Moral philosophy analyzes Essay

Judith A Boss has clearly brought out an overview abstract in her book Ethics for life. She employs an up to date tone in bringing out the moral development which makes it easy for the reader to relate their own experience on moral growth. Having explored the moral issues in real life, this book aims at significantly improving the readers’ ability to make key decisions on their morality. Book Review – Judith. A. Boss, Ethics for life In contrast to Judith Boss view on ethics, Aristotle held that ethics is something that helps man to be able to keep from error which may subsequently result due to a weakness thus making him have a good happy life. In other words, he associates ethics with the happy life which is enhanced by virtue. Based on his definition of ethics, a person should posses a set of character that will lead him into being a better person thus making the people have morally good characters. He further explains that a person’s virtue has to come from within. His theory is that virtue is a natural choice or principles that a man uses in determining what is right and wrong for him to live a good life (Huener, 1992). Based on her book, the social aspects of life is significant to ethics due to the fact that they analytically act as a foundation for testing ideas about moral development and human nature. Judith A Boss view on ethics is seen as an incorporated structure of philosophy. She analyzes the issue by attempting to explain how a person can grow ethically to be able to develop the society by establishing what is right from what is considered wrong (Boss, 2001, p. 3). Additionally, the book clarifies and gives examples on how ethics acts as a guide to moral decision making for realization of a complete life. In her argument, Boss explains that making the wrong choices in life tend to lead to unhappiness (Boss, 2001, p. 47). Various theories on morality have tried to come up with justifications and guidance for decision making about the right and the wrong. According to Judith Boss, moral theory is not only a means of providing the reasons underlying decision making but it also calls for consistency in our thinking as well as ignorance of beliefs that are usually held in common and are not consistent. Boss explains that a good moral theory is one that provides guidance for resolving and thinking about moral issues (Boss, 2001, p. 3). While looking at the justification of morality, Boss looks at how moral philosophy points out that there is a higher morality. Moral philosophy analyzes and evaluates the principles, virtues and attitudes that are usually used by specific groups of people or culture with regard to principles and concerns that are universally accepted. However, moral philosophy also holds that the justification of morality should not be motivated by self interest; therefore ethical conduct can only be accepted if it is viewed from a somewhat universal perspective (Boss, 2001, pp. 100-132). Besides, Boss explains the importance of social sciences to ethics by saying that they test ideas about moral development, human nature and society systematically. She also adds her view on concepts of human nature by saying that they are useless and highlighting that they could be harmful if in any case they are not grounded in reality. According to Boss, our moral decision making can not be guided sufficiently by good intentions alone (Boss, 2001, pp. 100-132). Such are the ideals brought out in Aristotle’s life history. Aristotle viewed ethics as an attempt to establish the major end or highest good. Aristotle also holds that as humans, our most important activity as humans is the pursuit of good life and since morality is what expresses our human nature fundamentally, it is only when we are being moral that we are happiest (Iloveindia. com). Reference Boss J A. (2001). Ethics for life. McGraw Hill. Pp. 3-132 Huener. , M. (1992). An examination of Aristotle’s ethics. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://home. sprynet. com/~owl1/arist2. htm Iloveindia. com. (2008) Aristotle. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from http://festivals. iloveindia. com/teachers-day/famous-teachers/aristotle. html

Courage to Change

Courage to Change â€Å"In Balfour, where he landed early in the morning, he almost lost courage when he found out that nobody understood him. But at the hardware store a man- the same who had made him a present of the cap he was wearing-had made signs to him as if pitching sheaves, meanwhile talking to him, tentatively , in short monosyllables, apparently asking questions. / he thought that now he looked exactly like a Canadian. † (Frederick Philip Grove 21-22). Many people immigrate to other countries because they want a better life and future. However, it's often not an easy transition.Immigrants have to deal with problems such as the language barrier, discrimination, and alienation. In the story† The First Day of an Immigrant†, by Frederick Philip Grove, one of the characters named Niels Lindstedt, is an immigrant of Canada and faced similar problems when he moved. However, he was successful in overcoming the challenges of immigration because of his courage. Th is story demonstrates that immigrants cannot be afraid to work hard, make changes to fit in, and to seek help from others in order to be accepted into the society. When an immigrant arrives into a new place, one of the most difficult things is to find work.In order to look for a job, one has to be able to communicate with others. But as an immigrant, without knowledge of the local dialect, finding employers is rendered impossible. When Niels Lindstedt landed in Balfour, Manitoba, he only knew how to speak his native Swedish language. He almost lost courage as he was unable to talk to, or comprehend with others. But that didn't stop him from finding work. Niels Lindstedt began working on his own initiative when he saw the two men frantically lifting some load of bushel. He immediately set out to help them even though it was not his job.This sudden cause of action both confused and impressed Jim, the Scotsman. Jim was so impressed in fact that he relayed the presence of Niels to the b oss which eventually landed him the job. Niels Lindstedt is courageous as he volunteered himself without someone directing where he should work. Immigrants have to be brave in order for them to overcome challenges that could prevent them from achieving a better future. Immigrants make a lot of sacrifices in order to fit into their new home. In order for them to become part of society, they have to leave behind some of their beliefs and values.For instance, changing their appearance; to help adapt to the culture of their new country, immigrants usually have to exchange their traditional garments for those of what the general population wears. When you stand out as a foreigner, it might deter other people from working with you and wanting to talk to you. When Niels Lindstedt was dressed strangely â€Å"in a new suit of overalls, stiff with newness, his flaxen-haired head covered with a blue-denim cap† (Frederick Philip Grove 19), people judged him as â€Å"foreign and absurdâ €  (Frederick Philip Grove 19).His effort in trying to adapt himself to this new country seemed so obvious and unsuccessful because he tried too hard to look Canadian. This represents that he was not afraid to make changes although it did not necessarily work. Immigrants can sometimes feel lonely. When they go to a new country, they leave behind their friends and family and end up all alone. But there are people who can help. It's up to the immigrant to seek out these helpers and ask for their advice and take them into consideration.When Niels Lindstedt arrived in Balfour, Montreal, his plan was to look for work. There he met a hardware dealer and took the advice of changing his clothes because what he wore was unsuitable for working in the harvest field. This reveals that Niels is not afraid to make changes in how he appears and â€Å"he thought that now he looked exactly like a Canadian† (Frederick Philip Grove 22). The importance of acceptance by others is that you woul d not feel lonely and be left out. Soon the people around you become your friends or family that would accept you for who you are as an immigrant.Everyday people migrate into a new country to start a new life. Many immigrants face the same problems that Niels Lindstedt had to deal with when he immigrated into Canada. They encounter the problems of finding work and acceptance by others caused by not knowing the new language and not being able to communicate with people. Works Cited Grove Philip, Frederick. â€Å"The First Day of an Immigrant. † Making a Difference: Canadian Multicultural Literature in English. 2Nd ed. Ed. Smaro Kamboureli. Print.

Use and develop system that promote communication

On a daily basis within my current role I maintain a high level of communication in various ways with residents and their families, medical practitioners, colleagues internal staff, other professionals, and external agencies e. t. c. The ability to communicate effectively breaks barrier, it enhances learning and accomplishes goals. My level of communication within my current role is of extreme importance with regards to the individuals who are at the heart of all communication of the establishment.I ensure that whatever the form of communication, be it written, electronic, organisational, promotional, verbal, non-verbal, confidentiality is maintained at all times. Effective communication is what enables all the different departments to work well within an organisation including liaising with external agencies and individuals such as the CQC, Social Services, and health professionals, In my current role I ensure that all forms of communication is clear and precise, that it has a purpo se, it could be to inform, to instruct, to convince or to serve some other purpose.Communication is said to be successful when the desired objective is attained. In my current role I sometimes use body language as I do with words with some individuals this could be facial expressions, eye contact, movement of arms, hands and legs or focus my eyes on the individual but without intimidating the individual. I communicate in ways that respect the individuals' and key people's rights and concerns, using individuals' preferred method of communication and languages, for example when I am dealing with individual with hearing or sight impairments I ensure my communication is clear and not lengthy.I ensure that I come as close to them as possible without evading their personal space and that they can see my face, I speak slowly and clearly and speak to them in a way that i would like to be spoken to myself. When i ask a question I usually wait for the answer, even if it takes a little longer to come than usual. I use various ways to break down information to enable the residents to have a good understanding, for example using pictorial methods to promote choice and independence enabling me to understand what it is they want and need.I would also use this to help them understand which staff will be working with them, help them understand they have appointments with the doctors, dentist, optician or hairdresser etc In my current role we use two types of communication methods to deal with families and relatives. This is due to different backgrounds and relationships they have with them. For example one service user is very involved with his family and is very open with them and wants them to be involved in most aspects of his life, but we respect his decision that he would like his family to be on a need to know basis.There are guidelines in place which I follow when dealing with another service user’s family a professional but pleasant manner is used to communicate a strictly no sharing of information I support effective communication by various methods within my job role. I ensure a detailed handover of daily event is carried out for continuity of care and ensure that a record of daily events is written in the communication book and it it accessible.I ensure the regular scheduling of staff, relatives and resident for meetings, I send out memo and emails for notification when planning meetings or events and a planned agenda is being distributed to the relevant parties and requests for any suggestions in additions to the agenda which will be beneficial in opening the lines of communication. I ensure that minutes of meetings are taken and distributed to relevant parties following the meeting. Within my job role I communicate with a variety of people. These include residents, relatives, employees and colleagues within the larger sanctuary group team.I also communicate with external professionals, social services and safeguarding teams. On a larg er scale I maintain communication with the regional team, head office and support systems within sanctuary. I also have a part to play in the communication with the inspecting authorities such as CQC I am always looking for ways to improve communication systems in order to meet the needs of the residents and to help promote partnership working with colleagues, health professionals, social workers etc. I review practice and look at what others have written, if there is any thing i could adapt or adopt.

