Public Goods In South African Agriculture Economics Essay

Public Goods In South African Agriculture Economics Essay Public goods are goods that are produced in order to serve communities, where all members of the community are served equally. This is possible since the consumption by one member of a community does not decrease the quantity or quality of the public good for another member of the community. In it pure form, public goods can therefore not be divided into pieces for every member of the community, but is a collective good, being indivisible. (Loehr Sandler, 1978, p. 12) To produce these public goods in a manner that will serve the communities that needs it and to allocate public goods efficient, policies are used to provide the structure. These policies are installed by government in order to correct the failure of the market. In order to understand this interrelation between market failure, government intervention, policies and private goods, one should start at the beginning, namely market failure. This should originally be the reason why there is government intervention by means of policies. In this paper market failure will be used to start the argument on policies on public goods in agriculture. Government intervention through policies to correct the malfunction of the market will be discussed after which there will be a discussion on public goods in agriculture as a result of the above mentioned and how these public goods are delivered in agriculture. Market Failure and Government Intervention 2.1 What Market Failure is Market failure exists when the market are unable to produce at a level which is Pareto optimal, Pareto optimality being a position in the market where one person in the market cannot be better off without at least one other person in the market being worse off. (Loehr Sandler, 1978, p. 11) According to Philip Black in Public Economics for South African students (2003, pp. 21-23) there are six reasons for market failures. Lack of Information A lack of information can cause market failure, since the information available to customers and producers are not necessarily at a level to equip them to make rational decisions. A possible solution to this problem is that governments should provide this information to society, but by definition private institutions are driven by profit, making them better at obtaining and distributing information than government agencies. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, pp. 21-22) Lags in Adjustments Lags in the adjustment of markets exist, even if lack of information is not the only reason. Time lagging can also occur if resources are not very mobile, meaning that it cannot adapt instantly to new information. Labour, for example, can only move from one job to another with some time passing, even though new job opportunities are available. Physical capital, like machinery, cannot be moved from one place to another at any moment, but can only happen at highly irregular time periods. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, p. 22) Incomplete Markets When supply of certain products cannot meet the demand for those products, incomplete markets arise. For these reason public goods, such as street lighting, defence security, etc. is installed. Markets can also not take full responsibility for the external cost and benefits that are associated with individual behaviour and therefore markets are incomplete. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, p. 22) Non-competitive Markets Markets fail when it is characterised by non-competitiveness. By this, which happens more often than not, is meant that the competitiveness is taken out of the market. These reasons are monopolies and oligopolies in commodity markets, minimum wage restrictions on labour, and many more. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, p. 22) Macroeconomic Instability Markets can fail because of instability in the economys macro environment. The macro environment includes attacks on the countrys currency and other factors. This macroeconomic instability can cause markets to take too long to adjust to the exogenous shocks and government intervention through policy might be needed to rescue the situation. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, pp. 22-23) Distribution of Income The distribution of income is and will probably never be reasonable and fair in a sense that it will be satisfactory to the wide community or government which represents that community. Therefore Pareto optimality in the allocation of resources will not happen, thus leading to classification of market failure. This issue of skew distribution of wealth has been addressed by governments by creating wealth in a growing population through policy. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, p. 23) Government Intervention Government intervention in the market can be done in three different ways, the approaches being an allocative function, distributive function, and stabilisation function. Allocative Function The allocative function of governments who are intervening in the market is to address the issues of incomplete markets and non-competitive markets, as discussed previously. Through direct intervention in the market, governments can correct incomplete markets, such as supplying street lights, etc. Through indirect government, also known as the regulatory function of the government, non-competitive markets are regulated, with policies such as the competition policy which is intended to prevent monopolies from acting abusive. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, pp. 24,26) Distributive Function This function of the government is especially angled at the market failure of income distribution. The government use a model to determine how it should spread wealth. This models outcome is positively correlated with the participants in the markets original distribution of labour and capital. This model, however, is does not determine how fair this distribution is. This distributive function of the government comes in the form of direct intervention in the market through taxes and as a regulatory function it makes use if subsidies and transfer payments. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, pp. 24-26) Stabilisation Function To correct the market failure of the inability of the economy to react adequately to macro environment factors, governments intervene by means of its stabilisation function. Stabilisation of the market to reach the macroeconomic objectives is also part of this function. The appropriate monetary and fiscal policy would be installed by government to keep the market from failing to accomplish price stability, an acceptable economic growth rate, sound balance of payments, etc. This can be done through direct intervention in the market as well as through a regulatory function where indirect taxes and subsidies help to achieve fiscal objectives indirectly. (Black, Calitz, Steenekamp, 2003, pp. 25-26) Public Goods in General Types of Goods There are two properties that indicate the type of goods, namely excludability and rivalry. These two properties can be used in a table form (see Table 1) in order to differentiate Private goods, Common goods, Club goods, and Public goods from each other. Table : Different types of goods (Solum, 2009) From Table 1 the following can be drawn: Private goods are goods where the benefits are fully rival and excludable, for example fuel. Common goods are goods where the benefits are rival but non-excludable, for example fish. Club goods are goods where the benefits are non-rivalry but excludable, for example cinemas. Public goods are goods where the benefits are non-rivalry and non-excludable, for example national defence. Common goods and Club goods are part of the larger impure public goods group, since in pure form they do not have excludability or rivalry. Pure private goods are therefore goods of which the benefits are pure rival and excludable. Pure public goods are thus goods of which the benefits are pure non-rival and non-excludable. (Cornes Sandler, 1986, pp. 6-7) Characteristics of Public Goods There are 5 characteristics of public goods that will be discussed, two of which defines it from other type of goods, as mentioned above. Non-rival Public goods are non-rival, meaning that consumption by one person does not influence the consumption by another person. There is therefore no competition between consumers for the use of the specific product. (Moeti, Khalo, Mafunisa, Makondo, Nsingo, 2007, p. 24) Non-excludable Public goods are non-excludable, making it practically impossible to abstain it from one person if it is allowed for another. The problem that comes with non-excludability is the free-rider problem, where people who do not pay for the product still benefit from it, since they cannot get excluded from it. It is therefore necessary for governments to intervene and produce these products, since it cannot be produced profitably by the private sector. (Moeti, Khalo, Mafunisa, Makondo, Nsingo, 2007, p. 24) Non-apportionable Public goods are non-apportionable since it cannot be measured in order to provide it in units which can have a price attached to it and sold for that price. In this case, it is possible for water to be either a public good or not, since water can be made available to a whole community at no charge or it can be sold in bottles in a shop. (Moeti, Khalo, Mafunisa, Makondo, Nsingo, 2007, p. 24) Monopolistic Public goods can be monopolistic, making it products where there is only one role player in the market, namely the government. Governments can produce the goods that the public demand by making use of the structure of a natural monopoly. In a natural monopoly it is more efficient to have only one player (producer) in the market than more than one. (Moeti, Khalo, Mafunisa, Makondo, Nsingo, 2007, p. 25) No Direct Quid Pro Quo Quid pro quo is a Latin term which means something for something. Public goods are therefore goods with no direct quid pro quo, meaning no something for something, it this case a public