Exploring the Bible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exploring the Bible - Essay Example Exodus 3 depicts that God drew the attention of Moses out of the middle of the bush and calls him with name Moses. It can be stated from the above statement that God is aware of the name of every individual. Moreover, God said, â€Å"I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob†. It can be postulated from the Exodus 3 that Moses was afraid to explore the God and obscured his face (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†). From Exodus 3 God’s ability to observe the affliction and misery of His people can be reflected upon. Furthermore, the Exodus reveals the God’s inclination to save people from the Egyptians and bring them to a virtuous and broad land. Accordingly, it can be reflected that God is aware of the hardship and pain suffered by the people and He is firmly determined to eliminate those sufferings and to provide relief to them from the burden of affliction. God intends to take His people to virtuous land which has been described as â€Å"land flowing with milk and honey† (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†. God said to Moses, He would take them to the dwelling of â€Å"the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites† (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†. The God reveals His concern against the oppression experienced by Israelites. From the above passage, th e God’s nature can be identified to be extremely patient, merciful and sovereign over all the facets (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†; People’s Church Partington, â€Å"EXODUS 3 – 4:17†). In this regard, God can be identified to be patient as He being aware of the sufferings of His people and His invincible power to relief His people at a single instance, does not haste in His action to bring His people out of the oppression by Egyptians. Moreover, nature of God can be termed as merciful because He is concerned about the hardship and affliction of His people. Last but not the least, God can be considered as sovereign over all the facets as He has the power to perform any action without any fear or objection. 2. ACCORDING TO THIS SECTION OF EXODUS (ESPECIALLY CHAPTERS 5-12), WHY DOES GOD BRING THE VARIOUS â€Å"PLAGUES† UPON THE EGYPTIANS? CITE SPECIFIC PASSAGES THAT EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE FOR THESE PLAGUES (TAKEN T OGETHER). ACCORDING TO THE BIBLICAL AUTHOR, DO THE PLAGUES ACCOMPLISH THEIR PURPOSES? WHY OR WHY NOT? FINALLY, DEVELOP A RESPONSE: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? When Moses and Aaron departed to Pharaoh of Egypt and said that the God of Israel has said to release the Israelites so that they are able to hold veneration to God in the wilderness then Pharaoh denies and said, â€Å"who is the Lord and why should I obey him† (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†; People’s Church Partington, â€Å"EXODUS 3 – 4:17†). Pharaoh further declared that he does not know the God and he would not allow the people belonging to Israel to go. On hearing this, Moses returned to the God and said, â€Å"

Approaches On Factors Affecting Self Employment Commerce Essay

Approaches On Factors Affecting Self Employment Commerce Essay There are diverse approaches and theories to the factors affecting self-employment efforts of individuals. Lambing and Kuehl have pointed out personality traits, cultural influence, economic conditions and the combination of these factors as the major factors influencing self employment. Other authors like Saini and Rathore (2001:5-6) argue that social, religious and cultural, psychological, political, and economic policies are the main factors affecting self employment. Another approach to the factors affecting self employment is described in a more summarized way by Khanka (2004:33-37). These factors are economic aspect, noneconomic aspects and government measures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The economic aspects comprise of capital, inputs and the market; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The non-economic factors are the social and political circumstances such as social mobility, security and psychological factors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Government measures and actions comprise issues such as economic and industrial policies and strategies which influence both the above factors. There are countless approaches to analyzing the factors affecting self employments, nevertheless the in one way or another, it seems they are all saying the same thing in different words. Regardless of their dissimilarity of treating the individual factors, they are harmonizing to each other. So much so that the major factors affecting self-employment schemes can be classified into various aspects such as support system factors, personal traits, government policies, and socio-cultural factors. Personality Trait Factors These are a set of aspects related to an individuals personality either inborn or learned which determine an individuals profession. The argument over learned or unlearned (inborn) character traits is endless in that a consensus has not been reached yet among scholars. When it comes to entrepreneurs, Lambing and Kuehl (2000:16) argue that entrepreneurs have an innate unique personality which cannot be taught. Schumpeter (in Deakins, 1999:11) holds the same idea Lambing and Kuehl (2000). This implies that the personality of entrepreneurs is inborn and learning has minor influence in becoming an entrepreneur. On the contrary, many authors, like Peter Drucker (in Lambing and Kuehl, 2000:15), believe that socio-cultural influences (learned traits) are sources of entrepreneurial personality. Kirzner also promotes that any one has the potential to be entrepreneur and he/she appears and operates within set production constraints (Deakins, 1999:11). Both ideas imply that, everyone having the inherited traits, environmental exposures are determinant factors of entrepreneurial qualities. However, still many others accept that both sources (nature and nurture) equally contribute to the individuals entrepreneurial personality. Thus, in this study, the researcher prefers to have the stand with the third group believing both factors have their own share of contribution to the entrepreneurial personality. According to Lambing and Kuehl (2000:16), whether entrepreneurial tendencies exist at birth or developed as the person matures, certain traits are usually evident in those who achieve success. Socio-Cultural Factors These set of factors focus on such aspects as values, norms, beliefs, family and community entrepreneurial traditions, societal attitude, etc. It is considered in terms of social behavioral approaches, which stresses the influence of the social environment. It has been identified that different cultures have varying values and believes (Lambing and Kuehl, 2000:18-19). That is, some culture encourages entrepreneurship whereas others discourage, some promotes achievement whereas others give low value to entrepreneurship. For example, the Japanese have been known to have an achievementoriented culture which helps entrepreneurs persist until they succeed. That is, they give high value to entrepreneurship and encourage entrepreneurs to succeed. With respect to this, McClelland (Deakins, 1999: 18) has identified that the historical role models influence of heroes on subsequent generation induced a high motive of achievement on the population. On the contrary, in some cultures, entrepreneur ship may be conceived as an occupation for low self-esteemed persons. For example, it is well described in Lelissa (2006:17) and UNESCO (2002:132) the negative social image held on the TVET program which discourages entrepreneurial ideas of TVET graduates (this will be discussed further in this section later). The entrepreneurial tradition of the family has the most significant impact on the early development of entrepreneurial personality. Young (in Batra, 2003:26) maintains that entrepreneurial activity is generated by a particular family background and experience as a member of certain kinds of group and as a reflection of general cultural values. In respect to this, Saini and Rathore (2001:5-6) described that entrepreneurial traditions of the family as well as the community are important factors within which the entrepreneur grows and internalizes the values and norms. In addition, Batra and Dangwal (2003:13) have stated that caste and community are the most important socio-cultural determinants of entrepreneurial supply and performance. With regard to societal attitudes, the TVET program itself is victim of negative image held by the society in Ethiopia. According to a research finding (Lelissa, 2006:17), it has been discovered that trainees of TVET institutions are considered as low achievers or failures of grade ten (national examination) students who are forced to attend TVET which discourages the potentially motivated students. This image of the society at large and the view of the graduates in particular is a barrier to have confidence and envision in their vocational career in general and starting new venture in particular. That is, the graduates feel inferior of their friends who joined the degree program and strive for higher education after a period of wage employment service which is a government requirement as a path way to higher education. This path way may force the TVET graduates to work on a paid employment for the sake of getting a two-year work experience which is levied by the government policy as a requirement. The negative images has been found to be global that a UNESCO monograph on perceived status of TVET stated as TVET is often seen as a poor alternative to university or college courses, and the career paths resulting from TVET programs are often seen as less desirable as far as the career success of young people is concerned (Hiebert and Borgen in UNESCO, 2002:132). Thus, the graduates are highly occupied by the drive to achieve higher education opportunity rather than thinking of job creation (self-employment). Demographic factors such as gender may also contribute to graduates entrepreneurial success as a result of the influence of backward social and cultural environment. Though in the relatively long past times women are confined in the four walls of houses performing household activities, currently they are emerging as successful entrepreneurs (Khanka, 2004:18). This is due to educational equity and technological advancement that helped women to come out of the four-wall confinement and enabled them currently to run their own enterprises successfully. Likewise, religion as one component of social factors, the performance of individual entrepreneurs is directly or indirectly inspired by religious ideas (Khanka, 2004: 14). That is, in some religions high profit and interests are considered as a sin deeds. Thus, the social and cultural environment at which the entrepreneur emerged is important source of entrepreneurship as well as entrepreneurial personality. Government Policies and Ations Under this category, factors that influence entrepreneurial success include governments economic and industrial policies, trade laws and legitimacy, promotion of free market, individual freedom, economic stability, introduction of new technology, etc. The economic and political environment includes various factors that either facilitate or inhibit the would-be entrepreneur the undertaking of a business venture which are necessary conditions for the success of the business. Among the economic factors lack of capital, working place, facilities and market are at the forefront. The week availability of credit services and the very limited accessibility of financial institutions is a barrier to start a new venture. A World Bank report (2005) has identified that some of the graduates are not interested to be self-employed due to lack of capital, lack of training and lack of national policy which favored self-employment. The problem of capital and inadequate provision of micro-credit services are therefore central to the TVET graduates to start new micro and/or small enterprises. Hence, government economic policies which encourage new entrepreneurs in the provision of credits, availability of facilities, presence of technical assistance (consulting personnel), establishment of entrepreneurial incubation centers, facilitation of infrastructures, arrangement of working places and market are some of them just to mention few. With respect to the policy that favors new entrepreneurs, the training areas (sectors) affect the extent to which graduates are self-employed. That is, in relation to the governments 70/30 (hard/soft skills) proportion training direction, soft skill training s such as business fields may not be benefitted from incentives and encouragements. There is a tendency to discourage soft skills (occupations) training areas and, as a result, low access to the opportunities to soft skills graduates, as experiences of entrepreneurial efforts of the soft skills graduates showed. In this regard, for example, an attempt of establishing a small firm on auditing service by accounting graduates was inhibited by a concerned governments Audit Office until related guideline is prepared but not realized and the graduates effort has been discouraged so that the group was banned. In addition, with respect to government actions and policies favoring new entrepreneurs, economic regulations and taxation benefits are also important factors. Political stability, freedom of entrepreneurs, promotion of free market, absence of corruption, guarantee of security, etc. are also influential factors connected to the political environment (Dollinger, 1999:57). Support System Services Factors related to available support services include a number of services such as the quality of training institutions, on the job training provision of companies, financial and commercial institutions, research findings, entrepreneurial personnel support, consultancy services, etc. These support services have their share to the success of TVET graduates in venture creation efforts. Some scholars generally assume that entrepreneurs are born and support services are less important. However, it is proved that with the right type of training, follow up support and assistance, one can develop oneself as an entrepreneur (Batra, 2003:35). It is clear that the latent potentials can be cultivated and developed through wellconceived and integrated type of training including entrepreneurial skills. With this respect, Batra has stated that the right type of entrepreneurial training helps to identify and develop the natural, inherent and potential virtues of the human being which are lying dorm ant. From this we understand that the type and quality of training offered in a TVET institution is vital for the TVET graduates entrepreneurial venture. Institutions (schools) with exciting courses in entrepreneurship and innovation tend to develop entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurial environment (Hisrich Peters, 2002:13). This shows that the institutions ability to equip the trainees with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude paves the way to the idea of entrepreneurship and realization of a venture. In relation to the role of training, the quality of trainers in their entrepreneurial skills and awareness about the expected output (entrepreneurial capability of graduates) is also one pivotal input. Encouragement to self-employment is further stimulated by trainers (teachers), who can significantly influence individuals to regard entrepreneurship as a desirable and viable career path (Hisrich Peters, 2002:13). In addition to the trainers role for the entrepreneurial development of the trainees in training institutions, career guidance and counseling support is another contributing component of the quality of the TVET graduates. Hiebert and Borgen (in UNESCO, 2002:131) have well stated that guidance and counseling services are essential for the goals of TVET to be fully realized and that they should for that reason be fully integrated with all TVET programming. These services should be provided beginning at the time of enrollment in orienting their occupational choice, inculcating positive attitude through out their training and showing direction of their career path through the provision of career information including entrepreneurship. Another aspect of education and training background of the entrepreneur is experience of a previous business. This experience may be expressed in terms of any kind of exposure to a business environment be it free service ( practices in the form of apprenticeship or internship) or wage employment for a specific period of time. Some graduates choose wage employment because they acquire experiences without incurring cost such as know how to run a business, identify the way in which things operate in a business environment, learn skills of leadership and coordination, had a network of contacts, etc. In this respect, a research finding (Lambing Kuehl, 2000:90) in a survey on source of business ideas of 500 successful entrepreneurs revealed that most of them (nearly half) (43%) of the respondents said they got the idea for their business from the experience they gained while working for wage in the same industry or profession. Therefore, it is clear that work integrated training methods such as apprenticeship, internship, cooperative training and free practice programs are of paramount importance. In addition to the above factors, support services such as financial and commercial institutions, micro and small enterprise development personnel support, consultancy services, research findings, etc., have their own role for the entrepreneuri

