The Color Purple by Alice Walker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Essay Example Biographical information Alice Walker’s birthplace was in Eatonton, a small city in Georgia. Her father (Willie Lee Walker) was basically a farmer, and her mother (Minnie Lou Walker), a maid. Unlike other African American parents during 1940s in America, Walker’s mother was interested in her daughter’s education. She did not allow her daughter to be a worker in the farm or to work as a maid. Instead, she tried her level best to provide proper education to her daughter. One can see that Walker’s future life was deeply influenced by her mother’s decision to lead her towards education. Stephanie Fitzgerald states that, â€Å"From the time she was young, Alice knew that the world was a different place for a black child in the South than it was for a white child anywhere† (22). So, Walker completed her school education. Later, she decided to continue her education and attended Spelman College and another college named as Sarah Lawrence College. Wh en she was a college student, she got attracted towards social activism and this changed her life. For instance, Walker’s activism related to the Civil Rights Movement in America is noteworthy. Besides, Walker considered that anti-war protest/activism was important to extend her service to the needy. Walker’s personal life proves that she was ready to accept diversity. For instance, she married Leventhal in the year 1967. One can see that this marriage was revolutionary because Walker is an African American and Leventhal, a Jew. On the other side, Walker provided ample importance to her career as a writer because she knew that dealing with burning issues in the society is not different from social activism. Plot: The Color Purple The novel’s plot is interconnected with the sad plight of an African American girl in the American society. The narrator of the novel, named as Celie, faces a number of problems in her family. Celie was helpless because her parents did not try to provide proper education to her. Besides, she was forced to undergo sexual exploitation from her step-father. Katharina Eder makes clear that, â€Å"At the beginning of the story the reader learns, how Celie, then a 14 year old girl is raped by her, then thought to be father†(5). Eventually, her mother dies and her father became uncontrollable. Her father did not allow Celie’s sister (Nettie) to marry Mr. Johnson. Instead, Celie’s father forces her to marry Mr. Johnson. Within this context, Celie’s personal life became more problematic because Mr. Johnson treated her as a slave, not as his wife. At Mr. Johnson’s home, Sofia (Mr. Johnson’s son’s wife) taught Celie that women must not subdue to men. Once, Mr. Johnson’s lover (say, Shug Avery) happens to be ill and undergoes bed rest at their home. Gradually, Celie gets attracted towards Shug. On the other side, Sofia was not ready to be under the control of her husband and she deserts her husband. In addition, Shug began to interfere into Celie’s personal matters and helped her to know more about her sister. Later, Celie happens to know that her sister is alive and is working with a missionary in Africa. Besides, Celie’

