The Human Age Manpower Essay Example

The Human Age Manpower Essay We generate power by connecting: †¢ the visions of clients, †¢ the motivations of people, †¢ and what’s now and what’s next in the World of Work. The World of Work trends that we’ve identified are foundational—they’re foundational to how we act, where we invest and where we focus our thought leadership. 3 Navigating the Changing World of Work Manpower’s pursuit of delivering innovative high-impact workforce solutions to enhance the competitiveness of the organizations and the individuals we serve is anchored in what we know. Based on our local expertise and global reach we know that there is an increasing velocity of change happening every day in the way work is performed. We have identified four megatrends impacting the World of Work. We didn’t stumble upon these trends, but researched them with intense curiosity. The Demographics and Talent Mismatch is the conundrum that both individuals and companies are feeling right now. As the working age population declines and companies are looking for talent, they’re looking in a much more specific way, yet individuals are also being more selective when they can. Individual Choice is creeping in wherever possible. Individuals are exercising their choice as they realize they have the power to opt for or against a given job, which in turn is requiring companies to think differently about how they attract, retain and stay relevant to an ever select group of talented individuals. Rising Customer Sophistication is happening across the board. The transparency and velocity of information exchange throughout the entire value chain is creating innovation and tension at every level within that chain. We will write a custom essay sample on The Human Age Manpower specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Human Age Manpower specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Human Age Manpower specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Technological Revolutions are at the heart of almost all of this. Having the power to change where, when and how we work, enabling organizations and individuals to be more agile and innovative is happening on a daily basis and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. The World of Work trends are foundational—they’re foundational to how we act, where we invest and where we focus our thought leadership. They are drivers of secular growth at the core of our business as well as in our specialty areas and outcomebased solutions. It is our grasp of these trends that gives us the confidence that we are addressing our clients and candidates with real solutions – solutions that are practical, adaptable and flexible. Navigating the Changing World of Work 4 Demographics 5 Navigating the Changing World of Work and Talent Mismatch Demographic and economic shifts are accelerating the talent mismatch. The pressure to find the right skills in the right place at the right time will increase as working age populations decline, economies rebound, emerging markets rise, and the nature of work shifts. Navigating the Changing World of Work 6 Teachable Fit As the talent mismatch grows more severe, the â€Å"teachable fit† is a practical framework that becomes fundamental to talent strategy—and employers need a talent strategy that not only keeps up with business strategy, but accelerates it. 7 Navigating the Changing World of Work The recession has cast a new light on talent supply and management around the world. Unemployment is persistently high in developed and even in many developing countries, yet organizations worldwide report difficulty filling key positions. There are not enough sufficiently skilled people in the right places at the right times. Simultaneously, employers are seeking ever more specific skill sets and combinations of skills that will help drive the organization forward. Employers are also facing ongoing, systemic talent shortages—such as those in the healthcare and energy industries—are not going to fill the gaps one hire at a time. Instead, they must recalibrate their mindsets to consider candidates who may not meet all of the job specifications, but whose capability gaps can be filled in a timely and costeffective way. The key to success with this new mindset is the ability to identify a Teachable Fit â€Å"teachable fit. † â€Å"Teachable fit† is a concept that focuses on four questions: †¢ What capabilities are essential to performing the job? †¢ Which of these are teachable in an efficient way? †¢ Is there adequate time and money to develop these capabilities in the candidate? †¢ Do candidates have the capacity to develop them? In any problem of supplydemand imbalance, employers have two options: to hold out for the perfect candidate or find the â€Å"teachable fit. The focus here is on increasing the supply by changing the employer’s mindset regarding sources of available talent. To fill large and systemic talent gaps, four potential labor pools are promising: location migrants, industry migrants, internal role changers and workforce entrants. Location migrants. The global workforce is on the move, and candidates may be willing to relocate for work†”especially when the recession eases. However, employers are still learning to capitalize on this trend, while many governments are still unsure about whether or how to facilitate productive work migration. Three-fourths of workers said they’d consider relocating for a better job opportunity, one-third said they’d be willing to consider relocating anywhere in the world, and Navigating the Changing World of Work 8 Teachable Fit 40 percent said they’d consider moving permanently. Industry migrants. Some industries are cutting their workforces, while others are growing faster than the talent supply. Consider the talent available in low-growth industries that can migrate into new fields. Some of these people may have highly valued skills—such s those in sales, finance, and management—that need translation to a new industry. Others may have skills adjacent to growing needs—such as technicians and field support— Growing Industries ? Education ? Healthcare ? Professional Business Services Shrinking Industries ? Mining -1. 5 ?Manufacturing ? Utilities -1. 0 -0. 5 0 ?Other Services ? Wholesale Retail Trade ? Federal Government 0. 5 1. 0 1. 5 2. 0 2. 5 Average annual rate of change (%) 3. 0 3. 5 9 Navigating the Changing World of Work Teachable Fit and require more extensive training to bridge skills gaps. Internal role changers. Often the best source of â€Å"new† talent is the people already in your company—if your organization has the foresight and ability to redeploy them into different roles or even careers. Workforce entrants. The underemployed and underskilled are another potential pool, especially as local governmental agencies and others move to help them with training and other programs to enable their transition into the workforce. Training and development are the keys to successfully tapping into the talent pools listed above, especially among the last three groups. This is where the concept of â€Å"teachable fit† comes in. When employers can’t find candidates with the full range of skills needed for particular positions, they can recruit candidates who possess adjacent skills with an eye toward filling the gaps in their capabilities. The important point here is to understand how fillable those gaps are—both in terms of technical skills and candidate mindsets—and at what cost. â€Å"Teachable fit† is a practical framework that can predict how successfully a candidate’s skills gaps can be filled. The framework is an analytical tool that maps the capabilities needed for a given role against an individual’s likelihood of meeting those needs. The capabilities are divided into four groups: Navigating the Changing World of Work 10 Teachable Fit Knowledge of business or academic disciplines or industries. Formal or explicit knowledge comes through study and is confirmed by academic degrees and business certifications. Informal or tacit knowledge comes through experience and association with knowledgeable colleagues. The key here is to recognize the importance of tacit knowledge and the means of attaining it. Skills including both â€Å"hard† skills (e. g. , technical or administrative 11 Navigating the Changing World of Work skills) and â€Å"soft† skills (e. . , conflict resolution or strategic thinking). Skills tend to be applied and pragmatic. They are acquired through practice and grow with experience. Hard skills can be confirmed by certification or apprenticeship. It is vital to recognize the importance of soft skills, rather than focusing only on candidate assessments on the easier-to-measure hard skills . Values and Mindset represent what an individual seeks in life and on the job—one’s attitude toward work. These are revealed through both conversation and behavior and are relatively difficult to shape. They are also capabilities associated with jobs. Some jobs require more day-in-day-out initiative and selfmanagement than others. Some jobs depend on continuous learning and adaptation. The key here is to recognize these important traits when defining the job requirements. Personality and Intelligence are basic characteristics. Some Teachable Fit people are naturally outgoing and empathetic and thus natural fits for customer service roles; others are the opposite. Some roles rely heavily on analytical intelligence, others on synthesis or creativity, others on emotional intelligence and many on combinations of the above. Again, the idea is to be as precise as possible about what a job or role calls for in terms of these traits. After examining the four areas of capability, the employer then weighs each on two scales: Is it important? How essential is the capability to performing the work well? The tendency may be to over-emphasize knowledge (e. g. , through conventional academic degree requirements) and hard skills, when in fact the knowledge and skills directly required by the job may be basic. Similarly, the tendency may be to under-emphasize soft skills and traits when in fact they are absolutely essential to success in the role and the workplace. Employers should avoid this pitfall. According to research from talent and career management expert Right Management (a Manpower company) the key factors leading to accelerated performance aren’t top-notch technical skills or previous experience, but such qualities as cultural fit and interpersonal savvy. Is it teachable? To what extent and with what degree of difficulty can the capability be developed? Look first at the available methods—courses, mentors, opportunities to Navigating the Changing World of Work 12 Teachable Fit practice, and so on—both inside and outside the organization. Don’t assume that because a capability is theoretically teachable, an organization is equipped to teach it. A staff may be experienced, but the question is whether they are willing and able to double as instructors. Carefully consider the time and cost needed to develop the capability. If either is prohibitive, then for practical purposes the capability is not teachable. In developing each job taxonomy for â€Å"teachable fit,† the idea is not to generalize capabilities or lower standards. Rather, it’s to be more detailed and specific about the pragmatic requirements of the job, and more focused on the gaps that can be filled. This approach can help determine what capabilities really matter for success. By dissecting job roles, employers can identify the skills that can migrate across industries or be developed with relative ease. As the global economy continues to improve, today’s talent mismatch will become more pronounced. Employers must recognize that the talent imbalance is not something they can fix one position and one well-qualified candidate at a time. The â€Å"teachable fit† framework is a key step in an approach that is more expansive, systematic and sustainable—a talent strategy that not only keeps up with business strategy, but accelerates it. 3 Navigating the Changing World of Work Teachable Fit Teachable Fit Framework Knowledge Business or academic disciplines Capabilities Academic/Professional Discipline Industry/Function/Process Technical 1 (low) 5 (high) Important? Teachable? 