Saturday, August 31, 2019

Developing Good Work Habits Essay

During the early school years, students must begin to develop good work habits including preparing for schoolwork, organizing time and effort, and developing effective study skills. As students continue into middle school and high school their success depends, to a large degree, on refining and sustaining these work habits. Time management, organizational skills, and efficient study skills become especially important by this stage. Students who are able to develop and maintain good work habits are in a position to succeed – to learn what needs to be learned, and to become confident students. Getting started on assignments in school and at home requires students to engage their attentional abilities. Students must be alert to the task at hand, possibly shifting focus to a new activity, and have the mental effort necessary to initiate the task. Students who are able to preview, or think about the outcomes of a task before beginning, are helped in many ways. They can have an idea of what a report will be like once a topic is selected, what materials will be necessary to do an assignment, etc. In addition, students who have a strong sense of â€Å"step-wisdom† – knowing how tasks or activities can be broken down into a series of steps, will be able to determine the first step needed to get started on an assignment. There is an optimal rate for accomplishing most tasks. A competent student is often a well-paced student, performing at a rate appropriate to the task and available time. Taking the appropriate amount of time for a task is largely dependent upon both a student’s temporal-sequential skills and his/her attentional abilities. Temporal-sequential skills help us interpret, retain, or create information that is in serial order. These skills are related to a student’s ability to appreciate time in general and estimate time appropriately. Tempo control (a facet of attention) helps students regulate the allocation of time to the task at hand, and predict the time required for an upcoming task. Tempo control also instills a sense of â€Å"step-wisdom†, the knowledge that it is more effective to undertake activities in a series of steps, rather than all at once. Tempo control allows a student to match his/her pacing to the demands of a given task, e. g. , to take the right amount of time to finish an essay test, to do a homework assignment thoroughly yet efficiently, etc. For many students, time is their most precious resource. Making the most of the time they have enables students to be as efficient and successful as possible, leading a balanced life of work and play. A clear understanding of time is required for students to manage their own time effectively, e. g. , plan long term projects, organize schedules, etc. As such, time management skills are an important component of a student’s success – in school and beyond. In order to meet assignment deadlines and to keep up with schedules related to school and schoolwork, students must engage their temporal-sequential ordering abilities. These skills help us interpret, retain, or create information that is in a serial order. Students with strong temporal-sequential ordering skills are able to manage their schedules, organize their work, and make efficient use of their time. Such students are also able to avoid procrastination (putting off a task that must be done). For students with weak time management skills, procrastination can have painful consequences, affecting both academic and personal success. In order to complete assignments for school, students must develop their cognitive working capacity. That is, students must learn to initiate and maintain the mental effort needed to complete tasks and activities. The ability to manage one’s effort is closely linked to academic productivity and success. A strong capacity for work enables students to delay gratification and to persevere through tasks that take considerable energy. It also helps them sustain their effort when information is worthy of attention, even though not immediately exciting, such as when studying a chapter they will be tested on the next day, or reading the instructions for a science experiment. Developing good organizational behaviors can play a key role in efficient school performance. School is much easier for students who know how to organize themselves, their materials, and their work space. Having effective organizational tactics will continue to be a valuable asset throughout a student’s education and career. Being ready to learn often means being prepared for the next activity, having to shift gears from one task to another, and having all the necessary materials on hand. In order to develop this aspect of learning readiness, students must engage their attentional abilities (especially that of previewing), as well as their memory skills. Through previewing, a student is able to look ahead and be prepared to deal with upcoming circumstances, challenges, and academic tasks. For example, previewing helps students prepare for a test, get ready for an upcoming class, and smoothly transition from one activity to the ext. In addition, students who preview are able to determine which materials are needed for a task and to remember to have those materials on hand. As a result, they are better prepared for activities and better able to follow through on assignments. Staying organized for school requires a student to have strong spatial abilities as well as a strong memory. To efficiently keep track of school materials and assignments, for example, students must have an internal sense of how things should be organized. In order to follow through on school-related tasks, such as turning in homework and bringing the right books to class, students must be able to remember where these items are, as well as remember to have the items on hand when needed! Maintaining a good study space is important to every student’s success. Students must have appropriate environments in which to learn and study, both at school and at home. Setting up and keeping an organized work space requires that students have strong spatial abilities. Such abilities help a student arrange a consistent place for storing school books, organize a desk drawer, keep a desk clear of clutter, etc.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Making reference to Language and imagery Essay