France :: essays research papers

France   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France is a beautiful country. It has lots to do like skiing, swimming, shopping, gambling, drinking, and dining. Here are the topics I will include in my report, government, history, culture, tourist attractions, language, entertainment, transportation, climate, currency, accommodations, and travel tips. Sit back have some wine because you are about to embark on a journey, A Journey to France! Government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France is a republic with a president and a premier. The president is Jacques Chirac and the premier is Alain Juppe. The legislature consists of the National Assembly and the Senate. The president appoints the premier. He also serves a 7-year term. Ages 18 and up can vote for the president and the legislature. The National Assembly consists of 577 deputies that are elected in their political division. They serve a five-year term. The senate has 319 members that are elected for a five-year term. France is divided into 22 regions, 96 metropolitan areas, 4 overseas departments, 4 overseas territories, and 2 collective territories. History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In ancient times the Celts and Germanic tribes lived in France. When the romans invaded, they called France Gaul. Gaul was eventually annexed. In 400 A.D. the west roman empire's defense began to fall. After that France was an independent country. Hugh Carpet was crowned the first king of France in 987 A.D. In the 1700's the French Revolution started. The end of the French revolution marked the end of absolute power for the French kings. Napoleon seized power in 1799. He founded the first empire in 1804. He was exiled in 1814. Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 1993 estimate of the French population was 57,566,091. The average population density is 105.8 people per square kilometer. The population distribution is 76% for urban areas and 26% for rural areas. Studies show that the majority prefer houses to apartments. The major religion is Roman Catholic. 99% of the French population is literate. There are 72 universities in France. Tourist Attractions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shopping is a big attraction in France. In Paris, department stores are good places to shop. In Normandy, shops have a rich selection of antiques. Sunday is a good day to shop on in Normandy because many stores have discounts. Normandy has a lot of lace too. The prices are high and the pieces are labor intensive. There are some good beaches in Normandy. It has lots of seaside coasts. There are many widely spaced resorts. On the Atlantic coast there are many waterslides, wavepools, and other water goodies. Paris has lots of culture. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889. It costs $8 to go to the top. It's open daily from 9:30 A. France :: essays research papers France   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France is a beautiful country. It has lots to do like skiing, swimming, shopping, gambling, drinking, and dining. Here are the topics I will include in my report, government, history, culture, tourist attractions, language, entertainment, transportation, climate, currency, accommodations, and travel tips. Sit back have some wine because you are about to embark on a journey, A Journey to France! Government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France is a republic with a president and a premier. The president is Jacques Chirac and the premier is Alain Juppe. The legislature consists of the National Assembly and the Senate. The president appoints the premier. He also serves a 7-year term. Ages 18 and up can vote for the president and the legislature. The National Assembly consists of 577 deputies that are elected in their political division. They serve a five-year term. The senate has 319 members that are elected for a five-year term. France is divided into 22 regions, 96 metropolitan areas, 4 overseas departments, 4 overseas territories, and 2 collective territories. History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In ancient times the Celts and Germanic tribes lived in France. When the romans invaded, they called France Gaul. Gaul was eventually annexed. In 400 A.D. the west roman empire's defense began to fall. After that France was an independent country. Hugh Carpet was crowned the first king of France in 987 A.D. In the 1700's the French Revolution started. The end of the French revolution marked the end of absolute power for the French kings. Napoleon seized power in 1799. He founded the first empire in 1804. He was exiled in 1814. Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 1993 estimate of the French population was 57,566,091. The average population density is 105.8 people per square kilometer. The population distribution is 76% for urban areas and 26% for rural areas. Studies show that the majority prefer houses to apartments. The major religion is Roman Catholic. 99% of the French population is literate. There are 72 universities in France. Tourist Attractions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shopping is a big attraction in France. In Paris, department stores are good places to shop. In Normandy, shops have a rich selection of antiques. Sunday is a good day to shop on in Normandy because many stores have discounts. Normandy has a lot of lace too. The prices are high and the pieces are labor intensive. There are some good beaches in Normandy. It has lots of seaside coasts. There are many widely spaced resorts. On the Atlantic coast there are many waterslides, wavepools, and other water goodies. Paris has lots of culture. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889. It costs $8 to go to the top. It's open daily from 9:30 A.

What is Drug?

