Factors affecting women working in the pharmaceutical sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Introduction Thanks to its considerable oil resources, Saudi Arabia has evolved from a relatively poor country to become the world’s dominant oil producer and one of the wealthiest regions in the Middle East. There is international pressure on the rulers to embrace political and social reforms, including enhancing the participation of women within the national workforce. Research Background Interesting findings about working women in adjacent Jordan have been generated by the country’s National Centre for Human Resource Development, which has carried out research into the experience of women workers in the private sector, namely in the Communications, Internet and Pharmaceuticals industries. This research was prompted because of recognition that â€Å"women’s participation in the Jordanian labour market is growing and the fact that women’s participation is often hindered by social perceptions, practices and sometimes legislation† (Peebles, Darwazeh, Ghosheh and Sabbah, 2007). Given the size and scale of Jordan (population approximately 6.5 million) compared with Saudi Arabia (population approximately 27.1 million), it seems likely that some of these hindrances will also apply to Saudi Arabia. The pharmaceuticals industry in Saudi Arabia is the richest in the Gulf region[1] and among the largest of all those in the Middle East: â€Å"Saudi Arabia represents 65%, or $1.7 billion of the pharmaceutical market in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)[2], which is currently valued at $2.7 billion per year[3]† (Issa, Al-Ammar and Mostafa, 2009). Proposal The research proposal is to examine the factors affecting women working in the pharmaceuticals industry, with particular reference to perceived advantages and barriers. It is anticipated that the issues arising will include those touching on human rights, equal opportunities and discrimination; religion and education; legislation, including family law; cultural norms; and also resistance to radical change within the community of Saudi Arabian females. Academic Literature Academic treatises on women in Muslim cultures include a synopsis of literature reviews produced by the Library of Congress (Offenhauer, 2005), which includes chapters on women’s roles in the productive economy as well as in the domestic setting. Maryland University’s Professor in the Department of Business and Executive Programs, Dr. Dorothy Minkus-McKenna, researched entrepreneurship among Saudi Arabian women albeit on an exploratory basis and without the benefit of statistical data, and noted the different ways in which ‘success’ is measured and valued. This provides useful background information about women’s perceptions of their role in the workplace. In a further look at entrepreneurship, another study (Sadi and Al-Ghazali, 2009) sought to establish what motivated women entrepreneurs and pinpointed barriers as being a lack of co-ordination and governmental support; limited competition due to market domination; a dearth of market studies; poor support from the internal community and the general restrictions imposed by society. Whilst limited, the available literature serves to confirm that women in Saudi Arabia struggle to establish themselves in the workplace on an equal footing with men. Overall Aim and Objectives The aim of the research is to identify the key factors that act as obstacles to women working in the pharmaceuticals sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To achieve this, the focus of the research will be on the pharmaceuticals company, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries[4], one of the largest research-driven companies producing veterinary, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals products in KSA. The objectives of the research will be to establish: Whether societal and cultural norms in KSA act against women making progress in the workplace. Whether the impact of legislation relating to the workplace has an adverse affect on women. Whether childcare responsibilities interfere with women’s progress in their working lives. Whether financial pressures, and related issues, have a bearing on working women. In relation to the pharmaceuticals sector: Whether there are perceptions that some jobs are more appropriate for women than others. Whether gender bias, marital status, personal appearance and religious discrimination have a bearing on recruitment techniques and practices. Whether there are perceived or real barriers to women achieving management positions. Research Methodology and Methods A number of methods will be used in order to achieve the objectives. Secondary research will establish the required information on cultural and societal norms, and legislation. Primary research will provide the quantitative and qualitative information pertaining to women in the workplace. Participants will be invited to complete a questionnaire without disclosing their name. In this way their anonymity will be protected and it should ensure that they are able to be open and honest about their workplace experiences without any fear of reprisal. Online questionnaires will enable participants with access to a computer to respond relatively quickly and easily, however paper questionnaires can also be issued if this is deemed more suitable for certain members of the sample population. Primary Research A questionnaire designed to elicit the required information will be prepared for workers at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The Authority was established on 10th March 2033 and is charged with ensuring that drugs and foodstuffs manufactured for consumption by humans and animals are safe; this includes chemical and biological substances and also medical equipment. SFDA has been chosen because it has a relationship at some level with all the pharmaceuticals companies in Saudi Arabia, and it also sets the standards and regulations as to how they operate. Questionnaire 1: The survey will include a sample of both male and female workers at SFDA, based on the demographic of people of working age in Saudi Arabia. Current estimates indicate that the ratio of males to females aged 15–64 years is approximately 5:4, however it is not known exactly how many female workers are currently employed at SFDA. Ideally, a sample of 180 employees would include 100 men and 80 women. The questionnaire will ask workers about their educational background prior to employment, to provide information on their current position at SFDA. Data will be gathered on their responsibilities in the workplace, and also those outside work relating to childcare and care of any other dependants. Questions about the impact the job makes on their financial situation will be included. Finally, the questionnaire will seek to establish the career plans of participants and their experiences of training and promotion. Questionnaire 2: Directed at Human Resources (HR) personnel, this questionnaire will ask about participants’ interview techniques when recruiting staff, including the extent to which personal questions about an applicant’s marital status, social status, place of residency and childbearing plans are discussed. Peebles, Darwazeh, Ghosheh and Sabbah (2007) found it was common practice among HR professionals in Jordan to ask personal questions at job interviews, which the staff justified on the basis that this was a way of obtaining information about the character of an applicant, and of determining their suitability for work-related travel or overtime. The questionnaire will ask about the types of jobs, and the opportunities for training and promotion, that are available to men and women, with the intention of determining whether these are on an equal footing. Qualitative information on the perceived commitment levels of female and male employees will also be sought. Other Methods Data collection could also be achieved via a longitudinal study, that is where the researcher spends a considerable period of time embedded in the organisation in order to observe interrelationships and company operations on a day-to-day basis. Structured or semi-structured interviews could be conducted with workers and HR personnel as an alternative to a survey. One or more focus groups could be convened to discuss the findings of the survey, in order to provide enhanced qualitative information. These methods have been considered and rejected as they are either too time-consuming and impracticable. Secondary Research Reports and articles by other researchers concerned with female workers in the Middle East and their work experiences in pharmaceuticals companies will be studied to obtain an overview of the sector and the key issues relating to women workers. Very basic statistical information about SFDA is also available on LinkedIn[5] where a few members of staff are also listed. Data Analysis Information from the questionnaires will be analysed to elicit clear information on the position of women working in pharmaceuticals in KSA – their educational background, experience of recruitment, training and promotion and any barriers they have encountered in terms of their advancement in the workplace. Qualitative information will provide the context for the statistics. Planning and Critical Analysis Permission will be needed from the SFDA Executive Management to conduct the survey among a sample of staff members, and the researcher’s contact person within the company could facilitate this. If permission is not granted, it may still be possible for some members of staff to participate in a private capacity (for example, via LinkedIn) although participants may be hesitant and it may be difficult to attract 180 people by this method. SFDA may wish to alter the wording or the questions in the survey to suit company needs, however any proposed changes will have to be carefully scrutinised by the researcher before any changes are agreed. Alternatively, another pharmaceuticals company could be used, such as Merck Serono, which has a base in Saudi Arabia but company headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and a UK office. Limitations The surveys are limited to a selection of the working population in one specific organisation and although a degree of extrapolation is possible the findings will not represent a comprehensive and in-depth view of the country’s entire pharmaceuticals sector. Timescale Obtaining permissions and approvals and distributing questionnaires will take up to five weeks, with data analysis in week six and writing up of the findings in weeks seven – ten. References: BBC (2012). Saudi Arabia profile. Online. 16th January. [available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14702705] Issa, N.A., Al-Ammar, A.I. and Mostafa, S. (2009) Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industries in Saudi Arabia. American Health Lawyers Association. Minkus-McKenna, D. (2009). Women Entrepreneurs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Working paper. http://bit.ly/yCoxTY Offenhauer, P. (2005). Women in Islamic societies: a selected review of social scientific literature. Report. Library of Congress. Online. [available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Women_Islamic_Societies.pdf] Peebles, D., Darwazeh, N., Ghosheh H. and Sabbah, A. (2007) Factors Affecting Women’s Participation in the Private Sector in Jordan. Research Report. National Center for Human Resources Development. Sadi, M. A. and Al-Ghazali, B. M. (2010). ‘Doing business with impudence: A focus on women entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Research paper.’ African Journal of Business Management Vol. 4(1), pp.1-11, January. Online. [available at: http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM]. Saudi Food and Drug Authority. [available at: http://www.sfda.gov.sa/En/Home/Topics/about/]

