Effectsof agriculture urbanization and revolutions on european social classes in the 18th and 19th centuries

The era of the agrarian revolution brought with it a form of several types of social inequalities that changed the functioning of the social structure of the society. These social inequalities were brought about by the fact that the agrarian revolution followed by the industrial revolution altered the way people were living hence causing several social classes that were a subject of condemnation from leading social science disciplines. Similarly the urbanization and industrial revolutions did not make the situation any better as they resulted to social inequalities that also were subjects of condemnation by various social critics.The main classes that wherefore after the agrarian revolution was the development of the class of the land owners and the workers. The land owners were a small number of the elites that had immersed a lot of wealth as far as the means of production were concerned. They were also called the bourgeoisies or simply the owners of the means of production. Due to the sizes of their lands as well as other means of production these people had to hire for labor from those who did not own the means of production.The first relationship between the bourgeois and the proletarians was that the proletarians were hired as a source of labour to the bourgeoisies. In retaliation, they were rewarded with an income. The main aim of the owners of the means of production was always to reap the greatest benefits from there means of production while the workers’ main aim was to get the best payment for their investment. This caused a serious tension between the two groups as each tired to get its own way.However, due to the limitations of economic power of the proletarians, the bourgeoisie always won the battle and thus the workers had to continue working at the existing market rates (McKay et al 356). These differences were worsened during industrial revolution when Europe underwent a systematic process of industrializing and slowly turning away from t he normal agricultural based production. This led to people being concentrated together in urban centers. The bourgeoisie owned the industries while the proletarians had to work in those industries in order to earn a living for themselves.The concept of profit maximization led the owners of the means of production to engage into the measures of cost saving which greatly advocated for reduced salaries for the proletarians in order to improve the income from these industries. They further led to greater economic diversity between the two groups. The rich bourgeoisies continuously accumulate their wealth at the expense of the poor working class. The result of this marginalization was a growing trend of hostility between the two main groups as each tried to advance its ideals.However, the lack of both political and resource power made the proletarians to lose the battle the few land and capital owners. However, it was common sense to the land owners that any rebellion that would turn to be bloody would interfere with their wealth and thus a compromise was needed to ensure that the relationship between the two groups was always maintained at a manageable level (McKay et al 398). This realization led to the rise of another group, the middle class, mainly composed of people who sought to utilize the concept of either utilitarianism or Evangelism to strike a balance between the two main classes.The middle class therefore introduced the concept of maximization of pleasure and came up with the working formulas for the group to effectively co-exist. To maximize the reward from their investment, the concept of pain must be measured accurately. The bourgeoisie had to inflict pain in form of work to the proletarians and pay for the pain with the little pleasure as possible (pay). This was from the realizations that when pain is less than pleasure, the workers would comfortably work and shall not result to any form of revolution (McKay et al 394)The middle class also sought to make they working class continue working and had to convince the working class that pleasure can only be gained through pain, and thus there was need to accept some form of pain. This meant that so long us the work was rewarding you, the ethical thing is to continue working. The working class therefore continued to receive the pain from the bourgeoisie since the reward of the bourgeoisie was way above the pain they were getting from the working for them. In conclusion, it is evident that the two main classes during this era were always not in good terms.The minority class was the rich people and owned the means of production while the majority was the poor proletarians. Connecting the two classes was a middle class of scholars whose theories were crucial in ensuring that harmony was maintained among the leading social classes. When people moved into urban centers, special living patterns also characterized the social classes that existed in the Europe during the 18th and 19th cen turies. Work Cited McKay et al â€Å"A History of Western Society† 7th Edition, New York Wadsworth Publishing; 2002)

Managerial Accounting 505 Case Study Week 3

Grade 45/50 Managerial Accounting 505 Case Study Week 3 A. What is the break-even point in passengers and revenues per month? Total Per UnitPercent Sales: 160 X 90 $14,400$ 160100% Less variable costs/expenses: . 70 X 90 $ 6,300 $7044% Contribution margin: $ 8,100$9056% Less fixed costs/expense: $3,150,000 Net operating income: $3,141,900 8,100 /14,400 = 56% 100 – 56 = 44% BEP in passengers (fixed costs / contribution margin) 3,150,000 / 90 = 35,000 passengers BEP in dollars (passenger per month X selling price) 35,000 X 160 = 5,600,000 B.What is the break-even point in number of passenger train cars per month? # of seats per passenger train cars X Average load factor BEP in passenger’s car per month 35,000/ (90x. 70) 35,000/ 63 = 556 passenger train per month C. If Springfield Express raises its average passenger fare to $190, it is estimated that the average load factor will decrease to 60%. What will be the monthly break-even point in number of passenger cars? Total Per UnitPercent Selling Price $17,100$190100 Less variable costs/expense$6,300$70 37 Contribution margin$10,800$12063 BEP in passengers (fixed cost / unit cm ) 3,150,000 / 120 = 26,250BEP in passengers per month in dollars (fixed costs / cm ratio) 3,150,000 / . 63 = 5,000,000 # of seats per passenger train cars X Average load factor 90 X . 60 = 54 BEP # of passengers cars 26,250 / (90 X . 60) 54 = 486 passengers train cars per month D. Refer to original data. ) Fuel cost is a significant variable cost to any railway. If crude oil increases by $ 20 per barrel, it is estimated that variable cost per passenger will rise to $ 90. What will be the new break-even point in passengers and in number of passenger train cars? BEP in passengers Fixed operating cost /contribution margin 3,150,000/ 70 = 45,000 passengers per month BEP # of passengers per car 90x. 70 = 63 passenger per car Passengers per month/passenger train cars 45,000/63= 714 passenger train cars per month E. Springfield Expres s has experienced an increase in variable cost per passenger to $ 85 and an increase in total fixed cost to $ 3,600,000. The company has decided to raise the average fare to $ 205. If the tax rate is 30 percent, how many passengers per month are needed to generate an after-tax profit of $ 750,000? Before tax profit = after-tax profit /100%-tax rate % 750,000/(1. 00-. 30)= $1,071,429Before tax profit + fixed cost/New contribution margin $,1,071,429 + $3,600,000/($205-$85) = $4,671,429/$120 = 38928. 56 or 38,929 passenger per month. F. (Use original data). Springfield Express is considering offering a discounted fare of $ 120, which the company believes would increase the load factor to 80 percent. Only the additional seats would be sold at the discounted fare. Additional monthly advertising cost would be $ 180,000. How much pre-tax income would the discounted fare provide Springfield Express if the company has 50 passenger train cars per day, 30 days per month?Revenue= 90 x (. 80-. 7 0) x 120 x 50 x 30 + $180,000 = $1,800,000 Variable cost= $70 x ($1,800,000/discount fare ($120) = 1,050,000 Additional monthly advertising cost = $180,000 Revenue†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦$1,800,000 Less Variable cost†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦($1,050,000) Contribution Margin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ $750,000 Less Advertising cost†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ($180,000) Pretax income discount fare provide†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $570,000 f# of discounted seats = 90 X . 0 = 9 seats Contribution margin for discounted fares = $ 120 – $ 70 = $ 50 X 9 discounted seats = $450 each train X 50 train cars per day X 30 days per month= $ 675,000 minus $ 180,000 additional fixed costs = $ 495,000 pretax income. G. Springfield Express has an opportunity to obtain a new route that would be traveled 20 times per month. The company believes it can sell seats at $ 175 on the route, but the load factor would be only 60 percent. Fixed cost would increase by $ 250,000 per month for additional personnel, additional passenger train cars, maintenance, and so on.Variable cost per passenger would remain at $ 70. 1. Should the company obtain the route? Revenue= 90 x (. 6) X $175Ãâ€"20= $189,000 Variable cost= $70 x ($189,000/ fare ($175) = $75,600 Additional monthly Fixed cost = $250,000 Revenue†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦$189,000 Less Variable cost†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦($75,600) Contribution Margin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ $113,400 Less Fixed cost†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ($250,000) Pretax income loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. $136,000) The company should not go for the new route because they will lose money because the Total Additional Contribution Margin is not > Additional Fixed Costs 2. How many passenger train cars must Springfield Express operate to earn pre-tax income of $ 120,000 per month on this route? Before tax profit + fixed cost/Contribution margin $120,000+$250,000 / ($175-$70) = 3,523. 81 or 3524 # of seats per passenger train cars X Average load factor 90 X . 0 = 54 Passengers per month/passenger train cars 3524/54 = 65. 25 or 65 passenger train cars needed 3. If the load factor could be increased to 75 percent, how many passenger train cars must be operated to earn pre-tax income of $ 120,000 per month on this route? Before tax profit + fixed cost/Contribution margin $120,000+$250,000/($175-$70) = 3,523. 81 or 3524 # of seats per passenger train cars X Average load factor 90 X . 5 = 67. 50 Passengers per month/passenger train cars 3524/67. 50 = 52. 20 or 52 passenger train cars needed 4. What qualitative factors should be considered by Springfield Express in making its decision about acquiring this route? If fixed cost increased to $500,000 Fixed cost (25,000 X 2) = $500,000 = fixed cost + required profit)/contribution margin per seat = (500000 + 120000) / 61 = 62,0000 / 61 = 10164 SeatsSeat price average (131*10164) 1331484 Variable cost (70*10164) 711480 Contribution 620004 Fixed c ost 500000 Income Fixed cost variable cost, contribution margin income loading factors should be considered before taking decision. 4. Springfield should consider such things as †¢Connections to other Springfield trains that might be made by these passengers. †¢Long-range potential for increased load factors †¢Increased customer goodwill in this new market †¢Increased employment opportunities for labor in the area †¢Competition in the market. 120004

