Ontology and Epistemology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ontology and Epistemology - Essay Example We will talk about ontology and its direct, objective approach to studying an entity, and epistemology, with its more intrinsic approach concerning knowledge, truth, belief, and justification. Ontology Ontology is the study of kinds of things that exist and its nature of being (â€Å"Ontology†). It is said that everything that has a name exists. Every noun points to an actual entity. Ontology is the study about that entity. Whether the concept is concrete such as a microorganism, or abstract such as resilience, the study of that entity as something that exists is the ontological approach. It is generally a descriptive and categorical way of thinking that examines the nuts and bolts of an existing entity, categorizing and differentiating it from other entities. I am holding a flower. The flower I am holding is a rose. The thorns are pointy and can pierce my skin. These are all ontological notions. It is the recognition and classification of an entity that exists and its constit uent parts. Epistemology Epistemology on the other hand is the study of knowledge. It questions what a person knows, how he knows what he knows, and how much a person can know about something. Some philosophers believe that knowledge is a True Belief that has Justification. So the three components of knowledge are that it should be true, the person with the knowledge must believe it is true, and there should be proof or justification that it is true (Sahakian and Sahakian). If epistemology is about knowledge, this is how they look at the situation: I KNOW it is a flower because all flowers have a stem, a stalk, leaves and a bunch of petals on the tip. This is true because it is consistent with other flowers who also have the same characteristics. I KNOW it is in my hand because I can feel it and see it in my hand. This is true under the correspondence theory of truth and Naive Realism. I KNOW it is a rose because I was taught by my teacher that this is what a rose looks like. This i s true under the criteria of authority. I KNOW that the thorns can pierce my skin because pointy objects can pierce my skin. This is true under Consensus gentium. All these things are considered knowledge because I believe that they are as they are, and my beliefs are proven to be true because the justification satisfies the criteria of truth. Satisfying the criteria of truth is needed to justify a proposition. There are many criteria for truth, some of which are valid, and others are not. These criteria are all valid or invalid to certain extents. Truth The criteria for truth consist of Authority which states that a proposal is true as long as a qualified individual says it is. This criterion is not very reliable since different qualified individuals can have opposing views toward a single topic. Coherence is the criterion in which a proposal is true as long as the facts are well explained and are reconciled to support that proposal. This criterion could be the most effective test of truth but is limited by the person’s ability to gather all the relevant facts. Consensus gentium is a general truth accepted by all of mankind. An example is the existence of gravity; consistency can be either mere or strict. Mere consistency makes a proposition true as long as two correct statements don’t contradict. Strict consistency needs a prior true statement to validate the proposed true statement; correspondence makes a propositi

Marketing home work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing home work - Essay Example In a highly competitive environment of cut throat business, creating and keeping customers therefore becomes vital ingredient of the market strategy of the firms. Saxonville Sausages is a prime example of how brand strategies were used to position their product in the market. They had targeted family and homemakers who relished home cooked food. The advertisements showed women using Saxonville sausages to make different dishes and enjoying it with family. Thus it was able to create a niche market position. Through right positioning, it was able to revive its declining profits (Mullins & Walker, 2009). Mountain Man brewery case, on the other hand emphasizes the need for new product to meet the challenges of time. Mountain Man is established brand of lager with regional specialty that primarily caters to the niche market of coal miners. Its brand equity is associated with long history of coal mining and has a loyal customer base which now is elderly populace. The new light beer would meet the tastes of young generation but fears that it could threaten its brand equity. But this is a risk which the firm must take to maintain its competitive advantage in the industry. Market research is intrinsic part of business strategy that is used to identify and analyze changing customers’ requirements which the firms meet through new product development or value addition (Vandermerwe, 2004; McKenna, 1991). The buying behavior and surveys are important tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis that help deintify the changing trend of the consumers. For example, qualitative study would show that coke is a favorite drink but diet coke is preferred more because of its low calorie. On the other hand, quantitative research would indicate that coke is more popular than Pepsi. Various firms like Redbull, Reebok, Nike have used market research to identify their requirement that was used for new product

Promotional and Advertising Strategies Essay Example for Free

Promotional and Advertising Strategies Essay Promotion and marketing are among the most essential market mix features or elements. Market mix involves different strategies commonly known as the 4P’s: product, price, place and promotion. The key motive of promotion is to increase clients’ awareness of a brand or a project increase brand loyalty and generating sales. Promotional mix is composed of diverse elements such as personal selling, sales promotion, advertising, publicity and direct marketing. Both large and small customers understand the importance of promotional advertising strategies such as turning a new product to become a household name or established products into to top priority of the customer. Small and large companies benefit through applying different strategies of promotion and attracting more customers. A television set has become a necessity in the modern life with all the families searching for the best brand that is easier to operate and has more applications. Different organizations have ventured into the manufacturing and assembling of television set to enjoy the advantages (Scissors Roger 2002). The paper will focus on advertising and promotional strategies applied by different companies that concentrate with manufacturing and assembling television sets. Samsung and Sony have emerged as the two most successful organizations in the manufacturing and distribution of television sets. The two companies apply different promotional and advertising strategies to maintain themselves on the top of the business. Comparison of Promotional Strategies used by both Sony and Samsung to Market Television Sets. Product Sampling It is one among the most effective promotional strategies utilized by large firms to market their products and launch new products with the motive of promoting multiple product purchases. Both Sony and Samsung are large companies that understand the power of promotional strategies in turning a new product to a priority in clients shopping list. The two companies deals with many types of electronics. Therefore, anytime they launch a new product; they offer a product that is of a lower price fee attached to the new product. While marketing large televisions, they offer free samples of another product of the same company such as a radio attached to the pack of the television. It results to an increase in sales since customers feels that on just buying a television set, one will win a portable radio for free. Samsung and Sony have applied the strategy and made their product top in the sales list. Free Service and Trial Periods There are numerous companies that do business with manufacturing and distribution of television sets. However, most of the companies produce products of low quality hence leading to wastage in a short time. Samsung and Sony are two main companies that have faith in their products. Therefore, in areas where residents have the fear of counterfeit and sub-standard products, they win their trust trough offering free repair services in a given period. The period is referred to as a trial period used for the clients to test and confirm that products are of good quality. Both Samsung and Sony take it as a necessity to provide a warrant for their television sets (Mulhern, 2009). The warranty is given in terms of years from the time of buying depending on the value of a television set. Within the period