Catherine The Great Essays (1104 words) - , Term Papers

Catherine The Great CATHERINE THE GREAT EMPRESS OF ALL RUSSIA Catherine II (a.k.a. Catherine the Great) Catherine II, or Catherine the Great, empress of all Russia, did much to continue the process of Westernization reforms began by Peter the Great. Catherine was devoted to art, literature, science, and politics. Many people say she had a great gift and was a great leader, thus she was awarded with the name the Great She helped develop schools, hospitals, and many other organizations for the country. She was a shrewd leader and autocrat and helped to continue and further reforms made by Peter the Great, finally making Russia a permanent European power. Originally named Sophie Frederick Augusta, Princess of Anholt-Zerbst, she was born in Stettin on May 2, 1729, the daughter of the German prince of Anholt-Zerbst . At the age of fifteen she went to Russia and married Grand Duke Peter of Holstein, heir to the Russian throne. The marriage was despondent, but intelligent and ambitious Catherine soon managed to assemble up a liaison of supporters. On October 1, 1754, Catherine gave birth to her son, the future emperor, Paul Petrovich Romanov, and three years later on December 20, 1957, she gave birth to her daughter, Anna Petrovna Romanov. Elizabeth died on December 25, 1761, and Catherines husband succeeded as Peter III. Erratic, unstable, and contemptuous of his Russian subjects, the new ruler soon made himself unpopular, especially with certain German officers. Led by Alexei Orlov (whose brother Grigori was Catherines lover) the officers staged a coup in June 1762. Peter was deposed (and subsequently murdered) and Catherine was placed on the throne in his place. Catherine was fascinated with the philosophies and theories of the Enlightenment, and was well acquainted with the literature of the French Enlightenment, which was an important influence on her own political influence. She corresponded extensively with Voltaire and Denis Diderot, gave financial support to them and a number of other French writers, and played host to Diderot at her court in 1773. Although, this gesticulation of hospitality was partially aimed at creating a favorable image in Western Europe, she was probably sincere in her interest and her hope to apply some of the ideas of the Enlightenment to rationalize and reform the administration of the Russian Empire. Imbued with the ideas of the Enlightenment, Catherine aimed at completing the job started by Peter the Great--westernizing Russia--but she had contradictory methods. Rather then forcing society to reform, she encouraged individual initiative in pursuit of self-interest. In the early years of her reign, she sought to win the support of the Russian gentry, and, in particular Despite her interest in legal reform, the commission she appointed for that purpose failed to accomplish its goals. But eventually, she learned how to select capable assistants--for example, Nikita Panin in foreign affairs, Alexandre Suvorov in the military, and Grigori Potemkin in administration. Among Catherines more benevolent achievements were the foundation of the first Russian school for girls and of a medical college to provide health care for her subjects. In the early years of her reign, Catherine sought to win the approval of the gentry, which was a small part of Russias population. She succeeded to a degree with the upper class, but did nothing for the overwhelming majority of the population--the enserfed peasantry. Conservatism Peasant unrest culminated in a great revolt (1773-75), led by Cossack Yemelyan Pugachov, that raged over much of the Volga River Basin and the Ural Mountains before it was finally ruthlessly crushed by military force. The revolt marked a turn toward more reactionary internal policy. The Cossack army was disbanded, and other Cossacks were granted special privileges in an effort to transform them into loyal supporters of the autocracy. The revolt alerted Catherine to the necessity for reform. In 1775, she reorganized the local administration, integrated the Cossacks into the regular army, and put the serfs belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church under the administration of the state. In 1785, she issued two charters--to the towns and to the nobility--to involve the educated classed in local administration in return for protection of their status and property rights. In similar spirit, Catherine established the Free Economic Society to encourage the modernization of agriculture and industry. She

Terror of Auschwitz essays

Terror of Auschwitz essays The Holocaust refers to any widespread human disaster, but it is more widely known as the almost complete destruction of the Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany. During the 19th century, European Jewry was being emancipated, and, in most European countries, Jews achieved some equality of status with non-Jews. Nonetheless, at times Jews were vilified and harassed by anti-Semitic groups. Indeed, some anti-Semites believed that Jewry was an alien "race" not assimilable into a European culture, but they did not formulate any coherent anti-Semitic campaign. In 1940, Germany began sending Jews to Concentration Camps, a place where selected groups of people (Jews) are confined, usually for political reasons and under inhumane conditions. One of the largest concentration camps was located thirty-seven miles west of Krakow, Poland. Auschwitz was the camp where Jewish people were worked and killed. This camp, out of all the rest tortured the most people. Auschwitz began as a barracks camp in the town of Oswiecim, for the polish army in the early 1930's. Germany then captured Poland and needed another location for Polish political prisoners. In 1940, the German SS sent a commission to Oswiecim to see if the barracks there could be used. The first inspection reported that it could not be used, however, a later inspection stated that after a few minor changes it would be useable. On May 4, 1940 Rudolf Hoss officially established it as a German concentration camp. Hoss was Auschwitz's first commandant. Auschwitz was originally intended for Polish political prisoners and other Poles. In June of 1940, the first load of prisoners arrived. 728 Poles and a handful of Jews. Soon, though, it became a melting pot of prisoners. Male Czechs, Soviets, Yugoslavs, Jews, and Gypsies; were housed there. Not until 1942 did women arrive. In January of 1942 it was decided that Auschwitz would become the main Jewish exterm...

