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Fatigue is a complex, multi-faceted symptom that can plague people at any stage of life. It is impacted by overall physical and mental health, by daily stresses and life events. But one of the most common and, at the same time, most troublesome times to experience fatigue is during menopause and the preceding perimenopause transition. What’s more, it often lasts for years, and its course is different for every woman. Menopause-related fatigue can be caused by changing estrogen levels, but it is often compounded by common symptoms. Chief among these are vasomotor symptoms, which are experienced by up to 80% of women and include hot flashes and night sweats that can disrupt sleep. Whatever the point of origin, this fatigue can impact both women’s personal and professional lives. With the proper support, however, treatment for fatigue during menopause can address the cascade of related symptoms and significantly improve quality of life. How Prevalent is Menopausal Fatigue? Fatigue and its associated cluster of symptoms are common during the menopause transition. A 2017 study identified fatigue as the most frequent symptom experienced by perimenopausal and menopausal women. However, fatigue is not a simple, straightforward symptom. Rather, it is an experience interwoven into many aspects of life and can manifest as low energy levels, lack of motivation, and even physical weakness. The impact on functionality and quality of life can be so significant that it has been identified as a top symptom relief priority for women negotiating the menopausal transition. The Complexity and Durability of Menopause-Related Fatigue Though a frequent complaint for middle-aged women in general, fatigue is especially common in those who are postmenopausal. Menopause, the point at which a woman’s menstrual cycles have been absent for twelve consecutive months, brings a range of common symptoms that includes hot flashes, mood swings, low sex drive, vaginal atrophy, and sleep disturbances. Though fatigue may be a primary symptom related to changing hormone levels, it is also influenced secondarily by other common symptoms such as night sweats, poor sleep quality, and changes in body composition. While menopause symptoms are short-lived in some women, for others they are enduring, causing discomfort and distress that lasts for years. The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) found that among the 44% of women who reported frequent menopausal symptoms, more than half of these lasted 7 years or more. The average duration of symptoms ranged from 10.1 years for African-American women to 4.8 years for Japanese women, with other ethnicities falling somewhere in between. These numbers indicate that the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause may disrupt women’s lives for a significant period of time and should be addressed as soon as possible to preserve long-term health and quality of life. Finding Effective Treatment for Fatigue During Menopause Though many women try to wait it out and do not seek treatment for menopause symptoms, this could mean years of discomfort. What’s more, addressing these symptoms may be easier than many expect. Today, there is a wide variety of lifestyle modifications and treatments that may positively impact fatigue and the cluster of related symptoms so common during menopause. These include: Hormone Replacement Therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) remains the gold standard of treatments for menopausal symptoms since it directly addresses their root cause: changing hormone levels. Thus, HRT may effectively treat fatigue and the symptoms that can exacerbate it. In particular, estrogen replacement is considered the most effective treatment for the vasomotor symptoms that tend to occur in concert with fatigue and can be instrumental in restoring energy levels. In one small study, progesterone therapy was also shown to have a positive effect on insomnia in peri- and postmenopausal women. The specific type of hormone therapy, point of initiation, and duration of treatment will vary case by case, but the key to successful treatment is finding a knowledgeable practitioner who can help you weigh the risks and benefits and provide a personalized treatment plan. Exercise Though somewhat counterintuitive because it involves the expenditure of energy, exercise is an investment in the prevention of and treatment for fatigue. Its influence on fatigue has been proven beneficial for conditions ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to chronic fatigue syndrome to cancer, to name just a few. And benefits may be achieved from a variety of exercise types, allowing you to choose a modality that works for you. One recent study of postmenopausal women aged 60 and over found that Pilates training improved sleep quality and decreased anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Meanwhile, yoga has been found to reduce insomnia symptoms, raise melatonin levels, and aid stress management and mood enhancement in menopausal and postmenopausal women. In fact, a meta-analysis that summarized 13 randomized controlled trials found yoga to be as effective as other exercise interventions for reducing menopausal symptoms. Supplements A variety of dietary supplements may prove helpful for menopause-related fatigue. Rhodiola rosea extracts, for example, have been demonstrated to boost energy and reduce fatigue. Through its hormone-balancing and anti-inflammatory properties, it may also have a protective effect against the cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis risks that increase with menopause. Another promising option is soy protein with isoflavones, which has been well-researched in randomized controlled trials and found to be effective for decreasing hot flashes without negative effects on hormone-sensitive cancers. It may also help to protect menopausal women against cardiovascular disease. Since serum melatonin levels decrease along with estrogen, low dose melatonin supplements have been found to help with menopause-related sleep problems. Better sleep quality can help to prevent fatigue. However, the top supplements for energy differ depending on your specific symptoms. Mind-Body Interventions Cognitive-behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis are noninvasive treatments that have proven effective in treating the troublesome symptoms of menopause, including insomnia and hot flashes. Another intervention that has shown promise is mindfulness-based stress reduction. Psychotropic Medication Several psychotropic pharmaceuticals may be prescribed to rapidly and successfully improve the vasomotor symptoms that contribute to sleeplessness and fatigue. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), both of which are commonly used as antidepressants. But while highly effective for many women, their potential side effects make them unsuitable for some. As women continue to seek and demand a better quality of life during and after menopause, research scientists will look for additional potential therapies. One such possibility is armodafinil, a long-acting drug primarily used for narcolepsy and has shown promise in the treatment of menopause-related fatigue in an open-label trial. With this broad range of treatment options, you can address menopause-related fatigue in a way that makes sense for you. Partnering with an Expert for the Best Results Women often think that menopausal symptoms are inevitable and just something they must live with. But that may not be the case. With the right strategies, you can take control of your symptoms and feel like yourself again. Reclaiming your life from menopause-related fatigue is most effective with input from an expert. Finding a practitioner with experience in women’s health issues—specifically one who specializes in hormonal health and menopause—is critical to finding and implementing real, durable solutions. The right provider can prescribe a reasoned, customized solution and advise you on complementary therapies and lifestyle changes that can help you end unnecessary suffering and enhance your quality of life for years to come. If menopausal fatigue and its associated symptoms are interfering with your life, BodyLogicMD can help. The practitioners in the BodyLogicMD network specialize in hormonal health and are experts in supporting women through the menopause transition using a personalized combination of hormone replacement, lifestyle recommendations, and complementary therapies. Contact a local practitioner to schedule your first appointment, or take the BodyLogicMD Hormone Balance Quiz to learn more about how hormones may be impacting your daily life. Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All content on this website is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases.	https://www.bodylogicmd.com/blog/what-is-the-most-effective-treatment-for-fatigue-during-menopause/
The research into the physiological effects of exercise performed in the human physiology lab can be divided into several aspects. We study the effects of physical activity and inactivity on health status and quality of life. These aspects are examined with a longitudinal study where pathophysiological mechanisms and preventive measures are included. Our research into the more practical aspects of exercise and training includes: the influence of exercise on free radical production. The practical application of blood ammonia determination in sports medicine, the effects of a nasal dilator, etc. Fundamental research is performed to examine the effects of exercise on brain neurotransmission, in order to link exercise with aspects such as 'central fatigue', neurodegenerative disorders (preventive aspect of exercise), exercise addiction and the antidepressant aspects of exercise. Longitudinal and epidemiological studies on possible mechanisms of 'overtraining' or underperformance are also performed.	https://cris.vub.be/en/organisations/human-physiology-and-special-physiology-of-physical-education(61e159de-b58a-48c0-8d6f-62840099b0c0).html
Background/Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition that affects the synovial membrane of the joints and is often associated with pain, fatigue, deformity, and significant limitations in meaningful occupations. This can lead to difficulty in performing activities of daily living and work duties or loss of social participation and relationships. This systematic review examined intervention studies to determine the efficacy of occupational therapy related interventions for adults with rheumatoid arthritis: What is the effectiveness of interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice on occupational performance (function), pain, fatigue, and depression in persons with rheumatoid arthritis? Methods: This systematic review evaluated intervention studies published from 2000-2014 identified from the Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, OTseeker, and Ergonomics Abstracts databases. Bibliographies from included articles and relevant journals were also hand searched. Inclusion criteria required interventions be within the scope of occupational therapy practice, studies be published in English and include adults with RA, and provide Levels I, II, or III evidence. Interventions focusing solely on the upper or lower extremities were not included. Remaining studies that met the inclusion criteria were divided into two general intervention themes, reviewed by teams, and rated on bias. The final analysis included 64 studies (25 physical activity and 39 psychoeducational interventions). Results: Strong evidence was found to support the use of aerobic exercise, resistive exercise, aquatic exercise, Tai Chi, and yoga. The results for dynamic exercise interventions were mixed. For the psychoeducational interventions, strong evidence was also found to support the use of patient education and self-management, cognitive-behavioral approaches, multidisciplinary approaches, and joint protection, while little or mixed evidence supported the use of assistive technology or emotional disclosure. Conclusion: While the evidence supports interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice, few interventions could be done within the constraints of current health care delivery models. Comments Poster presented at the University of New Mexico Occupational Therapy Research Day, Albuquerque, NM, April 20th, 2016.	https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ot/9/
A research study using intravenous nutrient therapy (often called intravenous micronutrient therapy) to treat fibromyalgia was published in the May-June 2007 issue of the Alternative Therapy Health Medicine journal. The objective of the study was "To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified Myers' formula of intravenous nutrient therapy on the symptoms of fibromyalgia in therapy-resistant FM patients." Although the research abstract did not detail the ingredients used in the modified Myers' formula, the combination generally used as a modified version of what has come to be known as the "Myers Cocktail" includes: magnesium, calcium, vitamins B5, B6, B12, B-complex, and C. Methods This small pilot clinical trial consisted of seven participants who all had long-standing fibromyalgia (eight years or more) and had tried conventional therapies, such as antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and exercise, without significant or lasting relief. Participants were given IVMT treatments once a week for eight weeks. Each week their pain levels, fatigue, and daily living activities were evaluated. Results Participants noted increased energy levels within 24-48 hours of the initial infusion. At the end of the study, all participants reported increased energy and activities of daily living as well as a 60% reduction in pain and an 80% decrease in fatigue. No participants, however, reported complete or lasting resolution of pain or fatigue. No side effects were reported. Additional IVMT Notes Anecdotal reports from doctors who regularly use IVMT to treat fibromyalgia indicate that patients need to continue a regular treatment schedule in order to maintain the reduction in pain and fatigue. However, usually the treatments can gradually be reduced from once a week to once a month. The modified Myers' Cocktail has also been found to be effective against acute asthma attacks, migraines, fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia, acute muscle spasm, upper respiratory tract infections, chronic sinusitis, seasonal allergic rhinitis, cardiovascular disease, and other disorders. The Myers' Cocktail Although each doctor may vary the ingredients slightly according to the needs of individual patients, following are the standard ingredients of the Myers' Cocktail: Magnesium chloride hexahydrate (200mg/ml) - 5 ml (1000 mg magnesium) Calcium gluconate (100mg/ml) - 3 ml (300 mg calcium) Hydroxocobalamin (B12) (1,000 mcg/ml) - 1 ml (1000 mcg) Pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6) (100 mg/ml) - 1 ml (100 mg) Dexpanthenol (B5) (250 mg/ml) - 1 ml (250 mg) B-complex 100*- 1 ml Vitamin C (500 mg/ml) - 5 ml (2500 mg) Sterile Water - 20 ml B-Complex 100 contains the following per each ml:	https://www.healthcentral.com/article/study-shows-intravenous-nutrient-therapy-improves-fibromyalgia-symptoms
Browsing Dahili Tıp Bilimleri Bölümü Makale Koleksiyonu by Department "Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon" Now showing items 1-20 of 85 - A Comparison of Results of 3-Dimensional Gait Analysis and Observational Gait Analysis in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis (Turkish Assoc Orthopaedics Traumatology, 2015)Objective: This study aimed to investigate levels of validity, and inter- and intra-observer reliability of observational gait analysis (OGA) in clinical usage, done by the physical therapists with varying clinical experience, ... - A Comparison of the Acute Effects of Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy, Ultrasound Therapy, and Exercise Therapy in Plantar Fasciitis (2018)This study was conducted to compare the acute effects of radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (r-ESWT), ultrasound (US) therapy and home exercise therapy on pain, fatigue, performance and walking distance in women with ... - - Active Cycle Of Breathing Techniques In Non-Invasive Ventilation For Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure (Australian Physiotherapy Assoc, 2004)We hypothesised that applying the active cycle of breathing techniques (ACBT) in patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure undergoing non-invasive ventilation would improve patient outcome. Thirty-four patients ... - Agreement of Turkish Physiatrists with The Assessment in Spondyloarthritis International Society and The European League Against Rheumatism Recommendations For The Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis (2012)Background: New developments in the field of targeted therapies or biologic agents led more effective management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recommendations for the management of rheumatic ... - - Approach To The Frail Elderly (Baycinar Medical Publ-Baycinar Tibbi Yayincilik, 2010)Frail elderly syndrome is a geriatric syndrome of increased vulnerability to stressors due to impairments in multiple interrelated systems. Common signs and symptoms are unintentional weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, ... - Association Of Bicipital Peritendinous Effusion With Subacromial Impingement: A Dynamic Ultrasonographic Study Of 337 Shoulders (2016)Bicipital peritendinous effusion (BPE) is the most common biceps tendon abnormality and can be related to various shoulder ultrasonographic findings. Since the association of BPE with subacromial impingement is unclear, ... - - - - Comment On Ultrasound Guidance For Botulinum Neurotoxin Chemodenervation Procedures. Toxins 2017, 10, 18—Quintessential Use Of Ultrasound Guidance For Botulinum Toxin Injections—Muscle Innervation Zone Targeting Revisited (2018)Recently, the importance of targeting structures during botulinum neurotoxin applications has been discussed in a variety of disorders, including spasticity and dystonia. In this respect, the advantages of ultrasound imaging ... - Comparing The Effectiveness Of Ultrasound-Guided Versus Blind Steroid Injection In The Treatment Of Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Tubitak Scientific & Technical Research Council Turkey, 2017)Background/aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-guided injection versus blind injection of corticosteroids in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Materials and methods: This ... - Comparison Of Emg Biofeedback And Johnstone Pressure Splints In Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (Galenos Yayincilik, 2010)Objective: This study was carried out to compare Johnstone pressure splints and electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback in addition to neurodevelopmental therapy on activities of daily living, sensory perception and motor ... - Comparison Of Pain, Kinesiophobia And Quality Of Life In Patients With Low Back And Neck Pain (2016)[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare patients with low back and neck pain with respect to kinesiophobia, pain, and quality of life. [Subjects and Methods] Three-hundred patients with low back (mean age ... - Comparison Of The Effects Of Patellar Tendon Bearing And Total Surface Bearing Sockets On Prosthetic Fitting And Rehabilitation (Int Soc Prosthet Orthotics, 2002)Patellar tendon bearing (PTB) and total surface bearing (TSB) sockets have been used respectively in the prosthetic treatment of 20 trans-tibial amputees to investigate the effectiveness of both sockets on prosthetic fitting ... - Comparison Of Three Different Sit And Reach Tests For Measurement Of Hamstring Flexibility In Female University Students (British Med Journal Publ Group, 2003)Background: The sit and reach test is the most common flexibility test used in health related fitness test batteries. Objective: To examine and compare three different sit and reach tests as a measure of hamstring flexibility ... - Compliance To Home-Based Exercise Therapy In Elderly Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis (Baycinar Medical Publ-Baycinar Tibbi Yayincilik, 2016)Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the compliance to home-based exercise regimen by elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients and methods: Between May 2012 and May 2013 year, a total of 72 patients ... - Comprehensive Isokinetic Knee Measurements And Quadriceps Tendon Evaluations In Footballers For Assessing Functional Performance (B M J Publishing Group, 2003)Objectives: To ascertain whether detailed isokinetic knee muscle testing reflects the results of other functional measurements in footballers and to look for any correlations between quadriceps tendon thickness and knee ...	http://www.openaccess.hacettepe.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/11655/507/browse?type=department&value=Fiziksel+T%C4%B1p+ve+Rehabilitasyon
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) was introduced by the Centers for Disease Control in 1988, however CFS has a long history in and out of the United States dating back to the eighteenth century. Prior to being known as CFS the condition was called Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome, Atypical Poliomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, Chronic Mononucleosis Syndrome and Iceland Disease; just to name a few. While it has been given numerous names, the complexity and severity of this ailment remain debilitating for its sufferers. It is characterized by serious and chronic fatigue that is not eased by rest, lasts for 6 months or longer, and is not directly attributed to any other diseases. Aside from chronic fatigue, there are several other indicators of this disease. To begin, the inception of tiredness impedes on normal activity and sufficient sleep does not lead to any feelings of rejuvenation. In addition, severe headaches, joint pain, forgetfulness, loss of concentration, confusion, irritability, sore throat, muscle aches, muscle weakness and tenderness in lymph nodes have all been described in relation to CFS. A medical diagnosis of this disease will require at least four of the symptoms above and the lack of any other sources known to cause extreme fatigue, aside from depression. While there are a number of tests that can be done to eliminate any other potential reasons for the symptoms, there are no tests that will positively verify that a patient has this condition. Often times, patients that suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will show positive results on MRI tests that indicate brain swelling or nerve cell destruction. In addition, there times when numbers of certain white blood cells are higher than others in the patient. While there is no explicit cure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, there are a number of treatment options available to help manage and ultimately overcome the disease. To clarify, some of the greatest treatment exercises begin with a healthy diet, and sleep management and relaxation techniques. Sleep management includes beginning and maintaining a night time regimen, avoiding naps during the day, regulating noise, temperature and light in your bedroom, avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bed time, and using the bedroom strictly for sex and rest. Furthermore, there are several therapy options that include Cognitive-behavioral Therapy, Graded Exercise Therapy, and pharmacologic therapies, among others. Antidepressants and other medications have also been prescribed to patients that can potentially benefit from such medications. Fortunately, there are several support group options available for people dealing with this lingering syndrome. Many virtual groups were started by patients dealing with the same issues and concerns surrounding this illness. There are numerous benefits to meeting with others that are also suffering from this illness. First, the group provides a comfortable environment for sharing stories, grievances, and successes related CFS. Also, groups can contain members that are in different stages of the ailment, therefore they can share experiences and methods for coping; they can also offer beneficial and up-to-date information to other members. When looking for support groups there are features that should be avoided and qualities that should stand out. Steer clear of groups that guarantee remedies, push for personal information from members, ask for expensive member dues or require that patients buy products from members or organizers. Instead, qualities to look for in support groups are that they have some longevity and include members that can attest to its benefits. Additionally, most support groups are free or ask for voluntary donations that will be used for the purpose of meeting, such as snacks and informational packets. The best way to find a good support group is by contacting your local hospitals or medical clinics. Patients struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome may be helped the most when standard treatment is coupled with cognitive behavior therapy or exercise therapy, new British research suggests. The apparent promise of cognitive behavior therapy and “graded exercise therapy” offers considerable hope to patients combating the complex condition characterized by profound tiredness, impaired concentration, diminished memory, sleep difficulties and muscle and joint pain, the study authors said. The findings also support the somewhat controversial notion that incremental adjustments in physical behavior and/or mental attitude can ultimately have a positive impact on the disorder, the authors said. The standard intervention, known as specialist medical care, is centered around giving patients information about their condition, advice on how to manage symptoms and assistance with coping approaches. The research team behind the new study found little appreciable benefit with a third alternate therapeutic approach that focuses on helping patients strictly structure their activity and relaxation routines to match their severely reduced energy levels. This strategy, known as “adaptive pacing therapy,” assumes that chronic fatigue syndrome is not, in fact, reversible with behavioral changes. “Patients who received either graded exercise therapy or cognitive behavior therapy reported less fatigue and better function than those who received either adaptive pacing therapy or specialist medical care alone,” said study author Dr. Peter D. White, a professor of psychological medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine, and a psychiatrist at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. White and his colleagues report their findings in the Feb. 18 online edition of The Lancet. The authors noted that it is not yet understood what gives rise to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The cognitive behavioral therapy targets the building fear and avoidance of activity that can exacerbate CFS. In effect, it seeks to break a vicious cycle in which mental inhibitions actually perpetuate and aggravate the underlying chronic fatigue. Exercise therapy, also known as “GET,” tries to reduce fatigue and disability by gradually helping patients increase their activity levels to improve their overall physical fitness. To explore which therapies or combinations of therapies might be best, 641 chronic fatigue patients from four different rehabilitation centers in Britain were divided up into one of four groups. Over the course of a year, all got standard specialist medical care, while three of the groups received one additional treatment: pacing therapy, cognitive therapy or exercise therapy. White and his team found the greatest improvements in terms of both fatigue levels and physical function were experienced by those patients who were treated with standard therapy in combination with either cognitive therapy or exercise therapy. What’s more, patients who got a combination of standard treatment and pacing therapy fared no better than those who got standard treatment alone. Specifically, 60 percent of the standard/cognitive or standard/GET patients experienced fatigue and function improvements, while 30 percent reported “normal levels” of fatigue and function. Half as many of the standard therapy alone or standard/pacing patients reported normal fatigue and function levels. White noted that all the treatments were equally safe, and serious reactions were rare. “Patients now have a choice of two moderately effective and safe treatments that can help them towards a healthier life,” he said. While there is no known cure for Chronic Fatigue syndrome, there are several options for coping, managing and ultimately overcoming this condition. Most importantly, there is support out there for patients who feel that they can benefit from a community of other patients. Just because there is not one direct remedy does not mean that this ailment cannot be overcome; all it takes is a little effort from the patient and guidance from a medical professional leading to the best routes for each patient.	http://sleepcare.com/?p=289
Rx drug information, pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, news, and more Following abrupt cessation of therapy with certain beta-blocking agents, exacerbations of angina pectoris and, in some cases, myocardial infarction have occurred. When discontinuing chronically administered TOPROL-XL, particularly in patients with ischemic heart disease, the dosage should be gradually reduced over a period of 1 - 2 weeks and the patient should be carefully monitored. If angina markedly worsens or acute coronary insufficiency develops, TOPROL-XL administration should be reinstated promptly, at least temporarily, and other measures appropriate for the management of unstable angina should be taken. Warn patients against interruption or discontinuation of therapy without the physician’s advice. Because coronary artery disease is common and may be unrecognized, it may be prudent not to discontinue TOPROL-XL therapy abruptly even in patients treated only for hypertension (5.1). TOPROL-XL, metoprolol succinate, is a beta1-selective (cardioselective) adrenoceptor blocking agent, for oral administration, available as extended-release tablets. TOPROL-XL has been formulated to provide a controlled and predictable release of metoprolol for once-daily administration. The tablets comprise a multiple unit system containing metoprolol succinate in a multitude of controlled release pellets. Each pellet acts as a separate drug delivery unit and is designed to deliver metoprolol continuously over the dosage interval. The tablets contain 23.75, 47.5, 95 and 190 mg of metoprolol succinate equivalent to 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg of metoprolol tartrate, USP, respectively. Its chemical name is (±)1- (isopropylamino)-3-[p-(2-methoxyethyl) phenoxy]-2-propanol succinate (2:1) (salt). TOPROL-XL, metoprolol succinate, is a beta1-selective adrenoceptor blocking agent. TOPROL-XL is indicated for the treatment of: Hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. (1.1) Angina Pectoris. (1.2) Heart Failure - for the treatment of stable, symptomatic (NYHA Class II or III) heart failure of ischemic, hypertensive, or cardiomyopathic origin. (1.3) TOPROL-XL is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes including metoprolol. Control of high blood pressure should be part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management, including, as appropriate, lipid control, diabetes management, antithrombotic therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, and limited sodium intake. Many patients will require more than 1 drug to achieve blood pressure goals. For specific advice on goals and management, see published guidelines, such as those of the National High Blood Pressure Education Programs Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC). Numerous antihypertensive drugs, from a variety of pharmacologic classes and with different mechanisms of action, have been shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and it can be concluded that it is blood pressure reduction, and not some other pharmacologic property of the drugs, that is largely responsible for those benefits. The largest and most consistent cardiovascular outcome benefit has been a reduction in the risk of stroke, but reductions in myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality also have been seen regularly. Elevated systolic or diastolic pressure causes increased cardiovascular risk, and the absolute risk increase per mmHg is greater at higher blood pressures, so that even modest reductions of severe hypertension can provide substantial benefit. Relative risk reduction from blood pressure reduction is similar across populations with varying absolute risk, so the absolute benefit is greater in patients who are at higher risk independent of their hypertension (for example, patients with diabetes or hyperlipidemia), and such patients would be expected to benefit from more aggressive treatment to a lower blood pressure goal. Some antihypertensive drugs have smaller blood pressure effects (as monotherapy) in black patients, and many antihypertensive drugs have additional approved indications and effects (eg, on angina, heart failure, or diabetic kidney disease). These considerations may guide selection of therapy. TOPROL-XL may be administered with other antihypertensive agents. TOPROL-XL is indicated in the long-term treatment of angina pectoris, to reduce angina attacks and to improve exercise tolerance. TOPROL-XL is indicated for the treatment of stable, symptomatic (NYHA Class II or III) heart failure of ischemic, hypertensive, or cardiomyopathic origin. It was studied in patients already receiving ACE inhibitors, diuretics, and, in the majority of cases, digitalis. In this population, TOPROL-XL decreased the rate of mortality plus hospitalization, largely through a reduction in cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations for heart failure. Effect of fixed dose combinations of metoprolol and amlodipine in essential hypertension: MARS ? A randomized controlled trial. [2011.12]Abstract Aim. To compare two strengths of a fixed drug combination (FDC) containing metoprolol XL and amlodipine (metoprolol/amlodipine 50/5; and metoprolol/amlodipine 25/2.5) with its components in hypertension... Endothelial function is unaffected by changing between carvedilol and metoprolol in patients with heart failure-a randomized study. [2011.10.15]ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Carvedilol has been shown to be superior to metoprolol tartrate to improve clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF), yet the mechanisms responsible for these differences remain unclear. We examined if there were differences in endothelial function, insulin stimulated endothelial function, 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate during treatment with carvedilol, metoprolol tartrate and metoprolol succinate in patients with HF... CONCLUSION: Endothelial function remained unchanged when switching the beta blocker treatment from carvedilol to either metoprolol tartrate or metoprolol succinate in this study, where blood pressure and heart rate also remained unchanged in patients with mild HF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials NCT00497003. beta-Blockers in patients with intermittent claudication and arterial hypertension: results from the nebivolol or metoprolol in arterial occlusive disease trial. [2011.08]The use of beta-receptor blockers in peripheral arterial disease is controversial for their impact on vasomotor tone... In the direct comparison, there was no significant difference between nebivolol and metoprolol. Differential effects of nebivolol and metoprolol on central aortic pressure and left ventricular wall thickness. [2011.06]The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the vasodilating beta-blocker nebivolol and the cardioselective beta-blocker metoprolol succinate on aortic blood pressure and left ventricular wall thickness... This proof-of-principle study provides evidence to suggest that beta-blockers with vasodilating properties may offer advantages over conventional beta-blockers in antihypertensive therapy; however, this remains to be tested in a larger trial. The effect of nebivolol versus metoprolol succinate extended release on asymmetric dimethylarginine in hypertension. [2011.05]This study sought to determine if metoprolol succinate ER (MET), and nebivolol (NEB), a beta1-AR with increased bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), would have differing effects on plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration in hypertensives. It was hypothesized that NEB, a beta1-AR antagonist and beta3-AR agonist with NO-releasing properties, and MET, only a beta1-AR antagonist, would have different effects on plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentration... Nebivolol Versus Metoprolol: Comparative Effects on Fatigue and Quality of Life [Completed] Beta-blockers are prescribed to millions of people for treatment of hypertension. Fatigue is a recognized and common side effect of beta-blockers that can have significant effects on quality of life. Worse, many people taking a beta-blocker for years are not even aware of the reduction of energy with which they are living. A new vasodilating beta-blocker, nebivolol, which is approved by the FDA for treatment of hypertension, appears to be far less associated with fatigue than are most currently available beta-blockers. The purpose of this study is to compare nebivolol with the current best-selling beta-blocker, metoprolol, and determine whether there is a significant difference in side effects including fatigue, reduced exertion tolerance, and reduced quality of life. In this study, 30 subjects will take each of the 2 study drugs for 8 weeks, consisting of 4 weeks at a lower dose, and 4 weeks ata higher dose. All dosages are FDA-approved for treatment of hypertension. Subjects and investigators will not know which drug is being administered until completion of the study. Subjects will undergo a treadmill stress test and will complete fatigue and quality of life questionnaires after each 4 weeks of treatment. An echocardiogram and non-invasive measurement of aortic blood pressure will be performed after 8 weeks on each drug. Also, blood will be drawn and stored for possible measurement of drug levels, after 4 and 8 weeks on each drug. Results on each drug will then be compared. If nebivolol is found to cause significantly less fatigue, it would be of substantial importance to the many millions of people who are on life-long beta-blocker therapy, and are living with reduced energy. Open-Labeled PK-PD Studies of Metoprolol ER [Not yet recruiting] Recently, the quality of generic metoprolol extended-release (ER) (Toprol XL, Activas,Wockhardt) products has been called into question with reports of inconsistent effects when switching from the brand name product to a generic formulation. Problems with how the body processes these drugs could have serious and widespread consequences given the high frequency of metoprolol ER use in the management of various cardiovascular disorders, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. Investigators hypothesize that both product- and subject-specific factors lead to variability in the way the body breaks down the drug (pharmacokinetics) and clinical response to generic versus name brand metoprolol ER formulation. Investigators will study the brand name and generic metoprolol ER formulations in subjects with high blood pressure to compare the pharmacokinetics and cardiovascular responses among equivalent labeled doses of each product. The study objective is to provide information on how the body breaks down generic and brand name metoprolol ER products (pharmacokinetics) and how the body responds to generic and brand name metoprolol ER products (pharmacodynamics) to better understand if generic metoprolol ER products are as good as the brand name product. Comparative Effects of Nebivolol and Metoprolol on Femal Sexual Function [Recruiting] Beta-blockers (BB) are an important treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease. However beta-blockers can cause sexual dysfunction (SD) and this common side effect limits successful use of this class of medications. Sexual side effects often result in drug discontinuation, compromising therapy goals. The investigators are conducting the study to determine if nebivolol, a newer beta blocker that is selective for receptors in the heart and causes vasodilation in the body causes fewer sexual side effects, or even improves sexual function, compared with metoprolol succinate. Factorial Study of Metoprolol Succinate TOPROL-XL (324A) [Completed] The purpose of this research study is to determine if treatment with the combination of metoprolol succinate and hydrochlorothiazide is more effective at lowering blood pressure than treatment with either of the two drugs alone. The study will also determine which combined doses of metoprolol succinate and hydrochlorothiazide are most effective at lowering blood pressure (without unacceptable side effects), and whether it is possible to combine both drugs in a single tablet to simplify blood pressure treatment. Bioequivalence Study of Metoprolol Succinate ER Tablets, 200 mg Under Fasting Conditions [Completed] Malaise (317), Drug Dose Omission (308), Hypertension (262), Myocardial Infarction (161), Drug Ineffective (139), Cerebrovascular Accident (138), Headache (121), Cardiac Disorder (113), Fall (109),	http://www.druglib.com/druginfo/toprol-xl/
Patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer rank nausea as the most concerning side effect associated with chemotherapy, according to a study presented at the 2017 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting.1 An important aspect of shared decision-making is patient preference of side effects associated with treatment. This analysis examined variations in preferences of patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer for different side effects associated with chemotherapy. In this trial, patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer with a decision for route of administration for adjuvant chemotherapy were randomly assigned to participate in a computer-based decision aid (PCOA) or standard discussion. The PCOA included an explanation of major side effects and their severity levels including nausea, vomiting, neuropathy, fatigue, and abdominal pain. Patients then ranked 4 side effects with their 3 possible severity levels using a visual analog scale (VAS) of 1 to 100, with 100 representing the least preferred. Quality of life was evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)-O-T01 for general, FACT-fatigue, and FACT/GOG-abdominal pain (AD) questionnaires. Among 56 patients who had complete preference data, the mean age was 58, 93% were Caucasian, and 80% were considered to be in good health. Mean preference ratings as measured using a VAS was 90 for severe nausea, 84 for pain, 74 for neuropathy, and 65 for fatigue. Mean quality of life scores were 66 for T01, 33 for FACT-fatigue, and 11 for FACT/GOG-AD. RELATED: Combined Liquid Pap and CT-DNA Testing May Detect Ovarian Cancer The results of this study indicate that patients are most concerned about nausea compared with other side effects of chemotherapy evaluated in this analysis. Reference - Mukamel DB, Wenzel L, Havrilesky LJ, et al. Variations in patient preferences over side effects of treatments for ovarian cancer: baseline results of a randomized controlled clinical trial. Paper presented at: 48th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology; March 12-15, 2017; National Harbor, MD.	https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/home/news/conference-coverage/society-of-gynecologic-oncology-sgo/sgo-2017/patients-with-ovarian-cancer-rank-nausea-as-most-concerning-chemotherapy-side-effect/
After stroke, people may experience various psychological difficulties. Many psychological interventions have been developed for these problems. The most frequently applied interventions include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques and methods. The aim of this study is to review the literature on CBT interventions for post-stroke psychological distress. Both English and Turkish articles from national and international databases are searched by filtering specified keywords without time criteria. As a result, 11 intervention studies in accordance with the inclusion criteria examined in terms of intervention content, sampling, method, control group type, findings. In most of studies, it can be seen that; few persons are included in the sample, most of them already had a control group, both behavioral and cognitive techniques of CBT are applied in 6 to 16 sessions and the effects of interventions on anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue and insomnia were observed. In most of the studies observed that there were significant improvements in depression, anxiety, insomnia and fatigue levels compared to the initial measurements on stroke patients who received CBT-based intervention. However, three studies which are focusing on depressive symptoms showed that the intervention was not effective. Some studies have also indicated that observed improvement cannot be maintained for a long time as a result of follow-up measurements. In the future, CBT-based interventions are likely to be an alternative and effective treatment in the treatment of post-stroke psychological problems by adding them to standard treatments.	https://nesnedergisi.com/ozet.php?dili=2&ref=1651337088&did=293
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States, with approximately 200,000 cases diagnosed each year. Depending on the extent of the cancer, some women may benefit from adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapy is a treatment that is added to increase the effectiveness of a primary therapy. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biologic therapy or hormonal therapy. These adjuvant treatments can be administered alone or in combination after surgery to increase the chances of curing the cancer or prolonging a remission. Breast cancer surgery and adjuvant therapy is often associated with side effects such as fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression. Following surgery complaints of stiffness, pulling, tightness, and a lack of flexibility are common. Often this occurs when the muscles and the skin are shortened because of the surgery, which can also leave scar tissue. Surgery can irritate the nerves. As a result some patients feel burning, tingling, or numbness. As a result, women often discontinue physical activity in an effort to cope with the side effects. However, this inactivity can actually sometimes exacerbate their condition, causing a decline in physical functioning and overall well being. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University conducted a clinical study to evaluate the effects of exercise on survival in women diagnosed with breast cancer. This study included nearly 2,300 women who were participants in the Nurses’ Health Study. All women had been diagnosed with stages I, II or III breast cancer between 1984-86 and followed for almost 20 years. Data indicated that the risk of death was decreased with physical activity, whether the amount of physical activity was modest or more intense, compared with being sedentary. The risk of death from breast cancer was decreased by 19% in women who had 3 to 8.9 met-hours per week of exercise; 54% in women who had 9 to 14.9 met-hours per week of exercise; 42% in women who had 15 to 23.9 met-hours per week of exercise; and 29% in women who had 24 or more met-hours per week of exercise. In terms of walking, this translates into a 19% reduced risk of death with just one hour of walking per week, and a 54% reduced risk of death with just 3 hours of walking per week.1 Researchers at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Center in Canada have also conducted a study to evaluate the effects of exercise on physical functioning and quality of life during adjuvant therapy. The study included 123 women with stages I and II breast cancer who were divided into three groups: usual care, self-directed exercise intervention, and supervised exercise intervention. Participants in the usual care group received general advice from their oncologist regarding the benefits of exercise. The self-directed exercise participants received a home exercise plan and were asked to exercise 5 times a week for 26 weeks. The supervised exercise group participated in a supervised exercise program 3 times a week for 26 weeks. The exercise consisted of moderate-level aerobic activity such as brisk walking. Both the self-directed exercisers and the supervised exercisers experienced a significant improvement in physical functioning and aerobic capacity. These groups of women were able to participate in physical activity while undergoing adjuvant therapy, without any reported adverse effects from the activity. The researchers evaluated the data for all women and also evaluated the data based on whether participants were receiving chemotherapy. Of the 123 women, 83 were receiving chemotherapy. While both exercising groups experienced improved physical functioning and aerobic capacity, these gains were slightly lower in women receiving chemotherapy. These studies suggest that physical activity following treatment for early stage breast cancer can reduce the risk of death and help diminish the negative side effects of breast cancer treatment, including reduced physical functioning, thus, improving quality of life for these patients. Women who have been diagnosed with early breast cancer should speak with their physician about the risks and benefits of different types of exercise and/or a specific exercise program to be implemented during and after treatment.1,2,3 Start an Exercise Program After Treatment for Cancer Exercise is good for our emotional health. It is one thing that you can control and do for yourself. It is empowering. Physical activity can decrease depression, fatigue, and anxiety. Participants in exercise programs reduce stress, increase confidence, and build positive health habits. The participants also gain endurance, increase their energy level, and decrease the fatigue that may be caused by treatments. Exercise Progression: Many variables determine the exercises that are safe and effective for your particular situation. Every day brings new challenges and new accomplishments for the cancer patient. It is important to be able to modify your exercises to fit your needs at a given time. Pain and fatigue levels can change from day to day and even from hour to hour. You may wake up feeling fine but may have increased fatigue as the day progresses. Track your energy levels throughout the day to determine the best time to schedule your exercise sessions. For example, if you have more energy in the afternoons, you should exercise in the afternoons. Exercise when your energy levels are high. Common sense and listening to your body are of utmost importance. You should not feel like you have to follow a set protocol or a strict schedule. Your routine must be customized due to the numerous physical and psychological side effects you may be experiencing. Both healing times and pain tolerance can differ greatly from one person to the next. Speed of recovery depends on your pre-surgery fitness level and the type of surgery and treatments. The progression and the timing of a cancer exercise program can be determined only after a thorough discussion between the patient and her healthcare provider. Relaxation Breathing: There is an emotional toll that cancer survivors face in addition to the physical one. A cancer diagnosis can cause depression, anger, anxiety, fear, and stress. Proper breathing techniques and stretching can improve the psychological recovery. For example, research has shown that breathing can help reduce stress and anxiety. When feeling stressed, we usually take shallow breaths. During breathing exercises, we use our full lung capacity and breathe slowly and deeply. You should be aware of your breathing, as it has a calming effect. Inhale for five seconds and fill the torso with air, then exhale from the lower abdomen for five seconds, pulling the navel in toward the spine. Imagine all of your tension and stress leaving your body with each exhalation. You should begin relaxation breathing immediately after surgery, as it allows you to focus all of your energy on healing. Stretching will restore mobility in the chest and back, which allows for freer movement of the lungs and the diaphragm. Aerobic Exercise: Aerobic exercise is essential for good health. This includes any movement that elevates your heart rate. As soon as you have medical clearance, you should start walking. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause fatigue. It may seem counterintuitive, but physical activity can help decrease fatigue and help you improve your ability to tolerate treatments. Walking can boost your energy. Even if you are able to walk only one house distance at first, every day try to walk a little farther until you are able to walk for 30 to 45 minutes. If this is not possible because of health issues, aim for 15 minutes one to three times a day. Try to exercise when you feel the least tired. You may feel exhausted at various times during treatment and recovery, especially during chemotherapy and radiation. When you feel better, try to do more. Ultimately, the workout will help energize you and ease your aches and pains. According to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, participation in an eight-week program of supervised aerobic exercise significantly improved the quality of life of women who had been treated for breast cancer. To explore the effects of exercise among women who have completed breast cancer treatment, researchers in the U.K. conducted a study among 108 women who were one to three years beyond the end of breast cancer treatment. Prior to the study, none of the women engaged in regular physical activity.Study participants were assigned to one of the three groups: - Supervised aerobic exercise therapy - Exercise-placebo (body conditioning) - Usual care Women assigned to the aerobic exercise group participated in one-on-one sessions with an exercise specialist three times per week for eight weeks. The sessions lasted for 50 minutes and involved moderate-intensity exercise.Women assigned to the exercise-placebo group also attended 50-minute sessions with an exercise specialist, but the sessions involved light-intensity body conditioning and stretching rather than aerobic exercise.Women in the usual care group continued their lives as usual.4 Nutritional Needs during Cancer Treatment Expert insight into eating well during cancer treatment Treatment & Management of Liver Cancer Surgery, liver directed therapies, immunotherapy and precision cancer medicines are used to treat liver cancers. - Compared to the women in the usual care group, women in the aerobic exercise group reported significantly better quality of life. - Psychological health outcomes were modestly improved in women in the two intervention groups (aerobic exercise and exercise-placebo) compared to women in the usual care group. The researchers conclude, “Exercise therapy had large, clinically meaningful, short-term beneficial effects on [quality of life] in women treated for breast cancer. Stretching: Stretching exercises developed with your physical therapist or an exercise professional trained in cancer recovery exercise should be performed every day for a year or longer, depending on your particular situation. The older you are, the more important daily stretching is to maintain flexibility. Commit to stretching regularly so that you gradually improve your posture, range of motion, and flexibility. First, warm up for five to 10 minutes by marching in place, or use a stationary bicycle while swinging your arms. Then perform the stretching exercises two to five times per day in the beginning of your recovery. Use only smooth, controlled, non-bouncy movements. All movements should be done slowly and with great concentration. Try to reach the maximum pain-free range of motion possible for you. Stretch slowly and allow the tissue to lengthen. Hold the stretch until you feel a little tension—but not to the point of pain. The goals are to restore joint mobility and break down residual scar tissue. Always feel free to modify any stretch to your ability by going only a fraction of the distance. At first you might suffer from fatigue and low endurance and might be able to exercise for only a short period of time. Every day you can lengthen the session. Patience and practice will pay off. As you get stronger, you can increase the length of the sessions. Once you have achieved an acceptable range of motion, it is usually necessary to continue the stretching program so that you can maintain that range of motion. If you have had radiation, stretching is very important to help keep your body flexible. Radiation typically causes additional tightening. The impact of radiation on the affected area can last for a year or longer after treatment has ended. - Keep Current With The CancerConnect Community Newsletter - Connect With Others In The CancerConnect Community To Share Information And Support Important: If you notice swelling or tenderness, contact your healthcare provider. Strength Training: Strength training improves balance and posture by increasing core strength. It can improve your quality of life by making activities easier and more enjoyable. It can also reduce the chance of injury and can empower you physically and mentally. Another reason to strength train is because chemotherapy can cause weight gain and can change the muscle-to-fat ratio. Strength training improves the muscle-to-fat ratio. We need to gain muscle mass, which can decrease during treatment, and we need to strengthen bones. Having more muscle increases metabolism. A pound of muscle burns twice as many calories as does a pound of fat, so strength training is a great way to help get your weight to a healthy level and keep it there. While diet is often the most critical factor for weight loss (and is beyond the scope of this article), strength training is a major factor as well. Many cancer treatments can increase the risk of osteoporosis. Strength training helps build strong bones. You need to learn which exercises are contraindicated for osteoporosis. For example, if you have or are at risk for osteoporosis, you should not do forward bends, abdominal crunches, or extreme twisting movements. Surgery can lead to weakness in the muscles of the chest, shoulders, abdomen, and back. Surgical patients need to rebuild strength in the affected areas and keep all the muscles in the body strong, as well as correct muscle imbalances. According to a study published in the journal Cancer, twice-weekly weight training improved quality of life among breast cancer survivors. To evaluate the effects of weight training on quality of life and symptoms of depression, researchers conducted a study among 86 breast cancer survivors. The women had completed treatment between four and 36 months before the study began. Roughly half the study participants were randomly assigned to participate in a weight training program. The remaining study participants formed the comparison group. The weight training program lasted for six months and consisted of workouts two times per week. For the first three months, women worked out in small groups and were supervised by fitness professionals. For the next three months, women continued to train on their own. The weight training program involved nine exercises using weight machines and free weights. These exercises targeted the muscles of the chest, back, shoulders, arms, buttocks, hips, and thighs.The average age of study participants was roughly 53 years. A majority of women had been diagnosed with stage I or stage II breast cancer. Compared to women in the comparison group, women in the weight training group experienced significant improvements in quality of life. - Women in the weight training group reported higher physical quality of life and higher psychosocial quality of life. - Improvements in quality of life were linked with increased upper body strength and increased lean body mass. - There was no difference between study groups in depressive symptoms. The researchers conclude, “Twice-weekly weight training for recent breast cancer survivors may result in improved [quality of life], in part via changes in body composition and strength." Pilates Yoga In a multiethnic study (42% African American and 31% Hispanic) breast cancer patients were assigned to participate in a yoga program or to receive usual care.7 Overall, women who participated in the yoga program experienced a smaller decline in social well-being than women who received usual care. In addition, among the women who were not currently receiving chemotherapy, yoga improved overall quality of life and mood. The exercise program evaluated gentle yet profound movement techniques combining the precision and the alignment of yoga, the core-strengthening methods of fitness, and the nonlinear, expansive nature of dance. The goal of the program is to build strength, gain flexibility, and restore balance. Here are three exercises from The Next Step: Restorative Exercises after Breast Cancer.8 By retrieving range of motion in creative ways, we truly can reach a place called “the best shape of our lives.” - Twist Sequence -This exercise can be done on a chair or a ball.*Inhale with your arms over your head, palms facing each other. Lengthen your spine as you keep your shoulders “reaching” down your back. Exhale as you gently twist to the left, placing your right hand on the outside of your left knee and your left hand behind you on the ball. Allow the twist to initiate from the belly (not the shoulders) and keep your head in line with the sternum. Hold this posture for three breaths. Inhale as you release your left hand and place it on your head. Exhale as you reach your elbow to the ceiling, stretching your triceps, armpit, and side ribs. Hold this posture for three breaths if you can. Repeat the sequence on the other side. - Camel Pose Variation - Sit on the front edge of a chair with your feet directly under your knees. Reach behind you and grab the sides of the chair back. If that is too much of a strain, slide your hands down and hold onto the seat of the chair anywhere that is comfortable. With your arms straight and your chin slightly tucked so that your neck stays long, lift your heart to the ceiling while your shoulder blades “reach” down your back. - Cat-Cow Variation - This exercise can be done on a chair or a ball. Inhale as you open your arms out to the sides, lift your heart to the ceiling, and extend your pelvis back behind you, creating a gentle arch in your spine. Exhale as you reverse the movement by bringing your pelvis forward, pulling your belly in toward your spine, and bringing your hands in toward your heart. The initiation of these movements comes from the abdominals. The shoulders, neck, and chin are not leading the movement but responding to the cues of your core. Matching breath with movement, do this sequence five times. - Keep Current With The CancerConnect Community Newsletter - Connect With Others In The CancerConnect Community To Share Information And Support References: - Holmes M, et al. Physical activity and survival after breast cancer diagnosis. Proceedings from the 95th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. March 2004. Abstract #1462. - Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 19, No 3, pp. 657-665, 2001 - Mutrie N, Campbell AM, Whyte F et al. Benefit of supervised group exercise program for women being treated for early stage breast cancer: pragmatic randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal [online publication]. February 16, 2007. - Daley AJ, Crank H, Saxton JM, Mutrie N, Coleman R, Roalfe A. Randomized trial of exercise therapy in women treated for breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2007;25:1713-1721. - Ohira T, Schmitz KH, Ahmed RL et al. Effects of Weight Training on Quality of Life in Recent Breast Cancer Survivors. The Weight Training for Breast Cancer Survivors (WTBS) Study. Cancer. Early Online Publication March 27, 2006. - Courneya KS, Segal RJ, Mackey JR et al. Effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology [early online publication]. September 4, 2007. - Moadel AB, Shah C, Wylie-Rosett J et al. Randomized controlled trial of yoga among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients: effects on quality of life. Journal of Clinical Oncology [early online publication]. September 4, 2007.	https://news.cancerconnect.com/survivorship/recovery-fitness-and-survivorship-from-breast-cancer
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of prostate cancer. Fatigue is a lack of energy that makes it harder to do the things you normally do every day. Some symptoms of fatigue are: - feeling tired and/or weak; - having less interest in activities; - having trouble concentrating; - feeling "down"; - feeling exhausted for no clear reason. There are not many drugs that are helpful in treating fatigue. However, one group of medications does seem to be useful. In this study, we, the investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will be using a psychostimulant called Ritalin. The aim of this study is to see if this drug is helpful in treating fatigue in prostate cancer. We are also studying the side effects of this medication. This study is open to men who have prostate cancer and report feeling fatigue. We will examine the impact of psychostimulant treatment on depressive symptom severity, neuropsychological test performance, and overall quality of life, as well as compare the frequency and severity of treatment associated adverse side effects. We will be conducting a six-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design trial, evaluating the relative benefits and risks of methylphenidate, (a psychostimulant medication). Medication will be given in once or twice daily dosages (at 8 am and noon) and titrated by one capsule every 2-3 days as needed to treat fatigue and as tolerated. Patients will be examined regularly for safety. We will monitor vital signs and response to the medication. This study will be the first of its kind to evaluate a pharmacologic intervention for fatigue in cancer patients that utilizes a novel psychotropic agent (psychostimulant), and assesses outcome with measures of fatigue, as well as side effects, psychological distress, depression and overall quality of life. Objectives: To study the efficacy of methylphenidate vs. placebo in the treatment of fatigue in ambulatory men with prostate cancer. To study the frequency and severity of adverse side effects associated with this psychostimulant drug. To study the effects of psychostimulant treatment for fatigue on related domains of psychosocial function and quality of life. Allocation: Randomized, Control: Placebo Control, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double-Blind, Primary Purpose: Treatment Fatigue Ritalin Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York New York United States 10021 Completed Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Published on BioPortfolio: 2014-08-27T03:52:09-0400 Long Duration Stimulant Treatment Study of Preschoolers With ADHD-Feasibility Study This study will evaluate if Ritalin LA™ is safe and effective for ADHD treatment in 4-to-5-year olds. A Multicenter Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of OROS® Methylphenidate HCl, Ritalin® (Methylphenidate HCl) and Placebo in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OROS® Methylphenidate HCl as compared with placebo and standard immediate-release Ritalin® (taken three time per day) ... Dopamine and Muscle Function in the Heat our goal is to study the effects of dopamine activity, using Ritalin ingestion, on neuromuscular function over the course of a progressive heating and cooling protocol developed in our lab... A Double-Blind Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study of Single Doses of OROS Methylphenidate Hydrochloride (CONCERTA) and Long-Acting Methylphenidate Hydrochloride (RITALIN LA) in Healthy Adults This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, three-period crossover study to examine the likeability of a single dose of OROS MPH (CONCERTAÒ 90mg) and a single dose of Long-acting MP... Pharmacokinetics of Two Extended-Release Formulations of Methylphenidate in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) This study is designed to provide pharmacokinetic data for the assessment of bioequivalence of Ritalin LA formulation compared to Medikinet ret. concerning plasma levels and efficacy measu... Compassion fatigue is an occupational hazard in the health care industry. Not the same as burnout syndrome (BOS), compassion fatigue affects patient care and personal lives. This article discusses the... Validation study of the Arabic version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-A). Fatigue is the most reported and most distressing symptom among patients with cancer. However, no questionnaire that measures fatigue and fatigue interference with life has been translated into Arabic... Psychometric Properties of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory MFI-20, Derived from Seven Samples. Fatigue is a frequent symptom in patients suffering from chronic diseases. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory MFI-20 is often used to measure fatigue. The aim of this article is to test the scale ... Minimally important difference of the fatigue severity scale and modified fatigue impact scale in people with multiple sclerosis. Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom of Multiple Sclerosis (MS); however, it is unknown what constitutes a clinically significant change in fatigue. Establishing the minimally important differ... Effects of fatigue on teams and their role in 24/7 operations. In 24/7 operations, fatigue from extended work hours and shift work is ubiquitous. Fatigue is a significant threat to performance, productivity, safety, and well-being, and strategies for managing fat... Muscle Fatigue A state arrived at through prolonged and strong contraction of a muscle. Studies in athletes during prolonged submaximal exercise have shown that muscle fatigue increases in almost direct proportion to the rate of muscle glycogen depletion. Muscle fatigue in short-term maximal exercise is associated with oxygen lack and an increased level of blood and muscle lactic acid, and an accompanying increase in hydrogen-ion concentration in the exercised muscle. Fibromyalgia A common nonarticular rheumatic syndrome characterized by myalgia and multiple points of focal muscle tenderness to palpation (trigger points). Muscle pain is typically aggravated by inactivity or exposure to cold. This condition is often associated with general symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, stiffness, HEADACHES, and occasionally DEPRESSION. There is significant overlap between fibromyalgia and the chronic fatigue syndrome (FATIGUE SYNDROME, CHRONIC). Fibromyalgia may arise as a primary or secondary disease process. It is most frequent in females aged 20 to 50 years. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1494-95) Alert Fatigue, Health Personnel Mental fatigue experienced by health care providers who encounter numerous alerts and reminders from the use of CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS. As the numbers of alerts and reminders designed to provide meaningful assistance to the patient care process increases, many health personnel may ignore them. Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic A syndrome characterized by persistent or recurrent fatigue, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, and subjective cognitive impairment of 6 months duration or longer. Symptoms are not caused by ongoing exertion; are not relieved by rest; and result in a substantial reduction of previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities. Minor alterations of immune, neuroendocrine, and autonomic function may be associated with this syndrome. There is also considerable overlap between this condition and FIBROMYALGIA. (From Semin Neurol 1998;18(2):237-42; Ann Intern Med 1994 Dec 15;121(12): 953-9) Neurasthenia A mental disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and concomitant physiologic symptoms. Quick Links Advanced Search \| Login \| Subscribe \| RSS Urology Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Erectile Dysfunction Urology Urology is the branch of medicine concerned with the urinary tract and diseases that affect it. Examples include urethritis, urethrostenosis and incontinence. Urology is a su... Head and neck cancers Cancer can occur in any of the tissues or organs in the head and neck. There are over 30 different places that cancer can develop in the head and neck area. Mouth cancers (oral cancers) - Mouth cancer can develop on the lip, the tongue, the floor... Drug Discovery Clinical Approvals Clinical Trials Drug Approvals Drug Delivery Drug Discovery Generics Drugs Prescription Drugs In the fields of medicine, biotechnology and pharmacology, drug discovery is the process by which drugs are dis...	https://www.bioportfolio.com/resources/trial/117639/Psychostimulants-for-Fatigue-in-Prostate-Cancer.html
Rising Tides of Protectionism Will Cause More Harm than Good Beyond political rhetoric, the question is whether the current trend is indeed ominous of growing protectionism on the horizon. It has yet to be probed whether the global economic slowdown has led to the rise of protectionist trade policies, or it’s the other way around. Either way, the fact that protectionism is growing around the world should concern economists and practitioners alike. International trade, which has invigorated global economic growth in past decades, is losing steam, and trade growth is forecast to remain sluggish in 2016. There is a shared perception among experts that changing this course requires going back to the basics to benefit more from trade. But on the contrary, what we are observing now are rising tides of trade protectionism, reminiscent of the typical common goods problem in the absence of well-functioning international coordination mechanisms. While sizable progress has been made on trade liberalization through bilateral and multilateral level efforts, we are also seeing much bashing of major trading partners, and mounting nationalistic harangues amid election campaigns worldwide. Beyond political rhetoric, the question is whether this trend is indeed ominous of growing protectionism on the horizon. Although statutory and regulatory trade barriers have become significantly lower across the globe, protectionist measures are also being increasingly triggered as an official trade policy tool in recent years. From a political economy point of view, this may help safeguard the interest of domestic businesses against the seemingly unfair behavior of trade partners, but sometimes vested interests are behind the fair trade logic. Intense lobbying by affected domestic industries can influence governments to serve their interests at the expense of consumers, who are not as organized as businesses. Notwithstanding all these shortcomings, the current trend is likely to continue to increase until we come up with administrative tools that are more effective than the current ones. Given its growing weight in global trade, Asia is increasingly becoming a prominent victim of the protectionist revival. According to ADB’s Asian Economic Integration Report 2015, up to 1,294 trade intervention measures were imposed on Asian economies between January 2010 and May 2014. Of the total, 517 came from Asia and 443 were remedial actions. The incidence of new impediments and intra-regional trade remedial measures has also grown significantly since 2012 (Figure 1). One of the most commonly used trade protection measures is imposing duties against dumping, which happens when an exporting country sells a product below its fair value, causing a material harm to the domestic industry of the importing country; an extra import duty can then be imposed to bring its price closer to the ‘normal value.’ Other methods are countervailing and safeguards such as import quotas. All of these trade protection measures have been expanding rapidly in Asia since 2012 (Figure 2), when global trade growth started to lag. This might be because either rising protectionism is one of the causes behind sluggish global trade growth, or the stagnation of aggregate trade expansion is intensifying competition among trade partners. Either way, even if it does not lead to reciprocal retaliation or the trade wars that have often occurred in the past, rising protectionism will surely reduce wellbeing on a global scale. Protection of domestic businesses is attained at the expense of domestic consumers, who enjoy more choices and lower prices with free trade. In addition, protectionism in the long run also hurts production by curbing the pressure from foreign competition. For instance, an analysis cited by The Economist suggests US anti-dumping policy reduces domestic consumption by 3%, an effect equivalent to a uniform tariff of 7%. Recent research also highlights growing trade intervention as one of the potential underlying sources of tepid international trade growth. Some trade protection measures, though, are legitimate, seeking to restore fair trade by curbing unfair behavior in a world where only imperfect competitive markets exist. However, the abuse of protectionism serving the entrenched interests of domestic businesses will likely do more harm than good to global as well as national economies and their people. After all, the notion of free trade can be upheld only when collective wisdom wins over nationalistic perspectives. This, of course is easier said than done, and hard to expect from politicians with myopic perspectives aligned with election cycles.	https://blogs.adb.org/blog/rising-tides-protectionism-will-cause-more-harm-good
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 3 July 2019, the Uzexpocenter hosted a meeting of the International Press Club on the theme: “The next stage of tax reforms: improving the issuance of tax and customs benefits,” based on changes in tax legislation. President of Uzbekistan signed a decree “On measures for further streamlining the provision of tax and customs benefits” on 29 June. The meeting was attended by heads of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the State Customs Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, manufacturers and entrepreneurs engaged in trade and retail activities. During the discussion, the parties noted that the provision of benefits and preferences to business entities in paying VAT in certain sectors of the economy does not allow creating a full value chain in paying VAT to ensure equal conditions for all participants in the value chain. At the same time, equality for all business entities was emphasized as the main factor for reducing costs in the production of competitive domestic products with prospective import substitution and access to export markets. Also in the context of the conversation, issues of customs policy were discussed: prerequisites for optimizing import duties were discussed, taking into account a thorough analysis of the foreign trade situation, with a view to stimulating the production of high value-added goods and adherence to the export-import balance. Along with this, it was noted that it is necessary to create conditions under which the investment attractiveness of industries will grow, their industrial potential will increase, which in turn will reduce the need to import finished products. At the conclusion of the event, the participants, represented by entrepreneurs, experts and government officials, had the opportunity to exchange views on agenda items, ask questions and get comprehensive answers on topics of interest.	http://uzdaily.uz/en/post/50607
Algeria’s state enterprise-dominated economy is challenging for U.S. businesses, but multiple sectors offer opportunities for long-term growth. The government is prioritizing investment in agriculture, information and communications technology, mining, hydrocarbons (both upstream and downstream), renewable energy, and healthcare. Following his December 2019 election, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune launched a series of political reforms, which led to the adoption of a new constitution in December 2020 and the election of a new parliament in June 2021. Tebboune has declared his intention to focus on economic issues in 2022 and beyond. In 2020, the government eliminated the so-called “51/49” restriction that required majority Algerian ownership of all new businesses, though it retained the requirement for “strategic sectors,” identified as energy, mining, defense, transportation infrastructure, and pharmaceuticals manufacturing (with the exception of innovative products). In the 2021 Finance Law, the government reinstated the 51/49 ownership requirement for any company importing items into Algeria with an intent to resell. The government passed a new hydrocarbons law in 2019, improving fiscal terms and contract flexibility in order to attract new international investors. The new law encourages major international oil companies to sign memorandums of understanding with the national hydrocarbons company, Sonatrach. Though the 43 regulatory texts enacting the legislation have not been formally finalized, the government is using the new law as the basis for negotiating new contracts with international oil companies. In recent years, the Algerian government took several steps, including establishing a standalone ministry dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry and issuing regulations to resolve several long-standing issues, to improve market access for U.S. pharmaceutical companies. The government is in the process of drafting and finalizing a new investment law. Algeria has established ambitious renewable energy adoption targets to reduce carbon emissions and reduce domestic consumption of natural gas. Algeria’s economy is driven by hydrocarbons production, which historically accounts for 95 percent of export revenues and approximately 40 percent of government income. Following the significant drop in oil prices at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the government cut budgeted expenditures by 50 percent and significantly reduced investment in the energy sector. The implementation of broad-based import reductions coupled with a recovery in hydrocarbon prices in 2021 led to Algeria’s first trade surplus since 2014. Though successive government budgets have boosted state spending, Algeria continues to run a persistent budget deficit, which is projected to reach 20 percent of GDP in 2022. Despite a significant reduction in revenues, the historically debt-averse government continues to resist seeking foreign financing, preferring to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to boost employment and replace imports with local production. Traditionally, Algeria has pursued protectionist policies to encourage the development of local industries. The import substitution policies it employs tend to generate regulatory uncertainty, supply shortages, increased prices, and a limited selection for consumer goods. The government depreciated the Algerian dinar approximately 5% in 2021 after a 10% depreciation in 2020 to conserve its foreign exchange reserves, contributing to significant food inflation. The government has taken measures to minimize the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including delaying tax payments for small businesses, extending credit and restructuring loan payments, and decreasing banks’ reserve requirements. Though the government has lifted domestic COVID_19 related confinement measures, continued restrictions on international flight volumes complicate travel to Algeria for international investors. Economic operators deal with a range of challenges, including complicated customs procedures, cumbersome bureaucracy, difficulties in monetary transfers, and price competition from international rivals particularly the People’s Republic of China, France, and Turkey. International firms operating in Algeria complain that laws and regulations are constantly shifting and applied unevenly, raising commercial risk for foreign investors. An ongoing anti-corruption campaign has increased weariness regarding large-scale investment projects and put a chill on bureaucratic decision making. Business contracts are subject to changing interpretation and revision of regulations, which has proved challenging to U.S. and international firms. Other drawbacks include limited regional integration, which hampers opportunities to rely on international supply chains.	https://preview.state.gov/report/custom/68d0d30e5f/
