Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Behavior Modification treatment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Behavior Modification treatment - Research Paper Example Behavior modification is currently considered to be an alternative intervention to cure adolescents and children from different kinds of mental disorders, such as behavioral deviation, e.g. hyperactivity disorder. Deficit hyperactivity disorder is currently treated with the help of medication (placebo, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/kg), medication stimulation or behavior modification. In case these two types of treatment are combined, children perform better during classes and hyperactivity disorder is being gradually attenuated (Ansari, Gouthro, Ahmad & Steel, 1996). In accordance with the studies by Blotcky et al (1984) and Pfeiffer and Strzelecki (1990) inpatient treatment is effective. These scientists have identified a number of positive indices signifying disease treatment progress. These are: intelligence improvement, non-organic and nonpsychotic diagnoses, reduction of antisocial features, patients’ involvement in after care and specialized treatment programs. It is possible to illustrate behavior modification treatment by the case study from the Nova Scotia Hospital, Princess Alexandra Unit. In the context of a token economy (BMP) punitive and positive consequences are applied to adolescents aged 12-18 years old. Behavioral program lasted for eight weeks. Patients with behavioral conduct disorder, deficit of attention disorder, hyperactivity syndrome and adjustment disorder were chosen for this program. There was made an attempt to strengthen positive behavior. It was necessary to introduce positive compensation and rewards for positive behavioral changes. Another option was to introduce negative reinforcement, which was directed on strengthening of a positive behavior while having avoided negative behavioral consequences (Bijou & Ruà z, 1981). A practical implementation of these strategies can be illustrated in the following way: the first and foremost step is to identify an inappropriate behavior of children.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Economics of Competitive Advantage Essay Example for Free
Economics of Competitive Advantage Essay A globalized economy in its theory entails opening up of the local economy of a certain country towards internationalization, creating a â€Å"borderless world economy†. Thus, ideally, it should pave the way for economic interdependence and promote economic fair play amongst participating countries. Globalization shall surely expose an economy towards the world market due to increased amount of global trade and exchanges in products and services and by encouraging application for an open-economy. Globalization has imposed too many changes on the international monetary policies. On the other hand, international monetary has seriously influenced trade and investment policies, finance, tourism and many other aspects that are coincided with the modernity imposed by globalization. Moreover, open-economy principles have profoundly affected exchange rate policies on the macro level. Thus, international economic migration has increased exposure towards international financial changes and commercial flows. (Frieden, p. 1) Moreover, according to Betts and Kehoe (2004), the aggregate real exchange rate movements are believed to be influenced by inter-country movements with regards to the relative prices of their traded goods within countries. Also, the currency denomination of international trade widely influences the trade prices of goods and services. Thus, it also turns out that changes or fluctuation in the on currency will decrease the buying power of a particular currency if compared to other currencies that have less amount of fluctuations in their market. In addition, the strong market competitors in this case, are those who are believed to have strong economic relations with participating countries, thus they carry an edge towards their trade practices. Nevertheless, they don’t act to stabilize world exchange rates, rather they only work to provide balance of trades and multi-lateral interaction amongst participating nations. There are several factors that affect the bilateral rate movements which have significant economic effects. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin (RBAB) (1998, p. 2) These are: (1) divergences between export and import and aggregated trade-weighted exchange rates; (2) role of US dollar as currency for international trade; (3) longer-term pricing of commodity exports in terms of other major currencies; and (4) importance of bilateral rates vis-a vis competitor countries with relatively little direct trade. These changes however, the depreciation or appreciation can create effects on international competitiveness. Moreover, aside from purely economic reasons of rate fluctuations, the political side behind changes in the market activity is also significant. This political-economic aspect is important most especially amongst developing nations. The emergence of developing countries and the continuing influence of strong countries amongst less empowered countries create domestic and international political pressures that are integral to the competitiveness of the participating countries (Freiden, p. 12) Thus, economically speaking, exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on the country’s competitiveness. Stability or non-stability of their currency has adverse effects on the currency’s buying and trading power. On the political aspect, excluding the changes and fluctuations in the currency rates, powerful groups and powerful consumers affect international economic integration. And thus the openness of world economy therefore pushes more politicized movements and political pressures in the economic arena.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Fixing Belief Essay -- essays research papers
The Four Methods of Charles S. Peirce      In â€Å"The Fixation of Belief†, Charles S. Peirce attempts to explain his four methods of establishing belief, in which he says all people have. These methods can be put to the test with any subject matter, and one shall always fit.      For instance, let us look at the broad but always hot topic of religious matters, or affairs. First, take into account Peirce’s first method, which is the method of tenacity. Its definition is, â€Å"taking as answer to a question any we may fancy, and constantly reiterating it to ourselves, dwelling on all which may conduce to that belief, and learning to turn with contempt and hatred from anything that might disturb it.†There is a very strong argument that this could be the method of choice for religious belief. Take apart the definition, for a moment and you might begin to see this. As it talks about constantly reiterating the belief to ourselves, it may very well be said that this could be construed as going to church each week.. What happens in church? Well, we pray, sing, give thanks and offerings, all that we may be reminded that our purpose in life is to serve our Lord with gladness and with all of our hearts at all times. The part that I do not see fit in the first method is the part about turning with contempt and hatred from anything that might disturb it. From past experience, I have always found religious people to be some of the most open minded people, willing to listen and be attentive to anything you have to say. They do not turn with contempt and hatred if you do not believe exactly what they believe. The only case where I see a religious group shutting out anything and everything, would be the monks.                                                                                           page 2 They go to great lengths to get as far from civilization as they possibly can, ... ...                           page 5 young, and given power to prevent other doctrines from being introduced.†But on the smaller scale, the personal level, people interpret these doctrines in their own way, causing thousands, even millions of differing opinions on the same subject.      The main reason that politics does not belong in the method of tenacity, is the fact that, even though there are many different beliefs, people are always open to new suggestions, which is not what the method of tenacity champions. It wants you to believe in something, and put earplugs on, so as to not hear any blasphemy from other parties about their beliefs.      In closing, each of these four methods is used daily by each and every one of us in different subject-matters. They are all very valid, and show the intelligent and logical thinking that Charles S. Peirce obviously possessed. It is absolutely astonishing that an article originally published in November 1877 is still extremely useful in modern-day society.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Market Segmentation: Product Concepts
ZULQARNAIN BIN ABU HASSAN SCM 022431 REVIEW OF SEPTEMBER ISSUE When talking about mix and match and color blocking it is normally related to the fashion world. It is also involves modeling, in terms of clothes, accessories, gadgets, men and women, and trending. There are various ways for customer to get reference in fashion. Some will refer to the while other may use word of mouth. However most will use fashion magazine as their main reference. So just what fashion do you prefer? Mix and match? Color Blocking? Trending? There are many answers and you can make a long list if you want.Here we will focus on a September Issue documentary film about the construction of a prominent magazine in New York City, â€Å"Vogue†. Vogue magazine led by its editor Anna Wintour a strong influential and is supported by fashion designers all over Europe. A bit of background of the Editor. She was an ex model and is a hardcore follower of Vogue magazine since her teens. Her father Charles Wintour , former editor of a newspaper, persuade join the Vogue magazine. In this documentary film it will highlight how a fashion magazine is being published.Publishing a magazine will involved planning the content of the magazine for each month, what message to be conveyed to the reader and followers of Vogue, and try to anticipate future fashion or trending today. The production of the magazine should always be able to communicate to the readers. It also should express its views despite the bitter outlook. This is done through pre-production. The publication of a magazine will have to looked in terms of quality and not just profit alone. In the pre-production, editor has to play a big role in ensuring that choices and decisions are made clearly.She has to understand the desires of the readers and followers of the Vogue. For September 2007 Issue, the goals is to make history by producing over 100 pages. Other factors such as fashion related activities, advertising and cover page by endors ed celebrity also plays an important role in a magazine. All the hard work is done during the pre-production. Post mortem is then conducted before they proceed to real production. As editor of Vogue magazine said in 2007 ‘fashion is not about looking back but is about looking forward â€Å".
