Critical Thinking Questions- Ap World Essay

1. Discuss the fate of the indigenous populations of the United States, Canada and Latin America. How did their fate relate to the sense of mission in each area? During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of the indigenous people were treated unfairly and no respect was given for either them or their land. Many of these natives were forced off their land and left homeless because industries wanted to use the land for industrial purposes. In places like the United States, the government would often kick the natives of their land in order for the land to be used for new settlers and railroads. Because of such treatment, many natives were forced to migrate away from their homelands. Later on, the governments started to pass laws and reforms to try to force many of the Native Americans to convert to the white way of life and give up their lands more willingly. The Trail of Tears began when these Native Americans were forced to move away. The Trail of Tears represented the quick and abrupt movement of these people from their homelands who were forced to migrate in order to find a new home to live in. In many other areas, like Canada, many of the natives even took a stand and started to fight back. In Canada, a native named Louis Riel started to take charge of the indigenous people as well as the metis, and began to lead his people as they worked toward their rights. Eventually, Riel and his new government were dismantled and sent to live in exile. During this time, construction had begun on the railroads, which had threatened the settlement of the indigenous people. Although the indigenous people fought hard, the Canadians had dominated and continued to use their land in the west for industrial reason. Over in Latin America, the indigenous people were being pushed off of their homelands by the Creole elites as they attempted to raise a claim on American lands which would be used for agricultural purposes, as well as ranching. The creoles began to establish Euro-American hegemony which allowed them to have an easier time taking over the land. 2. Examine the picture of Emiliano Zapata on page 859. What role did he play in Mexican history? What role did peasants and social stresses play in Latin American history? Emiliano Zapata was definitely on the most influential people in the Mexican Revolution during the 20th centuries. He worked alongside Francisco Pancho Villa to lead the lower classes. Zapata was a very charismatic person and was able to organize massive armies to fight for land and liberty, or tierra y libertad. He challenged the Mexican government and political control along with Villa. He confiscated hacienda lands and distributed them to the peasants. Both he and Villa managed to avoid being captured by both the U.S. and Mexican forces. Zapata, no matter how popular and powerful he became, never managed to capture any of Mexico’s major cities. He was killed in 1919 after being captured by government forces. This successfully ended the Mexican Revolution. And yet, if all of the workers, peasants, and middle class people not joined the fight, there might not even had been a revolution or even a constitution. These people began to feel the social stresses between them and the upper classes over the estates. This caused them to join in the revolution in hopes of a better life. La Reforma played a major role in forming these social stresses because when the attempt to create a small independent farm society by redistributing land, it failed because the land was bought up by the upper-class and transformed into plantations and haciendas. To conclude, the forms of social stresses; such as class division, rebellion, and caudillo rule, and civil war lead to a period of instability and conflict in Mexican history.

Scientific Method Matching Exercise Resource

Nicole Whaley BIO-220 May 7, 2012 Chris Traasdahl Scientific Method Matching Exercise Resource 1. Observe. A scientist observes that a pond adjacent to an industrial plant has heavier algae growth than ponds farther away (G). I chose this as an example of observation because the sentence explains in detail how the scientist first gathered the idea to for conducting the experiment. 2. Ask a question. A scientist wonders if the waste water emitted from an industrial plant is accelerating the growth of algae in a pond(C).I believed this sentence to be where the scientist asked himself whether or not the industrial plant had any bearing on the accelerated growth. I believe this sentence shows this. 3. Create a hypothesis. A scientist, based on his observation of the pond, believes that if a pond is exposed to the waste of an industrial plant, then the growth of algae will be accelerated (A). This to me is an educated guess. Although the scientist has not tested or proven anything yet, hi s educated guess is clearly stated here in this sentence. . Conduct an experiment. In her laboratory, a scientist pours a vial of waste water, collected from the industrial plant, and adds it to a dish containing pond water. A second dish (the control dish), containing the same pond water, does not receive the waste water sample (B). This sentence gives the reader a hint by stating that the scientist is in her laboratory. It is here where the scientist usually conducts any experiment so it is only right that I would believe this to be the appropriate sentence for this step. . Collect data. After 5 days, the scientist measures the amount of algae present in each dish (D). Here the scientist is about to actually see if his hypothesis was correct. It is here that he will gather the information he needs to either prove or disprove his assumption. 6. Interpret results. After the data is collected, the scientist discovers that the dish containing both the pond water and waste water had mo re than twice the amount of algae than the control dish (F).I choose this sentence or step in the scenario because it is after you gather your data that you are able to make a proven statement about what it is you have discovered in an experiment. 7. Report results. The scientist submits his findings to a scientific journal (E). By sending or submitting his findings to a scientific journal leads me to believe that the scientist has concluded his experiment and are satisfied with his findings. Therefore he is ready to submit results.

Retail Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Retail Industry - Essay Example Time and again Non profit organizations have raised issues against the big retailing giants especially Tesco and Asda. Find below news published in the various dailies Body: The allegations and accusations of various NGO's and papers on ethical and socialist issues against the retailers are a recurring occurrence right from the early 1900's. The trade unions, Human rights activists, consumer protection right activists, organizations that safe guard the interests of small farmers and suppliers, and the small entrepreneur's organizations, are all in their own way trying to protect their interest by constantly seeking help from the media and the government regulatory bodies to support them in their cause. The goal for this paper as stated in the beginning is to identify, investigate and validate this lobbying and come to a consensus based on the findings. Let us go through a few statistics before we get deeper in the issue. The giants Tesco and Asda are always in the spot light on any of the allegations that comes from any corner some of the allegations are based on statistical data from various sources which is detailed below: Asda Wal-Mart offered a 10% pay rise 340 of its drivers and warehouse workers in Durham if they left the trade union GMB. Asda was subsequently fined for these offerings as it was illegal inducements to its workers. Sharing the benefit: Tesco announced 2.5 billion in the year 2007 17.9 million was the total annual pay to the 16 board of directors in Tesco, one of the most expensive boards according to the Ecologist in May 2007. The Tesco chief received a 25% pay hike in 2006 taking his income to almost 4 million. A Tesco employee with an average salary will have to work for 345 years to get that income. Eroding competition and the impact on independent retailers: These large retailing giants have simply rung the death bell for small and independent entrepreneurs and most importantly deprived consumers of choices. During the 1960's independent retailers had a 60% market share which in now reduced to 6%. Almost 2000 independent retailers close shop each year. 7337 independent retailers shut down between the years 2000 and 2004. 'According to the High street Report 2015 - All parliamentary small shops group' -By 2015 all independent and small convenience stores would have disappeared. The issues mentioned above are extremely critical and vital. Health, rights, choice and fair price for the goods sold (suppliers). Let us look at the

Hand hygiene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Hand hygiene - Essay Example In this section I shall dwell on the advantages that re are associated with children in their Early Years interacting with the outdoor environment and the benefits that is brings to their development. From the literature review, it can be concluded that education in the Early Years is dependent on the outside space since it can be considered as a natural place for exploration, engagement and one that provides a motivation for learning. Active learning, exploring as well as creative thinking, enhances effective teaching and learning which are all influenced by the kind of environment that the education takes place in. Play forms a very important aspect as far as the development of children is concerned, their learning as well as their wellbeing and it is vital that the practitioners appreciate, value and maintain the play that is associated with children all through the Early Years (Lillemyr, 2009, p. 8). The provision of a good quality outdoor environment can affect the confidence that the children have as well as their independent learning but it should be noted that this is not a sole entity since it is comprised of various activities that have discrete purposes. From the interviews that were conducted with the practitioners, it was clear that outdoor play is advantageous since it basically allows the children that engage in it to have fun while playing while they engage and explore the natural environment and all this works towards their development. This natural setting develops the skills that the children have naturally while making them more confident in the things that they take part in as the grow. From the literature review, there is also the suggestion that the outdoor environment also provides chances that create an equilibrium between the structured activities that are guided by the adults and allowing the children to interact with their particular outdoor spaces. This enables the children to use their

Social Media In a business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Social Media In a business environment - Essay Example The report is based on the study of the importance of social media and social networking in the retail business sector. A thorough research of various literatures has been done to understand the importance of social media and social networking for the improvement of the business sectors. It has also been analysed that how the adoption of social media in a retail enterprise can transform the interaction procedure between the organisation and their stakeholders. The five steps of the social media success have been thoroughly followed to introduce new social media strategies for a retail enterprise. These steps include the analysis of the existing social media and social media trinity, integration of all the possible strategies, identification of resources and metrics implementation (Safko, 2010). This analysis is further focused on generating valuable strategies which will assist a retail enterprise to implement the successful usage of social media and network in their business develop ment. It has described that how the incorporation of social media and network in business operation will support and enhance its internal as well as external communications and knowledge management. On the other hand the report has also indicated the obstacles and issues related to the adoption of social media in the business enterprise. The company which has been discussed in this study is a local enterprise. It has a total of 45 retail outlets which mainly deals in apparel and accessories. The organisation also has their website to sell their product but it is not very profit making. The organisation is introducing the kid garment segment in its 20 retail centres. Since last two years the organisation is facing a huge competition in the market. The retail industry is growing to be one of the largest sectors in the global market. There are a huge number of established