The Responsibility Project Essay Example for Free

The Responsibility Project Essay In viewing a short film Table Guardians in The Responsibility Project website, organizational issues were displayed. The short film acted out a community coffee shop that different groups of individuals came and gone. An early aged male engaged in conversation with a mid-aged female requesting that she oversee his belongings and table while he quickly went to the copy shop a block away and ensured her that he will return quickly in a matter of minutes, 10 minutes; 12 minutes max. The women, although partially hesitant, agreed to watch over his table and belongings that included a personal computer and writing supplies. As time passed, several individuals attempted to make use of the crowded coffee shop table; however, the women overseeing the table informed those individuals that table was taken and the young man will soon return. After the women waited for over an hour guarding the table, she was asked if she was leaving her table by another women and she explained to her that she would have been gone, but she is overseeing the table across the way for a gentlemen. The women offered the exchange of overseeing the table for her table and she gladly accepted. After the exchange of four other overseers of this table, the gentleman finally returns. The fourth individual overseeing table doesn’t allow the gentlemen to easily recover his table and personal belongings. She informs him that the table is taken and belongs to a gentleman that will be coming back. He tries to explain that he is that gentleman and that he is back. She then requests proof of identity for the gentleman to recover his goods. Throughout the films entirety, it shows the communities ethical and moral reasoning of treating others as you wish to be treated by not leaving the gentleman’s personal belongings unattended as given word by a complete stranger initially. The integrity was kept throughout the exchange of overseers. The coffee shop employee kept his interests as a stakeholder by making the right decision to protect the employers’ expectations by statin g that he is not able to take responsibility of watching the table. By doing so the employee alleviated any possibilities of liability to the employer. It was also noted in the short film that the consumers in the coffee shop showed ethical reasoning by respecting the issue at hand that  the table was taken and not causing conflict in the coffee shop although the tables were filled and that table was sitting empty unattended. The end of the short film showed the same situation appearing to repeat itself; however, it is unknown whether or not it will end the same if it were in a different community. Also the outcome will depend on the ethical and moral interests for individuals involved. It could result in stolen or damaged goods. External social pressures have an influence on organizational issues. For instance, if this community discussed previously in the busy coffee shop had different ethical and moral interests in the community, the gentleman leaving his personal belongings may not have been comfortable in leaving his belongings with a stranger nor would he have asked. It was the gentleman’s belief that his belongings will be in safe keeping. The gentleman was apparently comfortable with outside factors of his community’s environment and the people; therefore, comfortable with the individual in the coffee shop to oversee his belongings. The coffee shop does not function alone, it is the outside of the business that influences how business is carried out inside. The guardians of the gentleman’s belongings were polite and moral by overseeing his belongings. It was morally and ethically wrong for the gentlemen to have left his belonging with an individual for longer than he had given his word for. The coffee shop employee responded ethically to the women who wanted him to oversee the table while working by stating he could not take responsibility while working. External social pressures can create a downside to organizations if social critics are not considered in organizations because consumer’s today is more â€Å"socially† aware. By organizations considering social pressures, this may assist in gearing their organization or business on the right direction for success. Concerning personal decision making, external social pressures may change decisions by simply the pressures of another outlook on the situation. An organization can simply apply pressure to have someone select their organization by offering free tutoring to an enrolled student or a business offering free gym membership for a year with purchase of insurance plan. Social pressure comes in numerous forms. The short film Table Guardians did not clearly show any legal issues per say; however could have resulted a legal issue if the employee decided to watch the gentleman’s belongings while working. Instead, the employee stated that he was could not oversee the table because liability reasons. Should the employee decide to watch table and the gentleman’s belongings came up stolen or damaged, it would have been a liability to coffee shop owner. The employee made the ethical decision. Overall, the short film addressed responsibility ethically, morally, and legally. Ethically is protecting concepts of right or wrong. Morality is more of the personal characteristics of interests and decision making. Ethics and mortality are subjective because no two individuals think alike. The legal system retains general humanities ethics; otherwise, we will suffer the consequences. References The Responsibility Project. (2008). Retrieved from http://responsibility- project.libertymutual.com/films/table-guardians#fbid=S14kx8DovBx