International Current Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Current Issues - Essay Example self-defence in international law Contemporary attitudes on the issue of pre-emptive self-defence appear to fall into four distinct schools of thought. The strict-constructionist school starts with the proposition that Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter details broader prohibition on the utilization of force. The utilization of force, as opposed to â€Å"war,† mirror a desire to ban transnational armed conflicts, not merely conflicts emanating from formal state of war. Strict constructionists’ highlights that Article 2 (4) ban any trans-boundary utilization of military force, inclusive of force justified by reference to the diverse doctrines established in the pre-Charter era of reprisal, forcible self-help, humanitarian intervention, and protection of nationals. Strict constructionist outlines that states may utilize force in self-defence as dictated by Article 51 of the UN charter. Proponents of the â€Å"imminent threat† school embrace the language of Article 51 speaks of self-defence in retaliation to an armed attack. However, proponents of this school of thought employ three lines of argument to progress a norm favouring a right of anticipatory self-defence, rather than pre-emptive self-defence. The proponents of this school of thought acknowledge that the UN Charter provides an intrinsic right to defend against an imminent threat. The provision â€Å"if an armed attack occurs† fails to impose conditions on the exercise of the intrinsic right; moreover, the broad meaning of the term â€Å"armed attack† accommodates the perception of â€Å"armed attack† as encompassing an attack that is imminent and inevitable. Nevertheless, proponents of this school of thought are unwilling to broaden the meaning of Article 51 beyond the notion of addressing imminent armed attack.2 This... This paper approves that the customary international law has a huge bearing on issues relating to self-defence. However, controversy still reigns since there is minimal scholarly consensus on the meaning of â€Å"imminence† within the context of contemporary threats. Furthermore, there is minimal consensus on who may be targeted in the sphere of non-state actors of those threatening, planning, perpetrating, and availing material support critical to organizing an armed attack. The labelling of an armed attack as â€Å"imminent† can be shaped by the relevant circumstances inclusive of the immediacy and nature of the threat; the possibility of an attack; whether the foreseen attack is part of a concerted pattern of persistent armed activity; the probability scale of the attack and the injury scale, or damage possible to emanate in the absence of mitigating action, and, the the probability that other opportunities to effect effective action in self-defence, which may yield to severe collateral injury, damage, or loss. This report makes a conclusion that opinions regarding the legality of self-defence under international law remain divided; one school of thought demands that an armed attack ought to occur prior to a state lawfully acting in self-defence. The resort to armed force remains outlawed as per the international law, except in cases where the UN Security Council awards permission. Military action ought to be employed as a last resort and must be essential to utilize force to deal with the precise threat at hand.

Six Thinking Hats Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Six Thinking Hats - Assignment Example I find it difficult tidying my bedding often when I wake up. My room is spacious and I possess great bed. I fear it lacks neatness that any other bed should have. Looking at the problem with the white hat, I realized the fact, that is; spreading my bed is a great disaster. Precisely, it makes my room to look untidy and congested. I feel that by the time I finish making my bedding there shall be no enough time for my preparation. I would rather engage into any other activity than to spread it. Under many circumstances I would fail to position my bed, thereby making my room to look dirty. Analyzing the problem with red hat thinking, some of my family members think the proposed color of my bedding looks extremely ugly. They anticipate for other colors, than the one present. Each one fear that a fellow family member may not wish for the arrangement made. They argue that my bed positioning is the worst. Tackling the issue with the black hat thinking, I fear that my family projections might be wrong. If my bed is not attractive, none of my siblings may wish to associate with my private issues. My room may be wished to be kitchen garbage. In this case it may remain abandoned for a long time. Bad memories may be associated with my room; occasionally they may call it horrible or rather terrific. Yellow hat thinking model, for instance, symbolizes optimism. If I choose to maintain the maximum cleanness, choose the favorable color by all my family members; put the bed on the right wanted position, my room may stand a great place to be. They may wish to vacate to my place or even wish to rent it, so as to capture a great income to the kitty. This would be on a long term basis. Blue hat thinking ensures that I stand above all various thinking styles. Here I see the need to keep other family members from judging other persons problems. Usually used by chair persons in meetings. The blue hat is used

Banning Flag Burning Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banning Flag Burning - Thesis Proposal Example The above lines perfectly capture the symbolic significance of the national flag. The flag is the most visible emblem of the country and is a reminder of the people who sacrificed their lives for the country. If one were to fully understand what the flag essentially stands for, it would become pretty evident that any act of insult to the flag is but blasphemous. Opposition to the banning of flag burning have been grounded on the premises of freedom of expression and speech. It has been argued that defacing the national flag is justified as a means of protected speech, a claim that is vindicated by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the USA. But one needs to understand the gravity of the situation. It is this very flag which stands as a tall symbol of the freedom guaranteed to every citizen of USA. People's protests are meant against the government, not the country. A clear distinction needs to be made between the government, which merely runs the country, and the nation itsel f. A nation, in all its essence, is greater than the political party in power. And thus, grave offence to a highly esteemed symbolic entity in the name of protest, does not do justice to the nation. More often than not, these protests are aimed at a political leader and his policies, and there are several alternative methods to exhibit public disapproval in such cases. Burning effigies of the leader in question is still justified, but burning the national flag is not only inappropriate, it also fails to serve the purpose. Flag burning is often defended on the grounds of civil liberties granted by the democratic governmental setup. The First Amendment protects the right to free speech, not vandalism.... As there are no absolute laws which deem flag burning illegal, the courts have often found it difficult to prosecute acts of flag desecration. The two most popular cases of flag burning have been Texas v. Johnson, and United States v. Eichman both in the year 1990. And in both the aforementioned cases, the Supreme court declared that flag burning was protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution. But there have been other acts of flag desecration that have ended in conviction. It is rather interesting to note that the cases which did in fact end in conviction involved milder forms of flag desecration like using the flag for commercial purposes. In one such case Halter v. Nebraska, the owner of a bottling company was charged with selling bottles with the American flag imprinted on them in 1905. In 1903, Nebraska made it a crime to â€Å"sell, expose for sale, or have in possession for sale, any article of merchandise upon which shall have been printed or placed, for purpose s of advertisement, a representation of the flag of the United States†. Under this law, the Supreme court ruled 8-1 to uphold Halter’s conviction. This case was significant for a variety of reasons- it was one of the first Supreme court cases pertaining to protection of the national flag, and also because it was seen as a moral victory for people who sought greater government regulation in the matter.

Three men who have played othello Research Paper

Three men who have played othello - Research Paper Example One of the major differences that have been seen in the character of Othello has been his race. Scholars have always had controversy over Moor’s origin. Some think that he is Arabic others think that he is black. However, before the blacks got into acting, Othello’s role has been played by white actors wearing blackfaces. However, this has slowly been black actors with the white actors being quite rare today (Shakespeare, 135). In this article we are going to discuss how Orson Welles, Ira Aldridge and Tommaso Salvini have represented the character of Othello. Orson Welles was a white actor who takes the role of Othello. He applies a lot of makeup in order to appear black. He was generally able to bring out the best of the character Othello. For instance, despite the fact that he stood out of the crown not only because he was tall but he that he was very courageous and would challenge anyone. Welles Othello is a flawless lover who finds himself in caught between honesty and intrigue. He is a vulnerable hero with two personalities. At some point he is brutal and baseless and at other times he is sensitive and noble. He does not realize that his wife has been faithful and devoted all the way until it is too late and at this point he decides to commit suicide. Unlike other Othello’s who were either black or which actors who wore a blackface, Welles Othello had a brown skin and black hair. He however wore a white cap at the scenes in the beginning of the play. Iran Aldridge was the first black actor to take up the role of Othello. This was after two hundred years of white actors taking up this role. He played several other Shakespeare roles. His acting as Othello was quite spectacular and left the audience earning for more. However, since he lived in an era when racism was very ripe, he was not welcomed by the conservatives who believed that the place of black people was just being slaves. The Times once commenting on one of his performances in Covent Garden said that it was objectionable for Desdemona to be pawned upon by a black man on stage London was the hub of racism and he was not allowed to perform in London theatre. He however performed in several other cities where he got a better reception. A Russian critic commented that Iran performances â€Å"were undoubtedly the best that I have ever spent in the theatre’ (Lindfors, 64). He acted under the directions of Dowling who followed the structure of the original play closely with the lines being quite the same. He used an accent that revealed an African dialect. This was a better portray of Othello considering that he was believed to be black in the original play. Tommaso Salvini is another actor who played the role of Othello. This man had won an international reputation of performing the roles of the Shakespeare tragic heroes. He performed in various countries starting with America Europe and his home country Italy. He was a not English speaker the use of bi lingualism on stage gave this actor a unique appeal. He would say his lines in Italian alongside and English speaking Lago. He had an imposing figure giving the Othello character Intensity and passion. Some critics are of the view that he was too passionate at times. In fact, it was said that he played the last scene aggressively than was intended in the book. Rumors said that some actors would refuse to be his Desdemona for this reason. Salvini also made other