Logistic regression classifier for the churn Data Coursework

Logistic regression classifier for the churn Data - Coursework Example The programming code is as follows: LOGISTIC  REGRESSION  VARIABLES  good_bad   Ã‚  /METHOD=ENTER  checking  duration  history  purpose  amount  savings  employed  installp  marital  coapp  resident  property  age  other  housing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  existcr  job  depends  telephon  foreign   Ã‚  /CONTRAST  (purpose)=Indicator   Ã‚  /CLASSPLOT   Ã‚  /PRINT=CORR   Ã‚  /CRITERIA=PIN(0.05)  POUT(0.10)  ITERATE(20)  CUT(0.5). Then the analysis is presented below: Case Processing Summary Unweighted Cases N Percent Selected Cases Included in Analysis 964 96.4 Missing Cases 36 3.6 Total 1000 100.0 Unselected Cases 0 .0 Total 1000 100.0 a. If weight is in effect, see classification table for the total number of cases. Dependent Variable Encoding Original Value Internal Value Bad 0 Good 1 Categorical Variables Codings Frequency Parameter coding (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) purpose 3 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 . 000 .000 0 225 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 1 100 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 2 174 .000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 3 268 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 4 12 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 5 22 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 6 47 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 .000 8 9 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 .000 9 94 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 X 10 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 Beginning block Classification Table Observed Predicted good_bad Percentage Correct bad good Step 0 good_bad bad 0 292 .0 good 0 672 100.0 Overall Percentage 69.7 Variables in the Equation B S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp(B) Step 0 Constant .834 .070 141.414 1 .000 2.301 Variables not in the Equation Score df Sig. Step 0 Variables checking 119.858 1 .000 duration 40.086 1 .000 History 48.045 1 .000 purpose 39.421 10 .000 purpose(1) 6.926 1 .008 purpose(2) 9.752 1 .002 purpose(3) 9.334 1 .002 purpose(4) .361 1 .548 purpose(5) 12.039 1 .001 purpose(6) .053 1 .817 purpose(7) .393 1 .531 purpose(8) 4.846 1 .028 purpose(9) 1.583 1 .208 purpose(10) .694 1 .405 amount 18.355 1 .000 savings 30.125 1 .000 employed 14.071 1 .000 installp 5.548 1 .019 marital 8.537 1 .003 coapp .419 1 .518 resident .000 1 .996 property 20.211 1 .000 age 7.933 1 .005 other 10.626 1 .001 housing .146 1 .703 existcr 2.184 1 .139 job .426 1 .514 depends .067 1 .797 telephon 2.137 1 .144 foreign 8.114 1 .004 a. Residual Chi-Squares are not computed because of redundancies. Block  1:  Method  =  Enter Omnibus Tests of Model Coefficients Chi-square df Sig. Step 1 Step 299.197 29 .000 Block 299.197 29 .000 Model 299.197 29 .000 Model Summary Step -2 Log likelihood Cox & Snell R Square Nagelkerke R Square 1 883.255a .267 .378 a. Estimation terminated at iteration number 20 because maximum iterations has been reached. Final solution canno t be found. The sensitivity and specificity analysis can be done as follows: Classification Table Observed Predicted good_bad Total Good Bad good_bad Good 596 (TP) 76 (FP) 672 Bad 140 (FN) 152 (TN) 292 Total 736 (Sensitivity) 228 (Specificity) 964 TP: True Positive; TN: True Negative; FP: False Positive; FN: False Negative Sensitivity=TP/(TP+FN)=596/(596+140)=0.812 or 81,7%

Anaylsis Wordsworth A Slumer Did Steal My Sleep Essay

Anaylsis Wordsworth A Slumer Did Steal My Sleep - Essay Example There are many connotations of words and phrases. In the beginning, â€Å"a slumber did my spirit seal† connotes the idea of the author being unconscious or unaware of reality, in that a sleep has rendered him ignorant of reality. â€Å"The touch of earthly years† is a phrase which connotes the idea of immortality or agelessness. The last two lines are especially connotative â€Å"Roll’d round in earth’s diurnal force, with rocks, and stones, and trees†. These phrases and words are earthy and connote the physical world around us. They are also suggestive of nature and the natural lifecycle of the environment. The characters mentioned are both the author and the subject who appears to be female. The author speaks for himself at the beginning, then describes the fate of a woman, the subject of the poem. The relationship between the two is suggested in the lines â€Å"she seem’d a thing that could not feel, the touch of earthly years†. The author describes his perception of this woman, as someone who seemed otherworldly, or beyond physical interference. This suggests that he was in love with her, and that this love blinded him to her vulnerability and humanity. There are several images used. â€Å"Rocks and stones and trees† conjure images of death, burials, nature and of life cycles. â€Å"I had no human fears† and â€Å"the touch of earthly fears† convey images of a realm beyond physicality and time. â€Å"Slumber† is a symbolic word. Rather than literally meaning sleep, the author uses this word to symbolize his sense of being unaware of the vulnerability of this woman. â€Å"Human fears† symbolizes the spiritual dimension the author seems to have existed in when he was with this woman.†rocks and stones and trees† are symbolic of the fact that this woman is now dead and buried, in the ground, part of the earth. Themes in this poem appear to be loss and the feeling that

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Sociology - Essay Example While adult crime rates remains comparatively stable, the number of violent crimes committed by juveniles has skyrocketed over the recent decades. Thus, between 1988 and 1994 the rate of juvenile arrests for violent crimes has risen by 75 percent, which makes many experts project doubling of the rate by the end of this decade (Snyder, Sickmund, and Poe-Yamagata, 1996). Crime is potentially preventable – or at least controllable – social phenomenon, but the only key to its prevention is knowledge of the causes of youthful offending. Impressive number of studies performed up to date reveals that although many factors contribute to the making of a delinquent child, negative peer associations always remain arguably the major source of juvenile delinquency (Andrews, Hoge, and Leschied, 1994: 556). The present study aims to empirically establish and measure correlation between negative peer associations and high occurrence of delinquent behavior in teenagers. Although the potential findings of this research are of minor theoretical importance – comprehensive expert studies have already established and explained the nature of both short- and long-term correlation between negative peer associations and juvenile delinquency – their practical value in predicting juvenile delinquency rates and defining risk groups should not be diminished. The correlation may significantly vary depending upon many factors, such as religion, age, traditions, etc., and only data relating to concrete environment has reliable predictive power and can be used for prevention of juvenile delinquency. Positive correlation between juvenile delinquency and negative peer associations has been explored in many studies. The most common approach adopted by the scholars is the social learning theory: behavioral patterns are learned from social interactions (direct learning) and observation (indirect learning) (Bandura, Ross, and Ross, 1961). In studies of

Information for Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information for Decision Making - Essay Example The research methodology used in the paper is both qualitative and quantitative. Sampling has played an important role in data collection process. The sampling was supported through questionnaire. Data analysis provides the results based on findings. Cost and time table further emphasises on the need of budget and time for the research. Conclusion and recommendation gives an overview of the limitations and important of technology in an organisation. Table of Content Introduction 5 Background 6 Problem Definition 6 Research Objective 7 Research Design 8 Sampling 9 Data Collection 9 Questionnaire 10 Data Processing and Analysis 11 Reporting 12 Cost and Timetable Activities 12 Conclusion & Recommendation 13 Reference 15 Bibliography 18 Introduction Marketing research can be defined as the process of analysing, collecting and devising the required information. Marketing research is an important procedure for any company wanting to market its product in a new territory (Burns & Bush, 2007 , p.7). Marketing research methodology involves the explanation of the problem and the process to find the desired solution. The cause of problem and the research methodology plan are directly proportional to each other. Marketing research is an important component to collect the desired market information. Marketing research helps in identifying the problems and opportunities by linking the consumer and the marketer. It further evaluates and enhances the understanding of the marketing process and helps in finding the methods to make certain activities of marketing more presentable and effective (Schmidt & Hollensen, 2007, p. 19). Marketing research helps an organisation to modify the marketing-mix and also supports the activities which lead to the customer satisfaction. It is an important tool to make sure that both demand and supply are being taken care of by an organisation. In a broader sense it helps to develop a good equation between the customers and the suppliers (Bradley, 2 007, p. 4). Background The Royal Mint is the worlds oldest and the leading mint exporter. Founded over 1,000 years ago the Royal Mint has achieved the status of national treasure (Royal Mint, 2012). It is not only known for its art of coin making but high quality and craftsmanship makes it a worldwide leader. The Royal Mint is not subjugated to coin making only but is associated with craftsmanship of medals as well. UK might be the home to the company but it has its presence in more than 50 countries. The company which makes coins for UK has been roped in to make commemorative medals for the Olympics 2012 to be held in London. Over 1000 years of history and maintenance of the high quality artistry has made the company most sought after by different countries around the world. Technology has further improved the company’s structure and functionality. Technology has helped the company to keep a database of the customers and also build customer relationship through CRM system. P roblem Definition The problem definition is related to identifying the broad topic associated with research. The broad topic in relation to the research can be the problem faced by the Royal Mint in achieving the target of making medals for the Olympics 2012 along with meeting the deadline. The broad topic is further divided into narrow topic. The narrow topic is more related to the problems which can have an impact on the broad topic of the

