Analyzing Psychological Disorders Essay

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is chronic and severe. It can be a disabling illness that affects men and women with the same ratio or frequency. This term is from a Greek word that means having a â€Å"split mind†. Though this usage in medical terms is not accurate. The Western perception of this illness is their belief that the term is equal to a disorder of split personality. They have been found to be very distinct mental disorders. People afflicted with schizophrenia do not manifest split personalities. Schizophrenia is an illness hat affects the mind and is characterized by the disability of perceptions and manifestations of reality. Schizophrenia has five classifications. The first is the paranoid type where hallucinations and delusions are present but there is absence of disorganized behavior, thought disorder and active flattening. The disorganized type of schizophrenia occurs when active flattening and thought disorder are both present. Catatonic schizophrenia occurs when there is evidence of psychomotor disturbances. There is the presence of psychotic symptoms in the undifferentiated type but there is also absence of criteria for the other types of schizophrenia. The residual type is wherein all the symptoms of the mental disorder is present at low level of intensity. Signs and symptoms for people with schizophrenia suffer from delusions and false faith in their personal convictions despite the presentation of evidence disproving the matter. This symptom is not explained by a person’s cultural background and orientation. Those afflicted also suffer from hallucinatory perceptions that can manifest when there is a lack of external diversion. The most common type of hallucination is the hearing of voices and other sounds. There is also the manifestation of disorganized attitude, behavior and thoughts. Speech is also incoherent and disorganized. The person suffering from this type of mental disorder display catatonic behavior wherein the person’s body may become rigid and unresponsive. The causes of schizophrenia are unknown. There are a lot of factors that are said to be involved with the formation of this illness. There is an interaction between genetics, biology, psychology and the environment that leads to the mental disorder. Medical science does not have a full understanding of all the causes and other concerns related to the mental disorder. Recent research and medical studies is slowly but surely shows improvement and progress that would help define the causes of schizophrenia and their explanation. An increase in the dopaminergic activity that is inside the mesolimbic pathway of the brain is a constant and significant finding (Bentall 2005). Data gathered from a PET study shows suggestions that the lesser frequency the frontal lobes are activated during a task that involves a working memory there is a greater increase in the abnormality of dopamine activity in the striatum that is though to be related to deficits in neurocognition in schizophrenia. While the credibility of the diagnosis has introduced many difficulties in the measurement of the relative effect of genes and the factor of environment, more and more evidence have suggested that environmental and genetic factors can combine and create a reaction that would lead to the mental disorder of schizophrenia. Suggestions have also been made regarding the diagnosis of schizophrenia had an important genetic composition but that is influenced by the stressors or factors relating to the environment. The concept of a vulnerability that can be inherited from by some people can be destroyed by psychological, biological and environmental stressors. This is known as the stress-diathesis model. The idea that psychological, biological and social factors is more significant is called the biopsychosocial model in analyzing the causes of schizophrenia (Goldner, Hsu 2002). The approximate degree and frequency of hereditary causes in schizophrenia has a tendency to vary because of the difficulty in the separation of the effects of the environment and genetics. Twin studies have both suggested that there is a high rate of cases involving schizophrenia caused by genetic factors. It is possible that schizophrenia is a mental condition that is complicated in hereditary nature with many genes likely interacting to increase the risk of schizophrenia or the separate parts that can also occur that will lead to its diagnosis. Studies in genetics have implied that genes that increase the risk for the development of schizophrenia are not specific and may also increase the risk of development of other psychotic disorders. A breakthrough in recent research also suggested that very rare copies or omissions of small DNA sequences within the genes that are known as copy number variants were also related to the increased rate of risk for the development of schizophrenia (Noll 2006). It has also been thought that factors that cause schizophrenia can combine in the early development of the human brain during pregnancy. This would later increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. One finding that raised a great amount of curiosity is that people who were diagnosed with the mental illness is said to have been more possibly born in spring or winter in those living in the northern hemisphere of the planet. There is current evidence that exposure to infections during the prenatal stage can increase the risk of the development of schizophrenia in the age of maturity. This finding provides additional proof that linked the utero-developmental pathology with the risk of developing the mental disorder. Social conditions also help the increased risk of schizophrenia. People who are living in a highly urbanized environment have been found out to be exposed to great risk of being afflicted with the mental disorder. Poverty, poor living conditions and social status has also been found to contribute to the risk factor. Migration of people that is related to social problems like racial discrimination, unemployment and people coming from broken families also become factors of developing schizophrenia. There has been an implication made regarding the risk factor of childhood abuse and trauma that can cause schizophrenia later on in life. Lack of support and family dysfunctions also increase the risk but not directly connected to parenting. Substance use have also been found to increase the risk of schizophrenia but the relationship of this link is found to be complex. There has been some difficulty in distinguishing a clear relationship of substance use and the mental disorder. There is also solid evidence that the usage of certain illegal substances can start the onset or relapse of the mental illness in some people. These people who were diagnosed with schizophrenia use these substances to overcome negative emotions that comes with the intake of anti-psychotic medication and the mental condition itself. Negative feelings of paranoia and anhedonia were considered to be primary characteristics. The ingestion of amphetamines can trigger the brain to release dopamine that would increase dopamine activity. It is this excessive increase in activity that it is known to be partially responsible for the manifestation of psychotic symptoms of the mental disorder. This is partially supported by the idea that amphetamines can worsen the symptoms present in schizophrenia. This type of mental disorder can be triggered by heavy usage of stimulants and hallucinogens. One study has suggested the that the use of cannabis contributes to the occurrence of psychosis though some researchers suspect that the use of this substance was only a small part of the many factors of schizophrenia (Green 2002). There is also a number of psychological reasons that have been implicated in the development and sustainability of schizophrenia. A number of cognitive biases have been named in those that have been diagnosed and those that are at risk especially when there is the application of stress or in a state of confusion overly increased attention to potential threats, arriving at conclusions and impaired reasoning. There is also the manifestation of difficulty in differentiating from inner speech mechanism to one coming from an external entity and difficulty in retaining concentration. Case Studies: Anxiety Tom is an engineer, he is happily married, and he is the father of three bright, healthy children. By all appearances, his life is stable and satisfying. Tom, however, suffers from continual worry that he has a difficult time turning off. His anxiety may center on anything from his perceived health problems (he has recently been to his doctor for a physical, but no health issues were discovered) to money and job responsibilities. At times his anxiety peaks to the point that it interferes with his ability to function on the job. Physical symptoms include muscle tension, headaches, and hot flashes that often accompany Tom’s anxiety. Tom often feels nauseated, and he becomes easily fatigued. When he feels anxious, Tom has difficulty concentrating, he becomes irritable, and he has difficulty falling asleep at night. All of these symptoms have been present for the last 6 months. Tom has tried to talk himself out of his anxiety, but this has not worked for him. Toms wife is supportive, but she does not know what to do for her husband (Hauser, 2005). Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety. When confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli such as foul odors or tastes, PET-scans show increased bloodflow in the amygdala. Possible mechanism is malfunction in the parabrachial nucleus, a structure in the brain, that among other functions, coordinates signals from the amygdala with input concerning balance. The amygdala is involved in the emotion of fear. Biochemical factors come into play. Low levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that reduces overactivity in the central nervous system, contributes to anxiety. A number of anxiolytics achieve their effect by modulating the GABA receptors.