The Moral Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Moral Mind - Essay Example The opponents of this argument Ross and Nisbett reject this ideology and hold the view that human behavior is inconsistent across situations. According to Schwartz, one normally has interest for others and it is ‘opposed to egoism’ (148). Hence, at certain occasions people do act upon the interest of the others. Whereas, Ross and Nisbett understand this social psychology in a different manner as a kind of ‘fascinating things about human behavior’ which can either validate or contradict it (187). They understand that human behavior is mysterious and can act upon the circumstances and situations of particular time. Schwartz’s opinion is well substantiated with many evidences. He argues his point of view in the mental functioning of presumption, assuming to be true. Presumption is the very basis of his explanation of the existence of the concept altruism. A normal person holds an instinct to serve the other without making any preferences. Moreover, an al truist act is little or no at all profit or benefit oriented. To substantiate his argument he explains certain fields of study such as biology, economics and psychology. Whereas, he is totally being criticized by Ross and Nisbett as they stick on to a different and unique point of view. They strongly support their view even by establishing a term of ‘fundamental attribution of error’ and believe that the personality can have a greater influence in deciding on decisions (189). Furthermore, personality and human behavior have tremendous influence in every action performed by him. But the situation and the sudden movements always do not encourage an act of altruism. It is a normal understanding that at a particular situation, a person acts accordingly. This concept is better explained in following verses â€Å"the situationist acknowledges that individuals may exhibit behavioral regularity over time across a run of a substantially similar situation† (Ross& Nisbett 1 99). Therefore, they strongly argue that the behavior is completely unreliable. An unreliable human behavior is subjected to change with the change in situation; whereas, the former concept of altruism is further substantiated on the basis its perfection which only possible through a whitewash over the egoistic motives. Ultimately, Schwartz accepts and understands the challenges associated with it such as ‘individualism, atomism and egoism’ but he is optimistic and says â€Å"altruism becomes not impossible but ubiquitous† (.149). However, overcoming every problem is coupled with clear understanding and rational thinking. The tension prevailing is nothing but a contradict view. On the one side Schwartz argues that humans are robustly and consistently altruistic, describing the tendency or the instinct to serve others; while on the other side Ross and Nisbett contradict this view by substantiating their view of inconsistency across situations. Therefore, solving t his debatable issue is not an easy task. Guided by intelligence or rational thinking one would always adapt a mid-way approach as it is well said that virtue lays in the middle. Before coming to a final decision one should always look at both pros and cons of both points of view. The positive sides of the altruistic attitude are remarkable as humans do such kind of activities in their day-to-day life. Similarly, on the other side, the argument for situational act is not a negligible ideology as many at circumstances some hesitate to perform certain good actions. On

Smoking Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Smoking - Research Proposal Example This stage is called metastasis. On the contrary, in some cases cancer cells do not display uncontrolled growth, they are non-invasive and do not spread, such stage of cancer only forms benign tumors (Alberts et al, 2007). Numerous factors are responsible for the proliferation of cancer, these could be environmental factors- tobacco and alcohol consumption; obesity- sedentary life style and higher intake of calorific fast food may lead to the trigger of cancer genes (Bassen- Engguist, 2011), pollution, obnoxious agents with carbon particles including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the industries releases toxic chemicals may act as carcinogens; heredity factors, radiation hazards, by viruses, food items, pesticides and other organophosphorous compounds and cosmetic agents may act as carcinogenic agents (Irigaray, 2007). The present research proposal is to highlight the significance of smoking in treating cancer. Treatment of cancer involves chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, studies reveal that investigative studies presents neurobiological, pharmacological implications of marijuana and its therapeutic propositions for HIV wasting, glaucoma and cancer chemotherapy ("American College of Physicians", 2008). However, an impediment to pursue research is attributed to the intricacies exhibited by the federal approval methodology, insufficient availability of research-level marijuana and disagreements over its legalization. Essentially, it is necessary for the physicians to realize the therapeutic implications of marijuana and encourage abusers co-operation in the management and cure of numerous disease conditions that are hard to cure because of extreme pain and the association of the underprivileged ("American College of Physicians", 2008). Marijuana, commonly identified as cannabis, comprises about 60 compounds unanimously described as cannabinoids. The foremost chemical component accountable for psychoactive

College Application Essay Example for Free

College Application Essay At some point in our lives, we all have one significant experience that can affect us. Whether this experience is big or small, it still happened and made its impact on you. I remember when I first pushed myself to do something that pushed me out of my comfort zone and do more during that time period. That something was to be better than my siblings and be more successful than they were. My older brother and sister were good kids, but never did what they said they were going to do after high school. My sister had wanted to be a nursing assistant for the longest time and my brother had wanted to be a lawyer. Although my sister wasn’t the smartest in school she still passed and graduated with her class, but did not go to college. My brother on the other hand had a different path to become a lawyer, which he could have with his grades, but did not. He decided to enlist in the military and hoped to go to school afterwards. Although he had planned it all out, he didn’t follow it. Instead a tragedy struck him while in the military and is now discharged medically and only working a part time job. Of course I don’t believe the military is a bad job at all and I believe that if things happened differently for him his life would be different now. Today he is still undecided when and where he wants to attend college. My older siblings always told me high school would be different and harder than the smaller elementary and middle schools. I knew this but I didn’t mind because I knew that I had wanted to excel in school to do something successful afterwards. I didn’t just want to be more successful than my siblings but it made me realize that if you don’t drive yourself to work hard in school you don’t always achieve what you want to do. By pushing myself harder in school I’ve made an effect on myself that has put me in a great position throughout my years of high school. Through high school I’ve had the privilege of being able to take high honor classes and even college classes that have allowed me to be ahead of the game. But in order to be ahead of the game I have had to study hard, do my homework and pay attention closely to the classes that I have taken. I believe within my four years of high school I have achieved so much more than my siblings all from great teachers and other role models in my life teaching me various things. Even throughout these times it has been some stressful days and weeks I still was calm and handled everything in a well-timed manner. Therefore, I have been able to push myself one step closer to what I want to do and it has  encouraged me greatly so I can see what I may do soon in the future. My risk to go out of my comfort zone and put more pressure on my shoulders has been a great deal for me. I hope that me pushing myself to do harder and better work throughout high school helps me in my later future studies and work.