Finance & Development, Christian Henn and Brad McDonald So far the world has resisted widespread resort to trade measures, but the hardest part may be yet to come RECESSIONS and their aftermath have been breeding grounds for protectionist pressures. When economic output falls and joblessness rises, the notion that somehow foreign trade is at fault is seductive. The temptation grows to export unemployment by blocking imports and subsidizing domestic industries—even though evidence shows that such policies are counterproductive. The Great Depression of the 1930s spawned serious protectionist actions that exacerbated and extended the economic and social chaos around the world. The recent global financial crisis is generally considered the worst economic calamity since the 1930s. Financial markets froze. Output plummeted, especially in the advanced economies. World trade shriveled in the final months of 2008. World leaders, though, averred that they had learned the lessons of the Great Depression and vowed to resist protectionist pressures. Have they succeeded? And even if the world has so far withstood the pressure, are these concerns behind us? The great trade collapse Trade normally declines more sharply than overall economic activity in a downturn. But the sudden 17 percent contraction in world trade volume between October 2008 and January 2009 initially seemed out of line with a comparatively small decline in inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) during the same period—which reached 2 percent among major advanced economies (see Chart 1). The severity of the trade collapse does not appear to be the result of any significant resort to protectionism, however. Instead, it appears to be the result of a globally synchronized decline in overall demand that had a particularly strong effect on international commerce because of three major characteristics of trade flows in recent years. First, trade in durable goods and other postponable purchases—which comprise a disproportionately large share of trade—collapsed most sharply. Financial turmoil led credit markets to seize up. The spike in uncertainty in financial markets caused consumers (already shaken by the loss of wealth in the housing and stock market downturns) to delay purchases of durable items, such as electronic products and cars, on an unprecedented scale. Firms shelved investment plans in response to lower consumer demand and higher capital costs, reducing demand for capital goods. Capital goods and consumer durables make up most of global merchandise trade (see Chart 2)—but a much smaller share of world GDP, which is composed largely of services and nondurables. This asymmetry may explain half or more of the collapse in trade (Levchenko, Lewis, and Tesar, 2009; Baldwin, 2009). Second, because of extensive global supply chains, components are traded a number of times before the final good is produced.Downturns magnify these supply chain effects: postponable goods have more extensive supply chains, and in a downturn firms curtail their intermediate input orders both to reduce output and to cut inventories (Freund, 2009). Just-in-time production techniques have allowed firms to maintain lower inventories, but they propagate demand shocks more rapidly. This inventory-adjustment role can shed light on the abruptness of the trade collapse in late 2008 and early 2009—after which trade leveled off quickly. Countries most integrated in global supply chains experienced the most abrupt decline in trade. Japan’s exports, for example, contracted by a third over this period. Third, increased reliance on trade finance may have contributed to trade contraction. Global supply chains mean that firms need longer-term financing for their working capital, given that products take more time to reach the end consumer. And because of these longer supply chains, bank-intermediated trade financing, which creates assurances between importers and exporters, has become more important. At least in the early stages of the crisis, the higher costs and declining availability of trade finance had a negative impact, especially in emerging market economies (Dorsey, 2009). Trade has begun to recover, but the durability of that recovery is not yet assured. World export volumes increased by about 10 percent between May and November 2009 (see Chart 3). Global supply chains seem to be playing a key role in the rebound: the regions most integrated in these chains, such as east Asia, have experienced the strongest recovery in trade. However, advanced economy imports have slowed down since September (see Chart 4). Sustaining open markets will be especially important to underpin trade and to support a broad-based recovery. Protectionism appears muted One factor little apparent in the abrupt contraction in goods and services trade during 2008–09 was protectionism. From almost any perspective, there has been relatively little protectionist activity since the onset of the crisis. The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates that less than 1 percent of global trade has been subjected to new protectionist measures since the crisis began (WTO, 2009). Although several countries have raised tariffs on some (mostly narrow) product categories, only a few countries have imposed more widespread increases. Many developing countries have eschewed tariff increases despite WTO tariff ceilings that provide ample room for them to raise their applied tariff rates—demonstrating, perhaps, an awareness of the importance of open markets to their own economic performance as well as to global recovery. Trade measures adopted in response to the crisis may nonetheless have tilted the playing field in some markets. Government bailouts and increased subsidies may have deflected pressure for more damaging measures, but have tended to favor domestic enterprises, particularly in the financial and manufacturing sectors. Expanded government procurement preferences for domestic firms also disadvantaged competitors—and diminished the impact of stimulus measures on global growth. Other subtle responses to the crisis include nontariff barriers such as restrictive import licensing and more cumbersome customs procedures, and the apparent intensification of product standards and regulations. Finally, as trade recovered, industries began to file petitions for antidumping measures at a greater rate in the second half of 2009 (Bown, 2009). Experience of the 1930s Policymakers have done well to recall the experience of the Great Depression. In 1929, the U.S. Congress had begun work on a substantial tariff increase even before the stock market crash. The enactment of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act in June 1930—despite strong objections from many economists—provoked deep resentment and some retaliation globally. A League of Nations conference convened in 1930 to avert a cycle of protectionism broke down. In 1931 there was an accelerated deterioration in global trade and a “chaotic scramble to protect domestic markets and safeguard the balance of payments” (Eichengreen and Irwin, 2009). Major countries undertook substantial currency devaluations, imposed exchange restrictions, or sharply tightened import tariffs and introduced import quotas. Lacking an independent monetary policy, countries that kept their currencies fixed against gold were more likely to restrict trade, particularly once partner countries devalued their own currencies. Global trade volume fell by 25 percent between 1929 and 1933, with nearly half of this decline attributable to higher trade barriers. In the United States, the new tariff raised the average rate on dutiable imports from an already high 40 percent to 47 percent. A larger effect, however, came through the interaction of deflation and the use of “specific” tariffs. Irwin (1998) concluded that increases in the effective tariff (both from Smoot-Hawley and deflation) accounted for a 12 to 20 percentage point decline in U.S. imports between 1930 and 1932. Although protectionism did not cause the Great Depression, higher trade barriers exacerbated it and—most important—worked to choke off recovery. Global output returned to its precrisis levels by 1938, but with a trade-to-GDP ratio some 20 percent below that of 1929. Even though the layers of restrictions were peeled away from 1934 onward, in some cases it took decades to reverse the missteps of 1930–32. A repeat avoided so far The recent crisis in its severity could well have ignited a flurry of protectionist measures. There are several reasons it has not. Atop the political agenda The heightened awareness of political leaders of the risks of protectionism was evident early in the crisis. Leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) advanced and emerging economies pledged in November 2008 to “refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions, or implementing” measures to stimulate exports that are inconsistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. In April 2009, G-20 leaders extended this pledge through 2010 and asked the WTO and other institutions to monitor their countries’ adherence to this pledge. This request provided further impetus to continue the activities begun by the WTO in October 2008. WTO monitoring reports have provided critical insight into the nature and extent of trade policy responses to the crisis. The G-20 response has been supplemented by activities undertaken in other international institutions, individual governments, and unofficial entities such as the independent Centre for Economic Policy Research’s Global Trade Alert. - Economists and policymakers highlighted very early how a resort to protectionism could deepen and prolong the crisis. In particular, the high-level attention by leaders of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies and extensive monitoring by the WTO have kept policymakers alert to these risks (see box). - Multilateral institutions such as the WTO and the IMF have provided transparency and ensured an awareness of the adverse effects of protectionist actions on others. Multilateral rules have established expectations of the types of policy responses considered responsible. - A strong and early response by governments to boost spending, loosen monetary policy, and prop up the financial sector helped soften and shorten the crisis. Indirect or direct support to businesses may have helped reduce demand for outright protectionism. - Some 99 percent of import tariffs are now specified in ad valorem, or percentage of value, terms, which means that declining import prices resulted in smaller tariff payments (WTO, 2008). This contrasts with the 1930s, when many tariffs were in specific terms, meaning that when prices of imported goods declined, the tariff as a percentage of value rose. - Extensive global supply networks and foreign direct investment influence the political economy of trade policy. Domestic firms operating foreign plants or relying extensively on imported inputs have a strong interest in maintaining open trade policies, which helps counterbalance protectionist sentiment. What the future holds Although there has so far been less recourse to protectionism than initially feared, pressures remain. Indeed, with unemployment still at its highest levels in years in advanced economies, pressures may even increase in 2010. The costs of a protectionist trap—both as a risk to the recovery and as a drag on global growth for years to come—would be enough to issue the usual call against complacency. But there are additional reasons to be concerned. Job losses during 2008–09 occurred at a time of declining imports, when trade was contracting much more than overall economic activity. As the market share of imports was falling, foreign-made goods were not typically blamed for job losses. Nor did targeting imports appeal to those concerned with stemming job losses. But, because trade has begun to grow more quickly than has overall activity, the return of imports toward their precrisis market share could stir protectionist demands—particularly where unemployment remains high and in sectors that are slow to recover. There are other reasons protectionist sentiment may grow. In the past, multilateral or bilateral current account deficits have commonly been used as an argument to restrict trade. Although the recent trade contraction resulted in a narrowing of external imbalances, the extent to which these may reemerge is not yet clear. When fiscal, monetary, and financial sector stimulus measures are withdrawn, affected firms and industries may begin to call for trade protection. Higher commodity prices bring a risk that some countries will impose taxes or restrictions on their commodity exports—a risk that was demonstrated during the 2007–08 food price crisis. Finally, in some emerging markets a surge in capital inflows has brought significant currency appreciation. Regardless of the appropriateness of the new exchange rate, this can strain the competitive position of exporters and of the import-competing domestic sector and generate pressure for import protection and export support. The folly of protectionism Further restricting trade would be a poor policy response to the situation the world faces. Moreover, the difficulty in removing measures once they are imposed means protectionist actions taken now could retard economic growth for years. Fortunately, policymakers have recognized the potential for trade measures to interfere with the economic recovery. Too many restrictions may have been imposed, but their application has been relatively narrow. Still, protectionist pressures may intensify in 2010 because unemployment is likely to remain high and imports will bounce back. In the near future there are three key issues that bear on international trade developments: Enhanced monitoring of trade policy actions has influenced policy for the better. Clearly identifying discriminatory policies—without overstating their frequency or effects—has been an effective deterrent. There is room for more of this activity. The possibility of backdoor or “murky” protectionism remains. The risks may materialize not as a customs tariff, but as public procurement policies, product standards, customs procedures, or other actions whose protectionist effects are less transparent. Concluding the WTO Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations would help ensure that markets remain open, allowing trade to play its role in the economic recovery and to support strong growth for years to come. Securing tariffs at lower levels, reducing the potential for trade-distorting farm subsidies, enhancing trade policy transparency, and tightening multilateral rules in such trade-related areas as food aid and fishery subsidies would reduce the risk of future trade conflicts and strengthen global economic relations. References Baldwin, Richard, ed., 2009, The Great Trade Collapse: Causes, Consequences and Prospects. Available at VoxEU.org Bown, Chad, 2009, “The Global Resort to Antidumping, Safeguards, and other Trade Remedies amidst the Economic Crisis,” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper WPS5051 (Washington). Dorsey, Thomas, 2009, “Trade Finance Stumbles,” Finance and Development, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 18–19. Eichengreen, Barry, and Douglas A. Irwin, 2009, “The Slide to Protectionism in the Great Depression: Who Succumbed and Why?” NBER Working Paper 15142 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research). Freund, Caroline, 2009, “The Trade Response to Global Downturns: Historical Evidence,” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper WPS5015 (Washington). Irwin, Douglas A., 1998, “The Smoot-Hawley Tariff: A Quantitative Assessment,” The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 80, No. 2, pp. 326–34. Levchenko, Andrei A., Logan Lewis, and Linda L. Tesar, 2009, “The Collapse of International Trade During the 2008–2009 Crisis: In Search of the Smoking Gun,” Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Research Seminar in International Economics Discussion Paper 592 (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan). World Trade Organization (WTO), 2008, World Tariff Profiles 2008 (Geneva). ———, 2009, “Overview of Developments in the International Trading Environment” (Geneva, November).	https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2010/03/henn.htm
By Chandani Kirinde As part of its efforts to revive the economy and reduce the COVID-19 impact, the Government yesterday eased import restrictions on several product categories linked to exports and production of import substitution goods but retained the ban on vehicles. The interim trade and custom based tax policy framework, which is part of the COVID-19 Economic Revival Plan of the Government was released yesterday and will see imports of motor vehicles, including motor cars and three wheelers continue to be banned along with imports of ethanol, furniture, and aluminium products among others. The interim guidelines aimed at revising Sri Lanka’s external trade and customs-based tariff policy was sent to Customs Director General Major Gen. (Retd.) Vijitha Ravipriya by President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera on Thursday. In the covering letter, Dr. Jayasundera said the guidelines provide a framework based on which the Customs can make decisions while adhering to the policy thrusts and guiding principles prioritised by the Government. “The main thrust of the Government strategy is to create an export-oriented production base while facilitating domestic import substitution industries, which should also aim at strategy going beyond local market over the medium term,” it said. Under this policy, local import substitution industries, such as cement, steel, furniture, ceramics and other products needed for the construction industry, must be encouraged to meet the demand of flagship investment projects, such as the Port City construction, Hambantota Economic Zone, and other industrial zone requirements, including food and other needs of workers. The guiding principles of applying this policy framework is to reduce pressure on the foreign exchange market to stabilise the exchange rate, increase domestic value addition, and give better value to agriculture production. They will also seek to maximise efforts to link domestic supply chains to reduce import dependency and improve the capacity and competitiveness of domestic industries, the document noted. Under the new policies, imports of agricultural produce will be restricted except for those items which are subjected to Special Commodity Levy. Agricultural products not produced in Sri Lanka, such as kiwi and apples, can be imported but will be subject to the Special Commodity Levy and should target tourists. The import of palm oil will also be restricted, while raw materials for the manufacture of cement, steel, plastic and ceramics would be subjected to standard duty. Import of raw materials for local manufacturing activities will be permitted provided domestic value addition is at least 30%. The new policy allows rubber manufacturing companies to import latex and raw rubber provided they purchased 50% or more of local supply, to encourage local rubber cultivation. According to the economic revival plan, the Special Commodity Levy will be maintained for sugar and sugar substitutes, milk powder, and canned fish to encourage local production. The new guidelines as listed in the letter are as follows. Imports for exports on No Foreign Exchange basis is allowed strictly under Board of Investment (BOI) Export Development Board (EDB) and Customs supervision. Imports for exports, using domestic foreign exchange market, are permitted provided value addition of an average of 35% (based on India-Sri Lanka’s FTA) except selected industries, like electronics, where value addition may be around 20% but value of industrialisation strategy is high and such materials are not available locally. Then foreign exchange earnings from exports are surrendered to the Sri Lankan banking system within two months from the date of export with the BOI, Sri Lank Customs, EDB, Tea Board and Ministry of Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture monitoring and enforcing the guidelines. Import of agriculture produce to be restricted/banned except for those items which are subjected to Special Commodity Levy (SCL). The SCL will support guaranteed prices recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture or Ministry of Plantation Industries. Agriculture items not produced in Sri Lanka but considered important in term of availability for local households, high-end tourist and consumers to be liable to SCL. These include lentils, kiwi fruits, and apples. Import of ethanol to be banned. Import of palm oil to be restricted. High quality coconut oil to be imported under SCL. High quality ethanol imports by State Pharmaceuticals Corporation to be allowed. Import of required raw materials for the manufacture of cement, steel, plastic and ceramics to be imported, subject to standard duty, Cess, whichever is logical and under credit arrangements. Bulk import of cement will be subjected to specific duties to encourage local value addition. Raw material required for the production of incense sticks, fragrances, flavours, etc., for local cosmetic and similar industrial products to be allowed, subject to Cess, duty, whichever is appropriate in terms of relevant tax structures. * Import of raw materials for local manufacturing activities to be permitted, provided domestic value addition is at least 30% and foreign exchange savings from import replacement activity should be higher than the value of import of finished products. Foreign investment projects in fruit drinks and canned products relying on import of foreign fruits should be based on foreign currency earning basis and should require purchasing local fruits. BOI and EDB are required to pursue such investors and factory owners to increase local fruits. Rubber manufacturing companies will be permitted to import latex and raw rubber, provided they purchase 50% or more of local supply at 25% higher than international rubber price to encourage rubber cultivation and tapping. Import of items for the telecommunications industry to be allowed, subject to applicable taxes and TRC regulations. Import of IT equipment and computer accessories, mobile phones and electronics are to be permitted to promote local assembly industry and IT-related businesses. Furniture imports other than exclusive furniture for flagship projects to be banned. Project-related imports for flagship projects are to be imported using foreign funds raised by investors abroad. BOI should ensure such investors will not borrow from Sri Lanka’s banks during the project completion period and until commercial operations begin. Material imports for the plastic industry for packing industry to be closely monitored. Required import items to be carefully placed to promote local packaging industries with environmental standards. Aluminium products other than those for construction industry to be restricted. Raw materials required for aluminium manufacturing industries to be allowed, subject to credit arrangement. Temporary Import for Export Processing (TIEP) currently in operation in Sri Lanka. Customs duty should be implemented, given the value of exports exceeds value of imports by at least 35% and export proceeds should be surrendered to banks within 60 days from the date of exports to promote SME credit export businesses and promote local supply chain. High-value branded items, beverages, etc., will be kept at lower duty rates, recognising 10% PAL and 8% VAT apply to such goods. SCL will be maintained at high level on sugar and sugar substitutes, milk power and infant milk products, and canned fish to encourage local produce. Cement, palm oil and sugar imports are to be subjected to a maximum of six months credit raised outside Sri Lanka. Import of pharmaceutical products, related raw materials, seed and planting materials, fertiliser, and fuel will be allowed. Petroleum product imports (crude oil, refined petroleum, bitumen, lubricant oil, etc.) will be liable to standard excise taxes and price advantages to be credited to the Petroleum Price Standardisation Fund. Import of motor vehicles, including motor cars and three wheelers, etc., to be suspended other than the agriculture, services, and construction-related vehicles. Goods that have arrived for payments for LCs and other are documents opened after the suspension of imports will be cleared, subject to payments of relevant duties. * Import of project-related capital and consumables, approval granted under Section 17 of the BOI Act, should be funded through external funding (EDI). *For payment for LCs and other trade documents which have not been made, credit arrangements from suppliers would be required.	http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/69011
A third of Russian companies (33%) have already started or are planning to transfer their business processes to domestic IT solutions in the near future. According to entrepreneurs, it is not safe to use foreign software: some products cannot be paid for, while the cost of others has recently increased. These are the results of a study conducted by the NAFI Analytical Center together with Cyberprotect. Use of foreign and domestic software in business A quarter of Russian business (25%) uses only domestic IT products. At the same time, for the majority of companies (69%), the issues of software import substitution may be relevant, since they either combine work with Russian and foreign software (61%), or use only imported IT products (8%). This was reported to CNews by NAFI representatives. Business plans for software import substitution A third of enterprises (33%) plan to transfer their business entirely to Russian software. Every tenth (11%) has already launched the relevant processes. To a greater extent, this applies to organizations in Moscow (31%), logistics and warehouse enterprises (20%), and medium-sized businesses (21%). Every fifth respondent (22%) notes that active measures for import substitution in the company have not yet begun, but are planned. 14% of small and medium-sized businesses do not plan a full transition to Russian IT solutions. Among them, enterprises operating in the field of IT, information and communications (38%) and operating on the market from 5 to 10 years (20%) prevail. 19% of companies have not yet thought about full import substitution of software products. Leysan Baimuratova, Director of Digital Economy Research at the NAFI Analytical Center: “The data obtained shows that small and medium-sized businesses are still in standby mode. However, the question of the software used in the company will most likely soon become very acute, since the reliability and uninterrupted operation of IT products are of great importance – in the era of digitalization, almost all processes in companies are built on IT solutions. 4 Branch Office IT Challenges and How to Solve Them Internet Elena Bocherova, Executive Director of Cyberprotect: “It is interesting that a quarter of small and medium-sized businesses already use only domestic software, although government measures to stimulate import substitution, which have been operating in Russia since 2015, were mainly aimed at government institutions and large businesses with state-owned participation. Such a result may indicate that there are already full-fledged alternatives to foreign software for the SMB segment, but companies take a traditionally cautious position in a state of uncertainty. However, every day the risks of using software dependent on external factors are growing. As a developer, we see a multiple increase in interest in domestic solutions. The situation can also be changed by additional measures that the state is developing to support the implementation and use of domestic software, many of which have already begun to operate and bring results.” Methodology The All-Russian representative survey of entrepreneurs was conducted by the NAFI Analytical Center in May 2022. 500 representatives of micro, small and medium-sized businesses from all major sectors of the economy in all federal districts of Russia were surveyed. The respondents were business owners, top officials of companies and individual entrepreneurs. *** Import substitution, Asia or “gray” import: where to get server hardware Import substitution NAFI Analytical Center – research solutions for business NAFI is a multidisciplinary analytical center that has been on the market for over 15 years. Conducts market and public opinion research for commercial companies and government agencies. Cyberprotect is a Russian developer of software for data protection, backup and recovery of virtual, physical and cloud environments. Provides scalable world-class solutions for reliable cyber protection, fast data recovery and guaranteeing fault tolerance of information systems.	https://techstony.com/a-third-of-russian-companies-have-decided-to-transfer-their-business-processes-completely-to-domestic-it-products/
Latin America´s current external and domestic environment As the Committee noted in its statement No.36, the external environment for Latin America has deteriorated markedly, reflecting worsening terms of trade, declining foreign direct investment flows and stagnant or declining trade flows. The latter phenomenon has been consistent with global trends: after a recovery following a sharp contraction in 2009, global trade has displayed a marked lack of dynamism, especially so in the emerging market world. This contrasts sharply with the post-WWII trend, when global trade grew a sustained pace that exceeded the growth of world GDP. The external scenario is being further affected by events that are shaping a new global political and economic context. The Brexit referendum, the views expressed by the new US administration, and the rising importance of anti-globalization parties in Europe have increased global economic and political uncertainty. To be sure, the phenomenon of rising protectionism and anti-immigration attitudes in the advanced economies goes beyond the recent electoral developments in the US, as it reflects an underlying discontent of the middle classes in those countries. This contrasts sharply with the evidence in emerging market economies, where increased integration to international trade has resulted in higher living standards. Rising protectionism in the US is already affecting countries in the region in various ways. The US has announced it will not join the Trans Pacific Partnership. According to Global Trade Alert, in the last 12 weeks ending in March 2017, the US has adopted the largest number of protectionist measures in the world. The adoption of new trade restrictions (e.g., the closing of citric imports from Argentina), changes in immigration policy and higher uncertainty about the future of NAFTA have induced a significant volatility of the Mexican Peso. A related issue that may affect US relations with the rest of the world is the announcement by the US administration that it will seek to implement a significant reduction in the corporate income tax, a decision which may generate incentives for companies to move away from the region, particularly Mexico. The pressure that the US administration is increasingly exerting on US-based companies with operations abroad (such as the well-known Carrier and Toyota cases) compounds this phenomenon. The protectionist threat occurs at a time when the domestic macroeconomic outlook remains uncertain in a number of countries in the region. Growth performance has been lackluster in recently dynamic economies (e.g. Chile, Mexico and Colombia), recovery from sharp recessions in Argentina (-2.6% in 2016) and Brazil (-3.2% in 2016) has been slow, recession continues in Ecuador, and Venezuela remains in a dramatic downward spiral. Moreover, the fiscal situation in several Latin American economies has deteriorated significantly, raising issues about future debt sustainability. For instance, Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador exhibit nonfinancial public sector deficits above 8% of GDP. In Mexico, net public debt has increased from 30% to 48% of GDP between 2010 and 2016 with a budget deficit running at 3% of GDP. In Venezuela, the budget deficit reached 25.7% of GDP in the context of an output contraction of 10%. In this scenario, increased external uncertainty may compound with already existing domestic weaknesses. Hence, the US protectionist threat needs to be taken seriously. Though it is still uncertain how much of what has been announced will effectively materialize, Latin America cannot run the risk of being unprepared for the significant potential direct and indirect effects of such a menace to its exports, capital inflows and growth. The Protectionist Threat The Committee believes that the threat of US adoption of protectionist policies has an important negative impact on the region’s ongoing discussion on the benefits and desirability of international trade integration. The US has traditionally played the role of promoter of free trade in the world economy and any backtracking paradigm could adversely influence policies in the region. Rising protectionism in the US may fuel further protectionism in Latin America. This is especially dangerous as the political economy of anti-trade in the region usually reflects a capture of policy by domestic business leaders and special interest groups. Hence, rising US protectionism may end up providing support to sectoral views that oppose the integration of Latin America into world markets, a process that has contributed to economic growth as well as to poverty and inequality reduction. The potential adoption of protectionist policies by the US administration may include: 1) adoption of a generalized Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) and individualized trade restrictions (within or outside of WTO rules); 2) revision of existing trade agreements, in particular NAFTA; 3) official pressure applied to US-based companies to redirect investments into the US and away from other countries (particularly Mexico in the context of NAFTA); and 4) adoption of trade restrictions vis-á-vis China. One of the most concrete announcements so far has been the creation of a commission that will soon propose the enactment of a Border Adjustment Tax (BAT). Some have argued that imposing such measure—which may be viewed as a real devaluation—may be neutralized by an appreciation of the US dollar. However, it may still be a way to meet two goals: honor protectionist promises and reduce the fiscal cost of adopting aggressive tax cuts for corporates (another campaign promise). However, this prediction of full neutrality lacks empirical support and reflects a narrow focus on the determinants of the exchange rate. The Committee believes that imposition of a BAT would not be neutral, not least because of doubts about its permanence, and would hurt Latin American exports to the US, whether protected or not by a free trade agreement. It could have additional serious effects on the region through its effects on growth, especially if it leads to defensive measures by countries in the region. The worst scenario, though improbable so far, would be that the application of trade restrictions leads to a generalized trade war. Such a development would, in the Committee’s view, increase the risk of a sharp reduction in capital flows that would compound the adverse effects of a reduction in trade flows. The Committee believes that implementation of a BAT may face significant opposition within the US. In particular, the modern structure of international trade, increasingly organized through global value chains, suggests the BAT’s incidence may ultimately be uneven across firms and, hence, disruptive to US international businesses (e.g. the Walmart case). In this context, the Committee believes that the BAT is likely to have a bias in favor of incumbent global value chains. Hence, new entrants and countries that are less integrated to global value chains that do not include US production may be more vulnerable to the enactment of a BAT. In that respect, Latin America is one of the world’s regions that have integrated the least to global value chains (apart from more traditional value chains based on natural resources) and, where, the recent lack of dynamism in trade has been more apparent. A reduction in trade with the advanced economies, and in particular with the US, may entail significant costs for Latin America. This reflects the fact that gains from trade, covering a wide array of factors, such as faster transfer of technology and improvements in input quality—in particular of capital goods—would be reduced or lost. Trade benefits domestic production processes, and provides incentives that attract foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI from advanced countries to emerging market economies related to global trade not only contributes directly to economic growth but also to institutional quality and corporate governance. However, Latin America’s history shows that not all FDI has the beneficial effects noted above. If governments attract FDI by means of excessive privileges, special tax treatments and protection of domestic markets, FDI may become as inefficient as the highly protected domestic sectors. In this case, FDI flows respond more to the recipient countries’ lack of financing than to a desire to acquire technological progress and increase the economy’s productivity. The US administration has already announced its intention to revise NAFTA. Such revision may be very complex in practice as the competitiveness of several US industries (such as the automotive, medical equipment and computers industries) would be jeopardized. Further, though the US President possesses legal authority to take the US out of NAFTA it is yet unclear whether any intended modifications require Mexican and Canadian acceptance and/or congressional approval in the U.S. Still, the US administration may be inclined to believe that protectionism may reinforce the current US recovery, though this is not a foregone conclusion in a world where trade is dominated by global value chains. The stakes are very high for Mexico given its strong economic dependence on US trade, investment, and financial flows: nearly 78% of Mexico’s exports go to the US, and nearly 53% of Mexico’s FDI comes from the US (US$ 101 billion in 2013). Indirect effects to Latin America of eventual protectionist actions could be especially severe if the US applies significant trade restrictions to China, as this may exacerbate current Chinese financial fragility and slowdown trends. Although the US administration has already backed down on some of its initial positions (e.g., about strengthening links with Taiwan in defiance to China´s “one country” stance), it could happen that an eventual renminbi depreciation reflecting growing financial instability and capital outflows in China could be interpreted as “currency manipulation” and give rise to US trade retaliations. A resulting worsening of the Chinese slowdown would hurt Latin American exports to China, leading to slower growth including via lower than otherwise commodity prices. In addition, slower Chinese growth and lower commodity prices would also impact adversely Latin American capital inflows. The recent experience in 2013 and 2014 shows that the fall in commodity prices led to a sharp drop in FDI inflows in oil and mining exporting countries in South America. It also led, in some countries, to a (temporary) increase in sovereign risk and a fall of capital inflows due to reduced growth prospects, though this effect was partly counteracted by the continued world’s ample liquidity. If, as expected, monetary conditions in the US and Europe tighten, such compensatory factor may no longer be present in the future. What are Latin America´s policy options to face the challenges and mitigate the risks? As mentioned above, though it is still uncertain how much of the protectionist threat will become a reality, Latin America cannot run the risk of being unprepared for the significant potential direct and indirect effects on exports, capital inflows and growth. Priority should be given to actions that would benefit Latin American economic growth in any event. On the one hand, the impact of rising protectionism can create social and political tensions that can widen the space for policy mistakes. On the other hand, it can create opportunities to broaden economic and financial integration outside the US economy. The region’s response must avoid self-defeating actions and seize opportunities proactively. The Committee recommends that policy implementation maintains a long-term perspective and resist alternatives that may seem reasonable from a short-term perspective, but can alter medium and long term sustainability, as has occurred in the past. In this sense, the Committee considers that retaliation in the face of protectionism has always been and continues to be a very poor and very costly policy choice. However, the Committee believes that the region should prepare itself to collectively counteract, jointly with countries in other regions, eventual US protectionist measures within the WTO and other international organizations and fora. Similarly, if regional economic growth indeed continues to underperform, policy makers may feel tempted to implement measures that presumably compensate domestic producers for the advantages granted to their foreign competitors by their governments. For instance, an important reduction in the corporate income tax rate abroad may elicit calls for an equivalent reduction in the domestic corporate tax rate or other fiscal stimuli, for instance through the financial sector. Regional policy makers must evaluate these proposals very carefully because fiscal sustainability might be compromised and, perhaps more importantly, because it may perpetuate inefficiencies and low productivity traps. The Committee believes that it is hard to envision strong growth without trade. However, Latin America displays a low level of trade openness and very low intra-regional trade. This is the case for South America, and in particular Mercosur countries, as Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are significantly more open. Central America and the Caribbean also display higher levels of intra-regional trade. Mexico, Central American and Caribbean countries are those that would suffer the most from increased US protectionism as the US represents a higher share of their export markets. Several studies suggest that a low level of trade openness is a serious impediment for higher productivity and economic growth, particularly when countries are not integrated to global value chains. At the same time, it must be recognized that the process of international trade integration has significant adjustment and distributive costs that require compensating policies. To maximize its benefits, an opening process needs to be designed placing emphasis on factors that maximize acquisition of knowledge, transfer of technology, and contribution to value chains that incorporate domestic capital. Strengthening Latin America’s economic ties with Europe and Asia Some countries in the region already have preferential trade agreements with the European Union (EU), such as Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and the Central American Common Market countries. The Mercosur countries and the EU have been negotiating, intermittently, a free trade agreement for many years. However, these trade agreements have tended to be more restrictive than those signed with the US, reflecting the fact that the US had a more open trade policy than the EU. If US protectionism rises, it is likely that the EU will seek more aggressively to negotiate new trade agreements and be interested in deepening existing ones. This is not surprising as for the EU deepening economic ties with Latin America and Asia now does not only represent a defensive move to partially compensate (though much less than for Latin America) the effects of eventual US protectionist measures (such as the imposition of a BAT), but an opportunity to increase their exports, FDI and geopolitical influence in these regions at the expense of eventually declining US economic flows and influence. The Committee believes that Latin America should take advantage of this opportunity. Mexico and the EU are already negotiating the “modernization” and deepening of their free trade agreement, given that the stakes of the protectionist threat are higher for Mexico than for the rest of the region. The Committee recommends that other countries in the region should follow this lead, making sure that the EU becomes more open to agricultural products from the region. Similarly, several Latin American countries have also signed bilateral free trade agreements with Asian countries. The authorities of several Asian countries have also voiced their intention of deepening their economic relations with other regions as a response to US protectionist threat. The Chinese are seeing this as an opportunity to expand and strengthen their economic ties and geopolitical influence in other regions at the expense of the US. Prime Minister Xi has emerged as the main advocate of globalization vis-á-vis the US protectionist threat. The Committee believes that this may open important opportunities for Latin America, provided China is more willing than in the past to open its domestic markets. Strengthening regional economic integration through open regionalism Another direction in which Latin America should move is in deepening intra-regional economic relations within the concept of open regionalism. That is, avoiding past mistakes when regional economic integration was seen as substitute for global integration. Indeed, the orientation of some of the sub-regional integration schemes have been moving in the direction of open regionalism e.g. CAFTA-DR agreements with the US and the EU, in addition to some bilateral agreements. The Pacific Alliance (currently comprising Chile, Colombia, México and Peru, but open to potential new members) was, since its inception, inserted in an open regionalism context, with a vision of ´deep´ integration that goes beyond trade liberalization, including convergence towards a common regulatory framework. However, trade agreements in the region are incomplete. For instance, trade agreements between Mercosur and the Caribbean and Central America are almost non-existent. As are those between the Andean countries and the Caribbean and Central America. The Committee believes that new trade agreements should be designed to increase coverage, uniting sub-regional groups that are not linked, and reducing gaps (missing links) within sub-regional groups. Additionally, the current “spaghetti bowl” of trade agreements should be greatly simplified, particularly by harmonizing rules of origin and allowing their accumulation, as already done by CAFTA. In this respect, Mercosur rules of origin remain extremely complex and act as a deterrent to regional trade integration. In connection to deeper economic integration, the Committee recommends policymakers in the region to focus their efforts on coordinating regional logistics, and optimizing the infrastructure networks of ports, railroad, road, and energy. An important aspect of this process is the harmonization and coordination of customs requirements, particularly those related to transport logistics (e.g. establishing a single passport for trucking logistics). Integration and standardization should also extend to the regulatory environment to facilitate, for instance, the transfer of energy across countries in Latin America. All these initiatives have the objective of building important regional goods that have not been a sufficiently explored by policymakers in the region. Further, President Bachelet’s proposed Mercosur-Pacific Alliance convergence may for the first time have some real possibilities of success, given the recent changes in the orientation of trade and financial policies in Brazil and Argentina. This may be a long-shot objective given that Mercosur is significantly more closed to trade than the Pacific Alliance. However, the Committee believes that the opportunity emerging from the new political landscape, and the incentives provided by both the region’s current economic slowdown and the new protectionism threat, should not be wasted. Rather, it should jumpstart a pragmatic and expeditious process of conversations oriented towards a Mercosur-Pacific Alliance convergence within the concept of open regionalism. There is already a significant process of regional financial integration going on through cross-investments in banking and insurance. This has been reinforced by the fact that some large international players have withdrawn from the region due to re-structuring efforts occurred after the global financial crisis of 2009, and the effects of Basle III agreements. This has prompted, in turn, some incipient efforts towards harmonization of regulations and cooperation in supervision, particularly between the CACM and Colombia. Such initiatives become crucial both to facilitate and make more efficient the current process of cross-border investments and provision of financial services, but also to make it safer by reducing opportunities of regulatory arbitrage and the possibilities of mutual financial contagion. Although more difficult to achieve due to the lack of a common currency, there could be significant potential value in increasing further capital market integration, given the presence of economies of scale and the need of opportunities for risk diversification that characterize these markets. This is especially relevant if, as expected, international financial conditions tighten in the coming years making it more difficult for local firms to finance their investment projects and for some local investors to diversify and lower their portfolio risk. Such initiatives may be especially important to increase long-term financing in areas such as infrastructure, where the region badly needs stepping up its efforts. And it could be especially important for the risk-diversification and growth of institutional investors, such as national pension funds and insurance companies, as well as for the development of regional mutual funds and higher investments of international portfolio investors in our region, as discussed in studies by the IMF (2017) and Wilson Center-IDB (2016). It seems to be the right moment to also pursue this Agenda. Macro-prudential and monetary policy response As it was discussed in the previous section, a rise in US protectionism may generate retaliations from other countries, with the risk of generating a trade war. Such a scenario may imply conditions favorable to the emergence of an eventual reversal in capital flows to the region. Given this contingency, and the current situation of ample international liquidity and low interest rates, the Committee believes that policymakers should be especially vigilant about the presence of significant and transitory incentives for carry-trade and other short term inflows. In such context, the Committee believes that macro-prudential policies, e.g. countercyclical reserve requirements, dynamic provisioning, taxes on short term foreign currency borrowing by banks, may be better than monetary policy to deal with this potential problem. This is, instead, a good moment to strengthen the external liquidity position and lengthen the maturity of public debt. Notwithstanding, the Committee also believes that, in countries where central banks have space to lower interest rates without compromising their credibility, policy rates should be reduced to weaken the incentives to undertake carry trades. The Latin American Committee on Macroeconomic and Financial Issues (CLAAF) is grateful to the Center for Global Development (CGD) for its overall support; and to the Latin American Reserve Fund (FLAR), the Central Bank of Chile and the Banco de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires for their financial support. The Committee thanks Brian Cevallos Fujiy for his support in the production of this statement. The Committee is fully independent and autonomous in the drafting of its Statements. Endnotes U.S. manufacturing industries, including automotive, electronics, appliances, and machinery, all rely on the assistance of Mexican manufacturers. One report estimates that 40% of the content of U.S. imports from Mexico and 25% of the content of U.S. imports from Canada are of U.S. origin. In comparison, U.S. imports from China have only 4% U.S. content. Taken together, goods from Mexico and Canada represent about 75% of all the U.S. domestic content that returns to the United States as imports. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), US Congressional Research Service, Villareal and Fergusson, 2015 Faundez, Sebastian; Mulder, Nanno and Carpentier, Nicole (2011). “Productivity growth in Latin American manufacturing: what role for international trade intensities?” ECLAC, November 2011. Pages, Carmen (2010). “La era de la productividad: cómo transformar las economías desde sus cimientos” Desarrollo de las Américas, BID. In particular, Chile has trade agreements with Japan, Korea and China; Peru with Korea and China; México with Japan; and Costa Rica with China. Generally, these trade agreements have been more restrictive than those signed with the US. Chile, Peru and México are members of APEC and were partners to the TPP. Rights & Permissions You may use and disseminate CGD’s publications under these conditions.	https://www.cgdev.org/publication/latin-americas-policy-options-times-protectionism
1. In the context of disaster preparedness, explain the concept of ‘black swan’ events. Why is it critical to be ready for such events? Discuss. Approach In this question the candidate needs to write first on concept of black swan event within the context of disaster preparedness, candidates can link it with various disaster such as COVID. And then discuss the importance of disaster preparedness and readiness in any such events. Introduction “Black swan events” are those that are possible, but are totally unexpected. The definition by author Nassim Nicholas Taleb includes First, it is an outlier, as it lies outside the realm of regular expectations, because nothing in the past can convincingly point to its possibility. Second, it carries an extreme impact. Third, in spite of its outlier status, human nature makes us concoct explanations for its occurrence after the fact, making it explainable and predictable. Body In the realm of disasters, in a little more than a year, we have experienced many disasters such as COVID-19, locust attack and frequent cyclones is being widely described as a “Black Swan event”, an event that has an outsized impact, that is hard to predict and even harder to compute probabilities. A contrary view is that, in many ways, it is an entirely expected event given that all the drivers of risk have been there in plain sight it’s critical to be prepared for such events: - Given recent events, however, it’s easy to predict more black swan events that will range from natural to technological disasters and terrorist events. - As we plan for the future, we need to envision catastrophes so large that the response and recovery will go far beyond what we have experienced. - Emergency managers and their partner organizations can expand their thinking, planning and response capabilities to encompass the “maximum of maximums.” As going beyond our own needs, after the Indian Ocean tsunami, we played a pivotal role in establishing an end-to-end Tsunami Early Warning System for the Indian Ocean. - It’s critical that we communicate the risks as forcefully as possible to the people who are in positions to make wise decisions on the allocation of resources toward building resiliency in communities. For example, India’s success in reducing cyclone related mortality is lauded globally. - If there’s one thing that we should learn from black swan events, it’s that they are hard to prevent. Their size and scope may overwhelm our feeble attempts to respond. - In the long term, it will only be the resiliency of the people, organizations and systems that will change the course of history and the disaster’s impact. Most of the time we can’t change what happens to us, but we do control how we respond and recover. - In our country, for the last two decades we have been talking about a paradigm shift from “relief and response” to “preparedness and mitigation” or “risk reduction”. With black swan event theory it is apparent that, we are poised for the next leap: from “risk reduction” to “resilience”. - Being ready to face speaks of resilience of our infrastructure, which can also helped us deal with several other crises such as floods, cyclones, desert locusts and the crisis at our northern borders. - The key lesson from the black swan theory is that the principles of resilience and anti-fragility have to be integral to India’s growth story. This would mean that risk management has to become everybody’s business beyond NDMA with Technical and academic institutions have important and crucial role. Conclusion In many ways, the disasters has come across as a backlash against the excesses of our consumption. We need to take a step back and assess how we can find a better balance with Nature. There is a strong sustainability angle that we need to pursue during disasters preparedness. Which clearly implies that we value our natural resources like rivers, wetlands, mountains, forests, coastlines, and bio-diversity. 2. Examine the significance of investment promotion as a tool for regional development. Can you discuss some related strategies adopted in India? Approach Question demands to highlight the basics idea on investment promotion plans and regional development. Candidates need to examine the investment promotion significance in the regional development. And discuss some strategies adopted in India. Introduction Investment promotion can help to increase both domestic investment and to enhance their contribution to regional economic development. Success in promoting investment requires a careful calculation of how to employ resources most effectively and how to organise investment promotion activities within the government so that the overriding goal of economic development through improvements in the investment climate remains at the forefront of policymaking. Body Regional Development in Inida: - It is reflected by the indicators like per capita income, the proportion of population living below the poverty, the percentage of urban population, percentage of population engaged in agriculture vis-à-vis engaged in industries, infrastructural development of different states. Significance of investment promotion for regional development: - Special economic zones (SEZs) in India are areas that offer incentives to resident businesses. SEZs typically offer competitive infrastructure, duty free exports, tax incentives, and other measures designed to make it easier to conduct business. Accordingly, SEZs in India are a popular investment destination for many multinationals, particularly exporters. - The government sought to use SEZs to redress the infrastructural and bureaucratic challenges that were seen to have limited the success EPZs. - SEZs can provide, in a concentrated area, the necessary conditions external investors may require. Moreover, these may include a skilled labor force, adequate infrastructure, and local input suppliers. Additionally, they can facilitate investment from foreign sources. - Additionally, a well-executed SEZ helps generate spill-overs for the economy of the rest of the country. This is because domestic firms and industries outside an SEZ tend to upskill and expand, to be able to supply the SEZ firms. - SEZs can play the role of ‘testing grounds’ for the Government for implementing liberal business policies in the future. Likewise, the Government can decide to implement ‘successful’ policies across the country and dump the ‘unsuccessful’ ones. Strategies adopted in India: - Many EPZs were converted to SEZs, with notable zones in Noida (Uttar Pradesh state), Falta (West Bengal state), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh state), Chennai (Tamil Nadu state), Cochin (Kerala state), Santa Cruz (Maharashtra state), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), as well as Kandla and Surat (Gujarat). - The planned and systematic industrial development MIDC in the State of Maharashtra has continuously placed Maharashtra in first position in India for the highest productivity, economics performance, business efficiency, government efficiency, infrastructures and overall competitiveness. - The GIFT City project was conceptualised in 2007. With sops being announced in almost all Union budgets since 2015, the Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City at Gandhinagar stands at an important cusp with the Rs 4000-crore second phase of the infrastructure project. Conclusion Raising the living standards in poorer and backward states would also require increasing productivity in the agricultural sector by supporting farm consolidation and improving infrastructure in rural areas, particularly roads that connect villages to market towns, crop storage infrastructure and access to social physical infrastructure will also have critical importance in regional development plans. 3. What is the philosophical basis of Atmanirbhar Bharat? Does it augur well with a globalised world? Critically examine. Approach In this question the candidate needs to highlight the philosophy behind the Atmanirbhar bharat. And then simply critically examine the role of this policy in globalised world order. Introduction It is not protectionism. It is not inward looking. It is not just import substitution and it is not economic nationalism. Main philosophy is to make India self-reliant by creating an eco-system that will allow Indian companies to be highly competitive on the global stage. The key element here is the “need to create an eco-system” that will allow Indian companies to be globally competitive and thus making India self-reliant. Body - In this context, the idea of self-reliance is about resilience, leveraging internal strengths, personal responsibility, and a sense of national mission or “Man Making” to use the late 19th century expression of Swami Vivekananda. - It is important, at the very onset, to clarify that this idea of self-reliance is not about a return to Nehruvian import substitution or autarkic isolationism. The prime minister modi emphasised that his vision includes active participation in post-COVID global supply chains as well as the need to attract foreign direct investment. - This is about decentralised localism that takes pride in local brands, emphasises resilience and flexibility, and encourages local capacity-building and indigenisation. - The same economic philosophy is reflected in several other supply-side measures announced recently. Self-reliance implies that product and factor markets are made flexible in order to allow the Indian economy to adapt to the problems and opportunities of an emerging post-COVID world. - Thus, there is an unapologetic commitment to privatisation of non-strategic public sector entities, opening up of new sectors like space to private investment, decriminalisation of most aspects of corporate law, greater flexibility in labour laws, and so on. - Self-reliance also means a commitment to resilience at multiple levels at a national level, an industry level, and at an individual level. For example, the government has indicated that it would provide various forms of incentives and protection to key industries for example, inputs for the pharmaceuticals industry. Atmanirbhar bharat policy raising questions in globalised order: - Such a stance may have a recoil effect on India’s foreign trade too. The EIU said that a more protectionist trade stance and any increase in tariff rates for imports may lead to punitive tariffs or the revocation of trade benefits from its partners. - Manufacture of ideas has fallen far behind the invention of slogans. And the idea remains as wrong as it was half a century ago. India punishes import of consumer goods; they are mostly made in India. Services are also kept out. - We need, instead, a combination of the best from wherever it is available when required, and making locally for our normal needs. Indians shouldn’t be forced to settle for second or third rate products or services just because they have the made-in-India tag. - That would be merely another, perhaps worse version, of the failed model of import substitution. Actually, what history proves over and over again is that there is no substitute for quality and competence. No amount of ideological or cultural massaging can make this go away. - India is dependent on China for imports related to electronics, solar equipment, pharmaceutical (Active pharmaceutical ingredients) and Capital goods. Without developing domestic capacity for manufacturing in these areas, breaking away from dependence on China would not be easy. - Similarly, in times of globalisation and being governed by the rules of the WTO, any efforts at creating systemic impediments to the smooth flow of trade across nations on trivial nationalism parameters are surely going to backfire, one way or the other. - India opened itself to the global market in 1991 through its LPG (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) reforms, but remained hesitant in giving the market model full freedom. This may be reflected in market distorting subsidies and other restrictive policies, especially in Agriculture. Way forward: - India cannot become self-reliant until it has control over domestic and global supply chains. Thus, there is a need to ensure greater control over certain parts of the global value chain to protect strategic interests, especially in healthcare, agriculture and defence. - Mostly all the multinational companies are more concerned about concentration risk of businesses in China than ever before. India can attract these investments and become the next global manufacturing hub. Conclusion The Self-Reliance neither signifies any exclusionary or isolationist strategies but involves creation of a helping hand to the whole world it’s about being vocal for “local” which is a key complement of Atma-Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.In this context, people must internalise the concept of valuing local products and artefacts and promoting them. Only after this the dream of transforming “Local” India into a “Glocal” India will be possible.	https://iasbaba.com/2021/06/synopsis-14th-june2021-day-111-iasbabas-tlp-phase-1-upsc-mains-answer-writing-general-studies/
Index of economic freedom: Algeria ranked 162nd out of 178 countries The American Heritage Foundation Think Thank which has just published its Index of Economic Freedom 2021 ranked Algeria 162nd out of the 178 countries listed and 13th among 14 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. Algeria’s economic freedom score is 49.7, making its economy the 162nd freest in the 2021 Index, the Foundation said, adding that Algeria is ranked 13th among 14 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, and its overall score is below the regional and world averages. At the level of the Maghreb, Morocco takes the lead at the 81st spot, followed by Tunisia which comes 119th, Mauritania 128th, and Egypt 130th. The Heritage Foundation classifies the economies of the countries analyzed into 5 categories, starting from the “freest” (with a score between 80 and 100), followed by “essentially free” (70-79.9), then “moderately free”. “(60-9.9),” essentially not free “(50-59.9) and finally” repressed “(0-49.9). It is in this last category that the Algerian economy has been ranked, and is positioned between Burundi (161st) and North Korea (178th) (last in the ranking). To put the country on the path to greater economic freedom, the government needs to strengthen the judicial system and other rule-of-law institutions, the think tank report reads, adding that greater openness and increased financial freedom would improve the investment climate. “The judiciary is generally weak, slow, and subject to political pressure. Cronyism and corruption plague the business and public sectors, especially in energy,” the Heritage Foundation stated, underlining that the government controls most real property in Algeria, and unclear titles and conflicting ownership claims make the purchase of private real estate difficult. Although secured interests in property are generally recognized and enforceable, court proceedings can be lengthy, and the results can be unpredictable. After it pointed out that political stability has been eroded by widespread popular disillusionment with the political system and by Algeria’s weak economy, the report underlined in the regulatory efficiency chapter that starting a business, dealing with construction permits, and obtaining electricity connections have all become cheaper, but interruptions of electricity occur with slightly greater frequency. The government, facing a steep budget deficit caused by lower oil prices, sharply reduced fuel subsidies in 2020 and since 2015, Algeria has pursued an import substitution policy, adopting protectionist measures to encourage domestic production. The report also pointed in the open markets chapter to the fact that foreign investors are generally limited to minority status, and restrictions on foreign ownership still limit much-needed investment dynamism. Capital markets are underdeveloped, and the financial sector remains dominated by public banks. Regarding the impact of COVID-1, the report noted that as of December 1, 2020, 2,447 deaths had been attributed to the pandemic in Algeria, and the economy was forecast to contract by 5.5 percent for the year.	https://northafricapost.com/48384-index-of-economic-freedom-algeria-ranked-162nd-out-of-178-countries.html
China on Thursday published its 11th Five-year Plan (2006-2010) for utilizing foreign investment and it states the policy priority will be given to the quality rather than quantity of such investments. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) published the document on its website. This is the first time such a document has been published. "This is an important measure taken by China in creating a stable and transparent foreign investment management system as well as a fair and predictable policy environment," the NDRC said. According to the document, China utilized US$383 billion of overseas investment during the 10th Five-year Plan period (2001-2005), including US$286 billion in overseas direct investment, US$38 billion in stock issuances and US$46 billion in foreign loans. It criticizes some local governments for their blind efforts to secure foreign investments, some of which are apparently against the central government's industrial policy. The document notes that emerging monopolies by foreign businesses in certain industries are posing a potential threat to China's economic security. It also criticizes foreign businesses for abusing intellectual property rights protection laws. This has adversely affected Chinese enterprises' capacity for independent innovations, it observes. The document says China will push for further shifting of policy priority from the quantity to the quality of foreign investment during the next five years. Priority will be given to the introduction of advanced technologies, management expertise and high-quality talents rather than the use of foreign capital, the document says. More emphasis shall also be given to the protection of the environment and efficient use of natural resources, it states. The document stresses the need for more foreign investment in areas such as research and development as well as sophisticated design so China could eventually become a major manufacturer of high value-added products. It also calls for more foreign investment in China's remote west and the northeast rust belt. They currently lag far behind the coastal regions in the amount of foreign investment. Despite the emphasis on quality the document says China expects its foreign investment to keep rising in the next few years. "During the 11th Five-year Plan period the domestic and international environment affecting foreign investment in China will generally tend to improve, making it possible for China to improve the quality of foreign investment while maintaining quantity," the document says. According to the document China will continue to encourage foreign investment in agriculture, electronics and information, petrochemicals, chemicals, automobiles and infrastructure. Foreign businesses will be encouraged to take part in the restructuring of traditional industries such as machinery, light industry, textile, raw materials and construction. Foreign investment in environment protection, including the control of water and air pollution and recycling will be welcomed, the document states. In the service sector the document says China will fulfill its duties under the World Trade Organization and open its banking, insurance, securities and telecommunications sectors to foreign investment in a positive and prudent manner. In response to the rising concern over foreign acquisitions of leading Chinese firms in critical sectors, the document says China will speed up legislation and step up the supervision of sensitive acquisitions and takeovers to ensure critical industries and enterprises remain under Chinese control.	http://www.china.org.cn/english/BAT/188506.htm
In order to analyse Angola’s trade performance and policies, Nigeria will be chosen as a benchmark, because characteristics of Nigeria is very similar to Angola. Both of them have petroleum-based economy, and they are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Moreover, both of them experienced civil wars that had negative impact on their development. Angola had 27-year civil war until 2002; likewise, before 1999, Nigeria had been through political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management caused by 32-year military dictatorship (U.S. Department of State, 2010; USAID, 2010a, 2010b). 為了分析安哥拉的貿易表現和政策，將選擇尼日利亞作為基準，因為尼日利亞的特點與安哥拉非常相似。他們都是石油輸出國組織（歐佩克）和世界貿易組織（世貿組織）的成員。此外，他們都經歷了內戰，對他們的發展產生了負面影響。安哥拉在2002年之前經歷了27年的內戰；同樣，在1999年之前，尼日利亞經歷了32年軍事獨裁導致的政治不穩定、腐敗、基礎設施不足和宏觀經濟管理不善（美國國務院，2010年；美援署，2010a，2010b）。 According to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA, 2010a), Angola covers an area of 1.25 million km2 on the Atlantic coast of Africa, with a population estimated at nearly 13 million in 2009. Angola is rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002. In the quarter century of fighting, up to 1.5 million lives might have been lost, 4 million people have been displaced, and the socio-economic infrastructure has been massively destructed. 據中央情報局（CIA，2010a）統計，安哥拉位于非洲大西洋沿岸，面積125萬平方公里，2009年人口估計接近1300萬。安哥拉在2002年結束了長達27年的內戰后正在重建國家。在四分之一世紀的戰斗中，可能有多達150萬人喪生，400萬人流離失所，社會經濟基礎設施遭到大規模破壞。 Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has made progress in stabilizing the macro-economy, consolidating peace, and beginning the reconstruction of the economic infrastructure. However, economic growth still largely rely on the performance of the oil and diamonds sectors; relatively little progress has been made in the rebuilding of agriculture and industry, and there is a large informal economy. Additionally, there is still a serious shortage of skills; many markets are still distorted by subsidies, price controls, and large-scale government or parastatal participation; and lots of the infrastructure is still destroyed or damaged, with landmines remaining a significant hazard (WTO, 2006). 2. MICROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT & TRADE PERFORMANCE Angola's overall economic growth rates which measured by increase in estimated GDP have varied considerably after 2002, falling from 14.4 per cent in 2002 (the year the civil war ended) to 3.4 per cent in 2003, then accelerating to 11.2 per cent in 2004. In the past three years, the rates are 21.1 per cent in 2007, 13.2 per cent in 2008, and -0.6 per cent in 2009 (Figure 1). Almost all of these changes were due to variations in the value of oil output (CIA, 2010a). In 2008, 9.6 per cent, 65.8 per cent and 24.6 per cent of GDP were contributed respectively by agriculture, industry and services sector (Figure 2). Even though consumer inflation declined from 325 per cent in 2000 to below 13 per cent in 2008, the stabilization policy proved unsustainable and Angola abandoned its currency peg in 2009 (CIA, 2010a). Angola’s exports make up about 77.2 per cent of its GDP in 2008, and are heavily dependent on oil and diamonds (Europa, 2009a). These two products have amounted to an average of about 93 per cent and 6 per cent of total merchandize exports, respectively, according to the World Bank (2009) and Integrated Framework (2005), and items such as stones, sand, fish, etc account for the remaining 1 per cent. With limited refining capacity, almost all exported oil is crude oil. China, US and France are three main export partners of Angola, they accounted for, respectively, 32.9 per cent, 28.7 per cent and 6 per cent of Angola’s export in 2008 (CIA, 2010a). Angola imports almost every kind of merchandise, including products that the country has a potential comparative advantage in producing. Its main imports partners are Portugal, China, US and Brazil who provide, respectively, 17.1 per cent, 15.2 per cent, 11 per cent and 10.2 per cent of Angola’s imports (CIA, 2010a). Merchandise imports accounted for approximately 22.6 per cent of GDP in 2008, thus trade account creates a large surplus averaging 55 per cent of GDP (Europa, 2009a). This is offset by payments for services related to investment in the oil industry and interest charges on large short-term external debt. The current account generates a deficit or surplus mainly depending on the price of oil (World Bank, 2009; Integrated Framework 2005). On the other hand, comparing with Angola, Nigeria seems to have relatively steady real growth rate in GDP (Figure 1). After 1999, the rates for Nigeria rose from 0.94 per cent through 5.44 per cent, 4.60 per cent and 3.48 per cent, respectively in 2000, 2001 and 2002 to 10.24 per cent in 2003. In the past three year, the numbers were 6.4 per cent in 2007, 5.3 per cent in 2008 and 5 per cent in 2009 (CIA, 2010b; WTO, 2005). This relatively steady rate is mainly due to better GDP composition by sector. For Nigeria in 2009, agriculture sector contributed 33.4 per cent of GDP, and industry and services sector contributed 34.1 per cent and 32.5 per cent of GDP, respectively (CIA, 2010b). As show in the Figure 2, the average cross-sector performance resulted in the limited impact on GDP growth rate, which caused by floating price of oil price in the global market. Therefore, the method for Angola to reduce dependency on the booming sector and to make the country less vulnerable to external shocks is to promote diversification of exports. Nigeria’s exports accounted about 36.0 per cent of GDP in 2008, while imports made up 25.4 per cent (CIA, 2010b). The better trade performance is also owing to more diversified exports. 3. TRADE POLICY In Angola, protection of domestic production is foreseen during the phase of rebuilding the economy; it can help developing countries nurture domestic industry, but a protectionist policy is not considered by the authorities as valid in the medium-term. The authorities note that this policy is designed as a response to the situation prevailing following the civil war, and to the transition from a largely State-controlled economy to a more open market economy. Angola has to overcome the effects not only of the civil war but also of consequent difficulties in attracting foreign investment, technology, and assistance; and inadequate financial and economic policies, especially for extending those industries other than the oil and diamond sectors. 3.1 Import tariffs According to WTO (2010), Angola's trade regime has been greatly liberalised since May 1999, and is still in the process of reorganisation and modernisation. The customs tariff is Angola’s major trade policy instrument. All of Angola’s customs tariff is bound at ceiling ad valorem levels under GATT 1994 schedule. Applied tariffs remain greatly under the ceiling levels bound in the WTO. A revised operational Customs Tariff was introduced in February 2005, reducing the simple average most favoured nation (MFN) applied rate from 8.8 per cent to 7.4 per cent, by major sector, the average tariff on agricultural products is 10 per cent (a bound average of 52.6 per cent), and that on non-agriculture products 6.9 per cent (a bound average of 60.1 per cent). The maximum applied duty rate has been reduced to 30 per cent, with a six bands: of 2 per cent, 5 per cent, 10 per cent, 15 per cent, 20 per cent and 30 per cent. A maximum rate of 35 per cent was removed in 2005 (WTO, 2006). The authorities' short-term goal is to encourage import substitution and development of local industry. Therefore, some duties have been imposed in 2005; more, many tariff concessions are applying for investors and industries, mitigating the effects of the tariff structure and increasing effective protection (WTO, 2006). Nigeria has relatively higher tariff for the importation. Since 2003, its average applied MFN tariff has reduced from 29 per cent to about 12 per cent in 2008, with applied MFN tariff rates on agricultural and non-agricultural products averaging 15.2 per cent and 11.5 per cent, respectively. In general, tariff rates are widely dispersed, ranging from a maximum of 150 per cent to a minimum of 2.5 per cent; a total of 19 bands are applied (WTO, 2005). The overall tariff structure shows mixed escalation, owing to the high tariffs on agricultural goods. However, a number of industries are protected through positive escalation. Similar to Angola, several industries also benefit from tariff exemptions and concessions on imports of inputs and raw materials, that conducted by authorities. Within the context of its subregional integration efforts, Nigeria has expressed its commitment to bring significant liberalization and simplification to Nigeria's tariff regime (WTO, 2005, 2006). 3.2 Import prohibitions, licensing & contingency measures Both Angola and Nigeria claims no quotas, tariff quotas, or tariff preferences, and their import prohibitions and licensing under “special import regimes” are applying for some particular products to be in place for health, security and safety purpose. Nevertheless, Angola has no anti-dumping, safeguard, countervailing or competition legislation, while Nigeria has. It has not submitted any notifications on anti-dumping or countervailing duties until 2004; reference was made to the need to protect local industries from dumping and unfair competition within the framework of remedies provided for by the WTO and regional trade agreements. A bill on anti-dumping and countervailing measures is currently under preparation. Nigeria was reported to have been in the process of enacting legislation on safeguard measures. However, there are no formal domestic legislative procedures for safeguard actions as provided for by the WTO Agreement on Safeguards. In January 2002, Nigeria notified the WTO Committee on Safeguards that import prohibitions on wheat flour, sorghum, millet, and kaolin were in place for safeguard reasons (WTO, 2005). In this case, it is still a long way to go for Angola to improve its trade regime, so they can avoid the injuries cause by inappropriate trade acts, such as dumping, export or domestic subsidies which can cause distorted international prices. 3.3 Export taxes, charges and levies As WTO (2006), Angola’s export taxes are levied on: raw/tanned hides and skins (20 per cent); and worked ivory, bone, etc (10 per cent). The authorities claim that these taxes are levied for purposes of environmental protection, particularly of flora and fauna, although Angola is not a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Wild Species of Endangered Fauna and Flora (CITES). In Nigeria, the export amendment decree of 1992 prescribes that all raw material or unprocessed commodities, whether mineral or agricultural, may be subject to the payment of an export levy as may be prescribed, from time to time, by order of the Export Promotion Council (NEPC). In this case, an administrative levy of US$5 per tonne is applied to exports of cocoa, and of US$3 per tonne to exports of other raw materials (WTO, 2005). 3.4 Export prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing In Angola, there are a various export prohibitions and licensing procedures for specified goods under special export regimes, including the Kimberley process for diamond. Export duties of 10 per cent and 20 per cent are taxed on exports of unprocessed ivory, and hides and skins, respectively. It does not prohibit import or export of endangered species (WTO, 2006). Under Nigeria's Export Prohibition Act, certain exports are banned for purposes of domestic food security, value-added considerations, and preservation of cultural heritage. Nigeria's food safety regulations require export licences for unprocessed food products; in certain cases, the Minister for Agriculture is empowered to prescribe grades and standards of quality for these products (WTO, 2005). 3.5 Export promotion There are no export-processing zones (EPZs) in Angola, and it has no export subsidies as well as no official export promotion body (WTO, 2006). In contrast, there is various incentive schemes available to exporters in Nigeria might reduce the anti-export bias resulting from the protection of domestic markets by high tariffs and import bans. They reflect the authorities' awareness of the inconsistency in the objective of promoting processed exports based on highly protected local raw materials. Export incentives can be a very effective measure for Angola to promote development and diversification of exports, together with the import substitution by domestic production. The Export Expansion Grant Fund scheme (EEGF) offers cash inducement to eligible exporters who have exported a certain amount of processed products. The aim of the scheme is to stimulate domestic producers to expand the volume of exports, and diversify their export product and market coverage (Manufacturers Association Of Nigeria, 2005). The main support to exporters through banks is the Re-discounting and Re-financing Facility (RRF) scheme. It is designed to assist banks provide pre- and post-shipment finance in local currency for non-oil exports. The facility provides exporters access to the expanded export portfolio of banks at preferential rates. Additionally, the Tax Relief on Interest Income Scheme provides for tax exemption on interest accruing to banks from loans for export activities. A drawback scheme allows for levies charged on raw materials used in the manufacture of products to be refunded upon the export of the final goods. The objective of this scheme is to encourage manufacturing for exports. The law enabling EPZs was enacted in 1992 and supports the establishment of industries and businesses within demarcated zones, principally for export purposes. EPZs are also being used to address the infrastructural and regulatory deficiencies inhibiting export-oriented companies in Nigeria (Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, 2005). 4. TRADE AGREEMENTS 4.1 Multilateral agreement (i) World Trade Organisation Angola became a Member of the WTO on 23 November 1996, qualifying as an original Member of the WTO, and accords MFN treatment to all its trading partners (WTO, 2006). It reiterates its commitment to the liberalisation of trade and the Multilateral Trading System, which is deemed to be beneficial for development, growth and wellbeing. It deems that the WTO could play an key role not only in improving the reputation of the trade liberalisation process by making it more organised, flexible, and diversified but also in carrying out a plan based on the rules of world trade. Agriculture sector is essentially important for Angola's economic development. According to Integrated Framework (2005), in terms of the dependence of the economies of the developing countries on both exports of primary products and imports of food goods, as in the case of Angola, it is necessary to ensure the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken in favour of the developing countries (DCs) and least developed countries (LDCs) in order to facilitate duty-free market access without quotas for LDCs products and greater moderation and flexibility in the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary agreements (SPS) and other agreements relating to technical barriers to trade (TBT). For non-agricultural market access (NAMA), Angola is seeking greater freedom of manoeuvre to pursue its development objectives, in light of the need to create the right conditions for its diversification and the industrialisation of its economy (Integrated Framework, 2005). The service sector is an important economic part in most of country, either developed countries (OEDCs) or LDCs. Angola is tending to expand its services sector, since it realised that service can effectively make a positive contribution to its economic. Therefore, Angola is in the current negotiations relating to the service sector (Integrated Framework, 2005). (ii) Other multilateral agreements As WTO (2006) stated that, since Angola is a member of the United Nations (UN), it joined the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and other relevant UN agencies. It is also a member of the Community of Portuguese-Language Countries (CPLP), International Coffee Organisation, Common Fund for Commodities, and International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Angola, as a LDC, benefits from those agreements in particular in UNCTAD: as a member, it is eligible for preferential conditions under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which is, with the OEDCs, and the Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP), among DCs (WTO, 2006). 4.2 Regional agreements (i) Southern African Development Community (SADC) Angola is a co-founder of the SADC that aims to create a common market among the member States by 2015, according to SADC (2010), it has accepted the SADC Trade Protocol, and is actively engaging in negotiations for an EPA both within SADC and in broader negotiations with the European Communities (EC). Also, Angola is actively participating other trade-related areas of SADC – like infrastructure; trade and investment; and agriculture, food security and natural resources. It has approved the SADC Memorandum of Understanding on Standardization, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology (SQAM). The SADC secretariat has assisted Angola to establish a schedule for implementing the provisions of the Trade Protocol. (ii) African Union Angola is a member of the African Union (AU) that is expected to be an economic and monetary union. Ongoing AU activities are including: increased sub-regional integration programmes, peace keeping, the establishment of an African standby force, and harmonisation of education policies (WTO, 2006). (iii) Other regional agreements Angola is a co-founder of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS/CEEAC), but has not signed any regional trade agreements yet. However, it has had individual agreements with some members of the Community, such as Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, etc (WTO, 2006) 4.3 Bilateral trade agreements Angola has signed bilateral trade agreements with several other countries, particularly, those countries use the same language (e.g. Brazil, Mozambique, Portugal, etc.) or with which it has territorial (e.g. Namibia, Zambia, etc.) or political ties (e.g. Cuba). However, beside primary commodities such as fish, oil, timber, it has little to offer in exchange. A specific agreement signed between the European Community and Angola in 1987 has promoted the sustainable development of fisheries (WTO, 2006). It is important to notice that either regional or bilateral trade agreement might create trade diversions which make a country less efficient in terms of international trade. 5. TRADE POLICY DIRECTION As noted above, Angola's international trade is inevitably very much influenced by two main factors. The first one, also the single most important one, is that Angola is a major oil exporter and these exports will inevitably dominate not only export performance but also the performance and stability of entire economy. Oil-induced macro-economic distortions are also the key factor conditioning the performance of non-oil exports that, though relatively less important in terms of percentage of value of trade, are very important in terms of poverty reduction. The second factor is that there are massive dislocation, death and destruction within the country after the decades-long civil war (Integrated Framework, 2005). Looking forward, in Angola, the essential goal of economic policy is to accelerate growth and reduce poverty by restoring the diversity and dynamism the economy had before independence. This would require a well-planned and phased trade strategy that aims initially for import-substitution in sectors where Angola has proven comparative advantage and in sectors where Angola used to be a main producer before independence. Food security will be on the top of import-substitution agenda given Angola’s status as a low cost food producer is capable not only of efficient satisfaction of domestic needs but also as a competitive producer of food for the international market. It has to be noticed that Angola’s current need to engage in import substitution stems from the all non-economic reasons for its loss of domestic production capacity in the first place – the decades long civil war and its attendant destruction (Integrated Framework, 2005; WTO, 2006). Looking forward, in Angola, the essential goal of economic policy is to accelerate growth and reduce poverty by restoring the diversity and dynamism the economy had before independence. This would require a well-planned and phased trade strategy that aims initially for import-substitution in sectors where Angola has proven comparative advantage and in sectors where Angola used to be a main producer before independence. Food security will be on the top of import-substitution agenda given Angola’s status as a low cost food producer capable not only of efficient satisfaction of domestic needs but also as a competitive producer of food for the international market. It has to be remembered that Angola’s current need to engage in import substitution stems from the all non-economic reasons for its loss of domestic production capacity in the first place – the decades long civil war and its attendant destruction (Integrated Framework, 2005). In addition, the trade policy need to target at gradually restoring the capacity in non-oil exports once efficient import substitution takes hold. In Angola, the emphasis on eventual export-led growth is very important since with still large number of the population living under the poverty line (WTO, 2006). Angola’s domestic market is too small to sustain high growth in production and employment necessary to make a significant poverty reduction. Hence, export growth and diversification must be the focus for creating growth in the medium to longer-term in Angola. Since Angola has massive natural resources, it has substantial potential to implement the strategy that initially emphasises on import substitution with the intention of eventually moving towards export-led growth within a diversified economy. Particularly, opportunities exist in agriculture (e.g. coffee, livestock, rice, cotton, etc.), fisheries, light manufacturing (e.g. wood products, leather products, etc.), and services (e.g. transit trade, tourism, etc.). This strategy could provide an effective poverty reduction program due to all potential import substitution and export-oriented activities, especially in the rural areas where about 75 per cent of the population live, are labour-intensive activities (WTO, 2006). In order to effectively implement this strategy, significant improvements are required in trade policy. A comprehensive reform is also needed which might include eliminating overvaluation of the exchange rate, stabilisation of the macro economy, rehabilitation of infrastructure, strengthening of policies for specific sector, and the improvement in the private sector enabling environment to encourage private investment in import substitution and export oriented sectors and a more effective supply-side response to trade policies. 為了有效地實施這一戰略，需要在貿易政策方面作出重大改進。還需要進行全面改革，其中可能包括消除匯率高估、穩定宏觀經濟、恢復基礎設施、加強特定部門的政策，改善私營部門的有利環境，鼓勵私人投資于進口替代和出口導向部門，并對貿易政策作出更有效的供應方反應。 All policies with a major effect on trade, either direct or indirect, should be evaluated in the view of their ability to promote the broad based trade oriented and private sector-led growth that is needed.	http://www.corsaires-football.com/case/essaycase/138.html
