Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Quality in health care administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quality in health care administration - Essay Example effective care management strategies (Upshaw, Kaluzny & McLaughlin, P192) The Process Component involves a critical assessment of the factors required for the delivery of effective patient care that is individualized to meet the needs of each patient, and the effective management of resources and professional associations required to address patient needs. Primary Outcomes addresses issues such as quality care from the perspective of patient and health professional. Strategic Outcomes involves a broader perspective of outcome in relation to health organizations and healthcare consumers. The Professional Model has a more restricted focus than the Transformational Model as it concentrates on the professional health care delivery system from the vantage point of the caregiver (Upshaw, Kaluzny & McLaughlin, P193). The focus is more traditional, based on the autonomous decision-making role of the individual caregiver. The Transformational model is collaborative and reflects the increasing organizational complexity of the healthcare delivery system. This model incorporates many aspects of professional development that are critical to successful health care delivery, and many aspects of the Professional Model are included in the Professional Practice Component of the Transformation Model. The major areas of focus in this area of the Transformational Model overlap the Professional Model, including Professional Growth, Transformational Leadership, Collaborative Practice and care Delivery. The Professional Practice Component is the most important area of the Transformational Model, and is more dynamic and expansive in its professional goals and overall global perspective on health care delivery than the Professional Model. The Transformational Model contains many elements that are central to CQI. Continuous Quality Improvement is an important management concept that has been applied to the delivery of health care services to achieve the most effective practices from

Monday, October 28, 2019

Critically evaluate Kelleys ANOVA model of attribution Essay Example for Free

Critically evaluate Kelleys ANOVA model of attribution Essay Attribution theories involve the use of social and psychological research to explain how we interpret the events and behaviours we see around us. When observing behaviour, our own or other peoples, we attempt to provide explanations for its occurrence, these explanations are usually situational or dispositional. Thus, attributions are personal expressions about causal factors of events or behaviours. Theories have offered important insights into the ways in which people explain their own actions and the actions of others. Many theoretical models have been suggested; they usually involve a search for the cause of the behaviour, and an attempt to determine whether this is internal or external, followed by a decision as to whether the behaviour is logical or rational. Some of the most prominent theories are initially Heiders (1948) Model, which highlighted the fact that all behaviours have both internal and external causes. There is also Jones and Davis (1965) Correspondent Inference Theory that is concerned with how we move from observing behaviour, to understanding the intention of the actor, to concluding the disposition which caused the intention. There is also Kelleys (1967) ANOVA model, which is concerned with what information we use to arrive at a causal attribution. In this essay, I shall attempt to further discuss and evaluate Kelleys model, as it is one of the most recent and widely discussed. Inevitably, all of these theories have been further formalized and extended by later psychologists. The key question for Kelley (1967) was what type of information does the person use in order to make a causal attribution? (Scott and Spencer, 1998). He saw the person as a nai ve scientist who weighs up several pieces of information before arriving at an explanation for events causes. Kelly believes that in order to determine the origins of a behaviour, for example Nicola argued with her dad, we need three types of information; distinctiveness, consensus and consistency. Distinctiveness refers to information we require about the stimulus, which in this case is Nicolas dad. If Nicola only argues with her dad the distinctiveness is high, however, if she argues with everyone the distinctiveness, of her dad, is low. The second type of information that is needed is consensus details about Nicola herself. There is high consensus for Nicolas argumentative behaviour if many people argue with her dad and low consensus if it is only she. Finally, consistency information, about the circumstances surrounding the argument, needs to be considered. For example, there is high consistency if Nicola argues with her dad in many situations, but low consistency if Nicola has only argued with her father on this specific occasion. When all of this information has been obtained we use the principle of covariation, deciding what factor is always present with this behaviour, to determine what was the cause of the argument.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Sustainable Agriculture: The Ethical Choice for the Future Essay

Sustainable Agriculture: The Ethical Choice for the Future Thesis: The idea of sustainable agriculture is a legitimate, logical, and necessary approach to the new concerns and problems stemming from current agricultural trends in light of impending global food shortages and rapid depletion of natural resources. Introduction Agriculture has been a principal source of obtaining food to meet basic needs of humans for thousands of years. More recently, with the industrialization of agriculture, increased efficiency, and a decreased need for small rural farmers, there has been a resulting disconnect of consumers to the process in which their food is produced. As we are embarking on a new century, there is growing concern that perhaps our industrialized agriculture system is not functioning as effectively as it has in the past. It is time that we move to adopt a new paradigm as we realize the effects of modern agriculture on our environment, economic viability, and social justice issues, in light of the impending global food shortage. According to John Ikerd from the University of Missouri, traditional agriculturists currently foresee a continued trend toward fewer, larger, and more specialized production units. They see current trends continuing until a half-dozen or so multinational corporations control vir tually all processing and distribution of agricultural commodities in a single global food and fiber market. With this movement continuing as it is now â€Å"there will be increasing reliance on biological technologies and information technologies at all levels within the global agricultural system. Forecasts of the continued industrialization of agriculture permeate both professional agricultural publications and the popular... ...orld today. It is the ethical choice for those of us concerned with the well-being of future generations and the rural communities today. Works Cited Hassanein, Neva. Changing the Way America Farms. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1999. Bird, Elizabeth Ann R., et al. Planting the Future. Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1995. Pretty, Jules N. Regenerating Agriculture. Joseph Henry Press, Washington D.C., 1995. â€Å"Why so much controversy over Genetically Modified Organisms?† October 25, 2003. <http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/ABC/10-FAQaboutGMOs/htm/10-FAQaboutGMOs.htm>. Ikerd, John. "Sustainable Agriculture: A Positive Alternative to Industrial Agriculture" October 25, 2003 <http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd/papers/ks-hrtld.htm >. â€Å"Disadvantages of No-Till† October 25, 2003. <http://pas.byu.edu/AgHrt282/Tillage/sld023.htm> Sustainable Agriculture: The Ethical Choice for the Future Essay Sustainable Agriculture: The Ethical Choice for the Future Thesis: The idea of sustainable agriculture is a legitimate, logical, and necessary approach to the new concerns and problems stemming from current agricultural trends in light of impending global food shortages and rapid depletion of natural resources. Introduction Agriculture has been a principal source of obtaining food to meet basic needs of humans for thousands of years. More recently, with the industrialization of agriculture, increased efficiency, and a decreased need for small rural farmers, there has been a resulting disconnect of consumers to the process in which their food is produced. As we are embarking on a new century, there is growing concern that perhaps our industrialized agriculture system is not functioning as effectively as it has in the past. It is time that we move to adopt a new paradigm as we realize the effects of modern agriculture on our environment, economic viability, and social justice issues, in light of the impending global food shortage. According to John Ikerd from the University of Missouri, traditional agriculturists currently foresee a continued trend toward fewer, larger, and more specialized production units. They see current trends continuing until a half-dozen or so multinational corporations control vir tually all processing and distribution of agricultural commodities in a single global food and fiber market. With this movement continuing as it is now â€Å"there will be increasing reliance on biological technologies and information technologies at all levels within the global agricultural system. Forecasts of the continued industrialization of agriculture permeate both professional agricultural publications and the popular... ...orld today. It is the ethical choice for those of us concerned with the well-being of future generations and the rural communities today. Works Cited Hassanein, Neva. Changing the Way America Farms. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1999. Bird, Elizabeth Ann R., et al. Planting the Future. Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1995. Pretty, Jules N. Regenerating Agriculture. Joseph Henry Press, Washington D.C., 1995. â€Å"Why so much controversy over Genetically Modified Organisms?† October 25, 2003. <http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/ABC/10-FAQaboutGMOs/htm/10-FAQaboutGMOs.htm>. Ikerd, John. "Sustainable Agriculture: A Positive Alternative to Industrial Agriculture" October 25, 2003 <http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd/papers/ks-hrtld.htm >. â€Å"Disadvantages of No-Till† October 25, 2003. <http://pas.byu.edu/AgHrt282/Tillage/sld023.htm>

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Civil Disobedience: Are We Morally Obliged to Obey Unjust Laws? Essay

Are we morally obliged to obey even unjust laws? This question raises the discussion of what we call civil disobedience. Elliot Zashin, author of Civil Disobedience and Democracy, defines civil disobedience as, â€Å"a knowing violation of public norm (considered binding by local authorities but which may ultimately be invalidated by the courts) as a form of protest: it is non-revolutionary, public, and nonviolent (i.e. there is no use of physical violence except self-defensively when participants are physically attacked, and no resistance to arrest if made properly and without undue force).† (Zashin, 118) One point that Carl Cohen, associate professor of philosophy at University of Michigan, thinks is essential to the definition is that the, â€Å"mere knowledge of the unlawfulness does not make it civil disobedience†¦the civil disobedient must do more than knowingly break the law. Absolutely essential is the further element of protest.† (Cohen, 11) In other words, civil disobedience is knowingly breaking a law to protest the law. This may not be as controversial as some topics, but there are many strong points on both sides. A major objection is tied to the idea of social contract theory as well as extreme faith in the proper workings of the judicial and legislative systems. According the this objection, the government of the United States, which calls itself democratic, for instance, is set up to listen to the needs of the people and to make laws accordingly. There is no need to protest or to â€Å"civilly disobey† because the government’s job is to take care of such problems. Socrates, a Greek philosopher, when forced with a suicide execution refused escape because he had profited from the laws of Athens thus far, was given a... ...tic government. BIBLIOGRAPHY  · Cohen, Carl, Civil Disobedience, Tactics and the Law. 1971, Columbia University Press: NY. Pgs: 3, 5, 6, 9, and 11.  · â€Å"Declaration of Independence† ONLINE: http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/declaration_transcript.html. 20 Nov 03  · Singer, Peter, Practical Ethics: Second Edition. 1993, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. Pgs: 298-306  · Smith, Michael P, et al, Political Obligation and Civil Disobedience Readings. 1972, Thomas Y. Crowell Company: NY. Pgs. 179, 180, and 183.  · Suber, Peter, â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† ONLINE: http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/civ-dis.htm. 19 Nov 03.  · Zashin, Elliot M., Civil Disobedience and Democracy. 1971, The Free Press: NY. Pgs. 118, and 131.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Assessment in Special Education Essay

