The Concept of Risk in Different Project Management Approaches Essay

The Concept of Risk in Different Project Management Approaches - Essay Example This is because they are uncertain and may depend on external factors beyond the scope of the project. Being aware of the risks involved in a project enables the manager to plan, minimize, avoid, cope or adjust with the possible risks. Risks are capable of hindering the projects objectives from being realized. Risk management is important and there are different methodologies which are applied in project management to minimize the negative outcomes (Hubbard2009, p. 35). Some of the methodologies include Prince 2 and SCRUM. Prince 2 is a highly controlled project which ensures that certain standards are followed to achieve specified standards or quality. SCRUM is an agile methodology which develops software. It is applied to development of new products with defined roles and methods. Comparing Prince 2 and SCRUM will help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional approached to the use of software in risk management. 2. The Concept of Risk Management Crouhy   et al (20 00) mention that project management is viewed as the exercise conducted before and during the project management which identifies the uncertainties and constrains. The identification enables project managers to remove constrains and purge out uncertainties. Getting rid of uncertainties and constrain completely is challenging. The mangers can reduce constrains and uncertainties and manage the remaining level of risk. Risk management is process that involves analyzing and recognizing uncertain possibility (positive and negative), utilizing available resources to minimize, control and assess the effects of uncertain occurrences. Risks management is also considered as a means of maximizing on the opportunities. Risks in project management emanate from natural cause or tragedy, legal liabilities, credit management, changes in financial market, inappropriate project design, lack of developments, lack of sustainability and attacks from adversaries. Various institutions have been establishe d to set standards that assist in risk management. They include the ISO standards and the Project Management Institute. The institutions vary depending on the industries they can be applied. The approach, conceptualization and motives are depended on the specific industry a project falls (Hopkin 2012) According to Mulcahy (2010) risks management is also considered a part of project management that spots risks, implement procedures and develop contingency plans. Risk management is considered as a tool that eliminates, minimizes or transforms risks to allow the realization of goals and objectives of the project. Common risks include: lack of understanding of the project, assumptions in the project, reliance on practices articulated by other teams, lack of training for employee and poor decision making (Crouhy  et al 2001). Different project management handles risks by transferring the risk, minimizing the occurrence of the risk, minimizing the impacts, evading the risk and accepting the consequences in some instances. This paper will adopt risk management as means of reducing and coping with risks during a project. 3. The concept of Risk in Prince 2 Prince 2 denotes Projects in Controlled Environment 2. Prince is widely used in the United Kingdom for public and private projects. It is highly structured and standardized to meet management needs, enforce control and provide organization. Prince 2 entails training for managers and provides certification. Prince 2 methodologies relies on: justification of the business, clarity of functions,

Why Psychology Is Important Essay Example for Free

Why Psychology Is Important Essay Psychology is the study of the human mind and any of its functions. It also includes the behavior resulting from any changes in our environment. Psychology is very important to mankind in that it is important in understanding the world we live in. Psychology helps us and allows us to better understand the emotional and behavioral effects of our surroundings. According to Taylor (1988), many prominent researchers believe a healthy mental outlook on the world and what we perceive it to be is very important. Psychology is a mandatory course for so many programs of study because it is so widely used in occupations across the world. Using any number of research methods, a psychologist can apply research to the field of Public Relations in order to predict how a demographic will respond to certain things that occur. Not only is psychology widely used in many professions, but basic elements of psychology affect us as individuals each day. The research that psychologists glean from their subjects benefits all of us through better understanding of how our minds work. This is possible through testing of subject groups and adjusting environmental conditions. With the resulting data, psychologists can improve our lives. While most can speculate about behavior and emotion, psychologists us the scientific method to more legitimately predict describe and even explain human behavior. The simple fact that psychology contains so many sub-fields makes it unique. This allows specialized psychologist to concentrate on a more specific aspect of the human mind, such as, developmental psychology where researchers observe human mental growth from birth to death (Feldman 2009). A cross-cultural psychologist could be of help in the conflict affecting Syria. A researcher in cross-cultural psychology could shed light on how people in the region react to the violence and horror that has been occurring over the past couple of years. Through this, mankind can benefit by improving conditions to ease the locals mentally and emotionally. Through experimental psychology, researchers can get a better idea of how people see, and react to the world. This is immensely important as an improved view of the world would increase productivity and overall stress reduction. According to a rigorous survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control, in 2004, 1 in 4 people reported having a mental illness. This means that in any family of four, statistically, on person has a mental illness. Because of this statistic, psychological study is important. With psychological specialists, these people can be evaluated and treated giving them a better quality of life. Studies included in an APA press release in 2005 suggest that people are not made as happy by success as previously thought. Studies show that it is really happiness that is beginning to engender success, suggesting that employees respond well to positive feedback from their work. With this knowledge we can shape society by putting in place emotional and mental buffers in our everyday environment. Psychology is such a widely applied field of the sciences, that many students are required to take a course covering the subject. This is highly effective in making our society more prepared to both deal with everyday stresses and even become capable of making society better through psychological research. There are many fields that directly require a degree in psychology. There are seemingly more degrees that lie outside the social services field that require a grasp of psychology as well. Take, for example, Public Relations specialists. A PR agent is going to take an event that a company or organization is involved in and try to use demographic studies and delicate wording to spin the situation in a positive sounding way. Through test subject research, a psychologist can determine in what fashion to deliver a message or piece of info to the media to achieve a desired result with the public. Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, did some work in PR (HM Publishers 1986). Bernays believed that all people in PR should understand psychology. He felt that if you understand how and for what reason people did things, you could change their behavior. Also, to be a good communicator, you must understand how people behave. With the huge variety of applications, psychology is crucial to many professional fields. Psychology affects all of our lives on an individual level as well as a society. During daily life, an individual may use methods used in psychology. A leader can reward his followers for creativity. An individual can use methods to motivate oneself. One can improve communication skills by noticing non-verbal signals and using tone to reinforce a message. Through attention to personal behavior under low stress situations, a person can determine how they may react under those regular conditions. All of these are simple ideas of psychology applied to make one more productive and effective in society. This makes psychology even more crucial to how people live from day to day. The study of our minds and behavior will continue to be an integral part of everyday life as well as professional endeavors. It is important because, through research, improvements can be made in quality of life as well as productivity. Since it is so applicable to one’s life it is very important to have a greater understanding of psychology. This way, people will have a better understanding of themselves and each other. A large number of social services require experience in psychology. Just as many professions outside the social services do as well, like public relations. An insight into psychological studies may also render a greater understanding of oneself, making society stronger as a whole. It is for these reasons and more that psychological research will always be important.

Eighteenth Century Women Playwrights Essay examples -- European Europe

The following essay gives a short biography of eight of the most well known women playwrights of the eighteenth century. The essay runs in chronological order by each playwright’s birth date and describes the better known accomplishments of each playwright. The playwrights that I have included in this essay are: Mary Delariviere Manley, Mary Griffith Pix, Susanna Carroll Centlivre, Catherine Trotter Cockburn, Eliza Fowler Haywood, Elizabeth Griffith, Hannah Parkhouse Cowley, and Elizabeth Simpson Inchbald (Benedict 2003). Mary Delariviere Manley has a strange early history. It is unknown whether or not her first name really was Mary. It is unknown exactly when and exactly where she was born. The name of her mother is unknown. The resting place of her father is unknown. Mary Manley was born either on April 6 or 7, 1663, or in any year between 1667 and 1672. Her father, Lieutenant-Governor of the English island of Jersey, abandoned her around 1688. She lived with her cousin, John Manley, who married her, although he was already married. Later, John Manley abandoned her and their son (Schlueter and Schlueter 1988). Mary Manley’s first two plays, The Lost Lover and The Royal Mischief, were written in 1696 while she lived in Exeter. Both plays were performed in London: The Lost Lover at Drury Lane and The Royal Mischief at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Although The Lost Lover was not successful, The Royal Mischief brought her wealth and recognition. Mary believed that the plays were not as successful as they could have been because they were written by a woman. From this time on Mary was what we today call a women’s rights activist (Rozny 2001). Mary began to write political satires for wh... ... Vows. Oxford: Woodstock Books, 1990. Ingrassia, Catherine. â€Å"Eliza Haywood.† http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cingrass/chronology.htm (13 November 2003). Ricciardi, Cynthia B. â€Å"Welcome to the Elizabeth Griffith Homepage.† 10 June 2000. http://webhost.bridgew.edu/cricciardi/griffith.htm> (11 November 2003). Rozny, Noel and Margaret Vincent. â€Å"The Official Website of the Secret Society of British Gentlewomen.† 19 April 2001. (11 November 2003). Schlueter, Paul, and June Schlueter, ed. An Encyclopedia of British Women Writers. NY: Garland, 1988. Todd, Janet, ed. A Dictionary of British and American Women Writers 1660-1800. NJ: Rowman and Allanheld, 1985. Warren, Kate M. â€Å"New Advent.† 15 September 2003. (14 November 2003).

Social, Economic and Political Factors Involved in the Spanish Civil Wa

Social, Economic and Political Factors Involved in the Spanish Civil War With reference to any civil war in the 20th century examine the social, economic and political background to the divisions in the society involved. To what extent were the problems which caused the war resolved in the post-war period? The state of Spain during the early years of the 20th century can be said to have been a state of great "unease". Spain was one of the first powers to loose her imperial influence, the state was politically unstable, industrially weak and had suffered some humiliating defeats. It can be said that these were the main causes that lead to the great instability of Spain during the Civil war and post civil war periods. Left-winged radicalism and nationalistic movements, such as the Catalan movement frequently came into conflict with the central government, which lead the government to use corruption more and more frequently as a form of control. The result was a military coup in 1923 lead by Miguel Primo de Rivera. Rivera preferred a more direct way of governing, with a strong Christian base and a very anti-communist attitude. He did not like party politics, preferring to govern pragmatically, at first with a military cabinet, but later on (1926) he decided a systematic government would be more efficient. So he introduced the `National Assembly' intended to represent different classes and groups, probably to soften the opposition; as well as the Union Patriotica, created to mobilize popular support for his regime. Rivera also managed to strengthen the Spanish infra-structure, but the funding had to come from loans from other nations, because the upper classes would not a... ...d. A great success was the 1953 Madrid Pact between Spain and the U.S.A, which provided Spain with quite a substantial amount of military and monetary aid in return for access to its military bases. This pact, as well as the better relations between Spain and the other powers and the great stability brought about because of the enormous repression that came with his regime, led Spain to booming years during the 1960's. The Spanish people saw a better Spain, economically, but it was still in a very primitive state politically and socially compared to other european nations, who were not under military rule (with a few exceptions, of course). The end of the Franco regime left many scars in the social and political side of Spain. People had been submitted to a suppressive state, where very little regard for any basic human right was given.

