Avoiding a Malthusian Catastrophe - 783 Words

Thomas Malthus once said, â€Å"The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man.† Albert Einstein might argue, on the other hand, â€Å"Necessity is the mother of all invention,† albeit in another context. So, which is it? Are we doomed to unchecked population growth followed by Malthusian catastrophe, or can we avoid it through increased food production, decreasing population growth rates, or some other means? To say Malthusian catastrophe is inevitable is completely unwarranted. Is it possible? Certainly – it is only logical that if human population reached levels which far outstripped food supply, the resulting global famine would create easily ignitable tensions between nations, and†¦show more content†¦This spread in the demographic data available to contemporary researchers show that as nations become more developed, fertility rates do not increase exponentially as predicted, nor even linearly, but eventually plateau or potentially even decrease. This concept, demographic transition, has many contributing factors, many of which are uncertain. Still, even if these influences are poorly constrained, the overall trend towards replacement rates of reproduction is well established. The best example of steady and sustainable population levels is the European Union. The EU is highly industrially and agriculturally developed, yet has growth rates near zero percent, and not onl y a sufficient domestic food supply, but an exportable surplus of grains. Some detractors may be quick to point out that this is not the case in many developing countries like India and Sudan, which face shortages of food and resources that are exacerbated by their rapid growth rate. While true, such criticisms do not stand up to the wealth of data showing a strongly correlated positive feedback loop between increasing education and economic gains and falling fertility rates. That is, once such nations in the second phase of demographic transition receive or implement educational and economic improvements, the resulting chain-reaction can move them into the third phase of sustainability before the population can outgrow their resources.

Understanding Finance and the Current Crisis Free Essays

string(309) " the US and UK was due to relatively easily available credit conditions that allowed a wide variety of individuals to purchase properties that were stretching their financial position to such an extent that, when fundamental factors changed, such as employment, the asset price could no longer be maintained\." Abstract The recent financial crisis has raised several different questions as to how the crisis emerged, in the first place, and whether there were any aspects of financial management that would have increased the extent of the crisis, or could be used to assist during the recovery period. Although the two primary areas that have been explored in the existing literature, namely the housing bubble and the slack credit criteria, it would appear that the real value of the existing literature came from the analysis of how the two factors interact, in terms of mitigating the ongoing economic crisis. Further research is required in this area, in order to gain a greater understanding of normal business cycles and how policy decisions can be used to influence behaviours, rather than being entirely reactive to external changes. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Finance and the Current Crisis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Introduction The current financial crisis which has been seen to be at the heart of the economic difficulties began in 2007 and has produced multiple questions as to how the basic principles of finance interacted with the crisis and the way that this could be used as a means of identifying potential crises, before they happen, thus potentially offering a means of assisting in the economic recovery. By looking at the way in which the recent financial crisis has spread across the globe, a great deal of insight can be gained as to how finance operates and how potential this can create a dramatic knock-on effect which will ultimately impact on the global economic position. The aim of the literature review is to analyse the various different research papers which have emerged as a result of the current crisis, with a view to gaining a much deeper understanding of the various financial issues. More specifically, behavioural finance will be explored, as a means of identifying any gaps in understanding, as well as potentially offering explanations as to the behaviours which either mitigate or exacerbate the depth of the current economic crisis. The literature review will look at issues associated with asset fluctuations and financial behaviours associated with credit which are seen to be the two key factors before considering how both of these have impacted on the overall economic behaviours and the implications that this has for both the current economic crisis and future research in this area. Asset Fluctuations Although there have been several different factors which have links to the recent economic crisis, with much research looking at the way in which the financial market moves, when various different analytical information reaches the market (Keynes 1930), it is suggested, in this case, that where there has been a dramatic increase in asset prices which cannot necessarily be explained by financial fundamentals, there are likely to be situations that result in a boom followed by a bust (Garber, 2000). Research in this area has indicated that, where asset prices deviate from what would be expected, based on fundamental financial factors, there is some form of inefficiency within the market which, at some point, will need to be redressed. Further research goes on to look at the situation where the price of the asset extends itself to such an extent that it goes outside of what would be considered to be normal boundaries and a bubble is