A drug is any animal, vegetable, or mineral substance used in the composition of medicines. It also refers to any stuff used in dyeing or in chemical operations. It is a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic. A drug is capable of altering natural biological processes, with their manipulating nature used in medicine as a corrective measure against deviances from these normal biological processes. As described in the Webster Dictionary (1992), a drug, is a substance, other than food intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals.It is any narcotic; also any substance or chemical agent, exclusive of food, employed for other than medical reasons to obtain a given physiological effect or to satisfy a craving. The drug affects the mind or body. The effect depends on the type of drug, the amount taken, when and how it is used, and the person who takes it (Webster, 1992). Drugs may be classified as uppers, downers, narcotics, mind-affecting (hallucinogens), or volatile chemicals. Uppers are stimulants that affect the nervous system to excite the user.Downers are depressants that affect the central nervous system to relax the user. Narcotics affect the nervous system, and change many of the normal activities of the body, and often produce an intense state of excitement or distortion of the user’s senses. Volatile chemicals are depressants acting upon the central nervous system. It is important for the first aider to be able to detect possible drug abuse at the overdose level and to relate certain signs to certain types of drugs (Webster, 1992 p. FA-28). There are four levels of drug use.Abstinence means not taking any drugs or any particular drug. Experimentation means trying a drug for the first time. It could be a doctor prescribing medicine, or a young person sniffing glue. If a user likes the effects of a drug, he or she may move to casual, recreational or regular use. Casual use is taking a drug only when a person feels like it or when a it is offered. Recreational use is a drug use for enjoyment in social situations. Regular use means taking drugs almost everyday. Habitual or problem drug becomes dependent (needs to have some of the drug everyday).The user may have very little control over his or her problem drug use. The effects of this dependence can be serious, and sometimes fatal. With certain drugs, the user can develop a tolerance, or get used to the drug. He or she has to take very large amounts to feel the same effects. These drugs include alcohol, opiates, LSD, caffeine, amphetamines and tranquilisers. Psychological dependence can develop with any type of drug. The user believes that he or she will not be able to lead a normal life without taking the drug and becomes very upset if it is not available.Physical dependence, when the body cannot work without a regular supply of the drug may happen with long term use. This is common with depressants and a nalgesics. Depressants slow the nervous system and relax the body. Alcohol is the most common, but other legal depressants are abused for these effects. These include barbiturates (sleeping pills), tranquilisers and solvents (glue and gases). Analgesics reduce the user’s reaction to pain, discomfort and anxiety. Opium, heroin and codeine are obtained from opium poppies.Methadone and pethidine are synthetic (chemical rather than natural) analgesics. Many analgesics have medical uses. Withdrawal symptoms, which make the user feel unwell, can happen when a regular user stops taking a drug. When a person has an overdose, he or she takes more of the drug than the body can cope with, becomes very ill and may even die (Brown and King 1990). Mechanisms of Drug Action To describe the mechanism of drug action in the brain, whenever a person uses a drug and the effect it produces is somehow pleasant, this effect gets a rewarding quality for that person.As experimental research by behavi oural psychologists has demonstrated, all behaviours that are reinforced by a reward have a tendency to be repeated and learned. Successive repetitions, besides fixing the reward-producing behaviours, also fix all previously indifferent stimuli, sensations, and situations, eventually associated with those behaviours. Seeing particular places or persons, hearing specific music, etc, for instance, triggers in drug users the craving for their preferred drug. Using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Dr.Edythe D. London and her colleagues at the Addiction Research Centre, in Baltimore, obtained images showing that in cocaine-users, cues associated with the use of the drug sparked an increase in the metabolism of glucose in brain areas that are associated with memory and learning (lateral pre-frontal cortex, amygdala, and cerebellum). Up to now, is far from complete our knowledge about the cerebral, chemical and structural changes that underlie reward and act as reinforcers for different behaviours, including that of drug use.Nevertheless, recent researches point to a chain of reactions, involving several neurotransmitters, leading to the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in a brain region. Compare and contrast the Physical Dependence and Positive Incentive theories of drug addiction. Drug addiction has two components: physical dependency, and psychological dependency. Physical dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the body has become accustomed to its effects. The person must then continue to use the drug in order to feel normal, or its absence will trigger the symptoms of withdrawal.Psychological dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the mind has become emotionally reliant of its effects, either to elicit pleasure or relieve pain, and does not feel capable of functioning without it. Its absence produces intense cravings, which are often brought on or magnified by stress. A dependent person may have either aspects o f dependency, but often has both. â€Å"Chipping† is also a term used to describe a pattern of drug use in which the user is not physically dependent and sustains ‘controlled use' of a drug.This is done by avoiding influences that reinforce dependence, such that the drug is used for relaxation and not for escape. Physical Dependency Model After repeated exposure to certain drugs, withdrawal symptoms appear if the drug is discontinued. Withdrawal symptoms are compensatory reactions that oppose the primary effects of the drug. Therefore they are the opposite of the effects of the drug. Withdrawal effects are unpleasant and reduction in these effects would therefore constitute negative reinforcement.[Negative reinforcement is the reinforcement of behaviour that terminates an aversive stimulus] Negative reinforcement could explain why addicts continue to take the drug. However some addicts will endure withdrawal symptoms (go ‘cold-turkey') in order to reduce their tol erance so that they can recommence drug intake at a lower dose which costs less to purchase. Concentrating on the role of physical withdrawal effects at the expense of other psychological factors led to the failure to recognize the addictive properties of cocaine.Cocaine does not produce physical dependency (tolerance and withdrawal symptoms) but it is more addictive than heroin. This diagram (redrawn from Julien, 1995), shows the changing pattern in the major drug used by patients admitted to drug treatment programs in New York City during the 1980s. It is also important to emphasize that reduction in withdrawal symptoms does not explain why people take drugs in the first place. Negative reinforcement may account for initial drug taking in some situations. For example, someone who is suffering from unpleasant emotions may experience a reduction in these feelings (i.e. negative reinforcement) following drug administration. However the most likely reason for drug taking involves posi tive reinforcement. Positive Reinforcement Model The reinforcing properties of a drug are thought to be reason why most people become addicted to drugs. Addictive drugs are positive reinforcers (Carlson, 2001). As you know positive reinforcement can lead to learning a new response, and the maintenance of existing behaviours. It follows that the behaviours associated with taking an addictive drug (i. e. injecting or smoking it) will increase in probability.One way of testing this claim is to examine the reinforcing properties of drugs in animals. We already know that conventional reinforcers support bar-pressing in animals, therefore if a drug maintains a response such as bar-pressing in an animal, it is a reinforcing stimulus. At one time it was believed that animals could not be made addicted to drugs, but that view is now rejected because technical developments have shown that animals will learn new behaviours that cause injection of drugs into their body. Explain how the study of reward circuits has provided a potential explanation of drug addiction.The study of reward circuits has provided a potential explanation of drug addiction. The reinforcing effects of drugs during intoxication create an environment that, if perpetuated, triggers the neuronal adaptations that result in addiction. Imaging studies in drug abusers as well as non–drug abusers have shown that drugs of abuse increase the extra-cellular concentration of drug addiction in the striatum and that these increases were associated with their reinforcing effects. The subjects who had the greatest increases in drug addiction were the ones who experienced drug effects such as â€Å"high,† â€Å"rush,† or â€Å"euphoria† most intensely.These studies also showed that the reinforcing effects appeared to be associated not only with the magnitude but also with the abruptness of the drug addiction increase. Thus, for an equivalent increase in drug addiction, the drug was experie nced as reinforcing when it was injected intravenously, which leads to fast drug uptake in the brain and presumably very fast changes in drug addiction concentration, but not when it was given orally, which leads to a slow rate of brain uptake and presumably slow increases in drug addiction concentration.The dependency of the reinforcing effects of drugs on fast and large increases in drug addiction concentration is reminiscent of the changes in drug addiction concentration induced by phasic drug addiction cell firing (fast-burst firing > 30 Hz), which also leads to fast changes in drug addiction concentration and whose function is to highlight the saliency of stimuli. This contrasts with tonic drug addiction cell firing (slow firing at frequencies around 5 Hz), which maintains base-line steady-state drug addiction levels and whose function is to set the overall responsiveness of the drug addiction system.This led us to speculate that the ability of drugs of abuse to induce changes in drug addiction concentration that mimic but exceed those produced by phasic drug addiction cell firing results in over-activation of the neuronal processes that highlight saliency, and that this is one of the relevant variables underlying their high reinforcing value. However, studies show that increases in drug addiction concentration during intoxication occur in both addicted and non-addicted subjects, so this by itself cannot explain the process of addiction.Since drug addiction requires chronic drug administration, we suggest that addiction results from the repeated perturbation of reward circuits (marked drug addiction increases followed by drug addiction decreases) and the consequent disruption of the circuits that it regulates (motivation/drive, memory/learning, and control). Indeed, imaging studies in drug-addicted subjects have consistently shown long-lasting decreases in the numbers of drug addiction D2 receptors in drug abusers compared with controls.In addition, studi es have shown that cocaine abusers also have decreased drug addiction cell activity, as evidenced by reduced drug addiction release in response to a pharmacological challenge with a stimulant drug. We postulate that the decrease in the number of drug addiction D2 receptors, coupled with the decrease in drug addiction cell activity, in the drug abusers would result in a decreased sensitivity of reward circuits to stimulation by natural reinforcers.This decreased sensitivity would lead to decreased interest in ordinary (day-to-day) environmental stimuli, possibly predisposing subjects for seeking drug stimulation as a means to temporarily activate these reward circuits. Imaging studies provide evidence of disrupted sensitivity to natural reinforcers in addiction. For example, in a study by Martin-Solch and colleagues, the meso-striatal and meso-corticolimbic circuits of opiate addicts were not activated in response to natural reinforcers, whereas they were in controls subjects.Similar ly, in a second study by the same group, DA-regulated reward centres in tobacco smokers failed to activate in response to monetary reward. Interestingly, decreased sensitivity of reward circuits to acute alcohol administration has also been documented in cocaine abusers compared with control subjects. These findings suggest an overall reduction in the sensitivity of reward circuits in drug-addicted individuals to natural reinforcers, but also possibly to drugs besides the one to which they are addicted (extracted from the Journal of Clinical Investment May 15, 2003).

