The Implementation Of School Uniforms - 1243 Words

Syanne Chhan Mrs. Gallos English III Honors 18 April 2016 Title of Your Report A newly popular, controversial issue debated upon is the implementation of school uniforms. In the United States, school uniforms have become more and more widespread. Although, some schools disagree with the requirement of a school uniform and decide to require a school dress code instead. The pros and cons of a school uniform are very controversial. Deciding whether a school uniform should be implemented is not a black and white issue. Arguments to support school uniforms state that school uniforms create an altogether better environment for students. This better environment in turn, creates more learning and a greater sense of focus from students. Some†¦show more content†¦(Cons, Pro) Requiring all students to wear the same uniform creates less diversity and causes students to become more dedicated in their academics. By doing so, uniforms, â€Å"take away the daily fashion show and helps level the playing field a little bit with the haves and have-nots,† (Sweeney, Emily). Relating to the less diversity that uniforms create in schools, uniforms can decrease the formation of cliques and gangs. Due to the fact that all students are dressed the same, members of a certain gang can not be identified. Another positive about implementing uniforms is that students can be easily identified and the identification of an intruder or outsider can take place easily. Uniforms create pride and unity throughout a school. Some experts believe that uniforms help students to, â€Å"develop a stronger team mentality among the student body,† (9 Serious). Uniforms can in turn, increase school spirit. This is possible, again relating to, the students all wearing the same or similar uniforms and decreasing the variety of outfits throughout a student body. Some arguments that are seen as positives for enforcing school uniforms are controversial because critics believe the arguments are not valid. Due to the fact that all students are dressed the same and less variety of outfits are prevalent, critics state that school uniforms deny students the ability of self-expression. Critics, â€Å"argue that kids

Three Branches of Government - 1117 Words

Three Branches of the Federal Government In May 1787, 55 delegates from 12 states, Rhode Island declined, met in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. The purpose of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but what occurred was the writing of the U.S. Constitution. George Washington was unanimously elected as President of the Convention. After four months of deliberations Gouveneur Morris submitted the final draft and 39 of the 55 delegate present signed the Constitution. At the Convention the founding fathers decided to divide the federal government into three branches. In the paragraphs below I will discuss their reason for dividing the government, the three branches and how the three branches interact.†¦show more content†¦court system. The Supreme Court is the head of the Judiciary Branch and rules whether something is constitutional or unconstitutional according to the Constitution. The Supreme Court consists of nine judges, eight associate justices and one chief justice. They are nominated by the President and approved by the Senate and have no term limit. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and their decisions are final and can not be over turned (Three Branches of Government, 2007). How They Interact The founding fathers divided the federal government in to three separate branches allowing each branch to place restraints on the powers exerted by the other branches. To prevent one branch from becoming superior and to induce cooperation among the three branches a system of checks and balances was created. The Legislative Branch writes and enacts laws, enacts taxes, sets the budget and has the sole power to declare war. They may start investigations against the Executive Branch and ratifies treaties. The Executive Branch may veto laws and refuse to spend money allocated for certain purposes. They may wage war or declare a state of emergency and promulgates regulations and executive orders. The Executive Branch appoints judges to the Supreme Court and has the power to pardon convicted criminals. The Judiciary Branch determines which laws apply to any given case and which laws areShow MoreRelatedThe Three Branches Of Government725 Words   |  3 PagesBranches of Government The United States Government has three branches, legislative power, executive power, and judicial power. The founders of a division of power did not want all the power to be centralized in a monarch or anyone else, so they divided the legal authority into the three branches. Legislative power creates new laws, the constitution gives this power to congress, which is made up of the senate and the house of representatives. Executive power gives the authority to enforce laws,Read MoreThe Three Branches Of Government1266 Words   |  6 PagesThe Three Branches of Government The government of the United States of America is a federal constitutional republic. In layman s terms, this means that the country s national, central government and the smaller, unitary governments of the fifty states are co-equal in their power, and that the citizens of America have a say in public policies by electing representatives who voice their respective opinions. More importantly, both the central government and the state governments areRead MoreThe Three Branches of Government1260 Words   |  6 PagesThe Three Branches of U.S. Government The leaders at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 desired an unbiased, fair government. They believed they could keep a strong yet non-oppressive government form by creating three divided branches. The branches are the legislative, judicial and executive branches. The legislative branch is led by Congress which is split up into the Senate and the House of Representatives. The judicial branch is fronted by the Supreme Court. The executive branch is headedRead MoreThe Three Branches Of Government1139 Words   |  5 Pages When the founders were creating the Constitution for the new nation they wanted to keep the freedoms of the United States but wanted to have a strong government. They thought the best way to get a strong government but to keep the people’s rights were to create the three branches of government. The three branches of government are Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branch. Legislative makes laws, Executive enforces the laws, and the Judicial branch e xplains the laws. Know we will key on the LegislativeRead MoreThree branches of government1113 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ ABSTRACT The components of the constitution are the framework for our country, and all function to give our government structure. The judicial, legislative, and executive branches are all key components that make up our government, acting independently from the others, and allowing for checks and balances in order to prevent misuse of power. Federalism affects how our government is run, and especially the criminal justice system. Within our criminal justice system the main components are lawRead MoreThe Three Branches Of Government1248 Words   |  5 PagesThe Three Branches of Government In the beginning the United States was based upon the Articles of Confederation where the national government consisted of only one legislative body. Under the Articles of Confederation the national government had very limited powers and because of that problems began to emerge. States were now conducting their own foreign trade negotiations, printing their own money, and organizing their own armed forces violating the national law. Because of this a groupRead MoreThe Three Branches Of The Government1298 Words   |  6 PagesThe Three Branches of the Government The Government has three branches for law making. When a law is being created, it starts at the Legislative, and then gets passed to the Executive branch, then to the Judicial branch. Each branch has their own area of the law that they look at. In the end, it is decided if the law will be issued to the people. When the law is being created, it starts at the Legislative branch. In the branch, Congress is made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of RepresentativesRead MoreThe Three Branches Of Government Essay1146 Words   |  5 Pages The Three Branches of Government In 1787 the leaders of the united states gathered to write the constitution which they also divided into three branches to ensure a central government in which no group or individual gains too much control. The three branches consists on the following Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Legislative branch rejects or confirms presidential appointments, and also has the authority to declareRead MoreThe Three Branches Of Federal Government1290 Words   |  6 Pagesordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.† The Constitution is the framework of our government, containing seven articles. The first three describe the three branches of Federal government which are legislative, judicial, and executive. The second three outline the rights and responsibilities of state governments and in relation to the Federal government. Lastly, the seventh article establishes the procedure used by the thir teen states to ratify it. These powerful wordsRead MoreEssay on Three Branches of Government725 Words   |  3 Pages Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center. Assignment 1 Branches of Government Create a flowchart of the three branches of government and associate two (2) Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) clauses for each branch of government. Designate the relationships among the governmental branches. In an accompanying document, exemplify the types of powers of each branch of government and include these items: * Taxing and spending powers * Limits on both federal