formed. This is commonly referred to in the press as the housing price bubble, with reference to housing assets and the way in which they increased, at an unreasonable rate, over a relatively short period of time (Zheng, 2005). A great deal of effort has been put into attempting to explain asset price bubbles and why these bubbles arise, with a variety of different explanations being put forward. One particular theory which has emerged as to why an asset bubble may arise is that individuals behave in an irrational manner when making investment decisions. Despite this, some models have developed which allow for rational behaviour, but which also allow for an asset bubble to arise, for example, where investors may have expectations about how the assets are likely to change in value, in the future (Brunnermeier, 2001). This was put forward by Blanchard and Watson, back in 1982, where it was argued that there is no need for the asset price to always be equal to the fundamental underlying value of the assets and a bubble could be established based on rational expectation. This suggests that asset movements, such as that experienced in the housing market immediately prior to the financial crisis, would not necessarily be linked to irrationality and there may be other factors which ensure that these extreme bubbles will arise. Analysis has also taken place in terms of what causes the bubbles ultimately to disappear and whether there are aspects of behavioural finance which can be used to explain this trigger point, which is seen to be fundamental to the economic crisis, during the last few years (Marazzi, 2010). It is argued that the slightest shock can create a bust situation, for example, where there is a slight change in fundamental values or the beliefs of the investors. As investors change their approach, the slightest shift can ultimately create vision turmoil to establish a bust. Consider, for example, in the housing crisis where a slight change in how mortgage holders were able to repay the amount owed immediately created a liquidity problem within the lenders. It can be seen, therefore, that even a slight change in the circumstances of the borrowers can create an asset pricing situation where the fundamental value of these assets drop and the likelihood of repayment reduces (Gorton and Ordonez, 2012). Credit Booms The other area of relevance is seen to be the areas of credit and how the credit markets influenced the financial behaviours leading up to and during the financial crisis (Brusco and Castiglionesi 2007). To a large extent, it can be argued that the increase in the asset price of housing across the US and UK was due to relatively easily available credit conditions that allowed a wide variety of individuals to purchase properties that were stretching their financial position to such an extent that, when fundamental factors changed, such as employment, the asset price could no longer be maintained. You read "Understanding Finance and the Current Crisis" in category "Essay examples" Based on the research, it has been suggested that the recent economic crisis was, in fact, down to a credit situation within the financial markets and not necessarily the asset itself, namely houses. Immediately prior to financial crises, there is indication that there was also a rapid increase in the amount of credit being made available, and during the recent financial crisis, the focus has been on credit availability for the purposes of purchasing property. However, similar issues have also emerged in short-term credit, such as personal loans and credit cards allowing individuals to gain access to credit streams that their income would not necessarily suggest should be available to the rational lender (Calomiris and Kahn, 1991). Interestingly, research has indicated that a credit boom will often happen as a result of a prolonged period of positive economic shock or following from a particular, economic growth in a region or market. This will suggest that where there was a great deal of growth and buoyancy within the housing market, this was a precursor to the credit boom (Claessens et al., 2010). It is also argued that monetary policies are also seen to be linked to the credit crisis, and that an understanding of the financial decision-making within the financial market can have a detrimental effect on whether or not the credit boom takes place. For example, it is suggested that low interest rates encouraged the US housing market and that more people were able to borrow money, at this lower interest rate. This shows an indication that a monetary policy decision, namely to reduce interest rates can have a knock-on effect on asset prices and credit availability, all of which has been arguably fundamental when it came to the recent economic crisis (Lansing, 2008). This type of activity has been referred to as financial liberalisation, whereby investors of every kind are more inclined to take financial risks and to pursue new financial opportunities, such as purchasing property. This type of liberalisation could also be seen as inherently linked to the willingness of banks to lend to customers and to have less stringent lending criteria which would appear to be linked to the volatility within the housing market, as having such financial flexibility within the banking sector allowed for the housing assets to boom, at an irrational level. This again suggests the notion that external factors and policies can ultimately change behaviours of agents within the financial markets and the decisions that they make, in terms of their own investments and their own decision-making (Dell’Ariccia, Igan and Laeven, 2012) Combined Impact on Financial Markets Having identified that there are the two factors in the unnaturally high price of assets, namely housing assets and the lenient credit conditions which were placed on the market through policy decisions such as low interest rates and low interference with banking regulations that have been deemed