracts. Monthly progress reports on environmental monitoring process will be prepared by the appointed consultant, Gemilang Alam Sekitar (M) Sdn. Bhd. the reports will be handed to the authorities for revision. CONCLUSION From the EIA process, the KIA construction will not adversely affect the environment of the Project site, significantly. The usage of approved construction techniques will mitigate the impact of soil erosion, in fact improved the soil condition. Minor negative environment impacts can be avoided by cutting-edge technologies, good management on the Project site and appropriate regulations. Monitoring program is necessary to review the construction works from the pre-construction until the post-construction phases. In order to make sure the monitoring program succeeded, consultants and government bodies must play their role well, so that, there will be no more harm to the environment.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Rehabilitation Of People With Disabilities Health And Social Care Essay

Rehabilitation Of People With Disabilities Health And Social Care Essay World Health Organization has defined disability as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Actually disabilities come from the limitations and restrictions of the environment. It is a gap between a persons capabilities and the demands of the environment. Therefore, the severity of ones disability largely depends on the quality of the surrounding environment that one lives. For example, a person with hearing impairment would not be that disabled any more if he got an audiphones. The recovery and rehabilitation of disabilities not only need capability improvement of disabled individuals, but also calls for the efforts of the environment. Definition of Health and Health to the Disabled In 1948, the WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In 1986, the WHO redefines health as a resource or everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. For people with disabilities, the former definition of health seemed unreachable because they cannot achieve such a complete physical, mental and social well-being state and disease or infirmity is unavoidable in their lives. So, can disabled people live healthily? The second definition gave us a positive answer. We can build well being for people with disabilities by building resources. Quality of life includes both objective and subjective dimensions, subjective one is proved to be more forceful in enabling disabilities. As a social worker, when we work on rehabilitation of this special social group, we should not use our standard of Health to demand them, which is unfair and infeasible. Rehabilitation of Psychological Rehabilitation Rehabilitation In dictionaries, rehabilitation is described as the restoration to a disabled individual of maximum independence commensurate with his limitations by developing his residual capacity. When talking about rehabilitation, people always focus on many practical aspects such as medical, education, vocation, housing, transportation, etc and many efforts have been made on these aspects. However, the psychological part remains to be a problem which affects lives of disabled people and their families all the time. Objectives of Rehabilitation and Psychological Rehabilitation The vision of World Health Organization Six-year Plan on Disability and Rehabilitation ¼Ã‹â€ 2006-2011 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °is All persons with disabilities live in dignity, with equal rights and opportunities. Similarly, purpose of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is To promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. The Social Welfare Department of Hong Kong SAR Government described the objective of Rehabilitation Services as to acknowledge the equal rights of people with disabilities to be full members of the community by assisting them in developing their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest possible extent and by promoting their integration into the community. Under achieve these goals, the objectives of psychological rehabilitation is to help the disabled people reconcile with their trauma and loss, rebuild confidence, reenter the community, and live with positive attitudes and dignity. Needs and Characteristics of Disabled People Need of Compensation Just like an ordinary person, most needs of disabled people are quite common such as family, education, occupation, marriage, friendship and so on. Besides, there is a distinct need existing in people with disabilities-the compensation need, both physiologically and psychologically. Dr. Alfred Adler studied The psychic compensation of inferior organs and pointed out that when there is a disease or defect in a particular organ of the body, the functions of some other organs will be enhanced to compensate for the lacking functionality. Accordingly, when a person realizes his physical disability, he needs such compensation otherwise to make him a normal individual. This compensation psychology can be either positive or negative. Psychosocial Adjustment Trajectory There are four stages in the process of psychosocial adjustment. During each stage relapse could happen from time to time because of environmental or individual factors. Gradually increasing in complexity of behavior. The process of identity reconstruction and self reorganization unfolds. Stable periodic attractors in pre-disability life gradually shift to periodic or strange attractors. Chaotic, unpredictable life experiences emerge, which follow highly irregular patterns. Chaotic and complex conditions gradually give way to self reorganization under circumstances of a series of new life experiences. More intricately adaptive cognitive and behavioral patterns begin to form. New and adaptive patterns of self-organization and behavior gradually emerge, resulting in restoration of psychic balance and increased acceptance to life reconstruction. Different Psychosocial Adaption and its Negative Characteristics Livneh and Antonak stated that people with congenital and acquired disabilities differed psychologically in a significant way. The psychosocial adaptation of people with congenital disabilities involves a)growing up with an impaired body, b)building body image, ego, and self-identity and c)parental and social issues of dealing permanently with a disability. On the other hand, despite all the issues mentioned above, acquired disabilities are, a)finding their sense of self suddenly and dramatically challenged or altered, b)facing significant changes in social and familial relationships and life roles, while, c)dealing concurrently with psychological distress, physical pain, prolonged medical treatment, d)gradually increasing interference in or restriction of the performance of daily activities. In those processes mentioned