Second Foundation 5. Fourth Interlude

The two Speakers passed each other on the road and one stopped the other. â€Å"I have word from the First Speaker.† There was a half-apprehensive flicker in the other's eyes. â€Å"Intersection point?† â€Å"Yes! May we live to see the dawn!† There was no sign in any of Channis' actions that he was aware of any subtle change in the attitude of Pritcher, and in their relations to each other. He leaned back on the hard wooden bench and spread-eagled his feet out in front of him. â€Å"What did you make of the governor?† Pritcher shrugged: â€Å"Nothing at all. He certainly seemed no mental genius to me. A very poor specimen of the Second Foundation, if that's what he was supposed to be.† â€Å"I don't think he was, you know. I'm not sure what to make of it. Suppose you were a Second Foundationer,† Channis grew thoughtful, â€Å"what would you do? Suppose you had an idea of our purpose here. How would you handle us?† â€Å"Conversion, of course.† â€Å"Like the Mule?† Channis looked up, sharply. â€Å"Would we know if they had converted us? I wonder- And what if they were simply psychologists, but very clever ones.† â€Å"In that case, I'd have us killed rather quickly.† â€Å"And our ship? No.† Channis wagged a forefinger. â€Å"We're playing a bluff, Pritcher, old man. It can only be a bluff. Even if they have emotional control down pat, we – you and I – are only fronts. It's the Mule they must fight, and they're being just as careful of us as we are of them. I'm assuming that they know who we are.† Pritcher, stared coldly: â€Å"What do you intend doing?† â€Å"Wait.† The word was bitten off. â€Å"Let them come to us. They're worried, maybe about the ship, but probably about the Mule. They bluffed with the governor. It didn't work. We stayed pat. The next person they'll send will be a Second Foundationer, and he'll propose a deal of some sort.† â€Å"And then?† â€Å"And then we make the deal.† â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Because you think it will double-cross the Mule? It won't.† â€Å"No, the Mule could handle your double-crosses, any you could invent. But I still don't think so.† â€Å"Because you think then we couldn't double-cross the Foundationers?† â€Å"Perhaps not. But that's not the reason.† Channis let his glance drop to what the other held in his fist, and said grimly: â€Å"You mean that's the reason.† Pritcher cradled his blaster, â€Å"That's right. You are under arrest.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"For treason to the First Citizen of the Union.† Channis' lips hardened upon one another: â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Treason! As I said. And correction of the matter, on my part.† â€Å"Your proof? Or evidence, assumptions, daydreams? Are you mad?† â€Å"No. Are you? Do you think the Mule sends out unweaned youngsters on ridiculous swashbuckling missions for nothing? It was queer to me at the time. But I wasted time in doubting myself. Why should he send you? Because you smile and dress well? Because you're twenty-eight.† â€Å"Perhaps because I can be trusted. Or aren't you in the market for logical reasons?† â€Å"Or perhaps because you can't be trusted. Which is logical enough, as it turns out.† â€Å"Are we matching paradoxes, or is this all a word game to see who can say the least in the most words?† And the blaster advanced, with Pritcher after it. He stood erect before the younger man: â€Å"Stand up!† Channis did so, in no particular hurry, and felt the muzzle of the blaster touch his belt with no shrinking of the stomach muscles. Pritcher said: â€Å"What the Mule wanted was to find the Second Foundation. He had failed and I had failed, and the secret that neither of us can find is a well-hidden one. So there was one outstanding possibility left – and that was to find a seeker who already*** knew the hiding-place.† â€Å"Is that I?† â€Å"Apparently it was. I didn't know then, of course, but though my mind must be slowing, it still points in the right direction. How easily we found Star's End! How miraculously you examined the correct Field Region of the Lens from among an infinite number of possibilties! And having done so, how nicely we observe just the correct point for observation! You clumsy fool! Did you so underestimate me that no combination of impossible fortuties struck you as being too much for me to swallow?† â€Å"You mean I've been too successful?† â€Å"Too successful by half for any loyal man.† â€Å"Because the standards of success you set me were so low?† And the blaster prodded, though in the face that confronted*** Channis only the cold glitter of the eyes betrayed the growing anger: â€Å"Because you are in the pay of the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Pay?†- infinite contempt. â€Å"Prove that.† â€Å"Or under the mental influence.† â€Å"Without the Mule's knowledge? Ridiculous.† â€Å"With the Mule's knowledge. Exactly my point, my you dullard. With the Mule's knowledge. Do you suppose else that you would be given a ship to play with? You led us to the Second Foundation as you were supposed to do.† â€Å"I thresh a kernel of something or other out of this immensity of chaff. May I ask why I'm supposed to be doing all this? If were a traitor, why should I lead you to the Second Foundation? Why not hither and yon through the Galaxy, skipping gaily, finding no more than you ever did?' â€Å"For the sake of the ship. And because the men of the Second Foundation quite obviously need atomic warfare for self-defense.† ‘You'll have to do better than that. One ship won't mean thing to them, and if they think they'll learn science from it a build atomic power plants next year, they are very, very simple Second Foundationers, indeed. On the order of simplicity as yourself, I should say.† â€Å"You will have the opportunity to explain that to the Mule.† â€Å"We're going back to Kalgan?† â€Å"On the contrary. We're staying here. And the Mule will join us in fifteen minutes – more or less. Do you think he hasn't followed us, my sharp-witted, nimble-minded lump of self-admiration? You have played the decoy well in reverse. You may not have led our victims to us, but you have certainly led us to our victims.† â€Å"May I sit down,† said Channis, â€Å"and explain something to you in picture drawings? Please.† â€Å"You will remain standing.† â€Å"At*** that, I can say it as well standing. You think the Mule followed us because of the hypertracer on the communication circuit?† The blaster might have wavered. Channis wouldn't have sworn to it. He said: â€Å"You don't look surprised. But I don't waste time doubting that you feel surprised. Yes, I knew about it. And now, having shown you that I knew of something you didn't think I did, I'll tell you something you don't know, that I know you don't.† â€Å"You allow yourself too many preliminaries, Channis. I should think your sense of invention was more smoothly greased.† â€Å"There's an invention to this. There have been traitors, of course, or enemy agents, if you prefer that term. But the Mule knew of that in a rather curious way. It seems, you see, that some of his Converted men had been tampered with.† The blaster did waver that time. Unmistakably. â€Å"I emphasize that, Pritcher. It was why he needed me. I was an Unconverted man. Didn't he emphasize to you that he needed an Unconverted? Whether he gave you the real reason or not?† â€Å"Try something else, Channis. If I were against the Mule, I'd know it.† Quietly, rapidly, Pritcher was feeling his mind. It felt the same. It felt the same. Obviously the man was lying. â€Å"You mean you feel loyal to the Mule. Perhaps. Loyalty wasn't tampered with. Too easily detectable, the Mule said. But how do you feel mentally? Sluggish? Since you started this trip, have you always felt normal? Or have you felt strange sometimes, as though you weren't quite yourself? What are you trying to do, bore a hole through me without touching the trigger?† Pritcher withdrew his blaster half an inch, â€Å"What are you trying to say?† â€Å"I say that you've been tampered with. You've been handled. You didn't see the Mule install that hypertracer. You didn't see anyone do it. You just found it there, and assumed it was the Mule, and ever since you've been assuming he was following us. Sure, the wrist receiver you're wearing contacts the ship on a wave length mine isn't good for. Do you think I didn't know that?† He was speaking quickly now, angrily. His cloak of indifference had dissolved into savagery. â€Å"But it's not the Mule that's coming toward us from out there. It's not the Mule.† â€Å"Who, if not?† â€Å"Well, who do you suppose? I found that hypertracer, the day we left. But I didn't think it was the Mule. He had no reason for indirection at that point. Don't you see the nonsense of it? If I were a traitor and he knew that, I could be Converted as easily as you were, and he would have the secret of the location of the Second Foundation out of my mind without sending me half across the Galaxy. Can you keep a secret from the Mule? And if I didn't know, then I couldn't lead him to it. So why send me in either case? â€Å"Obviously, that hypertracer must have been put there by an agent of the Second Foundation. That's who's coming towards us now. And would you have been fooled if your precious mind hadn't been tampered with? What kind of normality have you that you imagine immense folly to be wisdom? Me bring a ship to the Second Foundation? What would they do with a ship? â€Å"It's you they want, Pritcher. You know more about the Union than anyone but the Mule, and you're not dangerous to them while he is. That's why they put the direction of search into my mind. Of course, it was completely impossible for me to find Tazenda by random searchings of the Lens. I knew that. But I knew there was the Second Foundation after us, and I knew they engineered it. Why not play their game? It was a battle of bluffs. They wanted us and I wanted their location – and space take the one that couldn't outbluff the other. â€Å"But it's we that will lose as long as you hold that blaster on me. And it obviously isn't your idea. It's theirs. Give me the blaster, Pritcher. I know it seems wrong to you, but it isn't your mind speaking, it's the Second Foundation within you. Give me the blaster, Pritcher, and we'll face what's coming now, together.† Pritcher, faced a growing confusion in horror. Plausibility! Could he be so wrong? Why this eternal doubt of himself? Why wasn't he sure? What made Channis sound so plausible? Plausibility! Or was it his own tortured mind fighting the invasion of the alien. Was he split in two? Hazily, he saw Channis standing before him, hand outstretched – and suddenly, he knew he was going to give him the blaster. And as the muscles of his arm were on the point of contracting in the proper manner to do so, the door opened, not hastily, behind him – and he turned. There are perhaps men in the Galaxy who can be confused for one another even by men at their peaceful leisure. Correspondingly, there may be conditions of mind when even unlikely pairs may be mis-recognized. But the Mule rises above any combination of the two factors. Not all Pritcher's agony of mind prevented the instantaneous mental flood of cool vigor that engulfed him. Physically, the Mule could not dominate any situation. Nor did he dominate this one. He was rather a ridiculous figure in his layers of clothing that thickened him past his normality without allowing him to reach normal dimensions even so. His face was muffled and the usually dominant beak covered what was left in a cold-red prominence. Probably as a vision of rescue, no greater incongruity could exist. He said: â€Å"Keep your blaster, Pritcher.† Then he turned to Channis, who had shrugged and seated himself: â€Å"The emotional context here seems rather confusing and considerably in conflict. What's this about someone other than myself following you?† Pritcher intervened sharply: â€Å"Was a hypertracer placed upon our ship by your orders, sir?† The Mule turned cool eyes upon him, â€Å"Certainly. Is it very likely that any organization in the Galaxy other than the Union of Worlds would have access to it?' â€Å"He said-â€Å" â€Å"Well, he's here, general. Indirect quotation is not necessary. Have you been saying anything, Channis?† â€Å"Yes. But mistakes apparently, sir. It has been my opinion that the tracer was put there by someone in the pay of the Second Foundation and that we had been led here for some purpose of theirs, which I was prepared to counter. I was under the further impression that the general was more or less in their hands.† â€Å"You sound as if you think so no longer.† â€Å"I'm afraid not. Or it would not have been you at the door.† â€Å"Well, then, let us thresh this out.† The Mule peeled off the outer layers of padded, and electrically heated clothing. â€Å"Do you mind if I sit down as well? Now – we are safe here and perfectly free of any danger of intrusion. No native of this lump of ice will have any desire to approach this place. I assure you of that,† and there was a grim earnestness about his insistence upon his powers. Channis showed his disgust. â€Å"Why privacy? Is someone going to serve tea and bring out the dancing girls?† â€Å"Scarcely. What was this theory of yours, young man? A Second Foundationer was tracing you with a device which no one but I have and – how did you say you found this place?† â€Å"Apparently, sir, it seems obvious, in order to account for known facts, that certain notions have been put into my head-â€Å" â€Å"By these same Second Foundationers?† â€Å"No one else, I imagine.† â€Å"Then it did not occur to you that if a Second Foundationer could force, or entice, or inveigle you into going to the Second Foundation for purposes of his own – and I assume you imagined he used methods similar to mine, though, mind you, I can implant only emotions, not ideas – it did not occur to you that if he could do that there was little necessity to put a hypertracer on you. And Channis looked up sharply and met his sovereign's large eyes with sudden startle. Pritcher grunted and a visible relaxation showed itself in his shoulders. â€Å"No,† said Channis, â€Å"that hadn't occurred to me.† â€Å"Or that if they were obliged to trace you, they couldn't feel capable of directing you, and that, undirected, you could have precious little chance of finding your way here as you did. Did that occur to you?† â€Å"That, neither.† â€Å"Why not? Has your intellectual level receded to a so-much-greater-than-probable degree?† â€Å"The only answer is a question, sir. Are you joining General Pritcher in accusing me of being a traitor?† â€Å"You have a defense in case I am?† â€Å"Only the one I presented to the general. If I were a traitor and knew the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, you could Convert me and learn the knowledge directly. If you felt it necessary to trace me, then I hadn't the knowledge beforehand and wasn't a traitor. So I answer your paradox with another.† â€Å"Then your conclusion?† â€Å"That I am not a traitor.† â€Å"To which I must agree, since your argument is irrefutable.† â€Å"Then may I ask you why you had us secretly followed?† â€Å"Because to all the facts there is a third explanation. Both you and Pritcher explained some facts in your own individual ways, but not all. I – if you can spare me the time – will explain all. And in a rather short time, so there is little danger of boredom. Sit down, Pritcher, and give me your blaster. There is no danger of attack on us any longer. None from in here and none from out there. None in fact even from the Second Foundation. Thanks to you, Channis.† The room was lit in the usual Rossemian fashion of electrically heated wire. A single bulb was suspended from the ceiling and in its dim yellow glow, the three cast their individual shadows. The Mule said: â€Å"Since I felt it necessary to trace Channis, it was obvious I expect to gain something thereby. Since he went to the Second Foundation with a startling speed and directness, we can reasonably assume that that was what I was expecting to happen. Since I did not gain the knowledge from him directly, something must have been preventing me. Those are the facts. Channis, of course, knows the answer. So do I. Do you see it, Pritcher?† And Pritcher said doggedly: â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"Then I'll explain. Only one kind of man can both know the location of the Second Foundation and prevent me from learning it. Channis, I'm afraid you're a Second Foundationer yourself.† And Channis' elbows rested on his knees as he leaned forward, and through stiff and angry lips said: â€Å"What is your direct evidence? Deduction has proven wrong twice today.† â€Å"There is direct evidence, too, Channis. It was easy enough. I told you that my men had been tampered with. The tamperer must have been, obviously, someone who was a) Unconverted, and b) fairly close to the center of things. The field was large but not entirely unlimited. You were too successful, Channis. People liked you too much. You got along too well. I wondered- â€Å"And then I summoned you to take over this expedition and it didn't set you back. I watched your emotions. It didn't bother you. You overplayed the confidence there, Channis. No man of real competence could have avoided a dash of uncertainty at a job like that. Since your mind did avoid it, it was either a foolish one or a controlled one. It was easy to test the alternatives. I seized your mind at a moment of relaxation and filled it with grief for an instant and then removed it. You were angry afterwards with such accomplished art that I could have sworn it was a natural reaction, but for that which went first. For when I wrenched at your emotions, for just one instant, for one tiny instant before you could catch yourself, your mind resisted. It was all I needed to know. â€Å"No one could have resisted me, even for that tiny instant, without control similar to mine.† Channis' voice was low and bitter: â€Å"Well, then? Now what?† â€Å"And now you die – as a Second Foundationer. Quite necessary, as I believe you realize.† And once again Channis stared into the muzzle of a blaster. A muzzle guided this time by a mind, not like Pritcher's capable of offhand twisting to suit himself, but by one as mature as his own and as resistant to force as his own. And the period of time allotted him for a correction of events was small. What followed thereafter is difficult to describe by one with the normal complement of senses and the normal incapacity for emotional control. Essentially, this is what Channis realized in the tiny space of time involved in the pushing of the Mule's thumb upon the trigger contact. The Mule's current emotional makeup was one of a hard and polished determination, unmisted by hesitation in the least. Had Channis been sufficiently interested afterward to calculate the time involved from the determination to shoot to the arrival of the disintegrating energies, he might have realized that his leeway was about one-fifth of a second. That was barely time. What the Mule realized in that same tiny space of time was that the emotional potential of Channis' brain had surged suddenly upwards without his own mind feeling any impact and that, simultaneously, a flood of pure, thrilling hatred cascaded upon him from an unexpected direction. It was that new emotional element that jerked his thumb off the contact. Nothing else could have done it, and almost together with his change of action, came complete realization of the new situation. It was a tableau that endured far less than the significance adhering to it should require from a dramatic standpoint. There was the Mule, thumb off the blaster, staring intently upon Channis There was Channis taut, not quite daring to breathe yet. And there was Pritcher, convulsed in his chair; every muscle at a spasmodic breaking point; every tendon writhing in an effort to hurl forward; his face twisted at last out of schooled woodenness into an unrecognizable death mask of horrid hate; and his eyes only and entirely and supremely upon the Mule. Only a word or two passed between Channis and the Mule – only a word or two and that utterly revealing stream of emotional consciousness that remains forever the true interplay of understanding between such as they. For the sake of our own limits, it is necessary to translate into words what went on, then, and thenceforward. Channis said, tensely: â€Å"You're between two fires, First Citizen. You can't control two minds simultaneously, not when one of them is mine – so you have your choice. Pritcher, is free of your Conversion now. I've snapped the bonds. He's the old Pritcher; the one who tried to kill you once; the one who thinks you're the enemy of all that is free and right and holy; and he's the one besides who knows that you've debased him to helpless adulation for five years. I'm holding him back now by suppressing his will, but if you kill me, that ends, and in considerably less time than you could shift your blaster or even your will – he will kill you.† The Mule quite plainly realized that. He did not move. Channis continued: â€Å"If you turn to place him under control, to kill him, to do anything, you won't ever be quick enough to turn again to stop me.† The Mule still did not move. Only a soft sigh of realization. â€Å"So,† said Channis, â€Å"throw down the blaster, and let us be on even terms again, and you can have Pritcher back.† â€Å"I made a mistake,† said the Mule, finally. â€Å"It was wrong to have a third party present when I confronted you. It introduced one variable too many. It is a mistake that must be paid for, I suppose.† He dropped the blaster carelessly, and kicked it to the other end of the room. Simultaneously, Pritcher crumpled into profound sleep. â€Å"He'll be normal when he awakes,† said the Mule, indifferently. The entire exchange from the time the Mule's thumb had begun pressing the trigger-contact to the time he dropped the blaster had occupied just under a second and a half of time. But just beneath the borders of consciousness, for a time just above the borders of detection, Channis caught a fugitive emotional gleam in the Mule's mind. And it was still one of sure and confident triumph.