1 (low) 5 (high) Skills Problem-Solving Communication Planning/Organization Collaboration/ Teamwork Fixed Demonstrated aptitudes and practices, both â€Å"hard† and â€Å"soft† Flexible Values Mindset Self-Management/Autonomy Initiative Motivation to Learn Service Orientation Attitudes that people bring to jobs and jobs need in people Personality Intelligence Basic character and mental traits Analytical Capacity to Learn Navigating the Changing World of Work 14 The Borderless Workforce Propelling the movement of talent around the world are widespread demographic changes – in particular the big gap in population growth between developed and developing countries. 15 Navigating the Changing World of Work Today’s global workforce is on the move as never before. Most employers and governments, however, are a long way from fully understanding the complex issue of talent mobility and its growing role in the talent shortages that are affecting today’s global labor markets. The complexities are many. These are not the one-time, one-way migrations of yesteryear. Talent goes where talent is needed, and flights home are readily available for those who wish to return. Work is moving too, as businesses set up operations near new markets and sources of supply. Propelling the movement of talent around the world are widespread demographic changes—in particular the big gap in population growth between developed and developing countries. According to the United Nations, the world’s population is expected to increase by 2. billion over the next 40 years, and almost all of The Borderless Workforce Employers Concerned About Losing National Talent that growth will take place in the less developed regions. Other factors are also accelerating the movement of workers. As a general rule, globalization creates further globalization: more people are exposed to communications about foreign cultures and more are traveling on vacation as well as for work. Englis h as a second language is growing fast; China, for example, is accelerating its English teaching programs to ensure that its managers and ustomer facing staff become more proficient in the world’s most prevalent business language. So how should employers respond to the forces of talent mobility? Many see it as an opportunity to cut labor costs and elevate their skills mix. Others see it as a threat to their hold on their best talent. Of course, employers have only limited control over the factors that determine where workers work, and why. Don’t Know 15% No 54% Yes 31% Source: Manpower Inc. , Borderless Workforce Survey, 2008 Navigating the Changing World of Work 16 The Borderless Workforce The Taxonomy of the Talent Migration Brain Export: Common among some developing countries that choose to educate and export talent with the intention of comparable exchange in the medium- and long-term, via remittances, technological interchange or skills enhancement. Brain Globalization: Talent mobility as a component of international commerce. Transnational organizations and globalization require international mobility. Brain Exchange: Transnational organizations engage in a comparable exchange of staff members between country operations. Brain Circulation: Skilled personnel live and work in foreign countries for a certain period of time, then return to their country of origin or travel to a new destination country. Brain Drain: When the migration of people possessing a higher education and in-demand skills exceeds that country’s ability to educate/train suitable replacements. Country of origin loses any return on its original investment in education and training. Brain Waste: When a country is unable to retain highly skilled/educated people, who then willingly travel to other destinations and perform functions that are beneath their skill level. Individuals often accept this â€Å"trade-off† for better living conditions. 17 Navigating the Changing World of Work The Borderless Workforce Some employers benefit from far-sighted, fact-driven governments that plan national talent strategies in detail and over the long term. Others chafe against inward- looking government immigration policies that make visa applications extremely time-consuming— to the point where many top foreign candidates go elsewhere. Talent mobility, then, is both the product and cause of an uneasy mix of unemployment and talent scarcity. It presents governments and employers with challenges f a scope and scale they have not previously encountered – yet it offers them opportunities that they find difficult to imagine. The increasingly mobile workforce has many faces. All sorts of workers are on the move – Jamaican agricultural workers each year head to Massachusetts in the U. S. , Indian construction workers to Dubai, Latvian stone workers to Northern Ireland in the U. K. , and British finance controllers to Shanghai, where 40,000 foreigners now work (â€Å"Number of Foreigners Working in China Soars,† People’s Daily Online, April 4, 2006 http://english. people. om. cn/200604/04/ eng20060404_ 255781. html). The skills mix is broad as well. At the upper end of the skills spectrum are the professionals and managers whose movements form a kind of internal labor market within multinational companies. They may also involve short-term assignments or commuting across borders. Navigating the Changing World of Work 18 The Borderless Workforce The talent shortages, exacerbated by soaring wages, have sparked a big jump in the movement of skilled tradespeople as well. There also continues to be strong movement of low-skilled workers. In fact, laborers comprise the leading category now being filled with workers from foreign countries. In the many cases where employers hire for specific positions – either directly or through agencies – foreign 19 Navigating the Changing World of Work workers will generally end up in jobs for which they are a good match. But where workers tend to act on their own, they can end up in jobs for which they are significantly over-qualified. That mismatch between skills and roles is one of the factors contributing to a big shift that has never been so apparent before: a huge â€Å"reversemigration† movement. Reverse migration, however, is not new and may have benefits beyond those for individuals. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) argues that the temporary employment of foreign workers introduces flexibility into the labor market. This can help dissuade employers from resorting to the use of undocumented workers. So what spurs people to leave their homes – other than the obvious issue of jobs elsewhere when there are none at home? There are many parallels that cut across all levels of The Borderless Workforce demographics and skills. Clearly, money and economic growth are significant drivers for those less skilled, and both physical and cultural distance militate against them moving. For white collar workers, there can be many other factors moving them away from home. Many go for the adventure, to acquire new skills, to learn a language or improve their language skills. Still others see such moves as fast paths to accelerate careers; younger up-and-comers can often take on more responsibility and gain more experience and business skills more rapidly in a foreign country than they ever could at home. In the new global economy, more and more forward thinking employers choose to send their â€Å"high potential† managers overseas to gain the experience of other cultures and working styles. In fact, for managers in many multinationals, a crossborder assignment is now considered mandatory for those aspiring to the executive suite. In the past few years, the percentage of SP 500 CEOs with international experience has increased from 26 percent to 34 percent (â€Å"The Route to the Top for Today’s Enterprise Leader,† Spencer Stuart, 2008, http://content. spencerstuart. com/sswebsite/pdf/lib/ GMstudy0408. pdf). Not everyone believes that talent mobility is a good thing. There are the obvious factors Navigating the Changing World of Work 20 The Borderless Workforce of dislocation from family and friends at home, cultural alienation and prejudice in the new workplace. And there can often be language issues – sometimes even within a nation’s borders – along with fierce competition with other migrants and with locals who see the newcomers as stealing jobs. Talent mobility is a growing part of the solution to employers’ shortages of talent. But it is arguable whether even the best multinationals have 21 Navigating the Changing World of Work arnessed talent mobility as it must now be harnessed. It is not as simple as enhancing the current expatriate-deployment programs or adding enticements to relocation packages. What is needed is a holistic, far-sighted strategic approach. The process of forecasting and talent mobility planning will become an integral component of th e business planning process as talent shortages worsen in the years ahead. The process of forecasting and talent mobility planning will become an integral component of the business planning process as talent shortages worsen in the years ahead. The Borderless Workforce Navigating the Changing World of Work 22 Individual 23 Navigating the Changing World of Work Choice Individual Choice is eliminating the one-size-fits-all approach and elevating the need for one-size-fits-one. Individuals are exercising the power of choice in all situations, choosing for and against opportunities. The increased specificity of skills that employers are seeking, coupled with the increased confidence in choice that individuals are exercising, is profoundly impacting governments, organizations and individuals worldwide. Navigating the Changing World of Work 24 The Underleveraged Solution In the developed world, meanwhile, the population is aging and the number of young people entering the workforce is shrinking. There simply will not be enough qualified workers to fill the jobs that will drive growth. 