Skeptical and Layman Competence

Critical thinking is an interesting and important branch of knowledge. The ability to think critically equips one with the knowledge to evaluate and make informed decisions out of situations. Being skeptical, optimistic and confident are all elements of critical thinking that are crucial in decision making.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Skeptical and Layman Competence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Battersby is a university lecturer who teaches critical thinking. His sister-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer and obviously this sounded like a death penalty warrant. However, Battersby’s extensive critical analysis skills drove him a point further to unearth the finer details of the diagnosis and these turned out to be the basis of appreciation of layman’s competency. More so, in reference to the above scenario as a piece to be analyzed on the basis of critical thinking, the main argument will b e whether Battersby was justified to be skeptical about the pathologist’s diagnosis. Is it right for one to doubt expertise contribution in any given situation? Battersby was right to seek an extra explanation from the initial cancer diagnosis. Further exploration of the argument qualifies it to be a cogent argument. Furthermore, it is relevant to the context of critical thinking and clearly explores issues that sufficiently emphasize the importance of critical thinking thus making it acceptable. An individual is allowed to seek more elaborate explanations of expertise work especially where one is skeptical about the same work. It is also acceptable that doctors, just like any other experts can make mistakes since they might not always be precise and accurate. Nevertheless, one can easily detect such mistakes by critically analyzing the expert’s contribution. When Battersby’s sister in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer, Battersby accepted the results. However, he doubted the fact that the affected cells were not identical meaning the cancer had metastasized and therefore a surgical operation to save her was ruled out. Cancer patients with metastasized conditions do not live beyond five years in this condition. Battersby felt that the doctors had not done enough to save the sister in-law. It is this confidence that prompted him to go an extra mile to ascertain the validity of the diagnosis. Therefore, Battersby and his wife chose to undertake further research about lung cancer and their findings amazed everyone. They discovered that the pathologist had not yet tried the DNA test. Indeed the DNA test revealed that the cancer had not metastasized and an operation was possible to cure the patient. The desire to do this research was solely driven by a desire to have the sister alive and the unwavering hope that something could still be done.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wit h 15% OFF Learn More The topic of cancer diagnosis is also relevant to the whole issue of critical thinking. Battersby critically thought about the diagnosis before finally developing a skeptical approach. Using critical thinking skills he opted not to carry out a re-diagnosis about the sister’s condition but rather engage his wife to jointly do more research on lung cancer. These are all as a result of critical thinking. Layman competence is also supported by critical thinking. For instance, Battersby is a lecturer who decides to carry out research on a medical condition. These are two independent expertise fields which are not related. Therefore Battersby critically explored all the methods for diagnosing cancer before he finally established that DNA tests give undoubted results. Given that Battersby was not medical personnel, the arrival at DNA test as an alternative method for DNA is purely as a result of critical thinking. The article brings out sufficient groun ds that justify Battersby’s act of doubting the cancer diagnosis on his sister in-law. It was through such skeptic approach that the exact medical condition of the sister in-law was established. Her cancer had not metastasized. Subsequently, a surgical operation was carried out and she is now healthy. This could have been different if Battersby and his wife accepted the initial results as given by the pathologist. The recommendation to have a DNA test carried out was given by Battersby and his wife. Doctors were convinced that they had done their best as far as the diagnosis of cancer is concerned. Thus, it is surprising that such like crucial medical recommendations are made by people outside the field of medicine. Layman competence thus helped to save Battersby’s sister in-law’s life. Battersby thus directed his critical thinking ability on the right path when he chose to seek more elaborate diagnosis besides the doctor’s findings. Conclusively, ideas b rought out from the read article reflect the true picture of what happens in the current society. People will stick to professional expertise contribution and ignore any other contribution from those outside the professional field in question. This article is thus relevant as it draws the readers’ mind to re-evaluate their critical thinking abilities as well as take time thinking about other possible contributions from people who might not be necessarily experts in the said field. The author chose to use a medical example with clearly calculated intend. The medical field is considered the most accurate and precise field. Thus the author insists on the importance of critical thinking. It is possible to identify tiny yet crucial mistakes through critical thinking just like Battersby. This essay on Skeptical and Layman Competence was written and submitted by user Samuel Heath to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Womens Place in Our Society Essay Example