Mrs. Meier

Citation: Zelma M. Mitchell v. Lovington Good Samaritan Center, 555 NM 2d, 696 (1976) Facts: Mrs. Mitchell was terminated from her position at Lovington good Samaritan Center because of an argument that broke out with the director of the center, Mr. Smith, and the Director of nursing, Mrs. Stroope. It is said by the company that Mrs. Mitchell was terminated for alleged misconduct. After the termination Mrs. Mitchell applied for unemployment compensation and was denied. She appealed the case and was then awarded the benefits. After being awarded the benefits the defendant in the case appealed the court’s decision to give Mrs. Mitchell the benefits and they reversed that decision and the benefits were taken from Mrs. Mitchell. She again appealed the decision of the courts. Ultimately with the definition of â€Å"misconduct† take Issues: The issue in the case is that there is a back and forth story in what misconduct is and what happen the day Mrs. Mitchell was terminated. The defendant’s case is a history of misconduct and the plaintiff is thinking only about the day she was terminated. Mr. Smith is saying that the incident where Mrs. Mitchell called himself and Mrs. Stroope â€Å"Birdbrains† was the last straw. Rule: In order to establish misconduct the defendant must prove the Mrs. Mitchell was â€Å"evincing such willful or complete disregard of the employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect of his employee, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest equal culpability, wrongful intent or evil design or to show an intentional and substantial disregard of the employer’s interests or of the employee’s duties and obligations to his employer. Analysis: The courts found that with the definition of misconduct adopted into the system that Mrs. Mitchell’s acts were in fact constituted as misconduct. Starting with her insubordination, improper attire, name calling and other actions evinced blatant disregard to the way the center was ran and handled on a day to day basis. Conclusion: After the appeals of Mrs. Mitchell and Lovington Good Samari tan center, the decision of the commission to have Mrs. Mitchell’s benefits revoked was reinstated. Analogizing/Distinguishing- A similarity in the two cases is they are both applying for unemployment benefits and they were both fired for misconduct also they were both originally denied for benefits and they are both appealing the decision. The differences in the case are Mrs. Mitchell was terminated for not respecting the higher above and not doing her job when asked. Mrs. Attired was terminated for getting a visible tattoo when warned she should not do so. When asked to get the tattoo removed she chose not to and is now terminated from her position. Application to Client’s Facts- The facts in this case that could be applied to my case are that she did continuously pass the evaluations and was a good employee always had stuff to work on but never enough for the owner to terminate the client until â€Å"the last straw† which in this case is the tattoo and in my case was the disrespect in calling the operator a â€Å"bird brains†. Citation: Billie J. Rodman v. New Mexico Employment security department and Presbyterian Hospital, 764 NM 2d, 1316 (1988) Facts: The plaintiff Billie has been terminated from her job of 8 years for misconduct. She has been denied unemployment benefits because she was terminated for misconduct. She is appealing the decision from the district court to revoke benefits. It is said that over the years of her working at the Presbyterian Hospital she had received 3 corrective action notices. Prior to the termination, restrictions had been placed on Rodman’s conduct due to personal problems impacting her and the people she worked with. Rodman was reprimanded in June of 1986 for receiving to many personal telephone calls and personal visitors at her work station. They were disruptive to her work and the work of her co-workers. The formal reprimand informed Rodman that she was to no longer receive personal telephone calls and/or visitors during work hours. Unless it was at a designated break or dinner time, if she were to have visitors at break or dinner time they could not be visible to patients, co-workers, or the doctors in the hospital. After the reprimand extremely disruptive telephone calls and visits continued. Leading up to the day Rodman was terminated. Rodman was to make every effort to resolve the personal issues in her life so they would not affect her at work. Issues: At issue is whether the misconduct Mrs. Rodman is accused of warranted termination from employment at the hospital rose to the level of misconduct which would warrant denial of unemployment compensation under NMSA 1978, Section 51–1–7 of the Unemployment Compensation Law. Rule: In order to establish misconduct the defendant must prove that Billie Rodman was â€Å"evincing such willful or complete disregard of the employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect of his employee, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest equal culpability, wrongful intent or evil design or to show an intentional and substantial disregard of the employer’s interests or of the employee’s duties and obligations to her employer. After being reprimanded 3 times and the behavior continuing, the hospital had proof that the actions were documented and the plaintiff was warned they had no choice but to terminate said employee. Analysis: The court found with the evidence provided from the hospital that Mrs. Rodman was reprimanded and warned as the policy states. The hospital put up with the actions of Mrs. Rodman long enough, they had no choice but to terminate Mrs. Rodman After the disregard of the policy. The plaintiff continued with the behavior she was reprimanded for. Conclusion: Although the evidence in the case is amendable to more than one conclusion it is concluded that there was a substantial basis for the District Court to decide that the Plaintiff is not to receive unemployment benefits. Analogizing/Distinguishing- Citation: Its Burger Time Inc. v. New Mexico Department of Labor Employment security department board of review & Lucy Apodaca, 769 NM, 2d, 88 (1989) Facts: Lucy was terminated from her position at Its Burger time Inc. because of misconduct. Lucy came into work one day with purple tinted hair. She had previously asked her store manager John Pena how Mr. McGrath the owner of the cooperation would feel about it. Mr. Pena said he would ask he never asked and Lucy decided to dye her hair. Mr. McGrath sees the purple hair on Lucy and asked Mr. Pena to relay a message to her that she had a week to decide if she wanted her purple hair or her job. Lucy decided not to change her hair color and in doing so she was fired for misconduct. Mr. McGrath stated that it would affect the prosperity of his business. Lucy had no history of issues in the past year she had worked there and in the few days she was there with her purple hair there were no complaints from customers. A few times Lucy even received compliments on her hair color. Issues: The issue in this case is that the company terminated Lucy because of misconduct. According to the definition of misconduct Lucy choosing to keep her hair purple was not misconduct. The company gave Lucy an ultimatum and she chose to keep her hair purple. Rule: In order to establish misconduct the Plaintiff in this case must prove that Lucy was â€Å"evincing such willful or complete disregard of the employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect of his employee, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest equal culpability, wrongful intent or evil design or to show an intentional and substantial disregard of the employer’s interests or of the employee’s duties and obligations to her employer. On the other hand mere inefficiency, unsatisfactory conduct, failure in good performance as the result of inability or incapacity, inadvertencies or ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good faith errors in judgment or discretion are not to be deemed ‘misconduct’ within the meaning of the statute. † In this case Lucy did not commit misconduct in any way she made a choice to color her hair and the company could not prove with documentation of policies or past problems that Lucy was a burden to the company. Analysis: The courts found that Lucy was terminated from the company for misconduct, but the company could not prove that she had committed misconduct. She had never had any problems in the past, she asked permission, and decided that she would dye her hair when given the ultimatum she choose to keep her hair purple. That is not what misconduct when given the definition. Conclusion: The district court is reversed and the decision of the Commission is reinstated. Lucy is now able to receive her unemployment benefits.

