Economic Growth and the Environment

Economic Growth and the Environment Will the world be able to sustain economic growth indefinitely without running into resource constraints or despoiling the environment beyond repair? What is the relationship between a steady increase in incomes and environmental quality? Are there trade-offs between the goals of achieving high and sustainable rates of economic growth and attaining high standards of environmental quality. For some social and physical scientists, growing economic activity (production and consumption) requires larger inputs of energy and material, and generates larger quantities of waste byproducts. Increased extraction of natural resources, accumulation of waste, and concentration of pollutants would overwhelm the carrying capacity of the biosphere and result in the degradation of environmental quality and a decline in human welfare, despite rising incomes. Furthermore, it is argued that degradation of the resource base would eventually put economic activity itself at risk. To save the environment and even economic activity from itself, economic growth must cease and the world must make a transition to a steady-state economy. At the other extreme, are those who argue that the fastest road to environmental improvement is along the path of economic growth: with higher incomes comes increased demand for goods and services that are less material-intensive, as well as demand for improved environmental quality that leads to the adoption of environmental protection measures. The strong correlation between incomes, and the extent to which environmental protection measures are adopted, demonstrates that in the longer run, the surest way to improve your environment is to become rich, Some went as far as claiming that environmental regulation, by reducing economic growth, may actually reduce environmental quality. As agriculture and resource extraction intensify and industrialization takes off, both resource depletion and waste generation accelerate. At higher levels of development, structural change towards information-based industries and services, more efficient technologies, and increased demand for environmental quality result in leveling-off and a steady decline of environmental degradation (Panayotou 1993), as seen in the Figure 1 below: The issue of whether environmental degradation (a) increases monotonically, (b) decreases monotonically, or (c) first increases and then declines along a country’s development path, has critical implications for policy. A monotonic increase of environmental degradation with economic growth calls for strict environmental regulations and even limits on economic growth to ensure a sustainable scale of economic activity within the ecological life-support system (Arrow et al. 1995) A monotonic decrease of environmental degradation along a country’s development path suggests that policies that accelerate economic growth lead also to rapid environmental improvements and no explicit environmental policies are needed; indeed, they may be counterproductive if they slow down economic growth and thereby delay environmental improvement. Finally, if the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis is supported by evidence, development policies have the potential of being environmentally benign over the long run, (at high incomes), but they are also capable of significant environmental damage in the short-to-medium run (at low-to-medium-level incomes). In this case, several issues arise: (1) at what level of per capita income is the turning point? (2) How much damage would have taken place, and how can they be avoided? (3) Would any ecological thresholds be violated and irreversible damages take place before environmental degradation turns down, and how can they be avoided? (4) Is environmental improvement at higher income levels automatic, or does it require conscious institutional and policy reforms? and (5) how to accelerate the development process so that developing economies and economies in transition can experience the same improved economic and environmental conditions enjoyed by developed market economies? Policy Response In the OECD countries we observe a strong decoupling of emissions of local air pollutants from economic growth. OECD countries have achieved a strong decoupling between energy use and economic growth over the past 20 years, with the economy growing by 17% between 1980 and 1998 and energy use falling by the about the same percentage. Water and resource use continued to grow but at a rate slower than GDP growth reflecting a weak decoupling of the two. Thus decoupling of emissions in OECD and generally the developed ECE countries has been accomplished through a combination of technological change and a strong environmental policy. The latter consisting of â€Å"greening† of fiscal policy, removing subsidies to environmentally harmful activities and the use of economic instruments to internalise environmental cost. A number of EU policy initiatives, such as the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines 2001, among others have promoted a gradual but steady and credible change in the level and structure of the tax rates until external costs are fully reflected in prices, to cope with most of the fundamental structural problem in all developed countries, the unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. In the energy markets these guidelines aim to uses taxes and other market-based instruments to rebalance prices in favour of reusable energy sources and technologies. Other EU initiatives in this direction are the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP), the directive establishing an EU framework for emissions trading, and the Integrated Product Policy (IPP) all of which aim at realigning price relations and stimulating investments in new technologies that promote sustainable development. Member states are encouraged to improve market functioning by addressing market failures such as externalities through â€Å"increased use of market-based systems in pursuit of environmental objectives as they provide flexibility to industry to reduce pollution