Monday, September 30, 2019

Internet Child Porn Essay

According to UNICEF, the United States and Somalia are the only two countries that have not yet ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, Somalia currently has no legally recognized government and cannot ratify anything at all, leaving the United States as the only country that still does not agree with it. The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography reports that Bill Clinton did not submit it to the Senate for deliberation and ratification. Perhaps he was too busy with Monica Lewinsky, and maybe the Republicans under Bush were too busy in airport restrooms like Senator Larry Craig. But perhaps Obama can do something about it. Child abuse through internet pornography is growing. In fact, the United States Department of Justice approximates one million children in the United States alone, who were victims of pornographers (Levesque 65). Indeed, tougher internet child-pornography regulations need to be enforced because it continues to be rampant, digital technology has made it easier to proliferate, and the graphic pornography is increasingly becoming more brutal. Internet child pornography is rampant and increasing. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) asserts that â€Å"approximately 20% of all internet pornography involves children. † It is a â€Å"growing crisis. † The Internet Watch Foundation also reports that since 1997, internet child pornography increased by approximately 1,500%. Furthermore, internet child pornography is growing because it generates high revenue. Roger Levesque, in Sexual Abuse of Children reports that child pornography is a multi-billion dollar business. It is also one of the fastest growing internet criminal segments (Ferraro, et al. ). The growth and high demand for it is fueled by addiction, just like illegal drugs. As Ryan Singel of Wired reports, â€Å"Internet pornography is the new crack cocaine, leading to addiction, misogyny, pedophilia, boob jobs and erectile dysfunction, according to clinicians and researchers testifying before a Senate committee Thursday. † Pedophiles are addicted to child pornography, which they use for personal sexual arousal, trading with fellow pedophiles, training for future child abuse victims, or inducement for child prostitution (Crosson-Tower 208). Consequently, the high demand for addictive internet child pornography increases child abuse cases. As, the Guardian reports, â€Å"Demand for child pornography on the internet has led to an increase in sex abuse cases. † It also adds, â€Å"many paedophiles acknowledged that exposure to child sex images fuelled their fantasies and played an important part in leading them to commit physical sexual offences against children. † Unsupervised children using the internet naively are â€Å"groomed for abuse while accessing chat rooms. If the victims take the bait, they become part of future pornographic productions. The increase in popularity of social-media internet sites such as MySpace has increased these chances, whereas in the past, kidnapping by total strangers made it more difficult for pedophiles to capture victims. Moreover, the Internet Watch Foundation through the Associated Press reports that â€Å"Child pornography on the Internet is becoming more brutal and graphic, and the number of images depicting violent abuse has risen fourfold since 2003. Marlise Simons of the New York Times also reports that â€Å"even babies and infants were peddled via the Internet and other media to clients in Europe, Russia and the United States. † Indeed, the Internet facilitates the distribution of child pornography. In the section â€Å"Law Enforcement Efforts Against Child Pornography Are Ineffective† of Philip Jenkin’s book At Issue: Child Sexual Abuse, he points out â€Å"overwhelming evidence† that child pornography â€Å"is all but impossible to obtain through nonelectronic means. The US Department of Justice also reports that because of the Internet’s â€Å"technological ease, lack of expense, and anonymity in obtaining and distributing child pornography,† it â€Å"has resulted in an explosion in the availability, accessibility, and volume of child pornography. † Furthermore, in 2001, â€Å"There are estimated to be one million pornographic images of children on the internet, many of them featuring children from third world countries being abused by affluent sex tourists from the west† (Wellard 26). UNICEF also reports that â€Å"a single child pornography site receives a million hits a month. † In order to receive that much Internet traffic, organized crime groups use sophisticated computer technology to evade detection. Pornographers can send viruses to unwitting Internet users without their knowledge to gain control of their computers, which can be transformed into file servers that can remotely store images and videos of child pornography for downloading later. This happened to Michael Fiola, an unsuspecting man in Massachusetts who was wrongfully charged for possessing child pornography. As Matthew Healey of the Associated Press reports, â€Å"Of all the sinister things that Internet viruses do, this might be the worst: They can make you an unsuspecting collector of child pornography. † After a virus infected Fiola’s laptop and downloaded heinous pictures and videos into his computer, his employer discovered it through the internet bill, and he â€Å"was fired and charged with possession of child pornography, which carries up to five years in prison. He endured death threats, his car tires were slashed and he was shunned by friends. † But he and his wife â€Å"fought the case, spending $250,000 on legal fees. They liquidated their savings, took a second mortgage and sold their car. † Eventually, charges were dropped after prosecutors confirmed the defense findings. â€Å"It ruined my life, my wife’s life and my family’s life,† says Fiola. These sophisticated techniques emanates from hidden internet levels, where 50,000 to 100,000 online organized pedophiles, one-third American, gather together, as asserted by Jenkins in his book Beyond Tolerance: Child Pornography Online. With the advent of web-cams and digital photography and video, even from cell phones, home-made child porn is now easy to produce. Peer-to-peer networking, wherein internet users can share files with each other instead of downloading it, along with the use of data encryption, file division and passwords, also makes any illegal porn difficult to detect, as reported by the Internet Watch Foundation. Truly, law enforcement is weak in battling child porn. As of 2008, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) reports that 93 out of 187 countries do not have child-porn-specific laws. And out of the 94 that do have anti-child-porn laws, 36 do not criminalize the possession of child pornography. And according to Interpol statistics, only 1% of child-porn abuse victims are located each year by law enforcers, as reported by Emily Friedman in ABC News. Furthermore, violators found with images of post-pubescent minors, even if it is illegal, are often not prosecuted (Wells, et al 277). Currently, China has the most effective method in the war against child pornography. Right now, the US uses highly inefficient methods. To mitigate its image as the porn search engine of the world, Google develops software to fight child porn. In 2008, Google adapted software for its search engine to track child porn that is available through its search engine, as reported by Maggie Shiels of BBC News. The FBI also posts hyperlinks on the World Wide Web that advertise child porn. Then they raid the homes of internet users who click on the links, as Declan McCullagh writes in CNet. Moreover, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOPP), established in 2006, attempts to target the assets or finances of organized child-porn rings, as Jamie Doward from the Guardian reports. But China simply blocks all porn and American social-media sites from the Internet. China is known very well for its internet censorship and harsh penalties for drug trafficking. Drug use in the country is one of the lowest in the world. As Reuters reports in December 2009, â€Å"The Chinese government has run a highly publicized campaign against what officials said were banned smutty and lewd pictures overwhelming the country’s Internet and threatening the emotional health of children. They also add that â€Å"China has banned a number of popular websites and Internet services, including Google’s Youtube, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook, as well as Chinese content sharing sites. † Jennifer Guevin of CNET also writes, â€Å"Google acknowledged last year that the Chinese government asked it to disable a search feature with the goal of censoring pornography. † In response to CNET’s report, Myles Taylor, a reader, commented, â€Å"I wish we’d take some pages from their book and start cracking down on child pornographers, pedophiles and such. † In conclusion, law enforcement on child pornography is too weak and tougher regulations need to be implemented to combat this crisis. It would be very effective and simple if the US government were willing to simply block all porno and social-media-sharing sites from the Web, but the US First Amendment would prohibit that. However, unless US lawmakers do something drastic, such as revising the US Constitution, shoppers will continue to see the photographs of missing children on milk cartons, reminding them that their child could be the next victim of thousands of pedophiles simply waiting for the next opportunity.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Mother

