Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Manipulates History Essay

Richard III Manipulates the Court of York in the same way that Shakespeare Manipulates History. Discuss the links between the playwright and protagonist.  Richard may be portrayed as an evil, vile, lying murderer but he actually has many aspects in common with the man who shaped him into this revolting state of mind, Shakespeare himself. Shakespeare’s Richard III is one of the only written documents we have describing this misapprehended king and Shakespeare was born many years after his death so he had no possible way of knowing what happened first hand. All evidence points to Shakespeare’s ideas being total fiction just as the Richard he describes lies and slanders to the courts. When we first meet Richard he instantly begins a soliloquy to the audience who are captivated with resentment for him as they are the people included in his plots and plans and are powerless to impede them. Right from the start he establishes himself as a synonym for evil. He portrays to the audience about his physical deformity with pleasure, which we later see is a metaphor for his psychological state of mind. Being ‘Cheated of feature by dissembling nature’ (Act I Scene 1 line 19) he uses it to mask his evil and rationalize his becoming a villain. He feigns upset and disappointment that people hate him solely because of his malformation and routinely feel sympathy for him.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœBecause I cannot flatter and look fair,  Smile in men’s faces smooth, deceive and cog  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I must be held a rancorous enemy.’  (Act I Scene 3 Lines 43-50)  This of course is an example of dramatic irony as the audience and Richard both know that he really should be held a rancorous enemy and he does ‘flatter, smile smooth, deceive and cog’ for example when he woos Anne in almost impossible circumstances. He validates his impiety by telling the audience of his boredom with life. He states ‘I †¦ have no delight to pass away the time’ (Act I Scene 1 line 25) as he cannot ‘caper nimbly in a lady’s chamber’ (Line 12). Now the war is over there is nothing he is good at so he resorts to the only other thing he has left: using his aptitude to cause others misery. To him it is merely exciting to nearly get caught. He wants to be king but not for the joy of being king but for the suspense of getting there. All he really wishes to do is make his tedious life more interesting as really he has no need to be higher than he is at the beginning as the Duke of Gloucester is a very high position with nearly as much money as the king would have had as he was his brother. In any case he was definitely well off where he was.  Shakespeare was living under the reign of Elizabeth I and as would often write plays for royalty, he created one for her. Writing a play would definitely impress Elizabeth and get him into her good books, he would certainly have gotten a large sum of money for it if she liked it. This was the time of the Tudor dynasty the foundation of which was when Richard III was killed and Richmond became king. By writing this play Shakespeare set out to diminish the fact that this had undermined the Divine Right of Kings. If he had portrayed Richard as a good man then Richmond could have been said to be wrong and evil for killing a righteous man and his claim to the throne devalued along with Elizabeth I as they were related. Shakespeare would have most likely been killed for suggesting this, but by making Richmond seem virtuous benevolent and respectable he was also flattering the Queen. Through the course of the play Richard doesn’t ever think twice about quickly disposing of enemies in his way. He cleverly lets them seal their own fate with one word. When Hastings was no longer any use to him he first used Buckingham to stir things up and push him onto thin ice. Then Richard comes onstage in an angry mood talking of witchcraft and as soon as Hastings says ‘If they have done this, my noble lord- ‘ (Act III Scene 4 Line 72) Richard immediately and tactfully picks up the word ‘if’. It is what he has been waiting for and clamours ‘Talk’st thou to me of ifs? Thou art a traitor. Off with his head!’ (Lines 74-75) He has skilfully sealed Hastings fate with one word. He also uses the fact that the two princes are illegitimate as an excuse to murder them, telling Buckingham ‘I wish the bastards dead’ (Act IV Scene 2 Line 19) But he has the common sense not to make a public matter and hires a private assassinator to do the butchery.  From the very beginning when Richard successfully woos Anne he reveals to the audience that he does not truly care about her at all and will unhesitatingly get rid of her as soon as she begins to get in his way. He says ‘I’ll have her, but I will not keep her long’ (Act I Scene 2 Line 233) and as soon Richard sees that the best way to the throne is to marry his niece he quickly disposes of Anne with little thought telling Catesby to ‘Rumour it abroad that Anne my wife is very grievous sick’ (Act IV Scene 2 Line 52) and ‘Give out that Anne my queen is sick and like to die’ (Line 58). With this rumour spread Richard can easily kill Anne off without raising suspicion as everybody is expecting her to die. The play begins unusually with Richard himself giving a soliloquy. In it he brags to the audience about the ‘plots [I have] laid, inductions dangerous †¦ Clarence and the king in deadly hate’ (Act I Scene 1 Lines 34-35). He cycles through his strategies with the audience saying ‘†G† of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be’ (Line 41) is a rumour he has spread. This is also moderately dangerous for Richard to say as he is the duke of Gloucester. But Richard is just playing with fire and finds the slight danger amusing as it makes his life more interesting and exciting. When Clarence arrives with the prison guard he immediately transforms to a caring, loving brother but subtly plays on words saying ‘I will perform it to enfranchise you’ (Line 110) which means to Clarence that Richard will do anything to free him but the audience and Richard both know that he will do anything to free Clarence from life. This is the same case later when he tells Clarence ‘Your imprisonment shall not be long’ (Line 114) as the audience also knows that this is because he will be dead soon. As soon as Clarence is out of earshot, Richard mutates back into his true identity stating ‘Clarence hath not another day to live’ (Line 151). He is proud of his management of Clarence but tells himself and the audience ‘Clarence still breathes, Edward still reigns, when they are gone, then must I count my gains’ (Lines 162-163). His plan is not complete yet. Richard’s plan is rushed somewhat when there is news that the king is on his deathbed. He wants Edward to die but not before he has signed Clarence’s death warrant and so goes to Edward ‘To urge his hatred more to Clarence’ (Line 148). He is ‘Deformed, unfinished, sent before [my] time’ (Act I Scene 1 Line 20) and may kill anyone anytime, but is not just pure evil. He is also an extremely intelligent character, with his quick thinking and clever use of words, who could possibly have been a great king if he would use his vast intellect for good, which is mainly why the play is not only a history but also a tragedy, as we know Richard could make something of himself.  The court of York is already very unstable, the king is ill, the heir to the throne is a child and his protector is Richard, ‘A man that loves not me nor none of you’ (Act I Scene 3 Line 13) and Richard uses this to his advantage. When Elizabeth threatens to g to the king about Richard he immediately comes out with all the crimes she had committed against the king.

The Debate

Catrin, a schoolgirl, 15 years of age enters. â€Å"My mind just gives me a headache! Why cant life just be simple, with no worries, yeah, I'm talking to you up there. You know what I'm saying! Why cant you give me some thanks once in a while. I'm still alive, I think I deserve some gratification for that, don't you think? It's really hard work living with that evil brother of mine and putting up with mum's winging, but I'm sure you know that, because your always watching over me, apparently. Don't you get bored up there watching everyone all day? (Sits down to think) I wonder what it's like up there, you know, in heaven? I don't suppose I'll ever go there anyway, because I'm a naughty girl, really. My mum has said it so many times that I'm starting to believe it! Mind you I'm not as naughty as my brother, my naughtiness is just fun and harmless, but I'm sure that my brother has malice in his naughtiness! He plays his shooting games on the computer as if he were actually enjoying blowing somebody's brains out! Sick, really sick, I always annoy him by chanting, â€Å"You're a mental psychopathic murderer!† And then his eyes glow a fierce red and my legs start to quiver and my brain hurts because its ashamed of the mistake it has just done. My mum seems to always stop the fighting just before it gets going; she has this talent, after all that's what parents are for! (Gets up and puts her hand on her head, moving position every now and then) Oh, why does life have to be so unfair! Why can't I win the lottery or become famous? I would absolutely love to be the next Faith Hill or the next Madonna, but there's no hope I suppose, after all I'm hopeless! I can't sing to save my life! I'm useless, let's face it brain. I'm thinking whether to sit (and be a swot) and work or sit and be a couch potato and watch telly all night? Such a hard decision, isn't it brain. What shall I do? My conscience says ‘Cats, sit and write with pride your English homework!' While the devil inside me says ‘Cats man, live life to the full, chill and relax in front of the box!' My head hurts and it feels as if its been torn in two, oh! ‘Chill', ‘Work!' ‘Chill', ‘Work!' Oh god, help! Ok, let's try a different approach. What would mum want me to do? She would definitely want me to do my homework; she always says how important my education is, just because she wasted hers as a child. My answer to her is that you learn from your mistakes, and so if I make a mistake and waste my education, then I'll learn! Clever isn't it! Well-done brain! (Sits with legs crossed, leaning back on the chair) I wonder if other people sit and debate their lives with themselves like I do. Maybe I'm the only one, I could be famous and I don't know it! Imagine the headlines ‘Girl debates with her own brain!' Wow, what a thought! What was I thinking of before going off on some wild tangent? Ah, yes I remember, am I to do my homework or go and watch telly, I still haven't decided! I know, I'll try another different approach, what would Grandma want me to do? Definitely, without a doubt she would want me to do my homework. That's two against one, now! Ok, what would my friends want me to do? They would say go and watch the telly, much more educational in their view. Now it's all-square again, mum and grandma against my friends and me! Oh, why cant life just be simple! I know I'll just go to bed!

