The Six Principles of Political Realism' by Hans Morgenthau Term Paper

The Six Principles of Political Realism' by Hans Morgenthau - Term Paper Example Morgenthau has been criticised by many on the basis of his indistinct use of language and unsatisfactory scientific rigor, however his successive revisions and updates resulted in the â€Å"Six principles of political realm† in the 1954 revision (Scheuerman). The principles depict Morgenthau’s own political struggle and insight and they have been used by most of the international scholars to describe the international politics since 1945. Morgenthau states in his first principle, â€Å"Political realism believes that politics, like society in general, is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature† (Morgenthau). Morgenthau highlights that human nature does not change regardless of any attempts made to impose laws or policies against the human preferences. International politics can be applied only after the facts have been tested by rationale and reasoning. Otherwise they would be rejected by the laws of nature itself. For a theory to be acce pted in reality, it has to contain both ascertaining facts which are given meaning through reason. Political power is explained as a psychological relation between those who exercise it and those over whom it is exercised (Scheuerman). To understand the objective laws of politics it is important to study the history of human relations, as it is the fundamental base of the political facts and policies. The theory of politics holds its roots in human nature and hence the laws of human nature apply to the political laws as well. Morgenthau states, â€Å"Hence, novelty is not necessarily a virtue in political theory, nor is old age a defect†. Morgenthau elaborates that human nature has not exhibited any change of behaviour with the passage of time and similarly the laws of politics are not subjected to get out dated or obsolete only because they are old and ancient. Only the notion, that a theory was developed hundreds of years ago does not alter its credibility or integrity. As in human nature, old age is not a defect; political theories are not subjected to presumptions of being outmoded. Conversely, an innovative theory cannot be accepted only on the grounds of its newness or modernization. It is because of these aspects of the political theory that it has to be tested irrespective of it being outmoded or innovative. â€Å"A theory of politics must be subjected to the dual test of reason and experience† (Morgenthau). The dual test is of both reasoning and experience. For realism, a theory cannot be rejected merely on the basis that it is old without presenting rationale and reasoning. Inability to do so would be only an example of modernistic prejudice. Hence, a foreign policy can only be labelled as acceptable when its ability to perform political acts as well as the predictable consequences have been determined and tested. Morgenthau establishes that there is one morality for the private sphere and a very different and separate one for the publi c sphere. The political ethics and private ethics are not similar and they should not be reduced into one another. He states, â€Å"Yet while the individual has a moral right to sacrifice himself in defence of such a moral principle, the state has no right to let its moral disapprobation of the infringement of liberty get in the way of successful political action, itself inspired by the moral principle of national survival†. For example, if a ruler operated in accordance with Christian private ethics and would not agree in many ways to other political rivals as they cannot be counted on to operate in same Christian way (Jackson and Sorensen 73,74). This mergence of the two ethics would lead to a disaster

Alternative Medicine Essay Example for Free

Alternative Medicine Essay Alternative medicine describes practices used in place of conventional medical treatments. People increasingly prefer alternative to conventional medicine. The reasons for this are pretty simple it is safe and it works! And USA is not an exception. It is estimated, by none other than the Harvard Medical School, that one out of every two persons in the United States between the ages of 35 and 49 years used at least one alternative therapy in 1997. Alternative medicine actually encompasses a very large array of different systems and therapies ranging from ayurvedic medicine to vitamin therapy. Ayurvedic medicine is a very comprehensive system that places equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit and uses a highly personalized approach to return an individual to a state where he or she is again in harmony with their environment. Ayurvedic medicine uses diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, herbs, and medication and, despite its long lineage, is as applicable today as it was 5000 years ago. Traditional Chinese medicine combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and the use of therapeutic exercises such as Qi Gong. It has proven to be effective in the treatment of many chronic diseases including cancer, allergies, heart disease and AIDS. Homeopathy is a low-cost, non-toxic health care system now used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Chiropracty primarily involves the adjustment of spine and joints to alleviate pain and improve general health.   Naturopathic medicine also strongly believes in the bodys inherent ability to heal itself. Vitamin therapy or orthomolecular medicine uses vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to return a diseased body to wellness. Biofeedback, body work, massage therapy, reflexology, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, and various other forms of energy medicine round out the vast spectrum of alternative medicine modalities. More then 50 % of Americans use some kind of alternative medicine. Actually, it may happen so, that in future alternative medicine will totally displace allopathic medical remedies. But nowadays almost 40% of people still visit their doctors. References Benedetti, F., Maggi, G., ; Lopiano, L. (2003). Open Versus Hidden Medical Treatments: The Patient’s Knowledge About a Therapy Affects the Therapy Outcome. Prevention ; Treatment, 6, 1, 23-27.

Symbols and Symbolism in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, the boys who are stranded on the island come in contact with many unique elements that symbolize ideas or concepts. Through the use of symbols such as the beast, the pig's head, and even Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that humans, when liberated from society's rules and taboos, allow their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence. One of the most important and most obvious symbols in Lord of the Flies is the object that gives the novel its name, the pig's head. Golding's description of the slaughtered animal's head on a spear is very graphic and even frightening. The pig's head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils" (William Golding, Lord of the Flies, New York, Putnam Publishing Group, 1954, p. 137, 138). As a result of this detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and darkness represented by the Lord of the Flies, and when Simon begins to converse with the seemingly inanimate, devil-like object, the source of that wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be entirely a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the other boys on the island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the slain pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill! Ö You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" (p. 143). That is to say, the evil, epitomized by the pig's head, that is causing the boys' island society to decline is that which is inherently present within man. At the end of this scene, the immense evil represented by this powerful symbol can once again be seen as Simon faints after looking into the wide mouth of the pig and seeing "blackness within, a blackness that spread" (p. 144). Another of the most important symbols used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. In the imaginations of many of the boys, the beast is a tangible source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others.

Us Compared to Germany

I chose to compare the United States (U. S. ) healthcare system with Germany. I chose Germany because I know very little about this country, especially its healthcare system. The biggest difference I noted  is  that Germany has a universal healthcare system, whereas the U. S. does not. The people of Germany contribute 8% of their  earnings towards healthcare. The top 10% who make  more than $72,000 a year pay more for health coverage, but receive  more prompt and extra services (Lanier, 2008).Another difference I noted is that in Germany, there is no discrimination  when it comes to certain illness and  age (Lanier, 2008). The heath coverage covers  everyone no matter how sick or old they are. In  America, chronically ill individuals, at times, find it hard to  find an insurance company to  accept them. When they do, the coverage is usually at a much higher rate than  that of a  younger, healthier person. In Germany, there is quicker access to care.There is no long waiting period for surgery or procedures and it does not take weeks or months to see a physician like in the U. S. (Lanier, 2008). Many assume that there would be a longer waiting period in a country that has universal healthcare, but this isn't the case in Germany. America has the most costly healthcare system in the world, yet underperforms compared to many other countries including Germany (Davis, 2007). Some of the areas that the U. S. ranks last on are access, safety, and efficiency.Germany spends less on healthcare, yet performs higher in these areas. Davis, K. (2007, may 15). Mirror, mirror on the wall: an international update on the comparative performance of american health care. Retrieved from http://www. commonwealthfund. org/Content/Publications/Fund-Reports/2007/May/Mirror–Mirror-on-the-Wall–An-International-Update-on-the-Comparative-Performance-of-American-Healt. aspx Lanier, S. (2008, July 29). Healthcare: germany vs america. Retrieved from http: //www. health-insurance-carriers. com/blog/health-care-germany-vs-america/