Gwendolyn Brooks' poem, â€Å"The Mother† is an introspective look into the internal struggle of a woman who has had an abortion. The poem is very powerful and conveys a vast array of feelings and sentiments on the subject such as regret, love, and disappointment in one's self. The poem is largely successful due to it's tone, which is achieved through the personification and choice of diction. To begin with, lines one and two state the general idea of the poem. Abortions will not let you forget. You remember the children you got that you did not get. The first stanza of the poem begins with the introduction to the mother and her plight. The first line introduces plainly the topic of the poem. Abortion, although discussed and debated daily, is considered to be a very personal and often private experience in one's life. The second line confirms that this is a personal account of the â€Å"Mother. † The personification gives one more reason to feel empathy for the woman who is telling her story via the poem. Titling the work mother is an interesting tactic, as the topic of the poem is abortion. Perhaps this was done in order to create a tension and sadness between the mother and the abortions she is speaking of. There is also a great use of the word â€Å"you. † Brooks is writing to those who have had abortions or will have abortions and the things they must deal with. From this point Brooks writes of the joys and struggles of motherhood that the woman will never experience. For example â€Å"You will never neglect or beat them, or silence or buy with a sweet† (Brooks 6,7). In this segment Brooks uses enjambment to push the idea that there is no longer a â€Å"them. The action of thumb sucking, which most children experience, is referenced in a longing way. The mother feels sadness knowing she will never correct the action. In the line, † The damp small pulps with a little or with no hair, The singers and workers that never handled the air. † Brooks gives a strong image of the pre-baby form versus the adult form the child would have later in life. This is an interesting tactic, as it contrasts an inhuman and human form. Often fetuses are not referred to as â€Å"living† beings, and Brooks is bringing light to that conversation. The first stanza references so many actions that many mothers find mundane, but the mother who has never experienced them, treats them as treasured and severely missed moments. The second stanza focuses on the pain and loss of the woman. Brooks writes, â€Å"I have heard in the voices of the wind the voices of my dim killed children. † This is the first line to break the rhyme scheme within the poem. The mother character feels haunted by the silent cries of the multiple abortions she has had. Once again Brooks writes of the acts she will never witness, such as marriages, aches, and first breaths. From the perspective of mother, the reader witnesses the ache of regret. In the lines, I have said, Sweets, if I sinned, if I seized Your luck† there is an interesting idea planted. The word â€Å"If† implies a question in the mother. Perhaps the mother made her decision but society has made her feel the guilt? Although this idea seems largely discounted in the following stanza. In line â€Å"Believe that even in my deliberateness I was not deliberate. † We are given a taste of the state of mind the mother possessed when she had her abortion. What is being said is that although abortion was the result, it was done with best intentions. The reader is left to infer that perhaps the woman could not have provided, or might have been cast out, or any possibility that would have abortion be the prevailing answer. The following lines, â€Å"Though why should I whine, Whine that the crime was other than mine? –† tell us that the woman equates her behavior with murder. This poem does not read specifically pro-life or pro-choice, rather, it reads as sympathetic towards the hard decisions that the mother has made and her reflections on whether it was the best decision for her. Another example of the mother's reflection is found within lines 28-31. Brooks writes, â€Å"Since anyhow you are dead. Or rather, or instead, You were never made. † In these lines the reader is confronted with the question, â€Å"When does life begin? † The mother in the poem seems to struggle with this idea. She attaches human feelings and behavior to the unborn, but in the poem often questions their viability. In the last stanza, Brooks leaves us with the sobering lines, â€Å"Believe me, I loved you all. Believe me, I knew you, though faintly, and I loved, I loved you, All. These lines clear up any confusion as to what the mother feels towards the unborn fetuses. Although she never knew them, and it was her decision not to have them, she still feels the emotional attachment that any mother might. These lines answer the question as to why the woman is referred to as mother. THe woman possesses the maternal sense of unconditional love that she has felt for the fetuses, referred and her longing to be with them. There is a strong power in the use of ending on the word, â€Å"All. † Although the mother has had multiple abortions, she equates it with the same longing and regret as just one.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Case Study Example The purpose and the competitive strategies that give an organisation an edge over the competitors are known as the strategies of the organisation. Goals are sometimes stated in the company intent that is published at the start of a year. The strategies define the action plan that is adopted by the organisation so as to efficiently allocate the available resources and achieve the goals. Thus the scope of operations and the relationship that exists between the employees, competitors and customers are defined by the goals and strategies of the company. The employee turnover rate at Printzhof Press was very low and the leaders helped to achieve that end. The sales model of Printzhof was different than its competitors. Whereas most other publishing houses had â€Å"sales rep† who were in charge of contacting different professors and customers in a wide range of disciplines, Printzhof had â€Å"publishing rep† that focused on limited number of disciplines. Thus Printzhof used the niche strategy and catered to a lesser number of disciplines. Their publishing reps made it a point to attend a number of professional events that would inform them about the latest trends in teaching and research. After detailed analysis they would get in touch with the experts who would like to develop a working relation with the publishing house. Structure of a company is the hierarchical structure of the lines of authority, rights, duties and communications that exist in the same. It helps one determine the roles, responsibilities and power that exists in an organisation and the flow of information in between the different levels. It also helps an organisation identify each post, the functions that are expected from that and to whom that person holding the post would report to. This organisation structure assists an organisation in achieving the goals that have been set by the same. Generally in a centralised organisation

Environmental impact of carbon fuel consumption ( cars, taxis, buses, Essay

Environmental impact of carbon fuel consumption ( cars, taxis, buses, air plane...) - Essay Example The article cites that they only eat organic food which is mostly grown within a 250 mile distance to make it possible to access the food manually. They also do not use paper, they do not produce trash and most important is that they use no carbon-fueled transportation. Implementing these measures according to Beavan can significantly reduce the depletion rate of our environment and see a brighter future for the next generation. In the film â€Å" no impact man† there are similar measures as there is no use of elevators, television, no cars and/or buses, no cleaning products and no garbage. In this movie the food is also organic and he gets it from around Manhattan. There are critics of his families measure as they argue that starting from the mere air they breathe which is made of carbon dioxide to the buildings they live in which were made by machinery to the trucks that bring food in the city they still are accountable for some of the deterioration of the atmosphere. Howeve r it is important to note that with the level of ozone layer depletion at this point it is crucial to take measures to prevent further or slower depletion in order to have a future. This paper looks at some of the benefits and ways of using less fuel consuming cars and buses to the environment. The Beavans are four months into their experiment which involves the use of non-fuel transportation to run their daily activities. This paper advocates for the reduction in the use of cars, taxis, buses or anything that we usually use daily that consumes fuel. In the article Michelle Conlin asserts that she uses her scooter even in the rainy and snow seasons and never uses any other means of transportation. The use of the scooter can help reduce the carbon emissions significantly in the environment and help in living in an environment that is free of any fuel pollution. The wide use of cars, buses and machinery

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Leaders and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leaders and Leadership - Assignment Example This involved operation out of a sense of calling and not self drive or willingness. God had called for Jesus to instill righteous views in people. This is also transformational leadership according to Ford (Ford, 1991, p.60). This would compel others to respond. Effective leadership involves transparency with respect to one’s individual life, family and even an institution one belongs. Leaders are inclined to form teams and such teams look for leaders and a leader like Jesus does not need followers. The leadership as modeled by Jesus was that of servant leadership. Jesus’ instructions are based upon a principle â€Å"the one who rules’ should be the like the one who serves† (Ford, 1991, p. 153). Instead of building any organization, Jesus focused on the idea of collecting people with shared vision. He spent efforts on trust building. A leader might face opposition from prominent places. Jesus experienced the same but never distanced his enemies and propagated love and harmony throughout. This showed his humility and integrity. Thus leaders cannot be dictators but should set righteous examples before others. This is unlike Hitler and Stalin who were dictators or extreme leaders without any character attributes to be followed. In fact one may call his leadership timeless and relevant even in modern times because he had all qualities one would expect from a perfect leader who maintains accountability in order to stay within boundaries and provide new direction and inspiration for an organization. Authority should be applied in order to motivate trust from people and make them follow their example (Tucker and Russel, 2004, p.103). Transformation leadership, as conceptualized by Burn involves four categories – â€Å"idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration and inspirational motivation†

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Will email details Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Will email details - Essay Example rt for the world to see the Negro’s capability of beauty, that the black man or woman is no different from the rest of humanity with his or her expression of beauty. He saw race more as a matter of social and cultural influence rather than the biological and hereditary influence or color of skin. Dubois, on the other hand, saw the pragmatic use of the art to advance the cause of the Negro. Thus, he called for Negro artists to look back at Africa for inspiration and to dig deep within their Negro character to best represent it in the art. Thus, artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Loà ¯s Mailou Jones, William H. Johnson and others responded with their visual arts. Thus, artists such Jacob Lawrence and William H. Johnson responded by depicting that blacks could be beautiful by literally portraying Negroes in his painting in accordance with Locke’s philosophy as what we can see from his painting in Poor Parlor, Self Portrait and Chain Gang. Artists such as Loà ¯s Mailou Jones proved in their paintings the Negro’s capability for aesthetics as they painted beauty of equal magnificence such as the work in Fishing Smacks, Menemsha, Massachusetts and Les Pommes Vertes (The Green Apples) proving that the Negro is equally capable. In a way, the futurism art movement was a celebration of the industrialized world which is contradictory to other artists who retreat from the hustle of the big industrialized cities as they create their works. Their method ranged from abstraction to photography depicting actions, objects and insignia of industrialization. For example Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà  , Luigi Russolo, Giacomo Balla, and Gino Severini created Poesia as an abstraction of the horse that moves goods and people before the introduction of motorized vehicles. In their other works, they also portrayed the working man and woman suggesting that indeed, beauty can be seen in toiling in the city. Practical art form such as signs has a useful impact on me. Messages conveyed