Festival at the Village

[pic] FESTIVAL AT THE VILLAGE T/A â€Å"[email  protected] – 2013† A Proposal Document By Lentswe Arts Projects [LEAP] About Us Lentswe Arts Projects [LEAP] is a non-profit organization established in March 2011, in terms of Act No 71 0f 1997 under the Department of Social Development, South Africa. LEAP, is the brainchild of cultural activists, artists and art managers in the North West Province who have for decades combined, been running different organizations, but fundamentally pursuing the same goals. It was against this understanding that Lentswe was formed. Lentswe† has many connotations in Setswana, one being a large rock and the other a voice. In this context, â€Å"Lentswe† is built from the root of the verb â€Å"go tswa†, which means to stem out in Setswana. â€Å"Lentswe le tswelele go tswela mosola† meaning â€Å"as you learn or benefit from Lentswe; continue to be good use unto others. † LEAP has been involved in artist ic and social development projects since its inception. In 2010, even before being registered. , through the Maitiso le Kea’ cultural and artistic rendition, LEAP managed to buy school uniforms for the needy school children at Magokgwane Primary School in the outskirts f Mafikeng as well as stationary and uniform for another desperate learner at Redibone Middle School with the proceedings generated from ticket sales. The fundraising event drew a lot of support from national and international musical artists such as Mo Molemi, and Setswana folklore genius Ntirelang Berman from Botswana. October 2011, saw LEAP co-producing an exclusively cultural night of â€Å"Ntirelang Berman live† at Mmabana Mmabatho theatre. The show was hailed as â€Å"ground-breaking and conscious† by the local media and attracted a mixture of both the young and old.Executive Summary â€Å"The children who sleep in the streets, reduced to begging to make a living, are testimony to an unfini shed job. † Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela It is with the above quote from the former South African president and Noble Prize winner, Dr. N. R. Mandela, which LEAP conceptualized and aims to stage FESTIVAL AT THE VILLAGE, also to be known as â€Å"[email  protected]†. The festival aims to be the first of its kind arts festival to cater for the underprivileged youths who are also known as â€Å"homeless children† but currently reside at different places of safety in the North West Province.[email  protected] seeks to be a therapeutic platform where these youths are skilled and integrated back into society. It is a vehicle to be used to identify, train and nourish hidden and/or undiscovered talent while creating possible artistic careers for the targeted market. [email  protected] will also be the first ever arts festival to be staged within a rural community, with the aim of bolstering its local economy as well as making it a tourist destination. Buxton Village, in the Greater Taung Municipality is the ideal identified place with its strategic resources, zoning and accessibility for the staging of [email  protected] ConceptA three months training period starting in April 2013 will culminate into a weekend [3 days] long artistic therapeutic experience, therefore making up the core of [email  protected] – skill and emotional development. Different places of safety in four different regions of the North West Province will be identified and roped in for participation at [email  protected] as part of their rehabilitation programmes. Each home will have three [3] teams covering disciplines of drama, music and dance. LEAP would then assign dramaturges/ facilitators to train and develop these groups in their respective discipline, with different themes attached to each group/home.The different groups based on different themes would then create performance pieces of between 20-30 minutes long with the guidance of their respective facili tators. The facilitators would be accompanied by unemployed social workers [either recent graduates or retired ones] to help with handling potential sensitive material that might be borne out of the workshoping process. It is a well known fact that every child has a secret aspiration of climbing on stage to unleash his/her potential performance dream.Lentswe Arts Projects aims to give voice to the oppressed by staging such a revolutionary concept for expression. Interesting and therapeutic theatre forms like â€Å"Forum theatre† will be used to harness participation at [email  protected] in June 2013. What is Forum Theatre? â€Å"It is a theatrical game in which a problem is shown in an unsolved form, to which the audience (as spect-actors), is invited to suggest and enact solutions. The problem is always the symptom of oppression, and generally involves visible oppressors and a protagonist who is oppressed.In its purest form, both the actors and spect-actors will be peopl e who are victims of the oppression under consideration; that is why they are able to offer alternative solutions, because they themselves are personally acquainted with the oppression. † – Augusto Boal It goes without saying how this type of theatre model would go a long way in helping our targeted children as participants and society at large as audiences to comprehend the type of either emotional or at times physical oppression that perpetuates the ever increasing number of homeless children on our streets.[email  protected]: ? To be an annual therapeutic and edutaining artistic platform. [email  protected] – Objectives: ? Endorse the Department of Social Development’s mandate of developing and implementing an array of programmes that do not only protect South Africans against poverty, but also promote investment in building and strengthening communities and households. ? To be a meaningful vehicle of intergrading our lost children back into society . ? To create jobs for our social workers and artists. ? To use the arts to address the socio-economic challenges and cultural restoration in our communities. To identify and address social ills that result in having children homeless. ? To create possible careers in the arts. ? To have an attracting socially-conscious arts calendar event. ? To align with the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi’s Golden Economy policy of creating a â€Å"more than you can imagine† experience. ? Actualize the Department of Social Development’s value of partnership in working together with civil society, business, academia and the international community. [email  protected] – Implementation Once the financial and physical resources are available, LEAP will develop a detailed implementation plan and set up a strong team to take the project to its realization. The said project team will preferably be consisting of representatives from different stakeholders to ha ve a successful and translucent process. The implementation stages shall mainly begin with the identification of willing participatory children’s homes around the province, followed by assigning of different facilitators to the respective teams/homes. Action Plan PERIOD: 07 January – 02 August 2013 ACTIVITY |DATE |PLACE |OUTCOME | |Pre-production begin |07 January – 29 March 2013 |Mafikeng and Taung |Festival Logistics Plan | |Fieldwork/workshops begin |01 April 2013 |Around NW |Unroll the development process | |Fieldwork/workshops begin |30 June 2013 |Around NW |Have groups ready to | | | | |showcase/compete. |Marketing initiatives commence |10 June 2013 |Around NW |Create project awareness around | | | | |the province. | |Travelling day [Groups] |04 July 2013 |To Buxton |Different homes travel to get to | | | | |the designated area of | | | | |showcasing. |Technical set-up |04 July 2013 |Venues TBC |Have the venues accommodating the| | | | |productions. | |[em ail  protected] Launch |05 July 2013 |Venue TBC |Launch the project to the media | | | | |and public. | |[email  protected] First Day |06 July 2013 |Social Centre |Start showcasing the productions. |Last Day/ Prize Giving |07 July 2013 |Social Centre |End short festival of | | | | |performances and give prizes. | |Travelling day |08 July 2013 |From Buxton |Groups and technicians get back | | | | |home. | |Reporting |02 August 2013 |Mahikeng |Narrative and financial reports | | | | |submitted to the funders. | Project Budget Please see attached[pic] Festival at the Village [pic] FESTIVAL AT THE VILLAGE T/A â€Å"[email  protected] – 2013† A Proposal Document By Lentswe Arts Projects [LEAP] About Us Lentswe Arts Projects [LEAP] is a non-profit organization established in March 2011, in terms of Act No 71 0f 1997 under the Department of Social Development, South Africa. LEAP, is the brainchild of cultural activists, artists and art managers in the North West Province who have for decades combined, been running different organizations, but fundamentally pursuing the same goals. It was against this understanding that Lentswe was formed. Lentswe† has many connotations in Setswana, one being a large rock and the other a voice. In this context, â€Å"Lentswe† is built from the root of the verb â€Å"go tswa†, which means to stem out in Setswana. â€Å"Lentswe le tswelele go tswela mosola† meaning â€Å"as you learn or benefit from Lentswe; continue to be good use unto others. † LEAP has been involved in artist ic and social development projects since its inception. In 2010, even before being registered. , through the Maitiso le Kea’ cultural and artistic rendition, LEAP managed to buy school uniforms for the needy school children at Magokgwane Primary School in the outskirts f Mafikeng as well as stationary and uniform for another desperate learner at Redibone Middle School with the proceedings generated from ticket sales. The fundraising event drew a lot of support from national and international musical artists such as Mo Molemi, and Setswana folklore genius Ntirelang Berman from Botswana. October 2011, saw LEAP co-producing an exclusively cultural night of â€Å"Ntirelang Berman live† at Mmabana Mmabatho theatre. The show was hailed as â€Å"ground-breaking and conscious† by the local media and attracted a mixture of both the young and old.Executive Summary â€Å"The children who sleep in the streets, reduced to begging to make a living, are testimony to an unfini shed job. † Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela It is with the above quote from the former South African president and Noble Prize winner, Dr. N. R. Mandela, which LEAP conceptualized and aims to stage FESTIVAL AT THE VILLAGE, also to be known as â€Å"[email  protected]†. The festival aims to be the first of its kind arts festival to cater for the underprivileged youths who are also known as â€Å"homeless children† but currently reside at different places of safety in the North West Province.[email  protected] seeks to be a therapeutic platform where these youths are skilled and integrated back into society. It is a vehicle to be used to identify, train and nourish hidden and/or undiscovered talent while creating possible artistic careers for the targeted market. [email  protected] will also be the first ever arts festival to be staged within a rural community, with the aim of bolstering its local economy as well as making it a tourist destination. Buxton Village, in the Greater Taung Municipality is the ideal identified place with its strategic resources, zoning and accessibility for the staging of [email  protected] ConceptA three months training period starting in April 2013 will culminate into a weekend [3 days] long artistic therapeutic experience, therefore making up the core of [email  protected] – skill and emotional development. Different places of safety in four different regions of the North West Province will be identified and roped in for participation at [email  protected] as part of their rehabilitation programmes. Each home will have three [3] teams covering disciplines of drama, music and dance. LEAP would then assign dramaturges/ facilitators to train and develop these groups in their respective discipline, with different themes attached to each group/home.The different groups based on different themes would then create performance pieces of between 20-30 minutes long with the guidance of their respective facili tators. The facilitators would be accompanied by unemployed social workers [either recent graduates or retired ones] to help with handling potential sensitive material that might be borne out of the workshoping process. It is a well known fact that every child has a secret aspiration of climbing on stage to unleash his/her potential performance dream.Lentswe Arts Projects aims to give voice to the oppressed by staging such a revolutionary concept for expression. Interesting and therapeutic theatre forms like â€Å"Forum theatre† will be used to harness participation at [email  protected] in June 2013. What is Forum Theatre? â€Å"It is a theatrical game in which a problem is shown in an unsolved form, to which the audience (as spect-actors), is invited to suggest and enact solutions. The problem is always the symptom of oppression, and generally involves visible oppressors and a protagonist who is oppressed.In its purest form, both the actors and spect-actors will be peopl e who are victims of the oppression under consideration; that is why they are able to offer alternative solutions, because they themselves are personally acquainted with the oppression. † – Augusto Boal It goes without saying how this type of theatre model would go a long way in helping our targeted children as participants and society at large as audiences to comprehend the type of either emotional or at times physical oppression that perpetuates the ever increasing number of homeless children on our streets.[email  protected]: ? To be an annual therapeutic and edutaining artistic platform. [email  protected] – Objectives: ? Endorse the Department of Social Development’s mandate of developing and implementing an array of programmes that do not only protect South Africans against poverty, but also promote investment in building and strengthening communities and households. ? To be a meaningful vehicle of intergrading our lost children back into society . ? To create jobs for our social workers and artists. ? To use the arts to address the socio-economic challenges and cultural restoration in our communities. To identify and address social ills that result in having children homeless. ? To create possible careers in the arts. ? To have an attracting socially-conscious arts calendar event. ? To align with the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi’s Golden Economy policy of creating a â€Å"more than you can imagine† experience. ? Actualize the Department of Social Development’s value of partnership in working together with civil society, business, academia and the international community. [email  protected] – Implementation Once the financial and physical resources are available, LEAP will develop a detailed implementation plan and set up a strong team to take the project to its realization. The said project team will preferably be consisting of representatives from different stakeholders to ha ve a successful and translucent process. The implementation stages shall mainly begin with the identification of willing participatory children’s homes around the province, followed by assigning of different facilitators to the respective teams/homes. Action Plan PERIOD: 07 January – 02 August 2013 ACTIVITY |DATE |PLACE |OUTCOME | |Pre-production begin |07 January – 29 March 2013 |Mafikeng and Taung |Festival Logistics Plan | |Fieldwork/workshops begin |01 April 2013 |Around NW |Unroll the development process | |Fieldwork/workshops begin |30 June 2013 |Around NW |Have groups ready to | | | | |showcase/compete. |Marketing initiatives commence |10 June 2013 |Around NW |Create project awareness around | | | | |the province. | |Travelling day [Groups] |04 July 2013 |To Buxton |Different homes travel to get to | | | | |the designated area of | | | | |showcasing. |Technical set-up |04 July 2013 |Venues TBC |Have the venues accommodating the| | | | |productions. | |[em ail  protected] Launch |05 July 2013 |Venue TBC |Launch the project to the media | | | | |and public. | |[email  protected] First Day |06 July 2013 |Social Centre |Start showcasing the productions. |Last Day/ Prize Giving |07 July 2013 |Social Centre |End short festival of | | | | |performances and give prizes. | |Travelling day |08 July 2013 |From Buxton |Groups and technicians get back | | | | |home. | |Reporting |02 August 2013 |Mahikeng |Narrative and financial reports | | | | |submitted to the funders. | Project Budget Please see attached[pic]