The delft network in the netherlands

The delft network in the netherlands 1 About the Delft network Delft is a city located in the Netherlands, having a population of 96168. It is spread over an area of 24 sq.km. (Wikipedia 2009a). The Delft University of Technology is the largest technical university in the Netherlands, with over 15,000 students (Wikipedia 2009b). Due to the significant student population, cycling is an important mode of transport. Delft is bound by freeways on all sides, except the southern, which is delimited by a highway. The hierarchy of roads in Delft is freeways, highways, main roads, and local roads. The railway line cuts across the city, running in the north-south direction from the centre of the city. A main road and a highway are the main linkages between the two freeways on the either side of the railway line. 2 Transport Problem in Delft The railway line passing through Delft is a component of one of the principal railway connections in the Netherlands, connecting Rotterdam and The Hague. The existing 2-track railway line is insufficient, and it has been planned to be upgraded to a 4-track line. However, due to lack of space to build another viaduct, and environmental problems caused by the railway line, it has been proposed to rebuild the railway line in a tunnel. 2020 is envisaged to be a typical year while the construction is in operation. Thus, Links 10486, 9873, and 9827 will be blocked for all traffic. Due to the detours which would result due to the blocked links, cyclists and cars would have to deal with increased travel times. It is anticipated that Mercuriusweg/Abtwoudse Pad or the Ruys de Berenbrouckstraat links would be used in lieu of the blocked links (Chen 2009). 3 Description of Current scenario and Alternate Scenarios 3.1 Description of the Current Situation 2003 Zones 1-7 are the external zones, whereas the rest of the zones are considered as the internal zones. The internal zones are the primary areas of concern. It has also been given that in 2003, zones 23, 24, and 25 are still under development and there is no travel demand from and to these zones (Chen 2009). 3.2 Description of the Zero-Alternative Situation 2020 By 2020, zones 24 and 25 will have been completely developed. However, Zone 23 would still not have been developed. Infrastructure has been upgraded accordingly to connect zones 24 and 25 with the rest of the city. Zone 12 remains the highest trip generating and trip attracting internal zone, as does Zone 1 amongst the external zones. 3.3 Description of Future Situation during Construction 2020 Considering the future scenario for the city of Delft in 2020 during the expansion of the rail line from 2-track to 4-track, it shall be assumed that this project will be in progress and 2020 will be a typical year. It has been given that during the expansion, Links 10486, 9873, and 9827 will be blocked (Chen 2009). The trip generation remains the same as for the zero-alternate scenario for 2020. 4 Modelling for Current Situation 2003 4.1 Trip Generation For performing the trip generation modelling function, the Zonal-based Multiple Regression model has been employed. It takes into account the linear relationships of the socio-economic characteristics of the households in the zones, which affects the trips produced and attracted for each zone (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999). The following functions have been used for the trip generating model in the case of internal zones: Pi = 0.3RESIDENTSi + 0.06JOBSi + 0.03RESEARCHi + 0.03EDUCATIONi Ai = 0.05RESIDENTSi + 0.75JOBSi + 0.3RESEARCHi + 0.3EDUCATIONi Where Pi = production of zone i, Ai = attraction of zone i, RESIDENTSi = number of residents in zone i, JOBSi = number of jobs in zone i, RESEARCHi = research facility space in zone i, EDUCATIONi = amount of educational services offered in zone i. Source: Chen 2009 For the case of external zones, the numbers of trips generated and attracted have been assessed based on the traffic volume counts. These are as indicated in Appendix 1. For the internal zones, it can be seen that the variable of the number of residents living in each zone is the most dominant one affecting the number of trips produced. The variables which are most dominant for trip attraction are number of jobs, and the research facility space in that particular zone respectively. Appendix 2 indicates the trip generation for 2003, including both the internal as well as the external zones. 2003 histogram.JPGFigure 4-1: Productions and Attractions for the Current Scenario 2003 It can be seen from the Appendix 2 and figure 4-1, Zone 12 is the largest trip generator and attracting external zone. Zone 1 is the highest trip generating and attracting internal zone. 4.2 Trip Distribution and Modal Split The Gravity Model has been employed to generate the trip distribution model. This model is a type of Synthetic Model as â€Å"it estimates trips for each cell in the matrix without directly using the observed trip pattern† (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999 p.159). There are three variants for the Gravity Model function, namely: Exponential Function: f(cij) = exp (-ßcij) Power Function: f(cij) = cij-n Combined Function: cnij exp(-ßcij) Singly constrained versions, in this case destination-constrained, can be produced by making Ai equal to 1, i.e. Ai = 1 and Bj= 1/?iDif(cij) The Combined Function variation of the Gravity Model is the most superior one, as it is the best fit with the actual observed values for trip length distributions of cars (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999). OmniTRANS performs simultaneous modal split, for which the gravity model can be extended to the â€Å"simultaneous gravity model† which is given by: Tijv=p.Qi.Xj.Fv(zijv) Where Tijv= Number of trips from zone I to j via mode v p= Scaling factor Xj= Column Balancing Factor Fv(zijv)= Distribution function taking into account the willingness to travel by mode v given impedance z Appendix 4 indicates the traffic distribution of cars in Delft. 44566 cars have been distributed. As can be seen in Appendix 5, 8635 cyclists have been distributed the entire network of Delft. The modal split indicates that 83.77 percent of the traffic is constituted by cars and 16.23 percent by bicycles. The trip length distribution function for cars can be seen in figure 4-2. This indicates the willingness to travel to a certain distance without any impendence, such as congestion. Hence, in this case the maximum uncongested distance travelled is 10 km. Similarly, figure 4-3 indicates the trip length distribution for bicycles, which experiences its peak at 3 km. The trip time distributions for cars and bicycles have been indicated in Figure 4-4 and Figure 4-5 respectively. These functions, too, follow a similar pattern as that of the Trip Length Distribution. In the case of cars and bicycles, both, the peak is of 12 minutes. The mean trip distance for bicycles is 3.14 km and the mean trip time is 14.22 minutes. Similarly, for cars, the mean distance is 7.59 km and time is 11.12 minutes. Intra-zonal car trips constitute only about 0.57 percent of the total number of trips made by cars, and those made by bicycles constitute about 16.55 percent of the total number of bicycle trips. 4.3 Traffic Assignment 4.3.1.1 Assignment for Cars The General Equilibrium technique of traffic assignment has been used for cars. The condition as given by Wardrop is that â€Å"Under equilibrium conditions, traffic arranges itself in congested networks in such a way that no individual trip maker can reduce his path costs by switching routes† (Ortà ºzar and Willumsen 1999 p.303). Under this traffic assignment model, costs are all perceived in the same way by the trip makers, and hence Stochastic effects are not considered. The following links have the largest traffic flow (for a single direction) of about 7064 cars assigned: 10972, 10973, 11289, 11427, 11428, and 11477. Figure 4-6 represents the traffic assignment for cars in 2003. The colours of the bands, in the graph, indicate the V/C Ratio and the width indicates the traffic load. It reflects that the main road, the east and west freeways crossing the railway are suffering from V/C ratios greater than 1, which requires attention. 4.3.1.2 Assignment for Bicycles The Stochastic Method has been employed for the traffic assignment model for bicycles. This method is superior to the All-Or-Nothing Method, as it takes into account the diversity in the road users perceptions of distance, travel time, generalised costs; and thus considers alternate routes to the best-route choice, given by the All-Or-Nothing technique. This is a suitable model for the traffic assignment of bicycles as this technique does not take into account the congestion effects, which is not calculable since capacities for bicycles are not specified. Link 10850 has been assigned the maximum number of bicycle trips for a single direction, which is 941 trips. Figure 4-7 represents the assignment of bicycles in 2003. Most of the trips are confined to the internal zones. 5 Modelling for Future Situation 2020 The modelling stages for the future scenarios of 2020 will remain the same till the Traffic Assignment Stage, which would differ based on the blocked links for the future construction scenario of 2020. 5.1 Trip Generation The Zonal-based Multiple Regression model has been employed. The functions are the same as those for 2003. However, forecasts for the number of residents, jobs, and the research facility space and education building space in 2020 are different from the current year. Also, it has been given that the productions and attractions generated by the external zones is to be assumed to grow by 15 percent from 2020 to 2003 (Chen 2009). The above figure 5-1 illustrates that Zone 1 still remains the highest trip production and attraction external zone; and Zone 12 continues to remain the highest trip producing and attracting internal zone. The same is reflected through Appendix 3. 5.2 Trip Distribution and Modal Split The Gravity Model has been employed for the trip distribution. A total of about 54380 cars have been distributed, and about 10413 bicycles. The modal split for 2020 demonstrates that about 83.5 percent of the trips would be by cars, and the remaining 16.5 percent by bicycles. For cars, the intra-zonal trips constitute about 0.54 percent, whereas for the bicycles, intra-zonal trips constitute about 15.71 percent of the trips. Trip length distribution function (indicated in Figure 5-2 and 5-3) and the trip time distribution functions (indicated in Figure 5-4 and 5-5) have been generated. The maximum uncongested distance remains the same for both cars and bicycles, as in 2003, as also the maximum uncongested time in the case for cars. For bicycles, the maximum time has reduced to 8 minutes. The mean trip distance for bicycles is 3.26 km and the mean time is 14.75 minutes. Similarly, for cars, the mean distance is 7.56 km and time is 11 minutes. 5.3 Traffic Assignment for Zero-Alternative Situation 5.3.1 Traffic Assignment for Cars The General Equilibrium model has been employed. The following links have the maximum numbers of cars assigned, i.e. about 8346 cars, to them for one direction: Links 10972, 10973, 11289, 11427, 11428, 11477, and 11478. Figure 5-6 represents the assignment for cars. The colours of the bands, in the graph, indicate the V/C Ratio and the width indicates the load of traffic. The freeways continue to have high V/C ratios, as well as the main roads crossing the railway. 5.3.2 Traffic Assignment for Bicycles For the traffic assignment modelling for bicycles, the Stochastic Method has been used again. Link 10850 has been assigned the maximum number of bicycle trips (114 trips). Figure 5-7 represents the bicycle assignment. 5.4 Traffic Assignment for Future Construction Situation In the future situation during construction, the decision to upgrade the railways from two tracks to four tracks has been made. This would result in the closing of Links 9827, 9873, and 10486. 5.4.1 Traffic Assignment for Cars It has been calculated that links 11283, 11407, 11463, and 11464 have the maximum load, of 10723 cars in one direction. Figure 5-8 represents the car assignment considering future construction. The cross-railway link south of zone 17 experiences a greater load, whereby there is a reduction in the northern cross-link. 5.4.2 Traffic Assignment for Bicycles The Stochastic model employed for assigning the bicycle traffic that Link 10452 the maximum load, in one direction, of 1446.54 bicycles. Figure 5-9 represents the assignment for bicycles. 6 Analysis 6.1 Trip Generation Amongst the internal zones, which are of primary concern, Zone 12 is the zone which remains the highest trip producing and attracting zone. This is supported by the fact that Zone 12 has the highest number of residents living in it, and the maximum number of jobs existing in this zone. This zone is located at the heart of the city, adjacent to the railway line and the main road connecting the two freeways. All the internal zones have experienced a growth rate for the number of trips generated and produced by about 11 percent. Zone 1 also remains the highest trip producing and attracting external zone. This may be accounted by the fact that Zone 1 is directly connected to Delft by the railway line, and thus could perhaps be an important junction or location. 6.2 Trip Distribution and Modal Split The trip distribution can be reflected through the study of the matrices given in Appendix 4 to 7. For 2003, the maximum number of car trips has been of the nature Internal-to-External, with the most dominant one being from Zone 15 to Zone 1. This has not changed for 2020. For 2003 and 2020, the most dominant character of bicycle trips is Internal-to-Internal, with maximum trips being made within Zone 12. This is as should be expected, since long distance travel by bicycles is not likely to be made except in rare circumstances. The maximum number of bicycle trips may also be attributed to the fact that Zone 12 is the Delft City Centre. The maximum growth (4.8 times) for car trips has been seen for the pair Zone 7-Zone 1, and the maximum for bicycles (0.15 times) has been for the pair Zone 5-Zone 12. On studying the zone-to-zone average travel distance and time, it can be seen from Appendix 8 and 9 that the maximum increase for trip distance has been from zone 7 to 15 (46.86 percent) and maximum increase in time has been for the pair zone 18 to 22 (48.67 percent). The maximum increase (48.78 percent) in cost has been experienced for zone 11 to 22. The modal split indicates a marginal change from 2003 to 2005, whereby there is a decrease from approximately 83.77 to 83.5 percent for cars. Intra-zonal trips made in 2020 have experienced a fall from 2003. This may indicate greater travel distances and time, and thus greater generalized costs in the future. 6.3 Traffic Assignment On comparing the figures indicating the traffic assignments for the three scenarios, it can be seen that the maximum car trips load remains on the freeways defining Delft on the eastern and western sides. The main difference can be seen between the zero-alternative and construction situation for 2020. Due to the blocked links, car traffic has been assigned to the links 1164, 11645, and Westvest-Hooikade particularly have experienced a significant increase, whereas the Westlandseweg links have experienced a decrease in the load of trips. Also, as was expected, there was an increased use of the Ruys-de-Berenbrouckstraat, and Abtwoudse links. However, the Mercuriusweg saw a decrease in the traffic load as compared to the zero-alternative scenario, which goes against as was anticipated. In the case of assigned bicycle trips, due to the blocked links, the Hof-van-Delftlaan link has seen a substantial increase in the traffic load. The share of the railway crossing traffic has been seen to change for all the three scenarios. This has been indicated in figure 6-1. There is a decrease in the share from 2003 to the Zero-Alternative scenario. However, comparing the future construction scenario with the Zero-Alternative, there has been an increase in the share, for both cars and bicycles. 7 Conclusions Zones 1 and 12 being of prime importance, also supported by their connectivity will continue to dominate as the zones attracting and generating the maximum traffic. Since maximum bicycle traffic load is concentrated in Zone 12, measures may be taken to restrict the entry of cars in this area so as to ensure a more safe environment, which would even benefit the households, as the maximum percentage are located in this zone. Increased generalised costs must be taken into account, based on the above analysis. Links which are experiencing greater traffic loads due to construction works have been identified, and relief measures for these should be planned, particularly for the freeways on the eastern and western side of the city. 8 Strengths and Weaknesses of OmniTRANS The strength of OmniTRANS is that it helps in the rapid and accurate transport modeling procedures. Also, the data can be very easily examined on the transport network map, rather than just being confined to tables and numbers, which makes analysis tedious. Also, a number of variables can be studied, which can be further sorted out based on the direction for any particular link. The weaknesses could be cited as only being able to employ the use of the Simultaneous Gravity Model being available for trip distribution stage. Also, only limited types of traffic assignment models can be performed (such as Stochastic, All-or-Nothing, and Equilibrium). Public transport modelling is also not performed by the software (OmniTRANS 2009). References CHEN, H. 2009. Handout: Coursework Description, lecture notes distributed in TRAN5020 Principles of Transport Modelling. University of Leeds, 3 November 2009. OMNITRANS. 2009. Whats New in OT5 [online]. [Accessed on 1st December 2009]. Available from http://www.omnitrans-international.com/resources/brochures/whats%20new%202008.pdf. ORTÚZAR, J. WILLUMSEN, L.G. 1999. Modelling Transport. West Sussex: Wiley. WIKIPEDIA. 2009a. Delft [online]. [Accessed on 10 November 2009]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft. WIKIPEDIA. 2009b. Delft University of Technology [online]. [Accessed on 10 November 2009]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft_University_of_Technology.

