Kuwaits Parliamentary Democracy

Kuwait's Parliamentary Democracy Kuwait The Ruling al-Sabah Family The al-Sabah family has been ruling over the region since 1756, when it emerged as the most powerful clan among the al-Utub tribal grouping. The tribe had migrated from the Saudi heartland to escape famine. Unlike other ruling families on the Arab Peninsula, the al-Sabah family didn’t seize power by force so much as accede to it by consensus, in consultation with other clans and tribes. That non-violent, deliberative characteristic has defined Kuwaiti politics for much of the country’s history. Kuwait gained its independence from Britain in June 1961. The 50-seat Assembly was established by Kuwait’s November 1962 constitution. Next to Lebanon’s parliament, it is the longest-serving all-elected legislative body in the Arab world. Up to 15 legislators may serve as both lawmakers and ministers. The emir appoints cabinet members. Parliament does not confirm them, but it can vote no confidence in ministers and veto government decrees. No Parties There are no officially recognized parties in parliament, which has it benefits and drawbacks. On the beneficial side, alliances can be more fluid than in a rigid party system (as anyone familiar with the strictures of party discipline even in the U.S. Congress can attest). So an Islamist might join forces with a liberal on any given issue quite easily. But lack of parties also means lack of strong coalition-building. The dynamics of a parliament of 50 voices are such that legislation is likelier to stall than move forward. Who Gets to Vote and Who Doesnt Suffrage isn’t anywhere near universal, however. Women were given the right to vote and run for office only in 2005. (In the 2009 parliamentary election, 19 women were among the 280 candidates.) The 40,000 members of Kuwait’s armed forces may not vote. And since a 1966 constitutional amendment, naturalized citizens, who account for a considerable portion of Kuwait’s population, may not vote until they’ve been citizens for 30 years, or ever be appointed or elected to any parliamentary, cabinet or municipal post in the country. The country’s Citizenship Law also gives government wide latitude to strip citizenship from naturalized Kuwaitis (as was the case with thousands of Palestinian Kuwaitis following Kuwait’s liberation in 1991 from Iraq’s invasion. The Palestine Liberation Organization had backed Iraq in the war.) Part-Time Democracy: Dissolving Parliament Al-Sanah rulers have dissolved parliament whenever they thought it challenged them too aggressively or legislated too poorly. Parliament was dissolved in 1976-1981, 1986-1992, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009. In the 1970s and 1980s, dissolution was followed by long periods of autocratic rule and strictures on the press. In August 1976, for example, the ruling Sheikh Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah dissolved parliament over a dispute between the prime minister (his son, the crown prince) and the legislature, and ended press freedom, ostensibly because of newspaper attacks on Arab regimes. Crown Prince Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, in a bit of a hissy fit, complained in his exit letter that â€Å"cooperation between the executive and the legislative branches is almost absent,† and that deputies were too quick with â€Å"unjust attacks and denunciations against ministers.† Namely, himself. In reality, parliament was dissolved over tension related to the Lebanese civil war, which involved the PLO and other Palestinian factions, and its effects on the large, restive Palestinian population in Kuwait. Parliament wasn’t reconvened until 1981. In 1986, when Sheik Jaber was himself the emir, he dissolved parliament because of instability trigfgered by the Iran-Iraq war and falling oil prices. Kuwaits security, he said on television, â€Å"has been exposed to a fierce foreign conspiracy which threatened lives and almost destroyed the wealth of the homeland.† There was no evidence of any such â€Å"fierce conspiracy.† There was plenty of evidence of repeated and angry clashes between the emir and parliament. (A plan to bomb Kuwait’s oil pipelines was uncovered two weeks before the dissolution.)