Family of Origin Essay

Families have always been considered as the basic unit of life. For the longest time, it has been noted that the kind of lifestyle families have are based on their ability to adapt to the environment, and how we were raised. The culture and traditions practiced for as long as I remember were clear representations of the generations that my family has surpassed. I must say that my family was not as ideal as it may seem. Numerous problems were experienced and there were conflicts in terms of ideas. Unlike any other child, I was exposed to the realities of life at the tender age of seven. As a child, I developed a strong bond with my grandmother, which became extremely difficult from my end when she passed away. I was seven years old at that time, and my brother was four. To compensate for her loss, my brother and I became closer with each other. However, the death of our grandmother left numerous issues, which tarnished our relationship with our father. Eventually, he left and never came back. The last time I heard from him was through a letter sent when I was thirteen. To compensate for what happened, my mother had to work extra hours. This struggle made it more possible for us to bond with her accordingly. My brother and I were more comfortable being by ourselves at home, and would become disappointed when our mother had to come home from work. I believe that this feeling was formed through the experience we had with her. For real and imaginative reasons, our mother would always have numerous grounds to hit us. This was really heartbreaking, for our impression about our mother was starting to fall apart. It was as if my brother and I were her personal punching bags that helped relieved her stress and anger. I believe that no person in their right state of mind would be amenable with such set up. Yes, I know that my family is as dysfunctional as it seems. However, there is more to that. Aside from the numerous beatings my brother and I receive from our mother, she is also an alcoholic. In addition to this, her habitual vice has been accompanied by rage, and paranoia making it more difficult to understand my mother. Eventually, my life was headed for more problems when my brother broke his news. He admitted to me that he was gay, and preferred men over women. This revelation affected me in the most possible manner, for I formed numerous queries in my mind. I felt that my brother betrayed me with his confession, giving him more reasons to be with my mother. My brother and I grew up together, and the bond we had was really strong. However, his confession became the reason for me to doubt myself. I feared that I may also be gay, because of the kind of relationship I had with my brother. Fortunately, I was able to stick with my male side and become the man that I am now. However, coping with the said information also became difficult from my end. It was the first time that I had to face problems on my own. With my brother’s revelation, I did not know what else to do or whom to turn to. Such instances allowed me to just turn to alcohol and drugs. The kind of comfort provided by such vices allowed me to temporarily forget about the realities in my life and enjoy. In so doing, the small amount of time given to forget my problems allowed me to still keep my sanity. Â  From a young child, I experienced being abandoned and physically abused by someone close to me; being given the vice to lean to served to be helpful emotionally yet morally degrading. Similarly, my sister also experienced difficulties while growing up. She was born six years after my grandmother passed away, so she was spared of the heartache experienced when our father left us. As a girl, my sister was given stipulations and expectations deemed from women. She would always get into heated arguments with my mother in terms of the responsibilities she had at home. As second to my mother, she was expected to cook the food, clean the house, and take care of the family. Basically all of the responsibilities that my mother should have done for us were passed on to my younger sister. These responsibilities forced my sister to grow and mature immediately and miss out a lot in her life. Unlike people her age, my sister was not free to do whatever she wanted. Before she could do what she wanted, like meet with friends, she had to make sure that all responsibilities have been accomplished. To many, the life my sister had was an epitome of responsibility, however, it was the other way around. Unlike typical families, our family was based on what the elders deemed from us. As much as possible, the orders of the elders should be followed immediately before anything else. In so doing, we did not have the right to question the kind of responsibility they put on our shoulders. The kind of actions they had towards us was not something that we could take for granted, for it was a belief the elderly should always be followed. In the same manner, our freedom to express ourselves was also limited. I would take this factor as the reason for my brother’s identity crisis. Although we grew up together, he had numerous queries that I was unaware of. As we grew older, he was able to form a differentiation of himself. The bond we formed after the family tragedy led him to continually find himself, and I the process learn to accept reality. I know that there came a time in my brother’s life that he wanted to fight the beliefs that were being formed in his mind. However, his true identity could not be hidden anymore. Admitting his true identity became the very reason for him to accept himself wholeheartedly and at the same time, gain the respect from others. Moreover, the Emotional System attributed for my family was complicated. Unlike normal families, I had to derive inspiration and strength from my siblings. It was evident that I had a mother; however, she was different from the others. The levels of differentiation were evident in our family, for we were our own individuals as well. In terms of Family Projection, I consider my family to be the best example. Each family has their own similarities and differences. There are families that go beyond what is expected of them. However, my family is focused on the realities of life. It was never hidden that I came from a dysfunctional family. My grandmother served as a pillar of strength and wisdom in the family, and her death led to the end of everything. I consider my father’s abandonment to be the start of family projection. In my own regard, I believe that my mother wanted to show the world that we were still an intact family regardless of the fact that the family was dysfunctional and incomplete. However, this goal led her to express the lack of maturity in her life. Instead of setting a good example to us, my mother opted to do things on her own. I completely understand that my mother also wanted someone to be there for her during times of need, but she did them differently. Some of the responsibilities were passed on to my sister for she was out most of the time. This prompted my sister to grow up and become a mature individual. What is disheartening is the fact that the people are being led to believe that our mother was taking care of us. Unaware to people, my siblings and I had to make sure that we were able to keep the family intact in whatever means possible. As mentioned earlier, my father abandoned us when our grandmother left. I believe that unresolved issues, called Triangles, may be attributed to such. What was disheartening was the fact that the triangles grew and grew as time passed by. The reasons for our mother’s behavior were never disclosed to us, aside from all of the other problems that came with it. In so doing, my brother’s confession about his identity was also considered as a triangle. Triangles are considered to be the unresolved issues between people, and I must say that this was the triangle between us, brothers. Similarly, rubber fences were also evident in my family. Rubber fences were considered to be the different approaches used in holding on to people as much as possible, which can portray a role in culture. I must say that my grandmother served as the rubber fence in my life and that of my brother’s. Both of us mourned her death, and even remembered her in every way possible. Through our own way, we would do everything we can to practice the teachings she provided us when we were younger. In this regard, she would be with us no matter where we were and who we become. Although our family was dysfunctional, family roles were still very evident. As mentioned earlier, my sister was tasked to take care of all the responsibilities at home, while my mother was out working. In addition to this, my sister was not even spared of all the heartaches when my mother came home drunk. The emotional distress this brought the family may also be considered as a reason for us to alter our familial roles. Regardless of our birth orders, my siblings and I would run for help and expect each other to be there for each other. It was our belief that the three of us would be the only ones together in the end. I was right. Looking back at the kind of life I had, I must say that my views towards family of origin were changed. Â  A typical family comprised of responsible parents, relatives, and children. All had their own role to play in society, and work together in order to make the family work. However, mine was different. The family was dysfunctional, and there were numerous problems that came our way, however, we were able to cope with them even if entailed much from our end. Life may have different ways to express realities and family origins. However, I believe that I am still lucky for being given such family. Through the numerous experiences I had, I was able to develop myself further and work out to be better. Life is short, and I could still make a difference regardless of all the heartaches provided.