Policy and Politics in sports and gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy and Politics in sports and gender - Essay Example The sports policies, as they are made by men keeping the development of men in mind have failed to bring any significant change for women. The example is an adoption of ‘woman and sports’ format where a woman is expected to change according to the rules of the policies rather than policies being changed according to the woman’s need ( Talbot 2002. p.277). The meetings of the organizations are held on weekdays when women are busy with their family duties and are held in such locations that women members find it difficult to travel there. These are the things which show that there is a resistance to women participation in the decision making process by sports bodies. There are no written experiences as women usually withdraw after the resistance. However, the author says that to change the situation, these experiences and discrimination should be recorded in written format and a creative way should be found to create a change ( Talbot 2002. p.278). A research conducted during the commonwealth games in 1994 showed that the women participants from different levels of the team from different countries felt that they were not supported at all and experienced many barriers through ignorance and neglect by the male authorities. The response to the questionnaire revealed that women get very less share of attention and resources available and because of their gender, they experience negative feelings by their male managers and coaches (Talbot 2002. p.284). It was found that the establishment of The Working Group and Sport by European Sports Conference in the year 1989 to bring in practice the gender equity in sports led to nothing new. In 1991 and 1993 there

Staff Development Plan Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Staff Development Plan - Personal Statement Example So basically I have to be highly skilled and provide interaction and engagement. Also in order to effectively develop my staff I have to be familiar with the content that is what is being taught in class rooms and the context that is the environment in which this content is delivered and the issues surrounding this content. It is only when I know what areas need development would I be able to suggest and bring about a change. (NSDC, 2008) Although I do encourage my staff to attend seminars, orientations and work shops but in addition I have now planned on introducing job embedded development as it is a professional learning experience that relates to the teachers daily work. Job embedded development is a more effective type of staff development as it connected to what the educator is doing in class on a daily basis so teachers can practically apply what they have learned which in turns help sustain their learning. Some of the main characteristics of job embedded development are teachers working together in groups and holding regular meetings. Research shows that these development activities lead to better problem solving as the problems that exist with in the school are better solved by those who work there and have a one on one interaction with the students. Also teachers working in groups get to analyze the students work more carefully and thus result in an overall increase in student achievement. (Galloway, n.d.) I would also want to help my staff develop through coaching and on job instruction and for that purpose I will appoint staff developers. According to researches staff developers have a huge impact on what students and teachers learn. Staff developers can work with the teachers to increase student achievements, to reach the goals of student improvement programs and to provide on going coaching to teachers who are struggling or teachers who want to enhance certain skills. In my opinion the best thing about staff developers is that they are not in evaluating positions and thus the teachers will be encouraged to be open and honest with them about their problems and weaknesses and in this way a more effective development can take place. (Galloway, n.d.) I would also encourage distributed leadership rather than a top down approach. I would encourage interaction between teachers, students and my self not only with in the school but also with other schools, I would also encourage the parents to participate in order to facilitate better learning and development. I would be open to suggestions brought in by the teachers, the parents and even the students. I would give students and teachers a chance to voice their opinions. I will hold regular meeting with the staff and coaches so as to always be in sync with the progress that is taking place. And I would also arrange regular meetings with the parents and students so that they can also be involved in the development process. (NSDC, 2008) Apart from all the above I would encourage regular assessments to be held in the form of closed book quizzes or tests. Theses quizzes would be made up of fill in the blanks, MCQS and short questions that would require the students to recall what they learned in class. These quizzes would facilitate in students as well as teacher learning. Based on the results of the quiz teachers would have an idea of the concepts that the whole class collectively has a problem with and

Business Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Decision Making - Assignment Example The recommendations made by the respondents will also be considered along with the recommendations of the final report. Research Methodology The research methodology to be incorporated in the report is primary research. Secondary research methodology refers to the methodology that focuses on collecting data from already existing resources. Secondary data can be collected from online sources or from published sources. Secondary data can also be collected from government or organization sources. Now a day’s secondary research methodology is popular among the researchers because the internet provides data from all parts of the world on the desktop (Driscoll, 2011, p. 3). The researchers can gain large amount of data from reliable sources of the internet and thus can gain data in much less time than compared to gathering data from physical libraries. The researchers can use the cost cutting to enhance the scope of the research in future. The data collected from the peer reviewed j ournals provide authenticated data. The researchers do not need to appoint external associate to collect data as theses are readily available over the net. Therefore secondary research is extremely popular among researchers as it has got some advantages over the primary method of data collection in terms of cost or time (Hox and Boeije, 2007). Primary research methodology In order to form current information to be the basis of research, it is important to incorporate methodologies like primary research. Primary research is created through the development of questionnaires that can be both structured as well as unstructured. The structured questionnaire is closed ended questions. The structured questionnaire is based on interviews on an existing set of alternatives. The open ended questions like to gather data through open views of the respondents (Reja, U. Et. Al.,2003). Both types of questions can be sent through mail to the respondents. The researchers can also appoint external au thorities to conduct direct interviews. The respondents are selected in the form of framing the target population into groups and then selecting the respondents from that group with the probabilistic or the non probabilistic methods. In this assignment two groups are selected namely the staffs of the restaurant and the students of the university. They have further been categorised into different age groups namely 18-24, 25-30 and 30+. On the basis of two categories the respondent groups the sampling method into Stratified Sampling method where 25 of the respondents have been selected from many respondents (University of Alberta, n.d). Herein for conducting the research, 25 respondents have been chosen from the categories in order to provide recommendation to the restaurant authority. Further types of questions that can be constructed for the purpose are qualitative as well as quantitative sets. The qualitative research tries to infer the impact of the behavioural parameters. Quantit ative research focuses in gaining inferences with the help of graphs and charts which can further be used for statistical modelling. Interviews conducted relating to the niche group of respondents contains both the students and the staffs. This is needful for the authorities to have a proper inference of the behaviour of the respondents from both perspectives. The researchers need to conduct the interview in unbiased fashion as biased data will lead to false information (Geer, n.d.). This is expected to