Revitalizing Lagging Exports: Is There an Option to Economic Openness? Pathfinder Economic Flash It was reported in the media recently that there were concerns regarding the signing of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on the basis that such moves might endanger the import substitution industries, which produce internationally uncompetitive goods for the domestic consumers. This brings to our memory the 1960s and 70s policy prescriptions of infant and import substitution industries. These protectionist policy maneuvers brought disastrous consequences to the countries that blindly followed them, including Sri Lanka. Therefore, it may be opportune for us to refresh our memories regarding our past.	https://pathfinderfoundation.org/publications/articles/pathfinder-economic-flash/revitalizing-lagging-exports-is-there-an-option-to-economic-openness
The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) is a schedule 3A Public Entity established in terms of the International Trade Administration Act, No 71 of 2002, and came into force on 1 June 2003. ITAC replaced its predecessor, the Board of Tariffs and Trade (BTT) that was established in 1986. The predecessor of the BTT is the Board on Trade and Industries (BTI) that dated back to 1924. ITAC’s mandate The aim of ITAC, as stated in the Act, is to foster economic growth and development in order to raise incomes and promote investment and employment in South Africa and within the Common Customs Union Area by establishing an efficient and effective system for the administration of international trade subject to this Act and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Agreement. The core functions are: customs tariff investigations; trade remedies; and import and export control. Background to the establishment of ITAC From the middle 1920s, South Africa adopted a trade strategy based on import substitution as a means to pursue industrialisation. The import substitution strategy required relatively high tariff walls and a complex tariff structure with various kinds of duties (ad-valorem; specific; compound; and formula duties) to develop, protect, and nurture domestic industries. In 1924, a permanent Board on Trade and Industries (BTI) was established and assigned the function of advising government on the implementation of this strategy. Although the tariff policy adopted in 1924 also applied to agricultural products, the government support to the agricultural sector was driven through the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1937 and the Co-operatives Act of 1939. The government intervention in terms of these measures virtually eliminated foreign competition through the application of import and price controls. Basic commodities continued to dominate South Africa’s exports. The first signs of change to the inward-looking strategy through tariff and trade reform began in the early 1970s, which was necessitated by a perceived need to diversify exports. Towards the mid-1980s, import substitution possibilities were exhausted and exports were increasingly seen as the vehicle to growth. Several studies recommended reform of the customs tariff policy aimed at reversing the anti-export bias inherent in a protected economy with its high cost structures. The recommendations and subsequent reforms included implementation of structural adjustment programmes for selected sectors based on customs and excise duty rebates and drawback of duties, and export incentives. For example, the General Export Incentive Scheme (GEIS) was introduced to offset the price disadvantage experienced by exporters due to the cost-raising effects of protected intermediate inputs. Quantitative import controls were removed and replaced by import tariffs and a more flexible exchange rate was adopted to facilitate and cushion the effects of trade integration. To support these changes, the mandate of the BTI was revisited. A new Board on Tariffs and Trade (BTT) was established, through the Board on Tariffs and Trade Act, 1986. The BTT was given a wide brief. It was to show a stronger commitment to liberalisation in a policy shift to be stricter in assessing requests for protection. It was also assigned the additional task of devising the structural adjustment programmes for selected industries with a view to export promotion. Later, the mandate of the BTT was narrowed through the enactment of the Board on Tariffs and Trade Amendment Act, 1992. In future, the BTT was to concentrate on import tariffs only. The most significant changes to South Africa’s trade policy followed from the obligations South Africa undertook in the Uruguay Round of multilateral negotiations that culminated in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1994) and the establishment of the WTO in 1995. Impetus for additional changes came from the regional and bilateral trade agreements South Africa engaged in, following the establishment of the new democratic government in 1994. In 2003, ITAC became operational as the successor to the BTT. The establishment of ITAC was meant to rationalise, streamline and modernise an organisation with a history that dates back to the 1920s. ITAC adopted a strategic use of international trade instruments in its alignment to prevailing trade and industrial policy imperatives. Customs Tariffs The point of departure for both the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and South Africa’s Trade Policy and Strategy Framework (TPSF) is that, for sustained growth and development, South Africa cannot rely on the export potential of its mineral resources and other commodities alone. There is a pressing need for more diversification. This requires promotion of increased value addition into non-traditional tradable goods that compete in export markets as well as against imports. High value-added goods, besides operating in dynamic high-growth markets, are also more labour-intensive. The NGP identifies manufacturing as one of the employment drivers. The customs tariff implications of this premise are that, tariffs on mature capital-intensive upstream input industries may be reviewed and may be reduced or removed in the interest of lowering input costs into labour-intensive employment creating downstream activities. Tariffs on downstream industries, particularly those that are strategic from an employment perspective, may be retained on in some instances raised. Tariffs are instruments of industrial policy and have implications for capital accumulation, technological progress, productivity growth, and employment. Changes to the tariff structure need to be calibrated to the production possibilities of each sector. The tariff investigations based on applications received or self-initiated are conducted on a case-by-case basis informed by the peculiarities of each sector and supported by evidence. ITAC is now placing more emphasis on the principle of reciprocity when granting tariff support to industries, varying from one sector to another. This means tariff amendments will be conditioned on a commitment by beneficiaries on how they will perform against government’s set policy objectives, in particular employment and investment. Tariff increases will also be tied to a specific period of time after which tariffs may be reviewed. Therefore, ITAC takes a strategic approach to customs tariffs. It is an approach that is also sensitive to employment outcomes. In light of the unique production and trade conditions for agricultural products, ITAC has adopted a differentiated approach compared to industrial goods. Subsidies and domestic support offered in developed countries to their agriculture sector have the effect of depressing world prices to the disadvantage of domestic farmers. In addition, farmers do not have bargaining power as they are price takers in the food value chain. The fluctuation in world prices has to be factored in, when determining an appropriate level of the tariff. Tariff setting for agricultural products is more challenging in that not only the profitability of farmers must be taken into account but also the price ramifications down the value chain and the price raising effects for consumers, in particular the poor. Agro-processing contributes, not just to increase high value-added exports and employment, but also improves the geographical spread of economic activities to rural areas. Tariff support for agro-processing goods down the food value chain, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Trade Remedies There are three Trade remedies instruments: Anti-dumping, countervailing measures and safeguards. Anti-dumping measures are taken against injurious dumped imports. In an international trade context, dumping is used to refer to a situation where goods are sold in a foreign market at prices lower than in the country of origin. This is in contrast to the everyday use of the word, which may literally mean dumping of waste, or of inferior or defective goods. Countervailing measures are used against subsidised imports that threaten and/or cause injury (i.e. decrease in prices; loss of market share; decrease in profits; decrease in sales volumes; job losses, etc.) to the domestic manufacturer. Safeguards are actions against trade that may be regarded as fair but overwhelms domestic producers. Safeguards are used against an unforeseen surge of imports that threatens and/or causes injury to the domestic producers. Out of the three remedies the one we are mostly active in is anti-dumping. There has been few countervailing measures and even less safeguards. The specific objectives in trade remedies that are interconnected with the strategic objective of promoting growth and development are: Retention and creation of jobs, sustainable industrialisation, and international competitiveness. ITAC will continue to be rigorous in its investigations and recommendations to the Minister, given the costs and benefits inherent in these instruments. The investigations have to be carried out in compliance with domestic law and consistent with the WTO Agreements. Regarding anti-dumping and countervailing measures, the purpose is to level the playing field to ensure that foreign firms compete fairly with domestic firms. Actions of unfair injurious dumping and subsidies are a critical intervention to protect jobs and sustain investments. Import and Export Control Out of the approximately 6 650 tariff lines in the South African version of the International Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System, there are 276 tariff lines under import control and 177 tariff lines under export control. Import and export control measures are essentially meant to enforce health, environment, security and safety, and technical standards that arise from domestic laws and international agreements.	http://www.itac.org.za/pages/about-itac/an-overview-of
BERLIN (IDN) - Hundreds of thousands of poor people joined spontaneous “bread riots” in most major cities in Egypt back in 1977, protesting termination of state subsidies as dictated to the country’s government by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Those uprisings, which were crushed by the army, underlined the callousness with which the two organizations enforced their aggressive policies of liberalization, turning a blind eye to the sufferings of the people. Both Bretton Woods organizations are meanwhile said to have become more responsive to constraints of global political and economic realities, particularly after the 2011 Arab uprisings. But a new report by the Bretton Woods Project (BWP), a UK-based NGO, which analyses IMF policies in four MENA countries pre and post 2011, finds “little substantive change”. “While IMF rhetoric may have changed in response to widespread popular demands for domestic reforms, policies it endorses appear little changed,” says Mohammed Mossallem, author the study. He recalls that in May 2011, a group of international institutions and the G8 governments gathered under the umbrella of the Deauville Partnership and pledged up to $40 billion in loans and other assistance towards what they termed the ‘Arab Countries in Transition’ (ACT).” By 2012, the IMF had signed four loan agreements in the region: two-year loan packages with Morocco and Jordan, an emergency credit line with Yemen and a precautionary financing arrangement with Tunisia. Egypt went through two controversial rounds of negotiations with the IMF for a potential loan program, neither of which ultimately resulted in a loan. The 24-page report surveys in detail the IMF’s impact on post revolutionary Arab states by documenting the history of IMF involvement in the region. It traces the change in IMF rhetoric and practice before and after 2011 in four Arab countries: Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt. These countries were selected because they have adopted extensive structural reforms on encouragement of the IMF and were often put forward by international financial institutions (IFIs) as successful reformers. In light of the recent downturns in both developed and developing economies, the report titled The IMF in the Arab World: Lessons Unlearnt pleads for “shift to countercyclical policies and higher public spending to avert recession, revitalize the economy, generate productive employment, support development needs and repair the social contract “. The report casts a close look at state subsidies, austerity and liberalization and privatization. State subsidies The BWP considers it crucial for the IMF to realize that Arab governments provide substantial energy and food price subsidies to their populations to offer relief from high commodity prices. The fact that the region does not have well-developed social protection systems means that the current promoted measures to aggressively reduce subsidies will lead to further impoverishment and widening inequality gaps, warns the report. It asks the IMF to consider development of social protection schemes as a prerequisite to any serious reform to the subsidy and pensions systems. “The IMF in its post 2011 reports has proposed mitigating measures to accompany subsidy reforms, including expansion of social safety nets and targeted energy subsidies/cash transfers.” These measures, however, overlooked the underdeveloped social protection schemes in Arab countries. Inadequate administration capacities, large informal economies and corruption to name a few obstacles make these mitigating measures sound more hopeful than feasible. “Admittedly these subsidies are inefficient and a significant portion is used by the rich businesses as opposed to the segment of the population with the most need,” says the report. Nevertheless, as another report by Hassan Sherry argues, by demanding short- to medium-term phasing out of energy subsidies, the IMF is targeting the symptoms rather than the causes of the deep rooted social and economic injustices that sparked the region’s uprisings, adds the study. “Reversing the underperformance of Arab countries will not be achieved without profound changes in the productive structures of their economies by building effective institutions that make economic and social development a priority.” Austerity The author of the BWP report recalls numerous studies that have highlighted the threat austerity measures pose to inclusive growth in any economy. The United Nations and ILO have repetitively warned against austerity and how it is threatening to bring the global economy into further recession and increase inequality. They have also “called on governments for forceful and concerted policy action at the global level to make fiscal policy more countercyclical, more equitable and supportive of job creation; to tackle financial market instability and accelerate regulatory reforms; and to support development goals”. The report adds: The IMF itself has recently conceded it was wrong about austerity and hence if there’s a time for a certain policy to be revised this is definitely the time for austerity to be reassessed. Liberalization and privatization: Mossallem further argues that investment liberalization and privatization, in the absence of supporting institutional infrastructure, have been questioned in the light of the experiences of many developing countries over the past few decades. This has proven to be also true in practice for the Arab region. Among the more important measures adopted and continue to be encouraged are: lowering of tariff barriers; the removal of many quantitative import restrictions; the reduction of subsidies to domestic producers; the privatisation of government business enterprises as well as utilities; and the easing of foreign exchange controls. Moreover, opening of markets through import competition and FDI (foreign direct investment) liberalization might bring enhanced competition, but if no safeguards exist, foreign firms might also engage in anti-competitive practices and abuse dominant market positions, declares the report. The study finds that the IMF approach in the region in the aftermath of 2011 is characterised by deeper liberalisation and privatisation without any serious amendment to the pre 2011 strategy, despite the negative implications that the IMF promoted policies on liberalised trade and investment policy have had on the region. “Aggressive liberalisation adopted by Arab countries often led to the rise of imports in a disproportionate manner to the rise of exports, and a decline in the productive and manufacturing capacities in these economies,” notes the report. These policies ignored the lack of capacity and competitiveness of domestic industries, and meant that local manufacturers became increasingly unable to compete and hence the linkages with the domestic sectors/industries were diminished, stunting job creation. The same applies to privatisation where, due to the lack of legal safeguards, corruption has led to privatisations benefiting a narrow circle of figures connected to the regime in one way or another. On the other hand, privatisation of public utilities that have been widely acknowledged as sectors that should remain in public control be it in developed or developing countries (such as water and electricity), has led to the transformation of them into corporations which were required to operate at a profit. These corporations began to practice full cost recovery by passing on costs to citizens through rate increases. Again, adds the report, if experience has taught the IMF anything it should be that they should abandon their one-size fits all approach to privatisation and liberalisation. “It is well documented that economic development is not achieved by simply liberalising its trade or privatising all its state owned industries. Institution building in combination with a partial and more importantly ‘gradual’ opening up to imports and foreign investment are a more effective way to also provide a significant source for growth.” The report urges the IMF to acknowledge that each country has the sovereign right to identify its own model of development, and the institutional reforms that are required, where trade regime/liberalisation is a part of such reforms. Also, how and when is the best time to open the market is different for each country as they have to take into account their different contexts, such as national legislation; foreign trade partners; export-oriented sectors; share of primary exports; rate of trade to GDP; and vulnerability of country to foreign exchange, to name a few. The report’s author Mossallem adds: “It is no secret that historically, industrialised countries achieved economic growth by strategically and selectively adopting protectionist trade policy and were not forced to immediately open up and privatise, as is the case for the developing world today. More recently we have examples of East Asian countries that liberalised trade after about one decade of growth; the same is in the case of India.” The IMF should also consider placing pre-requisites for privatisation of public entities ensuring the safeguards are in place both legally and on the policy level in terms of economic and social policies. It should further refrain from promoting the privatisation of strategic public utilities like water, electricity and transportation in a region where large proportions of the population are marginalised and under the poverty line. [IDN-InDepthNews – 18 December 2015] Photo: Collage of Arab Spring scenes \| Credit: Wikimedia Commons 2015 IDN-InDepthNews \| Analysis That Matters Follow us on Twitter and Facebook:	https://archive-2016-2017.indepthnews.net/index.php/global-governance/other-intergovernmental-organisations-igos/13-imf-does-not-trigger-bread-riots-but-sticks-to-old-policies
Hong Kong’s trading community will likely be aware that the EAEU is a political and economic union of states located in central and northern Eurasia. Members of the EAEU comprise Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. The EAEU has an integrated single market of 183 million people and subscribes to the concept of the free movement of goods, capital, services and people. It provides for common policies in, among others, transport, industry, agriculture, energy, foreign trade and investment, and customs, operating through supranational and intergovernmental institutions. EAEU producers fear that certain countries, in response to the US tariffs on steel products which entered into force on 23 March 2018, as well as in light of potential EU and Turkish safeguard measures, will redirect their sales to the EAEU, flooding the market and depressing prices. The safeguard investigation covers three categories of steel products: hot-rolled and cold-rolled sheets and coils, as well as coated flat products. Although some Member States of the EAEU (e.g., Belarus), and the EAEU itself, are not Members of the WTO, the Eurasian Economic Commission aims to follow the WTO’s rules on safeguards. Specific provisions in the WTO agreements, as well as the respective WTO accession commitments of the EAEU Member States that have been implemented by the EAEU as part of the international agreements among its Member States, have become an integral part of the EAEU’s legal order and should prevail over other laws that conflict with it. Moreover, the Eurasian Economic Commission has already referred to the WTO case law in its report in another safeguard case, quoting the WTO’s Appellate Body and referring to the WTO’s practice generally. Under WTO rules, safeguard measures (i.e., a temporary restriction on imports of certain products) may only be adopted if it has been determined, through a safeguard investigation, that – as a result of unforeseen developments – the products concerned are being imported in such greatly increased quantities so as to cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to the domestic producers of like or directly competing products. The information currently available to the Eurasian Economic Commission indicates that the total imports of the products concerned increased significantly in the period between 2015 and 2017. Moreover, the increase in imports is said to be the result of unforeseen developments, such as global overcapacity in steel-making and trade measures adopted by a series of third countries in the context of that global overcapacity. The Eurasian Economic Commission also stated that there is evidence that imports of the products concerned have had a negative impact on the financial and production performance of EAEU producers and that import prices negatively affected the EAEU’s sales prices. This is despite the fact that import prices of hot-rolled flat products and coated rolled steel were higher than the EAEU’s industry prices during the period 2015-2017. The safeguard investigation will, in principle, be concluded within nine months, i.e. by 7 May 2019. If the EEC, pursuant to the investigation, considers that safeguard measures are necessary to protect the EAEU industry, it can impose definitive safeguard measures for a period of four years. If need be, this period can be extended up to eight years. The safeguard measures can take the form of tariffs on global imports and may be attached to quotas. Moreover, the measures would have to be applied to imports from all countries in a non-discriminatory manner. Thus, if safeguard measures were to be imposed, these would be applied to imports from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland just as from any other non-EAEU country. In this regard it should be noted that, according to the Eurasian Economic Commission, mainland China is among the three top suppliers of coated rolled steel and cold-rolled sheets and coils. Should provisional safeguard measures prove necessary, the Eurasian Economic Commission could impose these on short notice, but no later than 6 months from the initiation of its investigation. The Eurasian Economic Commission can impose provisional safeguard measures (i) in critical circumstances, where delay would cause damage which would be difficult to repair, making immediate action necessary, or (ii) where a preliminary determination provides clear evidence that increased imports have caused or are threatening to cause serious injury. The provisional measures could last for a maximum of 200 days. The initiation of the EAEU safeguard investigation is a direct response to the wave of protectionist measures worldwide, including US President Trump’s decision to impose a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on certain steel products and a 10 percent ad valorem tariff on certain aluminum products as of 23 March 2018. The notice of initiation explicitly refers to this global context, stating that “the increase in imports to the EAEU is apparently inevitable” due to, among others, the US Section 232 measures. Furthermore, the Eurasian Economic Commission refers to the on-going steel safeguard investigation in Turkey and the EU. The latter has already resulted in the imposition of provisional measures. Hong Kong traders of steel products can click on the following to peruse the notice of initiation (the notice is currently not available in English).	http://economists-pick-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Economists-Pick-Regulatory-Alert-EU/Eurasian-Economic-Union-Comprising-Russia-Other-Eurasian-Countries-Announces-Steel-Safeguard-Investigation/baeu/en/1/1X2ZT68A/1X0AEVMT.htm
The paper "Business Leaders’ Values and Beliefs Regarding Decision Making Ethics" is a perfect example of a Management Assignment. There are many countries that have their own specific cultures and approach to issues. It is not easy to compare, measure, and analyze such a diverse and all-pervasive subject like culture. The Dutch scholar, Geert Hofstede came up with cultural dimensions that can be used to categorize different cultures in certain distinct groups that are identifiable. Brown, Trevino, and Harrison (2005) reiterate that Understanding cultural dimension has become crucial with the increase of multinational companies that continue to grow in this era of globalization. Businesses operating in the international arena encounter huge challenges and none is more tasking than attaining interpretation of unfamiliar cultures. Cultural understanding and sensitivity is a priority for many international companies such as Coca-Cola, MacDonald’ s, Wal-Mart, Disney, and General Motors that operate in diverse environments. Cultural research assists international business by enhancing global business activities. The human resource management department of any given organization is highly affected by the culture that is practiced in a particular country (Watts, 2008). Organizations operating internationally have to persistently re-examine people-policies as they look for new markets and investment opportunities in other countries. Managers have to be fully aware of national cultures as they seek out opportunities for investment or new markets. Ethics and culture of a particular environment have a big role to play in shaping the kind of leadership style that would be applied in such circumstances. The leadership of any organization particularly those operating in the international markets cannot be instituted without considering ethics and culture that prevail in that place as explained by Watts (2008). This paper examines the influence of culture and ethics of on organizational leadership in a fast-changing environment. The importance of culture and ethics consideration has been emphasized while demonstrated the role of leadership developing with a strong social and ethical conscience. Discussion Absence of sensitivity or interpretation of cultural differences can be a recipe to expatriate and business failure. Culture can be a stumbling block to any organization that seeks to expand to international markets besides the local operations. Operating in a new environment requires that the management has to be well acquainted with the culture of that place. Cultural differences are potential sources of confrontations and possible disasters if the management ignores them completely. A manager from a certain culture has to understand the culture of subordinates in the host country before he starts imposing his rules. It is important for any company not to explore opportunities blindly without considering the existing cultures (Hoecklin, 1995). The culture of a given place will have an impact on the operations of the company and how members are managed and motivated. Ethics of people are specifically represented through their culture. Distribution of power and perception of people towards the authority dictates the manner in which members from a certain culture have to be led and governed with fewer cases of conflicts. Important definitions Culture is the whole set of social norms and responses that are prevalent in the behavior of a given population. It is a combination of rules, beliefs, artifacts, and institutions that describe the human population. It is usually passed on within the community and generation to another through stories, symbols, and rituals. Resick et al (2006) observe that Culture enables one group of people to be distinguished from another group owing to the characteristics that define it. References Hofstede G, Hofstede, G.S. & Minkow, M., 2010, Cultures and organizations: software of the mind (3rd edition), McGraw Hill, New York, USA. Hoecklin, L, 1995, Culture: what it is, what it is not and how it directs organizational behavior In Hoecklin L (1995), Managing cultural differences: strategies for competitive advantage. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company (New York, USA), 1995. Anakwe, U. P., Igbaria, M. & Anandarajan, M., 2000, Management practices across cultures: Role of support in technology usage, Journal of International Business Studies, 31, 653-666. Fernandez, E. R., Carlson, D. S., Stepina, L. P., & Nicholson, J. P., 1997, Hofstede’s country classification 25 years later, The Journal of Social Psychology, 137, 43-54. McShane, S. L., & Von Glinow, M. A., 2000, Organizational Behavior, Boston: McGraw-Hill. Sivakumar, K., & Nakata, C., 2001, The stampede toward Hofstede’s framework: Avoiding the sample design pit in cross-cultural research, Journal of International Business, 32, 555-574. Yoo, B., & Donthu, N., 2002, The effects of marketing education and individual cultural values on marketing ethics of students, Journal of Marketing Education, 24(2), 92-103. Brown, M. E., Trevino, L. K., & Harrison, D. A., 2005, Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97, 117-134. Reilly, E. C., 2006, The future entering: Reflections on and challenges to ethical leadership, Educational Leadership and Administration, 18, 163-173. Resick, C. J., Hanges, P. J., Dickson, M. W., & Mitchelson, J. K., 2006, A cross-cultural examination of the endorsement of ethical leadership, Journal of Business Ethics, 63, 345-359. Watts, T., 2008, Business Leaders’ Values and Beliefs Regarding Decision Making Ethics, Los Angeles, CA: LULU. Law, W., 2006, Information Resources Management: Global Changes, Idea Group Publishing: London, England.	https://essayintl.com/strategic-leadership-2040314
One of the goals identified for the Ubuntu Accessibility Team for this cycle is to create personas that can be used by designers and developers to get them thinking about accessibility. Personas are fictional people created to give designers and developers a face and personality to consider when working. Personas just make it a little more personal rather than just concepts. To help researching all the various accessibility needs of users, we’ve created a survey about how people with disabilities of all types use their computers. Now we need as many people as possible to fill it out. We really want to get feedback from as many different types of disabilities so we can figure out what best suits users as far as needs and where the major problems may lie. We don’t just want to hear from Ubuntu users, but everyone. The survey can be found at two places: - On a wordpress blog with text boxes. This can be filled out completely anonymously (no e-mail required or anything): access.libertus.co.uk - On a wiki page that can be e-mailed to the e-mail address provided. This version also has some more background information on what we’re doing: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Accessibility/Personas/Survey If anyone has any questions or anything, please feel free to leave them here or you can e-mail [email protected] if you don’t want to ask publicly. Also, please let me [Penelope Stowe] know if you have an access problem with both versions of the survey as I really don’t want anyone barred from taking it due to not being able to access it. We were able to test with a screen reader, but I know we don’t have things like variable text sizes or the ability to play with the colours of the sites. We’re hoping to gather the responses we need by August 8th.	https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2010/07/16/ubuntu-accessibility-team-personas-survey/
There are different types of design models which help designers plan their next project. I will specifically look at the following: - The Double Diamond-IDEO - Human- Centered Design Approach - Stanford d.school, The Double Diamond The Double Diamond process has been commonly used by many designers in order to structure design projects as well as explaining how the process works. The double diamond model was first used way back in 1996. The idea for model was created by Bela Banathy. The world of design and technology is forever evolving therefore so will eventually this process will need updated and changed with the times. So Originally the Double Diamond design model was based on research on how designers work. The Design Council found some structure. The 4 main phases in this model: - Discovery: finding out the problem we are trying to solve - Define: Next analyse the content and define the problem - Develop: think up ideas for possible solutions to the problem - Deliver: pick the best solution and work on building it The Design Council came up with this structure. I think this process helps make it clear for designers to follow. Before starting any project it’s important to gather research on the specific topic. Recently a more up to date model by the design council was posted with the same idea. It’s basically an extension to original model. This new models will help designers by more innovated and creative in their approach especially in complex designs. Below is an example: Human- Centered Design Approach Another design model which is well known is the Human-Centered Design Approach. Human centered design is were you base your designs around humans and their needs. It’s important to design an interactive solution that meets the users needs. IDEO say that “When you understand the people you’re trying to reach—and then design from their perspective—not only will you arrive at unexpected answers, but you’ll come up with ideas that they’ll embrace.” Human centered design process consists of 6 main phases. - Observation- Observing the end user. It’s important to understand the audience you are designing for and their needs. - Ideation- Start to brainstorm/ ideas based on your users. The aim is to come up with as many ideas as possible. - Rapid Prototyping- Start to develop a basic porotype. This is a rough draft so have plenty of time to redefine the idea. - User Feedback-It is important Listen to the thoughts of your users feedback in order to help evolve your design, - Iteration- Once your receive feedback, use this to content to develop your design and make changes. In this phase take time to iterate, test and redefine your design by improving and making necessary changes. This will take time but is worth the effor.t - Implementation- Once your pleased with your final solution, it’s time to share your ideas to your audience. Stanford D School Model The Stanford d .school is a place where people use design to develop their own creative potential and hopefully produce products which are successful. Their goal “Our goal is to help you use design to make change where you are.” This school has a range of design programs for students, designers, and professional people alike. The five main stages of Design Thinking process are: - Empathise - Define - Ideate - Prototype - Test Design Thinking is an iterative process. This model is easy to learn and makes it easy for people to understand. Reflection I think all these design models are interesting and a good way to help users when working on specific projects. Each model has a breakdown of the process users should follow in order to be succesful.	http://blogs.ulster.ac.uk/sean123/2022/02/02/ixd303-research-design-models-week-1/
I recently made a decision to change careers and become a UX Designer. Explaining my new career path to friends and family outside of the tech industry is always interesting, especially since a UX Designer can be so many different things. When most people hear User Experience Designer, they tend to focus on the “designer” part of the title and completely forget about the “user experience” part. I put together a short list to help explain what UX Designers do in their natural habitat to help our non-tech friends understand us better. A common thing I have noticed when discussing my projects with people outside of the UX bubble is that I’ll receive a lot of suggestions and ideas for new apps. Which is great, because collaborating and getting feedback is an important part of UX. But they have it backwards. We start projects focused on the user. We end projects focused on the user. User experience is all about enhancing the experience for our users. This requires a lot of research and testing to make sure we can achieve this goal. Once we understand our users, then we can begin working on a solution to whatever their pain points are. User experience designers aren’t here to create the next big thing in the app industry. There’s more to it than that. Card Sorting activity from a current project to understand my users’ thought processes. 2. It’s not all about picking out the prettiest colors. We’re not here just to make things look pretty. Sure, design is an important aspect to UX, but it has a different definition to us than most people. When working on a project, every aspect of the design should have a purpose. Why did you add a button there? Why is the local navigation on this side instead of the other? Why did you arrange the information in that order? We answer these questions by going through a process called Design Thinking. Read more about the Design Thinking Process here. The design thinking process begins by working to empathize with the user in order to understand and then define the problem. Up next you work on possible solutions to the problem then test it with your users. A very important part of this process is that it is nonlinear. Meaning that you can go back in the process to implement feedback from your users that you gained through testing. This means that design in user experience looks a little less like this…. 3. No, I can’t create a new app for you in a month. I mean, sure I could. But do you want it to be good? Good user experience design is typically done by a team over a period of time. With user experience being such a big umbrella, it takes many different skill sets to work on a project. You have your User Researchers who will be conducting user interviews and empathizing with the end users to understand the problem. Then there’s your Information Architect who will organize the content for your site or app. We also have the visual designers or User Interface designers. There’s also the front-end developments who implement the visual design. And the list goes on. Of course, there will be UX Designers who can wear multiple hats, but it’s very rare to come across someone who can do it all and do it all well. In fact, we have a term for it because of how difficult it is to find someone who has all of these skills. We call it the UX Unicorn. Do they exist? I don’t know. You tell me!	https://smartsoftware247.com/explaining-ux-design-to-your-non-tech-industry-friends/
Software application testing is the process of testing and debugging a software program or system in order to make it more consistent and usable for customers. It can involve many different tests that have the goal of discovering errors or issues within the software and improving its capabilities before releasing it to the public. Typically the developers rely heavily on testers to find bugs in their software prior to release. This article offers software testing tips and tricks to help you make sure your software is running properly. Software testing is used to find ways that software isn’t performing properly. These issues are usually called bugs and they can be minor issues or more major issues. Minor issues are things like slow load times, inconsistent loading, images not appearing, etc. Major issues are things like functions causing the app to crash, inability to log in, pages that don’t load at all and others like these. Software with bugs in it can be super frustrating for users and can ultimately make them abandon your software altogether. That’s why it’s incredibly important to conduct extensive testing beforehand and to iron out all of the issues with the software before it is released to the public. It’s also important to test software over time, as new issues can arise when operating systems are updated or when people download the software on new devices. The types of tests you need to do will depend upon what type of software the developers have made and what the ultimate goals of the software are, but there are definitely some basic software testing help tests and testing strategies that can be implemented in order to make sure that a software or a system meet its required goals. But first, a software needs to go through some initial stages before a test is done. The typical software development lifecycle includes the stages below: The early stages of software development include a lot of different tools and planning, as you might imagine. This means that the team has to gather requirements and make analyses of the application in order to determine its feasibility and find out what it will take to actually get the application up and running. This involves a lot of communication between the development team, stakeholders and users while this information is gathered. The planning stage doesn’t have any set timeline but you should clearly outline the goals of the app and make realistic assessments of what you intend to accomplish with it over time. Rushing through the planning stage only leads to problems and complications over time. In this stage, the entire system has to be defined in detail. Usually the system is divided into smaller parts so that it is easier and more manageable for developers, designers, testers and project managers to prepare to work on the application in later stages. The more detailed you can be in your systems analysis the less trouble you will have designating roles and tasks later in the development cycle. In order to make sure that a software is up to speed, a system analyst is usually employed to check out the flow of documents, info and others materials. This aids in smoothing out the process and ensuring that the software isn’t causing wasted costs and time or running behind schedule. Coding is the logical part of development. The team of programmers works together in order to use tools to properly code the application to make it into a functional program. This part of the process involves laying out the foundation of the software and making sure that it functions as it should. Once the software has been coded, the final process is to test it. Testing is a crucial part of the process because it involves quality analysis that makes sure the software is working properly and is virtually free of bugs. Testers can use different tools to run it through many different types of tests to determine if it has any errors, and the coders can go in and fix any errors that exist. This is the stage where the most pertinent questions about the functionality of the application are addressed and answered. The following are a number of different types of tests used for software testing: Software may need to undergo a number of different rounds of testing. Usually it is tested internally by developers and then submitted for user testing. The users offer feedback to the developers and coders who then go back to adjust the coding and functionality of the app and resubmit for further testing. Depending on the stage at which you release the app initially, this process may be quick or lengthy. When it comes to software testing, there are definitely some software testing tips that testers can follow in order to save time and money and do the best possible job. It’s important not to skimp on this process because releasing software with bugs or glitches can turn users off instantly. Follow these tips for the best results.	https://www.sqasolution.com/blogs/best-practical-software-testing-tips/
Children and young people All children should have their eyes and vision checked regularly by an eye care professional. Children with learning disabilities are more at risk of having problems and may be less likely to be able to communicate them, so regular eye care is essential. It is recommended that all children who have a learning disability have a full eye examination (eye test) at least once a year. As part of the Healthy Child Programme, children should be offered an eye check in the newborn period and in reception year (age four-five) at school. However, it is important to realise that these checks are designed to identify some, but certainly not all, problems that can affect eyes or vision, and that in some areas not all children are offered a school entry check. It is not necessary for a child to be able to read or even speak in order for eye professionals to assess what a child can see or if they would benefit from glasses to make seeing easier. Where to access eye care Some areas have vision screening programmes in schools - often delivered by orthoptists - where vision is checked upon entry to school at age four to five and sometimes throughout school. The screening tests may vary from just a check on distance vision to also checking close vision and how the eyes work as a pair. However, vision screening is not as detailed a check as a full eye test and some children may pass even if they have a problem with their eyes or vision. All children under the age of 16 (or 19 if in full time education) are entitled to a free NHS eye test carried out by an optometrist at a community opticians. You can arrange this yourself and don’t need to be referred. This test will include checking vision for far and near, how the eyes work as a pair, how the eyes are focused (to see if glasses are needed) and the health of the eyes inside and outside. If you see a paediatrician, they may be able to help you access specialist children’s vision clinics set up at child development centres, health centres, or paediatric outpatients through hospital services. Your GP can help with eye infections and refer you to the eye clinic at the hospital for serious concerns. You can use our forms to tell any eye care professional about your child and their eyes. This will help them to assess your child’s eyes appropriately and it is a good idea to get this form to them before the eye test so that they can be prepared. A child's eye test All children are entitled to a free NHS annual eye test. This is usually provided in the community by an optometrist (ophthalmic optician). Children who have learning or physical disabilities that make communicating or interacting difficult can still have an eye test, as there are lots of ways of doing it. No one is too disabled to have an eye test. To help, we have a video and an easy read factsheet for children who are Makaton users. There are four main parts of the test: - Checking how well you can see - this can be done by using tests adapted for children, such as a picture test rather than letters, or by using tests that watch how the child responds to different visual stimuli - Checking how well the eyes focus (to see if glasses are needed) - this can be done just by looking at the eyes with a specialist instrument (a retinoscope) and you don’t need to be able to say when things look clearer - Checking how well the eyes move and work together to give 3D vision - this can be done with lights and toys and special picture tests (stereotests) - Checking the health of the inside and outside of the eyes - this can be done by shining a light into the eyes (an ophthalmoscope) Reasonable adjustments It’s possible to make reasonable adjustments to the eye test to make it accessible for children with learning disabilities. Many of these adjustments take place prior to the child arriving in the opticians or eye clinic. To have the best chance of a successful visit, it is helpful to highlight the child’s additional needs before the day of the appointment. Examples of reasonable adjustments include: - Visiting the practice or hospital before the day of the eye test to aid familiarisation with the rooms - Arranging the appointment during a quieter time of day to minimise waiting time or at a time of day that is best for the child - Carrying out the tests from a wheelchair - you may need to check access and the size of rooms at high street practices before going - Using a range of tests to check vision, e.g. Kay Pictures, Cardiff Cards or Keeler Cards - Conducting the tests over more than one visit if concentration is a problem or the child tires easily - Simply explaining to the child what will happen or demonstrating the test on parent/carer first for children who are anxious If the child usually wears hearing aids, it is important to take these to the appointment so glasses can be fitted correctly around them. About your child and their eyes form Getting new glasses children (easy read) Wearing glasses children (easy read) Understanding your eye test for Makaton users Find an optometrist Search our database of optometrists and dispensing opticians who have shared information on their services for people with learning disabilities. Eye care resources Search our resources which have been created to help people with learning disabilities, families, supporters and eye care and learning disability professionals.	https://www.seeability.org/eye-care/children-and-young-people
Automated testing is a great way to increase your test coverage, run repetitive tests faster, and improve overall software development efficiency. In fact, according to the State of Quality Report 2022, over half of the software testing teams surveyed said that they had implemented automation in testing, while 63% of respondents reported that they cut costs and saved time by implementing test automation. However, though there are many benefits and reasons to choose automated audio and video testing, continuous updates and improvements made to the app and/or automation approach can cause tests to fail. As a result, this may delay the gathering of test results. To avoid this, test automation maintenance is essential. This process is an integral part of test automation and is necessary to make sure your tests are up to date with changes in the device software, application, tools, or frameworks. In this blog post we will look at test automation maintenance, specifically in audio and video testing, and go over the key challenges you might encounter when maintaining setups. What is test maintenance? As mentioned above, test maintenance plays a critical role in test automation. It refers to the process of keeping tests healthy and running after an update is made to the application or a change to the automation approach by rewriting or updating existing tests. Test maintenance includes, but is not limited to, fixing newly occurring bugs in tests, improving the functionality/performance of existing solutions, and changing the solution to better suit the needs of the client. Why is it needed in automated audio and video testing? The main reason why test maintenance is important in automated audio and video testing—and automated testing in general—is reactive and proactive change. What this means is that test maintenance makes sure that test results are being gathered consistently and remain comparable even after changes or improvements have been made to the application under test or to a part of the automation approach itself. How to maintain automated audio and video test setups? To properly maintain automated setups in audio and video testing, there are four main steps you need to follow: - Create thorough documentation for how the test setups should be set up for testing (both software and hardware). - Check gathered test results with a validation system—a manual, semi, or fully automated one—to flag outlier results for further investigation. - Summarize the outlier results using either new or existing reports/graphs, grouping them by issue type. - Make adjustments to automation scripts, and evaluation/recording tools, based on any changes in apps under test, requirements, or other necessities. When validating and investigating gathered data, you may come to realize that an otherwise small update may require a bigger change in the overall process, and this can sometimes be unpredictable. Therefore, it’s hard to provide a bulletproof guide for test automation maintenance in audio and video testing. Some of the key challenges with maintenance are described in the next section. What are some of the challenges in test maintenance? General challenges - Changes in test application UI and behavior. Automation scripts must be updated when the app (or browser) under test changes a UI option or selector/locator for some elements. In general, even minor updates can cause indirect changes to app behavior. Hence, test automation scripts should also be updated. - Changes in test device software. Updates to the OS of the device can affect app and device behavior, which can also affect the testing approaches, as well as the tools used. This will vary from platform to platform. - Changes in testing tools. Updates to automation tools like Appium/Selenium and their OS-specific drivers can prompt a change in test automation scripts. You may be required to update the test automation framework in order to use the latest testing tool features. - Tools are no longer compatible. Tools might drop support for some functionality used in the automation code, so change is required in order to avoid using deprecated solutions. Some tool changes may even affect other tools, for example, in video testing, the newest web browser version may break compatibility with streaming software. - Keeping results comparable. Sometimes customers may require you to run tests on multiple apps, comparing the main app with competitor apps. However, the challenge with this is that if, for example, a competitor releases a new version of their app that has a fundamental change, then this can affect the validity of the results for that app. This may lead you and your team to make adjustments to the way tests are being run for the main app and all other apps under test to ensure results are comparable. - Requests from clients. Similarly, after seeing some results from deliverables, there might come a request from the client to try to do some things differently, either for comparison or because of preference for a specific approach. For example, a client may request that you change the way tests are being done/evaluated/validated and/or what tools should be used. In such cases, you will need to adjust your tests accordingly. Challenges specific to audio and video testing In regards to test maintenance challenges related to audio and video testing specifically, there are several that you should be aware of: Audio and video challenges Physical device maintenance. In the event of broken/overused audio or video capture devices, cables, or even test devices themselves, you will need to detect and debug issues that may affect the measurement quality. Even seemingly minor problems, such as the video sender device being slightly misaligned or the receiver device volume being slightly raised, may leave a noticeable impact on the test results. You will also need to make sure that there are no loose cables that could interfere with a signal or connection, and therefore affect measurements. Network challenges Different network conditions. Audio and video quality testing often requires QA teams to test the application under different network conditions or limitations to see how it behaves under limited resources from the network side. Sometimes the behavior is different from usual—for example, new pop-ups may appear in the application, users may join the call with a big delay, or they might entirely disconnect from the call at inconsistent times during the test. In this case, extra investigative tests will need to be made and automation approaches will need to be adjusted. You should discuss how to handle these types of situations with your team, especially when gathering result metrics and figuring out how to present them. Performance challenges Investigating outlier data. Similarly to network recording, performance metrics such as RAM, CPU, and GPU usage are also often gathered in audio and video testing. Here the test maintenance part comes in the form of investigating outlier data after updates by running extra tests and diving deeper into the data to find out the causes. Conclusion Test automation maintenance remains a fundamental part of software testing and the effort required to keep automated tests up to date should not be underestimated, especially in audio and video quality testing. This is due to many different metrics being gathered and evaluated, in addition to the need for multiple components (both physical and software) to be integrated and work together correctly in order to gather accurate and useful data. However, with solid maintenance, validation, and documentation systems and protocols in place, it becomes that much easier to maintain the existing audio/video automation setup, gather results, and detect various issues, performance or network limits, and breaking points for specific apps. Do you want to test the audio and video quality of your application and make sure your automated tests are effective? Work with experienced software quality engineers who will support you in your testing efforts and ensure you get actionable insights. Contact us with your project details and let’s schedule a call.	https://audiovideotestlab.com/blog/test-automation-maintenance-in-audio-and-video-testing/
ADA disabilities include both mental and physical medical conditions. A condition does not need to be severe or permanent to be a disability. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations provide a list of conditions that should easily be concluded to be disabilities: deafness, blindness, an intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation), partially or completely missing limbs or mobility impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair, autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. Other mental or physical health conditions also may be disabilities, depending on what the individual's symptoms would be in the absence of "mitigating measures" (medication, therapy, assistive devices, or other means of restoring function), during an "active episode" of the condition (if the condition is episodic). Enough Time: Users have sufficient time to read and use the website’s content. If part of the website has a time limit, users are able to turn off the time limit, or they can adjust or extend it to at least ten times the default limit (unless the time limit is essential to the website’s functionality, such as auction websites like eBay). Content that moves, blinks, or automatically updates can be paused or stopped unless it’s essential to the website’s functionality. I should mention one caveat to all of this. Businesses that are required to comply but don't have the ability to bring their websites into compliance can provide an accessible alternative to provide the same information, goods, and services that they provide online, like a staffed phone line. The trick, however, is that this option has to provide at least equal access, including in terms of hours of operation. And, as we know, the internet is around 24/7, so good luck with that. Since March 15, 2012, ADA compliance with the 2010 Standards will be required for new construction and alterations. In the period between September 15, 2010 and March 15, 2012, covered entities may choose between the 1991 Standards ADA Compliance (without the elevator exemption for Title II facilities), the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (Title II facilities only), and the 2010 Standards ADA Compliance. The ADA defines a covered disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a history of having such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was charged with interpreting the 1990 law with regard to discrimination in employment. The EEOC developed regulations limiting an individual's impairment to one that "severely or significantly restricts" a major life activity. The ADAAA directed the EEOC to amend its regulations and replace "severely or significantly" with "substantially limits", a more lenient standard. How much their services cost. One of the most important things to determine is how much you’re willing to spend on a website, and then take note of how much each agency charges. The sentiment holds true that you typically get what you pay for — if a web design agency is charging dirt cheap for a design, you probably won’t be happy with the results. There is definitely room to have a budget, but keep in mind what you’ll generally need to pay for a high-quality website. Ensure that in-house staff and contractors responsible for webpage and content development are properly trained. Distribute the Department of Justice technical assistance document “Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities” to these in-house staff and contractors on an annual basis as a reminder. This technical assistance document is available on the ADA Home Page at www.ada.gov. Because they only read text, screen readers and refreshable Braille displays cannot interpret photographs, charts, color-coded information, or other graphic elements on a webpage. For this reason, a photograph of a mayor on a city’s website is inaccessible to people who use these assistive technologies, and a blind person visiting the website would be unable to tell if the image is a photo, a logo, a map, a chart, artwork, a link to another page, or even a blank page. In some circumstances, longer and more detailed text will be necessary to convey the same meaningful information that other visitors to the website can see. For example, a map showing the locations of neighborhood branches of a city library needs a tag with much more information in text format. In that instance, where the map conveys the locations of several facilities, add a “longdesc” tag that includes a text equivalent description of each location shown on the map – e.g., “City Center Library, 433 N. Main Street, located on North Main Street between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue.” This title outlines the administrative processes to be followed, including requirements for self-evaluation and planning; requirements for making reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures where necessary to avoid discrimination; architectural barriers to be identified; and the need for effective communication with people with hearing, vision and speech disabilities. This title is regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice. There are exceptions to this title; many private clubs and religious organizations may not be bound by Title III. With regard to historic properties (those properties that are listed or that are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, or properties designated as historic under state or local law), those facilities must still comply with the provisions of Title III of the ADA to the "maximum extent feasible" but if following the usual standards would "threaten to destroy the historic significance of a feature of the building" then alternative standards may be used. I come from a background in both marketing and design and clients typically appreciate my ability to produce campaigns and designs with a focus on high-quality aesthetics, conversion and results. Whether you're looking for a UI designer to rework your website or an inbound marketing expert to help you craft a campaign, I'm confident I can lend a creative eye to your project and achieve... Poorly designed websites can create unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities, just as poorly designed buildings prevent some people with disabilities from entering. Access problems often occur because website designers mistakenly assume that everyone sees and accesses a webpage in the same way. This mistaken assumption can frustrate assistive technologies and their users. Accessible website design recognizes these differences and does not require people to see, hear, or use a standard mouse in order to access the information and services provided. Web designers are must-have for any site owner. Whether you’re building a new site or your existing design needs a refresh, you’ll need a good designer that can match your business style with the right layout, color scheme, and user interface (UI). Like fashion, web design trends change frequently so you need a designer who understands the market, UI, and user experience (UX) design, and who knows how to use this to make your site attractive and easy to navigate. If posted on an accessible website, tax forms need to be available to people with disabilities in an accessible format on the same terms that they are available to other members of the public – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without cost, inconvenience, or delay. A staffed telephone line that sent copies of tax forms to callers through the mail would not provide equal access to people with disabilities because of the delay involved in mailing the forms. For most people, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) conjures up pictures of physical accommodations such as wheelchair ramps near building entrances, handicapped parking spaces, and the use of braille writing on signs and placards. These measures have been tremendously valuable in helping the 56.7 million Americans with a disability function and thrive within society. You probably won't have to check your site with all of the available evaluation tools out there, but it is a good idea to do so for the most common web browsers. Just as accessibility software makes it easier for people with disabilities to navigate the Internet, these tools make it easier for developers to ensure accessibility from the start. When you think you've mastered it, go back through the Section 508 compliance checklist to ensure you've met every goal. “The idea of equal access, equal opportunity has sort of evolved in its application from brick and mortar to eCommerce. At first, many companies were worried about the desktop experience. Now, the concern extends to both smart phones and devices. Wherever a consumer accesses your content – whether it be directly through the web or an app – you need to be concerned about accessibility.” Title II applies to public transportation provided by public entities through regulations by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It includes the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), along with all other commuter authorities. This section requires the provision of paratransit services by public entities that provide fixed-route services. ADA also sets minimum requirements for space layout in order to facilitate wheelchair securement on public transport. People with disabilities that affect their sight, hearing, or mobility may have difficulty accessing certain parts of websites and other online properties unless certain accommodations are made. Just as businesses may need to make adjustments to their physical location so that disabled customers have easy access to the premises, companies may need to adjust certain aspects of their websites so individuals with disabilities can take full advantage of all the features and services. Because of this, among the greatest drivers of website accessibility are usability improvements and the reputation boost that it brings—or, alternatively, the lost business that organizations want to avoid as a result of inaccessible websites. According to a survey by the National Business Disability Council at the Viscardi Center, 91 percent of customers say that they’d prefer to shop at a website that prioritizes accessibility. A. No. The ADA requires that the employer provide the accommodation unless to do so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer's business. If the cost of providing the needed accommodation would be an undue hardship, the employee must be given the choice of providing the accommodation or paying for the portion of the accommodation that causes the undue hardship. Under the law, websites should be just as accessible as ATMs (ever notice the Braille there?), elevators, terminals and other user interfaces. Not only should your site be accessible to all on a laptop or desktop but also on tablets and mobile phones. Failing ADA compliance creates poor and awkward experiences for people with physical disabilities. Simply put, ADA compliance is assuring your website falls within a set of prescribed accessibility standards. Time zone and how it affects a timeline and budget is a direct result of a freelancer’s geography. If your designer is 10 hours ahead or behind your timezone, communication will be slower. This affects your timeline, because you’ll probably receive a response 24 hours after you send your question. Some designers will work during the time zone of their regular clients, so ask the provider about their office hours. The web design company you choose must be able to interpret your company’s mission and identity and turn it into an appealing website that connects with potential customers. They must help you reach your target audience and meet your business goals. A web design agency should have on staff both talented web designers, with fresh ideas and extensive technical and creative skills, and a marketing team that knows how to drive traffic to your site, encourage visitor engagement, and convert visitors into customers. Web designers should be able to build in search optimization and integrate your site with a content management system and e-commerce tools. Look, too, for a website design company that understands responsive design and can optimize your website for mobile devices and desktop browsers. The right web design company understand current design and website trends, has experience building sites in a variety of industries (not just yours), and has an expansive portfolio of live websites. Finally, don’t simply hire the cheapest bidder — in web design, as in all things, you get what you pay for. “The idea of equal access, equal opportunity has sort of evolved in its application from brick and mortar to eCommerce. At first, many companies were worried about the desktop experience. Now, the concern extends to both smart phones and devices. Wherever a consumer accesses your content – whether it be directly through the web or an app – you need to be concerned about accessibility.” When collecting feedback, ask users what type of adaptive technologies they use. This will allow you to cater your website to your particular clientele, and will help you appoint resources toward the best compliance options. Navigating the Internet is particularly challenging for people with limited or no vision. Many blind people use specialized web browsers and software that works with standard web browsers, like Internet Explorer, that have features that enable users to maximize their Internet use and experience. This screen reading software reads the HTML code for websites, and gives the user a verbal translation of what is on screen. This is an article that most other website developers probably don’t want you to read. The reason is that most other web designers basically like to think of themselves as all-powerful wizards with magical powers. And they use complex technical jargon and terminology to intimidate and mystify their clients into thinking that what they do is more complex than it is. I am passionate and dedicated designer tackling complex problems and finding creative solutions. I use language & content strategy to make design solutions that are intuitive, trusted, and easy to use. I put the users of my solution at the center of every decision I take. I have 5+ years of commercial projects experience at Ukrainian IT companies and 4 years at Upwork freelancer platform (projects with small budgets). Now I live in NYC area. If your hotel used responsive web design when creating your online marketing strategies, you’re already meeting many of the ADA compliant regulations for hotel websites. You will still need to make some changes, but you definitely have a head start. Making the changes now, before your business is the target of a lawsuit or government action, makes good business sense. The average cost for hiring a web designer varies greatly depending on the scope of the work, which may range from building a site from scratch to rebranding an existing one, as well as the amount of content and graphics the designer will create. In general, the more complex the project, the more time the design agency will have to spend. Because web designers often work on an hourly basis, the longer the project, the higher the costs; you can count on the web designer spending at minimum 10 hours to create a very basic website with just a handful of pages with few elements. Prices also depend on the designer’s skill set, the process, and the company’s rates. In general, the national average cost for a basic website package starts at $500, but a customized website can cost as much as $2,000 or more. Here are typical average hourly rates, broken out by the complexity of the work: The ADA has four main components: (1) requirements for maintaining medical records and requiring medical testing, (2) an employer must reasonably accommodate disabilities, (3) an employer may not discriminate against an individual with a disability, and (4) an employer may not retaliate against someone who opposes discrimination of participates in protected activity. Distinguishable: To assist color-blind users and those with other visual impairments, color is never used as the sole means of conveying information or prompting the user. Audio lasting more than 3 seconds can be paused, or the volume can be controlled independently of the system volume. Regular text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, and large text has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1. In addition, text can be resized up to 200 percent without causing issues with the website. Ensure that in-house staff and contractors responsible for webpage and content development are properly trained. Distribute the Department of Justice technical assistance document “Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities” to these in-house staff and contractors on an annual basis as a reminder. This technical assistance document is available on the ADA Home Page at www.ada.gov. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was first passed in 1990. Twenty years later, the US Department of Justice released an update called the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. These standards cover the design of physical spaces and have been interpreted to include web locations as well, so it can be difficult for the would-be accessible website designer to use them. One of the first major ADA lawsuits, Paralyzed Veterans of America v. Ellerbe Becket Architects and Engineers (PVA 1996) was focused on the wheelchair accessibility of a stadium project that was still in the design phase, MCI Center (now known as Capital One Arena) in Washington, D.C. Previous to this case, which was filed only five years after the ADA was passed, the DOJ was unable or unwilling to provide clarification on the distribution requirements for accessible wheelchair locations in large assembly spaces. While Section 4.33.3 of ADAAG makes reference to lines of sight, no specific reference is made to seeing over standing patrons. The MCI Center, designed by Ellerbe Becket Architects & Engineers, was designed with too few wheelchair and companion seats, and the ones that were included did not provide sight lines that would enable the wheelchair user to view the playing area while the spectators in front of them were standing. This case and another related case established precedent on seat distribution and sight lines issues for ADA enforcement that continues to present day. That’s good news if you are one of the many Americans who have a visual, hearing, or mobility disability that makes it difficult to access some information on the web. If you are a business owner who hasn’t made provisions to ensure that your website and other online assets are ADA compliant, you could be looking at a host of legal and financial penalties.	https://karencwhite.com/ada-compliance10/squarespace-ada-compliance-levels-of-ada-compliance.html
This short article gives some insight into how Information Architecture is used when developing websites. So, for those of who want to retain your writing skills and move into web-facing career, maybe Information Architecture is worth exploring. One of the alternative careers I’ve considered as a Technical Writer is Information Architecture. Information Architecture is worth considering if you’re attracted to organization of data, for example, indexing, rather than writing. I get a bit tired to typing at times and enjoy other tech comms activities such as analysis, diagramming, and documentation planning. Using Cards To Index, Organize and Structure User-Focused Websites In order for any site to be successful, you need to arrange the information so that users can make find the relevant content quickly. While most websites are content-driven, many designers underestimate how difficult it is to arrange a site structure that is easily understood by both novice and experienced users. Why is this? Maybe it’s because we are trained from childhood to retrieve data in certain ways, for example in library systems we use chronological order and subject categories; or alphabetical listings in phone books, and later we use this method when using other media such as the Internet. The Role of Information Architecture Prior to any graphic design or coding taking place, an Information Architect will gather, sort and organize the content. Card sorting is one way to organize groups of information: - Create cards for all the topics on the site. For example, if it’s a sport portal, create cards for Football, Basketball etc - Sub-divide these categories into Leagues, Players, Stats, venues etc that are most appropriate. - Label them as you work and cross-reference any cards that overlap. - Define the optimal organization structure based on the data you have gathered. - Test the structure by performing mock tasks i.e. how do I find information about Michael Jordan, when he played softball. Prepare Flowcharts Next, prepare flowcharts that outline the overall site structure, showing all pages, respective navigation paths between sections and content labels. The advantage of using a flowchart is that all parties in the development process can see the site’s information architecture structure and make suggestions to remedy, alter or delete sections as needs be. Unless information is flowcharted there is likely to be misunderstandings between departments when the site is released. “I’d thought that it would do this…” “I’d thought that it would be more energetic…” “I’d thought that it would be, y’know, different…” Breakdown Each Page Then for each main section prepare an itemized list of its contents. Include text, images, sounds, video clips, audio clips, applets and all downloadable items. List all links and their destination pages. Divide the links which appear on all pages, i.e. Contact Us, from those that will only appear on specific pages. If this list is being prepared in Excel or Word it is useful to color-code the lists for quicker reference. By breaking down each page you will reduce any misunderstanding about its content objects and its functions. For example, designing pages within a Shopping Cart require considerable attention to detail as each separate page needs to be prepared correctly. Any omission of data may cause the user to leave the shopping section and search for it elsewhere. Design for Breadth Studies into HCI and Usability have shown that users get disorientated once they go past the third level of depth on a site. Therefore your site plans should enable users to find any data within three clicks. If you can’t achieve this with the current design then go back to the flowchart and begin again — the rewards will be worth the efforts. Prior to any graphic design takes place, it is necessary to gather, sort and organize the content. The more time spent on this the greater the ability for users to retrieve your data. Finally, when performing user analysis record how users perform tasks and make modifications to the site structure based on this feedback. Remember websites are built to please users, not designers. Use the feedback to record the steps users take to perform tasks. Create flow diagrams showing the relationship between each content object and their surrounding elements based on the test subjects performance.	https://wordtipsandtricks.com/2010/08/11/information-architecture-using-cards-to-index-organize-and-structure-user-focused-websites/