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

War on terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War on terrorism - Essay Example Morgan speaks about Canadian politicians in the following terms: "they've been using that familiar demon -the United States and all its evils- as the fuel to heat Canadian voters to a frenzy. () And all the while, they're studiously ignoring Canada's own homegrown issues." Morgan stated the following about Canadians in general: "There's no denying that Canadians are in an even more anti-American mood than usual, thanks to the Iraq war and the Bush administration's perceived arrogance. () Politicians here know that Canadians love to read, talk and debate about U. S. transgressions. Newspaper articles point to ethnic profiling at airports and long border waits as evidence that the war on terrorism is a sham, and that Americans are simply looking for excuses to harass Canadians for the country's multicultural society." (Morgan, 2006). Morgan pointed out the following about Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin, the NAFTA's accord, and the Canadian government: "he (Martin) conveniently neglected to mention that Canada, which is one of the accord's major promoters, so far hasn't complied with its emission reduction requirements.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Writing Historical Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Writing Historical Fiction - Essay Example For a time I had decided after high school I wanted to pursue something different rather than simply entering college. I had no idea what I would do – get a job, study in a Buddhist monastery, join a commune – whatever it was it would ensure that my life was unique. One night I expressed this desire to my father, Daniel. Rather than rejecting my idea as I had expected he would, he empathized with me and told me that when he turned eighteen he had similar feelings. Rather than pursuing anything similar to what I had proposed, however, he went on a summer long excursion throughout the western United States. My father was born and grew up in Montana. Growing up in a large family he never really had the opportunity to travel throughout the country. After high school, before deciding on his next course of action, he and two of his friends piled into a Cadillac and started towards the western part of United States with nothing but a map and backpack of clothes. â€Å"We didn ’t really have a plan† he told me. â€Å"Really, all we knew is that we wanted to see California and take it from there.† They passed through Idaho and Oregon, heading straight for San Francisco. It was 1972 when my father and his friends drove over the Golden Gate Bridge into the city. Throughout the late 1960s San Francisco had become the center of hippie culture. Protests regularly occurred there, bands and artists frequented the area, and songs were even written about the city. While San Francisco had experienced this great idealism in the 1960s, the early 1970s were a time of growing cynicism. â€Å"We pulled into the city with a great sense of naivete, believing there would be young people with flowers and guitars all over the streets. In reality we were a few years late† he told me. They made it throughout many of the characteristic spots, â€Å"We went to Haight-Ashbury, saw Alcatraz, and rode the cable cars.† I had heard of San Francisco as the epicenter of 1960s culture, so I was very curious as to what had happened to the area’s optimism. â€Å"The month we pulled into the city was the same month men had been arrested for the Watergate scandal. A few years before Charles Manson had been arrested for leading the Tate-Labianca killings. It seemed like the collective culture of the area had grown tired of itself.† They explored throughout the city nonetheless. While San Francisco was the heart of the 1960s counter-culture movement, the city also has an illustrious history dating back to the 19th century gold rush. â€Å"What I remember the most is walking along the peer where the fishermen brought in their daily catch. Stands had been setup where you could buy fresh fish and chips. We sat along that peer each night looking out at Alcatraz.† After a couple days in the city they decided to explore the surrounding area. They ventured up a hill that overlooked the city. â€Å"The hill had actually bee n an old Northern Civil War army base† he told me. It really surprised me to discover that preparations for the Civil War had extended as far west as San Francisco. While the area was a designated no camping zone, they were traveling on a budget; they waited until night time and set up sleeping bags out of site of possible passersby. â€Å"We walked out to the top of the hill before right before the sunset and looked out across the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco. I thought about all the people that had looked along here before and all the development the city had gone through. It was truly an American relic† he told me. He would go to sleep that night, but be woken up by cats clawing at his face.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Vietnam War Essay Example for Free

Vietnam War Essay The film shows the importance of having an army that is well equipped and knows what their enemy has for troops and artillery. This battle at the La Drang Valley is important to the rest of the Vietnam War because this is where helicopter-based. The air mobile operations helped the U. S army because it was able to bring soldiers and supplies into the combat zone. Without these helicopters and supplies the soldiers that were at the combat zone would not have stood a chance against the Viet Cong army. Film stayed as close to the historical truth as possible. The names and events that are in the movie match with the true events that occurred during the war. Some minor details in the film slanted from the reality, requirement of the commercial movies. Major part of the movie is critical in depicting the war time events to as close as possible. It gives profound knowledge of the historic war, thus contributing to the nation as a source of knowledge. The film We Were Soldiers is not an invention of historical truth but actually a history movie that enables new generations to view the war visually that happened in Vietnam. The visual graphics of the movie are outstanding and it is simply remarkable how they are able to make things look so real. The plot of the movie is wisely done. There were numerous short scenes in this section of the movie that were both fascinating and gave life to it. It is based on fact and shows the facts very well. Although there is some fiction in this film it is not a faction, or combination of truth and fiction. The film is true but with certain Hollywood aspects which you will get in most movies. Although the Vietnam War was a very controversial war this was not portrayed as much as it should have been in the movie. The film shows very little insight into the publics attitude regarding war with northern Vietnam. Even though this was the first battle in Vietnam they were no opinions expressed by the public in this film. The only hint of what the public thought about the war was with the soldiers wives that were home, and they shared biased thoughts because their husbands were fighting in the war so obviously they thought that it was an unnecessary war. This film gave us insight into the beliefs of the united states government as they were at war because of their beliefs that communism was bad, and all communists nations had to be dealt with and punished for they wrong doings and be made into democratic nations. It showed that the military would send troops into battle being outnumbered just to make a country do what the United States wanted it to do. This film was inspired by the book We Were Soldiers Once†¦And Young, written by Harold G. Moore. Moore was the Lt. General at the battle of The La Drang Valley. He wrote this book about the battle that took place there and has interviews with soldiers from both sides about the battle. He also talks about the importance of the helicopters role in bringing men into battle and how this would play a huge part in the rest of the war in Vietnam. The book was the basis for the historical relevance of the movie. The film got most of its information about what really happened at the battle zone through the book as it was written from the commanding officer at the battle and interviews were taken from soldiers that were there and fought and witnessed what was going on first hand. The battle at the La Drang Valley shows us insight into what further battles in Vietnam would look like and what the American military would have to do to be victorious in Vietnam. The film We Were Soldiers shows us this in a first hand experience. It takes us to the actual battlefield and shows us the hardship and defeat that the American soldiers had to go through to stay alive and defeat the Vietnam army. This film is very important to this generation and the next generations to come as is shows close detail of the first battle of the Vietnam War. Bibliography 1. http://bluray. highdefdigest. com/weweresoldiers. html 2. http://search. reviews. ebay. co. uk/We-Were-Soldiers_EAN_7321900934787_W0QQfvcsZ1172QQsoprZ3951947

Saturday, September 21, 2019

According to Congress Essay Example for Free

According to Congress Essay Culture is the arrangement of aggregate beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the associates of association use to cope with their apple and with one another, and that are transmitted from bearing to bearing through learning. It comprises all the ability and ethics aggregate by a association or the attitudes and behavior that are adapted of a accurate amusing accumulation or organization. It is the accumulated habits, attitudes, and behavior of a accumulation of humans that ascertain for them their accepted behavior and way of life; the absolute set of abstruse activities of a people. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay According to Congress (1997), there are alone and cultural differences in agreement of affliction administration because there are patients who wish connected affliction medication while others abjure their charge for affliction reliever. Since the role of the bloom affliction provider is to advice patients apostle for what feels adapted for them aural their cultural ambience there are times if compassionate the accommodating may be difficult abnormally if patients are from altered cultures and allege altered languages Competence in a accurate profession does not alone cover ability and ability in the specific acreage or discipline. It is as well important that as a medical amount holder, the getting knows how to acquaint and collaborate with altered individuals with differing culture. Issues on race, gender, age, adoration and socio-economic cachet should be dealt with abundant abilities so as to abstain absurd confrontations. This will advice advance and advance adapted and acceptable alive relationships in the workplace. Littlejohn (2002) mentioned and provided account apropos the access of allegorical interactions which states that amusing structures and meanings are created and maintained in amusing interaction, that humans act in accordance with their abstract understandings of the situation, that people’s activity is based on their interpretations and that amusing activity is fabricated up of alternation processes rather than structures and is accordingly consistently changing. Using this access as a advance and applying its abstraction in the conveyance of podiatry, the bloom affliction provider should accept the accommodation to accept the apropos of the patient. There will be times if the accommodating will not be absolute and absolute in cogent the medical getting of his or her appraisal of the bloom affliction provided. It is the albatross of the bloom affliction provider to be acute to the needs of the patient. Observing his or her (the patient) behavior and attitudes appear situations and humans will advice in ambience the appropriate affection and action to conduct the able advice and abetment the getting to her needs. It is important that considerations not just on the bloom of the accommodating but aswell of his or her cultural acclimatization are fabricated by the clinician. Getting an abstraction of area and what blazon of getting the applicant is will accommodate the medical care to accord with the apropos of the audience better. In the profession of medicine, it not alone the concrete bloom of the getting that is getting taken affliction of, the accepted abundance of the getting is as well kept in mind. Humans in this conveyance should apperceive the able access to be acclimated in interacting with specific blazon of accommodating in agreement of his or her cultural orientation. They should be able to accept area the accommodating stands and try to reside up to the standards that they expect. There are times if advice amid the accommodating and the medical cadre is an adversity abnormally if langue aberration amid them exists. Providing instructions, guidelines and prescriptions could be awkward if one of the parties or both of them cannot accept what the added is aggravating to put through. It is accessible again that cultural accomplishment of the getting cannot be afar from the affairs that that he or she lives and has been acclimatized to. The affairs include the routines, the behaviors and attitudes that a getting exhibits. The ability he or she incorporates in his or her circadian activity includes the judgments and tastes that are made. Galanti (1999) cited an archetype in her commodity if cultural differences behest the bearings to be a little complicated due to differing socio-cultural expectations. She aggregate the afterward story: aâ‚ ¬? In the United States, there is generally no one but the assistant to yield affliction of the patientaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s psychosocial needs. The American accommodating who expects the bloom affliction artisan to appearance claimed absorption may apperceive a Filipino assistant who is aggravating to behave appropriately as algid and uncaring. (http://www. ggalanti. com/articles/articles_home_health. html). If it comes to affliction management, for example, it is a actuality that altered patients accept altered interpretations if it comes to the abstraction of pain. There are cultural orientations wherein affliction is advised as a appearance of courage abnormally if the getting has a top affliction tolerance. On the added hand, there are as well patients who feel abhorrent if ambidextrous with concrete affliction as they resort to quick affliction relievers and actual treatment. These types of cases appeal that bloom affliction training in added cultural ambience should be provided with advice as to what a accommodating expects from medical personnel. Rogers (1951) in Staats (1996) declared that anniversary alone has a life force that is afflicted and afflicted by the amusing burden that he or she adventures which hinders claimed and amusing advance and actualization. This is one of the affidavit why treatments are anchored in an area the applicant or accommodating can allocution her apperception advisedly after activity abhorrence and pressure. The atmosphere fostered by able nurses whose plan is anxious with alone development is a abode area their patients feel safe to accurate his or her accurate attributes and cocky (Staats, 1996). In ambidextrous with situations such as the cases mentioned above, it is accordant that the bloom affliction provider, whether he or she is in the podiatry profession or added medical practice, to accept a bright abstraction of the patient’s cultural background. There are just certain instances where in both the bloom affliction provider and the accommodating will be put in a amusing action wherein differences should be bent and accept for a acceptable alive ambiance as able-bodied as for the account of the patient.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Impact of the Industrial Revolution

