Globalization of the U.S. Subprime Mortgage Crisis Essay

The U. S sub prime Mortgage Crisis upset the world financial markets. The economy of the United States of America could combat the mortgage foreclosures for its efficiency. The global investors were wary of the fact that the sub prime mortgage crisis is a symptom of some unknown problems that the US economy is suffering from. In 1994, an almost insignificant less than 5% of all the mortgages in the U. S were sub prime. However by 2005, the figure had risen drastically to 20%. Sudden changes in the banking system were responsible for this increase. Earlier, mainly commercial banks were used to serving the American societies and they mainly offered fixed charge mortgages. In Detroit and in Boston this figure was 24. 6% and 15% respectively, whereas in California this figure was 14%. After a long period of stable interest rates with only a small downward trend, the rates started increasing. This decreased the demand for homes and hence causing a decrease in home prices. There was competition between the mortgage finance companies and mortgage brokers and the traditional banks in offering some new products. This growing competition produced a number of mortgage products and choices like sub prime loan of different varieties for the American consumers. Homeowners could not combat the increases in payments or even sell their homes because of market price depreciation. Almost 77% of the homes were overvalued in big cities like California (Enoch & Charles, 2007). Causes of the current U. S sub prime mortgage crisis. There seems to a common consensus that periods of rapid credit growth are accompanied by loosening lending standards. The former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan pointed in his speech to the Independent Community Bankers of America in 2001 that there was an unfortunate tendency among bankers to lend aggressively at the peak of a cycle and noted that this aggressive kind of lending could result to bad loans. This therefore means that the credit boom in America had a hand in causing the current sub prime crisis. Indeed more of the major banking crisis in the last a quarter a century occurred at times that there was an extremely fast credit growth. However not all credit booms are immediately followed by a banking crisis. For instance in a study by Barajas et al (2007), of the 135 credit booms that were identified, only 23 of them preceded a systematic banking crisis with this proportion increasing to 31 if the non-systemic episodes of financial distress are included. However almost half of the banking crisis were preceded by a credit boom. Larger and longer-lasting credit booms and those that have coincided with higher inflation and lower growth are more likely to end up in a crisis. Booms associated with fast rising assets and real estate prices are also more likely to lead to a crisis. The increase in home prices in early 2000 was completely unrealistic and made the homeowners believe that home prices will continue increase and make future refinancing and subsequent mortgages quite profitable. The loose standards made them believe that in buying expensive homes than they could have afforded with the traditional fixed rates loans and more expensive than they can afford now with their adjustable mortgage loans resetting. Most of the players in the mortgage market contributed to the crisis. Homeowners, brokers, lenders, rating agencies regulators, investors and central banks all played a role in the crisis. The homeowners ran into flexible loans with no understanding of them and even some lied on stated income loan applications (Giang, & Anthony, 2007, p. 39). The lenders hurriedly offered riskier loans to borrowers as loan products with adjustable rates transfer great part of a risk from the lender to the borrower. This risk transfer is the reason was the main contributing factor as to why the offered higher commission to brokers if they sold adjustable loan. Brokers were also controlled by greed and started offering adjustable mortgages to borrowers who would qualify for prime loans. However, lenders never expected such huge foreclosures and extreme flooring of house prices. Central banks and other huge investors have experienced significant losses as a result of mortgage asset devaluation. The risk of investing in securities backed by mortgage never came to realization as should have been. The investor mainly relied on investment grade ratings applied to mortgage backed securities by rating agencies. Historical data backed models are mainly used by rating agencies to provide investment rating. Mortgage backed securities have excellent historical date whereas adjustable mortgage loans and their innovative variations being new products on the mortgage market have no historical data. The regulators missed to prevent the crisis through legislation that would regulate higher lending standards. They can play a great role in prevention of an economic crisis (Eric, 2008). Global Spread of the U. S sub prime mortgage The recent volatility in the global financial markets due to the US sub prime mortgage has not spared banks throughout the world. In Saudi Arabia, banks have been able to absorb only minimal exposure to distressed loans. For instance, Saudi Basic Industries Corporations have faced some constraints. Superficially, the happenings of the global market seems little unaffecting to Saudi Arabia. However since the peaking of the US stock markets, the Tadawul All-share Index has been maintaining an upwards trend. For instance, strong demand meant that investors accepted a lower yield than previously indicated for a SABIC bond in the month of July 2007. In this case, the bulk of demand came from Middle East and mainly from Saudi Arabia. Other bonds issued by the Gulf Cooperation council suffered and a greater caution could likely have had an impact on investor perceptions of Saudi Arabia risk. Higher credit spread had increased the cost of borrowing even after taking into consideration any reduction in the Federal funds rate. Even though the costs of borrowing were not high to deter borrowing, the prospect of issuing debt had deteriorated forcing the companies to revise their plans. This placed an opportunity to large Saudi investors who are not reliant on new or foreign borrowing and therefore were better positioned to acquire foreign assets, generally at lower prices than prior to recent market moves. Saudi Arabia has been developing its mortgage market though the mortgage law is still to be approved, the housing finance industry is beginning to take off and there are loans available for homeowners to secure. However with the legal and regulatory infrastructure not in place, the crisis in the US has slowed the growth. The crisis in the US also hit demand and thus prices for other commodities produced by Saudi Arabia such as plastics. Lastly, due to the exchange rate peg, the interest rates were cuts further and this further the riyal weakened along with the dollar (Gerry & Paul, 2007). European country such as the United Kingdom and Spain faces an even larger housing problem as lenders are becoming more cautious. This implies that consumer spending in Europe is also experiencing the crunch of the US sub prime crisis. The current slowdown impacts on all parts of the chemical industry as housing is a key source of chemical demand. Sectors that directly supply the housing and automotive sector in the West are hardest hit. In the United Kingdom, though there are different circumstances, the effect of the US sub prime mortgage crisis are being experienced. First, there are fewer mortgages given to people of less credit worthiness compared to the other mortgages in the market in the UK whereas in the US this proportion is significantly large. In addition, about half of the borrowers in this proportion of sub prime mortgage in the UK do not have a history of significant payment problems. Secondly, the interest rates in the UK have been relatively stable compared to the US where there had been rapid rises in interest rates. Thirdly, in the UK, the house prices have been booming compared to the Us where the house prices have been decreasing leaving borrowers mired in negative equity and unable to sell their homes in order to service their loans. Finally, the lending criteria in the UK are much stricter than in the US that have been loose. However, despite all these the effect of the US sub prime mortgage crisis is being felt in the UK with the Bank of England taking a warning of then dangers of bailing out institutions that had taken reckless lending decision for profits. It also leads to the Bank of England cutting interest rates at the start of 2008. The US sub prime mortgage crisis has an impact on the Germany economy where the hardest hits are the German banks. The Industrial bank in Germany managed a fund that had invested in credit portfolios, which included US sub prime real estate loans. Commerce bank, which is the second largest bank in Germany, reported that the US subprime mortgage market had cost it 80 million euros in the second and last quarter of the financial year 2007. In the financial years 2007/2008, IKB expects that the crisis will influence negatively on its projected earning of 280 euros (Christopher, 2008). References Christopher B. L. (2008). The Next Slum, The Atlantic Monthly.New York: Oxford university press. Enoch and Charles. (2007). Rapid Growth in Credit: Endless Boom or EarlyWarning? New York: International Monetary Fund and Palgrave. Eric Janszen. (2008). The next bubble: The markets for tomorrow’s big crash. London: Harper’s press. Gerry, G. & Paul, F. (2007). A House of Cards: from fantasy finance to global crash. London: Lupus Books. Giang, H. and Anthony. (2007). â€Å"The Varying Effects of Predatory Lending Criteria on Mortgage Applications†, Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review 89(1), pp. 39-59.

Japanese Street Fashion

The beginning of the 21st century, it formed street fashion, a fashion style in which the wearer customizes outfits by adopting a mixture of current and traditional trends. At present, there are many styles of dress in Japan, created from a mix of both local and foreign labels. Some examples of popular styles are: Laity, Gaur and Decors fashion. Laity is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing. It is usually consisted of knee length skirt or dress with a cupcake† shape assisted by petticoats.Laity fashion has evolved into many different sub styles that are present in many parts of the world. The most popular sub categories are: gothic Laity, sweet Laity and the punk Laity. Laity has popularized by the more feminine visual eke or â€Å"visual style† artists. Visual eke is a fashion among Japanese musicians, who are usually male, featuring make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes Guar fashion is a type of Japanese str eet fashion that was popular in the sass, but shortly died out in the early sass.It is often portrayed as a sign of youth rebellion as it is the opposite of the traditional idea of beauty in Japan. Guar fashion is typically characterized by heavily bleached or dyed hair, highly decorated nails, and dramatic makeup. Popular sub categories include: Kangaroo, Him guar and Anne guar. The Decors style originated in the late ass and rose to great popularity both in and outside Japan. The clothes are usually in black, dark pink r baby pink and neon.A plain shirt and hooded are often worn with short tutu-like skirts. The most important part of the style is to pile on many layers of cute accessories until the clothes worn underneath are barely visible. Leg and arm warmers, knee socks, and many accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, lights, children's toys, mittens, face masks and sunglasses are worn atop each other in different layers. The style is worn to give the youthful and inn ocent image.