to be inherently linked to the recent credit crisis, it is unsurprising that a wide amount of research has been undertaken to look at how these factors came together to create the shift in the financial markets that have occurred, in recent years. By looking at the combined movement within the credit markets and within the housing market, it was established that there were substantial differences between the movements experienced as a result of external factors during a period of economic crisis and the reactions of similar changes during periods of stability. This suggests that the financial markets behave differently during a crisis, something which may be very relevant to how policymakers should behave when looking to navigate their way out of the financial crisis period. It has been identified that one of the key factors linked to a bust which is likely to result in a credit crisis can be seen in the volatility of the movement within the financial markets. Having identified that the two issues of available credit and the increasing house prices are inherently linked and that both factors led to the credit crisis, the researchers largely moved on to identifying how these factors have created the behaviours seen within the economy, in the last few years. Banking institutions have been perceived to be central to this, as these were the institution that lent the money and made credit available in the first place and also the first institution to suffer when the asset price dropped from the exceptionally high level and borrowers began to default. Research has looked at the way in which the banking institutions operate under these conditions, as it is perceived to be a particularly important means of determining the impact that the financial market is having on the credit crisis and the potential recovery. An argument has been presented which suggests that, where borrowing and lending is collateralised in some way and the market price of that collateral changes for the negative, the organisation simply cannot rely on this collateral, in order to continue its operations (Schleifer, 2000). In this case, collateral is deemed to be housing assets, although many of the financial institutions use complex arrangements in order to bundle the deb ts and sell them on to third parties, although fundamentally they were linked to the housing assets which were dropping as a result of changes in monetary policies and increasing concerns over the sustainability of house prices. Crucially, it is therefore argued according to rational behaviours where investors (in this case house buyers) opinions on the likely future for the assets and their own ability to sustain the assets change, so do the financial markets surrounding these assets, something which is particularly exacerbated when policy decisions result in an increase in interest rates and fears relating to employment levels, all of which creates a spiralling situation and potentially volatile reactions from investors. Implications of the crisis A large portion of the research and the literature in this area looks at the causes of the economic crisis and attempts to identify patterns that could offer explanatory value as to why the crisis happened in the way that it did. However, it is contended in this literature review that the real value comes from identifying the implications of the asset and credit crisis, in terms of the reactions of financial institutions and how this can potentially be used as a means of recovery for the future. Specific research looking at the reasons for the financial bubble indicated that banking institutions were central to the crisis, in terms of encouraging excess lending and therefore also encouraging the unnaturally high house prices, which became unsustainable, in the long run. Some of the literature has focused almost entirely on the economic crisis and the impact that this has had on longer-term economic activity (Claessens, Kose, and Terrones, 2012). Research has indicated that, whilst the economic crisis itself created problems in the housing market, it also ultimately led to greater widespread recession than would normally be expected in the typical cycle associated with the performance of the economy. Various different research approaches have been taken in order to compute the precise impact that the recent economic crisis has had on financial markets and how this can ultimately be used to pave the way forwards. The approach taken by Claessens, Kose, and Terrones, 2012, used traditional methodology of analysis the business cycles, in order to identify whether or not a recessionary period is being entered into. This theoretical approach argued that recessionary periods, which are associated with a form of asset crisis, in this case a credit and housing would cost more to the economy overall than any drop associated simply with equity prices, e.g. as part of the traditional business cycle. Of perhaps more interest regarding this topic, going forward, is the way in which the financial markets are likely to recover from the period of recession, with research suggesting that recovery will typically be low and weak in comparison with the volatility of the drop, in the first place (Kannan, Scott, and Terrones 2013). This body of research is deemed to be highly relevant, as it not only looks towards linking the concept of credit crisis with the way in which the financial markets are behaving, but also explores how these two factors can interact, in order to deal with the recovery, in the most appropriate way, something which is likely to be of interest to policymakers and those within financial markets, for the future. Future possible research and conclusions Despite the myriad of different research papers which focus on different aspects of the credit crisis and have looked at the interaction between credit and housing, as well as external monetary factors, the real value comes from understanding the reactions and behaviours of an economic crisis, as