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Free Essays

AP Book Report 1. Title of Work: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 2. Author and date written: Anne Tyler, written during the 1970s-1980s. We will write a custom essay sample on Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant or any similar topic only for you Order Now 3. Country of author: Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America 4. Characters: Pearl Tull (major)- The single mother of three children, Cody, Ezra, and Jenny. She is very independent and resourceful. Pearl sets very high standards for herself and does not want assistance from anyone. Ezra Tull (major)- Ezra is the middle child and the youngest son of Pearl. He is the most sympathetic character in the novel. Throughout the novel, Ezra is noted to be the favored child of the three. Cody Tull (major)- Cody is the eldest son of Pearl. He is the least sympathetic character in the novel is very straightforward. He grew up with a troubled childhood and usually takes most of his anger, hatred, and jealousy on his brother, Ezra. He dominates the novel because Tyler has given him more chapters on his point of view than others. Jenny Tull (major)- The is the youngest and only daughter of Pearl Tull. Jenny often recalls painful events of her childhood, most of which involves her mother. She grows up to become a pediatrician and is married three times. Towards the end, she realizes she has a lot in common with her mother. Beck Tull (minor)- The husband of Pearl and father of the three children. He is handsome, fragile man who is employed as salesman. Beck abandons Pearl after fifteen years of marriage claiming that his company has relocated. Mrs. Scarlatti (minor)- Ezra’s business partner and the owner of Scarlatti’s Restaurant. She is also like a mother figure to Ezra. Mrs. Scarlatti is a relaxed and flexible character. She leaves the restaurant to Ezra after she dies and he changes the name to Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. 5. Major settings: The story is mainly set around Baltimore, Maryland. Pearl, Ezra, and Jenny, with the exception of her college and medical school years, have resided in Baltimore most of their lives. Cody spends the less time in Baltimore because his job requires traveling. However, he purposely decides to choose a place away from home. The novel takes place from the 1920s to 1979. 6. Plot Outline: The novel starts with Pearl Tull lying in the hospital bed dying. She is reminiscing while her youngest son, Ezra is by her side. The story then slowly flashes back to when her kids were younger. It begins when the Tull family is abandoned by their father. Pearl is left to raise three kids on her own ithout the assistance of others. The story progresses as each of her children tells of their past experiences. Her oldest son Cody, often criticized his mother on his upbringing. He is jealous of his brother, Ezra, claiming that he is his mother’s favorite. Ezra, on the other hand is the most innocent child of the three. He is closest to his mother and a ppreciates her. Ezra was part of the military but later decided to come back to Baltimore and work at Scarlatti’s Restaurant, owned by Mrs. Scarlatti. After becoming a favorite of his boss, who he also considers a surrogate mother, he ends up owing part of the restaurant. When Mrs. Scarlatti dies, Ezra is left with the restaurant and he renames it to â€Å"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant†. Her youngest child, Jenny, is the first one of her children to get married. Jenny runs into trouble in all her marriages. She has divorced and married three times. However, Jenny seems to be the only one that is able to find happiness. She works as a successful pediatrician and is raising kids as well. The main goal in the novel is to complete a family meal. The Tulls will often gather together at Ezra’s restaurant, but every time the dinner starts, it always ends in an argument. In the end, Pearl dies and is not able to join her children for a complete meal, but they have their father present to take her place. 7. Major themes: Alienation and Loneliness- Pearl Tull is portrayed as an extremely alienated individual. After her husband leaves her to care for three children, she is determined to raise her kids without assistance from anyone. She won’t even inform her best friend about her husband, and when the neighbors ask about him, she tells them he’s on a business trip. This distance she has with the community affects her children as well. They long to see her gossiping with other women or having some outside connection with others. Growth and Development- Each of the characters in the novel have grown or developed in one way or another. As time passes, Jenny begins to realize that she’s acquired some of her mother’s good and bad traits. Ezra, however, remains somewhat of a child as he grows up. Nonetheless, he shows the most concern for others, even non-family members. Cody still remains as competitive as he was as a child. He doesn’t find much happiness and is confused about his motivation until he confronts his father. He then begins to realize his actions and reactions in the past. 8. Symbols in the book: One of the symbols in the novel is the restaurant. The restaurant is a symbol of togetherness in the family. The restaurant and the Tull family are not very stable, and both have Ezra trying to keep them from falling apart. After Ezra is left with the restaurant, her changes the name and tries to keep it running. In addition to that, he is also trying to bring his family together. He often calls them for a family dinner. However, the dinners always end up in some sort of argument. Another symbol in the novel is vision. In the novel, Pearl’s vision is slowly dissapearing. This symbol represents that she is starting to lose her children. She only remembers them as children and doesn’t know them as adults. However, when there’s a lot of light in the room, she can see the silhouette of Ezra, which shows that he is closest to her. 9. Significant Imagery: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is a novel that suggests a homely, everyday activity. In this novel, the action is eating. Ezra, the cook in his restaurant is the central image. He serves food that is not only for consuming but also medicinal and curative. The colors, textures, and feel of the delicious food serve as an essential component in both cooking an eating. The novel revolves mostly around olfactory images. 10. Significance of title of work: The title of the novel is the name of Ezra’s restaurant. â€Å"Homesick† can be interpreted in many ways, as it is in the novel. Someone can be â€Å"sick for home†, â€Å"sick at home†, and â€Å"sick from home†. The Tull family often has family dinners, but they always go unfinished due to an argument. However, these dinners are what keep the family together. In the end, everyone but Pearl has a finished dinner. The pressure might have lessened after she died. 1. Author’s techniques that are important to this work: Anne Tyler tells Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant from many different viewpoints. Each of the chapters is told from a characters perspective. These chapters also reveals something that is unique or unusual about the character. By alte rnating the different viewpoints, the reader understands the characters better than they understand themselves. Another technique Tyler uses is the emotional tone of the novel. Throughout the novel, majority of the conversations have an overwhelming emotion in it. This suggests that the family lives under a lot of pressure. How to cite Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Essay examples

Death Be Not Proud free essay sample

What is the poets personal view on death and what ideas does he bring across to support it? The poem suggests that the poet has gained personal victory over death, disregarding its power and declaring his own ability to defy it. If you look closer, you would see that death has been written in small letters indicating that death is trifle. That it has no reputation or value. He mocks a very frightening subject implying that, the most severe power that ends the life of every man and woman cannot harm him because of his Christian belief in the afterlife. In the first quatrain John Donne personifies death. He addresses death as an equal or inferior. By doing so, he is able to confront death and attach characteristics that make it easier for readers to grasp the abstract concept of death. He says that death is not as mighty and dreadful as people have perceived it to be. We will write a custom essay sample on Death Be Not Proud or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Giving us hope and motivation to overcome it, just as he did. Next the poet uses sarcasm to put forward that the people death thought he had â€Å"taken† are not actually dead, but in a happier place. By this the poet is able to rob death of its â€Å"mighty and dreadful† power. The next quatrain the poet uses a simile that suggests that sleep and rest are like death. Sleep and rest gives much pleasure so surely death will provide with so much more. He talks about our best men that with death soon go. Their bones rest and their souls simply are delivered; death cannot influence them in any way. In the 3rd quatrain John Donne does the unthinkable and disempowers Death. He personifies Chance and Fate. By doing so he gives Fate and Chance direct power over death. He implies that death is not the boss but merely a slave to Fate and Chance and that a servant to kings, who order men to be executioned, and desperate men, such as murderers and suicidal men. The poet now provokes death by saying that drugs and charms can produce a satisfying rest too, so why does death think he is so powerful and proud? Death has now lost all power and respect and has become inferior to the poet. The final couplet indicates that death is nothing more than a short sleep, a momentary phase at which everybody passes to go to the eternal life. Also death and eternal life are separated by a comma not a full stop or colon, making it an even simpler path. And once we reach the eternal life death will be no more and death will die. The poem has been written in such a way that the poet has challenged societies view on death. Death is basically a phenomenon which we fear. In this sonnet John Donne acts as a brave soldier that combats this common thought. My view of this poem is that when he wrote this sonnet he believed that at the end of his physical life, he will begin an eternal life with God in heaven. I belief we should accept death and understand that if we live a purpose driven and fulfilling life, we will have no reason to fear death. In this world people misjudge death to be awful and terrifying only because they do not understand it. As a whole this poem gives hope to those who have been presently affected by death, either having lost someone very close or being of age ready to transition towards the afterlife. Death is unknown and because of its mysteriousness it has become the cause of much fear. I feel that this poem has given us the courage to face death in such a way where we could all live our lives to the full potential and accomplishment without fear of the unknown.

Turkey Religion Essays - Islam, Religion, Sharia, Islam In Turkey

Turkey Religion Religion Islam is a monotheistic religion practiced by Muslims. They believe that Allah gave revelations to the Prophet Muhammed through the Angel Gabriel around A.D. 600. Jesus Christ and the prophets of the New Testament are accepted as Islamic precepts. During their rule of the Ottoman Empire, Islamic laws dictated the way of life for the Turks. In 1924 with the new republic government, Islamic Law was abolished as a state religion. The government removed religion from public policy and restricted it exclusively to personal faith. This led to the abolishment of the religion's hierarchy and the closing and confiscation of the lodges, meeting places and monasteries as well as outlawing their rituals and meetings. The government restricted religious public attire for men and women as well as trying to substitute Turkish words for Arabic words of Islamic origin. This was a swift and harsh attempt at change. During the 1940's there was a relaxation of some political controls and by the 1950's people wanted to return to traditional religious practice. In fact starting in the 1950's religious education was made compulsory in secondary schools and in 1982 it was extended to primary schools as well. A lot of the controversy that followed was found in the universities. Female students committed to Islam began to cover their heads and necks with scarves and long overcoats. This lead to the regulations in 1987, forbid female students to cover their heads in class. Protests by other religious students and professors overturned the dress code in the 1990's. Today, a Turkish woman's dress has become the center of much debate. (Bollag,B., January 8, 1999). The Muslim religion accounts for 99% of the population in Turkey. Non-Muslim's religions include: Christians, Protestants and Jews. The members of these religions usually reside in a single area and are very small in number.

Liberilism vs Conservatism essays

Liberilism vs Conservatism essays When one thinks of liberals and conservatives it tends to be a comparison of entirely different views concerning every issue. Conservative thinking is regularly associated with the Republican Party while liberal thinking is regularly associated with the Democratic Party. Two such figures that come to mind whose views tend to put them on opposite sides of the political spectrum are presidents Herbert C. Hoover and Harry S. Truman. For example, Hoovers failure to intervene in the private sector of the economy during the infant stages of the Great Depression agrees with the conservative idea of a free market economy. In contrast, Truman continued Roosevelts liberally supported reform measures. One important factor that influences a political figures decision making is his/her morals and beliefs. Conservatives usually have great influence from traditional institutions such as church. As a child, Hoover was raised in a rural Quaker community with a strict belief in the church and the traditional family. This led to his conservative beliefs and actions. During his presidency, Hoover promised to uphold the prohibition amendment, since drinking was seen as an evil in the Quakers (Encarta). Furthermore, he promised to enforce national laws. This went about with the conservative that that authority is needed to make man resistant to evil. Hoover became a millionaire by the time he was forty with great effort. His conservatism and respect for authority earned him that position. On the other hand, liberalism preached that belief that man has a natural ability to reason out right and wrong. Truman did not introduce any major crime legislation, nor did he believe that muc h authority was needed for man to reason out right and wrong (Bernstein 93). Concerning the views on the nature of man, Truman and Hoover developed their views in their early years. Truman being a farmer at heart never let go the hardships o...

