A New Company Valuation Model and its Application On the Royal Bank of Essay

A New Company Valuation Model and its Application On the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc - Essay Example Bank of Scotland consortium, where the transaction price was approximately â‚ ¬72billion and in the end, this investment was found to be worth nearly zero. Investors have lost billions of pounds and dollars amidst hypes of valuations in practically everything where one may look for an opportunity to invest safely and expect returns. One of the reasons for such losses is that investors are not sufficiently well informed about their investment decisions that they are making or the risks that they are taking on. Buyers tend to depend upon market information published by various organisations or rating agencies. The irony is, these agencies themselves have been inflating the values amidst their own problems. Accordingly, the valuation of companies should no longer be treated as sacrosanct. The specialised lengthy and complex process that companies carry out to make decisions pertaining to mergers and acquisitions can no longer be taken for what it is. Every investor buying shares in a listed company should have reasonable visibility into the value of the company so that he/she can judge the risks and develop balanced portfolios. This dissertation will document comprehensively the current generally accepted concepts and methodologies of company valuation techniques. In addition it will be my endeavour to propose an integrated model in which the investors can apply data and information and evaluate the company value with a reasonable level of accuracy. In this dissertation an effort has been made to address the problems related to the methodology of valuations that has been adopted recently to predict the net worth of companies. The current financial valuation techniques of a company primarily comprise of four methods (Jacob, 2004: pp1-4 and Fernandes, 2007: pp2-19); All four methods result in different ways of thinking and often in different valuations. The investors normally do not understand which method is more suitable for them to use for making the most informed

Why Field of View of Smartphone Camera Is Smaller Essay Example for Free

Why Field of View of Smartphone Camera Is Smaller Essay Field of view: The field of view is the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment. In photography, angle of view describes the angular extent of a given scene that is imaged by a camera. These two can be used interchangeably as field of view is proportional to angle of view. Mathematically, in triangle abc, side ‘bc’ is the opposite of angle bac, thus length of ‘bc’ depends on angle bac. In abc ade, bac = dae, (Reciprocal angle). abc = aed (As bc||de be intersects them, they are alternate angles) acb = ade (As bc||de cd intersects them, they are alternate angles) Therefore, abc ade are similar triangles thus bc/de = ab/ae = ac/ad = k (some constant). Since, bc/de = k, = bc = k*de which implies that bc de (bc is proportional to de). This relation implies that, the field of view is proportional to the size of the sensor used in camera. Field of view also depends on the focal length of the lens. The above diagram shows that the Field of view is inversely proportional to the Focal Length of the lens used in a camera. Camera phones generally use sensor sizes in the range of ~1/4† to 2/3†. The problem of fitting a large sensor in a mobile device isnt only about the sensor itself, the greater challenge is the fact that the larger the sensor, the larger the lens need to be. This is because larger sensors require one to get closer to their subject, or to use a longer focal length to fill the frame with that subject. So, to increase the field of view, we can’t enlarge the camera sensor as we wish or can’t decrease the focal length of the lens. And thats why the field of view of smartphone camera/digital camera is smaller comparing to the field of view of human eyes.

