Managerial EconomicsWeek 4 Individual Work Assignment

Managerial EconomicsWeek 4 Individual Work - Assignment Example The U.S. dollar is a strong currency compared to other currencies. However, America is in trade deficits in international money markets. A clear short term trend in the U.S. dollar is that it rose some 14 percent in relation to the euro and even more to the Japanese yen. However, towards the Chinese renminbi the U.S. dollar decreased. The decrease was after the increase in the dollar rate by the Chinese central bank The main factors affecting dollar/euro exchange rates include relative real interest rate, the relative price, the relative fiscal position, and Percentage product prices. The euro/dollar exchange rate also asymmetrically responds to macroeconomic news and other factors in the economy. However, predicting the euro/dollar exchange rate may seem very hard due to lack of precise models and other unexpected events that work within the economy. There are also other fundamental and non-fundamental factors that affect the euro/ dollar exchange rates in global markets. Trade deficits and job market significantly affect the euro/dollar exchange rates. Increasing trade deficits coupled with a weak job market may lead to the strengthening of the euro. In contrast, the U.S. Dollar may weaken. Political factors such as world security also affect euro/dollar exchange rates. Factors such as war and fears of terrorism and war and accounting issues in the U.S. resulted to reduced strength of the U.S . dollar. Factors that led to a decrease in power of the U.S. dollar make the euro stronger. However, in most cases, euro/dollar exchange rates patterns are usually nonlinear in nature. Therefore, market forces pull back the exchange rate to PPP equilibrium Currency exchange rates are important factors that affect operations of the export markets. Operating in export markets becomes more difficult given the fact that it is very difficult to predict the future of the worldwide currency market. Factors related to supply and

The National Power In International Relations Politics Essay

The National Power In International Relations Politics Essay Power in international relations is defined in several different ways. Political scientists, historians, and practitioners of international relations (diplomats) have used the following concepts of political power: Power as a goal of states or leaders. Power as a measure of influence or control over outcomes, events, actors and issues. Power as reflecting victory in conflict and the attainment of security Power as control over resources and capabilities. Modern discourse generally speaks in terms of state power, indicating both economic and military power. Those states that have significant amounts of power within the international system are referred to as middle powers, regional powers, great powers, superpowers, or hyperpowers. Entities other than states can also acquire and wield power in international relations. Such entities can include multilateral international organizations, military alliance organizations (e.g. NATO), multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, or other institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church, Wal-Mart[1], or the Hanseatic League. Power as a goal Primary usage of power as a goal in international relations belongs to political theorists, such as Niccolà ² Machiavelli and Hans Morgenthau. Especially among Classical Realist thinkers, power is an inherent goal of mankind and of states. Economic growth, military growth, cultural spread etc can all be considered as working towards the ultimate goal of international Power as influence. Political scientists principally use power in terms of an actors ability to exercise influence over other actors within the international system. This influence can be coercive, attractive, cooperative, or competitive. Mechanisms of influence can include the threat or use of force, economic interaction or pressure, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. Spheres, blocs, and alliances Under certain circumstances, states can organize a sphere of influence or a bloc within which they exercise predominant influence. Historical examples include the spheres of influence recognized under the Concert of Europe, or the recognition of spheres during the Cold War following the Yalta Conference. The Warsaw Pact, the Free World, and the Non-Aligned Movement were the blocs that arose out of the Cold War contest. Military alliances like NATO and the Warsaw Pact are another forum through which influence is exercised. However, Realist theory often attempts to stay away from the creation of powerful blocs/spheres that can create a hegemon within the region. British foreign policy, for example, has always sided against the hegemonic forces on the continent, i.e. Nazi Germany, Napoleonic France or Habsburg Austria. Power as security Power is also used when describing states or actors that have achieved military victories or security for their state in the international system. This general usage is most commonly found among the writings of historians or popular writers. For instance, a state that has achieved a string of combat victories in a military campaign against other states can be described as powerful. An actor that has succeeded in protecting its security, sovereignty, or strategic interests from repeated or significant challenge can also be described as powerful. Power as capability Power is the capacity to direct the decisions and actions of others. Power derives from strength and will. Strength comes from the transformation of resources into capabilities. Will infuses objectives with resolve. Strategy marshals capabilities and brings them to bear with precision. Statecraft seeks through strategy to magnify the mass, relevance, impact, and irresistibility of power. It guides the ways the state deploys and applies its power abroad. These ways embrace the arts of war, espionage, and diplomacy. The practitioners of these three arts are the paladins of statecraft. Charles W. Freeman, Jr. Power is also used to describe the resources and capabilities of a state. This definition is quantitative and is most often used by geopoliticians and the military. Capabilities are thought of in tangible terms-they are measurable, weighable, quantifiable assets. Thomas Hobbes spoke of power as present means to obtain some future apparent good. Hard Power can be treated as a potential and is not often enforced on the international stage. Chinese strategists have such a concept of national power that can be measured quantitatively using an index known as comprehensive national power. Soft versus hard power Some political scientists distinguish between two types of power: soft and hard. The former is attractive while the latter is coercive. Joseph Nye is the leading proponent and theorist of soft power. Instruments of soft power include debates on cultural values, dialogues on ideology, the attempt to influence through good example, and the appeal to commonly accepted human values. Means of exercising soft power include diplomacy, dissemination of information, analysis, propaganda, and cultural programming to achieve political ends. Hard power refers to coercive tactics: the threat or use of armed forces, economic pressure or sanctions, assassination and subterfuge, or other forms of intimidation. Hard power is generally associated to the stronger of nations, as the ability to change the domestic affairs of other nations through military threats. CORE CONCEPT Why is power important to international relations ? Undoubtedly power acts as a major theme within the study of international relations, yet as a concept it is highly contested and difficult if not impossible to define. The oxford concise dictionary of politics attempts to define power as the ability to make people (or things) do what they would not otherwise have done. However power can be seen in many different forms be it that of economic, political, military or psychological. Within the many different theories of international relations the concept of power features widely yet its interpretation and significance differs throughout. As there are so many theories within the study of international relations is impossible to focus on them all and so I have decided to predominantly look at the ideas within realism. In post war scholarship the starting point for most theorizing about international politics has been power and national interest, with power understood ultimately as a military capability and interest as an egotistic desire for power, security or wealth. The proposition that the nature of international politics is shaped by power relations is noted as a defining characteristic of realism. However this is not only a realist claim, neoliberals to see power as important along with Marxists, feminists and post modernists. Yet first by looking at the concept of power in a broad sense, free of persific theoretical judgement in order to get a preliminary understanding of the term itself. International politics clearly occurs between all states through which administrative transactions occur involving the use of power. It can therefore be argued that all international politics are in a sense power politics Within the contemporary international system the majority of nations collective domestic and external goals cannot be defended or achieved without influencing the behaviour of other states. Consequently goal attainment is dependent upon the reactions and actions of others. This is where the importance of power as a concept comes into the study of international politics because power includes the means by which all states influence the behaviour of others in order to protect and extend their own interests. This probability is able to exist because states pursue various interests and can agree or disagree on any one of them pursuing them individually. Categories of power In the modern geopolitical landscape, a number of terms are used to describe powers of various types, these include: Hyperpower coined to describe the post-Cold War United States or the British Empire shortly after the Napoleonic wars. Superpower Fox (1944) defined the Superpower as great power plus great mobility of power and identified 3 states, the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. Great power in historical mentions, the term Great power refers to any nations that have strong political, cultural and economic influence over nations around it and across the world. (Examples: China, France, India, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.) Middle power a subjective description of second-tier influential states that could not be described as Great powers. (Examples: Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, and Israel.) The term Regional power is also used to describe a nation that exercises influence and power within a region. Being a regional power is not mutually exclusive with any of the above categories. The term Energy superpower describes a country that has immense influence or even direct control over much of the worlds energy supplies. Russia and Saudi Arabia are generally acknowledged as the worlds two current energy superpowers, given their abilities to globally influence or even directly control prices to certain countries. The term entertainment superpower or culture superpower describes a country in which has immense influence or even direct control over much of the worlds entertainment or has an immense large cultural influence on much of the world. Although this is debated on who meets such criteria, many agree that the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan are generally acknowledged as the entertainment and cultural superpowers, given their abilities to distribute their entertainment and cultural innovations worldwide. Categories of power (Diagramatic representation) C:Documents and SettingsDellMy DocumentsMy PicturesPowers_in_international_relations.png Map reflecting the categories of power in international relations.   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Superpowersà  Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¼   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Great powers   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Regional power   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Middle powers ELEMENTS OF POWER The elements of a countrys power can be roughly categorized as those that constitute: Its national core Its national infrastructure Its national economy Its military The core and infrastructure form the basis for economic and military power. The national core consists of a countrys technological sophistication , its transportation system and its information and communication capabilities. CONCLUSION Power is the foundation of diplomacy in a conflictual world. National power is the sum of a countrys assets that enhance its ability to get its way even when opposed by others with different interests and goals. Measuring power is especially difficult as the efforts to do so have not been very successful but it helps us to see many of the complexities of analyzing the characters of power . These characteristics include the facts that power is dynamic , both objective and subjective, relative, situational and multidimensional.

