Unemployment and Labor in the Republic of Moldova Essay Example for Free

Unemployment and Labor in the Republic of Moldova Essay There are a lot of problems created by the unemployment as poverty, migration, human traffic, and crime and shadow economy. Of course, unemployment is a permanent phenomenon in any economy, because frictional and structural unemployment exists every time and doesn’t make unemployment rate to be equal to zero, and in this essay I’d like to offer the analysis of the specific of unemployment and labour forces in Republic of Moldova. Firstly, I propose to analyze the unemployment rate, activity rate and employment rate. Secondly, to describe any characteristics of labour forces in my country. And after that to analyze data about the migrant workers, who work or looking for a job abroad. In general my goal is to demonstrate the evolution of unemployment and labor and to determine any problems, which the national economy met during the years after the Soviet Union. First of all I want to note that the definition of unemployment according to International Labor Organization (ILO) has been used in Republic of Moldova only from 1998, before that year the unemployment was equal to the number of official registries unemployed population. It makes impossible to compare the unemployment before 1998 and unemployment after this year. Table 1: Unemployment rate, Activity rate and Employment rate Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Trend line on the Graph 1 shows us that in general unemployment rate decreases, but at the same time activity rate (Graph 2) and employment rate (Graph 3) decreases too. It means that number of population, who are working in the national economy, was decreasing during the period from 1998 to 2010 years. Also it’s important to note that the number of economically active people has reduced from 1809 thousand people to 1235 thousand people and it’s 547 thousand people, it equal to 16% of average total population in that period of time and the number of people employed in the economy reduced from 1642 thousand people in 1998 to 1143 thousand people in 2010 and it’s 499 thousand people, but the total population has reduced on 89 thousand people. It means that the weight of economically active and employed population in the national economy in total population reduced. I think that the solution of that problem is an attraction of international investments or entering in the market of international companies which are able to organize modern management and improve the competitiveness of national goods and services. The RM has the positive experience of this kind of collaboration. For example „Draexlmaier Automotive† created 3000 of the new jobs in one of the free economic zones. Graph 1: Unemployment rate Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Graph 2: Activity rate Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Graph 3: Employment rate Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Graph 4: Employment population by occupations Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Graph 5: Employment population by areas of the economy Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova The Graph 4 shows us that the weight of skilled agricultural and fishery workers reduced. Analyzing the Graph 5 it is possible to make a conclusion that the weight of people who work in agriculture area was reducing too in the last 13 years. Also it’s important to note that the weight of the people who work in Industry and Construction areas is not high, but the weight of people who work in Services area was increasing during last years. In my opinion this trend means that Moldavian commodities are not competitive. Another argument of this statement is that the weight of services in structure of GDP was increasing during last years as it is shown in Graph 6. Graph 6: Structure of GDP Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Another important characteristic of labor is the level of education. As it is possible to see in Graph 7 the weight of workers who has higher education was increasing from 11.9% to 23% or from 181 thousand people to 263 thousand people. I think it is positive trend, which shows the development of labor during last years. Graph 7: Employed population by the level of education Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova In the end I’d like to demonstrate data about the migrant’s workers, economically active people who leave their own families in Moldova and go for looking for a job abroad. According to official data there are more than 300 thousand people from the RM, but according to another data there are one million of Moldavians workers in foreign countries. The main part of migrant workers from the RM prefers to work in the Russian Federation and Italy as it shown in the Table 2. Table 2: Population aged 15 years and over, working or looking for work abroad Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova Table 3: Cash transfers from migrant workers According to the balance of payments cash transfers from the migrant workers were more than $ 1 billion in 2008. Other data are shown in the Table 3. This money flow is the valuable injection in the national economy. One of the biggest problems is the reducing of the employed population on approximately one half of a million of people, just those who has found a job in the national economy in general works in services area, because Moldavian commodities aren’t competitive on foreign and sometimes domestic markets. Lots of people, who haven’t found a job which could satisfy their needs and wants, travel in foreign countries looking for a job, after that they make cash transfers which are very important injection in the national economy. In my opinion labor in the Republic of Moldova is developing, about it says that the weight of employed population who has higher education was increased, at the same time the fact that activity rate and employment rate were falling during last years and it may create dangerous effects on economy as a whole. The solution of this problem is to put efforts to attract foreign investments.

