Coporate finace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Coporate finace - Essay Example Macquarie group limited 2014 financial report, the share price as at 30 December 2014 was $57.93. The company’s last ten years average total dividends, the return on equity and the payout ratios were $3.76, 11.1% and 66.8%. Dividend in the next period = dividend in the current period * (1+ the growth rate) = $3.76* (1+3.69%) = $3.89. now the three fundamental inputs are available and we can now punch into the equation below to get the return on equity: It is assumed that all investor do aim at maximizing the economic utilities and the asset quantities are fixed. The investors are risk- averse and rational. The investors are price takers and there is no way they can influence market prices. The investors have the same expectations that are related to the market. From the finance point of view, the cost of debt is calculated by using the following formula Kd= where I is the annual interest while P is the current market value of a debenture. The Macquarie group limited had an annual interest of $359m4. However, the market price of the debenture was $3507m. The cost of debt can, therefore, be computed by punching in the above inputs into the formula (359/3507) = 0.1023 hence 10.24%. This is where Re= cost of equity, Rd= cost of debt, E= the market value of the company’s equity, D= the market value of the firms debt, V= total value of debt and equity (E+D). Percentage of financing equity = E/V while the percentage of finance by debt = D/V and Tc = corporate tax rate6. The corporate tax for the company is 30%. From Modigliani miller irrelevant theory, the tax deductibility increases the value of the firm. This is by increasing the cash flows to respective equity shareholders. The tax deductibility of the debt down scales the weighted average cost of capital hence increasing the value of the firm. The cost of equity, Re, is higher than the cost of debt, Rd, but the saving in the cost of debt Rd is more hence making up for it