a means of improving recovery prospects. One particular area of research that would be beneficial in this regard is the way in which the financial markets fluctuate, even where there is no ultimate crisis. This is deemed to be important, as there is a cycle that emerges within the financial markets which must necessarily be understood, if the true measure of a crisis is to be established, in the future. Without understanding what is perceived to be ‘normal’, it is simply impractical to appreciate the cause and effect of abnormal periods within the economic cycle and how these can be reduced or mitigated, in the long run. References Blanchard, O. J., and M. W. Watson, (1982), â€Å"Bubbles, Rational Expectations and Speculative Markets,† in Crisis in Economic and Financial Structure: Bubbles, Bursts, and Shocks, P. Wachtel, ed. Lexington Books: Lexington Brunnermeier, M. (2001). Asset Pricing under Asymmetric Information: Bubbles, Crashes, Technical Analysis and Herding, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Brusco S. and F. Castiglionesi (2007). â€Å"Liquidity Coinsurance, Moral Hazard and Financial Contagion,† Journal of Finance 62, 2275-2302. Calomiris, C. and C. Kahn (1991). â€Å"The Role of Demandable Debt in Structuring Optimal Banking Arrangements,† American Economic Review 81, 497-513. Claessens, S., G. Dell’Ariccia, D. Igan, and L. Laeven, (2010), â€Å"Cross-Country Experience and Policy Implications from the Global Financial Crisis,† Economic Policy. A European Forum, April 2010, Vol. 62. PP. 269-93 Claessens, S., M. A. Kose, and M. Terrones, (2012), â€Å"How do Business and Financial Cycles Interact?† Journal of International Economics, Vol. 87, pp. 178-90. Dell’Ariccia, G., D. Igan, and L. Laeven, 2012, â€Å"Credit Booms and Lending Standards: Evidence from the U.S. Subprime Mortgage Market,† Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol. 44, pages 367-84. Garber, P. M., (2000), Famous First Bubbles: The Fundamentals of Early Manias, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Gorton G. and G. Ordonez, (2012), â€Å"Collateral Crises,† NBER Working Papers, No. 17771, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. Kannan, P., A. Scott, and M. E. Terrones, (2013), â€Å"From Recession to Recovery: How Soon and How Strong,† in S. Claessens, M. A. Kose, L. Laeven, and F. Valencia, eds., Financial Crises, Consequences, and Policy Responses, forthcoming. Keynes, J. M., (1930) The Great Slump of 1930. London: The Nation Athen?um. Lansing, K. J., 2008, â€Å"Speculative Growth and Overreaction to Technology Shocks,† Working Paper Series 2008-08, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Marazzi, C. (2010) The Violence of Financial Capitalism, NY: Schleifer, A., (2000), Inefficient Markets: An Introduction to Behavioral Finance, Oxford University Press, Oxford Zheng, Z., (2005) From Rationality to Bounded Rationality, Australian Economic Papers, December, 455-474. How to cite Understanding Finance and the Current Crisis, Essay examples

Apparent Feminisms In The Play Trifles Essay Example For Students

Apparent Feminisms In The Play Trifles Essay Apparent Feminisms In The Play Trifles Essay Male domination in 1916, when Susan Glaspells play Trifles was written, was the way of life. Men controlled most women and women were not very outspoken during that time period. Mr. Wright in her play was no different from the rest, but she made him a symbol of all the men in the community. The play opens at the scene of the crime. The first three characters who enter the room are the three men involved in the investigation of the murder at hand. The purpose of their visit is to find evidence of motivation of murder, but the women who they leave downstairs find the very evidence that they are looking for. The men presume the women to be harmless for a couple of reasons one being: the women are left in the kitchen where, according to the Sheriff, there are nothing but kitchen things(1174). His comment was in response to the County Attorneys question about the Sheriff being convinced that there was nothing important in the kitchen nothing that would point to any motive (1174). The concerns of the women are considered little or silly and insignificant and this is the most important reason for the mens comments about them. The Sheriff laughs when the women express that maybe the frozen preserves have some meaning (1174). Mr. Hale, who is the husband of one of the women, comments women are used to worrying over trifles (1174). They figure the women are not dangerous because they are in a room where there could not possibly be any evidence, but also because they believe that the womens minds are so limited to trifles that they are not a threat to the investigation. The men feel that the women cannot think, cannot act, and cannot do any harm to their investigative work. However, the women find lots of evidence in that room. They do think, act, and sabotage the investigation. They find the very evidence that the men are looking for. In most stories of this nature the men are the center of attention, but Glaspell opens our eyes to something new. Not only do the men not solve the case, but they also arent the center of attention. Even though the men were not using lots of demeaning dialogue and they are not patronizing the women, it is clear that they are using the traditional manly ways to put the women down. Men say that they are superior to women and that they can do everything by themselves, but why is it that the County Attorneys biggest dilemma is that he cannot figure this case out by himself yet the women can? The mens lack of knowledge, the failure to solve the case, and the mens insignificance in the play speak for themselves. This is a reversal of the characterizations of the women of that time period. Glaspell was successful in showing us this by letting the audience see everything from a womans point of view. Not only were the men superficial feminists, they were simply trifles. Theater .