Field study 3 Answer Essay

Name of Center Observed: Date of Observation: Name of Observer: Course/Year/School: 1. Print Resources Books Magazines Newspapers In depth information in a topic. Good sources of information. Present the main facts or hi-lights of an event. Exercise professional judgement in deciding whether to cover all the materials in the textbook or not. Adapt or replace any part of a textbook found inappropriate to the needs of the students and use other supplementary learning and resources to support students learning. 2. Audio Resources MP3 Player Compact Disc Improve listening Skills Easy to operate Can be used for big or small groups Teachers can be used in speech rehearsals, drama, musical presentation etc. 3. Non-electronic Visual Resources Bulletin Board Mock Ups It is highly versatile Intended to show the essential parts which are made detachable. The teacher uses it to present a preview of the lesson to be presented as a way of motivating the students. The teacher must use it for focusing observations on the desired part to be studied as well as the function relationships of the parts. 4. ICT Resources Computers Multimedia resources (Audio-visual teaching aids, web-based material, computer software packages, online platforms etc.) Flexibility Adaptability Multi-sensory experience Possibility of interactivity Connectedness Teacher may select materials that present different sides of controversial issues to help students to develop their critical thinking and to make informed judgement in their daily lives. Impression: Since the school is under construction most of the facilities are not present, even the Learning Resources. The teachers were the one who provides the learning materials she/he needs to teach her/his students like the audio resources and ICT Resources. It would be better for the teachers if all the learning resources are present in their school. Name and Signature of Observer: Name and Signature of the Learning Resources Center In-Charge:

Humanities Today Essay

For as long as humankind has existed so have art, music, architecture, literature, and philosophy. The University of Phoenix (2009) defines humanities as â€Å"an approach to study that emphasizes ideas and values through analysis of modes of cultural expression, philosophical and religious thought, and modes of human communication† (University of Phoenix, Week One Supplement). Gloria K. Fiero (2006) further defines humanities as literature, philosophy, history, architecture, visual arts, music, and dance (p. 4). Humanities impact daily life without many people being aware of their presence. What distinguishes humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression is that they focus on ideas and values, not simply the production or result of an action. This paper will provide current examples of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature and analyze how they reflect current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology. Visual art can be, but is not limited to, painting, sculpture, and photography. Classic paintings by renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso are still considered masterpieces in today’s society but are not enjoyed by the common population the way that graphic and digital art have in the past century. Graphic and digital technology have become the means by which visual art is to be viewed and cherished among the mass population in a way that has never been available in history. Today’s society has become focused on instant gratification. Changes are expected to be made in politics overnight, struggles in socioeconomics demand rectification within weeks (even though they took years to create), and advancements in technology feeds society’s dependence on better, faster, and stronger tools. Unfortunately, visual art has become victim to this need for instant gratification. No longer are single masterpieces created by the flow of an artist’s hands, shaping and molding art into a creation of his or her soul. Instead, art is generated digitally by the click of a mouse and a selection of color and size from a predefined chart. The art can then be mass-distributed and mass-produced around the world in the matter of minutes. The creativity is still there, but the love generated through the time and patience required to construct that art by hand is no longer there. With the flood of self-help books saturating the market, literature also reflects society’s need for instant gratification. Self-help books are a reflection of the current socioeconomic state in which everyone is looking for a way to better his or her life instantly. Politicians have indirectly supported this literary genre by focusing and promoting what is wrong in the country and in each other. For example, if a politician has shortcomings in his or her public speaking abilities, the opposing political party will ridicule that person publicly. Citizens who feel they also do not have strong speaking skills and fear being mocked may then be compelled to purchase a self-help book on public speaking. As technology has advanced, self-help books have become a wonderful tool for individuals struggling to learn how to use the newest electronic devices. One popular technology self-help series is the For Dummies books. The books began in 1991 with â€Å"DOS for Dummies† (Johnson, 2006, para. 3), but they have now sold over 150 million Dummies books in 39 languages. Many people have benefited from the simple, helpful language used in these books, but not all self-help books are created equal. Some self-help books offer a quick solution that often leaves individuals feeling worse than when they began. Striving for self-improvement is excellent; however, self-help books can sometimes do more harm than good. Music in today’s society can also do more harm than good when presented to an impressionable mind. Music has always been used as a means of creatively reflecting political and socioeconomic issues, but since the inception of the Rap and Heavy Metal music genres, discontent, anger, and frustration have become common and wide-spread in music over the past 50 years. Songs about drug use, suicide, murder, and rape and those that use explicit language are common in these two genres of music and have begun to permeate other forms of music. This reflects not only society’s discontent with the current political and socioeconomic state, but it also reflects society’s tolerance and acceptance of freedom of speech. The sound of music, the production of music, and the enjoyment of music have evolved as technology evolves. New sounds that have never been possible before are now available through technology. Music is now available anywhere through the use of an MP3 player or cell phone. No longer does a person have to stop and listen to a musician; music can be played at any time. This fills society’s need for instant gratification. Today’s architecture also caters to the on-the-go lifestyles of society. Bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster are all ideas and values visibly manifested in current architecture. The aesthetic appeal of a building has given way to designs which exploit opportunities to get the most for the money. A recent trend which reflects a change of political and socioeconomic initiatives is building environmentally-friendly structures. That means creating a building that produces little waste, uses alternative power solutions, and emits minimum greenhouse toxins. Advances in technology have made these structures possible; however, they cost additional money to construct, and businesses and individuals are charged more money to use them than a traditionally built structure. Instant gratification, the struggle for self-improvement, tolerance and acceptance, and the idea of making as much money as possible are all philosophies in today’s society. Each is reflected in art, literature, music, and architecture, but as a whole, they make up the philosophy of society through their ideas and values. Developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology have all played a part in creating these philosophies, but they are visibly manifested in the humanities. One can only wonder how the current humanities will be viewed and analyzed 50 or 100 years from now. The examples this paper has provided of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature demonstrate how current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology are reflected. As politics, socioeconomics, and technology change so too will art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. They are a reflection of one another and intertwined in their evolution. References Fiero, Gloria K. (2007). The humanistic tradition (5th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Johnson, Doug (2006, October). For dummies books are popular learning aids. Retrieved from http://www. voanews. com/specialenglish/archive/2006-10/2006-10-12-voa1. cfm University of Phoenix (2009). Week One supplement: Humanities Terminology. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Week One, HUM102 – Introduction to the Humanities website.

Sociology of Childhood and Youth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Sociology of Childhood and Youth - Essay Example The role of social changes to the youth and the adulthood was very important in the post 1970s period. The sector which was more affected by the social changes during this period was the employment. It should be noticed that the standardisation of employment was an achievement of the post 1945 period which was characterized by high growth. However, the globalisation (which followed that period and is constantly developing until today) has led to the deregulation of the labour market and as a result to the collapse of standard (and of teenage) employment (Burgess & Campbell, 1998:15). It should be noticed though that the youth transition of the post 1970s period involved to more elements than employment, like family and education. The results of relevant studies have shown that there is also a differentiation regarding the gender and the social ‘classification’ as well as the general environment of the young people. Under these terms, the main question is not whether the youth transition is faulty or not but if the environment of young people has the necessary willing to understand the constantly changing social conditions and to cooperate with them in order to achieve a more integrated adaptation in the society. The content of social change has been examined by an important number of researchers. The relevant studies have shown that ‘individualisation’ is the most important of its elements. Individualisation has been explained as ‘a process that relates to the disintegration of traditional structures in people’s lives so the inherited recipes for living and role stereotypes fail to function’. Moreover, according to this view ‘there are no historical models for the conduct of life’ .

Labor Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Labor Relations - Essay Example Economists are of the opinion that increasing the minimum wage will increase business costs. They, however, insist that these increased costs will be quite modest and easily absorbed through slight increases in productivity and prices of business products. Republicans seem to be inconsistent in their opinions concerning the issue of minimum wage increase. This is because some of them are in support of increasing the minimum wage, just not as consistently as the Democrats. The Republicans are hypocritical because those in support of an increase in the minimum wage condemn increased economic regulation by the government, same the other Republicans who oppose the increase in the minimum wage. On the other hand, conservatives avail a convincing argument against increasing the minimum wage. In their opinion, raising the minimum wage results in unemployment since it increases business’ prices and labor costs, which will in turn force unskilled workers off the market.Public pensions refer to contracts for fixed sums of money to be issued regularly to persons following their retirement from service. Publicly funded pensions are an example of unsustainable programs that have to be disregarded in the years to come. One thing that is certain is that systems and programs that are unsustainable have to go away and be replaced by more sustainable arrangements whether we are willing to accept this reality or not. Unsustainable public pensions have to be disregarded.

Ernst and Young - Marketing for financial services Research Paper

Ernst and Young - Marketing for financial services - Research Paper Example ‘Ernst and Young’ has a very strong Internet presence. The company through its website has helped the external stakeholders get a view of the different activities that the firm undertakes in the field of Financial Services Consulting. Moreover, the different industries which the consulting firms cater on a worldwide basis are also listed in the website. Further, the philosophy and core values of the company are also listed in the company website of Ernst and Young. The website is created to generate information about its liaison activities through publishing information of events during international conferences and press meets (Ernst & Young, 2010). Ernst and Young through the use of Internet have endeavored to go for a brand extension (Rigopoulou, n.d.) It has helped the company in finding out newer markets which in turn has helped in greatly reducing the sales and operational cost of the company. Through the advent of electronic commerce, terms like Business to Busine ss Commerce and Business to Consumer Commerce have come into existence where the activities of business has crossed the boundaries of regions and nations. The company through the development of networking activities can participate on an international scale in trade fairs and exhibitions where they can generate a mass appeal and get consumers’ response (Dransfield, Richards & Dooley, 2004; Neild & Carysforth, 2004, p. 377).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Research Proposal Example Thirty (30) women in the first trimester of gestation will be recruited from a local clinic to participate in this study. They will be randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group. All the subjects will answer the Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Beck Depression Inventory- II (BDI-II) before and after they give birth and the Mother-Infant Attachment Scale (MIAS) as an additional post test after they give birth. The only difference will be that the experimental group will undergo CBT session once a week. Results will be compared to validate if CBT has been instrumental in helping the experimental group manage their PPS and attachment issues or not. Introduction This study purports to answer the research question: To what extent does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) help women with postpartum depression and difficulty with attachment to their infant as compared to women who do not receive CBT? Postpartum depression (PPT) affects a growing number of new mothers and its consequences for both mother and infant can be damaging. It usually occurs within four weeks after the birth of the infant (O’Hara, 1997), and affects one in every seven new mothers, reflecting a prevalence rate of 13% (Wisner et al., 2006; O’Hara & Swain, 1996). The seriousness of the impact of PPD has been alarming, making it an important public health problem (Cuijpers et al., 2008). To prevent PPS, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been known to be an effective intervention. It is a psychotherapeutic approach of training an individual to think of positive things instead of dwelling on the negative. Thus, it may provide significant impact on women with postpartum depression and difficulties with attachment to their infants. CBT can help the new mothers to understand how their thinking and behaviour affect their emotional state and this in turn affects their feelings and ability to attach to their babies. Review of Literature Depression Depr ession is associated with â€Å"feelings of extreme sadness† which not only last for long periods of time, but it is also recurrent and may further develop into suicidal tendencies (NHS, 2010). It is usually manifested with negative behaviors stemming from negative emotions. Sometimes, the person experiencing it is not even aware that he or she is undergoing depression. Its concept as a serious and debilitating illness, one which has had great impact globally, has become recognised within general medicine and the public eye in more recent times (NHS, 2010). In 1996, the World Bank published a report on the global burden of disease implicating the importance for the realisation that the impact of depression worldwide is vast. In 1990, 11 million sufferers of depression were identified in the US alone (Scott et al, 2003) . Cognitive Behavior Therapy Aaron Beck, one of the proponents of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), agrees that much of our psychological problems are caused b y â€Å"cognitive distortions† due to our acknowledged human fallibility. Individuals who undergo depression have belief systems or assumptions that may have developed from their negative early experiences which were not resolved well. Thus the negative experiences may have lead to the development of dysfunctional beliefs about the world, which may easily be triggered certain events (Field, 2000). Beck (1987) came up with the concept of â€Å"negative cognitive triad† that describes the pattern that triggers depression. In the first component of the triad, the client exhibits a negative view of himself. He is convinced that he is to blame for whatever pathetic state he is currently in because of his personal inadequacies. Secondly, the client shows negative view of

Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Film analysis - Essay Example The scenario is perhaps, one of the serious but not so intimate moments that Helen and Glenn have in the entire film, but it can be considered as one that is normal to take place between the two individuals who are inclined to feel something special for each other. The scenario illustrates the common characteristics of men and women that are often portrayed not just in the movie film, but in reality. The society accepts the point that women are more likely to respond to emotions or their feelings compared to men. Men on the other hand, are viewed to be straightforward, and at some point should establish a remarkable characteristic as someone who is firm enough. When Glenn and Helen talked in the park, the gender issue is substantially showcased. Helen is depicted as the one who relies not only on a hunch, but primarily on both of her feeling or emotion and logic. She tries to establish a remarkable point of understanding things, from the innermost part of one’s being prior down to the external point in order to create the achievement of a successful life management. This is a little bit deeper to understand, but what exactly is important to know here is the thought of how woman might essentially expressed herself in order to receive recognition or a moment of consideration. Helen might therefore not too emotional in this scenario, but she illustrates the importance of feeling and emotion in the decision-making process, as integral components for self-expression. She has substantially shown how important it is to completely rely on the innermost part of an individual in order to make things clearer to the outside world. In other word s, Helen remarkably points the idea of how important it is for a woman to substantially elaborate things, or make it much clear or obvious to understand. That is why it is apparent that Helen has uttered more words compared to the minimal lexes expressed by Glenn. One can captivate these

The problem of dumping in world trade and measures that are taken to Dissertation

The problem of dumping in world trade and measures that are taken to stop it - Dissertation Example Measures that have been taken to stop dumping have always been and are still used as most significant devices by countries as a protection against imports. Measures to stop dumping tend to be supported over other trade remedies because unlike safeguard measures, they provide the opportunity for a selective approach. According to, the process used in anti-dumping legislations can give rise to increased dumping margins and actions unrelated to the actual market condition. This paper explains the concept of export dumping as well as the various forms it takes in the global trade. The paper details how Anti- Dumping (AD) legislations come into been and their relationship to article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The paper will further discuss WTO anti-dumping measures together with the procedural issues in anti-dumping cases. Additionally, it will elucidate the reason behind the practices of export dumping. Moreover, the paper gives the reasons why civilized and uncivilized nations have special interests in the AD processes especially in the global trade. Finally, the paper will provide an explanation as to why AD legislation is perceived as a problem in the global trade. Introduction Definition of dumping In the global market arena export dumping can be regarded as selling of products/goods at price which is less than the domestic price normally as exports in the world trade.2 Similarly, the practice of selling at value below cost used to produce them is also referred to as dumping. Usually, primary reason behind export dumping is to drive out competitors from the market. Additionally, 3purports that dumping is also done to get rid of the surplus of local trade. Some traders also resort to dumping when their products are unacceptable for the local market. In economic perspective, dumping is viewed as a form of predatory pricing whereby the term is frequently used in the context of global trade legislations.4 Under this backdrop, dumping i s regarded as an act whereby a manufacturer in a given country exports goods to an overseas country or countries at price below the one charges at its domestic market for similar product/s. Dumping huge amount of goods or products into a market will significantly reduce price of goods that are priced at the market place as it introduces goods priced below the market price. Supporters of free market implicate it negatively as they perceive it as a form of protectionism. Overall, dumping has various definitions from various contexts but it is widely defined as selling of products in a foreign market at a price below the one a given country charges for the same products in the home market.5 In other words, it is the selling at lower than fair value. According to,6 WTO and the GATT condemn the practice of export dumping at situations where it effects injures the economy of a country into which the goods are dumped although it does not prohibit it. Some countries take control of specific technology or method of production in the world trade. As a consequence, these countries monopolize these products or technologies. Such kinds of monopolies are also referred to as international dumping. In order to capture foreign markets for their goods or technologies, such countries sell their goods at foreign markets at a price below the one they charge in their domestic market. This act is normally adopted by producers who have monopolies in their local markets whereby the need for their goods is less elastic than in world trade.7 Types of Dumping In the world trade, there are generally three forms of dumping

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Summary - Essay Example People always perceive that the city life is luxurious and convenient. Even though, this might be true, this is not always the case. For instance, in Aesop’s fable, the country mouse proved to the town mouse that town life is not always reliable as perceived since he could not even have a meal in peace (Carroll 1). This fable was widespread in the Classical era (Carroll 1). Artists such as Horace incorporated the fable in his satires concluding his stories with quotes from Aesop’s fable. Nevertheless, writers from the 12th century, such as Walter of England, contributed most to adapting Aesop’s fable. Aesop was a fabulist credited with numerous fables that are collectively referred to as Aesop’s Fables (Carroll 1). According to historians, Aesop might or might have not written his fables. However, his Romantic writings confirm that he wrote his own works and he should be given credit for writings that seem so contemporary yet

TLMT312 WEEK 7 FORUM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TLMT312 WEEK 7 FORUM - Assignment Example ding value-added, property, income tax, and inventory as a strong consideration in the supply chain design introduces various issues for supply chain management. Such issues are tax policy dynamics, infrastructure concerns, and activity integration. Infrastructure supports supply chain activities. For example, infrastructure attracts supply chain value-added to both local and regional countries. Supply chain managers need to understand the implications of infrastructure issues and be able to communicate the issues with the planners in order to evaluate the design strategy (American Public University System). Also, local and regional tax strategy regarding inventory may motivate production, thuspositively influencing supply chain. Some firms manage regional and local inventory from different countries. For example, Singaporepurchase products from local or regional production operation by having a Singaporean entity.The firms obtain the local or regional production operation at the standard production cost and the firms resell to markets around the world. Reselling will enable the firms to generate profits in a tax preferred environment, thus encouraging the need of supply chain.The use of local and regional tax strategy regarding income tax and property can have a greater impact on the supplychain. For example, in high-margin firms that produce large amounts of taxable income, their supply chain is positively affected since there will be a need of supplying more products. The rise in the supply of the products will help the firms in fetching more income tax from different countries (Amer ican Public University System). In conclusion, supply chain and logistics managers need to understand the interactions and dynamics. Particularly, what is the possible impact of value-added, property, income tax, and inventory taxes on particular supply chain