Painting Pears and Paula Mandel Essay -- Artist Paintings Art Essays

Painting Pears and Paula Mandel â€Å"I can’t imagine a life without art. I can’t imagine it. It would be so sad. One of the most amazing things in the world is the art we create. It is a view into people’s souls.† -Paula Mandel If, on some sunny Sunday afternoon, you decide to take a drive through the streets of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, you’d pass by movie theatres, Starbuck’s cafes, shopping malls, and even historical parks. And if you venture on to some of the more remote side streets, you might discover a small, broken-down old strip mall accommodating a mom and pop’s pizza shop and Morninglory, a small bakery and catering company exhibiting a painting of a piece of fruit in the window. A pear, to be exact. Enticed into stepping foot in the bakery, you might peruse the wall of sweets and goodies, find one you like, and buy it. And so you amble on, fruit tart in hand, sun on face, and $1.50 less in your wallet. Later that day, after meeting a friend for lunch, you find it quite fitting to return to the bakery for another treat. On your arrival, you once again are lured into the shop door, ensnared by that splash of color, that painting of a pear hanging in the window, and you once again buy a dessert. This time, however, instead of departing to saunter along in the sun, you feel the urge to stay awhile, scrutinizing that work of art in the window. There is just†¦something about it that captivates you. That pear, those colors, that shape. You smile. You get closer, pressing your nose up against the storefront’s window, trying to see every detail of that painting. You become obsessed. You can’t place your finger on just what it is you find so allur... ...McGraw-Hill, 2002. 184-87. Hillman, James. â€Å"The Poetic Basis of Mind.† Writing the Essay: Art and the World. Ed. Darlene A. Forrest, Pat C. Hoy II and Randy Martin. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 59-80. Jung, Carl G. â€Å"On the Relation of Analytical Psychology to Poetry.† Writing the Essay:Art and the World. Ed. Darlene A. Forrest, Pat C. Hoy II and Randy Martin. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 279-98. Mandel, Paula. Almost. 5 May 2003. Artist Statement. Pears. 5 May 2003. < http://paula-mandel.com/cgi-local/ perlshop-paulamandel.pl?ACTION=ENTER&thispage=pea01&ORDER_ID=!ORDERID!> Caress. 5 May 2003. < http://paula-mandel.com/cgi-local/ perlshop-paulamandel.pl?ACTION=ENTER&thispage=pea01&ORDER_ID=!ORDERID!> Personal interview. 13 Apr. 2003.

Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective

Michaela Lawes SOUTH1A 11 Jacqui Godfrey Hypnotherapy & Counselling Skills – Module 21850 words â€Å"A personalised induction will always be more effective†. Discuss. Base your answer on theoretical concepts and techniques presented in class. If it is true that we all see the same thing but interpret it as different, if we respond to stimuli in a unique way, then a personalised induction would prove more effective. Would an anxious client respond to a linguistically passive approach? Would a direct and logically structured induction gain their trust and make them feel at ease?The Hypnotherapist will seek to understand their client, interpreting both verbal and non-verbal signals. They will also have to contend with the way our brain interprets external information. Once the individual’s personality is understood, there are a number of verbal techniques that the Hypnotherapist can utilise in order to get the best results from the induction process. It would a ppear that the personalised induction is effective but this perhaps depends on whether the Hypnotherapist has ascertained the true nature of their client.One area where the Hypnotherapist can start to understand the type of person they are seeking to induce would be to ascertain the dominant modality within their client. Modalities are a classification of sensory perception. These are listed as visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory. When a person is assimilating external information they will seek to disseminate that information using a dominant modality. There are many ways in which they will reveal this through language, speech, gestures and even eye movements.NLP gurus Bandler and Grinder aptly call this the language of our minds. A person with a dominant visual modality will tend to use phrases that are littered with visual terms such as â€Å"I see†¦ † or â€Å"The sky looks turquoise†¦ † If this person’s eyes are looking up the right as they are explaining something to you they are creating a visual representation in their heads. Robert Dilts in his article Eye Movements and NLP states: ‘The most common application of eye positions in NLP is to determine the representational strategies a person is using in order to think or make a decision.Since many aspects of people's thinking processes are unconscious to them, spontaneous eye movements can be an extremely important part of eliciting and modeling a person's inner strategies for decision making, learning, motivation, memory, etc. ’ The eyes maybe a poetical window to the soul but they are also an infallible insight into an individual’s dominant modality. Using these linguistic and visual clues the Hypnotherapist can begin to relate to their client on his or her intellectual level. They can gain the trust of the client by appealing to their dominant modality.If the client had a dominant kinaesthetic modality they would have a more tacti le and emotionally attuned personality, they would speak in a soft lower tone of voice than the fast talking, higher toned visual personality. Would there be conflict if the hypnotherapist used a quick thinking, highly imaginative visual approach to the tactile and feeling kinaesthetic? Perhaps yes, when one is trying to ‘access’ the brain at an unconscious level, surely it would be more productive to be in harmony with your client in order to get the best therapeutic results.Josie Hadley and Carol Staudacher agree ‘By using similar language and reinforcing the induction with certain kinds of images, you are making sure the subject can relate to the induction and feel an affinity for it’ Whilst using the dominant modality to gain an affinity with the client, the best results will come from gradually introducing language into an induction that will appeal to all of the senses. This technique is called compounding, and is a crucial tool in engendering a deep trance.The client is being invited to experience a linked chain of events during their induction that will encourage them to lose themselves in the scenarios being suggested by appealing to all of the senses. So whilst the client may, through their language, both verbal and non verbal, have the olfactory as their main modality, if they are subjected via the induction to visualize or imagine a taste then this will engage all of their senses for a more effective induction.This supposes that hypnotherapist has initially ascertained the dominant modality in order to gain the trust of their client and then proceeded to introduce a multi sensory screed that opposes the idea of a fully personalised induction. It is recognized that there are two types of hypnotic induction, namely, permissive and authoritarian. It is said that traditional hypnosis is generally authoritarian. The induction is concise and uses direct language and less creative imagery. This is a favourite style of the stage h ypnotist as it lends itself favourably to the quick and direct nature of induction.A proponent of this technique was Dave Elman, whose authoritarian technique was used by doctors and dentists to calm their patients. It was quick and to the point. When thinking of the authoritarian style as a use for today’s hypnotic induction, it would be suited to use with a nervous or anxious person. Perhaps the controlled style reassures the nervous client that the therapist is in control, they know what they are doing and therefore it will follow that they will be more inclined to follow the suggestions made by the therapist.Instead of ‘you may start to feel your eyelids are becoming heavy’ the authoritarian approach will read as ‘your eyelids are heavy’ The logical and concise nature of the language used in this type of induction is also a useful when presented with a skeptic of the science behind hypnosis, the style does away with too vivid imagery and curtails the use of metaphor, allowing a sense of logicality to the ‘unconvinced’.This direct style also lends itself well to addiction therapy as ascertaining their modality can be difficult due to the personality and cerebral damage created by the addiction, for example, alcohol abuse. The repetitive and authoritarian style of induction Karle and Boys suggest the mere act or suggestion of an attempt to give up, say, smoking will work whether personalised or not as they ‘will respond well to any form of treatment, because any ritual will perform the functions they seek’ Again it would seem that a personalised induction is not so important in this type of case.The permissive approach is much more widely used in therapeutic hypnotherapy as it can ‘play’ with linguistic metaphor and imagery based on the client’s personality and dominant modality thus creating a much more personalised hypnotic experience. Michael Caroll in his essay ‘The Stru cture of Permissive Hypnotherapy’ states: ‘Rapport is an important aspect of permissive hypnotherapy because the hypnotherapist is going to lead the client to trance rather than just direct the client’s experience.To lead the client to trance the hypnotherapist mirrors the clients imaginative preferences through verbal communication allowing the hypnotherapist access to the physiology and state associated with trance, so when the client unconsciously follows the hypnotherapist’s lead he/she will be accessing a trance like state’ The leading hypnotherapist in this type of therapy was Milton H Erickson, he could be said to be the inventor of the personalised hypnotic experience. Rapport building underpins this type of approach and this is what Erickson sought to gain in his sessions.The permissive style will use an indirect approach in order to gain the trust of their clients without appearing too authoritarian. Hypnotic suggestion is wrapped up in me taphor and creative language coupled with varying vocal tonality. It was Erickson’s theory that ‘people must participate in their therapy’. The true meaning of a personalised induction! His screed would incorporate linguistic techniques in order to gain a rapport. There are several examples of this. Using the client’s dominant modality (which are discussed earlier in this essay).Convincers which are used in such a way as to make the client think they are in control of their induction when in fact they are being indirectly guided into a trance. A convincer may read as this: ‘I can see that your eyes are beginning to close and you are relaxed’. ‘Anchoring’ a key-word that will bring a repeated response, for example, the client could be asked to feel the summer sun on their skin throughout the induction so as to induce feelings of warmth and contentment. This could change according to the dominant modality of the client, whether visu al, kinaesthetic, olfactory and so on. Presuppositons and double binds’ are a clever way of allowing the client to feel in control of their destiny through contradictory linguistic signals. A client seeking to give up a bad habit may be told ‘you may wish to give up x tomorrow, next week or next month†¦ when this happens is entirely up to you’. This type of therapy works well as it allows the client to participate in their own induction. It allows for the uniqueness of the individual as to how they are induced which would surely be more effective.It would be too simplistic to argue that a personalised approach would be wholly effective as compared to a generic induction, but, in the main, it can offer a wide ranging approach for the therapist. In general, we use only a very small amount of verbal communication, much is achieved through body language and non verbal signals. In hypnotherapy the hypnotist does not have these non verbal tools to hand in an induc tion and therefore has to rely on linguistic techniques such as modality, metpahor or tone of voice in order to get the most effective results for their client.The different techniques found within the personalised approach, such as the use of modalities and indirect/direct language allows the client a proactive approach to his or her own induction. Michael Heap writes: ‘Regarding the legitimate therapeutic uses of hypnotherapy it is important†¦that the therapist’s actions and communications be in keeping with context and should contribute to the creation of the appropriate expectations, thus maximizing the patient’s receptivity to suggestion’.For example the therapist would have to take in consideration the mannerisms of the client, even they way they are dressed and what they do for work and pleasure. They also have to consider that the client may not be behaving as they normally would due to nerves or the differences between their public and privat e persona. They may be acting or behaving differently than is normal. However the hypnotherapist will surely learn to gauge their approach as they gain more experience.There is a place for the generic and direct approach as discussed in the essay, but the effectiveness of getting the client themselves to participate in their own induction is surely a more interesting and varied approach which lends itself to a more effective induction. References Hadley & Staudbacher – Hypnosis for Change -1996, New Harbinger Publications, USA Heap & Dryden – Hypnotherapy: A Handbook – 1991, Oxford University Press, UK Karle & Boys Hypnotherapy: A Practical Handbook – 1987 Free Association Books, UK