Affirmative Action Produces Double Standard in College Admission Essay Sample free essay sample

Affirmative Action Produces Double Standard in College Admission Consider this. President John F. Kennedy or Doctor Martin Luther King Junior would be partial to what affirmatory action has turned out to be. President Kennedy would proclaim what person could make for their state. Doctor King would be in resistance to the prejudiced impressions of affirmatory action by confirming to Americans to set preference aside to accomplish equality. non discriminatory intervention. America has distorted and moved beyond the bulk of racial barriers of the sixtiess. For case. Barack Obama. an Afro-american. was elected president of the United States in 2008 and reelected in 2012 in a state where Whites and inkinesss had to utilize separate H2O fountains merely less than fifty old ages earlier. Affirmative action is perchance one of the more ill-famed issues in the United States of American today. Put into action in response to many old ages of segregation. which marginalized the Afro-american pop ulation of the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Affirmative Action Produces Double Standard in College Admission Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page affirmatory action was intended to revoke the unethical determinations of the yesteryear. and level the playing field in footings of employment. instruction and lodging. The phrase ‘affirmative action’ was originally used by President John F. Kennedy on March 6. 1961. in Executive Order 10925. The purpose was to set up the government’s staunchness to equal chance for all qualified persons. and to take definite action to reenforce attempts to recognize equal chance for all. In 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson. superseded Executive Order 10925 with Executive Order 11246. which prohibited â€Å"employment favoritism based on race. colour. faith. and national beginning by those organisations having federal contracts and subcontracts† ( Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity n. pag. ) . Affirmative action is used to back up processs that achieve non-discrimination. In other words. it is intended to advance equal chance. The rationalisation for affirmatory action is that it compensates for â€Å"past favoritism. persecution or development by the governing category of a civilization. and to turn to bing discrimination† ( The Burning Platform n. pag. ) . Unfortunately. affirmatory action is rearward favoritism. which has obnoxious effects neglecting to convey to fruition its original purposes. Furthermore. affirmatory action is a impermanent solution and has no topographic point in today’s society. particularly in college admittance standards. The minute higher academic establishments incorporated affirmatory action into admittances standards. definite properties of applicants’ decreased. institutional support was placed in hazard. and bias scholarships were created. seting other minority groups at hazard. First. universities modify admittances demands. which allows for persons with below mean classs and accomplishments admittance into establishments of higher instruction. This is non merely corrupting and dissing to African-Americans. but it besides gives rise to performance-hindering stigma by â€Å"undermining the accomplishments of minorities† ( Friedman 26 ) . Furthermore. affirmatory action diminishes the successes of persons. doing affirmatory action counterproductive. Affirmative action labels the receivers as missing ability and mentally secon d-rate. It frequently overlooks curriculum differences. which play an built-in map in college admittance and graduation rates. For case. â€Å"Carnegie Mellon University and CalTech are to a great extent oriented toward the scientific disciplines. Fieldss in which inkinesss have ever had a little presence† ( The Burning Platform n. pag. ) . It obstructs appeasement. replacing out-of-date unfairnesss with modern unfairnesss. and convinces admittance campaigners to sort themselves as disadvantaged. even if they are non. Second. the monetary value and fiscal emphasis of affirmatory action plans should non be forgotten with pecuniary support furnished by taxpayers. and in utmost state of affairss. puting universities under extreme examination. Like any national plans intended to run into a peculiar adversity of an underserviced group. capital to endorse these policies comes from the populace sector. Money for affirmatory action plans is frequently set aside at the disbursal of much needed wellness attention plans. It is likely that affirmatory action plans eradicate one hundred billion in taxpayer dollars ( Whitaker 6 ) . In 2010. North Carolina State University wasted an estimated $ 1. 