To What Extent Was the Enlightenment the Cause of the...

To what extent were Enlightenment ideas responsible for the outbreak of the French Revolution and the reforms of 1789? Included sources attached: John Locke, â€Å"Two Treatises on Government†, 1690; The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizens, 1789; Arthur Young â€Å"Travels in France during the Years 1787, 1788, 1789† The ancien rà ©gime, the time before the outbreak of the revolution, was divided into three estates. The first estate, for the people of the highest position in France belonged to the clergy; this group contained the members of the religious rules such as Bishops, Monks and Nuns. However, the people of this estate were not popular among many people of especially the third estate. This was mainly because of the power†¦show more content†¦John Locke, an English philosopher, also known as the father of Classical Liberalism, said in 1690 from â€Å"Two Treatises on Government†; [On the state of nature] To understand political power aright, and derive it from its original, we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of Nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man (...) We derive from this that men are all equal and we should not expect political power to be understood right if we do not realize that men are equal in all Estates. With Estates, the laws of nature won’t be heard and it is not naturally human to build up Estates in a country. This excerpt also has a lot to do with the rights of men and especially the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. This will be discussed later on in the Essay. The birth of the Enlightenment happened during the 18th Century and it emerged from Europe as an intellectual movement of writers and thinkers questioning and challenging the ideas and views that at the time was widely accepted. Especially the Catholic Church was challenged for its traditional and determined values. Their analysis of society was based on reason and rational thoughts rather than superstition and traditional ways. The movementShow MoreRelatedTo What Extent Was The Enlightenment The Main Driving Force Behind The American And French Revolutions?1479 Words   |  6 Pagesinvestigation focuses on the causes of Atlantic Revolutions and will explore the question: To what extent was the Enlightenment the main driving force behind the American and French Revolutions? The years 1685 to 1815 (Strayer, 2011) will be the focus of this investigation to allow for an analysis of the Enlightenment ideas’ impact the need for governmental change in the American colonies and Fran ce during the eighteenth century, as well as their governmental influences post-revolutions. †¯ The first sourceRead MoreImpact Of The French Revolution1428 Words   |  6 Pages The French Revolution became an exceedingly prominent aspect of the way the citizens of France viewed their ruling powers and helped aid the shift on how the government distinctly ruled over the people of the country. This empowering Revolution used the ideologies of the Enlightenment Era to help fuel their reasons for rebellion. In contribution to the Enlightenment and the various ideas that were created throughout its spread were the concepts that were formed by English philosopher John LockeRead MoreEnlightenment And The Enlightenment Movement1317 Words   |  6 PagesWhat cultured such an immense need for reform in France between 1690 C.E. and 1789 C.E.? Geo. H. Lewis argues in his DeFOREST ORATION. CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION that the extremely high and constricting taxes implemented in France, the conflicts between the nobility and the working class, and the uncooperativeness of the King cr eated a sense of urgency for the general population of France (Lewis, pg. 51-52). Louis Gottschalk attributes this reform to the revolutionary ideas which were formulatedRead MoreRole of Ideas in the French and Russian Revolutions1432 Words   |  6 Pages1511 How important was the role of ideas in the outbreak of revolution? 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A combination of strangling taxes, economic disparity, and an impotent ruler led to the development of an intense need for reform in France. â€Å"France spent a n enormous amount of money duringRead MoreAssess the View That the Enlightenment Had Been the Main Cause of the French Revolution.1984 Words   |  8 PagesAssess the view that the Enlightenment had been the main cause of the French Revolution. The French Revolution of 1789 was inarguably a significant turning point in the history of Europe. However, there have been historical debates over the major contributing factor that had caused the French Revolution. Many historians have argued that the French Revolution was sparked by the emerging new age ideas of Enlightenment in the 18th century, which encouraged people to think logically and critically aboutRead MoreCauses of the French Revolution During the period of 1789-1799 people lived much differently than700 Words   |  3 PagesCauses of the French Revolution During the period of 1789-1799 people lived much differently than individuals do today and there were many reasons for this. During the French Revolution there was a large amount of taxation for certain class groups, â€Å"While average tax rates were higher in Britain, the burden on the common people was greater in France† (GNU, 2008, pg. 2). Due to these large taxations on the peasants and lower class and not on the clergy and nobles it caused excessive conflict betweenRead MoreThe Debate On The French Revolution Essay1404 Words   |  6 PagesThe Debate on the French Revolution For the French Revolution, the historians are mainly entangled in the debate between two different interpretations. The Marxists recognize the French Revolution as the conflict between the old order (feudal system) and the modern society. On the other hand, the revisionists consider the French Revolution as essentially a political revolution, instead of a bourgeois revolution. From my perspective, the French Revolution is a combined consequence of both economicRead MoreWas The French Nobility Responsible For The Crisis That Destroyed The Ancien Regime?1627 Words   |  7 PagesESSAY QUESTION: To what extent was the French nobility responsible for the crisis that destroyed the ancien regime? Many Historians have come to the decisive conclusion that the French Revolution, an event that characterises Modern European History, has changed Europe. It was a time period that took place prior to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, between 1789 and the late 1970s. it denotes a time period in which the French civilians were aroused unanimously in overturning the traditionalistic â€Å"institutions†Read MoreFrench Revolution Causes1139 Words   |  5 Pages The French Revolution was not an event that happened overnight but rather a series of events that occurred over several years leading up to the overthrow of the monarchy and the implementation of a new government. The Primary cause for the fall of the Ancien regime was its financial instability and inability to improve upon the lives of the French people. The 4 key flaws or events leading to the fall of the regime was; the structure of royal government, the taxation system, the structure of french

Union Parishad The Lowest Tier Of The Local Government

Union Parishad (UP) The Union Parishad is the lowest tier of the local government unit. It is the entry level of the people’s political participation. The Union Parishad constituted under the Local Government (Union Parishads) Ordinance, 1983. It should be consisting twelve members, including three women members from reserving seats and on chairman. According to the Local Government Ordinance, 1983- the members and the chairman should be elected through direct election, based on adult franchise (Talukder, 2009). The functions of Union Parishad are categorized into different categories including, civic duties, revenue collection and administrative functions, development functions, judicial functions and transferred the functions (Moin, 2011). Objectives of the Study The objectives of the paper are given below: 1) To present the existing status of women in the lowest tier of the local government in the Union Parishad. 2) To find out the obstacles behind the lower representative status of women in the Union Parishad. 3) To propose actions to raise the participation of women in the Union Parishad of Bangladesh. Methodology This study is ultimately done on the basis of the analyzing the information collected from different secondary sources, i.e. published books, journals, reports, government publications and newspapers. Some information also got from the browsing of the internet. Progression of Local Government in Bangladesh Local Government (LG), the history of this part of the