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
A Knight’s Tale Essay
One important character in the film ‘A knight’s tale’ directed by Brian Helgeland is William Thatcher. William helped me understand the idea of following your dreams. William dreams of one day becoming a knight. He grew up in a place called Cheapside London with his father John Thatcher until he was sent away to work for Sir Ector. Sir Ector said that he had a spirit. When Sir Ector died, William thought that he could ‘change his stars’ at that point so he jousted in his place. He then decided that with some training he could win money to feed all his friends. As he did this he followed his dream of becoming a Knight. One Visual technique used to help me see that William is important is ‘close up’. Brian uses a close up in the first joust when William says ‘I have waited my whole life for this moment’. This shows me that he has followed his dreams and he is doing what he has wanted to do his whole life. Another technique used in this film is lighting. This technique is effective to show he is an important character because he is never in the shadows. William is always dressed in light clothing and has fair hair giving the impression that he was a good person, unlike Adhemar who always wore darker clothes and was more in the shadows than William. An example of this is when William was in the jail room and Adhemar walked in, William was standing in the only light in the room and Adhemar was in the shadows. In conclusion, the character of William Thatcher was important because he teaches us to follow our dreams no matter how big they are and that anything is possible. The techniques that helped me to understand this idea were ‘lighting’ and ‘close up’s’. A Knights Tale Essay In the movie A Knights Tale the main character William Thatcher has dreamed of being a Knight ever sense he was a boy. The one overlying problem this tale is that â€Å"A man can’t change his stars†, other wise saying that William was not born of noble birth. This story takes place in the middle ages where to compete in jousting tournaments you had to be born of noble birth. William overcomes this with his hard work, his loyalty and perseverance. In the beginning of the movie, William is only a squire to a Knight. He helps tend to Sir Olrick Vonlictensteins needs and wants. But soon he dies and with no other way to get money decides that he should step up and joust for him under his name. William ends up winning his joust and gets the gold needed for him and the other squires. After the first win he convinces his squires that they could keep doing this at other tournaments to make money for themselves. So after a long debate and a little fighting they decide to help train William. There is a scene in the movie that shows them all working together to help train William to become a better knight. This shows his hard working ethic because even though what they are doing is quite trying, he still manages to pull through and become sucsessful. After they have won they’ve first tournament William had damaged his armor in the joust. As they make it to the next joust they don’t have enough money to fix his armor so he has to joust with his damaged armor on. Even though his arms are almost immoveable because of the damage he still takes the risk to joust so that he can win more gold for them to get new armor made. This shows his willingness to work harder to make the money he needs to fix his armor. Near the end of the movie in his last joust he is against his enemy, Count Adimar. Count Adimar was using pointed lances and ends up wounding William by showing a pointed lance deep in his shoulder. But through his hard work he choose to take all of his armor off and joust, putting himself at great risk. But in the end he ends up knocking Count Adimar off of his horse and winning the joust. William showed his perserveence when he was following his dream of becoming a knight. When his Knight died at the beginning of the movie he ricked everything when he stepped in as a knight. If he were to get caught he would have suffered great consequences. By doing this I believe he showed his perseverance to purse his dreams. William shows his perseverance when, even after he is injured while jousting he chooses to take off all of his armor to joust even though it is a great risk to himself. This shows that William is persevering because he takes the risk of injuring or killing himself to defeat Count Adimar and achieve his dream. He is also persevering when, as a young boy his father sent him away to be a squire. Even sense William was a boy he was working towards becoming a knight by getting as close to the lifestyle as he could. Throughout the movie William shows a lot of loyalty to him men. This helped him to achieve his dream very much so. When Jeff, his announcer and the man who helped him forge documents to make him appear to be of noble birth, gambles and looses, William had to pay to get him free. If it were not for William and his loyalty to him men he would have been stripped of his clothes, beaten and been paraded around the village, but William pays his debt for him to get him free. He also showed his loyalty when his girlfriend tells him that in order for him to prove his love for her she must loose the joust. So he takes a brutal beating for her by deliberately loosing and hurting himself in the process. But then after she has seen enough, she tells him that if he really did love her than he would win all of his tournaments. So even after he had fallen so far behind for her in the tournament he strives to win for her and ends up doing so. This proves his loyalty to her because he is willing to even endanger himself for her. His loyalty is also shown when the Prince of Wales is jousting and everyone else is withdrawing because he is of royal blood and is technically not allowed to joust in tournaments, but William still jousts him because he realizes they are both in the same boat. They both want to be jousting, but they are both now allowed to do so according to their birthrights. In the end of the movie, after everyone finds out about William, knowing that he isn’t born of noble birth he is cast out and let out to be stoned. The Prince of Wales Knights him because of his loyalty. He says, â€Å"even if I were not to have known you well, I could tell you were a good men because of how loyal your friends are to you. But I would know better now wouldn’t I? Because even when you knew who I was you still jousted with me and that is knightly too†. In the end William ends up changing his stars and becomes the knight he has always wanted to be. In this movie point of view played a great roll. If we wouldn’t have had the â€Å"flashbacks†of William and his childhood we wouldn’t have know the depth of his want to be a knight. We also wouldn’t have known that his father has sent him off as a boy to become a squire, which also helped in leading him to his dream of becoming a knight. If we didn’t have the various points of view that a movie can deliver to us this movie would have been flat and would have lost some of its meaning. The point of view gives this movie depth. A Knights Tale Essay Describe a character or individual in the text whom you found interesting. Explain how the director used oral/or visual features to make the character or individual interesting to you. An interesting character or individual in the film A Knights Tale (2001) directed by Brian Helgeland is (Sir) William Thatcher. William is interesting because he is not a typical peasant, he has much more drive and ambition than normal peasants. Helgeland uses oral and visual features to support the points that make William interesting. He uses lots of close-ups and high-angle shots when needed to show Williams enthusiasm and leadership towards what he does. First, William is interesting because he is a brave character and is motivated by ambition. William first starts to bravery when Sir Ector dies, he declares â€Å"I’ll ride in his place.†When the director has a close-up on Williams face, he shows the determination and drive that William feels. It is his desire to rise above is position in the social status, he makes his decision, â€Å"We are the champions†. Helgeland choses this dialogue to show that William is different from most peasants and that makes him an individual. Another interesting part about Williams’s character is that for most of the film he is someone who he is not, ‘Sir Ector and Sir Ulrich Von Lichtenstein’. This brings tension into the audience. The audience thinks when will his true identity be revealed? When William shows up to the jousting match as Sir Ulrich, the spectators of the match think of him as anybody. But through on the matches, he turns into a celebrity. William was unbeatable in the sport of jousting. It was difficult for William to hide the fact that his real name was not Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein. Finally, William’s tone and oral features are strong, powerful and brave for a peasant. He is straight up with what he says and is a good leader to others. Helgeland uses great visual techniques for William, in the beginning of the film William is an untidy, poor, unshaved, immature, he had dread locked hair and dirty clothes. In the middle of the film, he is cleaner he is more clean and tidy; he is properly shaved, strong, healthy, excited, calm, supportive and enthusiastic person. His looks change, his attitude changes and he becomes a little responsible. In conclusion, William is an interesting, enthusiastic and brave guy, he is also a great leader. He is motivated by ambition. Is also unbeatable in the sport of jousting. Helgeland uses oral and visual features to support the points that make William interesting. William is a role model for the people in society today.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Free Essays on Sisyphus
The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor. If one believes Homer, Sisyphus was the wisest and most prudent of mortals. According to another tradition, however, he was disposed to practice the profession of highwayman. I see no contradiction in this. Opinions differ as to the reasons why he became the futile laborer of the underworld. To begin with, he is accused of a certain levity in regard to the gods. He stole their secrets. Aegina, the daughter of Aesopus, was carried off by Jupiter. The father was shocked by that disappearance and complained to Sisyphus. He, who knew of the abduction, offered to tell about it on condition that Aesopus would give water to the citadel of Corinth. To the celestial thunderbolts he preferred the benediction of water. He was punished for this in the underworld. Homer tells us also that Sisyphus had put Death in chains. Pluto could not endure the sight of his deserted, silent empire. He dispatched the god of war, who liberated Death from the hands of her conqueror. It is said that Sisyphus, being near to death, rashly wanted to test his wife’s love. He ordered her to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square. Sisyphus woke up in the underworld. And there, annoyed by an obedience so contrary to human love, he obtained from Pluto permission to return to earth in order to chastise his wife. But when he had seen again the face of this world, enjoyed water and sun, warm stones and the sea, he no longer wanted to go back to the infernal darkness. Recalls, signs of anger, warnings were of no avail. Many years more he lived facing the curve of the gulf, the sparkling sea, and the smiles of earth. A decree of the gods was necessary. Mercury came and seized the impudent man by the coll... Free Essays on Sisyphus Free Essays on Sisyphus The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor. If one believes Homer, Sisyphus was the wisest and most prudent of mortals. According to another tradition, however, he was disposed to practice the profession of highwayman. I see no contradiction in this. Opinions differ as to the reasons why he became the futile laborer of the underworld. To begin with, he is accused of a certain levity in regard to the gods. He stole their secrets. Aegina, the daughter of Aesopus, was carried off by Jupiter. The father was shocked by that disappearance and complained to Sisyphus. He, who knew of the abduction, offered to tell about it on condition that Aesopus would give water to the citadel of Corinth. To the celestial thunderbolts he preferred the benediction of water. He was punished for this in the underworld. Homer tells us also that Sisyphus had put Death in chains. Pluto could not endure the sight of his deserted, silent empire. He dispatched the god of war, who liberated Death from the hands of her conqueror. It is said that Sisyphus, being near to death, rashly wanted to test his wife’s love. He ordered her to cast his unburied body into the middle of the public square. Sisyphus woke up in the underworld. And there, annoyed by an obedience so contrary to human love, he obtained from Pluto permission to return to earth in order to chastise his wife. But when he had seen again the face of this world, enjoyed water and sun, warm stones and the sea, he no longer wanted to go back to the infernal darkness. Recalls, signs of anger, warnings were of no avail. Many years more he lived facing the curve of the gulf, the sparkling sea, and the smiles of earth. A decree of the gods was necessary. Mercury came and seized the impudent man by the coll...