Abstract Sometimes the general education program alone is not able to meet the needs of a child with disabilities, and he/she may be able to receive special education services. The evaluation process can be a very difficult task when trying to identify if the child qualifies for special education, schools often have a pre-referral intervention process. The most prominent approached used today is the â€Å"response-to-Intervention† or RTI. Special Education teachers face many challenges when trying to meet the needs of special needs students in their classrooms. Methods of evaluation are a big concern and challenge for educators of special needs students today. In addition, meeting everyone’s needs is a difficult task to accomplish because of students’ diverse abilities in the classroom. This research paper will explore the different methods of assessment in special education programs and the best practices to help this children achieve their potential in an appropriate setting. Testing and assessment is an ongoing process with children in special education programs. Some of these assessments include, developmental assessments, screening tests, individual intelligence tests, individual academic achievement tests, adaptive behavior scales, behavior rating scales, curriculum-based assessments, end-of-grade, end-of-course, and alternate assessments. Comprehensive assessment of individual students requires the use of multiple data sources. These sources may also include standardized tests, informal measures, observations, student self-reports, parent reports, and progress monitoring data from response-to-intervention (RTI) approaches (NJCLD, 2005). The main purpose of a comprehensive assessment in the special education field is to accurately identify the strengths and needs of the students to help them be successful during their school years and there after. Legislation has played a big role in the shift towards functional assessment. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act has played a big role in this matter. The IDEA legislation â€Å"needed to assure that students with disabilities receive free appropriate public education (FAPE) and the related services and support the need to achieve† (Jeffords 1). IDEA was created to make sure that disabled children are receiving fair and equal education and support. This act has several parts to it which include providing grants, funds early intervention services, and supports research and professional development programs. The No Child Left Behind Act: Impact on the Assessment of Special Education Student. After the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) moved into our schools there is a great deal of controversy that questions whether the act implemented by President George W. Bush is helping or hurting an already suffering school system. There are many dimensions of the NCLB act that have been questioned over the past decade; the fair assessment of students with disabilities is one of them. As the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (NCFOT) reported, the public relations aspect of this act is strong. Prior to the Individuals with Disability Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) students in special education were exempt from participating in the statewide testing. However, the IDEA advocated that all students including those with special learning difficulties should be able to participate in testing. (Cahalan, 2003). Legislative Overview of Laws Protecting Special Education Students On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the NCLB act. In this act the federal government was for the first time in the history of the Department of Education putting an act into effect that would penalize schools that failed to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP). The AYP is a measuring system in which the federal government will look at the progress of the local government and school systems to decide whether or not that school, along with its teachers and students, has progressed and provided a high-quality education (Goldhaber, 2002). Through the NCLB act schools are held accountable for failing test scores and failure to improve their class average from one year to the next. The longer the school fails to meet required scores, the more the school will be held accountable, and the greater the consequence. For instance, a school that is unable to make their desired AYP and has not improved a significant amount within five years will then be subject to reconstruction. This reconstruction could include the government completely taking over the school and hiring new teachers and  teacher staff, leaving many teachers and staff unemployed (Goldhaber, 2002). Teachers and students in the special education department do have some laws however that helps them make testing less stressful. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 required that accommodations must be made for students with learning disabilities in order to be able to participate in the assessment (Cahalan, 2003). However, this leaves the question of what can be used as accommodations. Accommodations could include things such as test schedules and setting of the test, along with the format of the presentation. Also used to help the special education students and teachers is the individualized education plan (IEP). The Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) of 1991 would set into effect the idea of an IEP. An IEP is a plan that is set by a group of individuals that work closely with the student to design the educational format that is most appropriate for him/her (Cahalan, 2003). This does not take into account the type of disorder the student has but simply the student themselves. The individualized attention that is given with this plan provides the student with the correct instruction needed to be successful in education. These groups of individuals include the teacher, parent, school psychologist and anyone else that is closely related to the education of this student. The IEP members are, in most states, responsible in deciding which accommodations are important for each individual student (Cahalan, 2003). They, however, are not a part of deciding what accommodations will be provided for each student during the NCLB assessment. The laws described here were all implemented with the same goal in mind; to protect special education students and be sure their quality of education is the same as all other students. However some of these laws, including the NCLB, must be altered in order to truly give special needs students the education and assessment they deserve. Best Practices in Assessment of Special Education Students Students in special education programs should be included in the statewide assessments, as the IDEA of 1997 states. The IDEA also states that accommodations should be made to be sure that the student is able to fully understand the materials they are asked (Cahalan, 2003). There are four categories of test accommodations, presentation, response, timing, and  setting (Cahalan, 2003). Presentation is simply visual aids that help the student fully understand the context. These do not alter the questions of the test; they simply make it accessible for the students. Presentation accommodations include Braille, large-print, sign language interpreter, or reducing the number of questions per page (Cahalan, 2003). These simple accommodations make test taking less stressful, and therefore the material is better understandable by the student. However, no state has reported using them in their statewide assessments since the inception of the NCLB. In a study of over one thousand students it was found that using a video presentation to help understand the test showed a significant increase in their achievement (Cahalan, 2003). So why is the educational department not using these modifications that help so much? Another form of accommodation used in special education testing is response. It may be as simple as giving an oral response instead of a written one or it may mean that the test is dictated to the student by a recorder. These accommodations in no way alters the response that is given or received, it is still the same question being asked. Results have shown that by providing a reader special education students showed a significant improvement in their test score (Cahalan, 2003). The last two accommodations are setting and timing. The timing could include any extra time needed, breaks during the exam, or spreading the testing out through a few days instead of taking it all in one day. And the final accommodation is setting, which could include special furniture, lighting, or an individualized testing area (Cahalan, 2003). Even though there was no evidence to prove that setting and timing are important accommodations, it is well known that many special education students are tested in private rooms with more time. These accommodations should be accessible for special education students that need them to better their test taking skills. However, many states do not allow such accommodations to be made due to the misconceived conception that they change the contents of the test when in actuality they do not in any way alter the questions asked. BEST PRACTICES IN ASSESSMENT HANDOUT †¢Create a shared mission and goals statement that reflects an emphasis on student learning. †¢Focus on collaboration and teamwork. Faculty members must agree on assessment goals for planning to be meaningful. They may have to rise to a higher level of collaboration than may have been traditionally practiced in most departments. Collaboration within the department, across departments, and with higher administration will facilitate the best outcomes from assessment planning. All constituents must recognize that assessment skills must be developed and that colleagues can assist each other by sharing practices and strategies. †¢Clarify the purpose of assessment. Assessment can serve dual purposes: Assessment can promote student learning or provide evidence for accountability requirements through an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses. Wherever possible, students should experience a direct, positive benefit from their participation in assessment activities. †¢Identify clear, measurable, and developmental student learning †¢OUTCOMES. Explicit identification of learning expectations facilitates the department’s coherence about their GOALS. Sharing those expectations explicitly with students can provide an effective learning scaffold on which students can build their experiences and render effective performance. †¢Use multiple MEASURES and sources consistent with resources. Effective assessment planning can only occur when properly supported with appropriate time, money, and recognition for good work. The expansiveness of the assessment plan will depend on those resources. As resources permit, additional MEASURES can be added to planning. These MEASURES address variations in learning style, differences in types of learning, and interests from varied stakeholders. †¢Implement continuous assessment with clear, manageable timelines. Better assessment practice involves spreading out assessment activity throughout the year and across years rather than conducting a marathon short-term assessment effort in a single year. Projecting a schedule of regular formal reviews can facilitate appropriate interim activity. †¢Help students succeed on assessment tasks. Students will fare best in assessment activities when faculty make expectations explicit, provide detailed instructions, and offer samples or models of successful performance. They will benefit most with opportunities to practice prior to assessment and when given detailed feedback about the quality of their performance. †¢Interpret and use assessment results appropriately. Assessment should be a stimulus for growth, renewal, and improvement, not an action that generates data to ensure positive outcomes. Linking funding to assessment outcomes may encourage artificial results. Assessment data should not be used for personnel decisions. If cross-institution comparisons are inevitable, care should be taken to ensure comparisons across comparable institutions (benchmarking). †¢Evaluate your assessment practices. Results from assessment activity should be evaluated to address their reliability, validity, and utility. Poor student performance can reflect limited learning or an ill-designed assessment process. Examining how effectively the assessment strategy meets departmental needs is a critical step in the evolution of the department plan. (Retrieved from www. caspercollege. edu/assessment/downloads/best_practices. pdf) The Effect of NCLB Assessments on Special Education Programs When the Department of Education was asked how they intend to insure that special education students will not be forced to take tests that are above their intelligence level under the NCLB act, they could not give a real solution. They simply said that there are accommodations available, and if the student’s disability is severe to the point that the accommodations will not help, there are alternate tests they can take (Education Week, 2003). However, the problem with this is that there is no clear definition as to who is able to receive these accommodations and who is able to receive the alternate assessment. Who decides this? And how handicapped must a student be in order to receive an alternate assessment? Even though special education students are not at the same intelligence level as their peers they are still placed in the same test group as them. The NCLB act does not include in its AYP percentage the failing percentage rate of special education students in each given population. Therefore, teachers and school administration are trying to make up for the percentage loss in special education departments. Some teachers are now, for the first time, being held accountable for failing test scores. This, in effect, causes teachers to alter their curriculum and teach to the test? (Goldhaber, 2002). By teaching to the test students are missing out on important curriculum information that may be overlooked completely or presented in short educational lecture in the middle of teaching test taking skills and other information that may be found on the assessments. Possible Improvement to the Assessment and Accountability. To improve the NCLB act we must first know what is wrong with the act. While the idea of leaving no child behind in education is a good plan, there are still a few loop holes that the president’s act needs to clear up. The students that are placed in the special education setting are usually there because they have a disability or are below average in their cognitive abilities. In order to be fair to these students the government must be sure that they have the same quality education as all other students, but the government must also realize that the curriculum of the material they are learning may in some cases be drastically different. With this knowledge, it must then be known that to accurately and fairly assess special education students the assessments must be built with the correct accommodations. In order for this to happen, those who design the tests must develop an exam that meets the needs of the student, and not the needs of the disorder. In other words, do not test a student as an autistic child but first look at their individual advantages and disadvantages according to each test taking skill. Some students may simply need more time, while others will need more time along with a person to read to them and interpret some larger word usage. It is all based on the student’s individual needs (Cahalan, 2003). In other words the decisions of the accommodations should be made by people that know the student on a personal level, and know what accommodations are present in their current education setting. As stated before, with some assessments the IEP will meet to determine what accommodations will be made for the students in that assessment, However, this is not the case in the NCLB assessments; but it should be. Those who are teaching and raising the child should be a part of the process of determining how the child is assessed and what accommodations are necessary (Washington, 2003). It is important for the education of future special education students that the Department of Education take into consideration the possible reforms that were suggested by many local government and teachers surrounding them. Improvements can be made to the assessment of special education, and should be made to be sure that all students are receiving a fair and adequate education. Disproportionate identification of minorities in some special education categories: When speaking of the learning disabled, minorities, one must consider some dimensions to the issue of assessment within a particularly specialized light. This special population reflects both the learning disabled (LD) and the minority that they belong to. This is largely the case within a practical context, although as the literature points out, pre-considerations must be afforded for minority students. To begin with, it is important to look at the many variables that exist within the aforementioned components. These components include English as a Second Language (ESL), socioeconomic level and finally the impact this has on teaching the learning disabled in a classroom setting and more specifically when employing the assistance of a translator. Curriculum-based assessment is hampered with some biases that can affect these students (Dolson, 1984). A child’s race and ethnicity significantly influence the child’s probability of being misidentified, misclassified, and inappropriately placed in special education programs. Research shows the relationship between race and ethnicity and other variables for students’ placement in special education classes. Variables such as language, poverty, assessment practices, systemic issues, and professional development opportunities for teachers have been cited as factors that play a role in disproportionate representation (emstac. org). Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds should be able to receive an excellent and appropriate education. Some students are not included in special education programs, even though they have a disability that is affecting their ability to learn and they need special education help. Some CLD populations are also significantly under-represented in programs for the gifted and/or talented. In these instances, CLD groups are considered under-represented because the proportion of students from certain ethnic or racial groups who receive special services are significantly less than the number of these same students in the overall school population (U. S. Department of Education, 2004). Facts: †¢ Hispanics are under-identified within certain disability categories compared to their White peers (U. S. Department of Education, 2006). †¢ Asian/Pacific Islander students are actually less likely to be identified for special education services than other CLD populations (NABE, 2002). There are a number of possible action steps school personnel can take to ensure that individual assessments are conducted in a culturally responsive and nondiscriminatory manner (Klotz & Canter 2006). Recommendations include: †¢Allowing more time. Assessments of students from diverse backgrounds require more time to gather important background information and allow for alternative and flexible procedures. †¢Gathering extensive background information. To provide a context for the evaluation, conduct a review of all available background information including: school attendance, family structure, household changes and moves, and medical, developmental, and educational histories. †¢Utilizing student progress monitoring data from Response-to-Intervention (RtI) or problem-solving processes. Data generated from a process that determines if the child responds to scientific evidence-based interventions should be included in a comprehensive evaluation. The National Research Council on Minority Representation in Special Education recommended the use of data from a systematic problem-solving process measuring the student’s response to high quality interventions (National Research Council, 2002, pp. 7-8). †¢Addressing the role of language. Determining the need for and conducting dual language assessments are essential steps in an evaluation process. This includes determining the student’s language history (i. e. , ages that the student spoke and heard various languages), dominance (i. e. , greatest language proficiency), and preference (i. e. , the language the student prefers to speak). †¢ Using nonverbal and alternative assessment strategies. When assessing students from CLD backgrounds, use standardized nonverbal cognitive and translated tests (when available in the target language). Additional assessment techniques, including curriculum-based assessments, test-teach-test strategies and in-direct sources of data, such as teacher and parent reports, portfolios, work samples, teacher/student checklists, informal interviews and observations, and classroom test scores are also helpful in completing an accurate, comprehensive evaluation (NEA, 2007). Bibliography Bush, President George W. (December 3, 2004). Bipartisan Special Education Reform Bill. Retrieved from http://www. ed. gov/news/newsletters/extracredit/ 2004/12/1203. html Cahalan, C. & Morgan, D. L. (2003). Review of state policy for high stakes testing of students with disabilities on high school exit exams. Educational Testing Service. Department of Education. (2003). Title I ? Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; Proposed Rule. (34 CFR Part 200). Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office. Dolson, David P. (1985). â€Å"The Effect of Spanish Home Language Use on the Scholastic Performance of Hispanic Pupils. † Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, V. 6, No. 2,50. Fair Test. (2005). The National Center for Fair & Open Testing. Retrieved from http://www. fairtest. org on October 12, 2011 Goldhaber, D. (2002). What might go wrong with the accountability measures of the? No Child Left Behind Act? The Urban Institute. IDEA Partnership. http://www. ideapartnership. org Klot z, M. B. & Canter, A. (2006). Culturally Competent Assessment and Consultation. Retrieved October 2011 from: http://www.naspcenter. org/principals/Culturally%20Competent%20Assessment%20and%20Consultation%20NASSP. pdf. Improving accountability for limited English proficient and special education students under the No Child Left Behind Act. (2003). Washington Area School Study Council. National Association of School Psychology. (2007). The Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality Special Education. Retrieved from www. nea. org/books on October 15, 2011. National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. (2001a). Issues in learning disabilities: Assessment and diagnosis. In Collective perspectives on issues affecting learning disabilities (2nd ed. , pp. 55–61). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. (Original work published 1987) National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. (2005). Responsiveness to intervention and learning disabilities. Available from www. ldonline. org/njcld. National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. (2007). The documentation disconnect for students with learning disabilities: Improving access to postsecondary disability services. Available from www. ldonline. org/njcld National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems. (Fall 2005). Cultural considerations and challenges in response-to-intervention models. An NCCRESt position statement. Retrieved October 2011 From http://www. nccrest. org/PDFs/rti. pdf? v_document_name=Culturally%20Responsive%20RTI. No educator left behind: Testing special education students. (2003). Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www. education-world. com/a_issues/NELB/NELB025. shtml Olson, L. (2004). Data show schools making progress on federal goals. Education Week, 24, 24-28. Retrieved from http://www. edweek. org Tomes, H. Ph. D. (2004). In public interest: Are we really leaving no child behind? American Psychologist, 35, 31-35. Retrieved from www. apa. org on October 15, 2011 U. S. Department of Education. (2004). Twenty-fourth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC: Author.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Atrocity And The American People Essays - Southeastern Europe