above, possible negative psychosocial characteristics are produced and most common ones among them are low self-esteem, low self-efficacy/confidence, depression, anxiety, introversion, neuroticism, and chronic pain. Some Techniques for Psychological Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities There are many intervention techniques for social, medical and vocational rehabilitation for the disabled such as family therapy, community-based counseling and so on. People with disabilities are often in want of assessing their past, being aware of and involved in the present, and seeking new ways to actualize their desire and wishes, so group and individual therapies are needed to promote self awareness, confidence, expression, communication and understanding of ones life. Expressive Art Therapy Expressive art therapy uses a variety of verbal and nonverbal techniques for therapeutic intervention and self growth. Through art process, individuals can gradually get aware of his conscious and unconscious thoughts, conflicts, feelings and passions. People can heal through use of imagination and the various forms of creative expression like painting, dancing, singing and so on. Expressive art therapy is extremely suitable for disability rehabilitation because it is flexible in time, place, and population. Some disabled people are unable to speak, some cannot express their feelings. This therapy gives them a chance to share, discover and develop their understanding of their lives. In addition, living with disability required creativity. Learning to work with limitations was inherent in the creative process as well as learning to live with disability. They can realize their full potential by creating art works, which also enhance self esteem and self efficacy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral theory suggests that thoughts and emotions are best understood in the context of behaviors associated with cognition or cognitive processes as well as the extent to which individuals adaption and respond to different stimuli and make self-judgements. Cognition, behavior and emotion are interrelated to each other and cognition plays a vital role in emotional outcomes. To assist disabled clients to gain self awareness and self acceptance and to replace their beliefs and behaviors, we can help them identify their dysfunctional beliefs and thought patterns. For instance, people with disabilities often thought themselves as useless, isolated and troublesome. If we replace those dysfunctional cognitions with functional self-statements and reconstruct some positive cognitions, emotions and behaviors will be greatly improved. Body-Mind-Sprit Technique Body-mind-spirit technique is an indigenous psychological rehabilitation technique which brings together Western body-mind technique and insights from Eastern schools of thoughts (Especially Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Traditional Chinese Medicine). Body stands for physical fitness; Mind means emotion management; Spirit refers to spiritual exercise. It emphasizes interconnections and interactions between body, mind and spirit, not only stressing cultivation of strength and resilient character, but also paying attention to life education and spirituality. Eastern elements like meditation, mindfulness, yoga and massage, plus good living habits such has close to nature, proper sports, healthy diet, disabled clients are expected a)to discover the potential ability and quality inside oneself and to cultivate self-confidence; b) to review and reconstruct important relations; c)to seek more opportunities and alternatives; d) to accept and sublimate impairment and trauma; e) to clarif y correct life meaning and to build a positive life attitude, and f)to learn to admire and care about themselves. Limitations reduplicative reduplicativeReduplicative work After a disabled person talking with a therapist or a social worker, he may feel much better. But when he gets out of the room, when he encounters any restrictions in environment the next second, the progress they made just now crumbles to dust. That means the psychological rehabilitation may take a long time and involve a great amount of repeated work. So we should prepare ourselves for long-term strategies and frustrations. Lack of professionals Since the number of people with disabilities is huge and keeps growing every year in Hong Kong, professionals for psychological rehabilitation of disabilities are in great need. Although medical, vocational, housing and transportation cares are being given by the government, organizations, communities, corporations and schools, we are expecting more policies, institutions and professionals, to enable these disabled.

Monday, August 19, 2019

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich :: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Essays

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Deeper into the Character When Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in 1962, he crossed political barriers in his explanation of the Siberian prison camp. Through his character Ivan Denisovich, Solzhenitsyn shows us a normal day in the camp. The book has no chapters, so it is like the reader is spending the day with Ivan. Through this day, he tells of the people, the life conditions, what things are to be done and what things are not to be done. One Day. . . takes us from the wake up call to lights out, with only meals and work between. Nevertheless, because this is only one day, it is hard to really know and understand the characters. Yet, Solzhenitsyn uses flashbacks to show the different sides to his character Ivan Denisovich. Solzhenitsyn uses quite a few major flash backs to show the history of the characters; yet, there were two distinct examples he uses to show Ivans feelings. These two flashbacks help us to understand his humanity and optimism. When he is at his first work camp, he receives many letters and packages from his wife. These letters talk of things happening at home while the packages contain food and tobacco. Yet, every time he receives a package, only a small portion gets to Ivan after all of the appropriate people take their cuts. Therefore, despite his need for food, he writes to his wife and tells her to stop sending the packages. He wants her to save the bread for their children. Even though he asks her to not send any more packages, he still longs for someone to run up to him and say "Shukhov (Ivan) what are you waiting for? You've got a package!" (P.160). No one ever does, nor does he expect them to. As much as he wants the package, he doesn't want his family to suffer on his account. This situation shows the reader the caring and compassionate side of Ivan. It shows the reader of his capacity to give up his own food on behalf of his family. Ivan is a very loving father, yet, without this example, the reader would lose an important aspect of his character. Only through this flashback are we able to see this side of him.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace: From the Middle Ages to Today Essay