9 million dollars on a month long run to pull Afro-american females. The university had to increase its current registration of this minority group to three per centum. or lose critical federal and province support. Additionally. universities with a high Afro-american graduation rate provide a dearly-won nurturing environment. dwelling of orientation and keeping plans for black pupils. These third establishments place black pupil keeping and graduation rates above other enrolled pupils. It is clear that the extravagancy of prolonging affirmatory action plans at universities is a liability to the taxpayer and hence. the cost of such discriminatory plans outweigh the advantages. Third. rivals of affirmatory action contemplate that it maintains the construct of race: thriving in society. making separation alternatively of integrity. Separation can be witnessed in â€Å"color based scholarships and plans that give prefere ntiality to African-Americans and except bulk groups such as Caucasians† ( Whitaker 12 ) . By puting aside scholarships for African-Americans. Caucasic undergraduates are being discriminated against. peculiarly when a ‘white only’ scholarship is deemed racially prejudiced. Therefore. racial struggle is escalated and benefits the more fortunate public within the minority groups. upper-middle category African-Americans. at the disbursal of the least privileged within the bulk public. such as low-class Caucasians. These unseeable victims of affirmatory action’s lofty picks are human deaths of a barbarous dual criterion created by minority scholarships. Therefore. affirmatory action’s usage of categorized racial favoritism to allow African-Americans scholarships is insensitive and dissentious the policy’s declarations are compromised in their executing. The most widespread claim for affirmatory action is it amends the unfairness and favoritism created by segregation. Those who champion affirmatory action. like Beth Herring. alluded to the soci etal nature of affirmatory action by breaking the opportunities of an equal playing field. She believes. â€Å"education is the lone guaranteed flight latch on poorness that there is. Without person believing holistically about my application manner back when. I doubt really earnestly I would be sitting here earlier you† ( Kroft ) . Furthermore. advocates of affirmatory action have the most confidence in their perceptual experience that it creates diverseness in its projects. Their line of logical thinking is that for a â€Å"nation whose pride lies in the unbounded diverseness of it is people. why should America deficiency in assortment in the representation of its comfortable people and leaders† ( Guernsey 20 ) ? In other words. America’s diverse population should be reflected in all facets of leading. instruction. and social equality. Affirmative action can vouch these aims are met by providing minorities and underrepresented genders with chances they would non otherwise have. Advocates of affirmatory action should see present twenty-four hours society can non be held accountable for past decennaries of favoritism. The evil of affirmatory ac tion. such as racial favouritism and bias. are acceptable and overcast the cover of good will. therefore challenging that the policy leads to diverseness. However. by cut downing admittance norms and passing unearned benefits to African americans on applications or leading chances. the attack is switching the playing field to disrespect persons of the bulk group. Additionally. as aforesaid. affirmatory action creates racial apprehensiveness that hinders harmony among the minority and bulk groups. The purpose of oppositions of affirmatory action is non to minimise it. but. to do known that even executing good plants has its limitations. By measuring the present development of affirmatory action. an ascent or complete abolition is necessary. One declaration would be extinguishing partizan plans and quota strategies such as affirmatory action. As Guernsey suggests. another realistic solution includes finding affirmatory action programs’ receivers based entirely on virtue and economic demand ( 97-98 ) . With respects to grants and scholarships. virtue based assistance is advantageous. because nose count classs are purged from the ap plications. Thus donees are non wholly from one minority group. In add-on. William Whitaker argues that â€Å"people who work hard and play by the established virtue regulations should non be denied chances because of race and gender qualifications† ( 7 ) . â€Å"Affirmative action is a impermanent intercession designed to accomplish equal employment chance without take downing criterions. and without unduly treading the calling aspirations or outlooks of current