Research Proposal for Research Methods Unit in Masters

For Methods Unit in Masters - Research Proposal Example After all, music is a foundation subject and the arguments for its inclusion in the curriculum must surely have been won; it is no longer what was once described as an 'endangered subject'. However, is this really the case Individuals and professional bodies regularly issue earnest statements about the educational significance and value of music studies and express concerns over limited staffing and resources. While there appears to be a steady supply of secondary specialists, Music Education is understandably disappointed by the scant attention now being given to music in the education and training of secondary school teachers. It may seem to some observers as if musicians and music educationists constantly need to protect their subject against people who regarded arts as little more than dispensable extras or mere entertainments. Whether or not there are any educational policy-makers who would subscribe to such an extreme view is questionable, but music educationists often appear to be on the defensive. In addition, in an age of transparency and accountability many teachers report that they are often required to explain, to different audiences, why music is of value within the context of a general education. The study intends to draw insights among Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland about the decline of music education in their region. Furthermore it seeks to accomplish following specific goals: 1. To present the views of Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland about music education. 2. To describe how Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland have shown appreciation and preservation of music education. 3. To discover the impacts of music education to the curricular and socio-cultural dimensions in the Secondary Schools of Queensland. 4. To solicit plan of actions from Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland on how to effectively improve the quality of music education in Queensland Secondary schools. Statement of the Problem The study aims to document critically the current views among Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland on the decline of music education in their region. Furthermore it seeks to answer the following specific research questions: 1. What are the current views and insights of Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland 2. How do Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland describe music education in the schools today 3. Do Secondary School Administrators, Faculty Members and Selected Students in Queensland believe that, the music education in secondary schools has declined Do they have proof/s on their claims 4. In what specific ways appreciation and preservation of music education are demonstrated or concretized in secondary schools5. What is the impact of music education to the curricular and socio-cultural dimensions in Secondary Schools of Queensland

The Role Of Systems And Simulation Research Paper

The Role Of Systems And Simulation - Research Paper Example The process management is recognized to be one of the most important tools for developing better operational management as well as a performance of a company.   In order to maintain the business process in a smooth manner, every company has developed its own process. Most of the companies have built their own process charts such as producing the widget, paying vendor administering payroll and much more. Contextually, it is evident that Wal-Mart has also played a vital role in preparing its own process management. The process name six sigma has been regarded as a more critical organizational process that includes a large number of operational activities of the organizations has been implemented within the operations of Wal-Mart (Grewal, 1-3).   It is notable that the concept of process management is recognized to be one of the most important concepts of managing the operations of the business in the most efficient manner. Through the implication of six sigma techniques of process management, the company has been able to reduce its additional cost within the business. It will be worth mentioning that the strategy of sig sigma is recognized to be more efficient in reducing extra cost of the company. In this regard, the company has decided to implement the six sigma process within the logistics department.   Apparently, it can be stated that Wal-Mart is recognized to be successful in establishing sustainable supply chain management with the help of a new concept name six sigma (Cengage Learning 1-2).  

Tone Analysis of Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

Tone Analysis of Poems - Essay Example The two poems taken for discussion are Phillis Wheatley’s On Being Brought from Africa to America and William Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper. The analysis of these two poems is done by identifying the tone of voice in each of the poems by concentrating on the specific words that the poet chooses to set the mood of the poem and to express his/her attitude regarding the subject. Phillis Wheatley’s On Being Brought from Africa to America addresses the society’s prejudices about perceiving the notion of race, religion, and identity. The poem is written in a satirical tone, expressing the poet’s mixed attitudes of gratefulness and resentment towards the society. Wheatley starts the poem with a grateful attitude from her personal experiences of Christian salvation and enlightenment of soul; nevertheless, she abruptly turns the poem’s tone into a satirical one, condemning the cultural norms of racism. The poem’s ironic tone can be seen in her personification of ‘mercy’ as a kind owner or Savior who had brought her from the Pagan land. The poet posits a plosive style in using the word ‘Pagan land’ to depict the land as a place of benighted souls. Similarly, she uses words like ‘benighted soul’, ‘sable race’, ‘scornful eye’, and ‘diabolic die’ to portray the society’s dark impression of black people and their land. The poet also expresses a sarcastic tone by comparing slavery and redemption as a grateful act of her oppressors. â€Å"Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.† The word choices like â€Å"Pagan†, â€Å"Saviour†, â€Å"Christians†, and â€Å"Cain† are allusions to biblical scriptures, providing theological implications to the subject matter of racism. The usage of biblical simile, â€Å"Black as Cain† depicts the association of sin with black color.  

Impact of Obama on US Regulatory System

Impact of Obama on US Regulatory System Within the first few years when Obama was elected, there are certain things that he has done right, while there are things that he failed to reflect on the broader portion of society. Yet, one thing he is doing that almost no one noticed, even the liberals, is strengthening the countrys regulatory system. The U.S regulatory system has been heavily weakened by the previous Republican presidents, in order for businesses to soar without any interuptions. However, this seemed to be troubling as proven by the recession in 2008 where the global collapsed due to the inregulated big banks, such as, AIG, that were supposed to be overseen by regulators. The problem is that these regulators were paid by these banks, and one would imagine that these businesses were appointed specific regulators by the government, yet, it was not the case. Hence, these rating agencies and regulators were often understaffed or afraid of losing businesses that these banks had the chance to mess up badly. That is wh y Obama is looking to reform these regulatory agencies. The agencies created in the great reform periods (1901–1914, 1932–1938, and 1961–1972) were intended to regulate all the difficult aspects of the economy, i.e. corruption, polluted environment using their scientific knowledge. Because people in power believed back then that we could administrate our country using scientific methods, which would differentiate itself from prejudice and pressures from the lobbyists, the staffs of our regulatory came from social and natural science majors. The idea was heavily criticized as the staffs are often inadequate to response everchanging aspect of our economy. Many of our previous Presidents believed in this idea, it was not until 1980s when George W. Bush became the President, and the idea was ultimately challenged by the Republicans and his allies. All of the staffs were replaced with business executives, and lobbyists; which actually defeated the purpose of regulating based on scientific expertise. Most of the elected peo ple from the Republican Parties were often unfitted for their positions. One example is Edwin G. Foulke Jr, who was chosen to run the OSHA by Bush. It would have been perfectly fine, if it was not for the fact that Mr. Foulke was previously an enemy of the OSHA agency, and he had actively instructed companies on how to stop union organizations. Another fact is that these chosen candidates are often rendered useless to do their job. It is rather odd to see Jeffrey Holmstead appointed by Bush to run the Clean Air Act, even though he was a representative of the Chemical Manufacturers Association. One is then forced to question whether the purpose of appointing unfitted people for the jobs is to render the regulatory system useless. However, after Obama took the office, the candidates were more carefully selected and properly fitted for the job. For instance, Obama knew that state officials are often the ideal candidates to manage the regulatory system, because they know what the rules are and how they are enforced. That is why he chose several knowledgeable state environmental officials to be in charge of the EPA. Lisa Jackson was picked to run the agency, as she was a chemical engineer who also directed the New Jersy Department of Environmental Protection. Previous Republican Presidents didnt just weaken our regulatory system by choosing the wrong people, they also heavily reduced the agenciess financial plan. This ultimately forced the agencies to lay off employees, which then translates to poor inspections. The number of officers during George Bush time dropped thirty five percentages. What is the point of having regulatory rules if there are not enough inspectors to enforce the rules? Seemingly, that was ho w the Republicans wanted. With all of his efforts, Obama is undoing all the damages to our regulatory system, by having massive fundings to most of the regulatory agencies. In 2010, the EPA was funded with $10.5 billion dollars. Similarly, OSHAs budget increased by ten percentages in 2010, which permitted to employ another 130 inspectors. Remarkably, one important thing that Obama did was that he made it difficult for the Congress to obstruct these regulatory rules. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) was introduced 1981 under Reagans administration. It was created to oversee all the other agencys rules. It has the power to detain or put an end to a rule, if the costs exceed the benefits, which were subjective and elusive to measure. That is why the OIRA became an effective device for the Republicans to weaken the regulatory system. Currently, Obama appointed Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law Professor to be in charge of the OIRA. Mr. Sunstein shifts the focus of OIRA from the costs-benefits pe rspective to taking care for our future generations. The regulating agencies are now once again functional.Mary Schapiro, appointed to run the SEC, made 1600 inspections on Wall Street money managers. Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, sued Intel from averting computers makers using non-Intel chips. Even though Clinton tried to bring back the regulatory agencies in 1993, but he was overwhelmed by the Republicans domination in the Congress. Things are fine at the moment, yet, history tends to repeat itself. The political power is divided between the executive, legislative and judicial branch. Within the executive branch, the President is the most powerful leader. The process of electing the President is difficult, as our Founding Fathers did not wish for the President to be elected directly from the people. The idea of electing the President from a popular vote seemed too democratic or in another words, chaotic, as it would create imbalances between different classes of society. That is why the Electoral College was created. The numbers of Electoral College in each state depend on the numbers of members of Congress that state has. For instance, California has 55 electoral votes, while Wyoming has only 3 electoral votes. Having the Electoral College was not only meant to restore balances, but also to distribute the candidatess deficient amount of time and money, i.e, the candidates would concentrate their political campaigns on battlegrounds states instead of swing states, as George Bush did in 2004, where he ignored California, as results showed he was hopelessly behind. However, as practical as the idea seems, there were certain circumstances where the candidate received Presidency without having the majority of popular vote, such as, in 2000, even though George Bush received 500,000 less votes than Al Gore, he still managed to become the President by having the majority in electoral votes. Seemingly, this means one person vote is not practically equal to another, which ultimately challenges our fundamental idea of democracy, where one person is politically equal to another. The President is paid in salary annually. However, the Presidents compensation is often smaller compared to other companiess CEO. This reflects on the basic idea of capitalism where the President of a public sector is compensated less than other private sectors. This allows private ownerships to thrive, and reduce the publics cynicism about possible corruption.The powers of the President listed in the Constitution are the power to veto legislation passed by the Congress, to perform as the commander in chief of the armed forces, execute the laws, pardon criminals, make treaties, call Congress into special session, appoint government officials, and recognize foreign governments. But, it is safe to say that the Presidents powers may vary greatly depending on the circumstances. To expand on this thought, the President does not have the power to declare war, the Congress does (as specified in the Constitutions). Yet as proven in the Iraq war in 2001, Bush deployed 200,000 American troops into the war without the permission of the Congress. Only after the troops have arrived, he asked for their permissions, which proved to be completely useless. Furthermore, Bush advanced by freezing assets of suspected criminals involving the 9/11 incidents, and arrested people based on suspictions without any evidences. This was not challenged by the Congress since the issue was sensitive, and no one wanted to be remembered by being on the opposing team. The Presidents public image is equally important. By regular appearances on TV, Bush managed to convince 7/10 Americans that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attack without having any supported evidences. Presidents often have different styles that they wish to operate with. Seemingly, John F. Kennedy appeared to be overconfident, while Lyndon Johnson was completely opposite. Reagons office was always a mess as he didnt pay attention to details; yet, he was excellent at communicating his idea to the public to the point none exceeded him. On the contrary, Jimmy Carter paid extremely close attention to details, which was a training that he obtained as an engineer. Clinton allowed his team to exercise their creativity and freedom in performing tasks, while Bush enjoyed restrictions and obidience. The President is elected to be a leader. They are elected to inspire change, to reach for a greater good. Their powers are shared between the Congress and the Judicial System, where the checks and balances remind them where they need to be. Hence there were times when the Congress and the President were alligned in the same page (Vietnam War), yet, naturally, the system was designed so that the Congress will always challenge the Presidents actions, vice versa. With the U.S raising as a super power, so are the Presidents political resources. At the same time, he is always challenged by interest group, lobbyists pursuing their ways that are often difficult for the President to overcome their obstacles. The Presidents goals are then to remain initiative when it comes to the interests of capital at home, and preserve coroparates interests overseas.

Essay --

Edith Corales Med 2049 Acute Renal Failure; PTX Tomie Nishime 11/11/2013 The human anatomy works is amazing in many ways and for the most part it all works together to keep a person alive. Every part of the body is essential, but the most important parts are the vital organs; hence the word â€Å"vital†. In most cases the organs start working when the baby is just in the womb but as person hits a certain milestone the body starts to have complications. Even a healthy person can start to have problems because it is inevitable to avoid harmful toxic that could have a negative effect on the body. In reference to toxic, the organ that eliminates toxics out of the body is the kidney. As stated by the National Kidney Foundation â€Å"Most people know that a major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. These waste products and excess fluid are removed through the urine. The production of urine involves highly complex steps of excretion and re-absorption. This process is necessary to maintain a stable balance o f body chemicals† (2013). Therefore the kidneys need to be well cared for because any damage to it can cause a malfunction; for instance, acute renal failure (ARF) reduces or completely stops the kidney’s function to filter our waste from the blood and excreting it in a form of urine. There are three different cause of acute renal failure prerenal, intrarenal and post renal. Pre-renal is a case when there is a loss of fluid in the body; for example, hypovolemic shock due to internal bleeding can cause a prerenal ARF. Pre-renal happens outside of the body because of the depletion of vascular fluid. As noted by Needham in his article â€Å"Management of Acute Renal Failure†, â€Å"Pre-renal azot... ...ve a symptom of anorexia, nausea, vomiting and pruritus. The amount of urine being excreted out of the body can be measured and in a person has a urine output of 400ml within one day then it is considered oliguria. A even serious urination complication is anuria which is the complete suppression of urine in the kidney, so no urine is being made. Reference The National Kidney Foundation (2013). Acute Renal Failure. Retrieved from http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_KidneyDisease.cfm Needham, E M.D. (2005). Management of Acute Renal Failure. Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/1101/p1739.html WebMD (2013). Topic overview: Acute Renal Failure. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/uremic-syndrome Livestrong (2013). Acute & Chronic Renal Disease. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/212266-acute-chronic-renal-disease/

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

The movie response that will be covered in this essay will be on the film â€Å"Wall Street Money Never Sleeps †. It was directed by Oliver Stone, released during 2010 and is the sequel to the 1987 film â€Å"Wall Street†. The film starts with the release from jail of Michael Douglas' Gordon Gekko before cutting to a rather elaborate plot involving Shia LaBeouf as the young trader with (some) scruples, who's rising in a world that just happens to be collapsing at the same time, as investment banks run by the likes of Frank Langella and Josh Brolin teeter under the weight of the 2008 financial crisis. The story then carefully weaves in more and more to Gekko (who, conveniently, also happens to be LaBeouf's future father-in-law, a dad to LaBeouf's on-screen fiancee, Carey Mulligan) (Zeitchik, 2010). Greed seems to be Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps theme, reckless and over the top risky behaviour has lead to the bubble in the housing prices to burst due to the actions of Wall Street firms. Shia Labouf played by Jake Moore works for the Lehman Brothers-esque Keller Zabel and is mentored by managing director Lewis Zabel. He receives a bonus of $1,450,000, before a late-night treasury meeting, which reveals that Keller Zabel is on the verge of collapse. This brings up an important ethical issue on how much bankers and traders receive in bonuses, irrelevant of the financial climate. After the collapse of several large banks during the financial crises of 2008, many are still paying their employees substantial bonuses. Many argue that the UK government have pumped billions of pounds into the banking sector, and has bailed out both Royal Bank of Scotland and Loyds Banking Group. As a result they should have greater say in how much the banks pay out in bonuses, however the banks argue that they cannot dramatically reduce bonuses without the risk of losing top staff to banks based overseas, which are under less pressure to cut payments. Even if bonuses are cut, salaries have risen significantly to compensate, by up to 40% in some cases. This is one of the many flaws, which has been allowed to occur within the banking industry, to the point where it has become the norm (Peston, 2011). One of the most prominent ethical issues presented in this movie is the idea of insider trading, which is the trading of stock with hidden information that the general publics is not informed about. It began with rumours being spread on â€Å"Zabel† by Bretton James who runs the rival bank Churchill Schwartz, which caused the rumours to become true, and Keller Zabel to be on the verge of collapse. Bretton James then insults Lewis Zabel by offering him $3/share when the firm was trading the previous week at $75/share. Zabel claims that this was revenge for letting Jame’s company go under eight years ago. These series of events causes Zabel to commit suicide by throwing himself under a subway. To avenge his mentor Shia Labouf releases rumours on Churchil Shwartz, which caused their shares to drop down 8% in pre market trading costing them $120million. Insider trading can be a very powerful tool within the financial sector; it can be used to make large profits as well as destroying others. As illustrated in the movie, Lewis Zabel took his life due to the results of Insider trading. It’s a criminal offence in most countries, however as Shia Labouf said it’s â€Å"hard to prove†, this is due to the difficulty of trying to prove what a person has heard via word of mouth. Because Insider trading is illegal, insiders who wish to exploit price sensitive information collaborate with other traders to make it harder to trace the trades back to the person who is known to have access to the information. This is called an Insider Ring. The term â€Å"moral hazard† is mentioned several times throughout Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. It’s first mentioned during the treasury meeting, when they are deciding whether to bail out Keller Zabel, if they bail them out what’s to say it wont occur again. Moral hazard is the idea that an individual can alter their behaviour if they know they are insured against some of the outcomes, for example if a car is not insured you would take more care than if it was. The reason moral hazard comes up several times throughout the movie is because it’s often used within the context of banks and sub prime mortgages. This is due to the fact that before the 2008 financial crises sub prime mortgage lenders were making reckless lending decisions, they lent many mortgages to people who were unlikely to be able to pay them back. This led to large-scale mortgage defaulting, which caused many banks to go under and cause the economy to suffer. However many banks were bailed out by governments in order to reduce the economy suffering further, which is effectively rewarding them for bad economic decisions (What is Moral Hazard, 2007). The issue of lack of corporate governance is apparent in the movie, its connected to the reasons why Keller Zabel and the other banks began to fail. A definition of Corporate Governance is a â€Å"set of relationships between a company’s directors, its shareholders and other stakeholders. It also provides a structure through which the objectives of a company are set, and the means of achieving those objectives and monitoring performance, are determined† (OECD). Events such as soaring pay packages for top bank executives which are often driven by extraordinary risk taking rather than real sustainable profits, weaknesses in risk management, board oversight, understatement of bad loans can all be linked to poor corporate governance (Corporate Governance failure to blame for banking crises, 2009). Money laundering is another un-ethical issue, which Wall Street brings about. Gordon Gekko reveals to Shia LaBeouf that he has $100million in a Swiss account under his daughter’s name, which she will be entitled to when she turns 25. Gordon suggests that him and his daughter travel to Switzerland sign the account over to LaBeouf’s name and he in return gives Gordon the money so that he brings it to the States in order to avoid the RAS getting involved, which is Money Laundering. To conclude there are many ethical layers within Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, such as unjustified salaries, poor corporate governance, insider trading, moral hazard and money laundering. These issues are very real, and still go on in our daily lives. We continue to inflate these â€Å"bubbles† until eventually they will burst, and repeat the process. Albert Einstein said, â€Å"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results†. This seems to be very true of the banking industry and the lack of thought of the consequences to their actions. Gordon Gekko presented us with a question, â€Å"Is Greed Good? † I believe Greed can never be good.Bibliography †¢ Corporate Governance failure to blame for banking crises. (2009, 02 24). Retrieved 05 2011 from Professional Pensions: http://www.professionalpensions.com/professional-pensions/news/1441283/corporate-governance-failure-blame-banking-crisis †¢ DREA. (2010, 10 30). Movie Review of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Retrieved 05 2011 from Businesspundit: http://www.businesspundit.com/movie-review-of-wall-street-money-never-sleeps/ †¢ Insider Trading. (n.d.). Retrieved 05 2011 from Moneyterms: http://moneyterms.co.uk/insider-trading/ †¢ Kenny, J. (2009, 02 25). Corporate governance failure driving banking crises. Retrieved 05 2011 from FTadviser: http://www.ftadviser.com/InvestmentAdviser/Investments/AssetClass/Equities/News/article/20090225/2d2a7d74-034c-11de-a6db-00144f2af8e8/Corporate-governance-failure-driving-banking-crisis.jsp †¢ Peston, R. (2011, 01 07). Bank bonuses ‘to run to billions in 2011†². Retrieved 05 2011 from BBC NEWS: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12131092 †¢ What is Moral Hazard. (2007, 12 11). Retrieved 05 2011 from Economicshelp: http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/economics/what-is-moral-hazard/ †¢ Zeitchik, S. (2010, 05 14). Cannes 2010: â€Å"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' issues its wake-up call. Retrieved 05 2011 from Los Angelese Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/05/wall-street-money-never-sleeps-cannes-oliver-stone.html

5 Interesting Facts About Slavery in the Americas

5 Interesting Facts About Slavery in the Americas Slavery is a topic that never leaves the public consciousness; films, books, art, and theater have all been created about the institution. Yet, many Americans still know far too little about the transatlantic slave trade. They cant say when it began or ended or how many Africans were kidnapped and enslaved against their will. Its difficult to discuss current issues related to slavery, such as reparations, without first understanding how the slave trade left its imprint on Africa, the Americas, and the world. Millions Shipped to the Americas While it’s common knowledge that six million Jews died during the Holocaust, the number of West Africans shipped to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade from 1525 to 1866 remains a mystery to much of the public. According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, 12.5 million Africans were loaded up like human cargo and forever separated from their homes and families. Of those Africans, 10.7 million managed to live through the horrific journey known as the Middle Passage. Brazil: Slaverys Epicenter Slave traders shipped Africans all over the Americas, but far more of the enslaved population ended up in South America than any other region. Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University, ​estimates that a single South American country- Brazil- received 4.86 million, or about half of all slaves who survived the trip to the New World. The United States, on the other hand, received 450,000 Africans. According to a 2016 U.S. Census Bureau report, roughly 45 million blacks live in the United States, and most of them are descendants of the Africans forced into the country during the slave trade. Slavery in the North Initially, slavery wasn’t just practiced in the Southern states of the United States, but in the North as well. Vermont stands out as the first state to abolish slavery, a move it made in 1777 after the U.S. liberated itself from Britain. Twenty-seven years later, all of the Northern states vowed to outlaw slavery, but it continued to be practiced in the North for years. That’s because the Northern states implemented legislation that made slavery’s abolition gradual rather than immediate. PBS points out that Pennsylvania passed its Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in 1780, but gradual turned out to be an understatement. In 1850, hundreds of Pennsylvania blacks continued to live in bondage. Just more than a decade before the Civil War kicked off in 1861, slavery continued to be practiced in the North. Banning the Slave Trade The U.S. Congress passed a law in 1807 to ban the importation of enslaved Africans, and similar legislation took effect in Great Britain the same year. (The U.S. law went into effect on Jan. 1, 1808.) Given that South Carolina was the only state at this time that hadn’t outlawed the importation of slaves, Congress’ move wasn’t exactly groundbreaking. What’s more, by the time Congress decided to ban the importation of slaves, more than four million enslaved blacks already lived in the United States, according to the book Generations of Captivity: A History of African American Slaves. Since the children of those enslaved people would be born into slavery, and it wasn’t illegal for American slaveholders to trade those individuals domestically, the congressional act did not have a marked impact on slavery in the U.S. Elsewhere, Africans were still being shipped to Latin America and South America as late as the 1860s. Africans in the U.S. Today During the slave trade, about 30,000 enslaved Africans entered the U.S. yearly. Fast forward to 2005, and 50,000 Africans annually were entering the U.S. on their own volition. It marked a historic shift. â€Å"For the first time, more blacks are coming to the United States from Africa than during the slave trade,† The New York Times reported. The Times estimated that more than 600,000 Africans lived in the U.S. in 2005, about 1.7 percent of the African-American population. The actual number of Africans living in the United States might be even higher if the number of undocumented African immigrants was tallied.

Compare Contrast Religion Essays - Prophets Of Islam, Messianism

Compare Contrast Religion Essays - Prophets Of Islam, Messianism Compare Contrast Religion ************************************************************************** ***** Joe Stas [emailprotected] This was an A essay! ************************************************************************** ***** Compare and Contrast essay: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism Introduction of Religions Christianity most widely distributed of the world religions, having substantial representation in all the populated continents of the globe. Its total membership may exceed 1.7 billion people. Islam, a major world religion, founded in Arabia and based on the teachings of Muhammad, who is called the Prophet. One who practices Islam is a Muslim. Muslims follow the Koran, the written revelation brought by Muhammad. The Muslim world population is estimated at more than 1 billion. Islam is the quickest growing religion. Judaism is one of the world's oldest religious traditions. Pre-modern Judaism constituted (and traditional Judaism today constitutes) an integrated cultural system of Jewish law, custom, and practice encompassing the totality of individual and communal existence. It is a system of sanctification in which all is to be subsumed under God's rule. Judaism originated in the Middle East, but Jewish communities have existed at one time or another in almost all parts of the world, a result of both voluntary migrations and forced exile or expulsions. Origin The central element of Christianity is the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish rabbi, attracted a following of people who believed him to be a new prophet. Their recollections of Jesus' words and deeds recall his days on earth and the miracle of his resurrection from the dead on the first Easter. These Jewish Christians began the first churches, in Jerusalem. Much like Christianity Islam was based on the prophesies and teaching of person or prophet, Muhammad. In Mohammed's time (570?-632), the Arabian Peninsula was inhabited by nomadic Bedouins and city-dwelling Arabs. Muhammad began his ministry at the age of 40, when, he claimed, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision. At first Muhammad confided his visions only to his family and close friends. After four years he began to preach openly in his native city of Mecca. Ridiculed by the Meccans, he went to Medina in 622. At his death in 632, Muhammad was the leader of an Arab state growing rapidly in power. The third duty of a Muslim is to pay zakat. This tax was originally levied by Muhammad ,and later by Muslim states, on the wealthy members of the community, primarily to help the poor. The fourth duty is the fast of the month of Ramadan. During the fasting month, one must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. The fifth duty is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Every adult Muslim who is physically and economically able to do so must make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. Unlike the other two major religions Judaism evolved form the Israelites who didn't deny the existence of other gods for other nations, though they only worshipped one deity. Its deity was Yahweh, the god of the patriarchs, who was worshipped in a sacrificial cult centered in Jerusalem and later at sanctuaries in the north, where a rival Jewish kingdom was formed. Prophets who warned against the people's reliance on these temple cults saw themselves vindicated when both the northern and southern kingdoms were destroyed by foreign conquerors. The exile of the Judeans to Babylonia in 586 BC was a major turning point in Israelite religion. The prior history of Israel now was reinterpreted in light of the events of 586, laying the foundation for the traditional biblical Pentateuch, prophetic canon, and historical books. A truly monotheistic religion, called Judaism, developed from these events. In 539 BC the Jews were permitted to return to Israel. Doctrines and Practices In Christian teaching, Jesus is the supreme preacher and exemplar of the moral life, but for most Christians that does not fully justify significance of his life and work. Christians teach that God is almighty in dominion over all that is in heaven and on earth, righteous judgment over good and evil. Baptism is the means of initiation into Christianity. Another fundamental component of the Christian faith and practice is its community. The community of faith in the church is the primary setting for Christian worship, although Christians of all traditions have placed a strong emphasis on private devotion and individual prayer. Unlike Christianity Islam has two fundamental sources of doctrine and practice, which are the Koran and the Sunna. Muslims regard the Koran as the speech of God to Muhammad and they believe that God himself is the author. The Sunna is known through Hadith, the body of traditions based on the words and actions of the Prophet. Unlike the Koran, Hadith is not considered infallible. The Islamic culture also believes that there are fundamental things for all Muslims to do so they go to heaven. According

Compare and contrast two articles with opposite viewpoints (opposing Essay

Compare and contrast two articles with opposite viewpoints (opposing articles) - Essay Example The authors claim that research shows that the difference in the cognitive abilities of girls and boys are trivial; thus, there is no gain in opting for single-sex classrooms in public schools. Aside from the high cost of setting up these classrooms, it also goes against the federal law which requires that schools should make available their resources to both sexes. The authors conclude their article by stating that single-sex classrooms do not make any sense. On the other hand, Reed’s essay, â€Å"Girls and Boys Thrive in Separate Classrooms† take the opposite side by arguing that â€Å"single-sex education is a valid and compelling option† (Reed 542). The article mentions that the learning styles of girls and boys differs; therefore, there is a need to promote single-sex classrooms. Moreover, the author mentions that students who graduate from single-sex classrooms perform better and are more prepared for college than those who attend coed schools (Reed 542). R eed cites several statistics and researches to justify her argument that single-sex classroom is the route that the nation must take if it wants to remain competitive (543). These two articles will be compared and contrasted to determine which one is a more persuasive and effective discussion on the issue of single-sex classrooms. ... In the fourth paragraph Reed cites a study of secondary schools and colleges which showed that single-sex schools for females provide better educational opportunities and occupational achievements (Reed 542). On the other hand, Barnett’s and Rivers’ style is less direct. They do not present their position in the first part of the essay; rather, they mention about a school’s superintendent plan to create two single-sex public schools. Unlike Reed, the readers are not made aware of their stand until the middle part of the essay. The style of Barnett and Rivers is to show examples of single-sex classrooms and how it affects the performance of the students. The mention of statistics is not predominant in the article unlike that of Reed’s. Barnett and Rivers’ article lacks the support of statistical data. They mention that the theory that there are major gender differences in the processing of information between boys and girls have been debunked but the y fail to present evidence of such, unlike Reed who supports her theories by citing statistics. The use of statistics makes Reed’s article more convincing and believable. A notable style of Barnett and Rivers is shown in paragraph 8. Contrary to Reed’s style, they include a statement in their article that single-sex classrooms are good provided the resources are there (Barnett and Rivers 540). They agreed to the opposing position but immediately contradict it by saying that there is a catch to it. Reed on the other hand, never mentions that coed classrooms are good. Instead, she strengthens her position by presenting the drawbacks of her argument but refutes it by discussing the results or a research made among more than 450 schools (Reed 542). Both

International Legal Aspects of Iraq's Sustainable Development Dissertation

International Legal Aspects of Iraq's Sustainable Development - Dissertation Example On another note, decades of stagnation and sanctions in the Saddam regime meant that further oil and gas exploration was not possible. In addition to Iraq’s proven reserves of oil and gas, it is expected that another 45 billion to 100 billion barrels of crude oil remain unexplored1. On another note, it is ironic that for the fiscal years 2009 and 2010, Iraq’s central government had to face a fiscal deficit even though there are vast oil and gas reserves in the country’s territory. The lack of effective frameworks to explore and exploit the oil and gas resources has led the Iraqi nation to a miserable state such that the Iraqi’s long term sustainable development is highly impaired. This chapter will look into various forms of international petroleum agreements to observe how they have been implemented throughout the world and in Iraq’s case. Given the fact that Iraq changed regimes, the international petroleum agreements binding it internationally al so changed. ... chapter will also look into how political factors, both external an internal, tend to affect petroleum agreements, especially, in the context of the friction between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal Iraqi government. This chapter will then explore the environmental clauses of Iraqi petroleum agreements and ascertain its bearing on community development and economic development targets. Lastly, the chapter will look into the various legal challenges that sustainable development of oil and gas resources face in Iraq at the present. Evolution of International Petroleum Agreements International petroleum agreements (IPA) have evolved over time as the relationship between suppliers and producers has transformed through its highs and lows. In the modern day, IPAs are well established tools of business and a narrow range of IPAs tends to provide for most business arrangements between petroleum producers and suppliers. The various legal arrangements utilised under internatio nal law and IPA to benefit the petroleum producer and supplier are being discussed in order to evaluate what kinds of legal arrangements are more sustainable than others. This will further be applied in Iraq’s case to decipher how Saddam era petroleum agreements tend to differ from modern oil and gas contracts, especially with reference to sustainability and sustainable development for the people of Iraq. Concession Agreements Since most nation states tend to assume control of any mineral resources discovered in their territory, it is a direct consequence that they tend to represent any such interests under international law. The discovery of oil over the globe in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century saw a number of nation states trying to conjure legal arrangements to

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

Christian concept - Essay Example The seventh day is meant for worship. However, patients still need services on those days. Thus, hospital administrators may call upon nurses to provide services on Sabbath. Such a move is beneficial to the patients but disregards the worldview of the nurses in regards to worship. Tensions may arise since Christian nurses would prefer to rest on Sabbath, Muslims on Friday and thus administrators may take actions such as the demotion or other actions targeted at punishing the nurses. Another cause of tension is when patients refuse treatment in critical situations. There are instances where religion or culture has been cited to justify the refusal of treatment. Such scenarios may include minors or critically ill patients. In such instances, there arises tension since health workers may opt to save the lives by going against the worldviews of the patients and their relatives. The actions of nurses would be in line with the beneficence principle, and the Christian worldview (Shelly & Miller, 2009).However, such moves would contradict the beliefs of patients in one way or the