Confusing Preposition Pairs in English

Confusing Preposition Pairs in English Confusing  preposition pairs in English is one of the most common mistakes for ESL students. To help you avoid this mistake, review  some of the most commonly confused pairs of prepositions below.   In / Into The key difference between in and into is that in indicates a state of being, whereas into indicates motion. For example, into is often used to describe the movement of something from outdoors to indoors, such as in the sentence, I walked into the house.  By contrast,  in is used when a thing or person is stationary. For example, I found the book in the drawer. Examples Jack drove his car into the garage.My friend lives in that house.The teacher came quickly into the room and began the lesson.The dishes are in that cupboard.   On / Onto Similar to into and in, onto indicates motion where on does not. Onto normally indicates that something is placed onto something else. For example, I put the dishes onto the table when I set it. On shows that something already rests on a surface. For example, The picture is hanging on the wall.   Examples I carefully placed the picture onto the wall.He put the book onto the desk.You can find the dictionary on the table.Thats a beautiful picture on the wall. Among / Between Among and between are almost exactly the same in meaning. However, between is used when something is placed between two objects. Among, on the other hand, is used when something is placed among many objects. Examples Tom is between Mary and Helen in that picture.Youll find the letter among the papers on the table.Seattle is located between Vancouver, Canada, and Portland, Oregon.Alice is among friends this weekend. Beside / Besides Beside - without an s- means next to. For example, Tom is seated beside Alice. In contrast, Besides - with an s - states that something is in addition to something else. For example, Besides math, Peter is getting an A in history. Examples Hang your coat beside mine over there.There is so much work to do besides the normal tasks.Come sit down beside me.Besides potatoes, we need some milk.

rumblefish essays

rumblefish essays Rumble Fish, by S.E. Hinton is the sequel to The Outsiders. The characters names are different, but it is still taken place in the same time period. In the story Rumble Fish, Rusty James is a greaser who has a lot of fights in and out of school. He meets up with the Motorcycle Boy and whenever Rusty is in a big situation or fight, the Motorcycle Boy always helps him out. Rusty isnt a great kid. He has a police record and has been suspended for possession of a knife. Bad things can happen to you if you dont have a knife in certain situations. For example, Rusty was in a fight and it was going to be fought with knives. Nobody in his group had one, so Rusty lost. Then he met the Motorcycle Boy and everything was back to normal until the big fight. Rusty got hit, stabbed, and knocked out. Usually the Motorcycle Boy would help him out, but instead he wasnt there, nowhere to be seen. Rusty was put in the hospital. The main conflict in the story is Rusty James, and his fighting all of the time. It isnt good for him or his reputation. Rusty usually wins and someone always is looking to beat him at his own game, which is fighting, Rustys specialty! The conflict is resolved when Rusty James is in a fight against another greaser and the Motorcycle Boy isnt there to save Rusty. After all of this happens, everyone starts making fun of Rusty. The mysterious thing is that the Motorcycle Boy is never seen again. Now Rusty has no friends what so ever! Read Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton, Its worth the read! ...

Writing skills for nursing students, Nursing Standard - Emphasis

Writing skills for nursing students, Nursing Standard Writing skills for nursing students, Nursing Standard As the adage goes, anything worth having is worth fighting for. But it can be a rude awakening if youve signed onto a nursing degree course and now find your passion for helping people buried under a pile of essays and assignments. Theres no doubt that a degree is great preparation for the challenging career you have ahead of you. But turning complex scientific information into concise writing is not always easy. It can seem like a losing battle especially if you havent been shown how. The secret is to learn how to communicate your ideas and arguments clearly. This can boost your understanding of the clinical material, enabling you to put your people know-how into context. Here are five ways to lay the foundations for writing success. Clarify your main message Before you begin writing, its vital that you know what you really want to say. Answering the questions: What?, Where?, When?, How?, Why? and Who? can help you to organise your ideas. Focus on your reader Your reader is likely to be your university lecturer, who should already be very knowledgeable about the topics you write about. So focus on exactly what they need for each particular assignment. For instance, if your task is to evaluate a variety of health-promotion models, focus on what is most important about each model and write about that first. This will show that you are able to reach a clear conclusion from your research. You can then demonstrate your evaluation skills by expanding on each of your key messages. Keep it short and sweet A survey by Harvard professor D.H. Menzel showed that in technical papers, people find sentences difficult to understand when they are longer than 34 words. So make things easier for your reader by keeping your sentences between 15 and 20 words. One idea, one sentence Consider this sentence: Nurses play an important role in the delivery of healthcare yet some are concerned that they need more autonomy in their work. This actually contains two separate (but linked) ideas, so it would be more helpful to the reader to split the sentence up: Nurses play an important role in the delivery of healthcare. Yet some experts are concerned that they need more autonomy in their work. Splitting up your ideas in this way will give your writing clarity. Use the active voice Traditionally, academic writing uses the passive voice to appear objective and scientific. But the active voice adds movement to your writing and its still scientifically sound. So instead of writing Leadership styles have been investigated by Zane and Prestipino (2004), write Zane and Prestipino (2004) investigated leadership styles. Academic writing doesnt have to be stilted, wordy and difficult to decipher. Practise these techniques and your writing will demonstrate your passion for nursing. Next month, well look at the ins and outs of essay writing. Well also give you some top tips for breaking writers block. Robert Ashton is Chief Executive of Emphasis. Want to write better documents? See our courses for individuals or our courses for groups. Alternatively, send us a message or call one of our friendly advisors on +44 (0)1273 961 810