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 13

Case Study - Essay Example On the other hand, Ralph has low energy but he has significant experience and he is a potential candidate because of his experience and expertise in the industry. The third candidate Yingzi is a very talented woman and she can bring new innovative managerial practices in the company and retaining her in the organization is very important. The first solution is to promote Carmen because for being an ethical organization, company has to show concern towards employees especially the women and minority. Carmen is one of those who is both an African American and she is also qualified for the position. However, following is the SWOT analysis of making this decision. Image of company â€Å"concerns towards employees† will further improve. From maternal ethics concept, the consideration given towards mother-child relationship can improve the nature and quality of workplace interactions (Frederick, 2002). Company will be able to improve its public relations through this decision. Actually in business world activities which appear as a result of generosity are the attempts of companies to make public relations (Flynn, 2008). The promotion of Carmen can appear as a strong example of it, if she is promoted. No doubt Carmen and Yingzi are the suitable candidates for the managerial position however, Ralph should be promoted because he has worked twenty years with the company and he is the most experienced as compared to other two. What should be the criteria of the company while promoting people? Most of the policies of organizations promote employees based on seniority bases; however, even the ethical nature of policy is sometimes challenged. The promotions which are based on seniority alone seem mindless whereas, the decisions which are based on qualification seem heartless, therefore, companies should take it as a challenge to merge the dual responsibilities of qualification

Decision Making Process Essay Example for Free

Decision Making Process Essay Decision-Making Process Carol Hartfield MGT/230 June 20, 2011 Mike Osby Decision-Making Process Decision-making can be difficult and disastrous if not thought out carefully. Some decisions once made cannot be changed, and the outcome could change your life forever. Of the six stages of the decision-making process, I, like others, can say I do not use all the stages, if I made my decision using the stages my outcome may have been better that it was. I wanted to change jobs to spend more time with my son and make our lives better. If I had used the decision-making process my decision would have been different. The first step of the process is identifying and diagnosing the problem. I identified the problem, I needed more money and a daytime job with as few hours of overtime required. The diagnosis for the problem was to switch from nighttime data entry to daytime dialysis. I was not clear about what I wanted the decision to achieve. I was putting my situation in a negative perspective, e. g. , I do not want to work at night any more and I did not like the company. But such framing of the outcome in the negative does not set a direction to move towards, only what to move away from (McDermott, n. . ) . The positive outcomes should have been stated for my goal to be achieved. The decision-making process steps are, generating alternative solutions and evaluating alternatives. I did not follow these two processes; maybe if I would have I would have had a better outcome. I would have had a plan if the new job failed to give the results anticipated. Within evaluating the alternative I would have done more research on my earnings potential of the new job versus my old job. The next step of the decision-making process was implementing the decision. This was not an easy task to complete. My schedule for sleeping was hard to change, and I had to work the night job for two weeks before I could leave. Implementation of the decision was the hardest part of the process since I had to work and train at the same time for two weeks with hardly any sleep. I would have allowed time to transition from one jog to the other if I had used the six steps in the readings from this week. Evaluating my decision was also an easy task; my bills started piling up because I was not making the money promised from taking the job. I had to do something to make more money or go back to my previous position. I was lucky that I was friends with the new supervisor and she needed help because people had left. I could resume my position with the same seniority and pay. The decision to switch jobs would have been different if I had used the decision-making process listed in this week’s reading. I would have had alternative solutions and investigated the new job more than I did. In generating alternative solutions, I would have ensured I could have returned to my previous job and not agonized over if I could return or not. Reference McDermott, D. (n. d. ). How to make a decision. Retrieved from http://www. decision-making-confidence. com/index. html

The Arguments For Privatization

The Arguments For Privatization Privatization is transfer of state owned enterprises to private ownership. William Megginson and Jeffrey M. Netter(2000) defined privatization politically and economically, as the deliberate sale by a government of state owned enterprises(SOEs) of assets to private economic agents. According to Charles A Ntiri (2010); Privatization has been defined by economic scholars and jurists to encompass a wide range of options for involvement of private capital and management in the running and operations of public enterprises It may involve the total transfer of public ownership and assets structures to private companies or conversion of public enterprises to private entities or incorporation of new private entities in place of public enterprises which can be by management transfers etc. He also quote Heydare Kord-Zanganeh (2001) on privatization to refer to all initiatives designed to increase the role of private entities for applying society resources to produce products and services by dec reasing and restricting government or official roles. Lumbini Kulasekera (2001) in his article on Restructuring stated-owned enterprises through privatization explain that, the system of state enterprises was established to provide support. Support for consumers in form of better products and services at less cost. Support for workers in form of rewarding and meaningful employment .Support for the government in form of revenues. Many state enterprises can no longer provide this support .In fact they are in need of support themselves .These institutions in fact, should be productive national assets, making a contribution to the progress and welfare of the country. But years of politicization, corruption, mismanagement, inadequate investment, lack of vision and discipline have stripped them of their potential making them colossal liabilities.Over the years enormous amounts of money have been spent to sustain ailing state enterprises. Governments borrow heavily from the state banks and from foreign financial institutions. Aid donors will n o longer support wasteful expenditure .Therefore either unproductive state enterprises will have to be shut down or the entire economy will go bankrupt. Privatization therefore is inevitable and necessary. This essay explain the arguments for privatization of state owned enterprises in emerging markets and why state owned banks in emerging markets have not been privatized. The essay comprises of three sections; Introductory part, arguments for privatization of state owned enterprises and why state owned banks have not been privatized in emerging markets, conclusion has been done respectively in each of the second and third section respectively. Arguments for privatization There are different arguments for privatization of state owned enterprises in emerging market in support of different researches done earlier concerning the privatization in emerging economies. William L. Megginson Jeffry M.Netter(2000) argue that, Contracting ability impacts the efficiency of state and private ownership. Government ownership of firms results in problems in defining the goals of the firm. He also quote Hansmann and Kraakman(2000), While the shareholder-wealth maximizing model of corporate organization is becoming increasingly dominant in part because of the advantages of having a well-defined corporate goal, he continued that governments have many objectives other than profit or shareholder-wealth maximization. Further, government objectives can change from one administration to the next. The inability of the government to credibly commit to a policy can significantly reduce the efficiency of a firms operations and governance. Even if the government does attempt to maximize social welfare, for example, welfare is a difficult thing to measure and use in guiding policy. In addition, the governments goals can be inconsistent with efficiency, inconsistent with maximizing social welfare, or even malevolent (he quoted Laffont and Tirole, 1993 and Shleifer, 1999).In addition, even if the government and the nations citizens agree that profit maximizing is the goal of the firm, it is difficult to write complete contracts that adequately tie managers incentives to that goal. Shleifer (1999) argues that the owners of public firms (the nations citizens) are less able to write complete contracts with their managers because of their diffuse nature, making it difficult to tie the managers incentives to the returns from their decisions. This is a subset of the broader arguments based in property rights and agency costs that there will be differences in performance between government and privately held firms because there are a broader range of monitoring devices under private ownership. William L. Megginson Jeffry M. Netter (2000) argue that, Ownership structure affects the ease with which government can intervene in the operations of a firm. Of course, governments can intervene in the operations of any firm, either public or private. However, the governments transaction costs of intervening in production arrangements and other decisions of the firm are greater when firms are privately owned. Thus, to the extent that government intervention has greater costs than benefits, private ownership is preferred to public ownership (Sappington and Stiglitz, 1987). William L. Megginson Jeffry M. Netter (2000) also argue that, a major source of inefficiency in public firms stems from less-prosperous firms being allowed to rely on the government for funding, leading to soft budget constraints. The state is unlikely to allow a large SOE to face bankruptcy. Thus, the discipline enforced on private firms by the capital markets and the threat of financial distress is less important for state-owned firms. Kornai (1998, 1993), Berglof and Roland (1998), and Frydman, Gray, Hessel, and Rapaczynski (2000) all suggest that soft budget constraints were a major source of inefficiency in Communist firms. They also note that supposedly hard budget constraints imposed by a government on SOEs are not very effective either. William L. Megginson Jeffry M. Netter (2000) also argue that, Privatization can impact efficiency through its effect on government fiscal conditions. As noted in Section 1, governments have raised huge amounts of money by selling SOEs. Such sales have helped reduce the fiscal deficit in many countries. Though important, examining the efficiency effects of reducing government deficits is beyond the scope of this paper. Davis, Ossowski, Richardson and Barnett (2000) show that privatization has significant positive effects on governments fiscal conditions. William L. Megginson Jeffry M. Netter (2000) also argue that, At a macroeconomic level, privatization can help develop product and security markets. One important motivation for privatization is to help develop factor and product markets, as well as security markets. As discussed above, welfare economics argues that efficiency is achieved through competitive markets. Thus, to the extent that privatization promotes competition, privatization can have important efficiency effects. Inevitably, the effectiveness of privatization programs and markets themselves are simultaneously determined. It has been clear in the transition economies that the success of the privatization program depends on the strength of the markets within the same country, and vice versa. Thus, the impact of privatization will differ across countries depending on the strength of the existing private sector. The empirical evidence shows that this is the case. Market Socialism: The opponents of privatization argue that neoclassical economics welfare theorems should also work in an economy with public ownership .Instead of a soviet type economy with public ownership and planning, one can imagine a market socialism (Barone 1908; Lange 1936) system where firms are publicly owned, but exchange occurs in competitive markets, and SOE managers are incentivized via performance contracts. Some adherents of market socialism argue this is exactly what has been successfully implemented in China ( Critics of this idea argue that is very hard for the government to commit not to intervene in markets .Under market socialism, the government is omnipotent and can directly control all the prices. Therefore ,it is hard to protect market competition from the government monopoly , which would not only expropriate the consumer surplus but would also undermine efficiency .It is also hard for the government to commit to the strict antitrust policy that weakens the market power of state-owned firms. Even in an open economy which imports product market competition ,the government still wields a monopoly in the labor market and in markets for nontradeables.The government is also unable to commit to abstain from political pursuit s while designing and enforcing managements contracts. Another problem of government ownership is the liability to ensure the exit of failing firms. Governments (or government banks) often bail out firms, private or public, in order to preserve employment. This problem is especially severe in the case of public firms .It is essentially impossible for the state to commit to not bailing out its own firms. The resulting soft budget constraints further aggravate the incentives problem for state owned enterprises. Yet another argument in favor of private ownership is the importance of innovation; Shleifer 1998 argues that innovation can only prosper under private ownership .While inventors can come up with great ideas independently of the predominant ownership forms; further development commercialization of innovative ideas is certainly more likely under private ownership. Government revenue: Privatization helps to raise revenues for Government. State owned enterprises comprises of multiplicity of goals, they wants to maximize profit but they focus more on social security for the citizen, increase of employment might lead to overstaffing hence increase more cost on operations, Insufficient quality of facilities like machines for production ,leads to poor and incompetent products which cannot lead to generation of more profit. According to Sergei Guriev and William Megginson (2005) comments that private ownership strengthens the incentives for profit maximazion and therefore should lead to increased productive and allocative efficiency. Market failures. SOEs (State owned Enterprises) lack innovation that leads failure in the market. This is due to the fact that government aids compensate them even when they make losses so that they continue to operate and avoid the large number of unemployment. Sergei Guriev and William Megginson (2005) said that market failure even when they exist, do not have to be collected through public ownership. Much can be achieved through regulation, taxation, and private provision of public goods (through profit maximizing firms or nonprofit organizations. They also say that Public ownership may not resolve all the relevant issues both in democrat and in non regimes politicians are often concerned with issues other than economic efficient and social welfare; they may be either driven by political motives or simply corrupt.Privatisation reduces the ability to pursue political objectives. Megginson and natter (2000) argue that, Privatization tends to help the greatest positive impact in those cases where the role for the government in licensing the market failure is the weakest. By conclusion, There is growing body of empirical evidence on all aspects of privatization that uses detailed datasets and up-to-date methodology this empirical evidence provides solid evidence that privatization generally works both for the firms that are privatized and for privatizing economies as a whole. While privatization usually results both in increased productivity and reduced employment in privatized firms, fears of negative overall effects at the economy level are not justified. An important caveat here of those benefits of privatization depends on market institutions being in place. The countries that manage to ensure property rights protection and the rule of law, impose hard budget, increase competition, and improve corporate governance reap the largest benefits. If appropriate institutions are not in place, privatization often fails to improve performance at the firm level and for the economy as a whole. Empirical evidence provides a strong case for openness in privatization .Virtually all point to a positive role of foreign investors. Firms privatized to foreign owners exhibit the highest productivity increases .Moreover, as foreign owners usually buy the assets in a more competitive biddings process, they are likely to pay a high price for privatize assets and the threat of competition from foreign bidders also tends to raise the bids of domestic investors. Receiving a high net privatization price is important, not only for fiscal reasons but also for the political legitimacy of emerging private property rights and the sustainability of reforms. Why have State-Owned Banks not been Privatized in Emerging Markets? Many emerging markets have not privatized their banking systems or face some challenges after privatization. Panicos Demetriades et al (2010) argue that, governments should not feel pressured to re-privatize the banks. Once the black sheep of high finance, government owned banks can reassure depositors about the safety of their savings and can help maintain a focus on productive investment in a world in which effective financial regulation remains more of an aspiration than a reality. Privatization of banks has been done in some of emerging markets for example Mexico, India and China. Mexico face banking crisis in 1994, India face some challenges as private owned banks could not meet their pre-privatization objectives, while China face crisis but were able to maintain. Privatization can cause banking crisis. Times of India, article on Privatization can cause banking crisis of by TNN, 16 November 2001; Prof V.S. Vyas, chairman of the governing board of institute of development studies, Jaipur, has given a call for preventing banking crisis through reckless privatization. He was delivering the valedictory address at the recently held national seminar on `privatization of banks at Mangalagangothri, organized by corporation bank chair in bank management. Vyas, also a member of the central board of directors of the reserve bank of India and Nabard, said the content and phase of the economic reforms are different in different countries. Therefore, any sweeping measures to privatize banks would cause a severe banking crisis. On the banking crises in south-east Asian countries, he said the government should not give absolute freedom to the private financial institutions and foreign banks. Any move to give market orientation to ownership of financial instit utions like banks must be judged by applying three criteria; better initiative and transparency, better efficiency, better capital accumulation and growth. There is no conclusive proof to show private banks is better than the public sector banks when these criteria are applied, he said. Mexico has been cited as having to privatize its banks and face financial Crisis. Haluk,Unal Miguel Navarro (1999) said that shortly after their privatization, Banco Union (BCH), Cremi, Grupo Havre, and Banpa is failed. Following the peso devaluation of December 20, 1994, the entire banking system needed to be re-privatized at great cost to the tax payer. What went wrong? It is safe to argue that the lack of a previously enhanced legal and regulatory framework was a major obstacle in the full achievement of objectives relating to bank privatization in general. Although several attempts were made to overhaul the banking system, efforts were insufficient at the beginning of the bank privatization process to increase supervision. Changes in the legal and regulatory framework of the financial sector should have begun long before the privatization process started, as they usually are a slow and gradual process. The newly privatized banking system in Mexico operated under an outdated regu latory environment and with a set of supervisory agencies unable to implement new regulations or enforce existing rules. Performance of private owned banks could not outweigh the performance of government owned banks. Times of India, article on Privatization can cause banking crisis of by TNN, 16 November 2001, Prof Vyas lauded the achievements of the public sector banks in India in the last 36 years, particularly in reaching out to the masses in the hither to neglected villages. Even in china, the banks could not reach the level of rural penetration which the Indian public sector banks have been able to. The solution to the stagnation of banks is minimizing bureaucratic control, not hasty privatization, he argued. Former syndicate bank chairman and Thingalaya alleged the government made the proposal to privatize banks to satisfy the international monetary foundation (IMF) and the World Bank. Thingalaya, also a member of the Karnataka state planning board, said while the private sector banks in India account for just 6 per cent of the rural lending, it is the public sector banks which have been helping the rural masses in a big way. P.V. Subbarao, Chief General Manager, reserve bank of India, Mumbai, said while the private sector banks in India operate only in limited areas with very little staff, these banks are serving numerous villages and towns. The new generation private sector banks, the old private sector banks and foreign banks have yet to develop the mass participation approach, he observed. According to D. Beim and C. Calomiris (2001) If banks are privatized before SOEs, bank owners may engage in buying more companies and become industrial empires. Foreign banks may out-complete domestic banks and leave them seriously weakened. D. Beim and C. Calomiris (2001) added that Capital inflows (short term loans and portfolio flows) can easily go into reverse (e.g. outflow) and create liquidity crisis. In conclusion we cite Panicos Demetriades et al (2010), at the moment, there is calm among bank depositors but premature privatization of government owned banks could change that. The empirical evidence suggests that the very existence of government owned banks has its roots in bad regulation. Privatizing banks without fixing the underlying cause could result in greater financial instability, not less. Moreover, as experience and other research shows, privatizing banks can only increase the power of bankers which can create fertile ground for more bad regulation. And if you thought that government owned banks are bad for long run growth, you need to think again. The empirical evidence suggests that government ownership of banks during 1995-2007 has, if anything, been associated with higher growth rates.

Why does organisation undertake market research?