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Effect of Global Financial Crisis on Banks in Pakistan

CHAPTER #01 BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT AND STATEMENT OF PROBLEM |1. 1 |Introduction | |1. 2 |Evolution and Present Status | |1. 2. 1 |Pakistan’s Banking Sector and Foreign Banks | |1. 3 |Statement of Problem | |1. 4 |Significance of Study | |1. |Scope of the Study | |1. 6 |Delimitations | | | | 1. 1Introduction: The financial crisis, which has been developing at Wall Street, has got people worried in developing countries around the world. The stock exchanges, in developing countries have crashed and things look bleak for the financial markets.The people are drawing parallels with the Great Depression of 1929, but this time the world economy seems far more reliant and countries are far more intertwined with each other. Hit by an unprecedented series of multiple events and shocks, the Global Financial System is in a state of deep distress. One after another, large global banks have faced extensive losses, some were subjected to runs, others wrapped up their business, while yet oth ers went for bail outs, mergers or other forms of restructuring. Stock markets tumbled, indices declined and their market capitalization was severely eroded.The financial crisis, triggered by an isolated problem of subprime mortgages and other alternative investment vehicles which constituted only a small proportion of global financial assets, first hit one sector of the economy i. e. housing, and has now transmitted its contagion effect across all segments of financial markets and institutions, with spillover effects into the real sector. The global economy is now witnessing a significant slowdown after a sustained period of growth. What was perceived initially as purely liquidity? runch in advanced financial markets has now turned into a solvency crisis. The depth and breadth of the financial crisis is yet not known. The crisis has generated instability by speculative trade, which has far-reaching implications around the globe. The crisis has the potential to disrupt the very foun dations of the international monetary system. The situation is not limited to the meltdown of financial markets, the real economy at the national and international level, its institutions; and its productive structures are also in difficulty.This financial meltdown inevitably, backlashes on consumer markets, the housing market, and more broadly on the process of investment in the production of goods and services. 1. 2Evolution and Present Status Pakistan is living in a highly integrated world and a major turmoil of this magnitude and would definitely create certain implications for Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan already reeling from high food and fuel prices could face adverse consequences of the global financial crisis. The country’s economy is already confronted with worst kind of macroeconomic imbalances and obviously need financing desperately.Pakistan’s economic growth has slowed down and the ripple effects of this financial crisis may or may not hit with sam e intensity or severity as it is doing to the developed world, but still there are various channels through which the crisis may hit Pakistan economy. The crisis affected area, United States and Europe, hold a fundamental value for Pakistan’s economy. The financial turmoil is more then likely to affect Europe, Japan and North American countries with full intensity. Pakistan’s external sector comprised of trade, foreign investment, remittances, and capital flows is interwoven with these countries.All these indicators of external sector have more than 50 per cent of the stake in this region. The growth model being followed in Pakistan over the years is highly dependent on foreign capital inflows, mainly from these countries. More than one-half of Pakistan's external trade is dependent on these countries. The country could be hurt if demands for its export products dropped significantly, foreign investment declines substantially and if the terms of trade are affected. Pak istan has a very inelastic import structure and if exports are hit by a crisis than the current account deficit is likely to go beyond the sustainable limits.There is an agreement among analysts that countries with heavy external financing needs are potentially more vulnerable to a credit crunch. Pakistan’s current account deficit had already touched $14 billion which is 8. 5 per cent of its GDP, in 2007-08. In the current fiscal year, the ambitious reduction in the CAD is planned but still need a financing of around $12 billion. If import compression measures fail than the financing needs would be more than that. Pakistan’s external inflows projections hinges upon inflows from GDR’s and sovereign bonds in the fiscal year 2008-09.In the current situation any inflows under these heads are most unlikely. Standard & Poor has downgraded its long-term credit rating for Pakistan to triple c plus and this is the third downgrading of this calendar year. This rating will heart some investment prospect as well. The current crisis is aggravated by rising cost of external borrowing on the one hand and scarcity of availability of external inflows coupled with volatility of oil prices in the international market on the other. Internal security situation is adding miseries to our external woes.Non-debt creating inflows like FDI and portfolio inflows had shown great resilience to external crisis last year but sustainability of this resilience is likely to be hurt. 1. 2. 1Pakistan’s Banking Sector & Foreign Banks The major area of the economy of any country is its financial sector, in recent times financial sector has received renewed focus in the world. And within the broad domain of the financial sector, it is the banking industry that has been the center of attraction for the government and policymakers, particularly in the landscape of the Universal Banking Model.Banking is one of the most sensitive businesses all over the world. Banks plays ver y important role in the economy of the country and Pakistan is no exception. Banks are not only the custodian of the assets of the general masses but also act as a major financial intermediary of the country. The banking sector influences many different but integrated economic activities like mobilization of resources, collection & distribution of public finance.Pakistan’s financial sector consists of Scheduled Commercial Banks which include nationalized, foreign, and private banks; and Non-banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) which include Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Investment Banks, leasing companies, modarabas, and housing finance companies. Scheduled Banks and NBFIs (excluding modaraba and leasing companies) are both regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan’s Prudential Regulations, albeit through different wings, and are subject to different SBP regulatory requirements such as capital and liquidity reserve requirements.The banking sector in Pakistan has been going through a comprehensive but complex and painful process of restructuring since 1997. It is aimed at making these institutions financially sound and forging their links firmly with the real sector for promotion of savings, investment and growth. Although a complete turnaround in banking sector performance is not expected till the completion of reforms, signs of improvement are visible. The almost simultaneous nature of various factors makes it difficult to disentangle signs of improvement and deterioration.The central bank has been following a supervisory framework, CAMEL, which involves the analysis of six indicators which reflect the financial health of financial institutions. These are: 1) Capital Adequacy, 2) Asset Quality, 3) Management Soundness, 4) Earnings and Profitability, 5) Liquidity and 6) Sensitivity to Market Risk. Pakistan’s banking sector is made up of 53 banks of which there are 30 commercial banks, four specialized banks, six Islamic banks, s even development financial institutions and six micro-finance banks.According to the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Financial Stability Review 2007-08, â€Å"Pakistan’s banking sector has remained remarkably strong and resilient, despite facing pressures emanating from weakening macroeconomic environment. According to Fitch Ratings, the international credit rating agency dual headquartered in New York and London, â€Å"the Pakistani banking system has, over the last decade, gradually evolved from a weak state-owned system to a slightly healthier and active private sector driven system. |BANKS IN PAKISTAN | |[pic] | |PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS | | | |First Women Bank Limited | |The Bank of Khyber | |National Bank of Pakistan | |The Bank of Punjab | |SINDH BANK | |ISLAMIC BANKS | | | |BankIslami Pakistan Limited | |Emirates Global Islamic Bank | |Dawood Islamic Bank Limited | |Meezan Bank Limited | |Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited | |PRIVATE BANKS | | |The Royal Ba nk of Scotland Limited | |JS Bank Limited | |Allied Bank Limited | |KASB Bank Limited | |Arif Habib Bank Limited | |MCB Bank Limited | |Askari Bank Limited | |Mybank Limited | |Atlas Bank Limited | |NIB Bank Limited | |Bank Alfalah Limited | |Saudi Pak Commercial Bank Limited | |Bank Al Habib Limited | |Soneri Bank Limited | |Crescent Commercial Bank Limited | |Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited | |Faysal Bank Limited | |United Bank Limited | |Habib Bank Limited | |Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited | |FOREIGN BANKS | | | |Albaraka Islamic Bank B. S. C. (E. C. ), | |The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Limited – Pakistan Operations | |Citibank N. A. – Pakistan Operations | |HSBC Bank Middle East Limited – Pakistan | |Deutsche Bank AG – Pakistan Operations | |Barclays Bank PLC | |Oman International Bank S. A. O.G – Pakistan Operations | |DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | | | |House Building Finance Corporation | |Pakistan Kuwai t Investment Company Limited | |Pak Brunei investment Company Limited | |Pak Oman Investment Company Limited | |Pak Iran Joint Investment Company | |Saudi Pak Industrial & Agricultural Investment Company Limited | |Pak Libya Holding Company Limited | |China Investment Company Limited | |SPECIALIZED BANKS | | | |Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan | |The Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank Ltd | |SME Bank Limited | |Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited | |MICRO FINANCE BANKS / INSTITUTIONS | | | |Khushhali Bank Limited | Rozgar Microfinance Bank Limited | |Network Microfinance Bank Limited | |Tameer Micro Finance Bank Limited | |Pak Oman Microfinance Bank Limited | |The First Micro Finance Bank Limited | As of end-2008, data from the banking sector confirms a slowdown (after a multi-year growth pattern). As of October 2008, total deposits fell from Rs3. 77 trillion in September to Rs3. 67 trillion. Provisions for losses over the same period went up from Rs173 billion in Sept ember to Rs178. 9 billion in October. In the meanwhile, the SBP has jacked up economy-wide rates of interest (the 3-month treasury bill auction has seen a jump from 9. 9 percent in January 2008 to 14 percent as of January 2009 and bank lending rates are as high as 20 percent). Overall, Pakistan’s banking sector hasn’t been as prone to external shocks as have been banks in Europe. To be certain, liquidity is tight but that has little to do with the Global Financial Crisis and more to do with heavy government borrowing from the banking sector and thus tight liquidity and the ‘crowding out’ of the private sector. Increased competition in the banking sector will force smaller banks to either sell out to other larger banks or merge. A small capital base will also restrict branch expansion of smaller banks, forcing them to focus on relatively smaller retail clients.Hence, it is foreseen that a major merger/acquisition potential in the banking sector. Competition would also spill over to other customer services such as provision of ATM machines and better banking facilities. Again, only the larger banks would be able to invest in automation technology and branch expansion necessary to improve efficiencies and mobilize cheaper funds. Foreign Banks (FB) comprises 24% of total advances and deposits within the banking system, but as a percentage of total profitability they are far ahead. A major constraint for foreign banks is the restrictions placed on branch expansion by the SBP. This should be according to liberalization policy to relax restrictions on foreign banks in emerging economies.Traditionally, the foreign banking focused on short term trade finance, targeting mainly low risk blue chip clients and high net worth individuals. More recently, foreign banks have also expanded into merchant banking, capital market operations, and consumer/retail banking. Foreign banks have been extremely successful in capturing a major market share of con sumer banking business, especially that of credit cards. Head office support in terms of international network and technology has enabled the foreign banks to become important players in the corporate and consumer banking arena. The deposits of foreign banks as ratio of total deposits increased to 27. 99 per cent in 1994-95 as compared to 21. 3 per cent in the preceding year. The advances of foreign banks as ratio of total advances have also shown an increase from 17. 64 per cent to 20. 38 per cent during the same period. Citibank earned a pretax profit of Rs. 1191. 82 million and thus it became the top profit earner among the foreign banks in Pakistan. The presence of foreign banks in Pakistan expands access to credit as well as financial services, which can spur efficiency and innovation in domestic banks, however, ripple effect of shocks from the credit squeeze in the US has impact on local financial markets through these banks. Pakistan has concentration of almost all foreign ba nks in the country.They account for one-tenth of deposits in the country in 2007-08. There are substantial changes taking place in the interrelation with the structure-forming elements in the global financial market which is seriously affecting the financial-credit mechanism in the developing countries, which have not yet developed the financial and economic structures. Countries like Pakistan sensitively react to the structural changes in the financial space. The banking and the entire financial system is much stronger now, after years of restructuring. Pakistan’s financial institutions had not invested in derivatives that had exposure to risky investment bankers.Moreover, better supervisory oversight and risk management practices introduced by the SBP have strengthened bank balance sheets while Bank asset quality, profitability, and capital adequacy have also improved remarkably in recent years. If the small size of the Pakistan’s financial market has traditionally b een a hindrance to a more efficient economy, it may actually prove to be an advantage in the current situation. There are deficiencies in the operations of the banking system, and it does not fulfill its function as finance intermediary. Hence the traditional channels of influence between financial market and real economy do not function in all respects. The banking system is on strong footing and has long term potential – a feature which has served to attract a substantial amount of FDI in the sector, with established global financial institutions now active participants in the domestic financial sector,† it has been well? governed and being in private hands under professional management, has witnessed outstanding financial performance during the last few years. With strong regulatory oversight, there has been a significant enhancement of capital and risk? weighted capital adequacy, supported by high provisioning requirements which were tightened in 2007. Stringent loa n provisioning requirement has built sufficient reserves against the NPLs’ portfolio.In contrast to the liberalized financial system in the west which took its toll in the form of the current global financial crisis, there are stringent regulations and adequate policies in place to help the banking system manage its risks. It is observed that aggregate financial soundness indicators have improved since early 2000, and continue to exhibit strong performance. â€Å"Tighter provisioning requirements may have reduced profits, but have positioned banks well,† and added ongoing consolidation and mergers have enabled a number of banks to position themselves better. The studies have shown that solvency profile has improved, and given the pressures from the macroeconomic environment, there is an indication of marginal deterioration in asset quality, which banks are well? equipped to handle. Stress tests conducted on June? 008 data indicate that the large banks are relatively ro bust, with the medium and small? sized banks positioning themselves in niche markets. Capital adequacy of the banking system is strong, 12. 1 percent at end? June 2008, well above the internationally acceptable minimum requirement of 8. 0 percent, it said and added core capital constitutes about 80. 0 percent of the total capital, and Tier 1 to risk weighted assets ratio of the banking system is at 9. 7 percent. â€Å"This strong capital base is accompanied by adequate reserves on the back of stringent provisioning requirements against classified assets – the net NPLs to net loans ratio is reasonably well? contained i. e. at 1. percent in June 2008, comparable to international best standards,† the Report pointed out. Profitability of the banking system continues to be impressive, largely emanating from the persistent growth in high? yield earning assets and expanded business volumes. Before? tax Return On Assets of the banking system remains strong at 2. 3 percent in J une 2008. The strengths built up over the years are now coming in handy in managing the recent financial strains. The Government’s and public sector organizations’ excessive borrowings from the banking system posed another challenge for the banking system. Notwithstanding, the liquidity strains were temporary and the inter? bank market is now functioning normally. Albeit going forward, the banking sector faces a significant challenge in maintaining its deposit base and in attracting new deposits, given the three rounds of increase in the rates of return on NSS instruments in the first few months of FY09. This will in a way force them to enhance the quality and returns on their liability products, and strengthen competition,† it pointed out. Liquidity position of banks also had an impact on the Non? Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs), whose main source of funding continues to be credit lines from banks. â€Å"A broader assessment of financial stability indicates t hat the financial sector is too bank? centric, and the outreach and growth of the Non?Bank Finance Companies and the Insurance sector have languished in recent years,† it said and added NBFCs face direct competition from banks and are not likely to grow significantly until their funding sources and costs are streamlined. An excessive dependence on the banking system to meet the financing needs of the economy, as well as other participants of the financial sector, is quite stark in comparison with other emerging economies, where in general, the growth in other components of the financial sector, such as capital markets, complements and supplements the financing capacity of the banking sector. While financial markets (money market and foreign exchange market) remained resilient to the developments in the macroeconomic environment and functioned well in maintaining financial stability.Despite several achievements of the financial sector in recent years, financial depth and penetr ation in Pakistan continues to be low, and SBP’s financial inclusion strategy are aimed at extending the net of financial services. A lack of confidence in banking system has also traditionally prevented a significant sector of households from keeping their savings in banks. Hence, the impact on households of a possible burst in bank insolvencies will be minimal. In addition, the majority of deposits are in the state-owned banks or banks with sizeable government presence. Indirect effects may thus become prominent in evaluating the consequences of the financial turmoil on the real economy.The tight liquidity situation particularly hampers the operations of small banks and banks with limited resources, so the possibility of insolvency and bankruptcy cannot be ignored for some banks. Pakistan is facing a gimmick of financing huge fiscal deficits in 2008-09 and if liquidity constraint remains intact with limitations on external financing, the demand for State Bank resources will grow at a faster pace. The unwillingness of the SBP to finance the deficit may have serious implications for fiscal operations. This will attract major cuts in growth enhancing development expenditure because current expenditure offers little room for adjustment. The development expenditure has crucial for job creation and interlink ages in the economy.The refinancing of fiscal deficit without SBP finances may prove to be difficult, and will further tighten liquidity conditions and could lead to insolvencies for banks as well as add further pressures on taxation options. 1. 3 – Statement of the Problem: This aim of this research is to analyse the working of foreign banks, their operations and situations after global financial crisis and the services they are providing. The benefits which they are providing to different financial and non financial organizations. The activities and practices of foreign banks operating particularly in Pakistan. Their importance in the economy a nd financial sector of Pakistan. The major reasons for their decline/incline nowadays, Problems faced by them in recent time and their tough competition from other financial institutions performing in the market.There are many risk factors that are blocking the performance of foreign banks, so in this research it is tried to get the deep understanding of impact of global financial crisis on the foreign banks and the following things: 1- The Factors involving the operations of foreign banks before and after global financial crisis. 2- The future opportunities of foreign banks operating in Pakistan. 3- What are the problems faced by foreign banks. 4- How are the risk factors hindering the performance of foreign banks. 5- What products should be focused by foreign banks for growth in future. 6- The strategies for the regulation and development of foreign banks in Pakistan 7- The Initiatives that should be taken to bolster foreign bank operations in Pakistan after global financial turmo il. So the statement of the problem can be: IMPACT OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON THE FOREIGN BANKS OPERATING IN PAKISTAN†. 1. 4 – SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: This report is useful in deeply understanding the activities and services provided by the foreign banks operating in Pakistan . Their importance in the economy of Pakistan, this report will not only gives information about present status but also gives comprehensive information about the contribution and impact of foreign banks in the financial sector of Pakistan. This report is also useful for the students and teachers providing complete theoretical and practical information about foreign banks, their functions and operations with wider perspective.This research will be beneficial for the corporations, and researchers who are interested in knowing about the services of foreign banks that will be beneficial for them. This research will also be helpful for the foreign banks in getting information about their present status and future prospects, the opportunities and threats they are facing, and the risk faced by them in Pakistan and what new products and services they can indulge in to grow in the future. This research is also helpful for me to enhance my knowledge in understanding the operations and difficulties faced by the banks. 1. 5 – SCOPE OF STUDY: This study or analysis of the foreign banks will help in identifying the impact of global finacilal turmoil on foreign banks in the financial sector of Pakistan.It includes detailed study of top renowned foreign banks operating in Pakistan. The activities & services provided by them and performance and growth during the financial crisis. 1. 6 – Delimitations: The results are purely based on the information that is provided by the institutions, investors and from other secondary sources. The key factors that may hamper the present and future performance of investment banks are the economic conditions and government policies. This research is limited to the study of the impact of global financial turmoil on few of the foreign banks operating in Pakistan; these banks mainly include Standard Chartered Bank, Citi Bank, RBS Bank and HSBC Bank.