The play of â€Å"Macbeth† is based around a soldier who went by the name of Macbeth Ambition got the better of Macbeth and drove him to work his way up the hierarchy by whatever means he thought was necessary. Of course he did meet some obstacles on the way, but instead of hurdling over them he got rid of them. Eliminating these obstacles is what caused Macbeth’s transition from a â€Å"brave Macbeth† to â€Å"abhorred heir† by the end of the play. However it’s not a clear cut answer. There were many contributing factors. It wasn’t simply all Macbeth’s doing that got him where he was at the end of the play. Many characters played a role in his downfall. At the start of the play we do not meet Macbeth but we are told about him, ‘For brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name,’ here is where a soldier is speaking to King Duncan and telling him that Macbeth does deserve to be called brave. This is where we first hear of Macbeth before we actually meet him. The next thing that the soldier tells Duncan is a small piece of description of why Macbeth should be called brave, ‘Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, Which smok’d with bloody execution,’ Here Shakespeare uses certain dramatic words to create an image of what Macbeth was like. The way the soldier tells Duncan that Macbeth’s steel was covered with bloody execution, which gives us an image of a man covered in blood from the people he has executed. When Macbeth meets the three witches for the first time he is immediately interested in what they have to say and he does ask them to speak if they can. Macbeth’s immediate reaction to what the witches had said was interesting, he wanted to know more as he was confused by the prophesy of him becoming King, ‘Speak, I charge you’ here Macbeth tries to order the witches to say more but they vanish. The witches were very smart; they told Macbeth the hard facts but they didn’t tell him how or when he would be King or Thane Cawdor. This leaves him hanging. Macbeth and Banquo are, as expected, shocked. The witches here could have simply be spinning a line of lies and see if Macbeth would grab it as he did and the witches now know that Macbeth must be pretty easily convinced as he was when he heard the prophesies. Macbeth and Banquo, when the witches are gone, then think if what they had seen and heard was actually there or were they going mad, ‘where such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root. That takes the reason prisoner?’ Here Banquo asks Macbeth if what they are talking about was actually there or have they eaten on the insane root and just gone mad. So even when they have heard the prophecy it shows you how shocked they are if they are questioning their own sanity. Macbeth may take the bait from the witches but Banquo tries to worn Macbeth that there must be evil forces at work and that it may seem in his favour now but there is something sinister in the predictions, ‘What, can the devil speak true?’ Banquo here tries to convince Macbeth that can these witches related to the devil speak truth and so he tries to over throw Macbeth’s thoughts to forget about the prophesies and just to carry on as normal. The first seed of ambition that is thrown to Macbeth came from the witches’ prophecy of Macbeth becoming King. However the seed did not start to grow until Macbeth hears that he is going to become the new Thane of Cawdor this being the first prophecy made by the witches come true. At this point Macbeth and Banquo had decided to let the future take care of itself. However when he was told that he would be the new Thane of Cawdor a bell started to ring in his head. Soon after this, Duncan makes his son Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland and Duncan invites himself to Macbeth’s Castle. Everything is falling into place for Macbeth and he sees his chance to become King; obviously Duncan was not planning on making Macbeth the next King. However Macbeth then had a problem and that was Malcolm, ‘The Prince of Cumberland _ that is a step, On which I must fall down, or else o’erleep, For in my way it lies.’ This is where Macbeth realises that he has a hurdle to overleap in order to for fulfil his ambition to become King of Scotland. This is where Shakespeare tries to explain Macbeths’ situation in a simple way by creating an image of a staircase, Malcolm on the step above him and the King ‘Duncan’ above that. This is where he has a choice of whether to get rid of Malcolm or some how get him out of the way so that he could fall into the place or step that he was on and then he would be another step closer to becoming the King. Duncan appears to continuously present Macbeth with gifts and titles. This fuels Macbeth’s ambition and makes him yearn for more authority, such as to be the King of Scotland. Presenting Macbeth with gifts and titles led to Macbeths’ transition or you could say his tragedy, but Duncan cannot be entirely to blame because he was simply rewarding Macbeth for his triumphs and bravery on the battlefield over much larger armies, ‘What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.’ Here we get a great feeling that Macbeth is a very strong and powerful soldier on the battlefield. Here it says that what other soldiers have lost, such as a battle or war, Macbeth will definitely win. Lady Macbeth latches on to the idea of Macbeth being King as soon as she reads his letter describing the prophesy. She has no doubt that the prophecy will come true, but she does fear that her husband is, ‘to full o’ ‘the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.’ Lady Macbeth immediately sees that killing Duncan is necessary for Macbeth to become King, and she has no concern for how evil that plan is. As soon as she sees him, she begins convincing him that he should kill the King. Macbeth does not agree, but later in scene seven, he tells Lady Macbeth: ‘We will proceed no further in this business’. She responds by attacking his manhood, calling him a coward and referring to a promise she never made. ‘I would while it was smiling in my face Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have you done to this’. Macbeth never made a promise to kill Duncan but Lady Macbeth is trying to manipulate him by saying if she had made a promise to kill her child she would, Macbeth has sworn to kill Duncan but she is simply playing with his mind and trying to get him to go along with the murder. Later on in scene seven Macbeth tells his wife that he doesn’t want to take the positions away from the soldiers or Thanes because they have earned their position and clothes that hey wear, he just wanted to become King the easiest and quickest way. Lady Macbeth tries to explain to her husband that there will be an obstacle or downside along the way, ‘Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’ Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage?’ Lady Macbeth here tries to be persuasive by telling Macbeth that she would not let fear get the better of her as he was starting to do. She then uses the proverb an ‘adage’ to try and explain that obstacles often occur when someone really wants something and puts his situation into a way that he could relate to. Lady Macbeth said to Macbeth the cat wanted the fish but would not get her paws wet, translating into Macbeths’ case, he wanted to become King but didn’t want to kill for it. After the murder of Duncan Lady Macbeth has to assure Macbeth that what is done is done and not to think about it as it will drive him insane. Macbeth was still shaken after the murder and took the daggers, that he killed the guards with, back with him. Lady Macbeth then had to take charge, ‘Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers.’ Lady Macbeth even after the murder is still insulting her husband and calls him weak minded. Lady Macbeth plays an important role in Macbeths’ transition. Lady Macbeth is like her husbands bad conscience, there were many points in the play where Macbeth would have pulled out from murdering Duncan but his wife tried her best and seceded in convincing Macbeth that he should murder Duncan. However I do not think that she can be held entirely to blame; Macbeth had free will to do what he wanted; Lady Macbeth simply backed him up. Therefore it was through Macbeths’ decisions he became the man he was at the end of the play. You could say that he was some what forced into murdering Banquo. ‘It is concluded! Banquo, thy soul’s flight, If it find heaven, must find it tonight.’ Here Macbeth has plotted the death of Banquo, and is pleased that his friend would soon be dead. He does all this without any prompting at all from Lady Macbeth; he does this simply because the witches had said that Banquo’s descendants would be Kings. Macbeth furthers his own transition by having Macduff’s family killed. ‘The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to the edge o’ the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate sould That trace him in his line.’ Straight after the second prophesy, which warns him to beware the Thane of Fife, that being Macduff. Lennox brings word that Macduff has fled to England. Angered, and the words from the prophesy that he has interpreted to mean that Macduff may be a threat, Macbeth orders the household of Macduff slaughtered. When Macduff had found this out he was truly convinced that Macbeth is evil, and rallied the armies of proud England to march against the sick Scotland. Therefore, by destroying the Macduff household, Macbeth brung about his own downfall or transition by the end of the play. Prior to this Macbeth once again made another step towards his own transition. He yearned for the knowledge that the witches possessed and he couldn’t do anything without knowing what was going to happen in the future. The second time Macbeth went to visit the witches they had three new prophecies for him, ‘The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth’ This first prophesy is simply saying that the person born not of a woman shall harm Macbeth. Macbeth thinks that this is impossible, what he doesn’t realise is that Macduff was born by a suzerain ‘Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him.’ Here the witches say that only harm will come to Macbeth when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, which Macbeth thinks is impossible. The other prophesy was, ‘Beware Macduff, Beware the Thane of Fife.’ Here the witches are simply telling Macbeth to beware Macduff. As he believed all the prophesies he made them come true, so we don’t actually know whether they simply fed him a line and influenced his thinking knowing that he was ambitious and would make these prophesies come true. This is yet another factor in Macbeths’ downfall. Macbeth surprisingly actually tries to comfort himself and in a way he tries to justify what he has done, ‘I am in blood stepped in so far that returning were as tedious as go o’er.’ Macbeth here is trying to say that going back from what he had done would be as tedious as it was committing the murder, he seems to think that because he is so far stepped in blood and cannot turn back that it makes everything alright which it certainly doesn’t. Even though Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost he doesn’t seem to show any remorse. However the ghost does startled him and he doesn’t feel like a man when the ghost is there, ‘Enter GHOST, And to our dear friend Banquo whom we miss; Would he were here. To all, and him we thirst And all to all.’ Banquo’s ghost enters the banquet and Macbeth decides to propose a toast to Banquo, it’s as if Macbeth is tying taunt Banquo’s ghost, Macbeth is not really sorry and he wouldn’t rather Banquo be there he is simply boasting to the ghost that he had him killed. However at the point when the armies of England are closing in on Dunsinane, where Macbeth’s castle is, Macbeth seems remorseful. It seems that his darker side was turning towards the light, but still, Macbeth refused to let anyone or anything threat his reign, except his death. ‘But get thee back my soul is too much charged With the blood of thine already.’ Shakespeare uses imagery here to show how Macbeths’ soul is fully charged like a battery but with all the bad deeds he had committed. This part of the play is where Macbeth is confronted by Macduff and he is remorseful that he has killed Macduff’s household. But nevertheless the deed was done and Macbeth could only blame himself for it. In conclusion I think that Macbeth was more so to blame for his own transition. He may have been pushed into the murdering of Duncan but everything else he made his own mind up about. Sure there where many limiting factors in Macbeths’ transition such as Lady Macbeth, the witches and another big factor being his ambition which was probably reflecting his decision making but this cannot be excused as he knew exactly what he was doing and what his aim was, to become the King of Scotland. However he does show some remorse before he is killed. Before Macbeth was killed Macduff started to fight with him but Macbeth could fight no more and so Macbeth was beheaded. This does show that he may have finally realised what he had done or that he was blinded from the truth by his ambitions.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Psychology - Essay Example Aggressive behavior takes up a violent pattern, where aggression becomes a part of the person’s conscious and subconscious behavior. From smaller issues to bigger issues, aggression becomes a normal act. The literal meaning of covert and overt is secretive and obvious, respectively. Hence, the meanings give an outlook about the terms. Covert behaviors are the one which can’t be easily determined by someone. Overt behaviors are traits that are easily recognizable by anyone observing the person. Cognitive behaviors include thoughts, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs. Much of this behavior is described as â€Å"self-talk,† the things that people say to themselves (or â€Å"think†) in response to antecedent and consequent stimuli (â€Å"Behavior Change in Human Services† Pg12). These can be secret actions carried out by a person as well, for example; stealing, lying, and deceiving. Overt responses are often loud and visible; some common examples are, screaming, yelling out in public and public displays of affection. 4. Sherry had throat surgery and could not talk for days. She worked with a speech therapist to increase her voice loudness. The therapist used an instrument to measure increases in the loudness of her voice. What dimension of behavior was the physical therapist recording? The instances or recordings are recorded and counted in order to establish how many times the behavior occurs, the rate at which she (Sherry) could maintain that level and finally the therapist used this dimension in order to record and examine how her performance varies over time. As it always said, â€Å"excess of everything is bad†, so does it is proved in the case of behavioral excess. Behavioral excess is the state where the intensity of the action has to be reduced to a desirable amount or range. For Example: A basic and quite explanatory example of behavioral excess is that of chain smokers. Their behavior to smoke rapidly is not only bad for

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Use of the Culture in the Expression of Customs of a Society Essay - 7

The Use of the Culture in the Expression of Customs of a Society - Essay Example I have come to know that the change in one walk of life makes an impact on all the other paths at the same time (West). Furthermore, the mythical characterization of the role models also changed as democracy was put into practice. As a matter of fact, the change in the lifestyle can easily be noted in the time of Hellenistic Greek. When I undertook comparison, I marked that different areas of the Greek culture allow understanding that literature was contributed with the newer subjects because every other field of interest was also changing. Through the above comparison of the analysis of the two eras and areas of culture, it came to my knowledge that each area was affected largely by the political changes and the way policy took place. The lifestyle of the Greeks was marginally changed as the democracy was put into practice. As a matter of fact, the change in the lifestyle can easily be noted in the time of Hellenistic Greek. When I undertook comparison, I marked that different areas of the Greek culture allow understanding that literature was contributed with the newer subjects because every other field of interest was also changing.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Judicial Resolutions to State School Financing Case Study

Judicial Resolutions to State School Financing - Case Study Example In its ruling, the Court found that poor communities had to have a high tax rates to generate relatively low per-pupil revenue whereas wealthy communities could have low tax rates and yet still generate relatively high per-pupil revenue (Merrow, 2004). The Court opined that "affluent districts can have their cake and eat it too; they can provide a high quality education for their children while paying lower taxes. Poor districts, by contrast, have no cake at all" (Coon, 1999, citing Serrano). In an attempt to address such a complex social issue, the Court applied the equal-protection analysis of wealth as a suspect classification by extending it for the first time to school districts and ultimately ordered the state legislature to change school financing laws (Coon, 1999). Subsequent legislation was passed that was designed to equalize school funding by increasing state funds for poor communities while putting a cap on per-pupil revenues in wealthy districts and redistributing some of their local property taxes to poor districts (Merrow, 2004). However, the Court had failed to consider that 75% of poor children lived in high spending districts, and it effectively led to low school spending for most poor children (Merrow, 2004). In addition, the public was disconcerted in paying property taxes and in supporting any increase in property taxes that were not helping their local schools (Merrow, 2004). Judicial Resolutions 4 Because of the existing and continuing disparities in school funding and educational disparities, it is doubtful that the Serrano decision can be credited with defining and bringing about the educational equality that its original supporters were hoping for in their praise following the Court's ruling. However, the case can concretely be credited with bringing about massive revision in school financing in California and it spurred an immediate wave of similar rulings and legislative action in other states (Brimley, 2003). The effects of those revisions, even in light of subsequent cases that seemed to rule to the contrary, have lasted through the last several decades and continue to impact education today. San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) In San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 1 (1973), issues very similar to those in Serrano were before the Supreme Court of the United States. The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), acting on behalf of students whose families resided in poor districts, challenged the Texas state funding scheme by arguing that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by underprivileging such students because their schools lacked the vast property