Rationality, Educated Opinion and Peace Essay Example for Free

Rationality, Educated Opinion and Peace Essay Abstract: This paper addresses the relevance of interwar thought to the building of peace through examining the ideas of three important writers of the period: Edward Hallett Carr, Norman Angell and Alfred Zimmern. The role of public opinion was under much query in the politics of the period they wrote in, and crucial to this issue are the questions as to whether the public mind is rational and capable of reason. These writers are concerned with the influence of public opinion and believe that through educating the public mind, the possibility of peace can be increased. Drawing from their ideas, this paper thus postulates that peace is a product of rationality and there is possibility of progress through education. The birth of international relations as a separate discipline was founded against the context of the interwar years, which brought about important consequences for the subsequent development of the interwar years. The tensions prior to and the subsequent devastation of the Great War forced intellectuals of the early twentieth century to seek explanations for the causes of war and to postulate measures by which another catastrophe could be prevented. The general psyche of the people exerted an influence on the direction of international studies. As David Long points out, the academic study of international affairs during this period of time possessed a normative though not necessarily utopian interest in the avoidance of war1. Such a trend is manifested in the trust deed of the Wilson Chair of International Politics (one of the first few schools of the discipline), which states that international politics is the political science in its application to international relations with special reference to the best means of promoting peace between nations.2 Woodrow Wilson, being a leading statesman at the time, presents one of the possible avenues for peace. He consciously and deliberately tied issues of foreign policy to domestic politics, giving rise to what will come to be known as the democratic peace thesis. Wilson advocates the belief that popular participation, public life and opportunity for all [will be] the guarantee of peace. Wilson believed that diplomacy and foreign policy must be taken with regard to public opinion and the public being rational would prefer peace to war.3 The crucial premise here is that public opinion matters in a democratic political system. The assumption further made is that the political leaders are sensitive to public opinion and will be susceptible to their demands. The issue of public opinion gives rise to another set of issues, and one of the foremost in this period, is the skepticism that the basic assumption of a rational public rejecting war is true. Is the public rational? Is war a rational choice? The political definition of rationality is the ability of the public to discern the options open to them, and to adopt the best option to achieve their prioritized goals. The Great War cast doubts as to whether public is necessarily aware of what their options and goals are, much less their ability to choose the best option to fit their preferred purpose. As historian A. J. P. Taylor argues that the intellectual backlash against the dehumanizing war made the interwar years an age of intellectual and artistic activity, where intellectuals from various fields of study question the power of man to reason.4 The devastation of war brings queries, particularly from the idealists, as to whether war can be a rational choice. Even if the assumption holds true, there is still the question as to whether public opinion has any weight on policy formulation. Given this particular context, this paper questions the foundations of Wilsonian politics. This paper will thus postulate on the influence of public opinion and the impact of rationality on the maintenance of peace by drawing from the ideas of three important writers of this period: Edward Hallett Carr, Norman Angell and Alfred Zimmern. This paper will first introduce the positions of all three writers. It will then examine the fundamental assumption shared by all three writers with respect to public opinion, before expounding on their arguments on the rationality of the public and why the issue matters. The paper will then look into the possibilities of peace, and how the three concur on the issue of education. Due to source constraints, this paper will draw on secondary references to the works of the three writers, where the primary sources are not available. Carr, Angell and Zimmern Peter Wilson in Thinkers of the Twenty Years Crisis introduces Carrs book as a work which not only set the tone for subsequent discussion of inter-war thought, but also substantially shaped postwar attitudes towards it.5 The premise for The Twenty Years Crisis is the critique of inter-war idealism, which Carr terms utopian6. Carr dismisses the utopians as being unable to understand political reality and sets up a dichotomy that supposes utopia: reality= free will: determinism= theory: practice= morality: power =universal: relative= intellectual: bureaucrat= Left: Right 7 The dichotomy presented by Carr undermines interwar idealism, and leads, in part, to the rejection of the practical value of these theories. This dichotomy shapes subsequent debate and is consequentially identified as the polarity of realism and idealism, which will dominate international studies for the next few decades. In order to posit queries of the dichotomy, it is first necessary to expound on the assumptions that are conventionally made of either school. Brian C. Schmidt summarises the assumptions of idealism as follows : a pervasive faith in reason and rationalism, a belief in the infallibility of public opinion, the view that war was irrational, that the best way to end conflict was through education, international law, and world government, and, finally, a belief that the essential harmony of interests existed, which translated into the international doctrine of war-does-not-pay8. Superficially, both Norman Angell and Alfred Zimmern adopt such assumptions in their writings. Significantly, both Angell and Zimmern share the same devotion to one key tenet: the possibility of progress through educating public opinion and conditioning human behaviour. Their devotion to the tenet became stronger later into their careers, especially after the Second World War. The realist school of thought as represented by Carr, refutes the idealist assumptions. In particular, the realists argue that the concept of power is central to international affairs. Carr adopts Thomas Hobbes argument on human nature and advances the argument that the state as a rational actor will choose to maximize its capacity for power in order to secure its survival. He argues that public opinion, even when informed, is not necessarily pacifist and that thought can be mould by political purposes. Through defining his position by rejecting and critiquing the idealists assumptions, Carrs realist position is thus seen as the diametric opposite of the idealists. It is then necessary to redress both the ideas of Carr and the much-maligned interwar idealists, among whom are Zimmern and Angell. The choice of juxtaposing Angell and Zimmern with Carr in this paper is conscious. Both Zimmern and Angell are among the few utopians whom Carr explicitly criticizes in The Twenty Years Crisis. Andreas Osiander points out that Zimmern is still widely regarded as what Oslon and Groom have called the consummate idealist9, and is thus identifiable with the idealist school of thought. Yet Zimmern, as Paul Rich and Peter Wilson suggest, is considerably less adverse to Carrs ideas than his idealist colleagues.10 Angell, on the other hand, is one of the fiercest adversaries to The Twenty Years Crisis, but J. D. Miller raises the argument that Angell should be regarded less as an idealist than a far sighted realist because of his acute awareness of the issues of political reality11. The interplay of their ideas then calls to question the validity of a clear dich otomy. In essence then, this paper seek to question if the positions of these writers on the assumptions raised by Schmidt are as concrete as they appear to be. In other words, this paper examines the complexities of Carr, Angell and Zimmerns ideas on the applicability of public opinion, rationality and possibilities of peace. On closer examination, this paper argues that despite the differences, the three share a fundamental similarity: the belief in progress. The dichotomy between the realists and idealists is permeable, and in their postulation of the long term, the arguments of Carr, Angell and Zimmern coincide. Public Opinion First and foremost, the underlying assumption that Carr, Angell and Zimmern adopt is that public opinion matters, even though their understanding of public opinion differs. Zimmern argues that [p]ublic opinion is the lifeblood of a civilized community but unfortunately, the majority of the peoples is guided by caprice of ignorance, passion or greed, and the other devils if unreason.12 The title of Carrs inaugural speech at the University College of Wales, Public Opinion as a Safeguard of Peace says much. Carr argues that public opinion can exert tremendous influence over a foreign policy issue that it feels sufficiently strongly about, using the case of the public rejection of the Hoare-Laval plan to build his case. He states that, No nation, and least of all a democracy, can wage war unless it has the support of an overwhelming majority of its people13. The implication of such a statement in light of guarding the peace is that insofar as the public is not in favour of war, a state and particularly a democratic state will not and cannot adopt war as a policy instrument. Angells Nobel Lecture, Peace and the Public Mind, adopts the same position, except that he argues public opinion, being misinformed and disastrously erroneous can lead to war. 14 Interestingly both Angell and Carr argue that public opinion is easily manipulated. Carr devotes a section to Power over opinion in The Twenty Years Crisis, suggesting that the greater proportion of public becoming conscious or involved in politics relates to the importance that the ruling elite place on propaganda as an instrument of power. The influence of propaganda rests on the premise he sets earlier in the book that the crucial contribution of realism is the idea that thought is relative to purpose. 15 For instance, nationalism, as a form of ideology, could be seen as a means by which the public can be persuaded to go to war. Similarly, Angell contends that a small militant minority is capable of appealing to the majority towards a policy that may not be in the majoritys best interests.16 Rationality Having established that public opinion has a role to play, we then move on to the crucial questions: is the public rational, and is war a rational choice? On both issues, there are significant differences between Carr and the idealists, arising from the difference in the way they interpret and infer from past and current events. Reason and rationality give rise to different outcomes for Carr and the idealists. An important observation is that Carr places more faith in reason and rationality than do the others, contrary to our earlier presupposition that it is the idealists who have a pervasive faith in reason and rationalism. A proper definition of what is meant by rational behaviour has yet to be provided as a premise for argument. To proceed, we adopt James Mills argument for the rational public opinion quoted in Carr as a guide to what rational behaviour entails: Every man possessed of reason is accustomed to weigh evidence and to be guided and determined by its preponderance. When various conclusions are, with their evidence presented with equal care and with equal skill, there is a moral certainty, though some few maybe misguided, that greatest number will judge right, and the greatest force of evidence, whatever it is, will produce the greatest impression. 17 Whereas Carr believes that the public, being self-interested, is capable of defining their goals and seeking the best possible means to achieve toward that end, he rejects Mills definition of rational behaviour. Mills definition is in turn based on the ideas espoused by Jeremy Betham who assumes that the ideal option is the greatest good to the greatest number. Carr argues that public opinion comes from the masses, who are for large part, neither enlightened nor educated and thus the greatest number need not necessarily judge right. He argues that Betham and Mills assumption that self-interest can be sacrificed for the sake of the greatest good to the collective is based on some kind of intuition of what is right and cannot be demonstrated by rational argument.18 Carr suggests, instead, that rational necessarily demands a consciousness and the ability to adjust to the balance of power existing in international affairs, which serves as a constraint on the options available. The discerning public thus does not only take into account what is right, but also what is most practical in catering to self-interest. Carr then adopts an argument that is parallel to Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes, in Leviathan, states the fundamental law of nature as: it is a precept, or general rule of reason that every man, ought to endeavour peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use all helps, and advantages of war Carr comments, to the same effect, that although war is undesirable, it is not possible to impose an absolute judgement that war is always and unconditionally wrong. The implication of Hobbes and Carrs argument is that the public being rational favours peace. However, when the public believes that they have more to gain from war, or more to lose from not going to war, war becomes a rational and logical solution. Historically, Carrs argument seems to find sufficient basis in the outbreak of World War I. One of the reasons contributing to the war was the increase in bellicosity, arising from rationalization of cost and benefit or cooperation and non-cooperation. Prior to the Great War, the perceived cost of non-cooperation19 had decreased. The perception was influenced by beliefs that any war would be short, a consequence of a highly exaggerated faith in the efficacy of offensive military strategies and tactics20 and by the system of alliances. The perception was further coloured by nationalism. Secondly the perceived gains of non-cooperation had increased. The general belief was that expansionism and offensive foreign policy was perceived to be too high, due to the general suspicion of the intentions of the other states. Given these perceptions then prevalent, European states saw it to their advantage to go to war, and in fact to initiate the war so as to reap the greatest advantage of the gr ound. This international game theory exemplifies in part the rational process that Carr espoused. The idealists depart greatly from Carr. Angell and Zimmern accept that Mills definition is greatly desired but finds it incongruent with political reality. Reus-Smit, in his essay The Strange Death of Liberal Theory, argues that the conflict between morality and political reality is seen by Angell as a divide between reason and unreason. He argues that, If the former prevailed, there was some hope of a reconciliation between morality, defined as the well-being of all and reality, which in [Angells] favoured area was the incompatibility of warfare and such well-being.21 However, within the historical context, Angell believes that unreason prevailed. Angell believes that the public mind is often irrational, because it is too easily persuaded; it does not possess sufficient information, nor the ability to process vast amounts of information when it is available and it lacks the skill to seek evidence for the various conclusions, as Mill points out, i.e., it cannot see the likely results of actions. 