Management Of Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay

Management Of Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay In recent decades there has been an increase in urbanisation and urban sprawl, which has resulted in a decline of green spaces, especially in urban areas. Urban green spaces include parks, play areas, areas specifically intended for recreational use, private gardens, and urban woodlands. More generally, they are areas of land that consist of permeable surfaces such as grass, trees and soil (Dunnett et al 2002). Increasing urbanisation contributes towards a degradation of the natural environment, as developments are overtaking rural areas at an increasingly rapid rate. Furthermore, this will have an impact on climate change, as less green space increases the effects of global warming, and other environmental issues, such as a higher risk of flooding due to lack of green space. This causes social problems as less green space creates health problems. This leads to economic problems, for instance, it is expensive to recover from disasters such as flooding. Therefore careful and sustainab le management of urban green spaces is especially important for social, environmental and economic reasons. The aim of the following essay is to discuss critically the environmental, economic and social aspects of managing urban green spaces. In order to achieve this aim the essay will be split into three main sections. Section one will look at the characteristics of the environmental problem and who is affected by them, linking this into how environmental problems create economic problems. Section two will look at what is and what could be done to address these problems, such as new forms of green spaces. It will also look at the economic aspects of these courses of action and the economic valuation of urban green spaces. It will argue that making a city greener can increase its economic performance, and lead to sustainable economic growth. However, the final part of the essay will challenge this, arguing that creating urban green spaces may not be the best solution for economic sustainability. Finally, the conclusions reached are that there needs to be a well managed balance of green and built areas in cities for sustained economic growth. Market failures in the urban land market Today we realise that we must protect networks of open space (Benedict and McMahon 2002:3). Regarding natural resource use, market forces determine the choices people make. However, resources such as urban green spaces do not have securely enforced or defined property rights which cause a lack of markets. Therefore, environmental resources cannot be directly traded in an open market, which leads to externality problems. Thus, due to market failures the full costs of urbanisation are not represented in the private costs (Panayotou 2000). The structure of the market means the private costs of using environmental resources, such green spaces, is zero (Gwartney et al 2000). Therefore producers have no incentive to protect environmental resources (Cropper and Griffiths 1994). To illustrate this problem of environmental externalities Pigou (2009) used the example of a company who builds a factory in a residential area and thus destroys some of the amenities of the neighbouring sites. The result is that the company sells its products at a lower price than the full costs felt by th e society. Consequently, as a result of these market failures there has been a rapid increase of urbanisation and urban sprawl without efficient land-use planning, and conservation of green spaces. Nationally, urban areas consist of approximately 14% green space (Comber et al 2008). However, the United Nations in 2001 estimated that in Europe the level of urbanisation will increase to almost 80% by 2015, which will result in a further loss of urban green spaces (cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007). Environmental amenities are usually ignored by urban planners, resulting in a shrinking of urban green spaces as they have gradually been taken over by urban development (Kong et al 2007). This level of urban growth presents challenges for tackling environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Less green space increases the effects of global warming, which is especially important in cities where the mean pollution levels are higher. Urbanisation replaces green spaces with impermeable built surfaces which causes negative environmental effects as green spaces provide rainwater interception and infiltration, evaporative cooling and shading functions (Gill et al 2007). Furthermore, urban areas can be up to 7 °c hotter than the surrounding countryside (Hilliam 2010). The concentration of buildings and paved surfaces creates higher temperatures, which is known as the heat island effect (Dunnett et al 2002). Furthermore, built environments restrict wind flow which in turn restricts the dispersal of pollutants, resulting in even higher air-pollution levels (Morancho 2003). It is important to tackle these issues as in 2003, during the Eur opean summer heat wave, 35,000 lives were lost (Gill et al 2007). Moreover, tackling environmental issues in urban areas is increasingly important as in 2001 nearly eight of every ten people in the United Kingdom lived in urban areas (Pointer 2005:46). Consequently, a higher population and an increase of built surfaces, means urban areas are where climate change impacts will be mostly felt (Gill et al 2007). This also has economic impacts as a lack of green space can increase the costs of public infrastructure and services such as, flood control and storm water management (Goode 2006). Furthermore, a lack of green spaces was often seen to be the main motive for people leaving the city, as they moved to the urban fringe for more green space (Van-Herzele and Wiedemann 2003). The result is economic decline as people move out of urban areas, which creates lower property values, attracting less wealthy people. This makes it hard to secure investment or attract and retain business in the area. A lack of green space also has negative impacts on tourism as fewer people will want to visit the area (Crompton 2001). Furthermore, a lack of green space creates health issues which are costly for the economy as an unhealthy society increases the costs of health care to UK tax payers (Mell 2008). There is a shortage of green space for example; in Greater Manchester the proportion of tree cover is fairly low, with an average of 12% cover, and 16% in urbanised Greater Manchester (Gill et al 2007). The next part of the essay will discuss how to tackle these environmental and economic problems. Solution to the problem Urban green spaces have many benefits which can be divided into market benefits and non-market benefits. Non-market benefits fall into three categories: use, option and existence value. Option value occurs when the future benefits are uncertain and depletion of the resource is irreversible. Existence value refers to the knowing the resource exists, and use value is from the direct use of the resource. Total value is the sum of all three. Thus, urban green spaces have existence value, and direct use value, such as recreational use. Furthermore, urban green spaces create consumer surplus, as the cost of using urban green spaces is usually free (Goodstein 2010). These benefits highlight the need to protect urban green spaces. Moreover, the issues discussed above further