Atrocity And The American People Essays - Southeastern Europe Atrocity And The American People An atrocity is defined as An act of cruelty and violence inflicted by an enemy-armed force upon civilians or prisoners. Some believe this war in Kosovo is about politics. However, upon examination of the specifics of this conflict it is apparent that this is about religion. People must then decide whom, if anyone is committing these atrocities. Should the United States be involved in the dispute, and is it truly in the best interest of the American people? In the area once covered by the country of Yugoslavia, there has been a series of struggles for independence during the 1990's. These confrontations started in 1990 in Slovenia, 1991 in Croatia, and 1992 in Bosnia Herzegovina. Each of these conflicts has often been described as an ethnic conflict. In reality, the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and Muslims in those countries share a common Slavic ethnic origin. They view themselves today as distinct peoples, largely because of their distinct religious heritages. In contrast, people in North America consider religion mainly as part of their personal/family identity. Because of the U.S. Constitution's first amendment, and the separation of church and state, Americans don't have a single faith group associated with their national feelings. Unlike the former Yugoslavia, the Kosovo conflict has both ethnic and religious components. The Kosovo conflict is fueled by ethnic and religious differences. Ethnicity is the cause between the Serbs, of Slavic origin, and ethnic Albanians. Religion has also been a conflict between Serbs, who are almost entirely followers of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and non-Serbs, who are overwhelmingly followers of Islam and Roman Catholicism. From the beginning NATO stated that this conflict would accelerate if NATO did not step in to help the Kosovos in their rebellion. If this conflict is like all of the rest why did America not step into other conflicts when there was a military force committing a larger genocide? These small civil conflicts are just like our civil war. Why did Britain not step in to help one side or the other? The British were intelligent, they knew that if American had a small army then they could come and take what they believed was theirs. The United States has nothing to gain by going into this conflict. Like all of the conflicts American has not gotten involved unless there was some type of gain. The gain is not something that we can see or touch, but more of respect from an organization to which the United States does not belong. When NATO was established, the United States was one of the original groups that started the organization; however the president at the time did not believe that we would need to belong to an organization that created peace instead of war. Over the years the United States has become one of the largest peace organization built. So now whenever NATO ask the United States to intervene in a conflict America must accept, otherwise suffer the consequence of looking bad in the eyes of the world and NATO. The issue is should the United States get involved? To the American people, this is another civil conflict that will waste American tax dollars. How can President Clinton explain to the American citizens that this war is anything but a political gain to his presidency? When President Clinton said that American soldiers would be going to Kosovo, people thought that they would be going to stop the killing of innocent civilians. All that we have seen in this conflict is the killing of civilians. So when will all of the killing stop? People have been asking this question for a very long time. The only answer that we continue to get from NATO is that there is no killing of civilians going on in Kosovo or Yugoslavian. Media correspondents and human rights investigators who are mainly located near the borders of Kosovo have collected massive amounts of data. They show that the Geneva Conventions concerning civilians are being ignored and that the Militaries are carrying out extremely seriou s war crimes on both sides of the sword. A war is being conducted in Kosovo and the rest of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The main players