What Is Science Olympiad A Complete Guide to Winning

What Is Science Olympiad A Complete Guide to Winning SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you interested in joining your school’s Science Olympiad team or are already a member and want to learn how to become a better competitor? This is the guide for you! I was on Science Olympiad for six years in middle school and high school. Four of those years my team went to Nationals, and I eventually became team captain and placed first in the nation in one of my events, so I know all the ins and outs of this competition.I’ll go over everything you need to know about what Science Olympiad is, what team members do, how competitions work, and howyou can be a standout competitor. What Is Science Olympiad? Science Olympiad is a team competition activity for middle school (referred to by Science Olympiad as Division B) and high school (referred to as Division C) students. This guide will focus primarily on high school Science Olympiad teamsalthough most of this information is true for both Division B and C. There are currently over7,000 Science Olympiad teams across the country.A school’s team has up to 15 members who will compete at Regional, State, and National competitions. Teams can also have alternate members, although those members won’t compete except in special circumstances (learn more aboutalternatemembersin the next section). Division C has 23 different events that cover nearly every area of science, from earth science to cell biology to robotics and more. Each competition will have every event.Team members are usually assignedthree or fourevents (typically only experienced members will get fourevents).Most events have twopeople working on them, although for some events you are allowed to have threemembers on the event. Science Olympiad team members often meet throughout the entire academic year. A team is usually assembled in the fall and competitions are held in the spring.If more than 15 people at a school want to join Science Olympiad, theschool will often hold tryouts, similar to sports teams. Candidates will typicallytake science tests and the 15 students who score the highest will make the team. Read on to learn what members do once they join the team. What Do Members of Science Olympiad Do? Science Olympiad members spend most of their time preparing for their events. You will have to meet regularly for each of your 3-4 events to do well in competitions.Each event will have its own meeting time when you will work with your teammate(s) for that event as well as the event coach (usually a teacher but can also be a parent or other adult who knows the subject).For example, you could meet for your Forensics event Mondays after school, Experimental Design Thursdays after school, and Wright Stuff on Saturday afternoons. Each school creates a different meeting schedule, but many schools, particularly if they have a history of performing well or are trying to strengthen their team, will have a meeting once a week for each event. This can make Science Olympiad a significant time commitment, similar to a sport, except that it often lasts most of the year. Alternate Team Members Alternates are often members who didn’t quite make the official team but are still allowed to attend meetings and help the team prepare. Many students are alternates for a year before they join the team, and that year of preparation can help them gain a lot of knowledge onScience Olympiad and specific events. An alternate will only officially compete if a team member drops out or can’t make it to a specific competition.However, some competitions have special events that are only open to alternate team members. These events don’t affect a team’s final rank or score, but theygive alternates a chance to become familiar with competitions and see how they compare to alternates from different schools.At some schools, alternates help with all events while at other schools they only focus on a few events, similar to team members. Science Olympiad Events As mentioned above, Division C has 23 different events, which you can view here. You can click on each event to get more information about it.At most schools, each team member will make a list of the top events they’d like to have, and the head coach will assign events. Members who have been on the team longer usually get first pick, and most members keep all or most of their events the same from year to year. The events are organized broadly by topic, such as life science, technology, and chemistry.This is useful if you are looking to sign up for events that match your specific interest. For example, if you are interested in biology, you may want to join the Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and/or Invasive Species events. However, there is another important distinction to be aware of. Most events can be sorted into one of two categories: study events and building events. These aren’t official terms, but a lot of schools use them, and they can be very helpful when you are trying to figure out which events to participate in. Study events are somewhat similar to preparing for a school science class. As the name suggests, they involve a lot of studying books and articles in order to prepare, and competitions often involve completing a written test.Some study events include Anatomy and Physiology, Dynamic Planet, and Astronomy. Building events, on the other hand, are more hands-on and require participants to spend more time creating something than book studying. The creation can be a glider, protein model, or something else. For some building events, students spend the entire year creating whatever it is they need for the event, while for other events you are required to do the building from start to finish at the competition.Some building events include Wright Stuff, Bridge Building, and Protein Modeling. Both categories can be interesting and teach you a lot. To learn more about how to choose the best events for you, scroll down to the section â€Å"How Can You Excel at Science Olympiad?† How Do Science Olympiad Competitions Work? Competitions are the main purpose of Science Olympiad; they are why you’re doing all that studying and preparation! Competitions are often held on college campuses, and the whole team (along with coaches) will travel to them to participate. Smaller competitions, such as Invitationals and Regionals, often last only a day, but State and National competitions usually take place over an entire weekend.Different events compete throughout the day; your team will be given a schedule several weeks ahead of time, so you know when your individual event competitions take place. For most events, members for that event from all schools will compete at the same time,although for some building events teams compete one at a time throughout the day.Your team will be assigned a homeroom, and when you’re not competing, you can prepare for your other events, relax, or meet people from other schools. Award ceremonies are held at the end of the day on the last day of competition. Medals are awarded tothe top teams in each event, and all-around awards are also given to the schools that had the highest scores when all event scores are combined. Reminder: teams advance to different competition levels together. That means that, even if you get first place in all your Regional events, you will not advance to State unless your team did well enough overall to advance. There are four levels of Science Olympiad competitions, and Iexplain each in more depth below. Invitationals The purpose of an Invitational competition is to help teams get more preparation; the results don’t affect future competitions or how far your team will advance.A high school will often organize an Invitational and invite other nearby schools to compete. They will be very similar to actual competitions. Invitationals are a great way for you and your team to get more competition experience and see how well you are doing compared to other teams. If you are on a team that is new or would like to improve its competition results, talk to the teacher in charge of Science Olympiad and suggest the team attend an invitational or host their own.Unlike other competition levels, a school can compete in multiple Invitationals during the year. Invitationals are held before the actual competitions, often in the late fall or early winter. Regionals Regional competitions are organized by state. The number of Regional competitions a state has is determined by both how large the state is and how many Science Olympiad teams the state has. Some states have tworegional competitions, while others can have a dozen or more. (Some states with very fewteams don’t have Regionals. Instead, participants go directly to the State competition.) The top schools advance to the State competition. The number of schools that advance varies by each competition. Some send the top two schools; others can send six or more teams to State. Regionals are typicallyheld in February or March. State Each state will have one State competition. The caliber of the teams is often significantly higher than it was at Regionals, so be prepared for that.The top 1-2 teams will advance to Nationals, out of often 20 or more teams competing. State competitions aretypically held in early-mid April. Nationals This is the highest level of competition. If you and your team have made it this far, congratulations!The National competition takes place at a different college campus each year, so you may have to miss a few days of school so your team can travel there and back. Nationals can be a lot of fun because you get to explore a college campus, meet people from all over the country, and there is no pressure like there is at State to advance to the next round. Nationals are usuallyheld in May, and the awards ceremony often has a prominent scientist as the keynote speaker. What Are the Benefits of Science Olympiad? Now that you know the basics of Science Olympiad, why should you consider joining it? Read on to learn about some of the top reasons to participate. Benefit #1: You Can Get Advanced Scientific Knowledge As a member of Science Olympiad, you can get very advanced scientific knowledge in certain subjects.Team members often use college-level textbooks and other learning materials in order to become experts on the subjects their events cover. When I was in Science Olympiad, one of my events was Dynamic Planet, which focuses on a different earth science topic each year. My first year the topic was glaciers, and by the end of the year, my partner and I had studied so much that we knew more about glaciers than probably anyone except people who studied them for a living.Gaining such advanced knowledge in a particular area of science can give you a huge head start if you plan on studying that subject in college. Even if your events don’t directly relate to your career goals (I did not become a glaciologist), the practice you get at studying a subject at a high level will help you when you enroll in college and have more rigorous classes. I know I felt much more prepared than many of my peers when I first enrolled in college science classes because I had a lot of practice in studying, researching, and understanding complex scientific ideas. If you prepare enough foryour Science Olympiad events, you could end up as smart as this guy. Benefit #2: You Can GainResearch and Writing Skills Another potential benefit of Science Olympiad is that, by preparing for your events, you can greatly improve your writing and research skills.Almost every event requires some research, and the study events especially will give you great practice in researching scientific topics.Some of the events that require the most writing include Write It Do It and Experimental Design. Even if you don’t end up studying science in college, research and writing skills are two of the most important skills you can have if you want to do well in school. You’ll likely end up using them no matter what subject you major in, and if you’ve already developed these skills in Science Olympiad, you’ll be that much more prepared compared to your classmates. I personally believe that Experimental Design is one of the most usefulevents to do. Although I initially didn’t think its description sounded very interesting, I was placed in Experimental Design my first year in Science Olympiad and ended up competing in it all six years. In Experimental Design you quickly design, conduct, and write up a small scientific experiment. My two partners and I did a practice experiment almost weekly, and after six years of this, I felt like I could design a scientific experiment in my sleep. This was a huge advantage when I started college and took scientific lab classes. While my peers struggled to understand how to set up an experiment and write up the results, I already had years of practice. If you plan on doing any sort of research in the future, I’d highly recommend this event. Benefit #3: It's Impressive to Include on Your College Applications Colleges like to see applicants with extracurricular activities, and Science Olympiad can be a great one to include. First, as mentioned above, participating in Science Olympiad will give you the opportunity to learn about multiple areas of science and developresearch and writing skills. If you’re planning on majoring in science, this will be an even bigger bonus because participating in Science Olympiad willshow schools that you’re interestedenough inscienceto want to learn more about it outside of class.Colleges want to admit students who are passionate about the subjects they plan on studying and majoring in. If you do well, you may also get awards, which you can include on your applications.There are many opportunities for awards at each competition level, and receiving an award further shows colleges that you’re knowledgeable about science and can apply yourself in your extracurriculars. Finally, Science Olympiad also requires a lot of teamwork. You will use teamwork all the time, as you and your partners work out the best ways to do well in events. Because college also requires a lot of teamwork and team players often get along with their peers better, colleges like to see applicants who can show they have experience with teamwork and working well with others. Benefit #4: There's a Chance to Win Scholarships If you and your team are Science Olympiad standouts, there is a chance for you to win (sometimes very large) college scholarships.Sometimes at State competitions but often at Nationals, students who place top in their event will be awarded a college scholarship. These scholarships are often specifically for the school that is hosting the event (so if the National competition is at the University of Illinois, the scholarship will often only be usable if you attend the University of Illinois); however, some can be used at any college or university. Especially in Division C, these scholarships can be very generous. At many National competitions, the hosting school will offer students who place first in one of their events a sizable scholarship, and some even offer free tuition for all four years. This can save you tens of thousands of dollars and reduce your college costs dramatically. Doing well in Science Olympiad can winyou a lot of money for college. What Are the Drawbacks toScience Olympiad? In spite of its benefits, there are also potential drawbacks to Science Olympiad. The first is that Science Olympiad can be a significant time commitment. Many teams have their members meet several times a week throughout the majority of the school year, and you will also have to spend several of your weekends at competitions. This can be challenging to do if you are already trying to find time for other activities. A second potential drawback is that Science Olympiad may not be particularly enjoyable if you aren't interested in science. While some events focus more on other subjects like math and engineering, it's likely that at least one of your events will have a heavy science focus. If you don't like science, this could make it very boring to prepare for your events. Third, it's quite difficult and rare to win scholarships at Science Olympiad. Out of the tens of thousands of students who compete, only a handful will end up winning scholarships. This drawback is true for many activities, but it's important to keep in mind if one of the main reasons you're joining Science Olympiad is in the hope of winning some money for college. How Can You Excel at Science Olympiad? Science Olympiad is a team event, and how far you advance in competitions will depend not only on you but also your teammates and coaches. While you can’t control what they do, you can take it upon yourself to excel at your events. This can help you win awards at competitions and motivate your teammates to give their best effort as well. Follow the below tips to become a great Science Olympiad competitor. Tip #1:Choose Events That Play to Your Strengths Picking your events wisely is key to how well you do in Science Olympiad and how much you enjoy it.While you may not have complete control over which events you do, especially for your first year on the team, you usually can submit your top choices for consideration.There are two major things to think about when choosing events: 1. Which areas of science do you enjoy the most or want to learn more about? As mentioned above, Science Olympiad events cover many areas, so you have some choice over what topics you’d like to focus on. If you’re planning on being pre-med, maybe you want to do the Cell Biology and Anatomy Physiology events. If you’ve always been interesting in engineering and aviation, Wright Stuff may be a great event for you. 2. Would you prefer study events, building events, or a combination of both? Preparing for a study event can be very different from preparing for a building event.Study events often include more reading and writing, and the amount of time you have to spend on them remains relatively consistent throughout the year.Building events are more hands-on and may require you to spend a lot of time on them (say an entire weekend) in order to get something right, and then not much time for a few weeks after that. Think about which types of events you’d prefer and be best at. Students who want to continue to study a particular subject in college and prefer a consistent practice schedule may prefer study events, while those who prefer to be more active and don’t mind spending time tinkering to get the project exactly right may do better with building events. It’s also very common for students to do a mixture of both events. I mostly did study events, but when I took on a fourth event I chose a building event, and I really enjoyed the change of pace.Also, don’t worry if you don’t get your top events right away. My first year on the team I didn’t get a single event I requested, and I still managed to enjoy myself and do well. Tip #2: Be Prepared to Put in the Time You can be certain that the teams that do best at Regionals and State and move on to Nationals meet about once a week for each of their events.Even if you’re getting great grades in your science classes, you likely won’t do well in Science Olympiad if you don’t study specifically for your events, since most events ask questions on specializedtopics or require you to use specific skills. Doing well in your events requires regular meetings for each of your events, and you should be prepared to set aside this time when you join.Set up regular meeting times with your partners and coaches soon after you know which events you have. It may seem like Regionals is a long way away at the beginning of the school year, but starting your preparation early will help you feel more confident and reduce the need to cram right before competitions. If you want to be a stand-out competitor, be prepared to put in enough preparation time before competitions. Tip #3: Be Ready on Competition Day Competitions are when you get to show off all your hard work. Here are some tips to make sure these daysgo smoothly: Know exactly where and when each of your event competitions are. Get there early so you can set up your materials and be calm and ready when the timer starts. Make sure you bring along all the recommended and required materials for each event (there is usually a list given out before competitions that lets you know what to bring for each event). If you feel like something was scored incorrectly (and this does happen occasionally), tell your coach and have them talk to one of the supervisors immediately. The sooner this happens (ideally before the awards ceremony), the better chance you have of it being resolved in your favor. Conclusion Science Olympiad is a great extracurricular for students who enjoy science, math, orengineering. Participating in it can help you gain in-depth scientific knowledge as well as other skills that will be useful in college. Science Olympiad competitions are a way to meet new people and show your knowledge and skills. As long as you choose your events wisely, prepare for your event throughout the year, and are ready on competition day, you have an excellent shot at doing well in your events and possibly winning awards and scholarships. Good luck! What's Next? Do you love science? Check out our guide to learn which science classes you should take in high school. Thinking about other science-related activities to participate in? Check out our complete guide to competing in science fair. Want to learn about other impressive extracurricular activities? Read our guide to seefour examples of outstanding extracurriculars that are sure to impress colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The History of How Cows Were Domesticated