covered by the warranty, the manufacturer offers a free service to repair minor damages and a new product in cases of major damage. Contrast of Promotional Strategies used by both Sony and Sam sung to Market Television Sets Despite being successful organizations, Sony uses public relations to promote its television sets. Here, the company depends on the press for its advantage. In most cases, Sony launches all its new products in televisions, radio stations, public relation events and press releases. On the other hand, Samsung applies personal selling. In personal selling, Samsung targets individual communication with members of the general public who seems to be potential buyers. In the strategy, Samsung makes use of salesmen, showrooms,  dealers and exhibitions. However, the two strategies have the same aim of attracting more potential clients. Another contrast between Samsung and Sony in marketing television sets is the use of social media. The two uses the social media as a strategy of advertising. However, Samsung only specializes on the social media while launching a new product. Contrary, Sony advertises all types of television sets manufactured by the company through the social media with the motive of increasing the general sales of television sets. Ways in which a company can use marketing information to differentiate itself in the marketplace and gain advantage offer its competitors. There are different ways in which companies that deals with manufacturing and distribution of television sets can use marketing information and remain outstanding among other companies dealing with the same product. One of the ways is targeting. It is the method via which the organization can communicate with the right segment and ensure that they rate in response for their advantage (Flew, 2008). A company must conduct market research and use the information to plan the best group of people to target relating the information with the marketing strategies objectives. The objectives of marketing promotion strategies and advertising are outstanding. Therefore, if a company can identify the best target group, it will be able to select the best and suitable method of communication and achieve the set target. The second way in which a company dealing with manufacturing and distribution of television sets can use marketing information to differentiate itself in the marketplace is positioning. It refers to the art of developing a unique image of a product or company. It can be achieved through messaging branding and cooperate identity. In an advertisement, if a company dealing with television sets can convince members of the general public that its products are cheap to purchase and maintain and yet maintain a high quality, it will prosper. The image will enable the company to move to high levels since most of the people who are in need of television sets require a good that is of better quality, but affordable. Uses of customer oriented promotion that can assist a company in both short-term and long-term Customer oriented sales promotion refers to the techniques of sales promotion that are the target to ultimate customers such as samples, coupons, contests, sweepstakes, premium offers and rebates. All the modes of sales promotion that are customer oriented, samples stand among the best and  unique forms of promotions that can assist a company in both short-term and long-term. In short-term, the company will be able to sell many television sets since most of the customers will be targeting to gain the free samples attached to the television sets. It will result to an increment in sales hence an increment in revenue. In long-term, the company will benefit since the client who attains the free sample will have a chance to try the free sample attached to the television set and hence become a potential customer of the product in the future. Free samples are given from products produced by the same company (Kotler Kevin, 2009) Therefore; sampling enables the company o market two products at the same time. The other customer oriented promotion strategy that can assist a company in both short-term and long-term is discounts. Discounts are given to clients who purchase products in bulk and sometimes even to single items. In short-term, discounts attract many customers to buy the products hence increasing the volume of sales. An increment in volume of sales increases company’s revenue. In long-term, a company benefits from discounts since many people can buy television sets during the period that discounts are offered. It results to many people acquiring a good time to try the product since the price is low. In the future, customers can identify the product as a reliable one and hence take it as an option while purchasing a similar product in the future. Those who buy a product during the discount period because of the price can enjoy the advantage a factor that make them choose the product in the future to continue enjoying the advantage. Pricing Decision The price of the product is among the key elements of the marketing mix that determine the sales of a product. There are many organizations that deal with manufacturing and distribution of television sets. However, they offer different prices of their products depending with the pricing objectives that the company chooses. There are four main objectives of pricing in sales promotion. They are the modes of communication made by organizations to their clients related to price of their products. The four pricing objectives include; coupons, competitions, discounts and loyalty incentives. Sony is a leading company in manufacturing and distributing television sets. The company uses different strategies to regulate the price of different television sets. Among the key pricing strategies is competition. The  company makes sure that it offers the best prices for different television sets to make the televisions affordable to different social classes of people. It offers unique prices to fit all social classes. Sony also offers discounts to clients who buy products in large volumes and those who visit them for the first time. It has helped the company attract many clients for its products and remain outstanding in the field. Other companies that deal with manufacture and distribution of television sets may take coupons to enable them discern themselves and benefit a competitive gain. Coupons are vouchers or tickets that a company offers to its clients to enable the customers enjoy given advantages (Flew, 2008). Provision of coupons attracts many people with the motive of enjoying the coupons. It results to many people purchasing the product hence having a chance to learn about the product, and the company enjoys large volume of sales. Other companies dealing with manufacturing and distribution of television sets can also offer discounts to their clients to enable them enjoy low prices and enjoy their advantage. Most Effective Advertising Medium There are numerous mediums of marketing such as billboards, radio, televisions, newspapers, magazines, yellow pages and the internet. In the past, television was the most effective advertising medium. However, time has changed. Today, the information and technology devices have changed the world into an economic village. Many people visit websites either for fun, studies or assistance. Therefore, the internet linked services are the most effective medium of advertising (Kerin, 2012). It is because the group of people who can be a good target for the companies dealing with manufacturing and distribution of television is the young people. A large number of youths spends a great deal of their time on social media sites such as Facebook, blogs, twitter, and other similar websites. Therefore, if a company can launch an advertisement through the internet, it will be able to reach many people at a global level. In conclusion, since promotion and advertising are important elements in the marketing mix, all companies should aim to establish the most effective promotion and advertising strategies. To develop a promotional and advertising strategy, the company should take different steps to ensure that the best role of marketing is achieved. The steps involve segmentation, targeting, positioning and messaging. All  mediums of advertisement are reliable depending on the setting and the target group of people. Sales promotion is vital. Thus, all organizations should focus on the best ways of engaging in sales promotion without fail. References Flew, Terry, (2008) New media: An introduction. Melbourne- Oxford University Press pp. 117. Kotler, Philip, Kevin Lane Keller (2009) Framework for marketing management. Pearson Prentice Hall. Kerin, R., (2012). Marketing-The Core. McGraw-Hill Ryerson pp. 31. Mulhern, F., (2009) Integrated marketing communications From media channels to digital connectivity. Journal of Marketing Communications, Vol.15, No. 2-3, pp. 85. Scissors, J., Roger B., (2002) Advertising media planning. McGraw-Hill Publisher.