Womens Place in Our Society Essay Example Womens Place in Our Society Essay Womens Place in Our Society Essay Today women are enjoying high place in our society because Islam has given them great respect. In the near past women were considered inferior to men. They were debarred from taking part in social life. Their sphere of activities was limited to domestic work. Up to the 19th century it was believed that women were the servants of the homes of their husbands. In those days women were not allowed to take part in political and social life and administration. Rousseau the French philosopher who never married once said The dignity of woman consists in being unknown to the world her glory is the esteem of her husband her pleasure the happiness of her family. Quite recently women have come to take more and more prominent part in many spheres of life In some respects they have excelled men. In sports intellectual and artist pursuits in office and industry they have set a new record of honesty and efficiency. They have succeeded marvelously as teachers and nurses goldsmith the famous poet and writer made a complaint two centuries ago Women famed of their valour their skill in politics or their learning have left the duties of their own sex in order to invade the privilege of ours. This is what the women are doing today. Now women are enjoying that place in society. Which they could never think of it past. There is particularly no field where women are not competing with men. In professions outdoor life and law they claim equality with men. In business trade industry in the learned professions in politics administration, scientific research literary and artistic activities. Eve is making herself felt everywhere. They are police and military officers. They are working as sale girls as air hostesses and as clerks and steno typists. They are turning out men from the posts of personal secretaries. As the days pass we have to get more and more used to the idea of seeing women working side by side of men riding driving, flying, playing even fighting. Even in Pakistan we have women athletes writers, leaders, administrators. They are fast discarding purdah and taking to active outdoor life. Law has given a woman a status equal to that of man. In nearly every democratic country women have the right to vote. Not only this now women got a chance to become the head of he state. The selection of Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister twice in a great example of womens place in society. Many other women are also serving at key posts. Many thinkers including most of the Muslims do not like their idea of woman liking an active part in public life and in the professions. They argue that biologically womans function is different from mans she has to be a mother. Women are not suitable for every job. They are too delicate to perform arduous duties of life. The real greatness of a woman lies in her role as mother. It is rightly said the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. The mother who can bring up the right sort of children is really a great benefactor of society. Islamic society gives a very respectable position to woman. The Holy Prophet has said Verily the paradise lies under the feet of your mother.

Trial for the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard Research Paper

Trial for the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard - Research Paper Example It is also important to note that, while abducted, Dugard gave birth to two daughters aged 11 and 15 years old by the time she was set free. In the year 2011, June 2, Phillip Garrido was decreed to 431 years in prison while the wife, also an accomplice was decreed to 36 years imprisonment. Phillip Garrido had always had a history of rape cases in his past life, he is accused of raping a woman Katherine Callaway in Nevada in 1976 where he was charged and convicted for sexual crimes in both state and federal courts. The psychiatrist report states that he needed psychiatrist help for his sexually deviant behavior coupled with drug abuse. When at Leavenworth, he met Nancy Garrido where they started a relationship based on crime and sexual harassment of victims. After the arrest of Garrido, the investigating officers did an extensive search at his residence and adjacent residences, these included searches in the premises of his business partners too. Though the searches did not produce an y evidence that would sustain a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt, the police did not overrule Garrido as a suspect. At the detention centre, Garrido would later reveal to a reporter that, though he admits that what he did is wrong, it was the only thing he could do to turn around his life and to be accepted in the society. The defense requested a psychologist or a psychiatrist’s report on Garrido for the argument of the case; at the trial, the defense managed to secure Garrido a bail at $ 30 million but the request for no-bail parole was denied by the courts. On the hearings of October 29 and December 11, 2009, Katie Callaway a past victim of Garrido appeared in court during the defense hearings, though she did not address the court. At a later hearing on January 21, 2010, the defense attorney for the accused was disqualified for failure to disclose some facts and documents to the public and the court, and instead substituted by another attorney; moreover, Mrs Garrido was also granted bail of $ 20 million at this session. Mrs Garrido’s lawyer Mr Tapson later disclosed at a public forum that both the accused had made a confession that they would plead guilty to the offence of false imprisonment and sexual assault. This was to enable a plea-bargaining in order to have Mrs Garrido have a lighter sentence, on the expected day of the plea, both Phillip and Nancy Garrido did not plead guilty as expected in an amended claim. In addition, in order to complicate matters, the attorney for the first accused Phillip Garrido complained of the biased selection of the jury arguing that it will likely affect the final decision. The court was now faced with a decision whether the process in itself had legitimacy; moreover, another area of concern is whether both Mr and Mrs Garrido were unanimous in the decision to plead guilty. While Mrs Garrido’s attorney contended that it was a joint decision for both to plead guilty, Mr Garrido’s attorney Gellman disagreed on this insisting that every attorney should strictly speak or comment on their respective client’s case. The concerns about the jury were dispensed with as they had little legal implications on the case beforehand. On June 2, 2011, Garrido was convicted of rape and kidnapping on his own plea of guilt and convicted to 431 years imprisonment while his wife Nancy received 36 years imprisonment, Jaycee Dugard, their victim did not attend the session of court when the judgment was read. (Karmen, 2012). In

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example The contribution of the organisations towards corporate social responsibilities includes certain monetary assistance to the society which would facilitate various social developments. Furthermore, the concept of corporate social responsibility can be related to the activities of an organisation which would facilitate in conserving the natural flora and fauna and as well as the socio economic culture (Reset, n.d.). There is no perfect definition for corporate social responsibilities, in simple terms; it can be referred to consideration of the ethical values while performing the business activities by the organisations. Corporate social responsibility also includes transparent or clear business activities e.g. the organisations should consider the legal requirements in their operations. Earlier, it was considered that the chief objective of a business organisation is to make profit, although, the scenario has changed a lot during the past decades and the organisations in the present day context are also expected to provide equal importance to the corporate social responsibility as well. During the recent years, it has been noticed that the organisations are increasingly being pressurised by the various stakeholders involved in the business to take measurable steps towards the corporate social responsibilities (Baird & et. al., 2002). ... The concept of corporate social responsibility can be considered to have significant importance in the global business scenario. It has been found through various researches that the growing importance of CSR has been significantly affecting the relationship between the organisations and the various stakeholders (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2005). Corporate social responsibility is quite important for the organisations to sustain in the long run. It has been recognised that the organisations which are only concerned about the profit margins and ignore the stakeholders’ interest about CSR are likely to show lack of sustainability in the long run (Waldman & et. al., 2012). It is because of this reason that corporate social responsibility facilitates in gaining the trust of the stakeholders because CSR provides transparency to the business activities. Moreover, CSR is also quite important for the development of the society for the reason that business organisations form the back ground of the economy and a proportionate investment by them in the social activities would result in social development. In addition, CSR facilitates in maintaining a good business-to-business relationship which is also quite important for the business organisations to sustain in the long run. During the recent years, the perception of corporate social responsibility has developed into a major strategy for the business organisations to endure the aggressively emanating competitive market environment. The present market scenario can be characterised by increasing competition and unpredictable consumer behaviour, so implementing the concept of CSR has