Is Hiroshima Necessary

World War Two raged on with huge increasing number of casualties caused in both Japan and America. However, Japanese military’s stubborn mindset had led to their refusal to end the war. In order to force the Japanese to surrender unconditionally, many have argued that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was needed. However, I would argue that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima alone would be sufficient in forcing the Japanese to surrender unconditionally. The words â€Å"needed to force† in the question implies that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the only measure left while the words â€Å"surrender unconditionally† means that there would be no guarantees made for the country that surrenders. In order to put an end to the horrifying war which took millions of lives, the bombing was indeed necessary. Only the presence of an overwhelming demonstration of destructive capability would serve as a shock to and be sufficient in changing the mindset of the stubborn Japanese military, making them surrender unconditionally. However, traditional firing of air raids would have been another alternative even though it would require a longer time and greater efforts. Thus, I would argue that only the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was needed to force the Japanese to surrender unconditionally. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the only measure left to make the Japanese surrender without any guarantee in order to prevent greater loss of lives. The war had already resulted in millions of deaths and a continuation to the war would only cost more lives. To prevent the number of casualties from rising, it was necessary to force the Japanese to surrender. The Americans were left with the choice to either invade Japan or to drop the atomic bombs to force Japan to surrender. However, it was estimated that the invasion of Honshu and Kyushu would cost 1 million casualties to American forces alone whereas dropping the atomic bombs would only result in casualties in Japan and was thus seen as a better sacrifice for the war to end. Moreover, the effect of the bomb was a better promising solution to end the war due to its destructive effect. Thus, the only measure left to prevent the number of casualties from increasing was to drop the atomic bombs to create a destructive effect in Hiroshima and Nagasaki so that Japan would be left with no other choice but to surrender. However, Japan was already running out on war resources due to the embargoes. Japan was also beginning to suffer as Allied aircraft and submarines began to cut the shipping routes that brought raw materials and food into Japan from her territories in Asia Pacific. Japan was running out on oil and petroleum, which are crucial for war efforts. Even though oil fields in the East Indies were under Japanese control, the sea routes in which the ships had to sail pass in order to import the oil and petroleum to Japan were subjected to constant attack from the Allies. Without these resources, it is impossible for Japan to continue the war. Thus, Japan would have surrendered after a period of time even if the bombs were not dropped. However, without the dropping of the bombs, it would have been impossible to make Japan surrender without any guarantees. To the Japanese, surrender would be a threat to the Emperor. Thus, Japan would only agree to surrender if guarantees were given that the Emperor would be allowed to retain his throne. Thus, the atomic bombing was needed and the only measure left to force the Japanese to surrender without any guarantees. Yet another reason as to why the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the only measure left to make the Japanese surrender without any guarantee was because of the stubborn Japanese military. The Japanese military had the mindset that â€Å"A true soldier would rather die than to surrender†. Thus, it was believed that the Japanese had intended to fight to their deaths. Even after the Americans modified the ultimatum and demanded only an unconditional surrender from the Armed forces of Japan after they discovered that an unconditional surrender would be seen as a threat to the Japanese Emperor, they refused to surrender. Ironically, the softening of the surrender backfired and instead, the Japanese saw it as a promising development from the enemy and assumed that the Americans no longer insisted on a full unconditional surrender as circumstances have arisen that forced them to end the war. Prime Minister Suzuki thought that by insisting on their demands, the Americans would eventually give in to their requests. Hence, Japan stubbornly refused to surrender. Thus, the only measure left to force the Japanese to surrender without any guarantees was to drop the atomic bombs, which would result in destructive effects to shock the Japanese military into surrendering. However, not the entire of Japan was against surrendering. Unlike Germany, Japan was not ruled by a dictator but a system of government which includes a prime minister, a cabinet made up of military, civilians and a parliament. After the Potsdam Conference in Berlin on 16 July, Prime Minister Suzuki and foreign minister Togo were considering a negotiated settlement. Even the Emperor gave instructions to Prime Minister Suzuki to find a way to end the war as soon as possible. Japan also started to send peace offers to the United States, showing her desire to negotiate for surrender. However, it was also clear that these were not enough to end the war. The Japanese military and General Korechika Anami were determined to continue the war. Soon, a political stalemate was present between the civilian leaders and military leaders, where the civilian leaders tried to find ways to negotiate to an end of the war whereas the military leaders wanted to continue even if they had to place their lives at stake. As Japan could only legally enter into a peace agreement when unanimous support was achieved in the cabinet, orders were given that Japan would ignore the revised ultimatum. Hence, only the dropping of the atomic bombs would make the Japanese military realise that they should surrender to minimize further casualties. Thus, the atomic bombing was needed and the only measure left to force the Japanese to surrender without any guarantees. On the other hand, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not the only measure left to make the Japanese surrender without any guarantee because firing fierce conventional air raids would also be an alternative. All along, the Americans have been firing constant air raids, which have caused considerable damage, killing about 241,000 to 900,000 Japanese. The air raids have also resulted in extensive damage to many cities in Japan as well as a huge decline in industrial production. Hence, firing constant conventional air raids would have been able to exert sufficient pressure on Japan to agreeing to an unconditional surrender without releasing the atomic bombs. Thus, the atomic bombing was not needed to force the Japanese to surrender without any guarantees. However, firing air raids would require a longer time to force the Japanese to surrender without any guarantees. Meanwhile, there would also be more resulting casualties. On the contrary, the atomic bombs would have a faster effect on Japan as she would only be left with the choice to surrender, fearing that America would drop atomic bombs in other parts of Japan and eventually mark the end of the Japanese empire. Thus, the atomic bombing was needed to force the Japanese to surrender without any guarantees. After reconsidering the above points, it is conclusive that the atomic bombing was indeed needed to force the Japanese to surrender unconditionally. However, the atomic bombing on Hiroshima alone would be sufficient. The duration between the two atomic bombings was three days, which was insufficient for Japan to realise the destructive effect of the nuclear bombs. In addition, Japan was already planning to surrender previously. Hence, if Japan was given more time to understand the effect of the nuclear weapon on her country and people, she would have surrendered unconditionally. Thus, only the atomic bombing on Hiroshima was needed to force the Japanese to surrender unconditionally.