The Nature of Leadership

Leadership can refer both to the process of leading, and to those entities that do the leading. Leadership has been a central, and sometimes controversial, topic in the study of organizations. In spite of claims to the contrary, there is substantial evidence that leadership is positively related to a variety of individual and organizational outcomes. Leaders, by their very roles, are responsible for making decisions that help their organizations adapt and succeed in competitive environments (Antonakis et al, 2004). Leaders do not merely impose goals on followers, but work with others to create a shared sense of purpose and direction. Leaders primarily work through and with other people. They also help to establish the conditions that enable others to be effective. Leadership is a function more than a role. Although leadership is often invested in – or expected of – persons in positions of formal authority, leadership encompasses a set of functions that may be performed by any different persons in different roles throughout a community. Leaders manage and managers lead, but the two activities are not synonymous. Management functions can potentially provide leadership; leadership activities can contribute to managing (Antonakis et al, 2004). Reflecting based on the above statements made me realize that effective managers do not only administer the people under him/her but should also be a prime initiator of innovation in which tasks and goals of the department and the organization as a whole. As such, managers should be creative as well as discerning when it comes to analyzing and assessing the resources of the company. Developing and evaluating the efficiency of a particular operation strategy will be helpful in maintaining the overall competitiveness of the business organization. In effect, being able to contemplate the factors that will greatly influence the success of the business should be highly considered through objective investigation of the current conditions of the business environment particularly the industry to which the company belongs. The three major leadership styles: laissez-faire, democratic, and authoritarian leadership. Laissez-Faire leaders take no initiative in directing or managing the group; he/she allows the group to develop on its own, as it has no real authority. Specifically, the leader answers questions, provides information, or gives no reinforcement to the group. Furthermore, the leader evaluates and criticizes little, and is thereby non-threatening. The leader allows the members to make their own decisions (Antonakis et al, 2004). On the other hand, democratic leaders provide directions, but allow the group to make its own decisions. Specifically, members are encouraged by democratic leaders to determine goals and procedures, and to stimulate their self-direction and self-actualization (Antonakis et al, 2004). Moreover, democratic leaders offer suggestions and reinforce members' ideas. After offering these suggestions, providing information, and clarifying ideas, the leader allows the group to make the decision. In leadership styles, the democratic leader is in the middle of the styles. The authoritarian leader is the opposite of the laissez-faire leader. The authoritarian leader sets the agenda, determines the group's policies, assigns tasks to the members, and makes decisions for the group without consulting them. In the end, the leader takes responsibility for the group's progress, but accepts very few suggestions from the group (Antonakis et al, 2004). Rarely do the group members communicate with one another, but they communicate with the leader. Leaders should have vision for the organization. The leaders sell vision by visible management attention, proactive policies and procedures, recognition systems, incremental change expectations, and shared glory (Antonakis et al, 2004). Leaders should also have faith that in change, the organization can accomplish its purpose. Moreover, leaders should have integrity, an ethical sense of justice, fairness, and honesty, so that the members can believe in their word. In regards to leaders in an organization as the life-giving elements in every organisation in that without managers, organizations cannot possibly function properly. Thus, a strong link is noted between a leader’s efficiency and organization performance (Antonakis et al, 2004). It has been recognised that leaders are a significant power behind the progress and successful development of an organisation’s strategy and such success is very much dependent upon their attitudes, behaviour and commitment to their specific responsibilities. The basic tension that underlies many discussions of organisational change is that it would not be necessary if leaders had done their jobs right in the first place. Planned change is usually triggered by the failure of people to create continuously adaptive organizations. Thus, organizational change routinely occurs in the context of failure of some sort. Successful change must involve leaders who initially instigate the change by being visionary, persuasive and consistent. A change agent role is usually responsible to translate the vision to a realistic plan and carry out the plan. It is impossible for a leader to get extraordinary achievement alone. Moreover, teamwork is needed in an unstable market and most especially in the business we are in. If you can’t depend on others, you will never become a leader because the better we are able to innovate if we feel we are more trusted. If a leader trusts his staff, his staff will trust him back. As a leader, trust is needed and that a team should be bonded with the capacity to trust each other (Antonakis et al, 2004) . Leadership comprises the aptitude and ability to inspire and influence the thinking, attitudes, and behavior of other people. Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of other individuals in the achievement of a common task. Although this specification seems relatively simple, the reality of leadership is very complex. Intrapersonal factors such as ideas and emotions, interact with interpersonal processes (i.e., attraction, communication, influence) to have effects on a dynamic external environment. Each of these aspects brings complexity to the leadership process. References Antonakis, John, Cianciolo, Anna T. and Sternberg, Robert. The Nature of Leadership.   United States: Sage Publishing House, 2004.            

E-Business Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-Business Systems - Essay Example The mission statement of Reebok includes two very significant aspects; Through online retailing Reebok is indeed trying to reach nearer the customer and igniting the passion for more purchases. Listening to the requirements of the time and IT era, Reebok has indeed put in lot of successful efforts to make the online retailing site more customer friendly. Reebok has earned a name for itself in the field of sporting goods and sponsorships, therefore to maintain the leading brand identity requires investments with adaptive and corrective actions at crucial junctures. E-business is just one such step. It can be safely said that, 'Information is power! It is an asset that can help overcome the glorious uncertainties and opens new avenues for doing business. Marketing, plays a crucial role in this entire business process. For an effective marketing strategy psychological needs of the customer(s) are to be kept in mind. These needs must be met in order for a person to be persuaded to purchase a product or service. E-business is no exception. Here the website visitor is persuaded to close the deal successfully by following a five step strategy. This can be done with building trust and confidence by meeting the psychological marketing needs of that visitor and potential customer while escorting that visitor through the selection and purchasing process. These five levels of the sales process are the core components that will move a website viewer from visitor to customer or client. The five levels are; Marketing/Prospecting to the Target Market and Audience: Prospecting is the result of marketing. It's the delivery of targeted qualified traffic to the company's virtual storefront. This can be achieved by search engine optimization, pay per clicks, or advertisements that draw people to the company's site. Once they are there it is the job and responsibility of the company to deliver its Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Though Reebok doesn't appear to be making frantic efforts towards attracting the audience from all around, but once they are in the virtual store, there's lot for the customer to have a look at, different varieties, technologies that are being used in designing the shoes, video bites of sporting personalities etc. Building Credibility and Trust - (viewer needs this to move forward): In a brick and mortar business trust is built by human interaction. Greeting a person when they walk in the door or physically helping them find something that they are looking for, helps in business propositions. For a virtual store the company is supposed to make sure that the site appears to be trustworthy, it has a professional appearance. The company is also supposed to know how long does it take to open the web-page How easy is it navigating through (i.e. user friendly links and

Key Learning Outcomes of the Module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Key Learning Outcomes of the Module - Essay Example It shall reflect on how the process of working on my assignment in the group improved my understanding of the issues that have been raised. Reflection on Key Outcomes It can be stated that reflection lies around the notion of learning. Reflection is referred as the process of working upon what has been already been known. It is essentially done in order to consider the acquired learning in greater details. It can be considered as a mental processing that can be utilised in order to fulfil the objectives or attain certain probable outcomes (Moon, 2001). The overall study was a learning experience for me. It helped me to identify the ways to work in a group. I recognised the fact that it is quite significant for the senior members of the audit team to review all the pertinent matters taking place from the audit and also to reconsider the financial statements. Furthermore, it came to my understanding that internal control system tends to comprise the control environment as well as contr ol procedures. Moreover, it further comprises all the procedures as well as policies in order to ensure that the business is conducted in an efficient and effective way. However, I also came to the conclusion that internal controls offer reasonable assertion due to the innate limitations such as human error taking place because of the mistakes in judgement and distractions (ICANIG, 2012). It came to my understanding that there are a few steps of the audit that need to be maintained by the auditors. The first step is the pre-engagement phase which is required for serving the client’s best interest with competence as well as professionalism. The auditor is also required to prepare letter of engagement whose chief purpose is to confirm terms of the engagement. The other step in the audit process is the planning phase where the auditor is required to obtain an understanding of the client. While undergoing the course, I was aware of the fact that the auditors undergo both legal as well as professional duties. The auditors are needed to carry out investigations that will permit them to create an opinion. They are further required to audit the accounts with adequate skills and care. I recognised the fact that the auditors are required to minimise the expectation-performance gaps in order to offer the firms with consistent financial statements and to minimise the frauds and errors in such statements (Hayes & Schilder, 2012). I came across the terms such as auditor’s independence and its significance for the auditors. It came to my understanding that the auditor independence is one of the most significant aspects of the auditing profession. It tends to add value to the audited financial statement. However, I was astonished by the fact that there are several threats to the auditor’s independence. One of the threats that I came across in the study was the intimidation threats that tend to take place while the auditor is prevented from acting objectiv ely in relation to actual threats from the customer. The other threat that I learnt from the study was the advocacy threats that are likely to occur when the auditor makes an attempt in order to promote the clients’ opinion. Familiarity threats take place when the auditor is found to become too concerned with the interests