Cloud Computing Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cloud Computing Assignment - Research Paper Example According to a theoretical viewpoint, the terms ‘cloud’ indicates the abstraction of resources, technology, and its location which are significant in establishing the incorporated infrastructure of computing which comprises of systems, networks, and applications. Most of the information technology experts view the concept of cloud computing as a model instead of technology. According to them, this model is used by the customers to plug into the â€Å"cloud† to access IT resources which are priced and provided â€Å"on-demand†. Essentially, IT resources are rented and shared among multiple tenants much as office space, apartments, or storage spaces are used by tenants (David, 2010). The concept of cloud computing is a substitution for the service providing or the data centre through the delivery of an internet connection. At the basic level, the concept of cloud computing relies on shared services and very broad infrastructure convergence. A very precise def inition of the model states that it is a computing system based on the internet technology where the software, platform, infrastructure, devices and other resources are provided by the virtual shared server on pay-as you- use basis. Therefore, all such information which is provided by the digitized system in the model is the cloud computing. These services can be accessed by users with the help of ‘internet cloud’ even if the users do not have any prior knowledge on the resource management. Thus, this technology can enable them to focus more on the basic business functions and processes instead of wasting time on gaining the knowledge on the resource management of the business processes. The usage of cloud computing does not require the ownership of any type of infrastructure. In this way they are able to avoid huge expenses. They only use the resources and pay for it and most of the infrastructure of cloud computing comprises of the services which are built on servers and delivered with the help of common centres. These types of data centres permit the business organizations to introduce their applications and make them more efficient and faster with an ease of maintenance and manageability. Moreover, they also make the Information Technology able of adjusting the resources quickly in order to meet the varying and uncertain business demands (Luit Infotech, 2012). History The fundamental concept of cloud computing originated in the 1960s, with John McCarthy giving his opinion that the concept of computation needs to be established as a public utility some day. Then, Douglas Parkhill's , in his book, The Challenge of the Computer Utility, published in 1966, thoroughly discovered almost all the advanced features of cloud computing, which include elastic provision, the usage of the private, public, community and government forms and the comparison to the electricity industry. There were other scholars and researchers too, during 1950s, who worked upo n the features, operations and feasibility of the cloud computing model. The real term "cloud" has been taken from the telephony in the companies of telecommunications, which had continued to offer the customers point-to-point data circuits until 1990s. Then, they began offering Virtual Private Network (VPN) services which lead the IT