Curbing Unemployment Through Skills Acquisition

Curbing Unemployment through Skills Acquisition: A Study of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kaduna State By AMUPITAN, Oboromeni Federal University, Lokoja Nigeria January, 2011. ABSTRACT The paper â€Å"Curbing Unemployment through Skills acquisition: A case of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE)†Kaduna State is about unemployment and how it can be reduced through skills acquisition. This work is aimed at finding out how the NDE has reduced unemployment through its skills acquisition programme.Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources which include published and unpublished works, journals, internet, questionnaires and interviews. The systematic sampling method was used in determining the sample size of 150 respondents, statistical tables was used in data analysis while the Average Mean Score method was used for the test of the hypothesis formulated. The formulated hypothesis which states â€Å"that inadequate skills acquisition has led to an increase in graduate unemployment in Kaduna State† was Accepted.It was discovered and also recommended that skills acquisition is an effective tool in reducing graduate unemployment. Thus, specific skills acquisition schemes should be included in the curriculum of post-secondary schools to help make graduates self employed. INTRODUCTION 1. 1Background of the Study Unemployment is no longer an alien word to the world’s populace. Even the western world experienced a notable rise in their unemployment rate, as the official unemployment rate in the 16 European countries that use the euro rose to 10% in December, 2009. Deutsche. 2010) Developed countries which hitherto experienced full employment are presently affected. The situation in Nigeria is quite alarming as the unemployment rate tends to be on a perpetual rise. In nations, most especially, developing countries like Nigeria unemployment serves as a major yardstick for development as was rightly portrayed in Dud ley Seers definition of development. Seers (1969) asserted that: The questions to ask about a country’s development are therefore: what has been happening to poverty? What has been happening to inequality?What has been happening to unemployment? If all three of these have declined from high level, then beyond doubt this has been a period of development for the country concerned. If one or two of these central problems have been worse especially if all three have, it would be strange to call the result â€Å"development† even if per capita income doubled. As a result of this consequence and the rising rate of unemployment, the Federal Government of Nigeria established a committee in 1986 to proffer solution to the menace (unemployment).The committee’s recommendations formed the basis for the establishment of the â€Å"National Directorate of Employment† in 1986 established to curb and reduce the rate of unemployment through skills acquisition, self employm ent and labour intensive work scheme. 1. 2Statement of the Problem The International Labour Organisation feels â€Å"occurs when a person is available and willing to work but currently without work†. It is unfortunate that such occurrence is prevalent in the nation. Ake opined that â€Å"unemployment remains the greatest challenge of the economic wellbeing of the Nigerian Nation† (Daily Trust Newspaper, Jan. , 2010 Pg. 34) Unemployment rate has been of immense interest to the general public and policy makers. The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) was established in 2003 to promote the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector of the Nigeria economy. It is to source, process and disseminate business information, develop policy, establish business support programmes build capacity and promote services, enhance MSME access to finance. The question is: how may Micro Small and Medium Enterprises have emerged from this scheme?The recent crisis in the financial sector which has led to a ban on loan is an obvious limitation to this scheme. Should our graduates then become unemployed because banks are not giving out loans? Another of such programme is the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) Limited which is dedicated to financing agriculture at both micro and macro levels, they are to provide affordable financial and advisory services to the farm and non-farm enterprises of the Nigeria economy using well trained and highly motivated staff, back by appropriate technology.If the NACRDB provided such assistance on time and make their procedures less cumbersome, many people would have been attracted to the scheme. But ironically, such funds more often than not are eventually made available at the end of the farming season. Also programmes such as (the Directorate for food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures otherwise known as (DFRRI), Mass Mobilization Self Reliance and Ec onomic Reconstruction (MAMSER) and the National Agricultural Land Development Project (NALDA) created by the Babangida regime were all scraped by the Abacha regime.During the 1980’s there was a global recession which became progressively worse for Nigeria because of the inherent weakness in the economy. The sudden reduction in oil prices led to cuts in government expenditure budgets leading to a reduction in employment opportunities especially school leavers. Hence, in order to curb the menace of the rising unemployment rate and considering its political and socio-economic implication; which includes a general increase in crime rates, such as armed robbery, youth restiveness, political thuggery, alcoholism, vandalization of petroleum pipes and electricity cables and prostitution.Economic wastage such as excessive loss of output which manifests in a reduction of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and gross underutilization of Human Resources were reasons which led to the establishme nt of the National Directorate of Employment in 1986 to create employment for the teaming unemployed. Unfortunately, unemployment has either been on the rise or fluctuating, this is reflective in the various unemployment rates. As at 1985, unemployment rate was 8. 5%; 14. % in 2005 and as at December, 2009 it became 19. 7% (Wikipedia Encyclopedia). Is the National Directorate of employment living up to its mandate or are there other factors that affect unemployment? This, the researcher seeks to find out. Hence, this study seeks to find out how the National directorate of Employment has helped in reducing unemployment through skills acquisition programmes. 1. 3Objectives of the Study 1) To determine the causes of unemployment in Nigeria. ) To find out whether skills acquisition will help curb unemployment to the barest minimum. 3) To proffer possible solutions to the problems being faced by the National Directorate of Employment and make recommendations that will help improve the Di rectorate. 1. 4 Hypothesis Tested The following hypothesis was formulated: That inadequate skills acquisition has led to an increase in graduate unemployment in Kaduna state. 1. 5Significance of the StudyThe study would provide vital information on the reduction of unemployment through skills acquisition; thereby helping not just students of public administration but the general public, policy makers and politicians, who are either affected in one way or the other or charged with the task of making developmental policies to set their priorities right. On the whole, the work would also add to knowledge. 1. 6Scope and Limitation This study is limited to the graduate scheme of the National directorate of Employment, Kaduna state.Focus was on two local governments, that is, Zaria and Kaduna north, mainly because they contain the highest proportion of graduate beneficiaries. The time frame used is 2005 to 2009. 1. 7Methodology Data for this study was collected from both primary and secon dary sources, which include textbooks, journals, newspapers, article, and the brochure of National Directorate of Employment, National Directorate of Employment annual reports, file documents, internet, and publication, among others.Primary data were sourced mainly from questionnaires administered to both staff and beneficiaries of the National Directorate of Employment. Population and Sample Size Two local governments (Zaria, and Kaduna South) were picked as the focus basically because they have the highest amount of graduate beneficiaries. Thus, 150 questionnaires were administered to both members of staff and beneficiaries. The Systematic Sampling method in which 1 respondent was picked out of every 8 respondents was used. This gave a sample size of 150 respondents out of the total population size of 1200 people.The total population size includes both beneficiaries and staff is 1200. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques i. e. Average mean scor e and tables will form the basic analytical tools. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2. 1Discussion of Related Concepts 2. 1. 1Unemployment Unemployment as defined by the International Labour Organisation â€Å"occurs when a person is available and willing to work but currently without work. Thus ILO agrees that only a person who is willing and available to work can be referred to as unemployed.This implies that not everybody who is not working is unemployed, To Colander D. C. unemployment occurs when people are looking for a job and cannot find one. This further concurs with the earlier definition where there is a conscious effort by the person or people seeking employment, but fails to point out if the person or people in question have something doing or not, because some people who are working seek new jobs. Form the foregoing definitions, one is forced to ask if anybody willing and available to work could be termed unemployed, evened if the person is a child.To this F rank R. et al defined unemployment as â€Å"adults not holding a job but looking for one. † Who then is an adult? An adult is one who is 18 years and above, therefore the definition could be said to be â€Å"Anyone who is 18 years and above who is not holding a job but looking for one could be termed unemployed. In line with the aforementioned, the Bureau of Labour Statistics USA considers a person who is 16 years or older who has not worked during the preceding week but made some effort to find work (for example, by going to a job interview) in the past four weeks as unemployed.Unemployment in Nigeria has actually become a menace, a vivid picture of which was painted by former executive secretary, National Manpower Board (NMB) Umo when he said at a seminar that â€Å"the problem of unemployment amongst our tertiary gradates is of recent vintage, if situated in a historical perspective, it is not more than two decades since it started, but since then, it has become unabated and cumulative†. To him many young graduates move from long spells of unemployment to high crimes including armed robbery while others have become handy tools for unscrupulous politicians. 2. 1. 2EmploymentThe Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines employment as â€Å"the situation in which people have work†. This definition clearly States that when a person has work doing he/she is employed but fails to specify if the person is being paid for the work or not. Operationally, employment could be referred to the act of labour force being temporarily or fully occupied on either wages basis of interest basis for self occupied work. This definition added a new dimension, in that employment could be work based on wages or mere self interest either way, one is employed provided he/she is working.Frank et al defined employment in terms of being employed. To them a person is employed if he or she worked full-time or part-time (even for a few hours) during the past week or is on vacation or sick-leave from a regular job. In a nut shell, employment could be defined as a person who is currently working for wages or self-interest. 2. 1. 3Labour Force Thomas J. H. et al (1970) defines labour force â€Å"as the non-institutional population who are working or looking for work†.That is, it includes the unemployed, employed, proprietors, the self employed and members of the armed forces. To him, the labour force excludes all person engaged exclusively in housework in the homes or attending school, that is, a student, is not a member of the labour force unless he is working in addition to attending school (it is worthy of note that â€Å"non-institutional population† refers to all persons 16 years of age and older including members of the armed services but excluding persons in institutions). 2. 1. 4 Full EmploymentTo Ackely the concept of full employment is a very â€Å"slippery concept† and though â€Å"full employment is not definable nor should it be defined†, believes that Henry Hazlutt, it is worth-while analyzing the various views of economists on full employment. The Classical View The classical economists believed in the existence of full employment in the economy. Full employment to them was a normal situation and any deviation from this was regarded as abnormal. To the classical economists â€Å"unemployment resulted from the rigidity in the wage structure and interference in the working of free market system.This comes in the form of trade union legislation, minimum wage legislation etc. On the other hand, Full employment exists â€Å"when everybody who at the running rate of wages wishes to be employed†. According to Pigou, those who are not prepared to work at the existing wage rate are not unemployed because they are voluntarily unemployed. To them, there should be no possibility of involuntary unemployment in the sense that, people are prepared to work but they do not find work. Accordi ng to the classical economists, the above view only operates in an ideal economy.This far differs from the reality in which involuntary unemployment is prevalent. The Keynesian View To Keynes, full employment means the absence of involuntary unemployment. That is, full employment is a situation in which everybody who wants to work gets work. He assumes that â€Å"with a given organisation, equipment and technique, real wages and the volume of output are uniquely co-related so that, in general, an increase in employment can only occur to the accompaniment of a decline in the rate of wages†.In order to achieve full employment, Keynes advocates increases in effective demand to bring about reduction in real wages. 2. 2Types of Unemployment Economists have distinguished between various types of unemployment which includes Cyclical Unemployment, Frictional Unemployment, Structural Unemployment and Classical Unemployment. The aforementioned types are the most widely accepted by scho lars. Other additional types that are occasionally mentioned are Seasonal unemployment, Hardcore unemployment Migrated unemployment. . 2. 1Cyclical or Keynesian Unemployment Cyclical or Keynesian unemployment is also known as Demand Deficient Unemployment. It occurs when there is not enough aggregated demand in the economy. Cyclical unemployment exists when the number of workers demanded falls short of the number of persons supplied (in the labour force). It gets its name because it varies with the business cycle which consists of alternating periods of booms and depressions. Robert F. et al said it could e likened to the most familiar form of musical chairs, in which the number of chairs is always less than the number of players. The Great Depression of the 1930’s is a striking example of Cyclical unemployment. In Nigeria today, the recent economic in Nigeria recession where supply was more than demand, most especially in the private sector is an example of cyclical unemploy ment. 2. 2. 2Frictional Unemployment Frictional unemployment occurs when a worker moves from one job to another. The time period between jobs is considered â€Å"frictional unemployment†.Frictional unemployment is an example of a productive part of the economy, increasing both the worker’s long term welfare and economic efficiency and is also a type of voluntary unemployment. 2. 2. 3Structural Unemployment Structural unemployment occurs when the numbers of jobs in a labour market are unable to provide substantial jobs for everyone who wants one. 2. 2. 4Classical Unemployment Classical or real-way unemployment occurs when real wages for a job are set above the market clearing level, causing the number of job-seekers to exceed the number of vacancies.Economists like Murray Ruthbard, suggest that even social taboos can prevent wages from falling to the market clearing level. Some economists believe that this type of unemployment can be reduced by increasing the flexibilit y of wages (abolishing minimum wages or employee protection) to make the labour market more like a financial market. This suggestion unfortunately, will lead to massive exploitation on the part of employers most especially in developing countries. 2. 2. 5Seasonal Unemployment Bradley R. S. s of the view that some joblessness is virtually inevitable as long as we continue to grow crops, build houses, or go skiing at certain seasons of the year. At the end of each season thousands of workers go searching for new jobs, thereby experiencing some seasonal unemployment in the process. Like in Nigeria, during the raining season, farmers are actively employed to plough sow, cultivate and harvest crops, this include both the aged and young. It is very common to see rural-urban migrants, return to their rural villages to cultivate during the raining season.And once harvest is over they return to towns to search for menial jobs to carter for their needs. 2. 3Causes of Unemployment in Nigeria T he cost of unemployment in any nation cannot be overemphasized, below are some of the costs identified by eminent scholars: individuals, economists, psychological, social socio-political. Economic Causes i)The Legacy of British Rule The bequest of some Nigerians who had high school education after independent and held job felt to be remunerated with high wages was a right.This made majority of high school graduates at that time expressed their distaste for agriculture and their desires to be â€Å"pen pushers† these people were attracted to white collar jobs which were borrowed from the colonial master. This white collar jobs were unlike agriculture which provides employment for about eighty percent of the population. The colonial government fiscal policy with respect to employment also discouraged new entrants into agriculture which was the major alternative for white collar job.Under the policy, marketing boards were introduced where farmers were heavily taxed by the coloni al government. This made agriculture less appealing and killed the incentive that would have made people wish to take it upon as a carrier. Therefore, the mentality of white collar job was built into individuals Nigerian as a future employment. ii)The Oil Boom Era (1974-1980) Agriculture prior to the exportation of petrol had been the main asset of the economy but was neglected during the oil boom. All sorts of things were imported into the country.The government of the day embarked upon all sorts of â€Å"white elephant:† projects e. g Ajaokuta Steel, building of Refinery, etc instead of investing in property with the windfall from oil. Over reliance on petroleum has till today led to fluctuation in government’s expenditures on unnecessary things and wastage of resource. The sudden slump in the international market for oil makes many projects undertaken especially construction come to stand still. Many employment opportunities were forced to reduce their capabilities. Nigeria found itself in economic mess which it is still battling to salvage. iii)Consumption Pattern This entails the pattern of consumption of Nigerians’ as a relationship to the problem of unemployment. It has contributed to the high level of urban unemployment because the consumption of urban centres’ entails imported goods which attracted more able people from rural areas to search for job in urban centres’. This is due to the fact that Nigerians are to believe their home made goods are inferior.But the more the demand for goods and services from foreign source the more employment we make available to the nationals of those countries and the reverse is the case for Nigeria. Social Causes i)Rural-Urban Migration The flow of labour force from rural to urban area has been a major cause of Nigeria’s unemployment situation. As a result of the neglect of agriculture and great increase in government expenditure during the oil boom era led to the migration of many young people who would have otherwise stayed in the rural areas to practice agriculture as an occupation.Most migrants from rural areas were found to have only primary education with few having six years of secondary education. This led to surplus of unskilled workers and shortage of high level manpower. But now that Nigeria’s economy is producing more and more gradates from her institutions of higher learning, in almost all the metropolitan cities the unemployment problem continues to increase. People unable to get job since urban areas became saturated and unable to absorb every skilled job seekers. Table 1Unemployment Rates, 2003-2007 (as at December) Description| 2003| 2004| 2005| 2006| 2007| National (Composite)| 14. 8| 11. 8| 11. 9| 14. 6| 10. 9| Urban | 17. 1| 11. 0| 10. 1| 10. 0| 10. 0| Rural | 13. 8| 12. 1| 12. 6| 15. 1| 12. 6| Source: National Bureau of Statistics, 2007. From the table above the composite unemployment rate stood at 11. 9% in 2005 compared with 14. 6% in 2006, and 10. 