Monday, October 21, 2019

The eNotes Blog Food for Thought 10 Symbolic Dishes from ClassicNovels

Food for Thought 10 Symbolic Dishes from ClassicNovels Food makes everything better. Using it as a motif, or repetitive symbol, in literature makes reading all the more delicious. Who would  not wish to take a bite out of   Madame Bovary’s ultra-chav wedding’s Savoy cake, or know for themselves exactly how bad that gruel was in Oliver Twist. Check these ten famous literature munchies and see why they make great food†¦for thought! 1. Cucumber Sandwiches Featured in:  The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Oscar Wildes 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest opens in a glamorous West London bachelors pad belonging to the dandy Algernon Moncrieff.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Algy asks his butler to prepare cucumber sandwiches for his aristocratic aunt, Lady Bracknell. Algy’s best friend Ernest asks, â€Å"Why cucumber sandwiches? Why such reckless extravagance in one so young?† The issue concludes with Algy’s mindless eating of all of his aunts sandwiches prior to her arrival, only to claim to her later that there were no cucumbers in the market even for ready money. So why are cucumber sandwiches considered extravagant? Although cucumbers originated in India over 4,000 years ago it was not until Queen Victorias appointment as Empress of India in 1877 that the influence of the national products, such as the cucumber, fully entered the British culture. Once the sandwiches hit the royal table for the first time, the upper and middle classes caught wind of it and made them their signature afternoon tea snack. Following the very Victorian tradition of imitating everything that the Queen did, these once-dubbed beautiful people solidified the connection between the cucumber sandwich and â€Å"poshness. 2. Eggs   Featured In: Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt In Frank McCourt’s 1987 Nobel prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes, the egg symbolizes hope, wishes, and indulgence. This guileless motif is juxtaposed to the dire living conditions of the Irish Catholic McCourt family. Young Frank tells us in chapter IX that he has plans for â€Å"that egg† that he would get the Sunday after his father gets the first paycheck from his new job.   The plan: To â€Å"tap it around the top, gently crack the shell, lift with a spoon, a dab of butter down into the yolk, salt, take my time, a dip of the spoon, scoop, more salt, more butter, [and] into the mouth†. Yummo! Eggs are described with particular candor, as they represent a luxury that the McCourts, with their never-ending financial woes, could hardly afford. Sadly, no one gets any eggs. Malachy, Frank’s father, ends up squandering all of his paychecks, leaving his family to fall deeper into their cavernous money hole. But lady luck helps Frank once he leaves Ireland and reaches America: he gets to work at a restaurant, and hunger is no longer an issue for him! After hunger is satiated in the novel, food becomes a motif for American excesses, complete with dreams of a jumbo shrimp chasing Mrs. Angela McCourt down the street. The novel is not about food, but you get the idea. 3. â€Å"The† Savoy Cake Featured In: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert A true representative of Flaubert’s style Madame Bovary is a bona fide example of Romanticism. Fast forward to chapter 4 (part 1) and witness the deeply bucolic wedding of Charles and Emme Bovary. The entire chapter is an epicurean dream featuring â€Å"four sirloins, six chicken fricassees, stewed veal, three legs of mutton, and in the middle a fine roast suckling pig, flanked by four chitterlings with sorrel†. Yet, nothing beats the towering Savoy Cake proudly displayed at table. A monster of excess and tackiness, the cake foreshadows Emme’s future state of mind: the hunger for extravagance that will doom her life until the end. Flaubert describes it as a â€Å"dungeon† that was â€Å"surrounded by many fortifications in candied angelica, almonds, raisins, and †¦ oranges†. There is more, my friends: â€Å"†¦on the upper platform a green field with rocks set in lakes of jam, nutshell boats, and a small Cupid balancing himself in a chocolate †¦ real roses for balls at the top†. It will not be the last time in the novel that Flaubert chuckles at the tastes of his country folk. The historical Savoy cake was created in the court of the Prussian empire. It is traced back to court chef Felix Urbain-Dubois, who introduced Russian cuisine to France in 1869. It seems that the Russian court was pretty eccentric, for this sort of dessert was everyday business. The recipe calls for 4lbs of castor sugar, orange sugar, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt. Add regular flour, potato flour, frothy egg whites and you got yourself a batter. The cake is to be baked in three separate parts for over 1 hour using molds greased with kidney fat. This means that the Savoy cake is not only heavy in flavor, but also in texture, weight and, surely, calories: perfect elements for a sumptuous wedding cake. 4. Macaroons Featured In: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Ibsen’s most controversial play, A Doll’s House unveils the deep issues of a 19th century woman who, unbeknownst to her, begrudgingly accepts to embody the epitome of the virtuous Victorian wife. As early as the first scene, it is obvious that Nora’s biggest issue is her domineering husband, Torvald, who is annoying in a passive-aggressive way. He constantly questions Nora on whether she is secretly grazing macaroons: â€Å"Hasnt Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today?† and he scolds her for doing so. However, Nora does not control her love for macaroons. Sometimes it seems as if she eats them on purpose. So, what exactly was Nora eating? A macaroon cookie is made of flour, coconut, vanilla, and sugar. Their history goes back to the reign of Henri II, husband of Catherine of Medici right at the height of the Renaissance period in 1533. Back then, these treats resembled the modern day biscotti; hard and easy to preserve, but still quite a rich snack for steady consumption. At 140 calories for two little ones, macaroons may have endangered Nora’s reign as â€Å"doll† if she really ate as many as the play indicates. According to it, Nora would eat them at any time, for she presumably carried them around all day, hidden from Torvald. This concealment and secret indulgence make macaroons a motif that clearly reflects the quiet yet fiery rebellion that lurks within Nora. They also represent Nora’s many other secrets and confessions, her frustration, and her angst†¦ all the things which she has hidden from Torvald all through their marriage under the guise of domest ic happiness. 5. Gruel Featured In: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Chapter 2 of Oliver Twist describes the shocking reaction caused by Oliver’s famous line â€Å"Please, Sir, I want some more† when asking for a second helping of the workhouse gruel. The dish personifies the extremes of poverty. Gruel is the lifeline of the poor: a weak, tasteless, ugly, gritty lifeline. Such is the reality of which Dickens wanted to make the world aware. The members of the workhouses board contracted with a corn-factor to supply periodically small quantities of oatmeal; and issued three meals of thin gruel a day, with an onion twice a week, and half a roll on Sundays. A mix of hot water, salt, and sop from grains, gruel can be made of millet, rice, or flour. The thinner the gruel, the more watery it would be, hence, the half a roll mentioned in the workhouse contract comes in handy. While Oliver Twist creates awareness for the poor in England during the earlier part of the 19th century, the conditions of the workhouse may not have been as radical as the novel describes. According to the 1835 dietary charts from the Abingdon workhouse, the English Poor Laws suggested six different meal combination samples to feed the growing number of men, women and children entering the workhouse force. In 1834, as cited by the historical Workhouse.org, all of Brightons workhouses, over 300 of them, were serving three meals per day with no limitation in quantity. This is not to say that the workhouse was a good place to be. Jack Londons 1903 book People of the Abyss describes all the miseries in the Londons East End slum district, including suicide attempts made by people who would have rather died than be sent to the workhouse. 6. The Woman Cake Featured In: The  Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood Think 1969.   Margaret Atwood, a leading Canadian figure in the woman’s equality proto-movement gave the world Edible Woman right at the formation of the women’s rights movement. In chapter 30 of the novel, main character Marian has a feminist freak-out because she does not want to get married (she is engaged) nor does she desire to have children. Her role models were all unhappy married women, and her job prospects were awful. As a result, the woman mentally imploded. First, she began to refuse food, as she compared eating with what women go through when our personas are eaten away by marriage. Then, she started getting difficult with her dial-tone boyfriend, Peter. Finally, she decided to to bake a cake molded like a woman; a symbol of herself about to get consumed by society. The cake is described as a sponge cake, completely home- made from scratch, frosted with pink, and brown icing, and one white section. The face was made of candies and bits. She divided the cake into two to make the upper and bottom, and made a head, arms, and legs. She tried bits and pieces of the cake, but the plan was to make Peter eat it. The idea behind the crazy experiment was to envision what her life will be after marriage: Peter will end up consuming her just like the cake, and she will no longer be herself anymore. This proto-feminine novel hashes out all kinds of women issues to include hysteria, dissatisfaction, sex, man-hatin’, slacker mothers, eating disorders, and food. LOTS of it. Everywhere. 7. Bread Featured In: Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm Published in 1821, this German fairytale is about a brother and sister who are thrown out of their home because there is no food to feed them. Lost in the forest, the children use breadcrumbs mark their way around the forest for them to be able to return. However, the birds eat the crumbs, leaving them scared and vulnerable in the forest.   Shortly after, the children are lured by the delicious smell of baking bread and end up entering a candy-covered gingerbread house, where a sweet old lady who offers them all the goodies that they could not get at home first treats them like guests. In reality, she was feeding them well in order to eat them, for the old lady was no sweet little thing: she was a witch! Bread means sustenance. In the story, it also symbolizes the universal need for it; the birds ate it, and now the smell of bread is luring them to yet another place. The oven, which produces the smell of bread that lures them in, also serves as the ultimate symbol of justice. The children are able to throw the witch in the burning oven and run away from her.   Overall it is safe to say that carbohydrates, period, are the motif in the story. Candy, gingerbread, sugar, all of that jazz is at the center of the action and embodies the main idea: if it looks too good to be true, it surely is. 8. Chocolate   Featured In: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier This young adult novel published in 1974 occupies the THIRD position in the American Library Association Top 100 Banned and Challenged Books from 2000-2009. The language is thought to be too mature for young adult literature. Nevertheless, chocolate is the anchor of the novel, mainly regarding our rebellious hero, Jerry Renault. The boy who goes head-on against his school’s head master’s chocolate sale, he comes out as a perfect tragic hero: he is lonely, he is 14, he wants a girlfriend, he wants to make a statement, and he may actually be a bit ahead of his peers in terms of emotional intelligence. The most important symbolism involving chocolate is the death of Jerry’s mom a few months into the story. Her death has seriously affected him, and, at some poignant moment, he chooses to agree to the selling of last season’s Mother’s Day chocolates as long as the â€Å"Mother’s Day† label is ripped off the box. If that is not a statement for grief, what else could it be? The motif of chocolate is not only representative of the macro management of the headmasters, the economic framework of the school, or the sense of team competition. The motif also reaches a deeper meaning that makes chocolate symbolize intense humanity: the need for nurturing, the lack of comfort, the hunger for success, and the need to feel loved in some way or form. 9. More Chocolate Featured In: Chocolat by Joanne Harris The Chocolate War redux? Perhaps. A decadent and charming story  set in the small French village of Reynauld (a-ha! Coincidence, or is this a variant of the name of the main character of The Chocolate War?) the novel is about the enigmatic single mom Vienne and her daughter, who come from out of town to set up a chocolate shop where the town’s old bakery once stood. The motif of chocolate elicits the long-lost pleasures of the village. It reminds the villagers of life’s delights while enticing them to the unthinkable possibility of â€Å"letting themselves go.† The bulk of the story is set during the Easter season, because during this religious period of time we prove our worth as Christians by making sacrifices. Ironically, Easter celebrations involve egg hunts, treats, food, chocolate and sweets everywhere. The rationale behind Harris’s choice of season as setting for her novel is that she wanted to write â€Å"about that conflict between indulgence a nd guilt, with chocolate as its†¦metaphor.† Chocolat gives us much more than just a moral lesson. It gives us rich depictions of ways to prepare the ancient bean, whose Mesoamerican origins as a bitter, magical potion contrasts dramatically with the treatment that we give it today. Mirroring the transformative effects of this over 2,000 year-old Aztec beverage, Joan Harris’s chocolate has almost the same supernatural powers among the people of the village. It taunts them, tempts them, piques their curiosity, and even awakens them to innocent mischief. Harris effectively conveys the literary technique of motif with the use of a universal substance that embodies very human emotions: love, hunger, excitement, curiosity, desire, indulgence, and, most importantly, comfort. It is similar to the use of chocolate as a motif in The Chocolate War. Seems like the almighty cocoa bean makes the world a better place, after all. 10. Tea Featured In: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandby Lewis Carroll. Insipid to the American taste bud, the tea leaf has universally starred on plenty stages from literature to politics (remember Boston Harbor). While the formalities of tea are not as strongly enforced in the U.S, there is no question that its protocol is quite the big deal in terms of etiquette and dynamics. In chapter VII of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, we witness a whimsical afternoon tea party hosted by the infamous Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse; an affair which Alice found both, infuriating and â€Å"stupid.† A bona fide Victorian, the up and coming society gal Alice is shocked at the disorganized and silly turn of events,   but she still partakes in  it, taking the bread and butter while arguing about the lack of everything going on. In the end, the event is â€Å"too much of muchness† for Alice, who walks away from it promising herself never to return there again. That aside, this literary motif in the novel known popularly as Alice in Wonderland, represents a conduit: a liquid potion that has the power to transform human relations. Tea is quite the Victorian timestamp. In 1840, the English set up tea leaf plantations in new territories of India as a result of Victoria becoming empress of the land. Hence, tea became both easier to acquire and cheaper to purchase. The result was a boom in consumption that rendered â€Å"tea time† universally recognized as the quintessential English past-time of choice. Tea also represented a form of transformation in the 19th century: it stood for class status, propriety, socialization, and networking. To tea or not to tea WAS the daily question back in the day. While this â€Å"hot water meets plant† infusion’s role in the world rests entirely on those who drink it, it does hold a special significance in the world of Alice’s multidimensional adventure into Wonderland.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Natural History of the Galapagos Islands