Assessment and Learners Essay

4 Understand how to involve learners and others in assessment 4. 1 Explain the importance of involving the learner and others in the assessment process Assessment is all about making judgements. A major argument for involving students in self and peer-assessment is that it helps them to develop the ability to make judgements, in particular about themselves and their work. This is an important life skill as well as an academic one. If an assessor wants to observe a specific piece of evidence but is unable to because maybe it hasn’t occurred in any methods of assessment; this is where it’s important for others to get involved for example the managers or the colleagues. The workers can motivate the learner when the assessor is not around. The workers can act as an expert witness, so when the assessor goes to visit the candidate he/she could provide the assessor with a witness testimony, and this will be put as evidence in the portfolio 4. 2 Summarise types of information that should be made available to learners and others involved in the assessment process Students should be made aware of the criteria in which they will be assessed from the start of the course as well as the forms of assessments that will be used during the process and the length of time it will take. The learners should be given information on what the outcome will be for the different assessments undertaken as well as what qualification is expected on completion of the course. 4. 3 Explain how peer and self-assessment can be used effectively to promote involvement and personal responsibility in the assessment of learning There are many benefits of peer assessment. Students assessing each other’s learning can help the learners to feel supported by their peers. There is also the benefit that the learners may be able to relate more easily with their peers than with a tutor. Peer assessment assists the learners gain confidence and social skills and shares the roles of assessing and being assessed equally between the learners. One suggested peer assessment activity is to have students work in groups, discussing each other’s’ in-class assignments and ways to improve, develop and adapt for improvements providing their peers with peer led feedback and assessment. Self-assessment is a natural progression and grows out of peer assessment. It allows the students to examine their own work and discover strengths and weaknesses for themselves. This can be carried out through reflective practice through a diary of learning or learning log that allows the student to see progression and reflect upon the journey. It’s important to incorporate some aspect of self-assessment every day, if possible, in order for students to take responsibility and interest in their abilities. Another way of using self-assessment is by asking the students to give themselves a grade on the work that they have completed before handing in the work to the marking criteria set, or for student looks at their assignment and marks green for questions that they feels confident about, yellow for questions that they are unsure of and red for questions that will require help. 4. 4 Explain how assessment arrangements can be adapted to meet the needs of individual learners Assessment arrangements can be adapted by allowing the learners to have an element of choice on how the criterion is assessed. This will allow the learners to feel included and means that the tutor is not offering an alternative or necessarily forcing the learner to disclose their lack of understanding or forcing adjustment. An example would be giving all learners the choice of having a Unit assessed either by portfolio or by written examination or by observation. In short, as long as the assessment criteria are being assessed to the same standard, the assessment method can be flexible and should meet the needs of the learners 5 Understand how to make assessment decisions 5. 1 Explain how to judge whether evidence is: sufficient, authentic and current All assessments must be valid, reliable, practicable, and equitable and assessors must apply the standards of assessment uniformly and consistently. . Ensuring assessments are capable of generating sufficient evidence for learners’ to demonstrate that they have met the assessment criteria. Having this process gives the learners clear instructions to the assessments that will be used during the course as well as clear and precise guidelines for completion. It gives both the tutors and the learners the recommended guidelines on how work for the course should be presented and what evidence is required for verification, this in turn allows the tutor and the organisation to map the developments of the learner through the assessment criteria being met. This ensures that all courses awarded are valid and that the course has worked to the set Quality Assurance of the awarding body and organisation; thus being assessed accurately, consistently and fairly to set standards. Sufficient evidence must cover all aspects of the assessment criteria for each unit the learner is seeking to achieve and collect enough evidence to demonstrate knowledge and competence. The learner must be able to show that the work produced is authentic and able to explain and substantiate the evidence the learner has put forward. It is important, therefore, to ensure that any work that the learner submits is only evidence relating to your own performance. Current’ means evidence relating to skills, attitudes and knowledge you can currently demonstrate in relation to the criterion and unit being taught. 5. 2 Explain how to ensure that assessment decisions are: made against specified criteria, valid, reliable and fair The assessor should follow as far as possible the criteria set down in the relevant unit and qualification. All qualifications go through a standardisation process that enables each assessor to consistently make valid decisions; that all assessors make the same decision on the same evidence base and all candidates are assessed fairly. All corresponding evidence from the learner should be reliable in that they have concrete knowledge and skill to back up their evidence. The evidence should be fair in that any leaner will have the same opportunity to complete the assignment.

Average SAT Subject Test Scores Complete List

Average SAT Subject Test Scores Complete List SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A 750 on an SAT Subject Test sounds like an amazing score, right? Not necessarily! Interpreting scores on the Subject Tests is more complex than it is on the general SAT. For example, an excellent score on the Literature Subject Test might look very different from an excellent score on the Korean with Listening Test. Let's take a look at the average scores for each SAT Subject Test, and go over what they mean as you choose which tests to take. Average SAT Subject Test Scores and Standard Deviations First, let's take a look at the SAT Subject Tests in terms of their mean scores, standard deviations, and number of students who took them. Overall, the average SAT Subject Test scores tend to be higher than the average scores on the general SAT since students who take the Subject Tests tend to be high academic achievers. I've listed the SAT Subject Tests in order from highest average score to lowest. I've also included the standard deviations, which indicate how scores are distributed along the curve.A low standard deviation means thatmost students scored near the mean, whereas ahigh standard deviation means that scores were scattered across a broad range. Check out the College Board data from the 2018 SAT Subject Tests in the chart below. Then, scroll down for a discussion of what all this data means for your own SAT Subject Test scores. SAT Subject Test Mean Score Standard Deviation # of Test Takers (2016-18) Literature 607 5 150,361 US History 640 108 178,258 World History 622 0 43,660 Math Level I 605 2 162,998 Math Level II 693 99 427,765 Ecological Biology 618 0 91,866 Molecular Biology 650 109 6,622 Chemistry 666 105 208,588 Physics 667 107 169,950 Chinese with Listening 760 66 13,173 French with Listening 668 4 3,819 German with Listening 618 121 1,297 Japanese with Listening 703 108 3,436 Korean with Listening 761 65 5,364 Spanish with Listening 662 106 6,937 French 628 124 18,725 German 620 134 1,875 Modern Hebrew 612 147 980 Italian 666 127 1,396 Latin 626 0 7,088 Spanish 647 2 51,808 Your test scores don't exist in a vacuum. Rather,your scores are compared against all the other students' scores who took the same tests. This comparison is shown as a percentile, which will be part of your score report. If you're in the 99th percentile, you scored better than 99% of students who took the test. Landing in the 50th percentile means you scored higher than half the students (and lower than the other half). With that in mind, does a higher mean score suggest that a Subject Test is easier? Read on for what you can infer about an SAT Subject Test from a high mean score and a low mean score. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Your SAT Subject Test scores don't exist in a vacuum. SAT Subject Tests With High Average Scores As you can see in the chart above, the Subject Tests with the highest average scores are Korean and Chinese, which both have listening components. It's safe to assume these tests aren't easy if you don't speak Korean or Chinese! But for people who do speak these languages, it seems that they are able to score very highly. The standard deviations for Korean and Chinese are both low, meaning that most students scored near the high means of 761 and 759, respectively. If you've studied Chinese or Korean but are not completely fluent, your personal high score of 650 or 700 will actually be in a pretty low percentile compared with everyone else who took the test. And if you're fluent and get 770, you might think it's an amazing score- but, actually, it's just average! So what should you take from this? Unless you're a fluent or native speaker, these Subject Tests are probably not for you. And even if you are a fluent speaker, you should still definitely take time to prep,as you'll have to achieve an almost perfect score to stand out from the pack. This advice pretty much holds true for all of the language tests, so don't get complacent even if you've been speaking the language your whole life. You still need to prepare to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your language skills. Another SAT Subject Test with a high mean score is Math Level II, at 693. Student scores show a fairly low standard deviation of 99. These results suggest that students who take the Math Level II really excel in math.Indeed, the test requires a strong grasp of concepts, as well as some extra test prep, to achieve a high score and percentile. High average test scores mean that you'll have to aim for an extra high score to stand above and beyond everybody else. Now, let's take a look at low average SAT Subject Test scores. SAT Subject Tests With Low Average Scores One SAT Subject Test with an average score on the lower side tests a core subject that all students take in high school: literature. The mean score for the Literature SAT Subject Test is 607, and the standard deviation is almost double that for the Chinese Test. This indicates that some students scored a lot higher than the mean, and some scored a lot lower. The Literature Subject Test is a challenging test that requires you to put in some serious study time to do well on it. But it is definitely possible to break away from the average,and a score in the 700s will put you in a high percentile. To reiterate the point above, a score like 720 on the Literature test would be an excellent score, while a 720 on the Korean Test would be a good deal lower than average. Another Subject Test with a low mean score- in this case, just 605- is Math Level I. Compared to Math Level II, which has a far higher average of 693, it seems that those who take the Math Level I Test aren't typically as strong at math as are those who take the Math Level II Test. Find Target Scores for Your SAT Subject Tests By knowing these average scores and thinking about percentiles, you can set specific target scores for the different SAT Subject Tests you're planning to take. If you're deciding among several tests, try to aim for those with a medium to high standard deviation. If the test has a low standard deviation and thus less variance, your scores will look a lot worse if you underperform. Remember that schools are not using your Subject Test scores on an absolute scale but rather are considering how they compare with those of other students who took the test. This information of average test scores and standard deviations is important for understanding this comparison and forplanning your target scores and the percentiles they are likely to fall in. Generally speaking,a great SAT Subject Test score is one that's in at least the 80th percentile, while agood score is one that's around the 70th percentile. As our article on good SAT Subject Test scores indicates, percentiles can vary a lot for different SAT Subject Tests, so it's important to take this information into account as you set your target score for a specific test. Usually, regardless of what schools you're applying to, it's a good idea to aim for a Subject Test score in at least the 700s. Finally, you might want to try toresearch the average SAT Subject Test scores for the colleges you're applying to. Note, however, that most colleges don't report this information, so it's likely you won't find anything online. In this case, assume that you're going to be needing a score in at least the 70th percentile (80th-90th percentile for more selective schools). The Final Word: How to Prepare for SAT Subject Tests One step you can take as you prepare for the SAT Subject Tests is to check out our article on the easiest SAT Subject Tests. This guide further breaks down the data so you can see how it affects your choice of Subject Test. Secondly, make sure to prepare well for these tests,even if a subject is your best subject or you speak a language fluently. The College Board offersa helpful breakdown of the SAT Subject Tests along with some sample practice questions. Finally, schedule your Subject Tests at the end of the school year, whenyou're studying the subject and the content is still fresh in your mind. Since you'll be competing with high academic achievers, you want to put yourself in the best position to succeed. What's Next? Which SAT Subject Test should you take? You know that average scores and standard deviations are one criterion to consider when deciding which tests to take. Check out this article for what else you should think about when deciding on the best Subject Tests for you and your applications. Are you also studying for the SAT? Just as with the Subject Tests, you want to define your target scores and work toward achieving them. Check out this article to learn what makes a good score, a bad score, and an excellent score on the SAT. Are you leaning toward the ACT? This article breaks down the scores and helps you set goals for each section. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