Lean-Burn Engines

Lean-Burn Engines Lean-burn means pretty much what it says. It is a lean amount of fuel supplied to and burned in an engine’s combustion chamber. Gasoline burns best in standard internal combustion engines when it is mixed with air in the proportions of 14.7:1 - nearly 15 parts of air to every one part of fuel. A true lean-burn can go as high as 32:1. If internal combustion engines were 100 percent efficient, the fuel would burn and produce just carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. But the reality is, engines are far less efficient and the combustion process also produces carbon monoxide (CO),  oxides of nitrogen (NOx)  and unburned  hydrocarbons in addition to CO2 and water vapor. In order to reduce these harmful exhaust emissions, two basic approaches have been used: Catalytic converters that clean up the exhaust gases coming from the engine, and lean-burn engines which produce lower levels of emissions by better combustion control and more complete fuel burning inside the engine cylinders. Engineers have known for years that a leaner air to fuel mixture is a frugal engine. The problems are, if the mixture is too lean, the engine will fail to combust, and a lower fuel concentration leads to less output. Lean-burn engines overcome these issues by employing a highly efficient mixing process. Specially shaped pistons are used along with intake manifolds that are located and angled to match the pistons. Additionally, the engine’s inlet ports can be shaped to cause â€Å"swirl† - a technique borrowed from direct injection diesel engines. Swirl leads to a more complete mixing of fuel and air that enables more complete burning, and in the process reduces pollutants without altering the output. The downside of lean-burn technology is increased exhaust  NOx  emissions (due to higher heat and cylinder pressure) and a somewhat narrower RPM power-band (due to slower burn rates of lean mixtures). To address these problems lean-burn engines have precise lean-metered direct  fuel injection, sophisticated computer controlled engine management systems and more complex  catalytic converters to further reduce NOx emissions. Today’s advanced lean-burn engines, both gasoline and diesel, achieve noteworthy fuel efficiency performance during both city and highway driving conditions. In addition to the fuel economy advantage, the design of lean-burn engines results in a high torque power output relative to horsepower rating. For drivers, this means not only savings at the fuel pump, but also a driving experience that includes a vehicle that accelerates quickly with fewer harmful emissions from the tailpipe.

Evaluate the key factors that should be considered by management when Essay

Evaluate the key factors that should be considered by management when deciding upon a particular capital structure - Essay Example More often than not, managers rely on the principles of financial planning and avoid sticking to any particular capital structure theory. Capital structure can be defined as â€Å"the composition or make-up of the company’s capitalization and includes all long-term capital resources, i.e., loans, reserves, shares and bonds† (Patra 2006, p.237). The importance of capital structure decisions cannot be overestimated, since firms are willing to utilize available business growth opportunities even when they lack sufficient financial resources to meet their strategic targets. What factors are the most important when considering capital structure decisions is difficult to define. The current state of literature of theoretical and empirical literature does not provide a single, comprehensive answer to the problem of capital structure decisions and the aspects, which influence them. It would be fair to assume that key aspects, which influence capital structure decisions, will va ry across firms and depend on the circumstances of each particular decision. However, managers must be able to create a complete picture of internal, external, and other factors affecting every single capital structure decision. Capital structure decisions: What do managers think? Contemporary scholars are increasingly interested in the relationship between capital structure decisions and various factors affecting them. ... Earnings per share dilution and financial flexibility are the two most important factors of capital structure decisions among European managers (Bancel & Mittoo 2004). Hedging considerations play an important role in how managers decide to manage firms’ financial capital (Bancel & Mittoo 2004). â€Å"Financial planning principles dominate specific capital structure models in governing financial decisions for the firms† (Pinegar & Wilbricht 1989, p.87). Mean industry leverage and financial risks are considered, too (Goyal & Frank 2004). The significance of financial structure decisions and knowledge of the aspects influencing them are justified by the fact that the prevailing majority of managers (82%) are willing to depart from the existing capital structure and leverage new resources, whenever they are presented with attractive growth opportunities (Pinegar & Wilbricht 1989). That managers do not stick to one particular capital structure model is further explained by t he fact that â€Å"there is actually no universal capital structure theory, and there is no reason to expect one† (Myers 2001). Obviously, managers taking capital structure decisions must take into consideration a variety of factors and influences. What exactly matters will depend upon the conditions and circumstances of each particular capital structure decision. Capital structure determinants and factors affecting capital structure decisions The determinants of capital structure decisions are numerous and varied. Collateral value of assets is believed to have defined effects on how managers manage firms’ capital. Simply stated, â€Å"capital structure decisions are heavily