9% in 2007. It also shows that the rural unemployment rate is higher, hence, the reason for migrating to the urban areas in search of greener pastures.Educational Factors The type of educational system inherited from the colonial masters put more emphasis on the production of gradates for white collars jobs at the expense of technical and vocational type. The result is that gradates do not only get unemployed but do not even find â€Å"black – collar† jobs to manage. Government policy with respect to university admission for first degrees in favour of the science as opposed to the arts does not still encourage students to study the science and other technological subjects, which Nigeria lacks.However, the expansion in all educational level ranging from primary to tertiary institutions has contributed more to the unemployment problem. This is because the expansion does not correspond with the job provisioning for future graduates from the numero us schools. Political Causes i)Political Instability Ever since Nigeria got her independence from the British colonial masters in 1960, there has been political instability. A major problem of post independent Nigeria has been conflicts of personalities in politics and unbridled political party rivalries both of which affected government policies in all parts of the country.Apart from the fact that the country had to go through a civil war form 1960 up till 1970. There has also been series of coups which have often resulted in abrupt changes in government up to date like that of June 12, 1993. This political environment which is unstable has negative effects on investment thereby creating problem of unemployment in the country. ii)Migrants from Neighbouring Countries People from neighbouring countries such as; Ghana, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast and Togo move down to Nigeria in search for jobs.They feel that the Nigeria economy is better and more promising. As a result of this the Ni gerian Labour Market cannot absorb all the job seekers, since it has too many factors to contend with. Foreign job seekers especially those from the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), those countries are often prepared to accept lower wages than Nigerians for the same type of work. And as employers are looking forward of cutting costs, they have no choice but to absorb these foreign seekers. Socio-Political CausesThe political independence Nigeria got from Great Britain was more of a flag independence and not economic Independence. Nigeria even today remains subservient to the whims and caprices of countries like Britain and United States of America. Despite the effort made to gain total control of the economy through the promulgation of the indigenization decree of 1977, Nigeria’s economy is still dominated by multinational corporations that employ a substantial number of Nigerians, thus, the fact remains that the profit is fleeing Nigeria to foreign countrie s head quarters.The profit flight is supposed to be ploughed back into the country for provision of more jobs and development. Furthermore, external participation in the domestic activities of Nigeria by foreigners which is not reciprocated by similar Nigerian participation in their own domestic affairs militate against development efforts. All these slow down the economic growth and cause unemployment problem. Ethnicity Problem Nigeria is made up of many ethnic groups. Each of this ethnic group had the fear that another group may dominate it.Apart from this, some ethnic groups which tend to be closer to neighbouring countries identify more with the than with other ethnic groups in the country that they are not familiar with. It is a fact that some northern States in Nigeria prefer to recruit Pakistani, Egyptians, and Indian professionals other than Nigerians from other ethnic group. Such discriminatory policies no doubt cause more unemployment in the country. 2. 4Theoretical Framew ork Various scholars have propounded theories relating to employment and unemployment.These include those of the Classical view who believe that full employment was a normal situation and any deviation from this was regarded as abnormal. Okun’s law which was propounded by an American Economist named Arthur Okun (1926-1980) who looked at the US GNP during the 1950s and 1960s. Thus, for the purpose of this work the KEYNESIAN THEORY was adopted. It was propounded by John Maynard Keynes, a British Economist whose ideas have profoundly affected the theory and practice of modern macro economics, social liberalism and economic policies of government. 2. 3. 1TheKeynesian Theory In the Keynesian theory which was propounded in 1936, Keynes argued that aggregate demand determined the overall level of economic activity, and that inadequate aggregate demand could lead to prolonged periods of high unemployment. He opined that if aggregate demand is not high enough to sustain full employmen t level of economy, then a gap is created between aggregate demand and aggregate supply known as the deflationary gap. To him this gap must be closed through concerted government programmes if not, the situation could degenerate into chronic unemployment.The Keynesian prescription for reducing unemployment includes the following: 1) Increase in aggregate total demand through direct increase in government expenditure 2) By government policies that indirectly encourage more private investments (e. g. investment subsidies, tax allowances, low investment rates on business loans, establishing of institutions, etc). 2. 3. 2Its Application to this Study Looking at its applicability to this work, the Keynesian theory States that: inadequate aggregate demand could lead to prolonged periods of high unemployment.It is no longer news in Nigeria that the demand for labour is on the decrease, as industries (e. g. textile) which hitherto where major employers of labour have been closed down due to unfavourable working conditions such as poor electricity supply, financial institutions have been hit by global recessions and the public sector have also resorted to downsizing thus making aggregate demand grossly inadequate thereby leading to a high rate of unemployment. Nigerian unemployment is a typical case of shortage in aggregate demand; the supply by far supersedes the demand.With thousands of graduates leaving the higher institutions each year, the demand for time in the labour market depreciates. To Keynes, if aggregate demand is not high enough to sustain full employment level of the economy, then a gap is created between aggregate demand and aggregate supply known as the deflationary gap. This gap manifests itself in chronic unemployment which is been witnessed in Nigeria, with an unemployment rate of 19. 7% as at December, 2009. He further propounded that this gap must be closed through concerted government programmes so as to avoid unemployment.From the foregoing it i s evident that the Keynesian theory of unemployment not only explains the unemployment problem but has proffered solutions or ways of eradicating it. An Overview of the National Directorate of Employment 3. 1Introduction The worldwide economic depression of the early 80s caused a rapid deterioration in Nigerian’s economy. Industrial output shrank to an all time low and commercial activities were consequently reduced, leading to the loss of employment opportunity for many Nigerians.By the end of 1985 the unemployment situations in Nigeria had reached desperate and alarming proportions (about 8. 5%). In the urban areas, where the educated tend to congregate, the unemployment rate was especially high. In the rural areas, it was no less severe. Graduate unemployment, which hitherto was unnoticed, emerged and was growing rapidly. The effect of such large-scale unemployment spelt disaster for both the society and individual victims. Deviant behaviours expressed in crimes and other anti-social behaviours were frequent among the frustrated youths.The increase in crime rates and riots further created an atmosphere of general insecurity. Unemployed youths were easily susceptible to such manipulations and incitement by unscrupulous elements in the society or even politicians. It is in line with this that president Babangida appointed a committee on 26 March 1986 to deliberate on strategies for dealing with mass unemployment under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity. The report of the Chukwuma committee, as it became popularly known, was approved by the Federal Government in October 1986.Based on its recommendations the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was established on November 22, 1986 and its initial core programmes were formally launched on 30th January 1987. The president in his 1987 budget speech directed the new body to concentrate its effort on the reactivation of public works, promotion of direct labour, pro motion of self-employment, organisation of artisans into co-operatives, and encouragement of a culture of maintenance and repairs.To ensure effective implementation of the President’s directive, a board of Directors representing a cross section of all interest groups from industry, commerce, agriculture, finance, employers, labour and government was set-up to define policy and supervise operations. This board articulated four (4) practical programmes nationwide, each operating as a separate department. They include: a) National youth Employment and Vocational Skills Development Programme. b) Small scale industries and graduate employment programme. c) Agriculture sector employment programme d) Special public works programmes.These programmes were backed by the necessary administrative, monitoring and support personnel, thus enabling optimum use of resources and prompt response to the requirement of the public. 3. 2Objectives of the National Directorate of Employment The objec tives of the NDE were clearly Stated in Decree No. 24 of 1989 [i. e. NDE Decree (1989)] section 2 of the Decree provides for the objectives of the directorate. Thus, the NDE mandate is as follows: i) To design and implement programmes to combat mass unemployment. ii) To articulate policies aimed at developing programmes with labour intensive potentials. ii) To obtain and maintain a data bank of employment and vacancies in the country with a view to acting as a clearing house to link job seekers with vacancies. iv) To implement any other policies as may be laid down from time to time by the Board established under section 3 of its enabling act. NDE’s main function is to combat mass unemployment through skills acquisition, self-employment and labour-intensive work scheme. 4. 1Summary of discussions and findings It is no longer news that salaried jobs can no longer cater for the teaming graduates turned into the labour market from various higher institutions in Nigeria.This has led to the search of alternative means of lively hood. One of such is the acquisition of specific skills to make graduates self-employed. It is against this backdrop that the hypothesis which States, â€Å"That skills acquisition is a prerequisite to a reduction in graduate unemployment in Kaduna State† was formed. In order to ascertain the hypothesis above, respondents were asked questions bordering on their level of acquisition vis-a-vis unemployment. The questions were answered by checking one position on two point scale of â€Å"Yes and No†. 4. 1. 1SkillsAcquired apart from Western Education Here respondents were asked if they have acquired any skill apart from the regularly western education. The responses gotten are shown in table 4. 1 below: Table 4. 1 Acquisition of Special Skills apart from Western Education Response| No. of Respondents| Percentage| Yes | 86| 59. 7| No| 58| 40. 3| Total | 144| 100| Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. The table above indi cates that 86 respondents representing 59. 7% have acquired specific skills other than the western education while 58 respondents which represent 40. 3% have not.This shows that specific skills acquisition is not alien to graduates in Kaduna State. 4. 1. 2Self Employment The respondents were further asked if they were presently self-employed. The following were the responses gotten: Table 4. 2: Self Employment Response| No. of Respondents| Percentage| Yes | 55| 38. 2| No| 89| 61. 8| Total | 144| 100| Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. Table 4. 13 depicts that 38. 2% of the respondents are self employed while 61. 8% are not. This shows that some respondents are utilizing the skills they have acquired. 4. 1. 3Nature of Self EmploymentThe respondents who claimed to be self-employed were asked to specify the nature of their self-employment and the following responses were gotten. i) Fashion designing ii) Farming iii) Electrical works iv) Wood work/carpentry v) Mechanized farming vi) Forest trading 4. 1. 4Acquisition of Specific Skills by Graduates in Kaduna State Many people agree that depending solely on salaried jobs is not the best. Thus, people should learn to acquire alternative sources of income. Hence, the respondents were asked: Do you think that most graduates in Kaduna State have acquired necessary skills to make them self employed?Their responses are given below. Table 4. 3: Acquisition of Special Skills by Graduates in Kaduna State Response| No. of Respondents| Percentage| Yes | 36| 25| No| 108| 75| Total | 144| 100| Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. The table above shows that 36 respondents signifying 25% agreed that graduates in Kaduna State posses the necessary skill of being self employed while 108 respondents representing 75% were of the contrary view. , this shows that most gradates in Kaduna State have not acquired necessary specified skills to be self employed. 4. 1. 5Self Employment an Alternative to Salaried JobThe respondents were further asked if they agreed that self-employed in an alternative to salaried jobs. The following responses in table 4. 15 below were gotten. Table 4. 4: Employment an Alternative to salaried Jobs Response| No. of Respondents| Percentage| Yes | 136| 94. 4| No| 8| 5. 6| Total | 144| 100| Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. The table above indicates that 94. 4% of the respondents agreed that self-employment is an alternative to salaried jobs while 5. 6% do not agree that it is an alternative. Based on the responses gotten, it clearly shows that most people take self-employment as an alternative to salaried jobs. . 1. 6Skills Acquisition Schemes Established by the Government and Self Employment In a bid to make people become self-employed, government has put in place various schemes among which is the NDE. Thus, respondents were asked if the skills acquisition schemes put in place by the government have helped beneficiaries to become self-employed. The following were the res ponses gotten Table 4. 5: Skills Acquisition Schemes and Self Employment. Response| No. of Respondents| Percentage| Yes | 120| 83. 3| No| 24| 16. 7| Total | 144| 100| Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. From table 4. 16 above, 120 respondents representing 83. % agreed that the skills acquisition schemes put in place by government have helped beneficiaries to become self-employed while 24 respondents representing 16. 7% disagreed. 4. 1. 7Inclusion of Specific Skills Acquisition Programme in Post-Secondary School Curriculum With regards to specific skills acquisition, respondents were asked if skills acquisition programmes be included in Post-secondary schools’ curriculum and the following responses were gotten: Table 4. 6: Inclusion of specific skills acquisition programmes in post-secondary school curriculum Response| No. of Respondents| Percentage| Yes | 140| 97. 2| No| 4| 2. 8|Total | 144| 100| Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. For table 4. 17 above, 140 respo ndents representing 97. 2% opined that specific skills acquisition programmes should be included in all post-secondary schools curriculum while 4 respondents representing 2. 8% held a contrary opinion. 4. 1. 8 Opinions about Skills Acquisition Schemes in Nigeria Respondents were asked to state their opinion on the skills acquisition schemes put in place by government and the following opinions/views were gotten: i) That the skills acquisition schemes have helped reduced unemployment not only in Kaduna State but in the country as a whole; ii)That loan should be made available to the unemployed so that they can utilize both funds and skills together; iii) That skills acquisitions schemes should be fully implemented so that it’s aims and objectives can be accomplished; iv) That skills acquisition scheme should be well funded; v) It was also expressed that the skills acquisition schemes in Nigeria is too small compared to the population of the unemployed, thereby making it insign ificant; vi) That, the skills acquisition schemes are sub-standard and need to be improved so that it can compete with those in other nations; vii) That skills acquisition helps graduate to become self employed; viii) That for skills acquisitions to succeed an adequate system that ensures the monitoring and evaluation of the scheme must be put in place; ix) That the skills acquisition schemes have been bedeviled by poor management plan, indiscipline and corruption; x) That the culture of skill acquisition should be inculcated into the citizens right form primary schools; Finally, that there should be more awareness and funding of the schemes available The table below shows a summary of the questions asked and responses gotten. 4. 2Test of Hypothesis using the Average Mean Score Method. The average mean score was used to test the Hypothesis which States: â€Å"That inadequate skills acquisition has led to an increase in graduate unemployment in Kaduna State†. Formular: X = ? p x where X=Average mean score ?p=Summation of percentages x=Total number of variablesDecision Rule: Accept Ho if average means score is 60% and above, reject Ho if average means score is less than 60%. Variables 1) Acquisition of specific skills other than western education 2) Self employment 3) Acquisition of specific skills by graduates in Kaduna State. 4) Self employment and alternative to salaried jobs 5) Skills acquisition schemes and self-employment 6) Skills acquisition and post secondary curriculum Table 4. 7: Highest Responses Variables | Responses | 1| 59. 7% of the respondents opined that they have acquired specific skills other than western education. | 2| 61. 8% of the respondents said they were not self employed. 3| 70% of the respondents were of the view that most graduates in Kaduna State have not acquired specific skills. | 4| 94. 4% of the respondents agreed that self-employment is an alternative to salaried jobs. | 5| 83. 3% of the respondents agree that skills ac quisition schemes have made their beneficiaries self employed. | 6| 97. 2% of the respondents agreed that specific skills acquisition programmes should be included in post-secondary school curriculum. | Source: Researcher’s Survey, 2010. No. of Variables Percentages 159. 7 261. 8 375 494. 4 583. 3 697. 2 Total 6471. 4 ?p=471. 4= 78. 6% x 6 X = 78. 6% From the above calculation the average mean score of the Hypothesis is 78. 6%.Going by the decision rule which States that Accept Ho if average mean score is 60% and above, our Ho which States; â€Å"that inadequate skills acquisition has led to an increase in graduate unemployment in Kaduna State† is Accepted. This implies that adequate skills acquisition will lead to a decrease in graduate unemployment in Kaduna State. 4. 3Major Findings It was discovered that Skills Acquisition is an effective tool in the reduction of graduate unemployment in Kaduna State. The researcher found out that most unemployed graduates in Kadun a State will opt for self-employment through the acquisition of specific skills, rather than wait for the non-existent salaried jobs. The researcher found out that â€Å"skill acquisition schemes† when effectively implemented will go a long way to reducing graduate unemployment not just in Kaduna State but in Nigeria as a whole.It was also discovered that skills acquisition gives birth to small scale enterprise which in turn boost individual and national economy. As in the case of developed nations like China, Japan and even USA who started from small scale enterprises and they are world powers today. Thus, the importance of skills acquisition in unemployment reduction and by extension poverty reduction cannot be over-emphasized. 5. 1Conclusions and Recommendations As established by the study, the importance of skills acquisition cannot be overemphasized. Thus, it is recommended that learning of specific skills should be inculcated into the curriculum of the post-secondary sc hools of not just Kaduna State but Nigeria as a whole irrespective of the course of study.In developed countries like the USA courses are courses such as fashion designing, automobile repairs, traffic control, animal husbandry, typesetting, catering, horticulture, swimming, memo writing, satellite installation, wood work and even cooking are included in formal school curriculum. Such compulsory electives should be imbibed in the nation thereby creating the spirit of entrepreneurship. There should be a diversification in the activities of the National Directorate of Employment. New challenging and innovative skills should be introduced from time to time. This will make it more enticing appealing for gradates to enrol, as young people like to explore new grounds. Also, specific organisation or institution should be established with the sole aim of tackling graduate unemployment.Since unemployment cuts across various barriers (gender, class, age) and the National Directorate of Employm ent which is saddled with combating unemployment cannot effectively manage graduate unemployment as its resources (time, finance) are divided among other classes. Thus, giving more attention to graduate unemployment by establishing a body with the mandate of combating graduate unemployment will go a long way. References Bradley R. Schiller (2004) The Macro Economy Today 9th ed: New Delhi; McGraw Hill Irwin Companies. D. Rudiger et al (2004): Macro Economics: New Delhi; Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. David C. Colonader (2001) Macro Economics 4th ed. : New York; McGraw-Hill Irwin.Euro-Zone Unemployment Climbs to 10 percent High Deutsche Welle. January 29, 2010. F. Onosode (1993): The Decades of Development Crises in Nigeria Essays. Ikeja: Malthouse Press Ltd. F. A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty:www. google. com G. Umoden (1992): The Babangida Year: Ikoyi-Lagos; Gabumo Publishing Company ltd. http://atext. ap[lia. com/controller/apliatext. aspx International Labour Organisat ion: Resolution concerning statistics of the economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment, adopted by the thirteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (Oct. 1982) pg. 4. Jhingan M. L. (2004) Principles of Economics. 2nd ed. : India; Vrinda Publication Ltd.National Bureau of Statistics, Core Welfare Indicator Questionnaire Newswise, Retrieved on October 27, 2008. National Directorate of Employment (2006) Brochure. Kaduna State Office. Richard A. (2007): â€Å"Fact Sheet on the Impact of Unemployment (PDF) Virginia Teach, Department of Economics USA. Robert F. e al (2001): Principles of Economics: India; McGraw-Hill Publishers S. Dudley (1969): The Meaning of Development. Eleventh Conference of the Society for International Development, New Delhi India. Wikipedia Encyclopaedia. www. econlog. econlib. org/archieves/2009 www. google. com www. uo. org/public. /english/bureau/stat/dpownload/ res/ecacpop. pdf

PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system Coursework

PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system - Coursework Example PACT - People, Activities, Contexts, and Technologies- is acknowledged as a beneficial framework for thinking about a design scenario in relation to a very interactive system (Lloyd, 2005). Undertaking a PACT analysis would be valuable for both analysis and design operations; understanding the situation at hand, finding where possible improvements can be done and envisioning situations in future. With PCT analysis one is able to gather all the research on target end users and scope out of the variation of various people, contexts, activities, and technologies possible in context. Depending on the analysis, one can develop concrete and clear scenarios of how target users would be interacting with the Shared Student Shopping System. PACT analysis findings are represented below: The people involved currently in this kind of system are basically students who are on session at various institutions and are being accommodated in institution’s hostels or any of the institution accommodation premises. A part from students, institution workers may not be left out because at times they are found with students purchasing groceries at various kiosks. In as much as the employees can as well benefit from this system, major end users who are to benefit are the students. At times controlling pocket money becomes a problem and a student may be left wondering what next after he or she has spent all the money and still needs to survive. Dedicating a grocer to supply groceries at times is challenging due to consistency issues which may leave the customer unsatisfied and very annoyed (Neeraja, 2011). Coming up with a system that can satisfy both parties can be of great relief since every party would benefit accordingly. An institution normally has students with different abilities; it is within this population that one hardly misses a disable student. Whenever building a system that target particular users, all factors should be considered