in a cost effective way, as well as encourage technological innovations†. Economic instruments such as gradual but steady and credible change in the level and structure of tax rates until external costs are fully reflected in prices are promoted as the most efficient means of decoupling economic growth from pollution, as they alter price relations and thereby also drive changes in technology and consumer behaviour (preference) that lie behind the growth-environment relationship. As exemplified by the energy and transport sectors, the EU decoupling policy consists of demand management through full-cost pricing and development of more environmentally friendly alternatives by promoting technological innovations. Since 1990 all economies in transition have made efforts to restructure their energy and transport sectors along market principles and to raise energy prices closer to economic and international levels. However because of the political sensitivity of energy pricing and the lagging reforms in many transition economies a gap of 20-85% continues to persist between energy prices in economies in transition. For example electricity prices for households in Eastern Europe are only 50 percent of those of the European Union; for industrial consumers, electricity prices are closer to their economic and international levels being 20% lower than those of the EU. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has repeatedly called upon its members to raise the prices of various energy sources to their full economic costs and adapt economic instruments to internalise the costs to human health and the environment associated with energy production and consumption. The aim is to decouple emissions from energy use and energy use from economic growth. Despite significant progress towards sustainable development developed countries are still experiencing unsustainable consumption patterns as evidenced by the continued growth of municipal waste and CO ² emissions. As transition economies begin to recover and grow again their emissions and resource use are also growing though less than proportionately. Their GDP energy-intensity, though declining, continues to be several times that of the developed countries while their consumption patterns are tracing the same path as that of their developed counterparts. Further decoupling of growth and environment and progress towards sustainable development calls for action on many fronts by both groups of countries as well as cooperation between them especially in technology transfer: Use of an effective mix of economic instruments such as taxes, charges and tradable permits to correct market and policy failures and to internalise environmental and social costs and induce changes in the composition of consumption and production. Improvement in resource use efficiency and â€Å"dematerialization† of the economy Change in the content of economies growth and this involves adjustments costs which tend to be greater the faster is the rate of change in relative prices; in particular those who lose need to be compensated by those who benefit Introduction of specific policies to preserve the living standards of those directly affected by the required adjustment and to avoid unemployment and social disruption; issues of inequality and social exclusion must be addressed.

Events in Eiffel Tower

In this report I will be discussing many things about the Eiffel Tower. Such topics are: when the Eiffel Tower was built, how it was designed, and who the architect was. I will also tell you about how it was and how it is now used in Paris. I will also state the time and materials used to build the Eiffel Tower. I will tell you about Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the architect and builder of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built by a man by the name of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Gustave Eiffel was born in the year of 1832 in Dijon and attended the Ecole des Arts et Manufactures in Paris. In school he specialized in the area of design of large metal structures. He then established his own business in Paris in 1867 and quickly established his reputation with building. He was responsible for such things as the first to use compressed air for underwater caissons, such as on the railway bridge over the Carunne at Bordeauz. Gustave Eiffel has built a series of ambitious railway bridges, of which span across the Dovso at Oportu, Portugal, was the longest at 525 feet (or 160 meters). Then in 1881 he provided the iron skeleton for the Statue of Liberty. He also helped in the French attempt at the Panama Canal, where he designed and partly constructed huge locks. Then the project collapsed in 1893 and Eiffel went to prison for two years. In 1900 he took up aerodynamics and worked with that until his death in 1923. Then 1889 Eiffel built his most popular project ever. His most popular project is the Eiffel Tower, which was begun in the year 1885 and finished in the year 1889. It was originally built for the World†s Fair or Centennial Exposition of 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It took him a year to design it and three years to build the tallest structure of that time. The structure was meant to be disassembled after the World†s Fair was over in the year, but was preserved for other better uses. The materials used to build the huge structure were 7,742 tons of iron, 2-1/2 million rivets, and 15,000 pieces of metal. That which brings us to the process of building. To build the tower, the workers would first fabricate all the parts in a welding shop, then number them, and send them to the sight. The building design was to be built with cross-braced lattice girders or a diagonal brace, which runs from vertical support to vertical support, which allows very little movement. Even in hurricane strength winds there would be only 8. 8 inches (or 22 centimeters) of movement. All the highest quality wrought iron. The Eiffel Tower is resting on 25 square foot (or 2. 