good in return for money (quid pro quo is very much applicable for private goods). By paying taxes, tax payers do not receive public goods to the same value of the tax they paid, but receive whatever any other person receives, irrespective of the amount of tax they pay. Progressive scales for taxes and fiscal spending are installed in order to guide the receiving and spending of tax money of public goods. (Moeti, Khalo, Mafunisa, Makondo, Nsingo, 2007, p. 25) Public Policies Theory on Public Policy towards Externalities Externalities can cause markets to allocate resources in an insufficient way, externalities being the impact of one persons actions on a bystanders wellbeing without compensating the bystander for it. To correct the cause of externalities, governments can make use of command-and-control policies by which behaviour is directly regulated, or it can make use of market-based policies which is indirect and provides incentive to decision makers to correct the problem themselves. (Mankiw Taylor, 2006, pp. 198,464) Direct Regulation of Externalities By regulating the market directly, governments enforce certain boundaries or restrictions onto role players in the market in order to counter externalities. For example, by installing an upper limit on the amount of pollution that a factory is allowed, governments adopt a command-and-control policy. (Mankiw Taylor, 2006, p. 198) Indirect Regulation of Externalities By indirectly regulating the market, governments make use of market-based policies to counter an externality. In doing this, governments provide better alignment of private incentives with social efficiency at a lower cost to society. Pigovian taxes, named after Arthur Pigou, are taxes which are used to counter the effect of negative externalities. By this method of taxing, pollution, as the example is in the direct regulation of externalities, will be taxed per unit of pollution. The more the factory pollutes, the higher the tax payment and therefore this method creates an incentive to pollute less, since it decreases profit. (Mankiw Taylor, 2006, pp. 198-199) Policies on Public Goods Richard Cornes and Todd Sandler argues in their book, The Theory of Externalities, Public Goods, and Club Goods (1986, p. 69) that public goods in its pure form a special case of an externality is. This would mean that the policies on public goods should be aligned with the policies on externalities discussed in the previous section, namely command-and-control policies and market-based policies. In this section it will become clear whether that is the case as well as what exactly the policy methods are that are used for public goods. According to Leonard Champney (1988, p. 989)in his article, Public Goods and Policy Types, governments can either make use of regulation policies, where the incentives of the government are coercive, or of distribution policies, where the incentives of the government are economic. Coercive can be defined as intimidating people to comply. By further looking at the difference between productive indivisibilities and consumptive indivisibilities, it will be possible to describe the eight types of policies that Champney refers to in his paper. Champney describes productive indivisibilities as products that are produced for one, and because of the indivisibility of public goods, is therefore produced for all. An example of a productive indivisibility product produced by government is a light house. Consumptive indivisibility refers to the consumption of a product produced by government where the consumption by one has a positive influence on others, even though they are excluded from the direct consumption. An example of a consumptive indivisible product produced by government is education. The government can choose to whom education is made available to consume, but the whole society will benefit from it, being more politically stable, economically productive, and technologically advanced. Governments can decide to produc e productive indivisibilities or consumptive indivisibilities. (Champney, 1988, p. 988) Now the eight types of policies can be illustrated and discussed. Table : Government policies for individual targets Table : Government policies for group targets (Champney, 1988, p. 989) Type 1: Internal and External Security Products produced under Type 1 are productive indivisible products and is enforced through regulation onto individuals; the government thus make use of coercive powers as a monopoly and use taxation of individuals (compulsory) to pay for the public goods. Example: national defence. (Champney, 1988, pp. 989-990) Type 2: Compulsory Education Products produce under Type 2 are consumptive indivisible and is enforced through regulation onto individuals. Public goods, such as education which is forced onto young people, are type 2 public goods, since they (the young people) are forced to consume the product. Also, occupational licensure plays a role to ensure that an incompetent physician do not give medical care so that the whole community are forced to consume this product which have indivisible consequences. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Type 3: Subsidies to Individuals Governments are able to move away from regulatory policies by making use of compulsory taxation in order to provide distributive policies which are more economically aligned. Direct subsidies to individuals, which are productive indivisible and distributive, are type 3 products. Example: soldiers get paid for their duty instead of being forced to enrol. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Type 4: Subsidies to Individuals Type 4 subsidies to individuals are subsidies which are consumptive indivisible and distributive, therefore being promoting the consumption of a product by means of a subsidy. An example of this is grants for individuals to further their studies to a higher education level. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Type 5: Environmental Regulations Groups are targeted with this type. Environmental regulations are regulative and productive indivisible by nature. Governments make use of this type of policy to attempt to make the environment better. As an example, corporations must comply with the limit that a government sets on pollution of air and water. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Type 6: Regulation of Natural Monopoly Regulation of natural monopolies are done by governments in order to assure that provision of a good or service is reasonable and not subject to price setting, price discrimination, and other destructive activities. These types of consumptive indivisible and regulated products are often products which the economy cannot run properly without, such as communication services, and for which there are no substitutes readily available. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Type 7: Subsidies to Corporations Type 7 subsidies are subsidies to corporations which are productive indivisible and are executed by the distribution function of the government. These subsidies are given to corporations directly or indirectly for leading activities which helps with the production of public goods. An example will be a subsidy to a corporation which produces weapons for usage in a public service, namely the military force. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Type 8: Subsidies to Research Development Consumptive goods which are indivisible and promoted by distribution form the last of the eight types. By giving subsidies/grants, the government ensures that the necessary research and development is done in order to provide communication services and transportation in the economy. The objective is to give subsidies/grants to key strategic industries, which other sectors in the economy depend on, to do research and development. Through the subsidising of research and development, technical knowledge spreads throughout societies. An example will be subsidies for agricultural RD. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) South African agriculture Public goods in South African agriculture Public goods or services provided by the South African government include a list of 55 services under its Department of Agriculture (see Annexure A). These services are available under the five programmes of the Department of Agriculture (DoA), namely: Administration Livelihoods, Economics and Business Development Bio-security and Disaster Management Production and Resources Management Sector Services and Partnerships (DoA, 2009, pp. 18, 64-65) The purpose and budget of each of these programmes will be discussed. Administration The administration programme of the DoA provides the overall administrative as well as performance overview, with a focus on strategic leadership and management in die DoA. Capital investments are also managed under Administration. This programme had a budget of R 301 627 000 for the financial year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. (DoA, 2009, pp. 24, 29) Livelihoods, Economic and Business Development Food security for households, shared growth and commercial viability for emerging farmers are the objective of the programme. To achieve the objective, this programme makes use of targeted programmes and appropriate policies in the agricultural sector in order to support equitable access to this sector, which in return will make it possible to achieve its (the programmes) objective. This programme had a budget of R 751 451 000 for the financial year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. This money was allocated in the following manner to the subsections of this programme: Management R 1 208 000 Livelihoods Development Support R 604 056 000 Trade and Business Development R 92 461 000 Economic and Statistical Services R 31 267 000 National Agricultural Marketing Council R 22 459 000 (DoA, 2009, pp. 18, 80) Livelihoods Development Support as a sub-programme of Livelihoods, Economic and Business Development, contribute to communities by supporting them through public goods/services, which includes