Interest Group Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interest Group Profile - Assignment Example It has no board of directors, but rather Norquist makes all broad decisions on objectives, goals, finances etc. himself. The group indicates it has a state chapter in every state, but information on the structures and size of those chapters is not available publically on the group’s website. It has a number of affiliated groups, all of whom have similar low-tax goals. The most prominent of those groups include the cost of government centre, the Stop Etax group, and the Alliance for Worker Freedom, which pushes for so called â€Å"right to work† legislation that weakens union memberships. Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform have one main accomplishment, which is not legislative in nature but has shaped the state of congress for more than a decade. This is called the â€Å"Taxpayer Protection Pledge† – which essentially amounts to a declaration that a Congressperson is asked to sign, indicating that they will never, regardless of circumstances, rais e taxes in any way (meaning, broadly speaking, that they will not allow the government to raise more revenue, so if loopholes are closed then tax rates must be lowered an appropriate amount). To date, every single Republican member of congress has signed this pledge, and it has shaped public policy debate for years, especially in the last four years since Barack Obama was elected as president. It has also pushed the Republican party rightwards historically, as any Republican who refused to sign the pledge would face a primary challenge from someone who would. Though this is not legally binding (obviously), the pledge has provided serious trouble to some politicians in the current environment, when a majority of Americans agree that taxes should be raised on the wealthy. They either have to demonstrate that they do not hold to their election promises, making their chances for re-nomination or re-election much more difficult, or must continue to hold to a pledge that is growing increa singly unpopular and could even mean not doing what they think is right given the circumstances in the economy at the moment. Americans for Tax Reform is structured as a non-for-profit and thus does not have a Super PAC but rather has a 501(c)(4), a separate kind of entity that focuses on â€Å"issue ads† and does not have to disclose its donor roles. It has spent somewhere in the range of the tens of millions of dollars, all of which went to supporting Republican candidates or opposing Democratic ones. It is interesting to note that this group also spends a great deal of money in pushing for particular candidates during Republican primaries, seemingly trying to select the most anti-tax, conservative leaning politician. This non-for-profit technically does not even list itself as a lobbyist, because it does not actively lobby members of congress, rather, it focuses on pushing them to sign pledges before being elected into office. It has, in general, been one of the greatest f orces pushing the country rightwards since 1985, a date from which, it is

Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Drama - Essay Example Henceforth, the attitude created by the actor in the stage is critical because that attitude determines the environment and the thought the audience will have towards the script. Learning the tactics of acting in a theatre is very important. The actor must familiarize with the character and afterwards learn the details of the subject, which will enable the actor to assume the character and blend with other characters in the vicinity. Before an actor presents the character to the society, the actor must subject the character to the society viewpoint. Brecht and Mueller argue that Stanislavski method of physical action as advantageous in modern acting (160). Brecht and Mueller explain â€Å"first rehearsals the actor show the plot, the event, the business, convinced that feeling and mood will eventually take care of themselves† (160). Therefore, Stanislavski method of physical action gives time to an actor to transform to the character and as the rehearsal proceeds, empathy and mood eventually develop. Brecht and Mueller states that, â€Å"Stanislavski speaks of rhythms which sweep across scene† (160). Sometimes, the rhythm may be insignificant in a scene because of the manner in which an actor expresses the words. In addition, I also agree that the use of images during acting bring forth a better understanding to the audience. Although, Stanislavski system may be challenging to some actors, the system has incredible method of harmonizing several weakness during acting. The system also provides a platform for learning to new and weak actors. Moreover, the system can measure the actor’s talent through the actor’s ability to manage incomplete

Islamcis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Islamcis - Essay Example In this section Edward Said highlights that west considers the orient as a place out of historical evolution. He points out that westerners portray India or Egypt in the same way today as they did one fifty years back as if societies here are static while west is progressing. He further points out that west created an image of east which was based upon colonial mindset in which they showed east as a mystic, ancient and non-progressive society and this attitude is prevalent in all sections of society may it be literature, science or social norms. In this section Edward Said furthers the debate with a sustained argument that history of imperial conquest is at the back of Orientalism. He explains that British and French rules the colonies for a long time and they only developed that much understanding of these societies as was required to rule over them and a human approach to understand the locals was never made. He further explains that this imperialism is not only material but also ideological in form and traces the seeds of ideological imperialism at Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1789. He also stresses that American Imperialism is different from the British or French on account of two factors; Americans imperialism is indirect whereas British and French ruled thee societies directly and American Imperialism is more politicized because of the presence of Israel in the region. Section four of the movie elaborates American Imperialism in deeper details. Here, Said argues that the way Islam is projected in western media is a big problem. Muslims are shown as villains in movies, cartoon and news media and a sense is created that somehow they have to be crushed. He argues that terrorism is only one factor but US has practically sanctioned Anti Arab Racism and situation has only deteriorated in recent decades. He also refers to his book covering Islam and points

Thesis Final Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Paper - Thesis Example Special needs students should likewise mingle with other students and partake in peer and teacher socializations. An effective technique for the integration of special needs students entails simply a cue not to treat them as special persons with disabilities. In this process, students with disabilities achieve a sense of belonging and a feeling of acceptance (Cooper et al, 2002). This paper will discuss how special needs students learn through the help of inclusion and accommodation in the regular classroom settings. This paper will also prove that teachers play an important role in educating the special needs students. Academic institutions, as well as educators, are expected to make adjustments for the diversities of special needs students by modifying features in the school setting that may be unfavorable to the students advancement. Accommodation refers to modification of the school facilities, programs, and training in relation to education of the disabled students. In court cases, accommodation has been used to refer to amendments in the special needs students’ education. Likewise, accommodation refers to advances wherein several components of the entire learning environment of the students are modified for more education encouragement. The educators emphasize on amending the educational atmosphere or the learning necessities to enable these students to be educated regardless of their limitations or deficits (Price et al, 1998). Accommodation entails the utilization of customized training practices, more bendable administrative methods, adaptable educational conditions, or any classroom activity that focuses on the use of more integral abilities or that offers revised educational processes (Price et al, 1998). The majority of students, particularly the ones with learning disabilities, can profit from study skills training. The

Films and computer games containing violence are very popular. some Essay

Films and computer games containing violence are very popular. some people say they have a negative effect on society and should be banned. other people say they are just harmless relaxation - Essay Example However, this argument does not prove to be a good one when one looks at the negative impacts. I believe that violent media arrives with concerns relating to addiction, anxiety, dejection, brutality and aggression that develop in young minds. Games like Mortal Combat, Resident Evil, Marvel vs. Capcom, Doom, Manhunt, Dead Rising, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, require the player to kill, shoot, slash and stab their enemy using bombs, swords and chainsaw. My neighbor’s son is being treated for anger management thanks to the violent films and games he watches regularly. Children tend to have less-developed ability of decision-making or critical thinking so they cannot realize what is wrong with what they are viewing and their minds learn or absorb every act they see. To conclude, when a person watches the violent acts, the energy generated by the fantasy keeps the physical responses from getting expressed. So, when this energy gets its chance, it gets expressed in the real life. Hence, violent films and video games have a very negative impact on

Thesis Final Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Paper - Thesis Example Special needs students should likewise mingle with other students and partake in peer and teacher socializations. An effective technique for the integration of special needs students entails simply a cue not to treat them as special persons with disabilities. In this process, students with disabilities achieve a sense of belonging and a feeling of acceptance (Cooper et al, 2002). This paper will discuss how special needs students learn through the help of inclusion and accommodation in the regular classroom settings. This paper will also prove that teachers play an important role in educating the special needs students. Academic institutions, as well as educators, are expected to make adjustments for the diversities of special needs students by modifying features in the school setting that may be unfavorable to the students advancement. Accommodation refers to modification of the school facilities, programs, and training in relation to education of the disabled students. In court cases, accommodation has been used to refer to amendments in the special needs students’ education. Likewise, accommodation refers to advances wherein several components of the entire learning environment of the students are modified for more education encouragement. The educators emphasize on amending the educational atmosphere or the learning necessities to enable these students to be educated regardless of their limitations or deficits (Price et al, 1998). Accommodation entails the utilization of customized training practices, more bendable administrative methods, adaptable educational conditions, or any classroom activity that focuses on the use of more integral abilities or that offers revised educational processes (Price et al, 1998). The majority of students, particularly the ones with learning disabilities, can profit from study skills training. The

Lincoln and Churchill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lincoln and Churchill - Essay Example Both leaders also transformed many elements of their respective governments, in particular the thinking of their senior military officers. Lincoln had long believed in colonization and it was this colonization which truly proved a dividing line within the abolitionist movement and "by the 1850s critics such as Douglass, Garrison, and Phillips had seized the initiative. When in 1862 Lincoln suggested that free black leaders lead their people out of America, he espoused a view that had receded into significance. Moreover, as African-Americans enrolled in the Union Army and Navy, served as scouts and spies for the Union forces, and strongly supported the war effort, it became ever more difficult to deny them and their families a claim to American citizenship" (Basler, 1990). Churchill on the other hand worked by transforming Parliament and the British people, and he did this in a number of ways but namely by convincing them that Britain would still be able to win the war, when in realit y there was really no hope or actual viability for this at all. Both Lincoln and Churchill used their commu

Psychiatric Nursing Essay Example for Free

Psychiatric Nursing Essay The subject is a 52 year old divorce Caucasian female, of Poland origin, and has lived in the United States for over 20 years. She had been a patient at Tewksbury Hospital since July 2011. She reportedly has a long history of bizarre and impulsive behavior, but has had a steady decline since her divorce in 2004. The patient denies history of taking medication or hospitalization for mental illness. There is no history of mental illness in the family. The subjects states, â€Å"My work is very unique. It’s inspirational spiritual work. I work as a self- healer. I do not need to see a physician for any diseases.† She went on saying â€Å"I have experienced terrible aggression. I am a psychologist. I can do many professions which I do not wish to discuss.† The subject lives in a house in the Boston area, where the rooms are rented and they share a common kitchen. She violated a no-harassment order against another residential by coming into the common kitchen, picking up a knife, and startled the alleged victim. She denies SI/HI. She said she had thoughts of â€Å"going to sleep†, but has no plan for SI. She denies trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse/ rape. She started smoking at the age 12, 20/day. She was admitted to Tewksbury Hospital with a legal status 15, and then later changed to 16c and 8. She was diagnosed with Axis I: Psychosis NOS and Adjustment disorder (unspecified), Axis II: Deferred, Axis III: right shoulder pain, Axis VI: Homeless, limited community support, GAS: 35. Signs and Symptoms Psychosis is a serious psychiatric disorder in where there is a gross disorganization of the personality and marked disturbance in reality, testing and the impairment of interpersonal functioning and relationship to the external world (Townsend 2009). It may cause a person to experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior. Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified 298.9, is used in diagnosing patient when their symptoms to not meet any of the psychotic disorder. Multiple examples would include: 1) delusions with periods of overlapping ME, 2) post-partum psychosis, 3) psychotic disorders with less than one month duration with no remission, 4) psychotic disorders with unknown etiology, 5) persistent auditory hallucination. Adjustment Disorder is a psychological response to an identifiable stressor or stressors that results in the development of clinically significant emotional or behavioral symptoms. The symptoms must develop within three months after the onset of the stressor(s). Unspecified Adjustment Disorder may be used as a diagnosis if the patient cannot be classified into a specific subtype of Adjustment Disorder. The patients have maladaptive reactions to stressors, and they may include: physical complaints, social withdrawal, or work or academic inhibition.