25 Navigating the Changing World of Work Due to the indisputable fact that the working-age population is shrinking, the global talent squeeze will only get tighter, especially after we fully emerge from the current financial crisis. The recession doesn’t mitigate matters over the long term. Even now, positions at all levels continue to go unfilled in such service-sector fields as engineering, IT and healthcare. To address the problem, governments and enterprises must figure out how to expand their workforces. To do that, they should look to one particular demographic group that is woefully underrepresented in the formal economy and has much more to contribute: women. It is clear the world of work is undergoing a transformation. As the service sector continues its ascent, the need for workers is great and growing—even now. Economists say the number of service-sector jobs will grow by at least 500 million between 2004 and 2015. In the developed world, meanwhile, The Underleveraged Solution the population is aging and the number of young people entering the workforce is shrinking. There simply will not be enough qualified workers to fill the jobs that will drive growth. The solution is to expand the labor pool. In 2008, the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that at the global level, the employment-to-population ratio – an index to how well economies are taking advantage of the productive potential of heir working-age population – was 49. 1 percent for women in 2007 compared to 74. 3 percent for men. The contemporary world of work sorely needs women to participate in higher numbers and appears to offer greater potential for the kind of flexibility that women so often need. Yet all too often women can’t, or won’t, participate. The benefits of women participating in t he workforce are striking, but there are many barriers. Some of the barriers are cultural and therefore difficult to address at the policy level. But many are structural—vestiges of an age when the five-day, 40-hour week was the norm. That model is impractical for many women who bear primary responsibility for childcare and other family obligations. Companies and countries that evolve quickly to bring women into the workforce today give themselves a better chance to prosper over the long term. Those that don’t will struggle to stay competitive. Navigating the Changing World of Work 26 The Underleveraged Solution Getting women into the workforce is vital, but it’s just as important to keep them there. A paradigm shift is in order. We must value results and knowledge gained rather than time spent in the office. Paths toward advancement must be created for women—and others—who do not sit in an office five days a week, eight hours a day, so that they can achieve success at a pace that works for them. Policies that support the rights of women and allow them to develop professionally while balancing work and home duties will reward organizations with higher employee engagement and retention levels. A paradigm shift is in order. We must value results and knowledge gained rather than time spent in the office. 27 Navigating the Changing World of Work The Underleveraged Solution Navigating the Changing World of Work 28 The New Agenda for an Aging Workforce The challenge presented by an aging workforce and pervasive talent shortages is complex and multi-faceted, which is why employers are still struggling to determine how best to plan ahead and gain a strategic advantage. 29 Navigating the Changing World of Work What percentage of your workforce is planning to retire in the next five to 10 years and what impact will it have on your organization? This is a key question that should be on the agenda for discussion at management meetings worldwide, as talent shortages worsen and replacements for those exiting the workforce become more difficult to find. But, even armed with this knowledge, few employers are finding any long-term solutions to prevent the obvious talent shortages and brain drain that are clearly emerging. The challenge presented by an aging workforce and pervasive talent shortages is complex and multi-faceted, which is why employers are still struggling to determine how best to plan ahead and gain a strategic advantage; it is not just a question of how to get older workers to remain relevant and continue contributing to the workforce; it is also about how to get the most out of the The New Agenda for an Aging Workforce ounger generations, whose numbers are too small to fully replace those who have gone before them, and how to do this in a way that is consistent with the company’s culture. Strategic plans to attract critical talent to the organization and retain the near-retirement population in key roles will become a key focus at this point, as it is now clear where the organization should be dedicating resour ces to ensure a steady supply of key talent. At the same time, the organization will need to identify and develop high-potential employees to replace those exiting due to retirement. This cycle of demographic forecasting and workforce planning will become an integral component of the business planning process as talent shortages worsen. One of the key reasons that employers are not doing more to try and recruit or retain older workers as part of their talent management strategy is simply that they do not yet understand how to do so effectively. Employers have done much in recent years to provide better worklife balance for working parents; they have not yet gained a full understanding of what work-life balance means to the older worker. Navigating the Changing World of Work 30 The New Agenda for an Aging Workforce The key to engagement of the older adult in the workforce is to focus on the same issues that are important to other age groups: Performance-based compensation: Sending a clear message about the value of the individual rather than just paying more due to job tenure allows the older worker to know how he is performing compared to his peers. Having a clear understanding of what is expected: Don’t assume that an older employee knows what is expected of her just because of her tenure. New management and a rapidly changing business world can leave an older worker uncertain of her priorities; just as it can her younger peer. Having a sense of belonging: As the demographic composition of work groups evolves, care should be taken to ensure everyone is included in team- building activities and informal communication channels. Being treated equally and with respect: Disparate behavior toward older workers can happen in subtle ways such as planning team-building activities that the older worker cannot relate to, or giving all of the new learning opportunities to the younger members of the team. Supervisors need to be vigilant in recognizing the diversity of their team and making decisions that provide equal treatment. 31 Navigating the Changing World of Work The New Agenda for an Aging Workforce Access to tools, resources, information and training: As with all other employees, the older worker needs the same level of tools, resources and information to perform effectively in her role. Further, it should not be assumed that because an individual is older and quite capable she is no longer interested in receiving training. Companies that create a culture of continuous learning for all employees will be the most successful in engaging their workforces. Open and honest two-way feedback: Often, the older worker whose skills have faded is unaware that she is falling behind because supervisors and peers do not want to hurt her feelings. This is a disservice to the individual, who continues to require honest feedback in order to address performance issues adequately. Conversely, if the older worker does not have a two-way communication channel with her supervisor, she may feel unable to express her wishes to adjust her work relationship ue to changing priorities in her life. As a result, the supervisor misses the opportunity to retain the employee in a modified role and instead, loses her to retirement prematurely. Strong teamwork: As with all employees, a strong sense of teamwork results in greater productivity for the team members. This remains true throughout an individual’s career, regardless of h is full-time or parttime status. Navigating the Changing World of Work 32 The New Agenda for an Aging Workforce Recognition: It is never a mistake to recognize a job well done. The need to provide recognition of employees across all age groups and levels is often overlooked by management, especially during the extremely busy periods when recognition matters most. Opportunities for career advancement: Career development and advancement opportunities should remain available to all employees throughout the duration of 33 Navigating the Changing World of Work their careers. It is a mistake to assume that an individual is â€Å"coasting to retirement. Understanding how the role contributes to the success of the business: As business continues to evolve, it remains important for all employees to have a clear understanding of how they are contributing to the company’s overall goals. A sustainable and growing economy will not be possible in the talent-poor future without a strong and vibrant labor market that includes talent pools that are currently under-represented in today’s workforc e. The New Agenda for an Aging Workforce The Multi-Generational Workforce Traditionalist Boomer Generation X Generation Y Born 1928–1945 Born 1946–1964 Born 1965–1979 Born 1980– Each generation has different assumptions, motivations and expectations about work and makes different choices when it comes to where, when and how they work. Regardless of generation, individuals need to think about the choices they make, as they are choosing against one thing when opting for another. Organizations need to adopt more flexible mindsets, adjust work arrangements and people practices to recruit, retain and leverage the multigenerational workforce to win. Navigating the Changing World of Work 34 Rise of 35 Navigating the Changing World of Work Customer Sophistication Customers’ expectations around price and value will rise, shifting the key competitive differentiator from a company’s access to capital to access to talent. Customers have more access to information, experts and lower cost channels which increases visibility and subsequent pressure on companies to deliver value. Employers have become more sophisticated in assessing their workforce and are looking for specific skills that enable their companies to do more with less to meet ever-rising consumer needs. Navigating the Changing W