Interdependence Report – Cambodia (Kampuchea)

Cambodia is a small Southeast Asian country that borders on the Gulf of Thailand and is situated between Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. It has a population of 12 and a half million people, and has just come through a time of great hardship that has lasted since 1975. The people responsible for this country's turbulent past are the Khmer Rouge forces that invaded Phnom Penh in the 70's. Over 1 million people died during their rule, through enforced hardship and execution. This country has seen war, human massacres, and dictatorship. Economically, Cambodia is a country discovering itself in tourism terms, with a 34% increase in tourism for the 2000-2001 period. Cambodia has a wealth of history and culture predating the Khmer Rouge tyranny and many travelers see it as an unadulterated, tourist-free experience. Cambodia's industries are in garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products (although some of these are illegal operations), rubber, cement, gem mining (another generally illegal industry), and textiles. The unemployment rate is 2.8%. 80% of all employed people are working in the agriculture sector, which consists of rice, rubber, corn and other vegetables. Exports in 2000 were $942 million and these consisted of timber, garments, rubber, rice, and fish. The majority of these exports went to neighbouring countries, and 10% went to the USA. Cambodia's population of 12,491,501 and has a growth rate of 2.25% per annum. This rate takes into account, the following things: It's birth rate per 1000 head of population – 33.16, and the deaths per 1000 head of population – 10.65. The migratory rate of 0 people per 1000 is also worth mentioning. The infant mortality rate is 65.41 per thousand live births. Life expectancy in Cambodia is 56.82 years, compared with Australia's approximate 75 years, this is very low. Literacy rates for the total population are 35% (This takes into account persons over 15 years who can read and write). For all the population, women's literacy rate drops to 22%, while men are on 42%. All the above statistics explicitly take into consideration, death linked to or as a result of AIDS, this lowers life expectancy, higher infant mortality rate and higher death rates. Lower population, growth rates and changes in population distribution by age and sex are also affected. Deaths per year as a result of AIDS are 14,000 and the prevalence rate is 4.04%. SECTION B Agriculture- 11% of Cambodia's total land usage is in permanent pastures. This clearly illustrates that farming animals in Cambodia is not a huge industry. Officially, there are 0% permanent crop pastures, but it is estimated that this figure has risen to 4% over the last two years. 5% of all land used is for narcotics/drug manufacturing, with Cambodia being a huge international producer of heroin, opium, amphetamines and cannabis. After massive political upheaval, which brought an end to the Khmer Rouge regime in the mid-1990's, Cambodia finally looked started to restore some semblance of normality to the country's economy. The primary industries were one of the first areas the new government decided to develop, unfortunately with political infighting and civil violence all plans for industry development were put on hold. It was only after 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years that the government implemented strategies to make agriculture a more prominent and lucrative industry. They launched a plan to reduce rural poverty to 31% by 2005, but still retain an economic growth rate of 6 to 7 percent a year. This plan hopefully will reconstruct rural infrastructures by drawing up public investment plans, setting up rural development banks and small-scale financial institutions. Local authorities and councils also needed to be perfected and this happened in communal elections in February of this year, in this way, a lot of the corrupt government officials were voted out of office. Much of the international aid that comes to Cambodia is put into the improvement of rural services such as roads, power supply, education and healthcare. The current types of agriculture that exist in Cambodia today are rice (growth and milling), rubber, corn, and miscellaneous vegetables. Livestock and poultry also make up a portion of the industry, there are also fisheries and forestry. Statistics are organised as: Crops 18%, livestock and poultry 7%, Fisheries 16%, forestry and logging 4% (All these statistics are from the 2000 GDP and are approximate to the nearest full number). As a result of the government's development process, technology in agriculture had risen dramatically over the past 2 years. Tractors, diggers, ploughs and other large machinery are fast becoming commonplace on farms, and there are often share policies initiated between farmers to gain finance on equipment and pay it off together while both using it. Biotechnology is a very small area, and genetic research is virtually nonexistent, but as a result of government funding, and initiatives between industry and local government, new farming methods of irrigation and fertilisation are being developed. Land tenure in Cambodia is a process being reviewed currently. A lot of the land is owned by local government and the state (almost 45%) but a policy put in place to encourage foreign investors, has spun off and created a profitable and legitimate loophole for local farmers. The government allows rent of land for up to 90 years at a very low price, and seeds, fertilizers, mechanised agriculture equipment and other farm-related things are all exempt from taxes or have low duties. Farmers who export more than 80% of their produce are also exempt from all duties. Industry- In Cambodia industrial expansion, has been quite important and could well be called a ‘corner-stone' of their economic performance. It is a country relatively rich in natural resources, resources that have more or less remained untapped because decades of war and non-industry related development (infact the term ‘anti-industry' is fitting) have inhibited it. The government now regards areas of industry such as garments and textiles as ‘two major pillars in the national economy'. Development of these industries creates 50,000 jobs a year for the rural labour force alone, and helps gain foreign exchange for the national treasury. Garment enterprises now employ 150,000 workers nationwide but this figure is disputed, as many factories and manufacturing plants do not officially exist for tax-evasion purposes, so the figure is in all actuality higher. Huge openings in the markets of the American, Canada and European Union have provided Cambodia with major export partners, and given them quality standards for their products to reach. Mineral and gem mining is a big business, with police and the government coming down hard on the estimated 50% of illegal operations currently operating along the border of Thailand in the North Batdambang and South Eastern Siem Reap regions. This mining is usually strip mining, which means they take the top layer of soil, trees, rocks, natural vegetation and habitats and mine for whatever particular mineral they are looking for. This is a huge disturbance (Infact it destroys it) to any environment, and in when a company does this environmental legislation states that all soil and rocks must be replaced, and trees replanted, so that some the environment and can regrow and resemble something of it's previous appearance and function. Illegal companies do not do this reparation work and turn unique and biologically diverse area into a desolate crater, full of mining pollution and waste. The minerals being mined for are gemstones, iron ore, manganese, and phosphates. Mining provides employment to something like 230,000 people, and also helps to develop rural industries like retail and food processing, because of the masses of people that have to be situated at the mines. There are processing plants at some of the mines but a good majority of all mined material is sent to processing plants in Thailand and PDR Laos. Timber and forestry is perhaps the most lucrative and at the same time destructive industry. As with the mining, a good proportion of the logging that occurs is illegal and the government is slowly eradicating all of these operations, this eradication began in 1999. With forests and woodlands making up 66% of all land use, it is hardly surprising that this area of industry has become huge. The government is now putting in place rules and regulations to try and curve the amount of trees being cut down and processed every day, in the hope of retaining large amounts of it's rainforests and natural wildlife habitats. Logging companies that had concessions to forests have recently agreed reluctantly to reduce their productions from an already reduced 50% capacity to 25% while violations are addressed. All the above industries need major reform and right now have huge pollution and waste outputs, that flow straight into the sea. Fisheries are a vital industry in Cambodia, providing the principal source of protein for the population and providing significant employment. Fishing activities are divided into large-scale operations involving exclusive concessions on fishing areas in the Tonle Sap (a large inland lake) and floodplains, licensed medium-scale activities, or small-scale family fishing. A rapid increase in medium and small-scale fishing and mismanagement of fishing areas in recent years is leading to overexploitation of some species but others are still plentiful. An estimated 67,000 people are employed in the fisheries industry, this takes into account: fisher people, deck-hands, and all boat related staff, processing staff at processing and packaging plants and executives and business people. Before the pollution from other industries gets to the sea, it goes through mangroves that line the coast. As a result of massive pollution being put through the mangroves, they are all slowly dying. The mangroves are a nursery for fish, that eventually will not exist, and so neither will the fish, thus destroying a very important industry. Other Emerging Industries- In recent years the services sector and tourism were hit hard by the political disturbances of 1997 and 1998, but over the past 5 years consumer confidence has returned and made headway for new spheres of development. In 1999 tourist arrivals to the country rose by 41%, and then by another 34% in the year 2000. Tourism is a major industry, generating $63 million in 1999. The government in conjunction with airlines has created direct flights to Siem Reap from destinations such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and there are plans for flights from Singapore, all this has contributed greatly to tourism in regional areas of Cambodia and has huge marketability as multi-country package tours become very popular to westerners. The service sector, accounting for 36% of total GDP in 2000, seems ‘poised to enter a sustained period of expansion after several years of stagnation' according to economic analysts from the ADB organisation. United Nations involvement, and becoming a member of the WHO, has certainly affected the public's attitudes towards restaurants and hotels. The aforementioned organisations set up protocols and regulations for the government to implement, and trained inspectors and officials to make sure proprietors and companies abide by them. This has seen a 49% growth in services and more consumers than ever. Cambodia's main export partners are as follows: Vietnam 18%, Thailand 15%, US 10%, Singapore 8% and China 5%. It's import partners are much the same with the addition of Japan. The trade balance is reasonable with imports at $1.3 billion and exports at $942 million. 11% of Cambodia's total land usage is in permanent pastures. Officially, there are 0% permanent crop pastures, but it is estimated that this figure has risen to 4% over the last two years. 5% of all land used is for narcotics/drug manufacturing, with Cambodia being a huge international producer of heroin, opium, amphetamines and cannabis. There is large-scale political involvement in stopping this drug-trade, but a lot of local officials previous to the elections, were involved in taking bribes and in some extreme circumstances were actually growing and selling drugs themselves. Section C Economic development for any country is a long and hard journey that has problems with trade, neighbouring countries, religious aspects etc. Possibly the most important thing to consider, as a spin-off of development is the impact it has on the environment. This impact on the environment can be things like forestry, mining, pollution, species of animals becoming endangered, and declination of bio-diversity etc. Cambodia has a lot of these problems and they are being addressed, but it is the illegal (and legal) logging that carries the title for most urgent industry to fix, as it is destroying the forests and killing animals. This is saying the least about what the implications of this destruction may be. Slowly the government is naming national parks and declaring them forbidden to forestry companies. What is happening when companies chop trees down is that they are destroying habitats of wildlife, preventing things from ever growing again because of their wastes, and as a result reducing the total bio-diversity of the country. In these rain forests and woodlands, many endangered animals that are extinct in Thailand, Vietnam and PDR Laos, live and coexist. Species such as Asiatic elephants, tigers, lepoards, Asiatic rhino's, gibbons and crocodiles are all slowly losing their homes as the number of suitable habitats grows less and less. When deforestation occurs upstream, massive damage as a result of floods occurs downstream. This flooding affects everything, from agriculture (farms being underwater and losing crops, livestock, equipment), to towns and villages being underwater. Funnily enough, the inverse of this situation is that fisheries and their production improve greatly with the more severe floods. Most of the environmental consequences have been discussed in previous sections, so in summing up, Cambodia is a country of rich history and huge potential tourism, it's social ideals still have a fair way to improve, but in Cambodia you can see a country that against all odds has come out of political oppression and started to find it's identity and become a developed country.