raise the need for protection and allocation of urban green spaces. In 2004-2005 local authorities in the UK spent an estimated  £700 million on renovating and maintaining urban green spaces (Comber et al 2008). Furthermore, Londons draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in 2010 (online), proposes that there is a need to increase the citys green spaces by creating small parks, which will help to absorb rain on wet days and cool the city on hot days (Bulkeley and Betsill 2003). Urban green spaces can also help to reduce pollution and act as sinks for carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to global warming (Dunnett et al 2002). In cities, gardens and parks absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which mainly come from private vehicles (Morancho 2003). Vegetation reduces air pollution by absorbing pollutants in the air, and by intercepting particulate matter. Hence the pollution of a car driven 60 miles per day can be offset by only 20 trees. Green spaces also reduce the urban heat island effect by shading heat absorbing surfaces and through evapotranspirational (ET) cooling. Evidence has shown vegetation can lower wall surface temperatures by up to 17 °C (McPherson 1994). This will ensure economic sustainability as less money will be needed to recover from natural disasters and climate change impacts. Thus, green spaces are multifunctional, as regenerating a park may increase tourism and reduce pollution levels (Hilliam 2010, Goode 2006). In a congested environment, existence of greenery within residential zones will improve air quality. This creates social benefits from direct use such as recreation and health benefits as a higher proportion of green space and less air pollution is associated with better population health (Popham and Mitchel 2007). This results in economic sustainability as healthier communities work longer hours, take less sick days and cost less money in health benefits (Goode 2006). Bird (2004 cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007) found that if people live closer to green space then they are more likely to undertake physical activity, which would save the UKs National Health Service up to  £1.8million a year. Moreover, inactivity in children often results in inactive adults, which costs the economy approximately  £8.2billion (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Therefore, protecting and creating green spaces ensures there is economic sustainability through a healthier society (Amati and Taylor 2010). Urban green spaces can act as catalysts for wider economic benefits, such as increases in property prices, attracting and retaining businesses and attracting tourists to urban areas. This is a key part of the solution for economic growth as urban green spaces makes cities more desirable and this can result in local economic stimulation (Dunnett et al 2002). Green amenities attract the highly skilled, who pursue a higher standard of living and quality of life, Florida (2002) describes how green spaces can attract creative class workers and the businesses that hire them. Employers locate in areas where the skilled want to live and this further attracts skilled workers, high-end restaurants and retail stores. Therefore, urban green spaces can raise a citys economic growth. Cities with more skilled workers experience an increase in population, house price and wages. Additionally, people who are highly educated will also be more likely to support investments for environmental protection a nd are usually willing to pay higher prices for environmental quality. Furthermore, a greener city will also have an insurance against recessions as the city remains attractive and people still want to live there. This will pull other industries into the area over time. Therefore, it is important to protect existing urban green spaces. Londons Green Belt is an example of an attempt to reduce development in order to improve the environment by restricting housing supply (Kahn 2006). The Mayor of London has also set targets to plant 10,000 more street trees by 2012, and enhance up to 1,000 hectares of green space (Environmental Agency 2010). This will help to build a good reputation of the area, which enables the community to grow economically, without damaging the environment, and simultaneously creating a desirable place to live for present and future generations (Benedict and McMahon 2002). Additionally, new methods, such as green roofs have been developed to increase green space in urban areas. Green roofs are the roof of a building that is covered by vegetation, the most common being turf roofs. They have several purposes which are similar to urban green space in general such as cooling the heat island effect and absorbing rainwater. They also provide insulation and create habitats for wildlife. The benefits can therefore be divided into private and public benefits. Private economic benefits include saving energy cost and an increase in roof life. Public benefits include storm-water management (Dunnett and Kingsbury 2004). Green roofs are particularly useful in cities that are dense with large populations such as London or Tokyo. London now has a green roof policy and other cities and areas in the UK are developing similar approaches to developing green roofs. However, currently there is only one green roof in Manchester; therefore there is a need to create more green spaces in the form of green roofs (Carter and Fowler 2008). These trends raise the need for green space protection and allocation, which in turn requires estimation of the value of green spaces (Kong et al 2007). Due to their lack of values expressed in monetary terms, green spaces are often not considered in cost-benefit analyses of urban planning policies. Furthermore, it is the failure of the market system, as discussed above, which creates the need for economic measures to value environmental services and guide policymaking (Freeman 1993). Several methods have been developed to value non-market amenities such as the travel cost method, the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the hedonic pricing models. The hedonic pricing method uses house prices to quantify environmental amenities by how much consumers are willing to pay. The hedonic pricing model is a revealed preference method and is based actual behaviour in the market. Properties have many characteristics which reflect the selling prices such as housing structure, neighbourhood and environmental amenities. The monetary value of each characteristic is calculated by observing the differences in the market price of housing sharing the same attributes. Once all the characteristics are collected the next step is to measure the portion of the property price for each characteristic (Boyle and Kiel 2001). By using the hedonic pricing method the value of green spaces can be estimated from actual behaviour in the market (Kong et al 2007). Hedonic valuation can also be applied to retail situations as people are willing to pay about ten percent more for products in greener shopping areas (Miller and Wise 2004:90). The value of urban green spaces can also be an important factor for affecting property prices. There is evidence which suggests urban green spaces can have a positive impact on house prices. There is usually a shortage of land in urban areas, and therefore proximity to urban green spaces has a positive impact on property values, while proximity to negative impacts