25 square meter) masonry piers. The piers are set in seven feet (or two meters) of concrete far below ground. The tower has three above ground stages. Below the first platform, which is at the height of 188 feet (or 57 meters), the four legs are connected by structurally sound arches. The second platform is placed at 380 feet (or 115 meters) where the legs are brought almost completely together. Then the third platform is 911 feet (or 276 meters) above the ground. Above the final platform is the lantern, which warn airplanes above, and the final terrace. Then in 1959 the addition of a radio antenna raised the height of the tower from about 990 feet (or 300 meters) to 1,056 feet (or 320 meters). The tower is now used for other things. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is located in the â€Å"Champ de Mars,† on the south bank of the River Seine. Its uses have diversely changed throughout the years. After 1889 and the closing of the World†s Fair, Gustave Eiffel spent his time to save his monument and find new and profitable uses for the tower. He supervised changes to accommodate a meteorological station in 1890, a military telegraph station in 1903, and laboratories for studying aerodynamics in 1909. Then in 1900, 1923, and 1937 further modifications were added. The tower was then used for radio and television transmission, as a meteorological recording station, and has a restaurant and office space. Then for many years the Eiffel Tower was owned by a public firm and was in need of repairs. Then in 1981, the government of Paris took over its management. Then in the years 1981 to 1983, the tower underwent serious renovations and reconstruction in preparation for its 100th anniversary in 1989. The remodeling cost over $40 million, and stripped all the paint off down to the girders, removed the excess weight, and built new lighter buildings within the tower. The current state of the first level is three glass-enclosed structures: a museum and the Cinema, which shows films about the tower. The central level is made up of two of its own sections, each of which has a restaurant: Le Perisien, on the lower section, and La Belle France, on the upper section. The third level is the Salle Gustave Eiffel, which provides spaces for conferences, expositions, cultural events, and social gatherings. Also on the second level is a snack bar and souvenir shop. There are also glass-enclosed elevators, which take you to the first and second levels. To conclude my report I would like to say my opinion of this beautiful structure and how it has always been one of the most visited monuments in the whole world. The Eiffel Tower is Paris† most loved monuments and will probably never be disliked. The beautiful structural design and architecture just surprises me for its age. So, a masterpiece that was supposed to be torn down after the World†s Fair has lived a much longer life, a 102-year life. The Eiffel Tower was used in many collectors† plates in its early life. The most popular plates number over 82 today. In its life time, the Eiffel Tower has been visited by over 2. 5 million people and is still today a tourist trap so from a French military telegraph station to restaurants and souvenir stores, the Eiffel Tower has lived trough it all. The Eiffel Tower also went through two world wars, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and Desert Storm, so never question the strength of a worldwide known monument.

Essay on Reflexivity and Modern Works of Anthropology

Reflexivity and Modern Works of Anthropology The role of reflexivity in Anthropology has changed a great deal over time. The effects of doing ethnography on the ethnographer was not considered an important mode of inquiry in the past. While inevitably, going to far distant lands and living with a culture so different from your own will at least cause the ethnographer to reflect on personal issues but most likely will cause profound changes in the way he or she will view the world. But in the past these changes were not important. What was necessary for the ethnographer to do in the past was to document a culture break it down structurally and quantify the observations made. The reflexive nature of his or her experiences were of little†¦show more content†¦(Malinowski, 11) This basically means that it is the role of the ethnographer to rationalize and put in writing the ways of existence of another culture. What he gains from the experience of living with the trobriand islanders is of no concern the people he was writin g for. It is my belief that perhaps the reason that the anthropologists of the past have placed so much importance on structuralizing and bringing into written fruition the laws that the natives live by but are not aware of, is to give others the idea that their research and inquiry are purely scientific and by no means reflexive. The reason that they do this is probably to get backing by institutions in order so they may have their travels paid for and so they may be recognized as a scholar by a scholarly reading audience. As time has gone on more and more Anthropologists have talked about how their ethnographic research has effected their thinking. At first they integrated the reflexive nature of their research in a sort of roundabout way. For instance the notion that different cultures and peoples really dont structure their realities all that differently. (Levi-Strauss) While this may not seem to be reflexive and it definitely is not blatantly expressed in the text, it is more philosophical and more geared towards stimulating thoughts about the nature of life as we know it. While Levi-Strauss may not have stated this outright (he still had to appearShow MoreRelatedResearch Methodology Essay4336 Words   |  18 Pagesâ€Å"The study of man contains a greater variety of intellectual styles than any other area of cultural endeavor. How different social scientists go about their work, and what they aim t accomplish by it, often do not seem to have a common denominator ... Let us admit the case of our critics from the humanities and from the experimental sciences: Social science as a whole is both intellectually and morally confused. And what is called sociology is very much in the middle of this confusion.