Week 1 Essay

Week 1 Essay Week 1 Essay POL 201 Quantitative Research Methods in Political Science  © Colin Whelan 2013 THE BASICS POL I 201: Research methods in political science am Colin Whelan cew6@sfu.ca Tentative ofï ¬ ce hours: Tuesdays 12:30-2:15 (after class) or by appointment Labs start week 2 FORMAT OF THE COURSE Labs Homeworks Quizzes Exams R R is the statistical software we will use in this course Instructions syllabus to download and install it are included in the It is a difï ¬ cult software to learn but I use it for two main reasons: It is free It forces you to understand what you are doing KELLSTEDT AND WHITTEN The main textbook for the course Readings Make There are not too long, generally easy to read sure to read thoroughly though! are readings for week 1 and 2 (sorry!) For week 1: Focus on 1.3; and 2.2-2.4 The rest is important; but is mainly good background info First quiz next week! SOME VOCAB Research Question: an empirical question about why or how some phenomenon varies Research questions should be general Research questions should be about all relevant cases Notice that we are studying variation. Variation can be over time or across different cases. Each case is a unit of analysis We measure the concepts as variables VARIABLES Variables require some variation in the concept of interest If our unit of analysis is people, than species is not a variable; if it were animals, species would be a variable Variables map a concept to a measurement, we call this operationalization For any research question we differentiate between: The Dependent Variable; and Other Independent Variables VARIABLES EXAMPLES We use the term variable to refer to both the concept in theory, and the measurement of the concept in our dataset. Here are some examples: Concept Measure Economic status GDP per capita Ideology left-right scale Rights and freedoms POLITY IV Policy preference A Likert scale TWO EXAMPLES DO VOTERS GET MORE CONSERVATIVE AS THEY AGE? Source: 2008 Canadian Election Study DO

Childbirth, Childhood and Adolescence in the Middle Ages

Childbirth, Childhood and Adolescence in the Middle Ages What do you really know about medieval children? Perhaps no other period of history has more misconceptions associated with it than the Middle Ages. The history of childhood is also full of misconceptions. Recent scholarship has illuminated the lives of medieval children as never before, dispelling many of these misconceptions and replacing them with verifiable facts about life for the medieval child. In this multi-part feature, we explore various facets of medieval childhood, from childbirth through the teen years. Well see that, though the world they lived in was very different, medieval children were in some ways very like the children of today. Introduction to Medieval Childhood In this article, we dissect the concept of childhood in the middle ages and how that influenced the importance of children in medieval society.   Medieval Childbirth and Baptism Discover what childbirth was like in the middle ages for women of all stations and classes and the importance of religious ceremonies like baptism in the Christian world. Surviving Infancy in the Middle Ages The death rate and average lifespan in the middle ages were drastically different from what we see today. Discover what like was like for an infant as well as the realities of child mortality rate and infanticide. The Playful Years of Childhood in the Middle Ages A common misconception about medieval children is that they were treated like adults and expected to behave like adults. Children were expected to do their share of household chores, but play was also a prominent part of medieval childhood.   The Learning Years of Medieval Childhood The teenage years were the time to concentrate more intensely on learning in preparation for adulthood. While not all adolescents had schooling options, in some ways education was the archetypal experience of adolescence. Work and Adolescence in the Middle Ages While medieval teens might have been preparing for adulthood, their lives may have been full of both work and play. Discover the typical life of a teen in the middle ages.

Prison in the US justice system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Prison in the US justice system - Research Paper Example The current conditions of prisons will be considered, as well as the presence and implementation of recidivism programs, rehabilitative programs, introductory back into society programs, and steps taken to ensure the safety of the public after a prisoner has been released. When most people think of prisons, cold, rundown jail cells for the purpose of punishing hardened criminals is what usually comes to mind. While punishment is one of the primary reasons that prisons exist, there are two other reasons that often go overlooked: to protect and to rehabilitate. Prisons are used to protect both society and the criminal. Society needs protection against harmful individuals and groups, and the criminal needs protection from those in society wishing to seek revenge for any wrongdoings (for example, the father of a murdered child might feel tempted to go after the murderer). Prisons also help to rehabilitate to prisoners so that they can learn to handle their anger in healthy and beneficial ways, and will also be less likely to commit crimes once they have been released. In recent years, many state and federal prisons have been under fire due to the physical conditions that prisoners are being forced to live. The majority of these issues have stemmed from the two greatest ordeals that prisons are facing, which are overcrowding and underfunding. As early as 1991, prisons throughout the United States have faced a significant increase of inmates, and thus an increase in prison overcrowding (Weschler, 1991). The number of prisoners being released back onto the streets is shrinking while the number of prisoners being brought into prisons is continuing to grow. The demand to maintain prisoners is too great and cannot be kept up with. To make the overcrowding even worse is the underfunding of our state and federal prisons. Due to nationwide budget cuts and our current economic recession, our prisons are among the institutions that are being given the cold shoulder

Economics Government Regulation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics Government Regulation - Research Paper Example Poor planning leads to loss of resources and in extreme levels to the collapse of the enterprise. Therefore, it is very crucial for organizations to make clear plans that would act as the blue print for the business (Baker & English, 2011; Singh, 2012). The price that a food processing company should charge for its commodities should range between the lowest price at which the company may not make profit at all, to the highest price that is likely to reduce demand of the products if charged. In such a case, a company should consider both the internal and the external factors in order to get the most appropriate price between these two extremes. Introduction of new products calls for adoption of a proper pricing strategy that would completely discourage competition from the new comers (other firms) and most importantly create the desired impact in the market (Kurtz, 2012). Penetration and skimming pricing strategies are some of the basic strategies that may be adopted to determine the right price of the commodity. Skimming pricing encompasses launching a product at a relatively high price and later on reducing it if necessary (Kurtz, 2012). This strategy spends a lot of money in product promotion, and is recommended mostly when the demand of the product is not predictable. The strategy is common especially if the company had spent large sums of money on research, when promotion is likely to expend a lot of money due to the competition, and when the commodity is very innovative in a way that the market is likely to mature gradually. Skimming strategy has numerous advantages such as ensuring that the elasticity of the products price is low as well as ensuring that minimal cross elasticity of demand exists in case there exist products that are close substitutes. This helps the product in making a vital inroad into the market