Critically Assess Australian foreign policy in the 1930s. essays

Critically Assess Australian foreign policy in the 1930s. essays During the 1930s, Australia struggled to find itself a foreign policy that would not only protect its interests in the Pacific region, but would also enable it to gain prestige and standing within the international community. Consequently, Australias foreign policies during this period oscillated to suit the turmoil that enveloped the world, particularly during the late 1930s. This paper will attempt to critically evaluate the various policies employed by Australia, and the reasons behind the use of each. This will be done by detailing the foreign policies of Australia, and why they were enacted. It has been said that the principal aim of Australian foreign policy during the inter-war years was to preserve peace, and its secondary objective was to ensure that if war came, the Empire was well prepared. The logic behind this was that the League of Nations could not be trusted, but the Empire could. Australia had matured greatly as a result of the Great War, and was now recognised internationally as a more independent, developing nation, which was a result of Hughes efforts at the Paris peace conference. However, its links to the British Empire were still very much prevalent and as will be seen this was to have a profound influence on Australias foreign policies during the 1930s. Initially, Australia was not so concerned about her foreign policy, and could even be said that she neglected to have one. The reason for this was that it was widely believed that Britain would come to her rescue, should the need arise. Indeed, up until Versailles, the Mother Country had possessed a massive dominance over Australias international affairs. It continued to do so during the 1920s, but to a lesser extent than before. It was generally held that Britain would provide foreign policies to Australia as they were needed. Mansergh believes that Australia aspired in her own interests no...

Tommy Douglas, the Canadian Father of Medicare

Tommy Douglas, the Canadian 'Father of Medicare' A small man with a huge personality, Tommy Douglas was gregarious, witty, feisty and kind. The leader of the first socialist government in North America, Douglas brought massive change to the province of Saskatchewan and led the way for many social reforms in the rest of Canada. Douglas is considered the Canadian father of Medicare. In 1947 Douglas introduced universal hospitalization in Saskatchewan and in 1959 announced a Medicare plan for Saskatchewan. Heres more about Douglas career as a Canadian politician. Premier of Saskatchewan 1944 to 1961 Leader of the Federal New Democratic Party 1961 to 1971 Career Highlights of Tommy Douglas Douglas introduced universal hospitalization in Saskatchewan in 1949 and a Medicare plan for Saskatchewan in 1959. While the premiere of Saskatchewan, Douglas and his government created many state-owned enterprises, called Crown Corporations, including the establishment of provincial air and bus lines, SaskPower and SaskTel. He and the Saskatchewan CCF oversaw industrial development that reduced the provinces dependence on agriculture, and they also introduced the first public automobile insurance in Canada. Birth Douglas was born Oct. 20, 1904, in Falkirk, Scotland. The family emigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1910. They returned to Glasgow during World War I but came back to settle in Winnipeg in 1919. Death Douglas died of cancer Feb. 24, 1986, in Ottawa, Ontario. Education Douglas earned his bachelors degree in 1930 from Brandon College in Manitoba. He then earned his masters degree in sociology in 1933 from McMaster University in Ontario. Professional Background Douglas began his career as Baptist minister. He moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan after ordination in 1930. During the Great Depression, he joined the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and in 1935, he was elected to the House of Commons. Political Affiliation He was a member of the CCF from 1935 to 1961. He became the leader of Saskatchewan CCF in 1942. The CCF was dissolved in 1961 and was succeeded by the New Democratic Party (NDP). Douglas was a member of the NDP from 1961 to 1979. Political Career of Tommy Douglas Douglas first moved into active politics with the Independent Labour Party and became President of the Weyburn Independent Labour Party in 1932. He ran for the first time in the 1934 Saskatchewan general election as a Farmer-Labour candidate but was defeated. Douglas was first elected to the House of Commons when he ran in the riding of Weyburn for the CCF in the federal general election of 1935. While he was a federal member of parliament, Douglas was elected president of the Saskatchewan provincial CCF in 1940 and then elected leader of the provincial CCF in 1942. Douglas resigned his federal seat to run in the Saskatchewan general election of 1944. He led the Saskatchewan CCF to a massive victory, winning 47 of 53 seats. It was the first democratic socialist government elected in North America. Douglas was sworn in as Premier of Saskatchewan in 1944. He held the office for 17 years, during which he pioneered major social and economic reforms. In 1961, Douglas resigned as Premier of Saskatchewan to lead the federal New Democratic Party, formed as an alliance between the CCF and the Canadian Labour Congress. Douglas was defeated in the federal election of 1962 when he ran in the riding of Regina City mainly because of a backlash towards the Saskatchewan governments introduction of Medicare. Later in 1962, Tommy Douglas won a seat in the British Columbia riding of Burnaby-Coquitlam in a by-election. Defeated in 1968, Douglas won the riding of Nanaimo-Cowichan-The Islands in 1969 and held it until his retirement. In 1970, he took a stand against the adoption of the War Measures Act during the October Crisis. It seriously affected his popularity. Douglas stepped down as leader of the New Democratic Party in 1971. He was followed by David Lewis as NDP leader. Douglas took on the role of NDP energy critic until he retired from politics in 1979.

