Nus 170 assignment 1 zhong Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nus 170 1 zhong - Assignment Example Jack does not consume any whole grains contrary to the requirements of the dietary table at > 5 OZ while he is over consuming on refined grains at 8 OZ. On vegetables, jack doesn’t consume any contrary to the dietary requirements of 3.5 cups while he consumes  ¼ cup dairy which is below the bar set by the dietary table of 3 cups. Fruit consumption is insignificant as he does not consume any in contrary to dietary requirements of 2  ½ cups. Generally, jack’s consumption does not conform to the dietary table requirements as most food groups are under consumed as compared to is required to be consumed. Jack under consumes 73.63% of all the foods groups. He is not keen in keeping the dietary requirements and this is hazardous to the body health. He efficiently utilizes 21.05% of the food groups while he over utilizes 5.32% of the food groups. It is alarming in the case that jack does not put into consideration health issues arising from food consumption as the report shows some instances where food group consumption is close to zero and indication of not taking serious his set targets. (5pts) Jack has been experiencing symptoms of GERD lately. He would like to try some dietary solutions. In addition to the above, using your textbook as a reference, write a brief dietary recommendation for Jack that may alleviate his GERD symptoms. Use your textbook for guidance, write at least 200 words and be specific. Gastro esophageal reflux disease is as a result of a defect in the relaxation of lower esophageal sphincter that allows contents of the stomach to jump back to the lining of the esophagus that is unprotected. This is brought about by the consumption of oily and spicy foods, onions, chocolate, caffeine and carbonated beverages. Jack should opt to taking tea instead of coffee to reduce the caffeine content in the body and at the same time avoid carbonated beverages