Course of negotiants Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Course of negotiants - Case Study Example Organizations feel the need for negotiations depending on three different perspectives. The first is when the parties involved are interested in establishing a relationship on a particular front and work towards reaching a common understanding on the connected parameters and constraints. The other case when negotiations usually take place is in the case of disagreements over a number of issues and this usually occurs on a wide range of issues right from economic to military/nuclear based decisions. The other form of negotiations or bargaining is used by organizations when they are supposed to make a decision on or whose future course of operation is dependent on the decision by another organization. Typical examples of the last form are common case when a nation is deciding the amount of subsidies to be offered to a country from the third world (Muthoo, 1999). A lot of the negotiations are based on economic related issues and the most usual cases at an organizational level pertain to issues such as salaries, work conditions, promotions etc. in the present case, the dispute between the AUT (Association of University Teachers) and the Universities in the UK during 2005-06 shall be discussed and an attempt shall be made to analyze the course of the negotiations by assessing against them against the various negotiation and bargaining theories that shall be discussed in the coming chapters. In 2006, the AUT was involved in a wage dispute with UK universities as their salaries had not been increased despite a rise in the amount of tuition fees. As a result of the dispute in wages, the AUT was forced to observe a strike and this prompted the need for negotiations in order to settle the connected issues. The most important requirement to press ahead with the negotiations was the fact that the universities were concerned that if no proper action was taken, then the students' schedule would get affected as a result of the increase in the agitation on the part of the AUT. As the specifics of the negotiations are discussed, it will become clear that there was a lot of progress on a number of issues and a number of key decisions were taken during the course of the negotiations on issues such as increased wages and revised work schedules.The dissertation will work towards analyzing a number of options that arose during the course of the AUT-university negotiations and this shall be done by analyzing the variables that determined the resulting outcome of the negotiations. The paper will also work towards establishing the various fa ctors that influenced the course of the negotiations in the long run. It is also deemed important that the research also focus on assessing how things could have improved during the negotiation process and will attempt to analyze each of the possibilities. The next section will comprise the literature review of the dissertation and will attempt to discuss the various theories by looking up at the various literatures available. LITERATURE REVIEWThe previous section has provided a brief introduction about the purpose of dissertation and the basic issues that the research will cover as part of the current case study. However, the analysis is being performed by basing upon a number of theories that are an inherent part of negotiation and b

Alcohol Abuse in Adolescents and Personality Essay

Alcohol Abuse in Adolescents and Personality - Essay Example Today, however, we will be considering the link between alcoholic abuse in adolescents and personality by reflecting upon two of the major personality traits that researchers believe to be indicative of Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among Australian adolescents. In 2001, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey reported that approximately two-thirds of 14-17 year-olds used alcohol, with almost one-fifth admitting that they consumed alcohol on a regular basis, while the Australian Temperament Project (ATP) revealed that some 25 percent of 13-14 year-olds had used alcohol within the previous month. The project also reported a serious increase in the amount of adolescents using alcohol, with 60 percent of 15-16 year-olds, and 85 percent of 17-18 year-olds, having consumed alcohol within the past month (Smart, Vassallo, Sanson, Richardson, Dussuyer et al.2003). The misuse of alcohol among adolescents is an increasingly serious problem. Although it has been shown that many teenagers do not suffer from alcohol-related problems (Bonomo, Coffey, Wolfe, et al., 2001), there exists a large sub-group who engage in dangerous levels of drinking. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW 2003), for example, reported that approximately 35 percent of 14-17 year-olds, and 64 percent of 18-24 year-olds, consume high-risk levels of alcohol. The incidence of dangerous drinking patterns was even higher among Australia's Indigenous youth (AIHW 2003). Alcohol and Personality - Current Literature An Australian survey (Shanahan & Hewit, 1999), which was conducted in order to discover the needs of a national alcohol campaign, reported that adolescents aged between 15-17 years identified the major influences in their use of alcohol as being: The desire to try new experiences (79%); the need to socialise with peers (77%); peer pressure (68%); a way of escaping from their problems (66%); and trying to dispel feelings of inadequacy/insecurity (66%). Other literature has also revealed similar results. Labouvie (1990) and Maggs (1997), for example, found that some adolescents used alcohol in relation to psychosocial adjustment and functioning. However, alcohol abuse and dependency usually results from a progressive development, which involves the dynamic interplay of a wide variety of influences spread over a long period of time.The way in which personality affects this process has received widespread research and/or study, through which it has been shown that; "By the first grade, or earlier, children show temperament and behaviour traits that are powerful indicators of their inclination to use and abuse drugs in their teenage and adult years. Researchers have identified not only common childhood risk factors and behaviours that predict drug abuse potential but also protective factors that shield some children from influences to use drugs" (Neil Swan, 1995). A number of long-range studies, which traced 1,242 at-risk children over a twenty-year period, identified two important risk factors predicting future alcoholic abuse. These were, shyness - described as "sitting alone, having few friends and not

Small Group Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Small Group Dynamics - Essay Example I was considered to be the team leader for my group so I started with the point that I am glad to speak about the industrial training that we have went just before a couple of days. And i also continued with the point that the industrial visit was really a good thing because we were able to gain more knowledge regarding how the telecommunications worked. so i raised a question to my friend arthy asking what she is thinking about the industrial training she was very bossy and adamant so she turned the topic to a different side saying that the training was of no use because we were there hardly for a day and a half. So she also stated that nothing could be possible within that time to learn or to implement things. For which another mate Dhiranya started to tell i am sorry arthy i do go with Dharni because it taught us something. She also said that if you think that we have been there for nothing, so far we were learning about the telecommunications only theoretically so it was of no use to know how the things will look like, only after visiting the place we were able to see some receivers, transistors the network communication and all the other technical things she completed her point saying like this and waited for the reply. There as a leader I have to speak something and i started to stick on to the point and said my friend arthy I too go with dhiranya saying that so far if some one asks us to speak about something regarding telecommunication we would have explained them in a theoretical way but only after the training we could explain them in a better manner for an instance we can even draw and show them the things and the technical machines that we saw there. And I soon realized that Vidhya was left alone without giving her the time to discuss with us and said straightaway to the team stating that let Vidhya have her turn to think about the situation. vidhya started saying thank you for giving me a turn and said that she would go with rest of the team stating that she had some practical knowledge and it was also a useful thing to be included in her study material. She also said that she was able to know certain things that how to sort out a problem for a particular telephone connection among the million wires interconnected there. But suddenly arthy rose to a great height and said if you say so will you be able to set a default tele line straightaway without any help. This was a great conflicting thing to our group and soon accommodating to the situation Vidhya continued and said of course I will be able to do that if I have some proper training as I know where the things lie but the next step of disconnecting and joining the wires would be possible by proper training. Again arthy avoided the point and said so this was entirely a true waste of time. There of course i used my creativity and my bossiness to put a full stop to the point and said it will be a mere waste if you think that the explanations given by the faculty for our lessons are also the same as the training that we visited. Though she was taken aback for a few minutes she was finding her mistake and compromised with the answer that was given by me. So at last she said of course the training was interesting and some what helpful to an extent. But, she looked taken aback and

Voices of Youth Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Voices of Youth Violence - Essay Example The youth are a very vulnerable group in the society and should always be handled with care. Not that they are delicate but they are an easy target when it comes to danger. The rules of engagement for a changed society that is ready to adopt t new way of doings things should be founded on honesty and respect as suggested by therapist Pipher. Understanding the rules of engagement, such as tone in arguments of the youth, would be much easier to solve their issues and come up with a more organized society when it comes to decision making processes. The youth deserve respect, and need to be heard when airing their voices about violence or for how long shall they cry go unanswered? Their decision making process is compromised and any attack which will be launched on them despite of type will for sure compromise their activities. The Dalai Lama posits that â€Å"The purpose of life is to be happy and to make others happy. From a keen perspective, these words and more so Harvey’s statement from his book do carry a natural and much more attention to the platitudes of politicians that motivates one to realize that such cases which lead to the death of young people in the society are generated and instigated by a certain group of people which in one way or the other, leave an indelible mark on people’s psyche.

