Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used Essay

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used - Essay Example Specified means of negotiations can be utilized in numerous situations, be it in legal systems, industrial disputes, government, or domestic relationships. General negotiation skills are learned and applied in an extensive range of activities to resolve any difference that arise in a work place. I was working in the United Credit Bank in Azerbaijan, during my internship, where I used to deal with the reporting process. On several occasions, I used my negotiation skills to be permitted to make some significant changes in my reports. However, it could have been more successful if I could have identified these issues prior to producing the report, so I wouldn’t need to enquire from my manager to give me permission for making the changes in the reports. As much as the idea was not viewed negatively by my manager, I realized that I could have behaved in a more successful way. Some of the negotiating skills I used include the following: Preparation First, I used to prepare myself fo r the negotiations by deciding on when and where I would meet my manager after writing my reports. At this stage, I also used to limit the time I could use when asking her of any issues to prevent any disagreement and unnecessary conversations between the two of us. I always made sure that I have gone through my reports especially those concerning any monetary records to be fully aware of the facts so that it could be easier for me to clarify my position to the manager. In this context, I specifically went through the rules and regulations of the bank and made sure they were on my fingertips to prove that I had not violated any policy. By this, my boss could not spend much time trying to clarify information that she expected I was familiar with (Nadler, 2003). Analyzing the problem As a bank employee at that time, I had to ensure that my internship become successful, hence I took my time to determine what my manager really expected of me. Before I could approach her, I used to analy ze the issues in my reports, especially in record keeping so that both our interests could not disagree. I often detailed by analysis by identifying the interested parties, such as the manager herself, the auditor, and other executives, and spot out the issues they could have criticized. However, sometimes I could not single out the real issues as required. Active listening during discussions Putting in mind that I often did not spot out the actual issues of concern, I could forward my cases exactly the way I saw them. Major skills used here included questioning, clarifying, and listening to my manager. Sometimes I could take notes as she explained to record important points put forward just in case I needed more clearing up. Nevertheless, it came to my notice that I rarely applied this skill efficiently because I tented to concentrate more on noting than listening. This led to hardships at some points as she could end up talking too much than I expected and that I never got an equa l chance to present my case as she always did. Another impact I noted when I seemed to write much and listen less was that I failed to notice her body language, which could have enabled me to know if she was happy with my questions or if she demonstrated something important. She could at times forbid me from writing and use my pen to illustrate her point by rectifying the issues in my reports, and this is when I often concentrated. Control of emotions The United Credit Bank of Azerbaijan is a large bank with many daily activities and

The Criticism Of The Modigliani And Miller Hypothesis Finance Essay

The Criticism Of The Modigliani And Miller Hypothesis Finance Essay Capital structure has a major implication to the ability of firms to meet the various needs of stakeholders. There were various studies carried out on capital structure and major development on new theories for optimal debt to equity ratio. The first milestone on the issue was set by Modigliani and Miller(1958) through which they presented in their seminal work two important propositions that shaped the economic theory behind capital structure and its effect on firm value. The Modigliani and Miller hypothesis is identical with the net operating income approach. At its heart, the theorem is an irrelevance proposition, but the Modigliani-Miller Theorem provides conditions under which a firms financial decisions do not affect its value. They argue that in the absence of taxes, a firms market value and the cost of capital remain invariant to the capital structure changes. In their 1958 articles, they provide analytically and logically consistent behavioural justification in favour of their hypothesis and reject any other capital structure theory as incorrect. The Modigliani-Miller theorem states that, in the absence of taxes, bankruptcy costs, and asymmetric information, and in an efficient market, a companys value is unaffected by how it is financed, regardless of whether the companys capital consists of equities or debt, or a combination of these, or what the dividend policy is. Miller (1991) explains the intuition for the Theorem with a simple analogy. Think of the firm as a gigantic tub of whole milk. The farmer can sell the whole milk as it is. Or he can separate out the cream, and sell it at a considerably higher price than the whole milk would bring. He continues, The Modigliani-Miller proposition says that if there were no costs of separation, (and, of course, no government dairy support program), the cream plus the skim milk would bring the same price as the whole milk. The main content of the argument is that increasing the amount of debt (cream) lowers the value of outstanding equity (skim milk) and selling off safe cash flows to debt-holders leaves the firm with more lower valued equity,thus keeping the total value of the firm unchanged. Furthermore, any gain from using more of what might seem to be cheaper debt is offset by the higher cost of now riskier equity. Assumptions: The Modigliani-Miller theorem can be best explained in terms of their proposition 1 and proposition 2. However their proposition are base on certain assumption and particularly relate to the behaviour of investors, capital market, the actions of the firm and the tax environment. According to I.M Pandey(1999) the assumptions of the Modigliani Miller theorem is based on: Perfect capital markets These are securities (shares and debt instruments)which are traded in the perfect capital market situation and complete information is available to all investors with no cost to be paid. This also means that an investor is free to buy or sell securities, he can borrow without restriction at the same terms as the firm do and he behave rationally. It also implies that the transaction cost(cost of buying and selling securities) do not exist. Homogeneous risk classes Firms can be group into homogeneous risk classes. Firms would be considered to belong to a homogeneous risk class if their expected earnings have identical risk characteristics. It is generally implied under the M-M hypothesis that firms within same industry constitute a homogeneous class. Risk The risk of the investors is defined in terms of the variability of the net operating income(NOI). The risk of investors depends on both the random fluctuations of the expected NOI and the possibility that the actual value of the variable may turn out to be different than their best estimate. No taxes In the original formulation of their hypothesis, M-M assume that no corporate income taxes and personal tax exist. That is, they are both perfect substitute. Full payout Firms distribute all net earnings to the shareholders, which means a 100% payout. Proposition 1: the market value of any firms is independent of its capital structure. M-M(Modigliani and miller) argue that for firms in the same risk class the total market value is independent of the debt-equity mix and is given by capitalizing the expected net operating income by the rate appropriate to that risk class. This is their proposition 1 and can be expressed as follows: Value of firm= Market value of equity + Market value of debt = V= (S + D) = = Where V = the market value of the firm S = the market value of the firms ordinary equity D = the market value of debt = the expected net operating income on the assets of the firm = the capitalization rate appropriate to the risk class of the firm. Also, M-M extended proposition 1 by arguing that there is a linear relationship between cost the cost of equity and the financial leverage. Financial leverage is measured by the Debt to Equity ratio(D/E).The cost of equity capital can be denoted by the following relationship: = + ( ) DE Where denotes cost of equity capital; denotes overall cost of capital and denotes cost of debts of the firm L . Based on the assumption that there is no corporate tax then is equal to the rate of interest on financial leverage employed by the firm. The diagram below shows the cost of capital under the Modigliani and Miller proposition 1.http://htmlimg3.scribdassets.com/2vohdy2ptsw5n23/images/12-7ef603c995.jpg Example: Example 1 Example 2 DE 2/3 1 0.18 1.18 0.10 0.10 23.3% 26% It can be seen that due to an increase in financial leverage the risk premium of equity shareholders have increased from (23-18) = 5% to (26-18) = 8 %. We can also verify for the , which is given below: When debt equity ratio is 2:3 + = 18% The similar result is obtained when DE is 1. + = 18% It can be concluded that the overall cost of capital, which is the weighted average cost of debt and cost of equity, is unaffected even if the degree of financial leverage is increased. As per the M-M model, however , any benefits arising by substituting cheaper leverage for more expensive equity are offset by an increase in both the costs as reflected on the following graph. Arbitrage process: Arbitrage process is base on the principle that Proposition 1 is based on the assumption that 2 firms are identical except for their capital structure which cannot command different market value and have different cost of capital. Modigliani and Miller do not accept the net income approach on the fact that two identical firms except for the degree of leverage, have different market values. Arbitrage process will take place to enable investors to engage in personal leverage to offset the corporate leverage and thus restoring equilibrium in the market. Criticism of the Modigliani and Miller hypothesis: On the basis of the arbitrage process, M-M conclude that the market value of firms are not affected by leverage but due to the existence of imperfections in the capital market, arbitrage may fail to work and may give rise to differences between the market values of levered and unlevered firms. The arbitrage process may fail to bring equilibrium in the capital market for the following reasons: Lending and borrowing rates differences: Based on the assumption that firms and individuals can borrow and lend at the same rate of interest does not hold good in practice. This is so because firms which hold a substantial amount of fixed assets will have a higher credit standing, thus they will be able to borrow at a lower rate of interest than individuals. Non-substitutability of personal and corporate leverages: It is incorrect to say that personal leverage and corporate leverage are perfect substitute because of the existence of limited liability a firms hold compare to the unlimited liability of individuals hold. For examples, if a levered firm goes bankrupt, all investors will lose the amount of the purchase price of the shares. But if an investor creates personal leverage, in the event of a unlevered firms insolvency, he would lose not only his principal in the shares but also be liable to return the amount of his personal loan. Transaction costs: Transaction cost interfere with the working of the arbitrage. Due to the cost involved in the buying and selling of securities, it is necessary to invest a larger amount in order to earn the same return. As a result , the levered firm will have a higher market value. Institutional restrictions: Personal leverage are not feasible as a number of investors would not be able to substitute personal leverage for corporate leverage and thus affecting the work of arbitrage process. Corporate taxation and personal taxation: M-M theory is also criticize for the reason that it ignores the corporate taxation and personal taxation. Retained earnings: It also ignores personal aspect of financing through retained earnings. In real world , corporate will not pay out the entire earnings in the form of dividends. Investors willingness: Investors will not show much interest in purchasing low rated issued by highly geared firms.

How the 13 Colonies Were Named :: American History, Informative

How the 13 Colonies Were Named   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first thirteen colonies were either named after people, Indian names or, places in England. The original states/colonies are, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Hampshire and New Jersey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The three states that are named specifically after Indian names are Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Puritans named Massachusetts, after a local Indian tribe whose name means â€Å"a large hill place.† Rhode Island was named after the Indian name for â€Å"Red Island.† It was officially called â€Å"The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations† in 1790. The third state named after and Indian name is Connecticut, which gets its name from and Algonquin word meaning â€Å"land on the long tidal river†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The eight colonies that are named after people in England are Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. Georgia was named in honor of England’s King George II. North and South Carolina were both named in honor of King Charles I. (Carolous is Latin for Charles). It is believed that Lord Baltimore who received a charter for what is now the land of Maryland, named the state after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. Delaware was named by the Delaware Indians (also known as lenni-lenape) after the person Lord de la Warr. The â€Å"Keystone State,† more commonly known as Pennsylvania was named by William Penn in honor of his father. William combined the name Penn and Latin term Sylvania, which means â€Å"woodlands† to come up with â€Å"Penn’s Woodlands.