Water Supply Jacksonville Florida Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water Supply Jacksonville Florida - Essay Example In the year 2014, the Florida department of environmental protection performed a detailed assessment of the water system for potential contaminants (Jacksonville Electric Authority, 2014). The potential contaminants are the major grid with 49 sources and the Ponce de Leon grid with three sources. However, further studies on the potential pollutants portrayed a lower to moderate rate of susceptibility. The water in the region is hard water. The question is what is hard water? Affirmatively water can be described as hard water if it contains high levels of minerals that are dissolved. The minerals are such as magnesium and calcium. However, hard water does not pose a health risk, on the contrary, calcium and magnesium is important to human health (Jacksonville Electric Authority, 2014). Most individuals use the magnesium as antacids or common supplements. Hard water may leave spots on utensils; however, this can be removed by use of vinegar. Conclusively the water supply in Florida is safe for the health of the residents. Considerably the hard water in the region does not pose any health implications. Nevertheless, the spots it leaves on utensils can be removed by use of vinegar.

Secondary Data Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Secondary Data - Assignment Example h this comprises the integrity of the data to some extent since it is not gathered directly from the source (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2010); some studies require data that cannot be gathered directly or it can be unethical to expose participants directly to research conditions (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). Data that is gathered in such indirect ways is called secondary data; and when used appropriately, it can provide valuable information about the population (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). An example of a study using Secondary Data would be one that attempted to evaluate the changes in the manner and extent to which depression was reported over a decade at a campus clinic that caters to the students of a university. A study like this would want to study the number of cases reported; the symptoms described; and the treatment suggested and chosen as well as the number of cases that reported recovery and the time taken to achieve this recovery. The data required for this study is historical data that is available from the case files available at the clinic. The participants in this study would be the persons who were diagnosed with Depression; and it would be unethical to remind them of their illness – particularly since it can raise painful memories especially for participants who had to struggle with the illness for a long time (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). Also, participants who were diagnosed many years back may not remember the symptoms well; or the details of the treatment they took, and may not be able to provide details. These details can be taken from the case files; and will provide a more accurate representation; although using the case files limits the scope of the research to the details available (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2010). If the participant provided inaccurate information, this cannot be evaluated; nor can it provide information about people who did not approach the clinic but were depressed nevertheless.

Malleus Maleficarum forum 12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Malleus Maleficarum forum 12 - Essay Example The male chauvinistic society maligned women they considered influential. In the prosecution of witches, the society prosecuted a number of innocent women owing to their beliefs and attempts to defend such beliefs. In the 17th century, a number of women were drawn to witchcraft since the practice gained them some authority. The most common argument was that the evil spirit seduced women. The spirits of witchcraft and sorcery would always seek sexual gratification from women and would therefore entice the women into accepting them by peddling a number of pleasantries. Additionally, Women craved authority and influence at the time. The practice provided a degree of authority and was often beneficial since it offered ways of overcoming some common challenges such as health complications. However, the society limited the liberties for women. As such, some women married male witches thereby inheriting the practice from their old husbands. The practice of witchery thus became a major attraction since it made the women sources of authority; women became both powerful and invincible in the

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example se, successful entrepreneurs are those who think creatively to find and seize hidden business opportunities by innovating the products or services and by utilizing the latest technology and human capital. This piece of research presents an understanding of the underlying principles and foundations of entrepreneurship. This paper describes the entrepreneurial functions with a view to apply with the empirical studies about the entrepreneurial efforts carried out by one of the most renowned entrepreneur, Steve Jobs, the ex CEO of Apple Inc. By analyzing various literatures about entrepreneurship, Kuratko and Hodgetts (2008, p. 5) developed an integrated definition to acknowledge critical factors included needed for entrepreneurship. According to them, entrepreneurship is a dynamic process of vision, change and creation, requiring energy application and passion towards the creation and implementation of new ideas and creative solutions. An entrepreneur is one who undertakes to organize, assume and manage the risks associated with a business organization. He is a visionary who can successfully implement change by managing resistance or other obstacles and a creator of something new. Joseph A Schumpeter, the father of entrepreneurship, viewed that entrepreneur is an innovator (Carsrud and Brannback , 2007, p. 7). According to him, he is one who finds and take an opportunity to seize it and to create a new product or service or its new variance and thus create a new marketable contribution to the economy (McDaniel, 2002, p. 57). He asserted that entrepreneurship is essentially a creative activity consisting of doing such things as are generally not done in ordinary course of business (Milonakis and Fine, 2008, p. 212). Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple with Steve Wozniak, is a legend in the world of technology and the main brain-force behind world’s renowned brands such as Macintosh, iPad and iPod. Steve Jobs pioneered the personal computer industry by changing the

Writing to Show Cause and Effect (Causes of business growth and Research Paper

Writing to Show Cause and Effect (Causes of business growth and failure, marketing, business trends) - Research Paper Example However, due to some of the limitations and depending on one’s preparedness the chances of prosperity are determined. Business growth is impacted and withheld by a number of factors. From this perspective, this paper will discuss causes of business growth and failure, marketing, business trends. Some of the factors in the market favor prosperity of business ideas. Anyone getting into business should be ready to face the risks involved. Before the implementation of a business idea to a real thing, one needs to be aware of some factors like availability of market, availability of capital and the competitors. The owner of the business idea should weigh between different options and settle for the best and legal option. They have to consider the niche in the market that they are going to fill and the likelihood of the idea developing to a big reality. Study experts say that, one does not engage into any business activity before they get prepared for the risks and challenges in the market. They should equip them selves with proper management skills, good customer relations, and perseverance to tolerate the challenges in the market. Therefore, this enhances the business to stabilize with changing times (Gitman, Lawrence, and McDaniel 348). Failure of business ideas, triggered by failure of proper market evaluation and which triggers poor marketing of commodities and this makes a business loose its customers to the competitors. Customers should be the main thing that any business should aim at satisfying; profits come second to the satisfaction of customers (Blythe, Jim, and Zimmerman 386). Some of the businesses focused with short-term goals of attaining profits instead of first creating the basis on the market for where to market their goods end up not securing their positions in the market and hence their closure. Research in the market revealed that, some of the inaccuracy failures are avoidable if they had focus on the real factors that are challenging in the market. By focusing on long-term goals, it will prioritize the consumer needs, enabling their establishment. The business owners should handle any incompetence in the market by themselves. By consulting from survey respondents, they may end up getting the wrong picture of the market strategy. Studies reveal that, some of the surveyors only aim at impressing the business owners rather than giving them the real picture of the situation. The business owners should therefore, aim at running their enterprises carefully. They should not base their performance on research results. Otherwise, they should blame the government and other financial institutions for their failure (Hutt, Michael, and Speh 110). As businesses grow, the owners should now turn their plans on how to maximize their profits by trying to achieve economies of scale and how best one can achieve it. By this level, the business owners have usually established the products that are on demand and should therefore, set a p rice that is affordable to the buyer and is favorable to the seller (Czinkota et al 87). On addition, for one ensure they satisfy the changing demands of customers in an effective way, they should be flexible and be ready to face conflicting interests and also other risks in the business. They should be ready to listen to customer opinions, adjust, and avoid repetition of same mistakes. Research showed that, most of the entrepreneurs who prosper are those listen to advice, complains from their consumers, and therefore, adjust for their durability in the market, and attain their long-term aim of earning profits (Gitman, Lawrence, and McDaniel 348). Business owners should also exercise proper accounting of their finances. The finances are crucial, close