History of the Concept of Hegemony and Power

History of the Concept of Hegemony and Power The concept of hegemony is notoriously difficult to quantify both in concrete political terms and in a less tangible philosophical manner. Moreover, in a world increasingly divided upon religious as opposed to ideological lines, the concept of hegemony has suffered from a certain crisis of relevance whereby it would seem that the preponderance of resources has indeed become the central precept for the paradigm per se; whereby, furthermore, economic and cultural imperialism have united to ensure the dominance of one geo political system within the international order in the vacuum created by the dissolution of ideology and the triumph of multi national capitalism. Yet all is not quite as it seems in the modern international sphere. Current events have a distinctly repetitive feel but, at the same time, the international relations landscape is changing and re configuring its boundaries with such rapidity and vigour that definitions and sweeping statements are deemed, correctly, to be o ut of place concerning any particular sphere of international relations. Certainly, the broader subject of hegemony and inter state communication is of utmost importance in the comprehension of the new world order, though keeping track of new theories is an essentially difficult, contradictory experience, particularly at the dawn of the twenty first century. As Benno Teschke (2003:1) explains in the opening chapter of his book, The Myth of 1648, the entire subject of contemporary international relations theory is in a constant state of flux, inspired by the death of the nation state and the advent of post modernity. â€Å"The classical Westphalian system, rooted in the primacy of the modern, territorially bounded sovereign state, is being replaced by a post territorial, post modern global order. The old logic of geopolitical security is being subordinated to geo economics, multi level global governance, or the demands of a multi actor international civil society. A fundamental transformation in the structure of the international system and its rules of conflict and co operation is unfolding before our eyes.† For the purposes of the essay, it will be necessary to analyse the concept of hegemony from its origins to see how it has evolved over time and where its relevance might lie within todays post structuralist society, taking a chronological view so as to see how its conceptual meaning has altered along the way. It will likewise be necessary to examine international economic realities and histories as well as political instances of hegemony to highlight the essential duality between continuity and change – in other words, how the past might help us to better understand the present and the future, yet also how the current world order presents unique problems that were of no relevance in the past, which necessarily makes an overall academic judgement more problematic. First a definition of hegemony must be attempted. Within the context of this essay, it is extremely important to comprehend the inherently different strands of hegemony: political, military, economic and cultural. Even more noteworthy is the general interchange that is apparent between the above factors – politics merges with economics and military helps to define any given national culture, which, in turn, means that hegemony is very difficult to quantify in the essentially narrow conceptual terms of simply a preponderance of resources. It will be shown that, throughout recorded history, nations and states have used a combination of factors to control other states, all designed to increase the security of the region and underwrite the strength of the dominant geo political power. Each nation and state that has enjoyed a period of relative dominance has chosen, either through external circumstances that have been thrust upon the rulers or via a conscious, calculated ideologica l choice, to use one of the above themes of hegemony to perpetuate its power base. When a group of people takes control over the fate of another it is never via only one of the above strands – political, military, economic or cultural. Rather, there always exists a concoction of more than one of the dominant conceptual themes to achieve the sum of hegemony and though much has changed throughout the course of history, this central precept remains difficult to ignore. The key player in any discussion pertaining to hegemony and the preponderance of resources has to be the state. Certainly, as far as G. John Ikenberry (1986:53) is concerned, the interaction between any given domestic and international political economy has always been at the epicentre of international relations theory and the comprehension of the rule of empire and state elites lies in understanding the ultimate power that the state has always possessed. â€Å"As administrative and coercive organisations, states are embedded in complex political and economic environments and have a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. Although they vary considerably, they have several elements in common. All states make exclusive claims to the coercive and juridical control of particular territories, and they also make special claims to the definition and representation of broad national interests.† In conceptual terms, hegemony is best understood as the expression of societys ruling classes over the majority of the nation or state over whom they propose to rule. Gramsci (1971:328), the interwar international relations academic and political prisoner who spent his final years behind bars in Mussolinis Italy, describes hegemony as, â€Å"a conception of the world that is implicitly manifest in art, in law, in economic activity and in all manifestations of individual and collective life.† Gramsci here describes cultural hegemony, which was of particular relevance when he was writing in the 1930s, in a world that was dominated by ideological concerns. This type of hegemony and cultural control is a constant political reality that has been a feature of culture and society since the first recorded migrations of man. Never has hegemony as an ideal simply been confined to the realms of natural resources and economic might; it has always been an intangible equation of political power expressed through the elite of any particular nation, state or empire. The much celebrated Athenians, for example, made hegemony an everyday feature of the ancient world, whereby people were defined via their status within the broader Greek political and cultural hierarchy. The Greeks underscored their cultural ideal of hegemony with language and politics, especially the concept of citizenship, which remains a key feature in the study of political and cultural hegemony today. The United States today uses its visa system, for example, to differentiate between alien visitors from within the wider plates of the hegemony that it has created. In the ancient world, Plato and Aristotle grouped the various bands of hegemony together to form what they saw as civilisation. Therefore, to be an Athenian Greek was to be a civilised member of the hegemony of the nascent nation state; to be a barbarian was to be an uncivilised member of the outposts of society, the parts where hegemony had hitherto failed to penetrate as a paradigm and as a cultural and economic force. This phenomenon has since been mirrored in the twenty first century with President Bushs with us or against us stance to global terrorism, where hegemony is once again used as the primary force in the perpetuation of the dominant military, political and economic power of the epoch. Ancient cultures used the acquisition of foreign resources to underline their superior military and cultural power, although it should be noted that the technology and logistics did not then exist to ensure the movement of goods and services across inter state borders so that the preponderance of resources could not become the only outlet of hegemony as a concept. The Middle East trade route, for instance, remained a largely autonomous cultural, political and economic region in spite of the combined power of the Greek and Roman Empires, curtailing efforts at building an Empire from the sole premise of a sound economic base. Therefore, in the ancient world, hegemony meant much more than a preponderance of resources. It implied tangible political and citizenry rights and access to a pre defined status quo that was welded by the elite members of the state and continually updated and re defined by the men and women who had access to power within the machinations of the state. Indeed, the central role of the human actors within the state system remain as relevant today as they were in the ancient world and to dismiss their relevance as secondary to the preponderance of resources would be to misinterpret the dynamics of inter state governance. Individual diplomats, ministers, parties and politics will always have a bearing on the future of both international relations as well as the concept of hegemony where economic resources are only one factor in a much larger pyramid of political and economic concerns. It thus becomes apparent that hegemony must co exist with the broader notion of empire, which is itself constructed upon the solid foundations of economic dynamism garnered through the procurement of resources. The notion of empire altered irrevocably during the dawn of modern history where industrialisation proved to be the catalyst for the significant, seismic shift in the view of hegemony as cultural, economic and political benchmark. The nineteenth century was indeed a watershed in terms of the re drawing of the conceptual parameters of hegemony. The Victorian era saw the traditional European empires of France, Belgium, Britain and Germany use their vast military and economic superiority to carve up the undeveloped world amongst each other with the procurement of raw materials and economic resources utilised as the main motivation for extra territorial action. Without doubt, it is at this juncture in world history that the preponderance of resources becomes the pre eminent factor in the power of hegemony and cultural imperialism. The Scramble for Africa, for instance, constituted a devouring of the worlds finest natural resources and raw materials; resources that were unavailable in Europe were discovered in seemingly endless abundance in Africa and the poor political and social infrastructure of the indigenous tribes meant that, militarily, it was a case of simply buying off the key local decision makers and men of influence to ensure European preponderance of locally based economic wealth. Furthermore, unlike the false promise of El Dorado that hampered the conquistadores in Latin America, the lure of previously unimaginable wealth in Africa was the determining factor behind the unprecedented and swift carving up of the African continent. The impulse for hegemony, in this instance, was therefore the possibility of individual accumulation of economic empire as well as the broader national acquisition of another nations indigenous wealth. Charles Tilly (1985:172) explains how the extraction of resources from local producers and traders in Africa was the most important development for the edification of European hegemony in the undeveloped world and for the structure of the contemporary world order today. â€Å"The quest inevitably involved them in establishing regular access to capitalists who could supply and arrange credit, and to imposing one form of regular taxation or another on the people and activities within their sphere of control.† Industrialisation was therefore the central difference between nineteenth century views of imperial hegemony and that which was witnessed in the ancient and medieval worlds. Resources became, for the first time, the main concern of empire builders. This period in world history is also important for what it implies about the motives of the European leaders and rulers who embarked upon their scramble for Africas resources. What is immediately noticeable when reading the primary sources of these explorers was the way in which they attempted to hide their true (economic) motive from view. The first British travellers to the dark continent promulgated the view that the Europeans were on a civilising mission to save the Africans from a life of pagan sin. Moreover, they said, their religious and missionary zeal would inevitably rub off on the political and economic mood of the continent so that, in effect, the Africans would wish to copy their European partners in order to better help thems elves in the long term; politically, economically and socially. To achieve this end, the Europeans thus tied the notion of political territorial acquisition to the preponderance of resources by controlling the mechanisms of the fledgling states as well as the production of raw materials and natural resources. The nineteenth century partition of the undeveloped world by the most powerful industrial states of the age thus left a legacy that is of the utmost relevance for the topic of hegemony in todays twenty first century society. As economic resources become increasingly scarce in the contemporary world, the major Western powers must find ways of securing the holding of resources while covering up the raw economic reasons for doing so. One can see, as Chomsky and Vidal attest, a certain similarity between the contemporary US symptom of national security and the war on terror and the Victorian ideal of a missionary zeal. Significantly, both propaganda spins fail to recognise that the preponderance of resources is the real reason why these states have found themselves fighting foreign wars and stationing troops so very far from their own national borders in the recent past. Of added significance was the fact that the Victorian experimentation with imperialism showed, for the first time, how a state might achieve supreme power with resources and capital based outside of the national territorial borders. Susan Strange (1988:2) sees this as the most important step in the development of true imperial hegemony in the West; the point where a modern nation has the ability to dictate key economic policy far beyond its own national, geo political borders. â€Å"The location of productive capacity is far less important than the location of the people who maker the decisions on what is to be produced, where and how, and who design, direct and manage to sell successfully on a world market.† At this point it makes sense to shift the focus of our investigation from a broader viewpoint of historical instances of hegemony to a dissection of the most important contemporary topic within the confines of the essay title. The key contemporary actor within the study, without a doubt, must be the United States, the source of the preponderance of twenty first century economic resources and the still the most potent post modern military force on the planet. As the eminent British historian, E.H. Carr (1992:292), writing on the eve of the Second World War, testified, hegemony is a by product of realism; an essentially Darwinist view of politics that suggests a discernibly detectable survival of the fittest in international affairs. The unassailable American hegemony of the post modern age is best understood within this wholly realist context. â€Å"To attempt to ignore power as a decisive factor in every political situation is purely utopian. It is scarcely less utopian to imagine an international order built on a coalition of states, each striving to defend and assert its own interests.† Since 1945 the USA has built its empire upon the twin pillars of the military and its insatiable consumer economy, even going so far as to re model the state to the tune of the desires of the political economy. The National Security Act (1947), for example, which oversaw the formation of the CIA, was the first in a long history of decrees and acts designed to ensure the longevity of the republican model and the destruction of all of its ideological enemies in the process. Gore Vidal (2004:95 96) explains the dynamic nature of American national security policy, post 1945, a policy that deemed aggression as the best form of political and economic defence. â€Å"When Japan surrendered, the United States was faced with a choice: either disarm, as we had done in the past and enjoy the prosperity that comes from releasing so much wealth and energy into the private sector, or maintain ourselves on a fully military basis, which would mean a tight control over our allies and such conquered provinces as West Germany, Italy and Japan.† It is important to understand that Washington wishes its control of the globe not to be limited to its dominance of world economic resources; rather, hegemony, as it is understood in 2005, is a varied political, economic and cultural phenomenon that wishes to export the very ethos of the United States as well as importing the wealth generated by the nations pre eminent economic position. To date, the United States has used language, technology and the military to acquire its vast array of economic resources and likewise uses its dynamic corporate ethic to underpin the strategies of the imperial national government. Therefore, to see the preponderance of resources as the only specific aim of American hegemony in the twenty first century is to miss the point entirely. As previously outlined, the American government understands the essential interplay between the various features of hegemony. Certainly, the USA has used economics as its basis for the extension of power witnessed since 1 945 but the ideology of the most awesome capitalist country on the planet has been held in place via the spread of its symbolic features to every corner of the globe (except, of course, for large swathes of the Middle East, which is a source of much of the antagonism between the two diametrically opposed sections of the new global economy). Various international relations commentators have noted the way in which imperial America uses brand names such as MacDonalds and Nike to increase the economic and cultural hegemony of the US Empire, leaving fast food restaurants and designer clothes chains as castles by proxy. As Chomsky (2003:13) succinctly puts it: â€Å"The goal of the imperial grand strategy is to prevent any challenge to the power, position and prestige of the United States.† Theories have abounded concerning the so called decline of American hegemony, largely circulating since the oil crisis in the 1970s, which first highlighted the fragility of the preponderance of key natural resources in the post modern world. Susan Strange disagrees fundamentally with international relations commentators such as Nye, who see Americas decline as an inevitable by product of the notion of both hegemony and Empire, essentially dictating that from Rome to Byzantium to Britain any attempt to secure global pre eminence must end in the destruction of that political and economic model. She argues that the USA is a unique case that shows no signs of the fragmentation that beset its historical precedents. Essentially, this means that US notions of hegemony are not solely tied to economic factors pertaining to the preponderance of resources; its survival and indeed growth rests upon the fact that the USA ideal of hegemony is far more flexible than many critics give it credit f or. As Cox (2005:21) underscores, the issue of American hegemony entails far more than a swelling of the national treasury at the expense of extra territorial economic resources. â€Å"One of the more obvious objections to the idea of a specific American empire is that, unlike the real empires in the past, the United States has not acquired, and does not seek to acquire the territory of others. This in turn has been allied to another obvious objection: that the United States has often championed the cause of political freedom in the world. How then can one talk of empire when one of the United States obvious impulses abroad has been to advance the cause of national democracy and self determination?† The issue of hegemony in contemporary times is further hampered by the ambiguity and uncertainty that surrounds the ultra contentious geo political and economic topic of globalisation. Not only have scholars found globalisation extremely difficult to define but it also poses unique problems of conceptual bracketing. It is supposedly an economic question (intrinsically tied to the preponderance of resources) yet in practice, globalisation appears to be little more than an extension of American political hegemony, namely the spread of democracy to every reach of the globe as the initial platform on which to launch a visionary global hegemony. Whereas the nineteenth century European empires formulated the concept of the preponderance of natural resources as the most vital step on the way to the establishment of their brand of hegemony, the Americans in the twenty first century have used technology, particularly their corporate dominance of new media and the Internet to strengthen their dominant position in the world economy. Globalisation therefore is tantamount to Westernisation, which is itself a direct descendent of Americanisation. According to Sinclair et al (2004:297), â€Å"world patterns of communication flow, both in density and direction, mirror the system of domination in the economic and political order,† and in this way it can be shown how US hegemony is built upon sterner raw materials than the mere preponderance of economic resources. Indeed, logic dictates that if the USAs global hegemony was only standing upon the prevalence of resources, then its position would be nothing like as contentious as it is in the broader world order, constituting the front line of the new global disorder, as Robert Harvey describes it. Indeed, Harvey (2003:455) already views the concept of global hegemony as outdated, requiring five separate but interconnecting strands of economic and politic pro action to keep the status quo alive in the future. â€Å"These then are the five great areas of change necessary to avoid a state of global political economic anarchy: the establishment of superpower policing to combat terrorism and to prevent conflicts breaking out all over the world, through an efficient system of regional alliances and deterrents, backed up by the threat of major superpower intervention; the widening and deepening of global democracy; the regulation of the global economy through co operation between the three economic super states of the next few decades – America, Europe and Japan – in co operation with regional groupings of the rest of the world; a gigantic government primed stimulus for demand and development in the three quarters of the developing world untouched by globalisation; and reform from within of the capitalist corporation.