Impact of the Industrial Revolution Can you imagine life without these machines? Introduction At the dawn of the 18th century, technological and scientific advancements led to England being one of the most powerful and successful maritime power in the world. Foreign trade had scaled new heights and the demand for manufactured goods had increased. As a result of the use of machinery for agriculture, there was not much work in the rural areas. People migrated to towns looking for opportunities for work. Manufacturers attempted to find ways to increase production to meet the new demands. All these factors, among others, led to what was later termed as ‘The Industrial Revolution’ by historian Arnold Tonybee. Onset of the Industrial Revolution Life before the Industrial Revolution was tough. For centuries, man had relied on animals and himself, to do all the work and make objects of daily use. With new technological advancements, man started to rely on technology to perform similar tasks – quickly and efficiently. This change from an agrarian economy where hand tools were used, to one, where machines such as the seed drill, steam engine, etc. were invented, factories were established, resulting in complete change in the life of the people is termed as the Industrial Revolution. Features of the Industrial Revolution One of the most important features of the Industrial Revolution was the various inventions made during the time that went on to change the course of history forever. Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin helped separate the cotton from its seed approximately fifty times faster than before. Jethro Hull, a farmer, invented a seed drill which planted grains very efficiently. Increase in the production of raw material meant that there was loads of raw material to be processed, especially in the case of textiles such as cotton. A weaver named James Hargreaves gave the much needed breakthrough by inventing the spinning jenny, a machine that spun many threads at once, though they were thick. Richard Awkright, invented the spinning frame, also known as the water frame. It spun thicker thread into thinner and stronger ones. It was Samuel Crompton’s spinning mule that made the large scale production of yarn possible. Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom that further incr eased the production of cloth and reduced labour costs as well. Inventions of machines led to the formation of factories for production of cloth. Mass production of cotton and cotton fabrics led to a great reduction in the prices. These inventions changed the socio-economic structure of England as weavers and workers were able to earn good wages and lead a better life.  Ã‚   Although the cotton mills marked the beginning of the Industrial revolution, it is the invention of James Watt’s steam engine that powered and continued it. The steam engine used the force of steam to power engines. Invention of this machine brought about many changes in England. Factory owners realised that they could now build factories where people lived and need not construct them it near a water source, as they did earlier. It was Abraham Darby’s ability to cast iron in a coke-fueled furnace that enabled inventors like Thomas Newcomen to have his steam engines cast by Darby[3]. Henry Bessemer’s invention of the Bessemer Converter enabled inexpensive manufacture of steel abundantly. The transportation system was completely overhauled when steam powered trains and other locomotives were built. The transformation of roads and railways made travel and shipping of goods fairly comfortable and cheap. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] The invention of the steam engine, usage on iron and steel in ships was useful in manufacturing ships that were much faster. Ships started voyaging through oceans which in turn increased trade even further. This period of intense industrialisation witnessed a major change in architecture and infrastructure. New towns came up that boasted of town halls, libraries, gardens, concert halls, etc. [9] Another important feature of the Industrial Revolution was the change in the socio-economic life of the people. As factories were set up and towns formed, people moved to towns in search of employment which made urbanization, a common feature of the Industrial Revolution. Historians are of the opinion that although some women stayed at home to look after the children, many worked in factories with their husbands. Sometimes, children were made to work in factories as well. In general, the Industrial Revolution improved the standard of living of the people as they were able to afford the basic necessities of life and could indulge in leisure activities during their free time. People read books, went on vacation, enjoyed concerts or spent days on the beach, educated themselves, etc. to pass their time. People started to take an active part in politics as well. [10] Why did the Industrial Revolution originate in England? Having read about the different features of the Industrial Revolution, it now becomes imperative to read about certain conditions that came together to set the scene for its inception. Colonies like India were a good source of raw material such as cotton for their factories in England. The colonies were good markets too as they sold their manufactured goods there. Being a supreme maritime power with one of the largest ships in the world, it was easy for England to transport the raw material and the finished products. A stable government at the centre, with few restrictions on the economy, helped the industry and commerce to thrive. Laws made by the government favoured the companies that set up factories and businesses. Natural resources such as coal and iron were available in abundance to be used in factories. Streams and rivers in England were used to generate power and served as a medium of transportation of goods and raw materials. England, to begin with, was a prosperous country and people had extra money to spend on other things besides the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.[11] Impact of the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution became the most noteworthy ensemble of social, cultural and economic change that affected human history. Let us discuss some of them. There was a tremendous increase in population during the Industrial Revolution as the standard of living improved and fewer people died due to diseases. The Industrial Revolution led to capitalism, that is, the business was owned privately and operated primarily for profit. The industrial revolution divided the society into different classes the factory owners who owned the factory and the workers who worked for him. The owners of the factories exploited the workers to maximise their profit. New cities and towns came up as the factory owners established factories closer to where they lived. People who worked in factories had to leave their houses and shift to these places, often with their families. The Industrial Revolution completely changed the lives of the workers. From being a craftsperson who worked using hand tools, he was merely reduced to a machine operator. Weavers and other craftsmen who tried to make a living by making goods at home found it difficult to sell their products as their hand-made goods were more expensive than the machine-made ones. The Industrial Revolution gave rise to imperialism. England was faced with two problems during the Industrial revolution – Procuring of cheap raw materials and a market for their manufactured goods. They solved these problems by gaining political and economic control over weaker countries. [12] Though the Industrial Revolution began in England, it gradually spread to the other countries of the world as well. Imperialism Industrialisation stirred the aspirations of England. They wanted to maximise the profit of their industries. England wanted resources to fuel their production as well as a market to sell their goods. Weaker countries such as India were the perfect target. This policy of England to acquire political, economic and social control over a weaker country is known as imperialism. Imperialism was one of the worst impacts of industrialisation. England sourced the raw materials of their products from these countries and sold the manufactured products in these countries itself at exorbitant prices. Imperialism involves the use of power, military or otherwise to exercise control over the weaker country. [13] Imperialism destroyed the culture and the local industries of the colonies. Inexpensive foreign goods destroyed the markets of local indigenous products. No effort was made to modernize the colonies. Agriculture was also affected as the imperialists allowed the colonies to grow those crops that were beneficial to them, whether or not it was conducive to the locals. We shall study about the British policies and plans in India later in the book. Peep into the Past Iron Bridge The World’s first Iron Bridge built on River Severnin England is one of the most famous industrial monuments in Britain. Shropshire, the area in which it was built was famous for its coal deposits. The steep Severn gorge posed a problem for transportation of people and goods. Architect Thomas Pritchard suggested ironmaster John Wilenson make the iron bridge. Though Wilkenson started the project in 1777, the iron bridge was completed by Abraham Darby in 1779. It was opened to the public on January 1, 1781. The bridge was used for over 150 years before it was shut down for vehicles in 1934. The Iron Bridge was designated as an ancient monument. It is now a World Heritage Site. [1] http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/publications/online_research_catalogues/paper_money/paper_money_of_england__wales/the_industrial_revolution.aspx [2] World Socities – Mckay Hill – pg – 747, 748, 749 [3] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/151458/Abraham-Darby#ref219821 [4] HOLT, Human Legacy, Page 634, 635, 636, 637 [5] World Socities – Mckay Hill – pg – 750-751-752 [6] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/143809/Samuel-Crompton [7] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/151458/Abraham-Darby [8] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/642887/Eli-Whitney [9] http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/publications/online_research_catalogues/paper_money/paper_money_of_england__wales/the_industrial_revolution/the_industrial_revolution_2.aspx [10] HOLT, Human Legacy, page – 649, 650, 651, and http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/publications/online_research_catalogues/paper_money/paper_money_of_england__wales/the_industrial_revolution/the_industrial_revolution_3.aspx [11] HOLT, Human Legacy, pages – 633, 634, 635 [12] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/287086/Industrial-Revolution [13] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/283988/imperialism

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Dynamic and Ever-changing Hansel and Gretel Essay -- Exploratory E

The Dynamic and Ever-changing Hansel and Gretel Most fairy-tale aficionados have a static view of their favorite stories. That is, indeed, part of the glory which these tales hold†¦the fact that they are timeless, forever remaining fond memories of unforgettable stories that had been repeated to them from a young age. In both the oral and written traditions, these stories perpetuated themselves and became fixtures upon the cultures of which they have taken hold. For most people, the idea of these classics ever having been different not only seems odd, but also shakes the foundations of their childhood memories. However, stories are dynamic and ever-changing. What a follower of the aforementioned school-of-though fails to think about is why these stories would have been changed. Sometimes fairy tales change because the person recalling the story has a bad memory, while other times they are deliberately altered by a rewriter. Often times with rewrites, the story is changed so that it is relevant to both the modern times and the life history of the new author. Hansel and Gretel, the classic German fairy tale, is certainly no exception to this trend of changing fairy tales. One of the most famous written versions of Hansel and Gretel (although not the original) is from the early 19th century. This edition was written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the German fairy-tale-writing duo more commonly known as â€Å"Brothers Grimm† (Ashliman). The story is about a young boy and girl, brother and sister, named Hansel and Gretel respectively. They lived at the edge of a great forest under the supervision of their father (a poor woodcutter) and their stepmother. The family was very poor and running low on food†¦soo... ... by a common plot, slight changes changed the entire idea the story was trying to portray. The two different versions created two different images in the minds of readers/opera fans. Hansel and Gretel, like many other tales, has evolved and changed over time. Whether for reasons rooted in principle or simply out of practicality, fairy tales such as Hansel and Gretel will be changed by new writers or orators. This, however, in no way detracts from their timelessness. Works Cited Ashliman, D.L. Grimm Brothers’ Home Page. 02 Sep. 2002. University of Pittsburgh Website. 21 Jan. 2004. . Brothers Grimm. â€Å"Hansel and Gretel.† The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999. 179-90. Engelbert Humperdinck. n.d. First Coast Opera. 21 Jan. 2004 .