Choosing a College Course Essay

Introduction Many students find it difficult in choosing what course to take in college. For seniors or graduating high school students, the pressure goes higher as the end of their term is coming because the time is running and decreasing for deciding what course they will take. Choosing a course is really a hard decision to make. Your future depends on it and the decision you will make would determine what life you will have in the future. This is the first step in your life as an independent person and this is the first step for your success. You should be careful in choosing a course because when you have started on it there is no way getting back. You can shift to another course but a lot of thing will be wasted: your effort, money and time. So from the start you should pick the right one and you should make up your mind that this is the course for you and this will lead you to success. Many would say that they haven’t chosen yet or they were not sure about the course they want to pursue. Some might have chosen before and decided what to take but in the end they want to change it because they weren’t sure or still confused. And the wide range of choices of college courses made it more difficult to choose. But you are not really â€Å"clueless† in choosing what course to take, there are some factors you would consider and this might help you pick the suitable and best course for you. Your Personal Interests The most basic consideration in the choice of a college major or college course is, of course, what you want. Is there something that you’ve always wanted to get into, something that resonates within the very fiber of your being? If so, that may be where you’re meant to go. The more interested you are in a subject, the more likely you are to study it and achieve a strong result. This is particularly important at college when you are responsible for your own study. List the fields of study that interest you, and come up with a list of courses you would consider studying based on these interests. Add the topics that you were most interested in during school as well as jobs that you envied others for. At some point, many students try to fit in a course or two based purely on personal interest. While their majors may reflect their primary interest, most people are interested in more than one intellectual pursuit, so a biology major who has a passion for movies might take a film course. This is not necessarily what are you good at, but what do you love doing? You might be great at math, but you spend your weekends fixing up bits of old computers. So don’t study math, focus on IT or computer engineering instead. Specialize in your passion. Cost Of Study Affordability is another aspect you need to consider while deciding on your course, as well as the additional costs that occur, such as text books, field trips etc. However, do not let cost hamper your career choice, as there are a number of financial assistance options available to complete the course. College tuitions soar each year, advancing far in excess of the inflation rate. The overall inflation rate since 1986 increased 115.06%, which is why we pay more than double for everything we buy. On the other hand, during the same time, tuition increased a whopping 498.31%. See chart below Many schools have increased tuition fees due to higher overhead costs. Fuel and labor costs continue to rise. Many older college buildings are in need of renovation or replacement. The demand for expanded libraries and new research and computer labs is at an all-time high. Some schools also need additional security measures. But Don’t Let College Costs Scare You! These costs may seem overwhelming, but there are ways to keep expenses down. Remember that college educations come at all levels of cost, and that financial aid can reduce that cost. If a school is a great fit for you but seems too expensive, it makes sense to apply and then see whether your financial aid offer will bring the cost down. Don’t give up on a college because of its sticker price. Financial Aids Grants and scholarships are the most desirable types of funding you can receive to pay for your college education, since they don’t need to be repaid. While any amount of free money will be competitive, especially in a tough economic climate, the sooner and more often you apply the more luck you’ll have. The list of reasons why a scholarship may be given to a particular student is quite long, although some of the more popular awards are given to students who achieve academically, are athletically gifted, choose to enroll in a particular program of study, are part of a certain kind of organization, or choose to enroll in the military and still further their education. A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your tuition, or it might be a one-time award of some cash. Either way, it’s worth applying for, because it’ll help reduce the cost of your education. Career opportunities Look at the career prospects of the course before selecting one. Consider various factors such as income, job security, stress, responsibility and other benefits while researching a profession. Not all courses are created equal. Yes, they all offer a diploma upon completion, but they don’t guarantee a job. When you are choosing a major, it would be wise to check out the job placement statistics of others who have pursued this degree. There is no reason why you should be the guinea pig; if a specific career is your reason for choosing this major, investigate the success of others. If you want to avoid a data entry position, check out all of the opportunities available and your chance at landing one of those positions after graduation. Commitment, Time and Practical Considerations Choosing a college course requires you to look inwards and assess your commitment to your chosen path. Assuming that you have the issue of money and other practical considerations settled, do you actually possess the skills and the patience to go the distance? Moreover, do you actually want to do so? There’s also a chance that your parents may be expecting you to tread a certain academic path; will you have the strength and the will to stick it out against all odds? You should also be aware of what you’re getting into when choosing a college major. What will your college course require you to do? Are you willing to do it? As a case in point, if you’re squeamish about the sight of blood, why should you decide to go for a Nursing Degree? To be certain that you will be committed to your studies, find out the duration of your course. Taking double-degrees, full time or part-time depends on your personal choice. Ensure that you will be able to balance your other priorities along with education. Study flexibility varies amongst universities. Demand If your goal is to be employed immediately after graduation, base your choice not on popular courses, but on employable courses, or courses that are the most in-demand in the job market. Job seeking is becoming an increasingly competitive sport these days. With thousands of students graduating each year and limited number of job opportunities available to them, plenty of job seekers end up resorting to options they wouldn’t had to choose if they had other alternatives. These days, there is no time to get into a career and then decide if it is the right one for you. You should know right from the beginning what is right for you and what career you can excel in. Thanks to the very competitive nature of the employment sector, getting the right job or choosing the right career is not as easy as it once used to be. Everyone is looking for help in deciding what career should be chosen. Obviously, in today’s competitive world, everyone wants a job or career that has high pay, job stability, and great future prospects. However, owing to the bad effects of the recently experienced economic recession, a majority of people are looking forward to changing careers. The careers that are being sought after are top jobs in demand for the future, which are mostly from the medical field. The main reason why medical jobs are and will be in demand is because they do not have any impact of the financial crisis arising in the economy. So if you want to secure a job in the future, pick a course that is in demand after you graduate. Conclusion Even you have known some things that you might consider in choosing a course, the choice is still yours and the one who will decide is no other but you. Choose on what you think is the best for you and what you think that will give you success. But remember that even you have chosen a course that is qualified for all the factors listed and will give great results, it not ends in there. The most important thing is in everything you do always give your best shot. Work hard for everything you want to achieve and accomplish. Don’t quit and never give up. And most of all ask God for help and guidance in everything you do. Pray for it. God has the best plan for you. When you do all these things, I’m sure that whatever course you will take, you will be successful and you will have a wonderful future.

Re-Entry and Its Effects: Institutional and Post Release Essay

Abstract Reentry is a challenge many offenders face once they are incarcerated and released into society. The term â€Å"reentry’† is a synonym for return and is defined as the act of going back to a prior place, location, situation or setting. Prison re-entry refers to the transition of offenders from prisons or jails back into the community. The concept of life in society is an important part of any reintegration of institutionalized people, including people who have been incarcerated for committing a crime. The institutionalization of a population leads to isolation, segregation and detachment of the elements of a company defining the basis of citizenship. Although individuals often returning to the community focus more on the choice of where they dwell, their long-term success in society is more likely to be dependent on the social roles they have chosen to play, to the extent that they will engage in the community and they have been prepared for this purpose during their incarceration or institutionalization. Reentry can help reduce recidivism as well as assist those who have been previously incarcerated to begin leading law abiding lives once released into society. However, overtime the importance of prisoner reentry has been drastically lowered with less emphasis on helping those to prepare for their release and with post release community integration. As a result, the shortage of reentry programs and limited responsibility of probation or parole to assist in re-entry; the rate at which people return to prison or jail is high. Keywords: reentry, recidivism, institutionalization Re-Entry and Its Effects: Institutional and Post Release Those who are incarcerated do not only serve time inside their prison cell, they also serve time once they are released. There are many barriers that one faces once they are released such as they are denied the right to vote,  access to public assistance, ineligible for food stamps and/or subsidized housing, and some cannot even apply for financial aid. The main problem revolving around those returning home from incarceration is the limited access to rehabilitation and assistance. The Second Chance Act of 2007 was passed on April 9, 2008 and became Public Law 110-199. The Second Chance Act provides a second chance to those reentering society from incarceration. It helps people released from prison turn their lives around and encourages employers to give returning citizens a second chance to contribute to the greater good of the local economy. In this paper I would like to I would like to point out the positive effects of successful reentry and its ability to lower recidivism. I will also discuss the Second Chance Act in further detail, which was created to provide funding for reentry programs. I will further discuss the roles of Probation and Parole and propose how their roles can be shifted to enhance successful community reintegration. I will finally explain how American values and ideologies play a significant role in resolving the issues behind reentry and the obstacles that prisoners are facing through their difficult journey to successful reintegration. Literature Review What is reentry and why is it important to society? Reentry is the process by which one is incarcerated, finishes his or her sentence and is released into society. They are either released because their sentence has been fulfilled, or on parole or probation. If reentry is unsuccessful, the prisoner will usually return to prison, this action is defined as recidivism. Recidivism can be determined by the number of prisoners being released from incarceration into society and then returning to prison. Recidivism is usually identified through arrest, reconviction, or incarceration of those who have reentered society. When released from prison, inmates who enter society are a very unstable group. Hence the reason for the problem of the reentry process as well as its programs. According to Taxman, Young and Byrne the reentry programs should include three or more phases designed to transition the inmate into the community. The first phase would begin in the institution with service delivery congruent with the inmate’s needs. The second phase would begin as the inmate is released from the institution. The inmate’s risks and needs may change significantly as he or she enters the community context. Ideally, the individual would continue in treatment services and case plans would be updated as needed. The final phase is an aftercare or relapse prevention phase where clients would receive ongoing support and services to address their needs (Taxman et al. 2003) The problem with reentry begins with the Corrections part of our Criminal Justice System. While inmates are incarcerated they receive treatment for any health issues as well as various programs to help them upon release. However, the problem with the programs is that they are not being reassessed to determine whether or not they had an impact on the offenders’ risk of future criminal behavior. This process should begin once the offender returns into the community and also while they are under supervision. The results of the reassessment should then guide any changes within the offenders’ treatment plan as well as determine the effectiveness of the programs for future inmates or offenders’. The Second Chance Act of 2007 was created to reauthorize the grant program for reentry of offenders into the community in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. It was created to improve reentry planning and implementation and for other purposes as well. The act was introduced on March 20, 2007 by House Congressional representative, Danny Davis of Illinois. The act further had ninety-two (92) co-sponsors and was simultaneously introduced in the Senate by Joseph Biden of Delaware. After a little over a year in the House and the Senate, the Second Chance Act of 2007 was finally signed into law on April 9, 2008 by President Bush as Public Law No. 110-199. There are several purposes for the creation of this act. The act was created to break the cycle of criminal recidivism, increase public safety and to better address the growing population of criminal offenders returning to society. It was also created to rebuild the ties between offenders and their families which will in turn promote stable families. The Second Chance Act will further expand the availability of substance abuse facilities, alternatives to incarceration and comprehensive reentry services. The Second Chance Act of 2007 will further protect the public and promote law-abiding conduct by providing the necessary services to offenders while  they are incarcerated and after they reenter the community. It will finally provide offenders in prison, jails, or juvenile facilities with educational, vocational, literacy and job placement services to facilitate a more effective and productive reentry. The Second Chance Act of 2007 highlights all the main areas where reentry is currently lacking. It will create a healthy environment, allowing the prisoner to have a chance at successful reentry. It will also reauthorize adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry projects as well as improve residential substance abuse treatment for state offenders. The Second Chance Act of 2007 will offer several new reentry initiatives. It will create state, local and tribal reentry courts. Further, it will create drug treatment alternatives to prison, and offer grants for family-based substance abuse treatment. It will further provide grants to evaluate and improve education at prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities and technology career training. This will break down the long standing barriers to successful reentry. The act will further provide the much needed steps to assure public safety and recovery. Some were skeptical to pass the Second Chance Act because they stated that not enough research has been done on what works with reentry. In response, Representative Jones of Ohio stated, â€Å"We can’t study anymore. We have studied. There are all kinds of studies that have shown that community reentry works. There are all kinds of programs that say diversion works. And there are a lot of young people out here who don’t have a mother or father that is a judge or prosecutor or congresswoman or a state representative to call and say I am a good person. They need us to say in the world that young people, older people, whatever their age, who have been involved in the criminal justice system, paid their dues. They need a chance and we ought to give them the second chance† (Congressional Record, 2007). Ones views of criminal justice come from their values and ideologies. Although America can be seen as a very lenient country as far as their values, people do have very strong feelings towards crime, criminals and prisoner reentry. American values include work ethic, personal responsibility, family, individual equality and the goodness of humanity.  Americans see themselves as individuals who are different from all other individuals. They consider themselves as separate individuals who are responsible for their own actions and situations in life (Key American Values). Americans further believe that everyone is of equal value. Americans assume that human nature is basically good and that those who have motivation can achieve any goal set. Finally, Americans have a strong value with regards to work. They admire those who work hard and achieve. A hard worker is one who â€Å"gets right to work† on a task without delay, works efficiently, and completes the task in a way that meets reasonably high standards of quality (Key American Values). Although there are many perspectives that involve criminal justice, the main values of the American society revolve around the issues of reentry. People believe that individuals must be held responsible for their actions. Many individuals believe that there is no way anyone could repay their debt to society after committing a crime. They further feel that those who have been incarcerated have an option to live good lives and achieve their goals but instead choose the easy way out. It is unfortunate that many Americans do not see the realities of society and the realities of the environments that many of the offenders returning home from prison came from and unfortunately will probably be returning to. There are two main ideologies in America; conservatives and liberals. Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Liberals believe in governmental action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all, and that it is the duty of the State to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights (Conservatives vs. Liberal Beliefs, 2013). Although Conservatives and Liberals differ immensely, there are those people who are on the borderline of both ideologies. Many Americans hold a prejudice against criminals based on their label. However, regardless of a persons’ values or ideologies, America’s view on criminal justice has shifted over the years. The shift has almost created the mind set of many Americans. The belief that punishment is necessary and that the only way that punishment  can be achieved is through incarceration. Analysis The roles of Probation and Parole are to supervise the offenders once released into society. Probation and parole was designed as an alternative to prison overcrowding. It was merely based on the idea that people can change and will stop their frequent, dysfunctional behavior if given the correct opportunity. This ability to change in conjunction with community safety, allow appropriate offenders to be monitored while showing that they can be productive members of society. Probation and parole officers’ roles in regards to reentry are to assist, supervise and ensure that this does occur with each offender. In most cases they help offenders find housing, jobs, as well as provide structure and support for rehabilitation. While doing so, they are to protect communities by monitoring each offender through meetings, random home and work visits, and sometimes using a global positioning system also knows as a GPS device which tracks an offenders every move. All of the information they obtain regarding each offender, especially any violation of probation, is reported to the courts to then decide whether or not to revoke probation and send the offender to prison. Recommendations Based on my research of the proposed topic of prison reentry, I personally believe there are several ways we could improve the process as well as our programs. First I think we should evaluate and reassess what is working and what is not working. Prisoners who are receiving treatment should continue their treatment even after they are released into society. The programs that are administered to inmates while incarcerated should be reevaluated so we can determine if they really are effective. Based on my research, it seems as if we offer programs to the inmates while incarcerated but once released into society they pretty much on their own. We leave it up to them to make the transition from jail or prison to society. We should be with them every step of the way and offer more assistance for them to rebuild their lives. This is part of the reason why the revolving door exist with some inmates. The help and encouragement should begin while incarcerated. Then once released into society through probation or parole, it’s up to those officers to assist the offender in rebuilding their life. They should  spend time actually getting to know the offender, communicating with the regularly, help them find a job and a place to call their own. Conclusion The federal government recognized and acknowledged the problem of reentry due to efforts such as the Second Chance Act of 2007. This act aided in the implementation of several programs and foundations that would assist in reentry. Hopefully, over a period of time data and research will be collected to evaluate the effectiveness of each program. This data should start once the offender enters the program while incarcerated until they are released into society and under supervision. This data will then allow the country as a whole to develop a successful model to be used in aiding the difficult transition from incarceration to society. Many of those who are currently incarcerated are young, non-violent, first time offenders who make stupid mistakes and deserve a second chance. As stated within this paper, there are various reasons why prison reentry is important to our criminal justice system as well as society. It’s up to us to acknowledge this ongoing problem and do what it takes reduce recidivism and do what it takes to prepare inmates before they are released into society. As stated by Representative Norton from the District of Columbia, â€Å"inmates are now coming home, let’s not make it any worse than it was in condemning them disproportionately under the cocaine guidelines. We owe it to their communities to help them return and become good citizens† (Congressional Record, 2007). References Visher, Christy A. and Jeremy Travis. (2003) Transitions from Prison to Community: Understanding Individual Pathways. Annual Review Sociology. Vol. 29, 2003, pp. 89-113. Harrison, Byron and Robert Carl Schehr. (2004). Offenders and Post Release Jobs: Variables Influencing Success and Failure. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol. 39, No. 3, 2004, pp. 35-68 Key American Values. 1994-1995. Retrieved from online on April 2014 http://www.umsl.edu/~intelstu/Admitted%20Students/Visitor%20Handbook/keyvalues.html Congressional Record – House, (2007) Retrieved from online on April 2014 http://beta.congress.gov/congressional-record/2007/11/13/house-section/articl