Impact of Pastoralism on Political and Economic Organization

Impact of Pastoralism on Political and Economic Organization The Basseri community is one of the traditional ethnic groups in Iran who inhabits the Fars province. This tribe is illustrated as Persian and Arab and nomadic within a delineated territory. The Basseri community is one of the pastoral nomads who usually wander along the plains and hills near the Shiraz town. In the area where they migrate it is said to be best for agricultural activities as well as it is also the habitat of a wide variety of birds and animals to hunt. Actually, the place is referred to as the land of nomadic tribes. As stated above, the Basseri communities are pastoralist, (Ronald, 2006). Therefore, in this essay I will be analyzing how the pastoralist mode of life has impacted the social, political, and economic organization. To be more precise, I will be analyzing the economic, social and political organization of the Basseri community. It is argued that the Basseri is a delineated group who can be defined not by ethnic or geographical but rather political criteria. The exact number of the population in this community is the recent time is not known as research has not been carried out to establish this. But in 1950s, they were estimated the entire community was estimated to be about 16,000. The vernacular language of the Basseri is Farsi, although a remarkable number of them do speak Arabic or Turkish Economic organization. It is important to note that just like in any other pastoralist community, pastures are seen as being the most crucial part of the Basseri community. However, the pastures are not enough to support the large flocks of animals of the community. This explains why this community wanders along the plains efficiently and according to a set schedule. In most cases, there is no official division of labor when setting, ready to make a move, (Thomas, 2009). Although this community is on the move from one place to another throughout the year, it is argued that agriculture is the most crucial part of the community. The tribe has developed a way of life that enables them to maximize the use of seasonal pastures. Arguably, the nature of the climate that is found in the area they inhabit dictates that they perform artificial irrigation so as to support their agricultural activities during the dry season. It has been observed that the most common economic activities that are carried by the community are domestic work, animal raring, and daily cycles of migration. In this community, the principle of division of labor is well appreciated as it makes work easier. Division of labor is usually applies as work is distributed according to sex as well as age although circumstances may sometimes dictates that work be allocated to one sex or age, (Ronald, 2006). The animals that are kept by this community includes; horses which are used for riding more especially by men, donkeys which are used for simple transportation especially by kids and women, camels which are used for heavy transportation during migration, and dogs for guarding their herds during the night. Despite the fact that the community keeps a number of domestic animals, those of the greatest importance are the goats and sheep. Besides, the community also keeps poultry not for their eggs but specifically as source of meat. As mentioned above, the goats and sheep are highly valued by the Basseri more than any other animal specifically because of the milk, wool, meat and hides that they supply. It should be noted that in most cases, the animal products are consumed as soon as they are produced; although some may be preserved for future use, or as trade commodities. It is estimated that each and every household in the community owns about 120 goats and sheep and more than 8 donkeys. To some extent, trading can be considered as being one of the economic activities of the Basseri community. It is true that the community cannot produce all they need for themselves as they wander from place to place. Therefore, exchanging what they have for what they do not have is inevitable. Mostly, they trade with villagers and other communities who they encounter with on their way as they move from one place to another. Some of the goods which they trade in include; cash crops such as the dates and cotton, and other animal products, (Ronald, 2006). Moreover, they sometimes undertake animal hiring business in that they hire out their animals for transport. In exchange, they get from the villagers such goods as cereals for instance, barley which is one of their stable food. Other which they trade in includes craftsmanship products such as tent fixtures and some other household items. It should also be noted that when drought persisted for a long period, the Basseri are forced to r ent land from the villagers for grazing and water rights during migration period. Social Organization. Socially, this community is organized into small groups. The basic unit of social organization among the Basseri is known as the tent. Notably, a tent is a unit that is occupied mainly by a nuclear family. The tents in turn form the camp groups. Moreover, each and every tent represents a production as well as a consumption unit headed by a male individual. The occupants of tents act as political units which have rights over property within the community units, (Ronald, 2006). The combination of units to form a small herding groups whose combination depends on usefulness rather than kinship principles, is a common feature among the Basseri community. In the winter periods, a group of 3-6 tents of herding units form up small camps that are about 3-4 kilometers apart. Most of the historians assert that in the real sense, these camps form up the principal communities of the Basseri nomadic society. Kinship Among the Basseri, marriage is considered as being a very important social event that constitutes the entire household. It is a common thing that the authority to make marriage contracts lies on the hands of the head of the household or tent, (Khanam, 2008). Many a times, marriage takes between the ages of about seventeen and twenty for the female case but in males, it might happen at an older age. It is an obligation of the father to furnish his daughter with various items usually household items during the ceremony. To some extent, the father may also offer some animals such as goats and sheep to his son-in-law as an economic support to start his family. The obligation of the mothers of the couple is mainly to prepare a new home for the couple by entwining a new tent where the couple will be living after the marriage. Although the authority to make marriage contracts is within the powers of the head of a tent, the contract is in most cases presided over by a nontribal ritual specialist, or holy man, (Ronald, 2006). This contract is concluded by the bride-payments for the girl on top of the domestic tools she is expected to bring to her in-laws. According to this community, the newly married couples have equal rights as far as decision making is concerned. The two individuals sit down together and discuss on family issues and how they should raise their family in order to fit in the community. Beliefs and Values The Basseri are one of the Shia Muslims who adheres to the teachings of the Islam religion. However, some of them are not very much aware of the beliefs of Muslims, ceremonies and customs. This is so because they tend to differ from other Muslim over the events and divisions of the Muslim year, although sometimes they are influenced by other villagers who they encounter while in movement from one region to another, (Khanam, 2008). It has also been noted that they are not strict in observing some Islamic customs even though they are aware of them. For instance, this community rarely celebrates Islamic feasts. In fact, even the most common feasts of Ramadan and Moharram are observed by not many Basseri. When it comes to rituals, they are usually associated with the life cycle of the people more than the Islamic teachings, that is, from birth to death Gender relations As stated earlier, although the distribution of authority is fairly equal, men are considered as the head of their families once they start their families. A female can only be considered to be the head of her family if only she is a window, (Khanam, 2008). Work is also distributed in terms of sex. Female and children undertake domestic chore while men take care of the animals and provide security for their families. It is as well, the work of men to provide water and wood for the family. Sickness and Healing It is very rare for a Basseri to fall sick majorly because of the kind food they eat. Because of the kind of life they live, these people mostly take natural plants and animal products which help to boost their immunity system. However, the community has medicine-men who are specialists in treating the sick. In most cases these specialists uses natural medicine which they obtain from natural herbs. Social Change There are some remarkable changes that have been occurred among the Basseri community over time. This may be majorly due to the different people with different modes of cultures who they encounter in their migrations. Therefore, there are some things that they have copied from these communities and they have also influenced these communities in one way or another. For example, from the very beginning the community was known to be purely pastoralists who their needs were met from their animals, (Thomas, 2009). However, with time they have learnt to also plant some crops to supplement their diet and also as a source of food for their animals during the dry season. It is also argued that trading was never one of the economic activities among the Basseri people. They have only learnt this activity from other communities more especially the villagers who sometimes offer their pastures for the Basseri animals in exchange for animal products such as hides and milk. Unlike most of the nomadic communities more especially in the East Africa who were independent and autonomous, the Basseri formed the Khamseh Tribal Confederation which was also a part of the elite urban merchants. With time, this community have come to be independent in one way or another because of the decisions which they make which are generally based on the circumstances and also the needs that they have as per that time and not according to the requirements of the confederation. Arguably, there have been a lot of changes in the social structure of this community over time. It is important to note that inter-marriages in the community were never prohibited. As a result, a number of the Basseri community members have been assimilated by other communities majorly due to intermarriage, (Khanam, 2008). This has also led to the changing roles between the males and females. In the current times, it is normal for a woman to undertake what is considered as a mans job and vice versa. Political organization In this community, a centralized type of government is used in administration. A chief is the single leader of the Basseri who has supreme authority over the entire community, (Khanam, 2008). The functions of the chief includes; collection and storage of goods in the community, planning and directing how the community should take its production activities, and ensuring that the behavior of the people is as per the norms and beliefs of the community. The Basseri are grouped into smaller units called tribes or chiefdoms. The smaller groups are usually headed by a leader who is usually recognized by the chief. These tribes or chiefdoms forms the formal institutions that are used to unify the dispersed groups. According to this community, leadership depends on the lineage clans. This means that one becomes a leader if only his parents or clan comes from the leadership background. The chief draws his powers from the headmen (Katkhoda) who he sometimes, gives precious goods as gifts. The headmen are very influential people than any ordinary man because they are privileged to deal directly with the chief, (Thomas, 2009). These headmen come from the various political units (Tents). As mentioned early, leadership among the Basseri is hereditary. This explains why the son of the Basseri is always considered to be a Basseri even if his mother may be from a different tribe. As such, there is some kind of stratification of the society according to the different levels of power and prestige. In many nomadic communities, raiding is a very common phenomenon because they belief that all the animals belongs to them. However, among the Basseri community this is not the case. They prefer co-existing peacefully with their neighbors who they encounter as they wander from place to place. This explains why they prefer an arbitration mode of conflict resolution whenever there is a misunderstanding between either the community members or the community and another community. There are different modes of dealing with those who are found to have broken the code of behavior that is accepted in the community, (Khanam, 2008). This will include imposition of fines whereby the offender is supposed to pay a certain amount of agricultural products, and to the extreme one may be disowned by the community members, a decision which is made by the Chief who is the supreme authority in this community. Conclusion The Basseri community can be described from various viewpoints that are common in almost all the nomadic communities. For instance, almost all these communities have a similar form of political and social organization. However, due to the surrounding communities and the environment the community has come to change their life-styles in one way or another. This explains the various changes that have been observed in the Basseri community in the recent times.