Monday, October 21, 2019
What are the effects on trade regulation for food security under the world trade organization system The WritePass Journal
What are the effects on trade regulation for food security under the world trade organization system Abstract What are the effects on trade regulation for food security under the world trade organization system AbstractI . IntroductionII. The Concept of Food Security1. Definition of Food Security2. Food Security as a Food Sovereignty3. Food Security as a National Security4. Food Security as a Human RightIII. Problems and Shortcomings in the Agreement on Agriculture1. Lack of Food Security Provision2. Inequity between FoodExport and FoodImport Countries3. Insufficient Recognition of S D Treatment for Developing Countries4. No Recognition of Uniqueness of Agricultural Products5. Insufficient Recognition of Importance of Domestic Production for Development and Food Security6. NonImplementation of the Marrakesh Decision(11) Food SafetyV. ConclusionRelated Abstract With the launch of new negotiations on international trade called Doha Development Agenda (DDA), agriculture is once again expected to be a central and difficult issue. As a solution to the problems associated with food security in the DDA negotiation on agriculture, this article suggested a creation of a food security box. The basic idea of the food security box is, (i) to allow, like other existing exemptions (such as Green and Blue Boxes), a series of exemptions to the AoA for members whose agriculture was not meeting basic food security needs (hereinafter the members); (ii) to allow the members to protect and enhance their domestic production capacity under certain conditions; (iii) to provide flexibility to the members so as to increase domestic support for agriculture until they have achieved a certain level of food self-reliance; (iv) to obligate developed countries to give to developing countries technical assistance for improvement in the productivity; (v) to balance the rights and duties between food-exporting countries and food-importing countries. Free trade alone cannot solve the global food security problems, since free trade may have both positive and negative effects on food security. It should be noted that the policy to achieve food security based only on food aid and trade liberalization is too risky in terms of long term public policy. Given the instability of agricultural production and food aid, it is in the special interests of many food-importing countries such as the Republic of Korea and Japan to increase domestic agricultural production to ensure food security. I . Introduction The Doha Ministerial Declaration, issued at the fourth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference on 14 November 2001, launched new negotiations on a range of subjects, and included the negotiations already underway in agriculture and services. With the launch of new negotiations on international trade entitled Doha Development Agenda (DDA), agricultural trade is expected to be the most contentious and difficult issue.) It is agreed that the non-trade concerns (NTCs) such as food security and environmental protection will be taken into account. At the DDA agricultural negotiation, food security * Professor, College of Law, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea E-mail: [emailprotected] This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation (KRF-2001-013-000021). is a key element of NTCs. The NTC Group (comprising the European Communities, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea and Mauritius), often called as the Friends of Multifunctionality, raised NTCs as a central part of their negotiating positions. The United States and the Cairns Group rejected, however, the concept. Some countries argue that there is no food security issue for developed countries because they can afford to purchase if necessary. Food security is, however, fundamentally a matter of national security, justice and human rights where all countries have a great concern. The focus of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is, unfortunately, not on food security but on trade liberalization. The existing provisions of the AoA can not only not solve the global food security problems but also have detrimental impacts on food security and sustainable development, consumer health and safety and the environment. The AoA does not adequately and equitably address the food security needs of both developing countries and developed countries. As a solution to the problems associated with food security in the WTO negotiation on agriculture, this article suggests a creation of a food security box. This article will not attempt to explain or describe the details of the AoA. Section II describes the concept of food security under the context of the WTO system and international law. Section HI points out some problems and shortcomings in the current AoA. Section IV describes the concrete contents of a proposed food security box. Section V provides a brief summary and conclusion. II. The Concept of Food Security 1. Definition of Food Security The term food security has been defined in diverse ways. Both developing countries and developed countries have adopted some kind of food security policy. One starting point in understanding the concept of food security is a widely accepted definition adopted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the World Food Summit in 1996: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. 2) There are four elements implicit in this definition: availability, accessibility, reliability (or stability), and sustainability. Adequate food availability means that sufficient food supplies should be available to meet consumption needs. Access to food means that both physical and economic access to food should be guaranteed. 3) A reliable food supply means that an adequate food supply should be continued even during seasonal or cyclical variations of climate and socio-economic conditions. Access to adequate food is essential for good nutrition, but it is not in itself sufficient. Food should also be safe in order that people may survive and be free from disease. Food security, therefore, inevitably requires food safety. In addition, food security requires agricultural sustainability in terms of long-term food security. If agricultural production is managed through exploiting non-renewable natural resources or degrading the environment, it may threate n long-term agricultural sustainability and global food security. 4) Thus, food security requires available, accessible, reliable and sustainable food supply at all the times. Food security has three dimensions: individual, national and multinational levels. 5) At the individual or household level, poverty or gender inequality may influence the distribution of food affecting individual food security even when food supply is sufficient. At the national level, natural disasters or socio-economic conditions such as armed conflicts may seriously disrupt food production and supply. States may have sufficient food at the national level, but have some food insecure individuals because of unequal distribution of food. At the multilateral level, especially within the context of WTO, food security is considered as a State affair, and discussion tends to focus on liberalization of agricultural trade, trade regulation and adequate supplies of imported food to members. 2. Food Security as a Food Sovereignty Food sovereignty is the right of each nation and its people to maintain and develop its own capacity to produce the peoples basic food, while respecting productive and cultural diversity.6) Food may be used as a tool by nations to impose political and economic pressures on others. The effective realization of food security is essential to national sovereignty since the use of food as a political weapon among nations may limit and jeopardize the sovereignty of individual nations. Thus, in the Rome Declaration on World Food Security, government delegates agreed that [alttaining food security is a complex task for which the primary responsibility rests with individual governments. Because of the responsibility assigned to governments for achieving food security, they emphasized that Mood should not be used as an instrument for political and economic pressure. Food sovereignty is, therefore, a pre-condition for a genuine food security. The term food sovereignty was elaborated by NGO. In an Action Agenda adopted at NGO/CSO Forum on Food Sovereignty, food sovereignty was affirmed as a right of countries and peoples to define their own agricultural, pastoral, fisheries and food policies which are ecologically, socially, economically and culturally appropriate. 7) 3. Food Security as a National Security One of the major tasks of a State is to ensure enough food to feed its own people. Adequate food is indispensable for the survival of a sovereign State. When we are, therefore, talking about food security, we are really talking about a national security issue. Thus, some commentators justify the maintenance of a certain minimum level of production of agricultural products in the name of national `safety and security. Although the WTO members have not resorted to Article XXI (national security exception clause) of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) to protect their domestic agricultural industry, the relevance of national security was pointed out at the Special Sessions of the WTO Committee on Agriculture. Under GATT Article XXI, national security issues may be exempted from Wf0 trade disciplines. Food security is also inextricably connected to national security and political sovereignty. Chronic food insecurity puts national security in jeopardy by placing at risk the health of a large number of people, and also it incites internal turmoil and instability. 4. Food Security as a Human Right Access to adequate food is recognized as a human right. Food security is fundamentally a matter of human right. Many commentators agree that under international law there is currently found, to a minimal extent, a treaty right conjoined with a customary right to be free from hunger.il)) International Agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 12) support this view. In the Rome Declaration on World Food Security, government delegates reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger... 13) Food security is a global issue. National disaster or armed conflict in one agriculture exporting country can seriously affect the food security of other countries. International cooperation is, therefore, indispensable in order to ensure universal food security. Thus they also reaffirmed the importance of international cooperation and solidarity as well as the necessity of refraining from unilateral measures not in accordance with the international law and the Charter of the United Nations and that endanger food security. 14) Each nation must cooperate regionally and internationally in order to organize collective solutions to global issues of food security. In a world of increasingly interlinked institutions, societies and econo mies, coordinated efforts and shared responsibilities are essential. 15) III. Problems and Shortcomings in the Agreement on Agriculture 1. Lack of Food Security Provision The focus of the AoA is not food security, but trade liberalization. Its main objective is to establish a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system through substantial progressive reductions in agricultural support and protections(Preamble). The AoA aims to liberalize agricultural trade in three principal ways: increase of market access, reduction of both domestic support and export subsidy. The AoA has no provision on food security, and no definition on food security. There are, however, a few provisions mentioning the term food security in a very narrow sense. Commitments under the reform programs should be made in an equitable way among all members, having due regard to non-trade concerns, including food security(Preamble). Article 12 of the AoA provides that members instituting export prohibition or restriction shall give due regard to the effects of such prohibition or restriction on importing members food security. Annex 2 of the AoA articulates public stockholding (para3) for food security purposes. 