Drug and alcohol use in teens Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drug and alcohol use in teens - Term Paper Example A good example is alcohol. It is highly important that people who are in their teens do not use drugs or alcohol as it will have a devastating effect on their bodies. This paper will examine this effect. First of all, one should point out that drugs, due to their nature, negatively affect the brain of a person – the organ which is still a mystery for the science (Scheier vii). Indeed, the nature of the drugs distorts the normal work of brain and it can hardly be restored to its fullest. In other words, it is important to keep in mind that drugs do harm to the body that can hardly be reversed, so if a person decides to take drugs, there is a little chance that one will be able to leave the path of addiction and become a normal individual once again. What is more important is that the minor harmful effects that the body might experience because of the drugs may last for a rather considerable amount of time (Hyde and Setaro 50). This means that one can not simply try drugs for on e time: the consequences which are unpleasant will keep appearing after the use. So, a person should understand that nothing is worth that. Indeed, one should acknowledge that unlike other substances, drugs influence the organism of a person on a much deeper level which makes them extremely dangerous. The â€Å"positive† effect that they drugs can be explained by the distorted functions of some organs; so, when a person takes drugs, one is deliberately tampering one’s body.

Differences between War Crimes, Acts of Genocide and Crimes against Essay

Differences between War Crimes, Acts of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity - Essay Example In order to successfully offer a distinction it is important to identify what each means in international law. It is important to note that Crimes against Humanity to be precise are largely vague by definition in many legally authoritative commentaries (Trahan & Human Rights Watch, 2006). Acts of Genocide on the other hand are clear in many statutes while the former has many interpretations depending on which statute one is referring to. This can be attributed to their history and how each developed as an internationally recognised offense. Acts of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity emanated primarily from the Nuremberg trials where they were utilised as synonyms. It is important to note that these crimes had their roots after the World War II when the international community wanted the Nazi regime in Germany to be held accountable for the atrocities it had committed during the war. Discussions were held by the United Nations from 1947 to 1948 before the adoption of a definition of genocide. Crimes against Humanity are criminal conducts towards civilians or distinct groups of people for example murder, enslavement, sexual violence among other inhumane acts regardless of whether the state in question was at war and regardless whether the acts were against that state’s laws at the time of committal. These crimes can be committed by anyone ranging from state officials to individuals towards their own nationals or foreigners. Genocide on the other hand has a smaller definition which is an act perpetrated by state nationals or individuals with the intention to destroy a religious, national, racial or ethnic group irrespective of whether the state is at peace or at war (Schabas, 2000; Boot, 2002). War Crimes on the other hand are acts perpetrated at the time of armed conflict which are against international laws governing the rule of law. These acts include mistreatment of civilian populations and people exploitation through torture or executions. War Crimes have been around for a longer period than genocide or Crimes against Humanity. Many civilisations around the world have had their share of controls that governed their warfare. In China for example, those at war were strictly forbidden to strike an elderly enemy fighter or further harm an injured enemy or opponent. Further restrictions were in regards to treatment of captives or prisoners of war. They were to be well treated so as to be used later for the captors benefit. Some of these rules contributed to the definitions stipulated above under the international law. It should also be noted that defining War Crimes has been a problem especially when instilling punishment (Schabas, 2008). It is a fact that in war solders are instructed or even ordered to kill with methods of doing so having some restrictions. Some contradictions often arise in determining War Crimes circumstances for example where a soldier kills their victims during war and are punished for it. Another is where pla nes engage in mass bombing of cities killing many innocent lives and no one is held accountable for it. These and more are some of the dilemmas that challenge the implementation of international law in various nations. The notion of Crimes against Humanity As earlier mentioned, Crimes against Humanity are rarely defined in many authoritative commentaries. The Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and that of Rwanda brought to the fore the graveness of lack of definite meanings for the Crimes against Humanity (Meron, 1994; Akhavan, 1996). The reason for this was that the statutes establishing these tribunals

Evaluating Reference Sources Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Reference Sources Essay After gathering reference sources, carefully examine them with specific and general questions designed to determine whether they are relevant to the research question or topic under consideration. There are four primary questions to ask about a list of references, including: 1) How well do sources answer the question? 2) Does an expert provide the information? 3) Is the source valid? and 4) Is there a variety of references included, and not just one point of view?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The way to decide if a source is appropriate is to read the Table of Contents and Indexes inside a book and see if the material matches your topic. In an article, read the captions underneath the pictures and charts first, then the first sentence of each paragraph. Usually the pictures and graphs will give you the gist of the article, while the text helps to explain it. Be careful to consider the credentials of all references. Someone with experience, training, and certification in a field of study is considered an expert. Their studied opinion will then substantiate your opinions on a topic. For example, a PhD psychologist working with children for 30 years would be more of an expert on attention deficit than, say, an auto mechanic. Other questions to consider are the following: 1.Is the information unbiased? For example, do you accept a claim from the Sugar Growers Association that sugar is necessary to the human diet and does not cause cavities or Type II Diabetes? 2. Do the authors openly report their sources? Be careful of research articles that do not give full information. 3. Do authors state their research methods as well as results? If methods are not discussed, the research may be faulty. 4. Is the research up-to-date? For example, if you are writing about hybrid cars, an article from 1943 is not valid. Generally use sources that are 5 – 10 years old or newer. Finally, it is important to use a variety of points of view and opinions concerning a topic so that there will be enough evidence from all sides for making a balanced judgment. Do not depend only on a single source, or look for material biased only toward a particular point of view. Collect several appropriate sources, and review the combined information from that collection in order to analyze it to determine your own opinion. Using the questions above, you will have chosen information that is balanced, current, detailed, and scientifically correct. REFERENCES Arlov, P. (2007).Wordsmith: A Guide to College Writing. Third Edition. Prentice Hall Arlov, P. (2004).Wordsmith: A Guide to College Writing. Second Edition. Prentice Hall

Essay on Loss of Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown: Loss of Faith Faith can be defined, as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. "Young Goodman Brown" is about a man who leaves his wife, Faith, at home alone for a night while he takes a walk down the road of temptation with the devil. Along the road he sees many people that he would never expect to see on this road, his wife included. He returns to his life in Salem a changed man. In "Young Goodman Brown" Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism and characterization to imply that when individuals lose their faith in the goodness of mankind, they may begin to imagine that their peers have yielded to temptation. Hawthorne uses symbolism to imply that when individuals lose their faith in the goodness of mankind, they may begin to imagine that their peers have yielded to temptation. The character of Faith is Goodman Brown's spouse, but she is also a symbol of his faith in mankind. Brown's relationship with Faith changes as the story progresses, from tender and caring love to judgmental scorn. Brown's thoughts about Faith as he leaves on his journey are: "Poor little Faith...she's a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven"(212). This statement shows that the protagonist has a deep love for his faith and knows that it can be his salvation. Later in the journey Brown offers his faith as the last reason to abort his walk with the devil: "Well, then, to end the matter at once,... there is my wife, Faith. It would break her dear little heart; and I'd rather break my own!" (214). At this point his faith is still more important to him than his own life. Later, just... ...e wizard pray to?" (220). The experience in the woods causes Brown to imagine that even his wife has yielded to temptation: "He spied the head of Faith ... gazing anxiously forth, and bursting into such joy at sight of him ... But, Goodman Brown looked sternly and sadly into her face, and passed on without a greeting." (220). Brown's once steadfast faith in mankind is damaged to the point that he is suspicious of all his peers. Hawthorne uses symbolism and characterization to show how easy it is to imagine that our peers have yielded to temptation when faith in the goodness of mankind is lost. Brown loses faith in humanity and starts imagining that all his peers are guilty of sin. Is mankind unworthy of our faith? No. Faith in the goodness of mankind is a belief in something for which there is proof.