The NGOs Role Within Australias Democracy †Government Essay

The NGOs Role Within Australias Democracy – Government Essay Free Online Research Papers The NGOs Role Within Australias Democracy Government Essay The role of NGOs in Australia’s system of democracy is an issue of increasing relevance and significance within public discourse. NGOs have been placed under proliferating scrutiny and reconceptualization within our political landscape. This has been characterised by increasing conservative neo-liberalist philosophical underpinnings rationalised within economic rationalism’s model of entrepreneurship and free market competition. (Maddison, Denniss and Hamilton 2004 p1) The roles, responsibilities and challenges facing NGOs are numerous and ever-changing with â€Å"greater confusion about the non-profit sector and its role than before.† (Fitzgerald 2004 p1)It is important yet difficult for these NGOs to juggle values, purpose and determination within the broader context of political climates and societal change. The need for NGOs to clarify their roles and responsibility within the Australian system of democracy is of profound significance within our changing societal paradigm moving towards conservatism, privatisation and overriding neo-liberalist philosophies contrasting the Keynesian welfare model upon which societal constructs has until recently drawn heavily upon. (McDonald and Marston 2002 p3) NGOs have been faced with a consequential need to articulate roles and defend their actions and ideologies as governments and conservative organizations focus not on the positive processes and outcomes of NGOs for their service users and the community but rather the threat that they pose to the conservative equilibrium created within the neo-liberalist agenda, particularly in relation to their support from the community and the advice they provide to governments and corporations. (Mowbray 2003 p4) NGOs play a unique and invaluable role within Australia’s system of democracy in playing an intermediator role between the government, the community and the corporate for profit sector, creating public forums of debate involving varying individuals often with diverse or underrepresented needs, representation of disadvantaged and marginalised groups, providing direct involvement in policy formation and change, providing uncompromising quality services to the community and striving for high levels of transparency and accountability of governments, the corporate sector and their own organizations. The construction of a public sphere of consultation, discussion and debate may be argued to be a fundamental underpinning of the democratic process as well as â€Å"to the development of good public policy and a well functioning democracy†. (Maddison, Denniss and Hamilton 2004 p1) NGOs provide a platform from which alternative views and experiences may be expressed and often advocate on the behalf of or assist in a process of empowerment of marginalised and disadvantaged groups. This enables a public voice previously unheard or disregarded increasing access to decision making processes effecting individuals and communities and moving towards a more egalitarian holistic approach incorporating the needs of all stakeholders. The legitimacy of these roles of NGOs has been placed under increasing scrutiny with a highly contested movement away from the involvement of NGOs in public decision-making processes. The decreasing public trust of governmental and corporate entities has concurrently been juxtaposed by an increasing level of public trust and involvement with NGOs and community participation (Maddison, Denniss and Hamilton 2004 p2) The legitimacy of NGOs subsequently has been called into question under right wing conservative ideology referring to NGOs as â€Å"a growing power of an unelected few† (Fitzgerald 2004 p5) undermining and questioning their authority, motivations and views. Thus a strengthening conservative agenda has emerged questioning the right of NGO’s to be involved in public political discourse and calling for the silencing of dissidence through intimidatory means or withholding funding. This contradicts democratic principles of free speech and the right to question gove rnmental actions to which NGOs oppose and hope to overcome rather than engage in self-censorship or external body control as a means of self-preservation. NGOs have played an increasingly significant role in representing disadvantaged and marginalised groups and bringing a collaborative and rights based approach into the public agenda. Citizenship and involvement within the democratic process are constructed as a framework for participation â€Å"as citizens with a range of collective identities rather than as individualised clients or customers† (Ryan 1995 in Sawer and Jupp 1996 p40) NGOs are thus playing an increasingly significant role in the meaning making process assisting in the activation of voices and perspectives of those often unrepresented and unheard within political and societal discourse. This is working in contradiction to the neo-liberalist attempt to â€Å"converge to weaken or abolish collective standards and solidarities† (Bourdieu 1998 p3) and the Darwinistic market neoliberalism increasingly upheld and prioritised within our growing conservative governmental epoch. This representation may involve cr eating open discussion and public forums, direct involvement in planning, implementing and reviewing policy processes and governmental decisions and working towards the capacity building and empowerment of individuals and communities to articulate and represent their needs and opinions within the public sphere. The NGOs operational objectives and function are important in reflecting on the their role within the system of democracy. The provision of uncompromising quality services to the community maintaining philosophies, values and priorities in everyday functioning is an integral aspect in working towards broader aims and objectives regarding societal structures and change. In providing this, NGOs can act as intermediaries between governments, communities and corporations with integrity and genuine transparency and accountability for their actions. Accountability is a central role and issue intrinsic within service provision and the multifaceted public discourse of our system of democracy. NGOs have a responsibility to the community, the government and other organizations to provide transparency and accountability for their actions and the processes undertaken working within their ideological frameworks and understanding. In providing this accountability they provide a milieu within which to question the actions and accountabilities of governments and other organizations involved with the community and the democratic state. Criticism has been mounted against NGOs relating to accountability under the neo-liberalist conceptualisation of the NGOs as an illegitimate entity with its self-interest of paramount concern. However NGOs have reflected that it is their role and responsibility to remain answerable and open to their actions and support improving accountability frameworks, benchmarking and co-responsibilities between NGOs an d governments. (Fitzgerald 2004 p6) Within the case study of the proposal for the Social Science Student’s Society (SSSS) stakeholders play a significant role in the creation of a student’s society enabling a communicative forum, participation, feedback, open and critical discussion and the creation of a cohesive collective of social science students within the university. These two stakeholders, the students and the university engage from differing conceptualisations and ideological positions underpinning their approaches and understanding of the role of NGOs. The students take a structural ideological position in relation to the role of NGOs understanding the power imbalances and inequality systematically inherent to their position and within the organizational framework of the proposed social science student’s society. Within the broader spectrum of the university and the governmental policies and practices influencing the varying levels of their experience the students can observe and understand the societal power imbalance imposed under a top down non-consultative approach. The student’s are aiming to bring about participatory change focusing on the thoughts, ideas and experiences of social science students questioning the current systemic limitations of the university including a belief that â€Å"participation is limited due to current school structures, which do not encourage their participation† (SSSS Proposal 2005). An underlying belief that students have the right to open participatory forum, a cohesive commu nity and involvement in planning processes regarding their education is underpinning the role of the SSSS, and an understanding of this within the confines of the universities limitations and societal realm is articulated. The students and SSSS thus construct the role of NGOs as working against recognised systematic inequalities and limitations activating the voices of the marginalised and oppressed in order to bring about positive outcomes and greater societal change. Another key stakeholder within this proposal is the university. The universities approach and ideological position can be understood on a more conservative level than the students however is not unaware of the challenges imposed by power imbalances and inequality such as an inability of the system to incorporate the voices and opinions of the majority. The university takes a pluralist ideological standpoint examining the students and the SSSS proposal and maintains this viewpoint in the broader role of NGOs. The university is able to recognise the varying needs of students and those engaging with the university and is aware of its role in working with these groups to achieve positive outcomes. It maintains this without directly focusing upon a broader actualisation of social problems within the context of societal oppression and systematic inequality, rather focusing on specific issues effecting specific groups within the university and recognising the often unequal distribution of p ower among these groups. The university may conceptualise the broader role of NGOs to work towards achieving goals with varying groups and decrease the effects of inequality and oppression. NGOs may do this without significantly affecting the status quo however may question societal structures in the best interests in alleviating marginalisation and oppression of individuals and communities. The ideological underpinning may have a vast impact on the outcomes for the organization as the various frameworks of understanding of societal structures and approaches to change construct the foundations from which viewpoints are developed and actions are undertaken. The structuralist ideological position holds a greater potential for comprehensive and holistic change, focusing on the varying levels and structures of society from which power imbalances and oppression arise. The focus is centralised on significant and multifaceted change which if achieved is likely to prove successful, as the examination and analysis of all systems of power and change are included in the social change approach. The structuralist ideological position within specific instances however may prove extremely challenging and problematic for an organization to approach. The far-reaching implications of top down systematic inequalities and oppression are complex and possibly daunting issues to tackle; and in specific instances it may not be possible for an organization to approach and change entrenched viewpoints or inequalities deriving from powerful systems over which the organization has little to no control. The pluralist ideological position acts as intermediary in understanding society and social change and due to this attaining positive outcomes and strengthening the positions of marginalized groups and alleviating aspects of inequality may be quite achievable. This may prove to be very beneficial to the groups involved with the organization if their interests are represented however an overall problem with the pluralist approach is its failure to deconstruct and conceptualise the broader spectrum of societal problems. Outcomes may be affected as immediate, short or medium term outcomes may be achievable, however working towards long term or systematic changes may not be encapsulated within the scope of a pluralist approach as they may be when working within a structuralist ide ological framework. References Aja, F.S. (2005) Proposal for the Social Science Students Society [unpublished document] Bankstown: University of Western Sydney. Bourdieu, P. (1998) The Essence of Neoliberalism. [online] Venezuela Analitica Editores. Available from – www.analitica.com/bitbioteca/bourdieu/neoliberalism.asp [Accessed 28 August 2005] Fitzgerald, R. (2004) Challenges, choices and opportunities for Nonprofit Organizations. National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organizations. 16 September 2004. Australian Council for International Development. Mowbray, M (2003) War on non profits: ‘NGOs: What do we do about them?’ Just Policy.30 (July) 3-13. McDonald, C. and Marston, G. (2002) Fixing the Niche? Rhetorics of the community sector in the neo-liberal welfare regime. Just Policy. 27 (August) 3-10. Maddison, S and Denniss, R. and Hamilton, C. (2004) Silencing Dissent: Non-government organizations and the Australian democracy. Discussion Paper Number 65 June 2004. [online] The Australia Institute. Available from – tai.org.au/Publications_Files/DP_Files/DP65.pdf [Accessed 25 August 2005] Bibliography Mills, S. (1994) A Summary of Community Work and Ideology. [unpublished document] Lismore TAFE. Mowbray, M. (2004) Getting NGOs out of the tent: The IPA’s campaign against charities. [online] Victorian Council of Social Services. Available at – tear.org.au/resources/harambee/041/04_ngo-out-ofthe-tent.htm [Accessed 30 July 2005] Sawer, M. (2002) Governing for the Mainstream: Implications for Community Representation. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 61(1) March 39-49. Sawer, M. and Jupp, J. (1996) The Two-Way Street: Government Shaping of Community-Based Advocacy. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 55 (4) December, 82-99. Research Papers on The NGOs Role Within Australia's Democracy - Government EssayRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBringing Democracy to AfricaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Dress for Success to Excel in Medicine