Sexual Harassment is first traced from the Middle Ages in the feudal era, custom stipulated that all vassals or serfs were required to give their brides to satisfy their masters sexually. The only way this could be avoided was where the bride or the bridegroom paid a specific amount of produce in redemption dues. While this may seem different from sexual harassment on the job, in fact, in feudal times, the feudal lord was the employer of his vassals and serfs, and their brides became his sexual property. The masters appear to have enforced this custom regularly and with great enthusiasm. During slavery, slave women were forced into dual exploitation: as laborers and sexual partners. Their physical labor and their sexual favors belonged to their male masters. Slaves had no legal right to refuse advances from their masters, since legally the concept of raping did not exist. A female slave was frequently used by her owner for his sexual and recreational pleasure. This sexual privilege was a hierarchical right that spilled over to the slave owner's neighbors, visitors, and younger sons eager for initiation into the mysteries of sex. As slavery was replaced by lowly paid domestic help, female servants, particularly the young maids, were often forced to become the sexual playthings of the members of their employers' families. A domestic servant was afforded little privacy, dignity, or freedom to socialize with others. The employer expected sexual favors to go along with the rest of the duties exacted from the domestic servants. The domestic servant who became pregnant could no longer anticipate marriage. If she bore an illegitimate child, she would be dismissed from her job and shunned by society. As a last resort, unemployed dome... ...Lawrence Solotoff, Henry S. Kramer. "Sexual Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace". Law Journal Press, 2015 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), (n.d.). Sexual harassment. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm Judith Berman Brandenburg. "Confronting Sexual Harassment: What schools and colleges can do". Teachers College Press, 1997 Richard B. Barickman. "Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment: A Resource Manual" State Univ of New York Press, 1991 Eliza G.C. Collins and Timothy B. Blodgett. "Sexual Harassment†¦Some See It†¦Some Won’t" Harvard Business Review, March 1981. Web. 6 June 2015. https://hbr.org/1981/03/sexual-harassmentsome-see-itsome-wont Barbara A. Gutek. "Sexual Harassment on the Job". 2012. Web. 1 June 2015. http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1477&context=ndjlepp

Anywhere You Dare :: essays research papers

“Anywhere You Dare';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I first saw the Candies fragrance ad, I immediately had a perception of its entire meaning. It is interesting to see how the advertisers for this particular advertisement try to pull people in and buy their product. This ad is an example of the sexual influence on our society s marketing strategies. We tend to deny that sexual influence has become a mainstream market in our society but if you look through an every day magazine you begin to notice how extreme it really is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Candies advertisement that I chose, a model looking in to a cabinet in a bathroom. She stands wearing a black bra and bottom. Inside the cabinet are three full shelves of condoms. I noticed that there are a variety of colors and brands. In the center of the cabinet are two bottles of the fragrances. There is a light shining on them to make the product stand out in the entire advertisement. The expression on her face almost seems like an evil smirk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I flipped through a magazine, this advertisement immediately caught my attention. My first belief of the marketer’s intentions was to give an idea that “if you wear their product, you can be with whomever you wish, anywhere you dare, and however many partners you desire.'; Of course, this was ridiculous to me, but it definitely caught my attention. It seems as if the condoms signify multiple partners. The fragrance is the “center of attention'; in the entire ad and you will be to if you us the product.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I asked a few people what it seemed like the advertisement meant and most of them had similar opinions to mine. The whole idea of a “sexy girl'; standing in front of three full shelves of condoms is pretty self-explanatory. What is interesting about this is that there are so many ways to advertise a fragrance, but marketers tend to use sexual concepts in the advertisements for fragrances. Using any type of sexual influence for an advertisement for teenagers can bring up some controversy. Many parents would believe that the ad is promoting teenagers to have sex, and therefore would not allow their daughters to purchase the product. Why is it that almost every ad that targets teenagers, seems to be about sex? I think it is because sexuality is a new thing to them and it always grabs their attention.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Marketing Reasearch Topshop Essay

Many organisations use marketing research to contribute to the development of their businesses because Market research can improve marketing strategies. Market research gives you concrete feedback regarding the product or service. You can use the information from market studies in your marketing strategy to define your target market, position your product, and price it appropriately. TOPSHOP is one of the world’s most internationally recognized fashion design talent schemes its part of the Arcadia Group, which owns a number of other retail outlets, it seems to be the single biggest supporter of emerging design talent in the UK. Arcadia Group ones over than 500 stores in more than 30 markets, supporting franchisees. Retail is a popular market as many new designers and stores are always popping Using marketing research is the most common kind of research as you can determine your market how you need to brand your product. Also finding competitors can be very useful when selling similar products for example a very popular fashion necessity like leggings. These leather leggings are popular in London at the moment and many stores are selling them however as TOPSHOP is such a popular brand people would rather spend  £33 at TOPSHOP then  £12.99 at a more basic store even with the significant price difference. This shows the importance of market research and branding, TOPSHOP’s reputation and brand awareness allows