16) Para.4 (domestic food aid) of the Annex 2 is also a provision for food security, although the term food security is not used. Thus, the term food security in the WTO is used in a very narrow sense and relates primarily to the adequate supply of food to member states through free trade. 2. Inequity between FoodExport and FoodImport Countries The AoA has a lack of due consideration for non-trade concerns such as food security. The AoA enables food-export countries to continue to subsidize and protect domestic producers while requiring food-import countries to open up their markets to foreign competition. Consequently, it failed to balance the interests of food-exporting and food-importing countries. It should be noted that there are special provisions for developing and least-developed countries, not for food-importing countries. Even the net food-importing countries (NFICs) are merely a subcategory of developing countries. 17) The AoA, like other WTO Agreements, specifies different types of legal rights and obligations concerning market access, export subsidies, and domestic support, according to different categories of countries. The principal classifications are developed and developing countries, with the latter receiving special and differential (SD) treatment. It should be also noted that commitments under the reform programs for agricultural trade should be made in an equitable way among all members, having due regard to non-trade concerns, including food security (Preamble). 3. Insufficient Recognition of S D Treatment for Developing Countries As pointed out above, the AoA confers more beneficial legal rights and obligations concerning market access, export subsidies, and domestic support on developing countries. Developing countries were given different timetables, different target reduction rates, and different exemptions. The implementation period for making reductions was six years (until 2000) for developed countries and ten years (until 2004) for developing countries. Developing 17) The net food-importing countries (NFICs) are a subcategory of developing countries, which is defined by the WTO Committee on Agriculture based on trade profile data and negotiation among members. As of February 2000, there are 19 NFICs. countries were allowed to apply lower rates of reduction in the areas of market access, export subsidies, and domestic support (but not less than 2/3 of those to be applied by developing countries). Least-developed countries were exempted from reduction commitments, although they were required to bind their tariffs and domestic support and not exceed those amounts. Most of the current SD provisions for developing countries are, however, largely irrelevant and ineffective because they lack the funds and means to use export subsidies, and domestic supports. The AoA enabled developed countries to continue to subsidize and protect domestic producers while requiring developing countries to open up their markets to foreign competitors. The AoA provisions systematically favor agricultural producers in developed countries and multinational agribusiness, and are unfair to developing countries. No WTO Agreement is more iniquitous than the AoA. Thus, the AoA enabled developed countries to maintain trade-distorting subsidies and import restrictions, and failed to achieve its stated objective of establishing a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system. 18) It should be noted that the Doha Declaration articulated that SD treatment for developing countries shall be an integral part of all elements of the negotiations.(para.13) 4. No Recognition of Uniqueness of Agricultural Products Agricultural products are unique and most essential commodities in every country. In addition to its primary function of producing food, agriculture also provides non-food services to our societies jointly produced from agricultural activities. Non-food services of agriculture that have characteristics of public goods include the viability of rural areas, food security, environmental protection, rural employment, and preservation of cultural heritage and agricultural landscape. In this context, the multifunctional role of agriculture, in both developed and developing countries, should be recognized. 19) In addition, agricultural production is biological and site-specific. Demand and production in agriculture is inelastic. Supply is heavily dependent upon the weather, and very sensitive to climate change. Over 90% of global rice production depends on the same monsoon area. 201 All these unique and multifunctional characteristics of agriculture need to be recognized and should be reflected in the revised AoA. [T]o ensure that international trade plays a positive role in ensuring food security, it is essential that trade rules respect the characteristics that distinguish agriculture from other sectors. 21 ) 5. Insufficient Recognition of Importance of Domestic Production for Development and Food Security The AoA is premised on the idea that trade liberalization can enhance national and global food security. There is, however, widespread public concern that the current direction of trade liberalization under the AoA has a detrimental impact on food security and development. To date, the AoAs objectives of removing trade barriers and protection have failed to promote the goals of sustainable agriculture and food security. The AoA overestimates the importance of free trade, but underestimates that of domestic production, in terms of sustainable development and food security. In order to reduce the risks that are often associated with an excessive reliance on imports, a certain degree of domestic agricultural food production is essential for food security and development.22) Domestic production may play a role of insurance against risks such as import interruptions and poor harvests in exporting countries. 23) Agriculture is a way of life in many developing agrarian countries, and support of agricultural production is essential for ensuring food security, rural employment, and poverty alleviation. Agriculture continues to be an important source of foreign exchange and revenue for developing countries. In this context, domestic production should be recognized as an essential means to secure food security and development in the revised AoA. 6. NonImplementation of the Marrakesh Decision For countries that may be adversely affected by trade liberalization, a separate decision was adopted, called the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (Marrakech Decision). 25) The Marrakech Decision was supposed to protect LDCs and NFIDCs from food insecurity caused by trade liberalization through ensuring a continued flow of financial resources, food aid, and technical assistance. To date, the Marrakech Decision has not been sufficiently implemented. The Marrakech Decision is ineffective because it does not adequately define the problem (what are the negative effects?), it does not assign responsibilities, and it has no implementation mechanism. The requirement for providing a proof of damage and causality makes it also very difficult to invoke the Decision. N. Proposals for Food Security Box Food security is a key element of non-trade concerns and agricultural problems. As pointed out earlier, however, the existing provisions of the AoA can not only not solve the global food security problems but also have a detrimental impact on food security and sustainable development, consumer health and the environment. The AoA does not adequately and equitably address the food security needs of developing countries and developed countries. The AoA needs, therefore, fundamental reform from the perspective of food security, and food security should have top priority in the DDA agricultural negotiations and a revised AoA. Food security should be mentioned in the preamble of the AoA as a central objective,and specifically reflected in its Articles. As a solution to the problems associated with food security in the DDA negotiations on agriculture, this section will suggest a creation of a `food security box; the provisions of which will be elaborated in detail, based on the four elements of food security mentioned above. It should also be noted that the food security box is different from the concept of a `development box in that the latter is concemed with SD treatment for developing countrie s,26) while the former reflects the food security concerns of both developing countries and (net food-importing) developed countries. 27) The basic idea of the food security box is, (i) to allow, like other existing exemptions (such as Green and Blue Boxes), a series of exemptions to the AoA for members whose agriculture was not meeting basic food security needs (hereinafter the members); (ii) to allow the members to protect and enhance their domestic production capacity under certain conditions; (iii) to provide flexibility to the members so as to increase domestic support for agriculture until they have achieved a certain level of food self-reliance; (iv) to obligate developed countries to give to the members technical assistance for improvement in productivity; (v) to balance the rights and duties between food-exporting countries and food-importing countries. (1) Tariffs Basic food security crops should be exempt from tariff reduction commitments. Each member may nominate, based on a negative list approach, a list of staple food security crops for exemption from reduction commitments. The basic food security crops or staple food security crops are crops which are either staple foods in the country concerned, or the main sources of livelihood for low-income farmers 2 8) To be qualified as basic food security crops, they should be sensitive in terms of food security and sustainable development. 26)Â Â Some members proposed a Development Box at the Committee on Agriculture. See The Development Box, Non-papa by Dominican Republic, Kenya, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Special Session of the Conunittee on Agriculture Informal Meeting, 4-6 February 2002. (2)Â Â TRQs Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) were introduced in the Uruguay Round to ensure that existing access conditions were not undermined and as a means to create new market access opportunities. The expansion of TRQs may help to ensure greater market opportunities, for exporters especially in developing countries, and to further liberalize and increase trade in agricultural products. Since TRQs have contributed positively to increased market access and the food security of net-food importing countries, much flexibility in connection with the TRQs administration should be given to the basic food security crops of net-food importing countries. Some members proposed at the Committee on Agriculture auctioning as an efficient and transparent method of TRQ allocation. 29 (3)Â Â SSG The Special Safeguard (SSG) provisions were introduced to facilitate the reform process and as a means of protecting domestic farmers injured by increase in imports. Given the special nature of agricultural products, the SSG mechanism should be continued, in order to minimize serious injuries caused to the domestic industry by sudden import surges and price fluctuations in food security crops. Consideration should also be given for extending the SSG to cover crops which have the potential to substitute for local food security crops. (4)Â Â Domestic Support At the WTO Committee on Agriculture, many delegates emphasized the importance of domestic production in achieving food security. 