The Natural History of the Galapagos Islands The Natural History of the Galapagos Islands: The Galpagos Islands are a wonder of nature. Located off the coast of Ecuador, these remote islands have been called â€Å"evolution’s laboratory† because their remoteness, isolation from one another and different ecological zones have allowed plant and animal species to adapt and evolve undisturbed. The Galapagos Islands have a long and interesting natural history. The Birth of the Islands: The Galapagos Islands were created by volcanic activity deep in the Earths crust under the ocean. Like Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands were formed by what geologists call a hot spot. Basically, a hot spot is a place in the Earths core which is much hotter than usual. As the plates making up the Earths crust move over the hot spot, it essentially burns a hole in them, creating volcanoes. These volcanoes rise up out of the sea, forming islands: the lava stone they produce shapes the topography of the islands. The Galapagos Hot Spot: In Galapagos, the Earth’s crust is moving from west to east over the hot spot. Therefore, the islands that are furthest to the east, such as San Cristà ³bal, are the oldest: they were formed many thousands of years ago. Because these older islands are no longer over the hot spot, they are no longer volcanically active. Meanwhile, islands in the western part of the archipelago, such as Isabela and Fernandina, were created only recently, geologically speaking. They are still over the hot spot and still very active volcanically. As the islands move away from the hot spot, they tend to wear down and become smaller. Animals Arrive to Galapagos: The islands are home to many species of birds and reptiles but relatively few native insects and mammals. The reason for this is simple: it’s not easy for most animals to get there. Birds, of course, can fly there. Other Galapagos animals were washed there on vegetation rafts. For example, an iguana might fall into a river, cling to a fallen branch and get swept out to sea, arriving to the islands after days or weeks. Surviving at sea for such a long time is easier for a reptile than it is for a mammal. For this reason, the large herbivores on the islands are reptiles like tortoises and iguanas, not mammals like goats and horses. Animals Evolve: Over the course of thousands of years, animals will change to fit their environment and adapt to any existing â€Å"vacancy† in a particular ecological zone. Take the famous Darwin’s finches of Galapagos. Long ago, a single finch found its way to Galapagos, where it laid eggs which would eventually hatch into a small finch colony. Over the years, fourteen different sub-species of finch have evolved there. Some of them hop on the ground and eat seeds, some stay in trees and eat insects. The finches changed to fit in where there was not already some other animal or bird eating the available food or using the available nesting sites. Arrival of Humans: The arrival of humans to the Galapagos Islands shattered the delicate ecological balance that had reigned there for ages. The islands were first discovered in 1535 but for a long time they were ignored. In the 1800s, the Ecuadorian government began settling the islands. When Charles Darwin made his famous visit to Galapagos in 1835, there was already a penal colony there. Humans were very destructive in Galapagos, mostly because of predation of Galapagos species and introduction of new species. During the nineteenth century, whaling ships and pirates took tortoises for food, wiping out the Floreana Island subspecies completely and pushing others to the brink of extinction. Introduced Species: The worst damage done by humans was the introduction of new species into Galapagos. Some animals, such as goats, were released intentionally onto the islands. Others, such as rats, were brought by man unknowingly. Dozens of animal species previously unknown in the islands were suddenly turned loose there with disastrous results. Cats and dogs eat birds, iguanas and baby tortoises. Goats can strip an area clean of vegetation, leaving no food for other animals. Plants brought for food, such as the blackberry, muscled out native species. Introduced species constitute one of the gravest dangers for the Galapagos ecosystems. Other Human Problems: Introducing animals was not the only damage humans have done to Galapagos. Boats, cars and homes cause pollution, further damaging the environment. Fishing is supposedly controlled in the islands, but many make their living by illicitly fishing for sharks, sea cucumbers and lobsters out of season or beyond catch limits: this illegal activity had a great negative impact on the marine ecosystem. Roads, boats and airplanes disturb mating grounds. Solving Galapagos’ Natural Problems: The park rangers and staff of the Charles Darwin Research Station have been working for years to reverse the effects of human impact on Galapagos, and they’ve been seeing results. Feral goats, once a major problem, have been eliminated from several islands. The numbers of wild cats, dogs and pigs are also declining. The National Park has taken on the ambitious goal of eradicating introduced rats from the islands. Although activities like tourism and fishing are still taking their toll on the islands, optimists feel that the islands are in better shape than they have been for years. Source: Jackson, Michael H. Galapagos: a Natural History. Calgary: the Universityof Calgary Press, 1993.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Text Analyse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Text Analyse - Assignment Example The teacher should point out the sentences that were missing subject and verbs in addition to the wrong use of modals. In order for Jessica to practice models in her conversation she would need to listen to her conversation and write down the sentences that were pointed out by her counterpart or her instructor. She would note her mistakes then verbally speak out the corrected sentences a number of times as to practice the correct use of these sentences. The use of the future form is incorrect as it should not be used because of the presence of the adverb of frequency "always." Present simple tense was used in the same sentence with future tense concerning the same event. Jessica needs to get instruction in the use of future and present tenses. This must be followed by practical exercise of the use of both tense which can be accomplished by distinguishing between future and present tenses in the form of questions. Practical exercises should consist of different verbs put in different tenses in the middle of various sentences. She must be able to distinguish between when she should use the future tense and when she must not. Jessica needs to learn about the different hypothetical forms that are used in English. She must learn the correct grammatical and formation of "if" and "when" conditional sentences. She must also practice the use of these hypothetical forms as to naturally start to include in her conversations and thus better convey her ideas. To teach Jessica, she must theoretically be familiar with the correct hypothetical forms and she must practice their use. Theoretically she must be introduced to the correct grammatical use of hypothetical forms and then introduced to a number of examples with correct hypothetical forms. She later must practice to speak out and loudly talk using sentences with hypothetical forms as to familiarize her self and improve her conversation skills.

Friday, October 18, 2019

The World Oil Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The World Oil Market - Assignment Example A tight balance between supply and demand can lead to high prices that cause both higher expenditures for consumers and higher incomes for producers. In economics, exhaustible resources generally follow the rule that the rate of growth must equal the rate of interest in order to reach industry equilibrium. However, due to the unpredictable character of future oil supply and demand conditions, oil prices do not generally follow this rule. Most of the time, it exhibits backwardation wherein future prices are lower than current ones. Future demand is hard to predict because it is difficult to foresee changes in energy technologies and it takes years for consumers to switch to other resources should prices go off the roof. On the other hand, investment is expensive and risky and it takes a while before production supply turns to high capacity. Oil prices also behave unexpectedly since the market is responsive to speculative pressures, operational constraints, and political conditions. Hu rricane Katrina, by reducing gasoline supplies (which is chiefly derived from crude oil), became one dramatic factor that caused oil prices to skyrocket in 2005. The storm reduced oil production, transportation, and refining capacity--it paralyzed major oil and gasoline pipelines that carried supplies down from the Gulf Mexico and took down offshore oil platforms. Power outages also caused problems in oil and natural gas distribution in many areas. The large drop in supplies caused oil prices to rise. Additionally, consumer expectation contributed to the demand component. With the hurricane retarding oil production and restricting supplies, they expected prices to rise. They immediately increased the demand by buying gasoline, hoping to fill up their tanks before prices start to rise. Reduced supply and increased demand caused oil prices to increase dramatically, as shown in the graph below: 3. Analyze the structure of the world oil market & identify what kind of market structure it has.   The world oil market structure is oligopolistic since the market is dominated by a limited number of suppliers. An industry is said to be oligopolistic if few supply the majority of the output and if those suppliers are interdependent. In oil production, about 50 percent of the output and 70 percent of the reserves are controlled by a cartel. Production is handled by both the public and private sectors. However, oil production is just one aspect of the market-converting and refining it to other consumer products is another facet of the total world oil industry, one which has its own dynamics and regulations. Worldwide supply and demand determine oil prices, with great influence from OPEC. On the supply side, OPEC provides most of the world's supply and normally acts as a semi-cartel, influencing oil prices by maintaining excess capacity. It also tries to maintain oil prices at its target level by setting quotas or production limits for its members. On the other hand, non-O PEC suppliers have generally limited reserves and typically behave as price takers. OPEC's policy in recent times is to control crude oil inventories and reserves in consuming nations in order to balance the market.