such as highways reduces property values, as it is desirable to live close to a park, especially in city centres where demand for land is high (Tajima 2003). The demand for a property increases which raises the price of those properties. Numerous studies have shown that property values are typically 8-20 percent more expensive if they are located near a park (Crompton 2000). Therefore, in dense urban areas the value of nearby parks and green space can be one of the key selling points and a stronger feature than lot itself (Tajima 2003). Furthermore, Morancho (2003) found in Spain that for every 100m further away from a gree n area there was a drop of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1800 in the housing price. Therefore, to reduce the impact of urbanisation, and to ensure economic growth, allocation of new and protection of existing urban green spaces is required (Kong et al 2007). However, the value open space is contextual as it rises with increased income. Open space is considered a luxury good, as demand for open space increases as income rises. Hence, the willingness to pay for environmental quality is highly elastic with respect to income (Anderson and West 2006). Urban green spaces in isolation will not increase economic growth However, not all green spaces are equally beneficial. To ensure that urban green spaces enhance economic growth, they must be well maintained, safe and secure. In recent decades there has been a decline in the quality of urban green spaces in England. This can be linked to the declining budgets for local authorities over the past 20 to 25 years (Dunnett et al 2002). This has a negative economic effect as green spaces that are dangerous or unmanaged are likely to decrease the value of nearby homes, which would lead to economic decline (Crompton 2001). Furthermore, if green spaces are perceived to be overgrown or unmanaged this may have a negative effect on peoples well-being by increasing anxiety caused by fear of crime (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Research shows that open spaces which are most highly valued are those which enhance the qualities of urban life and offer a variety of opportunities (Burgess et al 1988). If there is a lack of facilities or the area is in poor condition then peo ple are less likely to use it. Furthermore, lower-income suburban areas usually have a larger proportion of poor-quality green space. Thus, even if green spaces are in large quantities, but are of poor quality then economic and health benefits are not felt by the population (Popham and Mitchel 2007). Additionally, if green spaces are poorly managed so that they become inaccessible, then less people will use them, especially the elderly or people with disabilities. Therefore, quality as well as quantity of green space is a key factor. Moreover, McConnell and Walls (2005) argue for the importance of distinguishing between different types of open space. The value of green spaces depends on its usage for example, whether it is a well managed park or an open field. Barker (2003) also reported that the value of open space depends strongly on its location and use, for instance, green space in the urban core was valued higher than greenbelt land. Anderson and West (2006:782) show that the v alue of open space depends on the type of open space, how far away it from the house and the neighbourhood characteristics. They found that sales price rises with proximity to the nearest golf course and falls the closer a home is to the nearest cemetery. Furthermore, the net result of restricting housing supply is that prices are driven up. This results in poverty magnets in areas with low property prices, resulting in a segregation of the poor and urban social problems. For example, Glasgow has lost population over time, and relative poverty has grown. Therefore, Londons pursuit to a greener city could further increase house prices and it could be argued that a city can become too green when economic growth is damaged. An upward pressure on house prices could have a negative impact on some residents and first time buyers as it would squeeze out the poorer renters and new immigrants (Kahn 2006). The result of this limited supply would not lead to economic sustainability as it would limit economic growth. Therefore, green spaces will not necessarily lead to a sustained economic growth nationally, but only benefits certain regions (Kahn 2006). It is often the wealthier people who benefit most, as studies have shown that vegetation and tree cover is lower in residential areas with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation. Therefore only certain areas benefit as less wealthy areas might not be able to afford to maintain new green spaces (Pauleit et al 2005). Additionally, an increased economic wealth will also increase the values of losses; making the cost to restore damages after a disaster much greater (Shaw et al 2007). Furthermore, conserving green spaces may restrict the supply of valued goods, such as housing, shops, offices or private open space, resulting in economic decline. This results in distributional effects as those landowners who can build get an increase in their asset value, whereas those unable to develop will experience a reduction in asset values. Part of the market failure associated with urbanisation is the increase in land prices imposed on existing inhabitants by additional workers. Furthermore, policies of containment, such as greenbelts, may increase energy use as commuters move out bey ond the greenbelt which results in longer commuter journeys. Therefore, it could be argued that policy in the UK restricts urban growth which leads to higher costs and welfare losses. Hence land regulation can have adverse economic effects as it diverts resources from other growth activities. Therefore the solution maybe not regulating land markets but regulating or taxing energy markets (Cheshire 2009). Conclusion To conclude, this essay has highlighted the environmental problem of urbanisation, explaining how this is a result of market failures. It has also shown how this can lead to economic problems. This essay then goes on to argue that a solution would be preserving, maintaining and developing new green spaces in urban areas. It goes on to explain the environmental, social and economic benefits of urban green spaces. It also highlights the hedonic pricing method, which shows how urban green spaces can be valued. It also argues that green spaces create economic benefits by increasing property values. However, the latter part of the essay challenges this, arguing that not all green spaces is equally beneficial. It also argues that preserving green spaces could also have a negative impact as the cost of land increases further, resulting in large increase in house prices. Therefore, it is important to maintain urban green spaces for the many environmental, economic and social benefits. However, this cannot be in isolation as for green spaces to be beneficial they must be well maintained and managed. Furthermore if too much green space is protected then this could have negative impacts overall. Therefore, urban land policies need to ensure green space is well managed in order to achieve the maximum benefits. Furthermore, methods other than land protections could also be used, such as taxing energy use. 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Marketing Image Culture :: Alan Liu Media Entertainment Essays

