Construction of Knowledge

Throughout this course, we have been exposed to various fields of literature that revolve around a specific theme portraying the argument and point being made. It is possible, however, that two very opposite articles with unrelated topics can and may revolve around a similar theme. Beginning on page 239 of Katherine Ann Ackley’s Perspectives on Contemporary Issues, author Jean Kilbourne describes the impact that advertising has had on our society in her write Advertising’s Influence on Media Content. This article shares a close connection Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal-winning novel, The Giver.In this dystopian society, a society characterized by human misery (Dictionary. com), officials regulate what the members of the Community know and experience. In addition to Kilbourne, published in The Atlantic in 2008 is writer David Carr’s article Is Google Making Us Stupid? Carr explains that the use of the internet and web browsers such as Google has altered the pro cess in which we perceive information. Although these articles discuss very different issues, from contradicting advertisements to the perception of information, one can take notice to a striking resemblance.The construction of knowledge is affected through both the impact of advertisements in society as well as our recent exposure to the luxury of the internet. The regulation of information and the modern, instantaneous method of attaining knowledge contribute to the deterioration of our construction of knowledge. Author Jean Kilbourne describes in her article Advertising’s Influence on Media Content the misrepresentation of information provided by the media through magazines and television.The media exerts their content in two major ways: via the suppression of information that would harm or offend the sponsor and via the inclusion of editorial content that reflects the product in a positive light (Kilbourne, 239). The line between advertising and editorial content is blurr ed by advertorials, product placement, and video news releases (239). Strikingly, up to 85% of the news we get is bought and paid for by corporations eager to gain positive publicity (239).It is startling to see the control that the media has on what advertisements we as a society are exposed of, and how information is being filtered and regulated for the open public. In 1998, a scandal surfaced concerning the working conditions in foreign factories that supply Nike. Nike’s sponsorship of CBS’ Olympic coverage was rewarded when correspondents delivered the news wearing jackets emblazoned with Nike’s symbol (240). The president of CBS News denied that this sponsorship had anything to do with the investigative 48 Hours segment that had been released just before (240).The editor of The San Francisco Examiner likewise denied that Nike’s co-sponsorship of their annual promotion was in any way related to kill a column by a reporter that was highly critical of N ike (240). It is clear that corporations such as Nike have a way with advertising and have mastered the technique of masking their scandalous ways. Nike’s influence on the media and filtering of information is frightening, and its control over the construction of knowledge has deterred society from questioning its actions.In connection to the concealment of truths, Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver is based upon the construction of knowledge of a civilization. The novel revolves around Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy living in a dystopian society, where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives (Lowry). He is chosen among his community to serve as the â€Å"Receiver of Memory† where he will maintain the past memories of a time before Sameness filled with pain and suffering, and the training for which will isolate him from his family and friends forever (Lowry).He learns through the previous Receiver, known as the Giver, about true knowledge and is exposed to a wor ld shunned from the others of that society (Lowry). Jonas experiences a life full of love, color, choices, and knowledge, but consequently with hatred, suffering and misery (Lowry). The members of his community are content because they do not know of a better life, and the knowledge of what they are missing out on could create major chaos (Lowry). This is relative to Kilbourne’s argument that major corporations are releasing selected advertisements that expose only what they want the public to see.In the case of the Nike Corporation, the concealment of their horrid working conditions is relevant to Sameness in The Giver. By suppressing information from society, a higher power is in charge of regulating what the community is exposed of, and therefore interfering with their construction of knowledge. One of the main strategies that Kilbourne targets is the contradicting placement of advertisements within women’s magazines. Kilbourne points out the contrasting views withi n a magazine, from the front cover, through the context of the magazine, all the way to the advertisement appearing on the back page.The various headlines included on the cover appear to be along the lines of weight-loss advice, how to make the perfect chocolate cake, hair-styling tips, and numerous ways to avoid aging. Once you make your way to the pages within the magazine, numerous articles feature luscious cakes and pies juxtaposed with articles about diets. This, Kilbourne writes, is an invitation to pathology, fueling the paradoxical obsession with food and weight control that is one of the hallmarks of eating disorders (241). Women’s Day once offered an article on â€Å"Special Report on Deadly Appliances†.Lest we think this is not a serious problem, 80 people died and 370 were injured by these killer appliances (242). On the back cover of the exact magazine, however, there is an advertisement for cigarettes, a product that kills over 400,000 people a year (242) . In 1996, an informal survey was conducted of popular women’s magazines that covered stories varying from countless health issues (242). These issues include skin cancer, Pap smears, and leukemia, as well as outstanding claims such as how breast cancer can be held off with aspirin and the possibility that dry-cleaned clothes can cause cancer (242).The back covers of all of these magazines contained an advertisement for cigarettes, and not a single mention of lung cancer and heart disease caused by smoking (242). The contents within these magazines contradict themselves, and it is obvious how major companies have played a role in regulating the news we receive through the media. The construction of knowledge is interrupted by the filtering of information by these companies paying off the media, restricting exposure to the real problems and issues in our society.Similarly to Kilbourne, David Carr expresses his concern for the construction of knowledge, although through a dissi milar issue. In his article Is Google Making Us Stupid, Carr expresses the influence that the internet has made on how we perceive information. Carr himself has personally been affected by the speedy resource that Google has provided for him (Carr). There has been a change in Carr’s perception of information, where he claims to have lost a sense of focus and that he feels he is literally dragging his way through a piece (Carr).Now, with the assistance of Google, research that once required days in the library can now be done in minutes (Carr). Instead of reading thoroughly the context of an article, Carr finds himself scanning headlines and blog posts, watching videos and podcasts, or just tripping link to link to link (Carr). In his words, Carr describes his own personal spectacle: â€Å"Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski† (Carr). Further research has been conducted to explore the phenomenon.A recently pub lished study of online research habits, conducted by scholars form University College London, suggests that we may well be in the midst of a sea of change in the way we read and think (Carr). The scholars examined computer logs documenting the behavior of visitors to two research sites over the course of five years. People using these sites exhibited a â€Å"form of skimming activity†, hopping from one source to another and rarely returning to any source they had already visited (Carr). It is apparent that our society has experienced a huge deterioration in the construction of knowledge.The perception of information has been influenced by the fast-paced and ever-expanding internet. Because we cannot fully absorb the content before us, our construction of knowledge has worsened and eroded. At a first glance, the articles Advertising’s Influence on Media Content and Is Google Making Us Stupid, written by Joan Kilbourne and David Carr, respectively, have nearly nothing in common in terms of their surface context. Kilbourne’s article relates to the impact of advertisements within the media, while Carr’s piece explains the deteriorating perception of knowledge.In addition to these two articles is the novel The Giver written by Lois Lowry, describing a dystopian society and the effects of regulating information. These pieces, while covering a vast span of topics and issues, commonly cover a deeper meaning: the construction of knowledge. All three sources explain the influence of media and other outside sources on how we perceive and stimulate knowledge based on our exposure. The regulation of information and the modern, instantaneous method of attaining knowledge have in fact contributed to the deterioration of our construction of knowledge.Works Cited Carr, David. â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? † The Atlantic Day July/August 2008. Magazine. â€Å"Dystopia. † Dictionary. com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 13 Apr. 2013. . Kilbourne, Jean. â€Å"Advertising’s Influence on Media Content. † Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. 6th ed. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. 230-233. Print. Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print.

Unit 4 Business P7

P7: Outline electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information, using examples for different types of audience. The first type of information that I am focusing on is written information that is on screen, the form of the communication is a PowerPoint presentation which is used electronically to present information to members of staff. In Sainsbury’s they hold meetings regularly and my example of a time is when they had a new product that was coming into their store, the presentation explained the product and how they can promote it.This information is internal as it is in the business its self explained to its target audience who are the employees. The non-electronic method that Sainsbury’s have explained this new product is through posters, they are put onto the notice board for their target audience that is the customers. The purpose of the electronic and non-electronic methods of this information is to keep customers updated but also the me mbers of staff, the audiences are satisfied for the way that the information is presented to them.The second type of information that I am going to explain is verbal, the form of communication that is used is face-to-face and DVD’s. The target audience for the face-to-face information is the customers, an example of a non-electronic method is in Apple store there is a member of staff who would stand and present themselves to members of the public. Their aim is to sell the product and explain as much information as they possibly can, the benefit of this is that customers can ask questions and they can be answered directly then and there.The electronic method is the DVD’s that are handed out to the target audience the employees to watch about the new product that the company has brought out. This sort of communication is suitable for the employees as they can watch the video of the new product as many times as they need to learn more about it. The third type of communica tion is multimedia, this is an electronic form and the target audience is members of the public. I am going to focus on the company Costa that created an advert for their target audience, business men and women.Costa sells various hot and cold drinks to either sit in or take away, the advert is directed to business men and women as in the advert they state, â€Å"For the hard workers on the go, sit in for a drink or take away back to the office†. The disadvantage that Costa has with their advert is that it costs allot of money, it has a time limit of how much information they can show and the target audience would have to be watching the TV at the time.The non-electronic method is billboards that are shown to the general public, the target audience is then for everyone who is able to buy their drinks, the billboard shows their coffee being delicious and puts across a short message to make people buy it. This is a useful way of communication as it attracts all types of people and not just aimed at one sort of person, this would build up the amount of potential customers.