† WrightRead MoreCultural Anthropology : An Understanding Of Humanity s Greatest Medicine1795 Words   |  8 Pagesused this device to criticize societal norms. During Medieval Times, jokers made a profession out of this human characteristic. Humor survived up until modern times and is present in academia. A field that explores the manners in which humor makes an interesting presence is Anthropology. The focus of this paper will be based on cultural anthropology; specifically within the sector of art and entertainment; within the sub-sectors of humor, political experiences, and sincerity. Ethnography is a veryRead MoreIslamic Terrorism and the Attack of September 11 Essay3155 Words   |  13 Pagescomment seems to hang with relevance in the air like that black cloud of debris that emanated from the Twin Towers and is burnt into our bank of remembered national images. 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Complexity emerged from general systems theory and cybernetics, and later included chaos theory and catastropheRead MoreUnderstanding And Changing Social Factors That Affect The Culture And Body Of Sports2358 Words   |  10 PagesPlay is a source of significant theoretical insights in anthropology and in other disciplines (Huizinga 1970; Turner 1982). Feminist research is explicitly directed towards identifying, understanding and changing social factors affecting women. ‘’Women’s participation in sports is a feminist issue deserving of research and theory development’’ Harrison and Fahy (2005:702). 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pH, pKa, and the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation

The  pH  is  a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution. pKa (acid dissociation constant) and pH are related, but pKa is more specific in that it helps you predict what a molecule will do at a specific pH. Essentially, pKa tells you what the pH needs to be in order for a chemical species to donate or accept a proton. The relationship between pH and pKa is described by the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. pH, pKa, and Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation The pKa is the pH value at which a chemical species will accept or donate a proton.The lower the pKa, the stronger the acid and the greater the ability to donate a proton in aqueous solution.The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation relates pKa and pH. However, it is only an approximation and should not be used for concentrated solutions or for extremely low pH acids or high pH bases. pH and pKa Once you have pH or pKa values, you know certain things about a solution and how it compares with other solutions: The lower the pH, the higher the concentration of hydrogen ions, [H].The lower the pKa, the stronger the acid and the greater its ability to donate protons.pH depends on the concentration of the solution. This is important because it means a weak acid could actually have a lower pH than a diluted strong acid. For example, concentrated vinegar (acetic acid, which is a weak acid) could have a lower pH than a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid (a strong acid).On the other hand, the pKa value is a constant for each type of molecule. It is unaffected by concentration.Even a chemical ordinarily considered a base can have a pKa value because the terms acids and bases simply refer to whether a species will give up protons (acid) or remove them (base). For example, if you have a base Y with a pKa of 13, it will accept protons and form YH, but when the pH exceeds 13, YH will be deprotonated and become Y. Because Y removes protons at a pH greater than the pH of neutral water (7), it is consid ered a base. Relating pH and pKa With the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation If you know either pH or pKa, you can solve for the other value using an approximation called the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation: pH pKa   log ([conjugate base]/[weak acid])pH pkalog ([A-]/[HA]) pH is the sum of the pKa value and the log of the concentration of the conjugate base divided by the concentration of the weak acid. At half the equivalence point: pH pKa Its worth noting sometimes this equation is written for the Ka value rather than pKa, so you should know the relationship:   pKa -logKa Assumptions for the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation The reason the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation is an approximation is because it takes water chemistry out of the equation. This works when water is the solvent and is present in a very large proportion to the [H] and acid/conjugate base. You shouldnt try to apply the approximation for concentrated solutions. Use the approximation only when the following conditions are met: −1  Ã‚  log ([A−]/[HA])  Ã‚  1Molarity of buffers should be 100x greater than that of the acid ionization constant Ka.Only use strong acids or strong bases if the pKa values fall between 5 and 9. Example pKa and pH Problem Find [H] for a solution of 0.225 M NaNO2 and 1.0 M HNO2. The Ka value (from a table) of HNO2 is 5.6 x 10-4. pKa  Ã‚  Ã¢Ë†â€™log  Ka  Ã‚  Ã¢Ë†â€™log(7.4Ãâ€"10−4)  Ã‚  3.14 pH pka log ([A-]/[HA]) pH  Ã‚  pKa  Ã‚  log([NO2-]/[HNO2]) pH  Ã‚  3.14  Ã‚  log(1/0.225) pH  Ã‚  3.14  Ã‚  0.648  Ã‚  3.788 [H]  Ã‚  10−pH  Ã‚  10−3.788  Ã‚  1.6Ãâ€"10−4 Sources de Levie, Robert. â€Å"The Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation: Its History and Limitations.†Ã‚  Journal of Chemical Education, 2003.Hasselbalch, K. A. Die Berechnung der Wasserstoffzahl des Blutes aus der freien und gebundenen Kohlensà ¤ure desselben, und die Sauerstoffbindung des Blutes als Funktion der Wasserstoffzahl. Biochemische Zeitschrift, 1917, pp.112–144.Henderson , Lawrence J. Concerning the relationship between the strength of acids and their capacity to preserve neutrality. American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, vol. 21, no. 2, Feb. 1908, pp. 173–179.Po, Henry N., and N. M. Senozan. â€Å"The Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation: Its History and Limitations.†Ã‚  Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 78, no. 11, 2001, p. 1499.