I am Woman; Hear Me Roar! - essays

I am Woman; Hear Me Roar! - essays Do you take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. To love and to cherish till death do you part? Many women cannot wait to say, I do. to the man they love and spend the rest of their lives with him. Unfortunately, marriage and the treatment of women was not as romantic as this many centuries ago. A few writers, however, spoke out against this even when it was against normality. Their criticisms found in their stories and plays include men as figures of authority to women, the mistreatment of women, arranged marriages, suppressed sexuality, and life without true love. Traditionally, a woman was supposed to always listen and obey any man who was seen to have authority over her. However, a leading doctrine of the Enlightenment shared by these writers includes All men [and women] are equal in respect to their rationality. Many of them often wrote about women standing up for themselves and showing incredible strength and wisdom. In School for Wives, Molires leading female, Agns, is described as innocent and naive because Arnolphe had her raised to be this way. At the end of the play, though, she portrays a lot of wisdom even though she had no schooling. In her conversation with Arnolphe, she teaches him more about life and love than he ever thought he knew. Other examples of powerful women include Chrtien De Troyes main female character, Laudine, in his story Knight with the Lion. Here, Laudine must grieve her husband while also find a knight for a new husband to protect her kingdom. Her strength and wisdom throughout the story parallels the beliefs of Enlightenment thinkers. Another example is a story written by Giovanni Boccaccio. When a woman is caught cheating on her husband, she is brought to court by him to be sentenced. Surprisingly though, s...

Sense and Sensibility essays

Sense and Sensibility essays The novel, Sense and Sensibility was written by Jane Austen, in 1811. Jane Austen published four novels anonymously during her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815). Two novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after her death in 1817. These novels are prominent for her satiric depiction of English society and manners. Sense and Sensibility is about the Dashwood sisters, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret have lived at their father's home, Norland, all their life. However, when their father dies and their half-brother inherits everything, they have to find somewhere else to live with their mother. The story is about two women seeking romance and security between the romantic and enlightenment eras. In addition, the story holds many twists and gives accurate portrayals of the romantic and enlightenment era. Austen covered many aspects such as social status of men and women, individual persona, interaction between families, and responsibilities of higher society. The movie that was produced by Lindsay Doran and directed by Ang Lee captured several aspects of the period unable to be revealed by the book such as attire, art, architecture and landscaping of the estates, hobbies, religion, technology such as travel, medicine and simple ways of living. The movie accurately portrayed Austens original concepts of the period dealing with roles of gender. The book and the movie both showed Elinor and Marianne clashing, as they were products of different periods. Elinor, the eldest sister, is sensible and prudent which is a reflection of the romantic period. Marianne is a representation of the enlightenment period as she is very emotional and never does anything in moderation. Although the movie followed the book closely, there were several characters not introduced in the movie. With some, their personality was altered but in most cases, the chara...

Preventing and Controlling Sooty Mold Tree Disease

Preventing and Controlling Sooty Mold Tree Disease Sooty mold appropriately and exactly describes the disease, as it looks just like chimney soot.  Ascomycete  fungi, which includes many genera, commonly  Cladosporium  and  Alternaria are usually the offending fungal organisms.  Although unsightly, it seldom damages the tree but it can look nasty in the landscape. The pathogens are dark fungi growing either on the honeydew excreted by sucking insects  or on exuded sap  material coming from leaves of certain trees. These sucking insects can include aphids and scale insects and sooty mold may occur on any tree but is most commonly seen on boxelder, elm, linden, and especially  maple trees. More on Honeydew Honeydew is a sugary,  sticky liquid secreted  by sucking, piercing  insects as they feed on plant sap. The insect feeds itself by using a special mouthpart that penetrates  the soft tissues of plant foliage, soft stems and most particularly for aphids, the tender underside of leaves. These soft-bodied insects produce the honeydew as a liquid waste product via the gut but will not harm your tree. Its a real problem on  everything beneath and around the tree that is exposed to the syrup and then colonized by sooty mold. Prevention of Sooty Mold Sooty molds are associated with high temperatures and increased stress brought on by limited moisture. During drought, aphid populations and their honeydew production typically increase on foliage undergoing moisture stress. One prevention method for the mold is keeping plants and trees well-watered and controlling the soft-bodied insect population is very important. Control of Sooty Mold Sooty molds can be indirectly controlled by reducing populations of sucking insects that excrete honeydew. Use the appropriate recommended chemicals that control aphids and other sucking insects. The appropriate chemicals  your trees need for these sucking insects might be applying horticultural oil  during the dormant season  followed by an insect growth regulator in the mid-summer. Also, a good washing of infested trees foliage (if possible) can dilute the honeydew and wash off the mold. This alone may be all that is needed.

Financial reporting problem Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial reporting problem - Assignment Example If the individual components of Total Current Liabilities are taken into account, it can be noticed that short term borrowing has been reduced to nil in 2011 which $26 last year. Accounts payable have increased by $597 in the current year. There was no current portion of long-term debt last year however this year the amount in respect of this account has jumped to $900. Considerable amount of increase can also be observed in respect of other current liabilities which include Accrued Salaries and Benefits by $187, Accrued sales and other taxes by $13, other current liabilities by $212 and, Deferred membership fees by $869. On a concluding note, it can be analyzed that the increase in the Total Current Liabilities by around 20% is a heavy increase. The company is advised to ensure that the current liabilities should be kept under the range of 10%, otherwise the company may be pushed into sever working capital

Reading Interaction Jurnal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reading Interaction Jurnal - Essay Example For instance, in India a guru or a wise man is a revered person with followers comprising mostly the young people. Additionally, the path set by gurus is full of respect because it assists in the search for wisdom. On that note, before attempting to become a guru, one should understand the underlying implications such as doubt and preparation instead of harboring skepticism and doubt. This implies that a critical mind is fundamental in developing a philosophical approach. This affirms that critical thinking is crucial in various spheres of life ranging from economics, social issues and for democracies. Unfortunately, even in situations where freethinkers exist, tyrants and dictators make it hard for such minds to thrive. Critical thinkers, according to the author, were even accepted in the ancient times but this does not permit a person to develop superior complex habits. The mind should only be used for comprehending philosophy. In the next chapter, there is the urgency to understan d the meaning of words. This includes making assessment on one’s personal development before entering a philosophy class. Accordingly, philosophy being a mysterious subject, it is imperative for the learner to draw examples from multiple facets of life such as listening to the prime minister on the radio. Contrastingly, origins of philosophy can be traced to Greece and science hence its mythical status. Philosophy is also attached with the love of gaining wisdom or knowledge and should follow the ancient Greek customs. In the same trajectory, associating historical monuments with great philosophers such as Nietzsche, Kant and Descartes exposes philosophy as a broader subject. It, therefore, implies that approaching philosophy is a tough act unlike visiting a monument. Similarly, philosophical traditions espouse values and ideas that encompass quoting people such as Moliere, Aristotle and Plato. Overcoming large words is another obstacle afflicting many people who are interest ed in learning philosophy. This requires complete patience and mastery of important jargons to attain the possibilities. When it comes to trying out philosophy, it is not recommended with cafes. As noted in chapter 6, disagreements erupting from such settings may prevent people from distinguishing between what is good and bad. Conversations that are lively between friends often degenerate into strong exchanges that lack substance. Philosophy may become an emotive subject especially if it attacks figures such as Andy Warhol without considering the existing concepts that define philosophy. It is thus advisable to assess the reasons behind any argument before delving into any exchanges. However, in the scene of Socrates and Hippias, the two characters are competing in terms of brilliance and sophistry. Socrates, for example, is a man who is focused on modesty in order to understand others such when he meets a certain braggart. This demonstrates a complicated problem where he tends to a ct to fit in an evolving society. Hippias, on the other hand, attempts the value of appropriateness but fails because he does not have a higher critical thinking as shown by Socrates. Conversely, there is a difficulty with Plato as a philosopher who writes subtle dialogues and complex narratives that attempts to connect harmony and coherence in life. On that perspective, it differs from Socratic dialogue that has a direction in the