About network topology

About network topology Task: 1 Network Topology: Network topology is the study of the arrangement or mapping of the elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a network, especially the physical (real) and logical (virtual) interconnections between nodes. A local area network (LAN) is one example of a network that exhibits both a physical topology and a logical topology. Any given node in the LAN will have one or more links to one or more other nodes in the network and the mapping of these links and nodes onto a graph results in a geometrical shape that determines the physical topology of the network. Types of Network Topology: The arrangement or mapping of the elements of a network gives rise to certain basic topologies which may then be combined to form more complex topologies (hybrid topologies). The most common of these basic types of topologies are: Star Topology. Bus Topology. Ring Topology. Mesh Topology. Star Topology: Advantages and Disadvantages of Star Topology: Advantages: Batter performance. Isolation of devices Benefits from centralization Disadvantages of Star Topology: The high dependence of the system on the functioning of the central switch The performance and scalability of the network depend of the switch. Bus Topology: Advantages and Disadvantages of Bus Network: Advantages: Easy to implement and extend Requires less cable length than a star topology Cheaper than other topologies. Disadvantages: Limited cable length and number of stations. If there is a problem with the cable, the entire network goes down. Maintenance costs may be higher in the long run. Ring Topology: Advantages Very orderly network where every device has access to the token and the opportunity to transmit Performs better than a star topology under heavy network load Can create much larger network using Token Ring Disadvantages One malfunctioning workstation or bad port in the MAU can create problems for the entire network Moves, adds and changes of devices can affect the network Network adapter cards and MAUs are much more expensive than Ethernet cards and switches Much slower than an Ethernet network under normal load Mesh Topology: A full mesh topology occurs when every node on the network has a separate wire connecting it to very other node on the network. It provides each device with a point-to- point connection to every other device in the network. A full mesh topology is redundant because if any one node of connection fails, all remaining nodes can continue communicating. Topology Choice: I choice star and mesh topology because these two topologies are best topology from other topology. In here establish a network for a police station, this police station has accident emergency department, maternity department, childrens unite, x-ray department and eye department. At first I choice the star topology but its have some disadvantage the primary disadvantage of a star topology is the high dependence of the system on the functioning of the central switch. While the failure of an individual link only results in the isolation of a single node, the failure of the central switch renders the network inoperable, immediately isolating all departments. The performance and scalability of the network also depend on the capabilities of the switch. Network size is limited by the number of connections that can be made to the switch, and performance for the entire network is capped by its throughput. While in theory traffic between the switch and a node is isolated from other nodes on the network, other nodes may see a performance drop if traffic to another node occupies a significant portion of the central nodes processing capability or throughput. Furthermore, wiring up of the system can be very complex. And it has some Advantages too that are: Better performance: Passing of Data Packet through unnecessary nodes is prevented by this topology. At most 3 devices and 2 links are involved in any communication between any two devices which are part of this topology. This topology induces a huge overhead on the central switch, however if the central switch has adequate capacity, then very high network utilization by one device in the network does not affect the other devices in the network. Benefits from centralization: As the central switch is the bottleneck, increasing capacity of the central switch or adding additional devices to the star, can help scale the network very easily. The central nature also allows the inspection traffic through the network. This can help analyze all the traffic in the network and determine suspicious behavior. For this reason I also choice star topology. It will be main topology and need a topology it will be help for backup. Then choosing mesh topology that is maximum problem free. If star topology will disturb then mesh topology will help this time. Mesh topology cover dramatically more department and reach more users than other topology by relying on sophisticated mesh switching technology to increase range and topology capacity. Plug-and-play Setup and Configuration: Every mesh system works out of the box, without requiring sophisticated site-surveys or command-line setup. Hosted back-end system automatically configures every switch as part of this department topology, and the web-based centralized management shows how everything is working through a simple, intuitive interface that can be used from anywhere in the world. Scale to Thousands of Simultaneous Users: Field-tested by one department to other department, Mesh topology platform provides high quality of service to thousands of simultaneous users without missing a beat. Intelligent traffic queuing and packet prioritization, combined with the ability to add an unlimited number of additional network gateways, means your networks capacity can continue to grow with demand. Interference-aware Mesh Switching: Instead of relying on a single large antenna to cover every user, each radio in a mesh topology cooperates to find the best path to carry a users traffic to the Intranet. As they operate, every network re-evaluates thousands of switching paths every minute, resulting in amazing reliability and network capacity. Mesh intelligent mesh switching means every repeater you add extends the reach of the network and makes the mesh more reliable by adding additional links. Thats why I choice star and mash topology. These two topologies are join work together for police station departments. Each department of this police station is very important. Task: 2 The Internet is an excellent tool for collecting and transmitting data for a police station. It is possible to build a Web site for data entry without much programming experience using commercially available programs. Such a Web site allowed rapid, inexpensive and easy transfer of data between researchers and the coordinating center. It also permitted easy communications between the coordinating center and the investigators. Many technical and practical lessons were learned from this experience so that further systems may be more efficient and reliable. Once data are entered into the web pages and sent to an end-point (e.g., database, spreadsheet, or e-mail) they are checked and validated remotely by the owner of the end-point. Any feedback is sent to the user with time delay because there is no immediate interaction between the database and the user. This is the easiest way to set up a data entry Web site, but it lacks automatic and immediate interactivity. One-way data flow with client-sided validation Validation of the entered data can be performed on the client (browser) side. This is mostly done with JavaScript, a program language developed to run on browsers. The JavaScript code is sent with the HTML code (hypertext markup language, the computer language that defines the way web pages are displayed on a computer) of the web page to the user. It can react to false data entry or missing data with a message box informing the user. The advantage is that basic data check is performed before they are being sent. Yet, client-sided data validation has some major disadvantages (other than the need of programming knowledge). Because the JavaScript code is sent with the HTML code to the browser, the web pages are larger and this may lead to a longer download time, particularly for users with a slow Internet connection. In addition, anyone can see the programming code, a feature not always in the interest of the web site designer. Enterprise Networking Assignment September 2008 International Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies Enterprise Networking  ©NCC Education Ltd 2008 Two-way data flow with server-sided validation After the data are entered and sent to the server they are validated and checked by a program residing on that server. Depending on the validation result, a new web page is generated by the web server and sent to the user with, for example, a request to reenter incorrect data or to confirm that all data have been correctly entered. With this technique, there is no extra load on the web pages and the programming code is not visible to the user. The main disadvantage (other than the need for extensive programming knowledge) is that the data first have to be sent to the server and a response has to be sent back to the user, the so-called client-server-client round trip. This may lead to a higher traffic workload, which can be annoying, especially to the user with a slow Internet connection. Two-way data flow with server and client-sided validation The combination of the server and client-side interaction seems to be the ideal solution from the point of user friendliness. Simple data validation is performed using client-side scripting, and more complex tasks are performed on the server side. Yet its implementation is time consuming and complex. Referring case history, status, diagnosis code, textual request are entered by the general practitioner. So instead of entering the detailed referring data, the administrator can choose the current case from the waiting list. On the other hand the family doctor can access his/her patients care data from the police station information system automatically as the actual police station care had been closed with the final documents. In this way the family doctor can see the treatments result before patient would show up in the doctors office with the paper-formed final report. By merging the final reports data of police station cases into the police station application system these data can be accessed for any future patient-visit. Question: Access issues for patients with disabilities, e.g. blind/partially-sighted. The police station authority creating a password protected web page on the police station website on which all information pertinent would be posted. A hard copy of the posted information would be available for reference at the police station. Discussion included the possibility of automatic notification to patient when information has been posted and the use of laptop computers at police station for each disable patient to access the posted information during the police station. Patients of the police station expressed their support of this proposal and asked that police station staff to establish a web-based system. There are two methods of roaming in a node-to-node configuration: Patchwork roaming and Mobile Mesh roaming. Nodes in a mobile mesh by their very nature roam in and out of coverage and between networks. With Patchwork roaming, wireless connection between clients hardware and mesh network, a wireless data networks, public Wi-Fi hotspots, and enterprise WLANs, are difficult to operate at best. The clients using Ipv4 that do not automatically change the IP address when moving between mesh nodes and wireless nodes. Manual intervention may be required. With Patchwork seamless roaming can be achieve; however, it requires DHCP to set every few seconds. The solution will be wait until Ipv6. Mobile meshes implements self-contained dynamic addressing and rendezvous technologies to simplify address management and enable true nomadic operation without reliance on external clients hardware. Mobile devices can join and leave a mobile mesh and/or connect to public or private fixed infrastructure, all while retaining connectivity to critical services. Wireless Mesh topology every node has a connection to every other node in the network realm. There is two types of mesh topologies: full mesh and partial mesh. Full wireless mesh topology occurs when every node in a realm is connected to every other node in a network. Full mesh is yields the greatest amount of redundancy, so in the event that one of those nodes fails, network traffic can be directed to any of the other nodes. Full wireless mesh is difficult to achieve on a large scale using MeshAP; however, small-scale area like offices or small campus may be ideal. One should note that it is difficult to deploy a full mesh topology. Partial mesh topology yields less redundancy than full mesh topology. With partial mesh, some nodes are organized in a full mesh scheme but others are only connected to one or more nodes in the network realm. Partial mesh topology is commonly found in either small or large networks or fulfilling the last mile connection to a full meshed backbone. There are 4 main types of partial wireless mesh nodes topologies: Point-to-point Point-to-multipoint or Multipoint-to-point, and Multipoint-to-multipoint, Metropolitan Point-to-point and point-to-multipoint networks have long been the standard for fixed wireless deployments and some 802.11 based networks. In testing of mesh networks have proven to be most versatile, overcoming a number of disadvantages in traditional wireless topologies. This section will detail the fundamentals of MeshAP and its inherent advantages. Point-to-Point nodes topology A point-to-point network is the simplest form of wireless network, composed of two radio and two high gain antennas in direct communication with each other. Point to point links are often used to provide high-performance, dedicated connections or high-speed interconnect links. These links are quick to deploy individually, but do not easily scale to create a large network. Client used these nodes in a site-to-site configuration. Point to Multipoint nodes topology A point-to multipoint or a Multipoint to point nodes share link between an uplink node with omni directional antenna and repeater nodes or downlink nodes with high gain directional antennas. This type of network is easier to deploy than Point to point network because adding a new subscriber only requires equipment deployment at the subscriber site, not at the uplink node; however, each remote site must be within range and clear line of sight of the base station. Trees, hills and other line of sight obstruction make point to multipoint nods impractical for residential and home office coverage. A Point to Multipoint network is suited for either backhaul operations or customers that need reliable, high-speed connections, but are not willing to pay for dedicated capacity that may go unused. The nodes performed as a bridge to the uplink network and are generally in wired configuration for the clients. The problem with point to Multipoint node topology is that they are not design to mesh w ith other nodes due to the directional antenna. Multipoint nodes topology Multipoint to multipoint networks creates a routed mesh topology that mirrors the structure of a wired Internet. To build a mesh network, indoor or outdoor Internet access is first established with the deployment of an access switch connected to a wired ISP. Additional access routers are then deployed throughout the coverage area until a maximum density is achieved. Each access router not only provides access for attached users, but also become part of the network infrastructure by routing traffic through the network over multiple hops. This allows any client to join the network at any point of the mesh, even if the clients are not using a node. Client can access the entire mesh wireless or wired making this the best choice to deploy for areas that require larger coverage MeshAP. Metropolitan nodes topology Task 3 A method of half-duplex wireless communication comprising the steps of: transmitting from a base station to a plurality of mobile stations contained within one wireless communication cell that is serviced by the base station a Ready announcement indicating that the base station is ready to receive data on an uplink channel from the mobile stations, setting a random initial backoff time for each mobile station and transmitting from each mobile station a Request to Send announcement to the base station following expiration of the backoff time, transmitting from the base station to the mobile stations a Clear to Send announcement indicating that the first mobile station to have had its Request to Send announcement received in the base station can now transmit data, resubmitting the Request to Send announcements from the other mobile stations after a predetermined backoff time period has expired corresponding to a time period in which the first mobile station can transmit its data to the base station, and prioritizing any messages from the mobile stations by setting a higher probability that the base station will be in a receiving state rather than a transmitting state. The method according to claim 1 including the steps of transmitting Clear to Send announcements from the mobile stations to the base station indicating that mobile stations are clear to receive data from the base station, and transmitting the data from the base station to a respective mobile station based on the first Clear to Send announcement received within the base station. A half-duplex wireless communication system comprising a premises having a base station that services a defined communication cell, wherein the base station transmits and receives Request to Send and Clear to Send announcements to and from mobile stations to indicate that the base station can receive and send data, and a plurality of mobile stations that send and receive data after transmitting and receiving Clear to Send and Request to Send announcements to and from the base station based on the respective time period in which the base station has received the Clear to Send and Request to Send announcements from respective mobile stations, and means for prioritizing any messages from the mobile stations by setting a higher probability that a base station will be in a receiving state rather than a transmitting state. The system according to claim 3 wherein a Request to Send and Clear to Send announcement exchange must occur between the base station and mobile station before any data exchange can occur. The system according to claim 3 wherein the base station and a mobile station send and receive an acknowledgement message signalling the completion of data transfer. The main equipment that would be installed. Requirements Analysis Prior to any decision on strategy, the customers requirements for voice services must be clearly defined. Requirement operators will evaluate the current environment and practices, and then recommend strategic infrastructure decisions aligned with the customers business needs. For an IP Telephony infrastructure, this would include items such as: Call services Phone features Call conferencing services Messaging Toll bypass Directory services. IP Telephony System Installation Sequence: Once the infrastructure is ready to support IP Telephony, the actual deployment begins. The main steps are summarized below: Install IP Telephony Call Manager Publisher server. Configuration of IP Telephony system parameters, calling gateways, dial plan and phone clients. Install IP Telephony Call Manager Subscriber servers as needed. Install IP Telephony Voicemail Solution. Connect the IP Telephony system with minimal access to PSTN and tie line services. The features available with each system. Performance and security of the existing network to ensure that it is capable of supporting an IP Telephony infrastructure, and identify any areas where enhancements are necessary. In order to successfully deploy IP Telephony services, a minimum number of system features must be available in a customers network. For instance: Networks where IP Telephony is to be deployed should be structured on a 3-tier model: Core, Distribution and Access, to ensure an even flow of traffic. A poorly structured design can create unnecessary bottlenecks, impacting performance. User Access nodes must be switch based technology, to provide the bandwidth to the desktop that can best support voice and video. User Access nodes should support multiple virtual LANs (VLANs) within a single switch. This way, voice and data can be configured separately and efficiently, while sharing the same physical infrastructure. The switch must provide 802.1q trucking on user connections, also to allow voice and data traffic to be configured separately. The switch must be able to provide differentiated Quality of Service (QoS) on a user connection. If the switch does not support 802.1q trucking and differentiated QoS on each user connection, the IP Telephony system may still be deployed but a separate connection would be required for the phone and data equipment connections. Task: 4 The cost of equipment and installation. Cost of equipment and installation: The total cost and savings of an IP Telephony infrastructure should be identified and compared to the current costs. Company will examine the infrastructure costs and provide advice on how to invest to maximize the efficiency of the network. Items included in this analysis will include: Hardware Software Network / leased lines Support services. Value recovered from Cisco telephony trade in program ****** The cost of operating the system. Optimized operating cost structure Staff requirement for delivering voice services In-house solution VoIP-X solution Similar savings on server equipment, administration and support staff Estimated Retail Pricing The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 licensing model consists of a Server operating system license and incremental Client Access Licenses (CALs) and is designed to allow for complete scalability of your cost in relation to your usage. In addition, Microsoft offers several flexible, cost-effective options for licensing. Note that there are a few CAL types available to suit your individual needs. This page provides guidance on the Windows Server 2003 R2 pricing and points you to our various licensing programs so you can find the most cost-effective solution for your organization. Product Offering U.S. Price* Description Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition $999 Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Includes 5 CALs (User or Device, chosen after purchase) Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition $1,199 Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Includes 10 CALs (User or Device, chosen after purchase) Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition $3,999 Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Includes 25 CALs (User or Device, chosen after purchase) Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition $2,999 Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, 32-bit version $399 Open NL Web Server product, no CALs required. Windows Server 2003 Web Edition, is not available in all channels. Open NL estimated price is $399. Contact your local System Builder, OEM, or reseller for actual prices or for more information on how to purchase. Task: 5 Benefit: As technical barriers are eliminated and more organizations begin to adopt Internet protocol-based telephony (IPT), companies are finding that here are demonstrable, real-world total costs of ownership (TCO) advantages associated with implementing IPT solutions. Along with delivering the same or better quality and reliability as traditional systems, IPT solutions offer distinct benefits including lower costs, simplified management and greater flexibility to add applications like conferencing, centralized voice mail, and unified messaging, enabling branches to deliver premium service to customers. IPT is able to lower the costs and provide value-added communications applications to employees in branch and retail locations. Supported network topologies: â€Å"Topology† refers to the configuration of the hardware components and how the data is transmitted through that configuration. 802.15.4 and ZigBee support three different network topologies: star, mesh, and cluster tree (also called star-mesh hybrid). The cluster tree topology is less efficient than the other two, and is therefore rarely (if ever) implemented. It is not covered in this whitepaper. Before describing the star and mesh topologies, it helps to first understand the different types of devices these networks can include. LAN guard N.S.S. has the ability to scan your entire network, IP by IP, or to scan just a single machine upon which it is installed. Not only do you get a list of open ports and vulnerable services, but you also get useful information such as the service packs installed on the machine, missing security patches, wireless access points, USB devices, open shares, open ports, services/applications active on the computer, key registry entries, weak passwords, users and groups, and more. In addition, you can easily analyze scan results using filters and reports, enabling you to proactively secure your network — for example, by shutting down unnecessary ports, closing shares, installing service packs. Bibliography: Search Engines Name: www.google.com www.yahoo.com www.ads.com ****** Web Address Name: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VoIP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_Internet_Protocol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Phone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_VoIP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_VoIP_software http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiated_services http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENUM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H323 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_services http://www.manufacturers.com.tw/telecom/WirelessSolution.html http://www.redcom.com/products/slice2100.php http://www.redcom.com/products/hdx_apps.php http://meraki.com/oursolution/mesh/ http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/p2p/p2pintro.mspx EIAAC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pager http://www.siemon.com/us/white_papers/03-10-10 ip_enhanced_medical.asp http://www.itl.nist.gov/div897/sqg/va/papers/appaper.html http://www.azgita.gov/councils_committees/tegc/submissions/10.pdf http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/full/100/2/506 ****** Books name: Book Name Writer Name Publication Name Computer Networks(4th edition) Andrew S. Tanenbaum Prantic-Hall India Enterprise Networking NCC Education Limited