Dreams - 2623 Words

The average amount a human will sleep in their lifetime is 229,961 hours. Part of those 229,961 hours sleeping is spent dreaming. What are dreams? This question has fascinated the human race throughout history. From the Ancient Greeks and Romans, to Sigmund Freud in the late 1800’s, till now, people have queried what the mystical stories that play out in the sleeping mind are and why we have them. The Sumerians in Mesopotamia left evidence of dreams dating back to 3100 BC. According to these stories, gods and kings, like the 7th century BC scholar-king Assurbanipal, paid close attention to dreams. In his archive of clay tablets, some accounts of the story of the legendary king Gilgamesh were found (Seligman). The Mesopotamians†¦show more content†¦During this stage, many people experience sudden muscle contractions preceded by a sensation of falling. In stage 2, eye movement stops and brain waves become slower with only an occasional burst of rapid brain wave s. When a person enters stage 3, extremely slow brain waves called delta waves are interspersed with smaller, faster waves. In stage 4, the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. Stages 3 and 4 are referred to as deep sleep or delta sleep, and it is very difficult to wake someone from them. In deep sleep, there is no eye movement or muscle activity. This is when some children experience bedwetting, sleepwalking or night terrors. Usually, REM sleep occurs 70-90 minutes after someone has fall asleep. The first period of REM typically lasts 10 minutes. Each REM stage gets longer, and the final one may last up to an hour. A sleeping individuals heart rate and breathing quickens. People experience more intense dreams during REM sleep, since the brain is more active. Dreams are constantly occurring throughout the sleep cycle so do not believe anyone who says they do not dream. Sleep and dreaming causes improved brain activity enabling people to function more productively. Matthew Wilson, a neuroscientist at the Picower Institute at M.I.T., during the early 1990s, was recording the neuron activity in the brains of rats as they navigated through a difficult maze. The machines translatedShow MoreRelatedDreams And Dreams : Dreams1425 Words   |  6 PagesAvery Alexander English III Mr. Tarr 26 April 2015 Dreams Throughout our dreaming experience, we feel different sensations, emotions, and thoughts interpreted through images in a person’s mind. During our unconscious process, the meanings of our inner thoughts are experienced through dreams. Some psychologists believe dreams are connected to our real emotions and others may see dreams as a specific meaning related to one’s life (Young). Dreams can put us in touch with our real motives in life dueRead MoreDream And Dream - Dream Killers1012 Words   |  5 PagesDream killers You know the type, the ones who think that just because they did not make it, then you can t, the Debbie Downers who can t see beyond their pathetic existence to dream of something bigger. The one who will never achieve much because they fail to dream and dream to fail, these are the dream killers. Conversation #1 You   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am thinking of starting my own business Them   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why you want to do that? You   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Because I have always wanted to work for myself? ThemRead MoreDreams And Dreams1729 Words   |  7 Pagesinterpretations and true meanings of dreams has expanded and has varied over centuries and cultures. Many of the earlier studies were based on culture’s and the interpretation of dreams, but also used as a form of prophecy, inspiration, and guidance. Many people still believe this such, people today beliefs and theories have opened up to a more vast interpretation, they are made up of; dreams are rare brain activity, dreams allow people to reflect on themselves, or that dreams are too massive to be correctlyRead MoreDreams And Dreams1893 Words   |  8 PagesEvery single one of us dreams and each one is experienced at a personal level, but interpreting them and figuring what they actually mean is still a mystery to us all. The histories of dreams, dates all the way back to over 5,000 years ago. These were the times where they would still write things down on clay tablets. Even then, we were already interested in what dr eams meant. During the Greek and Roman eras, dreams were perceived in a religious sense. If they were good dreams, they would be interpretedRead MoreDreams And The Subconscious : Dreams Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesDreams and the Subconscious Are dreams a way of processing life events, or are they really messages from the subconscious? This phenomenon has always interested me, and I am extremely grateful this opportunity has arisen for me to research dreams in more depth. Since childhood, I have been intrigued with dreams and how similar they can be for each person. For instance, many people have recurring nightmares of being chased. According to Huffington Post, being chased is one of the most common dreamsRead MoreDreams : A Lucid Dream1097 Words   |  5 PagesBeing able to understand what dreams represent and how they effect a person should be something everyone should understand. Dreams can be a small glimpse or feel so real that it is unbelievable. The issue people have the most is remembering. They