My Two Cities Final

Africa, which is a third world country. Therefore, Livingston is less technologically advanced and there is a lot more poverty. Although it may not seem the greatest being in a third world country, Livingston definitely has some great perks. For example, it has Victoria Falls, which is one of the seven great natural wonders of the world. You can also go on local safaris there and see animals up close such as lions, elephants, cheetahs, hippos and so on. Orlando, has Walt Disney World, one Of the biggest theme parks in the world.It also has many other theme parks such as universal and Pepco and a lot of other tourist attractions. Another great thing about Orlando is that it is only about an hour drive away from the beach, where as Livingston is surrounded by other countries so there are no beaches close by. Orlando has a downtown, where there are a lot of sky scrapers and a mix of everything such as big corporations, restaurants, parks, and a nightlife scene. In Livingston, there is n o downtown or sky scrapers, but there is the area called â€Å"town†, which is where all the local businesses are located.Livingston is a very small city, therefore everything is about a five to ten minute drive away and every day the local businesses close around five in the evening. Everyone there lives a pretty slow-paced lifestyle. Orlando, on the other hand, is a very big city, where it can take up to half an hour or forty-five minutes to reach a specific destination and some businesses can be open up to ten or eleven at night. It may not be such a rushed lifestyle, but it is definitely faster paced than Livingston.Despite their differences, these cities can also be pretty similar. Starting off with the weather, although there are both on opposite ends of the equator, the weather is pretty similar with hot summers, rainy seasons, and no-snow winters. Another similarity is that both cities also have soccer teams, Livingston has a team called The Copper Bullets and Orlando has a new and upcoming team called Orlando City Soccer. They both also have reptile farms, Orlando has Coastland and Livingston has The Crocodile Farm, which were both my favorite places to go to as a child.Something new in Livingston is a all that they have built and also a new movie theater with comfortable seating and showings of 3-D movies, which of course Orlando has a couple of malls and movie theaters. Livingston may not have a big nightlife scene, but they do have couple of lounges and bars that are similar to Orlando nightlife. For example, there is a martini bar called Rhapsody's which is really similar to the Blue Martini in Orlando. The last similarity between the two is the transport systems. Most people drive cars, but there are also public buses and taxis which people rarely use.Livingston is an up and coming city, bringing in just as much tourism because of Victoria Falls as Orlando does from the theme parks, pretty soon there will be a lot more similarities between the two cities. For me, these two cities are my home. I believe they represent the best of both worlds for me. They are both very unique and also filled with fun stuff to do. Orlando is a busy life for me and Livingston is slow and more relaxed. I go back and forth between the two cities often and they keep me pretty balanced between their differences and similarities.

Management of the BLM’s Public Lands System

The government has control of over one-third of the nation's land, and 398 million acres of that is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM 6). This land holds a wide diversity of resources, from timber and grazing lands found on the surface, to a mass of oil, natural gas, and minerals lying below the earth. The history of these lands is hardly a dull story, because it is the story of the taming of the â€Å"Wild West†. Should the BLM though, still be controlling these lands under the same laws that were put in affect to establish the â€Å"Western frontier†? I feel that a radical reevaluation of these laws needs to take place, in order to adapt them to the changing demographic and technological advancements of our society. This topic is of importance to park and recreation professionals because it will directly effect how the lands that they are using for parks, are going to be used. The laws that are remaining are allowing companies to hurt the land, which is against the mission statement of the BLM. The BLM mission statement says, â€Å"the Bureau is responsible for the balanced management of the public lands and resources and their various values so that they are considered in a combination that will best serve the American people. Management is based upon the principles of multiple use and sustained yield; a combination of uses that takes into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable and nonrenewable resources. These resources include recreation, land, timber, minerals, watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness, and natural, scenic, scientific and cultural values† (BLM 7). Therefore by allowing these old laws to remain they are pulling away from their mission statement. Throughout the 80's the Bureau of Land Management developed a host of programs and emphasized a number of others – outdoor recreation, wildlife and fisheries, toxic materials management, and wetland enhancement, to name a few – but there are still many problems that must be addressed. Due to the increasing demand for outdoor recreation, there has been an overcrowding in our local, state, and national parks. There is a demand for BLM to do more in outdoor recreation. Eight of the 10 states with the highest population growth between 1970 and 1980 were states with substantial acreages of public lands administered by the BLM (BLM 12). The visitation to those lands has increased nearly three-fold in the past 20 years, and there is an expected increase of between 40 and 60 percent by the year 2000 (BLM 12). The amount of people that visit our park system each year is having a profound effect on the ecosystem of the parks. An ecosystem can only absorb the effects of a small number of man-made facilities on it. The number of large complexes that the public wants in their parks has effects that extend beyond there immediate boundaries. Yellowstone Park has to dispose of nearly 7,000 tons of garbage every year (Houston 3). The BLM needs to expand efforts to maintain facilities to protect public investments and the health and safety of the visiting public. In addition to providing additional facilities with Federal funding and private sector concessions to meet the growing outdoor recreation demands. This would allow more destinations for the public that are seeking an outdoor experience, causing the crowding to become less dense because the users would be more widely distributed. Setting more public lands aside for parks would preserve that land for the future. Seeing that a park on BLM lands would require a greater on-the-ground presence, to monitor its use. A problem that is closely related to that of outdoor recreation is providing a suitable habitat for the large diversity of animals that live on the BLM's Public Lands System. Many of these animals are available to the hunter, trapper and fisherman; some are threatened or endangered; most contribute to the pleasure of wildlife viewing; all contribute to the ecological diversity of the Public Land System (BLM 14). With so much land under the control of the BLM, the bureau manages more wildlife habitat than any other agency or group in the United States. The wide diversity of lands that is under their control supports over 3,000 species of animals and an untold number of plants and invertebrate species. Public lands, wildlife and fisheries resources are important to the American Economy. For instance, during the 1985-1986 season, over 5 million hunter use days occurred, with hunters spending an estimated $145,000,000. As for fishing, there where over 3 million days at an estimated $55,000,000 spent by fishers (BLM 14). Wildlife also contributed to enjoyment of the public lands for millions of campers, hikers, photographers and other users. These users spent over 230 million hours on the public lands ands waters during the 1985-1986 season. The money put into the system by these users was estimated at around $200,000,000. Surely the economic value of wildlife can be seen, but there is also an indescribable intrinsic value that can be given to them to. Nevertheless improving habitat for wildlife improves more than just the wildlife; it helps out the whole ecosystem. For instance, wetland habitat improvements for wildlife also improve water flow and water quality for downstream users. Vegetative manipulation projects intended to improve big game forage also improve livestock forage and watershed conditions. So it should be easily seen that habit improvements for the sake of wildlife would be not only a profitable change, but also an environmentally sound change. Another change that needs to occur on Federal Lands is a change of the General Mining Law of 1872 that was passed while the West was still being settled The 1872 mining law opens most public lands for mining if prospectors find gold, silver, copper or other valuable hard rock mineral deposits. The laws' goal was to encourage the region's development. Congress offered public lands for the taking by the enterprising homesteader, stockmen, miners and loggers (Arrandale 531). The frontier closed a century ago, but the law still remains. On May 16, 1994 Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt was forced by the mining law to sell 1,949 acres of federal lands in Nevada to a Canadian-based mining company. The land that was sold held a gold supply of an estimated $10 billion. Surely the deeply indebted United States Government would prosper from a sale of that much gold, but by law the government was forced to sell it for $5 and acre. The government received less then $10,000 for the deal (Arrandale 531). In relation to the mining law the government does not require the miners to restore the mined site once the minerals are gone. Which in turn would prevent wastes from polluting surrounding lands and nearby streams. Former Interior Secretary Stewart L. Udall says, † The hard rock mining industry has traditionally been able to ‘externalize' costs, as economist say, simply by abandoning its played-out mines rater then reclaiming them† (Arrandale 534). The fact that there is 500,000 abandoned mines, proves the last statement is true. These mines are polluting 32 states because of the use of the new â€Å"heap leaching† technology that uses cyanide solutions to extract gold from ore. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now spending $40,000 a day to control cyanide leaking from a Summitville, Colorado gold mine that a mining company abandoned (Arrandale 534). I feel that the United States Government needs to amend the mining law, so that it can address some of the previously mentioned problems. I feel that companies should be allowed to remove viable minerals but they should have regulations placed on them. The U. S. Supreme Court and state courts have upheld state regulations of oil and gas operations to prevent waste (Kusler 147). Since minerals are of a fixed supply I feel that they should be regulated for future use. The mines that do extract a predetermined amount of minerals would also be required to restore the sight back to the natural state of the land, before mining was started. Not only would they be required to return the surface of the land, but also the underlying ground, so as it is not polluted. But they would not receive this land for a mere $5 and acre, I propose that they be charged a certain percentage of the gold removed as rent for the land, for as long as they mine the land. Upon incorporation of all of these laws, which none of the current mines would be exempt from, I feel there would be a reduction of mines. With less mines mineral supplies would be preserved, and the price of minerals would go up, returning profit to the remaining mines, and supporting the government. Another area of the land managed by the BLM is rangeland. Since rangelands account for nearly 162 million acres of public land, the nation's rangelands are a vast source of renewable resources. Among many other values the range supports about 4 million head of livestock. Which is an important element in the economic well being of many rural communities and the almost 20,000 operators who depend on public land grazing to support them. The public principally sees BLM as manager of the public rangelands. The approval from the public for the BLM then is mostly related to their management of the grazing lands. Support for the BLM is based on the management and conditions of the rangelands that are under their control. So the BLM sets below-market livestock grazing fees and loose federal regulations of how ranchers manage sheep and cattle on public lands. Ranchers now pay $1. 98 per â€Å"animal unit month†(AUM)- enough forage to feed one cow and a calf, five sheep or a horse for a month. On the other hand, privately owned ranges in the West, leased for nearly five times that amount, an average of $9. 25 per AUM (Arrandale 534). Having fees this low gives an incentive for the rancher to put more animals out to graze on the deteriorating land. Why graze one cow on private land, when you can graze at least four on government land? Why should the ranchers care is they are destroying the public lands when they can move to a more productive spot when their land is destroyed? Because of this, taxpayers spend millions of dollars subsidizing the damage of public lands. Clearly, grazing does belong on public lands, because if done correctly you are simply harvesting a natural renewable resource. But when you allow money hungry cattle ranchers to graze as many cattle as they please, you begin destroying the land. So I feel that there should be an environmental assessment of the grazing lands, to determine a sustainable AUM for the land, to insure there is no further damage sustained by the land. Once this is determined, you can charge them a fair price that is competitive with the price of private land. This way the government could produce more revenue for it self, while again protecting the land. These are just a few of the changes that need to occur on the public lands. However, for an overall solution the government needs to redefine it's older laws, so that they can have better control over public lands. Included with the changing of the laws would be a price increase for the resources that the government is basically, at the present time, giving away. When this occurs, it may help with the huge debt of the country, and by different means than taxing the common people of the country. This would require the rich mining companies, to actually pay for the gold that they are removing from the ground. With all these regulations in place, and strict guidelines to the extent of extraction of natural resources, the environment, and ecosystems will improve.