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Employment loyalty at Rhythm - Essay Example Thus, the discussion below focuses on the more important results from statistical analysis of the survey data. The response rate to the survey consisted 37 percent in the 31-40 age-group, 30 percent in the 21–30 age group, 27 percent within the 41–50 age-group and seven percent in the over 50 age-group. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the respondents’ country cultural constraints, all the respondents were males. A vast majority of the cohorts, 67 percent, were married with children and 27 percent were single, but seven percent of the respondents did not present a response to the question about their marital status. Seven percent had a postgraduate master’s degree as attributed to increased proportion of postgraduate level education in Saudi Arabia. A very significant proportion of the respondents included in the survey did not answer the questions about their area of expertise, job title and department worked at in Rhythm, and this was probably because of a fear of recognition in a company, which is not a firm with a very large number of employees. Only twenty percent of the respondents were willing to share information about their total work experience and number of years at Rhythm as illustrated in Figure 4.1.5 and Figure 4.1.6. The longest serving employee at Rhythm had served for 15 years with the company after having joined Rhythm with only one year of experience. However, because a vast majority of respondents did not answer the previously mentioned questions, it will be difficult to draw valid conclusions about stability of employment offered by Rhythm. Forty eight percent of Rhythm employees were deeply involved with their company and considered their organisation’s problems as their own, as illustrated in the figure below. This is a healthy ratio and the previously mentioned figure suggests a high degree of employee involvement in Rhythm. Only 26 percent of the respondents indicated that they did not have a

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Psychology - Essay Example Piaget divided development into a Sensiormotor Stage (birth to age 2), a Preoperational Stage (ages 2-7), a Concrete Operational Stage (ages 7-11), and a Formal Operational Stage (ages 11- adult). Each stage is marked by certain abilities, such as the ability to understand conservation of mater or the ability for hypothetical thinking. Erikson’s work closely resembles Piaget’s, but it is showing the development of a person’s social intelligence and self-awareness, not cognitive ability. Erikson believed that we went through eight different levels of psychosocial development, each one possessing a unique crisis for the individual’s understanding of who they are and where they fit into society. Stage 1 is Trust v. Mistrust, Stage 2 is Autonomy v. Doubt, Stage 3 is Initiative v. Guilt, Stage 4 is Industry v. Inferiority, Stage 5 is Identity v. Role Confusion, Stage 6 is Intimacy v. Isolation, Stage 7 is Generativity v. Self-absorption and Stage 8 is Integrity v. Despair. Erikson suggests that if the conflict of each stage is not successfully resolved, the final adult will be a person that has emotional baggage. They will have a difficult time reconciling conflicting feelings that should have been resolved at an earlier stage. Both of these theories are as relevant today as they have ever been. Students may use different technology and have a different social environment than they once did, but they still must follow these stages of development in order to be fully functional human

Cultures in Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultures in Conflict - Essay Example In the nineteenth century the Jews, like the Christians and the Muslims, went through a phase of conflict -- the struggle between reformers and conservatives. Among the Muslims, the Greeks, and the Armenians, the reformers won. Among the Jews, they lost. For this the Jews paid a price. Compared with their Christian neighbors they fell steadily behind. The Jews had cast their lot, not surprisingly, with the reactionary forces among the Turks. The destruction in 1826 of the Janissary Corps, the old military order, with which the Jews had important links, was a heavy blow. The rise of Russia and the growth of Russian influence were also not very helpful to Jews in the Ottoman Empire. Later in the century there was a certain upswing in the entrept trade of Salonica with its ties to the West, but despite improved education, which was fostered most notably by the Alliance Isralite Universelle, the effort came too late. They were caught in the circumstances which led to the end of the Ottoman Empire and the transformation of the entire region. Language has barely been mentioned in this discussion of the major communities of the Ottoman Empire. ... However, the language of ritual was not necessarily the language of the street or the home. While the hierarchy of the Greek Or thodox church was both ethnically and linguistically Greek, the parish clergy and flock was a polyglot mass speaking almost as many languages as were spoken in the empire itself. In the Balkans there were speakers of Slavic and, in the case of Rumanian, a Romance language. To the south of Anatolia there were Arabic-speakers. In Anatolia itself, according to observers during the nineteenth century, the majority of the communicants of the church did not know Greek at all, as their native language was Turkish or Armenian. In Anatolia the Greek Orthodox who were literate wrote in Greek script, but the language many of them transcribed was Turkish or Armenian. The Ottoman Empire was a classic example of the plural society. An acute observer of similar societies in South Asia defined them with the following description which applies equally well to the Ottoman world: . . . probably the first thing that strikes the visitor is the medley of peoples. . . . It is in the strictest sense a medley, for they mix, but do not combine. Each group holds by its own religion, its own culture and language, its own ideas and ways. As individuals they meet, but only in the market-place, in buying and selling. There is a plural society, with different sections of the community, living side by side, but separately within the same political unit. Even in the economic sphere there is a division of labor along racial lines. (Furnivall 304-305) For all their shortcomings, plural societies did allow diverse groups of people to live together with a minimum of bloodshed. In comparison with the nationstates

Reflection On Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Reflection On Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The situation that was in the offing was a creation of six group members. The aim of the group in implementation of the entrepreneurship experimental learning was to look into all the available social avenues to search for an entrepreneur and have him/her respond to their questionnaire. The main issue about the interview was to try and get knowledge of his ability and how he has managed to succeed in the competitive business world. The method of searching for an entrepreneur was to be open and given the high availability of the social networks, all the group members were hopeful of a useful choice being found. Actions That Were Implemented As stated, the choice of an entrepreneur is not an easy task because in most cases the people who are known are the executives and management teams and individuals. These only take part in the implementation of the procedures but they are usually not part of the original team that initiates the project. The cosmopolitan lived offered a wide variety of choices of entrepreneurs that were to be interviewed. An e-mail was sent to an entrepreneur in the cosmopolitan and it was easy to get through since he responded confirming the acceptance of his time. This opportunity was good because the business was well known to all the town members. The entrepreneur was Mr Oren, the entrepreneur behind the existence of MoYou Organization, a company that is associated with creation and development of beauty products. The arrangement was that there was need to meet over a tea break since as an entrepreneur, time was a paramount issue to him. In view of this, and

Cultures in Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultures in Conflict - Essay Example In the nineteenth century the Jews, like the Christians and the Muslims, went through a phase of conflict -- the struggle between reformers and conservatives. Among the Muslims, the Greeks, and the Armenians, the reformers won. Among the Jews, they lost. For this the Jews paid a price. Compared with their Christian neighbors they fell steadily behind. The Jews had cast their lot, not surprisingly, with the reactionary forces among the Turks. The destruction in 1826 of the Janissary Corps, the old military order, with which the Jews had important links, was a heavy blow. The rise of Russia and the growth of Russian influence were also not very helpful to Jews in the Ottoman Empire. Later in the century there was a certain upswing in the entrept trade of Salonica with its ties to the West, but despite improved education, which was fostered most notably by the Alliance Isralite Universelle, the effort came too late. They were caught in the circumstances which led to the end of the Ottoman Empire and the transformation of the entire region. Language has barely been mentioned in this discussion of the major communities of the Ottoman Empire. ... However, the language of ritual was not necessarily the language of the street or the home. While the hierarchy of the Greek Or thodox church was both ethnically and linguistically Greek, the parish clergy and flock was a polyglot mass speaking almost as many languages as were spoken in the empire itself. In the Balkans there were speakers of Slavic and, in the case of Rumanian, a Romance language. To the south of Anatolia there were Arabic-speakers. In Anatolia itself, according to observers during the nineteenth century, the majority of the communicants of the church did not know Greek at all, as their native language was Turkish or Armenian. In Anatolia the Greek Orthodox who were literate wrote in Greek script, but the language many of them transcribed was Turkish or Armenian. The Ottoman Empire was a classic example of the plural society. An acute observer of similar societies in South Asia defined them with the following description which applies equally well to the Ottoman world: . . . probably the first thing that strikes the visitor is the medley of peoples. . . . It is in the strictest sense a medley, for they mix, but do not combine. Each group holds by its own religion, its own culture and language, its own ideas and ways. As individuals they meet, but only in the market-place, in buying and selling. There is a plural society, with different sections of the community, living side by side, but separately within the same political unit. Even in the economic sphere there is a division of labor along racial lines. (Furnivall 304-305) For all their shortcomings, plural societies did allow diverse groups of people to live together with a minimum of bloodshed. In comparison with the nationstates