Earl Jones †Scams and Fraud Essay

Earl Jones was born in Montreal on June 24, 1963. He started to work at Montreal TRUST for over 16 years; he worked 8-10 different positions including investment management, estates, trust administration, will planning and manager of the mortgage department. In 1970 Jones left the company to start his own business, he began holding courses on taking care of finances. He then launched a company he called â€Å"Earl Jones Consultant and Administration Corporation, an administrative and financial advising† (Gazette, 2010). He began to make withdrawals from his bank account, into which he deposited his client’s money. Earl Jones is a â€Å"White Collar Criminal† which is â€Å"members of the rich and powerful who used their positions for personal gain ignoring the law and the consequences for others. He surmised that white-collar criminals damaged the social relations between citizens and their government, clients and professionals and consumers and corporationsâ₠¬  (Sutherland, 1940). Earl Jones grew up in a family whom barley made it by with money, this contributed to his personality later in life. Earl Jones felt the need to fulfill his desires of better schools for their children, keeping up the appearance of greater wealth than he was able to afford as a status symbol (Sutherland, 1940). Earl Jones scheme works by simply paying old investors the funds collected with new investors. The fraud can only continue just as long as there was a continued flow of new investors. Jones had made a promise to his clients that they will achieve an above normal rate of return. (Moffatt, 2012). In 2005 Jones set up nine mortgages valued nearly two million dollars; he convinced many of his clients to re-mortgage their homes. In 2008 he switched to, a commercial account, he still continued to print ‘in trust’ on cheques he was using with clients. Earl Jones had claimed to be a financial advisor. All the payments he had made showed as an administrative expensive. Jones convinced clients that he would invest their funds to generate high returns with little or no risk. Earl Jones seemed like a very friendly and trustworthy guy. Investors considered him to be a part of the family, most calling him â€Å"Uncle Jones†. Jones targeted his family and his immediate circle of friends, then he started to convince widows with a paid off house to take out a new mortgage so he could invest the loan and get a higher return (Maclellan, 2009). Many people have been hurt in Earl Jones scheme; obviously the initial victims lost their money and were very angry. His family lost the most in this scheme. His wife and daughters experienced many emotions from anger to losing all hope to depression and disappointment. His family knew him as a loving husband, devoted father, and a respected member of the community. When his wife and daughters had figured out what he was really about, they stated him â€Å"as a man we can scarcely believe exists† (CBCNEWS, 2009). Jones had left his family with zero financial means to face the future; his family now needs to become members of local charities, to have basic needs such as food and medication, they also need to worry about finding places to sleep. Earl Jones was sentenced to eleven years in prison. He has pleaded guilty to scamming 158 clients of $50 million dollars in the scheme he had operated for over more than two decades. The punishment does not fit his crime, he had ruined several people’s lives, not only robbing them of their money, but he took their freedom and self-esteem (The Gazette, 2010). In comparison to the punishment given to American Ponzi scheme Bernard Madoff who was sentenced 150 years in jail which is the maximum sentence allowed, Bernard pleaded guilty of 11 felony counts including security fraud, money laundering and perjury. Bernard has scammed clients of $65 billion dollars (New York Times, 2013). Jones sentence does not seem appropriate seeing as he has stolen $50 million dollars from his clients and would have continued this scheme if he was not caught. According to ‘Theories and History of enterprise/white collar crimes’ the theory â€Å"Rational Choice – Need† is appropriate for Earl Jones conduct because â€Å"some individuals are driven by psychological or financial needs to commit crime. Executives may feel the need to keep up the appearance of greater wealth than they are able to afford as a status symbol, or to stroke their egos. Blue collar workers may feel the need to take things to augment their incomes to keep pace with inflation† (Sutherland, 1940). Earl Jones grew up in a family that could barely get by, making him become a needy person in the future, always wanting more. Earl Jones had stolen millions of dollars from his loved ones and his close friends, this proves that he would do anything for money and always wanted to be looked at as a rich person whom always kept up his appearance and style. References The Gazette. (2010). Earl Jones Scandal. Retrieved from: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/earl-jones/index.html Sutherland, E. (1940). White Collar Criminality. Handout presented at SOCS10261G, Sheridan College, Oakville. Moffatt, M. (2012). Ponzi Scheme. Retrieved from: http://economics.about.com/od/financialmarkets/f/ponzi_scheme.htm Macelellan, N. (2009). Earl Jones – A Canadian Ponzi. Retrieved from: http://beforeyouinvest.ca/2009/07/earl-jones-canadian-ponzi/ CBCNEWS. (2009) Ponzi Scheme Suspects Family express ‘Grief, Shame’. Retrieved from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2009/07/20/earl-jones-family-statement.html The New York Times. (2013). Bernard L. Madoff. Retrieved from: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/bernard_l_madoff/index.html

Why are Japanese firms good at making use of the tacit skills and Essay

Why are Japanese firms good at making use of the tacit skills and knowledge of employees for organizational learning - Essay Example An improved comprehension of the views of Information Management is very significant, as it has just been reflected to be a prerequisite for Implementation. Therefore, it aims at giving advantages, and business achievement. Incomes that are extra to the business association and accepted by the business can produce relative result only if human incomes are efficiently managed. Knowledge administration is mainly a Human Resource Management instrument that can assistance organizations accomplish human investment in the business 1. This paper provides reasons why Japanese firms are good at making use of the tacit skills and knowledge of employees for organizational learning, then confirms the importance of tactic knowledge within an organization that firms can adopt. Tacit knowledge involves of the hands-on skills, distinct expertise, heuristics, organizations, and the like that individuals grow as they engage in the movement of their work actions1. Tacit knowledge is extremely deep-root ed in activities and originates from the concurrent engagement of concentration and body in duty performance. Tacit knowledge is individual knowledge that is difficult to validate or express 2. The transmission of tacit knowledge is by practice and collective experience, throughout for instance, internship or on-the-job preparation. Tacit knowledge within association confirms task efficiency that the correct things are prepared so that the effort unit could reach its purposes. It also offers for a variety of imaginative toughness instinct and heuristics can frequently tackle dangerous problems that would then be problematic to solve.2 Information Management is a course of action by which corporate performance can be improved by manipulative and applying various instruments, procedures, systems, arrangement and principles so that information can be shaped, distributed and used for the general purposes of the trade3. Information Management mainly consists of construction of knowledge from personnel, allocating the same between staffs in the same business and use of the fashioned or communal knowledge to accomplish business objectives. Once information is well managed in a business, it can move commodities to the recipient market faster supply its consumers in a superior way, foster groundbreaking and more suitable ideas of invention and service industries, appeal new staffs, and keep knowledgeable employees in the business. Information management assists a business attain high execution business. Information management is a recently developing interdisciplinary administration and corporation model that centers on information among the staffs within a group. Information management is significant in Human Resource Management in addition to it is deep-rooted in money matters, science and human thinking 4.4 Information Management is a device that links the space between administrative change, invention, knowledge, and developments5. Information management is a gener al term that includes the developments by which workers' experiences, abilities, expertise, acquaintance, and skills are collected, shared, and usage of these are finally converted to cooperative organizational studying process 6. Human intelligence capital, imagination, innovation, and facts are the essential sources of inexpensive gain, and these can be created and used for the business achievement only if information management can efficiently be put into operation and presented in the company. Knowledge supervision can be

Ethical Delimma - A Real Life Situation Case Study

Ethical Delimma - A Real Life Situation - Case Study Example Ellen also undertook the occupation in the area of providing brokerage services to big industries in Omaha. Ellen started to handle some large accounts to whom she provided her services and as a result of this, Ellen started to make a name for herself among the wealthy class of people in Omaha. Joseph and Ellen had plans to get married. With the passage of time, the expenditures planned by them for meeting the expenses of their wedding were falling short of the actual estimations. Apart from this, the maintenance cost of the new home bought by Joseph was also increasing. The cost of commuting by Ellen from her apartment to the new house and to the place of her work was also increasing. However, Ellen assured Joseph that the rising costs would be met with the steadying of their income levels. According to the plan, Joseph was able to keep producing high sales volume with his team of ten salespeople. Joseph found that Carl, who was one of the prominent members of the sales team in term s of his contribution of sales volume, was involved in the process of kickback with the existing clients. Carl was also the son-in-law of the vice-president of the company. It was found by Joseph that a total of three members of his sales team including Carl were involved in the kickback with existing customers. Joseph reviewed the policies of the organization and found that the company intends to do every aspect of its business in the right sense and direction and intends of the best products at best prices to its customers. The vice-president of the company, Katherine has a track record of terminating employees who conveys the news of unethical practices and is also responsible for conducting the unethical practices. While Joseph was pondering whether to discuss the matter with his vice-president or to state openly in the meeting with the sales team that such unethical matters are against the policies of the organization, Joseph was called by his fiancee and told that she has been hired as the broker to the vice-president of his company. Thus Joseph was in a situation of ethical dilemma whether to discuss the matter with the vice-president that might affect his and his fiancee’s career aspirations or to state the right things to be done in the right way which is in line with the policies of Alcon. The key question to be addressed in this scenario is, â€Å"How would Joseph deal with the situation of ethical dilemma in balancing the personal needs and adhering to the ethical demands in the workplace?† Possible Options The possible options that could be adopted by Joseph in order to address the situation of ethical dilemma are explained as follows. The first option could be that Joseph could call for a team meeting and discuss the instances of kickback with the existing customers that have been undertaken by the three employees of his sales team including Carl who has been around in Alcon sales team for considerable time. Despite the practices of kickback in the past during bad times, the importance of adhering to the policies and ethical practices in the organization should be explained. The various consequences of kickback including its effect of fair competition, reduced quality and increased prices, effects on long term business prospects, brand image, employee accountability and action could be explained to Carl and the other team members. The