Social learning perspective and its implications education essay

A critical geographic expedition of Banduras societal larning perspective and its deductions for larning in mainstream schoolroom for the persons who show disputing behavior.1.0 IntroductionAchieving effectual instruction and acquisition in mainstream scenes of students with disputing behavior remains a concern of professionals, research workers and pedagogues. The inquiry ; whether there should be a typical teaching method for aiming scholars with disputing behavior and or particular educational demands which had become a burning issue with the release of The Green Paper on particular educational demands ( SEN ) ( DfEE, 1997 ) every bit good as the Literacy Strategy and students with SEN guidelines ( DfEE, 1998 ) are declarative of the concern that run intoing the acquisition demands of all scholars in current educational scenes airss for learning and professional pattern since inclusion had began to specify the landscape of mainstream schoolroom ( Norwich & A ; Lewis, 2001 ) . This obviously reflects the altering political temper which aspire a more inclusive society. However, there is concern about the achievability of the rule that all kids and immature people are valued as persons, as reflected in the Government ‘s papers Removing Barrier to Achievement ( DfES, 2004 ) , through a common teaching method in mainstream manner. Thus the importance of teaching-learning attacks comes to the bow in finding effectual inclusive patterns particularly for aiming students with disputing behavior in mainstream schoolroom. An accessible scheme and attack to accomplish this has to run into the acquisition demands, and therefore specify the learner rightness of such attack required for the scholars who show disputing behavior in mainstream schoolroom. Bandura ( 1977 ) developed a position that approaches larning as non merely a merchandise of classical and operant conditioning but as being influenced by experimental acquisition. Harmonizing to Bandura ( 1986 ) experimental acquisition takes topographic point when the scholar learns from detecting the actions of a theoretical account and the effects of those actions taking to suppression or disinhibition of his ain action. What this implies for schoolroom pattern is that the scholar ‘s challenge has to be located functionally, appreciated and addressed within a model that contextually interface efficaciously, appropriate interactions between context, object and topic in a learning procedure. In critically measuring Bandura ‘s societal acquisition position and its deduction for larning in mainstream schoolroom for the persons with disputing behavior, this essay aims at researching the value of the societal acquisition position as an attack that can inform effectual inclusive pattern in aiming learner-specific demands in mainstream context. The demand to aim single scholar demands, and at one time achieve inclusive mainstream marks and aims obviates the undertaking that has to be undertaken for the group of scholars with certain conditions and damages that do put barriers to acquisition, necessitating adjustment to be made to accomplish same degree of larning as the normal scholar in order to guarantee that effectual acquisition takes topographic point across board. It is hence important that this essay suggests that within the flight of theories applicable to effectual acquisition, and within the context of mainstream schoolroom, Bandura ‘s societal larning po sition can be an indispensable constituent of any multi-modular intercession in aiming the acquisition demands of the persons with disputing behavior. Therefore, more than of all time before, instruction and the principle that supports the actions that instructors take encompass a broad scope of variables which basically involves larning. How is larning best identified, motivated, achieved, assessed and built upon for the scholar, are all inquiries that proceed with, and warrant the many and changing determinations that constitute instruction, possibly much more so, how it can best be approached in the mainstream schoolroom for the scholar with disputing behavior.1.1 Bandura ‘s Social Learning Perspective an overviewAlbert Bandura is a prima psychologist who had contributed vastly towards the development of many Fieldss of psychological science, and made an outstanding work with his societal acquisition theory. His societal acquisition theory is underpinned by his findings in researching the determiners and mechanisms of experimental larning through analysing the cardinal facets of human acquisition and the leaning of the scholar to pattern their ain behavior on the behavior of the ‘observed other. ‘ Harmonizing to Ormond ( 1999 ) , Social acquisition as a theory concerns with acquisition that occurs within a societal context. The foundational apprehension of the theory is based on the consideration that human existences learn from one another through experimental acquisition, imitation and modeling. Below is Ormond ‘s farther premises as respects to societal larning theory: Learning can happen through people detecting the behavior of others and the result of such behaviors Learning can happen without a alteration in behavior. What this suggests is that even though the Behaviorists had maintained that larning consequences in a lasting alteration in behavior, the societal acquisition position ‘s claim that larning can happen through observation entirely means that larning may non needfully be signified either in public presentation or represented by a alteration in behavior. Cognition is a basic key in larning. Social larning theory is grounded on the reading of human larning from the cognitive index. It suggests a nexus between behaviorist larning theories and cognitive theories. Bandura ‘s societal acquisition position besides suggests the premise that modeling is reinforced by the environment, for case where the theoretical account behavior leads to effects that reinforce it. It is apparent that the behaviors that people learn from others are sometimes ensuing in fulfilling or reenforcing experiences. Bandura ‘s Bobo doll experiment was used to exemplify how vicariously the behavior we learn from others can be reinforced whereby the theoretical account being copied reinforces for a response. The Bobo doll experiment shows a theoretical account kid hitting an hyperbolic doll – the Bobo doll. A group of students were shown the theoretical account being praised for hitting the doll. The consequence was that without being reinforced themselves, the students began to besides hit the Bobo doll. However, in modern-day times, accent on the societal acquisition position have tended to brood on support and penalty, angling more towards cognitive intercessions on acquisition and behavioral alteration. Contemporary attacks to societal larning perspective suggest that ; Support and penalty, even though are non the chief cause of acquisition, do hold an indirect effects on acquisition. Both support and punishment impact on the degree and extent of which the behavior learnt is exhibited by the scholar. And that the scholar ‘s expectancy of a signifier of support cognitively impacts on the procedures of acquisition.2.0 Social Learning and Cognitive proceduresBandura ‘s societal larning perspective implies a figure of cognitive factors ; whereby it proposes a differentiation to be made between larning by observation and larning through imitation of what has been learned. Learning by observation involves cognitive processing during the class of observation and paying attending, ( undertaking is cognitive ) , is critical to experimental acquisition. Likewise, cognitively Bandura ‘s thesis outlines the procedures of larning. Bandura considers factors of outlooks, mutual causing and modeling in the connexions that is being made between capable, object and context in the acquisition procedure.2.1 Behaviours and patterningInstrumentally, the societal acquisition position shows how we can understand behavior as a procedure of larning through modeling, at least in portion. The societal acquisition perspective sees behaviour as being influenced by patterning. In the schoolroom for illustration, students can larn through mathematical presentations. The Bobo doll points to the illustration that aggression for case can be learned through theoretical accounts. Besides, research had shown that kids who are exposed to aggressive theoretical accounts, for case parents who are aggressive or violent, go more aggressive themselves. Then once more, moral thought and behavior that are modelled from a sense of right or incorrect are to a great extent influenced and developed through modeling.3.0 The scholar with Challenging Behaviour and mainstream contextChallenging behavior had been described as that behavior which prevents the engagement of the scholar in appropriate actives and isolates the scholar from equals. It is seen as the behavior that affects the acquisition and operation of other people and that drastically reduces the scholar ‘s chances for full engagement in usual acquisition activities. The scholars with ambitious behaviors are ever doing inordinate demands on both staff resources and other larning support resources ( Harrris et. al. , 1993 ) . Harmonizing to McBrien & A ; Felce ( 1992 ) , disputing behavior can besides be seen as behavior which constitutes a challenge to other people given that it is hard to happen effectual manner of reacting to them. Challenging behaviour shown by the scholar does non intend he or she is in himself or herself the debatable, instead, it is the complex kineticss of interaction between the scholar, the scholar ‘s behavior and the leaner ‘s societal environment. Bandura in his work stated that â€Å" †¦ of the many cues that influence behavior, at any point in clip, none is more common than the actions of others † ( Bandura 1996 ) . The deduction of Bandura ‘s thesis for mainstreaming scholars with disputing behavior in the context of mainstream schoolroom is that the scholar requires a scaffold of equal modeling and contextual designs that blend the acquisition environment with the coveted influences. In sing the importance of teaching-learning attacks in his reappraisal, Wedell ( 2005 ) reported that late, authorities -funded research aimed at happening out if there are cardinal difference in particular demands and educational attacks in general, in the chief concluded, in line with the sentiment of Davis & A ; Florian ( 2004 ) , that the of import thing is to accomplish a teaching method that is inclusive of all scholars. However, effectual schoolroom instruction and acquisition is non merely dependant on the instructor ; his accomplishments, bringing techniques and environment, but every bit, on cognition of the scholar ‘s background and sound grasp of this background cognition by the instructor via resourceful channels. This will enable the instructor weigh what appropriate attacks can be good adopted to aim the learning demands of the varicolored nature of the scholars in mainstream scene including those who show disputing behavior. Inclusion which has become the mainst ream attack to learning and acquisition is a notable ideal. Yet, the trouble is with the quandary it presents as respects practically run intoing the acquisition demands of those cohort of scholars who present disputing behavior and at the same clip meet set mark and recognize common aims within a portfolio of inclusive mainstream schemes and patterns that will non sabotage the acquisition and operation of other scholars in mainstream schoolroom. It is acknowledged, ( ) that despite policy statements and sporadic advanced intercessions in inclusive patterns, mainstream schoolrooms are still fighting to catch up with run intoing the demands of the scholars with behavior challenges and aiming their demands through effectual acquisition attacks. Lewis and Norwich ( 1999 ) had in their work raised the inquiry of diverseness of larning demands in mainstream context. The statement is that larning attack ( Es ) that will fit the diverseness of larning demands in mainstream scenes with curricular outlooks across board are required. Therefore, Lewis and Norwich ( 1999 ) attempted a conceptualisation of diverseness of larning demands as applicable to mainstream scenes and typified three countries of demands as ; scholar alone needs or single demands exceeding demands or demands common merely to some group of scholars, and common needs or needs that cut across all scholars. A teaching method that responds generically to this broad scope of larning demands is advocated for aiming and suiting particular demands scholars including those with disputing behavior in mainstream schoolroom context ( Lewis & A ; Norwich, 1999 ) .4.0 Learning: context and concept – Bandura ‘s Social acquisition Perspective4.1 What is larning?There is no simple reply to the inquiry ; what is larning? Brackenbury ( 2008 ) noted that larning could be consequence of ; Maturation ( nature, heredity ) Experience ( raising, environment ) Cognitive procedures ( thought, intelligence, linguistic communication ) Socio-emotional procedures Interaction between biological, cognitive, societal factors, etc. Gredler ( 2001 ) sees larning as the procedure of acquisition of new accomplishments, cognition, attitudes and values with an result which manifests in the new capablenesss possessed by the scholar. Good and Brophy ( 1990 ) describes larning in footings of the lasting alteration in capacity for public presentation which is acquirable through experience. Learning has besides been approached from a scope of theoretical positions that tend to pattern schemes which enable an apprehension of the ends and outlooks for persons every bit good as groups involved in the acquisition procedure.4.2 Some Theoretical Positions of LearningThe followers are illustrations of theoretical positions outlined by Davis & A ; Florian, ( 2004 ) . Behavioural theoretical accounts ; focuses on what can be observed as larning results based on the rules of support theory in different larning contexts. It considers wholly behaviour as being learned in conformity with the regulations which determines it. Bandura ‘s societal larning perspective agrees with this theoretical account. Constructivists theoretical accounts ; the scholar is seen as active participant in the cognition seeking procedure by doing his or her experience responsive and relevant and acquiring intrinsic satisfaction through acquisition and work outing jobs. Social constructivism ; scholars active function in acquisition is placed within the context of his or her societal groups or community for case, equal forum, schoolroom, school, wherein cognition is reciprocally created through purposeful interactions and valued activities. It has to be good appreciated that a good apprehension of the workings of any one or a combination of these theoretical accounts is important in the instruction and acquisition procedure and possibly more so, in efficaciously using them to the context of the scholars with particular demands like those demoing ambitious behaviors. As observed in Wedell ( 2005 ) , the cardinal component sing rightness of instruction and acquisition attacks is the acknowledgment of the topographic point of the scholar as an active instead than a inactive participant. Therefore, for any learning theory to associate and react to the scholar as an active participant in the instruction and acquisition procedure, it has to take into awareness the inquiry of what determines larning, for who, at what phase, and in what fortunes in order non to besiege the shared and alone larning demands of the scholar, particularly within the wide scenes of inclusive mainstream schoolroom.4.3 Analyzing the societal acquisitio n positionIn an article written by Frank Pajares ( 1997 ) , the societal acquisition perspective draws accent on the influence of anticipations and self-efficacy on behavior and behavioral alteration. It considers patterning or experimental acquisition as analogue to reinforcement. New behavior, particularly behaviours in signifier of aggression, force as seen modelled by parents and in the media, which have had influence on the manner kids act, are being explained with this position. Equally, as a position to acquisition, the societal acquisition construct is critical of behaviorist, psychoanalytic and trait theories of behavior. The societal acquisition construct does non see support as necessary in larning given that it suggests people can larn through merely observation. In line with the construct, behavior can be modelled through anticipations and so maintained or terminated by its effects. The position explains behavioral jobs as being ensuing from low degrees of â€Å" self- efficacy. † Self-efficacy In line with the societal acquisition position, self-efficacy can be seen as assurance towards larning. The impression is that people normally would prosecute in behavior they are more certain of their capableness of put to deathing successfully. What this implies for larning is that the higher the degree of self-efficacy, the more confident the scholar is towards larning. Theoretically frame worked, self-efficacy therefore supports the acquisition procedure given that scholars with high ego efficaciousness would be given to accomplish more being confident performing artists. Many factors are considered to impact the scholar ‘s self-efficacy. Such factors as personal successes and failures, the successes and failures of others and signals or messages received from others like equals are seen as likely to impact self-efficacy. Frank Pajares ( 1997 ) Aboard self-efficacy is the impression of self-regulation, self-instruction, self-monitoring and self-reinforcement. Self-regulation which in societal acquisition construct go on when the person in consideration of his ain thoughts about the rightness or otherwise of certain behaviors chooses actions to accommodate his intent. The several facets of self-regulation include ; self-standards and ends, self observations, self opinion and self reaction. Self-regulation is considered as being an of import technique to larning given that it can be instrumental to self-reward where and when needed behavior is achieved. On the other manus, self-instruction is considered helpful in larning whereby the scholar takes self-instructions that steer his or her behaviour towards accomplishing a end. Self-monitoring and self-reinforcement Harmonizing to the societal acquisition position, the constructs of self-monitoring and self-reinforcement are critical to larning as they are the two ways the scholar can command his or her ain behavior. First the scholar can supervise and detect his or her behavior utilizing markers to foreground the high and low Markss in behavior. Then once more, the scholar can act upon his or her behavior by reenforcing himself or herself or by keep backing such support. However, the societal acquisition theory has been criticised for giving small significance to development, motive and struggle. Ormond ( 1999 )4.4 Assessment and Formulation of Social LearningThe appraisal of societal acquisition is done through affecting the scholars and inquiring them to do statement about their sensed degree of self-efficacy and outlooks and associated behaviors. The scholars ‘ statements of self-efficacy are therefore considered as predictive of their degrees of public presentation. For appraisal, com parings are so made of the efficaciousness outlooks that are obtained before and after intercession in order to observe whether there has been additions or lessenings in scholars ‘ self-efficacy. The societal acquisition perspective considers the scholars ‘ behavior challenges as end point from factors such as ; exposure to theoretical accounts exposing negative behavior, negative anticipations and negative self-conceptions, take downing degrees of self-efficacy or inefficaciousness, and negative self-evaluations. Anxiety in this context is explained as ensuing from perceived inefficaciousness, outlooks of non being able to get by with baleful state of affairss or people. Therefore, with addition in self-efficacy come assurance and less anxiousness and ability to get by with menaces from state of affairss and people. Normally, experience of low degrees of self-efficacy may be observed with scholars demoing behavior challenges. In practical footings, what this means for schoolroom larning context is that their feelings of inability to execute consequences in scoured assurance, and falling below desired behavior. This frustrating self-doubt leads such scholars to reason that they may be missing in the necessary resources or accomplishments required to accomplish desirable public presentation. It is hence the purpose of societal larning intercessions to convey to the larning context an addition in the scholars ‘ self-efficacy ; assurance and ability to aim and run into the coveted ends. And it is through intercessions patterning, self-instructional statements, self-reinforcement, etc that self-efficacy can be changed.5.0 Social larning perspective and Classroom InterventionsIncreasingly, researches had informed the sentiment that successful schoolroom public presentation may depend, in portion , on effectual acquisition attacks, and that a acquisition trouble is non merely a fixed feature of the scholar, but partially determined by the acquisition context ( Frederickson and Cline, 2006 ) . The societal acquisition intercession aims at incorporating topic, object and context to accomplish addition in the scholars ‘ ; both developments in the cognitive and behavioral competences. Its two chief tools of intercessions are using modeling and altering perceived self-efficacy of the scholar.5.1 ModelingModelling is applied to enable the scholar inhibit or disinhibit public presentation and to ease public presentation as desired in term of appropriate or inappropriate. Through observation of appropriate theoretical accounts, scholars can be cued to larn to want accomplishments and behaviors. By following theoretical accounts that can convey the right messages of success and show a sequence of appropriate actions. Learners can larn both through cognitive modeling and or by d irect instructions. However, the instructor will be required to verbalize their problem-solving processs for the scholar to larn by cognitive modeling. As an intercession scheme, modeling is characterized by the undermentioned cues: Progressive phases ( it is structured measure by measure ) Feedbacks ( feedbacks are basically incorporated ) Clarity ( it has to be shown clearly and be easy understood ) Consistency ( the scholar rehearses his behavior until satisfactory degrees of competency are reached ) The instructor stands significantly as a theoretical account for the scholar. The instructor can bring on consistence by showing the desirable theoretical account behavior to the scholars to enable the scholars imitate the needed behavior until a satisfactory degree of competency is achieved. Feedback remarks from the instructor are besides necessary to carry through the learning procedure of patterning every bit much as supports of the attempts the scholar is doing, and promoting the scholar to utilize positive self-statements in order to accomplish a high motive for the acquisition undertaking. Peer modeling is every bit of import as a cardinal tool and effectual manner of behavioral modeling in larning. When scholars observe their equals get the hanging jobs they tend to pattern them if they are symbolically represented as successful. This goes to state hence that theoretical accounts that can efficaciously be an influence on equals should hold the features of being presented as r ealistic, conveying trust, be converting and earn sufficient repute amongst other equals.5.1.1 Conditionss required for ModelingBandura ( 1977 ) recognized that certain conditions are prerequisite for effectual modeling. These conditions are considered necessary because they have to be present before a scholar can successfully pattern the behavior of another – the theoretical account. These four conditions as outlined by Bandura include ( Ormond 1999 ) : Attention: attending to the theoretical account is required from the scholar. This presuppose, possibly that the theoretical account has to keep some considerable involvement for the scholar. Attention plays a critical function in larning and is frequently influenced by the outlook of support. Retention: the scholar has to be able to do clear observation and be able to remember and retrieve the behavior which has been modelled. Using dry run as a technique of increasing ability of keeping of observations can be encouraged. Motor reproduction: thirdly is the ability of the scholar to perchance retroflex the modelled behavior. However, the scholar ‘s developmental degree has to be matched with the complex nature of any undertaking for effectual modeling to happen. Motivation: it is necessary that the scholar has to be sufficiently motivated for effectual modeling to happen. There has to be sufficient evidences for the scholar to use his erudite undertaking. Learners have to hold application for showing what they have learnt. Even though these are predisposing factors or conditions for effectual modeling, it has to be noted that these conditions varies among single scholars and hence predicate same behavior albeit with fluctuations in bring forthing such coveted behavior.5.1.2 The impact of Modeling on behaviorModeling can impacts behaviour in many ways. Through modeling, new behaviors are learnt and antecedently learned behaviors are reinforced and increased in frequence of happening. Modeling can besides be used as a larning tool to deter or promote antecedently prohibited behavior, every bit good that undertaking are non set or required that are beyond the leaner ‘s ability, and or developmental capacity to get by. Encouraging self-reg ulation techniques that can supply an effectual method for bettering the scholar ‘s behavior is necessary to accomplish a good degree of assurance in keeping the coveted behavioral mark. The outlook of support influences cognitive procedures that promote larning. As a consequence of being reinforced, people form outlooks about the effects that future behaviors are likely to convey. The scholar needs to be cognizant of the appropriate response and support that can convey approximately assurance and increase self-efficacy. The instructor can therefore promote the publicity of such self-efficacy by constructing a channel for the scholars to have assurance lifting messages and props through detecting others successes and being active in sing success on their ain advancement.6.0 Evaluation in societal acquisition positionEvaluation from this perspective chiefly involves placing and entering alterations in sensed self-efficacy following intercession, i.e. from lower to higher degree s of efficaciousness, sufficient to convey about important behavioral alteration. The effectivity of experimental acquisition and modeling can besides be evaluated. Changes in self-efficacy should be important adequate for scholars to experience that they have achieved a sense of personal control and competency. As a consequence they should now be able to get and use get bying accomplishments with regard to job behavior.7.0 Educational deductions of Social Learning PerspectiveIn schoolroom scenes, the societal acquisition attack can impact on larning in many ways. A sum-up of the deductions of the societal acquisition position for the scholar are given below ; Learners frequently learn through detecting other people Clear differentiation between behaviors and their effects can efficaciously ensue to increase in coveted behavior from the leaner and lessenings in the unwanted behavior. In the schoolroom, affecting the scholars in treatment on the wagess for and effects of coveted and the unwanted behaviors can be used to ease the acquisition procedure. Through modeling can be an effectual option to defining by supplying a quicker and more easy antiphonal agencies for learning new behavior. However, to accomplish effectual larning through modeling, the four indispensable conditions must be ; attending, keeping, motor reproduction, and motive.8.0 DecisionBandura ‘s societal acquisition position has application for larning in mainstream schoolroom for the persons with disputing behavior. Although a discrepancy of the traditional behaviorist position on acquisition and development, it furthered the pertinence of the rules of conditioning and support elaborated earlier by Skinner, conveying a more contextual attack to acquisition by observation and imitation. Bandura ‘s societal larning perspective nowadayss a thesis that demonstrates that patterning is the footing of the development of a broad spectrum of behavior in kids. What implications this thesis has for larning is that the scholar can larn accomplishments and behavior merely by watching and listening to others around them. Then once more, that through the bureau of patterning the scholar can larn to larn or unlearn new and old behavior severally. Therefore, in sing the acquisition intercessions appropriate for the scholars in inclusive mainstream schoolroom, patterning can be an appropriate attack to a learning procedure designed to aim their acquisition demands. Bandura ‘s societal larning perspective possibly, might be an indispensible constituent of intercessions in aiming the acquisition demands of this group of scholars if inclusive rules are to be achieved and all scholars every bit supported in this context.

Environmental Impact Upon Health Essay

We humans have captured the environment to make our lives beautiful but through our activities and materialistic pursuits, we have made environment the biggest enemy of our health. We have ourself created an environment which has given us all leisures of life but on the other hand we have dug the walls of unhealthy livings also in it. In 1997, Department of Health Canada passed a report which stated: â€Å"The built environment is part of the overall ecosystem of our earth. It encompasses all of the buildings, spaces and products that are created, or at least significantly modified, by people. It includes our homes, schools and workplaces, parks, business areas and roads. It extends overhead in the form of electric transmission lines, underground in the form of waste disposal sites and subway trains and across the country in the form of highways. † (Hancock, 2000) In the contemporary society of today, built environment is the most crucial aspect of our lives. All over the world, more than 85 per cent of people are living in urban dewllings and 80 per cent of Europe and North America have urban population. These urban settlements are creating an adverse impact on the natural environment. They are using maximum amount of the world’s resources and in return are producing maximum waste from them. Even leRiche and Milner (1971) explained in â€Å"Epidemiology as Medical Ecology,† â€Å"One of the most striking changes in the ecology of man has been the growth of cities. † (Hancock, 2000) The WHO Expert Committee on Environmental Health in Urban Development (WHO, 1991) pointed that: In some respects, urbanization can itself be considered to be a key variable in the health equation: when the pollution produced by a densely packed population outstrips the natural absorptive capacity of the city’s ecosystem, adverse health effects can be increased where controls are lacking or unreliable. † (Hancock, 2000) Urban civilization cannot be termed as a natural ecosystem as it is completely built by humans encompassing almost whole globe in its vicinity and destroying the very concept of being â€Å"Natural†. It is a complex human ecosystem which constitutes both physical environment created by humans and the social, economic, cultural and political environments in which the humans survive. In North America itself, human beings spend around 90 percent of their time inside the four confines of their doors, another 5 per cent in their cars and remaining just 5 per cent outside. And outside too, they are spending maximum time in the vicinity of the built urban environment. It is a general trend of humans to consider the poor diet or just lack of exercise as an excuse for their bad health but they hardly consider the ill effect of the built environment with the housing characteristics, patterns in land use, transportation etc. It is evidently proved without doubt that when these different modes of our living standards are not created keeping the ecological balance into consideration, the ecosystem collapses (Jackson & Kochtitzky, Online Edition) which deteriorates our health causing stress, chronic diseases etc. The haphazard urban development leads to the climate and atmospheric changes, pollution and ecotoxicity, resource depletion and reduced habitat and bio- diversity. (Hancock and Davies, 1997) The subject that encompasses the link between these human endeavors and the public health is known as human ecology. This human ecology can provide integrative, holistic and radical perspective on health issues. (Hancock, 2000) Catalano in 1979 propounded that there is an utmost need that the health issues must take into consideration economic and social processes which shapes community, so as to prevent any spread of diseases. Hancock, 2000) The metapopulation theory gives an enduring account of urban ecosystems and the human aspect of the study of the urban systems can be done by the â€Å"human ecosystem model,† which deals with the social components which are the part of the human system and its connections to ecology. (Niemela, 1999) The Mandala of Health is a model, which establishes the relationship between the natural sciences and the social sciences and gives suggestion at every level of human activity corresponding to its environment. Hancock & Perkins, 1985) Another model, which has incorporated the most important characteristic of ecosystem, is a Butterfly Model of Health. In this model, health is related to societal, economical goals and patterns and biological resources for self-renewal. This model states that number of biophysical and socioeconomic holarchic environments represented by wings, which exert an influence on the health of any individual or whole population. There are number of biological and behavioral filters that engulf the human beings. The nature, people and these factors affect each other. People are considered as healthy when the two wings of the butterfly are in equitable balance within their own dimenisons. In other words, when the biological and other factors maintain equilibrium in nature, it will lead to the healthy individuals. (VanLeeuwen, Toews, Abernathy & Smit, 1999) Overall we can say that the health of the human beings is dependent on the health of the natural ecosystems and the planet. Therefore it is utmost necessary to keep the urban ecosystems healthy keeping in mind both its physical and social dimensions such as health of the population with regard to the mental well being, the social well being of the urban community with regard to their social and cultural aspects, the quality of different components that make the built environment, the quality of the environment in the vicinity of the urban sphere like clean air, clean water, soil, prevention of noise pollution and the urban ecosystem on the overall ecosystem of planet. Indicators of Population Health at the Community Level formulated a model known as the Healthy Community model. (Hancock, 2000) This model reflects on the environmental, social, economic, cultural and political factors that lead to the health of urban populations. There are three main parts, which make up the healthy community model. These are community, environment and economy, which in turn possess three qualities like livability, viability and sustainability. These qualities are related to our living styles and we humans have to make the best use of the available resources to maintain these qualities for our healthy lives. For e. g. Traffic causes respiratory problems because it causes air pollution and noise pollution. This healthy community model provides answer to the best way possible to control traffic. The theories and models show how we can maintain and improve human and ecosystem health, which will require changes in the way the urban settlements are planned, designed and worked upon. Canadian Public Health Association Taskforce on Human and Ecosystem Health in 1992 said in a report: â€Å"Human development and the achievement of human potential requires a form of economic activity that is environmentally and socially sustainable in this and future generations. † (Hancock, 2000) We cannot change the urban settlements but we can sort out ways by which we can reduce the pollution, and make our environment the most beautiful and healthy place to live in.

History of Velqinian Space Program Essay

History of Velqinian Space Program Essay History of Velqinian Space Program Essay History of Velqinian Space Program VSP The Velqinian space program started in 1995 during which our president William Lyte proclaimed that we must be the first and foremost country to discover and venture out into the unknown. Today because of his legacy the VSP is one of the most advanced space programs on Vegas. So far three Velqinian space ships have been launched from Ground Zero. All have been successful and have long outlived their expected age. Now let us go into detail about these three daring space missions. The first mission that was launched by the VSP was the Discovery Space Cruiser which led three men Andrew Jones, Jonathan Brown, And Tyler Smith to the moon. This ship still even today orbits the moon. These three men were the first Velqunians on the moon and put up our flag and claimed part of it for us. One other purpose of the Discovery was to study the sun and our closest neighbor __________. The discovery gave us revolutiona ry pictures of the sun in many different styles. It also helped us gain an extraordinary of knowledge about our neighbor _____________. Now let us go into detail about the design of Discovery. The first blueprint was made by Brady Frey who is now a senior scientist at VSP. It was designed like a cylinder with a tip, and a small rectangular prism on the side which once in space expands into a communications and radar array. It was also equipped with a very large docking and refueling hangar we hoped to use to help future missions with. Its last modification was a very large refracting telescope to study our solar system and the stars. It uses Anti-Matter propulsion technology for fuel. The second mission was the Survivor Space Cruiser. Unlike the discovery Survivor was not manned. It was sent out to the Outer Asteroid Belt and into the Thrite Cloud. On its way there it made some basic observances of _______, _________, and _____________. It has now just gone past the outer asteroid f ield and entered the Thrite Cloud which is full of comets and other small planetismals. It has gathered us a hoard of knowledge about the outer asteroid field and we expect the same with the Thrite Cloud. The survivor is a lot like the discovery I design it has a communications and radar array, and it has a large telescope and lots of cameras attached to it. It also uses Anti-Matter propulsion technology, but lacks a hangar. One unique thing about the Survivor is that it has an Anti-Matter force field around it to protect it from planetismals. Our third

John Jay essays

John Jay essays Jay was born on December 12, 1745 to one of New York's most influential families. Self-confident, he was marked from the beginning as a person of uncommon intellectual ability. He graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) in 1764 and was admitted to the New York bar four years later. In 1773, as secretary of the Royal Mixed Commission, Jay observed the settlement of a boundary dispute between New Jersey and New York through arbitration. The success of the arbitration technique evidently made a lasting impression on him. Twenty-one years later, he recommended arbitration as a way of resolving differences between the United States and Great Britain. Jay's active involvement in the First Continental Congress ended his private law practice and drew him into full-time public service. Afraid of unleashing the prejudices of the masses, Jay opposed independence, but once the decision was made, he loyally supported the American Revolution. After helping to draft New York's new constitution and serving for a few months as the state of New York's first chief justice, Jay was elected president of the Second Continental Congress on December 10, 1778. Jay served as minister to Spain from 1780 to 1782, then joined in the peace talks in Paris. His insistence that the American commissioners be regarded as representatives of the United States, not of the "Colonies," delayed the negotiations and may have cost the United States possession of Canada, which the British might have been willing to surrender in exchange for an early end to the war. Jay also shared responsibility with John Adams for suing for peace without consultation with France. After the treaty ending the war (the Treaty of Paris) was signed in September 1783, Jay returned to New York. Jay had planned to resume his private law practice on his return. Instead, the Continental Congress, in his absence abroad, had elected him secretary of foreign affairs. The position ...

How to Get Your CDL in Kentucky and North Dakota

How to Get Your CDL in Kentucky and North Dakota This article is useful for anyone who wants to apply for a CDL in Kentucky or North Dakota. If you want to learn about getting a CDL in other states, please refer to this comprehensive guide on getting a CDL in all states. KentuckyThe following drivers must obtain a CDL:Class A CDLAny combination of vehicles with a GCWR (the loaded weight of a combination vehicle) of 26,001+ pounds, provided the GVWR(the loaded weight of a single vehicle)  of the vehicle(s) being towed is 10,000+ pounds.Class B CDLAny single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ poundsAny vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ pounds pulling a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.A single vehicle designed to transport 16+ passengers (including the driver), if the GVWR is 26,001+ pounds or more.Class C CDLAny vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is requiredAny vehicle transporting 16+ passengers, including the driver, with a GVWR of less than 26,001 poundsA CD L cannot be issued until an applicant provides:A copy of the CDL applicationA legible copy of both front and back of a  DOT medical cardA CDL Self Certification form certifying the desired vehicle  type.The above information must be forwarded to the Division of Driver Licensing and posted to the driver’s CDLIS record prior to applying for issuance of a CDL/CLP at the circuit court clerk’s office.All applicants must then pass a knowledge test (written or oral) and a vision test.Knowledge TestApplicants must take an exam testing basic knowledge of the vehicle or vehicles they will operate. A score of 80% is required to pass.After passing, a CDL instruction permit will then be issued which is valid for six months. The permit must be held for 14 days prior to a skills test being administered.Skills/Road TestDrivers will be required to take this test in the class of vehicle they intend to drive. The test includes a pre-trip inspection, basic control skills maneuvering, and road skills driving tests. The applicant will be required to provide a vehicle for testing and must be accompanied by   a licensed driver for that vehicle.North DakotaThe following drivers must obtain a CDL:Class A CDLAny combination of vehicles with a GCWR (the loaded weight of a combination vehicle) of 26,001+ pounds, provided the GVWR(the loaded weight of a single vehicle)  of the vehicle(s) being towed is 10,000+ pounds.Class B CDLAny single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ poundsAny vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001+ pounds pulling a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.Class C CDLAny vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is requiredAny vehicle transporting 16+ passengers, including the driver, with a GVWR of less than 26,001 poundsCDL RequirementsYou must:Be 21 years old to cross state linesBe 18-20 years old to apply for an intra-state CDLBe 16 years old to  test for a CDL restricted to custom harvesti ng operations onlyRead, write and speak English.Meet all Federal Medical Requirements in 49 CFR 391Once you meet all requirements, you must pass the required knowledge test(s) for the CDL Class you seek  and purchase a  Commercial Learners Permit (CLP). Before testing, you must  present your:Current North Dakota Driver LicenseProof of legal presenceProof of residence addressProof of passing an eye examinationFinally, you must demonstrate your ability to operate your desired vehicle by passing a road test. A road test cannot be scheduled without a valid CLP.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resource Management - Essay Example According to the research findings the success of any organization depends on its human resource. Motivated human resource would strive to meet the goals of the organization while demoralized employees would conduct their duties in a clumsy manner. Every organization has to be sensitive to the human resource department because it is the motor engine of an organization. When human resource of an organization fails, the success of the organization is at stake. This means that the department must work in conjunction with other departments to realize the set goals and objectives. Developing appropriate policies in an organization motivates and provides an opportunity for employees of an organization to gain promotion. Australian company ninemsn provide a wide range of services to its clients in media practice. The company offers the following services to its customers, publishing of Magazine and TV brands, MSN online services, news Websites; Web based email services, entertainment among others. It also offers information in many fields such as health, business, lifestyle, shopping and travel among others. The company products attract large number of customers thereby influencing the number of workers that the company has to employ in order to meet the need of its customers. The labor force of the company includes IT technicians, sales executives, accountants, customer care executives, directors among others. Such labor force requires comprehensive human resource planning and management in order for the company to meet its goals. Scope ninemsn Company offers media services in Australia and beyond. This report focuses on human resource department of the organization. Methodology This report intends extracts company information from company website, on line information and newspapers. The aim is to identify internal human

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

The Dreaming - Essay Example It defines their values, beliefs and relationships. Knowledge of the Dreaming has promoted the development of the land. The aboriginals have many dreaming stories, which describe their own origins and how the landscape was formed. They also serve to teach children about various things, such as the world of nature and spirit, right and wrong behaviour, and social norms. As such, they are not merely stories, but expressions of their belief system that once also involved ritual and totemic associations (Tunbridge, 1988). In fact, they describe the history of the people, which was rich in culture and oral literature. Behavioural lessons include examples for demonstrating the importance of good manners, sharing, honesty, respect for elders, etc. The American ethnographer, Deborah Bird Rose, observed, â€Å"the inherent ethos of the Dreaming regarding human behaviour can be summarised as four basic laws †¦ [which] emphasise balance, response, symmetry and autonomy† (McBride, 20 00: 4). Balance is necessary for a system to be able to enhance the quality of life, and each part shares responsibility for sustaining itself and for balancing the others. Response emphasises the reciprocity of communication, and it reminds of the obligation to learn, understand, pay attention and respond. Symmetry ensures the parts in a balance are equivalent and that no one dominates another. Autonomy stresses, â€Å"authority and dependence are necessary within parts, but not between parts (Rose, 1993: 4-5 in McBride, 2000: 5), so no species, group or country should lead over another. A number of further important aspects of The Dreaming also deserve attention. One of these is that it assumes a considerable knowledge on the part of listeners. In particular, â€Å"there are allusions which can only be understood by those with comprehensive linguistic and cultural knowledge† (Tunbridge, 1988: xxx). Even an outsider who is culturally immersed would find some points difficul t to grasp, and some would only be able to be understood by the initiated. However, this shows the need to study a narrative within the context of its roots. Another aspect is change and ‘death’, which are dynamic qualities. For example, there are some accounts of the substitution of species, some site locations become lost due to changes in the social environment, and the accounts too sometimes change as they do in space. The latter demonstrates the need for adaptation due to both physical and social changes. As far as the characters in The Dreaming are concerned, the spirits (nguthuna) feature a lot besides people (yuras), animals, etc. They can assume a variety of forms including mammals and birds, but they have human powers and more besides. They also appear in various social relationships. Sometimes they appear as first stage initiates (vardnapas), sometimes with adult responsibilities, whereas sometimes they are punished for unacceptable behaviour. The Dreaming al so leaves behind certain ‘signs’ as evidence of the reality of events. These indicate the spiritual ancestors’ presence or passing. Sometimes a character could even leave multiple images behind during an event, which are different manifestations. These include marks such as in the form of rock carvings. All of these provide evidence that a Dreamtime Spirit has passed through the place and that the places â€Å"

Philosophy Principles of sound reasoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy Principles of sound reasoning - Essay Example The principle of non-contradiction is a principle that is applicable in philosophical reasoning: It asserts that it is not correct to posit that something is correct while at the same time claiming it is correct. The discussion will attempt to explicate whether some of the commonly used tautologies are contradictory in nature. Additionally, it will explore on whether some tautologies are logically equivalent as well as provision of insights whether some contradictions are contingent. Moreover, the discussion will focus on elaboration of some contingents and determine whether they are logically equivalent in nature. The corpus of logically equivalent tautologies entails a scenario where two different forms of statements have similar truth. On the other hand, the concept of tautology exists in compound statements that are usually true in nature no matter what circumstance it is presented. It is a fact that some tautologies are logically equivalent. It is a fact that some tautologies are usually logically equivalent. For example; this can be presented in the Venn diagram below: The Venn diagram below indicates a scenario where A represents animals with mammary glands and B represents all mammals. The point of intersection represents A&B; meaning A can be B and B can be A. In this regard the first premise indicating that all mammals have mammary glands, which is valid. The second statement is also valid indicating that any animal with mammary glands are mammals. In philosophical dimensions, the aspect of contingency alludes to statements that seem possible untrue or even true when exposed to possible valuation. When a contingency is proposed it may not be necessarily false or to some extent necessarily true. Contradictions are usually true statements that exhibit true nature or could be true in regard to the facet of communication. In this regard, all contradictions may be viewed and contingent in nature.

Read Abigail Solomon-Godeau's essay on Gauguin and answer the Assignment

Read Abigail Solomon-Godeau's essay on Gauguin and answer the questions - Assignment Example This lead to oppression. Gauguin escaped European civilization and technology and took refuge in Tahiti. This action made him live a simple and natural lifestyle. His desire for sexual freedom was manifested in his paintings. He viewed Tahiti as the earthly arcadia of love, naked nymphs and gentle climate to mark it all. He also extended the academic pastoral to include all other non-European models. He believed in celebrating the society of his adoption against colonialism (Solomon-Godeau, 127). What undermined him as primitive is that he took adolescent mistresses as young as fifteen years. He also saw sexual freedom from the male point of view. It concludes that elements of primitivism involves interweave of race, sexual fantasies and power (Solomon-Godeau 130). In the end, he victimized the Tahitians because he regarded them as

Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Banking - Essay Example Mark Angelo, to repay the debt as well as his net asset value, in addition to the assets which Mr. Mark Angelo can offer to the bank as security against the debt . Financial Statement Analysis The financial statement analysis of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd for the present and the past year reveals the following ratios. The examination of the short-term liquidity of an organization can be accomplished through the current ratio, quick ratio and the cash ratio of the organization. The current ratio signifies the organization’s capability to meet its current liabilities and obligations comfortably. The quick ratio exhibits the capacity to meet the urgent liabilities. The cash ratio is beneficial for creditors to determine how quickly the organization can pay off its short-term debt . In this context, it can be observed that the company’s liquidity position had improved from that of the previous year, but it would be preferable if Mark Equipment Pty Ltd could increase the percentage of their current assets. The solvency of an organization can be evaluated through the debt to equity ratio. The debt to equity ratio signifies the amount of assets that were financed by debt relative to the amount financed by equity . Thus, Mark Equipment Pty Ltd had utilized comparatively lesser amount to debt to finance its assets and is less financially leveraged. The profitability of the company as indicated by the net profit margin and the return of equity as well as that on assets is very low. Therefore, it can be inferred that the company had not utilized its assets and equity proficiently4. In contrast the gross profit margin of the company is very high, implying that the company’s operating expenses are elevated. The fixed asset turnover ratio of the company indicates that it generates fairly decent value of revenue per unit currency of its fixed assets5. However, the total asset and the equity turnover ratios of the company are relatively low and have also decreased from the previous year. Consequently, the financial analysis reveals that though the company possesses decen t values of revenue as well as gross profit and

Exploring Community Health Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Exploring Community Health Nursing - Assignment Example On the other hand, the concept of health is broadly defines as a state of well being that results from the harmonious interactions of the body, soul and the mind. Therefore the term community health is defined by meeting the particular needs and wants of a community by identifying the problems they face and managing the interactions within the community (Cradduck, 2000). The community health nurses are generally primary health care providers in various places often working in an expanded role in conjunction with other medical care professionals. In addition to homecare, public and community health care service, community health nurses provide treatment and emergency care services, x-rays and crisis management within the community. Their main purpose is to provide community health promotion services in a specific community in accordance with the philosophy and objectives of the authority and to promote the prevention of diseases, maintain health and the overall health as well as wellb eing of the community. This paper therefore seeks to have an insight on the nature, scope and role of community health nursing, and an analysis of the impact of Public Health Care and the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards. Community health nurses play a pivotal role in the community as far as health provision is concerned. They may extend these services to within the health centre, schools, community halls or in patient homes, especially the elderly and are intended to provide a healthy way of living whilst reducing the incidences of death and diseases significantly. Community health nursing services may be provided either on an individual basis or a multi disciplinary team. Mostly they work in cross boundary teams to effectively provide sufficient health care to the society. They work with individuals, families, populations, groups, systems and/or society, with the focus being the health of a person or community and from which motivations nursing actions flow. The nursing standards of practice are applied in different settings where people work, live, play, learn and even worship (Warren et al, 2012). This involves working with a diverse array of people who have different backgrounds. For example, they may work with children (infants, school age and adolescents), children with long term disabilities, families, pregnant women, elderly people whose health is deteriorating, individuals with chronic diseases, disadvantages individuals or groups as well as community organizations such as schools, churches and social services agencies. Community health nurses therefore need to have a broad perspective of the roles they play within the community as regards health provision and promotion. In order to perform their tasks in the most professional way CHN need to posses some characteristics and attributes that are useful especially in the field. These attributes assist the nurses to identify and manage any health hazards while containing problems that are exis tent. Therefore they need to be very flexible and be highly adaptable to the different environments. This is because the environments keep changing as well as the pandemics that strike. This calls for nurses with physical and emotional stamina, good communication skills, problem solving skills as well as critical thinking abilities (Goottschalk, 2000). Another characteristic that is crucial is the ability to motivate as well as supervise

Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Banking - Essay Example Mark Angelo, to repay the debt as well as his net asset value, in addition to the assets which Mr. Mark Angelo can offer to the bank as security against the debt . Financial Statement Analysis The financial statement analysis of Mark Equipment Pty Ltd for the present and the past year reveals the following ratios. The examination of the short-term liquidity of an organization can be accomplished through the current ratio, quick ratio and the cash ratio of the organization. The current ratio signifies the organization’s capability to meet its current liabilities and obligations comfortably. The quick ratio exhibits the capacity to meet the urgent liabilities. The cash ratio is beneficial for creditors to determine how quickly the organization can pay off its short-term debt . In this context, it can be observed that the company’s liquidity position had improved from that of the previous year, but it would be preferable if Mark Equipment Pty Ltd could increase the percentage of their current assets. The solvency of an organization can be evaluated through the debt to equity ratio. The debt to equity ratio signifies the amount of assets that were financed by debt relative to the amount financed by equity . Thus, Mark Equipment Pty Ltd had utilized comparatively lesser amount to debt to finance its assets and is less financially leveraged. The profitability of the company as indicated by the net profit margin and the return of equity as well as that on assets is very low. Therefore, it can be inferred that the company had not utilized its assets and equity proficiently4. In contrast the gross profit margin of the company is very high, implying that the company’s operating expenses are elevated. The fixed asset turnover ratio of the company indicates that it generates fairly decent value of revenue per unit currency of its fixed assets5. However, the total asset and the equity turnover ratios of the company are relatively low and have also decreased from the previous year. Consequently, the financial analysis reveals that though the company possesses decen t values of revenue as well as gross profit and

Military rape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Military rape - Essay Example However, today female soldiers working in the US military are also extremely vulnerable to sexual molestations mostly by their male counterparts (Whitten, 1999). As a result of the increasing rate of the military rape, today young people, particularly female candidates are reluctant to join the army (Nantais & Lee, 1999). This paper will specifically discuss the intensity of military rape in the US with particular reference given to various elements of sexual behavior. This will also discuss four different theories like the feminist theory, the cultural pathology theory, the strategic rape theory, and the biosocial theory in order to identify the root causes of military rape. Background Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment that occur during military service are generally termed as Military Sexual Trauma (MST) by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). The term ‘wartime rape’ indicates mass wartime rape rather than isolated examples of rape by individual soldiers . Admittedly, there are no reliable statistical data on wartime rape due to pressures from superior officers and the reluctance of victims to come forward. Reports indicates that increases in the frequency of wartime rape might range from an estimated 300% to 400% by the end of the World War II (Gottschall, 2004). While analyzing the available statistics relating to the number of cases reported, it seems that military rape has been becoming a mounting challenge to the US army. According to some estimates, more than half a million people have been raped while serving the US army; and nearly 100,000 cases of military rape have been occurred within the past seven years (Koss, 2004). Although both men and women in the military are exposed to sexual harassments, women are the major victims of unwanted sexual behaviors. To illustrate, a 1996 Department of Defense survey conducted on 90,000 active duty members (including men and women) revealed that 55 percent women reported unwanted uninv ited sexual attention or behaviors whereas the same was reported by only 14 percent men; and the survey also indicated that 78 percent women and 38 percent men experienced one or another form of sexual harassment or sexual assault (Koss, 2004). Unfortunately, many of these cases go unreported due to various reasons, and a significant percent of the reported cases fail to go to full trial or investigations. A recently published report indicates that â€Å"only 3 to 4 percent of cases reported to the Army Criminal Investigation Division proceed all the way through the system to court martial† (Koss, 2004). Evidently, this situation points to the sexual behaviors of military personnel which can increase the rate of military rape. A Detailed Study As discussed already, the incidence of military rape has been significantly increasing over the last decade. Many of the female soldiers who took part in the Iraq war reported that they were raped by their male counterparts. Some studie s point out the possibility that one out of every four women that serve the military will have to face some form of sexual assault within the time span of their careers (Kitfield, 2012). (Details of this citation not found in the proposal you sent. So not included in the reference list). According to Pentagon reports, over 19,000 sexual assaults occur in the US military annually and this data include the cases of both the genders.

Geographic Information System (GIS) Benefits and Constraints

Geographic Information System (GIS) Benefits and Constraints Benefits and Constraints of Using Geographic Information System (GIS) 1. Introduction 1.1 Research Background This is no more evident than in the proliferation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) across a variety of disciplines, with the common goal of capturing, storing, analysing and visualizing spatial information. GIS in practice, by virtue of its technical complexity and cost, has traditionally been limited to the operations of Governments and commercial organisations (Craig et al., 2002). Despite these barriers non-profit organisations and community groups are increasingly looking to adopt GIS on the premise that it will be able to positively transform their operations through better decision making and influencing public policy through greater analysis and the presentation of professional visualisations (Sieber, 2000b, Sieber, 2000a). Given this burgeoning interest, there has been a concerted effort by GIS and Society (GISoc) research groups to develop and espouse concepts such as Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) which provides a unique approach to make GIS and spatial data availa ble to non-traditional users allowing them to integrate local knowledge and engage in decision making (Sieber, 2006). 1.2 Research Objectives The focus of this research project is to investigate the benefits and constraints for the application of a Geographic Information System (GIS) within a community based project. Specifically the research considers a reframing of PPGIS to help better guide the processes, resources and characteristics required to implement a community based GIS. The following questions will guide the research and development of the community-based GIS: Do contemporary PPGIS pragmatic approaches address the original ontological debates of GIS and Society? Can psychogeographic principles help better guide the requirements for a community based GIS? What spatial data sets are available and usable for community groups within Melbourne, Victoria? Do available datasets satisfy the requirements of community groups? Can community knowledge be effectively integrated with traditional spatial data sources? 1.3 Research Rationale As people become more aware of local, regional and global issues through the mainstream media and the Internet they, as a result, expect to be better informed by Governments and organisations and allowed to contribute to decisions that shape their own lives and the society in which they live. If those issues comprise spatial knowledge, then a GIS is a natural option for facilitating discussions and conveying local knowledge (Carver, 2003). Despite this opportunity to empower communities many GIS practices (including PPGIS) and available spatial data often do not adequately represent community needs and concerns (Elwood, 2006). This research thus aims to explore and develop a framework for which current GIS and related technologies can be successfully reconstructed to allow communities to express their own knowledge about place and spatial relations through visualizations and narratives. Specifically, the proposed research has been designed to assist the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary (BLS) Advisory Committee to implement a GIS which will be enable them to store and map the location of various vegetation and salient features within the BLS in Melbourne, Victoria. By integrating publicly available data sets with community knowledge it is hoped that it will further legitimise the activities of the BLS Advisory Committee while not compromising their goal of contributing to local government policy and increasing the effectiveness of their activities. 1.4 Research Methodology Contained here is an outline of the subsequent chapters and research methodology. The research will be organised into three major chapters literature review; case study; and discussion and conclusions. Chapter Two Literature review examines the relevant literature regarding GIS and Society, PPGIS and psychogeography providing an overview of the historical background and ontological framework of these research paradigms. An examination of the principles of psychogeography and the research design of previous PPGIS studies will be completed, providing a comparative study of their different methodologies and methods. These comparisons will assist in developing a theoretical framework for a community-based GIS which will guide the case study to follow. Chapter Three Case study introduces the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary case study and attempts to implement the methods established within the theoretical framework introduced in chapter two. An exploratory case study has been employed because it is a valuable method for investigating the nature and effects of implementing technology within a complex milieu (Sieber, 2000b). In order to increase the rigour and validity of the case study observations, open-ended interviews and questionnaires will be conducted. Chapter Four Discussion and conclusions reviews the research objectives in relation to the major research findings as well as the limitations of the methods and theories employed. Pattern matching techniques will be employed to compare the observed and verified information with the framework developed through the research project. If the observed and predicted information correspond then the research methodology maybe strongly validated (Sarantakos, 1998). This chapter also addresses the limitations of the research and future research opportunities. 1.5 Conclusion This chapter has established the objectives and rationale for conducting research into developing a community-based GIS. A research methodology has also been proposed to describe how the research statement and associated objectives will be achieved. The next chapter will review the relevant literature including theoretical models and research methodologies used by previous researchers in the field of PPGIS and psychogeography. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In the previous chapter, the objectives, rationale and methodology were presented to help guide the research into developing a community-based GIS. The research outlined in this thesis covers a number of interdisciplinary fields all of which are continually evolving. These fields include public participation GIS (PPGIS), community mapping and psychogeography. This chapter begins by investigating the role of GIS in society including the motivation and foundation for PPGIS and the advantages and disadvantages of PPGIS praxis. The chapter also explores the topic of psychogeography and the reasons why its principles may help characterise and drive the successful development of a community GIS. 2.2 GIS and Society a brief history Mountains dark with forests rose above the rooftops, the jagged black summits silhouetted against the evening light. Higher than them all, though, was the tip of the Schneeberg, glowing, translucent, throwing out fire and sparks, towering into the dying brightness of a sky across which the strangest of greyish-pink cloud formations were moving, while visible between them were the winter planets and crescent moon. (Sebald, 2002: 50) Storytelling is an extremely powerful means for conveying an image of the world and in some way or another every story takes place somewhere and relates knowledge of geography and a sense of place (Cartwright, 2004, Erle et al., 2005, Cartwright et al., 2009). One way to represent geographic stories and our understanding of the spatial organisation of the physical environment and its relationship with humans is through a map. An attempt to bring together the science of geography with the art of map making has been the Geographic Information System (GIS) which is a computer system for capturing, storing, querying, analysing and displaying geographically referenced data (Chang, 2008). What differentiates a GIS from other databases and computer systems is its ability to combine large amounts of spatial data from diverse sources, group the data into layers or categories, analyse the data for patterns or relationships and produce improved visualizations (Sieber, 2000a, Sieber, 2000b). Fo r these reasons GIS technology has become an important tool for use by many levels of Government, Universities and organisations involved in activities ranging from conservation, advertising and marketing, health, crime, land-use planning and social services or any activity containing a spatial component (Sieber, 2006). However it is only recently that GIS use has expanded to non-traditional users such as non-profit organisations and community groups. This accessibility has been the result of decreased costs in hardware, software and improved user interfaces which means the user no longer has to learn specialised command languages (Craig et al., 2002). The attraction to the utility of GIS, by non-traditional users, is much the same as traditional users in that it can assist in new ways of understanding a problem, but it may also help in influencing public policy through more sophisticated analysis and the presentation of professional looking images (Sieber, 2000b). Despite this perceived ease-of-use and increasing ubiquity, the GIS has been criticised by some circles as being an elitist technology which merely enhances existing power structures (Carver, 2003). This critique is heavily influenced by postmodernist principles, which place an increasing emphasis on the contributions of wider society and recognises that knowledge and values are constructed through a multiplicity of social and cultural forces. These arguments first surfaced within the paradigm of critical cartography which exposed the inherent subjectivity in, and rhetorical content of maps, thus implying that maps are as much a reflection of (or metaphor for) the culture that produces them, as they are an abstraction of the physical environment (MacEachren, 1995). These examinations have also been employed within social and critical GIS debates which challenge the use of GIS in decision making as being objective and neutral. Instead it has been maintained that GIS utility is often c onfined to experts whom produce privileged knowledge given their unique access to data, technology, resources and position to structure the inquiry and design the output (Duncan and Lach, 2006). This view of GIS as a return to the principles of technocratic positivism may be construed as anti-democratic because decisions reliant on a GIS may exclude diverse forms of spatial data, such as community knowledge, in favour of ordered Government data conceptualised into points, lines and areas (Crampton and Krygier, 2006). Many academics, such as Pickles (1995), believe that the increased popularity of GIS within the geography discipline has meant that the availability and access to geographic data has become more influential than knowledge or experience of a unique environment or subject (Craig et al., 2002). Concerns regarding the hegemonic and subjective role of GIS lead to a number of workshops in the mid-nineties on GIS and Society (GISoc) sponsored by the National Centre for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) (Craig et al., 2002). GISoc was focused on how the spread of the technology was affecting the political, economic, legal and institutional structures of society; and how societal processes affect the form taken by the technology itself (Carver, 2003: 65). GISoc research furthermore questioned whether current GIS practices and available spatial data adequately represented community needs and concerns and whether a new ontological framework was needed to help empower less privileged groups in society (Elwood, 2006). It was questioned whether it would be possible to develop a bottom-up GIS which could successfully incorporate community participation and thus either displace or validate decisions made with top-down GIS approaches, implemented in most Government and commerci al GIS projects (Craig et al., 2002). From these reflections the notion of Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) was developed and defined as a variety of approaches to make GIS and other spatial decision-making tools available and accessible to all those with a stake in official decisions. (Schroeder, 1996) In other words, the intention of PPGIS praxis was to incorporate local community perspectives into decision making, ideally leading to solutions which might otherwise not have been attained using traditional data sources and esoteric problem framing and analysis (Carver, 2003). Even though PPGIS was initially seen as a reconstructed democratic GIS, there is still much polarized debate regarding whether GIS technology is empowering or marginalising. These opinions, however, can often be seen as a reactive and predisposed view of information technology (IT) in which individuals and groups must react to the technology as having a positive or negative social effect (Sieber, 2000a). The effectiveness and social and political implications of GIS use within communities, however is much more complex and is generally contingent on a set of unique local factors such as culture, policies, standards, people and technology (Duncan and Lach, 2006). While PPGIS applications are an extremely positive move to address the original GISoc concerns regarding the social, political and knowledge practices of GIS contemporary PPGIS have seemingly introduced new contradictions concerning data access, representation and hegemony (Elwood, 2006). For instance, although much literatur e acknowledges the importance of bridging the gap between technology and community knowledge, many PPGIS applications continue to adopt a technocratic view of GIS and are often lacking extensive public interaction let alone the integration of community data (Sieber, 2006). The next section of this thesis examines more closely the current contradictions in PPGIS applications, paying particular attention to the ambiguities in the use of the terms public and participation. The purpose in critiquing the underlying assumptions of these terms is to further an understanding of the original ontological meaning of PPGIS and how the varying use of the terms has affected the incorporation of community knowledge in PPGIS projects. 2.3 What does the Public and Participation in PPGIS really mean? Any process or technology which enhances a communities access to information and provides the chance to participate in decision making should be seen as a step in the right direction; however the original ontological framing of GISoc has become misconstrued by some practices of PPGIS (Carver, 2003). The original concept and application of PPGIS has been reshaped and become more disparate over the years as a range of disciplines (such as urban planning and conservation), have applied different approaches and technologies to achieve a unique set of priorities and goals (Sieber, 2006). Furthermore the growing enthusiasm of Governments and commercial organisations for participatory planning has lead to a number of diverse initiatives which vary in terms of the inclusiveness of community knowledge and empowerment potential (Elwood, 2006). However, public participation is a complicated concept that can have multiple meanings which lead to numerous interpretations and societal expectations (Schlossberg and Shuford, 2005). An examination of the nature of public and participation practices in GIS applications is thus critical in developing a greater understanding of the ambiguities in the PPGIS process and how these may have diverged from the original vision of GISoc. It is extremely important to identify whom the public is when engaging a PPGIS project because it will ultimately determine who is included within the project and what types of outcomes and goals may be achievable (Schlossberg and Shuford, 2005). The Collins English Dictionary (1982) defines public (adj) as a means of relating to, or concerning the people as a whole reflecting the intended meaning within PPGIS; and many applications do continue to be developed for a general public (Sieber, 2006). There is however a number of PPGIS projects who take a more ambiguous view of public and often use it interchangeably with definitions which more loosely resemble a stakeholder. In other words many projects deem their public to be those who are affected by, bring knowledge or information to, and possess the power to influence a decision or program (Sieber, 2006). The public and their interests are often, however, very different from stakeholders and thus would heavily influence the problem f raming and objectives of a GIS project (Wood, 2005). Furthermore a public can be demarcated by a range of factors such as geographical, economic, social or political; and the composition of a public may change over time (Schlossberg and Shuford, 2005). Determining what constitutes the public has become especially complicated as technology has become more pervasive. For instance a web-based GIS may potentially be accessible by a wider portion of society however it raises questions around digital divides and geographic scale. Thus, is anyone who is able to access the application still deemed part of the public even though they maybe geographically distant to the issue and decision making? (Sieber, 2006) In general people local to an issue should be interested enough to get involved in a debate given their geographic proximity. It has been demonstrated however that as scale increases not only do people at regional, national and global levels become interested and involved in an issue but also a higher percentage of people at the local do as well because it has amplified into a wider discourse (Carver, 2003). Consequently Aitken (2002) suggests that instead of perceiving issues or decision making as being scale dependent and developing PPGIS projects for stakeholders which have their scale fixed, GIS projects should, alternatively, be directing their attention towards developing a GIS which would enable community issues and knowledge to jump scale from local to larger public discourses or vice versa (Aitken, 2002, Sieber, 2006). This is an important aspect because there is often a concern that local activities are dismissed as being part of community politics and are denied significant advancements by State and Federal Governments and thus the opportunity to emerge and engage individuals at all scales (Aitken, 2002). From this perspective a community-based GIS, where community is defined as a group of individuals who are bound together by a common characteristic or a common intent and who enjoy a relatively high degr ee of mutual social interaction (Jones et al., 2004: 105) offers the prospect of transcending the rigid scale conceptualised upon community politics and local activism enabling them to contest structures of power and dominance at the very scales they exist (Aitken, 2002, Gaile and Willmott, 2005). Harris and Weiner (1998) acknowledged in their research on the power relations associated with GIS use that participatory GIS practices have the potential to simultaneously empower and marginalise groups (Sieber, 2006). As a result it is imperative to understand the nature of the participatory process and who benefits and why (Craig et al., 2002). One such way to help conceptualise the levels of public participation is through a ladder metaphor. First conceived by Arnstein (1969), the basic premise of the participation ladder is that each rung of the ladder represents a different level of participation the bottom rung represents zero opportunity to participate while each rung above represents increased level of participation in the decision making and thus greater public empowerment (Carver, 2003). Wiedemann and Femers (1993) later produced an adaptation of the ladder which conceived of public participation as not only providing access to information but also suggesting that inform ing the public of decisions is another form of participation (Tulloch and Shapiro, 2003). This concept is significantly flawed as it firstly misrepresents the commonly understood meaning of the word participation in PPGIS which The Collins English Dictionary (1982) defines as to take part, be or become involved, or share. Secondly the ladder metaphors do not acknowledge the potential for participation to change over a period of time (Schlossberg and Shuford, 2005). Thirdly, the participation models fail to include oppositional groups whom do not cooperate with public decision making but participate in the formation public policy through other influential methods such as protests (Sieber, 2006). The incorporation of the word participation in many GIS projects implies a method of consensus building which presupposes a level of top-down decision-making as well as a degree of homogenization between participants. Certain individuals however may be better able to participate or contribute to decision making than others. Consequently, disproportional levels of participation may effectively disempower individuals and adversely affect the desired outcomes of a community (Sieber, 2006). Consequently some scholars have insisted on applying participatory for autonomous grassroots activities and employing participation to describe those projects which are more top-down in their approach (Elwood, 2006). Again while this is a neat way to demarcate GIS projects which employ various degrees of top-down and bottom-up methods these definitions fail to acknowledge that both methodologies are crucial to any successful GIS project and community decision making. In fact it is fervently maintained that in order to enable citizens to better identify and comprehend how the role of GIS and technical discourses are bound up in decision making and how decision making can be informed by GIS knowledge, communities must have access to spatial information developed by Governments and commerc ial organisations as well as contributing their own spatial knowledge (Brown, 1998). Within this section it has been demonstrated that the attitudes and arguments that frame many PPGIS projects have succeeded in producing an illusion of influence and contribution by communities to decision making when actual control still resides with the traditional powers, such as Government. Instead of attempting to build an impossible consensus amongst a public with disparate tastes, values and experiences, a community-based GIS should concentrate on developing a communitys ability to construct their own facts with the aid of available third party resources, from which their personal geographic stories may emerge and translate to various members of society (Wood, 2005). Another way forward could be to draw upon principles of Situational psychogeography which also attempts to combine subjective and objective modes of study by positing that ones self cannot be divorced from the urban environment and that ones psyche and knowledge of the city must transcend the individual if it is t o be of any use in the collective rethinking of the city (Sadler, 1998, Wood, 2005). In the following section an examination of the origins of psychogeography will be conducted clarifying how the principles behind this practice may help establish a framework for practice of GIS and Society and specifically the incorporation of local knowledge in GIS. 2.4 What exactly is Psychogeography? During the 1950s a number of highly politicised groups emerged in opposition to the ideals of modernism; these groups promoted programs that would reform the practice of art and life by directly intervening in the human environment and bringing about a social revolution (Sadler, 1998). One such group were the Lettrist International who conceived of the notion of Unitary Urbanism, which would later be the developed into the praxis of Psychogeography. Unitary Urbanism was envisaged as the theory of the combined use of arts and techniques for the integral construction of a milieu in dynamic relation with experiments in behaviour. (Knabb, 2006: 52) In other words, Unitary Urbanism was considered a social project whose vision was the unification of space and architecture with the social and individual body (Sadler, 1998). In 1957 the Lettrist International and the International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus (IMIB) merged to form a new artistic-activist movement known as the Situationist International (SI). The SI was similarly critical of modernist principles which anteceded the rational mind at the expense of the imagination. These criticisms are most clearly evident in the SIs opposition to modern architecture and urban planning which they argued shaped people into rigid patterns of behaviour (Sadler, 1998). Furthermore they believed that increasing urbanism and capitalism had reduced life to mere production and consumption behaviour that ensured that everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation. (Debord, 1964) In other words experienced space had been reduced into mere representations of spaces and in turn re-envisaged as capitalist spaces (McDonough, 2002). SI believed that members of society were increasingly experiencing life as spectators devoid of dialogue and wi thout a sense of being involved or interacting with one another. Once this spectacle of modernity and urbanism, represented through images, products and activities, and authorised by the state, had been unveiled, society would be able to rediscover the authenticity of city life underneath (Debord, 1964). By resisting the hegemony of the state the SI sought to radically transform urban spaces through different practices including the subversion of cartography. Specifically by directing the spectators senses towards the contradictions in the abstractions and mediations of the state, the aim was to draw the spectator into activity by provoking his capacities to revolutionize his own life (Debord, 1957: 25). Taking from the original methodology of Unitary Urbanism, psychogeography was proposed as a method of urban investigation which studies the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organised or not, on the emotions and behaviour of individuals. (Debord, 1955) In other words, psychogeography was intended as a methodology to help make people aware of the ways in which the urban environment and everyday life is conditioned and controlled and encouraged the exposing of these concerns (Plant, 1992). Psychogeography in practice utilised a technique conceived as the Theory of the Dà ©rive, in which individuals dà ©rive (literally: drifting) through an environment letting themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain while still seeking to unmask the contradictions in the abstracted space (Plant, 1992). The dà ©rive was an attempt to reappropriate the meaning of the city by removing the myths in the states representations by having people walk and experience the landscape first hand, thus constructing through narratives a more concrete collective space (Mcdonough, 1994). While the dà ©rive offered a new way of surveying urban space, a new way of representing these spaces had yet to be found. The SI were not disillusioned with the idea of mapping practices, in fact they regarded mapping as an important component to aid in the changing and organisation of urban spaces (Pinder, 1996). They believed however, that the structures and imperatives utilised in mapping exposed the desires of those wishing to impose order upon the city. The SI ambition was thus to illustrate the strange logic and apparent disorder of cities by producing maps which demonstrated those intimacies of the city typically absent from a traditional street or topographic map (Sadler, 1998). Consequently the SI developed a concept called Dà ©tournement, which loosely translates as a diversion or rerouting of pre-existing aesthetic elements (Knabb, 1995). An example of this is where existing maps and aerial photographs were juxtaposed or rearranged to produce a new spatial meaning; an a lternative experiential or existential truth (Ungar, 2005). Thus the SI were able to reconstruct the cartography of a city by reconciling conventional geographies, sociologies, and cartographies together with experienced spaces, producing a map which is terrestrial, fragmented, subjective, temporal, and cultural (Sadler, 1998: 82). While Debord announced the disbandment of the SI in 1972, the traditions underpinning psychogeography continue to influence many works of literature, films, urban design and geographic practices (Ford, 2005). Wood (2005) draws attention to one contemporary psychogeography project Jake Bartons City of Memory which combines psychogeographic principles with a GIS to build a collective urban memory through the participation of a number of people. In an interview with Wood, Jake Barton described his project as utilising top-down and bottom-up resources to create an emergent and curated experience. Precisely by extending these terms to form the foundation of any GIS and Society project, Wood hypothesised that what would emerge was a GIS designed by a third-party or community-based intermediary (top-down); the public would formulate a specific framework that fits their unique goals (bottom-up); the bottom-up and top-down activities and goals are not independent of each other, but rather c o-exist (curated); the outcome of the project has not been foreseen or influenced towards a specific outcome by any party, but rather emerges organically from the facts obtained and analysed (emergent). Thus resulting in a map and information which has not been exactly made by the public but which without it has no content at all and deflates into a frame around nothing (Wood, 2005: 13). Following on from this preliminary research by Wood a wider investigation of these terms will be conducted, laying the framework for a more appropriate community-based GIS as originally envisaged in GISoc debates. 2.5 Top-down Top-down integration of GIS is usually undertaken by an outside individual or agency who provides the GIS model, data, analysis and representation (Talen, 2000). Often the major distinction between a top-down and bottom-up approach, in participatory projects, is determined by where the decision making lies and by the level of commitment required by the public. With a top-down approach a Government or organisation would typically provide the data and representations which would be used in deliberation with the public, who are required to make a short-term commitment. In contrast, a bottom-up approach would require the public to have ongoing access to GIS data and the resources to capture data, conduct analysis and produce representations (Talen, 2000). Governments and commercial planners will often implement a participatory GIS with top-down goals in order to better understand a neighbourhood dynamic, improve public sector management and enhance social service provision. This process theoretically serves the public by introducing policies and services based on a communitys perception of the data, analysis and representations framed by Governments and planners (Sieber, 2006). Top-down GIS models can also help circumvent deterrents such as cost, complexity and access to data which often impeded non-profit and community groups from implementing a GIS. The cost of hardware and GIS software have decreased dramatically over the years and there are now many open source GIS solutions available for free use; however it has been shown that any cost and resources required in the implementation, operation and maintenance of equipment, no matter the amount, will be a significant barrier for adoption, especially for underprivileged groups (Brodnig and Mayer-Schà ¶nberger, 2000, Leitner et al., 2002). Furthermore many individuals may lack knowledge about the availability and means of obtaining a GIS and spatial data (Elwood, 2007). Many of the GIS packages available are user-friendly for many operations, however the more functionality a group requires for their GIS, the greater