Critically evaluate theories of nationalism and its relationship with Essay - 1

Critically evaluate theories of nationalism and its relationship with racism - Essay Example Around Europe, the Napoleonic armies who not only idealized it but also provoked nationalist reactions through their conquests spread the idea of the legitimacy of the nation as opposed to kingdom. Despite the restoration of traditional monarchs after napoleon’s defeat, the seeds of idea had already been sowed all over Europe and the next 50 years it precipitated outbreaks of violence in support for popular nationalism. There are two main theories that explain nationalism the perennialists who argue that nations, natural or otherwise owe their existence to the fact that humans have always lived in societies posit the first. The â€Å"natural† part is inspired by the fact that many nationalist legitimize their nations as natural by virtue of the fact that they have been in existence for centuries. The position of perennialists is that nationalism can be traced to cultural characteristics and the nature of the human landscape with throughout their particular histories; th is takes to consideration every factor including those that are purely symbolic or even mythical. This argument was based on the existence of a number of large ethnic communities especially during the dark and middle ages that used the term nation to describe themselves. In this paper, the relationship between nationalism and racism will be examined with focus on the perennialist and modernist theories of nationalism; as well as the economic impacts and perception of two concepts on word nations. Racial consideration of nationalism was applied to ancient communities and civilizations such as the Egyptians Chinese, Indians and many others, under the perennial perception on nationalism the terms nation and race were interchangeable. Even later nations such as the British, German, and American were seen as races; this implied that the social political community was inherently tied up to a biological exclusiveness that was believed to transcend individuals in the different races. This p erception was and still is conducive ground for the justification or racism and other forms of xenophobia such as Aryan supremacy; communities, especially financially powerful ones used the notion to discriminate others. Racism is loosely defined as the doctrine that assumes some races are superior to others in term of physical intellectual or moral and other aspects justifying right to dominate other â€Å"lesser† races and treat them in an undignified and unequal manner (Smith 1983). For instance, in Europe during the Elizabethan age, individuals of Jewish origin were openly discriminated even by the law; Jews were not allowed to engage in the convectional business activity. From such legal restrictions, popular stereotypes such as those of Jewish â€Å"shylocks† emerged, not because they were naturally predisposed to such activity but because they were compelled by legal restriction to practice usury. This is despite the fact that many Jews were born and grew up in Europe amongst the French and Italians, for instance, by modern consideration such people would have been considered European nationals. However, the assumption them was that one would always remain of the nation, in this case race, which they were born despite cultural and geopolitical translocation. Centuries later when such notions had been discounted by most of the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Capital Gains Tax Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Gains Tax - Research Paper Example (Market Value $ 40,000 Less Asset Cost $ 50,000 = Capital loss $ 10,000). However being a depreciable asset this amount can not be set off against the capital gains from the other assets. Under the uniform capital allowances system that applies from 1 July 2001, any gain or loss from a depreciating asset is included in your assessable income, or deductible as a balancing adjustment, to the extent the asset was used for a taxable purpose (for example, to produce assessable income). The small business CGT concessions do not apply to gains you make on depreciating assets that are included in your income under the uniform capital allowances system. The Capital Gains resulting from Goodwill is subject to the Capital Gains Tax. In the instant case there is a capital gain of $ 15,000 (Market Value $ 90,000 Minus Cost $ 75,000) which will be included in the taxable capital gains. The capital gains resulting from land and buildings is also to be included in the capital gains tax calculations. The transaction would result in a capital gain of $ 50,000 (Market Value $ 200,000 minus cost $ 150,000) that will be attracting the capital gains tax. When the net assets value under the Maximum ... When the net assets value under the Maximum Net Asset Value Test the value of the net assets does not exceed $ 6 million. Net assets for this purpose does not include shares, units or other interests, non-business assets, personal assets including the home. The Net asset value is calculated as the market value of the assets minus liabilities relating to those assets. When the turnover of the business doesn't exceed $ 2 million When the CGT event giving rise to the capital gain happened after 11.45am on 21 September 1999, and When the assets involved are owned the asset involved for at least 12 months. Under the Active Asset Test if the business is still existing and the assets are owned for less than 15 years the asset must be an active asset just before the CGT event and for at least half of the period of ownership. For an asset to be termed as 'active asset' it must be and is used or held ready for use by a small business CGT affiliate, or an entity connected with the small business, in the course of carrying on a business, or an intangible asset inherently connected with a business being carried on by the entity (for example, goodwill) "The CGT discount isn't limited to capital gains from business assets. The discount allows individuals (including partners in partnerships) and trusts to reduce their capital gain by 50%"1 Small business CGT concessions "The following four CGT concessions are available only for small business. 1 The small business 15-year exemption provides a total exemption for a capital gain on a CGT asset if you have continuously owned the asset for at least 15 years and the relevant individual is 55 or over and retiring, or is permanently incapacitated. 2 The small business 50%

Reaserch Paper on Othello the Moor of Venice, as a tragedy Research - 1

Reaserch on Othello the Moor of Venice, as a tragedy - Research Paper Example istotle’s concept of tragedy is based on a sum total of a few essential fundamentals that are a complex plot with a suitable beginning middle and the end, organic unity, appropriate length, the unities of time and place, apt relationship between the character and plot, goodness, consistency of characterization, hamartia, peripity, anagnorisis or discovery, feelings of pity and fear and catharsis.1 Based on the parameters as established by Aristotle for a worthy tragedy, William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice is an ideal Aristotelian tragedy. Othello is a specific tragedy of passion and to label it as an Aristotelian tragedy is certainly appropriate. Of all Shakespeare’s tragedies, Othello is the most painfully exciting and the most terrible. As one goes through it, one experiences the extremes of the feelings of pity, fear, sympathy, disgust, sickening hope and dreadful expectation. Othello, the Moor of Venice, could and should essentially be classified as a typical Aristotelian tragedy and Othello is the most worthy tragic hero of Shakespeare who satisfies almost all the credentials of a tragic hero as evinced by Aristotle. As one goes through the play Othello, one experiences the extremes of the feelings of pity, fear, sympathy, disgust, sickening hope and a dreadful expectation.2 Evil is displaced before the reader in such a way that one simply watches its progress in an awed and fascinated manner. A lot of factors contribute to the exciting and painful impact of this play as the conflict in Othello’s mind, the ensuing sexual jealousy, Desdemona’s humiliation and murder, the accompanying intrigue and so much.3 Besides, the role played by ‘accident’ in Othello produces not only a strong sense of the working of fate, but makes the play more terrible. In Othello, so many things happen by chance to aid Iago’s plot that one feels that his victims are also the victims of fate. Then there is the little comic relief in the guise of Iago’s

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Capital Gains Tax Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Gains Tax - Research Paper Example (Market Value $ 40,000 Less Asset Cost $ 50,000 = Capital loss $ 10,000). However being a depreciable asset this amount can not be set off against the capital gains from the other assets. Under the uniform capital allowances system that applies from 1 July 2001, any gain or loss from a depreciating asset is included in your assessable income, or deductible as a balancing adjustment, to the extent the asset was used for a taxable purpose (for example, to produce assessable income). The small business CGT concessions do not apply to gains you make on depreciating assets that are included in your income under the uniform capital allowances system. The Capital Gains resulting from Goodwill is subject to the Capital Gains Tax. In the instant case there is a capital gain of $ 15,000 (Market Value $ 90,000 Minus Cost $ 75,000) which will be included in the taxable capital gains. The capital gains resulting from land and buildings is also to be included in the capital gains tax calculations. The transaction would result in a capital gain of $ 50,000 (Market Value $ 200,000 minus cost $ 150,000) that will be attracting the capital gains tax. When the net assets value under the Maximum ... When the net assets value under the Maximum Net Asset Value Test the value of the net assets does not exceed $ 6 million. Net assets for this purpose does not include shares, units or other interests, non-business assets, personal assets including the home. The Net asset value is calculated as the market value of the assets minus liabilities relating to those assets. When the turnover of the business doesn't exceed $ 2 million When the CGT event giving rise to the capital gain happened after 11.45am on 21 September 1999, and When the assets involved are owned the asset involved for at least 12 months. Under the Active Asset Test if the business is still existing and the assets are owned for less than 15 years the asset must be an active asset just before the CGT event and for at least half of the period of ownership. For an asset to be termed as 'active asset' it must be and is used or held ready for use by a small business CGT affiliate, or an entity connected with the small business, in the course of carrying on a business, or an intangible asset inherently connected with a business being carried on by the entity (for example, goodwill) "The CGT discount isn't limited to capital gains from business assets. The discount allows individuals (including partners in partnerships) and trusts to reduce their capital gain by 50%"1 Small business CGT concessions "The following four CGT concessions are available only for small business. 1 The small business 15-year exemption provides a total exemption for a capital gain on a CGT asset if you have continuously owned the asset for at least 15 years and the relevant individual is 55 or over and retiring, or is permanently incapacitated. 2 The small business 50%

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Economics for Business and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economics for Business and Management - Essay Example According to Anderton (2000), the consumers are the ones who determine what is to be produced hence determine allocation of resources leading to allocative efficiency. The demand for goods and services by consumers triggers the producers to increase production thus engaging more factors of production in the process. The income earned by the factors determines the amount of consumption by individuals; the more the income, the higher the consumption or demand. At the initial stage, competition by consumers for scarce resources pushes the prices up. The law of supply states that the higher the price, the higher the quantity supplied thus the producers increase production and get more profit. Since there are no barriers to entry in a free market, more producers may enter the market attracted by the abnormal profits (Griffiths & Wall, 2008). In the long run, supply will increase more than demand and the firms will start competing for the few buyers pushing the prices down. A fall in price means the profits also decline leading to reduction in production by firms and exit from the market by others. An optimum allocation of resources occurs where demand by consumers interacts with supply by producers. The resources are used to produce the goods that are most in demand by consumers hence resources are transferred from one use to another which is more profitable. As such, some people are made well off while others are made worse off. For example, if a firm decides to change the technology used in production it will employ individuals who have such skills and those who don’t possess the required skills are declared redundant and lose their wages. The firm can also use new equipments. High prices make some consumers to afford goods while others cant due to amount of income held by individuals. According to the law of demand, the lower the price the higher the quantity demanded. A reduction in production by producers may force prices up as consumers compete for the goods. The high prices in turn lead to cut in consumption. The producers therefore must innovate ways of producing goods at low cost hence low prices for goods and increased demand. This leads to productive efficiency of the economy (Griffiths & Wall, 2008). Competition by firms leads to innovation as firms try to gain competitive advantage. They thus produce high quality goods to the advantage of consumers. Lipsey & Chrystal (2007) argue that the free market gives better information on changing market conditions thus allowing buyers and sellers to make informed decisions. For example, when prices are low it signals that there is high supply in the market and an incentive for buyers to buy more. High prices indicate scarcity of goods and hence an incentive for sellers to sell more and make profit. High prices also induce firms to employ more factors of production. Due to availability of information, decision makers respond quickly to changes in consumer demand (Vidler & Grant, 2003) . The free market system also allows consumers to have a variety of choices from different firms. Q1 (b): How Market Failure Occurs and how Government can Correct Market Failure Market failure is due to inefficient functioning of the markets. A market should be able to resolve the questions of