Dress for Success to Excel in Medicine Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.You’ve likely heard this advice before–when you put your best self forward, people around you will treat you with professionalism and respect.  This philosophy is especially true for health care professionals, and to understand why, you can take it one step further: Dress to be the medical professional you’d want in your time of need.Think about it: people turn to you for guidance and knowledge in their darkest hours. They need to feel that you are pulled together and ready to help in when they need it most.  Patients don’t know or care that you’re coming in on a Saturday, fresh from a day at the park with your family. It doesn’t matter to the parents of a sick child that today is your last day on call before a vacation. They just want and need a staff of professionals to put them at ease–just like you would if you were in their shoes.Can you give solid medical advice in jeans and a flannel shirt? Of course. But a pulled-together image and presentation helps convey a sense of authority people need when they put their lives and the lives of their loved ones in your hands.Casual Fridays Don’t Have a Place in MedicineRead More at Kevin MD–

Online Social Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

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Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art history - Essay Example The angel Gabriel's declaration to Mary that she was to become the mother of Jesus is called the Annunciation. The story is found I what is known as the Infancy Narrative of St. Luke's Gospel - Luke 1:5-2:52 (The Catholic Encyclopedia).Rogier van der Weyden's painting, The Annunciation, was completed around 1435, is a 33 7/8" x 36 1/4" panel, which once was part of a triptych. The depiction is of Mary in a bedchamber, seated by the light of a window at the right, positioned on the floor in a stance that implies that she had been busy reading while angel Gabriel comes to pronounce that she was blessed among women to bear the child Jesus. Gabriel appears to Mary's back with a somewhat solemn face as Mary turns her head towards him.Weyden portrays a somewhat intimate detailed image; he tries to show that Mary was reading a book while angel Gabriel declared that she would be the chosen woman to bear Jesus. The original purpose of including a book in his painting was to evoke the prophecy of Isaiah, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive".In the deep space that characterizes Van der Weyden's work, Mary acknowledges the presence of Gabriel with a head inclined away from the book and a gesture of the raised right hand...Van der Weyden introduces some significant elements into the Annunciation iconography. To denote purity, the vase of lilies is present but so too is a carafe of clear liquid, which may also represent an alchemical union of the sexes (Losh, 2001). According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, "The column which separates the angel Gabriel from Mary symbolizes the division of the Old and the New Law that was bridged by the Incarnation." [National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Mellon Collection, 1937] The artist represents a shallow space, and he uses logical measurement, since the bodies of angel Gabriel and Mary where inclined at the same direction and the bench was paralleled to the bed. We can clearly see that the picture is dynamic, full of movement, we can easily know that Gabriel is stating a message to Mary while Mary on the other hand reacts to what the angel have declared. The composition was fairly organized, the artist uses harmonious perspective in detailing every object in the painting, but the objects seem to be shorter than they really are, the bench was not comfortable to sit in, the bed looks shorter for the size of Mary, and the chandelier seems to hit the heads of Mary if she will stand. I consider Mary as the focal point of the painting. Her black gown catches first my attention; its solid, vivid color amazed me. The intended point-of-view of the scene is oblique, as intended by the artist, place yourself in the right side of the painting, and look at it with an angle of 45 degrees then you will see the image more precisely and the message it wants to impart. As one of Rogier's successful works, the Annunciation was characterized by cold and bold colors; they were as strong as the message was so strong - that it is possible for a virgin to conceive a child even without the intervention of the flesh or sexual intercourse - also it is characterized by rhythmic elongated lines, particularly evident in fluttering robes and draperies, by the elegant mannered poses of the figures, and especially by a tragic religious intensity that reached a peak in three versions of the crucifixion. The scene is sharply lit, there are no unnecessary lines in the painting, and every detail can be seen, even the thread that holds the curtain of the bed. The light is obviously coming from the right side window if you are facing towards the painting and at the left side of Mary. The artist uses different textures, from the chandelier, in designing the window, to the plain style of the bed and beddings, to the chairs and its pillows, to Mary's clothing, and specially so, to what Gabriel was wearing, its designs and details depicts the magnificence of the creature. Most of the paintings of Rogier van der Weyden were serene,

Concussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concussion - Essay Example This can either cause a direct injury to the brain to produce swelling or formation of a hematoma (blood clot) that compress over different brain structures (Starkey, 2013). Concussion may or may not be associated with loss of consciousness. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, unsteady gait, photophobia, retrograde amnesia and disorientation of other neurological functions. There are four grading of concussion depending on signs and symptoms of the patient (Barry, Dillingham and McGuire, 2002). When the severity of damage to the brain tissue is more, patient presents with more deteriorating signs and symptoms and graded high on the grading scale. Management and rehabilitation plan also depends on the severity or grading and the frequency of head injury. As injury is internal, much focus is on rest during rehabilitation process for healing. Sport players are asked to abstain from contact activities to prevent any superimposed injury that can result in â€Å"second impact syndrome† (Barry, Dillingham and McGuire,

History of asian immagration to the U.S Research Paper

History of asian immagration to the U.S - Research Paper Example An understanding of the history as well as the reasons for the rampant immigrations has been a major concern for all people in the world. Indeed, several contributing factors are evident (Fowler, 2007). The emigration policies that had been set in each of the Asian countries, and their relationship with the immigration policies at work in the United States has been a long term factor that contributing to the Asian immigration into the American countries. The second rationale en tails the linkage between the United States and the Asian countries in relation to economical, political, social, as well as military linkages. A third migration cause is the aspect of globalization, in the fact that the world has been modified recently to appear like a small city where people can move to and fro. This has also made the movement process easy, making the movement of the Asians into the United States year by year. ... The discussion in this paper provides in formation on the history and present day immigration of the Asians into the United States. It will also provide an overview of literature, which has been documented over the years concerning the immigration and the immigration policies. It is also deemed crucial to analyze an immigration case, for instance, the current movements to the United States and their relationships with immigration policies and laws. More over, a comprehensive discussion is important when provided to provide a wide scope overview of the Asian immigration to the United States issue as well as the impacts. Literature review A lot of literature has been documented regarding Asian immigration to the United States. The history of migration dates back to the inception of agrarian, industrialization, as well as globalization periods. Theorists have also been on their onset to propose rampant theories that explain emigration immigration issues. Major empirical studies have als o been conducted, providing distinct findings for the immigration studies (Fowler, 2007). History of the immigration The history of Asian immigration to the United States dates back in 1850’s. Different waves have been seen arrive the united states over the years, the first wave arriving in 1850 in the city of California. The reason for the referral inform of waves is conformity with immigration laws that have Marjory controlled the immigration trends. The first and the second waves having arrived in 1850 and 1882 respectively, laws were set regarding a stop of immigrants from Asia moving in to the United States. The 1970 again saw a restoration of the immigration laws that enabled other

Art 21 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art 21 - Essay Example Cai Guo-Qiang is an artist from Fujian Province of China. Guo-Qiang currently lives and does his artistic masterpieces in New York, United States. Guo-Qiang uses several media to show his inner feelings. His art works are infused with political themes. Uniquely, Guo-Qiang uses gunpower as an art form ingredient. He is successful in this unique art genre. Guo-Qiang learned gunpowder art while staying in Japan. As expected, Guo-Qiang’ art is characterized by explosions (PBS, 2014) The left image shows the artist using animals as models of his art work. The image will surely attract children. Children prefer images that resemble life. The left image will remind the children that our world includes the survival of animals. It is a good art image because the children can easily understand the image. The right image shows the author’s use explosions (fireworks) to attract the attention of the audience. The audience who will actually see the live explosions will either be entertained or may fear for their life. The audience will discern whether the fireworks explosion will cause danger to the lives of the audience. When the audience senses fire explosion debris going towards the audience, the audience will run to safety. Jeff Koons is from Pennsylvania. He school included studying in the popular Art Institute of Chicago. The artist uses images from different cultures as inspiration for his masterpieces. The artist injects both taste and pleasure themes into his art pieces. Koons uses the benefits of computer technology to create his currently popular art form. Koons uses the computer technology’s accurate detail advantages to reduce the time needed to complete his artwork tasks. Further, Jeff Koons’ masterpieces had been displayed in several art galleries. One of the galleries is Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Koons displayed his art works in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Jeff Koons accomplished the above two art pieces. The left