Political Science Essay Example for Free

Political Science Essay 1) Who is Oedipus? Jocasta? Laius? Theseus? Answer: Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta there was prophet that he was going to kill his father and wed his mother. Laius is the king of Thebes and Oedipus’ father who was killed as a fulfillment on an oracle. Theseus is the king of Athens who takes Oedipus in and protects him after he has suffered greatly. 2) In the play Oedipus Rex, what is the relationship between truth, freedom, identity, and responsibility? Answer: Fate is inescapable. Oedipus learning the truth is him learning his identity and with freedom comes responsibility. 3) What is pollution? OR, why must Oedipus assume responsibility for things he did not know? Answer: Pollution is that for which Oedipus is responsible for. There are consequences for his actions and he must accept them. 4) What does it mean to say that freedom is recognition of necessity? Answer: It means we are never absolutely free. There is always a restraint. 5) In the final analysis, what advice about freedom, fate and the gods is Sophocles giving in Oedipus Rex? Answer: Strive for excellence in a world of constraints, rebel and accept the Gods, bravely acceptthe consequences of one’s actions, and do all of this in reverence and humility. 6) What does it mean to defend freedom on the basis of natural rights? Answer: Natural rights are rights that no person can give us. We have them because we arehuman.To say this is defending it. – Normative way of thinking 7) What does it mean to defend freedom on the basis of utility? Answer: Freedom as a utility are rights that defend the right on grounds of the city rather than ofthe Gods. 8) According to Adrienne Rich, what does a woman need to know to be free? Answer: She needs to know her own history, analysis of her own condition, her politicized female body, and creative genius of women in the past. 9) Whose freedom is Sojourner Truth advocating? Answer: Sojourner Truth is advocating the freedom of African Americans, free slaves, and women 10) According to John Stuart Mill, what is the greatest danger to freedom in a democratic society? Answer: The greatest danger to freedom in a democratic society is social tyranny (public opinion) because it penetrates so deeply into one’s soul that there is no alternative. It feathers the development of individuality (the notion of an autonomous and rationality of the individual). 11) According to Mill, what is the domain of consciousness, or those freedoms that are most precious? Answer: Conscious, Thought/Feeling, Opinion/Sentiment, Expression, Tastes Pursuits, Unite/Assembly 12) According to Mill, what utility does freedom have for the pursuit of truth? Answer: Partial truths may have some truth, but even truth must be combatted, questioned or it isnothing but prejudice or dogma. 13) According to Mill, what utility does freedom have for the development of individuality? Answer: The individual needs freedom for observation, needs freedom of reason and judgment, freedom to gather information, freedom to discriminate/to decide, and freedom and courage to hold firm to our tastes. 14) According to Mill, what utility does freedom have for the development of a progressive society? Answer: Societies that are possessive of innovation sustain truths and tradition and avoid mediocrity. 15) How does Sophocles portray Oedipus and the issue of guilt/innocence in Oedipus at Colonus? Answer: Oedipus is a stranger in need, he declares his innocence, and Thesesus and Athens offer him gifts. 16) What does Theseus offer to Oedipus in Oedipus at Colonus? Why? Answer: Theseus greets Oedipus with respect and empathy. He asks Oedipus what does he need and offers him hospitality and protection from Creon, Creon’s army, and Polynices. He gives him citizenship and grace. Theseus gives him gifts given by Athens because Theseus was once to in exile. 17) What is the function/importance of a language of the good? Answer: It teaches us what human beings need to achieve their potential. 18) What is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? How does it compare to Aristotle’s theory of the goods of life? Answer: It is a pyramid showing the balanced goods or â€Å"diet† a human being needs to be happy like self-actualization, belongingness, esteem, safety, and physiological. How it compares idk. 19) Who is Pericles and what are the main principles of his funeral oration? Answer: Pericles is general and orator in Athens. The main principles of his funeral oration are city of freedom, city of empire, and citizenship. 20) What does Pericles have to say about citizenship? Answer: Citizenship requires excellence, public service, reverence for the city (patriotism), respect for authorities and law, military training, beauty, and willingness to die for the city. 21) What is Socrates’ vocation? Answer: He literally disapproves of the oracle which says he is the wisest man. 22) What are the formal charges against Socrates? Answer: The formal charges against Socrates are public opinion. 23) What are the informal charges against Socrates? Answer: He studies things that are above the sky and are below the earth. He makes strong arguments weak and weak arguments strong. He does not believe in the Gods of the city, but one new God. 24) What is Socratic ignorance? Answer: A certain type of wisdom is a certain type of ignorance. You don’t say what you don’t know. 25) What is Socrates’ daimon? Answer: The daimon is the inner God that speaks to him. It is a voice of subjectivity, consciousness, and rational insight. (picture a little angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other trying to tell you what you should do) 26) What is the relationship, in Socrates, of philosophy, death and the heroic tradition? Answer: Socrates does not fear death. He sees it as his characters (an eternal sleep or rejoining with loved one). The soul of one is not at stake. The soul of many is. 27) What does Socrates mean by caring for the soul? Answer: Caring for the soul means avoid injustice, ruthless intellectual honesty, engage in self-examination, and sustain moral energy. 28) What are the characteristics of Socrates’ theory of citizenship? Answer: The characteristics are caring for the soul, moral skepticism/dissent, a strong sense of moral individualism, all of this occurs in socratic ignorance, heroic citizenship (a citizen that does not fear death), and love of the city.