Development of Indias Banking System

Development of Indias Banking System Introduction With a population of over 1 billion, India is one of the most important countries with accelerating economic growth. According to the World Bank (2009), the annual GDP growth of India has been more than 7% over the past ten years. The financial crises in 1997 and 2008 have revealed the importance of robust banking system towards economic development. Indian Government liberalized the banking system through Indian Banking Sector Reform in 1991. From the first bank in India in 1786, the development of Indian Banking System has three distinct phases. Early Phase (1786 1969) There were 1100 small banks in India. The Government implemented the Banking Companies Act 1949 to facilitate the functioning of commercial banks. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was authorized to supervise the Indian banking sector and became the Central Banking Authority. Post Nationalization Period (1969 1991) State Bank of India was formed to act as a principal agent of RBI and handle banking transactions in India. Fourteen major commercial banks were nationalized as there was a decline in public confidence during the early phase. Nationalization guaranteed the sustainability of banking industry and aroused public confidence. Post-Liberalization Period (1991 now) Liberalization of banking practices occurred. Foreign banks, ATMs, phone banking, net banking were introduced to make the banking system more convenient and efficient. The development of banking system is transiting. Public-Sector Banks contributes to 78% of total banking industry asset. Private-Sector Banks, on the other hand, are experiencing great progress in internet banking, ATMs and other technology advancements. They are likely to expand in India. Central Bank Reserve Bank of India It was established in 1935 and was nationalized in 1949. It has 8 functions explained as follows: Note Issuance: It has the sole right to issue bank notes of all denominations as an agent of the Government. Government Banker: It acts as Government banker, agent and adviser. It controls the banking system through licensing, inspection and calling for information. It also supervises and controls commercial and cooperative banks. Maintenance of Minimum Reserve Ratio: RBI set the cash reserve ratio is 5% and repo rate is 4.75 % in 2009. Lender of Last Resort: It acts as the lender of last resort by providing rediscount facilities to scheduled banks. Credit Controller: It controls the credit operations of banks quantitatively and qualitatively like open market operations, discount policies and reserve requirements. Settlement of Clearing Functions: RBI facilitates the inter-bank clearing of current accounts in 1050 clearing houses in India. Custodian of Foreign Reserves: RBI sets a limit on money transfer in and out of India under Foreign Exchange Management Act. It examines Indias reserve of international currencies and maintains the official rate of exchange with all member countries of International Monetary Fund. Promotional Functions: RBI is responsible to extend banking facilities to rural and semi-urban areas, and establish and promote new specialized financing agencies. Banking System Banks in India The Reserve Bank of India heads the Indian commercial banks. Banks in India can be categorized into three tiers scheduled commercial banks; regional rural banks which operate in rural areas not covered by scheduled banks; and cooperative and special purpose rural banks. There are approximately 98 scheduled commercial banks, both Indian and foreign, almost 200 regional rural banks, more than 350 central cooperative banks, 20 land development banks, and a number of agricultural credit societies. Commercial Banks Commercial banking is dominated by 28 state-owned banks controlling 69.9% of assets in the sector in 2007/08. Private domestic held 21.7% and foreign banks had the remaining 8.4%. Commercial banks can be categorized into domestic banks and foreign banks. Domestic Banks They include public-sector banks, private-sector banks and savings, mortgage and co-operative banks. The biggest domestic bank is a public-sector bank, State Bank of India with market share 16.83%. The second biggest domestic bank is a private-sector bank, ICICI Bank with market share 9.11%. Public-Sector Banks They have a country wide networks and each has its own geographic stronghold. They provide a full range of banking services and are an important source of short-term funds. State Bank of India is the largest bank providing 16.83$ of loan advances in 2007/08. In 2008, SBI merged its subsidiary, State Bank of Saurashtra, and is increasing its international presence. The introduction of stringent capital-adequacy, income-recognition and asset-classification norms in economic reform promoted public-sector banks to reveal true positions in financial statements. The gap between strong and weak banks is thus widened. Private-Sector Banks There were 41 private-sector banks and 18 of them were listed on the stock exchange as of 2009. They usually have strong regional client bases and upgrade their technology and services. ICICI, the largest private-sector bank, merged with Bank of Madura in 2001 and Shangli Bank in 2007. Life Insurance Corporation of India raised its stake in Corporation Bank to 27% from 12.32% in 2001. It is expected that more mergers and acquisitions will be found in the coming decade. Savings, mortgages and co-operative banks They are small and contribute slightly to the source of funds for most companies. They tend to finance rural and small sectors and have geographically-restricted operations. New RBI regulations have imposed restrictions on them in 2001 as some urban cooperative banks were discovered to have a high exposure to the stock market. Foreign Banks The biggest foreign bank is Citibank with market share 1.55%. Standard Chartered Bank ranked the second. Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC and ABN Amro Bank dominate the sector in the diagram shown below. Comparing the advances of foreign banks and that of commercial banks, it is shown that foreign banks play a small role in banking industry. They accounted for 8.4% of total commercial-bank assets in 2007/08. But the rising net profits of the banks to Rs66.12bn in 2007/08 from Rs45.85bn in 2006/07 suggested the increasing importance of this sector. Foreign banks offer borrowing terms similar to local banks, but their benchmark prime lending rates are 1 to 3 percentage points higher. Foreign banks usually form part of a lending consortium. Foreign banks without a branch presence can conduct business through representative offices. These banks concentrate on providing offshore currency loans and related foreign-exchange products, rather than retail banking or local-currency lending. Investment Banks and Brokerages Investment banks and brokerages rely on advisory business. They have a limited involvement in risk capital. They can weather the downturn without the risk of going out of business. However, if the downturn continues in 2010, some banks may leave the small Indian market. Citi(US) and