† Conclusion The analysis of hegemony and power bases throughout history shows that the prevalence of resources is but one factor in a multi faceted chain of command that requires a strong military and political infrastructure as well as a flourishing economic base to prevail. The upsurge in interest that the topic of hegemony has generated in recent years has been due to the power of the worlds one remaining superpower alone. Hegemony has become synonymous with Americas quest for global dominance and various commentators have cited the contemporary â€Å"war on terror† as nothing but a smokescreen for the increasing garnering of resources, particularly oil in the Middle East. Indeed, Vidal (2004:7) compares the â€Å"war on terror† to a â€Å"war on dandruff†; such is his confusion over what the notion actually means. There is no doubt that it is this perceived neo imperialism that is at the heart of the current negativity surrounding the concept of hegemony and its continued association with solely (Western) economic motives. However, it should be noted that a significant change in the global order is currently under way, one in which the Americans will have to broker what Strange (1988:17) refers to as a series of â€Å"New Deals† with autonomous international states in order to remain a leading economic force. The advent of China, in particular, as the twenty first centurys most potent consumer and industrial society will undoubtedly challenge the very ideal of American and Western hegemony and will necessarily require a re drafting of the USAs preponderance of resources. Hegemony must, in effect, adapt to a discernible duality and spirit of inter state co operation that the concept has not known in the past. The concept of hegemony therefore has value far beyond the preponderance of res ources as the evolving concept of globalisation is in the process of emphasising. As globalisation begins to take hold as an economic, cultural and political reality, the effects of hegemony will be felt in all areas of the world that wish to be part of the dissolution of the concept of the nation state and the embracement of a new political and economic world order. History of the Concept of Hegemony and Power History of the Concept of Hegemony and Power The concept of hegemony is notoriously difficult to quantify both in concrete political terms and in a less tangible philosophical manner. Moreover, in a world increasingly divided upon religious as opposed to ideological lines, the concept of hegemony has suffered from a certain crisis of relevance whereby it would seem that the preponderance of resources has indeed become the central precept for the paradigm per se; whereby, furthermore, economic and cultural imperialism have united to ensure the dominance of one geo political system within the international order in the vacuum created by the dissolution of ideology and the triumph of multi national capitalism. Yet all is not quite as it seems in the modern international sphere. Current events have a distinctly repetitive feel but, at the same time, the international relations landscape is changing and re configuring its boundaries with such rapidity and vigour that definitions and sweeping statements are deemed, correctly, to be o ut of place concerning any particular sphere of international relations. Certainly, the broader subject of hegemony and inter state communication is of utmost importance in the comprehension of the new world order, though keeping track of new theories is an essentially difficult, contradictory experience, particularly at the dawn of the twenty first century. As Benno Teschke (2003:1) explains in the opening chapter of his book, The Myth of 1648, the entire subject of contemporary international relations theory is in a constant state of flux, inspired by the death of the nation state and the advent of post modernity. â€Å"The classical Westphalian system, rooted in the primacy of the modern, territorially bounded sovereign state, is being replaced by a post territorial, post modern global order. The old logic of geopolitical security is being subordinated to geo economics, multi level global governance, or the demands of a multi actor international civil society. A fundamental transformation in the structure of the international system and its rules of conflict and co operation is unfolding before our eyes.† For the purposes of the essay, it will be necessary to analyse the concept of hegemony from its origins to see how it has evolved over time and where its relevance might lie within todays post structuralist society, taking a chronological view so as to see how its conceptual meaning has altered along the way. It will likewise be necessary to examine international economic realities and histories as well as political instances of hegemony to highlight the essential duality between continuity and change – in other words, how the past might help us to better understand the present and the future, yet also how the current world order presents unique problems that were of no relevance in the past, which necessarily makes an overall academic judgement more problematic. First a definition of hegemony must be attempted. Within the context of this essay, it is extremely important to comprehend the inherently different strands of hegemony: political, military, economic and cultural. Even more noteworthy is the general interchange that is apparent between the above factors – politics merges with economics and military helps to define any given national culture, which, in turn, means that hegemony is very difficult to quantify in the essentially narrow conceptual terms of simply a preponderance of resources. It will be shown that, throughout recorded history, nations and states have used a combination of factors to control other states, all designed to increase the security of the region and underwrite the strength of the dominant geo political power. Each nation and state that has enjoyed a period of relative dominance has chosen, either through external circumstances that have been thrust upon the rulers or via a conscious, calculated ideologica l choice, to use one of the above themes of hegemony to perpetuate its power base. When a group of people takes control over the fate of another it is never via only one of the above strands – political, military, economic or cultural. Rather, there always exists a concoction of more than one of the dominant conceptual themes to achieve the sum of hegemony and though much has changed throughout the course of history, this central precept remains difficult to ignore. The key player in any discussion pertaining to hegemony and the preponderance of resources has to be the state. Certainly, as far as G. John Ikenberry (1986:53) is concerned, the interaction between any given domestic and international political economy has always been at the epicentre of international relations theory and the comprehension of the rule of empire and state elites lies in understanding the ultimate power that the state has always possessed. â€Å"As administrative and coercive organisations, states are embedded in complex political and economic environments and have a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. Although they vary considerably, they have several elements in common. All states make exclusive claims to the coercive and juridical control of particular territories, and they also make special claims to the definition and representation of broad national interests.† In conceptual terms, hegemony is best understood as the expression of societys ruling classes over the majority of the nation or state over whom they propose to rule. Gramsci (1971:328), the interwar international relations academic and political prisoner who spent his final years behind bars in Mussolinis Italy, describes hegemony as, â€Å"a conception of the world that is implicitly manifest in art, in law, in economic activity and in all manifestations of individual and collective life.† Gramsci here describes cultural hegemony, which was of particular relevance when he was writing in the 1930s, in a world that was dominated by ideological concerns. This type of hegemony and cultural control is a constant political reality that has been a feature of culture and society since the first recorded migrations of man. Never has hegemony as an ideal simply been confined to the realms of natural resources and economic might; it has always been an intangible equation of political power expressed through the elite of any particular nation, state or empire. The much celebrated Athenians, for example, made hegemony an everyday feature of the ancient world, whereby people were defined via their status within the broader Greek political and cultural hierarchy. The Greeks underscored their cultural ideal of hegemony with language and politics, especially the concept of citizenship, which remains a key feature in the study of political and cultural hegemony today. The United States today uses its visa system, for example, to differentiate between alien visitors from within the wider plates of the hegemony that it has created. In the ancient world, Plato and Aristotle grouped the various bands of hegemony together to form what they saw as civilisation. Therefore, to be an Athenian Greek was to be a civilised member of the hegemony of the nascent nation state; to be a barbarian was to be an uncivilised member of the outposts of society, the parts where hegemony had hitherto failed to penetrate as a paradigm and as a cultural and economic force. This phenomenon has since been mirrored in the twenty first century with President Bushs with us or against us stance to global terrorism, where hegemony is once again used as the primary force in the perpetuation of the dominant military, political and economic power of the epoch. Ancient cultures used the acquisition of foreign resources to underline their superior military and cultural power, although it should be noted that the technology and logistics did not then exist to ensure the movement of goods and services across inter state borders so that the preponderance of resources could not become the only outlet of hegemony as a concept. The Middle East trade route, for instance, remained a largely autonomous cultural, political and economic region in spite of the combined power of the Greek and Roman Empires, curtailing efforts at building an Empire from the sole premise of a sound economic base. Therefore, in the ancient world, hegemony meant much more than a preponderance of resources. It implied tangible political and citizenry rights and access to a pre defined status quo that was welded by the elite members of the state and continually updated and re defined by the men and women who had access to power within the machinations of the state. Indeed, the central role of the human actors within the state system remain as relevant today as they were in the ancient world and to dismiss their relevance as secondary to the preponderance of resources would be to misinterpret the dynamics of inter state governance. Individual diplomats, ministers, parties and politics will always have a bearing on the future of both international relations as well as the concept of hegemony where economic resources are only one factor in a much larger pyramid of political and economic concerns. It thus becomes apparent that hegemony must co exist with the broader notion of empire, which is itself constructed upon the solid foundations of economic dynamism garnered through the procurement of resources. The notion of empire altered irrevocably during the dawn of modern history where industrialisation proved to be the catalyst for the significant, seismic shift in the view of hegemony as cultural, economic and political benchmark. The nineteenth century was indeed a watershed in terms of the re drawing of the conceptual parameters of hegemony. The Victorian era saw the traditional European empires of France, Belgium, Britain and Germany use their vast military and economic superiority to carve up the undeveloped world amongst each other with the procurement of raw materials and economic resources utilised as the main motivation for extra territorial action. Without doubt, it is at this juncture in world history that the preponderance of resources becomes the pre eminent factor in the power of hegemony and cultural imperialism. The Scramble for Africa, for instance, constituted a devouring of the worlds finest natural resources and raw materials; resources that were unavailable in Europe were discovered in seemingly endless abundance in Africa and the poor political and social infrastructure of the indigenous tribes meant that, militarily, it was a case of simply buying off the key local decision makers and men of influence to ensure European preponderance of locally based economic wealth. Furthermore, unlike the false promise of El Dorado that hampered the conquistadores in Latin America, the lure of previously unimaginable wealth in Africa was the determining factor behind the unprecedented and swift carving up of the African continent. The impulse for hegemony, in this instance, was therefore the possibility of individual accumulation of economic empire as well as the broader national acquisition of another nations indigenous wealth. Charles Tilly (1985:172) explains how the extraction of resources from local producers and traders in Africa was the most important development for the edification of European hegemony in the undeveloped world and for the structure of the contemporary world order today. â€Å"The quest inevitably involved them in establishing regular access to capitalists who could supply and arrange credit, and to imposing one form of regular taxation or another on the people and activities within their sphere of control.† Industrialisation was therefore the central difference between nineteenth century views of imperial hegemony and that which was witnessed in the ancient and medieval worlds. Resources became, for the first time, the main concern of empire builders. This period in world history is also important for what it implies about the motives of the European leaders and rulers who embarked upon their scramble for Africas resources. What is immediately noticeable when reading the primary sources of these explorers was the way in which they attempted to hide their true (economic) motive from view. The first British travellers to the dark continent promulgated the view that the Europeans were on a civilising mission to save the Africans from a life of pagan sin. Moreover, they said, their religious and missionary zeal would inevitably rub off on the political and economic mood of the continent so that, in effect, the Africans would wish to copy their European partners in order to better help thems elves in the long term; politically, economically and socially. To achieve this end, the Europeans thus tied the notion of political territorial acquisition to the preponderance of resources by controlling the mechanisms of the fledgling states as well as the production of raw materials and natural resources. The nineteenth century partition of the undeveloped world by the most powerful industrial states of the age thus left a legacy that is of the utmost relevance for the topic of hegemony in todays twenty first century society. As economic resources become increasingly scarce in the contemporary world, the major Western powers must find ways of securing the holding of resources while covering up the raw economic reasons for doing so. One can see, as Chomsky and Vidal attest, a certain similarity between the contemporary US symptom of national security and the war on terror and the Victorian ideal of a missionary zeal. Significantly, both propaganda spins fail to recognise that the preponderance of resources is the real reason why these states have found themselves fighting foreign wars and stationing troops so very far from their own national borders in the recent past. Of added significance was the fact that the Victorian experimentation with imperialism showed, for the first time, how a state might achieve supreme power with resources and capital based outside of the national territorial borders. Susan Strange (1988:2) sees this as the most important step in the development of true imperial hegemony in the West; the point where a modern nation has the ability to dictate key economic policy far beyond its own national, geo political borders. â€Å"The location of productive capacity is far less important than the location of the people who maker the decisions on what is to be produced, where and how, and who design, direct and manage to sell successfully on a world market.† At this point it makes sense to shift the focus of our investigation from a broader viewpoint of historical instances of hegemony to a dissection of the most important contemporary topic within the confines of the essay title. The key contemporary actor within the study, without a doubt, must be the United States, the source of the preponderance of twenty first century economic resources and the still the most potent post modern military force on the planet. As the eminent British historian, E.H. Carr (1992:292), writing on the eve of the Second World War, testified, hegemony is a by product of realism; an essentially Darwinist view of politics that suggests a discernibly detectable survival of the fittest in international affairs. The unassailable American hegemony of the post modern age is best understood within this wholly realist context. â€Å"To attempt to ignore power as a decisive factor in every political situation is purely utopian. It is scarcely less utopian to imagine an international order built on a coalition of states, each striving to defend and assert its own interests.† Since 1945 the USA has built its empire upon the twin pillars of the military and its insatiable consumer economy, even going so far as to re model the state to the tune of the desires of the political economy. The National Security Act (1947), for example, which oversaw the formation of the CIA, was the first in a long history of decrees and acts designed to ensure the longevity of the republican model and the destruction of all of its ideological enemies in the process. Gore Vidal (2004:95 96) explains the dynamic nature of American national security policy, post 1945, a policy that deemed aggression as the best form of political and economic defence. â€Å"When Japan surrendered, the United States was faced with a choice: either disarm, as we had done in the past and enjoy the prosperity that comes from releasing so much wealth and energy into the private sector, or maintain ourselves on a fully military basis, which would mean a tight control over our allies and such conquered provinces as West Germany, Italy and Japan.† It is important to understand that Washington wishes its control of the globe not to be limited to its dominance of world economic resources; rather, hegemony, as it is understood in 2005, is a varied political, economic and cultural phenomenon that wishes to export the very ethos of the United States as well as importing the wealth generated by the nations pre eminent economic position. To date, the United States has used language, technology and the military to acquire its vast array of economic resources and likewise uses its dynamic corporate ethic to underpin the strategies of the imperial national government. Therefore, to see the preponderance of resources as the only specific aim of American hegemony in the twenty first century is to miss the point entirely. As previously outlined, the American government understands the essential interplay between the various features of hegemony. Certainly, the USA has used economics as its basis for the extension of power witnessed since 1 945 but the ideology of the most awesome capitalist country on the planet has been held in place via the spread of its symbolic features to every corner of the globe (except, of course, for large swathes of the Middle East, which is a source of much of the antagonism between the two diametrically opposed sections of the new global economy). Various international relations commentators have noted the way in which imperial America uses brand names such as MacDonalds and Nike to increase the economic and cultural hegemony of the US Empire, leaving fast food restaurants and designer clothes chains as castles by proxy. As Chomsky (2003:13) succinctly puts it: â€Å"The goal of the imperial grand strategy is to prevent any challenge to the power, position and prestige of the United States.† Theories have abounded concerning the so called decline of American hegemony, largely circulating since the oil crisis in the 1970s, which first highlighted the fragility of the preponderance of key natural resources in the post modern world. Susan Strange disagrees fundamentally with international relations commentators such as Nye, who see Americas decline as an inevitable by product of the notion of both hegemony and Empire, essentially dictating that from Rome to Byzantium to Britain any attempt to secure global pre eminence must end in the destruction of that political and economic model. She argues that the USA is a unique case that shows no signs of the fragmentation that beset its historical precedents. Essentially, this means that US notions of hegemony are not solely tied to economic factors pertaining to the preponderance of resources; its survival and indeed growth rests upon the fact that the USA ideal of hegemony is far more flexible than many critics give it credit f or. As Cox (2005:21) underscores, the issue of American hegemony entails far more than a swelling of the national treasury at the expense of extra territorial economic resources. â€Å"One of the more obvious objections to the idea of a specific American empire is that, unlike the real empires in the past, the United States has not acquired, and does not seek to acquire the territory of others. This in turn has been allied to another obvious objection: that the United States has often championed the cause of political freedom in the world. How then can one talk of empire when one of the United States obvious impulses abroad has been to advance the cause of national democracy and self determination?† The issue of hegemony in contemporary times is further hampered by the ambiguity and uncertainty that surrounds the ultra contentious geo political and economic topic of globalisation. Not only have scholars found globalisation extremely difficult to define but it also poses unique problems of conceptual bracketing. It is supposedly an economic question (intrinsically tied to the preponderance of resources) yet in practice, globalisation appears to be little more than an extension of American political hegemony, namely the spread of democracy to every reach of the globe as the initial platform on which to launch a visionary global hegemony. Whereas the nineteenth century European empires formulated the concept of the preponderance of natural resources as the most vital step on the way to the establishment of their brand of hegemony, the Americans in the twenty first century have used technology, particularly their corporate dominance of new media and the Internet to strengthen their dominant position in the world economy. Globalisation therefore is tantamount to Westernisation, which is itself a direct descendent of Americanisation. According to Sinclair et al (2004:297), â€Å"world patterns of communication flow, both in density and direction, mirror the system of domination in the economic and political order,† and in this way it can be shown how US hegemony is built upon sterner raw materials than the mere preponderance of economic resources. Indeed, logic dictates that if the USAs global hegemony was only standing upon the prevalence of resources, then its position would be nothing like as contentious as it is in the broader world order, constituting the front line of the new global disorder, as Robert Harvey describes it. Indeed, Harvey (2003:455) already views the concept of global hegemony as outdated, requiring five separate but interconnecting strands of economic and politic pro action to keep the status quo alive in the future. â€Å"These then are the five great areas of change necessary to avoid a state of global political economic anarchy: the establishment of superpower policing to combat terrorism and to prevent conflicts breaking out all over the world, through an efficient system of regional alliances and deterrents, backed up by the threat of major superpower intervention; the widening and deepening of global democracy; the regulation of the global economy through co operation between the three economic super states of the next few decades – America, Europe and Japan – in co operation with regional groupings of the rest of the world; a gigantic government primed stimulus for demand and development in the three quarters of the developing world untouched by globalisation; and reform from within of the capitalist corporation.† Conclusion The analysis of hegemony and power bases throughout history shows that the prevalence of resources is but one factor in a multi faceted chain of command that requires a strong military and political infrastructure as well as a flourishing economic base to prevail. The upsurge in interest that the topic of hegemony has generated in recent years has been due to the power of the worlds one remaining superpower alone. Hegemony has become synonymous with Americas quest for global dominance and various commentators have cited the contemporary â€Å"war on terror† as nothing but a smokescreen for the increasing garnering of resources, particularly oil in the Middle East. Indeed, Vidal (2004:7) compares the â€Å"war on terror† to a â€Å"war on dandruff†; such is his confusion over what the notion actually means. There is no doubt that it is this perceived neo imperialism that is at the heart of the current negativity surrounding the concept of hegemony and its continued association with solely (Western) economic motives. However, it should be noted that a significant change in the global order is currently under way, one in which the Americans will have to broker what Strange (1988:17) refers to as a series of â€Å"New Deals† with autonomous international states in order to remain a leading economic force. The advent of China, in particular, as the twenty first centurys most potent consumer and industrial society will undoubtedly challenge the very ideal of American and Western hegemony and will necessarily require a re drafting of the USAs preponderance of resources. Hegemony must, in effect, adapt to a discernible duality and spirit of inter state co operation that the concept has not known in the past. The concept of hegemony therefore has value far beyond the preponderance of res ources as the evolving concept of globalisation is in the process of emphasising. As globalisation begins to take hold as an economic, cultural and political reality, the effects of hegemony will be felt in all areas of the world that wish to be part of the dissolution of the concept of the nation state and the embracement of a new political and economic world order.