them to sell product at a higher price than other market competitors. Both products are made from the same material 100% Polyurethane but TOPSHOPS modifies the basic shape by adding multiple seams and a metal zipper, this adds a more fashionable twist then other companies which then allow TOPSHOP’s marketing team to increase the price to beat competitors. Topshop is a British clothes retailer specialized in women’s clothing and fashion accessories. Topshop started life in 1964 as Peter Robinson’s Topshop. By the 1970s Topshop had the first stand-alone store which was opened in 1974 however in 1994 the brand began to grow and set up at 214 Oxford Store. TOPSHOP first had a reputation of being a tacky low price clothing outlet. As the brand started growing they created TOPSHOP ‘plus’ to appeal to a larger market and compete with potential market competitors, which has now earned the fame of now leading fashion retailer. This success is owed to market strategy made in 1994 by going upscale. TOPSHOP ‘plus’ products will arrive first in the market and will be of high quality and very low comparative price. TOPSHOP plus stock up to date fashion clothes and accessories before any of its competitors does in the market because of the brand status many sellers want to work with TOPSHOP as they have so much publicity and celebrity endorsement. The endorsement from the British super model Kate Moss acted to strengthen Top Shop’s image as being first class in fashion clothing additionally the collection arrived in stores, designed to capture the models’ unique sense of style, Kate Moss for Top shop was one of the most hotly anticipated high street collaborations. Over time, TOPSHOP will come to be known not only as just the fashion accessory provider but much rather a trend setter especially with its in-house designer brands and those exclusively introduced and introduced by fashion industry leaders. Due to its various marketing efforts, innovations in the business and exclusive services for its customers, it is now the biggest and the most differentiated name in the fashion industry especially when it comes to retailers in the field.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Childbirth In Ethnic And Cultural Groups Essay

Discuss disparities related to ethnic and cultural groups relative to low birth weight infants and preterm births. Describe the impact of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and on the community (short-term and long-term, including economic considerations, on-going care considerations, and comorbidities associated with prematurity). Identify at least (1) support service within your community for preterm infants and their family. Provide the link for your colleagues to view. Does the service adequately address needs of this population? Explain your answer. Babies who weigh 5.5 pounds (2500grams) or less at birth are low babies with low birth weight. Babies weighing 3.3 pounds (1500 grams) or less are Very low birth weight babies. According to World Health Organization â€Å"The 30 million low-birth-weight babies born annually (23.8% of all births) often face severe short- and long-term health consequences. Low birth weight is a major determinant of mortality, morbidity and disability in infancy and childhood and also has a long-term impact on health outcomes in adult life. Low birth weight also results in substantial costs to the health sector and imposes a significant burden on society as a whole† (WHO, 2014). The infants born to non-Hispanic Black women, 3.0 percent were very low birth weight in 2008, compared to 1.2 percent of infants born to non- Hispanic White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women and 1.3 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native women. The rate of infant mortality (death in the first year) has fallen steadily for both blacks and whites over the past twenty-five years. In 1980, 18 out of 1,000 black singleton babies did not live to their first birthday; by 2000 that figure had fallen to 12 out of 1,000. For white babies the comparable rates were 9 out of 1,000 in 1980 and 5 out of 1,000 in 2000(Reichman, 2005).The majority of costs accrue in the first year of life and costs for rehospitalization are higher than outpatient costs. Most relevant cost components after the neonatal period are expenses for re-hospitalization, outpatient visits, pharmaceuticals, medical aids and nonmedical costs for education, travelling, accommodation, child care as well as indirect costs (mainly parental time and/or wage losses) (Hodek, Schulenburg and Mittendorf, 2011). The local or federal government ought to provide financial assistance to the families while they  are taking care of them. The Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is the local resource I found that provides information about what is premature birth, delivery of you premature infant, what to expect when you have an extremely premature infant and symptoms of the premature baby. http://www.altabatessummit.org/nicuedu/preemie.html Reference World Health Organization, 2014 Nutrition, Feto-maternal nutrition and low birth weight. Retrieved on November 25, 2014 from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/feto_maternal/en/ Reichman N. 2005. Low Birth Weight and School Readiness Retrieved on November 25, 2014 from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=38&articleid=118 §ion id=774 Hodek J., Schulenburg J., Mittendorf T., 2011 Measuring economic consequences of preterm birth Methodological recommendations for the evaluation of personal burden on children and their caregivers Retrieved on November 26, 2014 from http://www.healtheconomicsreview.com/content/1/1/6

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Immigration Outline Essay

About 40% of illegal immigrants enter legally and then overstay d. Crime rate viii. .2011 saw 396,906 deportations ix. 216,698 had been convicted of crimes x. 44,653 convicted of â€Å"drug-related crimes† xi. 35,927 convicted of  driving under the influence xii. 5,848 convicted of  sexual offenses xiii. 1,119 convicted of  homicide III. Impacts: d. Economic xiv. They pay $7 billion in social security e. Law inforcement and expenses xv. costs $90 a day to keep them in detention facilities xvi. Identity theft  is sometimes committed by illegal immigrants who use  social security numbers  belonging to others xvii. f. Enviorment xviii. 45 abandoned cars on the Buenos Aires refuge near  Sasabe, Arizona  and enough trash that a volunteer couple filled 723 large bags with 18,000 pounds of garbage over two months in 2002. â€Å"[132] xix. Illegal immigrants trying to get to the United States via the Mexican border with southern Arizona are suspected of having caused eight major  wildfires  in 2002. The fires destroyed 68,413 acres (276. 86  km2) and cost taxpayers $5. 1 million to fight g. National security xx. out of the 48  al-Qaeda  operatives who committed crimes here between 1993 and 2001, 12 of them were illegal aliens when they committed their crimes, xxi. seven of them were visa overstayers, xxii. four of the 9/11 terrorists. Were illegal immigrants xxiii. llegal immigrants within the United States have attempted to carry out other terrorist attacks as well. IV. Democratic view on Illegal immigration: h.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Management Study Guide Essay