Monday, July 29, 2019

R Research Proposal How are Aggressive TV Cartoons Affecting Childrens Essay

R Research Proposal How are Aggressive TV Cartoons Affecting Childrens - Essay Example Children who liked aggressive cartoons exhibited a low level of moral reasoning and were more excited about seeing violent cartoons. They seemed to approve the behavior of the violent characters and gave explanations to justify their violent behavior. Being a primary source, this article is very reliable in helping one explain the effects of aggressive cartoons on children. The author targets an educated audience because of the language and structure used in the paper. This article will be of critical use in my research paper because it exhibits the reality of aggressive cartoons having adverse effects on children. The author of this article adopts an approach that is rarely used by other scholars in a bit to understand the effect of aggressive cartoons in children. The author sought to describe the gender specific impact of aggressive cartoons. Notably, it is evident that boys and girls present different frequencies of watching TV cartoons, and are affected differently by aggressive cartoons. The research focused on 300 students, a representative sample chosen from different schools. Face to face interviews were conducted in an effort to collect data concerning the views of children about the impact of violence oriented cartoons. According to the results, girls and boys had varying prevalence of their favorite cartoon programs. It emerged that male children registered a higher level of influence from violent cartoons compared to girls. Moreover, boys were more likely to imitate characters from violent cartoons. The author’s approach was successful and the source proofs to be highly rel iable because it is a primary research article. Since the author adopted a case study research, which focused on children in Turkey, the source can be used to explain the influence of TV cartoons in the region. In the research paper, these

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Money in politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Money in politics - Essay Example However, National Football League (NFL) gave donations to political parties and politicians to cover up for the evils they do to the players such as the way they deal with retired or injured players (The Center for Responsive Politics). What do organizations expect to get in return after donation enormous cash to specific politicians? Money does not always bring election victory. For example, Romney had colossal donations than Obama, but he never won (The Center for Responsive Politics). Sometimes overspending in election may result to financial difficulties. For example, Democratic Party was left with a debt of $21.5million which is quite enormous even if the Parties’ presidential candidate won the election. It was not pleasing for FBI to invade the office of one of the supporters of Senator Menedez Robert in South Florida (The Center for Responsive Politics). America is a mature and democratic nation where freedom of individuals should be respected without any infringement. However, it is promising that the workers unions are continuing to strengthen especially for the public servants. In the Center for Responsive Politics (The Politics of Super Bowl XLVII), It is fascinating how some people can get rich from politics while others are becoming poorer. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Lowa) who has a chance of being re-elected in 2014 has no interest in politics and intends to retire after serving the current term. He managed to save $2.8 million from campaign donations, whereas some people were left in debt. It is unhealthy for institutions to spend a lot of resources to influence their decisions in the states affairs, whereas the state should equal protection and representation of institutions at all governance levels. Politics should be based on individual performance and potential without monetary influence

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Lady Gaga's public image Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lady Gaga's public image - Thesis Example In most cases, a positive public image dominates in the society. A public image is very significant in business and international relations. People with good public image are highly trusted as compared to those with a bad public image. A good public image is thus an incentive in any industry. However, in the entertainment industry, a public image does not have to be good to attract sales. Whether this will demean their public image or not, does not matter to them. Indeed, many celebrities have made huge earnings by jeopardizing their public image. However, a bad public image will always cost somebody, even in the celebrities’ world. Actually previous literatures can confirm how bad public images have led to imprisonments, low sales and even loss of entertainment careers. This paper will compare and contrast the pros and cons position on Lady Gaga’s public image. In doing so, the paper will consider five articles on Lady Gaga’s public image. Lady Gaga is a secular music artist and music director who in the recent past has generated a lot of controversy. A group of designers known as Haus of Gaga designs her public image.  This ranges from her flashy mode of transport, her unique hairstyles, makeup  and weird dressing, and her huge support for gay rights. This controversy has fostered public debate on her public image from the mainstream media, paparazzi, and the public. Many have argued that her public is dwindling because of her controversial way of life. She has seven tattoos with different meanings (Hombach 14). Additionally, there are many questions about Lady Gaga’s sexuality. Some want to know if she is subverting sexual norms and if she is a hermaphrodite (Mr P Web). Lady Gaga has actually lost a lot in the public image as perceived by her music enemies, religious groups, fellow musicians like Christina Aguilera, and even political leaders. In fact, when Lady Gaga met Obama in a human rights campaign f undraiser,

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - Research Paper Example 146 garment workers lost their lives and 71 people injured due to this disaster in which 23 were men employees and the rest 123 were the female employees. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was located in Asch Building. This factory occupied the entire eighth, ninth and tenth floor of the Asch building. The fire took place due to burn of the garbage and wastages. Poor administration and management caused the death of several priceless lives. The employees in the ninth floor did not get any kind of notification or fire alarm right after the breakout of fire. However, the legacy of this disaster still continues as the citizens of United States of America still share their sadness in the memory of the victims. This particular disaster forced the government regulatory bodies to develop several legislations and policies for the organizations in order to ensure workplace health and safety of the employees. This essay will determine the impact of The Triangle Shirtwaist factory Fire on the emp loyers, employees, community, and industry and labor movement. Effect on Labor Movement It is true that this accident is considered as the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the United States of America. Several immigrants from Italy including both men and women were the major victims of this disaster. This accident had a strong legacy. One week after the disaster, the workers in the state planned to host a meeting regarding the inadequate workplace environment and lack of safety aspect in the factories and workplace. The citizens of United States of America and immigrants from different countries participated in the meeting to reform a labor movement in order to raise the voice against inadequate workplace health and safety aspect. People of all religious and cultural background started to host a merge or procession in the memory of victims to raise the voice against the business owners who do not think about the good health and safety of the workers. Few days, after t he meeting, near about 3, 50, 000 people participated in the funeral march for the victims who lost their lives due to the particular industrial disaster (English 1). It is true that employees or the labors are the major business growth drivers of an organization. It is the responsibility of the business owners tom ensure healthy and safe workplace environment. However, immigrants from other countries started to leave their jobs due to immense fear from the particular incident. In addition to this, the social environment in United States of America was not favorable for the immigrants and the citizens of lower income group. The economic environment of United States of America was not that much prosperous and developed. People of lower or lower-middle class income group had to face difficulty to lead a healthy and standard life style. These issues were developing for several years in the United States of America. But, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire ignited the flame among the p eople. They tried to oppose the inadequate industrial standards and organizational policies through protest merge. However, it was highly important and essential for these immigrants and deprived citizens to get united and oppose the developed policies. A strong labor movement took place across the States in protest of the brutal disaster which forced the government regulatory bodies, industrial regulatory bodies

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Student action plans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Student action plans - Essay Example According to Holling (1), everything is dependent on everything else. In other words, every organism has a significant role in the ecosystem. For instance, lions kill herbivores for food. On the other hand, these animals feed on grass. Hence, if they were left to reproduce without killing some, pasture land would now be barren. This would then lead to extreme erosion and siltation of water beds, hence endangering marine life. Due to this, I think that the maintenance of ecological integrity is moral and necessary for the survival of all living organisms. Research shows that human activities are the leading cause of environmental degradation. In my case, for instance, the use of petroleum energy in vehicles leads to the loss of a non-renewable resource. Furthermore, vehicles burn up the petroleum oil and release greenhouse fumes into the atmosphere. This leads to negative impacts on the environment, such as global warming. This, in turn, leads to changes in climate, either longer dry spells on extreme rainy seasons that cause havoc to the environment. Such climate changes affect farmers all over the world, who depend on good weather conditions for survival. This, subsequently, results into increased food insecurity and mortality rates. Furthermore, the fumes that vehicles release cause air pollution. People become more prone to respiratory diseases, whereas those already with such experience a lesser probability of cure. In fact, I think that my only positive impact on the environment is in my planting of flowers and trees in my home place. However, this cannot cause a reasonable change in the ecosystem. Thus, everyone has to contribute to the sustenance or renewal of ecological integrity in the world. One way is to encourage everyone in the neighborhood to plant trees. Trees provide a water-catchment area that ensures the survival of soil microorganisms as well as marine organisms. In addition, I can also