Clinical guideline for nursing care of central venous catheters in Essay

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Article summary - Essay Example However, some senators and presidential candidates have been opposing this approach of the government by suggesting that revenues should be increased by restricting the deductions in the income tax. According to the, this approach will definitely help the government collect more taxes in such a way that it will not put burden on the middle class. The author of the article believes that Obama is likely to consider both suggestions, which include increasing tax rates and limiting income tax deductions. Republicans are in favor of lowered tax rates because it will help the government in increasing the level of growth. They believe that higher taxes would lead the country away from the pro-growth tax reform. Republicans also seem to be opposing other steps of the government, such as, premium support proposal for Medicare, school-choice programs, and vouchers. Summing it up, the article seems to be written in opposition to the steps likely to be taken by the American government for improving the economy of the country. Will, George. A Fiscal Cliff of the Democrats’ Own Choosing. Azstarnet.com, 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 4 Case Assignment Essay

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 4 Case Assignment - Essay Example He did challenge this decision in several courts but lost and was ruled against by the Supreme Court (Barnes et al, 1993). We will attempt to show that this decision falls under the utilitarian ethics principle. Utilitarian ethics can be defined over all as a decision that is made as the best decision for the most people. The case is a utilitarian ethics case though it also has the element of paternalism which is deontoligic in nature. In this case, it could only be seen that they were making this decision for the greatest good because it was a decision that ruled against the single person and saw the law in the light of a bigger picture. The Supreme Court, in this case made a decision that did not agree with the single employee because it would have led to a loss of the ability to protect future employees from injury that they themselves may not protect themselves against. This is the way public health law works. The public, the law, as well as the courts have had some difficulty in determining what justice is when it comes to a case like this one (Kass, 2001). Does this also protect the company? The answer is of course yes. However, this again is a decision that is made for the largest nu mber, not for the individual. It does not feel right to us because we have a tendency to look for justice in the sense of the single human instead of the group. It is also so easy to see that the company is not only concerned about the employee but that this is a serious illness brewing and if allowed to continue will be a large burden on the resources of the company so in the end the decision is meant to protect the employee, the company and employees of the future. The second part of the Utilitarian principle is that the decision is extrinsic in its features and that the outcomes of the decision were extrinsic in nature. This is certainly true here. This decision will affect

Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly market structures Essay - 2

Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly market structures - Essay Example In the short run the firms operating in monopolistic market can act as monopolies but in the long run the other firms enter into the market and the gains of differentiation takes the downward sloping curve with competition (Cashel-Cordo, n.d, p. 23). Oligopoly is regarded as the market structure where there are large firms operating in the market with significant barriers to entry. The oligopolists are aware of the conditions prevailing in the market as the market is dominated by only few sellers. The decision undertaken by one firm will influence the other firms operating in the market as well as the market as a whole. The decision or the responses of the market participants should be taken into account in the planning process. The prevailing competition in the market structure can give rise different outcomes. An operating firm in the oligopolistic firm can maximise the profit by operating at the level where marginal revenue is same as marginal costs. The primary differences betwee n the two types of market structures are in terms of relative size and control of the market of each firm on the basis of the number of competitors in the existing market structure. It is difficult to find clear cut evidences that cite the differences between the two market structures. Some industries can posses the characteristics of both oligopoly and monopolistic firm. With decrease in the level of competition the firms tend to behave more likely to that of oligopoly and less likely to that of monopolistic competition.

Why do want to be a teacher what experiences have led you to wantto Essay

Why do want to be a teacher what experiences have led you to wantto teach in a high-need school in New York City - Essay Example During my work as a social worker/therapist, I have encountered many troubled adults. Some adults I have encountered experience mental issues, economic deprivation, or little education. Somewhere along the way, the system failed these individuals. If one of their teachers had attempted to identify their problems, instead of just passing them on, maybe these individuals would have different lives. I want to be able to help troubled children from the beginning, instead of having to deal with adults when it is too late. I know that I am only human. The only effort I can make is my best one. However, I feel that if I impact one, just one child, then the decision to become a teacher would be vindicated. I want to be a positive influence shaping the future, instead of picking up the pieces of the past today. Instead of solving yesterday’s problems, I want to create tomorrow’s solution. My experience of being a social worker has equipped me with the educational, emotional, and intuition necessary to teach in a high need school in New York City. I have dealt with issues relevant to high need students. I have provided therapeutic intervention services to children, adolescents, and adults using individual, family, and group therapy. I have assisted and formed group counseling for children and teens in the areas of self esteem, peer managing, and anger management. These experiences have made me prepared to work in a high need school. Another reason for wanting to teach in a high need school in New York City is my own personality. I have always be a fighter for the underdog. Minorities, women, the wrongly accused, and other individuals down on their luck have always made me want to fight for their rights. I have always wanted to even the odds for the underprivileged. Many politicians and others spout the rhetoric every American student should receive the same

The Concept of Human Rights Essay Example for Free

The Concept of Human Rights Essay During the Second World War, the most horrific massacre took place; committed by the Nazi regime, killing millions of innocent people. The world could not believe this inhuman event occurred. â€Å"They felt like a war could no longer be used as an excuse to commit crimes against humanity†. (unac. org) it was a decision that was made across universal lines that the infringement of Human Right will no longer be accepted, and we will unite as one to establish a declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created and signed on December 10, 1948, there was legislatives from 48 countries who came together at the United Nations in Paris who believed in the value and respect for human life. (unac. org) After several drafts and much debate, the final version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emerged. The (UDHR) was a list of primary privileges that the worldwide group decided were equal and just for all humans. (unac. rg) The list of human rights consisted of six categories such as Political Rights, the right to vote, the right to citizenship and to participate in government. Liberty Rights: the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Equality Rights: the right to be free from discrimination; Economic Rights: the right to fair wages and safe working conditions; Social Rights: the right to education and to adequate health care; Security Rights: protect people against crimes such as murder, massacre, torture, and rape. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Human rights is definitely NOT a static concept, it’s a dynamic concept, because counties, people and circumstances change and because was establish different values over time. For example the issues on gay rights, which were not and concern in 1948 as it is now that more gays are coming out and demanding the same right as everyone else regard marriage and equality. Also, now global warming and the environment is an issue among many counties there is a demand for the right to a clean environment. According Professor Philip Alston, Chairman of the UN Committee. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights can have extensions added it, but the original declaration cannot be changed. Therefore, we will continue to develop Human rights in America and across the globe. It will be a slow process as issues arise, but it is necessary to make this world a better place for all human beings.