Atypical Childhood Social Behavior and Phthalates, BPA Essay -- Medica

The Article describes how endocrine disruptors can produce childhood social impairment and more specifically the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates exposure during pregnancy produces autistic-like social behaviors in children. The specific social behaviors that occur from phthalates and BPA exposure are difficult interpersonal and social awareness skills. Phthalates and BPA, the independent variable, are endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). The EDCs interfere with the body’s hormones which are critical to brain development (Braun, 2011). Changes to hormone levels during pregnancy can lead to brain change that can alter childhood behavior. BPA and phthalates are consumer products used in plastics, food can linings, food packaging, cosmetics, personal care products and vinyl plastics. Other studies have found that animals exposed to BPA and phthalates before birth have altered behavior; also, collaborating research shows that same effect in humans (Miodovnik, 20 11). Additional studies also show a connection between these chemicals and hormonal signaling. According to this article 137 mothers and their children were observed over a span of nine years by Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City (Braun, 2011). These mothers came from varying ethnic backgrounds and came from a lower income area of New York City. These women also were of lower education although a majority of them increased their education levels by the end of this study. The ages of the women were fairly evenly distributed from 20- 30 years of age for the majority of the participants (Miodovnik, 2011). This sampling of woman is representative of their target population because of the varying ages and ethnicities that were used and also those ... ...per it would have given more credence to the research without adding any length to the article. If I had to add anything else to this article I would have liked to have seen some of the supporting research added to the content of the article; because, whenever you support your writing with other people’s work it always adds credence to what you are stating, it is the staple of peer review. Also this media article did not include any type of graphics and it would have been nice to see the scatter point graph included in this article as it does a good job of showing the natural increase in atypical behaviors as the levels of EDC’s increased. Works Cited Braun. (2011, april 06). Enviromental Health News. Retrieved from www.enviromentalhealthnews.org. Miodovnik, A. E. (2011). Endocrine disruptors and childhood social impairment. NueroToxicology, 261-267.

Elizbeth Bishop Personal Response Intro Essay

The poetry of Elizabeth Bishop appeals to me because she writes about things which are relevant, in a remarkably vivid and vital way. Bishops misfortune in life has inspired her to write distressing poems in which she describes to us the loss she suffered at an early stage in her childhood. She also tells us about her deepest and darkest moments in life. Out of Bishops troubled life, her poetry was born. Bishop has a painter’s eye and she vividly describes the world around her. She has a keen eye for detail and this is shown in the descriptive language in her poetry. Her strong sense of imagery draws the reader into her poetry. The themes exploded in Bishops poetry have universal appeal. What makes Bishops poetry particularly appealing is her ability to make ordinary everyday objects seem fascinating. Through Bishops poetry we see how close observation leads the poet to have several moments of awareness where she experiences several epiphanies. These moments of awareness are highly dramatic but extremely interesting. The poems ‘Sestina’, ‘First Death In Novia Scotia’, ‘Filling Station’, ‘The Fish’, ‘The Armadillo’ and ‘The Prodigal’ all demonstrate various issues such as nature and childhood memories. What appealed to me most about Bishop’s poetry was her use of striking and powerful imagery. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Fish’ for its unusual imagery and detailed description. I was drawn into the poem immediately as she says, ‘I caught a tremendous fish’. She describes the fish as ‘battered’, ‘venerable’ and ‘homely’. Bishop then goes on to compare the fish to everyday domestic items. ‘His brown skin hung in strips / like ancient wallpaper’. I found this statement particularly appealing as it evoked a sense of homely familiarity in me.

Communication Skills for Health Professionals Essay

Introduction Communication skills are important for health professionals because they deal with different situations and people every day. Furthermore, an example to use the appropriate communication is when the professional has to give bad news of an unfavourable diagnostics. For instance, the dentist to give the diagnostics of oral cancer for their patient, this situation is necessary to have correct communication to do the treatment and to give the correct support for their patient such as empathy and touch. Body Firstly, most of people who seek a professional health is because they are in unfarovable health condition and need special care. Also, it is very common in dental treatment because many people feel afraid when to go the dentist. It is proved that many of them feeling very anxious when they go to a dental treatment (Cockburn and Walters).Principally, in unfavourable diagnostics, for example oral cancer. In this context, the health professional have ability to provide the appropriate communication such empathy. For professional to be empathy is very important for all principally in bad news that involves patient and sometimes to their family fully to give information and to help continuing the treatment.(Mundada, 2012). A patient with an unfavourable diagnostics need of feel comfortable on various parameters and the empathy as communications is very helpful like dealing with your anxiety, expectations for your family can follow the treatment. The empathy interferes On impacts of the t reatment procedure and the expectations of what will be the treatment. This type of communications is extremely important in case the conversation, clarify doubts and speak as will be the treatment for the patient to be aware of what can happen and not have unexpected reactions. Secondly, it is very important factor and has a good ability of communication such as touch because it helps to support psychological care during treatment. Sometimes many doctors have difficult to deal with kind of situations such as painful, physical suffering impending death and bereavement (Cockburn and Walters, 1999). Also, it is known that many undergrade students are not trained in communications skills and many medical schools do not insist in this subject. Its represents the lack of  touch in a long time (Cockburn and Walters, 1999). The communication such as touch in the treatment sometimes is difficult to many doctors because they attend many people in the same day and they will have this situation for a long time.(Cockburn and Wlaters,1999) that occurs common factor and many times it is interfere in the patient treatment because they do not have the adequate type of this. Principally, with bad diagnostics that usually is not expected for anyone. One of the most difficult tasks for some doctors is to break bad news to a patient, such as a diagnosis of cancer. (Cockburn and Waterls, 1999) That may causes stress, familiars problems, emotional factors. The most appropriate commination skills is helpul to create a field to the patient feel comfortable and freely to do the procedure and touch in extremely important in this situation. The most important factor for the communicate is with professionalism and use the communication that can better confidence and quality of care in the patient.(Mundada,1992).Its helps the patient expects dentists to listen and understand their needs.(Mudunda,1992). Conclusion Take everything into account communications skills are essential for all health professionals. Sometimes, in medical schools this subject in not trained to undergrade (Cockburn and Walters). Also, lack of communication can interfere the patient treatment principally when is necessary give bad news that involves many emotional problems such as psychological and anxiety. Obviously, the professional cannot support all problems to their patient but give the appropriate support with professionalism and empathy and touch good cues of communication and it help the professionals to have a great impressive and attend the necessity of their patients.(Mundada and Walters). Reference: Annette Hannah, Ph.D.; C. Jane Milliamp, Ph.D.; Kathryn M.S. Ayers, M.D.S. A Communication Skills Course for Undergraduate Dental Students. Journal of Dental Education. Volume 68, Number 9 J. Cockburn and W. A.W. Walters. Communication between doctors and patients. Current Obstetrics & Gymecology (1999) 9, 34400 1999 Hat-court Brace & Co. Ltda. Mundada,Vikek. Effective communication skills and professionalism for better dentistepatient relationship. Indian Journal of Dentistry 2012.July e September Volume 3, Number 3; pp. 182 e 183.

Practicing International Management Case essay

Practicing International Management Case essay Practicing International Management Case essay Practicing International Management Case essayMTV is one of the largest networks operating internationally and has a considerable pact on the global culture. At the same time, the impact of the MTV culture on adolescents is so significant that adolescents may change their perception of their traditional culture. However, the MTV culture is based on western standards and these standards refer not only to the cultural domain but also to the material one. This is why teens from other countries, including under-developed countries may be willing to own items, which are unaffordable for their families because of the low level of income. As a result, the MTV culture has a negative impact on the interpersonal relations within families and cultural changes that occur in different countries of the world under the impact of MTV may be negative. These cultural changes widen the gap between the reality teens live in and MTV cultural values and standards, which are unattainable in many countries of the world. therefore, the lack of localization of MTV products and culture leads the gap between the MTV-based culture of teens and the surrounding reality.The overall success of MTV was not only the cultural success but also the technological one. For instance, the emergence of satellite television and progress of internet were the major contributors that made MTV the global network. These technologies facilitated the global expansion of MTV and MTV culture. Moreover, the current progress of technologies opens wider opportunities for MTV to enhance its position in the global market and increase its cultural impact globally. However, MTV may face the growing opposition from the part of local communities, unless the company changes its cultural policies.

Hannibal essays

Hannibal essays Hannibal is a continuation of the movie Silence of the Lambs. Dr. Hannibal Lector was placed in an asylum after killing many people. An FBI agent, Clarice Spalding was over Dr. Lectors case. She spent many nights speaking with Hannibal, listening to his thoughts without criticism. After ten years dealing with Hannibal Lecter face-to-face, Clarice is a much colder and less emotional toward life. Many of the workers were rude to Hannibal and other patients of the asylum. Hannibal acted out as a cannibal, by eating of the faces of the rude workers. Hannibal escaped from the asylum and no one had any idea where he could be hiding. Hannibal begins effectively with Clarice on a drug raid with the help of several other agents. She kills a drug czar, Elvelda, by firing a bullet at her chest. Evelda held a Mac 10 in her hand as well as her baby strapped around her chest. After firing the first shots, she left Clarice with the choice of killing a mother holding her child or to lose her own life. The incident puts Clarice in a difficult position with the FBI, as she has to turn over her gun and badge. There is an agent named Paul Krendler that has it in for Clarice, and desires her sexually. As always, Clarice's interests in life exclude anything sexual. Since she has turned him down several times he begins to act snooty towards her. In one funny scene, shows Krendler looking at photos of Lecter unaware Clarice is watching him. She alerts him and he asks, "What are you doing in the dark?" Her response: "Thinking of cannibalism." After the FBI released new information given by Mason Verger, Clarice reopened the case. Verger was forced to slice off his own face and feed it to his dogs thanks to Hannibal. Hes now a faceless cipher with no eyelids and a horrifying expression. Verger is a billionaire that wants Hannibal fed to his killer boars, and provides a handsome reward to anyone who knows of Hanni ...

How to Substitute for Baking Powder and Baking Soda

How to Substitute for Baking Powder and Baking Soda Baking powder and baking soda both are leavening agents, which means they help baked goods to rise. They arent the same chemical, but you can substitute one for another in recipes. Heres how to work the substitutions and what to expect: Substitute for Baking Soda:Using Baking Powder Instead of Baking Soda You need to use two to three times more baking powder than baking soda. The extra ingredients in baking powder will affect the taste of whatever you are making, but this isnt necessarily bad. Ideally, triple the amount of baking powder to equal the amount of baking soda. So, if the recipe calls for 1 tsp. of baking soda, you would use 3 tsp. of baking powder.Another option is to compromise  and use twice the amount of baking powder as baking soda (add 2 tsp. of baking powder if the recipe calls for 1 tsp. of baking soda). If you choose this option, you might wish to omit or reduce the amount of salt in the recipe. Salt adds flavor but it also affects rising in some recipes. Substitute for Baking Powder: How to Make It Yourself You need baking soda and cream of tartar to make homemade baking powder. Mix 2 parts cream of tartar with 1 part baking soda. For example, mix 2 tsp of cream of tartar with 1 tsp of baking soda.Use the amount of homemade baking powder called for by the recipe. No matter how much homemade baking powder you made, if the recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp., add exactly 1 1/2 tsp. of your mixture. If you have leftover homemade baking powder, you can store it in a labeled, zipper-type plastic bag to use later. Cream of tartar is used to increase the acidity of a mixture. So you cant always use baking soda in recipes that call for baking powder. Both are leavening agents, but baking soda needs an acidic ingredient to trigger the leavening, while baking powder already contains an acidic ingredient: cream of tartar. You can switch baking powder for baking soda, but expect the flavor to change a little. You might wish to make and use homemade baking powder even if you can purchase commercial baking powder. This gives you complete control over the ingredients. Commercial baking powder contains baking soda and, usually, 5 to 12 percent monocalcium phosphate along with 21 to 26 percent sodium aluminum sulfate. People wishing to limit aluminum exposure might do better with the homemade version. Do Baking Soda and Baking Powder Go Bad? Baking powder and baking soda dont exactly go bad, but they do undergo chemical reactions sitting on the shelf for months or years that cause them to lose their effectiveness as leavening agents. The higher the humidity, the faster the ingredients lose their potency. Fortunately, if youre concerned theyve been in the pantry for too long, its easy to test baking powder and baking soda for freshness: Mix a teaspoon of baking powder with 1/3 cup hot water; lots of bubbles means its fresh. For baking soda, dribble a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice onto 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Again, vigorous bubbling means its still good. Baking powder and baking soda arent the only ingredients you might need to substitute in a recipe. There are also simple substitutions for ingredients such as  cream of tartar, buttermilk,  milk, and different types of flour.