What is Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

What is Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is concerned with establishing a specific and managed cause and effect relationship between an organisations actions to survive and grow and its HRM principle and practices. It is also concerned with the mechanism through which people in an organisation gain an understanding of the purpose of the organisation, its goals and strategic objectives. As well as how the organisation related to its external environment in order to achieve these goals and objectives (SHU International MBA, Intro to SHRM unit p. 1) Introduction Human resource management (HRM) can broadly be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most value asset the people work there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives for sustainable competitive advantage. As described by beer et al (1984): Human resource management involves all management decisions and action that affect the relationship between the organization and employees It human resource.1 The different between Strategic Human Resource management (SHRM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) can be seen as the word of Strategy, Strategy, as it has come to be applied in business, is a market-oriented concept it is fundamentally concerned with products and competitive advantage. The different between are integrated as follow: Strategic human resource management is concerned with those decisions which have a major and long -term effect on the employment and development of people in the organisation, and on the relationship which exist between its management and staff. An HR strategy will express the intention of the enterprise about how it should manage its human resources. These intentions provide the basis for plans, development and programmes for managing chance. The aim of SHRM is to ensure that the culture, style and structure of the organization, and the quality, commitment and motivation of its employees, contribute fully to the achievement of Business objective. Main features of strategic human resourse management It has been suggested by Hendry and Pettigrew (1986) that the main features of strategic human resource management are as follows: The use of planning A coherent approach to the design and management of personnel systems based on an employment policy and manpower strategy, often underpinned by a philosophy HRM activates and policies are matched to some explicit business strategy The people of the organisation are seen as a strategy resource for achieving competitive advantage Formation of Strategy To understand how the SHRM can effect the whole organisation, we need to go thought the Organisation Structure and see the how Strategy Management works. The strategic management process is typically broken down into five step: 1. mission and goals 2. environmental analysis 3. strategic formulation 4. strategy implementation 5. strategy evaluation We are not interested for Step 1 and Step 2, because at these two stages, the Strategy is not form yet. It was still in the planning process, after the Strategy had been developed, it will transfer to Step 3- Strategic Formulation. Strategic Formulation involves senior manager evaluating the interaction between strategic factors and making strategic choices that guide managers to meet their organisation goals. Some Strategies are formulated at the corporate, business and specific functional levels. Hierarchy of Strategy Another aspect of strategic management in the multidivisional business organization concerns the level to which strategic issues apply. Conventional wisdom identifies different levels of strategy a hierarchy of strategy 1.corporate 2.business 3.functional Its because we are not interested in Corporate-Level strategy Business-level strategy. The deeper explanations will be place in the appendix. Functional-level strategy Functional-level strategy pertains to the major functional operations within the business unit, including research and development, marketing, manufacturing, finance and HR. This strategy level is typically primarily concerned with maximizing resource productivity and addresses the question,  How do we support the business-level competitive strategy? Consistent with this, at the functional level, HRM policies and practices support the business strategy goals. Developing human resource strategies Human resource strategy contributes top the business strategy but is also justified by, the aim should be make it imaginative, innovative, clear and actionable. Its must also be selective, focusing on priorities, and flexible, rapidly adjusting to change. HR strategy should be formulated by s continuous process of analysing what is happening to the business and where it is going. So, we do know why we need SHRM to support organisation strategy, but how can we implement the SHRM to the organisation, and what kind of tools and practice we can use to shaping the organisation strategy in the term of Human Resource Management. The answer for this is fairly easy, we know the Top Level is the Strategy, and the bottom level is the worker on work floor. The linkage between these is a linkage mechanism, which general identify as Manager of that particular department. What is the responsibility of manager? In general, the key of a manager is to keep a good relationship with the employee, without the good relationship, the organisation will unable to run the daily task to achieve what they got to achieve. In other word a manager is trying making out the most from the employee to optimise the company performance. And the follow is what a manager should do for their duties: Ability to Motivate worker recruitment and staffing employee development employee relations Leadership Communication and culture Teamwork Ability to motivate worker Motivation is defined as the willingness to do something conditioned upon the actions ability to satisfy some need for the individual. (Robbins De Cenzo, 2001) Motivation is the key to getting the job done because without it, projects and jobs are completed with no purpose or direction. Moreover rewards and bonuses gained by employees increase their moral as well as benefiting the organization. Appraisal systems for some time have served to prove that the performance of employees is under control or to give the appearance of control Recruitment and Staffing Recruitment and Selection is a well-worn topic, which is treated fully in all major texts. Just remember that there is always a tension between getting the right person for a job and how much resource in terms of time and money is devoted to recruitment. The more accurate the recruitment, the more benefits the organization will achieve. This is because the employee will carry out their tasks more appropriately and will be ideal for the new post and will be able to take responsibilities. The more recruitment in an organization, the higher the overheads and therefore HRM needs to be effectively managing and deciding whether there is a need of recruitment or not. Training and development Training and Development are currently big issues for many businesses in most  parts of the country, especially where there are low rates of unemployment. Moreover, Increase in training and development has increased productivity as well as employees moral. This is beneficial for both, the company and the employees. Although the costs of HRM increase in the short term as training and development is very expensive but at the long term it is very beneficial for an organization as job commitment is reinforced and quality increases to Employee relations Develop and maintain effective employee relations activities and programs which you can use to help create a positive organizational culture. Handle difficult employees with confidence, and learn how to reinforce good behavior as well as discipline, and terminate properly if the need arises. In addition, you will look at ways to get your employees involved and assess their needs and opinions. Leadership The leadership is someone who exercises influence over people. The ability to influence also needs the permission of those to be influenced. The functions of Lead in organization may include Enabling people and group to achieve their objectives Setting and communication objectives. Monitoring performance and giving feedback Administering rewards and punishments Clarifying and solving problems Making decision on behalf of others Represent the group to others Providing information, advice and expertise Communication and culture Communication is very important to a manager, the purpose of the manage is get people connected together, from the top-side of the CEO to the bottom side of the Shop-floor worker, without the communication skill the manager may send the wrong message the audience. Teamwork Teamwork emphasizes the successful of business. As we know there are a lot of task cannot carried out by one people such as decision making, planning and problem solving. Teamwork can speed-up the task to achieve the goal in a efficient way. Factors to implementing change to the organisation After we understand the role of the management, but how cans a manager to implement the strategy to his department, the Keyword is CHANGE. The question is how can a manger to change the behaviour of the worker to ways that will match the organisation goals and strategy. Before the implementation of change, we should make sure the manager had got the capacity to handle the change. And there are three questions to ask the manager. Does he have the right attitude? Does he have the appropriate knowledge? Do we have the necessary skill? Right Attitude for the manager A change agent cannot succeed without great persistence. Change is a complex and laborious process that arouses strong feelings and emotions. Angry people, frustrated teammates, conflicting priorities, unforeseen problems or behind-the-scene resistance pose daily challenges. A project manager cannot lead her team through these minefields without determination and stamina. To avoid mid-course changes in leadership, the person must be fully committed to see the project through completion. A good way to ensure that is to appoint an ambitious individual who presents substantial potential for career advancement within the organization. She will look at the challenge as a terrific career-building opportunity and will be highly motivated to succeed. The benefits will actually extend well beyond the projects time horizon. Indeed, the initiative will provide this high-potential employee with a broader understanding of the business, an extended network of relationships and stronger leadership skills. Appropriate knowledge of what we going to change I am absolute sure that the developer of the strategy do know what is needed to change to meet their target. But the question is the project manager is in a functional- level of the business, he is a subject matter expert in their respective area of responsibility. Are we sure he got a detail understanding of what is going on of the strategy. An expertise of the strategic goal will be needed to assist the functional level to achieve what they should achieve The necessary skills Change is complex subject; it will generate lots of pressure due to the instability and uncertainty. And also the manager has to handle manage conflicting priorities, multiple constituencies and fast-approaching deadline; Responsible for gilding the organisation through the numerous challenge of the transition. Therefore, the project leader must possess the proven ability to remain highly effective under intense fire. Otherwise, the  breakdown will occur when that person is overseeing a critical phase, so the whole project can be failed or delayed. Which is opposing what we trying to do. Step for implementation of Strategy within the Human Resource What is implementation? Implementation means causing changes to occur somewhere in your sphere of influence as a manager. It is impossible to implement any course of action and not have something change as a result. This means that certain things must be disrupted, discontinues, or deferred and new activities must begin. But most important, it means that after you have initiated action, things will be different. The key is in creating exactly the right amount of disruption. The following guide lines should help you to accomplish the implementation of your action plan with the minimum amount of adverse disruption and maximum of success: (Responsible Managers Get results- Gerald Faust 1998) Always implement changes from the top down. Always start with the best first. Set your own example. Remember that you cant motivate people to do something they dont know how to do. Recognize and reward desired performance early. Pace implementation so that the timing is consistent with the needs of your plan. Provide coaching and follow-up consulting, and, above all, be persistent Step 1: Planning the Change Process (These step are coming from article: How to implement organisation change) Like any complex project, change management requires detailed planning. Being responsible for guiding the process, the change facilitation team must see to it that detailed but realistic planning is undertaken in order to minimize divergence from the vision. Step 2: Goal translation The executive goals need to be translating to each level of the organisation in a meaningful, achievable target to each individual person within the organisation. For example: if the executive goal is increase the sales by 15 %, but how can salesman known how much is the percentage increase for a particular product. Therefore the goals must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Additive, Reasonable and Time-bound). Furthermore the goal must is translate to a understandable language of different level of the organisation. Step 3: Barrier identification and Removal When the goals are clearly understood, we can start identifying the barriers that are preventing the achievement of these goals. The people who actually do the work should identify the barrier. Whenever possible, we must involve these people in implementation decision where these view may be crucial. For that reason, Manager must be able to communicate effectively at all levels and across each function. Resistance of Change Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many case there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. de Jager (2001) argues, Most people are reluctant to leave the familiar behind. We are all suspicious about the unfamiliar; we are naturally concerned about how we will get from the old to the new, especially if it involves learning something new and risking failure de Jager (2001) Step 4: System for Managing Once the goals have been translated and barrier have been identify, the next critical step will be to develop a system for managing the organisation. Traditionally it will only be measured. But now it will be much larger. Not only a metrics need to designed, but meeting need to be developed, measure automation needs to be planned and specific accountability need to be determined. As far as the metrics are concerned, they need to report on goal achievement at each organisation level. And the reporting will also translated to its specificity. So if the executive goal is improved effectiveness of 25 % then that is what the metrics needs to report on at that organisation level. Similarly the metric in the finished goods packaging area may be boxed packed per hour and so on. Step 5: Rewards Recognition Rewarding and recognizing employees is essential to any business or organization. Employees like to know that the work they do is noticed and appreciated by their employers. It is important to recognize both the effort put into getting work and projects completed and the result. Recognition is one of the most effective ways to reinforce an organizations culture, support its objectives, and retain top performers. When we remember to take care of these very human needs for recognition and appreciation, we do a great deal to create an energized workplace we need in order to succeed in todays challenging times. Short Example of implementation SHRM to an organisation Age, skills and training ASDA will have a range of employees who have worked for different lengths of time and who have different levels of skills and training. The Human  Resource planner will seek to have a balance of new people entering ASDA in order to cover those who are leaving. The Human Resource Planner will also want to make sure that skill levels are raising within ASDA, and that training programmes are devised to make sure people have the skills to meet ASDAs jobs requirements. If all ASDAs skilled employees are just about to retire, ASDA will have to spend a lot of money on training to build up a new pool of expertise. Succession Succession is the way in which one person follows another person into a particular job or role within ASDA. ASDA need to make sure it is grooming people to take on the responsibility required. If ASDA do not do this, it will suddenly find itself with a vacuum where it has not developed the people to move into the appropriate position of responsibility, and ASDA will be missing the right people in key position to hold ASDA together. Learning organisation Toyota is a classics which using a life-long learning opportunity. They understand the current worker may not be able to catch-up with the current technology. Therefore they have introduce a Paid-leave learning period for those who want to going back to study Operating as a learning organization and affording all our employees lifelong learning opportunities and equipping them with the skills and abilities to cope with and develop in an environment of constant change. Conclusion: Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a broadness area. Meaning range from a human resource system that is tailored to the demands of the business strategy to the pattern of planned human resource activities intended to enable an organization to achieve its goals. Where in the first definition human resource management is a reactive management field in which human  resource management becomes a tool to implement strategy, in the latter definition it has a proactive function in which human resource activities actually create and shape the business strategy. As Strategy is equal to change, so, SHRM will be change as the changing environment. But one thing can be sure is- SHRM is a managing tool of Human factor which will assist the organization to achieve their goals, and it will controlling all the human factor, and getting the most from them, to optimize the efficiency and gain competitiveness of the organization. Reference: 1. Human Resource Management Strategy Action Michael Armstrong 2. Strategic human resource management John Bratton 3. http://adtimes.nstp.com.my/jobstory/jan20a.htm The art of people management 4. http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheory/Bolognese721.html- Employee Resistance to Organizational Change 5. http://www.changemanagementgroup.com/orgdevel.phtml Organizational Development and Team Building 6. Responsible Managers Get results- Gerald Faust 1998 7. Strategic human resource management, performance, alightment, management by David Baker 8. Taking a Strategic Approach to Human Resource Management by Roy Massey 9. What is human resources strategy by Mark A. Thomas 10. http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/Implement_change_manageme

