Computer Science Government Intervention Of The Internet During The Pa

Computer Science Government Intervention of the Internet During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across large distances quickly. Computerization has influenced everyone's life. The natural evolution of computers and this need for ultra-fast communications has caused a global network of interconnected computers to develop. This global net allows a person to send E-mail across the world in mere fractions of a second, and enables even the common person to access information world-wide. With advances such as software that allows users with a sound card to use the Internet as a carrier for long distance voice calls and video conferencing, this network is key to the future of the knowledge society. At present, this net is the epitome of the first amendment: free speech. It is a place where people can speak their mind without being reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to say it. The key to the world-wide s uccess of the Internet is its protection of free speech, not only in America, but in other countries where free speech is not protected by a constitution. To be found on the Internet is a huge collection of obscene graphics, Anarchists' cookbooks and countless other things that offend some people. With over 30 million Internet users in the U.S. alone (only 3 million of which surf the net from home), everything is bound to offend someone. The newest wave of laws floating through law making bodies around the world threatens to stifle this area of spontaneity. Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that will make it a crime punishable by jail to send "vulgar" language over the net, and to export encryption software. No matter how small, any attempt at government intervention in the Internet will stifle the greatest communication innovation of this century. The government wants to maintain control over this new form of communication, and they are trying to use the protecti on of children as a smoke screen to pass laws that will allow them to regulate and censor the Internet, while banning techniques that could eliminate the need for regulation. Censorship of the Internet threatens to destroy its freelance atmosphere, while wide spread encryption could help prevent the need for government intervention. The current body of laws existing today in America does not apply well to the Internet. Is the Internet like a bookstore, where servers cannot be expected to review every title? Is it like a phone company who must ignore what it carries because of privacy? Is it like a broadcasting medium, where the government monitors what is broadcast? The trouble is that the Internet can be all or none of these things depending on how it's used. The Internet cannot be viewed as one type of transfer medium under current broadcast definitions. The Internet differs from broadcasting media in that one cannot just happen upon a vulgar site without first entering a compli cated address, or following a link from another source. "The Internet is much more like going into a book store and choosing to look at adult magazines." (Miller 75). Jim Exon, a democratic senator from Nebraska, wants to pass a decency bill regulating the Internet. If the bill passes, certain commercial servers that post pictures of unclad beings, like those run by Penthouse or Playboy, would of course be shut down immediately or risk prosecution. The same goes for any amateur web site that features nudity, sex talk, or rough language. Posting any dirty words in a Usenet discussion group, which occurs routinely, could make one liable for a $50,000 fine and six months in jail. Even worse, if a magazine that commonly runs some of those nasty words in its pages, The New Yorker for instance, decided to post its contents on-line, its leaders would be held responsible for a $100,000 fine and two years in jail. Why does it suddenly become illegal to post something that has been legal for years in print? Exon's bill apparently would also "criminalize private mail," ... "I can call my brother on the phone and say anything--but if I say it on the Internet, it's illegal" (Levy 53). Congress, in

The Complete List of NCAA Division 1 Colleges (Most Recent)