The Consequences Of Melting Polar Ice Caps Environmental Sciences Essay

The Consequences Of Melting Polar Ice Caps Environmental Sciences Essay The polar ice caps that we see today have taken centuries to form and they ve been melting from time to time in order to form lakes and rivers that are essential not only for animal and plant life, but for humans as well all over the world. Furthermore, as precipitation takes its toll the ice caps that melt gets replaced by fresh snow that is later on over time converted to ice. Thus it is safe to say that the melting of the polar ice caps is a normal occurrence, however it becomes a problem when the ice caps melt at a fast rate and turning into water faster and in more quantity than the fresh snow replacing it. This is the current situation of most of today s polar ice caps all over the world. As they reduce in size, stability, and strength they eventually break off and melt away thereby increasing sea levels among other things. The major consequences of melting polar ice caps can be said in the following order below: 1. Global Warming. We are currently experiencing warmer temperatures all over the world today as temperatures have gone high, and global warming is becoming more alarming day by day. This rise in temperature helps polar ice caps melt faster than it should be. Ice caps have even disappeared in certain parts of the world due to this. The melting of the polar ice caps increases global warming because ice glaciers deflects or bounces off about 80% heat from the sun and retain or absorb about 20% of it. However, when sunlight falls on earth, only 20% of the heat is deflected and 80% is absorbed. This in turn increases sea water temperatures, melting ice faster causing the earth to get warmer. 2. Shortage of Fresh Water. Earth looks sort of enveloped and covered with water when seen from space which causes people to think that we are self-sufficient with water. However, this is just the opposite as most of the water that we can see from space in pictures is just salt water that is not good for human use and only 2% of it is considered as freshwater good enough for human use in which 70% of it comes from ice caps and glaciers. People in certain parts of the world depend on this fresh source of water for not only drinking but for agricultural purposes as well. There are certain areas around the Himalayas that are currently in crisis due to this especially in dry months as populations rise. 3. Reduced Agricultural Output. To begin with, for the areas where agriculture mainly depends on rain, they won t be effected by melting of the ice caps. However these areas are few around the world. Areas that are affected are those that depend on fresh water coming from ice caps and glaciers. When ice caps keep on melting there will be lesser fresh water for agriculture which will make the lands dry and not suitable for agriculture thus reduce the total output leading to a shortage in harvest. 4. Excessive Flooding. There are ice caps all over the world and it should be understood that the difference between polar ice caps and ice caps is that the later are present also on lands. Melting of these ice caps causes excessive flooding which is very dangerous for the people and animals that are living in those areas as it would destroy homes, habitats, and lives. Furthermore, polar ice caps and ice glaciers on higher altitudes melt faster which form new lakes and raise river water levels as well causing floods. This is also a cause of concern as when these river water levels rise and lakes burst, they lead to major disasters destroying everything crossing its path. 5. Rise In Sea Level. As the polar ice caps melt at a faster rate, the more the sea levels rise. The consequences of this will be of dire magnitude and people living in coastal regions all over the world will have to relocate and live somewhere else, thereby decreasing amount of living space, due to soil erosion, flooding, and their fresh water being contaminated with salt water of the sea. It has been estimated that the sea level rising 1mm to 2mm per year. It has also been estimated that in the U.S there will be a 3-foot rise in sea level in the Gulf coast which will lead to the deluge of more tha 22,000 square miles of land. 6. Habitat Loss. There are plenty of animals, birds, and even fishes that depend on the polar ice caps and its temperatures for their survival. There are fishes depend on food such as phytoplankton and sea-plants that are underwater near the ice caps and there are birds such as snow owls that depend on these fishes near the ice caps and animals and humans who depend on certain birds for food. They are all connected. As sea water temperatures get warmer and sea levels rise, the sea plants in which these fishes feed off n live on will eventually die out n disappear and this in turn will lead to the increase in the death toll of fishes and birds will reduce due to lack of fishes to feed on, making survival for birds very difficult. Thus disturbing the whole ecosystem. Furhtermore the reduction of fishes has an impact on the polar bear as they have much less to feed on forcing them to take long journeys away from their habitat which also forces to eat what they don t normally eat. This journey is a risky one as some of the polar bear don t make it alive an die on the way as there are many threats as starvation and threats underwater such as killer whales and sharks. Seals, whales, and walruses are also adapting to this change to migrating patters which makes hunting for them by natives very difficult thus leaving the natives without food as well. In addition to the melting of the ice caps, blocks of ice are breaking off forcing seals to give bith underwater which causes many of the pups to die by drowning. Also separation occurs due to breaking of the ice at young ages leading to higher mortality rates. 7. Coral Reefs Will Vanish. Coral reefs need sunlight for photosynthesis not only for their own survival but also for the survival of the various types of fishes that depend on it. As sea levels rise higher making waters deeper, the presence of sunlight under water becomes lesser as the sunlight becomes harder to reach the coral reefs. This in turn corrupts the quality of corals and may even kill them. Certain fishes won t survive as they depend on the reefs for food and this will later have an impact on people who depend on fish for survival. 8. Recontamination Of Earth. Most people today have never even heard DDT and such pesticides as they were banned all over the world years ago. These substances were airborne and eventually wounded up in cooler areas near the ice caps and polar ice caps. Unfortunately the story doesn t end there as most of these harmful airborne chemicals got trapped inside the polar ice caps and glaciers, which later chunks of ice melt and break off, the chemicals, are then released back into the environment in seas, rivers, and lakes containing glaciers. 9. Melting Of The Polar Ice Caps Affects The Whole World. The melting of the polar ice caps is not only limited to specific parts of the world. The rapid melting of the ice is a global concern and its consequences affect the whole world in every continent, especially when it comes to global warming. Conclusion In conclusion, the consequences of the melting polar ice caps are not only limited to specific areas of the world but rather are a global consequence and one that has many concerns and should be dealt with immediately because the polar ice caps are still melting and sea levels are rising, effecting us all over the world as mentioned above. Unfortunately nothing can be done about the rapid melting of the polar ice caps at the moment but global warming is a major factor in the rapid decrease of the ice caps and everyone should contribute to reduce global warming as a first step.