Marketing Image Culture As Alan Liu defines "cool", it is a non-political protest in society, "a gesture of ambivalent oppositionality." In Liu's terms, "cool" is a cultural component of the information age, and can only exist and have meaning within the environment it protests. This essay seeks to explore the relationship image culture, marketing, and Alan Liu's concept of "cool." In a recent presentation he gave at New York University, Liu previewed his forthcoming book The Laws of Cool : The Cultural Life of Information, which describes the importance of "cool" in the information age. To assist his explanation, he compares corporate culture to the Guayaki tribe of South America. Liu says that in both cultures there is a central problem, an unreasonable demand placed on some people that must be dealt with. As he opens his presentation, Liu makes an important point: being a part of a community is both empowering and stifling. The demand placed upon the information age worker is to retain productivity and remain valuable in the traditional sense, while in the postmodern sense being flexible and decentralized. Workers must keep order in their jobs to be productive, but also be able to excel at a wide variety of tasks that often require a breakdown and restructuring of corporate structures, departments, teams, and tasks. For the Guayaki, the job of hunting parallels the demand of flexibility required of Liu's information worker. Hunters are charged with the task of feeding their tribe, and sharing their wives, since Guayaki men outnumber women two to one. (I mention the latter condition because Liu made a point of it; whether or not this aspect of Guayaki life represents normality or hardship was not addressed in Liu's presentation.) Hunting in the forest with a bow and arrow requires a huge amount of skill, with dire consequences if unsuccessful, for the tribe will then not eat. In both "primitive" and technologically advanced cultures, there exists what Liu terms mandatory and individual disempowerment. Both hunters and information workers must defer to the will of their tribe. In response to stifling, both the tribesman and the information worker develop "cool." "The desire for flexibility and decentralization opens the gap between a culture and its people," says Liu. "Cool" is a technique for expressing that gap between a society and it's people. In the case of the Guayaki, this technique involves singing a highly personalized warrior song at nightfall, which essentially serves to fuel ego and one's sense of individuality. Marketing Image Culture :: Alan Liu Media Entertainment Essays Marketing Image Culture As Alan Liu defines "cool", it is a non-political protest in society, "a gesture of ambivalent oppositionality." In Liu's terms, "cool" is a cultural component of the information age, and can only exist and have meaning within the environment it protests. This essay seeks to explore the relationship image culture, marketing, and Alan Liu's concept of "cool." In a recent presentation he gave at New York University, Liu previewed his forthcoming book The Laws of Cool : The Cultural Life of Information, which describes the importance of "cool" in the information age. To assist his explanation, he compares corporate culture to the Guayaki tribe of South America. Liu says that in both cultures there is a central problem, an unreasonable demand placed on some people that must be dealt with. As he opens his presentation, Liu makes an important point: being a part of a community is both empowering and stifling. The demand placed upon the information age worker is to retain productivity and remain valuable in the traditional sense, while in the postmodern sense being flexible and decentralized. Workers must keep order in their jobs to be productive, but also be able to excel at a wide variety of tasks that often require a breakdown and restructuring of corporate structures, departments, teams, and tasks. For the Guayaki, the job of hunting parallels the demand of flexibility required of Liu's information worker. Hunters are charged with the task of feeding their tribe, and sharing their wives, since Guayaki men outnumber women two to one. (I mention the latter condition because Liu made a point of it; whether or not this aspect of Guayaki life represents normality or hardship was not addressed in Liu's presentation.) Hunting in the forest with a bow and arrow requires a huge amount of skill, with dire consequences if unsuccessful, for the tribe will then not eat. In both "primitive" and technologically advanced cultures, there exists what Liu terms mandatory and individual disempowerment. Both hunters and information workers must defer to the will of their tribe. In response to stifling, both the tribesman and the information worker develop "cool." "The desire for flexibility and decentralization opens the gap between a culture and its people," says Liu. "Cool" is a technique for expressing that gap between a society and it's people. In the case of the Guayaki, this technique involves singing a highly personalized warrior song at nightfall, which essentially serves to fuel ego and one's sense of individuality.