30) Most delegates contended that the most efficient solution should lie in a combination of domestic production, imports (trade liberalization), food aid and stockpiling, but they varied a lot in the emphasis they gave to various means. Food aid and free trade can play important roles in achieving food security. The heavy dependency on imported foods and foreign food aid is, however, too risky especially to net food-importing countries in terms of food security policy, since they can provide major food-exporting countries with a powerful political weapon. They can foreclose the potential of domestic production as an engine of rural development and economic growth. It should be noted that the policy to achieve food security based only on food aid and trade liberalization is, therefore, too naive and risky in terms of a long term public policy. The maintenance of a certain degree of domestic food production is, therefore, an essential element in national food security policies, in each country whether it is a developing or a developed country, and no matter how high its optimum self-sufficiency ratio may be. All domestic support taken to increase domestic production of basic food security crops for `domestic consumption should, therefore, be exempted from any form of domestic support reduction commitments. 32) It should be emphasized that greater diversity in food production systems may contribute to achieve food security by enabling the access to food within a region 33) Developing countries should have the flexibility to take any domestic support measures including price support for food security, rural development and poverty alleviation, regardless of its impacts on trade.34) (5) Export Subsidies Export subsidies provided by developed countries may impact negatively on the food production system of importing countries and have detrimental effects on their domestic markets.35) Thus, they may impact negatively on the food security situation of net food-importing countries and developing countries. It may be contended that net food-importing countries and developing countries may also benefit from lower world agricultural prices caused by export subsidies provided by other countries. These benefits are, however, highly unreliable, and export subsidies are the most trade distorting of policy tools used in the agricultural sector. Therefore, at the Doha Ministerial Declaration, it was agreed to reduce, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies. 36) Developing countries should have the flexibility to use export subsidies in order to promote exports, especially when these exports are critical for achieving their food security needs. (6) Dumping Export subsidies may contribute to the problem of dumping which has also detrimental effects on the food production system of importing countries. The US and EC farmgate prices for many crops are less than many countries cost of production, because of huge amount of export subsidies. Producers from other countries cannot compete with dumped products from the US or EC based grain multinationals such as Cargill. The existing AoA does not address the problem of dumping of agricultural products. Thus, [Ole lack of rules in agricultural trade that preceded the AoA contributed directly to food insecurity in the world.37) Therefore, dumping of agricultural products should be prohibited, and food-importing countries should be allowed to take appropriate border measures against the dumped products, if they impact negatively on the food security policy of importing countries. (7) Export Credits Subsidized export credits, along with export guarantees and insurance, could be used to circumvent export subsidy commitments. 381 For this reason, strict rules and disciplines on export credits should be established in the revised AoA. Export credits may be, however, useful for food security in food importing countries suffering from financial crises or food supply problems,39) and should be allowed to be invoked through specific criteria, so long as they are not used as a means of circumventing export subsidy commitments. As of August 2002, export credits covering exports of agricultural and food products are not governed by any specific discipline within the AoA. 401 Rules and disciplines on export credits should ensure that export credits conform to commercial practices and do not confer an export subsidy.41) Developing countries should be, however, allowed to have the flexibility to use export credits. (8) Export Restrictions and Taxes Export restrictions and export taxes may be necessary for the food security of food-exporting countries in cases of emergencies like food shortages. For this reason, article XI of GATT 1994 prohibits quantitative export restrictions but makes an explicit exception for export prohibitions or restrictions temporarily applied to prevent or relieve critical shortages of foodstuffs or other products essential to the exporting contracting countries. Export restrictions and export taxes may, however, have detrimental effects on the food security of food-importing countries by promoting price variability and uncertainty. At the WTO Committee on Agriculture, a number of food-importing countries, like South Korea and Japan, contended that their food supplies could be disrupted and their food security jeopardized if exporting countries restrict exports of agricultural products. 42) Article 12.1 of AoA further obligates the member instituting the export restrictions to give due consideration to the effects of such restrictions on importing countries food security. However, given their significant distortion effects on world agricultural markets, strict rules and disciplines on export restrictions and export taxes should be established in the revised AoA. Above all, the period of export restrictions should not exceed more than three months, and a certain amount should be exempt from exporting restrictions during its implementation, for the food security of importing countries. Differential export taxes which encourage exports of processed products and discourage primary product exports should be prohibited.43) Developing countries should be, however, allowed to have the flexibility to use export restrictions and export taxes. (9) State Trading Enterprises Many countries have used state trading enterprises to control domestic markets and to regulate trade. State trading enterprises with exclusive or special rights and privileges may have negative effects on the establishment of a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system. From the viewpoint of food security of importing countries, import state trading enterprises may, however, play an important role to ensure stable food supply. On the contrary, export state trading enterprises with monopolistic power may have a significant and direct impact on the international market. More stricter rules and disciplines on export state trading enterprises should be, therefore, established in the revised AoA. New disciplines on state trading enterprises should ensure export and import transactions are non-discriminatory and transparent. Developing countries should be, however, allowed to have the flexibility to use state trading enterprises. 44) (10) Food Aid and Stockholding Article 10.4 of the AoA does not prohibit the use of food aid as a means of surplus disposal or market expansion. 45) Food aid may, however, have negative effects on food security, and be used to circumvent export subsidy commitments. 46) At the WTO Committee on Agriculture, MERCOSUR group contended that there was an urgent need to establish more detailed rules on food aid in order to ensure that WTO commitments on reducing export subsidies are not circumvented while at the same time preserving the humanitarian dimension of food aid. Strict rules and disciplines on export restrictions and export taxes should be, therefore, established in the revised AoA. 47) Above all, food aid should only be in the form of grants rather than credits, should respond genuinely to demand, and should be targeted at the needs of the recipient countries. It should not harm the domestic production systems of the recipient countries, should not distort international trade, should not amount to the disposal of price-depressing surpluses, should not allow countries to circumvent their export subsidy commitments, and should not be used as a means of expanding market share by subsidizing countries. Developing countries should be provided with the technical and financial assistance to improve their domestic food production capacity.48) Public stockholding of basic food security crops for food security purposes should be given a wider definition under the Green Box provision. According to para.3 of Annex 2 to the AoA, the volume and accumulation of stocks shall correspond to predetermined targets related solely to food security, and there are strict criteria for how such stocks are purchased and sold. The AoA should also provide for regional food security plans, including joint maintenance of emergency food stocks. 49) Some countries at the WTO Committee on Agriculture proposed creating an international food stockholding system in order to effectively address food security concerns of developing countries. 50) Developing countries should be allowed to have the flexibility to use food security stocks. (11) Food Safety Recently, food safety has been an emerging NTC issue. Public concerns on food safety increases as the trade of agricultural products increases. Food safety requirements may be used as a means of disguised protectionism. Food safety cant be, however, given up in the name of trade liberalization, because food supplied to people should be safe, at least from the perspective of food security. Without consumers confidence in food safety, trade liberalization of agricultural products cant be accomplished successfully. Strict rules and disciplines on food safety should be, therefore, established in the revised AoA. Since food safety issue may also be discussed in the SPS and TBT Committees, this article proposes a written Understanding to be adopted, which may be annexed to the AoA or SPS Agreement.51 ) The Understanding should, among other things, deal with the precautionary principle, burden of proof on food safety, mandatory labeling for GM (Genetically Modified) crops or foods, cooperation with other organizations such as OECD and Codex. Since most food-importing countries lack technical capacity to show scientific evidence against imported foods, technical and financial assistance should be provided to members, especially to developing countries. 52) (12)Peace Clause Article 13 (due restraint) of the AoA is due to expire at the end of 2003. This Peace Clause protects members using domestic support measures from being challenged under the GAIT 1994 and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, so long as they comply with their commitments on export subsidies and domestic support under the AoA. The Peace Clause should be preserved and extended for all measures that are taken to achieve the food security policy of developing countries. (13)Environment and Sustainable Agriculture Agricultural activities have both positive and negative effects on the environment. Agriculture contributes to environmental goods such as biological diversity and landscape conservation, which may enhance agricultural sustainability. It should be noted that agriculture in many developing countries is based on small-sized farms, and this type of farming is ecologically sustainable. [There is an emerging realization that agricultural systems in both developed and developing countries face challenges to achieve long-term sustainability and food security, 53)especially in light of growing populations and resource degradation. Without local agriculture there would be no positive effects, and without some level of support and protection there would be no agriculture. A certain degree of domestic production should be, therefore, maintained for sustainable agriculture and long-term food security. Green Box measures alone are not sufficient, 54) and the criteria for Green Box need to be broadened and flexible enough to enhance sustainable agriculture and long term food security. 