Bayesian analysis of HMM-GARCH models in Finance Research Proposal

Bayesian analysis of HMM-GARCH models in Finance - Research Proposal Example The Bayesian approach allows small sample outcomes, fast evaluation, model bigotry and credible reports concerning non-linear roles of the model constraints. Reasonably based financial verdicts hold a gigantic normative characteristic (Bijak, 45). This report paper will explain in detail its purpose, objectives, methodology, limitations and ethical concerns in the study. The first four chapters bring in the research work and an overview of Bayesian analysis of the HMM-GARCH models in Finance. The subsequent two chapters illustrate the assessment of the HMM-GARCH models with standard improvements. Real financial data is used based on this estimate models. It is noted that still for hefty data analysis the perimeter calculate approximately and distance varies between the two models. Care must be used when basing judgments for these two classes of models. The last two chapters reflect on the limitations and ethical concerns associated with these two models. Introduction to the Problem A particle filtering technique is offered to chronological evaluation that will erect on the change- point model of Chib. GARCH models can not be estimated with an unidentified quantity of states through subsisting MCMC procedures. No procedures of computing trivial probabilities of these models exist. Therefore, it is highly not convenient to approximate these categories of models by using at hand MCMC methods. This can be possible if one is ready to assume that the integer of break points is also called a priori (Sebe et al, 36). Centre of attention must be on the in order filtering issue other than the smoothing issue of MCMC model. The path reliance that structural breaks persuade in GARCH models is removed. This is due to the main reason that merely the one-step-ahead prognostic sharing is needed in computation. This therefore, is a fundamental point in excess of two potential states unconfirmed on restrictions in the proposed structural fracture model (Francq et al, 37). Purpos e of the Study The Bayesian analysis of HMM-GARCH models in Finance permits the figure of breaks as well as models to be used in this research. Algorithms made up approximated the model parameters and the integers of structural breaks at each indicate. This is founded on a particular run of the particle filter algorithm. This therefore, makes the models use to be computationally proficiency (Terrell, 27). The confronting global scenery of set models administration is set apart by the ambiguity of the financial markets. The financial sector is always in an invariable activity. A good example of this; is the financial stock market where financial figures change at every moment. Therefore, the financial trade market is at constant change of financial integers. Incessantly, transforming the jeopardy or profit models manipulate on the latent of variation of intercontinental plus points distribution. The regime-switching models demonstrated enables, the two dissimilar systems. This is by the careful computation of the self-motivated risk or profit structure of any international benefit. The additional room to take account of singular asset types; for example alternative assets, stocks and bonds and in an

Promoting Healthy Eating for Dementia in Residential Homes Essay

Promoting Healthy Eating for Dementia in Residential Homes - Essay Example In fact, individuals who are obese are also considered as malnourished. According to the World Health Organization (2000), malnutrition related to hunger is a life-threatening situtaion. Therefore, it can lead to a significant increase in morbidity and mortality rate. Considering the adverse health effects of malnutrition on patients with dementia, nurses who are assigned to take care of this group of patients should pay more attention to the importance of proper nutrition. The number of people with dementia is expected to increase throughout the United Kingdom (Knapp and Prince, 2007:22-23). For this reason, nurses should search for new ways on how they can improve the physical health of these patients. One of the best and most simple ways to improve the physical health of patients with dementia is to focus on how nurses can effectively promote healthy eating. By promoting healthy eating among patients with dementia, the nurses can protect the patients from becoming sicklier or more vulnerable to other types of illnesses. There are certain types of food that can help prevent the incidence of dementia. For example, vitamin B12 and Folate deficiencies are also associated with developing dementia and cognitive impairment (Bruce Fife, 2011). Fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel and herring is rich in Omega 3 fats. Based on a recent study, doctors suggest that eating fish at least once a week reduces the risk of developing dementia by 60% (McFadden, 2011), Since dementia is hereditary, continuous promotion of healthy eating can help public awareness against dementia. Thus, improving the healthcare practices throughout the United Kingdom. Nurses are the front-liners within a healthcare setting. This explains why most of the patients with dementia are being cared for by the nurses. One of the role and responsibilities of the nurses is to deliver a holistic care to their patients. Therefore, nurses who are currently working in a residential nursing home should continuousl y improve their knowledge and skills on how they can effectively promote a healthy eating lifestyle. 5.0 Literature Review General Facts about Dementia in UK Dementia is â€Å"a global impairment of cognitive function that usually is progressive and may be permanent; interferes with normal social and occupational activities† (Kozier et al., 2004:1449). In most cases, patients with dementia suffers from â€Å"a collection of symptoms, including a decline in memory, reasoning and communication skills, and a gradual loss of skills needed to carry out daily activities† (Knapp and Prince, 2007:2). Patients with dementia are prone to suffer from the rising levels of severe illness coupled with reduced sensory function of taste, smell, and teeth which negatively impacts on the nutritional needs of the patient (Linda, 2005: 221-245). This explains why most of the elderly patients who were diagnosed with dementia are less likely to eat properly as compared to patients with deme ntia who are still young or in the adulthood stage. Furthermore, several studies mentioned that a significant decrease in the metabolic process of elderly patients can also lead to other health complications that are

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports - Essay Example The drama of performance on world scene is so overpowering that athletes sometime fall in the controversy of doping (use of performance enhancing drugs) in sports. A winning athlete is the star of the public eye just as a politician, musician or a literary figure and their image is a delicate balance training, character and publicity. When athlete resorts to taking performance enhancing drugs, they not only hurt themselves but in turn set in motion a chain of events that destroys the sport each time a new case surfaces. The controversy which has been built around athletic doping or use of performance enhancing drug to maximize sport performance can be traced back to 490 BC in the legendary marathon run by Feidipides, which made him a superhero at the cost of his life (Savulescu, et al. 2004). Performance enhancing drugs has been reported to be used even since the Greeks started the Olympics in 776 BC. Olympic athletes were believed to have used herbs and mushrooms in an attempt to improve their performance. However, it was not until the early 19th century that the problem became a menace to the sport. Today, the thrust for winning is so high that there are reports that performance-enhancing drugs have been used in college, high school and junior high/middle school athletics around the world (Kidsource OnLine, 1996). The desire to outperform the other competitors at any cost is so demanding. The performance oriented athletics with result at its core is fuelled by different levels of drugs which enhance shot-term and long-term performance. The progress in technology offers greater lure to administering different levels of biological intervention. ... The progress in technology offers greater lure to administering different levels of biological intervention. The health and the fitness should be the core of rational judgment rather than emotional euphoria of success. The use of doping takes away the human element of ethics and honesty in sports. An athlete stoops down to the level of an animal with no reason, choice or judgment. Some of the performance-enhancing drugs are dangerous; they have multitude physical, mental and emotional side effects ranging from short-term to long-term. Anabolic steroids are associated are associated with a range of side effects, including heart attacks and liver cancer. Some doping substances are permitted in low doses like alcohol and caffeine. Another form of doping is blood doping either by blood transfusion or use of the hormone erythropoietin. In recent times tetrahydrogestrinone(THG) and modafinil are causing controversy throughout the sporting world. The number and variety of drugs use by athletes are rather alarming. Substances used as ergogenic aids are meant to primarily increase size, endurance and strength of the athletes. Performance increasing drugs also include beta-adrenoceptor blockers and beta-adre noceptor agonists, calcium-channel blockers, diuretics, growth hormone and growth hormone stimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, iron, theophylline and in some situations, vitamins (Lajis, N.D.). These substances used to boost athletic performance, increase strength and improve appearance present a serious health risk. Use of enhancement drugs violates athlete's autonomy. Besides, such illegal acts questions their confidence, morals, ethics and takes away

XBUS Man Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XBUS Man - Assignment Example Therefore, if Davis worked overtime, it was out of his wish since he was aware of the policy. The defendant claims though Davis was the meat market manager at the North Carolina branch he used to work at Martinsville, Virginia sometimes and he was warned about the overtime by the supervisor there but he chose still to ignore, maybe because he enjoyed his job and wouldn’t mind if he worked extra time. It is a federal law. The law that is being litigated is the Fair Labor Standards Act section 7(a). The Act states the circumstances on which an employee can do overtime and the reward for the overtime. It categorically states that for overtime to be effective there must be an agreement between the employer and employee. For them to come up with terms, that will be binding between them, concerning the overtime. The law however put the limits on the amount of reward the employee shall receive from the employer. The amount should not be less than one hundred and fifty percent as compared to what one earns per hour on a regular pay (â€Å"FairLaborStandAct.pdf†, n.d.). This law tries to bring harmony between the employee and employer regarding overtime. Over the years prior to the enactment of this law, employers misused labor by using their employees as slaves, thus the government found it necessary to develop a legal framework that will ensure smooth operation and relation at w orkplace. The employer has a stronger argument against the plaintiff that is Mr. Jerry S. Davis regarding the overtime compensation dispute. The law states very clearly that for overtime to be effective there must be an agreement between the employer and employee and in this agreement they should agree on reward. The plaintiff didn’t discuss with the employer on matter concerning overtime but rather thought since the law recognizes overtime he is entitled to be rewarded. The Act only gave direction on the minimum reward

Staples Case Write-Up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Staples Case Write-Up - Essay Example – which was enormous and still growing comprised of $85 million worth of office supplies sold annually which comprised of a range of product assortments such as paper clips, paper, folders, pens, pencils, envelopes, copy machines, furniture, and so on. The product range that could be included was also large and impressive providing further ground for increasing its profitability by segmenting its product line as per the target group. An industry structure could be determined by the number of players in the industry as well as by their size and distribution across various sectors in the industry. The existence of a large number of players naturally affects the profitability and competitive positioning of rival firms and determines the degree of competition as well as inter - firm rivalry. The industry that Staples ventured in / proposed to venture in was a niche area since there were hardly any superstores dealing entirely in office supplies. The industry had several small number of players mostly dominated by wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers and dealers. Overall the industry structure could be defined as small and fragmented. Also these small firms had commendable authority over the industry and commanded a large share of profits. Thus it could also be regarded as a consolidated industry and the market type could be categorized as oligopolistic, wherein a small number of players accounting for a large pa rt of market share although, this type of industry structure was dominant in most of the industry sectors in the U.S. The office supplies superstore industry, although relatively a new concept has the potential of slowly catching up on the trend mostly due to the high profit margins made available due to the business model offered by the large supermarket industry structure. The entry barriers in a highly fragmented industry are relatively low as compared to highly concentrated industries with large number of players. High profit margins and the presence