Commanding Heights: Episode 3 (Chapters 11-14); available at online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/story/index.html – With communism discredited, more and more nations harness their fortunes to the global free-market. China, Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America all compete to attract the developed world’s investment capital, and tariff barriers fall. In the United States Republican and Democratic administrations both embrace unfettered globalization over the objections of organized labor. But as new technology and ideas drive profound economic change, unforeseen events unfold. A Mexican economic meltdown sends the Clinton administration scrambling. Internet-linked financial markets, unrestricted capital flows, and floating currencies drive levels of speculative investment that dwarf trade in actual goods and services. Fueled by electronic capital and a global workforce ready to adapt, entrepreneurs create multinational corporations wi th valuations greater than entire national economies. When huge pension funds go hunting higher returns in emerging markets, enterprise flourishes where poverty once ruled, but risk grows, too. In Thailand the huge reservoir of available capital proves first a blessing, then a curse. Soon all Asia is engulfed in an economic crisis, and financial contagion spreads throughout the world, until Wall Street itself is threatened. A single global market is now the central economic reality. As the force of its effects is felt, popular unease grows. Is the system just too complex to be controlled, or is it an insiders’ game played at outsiders’ expense? New centers of opposition to globalization form and the debate turns violent over who will rewrite the rules. Yet prosperity continues to spread with the expansion of trade, even as the gulf widens further between rich and poor. Imbalances too dangerous for the system to ignore now drive its stakeholders to devise new means to include the dispossessed lest, once again, terrorism and war destroy the stability of a deeply interconnected world. The Bush Bailout Plan (Rounds 1 and 2) Round 1: Allow the Treasury to borrow up to $700 billion to buy mortgage-related assets from US financial institutions over the next 2 years. –May stabilize the capital markets ( could protect investment and retirement funds) – MAY stabilize housing prices. Consequences of doing nothing: -Small businesses will fail. -Companies may not be able to make payroll -People, even those with good credit records, may not be able to get credit for mortgages, car loans, student loans, or credit cards. -People will lose jobs. Round 2: Same deal: with same possible benefits. House version of the bill: $350 billion upfront; $350 billion later unless congress holds it back. -NO new golden parachutes if the institution sells more than $300 million in assets -Must try to â€Å"claw back† past bonuses if based on misleading financial statements -No golden parachutes when the treasury has ownership stake in the firm (.ie., it is failing). Defined Contribution Retirement Plans – A defined contribution plan provides an individual account for each participant. The benefits are based on the amount contributed into the plan and are also affected by income, expenses, gains and loses. There are no promises of a set monthly benefit at retirement. Some examples of defined contribution plans include 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, employee stock ownership plans and profit sharing plans. Contagion – The tendency to spread, as of a doctrine, influence, or emotional state. When one nation’s economy is negatively affected because of changes in the asset PRICES of another country’s financial market Foreign Direct Investment – Is when a firm invests resources in facilities to produce and/or market a product in a foreign country. Horizontal FDI versus Vertical FDI – Horizontal FDI: investment in the same industry in which a firm operates at home. Vertical FDI: investment in an industry that provides inputs for a firm’s domestic operations or that sells the outputs of the firm’s domestic operations. Backward Vertical FDI versus Forward Vertical FDI- Backward vertical FDI: an investment in an industry abroad that provides inputs for a firm’s domestic production processes. Forward Vertical FDI: an investment in an industry abroad that sells the outputs of a firm’s domestic production processes. BACKWARD vertical means that there are more places to help build the product. Stock versus Flow of FDI – Stock flow is the total accumulated value. Flow of FDI is the value over time. Gross Fixed Capital Formation – GFCF is a flow value. It is usually defined as the total value of additions to fixed assets by resident producer enterprises, less disposals of fixed assets during the quarter or year, plus additions to the value of non-produced assets (such as discoveries of mineral deposits, or land improvements). Greenfield Investment – Establishing a new operation Acquisition – When one firm buys an interest in another firm Merger – When two firms agree to integrate their operations on a relatively co-equal basis. Exporting – The sale of products produced in one country to residents of another country Licensing – when one firm (the licensor) grants the right to produce its product, use its production processes, or use its brand name or trademark to another firm (the licensee) Tacit versus Codified Knowledge – Tacit knowledge: information that is intuitive and difficult to articulate or codify in writing. (Can be gained through personal experience or interaction. Shared knowledge might be dispersed throughout the company.) Theoretical Explanations for FDI: Transportation Costs, Market Imperfections, Strategic Behavior, Product Life Cycle, and Location-Specific Advantages – Impediments to the Sale of Know-How – Impediments to the sale of know-how explain why firms prefer horizontal FDI to licensing. These impediments arise when: (a) a firm has valuable know-how that cannot be adequately protected by a licensing contract, (b) a firm needs tight control over a foreign entity to maximize its market share and earnings in that country, and (c) a firm’s skills and know-how are not amenable to licensing. Multi-Point Competition – Arises when two or more enterprises encounter each other in different regional markets, national