policies, norms, programmes, legislation and information in order to provide post-settlement support to emerging farmers, finance agricultural development, promote farmer cooperatives, start village banks and provide food security. The largest part of the budget for this sub-programme was spent on transfers to provinces and municipalities where they used this money, amongst other programmes, under the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme. (DoA, 2009, pp. 34, 81) Trade and Business Development aids the process of making international and domestic markets more accessible by South African products, promotes BEE in agriculture and interacts with National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC). The largest part of this budget goes towards transfers to public entities, such as the ArgiBEE Charter Council and NAMC. (DoA, 2009, pp. 8, 34) Economic and Statistical Services grant money in order to aid the process of collecting and analysing agricultural statistics as well as interact with Statistics South Africa. This sub-programme is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating the economic performance of the agricultural sector, with reports on the economic performance issued quarterly. (DoA, 2009, p. 34) NAMC as a part of the budget for Livelihoods, Economic and Business Development solely focus on statutory measures in agriculture. The changes to the constitutional measures are presented to the Minister of Agriculture and are done by NAMC. The application of these constitutional measures is also revised every two years and presented to the Minister of Agriculture. (DoA, 2009, p. 15) Bio-security and Disaster Management This programme of the DoA main functions are to manage the risks involved in animal diseases, plant pests and GMOs as well as to handle the registration of products that are used in the agricultural field. This is done to safeguard human health and to ensure food safety and security. Reducing the risks of natural disasters through management planning of agricultural risk and disasters is also part of the programme. This programme can be divided into two sub-programmes, excluding general management: Management R 1 551 000 Plant Health and Inspection Services R 138 225 000 Food, Animal Health and Disaster Management R 470 367 000 (DoA, 2009, pp. 43, 82) The Plant Health and Inspection Services sub-programme is responsible for the development of systems and policies in order to manage the risks involved with plant pests and diseases and GMOs. These systems and policies are also developed to enhance the trading of products of plant origin, to manage the movement of regulated articles and good quality control of regulated products. The largest part of this sub-programmes budget goes towards employee compensation and the goods and services provided. (DoA, 2009, pp. 43, 83) The management of food, health and disasters by this sub-programme consists of the reduction and management of risk with which animal diseases are associated. It also manages the promotion of trading in animal products of origin and ensures food safety. Lastly it entails the development of management strategies for agricultural risks and disasters. Disaster management is the most significant part of the transfers to provinces and municipalities as well as to households. (DoA, 2009, pp. 43, 83) Production and Resource Management The sustainable use and protection of water and land is important to this programme of the DoA. Through this programme this objectives are strived towards by the identification of opportunities and development of strategies for the agricultural sector to be profitable and to optimise agricultural productivity. The sub-programmes are Agricultural Production, and Engineering Services and Resource Management. The budget for are allocated as follows: Management R 1 525 000 Agricultural Production R 275 734 000 Engineering, Energy, Resource Use and Management R 202 778 000 (DoA, 2009, pp. 47, 84) Agricultural Production, as a sub-programme, focuses on assisting the process of improving agricultural productivity, especially in the field of sustainable aquaculture, animal, and plant systems. This sub-programme is also responsible for administrating various acts that apply to this field. The largest part of the budget for Agricultural Production goes towards provinces and municipalities for programmes in the different regions. (DoA, 2009, p. 47) The Engineering Services and Resource Management sub-programme has a treble focus, namely to assist infrastructure development in agriculture, to facilitate agricultural resource use, and to promote the community-based programme, LandCare. The facilitation of agricultural resource use includes the auditing of natural resources, the control of migratory pests, as well as agricultural land protection and rehabilitation. The largest single expense is the LandCare Programme. (DoA, 2009, pp. 47, 66) Sector Services and Partnerships This programme ultimately consists of two parts, the one focusing of services to the sector, the other on partnership with parties outside the sector. The purpose of this programme is therefore to execute the work set out for each of its sub-programmes, the sub-programmes being Sector Services, and International, Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Relations. Together with the management of this programme and the Agricultural Research Council, this above mentioned two sub-programmes forms the core around which the Sector Services and Partnerships budget is spent. Spending is allocated as follows: Management R 10 691 000 Sector Services R 196 518 000 International, Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Relations R 72 370 000 Agricultural Research Council (ARC) R 514 556 000 (DoA, 2009, pp. 51, 86) Sector services as a sub-programme provide direction and support to education, training, extension, research and advisory services in agriculture. The purpose of this service is to support the targeted groups. Managing of the funds transferred to the ARC is also part of Sector Services. The largest part of the budget for Agricultural Production goes towards provinces and municipalities for programmes in the different regions. (DoA, 2009, pp. 51, 86) International, Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Relations as a sub-programme supply leadership and coordination in agricultural international relations. Furthermore is the purpose to create an environment in which all stakeholders can have a positive relationship. Budget is mostly spent on compensation to employees, and foreign governments and international organisations. (DoA, 2009, pp. 51, ) Policy on public goods in South African agriculture The policies in place on public goods in the South African agriculture are policies which promote government spending on various programmes, goods, and services. The way in which this government spending is allocated is described in the previous section under the five programmes of the Department of Agriculture of the South African Government. Each of the five programmes has a very distinct role to play in order to execute the policies that are in place in agriculture. In this section the public goods and services which have the largest amount of money allocated to them will be discussed, as well as the five public entities which report directly to the Minister of Agriculture. From this discussion the policies for implementing the use of these public goods and services in South African agriculture will become clear. Policy types for the top 5 public goods and services in the DoA budget The different types of policies that are used to implement the top five items of highest spending in the DoA budget will be discussed. Two of them will be discussed together. See Annexure B for a complete list. Agricultural Research Council (ARC) R 514 556 000 was allocated to the ARC in the 1 April 2008 31 March 2009 financial year. This public service establishes and controls research, development, and the transfer of technology facilities in order to provide the private sector in agriculture with information. ARC is also promoting cooperation between other countries and South Africa with regards to the above mentioned. (DoA, 2009, pp. 15, 67) The type of policy that is used is a type 8 according to Champney, namely Subsidies to Research and Development, which are promoted by distribution (economic incentive) and are consumptive indivisible (consumption by one influence other in community positively). The ARC therefore plays an important role in providing facilities, such as research, development and transfer of technology in order to contribute to the agricultural sector. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) and CASP Extension Services During the 2008-2009 financial year R 438 124 000 was budgeted for CASP and R 100 000 000 for CASP Extension Services. These two budget items are spent together, thus R 538 124 000. CASP Extension Services are the fourth largest item in die DoA budget. By this programmes, the DoA primarily wants to support the targeted beneficiaries from the land and agrarian programmes implemented by the DoA. By granting money to CASP, the DoA wishes to install improvement in 6 areas, namely: The access to and quality of agricultural support services available to the targeted beneficiaries of land and agrarian programmes, such as advice and information, financial infrastructure, etc., The ability of the DoA to deliver the above mentioned agricultural support services, The number of beneficiaries to benefit from accessing agricultural support services, The timeliness of technical and market information available to resource-poor farmers, The infrastructure available to targeted beneficiaries, on and off the farm, e.g. dipping and fencing, The number of LRAD reform beneficiaries accessing market information, markets and training for markets. (DoA, 2009, pp. 27-28) The policy type that would suit the grants given to the above mentioned improvements can be categorised as type 4 Subsidies to Individuals according to Champney. These grants are targeting individuals, such as the beneficiaries from the land and agrarian programmes, and are consumptive indivisible, since the consumption (use) of these land and agrarian programmes is promoted by grants available to beneficiaries. (Champney, 1988, p. 990) Classical Swine Fever A budget of R 163 900 000 was allocated to the control of classical swine fever breakouts and the necessary compensation to households when animals are killed in order to remove classical swine fever from of area. (DoA, 2009, pp. 4, 67, 138) The type of policy that is used to implement this service to public is a type 4, according to Champneys model. Subsidies to Individuals as a type of policy suit this case, because the individuals whose pigs are slaughtered in order to restrict the spreading of the disease are compensated by means of payment, which is correlated with the number of pigs slaughtered. There is therefore an incentive for farmers who have infected pigs to have them slaughtered, since th