The East Asian Model of Development and Financial Crisis Essay Example for Free

The East Asian Model of Development and Financial Crisis Essay The East Asian miracle is often quoted as an example of how countries can register fast paced growth through focused and concentrated growth in industry and trade. However, in the last few decades, countries that have grown at varying paces and this rate of growth has varied in different environments. The East Asian tigers, ruled by authoritarian regimes, grew at an astounding pace in the decades of the sixties and the seventies. While authoritarianism worked well in this region, dictatorial regimes in Uganda, Bhutan and Myanmar failed. Przeworski and Limongi (1997) show how political freedom enables the optimal use of resources in any country. Interest groups exert pressure on governments and ensure widespread and sustainable growth. Free market based economies work on the principles of rule of law, property rights and enforcement of contracts. This way growth is robust and is not vulnerable to shocks that are inherent in a globalizing world. The East Asian countries, including Japan, went through a financial crisis as foreign investment flows got reversed, currencies were devalued and balance of payments suffered. This crisis was the result of a long history of economic inefficiencies helped by regimes that were often corrupt, interventionist and politically entrenched. It is against this backdrop that people all over the world started questioning the entire east Asian model, which till the early nineties was seen as an efficient system that had enabled a large number of poor countries develop their industry, trade and economy at a pace rarely seen before. Economic development and liberty There are those who argue that democracy is inefficient and is prone to market failures. Governments are seen as enforcement agencies that ensure redistribution of wealth. Lipset (1959) and Sen (1999) have argued against this proposition and shown that it is indeed democracy that fosters economic growth. Those who argue in favour of authoritarian rules have one extreme example of Singapore that they often quote. Lee Kuan Yew the first Prime Minister of Singapore who believed in authoritarianism authored the Lee paradigm, and under him Singapore became a prosperous nation. Researchers have examined the Lee paradigm to check whether authoritarian regimes have fostered greater growth and development when compared to democratic structures. According to Haizheng and Zhenhui (2007) who have worked on this model to check whether authoritarian regimes have fostered greater growth and development than have democratic structures, there are indeed a few examples of countries like Singapore and South Korea that have shown impressive growth under authoritarian regimes. However the correlation between authoritarianism and economic growth is not robust. There are counter examples like Botswana and India where economic growth has been spectacular within democratic frameworks. Sen (1982) goes further to argue that there are enough examples of countries where authoritarianism or the lack of a democratic structure has actually resulted in economic decline. In countries like Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan and even in China, famine and hunger took hundreds of lives and an authoritarian regime could do little to avert the crises. He states further that democratic institutions such as a free press, a vigilant opposition and regular elections ensure that the democratic process keeps the political economy alert. Lobbies do exist, interest groups try to steer the political economy in certain ways, but the interplay of all stakeholders ensures that democracies throw up issues that are of common concern. Howlett and Ramesh (2003) point out that it is often seen that individuals, groups, classes, and states participate the democratic policy process. Their own interests often guide them. However when these come together, it is the institutional mechanism of a democratic framework that ensures a stable outcome. Government and the Economy Governments and political policies are important influences on businesses worldwide, impacting on the competitive context in which business strategies are implemented. Over the last couple of decades, economic reforms leading to privatization and liberalization have further increased this influence. Donaldson Preston (1995) have pointed out how as the impact of business on societies grows, companies experience varying and increasing demands from diverse stakeholders. Politics is the stage on which these diverse stakeholder demands are ultimately met with. Success requires active participation from both businesses and governments. Further as Tushman Anderson (1997) show, modernization and strategic dependence on new technologies has become central to markets in many economies. These new technologies create regulatory challenges that again require political responses that can affect the viability and profitability of the business. Governments thus influence the ability of businesses to improve profits and therefore the ability to exert political influence in technologically dynamic sectors becomes an important capability. Again, globalization has greatly improved the chances of conducting business internationally, allowing companies to widen their portfolios and enter into global markets. The significance of governmental policy therefore again assumes great significance in matters of export import regulations, duties etc. (Ohmae, 1999). Democracy and Government What is the better option A strong centralized power controlling all resources versus private players given the freedom to decide what and where to invest? There are a number of people who keep insisting that a dictatorship is what the country requires. Arguing against them is the lot that states categorically that a democratic system that guarantees liberty is what is essential for growth. Economic growth implies the efficient use of available and scarce resources. The argument between those who support a centralized planned and tightly controlled allocation of resources versus those who believe in the market to efficiently allocate resources goes on. Apart from the political concerns, economists have been looking at this issue for a while now. Ronald Coase (1960), a Nobel prize winner in Economics had argued in his famous transaction cost analysis, that there is a cost that society bears when the government allocates resources and this leads to inefficiency. Governments have no way of knowing who will use resources most efficiently and in most cases allocate resources to inefficient players. Other economist have points to the tragedy of the commons, where the absence of clearly defined property rights leads to free rider problems and over exploitation of resources. The question therefore is whether markets should be left free to correct themselves or to have a stringent regulatory mechanism in place that ensures consumer welfare through controlling dominance and capture. In the current scenario then, what exactly is the nature of relationship between governments and businesses? Though the balance has tilted towards the private sector and private enterprise by and large, the state still holds considerable powers over business activities. Doris Fuchs (2005) talks about the different aspects of power that businesses hold in the global economy. Fuchs explains that those who argue stating that there is no business influence on politics should note that the opposite is the case, in countries like those in East Asia. Development of any economy depends on the growth in income, employment and opportunity. These are a direct outcome of investments made, technologies used and markets created. In all these, it is important to look at the roles that the state and the private players play. Governments foster an investment climate that encourages capital flows, incentivise production, builds capacities and enables markets to develop. Cooperation between private business and the government paves way for the efficient markets to develop where demand is created and supply increased to maintain equilibrium. Several examples of such collaborative ventures can be seen especially in large infrastructure developments see across the world. The first example of such a collaboration was seen at the twentieth century when in the US an entire railroad industry developed. Private public partnerships have also been widely used to tackle rising pollution levels and the need for tighter environment protection. The first wave of environment protection saw governments work with a slew of stringent laws and regulations. Then came the non governmental organisations that lobbied against polluters. NGOs, government and civil society work as levers for promoting a greening of industry. Lehmann (2006) uses the Danish example of the Green Network, to demonstrate how new forms of co-operation between public authorities and private companies are arrived at. The conclusion is that through dialogue, reflexivity and the establishment of an enabling environment, public–private partnerships can become useful vehicles in societies move towards the use of environmentally sustainable technologies. Conclusion Democracy, as a form of governance that guarantees political freedom, has long been viewed with suspicion in certain quarters. Various economists have explained how a strong property rights regime within free markets is the best way of guaranteeing efficient resource sharing. Any political regime that interferes with the market then abides by its own rules that could very well be steered in inefficient ways through coercive power that some constituents possess. However, the free market argument has its critics, who ague that some people tend to capture all resources and this results in exploitation of a large group of underprivileged people. Governments, in such cases, are unable to implement rules and the market fails. Gunnar Myrdal had coined a term called â€Å"soft states† in his book â€Å"The Asian Drama†, where the argument was that some states because of their governance structures, history and culture are unable to implement tough action and therefore cannot regulate markets effectively. This has been shown to be big reason for authoritarian states to move fast by way of economic growth, as they were able to take stern steps that are required to ensure growth and development. However the correlation between authoritarianism and economic growth is not robust. Democratic institutions such as a free press, a vigilant opposition and regular elections ensure that the democratic process keeps the political economy alert. In terms of issues that relate to public resources, especially the environment, the tragedy of the commons is a prevalent phenomenon and as Hardin (1968) explains, it is the lack of private incentives and state inefficiencies that play havoc with public goods. The environmental decay and abuse that is seen in authoritarian regimes that have no space for protest and counter opinion ensures that there is no political interest in protecting the environment. In democracies however, lobbies do exist, interest groups try to steer the political economy in certain ways, but the interplay of all stakeholders ensures that democracies throw up issues that are of common concern. It is often seen that individuals, groups, classes, and states participate in the democratic policy process. Their own interests often guide them. However when these come together, in a rule of law mechanism that guarantees equality in the eyes of the law, it is the institutional mechanism of a democratic framework that ensures a stable outcome. The East Asian economies developed without such a framework and therefore, as the economy grew, it also became fragile. The effect of a shock like that seen during the financial crisis therefore affected all segments of the society and the economy. That is why, it is important that economies today are built on robust fundamentals of an enabling market mechanism and not on tight governmental control and intervention.