The Style in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

The Style in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story or tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† is an interesting example of the multi-faceted style of the author, which will be discussed in this essay.    Edgar Allan Poe in â€Å"Twice-Told Tales - A Review,† which appeared in Graham's Magazine in May, 1842, comments on Hawthorne’s â€Å"originality,† and â€Å"tranquil and subdued manner† which characterize his style:    The Essays of Hawthorne have much of the character of Irving, with more of originality, and less of finish; while, compared with the Spectator, they have a vast superiority at all points. The Spectator, Mr. Irving, and Mr. Hawthorne have in common that tranquil and subdued manner which we have chosen to denominate repose. . . . In the essays before us the absence of effort is too obvious to be mistaken, and a strong undercurrent of suggestion runs continuously beneath the upper stream of the tranquil thesis. In short, these effusions of Mr. Hawthorne are the product of a truly imaginative intellect, restrained, and in some measure repressed, by fastidiousness of taste, by constitutional melancholy and by indolence.    Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† discloses a characteristic of Hawthorne’s tyle with regard to his short stories: â€Å"Almost all of Hawthorne’s finest stories are remote in time or place† (82). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is no exception to this rule, being placed in historic Salem, Massachusetts, back in the 1600’s.    Herman Melville in â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses,† (in The Literary World August 17, 24, 1850) has a noteworthy comment on Hawthorne’s style:    Nathaniel Hawthorne is a man, as yet, almost utterly mistaken among men. Here and there, in some quiet arm-chair in the noisy town, or some deep nook among the noiseless mountains, he may be appreciated for something of what he is. But unlike Shakespeare, who was forced to the contrary course by circumstances, Hawthorne (either from simple disinclination, or else from inaptitude) refrains from all the popularizing noise and show of broad farce, and blood-besmeared tragedy; content with the still, rich utterances of a great intellect in repose, and which sends few thoughts into circulation, except they be arterialized at his large warm lungs, and expanded in his honest heart.    How beautifully does this critic capture the basic attitude of Hawthorne, who avoids the â€Å"noise and show† and emphasizes his â€Å"rich utterances.

