Future of Democracy in Pakistan

Future of democracy in Pakistan Outline 1)What is democracy 2) Democracy and Pakistan – Present, Past and Future 3) Importance of democracy 4)Threats to democracy 1. Weak political institutions 2. Influence of Military 3. Economic difficulties 4. Social Norms 5. Illiteracy – lack of political of awareness 6. Unemployment and poverty 7. Image of political leadership 8. Power politics 9. Foreign interference 10. Unbridled media 11. Feudalism and racism 12. Grievances of small provinces 13. Relation with India 14. Terrorism and extremism 5) Suggestions to meet the challenges 1. Strengthing of political parties and political culture . Sovereignty of parliament and other statuary 3. Independence of judiciary 4. Eradication of illiteracy 5. Political awareness 6. Democratic norms 7. Economic uplift 8. Emergence of new leadership 9. Participation of youth in political process 10. Mature and tolerant politics 11. Independence of media 12. Accountability 6)Our strengths 1. Prese nce of pro-democracy leadership 2. Active Civil Society 3. Independent Media 4. Determined and dedicated nation 5. Pakistani Youth 7) Conclusion Essay For years now we have been hearing the word democracy being used endlessly in our media, homes and offices.But do we really know what democracy is? What does it stand for? What are its principles? And most importantly what is the role of different state institutions and their respective jobs and duties as prescribed in the constitution. The word democracy is derived from two Greek words, Demos and Kratos meaning rule of the people. In simple words academics like to define it as, â€Å"Rule of the people by the people for the people†. Democracy stands for people’s rights and representation. It is a very well balanced system which has slowly evolved into the fair and reasonable system we all know.It favours a progressive society. It encourages arts and science. All the technological, social and political progress that man has made was in a democratic society e-g Muslim Spain, British Empire, USA. Our country Pakistan was the result of a political and democratic struggle but democracy could not flourish during 62 years of its existence. The founder of Pakistan was a great democratic statesman who envisioned a democratic and progressive Pakistan. Unfortunately his illness couldn’t let him to contribute much for democracy. His death was a fine blow to the political stability of Pakistan.Liaquat Ali Khan, a devoted prime-minister elected from Eastern Pakistan was unacceptable to the ruling elite of West Pakistan and was subsequently eliminated from the political scene in 1951. These initial problems of Pakistan gave him little time to focus his attention on democratic and constitutional development of newly born state. His sudden death proved a serious blow to the nation. His successors dedicated their efforts to perpetuate their rule showing little concern to democratic development. The early yea rs were marked with conspiracies, unethical and undemocratic tactics in power corridors of the country.This situation provided opportunity to military to intervene in politics and Ayub Khan imposed first Marshal Law in 1958. After this, army became a stakeholder in power game and ruled the country four times through coups. The recent government has assumed power through an electoral process. It is for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a democratic government is going to complete its duration. The current democracy is facing multifaceted challenges on economic, social, political and international fronts. This needs a sagacious approach to ensure continuance of democratic rule in Pakistan.Today the respect of a nation in the international community is directly linked to prevalence of democracy. Pakistan has to strengthen democracy in order to earn a respectable place in the world and head towards the road of progress and prosperity. The clouds of uncertainty are hovering over the democratic set-up in Pakistan. The major threat is absence of sound political infrastructure. Frequent Military interventions prevented growth of political culture. Political parties could not be established on modern and democratic lines. Political parities are nursuries of democracy.In Pakistan these parties are plagued with outside influence, short term goals, one man show and family politics. Political culture cannot flourish until political parties start functioning in democratic manner. FOR RULERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES LIKE PAKISTAN, DEMOCRACY IS A CHEWING GUM FOR THE PEOPLE, TO GO ON CHEWING†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦A SWEET YET USELESS TASTE Economic difficulties are the barriers to Govt performance causing public discontent. Pakistan government is facing financial difficulties. Its economy is under developed characterized by huge trade deficit, heavy debt burden and deteriorating currency.Government lacks the requisite economic resources for public uplift. Consequently common men remain indifferent to national politics and democracy that induce undemocratic forces to intervene. The democratic system derives its strength from people. Whereas half of the Pakistani population is illiterate and stands unaware to democratic concepts, even the major chunk of educated people remains also indifferent to political developments in the country. This allures undemocratic forces to assume the power and to their pleasure they are accorded warm welcome by the nation when they assumed the charge.Political unawareness amongst the masses poses serious threat to democracy. Democracy can flourish only if public at large get involved in the political process. The image of political leadership has been rotten over the time. Common men tend to dislike the political personalities. They are held responsible for all the afflictions Pakistan facing today. There are deficiencies in politicians, but these are projected to the public with exaggeration of some facts along with certai n myths. This mistrust of public prevents them to concern about the political process.Political instability along with economic difficulties pushed the country towards foreign dependence. Resultantly, the international powers, in pursuance of their own goals, care little to the democratic stability of the country. All the military rulers enjoyed foreign support. 75% of financial aid by USA was received during the military regime. Purportedly, these foreign players intrigue to destabilize the political set up, when their interest require doing so. Media independence is vital to democratic stability but it must be subjected to some ethics, rules and regulations. Unfortunately, media scarcely follows he ethical and legal limits. Commercialism some time allures it to pursue yellow journalism putting aside the national interest. In order to catch public opinion, media manipulate the facts and mis-represent it to the public where constructive criticism play a positive role, undue castigat ion arouse public wrath for the sitting government. Consequently people start desiring change whether democratic or undemocratic. Feudalism is negation of equality and freedom. Democracy is not just happening of electoral exercise, it is set of principles based on the concept of freedom, liberty, equality and tolerance.Elections are just one of the manifestations of democracy. While feudalism does not hinder the electoral process, it put curbs on the people’s right of freedom. Masses are restrained to freely participate in the democratic process. Feudalism is still prevailing in Pakistan and people falling under its jurisdiction are treated like subjects. They can never become the active participants of political process. Small provinces have lost their confidence on federation. Military rulers suppressed their demands. They were denied the genuine legal and constitutional rights.Though the present democratic government sought apology from Balouchs, no substantial efforts has been evinced yet to redress their woes, their anti-centre feelings, if not addressed aptly would aggravate in the days ahead. Pakistan unfriendly relations with India overpower its domestic and international policies. Both the countries remained at logger heads since their inception. Pakistan, in order to counter the menace of Indian adventures, had to allocate major chunk of her resources for military development at the cost of negating other socio-economic sectors of the country.She has to maintain a large army in spite of having limited economic resources. Pakistan annually allocates 33% of her budget to defense on average. If relations with India are normalized, these resources may be better spent on public uplift, social welfare, education and health. If it happens it would bring prosperity that strengthens the democratic foundations of the country. Terrorism is one of the biggest threats to survival of entire humanity. The entire world is intimidated of this menace and making efforts to counter it.Its afflictions are pervasive and engulfing the peace and prosperity of the nation. The multiple challenges lingering on democracy thus requires a multipronged struggle to counter them. Political parties are the primary institutions of democracy in order to provide a solid foundation to edifice of democracy. Political parties have to re-organize and function on democratic lines. These have to establish their roots at gross root level and develop them like institutions open to public. Only political parties can ensure public participation in political process and inculcate the democratic values.A dedicated involvement of people at large would provide a solid base to democracy in Pakistan. Parliament is representative institution of public. Executives must be accountable before the parliament. If all decisions are made through the parliament, it would strengthen democracy. Judiciary is a foremost pillar of state. An independent and efficient Judiciary ensure pre valence of social justice in the society. It provides a plat-form to aggrieved citizens to seek redressal of their griveneces. If people get legal way to their redressal, it reduces the likelihood of illegal adventures.So independence of judiciary is key to strong democracy. Educational uplift of the society makes its members well conversant to the concepts of freedom, liberty and democracy. People learn the blessings of public rule. It enhances their commitment to democracy and they can stand against the efforts to derail the political process. Ironically, a considerable majority of educated people lack awareness to democracy. This issue must be addressed through transformation of syllabus on modern lines. Democracy, its need and its blessings must be incorporated as part of the syllabus at all levels of education.Besides this, government must join hands with media, civil society and other pressure groups to inculcate the values of freedom, liberty, human rights and democracy among st the masses. Political players must set good norms to strengthen democracy. Power thrust, intolerance and corruption have plagued the politics of Pakistan. Time has come to stop the old practices and follow the democratic values prevailed in developed societies. Political parties need revision regarding their structure as they lack democracy. Economic growth brings prosperity in the life of common.A prosper society is more likely to adopt democracy and actively engage in political process. Leadership provides new direction to society and led them to the destination. Pakistan desperately needs trustworthy leadership that people follow dedicatedly. Our youth constitute 30% of the society they are representative of new generation. Their participation may ensure structural improvements in national paradigm. It has been witnessed that during Pakisan movement youth played vital role in opinion formation and mass awareness and so is the time now.There is a need to guide our youth to take the responsibility of our tomorrow. Its the high time when youth is active and willing to welcome the dawn of democracy and it should be utilized to its fullest. An impartial system of accountability enhances public trust on the political system. It provides enormous strength to democratic process. Moreover, it compels thousand who are charged with governance, to transparently discharge their official responsibilities. It ensures good governance and strengthens the political set up.Inspite of facing innumerable challenges and showing unsatisfactory performance, Pakistanis has the capability to emerge as a democratic and progressive nation. Pakistan can road to democracy with dedication, determination, commitment, courage and patriotism of its political leaders. If they are aptly inculcated with the true spirit of democracy, they are potent enough to change the destiny. There is no second opinion that democracy is pre-requisite for Pakistan to earn a respectable place in the interna tional community. Its track record uring 62 years of existence portrays a gloomy picture. The current challenges and threats further aggravate the scene. But this does no imply there is no room for improvement. A glance at the history reveals that difficulties always appear in the life of surviving nations. But these adversities are proved blessing in disguise when these are faced gallantly. This moment becomes starting point in their journey towards success. It has all the potential to overcome the mountainous challenges; the required is unity, faith, discipline and guidance.