Why does organisation undertake market research? 1) Why does organisation undertake market research? What methods could they use? 1) The collection, analysis and communication of market to assist decision making in marketing is market research. Methods of market research: 1) Primary research: primary research includes getting such data that is not already used by any other organisation. It is especially made to get answer of some specific question that an organisation wants to procure. To get primary data a business should carry out field research: Face-to-face interview- Interviewer gets information from people. (Example-by visiting different houses on different streets) Telephone interviews- Same question like face-to-face interview are asked although often shortly. Online survey- Using internet is prominent way of getting primary data and it is also less expensive than other sources to get primary data. Questionnaires: Questionnaires are sent in post to get the information. Advantage of primary search- A) up to date B) Specific to the purpose C) No other business has access to collected data Secondary data- includes data that is already available. This data has been collected by someone else for another purpose. Secondary research involves exploration of secondary sources of data. Source of secondary data can come from within the firm itself. This is also known as internal secondary data. External secondary data is data that has been published by other firm. Advantages of secondary data: A) Ease of access B) Low cost of acquire C) May answer research question Types of market research: 1) Quantitative research- Statistical basis gathers statistically valid, numerically measurable data Usually related to data on market-size, market shares and growth Sampling plays a key role Data is gathered through surveys Concerned with obtaining hard copy 2) Qualitative research Subjective and personal Concerned with finding out soft information Main purpose is to understand consumer behaviour, perceptions and attitudes Obtained by methods designed to get detailed responses e.g. interview Research topic are usually explored in some depth There are two main qualitative methods- A) Depth interviewing: In most business markets depth interviews are very important form of qualitative research. B) Depth discussion: Focus groups are the main stay of consumer research. Here several customers are bought in discussion. These groups encourage creative ideas from participants. Purpose of market research To gain an understanding of markets To identify changes in the market To improve market answers To gain an understanding of customers needs To reduce the risk and uncertainty To forecast market trends To provide a sound basis for marketing decision To support marketing planning Importance of market research Research is not only used for learning. It is also used to make good decision. While research is key to Decision Making. It does not always to be effective. Some time small efforts such as doing research on internet provide needed information. Marketing research is becoming more important day-by-day by which the firm can get more profits. By market research firm get know about their customer taste what the customer want how much they can pay for the product. By doing market research we get information about other products their pricing and what needs to be done for a good promotion. Conclusion: From above discussion we can say that market research is way to get information about the product, customer and market. There are couple of method for market research such as discussed above primary research and secondary research. In primary research data is collected by face-to-face interview, telephone interview, online survey and questionnaires.   Secondary research is data which is already gathered by someone for another purpose. There are two types of market research as discussed above quantitative research and qualitative research. There are two type of qualitative method depth interviewing and depth discussion. With help of market research firm can procure a lot of information about the market, products, promotion, and distribution and so on that can be very helpful in taking marketing 2) What are they major factors affecting the pricing strategy of firms? What is pricing? Pricing is a method adopted by firm to set price of their product. It usually depends on average cost of product. Different pricing methods place varying degree of emphasis on selection, estimation and evaluation of costs and market situation. What is pricing strategy? Pricing strategy is activities aimed at finding products optimum objectives, consumer demand, market, economic trend and product price, typically including overall marketing. 1) Internal factors- A) Marketing objective- There are some marketing objective given below- To set a price in aim to cover just variable and fixed cost of a product. To set such price that cultivates optimum profit. To decide the price of product in such a way that they can procure leadership in market share. To set high prices in order to get quality leadership in market. B) Marketing mix In marketing mix, there are especially two alternatives as given below 1) Price positioning- In this, an organisation decides the price of any particular product first and then they take other decisions of marketing mix. 2) Non price positioning- In this process,organstions dont decide price first they opt different kind of marketing mix tools because they think customers dont always go for products of low prices. They opt high prices product in aim to get optimum quality and to show prestige and dignity. 2) External factors: Market and demand factors- In this, the price of a particular product depends on demand of product in the market. If products demand is higher than price can be kept higher but on the other hand if demand is lower than price must be lower to attract a certain range of customers. Competition: Almost all marketing decision including pricing will include an evaluation of competitors offerings. The impact of this information on actual setting of price will depend on the competitive nature of market. Government regulations; There is some governmental regulation that applies in deciding the price of any particular product. Marketers cant be price dictators they have to follow some rules and regulations made by government. Government have decided a certain level of price limit that cant be crossed or overcome by any marketer. Conclusion:- From the above discussion we can conclude that pricing is method to set a price of product by a firm to get higher profit or to survive in market. Pricing strategy is activities finding product optium, consumer demand and market needs to set a price. There are several factor affect price decision internal and external factor. Internal factor include marketing objective and marketing strategy. External factors include nature of market, demand competition and government regulations. All these factors play a vital role in pricing strategy of firms. 3) What are the main criticisms against marketing? To what extent are these criticisms valid? Marketing have thousands of benefits but even after that it is criticized due to some reason. There are some common criticisms against marketing. Marketing encourage people to purchase what they do not need: Possibly the criticism most frequently made about marketing is that marketers are only concerned with getting customer to buy whether they want the product or not. As we will discuss, while many marketers are guilty of manipulating customers into making their mind to buy products which they dont need. The vast majority understand that undertaking such method will not lead to loyal customers and is unlikely to lead to longer term success. Marketers adorn product claim: Marketers are often criticized for exaggerating the benefits offered by their product. This is especially the case with part of marketing that engages in customer communication. Such as advertising and sale people. the most serious problems arise when product claim are seen as misleading customers into believing a product can offer a certain level of value but it was not. But few times there is a fine line between what a rational person should accept as a ‘reasonable exaggeration and which is considered as downright deceiving. Fortunately, many countries offer customers some level of protection from misleading claims since such business practise may subject the marketer to legal action. Again using this method is likely to lead to marketing failure as customers dont like anything and will likely not return the product. Yes I think criticism is valid in marketing because marketers only wants to sell the their products they dont want customer to satisfy with the product their mean of selling product is only selfishness they only want profit nothing more than it. In some countries customer cant claim product if he/she is not satisfied with product this is because in some countries people buy products for occasionally use after that the occasion they claim the product and get money   back due to this marketers dont want be loss so they kicked claim policy in some countries but by this customers are always think twice before buy product in that country where we cant claim product so by this some real claim are disclosed due to no claim policy by which customer are dissatisfy so criticism is valid up to   high level in marketing I think so. Conclusion:- From the above discussion we can say that market is seen as benefits to firm and society there are a number of criticisms against marketing like to create a need where there is no need, so much exaggeration about products and false promises to the customers in aim to just increase the sale. So up to some extent these criticisms are valid but not all are alike. Has Feminism Achieved its Goals? Has Feminism Achieved its Goals? This essay will assess the question: has feminism achieved its goals? The essay will outline the three strands of feminism. The first section focuses on Liberal feminism which asserts the idea that in order for feminism to achieve its goals it must create equality among men and women. The second section turns to socialist feminism that believes that the only way feminist goals can be achieved is with the overthrow of the capitalist system and that of patriarchy. The Third and final section analyses radical feminism that advocates the goal of political lesbianism. This essay will conclude that feminism has not achieved its goals, however Liberal feminists believe their aim for equality is achievable in the near future. Has Feminism achieved its goals? Feminism as an issue first became prominent in the 17th and 18th century in France and America. It was not until the suffragette movement of the 19th century that feminism was seen as important in Britain. The scholar Estelle Freedman compares first and second-wave feminism saying that the first wave focused on rights such as suffrage, whereas the second wave was largely concerned with other issues of equality, such as ending discrimination.  [1]  Feminism is a contested issue, therefore difficult to define, due to the fact that feminism has a directory of meanings, however the term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal protection for women. Within feminism there are many strands, the most important and commonly known strands are Liberal, Socialist, Radical and more recently Post-modernist. Within these strands there is an on-going argument of whether or not feminism has achieved its goals. Early feminism was heavily influenced by liberalism. Liberal Feminists main goal comes from the liberal idea of equality of opportunity, freedom for the individual. The idea that everyone, both men and woman deserve to be considered to be of equal worth. However these liberal feminists take into consideration that this is not the case in society. Their goal thus being to create a society consisting of a culture of equal rights. They believe that womans subordination is a product of stereotyping, for instance seeing a woman as a mother only. It is often implied that feminine behaviour is a weakness meaning that men are seen as the stronger part of society, creating this inequality. Friedan sees this as the feminine mystique which she refers to as a cultural myth.  [2]  This is the idea that woman see certain things as more important; for instance the need for security and love is typically seen as feminine, whereas success and superiority is typically seen as masculine. This assum ption thus disadvantages women and separates them from entering employment. Liberal feminists therefore dismiss the notion that biological differences make women less competent than men, and believe that societies socialisation patterns need to change, so that gender socialisation does not occur, in other words males and females need to distance themselves from stereotypical roles. As both men and women our humans, they should have the same type of freedom and rights. Wollstonecraft asserts this view claiming that the distinction of sex would become unimportant in political and social life  [3]   Liberal Feminists believe that they can achieve this goal of equality through reform, for instance laws against sex discrimination in employment secures equal opportunities for woman. Added to this, they have the belief that society should not be organised by gender, but as Mill puts it: according to the principle of equality  [4]  and that accidents of birth like the sex of the child should be irrelevant, thus suggesting that women should be open to all the aspects of society, just like men, having all the rights and liberties that men enjoy such as the right to vote. Liberal Feminism is an optimistic theory, and overall believes that the goals of feminism are progressing and that over time gender equality will become the norm. This progression can be seen through different rights such as the right to initiate divorce proceedings and the reproductive rights of women to make individual decisions on pregnancy. Thus they believe that the goals of feminism may not be achieved at this moment in time, but the changes in society mean that soon they will be. Liberal feminists have been criticised for this over optimism, they see the obstacles to equality as simply the prejudices of individuals or irrational laws, ignoring the possibility that there are deep seeded structures causing womens oppression, such as patriarchy. Socialist and radical feminists criticise liberal feminists stating that one needs to recognise the underlying causes of female subordination, and that it is naive to believe that changes in the law will be enough to bring equality. Instead, they believe that revolutionary changes are needed. Socialist feminists connect the oppression of women to Marxist ideas about exploitation, oppression and labour. They think unequal standing in both the workplace and the domestic sphere holds women down. Socialist feminists see prostitution, domestic work, childcare and marriage as ways in which women are exploited by a patriarchal system that devalues women and the substantial work they do. They focus their energies on broad change that affects society as a whole, rather than on an individual basis. They see the need to work alongside not just men, but all other groups, as they see the oppression of women as a part of a larger pattern that affects everyone involved in the capitalist system. Socialist feminists dismiss the liberal feminist view that womens subordination is due to stereotypes. They see womens subordination as rooted in capitalism; although men may benefit from women, the main beneficiary is capitalism. For them the tension between men and women is due to the economic structure of society and only by overthrowing capitalism will women be equal to men. Thus their goal is: a revolution- that is they believe that the subordination of women can only be understood in terms of economic factors, for instance the idea that women are unpaid workers in the home. This subordination performs a number of functions for capitalism: women reproduce the labour force; women absorb the anger of men. Ansley for example describes wives as takers of shit  [5]  . It is for these reasons that womans interests and thus their goal should be the overthrow of capitalism. If this is their goal, then it is quite clear that feminism, according to the socialist feminist side has not achieved its goals. However modern socialist feminists refuse to look at the status of women in terms of economic factors and instead focus on the cultural roots. Mitchell suggests women perform four functions in society: 1) members of the workforce, 2) reproduce the human species 3) responsible for socialising children 4) sex objects.  [6]  Looking at this, the only way according to modern socialist feminists to achieve their goal is if they separate themselves from each of these areas, not just the idea of capitalism being replaced by socialism. This has yet to be achieved. Many criticisms have been made of socialist feminists. For some, they fail to explain womens subordination in non-capitalist societies. As womens subordination is also found there. Unpaid domestic labour may benefit capitalism, but it does not explain why it is women and not men who perform it. They place insufficient emphasis on the ways in which men and not just capitalism oppress women and benefit from their unpaid labour. Radical Feminism dismisses both liberal and socialist feminism, focusing on gender as the reason for all social divisions. They consider the male controlled capitalist hierarchy, which it describes as sexist, as the defining feature of womens oppression. Radical feminists believe that women can free themselves only when they have done away with what they consider an inherently oppressive and dominating patriarchal system. For them the key concept is Patriarchy: which literally means rule by fathers and is seen process of gender oppression. Patriarchy has come to mean a society where men dominate women, that there is a male-based authority and power structure and that it is responsible for oppression and inequality. As long as the system and its values are in place, society will not be able to be reformed in any significant way. Patriarchy is universal, existing in all societies. According to Firestone the origins of patriarchy are in biology; women bearing children makes them more dependent on men. However this is criticised by De Beauvoir who believes that the position of women is based not on natural factors but social factors, showing a critique of patriarchal culture. The basis of radical feminism is the idea that sexual oppression is the biggest feature of society and that other forms of inequality for instance class exploitation take a back seat. For radical feminists patriarchy is the biggest form of inequality, men are womens main enemy. Most radical feminists advocate the idea of separatism and Political lesbianism. Separatism refers to the idea of living apart from men creating a culture of female independence. Political Lesbianism is the idea that women become involved in lesbian relationships for political reasons. Many radical feminists argue that lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality; feminism is the theory; lesbianism is the practice  [7]   The relationship between men and women must be transformed if women are to be free. Radical feminists argue that women and men should be separate, women should raise their consciousness about womens oppression in women only groups and they stress that political lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality. Thus, this means that the goal of radical feminists is to live separate lives from men. However they recognise that this will not solve all the problems of the patriarchal society. Some radical feminists see no alternatives other than the total uprooting and reconstruction of society in order to achieve these goals. These goals have clearly not been achieved as heterosexual relationships are still the norm, although having said this there has been a rise of homosexual relationships in the last thirty years. Socialist feminists argue that class, not patriarchy, is the primary form of inequality. They also argue that capitalism is the main cause and beneficiary of womens oppression, and not men. Radical feminism offers no explanation of why female subordination takes different forms in different societies. It assumes that all women are in the same position and ignores class, ethnic differences. Liberal feminists argue that womens position has improved greatly and that women are now more equal to men. These three strands represent the different views and ideas of different feminist theorists. Although they all have different opinions, having considered all the arguments it is clear that they all believe that feminist goals have not been achieved. Liberal feminists believe that they are well on their way to achieving equality, whereas both socialist and radical feminists disagree. Socialist feminists asserting the view that an overthrow of capitalism is needed, whereas radical feminists assert the view that in order to be free they need to live separate lives from men.

Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy Essay -- Biology Biological Essays

Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) was first described in 1900 by Dejerine and Thomas. OPCA is a group of dominant inheritance and sporadic neurological disorders characterized by a chronic, progressive, cerebellar ataxia that begins in middle age. The cerebellum and its connections are the primary sites of the disease in chronic progressive disorders that often occur in familial or hereditary patterns. Postmortem studies indicate an atrophy of the cerebellum, pons, and inferior olives. This neuropathological neuronal cell loss permits classification of OPCA as a non-Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative illness. Gross postmortem inspection of the brains of patients with OPCA shows marked shrinkage of the ventral half of the pons, and disappearance of the olivary eminence on the ventral surface of the medulla. These brains also exhibit an atrophy of the cerebellum with degeneration of the middle cerebellar peduncles, and to a lesser extent, of the inferior peduncles. Thus, the cerebellum suffers mainly through atrophy of its afferent fibers. The neocerebellum and the olive undergo the primary degeneration. The purkinje cells of the cerebellar cortex are affected secondarily. Histological examination shows severe degeneration of Purkinje cells, reduction in the number of cells in the molecular and granular layers of the cerebellar cortex, severe loss of the number of cells in the pontine nuclei and olives, and demyelination of the middle cerebellar peduncle. The cerebellar nuclei are well preserved. The tegmentum of the pons, the corticospinal tracts, and the restiform body are also usually unaffected. In clinical cases involving extrapyramidal symptoms, degenerative changes in the striatum, espec... ...s Elevated in Brain of Patients with Dominantly Inherited Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy. Neuroscience Letters (submitted publication). Kish, Stephen J. et al : Brain Amino Acid Abnormalities in Dominantly Inherited Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy. Revised manuscript in preparation for resubmission to J. Neurochemistry. Kish, Stephen J. et. al. Cognitive Deficits in Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy: Implications for the Cholinergic Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Dementia. Annals of Neurology: 24 (2), 200-206, 1988. Rowland, Lewis P. (ed.): Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, eighth edition. Lea and Febiger. Philadelphia, 1959, pp. 630--631. Snell, Richard S: Clinical Neuroanatomy for Medical Students. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1957, pp. 220--222. Walton, Sir John. Brain's Diseases of the Nervous System. Oxford University Press. New York, 1955, pp. 365. Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy Essay -- Biology Biological Essays Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) was first described in 1900 by Dejerine and Thomas. OPCA is a group of dominant inheritance and sporadic neurological disorders characterized by a chronic, progressive, cerebellar ataxia that begins in middle age. The cerebellum and its connections are the primary sites of the disease in chronic progressive disorders that often occur in familial or hereditary patterns. Postmortem studies indicate an atrophy of the cerebellum, pons, and inferior olives. This neuropathological neuronal cell loss permits classification of OPCA as a non-Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative illness. Gross postmortem inspection of the brains of patients with OPCA shows marked shrinkage of the ventral half of the pons, and disappearance of the olivary eminence on the ventral surface of the medulla. These brains also exhibit an atrophy of the cerebellum with degeneration of the middle cerebellar peduncles, and to a lesser extent, of the inferior peduncles. Thus, the cerebellum suffers mainly through atrophy of its afferent fibers. The neocerebellum and the olive undergo the primary degeneration. The purkinje cells of the cerebellar cortex are affected secondarily. Histological examination shows severe degeneration of Purkinje cells, reduction in the number of cells in the molecular and granular layers of the cerebellar cortex, severe loss of the number of cells in the pontine nuclei and olives, and demyelination of the middle cerebellar peduncle. The cerebellar nuclei are well preserved. The tegmentum of the pons, the corticospinal tracts, and the restiform body are also usually unaffected. In clinical cases involving extrapyramidal symptoms, degenerative changes in the striatum, espec... ...s Elevated in Brain of Patients with Dominantly Inherited Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy. Neuroscience Letters (submitted publication). Kish, Stephen J. et al : Brain Amino Acid Abnormalities in Dominantly Inherited Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy. Revised manuscript in preparation for resubmission to J. Neurochemistry. Kish, Stephen J. et. al. Cognitive Deficits in Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy: Implications for the Cholinergic Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Dementia. Annals of Neurology: 24 (2), 200-206, 1988. Rowland, Lewis P. (ed.): Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, eighth edition. Lea and Febiger. Philadelphia, 1959, pp. 630--631. Snell, Richard S: Clinical Neuroanatomy for Medical Students. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1957, pp. 220--222. Walton, Sir John. Brain's Diseases of the Nervous System. Oxford University Press. New York, 1955, pp. 365.