How did september 11 change the life of socities Research Paper

How did september 11 change the life of socities - Research Paper Example There have been several changes within the American society ever since the attacks which has literally affected the lives of many people. Civil liberties have been subject to changes and in order to protect the country from further attacks several policies and security measures at airports and other important places have been stepped up which has posed serious restrictions to civil liberties. This has resulted in a changed psychology among the American people about their country, politics, world society and their security (Kelly; Schmidt; 9-11 Social Consequences). Considering the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks such restrictions and societal changes are not surprising as the country is in a dire need to safeguard both its people and resources. No country can afford to lose manpower and property to terrorism and given the potential strength of America, it has been able to overcome the destruction mainly owing to its people who remain unified in their fight against terrorism following t he attacks. The American society has indeed become vulnerable to attacks by terrorists mainly owing to its open frontiers, greater allowance to civil liberties, lack of any discrimination towards people, a free market and the rights enjoyed by the people to live a free life on their own terms. All of these were against the moral beliefs of the terrorists and which led them to attack the country and show the American people that their nation was indeed vulnerable and that its security could also be under constant threat. However, while the attacks were made with the intention of creating animosity among the diverse American population, it did, in fact create a more unified America. This has become a reality despite the series of civil restrictions and stricter policies that have been imposed on innocent Americans. This can be mainly attributed to the changes that occurred with the country during the 20th century which made the country more tolerable. This is the same country which ha d banned the teaching of German language after the First World War and the imprisonment of Germans, Japanese and Italians following the Second World War. Over the years the American people have developed the culture of â€Å"not judging the others†. This attitude has allowed people to rationalize the actions of others though there were some incidents targeting Muslims immediately after the attacks. However, these incidents were relatively small in number; even though they are deplorable. In addition the attacks also lead to a social cohesion among the people as those who survived the attacks showed a great willingness to help the wounded and the deceased (9-11 Social Consequences). This indeed has been a positive outcome of the attacks as aid from all around the world poured in and many thousands of people volunteered to secure people from the debris. However, this volunteering has been mainly from children belonging to the upper-middle class background as they have begun to show greater interest in public life, civic engagement, politics and society. However, the same has not been found with children belonging to the working class sector as they know that despite all their efforts they would ultimately land up in some firm working round the clock. Hence the post 9/11 attacks did witness a gap in the social class and many experts see this gap as that between the rich and the poor

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation - Assignment Example Fred Mertz is an undergraduate student of computer sciences, having no interest in this field. He only opted for this field to attain a good job and salary at the end of the day. Else than that, his interest in computer sciences was nothing more than a way to make big money. On hearing about the decreased demand of computer scientists in the market, his motivational level has decreased to an alarming rate and he has become a below average student in the class. Fred’s prime goal is to graduate and get a good job. He could have done this by opting for a field in which he has interest and tempts him. One can’t be motivated towards a task unless it gives him satisfaction and intrigues him. The way/path Fred chose to fulfill his goal is inappropriate and that is why he is de-motivated towards his work and isn’t initiating his work related behavior. Further, according to goal setting theory, goals need to be well defined, challenging yet achievable. In the case of Fred, his goal is quite vague and he just flew with the wind to achieve his goal and opted for computer sciences without realizing this very fact that he has no interest in this field and the consequences would be alarming at the end. According to Vroom’s VIE Theory; people will be motivated because they perceive that their effort and performance will lead to a desired outcome. Work motivation is very much dependent upon the perceived association between performance and outcome. Individuals do change their behavior after they predict the outcome (Isaac, Zerbe and Pitt 213). Below is an illustration of expectancy theory: Fred lacks both instrumentality and valence to become a computer science graduate and afterwards, get a good job. After knowing about the declining demand of computer scientists, his expectancy to get a good job has declined a lot. As his expectancy to get the desired reward and outcome is lacking, he is de-motivated to perform well

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Collaboration and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Collaboration and Ethics - Essay Example Effective strategies should be learned as well in addressing possible conflicts, which they may encounter in each stage of the process. It is necessary for conflicts to be acknowledged and addressed instead of denying their existence. Failure to address the onset of conflicts may discourage educators from voicing out their standpoint towards an issue, which is the vital initial step in resolving conflicts, so as to establish lasting objectives and tactics that will settle issues and concerns in teaching and management of educational institutions. As a future licensed teacher, collaboration is a very essential tool in my personal and professional development. Although working generally on my own develops independence and mental creativity, working together with other educators could make me think more outside the box, promote social interaction, and give me ample opportunities to contribute my skills and ideas. Learning the concept of collaboration has provided me a concrete guide in conducting classes, creating projects, and evaluating students, to name a few. It has also improved my strategies in lesson planning and my approach on students from different levels and areas of study. Gaining knowledge about collaboration in teaching will certainly help my future students veer away from traditional or even obsolete methods which would in turn make them more equipped, advanced, and competitive. (Learning Forward,

Monday, July 22, 2019

Amusement Parks Essay Example for Free

Amusement Parks Essay At Six Flags on Friday July 19, 2013 a woman was riding the Texas Giant rollercoaster when she fell out of her restraints. Carmen Brown, a witness, says that the woman had asked the staff to check her restraints shortly before the ride was starting. The gentleman that she had asked asked the woman if she heard the restraints click, the woman responded saying it didn’t sound like everyone else’s. The gentleman then, nonchalantly, told her that as long as it clicked it was okay. Nothing else was ever done to ensure the woman’s restraints were secure. Some witnesses have reported that as the rollercoaster was making a turn the woman was thrown out. The name of the victim and any further information has not been released. It is suspected that the woman was with her son. When the train had returned from the ride, it was reported that two people were shouting, one was screaming â€Å"My mom† â€Å"My mom†. The rollercoaster staff parked the train far enough away from the platform so no one was allowed get off of the train. www.dallasnews.com Due to the traumatic experience and people fearing the safety of the rides at Six Flags, the company will probably lose a good portion of money because people will not want or continue going to their park. This accident has caused an unexpected economic change in not only Six Flags but in all other amusement parks as well. Society will now have this negative view on amusement parks which means, for a little while at least, they will not want to go to the parks. This will cause the parks income to decline which can be very bad for the company, especially for Six Flags, who declared bankruptcy in 2009. When society loses trust in something they will usually pull back their economic support, leaving companies with fewer customers. It is important that companies and organizations remember that they have to keep the customer happy and safe. If not they will no longer have any customers. The majority of the people that witnessed the tragic event of the woman falling to her death due to a mechanical issue will probably no longer return to the park and they will likely have a large influence on their friends and family to not trust the park as well.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives on Family

Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives on Family Introduction The functionalist and the conflict perspectives are two major approaches of sociological analysis. These perspectives can apply on different aspects to help us understand the society, for instance, deviance and social control, culture and socialization and so forth. In this paper, I will first focus on the particular features of these perspectives, then mainly focus on family and social stratification and comment on the insight or criticism of functionalist and conflict perspectives in understanding these areas in the society. Functionalist-the conception of society Firstly, let focus on the particular features of Functionalism, this approach is inspired by Emile Durkheim idea of society and his sociology is often referred as structural functionalism. (Dillon 2011, p. 79) The Functionalism suggested that the society is compared to a biological organism that can assumed as a system or structure made up of many integrated parts, the society seen as a structure will key institutions fulfil different functions for the survive and continuation of the society, it is named as functional pre- requisites. (Liu 2014, p. 6) Functionalist-the nature of society Also, the functionalists assumes the nature of society is characterized by order and stability, without collective conscience or shared values and beliefs, achieving social order is impossible, they believes in value consensus, which are members of society agreeing upon shared belief about right and wrong can help the society to run smoothly and is the best for the society as a whole.(Liu 2014, p. 5) And if members of society have shared values, therefore they also have similar identities, this helps cooperation and avoids conflict. According to Liu (2014), conflict is possible, but considered as dysfunctional from temporary disturbances in the system, and order would be restored as society develops. (Liu 2014, p. 5) The chief form of social conflict that Durkheim addressed was a crime. Durkheim saw crime as a factor in public health, an integral part of all healthy societies. (Durkheim 1938, p. 67) Functionalist-the relationship between individuals and the society Besides the nature of society, functionalist also had theorized about the relationship between individuals and the society. Functionalists believe that individuals are shaped by the society to perform different roles and have different norms that need to follow in accordance with their social statues that ensure the smooth running of society. Members of society have values consensus that I mentioned in the above paragraph, social order is based on this consensus and cooperation among members. Conflict perspectives-the conception of society The next perspective that we need to discuss is conflict perspectives, conflict perspectives are inspired by Karl Marx and mostly related to his theory. Marxism, similar with functionalists also has emphasis on the importance of the social structure. The society is made up of distinct groups that have different interest, values and belief. However C. Wright Mills, the founder of modern conflict theory, have a different view on this aspect with functionalists. In Millss view, social structures are created through conflict between people with differing interests and resources. Individuals and resources, in turn, are influenced by these structures and by the unequal distribution ofpowerand resources in the society. (Knapp 1994, p. 228-246) Conflict perspectives-the nature of society Unlike functionalists who believe people cooperate to maintain the social order and the stability, conflict perspectives suggested that the nature of society is characterized by conflicts, because of the struggles among group of scarce resources. The existence of separate interests mean there is always having possible for conflicts. (Liu 2014, p. 8) The conflict perspective believes rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. Conflict theorists, for example, Karl Marx uses two class models to analyse the capitalist society. As the economic system is the base structure of society in Marx’s view, the capital class who owned the means of production exploited the working class who had to sell their labor by paying them less in wages than the wealth they could produce. The capitalists became richer through control the mean of the production. (Liu 2014, p. 9-10) Conflict perspectives-the relationship between individuals and the society We can observe that conflict perspective also have assumption of the relationship between individuals and the society. Similar with Functionalism, Conflict perspective believes individuals are shaped by the society and the positions of their social groups. However, conflict perspectives put effort to focus on the conflict side. Different social groups come into conflict and thus cannot have consensus with others. In capitalist society, the social order is known as â€Å"ruling class ideology† to support the status quo. It distorts the true nature of society and creating a mistaken belief about society which is â€Å"false class consciousness†. (Liu 2014, p. 11) After the discussion on the particular features of Functionalism and Conflict Perspectives, then we should focus on the usefulness of the two perspectives in understanding two essential areas in society, family and social stratification. However, let have a short introduction of these perspectives’ assumption first. The assumption of functionalism in family Broadly speaking, the functionalism has focused on the functions of the family in society and for its members. It looks at how the family as an institution to maintain the social order and stability, and the significance of the family for its individual members. George Peter Murdock, one of the major contributors to the field of anthropology and a functionalist in the field of Sociology has proposed that all families have four significant functions: sexual, economic, reproductive, and educational. These functions are important and fulfil needs in all societies. He proposes that the best institution to perform these functions is the family. The family is the primary point of socialization to provide children with values and norms. Family also stabilizes adult personalities. A family unit provides emotional security for each person in the relationship. (Haralambos Holborn, 2000, p. 509) We can observed that the insight of the functionalism is it can point out the essential features of family can provide positive role for people can become stable and maintain social order. However, Murdock’s approach was criticized as too mechanical with a classification system. Objections were also raised that his methodology was biased, because he has studied about 250 societies, from small hunting communities to industrial societies, but he used Western standards in comparative analysis of all different cultures. Also, Structural- functionalist perspectives emphasized the positive and functional aspects of the modern family, neglecting its dysfunctional aspects, which including conflict and violence that take place in the family, for instance, over 30% to 40% homicides in Hong Kong took place within family. (Liu 2014, p.13) The assumption of conflict perspectives in family Meanwhile, conflict perspectives, especially the Marxist have a different understanding in the family aspects. As we know that, in Marxist perspectives, the economy is the base structure that support several of the superstructure; Family is one of the superstructure was providing support to the economic base. Thus, the family institution helps fuel the capitalist economy with an abundance of labour. For instance, family can be an institution of nurturing children to be the next generation of workers, hence capitalist class can recruit them cheaply. Women also as a reserve army of labour can be cheap additional source of labour that helps to keep wages down. At the cultural level, the institution of family helps socializing individuals into accepting existing economic and political arrangements. It functions to implant the ideology of the capitalist class into the consciousness of the populace. (Liu 2014, p.150) Although the Marxist perspective points to the intriguing connection between the family and economy, and provide an alternative view, it has also received much criticism. One of the biggest criticisms is Marxist too simplified to explain the negative sides of the family, focus on the exploitation and inequality within family ignores the supports one can get from the family. Also, the various features of the family are regarded as no more the features and requirements of the economic base; family is only the institution solely develops to support the capitalist society. It is kind of reductionist explanatory framework that is too simplistic. (Liu 2014, p. 17) The assumption of functionalism in social stratification Functionalists consider that social stratification has important consequences for the operation of society. Davis and Moore argue that this system is both functional and inevitable. Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore (1945) gave an argument for social stratification as a solution to a problem by any societies. They argue that the most difficult jobs in any society have the highest incomes in order to motivate individuals to fill the roles needed by the division of labour. Thus inequality serves social stability (Davis and Wilbert, 1970, p. 242-249) In other words, social stratification can have a ‘placing and motivating’ function for individuals in the social structure.(Liu 2014, p. 9) The social stratification system allocates each individual to jobs and rewards them according to the functional importance of the job. This thesis implies that societies become more productive as they approach meritocracy. However, too much focus on meritocracy can erode the social structure of kinship and community. In addition, it might encourage some categories of individuals to look down upon others. Also, Tumin (1953) has critiqued that the differential rewards are more possibly a result of differences in power rather than of functional importance. The rationalization of existing system of stratification and inequality by an appeal to the inevitability of stratification and inequality is fallacious. (Liu 2014, p. 11) The assumption of conflict perspectives in social stratification Rather than functionalists believe the social stratification had the positive role in the society, the Marxists believe the stratification in term of class is more divisive than integrative. Marxists use Two-class model, owners and non-owners of the means of production to determine the class stratification. The class conflict between the capitalist class and the working class would soon fall into either the bipolar class positions of capitalist or worker. The extreme polarization of the two classes would lead working class to realize the conflict and their class interest; they would eventually organize themselves into a potent social-political force to protect its class interest and fight back, at the end leading to a revolution that bring a new economic conditions, the end of the capitalist system and later to communism in which all classes and states are abolished.(Liu 2014, p. 14) Although the Marxism has it insight of the social stratification, there is still some criticism of it. For instance, it is a dispute over the bi-polar class structure, the class structure of society is difficult to depict; two-class model is too simplistic. In fact, in modern society, there is a new class rising, which is middle class that have professionals who manage but not own the means of production cannot easily categorize into the two-class model. Moreover, Marx’s prophecy of class struggle and revolution took place in the pre-industrial societies, but we can observe that Russia, China and Vietnam both are not industrial societies or a great capitalist society, but happen the revelation of the communist revolution. The revolution of worker is fewer in the rapidly industrializing western rather Asia. It is not like Marx’s theory suggested. Also, Marx predicted the inevitability of the worker revolution in capitalist societies. However there are several of factors can account for the absence of the revolution predicted by Marx, for instance, more extensive worker organisation, the demands of workers have been institutionalised through the creation of trade union and more extensive legal protection, capitalists provide better conditions of work through law enforcement and security systems contain workers frustrations. Through the welfare provision and improve the conditions for workers can made compromises between two classes. (Liu 2014, p.16) Conclusion To conclude, we can observe that both two perspectives had their insight and criticisms. Because of the societies are rapidly changing in nowadays, hence it is hardly suitable to apply in the every different societies. Work Cited Davis, Kingsley and Wilbert E. Moore. Some Principles of Stratification.American Sociological Review,10 (2), 242-9. 1970. Dillon, Michele.Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-first Century (2nd Edition). Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print. Durkheim, E.The Rules of Sociological Method.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1938. Liu, Garland. Lecture notes: Topic 4 (Sociological perspectives). The Open University of Hong Kong, 2014. Print. Liu, Garland. Lecture notes: Topic 5 (Family, social change and women’s role). The Open University of Hong Kong, 2014. Print. Liu, Garland. Lecture notes: Topic 6 (Social stratification). The Open University of Hong Kong, 2014. Print. Knapp, P.One World – Many Worlds: Contemporary Sociological Theory(2nd Ed.). Harpercollins College Div, 1994.