On Learning Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

On Learning Theories - Essay Example As theories are subject to change, so is cognitivism, the theory that states that students learn through associating observations and experiences with their own way of life. Some profound truth could be seen in this theory but like other theories, it has its waterloos so dependence on it alone is not a good idea. Constructivism on the other hand says learners understand through how they interpret and understand information and experiences. Whatever learning theory there is that a teacher wants to apply, it should be emphasized that no one theory is applicable to a group of learners as all people are uniquely different. As a teacher, one should consider all the theories and understand also that combining them all is not the remedy to achieving the best from them but to observe how learners are individually coping with their education. Indeed, a teacher’s task extends far beyond just teaching. Learners are uniquely different and one observation in a group does not really mean it is applicable in another group or an individual. Therefore, it is interesting for a teacher to note this theory and be very careful with how one deals with students with respect to the theory. For instance, Thorndike’s law of effect has been proven to have different responses when it comes to reward and punishment so an educator should not insist on punishing if it does not result to the best outcome from the learner. Behaviors of learners that are measurable like the conditioning of Pavlov, Watson and skinner.

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Genetics - Assignment Example Due to environmental factors, they may differ in height, psychological make-up, intelligence, and other physical traits including skin coloration. By virtue of being raised in separate homes that differ in culture, education, wealth, and parenting style, the twins often develop different traits1. It has been evidenced that the role of the environment appears maximal in the early development of life and reduces significantly after compulsory education commences. This is seen, for example, in intelligence as well as reading2 . Joseph shares the view that in the gene and environment interaction, the gene effects are reliant on the environment. For example, a one twin may be 1 inch taller than the other because of living in a home where more nutritious foods are provided3. The skin color is polygenic because various genes pair to form the phenotypic trait, which is skin color. Skin coloration is controlled by 3 to 4 genes. Each gene provides a small, yet additive effect. It is equally important to note that the environment also plays a crucial role in skin coloration. The associated phenotypic traits of skin color are eye color, weight, temperament, and intelligence4. Byrne, Brian; Wadsworth, Sally, Corley, Robin, Samuelsson, Stefan, Quain, Peter, Defries, John, Willcutt, Erik, Olson, and Richard, Kelvins. â€Å"Longitudinal twin study of early literacy development: Preschool and kindergarten.† Journal of Scientific Studies of Reading.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Case Study Example ?University (SSU) is a comprehensive teaching institution with 14,200 undergraduate and 3500 graduate students accompanied with 400 faculty and staff. SSU is situated in an attractive and relatively isolated setting in Lubbock, Texas. In the recent years, SSU has faced numerous challenges and difficulties. There has been considerable increase in the annual tuition fees but resources to meet the new initiatives have been limited. Although SSU has a few resources in order to meet capital improvement or for the commencement of new programs and initiative but these resources are not adequate. In the recent times, SSU has been able to provide only 1 percent rise across the board faculty and staff salary cost of living and standard promotion adjustment but it has witnessed no major increase in the number of staff for several years. Two programs namely a Staff  Performance  Excellence  Program  (SPEP) and a Faculty  Distinction program was initiated in the year 2000 and 2001 respe ctively which were framed to recognize and motivate outstanding  performance. However, since 2005 neither program was funded. The performance documentation and employee-supervisor discussion committee of the SPEP occupied a key role in deciding the eligibility and levels of merit based salary increase. SPEP was not tied with in any manner with the compensation rather it was totally an academic exercise. Besides, staffs within SSU have also not taken this program seriously as they believe that the program will have no significant impact on their promotion. At the same time, Faculty Distinction program has been paused for many years (Ruben & Jurow, 2012). There was no rigid plan to resolve this ongoing problem faced by the university and the faculty members in the university. As a consequence of this, faculty members in SSU felt increasing level of stress and they deemed to remain strapped for time to teach. Faculty members in SSU who are economically vulnerable remain disheartened about their

Digital media research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Digital media - Research Paper Example Digital media in the sports and entertainment industry has enabled greater growth and innovation. This is, through enabling industry players, to implement a single foundation networks that serve their business and aids in its growth. It improves content protection via integration of data into an end-to-end system that aids in the reduction of piracy, which was a cause of huge pilferage, thus increasing revenue. Digital media ensures the delivery of virtually limitless, which has allowed sport to attract new audiences at a lower cost (Rayburn, 2012). Digital media also improves fan engagement, which is achieved by transforming the venue, whether for sport or entertainment. This will involve the delivery of live video and custom-made content to all monitors at the venue. The broadcast television industry will be a major beneficiary of digital media in the next five years, especially with the convergence revolution. Convergence is a trend via which various aspects of telecommunication, broadcasting, and computing are brought together into one digital bit-stream (Hutchins, 2012). Television revenues are bound to increase significantly, especially as most sport-oriented TV stations have their own integrated TV-mobile-computer system. For example, ESPN already has ESPN mobile, which offers to stream video, as well as other NFL content that could significantly enhance the NFL product. This will see subscriptions and advertising revenues increase, as will the number of channels as more quality content becomes available with the evolution in digital media content. 2. How do you see E-Commerce evolving in the next five years? Identify the trends in E-Commerce, Mobile Commerce and Social Commerce (Sales made directly through social networks or sales made from social media referrals) today and where you expect them to be in five years. Mobile commerce is growing faster than social commerce. E-commerce in 5 years will become a concept that is very inseparable from the inter net, especially as e-shopping becomes more natural and popular. Simultaneously, severe rivalry in e-commerce services is expected to intensify the development of e-commerce. Therefore, the future trends inherent in e-commerce are evolution and growth of internet sales (Laudon, 2010). As more people become held up by household and work duties, the internet will avail them with the opportunity of saving time and getting the best prices. Additionally, since the internet has removed the factor of geography from sales, the tendency of quantity to quality inherent in e-commerce will become more obvious. Therefore, to survive e-store-owners will have to employ opportunely modern technologies to achieve appealing presentation of goods, user friendliness, and attractive design in order to attract more e-customers. Firstly, current trend in mobile commerce involves location based mobile advertising that is used to drive in-store traffic whereby businesses use mobile advertising as a means of driving foot traffic. Secondly, it involves using SMS to build databases and send out messages to customers to inform them of sales and mobile exclusives. Thirdly, QR codes whereby retailers implant the codes into mail, magazines, and posters, which can be read using mobile devices and give information regarding the business (Agudo, 2009). A trend that is expected to escalate

First Session Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

First Session Presentation - Essay Example Firm and clear corporate legislation can do much, but so can the 'softer' principles that invest our understanding of ethical dealing, and enhance the quality of human relationships. Good governance enhances stakeholder value, company morale, and productivity. The overall significance of corporate governance is that ethics must start at the top, and be constantly fostered there. Without ethical leadership there will be no ethical following. Openness should be the main point in corporate governance. Secret deals, the 'old-boy' network, family collusion, and power broking are often seen to be inimical to good strategic management. That openness might breach commercial secrecy may be true but it is argued here that, apart from commercial secrecy or national security, the strategic plans and commercial tactics belong to all stakeholders. Openness is the long-term goal of commercial stability. A high-integrity ethical code also supports the reputation of WJI. The use of an ethical code goes beyond specifics, and addresses a broader range of conduct in that it shows a commitment to good citizenship (Schuler, 1998). There is agreement that values and beliefs greatly influence organizational attitudes and behavior which form organizational culture. To a significant degree, values, beliefs, and attitudes govern behavior and decision-making activity in organizations. It is through shared values and beliefs that organizational culture impacts organizational behavior and, hence, effectiveness (Cairns, 2003). The key issues of culture will include open and proper financial reward for work done. The notion of tipping for some special reason has been common, but not all that common. Among such are the notion of collective responsibility, attitudes to women, judgments about body shape, usury, secret commissions, and loyalty-to-family over loyalty-to-principle. Among the important themes on business ethics and culture are those of the need to resolve issues of values in relation to different cultures, and to try to find principles that transcend culture; and the need to find means of teaching, encouraging and enforcing an ethical code in business. Corporate ethics will shape culture and affords an opportunity to discuss and resolve these human values in a non-threatening frame of reference. In a world of increasing prospects of cross-cultural contact there is a perceived need for a guide to human behavior that is minimally culture bound (Robbins, 2002). Organizational Structure Culture and structure must both be appropriate to provide successful innovation. Structure is the easier to change, being relatively changeable in the short term of a decade or less while culture may take centuries to change. WJI is based on a matrix structure which better fits the consulting nature of the firm. The capture of the matrix and its conversion into a space of regulation is easily demonstrated by recourse to any contemporary use of the notion of a matrix as the ordering principle for ideas, locations, positions and so forth. The matrix structure helps WIJ to perform the main tasks quickly and effectively (Robbins, 2002). The most important is that the level of errors and faults are lower than before. WIJ first corrected the structure before the establishment of innovation has a chance to result in a prospering economy. It

Critical Thinking - Academically Adrift Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Thinking - Academically Adrift - Essay Example Students must be critical. Critical thinking is about questioning the conventional system of doing things especially when it is dysfunctional. Students must concentrate on solution finding academic procedures that are born through innovation (Padget, 2012). Critical thinking leads to increased concentration and outright improvement. Educators are duty bound to provoke students to be solution oriented. Students must look at innovation as the only way of survival (Sullivan, & Rosin, 2008). Methods of learning should be modeled to allow flexibility and educational engagement that is firmly committed to purposeful living as opposed to presentation of credentials. Lack of rigor has been cited as a major reason for declining educational standards. Many graduates are said to be living below the poverty line. The syllabuses have to be criticized. Students must take units that encourage them to be part of the solutions. The education system should be both preparatory and solution based. The intensity of successful education model should be in bent on answering the present day challenges (Sullivan, & Rosin, 2008). The culture of socially responsible education system must be entrenched in the future education systems. Units that enhance creativity and social engagement with an aim to get solutions must be given preference. This calls for funded research and innovation centers. The syllabuses should be regularly reviewed to counter the emerging challenges with cheap and sustainable

ACCT - Principles of Managerial Accounting Essay - 1

ACCT - Principles of Managerial Accounting - Essay Example A process order costing approach is however applicable when activities are homogeneous and involve mass production. As a result, allocation of cost per single activity would be irrational such as in a food company where costing done per process and not per unit product (Mowen, p. 182). Equivalent units of production are necessary in a process costing approach because it facilitate allocation of costs to unit elements of a production process. This is because costs are measured with respect to processes or departments that consist of a number of units. The equivalent units are then used to derive cost per unit of products (Mowen, p. 255). The equivalent units of production for direct labor and overhead can be either equal to, or different from equivalent units for direct materials. This is because of the availability of different approaches to costing. An actual or normal costing approach may lead to difference in the values while a standard costing approach may yield same values for direct labor, overhead and direct materials (Mowen, p.

Behaviour Management in the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Behaviour Management in the Classroom Essay Knowing how to anticipate and manage problems will ensure that students spend maximum time on task, and those students who are eager to learn are not disadvantaged by a few. I have found there are many different causes of disruptive and inappropriate behavior. These can include factors in and out of a teacher’s control. Factors outside the control of the teacher may include a student’s emotional and psychological factors. A student may have significant distressing issues in their home life such as bereavement or family breakdown for example. Students may also have had negative past experiences at a previous establishment or in the education system in general. Some students may behave inappropriately through boredom or finishing work to quickly, while others misbehave in an attempt to mask undiagnosed learning differences. Conversely, I have experienced students being disruptive in class due to having a special educational need, students with undedicated Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for example. ‘Some teachers think a well-planned, interesting lesson will by itself prevent disruption. Or that if the teacher is entirely benign and respectful of students, conflict will simply melt away. This isn’t the case. ’ (Petty, 2006, pg3) The teacher themselves can sometimes be a cause of negative behaviour. Some students may act up through boredom as a result of a teacher being unprepared, demotivated or simply not giving enough consideration to lesson design. Bad classroom management can also be a factor, for example, allowing students to play with mobile phones or simply poor seating arrangements, which allow disruptive students to sit together. Review organisational policies relevant to managing behaviour in the learning environment identifying any areas for improvement | Every teaching establishment will have a number of different organizational policies relating to managing behaviour. Appendix A lists the specific policies I have to adhere to in my organisation. The policies are very diverse ranging from a staff code of conduct with pupils, to policies rela ting to effective teaching and learning. The specialist nature of my establishment means there are many policies linked to the welfare and safeguarding of students, including a number of anti-bullying policies (including anti-cyber bullying) to procedures relating to pastoral care. In my opinion, the behavior management policy in my establishment could be improved. There is no consistent approach to managing behavior throughout the organization. It is left to individual teaching staff to use their discretion as to what constitutes disruptive behavior and how to deal with it accordingly. Although the senior managers are usually supportive of teaching staff, It would be beneficial to staff and students for there to be a set procedure we could all follow. |Review ways of encouraging behaviours that contribute to an effective learning environment | |Use strategies for encouraging behaviours that contribute to an effective learning environment | ‘†¦classrooms become much more orderly when rules are stated, or better still negotiated, discussed and fully justified. It seems the little lighters need persuading of the obvious! ’ (Petty, 2006, pg3) There are many strategies to help a teacher limit disruptive behavior during lessons. I find an effective tool for managing behaviour is to set firm ground rules at the beginning of the course. These include clear boundaries, and expectations. If this can be done in consultation with the students it can be extremely effective, as it gives them the responsibility of managing each other’s behavior. It is use ful to note however, that set sanctions must also be clearly defined and followed as a consequence for breaking the rules for this technique to be effective. The use of reward is a good method of encouraging positive behavior, the use of praise, certificates and house points for example. ‘What we can’t do however is ignore disruptive behaviour. If we do, it won’t go away! ’ (LSDA, 2007, pg8) It is important for a teacher to challenge disruptive behaviour immediately and consistently. I feel by trying to make lessons enjoyable and providing work that helps students to achieve minimizes disruptive behaviour. The use of good communication by the teacher can also be a useful tool. This includes the use of the voice, phrasing, eye contact and body language. For example, using an assertive tone when making a request or physically positioning yourself near disruptive students. ‘You should be alert, businesslike, firm and unapologetic. But you must avoid showing anger or frustration even when you feel it. ’ (Petty, 2006, pg19) I feel getting to know students individually and knowing what their interests and expectations are helps. I find by creating a working relationship where students feel valued and respected is key to minimizing inappropriate behavior. In my opinion, the greater amount of respect the pupil has for you, the less likely they will misbehave. I agree with Petty (2006) when he states: ‘prevention the best strategy’ It is also important should a student misbehave that it is dealt with swiftly with the teachers focus being placed on the student’s behaviour, rather than the individual themselves. |Review ways of managing behaviours that disrupt an effective learning environment | No matter how hard you work at perfecting your behaviour management techniques, you will encounter ‘the really challenging-class’ at some point in your career’ (TES,2010) If a situation arises where an individual’s behavior is persistently disruptive, further action may be required to ensure the other students maintain an effective learning environment. The use of graduated sanctions in schools and colleges is a widely recognised, and is a commonly used method of controlling individuals that have not responded to other behavior management strategies. Having the support of heads of departments and senior management teams is crucial for this method to work effectively. I have, on occasion had to follow behaviour management procedures at my organisation that use graduated sanctions. For example, referring disruptive individuals to my head of department. If that student then continues to affect the learning of others they get referred to a member of the senior management team (SMT). The last stage being the Head Master, who has the power to take more serious action if required, such as temporary and permanent exclusions. Summarise own strengths and development needs in relation to managing behaviours that disrupt the learning environment | In general, I feel that managing my student’s behavior is one of my strengths. It is something I have learned, and improved upon through the years in my current teaching position. I have learnt different strategies for minimizing disruptive behaviour through observing other staff in my depar tment, and openly discussing individual cases with other teaching staff. With regards to my personal development, I would like to attend some training to help me manage students with disruptive behavioural disorders, specifically, Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Although I currently teach two individuals diagnosed with this disorder, they can be extremely disruptive in a group environment, and I believe attending training specifically related to managing this type of psychiatric disorder would be extremely beneficial for the future. References Cope, R. G. (2006). How to plan for behaviour development and classroom management : maximising student engagement: Pearson Education.

Conflicts and Communication Essay Example for Free

Conflicts and Communication Essay Communication is a very key role in any type of relationship whether it be business, personal or intimate. When we enter into any type of relationship one needs to have the skills to communicate effectively and make sure that the complete message gets portrayed to the receiver. When one does not communicate effectively, the result causes interpersonal conflict. In the movie â€Å"Hitch† it involves two individuals, Will Smith and Eva Mendes, who meet and begin to enter into the beginning stages of a relationship. There is certainly an attraction, both physically and due to a common interest in things. Through hesitation and Mendes declining Smith numerous times, she finally agrees to go out with him and it turns out that they seem to be quite compatible. Through their friendship they begin to develop an intimate relationship with one another. Through this whole process Mendes has been very open and honest about things that are important to her and things that are private to her as well. It seems that Smith is doing the same thing, however it turns out that he is withholding very important information that should be shared with her. The main interpersonal conflict in this movie would be due to Smith not communicating to Mendes that he is the â€Å"Date Doctor†. Mendes has a major issue with this because she had a very good friend who was dumped and she placed the blame on Smith for this situation When she finds out what his true profession is, she become irate and storms off and refuses to speak to him or listen him. This instance caused an instant dissolution of their relationship. There was an issue, but instead of communicating it out loud or discussing it, quite the opposite happened. In our text, Sole states that, â€Å"Resentments, suspicions and other problems occur when people do not communicate or behave in ways that are consistent with the relationship the other person things has been established, and people tend to pay the most attention and to respond forcefully when the communication does not match their expectations† (Sole, 2011). Towards the end of the movie, they finally are able to communicate to each other on the same level and they work things out. In my opinion, all tension could have been resolved and the relationship could have been restored from the get-go if Smith and Mendes would have truly communicated and would have been completely honest and transparent about their lives and the things that they do and that they are involved in. Obviously, it is easier said than done. Another thing that should have been avoided would be assuming things that are really not true. â€Å"The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place† (George Bernard Shaw). This quote really sums up the main point and resolution to problems and issues with intrapersonal communication. Never be so blinded by the things that you are hiding from individuals you are developing relationships with and never assume that they understand things you, as the speaker, have not completely portrayed.

Farm Size and Productivity Research

Farm Size and Productivity Research 1.0 Introduction The relationship between the size of Farm in hectares and the productivity in Yield/hectares is hotly debated issues in Indian agriculture economics. This issue was first raised by AK Sen in 1960s with respect to Indian economy. The major objective of this paper would be to analyze the relationship and the major factors influencing this relationship along with its implication. The size of holding depends on certain factors and the productivity also depends on certain economic factors. These factors such as irrigation, fertility, labor and capital input have an influence on the relationship between the size of land holding and productivity. Most of the economist like AK Sen and Saini have done their analysis and considered this relationship to be inverse. Countries like USA and Australia have very large holdings and the relationship between size of farm and productivity is not inverse in such cases. The application of Green revolution has been believed to change the inverse relationsh ip to a directly proportional relationship, but still it has been not very clear. Some analysis has been done in the paper related to aggregated data with regard to present status of this relationship by comparing the factors of productivity with the size of holding. Moreover the average size of holding has been decreasing with time due to increase in population and some other factors. At the same time the government has tried to implement policies like land ceiling and consolidation of land in some relatively developed states to solve the problem of excessively large holdings (in Indian average) and small and fragmented land respectively. 2.0 Farm land Holdings, Productivity and the factors influencing them independently Agricultural holding indicates the average size of agricultural land held by the farmers in India.. An economic family land holding can be defined as one which could provide a reasonable standard of living to the cultivator and give full employment for a family of a normal size. There are five categories of farmers in India according to their holdings. A)Marginal farmers (≠¤1 hectare), b)Small farmer (1 to 2 hecteres), c)Semi medium farmers (2 to 4 hectors),d) Medium farmers (4 to 10 hectores), e) Large farmers (>10 hectors). The size of holding would ideally depend on method of cultivation and nature of the crop. Productivity here refers to the productivity of crop output so productivity in agriculture is measured as the output of the crop per unit area. Its unit is yield/hectares. At a national level the demand for agricultural product will keep rising due to increasing population of India and high GDP growth rate so the supply of agricultural products has to match up the increasing demand to keep the prices reasonable. Hence agricultural farm land productivity becomes an important parameter for the economy. India being a huge country, these factors vary a lot from region to region but artificial means can be used to enhance the factors of fertility and irrigation. The following list gives us the factors of productivity Fertility of land Natural fertility cannot be changed but input of fertilizers, farm yard manure and nutrients can improve the fertility but all these will increase the cost. Irrigation facility Any irrigation project requires heavy investment and it depends on the level of underground water and nearest source of fresh water supply. Labor supply and quality of labor Labor supply will depend on the presence of any other scope of employment and quality will depend on traditional work culture and climatic conditions and both the factors vary a lot in India. Climatic condition Floods and drought due to unpredictable nature of monsoon affect the productivity. Since last three decades economists have been debating over issue of relationship between the size of farms and agricultural productivity in India. The debate was initiated by Prof. Amartya Sen in 1962. According to him with increase in size of farm holding, productivity declines and thus the productivity is more on small farms as compared to large farms. India has a labor surplus economy. The opportunity cost of labor is low. Small farms use much of family labor to the extent that marginal productivity of labor approaches zero. In case of small farms, output per acre is maximized while in the case of large farms using hired labor, output per unit of labor is maximized. The intensity of cultivation in case of small farm is greater than that of the large farm. Moreover, heavy input of labor on small farm is not on one crop only but in two or more crops produced in the same piece of land during a given production year. It is more so in case of irrigated land. Self-employment in the fam ily farm equalizes the opportunity cost which is not different from market wage. Statistical validity of the inverse relationship between farm size and productivity is a confirmed phenomenon in Indian agriculture prior to Green Revolution. Green revolution is a capital intensive programme which was implemented in 1960s for growth of agricultural production. This capital was invested in the form of important factors of production like irrigation, fertilizer, Mechanization, Manure, pesticides, nutrients. The objective of the following analysis would be to determine all the factors like irrigation, fertilizers, Farm Yard Manure and nutrients vary with the size of farm for the present set of data 3.0 Aggregated data analysis For all the graphs below in X-axis, 1 = Marginal holding, 2 = Small Holding, 3 = Semi-Medium holding, 4 = Medium Holding, 5 = Large holding. In Y-axis, graph A), B), C),E),F) are values of percentage and D) is ratio value. The calculations of these percentage value from been mentioned in tables in appendix Graph A) and B) have been taken from table 1.C), D), F) from table 2 As per the graph A) above we can find that the marginal holding has the larger area of farm wholly irrigated about 46% and we can also observe that the percentage of the wholly irrigated land decreases with increase in the size of the holding with large holdings showing the lowest percentage of wholly irrigated area that is about 21%. The second graph B) shows us the percentage of area of different size of holding for wholly unirrigated farm land and it show us, a lot of gap between the marginal holding(44%) and large holdings(55%) in terms of percentage change. As observed from the graph C) the application of fertilizers decreases with the increase in the size of holding with the marginal holding having an area of 77% and large holdings having an area of 52% under the application of fertilizers. The graph D) related to nutrients does not show us the % of area but it shows us the quantity to area ratio. In this case the slope of the graph is steeper and it shows us trend that the intake of nutrients reduces with the increase in the size of holding. The marginal holding has a ratio of 126 and the large holding has a ratio of 56. In case of farm yard manure graph E) there is a slight increase in the percentage application from marginal holding to small holding but after that the fall continues. Here the small holdings has the highest percentage of application that is 34% and the large holding has the lowest percentage that is 18%. Application of pesticides in a in farmland is an important preventive measure to prevent pests. The graph F) does not show a negative trend completely in relation to percentage of area with relation to holding size but the large farm land shows a dip in 4%. The data above is for 2001 agriculture census which is the latest. In post green revolution period the application additional inputs i.e. factors of production like irrigation, fertilizers, farm yard manure, nutrients, pesticides shows that their intensities of application is inversely proportional to size of land.(As studied above with various data and corresponding graphs.). In other words the application of additional factors of production is more in case of small farms compared to large farms. The resultant output which is directly proportional to application of input to a reasonable extent must increase yield proportionately. Thus logically it follows that after green revolution also the inverse relationship between size of farm and productivity should hold good. Its not a direct cause and effect relationship between all the factors of productivity and farm size but there might be some common factors which might be affecting these relationship. On the other hand there can be an alternative hypothesis to this, stating large farm land are in naturally fertile and irrigated regions of this country so they do not need artificial irrigation or fertilizers to enhance their productivity. Therefore a direct inverse relationship cannot be established between Farm size and productivity by only using aggregated data related to factors of productivity. If we observe the distribution of various size of holding throughout India in table 3 of appendix larger and medium size holdings are mostly found in bigger states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra which are not densely populated but have a larger area. The more densely populated states like West Bengal and Kerala have more number of marginal and small holdings. The natural factors of productivity are distributed among these states so the main hypothesis cannot be rejected. The alternative hypothesis can be true in some regions but not true everywhere because the different sizes of holding have been di stributed as per density of population and not as per natural factors of production. Although it can be said that inverse relationship between productivity and farms size is present in some areas of India but it is not a general law for the whole country. 4.0 Methodology for analyzing disaggregated data The analysis above shows us the analysis done for aggregated data but this same analysis can also be done using disaggregated sample data taken from various villages. If the sample data is taken from nearby villages then the conditions like Fertility , Irrigation, climatic condition and labor can be assumed to be constant. Y1,Y2,Y3,Y100 can be the data set for productivity in yields/hectares X1,X2,X3,X100 can be the data set for size of holding hectares The data above can only be obtained by doing a doing a direct survey in a particular area having common factors of productivity. Then we can do a regression analysis for the dataset having Y = Productivity and X = Size of farm land. The relationship thus obtained either positive or negative can be used to find out the relationship between productivity and size of farm for a particular area at a micro level. And this method can be used in various areas of the country having same factors of productivity . And then the trends can be observed whether its positive or negative or has no affect. This kind of analysis using disaggregated data can be done by also taking the same crop . 5.0 Labor as a factor As discussed before labor input is an important criteria for better productivity in farm land and becomes more important if the process in more manual .In Indian agriculture the Farm land labor can be divided into two type, family member workers and the other is hired workers. Generally in case of smaller size of holding the family members are mostly involved in the cultivation process and in larger farms it is a mix of both. In case of a marginal and small holding where in most of the cases only the family members are involved in farm cultivation the marginal productivity is not a factor. If required all the family members can be involved in the agriculture productivity process because the situation is more desperate and as result the intensity of cultivation is also more. The owner of smaller farm land does not have to employee hired peasants but in case of larger farms the situation changes. In case of larger farm land the owner has to take the marginal productivity of hired labor into consideration. As the intensity of cultivation for the small farm is more, the application of fertilizers, farm yard manure and nutrients might be affected as per the aggregated data analysis done before. As the small farm owner is more desperate even he can use manual means of irrigation to irrigate his land and its not possible in large farms due to its large size. It can be argued that the large farm owner would have more access to mechanized methods and capital for investment so his productivity can be higher at least after green revolution. Here the problem looks more like management of farm input resources rather than their availability. The better management of resources for small farm owner with more intensive cultivation has a bigger impact on productivity than the impact of advantage the large farm owner has in terms of more mechanization and capital availability. But the characteristics of land size holdings that is reduction in the average size of holding with time . Even the relationship between irrigation and fertilizers is also very direct. If one wants for apply more fertilizers then the irrigation facilities have to be very good so as per the irrigation data and fertilizers data both seem to follow the same pattern even if we consider labor not be a major factor here. This is clearly evident in Table 2 where more fertilizers are always applied when irrigation is high. 6.0 Changing pattern of Size of Farm land holding with time The tables 4 and 5 in appendix shows us the distribution of holdings in various states of India but there is one more important factors to this analysis that is the average size of holdings have been decreasing with time. The number of marginal holdings and small holdings have increased and the also area under marginal holdings and small holdings have increased. At the same time the number of Medium and Large holdings have decreased and also has the area under them decreased. There are two major reason for such a trend, they are as follows Increasing population With the rapid increase in population the same area of cultivable land is getting divided among more people. As a result of this the size of the holdings is reducing and area under marginal and small farms increase. To control the growth of rural population is even tougher in rural India due to lack of awareness of people due to limited education. Law of inheritance Under Hindu as well as Muslim Law of inheritance the landed property of a person has to be equally divided among all his sons and daughters which has led to more and more division of land and hence increase in marginal and small farms. Even if the land size is large now, it will get sub-divided when it goes to the next generation. Decline in the joint family system Earlier lot of families used to be joint families but this has declined over time and people generally prefer to stay with only single families. As a result the farm land is also divided more. Slow growth in handicraft industry In the villages the handicraft industry used to a source of employment for the village labor. But it has not grown sustainably with increase in rural labor so the rural population have had to depend more on agriculture as a source of employment. 7.0 Problems related to subdivision of land holdings If the fragmentation and subdivision of land continues at this rate then average size of the holdings will become even smaller and there will be more marginal holdings. Application of new technology becomes more difficult. A lot of cultivable land will be lost in making boundaries. One may argue that as in case of India the productivity of farm land will be more due to more intensive cultivation. But the per capita income of the owning family of the farm reduces with reduced farm land. Moreover if the whole family is involved to increase the intensity of cultivation the labor might be under employed for the same return. If the labor is flexible then he can move to a bigger farm as peasant if there is a demand. As seen from the statics the number of large holdings is reducing in the country and hence is the employment opportunity for hired peasants. Another factor which limits the labor flexibility is when labor tries to move from one region to another language is a big barrier. Altho ugh Hindi is Indias national language and English is the official one still lot of rural population speaks only the local languages and to be more specific only the local dialect. Skill becomes a barrier when the labor wants to move to industry in urban sector. As per our analysis till now the inverse relationship between the productivity and size of farm does hold good at least in some areas of the country if not throughout the country. At the same time if the farm land gets more divided and sub-divided the holding no longer remains economic for a single family. The ideal holding size has to be somewhere between the smaller and large holdings of around 4-5 hectares. The farm size are large and they are well managed and supervised by using modern methodology like it is done in USA and Australia they achieve high productivity. But the same thing is not easy to achieve in India as discussed beforehand. The government has introduce land ceiling in some developed states. This means that family owning excessively large farm land have to give up their excessive land to public authorities and it will be distributed among families having uneconomic holdings. This process is not at all easy because if the land is fertile than none of the owning fami lies would like to give up their land and also have to think about their future generations. Moreover any kind of ceiling will go against the market forces of demand and supply and affect the prices of land. When we talk about division and fragmentation then in many cases the farm land of a single owner is scattered throughout the village. In that case all the land in the village can be converted into a compact block and then the same land can be proportionately distributed among all the families which is called consolidation of Farm land. In states like Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh this process has been taken up seriously but in some other states like Assam and West Bengal the process has not even started. There are few reasons for which consolidation process is not easy. People in India are more attached to their piece of land, if someone has a better piece of land he would not like to sacrifice them. Both land ceiling and consolidation of farm land are policies to reach tha t optimal size of holding but they have not been easily to implement for the factors as mentioned before. 8.0 Final remark The inverse relationship between size of holding and productivity was considered to be very strong when it came for the first time under observation of AK Sen. But after the green revolution this relationship should have change to a directly proportional one as per expectation. This might be happening in some areas of India but still there are areas where the inverse relationship between size of farm and productivity still exists. As per the aggregated data analysis the factors of productivity are being affected by some common factors which helps to maintain the inverse relationship between productivity and size of farm in some areas. As mentioned before these common factors are intensity of labor and problems of management and supervision in large farms. At the same time the size of the land holding have been reducing which is leading to more uneconomic holdings for small farm owners. At this point the government should implement the policy of land ceiling and consolidation of holdi ngs judiciously in order to increase the number of semi-medium and medium size holding where optimal productivity can be achieved along with economic holding. In long term consolidation of holdings and cooperative farming should be encouraged in an organized way. The proper management of labor along with other factors of productivity and usage of mechanized technology in large farms would go a long way to improve productivity in larger consolidated farms. This would be made easier if lesser population is dependent on agriculture only if more employment opportunities are created in other sectors and the rural population upgrades to new skill requirements of the market.

The Politics of Turkish National Identity Essay -- Political Turkey Es

The Politics of Turkish National Identity ?Modern Turkish National identity has been shaped by events that have taken place in the region throughout its history. The formation of the national identity can be attributed to two dichotomies of political thought and culture. Some people want to keep in line with Turkey?s modern history as a secular westernized country looking to join the European Union; while others hearken back to the days of the Ottoman Empire and wish to make Turkey a divided Islamic state. Conflict between those who consider themselves Turks and the Kurdish separatist party, a militant rebel force, has long shaped the changing Turkish national Identity. Today, Turkey in many ways has had ?to depart from a strict observance of the guiding principals of [Turkey?s modern history] and the kind of self-perception and views it aimed to instill in the population? (Kushner 232). Although the most westernized of all Middle-East countries, Turkey still must deal with Islamic fundamentalism prominent in the area. In recent history, Turkey has done a poor job balancing the differing desires of the members of its society: some would like to homogenize and westernize society while others want to be recognized as a deeply religious and individual sector of the Turkish population. MODERN HISTORY? The country of Turkey, as we know it, has only come about in the last 80 years or so. Before this time, the land of present day Turkey was referred to as Anatolia. Anatolia is considered the bridge that connects the Middle East to Europe. Despite years of occupation by differing nations, the area of present day Turkey has held some consistency and continuity. This continuity is possible because even though many count... ... The Kurdish Experience. Jul.-Aug. 1994. PP 12-15. Mutlu, Servet. ?Ethnic Kurds in Turkey: A Demographic Study? International Journal of ? Middle East Studies. Vol. 28, No. 4. Nov. 1996. PP 517-541. World of Information Business Intelligence Report: Turkey. Walden Publishing Ltd. ? 2000. [i] Often considered as state socialism. In Turkish use, it involves state control of some industries and public services. [ii] A follower of the larger of the two primary denominations of Islam. [iii] A member of the smaller of the two great divisions of Islam. The Shia originated in a dispute over who should be the legitimate successor to the Prophet; a majority of early Muslims accepted the tradition of community consensus to choose the leader, but a minority supported the claim of Ali, the Prophet's cousin, to inherit the mantle of leadership (A Country Study).

The Role of Computers in Manufacturing Engineering :: Technology

The Role of Computers in Manufacturing Engineering The use of the computer has had a positive impact on manufacturing engineering in many ways. Engineering is a term applied to the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience and practice, is applied to the efficient use of the materials and forces of nature. The term engineer denotes a person who has received professional training in pure and applied sciences. The first and biggest positive impact on engineering has been the use of Computer Numerical Control machines (CNC); computers were first introduced to these controls in the early 1970’s. CNC machines typically replace or work in conjunction with some existing manufacturing process. For example before CNC machines a person using a drill press to machine holes would have to do a lot of work for themselves. They would have to place a drill in the drill chuck is secured in the spindle of the drill press. They can then select the desired speed for rotation, and activate the spindle. Then they manually pull on the quill lever to drive the drill into the work piece being machined. As you can see, there are a lot of manual steps required to use a drill press to drill holes. While this way may be acceptable for a small number of holes or parts. However, as quantities grow, so dose the likelihood for fatigue due to the tediousness of the operation. There are also more complicated machin ing operations that would require a much higher skill level of the person running the machining tool. The CNC machining center can be programmed to perform this operation in a much more automatic fashion. Everything that the drill press operator was doing manually will now be done by the CNC machine, including: placing the drill in the spindle, activating the spindle, positioning the work piece under the drill, machining the hole, and turning off the spindle. CNC works from a source code made on a computer that you just save as a file on your disk and insert it into the machine. The code can be made using two different ways, the first is just understanding the code, and by using the notepad program on you computer, you can just type it right out. This is the easiest way for very simple process, which doesn’t require much code. The second way is by using computer aided drafting (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) programs on your computer.