Review of the Article Development Opportunity Essay

Review of the Article Development Opportunity - Essay Example The article gives some guidelines in toning down what is necessary in learning and development (L & D) programs. An approach called RAM is suggested. R stands for relevance, which asks, â€Å"What is it for? Why are we doing it? Has the work changed? Has the business changed?†. A stands for alignment, which asks consults the stakeholders who will benefit from it. Lastly, M stands for measurement, which looks into the impact and value of the L & D (Scott, 2010). Since options to save up on L & D expenses have been cut short, online training services have been made available by a few groups where employees can log on to the company’s learning management server and choose a program they believe will help them in an area they need training for. Such service conducts an impact and learning study to monitor how they improved from the training. When people want to learn more to improve themselves, the article said they should not be controlled but instead given freedom and opp ortunity to do so. Social learning is one option. People can work across the company to network, â€Å"share knowledge and experience, collaborate and learn for their benefit and that of the company (Butler as mentioned in Scott, 2010, p. 25). Learning from colleagues could be an effective way of improving skills and experience while keeping company costs down. Leaders may also avail of outside training first and then cascade their new knowledge and skills from the training down to their employees. It is one way of imparting the culture of the organization to its people. In any case, the training expert should keep in mind the goals of the training – to improve the business and not only the people, so it yields a return on investment. L & D should focus more on practical strategies and not just theories. Review of Related Literature The global financial crisis has turned some companies to scrimp on their budgets just keep them afloat in these difficult times. Many people hav e lost their jobs as a result of the budget cuts. For employees left to work to help their companies rise above the economic crunch, training and development are ensured in the expectation that it will contribute towards the betterment of not only the individual employee but of the whole organization as well. Employee development has been identified as key to improving overall organizational effectiveness. Jones and Washington (2003) have defined it as: â€Å"Employee development refers to an integrated set of planned programs, provided over a period of time, to help assure that all individuals have the competence necessary to perform to their fullest potential in support of the organization’s goals† ( 344). Like what the article indicated, nowadays, people have more access to learning. More and more training courses are developed and offered in schools and online for people who want to go further in what they know to gain skills and knowledge in their

Art 21 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art 21 - Essay Example Cai Guo-Qiang is an artist from Fujian Province of China. Guo-Qiang currently lives and does his artistic masterpieces in New York, United States. Guo-Qiang uses several media to show his inner feelings. His art works are infused with political themes. Uniquely, Guo-Qiang uses gunpower as an art form ingredient. He is successful in this unique art genre. Guo-Qiang learned gunpowder art while staying in Japan. As expected, Guo-Qiang’ art is characterized by explosions (PBS, 2014) The left image shows the artist using animals as models of his art work. The image will surely attract children. Children prefer images that resemble life. The left image will remind the children that our world includes the survival of animals. It is a good art image because the children can easily understand the image. The right image shows the author’s use explosions (fireworks) to attract the attention of the audience. The audience who will actually see the live explosions will either be entertained or may fear for their life. The audience will discern whether the fireworks explosion will cause danger to the lives of the audience. When the audience senses fire explosion debris going towards the audience, the audience will run to safety. Jeff Koons is from Pennsylvania. He school included studying in the popular Art Institute of Chicago. The artist uses images from different cultures as inspiration for his masterpieces. The artist injects both taste and pleasure themes into his art pieces. Koons uses the benefits of computer technology to create his currently popular art form. Koons uses the computer technology’s accurate detail advantages to reduce the time needed to complete his artwork tasks. Further, Jeff Koons’ masterpieces had been displayed in several art galleries. One of the galleries is Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Koons displayed his art works in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Jeff Koons accomplished the above two art pieces. The left

Benefits versus Negative Effects of World War II Research Paper

Benefits versus Negative Effects of World War II - Research Paper Example That is why there has been a heated debate regarding the beneficial aspect of the war. While one group of people believes that Hitler always had plans to exterminate the Jews, the other group of functionalists argues that the war and the holocaust were reached at in a random way. Nonetheless, it can be agreed that the war was not an accident. Negative effects of the War All parts of the world experienced the effect of World War II. It is due to the fact that most of the world’s most powerful military groups such as Germany, Britain, Italy, the United States and Japan were involved. It included attacks of different countries that included Japan whose negative experiences after the bombings at the Pearl Harbor are still felt today with the birth of children with physical disabilities (Plog par. 2). There were five times more the number of casualties as compared to the First World War with many people amounting to fifty-five million were killed. Adolf Hitler, who was a dictator, was a key player and a participant in the activities before World War II. He mainly made the decision that related to the extermination policy as a state sanction (Fic par. 10). It mainly involved inhuman acts that lowered an individual’s level of decency as portrayed by Himmler who thought that the elimination of Jews and the other groups, which were considered undesirable, was a burden and an unpalatable task (Heilbrunn, p. 2). The associated atrocities committed during the invasion of Poland elicited a high level of criticism. The actions of Hitler and two of his two main aides and lieutenants can be considered to have been founded on wrong reasons. As Heilbrunn indicates, Himmler was involved in fights mainly in an effort to spread anti Semitic ideas, racism, extreme nationalism, and hostility to democracy. These radical ideologies were meant to be incorporated with a more comprehensive world view. It was a good move as it provided grounds for educating the peasants in Lo wer Bavaria about the connection between Jews, capitalists and Freemasons. Moreover, Longerich and Gerwarth assert that the Nazis were involved in sinister delusions about the power of the Jews. It is because of this that Thomas Mann describes their activities as the transformation of the entire continent into a â€Å"thick-walled torture chamber† in his novel â€Å"Doctor Faustus† (Heilbrunn p. 3). However, Hitler claimed that the war was started on the effort to solve most of the problems in Germany. These included the versatile treaty which if defied German would become a great country again. As Heilbrunn indicates, Hitler was involved in the war in order to bring â€Å"peaceful coexistence† between Czechs. Himmler, on the other hand, contends that members of the SS killed â€Å"decently† (Heilbrunn p. 3). He indicates that, unlike individual views that the Jews were killed out of sexual, selfish and sadistic reasons, the Nazis conducted the executions purely on grounds of valid political motives. It is as a result of this that he made a decision to deport millions of them (McIntosh, p. 1). Effect on Women During the war, the lives of numerous women were disrupted as they had to adapt to difficult conditions such as several nights of blackout. They additionally had to go through terror and fearful moments from the planes that constantly flew above them and Lorries that made