Faience - The Worlds First High Tech Ceramic

Faience - The Worlds First High Tech Ceramic The term faience comes from a kind of brightly-colored glazed earthenware developed during the Renaissance in France and Italy. The word is derived from Faenza, a town in Italy, where factories making the tin-glazed earthenware called majolica (also spelled maiolica) were prevalent. Majolica itself derived from North African Islamic tradition ceramics  and is thought to have developed, oddly enough, from the region of Mesopotamia in the 9th century AD. Faience-glazed tiles decorate many buildings of the middle ages, including those of the Islamic civilization, such as the Bibi Jawindi tomb in Pakistan, built in the 15th century AD, or the Timuid dynasty (1370-1526) Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Uzbekistan, which you can see if you click on the hippo illustration. Ancient Faience Ancient or Egyptian faience, on the other hand, is a completely manufactured material created perhaps to imitate the bright colors and gloss of hard-to-get gems and precious stones. Called the first high-tech ceramic, faience is a siliceous vitrified and glost ceramic, made of a body of fine ground quartz or sand, coated with an alkaline-lime-silica glaze. It was used in jewelry throughout Egypt and the Near East beginning about 3500 BC. Forms of faience are found throughout the Bronze Age Mediterranean, and faience objects have been recovered from archaeological sites of the Indus, Mesopotamian, Minoan, and Egyptian civilizations. Scholars suggest  but are not completely united that faience was invented in Mesopotamia in the late 5th millennium BC and then imported to Egypt. Evidence for the 4th millennium BC production of faience has been found at the Mesopotamian sites of Hamoukar and Tell Brak. Faience objects have also been discovered at predynastic Badarian (5000-3900 BC) sites in Egypt. Matin (2014) has argued that mixing cattle dung (commonly used for fuel), copper scale resulting from copper smelting, and calcium carbonate creates a shiny blue glaze coating on objects  and may have resulted in the invention of faience and associated glazes during the Chalcolithic period.    Faience was an important trade item during the Bronze Age; the Uluburun shipwreck of 1300 BC had over 75,000 faience beads in its cargo. Faience continued as a production method throughout the Roman period into the first century BC. Ancient Faience Manufacturing Practices Types of objects formed out of ancient faience include amulets, beads, rings, scarabs, and even some bowls. Faience is considered one of the earliest forms of glass making. Recent investigations of Egyptian faience technology indicate that recipes changed over time and from place to place. Some of the changes involved using soda-rich plant ashes as flux additivesflux helps the materials fuse together at high-temperature heating. Basically, component materials in glass melt at different temperatures, and to get faience to hang together you need to moderate the melting points. However, Rehren has argued that the differences in glasses (including but not limited to faience) may have to do more with the specific mechanical processes used to create them, rather than varying specific admixture of plant products. The original colors of faience were created by adding copper (to get a turquoise color) or manganese (to get black). Around the beginning of glass production, about 1500 BC, additional colors were created including cobalt blue, manganese purple, and lead antimonate yellow. Glazing Faience Three different techniques for producing faiences glazes have been identified to date: application, efflorescence, and cementation. In the application method, the potter applies a thick slurry of water and glazing ingredients (glass, quartz, colorant, flux and lime) to an object, such as a tile or pot. The slurry can be poured or painted on the object, and it is recognized by the presence of brush marks, drips, and irregularities in thickness. The efflorescence method involves grinding quartz or sand crystals and mixing them with various levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and/or copper oxide. This mixture is formed into shapes such as beads or amulets, and then the shapes are exposed to heat. During heating, the formed shapes create their own glazes, essentially a thin hard layer of various bright colors, depending on the particular recipe. These objects are identified by stand marks where the pieces were placed during the drying process and variations in glaze thickness. The cementation method or Qom technique (named after the city in Iran where the method is still used), involves forming the object and burying it in a glazing mixture consisting of alkalis, copper compounds, calcium oxide or hydroxide, quartz, and charcoal. The object and glazing mixture are fired at ~1000 degrees Centigrade, and a glaze layer forms on the surface. After firing, the left-over mixture is crumbled away. This method leaves a uniform glass thickness, but it is only appropriate for small objects such as beads. Replication experiments reported in 2012 (Matin and Matin) reproduced the cementation method, and identified calcium hydroxide, potassium nitrate, and alkali chlorides are essential pieces of the Qom method. Sources Charrià ©-Duhaut A, Connan J, Rouquette N, Adam P, Barbotin C, de Rozià ¨res M-F, Tchapla A, and Albrecht P. 2007.  The canopic jars of Rameses II: real use revealed by molecular study of organic residues.  Journal of Archaeological Science  34:957-967. De Ferri L, Bersani D, Lorenzi A, Lottici PP, Vezzalini G, and Simon G. 2012.  Structural and vibrational characterization of  medieval like  glass samples.  Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids  358(4):814-819. Matin M. 2014.  An Experimental Investigation into the Accidental Invention of Ceramic Glazes.  Archaeometry  56(4):591-600. doi:10.1111/arcm.12039 Matin M, and Matin M. 2012.  Egyptian faience glazing by the cementation method part 1: an investigation of the glazing powder composition and glazing mechanism.  Journal of Archaeological Science  39(3):763-776. Olin JS, Blackman MJ, Mitchem JE, and Waselkov GA. 2002.  Compositional Analysis of Glazed Earthenwares from Eighteenth-Century Sites on the Northern Gulf Coast.  Historical Archaeology  36(1):79-96. Rehren T. 2008.  A review of factors affecting the composition of early Egyptian glasses and faience: alkali and alkali earth oxides.  Journal of Archaeological Science  35(5):1345-1354. Shortland A, Schachner L, Freestone I, and Tite M. 2006.  Natron as a flux in the early vitreous materials industry: sources, beginnings and reasons for decline.  Journal of Archaeological Science  33(4):521-530. Tite MS, Manti P, and Shortland AJ. 2007.  A technological study of ancient faience from Egypt.  Journal of Archaeological Science  34:1568-1583. Tite MS, Shortland A, Maniatis Y, Kavoussanaki D, and Harris SA. 2006.  The composition of the soda-rich and mixed alkali plant ashes used in the production of glass.  Journal of Archaeological Science  33:1284-1292. Walthall JA. 1991. Faience in French colonial Illinois.  Historical Archaeology  25(1):80-105. Waselkov GA, and Walthall JA. 2002. Faience Styles in French Colonial North America: A Revised Classification.  Historical Archaeology  36(1):62-78.