What Causes Teenagers to Lose Motivation in School? Essay -- Education

What Causes Teenagers to Lose Motivation in School? missing works cited Some reasons for high school student academic failure, which range from drug use to individual student insecurity, can be plainly traced to the nature of adolescence. Social acceptance and a desire to belong to a crowd are placed above academics in the minds of teens. When academic underachievement is the norm, devoted students may come under ridicule as being "nerds" or "teacher's pets". There is a difficulty, therefore, in getting students to become motivated. How do you propose to motivate a group of students who feel that they cannot jeopardize their social status for doing well in school? Other reasons for academic failure range from student feelings of incompetence in learning the materials, to boring class subjects and busy work. To adequately solve the problem of academic failure, researchers are looking for ways to build a connection between identifying these students and reinforcing motivation in them. Causes and Effects of Adolescent Academic Failure: Lack of Motivation This category encompasses discussion of drug use, peer pressure, inadequate study and time management skills as well as adolescence itself, as they pertain to the causes and effects of each of these issues. "Facts About Alcohol and Drugs: Grades 9-12" is a web page containing statistics compiled by a national school health survey. The poll taken by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the fall of 1987 revealed that eighty-nine percent of the tenth graders surveyed reported having tried alcohol. Thirty-five percent of tenth graders reported having tried marijuana. The survey was conducted among eleven thousand eighth and tenth graders in a nationwide survey... ...uate to get by. The way sociological and psychological aspects of student motivation relates to the overall topic of student motivation lies in the fact that the root of the problem resides in the minds of students and teachers, rather than in the outward manifestation of low grades, test scores, etc. In other words, even if a teacher makes it possible for students to raise their grade from an "F" to an "A", it does not necessarily mean that students learned anything at all. It is possible that the teacher made special provisions for a certain student to get through the class easier, such as offering extra credit. Only by tapping their minds for the want to learn will students actually thirst for knowledge, putting our educational standards on par with Japan and other world powers that pride themselves on preparing their kids for entrance into the real world.

The Mood Disorder Depression Essay -- Papers Depressive Psychiatry Ess

The Mood Disorder Depression Depression can be defined as an affective, or mood disorder characterized by mood deviations that exceed normal mood fluctuations. At its most extreme, depression can describe a psychotic state where the individual cannot function on his or her own. Everyone can go through times of feeling down for a period of time after having suffered a loss, but for people with the illness known as depression, these feelings of sadness can go on for long periods of time. In fact, about 1 in every 10 of us will be seriously depressed during sometime in our lives. As viewed by psychiatrists, depression is an illness in which a person experiences a marked change in their mood and in the way they view themselves and the world. Sometimes, depression seems to happen because of a stressful event, sometimes it seems to happen for no reason at all. Depression as a significant depressive disorder ranges from short in duration and mild to long term and very severe, even life threatening. Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as do other illnesses such as heart disease. The three most prevalent forms of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Depression is a sickness which involves ones body, mood and thoughts, it even affects the way you eat and sleep. Depression strikes people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnic groups. Approximately 20 million adults suffer from depression each year in the U.S. Up to 25% of all women and up to 12% of all men in the U.S. will experience an episode of major depression some time in their lives. 15% of those who suffer from depression kill themselves and succeed, and sadly many more attempt it. TYPES OF DEPRESSION ... ...d not stop taking the antidepressant medication without talking to the doctor. - Phase 3 of treatment can last another year, or longer. How long it lasts depends on the depressed person’s medical history and on the advice of the doctor or other healthcare professional. Not all people need to take their medication during Phase 3. Thus, depression the â€Å"common cold† of psychological disorders, which affects about 12 million Americans each year, is treatable but sadly many don’t get the proper treatment and so live in a world where nothing can go their way. As one person stated when asked, â€Å"What is depression like?† they replied â€Å"Its hell†¦you doubt your own worth in society and in anyone’s life, you believe no one cares, you do not care about what happens to you or the world...and you’d wish everything would slow down so you can know what to think of everything.†