Monday, August 26, 2019

Collaborative writing Assignment against Euthanasia Essay

Collaborative writing Assignment against Euthanasia - Essay Example Besides, there are critical aspects of medical profession that need to be taken into consideration as far as doctor’s role in physician-assisted suicide is concerned (Jeffrey 76-8). The society put their trust on doctors as having moral responsibility of keeping the patients in state of life in line with their Hippocratic Oath. There are several arguments that attract the opposition against Euthanasia that seems real if given critical analysis. Legalizing euthanasia will create a legal loophole that can be misused by the doctors in regard to physician-assisted suicide. One such legal aspect is possible â€Å"slippery slope† from the process of euthanasia to murder. This will particularly target the poor and disabled people who may not sustain prolonged medical monitoring condition and expensive medical bills. The principle of life requires sustained help and medical support to an individual with the cardinal goal of saving life. In this respect, the aspect of socio-economic ability is not considered (Kopelman 87-9). However, in reality medical cost for some conditions requires funds which may exhaust a family and render the hospital or doctors financially incapacitated to continue offering services. For the poor and the handicap, this may compel the doctors to initiate physician-assisted suicide as a way of eliminating the cost factor. There is possible legal incentive that this doctor’s right may create to the insurance firms that may resort to termination of life with the aim of saving money. This is unfair and highly unethical in line with the common moral tenets of businesses practices and medical code of ethics. The aspect of deliberate killing of the poor and the disabled if this practice is legalized evokes the concept of Ethics which can effectively convince the proponents to think otherwise. According to Jeffrey (pg.20), â€Å"Clearly, it would be unwise to give doctors the power to issue lethal prescriptions for the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

Case study - Essay Example In this segment, the major focus will be on Sony’s journey of inevitable change that has made it reach where it is today. Perhaps the first change that the company experienced in the millennium was the appointment of Howard Stringer in 2005 as the chief executive. Apart from Stringer being the first non-Japanese to head the firm in over a half a century, he had a history with some of the fiercest competitor of the Sony Corporations. Despite this, he was the best choice to turn around company’s dwindling profits. Organizational analysts were sceptical of his approach of streamlining the operations of the business and the massive job cuts. The new chief executive included several other ambitious techniques that previously never existed in the company. For instance, he scraped off entire lines of production such as production of cathode ray tube (CRT) television sets. Change was also inevitable in the composition of human resources for Sony over the years. This is partially a step of business strategy and partially for skills that the company required for its future plans. The laying off of about 10,000 employees as a cost cutting measure had a direct impact on the company’s short term in terms of public perception. However, this was necessary to turn around numbers for the company. Human resource in major companies is a key element for their success or failure as Marshak (2005, p97) illustrates. This is because all decisions are made and implemented by directors and employees respectively. Therefore, chief executives and company directors aim at hiring the best and retaining the most productive employees at all times. In light of these, the employee restructuring of Sony was implemented by eliminating human resource that was either too obsolete or redundant in their work. This is a change that most of other multinationals are experiencing today. Thirdly, cultural change is another dynamic that Sony has experienced over the years. The CEO himself

Saturday, August 24, 2019

India's Contribution towards the British War Effort in World War I and Research Paper

India's Contribution towards the British War Effort in World War I and the Aftermath - Research Paper Example Since the Ottoman Empire sided with the German forces, the Ottoman army started attacking various strategic positions (oil depots, ports and locations military importance) in the Middle East. Moreover despite the neutral role of the Shah of Afghanistan, the Ottoman army influenced some of the local tribesmen on the Indian-Afghan border in the North-West of India to who started attacking the British forces and captured some of the land and supply routes. The British Army was a mixture of races from different dominions and colonies of the British Empire and the British Indian army was one of them. 2 regiments of the British Indian Army were permanently stationed in various other British colonies before the start of WWI but in WWI it played pivotal role on various frontiers in Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Indian Army mainly comprised of the lower Castes of Hindus; the untouchables, the Shudras (artisans, craftsmen and service providers) and the Vaishyas (agriculturis ts, cattle traders, merchants and bankers) and also in Muslims the Ajlafs (the local converts) and the Arzals. The Indian people were not trained to become high ranked officers in the army and only served as soldiers commonly known as Sepoys (derived from Persian word Sipahi meaning soldier). In World War I the Indian Army fought against the German Empire in German East Africa and on the Western Front. The Indians also served on various other frontiers in Egypt, Gallipoli. The most remarkable of the efforts by the Indian army was in Mesopotamia where nearly 700,000 soldiers served against the Ottoman Empire. In addition to these foreign expeditions the Indian Army also defended the British Indian Empire at the North Western frontier and also in the South East at Burmese border. The Largest Volunteer Army The British established their first cantonment in India in 1757 at Goa to fight against the French forces in India and it marked the beginning of the inductions of Indians to the Br itish Army. As the British invaded more and more land the Indian population in the army went on increasing and when in 1857 the Indian throne was brought under the British crown, the British Indian Army was formally established. The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 forced the British to limit the Indian inclusion in the army to lower rank soldiers and as a result mostly the lower castes joined the army. By 1914, the British Indian Army was the largest volunteer army in the world with a total strength of 240,000 men. The largest increase in the army happened during the WWI when the recruitment process was very fast and the Lower Caste Indians were more and more interested to join the army not only because of the incentives but also the sense of security for being in the British army was a big motivational force for a lower caste Indian who was treated in an inhumane manner. This large induction increased the number of Indians in the British army to almost 550,000 by November 1918. This large str ength also increased the importance of the British Indian Army which was called upon to deal with incursions and raids on the North West Frontier. Moreover the Indian army was also deployed in the British Empire in China, Singapore and Egypt. Events during the War 1. The Indian army was sent to Marseilles on 30th September 1914 as reinforcement to the British Expeditionary Force but the Indian army was not familiar to the local conditions and climate and was poorly equipped to resist weather. Moreover the uneducated, less-trained lower caste soldiers from India could not learn to operate the new war equipment. This force took part in the four major battles namely

Friday, August 23, 2019

Personal ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personal ethics - Essay Example Ethics is considered to be a set of standard rules that must be followed appropriately (Yahoo! Education Dictionary, 2009). In my personal opinion, ethics is the exercise of having the right behavior and doing the right thing at the proper time and the proper place. I regard ethics as the right behavior or attitude which must be displayed appropriately at the right time and right place because certain situations calls for various correct responses from the individuals concerned. Since it is important that everybody must known the set of standard rules which are required at any given setting; and should be able to adhere with said rules in order to establish better understanding and communication with people from a personal or professional level.Leadership entails many salient characteristics that a certain person must possess; being a good leader calls for having the ability to do what one sets out to do, together with the spirit to carry on until the planned task is accomplished (Gu tierrez et al, 2004). I regard this as the best meaning of leadership because a leader must be able to produce expected results by having the cooperation and loyalty of his or her followers. In gaining the cooperation and loyalty of others, the good and wise leader must possess the skill to direct and control the efforts of his or her followers. This will lead the entire team to move in one direction that will make collation of all necessary skills to produce positive outcomes. 3. Service Service pertains to being employed and having a certain load of duties or responsibilities to carry out daily with a particular company or organization (Yahoo! education Dictionary, 2009). This is the most suitable meaning of service to me, because generally speaking providing service means being employed or having been hired by a particular corporation or government entity. Hence, being employed involves the provision of service or work which is necessary for both the employee and employer to surv ive financially. Service contributes mainly to the income of the organization and the salary of the worker or employee. 4. Character The ideal definition of character in my opinion is the unique personal traits of a certain individual, which separates him or her from others. The characteristics of people vary because each and everyone have acquired different principles during their formative years. Environmental factors like school, friends and home affect the character or personality of people. Personality clashes often happen in any setting (like the office or workplace) due to character differences and various perceptions that people have. Pressing Ethical Issues Two of the most critical issues that majority of business organizations including their respective leaders face at present are whistle blowing and employee rights and duties. These two organizational concerns are often times met with skepticism and apprehension by top management and company personnel because they involve values that people adhere to; including the extent and limitations of company rules and regulations. Whistle Blowing Whistle blowing is the disclosure or revelation of any misconduct or law violations that usually occur within a given entity, private or government (Nadarejan, 2010). Whistle blowing in relation to the practice of democracy carries with it two vital features, which are: 1) the exposure of any legal wrong doings and misconducts; 2) necessitates â€Å"accountability of public bodies and private entities† (Nadarejan, 2010). It is important to understand that the general public needs to know if a breach of law or

Festivals and Events. The New Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Festivals and Events. The New Age - Essay Example This concept has become so popular in recent years, however, that there is now the danger of having a glut of such events that are aimed at the same demographic group (Santino, 2009). This has been a most interesting development in regards to the creation of even more specialized festivals and events that are truly unique to one particular geographical region. This is showing great signs of success and is likely to be a trend that will continue into the future. This report at three different such festivals and events in the nations of England, Wales, and Scotland. Focused on will be the background to such events, the type of tourist that is target, and its economic and tourism related benefits that are arising in the region as a result. 2. The Green Man Festival - Wales 2.1 Festival Background The Green Man Music Festival is generally held over a four day period in the Black Mountains of Wales. It has been in existence for only ten years and was formed in response to the increasing d esire to host a truly independent music festival within the region. It is quite an eclectic event that definitely appeals to a particular demographic group. The event was the brainchild one family from Wales, and the festival now truly takes on a family type atmosphere, as many of the visitors come year after year, creating a reunion type atmosphere. The festival itself is designed to have quite an intimate feel to it, yet it has multiple attractions and performers to keep things going around the clock. The location itself is also another unique component of the festival, as it is in the wilderness, yet is only 3 hours away from either London, Manchester, or Brighton, and only 90 minutes away from Bristol. The developers and designers of this particular festival wanted to provide a unique and different experience, realizing that not everyone can travel to multiple festivals each and every year. From the reality that this is one of the only festivals in the entire United Kingdom to h ave a 24-hour alcohol beverage license to the reality that they have developed many options for children to enjoy as well, the Green Man Festival has developed a truly niche market that has positioned itself for future growth despite its young age. 2.2 Linkage to Tourism Development (Visitor Numbers and Economic Impact) The Green Man Festival began as a small and intimate event on the Wales calendar, but today is by far the largest music festival in the country. The first year, the festival attracted 300 people, yet it received rave reviews from most in attendance, and the festival even had to move locations in its second year in order to accommodate all of the interest. Now in its tenth year, the Green Man Festival attracts more than 15,000 people annually, and its economic impact is felt far and wide. While the event itself has grown into four days of music and festivities, permission has recently been granted to allow attendees to remain on the festival ground for an entire seven days (Frost & Laing, 2013). This has allowed the surrounding areas in Wales to benefit from this tourist event as well, as thousands of travelers now descend on the region annually. The Green Man Festival is about more than just music. The organizers of the event have created an event that is known region wide as being non-corporate and ethnically minded. They have