The Truth Behind Coffee Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Truth Behind Coffee      Ã‚  Ã‚   The picture may seem familiar. Tumbling out of bed and stumbling around in the kitchen-you begin your day. But wait. It cannot begin properly without that daily ritual, the morning cup of coffee. The aroma swirls throughout the room. What can compare to the richness and fullness of that first cup of coffee?    Americans lead the world in coffee drinking, consuming an average of 3.4 cups per person per day (Pennybacker 18). Gourmet coffee houses are sprouting up all over the place. But what is the real story behind this dark brown liquid? Is it as innocent as it first seems-just a pleasant morning pick-me-up? Unfortunately it isn't. Much of today's coffee is grown in such a way that it damages the environment, although it has been proven that there are far less harmful methods.    Coffee grows only in the tropics, in Mexico, Central and Latin America, Indonesia, and Africa. The field must be at an altitude between 3000 and 5000 feet with a temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For optimum growth, coffee must have shade from nearby trees and overhead growth, but it also requires at least two hours of sunlight each day ("Shrinking Shadowland" 60). These are the only requirements nececssary for coffee to grow well. Coffee comes from small green beans that are really pits of a fruit resembling a cherry. The morning coffee poured into a mug comes from a small tree (or bush) that grew for seven years before it bloomed and grew the fruit that held the beans. After one of these trees produced one pound of coffee, its life was over ("Shrinking" 61).    It was in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that coffee seeds from the Middle East took to the fertile soil of... ...n one percent of the 6.3 billion pounds of coffee imported into the U.S. each year (Pennybacker 19).    The merits of full-sun coffee plantations don't even begin to measure up to the benefits of shade plantations. Shade plantations benefit both the workers and the environment. The few extra dollars paid for organic coffee might make the difference between seeing that black-throated green warbler in your yard again next spring or not.       Works Cited Pennybacker, Mindy. "Habitat-Saving Habit." Audubon Nov./Dec. 1997: 18-19. "Shrinking Shadowland." Utne Reader. Nov/Dec. 1994: 72. "Why Migratory Birds Are Crazy for Coffee." Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. 1997. Smithsonian Institution. 24 April 2000 <http://www.si.edu/smbc/fxshts/fxsht1a.htm>.    Wille, Chris. "The Birds and the Beans." Audubon Nov./Dec. 1994: 58-64.    The Truth Behind Coffee Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics The Truth Behind Coffee      Ã‚  Ã‚   The picture may seem familiar. Tumbling out of bed and stumbling around in the kitchen-you begin your day. But wait. It cannot begin properly without that daily ritual, the morning cup of coffee. The aroma swirls throughout the room. What can compare to the richness and fullness of that first cup of coffee?    Americans lead the world in coffee drinking, consuming an average of 3.4 cups per person per day (Pennybacker 18). Gourmet coffee houses are sprouting up all over the place. But what is the real story behind this dark brown liquid? Is it as innocent as it first seems-just a pleasant morning pick-me-up? Unfortunately it isn't. Much of today's coffee is grown in such a way that it damages the environment, although it has been proven that there are far less harmful methods.    Coffee grows only in the tropics, in Mexico, Central and Latin America, Indonesia, and Africa. The field must be at an altitude between 3000 and 5000 feet with a temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For optimum growth, coffee must have shade from nearby trees and overhead growth, but it also requires at least two hours of sunlight each day ("Shrinking Shadowland" 60). These are the only requirements nececssary for coffee to grow well. Coffee comes from small green beans that are really pits of a fruit resembling a cherry. The morning coffee poured into a mug comes from a small tree (or bush) that grew for seven years before it bloomed and grew the fruit that held the beans. After one of these trees produced one pound of coffee, its life was over ("Shrinking" 61).    It was in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that coffee seeds from the Middle East took to the fertile soil of... ...n one percent of the 6.3 billion pounds of coffee imported into the U.S. each year (Pennybacker 19).    The merits of full-sun coffee plantations don't even begin to measure up to the benefits of shade plantations. Shade plantations benefit both the workers and the environment. The few extra dollars paid for organic coffee might make the difference between seeing that black-throated green warbler in your yard again next spring or not.       Works Cited Pennybacker, Mindy. "Habitat-Saving Habit." Audubon Nov./Dec. 1997: 18-19. "Shrinking Shadowland." Utne Reader. Nov/Dec. 1994: 72. "Why Migratory Birds Are Crazy for Coffee." Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. 1997. Smithsonian Institution. 24 April 2000 <http://www.si.edu/smbc/fxshts/fxsht1a.htm>.    Wille, Chris. "The Birds and the Beans." Audubon Nov./Dec. 1994: 58-64.   

Tourism Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently, ecotourism is rapidly becoming one of the world’s largest industries. According to the World Trade Organization, 600 million people traveled to see â€Å"environmental areas† in 2000, spending more than 500 billion U.S. dollars. This makes ecotourism one of the world’s number one earners, ahead of automotive products, chemicals, petroleum, even food .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But, what exactly is ecotourism? Ecotourism happens to be a special branch of tourism. The Conservation International defines it best saying it is â€Å"responsible travel that promotes the conservation of nature and sustains the well being of local people .†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been dramatic growth of participation in outdoor recreation and ecotourism activities. The bad impacts of ecotourism have led to high demands and this has attracted tourist developers looking to access the environment, â€Å"answering the tourist’s demands†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately, there are very few rules or regulations regarding ecotourism and its development. And because of the lack of rules tourism developers are destroying the environment. This problem can not go unnoticed. We are running out of places to ruin, and we will soon not have any where to call home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Erlet Cater and Gwen Lowman,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The much needed rules and regulations must include good and environmentally   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sensitive, infrastructure-including airports, transport and communications   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  networks, and sanitation and electricity supplies. But above all else,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sustainable ecotourism requires careful planning †. Without this planning, ecotourism is doing more harm that good.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I will show how these tourist developers are putting huge strains on the environment and how the effects of this behavior will eventually leave the land with the inability to cope with the drastic changes. I believe with carefully planned ecotourism development and rules and regulations, we can make ecotourism and the environment blend simultaneously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, the tourist developers are adding increased pressure to the limited natural resources, especially in places... ...ions to stop all this destructive behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Letting this growing problem go unnoticed will lead to the environment’s crumbling. We have no other options when it comes to living on another planet, at least at the moment. We need to establish harsher rules and take better care of where we call home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, now that I have explained what tourist developers are doing wrong and what they are doing to destroy our environment we can see that the effects of their behavior have been devastating. We are running out of places to ruin and resources to use up. Someone must step up and create rules so we can protect our environment instead of destroying the earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Cater, Erlet, and Lowman, Gwen. Ecotourism-a sustainable option?. New York, 1994. Croall, J. (1995) Preserve or Destroy: Tourism and the Environment. London:Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. â€Å"Ecotourism.† Online Posting. 2 February 2002. 27 January 2004. Theobald, William. Global Tourism: the next decade. Oxford, 1994. Worpole, K. (1999) Driving Forces. The Guardian, 8 June.