Medieval chinese empire rise and fall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Medieval chinese empire rise and fall - Essay Example raphy, economic system, society and the class structure have always influenced the upheaval of an empire, the role of the military systems has always been considered as the most significant factor that in the first place instigates the rise of an empire. Yet the military power with the superior technology, strategy, tactics, logistics etc has never been counted as the one and only the components of an empire. In an article, â€Å"Empire Builders, Culture Makers, and Culture Imprinters† Charles Issawi refers to the proper role of the military power in the making of an empire in the following rhetorical question, â€Å"Was this achievement because they were more successful as empire builders, that is, they showed greater political and military skill? These factors were certainly important, but they do not exhaust the question.†1 History of the world shows that successful culture builders are also the successful makers of a culture that is committed to the ideal of a unifi ed and single empire. In most cases, it happens that the empire builders have had to depend on a religion as the potential basis of the culture that will ensure commitment of the common people to the unity of the Empire. Religion has always played the role of an effective tool that can intimidate the common people internally with the least possible resentment. Indeed religion has served two-fold purpose: First, it assists the Empire builders to unify the people with one thread and then it helps to create a more stable society based on the fellow feeling, morality, and humanity. But in the imperial history of the world it is evident that religion and religion-based culture have often been manipulated by the rulers in order to tame the subject to a tyrannical end, because â€Å"It [religion] acted upon,† as Viscount Bryce notes, â€Å"the whole mass of a people, and more powerfully upon the lower than upon the more educated class. It touched those whom ordinary political disco ntents or aspirations might

Should Society recognize animal rights, even to the extent of Essay

Should Society recognize animal rights, even to the extent of disallowing the use of animals in scientific and medical experiments - Essay Example But in the context of pain suffered by animals, Gallistel (1989) has advocated the unrestricted use of animals for research purposes, especially in the study of the nervous system. He points out that studies on the nervous system may involve the destruction or stimulation of a part of the system to examine the ramifications of use of certain drugs and could cause pain and temporary distress to the animals used. He argues that restricting research on animals would restrict the progress in human understanding of the nervous system. It would interfere with the process of providing a moral and scientific basis for the amassing of knowledge that produces tangible benefits for the nervous ailments of humans and benefits in treatment. He contends that the suffering of a few animals cannot be accorded greater importance than the benefits that are provided to the human race. It is also argued that since animals do not possess a sense of moral values and reason, they are inferior beings as com pared to humans and therefore, their interests must be subordinated to that of human beings. In a similar vein, H Tristam Englehardt Jr believes that â€Å"morality is a human construct and that secular moral authority is grounded in consent†¦[and he]†¦..claims that animals have "rights" granted them by humans (since only humans are "ends in themselves"), but the "rights" so granted are to be used for human welfare, including the "right" to be hunted, skinned, eaten, used for entertainment, etc† (Haack, 2007). Hence, Gallistel and Englehardt are of the view that animals may have rights, but those rights are to be subordinated to those of humans and the animals can only enjoy rights to the extent that humans permit them to have those rights. Therefore, even in instances where they suffer pain, this pain is justified on the basis that their rights are

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Company law - Essay Example It must be emphasized that the Partnership is nothing but a collection of individuals and not a separate entity in itself. As such, there is no concept of limited liability. All the partners are jointly and severally liable for the debts of the business. This means that the creditors of the business can not only seize the assets which were put into the Business by the partners, but also to the personal assets of the partners. So for example if your Business defaults on the loan that you intend to take out from Credit Crunch Bank, then not only will the  £10,000 put in by each partner be liable for forfeiture, but the personal assets of the partners will also be up for grabs. To emphasize the point, under a partnership there is no dividing line between the Business and the Partners themselves. A private company limited by shares is different. Here a company will be incorporated having separate legal personality and the Business will be carried out by this company. In the eyes of the law, the company is a separate person just like all you and your fellow colleagues are different people. Any debts of the company will remain its own and will not flow over to the shareholders. Similarly, any assets contributed to the company will belong to the company and will no longer be a part of the shareholder’s estate. The main duty of the shareholder is to contribute to the value of the share. Once this is done, there is no further liability on the shareholder. Even if the company later faces debts, the personal assets of the shareholder are safe. The concepts of separate legal personality and limited liability come together to ensure that the liability of the shareholder is limited to any amounts unpaid on the price of the shares and nothing else. So if, as before, the company defaulted on the Credit Crunch Bank loan, then only the assets of the business such as the  £10000 each contributed as capital by you and your colleagues would

Compare and contrast Alcott's and Stevenson's depictions of 'growing Essay

Compare and contrast Alcott's and Stevenson's depictions of 'growing up' - Essay Example As Massachusetts is part of the New England, Alcott and her writings were obviously influenced by the political and social developments during her time such as the beginnings of Industrial Revolution (this revolution originated in old England and took first roots in the New England region) that transformed society and business, movement to abolish slavery (the author herself was an abolitionist who gave refuge to a fugitive slave), the introduction of free public education and feminism. It was during this period that the first stirrings for womens rights took hold in the form of the universal suffrage (which meant allowing the women to vote for the first time). Alcott with other female writers took the lead in these movements. It was a time of ferment and excitement, when social barriers were being challenged or being torn down. It was also in New England that the first pieces of truly American literature were published. This region produced so many prominent writers and poets like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Emily Dickinson. Some of them were her contemporaries, family friends or personal acquaintances and influenced her works. The other novel, â€Å"Treasure Island† by Robert Louis Stevenson, is one of the famous male adolescent novels of all time. It is a coming-of-age story that has acquired a life of its own in the annals of children literature. Although written entirely as fiction, its descriptions of sea voyages, pirates, maps, buried treasures and tropical islands are so authentic it had been a source of entertainment and inspiration for generations who longed for adventure, risk taking and excitement. The author used the knowledge and experiences he gained in travelling with his father and grandfather, who were both lighthouse engineers, on their maritime expeditions to check on lighthouses as the primary source of much of his exacting

Iraq's Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iraq's Future - Essay Example Ironically, the aftermath of the invasion has created instability and uncertainty that has never been experienced before in the ancient history of the Iraq. The Iraqi people, especially women and children have borne the brunt of the invasion. United states should not have invaded Iraq because rather than instilling hope, the Iraqi people are languishing in despair, instead of ensuring security for all, the society lives in perpetual fear of attacks. The United States invasion destabilized the multicultural Iraqi society and destroyed the unique political structure that has served the country for many generations. Since time immemorial, Iraqi people have coexisted peacefully in spite of their diverse backgrounds. The United States led military invasion completely destabilized this coexistence, creating hatred among the existing groups in the country. Although Saddam Hussein rule created ethnic and religious animosity in Iraq, the aftermath of the United States invasion catalyzed the e thnic tensions, which almost brought the country at the brink of civil war in 2007, a situation that has never been experienced before in the history of the country (Jabar, 3). According to Amatzia and Barry (52), Iraq is predominantly an Arabic country consisting of Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians and Arabs. Iraqi Arabs are the majority, comprising of about 75% of the total population. The Iraqi Arabs are divided into two major religious groups, comprising of Shiite and Sunni Muslims (Pollack, 116). The aftermath United States invasion resulted into a protracted conflict between the two Islamic factions resulting to loss of lives of thousand Iraqi citizens and horrible humanitarian crisis. Currently, Iraq has the second highest number of internally displaced persons in the world, estimated at over 1.8 million people (MIT Centre for International Studies). About 5 million Iraqis have been displaced since 2003 invasion (MIT Centre for International Studies). Sectarian war, between the Sunn i and Shiite factions has intensified, causing death, displacements and widespread insecurity (Jabar, 12). United States should not have invaded Iraq because it did not have weapons of mass destruction. One of the major motivations for attacking Iraq was to destroy the capacity of the country to develop weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical arsenal, in addition to destroying alleged terrorism cells (Jabar, 6). Every sovereign country has the right of protecting its citizens and possession of weapons is one of the ways of defending its people. Iraq was not an exception, unless there was concrete evidence that the weapons were intended for other purposes. Iraqi was said to be in the process of developing nuclear weapons that could have destabilized peace in the Middle East and the world at large (Pollack, 39). However, after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, no weapons of mass destruction were discovered. Instead, the country infrastructure and rich ancient herita ge was ruined and vandalized. The military invasion was therefore unwarranted and was based on misleading intelligence. Iraq, which is considered as â€Å"the cradle for human civilization† had rich heritage that defined the multicultural society as the precursor of modern development (Pollack, 94). Most of historic artifacts were destroyed during the invasion, undermining the rich heritage of Iraqi people. The suitability of a political system in a particular country is determined by its effectiveness in addressing and solving the challenges facing its citizens (Jabar, 13). Prior to the United States military invasion, Iraq had

Five Year Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Five Year Strategic Plan - Essay Example The plan would entail the leadership curve. The medical staff must know that unity of command is of utmost essence under such equations. It will make sure that the staff knows exactly who to follow and what kind of principles and duties lie upon their entireties. Leadership instills in the staff a sense of comprehension that they must work to their end limits and give in their best time and again. There is no room for any hiccups and this must never be realized upon at any level (Owen, 1990). This is the reason why employees should always look up to their seniors whenever they believe that they are in confusion or doubt, and seek prior approval of tasks from the leaders who are in charge of the peculiar situations. Moving on to the next phase of this plan, as a chief executive of the medical center, I need to devote more time towards the different tasks which take place under my eyes. This is because my vision will lead the way for a number of steps that shall take place within the medical facility. If I am not adhering to following the standards, then this would only mean that there is a transgression of sorts which must be resolved at the earliest. My undertakings would let the people know where the anomalies occur and how best to remove them as soon as possible. The plan would also discuss the ethical considerations which must be significantly outlined as far as this medical center’s activities and operations are concerned. This is because ethics is the core basis of the medical and health profession and it cannot be denied its due right. The patients who are most needy and who look forward to receiving medical help and assistance should always be given facilitation no matter where they belong from, what kind of living standards they have or which ethnic minorities they are a part of (Morrison, 2011). This ethical debate has been