Emily Dickinson vs. Robert Frost Essay

Darkness is usually associated with fear or the unknown. As children, we are afraid of the unknown under our bed that darkness brings, which, in turn, makes our imaginations run wild, creating monsters, ghosts, and of course, the occasional boogeyman. Even as adults, we still have an antipathy to drive at night or go walking alone in the darkness. So it only makes sense that darkness is used in all forms of art to symbolize some kind of fear, unknown thing or place, or a mournful state. Within the world of poetry, the contrast of light and dark can be seen in hundreds of poems, including â€Å"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark† by Emily Dickinson and â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† by Robert Frost where the darkness symbolizes something much deeper than just fear. Both poems, â€Å"We grow accustomed to the Dark† and â€Å"Acquainted with the night† use the elements of Light and Dark as symbols within the speakers’ lives. In â€Å"Acquainted with the night† the speaker talks of darkness as his past experiences, most of them not good, and perhaps the depression that accompanied them. He says, â€Å"I have walked out in the rain and back in the rain,† meaning he has been through events, emotion, and sorrows through his life several times, but has managed to come through each one. He talks of how he has seen lugubrious moments when he says, â€Å"I have looked down the saddest city lane.† However, he is either ashamed or just unwilling to elaborate on his experiences in the line, â€Å"I have passed by the watchman on his beat and dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.† The speaker’s depression is so deep; he feels he has no hope or way of recovering. This is said in the line, â€Å"I have outwalked the furthest city light.† When the speaker gives descriptions of â€Å"the sound of feet† and â€Å"an interrupted cry,† it gives the reader a sense of blindness and furthering the speaker’s darkness and uncertainty of his life. The light that is shed by the â€Å"luminary clock† or the moon shows the prolonging of time that the speaker has to wait for something, possibly hope, to renew the â€Å"light† in his life. The speaker in â€Å"We grow accustomed to the dark† talks of similar things. He talks of problems most face throughout life and difficult decisions that are unavoidable. The darkness in this poem, much like Robert Frost’s, does not talk of literal darkness, but emotional darkness of the speaker. However, he  does not talk about dark as life in general. In the line â€Å"As when the Neighbor holds the Lamps to witness her Goodbye,† Dickinson saying that other people may hold â€Å"light†, meaning hope, faith, or happiness, but sometimes darkness is inevitable. He articulates that when good things are taken away from a person’s life, he must adjust his perception to the â€Å"darkness.† This is said in the line â€Å"Then-fit our Visions to the Dark-. † Then, when he talks of the moon having to sign, he says that not even the moon, usually the brightest light at night, cannot give him hope. He says that brave people will search for things but only fail. That people try to run away from the darkness within them and try to deny it. But in the line â€Å"And sometimes hit a Tree† shows that even when you run from a problem or try to deny it, there will be other problems you run into. However, this halt in moving on only makes that person stronger and wiser, learning from his mistakes. He says the only way to find oneself when there is no light or goodness is to move forward and adjust. The two poems are structured very differently. While Emily Dickinson uses short phrases with long sentences, Robert Frost uses whole sentences that flow easily. In â€Å"We grow accustomed to the dark,† the short words or phrases clumped together add emphasis and description. These cut phrases symbolize inner conflict or struggle within the speaker. The line â€Å"As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp† is one of the few lines that does not have a dash at the end. This is because the light illuminates the darkness, destroying the struggle. Dickinson adds these descriptive phrases to give more imagery to the poem. But still, each phrase and stanza fits with the next, adding to the whole picture of a lightless midnight. An example of the preponderance of dashes and their symbolizism is seen in the line â€Å"Or Star-come out-within-. † This line is about the mental darkness with no solution or â€Å"light† and the amount of dashes adds emphasis to the hopelessness in the search for light. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night,† Frost uses sentences that flow lightly from one to another. This gives the poem an effect of movement. It is read like a story, making it easy for the reader to connect things within the poem. Frost also uses a very steady rhyming scheme to draw the poem all together as whole. The rhyming at the end that corresponds to the beginning brings the reader back to the start of the poem, similar to a  circle and symbolizes the speaker’s recurring sadness. Everyone experiences dark times in his life-some more than others-with what seems like a never ending battle. These two poems, with two different experiences of darkness, tell us that there have been people who went through the same darkness we may be going through. Their dominance through the seemingly maelstrom night gives us hope for a better day. Dickinson and Frost have shed some light into an increasingly darkened world.

Global Ethics and Social Responsibility

Global Ethics and Social Responsibility While conducting work in any type of business setting there is always ethical and social responsibilities that we all must face at one time or another. From big business to small local own businesses, it is important that knowing the right from wrong is very important. This would include training for both management and staff. Companies have a more extensive ethical and social responsibility training programs when their business expands to other countries.The relationship with the partner nation is so important, the company hold their personnel to more strict standards as compared to their home nation. Corporate or Business ethics is the study and examination of moral and social responsibility in relation to business practices and decision-making in business (Dictionary. com's). To put the definition to test, let’s examine the memorable Gulf Oil Spill. The world waited for BP Oil Corps’ reactions and responds to the oil spill in t he Gulf. BP Public Relations survey the situation, waited for more facts and then after the some of the smoke cleared made a statement as early as possible.The first items that BP addresses were the safety of the crew on the platform, the platform and then the pipe beneath the platform. As time passed, BP later address the lost income of local fisherman, restaurants, hotels and other local small businesses that depended on the Gulf that supplied fresh seafood and tourist to their beautiful shores yearly. Income lost due to oil showing up on the shores and affecting local wildlife, decreased the business for most coastal towns. BP had a plan for clean up, they hired the same out of work people due to the Gulf Spill to help clean up the Gulf shore line.How is this global ethics? BP is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas â €Å"supermajors†. It is vertically-integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading. It also has major renewable energy activities, including in biofuels, hydrogen, solar and wind power.BP has operations in over 80 countries produces around 3. 8  million barrels of oil equivalent per day and has 22,400 service stations worldwide. Its largest division is BP America, which is the biggest producer of oil and gas in the United States and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. As at 31 December 2010 BP had total proven commercial reserves of 18. 07  billion barrels of oil equivalent. The name â€Å"BP† derives from the initials of one of the company's former legal names, British Petroleum. BP's track record of corporate social responsibility has been mixed.The company has been involved in a number of major environmental and safety inci dents and received criticism for its political influence. However, in 1997 it became the first major oil company to publicly acknowledge the need to take steps against climate change, and in that year established a company-wide target to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases. BP currently invests over $1  billion per year in the development of renewable energy sources, and has committed to spend $8  billion on renewable in the 2005 to 2015 period].BP's primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index (wikipedia. org). Even though BP exercise Global Business ethics and social responsibility were they mandated to? Maybe on cleanup of the beaches and there may have been some punitive cost but that would have all been regulative but not from the men and women that run BP. Even though there are laws to regulate environmental and human rights violations but there are no global law for ethical business or social responsibility. Organizati ons are left to police themselves.There have been some organizations like the Carnegie Council, the World Economic Forum and Business Ethics (The Magazine) that has been leading the way to openly set forth standards for businesses, big and small to be accountable. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has drafted a pledged which was developed into The Global Business Oath. In January of 2010, WEF was feature in Business Ethics Magazine: Over the past year they drafted a set of principles – the Global Business Oath – and they’ve been testing the content and implementation ever since. And now it’s ready for pledging.While some might consider the proposal by the young global leaders a bit naive, the bigger question is how many older, more experienced, business leaders will be signing on. Will Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF, attempt to get JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to take the Oath? How about Deutsche Bank’s Josef Akermann? More than 200 leaders have already pledged to lead their organizations according to these principles, according to the WEF, and over the course of 2010 â€Å"the YGL Oath Task Force will be looking to expand the reach and impact of the oath. (Conner, Business Ethics Magazine). The oath is below. As a business leader I recognize that †¢ The enterprise I lead must serve the greater good by bringing together people and resources to create value that no single individual can create alone, †¢ My decisions can have far-reaching consequences that affect the wellbeing of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow, †¢ As I reconcile the interests of different constituencies, I will face choices that are not easy for me and others.So I promise that 1. I will manage my enterprise diligently and in good faith and will not let personal considerations and compensation supersede the long-term interest of my enterprise and society at large, 2. I will understand and uphold, both in letter and spirit, the laws and contracts governing my own conduct and that of my enterprise, 3. I will respect and protect the human rights and dignity of all people who are affected by my enterprise and will oppose all forms of discrimination and exploitation, 4.I will respect and protect the right of future generations to enjoy a clean and resourceful planet, 5. I will not engage in nor tolerate bribery or any other form of corruption, 6. I will represent the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly to each of the constituencies that are affected by it, 7. I will actively engage in efforts to finding solutions to critical social and environmental issues that are central to my enterprise, and 8. I will invest in my own professional development as well as the development of other managers under my supervision.In exercising my professional duties according to these principles I recognize that my behavior must set an example of integrity and res ponsible conduct. This pledge I make freely and upon my honor. I Pledge While conducting work in any type of business setting there is always ethical and social responsibilities that we all must face at one time or another. Companies have a more extensive ethical and social responsibility training programs when their business expands to other countries. The relationship with the partner nation is so important.There is some training that you can only get from other mistakes and some mistakes we can prevent by just being sensitive to others needs and wants. Cited Page business ethics. (n. d. ). Dictionary. com's 21st Century Lexicon. Retrieved December 07, 2011, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/business ethics BP p. l. c (LSE:  BP, NYSE:  BP) wikipedia. org. last modified on 5 December 2011 at 15:21. , from wikipedia. org website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/BP World Economic Forum: Will Many Take The Global Business Oath? By Conner, Michae l, 26 January 2010 from Business Ethics Magazine