The Mind-Body Connection Essay -- essays research papers fc

Overview This paper will discuss the mind-body connection and it's relevance to health care professionals and to the public. It will explore the history of the mind-body connection, as well as state research that has been done on the subject. The reader will gain an understanding of the various techniques used in mind-body therapy, as well as their effectiveness. What is the Mind-Body Connection? It is the idea that the mind and body are not separate entities. Rather, they are intricately connected, interacting with each other in many ways. The body's three main regulatory systems are the central nervous system (which includes the brain), the endocrine system (which produces hormones), and the immune system. These three systems work together and affect one another. Researchers who study the mind-body connection examine these interactions, and are particularly interested in the effects of emotions and thoughts on physical health. History of the Mind-Body Connection The concept of the interconnection between the brain and body has been around for quite a while. Ancient healing practices, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine emphasized important links between the mind and body. Hippocrates once wrote: "The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well." This statement reflects the belief of ancient philosophers that emotions and health are deeply connected. In later centuries, however, this belief was cast aside. Medical professionals focused on identifying and treating symptoms through physical means such as drugs and surgery, and mostly ignored the role of mental states in the prevention and treatment of disease. To most doctors, the immune system was regarded as an autonomous entity, operating independently of the mind and behavior. Since the 1960's, however, researchers have realized that these ideas are incorrect, and have since been looking at the mind-body connection more closely and with more respect. In 1964, George Solomon, a psychiatrist, noticed that rheumatoid arthritis worsened when people were depressed. He was fascinated by this connection, and began to investigate the impact of emotions on inflammation and immune function in general. His studies were the beginning of the new field of psychoneuroimmunology, which examines the relationships between the mind (psyche), bra... ...f good health in both areas, and learn to take care of their bodies and brains by keeping active, sleeping properly, eating nutritiously, and taking time to relax. Furthermore, people should understand that moods matter, not just to mental health, but to phsyical health as well. If someone is suffering from and emotional illness such as depression or anxiety, they should seek treatment, since evidence is mounting that these conditions can lead to physical illness and a shorter life. Bibliography Books: Martin, P. (1997). The Healing Mind. St. Martin's Press. Mate, G. (2003). When the Body Says No. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Websites: http://www.ajc.com/health/altmed/shared/health/alt_medicine/ConsModalities/MindBody http://www.healthyroads.com/myhealth/content/mindbody/articles/art_MindBodyTherapyOverviewOfHealingMethods.asp Journals: Latorre, M. (2000). A Holistic View of Psychotherapy: Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 36:2, 67-68. Simon, D. (2004). Practicing Mind-Body-Soul Medicine. Alternative Therapies, 10:6, 62-68. Wolsko et al. (2004). Mind-Body Medical Therapies. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 19, 43-49.