Micro-finance in Rural India: Challenges for the Future

Micro-finance in Rural India: Challenges for the Future Submitted by: Aishik Chakraborty Aritra Datta Shubham Chowdhury Snehashish Saha INTRODUCTION Rural India is home to about two-thirds of the Indias 125 crore population. This population is mostly engaged in agriculture that contributes 17.2 percent to Indias GDP. However, this dependence on agriculture is gradually diminishing with small-scale cottage industries and self-help groups gaining prominence in rural economy. This is clearly reflected by the contribution of industry in rural economy which has grown to 30.2 percent in the recent years. However the self-help groups and cottage industries often have to depend on the local moneylenders for financing of its activities with most large scale banks yet to make a foray into rural markets. In such circumstances, micro-finance gains prominence in financing activities of such industries. Micro-finance is a critical factor in uplifting rural economy. However this sector suffers from various challenges. It is imperative that the challenges are studied in order to ensure the Indian growth story to continue. This study will analyze the prevalent challenges and recommend strategies to overcome these bottlenecks. LITERATURE REVIEW Micro-finance refers to small scale financial services provided by financial institutions to the financially backward classes. These services include savings, credit, insurance, etc. The conditions for a financial service to be termed as micro-finance is that the transaction should be small and the customers should be financially weak. Jeffrey Sachs, the renowned economist once claimed that â€Å"The key to ending extreme poverty is to enable the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development.† The concept of micro-finance was introduced in India during the 1990s. The country is home to about a third of the world’s poor, most of who do not have access to commercial banking services. The key problem areas in rural financial markets included a lack of credit in rural areas, absence of modern technology in agriculture, low savings capacity in rural areas and prevalence of usurious moneylenders. In such circumstances, micro-finance provides financial inclusion to the under-privileged sections of the society. In absence of micro-finance, the poor in rural India would fall prey to the money-lenders who charge a very high rate of interest on credit and thereby rob the poor of their savings. Micro-finance differs from conventional banking as unlike conventional banks, micro-financing lays more emphasis on the principles of co-operation, equality and mutual self-help. Micro-finance targets mostly the women of rural India, with more than 90% of its customers being women belonging to self-help groups. Micro-credit is mostly used for direct investments by self-help groups and facilitates access to credit by clients who need small amounts of credits but are less credit-worthy for larger loans. However, MFIs in India are susceptible to a number of challenges including political interference. They compete with both politicians and government backed lending programs for the same target segment. The ability of the Indian MFI industry to mitigate this risk is a crucial factor in determining its success. An example of a crisis in the micro-finance sector was when Andhra Pradesh found itself at the center of a debacle thatwas triggered by a the highly successful MFI, SKS Microfinance, which tactfully covered up cases of suicides among MFI borrowers. While it has not been clearly established whether indebtedness or coercive MFI tactics triggered the suicides, the political backlash was intense. In order to counterbalance the political criticism, the state government hastily pushed through a legislation that effectively crippled the MFI industry in the state. RBI established a committee, headed by Y.H. Malegam, to review the various issues and to recommend regulatory steps needed to prevent these incidents from recurring. Released in January 2011, we the recommendations will have wide ranging impacts on the industry. Some of the key impacts include: Creation of entry and operational barriers through higher net worth, capital adequacy, loan portfolio allocation requirements with a possibility of some banks absorbing some of the MFIs. Implementation of industry specific corporate governance standards, greater oversight by the RBI, tailoring NPA definitions in accordance with industry standards will improve corporate governance and transparency . Establishment of a fully fledged credit bureau, limitations on the number of loans to each household, conditions on procedures for loan sanctioning and repayments will reduce the incidence of over-borrowing and multiple-lending . The World Bank has also taken major steps in the sector of micro-finance. Formation of Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) in 1995 as a consortium of 33 Public and private development agencies and establishment of Microfinance Management Institute(MAFMI) in 2003 are significant landmarks. Regional multilateral development banks like Asian Development Bank also champion the cause of commercial micro-finance. Nationalization of existing private commercial banks, massive expansion of branch network in rural areas, mandatory directed credit to priority sectors of the economy, subsidized rates of interest and creation of a new set of rural banks at district level and an Apex bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD20) at national level are some of the organizations working in micro-finance. The initial micro-credit innovations in Bangladesh, Bolivia and Indonesia demonstrated the success of micro-lending. However the popularity of micro-finance in India stemmed from its ability to reach the poor without collateral and near full recovery rates. Micro-finance is contributing significantly to the financial activities of the poor. Various initiatives and programs have been launched to fortify the position of micro-finance in India. The speed of enforcement and the degree to which these recommendations are implemented will determine how much the industry will change and how likely it is to succeed. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Microfinance suffers from various challenges from its competitors and also from the issues stemming from the mismanagement of various micro-finance companies. The study will enable us to recommend the future strategies and build the way forward for MFIs in India by addressing the following issues. What is microfinance and how does it impact rural India? What are the challenges faces by MFIs in India? What are its implications on the various stakeholders (villagers, money-lenders, banks, Govt. and the MFI institutions) What are the possible solutions to these challenges? Action plan for the recommendations. RESEARCH DESIGN The research will be based on the following methodologies. Identification and interpretation Identify the major issues and challenges. Formulate relevant questions keeping in mind these issues. Gather information from primary and secondary sources. Interpret the solutions to the issues Support and supplement the findings from research data. Data Analysis Gather data from self help groups and find whether they are involved in Micro Finance, and how micro finance has contributed to their business and rural India in general. Challenges that they face while getting the requisite loan from the Micro Finance Institutions. What are the viable alternatives to Micro Finance. The strategic importance of Micro Finance Institutions to their organization. How Micro Finance has impacted their lives and whether the impact is positive or negative. EXPECTED CONRIBUTION The study will consider all the dimensions of Micro Finance in Rural India and provide the following value additions to the field. Appreciate the importance of Micro Finance in rural India and explain their significance. Understand the perceptions of the rural population about Micro Finance in India. Remove the apprehensions about Micro Finance and communicate the benefits of Micro Finance to the rural population. Understand and comprehend the challenges that Micro Finance Institutions face in rural India. Elucidate how the challenges impact the MFI’s. Analyze and evaluate the challenges critically. Develop strategies for overcoming the current challenges and sustaining them. Analyze the competitors and their strategies. How can MFI’s handle the challenges and maintain their customer base. Design the future path of development for Micro Finance in India. Existing micro-finance models in India The following micro-financing models are prevalent in India. Each of these models have their own advantages and disadvantages. SHG-Bank Linkage Model: In this model the SHGs get credit directly from the co-operative banks, regional rural banks, NABARD, etc. This model provides credit to SHGs at lower rates of interest. However this model reduces the credit worthiness of the SHGs and increases the risk of default for the banks. Bank-MFI Linkage Model: In this model, the MFIs act as intermediaries and guarantors for the SHGs and receive financing from banks for further lending it to the SHGs. This model helps in improving the credit worthiness of the SHGs and reduces the risks for the banks. However the SHGs have to pay a higher rate of interest to MFIs in this model. Challenges faced by the Micro-finance sector in India Through extensive study and discussions with relevant stakeholders, the following have been identified as being the foremost challenges to the micro-finance sector in India. There is extreme skewness in distribution of micro-finance services in India. 52% clients of micro-financing come from southern India while 23% come from eastern India. The share of micro-finance beneficiaries from North, West, Central and North-East India stand at an abnormally low level of 9%, 12%, 3% and 3% respectively. This disparity clearly shows that micro-financing services are unevenly spread and is not available to many people who need it. Micro-finance is mostly concerned with micro-credit to SHGs. However other financial services such as insurance, savings schemes are not provided. Also it serves the SHGs, individual businesses don’t benefit through micro-finance. Micro-finance is considered as a social/charitable business rather than a profitable one. Consequently, almost 90% MFIs are dependent on subsidies and suffer from a high debt-equity ratio. The loan sizes are generally small and involves high transaction and processing costs. Consequently the interest rates are higher. There is high turnover of MFI employees. The reasons are poor salary, lack of incentives and working mostly in rural areas with limited opportunities. The employees also lack in financial and technical training. The MFIs lack control over how efficiently the money is used after lending. This often leads to bad investments by SHGs and results in default. MFIs are aware of this risk and keep the interest rates high in absence of a collateral. Micro-finance has reached only a small fraction of the people who need it. The micro-finance sector lags behind from technological perspective that would allow it to disburse loans more effectively. Absence of best practices norms in the industry often leads to coercive recovery of loans. The poor in urban areas cannot avail micro-finance services. Hence these services should be extended for the urban poor as well. Micro-finance institutions have a very low rate of customer retention. This is because clients are not properly educated about the services available from the MFIs. Recommendations Based on the findings, the following steps are recommended for reviving micro-finance sector in India and turning it into a tool for poverty alleviation and financial inclusion. Micro-finance reaches a very small fraction of the people who need it. Hence an overall scaling up of micro-finance sector is imperative. The initiative can be in form of public ventures, private banks or PPP model. The MFIs and NBFCs are to be brought under a regulatory authority to ensure standardization and enforce best practices. The micro-finance sector should diversify its portfolio from being a money-lending entity into an sector that provides holistic financial services such as insurance and savings to its clients. It should also try to widen its client base from SHGs in rural areas to the deserving urban poor who require financial inclusion. Greater use of technology and analytics can negate some issues that arise out of asymmetric information while sanctioning a loan and provide better risk analysis. This will allow MFIs to lower the risk of default while the poor will benefit from lower interest rates due to less chances of default. There employees should be provided with better incentives and given proper training to educate the rural people with the benefits of services provided by the MFIs. They should also be provided with technical and financial training to better assess the credit worthiness of the client. The perception of MFIs should change from being social or charitable organizations into being sustainable and profitable organizations. This would allow MFIs access into financial markets and investments and end their dependency on subsidies. Appendix The following questions were asked to hostel and mess staff and security guards of IMI who were likely to have been exposed to the Micro-finance sector. The questionnaire and responses are as follows. Are there any SHGs operating your native village? Do you have any close relative associated to SHGs? Which part of the country your native village is situated at? Are you aware of the services that micro-finance institutions provide? Do you have access to micro-finance institutions in your village? What is the preferred source of credit in your village? Has micro-finance institutions uplifted the rural class? REFERENCES Microfinance in India: Empirical Evidence, Alternative Models and Policy Imperatives Rajaram Dasgupta Access, Use and Contribution of Microfinance in India: Findings from a National Study Frances Sinha Microfinance in India K.G. Karmakar ISBN: 978-0-7619-3626-8 Microfinance in India: Mission or Misery? Jaideep Singh Panwar The Microfinance Sector in India: Which Way Now? Savita Shankar and Mukul G. Asher Issues and Challenges Relating to Microfinance in India Dr. Sandeep Bansal Microfinance in India: Contemporary Issues and Challenges Sibghatullah Nasir