An Overview of Agricultural Geography

An Overview of Agricultural Geography Around ten to twelve thousand years ago, humans began to domesticate plants and animals for food. Before this first agricultural revolution, people relied on hunting and gathering to obtain food supplies. While there are still groups of hunters and gatherers in the world, most societies have switched to agriculture. The beginnings of agriculture did not just occur in one place but appeared almost simultaneously around the world, possibly through trial and error with different plants and animals or by long-term experimentation. Between the first agricultural revolution thousands of years ago and the 17th century, agriculture remained pretty much the same. The Second Agricultural Revolution In the seventeenth century, a second agricultural revolution took place which increased the efficiency of production as well as distribution, which allowed more people to move to the cities as the industrial revolution got underway. The eighteenth centurys European colonies became sources of raw agricultural and mineral products for the industrializing nations. Now, many of the countries which were once colonies of Europe, especially those in Central America, are still heavily involved in the same types of agricultural production as they were hundreds of years ago. Farming in the twentieth century has become highly technological in more developed nations with geographical technologies like GIS, GPS, and remote sensing while less developed nations continue with practices which are similar to those developed after the first agricultural revolution, thousands of years ago. Types of Agriculture About 45% of the worlds population makes their living through agriculture. The proportion of the population involved in agriculture ranges from about 2% in the United States to about 80% in some parts of Asia and Africa. There are two types of agriculture, subsistence, and commercial. There are millions of subsistence farmers in the world, those who produce only enough crops to feed their families. Many subsistence farmers use the slash and burn or swidden agricultural method. Swidden is a technique used by about 150 to 200 million people ​and is especially prevalent in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. A portion of land is cleared and burned to provide at least one and up to three years of good crops for that portion of land. Once the land can no longer be utilized, a new patch of ground is slashed and burnt for another round of crops. Swidden is not a neat or well-organized method of agricultural production by it is effective for farmers who dont know much about irrigation, soil, and fertilization. The second type of agriculture is commercial agriculture, where the primary purpose is to sell ones product at market. This takes place throughout the world and includes major fruit plantations in Central America as well as huge agribusiness wheat farms in the Midwestern United States. Geographers commonly identify two major belts of crops in the U.S. The wheat belt is identified as crossing the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Corn, which is primarily grown to feed livestock, reaches from southern Minnesota, across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. J.H. Von Thunen developed a model in 1826 (which wasnt translated into English until 1966) for the agricultural use of land. It has been utilized by geographers since that time. His theory stated that the more perishable and heavier products would be grown closer to urban areas. By looking at the crops grown within metropolitan areas in the U.S., we can see that his theory still holds true. It is very common for perishable vegetables and fruits to be grown within metropolitan areas while less-perishable grain is predominantly produced in non-metropolitan counties. Agriculture uses about a third of the land on the planet and occupies the lives of about two and a half billion people. Its important to understand where our food comes from.

Reviewing Structural theory and Social process theory Essay

Reviewing Structural theory and Social process theory - Essay Example Due to social pressures, it becomes so important for the individual to achieve the desired status that he/she might ignore the righteous means of achieving the objective and adopt some wrongful methods. Another example can be very poor law enforcement or too many loopholes in the legal system that encourages individuals to commit crime. Social process theories focus on how an individual becomes a criminal. Now as one can see that the impact of structural theories should be on the entire society because all the people live in the same social environment. Still all of them don’t become criminals. Therefore, in addition to the Structural theories, which put forth a broader perspective, there are definitely some more factors that cause a criminal behavior. When social process theories come into the picture, all the pieces of the jigsaw start falling in place. For example, while explaining different crime rates among higher and lower classes, Merton posited existence of two social structures- as per the culture, objectives and ambitions generally considered ‘standards’ for an individual, which include material and non-material objects. The second one is acceptable methods of achieving own goals that includes following the law, using honest means to pursue the goals etc. (Merton 1938) To maintain the social norms, a balance between the two structures is very much desired. According to Merton (1938), in case of an individual, this balance would occur when he/she has the satisfaction of following the set social norms and deriving the aimed objectives. If the culturally set goals are not realistic i.e. achievable through accepted methods, then wrong means can be employed by the individual to appear successful. Then more stress is placed on the goal rather than the means of achieving them. For some individuals, scarcity of opportu nities prompts them to use wrongful means. In a materialistic