Suicide terrorism

Suicide terrorism Suicide terrorists are said to be fanatics. Discuss this statement with regard to the analysis of suicide terrorism and Asymmetric warfare. This paper is a discussion on modern suicide terrorism, starting with a brief history of suicide terrorism, moving onto definitions, characteristics, theories and the asymmetries of suicide terrorism. Suicide terrorism can be dated back to ancient times; it is the evolution of the suicide bomber that brings the most notoriety. With many analysts such as (Gunaratna, 2000; Winkates, 2006), trace the evolution of modern suicide terrorism to Sri Lanka and Lebanon in the 1980s. Acts of suicide terrorism in the past have been relatively confined and their use limited to a small number of locations around the world. In the last decade there has been a significant expansion in the scope and frequency of suicide terrorist attacks. The number of terrorist attacks fell from 660 in 1988 to 250 in 1998; the number of suicide terrorist attacks was climbing rapidly (Clayton, 2003, p. 18). This increase in suicide attacks during the period 2000-2005 is 2.7 times greater in comparison to the period b eginning in the 1980s and lasting until 1999 (Pedahzur Perlinger, 2006, p. 1987). During the period 2000-2009 the scope of suicide terrorism expanded dramatically, with suicide terrorist attacks in Indonesia (Bali), Sri Lanka, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States, England, Spain, Russia, Chechnya and Bangladesh. Although there have been suicide attacks within the west, it is the rapid increase of attacks within countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq that is the notable with a year on year increase. Saudi Arabia became so alarmed with the rise in suicide terrorism that in April of 2006 the Saudi government announced plans to build a multibillion-dollar electrified fence along its 560 mile border with Iraq (Dreazen Shiskin, 2006, p. A1). According to ISAF, in 2008 suicide bombings increased 26 percent from 2007(ISAF, 2009, toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, January 2009). There has also been a noticeable change in the individuals who carry out suicide attacks, once seen as mainly carried out by you ng men for either Religious or political reasons and yet there has been an increase in the number of women and children now playing an increasing part in suicide missions . One of the latest attacks took place on the Moscow subway, killing 35 and wounding many more; both of these attack where carried out by female suicide bombers. Suicide terrorism can be seen as inexpensive, deadly, and especially effective in accomplishing terrorists goals (Hoffman, 2003, p. 1; Jalalzai, 2005, p.110) attacks have also become increasingly effective in terms of the destruction they cause and the number of people they kill, as the suicide terrorists adopt new innovations such as explosive vests (Gall, 2006, p. A15).There is an asymmetry within suicide terrorist attacks, western countries have a reliance upon smart weapons in the conflict against those seen as terrorists. These weapons can cause huge amounts of damage without the need to directly attack the enemy with ground troops, thus lessoning the casualties sustained during combat operations. The use of a suicide bomber in effect becomes the human equivalent to the smart bomb. The weapon is self directing to the target, it can make changes to the target location, timing and delivery method on an ad hoc bases making the suicide bomber the ultimate smart bomb (Hoffman 2003). The use the human body as a weapon is not a new phenomenon being well documented through the ages. Pape (2005, p.11) calls the Zealots and the Sicarii the worlds first suicide terrorists. The name sicarrii means dagger-men, who would infiltrate Roman-controlled cities and stab Jewish collaborators or Roman legionnaires with a sica, kidnap the staff of the Temple Guard for ransom, or poison their enemies (Bloom, 2005, p. 8). The Zealots and Sicarii used violence to encourage public uprising, including the Jewish War of AD 66. They would attack their victims in broad daylight and in highly public places with little apparent regard for their own safety or escape. Pape (2005) notes that many of these attacks must have been suicide missions, since the killers were often immediately captured and put to death typically tortured and then crucified or burned alive (p. 12). Assassins were an 11th 12th century Shia Muslim sect from the Nizari state, their name, the assassins comes from the Arabic word hashishiyyin. According to Pape (2005), the Assassins created an effective organization f or the planned, systematic, and long-term use of political murder that relied on suicide missions for success. Pape (2005) reports that between 1945 and 1980, suicide attacks temporarily disappeared from the world scene (p.13). Pape (2005) and others (Laqueur, 2003) note the occurrence of politically- and/or religiously driven hunger strikes and suicides (particularly self-immolations) during this period but Pape (2005) claims there is not a single recorded instance of a suicide terrorist killing others while killing himself (p. 13). Reuter (2004) disagrees, citing a pro-Palestinian Japanese Red Army-sponsored attack on Israels Ben Gurion International Airport on May 20, 1972. In what Reuter (2004) notes as the first suicide attacks in the Middle East, on this day three Japanese gunmen with machine guns killed twenty-four people at the airport. They made no effort to escape, and two were shot dead by the airport guard (Reuter, 2004, p. 136). Inspired by Irans use of human minesweepers against Iraq, Hizbollah, launched a series of attacks against Western and Israeli targets in Lebanon (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). Hizbollah suicide attackers killed 80 and wounded 142 in its April 1983 attack on the American Embassy in Beirut, killed 241 and wounded 81 in its October 1983 attack on the US Marine headquarters near Beirut and its attack against the French Multinational Force, killed 58 and wounded 15 (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). In November 1983, Hizbollah suicide terrorists killed 88 and wounded 69 in an attack on the Israeli Defence Force headquarters in Tyre and a month later killed four and wounded 15 in an attack on the American Embassy in Kuwait (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). Sprinzak (2000) notes that Hizbollah leaders were initially very uneasy about the decision to launch suicide attacks, under the reasoning that Islam does not approve of believers taking their own lives. Hezbollahs spectacular success at achieving its goals of ex pelling foreign forces from all of Lebanon inspired other organizations such as Hamas, Tamil Tigers and al-Qaeda to adopt the suicide terrorist method of attack (Pape, 2005, p. 14). The Tamil Tigers were founded in 1972 as a Marxist, ethnic Tamil, Hindu separatist group seeking independence from the Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka. Their Black Tiger division trained to launch suicide attacks against Sri Lankan political leaders, military targets and civilians (Pape, 2005; Winkates, 2006). Hafez (2006) observed that outside of the Middle East, the Tamil Tigers have led the pack in the number and sophistication of suicide missions. It is estimated that the organization completed some 250 successful suicide attacks between 1987 and 2006 (Hafez, 2006, p. 5). In the early 2000s, ethno nationalist and Islamist Chechens began launching suicide attacks against Russian targets (Hafez, 2006, p. 5). Al Qaeda began launching attacks against American and Saudi targets in the Middle East in the mid-1990s. Al Qaedas spectacular entry into the suicide terrorist hall of fame occurred on August 7, 1998 when suicide terrorists used two delivery trucks loaded with explosives to blow up within minutes of each other, the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing a total of 224 people and injuring more than 4,300 persons (Reuter, 2004, p. 142). A little more than two years later, in October of 2000, Al Qaeda suicide bombers detonated 225 kg of explosive charges alongside the American destroyer, the USS Cole on a refuelling stop in the Yemeni port of Aden, killing 17 American sailors and injuring forty. A year later, Al Qaeda suicide terrorists launched their principal suicide operation and what is described as one of the big gest single suicide terrorist action to date, the 9/11 attacks in the United States, killing about 3,000 (Reuter, 2004, p. 144). This attack lead to explanations of suicide terrorism becoming defined as, first, that the suicide terrorist was irrational and/or mentally ill (Brym Araj, 2006; Pastor, 2004; Wintrobe, 2003).Secondly that the deprivation hypothesis this theory uses the explanation that that suicide terrorists were educationally, economically or otherwise deprived compared to their peers (Brym Araj, 2006; Krueger Maleckova, 2002 .In recent years the Bush Administration has advanced both of these theories in some of its anti-terrorist expression. President Bush repeatedly spoke out against the evil and irrational terrorists who commit these actions. The Bush Administration argued that poverty reduction programs in terrorism-prone regions will reduce the incidence of suicide terrorism (Pastor, 2004; Pape, 2005). Numerous studies have found little or no support for these t wo theories of suicide terrorism, recent studies have provided evidence which directly refutes these theories. Krueger Maleckovas, study in 2002, on the economics and education of suicide bombers directly refutes the deprivation hypothesis of suicide terrorism. Krueger Maleckova 2002 concluded that, the evidence that we have assembled and reviewed suggests that there is little direct connection between poverty, education, and participation in or support for terrorism. Indeed, the available evidence indicates that compared with the relevant population, participantswere at least as likely to come from economically advantaged families and to have a relatively high level of education as they were to come from impoverished families without educational opportunities (Krueger Maleckova 2002 p. 9). Numerous studies have established that overall, suicide terrorists do not suffer from personality disorders or mental illnesses which would explain their participation in suicide terrorism (Berko Erez, 2005). As Wintrobe 2003 argued, it is possible to explain suicide terrorist acts in rational choice terms, and that, while such acts are indeed extreme, they are merely an extreme example of a general class of behaviour in which all of us engage (Wintrobe 2003 p. 2). Explaining that, suicide terrorist is not necessarily irrational. A third theory of suicide terrorism focuses on the influence of culture, especially religious culture, on suicide terrorists (Brym Araj, 2006). These explanations have often been used to explain suicide terrorism among Shia Muslims, based on the tradition of the cult of sacrifice (Hafez, 2006; Bloom, 2005). Although this fails to explain the existence of suicide terrorism among cultures and religions with no established cult of sacrifice and it cannot suff iciently explain suicide terrorism among secular, nationalist groups (Pape, 2005; Hoffman, 2003). Furthermore, as Brym Araj 2006 point to, while such cultural resources likely increase the probability that some groups will engage in suicide attacks, one must be careful not to exaggerate their significance. One difficulty with the clash of civilizations argument is that public opinion polls show that Arabs in the Middle East hold strongly favourable attitudes toward American science and technology, freedom and democracy, education, movies and television, and largely favourable attitudes toward the American people. They hold strongly negative attitudes only toward American Middle East policy. This is less evident of a clash of civilizations than a deep political disagreement (Brym Araj 2006 p. 1973). A more recent theory of suicide terrorism has been offered by Robert Pape (2003, 2005). Based on his analysis of suicide terrorism from 1980 through 2004, Pape presented a three-part model describing the causal logic of suicide terrorism. Papes theory de-emphasizes the role of religion including Islamic fundamentalism and focuses on the role of terrorist organization strategy and secular nationalist objectives. Pape argues that suicide terrorism follows a strategic logic aimed at political coercion (Pape, 2005, p. 21). Pape argues that suicide terrorism is part of an organizations broader campaign to achieve political objectives, usually in response to a foreign occupation. Pape goes on to argue that suicide terrorism also follows a social logic since terrorist organizations often command broad social support within the national communities from which they recruit (Pape, 2005, p. 22). A number of analysts, including Bruce Hoffman (1998, 2003) have advanced explanations of suicide terrorism which propose rationale-choice models emphasizing the role of organizational factors that support Papes theory. Theorists have argued that Papes theory is overly simplistic (Atran, 2006; Bloom, 2005; Brym Araj, 2006). Brym Araj 2006 argues that strategic thinking is only one element that may combine with others in the creation of a suicide bomber (Brym Araj 2006 p. 1972). Atran has recently challenged Papes theory on a number of points, including Papes sampling methods which completely discount the explosion of suicide terrorism in Iraq (Pape 2005, p. 130). Atran calls into question Papes dismissal of the role of ideology and religious fundamentalism as well as his assessments of the effectiveness of suicide terrorism (Atran, 2006, p. 132). Other recently emerging theories of suicide terrorism include Pedahzur Perlingers 2006 social network perspective explaining suicide ter rorism in terms of social motivations and Blooms multi-factor model of suicide terrorism (2005). There is a development towards more complex models of suicide terrorism accounting for the role of individual, social, cultural, strategic, ideological, and organizational motivations and factors in suicide terrorism (Smith, 2004). Defining terrorism especially the suicide terrorism will never be an easy task, as Dershowitz (2002, p.4) observes, there is difficulty in a definition that everyone can agree upon is illustrated by the catchphrase, One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Dershowitz (2002, pp. 4-5) breaks down most definitions of terrorism into three main elements: 1) the nature of the targeted victims; 2) the nature of those who commit the violence; and 3) the method by which the terrorist seeks to influence their audiences. Atran (2003, p.1535) observes that the concept of terror as systematic use of violence to attain political ends was first codified by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution. Robespierre saw terror as an emanation of virtue that delivered swift justice (Atran, 2003, p. 1535). Another major difficulty occurs in separating the concepts of terror and terrorism. Pape (2005, p. 9) explains that terrorism involves the use of violence by an organization other th an a national government to intimidate or frighten a target audience. Pape (2005, p. 9) explains further that most terrorist strikes or campaigns have two general purposes: to gain supporters and to coerce opponents. While Papes (2005) definition excludes the possibility of state-sponsored terrorism, numerous other definitions are wide enough to include terrorist acts conducted by or on behalf of a nation state as well as those conducted by private organizations or individuals (Dershowitz, 2005; Winkates, 2006). Winkates (2006,pp. 88-99) defines terrorism as the premeditated threat or use of violence against persons or property, designed to intimidate non combatant victims, the object of which is to change or to stabilize private or public policy. Definitions of suicide terrorism combine the concepts of terrorism