Corporal Punishment in School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporal Punishment in School - Essay Example Though not taking proper actions to restrict offensive behavior of certain students could lead to serious consequences in a classroom yet inflicting serious injuries on the students by using aggressive techniques like caning could also lead to much more devastating consequences. Facts and discussion presented in this essay are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that â€Å"corporal punishment could be seriously bad for the mental and moral wellbeing of the students which is why it should not be allowed to be introduced in the schools as a way of coping mechanism.† It is a fact that presently there are many national and international campaigns in action against corporal punishment and this is because the disadvantages offered by this form of punishment outweigh the few rewards guaranteed by it. There are many valid reasons for outlawing corporal punishment in the schools. Though people favoring corporal punishment suggest that not using such a practical form of punishment reinforces bad behavior, others opinion that by hitting the students in any way and inflicting bodily harm, no good can come out in context of behavioral, emotional, and moral development. There exists no sound connection between student achievement and corporal punishment which is why it should not be allowed to be used in any school. There exist many other ways save this form of punishment to correct any bad action displayed by any student which include good therapy session conducted by the teachers themselves or polishing the communication policy. When the teachers take care to talk sense into their students out of the teaching hours, the students realize that they are valued by their teachers and feel more secure to confide in them. Instead of communicating, such inexperienced teachers rely on corporal punishment to restrict bad behavior which in turn hardens the students most of the times and they develop immunity to any form of corrective strategy used by the tea chers. The chance for them of developing low self-esteems also heightens which could lead them to depression and anxiety problems, hence exacerbating the already bad situation. Also in response to corporal punishment, the students might begin to think that every situation could be resolved with physical violence (Lyon). There exists huge amount of scientific evidence suggesting that when a student is reprimanded seriously in front of the entire class by either caning or slapping, serious mental remodeling takes place in that student which is most often for the worse. It is claimed by Dr. Newell that â€Å"all people have the right to protection of their physical integrity, and children are people too† (cited in Schamotta). This suggests that children have a right to their physical integrity and this right can be seriously violated by corporal punishment. Critics, parents, and educationists who favor corporal punishment suggest that this method is capable of effectively restra ining bad behavior before it envelops the entire classroom. It also stimulates the students to grow up into responsible and fearful citizens in addition to decreasing the level of crime in the schools. However, attention should be paid to the fact that corporal punishment has been banned in so many parts of the world and most of the states in America due to a valid reason. If it really were capable of offering so many benefits,

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Task: How does the novel present Pips relationship with Magwitch, when he meets him in the graveyard and later when Magwitch returns form abroad to see Pip?  Great Expectations is a novel that is set in the late 1860s, in Victorian society, during the start up of the industrial revolution, which was speedily changing society. In chapter 1 of Great Expectations, the reader meets a young boy, Phillip Pirrip, although he is known as Pip, due to the reason that he cant pronounce his full name. The fact that this issue is introduced to the reader right at the beginning of the story, and that the story is narrated by Pip and his own voice, is attention grabbing; his youthful innocence and naivety is interesting, and immediately gets the reader close to the character. Dickens introduces Pip at a graveyard, where he sets the scene. Pip is visiting the graves of his deceased family, trying to find his identity as well as remind himself and imagine what his parents looked like. Pip is an image of vulnerability, and this is a target for ambiguity to come. Dickens does not state that Pip is an orphan; instead he allows his powerful use of words to demonstrate this. My first fancies regarding what they were like, were reasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my fathers, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair Also Georgina wife of above, I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. Dickens introduces Pips childish imagination into the sequence. Dickens implies that Victorian life and society was like this; there were masses of orphans, like Pip, due to numerous epidemics sweeping the nation, diseases like cholera and smallpox which were rife, and regarded as a universal struggle, this resulted in high mortality rates. You were generally considered lucky if you survived the high mortality rates. The involvement of this fact early on shows that death, and poverty was an everyday occurrence; it wasnt an unusual nature, hence the matter of fact writing. The weather in this scene creates a solemn yet dramatic tone. A negative pattern exhibiting raging storms, adding to the bleak and cold winters day atmosphere is vividly painted. It is a gloomy Christmas Eves day. Pip ventures out into these eerie unknowns, which later on prove to be a symbol that his life is going to change drastically too, where peril and ambiguity await. This also reinforces Pips perception on his situation. While Pip is attempting to bring up recollections at the graveyard, he is surprised by an escaped convict who jumps out rather cynically, from a savage lair, among the looming mists and graves, scaring Pip. The opposite usage of some comedy, at the beginning, and a sharp dramatic twist is attention grabbing. A contrasting backdrop, on to which the messages of the tale can unfold, is created. The reader can tell that the mysterious man is a convict because of the way he is described. His condition is in disarray because of the poor living conditions in the hulks. They were overcrowded, leading to diseases that ended up killing many of the prisoners, and there was malnutrition from poor food. Hard labour was primed everyday too. He has escaped from prison and the hulks (old ships moored on the coast), whilst awaiting exile (to penal colonies in Australia) for 14 years hard labour. (Returning before the end of his term he will face execution). A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. This gives us an insight into the harsh conditions that were faced by prisoners during these times. This plight is shown further more; by the way this convict- Abel Magwitch is portrayed ferociously and pathetically. The harsh and unjust judicial system at the time was the cause of this. Forging banknotes (like Magwitch had done) carried the same penalty as murder! Criminals were brutalised. They were not given chances to reform, instead faced beatings, as forms of punishment. At least 10 hours of daily hard labour was forced on prisoners. Soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briarsand glared and growled. Dickens gives Magwitch with animal like qualities, and so we are provided with a greater understanding that he is at the end of his tether. He is a human that has literally been weathered, like a mere object. A man with no hat and with broken shoessoaked in water, smothered by mud, and lamedlimped and shivered. Magwitch is desperate. This is shown by the way he speaks to Pip aggressively, and threatens him keep still you little devil, and also by the way he roughly handles Pip. The man, after looking at me for a moment, turned me upside down and emptied my pockets. When he tips Pip upside down a piece of bread falls out of his pockets. Magwitch scurries towards this. He ate the bread ravenously. The reader is reminded of his desperate, animal like status, and his plight. The tentative weather mirrors Magwitchs character-a vast wilderness in the vein of a storm, which rushes into Pips life, suddenly, causing an upheaval of ambiguity like disturbance. Dickens tries to connect the characters with a descriptive background, to create a realistic character, building up a reinforced feeling to the passage, which ties in with characters personalities. Upon discovering that Pip lives with Joe- who is a black smith, Magwitch continues to act aggressively towards Pip, as he is useful to him. He makes a threatening demand. You get me a fileYou get me wittlesYou bring them both to meor Ill have your heart and liver out. He continues to threaten Pip, telling him that he can even be hurt in his own home if he betrays the convict. He tells Pip that he is not alone, and if he gets caught then the man along side Magwitch will attack him. A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him openin comparison with which I am a angel. Pip is petrified. The prospect of this occurring (made worse by his youthful innocence), has given way to the sensation of helplessness that clearly covers him. His eyes looked most powerfully into mine, and mine looked most powerfully up into his. This highlights a key detail of status/position that will be seen in depth throughout the story; its a running thread for which it is a major theme. This is the first landmark of Magwitch and Pips relationship. It is one of intimidation, and fear.