JM Financial Group have the greatest market share in this sector with their contribution of more than half deal value. Given the growth of Indian market, major foreign investment banks have reworked their partnerships with investment banks to help them to capture a greater market share. Development Banks Public-sector development banks were traditionally the principle source of long-term capital. Development banks provide medium and long-term rupee and foreign-currency financing, underwrite and subscribe to stocks and debentures. Due to the financial sector reform, they offer new services and products, set up organizations to provide a variety of financial services. Some countrywide development banks are Industrial Finance Corp of India and Industrial Investment Bank of India. The Post Office Saving Bank It has the largest retail-bank network, with over 155,000 branches. A growing number of post offices are also connected electronically. Given its large distribution network, India Post now leverages its presence to become a general financial-services distributor. It provides various mutual funds and bonds. It also offers an inward international money-transfer service. Offshore Banks Banks are allowed to set up overseas banking units within the countrys special economic zones functioning as overseas branches of domestic banks. Six domestic banks set up overseas banking units: Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India and Union Bank. Domestic banks can enjoy a tax deduction on the income from OBUs and advantages of global presence. Banks Deposit Composition The deposits of national banks dominate the banking industry because they are backed up by the government and the public thus have confidence in nationalized banks. However, regional rural banks have a small share of deposits. It is mainly due to the lower income level in rural areas. Although foreign banks have a second smallest share of deposits, liberalization of the banking industry will allow them to expand their business. Competitive Situation More aggressive merger and acquisition are stemming in India. One advantages stemming from merger is the ability to cross-sell a slew of retail products including housing loans, car loans, personal finance and credit cards. Further, merged entity will be able to compete with threats from global players, for instance, HSBC and Citibank. However, challenges of merger are the integration of financial and human resources, as well as satisfying statutory requirements. Also some FIs faced the problem of relying on an increasing cagey market to raise capital. As FIs were funding long-term projects with money rose short term, there was a critical asset-liability disparity. RBI then proposed to convert financial institutions into universal banks recently. A reverse merger with their own subsidiary banks will now give FIs access to low-cost funds. The trend of mergers and acquisitions will prevail in the coming years. Economic Conditions Indian banks balance sheets are not directly exposed to sub-prime mortgage leading in US. The GDP and GDP per capital are expected to grow in the coming decade. The global financial crisis does not undermine the banking industry in India in a great extent. The assessment of the banking sector risk is rather low compared to that in Asia and Australasia in 2009. The expansion of consumer credit does not pose a high risk to the banking industry as the level of debts per customer remains low. In contrast, RBI moved the focus of its policy from boosting economic growth to containing inflation. Interest rates are expected to rise and tighter monetary policy are expected to be implemented. Conclusions The liberalization of banking system has (1) strengthen the banking sector (2) provide more operational flexibility to banks (3) enhance the competitive efficiency of banks (4) strengthen the legal framework governing bank operations. This well-developed banking system is favourable when it comes to expansion in India. However, a keen competition is found in India. Each sector has various existing banks with strong customer loyalty. Numerous state-owned banks and FIs are the dominant players in India. Despite the stable Indian economy and the steady and slow movement towards liberalization of banking system, the Government will probably strengthen the financial regulatory system sufficiently before a complete liberalization. Therefore, it is concluded that India is not suitable for expansion. References World Bank (2009). Word Bank in India. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22398481~menuPK:2246552~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html India Finance Investment Guide (2009). Introduction. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://finance.indiamart.com/investment_in_india/banking_india.html Maps of India (2008). Banks in India. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://business.mapsofindia.com/banks-in-india/ Kamath, G.B. (2009). Emerald. The Intellectual Capital Performance of Indian Banking Sector, pp.4. Retrieved from, http://www.emeraldinsight.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=ArticleFilename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/2500080104.pdf Bank of India (2009). Main Functions. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AboutusDisplay.aspx#MF OneIndia News (2009, July 28). RBI Keeps All Key Rates Unchanged. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://news.oneindia.in/2009/07/28/rbi-keeps-all-key-rates-unchanged.html Hubbard, R.G. OBrien (2006). How the Fed Reserves Manages the Money Supply. In Macroeconomics (2nd Ed.), Money, Banks, and the Federal Reserve System (pp. 451-452). United States: Pearson International Edition. NK Infobase (2009). Reserve Bank of India. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://money-transfer.in/reservebankofindia.html Economist Intelligence Unit (2009, July). Country Finance, India. Domestic Banks, pp. 14. Retrieved from http://www.eiu.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/report_dl.asp?issue_id=1784732363mode=pdf Economist Intelligence Unit (2009, July). Country Finance, India. Foreign Banks, pp. 14. Retrieved from http://www.eiu.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/report_dl.asp?issue_id=1784732363mode=pdf Economist Intelligence Unit (2009, July). Country Finance, India. Investment Banks and Brokerages, pp. 16. Retrieved from http://www.eiu.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/report_dl.asp?issue_id=1784732363mode=pdf Economist Intelligence Unit (2009, July). Country Finance, India. Development and Postal Banks, pp. 18. Retrieved from http://www.eiu.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/report_dl.asp?issue_id=1784732363mode=pdf Economist Intelligence Unit (2009, July). Country Finance, India. Offshore Banks, pp. 20. Retrieved from http://www.eiu.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/report_dl.asp?issue_id=1784732363mode=pdf Subhash, D.V. (2002, February). Birth of a Universal Bank. Retrieved 2 December, 2009. from http://search.ebscohost.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=7210765site=ehost-live Economist Intelligence Unit (2009, October). India: Banking Sector Risk. Retrieved 28 November 2009, from http://www.eiu.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/index.asp?layout=displayIssueArticleissue_id=1514868936article_id=1664868951 Scribd (2009). A Report on Non-Performing Assets Challenge to the Public Sector Banks, pp. 10. Retrieved December 2, 2009, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/8817767/A-REPORT-ON-NPA-IN-BANKING