Long-term performance of IPOs Evidence from Singapore Market Free Essays

string(58) " This period of poor performance lasts for several years\." Introduction Stock markets are a key part of the capitalistic economic system as they bring together those in need of capital and those with surplus capital to invest. Initial public offerings of companies whose share capital had previously been privately held provides just such an opportunity. The IPO process entails due diligence and pricing by underwriters, after which they underwrite the issue and sell it to investors in the primary market. We will write a custom essay sample on Long-term performance of IPOs: Evidence from Singapore Market or any similar topic only for you Order Now Following the IPO, the company’s shares trade in the secondary market until the company is shut down or is merged with another company or is acquired. In addition to IPOs, companies which are already public can also participate in capital raising by undertaking secondary stock offerings which investors can use as investment vehicles to increase returns on their portfolios. Traditional finance theory recommends individual investors to adopt a buy-and-hold strategy for investments in the stock market, since they are unable to time the market, and since the efficient market hypothesis suggests that all available information is immediately incorporated in stock prices. A question this raises is whether long-term buy-and-hold a profitable investment strategy in the initial public offerings (IPOs) asset class for individual investorsAccording to the bulk of literature on this subject, the answer is no. However, there are variations in the results depending upon how the comparison index is selected and what market is being studied. Investors may also be able to select a winning portfolio of buy-and-hold IPO investments if they are successfully able to predict what factors lead to strong or weak price performance in the IPO universe. This study attempts to collect previous research on the subject and apply the learning to the Singapore market. One objective wo uld be to identify ex-post which factors led to IPO success. Indirectly, it may help investors reduce risk and earn strong returns while devising ex-ante investment strategies as well. Organization First this study will review the existing literature on the subject and summarize its conclusions. Then it will use the statistical methods used by prominent studies such as Loughran and Ritter (1995) to calculate whether IPOs have underperformed the market in Singapore. The study will also collect what other papers have identified as sources of high performance within the universe of IPOs and see whether these results hold in IPOs in Singapore as well. Some of these factors include high percentage of institutional ownership, venture backing, industry and age of the company at IPO. Problem Statement Equity investors are constantly looking to maximize their risk-adjusted returns by investing in various asset classes in financial markets. The results from the literature lead to the conclusion that a strategy of buy-and-hold investments in IPOs underperforms the market on average. What would be interesting and useful would be to see whether a subset of IPOs can be identified where this result does not hold and where a different version of the strategy can be shown to produce a higher return for investors than the index or benchmark portfolio. Research Objectives The objective of the research is to study performance of Singapore listed IPOs using factors which have been identified in academic literature as having effect on IPO performance, including: percentage of institutional ownership venture backing reputation of the underwriter industry age of the company at IPO legal and institutional environment The ultimate objective is to see whether factors can be identified that lead to recommendation of alternative investment strategies which perform better than buy-and-hold of IPOs for a multiple year holding period. Proposal Structure IPOs listed on the Singapore stock exchange during the five year period of 2000 – 2004 would initially be identified. Subsequently, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year buy-and-hold returns of these portfolios would be calculated and compared to returns over the same period by a stock exchange index such as the Strait Times Index (STI). Another method for comparing results to market could be the selection and composition of a matching portfolio which would be used to compare underperformance or overperformance over the holding period. To create a matching portfolio, a similar sized public company that did not issue equity for five years prior to the IPO date would have to be selected for each IPO company. The return on the matching portfolio would be compared to the return on the IPO portfolio as per Loughran and Ritter (1995). It will be assumed that investors would purchase shares in the secondary market and none of them would be lucky enough to be allocated shares by the underwriter at the offering price. Literature Review Underperformance of IPOs relative to market indices has been studied extensively in academic literature. One series of articles examines the degree of underperformance of IPOs relative to market indices and asks what factors could cause such underperformance. Factors typically examined include size of the IPO, the company’s industry, whether the company is venture backed or not, the degree of institutional holdings, age of the company at IPO, quality of the underwriter and the institutional and legal environment of the company. Another string of literature looks at empirical evidence of underperformance in different markets, including the US, several European countries including Germany (Stehle, Ehrhardt Przyborowsky, 2000), Switzerland and Greece and several developing Asian markets such as Malaysia, Taiwan and China. Most of these studies take time series data of IPOs during a given period of time. Then they look at nominal buy-and-hold returns over 3 or 5 years, typically without assuming any portfolio rebalancing, though as shown by Brav and Gompers (1997), the results hold even if portfolio rebalancing is introduced. The returns of individual IPOs are compared with results of an industry index such as SP 500, Nasdaq or NYSE, or with an industry benchmark portfolio (value weighted or equally weighted). The typical pattern of IPO returns that emerges is the following: After a period of strong performance following an IPO, the stock starts to underperform the market index. This period of poor performance lasts for several years. You read "Long-term performance of IPOs: Evidence from Singapore Market" in category "Essay examples" The length of the period of initial strong performance lasts up to several months, depending on whether or not the stock market is in a bullish state. Ritter (1991) examines both underpricing of IPOs and their underperformance. Underpricing is a phenomenon in which investment banks taking a company public, and wanting to manage their own risk, keep offer price low in order to build a strong deal book and to keep market participants incentivized for participation in the offering. This is reflected in the fact that on average there is a 16.4% gain from the offering price to the closing price on the first day. In addition, the author believes the IPOs appear to be overpriced when 3-year IPO returns are compared to 3-year returns for comparable firms matched by size and industry. In a sample of 1526 common stock IPOs between 1975 and 1984, IPOs produced a return of 34.47% and seasoned offerings produced a return of 61.86%, 3-years after going public. Upon careful examination of the sample, the author concludes that the cause of the underperformance are those small IPOs that benefit in the short-run due to optimistic market conditions, but which are not able to establish themselves in the long-run. Loughran and Ritter (1995) find that all issues, both IPO and secondary, offered during 1970 to 1990 produced poor long-term returns for investors. Using a strategy of 5-year buy and hold investing would have produced a result of only 5% per annum for IPOs and 7% per annum for secondary offerings. The authors highlight an important observation for potential underperformance by secondary offerings (SEOs) – most public companies opt for secondary offerings following high return periods in the market; thus their subsequent underperformance may simply be linked to eventual reversion of returns to their long-term averages. In order to judge the performance of secondary offerings, for each issuing firm the study choose a non-issuing matching firm that is similar in size and has not issued equity in the previous 5 years. The authors calculate wealth relatives for each year as the ratio of end-of-period wealth from holding a portfolio of matching firms with the same starting market capitalization. The ratio is below 1 in most years indicating that investors would have been better off investing in buy-and-hold strategy in non-issuing firms. The authors conclude that it is not advisable for investors to invest in shares of companies issuing stock. Instead investors would be able to generate the same return with 44% less capital if they simply invested in similar size non-issuing companies for the same holding period. The results in Loughran and Ritter (1995) do not control for industry since it is often difficult to find matching companies in the industry which also share similar size. According to a study by Spiess and Afflect-Greaves (1995) nearly one-third of the long-run underperformance of secondary offerings comes from industry effect. Another potential explanation for why this happens is offered by Lerner (1994) – firms which are not yet ready to grow cashflows consistently sometimes take advantage of the IPO window during bull markets and other periods of market exuberance, only to then suffer from poor market performance when cashflows do not keep pace with market expectations (Clark, 2002; Ljungqvist, Nanda Singh, 2006). If long-term IPO returns are infact so dismal, why do investors keep buying IPOs during all market cyclesAn insight into the solution is provided by Field (1995). The author analyzes the impact of the extent of institutional shareholding on long-term IPO performance and concludes that IPO having large holdings by institutions earn significantly higher long-term returns than those with low institutional holdings. Institutional holdings also differ substantially between industries. In fact, the latter category often fails to achieve even the risk-free rate of return available to bondholders. The author concludes that there are groups of IPOs which do not experience poor long-term performance, though they may be identifiable ex-ante. Other authors also identify factors that can lead groups of IPOs to have relatively strong performance. For example, Michaely and Shaw (1994) identify reputation of underwriter as one of the factors that is directly related to IPO return. Brav and Gompers (1997) find that venture backed IPOs outperformed non-venture backed IPOs significantly. The 5-year buy-and-hold return for venture backed IPOs was 44.6% while the equivalent figure for non-venture backed IPOs was 22.5%. These results were calculated based on equally weighting of components in an index, whereas if the index is value weighted then these differences are significantly reduced. The authors believe that their results might have inspired by the fact that venture backed companies tend to be those which are in growth industries and are at an early stage of their development cycle. Such companies are likely to have many good investment opportunities. The authors also find that underperformance resides primarily in small, non -venture backed IPOs. Qualitatively similar results are also provided by Bessler and Seim (2011) who study European venture backed IPOs. Turning to the second string of literature which deals with tests of IPO underperformance in different geographies, it appears that this phenomenon holds in both developed and less developed markets. While, the original hypothesis was formulated for the U.S. market, it holds to various degrees in most markets. Thomadakis, Nounis and Gounopoulous (2012) study performance of 254 IPOs during the 1994 – 2002 period. They find that the period of initial overperformance in Greece lasts longer than it does in western markets. While IPOs outperform the market in the first two years, by the third year underperformance sets in. The authors attribute this to longer ‘hot’ periods in the Greek market than in more developed western markets. In a study on the same subject in Taiwan, Wen and Cao (2013) find that IPOs perform as well as matching reference portfolios in the first year of trading and then start to underperform that portfolio. Drobetz, Kammerman and Walchli (2005) examine the same in the Swiss market. They find that while underperformance holds, it is much weaker than is suggested by equivalent tests from the US market. Chan, Wei and Wang (2001) find practically no underperformance of class A and B shares, though there is significantly higher underpricing of Class A shares compared to other markets. In another study on the Chinese stock market, Chi and Padgett (2002) find strong performance of Chinese Privatization IPOs, which the authors attribute to government ownership, offering size and belonging to the high tech industry. Reference List Ahmad?Zaluki, N. A., Campbell, K., Goodacre, A. 2007. The long run share price performance of Malaysian initial public offerings (IPOs). Journal of Business Finance Accounting, 34(1?2), 78-110. Bessler, W., Seim, M. 2011. European Venture-backed IPOs: An Empirical Analysis. Brav, A., Gompers, P. A. 1997. Myth or RealityThe Long?Run Underperformance of Initial Public Offerings: Evidence from Venture and Nonventure Capital?Backed Companies. The Journal of Finance, 52(5), 1791-1821. Chan, K., Wang, J., Wei, K. C. 2004. Underpricing and long-term performance of IPOs in China. Journal of Corporate Finance, 10(3), 409-430. Chi, J., Padgett, C. 2005. The performance and long-run characteristics of the Chinese IPO Market. Pacific Economic Review, 10(4), 451-469. Clark, D. T. 2002. A Study of the Relationship Between Firm Age?at?IPO and Aftermarket Stock Performance. Financial Markets, Institutions Instruments,11(4), 385-400. Drobetz, W., Kammermann, M., Walchli, U. 2005. Long-Term Performance of Initial Public Offerings: The Evidence for Switzerland. Schmalenbach Business Review, 57, 253-275. Espenlaub, S., Gregory, A., Tonks, I. 2000. Re?assessing the long?term underperformance of UK Initial Public Offerings. European Financial Management, 6(3), 319-342. Field, L. C. 1995. Is institutional investment in initial public offerings related to long-run performance of these firmsFinance. Lerner, J. 1994. Venture capitalists and the decision to go public. Journal of Financial Economics 35, 293 – 316. Ljungqvist, A., Nanda, V., Singh, R. 2006. Hot Markets, Investor Sentiment, and IPO Pricing*. The Journal of Business, 79(4), 1667-1702. Loughran, T., Ritter, J. R. 1995. The new issues puzzle. The Journal of Finance, 50(1), 23-51. Michaely, R., Shaw, W. H. 1994. The pricing of initial public offerings: Tests of adverse-selection and signaling theories. Review of Financial studies, 7(2), 279-319. Ritter, J. R. 1991. The long?run performance of initial public offerings. The journal of finance, 46(1), 3-27. Ritter, J. R. 2003. Differences between European and American IPO markets. European Financial Management, 9(4), 421-434. Schultz, P. 2003. Pseudo market timing and the long?run underperformance of IPOs. the Journal of Finance, 58(2), 483-518. Spiess, D. K., Affleck-Graves, J. 1995. Underperformance in long-run stock returns following seasoned equity offerings. Journal of Financial Economics, 38(3), 243-267. Stehle, R., Ehrhardt, O., Przyborowsky, R. 2000. Long?run stock performance of German initial public offerings and seasoned equity issues.European Financial Management, 6(2), 173-196. Teoh, S. H., Welch, I., Wong, T. J. 1998. Earnings management and the long?run market performance of initial public offerings. The Journal of Finance, 53(6), 1935-1974. Thomadakis, S., Nounis, C., Gounopoulos, D. 2012. Long?term Performance of Greek IPOs. European Financial Management, 18(1), 117-141. Wen, Y. F., Cao, M. H. 2013. Short-run and long-run performance of IPOs: evidence from Taiwan stock market. Finance and Accounting, 1(2), 32-40. How to cite Long-term performance of IPOs: Evidence from Singapore Market, Essay examples