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of Purpose Essay The ensuring letter of motivation is meant to put forth my aspiration to pursue my career through Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at your esteemed university, as well as description of my plans subsequent to my graduation. In this ever changing world of Engineering and Technology, passing day makes them obsolete, I want to attain the highest level of education and transcend new scope for research in Mechanical Engineering. This has always fascinated me and I am keen to continue my academic pursuit in this field. Personally, I have always cherished a dream to become an Engineer, a dream that was innate and developed slowly over the years. Right from my school days, I found myself fascinated by the intricacies of mathematics and physics, which spurn their web of aura around me, a web that I sought to unravel in countless problems solving sessions I have always felt a strong need for achievement, which has been the motivating force behind whatever I have achieved in my academic career. I have received grades with magna cum laude both in my 10th and 12th grade. see more:sop for canada student visa Engineering, at this point of time, seemed as a natural extrapolation of my abilities and interests. With good grades I enrolled in the discipline of Mechanical engineering at â€Å"Shree Devi Institute of Technology (SDIT), Mangalore†. As an undergraduate student at â€Å"SDIT†, I have completed my course with discipline and hard work. I plan to apply the same determination that made me a balanced person in life in my future Engineering career. I have focused my time on education and am seeking the admission for Master’s in Mechanical Engineering in your Institution. My passion for CAD/CAM started from the First year of my Engineering itself when I got 121 out of 125, securing first position in class for, â€Å"Computer Aided Engineering Drawing (CAED)†. This and the â€Å"CADD Quest scholarship† motivated me to join at CADD CENTRE, Mangalore in 2011 where I completed my â€Å"Master diploma in product design and analysis† and got myself well acquainted with mechanical software’s namely AutoCAD, PRO/E, CATIAV5, PRIMEVERA and ANSYS. I have also completed AutoCAD – 2D from Manipal University (MICE). Even the vision of our Institute exclaimed â€Å"Engineers build Nation†. In this world where engineers are proliferating at an extremely high place, I felt that I had to achieve something different to stand in a good position in the competitive world pursuing this strongly in built motive, I did my last year thesis on â€Å"Design and Analysis of a Cargo Lift†. It was completed in collaboration with the CADD CENTRE. It is been done using Mechanical Design software’s, ‘CATIA V5’ for designing all parts of the cargo lift and ‘ANSYS’ for analysis in the different parts of the cargo lift. The project was based on the comparison between conventional design and the more effective design (Project Design). I have given some paper presentations during my graduation but ‘SNAKE ROBOTS-to the Rescue’ received due appreciation in which I explained the rescue mission in Japan during the tsunami, earthquake and Nuclear Shutdown where these rescue robots were utilized effectively to rescue people under such harsh circumstances. During my study at baccalaureate level I have nurtured a growing interest in CAE and Robotics due to its immense real life applications and wide scope of research. I want to expose myself to the outer limits of specialized knowledge of these fields. A thorough knowledge of computers is imperative for any engineer to be successful. I have taken computer courses in C-Language, C++. On the other end, Ergonomics surveying also proves that a lot of people suffer from ‘Technostress’, finding it difficult to cope with the ever improving technology, so I want to utilize my talent into preparing and designing something user friendly. Presently, India is not so advanced in Computational design and Engineering with very limited college’s providing platform for such mode of engineering, but it is improving and will have a wide scope in the near future. I have learned that German universities are a mark of excellence for Master’s programs throughout the world. Backed by my family members and to achieve my goals, I have considered to study ahead and have gained information about a lot of Universities which offer multiple Master’s programs in Germany through internet (daad. de). I have set up a top priority to attain admissions in one of the University’s and have also enrolled myself into German language course. The German universities have always pioneered the research in mechanical fields of interest. Being a prospective student for new challenging ideas, I believe that an opportunity for higher education in Germany would be a unique fortuity to test and prove my ability and also to enrich and broaden my keen with transition to a new setting. Finally, I would like to add here that my parents have always been a source of inspiration to me. They have set me personal examples and ideals for me follow. As a result of this, I believe that over the years, I have evolved into a person who can fit easily into a team and who appreciates the value of discussion and exchanges of ideas. I am largely self-regulated and am capable of independent work, given an opportunity. Moreover, my college years had a lot of ups and downs, being in a different state it was hard to adjust to life. Later, I started getting involved in various college activities and even made new friends. This eventually taught me to blend with people from different parts of India. I have participated in many events, inter-class as well as for inter-college. I was the captain of our college Football team. I was also part of our college Table-tennis and carom team. For me â€Å"fun is better than winning†, so it didn’t matter whether we won or lose, but it taught me about responsibilities, teamwork and group leading. We also had our own college group comprising of different talents that participated in other colleges, I used to be on the pencil-sketch, Rangoli( an art done on floor using powder color) and Treasure-hunting teams. I have attended technical fests like Sentia at MITE, Arodhya at NITTE. I with my friends had organized various events of our college for Inter- Collegiate Fest and Inter Class such as Treasure Hunt, Tech Quiz, and Football respectively. Lastly, I perceive that graduate study nurtures the seeds of learning sown during the course of undergraduate study. I work well under pressure and become engrossed in whatever subject I am pursuing. I would like to apply my skills as a Mechanical Engineering at your Institution. After having gone through the details of the research facilities available at German universities, I feel that they are very much catering to the fields of my interest and it is the right place to embark upon my academic career. Thank you for considering my application.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Work And Impacts Of Gertrude Wilson Social Work Essay