The Application of Social and Emotional Theory: Moving to a Retirement

Application of Social and Emotional Theory Psychosocial Theory Eric Erickson (1902-1994) was a psychoanalytical theorist who refined the study of personality development across the life stages (School of Arts, Development and Health Education, Massey University, 2012). His psychosocial theory (Newman & Newman, 2007) extended on the work of his mentor, and originating theorist; Sigmund Freud (Berk, 2012). Erickson’s theory divulged that individuals confront both negative and positive social pressures, at each life stage. How they deal with such experiences, and the learning, or lack of, acquired from them, determines how they cope and develop throughout their remaining life stages (Newman & Newman, 2007). Negative experiences not properly managed at any stage, adversely affect individual growth. Jean’s current situation relates to Erickson’s final psychosocial stage in late adulthood; integrity versus despair. This stage marks a period of self-reflection, and the associated value of one’s life. Integrity is achieved by individuals who are happy and content with their lives. On the contrary; despair and upset, are feelings expressed by those regretful of life choices, and missed opportunities, now too late to pursue. These negative emotions also exacerbate fears of their impending demise (Clairborne & Drewery, 2010; Berk, 2010). In Jean’s case, moving to a retirement village generated both feelings of despair, and ultimately integrity. She worried about her ability to look after Frank, and who would eventually take care of them both. Furthermore, Jean did not want to burden their children with their care. In fact, these are all too common concerns shared by those in late adulthood (Berk, 2010). The stress of... ...lving, and as with it, human nature. New research acknowledges this, and we can expect an emergence of new and revised developmental theories. References Berger, K.S. (2008). The developing person through the lifespan (7th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers. Berk, L.E. (2010). Exploring lifespan development (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Clairborne, L. & Drewery, W. (2010). Human development: Family, place and culture. Sydney: McGraw-Hill. Newman, B. M., & Newman, P.R. (2007). Theories of human development. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Papalia, D.E., Olds, S. W. & Feldman, R.D. (2009). Human development (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill School of Arts, Development and Health Education, Massey University. (2012). 275.102 Human Development: Course material. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Author.

How parents most influence behavior Essay

How did your parents most influence your behavior growing up? Was it through classical conditioning? What about operant conditioning and social learning theory? Which theory had the biggest impact? Why? Give an example and state how it has impacted the person you are today. Make sure to briefly define what the type of conditioning is and cite the text (unless you invented: Classical, Operant or Social Learning theory). Try to use the terms the textbook authors use. If someone does not use a term or uses it incorrectly, feel free to tactfully correct them (they will need to know these terms for the upcoming Online Quizzes) (1st post) Classical conditioning is learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes paired with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response (Carpenter &Huffman, 2010, p. 144). Operant conditioning is learning in which voluntary responses are controlled by their consequences (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 49). My parents influenced me best by operant conditioning. When I did well and work hard on something they used reinforcement; a consequence that strengthens a response and makes it more likely to recur (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 149) to encourage me to keep doing well. When I did something I wasn’t supposed to do or just straight out misbehaved they used punishment; a consequence that weakens a response and makes it less likely to recur (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 49) to get me to act right and do what I was supposed to do. (2nd Q) Give the text definition of what â€Å"negative reinforcement† is in Operant conditioning (cite the textbook APA style). Differentiate it from punishment. If you can, give an example of negative reinforcement in your own life. (Hint: most people don’t have a clue of what negative reinforcement is). Feel free to correct students who make cognitive errors in a response post where you correct them and cite the correct text passage to back you up). I will be lurking in the background to keep everyone on track (2nd post) Negative reinforcement takes away (–) and strengthens behavior (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 150). Negative punishment is the taking away (–) of a reinforcing stimulus, which decreases (or weakens) the likelihood of the response occurring again behavior (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 153). The two concepts are actually completely opposite. Reinforcement (either positive or negative) strengthens a behavior, where as punishment weakens a behavior (Carpenter & Huffman, 2010, p. 152). The best example I can think of how my parents used negative reinforcement on me was if I made all A’s on my report card I didn’t have to do my chores for a week. (3rd post) This video explains difference between operant conditioning & observational learning. This video give a good definition in the difference of the two and better understand them.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 10