The Importance of Parents and Sexual Education

The Importance of Parents and Sexual Education Where do babies come from? This is just one question that children ask their parents as they start to wonder about sex and in return hope to find out the answer. Unfortunately, however, not all parents want to answer that question or any sex related question for that matter, or even know how to. Many parents today do indeed want to contribute to their childrens knowledge of sex. However, even though parents, who are comfortable with their own sexuality, dont always know of the best way to approach the topic with their children or even know how talk to them about it (Crooks, Baur, 2011). Research shows that positive communication between parents and their children can help young people establish individual values and make healthy decisions (Parents Sex Ed Center, 2010). It is important for adults of school age children to maintain an open relationship with their children in order to provide the ability for them to feel comfortable enough to talk with you about whatever they may ask. Teaching sex to your own children can be a task they may make you feel uncomfortable and something that you may find difficult to do. However, by being honest at an early age can allow for honesty and open communication as your children grow (Parents Sex Ed Center, 2010). As children grow, a process begins that a parent can follow in order to develop a wholesome sexual education relationship with their child. Whether its starting off answering questions such as, where do babies come from, or talking about being sexually active and how to practice safe sex, it is important to be able to talk to your children about this topic and feeling comfortable enough to do so. Starting at an early age, usually by around age four, many children will ask where they came from, how babies are made, or by asking the names of their own sex organs (self-discovery). Many parents may just put off these types of questions in hopes that their child will forget about it and the parent feels a sense of relief in not having to answer. Instead, the parent is making a mistake in not answering and thus unknowingly creating a communication block (Crooks, Baur 2011). When young children ask these types of questions, they arent expecting a complete anatomy lesson, but they are looking for some answer. In this case, be honest with them. Use proper names, and perhaps briefly discuss the basics of sexual intercourse (Crooks, Baur 2011). It is important to make sure that after answering your childs question that not only do they understand but also to make sure they are aware that it is okay to ask questions and that they can come to you and ask for more information whenever theyd like (Crooks, Baur 2011). Along the way, it is important to teach your children manners, as in we dont touch ourselves in public and we dont touch other peoples bodies. It is also good to teach appropriateness and privacy. If by age five or six your child has not started to ask questions, you need to initiate the conversation (Crooks, Baur 2011). By the pre-teen years, physical changes are going to occur. At this point it is important to talk to your child about the changes that will occur and what they can expect. While this is taught in school, it is good to let your child know that you are there for them, it is not something for them to be embarrassed about, and that what they are experiencing is all a part of growing up and that they are not the only one. Even though children may not have experienced these changes yet, such as menstruation and ejaculation, it is important for them to be aware of it before it happens so as not to worry them (Crooks, Baur 2011). The teen and young adult age is the hardest for parents to talk about with their children. No matter how much a parent may want to shelter their children, it is vital to understand that your growing child is going to experience sexual feelings. Teens find it difficult it talk with their parents about sex because of embarrassment, the fact that their parents may not understand them or the belief that their parents will assume they are already sexually active. Parents must remember that a lot of information that children receive on sex is from friends and the media. For this reason, a parent must know that the less information they give, the more misinformation their child is going to acquire. Some parents worry that by providing sex education to their children they are condoning certain behaviors. However, according to Avert.org, one study showed that in a review of 48 studies of sex and STD education programs, such programs either did not increase sexual activity and in some cases actually showed a decrease with an increase in condom use or other contraceptives (Sex Education that, 2010). In April of 2002, Seventeen Magazine and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a survey. This survey was given to 15 to17-year olds in the United States about sexual health communication between themselves and their parents. Results showed that little over a half had discussed with their parents how to know when they were ready to have sex, 43% of teens discussed with their parents how to talk to a significant other about sexual issues, 52% of teens discussed condoms with their parents and 49% discussed other forms of contraception (Teens and Sexual Health, 2002). Another study of 14 to 17-year olds shows that parents who talk to their children about the use of condoms before first sexual intercourse, had actually increased the likelihood that adolescents would used protection whereas talking about condom use after first sexual intercourse did not (Parents Sex Ed Center, 2010). A few important things to remember when talking to your teen: 1) Always remember how you felt and that you once experienced what they are now going through. 2) While conversing with your teen, remain respectful share your feelings and thoughts but also listen to theirs. 