The Complete List of NCAA Division 1 Colleges (Most Recent) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The NCAA, the major governing body for intercollegiate sports, separates its member institutions by divisions. Division I colleges are generally the biggest. They have the largest athletic department budgets and their sports teams generate the most revenue. All of the schools that participate in bowl games and March Madness are Division I schools. However, there are some regional colleges and smaller private schools you may not be familiar with that are also classified as Division I.In this article, I’ll give you a basic understanding of Division I and a complete list of current Division I schools by state. Why Are There NCAA Divisions? NCAA Divisions exist to create parity and level the playing field. With divisions, schools should be competing against other schools of a similar size and with similar resources. However, in the climate of today's NCAA sports, there can be huge disparities between schools in the same division, especially in Division I. For example, from 2006-2011, the athletics revenue for the University of Alabama was $124,498,616. During that same period, the athletics revenue for Alabama State University was $10,614,081. Both are Division I schools. What Makes Division I Unique? Compared to NCAA Division II and III schools, NCAA Division I schools have the biggest student bodies, the largest athletic budgets, and the most athletic scholarships. All of the major sports conferences, including the Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, and ACC, are composed of Division I colleges. While Ivy League colleges are Division I, they don't offer athletic scholarships. Division I Fun Facts Stanford University has the most Division I NCAA championships with 117. On average, only 6% of the student bodies at Division I schools participate in NCAA sports. Stanford has won the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup awarded to the most successful Division I athletics program every year since 1994-1995. The University of Oregon won the very first NCAA men's basketball championship in 1939. Louisiana Tech won the very first NCAA women's basketball championship in 1982. The 1982 Louisiana Tech women's basketball team How Should You Use This List? If there's a college you're considering, you can determine if it's a Division I institution. If you're interested in a particular sport, check to see which colleges are Division I in that sport. Some schools are Division I in one or two sports and Division II or III in the rest. For example, Colorado College is Division I in men's ice hockey and women's soccer, but the rest of their varsity sports are Division III. If you're interested in football, you should also check to see if a particular school is FBS, FCS, or if it even has a football program. Division I Colleges By State Alabama University of Alabama Alabama AM University Alabama State University University of Alabama at Birmingham Auburn University Jacksonville State University Samford University University of South Alabama Troy University Arizona University of Arizona Arizona State University Northern Arizona University Grand Canyon University Arkansas Arkansas State University University of Arkansas, Fayetteville University of Arkansas at Little Rock University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff University of Central Arkansas California California Polytechnic State University California State University, Bakersfield California State University, Fresno California State University, Fullerton California State University, Northridge California State University, Sacramento University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Riverside University of California, Santa Barbara Long Beach State University Loyola Marymount University University of the Pacific Pepperdine University Saint Mary's College of California University of San Diego San Diego State University University of San Francisco San Jose State University Santa Clara University University of Southern California Stanford University Colorado University of Colorado, Boulder Colorado State University University of Denver University of Northern Colorado U.S. Air Force Academy Connecticut Central Connecticut State University University of Connecticut Fairfield University Quinnipiac University Sacred Heart University Yale University Delaware University of Delaware Delaware State University District of Columbia American University George Washington University Georgetown University Howard University Florida Bethune-Cookman University University of Central Florida University of Florida Florida AM University Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida International University Florida State University Jacksonville University University of Miami (Florida) University of North Florida University of South Florida Stetson University Georgia University of Georgia Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Southern University Georgia State University Kennesaw State University Mercer University Savannah State University Hawaii University of Hawaii, Manoa Idaho Boise State University University of Idaho Idaho State University Illinois Bradley University Chicago State University DePaul University Eastern Illinois University Illinois State University University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Chicago Loyola University Chicago Northern Illinois University Northwestern University Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Western Illinois University Indiana Ball State University Butler University University of Evansville Indiana State University Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis University of Notre Dame Purdue University Valparaiso University Iowa Drake University University of Iowa Iowa State University University of Northern Iowa Kansas University of Kansas Kansas State University Wichita State University Kentucky Eastern Kentucky University University of Kentucky University of Louisville Morehead State University Murray State University Northern Kentucky University Western Kentucky University Louisiana University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Monroe Louisiana State University Louisiana Tech University Grambling State University McNeese State University University of New Orleans Nicholls State University Northwestern State University Southeastern Louisiana University Southern University, Baton Rouge Tulane University Maine University of Maine Maryland Coppin State University Loyola University Maryland University of Maryland Eastern Shore University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Maryland, College Park Morgan State University Mount St. Mary’s University Towson University U.S. Naval Academy Massachusetts Boston College Boston University Harvard University College of the Holy Cross University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Lowell Northeastern University Michigan Central Michigan University University of Detroit Mercy Eastern Michigan University University of Michigan Michigan State University Oakland University Western Michigan University Minnesota University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Mississippi Alcorn State University Jackson State University University of Mississippi Mississippi State University Mississippi Valley State University The University of Southern Mississippi Missouri Missouri State University University of Missouri, Columbia University of Missouri-Kansas City Southeast Missouri State University Saint Louis University Montana University of Montana Montana State University-Bozeman Nebraska Creighton University University of Nebraska Omaha University of Nebraska, Lincoln Nevada University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno New Hampshire Dartmouth College University of New Hampshire New Jersey Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan Campus Monmouth University New Jersey Institute of Technology Princeton University Rider University Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Seton Hall University Saint Peter’s University New Mexico University of New Mexico New Mexico State University New York University at Albany Binghamton University University at Buffalo, the State University of New York Canisius College Colgate University Columbia University-Barnard College Cornell University Fordham University Hofstra University Iona College Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus Manhattan College Marist College Niagara University Siena College St. Bonaventure University St. Francis College Brooklyn St. John’s University (New York) Stony Brook University Syracuse University U.S. Military Academy Wagner College North Carolina Appalachian State University Campbell University Davidson College Duke University East Carolina University Elon University Gardner-Webb University High Point University University of North Carolina-Asheville North Carolina AT State University North Carolina Central University North Carolina State University University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Wake Forest University Western Carolina University North Dakota University of North Dakota North Dakota State University Ohio University of Akron Bowling Green State University University of Cincinnati Cleveland State University University of Dayton Kent State University Miami University (Ohio) The Ohio State University Ohio University University of Toledo Wright State University Xavier University Youngstown State University Oklahoma University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University Oral Roberts University The University of Tulsa Oregon University of Oregon Oregon State University University of Portland Portland State University Pennsylvania Bucknell University Drexel University Duquesne University La Salle University Lafayette College Lehigh University University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh Robert Morris University Saint Francis University (Pennsylvania) Saint Joseph’s University Temple University Villanova University Rhode Island Brown University Bryant University Providence College University of Rhode Island South Carolina College of Charleston (South Carolina) Charleston Southern University The Citadel Clemson University Coastal Carolina University Furman University Presbyterian College University of South Carolina, Columbia South Carolina State University University of South Carolina Upstate Winthrop University Wofford College South Dakota University of South Dakota South Dakota State University Tennessee Austin Peay State University Belmont University East Tennessee State University Lipscomb University University of Memphis Middle Tennessee State University Tennessee State University Tennessee Technological University University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Tennessee at Martin Vanderbilt University Texas Abilene Christian University Baylor University University of Houston Houston Baptist University University of the Incarnate Word Lamar University University of North Texas Prairie View AM University Rice University Sam Houston State University Southern Methodist University Stephen F. Austin State University Texas AM University, College Station Texas AM University-Corpus Christi Texas Christian University The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Texas Southern University Texas State University Texas Tech University University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at El Paso University of Texas at San Antonio Utah Brigham Young University Southern Utah University University of Utah Utah State University Utah Valley University Weber State University Vermont University of Vermont Virginia George Mason University Hampton University James Madison University Liberty University Longwood University Norfolk State University Old Dominion University Radford University University of Richmond University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Military Institute Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University College of William and Mary Washington Eastern Washington University Gonzaga University Seattle University University of Washington Washington State University West Virginia Marshall University West Virginia University Wisconsin Marquette University University of Wisconsin-Green Bay University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Wyoming University of Wyoming What's Next? Learn more about the differences between NCAA divisions. Also, you can get the complete lists of Division II and III schools by state . Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Is Leadership Culturally Bound Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Leadership Culturally Bound - Essay Example Consequently, the association between cultural factors and leadership is of such a complex nature that not only does it extend to the understandings of organizational culture but it is also vividly observable in a country’s national culture. As MNEs continue to dominate international markets and the world continues to evolve into a global village the question which arises as a consequence of these changes asks whether leadership is culturally bound? As indicated by the wealth of literature that is available on the subject, it can be stated that the phenomenon of leadership in indeed bounded by culture. Not only is this observation evidenced in prior research but it can also be noted by an assessment of real world examples. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to advocate the presence of cultural implications with regards to the phenomenon of leadership, in doing so the research employs the findings of prior researches and cases from the world of organizational management. Furthe rmore, the research paper also explores counterarguments in relation to the topic under consideration in order to present a thorough, comprehensive and well-informed argument. According to House et al. (2002) the objectives behind the initiation of the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) program comprised of several aspects that are related to leadership and its cultural implications. The outcome of the program suggested that national culture can be examined on the basis of nine dimensions which essentially describe the characteristics of a country and its people. After conducting extensive large-scale surveys over a range of industries, the second stage of the GLOBE research program revealed that it is possible to compare and contrast the dimensions of culture with the attributes of leadership that can be deemed appropriate in the context of a particular culture. For example, in his analysis of the GLOBE framework Robbins (2001) notes that there exis ts a stark difference between the leadership preferences and expectations of individuals which is largely in accordance with and attributable to their culture. Robbins (2001) asserts that a humane approach and collectivism are defining features of Indian culture which are greatly respected and appreciated amongst the masses despite of the recent emergence of urbanites that prefer individualism. Therefore, an Indian employee’s notion of an effective leader is best reflected in heroic and charismatic leadership which also shows concern for the well-being of subordinates while, taking initiatives for employee development. On the other hand, employees belonging to France tend to associate the notion of leadership with that of a bureaucratic setup due to which their perception of a leader is of an individual who does not abide by a humane approach when managing the affairs of the organization’s employees and leading them towards the achievement of organizational objectives (Robbins 2001). The practical application of this understanding is that within the context of Indian culture, a leader would be able to achieve desired and ideal results by the adoption of consideration as

Organizational Structure of Ford Company Term Paper

Organizational Structure of Ford Company - Term Paper Example The organization structures of the current era thus operate based on matrix networks which are governed by functional and product heads like Vice Presidents. The management team of the company felt that increased dependence on a decentralized organizational structure failed to make optimal utilization of the existing resource base. Thus the company again shifted back to a centralized mode in which specific posts were created for different functions which would be headed by functional heads. These functional heads would manage the global operations of the company through the effective collaboration of regional heads. The company management found that shifting back to the centralized organizational management structure helped in solving many issues pertaining to authority and delegation of responsibilities. However, the company management also worked in the encouragement of extensive teamwork in the concern. Through effective teamwork, the human resources within the company collaborate d with each other in a cross-functional, manner. This cross-functional relationship helped the people to develop on their skills and productive capacities (Hill and Jones, 2009, p.454). Analysis of Ford’s Organization Structure The analysis of the organization structure of Ford can be conducted based on the comparison and contrasting such with the other two types of organization structures. Another such structure with which the organization structure of Ford can be compared is the Line or Bureaucratic Structure. Organizations operating based on bureaucratic or line structures operate based on an authoritative relationship in which orders tend to flow from top to bottom. In such structures, there is very little scope for flexibility. The human resources in such organization are required to only implement the decisions taken by the upper authority with little chances of innovating on such processes or methods. This fact tends to create a large amount of morbidity in the enterpr ise and thereby disturbs the productivity of the concern.  