The History of How Cows Were Domesticated According to archaeological and genetic evidence, wild cattle or aurochs (Bos primigenius) were likely domesticated independently at least twice and perhaps three times. A distantly related Bos species, the yak (Bos grunniens grunniens or Poephagus grunniens) was domesticated from its still-living wild form, B. grunniens or B. grunniens mutus. As domesticated animals go, cattle are among the earliest, perhaps because of the multitude of useful products they provide humans: food products such as milk, blood, fat, and meat; secondary products such as clothing and tools manufactured from hair, hides, horns, hooves and bones; dung for fuel; as well as load-bearers and for pulling plows. Culturally, cattle are banked resources, which can provide bride-wealth and trade as well as rituals such as feasting and sacrifices. Aurochs were significant enough to Upper Paleolithic hunters in Europe to be included in cave paintings such as those of Lascaux. Aurochs were one of the largest herbivores in Europe, with the largest bulls reaching shoulder heights of between 160-180 centimeters (5.2-6 feet), with massive frontal horns of up to 80 cm (31 inches) in length. Wild yaks have black upward- and backward-curving horns and long shaggy black to brown coats. The adult males can be 2 m (6.5 ft) high, over 3 m (10 ft) long and can weigh between 600-1200 kilograms (1300-2600 pounds); females weigh only 300 kg (650 pounds) on average. Domestication Evidence Archaeologists and biologists are agreed that there is strong evidence for two distinct domestication events from aurochs: B. taurus in the near east about 10,500 years ago, and B. indicus in the Indus valley of the Indian subcontinent  about 7,000 years ago. There may have been a third auroch domesticate in Africa (tentatively called  B. africanus), about 8,500 years ago. Yaks were domesticated in central Asia about 7,000-10,000 years ago. Recent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies also indicate that B. taurus was introduced into Europe and Africa where they interbred with local wild animals (aurochs). Whether these occurrences should be considered as separate domestication events is somewhat under debate. Recent genomic studies (Decker et al. 2014) of 134 modern breeds supports the presence of the three domestication events, but also found evidence for later migration waves of animals to and from the three main loci of domestication. Modern cattle are significantly different today from the earliest domesticated versions. Three Auroch Domesticates Bos taurus The taurine (humpless cattle, B. taurus) was most likely domesticated somewhere in the Fertile Crescent about 10,500 years ago. The earliest substantive evidence for cattle domestication anywhere in the world is the Pre-Pottery Neolithic cultures in the Taurus Mountains. One strong strand of evidence of the locus of domestication for any animal or plant is genetic diversity: places that developed a plant or animal generally have high diversity in those species; places where the domesticates were brought in, have lesser diversity. The highest diversity of genetics in cattle is in the Taurus Mountains. A gradual decline in overall body size of aurochs, a characteristic of domestication, is seen at several sites in southeastern Turkey, beginning as early as the late 9th at Cayonu Tepesi. Small-bodied cattle do not appear in archaeological assemblages in the eastern Fertile Crescent until relatively late (6th millennium BC), and then abruptly. Based on that, Arbuckle et al. (2016) surmise that domestic cattle arose in the upper reaches of the Euphrates river. Taurine cattle were traded across the planet, first into Neolithic Europe about 6400 BC; and they appear in archaeological sites as far away as northeastern Asia (China, Mongolia, Korea) by about 5000 years ago. Bos indicus (or B. taurus indicus) Recent mtDNA evidence for domesticated zebu (humped cattle, B. indicus) suggests that two major lineages of B. indicus are currently present in modern animals. One (called I1) predominates in southeast Asia and southern China and is likely to have been domesticated in the Indus Valley region of what is today Pakistan. Evidence of the transition of wild to domestic B. indicus is in evidence in Harappan sites such as Mehrgahr about 7,000 years ago. The second strain, I2, may have been captured in East Asia, but apparently was also domesticated in the Indian subcontinent, based on the presence of a broad range of diverse genetic elements. The evidence for this strain is not entirely conclusive as of yet. Possible: Bos africanus or Bos taurus Scholars are divided about the likelihood of a third domestication event having occurred in Africa. The earliest domesticated cattle in Africa have been found at Capeletti, Algeria, about 6500 BP, but Bos remains are found at African sites in what is now Egypt, such as Nabta Playa and Bir Kiseiba, as long ago as 9,000 years, and they may be domesticated. Early cattle remains have also been found at Wadi el-Arab (8500-6000 BC) and El Barga (6000-5500 BC). One significant difference for taurine cattle in Africa is a genetic tolerance to trypanosomosis, the disease spread by the tsetse fly which causes anemia and parasitemia in cattle, but the exact genetic marker for that trait has not been identified to date. A recent study (Stock and Gifford-Gonzalez 2013) found that although genetic evidence for African domesticated cattle is not as comprehensive or detailed as that for  other forms of cattle, what there is available suggests that domestic cattle in Africa are the result of wild aurochs having been introduced into local domestic B. taurus populations. A genomic study published in 2014 (Decker et al.) indicates that while considerable introgression and breeding practices have altered the population structure of modern day cattle, there is still consistent evidence for three major groups of domestic cattle. Lactase Persistence One recent strain of evidence for the domestication of cattle comes from the study of lactase persistence, the ability to digest milk sugar lactose in adults (the opposite of lactose intolerance). Most mammals, including humans, can tolerate milk as infants, but after weaning, they lose that ability. Only about 35% of people in the world are able to digest milk sugars as adults without discomfort, a trait called lactase persistence. This is a genetic trait, and it is theorized that it would have selected for in human populations that had ready access to fresh milk. Early Neolithic populations who domesticated sheep, goats and cattle would not have yet developed this trait, and probably processed the milk into cheese, yogurt, and butter prior to consuming it. Lactase persistence has been connected most directly with the spread of dairying practices associated with cattle, sheep, and goats into Europe by Linearbandkeramik populations beginning about 5000 BC. And a Yak (Bos grunniens grunniens or Poephagus grunniens) The domestication of yaks may well have made human colonization of the high Tibetan Plateau (also known as Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) possible. Yaks are extremely well adapted to the arid steppes at high elevations, where low oxygen, high solar radiation, and extreme cold are common. In addition to the milk, meat, blood, fat, and pack energy benefits, perhaps the most important yak byproduct in the cool, arid climate is dung. The availability of yak dung as a fuel was a critical factor in allowing for the colonization of the high region, where other fuel sources are lacking. Yaks possess large lungs and hearts, expansive sinuses, long hair, thick soft fur (very useful for cold-weather clothing), and few sweat glands. Their blood contains a high hemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count, all of which make cold adaptations possible. Domestic Yaks The main difference between wild and domestic yaks is their size. Domestic yaks are smaller than their wild relatives: adults are generally no more than 1.5 m (5 ft) tall, with males weighing between 300-500 kg (600-1100 lbs), and females between 200-300 kg (440-600 lbs). They have white or piebald coats and lack gray-white muzzle hairs. They can and do interbreed with wild yaks, and all yaks have the high altitude physiology they are prized for. There are three types of domestic yaks in China, based on morphology, physiology, and geographical distribution: a valley type distributed in the valleys of north and east Tibet, and some parts of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces;a plateau grassland type mainly found in the high, cold pastures and steppes that maintain an annual average temperature below 2 degrees centigrade;and white yaks found in almost every region in China. Domesticating the Yak Historical reports dated to the Chinese Han Dynasty state that yaks were domesticated by the Qiang people during the Longshan culture period in China, about 5,000 years ago. The Qiang were ethnic groups who inhabited the Tibetan Plateau borderlands including Qinghai Lake. Han Dynasty records also say the Qiang people had a Yak State during the Han dynasty, 221 BC-220 AD, based on a highly successful trade network. Trade routes involving domestic yak were recorded beginning in the Qin dynasty records (221-207 BC)predating and no doubt part of precursors to the Silk Roadand cross-breeding experiments with Chinese yellow cattle to create the hybrid dzo are described there as well. Genetic (mtDNA) studies support the Han Dynasty records that yaks were domesticated on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, although the genetic data does not allow definitive conclusions to be drawn about the number of domestication events. The variety and distribution of mtDNA are not clear, and it is possible that multiple domestication events from the same gene pool, or interbreeding between wild and domesticated animals occurred. However, the mtDNA and archaeological results also blur the dating of the domestication. The earliest evidence for domesticated yak is from the Qugong site, ca. 3750-3100 calendar years ago (cal BP); and the Dalitaliha site, ca 3,000 cal BP near Qinghai Lake. Qugong has a large number of yak bones with an overall small stature; Dalitaliha has a clay figurine thought to represent a yak, the remnants of a wood-fenced corral, and fragments of hubs from spoked wheels. The mtDNA evidence suggests domestication took place as early as 10,000 years BP, and Guo et al. argue that the Qinghai lake Upper Paleolithic colonizers domesticated the yak. The most conservative conclusion to draw from this is that yaks were first domesticated in northern Tibet, probably the Qinghai Lake region, and were derived from wild yak for the production of wool, milk, meat and manual labor, at least 5000 cal bp. How Many Are There? Wild yaks were widespread and abundant in the Tibetan Plateau up until the late 20th century when hunters decimated their numbers. They are now considered highly endangered with an estimated population of ~15,000. They are protected by law but still illegally hunted. Domestic yaks, on the other hand, are abundant, an estimated 14-15 million in central highland Asia. The current distribution of yaks is from the southern slopes of the Himalayas to the Altai and Hangai Mountains of Mongolia and Russia. Approximately 14 million yaks live in China, representing about 95% of the worlds population; the remaining five percent are in Mongolia, Russia, Nepal, India, Bhutan, Sikkim and Pakistan. Sources lvarez I, Pà ©rez-Pardal L, Traorà © A, Fernndez I, and Goyache F. 2016. Lack of specific alleles for the bovine chemokine (C-X-C) receptor type 4 (CXCR4) gene in West African cattle questions its role as a candidate for trypanotolerance. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 42:30-33. Arbuckle BS, Price MD, Hongo H, and Ãâ€"ksà ¼z B. 2016. Documenting the initial appearance of domestic cattle in the Eastern Fertile Crescent (northern Iraq and western Iran). Journal of Archaeological Science 72:1-9. Cai D, Sun Y, Tang Z, Hu S, Li W, Zhao X, Xiang H, and Zhou H. 2014. The origins of Chinese domestic cattle as revealed by ancient DNA analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 41:423-434. Colominas, Là ­dia. The impact of the Roman Empire on animal husbandry practices: study of the changes in cattle morphology in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula through osteometric and ancient DNA analyses.  Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Angela Schlumbaum, Maria Saà ±a, Volume 6, Issue 1, SpringerLink, March 2014. Ding XZ, Liang CN, Guo X, Wu XY, Wang HB, Johnson KA, and Yan P. 2014. Physiological insight into the high-altitude adaptations in domesticated yaks (Bos grunniens) along the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau altitudinal gradient. Livestock Science 162(0):233-239. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2014.01.012 Leonardi M, Gerbault P, Thomas MG, and Burger J. 2012. The evolution of lactase persistence in Europe. A synthesis of archaeological and genetic evidence. International Dairy Journal 22(2):88-97. Gron KJ, Montgomery J, Nielsen PO, Nowell GM, Peterkin JL, Sà ¸rensen L, and Rowley-Conwy P. 2016. Strontium isotope evidence of early Funnel Beaker Culture movement of cattle. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 6:248-251. Gron KJ, and Rowley-Conwy P. 2017. Herbivore diets and the anthropogenic environment of early farming in southern Scandinavia. The Holocene 27(1):98-109. Insoll T, Clack T, and Rege O. 2015. Mursi ox modification in the Lower Omo Valley and the interpretation of cattle rock art in Ethiopia. Antiquity 89(343):91-105. MacHugh DE, Larson G, and Orlando L. 2017. Taming the Past: Ancient DNA and the Study of Animal Domestication. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 5(1):329-351. Orlando L. 2015. The first aurochs genome reveals the breeding history of British and European cattle. Genome Biology 16(1):1-3. Orton J, Mitchell P, Klein R, Steele T, and Horsburgh KA. 2013. An early date for cattle from Namaqualand, South Africa: implications for the origins of herding in southern Africa. Antiquity 87(335):108-120. Park SDE, Magee DA, McGettigan PA, Teasdale MD, Edwards CJ, Lohan AJ, Murphy A, Braud M, Donoghue MT, Liu Y et al. 2015. Genome sequencing of the extinct Eurasian wild aurochs, Bos primigenius, illuminates the phylogeography and evolution of cattle. Genome Biology 16(1):1-15. Qanbari S, Pausch H, Jansen S, Somel M, Strom TM, Fries R, Nielsen R, and Simianer H. 2014. Classic Selective Sweeps Revealed by Massive Sequencing in Cattle. PLoS Genetics 10(2):e1004148. Qiu, Qiang. Yak whole-genome resequencing reveals domestication signatures and prehistoric population expansions. Nature Communications, Lizhong Wang, Kun Wang, et al., Volume 6, Article number: 10283, Decemeber 22, 2015. Scheu A, Powell A, Bollongino R, Vigne J-D, Tresset A, Çakirlar C, Benecke N, and Burger J. 2015. The genetic prehistory of domesticated cattle from their origin to the spread across Europe. BMC Genetics 16(1):1-11. Shi Q, Guo Y, Engelhardt SC, Weladji RB, Zhou Y, Long M, and Meng X. 2016. Endangered wild yak (Bos grunniens) in the Tibetan plateau and adjacent regions: Population size, distribution, conservation perspectives and its relation to the domestic subspecies. Journal for Nature Conservation 32:35-43. Stock, Frauke. Genetics and African Cattle Domestication. African Archaeological Review, Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, Volume 30, Issue 1, SpingerLink, March 2013. Teasdale MD, and Bradley DG. 2012. The Origins of Cattle. Bovine Genomics: Wiley-Blackwell. p 1-10. Upadhyay, MR. Genetic origin, admixture and population history of aurochs (Bos primigenius) and primitive European cattle. Heredity, W Chen, J A Lenstra, et al., Volume 118, Nature, September 28, 2016. Wang K, Hu Q, Ma H, Wang L, Yang Y, Luo W, and Qiu Q. 2014.  Genome-wide variation within and between wild and domestic yak. Molecular Ecology Resources 14(4):794-801. Zhang X, Wang K, Wang L, Yang Y, Ni Z, Xie X, Shao X, Han J, Wan D, and Qiu Q. 2016. Genome-wide patterns of copy number variation in the Chinese yak genome. BMC Genomics 17(1):379.