The Environmental Non Governmental Organizations Education Essay

Environmental non-governmental organisations ( ENGOs ) are going one of the noticeable histrions today in biological preservation. A study was conducted on the university pupils of Central Mindanao University ( CMU ) , Philippines and National Chung Hsing University ( NCHU ) , Taiwan to measure their perceptual experience towards ENGOs and if their sentiments are influenced by demographic variables. The survey besides explores the pupils ‘ involvement and respect about biological preservation as a major issue locally or globally. A sum of 273 university pupils were surveyed from different classs in both states. The consequences showed that most pupils from both states were non familiar with ENGOs and indicated a impersonal mentality towards their trust to these organisations. CMU pupils perceived the local people as the most responsible stakeholder while on the other manus NCHU pupils signified the authorities as the most dependable establishment. The nationality and academic major of the pupils were found to hold a strong association in the pupils ‘ perceptual experience of the most responsible stakeholder. The pupils from both states besides believed that the environmental issues are the most serious jobs in the universe, followed by societal and preservation issues. Furthermore, CMU and NCHU pupils were more concerned about societal jobs than preservation issues in their several hometowns, although they have contrasting positions about the major societal jobs they are confronting. NCHU pupils, nevertheless, expressed more involvement in environmental issues than CMU pupils, both in local and planetary graduated table. The nationality of the pupils showed a positive relationship with their perceptual experience towards the major of import issues in the universe and in their communities. ENGOS should exercise more attempts in affecting the college pupils of Taiwan and Philippines in their run plans to better the pupils ‘ engagement and perceptual experience towards these organisations. KEYWORDS: environmental nongovernmental organisations, pupils ‘ perceptual experience, Philippines, Taiwan, biological preservation Introduction With all the services and chances that biodiversity provide the human public, it is of import to keep and conserve the Earth ‘s biological resources. Biological preservation must be reinforced to prolong the profusion and variableness of different life-forms and their home grounds ( Spellerberg and Hardes, 1992 ) . One of the stakeholders involved in this enterprise are the Environmental Non-governmental Organizations ( ENGOs ) , which are mostly concerned in delivering biological resources from fast extinctions and debasements ( Gunter, 2004 ) . These organisations employ different schemes in their projects. They act the function of experts ( Charnovitz, 1996 ; Esty, 1998 ) , raise consciousness runs ( Bauer, 2006 ) , anteroom policymakers ( Binder and Neumayer, 2005 ) and authorise local communities ( Raustiala, 1997 ) . ENGOs in the Philippines proliferated during the Martial Law Period of President Marcos in the 1970s until the early 1980s ( Teehankee, 1993 ) . Serious environmental debasements during and after the absolutism have prompted the Filipino authorities to go through a figure of environmental Torahs and policies ( Magallona and Malayang, 2000 ) . The democratisation of the state officially acknowledged the importance of NGOs in the Filipino society ( Soledad, 2006 ) . The activities of Filipino ENGOs are engaged chiefly in natural resource direction, community organizing, pollution control, biodiversity development, land debasement and dirt preservation ( Magallona and Malayang, 2000 ) . They besides build partnerships with other NGOs, academia, media, grassroots organisations, anteroom politicians, empower autochthonal people and behavior scientific research and circulate studies to the populace ( Lucas, n.d. ; Magno, 1993 ; Bryant, 2001 ) . It is estimated that there are about 3,000 NGOs that focus on the environment and rank to these groups largely come from the young person, scientists, professionals, retired persons, altruists, politicians and business communities ( Lucas, n.d ) . They obtain support from many-sided givers, authorities bureaus, rank fees, local and foreign contributions, income-generating activities, local and transnational companies, local and international NGOs ( ADB, 2007 ) . The issue on NGOs ‘ deficiency of resources and managerial capablenesss frequently limit their influence on the Filipino society in relation with their ends and involvements ( Teehankee, 1993 ; ADB, 2007 ) . Like the Philippines, Chinese ENGOs came to turn after the Kuomintang ( KMT ) Martial Law epoch ended in the late eightiess ( Hsiao, 1999 ) . The rapid industrialisation of Taiwan and the authorities ‘s thrust for economic growing has been pointed out to do major environmental crisis in Taiwan ( Edmonds, 1996 ; Tong, 2005 ; Yang, 2008 ) . In response to the dismaying environmental crisis, the Chinese authorities has passed several Torahs, policies and ordinances ( Edmonds, 1996 ; Lin, 2001, Yang, 2008 ) . ENGOs in Taiwan by and large drew rank from bookmans and professionals ( Tong, 2005 ) and addressed issues chiefly on pollution control, resistance to atomic power workss, and biological preservation ( Hsiao, 1999 ) . Furthermore, they are besides active in forming grassroots presentations and public hearings, educating the populace on environmental issues, oversing authorities policies, publicising environmental issues, and let go ofing imperativeness studies ( Tong, 2005 ; M cBeath and Leng, 2006 ) . There are merely about 300 ENGOs that operate in Taiwan and some of which operate as government-organized NGOs ( McBeath and Leng, 2006 ) . Taiwan ENGOs acquire funding support largely from rank fees, contributions, and authorities grants ( Edmonds, 1996 ; Lin, 2001 ) . Due to its political position, international loaning establishments like the Asian Development Bank and World Bank are non aggressive subscribers in the local environmental protection runs, which make foreign fund supports difficult to obtain ( McBeath and Leng, 2006 ) . The common encountered restraints by Chinese ENGOs are the troubles in enrolling members, acquiring fiscal support, deficiency of information channels from international ENGOS and deficiency of equal managerial capacity ( Hsiao, 1999 ; Yang, 2008 ) . In malice of the support to Filipino and Taiwanese ENGOs, there are still restricting factors that affect their range in accomplishing the groups ‘ ends and involvements. The contentions that involved ENGOs and the NGO sector in general ( Gibelman and Gelman, 2004 ; Jepson, 2005 ) have a serious impact on their image to the populace and every bit good as impacting their legitimacy, credibleness and ability in acquiring fiscal support. The present survey selected the college pupils as respondents because they are assumed to be the future stewards and leaders of the society ( Sia Su, 2007 ) . Although there is really limited information available that explores the perceptual experience of people towards NGOs ( Vasquez, 2010 ) , old surveies have assessed the perceptual experience of local people and pupils towards these organisations ( Ivy et al. , 1998 ; Wong, 2003 ; Hyseni, 2008 ) . The aim of this survey is to exemplify the perceptual experience of the college pupils towards the functions of ENGOs in biological preservation, utilizing two representative universities, Central Mindanao University ( CMU ) and National Chung Hsing University ( NCHU ) of the Philippines and Taiwan, and to measure if their point of views are influenced by demographic factors such as nationality, gender, academic major, and age. This research besides intends to turn to a figure of inquiries: ( a ) How do college pupils of CMU and NCHU regard biological preservation as an issue, in their ain place state or worldwide? ; ( B ) How do these college pupils rank ENGOs compared to other stakeholders involved in biological preservation? ; ( degree Celsius ) How much do these college pupils trust ENGOs? ; and ( vitamin D ) How willing are these college pupils to take part in biological preservation attempts by ENGOs? Method The research survey involved 137 and 136 college pupils of Central Mindanao University ( CMU ) , Philippines and National Chung Hsing University ( NCHU ) , Taiwan severally. This was conducted last February to March 2010. In both states, merely two universities were approached due to clip restraints and to be able to ease a manageable survey. The study involved pupils from different classs in CMU and NCHU. CMU respondents were pupils taking Agriculture, Biology, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering and Nursing classs. Respondents from NCHU were pupils taking Forestry, Commerce, Engineering, Political Science, Foreign Language and Mathematics. The questionnaire was pre-tested with a few pupils in NCHU, and alterations were made consequently to better the lucidity of the inquiries. The questionnaires given to CMU respondents were in English while the Mandarin version was given to the NCHU respondents. The different socio-demographic information of the respondents such as age, gender, academic major, degree of survey, and nationality were ab initio asked. The succeeding inquiries were posed to obtain the respondents ‘ ( 1 ) general perceptual experience and consciousness towards biological preservation, ( 2 ) perceptual experience and consciousness towards ENGOS and ( 3 ) willingness to take part in biological preservation attempts of NGOS. The study was carried out both inside and outside the schoolroom, and about, it took 10 proceedingss per respondent to make full out the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed utilizing Statistical Analysis System ( SAS ) . Chi-square trials were used to find whether socio-demographic variables influenced the pupils ‘ sentiments about the ENGOs. The age groups and academic big leagues were divided into two classs. Respondents below 18 were added to the 18-20 age class and those above 25 were included in the 21-25 age groups. The academic big leagues were farther categorized into biology-related and non-biology-related. Biology-related classs in this respect pertains to train such as agribusiness, forestry, veterinary medical specialty, and biological science while non-biology related classs includes technology, nursing, commercialism, foreign linguistic communication, political scientific discipline and mathematics. The degree of trust held by CMU and NCHU pupils with regard to the different statements refering ENGOs were highlighted in Table 7. Most of the respondents from the two universities rated â€Å" impersonal † ( bespeaking neither agreed nor disagreed to the statement ) when surveyed about their assurance on ENGOs ‘ â€Å" cognition and competency † and â€Å" answerability in the efficient usage of money † in work outing environmental jobs. Furthermore, when asked if ENGOs are influenced by political parties in their several local countries, most pupils from CMU and NCHU said â€Å" Yes † ( 49.26 % and 53.38 % , severally ) . Both CMU and NCHU expressed high concern over societal issues in their several hometowns, while environmental and preservation issues were less recognized. The two groups of respondents had different perceptual experiences on the local societal jobs. Most of the CMU respondents were peculiarly concerned about poorness, corruptness and unemployment. The prevalence of poorness in the Philippines ( CIA World Factbook, 2010 ) could be a conducive factor to the CMU pupils ‘ concern for poorness. The issue on political corruptness has besides been a battle in the Philippines ( Thompson, 2001 ) . Furthermore, the state ‘s unemployment rate is high. Its population, estimated at 92.23 million, is projected to make 111 million by 2015 ( National Statistics Office, 2009 ) . NCHU pupils were largely concerned about unemployment, and seemed to be less troubled by the issues of corruptness and poorness. Their concern for unemployment is attributed to the recent economic recession wherein legion occupations were lost in Taiwan ( Chan, 2009 ) . Taiwan ‘s economic position is about comparable to a developed state ( Lin, 2009 ) which could assist explicate why merely a little proportion of NCHU pupils considered poorness as a job. Whereas the deficiency of concern over corruptness may bespeak that the job is non serious in Taiwan but it does non needfully intend that the job does non wholly exist ( Transparency International, 2009 ) . NCHU respondents besides expressed more concern in both environmental and preservation issues than CMU respondents. This could be attributed to the environmental debasement attach toing Taiwan ‘s rapid industrialisation in the past old ages ( Agoramoorthy, 2009 ) . The Philippines has besides faced ecological crisis ( Posa et al. , 2008 ) but the CMU pupils may care less about environmental issues because of other societal-generated jobs. The difference in CMU and NCHU perceptual experiences towards environmental issues could besides be attributed to the school ‘s geographical location. CMU is located in a rural scene while NCHU belong in an urban country. As Hsiao et Al. ( 2002 ) contends, the rural people have a different relationship to nature than the metropolis people. Although NCHU pupils seemed to be comparatively concerned about biological preservation, most of them were non cognizant to international environmental understanding compared to CMU pupils. This could be attributed to Taiwan ‘s international political position, non being recognized as a â€Å" state † by UN criterions ( MacBeath and Leng 2006 ; Lin, 2009 ) and therefore Taiwan was isolated from take parting in international environmental dialogues. On the other manus, the Philippines have signed to some international environmental pacts ( Magallona and Malayang, 2000 ) which could explicate why CMU pupils were largely cognizant about international environmental acme. Percepts and Awareness of Students towards ENGOs Most CMU and NCHU respondents were non peculiarly cognizant of ENGOs in their several hometowns. Although there are a figure of national ENGOs operating in the Philippines, peculiarly in the Metropolitan Manila and the chief island Luzon ( Magallona and Malayang, 2000 ) , CMU pupils might non still be cognizant of them sing the archipelagic nature of the state. Unlike in Luzon, there are merely a few established ENGOs that operate in Mindanao ( PSDN, 2010 ) , the island where CMU is situated. The less figure of ENGOs which are actively working in Taiwan ( MacBeath and Leng, 2006 ) could be the ground besides for less consciousness by NCHU pupils. The CMU pupils perceived the local people as the most responsible stakeholder in biological preservation. Although there were several preservation plans initiated by the Filipino authorities ( Magalona and Malayang, 2000 ) , the respondents ‘ low assurance on their authorities may hold stemmed from the prevailing issues of corruptness ( Thompson, 2001 ) and therefore, their perceptual experience shifted towards tilting on the local people as accountable and more reliable on holding the ideal place in pull offing their biological resources ( Posa et al. , 2008 ) . On the other manus, the NCHU pupils believed more in the attempts of their authorities in biological preservation. This could be mostly attributed to the launching of huge educational runs by the Taiwan authorities in advancing preservation consciousness to the populace ( Wong, 2001 ) . The authorities establishment in Taiwan has the fiscal and human resources besides to transport out monolithic preservation plans. The fiscal restraints by both Taiwan and Philippine ENGOs could besides be a important factor with regard to the extent of their preservation actions. In Taiwan, most contributions normally go to local spiritual organisations ( Lin et al. , 2005 ) . On the other manus, the poorness state of affairs in the Philippines is a major restraint in donating to these organisations ( Jiao, 2008 ) . The less acknowledgment by CMU and NCHU pupils of ENGOs as a stakeholder in biological preservation farther implies that ENGOs should demo more effectivity and value in their attempts, particularly in affecting college pupils. The nationality and academic major of the pupils were found to be important variables in act uponing their perceptual experience of the most responsible stakeholders in biological preservation. Students with classs related to biological science are more open to preservation issues and therefore, more likely to exhibit high degrees of cognition refering the environment. This is besides in conformity with the consequences of Tikka et Al. ( 2000 ) . Most pupils from both universities could non peculiarly agree nor disagree to the cognition, competency and answerability of ENGOs in turn toing preservation issues. But the two groups of respondents agreed that these organisations are capable by political use. CMU pupils ‘ perceptual experience might be affected by the reported dirts on some development and environmental NGOs before ( Bryant, 2002 ; Songco, 2007 ) . On the other manus, NCHU pupils ‘ positions towards ENGOs might be influenced by some pro-development persons who think these organisations aggressive signifiers of actions might interrupt the state ‘s foreign investors ( MacBeath and Leng, 2006 ) . Although ENGOs are one of the seeable and active subscribers to nature preservation, their representation should besides show unity, earnestness and trust, non merely to the college pupils but to the whole populace, with regard to its nature as a fund-dependent organisation. Students ‘ Conservation Behavior Both CMU and NCHU respondents had low respect in back uping ENGOs as a worthwhile personal activity in protecting the environment. However, if there will be ENGOs present in their local country, the CMU pupils are willing to take part actively by giving clip. While the NCHU pupils expressed willingness to back up but could non offer both clip and money. Most of the pupils expressed private preservation behaviour ( e.g. personal enterprises ) instead than public behaviours ( e.g. back uping activities of NGOs ) . This besides suggests that ENGOs need to better on how to present their purposes on preservation attempts affecting the pupils. ENGOs should develop ways on how pupils could easy derive entree of information on their environmental runs and plans and perchance, the degree of engagement would increase. The deficiency of involvement by CMU and NCHU pupils in fall ining conservation-themed pupil nines may be parallel to their indifference in ENGO ‘s preservation attempts. Decision The present survey demonstrates that CMU and NCHU college pupils were non unusually concerned about biological preservation issues, globally or locally. Social precedences in the pupils ‘ respective and immediate milieus by and large influenced their mentalities towards preservation issues. The pupils ‘ deficiency of involvement in preservation issues further implies that any biological saving thrusts and runs, whether initiated by ENGOs or any other stakeholder, may non be as effectual and greatly participated, sing that they have other pressing concerns in head. ENGOs ‘ deficiency of outreach plans and hapless selling thrust in the academia sector could be a important factor in the waning involvement and weak acknowledgment in the Black Marias of the immature public. College pupils, on the other manus, should be cognizant of their societal and environmental duties since they will be the stewards of biological resources in the hereafter. They have to recognize that ENGOs are their spouses in this enterprise and that they are besides a valuable component in the organisations ‘ sustainability in turn toing environmental protection. It would besides be interesting for the two universities to better their environmental instruction plans by presenting a more specific topic entirely turn toing environmental and preservation issues. This could excite and perchance alter the pupils ‘ concern and mentality towards the environment. Increasing the sample size from different universities and parts in both states would hold better represented the Philippines and Taiwan in comparing the pupils ‘ perceptual experiences on ENGOs. Stratified choice of respondents from different strata is besides recommended in future surveies to guarantee a representative subdivision of the different demographic variables.