Iraq's Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iraq's Future - Essay Example Ironically, the aftermath of the invasion has created instability and uncertainty that has never been experienced before in the ancient history of the Iraq. The Iraqi people, especially women and children have borne the brunt of the invasion. United states should not have invaded Iraq because rather than instilling hope, the Iraqi people are languishing in despair, instead of ensuring security for all, the society lives in perpetual fear of attacks. The United States invasion destabilized the multicultural Iraqi society and destroyed the unique political structure that has served the country for many generations. Since time immemorial, Iraqi people have coexisted peacefully in spite of their diverse backgrounds. The United States led military invasion completely destabilized this coexistence, creating hatred among the existing groups in the country. Although Saddam Hussein rule created ethnic and religious animosity in Iraq, the aftermath of the United States invasion catalyzed the e thnic tensions, which almost brought the country at the brink of civil war in 2007, a situation that has never been experienced before in the history of the country (Jabar, 3). According to Amatzia and Barry (52), Iraq is predominantly an Arabic country consisting of Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians and Arabs. Iraqi Arabs are the majority, comprising of about 75% of the total population. The Iraqi Arabs are divided into two major religious groups, comprising of Shiite and Sunni Muslims (Pollack, 116). The aftermath United States invasion resulted into a protracted conflict between the two Islamic factions resulting to loss of lives of thousand Iraqi citizens and horrible humanitarian crisis. Currently, Iraq has the second highest number of internally displaced persons in the world, estimated at over 1.8 million people (MIT Centre for International Studies). About 5 million Iraqis have been displaced since 2003 invasion (MIT Centre for International Studies). Sectarian war, between the Sunn i and Shiite factions has intensified, causing death, displacements and widespread insecurity (Jabar, 12). United States should not have invaded Iraq because it did not have weapons of mass destruction. One of the major motivations for attacking Iraq was to destroy the capacity of the country to develop weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical arsenal, in addition to destroying alleged terrorism cells (Jabar, 6). Every sovereign country has the right of protecting its citizens and possession of weapons is one of the ways of defending its people. Iraq was not an exception, unless there was concrete evidence that the weapons were intended for other purposes. Iraqi was said to be in the process of developing nuclear weapons that could have destabilized peace in the Middle East and the world at large (Pollack, 39). However, after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, no weapons of mass destruction were discovered. Instead, the country infrastructure and rich ancient herita ge was ruined and vandalized. The military invasion was therefore unwarranted and was based on misleading intelligence. Iraq, which is considered as â€Å"the cradle for human civilization† had rich heritage that defined the multicultural society as the precursor of modern development (Pollack, 94). Most of historic artifacts were destroyed during the invasion, undermining the rich heritage of Iraqi people. The suitability of a political system in a particular country is determined by its effectiveness in addressing and solving the challenges facing its citizens (Jabar, 13). Prior to the United States military invasion, Iraq had

Performance management and rewards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Performance management and rewards - Essay Example extremely essential to retain the human resources of the organization so as to enhance its productivity and brand value in the market among other rival players. This essay is divided into four phrases mainly highlighting the importance of retention as well as the ways to increase the rate of retention of the employees in the organization. Along with this, the retention strategy is also devised in order to reduce the ratio of attrition of the Hertfordshire-based SME so as to amplify its reputation and efficiency in the market among others. It is the process by which, employees are retained within the organization for longer period of time so as to enhance its image and productivity. Due to which, retention is recognised as the most important tactic of talent management process. So, it is offered higher attention by the organizational entrepreneurs in this competitive age (Cannon & McGee, 2011). Retention of an employee within an organization is essential as it acts as its driving force. This is because it helps in introduction of varied types of inventive products and services thereby satisfying the changing requirements of the customers. As a result of which, it enhances the reliability and trust of the customers towards the brand thereby amplifying its position and dominance in the market among others (Finnegan, 2010, pp. 556-561). Not only this, employee retention also gears the goodwill of the organization to a significant extent thereby amplifying its cost of profit margin and net income. In addition, employee re tention also helps in regaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization, long term success and profitability and improvement of turnovers. Thus it might be stated that retention of employees might enhance customer satisfaction, improve total sales cost and amplify returns of the Hertfordshire-based SME. The term retention seems easy, but it’s extremely hard. This is mainly due to various reasons presented. Lack of appreciation is one of