22 The public mind cannot compute cost-benefit-analysis, which is central to rationalization. Angell accounts for this irrationality of the public mind, stating that it arises from the failure to apply to our international relationships knowledge which is of practically universal possession23 In Angells opinion then, it is not for the lack of intellectual capacity on the part of the public that lead to the irrational behaviour, but the inability to apply knowledge. Resting on his idea of the irrational public, Angell expounds on the war and why the publics choice to go to war is actually irrational. In his aptly named book, The Great Illusion, he puts forth a convincing argument on the futility of war on grounds of rationality and economic considerations. Angell argues that the perceived benefits of war under modern circumstances, are reduced, as victors can no longer expect to benefit as much from the spoils of war. The change is largely because goods and spoils are no longer portable (such as gold, silver, slaves, precious stones) as they had before. Goods and services are non-physical such as currency, shares, and fixed assets, and are thus not transferable wealth. As such, if states act purely in their self-interest, given the expectation not to gain from war, states would be unlikely to pursue war.24 Angell considers this line of reasoning to be simplistic and easily applicable to the conduct of international relations. Yet as the advent of World War I proves, the public is incapable of applying such rationale to political practice. Angell argues that the pervading reasons behind war, then, are irrational. Not only does war not serve to the benefit of the state concerned, better alternatives of action could be sought such as building economic relations, social interaction. Such connections can be used in persuading, as opposed to coercing, other states into behaving in the manner that is beneficial to the state concerned. Thus the argument adopted is that war is irrational, i.e. not the best-laid option, and man being irrational and susceptible to external influences, chooses to use war as a policy instrument. Andreas Osiander points out that unlike what Carr implies, Zimmern, like Angell, was very far from seeing public opinion as necessarily a force for peace.25 Like Angell, he believes that the conflicts in the international arena, giving rise to war are resultant of intellectual, and not political failure.26 However, if Carr is to be believed, Zimmern can, in fact, be seen as being more extreme than Angell. Carr states in The Twenty Years Crisis that Zimmern is inclined towards the hypothesis that If mankind in its international relations has signally failed to achieve the rational good, it must have been too stupid to understand that good. Carrs statement is not altogether justified. Although Zimmern does point out that the impediment to overcoming the obstacle towards peace is that man are beings of conservative temper and limited intelligence27, what he implies is that man is reluctant to adjust to present realities brought by modernity. As a result of the inherent resistance towar ds change, mans mental capacity does not adapt to the fact that previous ways of managing international relations are no longer applicable. Consequentially, public opinion cannot be trusted to be rational. Zimmern subscribes to John Stuart Mills argument of the tyranny of the majority. He argues that the ruling elite, that is, the politicians in positions of power tend to be capable of rationalization. However this intellectual minority in government is consumed by the irrational public: for statesmen, however wise and far sighted, are limited in their policies by the public opinion and parliaments to which they are responsible.28 Angell concurs on this issue. J. D. Miller, drawing from Angells comments, argues that Angell too feared the impact upon politicians of an unreasoning crowd mind, and doubted the capacity of politicians to resist it. Both Angell and Zimmern, then, prefer that the intellectual minority be given the ability and power to lead the rest of the populace, so as to govern rational foreign policies. In this regard, Carr again differs. Whereas Carr does agree that the intellectual minority has a role to play in leading public opinion,29 he believes that the intellectual minority is however, sadly, out of touch with reality. He argues his case by drawing on the difference between intellectuals perceptions of the League of Nations with those of the man on the street. The intellectuals, who tend to be idealists by his definition, strive to secure and maintain peace via means of treaties, covenants and legal codifications. The general public, however, is more concerned with the practice of international affairs (as opposed to the theory.) Going by Carrs understanding of rational behaviour to be taking into account what is right and also what is most practical in application, the intellectual minority is in pra ctice less rational than the public. Change and the possibility of progress As it is, there seems to be a great divide between Carr and his two contemporaries with regards to whether man is rational. However, central to their arguments is the shared belief that history is a directional process, that is, there is the idea of constant change. Carr argues that war occurs because of the conservative reluctance to allow change to the status quo and the way to peace is to provide means of peaceful change.30 Angell and Zimmern suggest that war occurs because man has yet to come to terms with change, and that the mentality and psyche of the populace has not kept in line with international developments. As Zimmern states, the statesmen and the peoples have not adjusted their minds to the new realities31. The central concern with the issue of change harkens to a broader issue on which the three writers concur: the possibility of progress. The interwar context is one of pessimism. The first decade had been one of recovery and rehabilitation from the shock of the Great War and the second decade of mounting tensions and escalation to an even more disastrous war. The context in which these writers write in, therefore, begets the question of whether man can move away from destruction of war, and by what means. The three writers agree that the current situation calls for change, as present movements and measures to maintain peace are insufficient and inadequate, and are reasonably optimistic that such change can be effected. Carr notes even in 1936 that, the cause of peace has made tremendous stride during the past fifteen years and shows his preference towards progressive history, arguing that a sense of change as a progressive factor in history, and belief in reason as our guide for the understanding of its complexities are crucial to the current world. Angell is of the same mind when he questions the unchangeability of human nature and argues that just as cannibalism and slavery can be systematically reduced in our society, so too can the warlike nature of man and states32. Zimmern, even when decrying the decline of international standards (which he defined as rules of behaviour) at a meeting at Chatham House in 1937 argues that the process of change allowing for peaceful coexistence was already taking place.33 The ultimate aim of change is the maintenance of peace, which is assumed to be the preferred good, through the avoidance of war. The question that is then posited is, by what means? Carr, Angell and Zimmern propose different measures but the one pertinent to the prior argument on public opinion and rationality is their faith in education. Due to their fundamental belief that public opinion matters, it is logical to argue that if the public mind, as Angell would call it, could be trained and conditioned to favour peaceful change, then the chances of states going to war would be minimized. Angell quotes in his The Great Illusion that Not the facts, but mens opinions about the facts is what matters, and making a parallel with the abolishment of witch hunts, he comments that just as in the matter of burning witches a change of behaviour was the outcome of a change of opinion in a same way a change in the political conduct of can only come about as a result of a change of thought34. The w ay to peace then is to shape mans perceptions about war. Given this understanding, the most basic and possibly most efficient way of bringing about this conditioned public is through education. However in his address given to Chatham House in 1931, Angell claims that the current education system does not adequately prepare the individual to make intelligent and informed inferences from the facts presented to him. He believes that the reason behind this lack in the system is that education tends to follow a tradition whereby an older generation influences and instruct the younger through a process of socialization.35 Unfortunately this tradition means that values and ideas that are taught are often unable to catch up with present realities. The educational system had also focused on provision of information, without equipping the individual with means to discern the motivations, the causation analysis, the implications et cetera behind the piece of information. According to him, We have thought too much of the facts and too little of their meaning. 36 Thus the socialization/education of an individual does not adequately provide him with the skill to make rational choices. Given his premise that war is irrational under any circumstances lest in defence and a rational public will therefore reject war, the skill deficiency means that man may choose to go to war due to their lack of understanding, unless the educational system can be changed. Beyond the suggestion that education shifts its focus from its informational purpose towards equipping successive generations with the skill to possess information, Angell does not however provide for how education can be otherwise structured. Zimmern elaborates on his ideal educational system in his book Learning and Leadership, which is not only designed to impart the skill of discerning information but also specifically equipped to teach students about international life. Particularly, he believes that practical experience through interaction with people from other nations will allow students to imbibe the habit of cooperation and harmonious living37. Zimmern believes that once people are given more exposure to the international arena, they will be able to understand foreigners and foreign influences better and become more acutely aware of the idea of universal brotherhood. This basic premise being established, man will be more able to understand the actions of others, less inclined to take preemptive action and to go to war. The assumption of such an argument is that people are less inclined to advocate war against a party that they share an understanding with. Education is thus seen as an instrument which can build commonality among peoples, as well as a means by which the public can be trained to be rational. In The Twenty Years Crisis, Carr argues for the application of reason to understanding current situations and political reality; in his later work What is History he extends the role of reason to the capacity to reform: The primary function of reason, as applied to man in society, is no longer merely to investigate, but to transform; and this heightened consciousness of the power of men to improve the management of his social, economic and political affairs by the application of rational processes seems to me one of the major aspects of the twentieth century. 38 The core assumptions here are that reason leads to progress and progress is necessarily an improvement. Remembering the key concern of the study of international relations in the interwar period, a foremost improvement of the human condition is the eradication of war. As do Angell and Zimmern, Carr believes that education was to be the tool by which such improvement can come about. However, unlike Zimmern and Angell who believe that the public has to be thought how to make rational choices in the first place, Carr believes that education can be used to shape the way the public thinks about their choices. Carr notes then that education policy must be shaped: Educators at all levels are nowadays more and more consciously concerned to make their contribution to the shaping of society in a particular mould, and to inculcate in the rising generation the attitudes, loyalties and opinions appropriate to that type of society: educational policy is an integral part of any rationally planned social policy.39 It is then assumed, that rationally, a society will be prefer not to resort to war in a conflict of interest, and a means by which this can be ensured is to design an educational system which, in the context of the interwar years, should imbue in them the moral norm that peaceful change is the preferred means of achieving policy objectives. To put it more plainly, Carrs ideal is using education to persuade man against the doctrine of power, providing a basis whereby a compromise between morality and power can be reached and peaceful change achieved. In his contention that thought is relative to purpose, Carr postulates that mass opinion can directed and in fact mass-produced via universal popular education. It is imperative to note that by popular education, Carr has included the mass media.( Carr does not, however differentiate between education and propaganda in The Twenty Years Crisis though in What is History, he associates education with rationality and the growing consciousness from below as well as from above of the role which reason can play40). The application of reason and rationality therefore means that education can be used to persuade mankind against war. Instead of making an argument that war is irrational, educators can influence the public into making a conscious choice not to use war as a policy instrument. As Carr states, I regard as of immense importance and promise the gradual extension of the area of the worlds surface within which war has been effectively been placed under the ban, such that war is actually unthinkable41. What becomes interesting is how closely Carr mirrors the utopians he derides. Peter Wilson, in his attempt to understand what Carr means by utopian, lists the various characteristics that Carr associates with the term. According to his analysis, all of these characteristics are progressive ideas; and it might be therefore be concluded that the core characteristic of interwar idealism is belief in conscious, progressive change. On this basis, Carr does not seem to be any much different, which recalls Reus-Smits observation quoted earlier in this paper that Carr is himself not a consummate realist. It is also possible to put forth an argument that Carrs argument against utopianism was never meant to be an outright and unconditional rejection of the interwar theories. Conclusion Whether or not these three writers think the public mind is rational depends largely on whether they believe war can be a rational choice, and yet regardless of their perspectives on these two issues, they believe that progress towards avoidance of war can be ensured through changing human behaviour. Education policies thus become important, as they can shape the perceptions of the public and thus affect their choices, which is in turn reflected in the chosen foreign policy. However there is a point to note based on this argument set. All three writers are writing within a democratic framework and tradition, where by definition, requires that public opinion matters. Yet, public opinion is less likely to make an impact in an authoritarian state, and even in democratic states, there is the consideration of public apathy, the leaders gambling and taking risks by not going according to public opinion, et cetera. These complications bring us back to the consideration of Wilsonian politics. Woodrow Wilson professes that his aim is to make the world safe for democracy, and that democracy will bring peace. His tendency has been to look at the building and maintenance of peace from a top down approach, where the political structure and political ideological apparatus are enforced. In other words, he looks to providing a mechanism which will allow the rational public to prevent the tendencies of the militant minority from dragging the state to war. However, from the ideas of Carr, Angell and Zimmern, such a mechanism would not function effectively against war unless the public mind can be first conditioned through a fitting educational system emphasizing co-operation and peace. 1 David Long, Conclusion: Interwar idealism, liberal internationalism and contemporary international theory. Thinkers of the Twenty Years Crisis: Inter-war idealism reassessed. p. 303, pp. 306-307. 2 Quoted in E. H. Carrs inaugural speech in the University College of Wales. Public Opinion as a Safeguard of Peace International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1931-1939). Vol. 15. No. 6. (Nov- Dec 1936), p. 846. 3 Mortimer Chambers, et al. The Western Experience Vol C: The Modern Era. pp. 892-893 4 A. J. P. Taylor, From Sarajevo to Potsdam. London: Thames Hudson: 1966 pp. 103-106 5 Peter Wilson. Introduction: The Twenty Years Crisis and the Category of Idealism in International Relations. David Long Peter Wilson. (ed.) Thinkers of the Twenty Years Crisis: Inter-war idealism reassessed. Oxford: Oxford University Press: 1995. p.1 6 Carrs term utopians is generally taken to refer to the idealists, though he does not clearly define who he considers to be utopians. 7 Wilson, Introduction, p. 12. Wilson adapted the equation from Hedley Bull, The Twenty Crisis Thirty Years On, International Journal, Issue 24, Vol. 4 (1969), p. 627-8. E. H. Carr, The Twenty Years Crisis: 1919-1939. New York: Harper: (1946) 1964. pp. 11-21. 8 Brian C. Schmidt. Lessons from the Past: reassessing the Interwar Disciplinary History of International Relations. International Studies Quarterly (1998) 42. p 452 9 Andreas Osiander, Rereading Early Twentieth Century IR theory: Idealism Revisited, International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Sep.,1998). p. 417 10 Paul Rich, Alfred Zimmerns Catious Idealism: the League of Nations, International Education, and the Commonwealth. Thinkers of the Twenty Years Crisis: Inter-war idealism reassessed. p.88; Peter Wilson, Carr and his Early Crtics: responses to the Twenty Years Crisis. Michael Cox (ed). E. H. Carr: A critical appraisal. New York: Palgrave: 2000. p. 167. 11 J. D. Miller. Norman Angell and Rationality in International Relations. Thinkers of the Twenty Years Crisis: Inter-war idealism reassessed. pp. 116, 119. 12 Alfred Zimmern, Learning and Leadership: a study of the needs and possibilities of international intellectual co-operation. London: Oxford University Press: 1928. p. 10; p. 82. 13 Carr, Public Opinion as a Safeguard of Peace pp. 857-858. 14 Norman Angell, Peace and the Public Mind. June 12, 1935. http://www.nobel.se/cgi-bin/print. March 24, 2004. 15 E. H. Carr, The Twenty Years Crisis. pp. 132-133; pp. 67-75 16 Norman Angell Peace and the Public Mind. para. 19 17 quoted in E. H. Carr, The Twenty Years Crisis. p 24. 18 Ibid. p. 26; p. 41 19 The line of reasoning here is tied to the idea of an international game theory, which due to practical constraints cannot be covered here. The argument is made in line with Robert Jervis theory on international behaviour in his Cooperation Under Security Dilemma World Politics. Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jan, 1978), pp.167-214. 20 Stephen van Evera, Why co-operation failed in 1914. World Politics, Vol. 38. No. 1 (Oct, 1985). p. 81 21 Christian Reus-Smit, The Strange Death of Liberal International Theory. European Journal of International Law. Vol. 12. No. 3. pp. 578-9. 22 J. D. Miller. Norman Angell and the Futility of War: Peace and the public mind. London: Macmillian: 1986. pp/ 124-125. 23 Norman Angell. Peace and the Public mind. para. 17 24 Norman Angell. Europes Optical Illusion. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent , 1909(?)24-40; The Great Illusion:A study of the relation of military power to national advantage. London: William Heinemann 1913. pp. 26-40. 25 Andreas Osiander, Rereading Early Twentieth Century IR theory p. 417 26 Alfred Zimmern, Learning and Leadership. p. 11. 27 Alfred Zimmern, The Problem with Collective Security (ed) Q. Wright. Neutrality and Collective Security. Chicago: University of Chicago Press: 1936. p. 8. 28 Ibid. 29 E. H. Carr, Public Opinion as a Safeguard of Peace. p. 854. 30 E. H. Carr. The Twenty Years Crisis. pp. 208-223 31 Alfred Zimmern Learning and Leadership. p. 22 32 Norman Angell, The Great Illusion. 1913. pp. 200-221. 33 Alfred Zimmern, The Decline of International StandardsInternational Affiars (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1931-1939). Vol 17. No. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1938), p. 21. 34 Norman Angell, The Great Illusion. P. 327 35 Norman Angell, Popular Education and International Affairs International Affairs (Royal Institute of International affairs 1931-1939) Vol. 11, No. 3 (May 1932), p. 323 36 Ibid, p 335-338, 338 37 Alfred Zimmern Learning and Leadership. p. 26-60 38 E. H. Carr. What is History? New York , St. Martins Press , 1961 p 190 39 Ibid. 40 Ibid p. 195. Propaganda is associated with the emotive and not with reason. 41 E. H. Carr. Public Opinion as a Safeguard of Peace. p. 861.