markets, or industries. The Radical, Free Market and Pragmatic Nationalism Views of FDI Benefits and Costs of FDI for a Host Country – Resource transfer effects, employment effects, balance of payments effects, effect on competition and economic growth. Host country benefits from initial capital inflow when MNC establishes business—FINANCIAL CREDIT Host country benefits if FDI substitutes for imports of goods and services—CURRENT ACCOUNTCREDIT Host country benefits when MNC uses its foreign subsidiary to export to other countries—Credit on CURRENT ACCOUNT Resource-Transfer Effects: Capital, Technology and Management Employment Effects: Direct, Indirect, Substitution, and Acquisition Restructuring – -Mergers and acquisitions are quicker to execute. -Foreign firms have valuable strategic assets that would be risky and time consuming to develop. -Acquiring firm believes it can use its core competencies to increase the efficiency of the acquired firm. Balance-of-Payments Effects of FDI for the Home and Host Countries – Home country – The balance of payments account is improved by the inward flow of repatriated earnings. The balance of payments account is improved if the foreign subsidiary needs home country equipment, component parts, etc. National Sovereignty – Sovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a country, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority. Benefits and Costs of FDI for a Home Country – Balance of payments effects, employment effects. Home Country Policies to Encourage and Restrict Outward FDI – Restrict: Limits on capital outflows, tax incentives to invest at home, Nation-specific prohibitions Encourage: Foreign Risk Insurance, Capital Assistance, Tax Incentives to Invest Abroad, Political Pressure. Host Country Policies to Encourage and Restrict Inward FDI – Restrict: Ownership Restraints Encourage: To gain from the resource-transfer and employment effects of FDI, to capture FDI away from other potential host locations. Performance Requirements – An expectation placed on a foreign direct thingy requiring them to do certain things like having some local employees. Basically, this puts restrictions on them like local production requirements. Regional Economic Integration –refers to agreements among countries in a geographic region to reduce and ultimately remove, tariff and non-tariff barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production between each other. Levels of Economic Integration: Free Trade Area: Remove internal Barriers Customs Union: Common External Barriers Common Market: Free Movement of Factors Economic Union: Common Economic Policy Political Union: Political Integration The Case for and the Case against Regional Integration â €“ For: Increases world production, stimulates growth, regional economic integration can provide additional gains from free trade beyond the international agreements such as GATT and TWO. Against: a regional trade agreement is beneficial only if it creates more trade than it diverts. Impediments to Regional Integration – Nation as a whole may benefit but certain groups within countries may be hurt. Concerns about loss of national sovereignty and control over the nation’s sovereignty and control over the nations monetary, fiscal and trade policies. Trade Creation versus Trade Diversion – When an inefficient non member nation replaces an efficient member nation (NAFTA). Like Mexico replacing China in the textile business. Creation: occurs when free trade leads to the substitution of inefficient domestic production for efficient production in another member country. Diversion: Occurs when efficient non-member production is replaced by inefficient production by a member nation as a result of high trade barriers for non-members. The European Union (EU) – is composed of 27 member countries, covers an area of 4 million square kilometers and has approximately 460 million inhabitants. The EU’s member states combined represent the world’s largest economy by GDP, the seventh largest territory in the world by area and the third largest by population. Political Structure of the European Union: European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Parliament and Court of Justice Optimal Currency Area – In economics, an optimum currency area (OCA), also known as an optimal currency region (OCR), is a geographical region in which it would maximize economic efficiency to have the entire region share a single currency. It describes the optimal characteristics for the merger of currencies or the creation of a new currency. Cop enhagen Criteria – are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a nation have the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, a functioning market economy, and that the nation accept the obligations and intent of the EU. The Lisbon Treaty – The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU) with amendments to the Treaty on European Union (TEU, Maastricht) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC, Rome), the latter being renamed Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in the process. The stated aim of the treaty is â€Å"to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam and by the Treaty of Nice with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improving the coherence of its action.† The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Pros and Cons of NAFTA – Pros: Labor intensive industries move to Mexico, resulting in better resource allocation, Mexico gets investment and employment, increased Mexican income to buy US/Canadian goods, demand for goods increases jobs, consumers get lower prices. Cons: Loss of jobs to Mexico for people who don’t have other employment options, Mexican firms have to compete against efficient US/Canadian firms, environmental degradation, loss of national sovereignty. The Andean Community – The Andean Community is mainly a trade block formerly called the Andean Group (Grupo Andino, in Spanish) which saw light after the Andean Pact (Pacto Andino) or more formally the Cartagena Agreement (Acuerdo de Cartagena) was signed in 1969, in Cartagena (Colombia). Mercado Comà ºn del Sur (MERCOSUR) – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuala. Was originally envisioned as a common market but has yet to reach that goal. Critics contend the agreement results in more trade diversion than trade creation as a result of the high external tariffs. Free Trade Area of the Americas –was a proposal to expand NAFTA to include all countries in the Western Hemisphere, except Cuba. This region has 850 million people and a $13.5 trillion economy. Talks are stalled and stronger support would be needed by the USA and Brazil for this agreement to become a reality. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) / ASEAN Free Trade Area – Ind onesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Total population of 500 million, GDP of US $740 billion, and a total trade of US $720 billion A free trade area among some of the nations exists, but several nations are refusing to lower all tariffs. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) – Founded in 1990 to promote open trade and economic cooperation. Currently has 21 members including the United States, Japan and China. Members account for 57% of the world’s GNP and 46% of global trade. Despite little progress, it could potentially become the world’s largest free trade area. Fiscal versus Monetary Policy – Market economies have regular fluctuations in the level of economic activity which we call the business cycle. It is convenient to think of the business cycle as having three phases. The first phase is expansion when the economy is growing along its long term trends in employment, output, and income. But at some point the economy will overheat, and suffer rising prices and interest rates, until it reaches a turning point — a peak — and turn downward into a recession (the second phase). Recessions are usually brief (six to nine months) and are marked by falling employment, output, income, prices, and interest rates. Most significantly, recessions are marked by rising unemployment. The economy will hit a bottom point — a trough — and rebound into a strong recovery (the third phase). The recovery will enjoy rising employment, output, and income while unemployment will fall. The recovery will gradually slow down as the economy once again assumes its long term growth trends, and the recovery will transform into an expansion. Foreign Exchange Market –a market for converting the currency of one country into the currency of another. Exchange Rate – the rate at which one currency is converted into another. Foreign Exchange Risk – the risk of an investment’s value changing due to changes in the currency exchange rates. Arbitrage – the purchase of a product in one market for immediate resale in a second market in order to profi t from a price discrepancy. Currency Speculation – short-term movement of funds from one currency to another in hopes of profiting from shifts in exchange rates. Spot Exchanges –the exchange rate at which a foreign exchange dealer would convert one currency to into another currency on that day. Forward Exchanges – the exchange rate at which a foreign exchange dealer will agree to convert one currency into another currency on a specific date in the future. Hedging: Forward Contracts versus Options Selling on a Discount versus Selling at a Premium Currency Swaps – A currency swap (or cross currency swap) is a foreign exchange agreement between two parties to exchange a given amount of one currency for another and, after a specified period of time, to give back the original amounts swapped. Economic Theories of Exchange Rate Determination – Law of One Price – The law of one price is an economic law stated as: â€Å"In an efficient market all identical goods must have only one price.† The intuition for this law is that all sellers will flock to the highest prevailing price, and all buyers to the lowest current market price. In an efficient market the convergence on one price is instant. Purchasing Power Parity – The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power. Developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920, it is based on the law of one price: the theory states that, in an ideally efficient market, identical goods should have only one price. Big Mac Index – The Big Mac Index is an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. As stated in The Economist, it â€Å"seeks to make exchange-rate theory a bit more digestible† In 120 nations the big mac is the same. How Increasing the Money Supply Impacts Exchange Rates Price Discrimination – Price discrimination or yield management occurs when a firm charges a different price to different groups of consumers for an identical good or service, for reasons not associated with costs. Fisher Effect / International Fischer Effect Real versus Nominal Interest Rates 8% interest + 2%inflation = 10% nominal interest. $100 on $1000 loan. Investor Psychology and Bandwagon Effects The Efficient Market School versus the Inefficient Market School – Efficient: Those who believe the foreign exchange market actually predicts things accurately. Fundamental versus Technical Analysis Currency Convertibility: Freely, Externally, and Nonconvertible Currencies Capital Flight – Capital flight, in economics, occurs when assets and/or money rapidly flow out of a country, due to an economic event that disturbs investors and causes them to lower their valuation of the assets in that country, or otherwi se to lose confidence in its economic strength. This leads to a disappearance of wealth and is usually accompanied by a sharp drop in the exchange rate of the affected country (depreciation in a variable exchange rate regime, or a forced devaluation in a fixed exchange rate regime). Transaction versus Translation versus Economic Exposure – Economic exposure: the extent to which a firm’s future international earning power is affected by changes in exchange rates. Lead versus Lag Strategies – Lead: an attempt to collect foreign currency receivables when a foreign currency is expected to depreciate. Lag: An attempt to delay the collection of foreign currency receivables if that currency is expected to appreciate. Delay paying foreign currency payables if the foreign currency is expected to depreciate. International Monetary System – are institutional arrangements countries adopt to govern exchange rates. Exchange Rate Regimes: Formal Dollarization, Fixed, Currency Boards, Pegged, Dirty/Managed Floats and Independently Floating – The Gold Standard – Pegging currencies to gold and guaranteeing convertibility is known as the gold standard. Gold Par Value – The amount of a currency in an ounce, one ounce of gold was referred to as the gold par value. The Bretton Woods Exchange Rate System – Created a fixed exchange rate system where the countries agreed to peg their currencies to the US dollar which was convertible to gold at $35 an ounce. Countries agreed to defend the value of their currencies to within 1% of par value. Currency, Banking and Foreign Debt Crises – Currency speculators believed that the devaluation of the dollar was inevitable. President Nixon dropped the gold standard conversion and the dollar was devalued. Following a second round of speculative attacks, the US dollar was allowed to float against other world currencies. Concerns about the IMF’s Policy Prescriptions – The system of adjustable parities allowed for the devaluation of a country’s currency by more than 10 percent if the IMF agreed that a country’s balance of payments was in â€Å"fundamental disequilibrium.