Computerised quotation system Essay

The task that I am going to provide a solution for is to produce a computerised quotation system for S & S Insurances. EXISTING SYSTEM: Thomas Davidson is currently a broker providing insurance for cars. At present he insures through a financial institution, S & S Finances. He is a broker working for the insurance company S & S Insurances. He has worked with many insurance companies in the past trying to find the best deal so that he can earn a good amount of profit. He finally made a deal with S & S Insurances in which he can gain a good amount of commission. His job is to find customers who would like to buy insurance for their cars and he gains a commission of 7.5% for each customer to whom he sells a quote. He started his career as a broker approximately three years ago after being made redundant as a factory worker assembling car parts. He has no employees working for him at the moment. However his wife helps him with the paperwork when she can. Thomas works full- time from his home study, which is located in the heart of Streatham. In the past Thomas has had a lot of experience dealing with customers and clients. He now has a number of devoted customers who frequently contact him when the renewal for their car insurance is due. Thomas usually interacts with his customers over the phone from his study; sometimes however he does conduct business at the home of his customer to their convenience. When Thomas finds an interested client he firstly explains to the client everything that is involved in the quote. In order for Thomas to calculate the insurance quote, he uses a calculator, a record of tables with the insurance ratings provided by S & S Insurances and his diary where he notes all the information down. The insurance ratings show a different variety of things the first table is the insurance group, which shows the basic cost for a car depending on the car’s make, price and power. The more expensive and powerful the car, higher the basic cost. Thomas then adjusts the basic cost by multiplying it by various factors, which could affect the insurance. Age is also a factor, the older the driver is, the less they are considered as a risk. Sex is also a factor; a female is considered as a less of a risk than males. The area you live in is also a criterion which Thomas considers before issuing an insurance quote, if you live in a high risk sensitive area you are likely to pay more. The customer can then choose what type of insurance he would like; third party only, third party fire and theft or fully comprehensive. The insurance also offers an extra driver criterion, which can be added at an increased cost. Thomas then offers a discount to the customers if they have had no claims varying from the past year or five years. Thomas then calculates the quote by multiplying the basic cost with all the factor multipliers and seeing if they can get a discount and then giving the customer the final result. Thomas writes all of the things discussed and quotations in his diary. If the client agrees to go ahead with the quote after hearing the final cost, Thomas makes a word- processed quote, which he then sends to S & S Insurances. From there S & S Insurances make the actual policy and then send it directly to the customer. Thomas does possess a computer and laptop at home, which his children use for educational purposes. Thomas has very little knowledge about using computers, however to produce the insurance quotes which are word-processed his daughter helps him and recently Thomas has started to produce the quotes by himself since he is gradually learning to use a computer, even though he is slow with the typing. Thomas makes hand-written notes about all his clients, their details and policies, which is time consuming and can get tiring and boring despite having a computer due to his lack of computer skills. Furthermore sometimes Thomas’ wife also helps him with the paperwork, if there are too many customers wishing to have a quote ready. Thomas says that most of his customers find out about his business by word of mouth or from the consequence of the advert he has placed in the local newspaper, if he could he would also like to attract more customers to increase the standard of his living. Thomas Davidson finds the existing manual way he issues quotes prolonged and exhausting and would like to automate the system. He would also prefer to make more use of his laptop, however his lack of computer skills is a problem and therefore would like to be able to issue quotes on a simple and straightforward system. He would also like to automate the system so that it would be much faster to issue quotes and therefore would not have to spend too much time doing things manually. At the moment he hardly gets anytime to spend with his children especially when there is a heavy workload. Thomas feels that if he were able to get the system to be computerised he would like to employ some staff and expand and preferably shift into an office. He would also like to work with more than one insurance company at the same time if possible in the near future. CONSTRAINTS: There are not many constraints however there are a few which are important. My user Thomas Davidson has no experience of using a computer except for possessing basic typing skills. This means the system will have to be easy and simple to use and understand. Another constraint is time, although my user does not want the system to be made immediately or as soon as possible. However he would like the computerised system to be created soon so that he can use it and update all his handwritten manual notes onto the system and be able to use it with future clients. USER REQUIREMENTS: My user is Thomas Davidson, who is a broker for S & S Insurances for whom I will be creating a computerised quotation system. He would like the following requirements to be taken into account. * To be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote. * To be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote before a discount is given. * To be able to print the quotation. * To make sure that system is safe and secure. * To be able to see the details of all the customers such as; forename, surname, age, and the type of insurance they would like. * To be able to store the issued quotes so that they can be used at a later date. * To enable phone enquiries to be dealt much quickly. * To make the system user- friendly. * To make sure the data entered is accurate. * To make the system look professional, systematic and organised. QUANTITATIVE OBJECTIVES: * To use a formula to work out the total cost of the insurance quote. * To use another formula to work out the cost of the quote excluding the discount. * To be able to print multiple copies of the quotes. * To make the system password protected so a password will be needed in order to enter the system. * To make sure the details about the customers’ names, surnames, addresses, age and other details can be seen. * To be able to use a command button so data can be stored. * To use drop down boxes to be able to select options. QUALITATIVE OBJECTIVES: * To make the system user- friendly I will create a user interface so that it is easy to move around the system. * To make the system look professional and organised. PERFORMANCE CRITERIAS: * The system should be able to use a formula in order to work out the total cost of the insurance quote. * The system should be able to use a calculation in order to work out the cost of the insurance excluding the discount. * The system should be able to print multiple copies of the insurance quotation. * The system should be password enable, so a password will be needed in order to access the system to make sure the system is safe. * The system should show all the details about the customers such as names, surnames, addresses and other details. * The system should be able to store the issued quotes so that they can be used at a later date. * The system should have drop down boxes so the user can select options quickly and easily. NEW SYSTEM: HARDWARE: In order to computerise the quotation system I will need a Windows XP computer. I will also need a QWERTY keyboard and a mouse in order to input the data into the spreadsheet. I will be using the hard drive to save the spreadsheet on an internal storage. I will also be saving the spreadsheet on an external storage such as CR-RW so that I have a back- up copy of the data in case the original copy is deleted I will still have another copy. I will also be using a VDU (visual display unit) to see the spreadsheet. I will also be using a printer to print out the quotes so that the user can see them and then send them to S & S Insurances. SOFTWARE: In order to produce the car insurance quotation system I will be using spreadsheet software for many reasons. In a spreadsheet I can use many of the features which will enable me to produce an efficient quotation system. I can use macros, list boxes, combo boxes, V Lookup, IF statements and other features in the system. There is other software such as a word- processor or a database but they are not suitable for this quotation system. Although you can make tables and do basic calculations they are only limited as they are not mainly designed for that purpose. I will be using Microsoft Excel 2003 as I do not have any other spreadsheet software available on my computer. I will also use it as I am more familiar with it as I have used it many times in the past. SECURITY: I will need to make sure the spreadsheet I create will be kept safe and secure. I will need to make sure the data is secure as I will need to follow the Data Protection Act 1998. In order to comply with the law I will keep the data safe by having cell protection so if anyone other than me or the user accesses the data he will need to enter the password in order to alter the information. I will also keep a backup copy of the system so if the user loses the original copy he will still have another backup copy. INPUT, PROCESSES AND OUTPUT: Input: I will input all the data required using a keyboard into the spreadsheet. The input data I will need in order to produce the quotation system are all the customer details and the headings. I will require the following specific data about the customers: forename, surname, address, sex, model and make of the car. I will also need the age of the driver, which will be in a grouped arrangement e.g. 17- 19 or 60- 65. The type of insurance the driver wants will also be required whether it is, fully comprehensive, third party only or third party fire and theft. I will abbreviate the type of insurance to make it shorter so it would be much quicker to type and also easier. I will also need to know what type of area the driver lives in, as this could be a risk factor, low, medium or high. I will also need to know if the driver would like to state an extra driver or not. I will also need to know the number of claims the driver has made in the past 4 years and whether he is eligible for a discount. The other details I will need to know is about the insurance and which rating the cars are allocated according to their power and cost. I will also need to know about the multipliers so that I can work what I need to multiple the costs, these will be allocated to the sex, age of driver, risk of area and insurance and type. The final detail I will need to know are the number of penalty points the customer has, as having more conviction point will increase the cost of the insurance quote. Processes: In order to create the quotation system I will need to carry out a number of processes with the input data in order to produce the output. The fixed data will be the data that I will not change on the spreadsheet such as the main headings e.g.: forename, surname, address. The variable data will be the data that will change. The data that will need to be changed are all the details about the customer and his car. In order to fulfil the following user requirements I will carry out a number of processes: * To be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote and to be able to see the total cost of the insurance quote before a discount is given. I will be using a formula to calculate the total costs of the quote and also to work out the cost excluding the discount. I will be using a simple Auto sum calculation in order to do this. In order to work out the total cost I will need to use a V Lookup formula. A V Lookup searches for a value in the leftmost column of a table, and then returns a value in the same rows from a column you specify in the table. I will be using a V Lookup formula since I will having different things on different sheets it will need to lookup the values in other cells. * To be able to print the quotation. In order to do this the user can use the menu options on the toolbar however to make it easier for the user I will have a macro. * To make sure that system is safe and secure. In order to keep the data safe I will be using cell protection. I will be keeping a password so when someone accesses the file he will be prompted to enter the password. If the password entered is correct he will gain access and be able to change the data. However if an incorrect password is entered an error message will appear informing the user he cannot gain access. * To be able to see the details of all the customers such as; forename, surname, age, and the type of insurance they would like. In order to do this I will have a sheet where the details about the customer can be seen. * To be able to store the issued quotes so that they can be used at a later date. In order to do this I will be using macros. Macro is a feature that stores a series of commands so that the user can use them with a single command. I will be using macros for various things such as printing the quote, storing the quotes, to view the quotes and other tasks. * To enable phone enquiries to be dealt much quickly. In order to fulfil this requirement I will be using a variety of buttons to make it easier for the user. Option buttons are used for choosing one item from a list of options, where you can select one option button at a time. I will be using them so the user can select the sex of the driver, either male or female. Combo boxes can also be called drop- down boxes, which offer a number of choices to the user, one of which maybe selected. I will be using a combo box so that my user can select the driver’s car. By selecting on the drop- down arrow will provide the models of the cars. A list box and combo boxes are alike however a list box shows the choices available without having to click on the arrow. I will be using a list box for the risk assessment of the area and type of insurance, as there are only three options from which the user can select. A check box is a box, which can either be selected or unselected, when you click on the box a tick appears in the box. I will be using a check box for the declaration of the extra driver. A spinner is made up of two arrows, one point up and the other down. By clicking on the up arrow increases the value and the down arrow decreases the value. I will be using the spinner to choose the number of years the driver has made no claims. I will also be using IF statements in order to see the values of the check box which will check whether the customer would like an extra driver. * To make the system user- friendly. In order to make the printed quote professional and organised I will be adding the name of the company, address, telephone numbers and the company logo at the top. I will also arrange all the information into sections and add colour to make it look more attractive. I will create the macros into buttons so the user can quickly carry the tasks. I will also add a front end to the system. A front end is the name given to the user-friendly interface that will appear on the screen when the file is loaded. It will provide the user with a number of options. Once the data has been entered I will need to rename the worksheets and insert a defined name for certain data which will be used in calculations. Output: The output will be the full quote details, which will be on the screen of the computer showing the customer name, address, car details, and the cost of the insurance and without the discount. The output on the screen will also show the macros, which can be used to navigate around the system. The other output will be the fully modified and professional printed quote that will show the company logo along with the company’s address and contact numbers. It will also show the issue date, all the details about the quote and the expiry date of the quote.