Investigatory Project Physics Essay Example for Free

Investigatory Project Physics Essay The objective: The objective was to see which colored jars had the highest emissivity (or absorbed heat the fastest) which colors radiate heat the fastest by performing independent tests for heating cooling the colored jars. Methods/Materials Nine of the 10 small jars were painted on the outside with different colors of enamel paint. The 10th jar was used as the control variable. For the heating testing, the colored jars were divided into 3 groups. Group 1: red, blue, yellow; Group 2: gold, silver, black; Group 3: white, green, purple. Each jar started with 80 mL of 24 degree C tap water. The worklight had 2 high-powered lights of 500 watts each and 4 jars were tested at a time (each group was tested 1 at a time; one jar always being the control) for a total of 3 tests for 1 heating trial. There were 2 jars per light, both 20 cm from the light and 3 cm from each other. The 4 jars each had calibrated glass thermometers in them to monitor the water temps. A foil wall was put between the 2 lights to keep light heat from affecting the other lights jars. The temps were checked every 10 min. for a 100-min. period and recorded. For the cooling trial, 59 degree C water was poured into the 10 jars. The temps were checked and recorded the same way as the heating trial. Results The green jar heated the fastest with its temp rising to 63 degrees C at the end of the period. Blue followed with 59 degrees C. Black was near average, with 52 degrees C. Gold stayed coolest with 41 degrees C. All colors cooled at almost the same rate but Black always had the coolest temp compared to the other jars. Conclusions/Discussion The hypothesis was incorrect in the heating trial, but was supported in the cooling trial. During research a picture of the visible spectrum was found, showing blue and green with the thickest bonds. Maybe thats why the blue and green jars heated the fastest appeared to have the highest emissivity. The black jar cooled the quickest maybe because its color had the jar absorb the heat from the water. Green appeared to have the highest emissivity. It may be linked to why chlorophyll is green. If the colored jars were placed under a light source, the darkest color of the set would heat the fastest (or have the highest emissivity); if all colored jars were cooled from the same temperature, the darkest would cool the fastest.