Different Views About Test Anxiety Psychology Essay

Different Views About Test Anxiety Psychology Essay Walter (2002) describes test as an intentional capacity to explore the interest level, information, ability and tasks achievement. According to Cronbach, (1980) a test is an organized method for weigh against the behavior of two or more people. According to (Cronbach, 1980) A test is an organized method for weigh against the behavior of two or more people. There are varieties of tests which include the following:- 1. Aptitude tests 2. Tests of developed abilities 3. Achievement tests 4. Mental ability tests And much other kind of tests are prepared and organized to evaluate the students abilities and academic performance. Aptitude tests are organized in order to look for the talent and passion of the students in the required field. Tests are also conducted for the skills to check that had been taught, on the other hand achievement tests are required to ,,,,,,,. Definition of Anxiety: Cohen, (1981) stated Anxiety as a basic human passion that was acknowledged even before 5000 years ago ,whereas The British poet W. H. Auden called the 20th the age of anxiety. Crooks and Stein (1988) say that Anxiety is described as feelings of worry, hesitation, nervousness and fear that go along with the commencement of the sensitive nervous system that arouses bodily changes like blood pressure, fast heart beating, perspiration, cramps etc. Test anxiety These days students are facing number of problems and one of the common problems faced by students is tests that cause anxiety. When students are afraid and feel that they will not be able to perform good in their exams that is test anxiety. Test anxiety is a major problem of students at undergraduate level. Students frequently undergo with anxiety that hold up students learning and test taking abilities to the level that students academic performance is affected badly. Students might have prepared efficiently and competent enough to take test but cognitive anxiety engages students in anxiety provoking thoughts such as fear of failure, or wish to do extraordinarily good, they perform poor. Every student want to score good in their exams.students works hard and puts in their efforts to attain their goal.few of students gets reward in terms of good academic performance and results for their efforts they have done but other students don t care about it.hence teachers and counselors making great efforts to help out their students to improve their grades and CGPAs. (Roberts Saxe, 1982) says that Anxiety influence people in different ways and situations. In educational environments, anxiety might have significant negative impact on cognitive performance, (Tremblay, Gardner, Heipel, 2000) presentation and achievement, (Lalonde Gardner, 1993) knowledge. Tests plays significant part in our everyday life. An important fact that tests have proven to raise strong anxiety and test anxiety has turned out to be a common modern problem (Spielberger Vagg, 1995; Sarason, 1959) Aderson, (2002) says Test anxiety is describes as a kind of anxiety of performance, a sensation that student have for the coming test, in which performance is essential to the person. Definition of test anxiety According to Zeidner, (1998) the set of physiological, phenomenological and behavioral retorts which go with related possible negative failure or results on a test or alike evaluative circumstances is called anxiety. Sarason, (1988) stated that Anxiety is a natural emotion which has fear and uncertainty that usually happens when a person feels any threat that will hurt his ego or self esteem. Set of phenomenological, physiological, and behavioral responses that accompany concern about possible negative consequences or failure on an exam or similar evaluative situation(Zeidner, 1998, p.17). Goonan (2003) stated test anxiety as test anxiety differs from general feelings of anxiety ,it is a specific form of psychological disorder that involves extensive amounts of fear, worry and fear of negative evaluation during or in anticipation of performance or evaluative situations(p.4). It has been defined by many authors, like Dusek (1980) Defined test anxiety as An unpleasant feeling or emotional state that has physiological and behavioral concomitants and that is experienced in formal testing or other evaluative situations.(p.88). Manifestations of anxiety: (Cohen, 1980), has given us four manifestations of anxiety, given as under: Somatic in physical responses 2 Affective in emotions 3 Cognitive in thoughts 4 Motor in actions In cognitive manifestations, it might fluctuate from little worry to fear. Brutal assault could take passion of awaiting disaster, obsession, faces difficulty in sleeping, lack of attention and taking decisions, In motor manifestation, behaviors are frequently exaggerated, worried students shows arbitrary actions that vary from trembling to shaking of the whole skeleton. Complete variety of behaviors like agitation, squirming, fits, nail biting, lip biting, and nervousness could be seen. In somatic changes,changes might come like trivial breathing, dry mouth, cold body, urination, heartbeat, blood pressure. cramps.etc (Antonovsky, 1980).say that Affective domain is the prominent anxiety manifestation. In this situation, students feel persistently nervous and anxious about threats, regardless of the fact thats things are going fine. Psychomotor and academic mistakes, mental performance, that can divert attention and remembrance, and all this occurs due to anxiety which has horrible impacts. However, it is stated by some psychologists verify that anxiety provide motivational purpose Facilitating and Debilitating effects of test anxiety. Meichenbaum Butler(1980) commented about the difficulty and complications of test anxiety and how it influence the students performance: We think test anxiety is more than physiological arousal, more than negative self preoccupation, more than poor study habits, and more than a deficit in stress-related coping skills. In fact, we think it is more than a combination of these factors (p.188). According to Hill Wigfeild (1984) say for many studies have been conducted on the consequences created by test anxiety on students performance. In addition, the connection between performance and anxiety is very significant and composite. Scovel, (1978) have explained two types of anxiety : Facilitating anxiety Debilitating anxiety Scovel (1978) further defines these two types of anxiety and says that facilitating anxiety arouses students to confidently handle the problems and troubles, and to welcome the challenges that come forth. Whereas debilitating anxiety seems to damage students learning results and weakens the required confidence.consquently students affected by debilitating anxiety seems to think inactively and shun failure. Students have Facilitating effects and debilitating effects due to test anxiety describes above. Tryon,(1980) says that Debilitating impact of test anxiety on learning in different cases seems to have spoiled the performance in tests due to test anxiety. Students come across with these debilitating impacts in various forms which damages the students performance in different ways, by worry, hesitation, disbelief and by dropping contribution Models of Test Anxiety There are two models of test anxiety that increases the spectrum of test anxiety. Two models were developed to report the causes of test anxiety. The interference model The skill deficit model. The Interference Model In interference model (Wine 1980; Sarason 1986) says that students having high levels of test anxiety hinder the capacity to recollect the learned information. Interference model covers the Cognitive feature of test anxiety. Benjamin et.al., (1981) described that students have definite ability of processing data and test anxiety may hinder students concentration to use their energy on the retrival of material that they have learned in the testing situations. When the test anxiety will reach to its peak, it will absorb the students processing ability, which will take up the ability that is needed for the tasks. When students dont have the ability of cognitive processing they needed on the spot, it means that the ability has been taken up by the anxiety that interferes learning. Sarson (1984) says that A cognitive interference may be the key factor in lowering the performance of highly test anxious people (p.931). Tobias (1980), says that as students are influenced by cognitive test anxiety, which results in to distract their attention and requires more ability to utilize educational skills. Therefore such kinds of reasons are ascribed to students feeling anxious and it might reduce students performance. Learning is not a problem rather interference with recovery. Wine (1980) says that students having high test anxiety among cognitive ability among giving attention to the task and the attention is given to the cognitions that are not relevant with the task. Both of these factors hinder the capacity to recall and confined the capacity to employ in organized thinking . These points might give description why students by high test anxiety can normally do better on objective/MCQ than on subjective exams where the earlier needs to recall less. Benjamin et, al., (1981) and Tobias (1985) experienced that capable and intelligent students might have done their preparation, yet they will encounter high test anxiety, that confine the thinking process, hinder recalling materials and inhibit to use the techniques to perform well on test. The Skills deficit Model: Hill Wigfields (1984) skill deficit model does not have any direct relationship with test anxiety at first look. Though it tells what activate and produces test anxiety. It permits to know the connection of skill deficit model of test anxiety and poor academic performance. Rather believing that ability to recover data is affected due to interference model, skill deficit model have different point of view.indeed, this gives us the view that students poor academic performance is ascribed with the poor test preparation in learning skills or due to lack of test taking abilities. Hill Wigfield (1984) proposed that the skill deficit model offer reasonable explanation on unforeseen performance of students .the skill deficit model engages two kinds of deficits that endanger the performance of the students, one of them is Learning ability and the second one is Lack of test taking ability. Poor results in academics performance is due to Unsatisfactory preparation before tests came, causes.in addition acquisition problems,problems in remembering and memorizing or retrieving data at initial place. Whereas lack of ability to attempt the test also put in high test anxious students to perform poor ,although students are conscious of their inability of taking test. The skill deficit model says that students with high test anxiety faces problems in learning and arranging learning materials and that gives poor results in performance. (Tobias 1985 ; Naveh -Benjamin, McKeachie and Lin 1987; Birenbaum and Pinku 1997). In spite of, giving different explanations, the skill deficit and interference models may be balancing for each other(Tobias 1985; Birenbaum and Pinku 1997 ).they have suggested different kind of students in addition with different levels of test performance. Students having good learning and organizing abilities, together with low test anxiety ought to do good as they have learned the tests and they do not come across with the difficulty to recall. Whereas other students have the capacity and they learn the test but could not recall in evaluative situations and settings, and when tasks requires more cognitive capacity than they have. yet other fall short to learn and organize materials thats why they perform poor whether they are in test situation and test design. Most of the researchers who hold this model (e.g. Wittmaier, 1972; Desiderato Kokinen, 1969; Culler Holahan, 1980) say those students who show poor academic performance are because of their bad study habits and lack of interest in preparing for their exams. These kinds of students are conscious enough of their study behavior thats why they dont expect good results. These kinds of attitudes amplify anxiety which results in poor academic performance. When students see their academic skills are in enough, they feel anxious and show poor performance. Levels of Test Anxiety: Swanosn and Howell (1996) define the three levels of test anxiety given as under: Low levels test anxiety Moderate test anxiety High test anxiety Spielberger and Sarason,( 1989) further states about the high level test anxiety that helps in the growth the students with low inspiration, lacking academic abilities, lacking use of different techniques for taking test, hopelessness, cheating, carelessness, and thinking negative about himself and lack of attention. It is said students with both high and low levels of test anxiety show good academic performance whereas students with moderate anxiety level perform well. Spielberger and Sarason,( 1989) view and identified three levels of test anxiety .John and Kenneth (1982) says ,students with high level test anxiety badly get in the way with all kinds of performances,and normally students with moderate and low level anxiety helps in improving performance. Components of Test Anxiety (Sarson sarson, 1990) has stated three main components: Cognitive Affective Behavioral Cognitive component: In cognitive view, students having test anxiety due to absence of self confidence.they are surrounded by negative feelings, and feeling incapable of their educational ability and academic skills.