The Characterization Of Arthur :: essays research papers

Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale is one of the major characters in the story The Scarlet Letter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this story Arthur Dimmesdale plays the part of the towns reverend. He has a high position in society and is viewed as one of the good and polite kind of guy by the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This man has a sort of dark side; he has a little secret that no one knows except for the main character, Hester Prynne. This little secret that he has kept hidden from the Townspeople all this time; are in fact that he had commited adultery by having an affair with Hester Prynnee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From keeping this secret hidden all this time, Arthur Dimmesdale has undergone Some type of psylogical damage. Through this psylogical damage he also undergoes physical damage. This physical damage is a scar of an 'A'; on his chest. You may be wondering why an 'A';. Well, as you may recall, when Hester Prynne was commited as an adultress they made her wear the letter 'A'; on the chest area of her clothing. So, Arthur Dimmesdale must have felt so bad that he didn't confess to being the mand that Hester Prynne had an affair with, that his psylogical state of mind produced the 'A'; on his chest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You may often find Mr. Dimmesdale with his hand over his chest. This may be because of the 'A'; on his chest, who knows? Or maybe it is because his soul has been injured and he feels pain from this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some good has come from this affair. Due to this affair, they have produced a Beautiful little girl named Pearl. On the other hand, the bad that has happened was that Dimmesdale didn't confess about the affair, which made him sort of a liar. Since he didn't confess, Hester and Pearl have to live in seclusion. Another bad thing that has happened is vengence by the chilling husband of Hester Prynne, Dr. Roger Chillingworth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Chillingworth seeks revenge on the man, who has had an affair with his wife,