Could biotechnology solve food shortage problem? Essay -- Hunger, FAO,

Food shortage is a global problem and tragedy of the world. There are almost 1 billion people who suffer from incessant hunger. Every 6 seconds a child dies from hunger (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2010). It is unacceptable that number of hungry people is so high. Hunger is continuous, serious and structural problem, which could not be solved in one day. Different world organizations, scientists, economists, politics care about undernourished people and try to find ways for reducing their number. Fortunately, according to FAO in 2010 noted the reduction of hunger of 9.6 percent from 2009 level. Most of all it decreased in Asia, there are 80 million less hunger people. Africa is the only area where poverty and hunger are going on to increase. The number of Africans living on less than one dollar per day has increased 50 percent for the last fifteen years (Paarlberg, 2008). 239 million people of sub- Saharan Africa suffer from malnutrition (FAO, 2010). It is 25.8% of all hungry people in the world. Why are so many Africans still hungry? What are the reasons of their poverty? In general, main reasons are political instability, poorly developed economy, nonproductive farming, etc, but each country has special details. This project will investigate whether subsistence farmers of sub-Saharan Africa can use biotechnology’s advantages. Economy based on subsistence agriculture. For solving malnutrition problem, we need to solve poverty problem, because if people will have jobs, safety place to live, and education they get enough money for food. Now Africa is poor, economy of sub-Saharan Africa’s countries based on agriculture, applying for almost 45% of GDP, and 85% of total employment and most of pe... ...ieve new level of economy when sub-Saharan Africans will work and have enough food for stable and safe lives. Of course, advantages of biotechnology is very useful for enhancing product’s quality, nutrition , for protecting parts of plant like root from different diseases, but for solving food shortage in Sub-Saharan Africa it is essential to solve economical problems. In example of some countries it is clear to notice that food shortage is consequence of poverty. To sum up, sub-Saharan Africa need help from abroad – infestations. Africa has good potential; there are a lot of minerals, precious metals. Also there are good conditions for tourism industry. For example, Ethiopia could develop tourism industry. Wild nature, rich history, ancient towns attract people around the world. Thinking about future it is important to invest to qualified education.