Bringing Trauma Home: Spouses of Paramedics

The profession of emergency care inevitably brings along with it a lot of stress, both mental and physical. Paramedics and other emergency care professionals are faced with a multitude of varying situations ranging from harsh weather to violent patients and emotionally draining experiences such as witnessing extensively injured patients or deaths. Moreover, these individuals are also faced with different hassles such as working in exhaustive shifts, overtime issues and variable schedules (Blakely & Timmons, 2008; Regehr, Goldberg, & Hughes, 2002).All these factors not only influence the paramedics themselves but also have a significant impact on their families. Studies have shown the existence of the phenomenon of secondary trauma (Figley, 1995 cited in Regehr, Goldberg, & Hughes, 2002), or vicarious traumatization (McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Saakvitne & Pearlman, 1996 cited in Regehr, Goldberg, & Hughes, 2002) amongst mental health workers who have been exposed to individuals who are faced with traumatizing experiences.It has been proven that being exposed to the traumatic experiences of others predisposes individuals to develop symptoms of anxiety, sleep disturbances and affective arousal (Regehr, Goldberg, & Hughes, 2002). Studies have revealed that emergency workers including ambulance personnel have a high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Jonsson, Segesten, & Mattsson, 2003). Other studies reveal that by witnessing the trauma and suffering of victims, paramedics develop secondary trauma and if they share their experiences with their family members, they too might experience vicarious traumatization (Blakely & Timmons, 2008).Different individuals have been shown to deal with the stress in different ways. Some individuals might share their experiences with their family members and seek emotional support from them. In doing so, they inadvertently expose their family members to the same distress and anguish that they are experiencing. Thus fam ilies when extending their support towards the paramedics, who need to cope with the work-related stress, may themselves fall prey to developing mental distress via the process of secondary trauma (Blakely & Timmons, 2008).On the other hand, some individuals may cope with the work-related stress that they experience via emotional numbing, whereby they display a loss of affect and emotional detachment (Regehr, Bringing the trauma home: Spouses of Paramedics, 2005). They may thereby have impaired family functioning and limited interactions with their family members (Regehr, Bringing the trauma home: Spouses of Paramedics, 2005). Both these coping strategies have thus been proven to indirectly have a negative influence on the family members of paramedics.In addition, work stress has also been shown to impair the family functioning of paramedics (Blakely & Timmons, 2008). Another problem that the family members, in particular the spouses of paramedics have to face is dealing with the to ugh routine that these individuals have. Other concerns of the family members include the health risks and the physical violence that the emergency care personnel are prone to (Blakely & Timmons, 2008).Thus, the work-related mental stress experienced by personnel involved in emergency care does not only have impact on their own life and health but also on their family members, in particular their spouses. It therefore becomes imperative to study the influence and consequences of the mental distress which the paramedics face on their family lives and relationship, determine factors which influence the development of these problems, and hence improvise strategies to minimize the potential harm and risks associated with these problems.Qualitative versus Quantitative research design for addressing this issue When undertaking research to address any issue, two different kinds of research methods exist, viz. qualitative and quantitative methods. The choice of the research method depends o n the study question. When an exploration of the various aspects of a particular issue is required, qualitative research should be undertaken (Marshall, 1996). Qualitative research allows an in-depth study of the phenomenon of interest and involves observing the phenomenon in its natural environment without any interventions (Runciman, 2002).The results yielded as a result of qualitative studies are transferable and such research answers ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions (Marshall, 1996). It provides a conceptual analysis of the issue and serves various different purposes including hypothesis generation, which can be further tested via using quantitative methods, to assess the pre-existing systems and functions and to convey to the policy makers the views and experiences of the individuals in question, amongst others (Fitzpatrick & Boulton, 1994).Qualitative research is thus â€Å"complex, contextual and influenced by the interaction of physical, psychological and social factors (Runciman, 2002). † In the other hand, quantitative research uses a deductive or reductionalist approach and is aimed at testing preset hypothesis (Marshall, 1996). The main implications of this kind of research is in assessing the effectiveness of various interventions or comparing two different study groups. Quantitative methodology yields generalizable results and produces answers to ‘what’ questions (Marshall, 1996).Keeping in mind the above mentioned basic differences between qualitative and quantitative research and their applicability in various situations, the best suited form of methodology which can be used in identifying the impact of the work-related stress of the paramedics on their family lives is qualitative methodology. This is because the issue at hand requires an in-depth exploration of the various aspects and consequences of the work-related stress on the individuals, their family life and their spouses and qualitative approach i s the most suitable for answering such questions.Problem identification and definition The introduction section of a research article is aimed at identifying the research problem, to determine the magnitude of the problem in the society and to provide the rationale behind carrying out the study (Parahoo, 2006). In this article, the author clearly defines the problem which led to the conduction of this study viz. the negative impact of the work-related mental stress that paramedics face on their spouses (Regehr, 2005) and adequately explain the theoretical framework behind this problem.According to the author, paramedics experience a considerable amount of mental and physical stress while at work and this influences their overall mood and affect. There are two main types of coping strategies that paramedics can adopt in order to overcome the mental distress they experience and these involve either remaining detached and emotionally aloof from the situations faced, i. e. emotional num bing, or explicitly sharing their experiences with others (Regehr, 2005).Neither of these strategies have been found to be useful since the former leads to a poor quality of relationships as the numbing prevails in everyday life and leads to an inability to emotionally engage and interact with others, and the latter has been found to induce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in the family members whereby they start experiencing stress similar to that faced by the paramedics (Regehr, 2005).The author thus surmises that the work related stress of paramedics does not only bring significant distress to the individuals in question, but also to their family members, in particular their spouses, and this is a considerable problem that warrants research in order to elucidate the factors contributing towards this problem (Regehr, 2005). Thus, in this article, the phenomenon of interest is clearly identified and the theoretical underpinnings of the problem have been adequately address ed.However, when defining the problem, the author does not explain why the qualitative study design would be best suited for this particular problem. Moreover, this section also lacks a discussion of the significance of this research and its outcome to everyday clinical practice, i. e. How would identifying and addressing this particular problem prove to be beneficial for paramedics and their spouses in the short and long-term? Literature Review The literature review provided in an article provides an in-depth view of the research done on the topic.It should be based on an extensive review of literature and discuss all aspects of the topic in question (Parahoo, 2006). In this article, a thorough and comprehensive literature regarding the different aspects of the effect of paramedics’ work-related mental distress on their family and spouses has been provided. Moreover, the literature is logically organized and leads the readers sequentially from problem identification to its i mpact and consequences.Using the literature, the author initially discusses the magnitude and nature of the emotional stress that paramedics face and then moves on to describe the role of the family in helping paramedics to deal with this stress (Regehr, 2005). The author then quotes and discusses the different studies which been carried out to elucidate the coping strategies used by paramedics to vercome the mental distress that they encounter and the effect of these strategies on the family members (Regehr, 2005), thus providing a framework and the rationale for conducting the study in question.However, the literature review of this article has certain shortcomings. Firstly, the literature review fails to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the studies carried out previously and the gaps in the research literature that exist. This is important so as to ascertain what new findings this study would contribute to the existing literature on the subject. Moreover, some of the lite rature qouted in this article dates back to almost two decades ago, e. g. Verboski and Ryan, 1988 and Nezu and Carnevale, 1987, and is thus outdated.This shortcoming could have been avoided by using more recent and up to