Mary The Virgin Mother Religion Essay

Mary The Virgin Mother Religion Essay Mary was the virgin mother of our savior Jesus Christ. She was born in One night the angel Gabriel came to Mary while she was at her cousin Elizabeths house. The angel said to Mary Hail favored one! The Lord is with you. Mary was frightened at the appearance of the angel. The angel said Do not be scared, Mary, cause you have found favor with God. Mary, you will have a child given to you by the Holy Spirit, and you will name him Jesus. Mary did not understand because she had not had sexual relations with any man. Gabriel told Mary the child was given to you by the Holy Spirit, and therefore the child will be called Holy, the son of God. Also your cousin Elizabeth has conceived a baby in her late years, and this is her six month, for nothing is impossible with God. Mary said I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done according to your word (The Silent Scream). When Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, she was betrothed to a carpenter from Bethlehem named Joseph. In Jerusalem, if you were pregnant before you were married and the baby didnt belong to the person the woman was betrothed to, the women was stoned to death by the village. Joseph and Mary were married after Joseph was assured by an angel in a dream that she conceived a child by the Holy Spirit (Delaney pg.390). When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Joseph and her traveled to Bethlehem where Joseph was from, to register in their census that was ordered by King Herod. Mary traveled on a donkey to Bethlehem. When Mary and Joseph finally reached Bethlehem there were no rooms at any of the inns. But a manager at one of the inns told Mary and Joseph they could stay in his manager. So Mary and Joseph stayed in the manager where she had Jesus. Word traveled around that there would be a messiah from the highest of the high, and that he would come and rule his people, and save them from sin. King Herod feared that Jesus would be a rival to his throne (Delaney pg. 390). After King Herod died, they returned and settled back in Nazareth (Delaney pg. 390). The only thing that is known about Mary in the years she lived in Nazareth is Jesus presentation in the temple and one incident on a trip back from Jerusalem when Jesus was lost. Mary and Joseph found him in a temple talking with the doctors there about God (Delaney pgs. 390+ 391). Mary was a key figure in Jesus first miracle at The Wedding Feast of Cana. Mary and Jesus were invited to a wedding, and they ran out of wine. So Mary told Jesus to help, and then she left the kitchen and told the servants, do whatever he tells you. Jesus ordered the servants to fill six big canvases full of water and he turned the water into wine. One could say that Mary encouraged Jesus to perform his first miracle. Mary was present at Jesus death, Resurrection, Ascension as well as the days before Pentecost (Delaney pg. 391). At the crucifixion of Jesus, when Jesus was hanged on the cross, Mary was given into the arms of John the Apostle (Delaney pg. 391). According to tradition Mary went to Ephesus, where she died, but another tradition states that she lived in Jerusalem until her death, which is believed to have occurred in 48 A.D. (Delaney pg. 391).The belief that Marys body was assumed into heaven is one of the oldest traditions in the church (Delaney 391). Assumption means risen into heaven. The Assumption of Mary is celebrated on August 15 (Holiday Year). Mary was the second person of the Holy Trinity, and was free from original sin from the moment of her birth (Delaney pg. 391). Appearances of Mary have been reported in the last century and a half, at Lourdes, Fatima, and La Salette (Delaney pg.391). Other feast days for Mary are The Annunciation of the Lord on March 25, the Visitation on May 31, the Presentation of the Lord on February 2, Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15, Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7, the Queenship of Mary on August 22, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on January 1, and the Immaculate Heart of Mar y on Saturday following the second Sunday of Pentecost (Delaney pg.391). Mary had the choice to say no, and not have Jesus, it was all done by choice. Mary knew what would become of her if people found out that the baby inside her was not Josephs. She knew she would be stoned to death by the village. Mary might have feared that Joseph would have not believed her but, somewhere in her heart she probably wished he did. Mary also knew what would become of Jesus her only son. To live and raise Jesus and know he would die probably killed her inside, but she accepted the call because thats what God asked of her. You could only imagine what it would be like to lose your son and just sit there seeing him suffer in so much pain and you not being able to do anything about it. I admire Mary for everything she did. Mary was never thinking of herself she was always thinking of us and God. In my opinion Mary is one of the most brave and amazing woman I have ever heard of, and she does deserve the title Mother of God. When we pray the Hail Mary we are praying to Mary telling her to tell Jesus to help us and to pray for us. Mary wants and helps us get closer to Jesus. She wants us to follow the right path and she wants us to be with her and Jesus and the saints in heaven. Delaney, John J. Dictionary of saints. Garden City: Doubleday Company, Inc., 1980.Print. Difiore, Kathy. The Blessed Virgin and Her Examples of Faith in God. The Silent Scream. Several Sources Shelters. April 2007.Web.20 November 2010. Mary, Saint Mary, Virgin Mary.Saint Mary. N.p n.d Web. 13 November 2010. Hoilday Year. Holiday Year. Holiday Year. N.p. n.d. 9 December 2010.

The African Athena Controversy Essay -- Ancient History

With the absence of certainty, competitive plausibility is a realistic approach to trying to determine the influences that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had on the Ancient Greeks. Since the publication of the Bernal’s Black Athena volumes I and II, a great debate has surfaced. There is no question that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had an influence on the Greek culture, the questions that are being disputed is the exact nature of the relationship and what period of time this relationship existed. After reading the three articles presented, I have come to agree with Martin Bernal and his Revised Ancient Model of Greek origins. At one time Egypt was accepted as European, but that status began to erode and in the 1790’s Egypt was regarded as an African Nation. Prior to the 1820’s the most widely accepted theory of the origins of Greece was the Ancient Model. In this model, primitive tribes, Pelasigians, and others inhabited Greece. In certain regions of Greece, the Egyptians and Phoenicians settled, built cities, and civilized the natives. The Phoenicians were credited with having introduced the alphabet while the Egyptians taught the Pelasgians about irrigation (Bernal, p. 7). It was during this period, the Northern European scholars began to cast doubt on the colonization of ancient Greece by the Egyptian and Phoenicians and their cultural development of that time (Bernal, p. 7). â€Å"Historiographical developments cannot be linked to the availability of any evidence† (Bernal, p. 7). Sadly, there were some great discoveries found after the models changed, but they were ignored, like Jean-Francois Champollion findings, he had begun to decipher the hieroglyphics during 1820’s, the decipherment of cuneiform, and the first arc... ...ilization and led me to agree with Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model. References Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy Essay -- Ancient History With the absence of certainty, competitive plausibility is a realistic approach to trying to determine the influences that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had on the Ancient Greeks. Since the publication of the Bernal’s Black Athena volumes I and II, a great debate has surfaced. There is no question that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had an influence on the Greek culture, the questions that are being disputed is the exact nature of the relationship and what period of time this relationship existed. After reading the three articles presented, I have come to agree with Martin Bernal and his Revised Ancient Model of Greek origins. At one time Egypt was accepted as European, but that status began to erode and in the 1790’s Egypt was regarded as an African Nation. Prior to the 1820’s the most widely accepted theory of the origins of Greece was the Ancient Model. In this model, primitive tribes, Pelasigians, and others inhabited Greece. In certain regions of Greece, the Egyptians and Phoenicians settled, built cities, and civilized the natives. The Phoenicians were credited with having introduced the alphabet while the Egyptians taught the Pelasgians about irrigation (Bernal, p. 7). It was during this period, the Northern European scholars began to cast doubt on the colonization of ancient Greece by the Egyptian and Phoenicians and their cultural development of that time (Bernal, p. 7). â€Å"Historiographical developments cannot be linked to the availability of any evidence† (Bernal, p. 7). Sadly, there were some great discoveries found after the models changed, but they were ignored, like Jean-Francois Champollion findings, he had begun to decipher the hieroglyphics during 1820’s, the decipherment of cuneiform, and the first arc... ...ilization and led me to agree with Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model. References Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu

Analysis of the Credit Card Industry in Turkey Essay

The current Turkish government is very pro western and secular, however its divided religious loyalties, issues surrounding Greek sovereignty rights and fundamentalist groups threaten the expected 5 year stability of this administration. Government involvement in banking The Turkish Government has a history of involvement in banking affairs which is of concern to international investors. The Turkish state owns and finances a number of its banks and provides artificial stability to the banking system through state funded initiatives. The Government has also tailored wages in line with inflation rates e. g. minimum wages rates. With recent IMF intervention the long term plan for Turkey is still not absolutely clear. EU Membership The Turkish Government is pro EU membership and this is potentially the biggest paradigm shift on the horizon for Turkey’s financial system, this factor is further dealt with as a key driver. Economic †¢ Interest Rates Low interest rates in Turkey fuel loan take-up and have caused increase in credit card issue. Historically higher interest rates led to more widespread loan default and meant that less switching occurred as consumers were â€Å"tied† to provider. Economic growth in Turkey, with higher levels of middle and upper income, urban dwelling professionals and better access to continuing education has undoubtedly increased credit card take-up. (This could also be construed as a social factor). †¢ Global financial crisis The effects of the global financial crisis will have a major effect on banking restrictions to lending and credit availability in Turkey. Turkey’s export markets will be likely affected by the ongoing crisis which has a major effect on GDP which in turn affects spending power. Social †¢ Higher standard of living Higher standards of living among consumers have a beneficial knock on effect for credit cards issuers. In Turkey 7. 5% of GDP is invested back into education thus consumers are more financial savvy. †¢ Urban/Rural Divide Urban dwellers have a much higher likelihood of credit card use given their potential for access of issue and probability of a regular wage earning role. As the economy develops Turks are increasingly moving off the land from poorly paying seasonal work to the cities that offer a better chance of regular income and personal development. Technology †¢ E –Commerce Worth in excess of 2 billion euro to the economy and with 16 million people accessing the internet E-Commerce is a huge growth area and potential distribution channel for the credit card industry. It is also a medium for information driven purchasing through advertising potential and its access is furthered through telephone technology integration. †¢ SMART Cards The security afforded to the credit card industry through use of SMART cards has a beneficial affect on usage through; 1. Increased level of merchants accepting the facility 2. Security for use in Internet Cafes (here large numbers access the internet) 3. Security of service has become a battleground for competition among issuers Coupled with the above technologies, the explosion in EPOS facilities mean more access to products and services through credit card use, homogenising the myriad of potential transactions and benefiting both consumer and merchant. ATM’s also have further facilities to enhance the benefits of using plastic such as bill pay, mobile kiosks etc. Legal †¢ Intervention of Government/Key official Institutions There have been widespread changes in the law in Turkey affecting the credit card industry such as; 1. Restriction on credit card limits . Illegality of altering terms without informing consumer 3. Increases in minimum payment required 4. The Central Bank’s lowering of the interest rate cap 5. Loosening of the frameworks around mergers and acquisitions All of these interventions alter the attractiveness of the market for the credit card industry, which was historically fraught with lack of reg ulation and anti-consumer practises. Identify the 4 KEY DRIVERS FACING THE CREDIT CARD SECTOR 1. Technological Advances 2. State Intervention in Financial Affairs 3. EU membership 4. Rural-Urban Migration Technological Advances The rapidly advancing technology in the field of mobile payment will have a lasting effect on the credit card industry. Companies that can stay ahead of the game with new technologies in security, risk management and will be best placed to benefit from increased A physical â€Å"credit card† is really only a vehicle to hold a magnetic strip containing coded information. In terms of technology this is already quite dated; †¢ Already systems are designed to â€Å"swipe† a card on a merchant’s mobile phone, this will allow for a myriad of services which will no longer require cash transaction e. g. street traders. Advances in retina scanning technology are also at an advanced level and it is envisaged that the future of mobile payments may be through facial recognition or retina scanning. †¢ Other technology such as what is used in â€Å"The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona† where they inject a rice-size â€Å"VeriChip† RFID device into the wrist or upper arm of its patrons whom pay by swiping their arm – adapted from http://www. creditcards. com/credit-card-news/credit-cards-of-the-distant-future State Intervention The level of further state intervention in Turkey’s financial affairs will be a key driver in Turkey’s future credit card success or decline. As we have seen, moves by the government to regulate the industry have impacted on the potential earnings of the banks through lowering interest rates. In turn this type of regulation has stabilised the markets and led to economic growth which impacts positively on numbers of consumers available to the sector. Whether the current â€Å"Republican Democracy† in Turkey will be in power going forward is obviously of importance to this argument. With elections due in 2011 the future of state intervention in banking affairs is unclear. EU Membership Turkey becoming a full member of the EU will be another key driver in the credit card industry. EU entry will mean the freeing of trade and access to a further 500 million consumers. It is most likely that Turkey would be a more attractive market for global companies, of interest here, financial organisations who would be attracted by the large numbers of â€Å"unbanked† consumers and those who see Turkey strategically as the gateway to Eastern markets. The credit card market would likely become much more competitive with new entrants who would most likely look to merge with/acquire existing indigenous banks. Rural-Urban Migration According to the case study the majority of people in the rural areas of Turkey tend not to be credit card users. As the economy improves larger numbers of rural people (especially male) will likely move towards the larger urban centres to participate in the industrial or service sectors. This in turn leads to greater numbers with the potential to use credit cards, in turn offering greater numbers of potential