(Zeidner, 1998) adds and says, students mostly exaggerate the possible negative results and undergo self-reliant in testing situations. if students want to have good results they should avoid negative thinking. Affective component: In affective view, (Zeidner, 1998) Test anxiety raise some physiological reactions like, fast heart beating, nausea, urination and raises perspiration, stretching of muscles, feeling thirsty, shivering and cold hands. With physiological reactions, emotions like failure threat, worry, might be there. When students are fail to manage their emotions, they feel pressure, tension, fear, thus create more hard and tricky for students to focus. The bodily signs that students feel when they are going through anxiety are linked with the supposed responses to fear and tension. Important physical functions like heart beating, breathing, or rapidity of other body functions, saliva secretions, flow of blood. Students undergo different kind of physical feelings together with nausea, vomiting, cramps in body, feeling dizzy, shivering, and stiffness of joints. Behavioural component: Behaviorally test anxious students states anxiety through reluctance and ineffective learning and test taking ability. Zeidner (1998) says that might test anxious students take more time and problem in assessing information or feel tired during test because of weak students or they are weak in health. State and Trait Anxiety: Spielberger(1972-1983),gave the concept of state and trait anxiety .He described state anxiety as Transitory emotional state or condition of the human organism that is characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of tension and apprehension, and heightened autonomic nervous system activity. Spielberger further states about trait anxiety that Trait anxiety denotes relatively stable individual differences in anxiety proneness and refers to a general tendency to respond with anxiety to perceived threats in the environment.(48) School psychologists have been using state and trait anxiety in 21st century which was introduced by Spielberger in 1972.State anxiety means when horrible feelings and emotions of fear are aroused in danger, whether mentally or bodily. State anxiety is assumes a cognitive insight and judgment of danger, so as to students should know at a stage that particular situation is dangerous. Normally youngsters undergo less anxiety once they are out of hectic occasion is gone. On the other hand, trait anxiety is characteristic of a personality, an ability to encounter state anxiety when came across any difficult situation and danger. but this is different and varies from person to person. Eysenck and Eysenck (1991) describes that high level trait anxiety is strongly associated to neuroticism Terry (1998) tells about the numerous symptoms that shows students test anxiety. following is the symptoms of test anxiety. Emotional reactions such as crying, sensitive hair trigger responses, irritability, excess giggling, sudden changes of expression and general unrest. Bodily manifestation like stomach aches, headache, urination, fatigue, abundant sweating. Dangerous behaviors, like, carelessness, and self defamation. Anxious symptom, such as edgy marks, biting nail, too much blinking, hair chew, finger sucking, swinging action. Misconduct and violence, like breaking pencils, shows anger, slangs language is used, fighting, hounding and destructiveness. Bad exertion routine, for example, day-dreaming, incompetence, dishonesty and absence of attention. Looking for attention: adolescent behaviors, looking for appraisal and positive remarks, demands for attention, construction of weird stories, nonstop curiosity and asking about things around, stick to the teacher, performing. Causes of test anxiety: On the self-defeating consequences of subjective cognitions (Ellsworth Smith, 1988; Lazarus, 1991) suggest that poorer self-beliefs are a major cause of test anxiety. Perceive examinations as more dangerous or threatening and experience more intense levels of state anxiety when taking tests (Spielberger Vagg, 1995, p.6). D Arcylyness, (2004) outlined the following as the causes of test anxiety: a. Lack of preparation by 1 Cramming the night before the test 2 Poor time management 3 Failure to organize test information 4 Poor study habits b. Worry about the following: 1. Past performance on examination 2. How friends and other students are doing 3. The negative consequences of failure. The effects of anxiety on different situations: In different ways the anxiety influences on different kind of human beings. According to Roberts Saxe, (1982) anxiety may affect cognitive functioning badly in any kind of academic setting. Lalonde Gardner, (1993) includes that learning might be affected by anxiety where as Tremblay, Gardner, Heipel, (2000) state that anxiety may affect on performance and success. During specific situation when the manners of apprehension, tension and dread are perceived consciously, it is called General state anxiety which is also called physiological arousal (Endler Kocovski, 2001). Wine (1980) says that the effects anxietyon performance is prominent because of having unbearable impacts on cognitive process. Tremblay, (1998) argues that mostly people are affected through cognitive biases with General trait anxiety which is a firm tendency towards anxiety.Class and test anxiety along with statistics anxiety come into the vast umbrella of Trait anxiety in the view point of (Walsh Ugumba-Agwunobi, 2002). 2.1 Cognitive Style Thinking and perceiving, problem solving and remembering , all these types of actions are considered under the umbrella of cognitive style as has been described by McKay, Fischler Dunn, (2003) as are considered to be trait-like, relatively stable characteristics of individuals, whereas learning strategies are more state-drivenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Cassidy (2004) states that there are many cognitive style typologies from which we give preference to Ridings Cognitive Style Analysis [Riding,2001] because of more vital implications. According to Sadler Riding, (1999) construct of cognitive is more important whether learning style has less importance. The real mode of information processing, cognitive style and their mutual relationship is significant and strengthened to a large extent. 2.2 Cognitive Processing Efficiency The cognitive processing parameters (Demetriou Kazi, 2001; Demetriou et al., 1993]) that have been included in our model are: a- Control of processing (to indicate the relevant and irrelevant information) b- Speed of processing (speed in the given instruction might be accurately executed), c- Working memory span (to hold and integrating different information till the solution of a problem) d- Visual attention (based on the empirically validated assumption that when a person is performing a cognitive task while watching something). According to Baddeley, (1992) all these tasks are measured in shortest possible time span while the working memory span test focuses on the visuospatial sketch pad sub-component and this all is done comfortably. 2.3 Emotional Processing Emotional processing consists of two types: Emotional Arousal: The capability of human being to feel and experience specific emotional circumstances, Emotion Regulation: The process of having perception and control of individual over his emotions. In the view point of Cassady (2004), anxiety is the major thing in the term of behavior which indicates the arousal of various kind of emotions and it has strong relation with academic performance. Also, it is related with performance in computer mediated learning procedures (Chang, 2005; Smith Caputi, 2007). Users trait anxiety could be measured (Spielberger, 1983), and their application specific anxiety, which in the case of e-learning is named as Cognitive Test Anxiety (Cassady Johnson, 2002) In the term of construct of emotional regulation used by us also comes into the concepts of Emotional Control (emotional management, self-awareness, self-motivation)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Goleman, 1995; Salovey Mayer, 1990), and Self Efficacy (Bandura, 1994), Emotional Expression and Emotional experience (Halberstadt, 2005). Lekkas et al, (2007) argues that we can evaluate the affectional responses of enhancing and lessening the learning abilities through measuring the levels of Anxiety with emotional regulation. Factors of Test Anxiety: According to competitive anxiety research (Gould et al., 1984; Burton, 1988). Cognitive (worry) anxiety factor has strong imprints on the achievement of the student then the somatic (emotionality) component. Test anxiety has two main components described by Liebert and Morris (1967) that is worry and emotionality. Worry is conceived as cognitive importance related to tests and test performance. These concerns revolve in the region of negative cognitions, like fixation with the test results and performance. Strong negative penalties like failure, underachievement and evaluation of students skills to others. Academic performance: Phillips and Endler, (1982) say that Academic performance usually depends on students how they make their connections with the academic environment. It is believed that students who are intelligent will be relaxed and less threat full .But these students do have fear of examination. Okebukola and Jegede, (1989) its teachers responsibility to prepare their students to show good academic results as well as to enable them to respond to different academic needs that has impact on academic performance. Relationship between anxiety and academic performance: Roberts Saxe, (1982) say that Anxiety influences people in different ways and situations. In educational environments, anxiety might have significant negative impact on cognitive performance, (Tremblay, Gardner, Heipel, 2000) presentation and achievement, (Lalonde Gardner, 1993) knowledge. Endler Kocovski, (2001) stated that Common state anxiety is a physical stimulation and a deliberately supposed way of hesitation, fear, and stress through a particular moment. (Wine, 1980) describes that, this influence the performance as it has strong effects on cognitive course. Tremblay, (1998) Cognitive biases influence people with common trait anxiety, a steady tendency towards anxiety. Than it have an effect on people who are not anxious. According to Scovel (1978) there is a positive connection between performance and test anxiety. Test anxiety is in fact useful and facilitating as students remained alarmed and conscious. McDonald (2001) describes more connection between levels of performance and test anxiety that will show the arch like a reversed U figure, showing to the best anxiety point. It could be said that when anxiety reaches to the best quantity, it could produce constructive results known to us as facilitating test anxiety. This type and amount of anxiety is useful for students to give attention to their work, and feel himself completely challenged. In contrast, over and small test anxiety will produce tension, constant worry, anxiety and strain or students reluctance, will result in poor performance. Test Anxiety in relation to gender (sex) Research on students educational performance has received significant concentration. Number of researches had been done in the area on the level of anxiety on test anxiety between female and male students academic performance. Walsh, Engbreton and O Brien (1988) performed two researches at the same time to identify whether there is relationship between test anxiety and academic performance as it influences the gender. Researcher collected the data and the Sample were consists of (57 females 46 males,) and total 103 undergraduate students for first research and (52 females 42 males) and total 94 undergraduate students for the second research. Test anxiety findings were correlated with the students Grade Point Averages (GPAs). When the data was analysis, there was negative correlation present between test anxiety and academic performance. Thus negative relationship was found which was more for females and less for males. Daniels and Hewitt (1987), finds if there is correlation between academic performance and test anxiety with gender view. The sample was composed of data (21 males 27 females) and got their scores of test anxiety. When data was examined, it was found that females had high test anxiety as compared with males however they didnt find any major variation of gender in respect of the negative correlation between academic performance and test anxity.it means,that test anxiety has unpleasant effects on academic performance but it didn show any major affect of one gender more than the other. The findings have shown that females undergo high test anxiety as compare to males when measure their test anxiety ,like wise Sarason (1987),Spielberger(1980) and taylor (1998) have found that females have scored high mean score on test anxiety when compared with males.

Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop :: Free Essays Online

Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop Charles Dickens 1841 novel The Old Curiosity Shop, entering its third century, mesmerizes readers with either heartfelt sentimentality to the plight of a homeless thirteen year-old girl, Nell Trent, and her aged Grandfather, as they wander the countryside of England, keeping one step ahead of their horrible dwarf nemesis, Daniel Quilp; or as a "crude sentimental" (Harris 137) journey down the path of individual weakness that lead to the death of them both. In Dickens day, a curiosity shop was an establishment where individuals would go to purchase precious or antique gifts, and it is in one of these shops that thirteen year-old Nell lived with her Grandfather. A short summary of the story is that the Grandfather has an addictive gambling problem, and gambles the money needed to run the shop away, all the while borrowing money from Daniel Quilp, a nasty goblin type figure of a man. The losses amount to the shop being taken over by Quilp, leaving Nell and the Grandfather fleeing to avoid him. They wander the English countryside amongst the throng of carnivals, sideshows, philanthropic souls who try to help them, and downtrodden people who try to exploit them. Their deaths, Nell’s especially, whose Dickens wrote of in a lingering, sentimental tone, are where the discussion of the book has been centered on for over a century-and-a-half. The Old Curiosity Shop began as a series of short stories in a publication Dickens created in 1840 called Master Humphrey’s Clock. With a weekly circulation of over 70,000 readers, Dickens was able to finance the work of The Old Curiosity Shop with the income made from Master Humphrey’s Clock. Emotionally, working under a strenuous monthly deadline proved to be straining on Dickens. In July of 1840, Dickens was telling his friend Lord Jeffrey, editor of The Edinbergh Review, that The Old Curiosity Shop "demands my constant attention" (Page 22,23), and by December of that year Dickens seemed to be on the edge of a mental collapse, telling Lord Jeffrey that the "anguish" of writing under the pressure was "unspeakable, the difficulty tremendous" (Page 30). The story was completed in early 1841 and Dickens began the painstaking steps in putting the short stories into a complete novel. One of the immediate obstacles Dickens encountered (actually his printers, Dickens was busy completing his next novel, Barnaby) was marrying the chapters together in proper sequence.

Lab Report of Food Chem Essay

As a part of our food chemistry and biochemistry assignment, we were told by our lecturer to do research on a certain food products based on articles we can find on magazines and newspapers. Then we were to criticize certain articles comparing with articles found on the internet. I chose yoghurt. It is widely known as a healthy product and a substitute for many products such as heavy cream or coconut milk. It is a dairy product where we can obtain it from the cow’s milk. The milk will undergo bacterial fermentation to become yoghurt. Dairy yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. ulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus bacteria. In addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Yogurt is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. It has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk. Lactose-intolerant individuals can sometimes tolerate yogurt better than other dairy products, because the lactose in the milk is converted to glucose and galactose, and partially fermented to lactic acid, by the bacterial culture. Yogurt containing live cultures has been found effective in a randomized trial at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Yogurt contains varying amounts of fat. There is non-fat (0% fat), low-fat (usually 2% fat) and plain or whole milk yogurt (4% fat). A study published in the International Journal of Obesity (11 January 2005) also found that the consumption of low-fat yogurt can promote weight loss, especially due to the calcium in the yogurt. But there are scientists who are arguing that yoghurt is not a healthy food after all. It also does cause certain diseases which can be avoided if we ake yoghurt in a lower level. We will see more about yoghurt in this paper. Discussion Supporting points All of the articles I found about yoghurts only talked about the benefits of yoghurt. it says that it is a very good substitute for cream, coconut milk and even ice cream, since it contains lactobacillus which is good for our digestive and immune system. It is rich in potassium, calcium, protein and B vitamins. It is also lower in cholesterol. An advantage of yogurt is that it is a probiotic, which means that it contains â€Å"friendly† bacteria that help clean your intestines from â€Å"bad† bacteria. As a result of eating yogurt, you can have a healthy balance of intestinal micro flora to promote optimal ability to absorb nutrients. You can eat yogurt to provide your intestines with friendly bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus, which are killed when you take antibiotics, according to the National Centre for Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Yoghurt also prevents colon cancer. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol level. It strengthens the immune system by preventing constipation and bloating. It reduces inflammation. It also improves mineral absorption. It prevents harmful bacteria. It promotes healthy bacteria and enzyme. Calcium with can be obtained from yoghurt also steadies your appetite and helps reduce mood swings and tension. Ice cream can be swapped to frozen yoghurt. Just freeze your regular yoghurt and add some mixed berries to add taste. Criticizing points Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat. That said, if you don’t want to count calories, and you eat yogurt a lot, stick with low fat or non-fat. If you like fruit yogurt, just buy a big container of Plain and add fresh fruit to it. You’ll save a lot of calories and get more fibre, which helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Yogurt can be a staple in a healthy diet, providing you with a good source of calcium, protein, vitamin D and potassium. Picking any yogurt brand and eating it in excess, however, can contribute to problems such as weight gain, high cholesterol and heart disease. The many yogurt brands in your supermarket fall across the nutrition spectrum, from heart-healthy to fatty, sugar-filled products little better for you than candy. Read yogurt labels carefully to choose the healthiest type. The majority of big name yogurt brands that you find at the grocery store are actually bad for you. Why? Because they’re loaded with sugar and the milk that they use most likely comes from cows that have been pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones. Seriously, you may as well be eating candy with a steroid chaser. Even the so-called â€Å"natural† yogurts or those marked with the ever popular â€Å"organic† label. Conclusion Reading all types of articles may cause us to be confused with our choices. Any type of food, when eaten in a certain amount is safe for us. Yoghurt even though is natural food. It is very fattening. As it says in the articles, 0% fat may contain other hidden fat such as from sugar. So 0% is not 0% fat after all. Yoghurt may be high in vitamin b12 and calcium, but we must know that that is not our only source of calcium. So we should not eat the total amount of our requirement only from yoghurt. We can substitute other food products for yoghurt for a healthier choice. I personally think that yoghurt is a very healthy food and we should take it in a limited amount. We should also go for plain yoghurt and not the flavoured yoghurt as it may contain hidden sugar, saturated fat and other preservatives.