date literature, which would have contributed further towards the strength of the article. Thus in conclusion, the literature review is adequately performed and suffiently describes the previous research conducted on the topic but has certain limitations and shortcomings. Methodology The methodology section is one of the most important sections of any article as this part guides the readers on how the study is actually being conducted. It has several important components. The different components of methodology of this article are critically reviewed below.Research Design The research design used is for this study is qualitative research. This method is appropriately chosen since this study aims to identify the different consequences that the paramedics’ life style and the pressures associated with their job has on their family life and their spouses and these consequences are influenced by several factors and can be studied from different aspects (Regehr, 2005). Qualitative research serves the purpose of studying a problem from several different perspectives and is conducted in a natural setting.It does not require any intervention or control group and is a mere observation of the phenomenon of interest, giving a holistic picture of the problem being addressed (Runciman, 2002). This study is meant to be an exploration of the experiences, concerns and issues of the spouses of paramedics and thus the qualitative method is best suited method for it. Sampling The sample for this study consisted of spouses of fourteen paramedics who were employed at two different emergency medical organizations. The author describes the rationale of using a sample size of fourteen participants, viz. ensuring the occurrence of saturation (Regehr, 2005).Satura tion is an important concept applicable to qualitative research. In general, it is an established fact that as the sample size increases the chances of conducting a random sample error decrease and thus, larger sample sizes are preferred in order to reduce the variability in the results (Marshall, 1996). However, at a certain point, no new information or themes are revealed from the data set and this is termed as saturation (Marshall, 1996). For qualitative studies, the sample size required is usually small but recruiting an adequate number of participants in order to achieve saturation should be ensured.In this article, the sampling method used is not stated explicitly but the technique used reveals that purposive sampling was used, i. e. spouses of paramedics were approached and asked to participate in this study (Regehr, 2005). This kind of sampling is best suited for qualitative studies, in particular those who focus on a particular group of individuals rather than on the genera l population. However, this article does not mention any particular inclusion or exclusion criteria for the study participants.Inclusion and exclusion criteria are important in minimizing the variability amongst participants and in the reduction of any confounding factors which might lead to variation in the results and thus compromise the validity and reliability of the study findings. Data Collection Strategies The data collection tools used were audio taped interviews which followed a semi-structured interview guide and notes on the impressions of the interviewers which were taken during peer debriefing sessions (Regehr, 2005). Using interviews for data collection has the advantage of focusing on human experiences and emotions regarding the problem.Moreover, the use of semi-structured interviews in this case served a dual purpose viz. ensuring standardization of the responses, which facilitates organization and interpretation of the results, and providing opportunity for the expl oration of arenas other than those limited to and specified in the interview guide. A limitation of the description of the data collection strategies for this study is that the particular questions and themes addressed during the interview are not mentioned explicitly and the article only mentions the broad categories to which the questions belonged, e.g. family situation, the effects of shift work, etc (Regehr, 2005). This has the potential for leaving the readers in doubt as to which issues are being addressed and which ones are being focused upon in particular. Moreover, the time required for each interview is not mentioned, neither is the setting in which the interview was conducted. The article also fails to mention how many interviewers were involved in the data collection process and the steps taken, if any, to reduce the variations in data collection amongst different interviewers and to minimize interviewer bias.Data Analysis Strategies The data thereby collected via the in terviews was initially analyzed for common themes using computer based software named NUD*IST Vivo. As described by the author, open coding was utilized in the first stage for the broad categorization of data and subsequently, selective coding was done (Regehr, 2005). The author also mentions that throughout the research process, the input of emergency service organization members was acquired in order to ensure transferability and conformability (Regehr, 2005).The data analysis section of this article is very brief and not enough information is presented for readers to replicate the methodology. The author does not mention the use of any particular data analysis strategies such as iterative analysis and data triangulation. Thus, the data analysis described by author, although possesses credibility, lacks in auditability. Results and Important Findings For qualitative studies, the results need to be extensively discussed and should include actual quotes and statements of the study p articipants to give a clear view of the outcome of the study to the readers (Parahoo).The results section of this article is very comprehensive and gives a clear overview of the study findings. By organization of the results obtained under different subheadings such as concerns about the dangers of the job, effect of stress and trauma on the paramedic and the family, etc, the results have been made clear and easily interpretable by the readers (Regehr, 2005). Moreover, the use of actual quotes of the study participants gives a clearer view of and provides a better understanding of the participant’s experiences and feelings.The results reveal that the author’s conceptualization and the theoretical framework presented initially were true to the data and the findings obtained. This study, in addition to describing the traumatic experiences and stressful situations faced by the paramedics and their effects on their lives and functioning which have also been previously eluc idated by various studies, also provides an insight to the hassles which paramedics and their families encounter (Regehr, 2005).As described in the results, these include shift work, overwork, scheduling issues and equipment and personnel issues (Regehr, 2005). The recognition of these hassles is also important in addition to identifying the consequences of traumatic and stressful experiences on family life as these hassles also contribute significantly towards the disruption of normal family routines and may give rise to conflicts and discontent amongst spouses.In addition, in my opinion, the use of easy language in presenting the results adopted by the author facilitates the understanding of the readers and stimulates their interest in the article. Thus, the results section of this article effectively and comprehensively summarizes the main findings of the study conducted and presents them in an interesting, coherent and simple manner. Discussion, recommendations and conclusions T he discussion section is, in effect, an integration of all the subsections of the article which leads to the generation of a concluding statement (Parahoo, 2006).This section is aimed at linking the themes discussed in the introduction and background section of the study, the literature review and the important results generated (Parahoo, 2006). In this article, the discussion overviews all the important results and pertinent findings and compares them with the research which has been previously conducted. Almost all of the findings of this study conform to the findings generated by previously conducted studies. One limitation of the discussion is that the author does not report any conflicting results reported by previously conducted studies, if they exist.Providing different points of view that exist regarding a particular matter helps in improving the reader’s perspective of the subject and aids them in forming their views and opinions regarding a particular matter. Anothe r important component of the discussion is the identification of issues which require further research. In this article, the author correctly identifies the shortcomings of the study, where they exist and identify potential areas for future research. For example, this study identifies two main coping strategies which paramedics use in the face of traumatic experiences, viz.expressing their distress and anguish via debriefing with family members or keeping their issues o themselves and â€Å"putting up a wall (Regehr, 2005). † This study, although identifies these issues, cannot investigate further in to which of these strategies is more effective in coping with the stress that paramedics experience. The author hence recommends that further studies should be conducted in this regard in order to further explore this arena. Similarly, since the results of this study are generalizable to a particular subset of population only i. e.the spouses of paramedics, another recommendation proposed by the author is to conduct studies similar to this one involving participants belonging to other professions in which emotional management for dealing with traumatic experiences is required such as amongst firefighters, police and military personnel (Regehr, 2005). This study also identifies that formal and informal support systems did exist in the emergency medical service organization and were being underutilized. Moreover, no similar support systems existed for family members of the paramedics (Regehr, 2005).The author, although