Respecting Students Is a Must for Teacher Effectiveness

Respecting Students Is a Must for Teacher Effectiveness Respecting students is essential for boosting teacher effectiveness. It seems today that the media jumps at every opportunity to showcase an educator who has made a poor decision in judgment. One of the most prevalent issues highlighted is that of a teacher continuously berating or disrespecting a student or group of students. This type of behavior is unacceptable. All educators expect their students to be respectful to them, but some fail to realize that this is a two-way street. All educators should show their students respect at all times including tense moments of conflict. Conduct a search on Google or YouTube for â€Å"teacher abuse† and the number of examples you will find of such unprofessional conduct is embarrassing to the profession. Educators should be adult enough, professional enough, and smart enough not to conduct themselves in this manner. In an age where every student has a cell phone, it only takes one time to find yourself on YouTube, embarrassed, and out of a job. Teachers must think before they react and choose their words carefully. How to Build Strong, Trusting Student-Teacher Relationships Sometimes we forget where many of these students come from and the situations that they deal with on a daily basis. School should be a safe haven and kids should trust all of their administrators, teachers, and staff members. Every kid is different and these differences should be embraced. If all kids were the same our jobs would be boring. It is important to realize that there are tremendous differences between each individual student and with each individual class. A 3rd grader cannot handle what a 6th grader can handle and so on. Try to have patience and understanding when dealing with a student. Before you say anything, take a deep breath, think about your response, and choose your words carefully. Your tone matters as much as what you say. We expect our students to be respectful to us and we should, in turn, be respectful to them at all times. This isn’t always easy, but you must always handle interactions with students in a positive manner. You should never berate or embarrass a student. It is best to address them separately from the class. The key is to talk to them, not down to them. Kids are going to make mistakes. It would be ignorant to think that they won’t. You are setting yourself and them up for failure if you do. There is a difference between having high expectations and having unrealistic expectations. Preconceived notions can and will destroy a relationship with a student. Everyone deserves a second chance. Allow someone this chance and you will find that they will surprise you more often than not. Educators should always strive to build positive, trusting relationships with their students. Some of these relationships take time to build and others are relatively easy. Respect is always the key. A teacher becomes so much more effective when they can earn a classes respect. Reasons Why Teachers Lose the Respect of Their Students There are several things that a teacher can do to lose their students’ respect. Doing any of these things can lead you on a path towards disaster. It is best to avoid the following practices: Never treat students differently based on personal interests.Do not create rules that can be perceived as unfair.Never misuse your authority.Do not ignore a student.Never avoid smiling and being friendly with your students.Do not yell or scream.Do not have a negative attitude on a consistent basis.Do not be afraid to apologize or admit when you make a mistake.Never become friends with students when they are in your class.Never give control over to your students.Do not be hypocritical.Do not say anything that you would not want to be recorded and played back.Do not humiliate or berate students in an attempt to get them to behave.Never use sarcasm.Do not use profanity.Do not violate a student’s personal space.Do not gossip, discuss, or complain about other teachers in front of your students.Never issue vindictive or counterproductive threats.Do not hold things against a student that is beyond their control. How Teacher Can Earn Their Students Respect There are several things that a teacher can do to earn their students’ respect. Doing these things will lead you on a path toward mutual respect and it will maximize a teacher’s overall effectiveness. It is best to engage in the following practices: Have a Positive Attitude: An educator who has a positive attitude toward their students and their job will be more effective. All of us have bad days, but we should still strive to remain positive even on our worst days.Be Consistent: Students must know what your expectations are on a daily basis. Be inconsistent will lose their respect and attention faster than just about anything.Be Fair: Treat every student the same when dealing with the same situation. Giving out a different set of consequences for the same actions will undermine your authority.Have a Sense of Humor: Having a sense of humor can be disarming. Students will naturally look forward to coming to your class and learning if they know that you aren’t uptight and rigid.Be Flexible: Teachers that aren’t flexible are setting themselves and their students up for failure. Things happen in life that is beyond anyone’s control. Be sensitive to every situation and be willing to adapt and veer from your sched uled plans when necessary.

Driving change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Driving change - Assignment Example Merchandise factors entails stocking the merchandise that appeals to retail shoppers and locating it in strategic areas for customer access. Effective merchandising has the potential of matching demand and supply, thus reducing unnecessary inventory, while ensuring that customers get the products they want when they need them (Krafft & Mantrala, 2010). Pricing is an important driver for change because it determines the revenue of a retail store, while influencing customers’ perceptions of quality. Wal-Mart has been on the forefront in implementing low-cost leadership strategy in its management and operations, with the goal of managing price for competitive advantage (Krafft & Mantrala, 2010). Supply chain management is another key driver for change in the retail industry because it has the potential of increasing customer value. Management of the supply chain system reduces inventory costs, while generating value for the retail customers, thus improving competitiveness of a st ore. Wal-Mart has been on the forefront in streamlining its supply chain thus enabling it to respond to customer demands in a timely manner. Finally, technology is another driver for change, where Wal-Mart has been on the forefront in implementing technologies such as radio frequency identification and CRM. The impact of these factors includes increased competition, shrinking market share and profit margins, and increased consolidation of retail stores (Krafft & Mantrala, 2010). To address these challenges, Wal-Mart has been selective in its growth strategies. However, there need for Wal-Mart to focus on retail innovation, creating centers for excellence and customer value and implementing cost control and management strategies. Wal-Mart may also focus on emerging markets such as China and India where consumers are prices

W7Department-wide Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

W7Department-wide Information Systems - Essay Example This section will discuss the concept of â€Å"Dysfunctional departments† and problem associated to these departments. The complicatedness of dysfunctional departments bend forward to begin through unusual structures of department society that builds up when one individual or a little group of individuals make use of a crucial as well as negative pressure on friendly discourse over an extensive period of time. In this way we reached to dysfunctional departments that are recognized, not born. Sometimes high position administrators support the conditions in which intact department turns out to be dysfunctional. A dysfunctional organization or department can be dysfunctional in many ways, like that the major reason is the deprived administrative performance, and then there is also lack of business knowledge as the main reason at the back of the dysfunctional behavior. The negative internal departmental politics is also one of the main reasons at the back of the dysfunctional depa rtments (Maghroori., 2006). This section covers few main elements that are the fundamental reasons behind the dysfunctional department. All the way through this assessment we will be able to access the reason behind the failing of the information system in the dysfunctional departments. (3) Administrators are able to prevent from this progression if they are capable to become aware of it unfortunate and if they are ready to smoothly model additional positive types of collegial behavior, but frequently ignorance of the management make the overall environment more critical. In up to date business practices the information system is the fundamental need for any business. The business with an information system can be able to take an effective lead in the marketplace. The accomplishment of the information system sometimes exposes lot of realties and

Two sides on branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Two sides on branding - Essay Example Naomi Klein's book,as it title implies is a criticism to the proliferation of branding strategies launched by business organisations in order to capture customers.The selection lifted from her book outlined the evolution of branding-from its earliest beginning, downfall, recovery, and recent expansion.The concept of branding, according to Klein, began with the company's recognition that production is not the main core of their operations but marketing. The earliest proponents of marketing like Nike and Microsoft stated that manufacturing is only an "incidental" part of their operations and that they are not selling "products" but "images of their brands." This early beginnings started a new age of branding previously homogenous, mass-produced commodities replacing the old shopkeeper who traditionally scoops out generic products like sugar, flour, and cereal in barrels. The popularity of Dr. Brown, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Old Grand Dad became synonymous with the ascent of branded generic commodities.However, the death of branding came one Marlboro Friday as Phillip Morris is threatened by the intense competition from lower priced unbranded competitors. With this happening, a dramatic shift in customers' buying behavior was illustrated-from prestige to price consciousness.The article concluded with the "rebirth" and expansion of branding. This phenomenon was lead by established companies like Body Shop and Starbucks which were able to safeguard and even expand their market share by investing in their brand images. These, together with other successful companies like Nike, began the more rapid proliferation of branded products which does not only market the attributes of the product by created a "concept" to establish an "emotional connection" with its clients. Naomi Klein concluded that with this age of branding, customers are easily manipulated by branding tactics as marketers can establish a good brand even with the lowliest products. She argued that instead of focusing on production and improving products, companies are embarking and spending time, effort, and money in creating a good brand for which they ask customers for a premium. The Economist-Who's Wearing the Trousers The article lifted from the Economist, hold an antagonistic position on Naomi Klein's book. Though it also recognizes the good arguments raced by Klein, the Economist offer a very different view on what the first author referred to as "brand bullies." Basically, the article presented in the Economist can be summed up into two points-the first one being the exaggeration of Naomi Klein's argument on the power of brands, and the second one on the manipulation of the customers by the branding strategies of the large corporations. The Economist recognizes the importance of brands in selling a company's products. However, it claims that Klien's article exaggerated the role of branding in the strategies of the large business organizations. The article proved this by citing the case of the companies who spent bulk of financial resources in creating a good brand only to fail. As the company treats a "brand" as one of its primary assets, a brand can also be regarded as liability as it makes a company highly responsible in the damages which it can give to customers. Customer loyalty is not only rooted on their perception on brand. This is evidenced by the recent research which shows that customers of all ages shift from brand to brand. This also strengthens the claim of the Economist claim that customers are not highly manipulated by company's branding tactics. It is also irrefutable that companies' are spending a lot of money to retain their customers and develop their products to safeguard their brand. Between the Two Articles Naomi Klein and the Economist hold two seemingly different arguments about branding, company's performance, and customers. The two articles summarized above show some same