Course reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Course reflection - Essay Example Important lesson learned here is that if one lives in the West, he should understand the Western culture very well especially the real civilization. In order to understand the entire cultural practices well, one should make an effort of attending musical classes, make a good relationship with the western scientists, and learn the philosophy well. For those who live in the United States, they have a clear knowledge about the society, and the kind of work people do there. High Points of the Course Defining Western Civilization Western Civilization is a combination various cultural practices, government systems, religions, values, heritages, and customs. It defines elements like, philosophy, spiritual believes, and cultural practices of western people. According to Metropolitan Museum of Arts, Western Civilization is all practices of western and central Europeans, which include North, and South America, and Australia. All this contributed to growth of overall globalization. Western Civi lization evolved over the centuries. Although development of Western Civilization did not occur during the time of Mesopotamians and Egyptians, their way of writing and different roles concerning gender was what Western Civilization became. ... When writing about past events or history of something, one should quote the exact dates when that event occurred. For Example, the European World War II started on September 1, 1939 and lasted until May 7, 1945. The use of dates is to put occurrence of events in the right order to know the development of events over a certain period. This dating of events also varies with historians. This is because some of the Western people use the Western calendar while others use the Hebrews calendar, which is extremely different from the western calendar. The first year of the Hebrews calendar is equivalent to year 3760 of the Western calendar. The most enjoyable part of the course The most enjoyable part of the course was the history of marriage in Western Civilization. The Romans, Hebrews, and Germanic people practiced they own marriage cultures. Marriage was an economical arrangement meaning that those getting married had no room to engage themselves in romantic love. In many of Western Hist ory, marriage was a matter involving only the husband and wife, but it was a concern of the two families, which brought them together. Parents were the ones to make choices of the men to marry their daughters. The married women usually had limited rights in the family than the husbands who were the head of the family. The women were to be the sub servants of their husbands. Surprisingly, granting someone divorce was easy because men had an advantage of marrying as many wives as they want. Marriage in Medieval Europe Introduction of Christianity in Europe brought a fabulous change in Europeans culture of marriage, although this change took long to take its roots. Although Roman law affected Christianity, it

Allied Irish Bank SWOT Analysis and Strategic Evaluation

Allied Irish Bank SWOT Analysis and Strategic Evaluation Allied Irish Bank performed the Market Entry Strategy to expand their business size. Stated below is the brief of their strategic evaluation in the aspect of suitability feasibility acceptable. Suitability Build on/exploit strengths In the late 1990s and early/mid-2000s, and capitalized on the buoyant housing market, booming business banking profits and much lower write-offs than in previous years, such profitability and growth have had a significant positive effect on the Irish Economy. That helps AIB having good capital base for future market development such merging. Shape Managements sense in the company, they clearly realized that internationalization is a good way for business expansion. Good/tailored services to be provided by the company towards customers, it can be helpful for the business penetrating into the market. Simultaneously, they are easily winning the reputation too. Good experiences in managing banking business, that helps the company to control over the new merging company. Overcome/avoid weaknesses Cultural Difference the company cant fully twin their culture to other countries, as easy to generate other contingencies problems. Complicated organizations chart caused human resources problems, like salary expenditure increased, hard to manage†¦. Exploit/Develop Opportunity Economy Growth in East Asia, that creates new opportunities for the company. Through Merging, obtaining the other customer base, co-efficient is expected. Counteract/avoid threats The other countrys government may not allow foreigner to obtain national bank and may set some restriction as a barrier. Expanding too fast may cause lack of capital if the business is running not as good as expected. Feasibility From 1966 to the end of 2005, the assets of $323.8 jumping up to 133 bn. Employee 24000 people and 750 offices now, that proved the company is profitable, emerged in the obvious capital gain and more employee needed Acceptability As the company asset built up rapidly, no wonder the companys price in stock market will be going up as well. That can fulfill the stakeholder needed. The company becomes biggest bank in Irish and gradually penetrate into other market and seems grow healthy. Stakeholder should also satisfies for the continually grow. Never heard that the company has any news about layoff, so assuming that the companys finance is good and staff is working stably. As company focused on the tailored service, their customers loyal should even be higher. Page 4 of 12 Subject : Strategic Management Name of Student : Chan Sheung Ming Student ID#2102 5544 Section A : Question 2 Here is the Strategic Development Plan of Allied Irish Bank (2007 2012) Background of the Company Allied Irish Banks (AIB) was structured in 1966, they brought together with the three distinctive Irish Traditional Banking companies: the Provincial Bank in 1825 the Royal Bank, eleven years later for mercantile links; the Munster Leinster that was formed in 1885, considered as the largest banks with the most large scale of branch network During that moment, the alliance was thinking out a best way to overcome the fragmented nature of the Irish banking industry. Hence in the middle of 1960s Ireland was changing fast and the merger had strengthened the position of the bank in the developing global business era. Over the decades, the company had showed an increasing expansion in the global arena, from its establishment of branch network in Britain during 1970s to its investment in the USA during 1980s Four decades since its establishments, it and be said that AIB has a dynamic and successful organization. As a result, in 1966, AIB had showed aggregate assets of Є323.8 million that had grown to Є133 billion AIB Groups is considered as the leading banking and financial services organization in Ireland that operates principally in Ireland, Britain, Poland and the USA. It has more than 24,000 employees word wide in more than 750 offices . It has four main divisions: AIB Bank (Republic of Ireland); AIB Bank AIB Capital Market; and Poland. SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Strong position in the home market; Good Image of the organization to the home market and other countries; Specializes in straight forward approach banking; Relationship oriented approach. (W)eaknesses Do not have enough knowledge and experience towards global banking; Not willing to take the risks; Afraid to jump to the bandwagon of internalization. (O)pportunities Blooming domestic economy; Large increases in the credit growth in 1990s and mid-2000s; Development of non-traditional bank; Trends towards international banking market; Exploit the Irish ethnic market in the UK; Access to Asian market; Merging and acquisition. (T)hreats Growing number of competition; Competition from businesses or banks that are offering e-banking. The SWOT analysis of AIB which pertains on the different characteristics or attributes of the organization as well as the external environment that can affect the entire decision-making process of AIB. The strength of the company focuses on its strong position in the home market. Thus, it enables the company to have a good image in other countries where in it also offers their services. In addition, the company also specialized in straightforward banking approach and relationship oriented approach where in it is considered as their primary advantage towards their relationship with the customers. The said aspect is the reason why AIB was voted as Britains greatest bank. On the other hand, the weaknesses of AIB focuses on its immaturity n terms of international banking, or lack of much knowledge in management in distance. The most visible example is their withdrawal from the Singaporean market. As a result, the company no longer has interests in taking the risks in other important markets in Asia, primarily in China. There are different opportunities that can be exploited by the company in order to improve and expand. First is the blooming domestic economy as well as the large increase in the credit growth during 1990s and mid-2000s. In addition, there is also a growing trend towards non-traditional banking or e-banking. This is due to the massive impact of the Internet. Thus, it is important to consider that in terms of emerging markets, the leaders in e-banking are found in Asia, and Singapore is considered as the primary e-banking customers, garnering 5% ( 2001). Thus, it shows that it will be important to focus on the Asian market, primarily in China, that is facing fast growth in terms of economic aspects. This can be done by the process of merging and acquisition. The major threat for the company focuses on the growing number of competitors in the industry, particularly those banks that are offering e-banking features and services. Mission The mission of Allied Irish Bank is to strengthen both domestic and international performance and position in the market of the bank. Objectives The following are the objectives of AIB: To maintain the competitive advantage of the company; To expand the size and branches of AIB in different part of the world; To promote efficiency, stability and effectiveness of AIB banking system; and To meet the changing demands, needs and preferences of the people towards their banking experiences. Strategies The Ansoff Growth Matrix is a tool that is used in order for a business to decide regarding their product and market growth strategy. It suggests that a business ability to grow depends on whether it markets new or existing products in a new or existing market (2007). The strategy of AIB will focus on Market development or offering the same product to a new market. This is important due to the growing influence of globalization to the banking system, thus going global is one of the most important way of expansion of size that will help to increase profits. In the case of AIB, the company had been able to apply new technologies including the Internet in their services, thats why it will be important for them to explore and exploit other nations or markets, particularly China. This is due to the continuous growth of Chinese economy. However, alongside with the said strategy, it will also be important to focus on improvement of the core banking system, together with the human resource management. Recommendations The following are the recommended strategies: Improvement of the System Application of Information System and IT in an organization is one of the most important actions that can be done by the organization due to the fact that it can help them to manage all of the data and information that are important and use it in the process of decision making. That is why it will be important to focus on application of core banking system that will give way for future enhancement or changes in the internal and external aspects of the company. In order to support the growth plans from 2007 2012, improve AIBs speed to market for new product introduction as well as to provide greater back-office integration, it is important to make a move to transform the core banking system by using packaged banking application that will ensure scalability, performance as well as reliability. This is important due to the growing competition, where in all of the major players in the world of banking are looking for innovative ways to modernize and improve their core systems that can help to reduce the operational costs by changing the massive server farms to a more flexible as well as efficient systems ( 2007). This strategy will focus on the product development, where in it will focus on the initiative of the company to offer new products. By doing this, it will enable AIB to gain competitive advantage by means of offering differentiate products or services towards the customers. As of now, more and more people are becoming aware of the security issues regarding their money, thus the technological advancement of a bank can affect the image of the brand, thus will help to create a feeling of security for the clients. Development of Centralized HR Activities It is important to consider that AIBs human resource management as the companys strengths due to its ability to motivates the employees, particularly the managers to work at their bests, as well as to communicate and relate to the customers in order to give what they needs and want to understand. However, the company is having difficulty in managing in a distance. This is due to the different issues, primarily culture and tradition. It is important to consider that culture plays an important role in the process of motivating employees. It will be important for AIB to apply international standards or principles, however it is important to know that people from other country, primarily Asia, has a different perspective and understanding towards several things, specially in terms of management that are related to leadership styles and approach. This also goes the same as the clients of the company. There are different characteristics between their client from the US and Asia. The said f actors must be considered in order to ensure that all of the rules, regulations as well as policies will meet the expectations and needs of all the stakeholders that are involved in the entire process of the company. This strategy will help the company to have a good customer relationship that will help to strengthen their connection with the customers. The said aspect is very important due to the fact that the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge of the employees, specially the branch managers and front personnel can affect the perception of the clients towards the bank. If the employees or personnel were knowledgeable enough, they will be able to answer the queries of the clients; therefore, it can help to build up trust, and later on strong and long lasting relationship. Expansion to Asian Market, Particularly in China As of now, Asia is considered as one of the most profitable on a pre-tax return on asset basis. As a matter of fact, the report of BCG in 2007 showed that the wealth managers in the Asia-Pacific reported a median pre-tax margin of about 45.5% during 2006 that beats the overall global profitability of 34.7%. As a result, the industry is expected to continue to growth to about 20% to 30% a year, together with the increasing number of well-heeled individuals as well as greater awareness regarding shifting of cash in the banks (2008). The improving and booming economy of China has been accompanies by the fast-growing banking sector of the country. It has been showed that by the end of 2007, the total assets of banking sector of China had reached a total of 52.3 trillion, showing a great annual growth of 17.4% from 2003 2007. The banking industry in the country is considered as the primary provider for capital of about 80% of the non-financial enterprises fundraisings in the most populous nations in the world as well as the fastest growing major economies ( 2008). This strategy will help the company to expand to a vast market, particularly China, due to the development of its economy. Section B: Turn Around Management in Marks Spencer Background of the Company Marks and Spencer emerged as one of the largest retail companies in the world that had become a limited company in 1903 in Manchester, Britain ( 2006) Marks and Spencer plc is the largest retailer in the UK. It has 300 company-owned stores, with more than 68,000 employees around the world that sell clothing, footwear, gifts, home furnishing and food to more than 13 million shoppers. Most of the products being sold under the private label St Michael brand ( 2006 (. In addition, the company also owns and operates more than 100 stores in different part of the world such as Europe, Hong Kong and Canada. There are more than 85 franchise stores of the company that can be found in Europe, Far East, Australia, the Middle East, the Bahamas and Bermunda . MS owns the Brooks Brother, its chain of store of mens clothing that has more than 170 units in Japan as well as the US. In addition, MS also owns 20 stores of King Super Markets grocery store chain in New Jersey Causes and Symptoms of Decline It is important to consider that the primary cause of any decline in profitability is bad management. This is because if management were enough and applicable in the process of tracking the success of the companys products and changes that are likely to take place in their respective markets, and if the company is taking the correct actions, then profits would not decline. However, as such success would require omniscience; even the most systematic managers will make mistakes (1996.) Poor Management All of the problems start at the top, thats why poor management is often the primary reason to the decline in profitability. This is due to the fact that those personnel or people that are responsible for the different operations of the company are making wrong decisions regarding the specific strategic decisions that are being made or even to the personnel that are being employed in order to implement the said decision ( 1996, ). In 2002, , a Belgian executive who is responsible in the turn around of MS, that causes the company to report a four consecutive increase in terms of sales, hand over to Roger Holmes, considered one of the youngest chief executives of blue-chip Brits companies (2002). The said event is considered as one of the primary reason for the decline of MS, due to mismanagement by the CEO. Most of the senior and middle management reported that they are disappointed with the lack of progress, due to leadership problems of Holmes such as being to nice, taking too long to make decisions and lacking relevant in terms of experience. Another cause of decline of MS is the complicated structure where in beyond the main board was an operating committee with 19 members. The said aspect is due to the fact that CEO was not that familiar with the core products of the company. Financial Control It is also important to include that poor financial control is a common cause of falling profitability due to poor budgetary control, inadequate costing system as well as the inability to monitor as well as control cash (1996). In the cause of MS, Holmes believes that throwing more money at the problem can be the best way to boost profits. This can be seen in the massive actions of the company which involves acceleration of transformation of the business by firing employees, and development of stores and other line of products ( 2004). Marketing Efforts Lack of trust from the customers is considered as one of the causes as well as symptoms of decline. This has been one of the primary problems of the company. Customers had complained that the trust had been damaged, due to the fact that the company was already offering low-quality products. In addition o that, the company had a problem regarding their innovation process, which is considered as very important aspect in any company. Production and Operations The fallen quality of the product is one of the primary aspects that focus on the production and operations aspects of the company. In MS, it was due to poor labor relations of the upper management. Environmental Factors The changing demands, tastes preferences and needs of the customers are the primary factors that can affect any company. However, in the case of MS, the company did not focus on strategies that will help them to meet the said change. The said aspect is important because it can greatly affect the perception of the customers in any brand. In addition to that, more and more customers are looking for products in lower price but in good quality. Thus, in order to meet the said expectations, the company decided to implement different strategies that will help them to lower their price, like their competitors, however, the said aspect affected the quality of their products that later on affected the demand of the customers. As a result of the said causes, the company encountered falling profitability, falling dividends, increased debt, decrease liquidity and falling sales (1996). This can be observed on the fact that despite of more than 10 million customers every week, the company have not yet recaptured the glory days between 1997 and 1998 when it had made over  £1 billion pretax profits. In 2004, MS announced a decreased in sales of 3.6%, compare last year (2004). Recovery Strategies The management was changed in 2004, as part of the entire organizational change when Robert Rose took place. Rose focuses on the five core values of new MS: quality, value, service, innovation and trust. This is due to the fact that Rose believe that Holmes management focuses on the management processes instead of products, costs and disapprove of their decision for not growing out of town. As part of that, Rose decided to have a partnership with HSBC in order to manage the financial division of the company. This is due to the fact that the company, under the previous management showed characteristics such as no coordination across department; as well as the fact that the product proliferation by sub brands had weakened the core proposition. Aside from that, it was also found out that the process from drawing board up to the shop floor was kind of slow that resulted to lack of innovation due to weak pricing strategy. The change strategy of the company focuses on abandoning , because it was not targeted at natural MS customers; obtaining Per Una from Davies for  £123 million; canceling more than 500 food products; developing supply chain and sourcing in order to reduce the overhang of the stock; stopping waste and unnecessary administration costs; improving different core services; returning  £2.3 billion to the shareholders; moving to out-of-town retail centers; restructuring and redundancy; changing the mentality of the employees; and closing or upgrading the companys stores The said strategies had been done by focusing on the internal communication process, as well as focusing on the needs and demands of the customers in terms of styles and qualities of their products, as well as the services that are being rendered by the employees towards the customers. Current Strategies In 2007, under the new management, MS had reported its strongest results since 1998, showing a profit of 29%. In addition, the company increased their appeal beyond the middle-aged, middle-class housewives by offering younger brands such as The Limited Collection. The said strategy enables the company to focus on one particular segment of their customers. The primary problem of the company is the pricing process; this is due to the fact that MS primarily perched at the top end of the mass market by selling high-quality products that the customers were willing to pay a little more for. However, due to the changing preferences of the customers, together with the growing competition with other stores, primarily Tesco, that is offering the same type of products, the company decided to focus on lowering the price of the products that they are offering. Aside from that the company also focuses on their food division in terms of marketing, by showing to their customers the importance of the quality of their products (2008).