Analysis of Eliza Doolittles Pygmalion Monologues

Analysis of Eliza Doolittles Pygmalion Monologues In the final scene of George Bernard Shaws play Pygmalion, the audience is surprised to learn that this is not the fairytale romance that  the entire play has been building up to. Eliza Doolittle may be the Cinderella of the story, but Professor Henry Higgins is no Prince Charming and he cannot bring himself to commit to her. The fiery dialogue also transforms the play from comedy to drama as Elizas monologues are filled with passion. We see that she really has come a long way from that innocent flower girl that first appeared on stage. She is a young woman with a mind of her own and new-found opportunities in front of her though she does not quite know where to go now. We also see her slip back into her Cockney grammar as her temper flares. Though she catches and corrects herself, these are final reminders of her past as we wonder about her future. Eliza Expresses Her Desires Prior to this, Higgins has run through Elizas options for the future. It seems to him that her best prospect is to find a man unlike the confirmed old bachelors like me and the Colonel.  Eliza explains the relationship she desired from him. It’s a tender scene that almost warms the Professor’s heart despite himself. ELIZA: No I dont. Thats not the sort of feeling I want from you. And dont you be too sure of yourself or of me. I could have been a bad girl if Id liked. Ive seen more of some things than you, for all your learning. Girls like me can drag gentlemen down to make love to them easy enough. And they wish each other dead the next minute. (much troubled) I want a little kindness. I know Im a common ignorant girl, and you a book-learned gentleman; but Im not dirt under your feet. What I done (correcting herself) what I did was not for the dresses and the taxis: I did it because we were pleasant together and I comecameto care for you; not to want you to make love to me, and not forgetting the difference between us, but more friendly like. When Eliza Realizes the Truth Unfortunately, Higgins is a permanent bachelor. When he is incapable of offering affection, Eliza Doolittle stands up for herself in this powerfully feisty monologue. ELIZA: Aha! Now I know how to deal with you. What a fool I was not to think of it before! You cant take away the knowledge you gave me. You said I had a finer ear than you. And I can be civil and kind to people, which is more than you can. Aha! Thats done you, Henry Higgins, it has. Now I dont care that (snapping her fingers) for your bullying and your big talk. Ill advertize it in the papers that your duchess is only a flower girl that you taught, and that shell teach anybody to be a duchess just the same in six months for a thousand guineas. Oh, when I think of myself crawling under your feet and being trampled on and called names, when all the time I had only to lift up my finger to be as good as you, I could just kick myself! Does Civility Equal Kindness? Higgins has readily admitted that he is fair in his treatment of everyone. If he is harsh with her, she should not feel bad because he is equally harsh most people he meets.  Eliza jumped on this and the realization forces a final decision from her, at least when it comes to Higgins. This also makes the audience wonder about the commentary on wealth and civility in relation to kindness and compassion. Was Eliza Doolittle as kind when she was living in the gutter? Most readers would say yes, yet it draws a stark contrast to Higgins excuse of unbiased severity. Why does a higher class of society come with less kindness and compassion? Is that really a better way of life? It seems that Eliza struggled with these questions herself. Where is the Happily Ever After Ending? The big question that Pygmalion leaves the audience with is: Do  Eliza and Higgins ever get together? Shaw did not initially say and he intended for the audience to decide for themselves. The play ends with Eliza saying goodbye. Higgins calls after her with, of all things, a shopping list! He is absolutely positive that she will return. In reality, we do not know what happens to the two characters of Pygmalion. This confounded early directors of the play (and the My Fair Lady movie) because many felt that the romance should have blossomed. Some had Eliza return with the necktie from Higgins shopping list. Others had Higgins toss Eliza a bouquet or follow her and beg her to stay. Shaw intended to leave the audience with an ambivalent conclusion. He wanted us to imagine what might happen because each of us will have a different perspective based on our own experiences. Maybe the romantic sort would have the two live happily ever after while those jaded by love would be happy to see her go out in the world and enjoy her independence. The directors attempts to change Shaws ending prompted the playwright to pen an epilogue: The rest of the story need not be shewn in action, and indeed, would hardly need telling if our imaginations were not so enfeebled by their lazy dependence on the ready-mades and reach-me-downs of the ragshop in which Romance keeps its stock of happy endings to misfit all stories.   Though he also gave arguments as to why Higgins and Eliza were incompatible, he did write a version of what happened after the final scene. One feels that it was done with reluctance and its almost a shame to pass along this ending, so if you want to retain your own version, it would be best to stop reading here (you really will not miss much). In his finale, Shaw tells us that Eliza does indeed marry Freddy and the couple opens a flower shop. Their life together is filled with dreariness and not too much success, a far cry from those romantic thoughts of the plays directors.

Biography of Albert J. Myer

Biography of Albert J. Myer Free Online Research Papers U.S. Army Signal Corps Founder: Albert James Myer (1828-1880) Albert J. Myer was born on September 20, 1828 in Newburgh, New York to the parents of Henry Beekman Myer and Eleanor Myer. Growing up Albert had great interest in the arts and sciences but he also had a strong interest in the military culture. Albert finished preparatory school and attended Geneva College in Geneva, New York, which was later renamed Hobart College. His collegiate achievements at Geneva College consisted of him receiving his Bachelors of Arts degree in 1847 at the age of 19 and four years later his Masters of Arts degree. While pursing his M.A. at Geneva College he was also taking course work at Buffalo Medical College and he received his MD the same year in 1851 at 24 years old. As a student he was know to take grasp of an idea and follow it to its lengths. His graduating thesis that was titled â€Å" A New Sign Language for Deaf Mutes,† was the start of what became know as the motion telegraphy that help pioneer his founding signal communications syste m in the Signal Corps. After graduation Albert went to Florida where he was in private practice for three years but in his free time he began to focus his attention on the signal system used by the military and navy. He felt that their current means of communicating through lights and various symbols was difficult and complex and he sought out to come up with a better system. In 1854 he received his commission in the U.S. Army as an assistant surgeon. Although he was heavily involved in his medical profession Myer continued to pursue his ideas of developing an efficient signal system. In 1857 he finally devised a system of signals which became the basis of code used during the Civil War. This system was called the â€Å"wig-wag signaling system† which is also known as the â€Å" four element code,† because it used one to four flag motions. Albert patented his inventions and presented it to the authorities and parties that he felt would embrace his hard work however many were not concern ed. Later that year August 24, 1857 Albert married Catherine Walden. In 1858, one year after Myer submitted his idea, he was notified that a board was appointed to examine his signal system, how it could be used in the field and how it could be introduced to the U.S. Army. The board approved Albert’s signal system in 1859. Albert became the first Army signal officer and was promoted to major in 1860. Myers system received its first use in the Navajo expedition (1860-1861). In June of 1861 he was sent orders from Washington, DC to form and command a signal corp. Albert performed both operational and administrative responsibilities during the first two years of the Civil War. Although he was engaged in the war he was vying to have the Signal Corps be established as a permanent Army entity. May 27, 1862 Albert Myer was promoted to lieutenant colonel for his service in the Army. On March 3, 1863 the Signal Corp became a permanent entity in the U.S. Army and Myer became a full bird colonel for his involvement in establishing the Signal Corp. Albert Myer was the chief signal officer for General George B. McClellan in the battles from Bull Run to Antietam. While in charge of the signal office he introduced the study of military signals at the U.S. Military academy and was a member of the central board of examination for the U.S. signal corps. Although Myer had originally introduced a better way to conduct aerial signals he had also come up with a better telegraphy system. Albert introduced an electrical telegraphy system to be used for field communications. This system was called the Beardslee telegraph. It consisted of a train of wagons which supported the devices capabilities to dial instead of key tapping Morse code. He developed this new telegraphy because it required less training for operators. Although this new telegraphy system was effective on the battlefield a telegraphy system and organization already existed, the U.S. Military Telegraph Service. The U.S. Military Telegraph Service was not military at al l. It was a civilian led service and Albert felt that as the chief signal officer of the U.S. Army he should have complete control of all electromagnetic telegraphy with in the Signal Corps. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton did not like Myers attempt to control all telegraphy in the signal corps. It is believed that Secretary Stanton had a vested interest in the civilian-run U.S. Military Telegraph Service. On November of 1863 Albert Myer was removed as chief signal officer and was re-assigned to the Military Division of the West Mississippi were he served for the remainder of the war. While serving with the Division of the West Mississippi he wrote the â€Å"Manual of Signals for the United States Army and Navy.† Under General Edward R. S. Canby he was appointed chief signal officer for the military division of the West Mississippi. The Secretary of War, Stanton, again relieved him stating that his appointment had not been confirmed. After the war Col. Albert was re-appointed chief signal officer on July 28, 1866. Albert Myer was the chief signal officer from August 21, 1867 until he died in 1880. Albert Myer received commission as a brigadier general on June 16, 1880, two months before his death. Gen Myer was not only known for his contributions in the signal corps but also for his involvement with the weather service. Among many honors on of them was the renaming of Fort Whipple, Virginia, as it was renamed in 1881, Fort Myer, Virginia. Research Papers on Biography of Albert J. MyerQuebec and CanadaOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Essay on Criminal Justice and Violent Female Offenders part 3