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

Law - Essay Example However it was soon realized that the current definition was not adequate and hence required to be redefined to include a broader perspective. Accordingly various additional set of activities were included to broaden the scope of the term. According to section 11 of the Banking Act, certain activities included in the definition applied only to individuals and / or corporations, and any non-corporation which is not defined under this section, is forbidden to carry out â€Å"any banking business†. Similarly under section 8, non-ADI corporations are forbidden from carrying out â€Å"any banking business† (Comlaw, 2011). There is an ambiguity over the term â€Å"any banking business†. The sections 7 and 8 of the banking act prohibit the execution of 'any banking business' although there is no clear consensus regarding the term. There are serious doubts regarding what can possibly be considered as "any banking business". According to the section 5, banking business in cludes acceptance of funds from the public AND making loans to them, but whether a business which is involved in only accepting deposits but not make any loans, is considered as 'banking business' and vice versa, is questionable (Weaver et al, 2003). In Commissioners of the State Savings Bank of Victoria v Permewan, Wright & Co. Ltd, Issacs J, stated that the "essential characteristics of the business of banking may be described as the collection of money by receiving deposits upon loan, repayable when and as expressly or impliedly agreed upon, and the utilization of the money so collected by lending it again, in such sums as are required (Guest, Chalmers, 2005, 11). In United Dominions Trust Ltd v Kirkwood [1966] 2 QB 431 at 445ff, Lord Denning stated that, the times have changed drastically, ever since the definition of banking put forward by Issac, and newer instruments of payment are now added and used as acceptable modes of payment. This includes the use of cheques - crossed as well as uncrossed, and hence the same must also be included within the definition of banking (Gillies, 2004, 780). The Privy Council, in Bank of Chettinad Ltd v Colombo v Income Tax Commissioners, Colombo [1948] A.C. 378, accepted the following definition of banking: "a company which carries on as its principal business, the accepting of deposits of money on current account or otherwise, subject to withdrawal by cheque, draft or order (Brindle, Cox and Coleman, 2004, 426). The definition of 'business of banking' discussed so far, are inadequate on two grounds: firstly, there is significant ambiguity over the term "any business" used in the definitions and secondly, not all modes of payments are appropriately covered under the definitions. Thus on account of these two reasons, defining what comprises of 'the business of banking' becomes a daunting task. 2. The two key duties imposed on customers in accordance with MacMillan and Greenwood rule under the Australian law include (Hockin g, Smith, 1999, 156): (i) The duty to exercise adequate care while drawing cheques so as to prevent misleading the bank or to encourage forgery – (the MacMillan duty) and (ii) The duty to inform the bank if any cheques allegedly signed by the customers are forged (the Greenwood duty) The first duty was laid down in the London Joint Stock Bank Ltd. v Macmillan case while the second was laid down in the Greenwood v Martins Bank Ltd., case (Kelly & Holmes, 1997,

What is main causes of obesity for teenagers in USA Annotated Bibliography

What is main causes of obesity for teenagers in USA - Annotated Bibliography Example Additionally, the resource is reliable and written by qualified authors who undertook intense research process to compile the facts and figures. Therefore, observing from these established facts, this reference is key to the course of the research paper. This publication identifies with the purpose of the research paper. Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a publication established from the Boy Scouts of America movement established under the inspiration of the Boy Scout Association. The BSA incorporates boys between ages fourteen to eighteen and institutes several programs for helping and supporting the society in their surroundings. This publication is key to the study into obesity among the teens as it is from teenagers’ organization. Notably, it facilitates a description of the various elements that are causative agents to obesity among the teenagers. The publication therefore features accordingly as a reliable information source for the paper. Additionally, the article reflects accordingly in the intent of the research paper, including discussing the essential points that directly affect the development of the dissertation. Thus, I use this reference from the establishments of the factual information in this research study. Paul Insel is a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford university school of medicine. Turner and Ross are also established professionals in psychology and behavioral sciences. The American Diabetic Association is key in addressing the challenges influencing the health crisis resulting in obesity. In this publication â€Å"Discovering Nutrition†, they all bring their established professional finings regarding the subject of obesity. They facilitate studies involving health education and nutrition as they relate. The objectives of the publication relate accordingly to the purpose of the research proposal of understanding the causes of

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

Law - Essay Example However it was soon realized that the current definition was not adequate and hence required to be redefined to include a broader perspective. Accordingly various additional set of activities were included to broaden the scope of the term. According to section 11 of the Banking Act, certain activities included in the definition applied only to individuals and / or corporations, and any non-corporation which is not defined under this section, is forbidden to carry out â€Å"any banking business†. Similarly under section 8, non-ADI corporations are forbidden from carrying out â€Å"any banking business† (Comlaw, 2011). There is an ambiguity over the term â€Å"any banking business†. The sections 7 and 8 of the banking act prohibit the execution of 'any banking business' although there is no clear consensus regarding the term. There are serious doubts regarding what can possibly be considered as "any banking business". According to the section 5, banking business in cludes acceptance of funds from the public AND making loans to them, but whether a business which is involved in only accepting deposits but not make any loans, is considered as 'banking business' and vice versa, is questionable (Weaver et al, 2003). In Commissioners of the State Savings Bank of Victoria v Permewan, Wright & Co. Ltd, Issacs J, stated that the "essential characteristics of the business of banking may be described as the collection of money by receiving deposits upon loan, repayable when and as expressly or impliedly agreed upon, and the utilization of the money so collected by lending it again, in such sums as are required (Guest, Chalmers, 2005, 11). In United Dominions Trust Ltd v Kirkwood [1966] 2 QB 431 at 445ff, Lord Denning stated that, the times have changed drastically, ever since the definition of banking put forward by Issac, and newer instruments of payment are now added and used as acceptable modes of payment. This includes the use of cheques - crossed as well as uncrossed, and hence the same must also be included within the definition of banking (Gillies, 2004, 780). The Privy Council, in Bank of Chettinad Ltd v Colombo v Income Tax Commissioners, Colombo [1948] A.C. 378, accepted the following definition of banking: "a company which carries on as its principal business, the accepting of deposits of money on current account or otherwise, subject to withdrawal by cheque, draft or order (Brindle, Cox and Coleman, 2004, 426). The definition of 'business of banking' discussed so far, are inadequate on two grounds: firstly, there is significant ambiguity over the term "any business" used in the definitions and secondly, not all modes of payments are appropriately covered under the definitions. Thus on account of these two reasons, defining what comprises of 'the business of banking' becomes a daunting task. 2. The two key duties imposed on customers in accordance with MacMillan and Greenwood rule under the Australian law include (Hockin g, Smith, 1999, 156): (i) The duty to exercise adequate care while drawing cheques so as to prevent misleading the bank or to encourage forgery – (the MacMillan duty) and (ii) The duty to inform the bank if any cheques allegedly signed by the customers are forged (the Greenwood duty) The first duty was laid down in the London Joint Stock Bank Ltd. v Macmillan case while the second was laid down in the Greenwood v Martins Bank Ltd., case (Kelly & Holmes, 1997,

Solid and Hazardous Waste Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solid and Hazardous Waste Assignment - Essay Example Agricultural waste comprises mainly slurry and farmyard manure with significant quantities of straw, silage effluent, and vegetable and cereal residues. Most of this is spread on land. Certain types of waste are defined as hazardous because of the inherent characteristics (e.g. toxic, explosive). The three largest waste streams in this category are oils and oily wastes, construction and demolition waste and asbestos, and wastes from organic chemical processes. Non-controlled waste includes waste generated from agriculture, mines and quarries and from dredging operations. In 1998–99 over 470 million tons of wastes were generated in the UK. The mean production of daily household and commercial waste in EU Member States in 1993–96 was approximately 370 kg/capita/annum, ranging from 350 to 430 kg (Waste Statistics). Most people lack of understanding on â€Å"hazardous waste†; it doesn’t always mean that when waste is hazardous it is harmful, though most can be . Hazardous waste defines that a waste has a property which might make it harmful to human health and the environment. Most, but not all, wastes produced by humans can be classified as hazardous. That is why, authorities and government agencies concerning environmental issues are stepping forward to the control and proper disposal of hazardous waste. Domestic wastes that are, may be, hazardous are the following: asbestos, pesticides and garden chemicals and medicine, fluorescent tubes and lamps, oils and oil filters, plastics, paints and coatings, household batteries and car batteries, discarded electrical equipment like TVs and radios, and computers, computer monitors and CRTs, fridges and freezers, discarded energy saving light bulbs (CFLs), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, Cathode ray tubes, and tires and rubber. Environmental impact on the disposal of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) Many options may be taken by management of environmental agencies to dispose hazardous wastes, pa rticularly incineration and landfills. However, several potential health risk