can not remember if they spoke with another individual in actually life or if it was all apart of their dream they had. There is so much confusion that the person is almost embarrassed to ask if the event actually happe ned. A dream like this is considered oneRead MoreThe Dream Of A Lucid Dream1403 Words   |  6 PagesIt is said that a lucid dream is a dream that can be induced or controlled and is characterized by the dreamer being aware that he or she is dreaming (Lucid). When lucidity occurs, the dreamer â€Å"wakes up† inside the dream during fixed states of cognizance. Dreams are caused by things â€Å"†¦our mind knows, however which we cannot handle, is disturbing or something that we keep reiterating to ourselves† (Ganguly). This is why distinguishing significant dream symbols from ambient symbols is important forRead MoreDreams : What Are Dreams?1174 Words   |  5 PagesWhat are dreams? Are they the mind’s way of entertaining itself while you sleep, or are they your unconscious trying to tell you something? If you chose the ladder, you are on the right track. The mind can’t talk to you, you don t hear voices in your head unless you are a Schizophrenic. T he only way that our unconscious mind has a way to communicate, is when you are asleep. The idea that dreams are trying to tell you something is simple, but understanding what the dream is trying to say can be difficultRead MoreDreams : The Awareness Of Dreams1030 Words   |  5 PagesDreams are stories our mind creates while we are asleep. Dreams can be witty, cheerful, passionate, disturbing, horrific, and downright confusing. All my life I have always wondered what goes on in our brains when we dream. I also have wondered why our brains create dreams. Are dreams something the brain creates to make sense of what it views so it organizes images into coherent stories. Dream content also varies depending on life experience. A child will dream of candy and toys but an adult willRead MoreDreams And Its Effects On Dreams3206 Words   |  13 PagesDream content reflects aspects of waking-life experiences. After memories are made, they are often fragmentally merged with other informati on to construct larger, holistic dreams. Autobiographical memories are predominantly represented in dreams in comparison to episodic and semantic memories. Among various characteristics from waking-life experiences such as places, people, and events, emotions are highly incorporated into dream content. There is also a decreasing relationship between the cognitive

Defining Affirmative Action Free Essays

Affirmative action, by definition, is a program designed to favor minorities and remedy past discrimination (Cummings, p. 192). It started in 1961 with President John F. We will write a custom essay sample on Defining Affirmative Action or any similar topic only for you Order Now Kennedy, by instructing the federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that all people are treated equally regardless of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Ever since it started, for more than thirty years now, it has been a controversial issue regarding employment practices (Anniston). This research paper will discuss the history of affirmative action, the pro’s and con’s of affirmative action in the workplace and in the educational system, and proposition 209. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy was the first to use affirmative action. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 barred discrimination by universities or others that received federal assistance (Cummings, p. 192). After it came the Voting Act of 1965, Immigration Act of 1965, The Fair Housing Act of 1968 (Nieli, p. ). In 1978, President Carter created the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) to ensure compliance with the affirmative action policies by the department of labor (Brown). Also in 1978 was the Bakke v. Reagents of the University of California, where Supreme Court upheld that use of race as one factor in choosing among qualified applicants for admission and reserving certain seats in each entering class of students for disadvantaged minorities were unlawful. Affirmative action began to go downhill and fading away during the presidency of Ronald Reagan and later George Bush. The republicans in the White House and in congress ignored the affirmative action. Finally to the presidency of Bill Clinton, the republicans were attempting to scare people into changing their party lines by saying that affirmative action is nothing more than a quota or reverse discrimination (Brown). Just by watching the history of this issue, one can come to a conclusion that we’ve come a long way in regards to racial and gender discrimination. Affirmative action programs offer individuals such as women and minorities a chance at equal employment opportunities and representation through positive, results-oriented practices that purposely take race and gender into account (Anniston). In the work force, minorities and women are source of cheap labor. The employers higher them to work with very little pay and little or no benefits. Higher paying jobs were always filled with white males. Even when women wanted to be as successful as that of men, they had a limit hanging over their head called the â€Å"glass-ceiling†. But through affirmative action, women and minorities were able to get higher paying jobs and even promotions and some even going up to the professional