Properties And Uses Of Green Fluorescent Protein

Properties And Uses Of Green Fluorescent Protein ABSTRACT Green fluorescent protein has natural fluorescent properties which can be used in various applications. Mutagenesis of wild type GFP gives variants that are widely used as protein fusion tags, as biomarkers, used in studying protein interactions and localization of signals. GFP variants have led to technological advancement in biological studies such as FRET. In this review, we will study properties, uses, and variants of GFP developed in recent years. INTRODUCTION The green fluorescent protein was first observed by Shimomura et al in Aequoria victoria. He suggested 4-p-hydroxybenzylidine imidazoline-5 as its chromophore, which is involved in the fluorescence activity of GFP (Tsien 1998). The expression of this gene was later explained by Chalfie et al (1994). The chromophore which is made of 3 residues which are ser-tyr-gly (65-67) in the GFP protein makes the 4-p-hydroxybenzylidine imidazoline-5 structure later by post translation (Yang et al 1996). The structure of GFP as suggested by Tsien is ÃŽÂ ²-barrel with 11 stands. The chromophore lies in the centre of the ÃŽÂ ²- barrel and is attached via alpha helix. The number of amino acids which make up the GFP is 238 (Tsien 1998). PROPERTIES AND USES OF GFP The wild type GFP from Aequoria victoria has an excitation spectrum of 395nm and 475nm (absorbs blue light) with an emission peak of 508nm and 503nm (maximum) (emit green light) respectively (Tsien 1988). The GFP can be excited by UV lamps as well as fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC) filters due to its spectral range (Margolin 2000). The cloning and expression of GFP gene has given the important information of fluorophore synthesis in protein (Schwartz and Patterson 2006).The wild type GFP folds very slowly to attain active fluorescent state(mature chromophore) (Margolin 2000).The synthesis of fluorophore in GFP protein is an autocatalytic process. Mutagenesis of GFP tells that G67 is required for the fluorophore formation. The core fluorophore from Renilla reniformis is identical to A.victoria. It shows an excitation of 498nm (Yang et al 1996). With the help of Mutagenesis variants of GFP were created, one of the point mutation was S65T which increased the speed of fluorophore formation. The other mutations Ala206-lys206, leu221-lys221, phe223-arg223 helped to overcome GFP dimerization (Schwartz and Patterson 2006). There are 7 distinct classes of GFP variants based on chromophore component which acts on different absorbance and emission spectra (Tsien 1998).The Enhanced GFP (EGFP) variant has S65T mutation (improves fluorophore formation and brightness), phe64-leu64 (pacifies sensitivity to temperature), and codon optimization (expression in mammalian cells), which makes it a useful protein tag (Schwartz and Patterson 2006). Figure 1. The above graph shows the absorbance and emission peaks of wtGFP and EGFP. The blue circles depict the major minor absorbance peaks of wtGFP and green circles show the single emission peak of wtGFP. The blue and green squares show the absorbance and emission peak of EGFP respectively (Schwartz and Patterson 2006). There is a progress in the development of cyan and yellow shifted mutants (CFP and YFP) from A. victoria, which are pH sensitive and mature faster than wild type (Chudakov et al 2005). Cerulean is a bright CFP developed by Rizzo et al to use it in FRET based sensors for glucokinase activation (2004). GFP mutants can be used as fluorescent markers for time independent cell process. When mutants of GFPs are immobilized in aerated aqueous polymer gels and are excited at 488nm, they show repeated cycles of fluorescent emission (blinks several seconds). Hence, they are also used as molecular switches on optical storage elements (Dickson 1997). Elowitz et al (1997) found that photoactivation of GFP takes place in presence of low oxygen. Among several photoactivatable proteins, PA-GFP (thr203-his203) from A. victoria was the first which have 100-fold increase green fluorescence at 517nm. KFP1 is a recently developed variant obtained from Anemonia sulcate which can be irradiated in reversible as well as irreversible ways upon green light irradiation (Chudakov 2005). The plasmid vectors which are used to express proteins in bacteria use GFP fusion expression system. A number of proteins involved in cell division process in E. coli have been fused with GFP and expressed by lac promoter (Margolin 2000). GFP fused with Dictostelium myosin cells was used to study the myosin activity. The expression of GFP myosin fused protein proved that myosin is involved in cytokinesis and development of Dictostelium discoideum ( Moores et al 1995) GFP is protected from photobleaching by its rigid shell. Certain mutants are created by random combinations and directed mutagenesis (Kasprzak 2007). Major changes in fluorescence can be obtained by engineering the phosphorylation sites under defined conditions. FLIP (fluorescence loss in photobleaching) and FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) are fluorescence imaging techniques are use to study protein kinetics, which is performed by photobleaching (Baker et al 2010). GFP along with these techniques is use to study gap junctions channels in living cells. FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) is the most common technology used to create biochemically sensitive GFP variants. In this quantum mechanical phenomenon, the emission spectrums of two nearby fluorophores overlap the excitation spectrum of each other (one acts as a donor and the other as acceptor). It is also used to study the distance between protein residues and monitoring motor movements (actin or microtubules). The chromophores of GFP are labelled as donor and acceptor and are linked with motor proteins. There are 3 approaches namely, single pair molecule FRET (spFRET), Luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET), and transient FRET measurements (Kasprzak 2007). Figure 2. Image showing the use of GFP as fusion tag (middle), promoter activation (left) and protein interactions by using FRET (right). The florescent proteins used in FRET are shown by coloured barrels and target proteins as grey and black ovals (Chudakov 2005). Miyawaki et al (1997) constructed indicators, which they called cameleons, for monitoring Ca+ signals in organelles and cytosol. The cameleons were created by using blue/cyan emitting GFP mutants, calmodulin, calmodulin binding peptide and blue/green emitting GFP. They used the FRET method. Abad et al (2004) developed a chimera of GFP that is used as a probe for studying changes in mitochondrial matrix pH. CONCLUSION In summary, there are wide variants of GFP used in various applications. The variants allow multicolour labelling of cells for detection. It has given new perspective in fluorescent imaging techniques such as FRET, FLIP, and FRAP. Monitoring promoter activity and localization of signals have become simpler by the use of GFPs.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Does Gregor Ever recieve justice? :: English Literature

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Does Gregor Ever recieve justice? In the short story â€Å"Metamorphosis† by Franz Kafka, the protagonist of the story, Gregor Samsa, goes through a strange transition where he is transformed from a human being into an insect. Throughout the story Gregor’s physical appearance changes but it is apparent that his life as an insect is not that different from his life as a human being. To the reader it seems as though justice is served when Gregor, who has been transformed into an insect by some unexplainable force, can no longer work. Therefore his family, who have been living off him are forced to go get jobs. This would be considered justice if it weren’t for the fact that Gregor is living his life as an insect therefore the idea of justice seems to be undefinable. â€Å"Metamorphosis† is the story of a man named Gregor Samsa who awakes one morning from â€Å"unsettling dreams† and realizes that he has been transformed into a â€Å"monstrous vermin.† Gregor is a traveling salesman who works ridiculous hours every day while his family sits at home enjoying the luxuries which come from the money that he earns. Gregor spends his time â€Å"traveling day in, day out.† He awakes every morning at four o’clock and has â€Å"not once been ill during his five-year employment,† therefore it is quite rare that when the story begins he is late for work. It is so rare that the head clerk of the company where he works appears at his house wondering why he is not out of bed yet and why he is late for work. Finally with the â€Å"aid of his chair† Gregor is able to open the door. It is a complete shock to everyone to see Gregor in the state that he is in. The head clerk is ready to leave and it appears that Gregor has lost his job for good. Gregor’s job loss is not only detrimental to him but also to his family because he is their only source of income. Seeing as how Gregor is unable to get another job, his family is forced to get jobs of their own. Roles are now reversed because now Gregor’s family is forced to take care of him. Gregor’s life as a human was unjust because he was forced to financially support his family and wake up at four o’clock every morning to go to work as a traveling business man.