Genetic and Environmental Factors for Criminality

Genetic and Environmental Factors for Criminality Is a crime committed because the criminal is a rational being, able to make the decision to offend as an act of free will? Does the crime occur because environmental influences – parents, peer group, culture and so on – determined the act would invariably happen? Or is the real clue to be found in the genes: are criminals born not made?† (Hollin, 1989, p.3-4) Discuss each of these perspectives and consider which theory (or combination of theories) is the most plausible and why? Introduction: What motivates individuals to commit crimes, particularly violent crimes against other individuals has been the subject of research in criminology for over two hundred years. Globally the search for the causes of crime continues to form the bedrock of most criminological studies (McLaughlin et al., 2003, p.73).The nature versus nurture debate in respect of criminology has been central to the research, having been especially intense, and often emotional in explaining criminal behaviour (Sarbin and Miller, 1970). The debate regarding the relative impact of genetics and environmental influences continues to inform a considerable body of research. In respect of commission of crime two distinct schools of thought have dominated the debate. Classical criminologists approach the question from the standpoint of individuals having, and employing, a free will. They take no account of the circumstances or environment in which an individual has been formed, taking the view that a criminal commits a crime because he wants to, the deed depending only on the voluntary determination of the individual (McLoughlin et al., 2003, p.53). On the other hand are those who believe that an individual acts in a certain way as a result of the circumstances in which he finds himself. It is only when the circumstances conspire against an individual that he will commit a certain criminal act, but this will not happen simply as a consequence of his wanting to (McLoughlin et al., 2003, p.53). Those approaching the problem from this point of view believe that intervention programmes and improvements in circumstances could reduce levels of violent crime in society. The aim of this paper is to investigate these theories and the evidence in support of each of them. I will conclude with a consideration of which is the most plausible theory, or combination of theories, following on from the arguments given. The Concept of Crime and Criminology: Criminal acts may, in their simplest form be thought of as acts which are prohibited by the law and they can be specific to a particular culture, what is acceptable in one, being unacceptable and unlawful in another. There have been wide ranging definitions of what constitutes crime, but this has been problematic as there is no general agreement on what crime is (Jones, 2006).The fact that crimes do not constitute natural or homogenous behavioural categories poses particular difficulties in identifying the subject matter of criminology and for constructing theories of â€Å"crime† and â€Å"criminal behaviour† (Blackburn, 2000, p.16). Because of the difficulties faced in defining the patterns of behaviour associated with criminality, there is an associated difficulty in isolating the causal effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors and the extent to which these exert an influence on an individual’s behaviour. More and more evidence is suggesting that the crimina l justice system is home to individuals with psychological problems. The fact that many of these problems have been shown to have a genetic component suggests that individuals could find themselves engaging in criminal activity (Jones, 2005). In order to address this problem and effectively treat the individuals involved, it is necessary to attempt to establish the causes of these psychological problems. Criminal Behaviour: Criminal behaviour is defined in the context of the legal structure adopted by a society. It is a widely held view that criminal behaviour falls within the realms of anti social behaviour. The influence of genetic components on anti social behaviour has been investigated by Morley and Hall. They suggest three different ways to define anti-social behaviour as follows: Anti-social behaviour can be equated with criminality and delinquency, with individuals involved being liable to arrest and involvement in the criminal justice system which may include prison; Anti-social behaviour can be defined as a result of personality disorders, particularly anti social behaviour problems which lead to an increased risk of involvement in criminal behaviour; Anti-social behaviour can be defined as a measure of personality traits, which can lead to an increased likelihood of engaging in criminal behaviour. These include aggression and impulsiveness, both of which have been associated with increasing levels of criminal behaviour. (Morley and Hall, 2003, cited in Jones, 2005). Genetic Factors: Family studies have been the focus of research for quite some time. While the early studies in this area suggested that there was an inherited basis for a predisposition towards criminal activity, it was shown that environmental influences could modify an individuals characteristics and personality (Joseph, 2001). Research like that carried out by Joseph was questioned largely in methodological terms, but nonetheless raised important questions which became the focus of a great deal of further research (Jones, 2005). In recent years the study of genetics, largely as a result of more sophisticated techniques, has become one of the fastest moving and most significant areas of modern science (Williams, 2004, p.131), giving an enormous insight into the make up and working of the human body, including the mind. Human behaviour patterns are generally accepted to be an interaction of life experiences and genetic predispositions (Mednick et al., 2003, p.77), with an acceptance of biological e xplanations only suggesting that criminals are inherently defective (Blackburn, 2000, p.136). The idea that genetics are a factor in criminal behaviour has existed for a very long time, one of the earliest studies in this area being carried out in 1877 by Richard Dugdale. His work investigated the criminal behaviour of a notorious American family called the â€Å"Jukes†, six of whom Dugdale had encountered in prison. When tracing their family tree over a period of two thousand yeas, Dugdale found a history of poverty, prostitution, and crime. With no scientific basis for his supposition, he attributed this to the â€Å"degenerate nature of the family, and despite the lack of scientific support, the work was very influential at the time. He did not consider the fact that the family members were being impacted upon by the same or very similar environmental factors which could have impacted substantially on their behaviour. By the end of the nineteenth century, scientific theories in respect of heredity had taken on increasing importance and were being supported by empirical evidence, albeit doubtful in validity. Another early writer, Goring, suggested in 1913 that criminal tendencies were basically inherited. He studies convicts from the same families and found that the correlation for criminal behaviour was very similar to that for some physical characteristics such as eye colour, and stature, suggesting that the genetic material passed on by parents was vital in shaping the way their children would turn out. Parents who were criminals would pass this trait on to their children in the same way in which they might pass on any other characteristic (Goring 1913, cited in Williams, p.132). Twin Studies: Twin studies have been important in trying to establish links between genetics and subsequent behaviour. There are two types of twins: Monozygotic twins come from the same egg. They are commonly known as identical twins, although this is, in fact, incorrect. They have the same genetic structure, are the same sex and have a very similar physical appearance. Dizygotic twins occur when two eggs are fertilised simultaneously and are no more genetically similar that any two siblings. It could therefore reasonably be said that if monozygotic twins were to behave in the same way, for example in criminal behaviour, this could be attributed to some sort of genetic influence. If crime is related largely to environmental influences, then it would be safe to assume that all twins would have the same chances of future criminal behaviour. Studies involving twins have been notoriously difficult because of the very similar environment in which they grow up, making it difficult to isolate genetic from environmental influences. The chances of monozygotic twins who are separated would be the ideal for the purposes of research but, due to the fact that twins are not often separated, the sample on which research can be based has traditionally been small. Such studies have nonetheless been carried out, one of the earliest of which was undertaken by the German physiologist Johannes Lang. he studied pairs of criminal twins and found that in 77% of cases concerning monozygotic twins, where one twin had a criminal record, not only did the other twin also have a record, but the patterns of the offences were similar in nature. In a group of dyzygotic twins, the correlation dropped to 12%, falling to only 8% when pairs of brothers were compared. The studies were subject to methodological flaws in so far as the identification process was based on observation only, and many of the twins came from psychiatric clinics which may mean that the chances of criminal behaviour were increased from the outset (Jones, 2006). Christiansen attempted to overcome some of the methodological problems of earlier work when he studied the entire database of twins in Denmark. For both male and female twins he found that the rates of offending were more highly correlated for monozygotic than for dizygotic twins. He also found that the more serious the offence, the stronger was the potential genetic component. He was nonetheless aware of the difficulty in separating genetic and environmental factors which he acknowledged in his work. Adoption Studies: Adoption studies have been central to research which has attempted to establish the relative roles of genetics and the environment in determining an individual’s behaviour. The rationale behind these studies is that if children adopted soon after birth resemble their biological parents more than their adoptive ones, the evidence points towards genetic rather than environmental explanations. One of the earlier studies in this field was carried out by Hutchings and Mednick in 1975. They compared adopted children whose fathers had criminal records with adopted children whose father did not. They reported a higher incidence of criminal behaviour in those children whose fathers had criminal records than in those whose fathers did not (cited in Towl and Crighton, 1996, p.15). These findings have been refuted by a number of subsequent studies which have suggested that these findings are unreliable, as only a very small number of adopted children engage in criminal behaviour in adulth ood. Stott has suggested that it is more likely that the predictor of this criminal behaviour is the result of problems encountered by mothers during pregnancy. Many of these problems are most prevalent in low socio economic groups which is typically the tier to which mothers who have their babies adopted tend to belong. He argues that it this rather than the operation of any genetic factors which accounts for the relationship between criminality in adopted children and their biological parents (Stott, 1982). Family Studies: Studies in this area which have attempted to ascertain the relative influences of genetics and the environment, have been largely unaccepted in academic circles. The most salient problem inherent in research of this nature is the notoriously difficult task of separating the nature from the nurture effects and therefore establishing causal links. While this is a problem that is also inherent in the twin studies, it is more apparent in family studies when the genetic similarity between siblings is less. Mednick and his colleagues tried to address this methodological issue when they investigated rates of criminal behaviour in children of criminal parents who had been adopted and were not therefore exposed to their parents. They found that the children of such parents were indeed more likely than the population in general to engage in offending behaviours, but that the genetic explanation did not account for the types of criminal behaviours these would be. They concluded that there was at least some genetic component in the commission of criminal behaviours (Mednick et al., 2003, p.89-90). Biological Factors: Recent research has suggested that characteristics observable at birth will develop in the context of the circumstances in which an individual finds himself. Manicus asserts that it is brain activity that provides the causal mechanism for behaviour thereby making biological processes as real a cause of crime as social processes (Manicus, 1987). Many studies have suggested that crime does, in fact, run in families. Research conducted by Blair and colleagues has pointed to a genetic component in the development of psychopathic tendencies. They suggest that as well as this genetic component, complications during the birth of some babies are a strong risk factor for later violent and anti social behaviour, but recognise that intervention and helping parents could be an important component of ensuring that such behaviour does not subsequently manifest itself (Blair et al., 2006). Problems encountered by mothers during pregnancy has been attributed to subsequent criminal behaviour. Chromosomes: Recent advances in the field of genetics have led criminologists to look at the role of chromosomes in the criminal behaviour. In particular scientists have investigated the sex chromosomes and their possible role in crime causation. This research began in 1965 when a British researcher, Patricia Hayes, examined chromosomal abnormalities in a group of Scottish prisoners. The blood test employed, a technique called karyotyping, revealed that twelve out of the 197 examined showed abnormalities in their chromosomes while seven were found to have an XYY chromosome. Normal males possess an XY chromosome, and while there are several different permutations of the chromosome, the XYY male was identified as potentially very dangerous and termed a â€Å"supermale.