The car coming. Iliana screaming. And the feeling of absolute helplessness- Glass shattered. Keller didn't understand at first. She thought that Iliana was trying to break the window and get Jaime's attention. But the window was safety glass, and what broke was the beaker in Diana's hand. Blood spurted, shockingly red and liquid. And Iliana kept squeezing the broken glass in her hand, making more and more blood run. Her small face was fixed and rigid, her lips slightly parted, her breath held, her whole expression one of complete concentration. She was calling the blue fire. Keller lost her own breath. She's doing it! I'm going to see a Wild Power. Right here, right beside me, it's happening! She wrenched her own gaze back to the car. She was going to see those tons of metal come to a stop just as the BART train on the video had. Or maybe Iliana would just deflect the car in its course, send it into the grassy island in the middle of the driveway. In any case, she can hardly deny that she's the Wild Power now- It was then that Keller realized the car wasn't stopping. It wasn't working. She heard Iliana make a desperate sound beside her. There was no time for anything more. The car was on top of Jaime, swinging up onto the curb. Keller's heart lurched. And something streaked out behind Jaime, hitting her from behind. It knocked her flying toward the grassy island. Out of the path of the car. Keller knew who it was even before her eyes could focus on the dark golden hair and long legs. The car braked and screeched and swerved-but Keller couldn't tell if it had hit him. It went skidding, half on and half off the sidewalk. Then it corrected its course and roared along the driveway, speeding away. Nissa came dashing out of the door below and stood for an instant, taking in the scene. Above, Keller was still frozen. She and Iliana were both as motionless as statues. Then Iliana made a little noise and whirled around. She was off and running before Keller could catch her. She shot past Winnie, leaving a trail of flying red droplets. â€Å"Come on!† Keller yelled. They both went after her. But it was like chasing a sunbeam. Keller had had no idea the little thing could run like that. They were right behind her all the way down the stairs and out the door. It was where Keller wanted to be, anyway. There were two figures lying on the pavement. They were both very still. Keller's heart was beating hard enough to break through her chest. Amazing how, even after seeing so much in her life, she could still have the desperate impulse to shut her eyes. For the first moment, as her gaze raked over Galen's body, she wasn't sure if she could see blood or not. Everything was pulsing with dark spots, and her brain didn't seem able to put any kind of coherent picture together. Then he moved. The stiff, wincing motion of somebody injured, but not injured badly. He lifted his head, pushed himself up on one elbow, and looked around. Keller stared at him wordlessly. Then she made her voice obey her. â€Å"Did it hit you?† â€Å"Just glanced off me.† He got his legs under him. â€Å"I'm fine. But what about-^-â€Å" They both looked at Jaime. â€Å"Goddess!† Galen's voice was filled with horror. He scrambled up and took a limping step before falling to his knees. Even Keller felt shock sweep over her before she realized what was going on. At first glance, it looked like a tragedy. Diana was holding Jaime, cradling her in her arms, and there was blood everywhere. All over the front of Diana's sweater, all over Jaime's white shirt. It just showed up better on Jaime. But it was Diana's blood, still flowing from her cut hand. Jaime was blinking and lifting a hand to her forehead in bewilderment. Her color was good, and her breathing sounded clear if fast. â€Å"That car-those people were crazy. They were going to hit me.† I'm sorry,† Diana said. â€Å"I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was so beautiful that Keller's heart seemed to stop. Her fine skin seemed almost translucent in the cool afternoon light. That glorious hair was rippling in the wind behind her, every single strand light as air and moving independently. And her expression†¦ She was bending over Jaime so tenderly, tears Ming like diamonds. Her grief-it was complete, Keller thought. As if Jaime were her own dearest sister. She cared in a way that went beyond sympathy and beyond compassion and into something like perfect love. It†¦ transformed her. She wasn't a light-minded child anymore. She was almost†¦ angelic. All at once, Keller understood why everybody at school brought their problems to this girl. It was because of that caring, that love. Diana didn't help them to make herself popular. She helped because her heart was open, without shields, without the normal barriers that separated people from one another. And she was as brave as a little lion. She hadn't even hesitated when she saw Jaime in danger. She was afraid of blood, but she'd cut herself instantly, even recklessly, trying to help. That was courage, Keller thought. Not doing something without being afraid, but doing something even though you were afraid. In that moment, all of Keller's resentment of Diana melted away. All her anger and exasperation and contempt. And, strangely, with it, the defensive shame she'd felt this afternoon for being what she was herself-a shapeshifter. It didn't make sense. There was no connection. But there it was. The flat but strangely pleasant voice of Jaime was going on. â€Å"I'm okay-it was just a shock. Stop crying now. Somebody pushed me out of the way.† Diana looked up at Galen. She was still crying, and her eyes were the color of violet crystal. Galen was kneeling on one knee, looking down worriedly at Jaime. Their eyes met, and they both went still. Except for the wind ruffling Iliana's hair, they might have been a painting. A scene from one of the Old Masters, Keller thought. The boy with dark golden hair and that perfectly sculptured face, looking down with protective concern. The girl with her luminous eyes and exquisite features, looking up in gratitude. It was a sweet and lovely picture. It was also the exact moment that Iliana fell in love with Galen. And Keller knew it. She knew before Iliana knew herself. She saw a sort of plaintive shimmer in Iliana's eyes, like more tears about to fall. And then she saw the change in Iliana's face. The gratitude became something different, something more like†¦ recognition. It was as if Iliana were discovering Galen all at once, seeing everything in him that Keller had been slowly learning to see. They're both†¦ Keller wanted to think idiots, but the word wouldn't come. All she ended up with was the same. Both of them. Idealists. Open-hearted. Trying to rescue everyone. They're perfect for each other. â€Å"You saved her life,† Iliana whispered. â€Å"But you could have been killed yourself.† â€Å"It just happened,† Galen said. â€Å"I moved without thinking. But you-you're really bleeding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Iliana looked soberly down at her hand. It was the only thing that marred the picture; it was gory and shocking. But Iliana's gaze wasn't frightened. Instead, she looked wise beyond her years and infinitely sad. â€Å"I†¦ couldn't help,† she said. Keller opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, Nissa appeared beside Iliana. â€Å"Here,† she said in her practical way, loosening the carefully knotted scarf at her throat. â€Å"Let me tie it up until we can see if you need stitches.† She glanced up at Keller. â€Å"I got the license plate of the car.† Keller blinked and refocused. Her brain started ticking again. â€Å"Both of you, go get the car,† she said to Nissa and Winnie. â€Å"Ill finish that.† She took Nissa's place by Iliana. â€Å"Are you really all right?† she asked Jaime, careful to face her directly. â€Å"I think we need to take all three of you to the hospital.† Part of her expected to see a flinching as the dark blue eyes under the soft brown bangs met hers. But, of course, there wasn't any. Nissa's memory blanking had been too good. Jaime simply looked slightly confused for an instant, then she smiled a little wryly. â€Å"I'm really okay.† â€Å"Even so,† Keller said. There was a crowd gathering. Students and teachers were running from various corners of the building, coming to see what the noise was about. Keller realized that it had actually been only a couple of minutes since the car had gone roaring and screeching along the sidewalk. A few minutes†¦ but the world had changed. In several ways. â€Å"Come on,† she said, and helped Jaime up. She let Galen help Iliana. And she felt strangely calm and peaceful. Galen turned out to have several pulled muscles and lots of scrapes and bruises. Jaime had bruises and a dizzy headache and double vision, which got her actually admitted to the hospital-hardly surprising, considering how many times she'd been knocked down that day, Keller thought. Iliana needed stitches. She submitted to them quietly, which only seemed to alarm her mother. Mrs. Dominick had been called from home to the hospital. She sat with the baby in her lap and listened to Keller try to explain how Iliana had gotten cut while standing at the chemistry room window. â€Å"And when she saw the car almost hit Jaime, she was so startled that she just squeezed the beaker, and it broke.† Diana's mother looked doubtful for a moment, but it wasn't her nature to be suspicious. She nodded, accepting the story. Jaime's parents had been called to the hospital, too, and both Galen and Jaime had to give statements to the police. Nissa flashed Keller a glance when the policewoman asked if anyone had noticed the car's license plate. Keller nodded. She had already had Nissa call the number in to Circle Daybreak from a pay phone, but there was no reason not to have the police on the case, too. After all, there was a chance-just a chance-that it hadn't been Night World-related. Not much of a chance, though. Circle Daybreak agents would follow Jaime and her family after this, watching from the shadows and ready to act if the Night World showed up again. It was a standard precaution. Both Mr. and Ms. Ashton-Hughes, Jaime's parents, came down from Jaime's floor to speak to Galen in the emergency room. â€Å"You saved our daughter,† her mother said. â€Å"We don't know how to thank you.† Galen shook his head. â€Å"Really, it just happened. I mean, anybody would have done it.† Ms. Ashton-Hughes smiled slightly and shook her head in turn. Then she looked at Iliana. â€Å"Jaime says she hopes your hand heals quickly. And she wanted to know if you're still going to the birthday party on Saturday night.† â€Å"Oh-† For a moment, Iliana looked bewildered, as if she'd forgotten about the party. Then she brightened. â€Å"Yeah, tell her that I am. Is she still going?† â€Å"I think so. The doctor said she can go home tomorrow, as long as she keeps quiet for a few days. And she said she wasn't going to miss it even if her head fell off.† Iliana smiled. It was well into the evening by the time they all got home. Everyone was tired, even the baby-and Iliana was asleep. Mr. Dominick came hurrying out of the house. He was a medium-sized man with dark hair and glasses, and he looked very anxious. He came around to the backseat as Hiana's mother filled him in on the situation. But it was Galen who carried Iliana inside. She didn't wake up. Hardly surprising. The doctor had given her something for the pain, and Keller knew that she hadn't had much sleep the night before. She lay in Galen's arms like a trusting child, her face turned against his shoulder. They looked†¦ very good together, Keller thought. They looked right. Winnie and Nissa hurried upstairs and turned down Diana's sheets. Galen gently lowered her to the bed. He stood looking down at her. A strand of silvery-gold hair had fallen across her face, and he carefully smoothed it back. That single gesture told Keller more than anything else could have. He understands, she thought. It's like that moment when she looked at him and discovered all at once that he's brave and gentle and caring. He understands that she cut herself to try and save Jaime, and that people love her because she loves them so much first. And that she couldn't be petty or spiteful if she tried, and that she's probably never wished another person harm in her life. He sees all that in her now. Mrs. Dominick came in just then to help get Iliana undressed. Galen, of course, went out. Keller gestured for Winnie and Nissa to stay, and followed him. This time, she was the one who said, â€Å"Can I talk with you?† They slipped into the library again, and Keller shut the door. With everything that was going on in the house, she didn't think anyone would notice. Then she faced him. She hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. There was some illumination from the window but not much. It didn't really matter. Shapeshifter eyes were good in the dark, and Keller was just as glad he couldn't study her face. She could see enough of his as he stood by the window. The light picked up the edge of his golden head, and she could see that his expression was troubled and a little uncertain. â€Å"Keller-† he began. Keller held up a hand to cut him off. â€Å"Wait. Galen, first I want to tell you that you don't owe me an explanation.† She took a breath. â€Å"Look, Galen, what happened this morning was a mistake. And I think we both realize that now.† â€Å"Keller†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I shouldn't have gotten so upset at you about it. But that's not the point. The point is that things have worked out.† He looked bleak suddenly. â€Å"Have they?† â€Å"Yes,† Keller said firmly. â€Å"And you don't need to try and pretend otherwise. You care about her. She cares about you. Are you going to try and deny that?† Galen turned toward the window. He looked more than bleak now; he looked terribly depressed. â€Å"I do care about her,† he said slowly. â€Å"I won't deny it. But-â€Å" â€Å"But nothing! It's good, Galen. It's what was meant to be, and it's what we came here for. Right?† He shifted miserably. â€Å"I guess so. But Keller-â€Å" â€Å"And it may just possibly save the world,† Keller said flatly. There was a long silence. Galen's head was down. â€Å"We've got a chance now,† Keller said. ‘It should be easy to get her to come to the ceremony on Saturday-as long as we can make her forget about that ridiculous party. I'm not saying use her feelings against her. I'm just saying go with it. She should want to be promised to you.† Galen didn't say anything. â€Å"And that's all. That's what I wanted to tell you. And also that if you're going to act stupid and guilty because of something that was†¦ a few minutes of silliness, a mistake-well, then, I'm not going to talk to you ever again.† His head came up. â€Å"You think it was a mistake?† â€Å"Yes. Absolutely.† In one motion, he turned around and took her by the shoulders. His fingers tightened, and he stared at her face as if he were trying to see her eyes. â€Å"And that's what you really think?† â€Å"Galen, will you please stop worrying about my feelings?† She shrugged out of his grip, still facing him squarely. Tm fine. Things have worked out just the way they should. And that's all we ever need to say about it.† He let out a long breath and turned toward the window again. Keller couldn't tell if the sigh was relief or something else. â€Å"Just make sure she comes to the ceremony. Not that it should be difficult,† she said. There was another silence. Keller tried to read his emotions through his stance and failed completely. â€Å"Can you do that?† she prompted at last. â€Å"Yes. I can do it. I can try.† And that was all he said. Keller turned to the door. Then she turned back. â€Å"Thank you,† she said softly. But what she really meant was Good-bye, and she knew he knew it. For a long moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. At last, he said, â€Å"Thank you, Keller.† Keller didn't know what for, and she didn't want to think about it right now. She turned and slipped out of the room.