The Foreign Policy Of Nepal Politics Essay

The Foreign Policy Of Nepal Politics Essay Upon the formulation of the Maoist-led government, both India and China were closely watching the new Prime Ministers decisions. While India was vigilante as to whether the policies of the government predominantly and essentially compromised of pro-communism visionaries would reflect such ideologies. It was watchful of the possible strengthening of Chinas ties with Nepal due to alignment of the governments ideologies. Similarly, China has been very cordial towards Nepal ever since, with higher diplomatic correspondence, especially visits to Kathmandu, causing worries in India. The face of Indi-China relations are changing, thus the Nepalese foreign policies will need to adjust with the shifting tides.  [1]  Convincing its neighbours of a balanced and neutral position amongst the imperceptible tension shall be a herculean task for the diplomatic and political scientists of Nepal. The imperceptible tension is founded on the competition between these rising economies to be the biggest economic powerhouse in Asia, and subsequently the world. Both the economies (China and India) are growing exponentially. With regard to China, expert predictions are that its volume of trade, which is already bigger than that of US since 2012 (although the latter remains the biggest economy) will get bigger with its market expanding in Europe in such a way that even the European competitors with have high time matching up.  [2]  There have been speculations that in 2040, the Chinese economy will reach $123 trillion, or nearly three times the economic output of the entire globe in 2000.  [3]   India must be well aware about the growing dominance of China in regional market. It has alleged China of an encirclement strategy since the Chinese focus on the sector of transportation can be observed in the Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and all of these countries have one significant commonality- they surround India.  [4]  However, these emerging superpowers are seeking to enhance their economic cooperation in the present light. The current Chinese  investments in India  are to the tune of around $580 million, a sizeable amount, which India and China are seeking to increase through agreed to a five-year plan on economic cooperation as well as setting up a joint working group (JWG) to go into all trade related issues.  [5]  The competitiveness has soured the diplomatic relations between China and India, if not stalled them since the volume of trade between these giant economies is in fact growing rapidly, with the volume of trade expected to i ncrease by as much as $30 billion dollars by 2015.  [6]   On the other hand, territorial skirmishes are still going on between these two hefty neighbours of Nepal. One critique pens that although it is highly improbable that these two archrivals of the 19th century would head towards a confrontation, the territorial skirmishes still loom large in the 21st century. The vestiges of the Sino-Indian war which dates back to the 1962 remains, since the border dispute has not been solved despite genuine attempts by both the parties for it. Both the parties have tightened the security in the borders by deploying more military forces, making it highly militarized, in fact, one of the highest in the world. Periodic clashes are not uncommon and set off the countries towards series of arguments.  [7]   Nepal should be a careful vigilante in the coming years of the concurrent power tussle and cooperation between the neighbours. That Nepal is the land bridge between India and China is a fallacy, these the nations share more border connected with each other. However, the clamours of any skirmishes taking place has had resonated in Nepal as well, in which both the neighbours wait for Nepals response. The equidistant policy of Nepal, which is also a constitutional directive principle of Nepal, finds itself being frayed when such happens. C.K. Lal makes following observation for prospects and limits for a productive foreign policy, amidst Sino-Indian relation  [8]  : Kathmandu has the potential to become the idea-bridge between the two giant neighbours; Nepal has the potential of emerging not as an information technology hub, but as a centre of excellence in learning Chinese and Indian economy, culture and society. Tourism development is a desirable goal, but rich Chinese are not going to come to Nepal to trek in the Himalayas for quite some time-they would rather go to Paris to learn the ways of living like Parisians or travel to London to have suits tailored at bespoke outfitters of Savile Rowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it would be too much to expect that Nepals economy stands to benefit from development of trucking routes between Bihar and Tibet. Nepalis have to learn to be interpreters of a new world order of which both their neighbors are going to be important players. Hindi needs to be celebrated for that reason, not because some Madheshis think that it is their mother tongue. More Nepalis have to begin learning Chinese. And Nepal needs to aim for a respectable place on the next EPI list. Similarly, Shrestha suggests that if Nepal could have 10% of the transportation crossing through its territory, it would be a billion dollar turnover for Nepal, whose worth cannot be overstated.  [9]   8.2 India China Interference or Nepals Imprudent Foreign Policy? There is nothing extraordinary for China and India to have political interest over Nepal. They reasons to have such an interest in Nepal because it is their neighbour with a contiguous territory sensitive to political unity and security.  [10]   One apt instance would be the visit paid by Prime Minister of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai to India in the recent past. Nepal did not present a concrete proposal through official channels in advance that would have given the Indians time to process it through their multiple agencies. The Nepal embassy in India-with its limited resources, lack of outreach among influential politicians and commentators, and dismal bureaucratic leadership-was unable to do the groundwork for a big breakthrough in quick time. While the visit was a success in restoring trust between the two governments, and kick-starting many bilateral mechanisms that had been inert, it was underwhelming only because of what the Nepali side had promised.  [11]   Managing the India-China dynamic will remain Nepals foremost diplomatic challenge in years to come. And if we go by this years track record, the Nepali establishment is still not equipped enough with the skills to do so tactfully. There was a vote for a position in an important UN body recently, with both India and China competing. At the last minute, Nepal decided to vote for China-Beijing, which had already served two terms on the body, lost. The rest of the South Asian region, including arch-rival Pakistan, had voted for India.  [12]  A reporter writes on the issue: For years, visiting Indian ministers and other dignitaries have been trying to project an image of deep amity with Nepal, reiterating that the two countries share age-old cultural, social and other ties. However, apparently, these vaunted ties do not extend to working together at the UN. Even as India celebrates the victory of its candidate A Gopinathan over his Chinese rival Zhang Yan at Mondays vote for a five-year term at the UNs Joint Inspection Unit, Indian mandarins in Kathmandu have been left unhappy by the fact that Nepal chose to vote against India.  [13]   The above is not going to the last time that Nepal is placed in a sticky situation, where it is to express its support to one of the two neighbours it does not otherwise intend to upset. The best way to go about it is a political honesty and transparency, which can only be possible if it has a certain foreign policy practice that it swears to, which should be the basis of its actions in relations to its neighbours and not speculations and predictions. 8.3 Adjusting to the Influence of Globalization and Global Economies Rapid momentums are taking place in the world and states are competing for a comfortable positions in world polity, economic security with a few on a head on with each other. Amidst such momentums, Nepal has a huge responsibility of catching up, for becoming a developed country from a troubled and struggling developing country. If we take a birds view of the globe, we can see phenomenal progresses going around. Since its downfall, Russia has gotten over its Lenin syndrome, Economic competitiveness has replace the imperial policies. Nongovernmental and transnational organizations are thriving. The recession has taken a toll majorly on United States and Europe. New economies are seeking to become the topdogs position beside the elite Superpowers, who still have successfully maintained their grasp on their own position. Asia is resurfacing as the basket of civilization with a steady Japan and agile India and China. It has been forecasted that in the next 15/20 years, Japan, Russia and Brazil, closely followed by Indonesia will emerge as major players in the international arena  [14]  . Scholars have opined following to be the face of world order by 2050:  [15]   China will continue in its mission to surpass the States as the ultimate economy and shall do so in a matter of 15-20 years, followed by India, who will not lag behind, standing besides the States and China by the time the calendar reads 2050. The elite powerhouses of present day will maintain their status quo, but will not be able to prevent the present day average economies, with a considerable economic growth rate, from catching up. Europe will continue to go with the transnational policy and will extend its relations with other growing economies. Either the world will witness a chronic food deficit, crumbling the deprived pockets of globe and their malnourished population, or the nations will work expeditiously towards fulfilling their commitment, thus eliminating chronic hunger. International organizations, transnational organizations and Nongovernmental organizations gain momentum. Those such as WTO will gain more prominence as the least and developed nations, along with average will form alliances and voice demands for enhanced participation and privileges. 8.4 Reinforcing the Importance of Regional Organizations The feats that regional organization can achieve are evident in the economic order of the European Union, the control displayed by NATO in the Kosovo in the name of humanitarian assistance, the cartel of OPEC over supply of petrol to the nooks and crannies of globe, the effective solidarity demonstrated by AU and ASEAN for the collective interest of their regions among others. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985, on 8th December. Bangladesh and Nepal explicitly lobbied for it at various meetings. Since its inception, SAARC has SAARC has developed and consolidated its institutional framework and the scope and volume of its activities has expanded, with the setting up of 11 Technical Committees.  [16]   Democratization process in the region is picking up: The recently adopted SAARC Democracy Charter gives expression to collective commitment of the member states to promote and preserve values and ideals of democracy and democratic institutions. The Charter also reinforces the supremacy of the Member States respective constitutions and envisions strengthening democratic institutions by reinforcing democratic practices. Guarantee of the independence of judiciary and primacy of rule of law along with the commitment to adhere to UN Charter and other international instruments are some of the salient features of the Charter.  [17]   However, SAARC has even been labelled the most derided regional association in the world. It has been ridiculed for its incompetence in promoting regional trade, security, unity and a whole host of other issues. It has been called to be merely an avenue for leaders to partake in photo opportunities.  [18]  Ã‚   However, there is no other alternative to SAARC for South Asians. It cannot choose not to have any sort of regional cooperation or only promote bilateral relations.  [19]  Ã‚   The importance of SAARC for Nepal is immense. The impediments of globalization have made regionalism more preferable for small states. Inoguchi and Bacon enumerate on the argument drawing reference to the East Asian small states who despite their developmentalist-based successes have been poorly equipped to address and manage their high levels of interdependence sensitivity and in such lights have realized that their best response to this sensitivity to globalization is to develop an explicitly regionalist approach, but that in order to do this they have had to adapt to different and more transparent proto-democratic norms of political and economic self- and collective governance.  [20]   Trivedi asserts that the South Asian countries, on a positive note, do have a number of inherent advantages with regard to regional co-operation. They command a huge potential market with a combined population of more than 1.5 billion people. What is needed is to enlarge, integrate and unify this market by removing barriers to trade and taking other measures that will enhance regional co-operation.  [21]   Nepal should promote reinvigoration of SAARC. SAFTA is a pact signed 2004 by the SAARC member states, through which the member states intend and elevate common contracts among themselves, involving trade operated by states, supply and import assurance in respect of specific products. Agreements are to be concluded for tariff concessions and non-tariff concessions (sensitive list). This could provide special preference to least developed SAARC member like Nepal.  [22]   8.5 Other Critical Areas not to be Left Out Combating poverty is in the epicentre of Nepals foreign policy, especially in terms of foreign aid and assistance. Managing the refugee problem and fulfilling its international treaty obligation towards human rights, upliftment of women and children will be vital for Nepal to improve its impression in the international forums. Climate Change will be one of the most pressing issues in the 21st century. For countries like Nepal, the test of climate policy and action is how the communities will see change in their adaptation to the adverse effects climate change which they are already experiencing. Of crucial importance to Nepal is also the issue of protection of the Himalayan ecosystem against the adverse effect climate change, including through the melting of glaciers. Comprehensive framework for adaptation will also need to address the needs for disaster risk reduction. The indispensability and vulnerability of mountain ecosystem in addressing sustainability found a reference in the Rio+20 declaration, owing to Nepals diplomacy as chair of the LDCs. This needs to be further pursued. The continuation of Adaptation Fund created from 2% from CDM under the Kyoto Protocol is also equally important for us.  [23]   Another area the commendable participation in the UN Peacekeeping operations that has improved Nepals image in the international forum.  [24]  Such endeavours should be continued for Nepal to gain positive attention of its regional partners as well as other international vigilantes. CHAPTER XI 9. CONCLUSION SUGGESTION Annette Baker Fox writes, The distinctive power of great states flows from their military strengthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for the Small state, diplomacy is the tool of statecraft.  [25]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Historically foreign policy has been a vital tool of Nepali statecraft and test of statesmanship. The nature of politics which is witnessing fundamental changes in the entire spectrum of issues/interests, institutions and actors in a crucial time (21st  Century) and location (in Asia between India and China) makes Nepals foreign policy formulation and conduct of diplomacy particularly challenging now.  [26]  The diplomats and policy framers of Nepal should be aware about the fact that its position, whether economic, political or geographic, confers upon it certain rights and privileges, and it is the international obligation of developed states to uphold them. It has, for instance, certain rights to transit and passage being a landlocked country, provided it hones in its diplomats the quali ty to not flinch while asserting demands of exercise of such rights and privileges in concerned platforms. Dealing with simultaneously cooperating and competing regional and global super-powers embroiled in their own internal upheavals in a rapidly changing global political and economic order and strategic equation demands access to right information and ability to interpret it with knowledge, understanding and experience. Historical intricacies and new complexities seen through the eyes of simple convictions, outdated dogmas or vested interests distort comprehension; policies based on them can lead to unintended serious consequences.  Ã‚  [27]  Ã‚  Nepal can be no exception to this recommendation for the reason of it having just resurfaced through a horrendous armed conflict. Sympathy-based foreign aid and assistance cannot be sustained for long, since resources are diverted elsewhere when the crisis is worse. Sustainable development also requires Nepal to strength its resources. Development of human resource in fields of trade and energy will be crucial for Nepal in the days to come . 9.1 Relations of Trust and Confidence with India and China Historically Nepal is the meeting point of two great civilizations and today it is one of the epicentres of competing interests in an impending global paradigm shift. Located between two global economic and strategic powerhouses, Nepal can greatly benefit from developments taking place in India and China today. However, it is essential to realize that proximity adds vitality but also sensitivity and complexity in interstate relations demanding high priority and careful handling.  [28]  As late Prof. Yadu Nath Khanal, the most respected Nepali diplomat scholar wrote long ago our foreign policy will breakdown at the point where either India or China looses faith in us and concludes that her vital national interests and sensitivities do not receive proper recognition in our conduct of relations. Changing global and regional political, economic and security needs and the seriousness of the challenges faced by the South Asian states, particularly extreme poverty and threats from terro r networks have made things more complicated.  [29]   Nepals national sovereignty and territorial integrity while the other feels so exposed that it feels compelled to apply its own Monroe doctrine. In this sensitive relationship, vain debates,  name-calling and finger pointing  only  raise risks of more external involvement in internal power contests. So, domestic politics is the biggest problem of Nepals foreign policy today; restoration of trust and confidence with all our foreign friends and partners, but most importantly India and China is the top priority of Nepals foreign policy making and conduct of diplomacy.  [30]   9.2 National Interest, but also Guiding Principles Nepal will have to come up with a guideline on its equidistance principle very soon if it does not want to get too deep into the Tibet-China struggle. It has not allowed Tibetans to hold protests against China on its soil on number of occasions, including the birthday of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, who is reviled by Beijing as a separatist. While Nepal cannot swear support to the One China Policy, it cannot discharge of Chinas insinuations of assistance in exchange for such support. National Interests and guiding principles should both be concerns of Nepal.  [31]   9.4 Active role in SAARC Many institutions of SAARC framework lies in Kathmandu, including the SAARC Secretariat. Nepal has been a favourite venue for hosting several SAARC summits. If Nepal proactively persuades reenergizing SAARC, it can only benefit from being the hub for south Asian diplomacy, to some extent, what Luxembourg is for the European Union. 9.5 Economic (Development) Diplomacy Nepal will firstly have to work a way to limiting and subsequently finishing off its international debt and appeal for waivers and grants. It will have to negotiate with not only its neighbours but other prospective countries for making free trade agreements, duty-free and excise agreements and such. It should demonstrate strong leadership as the chair of the LDCs in platforms like WTO and UN. 9.6 Forward looking and Dynamic Diplomacy Edward Hallett Carr suggests, before the First World War, in most democracies war was regarded mainly the business of soldiers and as a corollary, international relations and foreign policy the business of professional diplomats, outside the scope of domestic party politics or a matter of public scrutiny. The war of 1914 once and for all changed the view that war only affects and can be conducted by professional soldiers. It also ended the corresponding notion that foreign policy could safely be left in the hands of professional diplomats.  [32]   To encapsulate in a few points, the areas to be worked out in the future for a sound foreign policy with regard to India and China would be: Development of foreign policy guidelines, such as on the equidistance principle Honing negotiation skills Democratization of foreign policy A renewed vigor and proactive participation in SAARC Vigilance of the interactions between India and China.