Health Promotion and Nursing practice Essay

Heath promotion as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013) is â€Å"the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. † It is the intention of this writer to present health promotion in nursing practice and relate this to methods implemented that encompass nursing. For the purpose of this paper the writer will use stroke to exemplify the issues. Influential forces effecting health can be political, social, physical, and economic. Internal factors affecting health can be emotional, intellectual, spiritual and psychosocial. Ones own lifestyle guides the way for health promotion or health destruction. The American Nurses Association (ANA) guides the scope of practice by advocating safe quality care. Included is the necessity to provide interventions that include health promotion and prevention of sickness and disability. The patient today is more complex and the focus includes family and community. Three levels of nursing prevention primary, secondary, and tertiary should involve consumers (ANA, 2007). The purpose of health promotion in nursing practice it to educate, influence and assist the patient to maintain an existing quality of life by preventing illness, slowing the progression of an illness or managing an illness. Public health promotion is an organized response to populations to prevent injury, disability, and address social conditions and problems . To have a well functioning society it is important to maintain a healthy community. Nursing Interventions assist the patient to make educated choices regarding lifestyle changes. According to Edelman and Mandle (2010) these various levels of health promotion introduced by Leavall and Clark are primary, secondary, and tertiary. They are on a continuum but may overlap. Prevention at the primary level is to protect and promote health of the community or person from injury or disease (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). Community support is important at this level for the individual to incorporate and maintain healthy habits. Nursing plays an important role in education at this level in hopes of producing healthy behaviors. According to Martinez and Kravitz (2010), education for cardiovascular health would include, healthy weight, smoking cessation, maintaining blood pressure, and a healthy diet. These health facts could educate the patient and guide in the prevention of stroke or myocardial infarction. Warning signs of stoke listed in this article are numbness/weakness, confusion/odd speech, visual problems, dizziness/ loss of coordination, and headache without a cause. Education implemented in the community regarding chronic disease is proactive. According to Alspac (2013) we still have a lapse in the use of calling 911when stroke symptoms are recognized. They imply professionals need to provide better education on placing warning signs of a stroke as a â€Å"medical emergency by calling 911. † Nursing can provide these implementations in a variety of settings. As we move forward to the secondary level of health promotion prevention as stated previously it can overlap with another level. This writer has experience in her work setting with a stroke alert team. Borrowed from the National Stoke Association is the acronym FAST (F=face, A= arm, S=speech, and T=time). At the secondary and primary level this could be recognized as a useful tool primarily for education and secondarily for assessment. The secondary level is where interventions treat an early stage of a disease or provide screening. Screening gives one the ability to reduce disease progression by early detection. Nurses can influence by educating during screening (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). According to Bergman (2011) stroke is a major cause of long-term disability. By treating early one would hope not to progress to the tertiary level. Bergman (2011) states, †Modern stroke care poses unique challenges to the nurse practitioner (NP) in diagnosis, care, risk prevention, patient education and, follow-up. † (p. 659). The writer notes this must pertain to the type of stoke occurring. One needs to do a thorough evidence-based evaluation for appropriate interventions. Recommendations at the secondary level are for life style changes and treatment of any other existing diseases (Bergman, 2011). Screenings at the secondary level would include blood pressure checks, cholesterol level checks, assess physical activity level. Interventions may be to treat elevated blood pressure, lower cholesterol, treat diabetes appropriately, and start anticoagulants if warranted. A patient encountering a stroke can have mild to profound disabilities. The tertiary level of health promotion is of great importance to a stroke patient and their family. Tertiary prevention is a process of minimizing effects of disability by preventing further decline. Tertiary promotions focus is rehabilitative measures and management of the disability by helping the patient achieve and maintain an ideal functioning level (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). Education is a continuum from the secondary level to the tertiary level with patient and family. According to Cameron (2013) the family educational needs may differ from the patients needs including changes at home after discharge, altered roles, and stressors with available resources. At the tertiary level of stoke rehabilitation there is a great emphasis on multidisciplinary collaborative education (Cameron, 2013). This writer practiced rehabilitative nursing and the facility had a transition room. This room mimicked a home setting with bedroom and kitchen. The patient’s family would provide all care prior to discharge in preparation for home care. It tremendously helped in planning further educational needs and discharge readiness. Jarmer and Fielding (2010) interventions include improving mobility and independence and assisting to cope with change. Treatment plans must be individualized to the type of disability. The biggest issue after discharge is safety. Nurses make up the majority of health care providers patients interact with. Nurses are a major resource for education and health promotion. The future of nursing is changing from an acute care based practice to a community based health promotion practice. The role of the nurse in this new practice will be multifaceted. Public health nursing will be an expanding role. The shift in role to public health nurse will require analytic assessment skills, cultural competence, program planning skills and, community dimension skills (Kulbok, Thatcher, Park, & Meszaros, 2013). Cultural competencies assist the nurse to understand health promotion from the community’s viewpoint. This can includes values, beliefs, traditions and, attitudes. Program planning is used to optimize health through evidence-based programs made possible with analytic assessment skills (Kulbok et. al. , 2013). Community dimensions skills refer to collaborative efforts among community leaders and stakeholders. The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity nurses need to be prepared at all levels. There are many aspects of emerging roles of future nursing most notable is the ability to lead. References Alspach, J. (2013). Improving recognition and response to onset of stroke. Critical Care Nurse, 33, 9-13. doi:10. 4037 /ccn2013909 American Nurses Association (ANA). (2007). Health of the public. Retrieved from http://web. archive. org/web/20071027171411/http://www. nursingworld. org/ MainMenuCategories/HealthcarePolicyIssues/HoP. aspx Bergman, D. (2011). Preventing recurrent cerebrovascular events in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack: The current data. Journal Of The American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners, 23, 659-666. doi:10. 1111/j. 1745-7599. 2011. 00650. x Cameron, V. (2013). Best practices for stroke patient and family education in acute care Setting: A literature review. MEDSURG Nursing, 22(1), 51-55. Edelman, C. , Mandle, C. (2010). Health promotion throughout the life span. Retrieved From http://pageburstls. elsevier. com/books/9780323056625/id//B97803230566 25000103_p1005 Jarmer, L. , & Fielding, R (2010). After the stroke. Rehab Management : The Interdisciplinary Journal Of Rehabilitation, 23(5), 18-21. Kulbok, P. A. , Thatcher, E. , Park, E. , Meszaros, P. S. (2012). Evolving public health nursing Roles: Focus on community participatory health promotion and prevention. The Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 17, doi: 10. 3912/OJIN. vol17No02Mn01 Martinez, A. , & kravitz, L. (2010). Cardiovascular health goals. IDEA Fitness Journal. 7(5), 14-17. World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). Health Promotion. Retrieved from http://www. Who. int/topics/health_promotion/en/