Symbolism of the Glass Menagerie free essay sample

Symbolism of The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie, there is an abundance of symbolism that can be identified through careful analysis of the play write. The story is based around the Wingfield family. The daughter in the story is the central point of most of the symbolism. Laura, the daughter, has a collection of glass figurines in which the title of the play was named after. Within the glass collection there is a glass unicorn which holds a lot of symbolism and meaning behind it. The fire escape is the simplest, but most intriguing piece of symbolism.The Glass Menagerie has many symbolic objects throughout the play which can be analyzed further in detail. The title of the play is representational of the collection of animals witch is the central symbol of the play. Laura’s collection of glass figurines stands for a great deal of different aspects of her personality. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism of the Glass Menagerie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Much like the figurines, Laura is tender, dreamlike, and somewhat old-fashioned. When it comes to glass it’s transparent, but when light passes through it at the right angle it shines and makes a rainbow of colors.Likewise, Laura might be quiet and unemotional around other people, kind of strange, gifted and wonderful to be around to one who could somehow look at her the right way or â€Å"in the right light†. The menagerie also symbolizes the imaginary world that Laura keeps herself in; a world that is beautiful and wonderful, but is established on fragile mirages. The unicorn in Laura’s collection of glass animals is defiantly her favorite out of all of them and portrays her distinctiveness very well.By asking why she has the unicorn since they are â€Å"extinct in modern times† and must feel â€Å"lonesome† as the mere fact of being different from all horses, Jim is implying that Laura is different from all girls. In reading more one can tell that Laura is also different, lonely, and, does not seem to exist in the world that she is lives in now. The destiny of the unicorn can be noted as a fore shadow to Laura’s destiny in scene seven. As Jim dances with Laura sharing a kiss, the unicorn’s horn is broken off, and it simply becomes another horse.Now Jim has bestowed Laura with some new and normal experiences, making her seem just like all the other gir ls. Experiencing normalcy, results in Laura feeling she cannot become normal without somehow being broken. Finally, the fire escape landing that leads out of the Wingfield’s apartment has great meaning. The fire escape stands for the exact thing that is implied by its name, a way to get away. Just as a fire escape provided a way to get away from danger, likewise it symbolizes an escape from the frustration and dysfunctions that are brewing within the Wingfield apartment.Laura’s fall on the fire escape implies she will never be able to leave the mishaps that have happened in her life. In contrast her brother Tom, daydreams about when he will finally leave it all behind as he smokes on the escape landing. Symbolism is a very important key component to literature and contributes to the interpretation and understanding of it. Symbolism can help reveal multiple aspects about the story that sometimes can’t be revealed simply through the text. It is through the glass collection the author conveys Laura’s personality throughout the story.

Prospects for the Survival of the Weimar Republic free essay sample

â€Å"By the beginning of 1929, the prospects for the survival of the Weimar Republic looked good. † Discuss. At the beginning of 1929, the Weimar Republic was and had been in a period of stability from 1924. It seemed as if the German economy had been finally beginning to heal itself and political recovery coupled with apparent success in foreign affairs strengthened the idea that the Weimar Republic was becoming stable at last after all the challenges of the early 1920s.In comparison to the years before and after, this period was ‘stable’. Thus, though the Weimar Republic had made economic, political and foreign policies to stabilize Germany in the short term, they were based on unstable foundations, which would not create long term stability or survival of the Weimar Republic. The stabilisation of German currency through the introduction of the Rentenmark, which ended the hyperinflation in 1923, and the introduction of the Dawes plan in 1924 helped Germany start to economically recover from the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Prospects for the Survival of the Weimar Republic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Dawes plan changed Germany’s reparations according to its ability to pay them. It also included an American loan and the plan led to the evacuation of the Ruhr by French troops that were now satisfied that Germany would pay reparations. Germany seemed to make a remarkable economic recovery in this period. Between 1924 and 1929, German industry had regained up to 80-90% of its pre-war output, and Germany had repaid 23 billion marks in reparations.Thus, through greater efficiency and improved technology, increased higher levels of productivity were reached during this period. This recovery also led to increased wages which in turn led to better social welfare from the government that gave the German public the idea that the economy was recovering and the Republic was becoming more stable. However, this recovery can be exaggerated due to being compared to the periods before and after it.German economic stability was largely based on and vulnerable to investments of foreign capital. German recovery became totally dependent upon American capital loans historian Snyder points out that the Dawes Plan helped with the immediate problem but promoted a harmful cycle for international finance. Thus, even though the economy looked prosperous in the short term, it could not be that stable when it was so heavily dependent on external forces beyond control, which is why the Great Depression had such a huge impact.The loans from the US hid the internal problems that Germany had such as declining export, lack of internal investment, reparations and slowly rising unemployment. However, it’s return to prosperity also brought an improvement in international relations. The Weimar Republic seemed to make the most progress in foreign policy between 1924-29. However, while Stresemann had made great leaps in German relations with other powers, there had been drawbacks that were hid by the comparison to how relations had been.Stresemanns main aim was to bring about a revision of the Treaty of Versailles. The Dawes Plan of 1924 and the Locarno Treaties of 1925 were diplomatic successes and strengthened Germany’s position. Those along with Germany’s new membership in the League of Nations and the Kellogg-Briand Pact created the idea of the diplomatic strength of the Weimar Republic. Pacts and Treaties such as these, including the Treaty of Berlin with Russia and reduced reparations in the Young Plan, led Germany to believe it was returning to the status of a power in Europe.Even with those successes, the public viewed Stresemann’s diplomatic achievements insignificant considering their hate of the Versailles Treaty and the failure to remove it. In 1929, with the death of Stresemann came the end of stability in foreign a ffairs. Therefore by 1929 the Weimar Republic was not stable, even in international affairs. However, with the diplomatic successes that were achieved, the political atmosphere in Germany had become less tense. The Weimar Republics greatest up to 1924 had been its failure to establish lasting political stability.

Free Essays on Impulse Plus Caution Equals Sense And Sensibility

In the novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen portrays the adversities of two sisters by emphasizing one’s impulsiveness and the other’s cautiousness. The two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, have contrasting, yet complementary qualities. Elinor being the disciplined one, is cautious about all aspects of her life, especially her love for Edward Ferrars. Marianne is the impulsive one. She does not sit back and wait, she goes after what she wants. Elinor Dashwood, the eldest daughter, is expressive and loving but also disciplined. She surpasses her mother and sister in her ability to manage her emotions. She acts as the â€Å"sense† of the family. Her disciplined nature keeps her from acting on her feelings toward Edward. â€Å"I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him-greatly esteem, that I like him,† (p. 17, Austen). Elinor is unwilling to just confess her deep feelings for Edward to Marianne. He has not yet confessed the way he feels about her, therefore, she does not want to assume that he cares for her anymore than a friend. Elinor stays realistic in fear of being disappointed. Her serious personality is the exact opposite of her sister, Marianne’s. Marianne Dashwood is the middle sister. She shares Elinor’s kind and caring nature, but acts only with her heart and emotions. She is very honest but also impulsive and vulnerable. She falls head over feet for a young man named John Willoughby. She knows him for only a short period of time, yet is swept away by him. â€Å"It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others,† (p.51, Austen). Marianne does not think that her short acquaintance with Willoughby is improper. She is more than willing to confess her love for him almost instantly. Jane Austen describes her as â€Å"anyth... Free Essays on Impulse Plus Caution Equals Sense And Sensibility Free Essays on Impulse Plus Caution Equals Sense And Sensibility In the novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen portrays the adversities of two sisters by emphasizing one’s impulsiveness and the other’s cautiousness. The two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, have contrasting, yet complementary qualities. Elinor being the disciplined one, is cautious about all aspects of her life, especially her love for Edward Ferrars. Marianne is the impulsive one. She does not sit back and wait, she goes after what she wants. Elinor Dashwood, the eldest daughter, is expressive and loving but also disciplined. She surpasses her mother and sister in her ability to manage her emotions. She acts as the â€Å"sense† of the family. Her disciplined nature keeps her from acting on her feelings toward Edward. â€Å"I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him-greatly esteem, that I like him,† (p. 17, Austen). Elinor is unwilling to just confess her deep feelings for Edward to Marianne. He has not yet confessed the way he feels about her, therefore, she does not want to assume that he cares for her anymore than a friend. Elinor stays realistic in fear of being disappointed. Her serious personality is the exact opposite of her sister, Marianne’s. Marianne Dashwood is the middle sister. She shares Elinor’s kind and caring nature, but acts only with her heart and emotions. She is very honest but also impulsive and vulnerable. She falls head over feet for a young man named John Willoughby. She knows him for only a short period of time, yet is swept away by him. â€Å"It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others,† (p.51, Austen). Marianne does not think that her short acquaintance with Willoughby is improper. She is more than willing to confess her love for him almost instantly. Jane Austen describes her as â€Å"anyth...