The Work And Impacts Of Gertrude Wilson Social Work Essay When pursuing a degree in social work, a student experiences equal exposure to group work and individual case work. The curriculum set out by the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) requires that a healthy mixture of the two be taught in order to grant a degree in social work (CSWE, 2010). Every person becomes involves with different groups during their life, but within social work, groups are a tool for helping bring people together and solve problems, not only for recreation. One of the people responsible for the foundation of group work education in America was Gertrude Wilson. Gertrude Wilson was born in 1895, three years before the first course on social work was available at Columbia University in 1898. She was raised in a town with fewer than 200 people in Dana, Illinois (Chambers, 1986). Miss Wilson grew up seeing women like Jane Adams and Frances Perkins having an impact on the social fabric of America through the settlement house movement. She entered Illinois Womens College in 1915, but ended up receiving a Bachelors degree in Philosophy from the University of Chicago (Chambers). After two years of teaching high school, she became a secretary for the Young Womens Christian Academy (YWCA) in Pennsylvania. Ten years later, she returned to Chicago as the administrator of the new Women in the Workforce branch of the YWCA. Miss Wilson has stated that her experience with the YWCA opened her eyes to the ability of groups to influence peoples lives for the better (Greenwood, 1985). It was during her time with the YWCA that she met Grace Coyle, a sociologist, who convinced her to leave the YWCA and take a position teaching at Western Case University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1935. Wilson attended the University of Chicago part time while teaching in Ohio and received her M.A. from its School of Social Service Administration in 1938 (Chambers, 1986). She became a member of the American Association for the Study of Group Work (AASGW) and assisted Coyle with some of the first research done on groups in social work. Shortly after receiving her degree, Wilson moved to the University of Pittsburgh. It was here that she published her first two, and what many believe, most influential books (Weil, Southerland, Chou, 1991). Her first book, Case Work and Group Work was published in 1941.When Wilson began writing, the field of social work was dominated by case work, a more individual based approach that applied methods of psychoanalytic theory rather than examine environmental factors. Along with Coyle, she was among the first to argue that personal problems were not solely internal, but also found in external sources such as family organization and interaction. She advocated an integrated approach that involved both case work and group work to treat separate issues together rather than individually (Wilson G. , Case work and group work, 1941). Case Work and Group Work was not written with the intent to make group work seem more important than case work. In the first few pages of Case Work and Group Work, Wilson decried the short-visioned little cults of method and function that claim their superiority at the expense of healthy clients (Wilson, 1941). Hers was an argument to consolidate the two approaches rather than create separate disciplines. Group social work existed, but still lacked any single academic foundation for study. She presented the book before the AASGW, the Psychiatric Social Workers Association (PSWA), and multiple schools of social work around the country. At the National Conference on Social Work in 1942, Gertrude Wilson further expanded on what she began discussing in Case Work and Group Work. Wilson believed that group work could bring about changes in the values of individuals and society as a whole. She argued that a worker could dynamically influence the environment of the group for the better by directing certain processes towards specific social goals (Wilson G. , 1942). At this conference she defined three different ways in which the worker might influence the group by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦directing the process toward the accomplishment of a social goal conceived in a democratic philosophy. They are 1) developmental, as it provided for normal social growth; 2) protective or corrective, in that it could be offered to people without groups; and 3) instrumental in achieving of socially desirable ends. (Wilson) Her view put forth the idea that the good of the one and the good of the many were dependent on each other and social workers had a social responsibility to address both in order to build society (Weil, K., Southerland, 1991) After several years at Pittsburgh University, Miss Wilson and her colleague Gladys Ryland published Social Group Work Practice. Group work had lacked this academic foundation for so many years. It offered a systematic method of applying group work for social work practice. As the first book to actually offer a process for applying group work, it became the first textbook for group work and was used in schools of social work across the United States. It was called the Green Bible due to the color of its cover and size (Weil, Southerland, Chou, 1991). Many still consider it the most influential book on group work in social work history (Chambers, 1986). The 700-page book can be divided into two sections: practice methods and case studies. The first half of the book described group work methods and theories about groups. For the first time, a social group work method was described. This was based on Wilson and Rylands experience with groups and Grace Coyles research. Miss Wilson expressed the key goal of group workers as such: The workers aim is to help the members of groups develop the capacity to carry on their own group life and achieve goals (Wilson, 1949). This goal is still considered important and appears in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics to this day NASW, 2009). The second half of the book contained analyses of different groups, their specific activities and how the social group work method applies to them. Miss Wilsons research over the years is seen here in the detailed case studies included in this section. The case studies cover groups from preschool to retirement, reflecting the extent that Miss Wilson went to in researching the book. Significantly, much of the case study material was drawn from work in recreational and informal educational agencies because group social work was not practiced often in a clinical setting at that time (Weil, Southerland, Chou, 1991). The case studies included in Wilsons book may be dated, but the concepts of group work that they represent have withstood the test of time. The last half-century has seen a great deal of social change and numerous group work textbooks since Social Group Work Practice, but Wilsons original ideas about group work have remained largely unchanged and few modern texts can refer to group work without referencing the work of Gertrude Wilson, especially this book. One of the most tempestuous times in Gertrude Wilsons life was during the time that she and Gladys Ryland were putting Social Group Work Practice together at the University of Pittsburgh. During the late 1940s, anti-communist politicians began attacking the field of social work because of its progressive views and support of New Deal policies to assist the needy (Andrews Reisch, 1997). One of the main targets was Marion Hathaway, the director of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh (Reisch Andrews, 2001). Wilson was among the several educators and students that supported Hathaway and her support (along with many other faculty members) caused friction between the School of Social Work in Pittsburgh and the university chancellor (Wilson, 1978). Wilson was one of the many professors who resigned from the college in 1950 under pressure (Wilson). Ryland was terminated after refusing to resign a few months after Wilson left (Andrews Reisch). Wilson did not let this controversy stop her career. She joined the School of Social Welfare at Berkeley in 1951. It was here that she developed a professional education program focused on training new social workers. Originally known as the Certificate Program in the Social Services, it contained specific courses over a two-year period that ended with a two-week seminar on campus (Greenwood, 1985). The Council on Social Work education (CSWE) in 1952 adopted this program as the model for national accreditation (Weil, Southerland, Chou, 1991). At Berkeley, Wilson taught courses in both theory and practice in group work. She was a frequent speaker at seminars and conventions all over the United States and she guest-lectured at the Columbia, Smith, and Tulane Schools of Social Work. Even after retirement, she served as a consultant to social agencies, schools of social work and professional associations. Wilson used her own experience to constantly refine what she considered a dynamic aspect of social work (From practice to theory: a personalized history, 1976). Wilson wrote dozens of conference papers, journal articles, chapters in books, and monographs although she will most likely always be remembered for Social Group Work Practice with Gladys Ryland in 1949. She was one of eight social work pioneers chosen for the NASW Oral History Project in 1978. Each participant took part in a 1-2 hour interview that was recorded and placed in the Library of Congress. Berkley performed a similar interview on videotape in 1982. Both recordings are very difficult to obtain. Although she officially retired from Berkeley in 1963, the college was very gracious following her death from cancer in 1985 (Greenwood, 1985). Gertrude Wilson was an amazing woman who pushed social barriers as an educator and activist. She was one of very few women with a full professorship in the 1930s. Her work in the first half of the 20th century still influences social work today in the 21st. She had a passion for helping people that encouraged her to study a field of practice that was barely recognized until the 1940s. Not only did she pursue that field, she made it possible for others to do so as well by writing the first textbook on the practice of group work. Her certificate program at Berkley was the foundation for modern undergraduate social work curriculum in universities across the nation. These are all accomplishments she made in her field that show her impression on the practice, theory and future practitioners of social work. Personally, I am inspired by her resolve to follow her passion even though there wasnt a road to follow; she dug it out herself so that she could reach her destination and so that others could follow her. It is this attitude that inspires me in my pursuit to implement school social work in Oklahoma. It will never exist in Oklahoma if people do not fight for it and have a practical way to practice it once it does.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Link between Household Debt and Savings