Historical Theory Essay

What is nursing Science? According to Barnett, nursing science is an identifiable with distinct knowledge that comprise of frameworks, theory and paradigms. In order to understand nursing science, I will discuss the historical development and explain the relationship between nursing profession and nursing science. Also, I will discuss how other disciplines can influence nursing science. This will help understand how theoretical thinking has evolved. Theory development and theory thinking was first intiated by Florence Nightingale. She presented the first nursing theory, the environmental theory. Her theory focused on the physical environment such as air, light, and warmth to restore the individuals health (George, 2011). Her work directed nursing practice for over a hundred and fifty years. As we jumped to the 1950’s, graduates from Columbia University developed the first concept of nursing theory. Theorists such as Hildegard E. Peplau, Faye Abdellah, and Lydia Hall are one of many theorists who used the biomedical model. This model focuses on what nurses do and their functional role (George, 2011). Hildegard Peplau focused on the professional relationship between the patient and nurse by focusing on the patients needs, feelings, problems and ideas. Faye Abdellah, however, focused on patient-centered care (George, 2011). While Lydia Hall uses the circle of care, core and cure. She uses the three circles to involve nurses and patients to care for illness. In the 1960s, theorists such as, Virginia Henderson, Ida Jean Orlando, and Ernestine Widenbach focused on nurse-patient relationship. Their theories focused on what nurses do and how patients perceives them (Walker and Avant, 2011). In 1965 the American Nurses Association (ANA) recommended two levels of education, the baccalaureate degree (the professional nurse), and the associated degree (the technical nurse). As a result of this, doctored prepared nurses became the next wave of nursing theorists (Walker and Avant, 2011). As we look into the 1970’s, this was an era were many theorists were first  presented, including Dorethea Orem, Jean Watson, and Patricia Benner. During this time, the understanding of research and knowledge of development increased. There was an understanding that research and theory together were required to produce nursing science. In the mid 1970s, the National League for Nursing (NLN) required all nursing schools to meet the accreditation standards by chosing, developing and implementing a conceptual framework. (George, 2011). This allowed students to apply theory to his/her nursing education (Walker and Avant, 2011). Towards the late 1970s, the first published journal, Advances in Nursing Science focuses on theory building, analysis and theory application. This journal was used as a forum for debate and discussion about theoretical thinking in nursing (Walker and Avant, 2011). This journal gave awareness of the need for concept and theory development. In the 1980s many theories were being reviewed and expanded. This was a period of major developments in nursing theory from the pre-paradigm to the paradigm period. To further the development of nursing, paradigms (models) provided perspectives in nursing practice, administration, and research (Alligod, 2011). This includes the work of Patricia Benner, Madeline Leininger, and Martha Rogers. There theories focused on the body of theoretical thought in nursing. As we get to the 1990s numerous nursing theories expaned and research studies were being tested. Middle-range theories guides clinical practice, while the circle of theory-research-practice provides the foundation of evidence-based and best practices(George, 2011). Theorists such as Martha Rogers, Ida King, and Patricia Benner, made revisions and refinements of their theories to implicate practice, research, education and the future. Now in the 21st century, nursing theory became more diverse. Diversity is now being accepted and embraced after many years of struggling with theories (George, 2011). The discipline of nursing now focuses on the humans, health, illness, relationships, therapeutics, caring, interactions, ethics and diversity, to provide a fertile ground for the development of research and evidence-based and research practices (George, 2011). Now that I have discussed the historical perspectives in nursing science, there is a relationship between nursing science and the profession. The goal of nursing science is to gain knowledge about human experiences through creative conceptualization and research. By applying nursing framework and theories will provide the foundation for professional nursing practice (George, 2011). It guides nurses in procedures, interpersonal engagement and value of professional practice. Also, Nursing theories will implement the critical thinking structures to direct clinical decision making for professional nursing and nursing practices (George, 2011). As we discussed the relationship between nursing science and the profession, theorists are influenced by other disciplines. Disciplines that theorist used are anthropology, philosophy, religion, education, social sciences and psychology. Madeline Leiniger used anthropology, philosophy, social science, religion and education to develop a discipline in transcultural nursing also known as culture care theory. Sister Callista Roy and Betty Neuman provided conceptual framework for nursing education and science (Eun-Ok,&Ju, 2012). In psychology, Nola Pender developed the Health Promotion model with the goal of achieving outcomes of health promoting behavior (George, 2011) By adapting these disciplines it allows theorists to build theories and framework in order to enhance nursing practice (George, 2011). I have explained the historical development of nursing science and the relationship between nursing science and the procession. As well as, the influences of anthropology, philosophy, psychology, social science, religion and education on nursing science to provide us and guide us in nursing practice.

Acadamic Misconduct Essay

Academic misconduct is described as academic integrity violation for the unfair advantage of oneself or unfair academic advantage or disadvantage to others in academic community, academic misconduct can be a plagiarism, cheating, and collusion but not limited. The other academic misconduct activities such as not obeying academic staff directions regarding assessments and group work submissions, falsifying reports, having/spreading examination materials without unit teacher permission, arranging someone to do assessment work all these included as academic misconduct. If an allegation arises towards a student and if it’s proven in an investigation then student has to face penalties under student academic misconduct policy. In this essay we going to discuss in brief about plagiarism, cheating, collusion and academic misconduct procedural process depending on minor or substantial misconduct when allegations arise and appeal for the student. As per UWS policy Plagiarism is defined as an â€Å"act of presenting material as one’s own without appropriate acknowledgement that constitutes plagiarism, not the intension of the student when doing so†, for example when student submits work in which words or ideas are presented as their own as intentional or unintentional without proper acknowledgment of the original author such as website, other students work, lecture, journal article or book. Cheating is described as any attempt to give or obtain assistance in a formal academic exercise such as examination, without due acknowledgment such as speaking to other students during examination, carrying any information materials such as textbooks, using electronics devices such as mobile, Bluetooth any other items which are prohibited by examination supervisor. Collusion is where two or more people engage in plagiarism, cheating or encourage others to do so. According to UWS Academic misconduct policy there are Minor misconduct and substantial misconduct. A Minor misconduct is determine by the university as a minimal threat to integrity of the student assessment in writing such as lack of referencing or academic requirements. A substantial misconduct is determine by the university as a major threat to integrity such as, when a student repeats minor misconduct activities intentionally, any allegations in the examination and any allegations related to collusion. In the process of investigating the allegations unit teacher, unit coordinator, Dean, school academic committee and student academic committee will be involved. in the first stage of Investigation process and hearing of academic misconduct, If unit teacher or examination supervisor believe that there is any academic misconduct happened, and they have evidence or reasons to support, teacher of the unit will report to unit coordinator with relevant documentation by signed copy or email, then with in five working days unit coordinator will send copy of allegation to the Dean. The dean, will advise unit coordinator to do investigation, and then unit coordinator and unit teacher decides to do further investigation, unit teacher will notify the student and invite for meeting in writing by post and email. Student can attend meeting with fellow student or university academic staff member or a student welfare officer. Meeting will be organised between 8 – 15 working days after on invitation letter despatch date. Student must respond to the invitation with in seven working days date of despatch whether he / she will attend the meeting or not. The decision will be made on the allegation even in the student absence. If unit coordinator decides that the allegation is not substantial he / she will dismiss it. Other penalties like refer to academic counselling, student require to re-submit assessment task after re-submission unit coordinator makes a decision on the marks and grades student may get zero marks. If the unit coordinator determine its substantial he/ she will be referred to relevant dean for decision. After going through all the process as discussed earlier in which case the unit coordinator will send the invitation letter to student for meeting with dean. After meeting if dean decides it’s not substantial dean will dismiss the allegation. When dean decides the allegations substantial then dean can penalise student such as recommend to counselling, ask for re-submission of work, if required student has to sit for exam again, dean will decide marks and grades. If dean judges that the allegation very substantial or too serious then dean refers that allegation to SAC (student academic committee). After going all the process as discussed above, student will have meeting with SAC members. After meeting if SAC decides if allegation are true it will take any action of dean penalties or combination of them, or suspend the student from university minimum period of 6months not more than 12 months, or dismiss the student for minimum of 12 months not more than 24 months in this case student has to apply for readmission or SAC can suspend the student permanently from the university. A student can appeal against the unit coordinators decision when student considers that the decision was made against the procedural fairness or when student not agreeing with allegations or when student considers that there is a substantial new evidence which was not available previously to unit coordinator or when student considers the penalty imposed by unit coordinator was too severe. Student must appeal within 15 days with evidence in writing to dean from the date of the letter advising of unit coordinators decision. It is the responsibility of every student to respect and obey the policy of UWS for academic misconduct to maintain academic integrity among academic community, when allegations were proven the student has to face severe penalties imposed by university academic committee besides the appeal options for student, The best option for students is to work hard on their own and get help when needed from academic teachers before submitting any academic work.

Influence of human surroundings on buildings Essay - 1

Influence of human surroundings on buildings - Essay Example Sometimes referred to as â€Å"architecture without architects,† it is also the most comprehensively used style of building used throughout the world today. It is building how we feel in relationship to what is around us on many levels (Arboleda 2006). Vernacular architecture is how we define ourselves according to the rest of the world, or maybe within just a regional area. Much that is considered vernacular is without specific design except for areas that are considered foundational to the piece and is required for strengthening the project we build. Over time, buildings such as these, when created through trial and error in first processes, become perfected and then reflect the style of the society or environment within which we reside. Rather than pursuing the aesthetic quality or some egotistical vision of a particular artist/architect, vernacular building is more about accomplishing the factors of function and ecological assimilation and also providing comfort of living at the same time. It is a stamp of our lives at any given moment (Ladd 2003). When building vernacular projects, local materials are used as well as local workers and this also provides for us a sense of the place having grown from the ‘roots’ of our local social environment and by our own hands. Vernacular building can also be representative of our local observances such as a favourite church and its flock of worshipers. It provides for us a continuing reminder of our religion through how it is built, according to our belief structure. Craftsmen in our past, who utilized functional skills in preparing materials and in the creation of infrastructure, provided foremost, a functional, well-built building, created to withstand much of nature’s harsh storms and other events that would hit our lands from time to time (Ladd 2003). In America, log cabins are considered to be the early American vernacular style, consistent with the early settlers who built their homes us ing the trees around them. Today’s pre-packaged version in whatever wood choice you want, represents that stereo-typed tradition of the early days without the hassle of having to cut down the trees yourself. While vernacular building was representative of times gone by, including historical references, today’s version is more about sustainability, technological advances in building processes, and referencing the social and natural environment around the location (Arboleda 2006). Our apartment buildings are a type of vernacular building in that they are built, not necessarily with a particular style, but to suit the basic needs of any of us renting an apartment there. The basics include a main room, bedroom(s), bathroom(s) and the kitchen. In some cases, specifically-intentioned dining rooms are also included in those costing a little more. (Ladd 2003). Indeed, a lesson can also be taken from the Inuit people who knew how to build homes wherever they landed for a while, using compacted snow to create igloos. While mainly for hunting

Unit II non specific topic (Intercultural Management) Essay

Unit II non specific topic (Intercultural Management) - Essay Example In most cases, the parent company owns majority of stocks in the subsidiary companies (Deresky, 2011). Consequently, the host countries have minimal control over the MNC. Moreover, the host countries have minimal benefits from the corporation’s income. The MNC also reserve key managerial and technical positions to expatriate from their countries. Thus, the MNC are accused of failing to contribute to the development of human recourses in the host countries. In addition, MNCs do not contribute to the development of technologies and production capacity of the host country. The MNCs are mostly concerned with profits and in so doing they neglect their development obligations. MNCs also dominate the manufacturing industry thereby giving unnecessary competition to the local companies. In most case, the companies take advantage of corruption and mismanagements in the host countries to establish their interests. Thus, failure to meet corporate social responsibilities is the main source of complaints against the MNC. Question 2: What processes do MNCs need to establish in order to reduce prosecution risk? Many MNCs have decided to confront concerns about ethical behavior by developing worldwide practices that represent the companys policy. What are four policies used to address this issue? How would you implement these four policies in your business strategy? Multinational companies are faced with prosecution risks arising mismanagement and poor international relations. In order to reduce prosecution risks, MNCs needs to establish various processes. Firstly, MNCs need to ensure high level of integrity and accountability (Thomas, 2008). This will enable the corporations to avoid being drawn into unnecessary corruptions and scandals. However, some prosecutions are driven by business interests and, therefore the MNCs have minimal control over such occurrences. International business ethics are business

Holocaust Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Holocaust - Literature review Example Adolf Hitler’s role in the Holocaust thus was of absolute measure and his doings led to a changing in the entire world and affected many parts like the Middle East as well. ("Adolf Hitler.") Adolf Hitler, also known as the Fuhrer, was the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party and soon went on to become the German Chancellor in the year 1933. He played a very vital role in establishing and taking further the rule of fascism in Europe and has played a very significant role in the Second World War. The Beer Hall Putsch came to be known as the failed coup d’etat that Hitler had attempted which led to him being imprisoned for a short term during which he wrote his biography titled Mein Kampf which has come to be known as one of the most widely read books of today. It contains some of the most monstrous and heinous ideas with respect to cruelty subjected towards mankind. There have been certain accounts of Hitler in his previous days where he has been kind tow ards Jews, thus this animosity towards the Jewish people probably began much later in his life. He used to interact with the common people, mostly Jews and try and make a living before he had become a part of the army and the political party of Germany. He became an anti-Semitic during his time in Vienna and this group of anti-Semitics had a vast number of Jews as well. Many even say that he was influenced deeply by Martin Luther’s book, ‘On The Jews and Their Lies.’ This did indeed make a great impact on the religious and political associations of Germany at the time. (Toland, John) In the First World War, Hitler fought in a number of major battles and had come to be known as a very brave and undefeated soldier. He was a creative man and devoted a lot of his time to his art and cartoon making. Soon after entering into politics, he tried to push his stance in the country with respect to fascism as he tried to take over what is known as the Beer Hall Pustch. Hitle r’s modus operandi, titled Mein Kampf was earlier titled ‘Four and a half years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice.’ He did not have much regard for people that were below him as more and more power came to attach itself to him. As soon as he became the Chancellor of Germany, he tried to foil all the plans of his opponents that wanted to come to power because he wanted to maintain a dictatorship in all of the land. In 1934, he said to a correspondent, â€Å"At the risk of appearing to talk nonsense I tell you that the Nazi movement will go on for 1,000 years! ... Don't forget how people laughed at me 15 years ago when I declared that one day I would govern Germany. They laugh now, just as foolishly, when I declare that I shall remain in power!†( "Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler."  ) The Holocaust was one of the most evil implemented ideas of Hitler; it was commonly known as the killing of the Jews. During the Second World War, Hitler ordered th e construction of concentration camps by the Nazis, commonly known as Auschwitz, in which approximately six million Jews were tortured and killed. Other people like homosexuals, Soviet prisoners, Polish people, disabled people, and other political and religious opponents were killed mercilessly which led to the total count being almost seventeen million people. (Adolf Hitler Biography.) The prisoners in these camps were also sent to extermination camps and

Book response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book response - Essay Example The poems are easy and full of affective yearning, with which any reader can identify. Further, Dickman’s theme oriented composition makes it interesting for readers to discern crucial life lessons and get inspired to make amends where necessary. One predominant theme in All American Poem is â€Å"scraping for joy†, which this essay seeks to explore in greater detail. The first poem in Dickman’s collection, which explicitly addresses the theme of scraping for joy, is Slow Dance. The basic meaning of this phrase is that, people must strive to derive joy from every action they take or every experience they go through. Just like the poem title suggests, life should be a slow dance, where one soaks in every moment of happiness and avoids taking for granted the joyous aspects of life, however meager. Dickman’s poem is infused with a sense of pleasure and expectation, as one skims through the verse line by line. There is a promise of hope even in the most unexciting or demoralizing everyday activities. The poem is also emphatic on the need to eagerly grasp the relatively few moments of slow dancing with exquisite unfamiliar persons. Such acts in essence, constitute cheating life or coping with aspects of life that might seem too difficult or painful to handle. Dickman’s detailed description of ritual of slow dancing gives one, as a reader, insight into the need to live life easy and take in all the little joys. By drawing a reader’s attention to the purported mundane moments of life, and comparing these with the happy times people would enjoy if only they took the time, the poet is successfully convincing on the issue of scraping for joy. For instance, he points out mowing the lawn, making another person suffer, suffering from insomnia and even dying, as some of the negativities of life. The poet establishes juxtaposition of these negative aspects of life, with positive ones like the hope of an almond grove in pitch darkness,

Financial modeling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial modeling - Essay Example But this is not to say that financial modeling cannot be performed manually.There are various financial models that a company can use in evaluating its investment projects. The only challenge for the company is to identify the model that will provide the most accurate information that can help the company make the right decision.With the advent of technology and computer, many models nowadays are calculated and evaluated using computer software which makes the whole process easy and faster. It is a fact that in a competitive world, companies should be able to make fast, timely and accurate investment decisions. But this is not to say that financial modeling cannot be performed manually.There are various financial models that a company can use in evaluating its investment projects. The only challenge for the company is to identify the model that will provide the most accurate information that can help the company make the right decision.Some of there models include Value- at- risk mod els, Interest rate models, Equity pricing models, Asset allocation models, Trading models, Investment portfolio models that can be used on equity or derivatives, Business simulation models that include Monte Carlo simulation and binary free and genetic algorithms used in optimization decisions.This is a model of calculating the probability of a collection of investment securities generating returns more than the anticipated. It is a model of analyzing past market performance, security correlation and the security movements. A basic value-at-risk model involves all types of market uncertainties e.g. interest, stock, goods and currency risks. It enables the determination of an estimate on the value of portfolio risk (maximum loss) based on the past performance of the portfolio at a given rate of certainty. The various models under the value-at-risk include the variance-covariance method, historical simulation and Monte Carlo simulation models. Variance-covariance It uses past values of security movements and relationship to determine the estimate of the future loses that could occur. Security movements and security relationship risk is calculated for a given period of time. Historical simulation models It generates a lot of results of the security value. It uses security risk and their associated probabilities to generate these results which are used to estimate the value of VaR. Interest rate models Some of the most commonly used interest rate financial models are the Black-Derman-Toy (BDT) model, Black -Karainsky (BK) model, Heath- Jarrow-Morton (HJM) model and the White-Hull model, Black-Derman-Toy Interest Rate Model It is mainly used for determining the value of derivatives by considering a preliminary zero rate term structure and the movement of the yield by constructing a tree explaining the interest rates. This model can also be a single-factor or multi-factor. The Heath-Jarrow-Morton model It uses statistical data and processes to derive the value of the derivatives by considering preliminary zero rate term structure and the up and down movement of future rates. Hull-white model It is a single factor that uses the preliminary term structure of interest rates with the up and down movement term structure to construct a trinomial free of short rates. Equity pricing models One of the widely used equity pricing model is the Capital Assets Pricing Model developed by William Sharpe and John Litner. It works on the premise that the return of a given security is affected by the risk called systematic. This risk is measured using beta () and it cannot be diversified away by holding a portfolio of securities. This model evolved from the portfolio theory which did not

Human Development- 2 different assignments-Chapter 13 and chapter 14 Assignment

Human Development- 2 different assignments-Chapter 13 and chapter 14 - Assignment Example Several theories have been presented in an attempt to explain the human growth and development process; some basing on related factors while others adopting different bases. This paper explores the cognitive development during the early adulthood stage relative to college students and establishment of intimates as the key crisis of adulthood as expounded by Erikson. Early adulthood refers to the late stages of the adolescent stage. According to scholars, this stage of development is characterized by the individuals’ resilience and ability to bring their life under control after tumultuous adolescent stage. The person starts to clearly understand the consequences of their actions and risky behavior that characterize the previous stage- adolescent stage; they start developing lasting mutual relationships especially with the opposite sex. According to Arnett (66), early adulthood cognitive development is characterized by five features. These attributes include instability, identity exploration, self-focus, divided feeling and a feeling of possibilities. Under instability, individual in this stage experience divided commitment towards education, work and love; they face a challenge of adequately allocating their available time to the relationships/activities signifying their transition to adulthood. Under identity exploration, an individual start detaching themselves from peer groups to personal life; they value self-focus more than peer-focus that is they abandon social obligations to autonomy. The fourth feature, age of possibilities, indicates that the person begins comprehending the prospects of transforming their lives from adolescence to adulthood; however, they may experience the fifth feature- divided feeling. The double feeling leaves the person perplexed of their exact stage; as much as they consider themselves as not fully fledged adults, they never view themselves as adolescents. This is very much

Why is Panhu such a political entity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why is Panhu such a political entity - Essay Example Having been with a the company of an invading political figure in the character of Di Ku, he appears to embody a subject whose success implies either acquisition of rank or political reward of choice. The Yao people have become highly associated with such merits when the ‘Yaoren’ who lived in the mountains (Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan) were privileged to take no part in paying taxes and have no administrative responsibilities. In profound reference to the exemplary deeds of the Yao/Moyao ancestral lines that trace back to the time of Panhu, eventually, generous provisions extended to the descendants who were known to possess strong relations with the culture of the dragon-dog. Through the continuous honor and respect for Panhu, people of the mountains further took advantage of the socio-political fortunes including exemption from all taxes, autonomy, especially freedom from the control of the influential communities and powerful Chinese officials (Eli

Victorian society Essay Example for Free

Victorian society Essay Dickens concentrates on using emotive language throughout this chapter. He does this to encourage the reader to empathise and sympathise with Oliver. For example, wretched. little companions in misery. the only friends he had ever known. And also reckless with misery these quotations emphasise just how wretched and awful Olivers childhood must have been. Throughout this chapter, Dickens challenges the charitable organisations run by the church and government. The people who ran these institutions believed that poverty is the consequence of laziness and that the dreadful conditions in which they were forced to live would inspire them to better themselves. Through this novel, Dickens tries to get across that that is not true and that poor people are real people, with real feeling and real aspirations to better themselves. Dickens concentrates on criticising Mrs. Mann, Mr. Bumble and the Board members to emphasise exactly how cruel, neglectful and hypocritical they are. He is showing Oliver to be half-starved and exploited, yet still pure at heart, to get across the point that poor people arent born with the will to be criminals, but the environments, and adverse situations, are what cause criminal behaviour. He is continually criticising these characters because he has very strong views about the neglect and exploitation of children in the society of the Victorian period. The second extract which I am going to explore, with reference to the question, is Chapter Four, entitled Chapter IV. Oliver, being offered another place, makes his first entry into public life. This chapter tells us of how Oliver is dispatched to Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker, and how he is greeted there. The arrangements made to dispose of Oliver were that, if a tradesman, approved by the Board, was to request Oliver as an apprentice, then he should receive the boy and a sum of five pounds. At the onset of the chapter, when the Board are discussing whether or not to send Oliver to sea or not, they make a very interesting conclusion -The probability being, that the skipper would flog him to death, in a playful mood or would knock his brains out with an iron bar; both pastimes being as is pretty generally known, very favourite and common recreations among gentlemen of that class. This shows us their ignorance and misunderstanding of human nature. Also, it reveals how unfeeling and malicious those gentlemen are, because they decide that sending Oliver to sea would be a very advantageous way of providing for Oliver effectually. However, when Mr.Bumble brings Mr. Sowerberry in front of the Board, Olivers fate was changed. He was to be dispatched to Mr. Sowerberrys upon liking. This means that if the boys master can get enough work out of him without giving him too much food, then he shall have the boy for a term of years to do what he likes with. That evening Oliver was taken before the Board and informed of his fate. He was also told that if he complained or was sent back to the parish, then he was to be sent to sea, there to be drowned, or knocked on the head. This is a cruel way to threaten a young boy and just goes to show how malicious and heartless these characters are. Dickens is continuing to develop a feeling of detestation towards the Board and he criticises its members relentlessly throughout this section of the chapter. He clearly displays his dislike of this aspect of Victorian society, which allows such acts of cruelty to go unchecked Dickenss character descriptions are renowned for their effectiveness and accuracy. In this chapter, he describes Mrs. Sowerberry as a short, thin squeezed up woman with a vixenish countenance. This gives the impression of slyness and unpleasantness, which is further enforced by her pettish behaviour and also by her telling Oliver You dont mind sleeping among the coffins, I suppose you cant sleep anywhere else. It is well known that children have very active imaginations; so sleeping among coffins wouldnt inspire many pleasant thoughts into a childs mind. Yet Mrs. Sowerberry show no understanding of this and just leaves Oliver alone in a room full of coffins. This highlights the fact that the Victorians had no concept or knowledge of child development and psychology. For instance, there was no awareness of adolescence. They thought that people changed directly from children to adults. There was no understanding of the teenage years, so people were either treated as children or as adults, never teenagers. A small, quite discreet bit of Dickensian irony in this chapter is the matter of the parochial seal. It is Mr. Bumble who sheds light upon this matter. He say . the parochial seal the Good Samaritan healing the sick and bruised man. The irony meant here is very clear. Oliver symbolises the sick and bruised man yet the parish did nothing for him but make his situation worse. They didnt do anything to heal him after his traumatic childhood at the hands of Mrs. Mann. If anything they treated him even more appallingly. Dickenss use of emotive language in this chapter is for much the same purpose as in the last chapter. He aims to create an even greater feeling of sympathy towards Oliver. Quotations such as with tears of real agony and Oliver piteous and helpless look increase the readers sympathetic feeling towards him. In this extract I think Dickens was concentrating on making the reader see how badly Oliver is neglected and mistreated by adults. He also uses this chapter to further criticise the behaviour of the Board members and also the behaviour of Mrs. Sowerberry. Dickens is again demonstrating how he detests the ways in which the adults inflict cruelty and neglect upon their young charges, and are allowed to get away with it because of the state of society at that time. Charles Dickens was only twenty-four years old when he wrote Oliver Twist. Yet in it, he effectively and comprehensively criticises Victorian society for its hypocrisy and the way in which it allowed poverty-stricken children, like Oliver, to be the victims of adult cruelty, neglect and exploitation. To do this, he uses his skilful character descriptions throughout the novel. For example, in Chapter Two, the Board members are described as the fat gentlemen and Oliver and his companions are described as suffering the slow tortures of slow starvation. This is implicitly emphasises to show the greed of the gentlemen, to the point where they have twice as much food as they need and their workers have less than half of what they need. He also uses ironic authorial comments throughout the novel, which are an effective way of emphasising his own views on Victorian society. Examples of this can be found throughout the book and Dickens has made his views perfectly clear to his readers. Another way in which he criticises Victorian society is in his direct, open criticisms of the unpleasant ways in which the adult characters treat Oliver. In Chapter Two, Oliver is asked if he said his prayers every night -like a Christian. And Dickens says, at length, that it would have been marvellously good if he had done so but he hadnt, because nobody had taught him. Other more discreet techniques of communicating his criticisms can be found throughout the novel. Firstly, the titles of the chapters display ironic tendencies. For example, Chapter two is entitled Treats of Oliver Twists growth, education and board. Yet from reading the chapter, anyone can tell that his childhood was far from a treat, unless being locked in a cupboard on your ninth birthday for being hungry could be considered a treat. Thus it can be assumed that Dickens was being ironic when naming the chapter.

Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future Essay Example for Free

Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future Essay What has Global warming, Ozone Layer Depletion, Soil Erosion, Air Pollution, Carbon Emissions, and other environmental issues have to do with Social Psychology? One of the reasons for writing this paper, is to answer that question by showing the relationship between the environment in which we live and social psychology. I will endeavor to do this by looking at a root cause behind our ecological dilemma, as well as offering possible solutions and suggestions for social behavioral changes that each one of us could employ, as not only caring human beings, but as Christians fulfilling our God-given mandate to rule over the earth He created in the capacity of caretakers and stewards. As explained by Dr.  David G Myers in his excellent book entitled Exploring Social Psychology, the study of social psychology is a study in which social psychologists scientifically explore how we as humans think about, influence, and relate to one another [ Myers 2009 p. 1]. He goes on to quote novelist Herman Melville’s poignant observation, which states, we cannot live for ourselves alone, for our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads [Myers 2009 p. 1]. And therein lies the root cause of our ecological problems. Because of our social orientation [being our personality psychology or psychodynamics which forms our worldview by the way weve been taught to think and act within the society in which we grew up], most people and societies, if not all, are inherently self-centered. A perfect example of this societal self-centeredness is clearly seen here in the United States of America, more so than in any other place in the world. The unrestrained, unbridled, and unprecedented consumerism and waste has sadly become this countries social norm. Generally speaking, we as humans, tend to give little thought, either intentionally or unintentionally, about how our attitude, actions, and behaviors might affect others in the society in which we live: or for that matter, the rest of the world. Because our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads, our attitude, behavior, and actions cannot help but effect others. We are connected in many different ways, but primarily we are connected by being members of one and the same human race, sharing an earth which we all call home. Therefore, social psychology and the sustainable future of our environment are connected in the sense that as human beings, sharing the same earth, social psychologist can positively influence societies to bring about change through implementing strategies within a society through educational and other means, that would address the need for other-centeredness, as opposed to self-centeredness within our societies. This hopefully, through educational campaigns, would over time alter social norms throughout global societies, and help to positively shape our attitudes, behaviors and actions toward the environment in which we live, and encourage a more sustainable environmental future. The purpose of environmental education, is to bring social awarenessof how each individuals attitude actions and behavior, can and does have an environmental affect [whether positive or negative], not only themselves and their own environment, but on the environment of others also. So, environmentally speaking, this means that each individual person, group, society and nations environmental habits and lifestyle [which is mainly guided by the social normsof the country and the culture in which they are living], can have a global environmental impact. Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 4 Social, psychologically formed thought processes, cause individuals and groups within a society or culture, to behave in ways that are considered normal to them, even though theyre ttitude, behavior and actions are environmentally devastating. One of the ways I can illustrate the fact of how our attitudes, behaviors, and actions [another words what we do and how we live], can and does affect others environment [even though they may be living on the other side of the world], is by looking at the worldwide issues of air pollution and its causes. Air is something that every living thing needs, as the famous 70s hit song sung by the British groupThe Hollies states, all I need is the air that I breathe. Another translation of that song humorously states I need to be able to breathe. That we need air to breathe is an axiom, a self evident truth, for without it we die. In actual fact, air is one of the reasons why Earth is the only planet within our solar system that can sustain life, and in which life can be found. Air supports life, but the air has to be clean for life to be sustained. We dont really need to be told that the air is polluted these days because we can see it. This is especially true if you happen to live in the city of Los Angeles, which for many years has been the butt of smog jokes, and recently topped the American lung Associations bad air list of most polluted cities in America [GMA news 2012]. Why is the air polluted so badly? How did it get that way? The city of Los Angeles, like many other places in the world today are to a great degree responsible for producing much of the bad air in their cities. However, bad air is now being found in cities and other places where there is no air polluting factories or industry to blame. This is because air pollution does not recognize international boundaries, and like the proverbial trapeze artists, pollution in the form of toxic emissions can and do fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Because of this, bad air has turned up in places where it did not originate; such as National Parks and wilderness areas in remote parts of the United States. This is due to the fact that one countries air polluting practices can have a dramatic effect on another countries air quality located on the other side of the world. Toxic pollutants and emissions rise from factory smokestacks, power plants, and exhaust emissions , from countries who have no clean air act and therefore are under no threat of penalty or prosecution for noncompliance. These toxic emissions, are the result of unrestrained air polluting practices by countries who show little or no interest in environmental conservation. This toxic pollution rises into the wind currents and jet-streams, which carry the poisonous air hundreds, or even thousands of miles away to another part of the world, where it then affects the air quality of the place where it settles, creating health hazards and pollution within that cities population and location. So, the irresponsible polluting behavior and actions of one group/country, can have a drastic negative effect on another person/s, group/s, country/or countries, causing them to suffer debilitating health hazard consequences for which they were not responsible in creating. So you see in this one small illustration, how another person/s, group/s, or even other countries irresponsible attitude, actions, and behavior toward environmental conservation issues, can inadvertently and negatively affect another person/s, group/s, or even a whole countrys populations health and well being. Many first world countries have environmental laws that heavily penalize companies for noncompliance, and therefore helps to limits air pollution to varying degrees. Yet there are more countries who dont have any environmental laws, restrictions, or boundaries in place, and who Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 6 do not recognize or practice environmental conservation. And so these developing countries by their who cares, its business as usual attitude and behavior, become one of the major contributors of bad air on a global scale, through their uncontrolled, unrestrained, release of toxic emissions into the atmosphere where it becomes an international traveler. However, air pollution caused by toxic emissions is only one of the environmental concerns facing humanity today. Another environmental concern, which we are being constantly reminded of through the news reports, newspapers, Internet, etc. is the issue of global warming. This is also known as climate change. Scientists use the name, or term global warming, so as to identify what types of climate change is actually happening i. e. , the planet is not getting cooler but warmer, ergo, global warming. One of the reasons they state this is happening is due to the excessive amount of a gas known as CO2. This is carbon dioxide, which is something that we, after taking in oxygen through the air, actually exhale. While CO2 is an odorless, tasteless, inert gas, it is also a byproduct of combustion, which is generally contributed to automobile emissions. However, while CO2 is a byproduct of automotive engine gasoline/diesel/natural gas combustion, it is also a byproduct of combustion associated with the burning of coal and oil to generate electricity and heat buildings. In fact, anything that burns will have CO2 as one of its emission byproducts. Because of the increase of automobiles, trucks, factories, etc. here is an excessive amount of carbon dioxide constantly being released into the atmosphere. Along with the deforestation of whole rainforests [note: trees absorb CO2 gases and convert CO2 into oxygen by the process of photosynthesis. This is one of Gods brilliant ideas for replenishing the oxygen we use. However, by cutting down all the trees in the forest, were destroying the eart hs Co2 converter], Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 7 and the combination of other greenhouse gases , which come from agricultural and industrial sources, global warming is the result. However, there is also another detrimental effect of having too much CO2 in the air that has to do with ones respiratory health, and is known by a condition called hypoxia, or hypoxiation. [West, 1995 p. 22] This is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole, or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. This is due to the fact that the body is deprived of oxygen because CO2 in the lungs is inhibited from being released, and so accumulates causing too much CO2 to be where oxygen needs to be, and therefore death ensues as a result. West, 1995 pp. 22]. The use of CO2 displacing oxygen is great for firefighting is actually a preferred fire extinguisher in place of chemical powder for distinguishing fires, but its no good for breathing. The world climate is changing because CO2 is in excess, and humans are the reason why it is so. So far weve looked at some causes of air pollution and how it can originate from one part of the the world and through air currents e ffect everybody globally. But in discussing social psychology in the sustainable future air pollution is only one component of many. There are many environmental concerns for a sustainable future, which also include water pollution. Just as we need clean air to survive, so also we need clean water for both drinking and food. In actual fact, it is quite possible for a person to go many days and even weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Clean water is essential for drinking as well as sustaining aquatic and marine life in our rivers and oceans. However, with the high human demand for oil, environmental catastrophes and disasters such as the Exxon-Valdez oil spilloff the coast of Alaska in 1989, and most recently the BP oil Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 spill of 2010, have polluted the life-sustaining ocean waters and left a path of ecological destruction, which much like the fallout from an nuclear bomb, may take forever, if ever, to recover. Even now as I write this, were told by BP officials and their advertising campaigns, that the waters in the Gulf are back to pre-oil spill status. However, a recent study reported by Brian Williams on NBC national news states that marine life such as dolphins are seriously ill and due to health problems consistent with exposure to oil. Illness ranging from lung disease, kidney malfunctions and liver disease has been found throughout dolphin population which cause has been attributed to the ingesting of oil [NBC nightly news March 23 2012]. Basically what were being told through the million-dollar advertising campaign by BP, is not true. We are still reaping the consequences caused by the massive oil spill where oil spewed out from the ground unrestrained for months. On top of water pollution, the sea is being devastated daily by the huge nets and Longlines of commercial fishing vessels. Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line called the main line which can be up to 50 miles long, with thousands of baited hooks attached at intervals of approximately every 20 yards. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. Although Longliners commonly target tuna, cod, halibut, unfortunately a baited hook is not very selective and many other species are caught and killed inadvertently. This is very troublesome, especially for those animals, mammals, and fish species that are on the endangered list, i. e. The Leatherback Sea Turtle. [Seaturtles. org 2003] Can you imagine a 50 mile long fishing line with corks set at every 20 yards, or huge Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 dragnets, scraping the bottom of the sea for its fish, crap, shrimp and other marine life. This is all done to fulfill the growing populations appetite for seafood. Yet he growing need for bigger harvest is only one part of this very important ecological problem. Another part is the damage that is caused by the implements used in harvesting. I have personally seen the damage to the bottom of the sea caused by the nets being used to harvest fish from along the bottom of the sea beds. These nets are called drag-nets for good reason, as they scrape the bottom of the oceans floor so that nothing escapes. As they scrape along the bottom of the sea, they drag every kind of a marine life you can imagine into the net. The ocean floor then looks like its just been plowed. Thus, these drag-nets leave behind a path of destruction in their wake, by destroying all aquatic plants, and marine life forms and the environment in which they live. Another issue that is caused by fishing trawlers using dragnets, is waste. Nets are by no means selective as anything and everything gets caught in the net. Once these nets are hauled in, much of what is caught in the nets is not used, but thrown out for reasons of either being under size, wrong variety, or in some way illegal etc. Some of the seafood is kept, and the other is thrown out to die. The fish and marine species that are caught in the nets or on the long lines as a byproduct, sea turtles, including the extremely endangered Leatherback sea turtle, various sharks, including some species which are also endangered, and also others. Seeing there is no international laws to reduce bycatch, we can expect that many more species will be added to the endangered list as part of the long-term decline, caused by these devastating fishing practices. So apart from destroying the environment which sustains our fish and marine life in our oceans, rivers and waters through pollution, waste and harvesting practices, we continued the Psychology and Sustainable Future 9 devastation by overfishing the waters to to the extent that fish that were once found in abundance 50 years ago, are now at the point of extinction and have been placed on the endangered list. Two of the fish species I would like to talk about here were, up till recently, very common. One is the Atlantic cod, and the other the Giant Bluefin Tuna. These two fish species once abundantly populated the Atlantic Ocean until the implementation of gill nets, drag nets, and now the dreaded long-lines of commercial fishing vessels. In a relatively short amount of time, the use nets and long lines have devastated the cod and tuna populations worldwide through overfishing. Even though size limits and harvesting amounts have been supposedly set by international bodies, Atlantic Cod, Bluefin Tuna, and many other fish species are under the gun, and may never recover, especially the majestic bluefin tuna, which is much coveted by sushi chefs and is considered a delicacy in Japan. Maybe it is for this reason that Japan, under the guise of supposedly abiding by the international fishing laws, have reportedly and consistently ignored the international laws for size limits and harvesting amounts. Through their longline fishing vessel fleet have continued at a ever increasing rate to catch bluefin tuna, to the point that they, could be considered to be the major contributing factor, as to why this fish species is numerically declining to a point of having to be put on the endangered fish species list. [Glover, Charles. The End of the Line. 2008]. It is a well-known fact that the Mitsubishi Corporation. Not only owns several long line ships which go out to sea for months at a time and dont come back until their freezes are all full of bluefin tuna, but is the major purchaser of bluefin tuna. As well as fishing for bluefin tuna with their own fishing vessels. They have also been known to purchase as much bluefin tuna as they Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 10 can, from other fishing vessels. These vessels are known as Pirate Fishing Vessels, ignore international fishing laws and catch all they can in what you might call an undercover operation. These pirate fishing vessels have, within the past 10 years, come under a lot of scrutiny by the Greenpeace organization: who sail the seas searching for these pirate fishing vessels so as to catch them in the act. Of illegal fishing, netting, long lining etc. [Greenpeace. org 2011]. Although many nations, including the United States, supposedly participate as international management bodies to maintain global tuna populations, the species continues to decline at an alarming rate and are now on top of the endangered species list because its numbers have depleted to such a point that it may never be able to recover. As you can tell air and water pollution combined with overfishing is a concern of mine, mainly because I see it is preventable, but for the selfish, self-centered, all-consuming greed of people from all walks of life I could continue on for quite some time, however I must bring this article assignment to a conclusion by talking about causes of environmental damage. As much as we like to blame tornadoes and hurricanes for most of the environmental damage, the biggest cause of environmental damage is man himself. Mankind is now the number one cause of all the destruction happening on Earth. We are the major cause of environmental disasters, beginning with the industrial exploitation of the resources of the Earth, which has become especially bad since the population of the Earth has trippled in the last fifty years to a point which, even with more efficient means of distribution, there is simply not enough food to go around. Obviously the reasons for the possible future scarcity of food, water, among other things, is the wasteful lifestyles that we have become accustomed to, especially here in the United States. All you need to do is look around in any restaurant here in the United States and see the huge Social Psychology and a Sustainable Future 11 amounts of food being thrown out in the trashcan while people on the other side of the world starve. Its been noted in the book, exploring social psychology by David G Myers, that the human demand for things such as land, timber, fish, and fuels is increasingly exceeding the Earths regenerating capacity. [Myers, 2009 p. 378-379]. My point is this, with the present consumption of resources by our, wasteful habits and devastating harvesting techniques, coupled with the destined growth of population, further pollution, global warming, and environmental destruction, seem inevitable unless there is change. For the average American who lives with luxuries unknown by even royalty just a century ago, our lifestyle of unrestrained, unbridled, ever wanting more consumerism will be brought to a screeching halt unless there is change. Lets face it our wasteful lifestyles cannot continue forever. For beyond the sunny skies of comfort and convenience. Dark clouds of environmental disaster at gathering. Sciences have accredited this coming ecological, environmental disaster to increasing population and increasing consumption. [Myers, 2009 p377]. I come to this conclusion; due to my observations of the wasteful practices I see around me every day of my life here in the United States I offer this small yet effective illustration of the environmental conservation. In Australia where I was raised, we grew up with tank water. Where you rely on the rain to fill a tank that is used for your drinking water, bathing, and bathroom uses etc. Under these conditions you learn to conserve and not waste water in every way possible. One of the ways I taught my children to conserve water was not to leave the tap running when they were brushing their teeth. They were instructed to turn the tap on to wet the brush, then turn the tap off while they apply the toothpaste to the brush and brush their teeth. After they had brush their teeth, they could then turn the tap on to rinse out their mouth and clean their toothbrush. Idiosyncratic? Not really. Just letting my children learn not to waste water and to appreciate the God-given resources we have available to us.

Issues In Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing Information Technology Essay

Issues In Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing Information Technology Essay In this fast growing business world the growth of Information Technology is sky-scraping. Information is a business asset, therefore it is very important to protect the Business Intelligence and the confidential information. It may protect its availability, privacy and integrity. Information Security is more than protecting computer data security; it is the process of protecting the intellectual property of an organization which engages with Network Security. The availability of access to stored information on  server  databases has increased to a great extent. Most of the companies store their business and individual information on their computer than ever before. Many businesses are exclusively stand on information stored in their data centers. Personal staff details, client lists, salaries, bank account details, marketing, sales information and more importantly their research and development secret recipe or marketing strategies may all be stored on a database. If they lack this information, it would directly affect the business operations. Therefore powerful Information security systems needed to be executed to protect this information. The biggest threat to businesses may be the people who make a living from  hacking  or breaching through information security systems. By using their technological skills, they are brave enough to break into computer system and access secured information. Hackers can even turn your home computer into a bomb (Randy Jefferies, 2005). Firewalls, which are intended to prevent access to a computer network, can be easily bypassed by a  black hat namely a hacker with the right tools and skills. The breach can result a heavy loss of crucial information, or a virus could be planted and delete all secured information as an intruder. So that is why Information Security Professionals plays a vast role in this Business Industry, because of this, there is an important position for ethical hackers, who can defend and protect the organization against cybercriminals and even they are capable of penetrating their own system for the testing purposes .When the question arise that, is hacking actually bad? Or is it possible  that there are times when hacking can be seen as good? Before addressing  these scenarios, the term hackers and ethics needs to be defined. So this is where ethical hacker comes in. Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Ethical Hacking can be defined as hacking a network or a system to seek and test vulnerabilities that a hacker could exploit and take advantage of the system. This implies, doing it for the betterment of the firm. This process is done to secure and defend the system from cybercriminals known as black hats with a legally authorized way. The people who involve in ethical hacking are called as white hats who are professionally trained security experts. Most of the firms employ one these White Hats to protect their information systems whilst some firms hires. The Computer crime is where the computer is  the place of the crime and the criminal activities can range from  fraud, theft, and forgery. Businesses who try to approach the problem  have independent computer security professionals who attempt to break  into the computer systems and penetrate as mentioned above. Both of these people, crackers and  professionals are ethical hackers, but they have different ethics. Negative observation of hacking, When is hacking bad? In recent news, a certain hacker who claims to be  known as Gwerdna hacked into a Mac computer, He even made comments on  how easy it was for him to hack into the security and he has stated to break into that library machine he only took 10 minutes. (Micheal Harvey, 2006). The term Ethical Hacking can be addressed as penetration testing. This is a method of evaluating the network or computer system by simulating an attack from a malicious source, a White Hat Hacker but act as a Black Hat Hacker (Wikipedia, 2010). These ethical hackers use these methods which can be identified and clarified as malicious softwares namely Buffer Overflow, Logic Bomb, Parasite, Sniffer, Spoof, Trojan Horse, Virus, Worms. Importance and Benefits of Ethical Hacking As mentioned above the reason for conducting an ethical hack, obviously, is to keep information assets secure. One survey conducted by Rick Blum, stated that It (ethical hacking) is very important and helps save you money and reputation in the long run. (Rick Blum, 2009).Network testing is the most important type of ethical hack, because it is obvious the hacker can easily break the firewall and get into the network. So network should be highly secured. Thats a reason why it is considered as a very important fact for organization because of the rising cyber crime rates and the high growth of cyber criminals. Since computer technology has developed, the crime rates also increased. The intellectual hackers have made mass destructions and losses for many companies and they have damaged their database and leaked information. Had exploited the brand image of most of the firms and damaged their trust on their clientele. Hackers have transferred millions of dollars without any awareness of the banks and their involvement. Even hacked into police departments emergency help desks. For example a group of hackers called Vandals hacked the New York City Police Departments voice- mail system and replaced the usual polite announcements with You have reached the New York City Police Department. For any real emergencies, dial 119.Anyone else were a little busy right now eating some donuts and having coffee. It continued You can just hold the line. Well get back to you.Were little slow, if you know what I mean. Thank You. The bogus messages continued for 12 hours before they were investigated and corrected by ethical hackers (Donald Pimkins, 2000) Some time ethical hacking will not reveal vulnerabilities of a network or a system. But there are a number of consequence benefits that can be derived from an ethical hacking process. The picture below will give a clear idea of what are the benefits available in this process and how it can be prioritized. Ref: http://www.isaca.org/Images/journal/jrnlv2-06-red-teams-audit-tool-2.jpg The size of the threat depends on the type of the business and how its fits with hackers motives. Therefore to prevent these kinds of issues and threats in future firms employ ethical hackers. The term ethics will be clearly structured in the following paragraphs with the support of ethical principles, ethical issues, ethical dilemmas and ethical theories. Business Ethics According to the study Business ethics can be defined as a form of applied ethics that examine ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that occur in a business environment (Gwendolyn Cuizon, 2009). Many businesses have gained a bad reputation just by being in business. By not being stick to business ethics policy firms may fall in trouble, if a business is damaged by an ethical disaster it affects the bottom line which implies profit. It is agreed that IT systems are put in place to support the strategic planes of an organization which would be in lined with business ethics. So that is why organizations see ethics as, a bringing competitive edge to their business. In my point of view in business, the perspective view of stakeholders are different , they see theres whats illegal, whats legal but unethical, ethical but against company policy, not against policy but not in the clients best interests, and finally whats not really opposite to the clients best interests but isnt really going to benefit them moreover. Which can be understood by the below image. http://www.gryphonshafer.com/blog/2008/08/business_ethics.png Ethical Principles and Ethical Issues Ethical principles can be defined as the foundation of ethical behavior. An ethical principle arrives from the social Context, from religious beliefs, and from ethical theory. These ethical principles can applied to computer technologies that have an impact on peoples daily lives where they interacts in government, in education, at work, at play ground and workout) (Penny Duquenoy, 2010) Some general ethical principles can be listed as Respecting others Consider others as equal Keep promises Respect the property of others Act honestly The principles can be addressed as below which relevant to Information Systems professionals and related technologies officers. The Royal Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with Engineering Council (UK) and a number of the leading professional engineering institutions, has developed a Statement of Ethical Principles to which it believes all professional engineers and Information Professionals should follow. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Accuracy and Rigor à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Honesty and Integrity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Respect for Life, Law and the Public Good à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Responsible Leadership: Listening and Informing (Engineering Ethics, 2007) Ethical issues can be addressed as whatever threatens or breaks an ethical principle is an ethical issue. For example ethical principle Respect the property of others Ethical Issue Hack someones computer without their permission and steal information and destroy it by sending a virus or a worm So by understanding this example an ethical issue can be clearly understood. And to assess these kinds of ethical issues in different perspectives ethical theories should be applied. Ethical Theories As discussed above an ethical issue can be identified and evaluated by using ethical theories .These theories can be used as tools for making ethical decisions, and they may also helpful in providing a basis for critical thinking. An issue can be taken in different perspectives and formed opinions with helpful of ethical theories. There are two main ethical theories, Kantianism Consequentialism Kantianism The Kants theory can be defined summarized without going in deep. Kant says that how we behave ethically comes from within us, and the things that we decide are good or bad are based on whether we could imagine everyone doing them. (Immanuel Kant) So for example, it would be logically conflicting to say that breaking a promise is good because if everyone broke their promises there would be a loss of trust in promises, and the whole nature of a promise would be lost. Therefore, he says, that certain things cannot be universalized which means they would not work if everyone did them, and those things are wrong. Examples are: killing others, lying, stealing, breaking promises. Moreover, in Kants point of view, things that we view as wrong are essentially wrong that is, they are always wrong and there is never any reason situation where they would be right. This conflicts directly with the theory of consequentialism, which will be addressed next. Consequentialism Consequentialism theory can be defined as, a theory which deals with consequences of actions rather than the actions themselves .So, and for example, it could be argued that stealing could sometimes be the right action to take provided the outcome is for the good. Theory says that a good outcome is that which brings the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. Therefore stealing, for example, is a morally acceptable act if it brings greater benefit to the greatest number. For example, if a king has a warehouse full of food when most of the people in the country are starving. In this instance stealing the food to distribute it to the starving people would be the right thing to do. So by this act a great number of people get benefited. So in this case according to consequentialism theory stealing is not bad while it fully contradicts with Kantians theory. Ethical Dilemmas Ethical dilemmas can be addressed as moral dilemmas. An ethical dilemma is a situation where in moral principle or ethical obligations conflict in such a way as to make any possible resolution to the dilemma morally intolerable. In other words, an ethical dilemma is any situation in which guiding moral principles cannot determine which course of action is right or wrong. Can simplified as you will have issue and you will have a solution which will leads you to an unethical way.(Lee Flamand, 2007). Ethical, Legal, Professional, Social and Cultural Issues in Ethical Hacking When we discuss about ethical hacking there are many issues which can be listed, which will arise in many circumstances. For evaluating these issues and come up with a good solution or opinions the above discussed, structured ethical principles and ethical theories can be taken off. This will obviously give a clear picture to the reader. In this study for further more analysis two important incidents will be assessed by me using the both ethical theories. A Dutch hacker who copied patient files from a University of Washington medical center (and was not caught) said in an online interview that he did it to publicize the systems vulnerability not to use the information. He disclosed portions of the files to a journalist after the medical center said that no patient files had been copied. (Sara Baase, A Gift of Fire, 2003.) If we critically evaluate the above scenario, it is obvious that the hacker has committed a cyber crime and he should be punished according to the Kantianism theory which tells some actions are always wrong. Even though the Dutch hacker didnt misused the copied files he has break into the network and penetrated it. So its ethically wrong when we see in the perspective of Kants theory. But if we evaluate this using Consequentialism theory it will completely contradict with Kantianism theory. Though the hacker was not get caught he has came to an online interview to announce that there is vulnerability in University of Washingtons medical centres network which can be easily attacked. So this good behavior of the hacker shows that he has came to this decision concerning about the betterment of the patients. which direct the theory an action is good If the consequences bring greatest benefit to number of people .If he has published all the copied files through the internet the both parti es will be get affected, the patients and the University. The files may contain confidential information of patients and which they never want to expose. So although this act can be identified as ethically correct whilst its legally wrong. Therefore by this action the Medical centre gets a chance to secure and defend their systems from future attacks. But a according to the statement A solution to an ethical issue can raise another issue Anonymous. May be this act is ethically correct according to the theory of Consequentialism. But what if the hacker found some medical information about his friend? Which information is a kept secret? What if he tells him? What if the friends get to know that his confidential medical information has got leaked through the internet? These kinds of issues can arise which will sometimes take into an ethical dilemma. If we move to the next case which is, A 17 year old hacker know as YTcracker, who penetrated several government and military web sites (including those belongings to the Bureau of Land Managements National Training Center, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and the Defense Contracts Audit Agency) said he routinely sends messages to government web site administrators insisting that they address vulnerabilities and adopt Unix or other more secure systems can be penetrated, but the messages largely go ignored. YTcracker said in his defacement of website he targeted systems the government would look at and take seriously and secure it. (Federal Computer Week, 1999) Though this case is Similar to the above discussed one, it provides a different idea. The hacker who has penetrated all these sites called YTcracker has only one intention that is to alert and notify the government organizations to protect their valuable informations, Which can be easily breached and gained access. If critically evaluate this case according to the Kantianism theory. The act of YTcracker is ethically wrong as it threatens the ethical principles go beyond the theory. But according to the point of Consequentialism theory the act is ethical. Because the hacker hasnt done any damage to the government organizations using their web sites. He has only warned and notified them to make them more secured. So greater amount of people gets benefited, because there are most sensitive informations are available in government sites such as National Security, Military and NASA. So if the hacker leaks the information from their databases what will happen there are would be a huge problem for the US government. But both of these incidents are illegal according to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 even they are ethical according to the theories. Because the hackers have offended unauthorized access to computer material (Misuse Act 1990) Ethical Concerns and Professional Issues When implementing an ethical hack in an organization there are ethical issues which engages with information systems professionals can be addressed as, Ethical Hackers have to break the organizations security policy and procedures. Violating the code of conduct. Privacy of the employer and employees Secret Business strategy, Marketing Strategy and product recipe leakage If we further analyze above ethical issues a question may arise, Does ethical hacking is ethical? Before address the issues, we are tend to find a solution for the above question so if, we evaluate the question by putting into Kantianism theory somehow its breaking the rules and regulation, braking the firms security policies and procedures, penetrating the code of conduct. So this act of ethical hacking can cannot be ethical. Even though the professional hackers do it legally it can be unethical, According to Kants point of view. Considering with view point of consequentialism theory this process can be identified as ethically correct, because its all done for the betterment of the organization. So there is no way of criticizing it. Firms do these to seek the vulnerabilities and defend the entire network there should be a testing procedure. So this can be taken as that. In this point of view we can decide its all ethically correct, even though they break their own code of conduct. As information systems professionals point of view ethical hacking can be identified as a complete mess. Because they have to stick to a code of conduct. Then only they are professionals. But when they are being forced to violate these terms when they involve in penetration tests there are in trouble as professionals. Therefore as professionals who are expected to comply with local laws, sometimes they may have to assess and evaluate ethical and legal issues against their personnel values. There can be privacy invasion takes place when they do a ethical hack. Most of the firms hire an ethical since they dont employ one. So when he penetrate their systems and network he can get whatever the information he needs from the organizations databases and networks. All confidential employee and partner documents and information can be seen. The ethical hacker is able to view all the weak points of the firewall. If the ethical hacker is not a professional he may attack the organization later when he needs. Or he will be a big threat. So these issues may arise. And even the secret marketing and business strategy of a leading company leaks the hacker can sell it for the competitors. So this would be a threat for some firms to conduct and penetrations test using an Legal Issues and Laws When considering about legal aspects, the issues which was discussed in the above paragraphs can be brought up since it involves legal issues. Even though those incidents were ethical, its completely illegal, because it breaks the Computer Misuse Act 1990. This Act will be clearly discussed below, The Computer Misuse Act 1990 The  Computer Misuse Act 1990  is an Act of the  UK Parliament. The Bill eventually became the Computer Misuse Act in August 1990.The Act introduced three new criminal offences: Unauthorized access to computer material Unauthorized access to computer material with the intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences Unauthorized modification of computer material.(Statuelaw, 1990) What if an ethical hacker pretends to be an inside intruder? He who knows the entire network and secrets of a company. So he can easily damage and destroy the entire information system. When these situations occur according to the misuse act legal issues can be identified. For an example a disgruntled computer technician at Reuters in Hong Kong detonated logic bombs at five investment-bank clients, causing 36 hours of downtime in networks providing market information crucial for trading. The banks switched immediately to alternative services and reported no significant effects on their work; however, Reuters was deeply embarrassed by the incident (Financial Times Limited, November 1996) so looking into these factors the organization should be fully aware of these kinds of threat which can be aroused. Sometimes Internal politics may force the ethical hacker to make huge losses for the firm. When they employ for and public company. There are so many people in a director board. So what if the ethical hacker gets an order from higher management to plant a logic bomb or do a parasite for important information of the firm and put the blame on another person. For the ethical hacker this job is not that much difficult. Even they may ask him to steal other companies confidential documents. This might cause legal issues which will entirely damage the firms reputation. These kinds of issues can arise without the awareness of the management. Social and Cultural Concerns It is agreed that in business ethics there are loads of issues as deeply addressed in above paragraphs and social and cultural issues can also identified as one of them. Social issues are about to impact on the society. IT depends on the societys reaction and behavior. According to the ethical principles firms should negotiate with the society. If an Information System of a Hospital or a School got hacked, there would be huge issues in the society. As their sensitive information contain on those Information Systems. Similarly this case may occur in a firm. So when an ethical hacker gets involved in this process he has to keep the trust on them if not the blame can be put on him by the society. So both parties get affected. The brand image can be get spoilt in the society when their informations get leaked out. They will lose the trust and faith on their employer. And when the ethical hacking process gets leaked out there are chances of affecting the companys culture. If there is a culture there are certain values to be respected. And if this values get exploited by the penetration testers issues may arise. And when they design these IS system they should respect the values without harming it. For e.g. Pornography. Conclusion From the clearly structured study, it is understood ethical hacking consideration is crucial to maintaining a verifiable level of information security. Even though there are lots of issues in certain aspects of Ethical hacking; it is a critical component of our overall security program which keeps the internal, contracted security. Ethical hacking is a necessity in order to protect company assets and stay close to the reality of unethical hacking. It ethical hacking is very important and helps save you money and reputation in the long run. Ethical Hacking is the best way to assess the network from an outsiders perspective. To reduce the addressed issues above organizations can have their own ethical hacking team or hacker to prevent outside information leakage and to get rid of the fear of that. I think ethical hacking is a must have for any serious organization today in this fast moving business world. It should be a critical part of any proactive organization in todays global competitive market.