Helter Skelter Book Report

The year was 1969, and in early August seven people were brutally murdered; words like â€Å"Pig,† â€Å"Healter Skelter† and â€Å"Rise† were found printed in blood at the crime scenes. Eventually it is discovered that the perpetrators of these horrific crimes are cult members living on the outskirts of society, led by a man named Charles Manson. But who is Charles Manson? Charles Manson is a monster, certainly, but as a monster he offers us a unique look into the human mind. This semester we have learned about the many different types of people who may engage in individual forms of interpersonal violence. Charles Manson however, provides us the case study of a man whose life revolved around interpersonal violence in all its manifestations. There was nothing this man wouldn’t do to reach his goals – he would rape, murder, manipulate, and lie – all in the name of his personal ambitions. In Vincent Bugliosi’s book, Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, the reader is provided a thorough explanation of how Manson developed his criminal lifestyle though the focus is on the famous murders he helped to commit as the leader of The Family and the process used to convict him. After a brief comment about the book as a whole and its writing style and content, Manson’s connections to the subject of interpersonal violence will be examined. These connections include the subjects of child neglect, rape, domestic violence, and spiritual abuse. This book offers a huge amount of detail regarding how the Manson Family murders were committed, how the investigation proceeded and how the trial against Manson was won. To bring this history to life, Bugliosi organized his book into chapters ranging from one month to five month increments which serve to place the reader back in the summer of ’69 right after the Tate murders were committed, and take him or her all the way to the conclusion of the trial and its aftermath. While this level of detail and careful organization is very good at informing the reader of the details of Manson’s crimes and how he got convicted, I believe that most important is the analysis of Manson’s life in regards to interpersonal violence. Therefore, I will focus only on the summary of Manson’s life provided in the book, as well as his methods for building and controlling his Family. Since this book was written by a lawyer (Mr. Bugliosi was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson case), one might think that Helter Skelter might be rather boring i. e. totally fact driven and concerned with the technical aspects of the Manson trial as Mr. Bugliosi experienced them. This book is certainly very concerned with the facts, and Bugliosi even provides the time that many events took place. The police investigation is especially explicit in this regard. For example, â€Å"about 1:30 that afternoon Lieutenant Burdick interviewed a girl who had been booked under the name Leslie Sankston,† (p. 121). This aspect of the book can be hard to get through at times, as there is a large cast of characters including suspects, law enforcement officials, witnesses and other ancillary characters whose actions and influences on the case are laid out in careful detail. It can be difficult to keep track of who provided what evidence or which Manson family member was or wasn’t involved in the group’s actions (to make matters worse many of the Family have multiple aliases and nicknames). However, despite some factual overload, Bugliosi does add some comments which add flavor and help the reader to understand what the murders meant for people living around Los Angeles at the time. For example, Bugliosi talks quite about how the general public and the media react to the murders, including details such as, â€Å"one Beverly Hills sporting goods store sold 200 firearms; prior to the murders, they averaged three or four a day,† (p. 73). This color commentary lifts the reader’s head out of the world of the murder investigation to remind them that outside of all this tragedy people were living their ordinary lives, and were obviously scared and nervous about the violence they saw happening in their city. Another interesting aspect of the story is the fact that while this book is in a way a history book looking at the past, Bugliosi actually experienced this history and provides his own emotional reactions to what happened. For example, when Bugliosi read Manson’s file to understand who he was about to prosecute he commented, â€Å"I was surprised, in studying Manson’s record, to find no sustained history of violence,† (p. 203). While the reader might disagree with Bugliosi (it seems that instances of armed robbery, homosexual rape and wife beating could be considered a â€Å"sustained history†), these personal reactions to what is going on show the reader that Bugliosi is not merely an author or a historian, but a character in this story who experienced all the madness revolving around Charles Manson first hand. Therefore, while Helter Skelter might be considered very fact-driven it certainly has a heart, and Mr. Bugliosi does an excellent job describing not only exactly how the investigation went, but also how it felt for some of the people involved. Anyone interested in interpersonal violence, the 60s or Charles Manson will certainly have learnt a great deal after finishing this book. As I’ve said previously, the life of Charles Manson revolved around interpersonal violence. From an early age Manson was the victim of child neglect – his mother (Kathleen Maddox) would leave him with neighbors, â€Å"for an hour, then disappear for days or weeks,† (p. 91). While there is no evidence provided that Manson was actually abused during these days away from his mother, the lack of any strong parental figures to care for him must have been traumatizing for Manson. Kathleen was sixteen when Charles was born, and was known to drink and party, often bringing home men with the same proclivities. She was also a very poor model for her son when it came to following the law. Along with her brother Luther, Kathleen was sentenced to five years in prison for armed robbery when Charles was between four and five years old. Manson never met his father who is said to have died in 1954. Considering his upbringing, it is not surprising that the boy had trouble adjusting properly, and that his struggle to be noticed and gain attention would be at the core of his being. When Manson was twelve his mother sent him away to the Gibault School for Boys, described as a â€Å"caretaking institution,† (p. 191) because she could no longer to care for him. From this point on Charles Manson would be in and out of institutions (including prison). When the investigations for the Tate-LaBianca murders were taking place Manson was thirty-two years old and had spent over seventeen of those years in some form of institution. During the time Manson was incarcerated personality examinations were conducted and various descriptions warn of the possibility of violence. Manson was described as being, â€Å"aggressively antisocial,† (p. 193) having, â€Å"a tendency toward moodiness,† (p. 192) and as, â€Å"hiding his loneliness, resentment, and hostility behind a facade of superficial ingratiation,† (p. 00). These examinations and their conclusions will be very important when considering what could have been done to stop Manson and what we as a society can do to ensure no one like him is ever allowed to terrorize others again. The acts of interpersonal violence Manson committed during his time in and out of institutions are numerous. When Manson was seventeen he attended Natural Bridge Camp and a month before his release hearing