Link between Household Debt and Savings Many analysts and business executives are becoming apprehensive with the recent rises in the consumer debt burden, defined as the level of consumer debt relative to ability to repay which may predict an economic growth slowdown. A higher debt reduces the credit worthiness of households who would then experience financial anguish caused by unfavourable economic shock, such as the loss of a job or large uninsured medical expenses. In the event of this situation, they would be less disposed to spend on consumer goods, particularly big ticket items such as automobiles and home computers. Consequently, the reduction in consumer spending would hurt economic growth as firms cut back on the production of consumer goods and laid off workers. Households have spent in excess of income, in part because increased house prices have led to increased household wealth. The rise in house prices reflects an adjustment to sustained low inflation and interest rates, among other factors. However, activity in the housing market cannot be sustained at the pace seen in recent years. As the housing market cools, growth in consumer spending should ease and household saving rise, resulting in a tendency for the current account deficit to fall, everything else equal. The increase in household debt also partly reflects the removal of government controls of the financial system over the past two decades. Based on the results of empirical works of many authors, most studies favour the hypothesis that the causality is from economic growth rate to growth rate of savings. Based on the empirical results, the main conclusion of this study is that income class of a country does play an important role in determining the direction of causality. A rising consumer debt burden also might predict future activities in broad methods of economic activity, such as real gross domestic product. A decline in consumer spending on durable goods would lower real GDP growth because such spending is a large constituent of real GDP. 1.2 Objectives and Organisation of the dissertation Many tests have been carried out by many authors throughout the world to see if there is a link between household debt, household savings and economic growth and hence, analyse its impact on the discussed variables. A panel cross country analysis has been carried out on 25 countries to determine how household savings and debt may act as a deterrent for economic growth. Chapter 2 reviews the literature and empirical evidence pertaining to the works of various authors concerning economic growth, household debt and household savings. The next chapter deals with the review of variables of interest to us, which will be used in the empirical testing part, hence, the household savings as a proportion of disposable income, household debt as a proportion of GDP per capita, growth rate of Real GDP per capita, consumption share of GDP per capita, price level of GDP, investment share of GDP per capita, interest on savings will be scrutinized in the chapter. In Chapter 4, the Haussman tests have been mostly used to predict the impact of these independent and exogenous variables on the dependent variable of economic growth. Finally in Chapter 5, we conclude on the subject and make some policy recommendation and alongside cite some limitations of the work carried out. 2.1 THEORETICAL LITERATURE When there is a positive change in the level of production of a countrys goods and services over a certain point in time, it is referred to as economic growth. It is also influenced by many factors but one of the pinnacles of economic history is the impact household saving and debt has on economic growth. Most working papers and journal articles on cross countries studies assume a positive relationship between household saving and economic growth and an adverse relationship between consumer debt and economic growth. The difference between a households disposable incomes (primarily wages obtained, proceeds of the self-employed and net property returns) and its consumption (spending on products) is known as household saving. When the household saving is divided by household disposable income, the household savings rate is computed. When a household uses more than it obtains as expected income and funds some of the spending through credit (growing debt), through returns coming from the sale of resources, or by making cash and deposits, there is usually a negative savings rate. These discrepancies are fairly due to institutional distinctions between countries. These include the degree to which old-age pensions are financed by government rather than through personal savings, and the level to which governments offer insurance against sickness and unemployment. The age composition of the population is also significant, as the elderly tend to run down financial assets obtained during their working life. This implies that a country with an ageing population will generally have a low household saving rate. The conformist view is that savings contribute to higher investment and hence higher GDP growth in the short run (Bacha, 1990; DeGregorio, 1992; Jappelli and Pagano,1994). The central idea of Lewiss (1955) traditional development theory was that increasing savings would accelerate growth. Kaldor (1956) and Samuelson and Modigliani (1966) studied how different savings behaviors induced growth. On the other hand, many recent studies have concluded that economic growth contributes to savings (Sinha and Sinha, 1998; Salz, 1999;Anoruo and Ahmad, 2001). Over the last 10-15 years, household saving rates have increased in Austria, Germany and Sweden and remained stable in Belgium, France and Switzerland. A downward trend over the same period has occurred in Canada, Italy, Japan, Korea, Poland and the United States. (OECD (2010), National Accounts of OECD Countries, OECD, Paris) The main factors contributing to differences among countries are listed below: The income effect: in general higher income leads to a higher saving rate; The wealth effect: profits or losses on financial and non-financial assets and liabilities affect built up wealth, and thus probably expenditure, but not on income. Higher wealth may then lower the saving rate; Credit facilities: in countries (e.g. UK and US) where consumption credit was easier to finance, saving rates may be comparatively lower; Institutional factors such as differences in social security schemes, especially pension schemes and the tax system; The proportion of own-account entrepreneurs and small unincorporated enterprises, within the household sector, because producers may have a different saving behaviour; Households expectations as regards the future economic situation; Cultural and social factors. Hondroyiannis (2004) analyses the long term and short term causal factors of aggregate private savings in Greece using data for the time frame of 1961-2000. By considering the financial and demographic advances during this phase, the long run savings utility which is susceptible to real interest rate, public funds, liquidity, old dependency ratio and fertility changes, is approximated on the foundation of an absolute life-cycle hypothesis. The significance of short-run divergences is obtained using vector error-correction model estimation. The empirical evidence proposes the continuation of a stable long-run savings function in Greece both in the long- and short-run periods and the policy inferences of such an association are accessible. According to Barba and Pivetti (2008), rising household debt in USA made low wages and increasing aggregate demand to arise simultaneously. In the USA, according to the figures of the Federal Reserve Board, consumer credit outstanding reached 25% of disposable personal income (DPI) in 2006. This was the peak of an upward trend that has characterised the period since the first half of the 1980s, following 15 years during which the consumer credit-income ratio averaged around 18%. Increasing household debt in developed countries like USA has been mostly due to the noticeable fall in household savings and this had an adverse effect on economic growth. Salotti (2009) claims that the current account is inclined by changes in US private savings which aid to generate and maintain world imbalances. A panel of 18 developed countries for the time dimension of 1980-2005 is used to check this claim by examining the components of total household savings. They merge two lines of literature: the first line from consumer theory, bearing in mind particularly the `wealth effect, the second line from aggregate private savings theory. Unit root and cointegration tests are performed to evaluate the most suited method for estimation of the long run savings function and to derive the cointegrating relationship. The group means FMOLS is exercised to approximate the model. The empirical evidence goes in line with the theory where a rise in wealth should adversely affect the household savings. In addition, when significant descriptive variables, such as national savings and populace dependence ratios, are incorporated in the model, material wealth becom es the only type of wealth to (inadequately and negatively) control household savings in developed countries. Howitt, Agnion, Comin and Tecu (2009) wanted to test if a country can grow more rapidly by saving further as they believe that household saving is of deep concern as it allows entrepreneurs to undertake their business and also reducing the agency cost that usually acts a hindrance for foreign investors. Since domestic saving counts for improvement, and consequently growth, it thus allows the home industrialist to put equity into this joint enterprise, which reduces an organization setback that would else discourage the foreign shareholder from contributing. In rich countries, domestic entrepreneurs are already known with limit know-how and consequently do not need to draw foreign outlay for investment, so domestic saving is not important for growth. The higher the household savings and the lower the household debt a country has, the more economic growth it can at least forecast to make. The finding is based on a cross-country non-overlapping panel over the period from 1960 to 2000. T hey use a sample of 118 countries, all those for which there exists data on per-worker GDP and on the saving rate. The cross-country regression shows that lagged savings is positively related with productivity growth in poor countries but not in rich countries. 2.0 EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE Empirical evidence deals mainly with the previous works of various authors all around the world. There have been many works carried out by different authors and they reached certain conclusions which may be further developed and their results vary among the countries. The first case considered is on the United States of America (USA) and then they further scrutinise what happened in the developed and emerging countries. 2.1 STUDIES ON THE USA As noted in Thomas and Towe (1996), research into household saving/consumption behaviour in recent years has inclined to centre on probing for long-run relationships between saving (or consumption) and selected macroeconomic variables. In large part, this shows the fact that the data involved have been found to be non-stationary. This implies that conventional statistical methods cannot be used to test relationships between movements in the savings rate and other (non stationary) macro variables. This approach also implies that short-run movements in the savings rate may be driven by deviations from the long-run relationship between saving and its fundamental determinants. Callen and Thimann (1997) studied the empirical determinants of household saving in USA using cross sectional and panel data from 21 OECD countries for 1975-95.) They find that household saving fell from 13% during 1975-81 to only 11% in 1982-89 but it has then stayed stable in general. Variables that capture the structure of the tax system and the financing and generosity of the social security and welfare system are added to the set of potential explanatory variables. The results indicate that there is an central role for public and corporate saving, growth, and demographics in controlling household saving, while some role is also established for inflation, unemployment, the real interest rate, and financial deregulation. The results also propose that the tax and the social security and welfare systems have an important impact on household saving. Bà ©rubà © and Cà ´tà © (2000) examine the structural factors of the household savings rate in Canada over the previous 30 years, using co integration techniques. The main result is that the real interest rate, expected inà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ation, the ratio of the all-government à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ scal balances to nominal GDP, and the ratio of household net worth to personal disposable income are the most significant causal factors of the trend in the personal savings rate, as calculated in the National Income and Expenditure Accounts (NIEA). The outcomes also recommend that the fast fall in the NIEA personal savings rate in current years mainly shows a change in the trend constituent of the savings rate, rather than a temporary different approach from the trend. Tipett (2010) uses many methodological approaches and draws on longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and also uses multilevel logistic regressions to investigate the relationship between the hypothesized mechanisms and the probability of holding non-collateralized debt. Analysis of Survey of Consumer Finance data shows that the amount of household debt increased faster than household asset increases (see also Bucks, Kennickell, Moore, Fries, and Neal 2006; Kennickell 2009), and Keister (2000) shows that overall wealth has been growing at the same time that the percentage of households with zero or negative net worth has also been rising. 2.2 STUDIES ON DEVELOPED ECONOMIES Carroll and Weil (1994) present Granger-causality tests for 38 countries for which they have fine data, and show that increases in growth radically head increases in saving. Dekle (1993) presents comparable Granger causality regressions for a group of fast-growing countries and finds that growth positively Granger-causes saving in every country in his sample. Edwards (1995) looked at data from a panel of 36 countries over the period 1970-92. Using lagged population growth, openness, political instability, and other lagged variables as instruments, he concludes that the rate of output growth has an important, positive effect on saving. Andersson (1999) believes that the worldly interdependence between saving and output has been measured in recent empirical studies which obliged some authors to question the conventional idea of a causal chain where saving precedes growth via capital accumulation. As divergent to the previous studies, which have mostly used panel-estimation processes, the tests of causal chains are performed in time-series sets. Saving and GDP are approximated in bivariate vector autoregressive or vector error-correction models for Sweden, UK, and USA, and tests of Granger non-causality are executed within the estimated systems. The core results shows that the causal chains linking saving and output vary across countries, and also that causality linked with amendments to long-run dealings might go in diverse directions than causality associated with short-term instabilities. Jappelli and Padula (2007) reconsidered savings inclinations in Italy, summarizing existing empirical evidence on Italians motives to save, relying on macroeconomic indicators as well as on data drawn from the Bank of Italys Survey of Household Income and Wealth from 1984 to 2004. The macroeconomic data indicate that households saving has fallen considerably, although Italy continues to class above most other countries in terms of saving. The microeconomic data show a strong correlation between the propensity to save and the level of current income, as well as a strong correlation between income and indebtedness. International panel data put forward that saving is robustly linked with the growth rate of income, and that saving changes parallel growth change, as shown by Attanasio, Picci and Scorcu (2000) using the 150 countries of the World Bank Saving Database. 2.3 STUDIES ON EMERGING MARKETS Emerging markets are economies which are currently in the process of fast growth and industrialisation. There are at present 28 emerging markets in the world with the economies of China and India being considered certainly as the two largest. New conditions were surfaced in recent years to portray the largest developing countries such as  BRIC  standing for  Brazil,  Russia,  India, and China. The relationship between savings and economic growth has received increased notice in recent years especially in developed and emerging economies [see Bacha (1990), DeGregorio (1992), Levine and Renelt (1992), and Jappelli and Pagano (1994)]. This might not be distinct to the central foundation of Lewiss (1955) traditional development theory that increasing savings would accelerate economic growth. Research efforts by Kaldor (1956) and Samuelson and Modigliani (1966) examined how different savings behaviours would induce economic growth. Caroll and Weil (1994) used five year averages of the economic growth rate and savings for OECD countries and found that economic growth Granger caused savings. However, the reverse was obtained when dummies were included in their estimation. Using Granger causality tests, findings by Sinha and Sinha (1998) and Sinha (1999) found that economic growth rate Granger caused the savings growth rate for Mexico and Sri Lanka respectively. Jappelli, Tullio and Marco Pagano (1994) test whether the measures of liquidity constraints help to explain the international differences in national saving rates, as forecasted by their model. They also test an outcome of that model, namely that the effect of growth on saving is greater where liquidity constraints are more determined. The data cover a panel of 19 countries (all the main OECD countries are included) and are drawn from Modigliani [1990]. Observations are averages of annual data for three periods: 1960-1970, 1971-1980, and 1981-1987). Findings show that the two variables are negatively linked (the correlation coefficient for the entire sample is -0.55). They have empirically measured the soundness of three propositions, namely that liquidity constraints on households raise the saving rate, strengthen the effect of growth on saving, and promote productivity growth in models in which growth is endogenous. Using cross section data between 1960 and 1997 and Granger causality methodology, Anoruo and Ahmadi (2001) observed the causal relationships between the growth rate of domestic savings and economic growth for seven African countries -namely Congo, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. Their studies established that savings are co-integrated in all of the countries except for Nigeria and that economic growth Granger-causes the growth rate of domestic savings for all the countries considered except Congo where reverse causality was obtained. Matos (2002) used among other parameters, the ratio of residents funds deposited in the financial system to aggregate monetary asset M2 (1947-2000) as a proxy of financial development, empirical tests support the view that it is vital to maintain the publics confidence in domestic financial assets to improve GDP growth prospects. This ratio may reflect an intangible asset of the financial intermediaries, i.e. the general publics confidence that contracts between customers. Kwack and Lee (2005) investigate the extent to which income growth and uncertainty and demographic factors affect the domestic real saving rate in Korea. They test an extended life cycle hypothesis and demography hypothesis with Korean time series data from 1975 to 2002. The results of the tests show that the aggregate saving rate is positively affected by the moving average of the growth rate of income and the variance of the income growth. The positive effect of the income growth differs from the negative effect found household survey data were used. Adebiyi (2005) employed quarterly data spanning between 1970 and 1998 to examine savings and growth relationships in Nigeria using Granger causality tests and impulse response analysis and concluded that growth, using per capital income, is sensitive to, and has an inverse effect on savings. Mohan (2008) believes that household savings in India has contributed significantly to its economic growth which recorded a steady rise over the last decades. Mohan found some empirical relations whereby in the argument that high levels of debt-GDP lead to high interest payments relative to GDP, which crowd out government capital expenditure and reduce the overall saving rate, two relationships are of critical importance: the responsiveness of changes in the saving ratio with respect to changes in the fiscal deficit levels; and the responsiveness of government capital expenditure to changes in the level of interest payments. Mohan (2006) experienced the path of causality between economic growth and savings in different economic income classes. The ADF test indicates that both log GDP and log GDS have unit roots in the level data. In the presence of unit roots, the variables need to be differenced in order for the series to be stationary. Without differencing the data, a causality tes t would lead to misspecification. To examine the direction of causality between saving and economic growth in Nigeria during the time frame 1970-2007, Oladipo ( 2009) used the Toda and Yamamoto (1995) and Dolado and Lutkepohl (1996) TYDL methodology. The variables of interest for savings and economic growth are positively co-integrated indicating that there exists a steady long run equilibrium relationship. Furthermore, the findings also revealed a unidirectional causality between savings and economic growth and thus the corresponding role of FDI in growth. In order to establish the link between economic growth and saving in Nigeria during the time frame of 1970-2007, Abu (2010) used the Granger-causality and co-integration techniques. There exists co-integration and long-run equilibrium between the variables savings and economic growth according to the Johansen co-integration test. There is also the causality runs from economic growth to saving, implying that growth triggers and Granger produces saving. Hence, the Solows hypothesis that saving leads to economic growth, and recognize the Keynesian theory that it is economic growth that leads to higher saving, is discarded. CHAPTER 3-DATA ANALYSIS 3.1 Sources of data The economic growth rate, household debt and household saving rate, price level are available on the Global Finance website. The interest on savings, consumption and investment are available on the Nationsmasters website, the World Bank website and the Penn World Table website. 3.2 The Econometric Model In this section, a model is developed to measure the impact of household debt and household saving among other factors, on economic growth. The model for growth for country i in time t is as follows: EGit= ÃŽÂ ± +ÃŽÂ ²1 HDit + ÃŽÂ ²2 HSit + ÃŽÂ ²3 Rit + ÃŽÂ ²4 Pit + ÃŽÂ ²5 Cit+ ÃŽÂ ²6 Iit + Uit Where EGit= Growth Rate of Real GDP per capita at constant prices HDit = Household Debt as a % of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) HSit= Household Savings as a % of Disposable Income Rit = Interest on Savings Pit= Price Level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Cit= Consumption Share of CGPD (GDP PER CAPITA) Iit= Investment Share of CGDP (GDP PER CAPITA) Uit = the disturbance term 3.3 Economic Growth When per capita GDP or any other means of calculating total income rises, economic growth arises and this is usually registered as the yearly rate of change in GDP. Economic growth results from advances in productivity in terms of more production of goods and services with the same factors of production. The dependent variable economic growth is measured by real GDP per capita. At times, total GDP figures are not reflective of the actual performance in the economy. Hence, GDP per capita is a better measure as it is liable to fewer errors and some errors tend to affect population estimates and thus they have offsetting impacts. Furthermore, the natural log of real GDP will be taken into account to avoid any large outliers. Screen-shot-2009-09-01-at-14 3.4 Household Saving Household saving can be defined as a percentage of household disposable income which is not consumed and household savings rate can be calculated on gross or net basis. Depreciation is considered in the net savings rate which is more commonly used compared to the gross savings rate. Comparisons of savings rate among countries become hard by these two different measures of gross and net savings rate due to distinct social security and pension programmes, variable tax schemes which have an impact on disposable income. The household savings rate of a country can be affected by age of the economys population, the accessibility of credit, general wealth issues, cultural and social factors. Nevertheless, household savings rates are still a good a measure of an economys income in relation to consumption over time. A country can finance its debt domestically if it has a relatively high level of household savings. High debts levels funded mostly by foreign creditors are less persistent than high debts levels financed by internal savings. Consumption allows GDP to grow and this is a significant factor in economic expansion. With the existence of financial crisis, the whole economy could be dampened with lower consumption due to higher debt and lower savings level. A larger portion of GDP growth should then come from FDI, exports and government expenditure. Household saving is the most essential domestic source of funds to back capital outlay and this is a substantial boost for economic growth on the long term basis. Household savings rate vary greatly among countries as shown in the chart. This is partially due to the level pensions schemes are financed by government rather through personal saving and also to the extent governments offer insurance against sickness and unemployment. savings01 Considering the time dimension in the table above, the savings rate were relatively steady or somehow rising mildly in France, Austria, Italy, Norway and Portugal but have been decreasing in United States, Canada, Japan and Australia. If the social security and insurance payments of USA are considered, its savings rate would be striking. 3.5 Household Debt When a country has a substantial degree of household debt, it increases its inclination to financial crisis and this acts as a hindrance for economic growth. There have been forecasts about house bubbles which were caused and thus creating the countries to be overheated. A large portion of the economic growth was centred on household consumption which was backed by loans from banks. When banks noticed the lack of credit worthiness from consumers who even lost their confidence in the financial system, there had been strict controls over the lending conditions for loans. As a result, the ongoing vicious circle preceded a major decline in economic growth following the fall in consumption and repayments of debts. Analysing the graph results with the conclusion that USA is not the only main country having experienced the worst GDP slowdown but many other countries like Iceland and Portugal are following suit with the level of household debt actually rising substantially. It would not be logical for a country burdened by a large level of household debt to expect its economic performance to flourish in the coming years. HouseholdDebtSelectedCountries household-debt-vs-savings Source:   Lew Rockwell 3.6 Rates of interest The rate of interest has a great influence on the given level of aggregate disposable income which is divided between consumption and saving. However, it cannot be predicted with conviction that a lower interest rate would imply more disposable income will be dedicated to consumption and less to saving or vice versa. As a matter of fact, there can be a rise or fall in the total amount saved following a change in interest rate and this depends on the income and substitution effects and their strengths of their net effects. A higher level of future consumption arises at the detriment of present consumption with substitution effects due to higher interest rates and thus resulting in more savings in the present period. On the other hand, a consumers future income compared to his present income can be increased following higher interest rate and this leads to higher consumption by borrowing from future income and hence, less is saved. However, this may not be necessarily the case for lower income earners who would save only a small part of their incomes even when interest rates are high. The substitution effect will then outweigh the income effect and there will be a direct link between income and rate of interest. For some people who prefer to save a greater portion of their incomes, the income effect may offset the substitution effect and thus higher interest rates would result in lower present savings level real-interest-rates 3.7 Price level/Inflation One of the theoretical concepts of economics says that when there is a change in the price level, this may affect consumption and savings positively or negatively. It is usually believed that households confidence in money erodes when there is inflation and hence, they have the tendency to save more since inflation actually raises the variance of expected real income. The fact that consumers have greater preference for unplanned increases in savings compared to withdrawals, it usually incites consumers to save more when inflation is high. There is also an indirect effect of inflation whereby the real value of nominal asset is diminished and thus the real value of liquid assets decreases the net household wealth. Real consumption is often reduced and savings rate increases. 080625_global_inflation (1) 3.8 Consumption The total value of goods and services purchased by people aggregated over time is called consumption and it is usually the greatest GDP component. A countrys economic performance is often assessed on its consumption levels. Different income earners would be consuming differently depending on their standard of living and purchasing power. Consumption is usually determined by current income, accumulated savings and expectations on future income. Consumption and consumer debt trends 3.9 Investment When an owner usually acquired property for the purpose of generating income like plants and equipments, this is called investment as it is spending on income-generating assets. If a country wants to achieve long term sustainable economic growth, it should be able to the rates of accumulation of capital be it human or physical so that it can result in more efficient assets and so that the whole population can have access to those assets. With the help of financial instruments, markets, and institutions, the extent to which information, enforcement and transactions costs can have their impact on savings rates, investment decisions, technological innovations and steady-state growth rates can be improved. Average annual investment growth in the first six quarters of recovery Source: National Bureau of Economic Research; National Inco

Monday, August 19, 2019

Decline of the Muslim Empires: Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Essay

Decline of the Muslim Empires: Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Since the beginning, all empires have faced change in many ways, declining and rising in status. Many empires have collapsed, only to start again under a different name. Like all empires, the three Muslim Empires, the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals have faced this inevitable state. Although each individual empire is different, they each have similarities in their reasons for decline. Whether it is social, religious, economic, or political reasons, the empires, like many others, have fallen. The Ottoman Empire, founded by Osman, had started in the northwestern corner of the Anatolian Peninsula. The empire expanded rapidly, only to weaken again. The first visible decline was the loss of territory at the Battle of Carlowitz in 1699. Many of their reasons of success have deteriorated over the years and actually caused the decline as well. The Ottoman's military was very strong, especially the members of the Janissaries corps. Boys were recruited from the local Christian population to serve as guards but only the best ones became Janissaries. Soon, though, the position became hereditary, so there was no longer a need to be excellent to occupy a position. Also, the training of officials declined, and the elite formed a privileged group seeking wealth and power. Although the Ottoman system was religiously tolerant, non-Muslims were forced to pay a head tax because of their exemption from military service and were divided by religious faith into a number of "nations" that had i ts own leader and laws. Also, before the decline, the position of the sultan was hereditary and a son always succeeded his father. The heir to the throne gained experience by being assigned a... ...itish control. Although all three of the empires had reached their highest point and were considered to be three great Muslim empires, all of them had started the process of decline. Aurangzeb's actions can illustrate some of the reasons for decline. Without religious tolerance, the empire started having a number of revolts against the imperial authority. By forbidding customs of other religions and everything he considered evil, rebellious groups reasserted local authority, reducing the emperor's power. After causing the weakness of his empire, Delhi was reduced to ashes by the Persians. During and after his rule, everything started to fall apart. This comes to show that one lousy ruler can be the reason for decline in any empire because in order for the empire to be successful, it must have a good ruler, wealth, a strong military, and religious tolerance.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Advantages and Feasibility of Using Synthetic Oils in Production Vehicles :: Synthetic Motor Oil

ABSTRACT During a recent company meeting, we discussed the benefits of substituting a synthetic based motor oil for the conventional petroleum based oil now used in our new production vehicles. This report investigates the advantages and feasibility of using synthetic oils. Several oil manufacturers, as well as top engineers and engine builders, have submitted first hand information on this topic and strongly support the use of synthetic oil. The use of this product will benefit our company in may ways, Singlehandedly, synthetic oils will boost power and fuel economy of every one of our vehicles, giving us high marks with prospective buyers of new vehicles as well as environmental agencies. This product is economically advantageous, not just to initially implement, but also on a long term basis. Synthetic oils release less contaminants to the atmosphere, are changed less frequently and protect an engine much better than conventional oils. I recommend the immediate change to the use of synthetic motor oil for our new vehicles. The future lies with the best available technology, and synthetic oils are vital in keeping this edge. 2.0 INTRODUCTION Synthetic oil is a man made motor oil for use in almost every kind of internal combustion engine. Its material properties enable it to provide better fuel economy, more power and give off less contaminants to the atmosphere. It is recommended that all of our new vehicles use synthetic oil. Laboratory tests and scientific fact, as well as testimonials from famous engineers and engine builders, all confirm the superiority of these oils. In this report I will discuss the capabilities and properties of synthetic oil. I will also cover their economic and other beneficial advantages over conventional petroleum based oil that is now used. 3.0 BODY Today, the product undergoing considerable scrutiny is synthetic oil. After all, your old Chevy went over 100,000 miles on regular old 30 weight oil, so why take a risk on some man-made snake oil that might ruin your engine? These were probably legitimate concerns when synthetics first hit the market over a decade ago. But like anything else technical, synthetic oils have advanced and keep advancing all the time. Would your opinion of synthetics change if you were told you car's engine and drivetrain might last three times as long if you used them? The backbone of powertrain protection is proper lubrication and minimized heat.

Meet the Miller Essay -- Canterbury Tales Essays

Meet the Miller In the "General Prologue" of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer presents his reader with a blend of unlikely yet entertaining characters that find themselves on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. Chaucer then describes the different characteristics and the outward appearances of these characters at length. He probably does so in order to bring these characters to life, giving us a more vivid understanding of what kind of people they were. The Miller is one of the most vivid characters that I have encountered in Chaucer's work for he is perfectly delineated as the man he is, without including any unnecessary detail. The Miller is described as a short and sturdy man who possesses uncanny strength. The undisputed champion of wrestling is he. He even seems hero-like at first: The millere was a stout churl for the nones; Ful byg he was of brawn, and eek of bones. That proved wel, for over al ther he cam, At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram. He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre; Norton, 545-549. Although he is said to possess extraordinary strength, he is described in a derogatory manner as we read the passage. It seems that he is more of a brawl-initiator than a hero. The man wrestles for the ram, probably a prize awarded at such matches, clearly a peasant pastime. Even initially, it does not seem like we are dealing with a highly sophisticated person here. Actually, the Miller does use his head! I only hope he does so in rare instances for the author mentions that "ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre, / or breke it at a rennyng with his heed" (Norton, 550-551). There you have it. Our hero engages in heaving doors off their hinges or breaking them down with his head. But do ... ...nded by. The Miller is, in fact, described as the scum of society, but he is necessary scum. Chaucer presents us with the facts of life, and whether we may think they are disgusting or unsuitable to be presented to us in such a blunt manner, they must be told, for they remain an undisputed piece of the Middle-English pie. Sources Abrams, M. H. and Greenblatt, Stephen. eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. W.W. Norton & Company: New York, 2000. Sumner, Laura. "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell." Smith College Studies in Modern Languages. V, No.4: Mass., 1924. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/CT-prolog-para.html,10/24/00. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/, 10/24/00. http://www.classicnote.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/canterbury/,10/24/00. http://www.classicnote.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/canterbury/tale1.html, 10/24/00.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Hitler & Stalin: the Roots of Evil

Hitler & Stalin: The Roots of Evil Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were two of the most ruthless and infamous dictators of the twentieth century. They each left a legacy of cruelty, terror, and death; managing to change the course of history to this day. Throughout their lives, both leaders surprisingly had many similarities. They both lived deprived childhoods, with violent fathers and adoring mothers. Both suffered from inferiority complexes and paranoia. Most importantly, they were both mass murderers.Joseph Stalin is responsible for the murders of more than 20 million lives, including those of his own people, political opponents, as well as innocent victims, whom he considered a threat. Born in the Georgian village of Gori on December 21, 1879, Stalin grew up with an abusive father who savagely beat both him and his mother. One time, Stalin was beaten so severely that he later found blood in his urine. This abuse had a lasting impression on him, leaving him with low self-esteem an d an inferiority complex throughout his life.Stalin’s mother hoped he may one day become a priest, and sent him to the church’s choir. At age 15, he entered the theological seminary. His intelligence, prestigious memory, and attention to details impressed his teachers, but they also witnessed a stubborn, violent side to his nature. He soon turned away from religion, and instead became attracted to anarchism, revolutionary terrorism, and Marxism. His violent, revolutionary activities lead to his expulsion from the seminary after just 5 years.As a child, Stalin was always quick to lose his temper and easily harbored grudges against people. His whole life consisted in struggle against those he put down in his mind as enemies. In 1927, after being examined by a famous neurologist, Stalin was diagnosed as paranoid. As a political leader, Stalin was aggressive and cruel. He eliminated the people he imagined as enemies, having them removed completely from all historical recor ds and pictures, thus erasing their memories from existence.His aggressive characteristics also dominated his family life. Like his own father, Stalin abused his wife, Nadia, and his sons, both psychologically and physically. His abuse caused one of his sons to become an alcoholic and the other to attempt committing suicide. On November 9, 1932, the morning after a violent argument took place between Nadia and Stalin at a party, Nadia was found dead in their apartment; shot in the heart. It is believed that Stalin either drove her to suicide, or killed her himself.After her death, Stalin never went to visit her grave at the cemetery. On March 5, 1953, he himself suffered a brain hemorrhage, and died suddenly. Thousands of mourners watched as he was later put to rest in the Mausoleum. Like Stalin, Adolf Hitler was responsible for millions of deaths in the Holocaust, including 6 million Jews, and hundreds of thousands of gypsies and homosexuals. Born in Braunau, Austria on April 20, 1 889, ten years after Stalin’s birth, Hitler also grew up with an abusive father.When he was 10, he tried to run away from home to escape the violence, but his father caught him and gave him such a beating that he was in a coma for days, his life hanging by a thread. That experience had a lasting impression on him, leading him to see much more evil in the world. As he grew older, Hitler became very compulsive, phobic, and paranoid, both in considering himself to be the object of persecution in attempts to kill him, and in believing he had a sacred mission to save Germany and the world from those he classified as â€Å"unworthy to live. When he was a boy, Hitler wanted to be a priest, and like Stalin, sang in the church choir. He had low self-esteem, and was unhappy with his looks, most importantly his plump nose, which he considered Jewish. Hitler was obsessed with the thought that his paternal grandfather could have been Jewish, leading him to believe that he was diseased; t hat nothing could remove this from him because it was in his blood. In school, Hitler was a poor student. Like Stalin, he was considered arrogant and forceful, demanding absolute subordination from the other pupils.After 5 years, Hitler dropped out of school, hoping to instead become an artist. He dreamed of entering the prestigious academy of fine arts, but was rejected two years in a row. He believed he had been rejected because several members of the admissions committee were Jewish, which added to his growing hatred towards them. After his rejection by the Academy and the death of his mother due to breast cancer, Hitler was miserable. Lonely and poor, lacking direction, Hitler enlisted in the army, where he finally felt like he belonged.With the ability to engage in killing as a soldier, he found an outlet, for the first time, to the murderous rage that had grown in him from treatment by his father. Because of his extreme closeness to his mother, together with his father’ s extreme brutality, Hitler grew up with an obsession with women and sex. He was dead set against marriage and children though, and never showed public affection towards any woman. After his mother, the most important woman in his life was his younger niece, Geli, who lived with him in his Munich apartment.Hitler worshipped her but treated her like he treated most people he knew, in an overbearing, controlling, authoritative way. While she lived with Hitler, Geli became pregnant by a Jewish man, whom she was in a relationship with. When Hitler found out, he and Geli had a terrible fight, after which Hitler drove out of town for work. The next morning, Geli was found dead in Hitler’s Munich flat, shot in the chest, similar to Stalin’s wife, Nadia. It is believed that Geli committed suicide.Hitler’s brutal dictatorship reflected his personal narcissism and paranoia. Like Stalin, he believed he was surrounded by enemies, waiting to betray him, and that he needed to strike first. Hitler grew up with the idea that it was necessary to kill if one did not want to be killed. He divided people into predators and victims, deciding to victimize the Jews. His secret plan was to liquidate all the Jews of Germany, Europe, and the Soviet Union under the cover of war. As the war went on, Hitler became increasingly dependent on amphetamines.He suffered from drug toxicity, which affected his judgment, and made him increasingly paranoid. Toward the end of the war, he began to show symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. When it became clear that he was losing the war, Hitler committed suicide. For his body, there was no monument; Not even a marker. Both Stalin and Hitler had a lot in common. They were deeply troubled as children, and the abuse they suffered then clouded their judgment of people around them in the future.They saw much more hate in the world than they possibly would have had they been treated better at that young age. It is hard to think that had it not been for their abusive fathers, both may have led normal lives. They could have been priests or artists, instead of the evil forces that they became later in life. Had they not been abused as children, history may have been much different today. Maybe such evil names would not have existed in history books, and the lives of millions upon millions of innocent people would have been spared.