† A number of criminals have subsequently tried to offer this a defence saying that this biological trait was what spurred them on to criminal activity. This defence was successfully used in 1969 in Australia by one Lawrence E. Hannell, judged a â€Å"supermale† and subsequently released on the grounds of insanity. Other attempts have not been so successful. When such an attempt was made in the case of Richard Speck, accused of killing a number of his classmates in the United States, he was not acquitted and it was later revealed that he did not, in fact, have an additional Y chromosome. While a number of studies have subsequently been carried out in this area the majority or the research has suggested that this is a theory with little or no substance. In their study Sarbin and Miller concluded that â€Å"studies done this far are largely in agreement and demonstrate rather conclusively that males of the XYY type are not particularly aggressive† (Miller and Sarbin, 1970, p.199). Genetic Causes: Family studies have been the focus of criticism but research carried out by Brunner and colleagues has made a considerable contribution to the research in this area. Despite the relatively unsuccessful investigation into the role of chromosomes as a possible cause of criminal behaviour, in the 1990s Brunner and his colleagues claimed that they had uncovered a specific gene which was linked to criminal behaviour. They engaged in an extensive study of what was termed â€Å"the Netherland’s most dysfunctional family†. The male members of the family in question seemed to be unable to control their violent tendencies and were frequently arrested. Tracing the family back for five generations, Brunner et al. found fourteen men whom he said were predisposed to criminality, including violence towards members of their own family who were female. Brunner and his colleagues suggested that because men have only one X chromosome they are especially vulnerable to any defective gene. After a decade of intensive research the scientists claimed that they had isolated this defective gene. The gene, they said is the one which is responsible for production of the enzyme â€Å"monoamine oxidase A†, which is involved in the process by which signals are transmitted in the brain. Specifically it breaks down serotonin and noradrenaline which, when found in excess, have been linked to aggressive behaviour in humans. Since men with the mutated gene identified by Brunner and his colleagues do not produce the enzyme necessary to break down chemical transmitters, researchers suggested that they were overwhelmed by stimuli in the brain, a situation that causes uncontrollable urges and leads them into criminal behaviour (Schmalleger, 1996, p.182). While the authors accepted the fact that their research had not been replicated in any other s tudies, they did suggest that this was an area for future research, suggesting as it did, that genetics play an important role in criminal behaviour (Brunnet et al., 1993). Monoamine oxidase has been linked with other neurochemicals which may be linked to criminal and antisocial behaviour (Jones 2005). Eysenck’s personality theory has been used to measure possible factors of personality which may be influential in the commission of crime. Suggesting that within the criminal fraternity different types of crimes are related to different personality patterns (Eysenck, 2003, p.93) Eysenck has pointed out that it is connected to norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine, all of which have been linked with personality traits important in psychosis Eysenck, 1996). Biochemical Factors: An increasing awareness of the physiology of the human brain, coupled with more sophisticated techniques, is leading modern criminologists to investigate the effects that certain biochemicals have on behaviour. If it were to be established that certain chemical imbalances were responsible for certain types of criminal behaviour, then this would lend weight to the theory that certain behaviours are indeed not within the control of an individual. The Effect of Serotonin: Current research centres on the role of neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain which are fundamentally important to all human behaviour. There has been considerable research in respect of serotonin levels and the role this plays in criminal behaviour, where it has been identified as an important element. Serotonin has been shown, in both animal and human studies, to be an inhibitor of aggression, so low levels of serotonin have been linked to violence and suicide in humans (Williams, 2004, p.152). Raine found that individuals who were prone to anti social behaviour had lower than normal levels of serotonin in their brains (Raine, 1993), a relationship also found in research carried out by Virkkunen and Linnoila (1993). This would appear to confirm the findings of the Dutch study described above. Serotonin has been linked to brain development and it has been suggested that a disorder in this development system could lead to an increase in levels of aggressiveness and impulsivity, s uggesting that the individual in this case would not have full control over his actions. While scientists have been able to link a number of neurotransmitters, with various sorts of anti social behaviour, the nature of the relationship is not completely understood. It is unclear whether these neurotransmitters are linked to all aggression or are linked to specific types of aggression and may lead to the commission of certain specific acts and crimes. Williams points out that the role of neurotransmitters is a classic chicken and egg situation. It is not known whether the mood produces the neurotransmitters or whether the neurotransmitters lead to changes in an individual’s mood (Williams, 2004, p.153). Criticisms of the Biological Approaches: Attempts to explain criminal behaviour in the context of biology and genetics have been criticised, often on the basis of methodology. Walters and White have criticised many of the studies carried out on the basis that they have been badly designed, and largely inadequate in addressing the relevant issues. In particular they highlight the following shortcomings: Few biological studies have adequately explained the concept of criminology, often relying on a single arrest as an indicator of criminal tendencies; Twin studies, in particular, have often been inaccurate in identification of monozygotic and dizygotic twins; Biological data has often been based on interviews with individuals which is subjective in its nature and therefore open to a range of interpretations; Methodological problems are common including small sample sizes, lack of control groups and the use of inappropriate data analysis techniques; Results have not shown consistency from country to country. (Walters and White, 1989). Personality Disorders: The term â€Å"personality† is used to describe an individual’s temperamental and emotional attributes that are relatively consistent and will influence behaviour (Jones, 2006, p.398). In recent years there has been an increasing focus on individual personality traits, persistent or stable personality characteristics, and disorders and this focus has been seen as extremely useful in predicting future criminal behaviour. Theories talk about a criminal personality in which it is assumed that individuals possess definable and dominant sets of rules which determine how they will behave in virtually any situation (Williams, 2004, p.178). Many tests of personality have been developed by psychologists over the years in order to test the theory that those who have criminal tendencies have personalities which are different from those of the normal population. Many of the personality disorders which manifest themselves are initially evidenced in childhood. If it were indeed to be the case that these are predictive of later criminal behaviour, intervention with children displaying personality disorders may be a useful preventative measure. Holmes and colleagues have identified three personality disorders which can be diagnosed in childhood and have been shown to be predictive of later behaviour: Oppositional Defiance Disorder – characterised by argumentativeness and non-compliance. As these children become older their behaviour often changes for the worse, with them often starting to engage in petty crime and displaying aggression to their peers and others; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – children with this disorder are unable to stay focused on any one task for anything but a short period of time. These children are unable to analyse the consequences of their behaviour, cannot easily see things from another’s point of view and are generally unable to learn from their previous behaviour; Conduct Disorder – children diagnosed with this disorder are already at the stage where they have begun to break society’s rules. This is the most severe of the three personality disorders as diagnosed in childhood and is often predictive of the development of Anti Social Personality Disorder, a disorder which can only be diagnosed when an individual is aged eighteen, and at which point they have travelled quite far down the road of anti social behaviour and not conforming with the norms in society. (Holmes et al., 2001). With a clear link established between these early childhood disorders and future criminal behaviours, early diagnosis and effective interventions are vital in this area. Tests for determining an individual’s personality and the likelihood for future criminal behaviour have come under considerable scrutiny. The tests themselves have developed considerably in their complexity and the sophistication of their methodology but a study by Arbuthnot and colleagues stated that the doubtful validity of much of the research that had gone on in this area prevented their coming to the conclusion that there was a link between personality and criminal behaviour (Arbuthnot et al., 1987). Problems in respect of personality theories have mainly concerned the way in which personality has been measured, usually on some numerical scale. Personality tests are also problematic in that they require objective attitudes in respect of what constitutes normal. Inherent in the use of personality tests is that those who commit crimes and go against the norm must have something different from that which is viewed as normal. The personality theories that have found the most application in the context of criminality are psychoanalytic explanations and the learning theories. There is some evidence that personality difficulties displayed in childhood are highly predictive of later criminal behaviour and can be inherited. Personality theories have not really seen much application in the predictive context, having been used mainly in respect of treatment after an offence has been committed. The rationale behind using personality tests is that behaviour can be changed by behaviour modification techniques. Criticisms of Personality Theories: Personality theories generally assume that all individuals have a core personality which explain how they will react to a wide variety of stimuli and whether they are likely to become criminal. They take little account of the fact that these could be changed through interventionist or environmental factors. Environmental Influences: Criticisms have been levelled at the approach which considers genetics as being the dominant factor in criminal behaviour, often because the methodology of the research conducted has been questioned. One such study was that carried out in Denmark in 1977 by Christainsen who reported that identical twins inherited some common characteristics that increased the likelihood of their becoming involved in criminal behaviour (Crristiansen, 1977). The criticisms levelled at this and other similar research is the fact that twins may share higher than average levels of shared experiences, thereby making it difficult to isolate the genetic component as a causal factor in such studies. The first real attempts to consider crime in the context of where criminal lived, and their associated environment, took place in the 1820s in France and Belgium. These studies were pioneered by Adolphe Quetlet and Andre-Michel Guerry who collected data about the areas in which criminals lived, and in so doing began a field of research that would continue throughout Europe for a long time to come, eventually being adopted by American and global researchers also. Modern Environmental Criminology: It has been suggested that the impact of the environment on behaviour reduces with age. While adults are able to exercise some choice as to their environment, children have no such choice, so the impact of the environment in more profound (Jones, 2005). Reluctance to consider genetic factors as instrumental in criminal conduct has had political overtones (Haller, 1968), as it suggests a somewhat depressing prognosis for individuals born with the genetic predisposition to become criminals. The idea that there as an inextricable link between crime and the environment has been considered as an alternative and really came to the fore in the UK in the 1970s, with crime figures beginning to rise sharply, and crime being increasingly attributed to young, disaffected males living in areas of social deprivation (Jones, 2006, p.134). Situational Crime Theory: The ideas surrounding environmental criminology have had a considerable impact on public policy in the UK. The Home Office Research Unit was set up in the 1950s and began to work on what it called situational crime prevention, an attempt to reduce the opportunities to commit crime. This approach does not see crime as the result of any physiological or biological impulses but sees it as more opportunity driven which causes individuals to make choices in the context of these situational factors (Jones, 2006, p.138). Situational crime theory does not focus on career criminals who will find their own opportunities to commit crime, but seeks to address the problem of those who may not have been involved in the criminal justice system before. In the context of this theory the key factor is opportunity and the exercise of free will, and proponents of this approach argue that a reduction in opportunities will, in turn, lead to a reduction in the commission of crime. Situational crime theory has its critics who suggest that the theory focuses too greatly on the crime at the expense of focusing on the type of persons involved in the commission of crimes. Tonry has argued that it is likely to increases the fear of crime among the general public (Tonry, 2004). Despite criticisms, recent research carried out in London has added weight to the idea that there may indeed be a causal link between deprivation, crime and a particular area, when a study by Dorling and colleagues in 2001 suggested that patterns of social deprivation in London have changed very little since the turn of the nineteenth century (Dorling et al., 2001). Crime and Poverty: Because large numbers of crimes are committed by people who have very little money, there has long been a school of thought that there is a causal link between crime and poverty. This is a view which has been held for many years and was first investigated in France by Guerry who found that in the more affluent areas there were higher rates of crime against property while in the poorer areas there were higher incidences of violent crime. There were poor people living in the more affluent areas and Guerry concluded that it was not poverty per se that caused higher rates of crime but the fact that there was more opportunity in the wealthier areas for crime against property. Recent research as been inconclusive regarding the role played in criminal activity by poverty. What does appear to be clear is that there is no direct link between crime and poverty as an isolated factor as there are, for example, many tribes who are materially very poor but did not engage in high levels of criminal activity (Williams, 2004, p.286). Research has suggested that poverty only becomes a factor in criminal activity when there is a large degree of social inequality, a large gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have-nots†. This leads to the suggestion that if, in the population as a whole, there was a degree of poverty, this would not lead to higher rates of crime. This has been coupled with the suggestion that it is not even the inequality which is the causal factor but the perception that this is unfair which leads to higher levels of criminal activity (Stack, 1984). Recent theories have investigated the link between crime and inequality and it has been suggested by Vold and his colleagues, who refer to a number of studies, that there is a link between inequality and violent crime including homicide (Vold et al., 2002). Family: In terms of environmental factors, none is more important or exerts such an influence in shaping an individual as the family in which he grows up. Famil