The Patriot Act Essay Example for Free

The Patriot Act Essay After the atrocious terrorist attacks on the United States in September 2001, the Government has focused an overwhelming amount of attention on combating terrorism. On October 26, 2001 the Bush Administration passed the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, infamously known as Patriot Act. Practically, Patriot Act significantly expands the power of the federal government to investigate, detain, and deport those people who the government suspects are linked to terrorist activity and other crimes. Although the US Congress while enacting this bill thought of the ways to protect America from future terrorist attacks, it failed to balance acceptably the Act with Americans’ civil and constitutional liberties (Strickland, 26). Ironically, the bill created to protect against terrorism extends beyond its limited goal, jeopardizing the civil liberties of Americans more than necessary and creating many opportunities for privacy and freedom violations. History illustrates that, in times of peril, hastily taken measures often weaken governmental restrictions against coercive and intrusive powers and often infringe on civil liberties without substantially enhancing security. Throughout United States history, the country allowed civil liberties to be sacrificed in face of what seemed to be legitimate exigencies of war: the Alien and Sedition Acts, the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, the blacklisting of supposed communist sympathizers during the McCarthy era, and the government’s surveillance of civil rights leaders in the 1960s (Pike, 20). These abuses should not be forgotten in this war against terrorism, but rather used as a lesson that the risk of governmental abuse is substantial. As Louis D. Brandeis explained, â€Å"experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the governments purposes are beneficent . . . The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding† (Gastil and Sussman, 116). This history of abuse indicates that civil liberty violations will likely be a reality if the governmental actions are not carefully constructed with safeguards. From the critical standpoint, the US Patriot Act evidently lacks these safeguards. According to professor Chimerinsky, â€Å"some loss of freedom may be necessary to ensure security; but not every sacrifice of liberty is warranted . . . The central question must be what rights need to be sacrificed, under what circumstances, and for what gain† (Congress Hearings, Lexis-Nexis, 2001). From the very beginning, the Act does not define what a â€Å"suspected terrorist† is, or how the government may go about suspecting someone of terrorism. Potentially, this lack of transparency gives the government an opportunity to use the norms of the Act virtually on every American. The US Code of Federal Regulations defines terrorism as â€Å"the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives† (28 C. F. R. Section 0. 85). However, this definition is rarely adhered to in practice. Title 2, section 201 of Patriot Act, entitled â€Å"Authority to Intercept Wire, Oral, and Electronic Communications Relating to Terrorism† amends Section 2516(1) of title 18, US Code. It allows any criminal violation relating to chemical weapons or terrorism to authorize eavesdropping on the perpetrator. Section 215 also gives the United States government the right to gain â€Å"access to records and other items under the foreign intelligence surveillance act. † This includes everything from dental records to fingerprints and criminal history. Perhaps the most menacing part of the Patriot Act, however, is Title V, entitled â€Å"Removing Obstacles to Investigating Terrorism,† which features sections which allows DNA identification of terrorists and other violent offenders, forces local law enforcement to relinquish control and all data over to federal law enforcement, allows disclosure of educational records, and allows disclosure of information from NCES surveys. Not only these provisions make the Act to be unjust and inappropriate, but they also violate all the norms established by the US Constitution regarding civil rights and liberties. Guaranteeing the security of the United States is the most fundamental governmental objectives and intelligence surveillance plays a critical role in the protection of national security. However, protecting civil liberties is of great importance, and that is why the issue of surveillance went through years of debate. The values of the Constitution of the United States have united the country for more than 200 years. The framers designed the Constitution to protect civil liberties in times of war as well as in times of peace. It necessary to remember that the Constitution was designed at the time when America won the Revolutionary War; the time that was not comfortable or easy, and enemies posed a real threat. However, protecting civil liberties remained a central goal. Similarly, the current threat of terrorism cannot now be used as justification to disregard civil liberties provided by the Constitution. American ideals and values must be respected to maintain the strength of the United States. Commitment to the principles of the Constitution in the face of terrorist atrocities will serve justice and demonstrate the strength of the United States to the world. Even before September 11th, the government acknowledged that terrorists hope to provoke responses that undermine the Constitution of the United States. For instance, a report published before the Patriot Act argued that counterterrorism policies must be effective, but must also respect the democratic traditions (Bernstein, 29). Meanwhile, the Patriot Act could have profound implications on the democracy of the United States. Privacy involves the relationship of the individual to the state, the most fundamental aspect of a government. Since the beginning of the United States, â€Å"Americans have been committed to the idea that people have the right to control how much information about their thoughts, feelings, choices and political beliefs is disclosed† (France M. et al, 83). Privacy acts as the boundary that provides protection from the outside world and maintains human dignity. Privacy works to shield minorities and outsiders from persecution, something America prides itself in providing. â€Å"By reducing our commitment to privacy, we risk changing what it means to be Americans† (France M. t al, 84). The analysis of the Act’s sections depicts whole unconstitutional character of this controversial bill. For instance, Section 218 blurs the essential distinction between criminal and intelligence surveillance. It requires only that â€Å"a significant purpose† of a search or wiretap be â€Å"to obtain foreign intelligence information† (Hearings, Lexis-Nexis, 3162/218). The addit ion of the word â€Å"significant† eliminates the previous FISA civil liberty safeguard that separated criminal surveillance from intelligence surveillance. Now the Patriot Act allows a search to be performed under the previous surveillance guidelines even if the motivation is to get criminal evidence, not foreign intelligence information. In contemporary context, this change allows the FBI to conduct secret searches or to secretly record telephone conversations without probable cause when their primary purpose is to obtain criminal information, not to gather foreign intelligence (ACLU, 2005). As a result, Section 218 threatens the civil liberties of Americans who pose no terrorist threat. Moreover, the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution requires the government to prove to a judicial officer that it has probable cause of a crime before it conducts an invasive search to find evidence of that crime (US Constitution, AM IV). Before the enactment of the Patriot Act, if the primary purpose was a criminal investigation, the law enforcement officials had to first prove the higher standard of probable cause. Investigating criminal activity cannot be the primary purpose of surveillance. However, the change made by Section 218 authorizes unconstitutional activity by impinging on the Fourth Amendment protection that requires probable cause. Section 218 now provides law enforcement officials with a tool to avoid probable cause when conducting criminal investigation surveillance. As long as law enforcement officials can find some aspect of the surveillance relating to intelligence gathering, the surveillance is now very likely to be allowed even if the surveillance is primarily conducted for criminal investigation purposes. Form the critical standpoint, the word â€Å"significant† is not enough of a safeguard to protect the probable cause requirement for criminal investigations. Prior to the Patriot Act, the statutes that governed the use of pen registration and trap and trace devices were structured according to the understanding that the telephone was the predominate method of communication across a distance. To obtain a court order, the law enforcement officer needs to attest that the information to be obtained is â€Å"relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation† (18 U. S. C. , 3123 (a), 2001). In order to have access to the contents of the telephone communication, the officer had to prove probable cause, that is, that a crime has occurred, is occurring, or will occur (18 U. S. C. S. , 3122, 1993). Therefore, previous policy somehow limited the access law enforcement officials have to obtain call content. Not only has the Patriot Act simplified the procedure of obtaining court orders, it also extends the rights of law enforcement officers to access everything from hard-wire telephones to Internet communications. Now, Section 216 gives law enforcement agents access to â€Å"dialing, addressing, routing or signaling information transmitted by an instrument or facility from which a wire or electronic communication is transmitted,† once they have obtained pen register and trap and trace orders. In addition to the outgoing dialed telephone numbers and the origin of the incoming telephone calls, pen registers and trap and trace orders now give access to much more information contained in an electronic communication: the routing, addressing and signaling information of an electronic communication. Taking into consideration that in the US modern history, the FBI has repeatedly abused its powers, the Patriot Act jeopardizes significantly Americans’ right to privacy as well as other civil liberties. For example, during 1960s the FBI has investigated people because of ethnic background or political viewpoint, both of which unjustly invade the sacred American right of individual privacy. Reasons why the government, blindfolded congressmen and other officials allow the possibility for infamous historical incidents and violations to happen again remain unclear. For now, the only thing which is clear is that my personal privacy as well as privacy of my family and friends is under constant threat. Quite possibly, my email correspondence with my foreign friends or relatives is under careful watch of FBI or other Homeland Security agents. My educational records along with other private information are easily accessible for unclear and non-transparent purposes. And although my correspondence, my online diaries, weblogs, email, etc do not represent any threat for the United States, there is no justification and reasons for why they should be available for surveillance. Finally, the US Patriot Act is apparently neither effective vehicle to protect citizens from terrorism nor it conforms to the Constitution. Practically, it impedes your, my, their civil liberties. The Government should have first determined and analyzed the barriers inhibiting effective use of existing policies that protect against terrorism, and only then utilize such aggressive control over our liberty.