The Zigzag Way portrays the character

Colette Rossants memoir, Apricots on the Nile, portrays the authors mother in a negative light, as a selfish woman concerned only about her own needs. Anita Desai’s novel, The Zigzag Way, portrays the character of Dona Vera in a similar way, as a selfish older woman who is full of herself and does not treat her servants or assistants with much consideration.Analyze the ways both of these texts, one fiction and one an autobiography, portray European women who came of age right before the second world war as self-centered tyrants. Which women serve as contrasts to the mother and Dona Vera in each narrative? I just need a good intro paragraph for this topic. Can you underline the thesis statement? Also, I do not need any other references, other than the 2 books: Apricots on the Nile, and The Zigzag Way.Colette Rossant’s French mother in her autobiography and Dona Vera in Zig Zag way of Anita Desai’s fiction are of European by origin and belong to the World War II ge neration. These seem to be the only similarity between the two of them, their continent and their age. Other than they are entirely different in every aspect.At the outset, both women come from contrasting classes of the society, Dona Vera from the middle Class and Rossant’s mother from the upper strata of the society. Dona Vera flees Austria as a result of her connections with the Nazis whereas the other lady has been forced to move to Egypt because of her husband’s sickness. Dona Vera is a self made woman but Rossant’s mother is privileged to live luxurious life because of her status in the society.Therefore the two women actually act as a foil to each other rather than being similar in any other way except the period of time in history and the dislike of the respective protagonists of the two books, Rossant and Eric. Instead of calling them tyrants who are inconsiderate to the people around them or self centered women, we can simply say that they have success fully survived the perils and troubles in their own varied but familiar way.They do not know any other way. Interestingly, Dona Vera’s contrast is Betty Jennings, and French lady’s contrast is her own daughter, Colette Rossants.ReferencesColette Rossants Apricots on the Nile Anita Desai The Zigzag Way

Remember the Titans Essay

A scene in the film of which I thought it was strong was when the new coach takes the players into the woods for a run and they arrive at a sort of cemetery. He tells them about a lesson from the death; they have to come together, otherwise they will be destroyed. He tells them whether they like each other or not, they should respect each other. I really like this scene of the movie, first, because I think it takes place in a special surrounding. All the players are exhausted from the running and kind of impressed by the place. Second, I like this part because I like the message and the way the coach tries to create one team out of two groups. The third message I got from the video is the fact that sports brings people together. No matter what race, as friends in a team you can make it work. In the video the white boys and the African-American boys have each their own team with their own rituals. Along the road, their passion for football and their desire to win brings them together. They combine their habits and the difference in their cultural backgrounds gives them a special feeling of a united group and makes them stronger. Also in other situations can sports play an important factor, you can see it in the world with for example the Olympic Games, but also other major sports events. I think sports can unite individuals from different cultural backgrounds because the rules are the same in every culture and as people are playing, they do not necessarily have to speak the same language. So, if you put the messages all together, I would say that in my opinion the movie is a really good one. After watching it I realized even more that it is about personalities and characters instead of the way people look or the cultural background they are from. Although it can be hard for some individuals to act this way, for example because of pressure from their peers or because the way they are raised. I hope that for the future that every day more people will realize that it is not about the differences, but about the similarities.

Moment of peace Gregorian Essays - Lottery, Free Essays, Term Papers

Moment of peace Gregorian Essays - Lottery, Free Essays, Term Papers 2014-03-18 Moment of peace Gregorian The statistician David J. Hand on eerie coincidence and playing the lottery (your latest book, "The Improbability principle," aims to prove that extremely improbable events are in fact commonplace. Can you explain that a bit?) Things like roulette wheels coming up in strange configurations or the same lottery numbers hitting two weeks in a row are clearly very rare events, but if you look at the number of lotteries and the number of roulette wheels, then you realize that you should actually expect these sorts of things to happen. I think within the statistical community people accept this. They're aware of the impact of the law of truly large numbers. (Why do you think this book will appeal to people outside the mathematics world?) Most people have had some experience like that: bumping into a friend in a strange city, thinking of someone just before they phone you - we've all had that sort of experience, and they do make you think: Wow, how did that happen? Is there's something funn y going on? Is somebody in control, guiding us through these things? (You're pretty harsh with people who believe that there's some kind of magic or divine intervention that makes these coincidences happen. Do you think that this takes the whimsy out of strange occurrences?) All I'm doing is saying, Look, you can explain these things using natural laws. Whether it takes the whimsy out of it - I don't think so. I don't think it taller the magic away - the psychological magic, I mean. I think the wonder is still there. (You use gambling a lot to prove your points. Are you a good poker player?) No, I've been to Las Vegas a couple of times, and I haven't played because I know that the house has the edge and will win - they'll gradually take my money away from me. The first time I went, my wife came with me. She insisted on playing some low stakes same, and I said, "Don't, you will just lose gradually." Guess what? She ended up winning. It was most frustrating for me. (Any advice for pla ying the lottery?) Funny enough, one of the most common combinations is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. So you buy that ticket it comes up, you think, Wow. I've won! And you tell your boss what you think of him, and you leave your job and then you discover 5,000 other people chose the same number. That's not so good. If you look at the lottery card and go across the top or down a diagonal or something, or use birthdays or something like that, other people are likely to do the same thing. The best thing to do is to use a random selection of numbers, and most of winning New York Powerball and 1 in 175 million - probably one of the worst I've come across. (You also write that geographical clusters of people with diseased might not necessarily be a result of environmental issues. It could just be a coincidence. Well, they could be due to some sort of pollution of infectious disease or something like that, but you can expect clusters to occur just by chance as well. So it's an interesting statistic al problem to tease these things out. Is this a genuine cluster in the sense that there's a cause behind it? Or is it a chance cluster? (So we shouldn't dismiss those coincidences) No, but if you do see such a cluster, then you should work out the chance that you would see such a cluster purely randomly, purely by chance, and if it's very low odds, then you should investigate carefully. (I was really surprised to read that 24,000 people die from lightning strikes each year. That seems like a lot.) That's worldwide, so it includes people in less-developed countries who spend a lot of time in the open and in fields and things like that. We tend to think about our own experience, and you're probably like I am, sitting in an office block, and the chance of us getting struck by lightning is pretty small. (That's good point. How about the