Essay on Criminal Justice and Violent Female Offenders part 3 Essay on Criminal Justice and Violent Female Offenders part 3 Essay on Criminal Justice and Violent Female Offenders part 3Essay on   Criminal Justice and Violent Female Offenders part 2Violent female crimes occupy a small percentage compared with men, it amounts 7-10%. Motives of committing crimes also significantly differ. Violent female offenders usually commit crimes because of jealousy, revenge, envy, and desire to get rid of the victim. That is, for the most part emotionally charged character. Many crimes are committed by women on the basis of clearly defined wrongful behavior of victims (â€Å"Gender and Crime Differences Between Male And Female Offending Patterns†, 2004).In recent years, there is an increase of such violent crimes committed by women as murder and robbery. An interesting fact is that there is also a rise of violent crimes committed with particular cruelty, it can be explained by the change of the social role of women, the destruction of the family resulting with psychological insecurities of women, lack the ne cessary parenting skills, women’s dependence on various kinds of unfavorable prevailing circumstances.Infanticide is the deprivation of life of a newborn baby. This category of crimes are committed, above all, by young women, who are poorly adapted to modern life, with no means of livelihood and homes. Infanticide occur most often in rural areas where there is not enough of medical equipment for early diagnosis and termination of unwanted pregnancies. Certain effects are caused by the inaccessibility of contraceptives, illiteracy of girls teenagers, lack of elementary sex education.Criminological characteristics of violent female offenders are also specific. As a rule, there is a predominance of older persons, compared with men, despite the fact that in general, in recent years there has been a rejuvenation of criminals. The educational level of female offenders has always been higher than that of male criminals. However, there has been noted a growth in number of offenders among persons with higher education.These are just some of the features and differences of female criminality. Over the recent years there has been a significant increase in total crime and female crimes. Despite the differences, female criminality reflects the general patterns of crime and its changes. It acts as a subsystem of general crime and is organically linked with it.Discussing female criminality, we cannot stop mentioning their lives after being convicted. American prisons detain more people than any other country in the world. Overview of the sources shows that the most relevant to the United States prison system are issues of adaptation of convicts in prison, serving a sentence gender issues, as well as racial and ethnic confrontation in prisons.It should be noted that scientists are actively studying the process of adaptation and adaptive behavior of inmates in prisons. So, Donald Clemmer in his book Prison Community highlights the phenomenon of prisonization, ie long-t erm adaptation to the subculture of incarcerated prisoners, and associates it with the ideals and values of the prison environment. Analyzing the essence of this phenomenon, D. Clemmer does not consider it as an absolute force, and connects it with the prison rules, regulations, and value orientations. Hence, he concludes different ability to adapt to prison. D. Clemmer believes that depending on the values of the prison there are differences among prisoners in the degree of adaptation to the prison subculture.Criminologist G. Sykes found that in prison interests in maintaining control over most of the prisoners can match between administration and prison leaders. D. Irwin and D. Cressey were studying causes of the difficulties that raised in neutralizing the negative effects of adaptation due to the influence of different value orientations in the criminal groups in prison.Analyzing the impact of different values on the behavior of prisoners, J. Galtung tries to uncover the typical reaction of prisoners to the ratio of the prison subculture. The author notes that the prisoner is actively seeking contact with other prisoners, and stresses the importance of mutual solidarity.Hofmann has made an attempt to reveal the nature and role of interactive processes within the total institutions, including the emphasis on the possible values and consumerism of nature of the relationship between staff and inmates of penitentiary institutions, as these groups have different stereotypes and live in different cultural worlds. E. Hofmann believes that prison, like any other institution eliminates the total self, goals, plans, and positive adaptation among convicted by the acquisition of new subcultural patterns of life in prison. In this regard, he revealed not only the primary mechanisms (immediately after getting to jail), but also secondary (aimed at survival in prison and turning under the influence of its subcultures) adaptation of the prisoners. Components of the motiva tional sphere have significant impact on the adaptation and behavior of the prisoners (Langton, Truman, 2014).ConclusionViolence is defined as: 1) the use of physical force to someone; 2) the use of force, forced impact on someone, something; 3) the harassment, abuse of power, lawless use of force.Criminal behavior of women has always been perceived as a less serious issue than male criminal behavior. Historically, females tend to commit minor crimes and have amounted only a small quantity of the overall number of offenders. Ten though women remain a relatively small amount of all prisoners, there is a trend in rising amount of female offenders, their participation in crimes connected with violent, and have inhibited the increase of gender-specific programs addressing the problem.During 2012, in the whole country, law enforcement made 12,196,959 arrests (traffic violations are not included), 26.2% of them were of females.In 2010, courts with juvenile jurisdiction held an estimated 1 ,368,200 law-breaking cases in 2010, 28% of them were with female offenders. In general, female delinquency caseload raised at an average rate of 2 percent per year between 1985 and 2010, while the average rate increased for less than 1 percent per year for males. The number of female convicts increased by 10.9% between midyear 2010 and 2013. In same period, the male inmate population declined for 4.2% (Carson, 2014).There are several theories that justify the backlog of female criminality to male criminality. Most of them are of historical interest only. A. Quetelet explained less criminality of women not only by their physical weakness, but also by the detachment from public life, closed in a circle of family responsibilities. However, with the inclusion of more women in public life and professional activities, as well as in periods of rising crime, the proportion of female crime in the general mass has always remained small.Another explanation for this phenomenon has been suggest ed by representatives of the anthropological school C. Lombroso. Lower intensity of female criminality is associated with the peculiarities of the female body and nature, to a certain extent with her biological immaturity.Most women have dominative qualities that prevent the commission of crimes, since the motivation of female behavior is usually associated with the family. They are protection of the family, the welfare, physical and psychological comfort of the family. In this case, responsibility for the family is often also carried out by a woman. Because of these reasons, the life of a woman is a little incompatible with criminal activity, because she is aware of her responsibility for children, for the integrity and welfare of the family. Victims of violent crimes committed by women, as a rule, are husbands, roommates, children and close relatives, which is also connected with a fact that women are more attached to the family than men.In general, considering the problem of spec ificity of female criminality, we should proceed from the premise that any criminal behavior, regardless of who commits it, is social and historical phenomenon, the qualitative features of which are reflected in the cultural space. Therefore, gender differences of crimes should be considered based on the characteristics of culture.Disparity in the treatment of criminals involved in the system of criminal justice has been the subject of a substantial number of research over the past decades. Probably, the most compelling evidence of disparity is found in the demographics among the convicts in federal and state prisons in the United States. Most prisoners in our nations prisons are men, mostly black or Hispanic. These disparities in rates of imprisonment, which have been noted for more than three decades, have made researchers to focus on the sentencing stage of criminal justice process. They also have led policymakers search for ways in order to constrain judicial discretion while se ntencing.There are two thoughts on the issue if criminal justice system has a gender bias and if men and women are treated differently in courts and police.The first one is chivalry thesis, where chivalry is treating others, mostly women with courtesy, respect and sympathy. According to chivalry theory women are treated more leniently by the system of criminal justice than men. Male chivalry means that often police are less likely to charge females, and courts tend to give them a lighter sentence, even in situations when they have committed the same crimes as men.The second theory is called double deviance theory. According to this theory, criminal justice system treats women more harshly because they are guilty of being doubly deviant. They deviated from norms accepted by society by breaking the law and, at the same time, deviated from gender norms, which tell how woman should behave.Many female offenders feel that they have been treated harshly by the system of criminal justice. T hey perceive it as a male-dominated institution and feel their treatment has been unjust and unsympathetic (Heidensohn, Silvestri, 2012).After arrest, women more often than men are cautioned instead of being charged. They are less likely to be committed for trial or remanded in custody. Female offenders have more chances to be discharged or to be given a community sentence than men and less likely to be sentenced to prison or fined. Often, women sent to prison get shorter sentences than men. This information suggests that the system of criminal justice does treat woman more leniently. Though, we also need to take into account the seriousness of committed crime and difference in crime history. Female offences are usually less serious and women are less likely to have criminal records (Bryant, 2011).Female prisoners constantly attract the attention of the media. However, many experts in the United States claim that research in this area is carried out on the insufficient level. Amount of research devoted to the problem of women in prison is just enough to set the existing specific difference in the performance and the serving of sentences in comparison with men. In general, womens community in the United States is characterized by a smaller prison violence, more harmony, less destructive nature of the subculture as compared to men of the prison community (Nagel, Johnson, 2004).Studies have shown that special social programs for women are more effective than imprisonment. The implementation of such programs on female offenders significantly reduces repeat offenses. Measures such as house arrest, intensive support are also an effective alternative to imprisonment in case of direct exposure. Taking into consideration these facts, we can make the conclusion that special programs and organizations for female offenders are very important and useful. For example, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP): Female Offenders provides female offenders with appropriate help to meet t he physical, psychological and social needs of this group. National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement provides information about programs available in each state that provide assistance and guidance for women involved in the justice system (Morash, Bynum, Koons, 1998). Thus, the modern American penal science focuses not on punitive, but humanistic traditions in the correction of female convicts.

Public's Responsibilities toward Nature and the Environment Essay

Public's Responsibilities toward Nature and the Environment - Essay Example With the ascent of human civilization and technological progress, the equations of power have been skewed somewhat, whereby we now have unprecedented capability to self-destruct. In this context, the pressing question is how should humans utilize their newly acquired powers in dealing with the broader nature? The rest of this essay will argue in support of the view that unless we revere and respect nature, we are paving way for our own ultimate destruction. Â  As Barbara Ehrenreich points out in her article The Myth of Man as Hunter, for much of our history as a species, we have been the prey rather than the predator. It is only as recently as 40,000 years ago that we invented primitive tools necessary for killing wild animals. Even then, it is only in the last two-hundred years or so that we achieved significant mastery over other life forms on earth (Ehrenreich, 1993). But today, we could hardly claim to be living a peaceful existence, for the threats from geological and climatic forces of nature are as real as ever before. Our population levels are also at an all-time high and soon there will come a time when the planet can no longer support all its inhabitants. This would lead to resource wars, a collapse of law and order and a general decline in culture and civilization. Â  One could glean from Ehrenreich’s article that after being prey animals for long, human beings have gone overboard in exercising their recently acquired dominion over other life forms. With their newfound prowess, humans have over-indulged in hunting, fishing and farming activities which are proving to self-detrimental. Further, in the article titled The Last Fish, authors Daniel Pauly & Reg Watson expound a specific example of this general tendency, namely the practice of over-fishing.