Diapause - Definition of the Term Diapause

Diapause - Definition of the Term Diapause Diapause is a period of suspended or arrested development during an insects life cycle. Insect diapause is usually triggered by environmental cues, like changes in daylight, temperature, or food availability. Diapause may occur in any life cycle stage – embryonic, larval, pupal, or adult – depending on the insect species. Insects inhabit every continent on Earth, from the frozen Antarctic to the balmy tropics. They live on mountaintops, in deserts, and even in the oceans. They survive frigid winters and summer droughts. How do insects survive such extreme environmental conditions? Â  For many insects, the answer is diapause. When things get tough, they take a break. Diapause is a predetermined period of dormancy, meaning its genetically programmed and involves adaptive physiological changes. Environmental cues arent the cause of diapause, but they may control when diapause begins and ends. Quiescence, in contrast, is a period of slowed development that is triggered directly by environmental conditions, and that ends when favorable conditions return. Types of Diapause Diapause can be either obligatory or facultative: Insects with obligatory diapause will undergo this period of arrested development at the predetermined point in their life cycle, regardless of the environmental conditions. Diapause occurs in every generation. Obligatory diapause is most often associated with univoltine insects, meaning insects that have one generation per year.Insects with facultative diapause undergo a period of suspended development only when conditions require it for survival. Facultative diapause is found in most insects and is associated with bivoltine (two generations per year) or multivoltine insects (more than two generations per year). Additionally, some insects undergo reproductive diapause, which is a suspension of reproductive functions in adult insects. The best example of reproductive diapause is the monarch butterfly in North America. The migrant generation of late summer and fall goes into a state of reproductive diapause in preparation for the long journey to Mexico. Environmental Factors That Trigger Diapause Diapause in insects is induced or terminated in response to environmental cues. These cues may include changes in the length of daylight, temperature, food quality and availability, moisture, pH, and others. Â  No single cue solely determines the start or end of diapause. Their combined influence, along with programmed genetic factors, controls diapause. Photoperiod – A photoperiod is the alternating phases of light and dark in the day. Seasonal changes to the photoperiod (such as shorter days as winter approaches) cue the start or end of diapause for many insects. Photoperiod is the most importantTemperature – Along with photoperiod, changes in temperature (such as an extreme cold spell) can influence the start or end of diapause. The thermoperiod, alternating phases of cooler and warmer temperatures, also influences diapause. Some insects require specific thermal cues to end the diapause phase. For example, the woolly bear caterpillar must endure a period of chilling to trigger the end of diapause and continuation of the life cycle.Food – As the growing season ends, the diminishing quality of their food sources may help trigger a diapause phase in an insect species. As potato plants and other hosts turn brown and dry, for example, Colorado potato beetle adults will enter a state of diapause. Â   Sources: Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.The Insects: An Outline of Entomology, by P. J. Gullan and P. S. Cranston.Biology of Arthropoda, by D. R. Khanna.Developmental Biology, 10th edition, by Scott F. Gilbert.