Challenges facing mental health problems

Challenges facing mental health problems Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate and access the challenges facing mental health consumers to retain or rebuild a meaningful and valued life. The study was based on looking at mental health statistics, examining current trends in mental health services, treatments, pharmacology, and dual diagnosis management, and rehabilitation, vocational, educational, and transitional services. This paper is based partially on a report that came out of an invigorating collaboration between Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and (NIMH) who strive to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of mental health services and support; conducting research on mental illness and mental health. This thesis gives my understanding of what this challenge involves, how this can be facilitated by supports within society at large, while evaluating the current policies and service provisions that are available. By exemplifying the current non-governmental organizations (NGO) that are already in place, I then give a synopsis of what agencies/services and resources would be required to necessitate rebuilding a meaningful and valued life for mental health patients. One in four Americans; people of all ages, races, incomes and social stratus will suffer from some form of mental illness in their lifetime. During the course of a year, more than 54 million Americans are affected by one or more mental disorder. (NMHA Tellioglu, 2009) An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (NIMH, 1998) while an astonishing 5.4 percent of adults have severe mental illness. (Surgeon General, 1997). The number of people in Ireland admitted to psychiatric hospitals has dropped by 28% since 1997 with an increase in people treated in community psychiatric facilitiesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬numbering 20,000 30,000 a year. (Irishhealth.com, 2009) Such statistics only begin to capture the level of pain and disruption in individuals, families, and communities for which mental illness is responsible. What is the definition of mental illness? According to the criteria in the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV) it is a diagnosable illness that results in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. Some diagnoses are considered more severe such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Disability refers to the degree of limitation an illness imposes on the ability to function in life areas, such as relationships, work, independent living, and managing finances and medical care. People with mental disorders used to be thought of as a detriment to society and were removed from the community; kept in institutions and psychiatric hospitals. Patients were heavily sedated, given electroshock therapy, forgotten by professionals and family, and their condition further deteriorated, giving little or no hope of recovery. More recent research on long term recovery of individuals with mental illness shows a much better prognosis. Seven major retrospective studies done in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the U.S. show recovery rates of 46 68% for those with severe forms of mental illness without being institutionalized. (Harding, Zahniser, Zubin and Strauss 1984-1987) Recovery is defined as people with mental illness regaining the ability to work, live independently, maintain meaningful relationships, and contribute to their communities in a variety of ways. (Continuum, 1997) Neuropsychiatric disorders are the second greatest cause of burden of disease after cardiovascular disease, accounting for 40 percent of chronic disease. Serious mental illness can be fatal with suicide as the cause of death among adults second only to traffic accidents. More than 90% of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder, (Baylor study, 2009) although not all with mental disorders will necessarily commit suicide; but the pain, hopelessness, and disordered thinking can lead to suicide and the impact is immeasurable. Our nations physical healthà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬as a wholeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬has never been better. Cancer and HIV/AIDS once termed as terminal are increasingly distinguished as treatable, survivable, and curable ailments. Medical research proves the inextricably intertwined relationship between mental health, physical health and well-being. (David Satcher, 1999) Fortunately, leaders in mental health, intensely devoted advocates, scientists, government officials, and consumers have been insistent that mental health flow in the mainstream of health. With the progress the medical profession has made with disorders of the mind such as dementia and Alzheimers there has also been improvement in understanding mental illness. Dementia is a loss of cognitive function with an inability to think, learn, or perceive due to changes in the brain caused by trauma or disease with blood vessel disease due to illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension as the biggest risk factors. If the illness/illnes ses are treated the dementia can be reversed. Dementia is caused by a condition whereas Alzheimers is a particular physical condition. Some of the early signs of Alzheimers and dementia can include depression. Many medical problems mask as, co-occur with, or exacerbate psychiatric crises. Any patient exhibiting psychiatric symptoms needs a medical evaluation since physical illness can masquerade as mental illness. What many people fail to understand is that dementia, Alzheimers, diabetes, and mental illness are all diseases that a person has no control over. The primary contribution of modern-day mental health research is the degree to which its mended the destructive split between mental and physical health. Researchers recognize the brain is the integrator of thought, emotion, behavior, and physical health. Yet, despite research and unprecedented knowledge about the brain and human behavior, mental health is often disregarded and ailments of the mind remain masked in ignorance and misunderstanding. The challenges involved with retaining or rebuilding a meaningful and valued life for persons with mental illness are innumerable. The closing of mental health institutions, psychiatric wards, community mental health centers, residential facilities and diversion programs has reflected a trend for the entire nation stemming partly from the governments policy of treating the mentally ill in the community, rather than in institutions. (Independent News Media. 1997) Since 1970, 90 percent of public psychiatric hospitals have closed; available beds in NHS psychiatric wards alone dropped by 50,000 since 1980. (Sheriff, 2007) Even when there are adequate mental health facilities patients need to have medication and continual therapy to retain stability. With the closing of mental health systems clients will need additional support in finding a way to continue their treatment regimens. This is especially true for those with bi-polar and schizophrenic disorders who need to be monitored for treatment compliance. With a devastating loss of mental-health services throughout the world, individuals have relapsed, scores of patients have been forced to reside in local nursing homes, become homeless, or end up in correction systems. In 1996, E. Fuller Torrey, prominent psychiatrist/mental health advocate, stated, Quietly but steadily jails and prisons are replacing public mental hospitals as the primary purveyors of public psychiatric services for individuals with serious mental illness in the U.S. With federal funding cuts agencies who could offer services spend more time worrying about who is going to pay for what, rather than how to prevent relapse or suicide. With an inadequate supply of mental health services and providers there is a presence in society of at risk people manifesting mental disorders leading to destabilizing conditions that affect society as a whole. Alcohol and illicit drug use is associated with violence, criminality, antisocial behaviors and the inability to develop into pr oductive citizens of countries and communities. With the lack of mental health dual diagnosis treatment, patients often develop behavior that places them into the legal system; jailed or imprisoned, causing an interruption in their treatment that can lead to radical decline in functioning. Detective Tony Morales, Phoenix Police Department says, all our officers have to be part-time psychiatrists. Gabe Morgan, Sheriff of Newport News, Virginia says, Acute care for the mentally ill was once provided by psychiatric hospitals but many who are severely ill are living in our communities, where the burden of managing symptomatic and psychotic behaviors often falls on law enforcement. Jails were never intended to be treatment facilities but they are replacing psychiatric hospitals. Markowitz, Northern Illinois University reports results of an influential study on how psychiatric hospital capacity impacts crime rates. Data from 81 cities around the country showed communities with greater acc ess to psychiatric beds have lower rates of arrests and crime. (Sheriff, 2007) While troubled individuals are more likely to seek help from their physician than a psychiatrist, (Kiesler, 1980) countless physicians are not trained to deal with mental problems nor willing to spend time listening to anything other than physical symptoms. (Eisenberg, 1977; Engel, 1977; Knowles, 1977; Reiser, 1981). Another challenge is that emergency rooms are becoming the most utilized form of care for those in crisis because mental health service providers are unavailable after hours and on weekends and the ER is not allowed to turn people away. Badly equipped to handle respite/mental health care patients become unnecessarily hospitalized or are medicated until they can see a psychiatrist if available. Mental health consumers who find adequate in-patient treatment often face a void when trying to bridge the gap between relapse or hospitalization and living life in the community. In their quest to achieve recovery, they find little or no intermediate services available. While pharmacotherapy can treat the symptoms of mental illness when taken as directed it cannot restore a sense of value of self nor lift the burden carried by the patient. With no way to progress through rehabilitative therapies and develop coping and life skills a person who has been hospitalized, imprisoned or institutionalized will have little hope reintegrating into society and their mental health will only decline. Often, the result is the revolving door phenomenon with a cycle of deterioration, relapse and re-hospitalization or being arrested for petty crimes, released and arrested again. (Psychiatric Services, November, 2003) Another very real and insidious challenge is the impact of stigma, shame, and isolation associated with mental illness constituting a major barrier against seeking treatment. The graphic portrayal of those labeled with a mental diagnosis confronts the patient living with a serious mental illness to try to navigate beyond the arduous challenges presented by the illness itself. Strides have been made against stigma, yet too frequently mental health is spoken of in whispers and shame. Stigma and an unwarranted sense of hopelessness for recovery from mental illness have erected barriers. These barriers have made their way into churches where those with severe mental illness have turned to seek assistance from their local pastor. Some well meaning Christians throw bible verses or phrases such as if you had enough faith or just give it to God in an effort to solve the problem by fixing the person with mental illness because of their lack of knowledge or understanding. The mentally ill may get support for awhile with prayers, talks on faith, loving and trusting God, but if the person is not progressing as they had hoped then any interest in helping may wane. Serious roadblocks arise when those with mental illness try to find encouragement from their church and get no support or try to talk to their therapist about their faith or religious beliefs and he/she responds in a negative or unsupportive way when hearing about God. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ can give great comfort and hope and provides strength for working through spiritual issues which is an essential part of healing and rehabilitation. God works through people who are willing to help a person to rebuild their life. If a church fails to give support many mental health consumers then make serial connections with church after church trying to find respite and may stop going to church and even worse; turn away from God. Those whose mental illness is dismissed by clergy are not only being told they d ont have a mental illness; theyre also being told they need to stop taking their medication which can be a very dangerous thing. (Baylor, 2008) The unique internal pain of those who have a serious mental illness is only exacerbated when a pastor or members of a congregation fail to understand their condition, or even resents them or their illness because they are unable or unwilling to accept them like Jesus would. Support is essential for recovery of mental illness. Where does a person go when there is little or no treatment available, nor support from family, friends, church or therapists? People who seek God find what they need in time of hardship. Individuals can find support on the internet from mental health forums, blogs and websites. Too many other people that have no answer have given up and have died needlessly. Formidable financial barriers impede needed mental health care from too many people both those with adequate health insurance or one of the 44 million Americans who lack health insurance. If they do not have medical insurance or have other financial problems it can be difficult for the mentally ill to obtain medical care, counseling or medication. Even if they do have medical insurance, many insurance policies either do not cover the cost of treatment for mental illnesses or they only allow a minimum of 12 30 sessions of counseling a year, depending on the insurance policy. Unlike some physical diseases which may be cured with antibiotics or surgery, mental illnesses may need consistent management. For example, there is no cure for schizophrenia. Without continual treatment, these clients decline and may become homeless or worse. For those mental disorders that can be resolved such as post traumatic stress disorder, 12 sessions are not sufficient. It is not feasible to expect a vete ran who has been in active combat for 3 years to heal in three months or a woman who has been abused for most of her life to recover with so few therapy sessions a year. Patients need consistent ongoing treatment without their progress being impeded by financial and insurance restrictions. Some insurance companies have made exceptions through managed care to trade inpatient days for outpatient days to accommodate the patient needing more therapy and psychiatric sessions but this is usually limited to amending the policy for one year at the most. There is substantial research indicating that the majority of the chronically mentally ill can function outside of institutional settings where mental health services are available. A number of community support services were positively evaluated showing evidence patients can be effectively maintained in non-institutional community placement. (Kiesler, 1982) A wide range of non-governmental organizations and community support interventions vary across a spectrum from crisis clinics designed to prevent rehospitalization (Formenhaft, Kaplan, Langsley, 1969) to small self governing communities (Fairweather, 1980) such as mental health drop in centers and psychosocial clubhouses. (Taber, 1980) Primary health care physicians that are able to identify common mental disorders are facilitating and advocating support and treatment for mental health consumers, providing basic medication and psychotherapeutic interventions, while referring complex cases to community mental health services. Other provisions include 24 hour crisis hotlines offering support and encouragement; helping move the person from a state of crisis/feeling suicidal to empowering them to develop and rely on coping skills. In many countries, community mental health teams provide home-based crisis intervention services through 24 hour mobile outreach, assisting in stabilization, visiting people, helping consumers at high risk for hospitalization; providing one-on-one intensive case management, rehabilitation, and follow up. In many countries hospital diversion programs redirect people in crisis to community-based facilities such as mental health crisis shelters, family based crisis homes, apartments with in home-like milieu, or hostels as alternatives to hospitalization helping hundreds of people each year stay in the community and avoid the expense, stigma and trauma of hospitalization. Many provide the same recovery model as psychiatric inpatient treatment facilities and have found with proper support, compassion, understanding, professional mental health, and peer counseling the need for hospitalization is diminished or greatly reduced. Some hospitals have dispositional care, an alternative to hospital stays, adjacent to the ER to facilitate a short stay with discharge as the goal, offering short term acute treatment for psychiatric and substance abuse issues. Outpatient day-treatment is available in a highly structured environment and offer support services upon discharge. A study shows that 80% were successfully diverted from the hospital at considerable savings. Treatment was comparable to those admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Vocational/rehabilitation services help mental health consumers attain independent living skills necessary to move into or remain in more independent level of housing within the community. These programs teach skills such as cooking, nutrition, personal grooming, using public transportation, job skills, budgeting money, health and dental care and assistance achieving a job and/or academic education. While the goal is to stay out of crisis and prevent hospitalization these programs are primarily designed to help consumers reenter society and/or achieve a full community life. Clients take responsibility for their care with moderate support from community-based case managers who make weekly in-home visits to monitor progress and provide assistance. These particular models vary from country to country depending on various factors including the sociocultural context, how health services are organized and the availability of financial and human resources. For success, psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation needs to have integrated, seamless approaches aimed at restoring persons with major mental disorders to their best possible level of functioning and quality of life. How can this be facilitated by supports within society? Effective treatment of serious mental illness goes far beyond inpatient hospitalization and offers individuals the opportunity for community reintegration. (American Psychiatric Association, 2004) Inpatient treatment facilities would be available only for those with severe needs or those at risk to themselves or others. Hospitalization would be brief, minimally disruptive and rehabilitation services within the community could be seamlessly implemented as quickly as possible. (American Psychiatric Association, Kopelowicz and Liberman, 2003) Clients would move through a care continuum including psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, pharmacotherapy, dual diagnoses/addiction treatment, physical assessment, behavioral modification, neurocognitive science, 12-step recovery programs, employment, housing, criminal justice, education, and relapse prevention. Rehabilitation would include teaching life and coping skills, managing symptoms, dealing with memory, decision making, problem solving, and management of anger and stress. Community based programs would include residential services, crisis intervention, hospital diversion and relapse preventative resources, mental health research, and other service providers designed to reintegrate the mentally ill into society. Patients would be educated about their illness to grasp management and proper use of psychiatric medications. The perfect model would include guaranteed access to necessary medicines for people with mental health problems at a cost that the health care system and the individual can afford in order to achieve appropriate prescription and use of these medicines. Having an adequate number of psychiatrists and counselors for outpatient treatm ent in areas that formerly had only a few or none is essential. There is a need to improve coordination between health care providers and governmental and private mental service providers along with community based programs for the mentally ill to advance and improve the referral system and evaluate if the needs of mental health consumers are being met. The government could support mental health consumers by creating laws that restrict discrimination of treatment among insurance providers. Mental illness needs to be viewed as equal to other form of physical disabilities. Mental illness is not a lack of willpower. Medication for depression is just as vital as insulin is for the diabetic. The threat of suicide for mental illness is as dangerous as a heart attack is for heart disease. Promoting good mental health for people of all countries will require scientific know-how but, even more importantly, a societal resolve that we will make the needed investment; not for budgets but for each of us to educate ourselves and others about mental health/illness, and to confront the attitudes, fear, and misunderstanding that remain as barriers before us. (David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Surgeon General) To remove the stigma and secrecy surrounding mental illness families, churches and others who once offered no support need to sustain those who suffer in shame. There is still a long way to go with reintegrating and rebuilding the lives of those with mental illness. I have learned however that mental health consumers grow emotionally during this process we call recovery through enhanced self esteem, meaningful work, connections to others, a sense of hope and empowerment. They grow physically through increased fitness, improved diet and nutrition, and better health care. They grow intellectually through a better understanding of their disability, effective coping mechanisms, and the development and implementation of personal goals. They grow spiritually through pastors and churches that are willing to offer support, understanding and biblical counseling. It is through our connections with people who are experiencing mental illnesses that we will continue to learn and to grow in our knowledge about mental illness and recovery and have some of the best, richest relationships we could possibly have. In conclusion, the World Health Organization predicts that in the next 20 years more people will be affected by depression than any other cause of ill health worldwide. With this knowledge I would like to challenge the world, our nation, our countries, our cities, our communities, both physical and mental health care models, researchers, our employers, and our citizens to take action to collaborate with mental health consumers. There is no health without mental health and mental health is fundamental to quality of life and to the most creative and productive life that people can live. (Indian Journal, 2006) References Mental Health America Resource Center. 800-969-6642. http://www.nmha.org/ Neugeboren J: Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, and Survival. New York, Morrow, 1997 Hall LL: Review of Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, and Survival. Psychiatric Services 48:1470-1471, 1997 Harding, Zahniser, Zubin and Strauss (1984 1997). Mental Health Statistics. Continuum, 4, 3-15. Tahir Tellioglu M.D., APA, AAAP (2009). Mental Health Rehabilitation. National Mental Health Association Unknown (2003). Psychiatric Services. American Psychiatric Association, 54, 1491-1498. Alex Kopelowicz, M.D. and Robert Paul Liberman, M.D. Integration of Care: Integrating Treatment with Rehabilitation for Persons with Major Mental Illness. William D. Spaulding, Mary E. Sullivan, and Jeffrey S. Poland, New York, Guilford Publications (2004). Treatment and Rehabilitation of Severe Mental Illness. Am. J. Psychiatry, 161, 937 Alex Kopelowicz, M.D. and Robert Paul Liberman, M.D. (2003). Integration of Care: Integrating with Rehabilitation for Persons with Major Mental Illnesses. American Psychiatric Association, 54, 1491-1498. David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D. Surgeon General (1999). Collaboration between (SAMSHA) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and (NIMH) National Institute of Mental Health Report. Surgeon Generals Response to Mental Health. Healthy Living Clinic. Irish Health. Retrieved 2009, from http://www.irishhealth.com/clin/healthliv/health_ire.html#s6 H. Russel Searlight and Paul J. Handal with Kramer, Kiesler, Flomenhaft, Kaplan Langsley, Fairweather, Taber (September 1986). Psychiatric Deinstitutionalization: The Possibilities and the Reality. Psychiatric Quarterly, Volume 58, 3. S; Steven. Mental-health policy: Iowa doesnt get it. Telegraph Herald (Dubuque). Telegraph Herald (Dubuque). 2007. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: J. Health Services: Mental hospitals provision slashed. The Independent (London, England). Independent News Media. 1997. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: Mental Health Policies Are Cause for Alarm in the Corrections Community. Sheriff. National Sherriffs Association. 2007. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: Mental health: Facing the challenges, building solutions. Indian Journal of Medical Research. Indian Council of Medical Research. 2006. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: Baylor Study Finds Serious Mental Illness Often Dismissed by Local Church. US Fed News Service, Including US State News. HT Media Ltd. 2008. Retrieved October 09, 2009 from HighBeam