When you have a great idea for an app, it’s hard to resist the temptation to start up Visual Studio and begin working on the new app. Resisting that temptation is necessary for building a great app, however. Windows Store apps are more than just a clever implementation; they require upfront design, during which you consider the design goals that Microsoft describes for them. Thinking about the goal of your app, designing a UI, and making sure that you follow the Windows Store design principles are only some of the steps you need to consider. This chapter helps you design your app, from initial idea, to coding, and then planning for deployment. This chapter covers the first objective in the Exam 70-481 objective domain (and this major topic area makes up about 20 percent of the exam’s material). Although this chapter isn’t code-heavy, there is a lot of discussion about the process of designing an app. Objectives in this chapter: - Objective 1.1: Design the UI layout and structure - Objective 1.2: Design for separation of concerns - Objective 1.3: Design and implement Process Lifetime Management (PLM) - Objective 1.4: Plan for an application deployment Objective 1.1: Design the UI layout and structure Designing your UI is the most important part of building a great app that appeals to users. When going through the Windows Store, most users skim through screen shots and a short list of features that your app has to offer. Making sure that you stand out, both graphically and in the features you offer, is the core requirement for building a great app. Evaluating the conceptual design The release of Windows Phone 7 started a new era for Microsoft because it released a version of Windows that showcases beautiful apps that follow a strict design philosophy. With Windows 8, this experience is expanded to other devices. Although the possibilities in your app and in the Windows ecosystem can be overwhelming, Microsoft offers clear design guidance that can help you transform your idea into a real app. Using these principles when evaluating your own design can help you develop and fine-tune your app until it becomes something that everyone wants to have. Microsoft design principles Microsoft’s five foundational design principles include: - Pride in craftsmanship - Fast and fluid - Authentically digital - Do more with less - Win as one When designing your app, be prepared to devote time to the smallest details of all parts of your app. Take pride in craftsmanship; see your app as a real work of craft. Make sure that you are using the correct fonts and typography, are aligning all your pixels correctly, and are taking pride in what you are doing. Fast and fluid comes down to responsiveness and using the right animations. You have probably seen Microsoft PowerPoint presentations in which an author creates too many animations. Every slide comes in from a different direction, all elements appear with some kind of animation, and you are distracted from the real goal of the presentation. Your apps will also use animations, but animations and transitions should support the user experience, not distract from it. Making sure that your app is responsive and uses simple but direct animations to guide users through your app is what fast and fluid is all about. What’s the icon you use to save a document in Visual Studio? It’s a floppy disk! Depending on your age, you might never have used a real floppy disk in your life. Maybe you save your files to a regular hard drive, to a solid-state drive (SSD), or directly to the cloud. Should the icon change depending on the location in which you save the file? Or should you accept the fact that the digital world is different from the real world? That’s what being authentically digital means. It can be a principle when designing small things such as adding a shadow to an element. Why mimic the real world by adding a shadow when the user knows there isn’t actually a shadow there? Extending this principle, you can create digital experiences that are not possible in the real world. Semantic zoom is one such area. If you open the Weather app on your Windows 8 PC, you can use Ctrl+scroll wheel to zoom in and out. But instead of showing the information on the screen smaller or larger, the app switches to a completely new view. Within this view, you can pick a different category or switch dates. Although the process is different from what you expect in the real world, it is perfectly possible in a digital app. Doing more with less is another core principle of designing a Windows Store app. Compare the screen shot of OneNote 2013 running on your desktop in Figure 1-1 to the screen shot of OneNote 2013 running as a Windows Store app in Figure 1-2. FIGURE 1-1 OneNote 2013 as a desktop app FIGURE 1-2 OneNote 2013 as a Windows Store app The desktop app shows a lot more on the screen, but is that really beneficial? What is OneNote about? Isn’t it about taking notes, viewing pages, and easily jotting down your thoughts? The Windows Store app version of OneNote focuses on those things. It shows options for formatting and other commands only when you need them, so a much larger portion of the screen can be used to accomplish the goal of your app: showing notes. Reducing chrome and navigation elements is key. Of course, reducing elements shouldn’t be done so thoroughly that users are completely lost in your app. For example, Microsoft made the decision to add a search box directly to the interface of the Windows Store, as you can see in Figure 1-3. This search box immediately helps users find the right place to search for an app. FIGURE 1-3 A Windows Store app showing the search box The last design principle, Win as one, is about integrating with the existing Windows 8 ecosystem. Users learn that they can change settings for applications by using the Settings charm, they expect to swipe up to open the app bar, and they can integrate with other apps that are installed on their device. Making sure that your app immediately feels familiar helps them use your app and ensures that they will return to it. These five principles should guide you through the design of your app. Try to keep these design principles in mind and let them guide every decision you make during development. Creating a vision Look at the design principles that should guide your app. Your app shouldn’t be a monolithic, giant application that can do everything a user will ever want. Focus on the experience that you want to offer instead of the features. This is where a vision comes in. You should have a clear idea of what your app is great at. Imagine that someone comes to you with the idea of building a ToDo app. They visualize that users should be able to add tasks, mark them as complete, and see a quick overview of what they still have to do. Try to determine what the experience is that you want to give to users instead of only a list of features. Why would a user use your app? What’s your app all about? After some brainstorming, suppose that you come up with the following list: - Add new tasks - Mark tasks as completed - Collaborate with others on some tasks - Remove tasks - Get a list of uncompleted tasks - Search through tasks - Specify deadlines for tasks Take a step back from this list of features and think about what would make your app great. What scenario would make your app stand out from the competition? One scenario that jumps out is the one about collaborating on tasks. Maybe you can think of other scenarios that could be even better, but try to pick one single scenario to guide your app. Next, formulate your apps vision in a great at statement: - My ToDo app is great at letting people work together on a list of tasks. Suddenly you have a clearer vision of your app. You can now check each feature that you think of against your vision. Does it help with your vision or distract users from it? The second step is deciding what user activities to support. Which steps are important for users reaching the scenario of working together on a list of tasks? What is the ideal flow that they should go through? Maybe you come up with something like this: - Create a new task list - Add tasks - Share it with another user - Report progress These are the basic steps that form the flow of your app. Now that you know what you want and which user activities you want to support, you should start researching your platform. Windows 8 offers a broad set of capabilities that you can use—from different controls and animations to ways to integrate with other applications. For example, you can use the Share contract to implement the idea of sharing a task list with someone else. You can use built-in controls to show a list of tasks and use the standard touch gestures to let users select tasks and mark them as completed by clicking a button in the app bar. And there are many more possibilities! This book is about all the options that Windows 8 gives you when building apps, from tiles to notifications, from form factors to contracts. Many things are possible when developing Windows Store apps, and you should be aware of those that can help you with your design. Now your app idea is coming together. You have a clear vision, you have targeted activities that you want to support, and you understand the wealth of options that you can use when coding your app. But before you start developing, you should create some prototypes of your app. You might start with simple sketches on paper, but you can also use tools such as Expression Sketchflow or even PowerPoint with the Storyboarding plug-in. Figure 1-4 shows an example of what a prototype can look like in PowerPoint. The advantage of these types of prototypes is that you can have users test them and give you feedback without having to do any time-consuming development. FIGURE 1-4 PowerPoint storyboarding for Windows Store apps After following these steps, you will have some clear prototypes of your app and you can start thinking about implementation. Deciding how the UI will be composed When creating a new Windows Store app in Visual Studio, you have several different options. Figure 1-5 shows the project templates from which you can choose. Deciding on the template to start with is an important step. If you have created some sketches, you probably have figured out what the flow of your application will be. Choosing a template that matches your flow closely can save you a lot of work. The available templates are the following: - Blank App - Grid App - Split App - Hub App - Navigation App Selecting the right template depends on the type of navigation that you want to support. You can choose a flat navigation if all content resides on the same hierarchical level (Internet Explorer or a game, for example). If you have content that is hierarchical, such as categories and items, you can choose for a hierarchical navigation pattern. Although it is not recommended to start with the Blank App template, you can use it if you need a simple environment to test some features or if you have layout requirements that don’t fit in the standard Windows Store model. The Grid App template is the basis for apps that let the user browse through categories and then navigate to individual items (a shopping or news app, for example). After creating this project, you have a default structure of categories with items in them shown in three layers: overview, category details, and item details. It implements navigation between pages and comes with some sample data that you can customize. The Split App template combines showing a list of items with item details on one page. Think of it as a master-detail view of your data. It can be useful for building a blog reader app, for example. The Hub App template was added to Visual Studio 2013 with the release of Windows 8.1. This template shows content in a horizontally panning view. The Hub App template is different from other project templates because it uses a mix of sections that represent the items in your app. Whereas the Grid App and Split App templates have a very specific way of showing items, the Hub App template mixes all those approaches to create a compelling UI. One aspect of the templates in Visual Studio that might not be immediately obvious is that those templates implement a single-page application (SPA) structure. Regular websites use multiple pages and hyperlinks to navigate from one page to another. While the page is loading, your screen refreshes and a complete page is loaded. After you select your project template, you can use several item templates, as shown in Figure 1-6. Those templates help you implement specific functionality, such as contracts, in your app. FIGURE 1-6 The Add New Item dialog box Designing for the inheritance and reuse of visual elements The more code you have in your project, the harder it is to understand. Maintainability also becomes an issue; making a change to each copy of an element is not only cumbersome but can also lead to errors when you forget to change a copy. During the design phase, you can easily see where certain elements will be repeated, so make sure from the start that you find a suitable solution instead of a plain copy-and-paste process. Of course, remember principles such as Keep It Simple (KIS) and You Aren’t Gonna Need It (YAGNI), which remind you that you shouldn’t go overboard planning to reuse elements that you will never reuse. Instead of wasting time on creating complex controls that can easily be reused but never will be, start with a simple solution and make sure that you adapt it whenever the requirements change. CSS is probably the easiest to reuse. You should move styles that are used in multiple places in your app to a common file and then reference that file whenever needed. Especially because you are using the SPA architecture, you can load CSS elements once and then reuse them throughout your application. These options are discussed in more detail throughout the book. Designing for accessibility Imagine using your app if you are colorblind or completely blind. What if you are deaf or can’t use a mouse or touch device easily? Keeping users’ disabilities in mind is very important for the design process. Maybe you are faced with legal requirements that force you to make your app accessible. Or maybe you are just thinking about all the possible users who can’t use your app if you don’t design for accessibility. Fortunately, implementing accessibility in your app isn’t difficult. HTML already has good support for creating accessible websites, and your Windows Store app can expand on that foundation. Make sure that your HTML not only looks nice but also specifies what it does. Accessible rich Internet applications (ARIAs) are defined for this purpose. An ARIA defines a set of special attributes that can be added to your HTML. Those attributes describe the description and role of elements that can be used by screen readers—for example, to help a user understand what an element does. Next to using ARIA attributes, you should also make sure that your app is accessible only by using a keyboard, which means thinking about the tab index of elements, making sure that a user can use the arrow keys to navigate and implement accelerator keys. You should also test your app under different conditions. The testing could be with varying resolutions and when using high-contrast teams or a larger font. The Windows software development kit (SDK) comes with two tools that you can use to test the accessibility of your app: Inspect and UI Accessibility Checker (AccChecker). Of course, you can also do some manual testing: Unplug your mouse, change your color theme, and adjust font size. Narrator is an application that verifies your app can be used with a screen reader. If you have followed the guidelines for accessibility, you can submit your app to the Windows Store as being accessible, which helps users with disabilities find your app more easily. Of course, Microsoft checks to see whether your app is accessible before allowing it. Deciding when custom controls are needed Sometimes you might need a custom control. Perhaps you want a calendar, some graph controls, or something else that’s completely specific to your app. First, see whether someone has already built your custom control. Companies such as Telerik create control suites for all types of applications. A good starting point is http://services.windowsstore.com/. You can find custom controls in the Controls & Frameworks section. A basic reusable piece of code can be created by using HtmlControl or PageControl. More-complex controls can be implemented the same way as WinJS controls. Using the Hub App template You have learned about composing your UI and choosing a template. The exam specifically focuses on the Hub App template, so make sure that you understand how it works. The Hub App template is an implementation of the hierarchical navigation pattern. The Start screen is shown in Figure 1-7. FIGURE 1-7 Hub App template Start screen The template has a horizontal layout that shows the sections you defined. Within those sections, you can show individual items. A user can select sections marked with > to view all the items in that section. When you select an individual item, a details page displays. Figure 1-8 shows the initial files created by the template. The most interesting part is the Pages folder, which contains the Hub, Item, and Section pages. The data for Section and Item pages is loaded from the static data.js file in the js folder. FIGURE 1-8 Files created by the Hub App template Adapting the template is easy. Get some meaningful data in for your app, which can be static test data that you put in the data.js file or that is asynchronously loaded by the app from an external data source. Adding your own styling and behavior is just as important, of course. Using the Hub App template as a foundation for your app steers you in the right direction for an attractive app! Objective summary - When designing your app, make sure to follow the Microsoft design principles: pride in craftsmanship, fast and fluid, authentically digital, do more with less, and win as one. - Make sure that you have a “My app is great at” statement to focus your app on one single user scenario and implement it fully. - Visual Studio offers project templates that you can use as a starting point for your app: the Blank App, Hub App, Navigation App, Split App, and Grid App templates. - Accessibility is important for creating an app that can be used by users with disabilities. - The Hub App template is a new template in Windows 8.1 that you can use to create attractive apps that use a mixed mode of showing content to the user. Objective review Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in this objective. You can find the answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect in the “Answers” section at the end of this chapter. You are developing the ToDo app in collaboration with designers who are new at Windows Store development. They encourage you to use animations in your app. What should you do? - Explain that animations are of the past and are distractions that Windows Store apps should avoid. - Agree with them and let them describe a list of animations that they want to use. - Refer them to the documentation and show them the list of animations used in Windows Store apps. - Meet with the designers and create custom animations that are useful for your application. Why is the “great at” statement so important for an app? - A great at statement isn't important; apps are not allowed to become popular because the platform doesn't support it. - A great at statement isn't important because apps are only allowed to have limited functionality. - Without a “great at” statement, you can’t follow the Microsoft design principles. - It creates a vision that you can use to guide the development of your app and make sure your app truly excels in your supported user goal.	https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2239528
Cyber attacks are one of the biggest threats to government operations today, and the security of government information systems is an urgent focus for agency leaders and technical experts. For many, however, the response to cybersecurity has too often been to throw money and technology at the problem without paying the proper attention to preparing the organization and agency leaders for new cybersecurity practices and revising governance structures to make better risk-based decisions. LGI brings together the experience of cybersecurity trainers, risk management consultants, strategy and communications specialists, and policy experts to provide the highest quality cybersecurity support. Lafayette Group thrives on helping leaders and managers improve cybersecurity readiness at all levels of their organizations. We build and help implement governance groups, response and escalation procedures, concepts of operations, and outreach materials pertinent to our clients and their needs. We aim to make cybersecurity straightforward and accessible. Furthermore, we provide hands-on, in-the-field training and exercises to ensure your entire organization is cyber ready and can continue to build the capacity and maturity of your cybersecurity program. Example products LGI delivered to our federal, state, and local government clients: • Cybersecurity organizational readiness assessments • Cybersecurity strategic plans, roadmaps, work breakdown structures, policies, and procedures • Strategic communications, outreach strategies, and stakeholder engagement • Concepts of operations • Incident response and crisis management plans (includes media relations) • Risk registers and risk scoring/management procedures • Policy and technical assistance and training packages • Cybersecurity leadership training and facilitation • Cybersecurity exercises • Pocket guides, playbooks, field tools, alerts and bulletins • Data analytics and dashboard visualizations • Program metrics collection and communication • Infographics, fact sheets, briefings, talking points, videos, and other communications products Capabilities Strategic Planning for Cybersecurity Programs To be successful at implementing effective cybersecurity programs, agencies need senior leadership commitment, effective governance structures, and integrated cybersecurity risk management processes across all organizational components. To address these challenges, LGI helps federal, state and local agency leaders develop cybersecurity strategic plans, roadmaps, policies, and procedures that enable implementation of new and expanded cybersecurity initiatives across their organizations. By defining a concrete strategic direction aligned with their mission and vision, our clients are able to outline measurable goals to reduce cybersecurity risk without impeding operations or breaking their budgets. Readying Organizations to Implement Cybersecurity Practices & Tools Implementing cybersecurity tools, capabilities, and new processes across an organization is a complex endeavor. Not only do leaders have to oversee the installation and monitoring of the latest cybersecurity tools, but they need to update and build decision-making processes (such as risk scoring) at the organizational level to help mitigate critical vulnerabilities and ensure information systems are adequately secure. LGI helps leaders understand how to communicate cybersecurity risk up to executive leadership and across the organization to effect the cultural changes needed to make cybersecurity practices into daily activities. Lafayette Group helps agencies build capabilities across the organization to achieve cybersecurity readiness and ultimately work toward improving their overall cybersecurity risk posture. Strategic Communications & Outreach to Cybersecurity Stakeholders LGI helps agency leaders effectively communicate and promote cybersecurity program activities across their organization to users and to customers. We provide a full package of strategic communications expertise, including stakeholder engagement, strategic messaging, collateral design and production, graphic design, video production, media relations and analysis, working group support, and event management. We build and track comprehensive measures and metrics for cybersecurity programs accompanied by the analytical depth to understand the data and communicate successes and areas for improvement to leaders and customers. Cybersecurity Direct Assistance & Training We recognize that cybersecurity success across federal, state, and local agencies is contingent on the users’ and employees’ understanding of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities and the practices and tools needed to mitigate them. We specialize in on-the-ground technical assistance, developing user guides, concepts of operations, white papers, and playbooks for customer agencies to help users learn new procedures and implement decision-making practices. We have performed several thousand technical assistance and training engagements for leaders, operators, and technical staff. We approach training and assistance from a user point of view, first ensuring that the information is easy to understand and implement. We offer custom training and assistance packages that include facilitated workshops, one-on-one meetings, small group sessions, and conference presentations. LGI also provides cybersecurity tabletop exercises and leadership-focused training workshops. Project Insights State and Local Cybersecurity Guidance LGI supported the National Consortium for Advanced Policing with the development of the Cybersecurity Guide for State and Local Law Enforcement, published in June 2016. Through collaboration with the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at The George Washington University, our team provided tailored cybersecurity training and support to state and local law enforcement agencies. Lafayette Group also facilitated and supported numerous workshops and hands-on technical training opportunities for cybersecurity programs, including Public Safety Communications Cybersecurity Workshops—providing awareness and skills development for fostering better practices in cybersecurity programs and communications.	https://www.lafayettegroup.com/cybersecurity
Why Choose this Training Course? In order to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic the leading governments globally are employing social distancing among other measures. What this crisis has taught us is that we need to learn from disasters at different levels. This AZTech training course covers emergency preparedness/response to both natural and man-made crisis and disasters. It discusses the importance of adapting a mindful approach to prepare, mitigate and respond to unexpected events. Furthermore, this programme covers risk control techniques to help senior managers, and maintenance and reliability managers to handle the maintenance of their equipment, and how they can apply the best practices in times of Pandemic / Crisis. This training course will feature: - Learning from Major Disasters - Mindfulness and Resilience: Features of High Reliability Organizations (HRO) - Situational Awareness, Cognitive Biases, and Decision Making - Performance and Decision Making Under Pressure - Management of Major Incidents - Crisis Management What are the Goals? By the end of this training course, participants will be able to: - Develop a structured Framework and Methodology of Case Studies of Major Failures - Understand Features of Proactive versus Reactive Organizations - Conceptualize Risk Management in terms of Avoidance and Mitigation - Construction of Investigation Reports and Recommendations - Carry out Modelling of Root Cause Analysis and Evaluating Strategic Priorities Who is this Training Course for? This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals at both senior and middle level of management, and who are involved in any aspect of Crisis and Risk Management and who want to understand, implement and improve the latest Risk and Resilience Management concepts, processes and ideas at both strategic and operational levels. This AZTech training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit: - Leaders/Managers/Supervisors of Reliability and Maintenance - Senior Managers of Safety and Quality - Operations, Projects and Asset Managers - Directors and Senior Executives with responsibilities of management of major crises - Other Professionals involved in Risk, Resilience, and Crisis management How will this Training Course be Presented? This training course will utilize a variety of proven learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding. The course will be highly interactive. Following an introductory session, short input sessions will be provided followed by delegates being given the opportunity to put into practice the lessons learned in the preceding topic. Illustrations of crisis and risk management from the real world will be provided and delegates will be encouraged to contribute examples and illustrations from their own experiences.	https://aztechtraining.com/course/crisis-management-in-any-organisation
The Compliance Manager works as part of the Legal Department’s enterprise compliance and risk management team and will provide subject matter knowledge with national and international compliance standards to ensure governance across CoStar’s global brands and products. This individual will help balance CoStar’s legal and compliance requirements with our internal and external stakeholder needs, and with our company’s values. The Compliance Manager will identify compliance risks and mitigation strategies, coordinate advice from outside counsel, implement controls and processes, manage compliance program workflow, help to resolve challenging compliance problems, and communicate clearly with business stakeholders. This individual will play an important role in supporting the day-to-day execution of our various legal compliance programs, including policy governance, gifts and entertainment requests, privacy operations, data governance, sanctions screening and compliance, and legal compliance training and communications. The role is ideal for someone who is a proactive self-starter and strategic and practical thinker, who has a thirst for knowledge and continued growth, all while working as part of a great legal team. RESPONSIBILITIES - Administer and manage the company’s legal compliance programs, including compliance and privacy training - Work closely with the technology and accounting risk management teams to identify and mitigate enterprise risks, as well as implement controls and processes - Conduct reviews to identify, assess, and advise on compliance and operational risks and controls - Develop, enhance and implement risk and compliance policies, procedures and related training - Oversee the company’s sanctions compliance program and screening - Support core privacy operations processes, including privacy impact assessments, data subject access requests tracking and fulfillment, personal data mapping, and privacy controls identification and monitoring - Escalate and resolve project issues, mitigate risks, manage change requests, and monitor project status to ensure on time project delivery - Collaborate across departments to support the development of programs to tighten data security and governance over our internal and customer data - Maintain compliance support operations processes and related GRC workflow tools, provide point of contact for business partner compliance related inquiries, and collaborate across teams to ensure compliance and privacy support operations processes are fulfilled and operating smoothly - Perform risk reporting, creating reports to inform stakeholders and risk owners - Analyze business initiatives, products and processes to ensure they comply with applicable laws and regulations; and practice sound judgement to effectively assess and balance risk in the provision of compliance advice to the business - Maintain expert knowledge of applicable law and regulations, keeping up and advising the business on current developments - BASIC QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor's degree - 5+ years of regulatory compliance and project management experience (Project Management Professional certification a plus) - Detail oriented, well organized and technically-adept - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills - Strong computer skills – MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) - High degree of professional ethics and integrity PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS - Experience with one or more of the following compliance frameworks, controls, and best practices: AICPA Trust Principles (SSAE 18 - SOC 2 and 3), ISO 27000 series, NIST 800 series, regulations governing anti-corruption and bribery, personally identifiable information (PII), and online content, and other regulatory compliance frameworks - Direct experience working with GRC platforms, such as OneTrust - Experience with international growth and implementing local jurisdiction-based compliance programs - Strong interpersonal skills and experience in working cross-functionally with a variety of teams, with lawyers and non-lawyers, including software engineering teams, sales teams, and product teams - Self-starter with the ability to learn in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision - Experience in compiling, coordinating, and analyzing regulatory compliance requirement data - Experience with compliance audits and assessments - Excellent written and oral communication skills - Experience in a risk management role in a global enterprise #LI-SM8 #LI-Hybrid OVERVIEW OF COMPANY: Founded in 1987, CoStar Group is the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics, and online marketplaces. Our suite of online services enables clients to analyze, interpret and gain unmatched insight on commercial property values, market conditions and current availability. Behind some of the most well-known brands in the industry, CoStar Group includes CoStar, the largest provider of CRE research and real-time data; LoopNet, the most heavily trafficked mobile and online real estate marketplace; Apartments.com, the premier rental home resource for renters, property managers and owners; STR, the leading provider of performance benchmarking and comparative analytics to the hotel industry; BizBuySell, the largest online marketplace for businesses-for-sales; and Lands of America, the leading operator of online marketplaces for rural real estate. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CoStar Group maintains offices throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Canada, and Asia with a staff of over 4,300 worldwide. WHATS IN IT FOR YOU: Working at CoStar Group means you'll enjoy a culture of collaboration and innovation that attracts the best and brightest across a broad range of disciplines. In addition to generous compensation and performance-based incentives, you'll be supported in both your professional and academic growth with internal training, tuition reimbursement, and an inter-office exchange program. Our benefits package includes (but is not limited to): - Comprehensive healthcare coverage: Medical / Vision / Dental / Prescription Drug - Life, legal, and supplementary insurance - Commuter and parking benefits - 401(K) retirement plan with matching contributions - Employee stock purchase plan - Paid time off - Tuition reimbursement - On-site fitness center and/or reimbursed fitness center membership costs (location dependent), with yoga studio, Pelotons, personal training, group exercise classes, as well as Segways and bikes available for use during the day - Complimentary gourmet coffee, tea, hot chocolate, prepared foods, fresh fruit, and other healthy snacks Be part of a team of professionals enjoying the opportunity to learn, do, and grow in a rewarding atmosphere. But don't just take our word for it -- see why our team chose to work at and stay at CoStar Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVbJRnJ2sX0 We welcome all qualified candidates who are currently eligible to work full-time in the United States to apply. However, please note that CoStar is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position. CoStar Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer; we maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing About CoStar Group CoStar Group is the leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information, and analytics in the commercial and residential property markets. Want to learn more about CoStar Group? Visit CoStar Group's website.	https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/costar-group/job/213165-compliance-manager-costar
BIFA's Unconscious Bias training programme is designed to help voters and other experienced professionals in British film recognise and mitigate against subliminal biases in their film-watching and decision-making processes across a variety of dimensions such as genre, budget, commerciality and diversity. Training was delivered to all voters and jurors who cast votes for the 2018 BIFAs and received such an overwhelmingly positive response, it is back for 2019 and open to all. In-person training is £30 (free for BIFA and BAFTA voters). Dates for in-person training (all London): - Monday, 5th August - Thursday, 5th September - Thursday, 19th September BIFA and BAFTA voters also have the option of taking the course as a free online module. Dates as follows: - Tuesday, 20th August - Thursday, 5th September - Monday, 28th October - Tuesday 4th February 2020 (NEW DATE) This training is supported by ScreenSkills using National Lottery funds awarded by the BFI as part of the Future Film Skills programme. Course content This training equips attendees with vital skills and tools in decision-making, leadership, management and communications. It explores: - How the decision-making process works and what factors can influence it - Where logical decision-making can go wrong and lead us to illogical conclusions - What is an unconscious bias and what can we be unconsciously biased against? - How to recognise and mitigate against unconscious biases on a personal level and in group work / discussions - How this affects our work in the British film industry Who it's for This training is relevant and applicable to all film professionals but we’re particularly keen that it is delivered to those with significant decision-making power over projects and personnel, such as:	https://www.screenskills.com/training-courses/unconscious-bias-training/ed0aa489-fa2d-4cf2-8743-acd3e0f17cd1
Job Summary: With a high level of autonomy, uses extensive knowledge and skills obtained through education and experience to provide leadership and strategic direction to the RJFS Compliance Team.Participates in the PCG Compliance Leadership team in maturing the PCG Compliance program and providing compliance coverage for PCG senior business and risk leaders.Ensures compliance with all regulatory requirements. Leads large or multiple projects with significant scope and impact.Works independently and supervises others to perform difficult assignments that are broad in nature.Provides comprehensive solutions to complex problems.Maintains extensive contact with the leadership of various departments to identify, research, analyze and resolve complex issues. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Direct and oversee the RJFS PCG compliance program.Lead a team of experienced compliance professionals in enhancing and strengthening the foundational elements of RJFS’ compliance program.These elements include: risk reviews and assessments, controls matrices, policies, training, advice and guidance, issue identification and remediation and strategic initiatives. • Build, manage and lead the team by providing visionary direction and decision-making, identifying and prioritizing tasks, tracking issues, and reviewing project deliverables. • Manage plans, processes and programs to ensure the attainment of current and future objectives, efficiency, growth, and development of the organization; implementing change as needed. • Identify gaps in realization of strategic objectives. • Develop partnerships with senior leaders across all three lines of defense to build compliance processes to support the Firm’s activities in RJFS-impacted business areas. • Function as RJFS Compliance’s central point of contact and work closely with control partners and Legal on governance, risk, and control initiatives. • Work with business management to evaluate and enhance processes and procedures that support compliance with broker-dealer regulations. • Identify trends and implement corrective action as necessary. • Advise IT on systems builds and enhancements impacting RJFS. • Ensure proper communications to relevant stakeholders. • Plan, assign, monitor, review and evaluate the work of others. • Identify performance problems and approve recommendations for remedial action. • Support a culture of risk management and compliance throughout all levels within the Firm. • Respond to, oversee and/or assist with responses to regulatory inquiries. • Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned. *LI-MM2 Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge: • Extensive knowledge and experience with laws, rules and regulations governing broker dealers. • Advanced knowledge of FINRA rules and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and applicable rules thereunder. • Advanced knowledge of financial services and products. Skills and Abilities: • Ability to think strategically on large scale programs and track and monitor to completion. • Strong relationship management, interpersonal and leadership skills. • Strong presentation, oral and written communication skills. • Strong project management skills, sound decision-making exhibiting initiative and intuitive thinking. • Ability to prepare and deliver clear, effective, and professional presentations. • Ability to operate standard office equipment and use required software applications to produce correspondence, reports, electronic communication, spreadsheets, and databases. • Skilled in managing teams to deliver high quality reports and presentations. • Skilled in problem solving and working under tight deadlines. • Ability to manage large, complex projects for global organizations preferably within a regulatory environment. • Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment. • Ability to partner with other functional areas to accomplish objectives. • Ability to think quickly and creatively, overcome objection, and react well to deadline pressure. • Ability to prioritize and work concurrently on multiple assignments to meet conflicting deadlines in a fast-paced work environment. • Ability to identify training needs and develop subordinates. • Ability to organize, prioritize, manage, and track multiple detailed tasks and assignments, including those delegated, in an area with frequently changing priorities. • Ability to solve complex problems and model the business and financial impact of proposed scenarios. • Ability to resolve complex analytical challenges, independently analyze information; and make recommendations based on analysis. Educational/Previous Experience Recommendations: • Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) required, with a master’s or JD preferred; • Minimum of fifteen (15) years of Compliance, Legal, Risk and/or regulatory experience with a FINRA registered broker dealer(s); • A minimum of ten (10) years of managerial experience with a FINRA registered broker dealer(s); or • Any equivalent combination of experience, education, and/or training approved by Human Resources.	https://www.ivyexec.com/job-opening/senior-vice-president-chief-compliance-officer/st-petersburg/florida/usa?job_id=6697567&ref=flist
Provide safety and risk management leadership, teamwork, coordination, and expertise across divisional and/or regional operations to help ensure sharing of best practices and/or preferred procedures. Position helps to ensure the company maintains compliance with federal, state, and local laws/regulations and internal policies and procedures. Anticipate, identify, and evaluate hazardous conditions and practices; Develop hazard control designs, methods, procedures, and programs; Implement, administer, and advise others on hazard controls and related programs; Measure, audit, and evaluate the effectiveness of hazard controls and related processes. Canddiate will cover Washington, Oregon, and Northern California foot print for safety needs. Relocation will be conisded by a candidate to candiate basis. JOB Duties: Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned as needed. • Leadership: Work in conjunction with the VP of EH&S and liaise with management to develop and implement specific and measurable risk management objectives that support the division in achieving safety performance excellence. This includes, ensuring that assessments, audits, and inspections are carried out at regular intervals and appropriate key performance indicators are identified, measured, and maintained. • Employee Training: Responsible to facilitate, document, and ensure management, supervisors, and other employees receive the company’s required safety training at their assigned location. Conduct safety meetings and/or safety training for employee development. Mentor other safety professionals in the areas of OSHA, DOT, EPA, and Hazardous Materials Transportation management. Conduct train-thetrainer sessions for key employees. • Inspections, Field Observations, Investigations, and Safety Processes: Conduct safety assessments, inspections and field observations within assigned area. Assist with routine updates to company safety training programs, policies, and procedures. Respond to general branch inquiries regarding safety processes and training materials. Investigate incidents and near miss/hits and perform root cause analysis, when necessary. Follow-up on remedial action item(s) to help ensure processes are refined and continual improvements are made and/or sustained. • Transportation Safety Compliance: Work closely and take direction from fleet management professionals to provide information and data regarding DOT roadside inspections and related fleet maintenance matters. Is responsible to work with others to ensure driver qualification files are kept up to date and compliant. Routinely inspects and trains others on DOT hours of service, driver fitness, roadside inspections, and related DOT matters. Conduct driver ride-along and coaching; perform defensive driving training and implement follow-up actions as needed. • Claims, Employee Injuries, and Medical Interface: Routinely interface with human resources, legal department, branch management, and third party administrators (TPA) on workers’ compensation matters. Work with claim professionals on a regular basis to ensure adherence with special TPA account procedures. Actively assist others to manage employee injuries working closely with human resources and branch management. Provide training to management on Beacon’s transitional work program. Detect potential problems or trends that require additional research and refer to the VP of EH&S for further assistance and/or direction. • Administrative: Compile safety data and provide management reports on the safety activities and results accomplished by the division, region, and branch. Prepare reports for corporate and field management as requested. Assist with authoring and compiling information for the safety newsletter. Assist with the administration of the company’s safety awards/incentive programs. Maintain OSHA recordkeeping forms 301, 300 and 300A. • Regulatory Interface: Advise management of non-compliance discoveries. Respond to initial inquiries from regulatory agencies as instructed by the VP of EH&S. Assist the branch safety coordinator role with compliance matters at their assigned locations. Ensure compliance with governmental agencies’ recordkeeping requirements. • Environmental Affairs: Coordinate the environmental component and assessments of real estate transactions including due diligence; coordinate environmental due diligence for pre- and post-merger and acquisition activities. Manage hazardous materials transportation activities. Interpret and communicate information to upper management of relevant Federal regulations in order to comply with hazardous material transportation rules and regulations. Work with the purchasing and supply chain leaders to help ensure DOT regulated hazardous products are identified and transported according to the DOT regulations. SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES: • Ability to identify trends and implement best practices in a manner that drives exceptional performance. • Demonstrated experience with implementing EH&S systems and processes across multiple facilities. • Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills and ability to lead through influence and networking. • Ability to work in a matrix environment, creating partnerships at various levels of the organization. • Ability to impact and effect change with a flexible, open-minded, positive approach. • Strong business acumen and excellent decision making skills. • Must be able to articulate, build consensus for, and effectively implement solutions. • Effective presentation and facilitation skills with experience presenting ideas and concepts to diverse audiences including senior executives. • Strong ability to work in changing environment, see through complexity. • Demonstrated successful experience working in a demanding, high performance work environment and team- oriented culture. • Must be able to think and act strategically, but also be willing to “roll up sleeves” to handle activities within the function. • Insightful understanding of behavior-based safety; grasps concepts and implications of emerging trends. • Ability to manage personnel through strong leadership skills and to motivate/coach personnel. • Superior knowledge of and experience with the OSHA and DOT regulatory requirements. • Advanced knowledge in OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: • Required to travel approximately 70 - 80% of the time to promote, inspect, coach and train others on safety and risk management systems, policies, procedures, and protocols. • Excellent computer skills with the ability to proficiently use the Microsoft Office. • Valid driver’s license and good driving history with reliable transportation and the ability to travel. • Satisfactory background check. • Four year college degree and/or equivalent related experience. Minimum of eight years of senior level safety leadership experience in the wholesale distribution or construction industry. • Preferred certifications include: Occupational Health & Safety technologist (OHST), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Associate Risk Management (ARM) credentials. • Working with CDL and DOT safety psoitions preferred.	https://jobs.becn.com/job/Portland-MANAGER%2C-EH-&-S-OR-97086/697235000/
In recent years, the climate surrounding the development and implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation programs has continued to evolve. Legal changes regarding program funding, compensation, and staffing are more dependent on effective certified pulmonary rehabilitation programming. To help those programs develop and succeed, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) has updated the Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs to address the credentialing requirements. This revised fourth edition presents the most current best practices for the application of this complex and evolving clinical intervention. It discusses the individuated and interrelated components of pulmonary rehabilitation, including initial and ongoing assessment, collaborative self-management education, exercise training, psychosocial support, and outcomes measurement. This text also provides a scientific, practical framework to help practitioners do the following: â¢Understand the current requirements for accrediting pulmonary-based facilities â¢Design, implement, or update accredited pulmonary rehabilitation programs â¢Deliver optimal care to people with symptomatic respiratory needs â¢Address program issues in exercise, outcomes, and management of pulmonary-based programs Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs, Fourth Edition, is based on the most current scientific evidence and includes contributions from expert pulmonary rehabilitation professionals in nursing, medicine, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, and exercise physiology. In the fourth edition, readers will find significant updates and expanded discussion on the topic of psychosocial assessment. The fourth edition also includes a dedicated chapter detailing the AACVPR program certification process. In addition, readers will have access to updated appendixes, including a comprehensive set of forms, guidelines, questionnaires, and assessment tools. With continued advancements in the science, application, and credentialing of pulmonary rehabilitation programs, the fourth edition of Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs will assist practitioners in remaining up to date on the best practices in the field. This edition will become a valuable tool in assisting practitioners in understanding the components of pulmonary rehabilitation and applying best practices as well as updating and improving their existing programs to meet AACVPR certification requirements.	https://textbooks.today/products/9780736096539-0736096531-guidelines-for-pulmonary-rehabilitation-programs4th-edition
SPM is a firm with an unparalleled mix of strategic and technical expertise in business development, financial management, management consulting and corporate training programmes structured with industry specifics and functional applications. SPM has built for itself a reputation for producing results and a driven excellence culture for client’s satisfaction both regionally and internationally. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Senior and Junior HR Officer Location: Abuja Employment Type: Full-time Job Description - Support the development and implementation of HR initiatives and systems - Provide counseling on policies and procedures - Be actively involved in recruitment by preparing job descriptions, posting ads and managing the hiring process - Create and implement effective onboarding plans - Develop training and development programs - Assist in performance management processes - Support the management of disciplinary and grievance issues - Maintain employee records (attendance,etc.) according to policy and legal requirements - Review employment and working conditions to ensure legal compliance. Requirements - Proven experience (5 years senior officer, 3 years junior officer) as HR officer, administrator or other HR position - Knowledge of HR functions (pay & benefits, recruitment, training & development etc.) - Understanding of labor laws and disciplinary procedures - Proficient in MS Office; knowledge of HRMS is a plus - Outstanding organizational and time-management abilities - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - Problem-solving and decision-making aptitude - Strong ethics and reliability - BSc/BA in Business Administration, Social Studies or relevant field; further training will be a plus - HR Credentials (e.g. PHR from the HR Certification Institute, CIPM ). Application Closing Date 30th April, 2021.	https://hotgist.com.ng/senior-and-junior-hr-officers-at-spm-professionals-limited/
Mastercard Foundation is a global foundation based across four hubs in Kigali, Rwanda, Nairobi, Kenya, Accra, Ghana and Toronto, Canada. Our programs promote financial inclusion and advance education and learning in Africa, primarily for young people, and in Canada for Indigenous youth. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. From inception, the Foundation was designed to be a separate entity and independent from Mastercard. Our policies, operations, and funding decisions are made by our President and Board of Directors. The Foundation believes that youth employment is key to unlocking prosperity, both for youth and their societies. Enabling young women and men from disadvantaged communities to secure dignified and fulfilling work will ensure inclusive development and economic growth in Africa. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Program Finance Head of Governance, Compliance & Business Controls Location: Nigeria Employment Type: Full-time The Opportunity - Reporting to the Head of Finance & Accounting, Africa. - The role will be responsible for ensuring the Financial & Operational Processes across the foundation related to Programs and, Program Finance, including policies & Procedures are designed, implemented and operating effectively to safeguard Foundation resources from Financial & operational risks as well as partner the programs and program finance teams to strengthening the controls & compliance environment within the end to end programming processes within the foundation (Financial & Operational Risks) in collaboration with the Head Business Controls & ERP and the Strategy and Planning Programs Team. Ways You Can Contribute - SME (Subject Matter Expert). Provide first line advice and support to the program finance teams in terms of the Due. Diligence/Contracting/Deliver process as well as other program Finance processes and ensure that identified issues are escalated to second line support as required (2nd line would be Legal) or that proposed solutions are sufficient to mitigate the risks. - Masterdata & Financial data integrity of the grant management system. - SME for the grant management system on financial matters and usage of the system. - Partner with IT to ensure that process improvements impacting the grants management system are tracked & implemented and controls are not compromised. - Design, lead & implement a process of Controls Self-assessment of program finance processes to ensure controls are operating as designed across the portfolio. - Lead the implementation of new process improvement and processes improvements/enhancement within the program Finance function in partnership with the Strategy & planning as well as the controller function. - Ensure that all control gaps and incidences identified within the program finance processes are remediated in a timely & complete manner in coordination with the assurance function and in partnership with the programs teams (Incident Management). - Continuous control assessment of our design to deliver programming processes to ensure we have adequate/sufficient internal controls (Financial) to mitigate against key risk (Emphasis on financial risks & partners with other functions for operational risks) and together with the Strategic Ops team and Enterprise Risk Management Team update processes, polices, tools etc to support a Strengthening of the controls environment. - Ensure the automated and manual controls processes in relevant grants management system are designed and operating effectively (e.g. Fluxx) are in place related to Program Finance, DD, etc. - Oversee and continuously improvement of the Financial routines in the Design to deliver phase of programming process. - Partner the RD and the Programs team in the Peer Review Process, to drive continuous improvement and driving for embedding of learnings. - Working together with other business processes champions to ensure processes, polices and tools developed are aligned and efficient in support of the programming process without any dilution of the controls environment. - Ensure that learnings from escalations and matters arising are embedded into process improvement for the program finance team to strengthen the control environment and deliver an effective & efficient process that enables programming. - Lead the implementation and embedding of the Programs compliance framework with program Finance teams as developed by legal & compliance in partnership with the key stakeholders whilst ensuring synergies with program finance processes and principle of strengthening Financial and operational controls. - Continuous self-assessment of programs to check for compliance & institute corrective actions as appropriate together with the program + Legal and compliance teams. - Together with L&D & Other functions support in the development and dissemination of information, learnings and development of training materials with the objective of disseminating knowledge on program finance processes to other functions and support the capacity building of program Finance team to drive the culture of continuous improvement within the team. - Support the continuous training of the program finance teams on the processes and governance to ensure we minimize significant control deficiencies. - Develop and implement and run the finance onboarding program in partnership with the controller function and the programs and L&D function to ensure teams are enabled to deliver their work. - Develop relationship of a trusted partner with mainly internal stakeholders (Business Controller, Global Controller, Legal & Compliance and Strategy & Planning & Assurance/ERM Etc) and external stakeholders (Program Partners). - Partner & support the Controller function in the development of the ERP system. - Other Projects and work as maybe required from time to time. Who You Are - A University Degree, Qualified Accountant or another relevant qualification is required. - Minimum of 13 year work experience in Finance, Finance Operations, Shared Services or related fields. - Experience in Transformation programs and Projects at a regional/global scale an added advantage. - Experience in designing, implementing & managing Operational Internal Control Systems, processes and Policies. - Proven ability in managing Financial Processes & Accounting Operations Management, experience in programming, project management an added advantage. - Demonstrated technical expertise in identifying, designing & Mitigate Operational, Financial and Business Risks. - Sigma six Black belt added advantage. - Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize and execute. - Innovative and able to formulate new or creative approaches to problems. - Ability to effectively interact and influence across a matrix business organizational structure and work closely in liaison with finance and business teams. - Flexible, open to change and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities. - Tenacious, Independent and works with Initiative. - Problem solving: Effectiveness in identifying problems, seeking pertinent data, recognizing important information and identifying possible causes of problems and solutions to challenges. - Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities. - Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures. - Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values. - Demonstrate a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision. Application Closing Date 3rd April, 2022. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should:	https://hotgist.com.ng/program-finance-head-of-governance-compliance-business-controls-at-mastercard-foundation/
While information has become more easily accessible and readily available, the associated risks and security threats have not only increased in number, but also complexity. As a result, the importance of ensuring that an enterprise’s information is protected has also increased. It is now more important than ever for executives to ensure that their IT security managers have the expertise needed to reduce risk and protect the enterprise. Designed specifically for information security professionals, the course focuses on the four content areas of the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) job practice: information security governance, risk management and compliance, information security program development and management, information security incident management. After completing this program, participants should be able to: - Establish and maintain a framework to provide assurance that information security strategies are aligned with business objectives and consistent with applicable laws and regulations - Identify and manage information security risks to achieve business objectives - Create a program to implement the information security strategy - Implement an information security program - Oversee and direct information security activities to execute the information security program - Plan, develop, and manage capabilities to detect, respond to, and recover from information security incidents Pre-requisite Participants should have foundational knowledge about IT practices, IT support and network administration, but that is not compulsory. Non-IT professionals will also be admitted into this program, those people who are responsible for compliance, risk management and governance. Who should attend this program? The intended audience for this course is information security and IT professionals, such as network administrators and engineers, IT managers, and IT auditors, compliance officer, project managers and other individuals who want to learn more about information security, who are interested in learning in-depth information about information security management, who are looking for career advancement in IT security, or who are interested in earning the CISM certification. Program Content Module 1 – Information Security Governance - Develop an Information Security Strategy - Align Information Security Strategy with Corporate Governance - Identify Legal and Regulatory Requirements - Justify Investment in Information Security - Identify Drivers Affecting the Organization - Obtain Senior Management Commitment to Information Security - Define Roles and Responsibilities for Information Security - Establish Reporting and Communication Channels Module 2 – Information Risk Management - Implement an Information Risk Assessment Process - Determine Information Asset Classification and Ownership - Conduct Ongoing Threat and Vulnerability Evaluations - Conduct Periodic BIAs - Identify and Evaluate Risk Mitigation Strategies - Integrate Risk Management into Business Life Cycle Processes - Report Changes in Information Risk Module 3 – Information Security Program Development - Develop Plans to Implement an Information Security Strategy - Security Technologies and Controls - Specify Information Security Program Activities - Coordinate Information Security Programs with Business Assurance Functions - Identify Resources Needed for Information Security Program Implementation - Develop Information Security Architectures - Develop Information Security Policies - Develop Information Security Awareness, Training, and Education Programs - Develop Supporting Documentation for Information Security Policies Module 4 – Information Security Program Implementation - Integrate Information Security Requirements into Organizational Processes - Integrate Information Security Controls into Contracts - Create Information Security Program Evaluation Metrics Module 5 – Information Security Program Management - Manage Information Security Program Resources - Enforce Policy and Standards Compliance - Enforce Contractual Information Security Controls - Enforce Information Security During Systems Development - Maintain Information Security Within an Organization - Provide Information Security Advice and Guidance - Provide Information Security Awareness and Training - Analyze the Effectiveness of Information Security Controls - Resolve Noncompliance Issues Module 6 – Incident Management and Response - Develop an Information Security Incident Response Plan - Establish an Escalation Process - Develop a Communication Process - Integrate an IRP - Develop IRTs - Test an IRP - Manage Responses to Information Security Incidents - Perform an Information Security Incident Investigation - Conduct Post-Incident Reviews Program fee: USD540 (Lunch, coffee, snacks, learning materials are included. Tax is exclusive. No tax for individual participants who pay their own fee. 15% withholding tax will be grossed up to invoice for those participants registered by their companies.) Venue: InterContinental Hotel/Sunway Hotel (Phnom Penh) Time: 8:00am – 5:00pm Language of instruction: Khmer Deadline of Enrollment Please, submit your enrollment latest by February 30, 2017. Fees, Payment and Cancellation After enrollment notification, we will send you an invoice via email. Payment of the program fees is required to be made prior to the start of the program. Participants can request to make the payment after completion of the program within 15 days of the invoice date. We accept payments by bank wire transfer, company checks and cash. Participants are required to notice us about their cancellation at least 7 days prior to the training and the fees will be fully refunded. Notice of cancellation less than 7 days will be fully charged. Notice of cancellation shall be notified via written email. Phnom Penh Business School reserves the rights to change the programs, dates, fees, and trainers to ensure quality, effectiveness and standard preparation.	http://www.ppbschool.com/edu-course/information-security-risk-management/
Human Resource Management The Human Resource Management Division supports the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries’ efforts in attracting, developing, retaining and engaging a high-performing workforce in support of excellence in the attainment of the Ministry’s strategic objectives; while promoting equity, transparency, and accountability. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIVISION Mission To support the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries’ effort in attracting, developing, retaining and engaging a high-performing workforce in support of excellence in the attainment of the Ministry’s strategic objectives, while promoting equity, transparency and accountability. Vision The Human Resource Management Division will actively collaborate with the Ministry’s Management to maximize organisational performance and will engage staff and other stakeholders in a collaborate effort to attain efficiency and effectiveness, in order to add value to the Ministry. Thus, the Division will: - Be a strong, client-focused and service-oriented Division; - Pursue quality in the development and implementation of human resources practices; - Lead the Ministry in becoming an inclusive institution; - Design and implement processes/procedures that are unobtrusive while conforming to the legal framework that is contained in the Public Service Regulations; - Consult with Divisions in the management of their human resource to facilitate the decision-making process in order to achieve best practice; - Serve as a resource to employees in supporting them to make informed decisions with regards to work and life issues; - Be a division in terms of sharing information with each other while respecting the need of confidentiality; - Foster the development of the human resource talent of the ministry to maximize its contribution to the country becoming a food secure nation. Strategic Goals - Guide and direct management in the managing of their human resource effectively to enhance our investment in human capital; - Develop, communicate, and implement best practices in human resource policies, programs and processes; - Create comprehensive solutions to assist the ministry’s workforce in transforming to a high performance culture; - Serve as a model of service excellence, team work, change management and innovation and provide leadership in creating an inclusive, supportive and healthier work environment to enhance the quality of life for all employees; - Assure the quality and diversity of our workforce through the recruitment and retention of a talented workforce (for contract employment and recruitment of daily rated workers). Values Our attitudes and actions will be driven by the following values: \|Mutual Respect\|\|Integrity\| \|Inclusion\|\|Fairness/Equity\| \|Excellence\|\|Service Orientation\| \|Continuous Learning\| Operating Principles In order to attain our vision, we will: - Be a learning Division that identifies with the work of our clients by providing innovative, flexible and timely delivery of services; - Be a partner with senior administration of the Ministry in developing and implementing human resource policies, practices and services that are cost efficient and add value; - Operate within the legal frame work with regard to the constitution and the Public Service Regulations; - Challenge each other to achieve excellence; - Recognize, value and reward collaboration, teamwork, and superior results in streamlining human resource operations and support to meet the Ministry’s changing needs; and - Provide career advancement opportunities, career pathways and job transfer strategies for staff growth and development. Objectives - To provide advisory and consultancy services to line managers in respect of Human Resource Management issues; - To ensure division/units are optimally and effectively staffed in order that they fulfil their objectives and strategic priorities; - To provide employee relations/administrative support services so that harmonious relationships and good industrial relations practices are maintained in the workplace. - To undertake/co-ordinate human resource development initiatives for the improvement of the competencies and capabilities of staff. Roles and Functions The Division consists of six units which focus on various aspects of Human Resource Management. Such activities include the recruitment and selection of staff on contract, the coordination of staff movements by arranging acting appointments and the development of the human resource through training and management of performance. Additionally, the Division also seeks to provide assistance to staff by granting access to counselling services, ensuring the quick resolve of grievances and disciplinary issues and the organising of retirement benefits for daily rated and monthly paid staff. Human Resource Planning Unit - Forecasts the needs of the Divisions/Units and makes acting appointments under delegated authority; - Maintains records on iHRIS and ensures the implementation of IGP in the Ministry. - Ensures the filling of vacancies by liaising with the Public Service Commission and requests leave reliefs when necessary; - Maintains and updates Establishments and revises seniority lists accordingly. Training Unit - Undertakes training needs assessment through the use of various mechanisms; - Develops a training and development plan for all categories of staff; - Implements training and development activities for all categories of staff; - Prepares and submits requests from various Division/Units for the placement of On-the-Job Trainees (OJTs) and Associate Professionals; - Provides orientation and induction training to new entrants in the Public Service. Employee Development Unit - Provides advice to Heads of Divisions/Units on the Performance Management system; - Processes Performance Appraisal Reports for monthly paid officers and ensures increments are awarded; - Requests medical examinations for officers to determine fitness for permanent employment in the Ministry; - Monitors the probationary period for officers and ensures officers are confirmed. Employee Relations Unit - Ensures that Staff has access to the Employee Assistance Programme; - Administers devolved functions and collective agreement; - Processes leave for monthly paid officers and daily rated employees (Vacation Leave, Extended Sick Leave, No Pay Leave etc.; - Monitors and facilitates the administration of grievance procedures as well as disciplinary matters. - Facilitates the process of timely payment and processing of pension, gratuity and severance benefits. Pension and Leave Unit - Prepares and submits the Pension and Leave Records for monthly paid officers for retirement (compulsory/voluntary), resignations, transfers and deceased officers; Contracts Unit - Prepares notes to Cabinet for the creation of contract positions; - Recruits and Selects persons to be employed on contract to fulfil human resource needs in various Divisions/Units; - Prepares Note for the Minister and Ministerial Minute for approval of Terms and Conditions Approval of Contract Employment and Unutilized Vacation Leave; - Prepares all the required documents and information for the payment of Contract Gratuity. Current Strategic Undertakings - Undergoing internal training activities to ensure both coherency and efficiency in the Divisions operations; - Engaging and meeting with all HR Units to clarify issues and concerns which may hinder the efficiency of the Division and brainstorming new ideas which will improve its operations; - Assessing outstanding acting approvals to eliminate the presence of a backlog within a stipulated timeframe; - Liaising with the Service Commissions Department to submit recommendations to fill vacancies within the Ministry.	https://agriculture.gov.tt/divisions-units/divisions/human-resource-management/
Fifth AU-EU summit kicks off President Jacob Zuma has joined over 80 leaders representing 55 African and 28 European countries, who are meeting at the Fifth Summit of the African Union-European Union, which kicks off in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, this morning. President Zuma arrived in Abidjan on Tuesday evening for the summit which will be held under the theme ‘Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth’. It will emphasise the importance of youth in the two regions’ socio-economic development programmes, which is a key priority for Africa and the EU as 60% of the African population is under the age of 25. The African Union-European Union Heads of State and Government Summit take place traditionally every three years alternately in Africa and Europe. Leaders take stock of the progress made in the implementation of commitments and provide political guidance for further work. President Zuma said South Africa views the summit as providing an opportunity to strongly emphasize the need to change the nature of relations between the AU and EU from a post-colonial model of dependency to a new partnership of interdependence that addresses Africa’s development challenges and contributes to shared prosperity between the two regions. It is also an opportunity to promote the importance of the African peace and security architecture and a need for Africa’s partners to recognise and respect that the resolution of conflict situations in Africa is primarily the responsibility of the African Union, supported by the UN Security Council,” said President Zuma on Tuesday. At a national level, President Zuma said South Africa wishes to use the summit to give new impetus to the South Africa-EU Strategic Partnership, specifically since it is the 10th Anniversary of the partnership. In this regard, the summit will further provide an opportunity for South Africa to enhance strategic economic and diplomatic relations through various engagements in the summit and in side events such as the Business Forum and Youth Summit, with a focus on inclusive economic growth, youth employment and entrepreneurship. The summit is also expected to focus on supporting the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its flagship projects. It is further expected that the summit will adopt Joint Priority Projects for the period 2018 to 2022 that will focus on mobilising investments for Africa’s structural transformation, human capacity development, including capacitating the youth. Addressing peace and security, ensuring good governance and creating resilient societies will also form the core of the summit focus. The summit will further discuss issues of mutual concern that affect the two regions, including enhancing economic opportunities for youth, mobility and migration, trade and investment, cooperation on peace and security, as well as cooperation on governance between the two regions.	https://southafricagazette.com/fifth-au-eu-summit-kicks-off/
Newswise — ROLLA, Mo. -- The key to the modernization of Africa is an African renaissance, says Dr. Tseggai Isaac, associate professor of history and political science at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Isaac has recently co-authored and edited a collection of essays on the topic. The book, “African Civilization in the 21st Century” was published by Nova Science Publishers. In it, Isaac and his collaborators examine African civilization, analyze the formidable roadblocks to its modernization and provide suggestions for African rejuvenation. The essays study the crippling effect of successive domination of Africa, first by the Arab invasion and subsequent Islamization of Egypt and North Africa, Isaac says. “Islam began the practice of African slavery and Europe combined slave trade colonization to inflict crippling blows on Africa,” he says. “The effects of slavery and colonialism devastated African societies until slavery was outlawed in the 19th century and colonialism ended in the 1960s. Post-colonial Africa was liberated in the 1960s, but homegrown dictatorship by African tyrants aborted any hope that Africans anticipated on the eve of Africa’s liberation. As a result, there is overreaching political, economic, social, and diplomatic paralysis of Africa. “Africa didn’t get the opportunity to blossom because of the impacts from slavery, colonialism, and predatory dictatorship by African heads of states over the long-suffering African peoples,” says Isaac. “Only democratization, education and good governance will resurrect Africa.” Isaac says that for progress and modernization to occur in Africa, Africans must be enthusiastic about their sacred civilizations and rely on their cultural heritages to embrace and promote African democracy. “The people will have to be zealots and nationalist about their continent, heritage, ancestors and cultures,” he says. “They have to be zealots about their values and promote them on a global scale.” From the collection of essays, Isaac says readers will get more than a discussion of African problems. “Readers will get a look at Africa as a source of great civilizations and the birthplace of mankind,” he says. Isaac authored four chapters in the book. They are: -- “The Civilization Approach to Analytical Orthodoxy: Solution for or Conveyer of Political Decay to Africa’s Post-Colonial Struggles in the 21st Century?”-- “Making the Case for Ethiopian Civilization”-- “The Impact of Religion on African Civilization in Light of the 21st Century”-- “Language and Education in African Civilization in the 21st Century.” In addition, Isaac co-edited every chapter with Dr. Andrew Targowski, professor of civilizations and business information systems at Western Michigan University. Other contributors to the book include Dr. David Wilkinson, professor of political science at the University of California-Los Angeles, Dr. Herménégilde Rwantabagu, professor of psychology and educational science at the University of Burundi, and Dr. Sisay Asefa, director of the Center for African Development Policy Research at Western Michigan University.	https://www.newswise.com/articles/s-t-author-examines-african-civilization-in-new-book
About this Research Topic Both the World Health Organization’s “Health 2020” European framework and the United Nations Disability Rights Convention focus on the creation of equality of opportunity, empowerment, and participation. They aim to improve the health of all people and to enable a common life for all people with and without disabilities. In line with this, inclusive healthy schools focus on establishing equality of opportunity, empowerment and participation, in order to reduce strain across the entire school system while strengthening personal and social resources so as to overcome difficult situations. The relevant conceptions of health and special educational needs invoked here are based on a bio-psychosocial understanding, which means that biomedical, psychological, and social aspects (as well as their mutual effects) are all considered. Moreover, the actions of inclusive healthy schools emphasize both individuals and the school setting. Research activity in the area of inclusive healthy schools is divided into three main branches: (1) The first branch focuses on promoting and supporting development and individual learning as well as on promoting the health of students with special educational needs, the inclusion of children and young adults in their regular schools and peer groups, and therefore on supporting interdisciplinary competencies and multi-professional cooperation. (2) The second branch emphasizes promoting the health of teaching staff in order to find a healthy approach to dealing with stress factors. (3) The third branch focuses on the school itself, in examining, for example, multi-professional cooperation within school teams, or leadership by school principals and its effects on inclusion and health in schools. The research topic seeks to address key questions on how school life and teaching have to be designed to strengthen pupils’ and teachers’ competencies in order to facilitate a healthy and successful school career and life for all children. By focusing both on demands and resources as well as on the underlying associations of antecedents and consequences of inclusion and health at school, it aims to fill a number of important research gaps. Crucial areas of focus in this context include, for instance: managing life skills in inclusive schools and classrooms, the interrelations between leadership and health in schools, prevention and intervention strategies for challenging behavior in schools, teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards inclusion, the social, emotional and academic inclusion of children with special educational needs in inclusive classrooms, and cooperation between parents and schools. This Research Topic therefore aims to present innovative research on the factors governing inclusive and healthy schools in which optimal support is provided to every person in the school context, in order to promote not only health and well-being but also willingness and ability to perform. This means that the development, individual learning and behavioral needs of the students are all considered and supported. To address these questions and important topics, we welcome the following article types: • Brief Research Reports, • Original Research, • Systematic Reviews. Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.	https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/14833/inclusive-healthy-schools
The social dimensions of the 2030 Agenda and the targets on social inclusion, the eradication of extreme poverty, the reduction of inequalities, inclusive policies for cities, as well as inclusive and participatory decision-making, resonate with UNESCO’s mandate to support Member States in managing contemporary social transformations. Intercultural dialogue is essential to understanding contemporary social transformations and to ensuring peaceful societies. The achievement of the SDGs and the African Union Agenda 2063 will depend on researchers and policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders having access to and being able to share pertinent and accurate information about the societies and communities targeted by their actions, as well as a coherent intellectual framework in which to proceed. Alongside Member States’ engagement in the production of knowledge, the effective use of research through a strengthened research-policy nexus can improve evidence-informed public policy, guided by universal values and principles based on human rights and ethical principles; enhance public services and raise the level of public debates. The integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs requires greater policy coherence at the national, regional and international levels that can be obtained through stronger links between social science research and public policy-making. The work of UNESCO’s Social and Human Science Programme, focusing on policy advice and capacity-building, makes a direct contribution to supporting Member States in the achievement of three Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 16 “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels” (targets 16.6 and 16.7); SDG 10 “Reduce inequality within and among countries” (targets 10.2, 10.3 and 10.7); and SDG 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” (target 11.3). It also provides indirect contributions to supporting Member States in the implementation of three other SDGs and a number of associated targets: SDG 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning education for all” (target 4.7); SDG 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; and SDG 13 “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. The Programme will also contribute to supporting Member States in the achievement of SDG 5 “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, in particular of the targets 5.1, 5.5 and 5.c. The six thematic areas on which UNESCO’s Social and Human Science Programme will focus its efforts are the following: - Strengthening the research policy nexus - Addressing discrimination and fostering values and rights - Promoting ethical norms and standards to address challenges for society deriving from scientific development - Sport for development - History, memory and intercultural dialogue - Engaging young women and men as agents of change In focus From ‘declaration to action’ at Ministerial Conference for Sport and Physical Education Pavel Kolobkov, Sport Minister of Russian Federation emphasized the importance of a strong commitment to collective action in areas of Physical Education and Sport in his keynote address before the closing ceremony of the Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI), which took place in Kazan, Russian Federation from 14 July to 15 July 2017.	http://en.unesco.org/sdgs/shs?language=fr
Do conclusions need references? Last Update: April 20, 2022 This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!Asked by: Mr. Marlon O'Reilly IV Score: 5/5 (26 votes) The conclusion is not the place to present new facts (should be in the body of your essay), so conclusions don't usually have references unless you come up with a 'punchy' quote from someone special as a final word. What needs to go in a conclusion? A conclusion is the last paragraph in your research paper, or the last part in any other type of presentation. ... A conclusion is, in some ways, like your introduction. You restate your thesis and summarize your main points of evidence for the reader. You can usually do this in one paragraph. What should not be in a conclusion? - 1: AVOID summarizing. ... - 2: AVOID repeating your thesis or intro material verbatim. ... - 3: AVOID bringing up minor points. ... - 4: AVOID introducing new information. ... - 5: AVOID selling yourself short. ... - 6: AVOID the phrases “in summary” and “in conclusion.” Do you reference in dissertation conclusion? Just like any other part of the dissertation, this section must be referenced in the findings and discussion – as well as in the conclusion. What is an example of a conclusion? Sentence #1: restate the thesis by making the same point with other words (paraphrase). ~ Example: Thesis: “Dogs are better pets than cats.” Paraphrased: “Dogs make the best pets in the world.” APA Style Tutorial: Conclusion & References What are good conclusion starters? - In conclusion. - Therefore. - As expressed. - Overall. - As a result. - Thus. - Finally. - Lastly. Can you bullet point a conclusion? These conclusions can be made easier to read by listing the main points, and using a bullet point to signal each one. This helps by separating and clarifying each conclusion and is a useful device even when the conclusions do not appear under a separate heading of 'Conclusions'. Is there a comma after in conclusion? Do you put a comma after in conclusion? Concluding phrases and clauses are not punctuated with commas when they are restrictive or necessary to a complete understanding of the sentence. When they are non-restrictive, or may be de-emphasized, set them apart with commas. What is a good conclusion sentence? The conclusion paragraph should restate your thesis, summarize the key supporting ideas you discussed throughout the work, and offer your final impression on the central idea. This final summation should also contain the moral of your story or a revelation of a deeper truth. What can I say instead of in conclusion? - altogether, - briefly, - categorically, - chiefly, - finally, - largely, - lastly, - mostly, How do you write a conclusion? - End the essay on a positive note. - Communicate the importance of your ideas and the subject matter. - Provide the reader with a sense of closure. - Reiterate and summarize your main points. - Rephrase and then restate your thesis statement. How can I check my grammar online? Online Editor – Grammar Checker. Enter the text that you want to check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes; then click the gray button below. Click on underlined words to get a list of proper wording alternatives, suggestions, and explanations. Do I put a comma after still? 1 Answer. You do not need to put a comma after still. Unless you want to pause after still and emphasize the time that Jared waited for someone to open the door. Does a comma always go after thus? “Thus” is usually separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, but the commas are often omitted if this would lead to three commas in a row (as in the third example). ... The comma here was appropriate because what follows “thus” is not a clause. What are the 3 parts of conclusion? Key Takeaways. An effective conclusion contains three basic parts: a restatement of the speech's thesis; a review of the main points discussed within the speech; and a concluding device that helps create a lasting image in audiences' minds. What are some of the do's and don't of a good conclusion? - Do Transition into Your Conclusion Paragraph. ... - Do Maintain the Tone of the Writing. ... - Do Bring a Sense of Closure. ... - Do Clarify the Significance of the Writing. ... - Don't Reuse Your Thesis Statement. How do you answer the question what so in a conclusion? - Play the "So What" Game. - Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. - Summarize. - Pull it all together. - Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for the paper. - Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. How do you beef a conclusion? - Topic sentence. Fresh rephrasing of thesis statement. - Supporting sentences. Summarize or wrap up the main points in the body of the essay. Explain how ideas fit together. - Closing sentence. Final words. Connects back to the introduction. Provides a sense of closure. What is conclusion in an essay? The last section of an academic essay is the conclusion. The conclusion should reaffirm your answer to the question, and briefly summarise key arguments. ... Finally, draw together the question, the evidence in the essay body, and the conclusion. This way the reader knows that you have understood and answered the question. How do you start a conclusion in an essay? To begin your conclusion, signal that the essay is coming to an end by returning to your overall argument. Don't just repeat your thesis statement—instead, try to rephrase your argument in a way that shows how it has been developed since the introduction. How do you start a conclusion without conclusion? - To sum up, - All in all, - In summary, - To conclude, - In closing, - Finally, it may be concluded… - To summarize, - Overall, it may be said… What is the first sentence in a conclusion? The first sentence of your conclusion paragraph should restate your thesis. A restated thesis expresses the same idea, but the words are different. Remember that the meaning of your thesis should not change. How long is a conclusion? Most conclusion paragraphs are four to five sentences long and should average between 50–75 words. They should be long enough to get your point across, but short enough that you're not rehashing every idea you've ever had on the subject. Conclusion paragraphs begin by revisiting the main idea definition. What is correct sentence? In order for a sentence to be grammatically correct, the subject and verb must both be singular or plural. In other words, the subject and verb must agree with one another in their tense.	https://miniexperience.com.au/do-conclusions-need-references