55) Domestic supports for sustainable agriculture should be also allowed under the Blue Box. V. Conclusion At the DDA agricultural negotiation, food security is a key element of the NTCs and the most contentious issue. Trade liberalization may enhance national and global food security by expanding sources of food supply, encouraging more efficient allocation of resources, lowering food prices in importing countries, and increasing economic growth rate. However, the proposition that free trade can solve the food security problems is wrong for the following reasons. Agricultural products are different from industrial products in some respects and agriculture has the characteristics of a public good. Thus, when we are talking about agriculture, we are really talking about food security, rural development, environment, employment, culture, as well as production of food for sale in a market. Agricultural production heavily depends on climate and land conditions, unlike industrial products. Given the uncertainty of food supply in the world food market, there will always remain a residual threat to food security. The policy to achieve food security based only on free trade is too risky in terms of long term public policy. The maintenance of a certain level of domestic agricultural food production is, therefore, essential for food security of both developed and developing countries. The current AoA does not, however, adequately and equitably address the food security needs of developing and developed countries. With a view to redressing the imbalance and inequity of rights and obligations under the AoA between food exporting and importing countries, this article proposed a food security box. Among other things, basic food security crops should be exempt from tariff reduction commitments. Much flexibility in connection with TRQs administration should be given to basic food security crops. All domestic support measures taken to increase domestic production of basic food security crops should be also exempted from any form of domestic support reduction commitments. The agricultural negotiations are scheduled to end by 1 January 2005, along with almost all the other negotiations under the DDA. It should be noted that the DDA negotiations are a single undertaking. No element of them will be agreed until all areas are agreed on. As of 23 November 2003, the 31 March deadline for establishing modalities in the agricultural negotiations was not met. WPO members failed to set guidelines on tariff and subsidy cuts to use in subsequent negotiations. The first and revised draft of modalities for the future commitments prepared by the chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture failed to reflect the food security concerns of net-food importing and developing countries. This agricultural impasse may, therefore, spill over into other areas of negotiations, including services, and threaten the entire DDA round of multilateral trade negotiations. Without a system or compromise to solve the food security problems of both net-food importing countries and developing countries, the DDA round cant reach a successful and satisfactory settlement.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
15 French Words and Phrases That Dont Mean That in French
15 French Words and Phrases That Dont Mean That in French 15 French Words and Phrases That Don’t Mean That in French 15 French Words and Phrases That Don’t Mean That in French By Mark Nichol This post lists a number of words and phrases used in English that are derived from French but are no longer employed with the same idiomatic sense in French (if they ever were). Each term is followed by the literal French translation, a brief definition, and a comment about its status in French and how the French language conveys the idiom. 1. au jus (â€Å"with juice†): a brothlike meat sauce (the phrase is often incorrectly treated on menus as â€Å"with au jus†)- obsolete in French except for the slang phrase à ªtre au jus (roughly, â€Å"be with juice†) 2. cause cà ©là ¨bre (â€Å"celebrated cause†): controversial or emotionally weighted issue- obsolete in French, but originally referred to a sensational or unusual legal decision or trial 3. demimonde (â€Å"half world†): fringe group or subculture, or prostitutes as a class- obsolete in French, though une demi-mondaine refers to a prostitute (in English, demimondaine is synonymous with â€Å"kept woman†) 4. double entendre (â€Å"double to hear†): a comment that can have a second, often provocative, connotation- faulty grammar in French, which uses double sens (â€Å"double sense†) 5. en masse (â€Å"in a masse†): all together- in French, refers to a physical grouping, so when using that language, one would not refer to a chorus of voices as being en masse 6. encore (â€Å"again†): additional songs played after the scheduled end of a concert, or a call for such an extended performance- in French, â€Å"Une autre! (â€Å"Another!†) 7. en suite (â€Å"as a set†): usually refers to a bedroom and bathroom connected to each other- not used as such in French 8. esprit de l’escalier (â€Å"wit of the stairs†): a witty comment one thinks of only after the opportunity to share it has passed (when one is departing a social occasion)- nearly obsolete in French 9. in lieu (â€Å"in place of†): instead of- a partial translation; in French, au lieu 10. legerdemain (â€Å"light of hand†): deception in stage magic- not used in French 11. marquee (â€Å"awning†): sign above a venue announcing the featured entertainment- not used in French 12. passà © (â€Å"past,†â€Å"passed,†or â€Å"faded†): unfashionable- in French, passà © de mode (â€Å"way of the past†) 13. pià ©ce de resistance (â€Å"a piece that resists†): the best, or the main dish or main item- in French, plat de rà ©sistance (â€Å"dish that resists†) 14. rouge (â€Å"red†): blusher, or red makeup- in French, fard joues (though lipstick of any color is rouge là ¨vres) 15. venue (â€Å"arrival†)- location- not used as such in French Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails"Have" vs "Having" in Certain Expressions30 Words Invented by Shakespeare
Saturday, October 19, 2019
American Cinena in the 60s70s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
American Cinena in the 60s70s - Essay Example This was the age of the mini skirt and the war against racial stereotyping. This era also witnessed an increase in Television entertainment and the American Cinema hit an all time low in 1963 when foreign films gained dominance over the local cinema. This crisis caused intense financial difficulties within the American film industry. Hollywood cinema found its way onto television to counter this slump and there was an increased trend of shooting films abroad because of low budgets ("runaway" film productions).Cinema ticket prices were falling and film production still remained unaffordable. There were no longer the studio bound contract stars and at this point the film industry lost many of its valuable directors. There was a business diversification within the industry as studios like the UA and Hal Roach Studios sold off parts of their studios and others like Disney(Orlando ,Florida) created theme parks within their studios for added revenues. There was an inauguration of the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. All these measures were the effort of the giant called "Hollywood" to stand back on its feet. This was the age of the first 'multiplex' movie theatre in 1963 invented by Durwood who went on run AMC Entertainment, which was the third-largest movie theatre company in the nation. The studios were fast being taken over and merged by multi-national companies soon after the sad demise of movie moguls like Harry Cohn of Columbia. The traditional, Hollywood studio era would soon be history, as more and more studios were acquired by other unrelated business conglomerates. Now there would be a time of "packaged" films and the independent company and independent p roducer. In 1966, Gulf and Western Industries bought Paramount which would later be headed by Robert Evans to give such hits as Rosemary's Baby (1968), Love Story (1970), The Godfather (1972), and Chinatown (1974) . The very famous movie of Cleopatra(1963), starring Elizabeth Taylor as the Queen of Egypt and future husband Richard Burton as Marc Antony was a budget disaster for 20th Century Fox, headed by Darryl Zanuck. One can of course not ignore the British Influences on American Cinema during this time as most Hollywood movies started to be made in Britain due to budget constraints.Examples are films like Becket 1964 and The Lion in Winter 1968. This influence can also be seen in films like Doctor Zhivago (1965) which was about the Russian Civil War which became very popular for its "European" influence. There was a reduction ,almost a complete phase out of producing "inflated historical epics". The influence of the British realism ( styled "Kitchen Sink") as well as the role of "Angry Young Man" - the hero who was economically and socially frustrated fast became a part and parcel of American movies. The era ended with when Jaws in 1975 and Star Wars in 1977 were released .These sequel based films were based on the new formula of Sci-fi and commercial blockbuster reality and nothing like what the decade of 1960's produced and made popular. The term Blaxploitation refers to a group of films that found immense popularity in the early 1970s as they were all about black nationalism and the Black Power rebellion with an all black cast. The reason these films were perceived as exploiting the blacks was because most of these films
Favorite ad of yours Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Favorite ad of yours - Essay Example Finally, the husband drops out of the car and fetches the family their favorite, delicious, warm and tender Kentucky Fried Chicken. Then the characters of the family are shown eating drumsticks as they drive the rest of their way out of the jungle. The objective of the ad was to tell that Kentucky Fried Chicken is something that can be enjoyed on a long drive. The theme was perfectly consistent with the editorial environment. The narrator covered the whole story in the song and the verses were quite poetic and meaningful. As said before, the ad was based on cartoons, so there was no real personality. The cartoons suited best to the melody of the ad. I particularly noticed that the luminosity in the ad was quite inconsistent with the night shown in the ad. Overall, the deliciousness of Kentucky Fried Chicken was advertised very beautifully. I often eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. In fact, it is my favorite fast food restaurant. Besides, the ad did a good job persuading me to immediately g o to Kentucky Fried Chicken the very first time I saw it.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Science fiction film studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Science fiction film studies - Essay Example c world that is not real, asks you to suspend your disbelief and pretend that it is, and then return to reality, hopefully, with some new insight for this world. At least that is the basic idea. However, sometimes the medium (or all the gimmicks) becomes the message and it is just for fun. There is nothing wrong with that either, as long as you know which side of the toast the butter is on. In other words if you started out making a message film but it got lost in the medium, than the message never gets out and the film usually winds up being a milquetoast event. All the films in this list have a message and were, supposedly, made to get that message out, let us see how it worked by analyzing a few. One can only imagine the audience seeing Fritz Lang’s Film, â€Å"Metropolis†for the very first time in 1927. The effects had to be as spellbinding as the audiences in 1977 seeing the premier of â€Å"Star Wars.†These two films as well as most others of the genre that have held the test of time as message driven movies have one thing in common. Their message is mythological. As Malcolmson notes in his article, The Matrix, Liberal Education and Other Splinters in the Mind, that, â€Å"Audience fascination with the character types is related to the power of myths.†(2004: 148) Whatever the innate and archetypal need for mythology, beliefs, religion is in the human psyche, it’s presence in sci-fi movies is profound and moving. When this connection is lacking, the movies is usually relegated to the b-movie section of the class. B-movies are fun too but that is another topic of discussion. However, while the effects of mythology in filmmaking are often profound their interwoven texture in the movie should not be too obvious, or it can become a little heavy-handed and the message can get blurred. Malcolmson also notes that â€Å"The Matrix†is â€Å"densely allusive†(2005: 141) and we find that was the intention of the Wachowski brothers as he quotes Larry
A critical review of the reading materials Assignment
A critical review of the reading materials - Assignment Example The review credits the rise of the Western type of film to that of a way to reflect on American history. The author of the article hints toward the fact that sometimes a rise in a certain area of movies has a particular motive in terms of influencing society. I had never really thought of it like that but in times where there are different societal issues, it does seem true that within the realm of film, media is another way to influence or inform a whole audience, several theaters or DVDs at a time. It seems as if there is one movie about one type of subject, then a few others pop up to mimic it or have similar story lines all around the same time (especially if a movie has performed exceptionally well at the box office within its initial running). Unforgiven begins with a fast pace cut from opening credits which the author of the article discusses. There is brutality shown in the context of the film and establishes where the movie is to be set. It is apparent through the use of characters such as a cowboy and a whore, guns and a saloon in the initial setting that this will be a Western film and early on establishes that with the films audience. This sets the initial mood of the film rather fast and the descriptiveness the author used to describe the opening scenes is somewhat intense and summarizes the scene of violence. Not only is the setting of the film to be in a small one-horse town but it is noted early on that this is a reflection to the olden days when trains were a useful means of transport. It also indicates that there is some level of civilization or industry as symbolized by the railroad shown in the film. Though a person has to travel to the nearby railroad, this is also symbolic that this is small town that is a little bit off of the regular beaten path but is connected to the rest of the world regardless. The author continues to describe events in the
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Business economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Business economic - Essay Example Thus, a double-dip recession occurs when the GDP rises to positive levels (the recovery period) followed by negative levels (another recession) (Quiggin, 2010). It is often referred to as the â€Å"W-shaped†recession (Quiggin, 2010). One of the most prominent double-dip recessions took place in the 1980’s in the United States (Appendix 1) (Quiggin, 2010). Two recessions occurred in the 1980’s in the United States. Initially, the economy shrunk by 8%, then grew at 8% after which the economy dipped into the second recession due to the Federal Reserve’s policy to raise interest rates to curb inflation (Quiggin, 2010). Following that, the economy re-entered into growth for the rest of the years (Quiggin, 2010). Although, there are no definite characteristics that define a recession, there are a few symptoms that are generally agreed by economists. First is the inverted yield curve model which was determined by Jonathan H. Wright which uses 10 year yield of Tr easury Securities as an input (LaBonte et al., 2010). Second, is the change in unemployment rate over a three month period (LaBonte et al., 2010). Third, lower prices of assets including real estate and financial assets as well as large personal and corporate debts (LaBonte et al., 2010). ii) The contraction in Ireland’s economy was of particular significance at a time when other Euro nations were showing positive growth rates. This fall in Ireland’s GDP is attributed firstly, according to Author of the Bulletin, Dr. Dan McLaughlin, Group Chief Economist, Bank of Ireland, to the drastic fall in capital spending. Although capital spending decreased by 11%, on average, throughout the rest of the developed world; in Ireland it fell by a drastic 30% along with a 34% decline in building and construction activity (McLaughlin, 2010). The share of construction in general, and house-building in particular now accounts for only 2.5% of Ireland’s GDP, compared to 12% in 20 05 (McLaughlin, 2010). Secondly, consumption expenditure also saw a decline throughout the Western regime by 1.1%, due to reduced employment and falling growth in wages (McLaughlin, 2010). In the case of Ireland, employment slashed by 8% along with decline in wages which partially contributes to the fall in real consumer purchase power of Ireland (McLaughlin, 2010). A significant trend emerged at this point; that of higher savings. Although real disposable income dipped in Ireland, it was accompanied by a rise in the marginal propensity to save, leading to a higher savings ratio (McLaughlin, 2010). At the same time, Ireland’s exports fell by much more than that of its Euro competitors, implying that Net Exports also declined. Thus, to sum up; since all the components of GDP including consumption, investment and government expenditure along with net exports fell, GDP was bound to decline. iii) A Keynesian style stimulus package is a policy measure used by policymakers and inst itutions that involves stimulating one or more of the components that make up aggregate demand in an attempt to increase employment, income and output of an economy (Tool & Samuels, 1989). This approach is consistent with the Keynesian theory that negative output gap can lead to a bottleneck in the economy; a situation it finds difficult to escape. The paradox of thrift comes into force whereby loss of valuable consumer and investor confidence combined with high propensity to save exacerbates the recession (Meltzer, 1988). If such is the situation,
Person Centered Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
Person Centered Counseling - Essay Example His professional struggle against orthodox psychiatry has reminded a scholar of Martin Luther’s stand against the catholic church. Roger’s person centered approach (to psychotherapy; to education; to small encounter groups; and to larger groups assembled for the purpose of improving transitional understanding, exploring intergroup conflicts, and learning the nature of culture and its formation) has been committed to such contortions. For example, there is a proposal to wed the person-centered approach with Taoism’s technique of the â€Å"microcosmic orbit†, and no less serious, coupling the person-centered approach with a French Physician’s philosophy of human development based on the architecture of the human inner ear. Another past time is to construct elaborate arguments to show Rogers was in the Existentialist line of dissension and then scold him for not admitting his debt to his forbearers. The fact is what are called existential attitudes and behaviours in his approach developed independently of any contact with the philosophy of extentialism. It was while he was director of the counseling center at the University of Chicago and Roger’s major work on psychotherapy was well established that his intellectual trajectory intersected with the Extentionalists. His intention as a psychotherapist and his research methods concentrated on the phenomenon of effective therapy. Thus, one may find many examples of phenomenology in his work.. The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, while writing on the "collective unconscious", is said to have coined the term translated "transpersonal". Like most of psychology, transpersonal psychology intends to help individuals realize deeper self-understanding, improve the health of their minds and bodies and lead more effective lives. In working with individual clients, transpersonal psychologists are said to be dealing with more than just the mere persona. Thus, they focus their attention on the whole person: "Spirit, mind and body". Though this may be the goal of other psychotherapies, it is the means that transpersonal psychologists may differ from their colleagues. To accomplish their objectives, they may analyze dreams, explore "peak experiences", or delve into paranormal phenomena, such as revelations from "past lives". Other methods may involve provoking altered states of consciousness through the use of drugs, hypnosis, guided fantasies, breathing exercises, meditation, and other "spiritual" practices. It is unlikely that Rogers would have approved of some of these activities, particularly where the therapists exerts authoritarian control over the client. Certainly he could not be considered to be a transpersonal psychologist in an unqualified sense. Roger's world view and his practice of psychotherapy should be understood as a integrated approach that he cultivated over his entire life. His (person-centered) approach evolved over time out of a specific stance or way of being, which can be described as consisting not only of certain beliefs and attitudes, but also abilities that improved with
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Business economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Business economic - Essay Example Thus, a double-dip recession occurs when the GDP rises to positive levels (the recovery period) followed by negative levels (another recession) (Quiggin, 2010). It is often referred to as the â€Å"W-shaped†recession (Quiggin, 2010). One of the most prominent double-dip recessions took place in the 1980’s in the United States (Appendix 1) (Quiggin, 2010). Two recessions occurred in the 1980’s in the United States. Initially, the economy shrunk by 8%, then grew at 8% after which the economy dipped into the second recession due to the Federal Reserve’s policy to raise interest rates to curb inflation (Quiggin, 2010). Following that, the economy re-entered into growth for the rest of the years (Quiggin, 2010). Although, there are no definite characteristics that define a recession, there are a few symptoms that are generally agreed by economists. First is the inverted yield curve model which was determined by Jonathan H. Wright which uses 10 year yield of Tr easury Securities as an input (LaBonte et al., 2010). Second, is the change in unemployment rate over a three month period (LaBonte et al., 2010). Third, lower prices of assets including real estate and financial assets as well as large personal and corporate debts (LaBonte et al., 2010). ii) The contraction in Ireland’s economy was of particular significance at a time when other Euro nations were showing positive growth rates. This fall in Ireland’s GDP is attributed firstly, according to Author of the Bulletin, Dr. Dan McLaughlin, Group Chief Economist, Bank of Ireland, to the drastic fall in capital spending. Although capital spending decreased by 11%, on average, throughout the rest of the developed world; in Ireland it fell by a drastic 30% along with a 34% decline in building and construction activity (McLaughlin, 2010). The share of construction in general, and house-building in particular now accounts for only 2.5% of Ireland’s GDP, compared to 12% in 20 05 (McLaughlin, 2010). Secondly, consumption expenditure also saw a decline throughout the Western regime by 1.1%, due to reduced employment and falling growth in wages (McLaughlin, 2010). In the case of Ireland, employment slashed by 8% along with decline in wages which partially contributes to the fall in real consumer purchase power of Ireland (McLaughlin, 2010). A significant trend emerged at this point; that of higher savings. Although real disposable income dipped in Ireland, it was accompanied by a rise in the marginal propensity to save, leading to a higher savings ratio (McLaughlin, 2010). At the same time, Ireland’s exports fell by much more than that of its Euro competitors, implying that Net Exports also declined. Thus, to sum up; since all the components of GDP including consumption, investment and government expenditure along with net exports fell, GDP was bound to decline. iii) A Keynesian style stimulus package is a policy measure used by policymakers and inst itutions that involves stimulating one or more of the components that make up aggregate demand in an attempt to increase employment, income and output of an economy (Tool & Samuels, 1989). This approach is consistent with the Keynesian theory that negative output gap can lead to a bottleneck in the economy; a situation it finds difficult to escape. The paradox of thrift comes into force whereby loss of valuable consumer and investor confidence combined with high propensity to save exacerbates the recession (Meltzer, 1988). If such is the situation,
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Corruption in the Teamsters Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words
Corruption in the Teamsters Union - Essay Example (Myint, 2000), notes that the lack of Accountability, mingled with Economic Rent, here defined as a unique feature in a person which causes them to be at an ad vantage with the competitors, and Discretionary Powers, defined as the allowance for leaders to twist rules in their own way brings about corruption. Taking this in mind, most trade union members join the unions just their work rights insured. They hence don't give a keen thought to a leader's character as long as he or she is representing their rights well. Therefore, Trade Unions provide an even field for greedy men and women to propagate their activities without confrontation. Mismanagement and embezzlement of collective funds has led to the collapse of famous trade unions in several countries. This increasingly destructive vice has spurred an unprecedented input in research on the Causes, effects and cures of Corruption in Trade Unions. Surprisingly, the issues of corruption continue in increasing numbers. Nevertheless, we have a better knowledge and deeper understanding of the causes and effects of Corruption, not just in Trade Unions, but also in other agencies. For the sake of this paper, I will examine Corruption in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBP), otherwise called the Teamsters Union. The findings and recommendations will represent the possibilities in other Trade Unions. Background Information The IBP is the largest private sector labor union in the United States and Canada. It comprises of over 2 million blue-collar workers in the public service and private sectors. Unlike most Unions, the IBP divides into many strong smaller unions, with their own leadership structures and policies. The International Body acts only as a coordinating agent. IBP history dates back to the early 1900s, being a merger of two former Trade Unions. The Teamsters' National Union is the Foundation stone for the Union. It was established by truck drivers and deliverymen from Chicago who had defied the A merican Federation of Labor (AFL) attempts of creating a teamsters trade union. The Union later merged with Team Drivers' International Union (The Union formed by AFL), to form the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The new group now registered as an affiliated group to the AFL. At its inception, the Teamster Union aimed at ensuring fare working conditions for the members. Its leadership structure has smaller subsidiary groups called Locals. The Locals elect their own leaders who then elect the national leaders. The initial membership consisted of deliverymen using horse drawn vehicles, until in the 1930s after Truck Drivers surpassed them. From the onset of the Union, its mandate has been representing the rights of truck drivers, service deliverymen and other similar job groups. The Union has a great bargaining power, fueled by its large membership as well as its capacity to hamper the transportation of important goods. It has always been important to the AFL, for a stri ke by its members would hamper the movement of products throughout the nation. Inasmuch as, the numbers were important in ensuring a good bargaining power, the same was also a brooding ground for corrupt leaders. Most of its leaders are notorious in soliciting for bribes from
Monday, October 14, 2019
Harvard Business School Essay Example for Free
Harvard Business School Essay August 8, 1995 had taken an unexpected turn for Netscape Communications Corporation’s board of directors. Earlier that morning, the day before the company’s scheduled initial public offering (IPO), Netscape’s lead underwriters proposed to the board a 100% increase in the original offering price from $14 to $28 per share. This recommendation came in response to the remarkable oversubscription for Netscape’s shares, which had already prompted the underwriters to increase the number of shares to be offered from 3.5 million to 5 million. Under the current proposal, a company with a net book value of just over $16 million that had yet to turn a profit, was suddenly valued at over billion. The Board faced a pricing dilemma within the context of an extremely unpredictable industry. While its members wanted to be responsive to Wall Street’s current zeal, they also wanted to make sure that the fundamentals of Netscape justified such a dramatic increase in valuation. Netscape Communications Founded in April 1994, Netscape Communications Corporation provided a comprehensive line of client, server, and integrated applications software for communications and commerce on the Internet and private Internet Protocol (IP) networks. These products enabled the growing network of servers on the World Wide Web to communicate through multimedia, including graphics, video and sound. Designed with enhanced security code, these software products provided the confidentiality required to execute financial transactions and to sell advertisements on the Internet and private IP networks. The company’s most popular product, Netscape Navigator, was the leading client software program that allowed individual personal computer (PC) users to exchange information and conduct commerce on the Internet. Navigator featured a click-and-point graphical user interface that enabled users to navigate the Internet by manipulating icons and windows rather than by using text commands. With the user-friendly interface as a guide, Navigator offered a variety of Internet functions including Web browsing, file transfers, news group communications, and e-mail. Initially shipped in December 1994, Netscape Navigator generated 49% and 65% of total revenues for the quarters ended March 31, 1995, and June 30, 1995, respectively. Netscape’s server software provided enterprises with the basic capabilities necessary for creating and operating Web server â€Å"sites,†or places on the Web which browsers could visit. Research Associate Kendall H. Backstrand wrote this case under the supervision of Professor W. Carl Kester as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 1996 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâ€â€electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwiseâ€â€without the permission of Harvard Business School. Incorporating both browser and server functions, the company’s integrated applications software programs were designed to provide enterprises with the capability to manage large-scale commercial sites on the Internet. Such applications enabled these enterprises to conduct full-scale electronic commerce through a seamless system. Together, server and integrated applications software accounted for 36% of total revenues in the first quarter of 1995, and 28% of total revenues in the second. Of these revenues, the majority were generated by one of Netscape’s three server products, Netscape Commerce Server .1 Revenues from Netscape’s server and integrated applications products were expected to increase as a percentage of overall revenues in the future. In addition to product revenues, Netscape generated service revenues, which were attributable to fees from consulting, maintenance, and support services. These revenues amounted to approximately 5% and 7% of total revenues for the quarters ended March 31, 1995 and June 30, 1995, respectively. Financial Performance Netscape had incurred total losses of $4.3 million on total revenues of $16.6 million for its first two operating quarters ended June 30, 1995. The company expected to continue to operate at a loss for the foreseeable future. Exhibits 1 and 2 provide Netscape’s financial statements since its incorporation in April 1994. Operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 1995 had generated $7.3 million in cash. Cash flows from financing activities of $20.5 million were primarily attributable to the net proceeds of $17.3 million from the issuance of Series C Preferred Stock and borrowings of $2.2 million under a debt facility agreement. Cash used in investment activities of $22.1 million related to $16.6 in short-term investments and $5 million in capital expenditures. At the end of the second quarter of 1995, Netscape’s principal sources of liquidity were $8.9 million in cash and the $16.6 million in shortterm investments. The company expected total capital expenditures for 1995 of approximately $12 million. Industry Background The demand for Netscape’s products had evolved out of the development of the Internet in the late 1960s. The Internet was a global network designed to facilitate communication between some 35,000 computer networks using the enabling code termed Internet Protocol. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), in mid-1995 there were approximately 57 million Internet users. Of those 57 million users, IDC estimated that approximately 8 million were accessing information on the World Wide Web. Engineered in the early 1990s, the Web was a technology that linked one bit of information on the Internet with another so that users could share â€Å"webs†of ideas. The Web consisted of a network of Web servers that posted information in a common format described by the Hypertext Markup Language (â€Å"HTML†). Internet users were able to access information on the Web by implementing the appropriate Hypertext Transfer Protocol (â€Å"HTTP†). Because it necessitated complex coding, the Web had remained largely undiscovered by nontechnical users who simply wanted to browse, a popular pastime which came to be dubbed â€Å"surfing the Net.†1Bundled packages of Netscape Navigator and Netscape Commerce Server accounted for about 10% of total revenues in the first quarter, while its contribution in the second quarter was immaterial. 2 Netscapes Initial Public Offering Netscape’s Entrance Meanwhile at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a group of computer science students working at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) developed the graphical software program that gave rise to the notion of â€Å"surfing.†Named NCSA Mosaic, the software program enabled nontechnical users to access and retrieve information on the Web. The Mosaic code organized Web information into neat collections of graphical electronic menus on which users could simply click-and-point to browse their contents. In April 1993, the founders of Mosaic, under the leadership of then senior Marc Andreessen, began distributing the software for free to anyone who had the technical means to fetch it electronically. The superb results of this strategyâ€â€two million Mosaic users within one yearâ€â€made for more than cocktail conversation among high-tech gurus in California’s Silicon Valley. Jim Clark, the founder of Silicon Graphics, Inc. (known for its workstations that turned data into 3-D computer images), was among those who were impressed not only by Mosaic itself but by the broader vision of its creator, Andreessen. After hearing that Andreessen had moved to Silicon Valley in early 1994, Clark sent him an email asking if they might meet to discuss the future of Mosaic. This exchange and subsequent discussions formed the launching pad for Mosaic Communications, which was shortly renamed Netscape Communications Corporation. In addition to dropping the Mosaic name, Netscape paid Spyglass (the company that had engaged in an exclusive licensing arrangement with the University of Illinois) a one-time $2.4 million fee for the rights to certain Mosaic code. With the original code, Clark’s management experience and $3 million in seed money, and Andreessen’s vision and technical expertise, Netscape made its entrance into the highly dynamic Internet market.
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