Impacts of Child Labour in Developing Countries

Impacts of Child Labour in Developing Countries What are the causes and consequences of child labour amongst developing countries The child labour as a social and economic phenomenon has many aspects the most important of which seems to be the low level of financial growth that characterizes several countries which are commonly known as ‘developing.’ This paper illustrates the conditions that created the necessity of the child labour, and at the same time it presents the consequences of this situation as they can be observed through a series of specific facts and other types of empirical evidence that have been collected by the relevant sources of scientific research. The analysis of the problem, as described above, is followed by the presentation of a number of policies, which could help thelimitation of the problem to the most feasible level. The research done on this specific problem has revealed the existence of a high volume of relevant theories as well as of statistical data that have also been used to support the current paper. ÃŽâ„¢. Introduction The problem of the child labour has become a very important subjectof examination and research by the most of the internationalinstitutions especially the last decade. The reason for that is not the absence of this problem in the past but the development of the technology and the communication around the world that gave the opportunity for a series of long-lasting social problems to becomeknown to the international community. The extension and theimportance of the specific problem are severe obstacles towards its elimination. On the other hand, the creation of an international legal framework   asit has been expressed by the establishment of authorized bodies and the signing of a series of orders and Conventions, can considered as an important step towards the achievement of a solution.  Ã‚   We have to notice though that the best possible policy to thatdirection would have to compromise with the existence and the size ofthe problem avoiding to set targets that could not be achieved. Under the current circumstances, the child labour cannot disappear from the scene; it can just be reduced to a certain level (as this one is formulated by the social and financial conditions of each country). The main aim of this paper is to provide a detailed examination of the problem backed with a series of relevant data and other empirical evidence. The analysis of the current situation, as described in Chapter II, begins with the presentation of the background of the problem followed by statistical data and the views stated in the literature regarding the definition and the observation of child labour amongst developing countries. The policies that can be applied for the limitation of the problem are being presented in Chapter III. The investigation of the facts and the needs that created the phenomenon of the child labour cannot be achieved without the use of the literature (Chapter IV) that has been dealt with the specific matter mainly during the last years. The evidence that has been used to identify and interpret the problem,is presented in Chapter V. Finally, Chapter VI contains brief remarks on the problem as they have been extracted from the research done. II. The child labour in the international community – background, definition and areas of children exploitation The period in which child labour appeared as a social reality cannot be defined with accuracy. There are opinions that relate the beginning of the problem with the industrial revolution whereas other ones state that the child labour had first appeared in the nineteenth century. From an investigation that took place in Britain in June 1832, it seems that the phenomenon of child labour was known at that period and referred to children working as laborers mainly to factories butalso to other business activities. The above investigation (as it is analytically presented in Basu, K., 1999, 1088) was supervised by a British Parliamentary Committee and had as main subject the child labour in the United Kingdom at that period. Although Britain was in a rather high rank regarding the child labour – which can be explained by the fact that England was under development at that period of time –other countries that also had a remarkable industrial development likethe Belgium, the USA and the Japan, presented a similar image regardingthe work of children in the multiple sectors of industry (see also K.Basu, 1999, 1088-89). Moreover, the data collected for the measurement of the relevantpractices during the 19th century showed that child labour did notstart declining in Britain and in United States until the second halfof that century (L.F. Lopez-Calva, 2001, 64). The dimensions of the problem of child labour can create an important concern about the level of the life that a lot of children face but also about the financial situation of a large majority of families around the world. According to data collected by the International Labor Organization (ILO), there are approximately 250 million working children aged between 5 and 14, of which at least 120 million are involved in full-time work that is both hazardous and exploitative (seealso T. I. Palley, 2002). Although the so-called ‘developed’ countries have shown samples of tolerance regarding the child labour, the areas that seem to cultivate the problem are those with low level of economic   and industrial growth. In a relevant research made by D.K. Brown (2001) it seems that the major factor for the existence of the problem is the poverty. The capital market failure   of a specific country (as it is expressed tothe every day aspects of life, like the low level of schooling) isconsidered as another important element that co-operates the appearance and the extension of the phenomenon. When speaking for child labour we usually refer to any work by childrenthat interferes with their physical and mental development , i.e. anywork that keeps the child away from ‘childhood related activities’(Chandrasekhar, 1997). The above definition although containing ageneral view of the child labour, it cannot be applied under allcircumstances bearing in mind that a lot of differences may appear inthe context of ‘childhood related activities’ in dependance with the country and the cultural influences. In this case, a more specific description of child labour is considered as necessary. M. Majumdar(2001) divides the child labour into the following categories: a) the household work, b) non-domestic and non-monetary work, c) wage labour and d) commercial sexual exploitation and bonded labour. The child labour can be applied in many areas. As an indicative examplewe can refer to the report of the National Consumers Leage (NCL) which divides the possible areas of child labour into the followingcategories (refering to specific daily activities and regarding thedanger that they include): agriculture (is the most dangerous industryfor the young workers), working alone and late-night work in retail(most deaths of young workers in this industry are robbery-relatedhomicides), construction and work at heights (deaths and serious injuryresult from working at heights 6 feet and above. The most common typesof fatal falls are falls from roofs, ladders and scaffolds or staging),driver/operator of forklifts and tractors (tractor-related accidentsare the most prevalent cause of agricultural fatalities in the U.S.A.),traveling youth crews (defined as youth who are recruited to sellcandy, magazine subscribtions and other items door-to-door or on streetcorners, these youth operate under dangerous conditions and areunsupervised) (Occupational Hazards, Aug2004) III. Policies towards the limitation of the problem A fundamental measure for the limitation of the child labour is thecreation of legislation   that would impose a minimum work age and yearsof compulsory education. Although this solution seems rather in it’sdesigning, in practice it’s quite difficult to operate . The needs ofthe everyday life can often surpass the power of the legal rules, which have been structured usually after the examination and the analysis of specific events and cannot confront the problem to its whole area. One of the main problems that a family usually faces is the change inthe working situation of its (adult) members and the financial pressurethat usually follows. Of course, there is always the solution of funding (especially when the general financial market of a country offers such an option) . However, there are occasions that such an alternative cannot operate either because the country do not afford such a plan or the specific family do not have access to this plan. Under these circumstances, it could still be possible for the householdto tap internal assets. The presence of the father in a household, thepresence of an older person in the household or the capacity of the mother to enter into the market in order to work or proceed to another type of work (in a personal enterprise), all the above can be variables that can support the assets of a family even if the latter is suffered from strong financial difficulties (see also D. K. Brown, 2001, 766). Despite the theoretical character of the legislation, there could beother measures , more applicable   and feasible to be realized. Aneffort that has such a character is the increased spending on books,supplies, buildings and teacher training as it has been pursued by several governments   (D. K. Brown, 772). In cases that the child labour cannot be avoided, there could be somemeasures   to both to protect the children and help them to continuetheir school   (while keep on working). The design of specific schedules that would allow the children to attend school after their work could be proved very helpful towards this direction. Of course, such a plan contains a lot of requirements that need to be met . As an example we could mention the sufficiency of resources (teachers) that could workfor the extra time needed and – at the same time – the existence of afinancial strategy (and of the relevant money) for the payment of these resources. On the other hand, a problem that may arise is the lack ofequipment or capital for the premises of the school to be open forextra hours. And we cannot forget the danger that may be related withthe attendance late at night (especially in the case of the paper – thedeveloping countries). The phenomenon of the child labor has been examined and analyzed to the highest possible point by the use of the observation and theresearch in accordance with the existing legislation and the general rules that have been introduced from several countries aiming to the limitation of the problem. One of the most important studies regarding the child labour is this ofK. Basu and P. H. Van (1998) who tried to find and analyze the causesof this specific problem. After studying the results of the empiricalevidence they came to the conclusion that child labour was notconnected exclusively with external factors (i.e. employers) but it was mostly the result of internal (in the family) decisions and facts.Towards that direction, K. Basu   and P. H. Van examined first the view that child labour has been based on the ‘greed of employers who employthe children and the parents who send the children to work’. The above statement is first examined by the fact that in families, which can afford the non-work of children (i.e. when the income of the parents isconsidered as sufficient), the parents try to avoid sending theirchildren to work. This phenomenon appears even in very poor countries.Under the previous aspect, the child labour is connected with thefinancial situation of the family (usually income of parents) and not the interests of the employers. This assumption of the leading family’srole is also backed, according to K. Basu and P. H. Van, by the analysis of late nineteenth-century cencus data for Philadelphia whichwas made by Claudia Goldin in 1979. According to this analysis, when the income of the father is high the probability that the child will enter the labour market is low and this relation operates in a very tight interaction (the higher the wage of the father, the lower thechance of such a fact to get realized). Another empirical evidence that seems to back the views of K. Basu and P. H. Van comes from a research that was made on this issue (connection between the family’s decision and the child labour) by D. Vincent who studied working-class autobiographies. The results of his study showed that the children when working avoid to blame their parents but they tend to believe that it was the poverty that imposed their participation in the labour market.K. Basu and P. H. Van examined the issue of the role of the family’s decision to the child labour under the assumption that the decision ismade by a parent. They also admit that the results of their study may differ in case that this decision is made by another person (as stated by the theories which ask for the rejection of the ‘unitary model’ of the household). Regarding the role of the family’s decision to the child labour, J. G.Scoville presented a model of the above decision based on the use of mathematical symbols in order to represent the real facts. In his model, there are factors (such as the social or economic class, race,ethnicity, caste or color) that define the family utility function andin this way they can cause important implications to labour market segmentation (J. G. Scoville, 715) Regarding the existence and the extension of the child labour, M.Murshed states that two are the basic issues that need to be examined in order to achieve a comprehensive analysis of the problem. The first issue includes the mechanisms under which the family decides to send a child at work. The second one is the reason for which the employers demand child laborers. In order to explain the first issue, M. Murshed uses the theory ofBecker’s, known as ‘A theory of the Allocation of Time’, which presents a model for studying the household decision-making process. In the above model Becker’s suggests that the decision of the family is based to the needs of the household. Whenever an extra income is consideredas necessary, family decides to send the child at work. In this model both wages of children and adults contribute to family resources. As for the second issue, M. Murshed (179) argues that employer tend to demand child laborers because ‘they are less aware of their rights,less troublesome, more willing to take orders and to do monotonous work without complaining. Another factor is also that children work forlower wages and are not in a labour union because they work illegally’. M. Hazan and B. Berdugo (2002, 811) examined the dynamic evolution of child labour, fertility and human capital in the process of development. Their analysis is based on the following assumptions: a)parents   ‘control their children’s time and allocate it between labourand human capital formation’, b) parents care about the futureearning’s of their children, c) the income that is generated by children is given to parents’ and that d) child ‘rearing is time intensive’. According to their findings, in early stages of development, the economy is in a development trap while child labour is abundant, fertility is high and output per capita is low.   On the other hand, the increase in the wage differential (between parental and childlabour) ‘decreases fertility and child labour and increases children’seducation. As a final result, child labour tends to decrease as the‘household’s dependency on child labour’s income diminishes’. The ‘welfare economics’ approach tries to examine the child labour from the scope of investment and time allocation within the household. According to this theory, the time of the child (the non-leisure one)can be used either for school attendance and/or for work. The family makes a decision for the allocation of the child’s time (i.e. for one of the above mention activities) after the calculation of the difference between the marginal benefit of the child labour (i.e.earnings and saved costs of schooling) and the marginal cost (in terms of foregone return to human capital investment). If the first of the above elements is estimated as having a higher price than the second one, then the family decides the participation of the child to the labour market (see also M. Majumdar, 2001). The decision of the parents regarding the entrance of their children tothe labour market can – under certain circumstances – be unefficient.According to Ballard and Robinson (2000) the above decisions areefficient when the credit market is perfect and the intergenerational altruistic transfers are nonzero. On the other hand, when there are liquidity constraints or the altruistic transfers are at a corner,these decisions are considered as inefficient. A. Bommier and P. Dubois(2004) critically evaluated the views of Ballard and Robinson andargued that the decisions of the parents could be inefficient even ifthe credit markets are perfect and there are altruistic transfers. More specifically, they argued that when parents are not altruistic enough,there is a ‘rotten parents effect’ in which parents ‘rationally sacrifice some childhood utility’ and ‘choose a level of child labour that is inefficiently high’. V. Evidence related with the phenomenon of child labour The child labour has been the subject of a thorough study and research and there are a lot of theories that have been stated in aneffort to define the causes of the specific problem. Towards thisdirection there have been a number of facts or existing situations thathave been used to explain the relation of the child labour with somespecific factors . One of the most known reasons for the existence andthe increase of the problem is the poverty of the household which is related with the general aspect of the modern way of life (as it hasbeen formulated under the influence of the technology) and also the fact that parents when have a low level of income   do not tend to invest in the education of their children in order to achieve a high level of return (education can help to the improvement of the status of life through the increase of the level of consumption). We could also state that the income of the children can help toameliorate the conditions of life of the family and this could be thereason why the children tend to leave the school and work when their family is under severe financial pressure. This is an opinion that tries to explain the child labour through the life circumstances of a child and aims to smooth the negative consequences of the child labour. Although the poverty   is usually presented as the main reason for thechild labour , there are some aspects that need to be taken intoaccount when examining the problem. First of all, we cannot define withaccuracy the financial benefit of a family from a child’s work. Of course, child labour can help to the amelioration of the family’s financial situation, however it is not obvious how much worse off afamily would be if the children were in school. On the other hand, we could not specify the time needed for the economic development to beachieved in order for the child labour to be abolished. More specifically it seems that there is no consistent threshold of economic development, which preceded the decline of child labour to suggest the implied relationship between economic growth and declice of child labour (M. Majumdar). In such a case, the argument about the poverty criterion of child labour can loose its significant content. We should notice that, no matter which is the financial situation of the family,even in cases of exremely low level of living, the participation of thechild to a work that could characterized as ‘hazardous’ cannot bejustified as the protection of the child’s rights are a priority. Moreover, the child labour although can help temporarily to theconfrontation of the poverty – up to a specific point – however, it canalso create the basis for the development of property by generatingpoor people to the next generation. If the child returns to school theyhave more chances to a higher level of earnings in the future or at aleast to a job that will secure their living to certain standards(avoiding the condition of poverty). The combination of these two factors could also create a better investment and a greater security of income for the family by eliminating the obstacles of poverty. The relationship between the poverty and the child labour is not absolutely proved. S.E. Dessy and D. Vencatachellum examined the issue using a sample of 83 countries and found that the coefficient of correlation between the incidence of child labour and the logarithm of gross national product is –0.74. In this way, they were directed to the assumption that child labour declines with economic prosperity, as parents feel relaxed regarding the credit constraints. However, at a next level, they found that there are countries with similar levels of gross domestic product per capita that differ in the percentage of child labour. In fact, some of them report no child labour, where as others report a high level. This assumption is also in accordance withthe view of Anker (2000) who stated that although poverty is positively correlated with child labour, there are also other factors that can reduce the school enrolment rate of a country. Hussain M. and Maskus K.E (2003) used a series of data from 64 countries in the period 1960 – 1980 to investigate a series of testable hypotheses about the causes of child labour. Their research showed that the incidence of child labour is negatively related to parental huma ncapital and education quality, but it is positively correlated with education cost and also that countries with higher amounts of child labour tend to have lower stocks of human capital in the future. They also found that there is a convergence phenomenon between the level and growth of human capital, i.e. the lower the current stock of human capital, the higher is current child-labour use and the fasted is the growth rate of human capital. G. Hazarika and A. S. Bedi (2003), examined the relationship between the schooling costs and the extra household child labour supply and found that these two elements are positively related.   Moreover, the intra-household labour of children engaged in market work evaluated as unresponsive to changes in schooling costs. This happens maybe,according to Hazarika and Bedi because parents tend to consider children’s extra household labour and schooling as substitutes while they view intra household child labour activity differently. But if the parents could evaluate the intra-household child labour as an activity that offers more benefits than just an increase of the household consumption, then it could be a relationship between the intra-household child labour and the schooling costs. As for Pakistan(where this research refers) the intra-household child labour and schooling are not substitutes. We should also mention the importance of social norms and the cultureto the appearance and the extension of the child labour. The above analysis has to be done under different variables for the rural areas as opposite to the urban areas. Children that live in the first environment tend to help to the everyday activities in the farm and asa result, their work under these circumstances is presented as justified and necessary. As for the social norms, their role is considered as very important to the financial growth, as they have to power to influence the economic and social behaviour of the vastmajority of people. The most indicative example of their influence isthe fact that in areas where the work of children is accepted by thepeople, then the decision of a parent to send his child to work can bemuch more easy. Another very important aspect of the child labour is that is usually associated with the child abuse. Under this aspect, the reasons for the participation of the children to the labour market can be found in the demand of employers for cheap laborers and in the existence of selfish parents who do not mind sending their children to work if – in that way– there are more chances for them (parents) to rest. According to K.Basu and P. H. Van, although the child abuse does occur in allsocieties, the phenomenon of the child labour as a mass in most of developing countries is much more related with the poverty that characterises these countries. They refer to the example of England(late eighteenth and early nineteenth century) where parents had to send their children to work because they were obligated from the circumstances (poverty) to do so. VI. Conclusion The existence and the rapid extension of the phenomenon of child labour seems to be connected with the a series of external factors(like the low economic growth or the unadequate social policies of aspecific country) however it can be assumed by the analysis made abovethat it is also directly depended on the child’s ‘close’ social environment, i.e the family. It’s for this reason that the measures taken towards its elimination have to be referred into both these areas. The two sides have to co-operate and act simultaneously in order to confront this very important problem. The ‘solution’ (as it is often presented) of the child labour has to be interpreted under different criteria regarding the specific circumstances that it will have to occur. Although in certain occasions the entrance of the child in the labour market seems to be the only left choice, we have to bear in mind its particular physic and mental weakness (that follows its age) and evaluate the consequences for such a decision. In any case, we have to consider that a workplace that operates normally with the use of adult laborers can have negative effects when the issue refers to a child. Although the problem of the child labour is very important to its nature and its extension, the measures taken to its elimination don’t seem to produce any result. The conflict of interests towards its continuation has a great responsibility to it. And these interests refer to different parties (external and internal as mentioned above).This reality must be admitted and the efforts should be directed to the modification of the existing conditions trying not to confront directly the problem but asking the parties involved to participate to its solution by offering them a satisfactory exchange for their help. References Admassie, A., ‘Explaining the high incidence of child labour inSub-Saharan Africa’, Development Review, Dec2002, vol. 14, issue 2, p.251 Amin, S., Shakil, Quayes, M., Rives, J. M., ‘Poverty and otherdeterminants of child labor in Bangladesh’, Southern Economic Journal,April2004, vol. 70, issue 4, p. 876 Anker, R., ‘The economics of child labor: a framework for measurement’, International Labour Review, 2000, 139, 257-280 Baland, J.M., Robinson, J.A., ‘Is Child Labor Inefficient?’, Journal of Political Economy, 2000, 108, 663-679 Bommier, A., Dubois, P., ‘Rotten parents and child labor’, Journal of Political Economy’, Feb2004, vol. 112, issue 1, p. 240 Brown, D. K., ‘Child labour in Latin America: Policy and evidence’, World Economy, June2001, vol. 24, issue 6 Dessy, S.E., ‘Explaining cross-country differences in policyresponse to child labour’, Canadian Journal of Economics, Feb 2003,vol. 36, issue 1, p.1 Emerson, P. M., Souza, A. P., ‘Is there a child labor trap?Intergenerational persistence of child labor in Brazil’, Economicdevelopment cultural change, Jan2003, vol. 51, issue 2, p. 375 Hazan, M., Berdugo, B., ‘Child labour, fertility and economic growth’, Economic Journal, Oct2002, vol. 112, issue 482, p. 810 Hazarika, Gautam, Bedi, A.S., ‘Schooling costs and child work inrural Pakistan’, Journal of Development Studies, June 2003, vol. 39,issue 5, p. 29 Hussain, M., Maskus, K.E., ‘Child Labour Use and Economic Growth: aneconometric analysis’, World Economy, vol. 26, issue 7, p. 993 Kaushik, B., ‘The economics of child labor’, Scientific American, Oct2003, vol. 289, issue 4, p.84 Kaushik, B., Van P. H., ‘The economics of child labor’, The American economic review, June 1998, vol. 88, no. 3, p. 412-427 Kaushik, B., ‘Child labor: cause, consequence and cure, with remarkson International Labor Standards, Journal of Economic Literature,Sep1999, vol. 37, p. 1083-1119 Latin Trade, ‘Condemned’, Oct2004, vol. 12, issue 10, p.68 Lopez-Calva, ‘Child labor: Myths, theories and facts’, Journal of International Affairs, Fall 2001, vol. 55, issue 1, p. 59 Majumdar, M., ‘Child labour as a human security problem: evidence from India†, Oxford Development Studies, vol. 29, no. 3, 2001 Mattioli, M. C., Sapovadia, V. K., ‘Laws of Labor: core laborstandards and global trade’, Harvard International Review, Summer 2004,vol. 26, issue 2, p. 60 Murshed, M., ‘Unraveling child labor and labor legislation’, Journal of International Affairs, Fall2001, vol. 55, issue 1, p.169 News, The (Mexico), ‘Child labor in Mexico contributes almost 2 billion dollars to economy’, Sep 26, 2001 Occupational Hazards, ‘Group calls for reform of laws governing teen employment’, Aug2004, vol. 66, issue 8, p.15 Palley, T. I., ‘The child labor problem and the need forinternational labor standards’, Journal of Economic Issues, Sep2002,vol. 36, issue 3, p. 601 Payroll Manager’s Report, ‘International retailer is fined for child labor violations’, May 2005, vol. 5, issue 5, p.2 Professional Safety, ‘DOL issues final child labor rules for restaurant, driving roof’, Mar2005, vol. 50, issue 3, p.24 Puskikar, M., Ranjan, R., ‘The Joint Estimation of childparticipation in schooling and employment: comparative evidence fromthree continents’, Oxford Development Studies, Feb2002, vol. 30, issue1, p. 41 Scoville, J. G., ‘Segmentation in the market for child labor: theeconomics of child labor revisited’, American Journal of Economics andSociology, Jul2002, vol. 61, issue 3, p. 713 Xinhua (China), ‘Half Bangladeshi children malnourished: report’, 12/10/2004 Xinhua (China), ‘ISO countries ratify Convention to combat worst forms of child labor: ILO’, 24/5/2004 Xinhua (China), ‘Micro credit program launched to stop child labor in Bangladesh’, 30/10/2003 Xinhua (China), ‘Over 3 million child laborers in Pakistan’, Jul2002 Xinhua (China), ‘Asian countries to co-operate in eliminating child labor’, 3/3/2003 Walsh, M., Sager, I., ‘The world’s workers may catch a break’, Business Week, 14/3/2005, issue 3924, p.12 World IT Report, ‘India to abolish child labour after 2007’, 15/1/2004

The Machiavellian Element in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essay

Machiavelli's Moral and social philosophy, as expressed in the prince, and the way this is related to in the political philosophy, style, and actions of Julius Caesar of Shakespeare's play For the reason that philosophy including all other branches of knowledge, from head to toe, is meant for the welfare and wellbeing of mankind thus the sacred branch of knowledge such as philosophy is all about discovering and investigating the hidden for the further wellbeing of mankind instead of putting the same human beings into the hands of totally inhuman structure based on Machiavelli's moral and social philosophy. I would rather call Machiavelli's moral and social philosophy as mere tactics of treating human being worse than live-stock. If people are still firm on calling Machiavelli’s recommended tactics as philosophy then, better to say, at the end of the day we will end up with egg on our face. Frankly speaking, a rather illogical viewpoint as given by Machiavelli can not be called as philosophy at any cost. Historically, Machiavelli was an Italian political theorist whose book The Prince (1513) describes the achievement and maintenance of power by a determined ruler indifferent to moral considerations. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), Italian author and statesman, is one of the outstanding figures of the Renaissance, b. Florence. Machiavelli's best-known work, Il principe [the prince] (1532), describes the means by which a prince may gain and maintain his power. His â€Å"ideal† prince (seemingly modeled on Cesare Borgia) is an amoral and calculating tyrant who would be able to establish a unified Italian state. The last chapter of the work pleads for the eventual liberation of Italy from foreign rule. Interpretations of The Prince... ... Machiavelli, Niccolà ³. 1560; facs. 1969. The Arte of Warre. Trans. Peter Whitehorne. Amsterdam and New York: Da Capo. Shakespeare's Machiavelli, August 5, 2003, http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/SLT/ideas/machiavelli2.html "About Machiavelli" Section, August 5, 2003, http://www.niccolo-machiavelli.com/about.html Machiavels, August 5, 2003 http://www.shakespeare.com/queries/display.php?id=3355 "The Qualities of the Prince" by Ron King, August 5, 2003, http://www.geometry.net/detail/philosophers/machiavelli_nicolo.html Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Review by Edward Tanguay November 15, 1996 http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~tanguay/book50.htm Niccolo Machiavelli, August 5, 2003, http://www.smuc.ac.uk/English/en251/en251_5.htm Concerning Liberality And Meanness, August 5, 2003, http://www.geocities.com/vitomonti2002/juliuscaesar4.html

Psychology 285 Week 9 Final Essay

Everyone has asked at point in their lives; who am I? Everyone will go through great lengths to figure out exactly that answer. Because of that no topic in psychology today is more heavily researched than self (Myers, D.G., 2012). These feelings come about for a number of reasons. We develop a number of feelings for reasons that are related to group dynamics, genetics perhaps, and social influence. There are so many influences on the relationships that we develop. Self-concepts There are so many awesome qualities about me I’m honest, very giving, independent and opinionated; however being opinionated can be a blessing and a curse. Growing up I remember being in trouble so much because of my mouth. I was the type of child that needed to get my point across and I was going to get out whatever it was that I needed to say! My mother told me several times lately that she admires my courage when it comes to saying what’s on my mind; she hated it when I was growing up but she respects it now because she holds back a lot afraid to speak up. Knowing that I am extremely opinionated I have to be careful sometimes about the way that I say things to other people. This is because what I say may be without malicious intent however it could come off that way if it’s not carefully expressed! I am so opinionated that I will solicit my opinion to anyone with being asked to solicit it. Especially when it comes to my little sister; she thinks that I’ m being hard on her but I tell her all the time; the day I have nothing to say be worried, I talk because I care! This brings me to being such a giving individual I would give my heart if I was able to continue to live. I have given my last to so many and I expect absolutely nothing in return. I have learned that there is no greater lesson in life than the one of being able to give. I am the type of person who will go through my son, daughter, finance and my own closets just to see what they are no longer wearing to give it away to someone else who can actually use it. I want to set great examples to my children I want them to pay if forward too; but I want them to also know the difference between being a giving person and being an idiot! This brings me to my independence in life. I am such a strong minded person, very level headed so I know what I want and I know exactly what I  need to do to get to where I need to be, by myself! My mother loves the independence in me but she hat es the reasoning behind why I’m so independent. That reason would be because I don’t want to end up like her she’s so dependent on my stepfather that she has absolutely nothing on her own! Her first car came from him; the first time she moved into her own place was because of him, the new house the clothes on her back, the shoes on her feet, down to the food she eats. I don’t want that for myself in any way. My fear is that if I allow someone to do anything in any form for me that they will throw it in my face later. While my mother admires this quality about me my fiancà © hates it so much. He’s constantly fighting me not because he has nothing else to do but because he wants to do more. However along with the fear of having what was done thrown in my face another fear is to allow myself to comply with someone else doing something for me and they aren’t able to later than I feel like I set myself up for failure. This aspect of my life is r evolved around issues