- We, the Foreign Ministers of member countries of the Forum for East Asia and Latin America Co-operation (FEALAC), met in Brasilia, on the 22nd and 23rd of August, 2007, to strengthen the links between our regions, broaden the areas of our co-operation and enlarge the membership. In this context, we welcomed the admission of the Dominican Republic as a new member of the Forum. - Recalling the outcome of the I Foreign Ministers Meeting, held in Santiago, in 2001, when the foundations of FEALAC were established, and of the II Foreign Ministers Meeting, held in Manila, in 2004, which resulted in the Manila Plan of Action, we have unanimously adopted this Brasilia Ministerial Declaration, reaffirming the objectives and purposes of the Forum and building upon existing accomplishments, with a view to further enhancing our bi-regional co-operation. - In the course of two days of active and friendly discussions, we have reached basic consensus on various points, which will serve as further guidelines for future joint and co-operative actions. - We noted, with concern, the continuous growth of challenges present at the time of the last FEALAC Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM), such as the widening income gap between developed and developing countries, the increasing poverty and hunger, the difficulties faced by many countries to meet their energy requirements adequately; the threats to the environment including climate changes, the loss of biodiversity and the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, and their adverse effects to sustainable development; the difficulties faced by many communities to meet their basic needs and to provide the new generations with education and health services; the increasing threats of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, the persisting phenomena of terrorism, as well as the increase of illicit drug trafficking and other trans-national organised crime, and the ominous threat of new pandemics as well as the existing limits to get the sufficient financial means to resist this deterioration. - Aware that the world drug problem represents a threat to the security of our citizens, and recognizing that drug abuse is a public health problem that affects society as a whole, we attach great importance to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers as an essential part of national health care systems. Conscious also of the need for continued progress in the fight against the production and trafficking of illicit drugs, and frequently related crimes, such as laundering of assets, illicit arms and weapons trafficking, and the illicit diversion of pharmaceutical products and chemical substances, we acknowledged the value of strengthened international cooperation towards combating transnational organized crime in all its forms, particularly the illicit drug trafficking, based on the principle of shared responsibility between producing and consuming countries, and within the framework of respective domestic legislation and international conventions on the matter. We also recognized the importance of fighting against trafficking and smuggling of persons. - We recognized the importance of looking into the phenomenon of international migration in an integrated manner. - At the same time, we noted that scientific progress achieved in new areas, such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, the space technology and new and renewable sources of energy is very promising, and should, as much as possible, be shared world-wide. Therefore, we pledged to respond to those challenges identified in this renewed initiatives. - Reiterating our commitment to strengthening the multilateral climate change regime, we recall the provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the acknowledgement that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, co-ordinated with social and economic development in an integrated manner, and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their social and economic conditions. We look forward to measures to address climate change within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the thirteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the third session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, in December, 2007. We also look forward to the UN Secretary-General's high-level event, which is to take place in New York on 24 September 2007. - We highly appreciated the works of the three FEALAC Working Groups and determined to promote co-operation in the specific areas of priorities which those Working Groups identified as core programs in FEALAC activities: " Academic Exchange", "Exchange of Expertise of Addressing Narcotics, Drugs and Illicit Drug Trafficking" and "Parliamentarians, journalists and Young Leaders Exchange" for the Political Cultural and Education Working Group; " Sustainable Development, especially Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), "Utilisation of Information and Communication Technology(ICT)", "Promotion of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)", and "Poverty Reduction " for the Economy and Society Working Group; as well as " Renewable Energy, " "Natural Disaster Management " and " Epidemic Diseases" for the Science and Technology Working Group. - We expressed our concern that progress towards the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, remains slow and uneven. In that regard, we shared the view that urgent actions by each country and the international community are imperative to meet the needs of the world's poorest, of the middle income countries that still need the support of the international co-operation to overcome the remaining areas of poverty still left and to foster sustainable development in all of them. We reiterate the importance of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals until 2015. We recognised the value of developing innovative financial mechanisms on a voluntary basis and other financial mechanisms as meaningful complementation of the Official Development Aid (ODA). In this context, we encouraged interested countries to explore projects, actions and innovative financial mechanisms. - We reaffirmed the objectives of upholding and safeguarding an open and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, as expressed in the Doha Ministerial Declaration. We shared the intention to co-operate to bring the Doha Round negotiations of the WTO to a satisfactory term, pursuant to the Ministerial Declaration of November 2001 on the Doha Development Agenda, which explicitly recognises the need for all our peoples to benefit from the increased opportunities and welfare gains that the multilateral trade system generates. We expressed our full support for the timely, balanced and successful conclusion of the Doha Round. - In the current complex and multifaceted world order, no single country, or group of countries, would be able to tackle alone the interconnected threats facing the international community. Therefore, there must be broad, deep and sustained multilateral co-operation among States, including stronger co-operation among States from different regions. One of the ways could be fostering the triangular co-operation. - We reaffirm our strong belief in multilateralism with the United Nations at its center. We emphasised the need for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, to make it more effective, accountable, efficient and transparent, and shared the intention to co-ordinate the efforts of our delegations in New York in this matter. In this regard, we reaffirmed our commitment to the Resolution adopted by the General Assembly in October 2005 (A/RES/60/1 - 2005 World Summit Outcome) that called for the strengthening of the General Assembly, the revitalisation of the Economic and Social Council, the advancement of the Peacebuilding Commission and "early reform of the Security Council - an essential element of our overall effort to reform the United Nations - in order to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy and implementation of its decisions". - We recalled that both regions uphold the importance of a democratic international order, based on among others respect for the principles of the International Law and the Charter of the United Nations, national sovereignty, mutual benefits, upholding of human rights, promotion of sustainable development and strengthening of multilateralism. - We pledged to continue fostering mutual understanding and respect, trust and dialogue, in order to explore fully the potential for co-operation and increase convergence and commitment, with the purpose of working together in different international fora towards safeguarding our common interests. - We acknowledged that FEALAC plays a valuable part in bringing together countries from two very diverse regions for dialogue and co-operation. In this sense, we reaffirmed our interest to engage in joint projects, with a view to fostering mutual knowledge between the two regions and bearing tangible fruits for our populations. We recognised that better understanding among FEALAC member countries on matters of mutual interest could be useful in addressing issues in the relevant multilateral fora, particularly in forging better co-ordination where our views converge. We recognised that while FEALAC plays an important complementary role to activities in other fora, it should avoid duplication of existing efforts. - In this context we welcomed the Alliance of Civilisations initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General to build bridges between societies, to promote dialogue and understanding and to forge the collective political will to address the world's imbalances, and commended the Report of its High Level Group which included representatives from both regions. - We noted with appreciation that the relationship between East Asia and Latin America has evolved from one marked by political approximation to one that includes a growing dimension of economic, technological and cultural approximation. - We decided to confer high priority to trade and investment co-operation in FEALAC, as an important means to promote development, prosperity and social inclusiveness for our populations as well as a way to promote an even more meaningful and substantive relationship between our regions. - We reaffirmed the particular importance of the development of micro, small and medium enterprises continuing with initiatives, projects and fora aimed at building their capacity, including by strengthening entrepreneurship and developing human resources, as well as by providing trade promotion. - We reaffirmed the need to raise awareness about FEALAC among civil society and population in member states, to promote the visibility of FEALAC and to encourage involvement of all different areas of the national administration. - We decided that, upon selection of priority projects for co-operation, we will give particular attention to those which encompass a large number of members and reconcile the goals of fostering a knowledge-based economy, promoting inclusive and sustainable development and alleviating poverty. - We expressed our determination to strengthen national efforts and work together towards ensuring that the positive effects of globalisation are enjoyed more broadly and equitably and that its negative effects will not contribute to the marginalization of any sectors of human society, particularly those in developing countries including landlocked developing countries, small island developing states and the least developed countries. - We recognised the importance of deeper involvement of economic, educational, Science and Technology, social, cultural and other sectors of member countries into the process, and we pledged that the projects being carried out by the working groups should reflect that understanding. - We recognised the importance of positive contributions of international and regional financial institutions to promoting bi-regional exchanges, such as Latin America/Caribbean and Asia-Pacific Economic and Business Association (LAEBA) initiative co-ordinated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). We encouraged those international and regional financial institutions to play greater roles and enhance collaborations for FEALAC projects. We also welcomed and encouraged the collaboration between the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to further promote and develop bi-regional projects which would strengthen the relations between two regions. We expressed our wish that those two commissions would also play roles as permanent think tanks for FEALAC. - Based, inter alia, on the above points, we resolved to direct and support the following course of initiatives for FEALAC: - Senior Officials should evaluate regularly the initiatives presented in the context of the Working Groups on Politics, Culture and Education, Economy and Society, Science, and Technology. The Working Groups are encouraged to conceive and perform concrete actions with a gradual and realistic approach, in order to enhance co-operation in such areas; - Share experience in combating trans-national organised crimes, among others; illicit narcotics and drug trafficking, and terrorism; - Assist trade promotion events, such as fairs, expositions, business, seminars and conferences, among other initiatives, in countries of both regions. Such initiatives should be aimed at allowing businessmen and business enterprises to share expertise and experience and explore mutually beneficial business opportunities; - Share information on common projects and activities on a regular basis, including through web-sites. In this regard, the FEALAC member countries accept with appreciation the generous offer of the Republic of Korea to develop and maintain the common official FEALAC's internet site and encourage the Government of the Republic of Korea to open the web-site as soon as possible; - Organise cultural events showcasing unique aspects of each country; - Co-operate in the areas of rural development, credit and insurance to household farmers and cooperatives; - Organise exchange programmes for students and scholars of both regions to increase linkages among academic institutions of the two regions; - Share expertise and promote co-operative ventures pertaining to water treatment; waste management; biotechnology and biomedicine. - Share experience on developing new and renewable sources of energy and share research and experiences aimed at saving energy with the use of efficient technologies and the implementation of sustainable approaches for the generation, transmission and consumption of energy; - Encourage initiatives among member countries of FEALAC aiming at the eradication of illiteracy, in the fulfilment of the Second Millennium Development Goals by 2015. - Strengthen efforts in the promotion of projects on disaster prevention, reduction, mitigation, relief and rehabilitation. To this end, we share the intention to continue to explore ways of combining our efforts in all international fora, including the United Nations, and in the context of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, as well as in regional institutions established for these purposes. In this regard, we will place special emphasis on regional initiatives and projects related to early warning for natural disasters and disaster risk reduction, and pandemic emergencies, such as HIV/AIDS, SARS and avian flu. - We welcomed the holding of the two synergetic activities that were conducted in Brasilia, alongside and in the framework of the III FMM, namely the Business Seminar between East Asia and Latin America, as well as the Academic Seminar that congregated members of research institutes of the two regions and took note of their recommendations. In this regard, we welcomed the participation of members from the media and the NGOs in those events as a valuable contribution to FEALAC activities. - In concluding the discussions, we reached general consensus that the continuation and strengthening of co-operation between East Asian and Latin American countries are one of the most desirable and fruitful endeavour, bearing in mind that East Asia and Latin America are two of the most dynamic, fast-growing and multi-culturally interactive regions of the world. - We decided to meet again at the level of Foreign Ministers at a venue and on a date to be decided by consensus. - We expressed our appreciation to the outgoing co-ordinators of FEALAC, Brazil and the Republic of Korea, and welcomed the new Regional Co-ordinators, Argentina and Japan.	https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/fealac/dec0708.html
Конференция "State-Building in Africa: Prospects and Challenges" On March 4th - 7th, 2019 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania The Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy and the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences will hold the 1st Social Scientists Conference titled “State-Building in Africa: Prospects and Challenges.” The Conference will take place on the premises of the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy in Dar es Salaam along the Indian Ocean. The working language is English. Nkyabonaki only to the e-mail address as above. The government machinery is entrusted with a duty of serving and preserving the public good. The contractual base of the citizens and the political class is managed by the bureaucratic class as enshrined by Max Weber. The bureaucracy is an engine to development of a particular state and is assumed to be ethical, permanent and apolitical and self-giving for the rest of the civilians. In Africa, the bureaucracy is looked at from different angles whereby some scholarships view the bureaucracy as a curse while others see it as a necessary evil. The panel welcomes the papers that deal with the issues of the public sector management, service delivery, public policy, public service ethos and development in Africa. Also, the discourses and progressive approaches of the bureaucracy towards nation building are welcome for deliberation in this panel. African descendant women entrepreneurs in an international context. The panel aims to explore the unique experiences of the African, African diaspora, and African descendant women entrepreneurs in a global context. Understand the social barriers and economic challenges faced by this group and the strategies used to combat both gender inequality and racial discrimination is also the objective of this study. How these women can build positive and sustainable relationships in Africa and with Africa, and consequently, how they contribute to Africa’s development are the main goals of my research. Considering the emphatic assertion of liberal scholars that liberal democracy remains the panacea for stable democracy and conflict resolution in multi-ethnic states, one should have expected that such states in sub-Sahara Africa should by now be free of ethnically impelled violent political conflicts. This has been rarely so in the sub-continent. Most of the post-colonial sub-Sahara African states remain in quagmire. Though some scholars allege 'indigeneity' citizenship and politics of belonging as responsible for the life-snubbing violence. This in essence, refers to the conflict between the notion of liberal citizenship and the primordial notion of ethnic citizenship as constantly rupturing the cohesiveness of the state and its ability to mediate in the conflicts and homogenise the divergent ethnic groups. The panel invites scholarly papers from researchers, public officers, NGO activists and scholars with interests in resolving sub-Saharan Africa's tragedy. The paper should be with a view to finding solutions to what is wrong with the postcolonial sub-Sahara African states especially in search of stable democracy, togetherness, economic progress and security in all ramifications. The relationship between nation building and language policy in Africa is generally fraught with a legacy of the continents past experience with European colonialism, namely the uncritical imposition of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy, which pursues the Herderian notion of one nation, one language, one state. In the post-colonial African states, exoglossic languages were, as a rule, selected for this purpose by politicians. The underlying policies for both language and development are based on three interrelated ideological and political positions, which hitherto were assumed to be helpful for the necessary post-colonial nation building, sociocultural transformation and economic development in the newly independent states, but have failed to serve these purposes, if not having become abortive in the cases of ‘failed states’ in Africa. The three central positions were the following. 1. The unquestioned import and imposition of the 19th century European concept of a largely homogenous “nation state”. 2. The requirement of overcoming Africa’s essential ethnic, cultural and linguistic plurality and diversity, which is being viewed, in the still dominant perspective of the former colonial powers, as a potential (or factual) source of national strife in terms of particularism and secessionism (‘tribalism’). 3. The strategy was ideologically supported by a Northern/Eurocentric distrust in and disrespect for recognized multiethnicism, multiculturalism and multilingualism (being, however, an essential feature of the Global South). terms of national identities, national cultures, national literatures, all based on one particular “national” language of, however, foreign origin. On the contrary, the language policies associated with these ideological positions result in the majority of the populations being excluded from any political decision making, as the exoglossic language often remains the preserve of the ruling elite, thereby acting as a gate-keeper within all realms of society, from education, the workplace, to politics. This panel seeks to create an understanding of the historical and ideological context, within which language planning has taken place in Africa (Bamgbose, 1991; Alexander 1992). * Can Africa experience an economic revival or renaissance that benefits the poor though the use of a hegemonic exoglossic language such as English? * What would the role of indigenous languages be in Africa against the backdrop of the hegemony of English in the globalized world? This panel will argue that language planning in a globalized world, and particularly in Africa, should be multi-dimensional, involving various role-players in local as well as national government and the economy. It should be a meaningfully engaged process with both a bottom-up and top-down approach in order to actualise the individual within the context of local and national economic growth (Alexander 1992). In the last 30 years after the introduction of economic practices and ideologies of neo-liberalism in many African countries, the idea of “self-reliance” and economic empowerment associated with social uplifting of the poor has become a dominant concept and essentially the backbone of many state policies. In the academic literature a popular vision of contemporary African urban city dwellers as “heroic entrepreneurs” (de Soto, 2000) which should take their destiny in their own hands is challenged from the left by the thinkers who find it unfair to place responsibility on the poor to solve the problems of structural unemployment, exploitation and inequality which were caused by neoliberal policies. At this panel we would like to foster the debate which looks closer at this dilemma and discuss popular economic practices of the urban dwellers in the context of nation-building in African countries. In this context, we would like to discuss what are the citizens’ expectations and local economic responses to the global financialization associated with neoliberal policies. We welcome ethnographically and theoretically informed contributions dealing with the contemporary popular economic practices in the African cities. * The dichotomy of formal (visible) and informal (invisible) in considering everyday economic activities of the urban population. the basic unit of international relations, is in crisis, too. Evidently, in the postindustrial and postmodern world, we will see the birth of the postnation-state, based on refusal from national sovereignty (but not independence) as the state’s main attribute in favor of transstate governance institutions. In parallel, a global transnational culture will be forming, that will not abolish but unite national cultures. While in the past, nations appeared in the result of bringing into conformity of cultural and political identities, nowadays they may not coincide again: Today, to be a member of a nation means, among other things, to be tolerant to co-citizens with other cultures. In such a situation, cannot the position of the majority of postcolonial countries be promising? In most of them, the main dividing line runs between cultures of the autochthonous peoples, the differences between which are not as great as between the cultures of natives and migrants – the main ‘cultural actors’ in the present-day Western countries. Today, this question does not have a valid response, including in view of the unclear prospects of multiculturalism in the West, which continues to play a leading role in the global socio-cultural processes. Saharan Africa. It is of special interest for anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists to investigate the wide spectrum of variations in adaptations of traditional societies to globalization pressure, and to reveal the roots of high selectivity in acceptance of modern technologies and innovations, as well as general peculiarities in these processes. In current panel, we are planning to discuss a broad range of questions in this respect. Particularly: how the globalization effects traditional religious believes and moral norms; what changes are currently observed in tribal practices, including life-cycle ceremonies; how globalization influences the process of Christianization and Islamization in rural areas; how the tribal communities adjust nowadays to monetary economy; whether globalization stimulates the transformations in identity of representatives of traditional cultures towards more broader national identity. Finally, we would like to discuss the positive and negative aspects of globalization in nation-building in Africa. * Indigenous knowledge as response to Western knowledge dominance.	https://hum.hse.ru/announcements/224682069.html
Despite its international policy and legal endorsements, inclusive education has been plagued by ideological ambiguity and reductionism, thereby confounding the processes and outcomes of inclusive education policymaking (Norwich 2014). The initial focus of inclusion on disability and mainstreaming has expanded to embrace the education of all children in the wider context of learner diversity, human rights and social justice, with a particular focus on students with disabilities (Ainscow et al. 2006; Thomas 2013). Extant understandings of inclusion are contingent on and aligned with understandings of disability and its intersections with gendered, raced and other minoritized statuses that coalesce to create idiosyncratic ‘lived’ experiences of disability (Corker and French 1999; Thomas 1999). The social justice and human rights foundations and orientations of inclusive education coexist and antagonize with a firmly entrenched preoccupation with special education (Haug 2017). The ideological melange underpinning inclusion can be attributed to the fact that ‘inclusive education did not spring to life de novo in response to egalitarian, desegregative concerns rooted in social justice. Rather, it emerged out of special education’ (Thomas 2013: 475). The enduring legacy of special education is reified through discourses of inclusion that are predicated on assimilationist and deficit-oriented perspectives (Kozleski 2020; Slee 2019; Tomlinson 2012) that sustain and perpetuate dualisms of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ ontologies (Campbell 2012). The contentious nature of inclusion is made more pronounced by the ways in which inclusive education has become ‘a traveling theory’ that is ‘tamed’ and ‘domesticated’ across time and space (Slee 2006; 2018). Societies are shaped by histories and current realities of globalization and, as a result, notions such as inclusive education, disability and human rights are seen ‘as contingent, geographically and temporarily situated concepts, rather than representing universal, shared values’ (Barton and Armstrong 2007: 2). The dialectic of the global and local gives rise to hybrid discourses of inclusion that exacerbate conceptual ambiguities, distortions, and fallacies around the notion. The neologism of ‘glocalization’ (Robertson 1995, cited in Green 2002) encapsulates the ways in which local cultures, language and ideological dynamics ‘mediate’ and hybridize inclusive educational policies. The interactive dyad of global and local dynamics is further compounded by ‘the intersection between colonial histories and post-colonial contexts of countries in the developed and developing world’ (Armstrong et al. 2011: 7). The omnipresence of colonialism—that transcends a chronologically defined period of oppression—has been termed as ‘coloniality,’ and is embodied in Eurocentric and whitened understandings of knowledge (Jupp et al. 2018; Zembylas 2020). Coloniality symbolizes ‘the pervasive often hidden power structure that maintains and entrenches relations of domination, exploitation and oppression long after direct colonialism has been disrupted’ (Muthukrishna. and Engelbrecht 2018: 1). The ‘colonial(ism/ity)’ couplet is thus a diachronic and transhistorical phenomenon that is reified through educational and social practices that masquerade, legitimize and perpetuate hierarchical social relations and power inequities across Southern and post-colonial Northern localities (Abdulrahman et al. 2021; Armstrong et al. 2011; Elder and Migliarini 2020; Sultana 2019; Puszka et al. 2022). The process of decolonization is ‘an open, on going project’ that is driven by how the future is envisaged in specific socio-temporal contexts (Murris and Muller 2018: 152), in order to disrupt the power/knowledge grid that reproduces and sustains social injustices and human rights violations (Armstrong et al. 2011). Artiles (2020: 289) highlights the problematic nature of globalized inclusive education orthodoxies that have been monopolized by ‘a technical standpoint to effect change’ that is limited to teacher training and curricula and classroom accommodations. While acknowledging that teacher training and classroom interventions are particularly important in low-income countries that lack institutional and human resources to support inclusion (Muthukrishna and Engelbrecht 2018), a mono-dimensional focus on these parameters‘disregards longstanding structural inequalities that perpetuate stratified educational systems’ (Artiles 2020: 289). This is an epistemic omission that has unwittingly forged new inequalities and contributed to neocolonial developments in the global North and South. In the age of global norming, population displacements and cultural intermingling that simmers in deepening socioeconomic injustices, it is imperative to disrupt inclusion’s common sense (Artiles 2020: 289). Decolonizing inclusive education necessitates a critical consideration of the historically and culturally bounded nature of inclusion and its ‘social justice’, ‘equity’ and ‘human rights’ foundations and orientations (Armstrong et al. 2009). The political and axiological character of inclusion transcends the North and South geopolitical dichotomy; Social injustices and human rights violations are legitimized, masqueraded and perpetuated through colonizing structures and ideologies that are endemic across Northern and Southern localities. Thus, the South/North bipolarization is more symbolic than geopolitical as national barriers are superseded by discursive spaces of privilege/underprivilege ensued by the complex interplay of racial/ethnic, social class, gender, cultural, demographic and so on characteristics (Kalyanpur 2020). Globalization and the phenomenon of diaspora have given rise to what it has been ‘described as “parallel societies” or “subsidized isolation” within developed nations that in turn, are deepening inequities for marginalized groups’ (Artiles and Kozleski 2016: 12). ‘Global migration’ and the gradual blurring of national barriers necessitate ‘more complex understandings of identity formation and the role of schooling in reproducing inequalities’ (Gewirtz and Cribb 2009: 89–90). This is particularly the case for indigenous populations residing in Eurocentric and postcolonial contexts, who are entangled in an intersectional web of colonial structures, ableism, gendered inequality and racism, and are rendered objects of discriminatory and exclusionary regimes (Elder and Migliarin 2020: 1856; Puszka et al. 2022). The advent of Critical Disability Studies alludes to ‘a pluriversal ecology of knowledges’ perspective (Elder and Migliarin 2020: 1855) to diversify and enrich understandings of the ‘lived’ experience of disability. ‘Disabled identities’ should be problematized and deconstructed in order to understand the historicized and socially grounded vectors of power that are played out in constituting and framing the ‘lived’ experience of disability. Without denouncing the value, rigour and sophistication of earlier theorizations of disability experience, Goodley et al. (2019: 979) pointed out the dynamic and evolving nature of Disability Theories that should be ‘in concert with the local experiences of disabled people,’ and as such ‘Critical Disability Studies must remain expansive in its alliances.’ This kind of theoretical openness, quoting Elder and Migliarin (2020: 1855) ‘allows scholars and practitioners to focus on the issues that really impact the daily realities of disabled people’s lives in the global South, including educational realities.’ For example, Araneda-Urrutia and Infante (2020: 340) exemplify the ways in which a ‘de-modelling’ strategy informed by Deleuze and Guattari’s assemblage theory can lay bare ‘how power relations intertwine biosocial and geopolitical realms’ to produce disabled identities as a means of decolonizing Disability Studies in the Global South as well as in the Global North. This pluralistic theorical lens needs to inform discussions about the social justice dimensions and implications of inclusive education reform agendas in the counties of the South and indigenous localities/populations in the North. The article suggests that the continuing legacy and globalized force of colonial perspectives need to be problematized and challenged through an analytical perspective that captures the traumatizing effects of colonialism/ty on the constitution and interpellation of disenfranchised students’ identities, including disability identities. This quest is aligned with and complements a radical human rights approach to inclusive education that is concerned with exposing and destabilizing power asymmetries and discriminatory regimes on the grounds of disability, as well as other markers of difference, with a view to creating a socially just and equitable world (Barton 2003). Central to this transformative process is recognizing the ways in which disability intersects with other sources of social disadvantage, thereby creating cumulative and overlapping layers of oppression; Trauma is at the epicenter of intersectional oppression stemming from and imbricated in conditions of colonial structures of power that conceal and legitimize social inequalities, extreme poverty, malnutrition, violence, substandard childcare, racism and other ‘cultural’ traumas that adversely affect learning and behavior (Tuchinda 2020; Winder 2015). As appositely pointed out by Underwood et al. (2019: 22): ‘Colonialism continues to create social conditions of poverty, environmental risk, and trauma that also are causes of childhood disability.’ The historical domination of colonial and essentially Eurocentric, medicalized, individualistic and event-based perspectives on trauma (Petrone and Stanton 2021; Visser 2015) have silenced ‘the sustained and long processes of the trauma of colonialism’ (Visser 2015: 252) and ‘its specific sociopolitical and economic roots, as well as its disproportionate impacts among marginalized populations’ (Bowen and Murshid 2016: 224). A decolonial perspective on trauma makes visible the ‘collective’ and ‘chronic’ dimensions of trauma (Smallwood et al. 2021) in ‘specific cultural, political and historical contexts’ (Visser 2015: 263), thereby acknowledging and acting upon the ways in which context and culture shape students’ experiences (Petrone and Stanton 2021). Schools embody dominant cultural values and norms and constitute critical sites of exerting social control through the ways in which they regenerate and legitimize ‘colonial, and inherently patriarchal, racist and ableist relations and institutions’ (Hutcheon and Lashewicz 2020: 698). This highlights the imperative of developing theories of inclusive education that acknowledge and address the nexus of colonialism/ty, disability, trauma and intersectionality and their impact on educational accessibility, participation and achievement. Incorporating a trauma-sensitive lens in disability inclusive theories can contribute to existing work on exploring the complex and collective ‘ghosts of trauma’ (Yoon 2019: 421) embroiled in colonial structures of power that are deeply inscribed in subjugated populations’ psyche and memory (Yoon 2019). The cultural transmission and perpetuation of trauma is captured through Selma Fraiberg et al.’s (2018: 388) psychoanalytical work on the ‘Ghosts in the Nursery’ that encapsulate the ways in which ‘[the baby] is burdened by the oppressive past of his parents from the world.’ These theorizations can be applied to understanding the emotional and intergenerational traumatizing effects of colonial oppression on subjugated populations (O’ Loughlin 2009), which are, inter alia, embodied in and stemming from the nexus of disability/impairment, trauma, colonial structures of power, and identity. ‘Trauma’ is thus positioned as a sine qua non element in developing ‘an informed assessment of impairment and disability’ (Hollinsworth 2013: 607), a perspective that brings to the fore the importance of embedding trauma in discourses of inclusion. The following sections provide some insights into the role of ‘trauma’ in decolonizing inclusive education, while discussing some implications for inclusive education policy and practice. Drawing on Jubb et al.’s (2018) notion of ‘critical and decolonizing education sciences,’ universal understandings of inclusion should be problematized through ‘a pluriversal ecology of knowledges’ lens that stands at odds with a Eurocentric and whitened perspective on inclusive education that ‘further puts pressure on practitioners to imitate the Northern values of access, acceptance, participation, and academic achievement’ (Elder and Migliarin 2020: 1852). Colonial understandings of inclusion as a universal and canonical concept—that is expected to be uniformly implemented across diverse socio-political contexts—fail to take into consideration the ways in which ‘[s]ignificant financial, social, and educational barriers, as well as colonial legacies perpetuate inequities around the world’ (Elder and Migliarin 2020: 1853). Decontextualized understandings of inclusion are, according to Armstrong et al. (2011: 10), devoid of ‘ethical thinking in the management of global social inequality’ as they fail ‘to disrupt colonial/apartheid hierarchies of value…..for a radical transformation of education systems to offer equitable access, participation, and success to all’ (Abdulrahman et al. 2021: 26). Education constitutes ‘a significant instrument of neo-colonial influence’ (Bray 1993: 334) embodied in what Nguyen et al., (2009: 109) refer to as ‘educational neo-colonialism’ whereby West-centric educational imperatives and colonial interests influence educational systems internationally. The globalizing discourse of inclusion has been characterized as a neo-colonial project whereby knowledge and practices from the North are indiscriminately transferred to the countries of the South, while ignoring the ways in which disability and human rights are conceptualized, experienced and responded to in contexts of the majority world (Grech 2011; Muthukrishna and Engelbrecht 2018; Walton 2018). Conceptualizations and enactments of inclusive education in low-income countries should not be confined to concerns about addressing ‘exclusionary practices.’ Rather, they should bring to focus the need to enhance accessibility to education for all learners, while ensuring the availability of adequate human and technical infrastructure to support students’ education and literacy skills development. Simultaneously, theorizations of inclusive education should be reframed against the need to problematize and dismantle deeply entrenched structures of social hierarchization that legitimize and perpetuate the categorization of people into privileged and underprivileged groups (Muthukrishna and Engelbrecht 2018). This process necessitates a more expansive understanding of the right-based dimensions of inclusive education, in order to make transparent and subvert existing and emerging colonial structures of power and social stratification. ‘Neoliberal-ableism’ has become a new form of colonial power, a globalized societal force that has created and legitimized ontological binaries of ideal/able-bodied and non-ideal/disabled subjectivities (Araneda-Urrutia and Infante 2020). Under the siege of neoliberal ‘governmental technologies’ (Ball and Olmedo 2013: 85), people with disabilities are positioned as being part of the poverty problem faced by countries of the South (Grech, 2011), not only because they are not expected to add positive value to profit-maximizing pursuits, but also because they are thought to require resources and continuous commitment, an investment that cannot yield immediate and quantifiable results (especially in terms of providing inclusive forms of educational provision). Ableism and colonialism converge and are mutually constitutive, given that ableism engenders and reinforces subjugating and individual pathology regimes that serve colonial interests (Hutcheon & Lashewicz 2020: 696). Simultaneously, the unfettered quest for profit-maximizing and efficiency and effectiveness standards, driven by neoliberal policies of ‘corporatisation and privatisation’ (Ball 2021: 44), contributes to disablement. Cultural imperialism and the spiral of economic dependency of countries of the South on international donors that are developed and controlled by former colonizers (e.g., World Bank) (Armstrong et al. 2011; Ball 2021; Sultana 2019), has been characterized as a form of ‘neo-colonialism’ whereby relations of subordination and colonial control are sustained and perpetuated, albeit in subtle ways. For example, even though the privatization of water in countries of the South yields huge profits for foreign companies, the poorest people in these areas are prevented from having access to clean water and, as a corollary to this, they are in danger of acquiring impairments such as river blindness and other disabling conditions and ailments. Almost half of the population in countries of the South might develop disabling diseases due to their inability to access clean water (Grech 2011). Understandably, the introduction of universal primary education in these countries as a means of implementing inclusive education cannot singlehandedly address the trauma-producing effects of wider social injustices and human rights violations (Bowen et al. 2019) that sabotage the lives of ‘those stricken by poverty’ and other colonial structures of power (Armstrong et al. 2011: 10). These considerations raise serious questions about the ways in which western centric discourses of ‘inclusion’ can be applied in majority world countries, where people cannot even meet their basic needs to warrant their survival. The impact of neo-liberal ableism and its colonial antecedents has also become increasingly visible in the lives of disabled people who live in traditionally privileged contexts. Goodley and Lawthom (2019) provide a critical analysis of how neoliberal-ableism and its recent political manifestations in the United Kingdom and the United States reinforce ableism that nurtures and is concomitantly nurtured by disablism through idealistic portrayals of the ‘adaptable, self-sufficient, autonomous labouring individual.’ ‘Ableist rehabilitation’ is one example of the traumatization experienced by disabled people who are conceived of as ‘the lacking subjects who might (if luck holds out) be made better’ (p. 235–236). The political endorsement of neoliberal-ableist ideologies has strengthened the institutional and ideological bases of ableism and its exclusionary and discriminatory regimes (Goodley and Lawthom 2019). Despite rhetoric of inclusive education, the propagation of special educational needs and disability categories (Kozleski 2020) is an example of the social division and hierarchization abetted by neoliberal ableism. Categorical ascriptions and their ontological power to construct ‘negative’ social identities contribute to the (re)traumatization of disabled students through the process of stigmatization and marginalization (Williamson and Qureshi 2015; Thomas-Skaf and Jenney 2021; Szeli 2019). This is particularly the case for disabled students with multiple intersecting identities that are framed against their racial and other minoritized characteristics. These students have higher probabilities than their peers to be assigned a disability label and to be subject to compounded forms of social disadvantage (Artiles 2013). By implication, the call for ‘decolonial’ resistance involves recognizing the cross-border effects of coloniality. This can be achieved by, disrupting understandings of inclusion that ignore the heterogeneity of disability experience in countries of the North, where in much the same way as in countries of the South, the ‘lived’ experience of disability can be mediated by colonial legacies, which reinforce power inequities and hierarchical social relations (Kalyanpur 2020). The development of inclusive education as an idea and practice needs, therefore, to be firmly embedded in its historical and cultural context while recognizing the traumatic effects of ‘colonial inheritance’ (Armstrong et al. 2009). Despite these considerations and the ways in which ‘colonial and postcolonial traumas persist into the present’ (Visser 2015: 252), and shape the lives and social identities of disabled people, the notion of trauma has been conspicuously absent from disability studies and inclusive education scholarship, which prioritized the disembodied and political dimensions of disability experience as an antidote to individual pathology perspectives that have held sway over the field (Berger 2004; Borg 2018; Morrison and Casper 2012; Williamson and Qureshi 2015). This theoretical omission has, according to Borg (2018: 181), ‘circumscribed the narratable realm of disability,’ and undermined the development of a more fine-grained and context-sensitive understanding of the complex processes in which disability is discursively and materially produced and experienced against diverse historical and geopolitical forces. While disability is not trauma, the two concepts have intertwined histories (Berger 2004), and can be eclectically used and cross-fertilized in order to promote more fine-grained mapping of inequalities of education and attainment across diverse (post)colonial localities. Trauma is a constituent element of intersectional oppression experienced by disabled students, whose biographies of traumas are imbricated in and emanate from conditions of colonial structures of power linked to ‘cultural’ traumas embroiled in and constituted by social injustices and human rights violations (Butler and Critelli 2019; Carello, Butler and Critelli 2019). Yoon (2019: 422) provides an insightful analysis of the ways in which ‘disabilities are constituted by transgenerational trauma from contact with colonizing and racist institutions.’ This is manifested in the ways in which the experiences of disabled and other disenfranchised groups of students are still marred by ‘multilevel racism…self-fulfilling prophecies of low expectations, social marginalization/isolation, lack of professional support or attention, and rules and procedures that create barriers for students’ that are rarely discussed (Yee and Butler 2020: 1076). These barriers are related to what Underwood et al. (2019: 29) refer to as ‘environmental toxins’ that are also ‘symptoms of colonialism and a cause of childhood impairment.’ Students’ disabilities are therefore (re)defined ‘as unacknowledged suppression of hauntings from transgenerational trauma—legacies of institutional racism, poverty, and attempts at dehumanization’. (Yoon 2019: 410). These legacies are, inter alia, embodied in the notion of ‘invisible traumas’ (Sweeney et al. 2018: 323) that captures the intersections of the trauma/disability nexus with other sources of social disadvantage linked to race, social class, gender and sexual diversity, and reinforces understandings of how experiences with stigma, discipline and segregation often vary, based on other identity markers intersecting with race and disability (i.e., gender, language, class), and how this negotiation of multiple stigmatized identities adds complexities. Multiply-marginalized students (i.e., those living at the intersections of multiple identities), have a clear sense of the mutually constitutive processes of oppression…. (Elder and Migliarin 2020: 1856) Along similar lines, Kalyanpur (2020: 305) exemplifies the ways in which the language, poverty and disability nexus in India has resulted in a pathologization process of conflating ‘language difference with cognitive disability, resulting in the creation of new group of students labelled learning disabled.’ Deficit oriented perspectives on disability coupled with the post-colonial legacy of English-speaking privilege, along with biased assessment regimes, have ‘devalued indigenous assets-based knowledge, maintaining social hierarchies’ stemming from and tied to a colonial matrix of power. Disrupting the arbitrary conflation of bilingualism and disability and the emergence of context-specific exclusionary spaces ‘involves recognizing the intersection of class/caste and disability, particularly within post-colonial contexts of linguistic cultural hegemony’ (Kalyanpur 2020: 303). Thus, issues of access and success across all levels of education should be primarily viewed through a trauma-sensitive lens in order to understand how students from indigenous and other disadvantaged backgrounds experience academic failure, due to historical and intergenerational traumas that are entangled in a host of traumagenic structures and cultures that bring to bear a prodigious impact on students’ educational and developmental trajectories (Hutcheon & Lashewicz 2020). A trauma-informed theoretical perspective can advance a decolonial perspective on understanding and resisting the ways in which poverty, social exclusion, discrimination and other sources of traumatization create barriers to inclusion (Garcia 2021). Understandings of and responses to inclusion and disability should thus be trauma-sensitive, taking into consideration the intersectional histories and geographies of trauma, marginalization and exclusion that should dictate the priorities and possibilities of inclusive education reform agendas across differing socio-political contexts. To that end, inclusion’s focus on addressing diversity should involve the critical examination of how the nexus of colonialism/ity, the ‘politics of underdevelopment’ and impairment are played out across Southern and Northern geographies (Alur 2008: 98). This perspective should inform policymakers, service providers and professionals’ understandings of the ‘lived’ experience of disability and trauma within the context of a human rights framework (Butler and Critelli 2019). As Garcia (2021: 379) puts it ‘the signs and symptoms of trauma and violence surface in the classroom, and they must be carefully mediated and prevented.’ Hence, ‘education must respond to the effects of trauma, both historical and ongoing, within classroom settings’ (Gaywsh and Mordoch 2018: 3). Trauma-informed pedagogical practice consists of four interconnected axes of development captured through the 4 R’s model (SAMSHA 2014 cited in Avery et al. 2021); The first pillar of development entails recognizing the pervasive impact of trauma and possible ways of ‘healing’ and recovery, as well as recognizing the effects and manifestations of trauma in students, families and communities. Responding to trauma necessitates embedding knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures and practices, while striving to resist re-traumatization. Central to these processes is a critical examination of ‘the intersection of inequality and trauma’ (Avery et al. 2021: 2) that advances an ‘ecological perspective’ on understanding the role of trauma in students’ lives, without negating the need to adopt an ‘inward gaze’ to problematize and disrupt the trauma-producing role of schools (Petrone and Stanton 2021). This ecosystemic framework is more lucidly captured through an intersectional lens that can advance an intersectoral and cross-disciplinary approach to mitigating trauma. Inclusive education should thus be informed by an intersectional paradigm aimed at destabilizing the disability/trauma grid, and deconstructing the colonial, raced, classed and other dimensions of (invisible) traumas and disability that undermine educational access and success. In this respect, schools are expected ‘to design networks of support that cross disciplines such as nursing, family, psychology, nutrition, communication, academic, and behavioral areas’ (Bilias-Lolis et al. 2017: 1236). While acknowledging the debilitating impact of trauma on individuals and communities, we should concomitantly recognize the ways in which trauma can ‘also lead to a stronger sense of identity and a renewed social cohesion’ (Visser 2015: 263), a proposition that epitomizes and reinforces inclusive education’s vision to foster rights-based regimes and equitable social relations across schools as a way of promoting community cohesion. As appositely pointed out by Thomas (2013: 484): It is recognition, respect, and identity that are most important for young people’s success at school—not the identification of need, nor help. New forms of injustice arising both from nonrecognition and from disrespect contribute to one’s alienation and exclusion. Central to the triptych of recognition, respect and identity is acknowledging the importance of ‘narratives of trauma’ that can be ‘empowering to individuals and their communities’ (Visser 2015: 257) and used ‘as a means to heal and learn’ (Petrone and Stanton 2021: 531). Embedding these narratives in pedagogical discourse ‘can unearth and resist’ colonial structures that are still inconspicuously manifested and perpetuate a legacy of trauma (Yee and Butler 2020: 1076) Kalyanpur (2020: 303) explains the decolonial potential of Amartya Sen’s capability approach with a view to ‘identifying the assets embedded in indigenous and individual frames of references to disrupt the narrative of IE [Inclusive Education] toward more positive outcomes.’ Capabilities are therefore not only ‘context-sensitive,’ but are also informed by ‘Indigenous knowledge and assets,’ while considering their interactions with and position vis a vis ‘political, social and cultural settings.’ Stories of oppression and trauma linked to colonization and colonialism should thus inform the development of inclusive schools that can have a universal applicability and adaptability to contextual dynamics and differing ‘traumatized cultures’ (Berger 2004). In addition to rigorous pedagogical designs, inclusive teachers should strive to empower students who have been traumatized—by valuing their identities, narratives, life experiences and cultural histories and embedding them in pedagogical discourse (Garcia 2021; Smallwood 2021). Failure to do so can contribute to a process of perennial (re)traumatization; Dalley (2015:377), for instance, draws on Fanon’s work and highlights the ways in which ‘non-recognition produces trauma,’ while pointing to ‘the need to disrupt traumatizing structures at the systemic level through collective action’ with a view to creating ‘a more equal world in which traumatizing structures are destroyed’ (Dalley 2015:389). This necessitates ‘new ways of valuing, not privileging Eurocentric values as universal or superior’ while also pursuing ‘affirmative practice’ (Sultana 2019: 34) to challenge structural inequities that mould the biographical experiences of disabled and other disenfranchised groups of students. This process entails a ‘bottom-up’ approach to leveraging transformative trauma-informed action, where students, families and their communities can have an active role in dictating the development of relevant supports and interventions, while disrupting the enduring legacy of their colonial subordination and voicelessness (Avery et al. 2021; Puszka et al. 2022). The article has provided some insights into the role of trauma in developing decolonial understandings of inclusive education that challenge limited and limiting western-centric theorizations of the inclusion and exclusion nexus that disregard power imbalances and social inequities across diverse socio-political contexts. A decolonizing perspective brings to the fore the imperative of diversifying inclusive education theories, policies and practices that focus on developing ‘an understanding of individual and their symptoms in the context of their life experiences and history, cultures and societies….’ (Keesler 2014: 39). Globalizing discourses of inclusive education are ineffective, if not pernicious, unless they are shaped against the ‘aspirations of historically disenfranchised students from varied ancestries amid systemic inequalities, trauma, and ongoing forms of violence’ (Garcia 2021: 376), an issue that needs to be at the epicenter of attempts to galvanize the ‘healing potential’ (ibid: 376) of inclusive schooling. The rhetoric of inclusion and disability necessitates a global discussion of disability and inclusive education that does not homogenize and silence the peculiarities and ‘traumatized cultures’ (Berger 2004) of diverse socio- political contexts, especially in countries of the South. This requires, according to Abdulrahman et al. (2021: 26) ‘that instead of inclusive education being wrangled to fit onto existing processes and structures, it is allowed to shape a new architecture of schooling for a postcolonial world’. The nexus of trauma, disability and inclusion should, therefore, be examined at their intersections with colonialism/ty and its ‘traumatized cultures’ and their impact on the lives and education trajectories of disenfranchised groups of students. These students are rendered objects of an ‘individualistic gaze’ that is skewed in favor of students, whose corporeal, racial and classed identities and their intersections are aligned with colonial forms of being, thinking and acting. The individualistic and pathologizing gaze obscures the colonizing structures of oppression and social disadvantage (Hutcheon & Lashewicz 2020) that jeopardize the human rights and social justice foundations and orientations of inclusion. Much like inclusion, the process of decolonization is in a state of becoming and not being (Sultana 2019); it is an incessant process of interrogating, destabilizing and subverting the matrix of coloniality and its disabling, oppressive, discriminatory and exclusionary implications for a sizeable percentage of students residing in Global North and South localities. The authors have no competing interests to declare. Abdulrahman, Hadiza et al. 2021. “Revisiting (Inclusive) Education in the Postcolony.” Journal of the British Academy 9: 47–75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/009s1.047 Ainscow, Mel, Tony Booth, and Alan Dyson. 2006. Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203967157 Alur, Mithu. 2008. “The Lethargy of a Nation: Inclusive Education in India and Developing Systemic Strategies for Change.” In Policy, experience and change: Cross-cultural reflections on inclusive education, 91–106. Springer: Dordrecht. 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My interest in climate justice has been constant through my four years at College of the Atlantic (COA). During my second, third and fourth years I was part of the COA delegations that attended the UN climate negations. In addition, I did my internship at the National University of Mexico in the Political and Social Sciences Faculty where I did research on different ways to promote renewable energy from a public policy perspective. While attending these spaces, I realized that many of the so-called “climate solutions” assumed particular economic and political goals. It was easy to identify a strong developmental agenda engrained in the climate projects discussed, proposed, and financed at the UN space. With this in mind, for my undergraduate thesis (Senior Project) I decided to explore the UNFCCC discourse on Climate Solutions through the lenses of post-development and post-colonial theory. It is important to state clearly that my project did not intend to completely override the idea of development as a compensatory mechanism for historical processes of colonization and oppression. Nor did it intend to negate the inherent relation between climate change and development; it is a fact that countries with a limit access to technology and other resources struggle more when trying to respond to the adverse effects of climate change. What the project did try to do was identify the places where development as a discursive formation, which has permeated climate solutions, perpetuates violent representations and exclusions in its attempt to universalize notions of progress and industrialization. For example, in his 1949 inaugural speech, US-president Truman referred to the “underdeveloped” areas of the world as “handicap and a threat both to themselves and to more prosperous areas.” Post-development emerged as part of the later post-structuralist moment in the development studies field. Rather than searching for novel ways of doing development, post-development theorists put forward a stark critique that rejects development as a whole. Drawing inspiration from the works of Ivan Illich, Michel Foucault, Mahatma Gandhi, and Karl Polanyi, post-development examines development as a historical process that yields clear negative effects on the people it claims to be helping. Moreover, it pinpoints the different forms of knowledge exclusion that development performs particularly, and paradoxically, excluding the voices and concerns of those who it purports to be helping in the first place. “By acknowledging [the] existence of what has been actively created as ignorant, residual, or underdeveloped, post-development is contributing to the formulation of alternatives” (Agostino 2007, 205). Post-colonial theory is of critical relevance when evaluating discursive constructions such as the development and climate discourse. Post-colonialism’s attentiveness to the past is useful when trying to understand the long-lasting effects of past traumatic experiences such as colonization, both at the collective and individual level. Post-colonialism is also concerned with unveiling the epistemic violence –that is violent forms of representation– emerging from the colonization process. Both the old-fashion, conquering colonialism and the modern ideological colonialism perform epistemic violence when wedging difference into its knowledge system. Post-colonialism attempts to highlight the missing parts that are concealed and oppressed through these modes of representation. Moreover, it embarks on the difficult task of identifying alternative ways of understanding and interacting with difference. Some post-colonial theorists propose instead a politics of difference that does not subsume and traumatizes difference but welcomes it through a continuous process of self-generation. I divided the discursive analysis into two parts. The first one looked at three major documents of the UNFCCC: the founding document of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. I was looking for evidence that the language employed was reflect of an implicit developmental agenda. What I found was that in all three documents the most frequent words were development, technology, science, economy, and finance. For the second part of my analysis, I looked at the projects approved by the Green Climate Fund. I found that 60 out of the 82 projects contained developmental elements; many of them supported in one way or another industrialization, the expansion of the financial sector, and urbanization. By the end of the project, I reached three conclusions: - First, any sort of monolithic representation, even that one of the climate victims, conveys the idea of “an already constituted, coherent group with identical interests and desires” (Mohanty 1988, 336). Although one might argue that with climate change the shared goal is to prevent or mitigate the negative effects of anthropogenic climate change, there is no agreement as to how this should be done. - Second, the creation of hierarchies according to a pre-determined yardstick for development or industrialization. Because Climate Solutions are mostly posed in terms of technological innovation and infrastructural preparedness, poorer countries (or even regions within a country) are portrayed as “backward” or “unprepared.” This hierarchization results in the poorer countries (or groups) having to abide by the rules imposed on them and always trying to catch up in an uneven playing field. - Third, to strictly follow a technocratic approach that relies on economic growth to stimulate technological innovation greatly constrains the field of action. Not only is technology praised as the savior, but also it is a very particular notion of technology that undermines any type of knowledge that is not based on a Western conception of science I would like to conclude by saying that while post-development and post-colonial critiques are important and shed light on important processes of exclusion and repression, they complicate multilateral approaches to climate change. Through the last stages of the project, I struggled to find a middle ground between a sickening universalism and a weakening relativism. What follows is a making sense of these theoretical insights without being paralyzed by their complexity. The work doesn’t end here, it just begins. Bibliography - Agostino, Ana. “Post-development: unveiling clues for a possible future.” In Exploring Post-development: theory and practice, problems and perspectives, edited by Aram Ziai, 197-211. London and New York: Routledge, 2007. - Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. “Under Western Eyes: Feminist scholarship and colonial discourses.” Feminist Review 30 (1988): 61-88.	https://www.earthinbrackets.org/2018/06/05/climate-change-a-post-development-and-post-colonial-exploration/
This seminar is intended for students interested in studying the main drivers, consequences and challenges of the increasing interaction and interdependence among economies and societies across the world. It will emphasize the economic dimensions of globalization, but it will address some important questions of international governance and geopolitics that could influence the future evolution of the global economy. The seminar readings and discussions will be based on arguments submitted by both serious proponents and skeptics of globalization. Although significant attention will be devoted to the historical evolution of contemporary globalization, most discussions will center on issues of current debate and relevant policy implications. In addition to reviewing the trends, potential benefits and questions of concern about the three main forces of economic globalization - trade, investment and migration - the seminar will explore some of the key challenges and risks faced by the process of global interdependence. In this respect, issues of globalization’s inclusiveness and effects on income inequality, which are central to the skeptics’ arguments, will be examined. This semester particular attention will be paid to the question of whether the process of globalization has been stalling or even reversing, as some authors are ready to claim. Prerequisites: Intermediate Microeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics and International Economics.	https://economics.yale.edu/print/courses/econ-465a-debating-globalization
It is not that Islam radicalizes but that radicalization has been Islamized, as Olivier Roy argues. While a reformation is needed, it is of modernity, not Islam, in light of a globalized, post-colonial world. Islam has enormous potential to be a force for good, peace, and reconciliation. But, in order for this good altruism to be achieved, a critical re-evaluation of globalization, colonialism, and modernity is needed. An appeal to Islam’s inherent compassion is not enough, unless these ideologies are also unpacked. If you believe that colonialism, nationalism, modernity and globalization are to blame for the ills of contemporary Muslim communities, then, basically, you are portraying Muslims as ultimate victims, and shifting the onus of leading change to others – the advocates of these other isms, and you are absolving yourselves of the responsibility for critically reviewing your heritage and traditions. So, in order for Muslims to be better off in this world other people have to change their ideas, ideologies and attitudes. I can see how that can feel very liberating. Personally, however, I prefer, to examine things from a slightly different perspective. To me, the real problem is found more in our continuing inability to come up with successful adaptation strategies to help us deal with the challenges posed by the impact of colonialism, nationalism, modernity and globalization than in the mere reality of these phenomena. In the social sense, these phenomena have been part of our existence since time immemorial. They are no less objective than sunrise and sunset. You cannot blame sunrise and sunset. Their dynamics may shift and change, but, one way or another, they will remain parts of our ongoing dynamics. Migration is, in some ways, a form of modern-day colonialism, one that seems to reverse the traditional power dynamics involved, allowing for the disinherited and dispossessed to pose problems for richer societies, rather than the other way around. Nationalism is the new tribalism. Globalization is another manifestation of how seemingly disconnected societies can become dependent on each other and influenced by each other’s seemingly independent social and political dynamics. Even modernity is an old phenomenon in the sense that it essentially represents a change in values, outlooks and behaviors resulting from the particular historical experiences of particular peoples and whose impact is coterminous with the reach of these peoples, and the inability of ideas to recognize geographical borders. Moreover, I find the call for a reformation within modernity to be rather baffling. While some seem to embrace modernity uncritically and ideologically, a critical evaluation and reassessment of ideas and institutions is one of the hallmarks of the modern intellectual debate, and the influence of this debate on the public sphere is enormous, albeit not necessarily always positive. In other words, reformation is an ongoing phenomenon in modern democratic societies. Back to the beginning, it’s the Muslims’ understanding of their faith that needs to be modernized, and that does indeed require rejecting elements of their traditional belief system, even those enshrined in the holy books. This is what followers of other traditional faith systems had to do. Those who insist that Islam should be an exception in this regard are, in effect endorsing gender inequality, second-class status to members of other faiths, death penalty for those considered heretics and apostates and slavery, among other horrible practices that are definitely anti-modern, and are in no way conducive to helping Muslim societies achieve the kind of parity they want with Western societies. If we want to call out Western hypocrisy we have to stop being so hypocritical ourselves.	http://www.thedelirica.com/2016/07/a-liberating-delusion.html
See all countries > The historical divide, both in policies and practices, between mental and physical health has unfortunately resulted in political, professional and geographical isolation, marginalization and stigmatization of mental health care. The modern public mental health approach, which emerged in the global scene in the end of the twentieth century with a critical mass of new evidence on the importance of mental health and the effectiveness of integrated approaches, still faces enormous challenges. There are two key messages of the modern public mental-health approach that should be highlighted. Firstly, there is no health without mental health. Secondly, good mental health means much more than the absence of a mental impairment. The modern understanding of mental health includes good emotional and social well-being, healthy non-violent relations between individuals and groups, with mutual trust of, tolerance of and respect for the dignity of every person. In that regard, promoting good mental health should be a cross-cutting priority relevant to the sustainable development agenda, as it is of concern to many of its elements, including the protection of dignity and people in order to ensure healthy lives and strong inclusive economies; promote safe and peaceful societies and strong institutions; and catalyse global solidarity for sustainable development (A/HRC/29/33 and E/CN.4/2005/51). See also the Special Rapporteur’s report on right to health in early childhood A/70/213 where the need to address effective psychosocial interventions not as a luxury is developed; and specific chapters on mental health in the reports about the right to health of adolescents A/HRC/32/32 and about corruption and the right to health A/72/137. The right to mental health has been also addressed by the Special Rapporteur in each of his country visits, including to Malaysia (2015); Paraguay (2015); Algeria (2016) and Croatia (2016). In his report on mental health A/HRC/35/21, the Special Rapporteur on the right to health recalls that the modern understanding of mental health is shaped by paradigm shifts often marked by a combination of improvements and failures in evidence-based and ethical care. He further elaborates on the current status quo, preoccupied with the excessive use of biomedical treatments and non-consensual measures. This creates an environment which is not conducive for realizing the right to mental health. The Special Rapporteur addresses the “global burden of obstacles" that has maintained the status quo, namely: i) the dominance of the biomedical paradigm; ii) power asymmetries which impact all levels of the decision-making in mental health policies and services, and iii) the biased use of evidence in mental health. The Special Rapporteur underlines that the status quo in current psychiatry is based on power asymmetries that lead to the mistrust of many users, to their disempowerment and stigmatization. He calls for a shift in the paradigm to one that is recovery and community-based, promotes social inclusion and offers a range of rights-based treatments and psychosocial support at all. The right to health requires that mental health care be brought closer to primary care and general medicine, integrating mental health with physical health, professionally, politically and geographically. In this context, the Special Rapporteur also calls for leadership to confront the global burden of obstacles and embed rights-based mental health innovation in public policy. That includes State champions in international policy efforts, the leadership of professional psychiatry in assessing constructively its approach to the necessity for change, managers of mental health services leading change by example and municipal officials championing grassroots innovation. These champions must work in partnership with their constituents, including persons with intellectual, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. The Special Rapporteur’s report on mental health triggered various responses from different stakeholders as follows (in chronological order): The right to mental health at the Human Rights Council The right to mental health has been increasingly discussed at the Human Rights Council. In March 2016, Portugal, Brazil together with 73 States issued a Joint Statement to highlight the centrality of mental health for the full realization of the right to health and highlighted the utmost importance of adopting a human rights perspective to ensure the respect for the inherent dignity of all human beings and the full enjoyment of human rights without discrimination. In July 2016, Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/32/18 recognized the need to fully integrate a human rights perspective into mental health and community services to eliminate violence and discrimination while promoting inclusion and participation. This Resolution requested the High Commissioner to prepare a report presented in March 2017 A/HRC/34/32 which identified some of the major challenges faced by users of mental health services, persons with mental health conditions and persons with psychosocial disabilities. These include stigma and discrimination, violations of economic, social and other rights and the denial of autonomy and legal capacity. The report recommended a number of policy shifts, such as the recognition of the individual’s autonomy, agency and dignity, the improvement in the quality of mental health service delivery, ending of involuntary treatment and institutionalization and the creation of a legal and policy environment conducive to the realization of the human rights of persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities. In September 2017, Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/36/13 recognized the importance of integrating mental health services into primary and general health care by providing effective mental health and other community-based services that protect, promote and respect the enjoyment of the rights to liberty and security of person as well as to live independently and be included in the community, on an equal basis with others. The Resolution urged States to develop services that do not lead to over-medicalization and inappropriate and that do not fail to respect the autonomy, will and preferences of all persons. It strongly encouraged States to support persons with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities to empower themselves in order to know and demand their rights.	https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Health/Pages/RightToMentalHealth.aspx
BRICS Summit 2017: Xiamen Declaration condemns Pak-based terror groups The leaders of all five BRICS nations including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa convened for the 9th BRICS Summit on 4 September 2017 in Xiamen, China. The leaders of all five BRICS nations including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa convened for the 9th BRICS Summit on 4 September 2017 in Xiamen, China. The main theme of the summit was, “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”. It saw the leaders come together and discuss various international and regional issues of common concern and adopt the Xiamen Declaration by consensus. Key Points of the Declaration: • The leaders jointly agreed to energise their practical cooperation to boost development of BRICS countries by promoting exchanges of good practices and experiences on development and facilitating market inter-linkages as well as infrastructure and financial integration. • The leaders agreed to enhance communication and coordination in improving global economic governance to foster a more just and equitable international economic order. • They agreed to emphasize fairness and justice to safeguard international and regional peace and stability. • They agreed to embrace cultural diversity and promote people-to-people exchanges to garner more popular support for BRICS cooperation through deepened traditional friendships. Economic Cooperation • The leaders called upon all the countries to calibrate and communicate their macroeconomic and structural policies and strengthen policy coordination. • They emphasized on the need to be vigilant in guarding against inward-looking policies and tendencies that weigh on global growth prospects and market confidence. • They welcomed the first report on the implementation of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership, and the broad package of outcomes delivered by the sectoral ministerial meetings. Science & Technology • The leaders highlighted the importance of innovation as a key driver for mid and long term economic growth and global sustainable development. • They committed to promote cooperation on science, technology and innovation (STI) to forge synergy in tapping new growth momentum for the five economies and continue to address the development challenges faced by them. • They also welcomed the BRICS STI Cooperation MOU and showed their support for enhanced cooperation on innovation and entrepreneurship, including by promoting technology transfer and application, cooperation among science and technology parks and enterprises as well as mobility of researchers, entrepreneurs, professionals and students. Industrial Cooperation • The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to BRICS industrial cooperation so as to jointly seize the opportunities brought about by the new industrial revolution and expedite their respective industrialization processes. • They agreed to enhance joint BRICS research, development and innovation in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). • They also agreed to support active collaboration in implementing the BRICS ICT Development Agenda and Action Plan. Sustainable Development • The nations reaffirmed their commitment to fully implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. • They also advocated equitable, open, innovation-driven and inclusive development, to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions - economic, social and environmental- in a balanced and integrated manner. • They recognised the important role of the United Nations in coordinating and reviewing global implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Energy Cooperation • Recognising the strategic importance of energy to economic development, the nations committed to strengthen BRICS cooperation on energy. • They recognised that sustainable development, energy access, and energy security are critical to the shared prosperity and future of the planet. • They agreed to work together to promote most effective use of fossil fuels and wider use of gas, hydro and nuclear power. Cooperation on Climate • The leaders committed to further promote green development and low-carbon economy and enhance BRICS cooperation on climate change and expand green financing. • They called upon all countries to fully implement the Paris Agreement adopted under the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) including the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. • The leaders also agreed to take concrete actions to advance result-oriented cooperation in areas including prevention of air and water pollution, waste management and biodiversity conservation. Corruption • The leaders announced their support for the efforts to enhance BRICS anti-corruption cooperation. • They acknowledged that corruption including illicit money and financial flows, and illegal wealth stashed in foreign jurisdictions is a global challenge, which may impact economic growth and financial stability negatively. • Further, they supported the strengthening of international cooperation against corruption, including through the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group. Disaster Management • Recalling the Saint-Petersburg and Udaipur Declarations of BRICS Ministers for Disaster Management and the decision to establish a BRICS Joint Taskforce on Disaster Risk Management, the leaders underlined the importance of consistent joint work of emergency services of BRICS countries. • The main aim behind the move is to build a safer future by reducing existing disaster risks, including exchange of information on best practices concerning disaster risk management and cooperation in the field of forecasting and early warning for effective response to natural and human induced disasters. International Peace and Security • The leaders committed to enhance communication and cooperation in international forum on issues concerning international peace and security, keeping in mind the global security challenges and threats. • They emphasized that no country should enhance its security at the expense of the security of others. • The leaders opposed the use of chemical weapons by anyone, for any purpose and under any circumstance. • The leaders also strongly condemned terror groups, especially the Pakistan based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Haqqani network, Jaish-e-Mohammad, for the first time ever.	https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/brics-summit-2017-xiamen-declaration-condemns-pakbased-terror-groups-1504591884-1
The research paper conclusion is at the end of the research paper, where you summarize all your findings and discussions. Everything needs to be concluded, especially the academic and research writing to show the impact of the results and outcomes of your research. The conclusion is considered as important as any other part of the research paper. Writing a conclusion is not a simple process because a conclusion is not simply summarizing. What you have to defend your results drawn based on your findings. To write a conclusion, even by hiring a dissertation writing service, you must first understand the key elements which a research paper conclusion must contain. Importance of a Conclusion: A conclusion reminds the readers about the strength and impact of a research paper. It helps to refocus the reader’s attention toward the most important 1 minute timer points, strong arguments, and evidence used for supporting the arguments. It serves as a source for further research, new notions, and ways to find solutions for resolving the issues highlighted in a research paper. How to Write a Conclusion: Some tactics help to write a perfect research paper conclusion. If you don’t know how to write a conclusion, consider these helpful elements: Regurgitate your topic and thesis statement and summarize all key points. Firstly, state the topic of your research paper. Concisely rewrite it and tell the importance of the topic to the readers. Here you need to use short and catchy sentences to rephrase your topic and its importance instead of long explanations and elaborations. Then rewrite your thesis statement. It should give a narrow and engaging review of your discussion, but it should not be similar to the original content you have already written at the start. Try to rephrase it to supplement a summary. Next, you have to briefly summarize the main ideas to recall the entire important things you have discussed in each part for your readers in the research paper conclusion. Review the headings of every section and remark on the arguments made. Don’t repeat supportive details or proofs. Do not introduce any new information or data in the research paper conclusion, as it is always based on your research paper’s already discussed and mentioned information. If you have written the research paper in an inductive style, you have to explain the importance of every point and postulate. Don’t explain extra and unnecessary details; only address important matters in the main body because conclusions are for summarizing and recalling, not for explaining. Practice an amalgamation of important information like bringing things in the full circle close to rationality, pretense a question, and make recommendations. Do’s: Try to use important terms to show your work more logical and rational. Here are some examples of the elements you must use to show the worth of your work. Use rhetoric for convincing and motivating, arguments and opinions to show your point of view, the ethos for elevating reliability, pathos for entreating readers’ emotions, logo and context, paraphrasing and rewriting for recalling, suggestions and implications for showing trueness of claims you have made. Not only should your research paper conclusion be logical, but you can also use transitions in any section of your research paper. Try to start the opening sentence of your conclusion with some catchy words like ‘in short, finally, Summarizing. In conclusion, In brief, All in all, in the end, Altogether, In essence, to conclude. Finally, Ultimately, On the whole, Eventually, Overall, Lastly, as a final point. To leave a long-lasting impression of your research paper on readers. You have to conclude your work in such a way that it relates to a broader view of your findings. The conclusion is such a strong and important part of any academic writing that it might be possible. That you to come back to the introduction and change the thesis statement. Even the topic or title of your research paper after composing the final paragraph. Don’ts: Don’t use platitudes because common labels are not required for a good and solid conclusion. Do not introduce new facts and information. Don’t alter the tone of the discussion. Don’t apologize. Example of a Good Conclusion: “Modern research studies on the effects of schizophrenia have shown what happens from the physiological aspect. The studies suggest that the impact of schizophrenia hurts the lifestyle and health of a person. The relationship between the two phenomena shows the need for future research is palpable. It is still impossible to provide a complete imitation of the discussed procedures to support the offered arguments. In the case of a positive laboratory upgrade, this problem might be solved”. Author Bio: Robert Fawl is a professional Content writer & Content Marketer. Based in London, Robert is an author and blogger with experience in encounter composing on various topics including but not limited to Essay Writing, Dissertation Writing, Coursework Writing Services, Thesis Writing Services, Assignment Writing, etc.	https://gushstock.com/top-techniques-to-write-research-paper-conclusion/
Funding for Peace: Lessons Learned On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) and Sarah Hearn at the NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC) hosted an informal discussion on lessons learned in funding for peace. The event involved representatives from the UN, Member States and civil society. The session sought to identify how such lessons might be reflected in the outcome of the Addis Financing for Development Conference in July. The summary note highlights the importance of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies in order to eradicate poverty. By 2030, countries affected by conflict, exclusion and lower institutional capacity will be home to the majority of people living on less than USD 1.25/day. These are the environments where existing MDG approaches have failed to build peace: success in the future will require more comprehensive strategies that are locally led and address the strengthening of the social fabric. The event highlighted that funding the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies will be critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and will require flexible, risk-tolerant and coordinated approaches that will promote resilience by addressing the root causes of violence and instability, reducing humanitarian need and building institutions in a sustainable and inclusive manner.	https://cic.nyu.edu/events/funding-peace-lessons-learned