Substance Abuse Among Adolescent Students

Substance Abuse Among Adolescent Students CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood into adulthood, a period of physical, psychological and social maturation. This is a crucial period of life when an individual is no longer a child but not yet an adult. The term adolescent refers to individuals between 10-19 years of age (early adolescence 10-14 years and late adolescence 15-19 years). In this period they are usually very energetic, enthusiastic, and anxious and become more autonomous in their decision taking.1 To show that they are capable of handling themselves the risk taking behavior among them is very high which, as a consequence, may bring different kinds of problems. Substance abuse is common and one of the most disturbing problems among the youths. In Nepal adolescents comprise about one fourth (24%) of the total population.2 Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.3 Substance abuse is the use of any substance(s) for no n-therapeutic purposes or use of medication for the purposes other than those for which it is prescribed. It refers to the over-indulgence in and dependence of a drug or other chemicals leading to effects that are detrimental to the individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s physical and mental health, or the welfare of the others. Substance abuse has complex roots; in biological predisposition, personal development, and social context. Specific social correlates such as parent-child conflict, child physical and sexual abuse, family breakdown etc has also great role4. The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is a crucial period in which experimentation with illicit drugs in many cases begins. Because of their innate curiosity and thirst for new experiences, peer pressures, their resistance to authority, sometimes low self-esteem and problems in establishing positive interpersonal relationships, young people are particularly susceptible to the allure of drugs. However, all youth around the world do not have the same reason for abusing drugs.5 Substance abuse also predicts affiliation with network of deviant peers who introduce these adolescents to other substances.4 [2] Adolescent substance use usually starts with alcohol and cigarette which are referred to as gateway substances. They are the initial substances used before others are tried out and later progress to more dangerous ones such as cannabis and cocaine.4 In most societies cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and using drugs are more or less perceived by young people as something alluring. Many also see it as a status symbol, a way to telling their peers and contemporaries that they have come of age. In Nepal, alcohol use has not been taken seriously either by the community or by any social organization.6 There is no age restriction on buying cigarettes. Cannabis and alcohol were traditionally used in Nepal for centuries. A cannabis derivative such as marijuana and bhang is often justified in connection with religious festivals because of the presumed prediction by one principal figure of the Hindu pantheon, the lord Shiva for the drug.7 With time, risky behavior such as gluing, sniffing an d injecting the drugs has been introduced. Though drug use is strictly illegal in Nepal, the easy access and availability of drugs has created a conducive environment for the people to start taking such substances, especially among young people and children. Substance abuse is one of the main risk factors for numbers of heart and lung diseases, oral, lung and stomach cancer, psychiatric problems and even death. Poor social coping skills, broken homes, disturbed relationships and risky behaviors is its social consequences.3 A number of measures, both on supply reduction and demand reduction, have been taken by the government and non-governmental organizations. However, the number of drug users is in the increasing trend.6 Substance abuse, therefore, is still a major public health problem and theres a need of more extensive awareness and rehabilitation programmes. 1.2. Problem statement Substance use poses a significant health, social and economic threat to families, communities and nations. The extent of worldwide psychoactive substance use, according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2002, is estimated at 2 billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers and 185 million drug users. Similarly, there are 150 million adolescent tobacco users. In an initial estimate of factors responsible for the global burden of disease, tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs contributed together 12.4% of all deaths worldwide in the year 2000.8 [3] Tobacco alone contributes 8.8%, alcohol- 3.2% and illicit drugs-0.4% of all the death worldwide. Injecting drug use has been reported in 136 countries, of which 93 countries report HIV infection among this population. Tobacco is the largest burden in Europe and South-East Asia while alcohol poses the largest burden in Africa, the Americas, and Western Pacific. Worldwide alcohol causes 2.5 million deaths (3.8 % of total) and 69.4 million (4.5% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).8 According to Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2006, one-third of men smoke cigarettes and two-fifth consumed other forms of tobacco, whereas 15% of women smoke cigarettes and 5% consumed other forms of tobacco.2 According to Non Communicable Disease Risk Factors Survey 2008 in Nepal, 37.1% were tobacco users. Of them, 26.2% (35.5% men and 15.9% women) were found to be currently smoking among which 23.8% were daily smokers. Mean age of the initiation of smoking was 18.8 years for men and 12.9 years for women. Similarly, 28.5% were found to be currently consuming alcoholic drinks wherein almost one and half times more men (39.3%) than the women counter parts (16.5%).9 The report published by United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESC) showed that the younger the age of first use of illicit drugs, the higher the severity of drug problem later. The age of first experience with drugs has been falling in many regions of the world. Adolescent substance use is increasingly prevalent throughout the world.10 According to the Nepal Adolescent and Young Adult (NAYA) Survey 2000, about one-quarter of the young boys and one in ten girls have experienced smoking.11 Study conducted in Nepal by Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), New ERA and orc Macro, 2002 have revealed that 47.4% of the adolescents aged 15-19 has consumed alcohol. Study conducted among teenagers in seven districts of the country stated that more than one in ten teenagers admitted to taking drugs. Of these teenagers, 56% took drugs by smoking, a quarter by inhaling (26%) and 5.4% admitted to injecting drugs.11 [4] 1.3. Rationale Substance abuse has been a rising social, economic and public health problem and the hazards associated with it are undeniable. It is one of the forms of behavior most damaging to the health in the long term and is associated with other risky behavior such as engaging in unprotected sex which may result in HIV/AIDS.7 Adolescence period is the major age of initiation of substance abuse.6 Substance abuse among adolescents seems to be alarmingly pace around the world and Nepal is no exception. Though there are organizations working for adolescents, very fewer studies are conducted regarding this issue. Awareness programs are insufficient due to the scarce of information of the real scenario. Since majority of substance abuse among youths starts in the school, the school population is the best place for early detection and prevention of substance abuse in the adolescent population. As a result of lack of sufficient and reliable data from which generalization can be derived for Nepal, the re is a definite need for additional school surveys on substance abuse in the country. This study provides the base information on the use of various substances among school adolescents. It is intended to describe the magnitude of substance abuse among school children, the factor motivating them to abuse and knowledge and perception regarding substance abuse so that the possible intervention could be taken. 1.4. Objectives 1.4.1. General objective To find out the magnitude and associated factors of substance abuse among adolescent students in secondary schools of Vyas municipality, Tanahun. [5] 1.4.2. Specific objectives To identify the prevalence of substance abuse among the adolescent students of Vyas municipality. To determine the age of initiation of substance abuse. To find out the factors influencing the initiation of substance abuse. To explore the students desire for quitting abuse of substance. To determine the students knowledge and perception regarding substance abuse. To determine patterns of substance abuse in terms of sex and type of school. 1.5. Research questions What is the prevalence of substance abuse among the adolescent students? What is the knowledge and perception of adolescents towards substance abuse? Do sex and type of school influence the use of substance? 1.6. Variables 1.6.1. Dependent à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Substance abuse 1.6.2. Independent à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Age à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Sex à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Peer influence à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Availability à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Types of school à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ Knowledge and perception regarding substance abuse [6] 1.7. Conceptual framework Availability Substance abuse among school adolescents Age Sex Place Family History Type of school Peer influence Knowledge and Perception regarding substance abuse Types of substance Figure 1: Conceptual framework 1.8. Operational definitions Substance: Any psychoactive material which when consumed affects the way people feel, think, see, taste, smell, hear or behave. Cigarette, chewing tobacco, alcoholic products and drugs (drug tablets, cannabis, heroin, opium, glue/gum, tidigesic, tranquilizers) are included as a substance in this study. Substance abuse: Substance abuse is the non-medical use of substances in order to achieve alterations in psychological functioning. Use of any of the substances mentioned above for two or more times in a lifetime is included under substance abuse. Adolescent students: Secondary school students of grade 8, 9 10 of both community and institutional schools within the age of 10-19 years are considered adolescent students. School: Government-aided community schools and institutional schools are studied. [7] Knowledge level regarding harmful effects of substance abuse: Those who could list at least one or more harmful effects of substance abuse are considered as having â€Å"good knowledge† and those who couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t list any are regarded as having â€Å"poor knowledge†. Perception towards substance abuse: The perception of the students was measured in 3 points scale: „agreeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸, „disagreeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and „canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t sayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Statements for measuring perceptions are: à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ One who abuses substance has more friends. à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ One who abuses substance has negative image in the society. à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ It is difficult to quit the substance after getting into it. [8] CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW Substance abuse is rising public health as well as social problem throughout the world. It poses a significant threat to the health, social and economic foundation of families, communities and nations. It is one of the major preventable causes of death and disability. There are about 2 billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers and 185 million drug users worldwide.8 Consumption of substances has increased all over the world and the age of initiation of substance abuse is progressively falling. There has been increase in social and economic factors which make young more vulnerable and likely to engage in drug use and drug-related risk-taking behavior.10 A study carried out on â€Å"Socio-Demographic Correlates of Psychoactive Substance Abuse among Secondary School Students in Enugu, Nigeria† showed that 33.7% of the adolescents were substance abusers. Alcohol was most commonly abused (31.6%). Prevalence of the cigarette smoking was 14.3%, inhalants 9%, tranquilizers 7.4% and ca nnabis 4.15%. Males consumed most psychoactive substances more frequently than the females. Cigarette and cannabis were the exclusive preserve of the males. Older students were more involved in multiple substance use compared to younger ones. Among the users, 75% of the respondents were using more than one substance whereas 24.8% used only one substance.4 In a study carried out on â€Å"Drug use among adolescents in Asturias (Spain)† among the school students, 29.1% were drug user among which 55% were male. The average age of initiation of drugs was 15.4 years for males and 15.5 years for females. Cannabis was the most frequent drug used ever i.e. 20.8% of the total respondents became involved with this drug at sometime of their lives. Tranquilizers was second (10.3%), followed by amphetamine-like substance (7.9%) and inhalants (2.3%). The mean age at first drug use was 15.4 years for males and 15.5 years for females.12 A study carried out on â€Å"Licit and illicit substance use by adolescent students in eastern India: Prevalence and associated risk factors† among 416 students of classes VIII, IX and X in rural and urban settings gave the prevalence of 6.14% and 0.6%. The mean age of initiation of substance abuse was 12.6 and 13.9 years among rural and urban students respectively. Tobacco followed by alcohol was most commonly used in both setting. Prevalence was higher in males. Use of a substance by family [9] members had a significant impact on its use by their children. Enjoyment and Curiosity were found to have the major influence in their decision to use a substance.13 Another study carried out on â€Å"Substance use among secondary school students in an urban setting in Nigeria: prevalence and associated factors† revealed that the life time use prevalence rates of alcohol and tobacco were 9.25 and 5.2%. The commonest substance used by the students was caffeine (85.7%). In terms of gender, the prevalence rate for male was higher than for their female counterparts except for antibiotics, analgesics, heroin and cocaine. Major Reason for using substances included relief from stress- 43.5%. About three quarters of the respondents (70%) were unaware of problems or complications that could arise from substance use while 10.5% believed poor physical health could arise.14 Department of Narcotic Control in Bangladesh, in June 2008, reported about 5 million drug addicts in the country amo ng which young and adolescent population comprised 91%. Heroin is the most widely abused drug in Bangladesh.15 A study of adolescent smoking and drinking carried out among adolescent students in 2007 in Korea have shown that the prevalence of smoking was 29.2% while drinking was 48.2%. The mean age at the first instance of smoking and drinking was 13.8 and 14.1 years respectively. Among drinking adolescents, 30.1% were offered a drink by their parents, although most adolescents were encouraged to smoke or drink by their friends.16 The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) of school-going adolescents of class 8-10 conducted by WHO in the South-East Asia Region revealed that one in 10 school-going adolescents in Nepal use some form of tobacco. The smoking rate for girls was significantly lower than that for boys. Exposure to smoke was both at home and in public places. Despite a substantial proportion of adolescents using tobacco, a large proportion of current smokers wanted to stop smoking. Regular presence of smokers in the family and easy accessibility of tobacco products were the major contributing factors to the prevalence of the smoking habit among adolescents in Nepal. It was also observed that almost one in ten smoking students smoke at home, revealing that there is no parental pressure on them to stop.11 [10] United Nations International Childrens Fund (UNICEF) 2001 survey in Nepal reported that more than one in ten teenagers admitted to taking drugs. Of these, 56% took drugs by smoking, 26% by inhaling and 5% by the injecting route. Majority (76.7%) of the adolescents was introduced to the drugs by their friends and 12% started taking on their own while 7% were encouraged by their father and uncles.11 According to a study done in school students of Grade 8, 9 and 10 in Pokhara sub- metropolitan city, nearly half 47.1% of the students ever used tobacco products. One in seven (13.2%) were current users, one in four (22.7%) were experimental users and one in ten were the past users of any tobacco product. The mean age of initiating tobacco was about 13 years and nearly one fifth (18.9%) initiated before 10 years of age. Boys were more likely to use tobacco than girls and adolescents of institutional schools were more likely to use tobacco products as compared to community school students. R egarding the knowledge of students about tobacco use nearly one third (31%) of the adolescent students were having good knowledge and less than half (42.7%) were having some knowledge about the hazards of tobacco use. Significant proportions of the adolescents have wrong perceptions about the use of tobacco i.e.47% thought that tobacco users have more friends and 27.3% thought that tobacco users are more attractive.17 [11]