Gold as a Hedge against the Devaluation of the Dollar Research Paper

Gold as a Hedge against the Devaluation of the Dollar - Research Paper Example For example, the price of gold had been remained the same for about two hundred years after when Sir Isaac Newton had set the gold price at L3, 17s. 10d. per troy ounce in 1717. The gold prices have been raised to extreme levels after 1973. The gold rate in 1973 was $97.39 which was average price, and it rose to $444.74 in 2005, which has now become $1224.53 at the end of 2010. The calculation of five-year annualized rate of return on gold as an investment alternative has been given below. The gold rates have been taken for year 2005 and 2010, which are $444.74 and $1224.53 respectively. The formula for computing the rate of return of gold is as follows: 100*(second price/ first price) ^ (1/ (second year – first year))-100 Putting the values for second price ($1224.53), first year ($444.74), second year (2010), and first year (2005), we will get the rate of return on gold as an investment alternative for the period of 2005-2010 as follows: 100*(1224.53/444.74) ^ (1/(2010-2005) )-100 = 22.4539074 From the result we have got, we can get the rate of return on gold as an alternative investment, which is in this case is 46%. Relationship between gold and USD value: This section will provide the necessary details about the relation between the gold and USD value in both the domestic as well as in the international economy. Some of the key factors will also be presented that affect key changes into the value of USD. Firstly, we will be talking about some of the factors affecting the US economy on the domestic economy. The domestic economy actually tends to affect the exchange rates of a country. The apparent position of the US economy in the economic cycle is one example, in which we experience a boom, bust, and then expansion or contradiction. Factors such as economic growth, inflation and economic outlook actually highlight the economic condition and health of the country. The level of interest rates will be influenced depending upon the economy’s posit ion in the economic cycle, e.g. the economic cycle’s booming phase will experience the interest rates to be increasing despite the slow demand. The possibility of the occurrence of the inflation is also reduced. The monetary policy of the US is quite similar to that of Australia in terms of interest rates rising to lower down the pressures from the inflation or monetary demand. On the other hand, an increase or a decrease in the interest rates in the US causes the demand or supply of the currency to increase or decrease. ‘Debt levels’ is considered to be the major problem with the US economy. The USA is still facing the severe debt crisis as it owes to the other countries trillions of dollars. This has the effect of pressurizing the economy of the US. Another alarming factor is that the US financial institutions pay more interests to their lenders than the one they receive from their borrowers. The difference in the two countries’ interest rates really aff ects the demand of the foreign currencies. In simple terms a country will only invest into another country if the former is getting a good return from the latter on the investments. The most suitable example for this event is the higher interest rates in Australia in 2009 and the US interest rates were lower. Hence the investors moved to Australia instead of US. The overall effect of that was the upward pressure imposed on Australian dollar and a downward on US dollar. Now about the gold