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Stories of Success in Salome Thomas-ELs Book, I Choose to Stay Essay

The book I Choose to Stay was written by Mr. Salome Thomas-EL. In it were short stories of success, which were his success stories, and the stories of the children, that he have touched and inspired. Mr. EL is an educator; therefore, he wrote this book for its readers to know and eventually learn from his experiences as a student, a teacher, and a human being. Every human being has his own unique genetic talents and abilities. One of these abilities is intelligence. Intelligence is the ability of a person to learn and understand. In the beginning of life, every human being was born with different levels of intelligence, but the level of intelligence that we acquire from birth doesn’t entirely affect what we become or if we succeed or fail in life. This has been what Mr. EL instilled in his book. However, one student who have read the book thought, that the message of the book was that smart people succeed, while not-so-smart people fail. In my opinion, the students’ att itude about the book is wrong, because our genetics doesn’t determine our level of success. We succeed by being hard working and determined, by having sufficient time, and by having a set of people that would guide and support us as we grow. Skills and abilities are nothing compared to hard work and determination, and a positive attitude. It has been said that if you want to achieve something; you have to do your best to get it. You can’t just sit around and wait for it to come. You have to work and live your life, for you to achieve it. Salome once told his students, â€Å"If your mind can conceive and your heart can believe, you can achieve.† In addition to these words, he said â€Å"There is only one person capable of preventing you from reaching your goals, that person... ... if not because of the guidance and support of his teachers and especially his mother.† The same thing applies to his students. His students became successful, because Mr. Salome Thomas-EL was a great teacher; he cared, enlightened and guided his students to the right path. All of us have God-given abilities. And this â€Å"gift† needs to be opened, cherished and nurtured for it to be of great help in our journey of life. To succeed in life, the first thing we need to have is determination. Once we have the determination, what we need to do next is to manage and treasure the time that has been given to us. And after we have achieved those, the third thing that we need to have is a firm and strong support system. When we have all these three things with us, it would be much easier for us to succeed. What we need to succeed are merely sugar, spice and everything nice.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Philippine culture Essay