The Use Of Time In Poetry: Milton, Shakespeare, Wordsworth :: essays research papers

Throughout the Elizabethan and Romantic era, time and nature are themes that are ever-present in the great poetry of the period. Although the poets presented this idea in different ways, it was clear that time and nature were major influences on each man’s writing and that each of them were, in a sense, extremely frustrated by the concept of time. It appeared to me that each poet, in some form, felt empty and unaccomplished, and they all consider as true that time is not on their side. In Shakespeare’s Sonnet LXXIII, the poet is an older man comparing his life to such things as night and day, the four seasons, and as a fire in a fire. Shakespeare uses these images to show us just how quickly time passes. I found his representation of life as the cycle of day and night particularly insightful. â€Å"In me thou see’st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To Shakespeare, dawn is the birth of a child, mid-day is a child’s youth, and twilight, his current stage, is the stage of life when death is approaching, although it has not yet arrived. The sun has set, and the sky is a beautiful color, but the black night, death, will take that all away. He knows he is past his prime and now he just awaits death. It is easy to see that Shakespeare is quite frustrated because he knows that death is coming, but he doesn’t know when it is coming. The comparison of the cycle of day and night to the cycle of life made me realize how hurried life is and how you should appreciate and make the most of the time you have. The phrase â€Å"death’s second self† is especially strong as he is saying that every time you go to sleep, it is like a small death. Every time you go to sleep, you lose another day. Shakespeare resolves this problem with a couplet that screams love me now while I am still here because when I am gone you will regret not loving me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time is also a main theme in Milton’s â€Å"How Soon Hath Time†. Milton, however, is concerned because he feels that he has nothing to show for his life and he is scared that death is approaching him. He personifies time, calling it â€Å"the subtle thief of youth†. At the age of 23, he can’t believe how time is just

Death and the Maiden Essay -- Ariel Dorfman

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Ââ€"Oscar Wilde Death and the Maiden discusses Princess Diana, her media, and her public from the point-of-view of Maureen Dowd. Was Diana the “spendthrift of her own celebrity”? Is the media a market of vultures feeding off of Diana? Does the public actually have any remorse for the Princess? There is no right or wrong answers for these questions because they are merely opinionated. Whether or not Diana was a victim of celebrity culture or the creator of her own demise is debatable, and even though Dowd thinks the coverage of DianaÂ’s death was awful she felt she brought on a lot of the other attention herself. She implies that DianaÂ’s celebrity led to her making careless, irrational decisions. Dowd states “The Princess of Wales was the queen of surfaces, ruling over a kingdom where fame was the highest value and glamour was the most cherished attribute.” Here she insinuates Diana is superficial and did things on purpose for the fame, she then goes on to say “she rode the...

Asian Financial Crisis Essay -- business economics

In the summer of 1997, an economic and currency crisis rocked the Asian markets. One by one, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and Japan saw their economies crash in the wake of heavy foreign investment. An economic boom had made the region an attractive investment opportunity for much of the 1990s. By 1997, however, domestic production and development had stalled, and foreign investors grew nervous. A divestment run on the Thai baht triggered the crash. Large corporations, extremely dependent upon the confidence of foreign investors failed to meet debt obligations and began to fail throughout Southeast Asia. Currencies throughout the region faltered and nosedived from their mid-1990s positions of stability. The causes of the Asian economic crisis are varied. Lax oversight of corporations had ramifications in economic downturns that were not a concern in the mid-90s boom. Macroeconomic policies of the southeast Asian countries made their economies vulnerab le to the uncertain confidence of their foreign investors. Despite this, Corsetti, Pesenti and Roubini (1998) make the point that, ?market overreaction and herding caused the plunge of exchange rates, asset prices and economic activity to be more severe than warranted by the initial weak economic conditions.? Much of the crisis that began in 1997 has roots that go back further to the area?s economic growth that started in the early 1990s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although many economists consider the Asian economic collapse to have begun in Thailand, conditions throughout the region meant that other countries? economies were destabilized to the extent that they quickly followed Thailand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the early 1990s, growth in Southeast Asia attracted much foreign capital. However, by 1995 and 1996, Thailand?s current account deficit had grown (from 5.7% in ?93 to 8.5% in ?96 [Pesenti et al., 1998]). When domestic production slowed, this account imbalance represented an even greater percentage, when compared to GDP. Much of the instability in Thailand?s economy was brought about by heavy short-term borrowing that required stringent debt maintenance. A boom in real estate and the Thai stock market attracted foreign speculation that could not be sustained in the face of investor doubts. The Thai government attempted to shore up shaky investor confidence by officially backing the financial in... ...r 1997 are from the Economist Intelligence Unit Country Report, 2nd quarter 1998. Table 2. Non-Performing Loans (as proportion of total lending in 1996) Korea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8% Thailand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13% Indonesia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13% Hong Kong   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3% Malaysia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10% China   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14% Philippines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14% Taiwan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4% Singapore   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4% Source: 1997 BIS Annual Report; Jardine Fleming. Table 3. Debt Service plus Short-Term Debt, World Bank Data (% of foreign reserves ). 1990   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1991  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1992  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1993   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1994   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1995   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1996 Korea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  127.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  125.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  110.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  105.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  84.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  204.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  243.3 Indonesia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  282.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  278.8   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  292.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  284.8   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  278.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  309.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  294.2 Malaysia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  64.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  45.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  45.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  42.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  48.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  55.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  69.3 Philippines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  867.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  257.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  217.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  212.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  172.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  166.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  137.1 Thailand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  102.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  99.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  101.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  120.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  126.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  138.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  122.6 Hong Kong   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22.8   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  20.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16.8 China   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  55.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  43.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  108.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  113.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  54.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  49.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  38.5 Taiwan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  24.2