Final Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Final Case Study - Essay Example In spite of the importance of organizational change for organizations in the contemporary day, few firms are able to come up with leadership and management styles as well as organizational cultures that will enable the organization to maximize on opportunities and minimize the threats it faces in the commercial realms. Waddell et al (2011, p. 34) posit, â€Å"Researchers have proposed that applying organizational development in different countries requires a ‘context-based’ approach to planned change. This involves fitting the change process to the organizations’ cultural context, including values held by members in the particular country or region. Thus, the traditional approaches to planned change may promote management practices that conflict with the values and assumptions of other societies†. This paper will investigate the truth of this statement by analyzing the process of change management in Coca Cola. This will be followed by a thorough analysis of the concepts of organizational development and change management in organizations. At the end of the paper will be a conclusive summary and a list of the references cited herein. Asa Candler established the Coca Cola Company- whose headquarters are at Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America in the year 1892. The Coca Cola Company is a global manufacturer, retailer and marketers of non-alcoholic beverages. The company is known internally particularly due to its soft drink known as Coca Cola (The Coca Cola Company Press Center, 2013). Currently Coca Cola Company has business operations in more than 200 different nations of the world and produces an estimated 500 brands of beverages and non-beverages. Coca Cola is comprised of business model with two different businesses-the Coca Cola Ltd and Coca Cola Bottling Company (The Coca Cola Company Press Center, 2013). The company has at least 139,600 employees

Philosophy (Socrates) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Philosophy (Socrates) - Essay Example At the end, he refused to leave the city, to moderate his uncompromising stance, or to suggest a reasonable counter-penalty. By this point, the jury had no real choice but to deliver the death penalty. The context of recent political events in Athens, and the official charges brought against Socrates forced the issue, but he died because his strong personal religious conviction placed him radically outside mainstream society, prevented him from making his behavior more acceptable to his fellow citizens, and prevented him from seeing any alternative to death. Socrates had been resented in the city for decades. The nature of his defense at the trial may have had little bearing. From the mid-fifth century, professional teachers, or Sophists, appeared, and charged fees for an education. They believed in questioning traditional values – ‘the eternal verities’, and modifying or rejecting them as appropriate. This bred concerns over the threat to established systems. Alt hough Socrates did not charge fees, and there were fundamental differences of opinion between he and the Sophists, there was a link in the public mind. Aristophanes’ The Clouds makes this plain. ... It was not just The Clouds either, as quotations from other comedies suggest a similar attack on Socrates. Aristophanes’ choice of Socrates to represent the new thinkers is telling. He insisted on pushing his opinions on the streets of the city. Socrates seemed to understand this. Many of the other teachers were from outside of the city, and only visited infrequently. He spent his time in the most public places, especially the Agora, while his poverty and physical ugliness might also have made him stand out. For the nearly fifty years during which he chose to live thus, the Athenians had had to tolerate his impertinent questions. A quarter century of attacks on Socrates must have biased the jurors in 399 BCE. In Plato’s Apology, Socrates acknowledges this, even mentioning the Clouds to the jury. He says ‘You have seen it for yourselves in the play by Aristophanes, where Socrates is lifted around, proclaiming that he is walking on air, and uttering a great deal of nonsense’ (39). Nevertheless, the fact that they tolerated his existence for so long suggests that a unique conjunction of other circumstances also must have precipitated the trial in 399. Socrates’ political ideas, and the fact that he allowed rich young men to listen to them, was considered to be a cause of instability in the polis. As Hypereides reminded the Athenians in his speech against Antokles, they had punished Socrates epi logois, for his words, rather than for his actions. However, these words had a distinctly anti-democratic quality. He considered that only the virtuous should govern. He believed that by nature and training, each person was suited to a particular task in life,

Data collection are concerned that this practice violates the privacy Essay

Data collection are concerned that this practice violates the privacy of individuals - Essay Example It is therefore due to this fact that this study is aimed at analyzing whether it is morally permissible for data companies to collect and sell information from people’s public social media profiles . According to Solove (2011), data and statistics have become integral part of organizational growth. Due to increased market competition across the world, companies and business organizations are ever carrying research and collecting data on how they should improve quality of products or services which they offer. However, the process of data collection is currently becoming very expensive. As a result, people are looking for cheap alternative means through which they can obtain data so that they can improve quality of their goods or services. There are many rules and regulations that govern data collection. Means of data or information collection are supposed to be ethical and acceptable by all parties involved. Depending on the means, and terms and conditions used to collect inf ormation, data collection companies are allowed to sell information or data which they have acquired legally with permission of all parties involved (Jinbonet 2013). ... According to rules and regulations governing research and data collection, all participants or people being studied are supposed to be aware of the aim of the study, transfer of information collected and the maximum number or people or groups who will see. This will enable them to accept or decline, and even to choose the type of information they should offer or not. However, when an individual is creating a profile on social media, he/she limits people who can view and read the information provided. It is therefore, immoral, illegal and unconstitutional for data collecting companies to collect and sell information from people’s public social media profiles without their awareness. Regardless of whether information collected from social media profiles will have positive or negative impacts on the companies which buy it, it is morally unacceptable for data companies to collect and sell information from people’s public social media profiles. This is not only because it af fects their privacy but also because it is equally to stealing just like in the case of NASSCOM (A Big Brother 2013). With modern technological advancements, companies which buy data from data collection companies can use this information to fraud people whose information was collected it (Jinbonet 2013). There have been many cases where people have lost millions of money and properties through online fraud. This is because the information collected from profiles can be used to borrow loans or other issues that will leave many people with losses. A Big Brother (2013) asserts that however, it is morally permissible for data companies to collect and sell information from people’s public social media profiles provided that they have consulted

Issues in Distributed Computing

Issues in Distributed Computing Introduction Distributed computing empowers profoundly versatile administrations to be effortlessly expended over the Internet on an as-required premise. A real peculiarity of the cloud administrations is that clients information are generally prepared remotely in obscure machines that clients dont possess or work. While appreciating the comfort brought by this new rising innovation, clients apprehensions of losing control of their own information can turn into a noteworthy obstruction to the wide reception of cloud administrations. To address this issue, here, we propose a novel profoundly decentralized data responsibility system to stay informed concerning the real use of the clients information in the cloud. Specifically, we propose an item focused approach that empowers encasing our logging component together with clients information and approaches. 1.1 Introduction Distributed computing displays another approach to supplement the current utilization and conveyance model for IT administrations focused around the Internet, by accommodating rapidly adaptable and frequently virtualized assets as an issue over the Internet. To date, there are various outstanding business and individual distributed computing administrations, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Sales power. Points of interest of the administrations gave are dreamy from the clients who no more need to be specialists of innovation framework. In addition, clients may not know the machines which really process and host their information. While appreciating the comfort brought by this new engineering, clients likewise begin agonizing over losing control of their own information. The information handled on mists are regularly outsourced, prompting various issues identified with responsibility, including the treatment of by and by identifiable data. Such reasons for alarm are tur ning into a critical boundary to the wide appropriation of cloud administrations. To mollify clients worries, it is fundamental to give a viable instrument to clients to screen the use of their information in the cloud. For instance, clients need to have the capacity to guarantee that their information are taken care of as per the administration level understandings set aside a few minutes they sign on for administrations in the cloud. Customary access control methodologies produced for shut spaces, for example, databases and working frameworks, or methodologies utilizing an incorporated server as a part of conveyed situations, are not suitable, because of the accompanying peculiarities describing cloud situations. To begin with, information taking care of can be outsourced by the immediate cloud administration supplier (CSP) to different substances in the cloud and theories elements can likewise designate the errands to others, etc. Second, elements are permitted to join and leave the cloud in an adaptable way. As an issue, information taking care of in the cloud experiences an unpredictable and element various leveled administration chain which does not exist in ordinary situations. To beat the above issues, we propose a novel methodology, specifically Cloud Information Accountability (CIA) structure, in view of the thought of data responsibility. Dissimilar to security insurance innovations which are based on the conceal it-or-lose-it point of view, data responsibility concentrates on keeping the information utilization straightforward and trackable. Our proposed CIA structure gives end-to-end responsibility in an exceedingly disseminated style. One of the fundamental imaginative peculiarities of the CIA system lies in its capacity of keeping up lightweight and effective responsibility that joins parts of access control, use control and validation. By method for the CIA, information holders can track not just whether the administration level assentions are generally respected, additionally uphold access and utilization control manages as required. Connected with the responsibility characteristic, we likewise create two different modes for evaluating: push mode and draw mode. The push mode alludes to logs being occasionally sent to the information holder or stakeholder while the draw mode alludes to an option approach where by the client (or an alternate approved gathering) can recover the logs as required. The outline of the CIA system presents significant difficulties, including extraordinarily recognizing Csps, guaranteeing the unwavering quality of the log, adjusting to an exceedingly decentralized framework, and so forth. Our essential methodology to tending to these issues is to influence and expand the programmable ability of JAR (Java Archives) records to consequently log the use of the clients information by any element in the cloud. Clients will send their information alongside any strategies, for example, access control approaches and logging arrangements that they need to authorize, encased in JAR records, to cloud administration suppliers. Any right to gain entrance to the information will trigger a computerized and verified logging system neighborhood to the Jars. We allude to this sort of requirement as solid tying since the strategies and the logging system go with the information. This solid tying exists actually when duplicates of the Jars are made; therefore, the clie nt will have control over his information at any area. Such decentralized logging component meets the element nature of the cloud additionally forces challenges on guaranteeing the honesty of the logging. To adapt to this issue, we give the Jars an essential issue of contact which structures a connection in the middle of them and the client. It records the slip redress data sent by the Jars, which permits it to screen the loss of any logs from any of the Jars. Besides, if a JAR is not ready to contact its main issue, any right to gain entrance to its encased information will be denied. 1.2 Problem Formulation Distributed computing empowers a client to get to figuring assets over web. A significant gimmick of the cloud administrations is that clients information is prepared remotely in obscure machines that clients dont claim. As it is over web, clients have alarm of losing control over their information. This is the significant issue with cloud administrations. The information transformed on mists are frequently outsourced, prompting various issues identified with responsibility, including the treatment of by and by identifiable data. Such apprehensions are turning into a critical boundary to the wide appropriation of cloud administrations. 1.3 Objective of the undertaking Protection assurance advances which are based on the shroud it-or-lose-it point of view, so Information Accountability concentrates on keeping the information use straightforward and trackable. So CIA edge work gives end-to-end responsibility in an exceptionally disseminated style. We give log documents to ensure clients information from obscure clients.