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 109

Discussion - Assignment Example She delayed some acquisitions. Had she made the decision for the acquisitions earlier, Xerox may have not missed the opportunity for high revenues, which the company realized upon completing the deals. Q2. A manager like Mulcahy should avoid experience-based biases. When Mulcahy was appointed the new CEO of Xerox, she like everyone else was surprised. In her mind and in the minds of others, she was not the right candidate because of her managerial inexperience. As the CEO, the manager is bound to meet different experience-based biases at the decision making table. The CEO should thus acknowledge that the final decision is on her/him and coordinate diverging minds to obtain a solution to the problem at hand. The CEO should also avoid recruitment biases as he/ she strives to find the best team/workforce for the company. Q3. It is often a big challenge for some managers to make ethical decisions as they strive to propel their companies to the next level. In order to ensure that they make ethical decisions, managers can emphasize on the following areas: honesty, breadth, and

Social grade Essay Example for Free

Social grade Essay After analysing my market research, I have concluded that the social grade of the local area is (B) Lower Management, and the average pay is between   25000 and 35000. The majority of the people do shop locally, the main reason being that the local shops cater for their needs. This shows that there would be a place for me in this local area because there arent any specialised Internet cafes, aimed at social group B. The majority of people surveyed fit into this group, so it makes sense to primarily aim for them, and then the skilled non-manual workers. Planning restrictions Planning restrictions are used to restrict where a business can build or start up. If the government rejects then it would be against the law for the company to build there. Planning restrictions help to protect beautiful nature from being destroyed. They also stop factories from opening near homes. Planning restrictions also help bring businesses into areas where there is high unemployment. From research into local planning restrictions, I have found out that I must get permission for any ballads placed by me near my shop, shutters, extra building at the rear of shop and any structural work. I do not need to worry about the replacement of doors and windows, as my business is a non-listed building. Social effects of my shop Social costs are the costs that the rest of the area must pay because of where a business or factory is situated. There can also be social benefits which means what is gained by the local area from placing a business there. The social costs as a result of where I place my business are increase in litter and my result in local competition closing down. The social benefits from placing my business are that people shop locally, creates one or two extra jobs and helps the local economy. Evaluation The place that I have chosen has more advantages than disadvantages. This is because my shop will be right next to a main road which will allow people to see any promotions, and they will be drawn to the area by a Sainsburys Local. There is also a bus stop a few metres away from my shop which will make it easy to get to my shop. Another major advantage is that there is a bank nearby that has a cash point meaning it is easy to withdraw cash. There is also a college very near to my internet so there is a good chance students will come and chat with friends etc. However, the disadvantage is that there are likely to be computers in the college so it would be more likely they would use it rather than paying for the use of a computer and internet. There are some disadvantages; primarily, there is no dedicated car park, and there are parking restrictions. The main parking restrictions are that there is no parking on certain points between 6pm and 8pm Monday-Friday. The planning restrictions in the local area are not very strict so this will help if I want to make changes to my, business. There are more benefits than costs, the only ones being litter and closing of competition. The major benefit of me placing my shop in the chosen area is that there would be a good chance of more people coming into the local area that would help other local shops. How will I set the price? The price must be right, as people will have to buy large numbers to make profit. The price you charge depends on what you are trying to do. I am selling pastries, tea, coffee etc as well as providing an internet service so I will have a low prices in order to attract a lot of customers and to see if my business will succeed. It is different for me as I dont sell things (apart from pastries, coffee, tea etc) to make a profit; I provide a computer service as my main way of making a profit. My price My price will be as low as possible, so that I can attract the largest amount of customers. I will also have some goods such as pastries, coffee; tea etc at is at high prices because they are unique. I am aiming at social group B. How to price? This is very important, as I must decide how to price the use of the Internet and how to price the food and drinks. Hour based pricing will be the most suitable way to charge the use of the computer and the Internet. The food and drinks will be charged at high price seeing that the social grade of this local area is group B and most of the local area earn i 25000+ so they will be more likely to spend more money. From my first plan, I know my place, my pricing structure and what group I am targeting. After evaluating my first action plan, I have found that I need to cover areas that I missed in my previous plan. . I will be selling food and drink, so each and every product must have a good strong brand that makes it recognisable to people. A very strong brand is Coke a Cola brand, As the colours, shape of cans, and lettering tell the buyer what the product is. The characteristics of the brand come from the products physical features of the product. This means the taste and the shape of the product. The manufacturer through adverts and packaging creates these. What is the aim of advertising? The aims of advertising are to inform people about the Internet cafi , create an image, increase sales, compete with other shops and introduce new products into the market. The aims of my advertising will be to increase sales, compete with other shops and to create an image. Informative advertising Currently, the biggest spender on this form of advertising is the government. This advertising is used to pass on information to the public. The passing on of this information is very important in any advert. Persuasive advertising Their adverts try to persuade the viewer that their products are much better then the competition. Their goal is to attract people to buy their products. There are different types of pervasive advertising. They could be adverts that show a famous person using the product or adverts that compare one product with another. Public relations Public relations are the department that tries to promote the company and shows the good side of the company to the public. Advertising agencies Advertising is a very expensive business; to make sure that the money is well spent they will hire a company to do it right. For an advertising campaign to be successful it must reach the right audience, be attractive and appealing and make the money that the audience cost back in sales. Control over advertising In an advert you cant just put anything in it, there are certain rules. There is a code of practice inside the advertising industry that you must obey. The trade description act, which means that the advert must mean what it, says. I plan to use informative advertising, as I want to inform people of the benefits of buying from my shop. What types of media are there for advertising? There are many different types of advertising, each has advantages, and disadvantages: Television This is a very powerful media to use to get your message across. The advert that is produced will be seen by millions. The time at which your advert is shown effects who see it. If your product is for children then you would show your advert during childrens programmes. You must also take into account the number of people watching, as this will effect the cost. To produce an advert you must take into consideration how many adverts can you afford, as there would be no point in only being able to run your advert once and when will it be shown and is the advert its self correct? The advantages are that television reaches a large audience throughout the country and the adverts can make the product look much better than in print. The disadvantages are that it is extremely expensive. Radio This method of advertising is very similar as television adverting, but it is cheaper and sound is used instead of visual images. In a radio advert a theme tune is used. The disadvantages are that people may switch station when the advert comes on, if there is poor reception then the listener may miss the advert. The advantages are cheaper than television, large audiences can be reached, this type of advertising is very good for local shops and the advert can be repeated many times.

River Pattern Classification System

River Pattern Classification System Abstract A new empirical river pattern classification system is established based on the generalization of the famous Darcy-Weisbach equation. A parameter ψ for representing river shape is derived and defined as the river pattern discriminant criteria. After transformation, the discriminant thresholds are expressed as dimensionless form relating the resistance factor to the relative roughness factor of the channel, which reflect the channel slope, sediment size, bank strength and channel geometry integrated. Adopting the most promising discriminant mode that combines both regime theory and linear stability theory, a threshold function is used to separate single-thread channels (including straight and meandering) from multi-thread channels, and another one is employed to distinguish stable and unstable multi-thread channels (i.e., anabranching and braided) in this paper. A novel bank strength impact factor (ÃŽ ¼) is proposed herein and turns out to be rather representative. Some channel pat terns are redefined using this method and proved to be reasonable enough. Analysis of various data sets reveals that riparian vegetation condition is a sensitive part of this classification system, in particular for single-thread channels, but not braided channels, because overlarge width-depth ratio(W/d) would have strongly weaken this impact. Moreover, we support that transient anabranching or braiding pattern could also occur in single-thread typical zone following external disturbance, but would eventually go back dynamic equilibrium state. Despite some construction mechanism shortcomings, our discriminant method is supported by the selected existing data sets and could effectively distinguish three distinct types of channels by just a few hydrodynamic parameters. Keywords: river pattern; Darcy-Weisbach equation; river shape; bank strength 1 Introduction River pattern reveals the physical geometry and dynamic behavioral process of a river system (Schumm, 1985; Nanson and Knighton, 1996). It is well understood that an alluvial channel could adjust itself to the ever-changing water flow and sediment conditions. Thus river patterns could exhibit a series of continuous variations, described as straight, meandering and braided patterns in tradition (Leopold and Wolman, 1957). It is pretty necessary to distinguish several distinct types of channels for better understanding the consistent changing progresses of river channels in different environment conditions. Numerous classification schemes using discriminant functions have been proposed, based on a set of typical properties, such as discharge, channel slope, width-depth ratio, sediment grain size, etc. Noteworthy is that the still least well-known multi-thread river pattern, anabranching pattern, has been attracting considerable attention (e.g., Schumm, 1981, 1985; Nanson and Knighton, 1996; Wende and Nanson, 1998; Tooth and Nanson, 1999; Burge, 2006; Eaton et al., 2010; Kleinhans and van den Berg, 2011). It makes great contribution to the diversity of river systems (Wende and Nanson, 1998). Then based on tradition, following the popular discriminant mode and developing a novel river pattern discriminant method comprise the focus of this paper, and lead to the capture of different channel patterns, including single-thread, anabranching and braided. Many early empirical attempts used Leopold and Wolman (1957)’s method as base model, to improve understanding quantitative process of rive pattern transformation. Most of them focused on the critical discharge to construct discriminant function, later also included critical channel slope and bed grain size (Henderson, 1963; Millar, 2000). For a given bankfull discharge, braided usually corresponds to increased slope, while which in turn usually result in stronger sand transport rate, increased bank erosion and coarser bed surface sediment (Eaton et al., 2010). Due to powerful impediment that almost all channel properties have been varying desultorystrickly or methodically with flow progression downstream, some newly threshold schemes successively appear on related research hotspot topics, of which critical specific stream power(Nanson and Croke, 1992; Van den Berg, 1995; Lewin and Brewer, 2001; Petit et al., 2005) is outstanding. It can be viewed as a potential status with max imum flow energy and minimum sinuosity condition (Van den Berg, 1995). The classification between braided and meandering channels with high sinuosity in unconfined alluvial floodplains is well acceptable. But the argument about it also exists all the while. Lewin and Brewer (2001) argued that the analysis of potential bankfull stream power and grain size by Van den Berg (1995) is virtually ineffective; the classification of river pattern should not be limited to obtain an all-sided discriminant method, but the thresholds integrated with patterning process domain. Petit et al. (2005) conducted experiments on different sized rivers and concluded that critical specific stream power is the smallest for the largest river, while turns to the higher value in intermediate rivers, then becomes the highest in head water streams. The reasons are down to the bedform’s larger resistance that consumes energy for bedload transport. Recently, Kleinhans (2010) emphasized that channel pattern is directly bound up with the presence of bars. Then, Kleinhans and van den Berg (2011) combined the empirical stream power-based discrimination method and a physics-based bar pattern prediction method to undertake bold exploration about the underlying reasons of different river channel patterns. It was found that the range of specific potential stream power is rather narrow in gravel-bed meandering channel due to nonlinearity of sediment transport; anabranching channel is irrelevant to stream power but subject to additional factors such as bank strength, lateral confinement, avulsion, and vertical morphodynamics change; river pattern can actually be defined by bar pattern, channel division number, and bifurcation condition. The features common in empirical methods are that more is based on statistical correlation derivation, less to clearly expound inherent processes for discriminating river pattern. These models may really be questioned about application to broader scope, due to original data restrictions. Considering the shortcomings, many researchers have been contributing to develop physically based theories, and explore the relationship variables controlling river evolution process and pattern. Leading theories are regime theory and linear stability models. Rational regime model is developed for predicting reach-averaged channel pattern response to the controlled environment variables in equilibrium, such as width-depth ratio, relative roughness and channel slope (Eaton et al., 2004). This concept employs optimization theory to achieve relative stability of the fluvial system by assessing the resistance and energy expenditure, meanwhile adjusting channel geometry to given flow conditions (Valentine et al., 2001; Huang et al., 2004). It has been proved much more successful than statistical empirical equations in predicting the variation of width and slope along downstream area and helping understanding the influence of bank stability on channel geometry (Chew and Ashmore, 2001; Millar and Eaton, 2011). While, linear stability models are used for discriminating river pattern which based on physically morphodynamic equations. This theory explains that meandering is formed along with bend instability from planimetric perturbation (van Dijk et al., 2012). As perturbation propagates downstream, pattern transition towards braided occurs associated with multiple bars. In addition, this theoretical method could predict the threshold that bifurcation occurs by width-depth ratio (W/d) (Parsons et al., 2007; Crosato and Mosselman, 2009). A significant disadvantage in this theory is that we cannot establish a typical relationship about channel geometries, such as slope with discharge and sediment size, only if the channel dimensions have been obtained (Eaton et al., 2010). However, when combining regime theory with linear stability models, means that morphodynamic condition and fluvial system stability are together considered to describe pattern transition progress, has recently been given particular attention, represented by Eaton (Eaton and Church, 2004; Eaton, 2006; Eaton et al., 2004, 2010). In this paper, we attempt to develop a physical based classification system combining regime theory and linear stability theory, just like Eaton et al. (2010). A threshold could be used to distinguish single-thread and stable multi-thread channels, and another one could be used to distinguish stable and unstable multi-thread channels, from a stability perspective. However, when rereading the original work by Eaton et al. (2010), some limitations of subjectivity becomes clear that a threshold value of W/d =50 originally recommended for discriminating braided channels was employed to derive bifurcation criteria, and the number of channel divisions exceeding four was subjectively assumed as the beginning of system instability. We hold that this treatment should be regarded warily due to lack of absolute objective stability or instability criterion in fact. We turn in another new way. The famous Darcy-Weisbach equation (Weisbach, 1848; Darcy, 1857) is generalized from artificial rectangular channel case to natural alluvial channel cases and expressed as functions of assumed river shape parameter, resistance factor and relative roughness factor. A relevant scatter diagram reveals that several typical channel patterns correspond to differentiable distribution mode. Based on strictly fitting, river shape parameter is determined and defined as river pattern discrimination criterion. After transformation, we develop a new dimensionless style threshold for distinguishing different river patterns. Then the classification system based on two dimensionless threshold equations is established. However, it is also, by necessary, practically restricted to certain subjectivity, especially the judgment of system instability. Considering the data fitting dependency, this method may be better treated as an empirical method.

Fixed and random effects of panel data analysis

Fixed and random effects of panel data analysis Panel data (also known as longitudinal or cross-sectional time-series data) is a dataset in which the behavior of entities are observed across time. With panel data you can include variables at different levels of analysis (i.e. students, schools, districts, states) suitable for multilevel or hierarchical modeling. In this document we focus on two techniques use to analyze panel data:_DONE_ Fixed effects Random effects FE explore the relationship between predictor and outcome variables within an entity (country, person, company, etc.). Each entity has its own individual characteristics that may or may not influence the predictor variables (for example being a male or female could influence the opinion toward certain issue or the political system of a particular country could have some effect on trade or GDP or the business practices of a company may influence its stock price). When using FE we assume that something within the individual may impact or bias the predictor or outcome variables and we need to control for this. This is the rationale behind the assumption of the correlation between entitys error term and predictor variables. FE remove the effect of those time-invariant characteristics from the predictor variables so we can assess the predictors net effect. _DONE_ Another important assumption of the FE model is that those time-invariant characteristics are unique to the individual and should not be correlated with other individual characteristics. Each entity is different therefore the entitys error term and the constant (which captures individual characteristics) should not be correlated with the others. If the error terms are correlated then FE is no suitable since inferences may not be correct and you need to model that relationship (probably using random-effects), this is the main rationale for the Hausmantest (presented later on in this document). The equation for the fixed effects model becomes: Yit= ÃŽÂ ²1Xit+ ÃŽÂ ±i+ uit[eq.1] Where ÃŽÂ ±i(i=1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.n) is the unknown intercept for each entity (nentity-specific intercepts). Yitis the dependent variable (DV) where i= entity and t= time. Xitrepresents one independent variable (IV), ÃŽÂ ²1 is the coefficient for that IV, uitis the error term _DONE_ Random effects assume that the entitys error term is not correlated with the predictors which allows for time-invariant variables to play a role as explanatory variables. In random-effects you need to specify those individual characteristics that may or may not influence the predictor variables. The problem with this is that some variables may not be available therefore leading to omitted variable bias in the model. RE allows to generalize the inferences beyond the sample used in the model. To decide between fixed or random effects you can run a Hausman test where the null hypothesis is that the preferred model is random effects vs. the alternative the fixed effects (see Green, 2008, chapter 9). It basically tests whether the unique errors (ui) are correlated with the regressors, the null hypothesis is they are not. Testing for random effects: Breusch-Pagan Lagrange multiplier (LM)The LM test helps you decide between a random effects regression and a simple OLS regression. The null hypothesis in the LM test is that variances across entities is zero. This is, no significant difference across units (i.e. no panel effect). Here we failed to reject the null and conclude that random effects is not appropriate. This is, no evidence of significant differences across countries, therefore you can run a simple OLS regression. EC968 Panel Data Analysis Steve Pudney ISER University of Essex 2007 Panel data are a form of longitudinal data, involving regularly repeated observations on the same individuals Individuals may be people, households, firms, areas, etc Repeat observations may be different time periods or units within clusters (e.g. workers within firms; siblings within twin pairs)+DONE_ Some terminology A balanced panel has the same number of time observations (T) on each of the n individuals An unbalanced panel has different numbers of time observations (Ti) on each individual A compact panel covers only consecutive time periods for each individual there are no gaps Attrition is the process of drop-out of individuals from the panel, leading to an unbalanced and possibly non-compact panel A short panel has a large number of individuals but few time observations on each, (e.g. BHPS has 5,500 households and 13 waves) A long panel has a long run of time observations on each individual, permitting separate time-series analysis for each_DONE_ Advantages of panel data With panel data: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ We can study dynamics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The sequence of events in time helps to reveal causation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ We can allow for time-invariant unobservable variables BUTà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Variation between people usually far exceeds variation over time for an individual à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ a panel with T waves doesnt give T times the information of a cross-section à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Variation over time may not exist or may be inflated by measurement error à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Panel data imposes a fixed timing structure; continuoustime survival analysis may be more informative Panel Data Analysis Advantages and Challenges Cheng Hsiao May 2006 IEPR WORKING PAPER 06.49 Panel data or longitudinal data typically refer to data containing time series observations of a number of individuals. Therefore, observations in panel data involve at least two dimensions; a cross-sectional dimension, indicated by subscript i, and a time series dimension, indicated by subscript t. However, panel data could have a more complicated clustering or hierarchical structure. For instance, variable y may be the measurement of the level of air pollution at station _ in city j of country i at time t (e.g. Antweiler (2001), Davis (1999)). For ease of exposition, I shall confine my presentation to a balanced panel involving N cross-sectional units, i = 1, . . .,N, over T time periods, t = 1, . . ., T._DONE_ There are at least three factors contributing to the geometric growth of panel data studies. (i) data availability, (ii) greater capacity for modeling the complexity of human behavior than a single cross-section or time series data, and (iii) challenging methodology. Advantages of Panel Data Panel data, by blending the inter-individual differences and intra-individual dynamics have several advantages over cross-sectional or time-series data: (i) More accurate inference of model parameters. Panel data usually contain more degrees of freedom and more sample variability than cross-sectional data which may be viewed as a panel with T = 1, or time series data which is a panel with N = 1, hence improving the efficiency of econometric estimates (e.g. Hsiao, Mountain and Ho-Illman (1995)._DONE_ (ii) Greater capacity for capturing the complexity of human behavior than a single cross-section or time series data. These include: (ii.a) Constructing and testing more complicated behavioral hypotheses. For instance, consider the example of Ben-Porath (1973) that a cross-sectional sample of married women was found to have an average yearly labor-force participation rate of 50 percent. These could be the outcome of random draws from a homogeneous population or could be draws from heterogeneous populations in which 50% were from the population who always work and 50% never work. If the sample was from the former, each woman would be expected to spend half of her married life in the labor force and half out of the labor force. The job turnover rate would be expected to be frequent and 3 the average job duration would be about two years. If the sample was from the latter, there is no turnover. The current information about a womans work status is a perfect predictor of her future work status. A cross-sectional data is not able to distinguish between these two possibilities, but panel data can because the sequential observations for a number of women contain information about their labor participation in different subintervals of their life cycle. Another example is the evaluation of the effectiveness of social programs (e.g. Heckman, Ichimura, Smith and Toda (1998), Hsiao, Shen, Wang and Wang (2005), Rosenbaum and Rubin (1985). Evaluating the effectiveness of certain programs using cross-sectional sample typically suffers from the fact that those receiving treatment are different from those without. In other words, one does not simultaneously observe what happens to an individual when she receives the treatment or when she does not. An individual is observed as either receiving treatment or not receiving treatment. Using the difference between the treatment group and control group could suffer from two sources of biases, selection bias due to differences in observable factors between the treatment and control groups and selection bias due to endogeneity of participation in treatment. For instance, Northern Territory (NT) in Australia decriminalized possession of small amount of marijuana in 1996. Evaluating the effects of decriminalization on marijuana smoking behavior by comparing the differences between NT and other states that were still non-decriminalized could suffer from either or both sorts of bias. If panel data over this time period are available, it would allow the possibility of observing the before- and affect-effects on individuals of decriminalization as well as providing the possibility of isolating the effects of treatment from other factors affecting the outcome. 4 (ii.b) Controlling the impact of omitted variables. It is frequently argued that the real reason one finds (or does not find) certain effects is due to ignoring the effects of certain variables in ones model specification which are correlated with the included explanatory variables. Panel data contain information on both the intertemporal dynamics and the individuality of the entities may allow one to control the effects of missing or unobserved variables. For instance, MaCurdys (1981) life-cycle labor supply model under certainty implies that because the logarithm of a workers hours worked is a linear function of the logarithm of her wage rate and the logarithm of workers marginal utility of initial wealth, leaving out the logarithm of the workers marginal utility of initial wealth from the regression of hours worked on wage rate because it is unobserved can lead to seriously biased inference on the wage elasticity on hours worked since initial wealth is likely to be correlated with wage rate. However, since a workers marginal utility of initial wealth stays constant over time, if time series observations of an individual are available, one can take the difference of a workers labor supply equation over time to eliminate the effect of marginal utility of initial wealth on hours worked. The rate of change of an individuals hours worked now depends only on the rate of change of her wage rate. It no longer depends on her marginal utility of initial wealth._DONE_ (ii.c) Uncovering dynamic relationships. Economic behavior is inherently dynamic so that most econometrically interesting relationship are explicitly or implicitly dynamic. (Nerlove (2002)). However, the estimation of time-adjustment pattern using time series data often has to rely on arbitrary prior restrictions such as Koyck or Almon distributed lag models because time series observations of current and lagged variables are likely to be highly collinear (e.g. Griliches (1967)). With panel 5 data, we can rely on the inter-individual differences to reduce the collinearity between current and lag variables to estimate unrestricted time-adjustment patterns (e.g. Pakes and Griliches (1984))._DONE_ (ii.d) Generating more accurate predictions for individual outcomes by pooling the data rather than generating predictions of individual outcomes using the data on the individual in question. If individual behaviors are similar conditional on certain variables, panel data provide the possibility of learning an individuals behavior by observing the behavior of others. Thus, it is possible to obtain a more accurate description of an individuals behavior by supplementing observations of the individual in question with data on other individuals (e.g. Hsiao, Appelbe and Dineen (1993), Hsiao, Chan, Mountain and Tsui (1989)). (ii.e) Providing micro foundations for aggregate data analysis. Aggregate data analysis often invokes the representative agent assumption. However, if micro units are heterogeneous, not only can the time series properties of aggregate data be very different from those of disaggregate data (e.g., Granger (1990); Lewbel (1992); Pesaran (2003)), but policy evaluation based on aggregate data may be grossly misleading. Furthermore, the prediction of aggregate outcomes using aggregate data can be less accurate than the prediction based on micro-equations (e.g., Hsiao, Shen and Fujiki (2005)). Panel data containing time series observations for a number of individuals is ideal for investigating the homogeneity versus heterogeneity issue. (iii) Simplifying computation and statistical inference. Panel data involve at least two dimensions, a cross-sectional dimension and a time series dimension. Under normal circumstances one would expect that the 6 computation of panel data estimator or inference would be more complicated than cross-sectional or time series data. However, in certain cases, the availability of panel data actually simplifies computation and inference. For instance: (iii.a) Analysis of nonstationary time series. When time series data are not stationary, the large sample approximation of the distributions of the least-squares or maximum likelihood estimators are no longer normally distributed, (e.g. Anderson (1959), Dickey and Fuller (1979,81), Phillips and Durlauf (1986)). But if panel data are available, and observations among cross-sectional units are independent, then one can invoke the central limit theorem across cross-sectional units to show that the limiting distributions of many estimators remain asymptotically normal (e.g. Binder, Hsiao and Pesaran (2005), Levin, Lin and Chu (2002), Im, Pesaran and Shin (2004), Phillips and Moon (1999)). (iii.b) Measurement errors. Measurement errors can lead to under-identification of an econometric model (e.g. Aigner, Hsiao, Kapteyn and Wansbeek (1985)). The availability of multiple observations for a given individual or at a given time may allow a researcher to make different transformations to induce different and deducible changes in the estimators, hence to identify an otherwise unidentified model (e.g. Biorn (1992), Griliches and Hausman (1986), Wansbeek and Koning (1989)). (iii.c) Dynamic Tobit models. When a variable is truncated or censored, the actual realized value is unobserved. If an outcome variable depends on previous realized value and the previous realized value are unobserved, one has to take integration over the truncated range to obtain the likelihood of observables. In a dynamic framework with multiple missing values, the multiple 7 integration is computationally unfeasible. With panel data, the problem can be simplified by only focusing on the subsample in which previous realized values are observed (e.g. Arellano, Bover, and Labeager (1999)). The advantages of random effects (RE) specification are: (a) The number of parameters stay constant when sample size increases. (b) It allows the derivation of efficient 10 estimators that make use of both within and between (group) variation. (c) It allows the estimation of the impact of time-invariant variables. The disadvantage is that one has to specify a conditional density of ÃŽÂ ±i given x Ëœ _ i = (x Ëœ it, . . ., x ËœiT ), f(ÃŽÂ ±i | x Ëœ i), while ÃŽÂ ±i are unobservable. A common assumption is that f(ÃŽÂ ±i | x Ëœi) is identical to the marginal density f(ÃŽÂ ±i). However, if the effects are correlated with x Ëœit or if there is a fundamental difference among individual units, i.e., conditional on x Ëœit, yit cannot be viewed as a random draw from a common distribution, common RE model is misspecified and the resulting estimator is biased. The advantages of fixed effects (FE) specification are that it can allow the individualand/ or time specific effects to be correlated with explanatory variables x Ëœ it. Neither does it require an investigator to model their correlation patterns. The disadvantages of the FE specification are: (a) The number of unknown parameters increases with the number of sample observations. In the case when T (or N for ÃŽÂ »t) is finite, it introduces the classical incidental parameter problem (e.g. Neyman and Scott (1948)). (b) The FE estimator does not allow the estimation of the coefficients that are time-invariant. In order words, the advantages of RE specification are the disadvantages of FE specification and the disadvantages of RE specification are the advantages of FE specification. To choose between the two specifications, Hausman (1978) notes that if the FE estimator (or GMM), ˆ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¸_DONE_ ËœFE, is consistent whether ÃŽÂ ±i is fixed or random and the commonly used RE estimator (or GLS), ˆ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¸ ËœRE, is consistent and efficient only when ÃŽÂ ±i is indeed uncorrelated with x Ëœit and is inconsistent if ÃŽÂ ±i is correlated with x Ëœit. The advantage of RE specification is that there is no incidental parameter problem. The problem is that f(ÃŽÂ ±i | x Ëœ i) is in general unknown. If a wrong f(ÃŽÂ ±i | x Ëœi) is postulated, maximizing the wrong likelihood function will not yield consistent estimator of ÃŽÂ ² Ëœ . Moreover, the derivation of the marginal likelihood through multiple integration may be computationally infeasible. The advantage of FE specification is that there is no need to specify f(ÃŽÂ ±i | x Ëœ i). The likelihood function will be the product of individual likelihood (e.g. (4.28)) if the errors are i.i.d. The disadvantage is that it introduces incidental parameters. Longitudinal (Panel and Time Series Cross-Section) Data Nathaniel Beck Department of Politics NYU New York, NY 10012 [emailprotected] http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/beck/beck home.html Jan. 2004 What is longitudinal data? Observed over time as well as over space. Pure cross-section data has many limitations (Kramer, 1983). Problem is that only have one historical context. (Single) time series allows for multiple historical context, but for only one spatial location. Longitudinal data repeated observations on units observed over time Subset of hierarchical data observations that are correlated because there is some tie to same unit. E.g. in educational studies, where we observe student i in school u. Presumably there is some tie between the observations in the same school. In such data, observe yj,u where u indicates a unit and j indicates the jth observation drawn from that unit. Thus no relationship between yj,u and yj,u0 even though they have the same first subscript. In true longitudinal data, t represents comparable time. Generalized Least Squares An alternative is GLS. If is known (up to a scale factor), GLS is fully efficient and yields consistent estimates of the standard errors. The GLS estimates of _ are given by (X0à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1X) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1X0à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1Y (14) with estimated covariance matrix (X0à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1X) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 . (15) (Usually we simplify by finding some trick to just do a simple transform on the observations to make the resulting variance-covariance matrix of the errors satisfy the Gauss-Markov assumptions. Thus, the common Cochrane-Orcutt transformation to eliminate serial correlation of the errors is almost GLS, as is weighted regression to eliminate heteroskedasticity.) The problem is that is never known in practice (even up to a scale factor). Thus an estimate of , ˆ , is used in Equations 14 and 15. This procedure, FGLS, provides consistent estimates of _ if ˆ  is estimated by residuals computed from consistent estimates of _; OLS provides such consistent estimates. We denote the FGLS estimates of _ by Ëœ_. In finite samples FGLS underestimates sampling variability (for normal errors). The basic insight used by Freedman and Peters is that X0à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1X is a (weakly) concave function of . FGLS uses an estimate of , ˆ , in place of the true . As a consequence, the expectation of the FGLS variance, over possible realizations of ˆ , will be less than the variance, computed with the . This holds even if ˆ  is a consistent estimator of . The greater the variance of ˆ , the greater the downward bias. This problem is not severe if there are only a small number of parameters in the variance-covariance matrix to be estimated (as in Cochrane-Orcutt) but is severe if there are a lot of parameters relative to the amount of data. Beck TSCS Winter 2004 Class 1 8 ASIDE: Maximum likelihood would get this right, since we would estimate all parameters and take those into account. But with a large number of parameters in the error process, we would just see that ML is impossible. That would have been good. PANEL DATA ANALYSIS USING SAS ABU HASSAN SHAARI MOHD NOR Faculty of Economics and Business Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia [emailprotected] FAUZIAH MAAROF Faculty of Science Universiti Putra Malaysia [emailprotected] 2007 Advantages of panel data According to Baltagi (2001) there are several advantages of using panel data as compared to running the models using separate time series and cross section data. They are as follows: Large number of data points 2)Increase degrees of freedom reduce collinearity 3) Improve efficiency of estimates and 4) Broaden the scope of inference The Econometrics of Panel Data Michel Mouchart 1 Institut de statistique Università © catholique de Louvain (B) 3rd March 2004 1 text book Statistical modelling : benefits and limita- tions of panel data 1.5.1 Some characteristic features of P.D. Object of this subsection : features to bear in mind when modelling P.D. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size : often N (] of individual(s)) is large Ti (size of individual time series) is small thus:N >> Ti BUT this is not always the case ] of variables is large (often: multi-purpose survey) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sampling : often individuals are selected randomly Time is not rotating panels split panels _ : individuals are partly renewed at each period à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ non independent data among data relative to a same individual: because of unobservable characteristics of each individual among individuals : because of unobservable characteristics common to several individuals between time periods : because of dynamic behaviour CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 10 1.5.2 Some benefits from using P.D. a) Controlling for individual heterogeneity Example : state cigarette demand (Baltagi and Levin 1992) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Unit : 46 american states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time period : 1963-1988 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ endogenous variable : cigarette demand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ explanatory variables : lagged endogenous, price, income à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ consider other explanatory variables : Zi : time invariant religion ( ± stable over time) education etc. Wt state invariant TV and radio advertising (national campaign) Problem : many of these variables are not available This is HETEROGENEITY (also known as frailty) (remember !) omitted variable ) bias (unless very specific hypotheses) Solutions with P.D. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ dummies (specific to i and/or to t) WITHOUT killing the data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ differences w.r.t. to i-averages i.e. : yit 7! (yit à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢  ¯yi.)_DONE_ CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 11 b) more information data sets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ larger sample size due to pooling _ individual time dimension In the balanced case: NT observations In the unbalanced case: P1_i_N Ti observations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ more variability ! less collinearity (as is often the case in time series) often : variation between units is much larger than variation within units_DONE_ c) better to study the dynamics of adjustment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ distinguish repeated cross-sections : different individuals in different periods panel data : SAME individuals in different periods à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ cross-section : photograph at one period repeated cross-sections : different photographs at different periods only panel data to model HOW individuals ajust over time . This is crucial for: policy evaluation life-cycle models intergenerational models_DONE_ CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 12 d) Identification of parameters that would not be identified with pure cross-sections or pure time-series: example 1 : does union membership increase wage ? P.D. allows to model BOTH union membership and individual characteristics for the individuals who enter the union during the sample period. example 2 : identifying the turn-over in the female participation to the labour market. Notice: the female, or any other segment ! i.e. P.D. allows for more sophisticated behavioural models e) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ estimation of aggregation bias à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ often : more precise measurements at the micro level Comparing the Fixed Effect and the Ran- dom Effect Models 2.4.1 Comparing the hypotheses of the two Models The RE model and the FE model may be viewed within a hierarchical specification of a unique encompassing model. From this point of view, the two models are not fundamentally different, they rather correspond to different levels of analysis within a unique hierarchical framework. More specifically, from a Bayesian point of view, where all the variables (latent or manifest) and parameters are jointly endowed with a (unique) probability measure, one CHAPTER 2. ONE-WAY COMPONENT REGRESSION MODEL 37 may consider the complete specification of the law of (y, ÃŽÂ ¼, _ | Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) as follows: (y | ÃŽÂ ¼, _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) _ N( Z_ _ + ZÃŽÂ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼, _2 I(NT)) (2.64) (ÃŽÂ ¼ | _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) _ N(0, _2 ÃŽÂ ¼ I(N)) (2.65) (_ | Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) _ Q (2.66) where Q is an arbitrary prior probability on _ = (_, _2 , _2 ÃŽÂ ¼). Parenthetically, note that this complete specification assumes: y _2 ÃŽÂ ¼ | ÃŽÂ ¼, _, _2 , Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼ ÃŽÂ ¼(_, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) | _2 ÃŽÂ ¼ The above specification implies: (y | _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) _ N( Z_ _ , _2 ÃŽÂ ¼ ZÃŽÂ ¼ Z0ÃŽÂ ¼ + _2 I(NT)) (2.67) Thus the FE model, i.e. (2.64), considers the distribution of (y | ÃŽÂ ¼, _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) as the sampling distribution and the distributions of (ÃŽÂ ¼ | _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) and (_ | Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) as prior specification. The RE model, i.e. (2.67), considers the distribution of (y | _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) as the sampling distribution and the distribution of (_ | Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) as prior specification. Said differently, in the RE model, ÃŽÂ ¼ is treated as a latent (i.e. not obervable) variable whereas in the FE model ÃŽÂ ¼ is treated as an incidental parameter. Moreover, the RE model is obtained from the FE model through a marginalization with respect to ÃŽÂ ¼. These remarks make clear that the FE model and the RE model should be expected to display different sampling properties. Also, the inference on ÃŽÂ ¼ is an estimation problem in the FE model whereas it is a prediction problem in the RE model: the difference between these two problems regards the difference in the relevant sampling properties, i.e. w.r.t. the distribution of (y | ÃŽÂ ¼, _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼) or of (y | _, Z, ZÃŽÂ ¼), and eventually of the relevant risk functions, i.e. the sampling expectation of a loss due to an error between an estimated value and a (fixed) parameter or between a predicted value and the realization of a (latent) random variable. This fact does however not imply that both levels might be used indifferently. Indeed, from a sampling point of view: (i) the dimensions of the parameter spaces are drastically different. In the FE model, when N , the number of individuals, increases, the ÃŽÂ ¼i s being CHAPTER 2. ONE-WAY COMPONENT REGRESSION MODEL 38 incidental parameters also increases in number: each new individual introduces a new parameter.

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The story begins in the year 1984 in the nation of Oceania. Winston Smith is a low ranking Outer Party member working for a government system called the Party. The Party and it’s omniscient leader known as Big Brother, control everything including language, history, and it’s citizens. Everywhere Winston goes, he is being monitored by the Party through telescreens and by the Thought Police. The most recent implementation of the Party’s control over the nation has been the creation of Newspeak, an attempt to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words that relate to it. Rebellion is the ultimate crime a citizen can commit, and even thoughts about rebellion are illegal. While working in the Ministry of Truth, a branch of the Party that controls and alters history, Winston begins to question the validity of the Party and it’s doctrines. He wishes for privacy and freedom but cannot express these feelings without fear of the Thought Police, who patrol thoughts and punish people who think poorly of the Party or it’s leader. In order to escape the Party’s tyranny, at least in his...

Puritan :: essays research papers

US History Essay During the seventeenth century, the Puritans landed in New England to form the Massachusetts Bay colony. John Winthrop, the first Governor of the colony, saw the place as a political and religious refuge. He described it as â€Å"a city upon a hill.† In England, the Puritans were not free to practice their faith and were persecuted by the Anglican Church. The Puritans wanted to create an ideal society where they could practice religion at will. These people risked everything just so they could freely practice their faith. Their sole purpose in settling in America was to sustain and practice their religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Massachusetts Bay colony was very different from their counterpart, Jamestown. Jamestown colonists consisted of mainly single men who came to the New World to merely make money. These money-hungry profiteers were interested in milking the land for cash crops and other sources of revenue. The Puritans, on the other hand, formed communities where they could closely practice their faith together. They had a big focus on families and community worship. The Puritans also created a government, which was based on the idea of the rule of the majority. The Jamestown colony was not interested in making communities. The Puritans’ priorities were centered on their religion and the teaching of it. This is clearly shown in their focus of education. The purpose of education to them was to teach the children religious and moral values. This would prove to be a very good way to. Every community of 50 families had a teacher and every community of 100 families had a school. The Puritans emphasis on religious education supports the fact that they had moralistic plans for the New World. The Jamestown colonists, however, were not as concerned with education. Although the Puritans came to the New World for religious freedom, they did not accept people whose religious beliefs differed from those of the Puritans in the community. Anne Hutchinson, a religious reformer, held meetings at her house to read the Bible to puritan men and women.

1. Analyse Three Themes in the Novel Maru, Showing How These Themes Are Portrayed, How They Are Effective and How They Support Each Other as the Plot Progresses.