As a result of the major transformations that arise from globalization, digitalization and more complex and diverse societies, we need to develop education policies that equip our children, young people and adults for an uncertain and changing future. How can we achieve a future where all citizens are fully involved and integrated? How can we ensure high-quality and inclusive education systems in such a dynamic and rapidly changing society? What skills and education policies are needed to foster an active citizenship that is committed to sustainable development? What measures ought to be taken to establish articulated mechanisms for the international financing of education? The new Education Working Group will hold meetings on 12-13 April, 11-12 June, and 3-4 September. It will hold a joint session with the Employment Working Group on 4 September. The Education Ministerial Meeting will take place on 5 September, with a Joint Education and Employment Ministerial Meeting on 6 September. The Education Working Group will be coordinated by the Argentine Ministry of Education and will address two main issues: SKILLS FOR LIFE AND WORK In a scenario of deep social transformation, it is fundamental to discuss the education pillars for the foreseeable future. In this context, there is a pressing need to identify the skills that will be required to achieve full integration of citizens to society, particularly in the labour market, guarantying their full human development throughout their lives. These challenges drive us to reflect on cognitive, non-cognitive and digital skills, and how we can promote them through innovative and inclusive education policies, with a special focus on the most vulnerable groups. FINANCING EDUCATION The future of education will have to be coupled with transformation and innovation processes that must be backed with the strengthening of international policies for financing education. At the Hamburg Summit, G20 leaders agreed to examine the UN Secretary-General's proposal to establish an International Finance Facility for education taking into account other existing initiatives, such as the Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait. In this context, is of paramount importance to establish consensus on the articulated management of international financing mechanisms, exploring challenges and opportunities.	https://g20.org/en/Education%20%7C%20Work%20Streams%20%7C%20G20%20Argentina
Multiply both the numerator and denominator by 10 for each digit after the decimal point. Scroll down to customize the precision point enabling 0.10093 to be broken down to a specific number of digits. The page also includes a pie chart representation of 0.10093 in fraction form, the different types of fractions, and what type of fraction 0.10093 is when converted. The level of precision are the number of digits to round to. Select a lower precision point below to break decimal 0.10093 down further in fraction form. The default precision point is 5. If the last trailing digit is "5" you can use the "round half up" and "round half down" options to round that digit up or down when you change the precision point. For example 0.875 with a precision point of 2 rounded half up = 88/100, rounded half down = 87/100. 0.10093 = 0 10093/100000 numerator/denominator = 10093/100000 A mixed number is made up of a whole number (whole numbers have no fractional or decimal part) and a proper fraction part (a fraction where the numerator (the top number) is less than the denominator (the bottom number). In this case the whole number value is empty and the proper fraction value is 10093/100000. Not all decimals can be converted into a fraction. There are 3 basic types which include: Terminating decimals have a limited number of digits after the decimal point. Example: 3524.3208 = 3524 3208/10000 Recurring decimals have one or more repeating numbers after the decimal point which continue on infinitely. Example: 8467.3333 = 8467 3333/10000 = 333/1000 = 33/100 = 1/3 (rounded) Irrational decimals go on forever and never form a repeating pattern. This type of decimal cannot be expressed as a fraction. Example: 0.257702935..... You can also see the reverse conversion I.e. how fraction 10093/100000 is converted into a decimal. Click any decimal to see it as a fraction: Click any decimal to see the converted fraction value: Click a decimal to convert into a fraction:	https://www.asafraction.net/number/0.10093
Many external factors can affect your business. It is already a habit for managers to evaluate each of these factors closely. The goal is to always make better decisions for the firm’s progress. Some common factors are economical, social, technological, and political. But political factors that affect businesses are given much importance. Various aspects of government policy can influence companies because they must follow the law. Many political factors have an impact on the business industry, coming from the theory of the governing party to the political feedback to economic trends. When government agencies and leaders set policies, they start movements that have a great impact on the legal structure in which firms either thrive or start to decline, and also financial market conditions that influence customers attitudes and the level of support that the government offers to companies and businesses. The political environment can affect business institutions in many ways. It could increase the risk factor and might lead to a significant loss. You should recognize that the political factors have the ability to change results, and can also influence government policies from local to the federal level. If the administration policy changes, these makeup political factors. The changes can be economic, social or legal, but it could be these factors: - Increasing or decreasing tax could be an example of a political component. The government might raise the tax for some businesses and companies, and have it lower for some. The decision will have a straight effect on your business. That’s why you need to remain up-to-date with such political factors. - The political environment is possibly the least likely components in the business industry. Repeating political situation progress, as democratic governments have to proceed re-election every few years. Some firms survive by offering bribes to government officials. However, the success and development of these companies are not basing on what they offer to the consumers. List of political factors that affect businesses: - Corruption level - Trade control - Bureaucracy - Tariffs - Freedom of the press - Competition regulation - Regulation and deregulation - Education law - Discrimination law - Antitrust law - Data protection law - Employment law - Health and safety law - Environmental law - Tax policy - Government stability and changes - Government participation in trade unions - Import limitations on quantity and quality of the product - Legislation that manages environment pollution - Consumer e-commerce and protection - Intellectual property law Effects of political factors on businesses - Government changes in their rules and regulations could have an impact on business. - The political condition of a country affects its commercial setting. The economic environment affects business presentation. - The absence of political stability affects business operations, most especially for those companies who operate internationally. - Obtaining political risk insurance is a method to manage political risk. Firms that have international operations use this kind of protection to decrease exposure to risk. Importance of discerning political environment Source:https://pixabay.com/en/trend-curve-hand-presentation-euro-1445464/ Businesses should check their political environment. The changes in political factors can impact company strategies because of these reasons: - Government view business as a crucial vehicle for social improvement. - The government is responsible for protecting the public interest. - A stable political system can affect the petition of a particular local market. - Governments pass legislation, that can also influence the relationship between the firm and the suppliers, customers, and other companies. - The government is the primary consumer of products and services. - Government actions impact the economic environment. There is one area in which political parties mostly varies is the level of regulation that the business industry needs to face. When the party permits the more hands-off method to regulate companies is in power, then firms don’t have to worry about failures in the environmental protection and safety, as much as what they do when the party that approves more regulation is in the majority. Takeaway Political factors affecting businesses are likely related to legal factors influencing companies. A steady political environment develops confidence in consumers and corporations investing, or still planning to spend in a particular country. That’s why they have a profound influence on the economy and the development of businesses. Political resolutions also have a significant impact on a cultural and social environment in a country. Author’s Bio: Susan Culp is a business blogger who writes on behalf of Moneybanker.com. She likes to read about any updates in the stock market and business revolution happening around the world. Susan loves to share her ideas about new business strategies to her readers. During her leisure time, she loves to travel and learn more about various cultures and policies about developing and growing businesses.	https://khaleejmag.com/business/political-factors-affecting-businesses-need-know/
Sociology, or the study of society, was established to provide a means to better understand the world's social groups and the social activities that occur within them. Through this study, researchers could explain what was taking place in a clear and unbiased manner. Since the establishment of sociology, others have further clarified this study through the depiction of specific perspectives, such as the theories of functionalism and conflict. The former hypothesizes that each characteristic of society works together for a united whole. Societies function due to their cohesiveness and integration of social systems. The latter argues that societies are instead made up of conflict. Social change can only take place through infighting among the social classes. As the world moves further into the 21st century of rapid change, society is increasingly becoming more global and integrating politically, economically as well as socially on a world scale. In world of globalization, is stability still a primary goal? Or is continual conflict essential for the future well-being of all humans? Once again, different theories are being suggested to better understand the changes that are taking place globally, but the overall impact of globalization is yet to be fully understood. Today the world is becoming increasingly global. Sociologists define this new phase of "globalization" with differing emphases. Brittan (Busch 2000) says that globalization refers to a world where, after allowing for exchange rate default risk, there is a single international rate of interest. Held et al. (1999) states that, above all, globalization consists of a broadening of social, political and economic actions, so that events, decisions and activities in one area of the world become significant for individuals and communities in more distant nations of the world. Waters (1995) sees globalization as a social process where the "constraints of geography on economic, political, social and cultural arrangements recede, in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding and it which people act accordingly" (p. 3). Just as sociologists looked at the changing world in the late 1800s and early 1900s with the coming of the Industrial Revolution to better understand society, they are now attempting to answer such questions as: will globalization have a positive or negative effect on society? If positive, how can it be promoted? If negative, how can be curtailed or improved? Similarly, just as sociologists theorized differently in the past, they now find themselves continuing to argue conflicting ideas regarding the positive and negative aspects of globalization. The world system theory of Immanuel Wallerstein, for example, claims there is only one world that is connected by a complex network of economic exchange relationships. Born and raised in 1930, Wallerstein studied and taught sociology at Columbia University until the early 1970s. His mentor was C. Wright Mills, who supported the critical conflict theory. Mills shared a philosophy with the Marxist sociologists and elitist theorists who perceived that society is divided quite distinctly along the lines drawn between those having and not having power. Mills also agreed with other sociologists' apprehensions concerning human alienation, the impact of social structure on personality and the mass media's exploitation of the populace. When Wallerstein began to study third-world countries, he established a view of "creative self-destruction" for this new global world. In the introduction to The Modern World System (1974), he wrote: "In general, in a deep conflict, the eyes of the downtrodden are more acute about the reality of the present. For it is in their interest to perceive correctly in order to expose the hypocrisies of the rulers (p.4). For Wallerstein, "a world-system is a social system, one that has boundaries, structures, member groups, rules of legitimation, and coherence" (1974, p. 347). It consists of conflicting forces that are held together by tension yet torn apart as each group continually seeks to remold the system to its own advantage. This world system is similar to a living organism, where, during its lifespan, its characteristics are sometimes stable and other times changing. "Life within it is largely self-contained, and the dynamics of its development are largely internal." (Wallerstein, 1974, p. 347). This world system is also a "world economy" that is integrated by means of the marketplace instead of a political center and where two or more regions depend on one another for necessities such as food, fuel or protection and two or more polities vie for control without the development of a single long-lasting center. According to Wallerstein, within the principal structures of the present-day world-system is a power hierarchy where powerful and wealthy "core" societies seize control and exploit the weak and poor "peripheral" societies through technology. Developed countries make up the core, and the less developed ones, the periphery. These peripheral nations are structurally forced to experience a form of development that reproduces their lesser status (Chase-Dunn and Grimes, 1995). This opposing strength among the nations is critical to maintain the system in its entirety, since stronger states sustain and develop the differential flow of surplus to the core area (Skocpol, 1977). According to Wallerstein, "unequal exchange" refers to the processes or vehicles that reproduce the core-periphery division of labor and lead to the systematic movement of surplus from the subsistence and semi-proletarian sectors that are found in the periphery to the high-technology, more completely proletarianized core. Thus, it is possible to observe continuous and greater levels of living in the core, with a combination of higher wages, worker political organization, and surplus capital that build persistence for ever greater technical advancement. This in turn tends to increase the differentiation between core and periphery (Goldfrank, 2000, p. 157). In other words, these core regions always have the advantage over the peripherals, establishing a skewed development where economic and social disparities between sections of the world economy have increased instead of providing prosperity for everyone. For Wallerstein, therefore, globalization is the development of a unified world system excessively dominated by the socio-economic relationships of capitalism, as well as racism and sexism. Simply put, the world-system theory is the global version of Marx' theory where there are upper-class, rich, exploiting nations of the core and the lower-class, poor, exploited nations of the periphery, with a "middle-class" status in between, the semi-peripheral nations (Kilminster, 1998). Whereas Wallerstein observed globalization through an economic perspective, other sociologists have considered it through a cultural one. This theory is derived from the earlier concepts of McLuhan and later of Appadurai (1990) where the current global processes seem to consist of "the tension between cultural homogenization and cultural heterogenization." Based on this perspective, images from communication technology such as television and global media are recognized as major forces of homogenization. This cultural homogenization frequently means the dominance of a specific culture, such as Westernization, where globalization imposes Western cultural thought and action on the non-Western world. This dominance of Western culture considerably destroys the variety of local culture and can result in pursuing alternative values and religious fundamentalism. As Appadurai states: "The central problem of today's global interactions is the tension between cultural homogenization and cultural heterogenization" (p. 245). Appadurai also argues that Wallerstein's theory is no longer applicable: He states that this new global cultural economy must be seen as a complex, overlapping, disjunctive order that no longer can be understood in relationship to center-periphery models or of consumers and producers as in most neo-Marxist development theories. Rather, the complexity of the present global economy deals with certain fundamental disjunctures between economy, culture and politics that sociologists have barely begun to theorize. Seen instead from several cultural factors of cultural flow, globalization uses a variety of vehicles of homogenization, such as armaments, advertising, language, and clothing, which the local political and cultural economies absorb, just to be repatriated as heterogeneous dialogues of national sovereignty, free enterprise, and fundamentalism. The nation state must find a balance between too much openness to global flows that may lead to revolt as in China or too little flow where the state exits the international stage as in North Korea. Rather than purely from an economic or cultural stance, globalization can be seen from a multidimensional perspective. For example, Giddens theorized a view of globalization that conceptualizes multiple and complex systemic arrangements. He criticized Wallerstein, for example, for his uni-dimensional model of globalization, suggesting other dimensions such as the political, are equally critical. He thus noted the four dimensions of the world: capitalist economy, nation-state system, world military order and international division of labor. During his studies in England, he positioned himself against the leading functionalist theory that was being proposed by Parsons, an advocate supporter of Weber. In his book Capitalism and Modern Social Theory (1971), he analyzed the work of Weber, as well as Durkheim and Marx and argued that regardless of their differences, each of these sociologists was concerned about the connection between capitalism and society. Instead, Giddens stressed the social constructs of power, modernity and institutions and redefined sociology as a study of social institutions created by the industrial transformation of the several centuries.… [END OF PREVIEW] Four Different Ordering Options: 1. Buy the full, 5-page paper: $26.88 or2. Buy & remove for 30 days: $38.47 or3. Access all 175,000+ papers: $41.97/mo or4. Let us write a NEW paper for you! Most popular! Sociology? According to Giddens Article Critique … Sociology - Theories Feminists and Social Theory Term Paper … Sociology With the Emergence of Karl Marx Term Paper … Sociology Perspectives the Inherency of Sociology's Versatility Essay … Poverty and Welfare Term Paper … Cite This Essay: APA FormatGlobalization and Sociology, or the Study. (2010, April 8). Retrieved April 24, 2019, from https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/globalization-sociology/4575780 MLA Format"Globalization and Sociology, or the Study." 8 April 2010. Web. 24 April 2019. <https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/globalization-sociology/4575780>. Chicago Format"Globalization and Sociology, or the Study." Essaytown.com. April 8, 2010. Accessed April 24, 2019. https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/globalization-sociology/4575780.	https://www.essaytown.com/subjects/paper/globalization-sociology/4575780
Just some few years ago, news on Africa, whether the reality or perception, has suffered from extreme mood swings, with the pendulum moving from episodes of pessimism to bouts of euphoria. But what really is the gap between the perception and reality in Africa? Africa’s economies are consistently growing faster than those of almost any other region – and at twice the rate of the 1990s. In the world economic growth league, Africa has moved from the lower echelons to the premier division. This has led to improvements in several areas such as trade, mobilization of government revenue, infrastructure development, and the provision of social services. Indeed, over the last decade, Africa has been among the fastest growing regions in the world economy, and it is interesting to note that this improvement in growth performance has been widespread across countries. The impressive economic and political performance of Africa since the turn of the century has led to the description of the continent as “the hopeless continent” changed into others such as “Africa rising: the hopeful continent”, “Lions on the move: blazing a pathway to prosperity”, “Africa’s rising middle class”; “dynamic African consumer market”; “Growth opportunities for investors” etc. The extent of extreme poverty is shrinking, both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of the continent’s population. That fact is why we can realistically envision a continent without extreme poverty in the unknown future. Precisely because economic development can and does work in so many parts of the African continent, it is all the more important to understand and solve the problems of the places where economic development is not working, where people are still off the ladder of development, or are stuck on its lowest rungs; why some states/countries fails to succeed amidst all these positives. To understand why some countries in Africa fail to thrive whiles others are succeeding, we first need a conceptual framework that can account for the changes over time in these countries. This means that we need to analyze comprehensively and bring to light, the very factors or instances that inhibits some countries from succeeding on the African continent. The first two of the factors that I would want to discuss in this piece is the incidence of political instability and the lack of economic growth. This is because continued instability and political volatility in a few regions can compromise economic and social progress across those countries. Let me start by tackling it from the latter point, which is, lack of economic growth in those countries. What really is the case when we say that some countries are failing because of the absence of economic growth? And does economic growth in itself represent prosperity or there is more to it than just the numbers? What then can bring about economic growth and transformation in some countries but not in others? Society’s economic system is so complex that a single item could not be singled out as the contributing factor to economic stagnation or decline. However, some obvious ones can be identified and each has its own appropriate course of treatment; therefore, a good diagnosis is very crucial. Economic growth and prosperity is a relative term. It means that, overall, the economy is doing well and most people have sufficient income for essentials and perhaps a little extra. It means that businesses are hiring and jobs are relatively easy to get. It however does not mean that everyone is well-off. When economic growth and prosperity is experienced in a particular country, households begin to save, trade among and between other countries increases and there is also the incidence of technological advancement and usage. Under these circumstances, let’s consider how the reverse is the case, thus decline or stagnation in economic growth and prosperity using the household as an economic unit. First, suppose that the household is chronically poor and, therefore, consumes all of its income, leaving nothing to save and no income to be used to invest. In fact, in the subsequent years, households’ purchasing power begins to decline and this is a typical case of capital depreciation or a decline in the capital available for expansion of capacity. In another instance, let’s assume that households are not able to link their production to the markets, especially from their various rural farms to the regional markets as a result of lack of access to linking roads. In this scenario, households would be restricted to only grow or farm for personal consumption. The accumulation of this over a period of time would then lead to the crippling of the economy as a whole in terms of its capacity to trade with other economies. Obviously, households need to learn and know new methods of productivity and sustenance through technology. This is to help them lead through increased complexity and volatility. A technological reversal can therefore lead to the decline in the productive capacity of households. Moreover, households face natural resources decline and adverse productivity shocks which can cripple their productive capacity. A natural disaster, perhaps a flood, drought, heat wave, frost, pests, or disease in the household (for example, a bout of malaria), or some combination, wipes out household income for the year. The obvious conclusion is that, an accumulation of these discussed factors are the very reasons why some countries fail to thrive on the African continent due to lack of economic growth and prosperity. The reverse of the factors would be the case to economic growth and prosperity. The second of the factors that give reasons why some countries fail to thrive on the African continent is political instability. In governance, as in economics, the story of the past decades has been one of steady progress in Africa. Multiparty elections are now firmly established, there have been moves towards greater transparency and in the most part armies have stayed out of politics. Likewise, many of the countries have become so chaotic and therefore not conducive for human existence. This means that people are crippled and do not have the capacity to grow the country. In some cases, including Côte d’Ivoire (2000, 2010), DRC (2011), Kenya (2007/08) Zimbabwe (2007), Uganda (2011), March 2012 coup in Mali have rendered these economies very weak. It is of therefore no surprise, that Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the poorest country on the continent with GDP per capita of $348. DRC is now among the failed states on the continent; thus the country is not able to thrive because of political unrest. Economic development works. It can be successful. It tends to build on itself. But it must get started. There must be a high level of economic and political consciousness in nations failing to thrive on the continent. After that, the tremendous dynamism of self-sustaining economic growth can take hold.	https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Who-coaches-Hearts-of-Oak-292035
Modernization theory of the second half of the 20th century, is one of the directions in the theory of socio-historical development, which have developed in the framework of modern philosophy. Their essential feature was universalism, i.e. society they regarded as universal (universal) process having the same patterns and stages (stage) for all countries and peoples. Methodological basis of universalism was technological determinism, which displays the progress of human development technology and the economy, leading to worldwide prosperity and solving social problems. It was believed that this progress blurs socio-cultural and political characteristics of the different countries, each society dictates its own requirements / 1 /. What was a modernization in specific areas of society according to its researchers? In the field of social modernization was associated with a clear specialization of people, public and state institutions on activities that are less dependent on sex, age, social background, personal relationships and more people — with the development of modernization — the personal qualities of the person, his qualifications, diligence, and education. Social modernization and considered as a replacement for hierarchical relations of subordination and dependence vertical relationship of equal partnership based on mutual interest / 2/. Modernization theorists investigated how the process of transition from traditional to modern society changes the role and functions of the family, demographic structure, as these changes associated rapid urbanization. Economic modernization meant the development and application of technology based on scientific knowledge, highly efficient energy sources, deepening of the social and technical division of labor, the development of markets for goods, money and labor, and, subsequently, their regulation, increasing complexity of organization of production, the existence of incentives for the development and implementation of technological and organizational innovations. However, already in the 60s, some researchers paid attention to the fact that in the process of modernization is necessary, first of all, to increase investment in education. F.Harbison wrote, «the central problem of all modernizing countries is to accelerate the process of human capital formation». This position meant the abandonment of the concept of technological determinism, from the desire to reduce the modernization of technical and economic innovations / 3 /. Political Modernization involves, first, the expansion of territories and streamlining administrative and political boundaries, formation of national or federal states, strengthening the central (both legislative and executive) power, and at the same time — the separation of powers; secondly, the ability of the state to the structural changes in the economy, politics, social sphere, while maintaining stability and internal cohesion; Thirdly, an important aspect of political modernization increasingly considered including the masses in the political process (at least through the election); fourthly and finally, — the establishment of political democracy, or at least populist rule changes in the way of legitimizing power (instead of referring to «God’s work» and the «nature of things» — the ideological and political preferences of social groups). At the same time, the authors of modernization theories emphasized that in Asia, Africa and Latin America, in contrast to Western Europe and North America, there is a developed civil society, so their political modernization difficult. One of the essential features of the modernized society they considered «recruitment» of the state bureaucracy in accordance with the formal requirements for education, skills and professional qualities of people, whereas in a traditional society «input» into the ranks of politicians and officials was due status, origin and personal relations person. Modernization involves differentiation spiritual and cultural value systems and orientations secularization of education and literacy, diversity schools and movements in philosophy and science, religious tolerance (confessional pluralism), the development of means of communication and dissemination of information, involvement of major groups to culture spread the values of individualism. In addition, modernization was associated rationalization of consciousness on the basis of scientific knowledge and the refusal of behavior according to the traditions. Some scholars, such Sh. Eyzenshtadt even thought h «the development of a new cultural stereotype of» forms «the core» of the whole process of modernization / 4 /. Modernization theorists recognize that different countries have taken place and modernization in different ways and at different rates. These distinction rightly explained by the fact that in some countries modernize organic, part of the internal development of society, and in others — held under the influence of a developing country. Theories significant place given the socio-political mechanism modernization, the role of government, political institutions and leaders in the transformation was done. Simultaneously considered and the problem of the social subject of renovation: which social groups interested in upgrading and able to lead, what is the role of the modernizing elite in the renewal of society, particularly in developing countries. The main conclusion, which came modernization theorists was that the success of reforms depends primarily on its ability to provide elite modernizers whether the stability of society in the process of change. In this regard, it was noted that an important role in the modernization of the armed forces can play underpinning public stabilization and control of changes in the conditions of demolition of the whole social structure. In 50–60 years. some scientists who developed a general theory of modernization (D.Epter, B.Higgins, Dzh. Dzhermani, M.Levi etc.) simultaneously studied the experience of modernizing selected countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. As part of the modernization of research, primarily by the example of the successful experience of Japan, comes the understanding that modernization does not mean fully diluted social traditions that there are traditions that can contribute to the modernization. A notable phenomenon in the literature on the problem of modernization in the 70-ies is a comparative analysis of modernization in Japan and Russia as countries that were in the past about the same level of development, where tradition. played a crucial role in the process and the nature of change, and as a result of modernization. Modernization of interest in postwar Germany, the essence of which to develop a model of a social market economy. Overcoming the legacy of the Nazi after World War II was simultaneously overcoming the model of development, which developed in Germany since the end of the last century. Responding to the challenges of the 20th century had to look again. It was necessary to preserve the achievements in social policy that does not simply mean improvements old economic order, because the old forms were filled with new content and combined with the development of new elements (policy of promoting competition and so on.). Of course, it is a combination of old and new could have a positive effect only when these elements are bound by ties of a particular order — a social market economy. The main ideas of this order came from two very close (but nevertheless different) varieties of modern (modernized) liberalism — ordoliberalizm («Freiburg School» led by v. Oykenom and F.Bemom) and neoliberalism (A.Ryustov, In. Röpke and others). The concept of the social market economy was based on the following provisions: — A country in its economic policy should not give priority to the regulation of economic processes and the establishment of forms and rules by which the undertakings must act; — The creation of forms and rules should be aimed at is to ensure the conditions for free competition of business entities; competitive order is the foundation of the economy and society based on the principles of freedom and democracy; by virtue of the interdependence of all aspects of social life — primarily economic and political — they need to be complex transformation to match each other, the same applies to the elements of each block separately, for example, requires that the terms of business consistent with monetary policy, the last — banking system, etc. Competition as the basis of not only economic, but also the entire public life after a period of totalitarianism was considered as the only possible mechanism for the implementation of the principle of individual freedom. But that freedom is not abused and did not use it to limit the freedom of others, sets the appropriate order. Freedom and order are the key concepts of postwar modernization program of Germany, most convincingly developed by Walter Eucken. Thus, the content of modernization was that to move from a centrally controlled and the regulated public order, to order a free, competitive, and thus — to solve the problem of individual freedom and authority in connection with the mechanism of economic regulation. But such a transition should not occur spontaneously, but because of deliberate state policy. In other words, the new system does not grow «naturally» and nurtured (and then maintained and developed) in certain conditions and certain techniques. However, bitter experience of the early twentieth century German theorists and politicians looking for ways to correct or appropriate adverse competitive effects of system development of competition itself, prevent negative social phenomena that threaten the stability of society and fraught slipping from democracy to dictatorship. That’s why W.Euken and his supporters, despite its commitment to free competition, tried to develop a regulatory framework to promote competition. Ordoliberalov merit and neoliberals was just that they are fundamentally determined the direction and goal of the movement, outlined (and justified) the basic contours of the future system, which with a light hand Armakom Mueller-called «social market economy». Eucken and all the «Freiburg School» were not the developers' program, «but rather the creators of the ideology of modernization of Germany. Most valuable in the concept ordoliberalizm that it substantiates the necessity of actions the state to create the institutional forms of the market and its legal regulation. Certainly, such a policy carried a considerable risk: in fact conscious and purposeful activities for the modernization of the state social-¬ economic system could result in increased bureaucratic bureaucracy, which gradually forget about reforms, keeping only the reform rhetoric, and begins to solve own problems, primarily strengthen their power. In postwar Germany, we could avoid it and not least due to the same ordoliberals who opposed any gain power and saw opposition to this in the same competition — but political. Multiparty system and a tough competition and the parties in the Bundestag, and in local government and elections, as well as a clear system of checks and balances under divided government, the influence of public opinion (media) allows you to actually keep the state (especially the executive) under effective control. In general, the German experience confirms that democratic reform) favors a strong but limited government. Theorists of «social market economy» and policy practitioners, primarily Adenauer and Erhard knew perfectly well that in itself democratic political system cannot automatically convert the economic system in which power structures (public, private-monopolistic or group) dictate the rules and force other economic subjects to follow them. For post-war Germany was characterized by highly specific features, which were due to the legacy of the Nazi regime. In particular, it had to deal with a very acute problem conversions huge military-industrial complex, which after World War II would be almost completely destroyed by the victorious powers of administration, and particularly the French and Soviet zones of occupation. We should not forget about the «Marshall Plan that helped Germany, like other countries of Western Europe, to lay the foundations of mass consumption society, and without which reform Erhard would be doomed to failure / 5 /. K.Orynbaeva Senior Lecturer at Kostanay State University named after A.Baitursynov Reference: 1. Modernization: Russian and foreign experience. 1994. 2. D. Lerner (With the collaboration of W. Pevsner). The Passing of Traditional Social Modernizing the Middle East. Glencoe (III), 1958. 3. Harhison F. H. Human Resources Development Planning in Modernising Economies Leading Issues in Development Economies: Selected Materials and Commentary. Ed by Mei G.M.Y. 1964 p. 273. 4. Eisenstadt S. M. Modernization: Protest and Change, p.5. Levy, M, p.61. 5. Gutnick B. How to Reform Erhard / / Financial news. 1993. № 21 Gutnick B. Reform in 1948 in Germany. Open door in a social market economy Globe. Meeyudunarodny Gazette. 1993. July 1. № 26.	https://e-history.kz/en/history-of-kazakhstan/show/9639/
Political factors constitute an important environment factor in International Business. Actually politics and economics are inter-related as one influences the other. That was the reason for early writers of Economics preferred to caption their work as Political Economy. Political system, political parties in power, political parties in the opposition, political maturity of the parties, number of political parties, political awareness of people, political stability and the like have great impact on the business environment in a country. The economic policies pursued by a Government are to a great extent the by-product of political environment that impacts businesses very often. Basic Political Ideologies Political ideology refers to, ‘the body of ideas, theories, aims and means to execute the ideas, adapt the theories and fulfill the aims that constitute a sociopolitical programme for action’. Depending on the mix of different ‘ideas, theories, aims and means’, there exists Pluralism, Democracy and Totalitarianism as alternative ideologies. - Pluralism: It involves coexistence of different ‘ideas, theories, aims and means’. Pluralism may be existing due to lack of convergence because the polity is made of different interest groups based on ethnicity, language, religion, race and so on and no one group is dominant enough to overrule the rest. Contrary to popular belief that existence of too many ideologies of different ethnic groups might break the polity into disarray and lead to eventual disintegration, such disintegration hadn’t happened. Western nations with capitalistic orientations have this style. The best example is the USA. Individuals have civil liberties and political rights. Civil liberties are measured in terms of freedom of press, equality of all individuals in the eye of law, personal social freedoms and freedom from extreme forms government indifference or interference. Political rights enjoyed depend on the degree of fair and competitive elections, the ability of people to endow their elected representative with real power, the ability of people to float political parties or competitive and competent political groupings to voice their ideologies and existence of safeguards on the rights of minorities. - Totalitarianism: It involves, ‘only one idea, theory, aim and means’. No alternative ideology is allowed to co-exist. There is lack of tolerance. The best example is China. Former USSR was an example. But there used to be the tendency to break away. And that happened with the USSR breaking up into present Russia and over dozen countries. Of course, countries do unite even under totalitarian system do as it happened with Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong getting attached to mainland China late 1990s. China could ensure economic growth, but USSR couldn’t. people want development ultimately. As long as this core aim is fulfilled, they stand up together. Individuals have no civil and political freedom. There could be fascism or communist regimes. About 25% of countries are still totalitarian. - Democracy: It involves, a mix of pluralism and totalitarianism. There used to be individual freedom with checks and balances. The degree of political rights and civil liberties enjoyed however vary. Certain rights allowed, certain restricted and certain denied too. India falls in this category. It is the largest democracy in the world in theory. 75% of countries have democracies of some order. Of them, 1/3rd are more pluralistic, 1/3rd are some 50:50 type and remaining 1/3rd are more totalitarian. Politico- economic System Political system refers to the set of factors relating to political institutions, the political parties and their ideologies, the form of state governance and the role of the state and its functionaries vis-a-vis, the role of individuals and their organizations. Every country has a political system of its own. There are different forms of political system. A brief summary of each of the forms is presented below. - Capitalism: Capitalism is a politico-economic system wherein, private ownership and initiative, individual freedom to produce, exchange, consume and distribute, market mechanism and consumer sovereignty and limited role of government are found. In short capitalism may be called as ‘free enterprise economy’ where state control on businesses is not existing or minimum. The capitalist political system is pro-private businesses. Competitive efficiency is rewarded in the market. Businesses flourish through efficiency, innovation and serving the consumers. Businesses are directed by market mechanism, least influenced by governmental factors. Whatever influence from Government is pro-domestic business. The western economies like the USA, Canada, Western Europe, etc. have capitalist political system. Since efficiency is rewarded, higher levels of performance are achieved. These economies generally do very well, they attract foreign investment, they introduce latest technologies, patent protection is of high order and so on. Crony capitalism is a pejorative term describing an allegedly capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between businessmen and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth. - Crony capitalism: Crony capitalism is evidenced by politician oriented/owned/controlled business world. Self-serving friendships and family ties between businessmen and the government influences the economy and society. This type of capitalism benefits the political owners and not the consumers. A variant of this form involves ‘collusion among market players’. While perhaps lightly competing against each other, they will present a unified front to the government in requesting subsidies or aid (sometime called a trade association or industry trade group). This is marked by entry walls for new comers, preventing competition. Another variant of crony capitalism encourages businesses to stay in the good graces of political officials. Connections with political bigwigs and lobbyists are more important than actual competition as such in this form of capitalism. Corrupt governments may favor one set of business owners who have close ties to the government over others, based on racial, religious, or ethnic favoritism. In smaller countries this is more popular. Anti-capitalists call it a natural consequence of collusion between those managing power and trade, either by common control or through ‘deals’. Since businesses make money and money leads to political power, business will inevitably use their power to influence governments. - Welfare Capitalism: Capitalism has certain limitations such as neglect of certain business not yielding good profits or those involving greater risk. Individual ‘good’ may not aggregate to collective ‘good’. So, some state role is needed. Herein the government intervenes and fills up the gaps to ensure maximum social advantage. Government supplements and does not substitute private entrepreneurship. The characters of capitalism are applicable to this system in total subject to the above referred to variation. Government relationship with the business takes the same pattern as in the case of capitalism, except that government intervenes in a small way to ensure social welfare of people at large. - Socialism: Socialistic political system is characterized by state ownership of production, exchange and distribution. The main features of this system are: i) Government ownership and/or control of factors of production, ii) Government direction of production, exchange and distribution, iii) Central Planning of resource mobilization, allocation, pricing etc. iv) Restriction private businesses, v) restriction on individual freedom and initiative, vi) government interference in income distribution, vii) government direction on physical distribution and pricing of products, viii) consumer is not the king, only the state is all powerful and so on. In a socialist political system businesses are run and/ or closely controlled by the state. Businesses are run by bureaucrats and not by people with business acumen. Businesses are distanced from profit goal. State policy determines which industry to be developed and which is not to be developed. Private initiative is not nurtured, sometimes is even curbed. Business is dominated by the government bodies. - Communism: A communist political system is nothing but 100% state control of all human activities. It is also known as state capitalism. Production, exchange, consumption and distribution are all state controlled. The difference between socialism and communism is that in communism, consumption is also state controlled. Businesses are run almost like government departments. The dominant environment of business is, truly, the government factor. - Mixed Economy: Mixed economy is said to be the ‘golden mean’ of capitalism and socialism. Side by side public and private ownership exist. This system is in vogue in India. The features of capitalism and socialism are jointly present in this system. Private initiative, freedom of enterprise, consumer sovereignty, individual saving and investment, profit orientation and market mechanism are all there. But it is not entirely free of government control. State initiative, state enterprise, state investment, social objectives like equal distribution, balanced development of all regions, concessions and privileges for the less privileged, reservations for the benefit of weaker sections, etc are found. Functioning of Political Parties The political parties in power influence the business environment to a great extent, irrespective of political system. The influence can be pro-business or anti-business. A pro business political party in power can vest the business community an environment of growth, competition and concern. Anti-business party in power would wield a threat of intimidation. The integrity of the political leaders and their kith and kin is a great factor to reckon with. Besides, the real power within the political party in power counts. Now businesses themselves identify with one or other party and who gets rewards depend whose person are in power. When there happens a coalition government, not just one single political party dictates terms for the businesses. There are multiple concerns. Businesses struggle to please too many political leaders. Parties in opposition and their leaders have the role to question government’s decisions in the parliament/legislature. Now-a-days, they exhibit their power in organizing strikes and stalling conduct of business in the parliament or legislature on smaller issues. In a multiparty system, with coalition governments running the government involves lot of compromises despite their common minimum programme. The leaves the business community disillusioned. Political maturity of the parties and people and Political Stability Political maturity of parties involves respecting the verdict; the ruling party must not be vindictive; the opposition parties must not be spiteful. Of late these values are given up in the air. Incident free political rallies, absence of hooliganism, terminological pleasance in referring to individual members, issue based expression of view points, freedom to elected members to express their views irrespective of party affiliation, etc are the hallmarks of political maturity. Impartiality of police system and political non-intervention in its action are real test of political maturity. These are far to expect. An air of uneasiness prevails which suffocates businesses. Opportunistic ideologies are followed for short-term electoral gains. That is no maturity. The lesser the number of parties, more the political maturity of people and the better the governance would be. The developed world nations have fewer political parties, while less developed countries have too many political outfits. Businesses suffer more uncertainty with more number of political parties, because the policy environment becomes shaky. Political stability is a crucial factor. The political system, the number of parties, ideologies of parties, animosities amongst different parties, leadership characters of political parties, the commitment of parties taking power to honor commitments made by previous governments, etc influence political stability. Political stability also means consistency in political decisions, much needed for inspiring confidence in the minds of business community, both national and international. Lack of political stability is an indication of excessive risk businesses suffer. Relationship between the State and the Businesses There could be political instability and yet it may not transform into political risk for businesses. This is so when the State respects the business enterprises concerned. Barring a few cases in most countries, today businesses have good relationship with the Government due to LPG policy pursued widely. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), bilateral agreements to protect mutual investment interests, etc ensure that good relationship prevails between the State and the MNCs. The world is becoming a less-polarized. Countries choose businesses across the globe for business relationship based on merits of efficiency rather than political system followed. The USA, sees India as an economic opportunity. So, political and strategic alliances are on the rise. India is also in good relationship with Japan, the European Union, Russia, Republic of China and so on. So, business interests develop across the globe.	https://www.mbaknol.com/international-business/political-environment-of-international-business/
The relationship between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been developing toward a more profound and wide-ranging one, especially since the Japan-ASEAN summit meeting held last December. The recent Asian economic turmoil reminds us how profound and wide-ranging Japan and ASEAN depend on each other. In order to overcome the Asian economic difficulties, it is important for Japan and the ASEAN to further enhance the partnership. Toward the 21st century, the Government of Japan is determined to deepen the dialogue with ASEAN and thereby to promote steadily the cooperative relations with ASEAN in such fields as political and security, trade and investment, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and global issues. 2. Promotion of Japan-ASEAN dialogue At the Japan-ASEAN summit meeting last December, the leaders of Japan and ASEAN member countries, in line with the initiatives announced by Prime Minister Hashimoto, adopted an important joint statement that gave the future direction of the cooperation between Japan and ASEAN. One of the most important pillars of the statement is fostering dialogue in all fields and at all levels between Japan and ASEAN. A working-level meeting of the Japan-ASEAN Consultative Group was launched last March, followed by the Japan-ASEAN Forum, a vice foreign ministerial meeting. Thus, Japan-ASEAN dialogue is being deepened from the top-level to the working-level. The Government of Japan is determined to continue to take every opportunity to promote Japan-ASEAN dialogue. In this regard, if ASEAN officially invites Japan, Japan will seriously study the possibility to hold a Japan-ASEAN summit meeting on the occasion of the ASEAN summit meeting to be held this coming December, taking all the circumstances fully into account. 3. Political and Security Cooperation Several political and security factors of uncertainty and instability, such as the instability in the Korean Peninsula, the nuclear development, the territorial and jurisdictional disputes, still persist in the Asian region. The political and security cooperation between Japan and ASEAN becomes more and more important. The nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan went against the trend toward the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in the post-Cold War era and it is necessary to urge both countries to implement what the relevant resolution of the UN Security Council calls upon. The ASEAN Regional Forum, of which the purpose is to build confidence-building in the region, is steadily taking root through its activities as a forum for regional political and security dialogue. There was also progress in the Japan-ASEAN dialogue in this field since last year, such as bilateral politico-military talks and military-military talks between Japan and some ASEAN member countries. Furthermore, the general elections were held in Cambodia on June 26 under the surveillance of the Joint International Observation Group. We expect that as the result of these elections a democratic government would be formed and that the political stability and economic prosperity in Cambodia would be realized. 4. Economic and Development Cooperation Economic and development cooperation between Japan and ASEAN is more important than ever for overcoming the Asian economic difficulties. In terms of trade and investment, it is imperative to maintain and strengthen the efforts made by ASEAN for liberalization of trade and investment in the region, such as AFTA, AICO and AIA. We hope that economic activities in the region will be more active through the active use of these systems by private sectors of Japan and other countries . The active role of ASEAN is also important in multilateral liberalization of trade and investment in the framework of the WTO. In view of financial and currency stability, it is important to strengthen the regional efforts such as the Manila Framework. Japan is determined to continue to play an active role for financial and currency stability in Asia. In the field of development cooperation, the Japan-ASEAN Round Table on Development was convened last May. At the meeting, the views were exchanged on the issues which should be addressed in Japan-ASEAN cooperation such as the impact of the Asian economic turmoil on the development of the region, human resources development, and the south-south development cooperation, and very interesting ideas were obtained concerning the Japan-ASEAN cooperation in the field of development. In order to support the self-help-efforts of the ASEAN countries and other Asian economies to overcome the current economic difficulties, Japan has pledged its support worth more than 42 billion dollars, by far largest assistance in the world, despite its severe domestic economic situation. On this occasion we would like to explain three cases of the assistance of the government of Japan in the light of development cooperation. The first is Japan's contribution of $20 million to the ASEAN Fund in the form of a "Solidarity Fund" pledged by Foreign Minister Mr. Obuchi last May. This Solidarity Fund will be utilized, in consultation with ASEAN side, for supporting social safety net, promoting ASEAN's development strategy, and strengthening higher education etc, in view of ASEAN's further development. The second is assistance to help the socially vulnerable segments of the population hit severely by the current economic turmoil. Japan is actively implementing the assistance of about six hundred thousand tons of rice and of medicines to Indonesia, yen loan projects to strengthen the social safety Net, and other measures. The third is the development of the competent human resources which play a key role in overcoming the economic difficulties. Japan is steadily implementing the "Japan-ASEAN Program for Comprehensive Human Resources Development," of which purpose is to train 20,000 administrators, experts in the private sector, technicians and others over a five-year period, and other measures. 5. Cultural Exchanges It is necessary to strengthen cultural exchanges, in addition to the above-mentioned cooperation in the fields of political and security, economy and development, in order to make the cooperative relationship between the ASEAN countries and Japan more profound and wide-ranging. The ASEAN-Japan Multilateral Cultural Mission, which is a new and epoque-making project aimed at promoting exchanges among the ASEAN countries and Japan respecting the traditional and cultural diversity, presented last April Action Agenda Part II containing proposals which should be the future direction of the Japan-ASEAN cultural exchange. The Japan-ASEAN Intellectual Symposium was also held here in Manila last March in order to discuss how to promote exchanges among the ASEAN countries and Japan. At the symposium, Philippines Foreign Secretary Mr. Siazon delivered a thought provoking keynote speech. Furthermore, we are now preparing to hold the "Intellectual Dialogue on Building Asia's Tomorrow" later this year in Japan, which was proposed by Foreign Minister Obuchi in his speech May this year in Singapore. 6. Cooperation in Global Issues We firmly believe that despite the Asian economic difficulties, it is necessary for us to tackle global issues on a step-by-step basis toward the 21st century with a close eye to the future. The Japan-ASEAN Counter-Terrorism Conference was held last October in Tokyo and made progress in strengthening the Japan-ASEAN cooperation in counter-terrorism. Regarding the anti-drug efforts, the Government of Japan welcomes the "Joint Declaration for a Drug-Free ASEAN" signed at the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting. Japan intends to earmark funds necessary to implement the "Project on the Operationalization of Action Plan of ATS in the Far East-South East Region" from its donations to the United Nations Drug International Control Programme. Japan thus is determined to cooperate with the ASEAN in addressing this problem. 7. Conclusion Japan and the ASEAN are closely interdependent on each other. Whenever we encounter a serious problem, we should communicate more closely than ever with each other and cooperate to make our way toward the future. I am firmly convinced that such steady efforts will enable ASEAN to enjoy a sustainable growth and thereby that the Asia-Pacific region will restore its dynamism and prosperity in the 21st century.	https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/asean/conference/pmc98/fmmeeting.html
Republicans love to believe they are good for the economy. In the private sector I believe they are. Most of the Republicans I know are dedicated workers or contentious business people. Somehow this pro-business attitude that makes them good for the economy in the private sector appears to harm growth when Republicans gain political power in Washington. Back in February the New York Times published: Opinion \| Why Are Republican Presidents So Bad for the Economy? The piece showed a strong correlation, but didn’t address possible lead times. For example, does the impact of a President on growth coincide with the time in office or does it lag a few months or even a few years? When I studied the lag time I also found Republican Presidents were worse for growth and that the correlation was strongest with a lag/lead time of two or three years. This would suggest for example that President Trump’s impact on the economy would be most felt in the years 2019–2022 or perhaps 2020–2023. I say suggest, because some Presidential actions might have immediate effect while the influence of other actions might be five or more years in the future. It’s easy to speculate an effect and its timing, but nigh impossible to know. Correlation, of course, doesn’t prove causation. I’m not even sure I believe in the typical meaning of causation where one thing causes another. The cause of something might be dozens of factors or even the sum total of everything going on at present and in the past. I do believe in influences, favorable conditions and necessary pre-conditions. While the Times article dismisses political control of Congress as a factor in the economic growth rate I find it dwarfs the impact of who is President. When I compare the ten-year GDP growth rate per-person with the 10-year average share of Congress held by each party, the impact on growth of who is President becomes statistically insignificant. The Chart above shows 10-year periods of growth 1905–1914 through 2011–2020. The maximum impact on growth of political control of Congress appears to lag about three years; or you could say Congressional control leads growth by three years. Since 1905 Republicans have averaged holding 45.8 percent of the seats in Congress when the percentage control of the House and the percentage control of the Senate are weighted equally. The ten year periods influenced by a share of Republicans above that average grew at a 1.1 percent average rate per-person. Ten year periods influence by a share of Republicans below 45.8 percent had average growth per-person at 2.8 percent (about 155% higher). I selected the period in the chart to show the strongest correlation. From 1857 to 1904 there was not much difference in the parties’ influence on growth. In the last forty years one could observe that the correlation was weaker. On the other hand, you could claim the correlation was stronger, but that it took about eight years instead of three for political control to have its largest influence. My aim in writing about this is to make America prosperous. The correlation between political power and growth is too strong, has lasted too long and followed too many ups and downs for me to believe it is coincidence. Restoring prosperity requires enough American voters to understand the influences on growth so we can elect politicians that will enable prosperity. David Leonhardt, who wrote the NY Times piece, contacted a number of economists who had no explanations of why Republicans appeared to be worse for growth. He concludes Democrats are more practical and adapt policy to what works while Republicans are more likely to stick to their policies such as tax cuts even if they are shown to not help the economy. He also suggests the aims of labor unions and civil rights groups which help finance Democratic campaigns are more aligned with widespread prosperity than the aims of businesses and the ultra wealthy which tend to prefer the more wealth friendly Republicans. Republican persistence on tax cuts appears to undermine growth. Republican tax policy effectively reduces unproductive tax avoidance which is a prerequisite for good growth and requires a low average income tax rate on business owners. However, their tax cuts also undermine the incentive for productive tax avoidance where business owners avoid a high marginal tax rate by plowing a larger share of business revenue into building businesses and growing the economy, rather than pulling more income out of businesses. Contrary to Republican assertions that a low top tax rate improves growth and the economists who look at single year data points and claim the tax rate does not affect growth, the long term rate of growth has a significant positive correlation with the top tax rate. While Republicans get the top tax rate issue wrong, this doesn’t come close to explaining their full negative impact on growth. From my perspective we will get closer to what works when we understand the difference between the economy and business. The purpose of an economy is to satisfy the needs and wants of people. Business is the main tool of the economy. The objective of business is to maximize profits. Many policies are good for both the economy and business. Politics can lead us astray on policies that are good for business, but not the economy. For example, satisfying people is better served by high wages and low prices, while maximizing profit is better served by low wages and high prices. High profits tend to be better for financing Republican campaigns. It’s tempting for Republicans to believe high profits mean a good economy. It’s true that growth in GDP tends to strengthen in the quarter after strong profits, but the longer term correlation tends to go the other way. Profit is the portion of business revenue not spent on the deductible and depreciable expenditures that build businesses and grow the economy such as: wages, equipment, marketing, research and training. Republican profit friendly policy likely enables some misallocation of resources to businesses that exploit workers and take advantage of consumers. In a well run market economy profit directs talent and resources to the businesses doing the best job of satisfying people and there is sufficient competition to compete away large profits. Republicans tend to pull back on the protections for workers and consumers that helps profit allocate resources to businesses that efficiently satisfy people. None of this means we should all vote Democrat. Not everyone’s primary issue is national prosperity. However, if your top issue is economic prosperity and you are a Republican you may need to support primary candidates with more of a tough love approach to business and the ultra wealthy than a coddling approach. If you are an independent and care about prosperity it may be time to shift toward the Democrats until Republicans experience enough electoral pain to shift to policy that works. If you are a Democrat, continue your pro-people policies, but try not to sound anti-business or like you want to punish success. The higher top marginal tax rates you propose will help growth, but will mean the wealthy pay less income tax not more, because they will take less income while growing their wealth tax free or tax deferred in businesses more. When the top tax rate was 70 percent the top one percent of taxpayers paid about half the share of the income tax they do now. Restored prosperity will come when the best way to build after tax wealth over the long term is to build and hold wealth in businesses that take the best care of people. Help us make that happen. Like this article, comment on it. Share it.	https://economicleads.com/blog/republicans-and-our-economy/
Educational system is a strong factor in social progress that defines the long-term future of society. With the advent of the information age and an uncontrolled development of technologies, education becomes more important than it ever was. Modern education should teach youth to study constantly throughout life. A prospective graduate should be capable of conducting research, writing a case study, collect and analyze a wealth of information. They should navigate well through informational space, be flexible, enterprising, communicative, creative, able to make an informed choice with a sense of responsibility. University graduates are a social group which is capable of generating ideas aimed at creating positive social changes. Education is a unique institution aimed at developing and multiplying human capital, forming a set of values and principles, objectives, future prospects, socially important ideas that create the future of society as a whole. Educational system can be seen as a means of social changes as well as a basis for adaptation to them. Functions of education The primary purpose of educational system is retention, development, dissemination of knowledge and social experience of different forms through research study and intellectual creativity. All areas of curriculums should directly address the economic, social and cultural issues of society, and stimulate human development by teaching to learn and apply available knowledge. Sociologists identify 4 functions of education: - fostering (cultural and moral values); - education itself; - introduction to cultural and technological products; - socialization (following behavioral patterns and social norms). Types of social change Social change is one of the broadest sociological terms. Depending on the context, the term “social change” can mean the following: - transition of a social object from one state to another; - shift in economic and social order; - significant modification of a social structure and/or its institutions; - change in standards of behavior; - renewal and increase in diversity of institutional forms. All types of social change are closely connected and affecting each other. There are 4 types of social changes. - Changes concerning structures of different social institutions such as family, friendship, society itself. - They affect social processes, for example, changes in migratory procedure, social stratification. - Changes concerning functions of different social systems, institutions, organizations (educational, legislatorial or executive branch). - Changes in the field of personal or collective motivation, for instance, current reduction in people’s motivation for success. Factors affecting social change There are 3 main factors that trigger social changes: - changes that arose in sociocultural sphere such as religion, communities, subcultures; such shifts shape the whole society; - changes in economy, industrial relations, for instance, shifts in foreign trade, customs policy; - technological advances. Let’s have a detailed look at technological impact on social changes, since in XXI century information technology plays a key role in transformation of society. Technological breakthroughs may create great opportunities as well as problems. Educational system and science should reflect the fact of unpredictability of technological innovations. Developments in biotechnology, such as artificial insemination, enabled women to give birth to a child without sexual intercourse. That, in turn, has created surrogacy as a new social role, and relevant norms. Another example of technological impact on society is the rapid development of communication means. New possibilities for social communication arose due to telephone services, TV and Internet connection. It’s obvious that education and social change are the interrelated processes that constantly affect each other. Importantly, the difference between social needs and skills has been and remains the principle trigger for any social change. To put it simply, social changes are caused by the need of overcoming natural constraints. The indirect function of educational system is creating social and cultural changes that result from a continuous process of studying and discovering. The vast majority of all scientific achievements are held at universities and are closely related to economy, science and culture. Therefore, education system can be considered as one of the engines of progress, both technical and social. Conclusion Qualitative education is the basis for the development of science, culture, economy, human intelligence, spirituality and other basic social benefits – all that, in turn, guards sovereignty, security and international influence of a country. It’s absolutely clear that, for the most part, social development depends on social change and education. A human who is capable of acquiring new skills and thinking out of the box, has been and remains the essential value of society.	https://southafricatoday.net/lifestyle/education/education-as-the-perfect-instrument-for-social-change/
...Unit 5 – Socio-Political and Economic Environment March 11, 2012 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to identify a cultural artifact that best represents the society in which we live today. This paper will analyze in detail the jazz saxophone. This paper will examine its origin, it development, and its roots in American jazz. This paper will also explore the changes this artifact will have on future generations. Socio-Political Economic Environment If there were a single cultural artifact that this represents the culture in which we live, today that artifact would be the saxophone or as it is known to most musicians as the jazz sax. The saxophone and jazz are synonymous with a culture that was developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Although this instrument is enjoyed by people all over the world and is used in all forms of music today, it is best known as an integral part of jazz music (The-Saxophone, 2012). Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1838 in Belgium. Sax was the son of an instrument maker and by the age of six, was an expert musical instrument maker (The-Saxophone, 2012). He produced such instruments as the flute and clarinet and learns to play them by testing the ones he made. Sax studied both instruments at the Brussels Conservatory. As a skilled musician, Sax was aware of a tonal disparity between certain instruments. He noticed that there was a disparity between the strings and wind instruments and...... Words: 1272 - Pages: 6 ...POLITICAL AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT Government Overall Since 1949, the People's Republic of China was established in the country by the communists who still govern it today by the Communist Party of China (PCC), whose monopoly on power is guaranteed by the Chinese constitution. The current president is Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao is the prime minister. There are other political parties in the country, though mainly serve to endorse the policies adopted by the PCC. There are signs of political opening, with competitive elections in village and town levels, but these are slim. The Communist Party still maintains effective control over government nominations. Although the Constitution contains rights and individual guarantees, the People's Republic of China is considered one of the least free countries in terms of press freedom and censorship is common for expression of views and information related to the government. China is often criticized by NGOs and other governments due to serious violations of human rights, as in the case of arrests of political activists without trial, forced confessions, torture, mistreatment of prisoners and others. China was then characterized as a country governed by laws and authoritarian policies, communists and socialists. Censorship of political speech and information, including the Internet, is openly and routinely used to silence criticism of the government and the Chinese Communist Party. The government represses the demonstrations from...... Words: 805 - Pages: 4 ...Non Market Environment of McDonald’s Case Study Columbia Southern University Abstract This case study explores the nonmarket component of McDonald’s. The issues, interest, institution and information of the nonmarket is identified. This case study revolves around the most frequently addressed issues against McDonald’s which include contribution the poor public health, treatment of livestock, and aggressive marketing practices. The timeframe of each issues ranges from the 1990s to 2000s. Many of these issues have been continuous through McDonald’s history but none like the allegations of contributing to poor public health. McDonald’s has approached these issues by adjusting ingredients, posting nutritional facts, and adding healthier offerings to their menu. To become a more socially responsible organization McDonald’s should identify and address future issues before they arise As a successful global organization McDonald’s faces much scrutiny. The most prominent issue facing McDonald’s is their contribution to obesity and poor health in society. This organization has also been accused of aggressive marketing towards children. This practice has been directly linked to the obesity in children (Baertlein, 2012). Other interest groups have addressed their treatment of their livestock and the fillers and contaminants found in the food. Various groups have targeted McDonalds backing the aforementioned issues. PETA is the most prominent group with official capacity that...... Words: 815 - Pages: 4 ...Political Environment Case Study CJA 444 In this paper, my response to the letter from the state governor who asked me to end all educational, vocational, and treatment programs in the prison facility will be discussed. I will present negotiating suggestions, present updated information on how my programs have benefited our economics, present evidence on how much internal and external support my programs have. I will discuss who I will contact for support and present the effectiveness and the success of my policies. As the prison director, if I received a letter from my State Governor, verbally directing me to immediately stop all effective activities like the educational, vocational, and treatment opportunities in my prison institute, I would quickly respond to the letter stating why the he (Governor) has to reconsider his or her directives. Due to the effectiveness of my policies, I will not immediately yield to the Governor’s order on giving up my coordinated and effective programs; instead I would write the governor and prove how the society has economically benefited from my prison management system. I would also re-present my prison design and how I am getting inmates involved in education, and vocational opportunities which I believe has been productive and helpful to our societies. In addition, besides the benefit society achieves from this system, it also motivate the inmates by giving them a chance and opportunities to better...... Words: 755 - Pages: 4 ...al The cultural, political and legal environment of international business Abstract A study of the elements of a domestic market and those of an international market may reveal many crucial differences, especially political, legal and cultural differences. For example, the "rules of the game” of business in the international market are diverse, changeable and often unclear. The international firm may have to content with different legal and ethical standards in different host countries. In this paper the parameters of the political, legal, and the cultural environment of international business will be considered, The paper also relates how political, legal, and cultural incidents or situations may become roadblocks to the smooth operation of business ventures in foreign countries. Misunderstandings and breakdown in communication often arise from differences in perception by executives who are not from the same cultural, legal and political background. International investors need to know what elements in a foreign culture have the greatest influence over consumption patterns in general and particularly the consumption behaviour to their specific product. By reflecting on the language, religion, demography, climate, values and beliefs, education, labour, roles of women, family, ethnic groups and other similar elements, the international business person will be able to, not only participate in the international economy with a better perception of the situation, but also be...... Words: 6545 - Pages: 27 ...CHAPTER THREE THE POLITICAL AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENTS FACING BUSINESS OBJECTIVES • To discuss the different goals and functions of political systems • To profile trends in the emergence and diffusion of political systems • To identify the idea of political risk and approaches to managing it • To understand how different political and legal systems affect the conduct of business • To profile trends in the evolution and diffusion of legal systems • To examine the major legal issues facing international business companies • To profile the idea of intellectual property and the basis of concern and controversy Chapter Overview When firms source, produce, and/or market products in foreign countries, they encounter dynamic and challenging political and legal environments. Chapter Three provides a conceptual foundation for the examination of the political and legal dimensions of international business operations. It compares major political regimes, discusses their potential influence upon the development of effective business strategies, and considers the relevance of political risk. The chapter also examines the major types of legal systems that exist today, as well as the strategic and operational concerns they pose. It concludes with a discussion of intellectual property rights and the associated challenges confronted in an age of globalization. Chapter Outline OPENING CASE: CHINA’S BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT [See Map 3.1.] During its thirty...... Words: 2792 - Pages: 12 ...Lesson 2: Does Canada’s diverse environment, its economy and its population distribution make it more or less difficult to govern? Canada is currently the second biggest country in the world only behind Russia. It is home to a variety of different ecosystems. Humans have long interacted with this land and, over the centuries, have scattered throughout the country and created a blossoming economy. The different opportunities given to Canadians by their diverse environment makes Canada far less difficult to govern than other countries. Job creation rates are either stable or on the rise and, while the population and economy may not be evenly dispersed, Canada continually ranks among the richest and happiest countries in the world. (LINK 2) First and foremost, it is important to know just how diverse Canada’s environment truly is. Although it would seem like it’s mostly a cold and arctic country, it is in fact composed of several different ecozones ranging from the arctic to the prairies. (Lesson 2, Slide 3) This, in turn, leads to a more diverse economy: there are different fields of work for different sectors of the country. People living along the coasts and around lakes tend to fish, while citizens living in the prairies are mostly in the agricultural industry. (Lesson 2, slide 13) Therefore, certain region with different natural resources will rake in the benefits from these resources and prosper. For example, since oil was discovered in Alberta in 1902, its economy...... Words: 1159 - Pages: 5 ...analyze this study and answer the following questions dealing on a political level of organizational structure and the decision making process. Question #1 Identify the groups, organizations, and political constituents likely to support a reduction in funding for the state’s department of corrections. Which of those groups would also publicly support changes in criminal sentencing that would reduce the prison population? Identify the stakeholder groups or individuals who benefit from funding the department of corrections or prison construction? The case study entitled “Time to Dig Out” was based on the decisions and political strategies in the view of the state governor. The case study revolved around the basis for new prisons and crime prevention within the state. The state wants to take a hard but drastic approach on preventing crime. There were too many contributing factors to debate on constructing new prisons or eliminating the idea all together. Because of the increased crime in the state the state’s budget base was eroding concurrent with the dramatic increase in dollars allocated to prison expansion. The groups, organizations, and political constituents likely to support a reduction in funding for state’s department of corrections are organizations and agencies affected by the decrease or loss of budget to help secure the function of their missions. Many of these groups, organizations, and political constituents were affected with the decrease in higher...... Words: 976 - Pages: 4 ...For the political environment in U.S., government intervention in marketing tends to be relatively minimal compared to other countries. However, the U.S. government still steps in to support and protect American industry from competition from overseas in a certain extend throughout years. (Boundless,2014) Although some people argue that it is politically impossible to cut tariffs unilaterally in the United States, in fact most U.S. tariffs are already close to zero. Nonetheless, tier one items including shoes and clothing account for less than 6 percent of total imports, but tariffs on these items account for 47 percent of U.S. tariff revenue (The Heritage Foundation, 2013). It may reduce the rivalries from foreign countries towards the industry of sporting shoes and clothing as well. But on the other hand, the political intervention among US companies is minimal, the market is relatively free inside the US, so there are lots of companies among the industry and the competitive rivalry is still intensive after the effect of tariff. Also, In the United States, the average tariff on products from developing countries is much higher than on products from developed countries. For example, imports from Bangladesh faced an average U.S. tariff of 15 percent in 2012, but imports from Belgium faced an average tariff of just 0.7 percent (The Heritage Foundation, 2013). It may seriously affect the cost of sporting shoes and clothes as many of the suppliers are coming from the...... Words: 343 - Pages: 2 ...Political-Legal Environment: Delta Airlines Delta Air lines is not immune to the political and legal structures that exist both domestically and globally. There are many factors that affect the political and legal structures for Delta in their domestic environment of the United States and also in the global environment of Europe. Teresa Cederholm in her article on MarketRealist.com states “The airline industry is widely impacted by regulations and restrictions related to international trade, tax policy, and competition” (2014) She goes on to elaborate further on issues that impact the airline industry such as “war, terrorism, and the outbreak of diseases” (2014). All of these issues require the government to set in and set different rules for airlines on how they operate both at home and abroad. There have been many factors that have recently affected the political and legal environment for Delta Airlines. One of the biggest events of our generation that affected the airline industry was the terrorist attacks of September 11th. After September 11th, the United States government many security regulations in place to make air travel safer for both the passengers and the crew of the air plane. With many of the restrictions in place, Delta Air Lines faced many problems financially. According to Cederholm, the revenue for all the United States airlines dropped to $107.1 billion in 2002 from the $130.2 billion in 2000 (2014). Cederholm goes on to state that “the global...... Words: 781 - Pages: 4 ...Macro environment/Remote Environment Analysis A firm’s macro or remote environment consists of the factors that originate beyond and usually irrespective of a single firm’s operating situation and consists of economic, social, political, technological, and ecological factors (Pearce and Robinson, p87). McDonald’s, a global leader in the fast food industry, remote environment contains many of these factors. Economic Factors: Markets require purchasing power as well as people. The available purchasing power in an economy depends on current income, prices, savings, debt, and credit availability (Kotler, 2000). Changes in income and changes in consumer spending patterns can affect the industry. McDonald’s and other global competitors also face different scale of tax and revenue measurement in different countries. International currency fluctuations especially in global food distribution are also a factor. Social Factors: Current customers are much more health conscious than previous generations and thus are switching to healthier and greener food like salads. In addition, customers are trying to associate themselves with good organizations that they feel are concerned for the environment. Fast food shops are now trying to improve their brand image by portraying their concerns for the environment. Political Factors: Even in stable countries with no political unrest, political trends may have a significant impact on business (Jain, 2004). Different governments may focus on...... Words: 788 - Pages: 4 ...Legal, Political and Ethical Environment: Dimensions of business environments are often classified in 6 major groups represents by the acronym PESTEL. These are: 1. Political 2. Economic 3. Socio cultural 4. Technological 5. Environmental 6. Legal Political environment includes factors like the nature of government policies particularly those related to taxation, industrial relations, regulation of internal business and industry, and foreign trade regulations. It also relates to the stability of the government in power and risk of major political disturbances. Economic factors, as the name implies related to the general condition of the economy within which a business operates and conducts business. It will include factors like GNP, economic growth rate, interest rates, inflation rate, moneys supply, and unemployment rates. Socio cultural factor cover the nature of the life style, culture, attitude and other such common factors that influence and describe the behavioral characteristics typical of the people. It will include factors like demographic profile of the people, culture, and life style. Technological dimension covers the nature of technology available and used by an economy or industry in general. It also covers the extent to which development in technologies are likely to take place. This may be reflected in factors like expenditure on R&D and rate of obsolescence. Environmental factor refers to the physical or geographical environment...... Words: 268 - Pages: 2 ...Political: Corruption India is ranked 85th out of 175 countries (China is ranked 100th) which is an improvement of 2 places compared to 2010 where India was ranked 87th. The new Modi government has also vowed to clamp down on corruption which will definitely improve rankings. (e.V., 2015) Policies encourage manufacturing especially automobiles Under the Modi government, the Make in India initiative was launched in September 2015 to promote manufacturing in India. This initiative introduced new tax cuts, streamlined administrative processes and liberalised FDI. (Makeinindia.com, n.d.) * Streamlined regulations (easier to do business) * Manufacturing and imports in this sector are exempt from licensing and approvals. * Unified online portal for: * Registration of Labour Identification Number (LIN) * Submission of returns * Grievance redressal * Combined returns under 8 labour laws * Online portals: * Real-time registration * Payments through 56 accredited banks * Online application process for environmental and forest clearances * 14 government services delivered via eBiz, a single-window online portal * Investor Facilitation Cell established * Dedicated Japan+ Cell established * Consent to Establish/NOC no longer required for new electricity connections * Documents reduced from 7 to 3 for exports and imports * Option... Words: 2161 - Pages: 9 ...vulnerable to political risk such as unstable, volatile governments, civil unrest, and foreign exchange restrictions that are beyond the control of investors. In other words, companies and investors can face an unpredictable and changeable business environment. For these reasons, it is important to identify, assess and manage political risk for companies that operate in emerging markets. According to the textbook, there are two approaches to measure political risk: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative analysis is based on expert analysis whereas quantitative analysis which begins with the identification of quantifiable factors that affect political risk (Alon, Jaffe, & Vianelli, 2013). Then an average of the factors’ numerical scores given by the formula would be score for the country. However, measuring the factors of political risk is methodically difficult. Because no direct metrics of political risk exist (Eurasia Group, 2015). It all depends on the reliability and validity of the models and the databases used to measure. Recently, Eurasia Group has developed a systematic methodology for measuring political risk. The important parts of this model includes: country scores that capture current levels of political stability (the Global Political Risk Index); formal assessments of the future outlook of political stability and its impact on the business environment (political trajectories); asset pricing models that estimate the interaction between political risk and...... Words: 288 - Pages: 2 ...Canada: A trading nation? You are preparing for a top-level meeting between the Minister of International Trade, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and senior business executives representing several multinational corporations as well as a large group of small- and medium-size enterprises. The objective of the meeting is to discuss Canada’s strategy in responding to the changing global business environment. Expectations are high since everyone wishes to move beyond political pronouncements and joint statements, to specific strategies and actions. The Trade Canada Summit is raising expectations and all are committed to motivating a call to action across major stakeholders engaged in international commerce. While Canadians like to refer to the country as a “trading nation”—partly because of history and partly because of the large impact of trade on the Canadian economy today, leading practitioners and senior officials recognize several truths: Your role Canadian trade is highly concentrated in import/export activities with the United States Certain industry sectors such as automotive and resource-based businesses account for a disproportionately large amount of Canada’s trade Intra-company trade—transfers of resources between affiliated companies—is an important part of Canada’s “export” business The hard reality being confronted, and one which serves as a critical backdrop for this meeting, is the realization that by current standards, Canada does NOT......	https://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Mcdonald-s-And-Political-Environment-In-Canada/23874