Meaning and Definition of Philosophy Essay

The term â€Å"Philosophy† is derived from two Greek words, Philia meaning â€Å"to love† or â€Å"to befriend† and, Sophia meaning â€Å"wisdom. † Thus, philosophy, means â€Å"the love of wisdom†. It was coined by Pythagoras, one of the sages of ancient Greece, born about the year 584 B. C. Philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other. As an academic discipline philosophy is much the same. Those who study philosophy are perpetually engaged in asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to life’s most basic questions. To make such a pursuit more systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided into major areas of study. Characteristics of Philosophy Philosophy is distinguished from theology in that philosophy rejects dogma and deals with speculation rather than faith. Covers areas of inquiry where no facts as such are available. Philosophy attains knowledge, not by making use of the principles or articles of faith, but by the use of the principle of natural cognition, which may be obtained from the investigation of nature and the natural study of things. Methods of Philosophy Philosophy investigates the ultimate causes of things, it is enough for it to part from unquestionable experience. It employs rational inference as its main instrumentality. Hence, it is experiential, but chiefly rational. Philosophy uses the rational method in solving problems. The rational method means not only reasoning but also contemplation combined with and confirmed by experience, observation, reflection and tradition. Philosophy as a Science and as an Art Philosophy is a science that systematically develops a hypothesis with the use of analytical tools that would help resolve the problem through logical reasoning. It is open for debates as a human endeavor to seek the truth through learnt knowledge. Philosophy is an art because you require inherent skills & natural ability to apply the philosophical principles. Philosophy stands at the pinnacle of artistic pursuits. Philosophy is the crystallization of artistic expression. Distinction and Commonalities between Science and Philosophy a) Objects – Both science and philosophy attempts to understand and explain nature and reality. Science asks what and how and is only concerned with measurable data. In philosophy, it also asks why and is also concerned with things that can’t be measured. b) Methods – The methods of both science and philosophy is done through observation and rationality. The only difference is that science uses instruments while philosophy only uses reflection. c) Procedure – Both science and philosophy starts with a thing that is unknown which you want to know something about. The only difference between the two is that science uses scientific method to come up with a result while philosophy don’t. d) Conclusions – Both science and philosophy raises questions even after they have come up with a conclusion. Science’ conclusion, if proven, may become a law while in philosophy is only a way of how to look at things and can’t become a law. Main Branches of Philosophy Metaphysics It is a branch of philosophy that studies the ultimate structure and constitution of reality. It is usually concerned with questions such as, what is being, what is a thing, what is the thing hood of things and what makes our world a world of things at all? Aristotle, Plato and Aquinas are some of the people who supported Metaphysics. Ethics Also known as moral philosophy, the field of ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Philosophers in this branch attempts to answer questions such as: what is good? What is right? Is morality objective or subjective? How should I treat others? Immanuel Kant and Plato are some who advocated ethics. Ethics today are divided into three general subject areas: meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. a. Meta-ethics – Investigates where our ethical principles come from, and what they mean. Meta-ethics answers to the questions of, are they merely social inventions, and do they involve more the expressions of our individual emotions? b. Normative Ethics – Takes on a more practical task, which is to arrive at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. Involves in having good habits, following duties, and knowing the consequences of our behavior on others. c. Applied Ethics – Involves in examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion, capital punishments or homosexuality. Aesthetics A branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of art, beauty, and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensory-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiments and taste. Some of the questions are concerned with the value of aesthetics and the variety of aesthetic attitudes, what can life be like? Immanuel Kant is the most influential theorist in this branch of philosophy. Epistemology It is the study of knowledge. Epistemologists concern themselves with a number of tasks, which we might sort into two categories. First is to determine the nature of knowledge; what does it mean to say that someone knows, or fails to know something? Second is to determine the extent of human knowledge; how much do we, can we, know? Aside from its focus on the nature of knowledge, Epistemology also focuses how it relates to connected notions such as truth, belief, and justification. a. Belief – Knowledge is a kind of belief. If one has no beliefs about a particular matter, one cannot have knowledge about it. b. Truth – Knowledge, then, requires belief. Of course, not all beliefs constitute knowledge. Belief is necessary but not sufficient for knowledge. We are all sometimes mistaken in what we believe; in other words, while some of our beliefs are true, others are false. As we try to acquire knowledge, then, we are trying to increase our stock of true beliefs. c. Justification – Just as knowledge requires successfully achieving the objective of true belief, it also requires success with regard to the formation of that belief. In other words, not all true beliefs constitute knowledge; only true beliefs arrived at in the right way constitute knowledge. Rational Psychology Metaphysical discipline that attempted to determine the nature of the human soul by a priori reasoning. Its subject-matter is the soul or mind, and its major task is to prove the immortality of the soul. It is also called Pneumatology, study of spirit or soul. One of three disciplines under â€Å"special metaphysics† in Christian Wolff’s division of metaphysics. Theodicy This philosophy study concerns God: His existence and His nature. It also attempts to reconcile the seeming conflict between the goodness of God and the existence of evil in the world. The term was coined in 1710 by German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Do you believe in God? Does God really exist? These are some of the questions that are raised in Theodicy. Social Philosophy The philosophical study of questions about social behavior of humans. The philosophy of social science can be described broadly as having two aims. First, it seeks to produce a rational reconstruction of social science. Second, the philosophy of social science seeks to critique the social sciences with the aim of enhancing their ability to explain the social world or otherwise improve our understanding of it. Thus philosophy of social science is both descriptive and prescriptive. What is the method of social science? Does social science use the same methods as natural science? These are some of the questions that concerns the philosophers. Logic Logic is one of the most important and oldest branches of philosophy and its subject matter falls at the core of philosophizing. Logic studies patterns of reasoning dividing them into those that are valid and invalid with respect to a set of given rules. Aristotle is one of the proponent of this branch of philosophy. Aristotle does not believe that the purpose of logic is to prove that human beings can have knowledge, instead, the aim of logic is the elaboration of a coherent system that allows us to investigate, classify, and evaluate good and bad forms of reasoning. Other Subfields Philosophy of Science This is probably the largest subfield generated by epistemology. Philosophy of science is usually divided into philosophy of the natural sciences and philosophy of the social sciences. It has recently been divided further, into philosophy of physics, biology, psychology, economics, and other sciences. Philosophy of science clarifies both the quest for scientific knowledge and the results yielded by that quest. It does this by exploring the logic of scientific evidence; the nature of scientific laws, explanations, and theories; and the possible connections among the various branches of science. How, for instance, is psychology related to brain biology, and biology to chemistry? And how are the social sciences related to the natural sciences? It is not an attempt to â€Å"do† science, but to ask questions about how science is done or why science is done and how and why it may be a good method. It is concerned with all the assumptions, foundations, methods, implications of science, and with the use and merit of science. This discipline sometimes overlaps metaphysics, ontology and epistemology when it explores whether scientific results comprise a study of truth. Plato, Aristotle, and Empedocles are some of the many philosophers of science. Philosophy of Education. A field of applied philosophy that examines the aims, forms, methods, and results of education as both a process and a field of study. It is influenced both by developments within philosophy, especially questions of ethics and epistemology, and by concerns arising from instructional practice. Some of the philosophers of philosophy of education: Socrates, contributed his dialectic method of inquiry. Plato and his vision of ideal Republic. Aristotle who considered human nature, habit and reason to be equally important forces to be cultivated in education. Philosophy of Religion. Philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents. The range of those engaged in the field of philosophy of religion is broad and diverse and includes philosophers from the analytic and continental traditions, Eastern and Western thinkers, religious believers and agnostics, skeptics and atheists. Philosophy of religion draws on all of the major areas of philosophy as well as other relevant fields, including theology, history, sociology, psychology, and the natural sciences. Aristotle, Peter Abelard and St. Thomas Aquinas are some of the major philosophers of religion. Six main focus of philosophy of religion: a) Religious Language and Belief b) Religious Diversity c) Concepts of God / Ultimate Reality d) Arguments for and against the Existence of God e) Problems of Evil and Suffering f) Miracles Philosophy of History History is the study of the past in all its forms. Philosophy of history examines the theoretical foundations of the practice, application, and social consequences of history and historiography. It is similar to other area studies – such as philosophy of science or philosophy of religion – in two respects. First, philosophy of history utilizes the best theories in the core areas of philosophy like metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics to address questions about the nature of the past and how we come to know it: whether the past proceeds in a random way or is guided by some principle of order, how best to explain or describe the events and objects of the past, how historical events can be considered causally efficacious on one another, and how to adjudicate testimony and evidence. Second, as is the case with the other area-studies, philosophy of history investigates problems that are unique to its subject matter. History focuses on the unique rather than the general. The founding philosopher of history is St. Augustine. St. Augustine was the first Christian to offer a comprehensive Philosophy of History. One of his greatest accomplishments was the sanctification of Plato’s understanding of the two realms: the perfect Celestial Kingdom and the corrupt copy. Philosophy of Politics and Law. Study of such topics as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what makes a government legitimate. Philosophy of law (or legal philosophy) is concerned with providing a general philosophical analysis of law and legal institutions. Issues in the field range from abstract conceptual questions about the nature of law and legal systems to normative questions about the relationship between law and morality and the justification for various legal institutions. Three categories into which the topics of legal philosophy fall: analytic jurisprudence, normative jurisprudence, and critical theories of law. a) Analytic jurisprudence – Involves providing an analysis of the essence of law so as to understand what differentiates it from other systems of norms, such as ethics. b) Normative jurisprudence – Involves the examination of normative, evaluative, and otherwise prescriptive issues about the law, such as restrictions on freedom, obligations to obey the law, and the grounds for punishment. c) Critical Theories of Law – Challenges more traditional forms of legal philosophy such as, critical legal studies and feminist jurisprudence. Philosophy of Mind This subfield has emerged from metaphysical concerns with the mind and mental phenomena. The philosophy of mind addresses not only the possible relations of the mental to the physical, but the many concepts having an essential mental element: belief, desire, emotion, feeling, sensation, passion, will, personality, and others. A number of major questions in the philosophy of mind cluster in the area of action theory: What differentiates actions, such as raising an arm, from mere body movements, such as the rising of an arm? Must mental elements, for example intentions and beliefs, enter into adequate explanations of our actions, or can actions be explained by appeal to ordinary physical events? And what is required for our actions to be free? Aristotle is one proponent of this discipline.