The Delivery Of Health Care Health And Social Care Essay

The Delivery Of Health Care Health And Social Care Essay I am looking into the delivery of health care in the NHS. I will be looking at the original remits of the NHS, the ideological and political context in which the NHS was formed and also looking into the governments new White Paper Liberating the NHS. Other areas I will be looking into include; the political and ethical issues that are involved in the inequalities in provision and access to health care services as well as looking at how the NHS works with e the private sectors. Looking firstly at the NHS and the original remits, the NHS was formed/established in 1948, It come out of a long held ideal that food healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth or the ability to pay. It was established by Aneurin Bevam who was at the time health secretary. The formation of the NHS marked the start of the health service; it was the first time that doctors. Hospitals, nurses, pharmacists, opticians and dentist were brought together under one umbrella organisation. The main principles were that it was free, and it would be financed entirely from taxation, this meant that people pay into it according to their means. From the cradle to the grave This was one of the original ideas of the NHS; it would give/provide medical assistance all through a person life. The NHS was set up just after the 2nd world war and people badly needed medical help and assistance. 60 years ago medication and treatment was seen a s a source or real worry to many families and something that could not of been afforded. Other remits were that anyone living in the country and visiting could see a GP/Doctor and go the hospital for free. Before this people simply didnt go to the doctors, they couldnt afford it and would rely on home remedies and the charity of doctors giving free advice and help. If we look at the three core principles that the NHS was built on, these were; that it needs to meet the needs of everyone, that its free at the point of delivery and that is be based on clinical need, not ability to pay.(http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/ nhscoreprinciples.aspx).In July 2000, the NHS was modernised and new programmes were brought in, these required that The NHS provide a wider more comprehensive range of services, the NHS will meet the needs of individuals, their families and there carers. There were also other new programmes brought in looking at improving the NHS and how it operated as a whole. The new White Paper Liberating the NHS (2010) is the governments long term vision for the future of the NHS. It sets out that they will put patients at the heart of everything the NHS does, focus on continually improving those things that really matter (i.e. patients and the public) and finally, empower and liberate clinicians to innovate, with the freedom to focus on improving healthcare services. The government also has other key strategies: We will increase health spending in real terms in each year of this Parliament. Our goal is an NHS which achieves results that are amongst the best in the world. Putting patients and public first We will put patients at the heart of the NHS, through an information revolution and greater choice and control Improving healthcare outcomes To achieve our ambition for world-class healthcare outcomes, the service must be focused on outcomes and the quality standards that deliver them. The Governments objectives are to reduce mortality and morbidity, increase safety, and improve patient experience and outcomes for all. Autonomy, accountability and democratic legitimacy The Governments reforms will empower professionals and providers, giving them more autonomy and, in return, making them more accountable for the results they achieve, accountable to patients through choice and accountable to the public at local level. Cutting bureaucracy and improving efficiency The NHS will need to achieve unprecedented efficiency gains, with savings reinvested in front-line services, to meet the current financial challenge and the future costs of demographic and technological change Conclusion: making it happen We will maintain constancy of purpose. This White Paper is the long-term plan for the NHS in this Parliamentary term and beyond. We will give the NHS a coherent, stable, enduring framework for quality and service improvement. The debate on health should no longer be about structures and processes, but about priorities and progress in health improvement for all. (http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_117794.pdf) The proposal of the white paper is that as much as 80% of the NHS budget will be in the hands of family doctors by 2013. Many people feel that these changes are effectively being introduced without any real testing to see if they will work or if they will actually bring around better care for patients. GPs will take over from primary care trusts and purchase large chunks of care such as hospital admissions and out of hour care. The areas they will not be responsible for will fall under the care of local authorities. Englands 35,000 family doctor practices will form themselves into about 500 consortia, based on geographical area. So they could be responsible for patient populations as large as one million and as small as 100,000. They will either manage themselves or, more likely, will take on managers from the PCTs and strategic health authorities, which are also being abolished. Alternatively, they can take on a private company to manage them, and there are several waiting in the wi ngs for his opportunity. Hospitals will all be required to become foundation trusts by 2014, giving them more autonomy and freedom as to how they provide their services. They can also borrow money without asking the Treasury, and Mr Lansley is very keen that many form themselves into mutual trusts a lot like John Lewis, in which staff run the centre. Some people believe that this could all lead to the privatisation of the NHS. The new government is allowing them opportunities to step into the new regime. GPs may now have to take back the responsibilities of out of hour care. The new regime No decision about me, without me is at the heart of the white paper. What is not clear is what happens when a profit is made or, equally, when a deficit is run up. Patients should have more choices and patients will now be asked how their experience was during their care. (http://www.channel4.com/news/nhs-white-paper-liberating-the-health-service) The main benefits that should be seen from this is that GPs will know there patients on a more personal level, they will make logical decisions. It will bring costs down such as pharmaceuticals and prevent the NHS going further into debt. It will also stop them from working towards incentives. However only one in four of Britains doctors thinks the governments controversial NHS shake-up will improve patient care, according to the biggest survey of medical opinion since ministers unveiled their radical reforms. Andrew Lansleys belief that the most far-reaching changes to the service in its 62-year history will lead to higher standards is shared by only 23% of doctors There is some good news for Lansley in the poll. Of the GPs, 62% thought there were family doctors in their locality who could lead the new commissioning consortiums. And 40% of all the doctors believed the reforms would encourage closer working between GPs and their hospital colleagues (though 37% disagreed). (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/24/nhs-white-paper-doctors-survey) Political and ethical issues surrounding the inequalities in providing access to health services, in 1999 labour that were in government set up NICE (National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence). They decide what medicines should be available to the NHS. They work out whether a drug is worth paying for, weighing up its costs against the benefit it is likely to bring. They also consider is drugs or treatments will benefits patients, will help the NHS meet its targets, for example by improving cancer survival rates, Is value for money, or cost effective. The government developed NICE to get rid of the post code lottery where some drugs and treatments were available in some parts of the country, but not in others. Its worth knowing that they fund the majority of drugs they assess. Since they started in 2002, they have funded 7 out of 10 (70%) of the cancer drugs theyve assessed. However a report Exceptional Progress has found there is controversy surrounding NICE. Patients are being denied access to drugs for rarer cancers because the NHS treatment watchdog is acting contrary to the recommendations of a government inquiry, a report claims today. (NICE) is failing to follow the spirit of guidelines designed to improve access to end-of-life cancer treatments. It claims that as many as 16,000 patients have been denied access to drugs because the watchdog had concluded unfairly that they did not meet the criteria for consideration, or they were deemed too expensive without proper negotiation with pharmaceutical companies. It is unacceptable that many thousands of patients are still missing out on the treatment they need, and which their doctors want to give them, because NICE has decided that their treatment does not meet some arbitrary criteria, Mr Wilson said. He added that NICE was failing to assess drugs quickly enough taking 21 months to appraise new canc er drugs, rather than the six months promised by ministers by 2010. (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article7061769.ece) This is against the original ethics that the NHS was set up for; some patients are missing out on drugs which could be of immense benefit to them. An example of this is patient inequality in Essex where a doctor treating three people for exactly the same eye disease, treats each differently because they live in three different areas. One of the three is getting Lucentis the drug tailored to treat their condition, the second receives a drug which was not designed to treat the eye condition; but which does the job at a much smaller price, while the third is left with no drug therapy at all. The programme also spoke to best-selling author Terry Pratchett who has been forced to look elsewhere for Aricept, the Alzheimers medicine denied to him by the NHS. NICE ruled that Aricept should be limited through the NHS to people in the later stages of the disease and Pratchett is still in the early stages of PCA, an early-onset form of Alzheimers which he was diagnosed with in 2007. The author n ow pays for the drug himself which he says has been vital in allowing him to cope with the symptoms of his condition, and says that not making it available earlier to other sufferers who cannot afford to pay is an insult which needs to be re-thought. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7563701.stm) There are big gaps between regions and areas; in some cases the north is better at treating certain conditions than the south and vice versa. A report by the Daily Mail shows how Statistics showed the average waiting time from seeing a GP to having an operation was 180 days in the Trent region, 182 days in the Northern and Yorkshire regions and 193 days in the North West. But patients must wait for 217 days in the South East, 207 days in London and 206 days in the Eastern region. There was a rise of 1.6 days in delays on average in the South East compared with the same time last year. In the same, period delays fell by 8.7 days in Trent and the North West. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-70414/North-south-divide-NHS-waiting-times.html) Finding a dentist is becoming more and more difficult. There is a culture of drill and fill, but because dentists receive a flat salary they no longer have any financial incentive to carry out difficult work such as crowns and bridges. An NHS dentist recently resigned due to stupid system that requires him to complete 49 units of dental activity a day to fulfil his NHS contract and get paid. Under the contract, check-ups count as one unit, minor dental work and fillings no matter how many are three, while more complicated procedures can be worth up to 12. Disillusioned, he has decided to give up his practice in Penzance, Cornwall, and take early retirement, leaving his 4,000 patients without an NHS dentist in an area where 20,000 already cannot find one. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-484066/Dentist-fed-drill-targets-quits-NHS.html) This again goes against the principles both politically and ethically. The NHS was set up to be free and give everyone the same level of treatment and help regardless of wealth. However these few examples show how it is people with money are gaining in healthcare and the NHS is stopping treatments and drugs due to financial funding, meaning that patients are losing out on much needed treatment because the government decided that its not cost effective. This is wrong ethically because you are putting a price on a persons life. Over the years healthcare has become more of a business and we are seeing more privatisation coming in. the post code lottery proves that money is at the heart of decisions on whether a patient is seen to and how they are treated. The NHS works with private sectors and third sectors to deliver better outcomes and services for patients who come first. They play an extremely important role in helping the NHS in providing much needed services. Private sectors not only help in hospital but also with services in the local community. One of there aims is to cut hospital admissions, an example of this is A private sector provider in Sheffield has installed electronic monitors in the homes of people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, allowing them to reduce visits to hospital by 50 per cent. Another is A private sector company in Poole has put under one roof a GP surgery, a pharmacy, an optician and services for physiotherapy, back pain and podiatry. (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article7050344.ece) There is also other instances were GPs have used private sectors not only to provide patients with a better service but to reduce costs. A patient in Bexley Kent needed a scan for his heart condition; this would normally mean he would be sent to his local hospital in Kent. However he picked up from his souse and was sent to a private hospital in London. The bill for this bespoke service is picked up by Peter Aylotts local primary care trust in Bexley. In the past eight months it has sent more than 80 patients to Harley Street for these scans. The alternative was to have an angiogram were 1 in 500 patients suffer a heart attack or a stroke. The scan is also cheaper, says Dr Kostas Manis, a GP in Bexley. The angiogram is  £1,300 in the NHS, and the private clinic scanner is  £900 and were negotiating to bring the figure down to  £600. This shows how the NHS working with private sectors helps not only patients in that they get a quicker appointment but they also get something that is much more beneficial and safer to them. It also allows the patients to see a specialist for longer, rather than the normal 5 10 minutes they get to see the Doctor for up to half an hour. This is truly putting the patient first, it does however, have financial benefits to it, and it reduces costs to the local GPs and makes managing their budgets much easier. Faced with a  £20m deficit in 2007, the primary care trust decided to hand over the bulk of commissioning power to GPs. They now control 70% of the  £150m budget for Bexley. This all looks good, patients get a quicker appointment, its better and more tailored to their needs and it reduces the cost of the local primary care trust, meaning that the community has more money to spend in other areas. There is also consequences however of GPs turning to private sectors. Looking at this same example, the local hospital in Kent Queen Marys hospital in Sidcup, will now lose out on patients going there for this condition, meaning that the hospital has less money coming in and could see them have a long term shortfall in revenue. There are plans by the Government to permit hospitals to compete on price for the first time, raising the prospect of two-for-one deals on surgery and cut-rate consultations for certain specialties. This will come into effect from next April. Prices for operations and other treatments are currently fixed by the Department of Health and hospital trusts are only permitted to compete on quality, offering better outcomes, cleaner wards or sho rter waiting times to win contracts from GPs. The risk is that some hospitals may lower their prices, which will be superficially appealing, but offer a less good operation and GP commissioners may not be able to spot that it is less good.

Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter - The Character of Pearl :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Character of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter One of the most complex and elaborate characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is shunned because of her mother's sin. Pearl is a living representation of the scarlet letter - acting as a constant reminder of Hester's sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant; "...whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion." (81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin, as a punishment. Physically, Pearl has a "beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child." (81-82). Pearl is ravishing, with "beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints' a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black." Combining with her extreme beauty, are the lavish dresses that she wears. The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger from the other typical Puritan children, whom are dressed in traditional clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals, and ostracized by the other Puritan children. "Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world... the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children." (86). Pearl was not accepted by the children; her unavoidable seclusion was due to the sin of her mother. On the rare occasion that the children would show interest in Pearl she would "grow positively terrible in her puny wrath, snatching up stones to fling at them..." (87) As a result of Pearl's seclusion from society nature sympathizes with Pearl, which can be seen with the role of the sunshine in the forest. "The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate," (168). The sunshine is grateful for Pearl, accepting her as an equal. Hawthorne describes another sign of acceptance as the "great black forest...became the playmate of the lonely infant." (187).

White Oleander :: essays research papers

As a result of her mother’s incarceration, Astrid is thrusted into a myriad of unmerited situations- the foster homes. One evil stepmother leads to another in this tale of adversity and just when Astrid’s prospects brighten under a shining sun, the clouds roll in and it begins to rain. â€Å"White Oleander† is a Cinderella story with all the ingredients of misery and misfortune but the wrong ending.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of her first real encounter with calamity, Astrid is inundated with a deluge of emotions, leaving her dazed. It is during this time of bewilderment that the young girl is placed in her first foster home in the custody of a Sunday Christian named Starr. With the absence of a father figure in her life, Astrid’s feelings for Ray metamorphose into those of desire and what began as a timid liking, turns into something much more. The Oedipal feelings she harbors towards â€Å"Uncle† Ray, Starr’s boyfriend, lead ultimately her expulsion from the home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now crippled with the consequences of her desires, Astrid is relocated to the racially â€Å"opinionated† turquoise home of Marvel where she is exposed to the influence of the sophisticated Olivia. In her time of need for something beautiful when her own beauty has been marred by the Starr’s jealousy, Astrid idolizes the woman next door who is, in her eyes, perfect. She comes to depend on Olivia as a staple in her life, someone who will be there to teach her the things a woman should know. However, contact with her idol eventually leads Astrid to another home because of Marvel’s racist ideals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cut off from her hero, whom she reluctantly realizes is just like her mother, Astrid is placed in a beautiful home in the custody of a graceful Hispanic woman named Amelia. At this point, Astrid’s role changes from that of a babysitter. In Amelia’s home, she becomes money to pay for more remodeling. In this environment where she has nothing to eat, Astrid’s survival instincts come to play. What isn’t provided for her, she provides for herself. At the urging of her mother, Astrid asks for new placement and is, for once, lucky enough to have her case handed to a social worker that seems to care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is at this point that a ray of light breaks through the clouds. Though Claire seems extremely fragile and dependent, it is also evident that she is a caring person.

Management and Steps

|Name: |Date: | Graded Assignment Test Part 2: Thinking and Feeling 1. Write one short-term goal for enhancing your sense of self, and list all of the steps necessary to achieve the goal. The steps to your goal must include how you will deal with the positive and negative influences on your sense of self. (15 points) One goal to enhance my sense in self would to probably be to go to the gym and work out my muscular shape.The steps would include going to the gym daily and following the trainer's instructions on how to build my muscle. The steps might go as follows: 1. Go to gym every day to increase muscular mass. 2. Every night preform a few exercises and such to maintain muscle mass 3. Eat healthy and lots of protein. 4. Take trainers advice of what else must be done. Some positive influences on my sense of self might be my social environment (Lots of close friends who actually will go to the gym with me so it applies to my goal as well).My friends also encourage me in whatever I choose to do. I will welcome this encouragement and it will definitely help me reach my goal. A negative influence might be an internal critic saying that I can't reach my goal and that its way too hard and takes too much time. I will try to ignore this idea and focus on succeeding my goal and won't stop until I do. 2. Imagine you are teaching a fifth grader about health. Write a paragraph for the fifth grader that explains why effective communication is related to health.Include a definition of â€Å"effective communication† in your paragraph. (15 points) Effective communication is being able to talk with someone in a better way, a way that both talkers will understand each other more clearly. Good communication first requires that you know what you are trying to talk to. If you don't know what you are trying to say, it is difficult to communicate an effective message. It also means being able to listen to others, to let them know what you are thinking and feeling, and to sa y â€Å"no† when you need to.Effective communication is important to health because people understand each other a lot better with effective communication. Most people already think they know how to communicate well, that may be true, but how many times have you felt frustrated that someone didn't really understand what you were trying to say? Or that you didn't â€Å"get† what someone was telling you? Or that you agreed to do something you didn't want to do? With effective communication you can learn how to talk and communicate with people better, which is a lot better for your health. 3.Pick a specific mental or emotional problem. List at least 5 signs or symptoms of that problem. Then list at least 3 actions you would take if a friend showed these signs. Then write down one reliable source of help you would use if your friend needed immediate help. (15 points) Five symptoms of depression are: 1) Deep sadness or emptiness 2) Feeling hopeless, guilty, helpless or wort hless 3) Unable to make decisions 4) Weight or appetite changes 5) Wanting to be alone most of the time To help my friend with his problems, first I would suggest a counselor for him to go to.I would never leave him alone and always comfort him at all times. I would always make it clear for my friend that I am there for him and will help him deal with all his problems. 4. Write down one source of stress in your life. List the 3 steps of self-management, and create a plan to manage that stress in a healthy way. Your plan should have at least 4 stress management techniques. (15 points) One source of stress in my life is the large amount of summer course work I have to do. The three steps of self-management include: Identify the stressor. What's bothering you? This is the most important step. * Change or manage the way you respond to the stressor. * Ask for help from a parent or guardian, a trusted friend, a counselor, or another trusted adult. My plan is to practice the three steps of self-management and then practice the following 4 steps: 1. Set realistic goals and prioritize what has to be done 2. Eat nutritious foods and get enough sleep. 3. Relax by deep breathing 4. Take time to do entertaining stuff (play sports, watch tv)

Durga puja Essay

Different people may have different take on the need and importance of Durga Puja. If one is looking from the traditional point of view then Durga, who is considered as the culmination of energies of the various Gods resembles the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga has not only the powers to destroy evil but also the caring heart of a Mother and is therefore, referred popularly as Maa Durga. She is also referred to as Aditi – the mother of all gods and goddesses. This endearing quality of Durga makes Her so very lovable in the minds of Her followers. From being mother of all creations She equally holds the place of the destroyer. The word Durga means â€Å"durduhkhena gamyate† – destroyer of all evil and ignorance. Modern day importance – the concept of feminist Maa Durga with Her all powering qualities represents the feminist concept of women-power. It calls for the respect of the mother and women in our lives. No where it is important than in India where gender discrimination is still rampant. Durga Pujas and its various traditions like the Kumari Puja send forth an idea to the followers to respect Womanhood. in fkvbrnvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvverfvkmedcomedcmelmclemclemcklec register | forgot Bottom of Form Maa Durga Importance of Durga Puja Different people may have different take on the need and importance of Durga Puja. If one is looking from the traditional point of view then Durga, who is considered as the culmination of energies of the various Gods resembles the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga has not only the powers to destroy evil but also the caring heart of a Mother and is therefore, referred popularly as Maa Durga. She is also referred to as Aditi – the mother of all gods and goddesses. This endearing quality of Durga makes Her so very lovable in the minds of Her followers. From being mother of all creations She equally holds the place of the destroyer. The word Durga means â€Å"durduhkhena gamyate† – destroyer of all evil and ignorance. Modern day importance – the concept of feminist Maa Durga with Her all powering qualities represents the feminist concept of women-power. It calls for the respect of the mother and women in our lives. No where it is important than in India where gender discrimination is still rampant. Durga Pujas and its various traditions like the Kumari Puja send forth an idea to the followers to respect Womanhood. in fkvbrnvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvverfvkmedcomedcmelmclemclemcklec register | forgot Bottom of Form Maa Durga Importance of Durga Puja Different people may have different take on the need and importance of Durga Puja. If one is looking from the traditional point of view then Durga, who is considered as the culmination of energies of the various Gods resembles the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga has not only the powers to destroy evil but also the caring heart of a Mother and is therefore, referred popularly as Maa Durga. She is also referred to as Aditi – the mother of all gods and goddesses. This endearing quality of Durga makes Her so very lovable in the minds of Her followers. From being mother of all creations She equally holds the place of the destroyer. The word Durga means â€Å"durduhkhena gamyate† – destroyer of all evil and ignorance. Modern day importance – the concept of feminist Maa Durga with Her all powering qualities represents the feminist concept of women-power. It calls for the respect of the mother and women in our lives. No where it is important than in India where gender discrimination is still rampant. Durga Pujas and its various traditions like the Kumari Puja send forth an idea to the followers to respect Womanhood. in fkvbrnvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvverfvkmedcomedcmelmclemclemcklec