Political Communications Essay

The power or ability of the media to influence people and the society is an undeniable reality. In fact, media is not to be underestimated as proven by the implications it has created among people and within their way of living. It is through this reason or principle that the media is regarded as something that is too powerful and which can be paralleled to the power of God. In particular, since the print and broadcast or electronic media have control over their respective public, its influence has apparently been considered as similar or equal to the Creator’s authority. However, while it is a true fact that the media encompasses almost everything in today’s modern world, it is also a reality that the industry could never be described as the second God. This is because God is above everything and that nothing or nobody can correspond to Him. Additionally, although the effects of media are indisputable, it should be realized that God is still supreme among the whole things and that nothing or no one comes next to Him. It is, therefore, under this principle that media should never be compared to the power of God and that whatever theory claiming otherwise should not be taken as the whole and acceptable concept. Ultimately, the media and all other things are nothing without God hence it is totally unwarranted to compare and place it next or even regard it as the second God. One concrete manifestation of the said improper and erroneous consideration is the principle created by Western theorist Tony Schwartz and as depicted in his book titled â€Å"Media, the Second God. The work done by Schwartz (1983) is nothing but a disillusioned idea about the power of media, electronic media in particular. While it is, in a way, acceptable that both print and broadcast media impacted people and the manner of living, it is totally illogical to compare or even consider media as the second God. In fact, the author has evidently failed to strengthen his idea. This is primarily for the reason that God is the highest or absolute among us and of all the things around us. Hence, Schwartz and his book can be taken according only to its merit or the fact that media is influential and definitely affects people and the society in general but its concept about media as the second God should definitely not be considered and accepted as an utmost premise. Media, the Second God – an Overview The Schwartz book explores media’s mounting power or influence in the fields of medicine, learning, industry, political affairs and beliefs and daily living of people. He distinguished electronic media as the â€Å"received media† while print media as a â€Å"perceived medium† (Schwartz, 1983, p. 1). In differentiating between the two, Schwartz emphasized that skill and education are essential for the public to recognize and accept perceived media while almost all people appreciate received media. The author explained that the contemporary world tends to the appreciation of the received media because of the increasing effect of electronic media in the manner how people carry out their lives. This particular age of reception manifests people dependence with the telephone, television, radio and other forms of electronic media. He added that the significant implications of electronic or received media are evident with the notable changes in the areas of â€Å"business, communication, education, statesmanship, and every other area of life† (Schwartz, 1983, p. 17). Schwartz further wrote that the advent and increasing influence of electronic media has proven its essence as the new media. Additionally, the power of the electronic media is supported by the authors with the ways how broadcast commercials or advertisements work among people and into their lives. In fact, electronic media has nearly removed the nature of door-to-door salespersons. This is because the radio and television as well as other forms of electronic media are able to get across the feelings, manner and value of products being promoted (Schwartz, 1983, p. 43). Schwartz also presented in his book how a telephone polling system, which is another form of electronic media, created an impact or changed people’s perception about the necessity of police protection against crime and eventually saved the John Jay College of Criminal Justice from closure (Schwartz, 1983, p. 1). Moreover, Schwartz has stressed the influence of electronic media with its social functions or the services it has offered not only to people but to the society as well. The book is ultimately recalled with its depiction of the incredible expansion of the telephone device as an absolute form of electronic media due to its tremendous influence into the lives of the people. Media, the Second God – a Critique In analyzing the Schwartz book, one is likely to experience a sense of depression because of the author’s apparent utopianism. Simply put, Schwartz’s idea of the growing purpose or role of the electronic media, particularly the telephone device, seemed too disillusioned or unrealistic. In particular, it is totally illogical and even less reassuring to discover when the author stated that the telephone device is on the rise as an instrument or another tool of electronic media in the field of education. In fact, his admission that the development of telephone seems to be gradual already contradicted his position that the devise is growing. The said disclosure also deserted Schwartz claim that the said device is an effective tool of learning primarily because of the apparent defect of the telephone. Even Schwartz’s claim that a number of students benefited from telephone-based classes failed to prove the effectivity and power of the telephone as a means of education. In short, it is unbelievable to state that an instruction about telephone is as convincing as an efficient method of learning. Damaging and Unproven Claims Schwart’s consideration of the media as the second God is subjected to the author’s many falsehoods as well as damaging and unsupported statements. An incredible claim by Schwartz is his statement that he was able to teach around the world even without leaving the luxury of his office through the use of the portable conference telephone. This is because despite the advancement of the electronic media, particularly the telephone device, it is still subjected to or not totally free from interruptions or technical obstacles. Hence, while the said statement tends to be probable, it is not the case all the time. At the highlight of the book’s chapter titled â€Å"The Incredible Expanding Telephone,† the author’s amusing tale about his American Museum of Natural History’s Laserium experience apparently sabotaged himself. It was a totally lame excuse when he said that while appropriately structured utilization of the telephone device has the ability of giving many important and useful services, it is still susceptible to problems as its poor plan may lead to telephone failure. Again, this time Schwartz contradicted and exposed himself to criticism. The author’s above manifestations of self-sabotage represent his usual characteristics as a highly-acclaimed sound designer, producer or creator of promotional advertisements or commercials and telecommunications teacher at New York University. Schwart’s self-sabotage is further proven by another bungle which he wrote in an earlier chapter of the book titled â€Å"The Electronic Classroom. In the said chapter, he extolled on the possibilities of working on recorded items as a form of education aid but again failed. This is because Schwartz offered the following simply as his solid proof of evidence: sound of family members fighting with each other, a walking manic depressive and a telephone dialogue, which he previously taped, with a person planning to commit suicide. Unfortunately for the readers, the said examples of Schwart’s self-sabotage were clearly depicted in the book. Either intentionally or not, the author and his work already lost its efficiency and credibility because Schwartz failed to prove or support his idea that the media, electronic media in particular, is the second God. This is because, unparalleled to God who is perfect, media has its flaws. As regard his other consideration of media as the second God, Schwartz’s once more not succeeded in his another declaration that refined or high-quality and efficient electronic advertisements can definitely sell substandard merchandise on a limited period. This claim has totally contradicted electronic media’s commercials about cigarette products which the author himself praised regretfully in the book. In fact, even his self-tribute chapter on how he envisioned and organized the fight which eventually saved the John Jay College was another proof of his personal destruction. This is because the author again fell short of bringing up any issue of essence or importance regarding the reason behind why the said educational institution is really important to be kept. Resemblance of Respect for God Notwithstanding the above stated flaws, the public may be able to contemplate what is really appealing and motivating about the Schwart’s book. One manifestation of such interesting quality and which is worthy to note is how strongly the people’s outlooks concerning the media certainly remind the readers of our admiration and high esteem for God. Additionally, due to the undeniable influence and assistance of the electronic media, people in post literate or deprived societies are better educated than people of the previous history accounts. Another manifestation of the book’s resemblance of respect for God is the fact that similar to our worship to the Creator, people and the society have high esteem about the need to protect and preserve human life. This is the reason why people in the countryside are too much worried about the proliferation and gravity of street crimes in other areas as what the electronic media is presenting. This is also due to the inclination of people to associate themselves with the people of other societies which they see on television or hear on radio. Media as Provider of Information, an Argument The last thing that is unacceptable to Schwart’s claims is his dispute that due to the overwhelming pieces of information which is accessible to people through electronic media, particularly television, the necessity to learn or specifically to write and read is not that immediate compared to before the arrival and development of the electronic media. With a benefit of the doubt, the author may not have intended this claim as a justification of illiteracy or an assertion that the skill to write and read has not benefits. However, he once again did not succeed in satisfactory stressing that in spite how much people grasp the manner of view and sound or noise due to advance contact or experience of the electronic media, there will still be difficulty in assessment and communication not unless people have learned and are able to write and read. One concrete manifestation of the said argument is Schwartz himself. This is for the reason that there could be a link between his usually disordered, self-conflicting claims and lines of reasoning as well as his automatic and ripped-ridden works. In fact, if not of too much criticism, the author may be literally depicted based from his own claim when he wrote that he led the class for school students who are regarded as â€Å"poor readers and poor listeners† (Schwarts, 1983, p. 128). This observation may be disputed by Schwartz himself especially taking into consideration his surprising power at influencing electronic reflections where even the power of verbal confidence may not be necessary to let the public have a glimpse of the author’s severe yet unproven perspectives and statements. Conclusion There have been many works exemplifying and proving the power or influence of the media to people and the society in general but the Schwartz book is certainly not one of them. This is because of the apparent misleading writing scheme and unsupported concepts presented by the author. While, in a way, he succeeded in imparting to the public the truth about the ability of the media, particularly the electronic media, to affect people and their way of living, his confusing or disillusioned ideas and claims are proof that nothing or no one can equal to God’s level. Schwartz was totally wrong in conveying the idea that the media is the second God for the simple reason that no other entity can be placed next to God, much so paralleled with Him. A critical analysis of the Schwartz book exposes the ineffectivity of the author in his approach to convey his ideas and eventually make the public agree. Additionally, the book unfortunately showed its inadequate and unproven content as well as the substance of the author’s line of thinking. In effect, Schwartz failed in whatever objective he has in doing the book. This is because his intentions are not met and eventually turned out to be futile efforts. The book is nothing but a collection of unsupported concepts and disenchanted theories. Schwartz’s approach or style is not well-founded and convincing simply because of the fact that his main idea that media is the second God is an outright contradiction of the existing view that there is nothing next or even equal to God. The topic about the power or influence of media is definitely relevant or that the material itself is appealing or that the writing style and quality somehow corresponds to the body of literature of that period. However, these good points were immaterial because the author and the book failed in the accuracy or reliability of thoughts organization. This is aside from the fact that majority of the contentions presented by Schwartz were unsupported. For this, it can be construed that the book is generally not valuable to be provided with attention and relevance. Ultimately, Schwartz and his work can be held liable for insinuating the principle that media is the second God precisely for reality that media is a creation of man who, in turn, could not be created without the power of God.

Who Should Be Responsible for Obesity

Who should be responsible for obesity? When it comes to the topic of America’s social problems, most of us will readily agree that the obesity epidemic is one of the major problems in America’s society now. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who is responsible for this problem. Whereas some are convinced â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater†, that the fast-food industry is responsible, other maintains that is a personal responsibility and what you eat is your business.My feeling on the issue are mixed. I do support Radley Balko’s position that it is a personal responsibility â€Å"What you eat is you business†. However I find that Radley Balko has over looked some issue on the corporation’s side and I also agree with David Zinczenko’s argument that it is corporate responsibility. I agree that in the articleâ€Å"What you eat is your business† Radley Balko  states that â€Å"We’re becoming l ess responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else’s.Your heart attack drives up the cost of my premiums and office visits. And if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger? † More and more insurance companies are making ton of money every day, Americans rather spend all their money to pay for premiums health policies but not take care of their own health. But why bother to spend all the money on those policies, we can just put down the cheeseburger and save.People  argue that they don't have time to eat healthy but this is only an  excuse, if we all use five  minutes to pack our own lunch that can change a lot in the society, I know we all busy with all kind of different things in our daily life but we have an hour to watch TV but do not have five  minutes to pack lunch? Even a sandwich with a juice box is healthier than those fast-foods in the street. Isnâ₠¬â„¢t it a health body is most important to our life?In â€Å"  What you eat is your business† Radley Balko also claim that â€Å" Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food available to American consumers, our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being. But we’re doing just the opposite. † 61% of American is overweight in America, government, president, politicians and school board try so many things to ban the fast foods and sodas from school campuses and vending machines, but I think those are wrong way to fight obesity.Government and school board should foster people to eat health, teach them how to manage their diet and tell them the outcomes of not take care their own health, not intervening in the array of food available to American consumers. But I also agree David Zinczenko, â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† insist that† Drive down any thoroughfar e in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit. † Fast-food restaurants are all over the place, how can we avoid it?When we don’t want to cook or on Sunday some families want to eat outside, there is no other choice for them, drive down any thoroughfare fast food restaurant everywhere. It hard to find places where healthier foods are sold; there are inexpensive and convenient compare to fast-food restaurants. There are also a number of convenient stores everywhere, and convenient stores do not just offer chips and sodas, most of them offer fresh fruits, water and other healthy alternatives to â€Å"fast-food†. People can also choose to eat at home, or carry around a healthy snack that they got at home.Eric Schlosser in â€Å"Your Trusted Friend† emphasize that â€Å" Fast food chains annually spend about $ 3 billion on television advertising, their marketing efforts directed at children extend far beyond such conventional ads. The McDonald’s corporation now operates more than eight thousand playgrounds at its restaurants in the United State. A manufacturer of â€Å"Playlands† explains why fast-food operators to build these largely plastic structures:† Playlands bring children, who bring in parents, who bring in money. † Fast food restaurants become gathering spaces for families with young children.Every about 90 percent of American children between the ages of three and nine visit a McDonald’s. Children are the biggest consumer for fast-food restaurants, that’s way fast-food restaurant spend about $3 billion on television advertising and some other promotion, like buy happy meal with free toys. A successful promotions easily double or triple the weekly sales volume of children’s meals. But other side a successful promotions also easily do uble or triple the chance of being obesity. In my opinion I think fast- food over advertise.Even fast food industry influence of the food market is the biggest reason causing us to have obesity, as a consumer we put everything into our mouth, you can blame the fast food industry and the food available to us all day but you actually is responsible for what you eat. You can find all kinds of excuse, but you still have the responsibility to take care of yourself we need to be aware of the problem first, willing to take a step in choosing the right foods, and make an effort to do exercise without this demand at the first place, no one ethical company has the viability to survive in such a cruel demand driven market.

The Importance Of Personal Development Education Essay

With out a program cipher can make their finish. As Bob ( 2010 ) , described that â€Å" Personal development refers to activities that improve self-knowledge and individuality, develop endowments and possible, build human capital and employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realisation of dreams and aspirations. The construct is non limited to self-development but includes formal and informal activities for developing others, in functions such as instructor, usher, counselor, director, manager, or wise man. Finally, as personal development takes topographic point in the context of establishments, it refers to the methods, plans, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the single degree in organisations † Personal development planning is a supported procedure which helps to concentrate on single public presentation and helps to accomplish and develop their bearer. The chief aim of personal development program is to better the capacity of single. Harmonizing to careereducationweb.com personal development is repeatedly seting a individual in a place where we need to be alteration or developed or motivated to make our finish. It takes control of a individual to turn and coercing to go dead. Personal development and growing are critical to success. Most of the people fail to accomplish their end because of deficiency attempt, clip invariables or an incapableness of concentrating on the ends. Harmonizing to heacademy.ac.uk web site PDP is defined as â€Å" a structured and supported procedure undertaken by an single to reflect upon their ain acquisition, public presentation and/or accomplishment and to be after for their personal, educational and calling development. PDP embraces a scope of attack to larning that articulation planning ( an person ‘s ends and purposes for larning or accomplishment ) , making ( alining actions to purpose ) , transcript ( judgement, facts, experience, in order to acknowledge and grounds the process and consequences of larning ) and look reviewing and measure experiences and the consequences of larning. † Personal development program is a procedure which gives a character a clear position of life. And every witting professional should hold a personal development program to accomplish their nonsubjective and make their finish.Importance of Personal Development:Every organic structure got its ain endowment indoors. Every person has its ain thought and endowment. But most of us can non research it because of lacking of personal development. Without growing life is like dull being. Due to lie state of affairss many people can non develop personally. Growth is indispensable portion of life of a individual. Personal development helps to larn which we are capable to larn. Personal development is really of import. It helps to happen out chance to make a better life mentally, physically and spiritually. Personal development is really of import. It helps to happen out chance to make a better life mentally, physically and spiritually. There are few grounds why personal development is of import. First ground is personal development helps you to concentrate on of import things of your life. There are many things in u your life which can deviate you from of import things. For an illustration it could be short – term pleasance. Short term pleasance may do us experience good for short clip but it will be do the long term suffer for hereafter. Merely personal development can direct you on the right way. Second ground is personal development develops our capacity. Personal development non merely concentrate on of import things of our life but besides helps to manage a critical state of affairs. We are capable to confront some specific challenge but personal development increase our bound to manage more hard challenge. Third ground is personal development helps us to link with positive people. When we will affect us in personal development so we will establish many positive people around us. Having this positive people around us, we will be more motivated to travel frontward. Personal development means difficult work. it takes consistency, forbearance and clip. Harmonizing to scotthyoung.com web site if we want our personal development we need to concentrate on deriving bravery which thing we fare of, decilpline, more learning, hope and power. Personal development is an investing for our life. Personal development helps to better our cognition. Personal development is an attitude which helps to better our life. If you want development in our personal life we need to concentrate on Understand yourself Better your consciousness, Work on your attitude, Believe in yourself, potencies Develop your accomplishments, Set your ends, Begin with the terminal in head. It is really of import to under stand my self fist because we need to cognize where is our failing and heterosexual and believe on yourself and be confident. And so put our ends it is really of import to put our end it is impossible with out a end to accomplish something. And last one is set up head. It means we must hold to be confident and promise that I will make it by any opportunity. Allen and Adair ( 1999 ) province that â€Å" There is no ‘end ‘ to the self-development procedure. † The besides show that why this is of import for professional life and where to concentrate on. Personal development helps to better our public presentation, develop appropriate accomplishments and competencies and gain full potency. Every organic structure want a place to work but most of them do n't hold proper set of ends. Merely for this ground most of us can non make our coveted finish. Merely personal development plan can assist us to cognize where to travel how to better our ego and assist us to make our finish. From the above discursion it is clear that personal development is really of import for our life. It gives witting attempt to turn up. Every organic structure grew up with their ain single endowment and accomplishments. Personal development helps us to happen out these accomplishments. Like that I have some accomplishments in my professional life. Team worker: I believe that I am really good squad participant because when I work I like to affect every one into work, expression after single demands and seeks to derive committedness by engagement. I am really good hearer and willing to impart my manus if needed. For my difficult work and as a good squad participant I became associate of the month from my working topographic point. Co- ordinator: I am confident at my work topographic point. I am able to work at busy clip and able to take the challenge. I am ever committed to my organisational end and aim. For those activities I became crew trainer at my working topographic point. A Good Presenter: Presentation accomplishments is really of import for professional life. I conducted a professional accomplishment class and learned how to make it decently. On the first twenty-four hours of my presentation test I run off from speech desk but after that I took that challenge and I got 2nd tallness Markss on my concluding test. I discussed about my three accomplishments which I poses. But I believe that I need more pattern on it. And I need to travel further for more accomplishments which will assist me in hereafter for my professional life.1.2 Importance of Professional Skills:Harmonizing to answer.com web site accomplishments defined as â€Å" Proficiency, sleight that is acquired or developed through preparation or experience. † Professional accomplishment is really of import for personal bearer. We must concentrate on it. Professional accomplishments is a sort of accomplishment that we learned from a company and applied on professional life. The accomplishment and importance are described below: Communication Skills: Communication accomplishments are really of import for professional life. It is really of import to hold a good communicating accomplishment. With out a proper communicating it is impossible to pass on with other and achieve the aim. Performance Management: Performance direction should be see really strongly. It is about to happen out recognized staff and honor them, behavior coaching Sessionss with staff etc. Customer Service: As a director it is really of import to concentrate on client service. It is all about to betterment of client service. Organizational accomplishment: To accomplish an organisational end we must hold to hold organisational accomplishment. Which includes effectual at deputing work, clip direction system etc. Professional development: Professional development is really of import for professional life. It is of import to cognize section functions programs and ordinance of working topographic point. Legal Issue: Legal issue base on understanding the all employment Torahs. Effective legal employment interview etc. Leadership: Make determinations easy and efficaciously monitoring assignments without micromanaging. Team work: Positive ambiance which helps to team work together. Creat chance for other. Problem resolution: With out job work outing attitude it is impossible to run a company. It most of import for professional accomplishment. From the above discursion, it is clear that it is really of import all professional individual. To do a successful bearer those accomplishments are really of import. From the Belbin squad roles – â€Å" Self Perception Inventory † utilizing this tools we can acquire into deepness of importance of professional accomplishments. Plant, resource research worker, coordinates, proctor judge, squad worker, implementer, complete finisher those are the cardinal factor of professional accomplishments. I completed Belbin Team Roles appraisal and found my ego as a squad worker. Which indicate that like to affect with everyone, I like to expressions after single and perceptive and diplomatic. And happen my failing as I could be influenced and indecisive in crunch state of affairss. I attach the tabular array below.Belbin Team Roles Inventory:Key Team Role Team contribution/personal manner Allowable failing PL 26 Plant Generates thoughts. Creative, inventive, irregular, solves hard jobs Ignores inside informations, excessively preoccupied to pass on efficaciously Rhode island 27 Resource research worker Maintains consciousness of resources available outside the squad. Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores chances, develops contacts Overoptimistic, loses involvement one time the initial enthusiasm has passed Carbon monoxide 48 Co-ordinator Ensures internal resources are applied to the squad aim. Mature, confident, a good president, clarifies ends, promotes determination devising, delegates good. Can be seen as manipulative, delegates personal work. SH 43 Maker Shapes the manner the squad operates. Challenging, dynamic, thrives on force per unit area, has the thrust and bravery to get the better of obstructions Can arouse others, hurts peoples feelings Maine 38 Monitor judge Buttockss squad advancement against the aims and mileposts. Sober, strategic and discerning, sees all options, Judgess accurately. Lacks drive and ability to animate others, excessively critical TW 51 Team worker Involves everyone, looks after single demands, and seeks to derive committedness by engagement. Co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic, listens, physiques, averts clash, calms the Waterss Indecisive in crunch state of affairss, can be easy influenced IM 48 Implementer Turns thoughts into practical actions. Disciplined, dependable, conservative and efficient. Slightly inflexible, slow to react to new possibilities Californium 24 Completer closer Ensures the occupation is decently finished. Painstaking, painstaking, dying, searches out mistakes and skips, delivers on clip Inclined to worry unduly, loath to depute, can be a nit-picker. ( Beginning: Conducted by Class Tutor ) My failing are complete finisher. I need to guarantee that the occupation is decently finished or non. I need to develop on clip as good. To acquire more clear position of professional accomplishments, presently which I use Memletic Learning manner stock list. Which is given below: The tonss are out of 20 for each manner. A mark of 20 indicates you use that manner frequently. Style Tonss Ocular 4 Social 13 Physical 10 Aural 13 Verbal 11 Lone 12 Logical 13 Memletic Learning Styles Graph: ( Beginning: www.learning-styles-online.com ) Everybody has its ain strength and failing. Memletic manner helps me to happen out which my heterosexual and failing. From this graphs it is clear that my chief failing is ocular, verbal and lone. And my chief strengths are logical, verbal and societal. To became a successful professional I must necessitate to better my failing because those are my chief obstruction. From graphs it is clear that my chief failing is on ocular. Think it is really of import for a professional individual. This graphs helps me to cognize where I need betterment. And it helps me to better my personal accomplishments2.1 Importance of Skills Audit:A accomplishment audit is an indispensable procedure which helps to mensurate and enter the accomplishments of single or group. The intent of carry oning accomplishments audit are to place the accomplishments presently we have and the accomplishments we need to better. Skills audit helps to reconstitute and develop personal life. Importance of Skills audit: with out accomplishments audit it is impossible to cognize where to better. Using this skills audit information we can better and develop our hereafter program. The chief benefits of accomplishments audits are ; a ) Improve cognition and accomplishments ) Valuable and valid work topographic point plan. , degree Celsius ) Increase productiveness. The accomplishments audit based on three things, those are a ) Behavioural accomplishments, B ) Technical cognition, B ) Other cognition. I have conducted self appraisal accomplishments audit which I given below.Skills Audited account:Knowledge and accomplishments which I consider to be of import for my current Job Your Ability Rating ( 1-5 ) or strong / weak / someplace in between I am a good squad participant. Always try to assist other Friendly which helps to our occupation done decently. I am witting about client demands. I ne'er ignore client complain. Strong Knowledge and accomplishments which I consider to be of import for my hereafter calling Your Ability Rating ( 1-5 ) or strong / weak / someplace in between Involve my ego in different topographic points at my work Necessitate more experience in peculiar place. Need to better communicating accomplishment. Legal issue. Missing of organisational leading accomplishments Poor ( Beginning: Conducted by Class Tutor )Rating Ability:= Some consciousness but non sufficiently competent to utilize it, = Familiar with and able to utilize the cognition or accomplishment ( some competence ) , = Proficient in the cognition or accomplishment and able to demo others how to utilize it = Expert with a high grade of accomplishment and/or comprehensive cognition From the accomplishments audit tolls I found myself need to work hard on communications accomplishments, because it is really of import and need to cognize more about organisational leading accomplishments. And my chief strengths are helpful and difficult worker and client service. 2.2 SWOT Analysis and Precedences: SWOT analysis is tool through which we can place our Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat. For the Personal scheme, SWOT analysis has a bold impact. It helps us for future program and my current state of affairs, where I have improve for my bright bearer. Harmonizing to quintcareers.com web site Randall and Katharine described that SWOT analysis helps to capitalise our strength and over come the hereafter. The demonstrate that SWOT analysis dived into parts -a ) Internal personal development, B ) External personal development.Personal SWOT AnalysisInternal Strength Failing Education Movable Skills Personal characteristicsA Good contactsLack of Work ExperienceWeak proficient cognitionExternal Opportunity MenaceEnhancing instructionPositive tendenciesOpportunities for professional developmentStrong webLack of the advanced education/traininglimited professional developmentAFrom this SWOT analysis, I found that I still I have some strength and chance and some failing. For my personal development I can analyze more which will assist me develop my bearer. I have another strength that is movable accomplishments which helps me to be a good squad member. My failing are deficiency of work experience and proficient cognition. My chance and menace, I can travel for farther instruction to construct up my calling and so I will acquire to be involve with more professional development and strong web.My Five Future Precedences:Higher Education: After finishing this class I will travel for farther instruction which will assist me develop my bearer. Travel: Beyond my higher instruction I will seek to go because it will assist me to contract with different civilization and different people which will assist me to my hereafter. Technical Knowledge: Exploitation of engineering is increasing twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours. So I will seek to affect my ego to maintain my ego up to day of the month with engineering. Involving with Multinational Company: will work for transnational company because this is a topographic point where I will acquire chance to develop my bearer. To make the end: After finishing my grade and making avobe work I want to make my finish and I want to open my new company and develop my ain organisation.3.1 Personal Development Plan:Developing a PDP My demands How can I run into those demands? My Future Aim What are the challenges in my occupation current that I need to run into? Improve Personal development Opportunity to work at direction Position A Work on personal development that will assist me to work at direction place Where do I desire to be in 2 old ages? To go resource research worker Awareness of resources available outside the squad. Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores chances, develops contacts. Where do I desire to be in 5 or 10 old ages? To go a maker A Shapes the manner the squad operates. Challenging, dynamic, thrives on force per unit area, has the thrust and bravery to get the better of obstructions How does that tantrum in with what the pattern wants? A To go a completer closer A Ensures the occupation is decently finished. Painstaking, painstaking, dying, searches out mistakes and skips, delivers on clip What adjustments will I need to do to accomplish what I want? Travel for farther higher instruction. Be more confident and positive What accommodations will other people need to do for me to accomplish what I want? A Provide me good preparation A After holding my preparation I want to work as resource research worker How can I get the better of my proficient obstruction? A Go for farther preparation It will assist me to be up make day of the month about my on the job topographic point. What helps me to be societal? Be more friendly and helpful It will assist me to be more acceptable in my professional life. What should I see to accomplish my end? To do a personal program and put a mark. Personal program will assist to accomplish my end ; Why I need a balance life? Practicing personal development and follow them decently It will assist me to success all the point of my professional life. Without a program it is non possible to make a finish. A is a way manner where it is written really clearly from where to get down and how to complete. To accomplish a coveted finish every organic structure must hold to hold a program. A individual without a program means a bird with out wings. Here I developed my program in table which screening, my needs 2nd 1 is how can I run into those demand and last 1 is my future aim. Here I tried to explicate my current demands which is most of import for me to accomplish my aims. Obstacles is everyplace. To accomplish my ends I would hold to confront some jobs. But in my development program I found some solutions how to over come it. The last 1 is my future aim. where I tried to happen out after my demands and how can I run into those demands what will be my accomplishment. Not it is more clear for me that what is my personal development program and how can I accomplish my finish.3.2 Obstacle to accomplishing aims:Aim Problem I can confront What are the challenges in my occupation current that I need to run into? Work Experience Communication accomplishment. Missing of Information and preparation. Less Job Opportunity Time direction. This universe is altering really foremost. Every twenty-four hours we are confronting new jobs and able to work out every bit good. New chance are lifting and new jobs come to look to accomplish them. Like that I have some obstructions of my bearer to accomplish the obstruction. First obstruction is my current occupation demand. I am working for a company as a trainer but I want me to see more higher place but I cant range at that place. I must hold to hold higher instruction, work experience, trained myself for suited place and better my communicating accomplishments. Question is that how to get the better of those obstructions? We know that there is job, there is a manner. So every job has its solution. First things is that I must hold to work hard and put a end to over come those obstruction. My first obstruction is missing of preparation. In every company where we want to turn up we need a preparation. I believe with a proper preparation I can get the better of my current occupation demands. To get the better of this job I can contract with my senior directors who can assist me to give right way. Work experience is my another obstruction, to over come this job I think I need to concentrate on clip direction. First I need to put my clip how to use it. It could be give some more clip for work topographic point through which I can acquire more experience. Communication accomplishments are became chief cardinal point for a professional. There is no other picks without holding a communicating accomplishment instruction. I think if I study communicating accomplishments and pattern it will be really helpful for my professional life.3.3 Brooding ReportI have covered a broad scope of subjects in Personal Development Skills. The purpose of this class is to cognize our accomplishments and failing and how to develop them and helps to take any challenges. This capable gives right way for life who wants to prosecute their ends and success. Personal development accomplishment helps me to understand my ain personality and ability to alter. It shows me where is my strengths and failing. For illustration I need to pay attending on organisation and clip direction. This topic helps me to put my nonsubjective and helped me to cognize how can I accomplish them. Now I know my chance and menace and where I have to pay more attending. For illustration – heightening my instruction which will assist me to be more confident. I have covered twosome of appraisal here such as Belbin squad function appraisal which helps me to cognize what types of worker I am. I found myself as a effectual squad participant. Which is my menace but still I need to better to take challenge in critical state of affairs, communicative and originative. Memletic appraisal helps me to cognize what sort of personality I have. Which is rather interesting and informational to cognize yourself. It is really utile tools to better personality. And another one is skill audit tools. Using this tools now I able to cognize where I can work efficaciously and what accomplishments still do I need to go successful in professional life. I conducted personal grind analysis. It really of import to cognize the personal strength, failing, menaces and chance. This analysis helps to place obstruction of bearer and demo how to over come it. Personal development accomplishments helps to measure our accomplishments. This topic helps to put up my ends and shows the way which is full of chance. After analyzing this topic it is clear to me that which is my strength, weaknesses where I have chance. To go a successful professional in future I know at which point have to work more. This is a topic which breaks the obstructions and open the new doors for future. At the terminal I would wish to state that analyzing of personal development accomplishment takes charge of future.

Visual Arts - Cultural Artifact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Arts - Cultural Artifact - Assignment Example This paper reviews one of the most famous speeches in history by Abraham Lincoln – the ‘Gettysburg Address’ which can definitely be considered to be a cultural artifact. It indicates the past history and the trying times which the United States was going through at that time. It also set a historical precedence be the abolition of slavery and its ultimate success of having a colored person as its president, Barack Obama. In the process, the speech will also be analyzed using the parameters set forth in Geert Hofstede’s cultural taxonomy. The Gettysburg Address as a cultural artifact: It could be said that each and every American has read or at least heard about this famous speech. It provides the reader a succinct picture about one of the most important periods in American history. This is because of two reasons. One is that it brought about total abolition of slavery. The second was that it had been achieved at great cost namely the Civil War. Historically , this period and the artifact that reflects it are extremely significant. The following excerpt from the speech has been immortalized and will be loved by every freedom loving person on this planet. â€Å"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth† (Lincoln). There are several factors that the reader gets to know from the speech as well as the above line which is in fact the last sentence. The first is the feeling of pride that it communicates. It gives the reader the confidence that America will remain united and that it will continue to be a great nation in the future also. I n other words, the speech has the power to unite all Americans even today. The third is the language and the marvel in the sense that such a short speech can be so powerful. The one factor (to a person uninitiated with US history) is that there is no direct reference to slavery and its abolition. What it does indicate to such a person is that a civil war is going on and that people who believe in freedom should continue what has been started. A lot of people have given up their lives for this cause. It talks about freedom in general and also that the United States is a democratic country run by its people. The historical origin of this artifact is well-known and is a result of the South opposition abolition. Specifically, the speech was delivered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of November 1863 after one of the bloodiest battles of the War. Lincoln prepared the speech only the previous which was to commemorate the soldiers of both sides who had lost their lives in this part icular battle. It was held in the newly constructed cemetery that was to become the final resting place of Union soldiers (Beardsley). As mentioned earlier this literary artifact was created by Abraham Lincoln. It could be said that it was prepared and read by the President himself. It has not been and will never be modified or changed as it is a historical document of a real life event. The

Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international Essay - 1

Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you - Essay Example My mother and father figures have played quintessential roles within our lives and most significantly within my life’s folds. I value them for their coveted place and nothing at all can come close to matching them in entirety. Ever since I have graduated from school in 2001, my parents want me to go for the PhD degree program which would eventually complete me as a qualified and educated person. As we hail from Saudi Arabia, I understand why my parents want me to be educated because my mother brought me to America for completion of my education. Such is the kind of emphasis that our family pays towards education in essence. Both my parents were studying within America and this is one of the reasons why both my parents would require me to be a part of the Chapman University, which is indeed an esteemed place to acquire education. I hope that I can live up to the dreams of my parents and attain the PhD degree at the

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy Coursework

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy - Coursework Example Russia has inherited much of the former Soviet Union’s hard power including a powerful nuclear arsenal and a sophisticated army. It is in a position to capitalize on the ever-increasing instability in the Middle East and the consequent dramatic rise in the oil price.The interests of the Russian energy sector and the foreign policy goals of the Russian states are not only interrelated but also closely intertwined. To a great extent, the energy sector in Russia acts as the global carriers of the Russian state’s immensely self-assertive foreign policy. On the other hand, the international expansion of Russia’s premier energy enterprises is enormously assisted by the potentials of the Russian state. Oil companies such as Gazprom and Lukoil have strengthened their markets word wide and secured sensitive energy ventures. Their influence goes cut through strategically important places in Europe. Even the United States has come to rely much upon Russian energy resources. Moreover, Europe’s energy security is considerably depended upon the energy resources of Russia. Hill (2004) makes it clear that â€Å"on the surface, given prevailing concerns about energy security and increasing demand in the rising economies of Asia on Russia’s eastern borders, Russia’s future prospects in energy seem extremely promising† ( Hill, 2004, p.29). Thanks to the increases in oil production since 1999, Russia is now the world’s major non-OPEC, and non-Middle East and the Persian Gulf, oil supplier. As Peter Davies, BP’s chief economist, pointed out in his June 2004 presentation of BP’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy, thanks to its fast growth in oil production, between 1998-2003, â€Å"Russia alone supplied 46 percent of world oil consumption growth †¦ and exceeded Chinese consumption growth by 23 percent†¦ Russia has the resource base and the potential to increase oil and gas production and exports further – to supply a significant proportion of the world’s rising demands ... Russia can – and will – supply an important part of the growing energy needs of Asia†.

Engineering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Engineering - Research Paper Example It is essential that appliances which were introduced earlier (with usage of old technologies), prevail in energy consumption distribution; see Table above. For instance, energy consumption of the light bulbs, the kettle, and the electric oven takes over than 50% of total energy consumption. Simultaneously, usage of notebook, TV, and CD/DVD player takes less than 10% of total energy consumption in the household. Then, introducing of numerous appliances with high power inputs reflects in ecology due to necessity to make more electric power stations. It is essential that energy consumption can be reduced significantly without compromising human needs. There are several means to reduce adverse effects of usage of appliances with high energy consumption. First step is in limited usage of such appliances, e.g. switching-off non used light bulbs, unplugging seldom-used appliances and chargers for cell phone and other personal gadgets, setting computer to "sleep mode" or "hibernate mode", etc. Next step is more radical. This is replacement of appliances with high power inputs by equivalent appliances with less power inputs. For instance, replacement of old CRT monitor or TV by new TFT monitor or TV panel can significantly reduce energy consumption because these appliances are often used. ... However, these appliances need for enormous power supply and engineering support of appropriate infrastructure. It is essential that appliances which were introduced earlier (with usage of old technologies), prevail in energy consumption distribution; see Table above. For instance, energy consumption of the light bulbs, the kettle, and the electric oven takes over than 50% of total energy consumption. Simultaneously, usage of notebook, TV, and CD/DVD player takes less than 10% of total energy consumption in the household. Then, introducing of numerous appliances with high power inputs reflects in ecology due to necessity to make more electric power stations. 3. How to save energy in the household It is essential that energy consumption can be reduced significantly without compromising human needs. There are several means to reduce adverse effects of usage of appliances with high energy consumption. First step is in limited usage of such appliances, e.g. switching-off non used light bulbs, unplugging seldom-used appliances and chargers for cell phone and other personal gadgets, setting computer to "sleep mode" or "hibernate mode", etc. Next step is more radical. This is replacement of appliances with high power inputs by equivalent appliances with less power inputs. For instance, replacement of old CRT monitor or TV by new TFT monitor or TV panel can significantly reduce energy consumption because these appliances are often used. Replacement of standard light bulbs (100W) by low-energy fluorescent bulbs (less than 20W) is another example of such strategy. Many of new appliances use half the energy of those from decade ago. It is necessary to note that usually new appliances ar e more ergonomic and safe. Finally, there are

Maritime Logistics Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Maritime Logistics Assignment 1 - Essay Example For efficient working of several global systems, there must be a system, which facilitates the movement of the goods and the related products. Maritime logistics is the system that is used to facilitate the movement of goods and related products from place to the other. Maritime logistics is mainly concerned with the movement of goods and services from one location to the other mainly via the sea. Maritime logistics can be simply defined as a detailed coordination of maritime activities with relation to people, facilities, and supplies (Mangan, Lalwani and Butcher, 2008, p. 8) Maritime logistics is used to facilitate the movement of raw materials and finished products between the producer, manufacturer, supplier, and consumer. There are various types of cargo transported using the maritime logistics. Types of cargo transported by the maritime logistics companies include: Containerized cargo: This refers to the cargo that is transported in containers that are standardized. This type o f cargo is very easy to handle as various types of equipment have been specifically designed to handle the containerized cargo. Project cargo: This refers to machinery and equipment that is exported or imported by a certain party for performance of a specific purpose. This type of cargo is difficult to handle as cargo size, shape and weight usually vary, hence making it difficult for the equipment to handle them without causing damage. Automobiles: This refers to the vehicles and similar equipment. Break bulk cargo: This refers to goods that are transported in bulk without being containerized. The main types of goods transported in this method are mineral and ores. Among the most important aspects of maritime logistics are the cost of provision of services, speed in which the products will ultimately reach the intended person, and the quality of services that the company provides. A company that is able to effectively utilize the above aspects usually has a competitive edge over the other companies. Navex maritime Navex maritime is a maritime logistics company based in Antwerp, Belgium. The company was formed in 1993 after the merger of the commercial activities of Navex N.V and Van Meerbeek & Company. Both companies had been in existence for a long time, with Navex N.V having been formed in 1919 and Van Meerbeek & Co. having been formed in 1946 (Navex maritime logistics company website 2011). In 2005, the company ventured into the global forwarding business. Navex logistics is mainly involved in the maritime trade as a sales agent to the ship owners, provision of third party logistic and in the forwarding of freight. The company mainly specializes in oil and gas industry and mainly handles break bulk cargo (Navex maritime logistics, company website 2011). The company’s strategic location in Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe - after Rotterdam – enables it to benefit from the volume of trade and cargo, which passes through the port to oth er parts of Europe. Antwerp is also among the 10 largest ports in the world. Main competitors Navex maritime faces stiff competition from the other large maritime logistics companies that have their operations in all the regions of the world including Belgium. These companies include Mediterranean shipping company, the largest maritime logistics company, A.P-Mollar Maersk group, Evergreen, P&O and MOL. Due to the fact that maritime trade is global, these large companies control a sizeable proportion of the

Characteristics of a Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Characteristics of a Problem - Essay Example Problems are always complex dealing with the interrelation of variables and not solely focused on one entity. And lastly, problems deals with time consideration as there is a certain time frame which they should be solved before they get worse. In our workplace, there has been a problem of motivation in the sales department. This problem presented itself in unmet sales quotas and the prevalent absenteeism among account executives. Inefficient motivation strategies were firs unclear as the sales manager was unaware of what is really happening with his sales team. Secondly, she knew that there is a certain goal which should be met—high profitability—yet was unsure whether to change compensation scheme in order to provide higher benefits to employees. This option might have motivated the sales team but will cause ballooning of costs. This shows the complexity which underlies the problem. Lastly, as the level of sales was monitored monthly, there is a pressure for the manager to act immediately to solve the situation. 2. How should a problem be investigated and identified? What are five steps to be considered while framing a problem? Provide us a problem which you could apply this process to. Be specific. (200 words) There are five steps which should be considered in solving problems: identify the problem; evaluate alternatives; select alternatives; implement the solution; and evaluate the results. This systematic way of framing a problem is commonly considered whether in business organizations, home or school. An application of this approach can be seen in a company which is contemplating in bringing its product into the global market instead of just selling them in the local market. Suppose that the problem is where to take the product considering the slowdown in stable economies like US and Europe. The company then evaluates available alternatives by looking at market

Do you have to believe in Reason to believe in Democracy Essay - 1

Do you have to believe in Reason to believe in Democracy - Essay Example As such, it is prudent to acquire â€Å"education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God† (Obama). Though some nations are not well developed, they have to make different approaches in strengthening their democracy. There are reasons why people should believe in democracy. â€Å"More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many† (Obama). Their rights were infringed as the colonial era was still ruling. With such instances, people felt that there was a need for another approach in salvaging the situation. This was an initiative that would bring a better solution to the people that felt they were infringed as they did not exercise their rights. This is the initial step in people believing in democracy. Democracy was the initial approach which enabled people to start advocating their rights. Without democracy, gender equality would have never been annihilated. Apparently, women are to be gi ven equal opportunities just as the male gender. Obama states that women should not be regarded as lesser human beings as they are equal to others. He states, â€Å"I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality† (Obama). As such, the president of the United States insists that there should be corporation and coexistence between the male gender and female gender. This is one of the fruits that have been achieved through democracy. Though colonialism instigated some tension on the rights of people, this is an era that has been alienated. Therefore, people should focus on giving others equal opportunities which will instill democracy and disciplined existence in the human fraternity. Democracy is a social way of expressing people’s views. Obama states that some relationships are strengthened by divergent views of people. He states that there is a need to empower people that embrace peace, as this will help solve conflicts. As such, there will be justice and prosperity. The society has a large number of people that had divergent views. As such, they will continue to express their divergent views in different places. Since the society has a large number of people, some people will be forced to have the same reaction with others. This creates a scenario where some communities in groups are of a similar opinion. Consequentially, Obama states that there is a need to seek reconciliation between the United States and the Muslim fraternity. A new beginning will enhance â€Å"principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings† which will pave the way for greater democracy (Obama). This stimulates their unity as they would wish to fight for their opinion. When a larger group of the community is in support of a particular opinion, it is evident that the larger community will push their opinion to greater heights. As such, their decision will be highly accepted. This is backed by the many supporter s that are of the same opinion. Therefore, believing in democracy is a good reason to push forward views that are acceptable by a larger number of people. If this is not done, the opinion of many people in society will not be adhered to. This limits the continuity of society especially in making vital decisions. Democracy is a way of enhancing progress and development. It helps people and the community to shape their lives. For instance, people that shape up the community are people in power. These are the people that have a mandate to control the

Training circuit Essay Example for Free

Training circuit Essay The graph below shows my heartrate from week 1-3 of my training circuit. As you can see the first thing I did was to take my resting pulse rate, this was to act as a baseline so I could work out how quickly my heart rate recovers after I complete the circuit. As you can see the resting pulse is inconsistent throughout this is because some weeks I did some exercise before I took my pulse rate. I am pleased with the results of my heart rate as it shows that I have become fitter over the time I have been doing my circuits. I know this because each week I have a faster recovery rate Week 4-6 results are different to week 1-3 as in week 4-6 we were doing the circuit twice so this meant my heart beat was obviously higher after I completed the circuit as I had worked harder. A good thing about theses results is that it shows my fitness has improved from week 4-6 and it shows my circuit was a success  After each training session I recorded how I thought the circuit went. I recorded the way I felt after each session and what I thought I could improve on the next time I did the circuit. Below are the results: Week 1  On the whole taking into consideration it was the first time I had done the circuit, I thought week one went well. I was pleased with my sprint start results but I thought I could have done better on the ladders. The good thing that came out of this session was that it highlighted that there was room for improvement. I was overall pleased with my general performance. Week 2  I felt I had improved from last week and this was evident from my results. The one thing I was disappointed with was my press ups, as my score had lowered by 5 from the previous week. The thing I thought Id done the best on was the Illinois test as I knocked a second of my previous result. I was also pleased that I managed to improve on the ladders as I got 31 compared to 22 last week. Next week I hope to improve on press ups. Week 3  I wasnt too pleased with my performance as I felt I hadnt really improved from the last time I did the circuit. Although I managed to improve my score on the sit ups and skipping I failed to improve on the other stations. Next week I hope to improve my performance on all the stations although I realise I will have to pace myself as I have to do the circuit twice next week. Week 4  This week I did my circuit twice this meant that my results might not have been as good as the previous weeks because of the extra exercise involved , it also meant that I had to pace myself. The first time around I was pleased with how I performed and I actually managed to improve on my results from the previous week in the majority of stations. The only problem was that after the first time round I was very tired so I new this would effect my performance on the second circuit lap. The second time around I thought I performed well on certain stations which didnt involve much physical exercise such as the co-ordination test but not so good on physically demanding station. Next week I will try to improve my results on the second time I do the circuit. Week 5  I felt this week went well and I thought it was my best performance as I managed to get some of my best results so far on the majority of the stations. I was especially pleased with my results on the skipping as I beat my previous scores .The second time I did the circuit I felt it went well as I managed to get better results than the previous week. This showed that I have improved over the weeks and my stamina has improved. Next week will be my last week of doing the circuit therefore I will try my hardest to better all my previous results. Week 6  I was pleased in the way I performed in this week and it highlighted how much I had improved over the past 6 weeks. In all the stations I did ,I had improved on the results from the first week. After completing the circuit I was pleased with the level of effort I had put in and also how much I had improved. Evaluation I applied overload and progression into my circuit by increasing the time and intensity of which I did each station. Overload is a key thing needed in the training circuit, as when you are in your threshold you are working at your best so you are most likely to improve. By applying progression it makes my body work to its full potential, I will apply progression by extending the amount of times I do the circuit starting with once a week then progressing to twice a week. This will improve my fitness by making my body work harder. I believe I chose the right stations in order to improve my football skills and fitness. I believe I balanced my stations well as some were designed to improve my fitness and others were designed to improve my skill. I feel I could have perhaps put more stations into my circuit and this would have helped to improve my fitness further, as I only had 10 stations, where I could have had 12. I felt however that the stations chosen were the right ones and were the best to help me achieve my goal. If I was to change anything I would have done without the Stalk Stand , as I didnt feel it helped and also my results on this station didnt improve throughout the 6 weeks. A good thing about my circuit was that it was easy to manage in the way that it was easy to set up, record and to perform .This was because I had done lots of planning before I began my circuit so I new exactly what I was doing step by step. Recording my results wasnt really a problem as I had already planned how I was going to record each station and even made predictions as to how I was going to perform on each station . One of the main criticisms of my circuit was that I do not believe it was in the correct order and I wish I had taken more time to design it before hand. A problem with not having stations in the right order was that I got tired quickly as I had ladders before step ups and in practise this was a bad decision as these were two physically demanding tasks. What I should have done was to put a less physically demanding station between the two and by doing this I would have given myself more of a rest. I would also have been able to pace myself better making sure I got the best scores possible on each station. On the whole I believe my circuit went well, as I thought it was at the right level in comparison to my fitness. It was important to make my circuit at the right level as if it had been too easy then it wouldnt have made me work in my threshold, therefore it would have been unlikely that I would have improved my fitness. Also if I had made my circuit too hard it would have meant that I would have been a lot more likely to pick up an injury and also I wouldnt have been able to perform as well at each station. I did enjoy completing my training circuit as I enjoy keeping fit. I believe this was one of the main reasons my training circuit was successful as when you enjoy doing something you put more effort into it. I felt I did push myself to the limit on each station of my circuit. I know this because of how I felt physically and my results proved it as they show my fitness has improved over the 6 week period. Overall I am very pleased with the way I completed the training circuit and I am pleased with my results.

Writing an extended essay in economics Essay Example for Free

Writing an extended essay in economics Essay Approaching an extended essay in any subject area can be an intimidating prospect. However, like most large tasks, the essay is much more manageable if you take it one step at a time and rely on your advisor to lead you in productive directions. What makes for a good economics EE? You may want to look at some previous essays I have on file in my room to get an idea for the scope of topics that recent students have undertaken. There is a lot of variation, but successful ones are nearly always based on a central question that the author attempts to answer. Investigating this question will lead you to review the research of others, to synthesize others work in new ways, and to conduct theoretical or empirical research on your own. In its most basic form, your essay should be an argument, using tools of research and reasoning appropriate to the field of economics, in response to the central question you have chosen to investigate. Producing a good EE can be broken down into a series of stages, as outlined below. Each stage involves a substantial amount of work and, to some degree, must be completed before the following stages can proceed. Steady progress throughout the EE process is crucial to produce a successful essay. Students who achieve the benchmarks for progress set by their advisor are usually able to minimize the amount of stress arising as the final essay deadline approaches. Choosing a topic Selecting a good topic is the first step in a successful research project. You will be devoting considerable energy over an extended period to studying this topic, so it is important to choose an area in which your interest is likely to be sustained through the lengthy research and writing process. Within your area of interest, the most crucial issue is do-ability. A major cause of disappointment and frustration for students is choosing a topic on which it is difficult to make progress, either because the question is so large that they cannot manage it or because the question topic cannot be easily investigated using the tools that they command. While you are the best authority on your own areas of interest, you will have to rely on your advisor’s advice, to help you find a specific topic that you can complete on time with the resources that are available. Specific, focused topics are almost always better than highly general or vague ones. Questions like How can we reduce water pollution? or What determines the rate of technological progress? are so broad that an adequate answer could not fit into an extended essay. However, once you have a general topic, you will need to undertake research in order to narrow it down. Reviewing relevant literature All scholars in economics build on the shoulders of others. The first step of your thesis research is to search broadly and deeply to find out what others have discovered about your question. There are many resources available to help you with this search. Everything you read will contain citations to earlier work on related topics. SSRN, EBSCO and Questia, on-line libraries, are excellent resources for economics research. If you cast your net broadly at the beginning, and devote time to this part of the research process, you are more likely to acquire the theoretical background that is essential to conducting further research. As you begin reading for your EE, you should also begin writing. You will need to keep detailed notes on everything you read, including full bibliographic information in the appropriate format. (Be very sure that your notes distinguish between the authors words and your own. Plagiarism can arise inadvertently if you aren’t careful). Photocopy all passages you think you might want to quote and any tables that contain useful data. The notes you make as you read can be the basis of your â€Å"literature-review section†, which is an important part of any research essay. Collecting data If you are doing an EE that requires empirical data, and a good EE will, your biggest obstacle is likely to be assembling your data base. Since you cannot proceed with your analysis until your data are in place, the prompt completion of your data collection is of critical importance. Much of what you need is likely to be easily available through standard published or electronic sources. But there may be other data series for which you will have to search extensively and some you may not ever find there are almost always snags. The first step in data collection is to compile a wish list. You should consider the characteristics of the data that are most desirable for your study. List all of the variables that you think you might need. If you have doubts about the availability of some variables up front, formulate strategies for doing without them in case you cannot obtain them. Once you have your list, start collecting numbers and entering them into your computer data base. The earlier you organize your data into data tables, the better. Creating results Once you have reviewed the relevant literature and collected the data you need for any empirical work you plan to do, you are ready to get down to the central task of research: creating results. The way that you achieve these results depends entirely on the research methodology you and your advisor have chosen. It may involve theoretical reasoning using economic models, combining and/or comparing the results of others, interpreting numerical data, or conducting surveys/experiments. About all that can be said in general about the process of creating results is that some aspects of the results are very likely to surprise you. Solutions of theoretical models, and experimental outcomes usually do not end up exactly as you envisioned them at the beginning. If these results arrive just a few days before the draft of your essay is due, you are unlikely to have time to develop a satisfactory explanation for them or to conduct the additional research that would resolve them. At a bare minimum, you should plan to have all of your results generated two weeks before the first draft of your essay is due. This will give you at least a little time to reflect on and refine them in the completed essay. Finishing the Essay The last stage of preparing your EE draft is the formulation of your conclusions and the preparation of the draft itself. At this stage, you turn all the work have done into a coherent argument, starting with your central question, explaining how your work builds on that of others toward an answer, describing and interpreting your results, then summing everything up with your conclusions. The argument should flow naturally from a statement of the question to a discussion of the contribution of others to a description of your own research to your formulation of an answer. Each section should advance the argument, following from the previous piece and leading to the next one. If a section does not relate to the overall argument of your thesis, it should not be in the essay. It is advisable to leave a week or so before the first draft is due to reread the entire essay and make sure that the pieces fit together. At all stages of writing, you need to deal with issues of formatting. Make sure to include appropriate references and citations in a consistent format the minute you put pen to paper. Do not think that this is something you can do once you finish writing. Additionally, you will need to sequence the numbers of your sections, figures, and tables, produce a table of contents and write an abstract. Revisions Regardless of how good the first draft of your essay is, your advisor will have comments and suggestions for improvement. Arguments that seem clear to you may not be as readable to someone else. There may be flaws in empirical work or theoretical arguments that are not apparent until the entire EE is read in proper sequence. As soon as your advisor tells you that they have finished their reading, you should pick up your draft and read through their comments. You will need to meet with your advisor to discuss the essay and clarify what revisions are necessary. It is to your benefit to understand and fulfill the expectations about revisions since you will have only one chance to improve your essay. Adapted from: http://academic.reed.edu/economics/thesis/writing.html Useful links to further links/sources of economic information/data: http://cc.ysu.edu/~eeusip/internet_data_sources.htm#INTERNET%20SOURCES http://www.pitzer.edu/academics/field_groups/economics/research.asp

The Rise in Penal Populism | Dissertation

The Rise in Penal Populism | Dissertation Abstract Since the mid-1970s onward, the vast majority of Western countries have experienced a significant plus continual rise in their incarceration rates, leading to the problem of overcrowded prisons. We examine the extent to which the ‘incarceration boom’ of many modern societies can be attributed to the phenomenon of penal populism. Specifically, we argue that some short-lived actual crime waves during the late 1970s and 1980s may have initially generated a small amount of rational penal populist sentiment among the public, it is the strong divisions within the increasingly heterogeneous public (both politically and ethnically), the central government, and the popular media industry of many democratic developed nations which have ultimately sustained the growth of both penal populism and prison population numbers. Furthermore, we focus on the types of crime that are most commonly targeted by strong penal populist sentiments in the public and criminal justice system, and suggest that all such categories of crime can be fundamentally linked to the cultural ‘purification’ of children which has taken place in virtually all Western societies during the latter half of the twentieth century. Finally, we consider the limitations of penal populism, referring to those few post-industrial states where such populist punitiveness has been largely resisted, and postulate what the end-stage consequences of a penal populist movement spanning over the past three decades are likely to be. 1. Introduction The term ‘penal populism’ denotes a punitive phenomenon that has become characteristic of many modern industrial societies, especially within Western liberal democracies since the late twentieth century onward, whereby anti-crime political pressure groups, talk-back radio hosts, victim’s rights activists or lobbyists, and others who claim to represent the ‘ordinary public’ have increasingly demanded of their governments that harsher policies and punishments be enforced by the relevant organs of the criminal justice system (e.g. law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, legislators, etc.) in order to combat the perceived rise in serious crime rates (Pratt, 2006). One direct consequence of the increasingly severe ‘tough on crime’ measures – such as ‘Life means Life’, ‘Three Strikes’, and ‘Zero Tolerance’ policies – exercised in many economically advanced countries from the mid-1970s onward has been an unprecedented rapid rise in the incarceration rates of these respective nations, leading to the problem of overcrowded prisons. The United States epitomises the tempo of the modern change in national imprisonment rates, and currently has the worst problem of prison overcrowding on a global scale. Indeed, ‘American incarceration numbers [have] increased fivefold between 1973 and 1997’(Caplow and Simon, 1999, p63). More recently, ‘in 2004 the United States surpassed Russia in incarceration rates to become the world leader. With 2.2 million individuals inside (assuming a U.S. population of 290 million in 2004, that is an incarceration rate of approximately 759 adults in prison per 100,000 residents of the United States) and upwards of 7 million individuals either on parole, probation or awaiting trial, 1 in every 33 people in the U.S. is currently under state control and the number is growing’(State-Wide Harm Reduction Coalition, 2005). Clearly, an interpretation of the widespread incarceration rise must be able to accurately explain its rapidity, extent, and endurance on a global scale. There are two principal explanations for why such a large number of developed countries have experienced an ‘incarceration boom’ over the past three decades. Both theoretical models assert that it is changes in penal policies plus sentencing practices, rather than simply significant increases in crime rates alone, which are the primary factor responsible for driving prison population growth, but there is considerable disparity between the two theories about the causes of penal policy changes. One ‘crime wave’ hypothesis posits that actual rising crime rates in many Western countries, including the vast expansion of drug crime during the late twentieth century, have resulted in a greater rational public demand for the criminal justice system to take more severe punitive measures against convicted dangerous criminals (i.e. those offenders who pose the highest threat to public safety and social order; the criminal offenders most commonly targeted by penal populism in modern societies shall be considered in detail below), such as a more frequent use of incarceration with longer custodial sentences. In contrast, the second ‘political opportunism’ hypothesis suggests that many majority government parties have intentionally overstated the size and severity of the national crime problem in order to heighten public fears or instil ‘moral panic’ over perceived (as opposed to actual) rising crime rates, which are merely a political artefact, and subsequently utilise harsher crime control policies to win electoral favour (Caplow and Simon, 1999). Importantly, irrespective of which mechanism has in actual fact been operating across numerous advanced industrial states, and has led to the observed excessive growth in prison population sizes, both explanatory models can clearly be regarded as strongly related to the presence of penal populism. The critical difference between the two theories is whether the main original source of those penal populist sentiments can be accurately considered to be the public or the state, or both. According to the first model, which may be described as the public-induced penal populism hypothesis, it has been the persistent public demand for the government to impose harsher punitive measures on convicted criminals which has primarily caused the fast-paced escalation of incarceration numbers in many modern nations. In other words, the criminal justice systems in these countries have largely been exercising a regime of penal excess because constant pressure from a large sector of the public (in response to an actual rise in crime rates) has compelled them to do so. In comparison, the second model, which we may refer to as the state-induced penal populism hypothesis, postulates that within many Western countries the government parties in power have often created and sustained an artificial appearance of rising crime rates in order to instil widespread public anxiety. Subsequently, the majority government (and individual politicians) can be observed by the public to be apparently controlling the perceived illusory crime problem, such as through adopting and enforcing ‘tough on crime’ measures, and thereby attain public popularity to secure their party’s (or their own) success in the next general election. The second model further suggests that the government is not the only state institution in developed nations which benefits from overstating the scale of the dangerous crime threat, but that there are also large rewards for popular media outlets or news companies willing to do so. It is argued by many criminologists that within almost all democratic Western countries, the central government and the popular media, which are both fragmented into multiple competing party’s or companies, are highly dependent on addressing and reporting criminal activity that specifically victimises ‘ordinary people’ in order to retain electoral votes and public ratings, respectively. Hence, the state-induced penal populism hypothesis proposes that politicians and media outlets lead rather than merely follow or passively represent the public opinion: the public only supports or appears to ‘demand’ the government’s harsher punitive policy strategies because the same national government and popular media industry (as two powerful state institutions) have manufactured a compelling false image of prevalent serious crime which has instilled strong penal populist sentiments in a large proportion of that public. The central aim of the following examination is to determine which of these two distinctive theoretical positions is most likely to be correct. It is of course possible that the public-induced penal populism mechanism primarily operates in one developed nation, while in another Western country it may be the state-driven penal populism process that is predominant. However, to the extent that the relatively recent phenomenon of globalisation has resulted in many common economic, social, political, and cultural practices being widely adopted by a number of modern industrial states, one may plausibly expect a similar (if not identical) mechanism of generating penal populism to be present in the developed nations affected by prison population growth, especially with regard to the United States and Western Europe. At the outset, we may hypothesise that although some short-lived real increases in Western crime rates during the late 1970s and 1980s may have initially triggered some rational penal populist sentiments among the public of these modern societies, it has been the combined interaction of both political opportunism and media opportunism which has acted as a powerful vehicle in numerous modern societies for distorting the public’s common view of the national crime problem, and ultimately for sustaining the growth of both penal populism plus prison populations, regardless of how those crime rates may have subsequently changed (and in most developed countries they have steadily declined). One fundamental feature of the modern incarceration surge over the past three decades that is observed in virtually all countries affected by rapid prison growth is the significant proportion of these prison populations that has become comprised of racial minorities, including both of resident ethnic groups and of non-citizen illegal immigrants. As one study (O’Donnell, 2004, p262) remarks, ‘one factor that accounts for rising prison populations across Europe is the incarceration of ‘foreigners’. It is likely that prison accommodation in the Republic of Ireland will be used to hold growing numbers of failed asylum seekers, at least pending deportation. It is also inevitable that the composition of the prison population will change as members of minority groups begin to appear before the courts on criminal charges’. In terms of the racial minorities imprisonment trend in the United States, Caplow and Simon (1999, p66) assert that ‘it is undeniable that the incarcerated population is disproportionately composed of minorities (especially African Americans and Hispanics), and that the disproportion has increased during the period of rising imprisonmentThe period of rapid growth in incarceration rates has seen a significant increase in the proportion of minorities in the inmate population, especially among drug offenders, the fastest growing segment of that [prison] population’. As is the case with most Western European countries, the United States prison sector has also experienced a mass round up of illegal immigrants or non-citizens during the last three decades, who in 2003 made up 40% of federal prisoners (State-Wide Harm Reduction Coalition, 2005). Ultimately, therefore, it is apparent that the incarceration boom in many developed countries has primarily affected various racial minority populations present within these nations. It is the cumulative incarceration of racial minorities that is significantly responsible for the prison overcrowding problem commonly observed. Thus, one crucial question that we must address in the following study is what has caused (and continues to cause) the increased imprisonment of racial minority populations, relative to the incarceration rate of the racial majority host population (typically white), within the modern industrial societies affected by prison overcrowding? Specifically, we shall seek to determine whether pervasive ‘penal racism’, indicated by a greater tendency in developed nations for both the law enforcement system to arrest and subsequently for the criminal justice system to imprison ethnic or non-white defendants compared with white ones who have committed the same offence, is sufficient to explain the large racial differentials observed in incarceration rates, or not. The methodology of the following study consists entirely of literature-based research and analysis. 2. The Origins of Penal Populism: Real Crime Waves versus Political and Media Opportunism It is widely acknowledged that the prevalent public sentiment in many developed countries to ‘get tough’ with criminals has played a central role in catalysing the incarceration surge which has occurred in these nations since the mid-1970s onward, an influential social movement that is referred to as penal populism. Furthermore, whether one regards the source of that penal populism as stemming from a rational public response to actual rising crime rates or, conversely, as triggered by public exposure to political and media manipulation, the measured strength of the public’s demand on their respective democratic governments to impose harsher punitive measures on convicted criminals has remained consistently high over the thirty year period of vast growth in incarceration numbers. For example, with regard to the United States, one study notes that the time series of public responses to the survey question of whether courts are too lenient has remained highly stable since 1972 (Caplow and Simon, 1999). The significant temporal correlation in many modern industrial states between the onset of strong public desire since around the mid-1970s for more stringent crime policies and the period of rapid prison population growth is a clear indication of the vital part that penal populist sentiments have played in causing prison overcrowding. One may plausibly argue that the strong growth of penal populist sentiments in most advanced industrial societies over the past three decades has been initially generated by temporary real increases in crime (including the rapid expansion of a drug-crime economy during the 1980s) and sustained by an increased reliance of governments on implementing harsher crime control measures (rather than more effective social welfare policies) to gain public support plus secure electoral favour. Accordingly, we intend to demonstrate that penal populism in developed nations is a product of both short-lived actual crime waves and manipulative political opportunism. Indeed, one would theoretically expect the two factors operating in conjunction to result in a significantly larger escalation in incarceration rates (as is in fact observed) than would occur if only one of these forces was present in isolation. As one study has observed, ‘tough on crime’ policies produce prison population increases only to the degree that offenders are available to be imprisoned (Zimring and Hawkins, 1991). Conversely, an increase in crime rates would also not produce a corresponding increase in imprisonment rates unless some suitably punitive crime control measures were in place. During the last thirty years there has also certainly occurred in many Western countries a greater dependence of competing popular media companies, both television and the press, on selectively reporting dangerous (i.e. worse than normal) crime on an almost daily basis, simply in order to maintain or increase viewer and reader ratings. By portraying the national crime problem as more severe and more prevalent than in reality, individual popular media outlets (e.g. tabloid newspapers) in developed nations have become more appealing to public viewers than their quality media counterparts (e.g. broadsheet newspapers) who often object to distorting or manipulating the reporting of crime news. Since the late twentieth century onward, crime news has become a fundamental component of the public’s staple diet. As Pratt (2007, p68) suggests, ‘the reporting of crime is inherently able to shock [and] entertain, sustaining public appeal and interest, selling newspapers and increasing television audiences. Furthermore, the way in which crime is used to achieve these ends is by selective rather than comprehensive reportingHowever, it is not only that crime reporting has quantitatively increased; there have also been qualitative changes in its reporting: it is prone to focus more extensively on violent and sexual crime than in the pastThese qualitative and quantitative changes in crime reporting can be attributed to the growing diversity of news sources and media outletsAs a consequence, both television and the press have to be much more competitive than used to be the case. Their programmes have to be packaged in such a way that they become more attractive to viewers than those of their rivals and competitors’. Evidently, given that it is typically the most popular newspapers (such as the tabloid press in Britain) which feature the greatest number and severity of crime stories, it means that the most common representations of crime, portrayed in ‘the form of randomised, unpredictable and violent attacks inevitably committed by strangers on ‘ordinary people’, reach the greatest audience’(Pratt, 2007, p70). Thus, it is clear that within modern society the potential benefits to popular media outlets from inaccurately amplifying the danger plus scale of national crime in the public’s perception are equally as large as the rewards for politicians willing to do so. With regard to addressing the (largely fabricated) immediacy of the criminal activity problem, therefore, media opportunism and political opportunism are proximately linked in virtually all post-industrial countries where penal populist currents are strongly established. As well as magnifying the size of the dangerous crime problem, the popular media in many Western countries further continually seeks to undermine the current sentencing practices of the criminal justice system, regardless of how harsh they have become over the past three decades. In the same way that the crime stories reported by the popular media are scarcely representative of the actual nature of everyday crime within developed nations, the court stories followed are rarely illustrative of everyday sentencing practices. According to Pratt (2007), that media misrepresentation then reinforces the common public opinion that courts are too lenient, even though they have become significantly more punitive, in addition to fuelling the widely held public sentiment that the crime rate is constantly escalating when recent statistics indicate that crime is in fact steadily declining in most modern societies. Thus, in its reporting style, crime analysis by the Western popular media has become ‘personalised’ rather than ‘statisticalised’, since: 1) it prioritises the experiences of ordinary people (especially crime victims) over expert opinions 2) News reports are more prone to focus on the occasional failings of criminal justice officials as opposed to their many successes. Indeed, in the vast majority of modern societies, the ‘citation of criminal statistics has become a code for softness on crime and callousness towards its victims’(Pratt, 2007, p88), which simply provides the popular media with further scope to legitimately overstate the scale and severity of everyday crime in developed states. For these reasons, the media outlets in many Western countries have played a significant role in facilitating the continual growth of penal populist sentiments among the public. 3. The Transient Growth of a Drug-Crime Economy in Developed Countries It is highly pertinent that the vast expansion in drug crime within many Western nations during the late 1970s and 1980s coincided precisely with the onset of rapidly escalating incarceration rates in these same countries. As is asserted, ‘the growth in nondrug crime has simply not been sufficient to sustain the rapid growth of imprisonment. By the 1970s there was already an active culture of drug use and networks of drug importation/sales in the United States, but their economic importance increased in the 1980s due to new products and distribution strategies, especially for ‘crack’ cocaine. That transformation in the marketing of illegal drugs coincided with political decisions to intensify the punishments for drug crimes. The result was an enlargement of the population available for criminal justice processing’(Caplow and Simon, 1999, p71). It is crucial to acknowledge, therefore, that in any modern industrial society there is not a rudimentary causal link between a greater public desire for severity in criminal sanctions and a sustained growth in incarceration numbers; other conditions must be present. Specifically, ‘a key condition is a large pool of offenders available to be imprisoned’(Caplow and Simon, 1999, p93). Although there had also been documented transient increases in the number of offenders committing nondrug crimes such as violent crime, property crime (larceny), and sex crime in modern societies during the 1980s, these numbers tended to fluctuate in cycles over time, and could not account for the continual rise in incarceration rates observed. In contrast, the number of drug crime offences had remained consistently high throughout the 1980s in virtually all developed countries that have experienced an incarceration boom. However, in most Western nations the total drug crime rate then started to steadily decline during the 1990s largely due to the much harsher punishments being imposed on drug crime offenders (both petty and serious) by the criminal justice systems in these states. One valid explanation for the persistently high rate of drug crime during the 1980s is the ‘economic base’ principle. Specifically, while the average monetary yield of larceny, violence and sex offences is very low, drug crime represents one of the only categories of felony where the potential financial returns are extremely high, and that provides a strong economic incentive for individuals living in poverty. Hence, drug smuggling and trafficking are the only illegal activities capable of providing a solid economic base for a large criminal population in modern society. The initial cost of goods is low and law enforcement efforts sustain high retail prices, thereby ensuring large profit margins (Reuter and Kleiman, 1986). Since the 1980s, drug crime has certainly been targeted by penal populist sentiments in many Western countries affected by a public expectation for greater punitiveness, largely irrespective of how the drug crime rate has subsequently changed in these developed nations, but it is evidently not the only category of felony that has become a common target of penal populism. Sex offences (especially against children), violent or abusive crimes (once again, even more so when the victims are children), and youth crime are three other important types of crime that in late modern capitalist states have characteristically become subjected to a public desire for penal excess. We shall examine in detail at a later stage below what these specific four categories of crime have in common and why they are such typical targets of penal populist sentiments in developed liberal societies. 4. The Increased Dependence of Governments on Crime Control as a Source of Popular Credibility The rapid proliferation of drug crime in many Western countries during the late 1970s and 1980s was accompanied by a great loss of public confidence in the social welfare programs implemented in these same nations. As Pratt (2007, p95) asserts, ‘the visible presence of drug addicts in these countries had become a symbol of misplaced welfarism and tolerance, now believed to be corroding their economic and social fabrics’. Furthermore, the short-lived growth of general crime waves in many modern societies during the late twentieth century led to a significant decline of public assurance in the competence of their respective governments to control the state. As one study remarks, ‘the international crime waves of the 1960s and 1970s helped diminish the prestige of national governments all over the industrial world, by calling into question their capacity to maintain social order. The increase of crime rates at a time of increasing government efforts to help the poor undermined many of the traditional arguments for welfare, and helped confirm the view of many conservatives that efforts to help the poor only made circumstances worse by eliminating incentives for self improvement’(Caplow and Simon, 1999, p88). It is difficult to determine whether the crime wave was caused by expansions in welfare programs or merely coincided with them. The main point is that in addition to the direct relationship between high rates of crime and demands for punitive governmental responses, the crime wave may have indirectly diminished the prestige of and public demand for welfare-oriented government (Caplow and Simon, 1999). Thus, it is argued that during the 1980s many Western governments shifted the priority of their domestic agendas away from welfare policies toward crime control policies. Initially, it was most often right wing conservative politicians that promoted ‘tough on crime’ punitive measures, making crime a political issue and gaining public support. However, Lappi-Seppà ¤là ¤ (2002, p92) suggests that mainstream opposition (i.e. left wing) parties are then forced into advocating punitive policies as well, because although these left wing parties want to ‘distance themselves from the populist programmes of the right wing movements, there is one area where they do not like to disagree – the requirement of being ‘tough on crime’. No party seems to be willing to accuse another of exaggeration when it comes to measures against criminality. Being ‘soft on crime’ is an accusation that no [governmental party] wants to accept. And it is that fear of being softer than one’s political opponents which tends to drive politicians, in the end, to the extremes of penal excess’. It is plausible to argue, therefore, that constant competition between opposing governmental factions for public favour in liberal democracies has created an ‘punitive arms race’ of political opportunism, whereby each party is compelled to promote plus (when in power) implement increasingly more radical punitive policies – irrespective of the actual level of crime that the country is experiencing – in order to avoid appearing weak on crime and consequently losing valuable electoral votes to their political opponents who are prepared to be more severe on criminals. Clearly, such an opportunistic punitive arms race occurring within the governments of developed nations would lead to an exponential increase in the prison population numbers of these countries, and ultimately to prison overcrowding. That political mechanism may at least partly explain why so many Western countries which have experienced a large decrease in crime rates since the mid-1990s and into the early twenty-first century have still reported a rising prison population. For example, Pratt (2006, p1) observes that since 1999 Labour led coalition governments in New Zealand have strongly adhered to Britain’s New Labour ‘approach to crime and punishment, even using the famous phrase ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ in its election manifestoes of 2002 and 2005. As a consequence, while [New Zealand’s] recorded crime rate has dropped by 25% in the last ten years, its imprisonment rate has increased to 189 per 100,000, one of the highest of Western countries’. Yet it is not only the divisions (i.e. in terms of competing parties) within Western democratic governments that have catalysed the increased political focus on crime control, but also the growing number of divisions among the public itself. Indeed, modern society in many developed nations (such as the United Kingdom and the United States) has become increasingly heterogeneous since the late twentieth century, and consequently the number of bases of division within these societies has expanded. For example, the members of a diverse post-industrial society are not only partitioned along the traditional parameter of social class, but are also strongly divided by a number of dichotomous value-based issues that are characteristic of ‘post-materialist’ politics such as abortion, gay rights, animal rights (e.g. fox hunting), mass immigration, school prayer, and capital punishment where it still exists (Caplow and Simon, 1999). These value- or identity-based issues are intensely contested over in modern societies by well-organised pressure groups on either side of the bipolar political spectrum. These issues are bipolar or dichotomous in the sense that they are non-negotiable with no ‘middle ground’; one either supports abortion rights or one opposes them. Hence, public division on these post-materialist issues is inevitable. One important consequence of the heterogeneous publics of Western countries becoming divided by such a multitude of value conflicts during the 1970s onward is that government parties had difficulty finding any issues to build successful election campaigns on that would appeal to a vast majority of the public. Harsher crime control appeared to be a clear choice as a singular issue that large sections of the modern public are united in consensus on. As is stated, ‘Unlike most values issues on the left or right, crime control seems to cut across the political spectrumPoliticians seeking to build viable majorities inevitably turn to the few issues that can bring people together in the new political landscapeThat is why election campaigns continue to focus on crime and punishment issues even when opposing candidates agree in their support of punitive anticrime measures. Faced with voters who split on so many issues and who are profoundly sceptical about the ability of government to improve their lives through welfare-oriented interventions, the mode of governing that commands the broadest support – punitiveness toward criminal offenders – is understandably [valued by governments]’(Caplow and Simon, 1999, p83). Ultimately, therefore, while short-lived actual increases in crime rates during the late 1970s and 1980s may have initially triggered the rise in imprisonment rates in a number of developed countries, political opportunism (in the sense of governments capitalising on populist punitiveness) has arguably sustained the incarceration boom in virtually all Western nations affected by prison overcrowding, regardless of how those crime rates may have subsequently changed. 5. The Target Crimes of Penal Populism There is a high degree of uniformity across all Western nations that have experienced an incarceration surge over the past three decades in the types of crime that are most commonly subjected to strong public demand for harsh punitive sanctions. Generally, the four most frequent felony targets of penal populism are: Drug crime; Sex offences, especially when the victims are children; Child abuse (physical, sexual, or psychological), and; Youth crime. Correspondingly, these have also been some of the fastest growing segments of prison and boot camp populations in many developed countries during recent years. One fundamental property that the above four categories of crime have in common is that children are extremely vulnerable to the effects of all of them. We may validly question why children have come to occupy such a central place in the penal populist sentiments of modern industrial societies. Pratt (2007, p96) remarks that ‘crime control policy driven by penal populism targets ‘others’, not ordinary, ‘normal’ peopleGiven the nature of populism, we should expect that crime control policy will gravitate towards easy and familiar targets, for whom there is likely to be the least public sympathy, the most social distance and the fewest authoritative voices (if any) to speak on their behalf: tho