he, â€Å"took a razor blade and held it against another boy’s throat while he sodomized him,† (p. 194). However, this did not stop Manson from being released and he promptly married a waitress and got her pregnant (he was 19). A year later however, he was in trouble with the law for stealing cars (and driving them across state lines – a federal offense) and admitted to the judge-requested psychiatrist that he beat his wife, â€Å"at times,† (p. 196). After three years in jail, Manson was released with five years parole (the year was 1958). In 1959, Manson’s parole officer was informed by a parent that Manson had conned his daughter (Jo Anne) and one of her friends (Beth), telling them he was in the night club, radio and television business. Manson convinced Jo Anne to invest her savings in his bogus company, got her pregnant (there was no mention if the sex was consensual), and drugged and raped Beth as well (p. 199). For violating his probation as well as these new sexual crimes he was accused of committing Manson was sentenced to 10 years in prison (although he was paroled on March 21, 1967). It was after this stint in prison that Manson began to bring his â€Å"Family† together and it was with them that he truly began to explore his appetite for violence through the use of spiritual abuse. The Manson Family at first glance may not seem different from many of the communes that had come together in the 60s, representing a desire for sexual liberation and a more natural way of living. However, the Family was not simply a commune, but a cult whose idea of a more natural way of life included violence, submission and eventually control over the world as the, â€Å"pure, white master race,† (p. 330). To members of the family Charles Manson was Jesus Christ or God, and these were the aliases that Charlie Manson provided the police when he was charged for the car theft ring (p. 80). Manson always had a desire for attention and to feel noticed and important, and it was through his creation of his own religion that he could finally get what he always wanted. Unfortunately for his acolytes, Manson’s appetite for violence and abuse only escalated once he had a multitude of willing victims under his control. It may seem odd that people would want to join such an abusive group, but Manson had various means to attract people to his Family. To convince men to join him Manson would use the sexual favors of the girls already under his control. For example, when trying to attract a biker from the Straight Satans gang to join him, Manson is quoted as saying, â€Å"Move up here, you can have all the girls you want, all the girls,† (p. 131). To get girls to join Manson would ask for the help of some of the more attractive men in the Family to, â€Å"go down to the Sunset Strip, where the teenyboppers hung out,† or â€Å"drive the highways watching for girls who were hitchhiking,† (p. 317) in the hope that they would be able to lure some of the girls back to the ranch the Family was living on. Once these new recruits were introduced to the Family, Manson had a variety of techniques he would use to control them. Manson was said to have possessed an ability to capitalize on, â€Å"a person’s hang-ups and/or desires,† (p. 316). He told plain girls they were beautiful, told girls with daddy issues to imagine that he was their father, and girls looking for a leader that he was Jesus Christ. To ensure that the girls were completely submissive Manson would convince them that, â€Å"women are only as good as their men,† and that they were â€Å"a reflection of their men,† (p. 02). This is obviously ideal for a cult leader because Manson portrayed himself as the father of the Family and their savior. Since â€Å"their man† was so good, these girls felt that they were good, and that Manson would lead them to salvation and love. This mixture of brainwashing and domination produced in the girls, â€Å"a little girl quality† as if they had been, â€Å"retarded at a certain stage in their childhood,† (p. 184-185). Even when considering murder and death the girls would maintain a positive, contented mood, as if nothing could faze them. Manson did not just use words to bring about total obedience however. One thirteen-year-old girl was not considered â€Å"submissive enough† for Manson so he, â€Å"punched her in the mouth; kicked her across a room; hit her over the head with a chair leg,† (p. 277). This was not entirely typical of Manson though as his favorite weapons of control consisted of using or withholding sex (especially with the male Family members), as well as drug-aided manipulation. LSD is a hallucinogenic drug which can make the one taking it more susceptible to outside influence. Manson used this property to, â€Å"instill his philosophies, exploit weaknesses and fears, and extract promises and agreements from his followers,† (p. 318) while they were â€Å"tripping† on LSD (which he provided of course). Manson’s â€Å"religion† that he would con his followers into believing was based on a mixture of Scientology, passages from the Bible, Buddhism and records by the Beatles. While it is difficult to decipher exactly how this philosophy all fit together, one important element that aided in the control of the Family was fear. According to Manson, â€Å"fear was the same thing as awareness,† (p. 319) and the goal (as in many religions or philosophies) is to gain more awareness, or to come into the â€Å"Now,† which is a term taken from Scientologists and basically means to truly live â€Å"in the moment. † Manson told Family members that they should always be afraid, and he would search out his followers’ greatest fears so that he could use these fears, â€Å"like a magic button†¦he could push at will to control that person,† (p. 319). This aspect of the Manson cult is so important to understand because it explains why Manson had such a strong following. Even though many of his Family members were afraid of him, Manson told them that they wanted to be afraid so they took it as a good thing. Another important aspect of Manson’s beliefs that is very important for understanding the murders he would later commit was his interpretation of a chapter in the Bible from Revelations. Revelations tells of the four horsemen of the apocalypse who were foretold to arrive on earth to bring about a war where a third of mankind would perish. Manson believed that these four horsemen were the Beatles rock group, and therefore the apocalypse was happening soon if not immediately. Manson believed there was going to be a race war (blacks vs. whites) in which the whites would be wiped out (the third of mankind that will perish) and the only way to escape it was to hide out in the desert where he could later return with his Family where they would rule over the remaining blacks as the master race. The murders that Manson and his followers committed were meant to spark this race war, and move Manson’s plan into action. Although this sounds quite unbelievable, the combination of LCD, naivete (some of the Family members were fed these theories since they were thirteen), and the time period allowed Manson to assemble quite a sizable group. While it is estimated that there may have been over a hundred Family members at various times, the inner circle remained at around 20-30 people (p. 186). The Family was Manson’s â€Å"greatest† creation. While previously Manson could only abuse one or two people at a time, he found a way to simultaneously abuse dozens of people – all without the knowledge of society as a whole. A lot of research has been done in the field of interpersonal violence since the time of the Manson murders. There are more accepted theories explaining why people commit acts of interpersonal violence and there are more tested methods of how to recognize people or situations that may become abusive. It is clear just how far things have progressed when the ease of which Charles Manson is labeled as the monster he is and the multiple warning signs that appear when looking at his life and personality. Many of Manson’s personality traits match with those suggested by Rosenbaum, Pagelow and/or Anderson, including â€Å"violence in family of origin,† (although there is no explicit information about physical abuse, Manson was neglected and rejected by his mother) â€Å"low self esteem,† (Manson had a drive to be recognized by others) â€Å"traditionalist, authoritarian personalities, need for power or control† (the way Manson ran his Family is clear evidence of this) as well as â€Å"moody,† (mentioned in institutional personality checks of Manson) and â€Å"psychopathology,† (Wallace, Roberson, p. 22 Table 9. 