Utopian Socialists Essay Example for Free

Utopian Socialists Essay Robert Owen was one of the founders of socialism ad cooperative movement, which in later years, Karl Marx had named as Utopian Socialist. Utopian ideals were derived from the three pillars his thought: (1) â€Å"no one was responsible for his will and his actions because his whole character is formed independently of himself†; this idea however, has earned him as a pioneer in the promotion of human capital; (2) he believed that â€Å"all religions were based on the same absurd imagination†; and though he did embrace spiritualism at the end of his life, still he was one amongst those who opposed religion; and (3) he supported the cottage system, and disliked the factory system. His first of his pillars of thought, the notion of environmentalism wherein he believed that all humans are product of the environment and that our human nature could not be changed, has become a cornerstone of all socialist theories. On his second idea, he rejected Christianity and its customs, and instead he relied on the guidance of Reason and Nature. And the third of his pillars, Owen revolutionized the factory system. As such he believed that factory system encouraged social responsibility, heartless individualism and destructive competition. Contrastingly, he recommended that a plain and simple plan will contain less danger to the society and individuals which will encourage the poor to become independent and self-supporting. Further, he instituted the establishment of villages and communities as a possible way of alleviating poverty. He also adopted the idea of private ownership and profit motivation despite of other humanistic measures that he had. And until his dying days, he proceeded on organizing the working classes in England (The History Guide). Saint-Simon Saint Simon was the founder of the French Socialism. His thoughts have greatly influenced the theories of industrialization and the realities of industrialism. In contrast to other socialist theorists, Saint Simon welcomed industrialization and capitalist growth. Further he found expertise and enterprise on the grounds of industrialism. One of his ideas â€Å"the Hand of Greed† described the basic avarice of the human beings. He believed that in the simplest form of society, man will always find a way to survive. Thus, he believes that all men strive to attain a higher place in the society’s innate hierarchy. Thus, his idea in achieving his utopian socialism, is for the society to eliminate this greed and way of thinking of human beings. The French Revolution became a starting point of his thoughts, when the opposition against destructive liberalism was strong, he advocated for a fresh social revolt and made appeals to the king to bring a new social order. Moreover, he found the dangers of uncontrolled individualism, thus he propagated the ideas towards an increase in productivity, organization, innovation, efficiency and technological discovery. Though, still he was not complacent enough to think that these ideas are to be achieved in a free market economy. Further, he was an elitist in nature. While he condemned kings, nobles and clergies as useless and parasitical, he placed the highest of glory, prestige and authority towards the technocrats. He believed that kings and nobles only should serve at a necessary and limited role, he distinguished technocrats with the role to lead and direct the development of the society (The History Guide). Charles Fourier was regarded as the â€Å"most utopian† amongst all the Utopian Socialists. He was aware of all that was happening in England after the Industrial Revolution. Further, he rejected the ideas of industrialization, laissez faire, and the factory system, due to what these can cause to the human society. And although he rejected the ideals behind industrialism, he made no actions to rectify the dangers incorporated in industrialism, his only action against it was to ignore it. But nonetheless, he had his own share of his philosophical writings. His ideas had told tremendous ideas for the future. His parable of the Four Apples, reflected a certain type of Enlightenment theme, wherein he used reason and nature as the main tenets of his writings. He also criticized bourgeoisie society for creating an â€Å"unnatural civilization†, and consequently added his paradigm for a â€Å"non-repressive society† wherein it shall provide an avenue for the expression and cultivation of human growth. For he believed, human nature was God-created, and that it must follow that the society should respect all avenues for human development rather than fighting it. Moreover, his idea of social success is attainable through concern and cooperation amongst humans – this also prompted him to organize â€Å"phalanxes† which he believed shall nurture cooperation among human. He also blamed poverty and inequality as the principal culprit for disorder in the society, thus bringing into the light the proposal to raise wages into sufficient level in order to eradicate poverty. His main concern was to liberate all individuals through education and the liberation of human passion (The History Guide). John Stuart Mill’s works were often perceived as works in contradiction. He was a proponent of classic liberalism, utilitarianism and held a utopian socialist aspect. He wrote â€Å"utility† as the greatest happiness principle, at which he regarded that actions are proportionately translated into happiness or its reverse accordingly. He also proposed for the hedonistic concept of happiness, as he equated it with the absence of pain. In his discourse of society growth, he consequentially failed to incorporate the process of human development, but rather extensively focused on his pleasure principle. Although he considered individual liberty as only secondary values, he admittedly related the problematic concepts of individual liberty in the course of economic entities. He regarded restrictions on trade and production as â€Å"evil† restraints, and consequently, he regarded the works of free trade as â€Å"one sided freedom†. He also believes that at any point in time wherein individual liberty clashes with liberty of economic entity, economics shall always prevail because it shall always provide for the greatest amount of happiness. And though he believes that given the chance, the best of human nature shall prevail, still he felt that individual liberty was only a secondary option and their needs are only second to be fulfilled. Further, he also developed an elitist mentality and formed his utopian concept rooted from his utilitarianism. He explicitly expressed contempt against the masses and expressed his doubt in the principles of democracy and instead suggested the rule of intellectual aristocrats (Galloway, 1996)

Monday, October 14, 2019

Devaluation and its impact on different economic sectors

Devaluation and its impact on different economic sectors We are proudly presenting the assigned report. We hope you will find it up to the specified mark. The central thrust of this report is about devaluation and its impact on different sectors of economy. More specifically, this report seeks to analyze the extent to which the current devaluation of Pak rupee has affected the economy on micro as well as macro levels. Information needed to address these issues was obtained from different trade economic journals and also from internet. We also interviewed different professionals and industry people. Well say that this study has been an educating experience, eventually giving us a real sense of achievement. Thank you, Table Of Contents: Description Page # Background and History Devaluation and its functions International Trade and devaluation Foreign exchange Rates International Trade Devaluation and its effects on Export Declining Export and current devaluation Is massive devaluation is avoidable Recent Devaluation and its short term impact Repercussion of competitors devaluation of Pak Economy Advantages and disadvantages of devaluation Recommendations to Govt Conculsion Back Ground and History: Pakistan has unusual history of successive devaluation. The rupee was first devalued in 1950 in response to a similar move by India. Later in 1972, Z.A. Bhuttos government massively devalued the rupee by 133%. The rupee was further devalued in early 1980s during General Zia regime. Moeen Qureshis caretaker government in 1993 also devalued the rupee by 7%. After that it was Benazir Bhuttos government that further devalued the rupee and finally same measure are being taken by the present government of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan has been on a system of managed float since January 8, 1982. For most of the past decade the rupee had been fixed in relation to the US dollar at the rate of Rs 9.9= US$1. The new exchange regime commenced with an official nominal depreciation of 5 percent in the month of January, and a cumulative 30 % for the year 1982. This was accompanied by the abandonment of the fixed peg to the US dollar and its replacement by a flexible basket peg whereby the authorities manage the nominal exchange rate actively. The exchange rate system has remained unlettered up to the present and the Government has periodically re-affirmed its commitment to this flexible management in stabilization and adjustment programs negotiated with the IMF. Since the introduction of the new system there has been a continuous downward slide in our exchange rate. At present the rate of Pak RS in 2010. This represents a depreciation of 260 percent since Devaluation and its function: Depreciation or devaluation refers to the downward movement of the rate at which the home currency exchanges against the foreign currency or an increase in the domestic price of one unit of the foreign currency. Depreciation is the name given to this drop when it occurs in a free market; devaluation is the same thing resulting from government actions in a market that is not free. Since 1973 most of the currencies are on the floating currency system, through the system of dirty floating still allows government/ central banks to interfere to some extent. The question of devaluing the external value of the currency is one of the hotly debated issues in public policy discussions. On the one hand, the IMF and the World Bank supports devaluation as an important component of their recommended policy package for less developed countries (LDCs). On the other hand many economist and economic policy makers are strongly opposed to devaluing currencies has become a dirty word in many countries. Technically, devaluation of a currency is the last resort when other fiscal and monetary measures like demand management , financial incentive, trade restrictions have proved to be less effective in solving problem of balance of payment, by boosting the countrys exports and decreasing imports. In countries like Pakistan where major economic problem is lack of growth, exports are low because of poor quality of goods rather than the value of the currency. The mechanism of the open market keeps on adjusting exchange rate automatically and has made devaluation obsolete. Balancing Mechanism: Basically devaluation is a measure to correct a fundamental disequilibrium in countrys balance of payments. Equilibrium in a countrys balance is a result of restraint on imports and foreign payments of all sorts and an expansion of exports and foreign exchange earning of all sorts. The restraint on import cannot be achieved through appeals. It has to be done through direct restriction and/or through operation of the price mechanism, that is to say through making imports costlier by operating on import duties, and this in fact has been extensively done in many developing countries, including Pakistan. However, this is open to some objections and limitations so a simple way of making imports costlier is not adjustment of the exchange rate. The entire burden of making imports costlier is not generally placed on the exchange rate mechanism. It is shared by the device of import duties and also quantitative regulations. The import duty mechanism can also be used to make transition to the n ew exchange rate and to give a certain amount of discretionary treatment to individual items of import. The Price Factor: The other major objective of devaluation is to promote export. It should be noted that what is contemplated is an increase in exports in foreign exchange; in term of domestic currency. Exports on the whole will have to increase by more than the percentage of devaluation. Expansion of exports depends upon a number of factors, the elasticity of supply in devaluing country and of demand for the products of that country abroad. Much depends on the prices at which the devaluing country is able to offer its goods. Contractionary Impact: Reluctance to adjust the exchange rate in downward direction is due to its possible contractionary impact on output and employment, re-distribution of income from wages earner to property owners, cost-push inflationary pressure and the initial favourable effect on the balance of payment. All of the above will eventually reserved through a process of domestic inflation and larger imports. When quantitative controls on imports duties are reduced along with the devaluation, imports and exports are not particularly sensitive to price changes especially in the short run. This is particularly applicable in the case of UDCs whose imports are often consist of essential capital goods, intermediate inputs including fuel and fertilizer and sometimes basic consumer goods like food grains, edible oils etc. There is little scope for cutting down these imports. The exports of UDCs on the other hand mainly consist of primary commodities and processed materials whose supply elasticity are rather low in short run. If devaluation has to improve the balance of trade in short run, it should come through a reduction in the level of output and changes in the distribution of income towards high saver which would reduce the demand for imports and generate a bigger exportable surplus. Recession, unemployment and unequal distribution of income are the costs of a successful devaluation. Inflationary Pressure: The ineffective of exchange rate adjustment in securing improvement in the external balance primarily comes from the fact that changes in costs arising from exchange rate movements feed through quickly and extensively into the economy and contribution to the accerlation of prevailing inflationary pressure associated with an improvement of the monetary conditions. The rigid climb in price over a long period has stimulated defensive inflationary responses amoung industrialists, agriculturalist, business mens, and wage earner and has nullified the impact of exchange rate adjustments on the international competitiveness of our exports. It should be taken into account that devaluation corrects the past inflationary and other economic development that led to adverse movement in the balance of payment. This does not protect the balance of payments against further inflationary and other adverse developments. Frequent devaluation of a currency is undesirable. It stimulates speculation and res ults in distortion in income, consumption, industrial growth and public finance. This also erodes the confidence in the currency. DEMAND Management: Unfortunately, for keeping our external accounts disequilibrium within sustainable limits, we have relied rather heavily on exchange rate adjustment and not paid attention to the efficiency dimension of our economic system. Economic efficiency at the macro and micro levels requires high productivity, technological efficiency, high rates of saving and investment, and incomes policy that does not lead to cost-push inflation and fiscal-monetary policy that provides a stable environment for careful demand management. These are the simple and inflexible economic laws that were recognized and grasped. Neither negative controls nor artificial stimuli like frequent depreciation of external value of the currency with help except a little and temporarily. International trade and Devaluation: Globalization is the strategy of todays world. The concept of information sharing has reinforced the process of globalization throughout the world. The consultant and analysts are, therefore, working on the integration of the entire system to run smoothly without any hindrances. Looking at the economic activity in this scenario, there is two major classifications, good and services. The globalization of goods can be seen in the prospective of international trade. By international trade we mean exchange of goods between the nations. Looking at the economies of the world we find that the states are broadening their activities by offering investors to share their share of excellence and encouraging their local manufacture to explore the possibilities of selling their goods in the foreign markets. International trade is very important in terms of increasing the foreign exchange of the country which ultimately prospers the people. The Government of Pakistan has liberalized its trade policy with devaluation of Pak rupee and encouraged the manufacturers to export their goods and invited foreign companies to compete in the local market. The key reason for international trade is provided by the theory of Comparative costs importance of relative cost saving in the production of one item over the other. Obviously it would be better to buy a product from china at the price of Rs 1/= instead of producing it at the cost of Rs. 2/- that can be ultimately be sold for Rs 2.50 in the market. There are various other reasons which strongly support the trading among the countries, few of which are: Decreasing cost Consumption of excess production Difference in taste Foreign Exchange rate: From international trade, we mean buying and selling the goods among nations. The deal cannot, of-course, be taken place without availability of currency to be accepted by the seller, on the other hand an exporter/importer would definitely like to know how the exchange rate of Pakistan rupee into dollar is being fixed, and how can her benefit from it?. At present in Pakistan we have managed float of currency to determine exchange rate as an independent policy instrument. We need some criteria to fix the exchange of currency amoung the countries. It is important to note that only a favourable exchange can really benefits the nation and by favourable exchange, we mean, getting more foreign currency by paying less local currency. Theoretically there are two type of exchange rates: Stable Exchange rate: Altough stable exchange rate has no pratical value now a days, yet it helps in understanding the determination of exchange theory. A stable exchange rate was set by the value of gold. However, with passage of time, the limitation and deficiencies of gold standard started emerging. Few of these were carrying inconvencies, remelting of gold, shipment of gold, different valuation of gold by different countries, and unavailability of sufficient gold to meet with the heavy demand. That is why the gold system was found inadequate ans was replaced with the flexible exchange rate. Flexible or floating exchange rate: Flexible exchange rate is set by the interaction of demand and supply schedule for foreign exchange indepently. The optimum level in demand and supply teory is set at the point where supply equal to the demand. So if a person want to buy electric equipment from America worth $ 100000/- and an American in contrast wants to buy cotton and the parity between US$ and Pak rupee is 1:1, the equation will be somehow similar to as follows: Demand for US$ by Pakistan 100,000 Demand for Rs. By America 50,000 Pakistan is demanding more dollars than America wants to supply. The demand and supply are not in balance, consequently Pakistan shall have to refix the parity between $ and rupee at a level where our demand for $ will become equal to the supply of $. Now if we reduce the price of our goods by half of the existing price: Demand for US$ by Pakistan 100,000 Demand of Rs by America 25,000 This reduction price will have dual effects: Dollas will become more expensive, the American goods will become more costly. Pakistani Rupee will become more cheaper, our goods will become cheaper and as a result the demand for our goods will increase. From the above it can be included that demans for imports should be in line with supply of exports. Total value of imports and exports of a country can also help manufacturers to design their plans for future expansion. With an expensive foreign currency, export may be increased with relatively low price supply of goods and quality production within the country. At the same time with a cheap currency investment can be made in foreign countries to utilize the cheap resources and ultimately increases the value of the firm. DEVALUATION its effects on Exports: As the reason for the devaluation has been to strengthen the countrys balance of payment by stimulating exports, curtailing imports and by encouraging overseas Pakistanis to remit their earning through banks by narrowing the wedge between the official exchange rate and the kerb rate in the open market. It is universally accepted concept that the exchange rate mechanism is used to create a balance between the imports and exports but what is lesser known fact is that this mechanism need to be implemented at the right time and for the right economic reasons to be fully effective in achieving the desired purpose. Advantages and Disadvantages of Devaluation Advantages of Devaluation Devaluation helps in obtaining international market demand perfection in quality and reduction in price up to a competitive level. As both developed and underdeveloped countries function in one international market therefore, it is not easy for Pakistan to sell a product which is also produced by France, Germany or Holland if the prices are high. However, we are competing with the underdeveloped countries, it is, therefore, very necessary for us to adjust our prices with the prices of our competitors to serve in the market. Every new product has four stages, out of which the first stage is introduction stage. An introduction stage demands lot of efforts to promote the product and create awareness among the buyers. At this stage it is vital to sell it at even below the cost. That is why the government provides certain duty drawbacks for a specified period, until that time when the product is self-sufficient. Each country maintains an account for its total imports exports schedule along with balance of payment chart. At times when its imports increase from its exports and the balance of payment deteriorates it becomes vital to increase its exports immediately. The reduction in prices is one of the quickest ways of increasing the exports. At times when people tend to buy imported goods and local industry start suffering, it is necessary to discourage the people so that they cut down their expenditure towards foreign buying and direct towards local goods. Devaluation is one of the techniques to decrease imports and encourage the local industry. Reduction in price through devaluation has long term effects, which can be seen over a period of time. All the above conditions are currently prevailing in Pakistan. However the question arises as to why all these conditions have comparatively more drastic affects on our economy. The answer to this question relates to our policy of income projection and receipt from foreign donors and countries. In the past, we were used to manage our budgetary gaps with the help of aids and debts. But this time the situation is different we could not did any foreign source of income. The IMF was used to extend loans for our development programs in the past. However, during the current year the IMF had stopped its $300 million trench of its ESAF credit. The result is quite obvious: devaluation and imposition of new duties/taxes Disadvantages of Devaluation Devaluation with all its disadvantages has become an irregular policy. It is rater an ad-hoc arrangement for less demand. Instead imperfect planning is essential to forecast the future when the original price level will be maintained again. Devaluation involves high risk of inflation with the country for e.g if the exports do not increase as the result of decrease of price the country will suffer losses due to increase cost of all imports as well as local imports. Loss resulted due to decrease in prices in international market. Devaluation automatically increases the value of external debts and correspondingly the amount required for debt servicing Devaluation of a currency is considered as a last step to be taken after failure of all other fiscal and monetary measures. Before devaluing currency to boost economy through increasing exports, other factors need to be evaluated, for example, lower exports may be because of poor quality of goods, trade barrier, lower value added goods, unavailability of export items e.t.c Continued depreciation of currency may result in unlawful import of goods within the country. Such unlawful import and export may creat unlawful parallel economy within the country, which will be completely out of the control of the government. Devaluation is always supported by special incentive package to reduce the internally produced items for export. By critically analyzing all the above referred factors, it is proposed that the following necessary action should be taken to improve the situation: Tax Network should be enhanced by a) levying tax on agriculture, b) improving collection procedure, c) bringing small businessmen under tax nutshell etc. Imports should be discouraged by encouraging locally produced quality goods. Export of value added items should be increased instead of increase of low value exports to compete with the other developing countries. Needless to say that government should reduce drastically its own expenditure. It is vital for government to build up its creditability through investing money in public projects very honestly. The proceed from privatization of public sectors should be utilized to pay off our external as well as internal debts. Rescheduling of the debt should also be requested from the lenders. In case of our low priced items in the international market, we should prove that the reason of our low price quality items is not government support but cost efficiency. This can be done only with the help of very competent professional people i.e management accounts, engineers and managers. With the current devaluation, it is vital that necessary incentives must be given to industry and fixed income group for their survival and to reap the benefit of devaluation. The government should build capacity to deal with economics problems on both macro and micro level. It is generally believed that the government does not possess necessary capabilities, out of elected representative and bureaucrats to deal with it. That is why most of our key position holder is either current of Ex World Bank/IMF officials. It is also suggested that major businessmen and industrialist should be taken into confidence before any major decision. Effectiveness of price control committees very necessary. In countries like Pakistan where every individual has the power to determine the price of his own product, inflation is automatically multiplied Conclusions Clearly, devaluation has not been the answer. It has rather contributed to a further increase in the trade gap. The important consequences of devaluation are the burden it is putting on the repayment of the foreign debts. The ensuing depletion of reserves has such a negative effect that the positive impact, if any, is more than wiped out by the increased foreign exchange burden. Reviewing the policy of devaluation by successive governments in the last 50 years, one finds that devaluation has miserably failed to resolve any problems or improve the macro or micro economic conditions in the country. Rather, devaluation has been counterproductive. In the existing scenario of the forces of demand and supply, the rupee is expected to continue with its downward trend. If the counter measures through cost cutting and efficiency management are not taken to check the inflation, which is already running in double digit, the advantages of devaluation will be offset as in the past, leaving adverse impacts as our economy which mainly depends on imported raw-materials, fuels and capital goods. That will certainly bring more hardships for common Pakistani people because our industry has substantial imported inputs in a wide range of locally produced goods and will also retard the process of industrialization in the country. Similarly defense budget and debt servicing will c ost more due to costlier dollar. Our main problem is still uncontrolled i.e. the rise in non-development expenditures, which has given rise to the culture of living beyond means. This can be countered by adoption of practical harsh measures by the government especially at the top level to set the example for the whole nation.