Parenting: GCSE Child Development Essay

This is an excellent essay that was wonderful to read and mark. It shows a good understanding of the varying needs of the child and discusses how conflict can arise. If the writer wanted to extend the essay, they could discuss some of the theories that look at how relationships develop and how conflict arises. ***** Marked by teacher Sam Morran 01/12/2012 The first 200 words of this essay†¦ Lil Maisky Year 11 Parenting: -Describe the ideal relationship between parents and children. -How do you appreciate your parents and how do they appreciate you? (400 words) Any ideal relationship is based on the appropriate balance in between the commitment and effort of both members concerned. However, the relationship between a parent and child is far more complicated as there is a large amount of responsibility involved. Also, the child is likely to resemble one or both of the parents to a certain extent, but not be as developed or experienced as the parent, thus adding a lot of competition and  argumentative aspects to the relationship. This can be more prominently observed when two members of the same sex are involved (mother and daughter†¦) As the age of the child increases, the responsibility of the parent decreases, most probably proportionally, and this has to be observed by the parent. One has to take into consideration that the child’s young years are all that he/she has experienced and that although it’s existence might only go back as far as a tiny fraction of the parents life, this cannot be understood by the child until

Free Essays on Why We Cant Wait

, and a story of one man’s private and public struggle for civil change. However, this book also serves as a document marking how far America has developed since 1963. Being a compilation of letters, stories, and experiences the most important letter in the collection is the letter of Dr. King’s from the Birmingham jail. Here Dr. King explains his actions in Birmingham, Alabama to some of the clergymen who have criticized his work. During Dr. King's time in Birmingham he campaigned a nonviolent search for desegregation and with it he had an outline to follow. â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† (66). Dr. King knew that one could not wait for people to change their attitudes of beliefs, but to help them see the error of their beliefs, this was the main idea of his campaign. â€Å"For years now I have heard the word ‘WAIT!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘NEVER’"(69). It is easy for people who are not being oppressed, such as whites in this book, to tell others that they need to wait. Dr. King and his followers saw their families and friends were the victims of oppression and violence and they knew something... Free Essays on Why We Can't Wait Free Essays on Why We Can't Wait Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait was written and published in 1963. The name of the period of the history when this book was published is called the civil rights movement. During this time in American history was the struggle to desegregate cities in many major southern cities such as Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama where most of the book is centered. Why We Can't Wait is an explanation of why the African American population could not wait any longer for desegregation. It is not only an explanation of this question; the book is also a history lesson, documentary in words, and a story of one man’s private and public struggle for civil change. However, this book also serves as a document marking how far America has developed since 1963. Being a compilation of letters, stories, and experiences the most important letter in the collection is the letter of Dr. King’s from the Birmingham jail. Here Dr. King explains his actions in Birmingham, Alabama to some of the clergymen who have criticized his work. During Dr. King's time in Birmingham he campaigned a nonviolent search for desegregation and with it he had an outline to follow. â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† (66). Dr. King knew that one could not wait for people to change their attitudes of beliefs, but to help them see the error of their beliefs, this was the main idea of his campaign. â€Å"For years now I have heard the word ‘WAIT!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘NEVER’"(69). It is easy for people who are not being oppressed, such as whites in this book, to tell others that they need to wait. Dr. King and his followers saw their families and friends were the victims of oppression and violence and they knew something...

Free Essays on The Taoism

What is Buddhist Meditation? In general, any virtuous object can be used as an object of meditation. If we discover that by acquainting our mind with a particular object our mind becomes more peaceful and virtuous, this indicates that for us that object is virtuous. If the opposite happens, for us it is a non-virtuous object. Many objects are neutral and have no particular positive or negative effect on our mind. There are many different virtuous objects of meditation, but the most meaningful the objects of the twenty-one meditations, from meditation on relying upon a Spiritual Guide to meditation on emptiness, the ultimate nature of phenomena. Explanations of these can be found in the The Meditation Handbook By relying upon a qualified Spiritual Guide we open the door to practising Dharma. Through the blessings of our Spiritual Guide we generate faith and confidence in our practice, and easily attain all the realizations of the stages of the path. For these reasons we need to meditate on relying upon a Spiritual Guide. We need to meditate on our precious human life to realize that we now have a special opportunity to practise Dharma. If we appreciate the great potential of this life we shall not waste it by engaging in meaningless activities. We need to meditate on death and impermanence to overcome procrastination, and to ensure that our Dharma practice is pure by overcoming our preoccupation with worldly concerns. If we practise Dharma purely it is not very difficult to attain realizations. By meditating on the danger of lower rebirth, taking refuge sincerely, and avoiding non-virtue and practising virtue, we protect ourself from taking lower rebirth and ensure that life after life we shall obtain a precious human rebirth endowed with all the conditions conducive to the practice of Dharma.... Free Essays on The Taoism Free Essays on The Taoism What is Buddhist Meditation? In general, any virtuous object can be used as an object of meditation. If we discover that by acquainting our mind with a particular object our mind becomes more peaceful and virtuous, this indicates that for us that object is virtuous. If the opposite happens, for us it is a non-virtuous object. Many objects are neutral and have no particular positive or negative effect on our mind. There are many different virtuous objects of meditation, but the most meaningful the objects of the twenty-one meditations, from meditation on relying upon a Spiritual Guide to meditation on emptiness, the ultimate nature of phenomena. Explanations of these can be found in the The Meditation Handbook By relying upon a qualified Spiritual Guide we open the door to practising Dharma. Through the blessings of our Spiritual Guide we generate faith and confidence in our practice, and easily attain all the realizations of the stages of the path. For these reasons we need to meditate on relying upon a Spiritual Guide. We need to meditate on our precious human life to realize that we now have a special opportunity to practise Dharma. If we appreciate the great potential of this life we shall not waste it by engaging in meaningless activities. We need to meditate on death and impermanence to overcome procrastination, and to ensure that our Dharma practice is pure by overcoming our preoccupation with worldly concerns. If we practise Dharma purely it is not very difficult to attain realizations. By meditating on the danger of lower rebirth, taking refuge sincerely, and avoiding non-virtue and practising virtue, we protect ourself from taking lower rebirth and ensure that life after life we shall obtain a precious human rebirth endowed with all the conditions conducive to the practice of Dharma....