consumers to the sector. SECTION 2 – Porters 5 Forces 2. Use the five forces framework to identify the forces affecting the Turkish credit card sector a. Graphically illustrate the five forces (see overleaf) b. Draw conclusions from the 5 forces analysis to explain; 1. How attractive the sector is I consider the Turkish credit card sector to be an attractive market for a large multinational e. g. BNP or Barclays to enter. From my analysis I have concluded that consumers are fragmented and suppliers are concentrated. Rivalry is high, yet only among 4 suppliers, considering rivalry in an industry such as haulage this must be considered attractive. Capital requirements of entry are high, but not on the scale of industries such as mining might be. Economies of scale and experience exist, however for companies already in credit card markets in other countries by no means insurmountable. The threat of substitutes is relatively low as the credit card holds a relatively niche position. Product differentiation/loyalty is low among existing consumers; good offers would attract new business, as would strong internet presence. Turkey has; â€Å"40 percent of people who are bankable based on their socio-economic status and age in Turkey are still â€Å"unbanked,† having no accounts with any banks in Turkey â€Å" (www. mckinsey. om/clientservice/†¦ /Credit_Cards_in_Turkey. ashx) This data identifies a large section of the Turkish population who are potential consumers for a new entrant; therefore the market could potentially grow significantly for all players involved. 2. How the competitive forces are changing/may change The competitive forces are currently changing most notably in areas such as consumer access to inform ation. More widespread access and use of the internet will drive further competition in the market through portals such as comparison websites, industry reviews etc. This will ultimately increase bargaining power of consumers, leading to decreased profits for suppliers. EU accession would alter the competitive forces among the major players currently in the sector. Interest rates set by the ECB, participation in the single currency etc. would have a significant impact on the state financed banking institutions and would alter their relevance. One would suspect that in a free market system the Turkish government would relish the opportunity of divesting the burden to international organisations to increase competition. With increased market stability and better financial education, consumer’s use of substitutes may extend to less expensive forms of credit such as personal loans. Coupled with better economic conditions consumer’s use of debit cards may also increase; given that currently lower income workers struggle to maintain a balance sufficient to cover their living costs. 3. How the sector may change to reflect changing forces The credit card sector can move more of its marketing budget toward E-Marketing and target new and younger consumers through this medium. MBNA have used this marketing channel very successfully in the past. In order to combat increased uptake of personal loans and increased use of debit cards the credit card sector may look at collective lower interest rates, better offers through loyalty bonuses and customer kickbacks and better education of its customers as to how to better use their credit cards. In order for the credit card sector to prepare for increased competition post EU accession it may look to further differentiate its offerings to appeal to the Turkish people e. g. align the credit offering with cultural values or emotions. It might be necessary to offer further services aligned to credit cards such as life insurance to augment and differentiate the offering. 3. Scenario Planning Scenario 1 â€Å"Renewed Political/Terrorist Violence in Turkey† In recent years, terrorist bombings – some with significant numbers of casualties -have struck religious, political, and business targets in a variety of locations in Turkey. The potential remains throughout Turkey for violence and terrorist actions both by transnational and indigenous terrorist organizations such as PKK, . Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and AlQa’ida. Adapted from http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/invest) Given Turkey’s increasing dependence on foreign direct investment a return to more concerted campaign of political violence would spell disaster for the credit card industry. Large financial corporations, especially US owned would be deterred from entering the market, or potential ly pull out of the market thus decimating competition. Access to sources of international credit and lending would dry up therefore affecting consumer’s ability to purchase products and services on credit. Turkey’s export market would potentially be destroyed as Western nations would deter from transacting in case monies were being skimmed to fund further terrorist activity. This would further lower the GDP of the country affecting the spending power of consumers in turn negating the need for credit cards. Further knock on effects of violence include the loss of capital Governments have available to invest in its economy, on education and infrastructure. Government capital would have to be spent on further military and security projects. The tourism industry, a huge earner for Turkey would be decimated as travelers would fear the threat of violence. The black market economy would thrive under such conditions and regular banking functions would significantly cease with many consumers using cash/barter systems of attaining needs. With respect to the Credit card sector, this scenario would be highly detrimental to its future, as consumer confidence in the financial service sector would be decimated. The sector would have to pour vast resources into transaction security and marketing the brand safety and correct usage policies to consumers. Default numbers would likely increase due to instability and escalating interest rates. Scenario 2 â€Å"Turkey Gains Full EU Membership† â€Å"The EU is committed to supporting Turkey in its path for membership. The initial objective of EU financial support towards Turkey was the extension of an area of peace, stability and prosperity within and beyond Europe. Once the Union accepted Turkey as a candidate, financial assistance began to focus on supporting Turkey in its preparation for EU membership† http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/funding A study on the EU (http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. o) reported the following economic benefits of a country joining the EU; 1. An average of 2. 15% increase in GDP 2. Exchange rates for Turks travelling through Europe would be eliminated, as would the potential damaging effects exchange rate swings have on Turkish exports. I would assume that the credit card sector would become significantly more competitive in the light of EU membership therefore the sector would have to increase its marketing and branding spend, but would have a larger pool of consumers to choose from.