of trust in my opinion. I know that I have trust issues I am always afraid of being hurt in some way whether it be because I was let down or because my heart was broken. My world is great and everything is exactly the way it should be until someone else tries to help. This is what one would call self-serving bias. Self-serving bias plays an extremely major part of mine and anyone else’s life we would all love to believe we’re a super hero all of the time, but when something goes wrong have you ever you ever seen the super hero take the blame? Never that is the sidekick’s job! The concept of self-serving bias has opened my eyes up to taking more responsibility for my own actions and stop using the actions of others to feel better about a situation that has gone wrong. This is why now I feel that I have an internal locus of control I believe that I am what influence the ripple effect of the events of my life. My actions have reaction weather I like the reactions or not they are still because of me and no one else! Attitudes and feelings Confirmation bias influences the perception of yourself and the people around me because we all want what we believe to be true! Take this for example my mother doesn’t very much care for my fiancà © she doesn’t really have a reason, because he does everything that he is supposed to do and more sure we have an argument here and there but to her it’s abusive. So she says  thing like this; â€Å"See I told you he doesn’t care about anyone but himself, look at how he speaks to you he doesn’t care.† I explain to her that it’s unfair to say that about him especially when things were said in the heat of the moment. Confirmation bias can destroy you because you are always looking for the next thing to support your beliefs. My sister thought that her husband was cheating with my cousin, (this was not true) so everything that my brother in law and cousin did together it was inappropriate and because they were sleeping together. I tried so ma ny times to tell her that they weren’t sleeping with one another but she had it in her head that they were so much that she actually pushed them together (self-fulfilling prophecy). She pushed and pushed so much that the untrue theory became true. I was hurt for her when this happened because these beliefs ended up generating their own confirmation. Behaviors influence attitude in so many ways, each day of my life behaviors influence my attitude. My step brother for example to me his behavior is very perverted is says things about my little sisters that he should not referencing the rear ends and other parts of their bodies as well as mine extremely inappropriate this behavior influences my attitude towards him because I don’t trust him as a result, I don’t want him around any of our sisters, or my infant daughter, I don’t even trust him around my son! My attitude toward him is extremely negative and I hate when he’s around. Another way that behavior affect attitude is through imitating your parents because the attitudes and beliefs of your parents have a strong impact on your life later. The topic of exhibiting the behavior of my parents brings me to gender roles. Our gender roles are defined by our own conceptions of being a male or female. Social influence: In certain situations I am willing to conform to a degree, but I am not willing to conform completely for an entire group to make it easier on the group. I enjoy being an individual I never want to blend in with the crowd I always want to stand out. I know this because at work there are so many groups of people who only want to hang out with that group of people they are all so caught up with who’s doing what and why that they completely lose focus of why we are even at work in the first place. I on the other hand  don’t feel that I have the time for that it’s childish so I am all about my work and nothing else! When our Post Master comes around they will all scrabble to go back to work or act as if they are working so that they won’t get into trouble! A person of authority influences obedience because the authority figure has the power to discipline. The foot in the door technique is one that is used in my profession a lot when the new comers come on to the job a co-worker will began to ask for small favors and those small favors turn into large favors. I have used this technique in new relationships to see just how far I can get him to go for me. I will change in the presence of others depending on who the person is if it’s an elder I won’t swear, if it’s a younger group of my peers I will relax more but it really depends on the group. When working with groups there are always slackers in the group they do the least expecting the same amounts of credit. This is something that I have struggled with in school and in work because it’s completely unfair to the group. This is called being lazy and being lazy is completely unattractive. Factors that attract me to someone are whether or not they are intellectually stimulating to me, smart, fun loving, easy going, handsome, tall, and has a great sense of humor. That’s not to say that what’s attractive to me is attractive to the next person. Just because they are attractive doesn’t mean that everything is going to be great there may be some conflict and in resolving conflict you must talk it out, speaking on your concerns and try using the I exercise saying how you feel as oppose to the blame game because no one will be receptive to that!

Topics for Discussion

TOPICS for DISCUSSION Society and the Media 1- Where do you get the news from? radio / newspapers / TV / Internet 2- Reality shows on TV 3- TV and children The Environment 1- Public transport: a real alternative? 2- Recycling: a good way to be green? 3- Plastic bags in shops. The World of Work 1- Teleworking (working from home): pros and cons. 2- Equal opportunities for men and women 3- Unemployment: effects on society Travelling 1- Travelling alone or travelling with friends (or family) – Rural tourism 3- Exotic holidays Relationships 1- Getting married, living together or living alone 2- Families today: working parents / single parents / grandparents bringing up children Health 1- Ways to stay healthy 2- Fast food or traditional food 3- Telemedicine: online patients Language Learning 1- Bilingual education, Internet and language learning 2- Language exchanges, courses abroad Crime 1- How to avoid street robbery or burglary 2- Crime and technology: identity theftShopping 1- S hopping centres (malls) and department stores versus small shops 2- Opening hours: on Sundays and bank holidays 3- Shopaholics Progress and Science 1- Space exploration: useless or useful 2- The best inventions in 20th century Money matters 1- Is money the most important thing when choosing a job? 2- Charities and NGO’s: for people, animals, civil rights 3- Is pocket money for children a good idea? Computers and Technology 1- Downloading films or going to the cinema – Internet and books: will libraries disappear? 3- Effects of Internet on family life Education 1- Single sex education or co-educational schools 2- State schools or private schools 3- Discipline problems in the classroom Leisure and Entertainment 1- Changes in how people spend their free time: cinema music social networks theatre clubbing computer games others 2- Ways to relax: escaping from your daily routine .