Alcoholic Beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic Beverage Essay Alcohol is drinkable ethanol according to http://mentorfoundation. org/drugs . php? id=2. It is powerful and addictive this liquid is taken orally and often consumed in abundant quantities. Surveys say that adolescents and young adults are likely to drink. There are three basic types of alcoholic drinks are: Beer, Wine, Spirit. Their difference is what each is made of and percentage of alcohol content. Beer is made from fermented grains and has 3 to 6 percent of alcohol content while is made from fermented fruits and have alcohol content of 11 to 14 percent. Spirits are made from fermented distilling products. It usually contains 40-50 percent of alcohol. American Council Education says 12 ounce glass of beer, 5 ounces of wine and 1. 5 ounce shots of spirits contains the same amount of alcohol. Beer, wine and spirit have the same potential for intoxication and addiction. When a person consumes alcohol the drug acts on nerve cells deep in the brain. These are the well known signs that a person is drunk: the smell of alcohol on breath, irritability, loss of physical coordination, violent behaviour, loss of balance, incoherent speech, loss of consciousness, slowed thinking, blackouts, and Euphoria, an extreme happiness. According to the American Psychiatric Association, (1994) that alcohol use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by alcohol. Frequent binge drinking or getting severely drunk more than twice is classed as alcohol misuse. According to research done through international surveys, the heaviest drinkers happen to be the United Kingdoms adolescent generation. Alcohol abuse affects about 10% of women and 20% of men in the United States, most beginning by their mid-teens. In Antipolo City, Philippines, many teenagers are now facing the problems of being addicted to alcoholic beverages. One major cause is depression and family problems. Teenagers who are facing this kind of problem suffer in terms of heath like disorders in their eating habits. Other illnesses and diseases which they may have are liver cancer, migraines, and various sicknesses associated with their physiques. Where an alcoholic has experienced a sense of withdrawal in the same time period. According to http://www. sciencedaily. com/articles /a/alcoholism. htm alcoholism is the consumption of preoccupation with alcoholic beverage to the extent that this behaviour interferes. The chronic alcohol caused by alcoholism can result in psychological or physiological disorder. It is also called world’s mostly drug use problems. Alcoholism is often progressive diseases says Ehrlich (2011). A person who is alcoholic typically craves for alcohol and drink and increases his tolerance for alcohol stated by Stoppler (2011) For this reason according to Langham (2010) they are causes of teen alcoholism depend on genetics and life experienced. Teens begin drinking before the age 15 according to Butler (2006) are more likely to develop a dependency on alcohol than those who begin drinking 21 years old. According to Langham (2010) following reason of alcoholism in teens is: Genetics or Family History, meaning a teenager comes from families who its family members are addictive in alcoholism because some teenagers experienced frequent in sexual, physical, mental, or emotional abuse in home but also in school. Another basis of alcoholism in teens is peer pressure, teens experience this kind of reason when a teenager feels that she or he is not accepted because there is something wrong to his or her personality or maybe he or she becomes alcoholic because of friends. Lack of parental support is one of the sources, teenager who regularly experiences this kind of trait is a person who regularly experience harsh discipline, criticism, hostility and rejection of his or her parents and the foremost reason of alcoholism in teens is depression, a teenager convince himself or herself that alcohol will take away his or her sadness and make her feel better stated by Boyles (2012). If its so, this causes may lead to some teenagers in different dangerous effect like: decreasing of paying attention, difficulties in memory, drunk driving, suicide attempt, engaged in sexual activity , poor hygiene, breaking curfews, Hiding in their room, becoming verbally or physically abusive toward others according to Palmera (2009)To understand teenagers. Parekh (2009) says that parents seek for understanding; they must always use the open communication for teens. To care by letting them be who they are, gaining the trust of the adolescent. CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES The numerous studies and articles on Alcohol is ethanol, or ethyl alcohol. It is a powerful, addictive, central nervous system depressant produced by the action of yeast cells on carbohydrates in fruits and grains. A liquid that is taken orally, alcohol is often consumed in copious quantities. American Psychiatric Association, (1994) that alcohol use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by alcohol. Surveys of adolescent and young adult drinkers indicate that they are particularly likely to drink heavily with the intention of getting drunk often every time they drink according to http://mentorfoundation . org/drugs. php? id=2. Alcoholism is the consumption of or preoccupation with alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behaviour interferes with the alcoholics normal personal, family, social, or work life by http://www. sciencedaily. com /articles /a/alcoholism. htm. Alcoholism is also is a chronic, often progressive disease. A person with alcoholism typically craves alcohol by Ehrlich (2011), and for Langham (2010) Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which someone becomes dependent on alcohol. The following section will present succinct points which are tediously discussed in the following order: Causes, and Effects. Causes Many teens have fallen victim to the ingestion and accommodation of alcoholic drinks which they have been able to acquire, sadly, from local sources. These are the common causes which encourage or lead a teen into alcoholic addiction and dependence: Abuse. Teen Suicide Prevention states that a teenager who experiences frequent sexual, physical, mental or emotional abuse at home is more likely to form an alcohol dependency than a teenager who comes from a stable, loving and non-abusive home. Abused teenagers may use alcohol as a way to dull or block out their pain and forget reality for a short time. Peer Pressure. During adolescence, teenagers usually feel increased pressure to be accepted by their peers and to make friends, according to the website Teen Drug Abuse. A teenager may feel that she is not accepted because there is something wrong with her personality. She may associate alcohol dependency with loosening up and fitting in with her peers. In addition, a teenager may become an alcoholic because her friends are alcoholics. If a teenager spends a lot of time with other teens who abuse alcohol, then it is likely that she will also abuse alcohol as a way to fit in. Depression. Teens who are depressed are more likely to become alcoholics than teens who are not depressed. Alcohol acts as a depressant that affects the central nervous system and increases depression in some teens, according to Depression-Guide. com. A teenager may convince herself that the alcohol will take away her sadness and make her feel better, but after the alcohol wears off she may feel worse than she did before she began drinking. Lack of Parental Support. During adolescence, a lack of parental support, guidance or communication can cause a teenager to become dependent on alcohol, according to Focus Adolescent Services located in Salisbury, Maryland. Teenagers who regularly experience harsh discipline, criticism, hostility or rejection from their parents tend to feel abandoned, causing them to turn to alcohol as a way to dull the pain. (Langham, 2010) Effects Butler (2006) stated that teenagers have been drinking alcohol in early 15 in age. There several warning signs indicating that your teen is abusing alcohol or other drugs: Changes in appetite or sleep patterns. This could be characterized by a marked increase or decrease in either or both. For example, individuals abusing amphetamines may show a diminished need for sleep and food. Those abusing marijuana may sleep more and have an increased appetite. These effects may vary depending upon the drug being abused. If you are interested in the effects of specific drug use, you may want to conduct some online research or call your local drug and alcohol commission or mental health clinic for more specific information. Deterioration of physical appearance. Typical teenagers are very concerned about the way they look to peers and friends and may be very specific about clothing, makeup, and overall hygiene. Individuals abusing substances often start to focus less on their physical appearance as their substance use increases. Withdrawal from social or important activities. You may notice your teen stops showing interest in things he or she once found pleasurable. For example, they may start missing school or participate less in sporting events or other social activities. They may also stop attending family functions or gatherings such as church because their drug use has become more important, or they may be embarrassed and try to hide their use from others. Unexplained need for money or secretive about spending habits. Individuals abusing drugs may begin asking for money without a clear reason. Generally an abuser will not ask for very large amounts, but rather small amounts over periods of time. They may also become more secretive about spending habits. For example, he or she may claim to need more for something than they actually need and pocket the extra money. Sudden change in friends or locations. The abuser’s friends or hangout spots may change. For example, a teen may start hanging out with a different crowd of friends. You may notice where they hang out may change as well. They may suddenly think their old friends are no longer â€Å"cool. † They also may start to break curfew or lie about where they are hanging out. Increased interpersonal or legal problems. Individuals abusing substances may start having more interpersonal problems, i. e. , increased arguments with parents, friends, or other authority figures. They may begin to get in legal trouble for shoplifting or other crimes and cited for possession or underage drinking. Change in personality or attitude. This one can be a little tricky. Given the raging hormones of teenagers, personality and attitudes can change regularly. In someone abusing substances, this will look a little different. The mood swings would be unlike typical teenage attitudes. Depending on the substance being abused, you may begin to notice marked hyperactivity or extreme happiness followed by a â€Å"crash† where the mood becomes just the opposite. The individual may appear very lethargic or more irritable than usual. Thinking and behaviours may become irrational and unpredictable. Neglecting responsibilities. If your teen is normally very responsible and there is a change in that behaviour, this may be a sign. Substance abuse often begins to take precedence over other things that were once deemed important. As a result, responsibilities are often neglected and the teen becomes more and more irresponsible over time. Using despite knowing it is dangerous. Most teens are very aware of the negative effects and possible consequences of substance use. If your teen is using despite this knowledge, this is a sign of abuse. To help teenager who are involve in alcohol according to Parekh (2009) parent must give teenagers a open communication between parent and child. Trust to adolescent trust to adolescent and caring, respecting and allow them to be who they are. And to be a responsible people in the society. Reference American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, D. C:182–3. Boyles S. (2012) Why is Alcohol is Addictive? Retrieved from: http://www. webmd. com/mental-health/alcohol-abuse/news/20120111/study-sheds-more-light-on-why-some-get-alcoholism Butler K. (2006) The Grim Neurology of Teenage Drinking. Retrieved from: http://www. nytimes. com/2006/07/04/health/04teen. html? pagewanted=all_r=0 Ehrlich S. (2011) Alcoholism Retrieved from: http://www. umm. edu/altmed/articles/ alcoholism-000002. htm#ixzz1WJ62XF7v Langham R. (2010) What Causes Alcoholism In Teens? Retrieved from: http://www. livestrong. com/article/146676-what-are-the-causes-of-teenage-alcoholism/ National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012) Alcohol. Retrieved from: http://mentorfoundation. org/drugs. php? id=2 Palmera (2009) The Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Teens. Retrieved from: http:casa palmera. com /the effects –of –alcohol –abuse – on –teens Parekh R. (2009) Understanding Alcohol Abuse in Adolescents. Retrieved from: search=onewordhighlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1+ajaxSearch_highlight2 Stoppler M. (2011) What is Alcoholism? Retrieved from: http://www. medicinenet. com/alcohol_and_teens/page2. htm#what_is_alcoholism White D. (2012) Symptoms of Teen Substance Abuse. Retrieved from: http://psychcentral. com/lib/2012/symptoms-of-teen-substance-abuse/.

Critically review the practice of post-development monitoring in eia

Critically review the practice of post-development monitoring in eia Introduction Since the 1960s, there has been a growing concern in the environment and the unfavorable impact that society has on the global environment (United Nations, 1990). Over the years, there has been a steady introduction of environmental legislation, in an attempt to regulate impacts on the environment. However, other environmental management means have also been developed. These include environmental auditing, environmental accounting, environmental reporting, life-cycle assessment, environmental management systems, risk assessment and environmental impact assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has become a widely used means for making out the possible impacts of new developments (Glasson et al, 1999). It is proposed to provide decision-makers with an understanding of the possible environmental consequences of a proposed project and thereby facilitate the making of more environmentally sound decisions (Bailey and Hobbs 1990). EIA is now being used in many countries worldwide ( Glasson et al 1999). In the 1990s, a worldwide study on the usefulness of environmental assessment was carried out, which highlighted several areas were improvements needed to be made; areas such as scoping, evaluating significance, review of environmental statements and post-decision monitoring and auditing mostly termed as follow-up (Sadler 1996). Lack of follow-up is undeniably the weakest point in many systems and this is resulting to questions over whether EIA is being used effectively. Effective EIA should lessen the environmental impacts of developments; however, without follow-up being completed it is only the envisaged impacts on the environment and not the existent impacts that are regarded. Furthermore, the EIA process can be divided into two stages based around the approval for a development proposal: pre-decision and post-decision (Marshall, 2004). Follow-up, which includes post-decision monitoring and auditing, refers to actions that occurs all through the post-decision stages of the EIA p rocess to monitor, evaluate, manage and communicate the environmental results that in reality happen (Arts et al 2001). Current practice has focused on the pre-decision stages of the process, which means that little or no attention is paid to whether the actual impacts of the development match up to those that were predicted. There is much debate as to the effectiveness of EIA practice without follow-up; it has not been thoroughly required or properly implemented within current practice (United Nations, 1990). This review will first discuss the definition of follow-up, and then highlights the various types of follow-up. Following this, the role and value of follow-up in EIA is discussed; the basic principles are stated; legislative requirement for follow-up with reference to different countries is examined; an overview of required bodies for follow-up practice is also looked into and then an overview of the global perspective of follow-up practice is discussed. EIA Follow-up In its role as an environmental management means, EIA must put into practice processes for verifying the existence of predicted effects and controlling the damaging effects of those that in reality happen (United Nations, 1990). Thus, impact studies should take into consideration the need for and requirements of follow-up (Wood, 2003). EIA follow-up is important to the entire assessment process because it provides information about the outcomes of an activity and ensures that development and management requirements have been met (Arts et al., 2001). Guidance for good practice EIA follow-up, however, has not been efficient and has been addressed on very few occasions (Marshall, 2004). Follow-up has been used as a general term for various EIA activities including: monitoring; auditing; ex postevaluation; post-decision analysis; and post-decision management. While there is no single definition for follow-up, it is generally related to activities in the post-decision phase of a project (Arts et al, 2001). Follow-up includes the gathering of data, the arrangement and investigation of this data and the review of the acquired information about the impacts of a project that has been subject to EIA. It also involves decision-making on remedial procedures and communication of the results of this process (Wood, 2003). Thus, follow-up is comprised of four key activities; see figure 1 below for further illustration. Role and Value of EIA follow-up EIA is intended to provide decision makers with information concerning the environmental impacts of development on the environment. For this information to be reliable, it must be verified (Arts et al, 2001). Moreover, the responsible parties, that is the proponent or the competent bodies have a starting point for employing mitigation procedures and precautionary procedures for the negative impacts. The response acquired from follow-up programs is important for the improvement of EIA which currently can best be described as weak and not realized to its full potential (United Nations, 1990). Follow-up is an essential part of any EIA system in that follow-up ensures that EIA actually works to protect the environment and achieve its intended objectives (Marshall, 2004). The United Nations (1990), for example, observed that follow-up examinations are useful in making certain or assisting the execution of development activity in accordance with the terms put in place by the environmental assessment process. It involves monitoring project outcomes, evaluating results and integrating mitigation procedures from the initial process of the project. EIA should be applied as early as possible and follow-up, as a system of checks and balances, should commence as the assessment unfolds to generate data and ensure the results of assessment are integrated into the project design and management (Marshall, 2004). Furthermore, examination of environmental impacts serves as an indicator to practitioners on which impacts need mitigation. Hence, follow-up creates opportunity for practitioners to look back at the impacts foreseen and the mitigation procedures recommended to determine accuracy and effectiveness so that suitable action can be taken (Arts et al 2001). Follow-up, identified as environmental auditing and monitoring programs in some literature, is important to verify that the environmental predictions and assumptions are valid and to monitor the actual environmental performance of projects (Abaza, 2000). Follow-up ensures impacts are mitigated before breaching established criteria, to capture growing environmental impacts, and to guarantee that mitigation procedures are properly and timely implemented (United Nations, 1990). Hence, the follow-up process should naturally be integrated in every EIA and at all stages of the project life cycle; that is follow-up should analyze the entire cycle of a proposed project. In this way, EIA is a cyclical activity, with feedback and interaction between various steps being critical for improving EIA practice (Wood, 2003). Principles of EIA Follow-up EIA follow-up principles have been stated by various authors; however this review provides a summary of these various views. Follow-up principles are divided into Guiding Principles and Operating Principles as put forward by Morrison-Saunders et al (2007); see figure 2 below. Legislative Framework for Follow-up Monitoring The regulatory and institutional arrangements include the legal requirements and administrative framework for conducting EIA follow-up. In different countries around the world, there are different legislative requirements for follow-up practice; see figure 3 below. Practices vary from voluntary commitments for monitoring and reporting on EIA outcomes through to specific command and control approaches, some of which provide for specialist independent follow-up review bodies. Generally systems with a long history of EIA tend to be more advanced in their requirements for follow-up (Morrison-Saunders et al 2007). Country Status Legislative Requirement United Kingdom Developed Discretionary Australia Developed Discretionary Canada Developed Mandatory Netherlands Developed Mandatory New Zealand Developed Mandatory California Developed Mandatory Egypt Developing Non Existent Turkey Developing Non Existent Tunisia Developing Non Existent Required Bodies for Follow-up Monitoring EIA follow-up can take many forms, ranging from proponent-driven self-regulation to requirements put in place by EIA regulators or initiatives motivated by community involvement (Arts et al, 2001). Monitoring and evaluation may be conducted by proponents and regulators alike depending on the level of application. Continuing management decisions may be made by both proponents e.g., responding to unforeseen impacts and EIA regulators e.g., reviewing consent conditions and management requirements. Also, both proponents and EIA regulators may engage in communication programs. Some follow-up programs go far beyond mere communication to specifically include stakeholder participation in the monitoring, evaluation and management proceedings (Marshall, 2004). According to Morrison-Saunders et al (2007), there are three major groups of stakeholders involved in EIA follow-up whether as initiator, conductor or participant. Follow-up programs driven by proponents i.e. the first party follow-up, may also include voluntary, self-regulatory or industry-led initiatives such as environmental management systems. Follow-up carried out by regulators, the second party follow-up, typically focuses on making sure that proponents conform to EIA approval conditions as well as learning from experience to improve EIA processes in the future. Follow-up activities carried out or initiated by the community i.e. third party follow-up may range from formal committees or agencies (NGOs) established to manage or conduct follow-up activities through to independent action by community members concerned about environmental impacts. Global Perspective of EIA Follow-up Practice EIA is far from perfect; based on various reviews; it is widely believed that follow-up practice is the weakest area in the EIA process globally. As Sadler (1996) found out in his review of the effectiveness of various EIA systems globally, that there was a poor performance of follow-up activities. Also, Wood (2003) carried out a review on EIA systems in developed countries like UK, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, USA, Netherlands and South Africa and found out that follow-up practices are not widespread. As in the developed world, follow-up monitoring has been a missing step in EIA in developing countries. For example, George (2000b) identified the lack of attention and commitment to follow up as a serious shortcoming in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia. Despite the widely recognized importance of EIA, follow-up has not been satisfactorily implemented in EIA practice (Austin, 2000) and has yet to be recognized as an essential part of the EIA process (Marshall, 2004). The extent to which follow-up monitoring is required by the EIA processvaries greatly between countries, although mandatory requirements appear to be the exception rather than the rule. The EU Directive 97/11/EC as amended, does not specifically require follow-up monitoring (Wood, 2003), and this is reflected by a similar lack of legislative provision in most Member States. In Canada, EIA is enforced by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; although there has been some measure of progress achieved in EIA, there are also several shortcomings. Follow-up processes have been hampered by weaknesses in laws (CEAA, 2004). Also, developers may be legally required to carry out follow-up monitoring under other legislation if specified in, for example, planning consent con ditions, emission consents or legal agreements as in the case of UK. But these methods are limited and do not represent a systematic approach to monitoring (Glasson, 1994). Follow-up monitoring has been poorly implemented also in Sri Lanka with the problem of inadequate staff, space allocation, funds, and equipment (Morrison-Saunders et al, 2007). In the United States, NEPA does not provide detailed information on the subject of follow-up monitoring; it states that monitoring and enforcement program shall be implemented where applicable for any mitigation. The emphasis in EIA has all too frequently been on the pre-decision stages and on preparation of the EIS, using EIA purely to achieve development consent rather than as a tool for sound environmental management and protection. As Sadler (1996) states, the inconsistency of EIA is that very little attention is paid to the environmental effects which actually result from the development. There is very little emphasis on follow-up, on comparing what was predicted with what really happened, and on feeding the results of such exercises back into the EIA process. Without follow-up and feedback, EIA remains as a none-moving, infrequent routine rather than becoming an active and recurring process (Glasson, 1994). This lack of mandatory follow-up requirement, combined with a lack of enforcement, means that, from the developers point of view, it really does not matter if predictions are inaccurate. Conclusion If the performance of EIA in accurately predicting impacts and enabling sound environmental protection and management is to improve, lessons must be learnt from past experience and applied to future developments. Follow-up provides a means of achieving this and delivering numerous benefits. Despite this, follow-up monitoring is rarely carried out in practice. Having assessed follow-up practices in both developed and developing countries, it is evident that the existence of a legislative framework is not sufficient to make the system effective. Although some countries legislative requirements are mandatory yet problems arise due to the limited scope of legal measures and administrative support (Mitchell, 1997). Other weaknesses reside in the procedures for the design and implementation of follow-up and control mechanisms; also, the attention has largely focused on the pre-decision stages of impact assessment with follow-up monitoring receiving less attention (Arts et al., 2001). Wloda rczyk (2000) notes that understanding among practitioners of what EIA follow-up is and what it entails has not been made clear. Some have interpreted follow-up strictly as the application of mitigation measures suggested in the EIA report. The result is that prediction accuracy is not being confirmed nor is the effectiveness of improvement measures being determined. Finally, there is a need to overcome the various setbacks associated with follow-up practices; as (Marshall, 2004) states that EIA follow-up is a feedback mechanism to reflect the pitfall or success of projects. Countries around the world need to improve on the image of follow-up monitoring to highlight its benefits; the possibility of developing mandatory requirements or a central guidance for EIA follow-up needs further exploration; continuous follow-up monitoring needs to be undertaken, and the results publicized and circulated to EIA practitioners. An opportunity to improve EIA practice and procedures is being missed with every development for which an EIS is submitted with no follow-up analysis carried out (Glasson, 1994). Reference Abaza, H (2000) Strengthening Future Environmental Assessment Practice: An International Perspective, in Lee, N and George, C (Eds) Environmental Assessment in Developing and Transitional Countries, Chichester, John Wiley and Sons. Ahmad, B and Wood, C. M (2002) Environmental Impact Assessment in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia, Environmental Impact Assessment Review,Volume 22, pp. 213-234. Arts, J., Caldwell, P., and Morrison-Saunders, A (2001) Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-up: Good Practice and Future Directions Findings from a Workshop at IAIA 2000 Conference, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal,Volume 19(3), pp. 175-185. Bailey, J.M and Hobbs, V (1990) A Proposed Framework and Database for EIA Auditing, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 31, pp. 163-72. Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (2004) Strengthening Environmental Assessment in Canada: Amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Available at http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/013/001/0003/index_e.htm, Accessed on Friday January 29th, 2010. George, C (2000b) Environmental Impact Prediction and Evaluation, in Lee, N and George, C (Eds.)Environmental Assessment in Developing and Transitional Countries, Chichester, John Wiley and Sons. Glasson, J (1994) Life after the Decision: The Importance of Monitoring in EA, Built Environment, 20, pp. 309-320. Glasson, J., Therivel, R., and Chadwick, A (1999) Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment, UCL Press. Marshall, R (2004) Can Industry Benefit from Participation in EIA-follow up? The Scottish Power Experience, in Morrison-Saunders, A and Arts, J (Eds), Assessing Impact: Handbook of EIA and SEA Follow-up, Earthscan James James, London, Chapter 6. Mitchell, B (1997) Resource and Environmental Management, Waterloo, Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Morrison-Saunders, A., Marshall, R and Arts, J (2007) EIA Follow-Up International Best Practice Principles, International Association for Impact Assessment, Special Publication Series No. 6, Fargo, USA. Sadler, B (1996) Environmental Assessment in a Changing World: Evaluating Practice to Improve Performance, Final Report, International Study of the Effectiveness of Environment Assessment, Ottawa, Canadian Environmental Agency. United Nations (1990) Post-project Analysis in Environmental Impact Assessment, Report Prepared by the Task Force on Environmental Impact Assessment Auditing with Canada as Lead Country, New York. Wlodarczyk, T. L (2000) Improving Monitoring and Follow up in Canadian Environmental Assessments, Paper Presented at the IAIA Conference June 2000, Hong Kong. Wood, C (2003) Environmental Impact Assessment, A Comparative Review, Second Edition Prentice Hall, Harlow.

SO Jewett Nature :: essays papers

SO Jewett Nature The Conception of Nature and its Relationship to Gender in S.O. Jewett^Ã’s story "A White Heron." "Nature, in the common sense, refers to the essences unchanged by man^Ã…" From the very first steps of the new settlers on the American continent, its uncivilized nature, full of smell of the forests, of freshness of the air, and of almost prelapsarian variety of flora and fauna, came to be associated with unlimited wilderness. However, under the vigorous attack of developing civilization the untouched virginity of the New World soon began to recede, irretrievably losing its wild independent beauty. For a great number of American writers this confrontation of nature with civilization became a theme for the never-ending discussion. The short story of an American writer regionalist Sarah Orne Jewett, "A White Heron", is one of the works written on this touching American theme. In this story the author presents the conflict by juxtaposing a little country-girl Sylvia, who lives in harmony with nature, to the bird-hunter from a town. She does so through identification of a girl with nature and boys ^ with civilization. While the girl stands for the innoc ent femininity of natural world, who loves and cares about the creatures around, the boys are associated with aggression, danger and warlike elements of civilization. Thus she implies the idea that nature is just like a harmless little girl just exists in peace with every tiny thing around, while civilization, like a young man with a gun, by its utilitarian love for nature senselessly annihilates the artless creation. From the opening lines of the story Sarah Orne Jewett ushers her readers into the magic world of untouched beauty of the "New England wilderness" (WH, p.200): "the woods were already filled with shadows one June evening^" (WH, p.197). The reader is immediately charmed and has no choice but to proceed, to walk further, among the trees, until he meets a little girl, walking by the forest path together with her "plodding" (WH, p.

Comparing Perception in Blade Runner, Memento, Three Kings and American Beauty :: Movie Film Essays

Comparing Perception in Blade Runner, Memento, Three Kings and American Beauty Throughout this course, we have seen a number of films that are quite different. These films are diverse in their subject matter ranging from the drama of American Beauty, the political and action based nature of Three Kings, the science fictional social statements on technology presented by Blade Runner, to the fragmented and contemporary techniques of experimental Memento. However, I would argue that all of the above mentioned have been linked by an unsuspecting thread, and I am going to demonstrate what that thread is here. These films have been tied together by a theme, of which I have written in past analyses of some of these films, and I choose to bring that theme forward again. I do so because I believe that this particular notion is at the bottom and the most imperative in all of these stories. The notion, which I am referring to, is that the world is what we make of it; that bad things, and good things alike, happen to us, but our ultimate view of the world as a good or bad place is determined by our choice to perceive it as one or the other. Blade Runner portrays this ideology in the main representation of the replicants. When Deckard first meets Rachel, he says to Tyrell "She's a replicant, isn't she?" Tyrell responds by pointing out that "Rachel is an experiment. Nothing more." This makes us aware that Rachel is a replicant with memories and emotional response and is not aware of her true identity as a replicant but believes herself to be human. Her memories are implanted memories of Tyrell's niece. So Rachel believes her reality to be different from that of what Tyrell and Deckard know to be reality. Whether their reality is truer than Rachel's reality is a point of debate. This relative reality changes for Deckard as he becomes emotionally attached to Rachel and then romantically involved with her. Towards the end, Deckard does not see Rachel as a replicant any longer, even after she learns the truth. More generally, however, Blade Runner presents a world of deterioration. It is a time when most of humanity has left the earth in order to colonize other planets, and all natural life is virtually extinct. It is a world plagued by acid rain, genetically engineered plants, animals, and replicants of course.

Savannah :: Personal Narrative, Descriptive, Description

As I walked into the hot, sticky gym to say goodbye on the last day of the summer at Camp Glenn Taylor, the air seemed to be trying to smother me. Outside, the rain was bouncing off the sidewalks, keeping the campers inside that day. The kids didn't notice me at first. They were too busy chasing each other around the gym with the frenzy of being trapped indoors for a day. Then, someone spotted me, and I was suddenly swarmed by hugs coming from all directions. Wriggling through the arms of the other campers was Savannah. She buried her dirty, snot-covered face into my side. I chuckled to myself, remembering my first day with her three months ago. The counselors had decided to take the campers for a hike. We corralled them into the cabin and instructed them to apply bug spray because of all the mosquitoes in the woods. Left and right, little fingers squeezed out the spray, gradually covering each body. But not the mischievous Savannah. No, she insisted upon carrying her bug spray with her and zapping the mosquitoes in mid-air. Unfortunately, this also generated a large quantity of insect repellent into the air. Every time I took a breath, my lungs were filled with noxious fumes. I could taste the bitter air on my tongue. It stung my eyes. "Savannah," I called, "Stop using that bug spray! It's making me sick!!!" Savannah scampered behind a tree, and I could hear the "sssssss" of the aerosol can. "Savannah, I'm warning you, leave that can alone. Either put it on your body or give it to me. Do not spray it into the air again." Before I'd hardly finished my last sentence, Savannah was bolting down the trail ahead of me, out of sight. I let out a sigh of exasperation. The summer ahead of me suddenly seemed to get longer. The most distinctive feature of Savannah, besides her ornery personality, is her face. She looks like a sprite or a tree-nymph. She has a heart-shaped face, which is dark brown: a combination of sun tan from many hours of playing outside and dirty from the same thing. Her almond eyes are deep and dark, but almost always carry a twinkle of mischief. Her face is framed by long brown stringy hair that falls below her shoulders. Savannah is a girl of few words, in English at least.

Bag Lady

â€Å"Bag Lady' Life's ups and downs come to all walks of life. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Baggage in life comes in all forms. Time heals all things, but people have to let go of the baggage in their lives that keeps them from moving on. They hold the keys to the doors in their lives and no one can turn the key but them. In the song â€Å"Bag Lady', Eureka Baud gives a wake up call for women to know what bags to hold on to, what bags to let go of, and what bag has the ticket for the bus that will move them on to bigger and better things In life.Eureka Baud said â€Å"bag lady, you goon hurt your back,' dragging all them bags Like hat. ‘ I guess nobody ever told you/ all you must hold on to is you, is you, is you. † This verse says to let go of all the disappointment people find in their lives and put them- selves first and make it all about them. The second verse says â€Å"One day all them bags goon get in your way/ one day all them bags goon get in y our way†¦ So pack light. † The second verse Is emphasizing the fact that women must learn how to let go of the excess baggage that pulls them down in order to survive.The third verse in â€Å"Bag Lady† says â€Å"Bag lady you goon' miss your bus/ you can't hurry up coos you've got too much stuff. This excerpt from the song tells women that by holding on to all the negative disappointment in their lives, they will end up missing out on opportunities to Improve themselves, that will move them on to bigger and better things in life. In â€Å"Bag Lady. † Eureka Baud mentions different types of women with different types of baggage that they hold on to that keeps them down.Baud is saying that bag ladies come from all walks of life. They are or have been at one point in time been the woman in the mirror and they have the power to change who they are or who they have become. The empowering keywords in† Bag Lady† are â€Å"Bet way love could make it be tter. † All Eureka Is saying Is to know your self-worth, and open the door to self-esteem; without It you have no chance at love, peace, Joy, power, and a sound mind.Accord ring to Leo Bogie, of Hawaii. Dude â€Å"Without self-worth, doubts and fears about our very existence will persist until they invalidate our dreams and vision, and undermine our greatest accomplishments†. Monica Poole English 102 Mr.. Green Bag Lady By Englishmen â€Å"Bag Lady† on to bigger and better things in life. Eureka Baud said â€Å"bag lady, you goon hurt your back/ dragging all them bags like hem bags goon get in your way†¦ So pack light. The second verse is emphasizing the The third verse in â€Å"Bag Lady' says â€Å"Bag lady you goon' miss your bus/ you can't missing out on opportunities to improve themselves, that will move them on to bigger In â€Å"Bag Lady,† Eureka Baud mentions different types of women with different types have become. The empowering key words in† Bag Lady' are â€Å"Bet way love could make it All Eureka is saying is to know your self-worth, and open the door to self-esteem; without it you have no chance at love, peace, Joy, power, and a sound mind.