Be Sure Your School or Program Is Accredited

Be Sure Your School or Program Is Accredited Accreditation is recognition that an educational institution has a certain standard of quality that other reputable organizations will honor. There are two kinds of accreditation: institutional and specialized. Institutional refers to the entire school. Specialized, or programmatic, refers to specific programs within an institution. When you see that a program or institution is accredited, don’t accept that it is accredited by a reputable agency. Check it out. Make sure you can trust online programs. Be careful not to spend money on programs accredited by agencies not on the following list. They may be okay, but caution and good sense is recommended. When a program offers you a diploma in a matter of days, red flags are blowing. The U.S. Department of Education has the authority and responsibility of recognizing accrediting agencies that can be trusted. Here is their list as of May 1, 2009: Regional Accrediting Agencies Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher EducationMiddle States Commission on Secondary SchoolsNew England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher EducationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Technical and Career InstitutionsNew York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, Office of the Professions (Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, Practical Nursing)North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, Board of TrusteesNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning CommissionNorthwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesOklahoma Board of Career and Technology EducationOklahoma State Regents for Higher EducationPennsylvania State Board of Vocational Education, Bureau of Career and Technical EducationPuerto Rico State Agency for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational, Technical Institutions and ProgramsSouthern Ass ociation of Colleges and Schools, Commission on CollegesWestern Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesWestern Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for SchoolsWestern Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of TechnologyAccrediting Council for Continuing Education and TrainingAccrediting Council for Independent Colleges and SchoolsAssociation for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on AccreditationAssociation of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, Accreditation CommissionCouncil on Occupational EducationDistance Education and Training Council, Accrediting CommissionNational Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and SciencesNew York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of EducationTransnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission Hybrid Accrediting Agencies Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental MedicineAccrediting Bureau of Health Education SchoolsAmerican Academy for Liberal EducationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the BarAmerican Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on AccreditationAmerican College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of AccreditationAmerican Dietetic Association, Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics EducationAmerican Osteopathic Association, Commission on Osteopathic College AccreditationAmerican Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric Medical EducationCommission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological SchoolsCommission on Massage Therapy AccreditationCouncil on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational ProgramsCouncil on Chiropractic EducationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic TechnologyMidwifery Education Accreditation CouncilMontessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, Commission on Accredi tationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation, Commission on Community/Junior College AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on AccreditationNational League for Nursing Accrediting Commission Programmatic Accrediting Agencies Accreditation Council for Pharmacy EducationAmerican Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy EducationAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental AccreditationAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy EducationAmerican Optometric Association, Accreditation Council on Optometric EducationAmerican Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy EducationAmerican Psychological Association, Committee on AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language PathologyAmerican Veterinary Medical Association, Council on EducationAssociation for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., Accreditation CommissionCommission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management EducationCommission on Collegiate Nursing EducationCommission on English Language Program AccreditationCommission on Optic ianry AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public HealthCouncil on Naturopathic Medical EducationJoint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine TechnologyKansas State Board of NursingLiaison Committee on Medical EducationMaryland Board of NursingMissouri State Board of NursingMontana State Board of NursingNational Association of Nurse Practitioners in Womens Health, Council on AccreditationNational Council for Accreditation of Teacher EducationNew York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, Office of the Professions (Nursing Education)North Dakota Board of NursingTeacher Education Accreditation Council, Accreditation Committee

University of Utah Admissions Data and Acceptance Rate

University of Utah Admissions Data and Acceptance Rate Are you interested in attending​ the  University of Utah? They accept more than three-quarters of all applicants. See more about their admissions requirements. Located in Salt Lake City, the University of Utah is publicly funded with a significant research focus. For its strength in the liberal arts and sciences, the University of Utah was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. The Colleges of Business, Engineering, Humanities, and Social Sciences enroll the most students at U of U. The university draws students from all 50 states and over 100 countries, and the tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students is lower than the majority of public universities. On the athletic front, the Utah Utes compete in the NCAA Division I Pac 12 Conference. Will you get in? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) University of Utah Acceptance Rate: 76  percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for U of U AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 520 / 640SAT Math: 530 / 660SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanSAT comparison for Utah collegesPac 12 SAT comparisonACT Composite: 21 / 27ACT English: 21 / 28ACT Math: 20 / 27ACT Writing: - / -What these ACT numbers meanACT comparison for Utah collegesPac 12 ACT comparison Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 31,860  (23,789 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 54  percent Male / 46 percent Female72  percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $8,518 (in-state); $27,039 (out-of-state)Books: $1,232 (why so much?)Room and Board: $9,406Other Expenses: $3,678Total Cost: $22,834 (in-state); $41,355 (out-of-state) University of Utah Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of Students Receiving Aid: 87  percentPercentage of Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 79 percentLoans: 30  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $7,259Loans: $8,001 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Economics, English, Exercise Science, Finance, Global Studies, Human Development, Mass Communication, Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, Political Science, Psychology, SociologyWhat major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Retention and Graduation Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 90  percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 29  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 65  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Football, Golf, Skiing, Swimming, Tennis, Basketball, BaseballWomens Sports: Softball, Soccer, Track and Field, Volleyball, Basketball, Gymnastics, Skiing If You Like the University of Utah, You May Also Like These Schools Utah State University: ProfileBrigham Young University - Provo: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Arizona: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBoise State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Oregon: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphArizona State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphOregon State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphColorado State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Idaho: ProfileSouthern Utah University: Profile University of Utah Mission Statement mission statement from http://president.utah.edu/news-events/university-mission-statement/ The mission of the University of Utah is to serve the people of Utah and the world through the discovery, creation and application of knowledge; through the dissemination of knowledge by teaching, publication, artistic presentation and technology transfer; and through community engagement. As a preeminent research and teaching university with national and global reach, the University cultivates an academic environment in which the highest standards of intellectual integrity and scholarship are practiced. Students at the University learn from and collaborate with faculty who are at the forefront of their disciplines. The University faculty and staff are committed to helping students excel. We zealously preserve academic freedom, promote diversity and equal opportunity, and respect individual beliefs. We advance rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry, international involvement, and social responsibility. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Human Resources-Benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resources-Benefits - Essay Example There have been many efforts to implement pay-for-performance programs in the health care industry ever since 2003. However, these incentive systems in the past either focused on outcome measures or process measures in healthcare. While the outcome measures rewarded health care providers based on the health outcomes of patients the process measures assessment took into account whether the hospitals have followed the recommended clinical guidelines. As such, both these measures had their own drawbacks. On the other hand, the advantage of HIVBP is that it follows a mixture of both outcome and process measures. The author also advocates that the salient feature of HIVBP is that it rewards hospitals based on improvements upon their past performance. As a result, the hospitals need to improve the quality of their healthcare to compete against themselves rather than against their competitors. One of the major drawbacks of the previously employed outcomes measures was that it failed to acco mmodate such acute health care centers where patients with least chances of survival were treated. As a result, mortality rates in such hospitals grew higher than hospitals that treat comparatively healthy patients. Thus, the incentive system of rewarding hospitals based on outcome measures proved to be unfair and the introduction of HIVBP could effectively address these drawbacks of earlier reward systems in healthcare. Similarly, HIVBP also seeks to reward hospitals based on process measures such as adherence to certain standard practices of healthcare. The HIVBP also has provisions to bring about timely revisions to its standards by continually adding more of relevant process measures assessment indicators. However, the HIVBP Medicare has its own limitations too. As HIVBP incentive system rewards both achievement and improvement it is easier for high performing hospitals with lots of resources to get rewarded compared to low performing hospitals that lack both resources and infra structural facilities. There is also the danger of hospitals turning their face away from hard-to-treat patients. In spite of these shortcomings, the author argues that pay-for-performance programs will reward quality over quantity and that the current Medicare program (HIVBP) is competent enough to address most of the shortcomings of the previous incentive systems in the healthcare system of the nation. Marcus’ article on the concept of pay-for-performance has larger implications on the healthcare benefits of the workforce of the nation. It is sure that the passage of the Affordable Care Act would bring about a radical restructuring of employer-sponsored health benefits in the United States. Researchers such as Singhal, Stueland & Ungerman (2011, p. 2) predict that â€Å"overall, 30 percent of employers will definitely or probably stop offering ESI in the years after 2014.† The authors also pinpoint that Employer Sponsored Health Insurance will pave way for other bene fit offerings or higher salaries which will be more beneficial for the employers. The researchers are of the opinion that most of the employees will continue their jobs even if the employer stops providing ESI. On the other hand, every employee will be seeking for