Love Loss And The Court Of King Claudius :: essays research papers

Love, Loss, and the Court of King Claudius   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare worked with the simplest of principals, writing at the mind’s own speed, using everything he read, but reworking it first, and depending upon characters for the defining trait or flaw. One theme which constantly emerges throughout Hamlet is the theme of love and loss, revealed by the characters of Hamlet, Laertes, and Ophelia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is a young man subjected to much heart ache in the course of this play. His first loss being the suspicious death of Hamlet’s beloved and respected father, Hamlet Sr. Even Hamlet’s Uncle/Step-father, King Claudius, noted in speaking with young Hamlet that his mourning was serious. â€Å"’Tis sweet and commendable in your nature,† says Caludius of Hamlet’s behavior, â€Å". . .But to persevere in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief. . .† (Act I, Scene II, lines 90-98). Hamlet was heartbroken at the loss of his father, which was reflected in his outlook on life. He regarded Denmark as a prison and spoke to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of having bad dreams. Unfortunately Act I is not the only time where young Hamlet expresses pain from love and loss. Although he is cruel and unkind to Ophelia in their meetings of both Act III, Scenes I and II, he is only expressing the frustration that has built up inside of him toward all women, and directed it at Ophelia because she was available. Hamlet had not ceased to love her. He explains his true feelings for Ophelia upon arrival at her burial, completely shocked that his beloved maid has died, saying, â€Å"What is he whose grief bears such an emphasis, whose phase of sorrow conjures the wand’ring stars and makes them stand like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I,† (Act V, Scene I, lines 267-271). He then goes on to say he would do anything to prove his love, including be buried with her. Hamlet lost yet another person dear to him, his lover, fair Ophelia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet is only one character in the play who experiences love and loss. Ophelia is another. In Act III, Scene IV, after the performance of The Mouse Trap and The Murder of Gonzago for the royal court, Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius, the father of Ophelia and Laertes. Ophelia already believed she had lost the affections of her Hamlet due to their dialogue from Act III, Scenes I and II. She had sacrificed his love because her father and brother had ordered her to turn him away. And now, to learn that her respected father,

Global Warming Essay

It is sometimes unbelievable that science discoveries are being disproved despite scientific evidences. This action is a manifestation of political influence over a matter of â€Å"facts† about climate science according to some analysts. However, disbelieving will result in too much danger because truth is truth; it will exist and will manifest itself regardless of human efforts. In the case of Galileo who made a theory that the sun stands still while the earth and other planet revolve around the sun had caused his liberty and life. This is because his theory was against Catholic belief. Politicizing then would mean full intervention and manipulation of people in authority to dispute or reject something as a means of protecting their interest or institutions. Galileo had many discoveries during his time but none of them were recognized. If Galileo’s early discoveries were acknowledged perhaps the science today was even more advanced compared today. However, the danger of refuting science and what it holds as truth is currently done on climate science known as global warming. Many scientists gave warning about the possible consequences of greenhouse effects in the society but some view it as unrealistic that brings disaster causing irregularities and hazards in the economy. For instance, Coleman (2009) stated that people are already enduring the â€Å"CO2 silliness in many ways† in which he pointed to prohibition of new refineries to operate, and the conversion of sources of energy is very costly. Some even claim that climate change brings positive effect in the environment. Oreskes noted that scientific community has â€Å"substantive disagreement †¦ about the reality of anthropogenic climate change† and that the claim of IPCC regarding global warming was not totally recognized by politicians, economists, and journalists for confusion. A senator named Gore, a coauthor of Revelle in an article about the global warming, turned his back to recognize that everything about global warming was just â€Å"too uncertain to justify drastic action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sheppard, 2006). Politicizing the global warming issue is also evident in the libel suit filed against Lancaster for pressuring Singer to drop the name of Revelle as co-author in a global warming anthology. This case revealed a secret agreement between Lancaster and Gore who wanted to politicize what could be resolved by science (Sheppard, 2006). The CFAT report stated also that around 18,000 scientists claimed that â€Å"they see no scientific evidence that human is altering our climate. † These scientists discredit the predictions of previously claimed effects of global warming by 2025 or 2050. What role do â€Å"facts† play in the modern global warming drama? It is definite that what science refers to as facts are proven true based on scientific investigation and studies. Likewise, these facts have special role to play in the modern global warming drama in such a way that predictions made in the past are now prevalent causing changes in the climate. This environment condition has moved many government and international leaders to act to prevent the rapid effects of global warming. As a consequence, many suggested the replacement for fuel fossil and other sources of energy. Instead, many scientists recommend corn and biochemical for fuel; solar and wind energy for electricity. The facts pertaining to what causes global warming, its effects in the environment, the human activity, etc. only prove that global warming is true and it poses danger not only in the environment but most importantly in the human body. However, opposition to this make counterattack against global warming; but, to their dismay still majority believe the facts about global warming and climate change because of reliable scientific explanations; that is if there will be no manipulation from political group. At what point does science lose its independence and ability to rely on critical thinking, and is this dangerous? Science loses its independence when its discovery is refuted and manipulated by known and respected people in the society like government official. In the case of Galileo, his opponents to his view were religious leaders who used their authority to denounce him from Catholic faith. Galileo renounced his first statement and bound to obey the Catholic law. Politicizing of sciences issues loses its credibility because political intervention and manipulation is being allowed to control its content and its publication. Because of this, science lost its savor and credibility; and most importantly it loses its function as knowledge provider necessary for people to enjoy his environment. The claim that climate change is a natural occurrence, while global warming does not post danger, which is not facts, only limits the function of science to society in some aspects alone. Because of this, many scientists will no longer rely on their critical analysis for fear of manipulation. Primarily, politicizing is done to serve the interest of a few but will not generate benefits to all, which is very dangerous because no one could escape when there is extreme weather condition or natural disaster due to changes in climate brought by too much heat on the atmosphere. Reference Coleman, J. (2009). The Amazing Story Behind the Global Warming Scam. Kusi News San Diego. http://www. kusi. com/weather/colemanscorner/38574742. html CFACT (2004). Scientific Questions, Ethical Concerns Missing in Today’s Debate over Climate Change. http://www. cfact. org/site/view_article. asp? idCategory=4&idarticle=436 Halsall, P. (1999). Modern History Sourcebook: The Crime of Galileo: Indictment and Abjuration of 1633. http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/1630galileo. html Oreskes, N. (2009). The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change. Essay Beyond the Ivory Tower. http://www. sciencemag. org/cgi/reprint/306/5702/1686. pdf Sheppard, M. (2006). Gore’s Grave New World. American Thinker. http://www. americanthinker. com/printpage/? url=http://www. americanthinker. com/2006/06/gores_grave_new_world. html http://www. americanthinker. com/printpage/? url=http://www. americanthinker. com/2006/06/gores_grave_new_world. html

Different Methods of Endorsing a Check

An indorsement is made by the holder of a check when he or she wants to negotiate it or wants to indicate a limitation as to its specific purpose. An example of a specific purpose is when the indorser only wants the check to be deposited to an account, not cashed over the counter. A third purpose of indorsement is when a bank or a person paying for the amount indicated in the check wants to obtain the liability of the person negotiating the check. Indorsement could be done by the holder in several ways, namely: by special indorsement, blank indorsement, restrictive indorsement, and qualified indorsement.  (Mallor-Barnes-Bowers-Langvardt, 2007)Special indorsement means that the holder of the check affixes his or her signature on the back of the check and then writes down the name of the specific person who could negotiate it or authorize to have it negotiated. For instance, a check has been specially indorsed to John Smith if the holder of the check (say, Mary Walters) wrote on the back thereof his name as payee and affixes his/her signature below John Smith’s name.A holder, for this purpose, refers to the person who has in his or her possession a check which is â€Å"payable to bearer† or made out in his or her name. When the check has been specially indorsed to John Smith, he, in turn, becomes a holder of the check who is authorized either to negotiate the check or indorse it to someone else. (Mallor et al. , 2007)  §3-205 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) specifically states that â€Å"When specially indorsed, an instrument becomes payable to the identified person and may be negotiated only by the indorsement of that person.† (Cornell University Law School, n. d. )Blank indorsement occurs when the holder simply affixes his or her signature at the back of the check without identifying any person as payee or indorsee. In the example, Mary Walters, as payee of the check, simply signs her name on the back of the check without naming an y particular person to whom the check could be paid. In this case, having indorsed the check in blank, Mary has converted the check into a â€Å"payable to bearer† check. It could therefore be transferred by anyone who acquires it.If it is John Smith who takes possession of the check, he can negotiate it by simply writing his or her name on the back of the check, thereby identifying him as the person to whom the check could be paid. His act of writing his name effectively converts a blank-indorsed check to a specially indorsed check. (Mallor et al. , 2007) â€Å"When indorsed in blank, an instrument becomes payable to bearer and may be negotiated by transfer of possession alone until specially indorsed. † (Cornell University Law School, n. d. ) Restrictive indorsement refers to a situation when a check is indorsed to satisfy a specific purpose only.A case in point is when a person wants that a check issued to him – like for example a paycheck or a check which re presents proceeds from an insurance claim – should only be deposited in his account at a specified bank, he or she should indicate in so many words by writing down, for instance, the following: â€Å"For Deposit to my Account at Chase Manhattan Bank. † This restricts the indorsement to the purpose specified. If, for any reason some other person other than the payee presents the check which is so indorsed to a bank, the law states that said bank should ensure that the proceeds of the check should go to the specified account.If the bank releases the amount to the person who presents the check, said bank will be liable under the principle of conversion. Judge McEwen of the New York Supreme Court, in Lehigh Presbytery v. Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Penn. Super. Ct. 1991) said that the UCC orders banks to honor such restrictions or be liable for any resulting losses, saying that this principle was meant â€Å"to prevent† fraud. (As cited in Mallor et al. , 2007) Qualifi ed indorsement is a type of indorsement which could be made on checks which have been indorsed specially or in blank.This is resorted to by an indorser who wishes to free himself or herself from any liability in case of default on the part of the person who issued the check by writing the words â€Å"Without Recourse. † In other words, if the maker of the check fails to meet his or her obligation, the indorser would not be liable if he or she qualifies the indorsement.  § 3-415 of the UCC has specifically provided that although the indorser â€Å"is obliged to pay the amount due† on a dishonored instrument, in a qualified indorsement â€Å"the indorser is not liable †¦ to pay the instrument.† (Cornell University Law School, n. d. )The law governing negotiable instruments, specifically the methods of indorsing a check, is one of those laws which were passed not only to govern the conduct of business in the country but also to help Americans protect their h ard-earned wealth from scheming, unscrupulous individuals. As it stands, the law on negotiable instruments which has withstood the test of time merits the support of every well-meaning citizen of the country.