China’s culture is different from that of the U.S. in many ways. From Hofstede’s data, China has high scores on power distance and masculinity, while it has low scores on individualism and uncertainty avoidance. On the other hand, the U.S. scores high on individualism and masculinity and low on the other factors (Hofstede, 2016). These scores clearly indicate that the business environment in China differs from that in the U.S. China’s culture based on the appreciation of power distance and masculinity, shows that there is a wide gap between employees and management; thus, there exists little consultation across the hierarchy. Similarly, the masculinity scores imply that the operations are more likely to be driven by the need for results and competition. The low level of individualism demonstrates that the citizens work through collectivism, characterized by cooperation among employees. This is in contrast to the scenario in the U.S. since the business is structured to enhance cooperation among the employees across the hierarchy. This difference has the potential of influencing American businesses operating in China due to the probable conflicts in decision making. While the American businesses may be used to cross level consultation, this may not be the case in the Chinese environment where the power distance makes it difficult for managers to interact with employees easily. Question 2: Other Cultural Aspects Besides Hofstede’s factors, other aspects of the Chinese culture that may affect business operations include the language, flexibility, and ease of adaptation to changing environments. The Chinese have a way of adapting their traditional cultures to environmental changes which makes it possible for the business environment to be managed. This is because the business does not have to change to fit the culture since the culture itself is adaptable. Moreover, the Chinese also have an entrepreneurial spirit which can be beneficial in the business environment (HR Challenges of International Business, 2014). On the other hand, the Chinese language can impact business activities negatively due to the high level of ambiguity associated with it. Ambiguity in any language can result in confusions during negotiations. Additionally, the ambiguity can also result in hampered communication particularly when a business functions using the Chinese workforce (Rao, 2010). Question 3: Business in China, Cultural Pitfalls While the culture of China does not pose significant challenges to doing business in the country, there are other factors that if not considered can seriously damage the process. Conducting business in China can be relatively easy based on the Chinese culture. Aspects such as flexibility, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial spirit all make it easy to run business in China. On the other hand, an American business operating in China may face a pitfall by failing to engage in effective communication with the employees. The ambiguity in the Chinese language can be a stumbling block to business operation if not understood by a company’s management. This is because it can result in misunderstanding between employees and management, misinterpretation of instructions and miscommunication of messages (Rao, 2010). In addition to this, an American company may make a mistake in expecting consultation across different levels. For instance, when a company is used to collaborative decision making, dependence on the Chinese work force for communication can result in delayed decision making, lack of informed contribution, and incomplete information. This is particularly because the Chinese are not used to consultation across different levels in the hierarchy. References Hofstede, G. (2016). China. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html HR Challenges of International Business. (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions. New York, NY. Rao, P. (2010) Unit 6: International human resource management and development. International Business Environment. Global Media, Mumbai, IND. [Ebrary] SLP 2: Financial System Question 1: Currency of China The Chinese currency is referred to as the Renmibi or the Chinese Yuan, abbreviated as CYN in the international stock market. Relative to the USD, the Yuan has been stable for the last two decades. The same comparison is relevant to other currencies across the Middle East and Europe. However, in the last two months, there have been fluctuations in the currency value, with the Yuan reaching a five-year minimum on 23rd May 2016. The reason behind this weakening is associated with an increase in the debt level in China because of Chinese corporations which have been taking too many loans in the recent years. During the periods of stability, the Chinese Yuan had been characterized by a more fixed than floating exchange rate. This is based on the limited frequency of fluctuation of the rate as reported by Chen (2016). The fluctuation of the exchange rate is, however relatively steady given that it is predictable. For instance, it is projected that the weakening of the currency will continue in the course of the coming 12 months and that it will eventually settle on a low of 6.8 against the USD (Chen, 2016). Question 2: Banking System in China Like the Chinese currency, the banking system in China is associated with a lot of stability and security. The Central Reserve Bank has the role of controlling the availability of cash in the economic system, a role which is done satisfactorily. Besides the recent weakening of the currency, the banking system in China has not been faced with any other financial risks in the recent past. This implies that the only crisis that the system has encountered is the recent devaluation of the currency. It can also be argued that inflation may be a challenge to the sector. However, this is a global challenge that the Chinese banking system has managed to control effectively. Therefore, the only crisis in recent times relates to the reduced currency value. Question 3: Financial System and Business Based on the previous stability of the currency and the financial system of the country, doing business in China can be said to be relatively easy. However, the recent and projected devaluation of the currency can pose a challenge to businesses deciding to operate in China. In order for any company to succeed in the Chinese business environment, taking measures against financial risk is mandatory (Goyal, 2003). The key risk associated with China in this context would be the risk of loss due to currency weakening. To counter this risk, I would recommend that the company should hedge. Taking insurance cover for currency fluctuation would be the most important decision for the company. This will ensure that the company does not lose revenue especially when the startup and/ or expansion funds are obtained through loans (Shackman, 2016). Due to the devaluation of currency in recent times and in the coming years, it is expected that the interest rates will also increase leading to a rise in revenue loss through interest payment (Chen, 2016). Hedging would prevent the possible losses for the company. As a matter of fact, only hedging can help the company to effectively insulate itself against the coming revenue losses since they all originate from the weakening of the currency. This recommendation is, however, based on the assumption that the company has no other alternative location for its business. References Chen, C. (2016, May 23). Stability in Chinese Currency may be at an End. South China Moring Post. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/1951494/stability-chinese-currency-may-be-end-analysts-say Goyal, A. (2013, Sep 19). Dealing with currency volatility. The Hindu Businessline. Retrieved from http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/ashima-goyal/dealing-with-currency-volatility/article5142289.ece Shackman, J. (2016). The Economic and Financial Environment of International Business. [Slideshare] Trident University. SLP 3: Political System Question 1: Government and Political Stability The government of China has a multiparty system based on three main political affiliations. With immense democracy, China has managed to maintain a stable form of government over the years. The government influences the economic system of the country to a large extent through various aspects of law (LI, 2015). The economic stability of the country is cited as the force behind the political stability in China. This implies that in case of instability of the economic system of the country, there is a potential for the political system to be shaken too. Apart from this, the democracy in China which is clearly represented by the presence of a multi-party system in the country has seen the existence of a sustainable level of political legitimacy. Compared to other countries where the political system is unstable, it could be argued that China has prevented instability through maintenance of a legitimate form of governance that originates from elections. Based on the level of stability experienced in the Chinese political system, doing business can be very profitable in China. However, this is dependent on some other factors such as the legal system, fluctuations in the international market, and global financial markets. The benefit associated with the stability in the political system is immense. Nevertheless, the fluctuations in the political environment can impact the economic environment. Political instability drives away investors and also increases the costs of operating businesses (Steers & Nardon, 2003). Question 2: Chinese Legal Environment Although the legal regulations for doing business in China can be considered as stringent particularly for international businesses, they are also relatively easy to adhere to. For any company intending to invest in China, it is necessary to be registered under the Chinese law, licensed, and ready to operate within the constraints of the law. The registration and licensure process is dependent on factors such as the type of company to be started, the mode of operation and the ownership of the company. Corporations have different legal requirements for limited liability companies as well as for private companies. State owned organizations also have special requirements. It is purported that the Chinese legal environment supports the state owned corporations, while it discriminates the private institutions. For international companies, restrictions are placed on the level of capital investment that the company desires to use. Permanent government approval is granted to companies valued over $300 million. For those companies valued between $50 million and $300 million, the approval is temporary, while companies with the value of less than $50 million are restricted by the government (King & Wood, 2012). According to King and Wood (2012), the duration of establishment of international companies in China also influences the registration and the licensure process. Different types of business structures are recommended by the legal system depending on the duration of tenure intended. For instance, it is suggested that businesses being set up for long term operation should be partnerships with local companies or mergers. Direct foreign investments involving foreign companies are only recommended for short term operation. Apart from the registration and licensure requirements, foreign investments to China are also supposed to be evaluated for approval by environmental authorities. The business environment in China is challenged with diverse operational procedures in the legal realm. Notwithstanding the registration process, foreign businesses are also expected to comply with tax regulations which are about 17 in number including VAT, construction, and land rates among many others (King & Wood, 2012). Each of these tax requirements is mandatory for all businesses depending on whether the business is resident or non-resident. Moreover, operating businesses in China is also subject to other legal regulations such as of competition, employment, anti-trust, intellectual property, and land use law (King & Wood, 2012). Contrary to expectations, the Chinese legal environment does not challenge international businesses more than expected. In almost all other international business transactions, compliance with tax requirements, business registration, and compliance with other business operation laws are mandatory. This does not make China an exception, hence the advancement of the market potential in the country. Question 3: The Level of Corruption in China Although corruption in China is not rampant, quite many aspects of it can be recognized in the commercial environment through actions of nepotism, bribery, patronage, and statistical falsification. In the business environment, corruption is said to be part of every business transaction (Pei, 2007). CPC, which is the registration body for businesses in China, comprises more corrupt officials than honest ones. This, however, has not impacted the environment too negatively considering the fact that the market potential in China continues to grow every day. Moreover, the efforts of the government in fighting corruption as exemplified in the recent efforts to crack down corrupt officials have made the business environment more manageable. The overall effect of corruption is, however, undeniable as it results in business losses and subsequent increase in the product prices to cater for the costs incurred in corrupt dealings. Despite the impacts of corruption being under control, it is projected that widespread corruption will have a detrimental effect on the business environment in the future. Pei (2007) reported that corruption constitutes the major threat to political and economic stability in China. References King and Wood, M. (2012). Overview of Doing Business in China. China Law Insight. Retrieved from http://www.chinalawinsight.com/2012/03/articles/intellectual-property/overview-of-doing-business-in-china/ Li, X. (2015, November 11). China’s Potential Pitfalls #2: The Limitations of China’s Political and Economic Models. The Diplomat. Retrieved from http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/chinas-potential-pitfalls-2-the-limitations-of-chinas-political-and-economic-models/ Pei, M. (2007). Corruption Threatens China’s Future. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Policy Brief No. 55, USA: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. Retrieved from http://carnegieendowment.org/files/pb55_pei_china_corruption_final.pdf Steers, R. M., & Nardon, L. (2005). Chapter 10: Developing global business strategies. In Managing in the Global Economy. Armonk, NY SLP 4: China’s Market Potential Question 1: Positive Aspects of the Country One of the key aspects that can be considered positive for carrying out business in China is the stability of the political and economic systems in the country. The political system in China is relatively stable as indicated by the various characteristics of the country. In terms of governance, the country has a well-established system for the election of leaders based on multi-party democracy. The key advantages associated with a stable political system are that it enhances business safety and security and also ensures that the country maintains an environment friendly to foreign investors. Moreover, a non-volatile political environment gives companies the hope of gaining a return on investment since companies are protected from looting, arson, and other detrimental activities associated with unstable political systems. Economic stability is also an essential part of a positive business environment. This is because a company can be able to predict the profitability of their business and thus make a sound investment. China offers a politically and economically stable environment, hence encouraging foreign investors. Apart from this, the culture of China also enables profitable operation of businesses. Characteristics of the culture such as collectivism and masculinity all ensure competitive and profitable business. Besides, an entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability to changing business environments result in profitable business operations. These aspects of the Chinese culture foster the development of workplace associations that enhance profitability of any business. Furthermore, the level of pragmatism associated with the Chinese culture helps to steer businesses to long term sustainability. To make work easier and more profitable, China as a country has effectively embraced technology, leading to the recognition of the lead in market potential for applications in Asia (Juan, 2016). While not all companies deal in software applications, this market potential clearly indicates that there is a wide use of technology media. This can help companies investing in China to engage in advertisement through cheap media such as social platforms and subsequently gain access to a wide target market. Finally, the high population associated with China also means that for any products made and sold in China, there will be demand in the market unless there is saturation with that particular product. Question 2: Negative Aspects of the Country While most aspects related to business in China are positive, there are also some negative factors. The key negative aspect of the country is a larger proportion of state owned enterprises. This has resulted in a more or less monopolistic business environment where the private companies face limitations on entry. Besides, the legal system provides restrictions relating to company value as well as to the type of companies intending to penetrate into the Chinese market. With these restrictions, it is difficult for private companies to enter and infiltrate the Chinese market with their products. In addition to this, the political system subjects the economy to great influence. For instance, in every area of governance, those in charge create policies which are applied to the economic and financial system in the country. This implies that in cases when there is a change in the political regime, immense changes also occur in the construction planning regulations, economic development, and bureaucracy (Li, 2015). When such changes take place, the greatest impact has to be felt by businesses which are subjected to the economy and to regulations in business operations. Although most of the cultural aspects of China are positive, the power distance in this country also proves to be challenging to the business environment. This is especially so for corporations originating from countries with low power distance. In addition to this, the power distance advances bureaucracy which may sometimes limit decision making in the organizations. Corruption also presents a challenge to the business environment in China (Hillman, 2010). This is related to the creation of turbulence in the economic and political systems of the country. It can therefore be concluded that effective operation in China depends on the ability to strike a balance between the positive and negative aspects of the country. Question 3: Doing Business in China: Recommendations For any international corporation to do business in China successfully, it is essential to take into consideration the following. First, maintaining balance in the cultural aspects of the country can help to achieve business profitability. For instance, it is clear that the people may be adaptable to changes in the commercial sector, yet averse to closeness among people with varied power ratings. Moreover, people are also entrepreneurial. By appealing to their love for entrepreneurship and their flexibility, it is possible to create a work environment characterized by ideas sharing, innovation, and profitability. Secondly, corporations investing in China can also use various forms of media to advertise prior to investment in order to determine the market potential for their specific businesses. It is only through this means an organization can get an exact reflection of the market potential and the level of competition to be faced. Thirdly, running business in the international environment is subject to laws and legal regulations that are inevitable and have to be studied prior to the market entry. Fourth, it would be advisable to consider the state of the currency; at present, it is weakening in China. As a way of cushioning against the potential impacts of currency devaluation, it is recommended that companies practice hedging as a form of financial risk mitigation. References Hillman, B. (2010). Factions and Spoils: Examining Local State Behavior in China. The China Journal, 62: 1–18.	https://www.essaysexperts.net/blog/sample-paper-on-chinese-culture-according-to-hofstedes-data/
Truly appreciate the things your company does. It truly helps people with certain deadlines and a hectic life they have. Response 1 Discussion 1 Week 9 Main Post Question 1: Describe one advantage for child and adolescent development in a multilingual environment? There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes about multilingual environments. One of the biggest stereotypes is that when children and adolescents are raised in multilingual environments, their cognitive development will be hindered because two or more languages will confuse their brains (Souto-Manning, 2006). Despite these popular beliefs, empirical research shows that this is not the case. According to Souto-Manning (2006), humans have the ability to learn infinite languages, and knowing one language is advantageous for learning another one with more ease. Very early in their development, infants and toddlers are like sponges and are able to be receptive to and absorb language easily. However, as we age, language acquisition is more difficult and takes more time and energy to learn. From personal experience, I was in multilingual Spanish classes in Jr. High and High School. I took four years of Spanish and only know the basics and I am not fluent. However, some of the students were raised in multilingual families growing up and were able to speak both languages with little effort. This example illustrates that from early development, children can become very efficient in multiple languages and have an advantage at language acquisition and comprehension. Parents and teachers can create positive atmospheres where children and adolescents naturally can interact with one another and enrich their vocabulary and better appreciate the cultural context of other languages (Souto-Manning, 2006). Research shows that bilingual children and adolescents have an advantage with thinking about more than one way about a concept and can be better problem solvers (Souto-Manning, 2006). Personally, if I ever have children, I would love to have them raised in a multilingual environment if possible. Question 2: What is one challenge for a child or adolescent growing up in a multilingual environment? One challenge in particular for children and adolescents who are socialized in a multilingual environment is their perceptions of others in the classroom. English language learners (ELL) perceive that their non-English language learners (non-ELL) have higher academic success (Leclair, Doll, Osborn, & Jones, 2009). ELL students become frustrated when they are not able to learn English as well as their non-ELL peers and prefer classrooms of their origin (Leclair et. al., 200). Children and adolescents constantly compare themselves to their classmates and when they see their peers are doing better than them, it increases their frustrations. Just imagine being a child that moves to a new school in the United States from a South American country and being in a class where all your peers speak English better than you. These frustrations are real and can have negative implications on positive development. Question 3: What is one recommendation to help ameliorate the challenge that was identified? When ELL children and adolescents are struggling in a multilingual classroom, teachers and parents can help by providing support. When teachers notice that an ELL student’s academics are lagging or the student is showing behavioral issues or frustrations in the classroom, they should consider having the student tutored or placed in a support classroom. A student that is tutored 1 on 1 with another teacher could help them catch up. Students that are struggling to learn English can also be placed in a smaller classroom with other students that have needs similar to theirs. This can create a positive supportive atmosphere for these kids to realize that they are not alone. Parents can also provide their children with extra support at home by helping them with their homework or language learning if possible. If parents and teachers work together than students in a multilingual classroom can have a more positive development. References: Leclair, C., Doll, B., Osborn, A., & Jones, K. (2009). English language learners and non-English language learners perceptions of the classroom environment. Psychology in the Schools, 46(6), 568–577. Souto-Manning, M. (2006). Families learn together: Reconceptualizing linguistic diversity as a resource. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(6), 443–446. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Response 2 Being able to communicate in one or more languages is an incredible gift. As a multilingual myself, I enjoy the rich experiences in connecting and communicating with a wider range of people from different cultures and ethnicities in the world. Advantage for a child and adolescent in a multilingual environment Children who speak more than one language possess a greater vocabulary and higher language awareness than monolinguals. For example, when speaking with friends, I tend to switch between languages to say certain words and this gives me more practice choosing important information and ignoring other details. Another advantage for children and adolescent in a multilingual environment is cognitive development. This will enable a young child to be more flexible in thinking and also learn reading more quickly. Challenge for a child and adolescent in a multilingual environment. Children and adolescents from multilingual environments are more likely to face challenges, particularly in a monolingual society. In the U.S for instance, the myth that exposure to multiple languages in infancy complicates language and cognitive development may cause problems for families trying to expose their children to a second language in the home environment (Kroll & Dussias, n.d). Also, children and adolescents from multilingual backgrounds may struggle with the language barrier which can cause them to drop out of school. Finally, assessing a young child from a multilingual environment may pose a challenge, because of the uncertainty as to whether the child is struggling cognitively or experiencing delays in speech (Laurette Education, Producer, 2014). Recommendation Given the growing body of evidence that multilingualism has many benefits for both children and young adult, I think it is essential to educate the public particularly those in monolingual societies. This may help reduce the stereotypes, and monolingual English speakers may develop new approaches to language learning. Another recommendation worth making is to allow schools to teach and embrace cultural diversity. References Kroll, J. F., & Dussias, P. E. (n.d.). The Benefits of Multilingualism to the Personal and Professional Development of Residents of the US. FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, 50(2), 248–259. Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore. That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.	https://essaysgate.com/2022/02/26/week-9-responses-psychology-homework-help/
English Acquisition and Multilingualism - master The programme is well suited for students who are interested in studying how English is acquired in first and second language settings, as well as how the English language is affected by multilingual situations. Students admitted to the programme will be closely integrated into the research group in Language Acquisition, Variation and Attrition (LAVA) (http://site.uit.no/lava/), which is an active and productive research group working on various aspects of multilingualism and multilingual language acquisition. The students will get the opportunity to carry out hands-on research with the members of the group. The programme provides a good foundation for work related to multilingualism in both the private and the public sector, and is well suited for students who want to pursue a career within research. Facts \|Duration:\|\|2 Years\| \|Location:\|\|Tromsø\| \|Credits (ECTS):\|\|120\| \|Qualification:\|\|Master of English Linguistics with specialization in Language Acquisition and Multilingualism\| \|Admission requirements:\|\|Bachelor in English\| \|Application deadline:\|\|Nordic applicants: 15 April\| International applicants: 1 December \|Application code:\|\|Nordic applicants: 5064 International applicants: 2056\| Scholarships The Department of Language and Culture at UiT is pleased to announce two scholarships of 100000 NOK to support exceptionally talented students who would like to pursue a Master's degree in English Acquisition and Multilingualism at UiT. The scholarships are awarded to support the students through the first year of the degree, which involves coursework. Two more scholarships will be announced next year to support two talented students through the work on the Master’s theses. Please note that the application deadline for admission to this MA programme is 1 December 2018 for international students, and 15 April 2019 for Nordic applicants. The application deadline for the scholarships is 1 April 2019 for international students and 15 April 2019 for Nordic students. Video The Master comprises a course component of 60 ECTS and a thesis of 60 ECTS. The course work consists of five compulsory modules; two of these will run in the Autumn (first semester) and three will be offered in the Spring (second semester): - ENG-3040 First Language Acquisition (10 ECTS) - ENG-3050 Second Language Acquisition (10 ECTS) - ENG-3060 Multilingualism (10 ECTS) - ENG-3070 Varieties of English (10 ECTS) - HIF-3082 Quantitative Methods in Linguistics (10 ECTS) In addition, the student can choose between the following two courses in the first semester (Autumn): - HIF-3010 Syntax I (10 ECTS), or - HIF-3022 Phonology I (10 ECTS) The 60 ECTS based on course work should be completed in the first year of study, while the second year (60 ECTS) should be dedicated to writing the thesis. While working on the Master¿s thesis, a seminar is offered to support the students¿ research projects. In the Autumn (third semester), the seminar involves linguistics majors from all languages, and in the Spring (fourth semester), there is a seminar for English linguistics in particular. Students also get the opportunity to present their work in the LAVA-groups¿ research seminar, LAVA lunch. \|Term\|\|10 ects\|\|10 ects\|\|10 ects\| \|1st semester (autumn)\|\| \| (autumn 2019) \| \| (autumn 2019) \| \| or \|2nd semester (spring)\|\| \| (spring 2020) or exchange \| \| (spring 2020) or exchange \| \| or exchange \|3rd semester (autumn)\| \|4th semester (spring)\| Upon the completion of the Master's programme the candidate will have the following learning outcomes: Knowledge The candidate has extensive knowledge about: - the acquisition of English as a first, second and third language - different theoretical accounts of language acquisition, variation and attrition, both in general and with regard to specific linguistic phenomena - how languages may influence each other in multilingual situations, and which factors determine the direction of this influence - how the English language can both affect and be affected by contact with other languages, and how this has shaped varieties of English around the world - methodological approaches to the study of acquisition, variation and attrition Skills The candidate can: - make use of available literature appropriately and evaluate it critically - identify linguistic structures in language acquisition, variation and attrition that may add to our knowledge of these phenomena - make use of appropriate methodology to study language acquisition, variation, and attrition, taking into account the context in which the relevant phenomenon occurs and the speakers it affects - apply a theoretical framework to the linguistic structure in question, even when this represents a novel analysis of the relevant linguistic data - undertake a small research project with the help of a supervisor General competence The candidate is able to: - apply methodological and theoretical knowledge to other linguistic contexts - communicate academic content in a way appropriate for audiences of both experts and the general public, and can do this both orally and in writing Applicants must enclose an application essay (Statement of purpose) written in English (maximum of two pages) about their motivation for pursuing a degree in English acquisition and multilingualism, their choice of UiT, and their ideas for a master's thesis topic. More information on formal admission requirements - international applicants: Read more here. Applicants from Norway or Nordic countries: The application deadline for Norwegian and other Nordic applicants is 15 April. Applicants from outside the Nordic countries: The application deadline for international applicants is 1 December. Are you an international applicant? Read more here. The Master's in English Acquisition and Multilingualism is a demanding programme that requires the student to work throughout the term. The students are expected to spend 40 hours per week on their studies, including preparation for lectures and seminars, work on term papers and other assignments. Most courses contain assignments that must be approved in order to take the exam. These may include researched or reflective writing assignments, problem solving tasks, or oral presentations. The most common forms of examination are home exams written on assigned topics over a one-two week period or term papers on topics that students choose in cooperation with course instructor. Grades range from A-F, where A is the highest grade and F is fail. For further information about work requirements, exam format and evaluative criteria, see the individual course descriptions on the UiT website. The language of all teaching and examinations is English. Students taking the Master's in English Acquisition and Multilingualism are encouraged to make use of one of our exchange agreements in the second and/or third semester. The department has a student exchange agreement with the following institutions:	https://en.uit.no/utdanning/program/560285/english_acquisition_and_multilingualism_-_master
Dr Kathyrn Kohnert, a speech & language therapist and researcher in the US wrote a very interesting article in 2010 for speech & language therapists. Her aim was to explore how to best provide speech & language therapy for bilingual families. She highlighted three important features of language development in bilingual children that are really useful to remember. For parents, teachers, SLTs and anyone working with bilingual families. The ideas are the same whether you speak 2 languages or 4. Let’s have a look : #1 Language skills tend to be distributed across languages and vary over time. This means that it’s natural for multilingual children to know some words in only one of their languages. It’s not a case of two or three monolingual speakers of each language in the one child. A simple example is where they have words to do with home, family, and community in the language used there and then they learn words to do with maths and science and geography and so on at school. It’s important to know this because it means that you need to think about all of the words your child has in all of their languages. And it means that if they’re seeing a speech and language therapist, they need to have all of their languages tested. When their language is tested, it’s not unusual for multilingual children to do better on some tasks than on others. So, they might be good with vocabulary and story-telling in the home language and not so good at these in the community language, especially when they’ve just started school. That’s just the way it goes and it doesn’t mean your child has a language problem. # 2 The languages interact with each other. Basically, the languages do seem to be stored separately in multilingual children’s brains, but they interact with each other. Multilingual people tend to mix languages and switch between them to different degrees. Children aren’t confused when they mix. You can only mix things that are separate to begin with and if you look closely, the mixed things they say are grammatically correct. For example, my little girl who has been immersed in Irish for about 5 hours daily since she was 4 was writing sentences that mixed Irish and English until this year. So she wrote Tá mé ag wearing sciorta in Irish. It’s I am wearing a skirt in English. It should be Tá mé ag caitheamh sciorta. She had the correct Irish grammatical structure, didn’t have the verb in Irish and so she popped in the English version in the correct place in the sentence. Not a sign of a problem- it’s a neat solution to the problem. She’s doing it less now. But what’s going on now is that she’s using Irish words with an English sentence structure. So Mercury is the planet next to the sun should be Is é Mearcair an phláinéad in aice leis an ghrian. But she wrote Tá Mearcair an phláinéad in aice leis an ghrian which is closer to English grammar. So when your child does this mixing , it might just be that they didn’t have the word they wanted in one language, so they popped in the equivalent word from another language- pretty cool when you think about it. #3 Every one’s different and every multilingual situation is unique. In the research, even when children are matched closely in groups, there’s a lot of variation between individual children in the group and how they perform on language testing. And there’s also a lot of variation between groups of carefully matched multilingual children who speak the same languages. That’s because there are a range of factors that affect language development which are unique for every family. Things like the number of languages spoken, the ages at which children are exposed to the different languages, the opportunities they have to use the languages, their own motivation which can change over time, how similar or different the languages are, the social value attached to the languages and so on. Assessment of multilingual children’s speech & language skills need to take these three factors into account. Here’s an example of the kind of variation I mean: a boy’s expressive vocabulary can vary from 79 words to 511 words at 24 months of age and still be considered within normal limits! So, when looking at the research it’s important to remember that what’s true for the group may not be true for your child. What about you? How does this fit with your situation? Let me know in the comments below. If you’d like to read the article in full, I’ve put the reference at the end of the post. If you like this post please share it with your friends & I’d be delighted if you liked it on Facebook too. You can do that here. Let’s get talking! MP PS this is an extract from the book I’m writing for multilingual families. If you’re not on my list already, be sure to sign up so you’ll know when it’s ready. You can sign up at the top of the page, near the title of the post. Kohnert, K. (2010) Bilingual children with primary language impairment: issues, evidence, & implications for clinical actions. Journal of Communication Disorders 43: 456-473.	http://talknua.com/three-crucial-things-to-remember-about-language-development-in-bilingual-children/
The Lemont High School World Languages Department believes students should develop the following characteristics: • Ability to communicate in the target language in order to function in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes • Make connections with other disciplines and acquire information and diverse perspectives in order to use the language to function in academic and career-related situations • Acquire linguistic and cultural competencies in order to become effective global citizens Courses offered within the World Languages curriculum offer students the opportunity to study American Sign Language, French, German and Spanish. Courses help students communicate and interact with cultural competence so that they can participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world. Students use the target language to investigate, explain and reflect on the nature of language through comparisons of the target language and their own. All courses offered by the World Languages Department are appropriate for college-bound students. Based on their abilities and course level, students shall be able to understand and communicate in the target language through: • Reading and understanding the main ideas of authentic texts, both fiction and nonfiction • Listening to and interpreting authentic target language from a variety of sources • Acquiring information through questioning and problem solving techniques • Employing language functions to express descriptions, narratives and viewpoints Grading Standards: Student grades are determined by their performance on language proficiency, examinations, and class participation. Students enrolled in third- or fourth-year courses are given honors credit; those students enrolled in the highest level of a language may have the opportunity to earn college credit.	http://www.lhs210.net/academics/departments/worldlang.aspx
The analysis of how an individual correlates with a specific environment and how the person responds to an interview on specific issues has been known to be one of the main tools of analysing the impact of language in communication (Anthias, 2001). This paper analyses interview response of a multilingual informant as an approach of investigating how an individual’s group membership can be correlated to the way they speak. It will also create an in-depth-scrutiny of the language and practices of a multilingual speaker in the context of their local community and the effect of globalisation on language and communication. The informant in this study is a 52-year-old multilingual woman who speaks five different languages: Hungarian, English, French, German, and Russian. Hungarian is the informant’s mother tongue. She originates from Hungary and communicates to family members in Hungarian. Although she has travelled and lived in different parts of Europe, she learned the different languages for different reasons. Monolingual ideologies are prevalent in most cities of Europe. This has forced people who have a different mother tongue to learn the dominant language in these cities (Thorne et al., 2009). Thome et al argues that this majorly because the state’s language is selected based on the dominant community. This is further illustrated in the interview where the respondent was compelled to learn five different languages in order to be able to communicate in different parts of Europe. According to the participant, Hungarian language is the easier language of the other four languages she has learnt. The participant was able to grasp the concepts of Hungarian language at a very young age, which made it easy and comfortable to communicate in this language. Young children develop communication and language skills easily because they are more observant and anxious to learning new things (Louise, 2010). In contrast, adults have low levels of interest in learning other languages unless environmental conditions compel them to (Housen & Kuiken, 2009). This is the main reason that results to cross cultural communication and miscommunication effects. This is a common phenomenon in cases where their mother tongue is not the medium of communication in the new environment they occupy. The process of changing the communication language of an individual affects the effectiveness of communication due to complexities that arise during translation. This has been clear in the approach taken by the interview participant in communication. Most of her statements have effects of direct translation from Hungarian language limiting the effectiveness of the communication. As much as she is able to communicate, she is not very versatile due to her use of a second language in communication. Studies have shown that most humans develop their communication pattern based on their primary language of communication. Other languages are normally affected by translation, which in most cases may affect the process of communication resulting to misinterpretation. Furthermore, translation affects the ability of Diaspora communities to develop the ability to communicate effectively in the destination countries. Although English is the major language of communication of the participant, she has portrayed major translational issues. Some of her statements are translated direct from another language, which affects her communication and meaning. This means that she learnt English not out of passion as in the case of French, but because it was a necessity. This is very clear because her statements reveal someone who is new to English language yet she has resided in England since 1981. According to Thome et al (2009), this is a very long period that is enough for an individual to learn and perfect a language. Her difficulty in communication shows that she was not interested in the language. The participant also mentions taking French classes. This initiative shows that the participant regarded French language highly. However, People reside in civilizations that have a sturdy influence on their beliefs, opinions, and their way of living opinions and beliefs. The fact that she has lived in UK for a very long time has greatly influenced her perception of life. This is because of different perspectives adopted for different communications in different languages. As much as she is a Hungarian, her approach to communication has been greatly influenced by English language limiting the impact of her primary language in communication. This is evident in the participant’s way of living as she has reduced her language to use at home only and the use of English in most of her communication. Therefore, as much as living in Britain requires an individual to learn English, it is not a necessity to ascribe to its cultural aspects as the participant communicates in English, and she still values the cultural aspect of Hungarian language. The process of globalization and increased access to different languages affects the association of different languages. The effects are depended on how the new language was introduced to an individual. Some languages may have very little impact on an individual’s communication and attitude while others may heavily influence the approach to communication and attitude of an individual (Montaruli et al, 2011). The informant was able to learn Russian language mainly because of the setting of her upbringing. As much as the participant learnt the Russian language as a child, it is not among her favourites due to the circumstances that forced her to learn the language. Therefore, developing close ties to a certain language depends on the reasons that forced an individual learn that language (Housen & Kuiken, 2009). This is demonstrated in the respondent’s approach to French language. The participant had a special person in France who motivated her to learn French. Although she no longer lives in France, she still cherishes French language. As much as French is not the fast language to the participant, she regards it as the best. The impact of French language in terms of globalization on the participant’s primary language is very evident. She prefers to relate with French as her favourite language specifically from a social point of view. This means that the ability of the participant to learn French language made her appreciate the social and cultural approach adopted by the speakers of that language and therefore, circumstances that lead one to learn a new language determines how that person rates that language (Anthias, 2001). An environment that is welcoming and that present a comforting approach to communication makes an individual grasp the concepts of a language and develop close ties with the language (Wolf 2000). The vice versa is also true. The respondent says that she was forced to learn Russian as a child. This has made the respondent develop a negative attitude towards Russian although she learnt it at a very young age (Thorne et al., 2009). The same case is evident in the approach taken by the participant on the German language. Although she does not say much about the German language, it is evident that she does not like the language The approach to language and communication in the current global world is majorly determined by the availability of the speakers of language near an immigrant in the Diaspora (Housen & Kuiken, 2009). The associations between Diaspora communities determine the levels to which their original language and cultural aspects are incorporated into their new environment. The informant’s Diaspora community, which comprises mostly of close relatives, enhanced the role of the Hungarian language in the participants’ communication. The fact that the participant moved to the UK with family members allowed her to communicate with the family members frequently. Particularly, the participant has identified very few instances where she has access to her language resulting to it having minimal impacts on English, her new language. The participant is also in touch with her home country increasing the chances of utilising Hungarian language in communication. This has resulted to two effects in her language. The first effect is as a result of limited utilisation of English. The participant does not regard it highly. She views it as a requirement necessary to work and live in the UK. Furthermore, the Hungarians in Diaspora have made enabled the participant to communicate in Hungarian often. This has enabled her to perfect and preserve her native language, which has made her develop close ties with the language. The ability to speak Hungarian language has helped the participant to maintain her identity as a Hungarian national living in the UK (Montaruli et al, 2011). More so, it is clear that the circumstances in the Diaspora forced her to learn the other languages. For instance, she opted to learn English language to make her life in UK easy and comfortable. She learned Russian as it was a necessity of the dictatorship leadership that existed during those times. She learnt French so that she could communicate effectively with her special one. Generally, the ability of the participant to develop allegiance to more than one language due to movement from one place to another has resulted to her being caught between two worlds and unable to meet her needs effectively as far as communication is concerned and the effect of different languages and approach to cultural practices. This has made her regard her situation insatiable as she tries to handle approach to culture from different languages point of view. Various authors have viewed attitude as a great determiner of languages that are easily accepted by Diaspora communities (Housen & Kuiken, 2009; Wolff, 2000). The participant’s attitude played a major role in determining which languages in the Diaspora were favoured by the participant (Housen & Kuiken, 2009). For instance, the participant had a negative attitude towards Russian and Germany languages as they were introduced to her as necessities of the communist dictatorship regimes. This is clear based on the response the participant provided when she was asked if her county was a communist. She quickly denied and did not even go into details as in the case of the other responses where she was provided explanations. This represents a situation where the participant was not happy with the approach of communism leadership. Generally, the participant is of Hungarian origin, but was forced to learn other languages as a necessity to overcoming her life challenges. As a child, the participant had to learn Russian to meet the obligations of the dictatorship regime. As an immigrant in France, she had to learn French as it was the only avenue of socialisation. In the UK, she was forced to learn English as most workstations employed people who spoke English. Her ability to preserve the cultural aspect of her Hungarian language indicates the strong ties that exist between an individual and his/her primary language. She had limited time to access and use Hungarian language, but the level of her association with the language indicates how close she was attached to her primary language. It is evident that the participant is a Hungarian who is proud of her language although its significance is dwindling due to globalisation of some languages such as English. Language is presented as a main form of identity for Diaspora inhabitants and a main approach to association (Montaruli et al, 2011). As much as she is in a country that is the home of English, she still manages to emphasise the importance of Hungarian language to her. This is significant as she states that it is one of the favourite languages to her. She goes further and emphasises the relevance of the Hungarian language to her by illustrating how she prefers communicating in Hungarian rather than other languages even when far away from home. Based on the responses gathered from the respondent, it is evident that the respondent could have avoided learning the other languages, provided environmental factors allowed her. The case could have been different for an individual of Hungarian origin born and raised in the UK. Such an individual is highly likely to develop more two primary languages which will limit the level of attachment to any of the two languages (Anthias, F., 2001) Therefore, the process of learning a new language is highly affected by the environment. None of the languages the respondent learnt is as a result of educational training or just for the purpose of expanding knowledge. All the languages that are not indigenous to the participant were learnt because the environment compelled her. Her survival and success depended on these languages (Montaruli et al, 2011). For example, she could not work and live comfortably in the UK without learning English. This is illustrated where the respondent says that English is hard and that she never speaks it with her relatives. Rather, she uses Hungarian to communicate with her relatives because it is simple. The approach to communication by the participant displays a high level of application of persuasive technique (Thorne et al., 2009). The questions that are posed to the participants are mostly very straightforward that require very short responses. However, her response to the questions indicates a high level of persuasion. This is depicted in her application of repetition and detailed accounts of situations when responding to the interview questions. The participant is depicted as an indigenous Hungarian who is proud of her language is depicted by the nature of her approach to communication. In conclusion, language plays a big role in determining an individual’s approach to communication. From the above analysis of the participant’s responses, it is obvious that her indigenous language has greatly influenced the way she communicates. To begin with, when providing a response, the respondent goes beyond what is asked and gives a detailed account of the situation. This case was only different when she was asked whether Hungary is a communist state. She provided a short answer, which presented a unique situation. In this case, she must have doubted her answer otherwise; she could have provided a detailed account of her answer. Therefore, in their indigenous language, individuals are descriptive when providing a response to a certain concern. As much as her responses were in English, the fact that she prolonged her answers and had numerous statements affected by direct translation implies that her indigenous language guides her thoughts. In general, it is evident that language plays a major role in empowering Diaspora communities because they are able to communicate effectively in the new environment and hence become productive. However, language is also seen to further their division, segregation, and exclusion. This is evident in the participant’s contribution on the reasons she had to learn Russian and Germany languages. This presents both positive and negative aspect of language as viewed from a Diaspora point of view. There is increased demand for multilingualism, owing to the increasing global movement and interactions of people from different social backgrounds. Increased globalisation has also increased demand to know many languages. Apart from the mother tongue, other languages may require some formal education for effective comprehension and communication. Developing an understanding on the meaning of different communication as perceived by speakers of a certain language is central to internalising a language as a second language in communication. The experience gained while learning new languages may affect the opinion of the learners (Dewaele, 2012). Despite the differing opinions given by many multilingual individuals, multilingualism should be promoted in order to enhance effective communication in the international community as the participant clearly depicted the various relevancies of her learning several languages. It has been clear that her ability to communicate in different languages has enabled her to overcome various social difficulties she faced during her past and present. This will help in reducing the problem of the language barrier in foreign countries. References Anthias, F., 2001. The concept of Social Division and Theorising Social Stratification: Looking at Ethnicity and Class, Sociology, 35(4), 835-854. Dewaele, J. 2012. Multilingualism, empathy, and multicompetence. International Journal of Multilingualism: 1–15. Housen, A., & Kuiken, F., 2009. Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency in Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, 30 (4), 461-473. Louise, P. P., 2010. A sociolinguistic study of language use and identity amongst Galician young adults, University of Birmingham, M.Phil. Thesis. Montaruli, E., Bourhis, R. Y. & Azurmendi, M. J., 2011. Identity, language, and ethnic relations in the Bilingual Autonomous Communities of Spain. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 15, 94–121. Thorne, S. L., Black, R. W. & Sykes, J. M., 2009. Second Language Use, Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest Communities and Online Gaming. The Modern Language Journal, 93, 802–821. Wolff, Ekkehard 2000. Language and Society. In: Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (Eds.) African Languages – An Introduction, 317. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore. That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.	https://fountainessays.com/a-narrative-account-of-a-multilingual-informant/
If you can communicate in more than one language and navigate more than one culture, your multilingual skills can be leveraged to serve our increasingly diverse society. When you think of all the various aspects of life—work, school, home, socializing, volunteering—there are many contextual opportunities to leverage your language abilities and your cross-cultural competencies to make an impact. This becomes even more meaningful when you work in an industry like healthcare, where the language you speak, the culturally diverse individuals you interact with, and cultural nuances may challenge access to services or the ability to receive quality care. Having the language and cultural proficiency to effectively manage health-specific situations can be instrumental in ensuring long term positive outcomes. A 2019 study by BMC Health Services explored the views of healthcare providers regarding cross-cultural competence in the workplace. It was found that “language barriers, low client health literacy and bureaucratic constraints are regularly offered as barriers to effective cross-cultural service delivery.” A good example of that was during the aftermath of the 2016 Pulse massacre in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people dead and more than 50 people wounded—most of whom were primarily Hispanics from the LGBTQ+ community. How well emergency services, the police, news outlets, and other first responders were able to address and effectively communicate the circumstances was critical. In responding and during the aftermath, the importance of being able to speak in the language of preference of the victim’s families, and with the cultural understanding of the population under stress became blatantly evident. From informing families about their loved ones in a language and cultural context that they could understand to delivering devastating details about the tragedy, linguistic proficiency and cultural competency were evidently needed. Therefore, public, private, and nonprofit organizations increased their focus on identifying the right individuals with the skillsets to provide primary, acute, and other healthcare services that were culturally competent, linguistically appropriate, and with an understanding of the unique needs of the Hispanic LGBTQ+ population. In a recent LANGUAGE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER podcast episode about the impact of language proficiency in healthcare, the conversation highlighted the importance of leveraging one’s linguistic and cultural competency to best serve the community. “Most of our demographic—approximately 50% of our clients—are Spanish speaking, and that part of the community, for many years, were [sic] not targeted,” stated Celia Patitucci, a bilingual HIV educator and tester. “Now that a lot of agencies are being more conscientious about having not only Spanish speaking employees, but also cultural [sic] competent [employees]…it’s not just knowing the language, but knowing the culture is important.” As a person that commands more than one language, you can leverage this as your superpower. Whether you are in the healthcare field or not, the ability to speak, write, read, and effectively communicate in more than one language increases your access to cross-cultural job opportunities and gives you the chance to be a champion for diverse communities. With an ACTFL language proficiency certification through Language Testing International (LTI), you will gain an official badge to demonstrate your ability to use your superpowers to make a meaningful difference—at work, school, home, socially, or when you are out in the community. Learn more about how to get certified at www.languagetesting.com. Sources:	https://blog.languagetesting.com/2021/11/12/leverage-your-linguistic-and-cultural-competencies/
Date: 14-Feb-2018 From: Josh Prada <j.delarosa-prada ttu.edu> Subject: Applied Linguistics / EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages (Jrnl) E-mail this message to a friend Full Title: EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics Call Deadline: 01-May-2018 Call for Journals: Translingual Pedagogies - Special Issue of the EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages Guest Editors: Josh Prada and Tarja Nikula-Jäntti Over the last years, we have witnessed a series of shifts that have laid out the foundations for a multilingual turn in language teaching/learning. This ''focus on multilingualism'' centralizes the bi-/multilingual speaker, her repertoires and practices, her biographical dimensions, and her learning processes, as well as the interactions and social dimensions that emerge in multilingual settings. In doing so, researchers and practitioners normalize multilingualism and the sociolinguistic phenomena that emerge in multilingual situations. At the core of this shift is the notion of translanguaging, which refers to the flexible practices engaged by multilingual speakers in multilingual situations, treating language as an emergent, situated process. A translanguaging perspective asks us to question assumptions about normative language use and monolingually-informed stances on linguistic standards. This special issue of the EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages seeks to expand our current understanding of how translingual practice and pedagogies can be articulated and mobilized in a variety of classroom settings, and the effects of specific forms of translingual pedagogy on different student populations. We welcome manuscript submissions investigating, among others, topics pertaining to: - Register and style - Writing and reading - Pragmatics and semantics - Critical pedagogies - Classroom discourse practices - Content and language integrated learning - Study abroad contexts - Applications to online/hybrid environments - Refugees and majority language education - Urban education - Heritage/community language education - Teacher/instructor discourse and its effects on learning outcomes As a multilingual venue, the Euro-American Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages welcomes submissions in any of its three working languages (English, Italian, and Spanish) as well as manuscripts that purposefully push the boundaries of monolingual academic writing through written translanguaging. Deadline for Manuscripts: May 1, 2018 Manuscripts should be submitted at:	https://linguistlist.org/issues/29/29-725/
Part-Time STEM Program Coordinator SciTech2U is seeking an experienced and dynamic Program Coordinator to assist a team of highly motivated instructors, interns and volunteers in providing STEAM education. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students, newly degreed undergraduates, retired persons, experienced project managers, or STEM professionals desiring to shifting careers. Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, preferably Business or STEM majors, or equivalent program management experience of at least two years, preferably in youth or educational environments. - Demonstrated ability in program development and implementation, resource management, and participant recruitment - Strong communication skills, both oral and written - Demonstrated ability in working with young people, parents and community leaders - Experience with volunteer management highly desiredExcellent task management skills when working with both internal stakeholders and external customers - Grant writing ability is a plus - Ability to write concisely and accurately including for different audiences Responsibilities Responsibilities - Schedule and communicate program implementation with instructional team including leadinstructors, assistants, interns, and volunteers - Serve as substitute instructor or tutor in STEM or English Language Arts subjects, in-person or virtually. - Develop partnerships and maintain communications with schools, parents, community leaders, - local STEM enthusiasts, and organizations. - Develop and maintain public relations to increase the visibility of SciTech2U STEM programs, events, and activities - Work with staff on special events to carry out programs at multiple sites. - Maintain close, regular contact with SciTech2U staff (professional and volunteer) to interpretand explain STEM/Education program objectives and standards, discuss issues, and provide/receive information. - Use software such as spreadsheets or apps to manage timelines; analyze and collect data,communicate with team members; and compile regular reports reflecting program activities,attendance, and outcomes. - Support instructional team by providing technological and project-based resources to encourage - the development of exciting, robust and multi-sensory learning experiences for participants. - Communicate essential information in a timely manner and interact diplomatically with people - Support internal and external partners and volunteers to ensure coordinated implementation ofSTEM programs, both virtually and in in-person environments - Work with executive leadership and instructional staff to design the most effective andpersonalized STEM experiences for children in grades K-12, which can include helping to createeducation materials and workshops; identifying key partners and relationships to cultivate; andhelping market SciTech2U’s programs authentically. - Have a growth-mindset - be willing to accept feedback and grow as an individual and a teammember; have a positive mindset towards the array of opportunities ahead.	https://scitech2u.org/stem-program-coordinator
Developmental and adult environments can interact in complex ways to influence the fitness of individuals. Most studies investigating effects of the environment on fitness focus on environments experienced and traits expressed at a single point in an organism’s life. However, environments vary with time, so the effects of the environments that organisms experience at different ages may interact to affect how traits change throughout life. Here we test whether thermal stress experienced during development leads individuals to cope better with thermal stress as adults. We manipulated temperature during both development and adulthood and measured a range of life-history traits, including senescence, in male and female seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus). We found that thermal stress during development reduced adult reproductive performance of females. In contrast, lifespan and age-dependent mortality were affected more by adult than developmental environments, with high adult temperatures decreasing longevity and increasing age-dependent mortality. Aside from an interaction between developmental and adult environments to affect age-dependent changes in male weight, we did not find any evidence of a beneficial acclimation response to developmental thermal stress. Overall, our results show that effects of developmental and adult environments can be both sex- and trait- specific, and that a full understanding of how environments interact to affect fitness and ageing requires the integrated study of conditions experienced during different stages of ontogeny. Methods This dataset was collected using an experiment on seed beetles which tests for effects of developmental and adult environments on ageing. It has been processed by splitting the overall dataset into 3 datasheets: one one non age-dependent traits, the other on age-dependent fecundity in females, and third on age-dependent weight change in males.	https://datadryad.org:443/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.nvx0k6dvt
When Emperor Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019, in Japan’s first abdication in 200 years, Naruhito officially became the new emperor ushering in a new era called Reiwa (令和; “harmony”). Japan’s tradition of naming eras reflects the ancient belief in the divine spirit of language. Kotodama (言霊; “word spirit”) is the idea that words have an almost magical power to alter physical reality. Through its pervasive impact on society, including its influence on superstitions and social etiquette, traditional poetry and modern pop songs, the word kotodama has, in a way, provided proof of its own concept. For centuries, many cultures have believed in the spiritual force of language. Over time, these ideas have extended from the realm of magic and mythology to become a topic of scientific investigation—ultimately leading to the discovery that language can indeed affect the physical world, for example, by altering our physiology. Our bodies evolve to adapt to our environments, not only over millions of years but also over the days and years of an individual’s life. For instance, off the coast of Thailand, there are children who can “see like dolphins.” Cultural and environmental factors have shaped how these sea nomads of the Moken tribe conduct their daily lives, allowing them to adjust their pupils underwater in a way that most of us cannot. Just as extensive diving can change our pupils, and exercise can change our bodies, so can mental activity, such as learning and using language, shape the physical structures of our brains. When two neurons respond to a stimulus (such as a word), they begin to form chemical and physical pathways to each other, which are strengthened or weakened depending on how often they are co-activated. This process of “neurons that fire together, wire together” is the basis for all learning, and is reflected in the formation of gray matter (where neurons communicate with each other) and white matter (fatty tracts connecting gray matter regions). The brain’s ability to adapt to its environment explains how we become specialized to the sounds of our native tongue. All infants are born with the ability to discriminate between the speech sounds of different languages, but eventually become tuned to the inputs they hear the most; neural pathways corresponding to native phonemes are strengthened, while those corresponding to foreign sounds are pruned. For bilinguals, this window of “universal” sound processing stays open longer because of their exposure to richer language environments. In other words, the inputs that our brains receive shape how we experience the world around us. Despite the fact that multilingualism is the norm rather than the exception, the monolingual model remains the standard for studying neurocognition. A review of over 180 studies recently published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Functions discusses how the challenges associated with juggling multiple languages can affect the way we perceive and respond to our surroundings, as well as the physical structure of the brain. For example, neuroimaging has shown that bilingualism can enhance attention and sensitivity to sounds, even past infancy, and even if you begin to learn another language later in life. Bilingualism can also make your brain more efficient at managing the immense volume of information that comes streaming in on a second-to-second basis, helping you focus on what matters and ignore distracting inputs. Both of these skills are critical for learning new languages, which may explain why learning a second language can make it easier for you to learn a third or a fourth. This is in stark contrast to older, now debunked, ideas that the brain only has room for one language (as if the brain divides up a fixed amount of space among languages, as opposed to being an active living organ with dense and interacting connections). Learning a new language changes, and even optimizes, how you use what you already have. To illustrate, extensive exposure to multilingual speech can result in more robust encoding of sounds in the evolutionarily ancient brainstem, as well as increased gray and white matter in the primary auditory cortex. As a result, after training, even adults may find it easier to perceive foreign speech sounds, as well as mimic foreign accents, compared to monolinguals. Decoding complex speech signals is just one challenge encountered by the bilingual brain. As a spoken word unfolds (e.g., “c-a-n-d-l-e”), both monolinguals and bilinguals need to suppress interference from similar words that come to mind (e.g., “cat,” “can,” “candy”). However, in addition to similar words from the same language, multilinguals also consider words from other languages they know. In fact, the bilingual brain is always ready to process words from all known languages—multiplying the number of so-called “linguistic competitors.” Over time, bilinguals can become experts at controlling these competitors, to the point where the brain regions that monolinguals rely on to resolve within-language competition (e.g., the anterior cingulate cortex) show less activation for bilinguals unless they need to manage competition across languages. Just as having stronger muscles allows you to lift weights with less effort, increased gray matter in classic executive control regions may make it easier for bilinguals to manage irrelevant information. Bilinguals also have increased white matter in the tracts connecting frontal control areas to posterior and subcortical sensory and motor regions, which may allow them to off-load some of the work to areas that handle more procedural activities. Because the same neural machinery can be used for both linguistic and nonlinguistic tasks, multilingual experience can even affect performance in contexts that involve no language at all. Increased gray and white matter, as well as the ability to flexibly recruit different brain regions, may help explain why bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia symptoms by four to six years. Fortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a deadline for fortifying your brain, as learning a foreign language can still have an impact well into adulthood and after relatively brief amounts of training. Furthermore, changes to one area or function are likely to have cascading effects; better cognitive control can enhance auditory processing, which may facilitate further language learning and continued neural restructuring. The human capacity for language has played a critical role in the development of civilizations, the transmission of knowledge and our ability to collectively shape our environments. Mythology and magic aside, endowing the new Japanese era with the word Reiwa could have tangible outcomes by influencing people’s thoughts and choices. While such external consequences of language have been observable throughout history, we have only recently acquired tools such as fMRI, EEG, PET, MEG, NIRS, CT and eye tracking that enable us to see how language reaches back to shape the brain itself. We now know that experience with multiple languages can produce extensive changes to our neural architecture that are observable across the lifespan and across domains: from infancy to old age, from sensory perception to higher cognitive processing. Using and learning language can change our very biology, thereby confirming the ancient intuition that words can, in fact, alter physical reality.	https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-language-shapes-the-brain/
Do Safety Concerns Justify Refusing to Hire Worker with Limited English Proficiency? Situation An electrician whose native language is Mandarin Chinese interviews for a job at a utility. During the interview, the supervisor senses that the electrician is having trouble understanding English and asks him to restate a commonly used safety instruction. The electrician refuses or is unable to comply. The supervisor asks the manager at another site where the electrician previously worked about his language issues. The manager says the electrician’s foreman on that job spoke Mandarin and the electrician communicated primarily in that language on the job site. The utility doesn’t have any Mandarin-speaking employees. Concerned about the electrician’s inability to understand and communicate critical safety information in English, the utility decides not to hire the electrician. His union files a grievance. Question Should the union’s grievance succeed? A. Yes, because the refusal to hire the electrician was discriminatory. B. Yes, because the utility could provide safety information in Mandarin to the electrician. C. No, because the utility had just cause to refuse to hire the electrician. D. No, because the electrician’s language issues raised legitimate safety concerns. Answer D. Because the utility had reasonable concerns regarding the electrician’s ability to understand and communicate safety information in English, its refusal to hire him wasn’t improper. An employer can properly refuse to hire an applicant if such refusal isn’t unreasonable, discriminatory or in bad faith. This hypothetical is based on a real grievance filed by a union when an Ontario utility failed to hire a Mandarin-speaking electrician who had difficulty answering questions in English in the job interview. For example, he simply nodded in response to some questions or answered yes or no to questions for which yes or no wasn’t a proper response. He also refused to repeat a safety instruction in English. The utility believed that the electrician’s proficiency in English was insufficient to allow him to work safely at the site. The Labour Relations Board found that in the electrician’s prior work experience, he was assigned to work with a Mandarin-speaking sub-foreman. Co-workers said he frequently spoke Mandarin on the job site and spoke very little English. Noting the safety hazards inherent in working with electricity, the Board concluded that the refusal to hire wasn’t unreasonable because the utility had legitimate concerns about the electrician’s ability to comprehend and communicate critical safety information in English. Why the Wrong Answers are Wrong A is wrong because refusing to hire an applicant with limited English proficiency isn’t necessarily discrimination. A union or job applicant can successfully challenge a refusal to hire by proving the refusal was discriminatory. And human rights laws bar employers from refusing to hire workers because of certain characteristics, including ethnicity, race or country of origin. Here, the utility didn’t refuse to hire the electrician because of his ethnicity or the fact that he spoke Mandarin Chinese. Rather, the utility refused to hire him because of his apparent difficulty understanding and communicating in English, which posed safety hazards to both the electrician and others. Thus, because the utility had legitimate reason to be concerned about the electrician’s ability to communicate critical safety information in English, its refusal to hire him wasn’t discriminatory. B is wrong because although the utility could provide safety information to the electrician in Mandarin, doing so wouldn’t necessarily eliminate the safety risks posed by the language barrier. Workers’ inability to understand the predominant language in the workplace, usually English or French, can pose safety hazards. (See, “Language Barriers Impede Workplace Safety.”) In this case, the utility had reason to question the electrician’s ability to safely work with electricity and communicate with co-workers about safety hazards because of his lack of proficiency in English. Giving the electrician written safety procedures and rules in Mandarin would’ve helped address the language barrier. But no one else spoke Mandarin. So the electrician would still be unable to ask questions or understand, say, a foreman’s verbal instructions or a co-worker’s warning about a hazard. Thus, his poor English proficiency justified not hiring him, especially for a safety-sensitive position such as an electrician. Insider Says: For information about training multilingual workers, see “Safety Training: Does Safety Training and Material Have to Be Multilingual?” May 2008, p. 1. C is wrong because it states the wrong standard. Decisions to terminate a worker are subject to a just cause standard. But when, as in this case, a worker or union challenges an employer’s refusal to hire an individual, they must prove that the employer’s refusal was unreasonable, discriminatory or made in bad faith. So here, for the union’s grievance to succeed, it would have to prove not that the utility had no just cause for refusing to hire the electrician but that it acted unreasonably, in a discriminatory manner or in bad faith when doing so.	https://ohsinsider.com/tools/other/quizzes/test-your-ohs-iq-do-safety-concerns-justify-refusing-to-hire-worker-with-limited-english-proficiency
The latest Future Forum pulse survey results demonstrated that employees without flexibility have high rates of attrition, leaving companies with decisions around how to increase flexibility not only in where their employees work, but when. Brian Elliott, Executive Leader of Future Forum and Senior Vice President, Slack Technologies, LLC, and Deborah Lovich, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group discussed the survey results and provided specific examples of how to create efficient and flexible policies for the changing workplace. Ms. Lovich opened the conversation by stressing the importance of being intentional about culture, “culture is who we celebrate, who we hire, how we communicate, and how we make decisions.” Find purpose for in-office gatherings and lead by example: If the goal is to promote flexibility, leadership can demonstrate this by also working remotely some days and recognizing the differences between working from a c-suite office and a hoteling desk. Taking steps like this can help narrow the executive-employee disconnect demonstrated in the pulse survey. Keep employees engaged by focusing on career growth: Hybrid or remote environments have challenged the way managers interact with and evaluate employee performance. However, creating clear expectations and focusing on results and outcomes allow both managers and individual contributors to feel engaged in employee performance. Mr. Elliott commented that performance management is “harder than monitoring, and it requires more of managers, but its better for business as well as employees.” For deskless workers, strategies around flexibility differ but it is possible to reimagine how some of their work is completed. We will explore the unique needs of the deskless worker population on our upcoming webinar, “Deskless Workers: Why They Leave and How to Retain Them” on September 15 at 1:00 pm ET. Register here.	https://community.hrpolicy.org/blogs/margaret-faso2/2022/08/05/hr-policy-members-navigate-flexibility-in-the-evol