The Therapeutic Theater :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Ways of Knowing, Modes of Acting": The Therapeutic Theater world ratLife, as it is represented through various media, has a brainwashing effect on the spectator: he consumes a fabricated her than producing one of his own. The unconscious is constantly repressed, while the conscious is force fed images which basely appeal to the controlled linear processes of the brain. Psychiatrist C.G. Jung writes: "The source of numerous psychic disturbances and difficulties occasioned by man's progressive alienation from his instinctual foundation, i.e., by his uprootedness and identification with his conscious knowledge of himself, by his concern with consciousness at the expense of the unconscious. The result is that modern man can know himself only in so far as he can become conscious of himself--his consciousness therefor orients itself chiefly by observing and investigating the world around him, and it is to its peculiarities that he must adapt his psychic and technical resources. This task is so exacting, and its fulfillment so advantageous, that he forgets himself in the process, losing sight of his instinctual nature and putting his own conception of himself in place of his real being. In this way he slips imperceptibly into a purely conceptual world where the products of his conscious activity progressively replace reality. Separation from his instinctual nature inevitably plunges ci vilized man into the conflict between conscious and unconscious, spirit and nature, knowledge and faith, a split that becomes pathological the moment his consciousness is no longer able to neglect or suppress his instinctual side." (1) The prozac world we inhabit is a direct result of doctors eager to "fix" or "cure" disorders through administering prescription drugs. These drugs don't cure diseases, but rather numb their symptoms; the patient acts their daily ritual of dealing with life in a zombie like trance instead of confronting the horror, terror, and chaos essential to the Nature of the world so as to better understand the self and the self's place in it. It's easier to turn off the receptors that trigger emotions, ideas, or urges we don't like facing than to explore their origin. This method of treatment is not only dangerous, but frightening, because it threatens the very existence of humanity by crippling the self's internal communication necessary to forming individual identity. This calls for a radical change in the medical health care system (2)); where responsibility is placed on doctors to approach a patient's psychosis on

Life during the Great Depression Essay

The 1930’s were a time of depression, the Great Depression. The Great Depression lasted from the late 1920’s all through the 30’s. During this period, many people were unemployed, and many families didn’t have much food. When our company told me that they had to let me go I begged them not to. At some point I even thought about jumping from a skyscraper or a bridge like some others did, but I knew it would just give my family more problems to deal with. In this time, many other events occurred in our world, like the Dust Bowl, which lasted until 1936. The mud dried up and turned into dust, and that was the start of The Dust Bowl. Although the dust was bad there still was some good news, some of my farmer friends told me they heard that in California there was gold, so most of the farmers tried to go there. Daily life in the thirties was hard and stressful for everybody. Some of my friends I used to work with came home and their wife yelled at them because they had no job, which made some families fall apart. Most people in the thirties were miserable. The lines for bread were long and they lasted long too, because of the shortage of bread. The jobs were very hard to get especially in 1933, even for me even though I had lots of experience and had a master’s degree in business from Harvard. In 1931, the television was starting to come along and at this time we didn’t realize that in 50 years televisions would be the main entertainment object of the century. Another big hit in the 1930’s was for the whole family to gather around the radio. It was our main way to hear the news, except for going into town, which was a place people didn’t go every day. On May 1st 1931, the world’s tallest building, the Empire State Building, was opened by President Hoover in New York. It was and still is 380 meters high and 102 stories with a solid steel frame. It was an impressive structure for us at this time and to this day it still stands, used and improved. In 1937 the German Hindenburg air ship burned to the ground in less than two minutes by a spark the size of an ant, leaving 33 people killed, 12 people injured, and only 64 people got away not badly hurt. The development of new types of fibers in the early 30’s was finally bearing fruit. In 1937 the Du Pont Company in the USA was able to make nylon stockings for the first time, which became a big hit with the ladies, but they were not yet available in stores to the general public. In the 1930’s there was the first clinical use of Penicillin and insulin was used to control diabetes. In 1932 President Roosevelt was elected, and again re-elected in 1936. Roosevelt built our country’s economy and is known to be one of many people’s favorite presidents. The famous American women pilot, Amelia Earhart, disappeared on a flight around the world in July of 1938. She was two thirds of the way around when her plane was believed to crash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. She was an inspiration for many of us, especially for the women. The fashion we had in the 1930’s was very different than the fashion today. Women wore long halter topped dresses, lace frocks, negligees, and corsets, while we men wore suits with a matching top hat and over coats. For entertainment we had Shirley Temple, known for her blonde ringlets and her ability to sing and tap dance. She became a favorite celebrity in 1934 and by the end of the year she received an Academy Award, and was declared a favorite for the whole family! By the end of the decade, one of the first color motion pictures was released. Let’s not forget about sports like baseball, where the legendary Babe Ruth entertained our nation. At first the great depression was very tough on the whole nation, but with the great leadership of President Roosevelt and the people’s will power we were able to rebuild our economy.

Importance Of The Perception Of Customer Service Quality

The impression customers receive when they are paying for a service is very important. Rather than judging the quality of the goods, or the cost of the item, the customer can only base their opinion of a service on the way the service makes them feel and the effectiveness of the service. There are potentially 7 gaps where customer service quality can be affected within a service organization. It is therefore highly important that management of service industry employees are aware of these potential pitfalls and manage their employees to mitigate these problems.There is a Knowledge Gap where management must understand the level of knowledge the customer has, and define this properly. Once management has this understanding, they must develop standards for employees to ensure a high level of service quality. The gap between management understanding and the translation to standards is called the Standards Gap. However, the creation of standards by management does not necessarily translat e into the customer service reps communicating with the customer properly. This is called the Delivery Gap.These gaps can all be linked together under a framework of Internal Communications gaps. At the end of these internal processes, the customer receives the service product. At this point in time, the perception of the customer can be different than the perception of the customer service representative. The representative may think they are offering high quality service, but the customer perceives it negatively. This is called the Perception Gap. Additionally, the customer will be presented with promotional materials and communications from the company.The perception of these materials may not match what the company believes it is communicating. This is called the Interpretation Gap. These two culminating gaps ultimately link together to create the overall Service Gap. This gap is a culmination of potential differences throughout the process. If a company is experiencing low leve ls of customer satisfaction, it is imperative to work back through the gaps to find where the problem may be occurring. A good example is the car insurance service industry.In the area of insurance, the typical consumer will not understand the finer details of insurance – what premiums are, what deductibles are, and the varying types of additional coverage that can be purchased. Management might assume that the customer knows more than they do, or less than they do. This would be part of the knowledge gap. The processes they develop for service representative would not meet customers' needs very well. This would result in an overall service gap.However, if management can understand the knowledge needs of the customer, they can potentially increase sales, as the customer may come to realize that they need more in an insurance package than just the basics they were first considering. If the customer service quality is excellent from the beginning, the insurance company is able to attract a new customer, as well as increasing profits for the company from that one customer. Additionally, the company may think that since they are following internal procedures, their customer service quality is excellent.However, the company must watch its customer retention rates. If it finds that it is loosing customers, it must find out why. It is probably due to an interpretation or perception gap. Perhaps the printed material does not appeal to the target audience. Or perhaps the language the service representatives are using does not meet the customers' expectations. In either case, the overall service quality will decrease. It is therefore very important that the company constantly evaluates its level of customer satisfaction and revises its internal processes to meet customers' needs.

Introduce word flying fish from Pacific Northwest and Alaska Essay

Introduce word flying fish from Pacific Northwest and Alaska - Essay Example The Gulf of Alaska has continuously grown warmer and this could be as a result of some unusual species of fish within this region. The changes in water temperature have resulted in a reduction in the growth of phytoplankton, which is a main source of nutrients for fish. Both predator and prey are forced to travel long distances in search for food. The vagaries of global weather result in some species falling victims, while others prosper under the changing environmental conditions (Mecklenburg, Mecklenburg, and Thorsteinson 537). Sites of fish jumping from water on the itineraries through these places are relatively common. While some of the fish are on transit to different locations looking for food, others commonly leap out of the water in order to feed on terrestrial insects flying above. Whether a leap or a jump by the fish, they always appear to be flying when one sees them during a cruise. The reasons behind this observation might be unknown, but the element of flying fish remains a reality in the North West pacific and

Recent International Contribution on Climate change Essay

Recent International Contribution on Climate change - Essay Example Global warming has lead to significant climate change around the world due to the unchecked human activities and the consequences of the global warming can be observed in very many ways; there is glacial melting in the world highest known mountains. The glacial melting is caused by the rise in the global temperature to the extent that the bonds holding the water molecules in a solid state are weakened allowing the ice to flow down the slope. Sporadic weather and climatic have also characterized the global climatic change leading o varied agricultural yields as well as extinction of indigenous flora and fauna. Global warming thus is perceived by the environmental experts to worsen in the future if the necessary mitigation measures are not taken in the most opportune time possible. The effect of the global warming in climate change has attracted the attention of the international bodies and several conventions have been held to find a lasting solution in ending human activities that accelerates global warming. In the conventions, some of the factors that have been singled as the major contributors of the global warming include, industrial emissions in the industrialized countries coupled with wanton clearing of the natural forests in the developing countries. All these activities contribute to the accumulation of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, a recipe for global warming.

Bird & Bird the Leader in Extensive Legal Services Provision Research Paper

Bird & Bird the Leader in Extensive Legal Services Provision - Research Paper Example It is stated in the case that â€Å"B&B lawyers wanted to be able to access case histories and other legal reference materials online from any of the firm’s 14 offices†. This is one of the highlighted issues that require the attention of the knowledge management (KM) team. Knowledge management system is very important to the business for it usually plays the role of organizing people and generating software and databases by using business expertise and experience. In response to the issue, a development team is created that includes the effort of KM team, information systems specialists and the personnel of 14 offices. The purpose of developing new system demands a team effort in order to meet the purpose of the information system. Another cited issue is all about the â€Å"searching capabilities for finding topic-related content within documents stored in the KM system† (Stair & Reynolds, 2010, p. 478). B&B lawyers are not satisfied with the result provided when using the traditional knowledge search because it generates long lists of results that are not relevant to the answer (Marcinko, n.d.). To address this concern, KM team adapted conceptSearching which is different and more flexible compared to the traditional keyword search. ConceptSearching has the ability to retrieve relevant information in a way that upon entering the natural sentences the nearest searched information is ranked according to relevancy (Chapline & Jytyla, n.d., p. 2). Through the collaboration of KM team, UCLogic and concept searching, a new expert system called â€Å"know-how† has been created. The designed user interface is important to make the usage of KM system easier for the users. The driver for change is B&B’s clients wherein the intention is to share the ways of doing business (White & Flutsch, 2006). Using the internal and external repositories for the new system is risky because there is a possibility that the storage capacity cannot handle the number of documents. Although technology  plays a relevant role in the society nowadays, it can never replace all the intelligence attributes of human beings.  