Case Study: Clams about Gay Marriage Essay

This case study focuses on the gay marriages in different states. In Massachusetts the State Supreme court had a ruling that the state constitution did not agree with same-sex marriages. The only way they could grant licenses was if the legislative acted to give same-sex marriages. After this ruling in Massachusetts; in San Francisco, California the mayor ruled that they could not deny same-sex marriages. Many same-sex couples began to apply for marriage licenses and got the marriage license. The gay marriages started to attract the media and many television cameras. Soon after the California State Supreme Court said that the San Francisco mayor had exceeded his power and they told the city to stop issuing these state marriage licenses to gay couples. Courts in other states followed the Massachusetts ruling not allowing same-sex marriages. It then began to report that other foreign countries were allowing same-sex marriages to become legal. This started controversy in the United States because people in America think of marriage in a very sensitive way and that commitment it between two people who love each other. Advocates of gay marriage wanted to know why when two people are in love that they couldn’t be married. This began to raise issues for gay marriage not being legalized. Advocates were speaking out that it not only is about the commitment between the two people but also about the legal rights that the couples would obtain. The gay couples wanted the rights that a couple of a married man and women would get. They wanted to be able to get the medical rights and property rights of other normal married couples. Advocates also argued that they have their freedom also and they have the right to be in love with whomever they choose to be in love with. They just wanted the same equality as everyone else. In others terms they stated that same-sex marriage was wrong and it shouldn’t be allowed in the state. The argument then began again about marriage should be between one man and one woman. They also began to state that children that come from a household of a man and woman being married benefited them. They believed that if same-sex marriage became legal there would become a downfall in society. It wasn’t about the rights and freedom of same-sex couples but the image that America was to hold and how society is taught that one man and one woman should be married. In elections later in 2004 and 2006 conservative politicians wanted to have a same-sex marriage amendment to forbid it. The arguments for and against gay marriage became more and more heated as the years went on. As votes were shown most people wanted civil union laws. When the vote for same-sex marriage came about only a minority was for it. Gay and lesbian couples began to arrange ceremonies that were not legal unless legally allowed in the state. To this day debates, arguments, and court cases still go on about the fight for gay marriage. Questions 1. What grounds, warrants, and conclusions do advocates for gay marriage and their opponents use? The advocates say that besides two people being in love and making a commitment but that same-sex couples should have the freedom to love whomever they choose have the rights as any other one man and one woman married couple were to have. The opponents believe that for reasons for society and to keep the image and to not cause a downfall in America that only a man and woman should be legally married. 2. How did claims favor of gay marriage evolve from those of the earliest advocates to the more recent campaigns after the ruling by the Massachusetts state supreme court? I believe that the Massachusetts ruling was part of the start that caused the claims to start and from all of this evolved the more recent campaigns and the issues coming from gay marriage. 3. How did opponents to gay marriage change their counterclaims to respond to new arguments by advocates of gay rights? The opponents changed their counterclaims because they had to be able to have an argument back to the new responses of the gay rights advocates.

Pillowman Review Essay

The team of San- Jacinto central college performed the play â€Å"The Pillow man† originally written by Martin McDonough on 2003 in the Powell Arena Theatre. The play was about the tale of Katurian, a fiction writer who was interrogated by the two detectives Ariel and Tupoloski regarding the unpleasant stories of children written by Katurian. The content of Katurian’s stories was similar to the murder of the different children in the town, so they were suspected of the case. The play was performed on the black-box theatre, which was modified into the upthrust stage. The stage was good enough to support some specific part of the play like the background family scene that was provided when Katurian was narrating the story. The audiences sitting on raised stages on the three sides were able to relate the Katurian’s narration with the background scene. The opening moments of this play are superlatively funny, thanks to the interaction between Katurian and his two cap tors, a Detective named Tupolski (Joe Franco) and a policeman named Ariel (Richard Turner). Tupolski seems to be the epitome of quiet, industrial effectiveness, whereas Ariel (the winged indentured servant in The Tempest?) is very tightly wound, and more than eager to jump his prisoner and beat him senseless. Though all the characters were good to perform their assigned roles, I personally appreciate the role of Michal, performed by Aaron Alford, a freshman student of San Jacinto College. Just as the script says Michal was little slow to get the things, Alford did exactly the same throughout the play. As well, this character has added some comedy flavors in the play like itching ass etc. He made us laugh most of the time. The sound factor of the play was good. The crying sound from the background was really natural that attracted the attention of the audiences like me. It made to feel like somebody was really tortured there. There was a special sound effect in the play relating to the homicide and torture. Mr. Brian Hamlin did the very good job as a director and fight director. The play was directed so well. All the cast and crew do their best to execute the play. Most of the casting members were professional and graduate students interested in theatre. The two plays that I watched during this semester â€Å"The Pillowman† and â€Å"KOYAANISQATSI†. The opening scene of â€Å"The Pillowman† and â€Å"KOYAANISQATSI† both were really good. Among these two play I like â€Å"KOYAANISQATSI† better because the Hopi Indian chanter played really well. Also, action was well executed on â€Å"Star Blood† on â€Å"KOYAANISQATSI† rather than interrogating on â€Å"The Pillowman†. Lighting was well executed on â€Å"â€Å"KOYAANISQATSI† and sound effects on â€Å"The Pillowman† To sum it up, the play was good enough to entertain. I can make a consensus that the script of the play was well written. The characters were giving just the satisfaction to the superior script of the play. It was worth watchin g.

Employment law, trade unions (uk) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Employment law, trade unions (uk) - Essay Example Human nature is essentially the same the world over and "man is a social animal at all times" (Bates, April 1888) and in all places. It is this basic nature of man that controls and directs the organization and development of society in all its spheres of activity. The inevitable landmark of social advance has been the family , the tribe, the state and the world organisation. Further advances in world organisation have however to be made if man is to benefit from and not to be destroyed by the power of the atom. Different approaches may be made in this regard. But world organisation has persistently proceeded, ever since the industrial revolution in England, on the basis of social system subjected to industrial modes of production. One of the most fruitful approaches would, therefore to explore the possibilities of the dynamic forces that have already manifested themselves in modern industrial society (Fung, 2003). The industrial system has increased the inter dependence of people ev erywhere and it is constantly emphasising the ever-growing importance of the technique of cooperation. The trade union have, therefore become the greatest economic institution of our times and the future of democracy is closely bound up with the fate of trade unions. TRADE UNION The term 'trade union' is in constant and popular use, and it is usually clear when a body is or is not a union. However, a statutory definition is necessary to determine what organisations are eligible for the various rights and duties accorded such bodies. Thus s.1 of the "Trade union and Labour Relations (consolidation) act 1992 characterizes as a union, 'an organisation(whether permanent or temporary) which.. consists wholly or mainly of workers of one or more descriptions and is an organisation whose principal purposes include the regulation of relations between workers of that description of those descriptions and employers or employers associations" (Trade Unions, n.d.). "The largest organization of trade union members in the world is the Brussels-based International Trade Union Confederation. it has approximately 309 affiliated organizations in 156 countries and territories today, with a combined membership of 166 million" (Wikipedia, 13 April 2008). PURPOSE OF TRADE UNION The trade unions have, therefore, become the greatest economic institution of our times and the future of democracy closely bound up with the fate of trade unions. The immediate objectives with which trade union have been formed in different parts of the worlds are essentially the same. The objectives and activities of trade unions may differ but general objectives are follows: To ensure the benefits of the worker from unemployment, ill health, old age and working environment. So that they can get professional training,

Book literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Book literature review - Essay Example he gives in his book are truly awe inspiring. The entrepreneurial group functions as a venture capital company, penetrating into sectors including telecom (mobile telephony), travel and tourism, financial services (banking and insurance), transportation (airline), social and environment, music (most of all!) and other media related – media, publishing and also retailing. The business is spread across the globe with operations in Africa, Asia, Europe, United States, Canada etc. The core idea is to leverage the brand Virgin. The group does not own all businesses by itself fully and each of these businesses operates as a separate entity with the owner holding varied interest positions. The book covers over a 300 pages, and is partitioned into 8 areas – these eight sections cover each of the basic building blocks that put life in to the business, namely, People; Brand; Delivery; Learning from Mistakes and Setbacks; Innovation; Entrepreneurs and Leadership; and lastly, Social Responsibility. The book is about how Sir Richard Branson, as a leader of the vessel carried it into the sea. All points of views presented are from his own experiences and it never talks about the approach that â€Å"one size fits all†. So, all in all, we can say this book is about leadership and the motivation to march forward, expand the business portfolio - geographically and the product offering wise. People - In the analysis we will apply all these chapters and what Richard Branson has encapsulated in his books to his very own organization. To start off with, people who are an important resource of the organization and without whom the business is just closed walls. Thus, at Virgin the environment is full of life; like all organizations Virgin Group employees people that are intelligent. One of the focus is on increasing worker participation and motivation by developing a sense of responsibility and ownership amongst themselves – parties, fun

Using PESTLE framework, analyse the impact of external business and Essay

Using PESTLE framework, analyse the impact of external business and economic environment of your focal organisation that affect its strategic decisions and performance - Essay Example The factors analyzed using PESTLE model includes political, economic, social, technological, and legal and environment (Henry 2008, P.51). Political factors in this case include government policies, conflicts, and wars, pressure groups, trading policies, grand, findings and initiatives and government term and change. Economic factors include general taxation, situation of home economy and trends, market and trade cycles, international economies and trends, factors affecting industries, monetary issues, exchange, and interest rates among others. Social factors analyzed include demographics, lifestyle trends, media views, consumer’ patterns of buying, Company, brand and technology image, lifestyle trends, consumer attitudes and preferences, and religious/ethnic factors. Others include major events and influences, publicity and advertising and changes in laws that impact on social factors. Technological factors include technological advancement, maturity of technology, laws governing technology, and consumer purchasing mechanism among others. Legal factors on the other hand include current and future legislations, European/foreign legislations and regulatory processes and bodies. Finally, environmental factors include corporate social responsibility expectations and awareness, environmental legislations, consumer buying patterns, public awareness on issues affecting the environment and political issues pertaining to the environment (Allen 2010, P.54). Wars and conflicts are some of the elements of the political factors that affect an organization’s strategic decisions and performance. Wars and conflicts usually come because of political instability and lack of democracy in a country. The UK is one of the most stable countries politically, which has witnessed minimal incidences of wars and political unrest for more than 3 decades. This trend is expected remain constant in the future following the measures