Academic Scientific Psychology or Akademiko-siyentipikal na Sikolohiya: Western Tradition: This follows the tradition of Wilhelm Wundt in 1876 and is essentially the American-oriented Western psychology being studied in the Philippines. Academic Philosophic Psychology or Akademiko-pilosopiya na Sikolohiya: Western Tradition: This was started by priest-professors at the University of Santo Tomas. This tradition is mainly focused on what is called ‘Rational psychology’. Ethnic Psychology or Taal na Sikolohiya: This is the tradition on which Philippine psychology is primarily based. This refers to the indigenous concepts that are studied using indigenous psychological orientation and methodologies. Psycho-medical Religious Psychology or Sikolohiyang Siko-medikal: The tradition that fuses native healing techniques and explains it in an indigenous religious context. By Noeco C. Marquino,BS. Psychology UNO-R. Core value or Kapwa Kapwa, meaning ‘togetherness’, is the core construct of Filipino Psychology. Kapwa refers to community; not doing things alone. Kapwa has two categories, Ibang Tao (other people) and Hindi Ibang Tao (not other people). Ibang Tao (â€Å"outsider†) There are five domains in this construct: Pakikitungo: civility Pakikisalamuha: act of mixing Pakikilahok: act of joining Pakikibagay: conformity Pakikisama: being united with the group. Hindi Ibang Tao (â€Å"one-of-us†) There are three domains in this construct: Pakikipagpalagayang-loob: act of mutual trust Pakikisangkot: act of joining others Pakikipagkaisa: being one with others Pivotal interpersonal value Pakiramdam: Shared inner perceptions. Filipinos use damdam, or the inner perception of others’ emotions, as a basic tool to guide his dealings with other people. Linking socio-personal value Kagandahang-Loob: Shared humanity. This refers to being able to help other people in dire need due to a perception of being together as a part of one Filipino humanity. Accommodative surface values Hiya: Loosely translated as ‘shame’ by most Western psychologists, Hiya is actually ‘sense of propriety’. Utang na Loob: Norm of reciprocity. Filipinos are expected by their neighbors to return favors-—whether these were asked for or not—-when it is needed or wanted. Pakikisama and Pakikipagkapwa: Smooth Interpersonal Relationship, or SIR, as coined by Lynch (1961 and 1973). This attitude is primarily guided by conformity with the majority. Confrontative surface values Bahala Na: This attitude, loosely translated into English as ‘fatalistic passiveness’, actually describes the Filipino way of life, in which, he is determined to do his best, hence the term bahala na, which actually came from the phrase bathalan na, meaning ‘I will do all my best, let God take care of the rest’. Lakas ng Loob: This attitude is characterized by being courageous in the midst of problems and uncertainties. Pakikibaka: Literally in English, it means concurrent clashes. It refers to the ability of the Filipino to undertake revolutions and uprisings against a common enemy. Societal values Karangalan: Loosely translated to dignity, this actually refers to what other people see in a person and how they use that information to make a stand or judge about his/her worth. Puri: the external aspect of dignity. May refer to how other people judge a person of his/her worth. Dangal: the internal aspect of dignity. May refer to how a person judges his own worth. Katarungan: Loosely translated to justice, this actually refers to equity in giving rewards to a person. Kalayaan: Freedom and mobility. Ironically, this may clash with the less important value of pakikisama or pakikibagay (conformity). Approaches and methods Approaches, or lapit, and methods, or pamamaraan, in Filipino Psychology are different from that of Western Psychology. In Filipino Psychology, the subjects, or participants, called kalahok, are considered as equal in status to the researcher. The participants are included in the research as a group, and not as individuals – hence, an umpukan, or natural cluster, is required to serve as the participants, per se. The researcher is introduced to a natural cluster by a tulay (bridge), who is a part of the umpukan and is a well-respected man in the community. Some of the many approaches and methods used in Filipino Psychology are: Pakikipagkuwentuhan: In this method, the researcher engages in a story-telling with an umpukan. The researcher merely serves as the facilitator, while the kalahok or participants are the one who are to talk. The term kwento, from the Spanish word cuento, literally means ‘to tell a story’. Panunuluyan: In this method, the researcher stays in the home of his kalahok or participant while he conducts the research with consent by the host family, whose head serves as the tulay to an umpukan. The term tuloy, which is the root word of the term panunuluyan, literally means ‘to go in’. Pagdadalaw-dalaw: In this method, the researcher occasionally visits the house of his host or tulay, as opposed to staying in the house. The term dalaw literally means ‘visit’. Pagtatanung-tanong: In this method, the researcher undergoes a kind of questioning session with his kalahok or participants. In this method, however, ‘lead questions’ (those questions which directly refer to the topic being studied) are not supposed to be asked, instead the questions to be asked are supposed to have been derived from the kalahok’s answers themselves. The word tanong literally means ‘question’. Pakikiramdam: In this approach, the researcher uses entirely his/her own feelings or emotions to justify if his participants or kalahok are ready to be part of his research or not. The term damdam literally means ‘inner perception of emotions’. Pakapa-kapa: In this approach, the researcher uses ‘groping’, or a mixture of feelings as well as circumstances, to justify his intrusion into the life of his/her participants or kalahok. The term kapa literally means ‘to grope in the dark’. Psychopathology. Filipino psychopathology, or sikopatolohiya in Filipino, from Spanish psicopatologia, is the study of abnormal psychology in the Filipino context. Several ‘mental’ disorders have been identified that can be found only in the Philippines or in other nations with which Filipinos share racial connections. Examples of such are: Amok: Malayan mood disorder, more aptly called ‘Austronesian Mood Disorder’, in which a person suddenly loses control of himself and goes into a killing frenzy, after which he/she hallucinates and falls into a trance. After he/she wakes up, he has absolutely no memory of the event. Bangungot: A relatively common occurrence in which a person suddenly loses control of his respiration and digestion, and falls into a coma and ultimately to death. The person is believed to dream of falling into a deep abyss at the onset of his death. This syndrome has been repeatedly linked to Thailand’s Brugada syndrome and to the ingestion of rice. However, no such medical ties have been proven. Filipino psychopathology also refers to the different manifestations of mental disorders in Filipino people. One example of such is the manifestation of depression and schizophrenia in Filipinos, which are for the most part, less violent. Psycho-medicine See also: Philippine Mythology Filipino psychomedicine, or sikomedikal na sikolohiya in Filipino, is the application of basic psychology to native healing practices loosely considered as ‘medicine’. These practices are closely tied to the faith healers, as well as to the native pagan priestesses like the babaylan or katalonan, who were suppressed by the Spaniards during their colonization of the Philippines. Examples of such practices include: Hilot: The use of massage to aid a pregnant mother in the delivery of her child. Kulam: Hex or bewitchment. Lihi: An intense craving for something or someone during pregnancy. Faith healers or manghihilot testify that if the craving is not satisfied, abnormality of the child may result. Pasma: A concept that explains how init (heat) and lamig (cold) together can result in illness, especially rheumatism. Susto: Soul-flight. Derived from Latin American traditions. Pagtatawas: A method of diagnosing illness wherein alum (called tawas) is ritualistically used by the albularyo or medicine man for diagnosis of a variety of health conditions. The tawas is used to ‘cross’ (sign of the cross) the forehead and other suspicious or ailing parts of the body as prayers are being whispered (bulong or oracion). It is then placed on glowing embers, removed when it starts to crack, then transferred to a small receptacle of water. As it cools, its softened form spreads on the water surface and assumes a shape that may suggest the cause of the illness, often one of several indigenous forces: dwarfs, devils or other evil spirits (na-nuno, na-kulam, na-demonyo). The water in the vehicle is then used to anoint the ailing part or parts of the body to counteract the evil forces or illness. The tawas is then discarded and thrown westward, preferably into the setting sun. Usog: A concept that explains how a baby who has been greeted by a stranger acquires a mysterious illness. Apparently derived from the Spanish tradition of Mal de Ojo. Gaba or gabaa: The Cebuano concept of negative Karma. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Filipino_psychology History of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, or the â€Å"Psychology of, about, and for the Filipinos†. Psychology as an academic discipline in the Philippines started in the early 1900s when the U. S. colonized the country. Scientifically, it was generally viewed as a continuation of the development of psychology in the West. In the early 1970s, however, there came a turning point in the lives of Filipinos. It was a period marked by a high degree of nationalism, brought about by the declaration of the Martial Law. It was ironic that the father of Philippine Psychology was, at that time, a recent Ph. D. graduate of Northwestern University in the U. S. More on this topic. Filipino Values – Indigenous Concepts in Filipino Psychology Cultural, Societal Traditions Remain Integral Part of Philippines Skin Whitening and Dark Beauty in the Philippines It was precisely his Western education that made Sikolohiyang Pilipino founder Virgilio Enriquez realize the need to have a psychology based on the experience, ideas, and orientation of the Filipinos. Together with three other colleagues—Prospero Covar (anthropologist), and Zeus Salazar (historian), and Alfredo Lagmay (psychologist)—they helped establish the foundation for a psychology of and for the Filipinos. Enriquez had been a professor of Psychology in the University of the Philippines in Diliman in 1963, but left in 1966 for the U. S. to pursue a Ph. D. in Social Psychology. From there, he watched the disenchantment of young student activists in the Philippines over the deteriorating political and social conditions of the country. When Enriquez returned to the Philippines in 1971, he embarked on a research study with Lagmay into the historical and cultural roots of Philippine Psychology, which included identifying indigenous concepts and approaches. Four years later, he chaired the first national conference on Filipino Psychology. In this conference, the ideas, concepts, and formulations of Sikolohiyang Pilipino were formally articulated. Sikolohiyang Pilipino in the University of the Philippines When Enriquez returned from the States, he and a few other colleagues translated foreign articles to Filipino. The students were also strongly encouraged to write their papers in this language instead of in English, which had been (and still is) the medium of instruction in the University. Gradually, more and more members of the faculty were convinced to use the Filipino language in teaching Introductory Psychology. The main problems they encountered in the use of Filipino in teaching psychology, especially in its initial years, included the lack of materials written in Filipino and the lack of a technical vocabulary. These challenges were solved by translations, compilations of local materials, and choosing the appropriate words from the local dialect. There were times when the technical term was retained when there was no equivalent in Filipino. This did not work out because Enriquez realized that the translation failed to express a truly Filipino psychology. Other factors were the difficulty of expressing or explaining some Western concepts and theories in Filipino, the negative reactions of students who sometimes felt that their skill in speaking and writing in Filipino was inadequate, and the students’ lack of fluency in the language. However, there were observable benefits as well brought about by the use of Filipino in teaching psychology. Among other things: It created better rapport between teacher and students There was a more relaxed atmosphere in the classroom The students’ confidence grew in expressing their opinions, thoughts, and actual experiences. A different perspective, which was more Filipino, was introduced into the course Indigenous concepts were discovered; and The scope of topics discussed became broader with the addition of information from local materials and experiences. Class discussions also became more concrete in relation to Philippine reality. Psychology became related intimately and significantly to the everyday life of the people. Most importantly, with the birth of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, a psychology with a Filipino orientation was developed. The Status of Sikolohiyang Pilipino Now. Sikolohiyang Pilipino continues to thrive, despite the death of Enriquez in the early 90s. Its proponents continue to advocate for a psychology that is truly responsive and reflective to the needs and the unique situation of the Filipino people. http://www. stumbleupon. com/su/2DjFxC/www. suite101. com/content/sikolohiyang-pilipino–the-history-of-philippine-psychology-a316940/ Filipino Psychology or Sikolohiyang Pilipino has basic concepts based on indigenous Filipino values, including hiya, bahala na, and utang na loob. According to founder Virgilio Enriquez,Sikolohiyang Pilipino or Filipino. Psychology is psychology in the Philippines, for and about the Filipinos. It has a number of concepts uniquely based on Filipino values. Filipino Values in Focus One of the major focus of Sikolohiyang Pilipino are the values and concepts interpreted by foreign social scientists. Bahala na had been compared to the American â€Å"fatalism. † In Thomas Andres’s Dictionary of Filipino Culture and Values, it is defined as â€Å"the attitude that makes him accept sufferings and problems leaving everything to God†¦this is a fatalistic resignation or withdrawal from an engagement or crisis or a shirking from personal responsibility. † For Filipino psychologists, however, bahala na is not â€Å"fatalism† but determination and risk-taking. Filipinos do not leave their fate to God when they say bahala na; rather they are telling themselves that they are ready to face the difficult situation before them and will do their best to achieve their objectives. It is a way of pumping courage into their system before a difficult task. Ads by Google Expat & Local Counselling International team of therapists for kids, teens, adults, & couples www. thecounsellingplace. com Meditation – Free MP3s Above the clouds, The sun is always shining. www. ramatalks. com Hiya and Other Misinterpreted Filipino Values Hiya is another concept indigenous to the Filipinos, and it is literally translated as â€Å"shame. † This interpretation of hiya is inadequate because it does not consider the other meanings of the word in different circumstances and form. Armando Bonifacio said that nakakahiya (embarrassing) is different from napahiya (placed in an awkward position) and ikinahihiya (be embarrassed with someone). Zeus Salazar also said that there are internal and external aspects of hiya. Foreign scholars have captured only the external aspect. The more appropriate translation of hiya is not â€Å"shame,† but â€Å"sense of propriety. † More on this topic Sikolohiyang Pilipino – The History of Philippine Psychology Food in the Philippines Reflects Different Cultural Influences Cultural, Societal Traditions Remain Integral Part of Philippines For Western psychologist Charles Kaut, utang na loob is â€Å"debt of gratitude. † This definition identified the utang (debt) only, ignoring the other concepts related to loob such as sama ng loob, kusang loob, and lakas ng loob. Utang na loob became convenient in perpetuating the colonial status of the Filipino mind. For Enriquez, reciprocity maintains the image of colonizer as benefactor. When utang na loob is looked at in the Filipino context, it becomes not â€Å"debt of gratitude† but â€Å"gratitude / human solidarity. † It is not a big a burden as â€Å"debt† is because in the Filipino culture of interpersonal relations, there is always the opportunity to return a favor. It is not obligatory in the immediate future; it could be fulfilled in the next generation. It binds a person to his/her home community. Pakikisama is another Filipino value that has been misinterpreted by foreign psychologists. For Frank Lynch (1961), it is maintaining â€Å"smooth interpersonal relations by going along with the majority; conformity. † For Enriquez, though, it is just one of the eight identifiable levels and modes of interaction in the Philippine society, which range from civility to oneness with. It approximately means conformity but it is not slavish conformity. This becomes evident only when one also looks at the different levels of interaction, which shows that all those starting with paki is oriented to â€Å"others. † The term pakikisama was therefore taken out of context. Sikolohiyang Pilipino in Social Research. The whole range of interaction can be summarized by the term pakikipagkapwa (an orientation/commitment toward one’s fellowman) better than pakikisama. Kapwa (unity of self and others/shared identity) embraces both categories of outsider and insider. Enriquez gave the following scale of relationship between researcher and participant: Ibang Tao Category (Outsider) Pakikitungo (civility with) Pakikisalamuha (interaction with) Pakikilahok (participation with) Pakikibagay (in accord with/level of conforming) Pakikisama (being along with/level of adjusting) Hindi Ibang Tao Category (One-of-Us). Pakikipagpalagayang-loob (being in rapport/understanding/level of mutual trust) Pakikisangkot (level of active involvement) Pakikiisa (being one with/level of oneness and full trust) Indigenous research methods identified in Sikolohiyang Pilipino as appropriate in Philippine culture are pagmamasid (general looking around), pakikiramdam (feeling through or sensing), pagtatanung-tanong (asking questions), pagsubok (testing the situation), pagdalaw-dalaw (occasional visits), pakikilahok (participation), pakikisangkot (deeper involvement), pakapa-kapa (groping), and pakikialam (concerned interference). The field of psychology in the Philippines is growing. With the increasing number of Filipino psychologists realizing the need to indigenize the field, as well as the number of research studies being done using Sikolohiyang Pilipino methods, it can only prosper in the future. Reference: Enriquez, V. (Ed. ). (1990). Indigenous psychology: A book of readings. Quezon City: Akademya ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Cesare Beccaria & Punishment Essay