identifies this issue, does not suggest any measures which can be taken to overcome the problem that this issue poses. Moreover, the implications of this research and the findings of this study in everyday clinical practice and for paramedics and their spouses have not been addressed by the author. All the above discussed sections of a research articles lead towards the conclusion section of the article. The conclusions are meant to answer the questions raised and the objectives that were defined prior to conducting the study.They are also meant to summarize the important results generated from the study. The conclusions presented in this article serve all these purposes and briefly summarize and reflect the study findings. Ethical Issues As opposed to quantitative studies, observational and qualitative studies do not involve any intervention on the part of the researchers. Despite this, acquisition of ethical approval before conducting qualitative studies is as imperative as it is while undertaking quantitative studies.In this study, the author does not mention taking ethical approval for conducting this study by the hospital ethical review boards of either of the two emergency medical organizations from which paramedics were identified for their spouses to be recruited in the study. Moreover, the article does not mention taking informed consent from the participants of the study. Informed consent is one of the most impo rtant basic principles of research and should always be obtained prior to recruiting participants for any study.Another important ethical aspect which is not addressed in this study is that this study identifies several issues such as the problems faced by paramedics and their families as a result of job-related mental trauma, the underutilization of available support systems by the paramedics and the absence of the availability of any similar support systems for the spouses and families (Regehr, 2005). However, after identifying these issues, the author does not propose any interventions which might be useful in order to overcome these issues or the probable solutions for the problems identified.References Blakely, M. R. , & Timmons, S. M. (2008). Life Style and Health Research. Nova Publishers. Figley, C. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Towards a new understanding of the costs of caring. In B. Stamm (Ed. ), Secondary traumatic stress: Self care issues for clinicians, researchers, and educators (pp. 3–28). Lutherville, MD: Sidran Press. Fitzpatrick, R. , & Boulton, M. (1994). Qualitative methods for assessing health care. Quality in Health Care , 107-113. Jonsson, A. , Segesten, K. , & Mattsson, B.(2003). Post-traumatic stress among Swedish ambulance personnel. Emergency Medicine Journal , 79-84. Marshall, M. N. (1996). Sampling for qualitative research. Family Practice , 522-526. McCann, L. , & Pearlman, L. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3, 131–149. Parahoo, K. (2006). Nursing Research: Principles, Process and Issties. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Houndmills Basingstoke. Regehr, C. (2005).Bringing the trauma home: Spouses of Paramedics. Journal of Loss and Trauma , 97-114. Regehr, C. , Goldberg, G. , & Hughes, J. (2002). Exposure to Human Tragedy, Empathy, and Trauma in Ambulance Paramedics. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 505-513. Runciman, W. B. (2002). Qualitative versus quantitative research — balancing cost, yield and feasibility. Quality and Safety in Health Care , 146-147. Saakvitne, K. , & Pearlman, L. (1996). Transforming the pain: A workbook on vicarious traumatization. New York: Norton.

A Learning Experience: Lost in Translation

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well-known American literary icon, once said that â€Å"No man should travel until he has learned the language of the country he visits. Otherwise he voluntarily makes himself a great baby – so helpless and so ridiculous.† I came upon this quote while I was looking for some passages or anecdotes that might make for a â€Å"first paragraph with a good hook.†Emerson’s take on the issue of language learning was somehow brutal and unconstructive, instantly attracting my attention since I am an international student acknowledging some limitations in my knowledge and skills in the use of the English language.Although Emerson was, and is still, highly-revered for his ingenuity in literature, I would have to express my disagreement about what he said about the helplessness and ridiculousness of people who visit countries without obtaining knowledge and practical skills on each country’s native language.My experiences in this country h as taught me that being at a disadvantage in terms of one’s lack of knowledge and skills in language and communication do not bring down a person to helplessness and nonsensicality. For I have discovered that being â€Å"lost in translation† is not a hopeless situation but an opportunity to sensibly and realistically learn the language.When arrived here one year ago, my limitations pertaining to the English language has made my life adjustments worse since it was difficult to openly communicate and relate to other people. Being in an unfamiliar place was stressful enough, having to deal with not being able to conveniently visit places, dealing with the changes in the weather, learning the culture, and such.Not being able to communicate well enough made it much worse, since it became a barrier in smoothing the progress of adjustment and adaptation. At first, I was deeply uncomfortable with having to talk to other people who are native speakers of English for fear of bei ng criticized or made of as a joke. However, my everyday experiences has taught me that gradual openness to socialization, interaction, and communication is a opportunity for me to learn not only the language, but the cultural practices and traditions that are unfamiliar to me.I found out how talking to other people often about anything helped in developing my knowledge and skills of the English language. But perhaps the most important skill that I have learned is how to use theEnglish language in practical, everyday conversations in order to avoid or prevent confusion that is rooted from misunderstandings or miscommunications. There was this one time when I was watching the evening news with a friend of mine. The news show televised a case wherein two individuals claiming to be insurance handlers fooled other people into subscribing for insurance plans.They ran away after obtaining the initial payments made by their clients. I remember my friend telling me initially how it was a â €Å"rip off.† I did not understand what he meant by the situation being a rip-off since the act of ripping to me, as I understood it, is the act of tearing or cutting a thing or an object. Out of pure curiosity, I asked him what he meant and he explained to me how the word â€Å"rip-off† means a form of cheating or conning.I especially value learning practical English language through my daily encounters with other people because it has greatly helped in my being able to adjust to my life here in a foreign country.However, I am not disregarding the fact that learning the formal grammar rules of the English language is all too important, my learning of practical English language for everyday use has contributed to my getting used to living in this country as I feel that I understand people more when I talk to them leaving out confusion or awkwardness in misunderstandings or miscommunications.I can relate to my friends when they say they are â€Å"having dibs† on or going â€Å"bonkers† over some girls they see in the campus or on the street, or when they say that we need to â€Å"pull an all-nighter† before the day of the examinations, and such.Learning words or phrases that are commonly used in this country has made it easier for me to understand what other people mean, making it also easy to respond, make judgments, state opinions, and such. Moreover, it has boosted my self-confidence in opening conversations with other people creating more opportunities for me to learn the English language effectively.

Property Investment Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Property Investment Analysis - Essay Example In a series of cases, the wording of the lease agreements on rent review clauses was held to be upward only. In the case of Royal Insurance Property Services Ltd v Cliffway Ltd2 the lease agreement allowed the landlords to serve a notice on an increase in rent. One of the major questions that the Court had to address in this case was whether the lease allowed for a downwards review. The conclusion in this instance was that based upon the wording of the clause, provision existed only for upward revision, with only the landlord being able to initiate rent changes. Similarly, in the case of Standard Life Assurance v Unipath Ltd3a majority of the Court of Appeal ruled that the provision in the lease agreement pertaining to rent review was an upwards only clause. In this case the Court also observed that the purpose of a rent review clause cannot necessarily be assumed to be on the basis of anticipating changes in money; it might also represent the desire on the part of investors to protect themselves against risk and allow for the certainty of income contained in a rent review clause. Another problem that has been created in the sphere of rent reviews is that they provide for the landlord to initiate a rent review process by issuing a â€Å"trigger notice† and the validity of such notices has been an issue in the cases of Norwich Union Life Insurance Society v Sketchley plc.4 Letters from the tenants have been held to be valid counter notices in the cases of Nunes v Davies Laing and Dick Ltd5and British Rail Pension Trustee Co Ltd v Cardshops Ltd6 where the open market rental rate was the subject of dispute between the landlord and tenant. The underlying commercial purpose behind the inclusion of a rent review clause was spelt out by the Vice Chancellor in the case of British gas Corporation v Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd7 who stated: â€Å"in the absence of special circumstances, it is proper to give