Impact of Non Native Insects on Agricultural Ecosystems

Impact of Non Native Insects on Agricultural Ecosystems Subject Using examples, describe how invasive, non-native insects can affect agricultural ecosystems and wild ecosystems in areas outside their native range Abstract The global climate is changing rapidly and this trend is expected to continue throughout and beyond the 21st century. Rising temperatures as well as new precipitation patterns are toady affecting different aspects of natural world and human society worldwide. Indeed, we are experiencing many changes as a result of climate change in the ecosystems on an astonishingly pace and scale. Non-native species are thought to be of greatest threats as a result of the current global warming. There are almost approximately two thousand established invasive species in Britain. Indeed, the factor of non-native species cost Great Britain approximately  £1.7 billion annually. As each species have their way of responding to these changes in environment, its interactions with the physical world as well as the organism around it change too. This causes a cascade of influence within the entire ecosystem. In fact, such influence can lead to a spreading out of species into new areas, interaction of diffe rent species to a point of species extinctions. This paper aims to examine and describe with examples how invasive or non-native insects can impact agriculture ecosystems and wild ecosystems in areas outside their naive range. Non-native insects also referred as exotic, non-indigenous, alien, or introductions are insects introduced to new areas or living outside their native distribution range as a result of human activities, either deliberate or accidental. According to Krueger and May (1991) non native species can be described as the transfer of different organisms outside their native range. Different type of animals have been transferred or transported to different locations as a result of different means and introduced into new areas for many years. Many of these introductions have been both accidental and intentional, however, many have not. For intentional, the primary reason is for agriculture or livestock production such as domesticated cattle, honeybees, goats, swine etc. Invasive species either large or small have devastating impact on agricultural ecosystem and wild ecosystem in areas outside their native range. According to Schowalter and Whitmore (2002) invasive insects are one of the major threats to native wildlife and other plantations worldwide. In fact, approximately 42 percent of endangered or threatened species are at risk mainly as a result of invasive species. Agricultural ecosystems are also at high risk from invasive species. The effect of invasive insects on our agricultural products cost billions of dollars annually. An invasive species are many type of living organism-an amphibian, insects, plant, bacteria, fungus or eggs that are not native to an ecosystem and has the potential to cause harm to the environment. However, for the purpose of this paper, we shall examine the species insect as the invasion species. Insects in non-native areas have the potential to harm the environment especially the agricultural ecosystem. They do grow and reproduce rapidly and hence spread in a hostile way, with the potential to cause harm and thus, they are labeled as invasive. It is important to understand that invasive insects might not come from a different country. According to Wittenberg and Cock (2001), invasive species such as insects pose great threat on biodiversity across the globe. However, insects from a large part of the invasion fauna across the globe appears to have received excessively less attention regarding their impact on the agricultural and wild ecosystem compared to aquatic or vertebrate organisms (Levine et al. 2003; Long 2003). Nevertheless, according to Jenkins (2003) through direct interactions, invasive insects have the potential to affect native biodiversity, for instance, a herbivore feeding on a native plant that wild animals are supposed to feed on. Evans (2006) note that the migration of insects to a new location has the potential to attack native prey or host. Additionally, invasive insects has the potential to affect native species as well as ecosystems indirectly through cascading impacts or other several mechanism such as the spread of diseases, competing for space and food (NRC, 2002). Invasive insects can particularly be harmful to native plants populations. Nevertheless, many publications examining ecological impacts of non-native insects do not appropriately quantify these effects. However, the most documented effects on invasive species are undoubtedly these caused by insects on agriculture and wild ecosystems. According to Mallet (2005) hybridization between native ecosystems and invasive insects is a major concern as a result of disturbances that can produce in native genetic resources. Indeed, hybridization has been established in plants and in many cases has continued to show a negative effect on native species (Long 2003). In particular, North America has been largely been affected by invasive insects that are said to originate from Europe. For instance, the balsam woolly adelgid, A. piceae, (pictured below 1) as well as the hemlock wooly adelgid, A. tsugae, are said to pose threat to forest ecosystems in Northern America through killing Fraser fir and Carolina hemlock, Tsuga Canadensis on a large scale (Small et al. 2005). As shown in image 2 below: Image 1: balsam woolly adelgid, A. piceae Image 2: hemlock wooly adelgid, A. tsugae,attackingFraser fir and Carolina hemlock Another example is the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar (image 3 below)as well as the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae,is seriously affecting the hemlock and oak forest in North America (Orwig and Foster, 1998). Another example of invasive insects threatening agriculture is the scale insects Orthezia insignis, which are seriously threatening endemic gumwood (Fowler, 2004) and the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus compactus that are attacking a number of vegetations in Hawaii. Image 3: gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar Since their accidental introduction to North America from Europe, around mid 19th Century, the gypsy moth (L. dispar) has become major pests that affect trees in Eastern North America (Liebhold et al. 1995). Additionally, Eurasian insects have also caused serious issues for many trees in America and Europe including the spruce aphid, Elatobium abietinum image 4 below (Lynch 2004), as well as the recently introduced emerald ash borer, which in the past few years has affected over 15 million ash trees (Poland and McCullough 2006). Image 4: Spruce aphid, Elatobium abietinum attacking a plant By reducing or killing the host plant populations, invasive insects also have the potential to impact many other native plants species. According to Gray (2011), the bugs which were introduced accidently in Britain from other countries are at this period considered as the greatest threat to many garden plants. Plants such as rosemary and sage, lilies and fritillaries flowers and shrubs like berberis are today under attack from invasive insects. Many insects have been confined to attack plants in the south east of England. As a result, many horticulturalists have monitored the spread of insects such as Scarlet lily Beetle (Lilioceris lilii) image 5 below, Rosemary Beetle, Hemerocallis gall midge (Contarinia quinquenotata), and Berberis sawfly (Arge berberidis) have warned that the insects have the potential to spread quickly northward and westward across Britain devouring plantations (Gray, 2001). Image 5: Scarlet lily Beetle, Lilioceris lilii attacking a leave The Royal Horticultural Society (2016) has described the invasive insects as most wanted pests and they are urging farmers to be on the lookout. The organization continues and said that the spread of these insects is quite worrying as they defoliate the plantations and spoil the flowers. Even though they do not kill the plants they leave the weakened to a point that they cannot grow properly. Climate change is the main cause of this move as summer got hotter and winter milder, it has cause insects that were in the south of England to migrate and spread further north. These insects (Scarlet lily Beetle, Rosemary Beetle, Hemerocallis gall midge, and Berberis sawfly) are among the increasing number of non-native species that are causing devastation across the England landscape. One of the common insect is Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana) that has spread quickly attacking herbs such as sage, lavender, rosemary and thyme. The image below shows Rosemary Beetle: Image 6: Rosemary Beetle As they establish themselves in the new environment, invasive insects in Canadian forests such as Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera engage in competitive and trophic interactions with native species and hence potentially impacting natives through several direct and indirect mechanisms (Gandhi and Herms 2010). Invasive insects such as phytophagous feed on native woody plants and thus compete with native species for space and food and they also consume native insects and parasitoids. As well as direct interactions such as interference competition and consumption, non-native insects might therefore interact with native species through other mechanisms such as indirect mutualism, trophic cascades, and exploitative competition (White et al. 2006). According to Lovett et al. (1995) this interactions are most of the time considered to be negative. However, there are some beneficial of mutuality interaction with naÃÆ' ¯ve species. For instance, the impact of interactions between natives and invasive might occur are different levels of ecological organization such as the level of the gene, population, ecosystem, community and individual (Parker et al. 1999). As discussed above, the introduction of invasive insects such as gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is most of the time described as one of the most destructive ecological species in North America forest (ISSG 2009). According to Gale et al. (2001) the defoliation of Gypsy moth opens up the canopy, reduces the growth of trees, kills and weaken trees outright and as well as alter nutrient cycling and ecosystem processes in the forest. At the long run, gypsy moth invasion can also lead to changes in stand composition and structure. These effects of gypsy moth on forest can cause both lasting and temporary changes in habitant for other organisms in the forest such as birds and mammals (Schowalter and Whitmore, 2002) Invasive insects causes harm to wild ecosystems in many different ways. When a new and aggressive species are introduced to a new ecosystem, it can breed quickly as well as spread, taking over the plants and the location. As a result, native wildlife might fail to provide any protective mechanism against the invader as the species has no predators. Invasive insects are said to have devastating effects on an ecosystem and it might result to the local extinction of native species, particularly if they are endangered. When invasive insects are introduced to a new area outside their range it is likely that they will disrupt the natural food web and as a result start to compete with the native wild ecosystem and directly predating them. In this view, when natural food pattern are disturbed, the results becomes complex and varied consequences, which later lead a reduction in biodiversity within the habitant. The gypsy moth defoliation effect on canopy openness lead to understory plant growth, tree mortality and stand composition that has some impact on wildlife. Increased openness of canopy can in one way reduce populations of birds species that are linked with closed canopies The effects of gypsy moth defoliation on canopy openness, understory plant growth, stand composition, and tree mortality can also have impacts on forest wildlife. Increased canopy openness can temporarily reduce populations of bird species associated with closed canopies Gale et al. 2001, as well as cause nest predation. Equally, increases in understory cover and dead trees have been considerably linked with increased profusions in the eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) as well as cavity-nesting bird species. Moreover, species that stay in an open canopy are more in defoliated stands (Bell and Whitmore 1997). This means that gypsy moth defoliation leads to an increased habitat complexity, which at the other case can be beneficial for forest birds and wild animals in the ecosystem. Parasitism on native fauna Invasive insects have also the potential to affect that native fauna as a result of parasitism on native vertebrates or insects. In many cases, parasitoids have been applied as biological control means nationally. In just a few cases, these control measures have turned to be a threat to non-target insects. One of the best know example in forest ecosystem is that is tachinid fly, Compsilura concinnata, which were introduced in North America from Europe at the start of 20th century to control gypsy moth, which is today suspected to have a negative effect on populations of endangered natives (Boettner et al. 2000). Also, according to Bildfell et al. (2004) alien ectoparasites of vertebrates have the potential to threaten native species. For instance, a chewing louse, Damalinia sp., can cause hair-loss effect in black tail deer in western North America. Competition Additionally, competition is likely to occur between non-native insects and native animals for nesting areas. Hybridization between invasive and native species can as well occur, which leads in reduced fitness of offspring and could eventually result to the extinction of the species. Moreover, invasive insects can introduce pathogens into the new area, which has the potential to spread to the native ecosystem which has not experienced the disease there before and thus they have no immunity to it. In additional to diseases being transmitted to flora and fauna, other many diseases that come with insects can as well be transmitted to nearby human population. Invasive insects are said to affect communities and populations of native area through competing for same resources (Reitz and Trumble 2002). The Asian adelgid (Pineus boerneri Annand) have shown some competitive nature that has resulted to displacement of native congener in red pine plantations in Eastern parts of the U.S, through the reduction of host plant quality forcing the native animals to less suitable locations (McClure, 1989). Also, the European weevil (R conicus) act of feeding on flower-heads of native animals in the U.S. considerably reduces the density of native tephritid flies, which also are said to feed on flower-heads (Louda et al. 1997). Also, according to Roque-Albelo (2003) the scale insect kill endangered plants populations in the Galapagos, has also led to local extinctions of host-specific Lepidoptera. Several ecosystem processes can also be altered by invasion insects such as nutrients and water cycles, habitant and succession modification, which later result to a reduction of biodiversity. Indeed, altered water cycle can result to an increased risk of flooding within the area. In additional to be associated with high scale ecological impact, invasive insects can as well have some economical implications. For instance, the government of U.K often spent approximately  £1.7 annually in the control of pests (Wild Screen Arkive, 2001). In fact, direct economical losses might occur from non-native insects causes serious damage to infrastructure or goods and indirect losses leading from decreased tourism in affected area. Spread of Vectors of diseases Invasive insects might also be a source of several vectors or facilitate the transmission of both plant and wild animal diseases. According to Brasier (2000), the European bark beetle, Scolytus multistriatus, is known to be a common source of the Dutch elm disease in North America. The European beech scale, Cryptococcus fagisuga is linked with the fungus ectria coccinea var. faginata, which causes beech bark illness (Houston 1994). Additionally, the invasion mosquitoes are also vectors of avian malaria that affect endemic birds in the forest ecosystem in Hawaii (LaPointe et al 2005). Above all, invasive insects also play an important role as pollinators in the flowering plants. Many of the plants especially flowers are dominant producers in several terrestrial ecosystems, but there is no way they can reproduce without insect intermediaries in order to carry pollen from one flower to another. Plants in the ecosystem produce an array of colors, rewards, odors, as well as ruses in order to attract their insect accomplices. Any flower grows in a design that ensures no insect visitor leaves without a thorough dusting of pollen, which is destined to another flower nearby. Therefore, invasion insects have the capability to continue transfer of pollen to anther flower and thus ensure continued populations of plants. Despite the fact that many of the remarkable studies focuses on ecological effects of invasive insects in the forest ecosystem, there is a still neglected scope that would merit further attention. In conclusion, this paper has clearly indicated that invasive or non-native insects have the potential to affect agricultural ecosystems and wild ecosystems in areas outside their native range through several mechanisms. Several examples have shown that invasive insects affect growing plants and wild animals in the ecosystems. As it has been established in this paper, non-native insects can impact biodiversity through direct interactions such as herbivore feeding on native plantations. The other effect is a predator or a parasitoid attack on native wild or host. Moreover, there invasive insects hybridize with native species. It is also established that invasive insects may affect communities and plant populations of native herbivores through competing for the same resources. In addition, this paper has established that invasive insects can affect vegetation and wild ecosystems indirectly. This can occur through cascading effects or other mechanisms such as carrying diseases, competing for space and food as well as sharing natural enemies with native ecosystems species. Moreover, it has been established in this paper that ecological effect by invasive insects can happen at different levels of biological organizations such as genetic impact- effects on populations, communities or individuals of species. The invasive insects effect on the processes of ecosystems in both agriculture and wild animals. Finally, invasive alien insects have been considered to be one of the most significant threats to biodiversity across the globe. In fact, invasive insects are seen top threaten many native ecosystems by consuming, competing and displacing them. However, a number of governments are investing huge amount of dollars to attempt to find solution to already devastating and devouring small animal that is destroying millions of vegetations and wild worldwide. References Bildfell R. J., Mertins J. W., Mortensen J. A. and Cottam D. F. 2004: Hair-loss syndrome in black-tailed deer of the Pacific Northwest. J. Wildlife Dis., 40: 670-681. Boettner G. H., Elkinton J. S. and Boettner C. J. 2000. Effects of a biological control introduction on three non-target native species of saturniid moth. Conserv. Biol. 14: 1798-1806 Brasier C. M. 2000. Intercontinental Spread and Continuing Evolution of the Dutch Elm Research Pathogens. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, USA, pp. 61-72. Evans E. 2004. Habitat displacement of North American ladybirds by an introduced species. Ecology, 85:637-647. Fowler, S. V., 2004. Biological control of an exotic scale. Orthezia insignis Browne (Homoptera: Ortheziidae), saves the endemic gumwood tree Commidendrum robustum (Roxb.) DC. (Asteraceae) on the Island of St. Helena. Biol. Control, 29: 367-374. Gandhi, K.J.K., and Herms, D.A. 2010. Direct and indirect effects of alien insect herbivores on ecological processes and interactions in forests of eastern North America. Biological Invasions 12: 389-405. Gale, G.A., DeCecco, J.A., Marshall, M.R., McClain, W.R., and Cooper, R.J. 2001. Effects of gypsy moth defoliation on forest birds: an assessment using breeding bird census data. Journal of Field Ornithology 72: 291-304. Invasive Species Specialist Group. 2009. Global invasive species database. Online: www.issg.org/database. accessed on 28th Dec 2016. Levine J.M, Vila` M, DAntonio C. M, Dukes JS, Grigulis K, Lavorel S., 2003. Mechanisms underlying the impact of exotic plant invasions. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 270:775-781 Long J. L 2003. Introduced mammals of the world. Their history distribution and influence. CABI, Wallingford. Lovett, G.M., Canham, C.D., Arthur, M.A., Weathers, K.C., and Fitzhugh, R.D. 2006. Forest ecosystem responses to exotic pests and pathogens in eastern North America. BioScience 56: 395-405. Lapointe D. A., Goff M. L. Atkinson C. T. 2005 Comparative susceptibility of introduced forest-dwelling mosquitoes in Hawaii to avian malaria, Plasmodium relictum. J. Parasit., 91: 843-849. Mallet. J., 2005. Hybridization as an invasion of the genome. Trends Ecol Evol 20:229-237 NRC., 2002. Predicting invasions of nonindigenous plants and plant pests. National Academy Press, Washington Orwig D. A. Foster D. R., 1998. Forest response to the introduced hemlock woolly adelgid in southern New England, USA. J. Torrey Bot. Soc., 125: 60-73. Parker, I.M., Simberloff, D., Lonsdale, W.M., Goodell, K., Wonham, M., Karieva, P.M., Williamson, M.H., Von Holle, B., Moyle, P.B., Byers, J.E., and Goldwasser, L. 1999. Impact: toward a framework for understanding the ecological effects of invaders. Biological Invasions 1:3-19. Schowalter, C.R., and Whitmore, R.C. 2002. The effect of gypsy moth defoliation on cavity-nesting bird communities. Forest Science 48: 273-281. Wild Screen Arkive, 2001. UK invasive species. Online: http://www.arkive.org/uk-invasive-species/ Accessed on 27th Dec 2016. White, E.M., Wilson, J.C., and Clarke, A.R. 2006. Biotic indirect effects: a neglected concept in invasion biology. Diversity and Distributions 12: 443-455.