Politics of Plato and Aristotle Essay

Plato and Aristotle are variably considered as some of the greatest political thinkers and philosophers the world has ever produced. It is worth noting that at one time Aristotle was a student of Plato therefore their political thoughts are almost similar yet there exists great discrepancies in their teachings. Nevertheless despite the fact that their thoughts were coined in the 4th century they still remain popular even today. In many history circles these two great political philosophers are regarded in different ways based on their political and philosophical view. Whilst Plato is variably regarded as the â€Å"first writer of political philosophy†, Aristotle on his part is considered to be the first political scientist. (Landman T 34) Abstract reason that was based on moral knowledge was the ground within which Plato based his theories making a departure from Aristotle who based his theories on experience where he envisaged applying them on concrete living. Within the political teachings of Plato the most central theme or discourse is the Republic which primarily deals with the soul that describes justice as the definitive human form. According to Plato, Justice is central to the establishment and the eventual strengthening of the regime attaining happiness in the process. For Plato a perfect society is the focal point, and in his book ‘The Republic†, he strives to create an outline of a society that is utopian in nature disregarding the tension of political life. In this outline he therefore sought to achieve a perfect society where present inherent problems are eased by curing the human personality and the society at large. According to Plato, politics is regarded as an attempt by man to bring orderliness or disorderliness in the regime or his social life. To bring order and law in the society politics is regarded as the main means to achieve this end because the Republic is a political. (Landman T 38) Aristotle on the other hand expressed his political thoughts through his writing, Politics. Unlike Plato his concern is more directed towards the regime rather than the individual and justice is the highest goal. Ultimately according to him people must live together leading to a more united regime, thus the family is highly stressed in his philosophy because this is where people originate from. Two main fields define Aristotle’s political science and include ethics and political philosophy. (Landman T 41) The politician’s task according to Aristotle is to give laws and to tailor the regime’s constitution, after this the next pertinent step for the politician is to sustain and maintain this constitution to ensure the political system is maintained. Aristotle was on the view that the regime makes up what is called a community which is generally established for some particular good. (Keyt D. & Miller, F 69) Both Aristotle and Plato had different views about appropriate leadership to govern the regime. For Aristotle the most beneficial leadership for the regime is a kingship, which is followed by Aristocracy, then Polity, Democracy, Oligarchy and finally Tyranny as its extreme. (Lord C 122). However according to Plato the highest or the most beneficial is the Timocracy which is followed by Oligarchy, then Democracy and Tyranny at the bottom. Plato had a more pessimistic view of the change in regime which he regarded as a linear circumstance that is uncontrollable which is always deteriorating. Thus a regime can never improve in any way. Aristotle on the other hand is of a divergent opinion that is optimistic and considers change as a non-linear progression that can sometimes go from worse to better and vice- versa, where the regime has a probability of rehabilitating itself.

Why Music?

Life has rhythm and melody to it. People may state that they don't listen to music. Is that true? Sound, it's all around, whether we like it or not. If we live and hear, then avoiding music is impossible. It surrounds us entirely, but why? Why are people drawn to music? Why does music even exist? â€Å"The more mellifluous the singer, the more dexterous the harpist, the more mates he attracts. † According to the article ‘Why Music? ‘ a reason for why people choose to listen and perform music is because of sex and love. There is some truth in that hypothesis: the better the musician is, the more attractive they will be to potential mates. Many famous singers and band members that are widely known around the world can thank both their talent and physical appearance for their success. Fans might enjoy their music purely because they are attracted to that certain artist instead of to the music itself. This argument states that music exists just to allow people to attract and fall in love, but that may not be entirely true. The author states, † A man does not have to be gay to enjoy the music of an all-male orchestra. † This makes sense, and just proves that the argument of sex being the reason for music wrong. % of the world's population has amusia, where they can't understand and distinguish differences in music; so would that mean they aren't capable to fall in love? There are also many songs that are being recorded, performed and enjoyed where their lyrics have nothing to do with love, sex or relationships, for example traditional, children and purely instrumental songs. They are considered music, but aren't connected to mating. So therefore, this argument, no matter how reasonable can't be entirely true. There has to be a reason that is fully accurate though. So, if it's not sex, what else could it be? Social bonding? Music may exist for us because it helps bind us together just like it did for our past ancestors; the early humans. Before music's emergence, an important social activity was grooming. Grooming was a vital way to allow primates and animals not only to clean their pelts but also to socialize. As groups expanded over time, social grooming became harder and â€Å"the gap was bridged by music, which may thus be seen as a precursor to language,† as Dr. Dunbar believes. Nowadays we still listen to music in groups, and it still is a way to socialize. Concerts, clubs, parties, all are places and events where people who enjoy and share the same interests in music gather together. People may not only get together because of similar taste in music, but they might also have other interests that are the same. But, like the first hypothesis, it can't be entirely true. Isn't it possible for people to listen to music when they are by themselves? Of course, it might not be as enjoyable and the whole atmosphere of it may not be as vivid, but it still is possible. People are constantly listening to their personal music players. By themselves. There are also times when people want to listen to music on their own, to allow them to forget everything else†¦ have some time just to listen and think without other people around them. Adding to this, just pretend that every single person, from all the countries, on this Earth decided to get together in groups according to interests in music. Two problems: the groups would be way too large and too hectic; also, people might find different types of music appealing to them, so for that reason choosing only one group to belong and stay in would be too hard, confusing and just a waste of time. This theory is hard to agree with, and may be even less believable than the first one. An accident? Or an invention? Maybe both, maybe none. Most of us are born with the special ability to hear and either to enjoy or hate the sounds that we notice in this world, and there skills have allowed us to start inventing the music we know today. At least, according to Dr. Pinker; he further believes that music is an â€Å"auditory cheesecake† he also suggested that if either music or cheesecake â€Å"vanished from the species little else would change. † No. This argument has very little value to it, and isn't very convincing. First of all, we aren't the inventors of music, humankind merely classified certain noise that according to the sound like what music should be. Secondly, music doesn't have to be the work of famous classical composers; the catchy pop songs heard on the radio; the unique flavor of each country's traditional music, it can be anything. It is arguable that music can be the sound of a dog panting after a long run; water pouring down great and majestic waterfalls; the loud traffic at busy intersections during rush hour; or pretty much anything we hear. For instance, the composer John Cage was one of the first people to breakdown the barriers and rules that music from the past had. He is most famous for his piece 4'33† where for four minutes and thirty-three seconds, not one single note is played by the performer on stage, in its place, the whole piece is coming from the noises that the audience and the atmosphere of the place makes, therefore that being the music. Likewise, it is possible to disagree with the statement that little would change if music was to disappear. Many, many people wouldn't have jobs such as the numerous musicians everywhere. Visualize a world without any music. None. Movies need music to create a mood, just picture a whole film without music. What about radios? What could we all dance to? Sing our hearts out to? Nothing†¦ without music. Countless things around us are based on music, and our lives wouldn't be complete without it. The more this hypothesis is thought about, the more mistakes it contains, and the less believable it becomes. In conclusion, although there are some that seem more accurate than other, none of the three hypotheses are one hundred percent correct for why music exists and why we listen to it. However, there has to be a reason why. Maybe a combination of the first and second hypothesis, with none or very little contribution from the third hypothesis. It is possible that reasons why are because music changes moods, creates atmospheres, and is an escape for all of us. People all listen to music, and too many people take it for granted, without paying attention to it, really thinking and wondering why we all listen to music.