jobs. For example, women have made significant progress in recent year; in 1963, women earned fifty-nine cents for every dollar earned by men. Today, women earn on average seventy-one cents for every dollar earned by men (Curry, p. 179). Affirmative action may reduce racial tension forcing people to interact together and work as a unit in a professional and intellectual level across racial lines (Lewis). This program gives the minorities the opportunity to join the competition in the â€Å"white† American society and to defy the stigmas and stereotypes cast upon them by others. Some people believe that affirmative action is wrong because it discriminates. For example, and employer hires anyone because he/she is a minority, even if someone else is more qualified for the job. In this case, the employer is not discriminating against the minorities but against the majorities. Some also argue that affirmative action programs incite racial tension (Lewis). Since employers are very sensitive about affirmative action programs and if a white male is more qualified for the job than the minority, it may stir up some tension between those people involved. And because of the tension, the employers are more likely to higher a minority, who is less qualified for the job. By doing so, the employers may have a feeling that they are left with the short end of the stick and a lesser quality worker (Wit). If a workplace made decisions on hiring and promoting on the basis of ethnicity, such a workplace would go under. Decisions make in workplace should be merit-base; the eligibility and quality of the employee, not race-base. The outcome of the case of Allen Bakke v. Reagents of the University of California in 1974, helped many minorities to go into college. Allan Bakke had applied for medical school in University of California at Davis in 1973 and in 1974 and was rejected because they only set aside 16 seats for minorities each year. He sued contending that he had been excluded on the basis of his race in violation of the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Cummings, p. 193). The California Supreme Court called the act of the university unconstitutional and Bakke won along with other minorities who could not get into college. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that although the physical factors and tangible factors may be equal in public school systems, the children of the minority group were deprived of the equal education. Therefore they are deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the fourteenth amendment (Cummings, p. 182). Even though the compliance of this law was very slow, eventually all states complied with the law and made public school available to the minorities. By 1969, all the public schools in the country were trying to comply with the law. The history of the campaign against racial injustice since 1954, when the Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education, is a history in a large part of failure (Nieli p. 79). The law may have said to put an end to segregation and racism in public schools, but even now, the racism and the segregation still live in the hearts of American people. In 1979, the case was reopened because even twenty-five years later, schools were still segregated. Affirmative action is supposed to treat everyone as equals. But actually and in reality, it does not treat everyone with equality. When admitting a person to a college, in the registration form, it asks what race the person is. If it were to treat everyone equally, it wouldn’t ask that question. And because of the affirmative action law and trying to comply with it, the colleges will pick a minority, who may not be as qualified, to attend the school, therefore lowering the standard of the school to match that person’s standard. The standards for all the people should be the same no matter what. Proposition 209 was proposed by Californians that wanted to outlaw programs based on affirmative action. It was passed by a narrow margin in the November 5,1996. Proposition abolished all public sector affirmative action programs in the state in employment, education and contracting. It also permits gender discrimination that is reasonably necessary to the normal operation of public education, employment and contracting. This proposition means that people should not have special privileges on the basis of their race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in any kind of public services where it’s funded by the government. In regards to the affirmative action issue, this proposition makes it hard for people to get hired just because they are a minority. The proposition tries to bring balance between all the people not on the basis of their minority or majority but on their merits. When I first started this research, I only did it because the subject was well known and easy to find. After finishing the research, my opinion towards affirmative action was swayed a little. I first thought that affirmative action was an absolute good that helps the minorities of the community to have the equal opportunity as that of others. But now, I feel that affirmative action itself was contributing to discrimination. It was discrimination against those who were more qualified in a job or in a college who couldn†t’ get in because there was a minority and the rule had to be bent a little to accept those minorities. I believe that the standards should be the same