and suicide. As with definitions of terrorism, the definitions of suicide terrorism found in the literature vary. Hafez notes, one problem in defining suicidal terrorism concerns the various possible perspectives on the act: how one describes acts of self-immolation committed in order to kill others is a task fraught with controversy. Those whose support these acts of violence prefer to call them martyrdom operations, and their perpetrators heroes and freedom fighters. Those who oppose them prefer to call them homicide bombers, suicide terrorists, or suicidal murderers (Hafez, 2006, p.4). Hafezs own definition of suicide terrorism relies on the more descriptive term of suicide bomber or human bomb which is defined as an individual who willingly uses his or her body to carry or deliver explosives or explosive materials to attack, kill or main others (Hafez, 2006,p. 4). Blooms definition of suicide terrorism is defined as a violent, politically motivated attack, carried out in a deliberate state of awareness by a person who blows himself or herself up together with a chosen target. The premeditated certain death of the perpetrator is the precondition for the success of the attack (2005, p. 76). In terms of the objectives of suicide terrorism, Bloom describes this as, although a suicide attack aims to physically destroy an initial target, its primary use is typically as a weapon of psychological warfare intended to affect a larger public audience. The primary target is not those actually killed or injured in the attack, but those made to witness itThrough indoctrination and training and under charismatic leaders, self contained suicide cells canalize disparate religious or political sentiments of individuals into an emotionally bonded group (Bloom, 2005, p. 77). Pedahzur states that suicide terrorism includes a diversity of violent actions perpetrated by people who are aware that the odds they will return alive are close to zero (2005, p. 8). Pape agrees in that , What distinguishes a suicide terrorist is that the attacker does not expect to survive the mission and often employees a method of attack such as a car bomb, suicide vest, or ramming an airplane into a building that requires his or her death in order to succeed. In essence, suicide terrorists kill others at the same time that they kill themselves (2005, p. 10). Pape further argues that a broad definition of suicide terrorism could include any operation that is designed in such a way that the terrorist does not expect to survive it, even if he or she is actually killed by police or other d efenders. Pape also argues that We might call such operations suicide missions instead of suicide attacks (2005, p. 10). Winkates argues that the best litmus test for definitive suicide terrorism is the intentional and successful sacrifice of a human life to achieve a terrorist objective (2006, p. 89). Hoffman (2003) argues that two key characteristics of suicide terrorism explain its growing popularity with terrorists groups around the world: suicide bombings are inexpensive and effective (p. 2). While coordinated multi-target attacks such as the 9-11 attacks and the London bombings may require extensive planning and considerable investment, even these types of suicide terrorist attacks are less expensive than many conventional terrorist attacks and definitely less expensive than funding an army. The majority of suicide attacks are carried out by individuals, minimizing the amount of investment and administrative overhead. The reliance on human bombs provides terrorists with the ultimate smart bomb (Hoffman, 2003, p. 2). Such smart bombs can be extremely efficient and effective. One of the characteristics of suicide terrorism is its effectiveness against the selected target. As of 2003, suicide terrorism accounted for just three percent of all worldwide terrorist acts, but for 50% of all terrorism-related deaths (Clayton, 2003, p. 18). This is another factor contributing to its effectiveness. The high-kill rate of suicide terrorism increases the amount of terror such attacks instigate in target populations. As Furedi 2007 notes, The threat represented by mass-casualty terrorism is not confined to its capacity for destruction. Public dread of this phenomenon is underpinned by the assumption that this is a treat that is unpredictable and random and its effect incalculable (Furedi, 2007, p .7) adding further to the overall result; suicide terrorism becomes effective in producing fear, justifying its deployment in conflict, by highlighting the unpredictable ability of the act, to produce more fear than the actual act. The act of suicide terrorism highlights an important asymmetry; terrorist need to be successful only once to kill Americans and demonstrate the inherent vulnerabilities they face, (US Congress, 2002). The asymmetry of suicide terrorism is not only the causation destruction, but to seize the attention of Governments and the population of the nation it targets, as Laqueur (1999) notes;Terrorism has been with us for centuries, and it has always attracted inordinate attention because of its dramatic character and its sudden, often wholly unexpected, occurrence. (Laqueur, 1999: p, 3) Asymmetric terrorism reaches out not merely through the use of physical violence but through the symbolic transgression of social morality and national security. Terrorism, as Townshend, (2000); Laqueur, (1999); Chomsky, (2001) have suggested, goes right to heart of what makes us safe; it forces us to pay attention to it whether we want to nor not. The proliferation of video taped messages from leaders of suspected terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda is a testament to the symbol over the actual act of physical violent; there is nothing violent in the images of Osama bin Laden addressing the world through the Aljazeera television networks but it has symbolic presence in a world that is dominated by media and communication technology, as Van der Veer and Munshi (2004) suggest, one of the major successes of modern terrorist organisations is their ability to use the resources of their enemies: the Internet, satellite television, mobile phones and the mass media. Even the condemnation of t errorists in the media, can aid the cause of terrorist organizations; by describing physical acts of violence through the duality of good and evil or right and wrong, the Western media merely serve to elevate and obfuscate the real nature of terrorism which, as research has shown[1], is far more fractured and complex. In this sense, much of the terrorist organizations aim, of seizing attention, is actually carried out by the opposing media; eager for a story and for a simple answer. Suicide terrorism has become a relatively successful military and political strategy; the 9/11 attackers commanded the attention of the world not only through their own efforts but through their targets media; the American television companies, the European press and the global media conglomerates all shared in the process of captivating the publics imagination that, as Towshend(2000) notes; dramatically amplifies the anxiety about security which is never far from the surface of society. (Townshend, 2000 : 8), the communication of the message and the success of this are inextricably linked to the terrorist organisation itself. A highly ordered group with distinct political aims is likely to be more successful in delivering its message than a disparate, non-focused organisation whose aim is to spread confusion and fear. Douglass McFerran(1997) details that many of the IRA campaigns of the 1970s and 80s had distinct short term as well as long term political aims, very often terrorist attacks on mainland Britain were specifically concerned with achieving a specific political target such as protesting over the widespread imprisonment of suspected terrorists or the treatment of those all ready in prison. As Townshend details this is not the case in every terrorist act; the PanAm flight 103 attacks for instance that saw a plane explode over town of Lockerbie in 1988 had no prior demands or message attached to them and very little admission of guilt after (Just, Kern and Norris, 2003: 285).The nature of the attack is likely to influence the success of the communication of demands; Dobkin (1992) details that in 1970 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked three airliners in order to not only secure the attention of the worlds media in which they were successful, but to demand the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in British military jails. Their demands were largely met and most of their hostages were released; however when compared to the contemporary Munich terrorist kidnapping where members of the Black September group killed eleven Israeli athletes in an attempt to secure the release of 236 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.Hoffma n (1998) details that the Munich kidnappings were not only failures in terms of communicating and achieving recognisable demands but also in media manipulation: The Palestinians had not only failed to obtain their principal, stated demand the release of terrorists imprisoned in Israel and West Germany but, to many observers, had hopelessly tarnished the morality of their cause in the eyes of the world. Indeed, international opinion was virtually unanimous in its condemnation of the terrorists operation. (Hoffman, 1998: p, 72). But, again, this can often have the opposite to the desired effect. Robert Singh (2003) suggests that the 9/11 attacks merely served to strengthen the socio-political position of the American people, the very group that came under attack; he also suggests that the security systems around the globe became more vigilant and aware of any gaps in their processes: Rather than initiating a transformation, 9/11 accelerated trends, policies and approaches that were well established. If the attacks most immediate political effects were certainly dramatic the Bush administrations approval ratings soared and public confidence in the federal government attained levels unseen since the early 1960s (Singh, 2003: p,52). Al-Qaeda, built upon this position when coalition forces invaded Iraq and later Afghanistan, the fear that is produced by asymmetric warfare attacks is sometimes seen as the main outcome, Somali rebels succeeded in influencing the American public, after pictures of dead American soldiers where broadcast on CNN, in the same way as the Madrid Suicide bombings had on the Spanish public, directly influencing government policy and leading to the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq, the American government forced by the public outcry pulled troops out of Somalia. With limited resources and limited damage to western societies al-Qaeda, has managed to change the very ideals for which it is said the war on terror is conducted. It has become a norm in Europe that after a terrorist attack, new security legislation and other measures are established to combat the threat of terrorism; however most of these policies seem to neglected the human rights of the citizens. These changes are highlight ed by Arce (et,al 2009) the traditional treatment of terrorism-as-asymmetric-conflict in terms of the relative resource disparity between terrorists and their ultimate targets, an additional asymmetry exists through the definition of success. For the target government, success is defined in terms of security against all possible attacks; whereas for terrorists one success is often enough to alter the political landscape, airways, etc. If one target is successfully attacked, then counter terror policy and the competency of the government itself can be subject to public scrutiny.(Arce, et,al, 2009). Thinking and organizing in a different manor than an opponent in order to amplify advantages and by doing so also exploit an opponents weakness. Changes to asymmetrical warfare have been greatly affected by the digital age, no matter the policy initiatives in trying to undermine the terrorists propaganda and promote its own; the forum of the internet allows suicide attacks to be displayed to a world audience. The filming of Martyr videos and attacks can serve both as a recruitment campaign reaching to all corners of the world and a forewarning to those who oppose terrorism. Understanding and defining suicide terrorism is open to debate; there have been a number of successes in terms of securing specific demands in the past not least of all the 1970 skyjacking operation by the PFLP. However, we have also seen how terrorism can be divisive, how it can engender the very opposite of what it sets out to do. As we saw with the London bombings, a post 9/11 society is one that treats the threat of terrorism as a consequence of modern city living. This is perhaps the one main reason why terrorism may become considered a strong military strategy: today the more terrorist activity there is, the more political value it has, yet the less it affects every day individual life. However, of course, terrorism is perhaps the only strategy that many disenfranchised groups have which may account for its constant presence on the global political stage. Ultimately, however, terrorism is a symbolic act, an act that depends upon fear for its meaning; as the public becomes more and more exposed to images and symbols of terror they also become more and more immune. As Baudrillard suggests (2003) the violence of the terrorist is likely to become merely just another image in the media and the terrorist themselves just another face on the television screen and it is this, ironically, that provides its greatest counter measure. In this essay the difficulty in defining, theorising and understanding has been discussed. The asymmetries involved within terrorism have also been discussed, showing that with the use of digital media and little resources the ability of the target to respond to attack within its own borders can become limited to the change of political policy, which in turn may undermine the authority of the government within its own borders. The September 11 attacks and during the post Cold war era, the world has seen no greater power than the United States. International Relations have seen the control and dominance of the United States over the worlds structure. However, after the Twin Tower attacks, the world started realizing the role of others inside the international arena, these others preferably labeled terrorists; questioned the validity of several theories that were formulated as soon as the end of the Cold War was announced, these theories were trying to predict the shape and attitude of the world as it entered a new era. It has always been known that every era in history adapts an indication that will mark it as distinctive, and therefore all of those theories were simple speculations on the nature of what could be such an indication. Theories valid, some predicted the rise of democracy and liberalism, others feared the return of barbarism and anarchy. Also, other theories predicted a clash that will divide the borders of the world according to culture, civilization, ethnicity, and most importantly religion. The world has dramatically changed with terrorism as the key player. It is also very clear that the asymmetries involved in terrorism are very powerful, as it was able to question the strength of the United States, and was able to reform the political policies of many world countries. Terrorism is the worlds most fearful enemy, an enemy that is powerful, aggressive, and most importantly ambiguous. There is no concession within society on terrorism, for many it is not a problem and life continues, for others it has change their view of world order and politics. BIBLIOGRAPHY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 1230, Public Law 110-181) http://www.defense.gov/pubs/OCTOBER_1230_FINAL.pdf Accessed 06/04/2010, Arce, Daniel G; Kovenock, Dan; Robertson,B, Suicide Terrorism and the Weakest Link, CESIFO WORKING PAPER NO. 2753,CATEGORY 2: PUBLIC CHOIC