The Valley :: Andes Ecuador The Awakening Valley Papers

The Valley - Awake! In 1946, John Collier, Jr. and Anà ­bal Buitrà ³n wrote The Awakening Valley, telling the story of a social miracle happening in Ecuador - in the valley at the foot of Tiata Imbabura. (1, cover) In 1993, forty-three years later, I set foot in that same area and discovered a valley, not awakening, but awake! My son, Matt, and I were traveling by bus, north out of Quito, on our way to Colombia. (4) We had been advised to be in Otavalo on a weekend to experience the famous market. Little did we know that this trip would evolve into many more trips and to special relationships with the people living in this valley, high in the Andes. Ecuador, among the smallest and most unspoiled of South American nations, owes its name to its geographic location - astride the equator. (6, p. 59) The Andes divide into two parallel chains in Ecuador - the western and the eastern, which run like twin spinal columns from north to south. The valley in which most Ecuadorians live, and where most of the mountain areas agricultural produce is grown, runs for about four hundred kilometers in between. Some thirty volcanoes serve to fence in the valley from either side. The deep river valleys (hoyas) are home to agricultural communities whose way of life seems to have remained unchanged for centuries. (6, p. 64) A book written by Linda A. Newsom, Life and Death in Early Colonial Ecuador, and reviewed by Mary A. Y. Gallagher, (2) begins with a study at or just before the point when the Ecuadorian sierra began to be incorporated into the Inca Empire (ca. 1460). She describes in great detail what can be inferred about the preconquest population of Ecuador’s regions: sierra, coast and Oriente. She then describes the disastrous impact of Inca penetration and partial conquest of Ecuador, and of the prolonged wars still being fought there when Spanish brought Ecuador’s first colonial period to an abrupt end and began a new series of invasions which subdued and "reduced" the indigenous population over a number of years. This history, laced with the invasion of the Incas and the Spanish had a great impact on this small country.

Global Food Crisis Essay

Food shortage is fast taking global catastrophic proportions. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon warns the world that it could trigger off crisis upon crisis if the problem is not acted upon and solved before it is too late. The food crisis did not just happen overnight. Global Warming has had a hand in it. Heavy rains and flooding in the rice fields of Asia greatly affected rice production, enough to cause a shortage. With the decrease in supply and an increase in demand for it, prices rose. Prices of other commodities as well as oil, fertilizer and energy required for food production were similarly affected. Gradual switch of energy sources from fossil fuels to bio fuels even with its concern for the environment is an adverse threat to food production. Faced with a food crisis should be a wake up call for everyone. For the fortunate few with food on their table, they must think of the hungry in the other parts of the world. They must not panic-buy knowing that others may go without a morsel of their horde. Artificial shortages give the sellers reason to jack up prices. The destructive effects of global warming may have been caused by our neglect and is now beyond our control. But an economic crisis that may be one of the domino effects of the food crisis may be avoided by our own doing. Hunger has always been in our midst, maybe not anywhere near the more affluent First World but in the African continent. Africa has wide, but dry barren lands that have not been used much for agriculture. Why suffer the pangs of hunger when the solution is right before us waiting to be tapped? We could develop the soil for agriculture. Science and Technology is a continuous discipline that stops at nothing in search of cures, solutions, means and methods to problems that face us everyday. Fund sourcing must be a global effort. We must all do our share to help feed the world and solve the current crisis. There is nothing we can not do for the world if we have the concern, the will and the action plan. Works Cited Engeler, Eliane. UN to set up Task Force to tackle Global Food Crisis. Bern, Switzerland; The Associated Press, 2008.

Heart Of Darkness Essay Example

Heart Of Darkness Essay Example Heart Of Darkness Paper Heart Of Darkness Paper Essay Topic: Heart Of Darkness Through Conrad characterization of the Kurt, the Natives, and the representatives he illustrates that while the darkness of egotism exists in all, how the darkness is restrained, or not, is different for each. The freedom of the forest brings out dark aspects in man, but takes something within oneself to restrain it, which Kurt lacks. To Marlowe Kurt throughout the novel has been depicted as a man who is able to obtained age amounts of ivory and is quite admired by the representatives. As soon as Marlowe meets Kurt he sees the Horror, the Horror that is Kurt. With the freedom to govern himself, he no longer has to restrain satisfying his greed. Its all my intended, my ivory station, my river, my-? (1 1 5) to Kurt. He believes everything belonged to him and if it didnt it must belong to him by any means necessary. Even the methods that Kurt employs to strike compliance and fear from the Africans to get what he wants the most, ivory. The heads Kurt mounted on stakes outside his hut: showed that Mr.. Kurt lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts (Ross). The discovery that desire remains insatiable because it originates from a deep physic wound (Ross). Even though everyone presents egotism Kurt has no humanity, pride, or guilt to restrain it. All there is the inconvenience mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear. His lack of restraint arises from the lack of an inner core of faith (Riddled). He has no inner faith so his egotism craves satisfaction. His last words like the sound the native helmsman hears at his death, a whisper at some image, at some vision, recognition of the final end of temptation, desire and surrender without restraint (Riddled). Through all this Kurt has taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land. The Natives are seen as the savages, but they possess more restraint than that of the Europeans. When the natives are on their journey they soon run out of food and have nothing to restrain them from eating the pilgrims but they dont. On noting the Africans restraint, 1 OF 3 Marrow responds, And these chaps too had no earthly reason for any kind of scruple. Restraint! I would just as soon have expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a battlefield . For Marrow, no fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out disgusting simply does not exist where hunger is ; in fact, their most basic needs determine their behavior. Because Marrow considers Africans more animal than human, he is surprised by the restraint of the Africans in his steamboat. Such self-control is obviously inconsistent with his view of the African (Lack). Even though they seem like nothing but savages they hold within themselves something that restrains them from satisfying their greed or egotism. It takes a man all his inborn strength to fight hunger properly. Even when they commit an act of savagery they do so with a certain restraint. When the Africans father was being wiped, the son could have committed a violent crime but he chose to make a tentative jab with a spear at the white man. Whereas the representatives would just simply want to waste lead into the forest simply so they could get ivory. The natives are seen as savages throughout the novel, b ut they possess something neither the company holds, restraint. Even though the representatives are like Kurt in restraint, they exert their egotism in a more inhuman manner without any guilt. There was a desire to get appointed to a trading post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentage. They didnt care for how they would get the ivory as long as they got it. They are willing to just waste lead into the forest just to take an obstacle out of the way to achieve their greed for ivory. Indeed, throughout Heart of Darkness evil is lack of restraint; not apathy or passivity, and not temptation itself, but the succumbing thereto. The paralleling of Kurt by Marrows native helmsman helps to make this clear. The helmsman, who brings his own death, is explicitly akin to Kurt, He had no restraint, no restraint-?just like Kurt-?a tree swayed by the wind; and like Kurt, at the moment of death he seems to see into the horror of his condition, in the very last moment, as though in response to some sign we could not see, to mom whisper we could not hear, he frowned heavily, and that frown gave to his black death mask an inconceivably somber, brooding, and menacing expression(Ride). Even the representatives finally learned of how Kurt got that much ivory the manager called it an unsound method which illustrates how dark their hearts are. It also illustrates their lack of restraint when it comes to accomplishing what they want which is ivory. They condone what Kurt did for ivory and would do the same thing because they know it worked effectively. Even though Kurt and the representatives display both egotism ND lack restraint but the representatives illustrate a more disturbing aspect of egotism. Through all this egotism without restrain the company and Kurt will lose who they are as people. They will essentially be hallowed: they will have a hole where their soul is supposed to be. They might obtain all the ivory they could imagine but at what cost? They will have to face the fact that with all the ivory they have obtain after it is gone what will be in them but an empty soul. Without restraining Of egotism people would be will be lost utterly lost. Lackey, Michael.

Why Women Are Receiving Less Education Than Men In Developing Countries †Sociology Essay

Why Women Are Receiving Less Education Than Men In Developing Countries – Sociology Essay Free Online Research Papers Why Women Are Receiving Less Education Than Men In Developing Countries Sociology Essay As a Chinese saying goes, â€Å"Women support half of the sky.† Female, as one of the only two sexes in nature plays a crucial role in balancing the structure of family and society as well as keeping human beings in path of its evolution. However, women suffer much from discrimination in almost all countries and regions throughout the world, especially in developing countries where traditional thoughts put women in a much inferior position to men, and it is one of the most important reasons to many social problems such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, wage inequality and gender gap in education. Among them, the gender gap in education has a profound meaning to economics growth of a developing country, and it is the problem that two of the eight Millennium Development Goals proposed by the United Nation (â€Å"Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education† and â€Å"Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women†) are trying to tackle. In the following essay, I would like to firstly introduce the current situation of girl education and the degree of disparity between the two sexes before looking for plausible reasons to the existence for such discrimination. After briefly explaining the importance of girl education I will then focus on a special case study on China in order to give an instinct understanding of the phenomenon. In general, the educational gender gap is the greatest in the poorest countries. The following table provides data on two of the key aspects to which the educational gender gap is determined. The Education Gender Gap: Female rates and percentage of male rates Country Adult Literacy Primary Enrollment Secondary Enrollment Tertiary Enrollment China 91 84 Chad 31 68 31 17 Indonesia 90 98 99 80 Kenya 90 100 98 53 Papua New Guinea 80 90 79 54 Tajikistan 100 95 84 34 Turkey 85 94 76 Yemen 41 71 46 28 Developing countries 84 Least developed countries 70 Source: United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report 2005, index of gender inequality in education (table 27) Note: all figures are expressed in relation to the male average which is indexed to equal 100. Figure 1 The female literacy rate was recorded as 12% lower than male literacy in the 2002 (recorded in the 2004 report) while it was enlarged to 16% in 2003 (reported in 2005). The data for the least developed countries were fixed at the level of 70%. Although we can say nothing about the overall trend of the recent development of the gender gap in education, it is sure that the task to totally eliminate the gap is tough and requires significant amount of investment and effort. The developing countries in the table are selected from the Human development Index to represent different groups of economies in different stages of development. Obviously, countries where female literacy rate is much lower than male rate are the countries with lower levels in all categories of comparison. Besides, the ratio drops as the level of education increases in almost all countries in the table. Tajikistan, notably, has the most significant drop (-50%) in the ratio after secondary school education. The discrimination on women is firstly influenced by the traditional ideology. Our society has developed in such a way that it is men that carry their surname to their offspring; it is men that make major decisions in a family; it is men that perform important religious rites. Surname as one of the most important personal identity does not remain the same for women even in the most developed countries in the world. Although this might not correlate with the trend of the female-male enrolment ratio, it certainly implies the unconscious norm that men are the dominant power over women. In addition, in China, for instance, only male’s name is allowed to note in the family pedigree. A daughter or a wife is not qualified to be recorded in such a â€Å"holy document† in whatever cases. In terms of the one who makes major family decisions, women are found to be less involved in family decision making at all levels, and this is especially the case in developing countries. Many women in developing countries still hold the view that women are born to serve and support their husband at home and provide better environment for him to develop his career as well as raising the children. This will undoubtedly lead to unfair decisions made by the husband to benefit men more than women. During religious ceremonies, men always play the main role. As there has not been a female Pope, and the Buddha is also, again, although no religion openly discriminates women, female is unconsciously regarded as a less strong power. The second reason why girls are given less opportunities to receive formal education is women’s inferior economic status in society. Given an income constraint a family has to balance the amount invests to the children to receive education and generate extra income in the future and the amount left for the family members to survive for now. It is difficult when there is more than one child that is above the schooling age and the family income does not allow it to afford every child to school especially when income is extremely low, in which case, most families simply does not offer any education opportunities for the children. However, if there is some money left and can be invested in education for children, many families will choose to invest in boys first. Furthermore, Oakley (1972) pointed out that â€Å"on the whole, males command the majority of the jobs carrying high prestige, high skill and high income, and this is true throughout the industrial world.† She then listed the following figures: â€Å"Of all professional scientific and technical qualifications gained by full-time students in Great Britain in 1969, men took 77% and women 7%. †¦Of all managers of large establishments tabulated for Britain in 1966, 87% were men and 13% women: of all foremen and supervisors 82% were men and 18% women.† Income disparity exists because of the different participation rate of males and females in different levels of jobs, but it requires more thorough analysis to find the reasons behind the difference between a girl and a boy’s financial value to a family. In a developing country where industrialization is still in its early stage and agriculture sector is clearly the predominant sector, with technology lagged behind advanced economies, when the women in the family are pregnant, everyone wants a boy because apparently men are physically stronger than women. This is especially common in rural areas because a young boy can often do more job than a girl in the cultivation of crops. In addition, girls usually leave the family to the husband’s family which in some rural areas of some developing countries could be in a separate village after marriage. They will then be exclusively responsible for the husband, their future children and possibly the in-law’s family members . In other words, a girl will stop contribute financially (including the value generated by any mean of operation, agriculture or private business) to her family after she is married while having a boy will often guarantee a nearly life-long contribution. Even if we do not consider the problem of marriage, women still remains in disadvantageous position for the fact that when a woman does not work outside the home, much of her work performed, including housework and any contribution towards family business or agriculture is often unremunerated, while men, if working for the family usually as the owner of the family business collect all the income. Todaro (2006) hence concluded that â€Å"where women’s share of income within the home is relatively high, there is less discrimination against girls, and women are better able to meet their own needs†, including health care and education. Categories (2003) Index (1990 = 100) Female economic activity as % of male rate (aged 15 and above) Developing countries 102 67 OECD 107 72 High Income 107 74 Middle Income 102 73 Low Income 103 61 World 103 69 Source: United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report 2005, index of gender inequality in economic activity (table 28) Female economic participation is relatively lower in less developed and lower income countries. In general, the less developed a country, the stronger the tendency that its female citizens follow a traditional career path. Figure 2 Last but not least, the environment in which children live unconsciously influences their mind on sexual division, which makes them temporize their behaviour and opinions for survival. The treatment towards boys and girls are obviously different. Boys in their early age are taught to be brave and strong. They are recommended ship models, water pistols, football as toys by the parents while girls are offered dolls. I even remember when I was in kindergarten the worst word I could imagine to describe a boy was â€Å"sissy†. Therefore, receiving information about the society, children will be accustomed to the environment and take it for granted when they grow up. This thus worsens the situation if discrimination on women is observed because the unconscious norm that women should be discriminated will pass on generations by generation and it can be in theory very difficult to erase the belief once it has been inherited for a very long period of time. As a result of such discrimination, the female-male ratio in developing countries with such traditional ideology will turn out to be very weird (the â€Å"missing women systery†). If everything else equal due to the higher mortality rate for male babies, although the natural birth rate female to male is around 100 to 105, the actual ratio after the first year of life will approximately equal to one. As life expectancy for women are longer, given the same health service, there will be about 105 to 106 women for every 100 men in an industrialized country. In Susan Hill Gross’s book â€Å"Wasted Resources, Diminished Lives†, she points out that in countries where sons are valued more than daughters, the female ratio is much lower, and daughters are subjected either to infanticide or are neglected to death by depriving them of food and medical care. She quoted a study in Bombay which found that â€Å"out of 8,000 abortions performed after amniocentesis, 7,999 were o f female fetuses†. As another example, the table below illustrates the change in the ratio of female number and male number in India in the past century. As the health condition and technology available to different groups in the same country is similar, the most important factor to such trend has to be people’s attitude to women in general. Trend of female/male ratio in India in 20th century 1901 1951 1991 97 94 93 Figures for every 100 male. Figure 3 Promoting girl education will certainly benefit society as well as economic development. It will lead to higher earning and labour force participation rate which is an important indicator of the level a country’s aggregate production; it will lead to later marriage and lower fertility rate because women with higher education are more likely to follow advanced reliable method of family planning; it will decrease the infant mortality rate since women will be better able to control their own nutrition level and obtain better health care, which will surly provide women a better health condition for pregnancy; it will create intergenerational multiplier effects on the quality of a country’s human resources because couples with formal education obtain extra knowledge from communication, which contributes to a life long learning, and a better educated mother understands the importance of formal education and will thus try her best to send her children to school and receive ade quate training, which will create a circulation of quality education for many generations to come; it will equip women with important knowledge to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infection and hence prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. In order to understand the current gender gap in education and its influence on economic development better, a special case study on China perhaps can offer a more direct approach and unveil some more specified features. The reason why China is chosen is not only because the country is the one that the writer is most familiar with, but also because it represents a developing country on the one hand with outstanding economic performance in the past two decades and on the other hand still heavily influenced by its unique tradition which can be traced back thousands of years. Just after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the female enrollment ratio was only about 15%, and it increased to 93.6% in 1986 when â€Å"the Law of Compulsory Education of People’s Republic of China† was promulgated. By 2004, although the female-male enrollment rate for primary education had been narrowed to approximately 0.04%, the situation for secondary and post-secondary education still remained problematic. Take Pingchang County in Sichuan Province as an example, the enrollment rate for first year secondary school is 94% overall and 82% for girls. The drop-out rate for the second year is 23% overall and 29% for girls, and the figures increased to 27% and 32.1% respectively in the third year. The Chinese government finds it very difficult to promote girl education after a certain level is reached because the tradition which typically discriminates girls in some rural areas are too strong that it requires the local government to invest significantly more in education than the estimated social return. In addition, as secondary education in China is free according to â€Å"the Law of Compulsory Education†, the drop-out rate basically represents the group of people who are reluctant to receive formal education. This is very special because the reasons behind the phenomenon are sometimes not purely financial matters. Many girls are required by the traditional family to get married early (some in rural areas are even reserved for marriage in their childhood.) so that they can make early contribution to the husband’s family. Others leave school because the Chinese education system which is often regarded as â€Å"exam-oriented† deviates far from the actual need of local economic development. However, more girls are found to stop schooling to work. Due to the inequality in economic development and rapid urbanization in China, in order to catch opportunities to earn some money (as even the jobs of the lowest level in urban areas often bring higher income compared wit h rural areas) many people, including girls who are discriminated in their home migrate out of the country side into cities. Moreover, even if the opinion that formal education for girls is beneficial is held by the public, it is still extremely difficult to eliminate the minority group. Putting into such a big country with huge population, even a very small fraction of minority seems to be significant. In conclusion, the current observed gender gap in education is generally caused by a combined effect of traditional ideology that men are the dominant power of the world and women’s inferior economic status. The inequality is consolidated generations by generations by children’s natural imitative learning habit. On the one hand, economic development is stimulated by promoting gender equality in education since population growth will be controlled and average national human capital will be increased improve. On the other hand, extra social welfare is created owing to women’s better overall understanding in maternal healthcare and child education. It is not only government’s responsibility to take measure on gender equality on education, but society should also start campaigns to promote the importance of girls education to every family. UNICEF (The United Nations Childrens Fund )(2004) suggested seven critical steps, as follow, to achieve the goal.’ Include girls’ education as an essential component of development efforts. Create a national ethos for girls’ education. Allow no school fees of any kind. Think outside and inside the ‘education box’. Establish schools as centres of community development. Integrate strategies. Increase international funding for education.’ References: Meier G M. and Rauch J E.(editors), Leading issues in economic development 8th ed.. New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2005. xvii, 650 p. : ill. ; 26 cm Todaro, M P.: Economic development /Michael P. Todaro, Stephen C. Smith. 9th ed.. Harlow : Pearson Addison Wesley, 2006. xxvii, 851 p. : maps ; 24 cm. Oakley, Ann.: Sex, gender and society /Ann Oakley. London : Temple Smith, in association wth New Society, 1972. 220 p. ( Towards a new society). Bradley, H.: Mens work, womens work :a sociological history of the sexual division of labour in employment /Harriet Bradley. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c1989. 263 p. ( Feminist perspectives). Extracts from Susan Hill Gross, Wasted Resources, Diminished Lives loyno.edu/~wessing/docs/100mil.html Mesl M., Rural Women’s participation in Decision-making in Slovenia, ninth session of the working party on women and the family in rural development, European Commission on Agriculture (ECA) fao.org/UNFAO/Bodies/ECA/WPW/9WPWSVN.htm United Nation Development Programme, Human Development Report 2004 United Nation Development Programme, Human Development Report 2005 United Nation Development Programme Annual Report 2005 Girls’ Education: A World Bank Priority http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION /0,,contentMDK:20298916~menuPK:617572~pagePK: 148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:282386,00.html Primary Education – UNESCO (the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php- URL_ID=30870URL_DO=DO_TOPICURL_SECTION=201.html National Bureau of Statistics of China stats.gov.cn/ Focusing on the situation of Girl Education in China People’s Daily http://edu.people.com.cn/GB/1055/3834654.html Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China moe.edu.cn/edoas/website18/index.htm China Family Planning Association chinafpa.org.cn Research Papers on Why Women Are Receiving Less Education Than Men In Developing Countries - Sociology EssayInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export Quotas19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyPETSTEL analysis of IndiaStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseBringing Democracy to Africa