Market Myths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Market Myths - Essay Example Myth Number One is that some people equate investing in the stock market to gambling with their money. As a result of this fallacy, a significant number of individuals avoid the stock market. An understanding of the reasoning behind purchasing stocks needs to be well-known in order for an individual to understand how investing in them is different from gambling. It is important to remember that a share of stock represents partial ownership in a company, and it gives the person who owns the stock some of the profits that the company makes and allows that individual to share assets (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 1). "Too often, investors think of shares as simply a trading vehicle, and they forget that stock represents the ownership of a company. In the stock market, investors are constantly trying to assess the profit that will be left over for shareholders. This is why stock prices fluctuate. The outlook for business conditions is always changing, and so are the future earnings of a company" (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 1). It is a rather daunting task to determine the value of a company at any given point. The Random Walk Theory applies, and this theory states that "there are so many variables involved that the short-term price movements appear to be random (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 1). ... 1) Also according to the article by Investopedia (2008, pg. 2), "Gambling, on the contrary, is a zero-sum game. It merely takes money from a loser and gives it to a winner. No value is ever created. By investing, we increase the overall wealth of an economy. As companies compete, they increase productivity and develop products thatcan make our lives better. Don't confuse investing and creating wealth with gambling's zero-sum game." Myth Number Two is that the stock market is some type of fancy, executive club reserved for the wealthy and for brokers and that the average person cannot play, or at least cannot play very well. The fact is that brokers do not hold all of the secrets anymore. Thanks to advances in technology and the advent of the Internet, all of the forecasting a research tools that brokers use are available to the general public as well, and they are really easy to get at pretty much any retail store that sells books and electronics (Investopedia, 2008). "Actually, individuals have an advantage over institutional investors becauseindividuals can afford to be long-term oriented. The big money managers are under extreme pressure to get high returns every quarter. Their performance is often so scrutinized that they can't invest in opportunities that take some time to develop. Individuals have the ability to look beyond temporary downturns in favor of a long-term outlook" (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 3). The third market myth is that stocks that have risen high and fallen will rise again. This is not necessarily true. Investopedia (2008, pg. 3) offers the following example: "Suppose you are looking at two stocks: XYZ made an all time high last year around $50 but

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan Literature review

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan - Literature review Example 1). This research work aims at assessing the effectiveness of the counterinsurgency measures adopted by the U.S. in Afghanistan. Background of the Problem The principal argument of this study is that the US should deploy its resources in a manner that promote capabilities, which improve the competence of the Afghan government and its security forces, in conducting counterinsurgency operations. There have been several instances, wherein the US forces have enraged the Afghan villagers. This has been attributed to the ignorance among these soldiers, regarding the cultural and social traditions of the Afghans. It has been suggested that the US forces should abstain from interacting with the people and permit the Afghan authorities to take the necessary steps (Jones, 2008, p. 93). A major feature of counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare is the battle to win over the hearts and minds of the target population. This has been attempted even with the most seemingly isolated members of the populatio n, in remote villages and rural regions. For this purpose shortwave radio has been employed. This initiative would further alienate the Afghans towards the Karzai government, which is detested in the extreme; local politicians; governors; tribal chiefs; warlords and militia commanders, who are supporters of the highly unpopular Karzai administration (Kilcullen, 2009, pp. 50 – 51). Assistance has been scanty if not totally absent, in the rural areas. These areas had been at the greatest risk from the Taliban, and had been totally dissatisfied with the almost non – existent change. The fate of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan will be determined by what happens in rural Afghanistan. The developments in the urban regions will have little if any bearing on the success of failure of counterinsurgency (Jones, 2008, p. 4). Consequently, counterinsurgency has to reach such people. Rationale How effective was the U.S. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan? I have examined the relevan t literature pertaining to the present topic, by eminent scholars, like Jones, Kilcullen, Ganesh Sitaraman, Mark, Johnson, Schreer, for answering the question. I have examined strategies, such as the traditional social hierarchies and the different forms of legitimacy, local, specialised knowledge trumps doctrine and theory. I have obtained information regarding the actual state of affairs with regard to fair elections, rule of law, and economic development in Afghanistan. The opinion of the authorities in this area, has contributed to the assessment of the situation. Issues, such as the exercise of power by the government, harmonisation of development, governance and security were provided by Mark. Positive elements in the extant literature, with respect to counterinsurgency are the unbiased opinion of eminent scholars and the provision of the true picture regarding the present situation, regarding the governance of Afghanistan. I will further investigate these issues, after applyi ng the relevant theories and strategies, pertaining to the counterinsurgency measures. As such, I can expand my research on the issues discussed in the literature, and arrive at better conclusions regarding the current problem. Hypothesis The counterinsurgency measures adopted by the US in Afghanistan have proved to be inadequate. This synopsis of insurgency in Afghanistan, brings to the fore the factors that had ensured the success of insurgencies in the past; external support, variations in the quality of the security forces, and challenges to governance. Research Questions What is insurgence?

Why do many economists argue for outward orientation and export Essay

Why do many economists argue for outward orientation and export promotion to the industrialization of East Asia - Essay Example According to large proportion of economics, countries that have relied on outward orientation as a strategy for development and industrialization have done better than those countries that in contrary adopted inward orientation (Edwards, 1989, p. 1). More specifically, outward orientation is a trade policy characterized with absence of bias against exports, active promotion of exports and low trade barriers (Mody, 1999, p. 2). Firms face equal incentives to produce for the home as well export markets, same time emerging exporters are given quite high levels of initial market protection. Outward orientation is an absence of bias against exports (Bromley, Mackintosh and Brown, 2004, p. 69). An inward orientation is an attempt to withdraw from the full participation of a country in the world economy. It supports import substitution that is the production of goods at home to be encouraged as it would otherwise to be imported. An outward orientation strategy is an attepmt to participate in international trade by encouraging resource allocation without any price distortions. Outward orientation is thus an application of production according to comparative advantage (Appleyard, Field and Cobb, 2005, p. 427). Economists argue for the outward orientation to industrialize East Asia because it is highly useful strategy to enhance and improve the economic performance of the country.

Modern Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Modern Life - Essay Example Fatalism means practical knowledge of limits, self reliance suggests freedom from dependence, religion is a validation and knowledge is developed outside of metropolitan institutions. (Seitz, 1995, p. 128). In this modern life, women are now working shoulder to shoulder with men, and this progress actually happened gradually. Gradually because there are certain impediments that women had to face to prove their capability and potential to be able to become self dependent; some of which have been aforementioned such as the value of women in existing cultures. Other than external factors, do the women folk even appreciate the value of self dependence themselves? Here, the question being posed suggests that are women an impediment to their own progress towards self dependence? Well, the answer is partly yes, because of the reason is that she is not taught self dependence. (Mill, 2008, pg. 111). Understanding the Meaning of Self Dependence Self dependence simply means to be dependent on one’s own self in order to achieve something such as a one’s goals, aims, desires and the like. Self dependence is a synonym for self reliance. A self dependent person accepts and realizes that fact they are responsible for their lives as an individual. Self dependence is a strong belief that one can face the challenges in life alone with no one’s help and guidance other than oneself. When a person is able to listen to himself., they can trust themselves and move their life according to their will. Women and Self Dependence The word self dependent has been started being associated with women, too. However; women of today do not enjoy the bounties of this term completely. It is partial for them. â€Å"If you want a thing done, go yourself; if not, send.† This axiom is clearly and fully valued by most men but not appreciated by the women. It suggests that one of the very last things women are taught, often thr ough a course of miserable helplessness, difficulties, heart burning and pain, is self dependence which boys are taught from their school days till they are grown men. (Craik, p. 27). There are a number of impediments that come in between women and the development of their complete self dependence in this modern world. First basic reason is the way they are brought up, secondly are the cultural values, thirdly the existence of gender disparity at different environments such as educational institutions, workplace environment and the like. Women and Their Brought Up In today’s societies, girls are brought up in similar ways as they were brought up traditionally. That is, they are still told the differences between the female and male gender since they are children. Females are raised to be dainty and lady like, and males on the other hand are raised to be strong and never show weakness. Since the start of their lives, children are taught their different respective roles in the society. For example, girls are made to wear pink dresses and boys are made to wear blue colored dresses. This small differentiation has great and hidden impact on the minds of both the genders. When playing with toys, girls tend to play with dolls and boys tend to play with cars, trucks. Some of it is an inherited quality and some things in them are shaped by the environment. This is also called socialization, in which girls and boys are brought up with different beliefs. All societies have this norm. Women are not considered physiologically equal to men. Males are made to believe that they are predisposed to becoming aggressive. And women on the other hand are made to believe that they are gentle and tender. (Digital Term papers). Cultural Aspects For Women’s Self Dependence Most of the cultures recognize women as belonging to the