The Vinland Map :: History Papers

The Vinland Map is believed to predate Christopher Columbus’ expedition by almost 50 years as it has realistic cartography of the island of Vinland, thought to be a part of Canada or even Northeastern America. The map could potentially provide evidence that the Norse explorers were the first Europeans to visit America and map it. However, there is doubt surrounding the origins and age of the map. These issues have divided scientists into two groups devoted to proving the authenticity or lack thereof of the map. Recent research has used several chemical analyses which have examined specifically the paper and the ink present on the map. The most recent methods used to test the map have been carbon dating and Raman spectroscopy. It is thought that the map was written on paper which has origins in pre-Columbus days. However, several analyses of the ink have revealed the presence of anatase, a form of TiO 2, which was not developed until the first part of the 20 th Century. This c learly would contradict the evidence that the paper is authentic. However, these two claims do not necessarily contradict one another. A recent theory is that the parchment was recovered from an earlier work and then a forger used modern ink to draw a fake map. Carbon-14 dating has put the origins of the parchment to the mid 1400’s. It is very hard to come to a definitive conclusion from the available evidence as both sides offer strong arguments. In my own opinion, the map is more likely authentic than a forgery. However, the controversy surrounding the map has not yet been settled. The Vinland Map has been at the center of controversy ever since it appeared around 1957. It depicts several islands in the Atlantic Ocean, but more importantly, an island called Vinland. This island is believed to be part of Canada or even Northeastern America. If the map is truly genuine, then it pre-dates Columbus’ discovery of America by more than 50 years (Gorman, 2002). However, there has been constant doubt surrounding its origins and authenticity. These issues have divided scientists into two camps which seem to ride circles around one another. As soon as new evidence arises, someone disputes it with counterarguments that are just as strong. The controversy has focused most recently on two issues: the ink used to draw the map, and the parchment that it is drawn upon.

Ethical behavior is legally governed rather volunteered by organizations

Corporate Organizations, in today’s cut- throat competition and globalized economy are forced to focus to improve their bottom line. Corporate governance or ethical practices are limited to a level which is mandatory as per laws. Genuine commitment to ethics is like a needle in haystack. There are various elements to ethical behavior expected from the organizations Accounting transparency: Enron and Worldcom are glaring examples where ethics were compromised to maintain profitable image of the organization.Accounting firm Arthur Anderson’s creative accounting and ulterior motives of management crippled investor’s confidence to the nadir, resulting in bankruptcy/ closure of all three organizations. Leading by example: As per data, US CEOs were paid 42 times the average worker's pay in 1980, to 85 in 1990, and then skyrocketed to 531 times by 2000. Leadership teams of organizations are paid everything to show healthy growth in turnover and profits, for shareholder to be exited at stock markets.No CEO is paid to exemplify ethical leadership at Wall Street. Child labor: Many corporate, primarily in apparel segment, overlook the extreme levels of child exploitation in third world countries. In absence of strict law or policy, child labor is another big area which is not effectively monitored and contained. Summary: Though state (U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission) try to put accounting and auditing system, Corporate Ethics remain an Oxymoron.Ethics, like democracy, is a lot easier in theory than in practice. It would be imperative on regulatory bodies and responsible corporations to take lead in showing value in becoming ethical organization. Moreover, shareholders also should reward organization which exhibit transparency and good quality corporate governance. References: Munzig P G, â€Å"Enron and Economics of Corporate Governance† Stanford University, (June 2003), (http://www-econ. stanford.edu/academics/honors_theses/theses_200 3/Munzig. pdf) Holmstrom, Bengt and Steven N. Kaplan, â€Å"The State of US Corporate Governance: What’s right and What’s wrong? † National Bureau of Economic Research: Working paper 9613, (2003) Jense, Michael and Kevin Murphy, 1990, â€Å"Performance Pay and Top Management Incentives†, Journal of Political Economy, (1990) September/October 1996 edition of At Work [email  protected] com, byBerrett-Koehler Publishers. Jon Entine is a writer and Emmy

Edgar Allan Poe – Theme of Death

Picture this. The father of modern crime and detective stories, known as Edgar Allan Poe, is sitting down about to write a beautiful piece of writing and BAM! He whisks away into a story of love, death, and just plain out horror; either characters are losing someone near and dear to their hearts or they are plotting to kill. Edgar Allan Poe, at a very young age, lost both of his parents, and later on in life, lost his wife to tuberculosis, so in one way or another, these stories reflect off of his personal experiences. A major theme in Poe’s writings is death.The theme of death is seen throughout the works of Annabel Lee, the Cask of Amontillado, the Raven, and the Black Cat. In the poem Annabel Lee, death is the dominant theme. Poe has experienced the death of his one and only true love. â€Å"And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, in her sepulcher there by the sea,† shows how Poe is going through the loss of his love in a more strange way by â€Å"lying down† by the side of Annabel Lee’s lifeless corpse, inside her tomb. You also know that the theme is death because he mentions how angels and demons could never truly separate them.â€Å"But our love it was stronger by far†¦ and neither the angels in Heaven above nor the demons down under the sea can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee,† expresses the more grieving and less obsessive side of Poe. Although his darling has been taken from him and death physically separated them, they are still â€Å"together† for their love was more than love and their souls had become one. Death is an important theme in The Cask of Amontillado. The entire plot is fixated around the revenge Montressor must take against Fortuanto.â€Å"-He did not perceive that my smile was now at the thought of his immolation,† is pretty much self-explanatory; Montressor smiles at the thought of Fortunat o’s destruction†¦ His death. Once Fortuanto agreed to go down to Montressor’s catacombs, his fate drastically changed. â€Å"-He stepped unsteadily forward, while I followed immediately at his heels. † Right here, Fortuanto’s fate completely changed for shortly after this, Montessor had chained him to granite and began to â€Å"throw links about his waist;† this is where he was going to die. Once Fortuanto was officially dead, Montressor’s revenge had been fulfilled.â€Å"For half a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat! † Fortunato’s corpse is now amongst other dead family members belonging to Montressor, and although Montressor was the cause of Fortunato’s death, he still says â€Å"may he rest in peace. † Montressor didn’t really mean it because if he did feel any remorse towards Fortuanto, he wouldn’t have killed him in the first place. Death is definitely an important the me for this short story. The Raven analyzes the theme of death. In the poem, the narrator is seeking hope and wisdom after the death of Lenore.â€Å"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there†¦ But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, and the only word spoken was the whispered word, Lenore? This I whispered, and an echo murmured back Lenore? Merely this and nothing more,† describes how the narrator believed he heard the name of his love, but then his hope fades as nothing more is said. The narrator had to face that his love was no longer there with him because she was dead. â€Å"Nevermore† is the only response the raven gives to the helpless narrator, and it makes him increasingly agitated because he is starting to believe that his love is never coming back.Through this, the raven, a sign of despair, helps him realize that he will â€Å"nevermore† see Lenore. Death is explored in the Black Cat. Death was experienced when the n arrator’s intoxicated actions went too far. â€Å"I withdrew my arm from her grasp and buried the axe in her brain. † This shows just one consequence of the narrator’s horrifying mind set, and after he had killed his wife, he stated, â€Å"this hideous murder accomplished, I set myself forthwith, and with entire deliberation, to the task of concealing the body.†The narrator isn’t so worried that he just killed his wife in a drunken stage; he is more worried about where to hide the carcass of his once beloved wife. Although not feeling much remorse for his wife, the narrator feels guilt after he abused what used to be his most favorite pet. â€Å"-I experienced a sentiment half of horror, half of remorse, for the crime of which I had been guilty. † This expresses how the narrator, although a murdered, actually feels sorry; after he harmed the black cat, known as Pluto, he actually felt true remorse.The narrator may have felt sorry, but he did n’t give up his story until the cries of the cat did for him. â€Å"- Then I was answered by a voice from within the tomb! – by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream – a howl – a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The narrator’s crime was then exposed by the in-human screams. Once heard by the police, they tore down the wall that was covering the tomb of his once beloved wife.Not only did the narrator wall up his wife, but he also â€Å"walled the monster up within the tomb! † One could say the black cat got its revenge and the narrator would forever pay in guilt. Death has been seen throughout the stories of Annabel Lee, the Cask of Amontillado, the Raven, and the Black Cat. The theme of death is not limited to these stories; death is a major theme in all of Poe’s works. Poe's life-long struggle with depressi on and alcoholism worsened after the death of his own loved one, and could have possibly caused his own death. Poe will forever be remembered as the father of crime and detective stories.