View larger. Preview this title online. Request a copy. Reading in Race and Ethnic Relations We can examine issues of race and ethnicity through three major sociological perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. As you read through these theories, ask yourself which one makes the most sense and why. Do we need more than one theory to explain racism, prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination? In the view of functionalism, racial and ethnic inequalities must have served an important function in order to exist as long as they have. This concept, of course, is problematic. View larger. Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations examines the historically complex nature of intergroup communication. The text takes interpersonal relations into account within the larger context of society to understand cross-cultural interaction as a whole. Social science theory, research, and analysis are applied to scrutinize historical patterns that have shaped modern cultural relations. The Fifth Edition uses core sociological concepts to examine intergroup relations from a non-objective standpoint. Reading in Race and Ethnic Relations A It is individualized. B It is innate. C It is transmitted from one generation to the next. D It is declining. Topic: The Concept of Culture. A they may not share the same definitions of symbols B people have a natural reluctance to relate to strangers C strangers are intimidated by the natives of the host country D one group tries to dominate the other Answer: A. This book is composed of four parts with a total of 17 chapters. Part 1 explains the concepts of race, racism, and identity. Parts 2 and 3 elucidate the relationship of race with religion, urbanization, and ethnic stratification. Lastly, Part 4 explores how race is associated with politics and conflict. One of the distinctive features of this book is the inclusion of some articles translated into English from other languages. Linguists, communicators, and other people interested in this field of study will find this book invaluable. PDF \| On Jan 1, , Lynn Weber and others published Handbook of the Handbook of the Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations Understanding the complex needs of Aboriginal children and youth with FASD in BC. Handbook of the Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations According to the functionalist perspective, race and ethnicity are two of the various parts of a cohesive society. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions. From this perspective, societies are seen as coherent, bounded, and fundamentally relational constructs that function like organisms, with their various parts such as race working together in an unconscious, quasi-automatic fashion toward achieving an overall social equilibrium. The sociology of race and ethnic relations is the study of social , political , and economic relations between races and ethnicities at all levels of society. This area encompasses the study of systemic racism , like residential segregation and other complex social processes between different racial and ethnic groups. The sociological analysis of race and ethnicity frequently interacts with postcolonial theory and other areas of sociology such as stratification and social psychology. Sociology of race and ethnic relations It seems that you're in Germany. We have a dedicated site for Germany. Sociology is at the hub of the human sciences concerned with racial and ethnic relation, with relevant contributions to disciplines ranging from individual psychology, social psychology, and psychiatry, to economics, anthropology, linguistics, cultural studies, health care delivery and education. In this comprehensive handbook, the editors cover the complex issue of racial and ethnic relations from many perspectives. The contributions to this volume cover the effects of racism on society and on the individual, exploring the impact of the sociology of race on health disparities, media coverage, family dynamics, migration, work, globalization, education, violence, as well as solidarity, anti-racism movements, and community interventions. The result is a seminal handbook for the study of the racial and ethnic relations, across the field of sociology. - Нужен код. - Код? - сердито переспросила. Она посмотрела на панель управления. Под главной клавиатурой была еще одна, меньшего размера, с крошечными кнопками. На каждой - буква алфавита. Быстрее. Беккер повернулся и побежал, но успел сделать только один шаг. Мужчина выхватил оружие и выстрелил. Острая боль обожгла грудь Беккера и ударила в мозг. Пальцы у него онемели. Он упал. Theoretical Perspectives Вот и прекрасно. Мистер Густафсон остановился. Наверное, он сейчас у. - Понимаю. - В голосе звонившего по-прежнему чувствовалась нерешительность. - Ну, тогда… надеюсь, хлопот не . Вы заместитель директора АНБ. Он не мог отказаться. - Ты права, - проворчал Стратмор. - Поэтому я его и попросил. Я не мог позволить себе роскошь… - Директор знает, что вы послали в Испанию частное лицо. - Сьюзан, - сказал Стратмор, уже теряя терпение, - директор не имеет к этому никакого отношения. Пуля ударилась в стену точно над. - Mierda! - вскипел Халохот. Беккеру удалось увернуться в последнее мгновение. Убийца шагнул к. Беккер поднялся над безжизненным телом девушки. Не имеет понятия. Рассказ канадца показался ему полным абсурдом, и он подумал, что старик еще не отошел от шока или страдает слабоумием. Этим я и занимался сегодня весь день - считывал тексты с его терминала, чтобы быть наготове, когда он сделает первый шаг, чтобы вмонтировать этот чертов черный ход. Вот почему я скачал на свой компьютер его электронную почту. Как доказательство, что он отслеживал все связанное с Цифровой крепостью. Если он использует адрес университета или корпорации, времени уйдет немного. - Она через силу улыбнулась.	https://peacetexarkana.org/and-pdf/1158-understanding-race-and-ethnic-relations-pdf-384-575.php
This updated edition of the bestselling text retains all the strengths of the first edition. Chris Shilling: provides a critical survey of the field; demonstrates how developments in diet, sexuality, reproductive technology, genetic engineering and sports science have made the body a site for social alternatives and individual choices; and elucidates the practical uses of theory in striking and accessible ways. In addition, new, original material: explores the latest feminist, phenomenological and action-oriented approaches to the body; examines the latest work on `body projects’ and the relationship between the body and self-identity; and outlines a compelling theoretical framework that provides a radical basis for the consolidation of body studies. Back to top Introduction The Body in Sociology The Naturalistic Body The Socially Constructed Body The Body and Social Inequalities The Body and Physical Capital The Civilized Body The Body, Self-Identity and Death Concluding Comments Back to top The Body in Culture, Technology and Society Chris Shilling The Sociology of the Body Kate Cregan The Body and Society, Third Edition Bryan Turner Changing Bodies: Habit, Crisis and Creativity Chris Shilling Back to top The Sociological Ambition: Elementary Forms of Social and Moral Life SAGE Publications Ltd, 2001 The Body in Culture, Technology and Society SAGE Publications Ltd, 2003. Changing Bodies: Habit, Crisis and Creativity SAGE Publications Ltd, 2008 Back to top Chris Shilling is Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent. His website profile desrcibes him as follows: Over the past two decades my work has revolved around a concern to embody sociology and social/cultural theory, and to understand the social and cultural implications of what it is to be an embodied being. There have been three main strands to this project. Firstly, it has involved a critique of Cartesian influenced, ‘disembodied’ conceptions of sociology which marginalise the corporeal conditions of social action and the bodily consequences of social structures, and an excavation of those traditions that can help us re-embody our conceptions of society. Secondly, I have sought to contribute towards the establishment of an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary field of ‘body studies’ which draws on the wide range of resources and debates on corporality that have become increasingly prominent across the social sciences and humanities. Thirdly, my aim has been to develop original theoretical approaches which enable us to understand more adequately the significance of embodiment to the world in which we live.	https://www.theoryculturesociety.org/homepage/book-series/the-body-and-social-theory-second-edition-chris-shilling/
Differences in health between populations and socio-economic groups form the subject matter of our research. Our objective is to describe these differences and to understand what may cause them. We also aim to investigate the (potential) impact of equity-oriented population health policies. Life expectancy in the Netherlands and many other western countries has increased. However, there are clear differences in the size of this increase between various subgroups of the population. Poor health is still more common in lower socio-economic groups. Reducing these health inequalities is high on the public health agenda in many countries. Equity-oriented policies are being developed at the national and European level, which use our studies as an important basis for priority setting. The HOPE project - This EU-sponsored project aims to support the development and implementation of obesity prevention policies. As a lead collaborator in this project, we reviewed socio-economic inequalities in physical activity and dietary intake. We also explored which elements of the environment contributed to these inequalities. For inequalities in dietary intake, we found little evidence for a contribution by environmental characteristics. For inequalities in physical activity however, we found that social environmental factors such as area attractiveness and social cohesion did exert an influence (website HOPE project). We study the causes and consequences of the recent increase in life expectancy in the Netherlands, to provide an empirical underpinning for policy discussions about solidarity between socio-economic groups in the financing of health care utilization and pension schemes. Low socioeconomic groups are more likely to make unhealthy food choices than high socioeconomic groups. We investigate to what extent differences in culture ('cultural capital'), social capital and economic capital can explain differences in health-related food choices. EURO-GBD-SE is a European funded project, in which we estimate the contribution of a number of specific risk factors to socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in different European countries. Moreover, we aim to assess the potential for reduction in health inequalities in Europe by developing counterfactual scenarios. We develop a novel (Bayesian) approach to estimating small-area summary measures of population health and use this methodology to decompose neighborhood health inequalities in terms of individual and contextual effects. We study (1) whether physical activity affects the dynamic frailty process among elderly, (2) whether physical activity can contribute to long-lasting independent living and (3) what the physical and social environmental determinants of ohysical activity among the elderly are. In this project we investigate whether social or physical environmental changes in the neighbourhood or a combination of both is (most) effective to promote walking among older adults living in low SES neighbourhoods.	https://www6.erasmusmc.nl/public-health/research-education/social-epidemiology/
It is shown that two different measures of ethnic division—polarization and fractionalization—jointly influence conflict, the former more so when the winners enjoy a “public” prize (such as political power or religious hegemony) and the latter moreso when the prize is “private” ( such as looted resources, government subsidies, or infrastructures). Grievances and rebellion: Comparing relative deprivation and horizontal inequality - Psychology - 2020 Social science answers to the essential question of group conflict have focused on two main explanations—their motivating “grievances” and their mobilization “capacity” for collective action. Recent… Inequality, Ethnicity and Civil Conflict - Political Science - 2013 Although economic inequality has long been viewed as a cause of civil conflict, existing research has not found robust empirical support for this relationship. This study explores the connections… Transnational Ethnic Kin and Civil War Outcomes - Sociology - 2015 The literature on the transnational dimension of civil wars points to transnational ethnic kin as an important catalyst that initiates and sustains civil wars. Ethnic ties that transcend national… References SHOWING 1-10 OF 117 REFERENCES Inequalities, the Political Environment and Civil Conflict: Evidence from 55 Developing Countries - Political Science - 2008 This chapter addresses the interplay between socioeconomic and identity-related factors in civil conflict, guided by the concept of horizontal inequalities (HIs). In a series of case studies, Stewart… Polarization, Horizontal Inequalities and Violent Civil Conflict - Economics, Sociology - 2008 Recent large-N studies of civil war conclude that inequality does not increase the risk of violent conflict. This article argues that such conclusions may be premature because these studies, which… Political Consequences of Minority Group Formation - Sociology - 2001 Given the global trend of increasing ethnocultural diversity and the outbreak of nationalist movements based on cultural, linguistic, and territorial identities, this review focuses on social and… Regional Inequalities and Civil Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa - Economics - 2009 The case study literature is ripe with examples of a positive association between inequality and civil war, but systematic country-level studies have largely failed to find a significant… Do Ethnic and Nonethnic Civil Wars Have the Same Causes? - Sociology - 2001 A booming quantitative literature on large-scale political violence has identified important economic and political determinants of civil war. That literature has treated civil war as an aggregate… Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil War - Political ScienceAmerican Political Science Review - 2003 An influential conventional wisdom holds that civil wars proliferated rapidly with the end of the Cold War and that the root cause of many or most of these has been ethnic and religious antagonisms.… Spatial–Horizontal Inequality and the Maoist Insurgency in Nepal - Economics - 2005 The Maoist insurgency in Nepal is one of the highest intensity internal conflicts in recent times. Investigation into the causes of the conflict would suggest that grievance rather than greed is the… Beyond Fractionalization: Mapping Ethnicity onto Nationalist Insurgencies - SociologyAmerican Political Science Review - 2007 This paper theorizes the link between ethnicity and conflict. Conventional research relies on the ethnolinguistic fractionalization index (ELF) to explore a possible causal connection between these… Horizontal Inequalities and Violent Group Mobilization in Côte d'Ivoire - Political Science - 2005 In order to explain the emergence of ethnic violence, scholars from different disciplines have focused on different factors, such as the role of ethnicity, the individual gain from civil war, the… Major findings and conclusions on the relationship between horizontal inequalities and conflict.	https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Horizontal-Inequalities-and-Ethnonationalist-Civil-Cederman-Weidmann/a5064471bbbff03dd7029afa7f58e046f8cf6a97
ISBN : 9780190492472 A social epidemiologist looks at health inequalities in terms of the upstream factors that produced them. A political sociologist sees these same inequalities as products of institutions that unequally allocate power and social goods. Neither is wrong — but can the two talk to one another? In a stirring new synthesis, Political Sociology and the People's Health advances the debate over social inequalities in health by offering a new set of provocative hypotheses around how health is distributed in and across populations. It joins political sociology's macroscopic insights into social policy, labor markets, and the racialized and gendered state with social epidemiology's conceptualizations and measurements of populations, etiologic periods, and distributions. The result is a major leap forward in how we understand the relationships between institutions and inequalities — and essential reading for those in public health, sociology, and beyond. Acknowledgements Foreword: For the People's Health - Why this Book Series of Small Books with Big Ideas?	https://www.oupjapan.co.jp/en/node/23891?language=en
When philosophers of the social sciences take seriously the importance of individual action within the social realm, we often look in the direction of methodological individualism and the methods of “aggregation dynamics”. That is, agent-centered theorists are usually interested in finding ways of climbing the upward strut of Coleman’s boat through efforts at modeling the interactive dynamics of purposive individuals and the social outcomes they produce. This leads to an interest in applying microeconomics, game theory, or agent-based modeling as ways of discovering the aggregate consequences of a certain theory of the actor (purposive, calculating, strategic rationality). We then get a ready basis for accounting for causal relations in the social world; the medium of causal powers and effects is the collection of purposive actors who live in social relationships and institutions with a fairly homogeneous form of agency. This is a perfectly valid way of thinking about social causation and explanation. But the thrust of the argument for thick descriptions of actors, coming from microsociologists, ethnomethodologists, and historical sociologists, is that the abstractions associated with thin theories of the actor (goal-directed behavior driven by rational-self-interest) are often inadequate for understanding real social settings. If we attach weight to sociologists like Goffman and Garfinkel, some of the most interesting stuff is happening along the bottom edge of Coleman’s boat — the interactions among socially situated individuals. So how should we think about the challenge of incorporating a richer theory of the actor into the project of supporting an adequate set of ideas about social inquiry and social explanation? This approach seems to lead most naturally to a conception of explanation that is more interpretive than causal, and it suggests that the hard work of social research will go into the effort to find evidence permitting the researcher to form a theory of the attitudes, beliefs, and mental frameworks of the actors involved in the social setting of interest. The example of Robert Darnton’s study of “The Great Cat Massacre” illustrates the value and difficulty of this kind of inquiry (link). And it highlights the crucial role that concrete historical and documentary evidence play in the effort (link). At the same time, the explanations offered are almost inevitably particular to the case, not generalizable. Is there an approach to social explanation that makes use of a thick theory of the actor but nonetheless aspires to providing largescale social explanations? Can thick theories of the actor, and rich accounts of agency in specific circumstances, be incorporated into causal theories of specific kinds of social organization and change? Can we imagine a parallel masterpiece to Coleman’s Foundations of Social Theory, which incorporates the nuances of thick sociology and points towards a generalizing sociology? Yes and no. Yes, in that important and large-scale works of comparative historical sociology depend directly on analysis of the thick mentalities of the actors who made up great events — e.g. Mann on fascism (demobilized soldiers), Steinmetz on German colonialism (professional administrators), Frank Dobbin on French technology planning (technocrats), or Charles Sabel on Italian mechanical culture (machinists versus engineers). And this kind of social research depends upon its own kind of generalization — the claim to identify a cultural type that was current in a given population at a certain time. This is the project of discovering a historically concrete mentalité (link). But no, if we think the primary mode of social explanation takes the form of system models demonstrating the genealogy of this social characteristic or that. This sounds a bit like the heart of the methodenstreit of the last century, between historicists and nomological theorists. Does the social world admit of generalizing explanations (nomothetic), or is social explanation best understood as particular and historically situated (idiographic)? Fortunately we are not forced to choose. Both kinds of explanation are possible in the social realm, and some problems are more amenable to in approach or the other. Only the view that insists on the unity of science find this dilemma unacceptable. But for a methodological pluralist, this is a perfectly agreeable state of affairs. So far so good. But AS ads another requirement about causal mechanisms in the social realm that is less convincing: that the only real or credible mechanisms are those involving the actions of individual actors. In other words, causal action in the social world takes place solely at the micro level. This assumption is substantial, non-trivial, and seemingly dogmatic. Here is a table in which Hedström classifies different kinds of social mechanisms; significantly, all are at the level of actors and their mental states. Each of these represents a fairly ordinary statement of social causation in which a primary causal factor is an organization, an institutional arrangement, or a normative system. It is true, of course, that such entities depends on the actions and minds of individuals. This is the thrust of ontological individualism (link, link): the social world ultimately depends on individuals in relation to each other and in relation to the modes of social formation through which their knowledge and action principles have been developed. But explanatory or methodological individualism does not follow from the truth of ontological individualism, any more than biological reductionism follows from the truth of physicalism. Instead, it is legitimate to attribute stable causal properties to meso-level social entities and to invoke those entities in legitimate social-causal explanations. Earlier arguments for meso-level causal mechanisms can be found here, here, and here. This point about “micro-level dogmatism” leads me to believe that analytical sociology is unnecessarily rigid when it comes to causal processes in the social realm. Moreover, this rigidity leads it to be unreceptive to many approaches to sociology that are perfectly legitimate and insightful. It is as if someone proposed to offer a science of cooking but would only countenance statements at the level of organic chemistry. Such an approach would preclude the possibility of distinguishing different cuisines on the basis of the palette of spices and flavors that they use. By analogy, the many approaches to sociological research that proceed on the basis of an analysis of the workings of mid-level social entities and influences are excluded by the strictures of analytical sociology. Not all social research needs to take the form of the discovery of microfoundations, and reductionism is not the only scientifically legitimate strategy for explanation. “How could the autonomous local interactions of heterogeneous boundedly rational agents generate the given regularity? And Epstein is quite explicit in saying that this formulation represents a necessary condition on all putative social explanations: “In summary, generative sufficiency is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for explanation.” (5). There is an apparent logic to this view of explanation. However, several earlier posts cast doubt on the conclusion. First, we have seen that all ABMs necessarily make abstractive assumptions about the behavioral features of the actors, and they have a difficult time incorporating “structural” factors like organizations. We found that the ABM simulations of ethnic and civil conflict (including Epstein’s own model) are radically over-simplified representations of the field of civil conflict (link). So it is problematic to assume the general applicability and superiority of ABM approaches for all issues of social explanation. Second, we have also emphasized the importance of distinguishing between “generativeness” and “reducibility” (link). The former is a claim about ontology — the notion that the features of the lower level suffice to determine the features of the upper level through pathways we may not understand at all. The latter is a claim about inter-theoretic deductive relationships — relationships between our formalized beliefs about the lower level and the feasibility of deriving the features of the upper level from these beliefs. But I argued in the earlier post that the fact that A is generated by B does not imply that A is reducible to B. I would say that this organizational approach is a legitimate schema for social explanation of an important effect (the occurrence of large technology failures). Further, it is not a generativist explanation; it does not originate in a simplification of a particular kind of failure and demonstrate through iterated runs that failures occur X% of the time. Rather, it is based on a different kind of scientific reasoning, based on causal analysis grounded in careful analysis and comparison of cases. Process tracing (starting with a failure and working backwards to find the key causal branches that led to the failure) and small-N comparison of cases allows the researcher to arrive at confident judgments about the causes of technology failure. And this kind of analysis can refute competing hypotheses: “operator error generally causes technology failure”, “poor technology design generally causes technology failure”, or even “technological over-confidence causes technology failure”. All these hypotheses have defenders; so it is a substantive empirical hypothesis to argue that certain features of organizational deficiency (training, supervision, communications processes) are the most common causes of technological accidents. Other examples from sociology could be provided as well: Michael Mann’s explanation of the causes of European fascism (Fascists), George Steinmetz’s explanation of variations in the characteristics of German colonial rule (The Devil’s Handwriting: Precoloniality and the German Colonial State in Qingdao, Samoa, and Southwest Africa), or Kathleen Thelen’s explanation of the persistence and change in training regimes in capitalist economies (How Institutions Evolve: The Political Economy of Skills in Germany, Britain, the United States, and Japan). Each is explanatory, each identifies causal factors that are genuinely explanatory of the phenomena in question, and none is generativist in Epstein’s sense. These are examples drawn from historical sociology and institutional sociology; but examples from other parts of the disciplines of sociology are available as well. I certainly believe that ABMs sometimes provide convincing and scientifically valuable explanations. The fundamentalism that I’m taking issue with here is the idea that all convincing and scientifically valuable social explanations must take this form — a much stronger view and one that is not well supported by the practice of a range of social science research programs. What parts of the social world admit of explanation? When Galileo, Newton, or Lavoisier confronted the natural world as “scientists,” they had in mind reasonably clear bodies of empirical phenomena that required explanation: the movements of material objects, the motions of the planets, the facts about combustion. They worked on the hope that nature conformed to a relatively small number of “fundamental” laws which could be discovered through careful observation and analysis. The success of classical physics and chemistry is the result. In a series of areas of research throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it turned out that there were strong governing laws of nature — mechanics, gravitational attraction, conservation of matter and energy, electromagnetic propagation — which served to explain a vast range of empirically given natural phenomena. The “blooming, buzzing confusion” of the natural world could be reduced to the operation of a small number of forces and entities. This finding was not metaphysically or logically inevitable. Nature might have been less regular and less unified than it turned out to be. Natural causes could have fluctuated in their effects and could have had more complex interactions with other causes than has turned out to be the case. Laws of nature might have varied over time and space in unpredictable ways. So the success of the project of the natural sciences is both contingent and breathtakingly powerful. There are virtually no bodies of empirical phenomena for which we lack even a good guess about the underlying structure and explanation of these phenomena; and these areas of ignorance seem to fall at the sub-atomic and the super-galactic levels. The situation in the social world is radically different, much as positivistically minded social scientists have wanted to think otherwise. There are virtually no social processes that have the features of predictability and smoothness that are displayed by natural phenomena. Rather, we can observe social processes of unlimited granularity unfolding over time and space, intermingling with other processes; leading sometimes to crashes and exponential accelerations; and sometimes morphing into something completely different. But now what? How can we treat this massive volume of data “scientifically”? And can we aspire to the ambition of showing how these various processes derive from a small number of more basic forces? Does the phenomenon of the particular city admit of a scientific treatment along the lines of Galileo, Newton, or Lavoisier? The answer is resoundingly no. Such a goal displays a fundamental misunderstanding of the social world. Social things and processes at every level are the contingent and interactive result of the activities of individual actors. Individuals are influenced by the social environment in which they live; so there is no reductionist strategy available here, reducing social properties to purely individual properties. But the key words here are “contingent” and “interactive”. There is no God’s-eye answer to the question, why did Chicago become the metropolis of the central North American continent rather than St. Louis? Instead, there is history — the choices made by early railroad investors and route designers, the availability of timber in Michigan but not Missouri, a particularly effective group of early city politicians in Chicago compared to St. Louis, the comparative influence on the national scene of Illinois and Missouri. These are all contingent and path-dependent factors deriving from the situated choices of actors at various levels of decision making throughout the century. And when we push down into lower levels of the filigree of social activity, we find equally contingent processes. Why did Motown come to dominate musical culture for a few decades in Detroit and beyond? Why did professional football take off but professional soccer did not? Why are dating patterns different in Silicon Valley than Iowa City? None of these questions have law-driven answers. Instead, in every case the answer will be a matter of pathway-tracing, examining the contingent turning points that brought us to the situation in question. What this argument is meant to make clear is that the social world is not like the natural world. It is fundamentally “historical” (meaning that the present is unavoidably influenced by the past); contingent (meaning that events could have turned out differently); and causally plural (meaning that there is no core set of “social forces” that jointly serve to drive all social change). It also means that there is no “canonical” description of the social world. With classical physics we had the idea that nature could be described as a set of objects with mass and momentum; electromagnetic radiation with properties of frequency and velocity; atoms and molecules with fixed properties and forces; etc. But this is not the case with the social world. New kinds of processes come and go, and it is always open to a social researcher to identify a new trend or process and to attempt to make sense of this process in its context. I don’t mean to suggest that social phenomena do not admit of explanation at all. We can provide mid-level explanations of a vast range of social patterns and events, from the denuding of Michigan forests in the 1900s to the incidence of first names over time. What we cannot do is to provide a general theory that suffices as an explanatory basis for identifying and explaining all social phenomena. The social sciences are at their best when they succeed in identifying mechanisms that underlie familiar social patterns. And these mechanisms are most credible when they are actor-centered, in the sense that they illuminate the ways that individual actors’ behavior is influenced or generated so as to produce the outcome in question. In short: the social realm is radically different from the natural realm, and it is crucial for social scientists to have this in mind as they formulate their research and theoretical ideas. Vertically the matrix divides between historical and sociological explanations, whereas horizontally it distinguishes general explanations and particular explanations. A traditional way of understanding the distinction between historical and sociological explanations was to maintain that sociological explanations provide generalizations, whereas historical explanations provide accounts for particular and unique situations. Windelband and the historicist school referred to this distinction as that between nomothetic and idiographic explanations (link). It was often assumed, further, that the nomothetic / idiographic distinction corresponded as well to the distinction between causal and interpretive explanations. On this approach, only two of the cells would be occupied: sociological / general and historical / particular. There are no general historical explanations and no particular sociological explanations. This way of understanding social and historical explanations no longer has a lot of appeal. “Causal” and “nomological” no longer have the affinity with each other that they once had, and “idiographic” and “interpretive” no longer seem to mutually imply each other. Philosophers have come to recognize that the deductive-nomological model does a poor job of explicating causation, and that we are better served by the idea that causal relationships are established by discovering discrete causal mechanisms. And the interpretive approach doesn’t line up uniquely with any particular mode of explanation. So historical and sociological explanations no longer bifurcate in the way once imagined. All four quadrants invoke both causal mechanisms and interpretation as components of explanation. In fact it is straightforward to identify candidate explanations in the two “vacant” cells — particular sociological explanations and general historical explanations. In Fascists Michael Mann asks a number of moderately general questions about the causes of European fascism; but he also asks about historically particular instances of fascism. Historical sociology involves both singular and general explanations. But likewise, historians of the French Revolution or the English Revolution often provide general hypotheses even as they construct a particular narrative leading to the storming of the Bastille (Pincus, Soboul). There seem to be two important grounds of explanation that cut across all these variants of explanations of human affairs. It is always relevant to ask about the meanings that participants attribute to actions and social events, so interpretation is a resource for both historical and sociological explanations. But likewise, causal mechanisms are invoked in explanations across the spectrum of social and historical explanation, and are relevant to both singular and general explanations. Or in other words, there is no difference in principle between sociological and historical explanatory strategies. How do the issues of generalization and particularity arise in the context of causal mechanisms? In several ways. First, explanations based on social mechanisms can take place in both a generalizing and a particular context. We can explain a group of similar social outcomes by hypothesizing the workings of a common causal mechanism giving rise to them; and we can explain a unique event by identifying the mechanisms that produced it in the given unique circumstances. Second, a social-mechanism explanation relies on a degree of lawfulness; but it refrains from the strong commitments of the deductive-nomological method. There are no high-level social regularities. Third, we can refer both to particular individual mechanisms and a class of similar mechanisms. For example, the situation of “easy access to valuable items along with low probability of detection” constitutes a mechanism leading to pilferage and corruption. We can invoke this mechanism to explain a particular instance of corrupt behavior — a specific group of agents in a business who conspire to issue false invoices — or a general fact — the logistics function of a large military organization is prone to repeated corruption. (Sergeant Bilko, we see you!) So mechanisms support a degree of generalization across instances of social activity; and they also depend upon a degree of generalization across sequences of events. And what about meanings? Human actions proceed on the basis of subjective understandings and motivations. There are some common features of ordinary human experience that are broadly shared. But the variations across groups, cultures, and individuals are very wide, and there is often no substitute for detailed hermeneutic research into the mental frameworks of the actors in specific historical settings. Here again, then, explanations can take the form of either generalized statements or accounts of particular and unique outcomes. We might say that the most basic difference between historical and sociological explanation is a matter of pragmatics — intellectual interest rather than fundamental logic. Historians tend to be more interested in the particulars of a historical setting, whereas sociologists — even historical sociologists — tend to be more interested in generalizable patterns and causes. But in each case the goal of explanation is to discover an answer to the question, why and how does the outcome occur? And this typically involves identifying both causal mechanisms and human meanings. I’m having that experience of unexpected dissonance as I begin to read Alexander Wendt’s Quantum Mind and Social Science: Unifying Physical and Social Ontology. Wendt’s book addresses many of the issues with which philosophers of social science have grappled for decades. But Wendt suggests a fundamental switch in the way that we think of the relation between the human sciences and the natural world. He suggests that an emerging paradigm of research on consciousness, advanced by Giuseppi Vitiello, John Eccles, Roger Penrose, Henry Stapp, and others, may have important implications for our understanding of the social world as well. This is the field of “quantum neuropsychology” — the body of theory that maintains that puzzles surrounding the mind-body problem may be resolved by examining the workings of quantum behavior in the central nervous system. I’m not sure which category to put the idea of quantum consciousness yet, but it’s interesting enough to pursue further. Wendt’s further contribution is to immerse himself in some of this work, and then to formulate the question of how these perspectives on intentionality and mentality might affect key topics in the philosophy of society. For example, how do the longstanding concepts of structure and agency look when we begin with a quantum perspective on mental activity? A good place to start in preparing to read Wendt’s book is Harald Atmanspacher’s excellent article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (link). Atmanspacher organizes his treatment into three large areas of application of quantum physics to the problem of consciousness: metaphorical applications of the concepts of quantum physics; applications of the current state of knowledge in quantum physics; and applications of possible future advances in knowledge in quantum physics. This is a strong conception in a very specific way; it specifies that material facts are not sufficient to explain “emergent” mental properties. This implies that we need to know some additional facts beyond facts about the material brain in order to explain mental states; and it is natural to ask what the nature of those additional facts might be. In an upcoming post I’ll look closely at what Alex Wendt makes of this body of theory in application to the level of social behavior and structure. One approach to causal explanation involves seeking out the mechanisms and processes that lead to particular outcomes. McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly illustrate this approach in their treatment of contentious politics in Dynamics of Contention , and the field of contentious politics is in fact highly suitable to the mechanisms approach. There are numerous clear examples of social processes instantiated in groups and organizations that play into a wide range of episodes of contention and resistance — the mechanics of mobilization, the processes that lead to escalation, the communications mechanisms through which information and calls for action are broadcast, the workings of organizations. So when we are interested in discovering explanations of the emergence and course of various episodes of contention and resistance, it is both plausible and helpful to seek out the specific mechanisms of mobilization and resistance that can be discerned in the historical record. This is a fairly “micro” approach to explanation and analysis. It seeks to understand how a given process works by looking for the causal mechanisms that underlie it. But not all explanatory questions in the social sciences fall at this level of aggregation. Some researchers are less interested in the micro-pathways of particular episodes and more interested in the abiding social forces and arrangements that influence the direction of change in social systems. For example, Marx declared an explanatory hypothesis along these lines in the Communist Manifesto : “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” And Michael Mann provides more detailed analysis of world history that encompasses Marx’s hypothesis along with several other large structural factors in The Sources of Social Power (link). Large social factors at this level include things like the inequalities of power and opportunity created by various property systems; the logic of a competitive corporate capitalist economy; the large social consequences of climate change — whether in the Little Ice Age or the current day; the strategic and military interests of various nations; and the social and economic consequences of ubiquitous mobile computation and communication abilities. Researchers as diverse as Karl Marx, Manuel Castells, Carl von Clausewitz, and William McNeill have sought out causal hypotheses that attempt to explain largescale historical change as the consequence, in part, of the particular configurations and variations of macro factors like these. Outcomes like success in war, the ascendancy of one nation or region over others, the configuration of power and advantage across social groups within modern democracies, and the economic rise of one region over another are all largescale outcomes that researchers have sought to explain as the consequence of other largescale social, economic, and political factors. These approaches are not logically incompatible. If we follow along with William McNeill (Plagues and Peoples – Central Role Infectious Disease Plays in World History) and consider the idea that the modern distribution of national power across the globe is a consequence of the vulnerability of various regions to disease, we are fully engaged in the idea that macro factors have macro consequences. But it is also open to us to ask the question, how do these macro factors work at the more granular level? What are the local mechanisms that underlay the dynamics of disease in Southeast Asia, West Africa, or South America? So we can always shift focus upwards and downwards, and we can always look for more granular explanations for any form of social causal influence. And in fact, some historical sociologists succeed in combining both approaches; for example, Michael Mann in his study of fascism (Fascists ), who gives attention both to largescale regional factors (the effects of demobilization following World War I) and local, individual-level factors (the class and occupational identities of fascist recruits) (link). appears to differ as well. The causal mechanisms theory of explanation suggests close comparative study of individual cases — particular rebellions, particular episodes of population change, particular moments of change of government. The “large social factor” approach to explanation suggests a different level of research, a research method that permits comparison of large outcomes and the co-variance of putative causal factors. Mill’s methods of causal reasoning appear to be more relevant to this type of causal hypothesis. Theda Skocpol’s study of social revolution in States and Social Revolutions is a case in point (link). The harder question is this: are the large social factors mentioned here legitimate “causes”, or are they simply placeholders for more granular study of particular mechanisms and pathways? Should reference to “capitalism,” “world trading system,” or “modern European reproductive regime” be expected to disappear in the ideal historical sociology of the future? Or is this “large structure” vocabulary an altogether justified and stable level of social analysis on the basis of which to construct historical and social explanations? I am inclined to believe that the latter position is correct, and that it is legitimate to conceive of social research at a range of levels of aggregation (link, link). The impulse towards disaggregation is a scientifically respectable one, but it should not be understood as replacing analysis at a higher level. In a recent post I referred to the idea of a causal narrative (link). Here I would like to sketch out what I had in mind there. Essentially the idea is that a causal narrative of a complicated outcome or occurrence is an orderly analysis of the sequence of events and the causal processes that connected them, leading from a set of initial conditions to the outcome in question. The narrative pulls together our best understanding of the causal relations, mechanisms, and conditions that were involved in the process and arranges them in an appropriate temporal order. It is a series of answers to “why and how did X occur?” designed to give us an understanding of the full unfolding of the process. A narrative is more than an explanation; it is an attempt to “tell the story” of a complicated outcome. So a causal narrative will include a number of causal claims, intersecting in such a way as to explain the complex event or process that is of interest. And in my view, it will be a pluralistic account, in that it will freely invoke a number of causal ideas: powers, mechanisms, necessary and sufficient conditions, instigating conditions, and so forth. We might illustrate this idea by looking at the approach taken to contentious episodes and periods by McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly in Dynamics of Contention. In their treatment of various contentious periods, they break the given complex period of contention into a number of mechanisms and processes, conjoined with contingent and conjunctural occurrences that played a significant causal role in the outcome. The explanatory work that their account provides occurs at two levels: the discovery of a relatively small number of social mechanisms of contention that recur across multiple cases, and the construction of complex narratives for particular episodes that bring together their understanding of the mechanisms and processes that were in play in this particular case. The narrative for a particular case (the Mau Mau uprising, for example) takes the form of a chronologically structured account of the mechanisms that their analysis identifies as having been relevant in the unfolding of the insurgent movement and the government’s responses. MTT give attention to “episodes” within larger processes, with the clear implication that the episodes are to some degree independent from each other and are amenable to a mechanisms analysis themselves. So a narrative is both a concatenated series of episodes and a nested set of mechanisms and processes. Robert Bates introduces a similar idea in Analytic Narratives under the rubric of “analytic narrative”. The chief difference between his notion and mine is that his account is limited to the use of game theory and rational choice theory to provide the linkages within the chronological account, whereas I want to allow a pluralistic understanding of the kinds and levels of causes that are relevant to social processes. In my view, anyway, a narrative describes a particular process or event; but it does so by identifying recurring processes, mechanisms, and forces that can be discerned within the unfolding of the case. So generalizability comes into the story at the level of the components of the narrative — the discovery of common social processes within the historically unique sequence of events.	https://undsoc.org/category/cat_explanation/
Combining theoretical and empirical perspectives, and applying the pragmatic demands of policy, this timely book explores society's response to key issues such as race, gender and identity to explain the relationship between sociology, medicine and medical sociology. Each chapter includes an authoritative introduction to pertinent areas of debate, a clear summary of key issues and themes and dedicated bibliography. Chapters include: • social theory and medical sociology • health inequalities • bodies, pain and suffering • personal, local and global. Brimming with fresh interpretations and critical insights this book will contribute to illuminating the practical realities of medical sociology. This exciting text will be of interest to students of sociology of health and illness, medical sociology, and sociology of the body. Hannah Bradby has a visiting fellowship at the Department of Primary Care and Health Sciences, King's College London. She is monograph series editor for the journal Sociology of Health and Illness and co-edits the multi-disciplinary journal Ethnicity and Health. \|Introduction\| \|Medical Sociology and Its Relationship with Sociology\| \|Theory and Application\| \|Sociology and Medicine\| \|Interdisciplinarity and Multidisciplinarity\| \|References\| \|Introduction\| \|Parsons and Functionalism\| \|Criticism of Parsons' Idealized Type\| \|Theories of Conflict and Political Economy\| \|Inequalities and Social Stratification\| \|Interactionism\| \|Phenomenology\| \|Modernity and Post-Modernity\| \|Social Constructionism\| \|Post-Structuralism and Structuralism\| \|Criticism of Constructionism\| \|Conclusion\| \|References\| \|Introduction\| \|Theory and Inequality\| \|Inequity and Inequality\| \|Measurement of Inequality\| \|The Pattern of Health Inequalities\| \|Causes of Inequalities\| \|Healthcare and Inequalities\| \|Global Inequality\| \|Conclusion\| \|Introduction\| \|Feminism\| \|Gendered Visibility\| \|Gendered Polarity and Theorizing Difference\| \|Reconceptualizing Gender\| \|Undoing Polarities\| \|Health Inequalities\| \|Morbidity, Gender and the Effect of Work\| \|Conclusion\| \|References\| \|Introduction\| \|Background - UK\| \|Background - USA\| \|Sociology of Race Relations\| \|Ethnicity and Health Inequalities\| \|Mental Health\| \|Conclusion\| \|References\| \|Introduction\| \|The Sociological Body\| \|Dissecting the Body\| \|Cultural Bodies\| \|Biotechnological Bodies\| \|Embodiment\| \|Bodies and Disabilities\| \|Bodies and Narrative\| \|Mute Bodies\| \|Meta-Narrative and Suffering\| \|Conclusion\| \|References\| \|Introduction\| \|Background\| \|Medicine's Golden Age\| \|Medical Power\| \|Medical Imperialism\| \|Proletarianization, Deprofessionalization and Corporatization\| \|Challenging Medicine: Efficacy, Efficiency, Accessibility\| \|Efficacy, Equity and Efficiency\| \|Managers, Managerialism and Markets\| \|Challenging Equity\| \|Has the NHS Improved?\| \|The Doctor-Patient Relationship in a Regulatory Framework\| \|The Legal Challenge\| \|Consumerism in Medicine\| \|Specialization\| \|Alternative Medical Practitioners\| \|Medical Tourism\| \|Medicalization in a Digital Era\| \|Conclusion\| \|References\| \|Introduction\| \|The Practice of Medicine\| \|Medical Encounters\| \|Biotechnology\| \|Ethics and Expectations of Biotechnological Innovation\| \|The Culture of Bioethics\| \|Global Health\| \|Medical Migration\| \|Global Suffering and Sociology\| \|Conclusion\| \|References\| \|Glossary of Terms\| In this timely book, Hannah Bradby brings together classic sociological writings and the latest research on the links between medicine, health and society. Bradby discusses a range of important issues with three main themes: patterns of illness in populations, health and illness in everyday life, and the promise and pitfalls of modern health care systems. Bradby offers insightful analysis as well as synthesis in areas such as inequalities, gender and ethnicity, where she is a leading expert. Throughout the book, Bradby's command of her material is impressive, and expressed in an approachable and lively style. Highly commended - a key work for all students of medical sociology Mike Bury Professor Emeritus of Royal Holloway College An really interesting medical sociology text which chapters on the sociology of body and pain which I have recommended. a good supplemental text that is useful across levels, have recommended as extended reading I have asked the students whom I teach at MSc level to consider reading this book as part of their supplementary reading. It is insightful and gives a public health point of view. A really great introduction. Students are provided here with an accessible overview of the key issues in sociology of health and illness. Very well written and an invaluable resource - for students of sociology and social policy, it should also be read by health professionals in their training too. The book is very good, but on inspection is not a good match for the student population on my course (biomedical science students in 3rd year). The book covers key topics we address in the course (eg. relating to the social organisation of medicine, including some sociology of health and illness), but from a more sociological perspective than is taken in other course materials. I also teach (selected sessions) on an MSc Public Health and Health Services Research module 'Health and Society', for which this book is likely to be a good source reference and will consider using this as a supplemental reading in the sessions coming up in March. It would be better suited to this student audience, at Masters level, than to undergrad biomedical science students. a well written textbook that fills a gap in provision so far for students to appreciate the connections between these fields I found this a useful text for student midwives to have an introduction to sociology linked to medicine and health. It is well written and easy to understand and has relevant theories explained within it. The reading lists for each chapter give students further reading around the relevant topics. An interesting, concise textbook which is ideal for students at all three levels, where they are looking for supporting material for their arguments.	https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/medicine-health-and-society/book228897
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Free Critical Thinking About The Song Eleanor Rigby Durkheim was a French sociologist who sought to give sociology a better understanding of its subject of study. One of his most important works was The Suicide, which was written with the intention of showing how a sociological study should be conducted. In this case study he focused on “all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result” . In his work, Durkheim compared the suicide rates between the Catholic and Protestants, but also made some divisions based on marital status, military status and Continue reading... Free Sociology Essay Example Sociology is the scientific study of society, human social behavior, including patterns of human social relationships, its origins, and development, organizations, and institutions. It has a very diverse subject matter that covers questions, and issues from politics to religion, on both, micro, and macro levels. The main purpose of this study is to understand how people interactions and consciousness are both shaped by the surrounding society. From such perspective sociology appears to be quite comprehensive as each individual belongs to a certain group, while this group affects that individual’s behavior, and finally that group takes some characteristics that Continue reading... The Scarlet Letter Literature Review Examples The aim of this essay is to present you with a review of chapters 22-24 of the book ‘The Scarlet Letter’. Barlow (2000) refers to this book as ‘The magnum opus’ of Nathaneal. (Barlow, 2000). ‘The Scarlet Letter’ is a story of love, adultery, betrayal, faith, belief and social criticism which was published in 1850 and holds a little bit of all these elements which can attribute to it the characterization of being a romantic novel. The historical context of the novel’s plot is the social environment of the society living and developing in the area of Puritan Continue reading... Good Example Of Essay On Poverty In New York City New York City is no stranger to the perils of social injustices and issues. From unaffordable healthcare to domestic violence, the city has seen all of these problems and many more. However what is the root of the majority of social issues and problems? Where do they begin? Typically the answer can be traced back to poverty. Many social problems and issues are born out of poverty. It is easy to see why the poverty level in New York City, and across the country is an issue. Poverty allows unacceptable living standards to become the norm. Impoverished families live Continue reading... Free Reading Chapter2 From Allan Johnsons Book Privilege, Power, And Difference Essay Sample In this book the author, Allan Johnson tackles the issues of privilege and power. The book tackles question on inequality across all aspects in the system be it race, gender based roles even sexuality. In chapter 2 he tries to help the reader understand the existing social construction of difference, who we are given these existing differences in the even the most basic social construction. Allan defines privilege, he also gives the two types of it, and he highlights its flip side which is oppression while examining the paradox of the said privilege. In the 2nd chapter the author Continue reading... Other Essays Examples My Statement I’m a transfer student from Indiana State University, I’m a freshman and I’m transferring to University of San Diego because the college I’m transferring from doesn’t have a full accredited Sociology program in their curriculum which is basically what I want to major in. Plus, I have a job lined up down there in San Diego that works around my schedule and I also have family in that area as well. When I first went to the college I’m transferring from, it sounded like a golden opportunity to attend the school because I Continue reading... Good Essay On Emile Durkheims Views On The Nature Of Humans And Its Implication For Society Introduction Emile Durkheim shared a number of views on what he considered being the nature of humans and its overall effect in the society. The purpose of this essay is to bring out the ethical issues that arise from the character of humans and how they eventually affect the society as a whole. In order to identify this I will first identify the nature of humans according to Durkheim. I will then show the effect they have on the society and eventually analyze the contribution of his work in general. Durkheim gave a number of views about human nature such Continue reading... Web 2.0 Essay A number of technology geeks have given various explanations about what is web 2.0. The exact definition is still a topic of debate. However, I believe that web 2.0 is a web-based application, which can be accessed from anywhere, and the users can be contributors to content on internet, rather than just being viewers. Is web 2.0 a boon or bane to the society? In discussions about web 2.0, one controversial issue has been about its various opinions. In a recent study, the researchers observed that, young people used this technology more extensively than older people did. They say Continue reading... Example Of Essay On Reading Reaction And Summary Communication Shaping interpretations of reality: Cultural values Cultural values upheld by the society dictates the understanding of reality. Perceptions and beliefs form the basis of cultural value integration. Perception can be described as the state through which an individual connects and understands the physical world. The adherence of specified perceptions and beliefs in the society cultivates diversity in cultural values. A good example is reflected by frankness of Western people and privacy of Japanese in relation to public expression. There is a chain-link pattern among culture, perceptions and character of an individual. On the other hand, beliefs form the basis Continue reading... Example Of Allegiance To The State And Religious Obligation Essay The fabric of any prosperous political community in the world is bestrewn by threads of peace and social order. The desire for social order and peace catapulted human beings to surrender to some of their unalienable rights, bestowed upon by nature, in exchange for security from the government. John Locke asserts that life in the state of nature was short, nasty and brutish.The war of every man against every man acted as a catalyst for man to leave the state of nature and become party to a society governed by the rule of law. Although the rule of law Continue reading... Good Critical Thinking On Rural Community Development Summary This article reflects the theoretical and definitional literature which surrounds adaptation of rural communities to change which arise due to transition to economy based on knowledge. This article discussed and defined the benefits of community assets, community resilience, social capital and community capital by placing these concepts in a bigger framework of entrepreneurial social infrastructure. The socio-economic realities and history of Atlantic-Canadian provinces are woven together for keeping the arguments and literature review as important as possible to the current condition of the region. This paper discusses the factors which are involved in former community’s resilience and conditions Continue reading... Good Essay About Kula Exchange Summary Of the Kula Exchange and Comparision to The Moka Exchange In Bronislaw Malinowski description of the “Kula exchange” in The Essentials of the Kula, he is quick to qualify his descriptions of this exchange by making it abundantly clear that the Kula is to be considered in separate light than then trade that happens within communities involved in the Kula exchange. Of the Kula exchange, he says that it has an “Extensive, inter-tribal character” and that while there are other activities associated and connected to it, the Kula is always the most important (Malinowski, 1979, p. 81). The author writes that “The natives sharply distinguish it [Kula] from barter, Continue reading... Example Of Case Study On What Is Culture Irish Americans have a rich culture, which is rated among the oldest cultures in the globe. The Irish Americans trace their origin from Ireland and they form up to 11% of the American population. They possess a rich culture judging by their education, religious beliefs, and there social life in general. Their Unique culture and strong religious background have influenced the values of ordinary Americans over the years. Irish Americans cultural Values The traditional cultural values that characterize the Irish Americans include harmony, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty, filial piety, and loyalty. These cultural values give Irish Americans a unique identity and psychology despite Continue reading... Good Admission Essay About Community Service,Social Work,Edication,Feminist I am applying for your Doctoral Program because I feel that I am an ideal fit for your curriculum. Without a doubt, I feel most comfortable working in a senior living facility named Gill's Shelter. I work as a Director of Operations for a public entity called Senior Citizens Welfare Program -- a department of my school called Metropolitan. I enjoy working with senior citizens because I consider them to be our greatest natural resource, and thoroughly enjoy helping others. Our elders deserve the utmost respect and care. This is the environment where I feel most comfortable and where Continue reading... Example Of Plsi 418 Political Transition In E & SE Asia Research Proposal Thesis: China’s Communism survived after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, China has maintained a rather slow transition to a market economy and this started in 1979. After this period, China’s opening up and membership of the WTO increased significantly over the years. This has caused many modifications of the economy and the economic development has altered the social structures and social systems of the country. What role did the changes in the political economy after WTO membership play in the changes in social classes in China? The research question: Central Question for Academic Debate: What Continue reading...	https://www.wowessays.com/topics/sociology/page/12/
Last time, we talked about how many observers notice that the universe seems fine-tuned to accommodate life, “almost as if a Grand Designer had it all figured out” (1). This has led some people to attempt to develop theories to explain the fine-tuning of the Universe which do not require a designer. The most prominent theories call for the existence of a vast number of universes, which could have different physical laws from ours. If they are accurate, they would help to skew the odds in favor of a gradual evolutionary development of life on our planet. In that case, evolution could have taken place in many of these universes, and we would randomly happen to be in the universe that “made it”. Before accepting that we have a universe that is finely tuned to support life, just because there are very many randomly formed universes, and we just happened to be in the one that was capable of supporting life, we need to ask about the scientific basis of this claim. Is there reason to believe that many other universes exist? Is there experimental evidence for them? Proponents of these theories point to evidence from other parts of physics. Here is one example. Let’s say that we shine a light on a wall, with two plates in between: one with one slit, and another with with two parallel slits between the light and the wall. Now in this case, light acts as a wave; the light spreads out as it passes through the slits and interferes with the other “wave” of light. Look at the two pictures: Photo courtesy of EPZCAW, en.wikipedia.org The most common interpretation of how this happens is that the light is acting like a wave, until it “crashes” when it hits the wall, where it “collapses” into a single spot, which means it is not a wave anymore. (For the physicists reading this, I am attempting to describe the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics in very simple terms). However, another interpretation, provided without supporting evidence, is that when the light hits the wall, some of the properties of its wave (of its wavefunction) stay in this universe, and some automatically go to another universe, which (depending on who you ask) may newly have been created on the spot. Since there is a lot of light hitting objects around us, this explanation predicts a lot of new universes. The question I would invite you to ask is this: where is the experimental evidence for the existence of any other universe besides ours? We can see in the lab that the light beams interfere with each other, but what reliable evidence do we have that part of that light beam, once it hits the wall, is now in another universe? What evidence is there for any other universes at all? I have not been able to find any evidence at all. There are quite a few smart people trying to support this experimentally, but if you read carefully, you will see that they are drawing vast conclusions from limited and unclear evidence, or even trying to support this unproven theory with other unproven theories. Here are five examples: #1: The “first evidence” many people see for the existence of multiple universes was found by a satellite called the Wilkinson Microwave Ansiotropy Probe (WMAP), which basically took pictures of invisible microwave “light” coming to us from outer space. Some people say that there are patterns in the microwaves that show that other universes are like “bubbles” “colliding” into ours, but if you read the actual papers carefully, they actually show that there is NO EVIDENCE FOR OTHER UNIVERSES from WMAP: “We therefore conclude that this data set does not favor the bubble collision hypothesis for any value of Ns.” (2) “The WMAP 7-year data-set does not favor the bubble collision hypothesis for any value of Ns”. (3) (see also ) #2: Cosmologist Laura Mersini-Houghton has claimed to have unmistakable evidence for the existence of another universe by predicting the discovery of the CMB cold spot. Her rationale for her equations for a “wave-like equation” (a waveform) of the universe (on which her predictions are based) are sensible, but those equations do not appear to assume the existence of other universes. So even if her equations are correct, I see no reason to conclude that her theory explains other universes, although it might explain some things about this one! Besides, her prediction of a northern cold spot and of “dark flow” have not panned out (though several other predictions of hers have) (5) (6) (7). #3: Scientists in the last few years have realized that the existing data does not support the existence of multiple universes very well. As of 2013, everyone was looking forward to the high-definition pictures of the microwave radiation coming from outer space, that we were supposed to get from the new, higher-resolution Planck satellite (5): Future data from the Planck experiment will allow us to greatly improve on these results. If confirmed, the presence of bubble collisions in the CMB would be an extraordinary insight into the origins of our universe. (Note that the researchers recognize the “great” need to improve their results, and that those results have not yet been confirmed.) The pictures from Planck were supposed to be much higher resolution than the WMAP pictures. But now that the Planck pictures have come out (they were released on March 21, 2013 ), there have been no new discoveries based on it supporting a multiverse. Search for scientific papers on it (not newspaper articles!). As of this writing, on June 24, 2013, I found none. In spite of the absence of new experimental findings, British newspapers still claim that the previously known patterns in the microwave, which were seen by Planck, constitute new evidence for multiple universes (8), (9). This is poor science, since all we are seeing higher resolution pictures of things we already knew about, without anything to cause new conclusions. #4: Scientific American recently ran an article by Vilenkin and Tegmark promoting the existence of multiple universes, but the arguments both used were not sound, and they did not present experimental evidence in support of their position. Vilenkin uses an example of using a broader model of a single universe to predict constants of nature for our local region of the cosmos (this is fair in principle); but then applies this without justification to suggest the existence of universes OUTSIDE of the single universe he just talked about. Tegmark enthusiastically defends the multiverse position without providing reasonable, clear evidence of how current theories, robustly supported by experimental evidence, predict the existence of multiple universes (10). He cites predictions of the density of dark energy, made on the basis of string theory, as evidence of the validity of a nearly infinite number of multiple universes. But string theory has just as little experimental evidence to support it: “Until some way is found to observe the yet hypothetical higher dimensions, which are needed for consistency reasons, M-theory [a unified form of string theory] has a very difficult time making predictions that can be tested in a laboratory. Technologically, it may never be possible for it to be experimentally confirmed” (11). “As of 2010, there are no feasible experiments to test the differences between MWI [the many-worlds interpretation of multiple universes] and other theories” (12). #5: Paul Davies, professor of natural philosophy at the Australian Center for Astrobiology, argures in the NY Times that although multiple universes are not impossible, they are difficult to prove, and should not be taken seriously. Although opposed to the concept of God as creator, he states the following (13): How seriously can we take this explanation for the friendliness of nature? Not very, I think. For a start, how is the existence of the other universes to be tested? To be sure, all cosmologists accept that there are some regions of the universe that lie beyond the reach of our telescopes, but somewhere on the slippery slope between that and the idea that there are an infinite number of universes, credibility reaches a limit. As one slips down that slope, more and more must be accepted on faith, and less and less is open to scientific verification. Extreme multiverse explanations are therefore reminiscent of theological discussions. Indeed, invoking an infinity of unseen universes to explain the unusual features of the one we do see is just as ad hoc as invoking an unseen Creator.	http://www.evidencebasedfaith.com/?p=29
PublisherThe University of Arizona. RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. AbstractThe common focus of the three studies in this dissertation is the tension between cooperative, efficiency-enhancing behaviors and the narrowly self-interested equilibrium behavior predicted by standard game theory. In recent years, the tenets of the latter have been challenged by empirical findings that indicate that humans are more cooperative than traditional normative theory predicts. Basic concepts and predictions of game theory and past research on cooperative tendencies are reviewed. The first experimental study here involves a two-person one-shot extensive-form trust game. The major finding is that the Mach-IV personality test can help screen reciprocators from non-reciprocators. In the second study, subjects in a standard voluntary Contribution Mechanism (VCM) are rematched at each trial. If rematched at random, contributions decline over rounds as in many other VCM experiments. If, however, subjects, without their knowledge, are rearranged into groups according to the amount of their contribution, contribution rates remain higher because cooperators do not get discouraged by free riders. This finding is accounted for by the goodwill accounting framework of McCabe and Smith (1999). In the third experimental study, a standard VCM is embedded in intergroup conflict as groups compete for a fixed prize that is divided among the members of the winning group, either equally or proportionally to individual members' contributions. A group's wining probability depends on how its public good contributions compare to the contributions of the competing group. Given specific parameterization, non-contribution in such a two-level interaction is no longer the dominant strategy, even though it would be in the corresponding one-level ACM. Further, equilibrium contributions are higher under proportional than under equal prize division. On the aggregate level, the data support equilibrium predictions, even though there is some evidence of over-contribution under group competition and individual contribution patterns are very idiosyncratic. A simple reinforcement learning model (See Roth and Erev, 1995) accounts well for the change in aggregate data over trials. The implications of all three studies are that cooperativeness can be enhanced by the means of screening, social structure and incentive schemes. Typetext Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Degree NamePh.D.	https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/290312
As demand to substantiate predictions from economic theory with causal empirical evidence increases, economists have more and more turned towards controlled laboratory experiments. As this field has blossomed it has provided evidence confirming some of the key predictions of economic theory and exposed some of the weaker theoretical predictions. This has resulted in a symbiotic relationship where experimental evidence not only is used to support theoretical conclusions but has pointed economists into bold and exciting new areas of investigation. In this volume, I am proud to present some of the most stimulating work in this field. The first three chapters provide a fresh look at some of the classical issues in experimental economics. These papers provide novel insights into psychology in ultimatum games, the impact of social interaction on learning, and communication in coordination games. The next two chapters look at how experiments can illuminate our understanding of what determines trust. These papers examine how monitoring within an organization influences trust, as well as examining how individual political ideologies are related to an individuals level of trust. The final two chapters show how experiments can be fruitfully applied to vertical relationships and auction design, two of the most important areas in contemporary contract theory.	http://iopenlib.forumotion.com/t352-experimental-and-behavioral-economics-story
This is a story about chaotic lives... I once spent the best part of a year reading theoretical physics books and papers, voraciously devouring the literature. I was obsessed with the subject - as a keen amateur - and still am, to some extent. My enthusiasm was so great, that I corresponded at length with some theoretical physics professors from around the world, who were kind enough to indulge me. As with so many who catch the theoretical physics bug, I was fascinated by the idea that a theory so central to all of modern science - quantum mechanics - might have different interpretations, all equally unprovable, but a lot of fun to think about. The two which are most worthwhile talking about are the many-worlds interpretation (often known simply as "MWI") and the many-minds interpretation. I shan't summarise them here. I leave it as an exercise for the reader, if you are intrigued, to find the Wikipedia pages. The many-worlds interpretation is something we are very familiar with, from books, films and TV. The concept of parallel universes is so ubiquitous, that it doesn't merit further discussion. The many-minds interpretation is, oddly, quite obscure... but there are experimental hints that this interpretation might be closer to the fundamental nature of reality, than the many-worlds interpretation. I won't delve into either theory, except to explain some of the challenges to conventional wisdom, which are unintuitive to us. I will not, of course, bore you with the "duality of light" wave/particle stuff, or Schrödinger's cat etc. which have been talked about ad nauseam, such that everyone is vaguely aware of it. I will not, or course, talk about relativity. Not useful here. So. Here's the thing. We like to think that our observations are independent. If I see something, then it happened for any and all observers. Let's take the tree falling in the forest. We agree that if nobody observed it, it's quite possible that it didn't make a sound. Fine. Good. However, most of us would say that if just one person saw the tree fall in the forest and heard it make a sound, then it absolutely did make a sound in this observable universe, for all observers. In other words, whatever happens for one person - observably - happens for everybody, even if they didn't observe the event. Not true. There's good evidence that each of us experiences his or her own 'version' of reality, and our observations can be different, despite us NOT living in parallel universes. It should be noted that I'm not talking about relativity. We know that when a person is travelling faster than us, or closer to a massive object, time flows at a different rate for them, such that our synchronised wrist watches would show a different time, when compared with each other at a later date - that's just relativity (special and general, respectively) and that's not what I'm talking about, even though it's pretty mind blowing. No... what I'm talking about is two different experimental observers observing different stuff - one says that the tree in the forest made a sound when it fell, and the other says it was silent. It would seem - at a quantum level at least - that this kind of observer independence is entirely supported by experimental results. Search for Wigner's friend if you want to read more on that one. Anyway, moving on to the original point of my essay, I'm a little bit fascinated by quantum suicide. Quantum suicide says that if we were to use a binary quantum event - something with a 50/50 chance of happening - in order to commit suicide, then weirdly, we would never be killed. Because we are the observer in the experiment, in all the instances where we are killed, we are no longer around to observe the results, so - implicitly - we only remain conscious, as an observer, in the case where the event which kills us does not occur. All clear? Further, I often think that it's quite remarkable that I've survived up until this point in my life, given the vast quantity of near-death experiences I've had, and the reckless risk taking. However, my survival is not evidence that the probability of my death was lower than I had estimated: quite the opposite. There are two distinct possibilities: firstly, I've been extremely lucky, and anybody else who copied my behaviour is almost certain to die. Secondly, I'm unaware of all the infinite ways that I've died, snuffing out my consciousness, and therefore leaving me unable to recount this tale of miraculously cheating death. I am - to a small extent - somewhat convinced that there's truth in the many-minds interpretation of quantum mechanics, given my first-hand experiences. I may, in fact, calculate the odds that I should have survived everything that I have survived, in order to put a precise figure on exactly how improbable it is that I'm alive, thus providing some empirical evidence for the many-minds interpretation of quantum mechanics... although readers should beware of survivorship bias: if you copy my behaviour, you will most certainly die.	https://manicgrant.com/2020/survivorship-bias
DellaVigna, Stefano, Devin Pope Vivalt, and Eva Vivalt. 2019. ‘Predict Science to Improve Science’. Science 366 (6464): 428–29. Selected quotes follow: The limited attention paid to predictions of research results stands in contrast to a vast literature in the social sciences exploring people’s ability to make predictions in general We stress three main motivations for a more systematic collection of predictions of research results. 1. The nature of scientific progress. A new result builds on the consensus, or lack thereof, in an area and is often evaluated for how surprising, or not, it is. In turn, the novel result will lead to an updating of views. Yet we do not have a systematic procedure to capture the scientific views prior to a study, nor the updating that takes place afterward. 2. A second benefit of collecting predictions is that they can not only reveal when results are an important departure from expectations of the research community and improve the interpretation of research results, but they can also potentially help to mitigate publication bias. It is not uncommon for research findings to be met by claims that they are not surprising. This may be particularly true when researchers find null results, which are rarely published even when authors have used rigorous methods to answer important questions (15). However, if priors are collected before carrying out a study, the results can be compared to the average expert prediction, rather than to the null hypothesis of no effect. This would allow researchers to confirm that some results were unexpected, potentially making them more interesting and informative because they indicate rejection of a prior held by the research community; this could contribute to alleviating publication bias against null results. 3. A third benefit of collecting predictions systematically is that it makes it possible to improve the accuracy of predictions. In turn, this may help with experimental design. For example, envision a behavioral research team consulted to help a city recruit a more diverse police department. The team has a dozen ideas for reaching out to minority applicants, but the sample size allows for only three treatments to be tested with adequate statistical power. Fortunately, the team has recorded forecasts for several years, keeping track of predictive accuracy, and they have learned that they can combine team members’ predictions, giving more weight to “superforecasters” (9). Informed by its longitudinal data on forecasts, the team can elicit predictions for each potential project and weed out those interventions judged to have a low chance of success or focus on those interventions with a higher value of information. In addition, the research results of those projects that did go forward would be more impactful if accompanied by predictions that allow better interpretation of results in light of the conventional wisdom. Ed: I have argued, for years, that evaluators should start by eliciting client, and other stakeholders, predictions of outcomes of interest that the evaluation might uncover. But I can’t think of any instance where my efforts have been successful, yet. But I have an upcoming opportunity and will try once again, perhaps armed with these two papers See also Stefano DellaVigna, and Devin Pope. 2016.‘Predicting Experimental Results: Who Knows What?’ NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH. ABSTRACT Academic experts frequently recommend policies and treatments. But how well do they anticipate the impact of different treatments? And how do their predictions compare to the predictions of non-experts? We analyze how 208 experts forecast the results of 15 treatments involving monetary and non-monetary motivators in a real-effort task. We compare these forecasts to those made by PhD students and non-experts: undergraduates, MBAs, and an online sample. We document seven main results. First, the average forecast of experts predicts quite well the experimental results. Second, there is a strong wisdom-of-crowds effect: the average forecast outperforms 96 percent of individual forecasts. Third, correlates of expertise—citations, academic rank, field, and contextual experience–do not improve forecasting accuracy. Fourth, experts as a group do better than non-experts, but not if accuracy is defined as rank ordering treatments. Fifth, measures of effort, confidence, and revealed ability are predictive of forecast accuracy to some extent, especially for non-experts. Sixth, using these measures we identify `superforecasters’ among the non-experts who outperform the experts out of sample. Seventh, we document that these results on forecasting accuracy surprise the forecasters themselves. We present a simple model that organizes several of these results and we stress the implications for the collection of forecasts of future experimental results. See also: The Social Science Prediction Platform, developed by the same authors.	https://mobilebookingapps.com/
Plantronics + Polycom. Now together as MWI works just fine for the IP650, why doesn't it work for the same configuration (same account) on a VVX 500? Hello plaurent,it is always useful if users state the current software version of the device they are having issues with. I am not aware of any open bug's with MWI but would suggest that you check the current UCS 4.0.2 Rev B release notes against your own software in order to check if you can find an open ticket. You could also use a script like this => here <= Above 3rd Party script sends MWI On or Off to a phone. If you are still unable to get this working I strongly suggest to contact your Polycom reseller to raise a Ticket with Polycom Support. Please provide them with a Wireshark trace for both Phones and the configuration you have used and the <mac>-app.log and <mac>-boot.log.	https://community.polycom.com/t5/VoIP-SIP-Phones/VVX-500-MWI-does-not-work/td-p/19122

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