1). Although there is no single accepted checklist for traits of an abuser, Manson would be identified as an abuser using three different (though overlapping) scales. If these types of measurements had been available in Manson’s early years, he may have been discovered and possibly could have been treated when he was 19 (when he abused his first wife) instead of being released from prison after a few short years with no rehabilitation and allowed to continue his patterns of abuse. The tactics Manson used to control the Family are also very well documented in today’s research of intimate partner abuse. For example, three main elements in any abuse situation are fear, isolation and lack of resources (Wallace, Roberson, p. 225). Manson’s â€Å"religion† was based on making his followers as afraid as possible, and having an intimate knowledge of each member’s fears so that they could be used against them when needed. While many of the Family members appeared to radiate inner contentment, there were several former members of the Family that testified in the Manson case that would talk about how afraid they were of what Manson would do to them if they disobeyed his commands. Isolation was obviously an important part of Manson’s philosophy as he was very against the â€Å"establishment† and saw the apocalypse fast approaching therefore he took his family to the desert and for most of the time the Family was together they lived on Spahn’s ranch, which was an old western movie set that had allen into disrepair. Once in this isolated location Manson had free reign to manipulate and abuse his followers with no one to stop him. Lack of resources could be said to apply to all the members of the Family as they were living the hippie lifestyle with no real employment prospects. However, this is important when considering that very few of the Family members left Manson, especially his â€Å"inner circle. † Although Manson might have been abusive and demanding in many ways, he appeared to have a plan and an answer for life’s tough questions. With no better prospects and no real way to successfully fend for themselves, it is no surprise that many of the women especially did not leave (they were taught they were only good as their man after all – what would they do with no man? ). With more knowledge about what can cause abusive situations as well as increased awareness among the general population I am hopeful that a situation like the one that developed in the California desert will not happen again, and if it does hopefully it will be quickly identified and shut down. Sexual assault is a common factor in many of the different topics in interpersonal violence including rape, intimate partner abuse and child abuse. There is evidence that Manson participated in all of these facets of sexual assault. Although I’ve already mentioned how he has raped (Beth in 1959) and used sex as a means of control (with the female Family members), he also engaged in child sexual abuse. One thirteen year old girl was sodomized by Manson as other Family members looked on as part of her initiation (p. 18). Manson’s motives for sexual assault are easy to match up with the category of â€Å"power rape† given in Wallace and Roberson’s text book on family violence. Power rapes (specifically power-assertive rapists) consider rape as, â€Å"an expression of his virility, mastery and dominance,† (p. 342). Clearly Manson desired attention, obedience and wanted control over his victims, that being the same way he ran his Family. By controlling what others did sexually Manson was able to feel in control of them. Clearly Manson was not interested in his followers as people, but merely puppets from which he could get what he wanted. When considering the scope of the spiritual abuse that Manson perpetrated on his followers, it is important to consider his authoritarian personality and his need for attention and control. Manson’s philosophy was all there was for the Family – there was no adding elements to it or putting a personal spin on the information. As one Family member put it, â€Å"everything was done at Charlie’s direction,† (p. 317). Therefore, when examining some of the questions Wallace and Roberson’s book offer as means of determining if a religious group is abusive, the answers to them are uniformly â€Å"no. † For example, â€Å"Does the group allow for development in theological beliefs? † â€Å"Does the group foster relationships and connections with the larger society that are more than self-serving? or the question most indicative of the abusive situation happening at Spahn ranch, â€Å"Does the group encourage independent thinking and the development of discernment skills? (Wallace and Roberson, p. 327). While Manson did not demand any of his followers kill themselves as is the pattern in many cults, his motives were just as sinister. Manson’s goal was to survive the apocalypse to be the leader of the master white race. With the help of his Family Manson wanted to go from the leader of 30-40 hippies to the leader of the whole world. Luckily his means of obtaining this goal were not as grand as the goal itself and eventually landed him in jail, far away from impressionable minds to warp and twist. Charles Manson is an interesting man in that he offers us the opportunity to see how a human being can transform himself into an animalistic monster if society turns a blind eye. Even though Manson proved from an early age that he was violent and had no respect for authority or law, he was repeatedly let out to wreak havoc on society. Charles Manson’s masterpiece was a sadistic, brainwashing cult which twisted the minds of dozens of young people, made them experiences the horror of abuse, physical, emotional and sexual, and finally ended in the deaths of at least nine people. What Manson really gives us is a reason to continue the fight against interpersonal violence. As a society we must never again allow such a person to freely exist among us. People with these types of violent tendencies must be identified, understand and if at all possible, rehabilitated. If rehabilitation is not possible then the proper steps must be taken to ensure that such an abusive person is never allowed access to another victim. While people often think that interpersonal violence isn’t their problem because they haven’t personally experienced it, Charles Manson shows just how ignorant this opinion is. While Manson may have been â€Å"someone else’s problem† before he started the family, it was still one man that shocked and frightened an entire state, and made the entire country take notice. With our increased understanding we now that the ability to fight to insure that nothing like the Manson Family will be allowed to exist unchecked again.