† Moral Hazard – arises when people behave recklessly because they know they will be sav ed if things go wrong. Capital Market – The capital market is the market for securities, where companies and governments can raise longterm funds. The capital market includes the stock market and the bond market. Financial regulators, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, oversee the capital markets in their designated countries to ensure that investors are protected against fraud. The capital markets consist of the primary market, where new issues are distributed to investors, and the secondary market, where existing securities are traded. Cost of Capital – The cost of capital is an expected return that the provider of capital plans to earn on their investment. Initial Public Offering – Initial public offering (IPO), also referred to simply as a â€Å"public offering†, is when a company issues common stock or shares to the public for the first time. They are often issued by smaller, younger companies seeking capital to expand, but can also be done by large privately-owned companies looking to become publicly traded. Commercial Banks versus Investment Banks Equity Loan: An equity loan is a mo rtgage placed on real estate in exchange for cash to the borrower. For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a lien on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value (LTV) or $80,000 in cash in exchange for a lien on title placed by the lender of the equity loan. Debt Loans: A loan is a type of debt. This article focuses exclusively on monetary loans, although, in practice, any material object might be lent. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower. Corporate Bonds – A Corporate Bond is a bond issued by a corporation. The term is usually applied to longer-term debt instruments, generally with a maturity date falling at least a year after their issue date. Systematic Risk – In finance, Systemic Risk is that risk which is common to an entire market and not to any individual entity or component thereof. It can be defined as â€Å"financial system instability, potentially catastrophic, caused or exacerbated by idiosyncratic events or conditions in financial intermediaries†[1]. It refers to the movements of the whole economy and has wide ranging effects. It is also sometimes erroneously referred to as â€Å"systematic risk†. Portfolio Diversification – By using the global capital market, investors have a much wider range of investment opportunities than in a purely domestic capital market. The most significant consequence of this choice is that investors can diversify their portfolios internationally, thereby reducing their risk to below what could be achieved in a purely domestic capital market. Drivers of the Global Capital Market: Information Technology: Financial services is an information-intensive industry. It draws on large volumes of information about markets, risks, exchange rates, interest rates, creditworthiness, and so on. It uses this information to make decisions about what to invest where, how much to change borrowers, how much interest to pay to depositors, and the value and riskiness of a range of financial assets including corporate bonds, stocks, government securities, and currencies. Deregulation: Many restrictions have been crumbling in the US since the early 80s. In this part, this has been a response to the development of the Eurocurrency market, which from the beginning was outside of national control. Hot Money: In economics, hot money refers to funds which flow into a country to take advantage of a favorable interest rate, and therefore obtain higher returns. They influence the balance of payments and strengthen the exchange rate of the recipient country while weakening the currency of the country losing the money. These funds are held in currency markets by speculators as opposed to national banks or domestic investors. As such, they are highly volatile in Mexico and East Asian financial crisis. Patient Money: Selling land in large blocks under frontier conditions is to sell at a time before it begins yielding much if any rent. It is bid in by those few who have large discretionary funds of patient money. Eurocurrency – Eurocurrency is the term used to describe deposits residing in banks that are located outside the borders of the country that issues the currency the deposit is denominated in. For example a deposit denominated in US dollars residing in a Japanese bank is a Eurocurrency deposit, or more specifically a Eurodollar deposit. Attractions and Drawbacks of the Eurocurrency Market Attractions: Lack of government regulation. Drawbacks: When depositors use a regulated banking system they know that the probability of a bank failure that would cause them to lose their deposits is very low. Secondly, borrowing funds internationally can expose a company to foreign exchange risk. Reserve Requirements – The reserve requirement (or required reserve ratio) is a bank regulation that sets the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer deposits and notes. These reserves are designed to satisfy withdrawal demands, and would normally be in the form of fiat currency stored in a bank vault (vault cash), or with a central bank. Foreign Bonds vs. Eurobonds: A Eurobond is an international bond that is denominated in a currency not native to the country where it is issued. It can be categorised according to the currency in which it is issued. London is one of the centers of the Eurobond market, but Eurobonds may be traded throughout the world – for example in Singapore or Tokyo. Attractions of the Eurobond Market – Absence of regulatory interference. Less stringent disclosure requirements than in most domestic bond markets. A favorable tax status. The Impact of Exchange Rate Risk on the Cost of Capital Benefits and Costs of Financial Globalization Inter-Temporal Trade – Consumption smoothing usually between advanced economies and developing economies. Developing economies need money NOW. Capital Mobility – The ability of money to cross national borders. The free flow of money in and out of a country. Impossible Trinity – The Impossible Trinity (also known as the Inconsistent Trinity, Triangle of Impossibility or Unholy Trinity) is the hypothesis in international economics that it is impossible to have all three of the following at the same time: Exchange Rate Stability, Independent Monetary Policy, and Capital Mobility. You can only have 2 of these 3 things at the same time ever. The Exchange Rate is simply the relative price of currencies. For example: It tells you how many Euros you can get for a dollar. A government has to main monetary policies it can use: The Fiscal Policy, or the Monetary Policy The Fiscal Policy concerns government expenditures and tax collection The Monetary Policy concerns the interest rate in the economy. The interest rates are established to help stabilize the economy.