Admitting Turkey to the European Union

Turkey’s accession to the European Union (EU) has created such a hype over the years since its membership was suggested during the Helsinki European Council in December of 1999. Negotiations to Turkey’s accession started in October of 2005 with the discussion of EU’s set criteria for Turkey to examine and abide by.The formal conditions to which the EU has presented in the negotiations were based on the Copenhagen principle that was created in the 1993 European Summit. It stands on three precepts: First, that the candidate member should fully adapt to the EU law legislation. Second, the candidate should possess a fairly functional democracy, which naturally illustrates the principles that most EU members adhere to, which are respect for human rights and maintain cordial relations with their neighboring states.The last precept focuses on the candidate’s economic stance in the international community, which demonstrates the EU’s desire to maintain secu re economies both domestically and internationally (Arnold, 2007).Despite efforts to make Turkey’s transition into the EU community as smooth as possible, its progress has been hampered by political and cultural issues that has plagued the country’s socio-political environment, causing them to postpone its acceptance to the terms enlisted in the Copenhagen Criteria.The negative opinions of other EU member states does not help in moving the accession talks forward either as major players like France and Germany have openly expressed their concerns about admitting Turkey into the EU and has suggested that Turkey should be given the privilege to develop a close partnership with the EU instead (Arnold, 2007).These issues have been a topic of debate during the EU-Turkey accession talks and until both parties find a compromising position on all matters at hand, Turkey’s admittance to the EU might take a little bit longer.Geographical issueAccording to Arnold, the EUâ €™s predicament regarding Turkey’s accession is certainly deep-rooted in geopolitical terms. He has stated that a general consensus of creating the EU was to unify Europe, so in essence its precepts only encompasses those within the so-called European territory. It has been noted that what defines the EU is its geographical borders, clearly accentuated by lands and seas with centuries of shared poiltical, cultural and religious histories.Still, geography is an extremely difficult case for contention since it is an arbitrary construction which does not seem to correspond to any tangible reality. Moreover, the European territory is only real in the physical sense of the term, since Europe is part of the Eurasian plate (Arnold, 2007).In this case, the dispute on Turkey’s geopraphical location makes no sense as reservations about its European character has already been resolved by its default membership in numerous organizations, namely the Organization for Security an d Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which Turkey is a founding member, and its participation in international sports competition such as the UEFA cup, of which it has its own foorball team. Turkey is also a member of NATO, a Euro-Atlantic alliance that justifies its European placement (Arnold, 2007).Turkey location on the map is situated at the gateway to the Middle East, the Caucasus and central Asia, which makes them a key strategic player in all three regions. Based on these grounds, it is necessary for the EU to reconfirm the foundations of the core of all EU policies, and in particular, its geographical definition before it considers another country like Turkey as part of its community (Arnold, 2007).ImmigrationCifti’s article Reviving Turkey’s Stalled EU Drive mentioned that if EU would grant Turkey full membership status, it would invite additional problems to its member states in terms of population.Given that there is an understading of general freedom of move ment within the EU, internal instability in Turkey could result in the influx of migration to other parts of the EU member states.It is expected of EU member states to comply in accomodating such changes within their communities since it is honored in treaties created on behalf of the EU and its governmental policies but it could be considered a dilemma by those countries receiving the migration flows, most especially in France and Germany where a good number of Muslims and Turks populate certain parts of their communities (Cifti, 2008).One problem that could develop if ever this should come about, is the granting of citizenship to Turkish migrants, especially in countries like Germany, France and Sweden, who have no intention of granting citizenship to migrants living in their countries. Immigrants living in closed communities usually have more social, cultural and political difficulties living in harmony with the native citizens of their host country.This question gains additional weight as Europeans are witnessing efforts made by Turkish political, social and cultural institutions to target Turkish immigrants in EU countries (Demesmay &   Weske, 2007).There remain significant political challenges that Turkey must face up to, if it is to be ready for membership. For instance, the presence of the current Justice and Development (AKP) government   has created hesitations among EU members of Turkey’s ability to control its religious sect from affecting the democratic institutions of the country.The recent move to amend the constitution and lift the ban on wearing hijab or Islamic headscarves on college campuses has established the notion that Turkey may not be ready to integrate democratic policies into their systems as it will be met by opposing forces from the Islamic-ran government, alienating further its Armenian citizens (Jimenez, 2008).Based on this notion, Turkey presents itself to Europe as a country in which decisive political forces are sai d to be influenced by radical nationalism and religious fundamentalism and where much depends on the whims of theAKP government.The government’s incapacity to fully assimilate democratic procedures, independent jurisdiction, and evaluation of respect for human rights have created huge setbacks in its progress for development, which in turn has clouded the judgments of EU member states to gain trust of its fair imposition of the law.Other outstanding issues include restrictions on freedom of speech, which has been an issue of contestation as it is considered to be a pre-requisite for democratic processes, and the challenges faced by the Kurdish community over language rights and identity (Demesmay & Weske, 2007).The problems connected with the Armenians and Kurds create strong and lasting doubts in Europe which points out whether satisfactory standards will be reached in the foreseeable future (Jimenez. 2008).Foreign RelationsIn Arnold’s article, Political Arguments aga inst Turkey’s Accession to the European Union, he has stated that integrating Turkey would also be a strategic and diplomatic challenge for the EU, since its borders would run alongside countries as unstable and and unruly as Iran, Syria, and Iraq.Not to mention, the fact that the EU would have to face a possible handling of the Kurdish and Armenian problem since Turkey’s population is made up of small Kurdish and Armenian communities that are scattered between Turkey, Iraq and Iran. It was reported that Turkey has not excluded the possibility of military action in the Iraqi Kurdistan if the latter supported the slight signs of an independence movement amongst the Turkish Kurds   (Arnold, 2007).On the side of the EU, it has been observed that the bloc lacks cohesion, especially in dealing with its position in international relations. Its limitations to act as a single entity in major international decisions would be further divided if Turkey is granted EU membership since it would have to deal with common border issues with Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.Politically, it would get sucked into the messy political problems of Western Asia, most especially the situation in and around Iraq and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict (Arnold, 2007).Turkish foreign policy, moreover, is no longer passive since the beginning of the war against Iraq and the Turkish refusal to let American forces pass through Turkey has indicated that it has loosened its ties with the US and has begun to be active in the affairs of West Asia on a pro-Islam and pro-Arab basis   (Arnold, 2007).Although advocates of Turkish EU membership cheerfully label the Turkish role of being a bridge between Europe and the West Asia, its nature not be so loyally liberal and democratic and that the possibility and perhaps even the necessity of a Turkish orientation sometimes in the European, but at other times in another direction (Arnold, 2007).Therefore, one should beg the q uestion of whether social, cultural and political harmonization could be expected from EU’s relations with Turkey, parallel to what each member states currently possess with each other, or would Turkey’s accession to the EU perhaps only be possible if either camps were ready to give up essential parts of their cultural identity?Such questions are related to the argument that Turkey’s EU accession would be a historical milestone, as it sets forth in creating a European identity in Turkey (Arnold, 2007).Economic ImplicationsOn a positive note, Turkey could turn out to be a geo-strategic asset for the EU, notably by allowing the Union to bring an end to the US monopoly of the West Asia and by allowing it to control the flow of petrol and gas from the Caspian sea and the Gulf, thereby securing, in part, energy supplies for its member states.According to Barisch and Hermann, the key dynamics of the economic relationship between Turkey and the EU are clearly establish ed. Records show that 56% of Turkish exports goes to the EU, which is ten times that of any other export destination. Consequently, Turkey is the fifth largest export market of the EU, with European firms annually investing over â‚ ¬3bn (Barisch & Hermann, 2007).After economic setbacks in 1994 and at the turn of the millennium, economic reports illustrate that Turkey’s average has grown an annual rate of 6.8%.According to the World Bank, Turkey’s eventual membership could boost its GDP per capita growth by 1.5% per year, and allow it to expand as a market for European goods (Barisch & Hermann, 2007). In essence, the expansion that would take place if Turkey was granted membership in the EU would signify more weight in influencing world affairs.The Cyprus caseAnother major hindrance to Turkey’s accession is said to be its non-recognition of the Greek Republic of Cyprus. Common sense would argue as to how a country could ever become a part of an organization if the former does not recognize one of the organizations members?This was the reason for the closing of eight of the thirty five chapters of accession negotiations in 2006 as the EU cannot fully proceed with these conditions if Turkey refuses to abide by them   Ã‚  (Arnold, 2007).The Cyprus problem is more complex than it first appears. In fact, the two parts of the island were supposed to reunify in 2004 and enter the EU together. But when the Turkish part of Cyprus voted in favor of the UN plan for reunification, the Greek part voted agains it. The latter, therefore entered the EU alone, to the great displeasure of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots (Arnold, 2007).