Globalization And The Impacts Of E Commerce

Globalization And The Impacts Of E Commerce One of the most vital processes of the last several decades has been the emergence and development of the process of globalisation. According to the definition given by Andrew Heywood globalization is the emergence of a complex web of interconnectedness that means our lives are increasingly shaped by the events that occur, and the decisions that are made, at a greater distance from us. The central feature of globalization is therefor the geographical distance is of a declining relevance and the territorial boundaries, such as those between nation states are becoming less significant  [1]  . One of the significant characteristic of globalisation is the Time- space compression. Through the advances in technology, it is easier to communicate and travel internationally and also that the speed at which these things are accomplished has greatly increased  [2]  . This aspect of globalisation has a wider impact on the global commerce were the advances in technology have led to an integration and interconnectedness of the global economy. The pace at which transactions can take place has led to an increased global focus on the integration of economies and has led to the increased involvement of private business actors in the realm of international finance and international markets. Modern technologies have moreover facilitated a scale and speed of communication that is unprecedented  [3]  . The UNDP human development report  [4]  explains that the fusion of computing and communications especially through the internet has broken the bounds of cost, time and distance la unching an era of global information networking. The Internet, digital technologies and the evolution of E-commerce (Electronic Commerce) raised new challenges for the Intellectual property right holders in the digital world. Materials protected by copyright and related rights constitute much of the valuable subject matter of ecommerce. This situation has a wide-ranging impact on the right of copyright holders because they permit new ways of creating, using, and duplicating works of authorship. In the digital world copies can be made cheaply and distributed widely by individuals. The copyright laws that were set to compact with the problems in the physical world had to deal with the issues in the digital world. To achieve the same the copyright laws has to undergo drastic changes. In this context this paper attempts to analyse the evolution of Ecommerce in the background of globalisation and its implications on the Copyright laws. The paper will also focus on the various measures adopted by the national governments to prevent the i nfringement of copyright in the digital world. The paper excludes the disputes related to domain names, Patents and Trademarks. EVOLUTION OF E COMMERCE In the 1990s the information technology led to a new revolution through the commercialization of internet. The limitations of networked systems like the cost structure and that related to geographical limits became irrelevant. Old traditions about the cost structure and geographic limits of networked systems turn out to be irrelevant and it became easy to form a worldwide system quickly and inexpensively. Business people seized this opportunity and responded by creating entirely new types of businesses and fundamentally altering existing businesses. The once limited strategic use of information technology became widespread. Thus new terms were created to label this revolution: electronic commerce (more commonly called ecommerce) and electronic business (eBusiness)  [5]  . In the present scenario we can see the business world is transitioning from a physical reality based on atoms to a digital one of bits  [6]  .The term commerce is viewed by some as transactions conducted between business partners. Therefore, the term eCommerce seems to be fairly narrow to some people. Thus the term eBusiness refers to a broader definition of eCommerce, not just buying and selling but also servicing customers and collaborating with business partners, and conducting electronic transactions within an organization. Business-to-business eCommerce is the largest gold rush international commerce has seen for decades. It may be the largest ever Bridging the profound gap between the way traditional businesses are run and the way virtual communities will be built.  [7]   The rapid growth of the Internet and associated technologies have created a new business environment and opened up numerous new possibilities for conducting and managing businesses. Terms such as digital economy, eBusiness, and eCommerce are being used to characterize these developments.  [8]  Businesses have become internet worked eBusiness enterprises. The Internet and Internet-like networks inside the enterprise (intranets), between an enterprise and its trading partners (extranets), and other types of networks are now the primary information technology infrastructure of many organizations. The Internet is a network of networks. The internet worked eBusiness enterprise enables managers, business professionals, teams, and workgroups to electronically exchange data and information anywhere in the world with other end users, customers, suppliers, and business partners. Companies and workgroups can thus collaborate more creatively, manage their business operations and resources mo re effectively, and compete successfully in todays fast-changing global economy  [9]  . PRINCIPLES of E COMMERCE Organization of Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) deals with five broad themes for a better understanding of eCommerce.  [10]   1. Ecommerce transforms the marketplace: ecommerce is changing the way business is conducted. Traditional intermediary functions will be replaced, new products and markets will be developed, and new and far closer relationships will be created between business and consumers. It will change the organization of work: new channels of knowledge diffusion and human interactivity in the workplace will be opened with more flexibility and adaptability will be needed, and workers functions and skills will be redefined. 2. Ecommerce has a catalytic effect: Ecommerce will serve to accelerate and diffuse more widely changes that are already under way in the economy, such as the reform of regulations, the establishment of electronic links between businesses (EDI), the globalization of economic activity, and the demand for higher-skilled workers. Likewise, many sectorial trends already underway, such as e-banking, direct booking of travel, and one-to-one marketing, are accelerated by ecommerce. 3. ECommerce over the Internet vastly increases interactivity in the economy: These linkages now extend down to small businesses and households and reach out to the world at large. Access will shift away from personal computers to cheap and easy-to-use TVs and telephones to devices yet to be invented. People will increasingly have the ability to communicate and transact business anywhere, anytime. This will have a profound impact, not the least of which will be the erosion of economic and geographic boundaries. 4. Openness is an underlying technical and philosophical tenet of the expansion of ecommerce: The widespread adoption of the Internet as a platform for business is due to its non-proprietary standards and open nature as well as to the huge industry that has evolved to support it. The economic power that stems from joining a large network will help to ensure that new standards remain open. More importantly, openness has emerged as a strategy, with many of the most successful eCommerce ventures granting business partner and consumers unparallel access to their inner workings, abases, and personnel. This has led to a shift in the role of consumers, who are increasingly implicated as partners in product design and creation. An expectation of openness is building on the part of consumers/citizens, which will cause transformations, for better (e.g. increased transparency, competition) or for worse (e.g. potential invasion of privacy) in the economy and society. 5. Ecommerce alters the relative importance of time: Many of the routines that help define the look and feel of the economy and society are a function of time: mass production is the fastest way of producing at the lowest cost; ones community tends to be geographically determined because time is a determinant of proximity. Ecommerce is reducing the importance of time by speeding up production cycles, allowing firms to operate in close coordination and enabling consumers to conduct transactions around the clock. As the role of time changes, so will the structure of business and social activities, causing potentially large impacts. In a nutshell the benefits of Ecommerce are, they offer personalization, high quality customer service and improved supply-chain management. This features of ecommerce has led to a wide scope of Intellectual Property transactions, especially the copyright works in the digital world and thus raise the challenges of protection of the same in the digital world. IMPACT of ECOMMERCE on COPYRIGHT Copyright is a legal term describing rights given to creators for their literary and artistic works. The kinds of works covered by copyright include literary works such as novels, poems, plays, reference works, newspapers, and computer programs; databases; films, musical compositions, and choreography; artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture; architecture; and advertisements, maps, and technical drawings  [11]  . Copyright motivates the creative activity of authors and thereby provides the public with the products of those creators. By granting authors exclusive rights, the public receives the benefit of literature and music and other creative works that might not otherwise be created or disseminated. Effective copyright protection promotes a new Cyber-marketplace of ideas, expression, and products  [12]  . The internet has paved the way for new ways of creating, using and duplicating copyrighted works. Internet and other digital technologies raise new issues for copyright law because they permit new ways of creating, using, and duplicating works of authorship. Copies are made cheap and the distributions of the same are done at a greater pace in the digital world. This creates the major challenge in the present scenario for copyright holders. In this context it is worth to discuss the implications of globalisation of information and its impact on intellectual property laws. The growth of digital information in the background of globalisation has a wider impact on the domestic and international intellectual property regimes. This has led to the standardization of Intellectual Property laws and demand for greater protection. The literature of recent years advocates that these effects on Intellectual Property have positive impact on the intellectual property producing nations and transnational corporations. Another argument put forth in this context is that the sovereignty of the state is compromised to strong and powerful private entities .It is possible that the prevalence of such writings in the literature is a response to the movement toward harmonization and stronger intellectual property protections and an attempt to ensure that some of the less heard voices are expressed.  [13]  Globalization of intellectual prope rty laws is leading to an erosion of state sovereignty or, at least, profound transformations in our notions of sovereignty  [14]   The Internet poses a threat to copyright laws, especially in the areas of illegal music copying and distribution. The Internet is made up of millions of sites with millions of users potentially viewing those sites daily. It is very easy for users to download information from other peoples sites and in many cases this activity is not easily monitored. A user with a personal web page may also upload files to the server where the page is located and then allow other users to copy that file, regardless of the fact that it may be copyrighted.  [15]   The international character of E commerce raises questions about the nature of traditional legal systems in general, and intellectual property law in particular. They are based on notions of sovereignty and territoriality. The Internet, in contrast, like the movement of weather within the global climate, largely ignores distinctions based on territorial borders. Instead, infrastructure, code and language have thus far had a greater bearing on the reach of its currents  [16]  . For example, the most fundamental issue raised for the fields of copyright is the determination of the scope of protection in the digital environment involving how rights are defined, and what exceptions and limitations are permitted. Other important issues include how rights are enforced and administered in this environment; who in the chain of dissemination of infringing material can be held legally responsible for the infringement; and questions of jurisdiction and applicable law. The Internet is multi-jurisdictional. Users can access the Internet from almost any place on earth. The unique feature of digitized information is that they travel through various countries and jurisdictions before reaching its final destination. The major legal issue arise in this context is the problem of jurisdiction to adjudicate a dispute at a particular location. Secondly there arises the question of law that can be made available to the disputes and finally the recognition and enforcement of judgements in courts in foreign jurisdictions. The economic pressures and the growing international significance of copyright have led to new laws. These new laws are overwhelmingly in furtherance of expanding protection, easier protection, and longer protection.  [17]   There is no standard international copyright law, but an international system exists were a set of norms based on national laws. There exist two different traditions with regard to copyrighted works such as common law and the civil law. Public benefit is the principal focus of copyright systems for which the countries the countries that followed common law tradition. In the civil law tradition copyright works are treated as an authors natural human rights, or part of ones right of personality. Thus, under this system, the protection of an authors moral rights is as essential as the corresponding protection of his/her economic rights. The concept of copyright itself witnessed a drastic change along with the development of technology. In the age of printing press copyright was a restriction on the publishers and authors rather than on the readers. Now in the present context the age of the printing press is coming to an end and the age of the computer networks has taken the way. The computer networks and the transactions in the digital world are now taking us back to a scenario that existed at the age of printing press were anybody who can read can also make a copy of his own. This has directed to a different situation were the there is a drastic change in the working of the copyright laws; Copyright law is now no longer an industrial regulation rather it is a draconian restriction on the general public. Earlier the copyright laws were used to restrict the publishers and to protect the authors now in the present scenario copyright laws are used to restrict the public for the sake of publishers. In the present scenario the publishers are vigilant in protecting their copyright and they wish to increase copyright powers to the maximum extent point where they have complete control over the information. The publishers in fact started compelling the national governments for more copyright powers. These situations led to creation of stringent laws were more powers were given to the publishers and freedoms of the public are being taken away to a large extent. The Passing of Digital Millennium Copyright Act by the US can be cited in this context. Similar laws were passed in Australia and European countries as well. In order to prevent the infringement of copyright in the digital world various methods have been adopted. Firstly harsh punishments are inflicted on copyright violators. The word pirate was earlier used to refer the publishers who failed to pay the authors, but in the present scenario it is used to refer the public who escapes from the control of the publisher. In the globalised era of information it is observed that the publishers are compelling the governments to amend the copyright laws to give themselves more power. The publishers are purchasing the laws to empower themselves. Secondly the publishers are also trying to extend the duration of copyright. So the publishers are purchasing laws to give themselves more power. In addition, theyre also extending the duration of the copyright. This can be assumed from the speech delivered by Richard Stallman were he points out The U.S. Constitution says that copyright must last for a limited time, but the publishers want copyright to last forever. However, getting a constitutional amendment would be rather difficult, so they found an easier way that achieves the same result. Every 20 years they retroactively extend copyright by 20 years. So the result is, at any given time, copyright nominally lasts for a certain period and any given copyright will nominally expire someday. But that expiration will never be reached because every copyright will be extended by 20 years every 20 years; thus no work will ever go into the public domain again. This has been called perpetual copyright on the instalment plan.  [18]   The law which was passed in US in the year 1998 that extended the copyright protection for twenty more years was called the Mickey Mouse Copyright Extension Act. One of the main champions of this law was Disney. The copyright of Disney was about to fall in the public domain by the year 2003 and to extend the duration of their copyright they compelled the US government to amend the copyright law. Similar instances can be pointed out from various national copyright legislations across the world. CONCLUSION In the current environment it is seen that globalisation is carried out by a number of policies that are done in the name of economic efficiency or free trade treaties. These treaties are drafted in such a way to empower the Business corporates over laws and policies. Theyre not really about free trade. These treaties transfer power to business corporates and the national governments find themselves in a situation were they cant protect the interest of their own citizens. In the present scenario it is the foreign companies having more power than citizens of the country. The copyright treaties that were designed in the in the 90s begin to impose copyright throughout the world in more powerful and restrictive way. The distinctive features of these treaties were they are controlled by corporate giants. It is an accepted reality that strong Copyright protection hinders the development of a country. When the US was a developing country, The US failed to recognize foreign copyrights because they were well aware of the fact that it can be an obstacle in their development, but in the present scenario the developing countries are compelled to amend their copyright laws for empowering the publishers of developed nations and to protect their copyright in the digital world. The US threatens the developing nations to go against their own interest. In the present scenario it is seen that the existing legal regime for protecting the copyright in the era of digitisation doesnt serve the interest of the public. Developing countries like India are also vigilant in protecting the copyright especially in the felid of softwares. In the recent years, the Indian court shows growing concern and willingness to enforce intellectual property rights. In the 21st century, intellectual property plays an ever more important role on the international stage. The evolution of ecommerce in the context of globalisation had a widespread impact on the Intellectual Property copyrights. There are further digital copyright issues yet to be successfully addressed in the world of ecommerce.