The Purpose of Dissenting Opinions in the Supreme Court

The Purpose of Dissenting Opinions in the Supreme Court A dissenting opinion is an opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion. In the U.S. Supreme Court, any justice can write a dissenting opinion, and this can be signed by other justices. Judges have taken the opportunity to write dissenting opinions as a means to voice their concerns or express hope for the future. What Happens When a Supreme Court Justice Dissents? The question is often asked why a judge or Supreme Court justice might want to write a dissenting opinion since, in effect, their side lost. The fact is that dissenting opinions can be used in a number of key ways. First of all, judges want to make sure that the reason why they disagreed with the majority opinion of a court case is recorded. Further, publishing a dissenting opinion can help make the writer of the majority opinion clarify their position. This is the example given by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her lecture about dissenting opinions. Secondly, a justice might write a dissenting opinion in order to affect future judgments in cases about situations similar to the case in question. In 1936,  Chief Justice Charles Hughes stated that â€Å"A dissent in a Court of last resort is an appeal...to the intelligence of a future day...† In other words, a justice might feel that the decision goes against the rule of law and hopes that similar decisions in the future will be different based on arguments listed in their dissent. For example, only two people disagreed in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case that ruled that African-American slaves should be viewed as property. Justice Benjamin Curtis wrote a forceful dissent about the travesty of this decision. Another famous example of this type of dissenting opinion  occurred when Justice John M. Harlan dissented to the  Plessy v. Ferguson  (1896) ruling, arguing against allowing racial segregation in the railway system. A third reason why a justice might write a dissenting opinion is in the hope that, through their words, they can get Congress to push forward legislation to correct what they see as issues with the way the law is written. Ginsburg talks about such an example for which she wrote the dissenting opinion in 2007. The issue at hand was the time frame within which a woman had to bring a suit for pay discrimination based on gender. The law was written quite narrowly, stating that an individual had to bring suit within 180 days of the discrimination occurring. However, after the decision was handed down, Congress took up the challenge and changed the law so that this time frame was greatly extended.   Concurring Opinions   Another type of opinion that can be delivered in addition to the majority opinion is a concurring opinion. In this type of opinion, a justice would agree with the majority vote but for different reasons than listed in the majority opinion. This type of opinion can sometimes be seen as a dissenting opinion in disguise. Sources Ginsburg, Hon. Ruth Bader. The Role of Dissenting Opinions. Minnesota Law Review. Sanders, Joe W. The Role of Dissenting Opinions In Louisiana. Louisiana Law Review, Volume 23 Number 4, Digital Commons, June 1963.

Business Man and Economics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Man and Economics - Case Study Example Apple develops and sells personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones and computer software and hardware. As of September 2007, the company operates 200 retail stores in five continents. "Niche marketers presumably understand their customers' needs so well that the customers willingly pay a premium" 11 is a strategy that has worked for Harley Davidson and the financials of its custom bikes market segment, the leader in grossing high sales volume at premium prices substantiates the fact. The following strategies must be implemented by Harley to maximize its profitability by bringing in more specialization in its core competency and niche markets. Since Harley's high end custom bikes command as much as 50% of the market share, this denotes that competitive forces are not a threat and thus Harley must concentrate more on being a customer centered company. "By monitoring customer needs, it can decide which customer groups and emerging needs are the most important to serve, given its resources and objectives" 12. The USP that differentiates Harley from all its competitors is it's much sought after brand personality and a very high degree of brand awareness that commands a premium even in the resale market. The Custom Vehicle Operation (CVO) can be further be strengthened by increasing vertical shaped markets to the current price and engine range simply by re-directing the focus from being a single segment concentration whereby "through concentrated marketing, the firm gains a strong knowledge of the segment's needs and achieves a strong market presence" 13, Harley can upgrade the program to be a selective specialization where "a firm selects a number of segments, each objectively attractive and appropriate. There may be little or no synergy between the segments, but each promises to be a money maker" 14, there can be many segments vying for the same product rather than multiple players within a single segment and also by introducing differentiated marketing based on product attributes. Harley's 2005 model-year-line-up includes 32 models of touring and custom heavy weight motorcycles, a strategy that focuses mainly on increased prices based on increased demand created by limited

The Concept of Self Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Concept of Self - Essay Example Since the first day of life children begin to intensively acquire information about their selves trying to understand the system of relationships between them and the environment. This accumulated knowledge or, as Rogers terms it, ‘field of experience’ includes all experiences available at the given moment, both conscious and unconscious. During the process of development, one portion of this field separates and becomes the persons ‘self’. This separated self develops through interactions with environmental and involves awareness of being and functioning and can be defined as-concept is "the organized set of characteristics that the individual perceives as peculiar to himself/herself" (Ryckman, 1993, p.106). Theoretically, an individual may develop optimally and avoid the influence of negative experiences. The needs for positive regard from others and positive self-regard would match persons evaluation and there would be congruence between self and experience, with full psychological adjustment as a result (Rogers, 1959). This ideal human condition is embodied in the fully functioning person who is open to experience able to live existentially, expresses feelings freely, acts independently, is creative and lives a richer life. By contrast, the maladjusted person is the polar opposite of the fully functioning individual. The maladjusted individual is defensive, maintains rather than enhances his life, lives according to a preconceived plan, feels manipulated rather than free, and is conforming rather than creative. The fully functioning person, on the contrary, is completely defense-free, open to experience, creative and able to live "the good life". Empirical support for the fully functioning person is somewhat mixed (Rogers, 1959). The person possessing positive self-concept treats the reality differently from the person

Compare or Contrast Sonny's Blues & Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare or Contrast Sonny's Blues & - Essay Example ers try to conceal their true identities but they do not understand that they cannot disconnect themselves from their history and that their identity remains intact with their history. Sonny’s Blues characterizes Sonny and his brother as two counterparts of African American race. Sonny wants freedom from suffering while his brother accepts everything and locks his true personality. Both of them try to get rid of Harlem as its environment was criminalizing its inhabitants. According to Baldwin, disaster waits for the dwellers of Harlem and â€Å"some escaped the trap, most didn’t†. Sonny’s brother shows submissiveness by accepting what comes his way while Sonny stands as a revolutionary. In Everyday Use, Walker portrays two sisters, both standing in contrast to one another. Maggie accepts her identity and is submissive while Dee rejects her identity and wants freedom and proves that she is different. She feels that she is oppressed by her past as after telling about her changed name she says, She feels herself oppressed being a part of her race and wants to get rid of her identity. However, she cannot break her linkage to her roots. Both the stories reveal that the African Americans even after gaining freedom go through a phase that is depressing and pressurizing for them as they still consider themselves subjugated or ignored by the society in which, they exist. Some characters try to break their links with the past but they cannot, however, some accept their status and own their history. Sonny and Maggie want to lead their lives by being attached to their heritage and fight with their own selves to know better about themselves. Sonny as an African American boy takes refuge in crime to some extent and later on in Jazz music while Maggie takes refuge in her home and accepts her status and feels herself connected to her history and is the righteous owner of her mother’s belongings for which, she is proud of. Jazz music stands as a source of connection for