Born from a white mother and a black father, Bessie Head grew up in the early stages of Apartheid South Africa. In Maru she reflects upon her own experiences of love, loneliness and prejudice. Prejudice spreads as one discriminates against another and creates false images. Love contradicts loneliness, which diminishes as the plot progresses. Prejudice affects love and promotes loneliness. Initially one may assume that prejudice is only between different races. However, Bessie Head displays tribal prejudice through, â€Å"the expressions of disgust on the faces of the Batswana nurses as they wash the dead woman’s body for burial† (page 9-10).The nurses are reluctant to wash the dead woman’s body because she was Masarwa. Masarwas are considered as, â€Å"a low and filthy nation† (page 8), because they have decided to sustain their ancestral ways of life and customs. They have thus been pushed to the margin of society, â€Å"owned as slaves† (page 19), by the authoritative and affluent chiefs of the community. Being associated with Masarwa would infer that one stoops down to their level. For this reason, Moleka’s love for Margaret is suppressed. He loves her but is not keen to sacrifice his status for her.By, â€Å"[sharing] his plate of food and fork with one† (page 51), he wishes to show the community that Masarwa are equal to Batswana and eradicate the belief that they are non-human. Moleka attempts to terminate prejudice immediately. He does not understand that, â€Å"prejudice is like the skin of a snake. It has to be removed bit by bit† (age 48). This metaphor illustrates to the reader that change occurs over a long period of time. According to Moleka, this plate sharing becomes a symbol for the emancipation of the Masarwas and qualifies Margaret to be his equal.Moleka is a hypocrite because he wants to change other people’s attitudes towards Masarwa but he is not willing to walk down the aisle w ith Margaret. His prejudicial demeanours compel him to quash his feelings towards her. This shows that love does not always have the power to overcome prejudice. In addition, Margaret is lonely. Similar to Bessie Head, Margaret feels lost because she is unaware of where she belongs. Born a Masarwa but raised by an English woman,she is, â€Å"unable to fit into a definition of something as narrow as a tribe or race or nation† (page 11).Knowing which culture or group one belongs to defines a person. People discriminate against her because they do not know what she is. Margaret has no one to relate to. Nobody understands her. She lives in a village with magnitudes of people but in her heart she is alone. This is only until she encounters Moleka and experiences a, â€Å"bang! † (page 26), in her heart. This onomatopoeia is significant in Margaret’s life because it symbolises the beginning of her journey. She has always lived as a recluse but from this point onwards she instigates a presence that cannot be ignored.For the first time, she feels important because, â€Å"She [is] really no longer lonely† (page 26). Her relationship with Dikeledi is the closest Margaret comes to friendship. During her school career, Margaret is a brilliant, yet lonely student. The other students mock her by saying phrases such as, â€Å"you are just a bushman† (page 13). Prejudice, in this case causes loneliness. Bessie Head displays this throughout the novel. In Dilepe, Masarwa are slaves. When the news about Margaret being Masarwa spreads, she is ostracised by society because she is supposed to be a slave.Moreover, Maru’s marriage to Margaret appears to overcome her solitude. However, she still feels lonely due to the fact that she is not married to her first love, Moleka. She agrees to marry Maru because it is the only, â€Å"alternative to the living death into which she [has] so unexpectedly fallen† (page 120). Maru waits for the pe rfect moment, when Margaret loses her only companion and her first and only ‘love’, to propose marriage to her so that he appears to be her best option. He becomes her redeemer. Bessie Head uses the oxymoron, â€Å"living death† (page 120), to emphasize the severity of the situation Margaret finds herself in.It is so dreadful that it may be considered as fatal. She thinks that it is her decision to agree to marry Maru. Maru makes, â€Å"people do everything he [says] they [will]† (page 67). This brings into question whether he really loves Margaret or if he weds her in his attempt to conquer prejudice towards Masarwa. Maru realises that overcoming prejudice is a process that requires cautious planning. Furthermore, after the marriage between Maru and Margaret takes place, â€Å"a door silently [opens] on the small dark airless room in which their souls had been shut for a long time† (page 122).This metaphor describes the change that occurs as Maru h ad expected. The Masarwas are slowly being freed from the oppression that they have been subjected to. Bessie Head uses imagery, â€Å"small dark airless† (page 122), to give the reader an understanding of how the Masarwa suffer because of the Batswana. Love, loneliness and prejudice carry out a significant role in Margaret’s life. Bessie Head uses these three themes to demonstrate to the reader that in order to triumph one has to work hard and be strong.Margaret’s, â€Å"single abrupt tear from one eye† (page 18), shows that she, too, is human. Even though she is trained not to exhibit emotions her body unexpectedly displays her at moments when she is overwhelmed sensations that she does not understand nor come across before. In conclusion, where there is real love there is loneliness because and prejudice is one of the major entities that bring about loneliness in the novel. If there was no prejudice, there would have been fewer problems for everybody i n the town. Love is the source of happiness. 1. Analyse Three Themes in the Novel Maru, Showing How These Themes Are Portrayed, How They Are Effective and How They Support Each Other as the Plot Progresses. Born from a white mother and a black father, Bessie Head grew up in the early stages of Apartheid South Africa. In Maru she reflects upon her own experiences of love, loneliness and prejudice. Prejudice spreads as one discriminates against another and creates false images. Love contradicts loneliness, which diminishes as the plot progresses. Prejudice affects love and promotes loneliness. Initially one may assume that prejudice is only between different races. However, Bessie Head displays tribal prejudice through, â€Å"the expressions of disgust on the faces of the Batswana nurses as they wash the dead woman’s body for burial† (page 9-10).The nurses are reluctant to wash the dead woman’s body because she was Masarwa. Masarwas are considered as, â€Å"a low and filthy nation† (page 8), because they have decided to sustain their ancestral ways of life and customs. They have thus been pushed to the margin of society, â€Å"owned as slaves† (page 19), by the authoritative and affluent chiefs of the community. Being associated with Masarwa would infer that one stoops down to their level. For this reason, Moleka’s love for Margaret is suppressed. He loves her but is not keen to sacrifice his status for her.By, â€Å"[sharing] his plate of food and fork with one† (page 51), he wishes to show the community that Masarwa are equal to Batswana and eradicate the belief that they are non-human. Moleka attempts to terminate prejudice immediately. He does not understand that, â€Å"prejudice is like the skin of a snake. It has to be removed bit by bit† (age 48). This metaphor illustrates to the reader that change occurs over a long period of time. According to Moleka, this plate sharing becomes a symbol for the emancipation of the Masarwas and qualifies Margaret to be his equal.Moleka is a hypocrite because he wants to change other people’s attitudes towards Masarwa but he is not willing to walk down the aisle w ith Margaret. His prejudicial demeanours compel him to quash his feelings towards her. This shows that love does not always have the power to overcome prejudice. In addition, Margaret is lonely. Similar to Bessie Head, Margaret feels lost because she is unaware of where she belongs. Born a Masarwa but raised by an English woman,she is, â€Å"unable to fit into a definition of something as narrow as a tribe or race or nation† (page 11).Knowing which culture or group one belongs to defines a person. People discriminate against her because they do not know what she is. Margaret has no one to relate to. Nobody understands her. She lives in a village with magnitudes of people but in her heart she is alone. This is only until she encounters Moleka and experiences a, â€Å"bang! † (page 26), in her heart. This onomatopoeia is significant in Margaret’s life because it symbolises the beginning of her journey. She has always lived as a recluse but from this point onwards she instigates a presence that cannot be ignored.For the first time, she feels important because, â€Å"She [is] really no longer lonely† (page 26). Her relationship with Dikeledi is the closest Margaret comes to friendship. During her school career, Margaret is a brilliant, yet lonely student. The other students mock her by saying phrases such as, â€Å"you are just a bushman† (page 13). Prejudice, in this case causes loneliness. Bessie Head displays this throughout the novel. In Dilepe, Masarwa are slaves. When the news about Margaret being Masarwa spreads, she is ostracised by society because she is supposed to be a slave.Moreover, Maru’s marriage to Margaret appears to overcome her solitude. However, she still feels lonely due to the fact that she is not married to her first love, Moleka. She agrees to marry Maru because it is the only, â€Å"alternative to the living death into which she [has] so unexpectedly fallen† (page 120). Maru waits for the pe rfect moment, when Margaret loses her only companion and her first and only ‘love’, to propose marriage to her so that he appears to be her best option. He becomes her redeemer. Bessie Head uses the oxymoron, â€Å"living death† (page 120), to emphasize the severity of the situation Margaret finds herself in.It is so dreadful that it may be considered as fatal. She thinks that it is her decision to agree to marry Maru. Maru makes, â€Å"people do everything he [says] they [will]† (page 67). This brings into question whether he really loves Margaret or if he weds her in his attempt to conquer prejudice towards Masarwa. Maru realises that overcoming prejudice is a process that requires cautious planning. Furthermore, after the marriage between Maru and Margaret takes place, â€Å"a door silently [opens] on the small dark airless room in which their souls had been shut for a long time† (page 122).This metaphor describes the change that occurs as Maru h ad expected. The Masarwas are slowly being freed from the oppression that they have been subjected to. Bessie Head uses imagery, â€Å"small dark airless† (page 122), to give the reader an understanding of how the Masarwa suffer because of the Batswana. Love, loneliness and prejudice carry out a significant role in Margaret’s life. Bessie Head uses these three themes to demonstrate to the reader that in order to triumph one has to work hard and be strong.Margaret’s, â€Å"single abrupt tear from one eye† (page 18), shows that she, too, is human. Even though she is trained not to exhibit emotions her body unexpectedly displays her at moments when she is overwhelmed sensations that she does not understand nor come across before. In conclusion, where there is real love there is loneliness because and prejudice is one of the major entities that bring about loneliness in the novel. If there was no prejudice, there would have been fewer problems for everybody i n the town. Love is the source of happiness.