Psychological Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psychological Case Study - Essay Example Prior to the age of 13, her parents describe her as "well-behaved and doing well in school". Up to that time, she had no problems academically or behaviorally in school. The trouble began when Client S began eighth grade. At that time, her behavior began to change. Client S was born in Australia and her parents both work. It is not clear why the parents stated that she was born in Australia. Her mother works as a receptionist and her father is a supervisor for an electrical whole sale firm. It appears from what they have stated that they have traditional values and want her to abide by their rules. The client does not seem to think that these rules are necessary since she is now 15. Presenting Problems/Symptoms During the counseling session, the client presents as very positive and confident. She is dressed very clean. During the counseling session, she talks about her parents and feels that they are being too strict with her. She states that she hates doing chores and homework. She has been doing many things to show signs of rebellion: she snuck out of the house and stayed out late, complains about her parents to let her go out and hang with her friends. She states that her friends always get to do things that she does not. Evidence Based Theories and Models Client S does not seem to be exhibiting behavior that is inconsistent with being a teenager. In looking at theories and models, it was important to describe developmental theories and models that work well with teens. Although Sigmund Freud had many things to say about adolescence, it was Erik Erikson who took Freud's theories and advanced them. In Erikson's theory, Client S represent's Erikson's fourth developmental stage which is ego identity vs. role confusion. In this stage, the peer group is more important than family and the peer group acts as role models. During the time between ages 12 and 18, Client S will be struggling to be herself and to identify what that means to her. The psychosocial values that she will possess will be fidelity and loyalty (Boeree, 2006). In applying Erikson's theory to Client S, it becomes clearer that she is in the phase of wanting to be with her friends and they are making up a large part of her life. The challenge can be that the friends she has chosen may not be the best friends for her and they may be influencing her behavior. This would be something to explore in sessions. Piaget took a more cognitive approach in his developmental stages saying that children are able to reason in the abstract after the age of 12. Adolescents may become more self conscious about their appearance and that they are always being criticized for who they are at any given moment (Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, 2009). Physical development is very important at this age as well. The hormones in the body are changing and the adolescent can be going through physical and emotional changes. The child is moving from being a child to maturing into adultho od. Although this happens differently for different children, all children go through this change at some time. In addition to the physical maturing of growing breasts and hair under the arms and in the pubic area, teens also experience their first menstrual periods and they begin to worry about their bodies. Emotionally, the teen may be experiencing mood swings, or pushing away from the parents in an attempt to create their own identity (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2011). All of these changes are

Psychological knowledge or research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychological knowledge or research - Essay Example Political psychology is relevant to this article as it is an interdisciplinary subject which touched on areas of cognition, communication, emotion and the human mind. This particular filed of study is certainly at work in most or all of the news reports and media that we view. The author of this particular article really does not employ a heavy power of persuasion or even emotion thereby slightly losing her readers’ attention or emotional response. Deeper and more thorough analysis of this article may in fact yield a psychological media tactic actin within this article. In a different and unrelated article from the Chicago Tribune, Bonnie Miller and Ashley Wiehle note the case of a particular woman who suffered for years with an eating disorder. Her picture is present with the article as is the fact that her recovery cost her family $100,000. The fact that the authors placed a picture of the now healthy Traub in order for their readers to view her as a real person. When we are able to rest our eyes on the tangibility of human suffering, we are that much more likely to actively empathize with that individual as an entity and not just a disembodied name or case study. Certainly, the article raises interesting points that spark the interest of the reader. This includes the amount of money spent on treatment for an eating disorder as well as how blatantly necessary treatment is to those suffering with an eating disorder. The authors also provide quantitative data such as Traub’s morbidly low weight of less than 100 lbs and the startling amount o f money required for treatment. This truly allows the reader to ponder things such as what Traub must have looked like prior to treatment. The reader can also better appreciate the expense of treating an eating disorder when insurance has in the past, never covered treatment for Anorexia and Bulimia. The authors list

Ethical Issues Essay Example for Free

Ethical Issues Essay Researchers found that 10 percent of employees at all levels report feeling pressured to compromise ethical standards in the workplace (Managing Business Ethics by Trevino and Nelson 2007). Ethical issues are faced by every industry in the business world as well as communities, public and private organizations and individuals. Leadership, internal practices, and training may impact the proper implementation of business ethics. Halliburton is one of the many large corporations involved in unethical business practices. This paper examines ethical issues faced by public sector employees and employees of private sector firms that conduct business with and for government agencies. The paper discusses Halliburton, a U. S. defense contractor (former vice president Dick Cheney’s old firm), ethical issues and the impact on stakeholders involved. The goal is to highlight the ethical issues and make recommendations for how prospective employees and managers can handle similar situations. Background Since 2001, energy services company Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown Root (KBR) have performed unspecified services to the United States military in Iraq, Kuwait, and several other countries under a no-bid, long-term global logistics contract, (LOGCAP). In February 2003, Halliburton received a five-year extension, $7 billion no-bid contract for services in Iraq. During the course of awarding and executing these contracts at least two people made the decision to become whistle blowers, a government employee, and a Halliburton/KBR procurement employee. The government employee disclosed that Halliburton/KBR was involved in closed-door meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers that resulted in the no-bid, multi-year, billion dollar contract awarded exclusively to Halliburton/KBR (Morning Edition October 29, 2004). The procurement employee disclosed the specific activities within Halliburton/KBR that resulted in overcharging the government and taxpayers for goods and services while simultaneously eliminating competition among potential vendors. Some allegations include soliciting higher priced products and services because the government pays a fee based on the total of goods/services procured and manipulating purchases orders to maintain a maximum of $2,500 to avoid the bidding process between prospective vendors. Specifically, Halliburtons subsidiary Kellogg, Brown Root hired a Kuwaiti company, Altanmia, to supply fuel at about twice the going rate, then added a markup, for an overcharge of at least $61 million, according to a December 2003 Pentagon audit. The only problem is that $61 million is taxpayer money. Perception of Unethical Practices of Dick Cheney From the beginning many American citizens raised an eyebrow towards the decision to have Halliburton as a U. S defense contractor. This public outrage stemmed from the former vice president’s former employment as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Halliburton from 1995 through August 2000. KBR, the companys former subsidiary has been the main government contractor working to restore Iraqs oil industry that was awarded without competitive bidding in 2001. According to Cheneys 2001 financial disclosure report, the vice presidents Halliburton benefits included three batches of stock options comprising 433,333 shares. He also has a 401(k) retirement account valued at between $1,001 and $15,000 dollars. His deferred compensation account was valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, and generated income of $50,000 to $100,000. Halliburton has contracts worth more than $1. 7 billion for its work in Iraq, and it could make hundreds of millions more from a no-bid contract. During Cheney’s tenure as the defense secretary, the Pentagon chose Halliburton’s subsidiary KBR to study the cost effectiveness of outsourcing some military operations to private contractors. Based on the results of the study, the Pentagon hired KBR to implement an outsourcing plan (Washington Post Sep 26, 2003). Many companies like Bechtel, Exxon, Blackwater and Halliburton have profited from the Iraq war. It is no secret that war creates wealth for those companies canny enough to exploit it, and not be killed by it. Is Dick Cheney one of these? After his departure from office former vice president Cheney will be free to profit in whatever way he feels. The ethical question is, however, has he ever really left it? And by not leaving it, was he in ethical violation of his oath of office, at the very least? Stakeholders The stakeholders in this situation are the client, which is the U. S. government and American taxpayers who are the investors or funders of the government; the vendors, who through the bidding process maintain a competitive and profitable business environment; and employees who make sure that their employers receive the best value for the services and products they procure. Ethical dilemmas The first ethical dilemmas is if employees should bring wrongdoing to the surface and if so, how? Will the decision violate the privacy of vendors or other employees? Is it legal to disclose certain activities related to defense contracts? Secondary ethical issues relate directly to the stakeholders. Is the U. S. government unfairly awarding contracts? Is that awarding process facilitating a culture of overcharging, which is absorbed by U. S. taxpayers? Are vendors intentionally overcharging Halliburton/KBR? Are Halliburton/KBR’s procurement practices eliminating competition in the marketplace? Analysis The primary issue in this situation is whistle blowing. â€Å"Whistle blowing means calling attention to wrongdoing that is occurring within an organization. †(Nadler and Schulman 2006) Halliburton is still under investigation by the FBI. Perhaps the negative publicity and the case caused the contract to be divided with Halliburton winning one of the parts in a public bid. The underlying secondary issues include exposing potentially fraudulent business activities, financial irresponsibility, and illegally profiting from public funding. The government employee wrote and spoke to superiors about the activities. The government employee sought legal counsel upon deciding to go public with their disclosure. Finally, both made their testimonies to the proper investigating bodies including the FBI, the U. S. House of Representatives Committees on Government Reform and Energy and Commerce. For their troubles, the government employee and Halliburton/KBR procurement employee were forced into a whistle-blowers protection program. Conclusion In the public sector, whistle blowers are often faced with the dilemma that their choice to disclose can constitute a criminal act. In both cases these employees called attention to suspected activities within their organizations before going outside or public. Employees faced with this dilemma must identify the stakeholders and ethical issues that concern them, and then make calculated decision whether or not to disclose. The facts surrounding whether or not the U. S. government are unfairly awarding contracts will be an ongoing issue. Despite all the measures set forth to regulate the procurement of contracts, greed for money will play a critical factor for the people that have weak ethical character. Whether you are the employee or employer being the standard bearer in ethical situations will earn the respect of others as well as keeping you out of big trouble. References Analysis: FBI investigates whether Pentagon officials committed fraud in their handling of a no-bid contract to a subsidiary of Halliburton before the Iraq War. (10:00-11:00 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Oct 29, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Donahue, J. (Nov-Dec 2005). Treading on the taxpayer. Multinational Monitor, 26, 11-12.p. 7(2). Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Nadler, J. Schulman, M. Whistle Blowing in the Public Sector. Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/f ocusareas/government_ethics/introductio n/whistleblowing. html. Profile: US Army will allow bidding for contract work in Iraq initially given to Halliburton. (10:00-11:00 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Sept 8, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale.

Does the European Union Have a Democratic Deficit?

Does the European Union Have a Democratic Deficit? Critically discuss whether the European Union suffers from a Democratic deficit. In your answer refer to the past and present situations and to the possible future under the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Introduction This paper evaluates the democratic credentials of the European Union, considering the popular criticism that the Union suffers from a so-called â€Å"democratic deficit† in its legislative processes. The past, present and possible future state of the Union is analysed so as to determine the truth behind this concern and to analyse the way in which the Union has evolved to mollify its critics in this respect. The proposed Constitutional Treaty is most unlikely to be adopted in its present draft in the short-medium term given its rejection by France and The Netherlands at national referenda in 2005.[1] However, this paper considers the ways in which the draft Constitutional Treaty proposes to address further the problem of the Union’s democratic deficit.. The Changing Face of Europe: One Common Concern In 1957 the Treaty of Rome[2] was signed with the aim of creating a deep economic relationship between six European states: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.. The architects of the European Economic Community, including Schumann and Monnet, were fearful of the threat of a devastating third war on the European continent and keen to encourage European states to associate more closely together to reduce that risk. In those early days, that was the ostensible extent of political ambition.. The Treaty of Rome was not intended to have a constitutional perspective or scope and did not concern itself with issues appropriate to that form of measure.. However, the Single European Act[3] brought into effect a conscious and determined scheme to bring the member states of the EEC closer together. The range of policies under the auspices of the EEC began to grow significantly and the European Commission, led by the famous Jacques Delors[4] became extremely proactive in the law making process.[5] Criticisms of the way in which EEC law was made had been laid against the Community by Euro-sceptic politicians, academic commentators, journalists and the public at large for years prior to the mid 1980s, but it was at around the time of the passing of the Single European Act that those criticisms and concerns really gained force. The EEC institutions were criticised as operating under what was called a democratic deficit. This is shorthand for the allegation that the EEC institutional and legislative systems were allowing unelected, faceless bureaucrats to create law that would have binding effect across the Community, rather than preserving that task for national representatives elected by direct universal suffrage. The common public and media perception that the EEC was not an effective democratic entity became quickly entrenched as the Commission began producing more and more law for application in the member states. It is submitted that the matter would not perhaps have attracted such concern if EC law took second place to national law but in fact criticisms of the democratic deficit were sharpened and polarised by the principle of the sovereignty of EC law, which dictated that law issuing from this body of dubious democratic credentials took precedence over the highest forms of national law created by ancient democracies: see Costa v ENEL[6] In terms of a personal critical appraisal it is asserted that there is little doubt the â€Å"democratic deficit† criticism was originally well made and well founded.. The European Assembly was no more than a talking shop, with very few powers, until the passing of the Single European Act and the bureaucratic Commission was without question the legislative engine of the EEC. Perhaps the best evidence of the extent of the democratic deficit is to be found in observation of the considerable efforts of the Community to address the issue in more recent times. For example, the Single European Act itself, in a subtle move, renamed the Assembly the European Parliament, presumably to give the institution a more democratically-positive and authoritative (sounding) title. The new Parliament was also allowed some marginal new powers in the law making process of the Community. This gesture did nothing to silence those critical of the EEC lack of democracy. Commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty on European Union[7], was signed in 1992 and the EEC became the EC, which in turn became one part of the European Union. Alongside other massive changes, again the law making powers of the European Parliament were strengthened and developed, this time quite substantially so, in an attempt to re-balance the legislative processes of the Union. It was hoped that this would further mollify those critical of the Union’s democratic deficit. It is submitted that the fully elected Parliament now had a real and effective part to play in the EU law making regime, but criticism of a democratic deficit still persisted given the huge influence and power that the unelected Commission still retained over the process. The Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice followed. These were largely aimed at reorganising the EU law and institutions so that the Union could operate more effectively and smoothly after its intended enlargements. This enlargement has now taken place and on 1 January 2007 the Union expanded to embrace 27 member states with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania.[8] It was hoped that a new EU Constitution could have been adopted prior to the recent enlargement phase in order to better equip the expanded Union for its future operation and growth. The Constitutional Treaty The first step towards the establishment of an EU constitution was the signing of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in October 2004.[9] Inter alia, the draft Treaty provides that seats in the European Parliament will be distributed on a degressive proportional basis and that the Commission (which lacks any democratic authority) will be reduced in size from 2014, so as to make the number of Commissioners equivalent to two-thirds of the number of member states. Addressing the democratic deficit head on, the Constitutional Treaty’s default law making procedure would be one requiring the joint adoption of measures by the Council and the European Parliament.[10] The Treaty would have required the Council to convene in public when making law and required that national parliaments would receive information relating to new EU legislative proposals in sufficient time to allow them to instruct ministers as to how to cast their vote in Council. Furthermore, the Treaty would have given national parliaments the power to return proposals to the Commission for reconsideration if they believe the matter at issue lies outside the competence of the European Union and the Treaty proposed to give the principle of subsidiarity the important status of a fundamental legal principle of the Union. In addition, the Treaty would have established a so-called citizens’ right of initiative, which would require the Commission to consider proposals for legislation that gained the support of at least 1 million citizens of the EU. That said, it is debatable precisely what force and effect this might have had in practice, given that consideration may merely result in the Commission saying â€Å"No†, or rather â€Å"Non†. In combination these reforms would have gone some way to counter persistent criticisms that the EU labours under a democratic deficit.[11] However, it is submitted that Avbelj overstates its potential effect when he somewhat tenuously suggests: ‘The EUs formal democratic deficit is not as a big problem as it is portrayed, and the new Constitution in its present form can remedy most, if not all of it.’[12] In rebuttal, Irish Party Sinn Fein has observed: ‘The Constitution does not effectively redress the democratic deficit issues identified in the Laeken Declaration. Instead it shifts the balance of power and control yet further from the sovereign national parliaments and towards the EU.’[13] In particular, it is stressed that the European Commission would remain the sole initiator of legislative proposals under the draft Treaty. Other bodies, including the European Parliament, the Council and lobbying blocks of millions of citizens can merely ask the Commission to consider drafting a proposal.[14] Concluding Comments In conclusion it is submitted that the European Union does and always has suffered from a democratic deficit. This stems from the very foundations of the European Economic Community, when the European Commission was given largely unrestricted bureaucratic powers to administer what began in effect as little more than an economic club. The essential problem has been that the EEC quickly outgrew its initial parameters and objectives, soon becoming the European Community (dispensing with the word â€Å"Economic† because now its horizons were much broader)[15] within a greater EU, but the Commission has stayed, incongruously it is submitted, at the very heart of the law making process throughout this period of rapid growth and evolution. In simple words, the EEC began with a massive democratic deficit but it did not become controversial until it began to develop its powers. Since the mid 1980s the democratic deficit has gradually been whittled away, largely through successive Treaty amendments which have slowly given more power and influence to the elected European Parliament.. It is true that the draft Constitutional Treaty would have continued this process, introducing further reforms to address the democratic deficit. However, the Commission, which lacks democratic credentials, will still cling tightly to the law making process even if the implementation of the Treaty proposals ultimately takes place.. In order to banish the spectre of the democratic deficit completely from the European Union and its processes it will be necessary drastically to re-assess the role of the European Commission. The Commission will need to be reduced in status to that of an ordinary national civil service, and the European Parliament must assume full responsibility for law-making, before the EU can hope to assert full democratic authority. This will be a bitter pill for the Commission to swallow: it has always jealously and vociferously guarded its role and power. However, if the EU is to mature into a deeper union this policy must at some point be implemented. BIBLIOGRAPHY Consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en000103 31.pdf. Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004): http://europa.eu.int/constitution/index_en.htm Avbelj M., Can the New European Constitution Remedy the EU Democratic Deficit? (2005): http://www.eumap.org/journal/features/2005/demodef/avbelj. The European Union: Balancing Democratic Deficit? (2005/03/10): http://www.eumap.org/journal/features/2005/demodef. Foster, EC Legislation (2006-2007), (2006) Blackstone’s Statutes (London) Kent, Law of the European Union, (2001) Longman Report from the Presidency of the Convention to the President of the European Council (18.07.2003) see: http://european-convention.eu.int/bienvenue.asp?lang=EN Steiner and Woods, Textbook on EC Law, (2003) Blackstone Straw sees no point in EU vote, June 6 2005: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4612021.stm Cases as footnoted. 1 [1] Straw sees no point in EU vote, June 6 2005: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4612021.stm [2] Consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community: http://eur-lex.europa..eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en000103 31.pdf. [3] The SEA entered into force in July 1987. [4] President of the European Commission 1985 1995. [5] See for context Margaret Thatcher’s statement to the Hanover European Council, July 30 1988: Hansard HC [136/525-35]http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument..asp?docid=107281. [6] Case 6/64. [7] Foster, EC Legislation (2006-2007), (2006) Blackstone’s Statutes (London). [8] See: http://europa.eu/pol/enlarg/index_en..htm. [9] See for detail: http://europa.eu.int/constitution/index_en.htm. [10] Report from the Presidency of the Convention to the President of the European Council (18.07.2003) see: http://european-convention.eu.int/bienvenue..asp?lang=EN. [11] The European Union: Balancing Democratic Deficit? (2005/03/10): http://www.eumap.org/journal/features/2005/demodef. [12] Avbelj M., Can the New European Constitution Remedy the EU Democratic Deficit? (2005): http://www.eumap.org/journal/features/2005/demodef/avbelj. [13] Ireland and the EU Constitution: http://www.sinnfein.ie/pdf/EUConstitutionPamphlet.pdf, p10. [14] Can it really be argued that EU laws can be described as national governments acting at EU level when the European Commission has the sole right to propose those laws? [15] See: Kent, Law of the European Union, (2001) Longman, p.9.