3) Dont jump to conclusions. Just because they are coming to talk to you or ask a question, does not mean that they are sexually active 4) Dont underestimate your teen. A parent should know their child well enough to know that they have their own values, beliefs, and are able to make responsible, mature decisions when they have proper information to go along with it (Parents Sex Ed Center, 2010). Before parents can be comfortable talking with their children about sex, they must be comfortable with themselves and with one another. It is necessary for parents to become in touch with their own feelings and develop sensitivity to their own sexual feelings. Parents who are not comfortable with talking to one another about sex, surely wont be comfortable with talking to their children about sex. With that said, parents should practice if they feel that may help. They have to be able to be comfortable both saying and hearing sexual words (Gordon). This is important because children are sensitive to the emotional value parents give to certain words or may pick up what their parents feel rather than what their parents say (Gordon). Most often, parents feel embarrassed to talk with their children about sex, whether their child brings it up or it is time for the parent to bring it up. It may be because they just dont want to or possibly because they dont know how. While many parents today really do want to contribute to their childrens sex education they just quite arent sure how to approach the topic. By being comfortable with yourself and letting your child know that you are able and wanting to answer sexual questions at an early age will allow them to understand that as they become older they know that you can provide accurate information and be someone that they can talk to. References Crooks, R., Baur, K. (2011). Our sexuality (11th ed.). Wadsworth. Gordon, S. (n.d.). Why sex education also belongs in the home. Education.com. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Why_Sex _Education/ Parents sex ed center. (2010). Advocates for youth. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.php?option=com_content task=viewid=108Itemid=206 Sex education that works. (2010, May 1). Avert. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.avert.org/sex-education.htm Teens and sexual health communication. (2002, July). Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www.kff.org/entpartnerships/upload/ Teens-and-Sexual-Health-Communication-Summary-of-Findings.pdf

A Lady of Letters and Cream Cracker under the Settee by Alan Bennett Es

"A Lady of Letters" and "Cream Cracker under the Settee" by Alan Bennett The two monologues I am going to be writing about are two elderly women who are lonely and trapped in their own homes. I will be talking about how Doris, one lady from 'Cream cracker under the settee' and Irene, the other lady in 'Lady of letters' are suffering from loneliness. Doris and Irene both live alone. They don't seem to have any special friends. For example, Irene doesn't like being people calling her Irene. People who come across Irene must call her Miss.Ruddock; nobody has called her Irene since her mother died. Only real friends may call 'Miss Ruddock' Irene. But both Doris and Irene have people who do you look out for them like the policeman who calls in to check on Doris from time to time. Both monologues are talking, and looking directly into the camera, at many different angles. This gives a great effect, as the person talking in the monologue seems to be talking to 'YOU', in the audience. In the monologues the women mainly talk about the past and by comparing the day they were 'kiddies' to the days of today. This is how monologues are a lot different to dramas. Monologues are an interesting way for the people in the audience to see the opinions and thoughts of another person, maybe older or maybe younger. Both these monologues don't have a grouped name such as, action, horror or comedy but if I had to catorgise these monologues, I would say they are 'real life tragedy's'. There are the little side comments which the author for both monologues, Bennett, has made to make the make the audience giggle but the whereas the individuals in the monologue, in this case Doris or Irene, aren't aware that whate... ...the Settee' my emotions stayed practically the same all the way through the monologue, as for 'Lady of Letter' I felt a number of emotions for Irene, Happy, angry, sad. I felt a lot of sympathy for Doris when she was talking about her family but i feel no sympathy for Irene. As I said, my feelings stayed the same for Doris but I did feel frustrated at times, as it is frustrating when 'you' know what's best for someone but that someone doesn't understand. My feelings varied a huge amount for Irene mainly because Irene's feelings varied an amount. Both monologue were encouraging in there own ways. 'Cream cracker under the settee' did get a bit tedious at times and sometimes made me want to fall asleep due to the same tone of voice droning on and on. I had a lot more to write about for Lady of Letters because I thought there was a much better story line.

Aristophanes Views :: Aristophanes Greek Theatre Plays Essays

Aristophanes' Views There have been many arguments as to Aristophanes views and politics. Some arguing that it is almost impossible to determine any serious view points Aristophanes may have being trying to say through his plays. While many others may argue, that points made in the Parabasis and through the various comic styles, are the key to what Aristophanes thought and believed. With so little evidence of Aristophanes himself, it is hard to prove a case either way. While taking into account the social climate at the time and what the main aims of the plays were, I will be looking into Thesmophoriazusae and whether Aristophanes was attempting to make any serious points through various styles of humour. In order to determine whether Aristophanes was putting forward a serious point, it helps to look at the back ground and context in which his plays were written. In Greek theatre the audience was made up solely of men. with the only women being those on stage, and even then only allowed to play silent parts such as slaves. Throughout the play, women are a common theme, at the time in which Thesmophoriazusae was written (411bc), attitudes towards them were much the same as in many societies. Women were inferior to men, in almost all parts of society. They were the property of men. Whether it be their husbands or their fathers, they could not vote, could not hold a position of office, and could not own any property. However in some parts of Athenian society they were considered to be almost the equals of men, religion is a prime example of this. In religious matters women were at times essential, in burials and civic sacrifice rituals. In contrast to this, Pericles’ citizenship law (451bc) raised their status to that of most prized possessions. The law stated that only an Athenian wife could produce a legitimate male heir. She became the only thing that could allow the husband’s family name to be carried on. It became a constant fear for the husbands, that their wives would be adulterous and produce a child, as the child would grow up and have a legitimate claim on the family possessions. Women became far more protected by their husband’s, than they ever had been previously. A wife with both an Athenian mother and Athenian father, became highly prized. This of course was more of a problem for a rich husband than a poor husband, as they had more to lose. However due to a lack of being able to afford help around the house, women of poor husbands had greater freedom, as they had to go out and fetch things needed for the

Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse; Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse; Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? Terry V. Hites Prof. Bramlage Dual Diagnosis / Co-Occurring Disorders December 6, 2008 Schizophrenia and substance abuse; which came first, the chicken or the egg? This is a greatly debated topic within families of schizophrenics that abuse alcohol.In this paper I hope to explore the prevalence of substance use with those that suffer from schizophrenia, the age of onset and the age of first use, treatment issues, recovery issues, and finally, the issues regarding the high rate of suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completions within this specific population of individuals. â€Å"The 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health in the United States found that over 23% of adults suffering from serious mental illness abused alcohol or other drugs.In the population without a serious mental illness only 8. 2% abused alcohol or other drugs. Among adults who abused alcohol or other drugs, 20. 4% had a serious mental illness† (Cherry, 2007, p. 37). â€Å"Over 75% of people with a co-occurring disorder who were surveyed during treatment reported a history of childhood physical abuse† (p. 38). Interestingly enough, surveys have shown that individuals are readily willing to address their substance abuse but are not so willing to acknowledge their co-occurring mental illness (p. 9-50). â€Å"The lifetime prevalence of substance use disorders (SUD) in schizophrenia is close to 50%. Substance abuse in schizophrenia is associated with numerous negative consequences, including psychotic relapses criminality, homelessness, unemployment, treatment non-compliance, and health problems† (Potvin, 2007, p. 792). In this population, â€Å"substance abuse is highly prevalent† (p. 792) not just used by a few individuals; but people will abuse substances to cope with the negative or positive symptoms of their illness.When looking at the symptoms that they experience, Potvin goes on to sa y, â€Å"addicted schizophrenia patients suffer from more severe depressive symptoms, relative to non-abusing patients† (p. 793). Furthermore, the research also shows that males experience the depression more severe than females (p. 797); the depression scale includes anhedonia, psycho motor retardation, etc. (p. 796). Keith goes on to say, â€Å"Substance abuse affects approximately half of patients with schizophrenia and can act as a barrier to compliance† (2007, p. 59). â€Å"The lifetime prevalence of substance abuse (excluding smoking) in patients with schizophrenia has been estimated to be approximately 35 to 55%† (p. 260). â€Å"In addition to experiencing these more severe symptoms, or potentially also as a result, psychosocial problems such as occupational, housing or financial difficulties and crime are endemic in the dual-diagnosis population† Keith asserts (p. 261). When examining the prevalence of the co-occurring disorders, one would be remi ss to not identify the etiology of each. It could be tempting to conclude that PAS [psychoactive substances] use exacerbates depressive symptoms in a subgroup of schizophrenia patients, because long-term use of alcohol, cannabis and cocaine is associated with depressive symptoms† (Potvin, 2007, p. 797). Although these assertions may be concluded, it is also important to not â€Å"draw inferences about causality, and the reverse explanation cannot be ruled out. That is, severe depressive symptoms may lead patients to use PAS, as proposed by the self-medication hypothesis† (p. 97). â€Å"Psychoactive substance use in juveniles and adults is highly correlated with a number of psychiatric diagnoses, including schizophrenia. Young adults with schizophrenia have a 3 times higher prevalence of substance use disorders (SUD’s) than the corresponding age group in the US general population. † (Hsiao, 2007, p. 88). While the amount of research data on this age group i s limited due to studies not addressing them, it is difficult to generalize the data collected (p. 88). Alcohol and marijuana were the two most commonly abused agents in our sample. This is consistent with population-based studies of adolescents. The onset of substance use preceded the onset of psychosis in all of our subjects with co-occurring SUD and schizophrenia. Therefore, it is possible that substance abuse precipitated or exacerbated psychosis in these subjects. Epidemiological and neuroscientific evidence suggests that substance abuse, especially cannabis abuse, can precipitate psychosis in vulnerable subjects.Their sample of 50,413 male adolescents who were suspected of having behavioral problems, Weiser et al. found that adolescents who self-reported abuse of drugs at age 16-17 years were twice as likely to be hospitalized later for schizophrenia† (p. 95). Hsiao goes on to state that, â€Å"the onset of substance use preceded their reports of psychotic symptoms in 9 0% of the cases† (p. 95). In accordance of the research Keith emphasizes that, â€Å"the onset of substance abuse often occurs before or around the time of onset of schizophrenia.In a study in which 232 patients with first episodes of schizophrenia were interviewed, 62% reported that drug abuse began before the onset of schizophrenia symptoms, and 51% said the same of alcohol abuse. Within this population, 34. 6% of drug abuse and 18. 2% of alcohol abuse began within the same month as the onset of schizophrenia symptoms. In addition, patients with schizophrenia are twice as likely to have had a history of substance abuse at the time of the first episode of schizophrenia than are healthy subjects† (p. 260).Keeping all of these early onset of use issues and early occurrences of the illness in mind there is a tremendous amount of barriers between the individual and their recovery. Next we will explore what issues are barriers to their treatment. â€Å"[T]he realization th at co-occurring problems are best treated with an integrated approach has only recently been recognized by the treatment community† states Cherry, (p. 38-39). Universal screening is needed but many barriers stand in the way of its implementation, from training time to building an infrastructure of clinicians who support everyone being screened, (p. 9). Ultimately, universal screening is as much about the attitudes of administrators and clinicians as it is about having a reliable and valid screen to identify co-occurring disorders. Nonetheless, a screen that is quickly administered, easy to interpret and takes little or no training to administer can break down many of those barriers. Even though there are barriers to instituting a screening procedure during intake, the importance of screening for concurrent substance abuse and mental health problems is crucial in the effort to provide effective treatment for people with a co-occurring disorder† (p. 0). Potvin reminds us i n his research that, â€Å"ideally, depressive symptoms would be measured both during the active phase of substance abuse and after a period of drug withdrawal, to determine whether the observed differences reflect the acute effects of PAS or more stable traits† (p. 797). Likewise, â€Å"[p]ersons with mental heath or substance abuse disorders may not