Fact of Blackness by Frantz Fanon :: personal response essay

â€Å"The Fact of Blackness† by Frantz Fanon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article was an eye opener. After Fanon got away from the huge mind boggling words, I kind of felt for an extremely short second what it actually felt to be a black man. I myself am a unique mixture of races and I was fortunate to have grown up in such a way that I experienced my two main cultures vividly. I can laugh with George Lopez, and feel the pain, anguish, and laughter that are associated with a Mexican American heritage. The same goes for Larry the Cable Guy, I can laugh at what he says in his stand comedy routine, because I can relate with my Anglo culture. Going back to how Fanon explains his anguish of being labeled, it’s understandable, I’ve been there, but unlike Fanon, I learned to how to run with racial comments. However, I’m not black and cannot relate to his culture, or how bad for his time it must have been for an average black male.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I start with saying blah. I cannot in my mind imagine what it was for Fanon growing up, but he never embraces love for who his is. The racial slurs and dehumanization is in my opinion not reason enough to write hatred for what you are born into. Not once does he state philosophy on why it’s ok to be what he is. Instead he places himself into an â€Å"infernal circle† that he is embraced by white people in spite that he is black, but when he has an enemy they claim that it is so not because he is a black man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My own experiences tell me that every bit of what he says is true. I work at an inner city Walgreen’s, and I’m told to watch certain people because they look suspicious, when in fact the only crime they commit is being a minority. I’m sometimes told to not spend too much time on a Mexican customer, because they don’t contribute enough money to our store, and to focus on our money crazed white customers, who never get questioned opening up products. I used to get stopped In Walgreen’s when I was a freshman in High School. I had to leave my back pack at the door and only one of my companions could come with me at a time. However, I would see plain as day, white students walking in the store at leisure with their book bags on.

Essay --

Study Information for Test 1 Contents 1. Equation Sheet 2. Test Coverage 3. Test Format 4. Practice Questions Equation Sheet: The following will be provided on a tear-off sheet Equations: Constants: | e | = 1.60 x 10-19 C P = i V From 205: Power = Test Coverage Chapter 26 (Capacitance) 26.1 state and use the definition of capacitance; give the SI unit of capacitance. 26.2 sketch parallel plates charged by a battery and apply the formula for parallel plate capacitance. 26.3 explain why capacitance increases when parallel plates are filled with an insulating material; calculate parallel plate capacitance including the dielectric constant. 26.4 define series and parallel connections of capacitors; use these rules to reduce a capacitor circuit to a single capacitor and battery (if possible); determine the charge and voltage of each capacitor in such a circuit. 26.5 calculate the energy stored in a capacitor. Chapter 27 (Current and resistance) 27.1 define electric current and state the convention for its direction; give the SI unit of current. 27.2 define electric current density for current uniformly distributed over a cross section of wire. 27.3 state and use Ohm's law. 27.4 calculate the power dissipated in a resistor; calculate the resistance of a hot plate of a given wattage and line voltage. Chapter 28 (Circuits) 28.1 describe the functioning of a simple circuit consisting of a resistor and a battery using the analogy to fluid flow. 28.3 define series and parallel connections of resistors; use these rules to reduce a resistor circuit to a single resistor and battery (if possible); determine the current and volt... ...oltage loop rule to determine the charge Q2. †¢ Two sheets (A & B) carrying charge densities of -ÏÆ' and +ÏÆ' are placed at x = 1 cm and x = 7 cm (See the diagram below. Note that the horizontal and vertical scales are different). Two conducting slabs with widths of 1.5 cm and 0.5 cm are inserted between the charged sheets at the locations shown in the diagram. (Ignore fringing effects.) (a) Draw a graph that represents the electric potential as a function of x for x between 0 and 8 cm. (b) Draw a graph that represents the electric field as a function of x for x between 0 and 8 cm. (c) Calculate the potential difference between sheets A and B. Explain how you determined your answer. (d) Suppose the two slabs are connected with a wire. Will the potential difference be greater, smaller or equal to your answer in part (c)? Explain your reasoning.