organisational members who are competent in their jobs† ( Pienaar 4 ) . Affirmative action is the band-aide that needs to be removed with one clean pull. Trying to repair and pull off it would be an tremendous faux pas. â€Å"Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. the lone current black Justice. opposes affirmatory action† ( Kroft ) . Justice Thomas considers the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits affirmatory action or discriminatory intervention. He besides believes it creates â€Å"a cult of victimization† and implies inkinesss require â€Å"special intervention in order to succeed† ( Kroft ) . Affirmative action supports minority groups to delegate themselves as portion of favorite groups. to take advantage of group penc hant policies. which tend to profit chiefly upper and in-between category African-Americans. often to the hurt of low income Caucasians and Asians. Again. as higher academic establishments incorporated affirmatory action into admittances standards. definite properties of applicants’ lessenings. institutional support is placed in hazard. and bias scholarships are created. seting other minority groups at hazard ( for being overlooked ) . Plants Cited Chen. Jim. â€Å"Symposium on Affirmative Action: Diverseness and Damnation. † 11 Apr. 2009. Is Affirmative Action Still Needed? Ed. Theodore Wood. 20 Apr. 2009. Friedman. Lauri S. Racism: Writing the Critical Essay. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. 2007. Print. Guernsey. JoAnn Bren. Affirmative Action: A Problem or a Remedy? . Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company. 1997. Print Human. L. . Abednego Maphumulo. Mpumelelo Obed Mbatha. and G. S. Zulu. Affirmative Action and the Development of Peoples: A Practical Guide. Kenwyn: Juta A ; Co. Ltd. 1993. Print.Kroft. Steve. â€Å"Clarence Thomas: The Justice Cipher Knows. † CBSNews. com. 1 Feb. 2009. 09 Nov. 2012.Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. â€Å"A Brief History of Affirmative Action. † OEOD. uci. edu. 03 May 2010. 09 Nov. 2012.Pienaar. Jacques Schalk. â€Å"PERCEPTIONS OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND THE POTENTIAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THEREOF IN THE WORKEnvironment: A STUDY OF THE DESIGNATED AND NON-DESIGNATEDGROUPS IN SOUTH AFRICA. † UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH. Western Cape: Stellenbosch University. 27 Dec. 2009.The Burning Platform. â€Å"AFFIRMATIVE ACTION? . † The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education ( 2007 ) : n. pag. Web. 09 Nov 2012.Whitaker. William A. White Male Applicant: An Affirmative Action Expose. Izmir: AproposPress. 1996 Print.

Strong Acid Definition and Examples

Strong Acid Definition and Examples A strong acid is an acid that is completely dissociated or ionized in an aqueous solution. It is a chemical species with a high capacity to lose a proton, H. In water, a strong acid loses one proton, which is captured by water to form the hydronium ion: HA(aq) H2O → H3O(aq) A−(aq) Diprotic and polyprotic acids may lose more than one proton, but the strong acid pKa value and reaction only refers to the loss of the first proton. Strong acids have a small logarithmic constant (pKa) and a large acid dissociation constant (Ka). Most strong acids are corrosive, but some of the superacids are not corrosive. In contrast, some of the weak acids (e.g., hydrofluoric acid) may be highly corrosive. Note: As acid concentration increases, the ability to dissociate diminishes. Under normal conditions in water, strong acids dissociate completely, but extremely concentrated solutions do not. Examples of Strong Acids While there are many weak acids, there are few strong acids. The common strong acids include: HCl (hydrochloric acid)H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)HNO3 (nitric acid)HBr (hydrobromic acid)HClO4 (perchloric acid)HI (hydroiodic acid)p-toluenesulfonic acid (an organic soluble strong acid)methanesulfonic acid (a liquid organic strong acid) The following acids dissociate almost completely in water, so they are often considered to be strong acids, although they are not more acidic than the hydronium ion, H3O. HNO3Â  (nitric acid)HClO3Â  (chloric acid) Some chemists consider the hydronium ion, bromic acid, periodic acid, perbromic acid, and periodic acid to be strong acids. If the ability to donate protons is used as the primary criterion for acid strength, then the strong acids (from strongest to weakest) would be: H[SbF6]Â  (fluoroantimonic acid)FSO3HSbF5Â  (magic acid)H(CHB11Cl11)Â  (carborane superacid)FSO3HÂ  (fluorosulfuric acid)CF3SO3HÂ  (triflic acid) These are the superacids, which are defined as acids that are more acidic than 100% sulfuric acid. The superacids