Ethics and corporate social responsibility Case Study

Ethics and corporate social responsibility - Case Study Example In this case, the company upholds a high level of responsibility to public and employees (Coca-Cola Company, 36). The other part focuses on offering the responsibility of employees to the company; in fact, this involves the scope of Code of Ethics that is applicable to managers and employees in the company and subsidiaries. There are orientation meetings that are held in every two years, where information regarding this Code of Ethics is offered to employees and they are expected to sign. Personal commitment of CEO to high standards of ethics Coca-Cola Company’s CEO has a high commitment to standards of ethics, whereby they are considered to be representatives of the company through their honesty, and consistency in every condition. In this case, CEO has a commitment of guiding employees in order to facilitate compliance to the Code of Ethics (Coca-Cola Company, 36). The CEO has the mandate of ensuring that managers in various departments, especially Human Resource department. Audits to ensure compliance with code Coca-Cola Company has an Internal Audit Department, which focuses on monitoring the operations and behaviors, which entail specified those that are stipulated in the Code of Ethics; thus, these audits are conducted regally in the organization annually (Coca-Cola Company, 36). Clear and logical consequences for failure to follow the code The Company has clear and logical implications of failing to comply with this Code of Ethics, whereby employees are subjected to penalties due to their misbehaviors. Moreover, there is detailed information concerning the process of punishment and it is entailed in the Code, and reviews of this Code of Ethics, which leads to necessity of making relevant alterations depending on stakeholders’ expectations. Environmental Stewardship Detailed assessment of the company’s environmental impact Coca-Cola Company has focus on being compliant with standards involves in operations that relate to supply chain, distribution channel and disposal of obsolete or broken products. In this case, this company is highly involved in recycling of bottles; in fact, this is a manifestation of their environmental stewardship (Coca-Cola Company, 50). On the other hand, obsolete products are disposed appropriately to avoid environmental pollution, besides most of these products are used to manufacture new products. Clear goals for improvement in each impact area The company has a goal of being complaint with provisions of legislation regarding the environment. In order to improve their impact area, the Company establishes procedures that facilitate employee compliance (Coca-Cola Company, 51). Therefore, the company established an obligation of their employees, whereby they are expected to comply with procedures and polices associated with environmental protection. Moreover, they are expected to give reports regarding any case of breaches to their managers and supervisors. Internal audits to ensure impro vements There are regular internal audits aimed at ensuring improvements through adaptation of objectives and principles. Therefore, continuous improvements involve activities that accomplish these objectives in regard to environment (Coca-Cola

Precis for two articles or write a good topic you think Essay - 1

Precis for two articles or write a good topic you think - Essay Example In the developing world, scarcity of water is yet another way that depicts gender inequality. Women have to haul water from long arduous distances while menfolk drink and chat under shades. Moreover, most of their hard-earned money is spent on clinic visit to treat their boys who suffer from water borne diseases. Bringing clean water is important for transforming their lives as it would motivate them to focus on more productive work. Besides providing women with more time on income producing activities, it would also help girls to go to schools and have wider options for better life. Water problem is common to poor, including urban poor across the world. WaterAid, a UK based NGO has successfully transformed lives of the people in Konso. It has involved the villagers across Konso district in the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) project. They help install pumps and dig trenches etc. to lay pipeline and bring water from the river to the villages as well as harvest rain. Most importantly, villagers are trained in maintenance so that the project may continue when the NGO leaves the place after it has achieved its target of bringing clean water to the people. â€Å"Fresh water’ by Barbara Kingsolver reveals how the inhabitants of the same earth display starkly different lifestyle. While water is taken for granted in developed nations and wasted without concern for the future, for people sub-Saharan states, it is an unending search for clean water to survive. Water is life which is corroborated by human physiology which is made up of two-third water. Lack of awareness regarding conservation of environment, especially water has resulted in dramatic climate change. The changing pattern of rain has emerged as major concern: while some parts of the world are witnessing extreme drought situations, other regions experience flood, hurricane, rising sea levels, bursting levees. Water inequity has not only caused disparity across human population but its