Attachment Style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attachment Style - Research Paper Example Further, the Close Relationships Questionnaire, as I see it, is quantitative than qualitative. It attempts to measure the emotion or feeling of a person towards his/her beloved/lover. My attachment style has been calculated: 4.38 for anxiety and 4.50 for avoidance. With this data, it seems that I am pessimistic to my relationship; that is not sophisticated. I know myself more than what the Close Relationships Questionnaire tells me. I cannot agree to the â€Å"findings† set by such questionnaire. It says that I am fearful-avoidant in relation to my attachment style. The questionnaire explains that â€Å"[t]hey [e.g., myself] tend to avoid becoming emotionally attached to others, and, even in cases in which they do enter a committed relationship.† Perhaps it is true, at certain extent that I tend to be emotionally unattached to my partner. By emotionally unattached, I mean I do not share or express explicitly to my partner what I feel to certain thing or event. Neverthel ess, I am sensitive to the emotion or feeling of my partner. If she shares something to me, I listen to her. In essence, I do not completely avoid emotional stuff between me and my partner. Sigmund Freud argues that the adult people’s character or behavior originates from, or is influenced by, his or her childhood years. Probably there is truth in that.

The religious believer Essay Example for Free

The religious believer Essay Explain the difficulties which the problem of evil poses for the religious believer. [35] Evil is a multifaceted term that can refer to moral evil (acts committed by human beings such as murder or rape) or natural evil (naturally occurring events such as famines, diseases and earthquakes). Both forms cause unimaginable human suffering. John Hick described evil as â€Å"physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness. † It is not surprising, then, that the existence of evil can be a stumbling block for religious believers. Evil and suffering poses an obvious problem for the believer who trusts in a loving and powerful God. As Epicurus surmised in his inconsistent triad, if God is willing but unable to prevent evil he must not be omnipotent. Or, he could be able to prevent it and doesn’t. This means he is not omnibenevolent, and is not worthy of worship. The existence of evil calls into question the traditional theistic attributes of God. Hume had very similar ideas to Epicurus, he wrote, â€Å"Epicuruss old questions are still unanswered. † The ironical Hume suggests that the god who designed the universe must have been a failure at the job and should have tried his hand at something else. The creator of our universe, says Hume, might have been a god in his dotage. Or perhaps he was `an infant deity still practising his craft. The suffering of children is a particular stumbling block for believers. It is understandable why sinful adults should suffer, but unless one holds to the doctrine of total depravity children are innocent. The Brothers Karamazov by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky explores this theme. It tells the story of brothers Ivan and Alyosha Alyosha is a holy young monk, whilst Ivan is a worldly-wise young man returning home from the big city. Ivan tells Alyosha he cannot accept the suffering of children, using the horrific practices of the Turks shooting babies when they invaded Russia as an example. Although a work of fiction, this tale mirrors the experiences and doubts of many believers. Friedrich Nietzsche, who famously announced the death of God, is another philosopher who tried to use the existence of evil and suffering to disprove God. A vehement critic of Christian morality, he thought that the concepts of good and evil were invented in the course of an elaborate power-game, as a way for weaker people to undermine the natural drives of their more powerful oppressors. However, suffering remained for Nietzsche one of the central problems of philosophy. Under the influence of his fellow German Arthur Schopenhauer – a notorious pessimist who wrote that the longer you live, the more clearly you will feel that, on the whole, life is a disappointment, nay, a cheat – Nietzsche saw suffering and tragedy as intrinsic to life and impossible to reconcile with the idea of a loving God. Furthermore, John Mackie argues that God could have created any possible world. The steps in his argument are as follows: God could have created any possible world, it is logically possible in one of the possible worlds that free human beings always acted rightly, therefore there is no logical contradiction in saying that in another of the possible worlds God could have created, ALL human beings always acted rightly. Gods failure to actualise this world means that he is not wholly good. This could pose a challenge to the faith of religious believers. If God is timeless, then perhaps [and this is debatable] God could not deliberate between alternatives he chooses the perfect universe that His perfect nature leads Him to create and the idea of His choosing between alternatives is not viable. If God is in time, He had to take a risk when creating the Universe and may not have known what human beings would do with their freedom. For instance in Genesis, Ch. 6 says that God regrets having made men and if this is taken literally it can imply that he was taken by surprise at what human beings had done. In order to combat this, several theologians have put forward theodicies to explain the existence of evil. The Irenaean theodicy is ‘soul-making. ’ Humans are in an immature moral state, though we have the potential for moral perfection. God brings in suffering for the benefit of humanity and from it we learn positive values. Contrastingly, Augustine put forward a ‘soul-deciding’ theodicy. He accepts God is perfect. The world he created reflects that perfection, but humans were created with free will. Sin and death entered the world through Adam and Eve and their disobedience. Natural evil is consequence of this disharmony of nature brought about by the fall. God is justified in not intervening because the suffering is a consequence of human action. The theodicy that is perhaps the least accepted among theists is the process theodicy. Process theology argues that the reality of God is not fixed and that God himself is still developing. God cannot force anything to happen, but rather only influence the exercise of this universal free will by offering possibilities. The possibility of evil has always existed. Ultimately, the question surrounding the origin of evil and suffering will never truly be solved with our fallible human understanding. Suffering needs to be understood in the overall context of God’s omniscient plan. Finite beings cannot understand. Suffering could be a punishment, or a tool to bring us closer to God. To quote Joseph Conrad, The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness. †

Advantages Of Web Applications Computer Science Essay

Advantages Of Web Applications Computer Science Essay Web application development is the process and practice of developing web applications. Web applications are business strategies and policies implemented on the Web through the use of User, Business and Data services. These tools are where the future lies. Web based applications have evolved considerably over the present years and alongside improvements in protection and knowledge there are plenty of scenarios where traditional software based applications and arrangements might be enhanced by transferring them to a web based application. The following are a few of the core benefits of web based applications. Cross platform compatibility. Majority of the web based applications are much more extra compatible across platforms than traditional installed software. Normally the minimum necessity should be a web browser of which there are plenty. (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape to term but a few) These web browsers are obtainable for a multitude of working operating systems and so whether you use Windows, Linux or Mac OS you can run the web application More manageable The web based systems just need to be installed on the server allocating minimal requirements on the end user workstation. This makes maintaining and notifying the arrangement far simpler as normally it can all be completed on the server. Each client updates can be used via the web server with ease. Highly deployable Because of the manageability and cross platform support, employing web applications to the end user is much easier. They are additionally flawless where bandwidth is limited and the system and data is remote to the user. At their most deployable you plainly need to dispatch the user to a website address to log in to and provide them with internet access. This has huge implications permitting you to widen admission to your systems, update procedures and enhance connections by bestowing more of your clients, suppliers and third parties with admission to your systems. Secure live data In larger and more complex systems the data is stored and shifted around various systems and data sources. In web based systems these systems /procedures can frequently be consolidated cutting the demand to move data around. Web based applications additionally furnish an added layer of protection by removing the demand for the user to have admission to the data and back end servers. Reduced costs Web based applications can lower prices dramatically due to decreased support and maintenance, lower the requirements on the end user system and simplify the architecture. Reduce company prices less time is spent conversing to clients over the phone; remove printed materials; permit users to update/modify their own details. With more updating of your company procedures as a consequence of your web based application supplementary savings can frequently be found. Zero installations all computers have a browser Centralised data more secure easy to backup. Quick and easy to update. Reach anyone, anywhere in the world. Availablility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Low spec PCs or smart phones can be used. Training- Online can be completed at users own time and pace. Direct access to latest information for Employees where it is located. Always up-to-date. Web-based applications are tricky to grasp and maintain. The users of Web-based applications change quite dynamically. Users can everywhere around the globe, managing to an inherent assumption that the request has to be highly available. An exceedingly obtainable request has to additionally be exceedingly reliable and scalable. All good Web-based applications benefit from countless features. In this article, I will debate some of the aspects and the key features that you have to address in a Web application: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scalability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Availability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintainability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reliability Key features for a Web application Each enterprise application must have the above-mentioned abilities, as well as affordability, reliability, upgradability, supportability, profitability and marketability. Scalability Scalability of an application has two autonomous aspects these are scale up and scale out. Scaling up involves enhancing the hardware or optimizing the software to safeguard a solitary server machine that can support extra users. Example, if a machine upheld 100 users before a scale up, then, afterward a scale up exercise, it could rise to 125 users. Scale out is when extra servers that present the same functions can be added, without disrupting the software, to rise the number of users upheld by the application. The users could rise from 100 to 175 afterwards adding one more set of server machines. The number of users should not double because of the overhead of contact between the servers allocating the load. This additionally shows that the software can be able to seamlessly allocate the burden of a single server between more than one server. Availability High availability is generally used synonymously with availability. A highly available application is the one thats up and running most periods in a year, hence elevated potential is measured in words of downtime across the year. This downtime additionally includes projected downtime of the request for maintenance and upgrading. Maintainability An application is believed to be maintainable if it can cater to most of the needs of the users above its lifetime. If an application can raise the number of users as demanded, enhance the features that users demand, and add new features to the request as demanded, next the application is maintainable. Reliability The downtime of an application due to bugs in the software is usually the unreliability factor. It is extremely vital for an application to have a elevated reliability factor to safeguard that it is additionally exceedingly available. Availability is decreased alongside each kind of downtime, encompassing downtime for software bugs. Task 2 Using two languages in each case to critically compare the different types of server-side and client-side scripting language A scripting language or script language is a programming language that supports the writing of scripts, programs written for a software environment that automate the execution of tasks which could alternatively be executed one-by-one by a human operator. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scripting_language A client-side script is a progam that could convoy an HTML document or be embedded directly in it. The program executes on the clients machine after the document loads, or at a little supplementary period such as after a link is activated. HTMLs support for scripts is autonomous of the scripting language. Scripts proposal authors a way to spread HTML documents in highly active and interactive ways. E.g: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scripts could be assessed as a document loads to adjust the contents of the document dynamically. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scripts could convoy a form to process input as it is entered. Designers could vibrantly fill out portions of a form established on the benefits of supplementary fields. They could additionally safeguard that input data conforms to predetermined scopes of benefits, that fields are reciprocally consistent, etc. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scripts could be activated by events that alter the document, such as loading, unloading, agent focus, mouse movement, etc. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Scripts could be related to form controls (e.g., buttons) to produce graphical user interface elements. Server side scripting languages in a web hosting account Server side scripting language makes it probable to craft more advanced web sites. This page encompasses descriptions of the most public scripting languages obtainable in web hosting accounts. For the making of advanced dynamic websites, you require some server side scripting. Server side scripts are programs that are provided on the server, and can be utilized in countless ways. Template based web sites and shopping carts are a few examples. The languages utilized for these tasks are normal software design languages alongside distinct libraries/packages for server side scripting. Not all web hosting reports support all public scripting languages, so this is a vital factor in your find for the flawless web host. The following are a few of the most public software design languages utilized for server side scripting. ASP/ASP.net ASP, or Alert Server Pages, is a technology industrialized by Microsoft for making more advanced web pages. The most common language for software design ASP is VBScript. It is obtainable in most web hosting accounts on Microsoft servers. There is additionally a edition for Unix servers shouted Chillisoft ASP, but it is not as stable as real ASP. There are plenty of online ASP resources too. ASP.NET 4.Matthew MacDonald (5 Sep 2010) ASP.net is the subsequent creation ASP technology that permits you to use any .net-enabled language to plan a site. The two most public languages for .net web software design is VB.net and C#. Both of these languages are good choices for both desktop and web applications. VB.net is perhaps easier to use and learn, and C# is extra utilized for enterprise applications PHP PHP, or PHP Hypertext Preprocessor is an open source language .PHP has obtained large popularity the last few years. It is very easy to learn and there are countless readymade scripts available. Nearly every single inexpensive web hosting package includes PHP. Compared to other languages It is easy to learn for a programming language with countless books and web sources dedicated to it. PHP MySQL In Easy Steps by Mike McGrath (15 Aug 2012) The main choice for server side scripting on Unix/Linux periods is PHP. Its easy to learn and quick to program in. Java (JSP/Servlets) is the favored choice for larger projects/enterprises. Those who are arranging to become expert Windows programmers cant go wrong alongside ASP.net, alongside language choices for both beginners and extra experienced programmers. ColdFusion, Perl and Python are additionally good software design languages alongside their exceptional strengths. The languages are just instruments, and most software design methods can be utilized alongside most software design languages. Programmers should select one language and stick to it in the beginning. The use of different languages can be mystifying for beginners. For experienced programmers, new scripting languages are more easier to learn. PHP vs ASP.net Comparison Scalability and Ease of Maintenance Scalability and ease of maintenance have nothing to do if a programmer selects PHP or ASP.net platform. Web application scalability and ease of maintenance chiefly depend on the Programmers experience à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Using the best programming design practices à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Using a solid programming design framework à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Following software design guidelines and standards. Performance and Speed There has been a lot of debate concerning this subject and most of the debates have been biased and have been tailored to advance one of the programming languages instead of notifying the audience. There are so many countless supplementary factors to ponder when it comes to computing web application speed, so the speed of each software design language ought to not have any noticeable effect on the speed and presentation of most of the websites nowadays. When it comes to the main and common database servers, MySQL (now owned by Oracle), PostgreSQL, MSSQL and Oracle are all clashing for speed and performance. new features are seen and better performance by all database servers in every single edition enhance so I will say that the above database servers will all have a outstanding performance if the database programmers use optimized and useful SQL queries and if demanded, use the elevated features such as caching. MySQL is utilized by Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo and very recently on FIFA world Cup that has consented a huge amount of viewers worldwide. This shows the capability of the MySQL database server Other items that can have a result on presentation but have nothing to do alongside the software design language is selected are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ability and vision of programmer to optimize the code à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ability and vision of programmer to accurately write properly and optimized SQL queries. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ a few functions could take longer to present in the ASP.net platform and less time in the PHP platform or the other way round Cost: PHP, MySQL server, Apache server, and Linux OS are all free and upgrades are additionally free. There is no additional licensing price for possessing one more hot standby server as a backup, or demanding to run several servers for burden balancing or server clustering. ASP.net is free if you buy Windows OS. There is a comprehensive licensing price for a Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server and upcoming upgrades The licensing prices for Microsoft can considerably rise if the site becomes porpular and there is a demand to run the site on several servers or needs server features such as burden balancing, server clustering or hot standby. Support and Resources Since LAMP is open source, there is a large number of dedicated and approachable developers around the globe who unceasingly make improvements and updates, and provide added support for the platform. Additionally, there are extra support resources and developers obtainable for PHP and LAMP Platforms. ASP.net relies on an available number of developers at Microsoft for making improvements and updates. There are less support contributors available to solve ASP.net challenges. Learning PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and CSS: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites by Robin Nixon (3 Sep 2012) Time to Deploy It takes a larger number (more lines) of code to finish difficult features and functionality alongside ASP.net contrasted to PHP, adding extra time and cost to the development process. According to Programming PHP [Paperback]Kevin Tatroe (Author), Peter MacIntyre (Author), PHP is interpreted at the server, so after changing functionality, no supplementary steps are needed to see the changes. ASP.net needs to be compiled every single time the code is modified. The development process is extra time-consuming after employing ASP.net as compared to PHP. Platform Independent PHP is platform independent that can run on any platform (Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows) In contrast ASP.net is only built to run only on the Windows platform. Task 3 Discuss three web security concerns and make recommendations for security improvements Privacy A term frequently used to delineate an individuals anonymity and how safe they feelin a location. when you are refering to privacy on the Internet, this usually means to what data is public alongside the visiting site, how that data is utilized, who that data is shared with, or if that data is used to track users on the website. Answers to these inquiries are usually discovered on the firm or website privacy strategy Examples of privacy invasion Identity theft Identity theft  is the act of a person obtaining information illegally about someone else. Often the thief will try finding such information as first name, surname, address, date of birth, social security number, passwords, phone numbers, email, family information, credit card numbers, other credit information, etc. The thief can then use this information to gain access to bank accounts, e-mail, cell phones, identify themselves as you, or sells your information. There are various ways of preventing identity theft e.g Using secure pages when on the internet. This are usually indicated with a lock Do not store debit /credit card details online Having active and up-to-date  spyware  protection program Having antivirus protection awareness of fake e-mails and  phishing  e-mails making sure computer is secure (passwords) Hacking   This is a term associated with any change not approved by the manufacturer or developer that makes the device do something it was not initially intended to do. Hackers usually use a software program downloaded to help a user perform a hack on their computer or other computer or device. Some software that may claim to do one thing may do another. For example, software that may promise to gain you access to another individuals computer may allow other hackers to get access to your information (aka  Trojan Horses). Listing of programs that may indicate a hacker has been on the computer. Backdoors  and  Trojans  are by far the most common programs to be installed on the computer after it has been hacked. These programs allow the hacker to gain access to the computer. Spyware, rogue antivirus programs, and  malware  can be an indication of a hacker. The following are ways of protecting your computer system Verify data is encrypted Use safe passwords Be cautious when logging from different locations Update internet browser plugins Secure saved passwords Be aware of those around you III) Destruction this is a very important reason for securing of data. System can be damaged and thus losing of data. Viruses can cause a system to function slowly and in time crash. This will affect other users. Malicious file execution Uploaded files or other data feeds may not be what they seem. Never allow user-supplied input to be used in any file name or path (e.g. URLs or file system references). Uploaded files may also contain a malicious payload so should not be stored in web accessible locations. According to Computer Security  by Dieter Gollmann  (Mar 8, 2011)When sending confidential information such as usernames, passwords or financial/personal details make sure by verifying that it is encrypted. Use of URL like HTTPS Familiarize you with phishing scams and techniques, which are used to con you into divulging account information. Finally make sure to store passwords and login information in a secure area. Never write login information on a sticky note or in a text file that is not encrypted.

Student Financial Assistance Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

Student Financial Assistance George W. Bush said education is â€Å"the great lifting mechanism of an egalitarian society.† He means, education is the great equalizer amongst individuals in a society established on equality. Unfortunately, access to education is not always as equal, nor are we living in an egalitarian society. In 1965, congress passed legislation, namely the Higher Education Act of 1965, in order to diminish the distance between students and the reality of higher education. Despite their seemingly positive intentions, the office of Student Financial Assistance has evolved into a very unpopular entity of the executive branch. Applicants are continuously frustrated by the aid, or lack of aid, that they are awarded. I was once a critic of the system and believed that I was being cheated out of aid that was rightfully mine. In fact, this is the point of view that I intended to support, in this paper. However, once I began to gather secondary sources, I found that this point of view l acked sufficient support and was untrue. Thus, my opinion has been changed. My opinion has been changed not only by research, but also by changing my perspective of the entire situation from narrow to broad and from particular to all-inclusive. The widely believed argument that the government distributes student-aid in a biased manner or, rather that the government’s policies for distributing the aid ultimately withhold aid from the middle class, simply, does not hold water. However, since I once made this argument and believed it strongly, I am willing to entertain it. The controversy about student aid, on the public level, begins when the Student Aid Report (SAR) is returned to the student and their family. This is whe... ...tem, I have questioned the amount of aid I received, and I have pointed a finger at the lower class. Now, as a result of this assignment, I have examined the system and how it functions and compared it with what it was intended to accomplish. My conclusion is that it works. I examined the allocation of funds amongst the spectrum of incomes, and I believe it’s just. I have also, extensively examined the lower class, who I once pointed a finger at. My conclusion is, when this nation establishes equality in the areas of, employment, housing, primary education, health care, racial and ethnic issues, etc., that is when we can talk about the small gap between each class in the amount of federal aid awarded to those classes. When the playing field has been leveled in all other variable subjects that is when the amount of aid should be congruent between all classes.

In some countries such as MEDCs population is stabilizing due to low birth rates and low death rates

In some countries such as MEDCs population is stabilizing due to low birth rates and low death rates. However, other countries, mostly in LEDCs, the population isn't stabilizing and instead is increasing. Reasons for this are that people are now living longer due to better health care, while poor education and poor knowledge of birth control means that birth rates are increasing while death rates are decreasing leading to overpopulation. Governments have now begun to recognize the problems caused by population growth and have introduced anti-natalist policies aiming to reduce fertility. Countries suffering from overpopulation are India, Singapore, Nigeria, China and India. Here the governments have implied policies such as later marriages, birth spacing and inheritance laws. Also in India, if a man volunteers for a vasectomy he would receive a free transistor radio. However, perhaps the most famous policy of all is China's ‘one child policy'. China is the third largest country in terms of areas – 9596960 km2. In terms of population it is the biggest nation with 1.2 billion people, who make up 21.5% of the world's total population. The problems China faced were that only 7% of China is land area. While only 50% of this land is farmable and only 13% suitable for arable farming. This situation is then made worse by 94% of the Chinese population living in the badly overpopulated southeast of the country, which consists of 43% of land. While only 6% live in the northwest of the country, which consists of 57% of land. This has led to an imbalance between population and resources. Secondly in 1949, China was made a communist country. At this stage, China sought to maximise its population for military and strategic strength. By 1960 CBR had peaked at 45/1000. The sheer size of the Chinese population put increased demands on services such as food, housing, education and employment. In fact during the 1970s the government feared that further population increases would result in mass starvation by the end of the century. This triggered the government to enforce anti-natalist policies. Options were considered such as: Increase death rate – however not a legitimate government policy. Encourage out migration – too many Chinese for this to be successful. Import more resources – implications for the rest of the world, especially LEDCs. Therefore the only option was to reduce the birth rate, which led to the 1979 ‘one child policy'. This included: Compulsory abortion if a couple already had one child (if a couple managed to escape abortion and have more than one child then there were economic penalties). The introduction of ‘Granny police' – who were older women who went round checking younger women weren't pregnant. Compulsory sterilisation – the government would send in the army to gather men and sterilize them. Later marriages and the use of contraception were also encouraged. The one child policy found greatest success amongst the urban population – where it was more strictly enforced and accepted. Therefore in 1994 the government introduced the ‘new family plan'. This aimed to educate farmers, in rural areas, on the basis that they will naturally come to understand why fewer children means achieving prosperity sooner. The outcomes of the one child policy were that the Birth rate was reduced from 45/1000 to 22/1000. In this respect the policy has therefore been regarded as a success. Couples are wealthier due to economic improvements while they no longer fear the official penalties of increased housing, schooling and medical costs for larger families. However, there have also been a number of problems with the policy. Firstly, there is now an ageing population, which have a number of potential problems in itself. In the early 90s there were about 100 million Chinese people over 60 – which encountered for 9% of the population. By 2030 it is expected to have increased to 25% of the population. This is likely to lead to a limitation in the labour supply. While pensions and retirement benefits are few, and there has never been much state pension for the elderly. Other problems are that most Chinese families want a son. This has led to some female babies being allowed to die after birth through deliberate exposure, neglect or in some areas the feeding of poisonous berries. This leads to a gender imbalance. This could cause problems for China, as it is likely to lead to a considerable amount of unmarried men, causing social instability and a growing demand for prostitution. There is also the tendency for the child to become spoilt. This will be the only child a couple will ever have, therefore all their ambitions and money are channelled into the child's education, well-being and comfort. However, in the course of time such a spoilt child could become the sole support for up to six aged people. In conclusion, without the one child policy china would almost certainly be chaos and an economic mess. Therefore although there are serious problems with the policy, the success of dramatically reducing the population outweighs the potential consequences that China now faces. However, it is not only China who have introduced dramatic anti -natalist policies to reduce the population. Indonesia attempted to even out its differences in population density between its inner and outer islands through a transmigration scheme.

Coach Carter Way Essay

The American Educational institution is stereotypical in a sense that’s it’s built around the American Dream concept. The American educational institution set that platform for the future. Students go to grammar school, junior high, and high school in aspiration to go on to higher education. In the movie coach carter, the struggle, is what’s built character in the players to become elite, therefore, pressing the stereotype that knowledge is power In this situation, Cruz a player says –‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. You’re playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously g ive other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. â€Å"This central quote of the film packs a powerful emotional punch. Clients will often focus on a fear of failure before realizing that it is success that is more frightening. Success entails making sacrifices, and trading the comfort of mediocrity with the intensity of glory. â€Å"It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us† because in the dark we can hide and remain anonymous. When we start to shine, we open ourselves up to the world and to possible criticism. Shining brightly also means obtaining greater amounts of responsibility The film Coach Carter was very captivating. To others it may seem a little clichà © like another â€Å"Piece of the Action† with Sidney Portiere or â€Å"Lean on Me† with Morgan Freeman. Both films are American stereotypical educational institutions in their own rights. However, Coach Carter intersects where they are parallel, by not just giving the students tough love, but giving the players more than hopes of being great athletes. The Coach, Ken Carter gives these players affirmations and inspirations so that they may go on to become great men. In the film Coach Ken emphasizes academics, leadership and gained the respect of his players. The American educational institution is stereotypical in a sense that it is built around the concept of the â€Å"American dream†. This concept sets the platform for the future. You go to grammar school, junior high and on to high school all in aspiration to go onto higher education. Also to think that with higher education there is greater opportunity. â€Å"Well, let me tell you what I see. I see a system that’s designed for you to fail. Now I know you all like stats so let me give you some. Richmond High only graduates fifty percent of its students. And of those that do graduate only six percent go to college; which tells me when I walk down these halls and I look in your classrooms, maybe only one student is going to go to college. Well damn, Coach Carter, If I ain’t going to college, where am I going to go? Well that’s a great question. And the answer for young, African American men in here is this: probably, to prison. In this county, thirty three percent of black males between eighteen and twenty four get arrested. So look at the guy on your left, now look at the guy on your right. One of you is going to get arrested.† (Coach Ken Carter, Coach Carter Film, 2005) In this Film Coach Ken Carter emphasizes on the dire need for academia. Throughout the movie he belts out the many statistics that the Richmond basketball players are up against. He rules with an iron fist. He also acknowledges that many of the players are not performing well in their current classes and forces their parents to get active, and forces the players to improve their grades. He helps them make this change by enforcing s contract, study time and discipline. In Coach Carter acknowledging that these players need a strong academic support system he pushed them harder so that they may have that option for higher education. â€Å"You said we’re a team. One person struggles, we all struggle. One person triumphs, we all triumph.† (Jason Lyle, Coach Carter Film, 2005) In the film Coach Carter, the struggle, is what built character in the players to become elite. Coach Carter showed leadership by his motivation to inspire these young men. His leadership came from his passion to teach and coach. This film was a direct reflection of his integrity and leadership. In this docudrama Coach Carter did not fill these young men with a false hope. He served a purpose in letting these young know that they could break the statistics and the institutionalized stereotypes placed upon their education based upon numbers. He laid the foundation for the expectation of an American dream. In the film Coach Carter, Coach Carter gains the respect of the players by being driven and unwavering. He allowed them to find themselves, he valued them and he taught the players self worth. He did not just talk a good talk he walked the walk. He was a true example of practice what you preach. He lived every single work he spoke to the players and they respected that. â€Å"I came to coach basketball players, and you became students. I came to teach boys, and you became men.† (Coach Ken Carter, Coach Carter Film, 2005) His goal was to gain the respect of these young men while teaching them that it is more the life than the four corners of their block and what was going on in their life at the present. He did not just gain the respect of just the players he gained the respect of his colleagues and the parents. In conclusion Coach Ken carter defied the odds of the stereotypical American institutional education system for young men of color in an impoverished area such as Richmond California. He emphasized on academia which heightened the expectation of his players. He gained the respect of his players by being a man if his word, showing great restraint and growing the distance to be the role model that they needed. He is indeed a leader because he pushed the envelope and exposed them to thought patterns I’m not sure they could have ever conceived on their own. Coach Ken CARTER broke the mold.

Academic Guide for an Evaluation Essay on The Spatial Order

Academic Guide for an Evaluation Essay on The Spatial Order In this third and final academic guide for an evaluation essay on the spatial order in human visual perception, we explain what an evaluation essay is, how it’s written and things that you should avoid in order to write the perfect essay that’ll leave your professor awestruck. Let’s get to it. We also recommend that you refresh your memory by having a glance at our first guide, 10 facts on the spatial order in human visual perception, that highlighted some interested facts on the topic. We also provided you with topic ideas in the second guide titled 20 topics on the spatial order in human visual perception. A Brief Introduction to the Evaluation Essay An evaluation essay helps demonstrate the (good or bad) quality of a particular object. It can be anything from books, products, program, business, place, services, films etc. While some people think that an evaluation essay includes opinions of the writer, this isn’t true and to the contrary. If an evaluation essay is written properly, it shouldn’t be opinionated. In fact, it should have an unbiased evaluation backed by reason. To make an evaluation essay stand out, you need to establish these three essential components to give a better explanation of a specific object: Criteria Judgment Evidence Contents of Criteria This is the most important part of an evaluation essay. It helps keep your opinions away from the evaluation and introduces the ideal condition of how an object should be. For example, if it’s a movie you are evaluating – the plot, cinematography, action, characters and visual effects, are the components that establish a clear and concise criteria of that movie. Role of Judgment A judgment is what makes an evaluation essay so interesting to read. When you establish a judgment in your essay, you are actually elaborating whether or not the criteria has the standard quality. For example, watching a movie and judging it on behalf of its plot, role of characters etc. is compulsory to top up the evaluation. Finally, the Evidence Once you’ve been judgmental on a particular object, you’ll need evidence to support it. For example, if you have seen a movie and based on your judgment, it is not worth watching, you’ll need to prove it by solid reasoning and evidence. How it’s Written Here is how an evaluation essay is generally written: Choose a topic which you want to evaluate. You must have full knowledge over that particular topic to have a successful evaluation. Write a thesis which defines the overall evaluation – whether it’s positive or negative for the particular object. Focus on specific criterion and then explain it verbosely, then follow it up with your judgment and the variety of evidence to support it. Build your evaluation with several criteria where you argue the value or lack of your particular object and support it with reasons and evidence. Conclude your essay with convincing and persuasive words which should prove your claim to be true. This is how a well-balanced and thorough evaluation essay is custom written. Just make sure every piece of criteria that you’ve written is thorough and your writing sits in perfect harmony with it till the end. It’s highly recommended not to use topics that are broadly used. Use narrowed down topics which are well-supported with evidence, so that your claim remains strong. That’s it! Now you are able to successfully write a stellar evaluation essay on the spatial order in human visual perception, without worrying about getting a mixed reaction from your professor.

The Pains of Writing Essay Example

The Pains of Writing Essay Example The Pains of Writing Paper The Pains of Writing Paper The Pains of Writing It is sometimes difficult to articulate the things you want to say on paper. Lamott and Vetter are two professional writers who discuss the struggles of writing. Both writers agree that writing is a difficult process that will cause you agonizing pain. However, Lamott offers a solution to the pain whereas Vetter stays negative. Lamott and Vetter both use humor to discuss their own theories on the writing process. Vetter seems to think, â€Å"All you have to do is spend 40 to 50 hours working up an idea, a sentence that looks†¦ [like you] took 90 seconds to make† (38). Vetter humor throughout the essay is kind of a dark negative style. He seems to joke about people and how they never will be able to write. Lamott claims that, â€Å"While writing my mind being left to its own devices spends much of its time having conversations with people who aren’t there† (73). Lamott likes to joke about what the writing process does to her. Throughout the essay she has an insightful humor on the writing process. Both writers use humor throughout their explanations of the writing process. They just have a different flavor of humor and target their jokes differently. Lamott and Vetter both use their own unique vivid language when describing the difficulties of writing. Vetter explains, â€Å"While the truth is that writing is a blood sport, a walk in the garden of agony every time out† (37). Vetter vivid language shows how writing is a gruesome painful task, a process that no one will ever learn. Lamott says, â€Å"Let’s not forget the dogs, the dogs in their pen who will surely hurtle and snarl their way out if you ever stop writing, because writing is, for some of us, the latch that keeps the door of the pen closed, keeps those crazy ravenous dogs contained†(72). To Lamott the critical voices in your head are those â€Å"crazy ravenous dogs† (72). Lamott vivid language explains that there is ways to contain the fears of writing. While their vivid overall examples match Lamott uses more descriptive examples than Vetter. Lamott and Vetter theories on writing are their own personal beliefs. Vetter states that, â€Å"There isn’t one in a thousand teachers who know the first damn thing about writing† (37). He believes that anyone who has learned the wretched craft had to of taught themselves (Vetter 37). Vetter has a very negative belief on writing. He feels that no one can write or ever be taught how to write. Vetter feels that trying to teach someone how to write is a lost cause. Lamott states that, â€Å"A friend once told her the first draft is getting it down, the second draft is the fix up one, while the third draft, the dental draft god help is the healthy one† (72). To Lamott all good writers have a â€Å"shitty first draft† (70). She believes anyone can learn how to write. That it just takes working out all the problems you have while writing and finding their solutions. Two professional writers who seem to have very different prospective and beliefs on the writing process and what it entails. Lamott believe you can overcome your problems by writing a â€Å"shitty first draft† (70) While Vetter believes writing cannot be taught and doesn’t offer the beginning writer any hope. These two professional writers have some similar and different beliefs on writing. They both agree that writing is a difficult process that will cause you pain. They both have a different sense of humor and express it in their own ways. Lamott vivid language shows that she feels there is hope for the beginning writer. Unlike Vetter who uses gruesome descriptive language to show that there is no hope for the beginning writing. While Lamott thinks that there is hope Vetter remains negative. Work Cited 1. Lamott, Anne. Shitty First Drafts. Essays on Writing . Ed. Lizabeth A Bryant and Heather M Clark. New York: Longman-Pearson, 2009. 69-74. Print. 2. Vetter, Craig. â€Å"Bonehead Writing. † Essays on Writing. ED. Lizabeth A Bryant and Heather M Clark. New York: Longman-Pearson, 2009. 35-39. Print

Casey Anthony

Courtroom trials are very interesting to me and I really enjoyed clerking for judges and being able to watch everything from beginning to end. The case I have chosen is a jury trial and that jury ends up being seven women and five men. The criminal laws that were violated were many starting with Child Neglect, making false official statements and obstructing an investigation. Forging checks, fraudulent use of identification and petty theft, first degree murder, aggravated child abuse aggravated manslaughter and four counts of lying to law enforcement. Heading the prosecution was the District Attorney of Orange County Florida with several of the Assistant District Attorney’s. The defense has Jose Baez and what they were calling a ‘team’ of defense counsel, which actually ended up only being 3. Judge Belvin Perry was on the bench and all of the witnesses that were on both the states list of witnesses to call but the defense as well. The outcome of this trial rocked the nation as the verdict was read live which were Not Guilty of Aggravated Murder, Aggravated Child Abuse and Aggravated Manslaughter. The defendant was found guilty on 4 counts of the forgery of checks and was credited for time served, then released from jail. Casey Anthony made national news for several days and remained the top story. She had been charged and arrested with murdering her two year old daughter, Caylee Anthony. Casey denied ever knowing anything to the police of her whereabouts and told law enforcement that her nanny had taken Caylee by force and she had been looking for her in different avenues, to supposedly protect the child. Also stating she should have contacted police sooner than 31 days prior, but she was in fear for her daughter’s life was the story she stuck to. After being jailed and held without bond pictures of the young mother were posted all over My Space portraying Casey Anthony as nothing but a party girl. It wasnt until the actual trial started and the story took a huge flip and George Anthony who is Caseys father and grandfather of little Caylee, was being accused of sexually molesting his daughter since she was 8 years old and covering up the truth about the whereabouts of the two year old. Since Casey had been a child, she had been taught to cover up and lie about certain situations if it was going to cause embarrassment to the family. It was George who had found the lifeless body of Caylee Anthony, lying face down in their pool and the cover-up began. George Anthony did not want it to get out that the family was irresponsible and left the ladder out to get into the pool. Which the story reads, little Caylee climbed up that ladder and got in the pool herself, due to no supervision and drowned. Skeletal remains of a small child were found 3 months later within a mile of the Anthony home. The body had been discarded like a piece of trash, and her remains had been duct taped in a black garbage bag and tossed into the woods. It became media frenzy and, Orlando, Florida became the busiest it had ever been since the child had gone missing. It was in fact the remains of Caylee Anthony and to this day, the young mother sticks to her story and accuses her own father of covering the death of her child up and forced Casey to go along with it. She had been taught to obey her father and did not want to go against his strictness and allowed George Anthony to dispose of the body. The trial that began on May 24, 2011 went to the jury on July 3rd 2011. Deliberations were suspended over the 4th of July holiday and resumed July 5th. During its deliberations, the jurors did not ask to review any of the 400 exhibits, request any clarifications of the law or ask for any of the trial testimony to be read back. After deliberating for 10 hours and 40 minutes, the foreperson informed the court that the jury had reached a unanimous verdict that afternoon. More often than not when a jury returns a verdict that quickly and without asking for any type of assistance from the court, it bodes ill for the defendant. This jury, however, was about to prove the old maxim that juries are unpredictable despite what all the talking heads predicted it would conclude. The jury found her not guilty of murder, aggravated child abuse and manslaughter. She was however, convicted of four counts of lying to police officers. Judge Perry sentenced Casey to one year in jail and $1,000. 00 in fines for each of the providing false information counts. She was released from jail on July 17, 2011due to time already served. While Casey had been acquitted in her daughter’s death, Casey’s problems were not at an end. The defamation suit of Zenaida Gonzalez who Casey accused of kidnapping her daughter (one of the false statements) is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. Gonzalez states she lost her job as a result of Casey’s allegations which led to the loss of her apartment by eviction and she and her 6 children continue to be harassed and threatened. (Kumar) It has changed how society works today by taking more child missing stories more serious and not to the facts of the case, but the simple fact that the 12 person jury could not convict her due to lack of evidence. The State of Florida had not proved their case and she was walking free except with a few misdemeanor charges of lying to law enforcement. How could this have happened, with all the circumstantial evidence of her guilt was obvious, the jury stood by the law? The evidence did not prove that Casey had been involved at all without finding any DNA or any other minute evidence. At almost the end of the trial, Casey asked to be evaluated by Psychologist and Psychiatrist to see if she was mentally capable to continue with the trial. She was found competent and the trial continued til the end finding her not guilty. All of America disagreed with the verdict except the defendant and the defense counsel and still held her responsible for her daughters death. Society even went to the extreme as to calling the jury idiots I believe Casey Anthony led a not so great life, but was also a spoiled brat who always got her way. So with the news that she was walking free didnt surprise me, as I couldn’t see any physical evidence either. Sad but true, she is out living her life without her daughter and it does not seem to bother her a bit. Casey is in hiding though as of today and knows there are people out there who hate her. She has started to learn and recognize her lies and what they did to people, and has told friends she has a lot of regards. Other sources say she plans to receive psychological counseling. She is young and optimistic and realizes she can’t change the past but she can move forward.

First IT security in information systems Term Paper

First IT security in information systems - Term Paper Example In this report, we will discuss some of the main security measures/steps that can be taken to overcome IT security related issues. The report will also include a discussion about the ways to maintain IT security over a long time for users. Network Security Internet security is imperative in today’s world of digital technology because it provides a number of considerable benefits to individuals and businesses. Some of those benefits include assistance in dealing with fake emails and harmful web links, assistance in protection of data, assistance in making communication process safe, and assistance in dealing with malware, spyware, viruses, Trogens, and worms. Moreover, network safety measures also help users in surviving from phishing and other internet-based frauds. We all know that protection of files and important information stored in computers is essential for every individual. Therefore, it is imperative to apply such security measures which can ensure data protection to a large extent. â€Å"Network security comprises the measures a company takes to protect its computer system† (Kaminsky 1). According to Stallings, viruses and worms are the most harmful and commonly occurring threats to the security of computer networks and they have the ability to spread into every computer system (27). In IT related business, there is a constant need to apply such security measures that can protect computer networks from all types of threats including worms, viruses, and the attempts of hackers. IT professionals need to introduce such mechanisms using which one can efficiently identify the potential threats to the networks in order to apply the relevant and the most appropriate safety measure. Although the advancements in the field of information technology have been beneficial for internet related businesses individuals, they have also brought in a number of security threats. Such threats not only affect the progress of the businesses but also reduce busi nesses’ efficiency levels, as people have to spend a huge amount of time to recover their important information and data if lost. To reduce such threats, business need to hire such information technology experts who can ensure protection using multilayered security strategies. As Lynn states, â€Å"in today's threat landscape, the most secure network infrastructures implement not a single network security technology, but a multilayered comprehensive security strategy† (1). Let us now discuss some of the main steps an information technology professional may take to ensure complete protection for users from internet security threats. Antivirus and Antispyware The first thing that an IT professional needs should suggest to IT related businesses and users is the installation of a suitable antivirus application. Antivirus applications are the most widely used measures to ensure computer safety not only because they provide optimum security to data present inside the compute r systems but also because they hold current databases of worms and viruses using which they can identify the presence of any armful application in the computer syste

The Erechtheion on the Acropolys of Athens Essay

The Erechtheion on the Acropolys of Athens - Essay Example If we wish to understand ourselves, we must take care not to eliminate the ‘shell’ of our past, for it is the physical record of our aspirations and achievements† (Roth 3). This is a perfect analogy for the buildings we construct because the oldest segments of the nautilus shell are found within the depths of its interior just as the oldest concepts of architecture are still found within the depths of our architectural core theories. What Roth is suggesting is that architectural knowledge of any type must necessarily build upon the work completed in the past and this work remains forever embedded within the frameworks created in the present. As a result, there remains a great deal to be learned from some of the existing architectural works of the ancient past such as the Erechtheion on the Acropolis of Athens. Attempting to trace the architectural theories of the ancients is not as easy as it might seem as there were a number of architects working at the same time, not all of whom worked from the same foundational theories which had yet to be codified. An example of this is best illustrated by more modern examples. Even though we have access to numerous books and articles about Greek art and architecture today, there are still a great number of theories in existence as to what exactly comprises architecture. These theories continue to change with time, material, usage of the structure and so forth. This makes architectural theory even today difficult to standardize. â€Å"The majority of programs that purport to be theories of architecture seek to combine aesthetic, social and practical considerations in an integrated whole; the emphasis being either theoretical or practical, according to whether the author is an architect himself, and on whom he is writing for† (Kruft 14). In other words, there seems to be as many theories of architecture today as there are architects and it seems reasonable to assume that this same condition existed in the past as it does now. If there were fewer theories in antiquity, this would be more the result of a fewer number of working architects rather than a limited number of ideas to float around. Extending back even to the ancient Romans, though, architects began to record their theories for the benefit of future generations to build and expand upon. Thus, they are able to continue to contribute to developing thought many years after their physical deaths. These published discussions are invaluable because they reveal the influences of the ancients and reveal some of the common shared theories that may have been employed by the ancient Greeks. An important figure in the recording of these ideas was the Roman Vitruvius. Vitruvius was originally an artillery engineer who worked during the period of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, but he made his name a part of history through his work as an architect and an author. â€Å"His ten books on architecture, De Architectura (trans. 1914) , are the oldest surviving work on the subject. They consist of dissertations on a wide variety of subjects relating to architecture, engineering, sanitation, practical hydraulics, acoustic vases, and the like. Much of the material appears to have been taken from earlier extinct treatises by Greek architects† (Calter). Within his texts, Vitruvius outlines three basic elements of design he and presumably the

ROLE OF THE NURSE IN SUBSTANCE MISUSE Literature review

ROLE OF THE NURSE IN SUBSTANCE MISUSE - Literature review Example While education and health response should constantly be designed individually to suit the unique needs of patients, this is particularly vital to those who are experiencing substance misuse problems. This paper discusses the role of nurses in substance misuses and reflects on how this role can benefit clients/patients and can meet the demands of best practice guidelines and legislation challenges. Self-reported substance misuse in the UK indicates that roughly ten percent of adolescents and older adults use drugs yearly, and more than ninety percent drink consume alcohol (Straussner 2004). A few of these people experience working with primary care nurses. Individuals with substance misuse problems encounter a broad array of social care and health practitioners. Expectedly, several practitioners have recognised inadequacies in the education and training for treating substance misuse (Cann & De Belleroche 2002). All these issues are discussed here. Corresponding to the widespread enla rged demand for nursing services for patients with substance misuse issues, the role of the nurse has expanded remarkably in the recent decade. Nurses working with substance misusers work in diverse contexts with substance misusers, and have varied health care perceptions and strategies. According to Joel and Kelly (2002), their tasks involve assessing the needs of substance misusers, determining best possible treatment, counselling, and performing required treatment methods. Nursing Substance Misusers Several empirical findings show that the role of the nurse working with substance misusers can be especially nerve-racking and challenging (Wagner & Waldron 2001). This is primarily because of the growing demand for expert skills and knowledge in areas like counselling, assessment, promoting the participation of patients in the decision-making process, communication, organisational aspects like lack of support, education and training for staff, loss of financial assistance, and modifi cations in services (Sullivan 1995). The roles of the substance misuse nurse, as stated by Mike Bell (as cited in Newell 1998): (1) nurses interact personally with substance misusers; (2) nurses evaluate the patient’s needs and develop their strong points; (3) nurses operate within specific areas; (4) nurses are responsible for their own decisions and actions; and (5) nurses collaborate with one another to provide the best services to substance misusers. Florence Nightingale (1912) expressed the importance of the nurse’s role in his statement: I solemnly declare that I have seen or known of fatal accidents, such as suicides in delirium tremens, bleedings to death, dying patients dragged out of bed by drunken medical staff corps men and many other things less patent and striking, which would not have happened in London Civil Hospitals nursed by women (Nightingale 1912, 28). It is probable that there are differences in the expectations and role of substance misuse nurses all over the UK, relying on context and setting. For instance, health organisations may follow different guidelines; different groups in primary care may also differ in the extent of decision making entrusted to drug specialist nurses, concerning recommendation and treatment (Shaw 2002). The following sections discuss the professional and personal skills needed by substance misuse nurses to adequately fulfil their challenging roles and satisfy best practice

Divine Roles Across Cultures Matrix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Divine Roles Across Cultures Matrix - Assignment Example He was among the hateful gods in regard to his father Zeus. He used to get into battles in the company of his fellow gods. In the myth, he is described as having an attractive and charming personality. Huitzilopochtli is a male god of war whom he is shown to have dominated a number of features that are mainly. Huitzilopochtli promised to protect her mother and later on killed her murderers while he was in his mother’s womb. Within the myth of origin, how does this divinity compare with other divinities? How does this divinity interact with or compare to divinities of the same gender and to divinities of the opposite gender? Huitzilopochtli gained importance among Aztec gods at a slow rate. He was ranked similarly to Quetzalcoatl and others. He replaced the classical god of the sun later on in Nahua legends. His darkness struggle needed considerable sacrifices such as human blood to protect the continuous earth’s survival. Ares persisted in the unchanging fight together with his brothers and other Greek gods. He was very aggressive. He did a wonderful role during gods’ war in the Olympians victory. He was competitive despite being misled easily by female goddesses. Huitzilopochtli depended on weapons that need experience and enough skill to become proficient in. These weapons included swords and knives. His age increased at a slower rate although he was not immortal. Ares had powers of superhuman strength, regeneration, superhuman speed and fire manipulation power. He, in particular, had no signature weapon as he was a god of war. He commonly used either a sword or a spear together with a shield. Four-fire breathing horses depicted him towards the battle. . Identify one character from contemporary culture that shares characteristics of each divinity and explains why you chose each character. What real-life ideals does this divine role represent? How attainable are these ideals? Huitzilopochtli is regarded as a hummingbird.

Critically evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis Essay

Critically evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis - Essay Example This view has recently been confirmed by an IMF report (2011), that financial crises usually follow "credit or asset price bubbles" (IMF, p. 6). Moshirian (2010) has found that the inability of national regulatory bodies to respond adequately to a global market that has become increasingly interdependent has left these bodies unable to control regulatory arbitrage and the international movement of toxic assets (p. 504). In a way of confirming these last two perspectives Longstaff (2008) has found that lower movements in the ABX Index of credit-default swaps did cause financial contagion in other financial markets. This report will show how in the US, deregulation did serve to encourage market liquidity that could have advantaged banks and homeowners. The report will explain how the lack of appropriate regulation in the financial markets led to both a real estate bubble and the global financial crisis that reached the UK and world markets. ... gulation policy expressed through passage of US federal acts that eventually, though not intentionally, allowed banks to collateralize the assets and to use them, as investment banks, to participate directly in the secondary financial markets. Deregulation was originally intended to finance supply with more liquidity of resources in order to meet an increasing demand in the real estate market. Eventually supply overtook demand while banks and financiers overtook market safeguards in favor of speculative profit. The US housing bubble that occurred in 1983 with the savings-and-loan debacle was amplified to multiple effects in 2008, producing the financial crisis that spread to the UK and the world. The 2011 US Congressional Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report identified "widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision" producing instability that undermined world markets (p. xviii). Deregulation McClendon (2010) explains how in 1980 the Depository Institutions Deregul ation and Monetary Control act freed banks from usury ceilings held by US states, enabling them to charge conventional high interest rates to appropriate populations for home mortgage loans. This act also raised the deposit insurance limits up to $100,000. The ceiling had previously been $40,000. The Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act of 1982 soon followed and allowed banks to make adjustable rate and interest-only mortgages outside of state restrictions. Both of these measures were intended to help banks and savings and loans institutions spread more liquidity into appropriate markets. The US Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 enabled savings and loans banks to enter the lending market with low loan-to-value ratios (McClendon, 2010). The result was that the

ROLE OF THE NURSE IN SUBSTANCE MISUSE Literature review

ROLE OF THE NURSE IN SUBSTANCE MISUSE - Literature review Example While education and health response should constantly be designed individually to suit the unique needs of patients, this is particularly vital to those who are experiencing substance misuse problems. This paper discusses the role of nurses in substance misuses and reflects on how this role can benefit clients/patients and can meet the demands of best practice guidelines and legislation challenges. Self-reported substance misuse in the UK indicates that roughly ten percent of adolescents and older adults use drugs yearly, and more than ninety percent drink consume alcohol (Straussner 2004). A few of these people experience working with primary care nurses. Individuals with substance misuse problems encounter a broad array of social care and health practitioners. Expectedly, several practitioners have recognised inadequacies in the education and training for treating substance misuse (Cann & De Belleroche 2002). All these issues are discussed here. Corresponding to the widespread enla rged demand for nursing services for patients with substance misuse issues, the role of the nurse has expanded remarkably in the recent decade. Nurses working with substance misusers work in diverse contexts with substance misusers, and have varied health care perceptions and strategies. According to Joel and Kelly (2002), their tasks involve assessing the needs of substance misusers, determining best possible treatment, counselling, and performing required treatment methods. Nursing Substance Misusers Several empirical findings show that the role of the nurse working with substance misusers can be especially nerve-racking and challenging (Wagner & Waldron 2001). This is primarily because of the growing demand for expert skills and knowledge in areas like counselling, assessment, promoting the participation of patients in the decision-making process, communication, organisational aspects like lack of support, education and training for staff, loss of financial assistance, and modifi cations in services (Sullivan 1995). The roles of the substance misuse nurse, as stated by Mike Bell (as cited in Newell 1998): (1) nurses interact personally with substance misusers; (2) nurses evaluate the patient’s needs and develop their strong points; (3) nurses operate within specific areas; (4) nurses are responsible for their own decisions and actions; and (5) nurses collaborate with one another to provide the best services to substance misusers. Florence Nightingale (1912) expressed the importance of the nurse’s role in his statement: I solemnly declare that I have seen or known of fatal accidents, such as suicides in delirium tremens, bleedings to death, dying patients dragged out of bed by drunken medical staff corps men and many other things less patent and striking, which would not have happened in London Civil Hospitals nursed by women (Nightingale 1912, 28). It is probable that there are differences in the expectations and role of substance misuse nurses all over the UK, relying on context and setting. For instance, health organisations may follow different guidelines; different groups in primary care may also differ in the extent of decision making entrusted to drug specialist nurses, concerning recommendation and treatment (Shaw 2002). The following sections discuss the professional and personal skills needed by substance misuse nurses to adequately fulfil their challenging roles and satisfy best practice

Critically evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis Essay

Critically evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis - Essay Example This view has recently been confirmed by an IMF report (2011), that financial crises usually follow "credit or asset price bubbles" (IMF, p. 6). Moshirian (2010) has found that the inability of national regulatory bodies to respond adequately to a global market that has become increasingly interdependent has left these bodies unable to control regulatory arbitrage and the international movement of toxic assets (p. 504). In a way of confirming these last two perspectives Longstaff (2008) has found that lower movements in the ABX Index of credit-default swaps did cause financial contagion in other financial markets. This report will show how in the US, deregulation did serve to encourage market liquidity that could have advantaged banks and homeowners. The report will explain how the lack of appropriate regulation in the financial markets led to both a real estate bubble and the global financial crisis that reached the UK and world markets. ... gulation policy expressed through passage of US federal acts that eventually, though not intentionally, allowed banks to collateralize the assets and to use them, as investment banks, to participate directly in the secondary financial markets. Deregulation was originally intended to finance supply with more liquidity of resources in order to meet an increasing demand in the real estate market. Eventually supply overtook demand while banks and financiers overtook market safeguards in favor of speculative profit. The US housing bubble that occurred in 1983 with the savings-and-loan debacle was amplified to multiple effects in 2008, producing the financial crisis that spread to the UK and the world. The 2011 US Congressional Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report identified "widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision" producing instability that undermined world markets (p. xviii). Deregulation McClendon (2010) explains how in 1980 the Depository Institutions Deregul ation and Monetary Control act freed banks from usury ceilings held by US states, enabling them to charge conventional high interest rates to appropriate populations for home mortgage loans. This act also raised the deposit insurance limits up to $100,000. The ceiling had previously been $40,000. The Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act of 1982 soon followed and allowed banks to make adjustable rate and interest-only mortgages outside of state restrictions. Both of these measures were intended to help banks and savings and loans institutions spread more liquidity into appropriate markets. The US Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 enabled savings and loans banks to enter the lending market with low loan-to-value ratios (McClendon, 2010). The result was that the

Ecology Lab Essay Example for Free

Ecology Lab Essay The ecosystem is composed of the producers, consumers, decomposers and the nonliving or abiotic components (Ecology, 1997). The producers are the plants that produce food through photosynthesis. The consumers have two types: herbivores or primary consumers and carnivores or secondary consumers. The herbivores are the animals that only eat plants while the carnivores are the animals that only eat meat. The animals that eat mixtures of plants and meat are called omnivores. Human beings are considered as omnivores. Fungi and bacteria are some of the decomposers in the ecosystem. The nonliving or abiotic components of the ecosystem are consisting of the dead organic matter and nutrients found in soil and water. What if all humans became vegetarians? Would it be beneficial to the earth or ecosystem? First of all, let me discuss the principle behind the food chain, food web and energy flow. â€Å"In a food chain, the sun’s energy is used by plants to make food. The plants are eaten by herbivores, which, in turn, are eaten by carnivores. Both plant and animal substances decompose when they die and return mineral substances to the soil where bacteria use them to provide carbon dioxide gas. Carbon dioxide and the sun’s energy then enter the chain again. † (Food Chains, 1992) But the situation in the ecosystem is not as simple as stated in the food chain so it is more advantageous to use the principle of food web. For example, a rat ate a grain from a plant, and then the rat was eaten by a snake. But the snake was also eaten by a honey bunger. The honey bunger serves as an intermediate link which is a higher level of predator than the snake. This makes food web more complicated. Also, energy is transferred in a food web. This transfer of energy in a food web is called energy flow (Energy Flow, 2008). Energy flow involves several trophic or feeding levels. When energy is passed on from one trophic level to another trophic, about 90% of the energy is lost due to respiration and some are being lost as heat in the environment. The top consumer of the food chain is the one who receives the less amount of energy. Energy in the food web is measured in terms of heat. The law of thermodynamics is also used to measure the energy lost and gain by the trophic levels. Another concept that can be useful in answering the question is the ecological pyramid. â€Å"An Ecological Pyramid (or trophic pyramid) is a graphical representation designed to show the biomass or productivity at each trophic level in a given ecosystem. Biomass pyramids show the abundance or biomass of organisms at each trophic level, while productivity pyramids show the production or turn-over in biomass. Ecological Pyramids begin with producers on the bottom and proceed through the various trophic levels, the highest of which is on top. † (Ecological pyramid, 2008) The trophic level with the highest number of population is the producer while the top most trophic level has the lowest number of population. Would it be beneficial if all humans became vegetarians? The above principles and information can be used to answer this question. It would not be beneficial if all humans will be vegetarians since this act might cause imbalances in the food web and in the ecosystem. Humans also contribute in the maintenance of the numbers of species in a given ecosystem. If humans will only eat plants, the population of the animals we are eating like cows, pigs and chickens will grow. Since these animals are herbivores or primary consumers, this will result to greater competition for foods derived from plants. The population of secondary consumers will be outnumbered by the primary consumers. This will in turn cause another growth in the population of primary consumers since the number of secondary consumers will not be enough to feed on the primary consumers. Again, this will cause disruption of the ecological pyramid. In terms of energy flow and thermodynamics, it is still not beneficial if all human beings will be vegetarians. Given with two scenarios: (a) humans feed directly on plants and (b) humans feed on animals like cows or chickens that also feed on food from plant sources, in what scenario can humans receive greater amount of energy? In the first scenario, humans are included in the trophic level next to producers which are the primary consumers while in the second scenario, humans are considered as secondary consumers. Also in the first scenario, the humans’ only source of energy is the producer which is the food from plant while in the second scenario; the humans’ sources of energy are the animals and the plants that were eaten by those animals. Even though 90% of the energy acquired by the animals that feed on plants is lost due to respiration, there is still a remainder of 10% that the human can receive when he/she will feed on those animals. Summing up and comparing all the energies received by humans in each scenario then we can say that humans can get a 10% higher amount of energy in the second scenario than in the first scenario. Like what was stated prior to this paragraph, the top most consumer of the food web who feed on plants will receive the least amount of energy. Also in the first scenario where humans feed directly on plant foods, lesser amounts of heat and carbon dioxide are released in the environment. In terms of ecosystem productivity, the humans can get higher net productivity when they act as secondary consumers than when they act as primary consumers. What is net productivity? â€Å"Net productivity is the amount of energy trapped in organic matter during a specified interval at a given trophic level less that lost by the respiration of the organisms at that level. † (Ecosystem productivity, 2004) Humans can indirectly acquire higher net productivity when they eat animals that feed on plant materials. Using all the arguments mentioned, one can conclude that it is not beneficial, for both humans and ecosystem, if all humans will be vegetarians. We must always bear in mind that all things in excess will not be advantageous or beneficial. References â€Å"Ecological pyramid†. 2008. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ecological_pyramid â€Å"Ecology†. 1997. Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia Vol. 9. 12 â€Å"Ecosystem productivity†. 2004. http://users. rcn. com/jkimball. ma. ultranet/BiologyPages/N/NetProductivity. html â€Å"Energy Flow†. 2008. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Energy_flow â€Å"Food chains†. 1992. The World of Animals. Australia: Regency Publishing Group. 9

Corporate Social Responsibility In The Banking Sector Finance Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility In The Banking Sector Finance Essay Since ancient times banking practices have always played a significant role in the development and progress within an economy. Banks facilitate financial transactions by collecting deposits from savers and lending loans to those in need of credit. Thus, it enables those that have surplus funds to meet with those who need further funds for expansion and investment purposes. However, it is often the case that mismatches occur between the period at which a depositor wants to save his money and the period at which a borrower would be able to pay up the amount owed by him. Therefore, as an intermediary a bank has to find ways with which to manage the mismatch between short term liabilities of the bank (such as deposits) and long term assets (such as loans). First and foremost a bank needs to be perceived as being trustworthy and thus needs to gain the publics confidence in order to attract financing. It is needless to say that if a particular bank were to go bankrupt, apart from its shareholders, the general public would also suffer considerably. The collapse of a bank might result in the loss of lifetime savings of individuals and families which were held at the particular bank. This would consequently undermine peoples confidence in the financial sector and drive other people to withdraw their money from their own banks which may in turn result in having other sound banks facing serious difficulties to cater for high volumes of withdrawals since a bank in its own nature of doing business holds only a percentage of the funds acquired by depositors and invests the rest in less liquid assets with longer maturities (such as mortgage loans). It is therefore of prominent importance that for an economy to prosper and grow, and thus for the general wellbeing of the whole community, there needs to be at its core a sound and efficient financial system and that the general public also perceives the system to be sound and trustworthy. In trying to address this issue policy makers have sought to achieve healthy financial systems and to promote public confidence through numerous legislations and regulations. In fact, the financial market is one of the most regulated markets in any economy, particularly the banking sector so as to minimise the risks that a bank is exposed to. For decades banks were severely restricted with respect to the services offered to clients, as well as methods allowed for financing and investments. This hindered the ability of banks to be competitive with other financial institutions that were not classified as banks and that had more lax regulations which enabled them to offer a wider range of services and take up more risks to finance their operations. Because the highly regulated financial environment was stifling competition between banks and non-banks, regulators loosened up their regulatory requirements so as to create a level playing field for all the financial institutions. With more lax regulations banks are able to take up more risks and offer a wider range of services to clients meaning also that banks have higher risks to fail or that the publics confidence will be more prone to be undermined because of riskier activities performed by banks. Higher risks and loss of confidence would lead to financial instability and, in some cases, to financial crises where the whole financial market is depressed. This in turn slows down the whole economy since the financial sector is the backbone of an economys financing. It is thought that one of the factors that in fact contributed to the 2008-09 financial crisis was a highly deregulated environment (Shah Gilani, 2005-2011). It is also typical that after financial crises regulators start reviewing their supervisory and regulatory standards and reregulate the industry once again. After the financial crisis of 2008-09 regulators are now imposing new regulations in order to ensure that another world financial crisis is avoided. The new amendments require banks to hold even more capital as a buffer for a given amount of risk it is exposed to than it was already required by law. This process of regulation, deregulation and reregulation is a continuous process that changes as the market itself develops and creates new services and thus is exposed to new risks. Deposit Insurance Agencies are set up for public safety against bank failures. However, in essence it is ultimately the tax-payers themselves that pay the price as the government intervenes to bail-out problematic banks. Because managers running banks are aware of the fact that if the bank fails the government will intervene, it is more likely that they engage in more risky activities and do not exert appropriate due diligence in the running of the business. This problem is known as moral hazard. Thus banks are more likely to engage in hazardous behaviour since if they fail the government will intervene and will not allow the bank to go bankrupt in order to safeguard the public interest. Also, banks are more difficult to have their performance evaluated than other businesses because of the complexity of the business itself. Thus this creates the problem of asymmetric information or, stated in other words, the problem that not everyone has the same opportunities to access the same information. Managers and interns within the banking institution have better information on the performance of the bank than outsiders have access to. This is diminished partially through required disclosure and other regulations that deal with insider dealing in order to promote transparency in the financial markets which again will enhance public confidence. However, it is not the first time that we hear about insider dealings or that disclosure of misleading information was presented to the public. It is therefore clear that although regulation plays an important role in ensuring market stability, efficiency and fairness it is not enough. As John R. Boatright (1999:7) brilliantly describes in his book Ethics in Finance the law is not the only guide within the financial sector. What is legal is not necessarily moral. He then goes on to define the law by saying that it is simply a crude instrument and cannot be used to regulate all financial activities because of their complex nature. Excessive regulation stifles competition, hinders innovation and it is difficult to regulate certain issues that arise within the financial industry such as the issue of conflicts of interests. Therefore self-regulation is nonetheless important in this highly regulated market and the implementation of CSR within the banking industry has yet a unique and special role as much as the role of a bank itself is unique within a community. History: BAnking Practices and Society Banking practices in the past were mainly carried out through the acceptance of gold and deposits to then issue loans with those deposits. Bankers profits consisted mainly in hefty interests received from loans. Bank customers consisted mainly of kings and the papacy during the 1500s up to 1600s and large loans were lent to finance wars and elections. Few can be said with regards to CSR before the 1900s in the implementation of banking practices as is the case with other businesses of the time. However, one may mention the Fugger Family which was one of the greatest banking dynasties after the Medici in the late 16th century. Namely Jacob Fugger established a community for the poor, known as the Fuggerei, which was built in Augsburg in 1519 and is still in use today (Bamber, 2001). This shows evidence of the paternalistic ideology that strongly characterised the economic sphere and business tendencies till the late 1800s. One may also note the great influential power that the banking sector exerted as early as the 16th century as the Fugger family financed Maximilians grandson Charles to bribe his electors; while in the 19th century the Rothschild family financed all of Napoleons enemies. The decisions undertaken by the bankers obviously had an impact on the outcome of events (Bamber, 2001) which shows that from the early stages of the industry banking practices had a strong influence on political, economic and social outcomes. As banking and lending practices were developed, these were not always considered as fair and just as we may know them today. Banks and other financial institutions tended to arbitrarily choose to whom financial services are given, often denying these services to people of colour or the poor. This could be freely done by banks after the process of deregulation giving them more leeway in their practices then before. This discriminatory practice is known as redlining because some bank managers used to arbitrarily mark residential areas occupied by coloured or poor people in red on geographic maps during the 1930s. Areas marked in red were denied financial services and this had a serious impact on urban development since these lacked the funds necessary for investment and developments leading to further urban decay (Boatright, 1999:101). It was not until 1968 that banks were prohibited by law to discriminate on housing lending through the enactment of the Fair Housing Act followed by a series of other regulations thereafter (Hunt, 2005). CSR initiatives developing in the 1950s in the business industry had a ripple affect also on the banking sector were through sanctions and regulations concerning environmental issues on polluting companies banks were also forced indirectly to take action and exercise more attention in the selection of corporate clients in order to safeguard their reputation. The 1980 Superfund in the U.S. and the Directive on Civil Liability for Damage Caused by Waste adopted by the European Commission in 1989 are namely two regulations relating to environmental concern emanating from business operations (IISD, 2010). The Fleet Factors Case of 1990 was one of the first proceedings in the U.S. that directly attributed responsibility for environmental damages caused by their corporate clients as the courts decided that lenders held the capacity to influence the borrowers waste management decisions even if it actually did not do so (IISD, 2010). The UNEP Financial Institutions Initiatives; (UNEP FI) was launched in 1992 with the collaboration of Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings, Natwest, Royal Bank of Canada and Westpac in an attempt to garner financial institutions to promote awareness on the pivotal role that the financial sector has in sustainable development and environment protection and to unravel further on the relationship between economic development, environmental protection and sustainable developments (UNEP FI, 2011). During the same year the UNEP Statement by Financial Institutions on the Environment Sustainable development was drafted articulating further the role and responsibility taken over by financial institutions in contributing towards sustainable development in businesses and safeguarding the environment (UNEP FI, 2011). Another Green Paper set out by the European Commission in 1993 required that liability was assumed by the polluter and in case where the responsible party is not identified or unable to pay joint compensation funds financed by the industry should meet such costs on their behalf. The commission addressed also the problems of causation and insurability where more responsibility was exerted upon the shoulders of financial institutions (IISD, 2010). The UNEP was a main contributor to spread awareness and foster a socially responsible attitude in the way business was conducted within financial institutions through international round table meetings and global surveys on the environmental practices of the financial services sector (IISD, 2010). Thus, banks started experiencing more pressure to avoid the so called sin stocks and pay attention to the social performance of corporate clients and not only to financial performance. Many other international guidelines have been developed recently and it is important not to forget to mention the contribution of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is a member of the World Bank Group towards sustainable development and in promoting fair, open and competitive markets in order to fight poverty (IFC, 2010). Their common shared values found on the IFC website are depicted as follows: To fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results. To help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity, and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors. In 2003 the IFC drafted the Equator Principles, a set of guidelines that may be voluntarily adopted by banks aimed to facilitate and aid these institutions wishing to carry out operations in a socially responsible manner. Essentially, the Equator Principles are nothing more than a financial industry benchmark for determining, assessing and managing social environmental risk in project financing (The Equator Principles, 2006). The Principles are targeted towards the financing of corporate clients whose investment projects are environmentally and socially responsible and include also advisory services offered by financial institutions with regards to project financing.  [1]   Who Cares Wins was an initiative undertaken by the financial industry, the UN Global Compact, IFC and the Swiss Government during 2004 (UN Global Compact, IFC, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, 2009, 2010:3). According to this report, the main aim of this initiative is to support the financial industrys efforts to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into mainstream investment decision-making and ownership practices through a series of high-level meetings with investment professionals. Again, here the goal is that of promoting socially responsible project financing through SRI. The United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative (PRI) are a set of six principles set up in 2005 in collaboration with some of the worlds largest institutional investors (UNPRI, 2011). This initiative was set up in partnership with the UNEP FI and the UN Global Compact. These principles posit the idea that since environmental, social and corporate governance issues may affect the performance of investment portfolios, thus it is important that an investor takes these issues into consideration when making investment decisions and therefore contribute also to the general wellbeing of society (UNPRI, 2011). One may mention numerable banks that are truly committed towards the maxim of doing well by doing the right thing and that actively participate with International NGOs to contribute towards the general wellbeing of communities. Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings, and UBS are amongst the most known environmentally and socially driven banks in Europe. For the purpose of this thesis I will now proceed on to scrutinising and analysing the CSR policies of the banks mentioned to then compare them with those policies of three leading Maltese banks namely APS Bank, Bank of Valletta (BOV), and HSBC Malta in a later chapter. All information related to the CSR initiatives undertaken by the foreign and Maltese banks selected was extracted from their respective websites and CSR Reports. The main aim is to evaluate the transparency adopted by the Maltese banks and thus the extent to which they inform the general public in the way they go about their commitments towards society relative to well-establish ed and successful foreign banks. CSR Policies of Foreign Banks This section will give an insight on how some foreign banks known as being committed towards sustainable development, environmental and socially responsible project financing are currently engaging in CSR policies in order to achieve their goals and manage to be profitable and attract business by undertaking such activities given the existing highly competitive environment from other financial and non-financial institutions. For the purpose of this dissertation, the three foreign banks chosen are headquartered within the European Union territory since the Maltese way of doing business is very similar to the way it is conducted in Europe even CSR-wise and therefore it will facilitate comparison between foreign and Maltese banks. Furthermore, HSBC Holdings was selected specifically since it is the parent company of HSBC Malta which will be discussed in detail in the next chapter. Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank is a leading German and European financial institution successfully expanding its business globally with a work force of over 100,000 employees in 74 countries and offering a vast selection of financial services worldwide (Deutsche Bank AG, 2011). Deutsche Bank mission statement can be found on its official website as follows: We compete to be the leading global provider of financial solutions, creating lasting value for our clients, our shareholders, our people and the communities in which we operate. From the mission statement itself we may denote that the bank is committing itself not only towards its shareholders, clients and employees but their mindset is also headed for the benefit of the communities and their social needs. The banking institution has also formulated a set of values which drive its business orientation. One of these values set out on the banks website is trust where the bank claims confidently its trustworthiness, reliability and honesty. Other values mentioned are performance, teamwork, innovation, and client focus. Finally, the bank also promises stakeholders that the corporation will be operating with responsibility, keeping in mind not only current factors and issues in their decision making but also future consequences and factors that may arise due to todays decisions (Deutsche Bank AG, 2010). We may note by glancing briefly at the way the bank presents itself that it already carefully depicts itself as being socially and environmentally responsible in all aspects of its structural organisation. This however, is nothing new as all businesses especially banking institutions wish to be alleged as being ethical, trustworthy, honest and socially responsible so as to foster public confidence in their business. The bank has also received numerous awards or been ranked first for several social, environmental and corporate governance categories during 2010 some of which include Environmental Rankings, Art and Work Awards, and Top Companies that Care among others. In 2011 the bank has already been awarded the Charity Organisation of the Year 2010 and the European Employee Volunteering Awards 2011 (Deutsche Bank AG, 2011). Deutsche bank is renowned for its CSR initiatives internationally nurturing social and environmental awareness while working to alleviate such issues in communities where it operates. According to the banks official website (Deutsche Bank AG, 2011), Deutsche Bank focuses its CSR strategy in the areas of corporate volunteering, social investments, art music and education. The Communications CSR function is responsible of the banks global CSR initiatives followed by the approval of such initiatives by the Chairman of the Management Board (Deutsche Bank AG, 2011). Coordination of CSR operations is prepared at headquarters and then delegated to and implemented locally by the institutions regional teams (Deutsche Bank AG, 2011). This ensures effectiveness and efficiency through its initiatives and as perceived by the bank itself, it makes sure that it is acting as a responsible corporate citizen showing quite clearly that the bank favours and adopts the Corporate Citizenship Theory expl ained in the first chapter of this thesis. Deutsche Bank has set up ten CSR units in total till now dispersed globally which are namely the Deutsche Bank Foundation, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Corporate Citizenship UK, Deutsche Bank Africa Foundation, Deutsche Bank Asia Foundation, Deutsche Bank Mena Foundation, Alfred Herrhausen Society, Historical Association of Deutsche Bank, Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP), and finally Deutsche Bank Donation Fund (Deutsche Bank AG, 2010). Through these organisations the bank manages its CSR operations worldwide and creates what the bank calls social capital through sustainability, corporate volunteering, social investments, art music, and education (Deutsche Bank AG, 2011); thus, the bank is CSR oriented at all levels of its operational, and organisational structure. Figure 2.1  [2]  : CSR at Deutsche BankFounded: 1992 Budget 2009: à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 3.2 m. The non-profit Alfred Herrhausen Society is the international forum of Deutsche Bank. Its work focuses on new forms of governance as a response to the challenges of the 21st century. The Alfred Herrhausen Society seeks traces of the future in the present, and conceptualizes relevant themes for analysis and debate. It works with international partners across a range of fields including politics, academia, and business to organize forums for discussion worldwide. www.alfred-herrhausen-society.org/en The banks total investments for the year end 2009 amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬81.1 million of which 39% were invested in social investments, 29% were attributed to education and 27% were allocated to art and music (see figure 2.2 below). Deutsche banks investments were mainly targeted towards Germany, with total investments amounting to 45% at the end of 2009, followed by the Americas at 23%, and 12% of these funds were allocated to Asia Pacific and the UK. Deutsche Banks investments in Europe/Middle East and Africa amounted to only 8% of the funds (see figure 2.3 below). Figure 2.2  [3]  Figure 2.3  [4]   Regional split of total CSR investments Share of total investments per area of activity Kate Cavelle, Director of Corporate Citizenship at Deutsche Bank in the UK, stated that the four main reasons why investment banks care about CSR are social responsibility, staff motivation, client and public perception during an interview conducted by The Gateway in 2010. She also argued that at Deutsche Bank it is recognised that the bank should be highly committed towards CSR. In the UK, Deutsche Bank engages in initiatives such as promoting education so that young people may reach their full potential (The Gateway, 2010). Social Investments undertaken by the bank also include work with the homeless and unemployed persons and works closely with several other UK organisations such as the Globe Theatre and Design Museum. The bank also supports young artists through the sale of art acquired by the bank while keeping employee morale high by changing its art collections through time (The Gateway, 2010). Deutsche Bank is also involved in a microfinance programme where loans are granted with lower interest rates to persons who otherwise would not be able to be granted any credit. According to Kate this is also a good and safe investment undertaken by the bank and thus microfinance is beneficial for the business as well. The bank also encourages employees to get involved in voluntary work and helps out in finding activities that employees may engage in (The Gateway, 2010). On another note, according to an article written in the Financial Times of 23rd March, 2011, Deutsche Bank was sued for breaching its duties when the bank sold a complex interest rate product to a corporate client. The bank was fined à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬541,000 to compensate for the damages inflicted on the client as judge Ulrich Wiechers claimed that the bank should have been clearer when advising the client about the risks involved. Apparently the bank is involved in other eight similar cases at the federal court level involving complex financial instruments known as swaps while it has 17 cases at lower courts (The Financial Times, 2011). This may indicate that although the bank is highly committed and publicly declares its commitments towards sustainable business in its operations, there is still some work to be done in implementing such goals in the day to day transactions and operations undertaken by the bank. HSBC Holdings HSBC is one of the largest financial institutions in the world and is headquartered in London. It operates in 87 countries across the globe. According to the banks official website the bank was established in 1865 to cater for the increasing trade between China and Europe and was named after its founder which is The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. The bank offers a wide range of financial services to cater for different customer needs including Personal Financial Services, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Private Banking (HSBC Holdings plc, 2011). The banks values can be summarised into four concise points found on its official website. HSBC is open to different ideas and cultures; connected with its customers, community and each other; and finally dependable and doing the right thing (HSBC Holdings, 2011). The bank is thus promoting itself as embracing an inclusive environment between employees, and has effective and efficient communication throughout all levels of the organisation including communication with its stakeholders while undertaking sustainable and responsible business practices. By managing risks the bank aims at addressing business opportunities in a sustainable manner and by taking into consideration present and future impacts upon the environment and communities, in particular poorer areas (HSBC Holdings plc, 2011). The bank is also enlisted and involved in a number of external organisations among which are the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNEP FI, UN Global Compact, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Global Sullivan Principles, OECD Principles for Multinational Enterprises and the Equator Principles (HSBC Holdings plc, 2011). HSBC believes that through robust business and sustainable revenues it is also primarily contributing towards the economy, the environment and to the communities and hence, maximising also stakeholder needs (HSBC Holdings, 2011). This statement, in my opinion, is almost synonymous with the arguments put forward in the SVT Theory and Adam Smiths invisible hand that by maximising shareholder wealth, one is also contributing to the benefit of the other stakeholders automatically. The bank is also involved with NGOs so that it may identify how to manage better sustainable risk, while it also works with NGOs to raise financial awareness and help customers on how to manage their finances, thus reducing risks of loan defaulting and keep their home ownership, while of course reducing further the banks risks related to these loans (HSBC Holdings, 2011). According to the banks website, it also engages in SRI investments and responds to several surveys and indices from various organisations. HSBC considers managing the environmental and social impacts of providing finance to our customers as part of business as usual. (HSBC Holdings, 2011). Thus, HSBC describes its commitment towards CSR through the assessment of their corporate clients as being ingrained in the nature of their business, and it seems that the bank acknowledges that this is the right way of doing business. Apart from abiding by the Equator Principles, HSBC has also set up a set of risk policies for sensitive areas such as chemicals, defence, energy etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (HSBC Holdings, 2011). Through its financial services operations the bank is committed to reducing carbon emissions and because climate change impacts directly the banks customers and its own operations, according to the official website, the bank perceives that it is of utmost importance that these issues are included in its strategies. The bank also engages with microfinance institutions (MFIs) which provide loans and other services to cust omers. According to the HSBC official website, in India the bank is working with 11 MFIs to provide for financial services to people in rural and urban areas (HSBC Holdings, 2011). The bank also provides for financial services in rural areas situated in China making it easier for farmers and people living in these areas to access such services. The bank also provides for funds in constructing better water infrastructures (HSBC Holdings, 2011). The bank feels that it is contributing towards the communities it operates in by providing services to clients, employment, meeting its regulatory obligations and other obligations to suppliers, investments in local business and through financial donations or voluntary work and in this way it also secures its success as a bank (HSBC Holdings, 2011). Following to the information found on its website the bank allocated the sum of $100 million to community investments as at the year ending 2009. The bank entered into a partnership with SOS Childrens Villages in 2006 and established Future First to aid less fortunate children around the world with their educational needs. This initiative has expanded significantly throughout the years and over 500,000 children benefit from this programme around the globe (HSBC Holdings, 2011). JA More Than Money is an initiative monitored in promoting financial awareness among the youth and is run by HSBC volunteers. Children attending this educational p rogramme range from seven to eleven years old. The bank has also set up other programmes namely the HSBC Climate Partnership which is a five year programme targeted to reduce climate change and its impacts on society and the environment and HSBC Eco-Schools Climate Initiative to raise awareness in school on climate change and what action can be taken to reduce its impacts (HSBC Holdings, 2011). In the section dedicated to sustainability reporting on the official website of HSBC one may find a number of sustainability reports. The following table was extracted from the HSBC Holdings plc Sustainability Report for 2009 illustrating the implementation of the Equator Principles in the granting of loans. Table 2.1  [5]  : Adoption of Equator Principles in the Granting of Loans The bank granted only 5 loans which fall under Category A, meaning that these loans may have adverse social or environmental impacts that are diverse, irreversible or unprecedented. Although small in number, the bank still granted such loans to its clients, with a total value of 1,296 almost 7 times larger than the value granted in 2008 of 178. In 2009 the Category B and Category C amounted for the most part of loans granted by the bank. Figure 2.4  [6]  : Division of Clients Compliance with HSBC Environmental Policies Most of the clients comply with HSBCs policy totalling 75% and amounting to 82% in loan value while there are still some clients that do not comply at all with this policy even though these are very small in number and even smaller in value. The banks community investments where mainly allocated towards education, which amounted to 45% while 29% where allocated to environmental investments as illustrated in figure 2.5. The bank also encourages employees to engage in voluntary work, and it works towards reducing carbon emissions on its premisses (HSBC, 2009:16). Figure 2.5