seek help, at least not in the form of professional treatment (i. e. , psychotherapy, medication), because these treatment options are perceived by the person, family, or social network as inappropriate or undesirable† (Kuppin, 2008, p. 20). Kuppin goes on to say, â€Å"[t]hese findings offer important insights for furthering our understanding of how we think about the discrepancy between mental illness and substance abuse prevalence and treatment seeking and adherence† (p. 124). Research echoes with relapse among individuals in this particular population; nonetheless, there are those who investigate options availa ble to improve compliance. â€Å"Many patients with schizophrenia may abuse substances for â€Å"hedonistic† reasons, while others may use them in an attempt to reduce symptoms or distress.Alcohol, in particular, can tend to be used more often than illicit drugs, such as opioids or cannabis, though it has also been reported that patients may turn either to alcohol or illicit drugs to alleviate the negative symptoms inadequately treated, or potentially made worse by conventional antipsychotic and the side effect of dysphoria associated with these agents. However, although patients may believe that substance abuse ameliorates symptoms of schizophrenia, data suggest that many of these underlying symptoms may, in fact, be worsened† (Keith, 2007, p. 260).Therein lies the problem, trying to convince a person that the drug he is using is hurting him, when all he sees is this drug is the only thing that keeps me from hurting myself or others; and in itself that is the lie they tell themselves, they do end up trying to hurt themselves, statistics show it. Additionally, statistics show that non-compliant dual-diagnosed patients account for 57% of hospital readmissions, which is an average of 1. 5 admissions per patient each year (p. 261). â€Å"As schizophrenia is a lifelong illness, it requires long term, uninterrupted treatment to optimize outcomes.The low rate of therapy compliance already associated with schizophrenia can be further compromised when patients are also active substance abusers. Intoxication may impair judgment; reduce motivation to pursue long-term goals and lead to a devaluation of the protection offered by antipsychotic medications, resulting in increased hospital readmissions and significantly more severe symptoms† (p. 262). Treatment is further compromised when a patient does not fully â€Å"buy into† his treatment regime and comply with his doctors, counselors, or therapists.Research shows that several different ways h ave been developed to try to improve compliance such as pharmacologic methods, case management, and assertive community treatment programs; these do help but improved insight and attitudes about schizophrenia has shown to be most helpful for an individual to take ownership for their recovery. â€Å"Moreover, without treatment, many individuals continue to experience several relapses because the untreated disorder is not addressed† (Cherry, 2007, 39). Atypical antipsychotics are recommended for reducing substance abuse in schizophrenia patients and have been shown to be effective in this manner† (Keith, 2007, 259). Studies however do show that those that have developed a strong alliance with their therapist are more likely to comply with a prescribed medication regime (p. 262). Keith additionally adds that, â€Å"treatment for persons who have both schizophrenia and substance abuse was evaluated by incorporating cognitive-behavioral drug relapse prevention strategies in to a skills training method originally developed to teach social and independent living skills to patients with schizophrenia.Results demonstrated that participants learned substance-abuse management skills, and that their drug use decreased. Improvements were also noted in medication adherence, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life† (p. 263). All in all, recovery is possible for the dual-diagnosed patient, but long term treatment and persistence is required; studies have shown that most individuals experience a long line of relapses and several suicidal attempts before fully embracing recovery. Although it is an ugly part of recovery for many of those with schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts and attempts are common. [S]uicide accounts for approximately10-20% of patient deaths in schizophrenia. In this context, the identification of factors contributing to depression in schizophrenia may have implications for the prevention and treatment of these symptoms† (Potvin, 2007, 793). Research has shown that this particular population is at an increased risk after being prescribed clozapine or olanzapine and they are currently abusing substances; likewise an increased awareness needs to be made by those working with these individuals to identify and screen for the suicidal ideation (Keith, 2007, p. 61). In conclusion, the prevalence of schizophrenia and substance abuse is great in this country; as well as the age of onset of symptoms and age of first use. Individual treatment issues as well as recovery issues can act as a barrier to one achieving recovery. Although recovery has been shown to be attainable, suicidal thoughts and attempts can be a major deterrent to many individuals experiencing it; through increased compliance via pharmacological services, case management or other methods, individuals can see it.So, schizophrenia or substance abuse; which came first, the chicken or the egg? I’ll let you decide; personally I will work in the framework of integrated treatment and work with the co-occurring disorder. References Cherry, A. L. , Dillon, M. E. , Hellman, C. M. ,   &  Barney, L. D. (2007). The AC-COD Screen: Rapid Detection of People with the Co-Occurring Disorders of Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Domestic Violence, and Trauma. Journal of Dual Diagnosis*, [No Volume/Issue], 35-53. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco Host.OSU/Lima Campus Lib. , Lima, OH. 10 October 2008 . Hsiao, R. ,  &   McClellan, J. (2007). Substance Abuse in Early Onset Psychotic Disorders. Journal of Dual Diagnosis*, [No Volume/Issue], 87-99. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco Host. OSU/Lima Campus Lib. , Lima, OH. 10 October 2008 . Keith,  S. (2007). Dual Diagnosis of Substance Abuse and Schizophrenia: Improving Compliance with Pharmacotherapy. Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses, 1(3), 259-269. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco Host. OSU/Lima Campus Lib. , Lima, OH. 10 October 2008 .Kuppin. (2008). Public Conceptions of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse, Their Causes and Treatments: Findings from the 1996 General Social Survey. American Journal of Public Health, 96(10), S120. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco Host. OSU/Lima Campus Lib. , Lima, OH. 10 October 2008 . Potvin. (2007). Meta-analysis of depressive symptoms in dual-diagnosis schizophrenia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41(10), 792-799. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco Host. OSU/Lima Campus Lib. , Lima, OH. 10 October 2008 .