Self-Carving Exploding Jack o Lantern Demonstration

Self-Carving Exploding Jack o' Lantern Demonstration The self-carving pumpkin uses a chemical reaction to cause an explosion inside a pumpkin, forcing out the pumpkin pieces of a jack-o-lantern face (with an accompanying bang and fire). You can perform this popular chemistry Halloween demonstration yourself: Self-Carving Exploding Pumpkin Materials 50 ml hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)20 ml water~7 pea-sized chips of calcium carbide (CaC2)Â  cat food or tuna canoven mitt (to avoid getting burned)piezoelectric sparker Make a Self-Carving Pumpkin Carve a medium pumpkin with a simple face. Triangles, circles, squares and ovals are good choices. Re-insert the face pieces, making sure they can move easily out of the pumpkin. If the pumpkin has thick flesh, you may wish to cut away the back of the pieces so they are lighter/weaker.Poke or drill a small hole in the back of the pumpkin so you can insert the wire sparker. Insert the sparker and test it to make sure it works.Pour the peroxide in the pumpkin. (an optional step in some descriptions)Put the water in the cat food or tuna can and set the can in the pumpkin.Drop the calcium carbide chips into the water and replace the lid of the pumpkin. Allow about a minute for the acetylene to build up.Be sure the face of the pumpkin is facing away from you and that your audience is a safe distance from the demonstration. You may wish to wear ear protection. Goggles and a lab coat are recommended. While holding down the lid of the pumpkin (with an oven-mitted hand), spark the sparker. How the Self-Carving Pumpkin Works In 1862 Friedrich WÃ ¶hler discovered calcium carbide and water would react to form flammable acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide: CaC2 2 H2O → C2H2 Ca(OH)2 This reaction is used in the commercial manufacture of acetylene and for carbide lamps, which are used by miners in some areas. Safety Precautions This demonstration is best performed by a chemistry teacher or other adult experienced with chemicals or pyrotechnics. It is not a suitable project for kids to try. Youll likely need to order calcium carbide through a chemistry or educational supply store or else buy it online. Remote ignition of the acetylene is safer than holding the pumpkin and striking a sparker, though youll want to secure the lid of the jack-o-lantern so that it wont simply blow off, leaving your pumpkin uncarved. If the pieces of the face are not loose, either the pumpkin will explode or else the explosion will be contained and the pumpkin will be uncarved. Safe Self-Carving Pumpkin This is also a safe version of this project which uses carbon dioxide gas to blow out the jack-o-lantern face. Although carbon dioxide can be compressed to where it explodes, using a plastic bag to contain the gas provides enough pressure to produce the desired effect without the risk of injury.

Essay Sample on Terrorism Its Roots and Reasons

Essay Sample on Terrorism Its Roots and Reasons Terrorism, an issue that plagues our world every minute of everyday. You never know when or where a terrorist organization is going to strike. All groups reasons are different, some for political or religious reasons, others for hatred. The roots of terrorism are believed to have started in 1007 A.D. Hassan ben Sabbah born in Qom, Iran was an Ishmaili Muslim and opposed all other Muslim groups except for the Ishmaili’s. He is believed to be the father of terrorism. Ben Sabbah’s actions had started a whole new trend, people began to follow his actions and started to form terrorist organizations. Terrorism started back then and its motives and tactics have continued to evolve through the reign of Stalin and Lenin in the Soviet Union and Mao Tse-tung in China. Many people consider what Hitler did in Germany to be terrorism, and when you actually think about it, it makes sense. When you define terrorism most definitions say it is the act of violence and/or intimidation to achieve certain political or religious goals. The definition of a terrorist is a person that employs terror or terrorism as a political weapon. And when you think about that definition that pretty much fits Hitler. He wanted to create a s ociety that fit his personal political agenda. Of course the examples are from world history, but what about in the United States? Do we have terrorism in our own country committed by our citizens? Of course we do, take the Oklahoma City Bombing for example. Timothy McVeigh, out for himself and his own political agenda. The first act of terrorism recorded in the US was in 1622 committed by Indians, when they massacred the people in the settlement of Jamestown. Terrorism is problem everywhere not just the middle east, contrary to what people think. People think there is such a thing as a â€Å"typical terrorist†, but there really is not. I guess it could be said that terrorists are stereotyped in many ways. Many people believe that terrorists in the Middle East are either Muslims or Islamic, which is not true either. Just because a person is of one region of the world it does not mean they are a terrorist. As far as I am concerned it could be a next door neighbor. But to understand what terrorism is you must first understand the causes; the motivation to commit these acts of violence. First, at the government level states may use terrorism against their own people or other nations for several reason. One states may wish to force their message of ideology, politics, or religion upon people or other nations. Second states may use terrorism to eliminate dissent among the population. Third governments may resort to terrorism to eliminate normal political systems or because of fear of another system developing and being embraced by citizens. Fourth, the government may use terror to harass, control, or eliminate political, religious, or radical minorities. Fifth, the government may be in constant conflict with external enemies. Sixth, the government may be in business purely for itself and for what it can get without regard to the welfare of its citizens(Mullins 90). Then there is the reasoning behind individual terrorism. An individual terrorist’s act is very different from that of a group or how a government would use terrorism. Although the ideology and motivation is the same; to invoke a violent act to achieve some political ends, how it is wanted by the individual. Some reasons for an individual committing terrorist acts are: First, minorities that are economically or politically repressed with poor job opportunities are prone to terrorism. Second, rising employment and inflation can result in people turning to terrorism in and attempt to force improvements in economic and workforce conditioned. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on Terrorism topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Is the United Nations in need of reform and if so, in what form should Essay