Cesare Beccaria was an Italian jurist, enlightenment thinker, and philosopher. In 1794, he wrote On Crimes and Punishment. In this book, he talked against torture and the death penalty, but he was most famous for laying a foundation of penology, which deals with the repression of criminal activities and punishment of crimes committed. Beccaria was most famous for declaring that â€Å"a punishment should fit the crime.† He meant several things by this, but most importantly was his two main points. This first way he said that the punishment should fit the crime is that the severity of punishment should parallel the severity of harm resulting from the crime. This did not mean that if someone was a murderer, that they should be put to death. Beccaria publicly condemned the death penalty because he said that the state does not possess the right to take lives, and that it is not a very useful form of punishment. He stood for a more deterrent function of the penal system. When he sai d it must match the damages of the offense and parallel the harm of the crime, he was more referring along the lines of punishment and incarceration. His second point was that the punishment should be severe enough to outweigh the pleasure of committing the crime. For example, someone might look at sexual assault as pleasurable, therefore the punishment needs to be severe enough for that person to think, â€Å"Wow, the punishment is harsh, it’s not worth committing this crime.† If this wasn’t the case, a rational person would weigh the gain with the consequence, and determine that the crime is worth committing because if that’s only my punishment, then why not. People speed because speeding tickets are simply fines, if you were to be booked and incarcerated, I’m sure people would speed less. Not saying that this is how it should be, it’s just the most blatant example. The problem with this second point is that it only applies to rational thinking people, and it doesn’t really apply at all to a violent criminal with a psychological imbalance and is mentally handicapped who doesn†™t think things through before they do them. Luckily, this is why we, in the United States, have trials; because Beccaria’s theory, all though it does make sense, cannot apply to every single criminal and will not deter every type of crime or offender. This makes one think on how our current laws and punishments line up with the theory of Beccaria.; especially in the terms of drug laws. 55% of criminals in federal prisons and 20% in state are all from drug related crimes. This is an extremely high number of people for a simply, usually victimless offense. If the offender’s only damage done is to him or herself, then is it completely necessary that the county spends on average, $28,000 a year per criminal in the system? At what point do we draw the line and see that privatization of prisons is making people rich because we’re putting far too many criminals in prisons as opposed to other forms of punishment. Would it not make more sense for a commiter of a victimless crime be sentenced to something like parole or house arrest where the only person they’re responsible for is themselves, and they can carry on their every day life instead of being exposed to more hardened criminals and having to conform to prison society? This leads one to question numerous things such as the effectiveness of punishments like the death penalty along with the effectiveness of other forms of punishment and say â€Å"do these really match the crime applied to them?† Intro. to Criminal Justice 5th edition, Bohm/Haley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Crimes_and_Punishments#cite_ref-2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Beccaria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penology

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Creativity in Maths Essay

The purpose and value of creativity in primary mathematics education Within this essay I am going to discuss the complex notion of creativity, In specific relation to creative teaching within the subject of mathematics. I will define the Issues of Interpreting creativity and the debates surrounding these issues. Secondly I am going to look at theories of creativity and the different views which have been argued. In relation to pedagogy, I will examine if the amount of assessment that teachers are now required to do restricts how creative they can be within their delivery of the curriculum. Furthermore, I will analyse the difficulties of creative pedagogy and the implementation of creative learning across the curriculum, focusing on mathematics. Creative learning can be highly beneficial for children’s learning and development, I will highlight the reasons for this and look at key theories relating to the debate. Lastly, I will look at policies and reviews which suggest that creative teaching approaches should be used across the curriculum. Wlthln education there are complex Issues relating to creativity. Creativity Is defined by different people In many different ways. Duffy (1998 cited In Brock, Dodds, Jarvis nd Olusoga, 2009) defines creativity as a means of forming new connections in a way that is meaningful to the individual. In this way creativity can be very useful for learning, due to the fact that it can help individuals create new distinctions within their learning and gain a firmer understanding of what they are being taught. Similarly Kohl (2008) suggested that creative activities are about exploring exciting and advanced ideas in the hope of discovering something new. Through experimentation learners may stumble across knowledge that was previously unknown to them, which gives them the opportunity to expand on their nderstanding. By provldlng children with creative opportunities practitioners are giving them a chance to expand their knowledge through self-directed learning, In a way that Is of Interest to them as an Individual. Freud (1900 cited in Woolfolk, Hughes and Walkup, 2008) took a psychoanalytical approach to creativity. He believed that creativity is present in all individuals within their unconscious mind and that it is brought about due to a wish to fulfil that individuals desires. Freud argued that all individuals have a creative potential, they just do not always display the use of it. Within children he identified creativity as ideation, a process of creating new ideas. When engaging in certain activities children will be creative In order to gain more enjoyment from what they are doing. Maslow (1943), however took a humanistic approach to the Idea of creativity. He suggested that the drive to learn is intrinsic as Individuals strive to reach self- actualisation. Maslows hierarchy of needs depicts levels of needs which Individuals can meet, starting with very basic needs and moving up to more complex needs which individuals have to strive for in order to achieve. He argued that in order for an Inalvlaual to reacn selT-actuallsatlon at tne top 0T tne pyram10 tney neeaea to extend their thoughts and actions through problem solving, creativity and morality. There are a number of issues surrounding creativity as it can be interpreted differently when put into different contexts. The core areas of learning within education are now heavily assessment based and there is a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy, which is having a negative effect on creative pedagogy (Eaude, 2011). Within the teaching of core subjects there is very little time allocated to creative activities, instead the pedagogical focus is more on the acquisition of nowledge and facts Cones and Wyse, 2004). It could be argued that if teachers look beyond this structured approach to learning there is plenty of scope for fostering creativity in children’s learning within all areas of the curriculum. In the area of mathematics, children are taught specific skills and knowledge which they will need in order to achieve the level that they are expected to in accordance with the National Curriculum (DfEE, 1999). However, certain areas of mathematics involve a large amount of problem solving, which requires an individual to adapt their thinking n order to develop and discover how best to solve the problem at hand. Problem solving is seen as a creative process (Piggott, 2007). According to Cropley (2003, cited in Jones and Wyse, 2004) problem solving is intrinsic to creativity therefore the learner can be encouraged to use their creative thinking skills within the area of mathematics. On the other hand, children are often still given boundaries to work within, which again will stifle their chance to be creative or explore further possibilities. Creativity has been highlighted to be highly beneficial for children’s learning. Using creative methods of teaching can help to keep children engaged and motivated in their learning. Steiner (1861 – 1925 cited in Wood and Attfield, 2005) stated that within creative activities children become more engaged in their learning and therefore are more likely to learn from the activity that they were participating in. If children are provided with activities that they find captivating and interesting, they are more likely to actively participate, and therefore will gain something from the experiences that they encounter. In order for children’s creativity to flourish, within heir learning they need to be given a chance to do things for themselves (Wilson, 2008). Nickerson (1998 cited in Adams, 2005) suggested that allowing children to have a choice in the task that they are given enhances their creativity. Also the fact that they have chosen the activity for themselves means they will have more motivation to work towards their goals. If children can direct their own learning, by being given their own choices, they will use their current knowledge in a creative way to decide how best to approach the given task. Teaching mathematics in a creative way is seen by many teachers as a challenge. Mathematics is often regarded as a subject with set rules and structure; with right and wrong answers (Wilson, 2005). However, mathematics is not always recognised in it’s full capacity and can be present in areas which are not always deemed to be mathematically inclined, therefore making it a difficult subject to approach in a creatlve capaclty. Most teacners Delleve tnat matnematlcs snou10 De taugnt In a conventional and structured manner, although it could be argued that the reason for this is that teachers may not be confident enough to teach it any other way Cones and Wyse, 2004). Cropley (2001) would argue that conventional methods of teaching can have a negative effect on attitudes and motivation towards individuality as children may be encouraged to work in a certain way in order to logically work out the answers. In order to be creative within their teaching of mathematics, teachers need to provide children with opportunities in which they can extend their thinking and build on previous knowledge. It is often argued that creative mathematics is only accessible to the more able pupils, however it is possible to include all abilities. Furthermore, children of all bilities will always be willing to engage in mathematics creatively if they are given the opportunity. The DfES/QCA (1999) stated that mathematics as a creative discipline can stimulate exciting new achievements for learners and therefore teachers should facilitate all children’s learning by giving them a chance to engage creatively within the subject area. Introducing creative pedagogy in the area of mathematics can have a substantially positive effect on children’s development. Children who previously had little confidence within the subject can be taught different ways of dealing with athematical knowledge. Introducing children to different teaching methods and expanding mathematics using a cross-curricular approach will give children the opportunity to make comparisons and links between mathematics and other curriculum subjects (Cropley, 2001). The use of cross-curricular teaching will give the children the opportunity to partake in learning which links to a subject area that is of interest to them. Mathematics can help develop children’s thinking skills and it is important for children to be able to think creatively within all areas of the curriculum (Cropley, 2001). Within mathematics in particular children sometimes may need to think outside the box in order to discover the answers to what they are looking for. Mathematics can also be a chance for the involvement of abstract thinking skills as children learn to calculate mathematical sums cognitively. Mental arithmetic may be seen as something children commonly engage in, however they need to be able to deal with numbers and mathematics in an abstract context before they can fully develop these skills. Overall, the subject area of mathematics is much more widespread than is always recognised. The use of mathematics can be applied across he curriculum and within children’s every day life. Therefore it is essential to children’s educational development. The National Curriculum (DfEE, 1999) highlights the importance of fostering creativity while still ensuring that pupils gain the essential numeracy skills that they require. The National Curriculum suggests that all areas of the curriculum can be taught creatively, even the core subjects such as mathematics. A number of schools work towards the development of key skills which are outlined in the National Curriculum Handbook, while also including opportunities to be creative within mathematics NCSL, 2005). I ne Natlonal curriculum ) InTormea teacners tnat wltnln mathematics children should be taught to develop thinking skills, problem solving and learn to communicate mathematically. However this document focused more on the attainment of the children rather than the approaches that teachers could take in order to build upon these aspects using creative pedagogy. In 2000, the National Numeracy Strategy (DfE, 2000) was published in order to look at the teaching of mathematics in depth and to suggest to teachers ways in which they could incorporate better pedagogy within the area of mathematics. In his review, Williams (2008 cited in DSCF, 2008) looked at pedagogy for primary mathematics in the curriculum. He argued that in order for the content of a curriculum to be effective it must be partnered with excellent standards of teaching. He talked about developing positive attitudes towards the subject through delivering mathematics in interesting ways which will engage the learner. Through the use of creative pedagogy teachers can provide positive experiences which captivate the learner and therefore help them develop good attitudes towards the subject of mathematics. Similarly to Williams (2008 cited in DSCF, 2008), Ofsted (2010) drew parallels between the National Curriculum and creative approaches to teaching. They reported that children are more motivated by creative ways of learning, suggesting that providing experiences linked to the subject material within the National Curriculum, in which children can develop their creative learning, will in turn have a positive effect on their attitudes towards the subject. In conclusion, creativity is highly important within all aspects of the curriculum. Although it can be interpreted in different ways, this could have a positive effect as it llows for even more originality and diversity within teaching methods.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Discuss The Impacts of Taxation