Superman and Paula Brown Essay Example for Free

Superman and Paula Brown Essay It is also ironic when she tells us of her odd friend, Sheldon became a Nazi and borrowed a goose step from the movies, but his uncle Macy was really over in Germany, and Mrs Fein began to grow thin and pale because she heard Macy was a prisoner and then nothing more. Because he was mocking the Nazis when really his uncle was over there as a prisoner. A literary effect that Charles Dickens uses is circumlocution to speed up and slow down the part of the story he is describing. An example of this is when Charles Dickens slows down the scene when he writes The company murmured their compliments. Uncle Pumblechook, sensible of having deserved well of his fellow-creatures, said-quite vivaciously, all things considered-well, Mrs Joe, well do our best endeavours; let us have a cut at this same pie. He slows it down by adding parts to the sentence. He then speeds up his text to create a feeling of panic and excitement when Pip fears that he will be found out, My sister wet out to get it. I heard her steps proceed to the pantry. I saw Mr Pumblechook balance his knife. I saw reawakening appetite in the Roman nostrils of Mr. Wopsle the sentences are sharp and quick. Like Sylvia Plath, Charles Dickens use Irony in this story. An example of his irony could be when he describes the change of dining arrangements on special occasions, We dined on these occasions in the kitchen, and adjourned, for the nuts and oranges and apples, to the parlour; which was a change very like Joes change from his working clothes to his Sunday best. I think it is ironic because Pip will be changing himself; he will change his opinions on how to act which will help him to mature. Another similarity between the two extracts is the way their parents/guardians perceive or are perceived by the characters. In Paula Brown the narrator has a strong relationship with her uncle but not with her mother, this is shown when she runs home after the accident to a greeting from her uncle Uncle Frank met me at the door. Hows my favourite trooper? he asked and then he swung me so high in the air that my head grazed the ceiling. There was a big love in his voice that drowned out the shouting which still echoed in my ears. This affection reassured her of the safety she could find in his love and that they wouldnt convict her like her friends did, but when David Sterling comes to the narrators house and tells her mother at the door that the narrator had pushed Paula into the oil, her mother immediately assumes that she had done it When mother came back to the table, her face was sad. Why didnt you tell me? she said, why didnt you tell me that you pushed Paula in the mud and spoiled her new snowsuit? Her mother isnt defending her or protecting her. In Great expectations Pip has a very strong relationship with Joe but not Mrs Joe. This is because Joe is the only person that really believes in him and protects him from getting hurt, this is why he doesnt tell him, he doesnt want to lose what they have by hurting Joe. This is shown when Pip tells us It was much upon my mind (particularly when I first saw him looking about for his file) that I ought to tell Joe the whole truth. Yet I did not, and for the reason that I mistrusted that if I did, he would think me worse than I was. The fear of losing Joes confidence, and of thenceforth sitting in the chimney corner at night staring drearily at my for ever lost companion and friend, tied up my tongue. Pip is not scared that he will be punished, but that he will lose Joes trust and that is why he keeps his secret from them. Pip also felt as if he had gotten away with it even though he hadnt actually done anything wrong. Also a similarity in the two extracts is that both the children in the story are powerless to their parents views. These extracts have many similarities despite the time difference and the different environment the two children were living in, P.B. living in the American suburbs of Boston, having the freedom to go out and play and being recognised as an adolescent rather than a small adult which is how the Victorians perceived children. Most Victorian adults did not have a very high opinion of children considering the Victorians made up the saying children should be seen and not heard. This is shown in great expectations when Pip is with the soldiers and they are about to go and look for the convicts, the sergeant asks about the convicts Anybody here seen anything of any such game? Everybody, myself excepted, said no, with confidence. Nobody thought of me. They dont think he could make a useful comment because he is only a child. Another time when this is shown is when Pip tells us I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born Maybe these stories are based on the authors experiences considering Sylvia Plath was American like the narrator and Charles Dickens lived in the Victorian times but they arent strong enough factors to rely on. What we do know is that these children realised that they couldnt rely on the safety and security of the adults anymore, they would have to start looking after themselves and start being more independent. They learned this through the experiences they have had. Amber James Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