Cyber bullying(Argumentative Paper) Research Paper

Cyber bullying(Argumentative ) - Research Paper Example Insecurity issues have in turn sparked far reaching implications to the users. In particularly, insecurity issues in information technology have been closely associated with internet usability. This comes when the usefulness of internet cannot be presently overemphasized. It is for this reason that information technology and security issues become critical. Important, though, have been the concerns on how to address these forms of insecurity. The aspect on information technology that is paramount to this discussion is cyber bullying. Cyberbullying has been known to affect mostly the youth especially of school going age and partly adults who often use internet and mobile phones for communication purposes. As research would have it, cyberbullying has been said to vary with age. However, one thing that remains unclear is whether gender affects cyberbullying. This paper seeks to find out if actually gender is a factor as far as cyberbulling is concerns. The paper approaches this topic si ng different points of views as pointed out by a number of researchers. It involves controversy and issues opposing viewpoints of different researchers to this topic. Background information Cyber bullying has emerged to be the newest platform on which the youths are increasingly abusing each other According to (Hopeline 73). The more concerning issue is that there are currently no appropriate techniques that intervene for cyber bullying despite large numbers of kids who access the information technologies. Internet and cell phone communications have been cited as tools for Cyber bullying. According to Hopline, what appalls even more is that Cyber bullying occurs during kids’ class time. Hopline cites that cyber bullying has far reaching implications on kids, so that the victims (kids) of cyber bullying only feel safe when in their bedrooms. According to Hopline, it does not under all circumstances hold that cyber bullying causes physical harm. However, cyber bullying is mostl y associated with causation of harmful emotional fallout which may cumulate to other gar reaching consequences. Hopeline cites an example of Megan Meier; the girl aged 13 who committed suicide after belittlement by a hacker (her mother’s friend) that posed on MySpace as a boy aged 16 years. Hopline acknowledges that peer to peer cyber bullying is the most rampant, but its implications are not so severe. Effective curbing of cyber bullying would entail instilling of ethical morals among the youth, which will help them suit to information technologies. Hopline argues that there can be no an over-reactive approach as parents barring their kids from accessing technology in attempt to curb cyber bullying. Hopline suggests that an appropriate ramification procedure would entail the parents convening to open meetings, where then the parents can share and appropriately advice their kids on cyber bullying. Parents should be tactical so to dispel rebellion from their kids. Parents shou ld not ignore the fact that all have under high risks of cyber bullying; terms such as ‘some kids are immune’ should not exist since all are sensitive to belittlement. Other intervention techniques should encompass teaching the kids on the importance of respect. In the case where kids are cyber-bullied, appropriate intervention procedures should be followed before the situation gets out of hand. It is factual that kids are major victims of cyber bullying. It is

Taxation Law in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taxation Law in the UK - Essay Example VAT system is a type of indirect tax. According to the canons of taxation, an indirect tax must not be levied on basic necessities. Adam Smith made a distinction between goods that are necessities and the goods that are luxuries. He advocated the levying of taxes on luxuries. Necessities are mostly exempt under the VAT system in modern times. Adam Smith might have applauded this aspect of the VAT. His argument in favor of low indirect tax was just not related to the welfare of the poor; it was also due to the fact that the rich can also suffer from high indirect taxes as they become less productive as a result. VAT system’s definition of ‘necessaries’, however, seems to be a tad different from that of Adam Smith’s. According to Smith, â€Å"†¦necessaries†¦[include] not only the commodities which are indispensably necessary for the support of life, but whatever the custom of the country renders it indecent for creditable people, even of the lowest order, to be without. A linen shirt, for example, is, strictly speaking, not a necessary of life. The Greeks and Romans lived†¦ very comfortable, though they had no linen. But in present times†¦a creditable day-laborer would be ashamed to appear in public without a linen shirt, the want of which would be supposed to denote that disgraceful degree of poverty, which it is presumed, nobody can well fall into without extreme bad conduct.† According to the canon of equality, the tax should be linked to an individual’s ability to pay. VAT is generally similar for all the individuals. As the marginal utility of money is more for the poor than for the rich, poor suffer more. This means that VAT is regressive in nature. This is why it can have a significant impact on the distribution of income.