Define an SLA and state why it is required in a risk adverse organization Essay

1. This is a closed-book, closed-notes quiz. No reference material (including assignments and labs) will be permitted for use during the quiz session. 2. The quiz contains the following types of questions: * Short essay type 3. Place your answers in the space immediately following each question. Quiz Questions 1. Define an SLA and state why it is required in a risk adverse organization. A SLA is a service level agreement, which is a contract between the ISP and the company. A SLA gives the company an idea of how much time they will be without services, should something happen with the ISP. A SLA is important to a company in making recovery plans, knowing what critical systems need to be available for a continuance of business and formulation of disaster recovery. 2. Using the user domain, define risks associated with users and explain what can be done to mitigate them. The user domain has several risk’s involved, as people are involved and there is no way employees can be monitored without the use of CCTV. Social engineering a person trying to obtain information through malicious means. The greatest tool in mitigating risk in the user domain is training and reminders for users to be aware of their surroundings. No acceptable user’s policy, AUP, or lack of training employees on the correct usage of the network. User accounts left active, if the employee is terminated, and another employee has the log on credentials. Mitigation would to be disabling all user accounts upon termination. . 3. Using the workstation domain, define risks associated within that domain and explain what can be done to reduce risks in that domain. The use of USB’s or disk, the files could contain viruses and infect other files or applications on the network. No acceptable user’s policy, AUP, or lack of training employees on the correct usage of the network. The users staying signed into their accounts when leaving their desk. Session timeout would help with this risk, but training and follow up with need to be done as well. 4. List four compliance laws or regulations or mandates, and explain them. HIPAA- covers all healthcare industries and states all patient information must be encrypted in storage, transmissions, and restrictions on access to the information. SOX- cover all publically traded companies and require auditing of the accounting procedures of the business. The reports required by SOX are reported to the SEC. Access to the financial information is restricted and based on need to know. FISMA- covers government agencies and is to ensure all assets of the government are protected. Assets like information, operations and actual machinery are protected from hackers or internal threats. Guidelines to develop a security guideline for government agencies, requires regular audits. CIPA-Child Internet Protection Act- covers federally funded entities’ than provide internet services to individuals, schools and libraries. The Act requires content filters to be used to prevent children from being exposed to harmful content, pornography and illicit sites on the internet. 5. Define risk with a formula. Explain what each variable means. Risk= Threat x Vulnerability- Threat is any compromise in the network that can be used for malicious behavior, an example worm, or Trojan horse. Vulnerability- is a weakness in the software or OS of a network that can be exploited for malicious intent. The two multiplied equals a risk to the information, assets or intellectual property of a business.

Feasibility Study Essays

Feasibility Study Essays Feasibility Study Essay Feasibility Study Essay Is a preliminary evaluation of any Idea to determine If Its worth pursuing, giving you a high level overview to see If the Idea Is doable.  There are several components of a full feasibility analysis that have to be considered to have a better success in implementing your idea but the following four are the most critical: * Product/service feasibility * Industry/Market feasibility * Organizational feaslblllty * Financial feasibility Description of the business The business that I would like to implement is a home security system that is capable f facial and voice recognition with full view capability that would alert the appropriate authorities In case of any emergency. The system will also have the capablllty to continue to operate even If the source of power Is terminated or wires unplugged. In recent years with the downturn of our economy we have seen an increase of home invasions during all hours of the day, especially in the morning when they believe no one is at home. The standard security systems that are currently being offered are not enough to provide the security required to cover all bases and the more security that is needed, the higher the prices of the equipment nd additional charges for the extra support. The name of my business will be Safely Home, which the name alone will Indicate that you can safely stay at home, and the service being provided is backed by ADT, which is one of the best monitoring companies around. They have been providing monitoring services since the 1890s. Description of the Entrepreneur Marcos Miranda will be the owner of the company. He currently works for a Paper Company doing business analysis for the Procurement organization where he spends almost ten hours during the day at work and two hours commuting back and forth. : He also has technical background and has installed several wireless cameras all throughout his house and outside his perimeter. The idea of starting a home security system that offers a better solution at a competitive price came while shopping around for a home security system that would provide full security while constant monitoring the house and its perimeter while he was at work. He shopped around for one business solution that offered everything In one package but he was not able to do it, he then decided to study the monitoring industry and come out with his own solution. Through trials and errors he successfully implemented security and monitoring devices at his home while shopping around for the best components at a reasonable price. He was also able to contact ADT and negotiated a contract where they would provide the monitoring service at half price since all of the equipment and Installation was done by him, A few of his friends saw what he had managed to He contacted ADT and was able to have them agreed that anyone that installed his system will be able to get a contract for half off of their entirety. With that proposal he saw an opportunity to start his own business backed by a corporate giant like ADT. The Product/Service Unique features: Benefits Safely Home will provide the best protection around by giving the home owners a full range of capabilities that are not standard with other monitoring systems, providing a piece of mind for the whole family. Our system will have the capability to offer full wireless capability, complete sensing and motion detection and full 360 view capabilities in color with facial and voice recognition, and the potential of up to eight hours of recording capability. You can be sure that every aspect of your home will be monitored and safely guarded against any harm or emergencies situation where it an go undetected, like fires or carbon monoxide. Full wireless capability With most standard security systems a telephone line is required for the system to be able to place calls when are needed. If a telephone line is not in place, the home owner is giving the option to acquire a line from their local telephone service provider or upgrade to the most expensive wireless solution that they offer. In our systems the wireless capability comes built-in, giving the home owners a true full sense of security since there is no need of wires that can be easily cut off. The ireless capability also allows other smart devices to be controlled by the security system, smart devices like outside lighting system, irrigation or inside temperature control right from their cell phone. The home owner will also have the capability to remotely arm or disarm their system from basically anywhere in the world through an app or via the internet. The system can also monitor fires and carbon monoxide by using existing fire alarms and carbon monoxide units utilizing the frequency that is emitted by these devices and alerting the proper emergency response team. The ireless unit has also a built-in power supply that can maintain up to eight hours of running time in case of power outages which will continue to protect without having to reset the unit. Complete sensing and motion detection Standard units come with two motion sensor units that are normally located in opposite sides of the house to provide a wider coverage but are limited to structural issues, and the bigger the house the more motion sensors are required. There are also four contact units that goes on doors and windows, which only covers half or maybe a third of the house and if more contacts are needed they will have to be urchased separately. Our system comes with standard four motion sensors units that provide full 360 degree coverage for any household area; the motion sensors units are wireless and have the capability, if upgraded to a different model, to provide emergency lights if the power goes out. The contact units are provided in are wireless and no wiring is required and setup is easy since no especial installation is required, Just peel the adhesive backing and place where is appropriate. In case of a break-in, the system will silently alert the authorities while a loud siren will go off to care off the intruders while also alerting the homeowners via email, text and a call from ADT. The motion sensing units can be adjusted to accommodate pets and normal household traffic if the system is armed. Full 360 view capabilities with facial and voice recognition Our home security units are also packaged with four wireless night vision cameras that can be placed inside or outside the house to provide another level of security. The video feed transmitted is clear and can be received in any internet capable device even cell phones. The camera system are wireless but do required to be wired for the power supply. An xternal power supply can be purchased and easily installed for areas where hard wire is not an option or for stealth. The night vision is one of the best one out there, the cameras also have facial and voice recognition with in thirty feet of their location. This special feature allows the home owner to set up the camera system to automatically arm or disarm the system by Just saying a word in combination with the face recognition. The setup for the face recognition is easy and the software is user friendly Up to eight hours of recording With the camera system there is also an additional component that has the capability f recording what the camera system is capturing. The setup is very easy and can be synchronized with the motion sensors to start/stop recording when movement is in the area. The recordings can be easily retrieved and played back in any computer. This is also a great surveillance feature that can be of tremendously help in case of any break-ins. The recording system can also be placed in a discreet location where only the home owner would know of the location, eliminating the possibility of burglars taken all of the evidence or erasing the contents.