Behavior Impact and Definition of Mirror Neurons

Behavior Impact and Definition of Mirror Neurons Mirror neurons are neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing that same action, such as reaching for a lever. These neurons  respond to someone elses action just as if you yourself were doing it. This response is not restricted to sight. Mirror neurons can also fire when an individual knows or hears someone else performing a similar action. â€Å"The Same Action† It’s not always clear what’s meant by â€Å"the same action.† Do mirror neurons code actions corresponding to the movement itself (you move your muscles a certain way to grab food), or, are they responsive to something more abstract, the goal that the individual is trying to achieve with the movement (grabbing food)? It turns out that there are different types of mirror neurons, which differ in what they respond to. Strictly congruent mirror neurons fire only when the mirrored action is identical to the performed action- so both the goal and the movement are the same for both cases. Broadly congruent mirror neurons fire when the goal of the mirrored action is the same as the performed actions, but the two actions themselves are not necessarily identical. For example, you can grab an object with your hand or your mouth. Taken together, strictly congruent and broadly congruent mirror neurons, which together comprised more than 90 percent of the mirror neurons in the study that introduced these classifications,  represent what someone else did, and how they did it. Other, non-congruent mirror neurons don’t seem to exhibit a clear correlation between the performed and observed actions at first glance. Such mirror neurons may, for instance, fire both when you grasp an object and see someone else placing that object somewhere. These neurons could thus be activated at an even more abstract level. The Evolution of Mirror Neurons There are two main hypotheses for how and why mirror neurons evolved. The adaptation hypothesis states that monkeys and humans- and possibly other animals as well- are born with mirror neurons. In this hypothesis, mirror neurons came about through natural selection, enabling individuals to understand the actions of others. The associative learning hypothesis  asserts  that mirror neurons arise from experience. As you learn an action and see others performing a similar one, your brain learns to link the two events together. Mirror Neurons in Monkeys Mirror neurons were first described in 1992, when a team of neuroscientists led by Giacomo Rizzolatti recorded activity from single neurons in the macaque monkey brain and found that the same neurons fired both when a monkey performed certain actions, like grabbing food, and when they observed an experimenter performing  that same action. Rizzolatti’s discovery found mirror neurons in the premotor cortex, a part of the brain which helps plan and execute movements. Subsequent studies have also heavily investigated the inferior parietal cortex, which helps encode visual motion. Still other papers have described mirror neurons in other areas, including the medial frontal cortex, which has been recognized as important for social cognition. Mirror Neurons in Humans Direct Evidence In many studies on monkey brains, including Rizzolatti’s initial study and others involving mirror neurons, brain activity is directly recorded by inserting an electrode into the brain and measuring electrical activity. This technique is not used in many human studies. One mirror neuron study, however, directly probed the brains of epileptic patients during a pre-surgery evaluation. Scientists found potential mirror neurons in the medial frontal lobe and the medial temporal lobe, which helps code memory. Indirect Evidence Most studies involving mirror neurons in humans have presented indirect evidence pointing to mirror neurons in the brain. Multiple groups have imaged the brain and shown that brain areas which exhibited mirror-neuron-like activity in humans are similar to the brain areas containing mirror neurons in macaque monkeys. Interestingly, mirror neurons have also been observed in Broca’s area, which is responsible for producing language, though this has been the cause of much debate. Open Questions Such neuroimaging evidence seems promising. However, since individual neurons are not being directly probed during the experiment, it’s difficult to correlate this brain activity to specific neurons in the human brain- even if the imaged brain areas are very similar to those found in monkeys. According to Christian Keysers, a researcher who studies the human mirror neuron system, a small area on a brain scan can correspond to millions of neurons. Thus, the mirror neurons found in humans cannot be directly compared with those in monkeys to confirm whether the systems are the same. Furthermore, it is not necessarily clear whether the brain activity corresponding to an observed action is a response to other sensory experiences rather than mirroring. Possible Role in Social Cognition Since their discovery, mirror neurons have been considered one of the most important discoveries in neuroscience, intriguing experts and non-experts alike. Why the strong interest? It stems from the role mirror neurons may play in explaining social behavior. When humans interact with each other, they understand what other people do or feel. Thus, some researchers say that mirror neurons- which allow you to experience the actions of others- could shed light on some of the neural mechanisms underlying why we learn and communicate. For example, mirror neurons may provide insights on why we imitate other people, which is critical to understanding how humans learn, or how we understand other people’s actions, which could shed light on empathy. Based on their possible role in social cognition, at least one group has also proposed that a â€Å"broken mirror system† may also cause autism, which is partly characterized by difficulty in social interactions. They argue that reduced activity of mirror neurons prevents autistic individuals from understanding what others are feeling. Other researchers have stated this is an oversimplified view of autism: a review looked at 25 papers focusing on autism and a broken mirror system and concluded there was â€Å"little evidence† for this hypothesis. A number of researchers are much more cautious about whether mirror neurons are crucial to empathy and other social behavior. For example, even if you have never seen an action before, you are still capable of understanding it- for example, if you see Superman flying in a movie even if you can’t fly yourself. Evidence for this comes from individuals who have lost the capacity to perform certain actions, like brushing teeth, yet can still understand them when others perform them. Towards the future Though much research has been conducted on mirror neurons, there are still many lingering questions. For example, are they only restricted to certain areas of the brain? What is their real function? Do they really exist, or can their response be attributed to other neurons? Much more work has to be done to answer these questions. References A calm look at the most hyped concept in neuroscience – mirror neurons, Christian Jarrett, Wired.Acharya, S., and Shukla, S. â€Å"Mirror neurons: Enigma of the metaphysical modular brain.† Journal of Natural Science, Biology, and Medicine, 2012, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 118-124, doi: 10.4103/0976-9668.101878.Gallese, V., Fadiga, L., Fogassi, L., and Rizzolatti, G. â€Å"Action recognition in the premotor cortex.† Brain, 1996, vol. 119, pp. 593-609, doi: 10.1093/brain/awp167.Hamilton, A. â€Å"Reflecting on the mirror neuron system in autism: A systematic review of current theories.† Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2013, vol. 3, pp. 91-105, doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2012.09.008Heyes, C. â€Å"Where do mirror neurons come from?† Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, 2009, vol. 34, pp. 575-583, doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.11.007.Keysers, C., and Fadiga, L. â€Å"The mirror neuron system: New frontiers.† Social Neuroscience, 2008, vol. 3, no. 3-4, pp. 193-198, doi: 10.1080/17470910802408513.Kilner, J., and Lemon, R. â€Å"What we currently know about mirror neurons.† Current Biology, 2013, vol. 23, no. 23, pp. R1057-R1062, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.051. Kokal, I., Gazzola, V., and Keysers, C. Acting together in and beyond the mirror neuron system. Neuroimage, 2009, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 2046-2056, doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.06.010.Miklà ³si, . Do dogs have mirror neurons? Scientific American Mind.Mirror neurons after a quarter century: New light, new cracks, JohnMark Taylor, Science in the News.Reflecting on mirror neurons, Mo Costandi, The Guardian.The mind’s mirror, Lea Winerman, Monitor on Psychology.Uithol, S., van Rooij, I., Bekkering, H., and Haselager, P. â€Å"What do mirror neurons mirror?† Philosophical Psychology, 2011, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 607-623, doi: 10.1080/09515089.2011.562604.What’s so special about mirror neurons?, Ben Thomas, Scientific American Guest Blog.Yoshida, K., Saito, N., Iriki, A., and Isoda, M. â€Å"Representation of others’ action by neurons in monkey medial frontal cortex.† Current Biology, 2011, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 249-253, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.01.004.