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Music - Essay Example The music was an integral part of the everyday living needs within the region. This was combined with songs which have been recorded by those who have visited the tribes to note the forms taken. The meanings within the songs were noted by the daily activities as well as spiritual rituals and traditions which were able to express the lifestyle and the culture of the Yakima tribe and the association with the occurrences which were a part of the time frame. The unique concepts associated with the Yakima culture not only come from the attributes of the music played. The Washing State region is one which has unique attributes to the tribes, specifically because it is where the five nations began to meet and the tribes began to unite. This was also noted because the tribe was located at the point in which Washington naturally divided, leading to the nation being attributed as the people of the gap. The influences which occurred with the music were altered because of the position of the Native Americans in relation to others that were on the land as well as the association which this had with trading ideologies and creating music that was able to build a sense of peace between the nations. The main concept was one which led to music such as greeting songs which signified a known sound when meeting tribes and others passing through the region at different times. The type of music which was attributed to the Yakima culture also formed with both secular and sacred forms that were performed during ceremonies. An example of the secular music is known as the â€Å"Owl Dance.† This consists of drum beats and singing that lead the song. The men and women are able to recognize the Owl Dance by the initial drumming and singing, which leads to the formation of a circle. The men and women are then able to interact and chose partners, specifically which is identified with different parts of the dance as women and couples interchange while the music changes with beat and portions of the song. These attributes worked to combine the social culture with the dancing as well as the meaning within the music. Similar concepts were used with the secular, specifically in which the singing, drumming and other interactions were used to summon the spiritual nature of the tribes and the ideologies which were needed at the time. The basis of the Yakima culture with the secular and sacred music as well as the music used to intertwine cultures is one which is still practiced today. However, there are also changes from the Western influences and capacities which are available. Many are using the concepts of recording to improvise the songs used within the tribe and to alter the way in which the music has been approached. The music has been combined with new ideals that are used with the secular music as well as contemporary bands that continue to use the same instrumentation and sound while changing both the sacred and secular music. These alterations are creating different aspects to the music while building different ideologies that are associated with the main culture and the aspects of the music. While the evolution of the tribe continues to evolve, there is still the same sense of meaning with the sacred and secular music as well as the way in which the music is initiated for the tribes in the Washington area (Schuster, 1990). Women's M usic The concept of women’s music is one of the trends which continues to emerge in society and has created a distinct image outside of the regular scenes with music. In Western cultures and in classical forms, women were not recognized as composers and weren’t expected to study or build their own repertoire as professional musicians. The lack of information and the amount of suppression for women to be recognized as com

Why do many economists argue for outward orientation and export Essay

Why do many economists argue for outward orientation and export promotion to the industrialization of East Asia - Essay Example According to large proportion of economics, countries that have relied on outward orientation as a strategy for development and industrialization have done better than those countries that in contrary adopted inward orientation (Edwards, 1989, p. 1). More specifically, outward orientation is a trade policy characterized with absence of bias against exports, active promotion of exports and low trade barriers (Mody, 1999, p. 2). Firms face equal incentives to produce for the home as well export markets, same time emerging exporters are given quite high levels of initial market protection. Outward orientation is an absence of bias against exports (Bromley, Mackintosh and Brown, 2004, p. 69). An inward orientation is an attempt to withdraw from the full participation of a country in the world economy. It supports import substitution that is the production of goods at home to be encouraged as it would otherwise to be imported. An outward orientation strategy is an attepmt to participate in international trade by encouraging resource allocation without any price distortions. Outward orientation is thus an application of production according to comparative advantage (Appleyard, Field and Cobb, 2005, p. 427). Economists argue for the outward orientation to industrialize East Asia because it is highly useful strategy to enhance and improve the economic performance of the country.

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Music - Essay Example The music was an integral part of the everyday living needs within the region. This was combined with songs which have been recorded by those who have visited the tribes to note the forms taken. The meanings within the songs were noted by the daily activities as well as spiritual rituals and traditions which were able to express the lifestyle and the culture of the Yakima tribe and the association with the occurrences which were a part of the time frame. The unique concepts associated with the Yakima culture not only come from the attributes of the music played. The Washing State region is one which has unique attributes to the tribes, specifically because it is where the five nations began to meet and the tribes began to unite. This was also noted because the tribe was located at the point in which Washington naturally divided, leading to the nation being attributed as the people of the gap. The influences which occurred with the music were altered because of the position of the Native Americans in relation to others that were on the land as well as the association which this had with trading ideologies and creating music that was able to build a sense of peace between the nations. The main concept was one which led to music such as greeting songs which signified a known sound when meeting tribes and others passing through the region at different times. The type of music which was attributed to the Yakima culture also formed with both secular and sacred forms that were performed during ceremonies. An example of the secular music is known as the â€Å"Owl Dance.† This consists of drum beats and singing that lead the song. The men and women are able to recognize the Owl Dance by the initial drumming and singing, which leads to the formation of a circle. The men and women are then able to interact and chose partners, specifically which is identified with different parts of the dance as women and couples interchange while the music changes with beat and portions of the song. These attributes worked to combine the social culture with the dancing as well as the meaning within the music. Similar concepts were used with the secular, specifically in which the singing, drumming and other interactions were used to summon the spiritual nature of the tribes and the ideologies which were needed at the time. The basis of the Yakima culture with the secular and sacred music as well as the music used to intertwine cultures is one which is still practiced today. However, there are also changes from the Western influences and capacities which are available. Many are using the concepts of recording to improvise the songs used within the tribe and to alter the way in which the music has been approached. The music has been combined with new ideals that are used with the secular music as well as contemporary bands that continue to use the same instrumentation and sound while changing both the sacred and secular music. These alterations are creating different aspects to the music while building different ideologies that are associated with the main culture and the aspects of the music. While the evolution of the tribe continues to evolve, there is still the same sense of meaning with the sacred and secular music as well as the way in which the music is initiated for the tribes in the Washington area (Schuster, 1990). Women's M usic The concept of women’s music is one of the trends which continues to emerge in society and has created a distinct image outside of the regular scenes with music. In Western cultures and in classical forms, women were not recognized as composers and weren’t expected to study or build their own repertoire as professional musicians. The lack of information and the amount of suppression for women to be recognized as com

Determination of Dissolved Oxygen in a Water Sample Essay Example for Free

Determination of Dissolved Oxygen in a Water Sample Essay To find out the oxygen content of a water sample by adding MnSO4 and alkaline KI into the solution. Mn2+ was oxidized into Mn3+. Then Mn3+ was reduced back into Mn2+ and I- was oxidized to I2. The solution was titrated against sodium thiosulphate solution and the oxygen content could be calculated. Result Trial 1 Trial 2 Final burette reading (cm3) 19.26 38.42 19.82 38.35 Initial burette reading (cm3 0.10 19.50 0.74 19.82 Volume of Na2S2O3 added (cm3) 19.16 18.92 19.08 18.53 Data being used for calculation Calculation No of moles of Na2S2O3 used = 2S2O32- + I2 S4O62- + 2I- No. of moles of I2 in 100 cm3 solution = = 1.1825 2Mn(OH)3 + 2I- + 6H+ I2 + 2Mn2+ + 6H2O No. of moles of Mn(OH)3 in 100 cm3 solution = 1.1825 X 2 = 2.365 4 Mn(OH)2 + O2 + 2 H2O 4 Mn(OH)3 No. of moles of O2 in 100 cm3 solution = 2.365 Oxygen content = 18.92 mg dm-3 Discussion Reason of filling the whole volumetric flask During the experiment, the water sample was allowed to fill with the whole volumetric flask, this is because we have to prevent oxygen from dissolving from the air into the water sample. Reason of using a magnetic stirrer When conducting the experiment, insoluble manganese (III) hydroxide was formed. It would dissolve in potassium iodide so we have to use a magnetic stirrer to speed up the reaction process. As a magnetic stirrer could stir the solution without spilling, it is very good to be used in this situation. Source of error As the manganese (II) sulphate and potassium iodide solution was added into the flask with over flowing. There will be loss of solution in this process. The chemicals added might be not enough and it will affect the experiment result. We cannot avoid oxygen in air from dissolving into the solution as the mouth of volumetric flask could still allow oxygen to diffuse in. Only one set of data could be used beside trials.