permanently protonate water. Factors That Determine Acid Strength You may be wondering why the strong acids dissociate so well, or why certain weak acids do not completely ionize. A few factors come into play: atomic radius - As the atomic radius increases, so does acidity. For example, HI is a stronger acid than HCl (iodine is a larger atom than chlorine).electronegativity - The more electronegative a conjugate base in the same period of the periodic table is (A-), the more acidic it is.electrical charge - The more positive the charge on an atom, the higher its acidity. In other words, its easier to take a proton from a neutral species than from one with a negative charge.equilibrium - When an acid dissociates, equilibrium is reached with its conjugate base. In the case of strong acids, the equilibrium strongly favors the product or is to the right of a chemical equation. The conjugate base of a strong acid is much weaker than water as a base.solvent - In most applications, strong acids are discussed in relation to water as a solvent. However, acidity and basicity have meaning in nonaqueous solvent. For example, in liquid ammonia, acetic acid ionizes completely and may be considered a str ong acid, even though it is a weak acid in water.

Applauding William Paterson Universitys Concert Performance Essay

Applauding William Paterson Universitys Concert Performance - Essay Example As the school’s Concert Band and Wind Ensemble played such favorites as Allegro Giocoso and Folk Song Suite, there were elements of strong orchestral harmony throughout the duration of their performances, which provided a competent musical event. No tangible discrepancies were noticed in relation to keeping up with the conductor’s tempo, suggesting a group which has practiced and rehearsed to remain harmonious. However, the Wind Ensemble appeared struggle through I Am – Richard Boysen, Jr. which may have been due to the difficulty of the piece as it is associated with a saxophone player who died in a car accident. The violent clashing of symbols to represent the accident’s hideous disgrace really emphasized the importance of the contemporary concert piece. Percussion dominated much of this series of performances, which added grandeur and excitement to the music. I have often thought that cymbals are often some of the most important instruments in the conce rt performance, as a slightly off-tempo clash can interrupt the harmony of the music. This performance lacked nothing in relation to maintaining the appropriate pace. Cymbals are used to represent a variety of emotions, perhaps as a stylistic tribute to history or as a remembrance piece to an influential person of interest.

Compare and contrast John Locke, David Hume and Immanuel Kant on the Essay

Compare and contrast John Locke, David Hume and Immanuel Kant on the nature of the self - Essay Example Their reasoning differed on the subject and it functionality. This paper’s aim is to analyze their most vocal beliefs and findings from each individual perspective. Renee Descartes is the typical ill lustration of a rationalist thinker. Descartes stated that before one explains the nature that reality embodies or claims that something is of existence they must first illustrate that what it reality and existence in themselves are. He asserted that human beings have such an â€Å"ordinary† existence in the world that they do not have a knowledge base that they can use as foundation (Seigel ,26). He further on insisted that there is the possibility that there is not such a thing as â€Å"unshakeable truths.† This means that the things that human beings believe in and the foundation, by which they swear, could in fact be just a mere illusion. All these are things that are created by the imaginations of the human mind. Therefore, the only thing that is of absolute certainty is that the self comes into existence thing of thought (thinking thing). Locke argues that overtime the human mind remain constant and does not experience alterations. He states that the human beings does not change and remains the very same as time progresses. He asserts that this constant remainder as the same person does not have anything to do with a lack of substance change in either the mental or the physical state (Seigel ,45). He asserts that a person’s identity is only related to their consciousness. The consciousness of the thoughts that a person has as well as his actions in the present are what determine the self. He further states that when one is in touch with their memory, this creates a link between the self and consciousness of the past. His idea is that things remain of the same identity so long as they do not experience any form of alteration as then they have new beginnings. Hume is of the