Democratic Society Essay

The conducted study revealed that both external and internal factors are of great importance for facilitation democratic changes in developing countries. Some observers argue that democratic outcomes are strongly related to the extent to which power holders have been encouraged by pressure from various external and domestic sources – for example, internationally, from foreign governments granting financial aid and, at home, from civil and political society to allow citizens greater participation in the political arena. Others suggest that democratic progress is primarily associated with an array of domestic factors affecting political outcomes, including level of economic development, quality of political leadership and political culture. It seems that truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between. Without a doubt, globalization of democratization encourages developing countries to keep up to date and join the process of internationalization of economic growth and get profit from widening of free markets, reinforced by new means of international communication. But our study proves that to promote democratization the developing nation has to maintain multiple domestic conditions such as adherence to sustainable economic development and willingness to allocate public resources in equitable manner, strong middle class, powerful and soundly structured civil society, effectively functioning multi-party system, and liberal political culture. Thus, economic development proved to be the most important predictor of democratization. It seems that, once a country achieves a certain degree of economic development, additional economic growth is an important ingredient for the developing country’s continued progress toward further democratization. Our study demonstrated that continued democratization of developing countries depends heavily on their economic liberalization, supported by the increased purchasing power of the people. The empirical findings cited in our study clearly showed that the ‘unique’ Confucian or Islamic political culture/civilization does not prevent the internationalization of national economies from affecting the degree of democracy. It seems, therefore, that states may be able to delay, but not negate, the process of political liberalization induced by economic liberalization. As the economic opportunities increase for individuals and private businesses, their awareness of the potential for improving their civil liberties also increases. Subsequently, they will begin to demand more freedom. It seems, therefore, that the improvement of the standard of living and the popular involvement in the economic and political decision-making are critical for long-term democratization in developing countries. References Arblaster, A. (1999). Democratic Society and Its Enemies. In P. Burnell & P. Calvert, (Eds. ), The Resilience of Democracy: Persistent Practice, Durable Idea, special issue of Democratization, 6(1), 33-49.

How I See Myself as a Teacher Essay

Teachers possess enormous impacts on the lives of the students he/she taught. As a future teacher, being able to shape the lives of the future generation, I desired to be a teacher that provides my students with an enjoyable education experience. Being a serious person, i believe that the atmosphere in the classroom that I will be teaching would be quite serious, but I should be able to negotiate the level of seriousness in the class with some fun. Even though I am a bit uptight, I can see myself opening up to my students, being able to have a friendly conversation with my students. Based on my experience and observations during my high school days, most of my friends that were labelled as problematic by the teachers always complains that they did not see the importance of a certain rules implemented upon them. When a teacher asks them to do something, or prevent them to do things, they cannot see the reasons behind them. Therefore, when I become a teacher, I want to be able to rationalise things that I do, and everything that I thought them. I want to emphasise the importance of what they are going to learn so that they can value the knowledge. Although i am an English teacher, I want to be a teacher that my students can relate to in every aspects of their life. I want to be a teacher that has enough knowledge about everything, so that my students can look for me for an advice. I also wanted to be a teacher that manages to shape the mentality of my students into a better one, from trivial matters such as littering to religious aspects for Muslims. Finally, as a future teacher, it is my hope to achieve the feeling that I in some way, as an individual have made a difference in the lives of my students, the school community, and therefore in society as a whole. By educating the next generation in terms of morale and in their mentality, it is my hope that I am able to achieve enough to make a difference not only in the lives of the students in my classes at that particular time, but also to impact their lives far into the future, and as a result make the future of our country a better place.

Theories, Practices, and Ethics of Leadership Assignment - 1

Theories, Practices, and Ethics of Leadership - Assignment Example 2. Some of the behavioural patterns, characteristics and shadows which fuel evil include our own individual insecurities. These insecurities are normally caused by the ignorance of our cultures and the cultures of other people. These insecurities may also be due to lifestyles, whereby people engage in evil activities in order to live in a certain way. The human need for respect and recognition may also push some people to be insecure and thus engage in evil activities to satisfy these needs. Insecurities may also be caused by low esteem. Some people normally do evil things in order to feel satisfied and boost their self-esteem. The need for power and strength also fuels evil. This may come in the form of oppression and suppression on the basis of race, religion, financial power, political affiliation, gender and job opportunities. For example, one might result in the oppression of a minority race in order to strengthen himself politically or financially. Acts of deceit and defensiveness may also fuel evil. The evil that may stem from deceit or defensiveness includes refusal to listen to feedback or other people’s views, anger, pessimism and blaming others for things they are not responsible for (Baumeister, 2001). 3. a) Dreadful pleasure: this is when someone knowingly and enjoyably inflicts pain or suffering on another person in order to hide one’s fear. For example, one might have a fear of being vulnerable, so he does things to make other people live in fear. b) Deception: this is when one becomes absorbed with himself and makes himself look like he is without any faults. These self-righteous people are very conscious of their personal appearances and will attack anyone who discovers their dark side. For example, one might pretend to be God-fearing and holy, but deep inside he is not as righteous as he wants to look. He may pretend to do good things when in the company of other people but turn to evil deeds when no one is watching.  

Theory and practice of human rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Theory and practice of human rights - Essay Example I shall then conclude by proffering an argument on how these premises can be limited so as to offer a reasonable and justifiable balance between the two competing interest. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights states that Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. Persons are all equally entitled to human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. Accordingly, the normative totality of Human Rights revolves around: the Universality, indivisibility, interdependence, equality and obligations of parties and the State. UDHR though not a legally binding document, it values are immense. First, it set the pace for the States’ recognition and protection of Human Rights based on the Rule of Law. At the time of its promulgation, the UN General Assembly then proclaimed the Declaration to be; â€Å"a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of member states themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.† The 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights1, for example, noted that it is the duty of States to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems. It provides in its preamble that; â€Å"Emphasizing the responsibilities of all States, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, to develop and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental

Business Financial Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Financial Analysis - Research Paper Example There are currently 1,396 IHOP restaurants in competition with restaurants like Denny's offering children menus and discounts for senior citizens serving low to moderate prices. Dine Equity Mission and core value is to become the number one franchiser in the restaurant industry while providing and exceptional customer service by committing to reducing overheads and optimizing on Applebee's and IHOP business. According to their last annual report their 1st quarter stock showed the highest closing price for 2008 and the 4th quarter stock showed the lowest closing price of 2008 compared to 2007 fiscal year highest closing price shown in the 3rd quarter and lowest closing price for 2007 shown in the 1st quarter. Also according to their 2008 annual report there are 5,300 registered holders as of February 17, 2009. In analyzing this company's profitability we will look at the company's return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), Gross profit margin, price earning ratio (PE), divided yield and divided payout ratio. The gross profit margin has declined from a high of 0.403636 in 2006 to 0.26885 in 2008, this indicates that the profitability of the company is declining over the years, this shows that in the next period the gross profit margin may decline. From the above table it is evident that the return on assets has been declining over the years, the value is negative for the year 2007 and ... cost of sales 1179811 303891 208465 gross profit 433817 180668 141095 gross profit margin 0.268845731 0.37285 0.403636 The gross profit margin has declined from a high of 0.403636 in 2006 to 0.26885 in 2008, this indicates that the profitability of the company is declining over the years, this shows that in the next period the gross profit margin may decline. b. Return on assets: Return on assets indicates the amount of profit generated for each dollar of assets. It is calculated by dividing net income by total assets: Return on assets = net income / total assets The following table summarizes the results: return on assets 2008 2007 2006 total income -154459 -480 44553 assets 3361217 3831162 768870 return on assets -0.045953296 -0.00013 0.057946 From the above table it is evident that the return on assets has been declining over the years, the value is negative for the year 2007 and 2008 meaning that the firm's profitability has declined and therefore expected to decline in the future. c. Return on equity: The return on equity ratio indicates the rate of return on shareholders equity. It is calculated by dividing net income by the value of share holder's equity. Return on equity= net income / equity The table below summarizes the results: return on equity 2008 2007 2006 total income -154459 -480 44553 equity 42767 209373 289213 return on equity -3.611639816 -0.00229 0.154049 From the above table it is evident that the return on equity has been declining over the years, the value is negative for the year 2007 and 2008 meaning that the returns on shareholders equity has declined and is expected to decline in future. d. Price earning ratio: This is another ratio that indicates the profitability of a company, it is a ratio that indicates the price paid by

Do Social Networks Bring the End of Privacy Research Paper

Do Social Networks Bring the End of Privacy - Research Paper Example It is in this backdrop that we must study the issue of privacy in the United States today. As the most advanced nation in the world, the urban spaces in the United States are the nerve centers for global commerce and politics. A loss of privacy in the form of loss of confidential information can have far-reaching negative consequences for individuals/corporations/governments involved. In the last two decades, the issue of privacy has taken a new dimension, with the advent of electronic communication. The growth of the Internet has posed new challenges to administrators of privacy and so far these challenges are not properly met. There is plenty of commercial activity that takes place in the Internet, thereby raising the stakes of proper security measures. An FBI report indicates that phishing scams are occurring more frequently on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Orkut. Viruses, decoy messages and hacked personal accounts are employed to acquire private data of a user, which is later abused for various purposes. For example, â€Å"Messages, which generally masquerade as warnings related to service agreements or other notifications, contain malicious code that covertly installs software on victims PCs, letting thieves steal account names and passwords. The thieves then use the accounts to distribute messages to friends of the victim, requesting large sums of money and spreading the malicious code even further†. (Schiller, 2009) In the light of discovering such scams in the world of social networking, the FBI has notified Internet users to strengthen their privacy settings and also take precautionary measures such as â€Å"disabling options such as photo sharing when possible, and carefully scrutinizing links before deciding to click on them, regardless of their apparent source† (Schiller, 2009). Already, in