for all people and the law shouldn’t be bent just because a minority couldn’t keep u with the standards of the society. If the person is not qualified for the field, then they shouldn’t be hired, because if they were, they’re robbing another wee qualified person their job and the opportunity to achieve their goal and do their best. It may be the case that a minority, picked over the more qualified person, might quit or get fired because they were way in over their heads. Affirmative action should not be something that the society would have to abide to. It should be a reference to when there are conflicts among controversial issues that is related to discrimination on workplace or in educational system. I believe that in the society that we live in, discrimination should be something that of the past. To believe in racism and discrimination against minorities, just wouldn†t be America. How to cite Defining Affirmative Action, Papers

Human Rights Persuasive Essay Example For Students

Human Rights Persuasive Essay I agree that human rights do not lend themselves to neat formulae. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) aims at guarding the interest of people residing in different countries. However, the political and cultural environment of a country would shape these rights. Some of the rights the essay would be discussing are the equality of the sexes, right to freedom of speech and education. Contrary to the West, women in Asia are often exploited and deprived of their rights in many areas, particularly in employment. This phenomenon can be attributed to the tradition and cultural differences between the two. Despite the influence of the west brought about by industrialization, the Asian Society is still rather conservative and very much in touch with the teachings of Confucius. Even till today, they are unable to completely abandon the concept of women being the weaker sex. Although the UDHR proclaims, Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (UN, 1948, Article 23 (2)), it is not uncommon to hear that women are paid lower than men are. Women accept the fact that they are weaker as compared to men in terms of work in this male dominated society. They are taught to be submissive and regard their family as the top most priority in their childhood. Moreover, employers believe that women are home bounded and contributions to t!he compan y would be minimal as they work fewer days, in comparison to men, due to the entitlement of their maternity leaves. In the eyes of the west, this would be a violation of human rights but to an Asian, a cultural difference. Everyone has the right to education. (UN, 1948, Article 26 (1)) does not hold in Asian context. Every American child is endowing with the right of education but receiving education is a form of luxury to the unfortunate Asian children. Most Asian countries are agricultural based and children are view as helping hands in the fields. Hence, children below the age of ten are often seen helping in the fields. Agrarian societies are generally poor parents are more concern with earning enough money to feed the family than paying for their childrens education. Although the United Nations emphasize the importance of education and stress that Education shall be free, (UN, 1948), these countries have no means of providing education as a free good. Families that are better o ff would send only the males to school, as they believe that males have to provide for the family in future. Girls are thought to be a burden to the family and would eventually marry off, hence, educating them !would not be economical to the family. The US is able to provide free education because of its strong economic foundation after years of development. Hence, it would not be fair to accuse the east of being a violator of rights for not providing education as a public good to its people because they simply cannot afford it; education comes after development. This statement manifest in the following extract, In the developed countries, universal primary education and literacy came after the process of development as well on its way. (Kamla Bahsin, Literacy for Women, Why and How!). Many governments are inclined to define human rights in the manner most convenient to suiting their own political interests. (Boutros Butros Ghali, 1993). The definition to freedom of speech is highly debatable. The differences in political environment between Singapore and the US have cast different viewpoints on this contention. Singapore takes a firm stand in this issue and will hold the speaker responsible for what he declares. The government clamps down on remarks that promote civil unrest such as those of religious and racial issues. Many countries see this as under-mining of the UDHR but this restriction is necessary for the survival of Singapore. Without it, a multiracial society in Singapore would collapse and the consequences, civil unrest and eventually civil war. No doubt that countries are obliged to uphold the UDHR, certain diversities should be tolerated as most countries are endowed with ancient and sophisticated cultures (Alatas, 1993) which may differ from one anoth er. Thus, the international community must take into consideration the countrys traditions, social values and political environment before ostracizing them. In conclusion, I agree that human rights do not lend themselves to neat formulae and a pragmatic approach to it is necessary.