What Extent Are Human Rights Claims Culturally Specific Politics Essay

What Extent Are Human Rights Claims Culturally Specific Politics Essay The atrocities committed against individuals in events such as slavery, the two World Wars, the Holocaust, and the apartheid in South Africa caused the issue of human rights to become a major concern for all nations across the globe, particularly for the western nations. The issue of human rights, however, has its roots in natural law theories of the 17th and 18th centuries and was more firmly established contemporarily in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other covenants, conventions and declarations that were derived from it. At the core of this issue, is the controversy as to whether human rights are universal or culturally relative. Another area of disputation is the efficiency of the international community in the face of cultural practices that serve to discriminate against individuals, such as female genital mutilation, for example. The use of secondary data was applied in carrying out this research to address the above-mentioned issues. In this essay, I will attempt to find out how can universal human rights exist in a culturally diverse world. As the international community becomes increasingly integrated, how can cultural diversity and integrity are respected? Is the African Union Security Culture effective? There is no universal consensus on the definition of human rights because although human rights speak to everyone, different cultures have different concepts as to what human rights are and what they really mean. Universal human rights do not impose one cultural standard, rather one legal standard of minimum protection necessary for human dignity. As a legal standard adopted through the United Nations, universal human rights represent the hard-won consensus of the international community, not the cultural imperialism of any particular region or set of traditions. Jack Donnelly  [2]  defines human rights as a special class of rights, that is, the rights that one has simply because one is a human being. They are thus moral rights of the highest order. John Humphrey  [3]  states, when we speak of human rights [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] we usually have in mind certain rights which pertain to individual men and women because they are human beings and for no other reason. While it may not be true that all human beings are born free and equal, they are born with certain rights. Some of these rights, but not all of them are called human rights. Human rights are those rights without which there can be no human dignity. They derive from the inherent dignity of the human person as mentioned in the preambles to the two United Nations Covenants on human rights. It follows that every one possesses these rights in full equality. Human rights are intended for everyone, in every culture and are the birthright of every person. Human rights also hold that every individual has certain rights protecting him or her against the abuse of power by governments. CULTURAL RIGHTS Culture  [4]  can be defined as a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shape and influence perception and behaviour. Culture  [5]  is the totality of knowledge, skills, traditions, and customs, specific to a group of people or a civilization. It is transmitted socially from generation to generation and not by genetic inheritance, and largely determines individual behaviour. It encompasses a very broad aspect of social life: techniques, manners, morals, lifestyle, systems of values, beliefs, religious observances, family organization, etc. Every human being has the right to culture, including the right to enjoy and develop cultural life and identity. Cultural rights, however, are not unlimited. The right to culture is limited at the point to which it infringes on another human right. No right can be used at the expense or destruction of another, in accordance with international law. Similarly, cultural rights do not justify torture, murder, genocide, discrimination on grounds of sex, race, language or religion, or violation of any of the other universal human rights and fundamental freedoms established in international law. Any attempts to justify such violations on the basis of culture have no validity under international law. A Cultural Context These are some of the issues, concerns and questions underlying the debate over universal human rights and cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is the assertion that human values, far from being universal, vary a great deal according to different cultural perspectives. Some would apply this relativism to the promotion, protection, interpretation and application of human rights which could be interpreted differently within different cultural, ethnic and religious traditions. In other words, according to this view, human rights are culturally relative rather than universal. Taken to its extreme, this relativism would pose a dangerous threat to the effectiveness of international human rights laws that has been painstakingly set up with international standards, and consequently widespread disregard, abuse and violation human rights would be given legitimacy. When a traditional culture does effectively provide protection, then human rights by definition would be compatible, posing no threat to the traditional culture. As such, the traditional culture can absorb and apply human rights, and the governing State should be in a better position not only to ratify, but to effectively and fully implement, the international standards. Traditional culture is not a substitute for human rights; it is a cultural context in which human rights must be established, integrated, promoted and protected. Human rights must be approached in a way that is meaningful and relevant in diverse cultural contexts. Rather than limit human rights to suit a given culture, why not draw on traditional cultural values to reinforce the application and relevance of universal human rights? There is an increased need to emphasize the common, core values shared by all cultures: the value of life, social order and protection from arbitrary rule. These basic values are embodied in human rights. Communitarians argued that rights and justice are culturally specific and cannot be applied across borders. For communitarians, human rights cannot be defined universally because they only have meaning in terms of the social fabric of a particular society and culture that proclaim them and does not apply in the real world. Human rights would be something different in Saudi Arabia compared to the UK. Cosmopolitans see rights to have universal meaning when they are based upon human reason and that universal rights prevail over particular values because they express universal reason.  [6]   Make Peace Happen In the last decade, the security culture of the African Union (AU) has developed in some relatively radical ways. There are also new opportunities to advance the responsibility to protect (R2P) agenda adopted by the United Nations General Assembly World Summit in 2005. This agenda commits individual states and the international community to protecting populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. If successfully implemented in Africa, R2P would make a tremendous contribution to promoting stability and peace. The African Union (AU) has declared 2010 the African Year of Peace and Security with its campaigns slogan Make Peace Happen. Turning this statement into reality rests in large part on the members of the AUs Peace and Security Council, the most important African institution for the day-to-day management of peace and security issues. Within the AU, support for the responsibility-to-protect principle emerged from broader concerns with promoting human rights standards on the continent. If a government proves either unable or unwilling to protect its civilians from large scale loss of life [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] then international society bears a collective responsibility to protect them and can override the sovereignty of the state in question  [7]  . Security cultures are patterns of thought and argumentation [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] concepts of the role, legitimacy and efficacy of particular approaches to protecting values.  [8]  .  [9]   Moreover, security cultures help establish the core assumptions, beliefs and values of decision-makers about how security challenges can and should be dealt with, through the process of socialization. The African Unions Constitutive Act pledges respect for human rights and rejects the widespread impunity that has characterized armed conflict and political repression in many African countries. In grave circumstances such as occurred during the Rwandan genocide, the Constitutive Act authorizes the African Union to intervene. Leading African states in the African Union have also adopted a New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD), a program to lift Africa out of poverty that explicitly recognizes the importance of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law for economic development. NEPAD has also developed its own code of governance and system for peer review, but its pledges on human rights remain vague. The African Union will only succeed if it replaces the culture of impunity with the culture of accountability.  [10]   Indeed, the record of the AU was not much more impressive in the field of security-related activities. The organisation was mainly involved in setting norms and standards, but it was never effective in enforcing them. In the few cases of international wars (Somalia/Ethiopia 1977-78 and Eritrea/Ethiopia 1998-2000) the AU played virtually no role. The AU was also committed to the principle of non-alignment, but the fact that no member state ever joined any formal alliance with outside powers is probably mainly due to the fact that no alliance memberships were ever on offer, and the AU certainly failed in preventing the actual involvement of the great powers in conflicts on the continent. Without strong and interventionist versions of international distributive justice and measures associated with subsistence, economic and welfare rights, the AU will be powerless. The constructivists approach to analysing regional security dynamics as summarized by Hurrell, involves a number of central ideas: first, that, in contrast to rationalist theories, we need to pay far more attention to the processes by which both interests and identities are created and evolve, to the ways in which self-images interact with changing material incentives, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] that both interests and identities are shaped by particular histories and cultures, by domestic factors, and by ongoing processes of interaction with others.  [11]   In order to guarantee human security at the personal, institutional, and structural-cultural levels, power relations and relations of power should be underscored within a socio-cultural context. In other words, emancipation or sustainable peace-building occurs when one understands the true nature of social-cultural categories such as class, gender, ethnic equality, etc. A great deal of peace-building deals with issues of security within a positivist-rational epistemology. Human security is therefore a situation or a condition free of injury or threats to an individuals, or communitys well-being, including freedom from direct physical attacks and psychological integrity. To ensure such security involves the understanding of human security located at the structural, institutional, and personal levels of society. It involves an attempt to understand human security or insecurity in terms of those who experience them. What motivates the dissatisfied to agitate and their beliefs as marginalized individuals should be seriously taken into account, instead of merely imposing policies on them. Constructivism as an approach is a useful theoretical lens in understanding the true nature of things such as collective violence, class, gender, and racial issues, among others. Within these units emancipation occurs when the accurate picture of the situation is understood. Constructivists operate on the ontological assumption that actors are shaped by the socio-cultural milieu in which they live. Constructivists try to go beyond the descriptive aspect of a situation to an understanding of the motives of a community in order to explain how they behave and what causes political outcomes. Constructivism is not only limited to the influence of norms and social understandings on different actors (individuals, groups, and states), it also investigates why the norms and inter-subjective beliefs often had different influences on different actors. Many constructivist studies have emphasized the ways in which ideas and norms become more powerful in their effect than conventional conceptions of strong state interests. In conclusion, this essay has considered many different arguments, cultures in the world are in many cases conflicting and the diversities in the world can make it difficult to have a universal consensus, especially when it comes to personal rights. While it is worth considering the western interpretation of human rights, the human rights doctrine should not have to make allowances for differences in morality. When it considers a right to be fundamental and important, this should mean it is universal. The function of Human rights is to improve the individuals life and the way it does this is not to make allowances for customs and traditions that should not be considered acceptable. For the time being it is a virtual impossibility to make economic compatibility a reality, as the differing political systems do not allow for this. However this does not mean that human rights in general are not compatible with multiculturalism. We are all humans, with basic wants and needs. Being granted these wants and needs does not take away anything from the differing cultures on the contrary the Human rights protect our right to be different, through cultural identity and religion amongst other rights. The basic rights of humans should not be based on culture but on what improves peoples life in the most effective way. Diversity does not affect human needs, and therefore should not affect, at least at the most fundamental level, the universal doctrine of human rights. 2194 Words