Class Conflict in Pakistan Society Essay

Conflict theorie Conflict theories are perspectives in social science that emphasize the social, political, or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological conservativism. Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant ideologies. It is therefore a macro level analysis of society. Karl Marx is the father of the social conflict theory, which is a component of the 4 paradigms of sociology. Certain conflict theories set out to highlight the ideological aspects inherent in traditional thought. Whilst many of these perspectives hold parallels, conflict theory does not refer to a unified school of thought, and should not be confused with, for instance, peace and conflict studies, or any other specific theory of social conflic Elite Class Def:- A group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status:- First, The fact is that the term and concept, ‘elite’, is misrepresented and misunderstood in this country. Intriguingly, those who are part of the elite themselves carry out most of the anti-elite commentary. In fact, castigating the elite at popular forums is a way to gain legitimacy that could lead to acquisition of greater power. While there is no doubt about the fact that Pakistan’s elite is irresponsible towards itself and the people, it was more interesting to see the gentleman refer to Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Shrif as part of the elite. Second, ‘elite’ is not a static concept but is forever evolving. What constituted elite yesterday may not be the same today or even tomorrow. Historically and popularly, the elite referred to the landed-feudal group because this was the dominant group in an agrarian economy like Pakistan’s. Later, as mentioned earlier, other groups were formed. The evolutionary process also meant that newer elite groups emerged almost every decade due to state patronage that replaced the traditional elite and the older ones merged into the newer formations. Third, the elite are not just a group, but also the name of a process that facilitates a constant cycle of change in a society. In case of a powerful, yet easily manipulated state like Pakistan, the process of elite formation is directly linked with the ability of a group to manipulate the state, its power and resources. This means that what may be the middle class or lower middle class of yesterday can be the elite of today. For instance, who could imagine a few decades ago that one day, people belonging to lower middle or middle class backgrounds, like Altaf Hussain, Qaim Ali Shah, Malik Riaz, Humayun Akhtar, Ijazul Haq, or Arsalan Iftikhar will be powerful millionaires and part of the elite. Middle class The middle class is a class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class. The common measures of what constitutes middle class vary significantly among cultures. As Dr Nayab postulates, to answer that question one first has to define what one means by middle class. She starts off by looking at standard economic definitions of what constitutes the middle class and applies a range of these definitions to the data to see how Pakistan fares. She uses 15 formulae, ranging from the definition of the middle class as those with 75 to 125% of the median income, to expenditure from $2 to $20 per person per day, to double the poverty line. Her results differ widely, ranging from a finding that there is no middle class in Pakistan, to the finding that 60% of the population can be defined as middle class. This composite index yields results that seem more intuitive. Dr Nayab found that in 2007/08, 41.9% of the population of Pakistan belonged to the â€Å"lower-lower class† or to be more blunt, the poor. This proportion rose to 55% when only rural areas were considered. Aspirants to â€Å"middle-classism† constituted 23% of the population, while â€Å"climbers† who are likely to get there constituted another 15% or so. The â€Å"hard-core† middle class remained small at 4.3% of the population. But Dr Nayab’s multiple classification of middle class makes more sense sociologically, as it seems more realistic to think of the middle class itself as a series of â€Å"layers.† lower class Working class (or lower class, labouring class, sometimes proletariat) is a term used in thesocial sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs (as measured by skill, education and lower incomes), often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes. Working classes are mainly found in industrializedeconomies and in urban areas of non-industrialized economies. Injustic Injustice is, the idea of not giving each person his or her fair due as a matter of right. Commonly Found Social Injustices †¢ A few commonly found social injustices in our society are: – 1. Unequal distribution of resources 2. Restricted access of common people to the quality education 3. Monopoly of rich class in the political system of the country 4. Lack of basic health facilities to poor5. Non availability of necessary commodities to major portion of the population Place of Women in Society/Gender Violence. With the erosion of social values, the place of women in our society has also been lost sight of. It is most regrettable that gender violence is a common norm of our social culture; more so in backward and less educated segments of our society. Marriage System. Owing to lack of education and following outdated traditions, the system of marriage in Pakistan is being run on the primitive terms of ignorance. Place of women in society makes her rather a scape-goat for any matrimonial affair. She does not have any liberty to make decisions for her life partner less to decide about others. Violation of Human Rights. Pakistan’s record of human rights does not make her qualify to stand high in the comity of civilized nations. Due to lack of education, poor social system and backwardness, violation of human rights is a common norm in Pakistan. And the worst affected of this are the women, children and the poor masses. Class Division of Society. Pakistani society is highly polarized and divided into various castes, classes, religious affinities and political affiliation. This makes it highly vulnerable to be exploited by the elements working against Pakistan. Intolerant Society. We are an intolerant society. This intolerance manifests itself in our social, religious and political activities. Our relationships are characterized by unthinking support. There is little sense of accommodation for rivals or competitors or those who belong to another sect, region or ethnic group, political crisis The political crisis in Pakistan threatens to trigger yet another period of instability in the country. The three-way power struggle between the military, the government and the courts once again exposes the weaknesses of the country’s democratic institutions, say German commentators. The political drama playing out in Pakistan this week took another twist Tuesday when the country’s high court ordered the arrest of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on suspicions of corruption and nepotism. The suspicions have followed Ashraf for years, but the timing of the announcement now threatens to light a match on the country’s smoldering political crisis. Since Sunday self proclaimed revolutionary leader Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has been leading a protest march calling for the ouster of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zadari. Qadri, a moderate clergyman who has denounced corruption among the political class, has seen a meteoric rise to popularity over the last months. On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined his protest and packed Islamabad’s streets. The court’s announcement came in the middle of Qadri’s speech on Tuesday and the crowd broke out in cheers at the news. On Wednesday, Qadri once again called for the end of the government. â€Å"If these thieves hadn’t ruled Pakistan, today every child in the country would have a smile on their face,† he shouted to his followers. Meanwhile the country’s normally meddlesome military has been strangely silent in the midst of chaos. That silence has led some observers to believe that the country’s generals are behind Qadri’s campaign. The turmoil comes just weeks before Pakistan’s government was set to complete its five year term, a milestone in a country that normally experiences volatile shifts of power. At the same time violence has been growing with extremists attacking the government and religious minorities.. THE PLANETARY CHALLENGE If an alternative future for Pakistan is not created, the pendulum will continue with collapse always being in the background. Moreover, in the world we now live in, a weakness or pathology in any part of the planetary system threatens us all. Pakistan’s futures are part of the planet’s futures – we all need to transform. Great Game. Pakistan remains a pawn, moved around for the strategic and ideological purposes of the great powers. Whether in proxy wars against the Russians or against 9/11 jihadis or whoever may be next, Pakistan’s capacity to influence its future is low or non-existent. At best, it can only rent out its military, or territory, for others’ battles. In this future (as in the current present), the rental receipts do not lead to even development –they merely enrich those getting the rent, generally the military. The national game becomes not how to transform the great game but how to get a piece of the action, legitimately or illegitimately. Those not part of the money game sing songs of grand conspiracies. These songs take away agency. While Pakistan has a dependency relationship with the rest of the world, citizens have a dependency – child/adult – relationship with the government, expecting it to solve each and every problem, without taking responsibility for their own actions and blaming the government when it fails. At the collective level, Pakistan remains rudderless, evoking the words of the founder, but unable to follow through with action. Economic Injustice A few weeks ago the news was published that the Punjabgovernment had allotted 4,000 yards (or more) for Rs1,000 per person to armygenerals, including Gen Pervez Musharraf. The given argument was that they got cheap land because the area was not developed. The history of this country reveals that undeveloped areas get developed quickly where generals and army officials get land. Are army personnel the only bureaucrats serving this country? What about other people who are working in civil bureaucratic institutions and private organizations? Do they also get so many benefits as do the army personnel?Economic Progress, Stability are key to Pakistan’s future Army interfering in Pakistani politics Many political parties claim that they do not want army to interfere in political issues and that army should be on borders doing its job. Recently there was a long march started by the lawyers and some political parties for the restoration of the deposed Chief justice. the protest became violent when the protesters started beating policemen. Later that night General Ashfaq pervaiz kiyani talked to Prime minister Yousuf raza gilani and asked him to restore the deposed chief justice immediately. After which the prime minister yousuf raza gilani took the decision to restore the deposed cheif justice in front of the people of Pakistan. The decision was welcomed by parties like plmn and pti.All these parties which in past claimed that army should not interfere in politics did not even said a word against General Kiyani pressurizing an elected prime minister instead they welcomed the decision. Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/national-political-issues/23722-army-interfering-pakistani-politics.html#ixzz2IR33Mi2j