Implementation Of Child Friendly Schools

Implementation Of Child Friendly Schools This article explores the contribution of Comparative and International Research in the successful implementation of Child Friendly Schools in Kenya. Emphasis will be placed on the background of CFS, current practices and emerging critics, success stories, problems and pitfalls and what CIR can do to subjugate some of these challenges. In the introduction section, the essay will start by examining literature surrounding the concepts of CIR and CFS in relation to global agendas; explore how CFS came into existence and the driving forces behind it. We then go on to focus on a case study of CFS in Kenya, discussing the role of CIR in the Kenyas CFS, arguing that CIR is used as a political tool in creating educational policy, rather than a research method or an intellectual inquiry. The article will further critically analyze challenges facing CFS and how knowledge on CIR can contribute to achieving the aims and objectives of CFS. A conclusion based on the literature and authors experien ce will then be drawn. Throughout the article we build a case in favour of CIR arguing that the strength of voices of comparative researchers lie on uncritical transfer of policies and practices from one context to another which could otherwise open a Pandoras Box. Introduction Perhaps, one of the growing fields in education in the modern age is comparative and international education, judged by the volume of studies reported in the literature. Central to this is that many countries around the world have formulated some of their educational policies based on findings from CIR. With the current wave of globalization, researchers and experts, especially in the field of education, are always trying to find ways of streamlining their educational policies with the global trends. According to Giddens (1990:64), globalization is the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distance localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa. Global forces therefore have an impact on shaping local practices with global trends. In order to do this tactically and critically, comparative and internal research remains cutting edge in informing people about the realities, the challenges and the possible ef fects of uncritical transfer of ideas. Interestingly, global agendas in matters related to education are prioritized towards basic education as opposed to adult education or higher education. In Africa, this would be probably because, as Oketch (2004) points out, basic education yields higher rates of returns compared to higher education. This has subsequently caused government and non-governmental organizations to focus more on improving the quality of basic education. Child-friendly schools (CFSs) in Kenya is an example of a non-governmental initiative sponsored by UNICEF with the aim of not just providing children right to education but the right to the right education. In other words, CFSs are more concerned with the quality of basic education in addition to its access. The emergence of CFSs in Kenya was catapulted by the forces of agendas 1 and 2 of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which emphasizes on the provision of basic education. The term quality in education is dynamic because of the social, political and eco nomic context at which it is used. Because of differences in contexts, it is imperative that knowledge of comparative and international research be used in designing policies and pedagogy in CFS that fit that particular context. But the question is: how can CIR be helpful in successful implementation of CFS in Kenya? To answer this question, this essay hinges on two broad concepts: Comparative and International Research and Child Friendly Schools. Literature Review In this section, the author will look atà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Concepts of Comparative and International Research (CIR) and Child Friendly School (CFS) CIR is a fusion of two broad areas of research: Comparative Research and International Research. To understand its full meaning, it is important we define the two areas of research separately. In his definition of comparative research, Mills et al (year) argue that: Comparative research is a broad term that includes both quantitative and qualitative comparison of social entities. Social entities may be based on many lines, such as geographical or political ones in the form of cross-national or regional comparisons. (p. 621) A similar perception was echoed by Noah and Eckstein (1969: 127), who described comparative education as an intersection of the social sciences, education and cross-national study [which] attempts to use cross-national data to test propositions about the relationship between education and society and between teaching practices and learning outcomes. In light of this definition, comparative research in the context of education can be defined as a study of two or more entities or events (Crossley Watson 2003) with the underlying goal of searching for similarity and variance. Cross-national or regional comparisons may include comparing educational policies, pedagogy, educational leadership and so on. According to Mills et al (2006: 621), the search for variance places more emphasis on context and difference in order to understand specificities. International education, on the other hand, can be defined as the application of descriptions, analyses and insights learned in one or more nations to the problems of developing educational systems and institutions in other countries (Wilson 2000a: 116). Thus, international research is concerned with research carried out across two or more countries, often with the purpose of comparing responses between them. This might be done in order to devise strategies that work well across both or all these cultures or to suggest local adjustments to a global strategy There is a close relationship between comparative and international education. Epstein (1994: 918) points out, that international educators use findings derived from comparative education to understand better the processes they examine, and thus, to enhance their ability to make policy. We can therefore draw from the above two definitions that CIR in education as a method of comparing both qualitative and quantitative entities in education across different countries, societies or cultures with the aim of identifying similarities and differences. It is however important to note that not all international research is comparative, and not all comparative research is international or cross-national. According to UNICEF, a child-friendly school is both a child seeking school and a child-centred school: It is child seeking because it actively identifying excluded children to get them enrolled in school. It is a child-centred school because it acts in the best interests of the child leading to the realization of the childs full potential, is concerned about the whole child: her health, nutritional status, and well-being and concerned about what happens to children before they enter school and after they leave school. A CFS system recognizes and respects childrens right and responsibilities; it provides the enabling environment to realize childrens right not only in schools, but also in childrens home and their communities. These include children from conflict zones, street children and children with disabilities. The Child-Friendly Schools model (see fig 1) is based on simple, rights-based concepts that would have all schools be: Safe, healthy and protective; Staffed by trained teachers; Provided adequate resources and the appropriate physical, emotional and social conditions for children to learn, develop their talents and reach their potential. Fig 1: Model of the Child-Friendly School Source: UNICEF, 2009. The CFS model provides a framework for planning (and monitoring the effectiveness of) strategies for increasing access to quality basic education with the specific focus on the development of strategies to include those children hitherto excluded from education (UNICEF, Global Education Strategy, 2007). International and Local Pressures and their influences to formation of CFS in Kenya Education in sub-Sahara Africa, and indeed in Kenya, is crafted from both influences by global trends in education and the legacies of colonialism. Chisholm and Leyenderker (2008) observe that: Since 1990, the goals and purpose of education in sub-Sahara Africa has been reshaped by four interconnected developments: globalisation, the changed focus of international aid agencies towards development assistance, the adaptation of sub-Sahara African countries to the new world order with its new political emphases, and the spilling over of new pedagogical ideas from the USA and Europe into sub-Sahara Africa. (p 198) Kenya is a signatory to a number of conventions in education, including the Convention to the Rights of the Child (1989), the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien, 1990), the Dakar accord and the Millenium Development Goals (2000). In achievement of education development goals, Kenya is bound to, among other things, quality education by MDGs. The Jomtien call for access for access, equity, quality and democracy in education appeared to promise both social and economic development (Chisholm and Leyenderker, 2008). Social and economic development, and continues to be believed, requires educational change and educational change is necessary for social and economic development (ibid:). Educational change, in turn, is perceived to depend on, amongst other things, the input from relevant development assistance projects. These projects, in the arena of education, are typically formulated with reference to internationally negotiated development agendas (like the MDGs) and priority (Crossley Watson, 2003). An example of these projects in Kenya is CFSs which are supported by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). The Education Section of UNICEFs Programme Division introduced the Child Friendly Schools (CFS) framework for schools that serve the whole child in 1999 (Chabbott, 2004). Theoretical underpinning of introducing CFS framework in Kenya The increased reliance of foreign aid to support education reform in Kenya has been accompanied by a transition, from understanding education as a human right and the general good to viewing it primarily in terms of its contribution to national growth and well-being through the development of the knowledge and skills societies are deemed to need. (Arnove Torres 2007:359). Occasional voices continue insisting that education is liberating, that learning is inherently developmental (ibid: 359). With the global concern that Sub-sahara Africa countries may not achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015 unless the progress is accelerated (Carceles et al., 2001; Bennel, 2002), Kenya responded by introducing Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003 with both local and global pressure. The rationale behind introducing FPE was (apart from the pressure from global and international agendas) to alleviate poverty attributed to lack of literacy skills. The success story behind implementation of FPE policy is the increased enrolment at primary schools by nearly 50%, from 5.9 million in 2003 to 9.38 million pupils according to the Kenya Economic Survey 2011. One of its standout achievements was the enrolment of the late Kimani Maruge, the worlds oldest person to start primary school, he enrolled in the first grade in 2004, aged 84, he holds the Guinness World Record for this. Besides the enormous enrolment rates resulting from free primary education, there are concerns about t he quality of schooling in primary schools in Kenya. There are not enough textbooks, classrooms are overcrowded and the infrastructure in many schools is inadequate for the numbers of pupils attending. Many of the schools do not have sanitation facilities. The teacher-pupil ratio is quite high: according to UNESCO there are more than 40 pupils per teacher, on average. All of these factors militate against the provision of quality teaching. There is no magic wand for fixing this problem of quality in education. In response to this CFS were introduced in Kenya by UNICEF. According to UNICEF (2006): The challenge in education is not simply to get children into school, but also to improve the overall quality of schooling and address threats to participation. If both quality and access are tackled, children who are enrolled in primary school are likely to continue, complete the full cycle, achieve expected learning outcomes and successfully transition to secondary school. (p. 1) The CFS framework (see appendix 3) aims at promoting child-seeking, child-centred, gender-sensitive, inclusive, community-involved, protective and healthy approaches to schooling and out-of-school education with a general goal of improving the quality of learning. Since CFSs are concerned with the quality of learning, it is important we look at the meaning of quality. The national examinations to obtain the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at the end of primary cycle and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at the end of secondary cycle are designed to evaluate the extent to which the primary and secondary graduates master the curriculum content. In other words, the national test scores are used as the indicators of quality. The limitation of this indicator is that it does not take into account the context at which learning takes place i.e. the learning environment, learners unique characteristics etc. There are many definitions of quality but one of the descriptions of quality which emphasizes on the context was by Coombs. In his definition, Coombs (1985) suggests that quality: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ pertains to the relevance of what is taught and learned to how well it fits the present and future needs of the particular learners in question, given their particular circumstances and prospectsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in the nature of its inputs (students, teachers, facilities, equipment, and supplies); its objectives, curriculum and educational technologies; and its socioeconomic, cultural and political environment. (p. 105) From his definition, Coombs puts context into consideration i.e. needs of the learner, cultural and political contexts. In addition, he emphasizes on the relevance of what is taught and learned and how it fits the nature of particular learners in question. The fact that CFS emphasizes on learner-centered pedagogy and puts the child at the centre or focal point in the learning process raises the idea of what is regarded as valuable knowledge and how this knowledge is acquired in this particular context. This leads us to the inquiry on the school of thought or paradigm behind introducing a contextualized CFS framework. CFS as an approach to education is premised on constructivism, a theory of knowledge arguing that humans generate knowledge and meaning from interaction between ideas and real experiences. According to constructivists, the notions of reality and truth are socially constructed and in different context with the understanding that knowledge is subjective and embedded in mul tiple realities. Thus, quality of learning should be viewed in the context in which it is occurs. Mainstreaming CFS model into the Kenyas educational system: Whose voice Matters? Challenges in implementing CFS in Kenya Access and Quality Dilemma: Which one should be first priority? As I mentioned earlier, one of the role of CFS in Kenya is to improve the quality of learning. But the access to education is still a challenge in Kenya and there is fear that Kenya will not have achieved EFA goals 1 and 2 by the year 2015. As we near the 2015 set deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, at a time when hopes should be high, universal access to primary education in Kenya seems to be slipping away. Many comparative researchers argue that different countries have different educational problems and it is the countrys obligation to identify what should be the priority and why. Aksoy (2008: 218) insists that: While developed countries are mainly engaged in activities to increase the quality of education, or they practice and seek new techniques and methods of learning and teaching, developing countries struggle to provide equal opportunities for education, trying to increase the rate of participation of all citizens in basic education, which is actually compulsory. To deal with its educational problems, each country works out countrywide or local solutions, depending on the nature of the problem. The tone of such statement is more closely allied to the question of priority. Priority in one country may not be a priority in another. In Kenya, the major problem basic education is facing is of access while higher education is facing the problem of quality. CFS focus more on quality, but in the Kenyan context, access to education is still a problem in basic education even after the introduction of FPE. The CFS concept of quality can however suit very well in small state commonwealth countries which have almost universal access to basic education. It has been noted that small sates have now shifted education priorities towards focus in school effectiveness, quality and inclusion (Crossley Watson 2003) and CFS in Kenya should learn from small states that the priority should now be on access to basic education before shifting to quality. Atomizing the child: is child-centred the solution to quality CFS? A key feature of a right-based, CFS system is that it is linked tightly to the child-centred learning process. CFS advocates for child-centred learning where a child is treated as a single entity or an atom in learning processes. The idea of atomizing a child has its drawbacks derived from child-centred learning. First, there is an oversight on early year development behaviour of the child. Psychologists believe children undergo various levels of development and their learning behaviours are different at each level. For instant, Vygotskys (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) implies that a child cannot ordinary create ZPD by himself; he needs the more expert individual to bridge the gap between his current development level and his proximal level of development. Secondly, a child-friendly, democratic learning environment may not work successful in overcrowded classrooms and school with limited resources like it is the case in Kenya. Thirdly, child-centred learning weakens the role of the teacher. The idea that a child must be active in construction of knowledge is often understood to imply a diminishing role for the teacher in learning process who now becomes a coach or a facilitator. A call for paradigm renovation, from an exclusively child-centred learning to a combination of both child-centred learning and teacher-centred learning approach is important so that the weakness of one method is complemented by the other method. Several comparative studies concur with this blended approach. What Lessons can Kenya learn from other Countries in Implementing CFS? A Review on the Contribution of Comparative Research The term that is commonly used in Kenya and indeed many Africa countries in the initial processes of designing an educational policy is benchmarking. Essentially, this is usually a comparative study which is carried out either locally and/or internationally in trying to compare different models of policy framework with the aim of critical adaption or adoption. Lessons are well learnt when a comparisons are made, and this underscores the strength and significance of comparative research. Moreover, since problems transcend national borders, it is prudent to seek possible solutions from a similar experience in another country, and this explains why international research is important. Kenya can learn from other countries that are either progressing or failing to implement CFS because lessons can either identify opportunities or gaps, based on comparative analysis. The first lesson to be learned is that documenting the emerging good practices and lessons learned within the regions is useful in informing evidence based programming and advocacy to enable us to achieve better results. For example, a Global Evaluation Report published by UNICEF in 2009 on comparative studies of how to six countries (Guyana, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand) with different experiences implementing CFS, demonstrated the following: CFSs in varying contexts successfully apply the three key principles of CFS models-inclusiveness, child-centredness and democratic participation. Schools operating in very different national contexts, with different levels of resources and serving populations with different needs have succeeded in being child-centred, promoting democratic participation, and being inclusive. Schools that had high levels of family and community participation and use of child-centred pedagogical approaches had stronger conditions for learning, that is, students felt safer, supported and engaged, and believed that the adults in the school supported the inclusion and success of each student. (UNESCO, 2009) Kenya can use this success report to assist in providing a broader perspective on the ways in which CFSs can contribute to quality in the countrys unique context. The caution should however be that any steps taken should have hindsight of the current context in the country to avoid uncritical transfer of practice which may end up opening a Pandoras box. Secondly, through CIR, studies of educational systems that share similar problems can provide information for learning possible consequences. A recent comparative evaluation research conducted by UNESCO in Nigeria, Gunaya, Thailand and the Philippines on CFS pedagogy gave different findings. While teachers in Nigeria and Guyana mainly focused on meeting basic instructional material needs (textbooks, paper), many teachers in Thailand and the Philippines focused on having greater access to information and communication technology (UNESCO 2009). Kenya experiences the same challenge as Nigeria and Gunaya, and data from these countries can be used to learn how they coping with inadequate basic instructional material. The caution here should be, that common problems may prevail in different countries, but common model cannot be applied because each country has different culture/context (Crossley Watson, 2003:39). This provides invaluable information of what to adopt, modify or avoid. Conclusion It is worthy reiterating Crossley'(2003) emphasis that context matters and different countries have different needs and priorities even if they are faced with the same challenges. The value of CIR is studying foreign systems of education in order to become better fitted to study and understand our own (Sadler 1900, reprinted 1964:310). Thus, this essay has not provided, and has not sought to provide, solutions to empirical problems affecting CFS, but has presented an overview of the contribution of CIR in improving successful implementation of CFS in Kenya. As such, the essay acknowledges the role of CIR in stimulating critical thinking and reflections about CFS system, its success and failures, strengths and weaknesses. This critical reflection facilitates self evaluation in our own context and the basis for determining appropriate courses of action. The article also hints that CIR helps us understand global agendas and how they shape educational development projects from organizati ons and development agencies like UNICEF. Recommendations and Way forward for Comparative and International Research in Education While policy borrowing and cross-national educational comparison have been central concerns of the field of comparative education since its inception, political, economic, and cultural changes worldwide have challenged comparativists to consider new questions of power, politics and relevance in relation to educational policy transfer and diffusion processes. First, it has been argued that politicians who talk about educational development or economic development talk less about education and its role in economic development. This means that if comparative researches are to have their voice heard, then it should focus on strengthening multidisciplinary directions both in vertical and horizontal orientation. Secondly, in 1980s, comparative education focused majorly on the issue of policy, but it has now been shifted to qualitative research with an aim of gaining information at grassroots level. This has been catalyzed by the fact that culture is a complex phenomenon and understanding i t requires researchers to focus more on specific, small-scale contexts.