Prince Sports

Prince Market Analysis As the sport continues to experience growth due to the younger interest, Prince has created its own death warrant because it fails to see how it can create a positive and lasting strong hold in a market that has seen a recent upswing. One of the things that sticks out the most to me was the amount of time it took for Prince to realize its superior position in the niche market of tennis and other racket designated sports, I can’t grasp the idea that Prince was not already a major contender in the market.As the sports world is going through a makeover with sport phenoms seeking commercial backing, Prince has assured itself through social networking and sponsorship of young talented athletes is a way to snare young and upcoming players, pro or not. But, this very same issue can be seen as a down fall as well, to either the competitor or Prince. If Prince misses one or two up and coming players, no harm; but potentially missing out on millions in sales would devastate a younger company, a younger company must be spot on in their choices.Every match, win or lose, the player is getting recognition from the media, never a down side to branding unless the athlete does not become the star once thought possible; get them while they are young and you will create a devoted consumer (fan). In my opinion, Prince failed to protect itself when they entered into the arena of hosting minor events. I feel this is their biggest mistake.By doing so the competition should be able to see that doing the very same thing and co-branding with accessorizing services and or products can create a dent in the growth Prince would have seen from their own venues. Reason being, Prince is only one company while there are millions of up and coming stars that are looking for the backing of a corporate sponsor that stands behind its product’s with stellar customer service and an unwavering and resilient front in research that pushes the game to the next level.Th is is the only saving factor that Prince can rely on to push back the low end producers of equipment and apparel. But, a company with the ability to create and research new methods of manufacturing, innovative and out of the box designing (product and advertising), would create not only a sizeable but growing market saturation by merely addressing the latter. A new and upcoming player is a walking billboard, that when touched with social media and any airtime, frenzy can ensue for the product line and or services sponsoring the young athlete.A young and new exciting player that has a bankable and commercial attitude can spawn millions in sales for the company that sponsored them prior to athletic stardom. This is where Prince failed to cover their†¦well let’s just say door! As a new and upcoming player seeks to lay waste to the competition and seek to better their own bottom line through securing ad time for a bevy of products that may or may not have anything to do with tennis. The competition has done two things by always being at the beckoning call of the up and coming billboard, I mean star.The most important thing, the branding of their product, each and every time a camera shot is taken at a competition, or an interview on ESPN after a match, the competition has assured itself a front row seat into the pockets of player’s novice and professional. Second, by assuring co-branding and sponsorship, a two prong social media attack can be placed on the efforts to grow market share and sustainability created by a dual marketing campaign lodged against Prince by the competitor and fellow co-sponsor of the athlete.Co-sponsorship and branding however also limits the exposure a company could have in backing a new and upcoming athlete. By splitting the cost needed to sponsor an athlete I would only assume the money could be positioned to assist in other areas of concern such as research or ad time. This is where Prince failed to see itself, which I see as a flaw in their approach to assure continued growth, even if a new competitor copied their same exact plan. The competitor would fail because Prince would have all or some of the major accessorizing companies already on board.Again, this would also assist with in-house needs for cash that could be pooled for other pressing issues. But even with this idea in place, Prince would have to reshape their departments to assist those that would need the authority to make decisions on the spot with good information without the input of groups that may slow the process. A new competitor would already have thought of because it would need to be nimble and quick to decide (with good information) when creating co-marketing agreements and scouting new talent.Any competitor can see that the grass root approach to introducing, researching, collaborating, and a well-executed marketing plan can easily remove Prince as a Juggernaut in the tennis arena. Prince left the back door open in anothe r arena as well. Social media is not a proprietary component and can cease to exist overnight if the public is no longer interested in it. This is where I think Prince left the door open and could be the second reason they fail to maintain growth. Having access to the needs and wants of a customer is the winning factor that all companies seek to gorge themselves on.A competitor would merely need to address the customer in a variety of ways. With the growth of the smartphone being the comparison of a personal computer and seen as a personal device like a toothbrush. A competitor merely needs to create a social platform that allows the consumer to be a part of the company through beta testing, questionnaires, sweepstakes, and other client building venues that assures growth for all involved because of the co-sponsoring and branding approach to introduce services and products; trending at its finest without the need to specialize.A competitor merely would have to create a smartphone ap plication and its own social media web based portal that can be reached via a plug-in to the most widely used social media networks. Novice to professional players would be a great form of information needed to create or improve a better product with little to no amount spent in collating ideas needed to assure sustainability and new growth as they carve into the juggernauts once strong hold on a growing sport.I do see however an avenue that could assure Prince an edge with the current dilemma which it faces; but it also comes with a problem. The problem; the window of opportunity is based upon accepting an outside infusion of creativity by creating a major annual event. Doing so would create more than what they currently have because of the vendors and or bigger companies that would want to be invited or pay for a chance to main stream their idea and or company at the annual event.I would assume that a bigger opportunity would be created as the media and social media networks for t he rights to air the event. It is my personal belief that Prince has become a sloth, slow and predictable. Its advantageous growth was due to an influx of new consumers, Price’s timing and position made it the lead in a once slow and dwindling sport. Prince’s obvious and monolithic stance does not provide it the nimble agility that an aggressive and blood thirsty competitor has when trying to grasp a growing market share that can dwindle away just as fast as it came.