Saturday, July 20, 2019

New Learning Strategies for Generation X Essay -- Education Careers Es

New Learning Strategies for Generation X Generation X workers resent the labels that have been used to describe them: slackers, arrogant, disloyal, having short attention spans. In fact, these descriptions are less likely to reflect the behaviors of individuals in Generation X than the perceptions of managers who are not attuned to new ways of learning. This Digest investigates ways in which the learning characteristics of the young adults classified as Generation X reflect the need for the new teaching and learning strategies promoted by cognitive scientists, such as learning in context, cooperative learning, and real-world application of knowledge. The Life Experience Gap The gap between Generation X and earlier generations represents much more than age and technological differences. It reflects the effects of a changing society on a generation. Young adults born between 1961 and 1981 have radically different life experiences than those in generations before them. In their youth, many Generation Xers were "latchkey kids"--children who saw both of their parents working and/or furthering their education. Many of them were raised in single parent homes, the children of divorced parents. They grew up with "fast" food; "remote control" entertainment; and "quick response" devices such as automatic teller machines and microwave ovens, all of which provided instant gratification. As young adults, Generation Xers find themselves facing limited economic prospects and a society different from any preceeding them. The previous generation saw rapid economic growth and expanding opportunities. Generation Xers see corporate downsizing and layoffs, limited opportunities for career positions, and an economically troubled socie... ..., p. 1. <http://www.physics.wisc.edu/~shalizi/Generation-x_Articles/brinkley/> Caudron, S. "Can Generation Xers be Trained?" Training and Development 51, no. 3 (March 1997): 20-24. Hornblower, M. "Great Xpectations." Time 129, no. 23 (June 9, 1997): 58-68. Losyk, B. "How to Manage an Xer." Current 392 (May 1997): 12 Newmann, F. M. et al. "Authentic Pedagogy: Standards that Boost Student Performance." Issues in Restructuring Schools. Issues Report No. 8. Madison, WI: Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools, 1995. (ED 390 906) Sachs, P. Generation X Goes to College. An Eye-Opening Account of Teaching in Post- modern America. Chicago, IL: Open Court Publishing Company, 1996. Wagschal, K. "I Became Clueless Teaching the GenXers." Adult Learning 8, no. 4 (March 1997): 21-25. "Your Life." USA Today 125, no. 2622 (March 1997): 6.