Consumer Awareness of Market Economy

Consumer Awareness of Market Economy We know that the conditions of an economy do not remain static. The factors which influence it keep on changing. The rate of flow of funds also, changes with time in an economy, so people have funds available in different strengths at different moment of time. It affects the lives of people living in that economy because to satisfy their needs they require funds. People always feel a gap, positive or negative, between their needs and required funds. So they do their financial planning. In this project we have tried to find and analyse how and in which ways people are doing financial planning in the prevailing market situations. We have also tried to find the awareness of people about current market situations, awareness of financial planning among them and their interest area of investment. Financial Planning is not a very new concept in India. It had been in practice in earlier social systems also. In the past also, people used to do this in some ways. They used to purchasing pieces of land, jewellery and keep these with them for their bad days. Some of them kept their saved money with so called ‘Mahajanas who used to acting as banker. Though people in the past were involved in some kind of activities related to their financial planning, yet they were not very conscious and aware of the thing and were not doing this very actively. It was so because the joint family system was there in the society and also the economic conditions, in the country, were almost static and not as turbulent and volatile as in current scenario. So people did not feel so much insecure. But after industrial revolution, things started to change. People started to move towards cities in searching of new earning opportunities. This leaded to a dynamic economic condition in the country and a change in family structure in the society. This thing has been continuing for years in the country and today we can observe increasing number of nuclear families and varying economic conditions here. The needs of a person and his consumption habits have also changed significantly. Further, the priorities and these needs of a person also change with change in his life stage. So financial planning has become more relevant and important in current market scenario. But, How many persons are there who understand the meaning of financial planning? How many of them are actively doing it? In which ways are they doing their financial planning? These are some questions we need to find answers so that we can conclude to a result and can act accordingly. We have tried to find the answers of these questions in this project. Personal Financial Success: The Six-Level Pyramid  Ã‚   Using the six-level pyramid to help explain the various building blocks to financial success helps to reveal the development of financial planning and indications, at each level, if instruments that might be considered. At the first level of the pyramid, there are four stages that need to be considered. Before any phase of an action plan can be implemented, an individuals current situation must be determined. One must evaluate their personal income because the amount of money a makes directly affects the amount that person can save. After all debts and living expenses are subtracted form income, one can know how much to put in savings every week, month or year. The amount one puts in savings is very important. This will have bearing on a spouse, children, and retirement life. Saving money should become a top priority in the financial planning realm of life. Goals are another important factor in financial planning. Without goals, a person has nothing to strive for, nothing to look forward to. This should come with ease during the implementation of a financial action plan. Career choice plays a major role in ones ability to live at a certain level in society. There are many factors to consider when making a career choice. They include personal factors, social influences, economic conditions, and trends in the industry. A person must consider these things when deciding on a career if they want to have long-term success in any given profession or calling. Keeping good records and being organized is a necessity for a person with a successful financial action plan. After receipts have been found, invoices filed, and check numbers recorded, one can develop a budget. A budget simply allocates income to different areas of spending. For example, one family may spend two hundred and fifty dollars per week on groceries, while another only spends one hundred per week. A budget can be done on a weekly, bi-weekly , or monthly time frame basis. An important part of an overall budget is taxes. Taxes, in general, include federal and state, occasionally county expenses on land ownings and other purchases. A person should be fully aware of how to calculate their taxable income and on how to get help with taxes. The second level of the pyramid involves managing. The absolute first way to begin with money management is to get the money out of a pocket ( or from under a mattress ) and put it into am interest-bearing account. Before this can be done, however, the best bank suitable to a persons needs mus be located. To do this, one must evaluate the different banks rates, fees, and other factors such as number in branched in the area and the services offered. One should examine the gains and losses of having a checking account as well. Credit is a way of life for million of American today. In my opinion, one must be very cautious when choosing whether or not to use consumer credit. There are almost always hidden costs and consumer traps ready to suck a trusting person in. One should be aware of possible credit mistakes and try their best to avoid them. Also, spending far above ones personal income level can become a major problem if taken advantage of. In the market for loans, the most enduring statement is to Shop Around! A person will never know what could be gotten until they try to look for the best deal. One should be aware of the fluctuation of interest rates and the affect that they will have on the principle amount of money borrowed. The third level of the pyramid illustrates the major purchasing decisions in life. Should I buy that shiny new Mustang on credit or save that money for a down payment on a home in a nicer neighborhood? The allocation of personal funds is one of the most harrowing sets of decisions a person will ever make. The decision to purchase a home is in this set. This will probably be the most expensive purchase one will ever make. One should be sure that the purchase of a new home is not outrageously out of his or her income range and that it meets all of their needs. The second most important purchase would be that of a new vehicle. A car purchase can be an exciting time. Since cars are seen as status symbols in society today, most people attempt to buy one that they cannot afford. This can be ruining to credit and make daily expenses much harder. Day to day existence in todays society can be dangerous if a person does not have adequate insurance coverage for self, spouse, and children ( if any ). The fourth stage of the pyramid deals with the adequate amount of insurance. How much is too much or too little? Risk management is a major factor in this. For example, a race car driver is not going to get a good a rate of insurance as a middle aged accountant. Factors such as car accidents, speeding tickets, safety measures taken, and daily activities such as smoking or drinking all affect the amount different types of insurance will cost an individual. After life insurance, I believe that the next necessity is to have automobile and home insurance. These are the two most likely things that someone might have to call on insurance to cover. Health care and disability insurance truly comes in to play when one has a family, nut possibly when single if severe illness occurs frequently. Finally in the fourth level, a value must for life insurance must be chosen. This is directly affected on who will be left depending on money received from your life insurance. This insurance money can be left as a legacy, as a help for funeral expenses, or even a gift from the deceased. The fifth stage of this financial planning pyramid is about investing. There are four fundamental ways that one can invest. They are stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and real estate. Stocks are divided into two main categories, common stock and preferred stock. Common stock makes money by dividing the value of an investment three ways: income from dividends, dollar appreciation of the stock value, and stock splits. Preferred stock is similar to common stock. However, with preferred stock, the investor receives his/her cash dividends before the holders of common stock receive theirs. There are a number of factors that enable investors to evaluate the value of any certain stock. One can read daily newspapers, and gain information from professional in the stock market field. Bonds are divided into two main categories as well. A corporate bond is a corporations written pledge to repay a specified amount of money plus interest gained over a specific period of time. This total is referred to a s the face value of the bond. Corporations issue bonds in order to have available monies to finance expansions, takeovers, etc. This is referred to as debt financing for a corporation. The other type of bond is one that is issued by the federal, state or a local government agency. The bonds that the federal government sells are referred to as treasury bills, notes, bonds, or savings bonds. These are used to finance the national debt and for the governments everyday activities. A municipal bond is one that is issued by a state or local government. All three of these types are said to be generally risk-free. As a financial planner, I would advise my client to seriously look into bonds. Mutual funds are unique in the fact that there is diversification of the purchased portfolio. A persons money goes into a large pool, which a company then invests in many different stocks. The last type of fundamental investing is Real estate. There are different types of real estate investments. For ex ample, your home can be an investment if handled properly or one can purchase commercial property for resale only. The sixth and last stage of the pyramid involves retirement and estate planning. Taking steps now to ensure that a person has money during retirement is particularly important. This should be linked in with the amount of money chosen to save in part one of the financial planning program. Last of all, one must know a little about estate planning. There are legal and personal aspects of this matter. Estate planning is the plan for the disposition of ones property during ones lifetime and at ones death. Legally, everyone needs to have a last will and testament to ensure that their properties are distributed accordingly. A lawyer usually needs to be consulted on this matter. In summary, the most important aspect of financial planning is just what it states-PLANNING. A great deal of money can be gained and saved if the correct methods are incorporated into a persons everyday life and activities. OBJECTIVES We have conducted the study taking following objectives in our concern: To understand customers awareness about current market/ economic scenario. To understand customers awareness about financial planning. To understand how customers do their financial planning. Capture reasons for doing / not doing financial planning. Understand the key areas where investments and savings are made and rational reasons behind the same. Review of Literature Jim Gewert Named Executive Vice President of Worldwide Finance, Planning and Systems for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group An industry leader since its inception, WBHEG oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. AGL Resources; AGL Resources To Webcast 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 27 During the meeting, AGL Resources Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer John W. Somerhalder II will provide an update on the companys financial and operating performance and its business strategy. 2010 MAY 1 (VerticalNews.com) AGL Resources (NYSE:AGL) will webcast its annual meeting of shareholders on Tuesday, April 27, at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time. During the meeting, AGL Resources Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer John W. Somerhalder II will provide an update on the companys financial and operating performance and its business strategy. The meeting will be held at the AGL Resources corporate headquarters at Ten Peachtree Place in Atlanta. Solutions Financial, Llc; Actfinancially.com Launches Personal Financial Planning Website The site includes personalized financial planning, budgeting, goal-setting tools and reports, a library of information and resources, blogs, tips, financial coaching help to manage money and community features such as forums, message boards and live chat for guidance and support. Financial Planning Steps Needed Now to Prepare for Health Care Bill Outcomes Even though the bill is still a few years from implementation, its not too soon to consider several financial planning strategies now to mitigate significant tax increases for the wealthy and the potential for increased borrowing costs for earners of all income levels, Kahler advises. Walking the Walk: A Financial Planner Teaching His Children In an interview, Daniel M. Stern, CFP, with his children, Lily and Benjamin, talked about financial planning for his kids. Stern said theyve been doing it two years now, since right after they talked. Looking at the idea of an allowance as something you give to the children; you dont base it upon work that theyre doing. Its so they can learn how to handle money and get a sense of the value of money and what can be done with it or not done with it. When it came to charity, they were trying to do it every week, but its not that big of an amount to give. Ben thinks its great. It gives them experience to know how to handle money. Lily also thinks its really good. Stern added that toward the last part of the year they had to adopt a spending moratorium. He thinks in todays society theres a huge amount of materialism. Lessons from Her Father Its no surprise that 30-year-old Kimberly Allman has her finances in order. Her parents guidance dovetailed with her own financial self-discipline. A Cornell Law School alum, Allman uses her financial sensibilities in two jobs: as manager at a nonprofit that helps homeowners avoid foreclosure, and as president of Allman Financial Planning LLC, her own personal finance consultancy. Allmans father helped to shape her relationship with money. Allman who is single, now follows her fathers example when she doles out advice to clients regarding debt, credit scores, and investments, among other concerns. In addition to her law degree, Allman has a bachelors in psychology and political science from Duke University, and shes set to receive a certificate in financial planning from Boston University this spring. While in school she avoided frills and kept expenses to a minimum. To reach her current level of financial security, Allman resisted shopping for handbags and jewelry. Money on Your Mind: The Brains Role in Financial Decision-Making The sophistication of modern civilization masks the fact that the brains have evolved little since the Stone Age. The neural programming of human beings was optimized for physical survival, not contemporary challenges such as financial decision-making. The human brain has separate, dedicated centers for coping with situations that present imminent danger or attractive rewards. When triggered by highly stimulating personal or financial events, these centers can cause the brain to react reflexively, dampening the ability to think analytically. Technology gives people ready access to their credit, savings, and investment accounts. Unfortunately, this access makes it easier for people to act upon impulsive financial decisions. This paper examines a case study to demonstrate how perceived financial dangers or rewards can unconsciously trigger emotions that override their rational decision-making. Financial planners also can help their clients develop new methods to read to financial situa tions in a more analytical manner that is consistent with the clients primary values. A House Divided: Americans Have Two Distinct Views Of Retirement The financial turmoil of the past few years has taken a huge toll on Americas confidence about the future and apparent readiness for retirement, said Jamie Ohl, senior vice president and director of The Hartfords Retirement Plans Group. The Planning Dynamic But The Hartfords research shows that people who have taken the time to plan their retirement are generally in a better place financially and are significantly more optimistic about the future than those who have not planned, Ohl said. OppenheimerFunds Survey: When It Comes to College for Their Kids, Women Drive the Planning Process But Many Take a Back Seat on Finances Later College funding is an issue for women in college, after college and for decades after, for both parents and students alike. Because women outnumber men on college campuses by a factor of almost three to two, women pay the price literally and figuratively for poor college financial planning, frequently dropping out or graduating with debt that can cast a shadow over much of their adult life, affecting even their ability to retire, Winn said. The Financial Planning Association(R) of Arkansas iShares* Make $20,000 Contribution to Arkansas Aspiring Scholars Matching Grant Program For more information about the iShares 529 Plan, contact your financial advisor, call 1-888-529-9552 or visit www.ishares529.com to obtain a Program Description and Participation Agreement which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before investing or sending money. If you are not an Arkansas taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiarys home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such states qualified tuition program. METHODOLOGY Methodology is a strategy that guides a research in providing answers to research questions and for which, research survey is being done. This study has been carried in the following manner:- Methodology Adopted Questionnaire Design: The questionnaire was prepared covering the details about the client and the above objectives. The questions were designed in an easily understandable way with the help of (Miss. Nancy sahni ) that the respondents may not have any difficulty in answering them. The questionnaire also contained a comments section. This section was included so as to get opinion of the people. Random Sampling: Sampling can be defined as a part of population. Thus random sampling may be defined as the selection of a portion from the whole population in which each elements of the population has an equal chance of being selected. In this research survey people were surveyed at random to get the relevant information. Sampling Techniques: The sampling techniques used in this project are probability sampling techniques and the methods used in cluster sampling. Sampling Unit: The respondents who were asked to fill out questionnaires are the sampling units. In this survey these comprise of Govt. Employees and Self Employed persons. Sample size: The sample size was restricted to only 100 people between age group more than 25 years which comprised of mainly peoples from the area where the survey was conducted. Data Collection: Structured Questionnaire: In this part of data collection, structured questionnaire was used as a tool by asking a set of standardized questions which answers we needed to know. Interpretation: Interpretation refers to the task of drawing inference from the collected facts after an analytical study. The simple statistical tools are used to analyze the data collection. Bar Graphs and pie chart have been used to illustrate the findings diagrammatically. AREA OF SURVEY http://www.radhasoamiji.in/images/map.jpg The survey was conducted in a village BEAS and Mehru which is situated in kapurthala district in Punjab. Though it is a town of almost 40,000 people yet its market caters the need of a large customer base which comprises of people, in addition to the town people, living in several villages that surround the town. It is situated near the BEAS river and second near Phagwara, so people from other side also come here for shopping. This is a reason that a big part of population here is involved in business and related activities. A good number of service class people are also present here, because of working of several Government organisations in the town. Block Office, Subdivision Office, Seema Suraksha Bal, Registration Office, Banks, Food Corporation of India, Irrigation Department, Public Work Department, Govt Schools, Municipal Office and also some other departments are working here. In financial institutions here these are present: State Bank of India (CBS) Punjab National bank of India (CBS) Bank of India Life Insurance Corporation of India ( Satellite Branch ) Bajaj Allianz LIC Co LTD ( Branch Office ) Rahika Co-operative Bank ( Branch Office ) Sahara India ( Branch Office ) Some other institutions like – Birla Sunlife, Reliance Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential also work here controlling their activities from Main branch. LIMITATIONS The report is prepared on the basis of responses given by the respondents and is confined to the area of survey, so it does not necessarily show a pattern applicable to other areas also. Some respondents were reluctant to divulge personal information which can affect the validity of all responses. In a rapidly changing environment, analysis on one day or in one segment can change very quickly. The environmental changes are vital to be considered in order to assimilate the findings.