Is the United Nations in need of reform and if so, in what form should such reform take - Essay Example It comprises of 192 member countries across the globe, with its headquarters in New York. The existence of United Nations dates back to World War II with the objectives to unite all the countries of the universe in order to work in correlation with tranquility and harmony, which must consist on the ideology of fair dealing, respect of humanity, and fulfillment of the fundamental rights of the people2. United Nations aimed to bring the countries closer so that they can work in coordination to develop friendly relations and address the common issues with gravity. The working of the assembly is not restricted to the decisions of any monarch, thus, every county possess the same and equal rights to give their opinions and viewpoints in any discussion happening in the general assembly of the United Nations3. A global body formed in early 1900s, known to be the League of Nations was the key stakeholder to sustain equanimity and placidity in the world, as well as maintaining the coordination amongst the global community. This parent body proved to be flourishing with 58 members across the globe with the prime motive to encourage and endorse worldwide collaboration in order to bring the world under one roof through unity and peace. With the increasing power and control of the Axis Powers over the world, the League got an alarming sign and its success started to fade and declined slowly, thus, resulting in the Second World War. During the World War II, United Nations came to an existence with an official announcement in order to bring the counties in association to each other. Initially, the UN consisted of 51 member countries, which then rose to 192 members at a later stage4. United Nations came under development with a goal to alleviate poverty and raise the living standards of the masses on global basis. It also determined to raise the literacy rate and abate the spread of diseases and environmental degradation to make the world a better place to live. United Nations aimed to support and cushion the under developed countries to lift their economies, build up the social sector and back them to move ahead towards success5. To achieve these objectives, UN designed a set of values, which the member countries were to abide by. United Nations strictly abhorred the violence and tyranny, instead they promoted calm and diplomatic methods to solve the problems, and therefore, member countries came under expectation to settle down rivalries and sensitive matters with serenity. UN made an obligation on all the members to comply with the agreements made between them, and the parent body did not participate in any government activity or personal matter of the member state6. The working of UN depends upon five subdivisions. The first division is the UN General Assembly, whose prime job is to maintain the standards of its guidelines and procedures and always have a room for improvements through suggestions. The assembly has a president who comes under appointme nt from its member states. The second subdivision is the UN Security Council, which has the right to penalize the member countries if they do not follow the rules and regulations that comes under development by the assembly, they also have the decision making power during any sort of disagreements between the member states. Therefore, it comes under consideration as the strongest amongst all the other branches7. The third branch is the International Court of Justice, which is

Becoming agile through mindfulness 2 Assignment

Becoming agile through mindfulness 2 - Assignment Example There are two types of mindfulness; organizational and individual. This classification is done to provide a clear distinction between the abilities of an organization or an individual. Individual mindfulness entails an individual’s ability to regularly come up with new categories in the interpretation and perception of the universe. Organizational mindfulness, on the other hand, refers to the cognitive aspects used to solve problems on an organizational level (Butler and Gray, 2006). Organizational mindfulness entails the continuous refinement and scrutiny of existing expectations depending on the ever changing environment. Such refinement and scrutiny ensures that uncertainties are handled accordingly (Weick and Sutcliffe, 2001). The following are the components that make up organizational mindfulness. Reluctance to Simplify Interactions – this refers to the ability of an organization to recognize complex processes and situations and find ways to view the problem from different angles (Nagle, McAvoy & Sammon, 2011). An organization that employs this component is able to identify different ways of handling complex issues, and situations that occur during the software development process. This is because all the views and opinions of the participants of the software development team are highly valued (Nagle, McAvoy & Sammon, 2011). For an organization to employ this component during the development, one of the following factors has to be included in the development process; 1. The participants should be free enough to express their ideas and opinions in regard to the development process. One of the participants of the Cork workshop talks of the aspect of incorporating the customer in the development process. When explaining to her colleagues about how the customer makes changes to the development process, one of the other participants questions whether there was a way to avoid all the changes imposed by the customer. He asked, â€Å"So there was n ot stopping that?†(21:07). This participant was concerned with the organizations over flexibility towards the customer. However, he was interested to learn whether the other participant felt the same. Being mindful of his colleague, he did not impose his opinion on her; instead he gave her a chance to express herself. After being given the chance to speak, the female gives her view. She says; â€Å"No, actually it’s a very positive thing, that’s to be welcomed because actually it’s put our project in front of the chief executive its put their client’s role within the organization in a higher level of importance and is actually informing the organization better about what they do, so those changes are actually quite nice† (21:08). 2. Analysis of customer requirements or any requirements should be prolonged. This goes a long way to ensure that all participants or stakeholders of a development process are fully aware of the current state of affa irs. Discussions that are held during the course of the development process should be conducted in such a manner that all those who do not fully grasp the situation are able to do so by the end of the discussion. This involves clarifying issues to persons who may not understand any technical jargon used. During the workshop held in Cork many