When a firm faces new investment opportunities (or to keep its functioning) which have positive net present values, financing needs come along. The options range from using cash generated from operations to simply forego the projects. If the company wants to take its projects, when its cash is not enough, it can raise new funds from equity or debt. This combination of equity and debt which a company decides to use is known as its capital structure. This paper is about how a firm ought to establish its debt/equity ratio, focusing in the advantages and disadvantages of taxes’ impact on this ratio. Capital StructureWhen referring to the capital structure of a firm, it is impossible to avoid Modigliani-Miller’s (MM) influential paper â€Å"The Cost of Capital, Corporation Finance and the Theory of Investment† (1958). Later, they published several â€Å"follow-up† papers discussing these topics. MM set the foundations of the modern theory of capital structure. MM first hypothesis was that, under certain assumptions, the firm’s value is invariable despite relative changes in its capital structure, thus â€Å"a firm cannot change the total value of its outstanding securities by changing the proportions of its capital structure. † (Ross, Westerfield and Jaffe, 2001.p. 401).This is known as MM proposition I. In a general way this proposition is saying that a company cannot do something for its stockholders that they cannot do by themselves. The MM second proposition implies that the use of debt for financing increase the expected future earnings, but this increase is coupled with an increase in the risk to equity holders, thus the discount rate used to value these future earnings also increases. As Fabozzi and Patterson state â€Å"the increased expected earnings have on the value of equity is offset by the increased discount rate applied to these riskier earnings. †(2003)Mathematically the propositions can be stated: Pro position I: VU=VL where VU is the value of an unlevered firm and VL is the value of a levered firm. Proposition II: rs = r0 + B/S (r0 – rb) where rS is the cost of equity, r0 is the cost of capital for an all equity firm, rB is the cost of debt and, B / S is the debt-to-equity ratio. But these hypotheses rely on a â€Å"perfect market† assumption. When imperfections are present into a certain market this hypothesis is misleading. Changes in a firm’s capital structure could change the firm value. One of the most important market imperfections is the presence of taxes.Capital Structure and the Presence of Corporate Taxes In the previous sections is stated that the firm value is unrelated to its capital structure, i. e. it does not depend on its debt/equity ratio. But when taxes are incorporated into the analysis this affirmation is not true, â€Å"in the presence of corporate taxes, the firm’s value is positively related to its debt. † (Ross et al. 2 001. ) Thus, the use of debt has an advantage over financing with equity. The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) â€Å"allows interest paid on debt to be deducted by the paying corporation in determining its taxable income† (IRC code 1963 qt.in Fabozzi and Patterson. 2003. P. 598) This benefit is known as Interest Tax Shield, due to the fact that â€Å"interest expense shields income from taxation† (p. 602). This is TaxShield=(TaxRate)(InterestExpense) Now is necessary to value this shield and see how this changes the firm value. Taking account of the expression above it can be said that whatever the taxable income of a company is without debt, the taxable income is now less in an amount equal to the Tax Shield in the presence of debt. This idea is also based in MM ideas.In other words, the firm value is: Firm Value = Unleveraged Firm Value + Tax Shield Value Going deeply, this statement implies that all companies should choose maximum debt, something that can not be seen int o the real world. This is due to the presence of bankruptcy and other distress related costs that reduce the value of a levered firm. As a firm increases its leverage position these costs increase. There is a point when the present value of â€Å"these costs from an additional dollar of debt equals the increase in the present value of the tax shield.† (Ross et al. 2001. p. 432)This is the debt level which maximizes the firm value. Beyond this point the distress associated costs increase faster than the firm value due to additional debt. Therefore, there is a trade off between tax benefits and the financial distress costs. There is an optimal amount of debt for each firm, and this must be its debt objective level. Presence of Personal Taxes In presence of personal income taxes could decrease, or even eliminate, the advantage of corporate taxes associated with debt financing.Despite this, if the yields due to debt and stocks cause taxes at the same rate that the personal taxes, there is still an advantage coming from corporate taxes(Van Horne, 1997). Merton Miller proposed that, in presence of both, personal and corporate taxes, the decisions about capital structure of a firm were irrelevant (Miller, 1977). Despite this, personal taxes have different rates; therefore, with constant risk, individuals who are in the lower rate bracket must prefer debt and those who are at the upper part of the scale must prefer stocks.Fabozzi and Patterson summarize this point as follow: 1. If debt income (interest) and equity income (dividends and capital appreciation) are taxed at the same rate, the interest tax shield increases the value of the firm. 2. If debt income is taxed at rates higher than equity income, some of the tax advantage to debt is offset by a tax disadvantage to debt income. 3. If investors can use the tax laws effectively to reduce to zero their tax on equity income, firms will take on debt up to the point where the tax advantage to debt is just offset by the tax disadvantage to debt income.The bottom line from incorporating personal taxes is that there is a benefit from using debt. (p. 603) Small Literature Survey In this section it will be summarized some opinions and findings about capital structure decisions and taxes. Panteghini in a work about multinationals capital structure found that â€Å"optimal leverage is reached when the marginal benefit of debt financing (which is due to the deductibility of interest expenses) equates its marginal cost (which is related to the expected cost of default).A strategy used is â€Å"Income shifting† which â€Å"raises the tax benefit of debt financing, thereby stimulating debt financing, and delays default. † (2006) Verschueren research about Belgian companies strategies showed that â€Å"The hypothesis that firms for which the tax advantage of debt financing is higher have higher debt tax shielding ratios gets only meager support: more profitable firms have lower debt ta x shielding ratios. † She found â€Å"no indications that avoiding agency conflicts of any type plays a significant role in the determination of debt tax shielding. † (2002, p.22)She states that these results are quite close to international research also. Graham and Tucker found a similar result â€Å"Firms that use tax shelters use less debt on average than do non-shelter firms. † There is also a potential problem which is that â€Å"under-levered firms may have â€Å"off balance sheet† tax deductions that are not easily observable, and which are therefore often ignored in empirical analyses. † (2005 p. 1) Irina Stefanescu arrives to a comparable conclusion â€Å"There is a general consensus that significant tax incentives are associated with corporate borrowing.Nevertheless, many large and profitable companies with a low risk of financial distress have relatively low debt ratios. † (2006) Stewart Myers, explaining Miller’s paper â⠂¬Å"Debt and Taxes†, theorizes about why firms are not â€Å"awash in debt†Ã‚ · An interesting point he states is that Miller’s model â€Å"allow us to explain the dispersion of actual debt policies without having to introduce non-value-maximizing managers. In the other hand he states also that â€Å"Firms have good reasons to avoid having to finance real investment by issuing common stock or other risky securities.They do not want to run the risk of falling into the dilemma of either passing by positive NPV projects or issuing stock at a price they think is too low†. (1980) Conclusion It seems that several researches have been performed in capital structure decisions. Although not all of them arrive to the same conclusion it gives the impression that the tax shields have positive impacts on firms value; and the presence of personal taxes do not eliminate this fact.In the other hand, findings that companies have not larges amounts of debt indicates that t hey might obtain some advantages from other sources, e. g. off balance sheet benefits. After 48 years since Modigliani and Miller’s paper appeared, it can be said that â€Å"however, much remains to be done before the cost of capital can be put away on the shelf among the solved problems. † (Modigliani-Miller 1958)