Writing Confident Query Letters

Writing Confident Query Letters As someone who runs a website for writers (TheInternationalFreelancer.com), I see a lot of query letters from new writers. The thing they miss most often? Confidence. Writers who are confident know their story, what it hopes to achieve, and how theyre going to get the work done. Those who arent ramble on, send editors two different sides to a story and refuse to take a stand. If an editor has limited time and is paying good money to hire someone, which freelancer do you think shell hire? What can you do to become that freelancer? 1. Prove it to yourself James Clear, who is an entrepreneur, weight lifter, and travel photographer, writes on his blog about the time in his freshman year of high school when his basketball team had started the season with a losing streak. One day, their coach pulled them together and uttered these words: Confidence is just displayed ability. Put another way, youre not going to achieve something because you believe in yourself; youre going to achieve something and only then will you start believing in yourself. 2. Be cool Weve all met the writer who is so lacking in self-confidence that he emails you every week to please vote for me in this contest that Ive entered. Dont be that guy. You want the work, of course. Thats why youre writing. But youre not desperate for it and will walk away if the terms dont suit you. Even if you arent feeling confident, act like you are. 3. Sound like you know what youre talking about Youre pitching the story, correct? So it would be normal for an editor to assume that you know what youre talking about as regards that story. Make sure you do enough background research to know exactly why this story should be published and why it would fit into a publications pages. Look at it from the editors perspective: Why should she hire and pay for someone who isnt yet clear on what the story is and why its important. 4. Take responsibility Maybe, perhaps, usually, typically, most likely, and other such words and phrases dont have place in your query letter, especially if youre new to freelancing. Dont say He seemed to be angry, when in reality youre pretty certain he was furious. 5. Make a point If you have something to say, say it. Many writers are afraid of taking a controversial stance because the editor might not agree, but that is part of the reason youre writing the pitch- to suss out whether this editor is the right fit for your piece or not. And you cant do that if you tiptoe around what needs to be said. This is especially true in science stories and in most international reporting. Be confident in not only the data you bring to her, but the inference and the conclusions that youve reached as a result of it. 6. Practice Finally- and yet again- there is no weakness that practice cant overcome, no lack of confidence that practice wont make disappear. Practicing writing (and sending) queries helps you get better each time you do it and the better you get, the more confident your queries naturally start sounding. This is why Im a big believer in pitching as much as you possibly can, especially in the beginning. And that will translate automatically to the words on the page.

Identify industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Identify industry - Essay Example Despite of number of economic and social benefits of education, spending on education is experiencing increased pressure these days. As economies are finding ways to recover from global financial crisis, they are shrinking budgets, resulting in scarcer funds left for education sector. Economic complications are also resulting in tightening of enrolment levels in large numbers of institutions, as students proceed for less expensive educational programs or opt out for any educational program altogether. The aim of this paper is to identify top challenges that are facing the educational sector nowadays; however identifying challenges is merely a first step in fundamental transformation of educational sector. Issues in Education Sector The first issue in education sector pertains to over budgeting and underfunding. The impact was global financial crisis was detrimental on education sector. Private and public schools saw their endowments declining. It affected private donors as well who l ost their capability of investing significant sum of money within the industry. Another issue is related to intensification of rivalry. As competition intensifies, higher education looks for ways to differentiate themselves by attracting students and top faculty. Some schools are enhancing their curricula to attract students in fields of engineering or science. Others schools are gearing programs to target specific groups such as high-school dropouts or adult learners (Deloitte., 2001). Technological upgrade is another emerging challenge for education sector. Schools that have invested in latest technology are not utilizing its full capacity. Office systems, used to manage information of students, human resource and finances, are woefully outdated. Many schools have homegrown IT departments that make it complicated to centralize or upgrade the parallel system that causes inefficiency or redundancy (Deloitte., 2001). Education sector need to reconsider infrastructure. In order to red uce the cost of infrastructure, institutions are heading for partnerships with private sector to develop share facilities that can be utilized by citizens and students. A strategic approach is essential if schools intend to keep costs aligned in the upcoming years (Deloitte., 2001). Reporting and regulatory requirement oblige the education sector to invest strategically. Cost containment and funding constraints are not the only byproducts of financial crisis. Due to international economic meltdown, governments globally have been speeding up oversight in educational industry by flexing the muscles of regulatory authority. In numerous other cases, antagonism has caught educational sector. In order to differentiate themselves from crowded marketplace, educational institutions need to invest in information systems that are more sophisticated (Deloitte., 2001). Leadership Process: A Catalyst for Change in Educational Sector These critical issues call for assistance from the side of leade rs in educational sector. According to Heifetz, (1994), leadership is a process â€Å"to address conflicts in the values people hold, or to diminish the gap between the values people stand for and the reality they face† (p. 22). Noonan (2003) in ‘The Elements of Leadership’, states that, â€Å"Leadership is developing potential and building community† (p. 3). Conventional views referred school leadership as operational or