Plato Vs. Aristotle :: essays research papers

Plato vs. Aristotle Plato and Aristotle, two philosophers in the 4th century, hold polar views on politics and philosophy in general. This fact is very cleverly illustrated by Raphael's "School of Athens" (1510-11; Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican), where Plato is portrayed looking up to the higher forms; and Aristotle is pointing down because he supports the natural sciences. In a discussion of politics, the stand point of each philosopher becomes an essential factor. It is not coincidental that Plato states in The Republic that Philosopher Rulers who possess knowledge of the good should be the governors in a city state. His strong interest in metaphysics is demonstrated in The Republic various times: for example, the similes of the cave, the sun, and the line, and his theory of the forms. Because he is so involved in metaphysics, his views on politics are more theoretical as opposed to actual. Aristotle, contrarily, holds the view that politics is the art of ruling and being ruled in turn. In The Politics, he attempts to outline a way of governing that would be ideal for an actual state. Balance is a main word in discussing Aristotle because he believes it is the necessary element to creating a stable government. His less metaphysical approach to politics makes Aristotle more in tune with the modern world, yet he is far from modern. Plato's concept of what politics and government should be is a direct result of his belief in the theory of forms. The theory of forms basically states that there is a higher "form" for everything that exists in the world. Each material thing is simply a representation of the real thing which is the form. According to Plato, most people cannot see the forms, they only see their representation or their shadows, as in the simile of the cave. Only those who love knowledge and contemplate on the reality of things will achieve understanding of the forms. Philosophers, who by definition are knowledge lovers, are the only beings who can reach true knowledge. This concept has to be taken a step further because in The Republic, Plato states that philosophers should be the rulers since they are the only ones who hold the form of the good. Plato seems to be saying that it is not enough to know the forms of tables or trees, one must know the greatest form--form of the good--in order to rule. The reasoning is: if you know the good, then you will do the good. Therefore, philosopher rulers are by far the most apt to rule. In The Republic, Plato builds around the idea of Philosopher Rulers.