Trade preferences for developing countries Essay

Trade preferences for developing countries - Essay Example On the other hand, in 2005, the OECD3 conducted an empirical research and reached to the conclusion that multilateral trade liberalization implemented by the EU has resulted in comparatively higher sizeable corrosion of predilections than the liberalization processes implemented by countries like Canada, Japan, Australia, and the United States. Thus, the importance of the trade preferences provided by the EU proved to be relatively less in comparison with the preferential schemes provided by other countries. The conclusion of OECD has also been maintained by Nilsson in his empirical research conducted in 2007. In the year of 2007, Persson and Wilhelmsson4 put their effort to find that some particular EU preferential deals had produced great impacts, specifically the schemes that were offered to the Pacific countries as well as the African Caribbean nations. These kinds of findings had earlier been reported by Nilsson in 20025. However, the preference schemes of a donor country should be seen with respect to the overall trade openness of the donor. For instance, if a benefactor does not have a high figure relating to the imports covered under the preferential schemes, then this would result in the entrance of a bulky share of the donor’s imports under the mechanism of MFN-0 tariffs. In this case, the capacity for preferences is limited as well. As a result, no matter whether the utilization of the rate of preferences in such state of affairs is high or low, it no longer becomes so vital. For getting an accurate picture of the openness of a donor to imports from less developed or developing nations, it is vital to study the share and the quantity of imported commodities entering the EU under the scheme of MFN-0, the proportion and volume of dutiable imports, the proportion of imports entitled to preferential arrangements, and, finally, the rate of preference utilization. This paper will put its effort to examinee the impact of EU trade preferences towards developing countries with special focus on India on the basis of existing literatures. However, before moving onto analyzing the impact, the paper will discuss the existing trade preference scheme. Then, it will consider general impact on developing countries a s a whole and finally it will put its special focus on India. Scope and coverage of trade preferences forwarded by EU: The fundamental principle of World Trade Organization is to practice the non-discriminating attitudes among the trading partners. However, it has been accepted that the developing nations should get favored treatment, compatible with their relatively disadvantageous economic situations. During 1971, following one of the UNCTAD’s (United Nations Conference on Trade & Development) recommendations, it was pointed out that the nations that had entered into the agreement under the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), predecessor to what is now known as the WTO, had agreed upon on a waiver of ten-y ears for the

What is the relevance of Marxism to critical theory Give examples of Essay

What is the relevance of Marxism to critical theory Give examples of practices - Essay Example According to Marxism, to understand the dialectical of history individuals should focus on the human agents which exist within relatively enduring social structures of which the agent reproduce or alter through their various actions. Moreover, it argues that the dialectical view of the society challenges the empiricist approaches used in the study of principles governing human and social life. In a much wider perspective, Marxism works to define politics in an expansive manner since politics is seen as struggle over the shaping of the kind of world we live and the identity of people we are (Rabaka, 2009). On the other hand, capitalism can be defined as a form of social life which is based on historically specific class relations between the class of people owning capital and those acting as wage laborers. In as much capitalism is considered to be productive but in away disabling, exploitative and undemocratic to those areas or sectors where it is being applied. Marxism further argues that capitalist accumulation is what drives major capitalist countries into colonial expansionism, creating the potential for inter-imperialist rivalry on a global scale. In making explanations for politics, Marxism and critical theory examines in details the structures of global capitalism and the ideologies and agents situated within the specific structures. It places emphasis on the capital driven nature of the state‘s action in the global capitalist systems and the need for states to maintain control of oil in order to maintain global capitalism in the world. An example is that from a Marxist c ritical theory, the war on terror should be understood in the context of ideology of economic security (Kellner, 1989). According to Karl Marx, socialist and dialectical theories Marxism, critical theory examines fictitious works as a manifestation of the societal foundations which plays a key role in their establishment (Pawling, 2013). Marxist views elements of