Tabitha Norton Essays (622 words) - Writing, Online Chat, Essay

Tabitha Norton Essays (622 words) - Writing, Online Chat, Essay Tabitha Norton English 104 August 29, 2016 The Essay "The essay is a valuable, even powerful technology that has particular affordances in helping us promote communicative ability, dialogue and critical thinking." This quote from Dr. Adam Banks encapsulat es the essence of an essay in the context of academic writing. Essays are highly potent writing tools as the y allow ideas and thoughts to be widely disseminated with ease ; logically presenting facts and postulating ideologies that serve to educate and inform readers. The ability to compose a well writte n essay is even more invaluable now in a technological age where shorthand, instant messaging and one hundred and forty character posts are dominant and content and c oherence are secondary. As such , u sing essays as the yardstick against which students' communication is measured is even more effective and i mportant than it has ever been. However, the reach and applicability of an essay in the context of the present ma y not be what it once was. Primarily, this generation is one in which speed and quantity, not quality , a r e valued . This is evident give n the rise of instant messaging apps which allow the sharing of information in the shortest time possible. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter also pride themselves o n real time updates and constant information streaming. The output vi s ible in the resulting texts , tweets and posts by users is lacking in b oth comprehensibility and substance . The ideas expressed may be shallow and underdeveloped due to the limitations given for posting or messaging. Some may also feel the need to put out as much content as possible, reducing the time spent mulling over the topics being discussed , resulting in numerous insubstantial posts being put out . Additionally, communication attempts may be hindered by readers ' unfamiliar ity with the slang and shorthand used to combat the character limits which may exis t . Although currently, a majority of youth may understand this informal language, over time , after continued usage , this spills over into academic writi n g . Student lose the ability to express themselves in a universal language and begin to limit themselves to the colloquial expressions of their peers. As such, essay writing is of the utmost importance , as it forces students firs tly t o consider what they wish to express and how they would like to develop their ideas. From there , they are able to properly introduce the ir topic and expound / on what they are presenting in a structured manner which is palatable to and intelligible by all readers. In short, essays are the most way to ensure that students' output is sound and acces sible. By the same token, the applicability of essays at this moment in time should be considered . Information is rapidly consumed in short, ea sily digestible snippets. It ma y not be well expounded upon but it carries an easily r ecognizable main idea which reade rs may connect with and recognize immediately. This form of communication, while dissimilar, is extremely effective and has an extremely wide audience as the consumption is much more effortless. In conclusion, the essay is just as a relevant a standard in academia as it has always been . While social media allows communication on a global stage, essay writing train s writers to make logical and arguments as well as measures their ability to do the same . However, as the world continues to advance through technology , the appeal of extended writing such as essays has diminished . Therefore, academia should retain essays as its mea ns of measurement while being mindful that essay writing may no longer be the zenith of communication .

Frued essays

Frued essays Known as the "father of psychology," Freud developed many of the first theories of modern physiology. His ideas and concepts will continue to be studied through the years. He put forth many new concepts about sexuality, consciousness, unconsciousness and instincts. He spent his whole life devoted to discovering the secrets of the human nature. Personally I think this guy was weird. Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiburg. The town of Freiburg later became Pribor and was eventually absorbed into the modern state of Czechoslovakia. Freuds father, name Jakob Freud was a Jewish wool merchant. Freuds mother Amalie Nathanson was from Galicia. She was Jakobs second wife. Sigmund had eight brothers and sisters in all. Two of which were from Jakobs first marriage. The other six were from Amelia. His first influences to science were when he heard lectures on Goethe. In 1873 he applied to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Vienna, here was where he changed his name from Sigismund to Sigmund. He earned is doctorate in medicine and worked as a research assistant under Ernst Von Brucke, as a neurologist. In 1882, Freud became interested in the effects and benefits of cocaine. He spent long hours recording the effects they had on his body. These studies hurt his status as a scientist because other scientists already documented the harmful effect s cocaine has on the body. In 1886 Freud started his first office of neurology in Vienna. That same year he married Martha Bernays. This marriage produced six children named Mathilde, Martin, Oliver, Ernst, Sophia and Anna. Also around that time in 1885 he produced his studies on hysteria. In 1900 Freud published his first book called the Interpretation of Dreams, which made him famous. The next year he published Psycho Pathology of Everyday Life. Also in 1901 he became an associate professor of the Faculty of Medicine ...

Should college dorms be separated between male and female Research Paper

Should college dorms be separated between male and female - Research Paper Example Promiscuity is another element which needs to be considered here, promiscuous men and women are ruining our society and the same can easily happen should men and women reside in the same dorm. Sexually transmitted diseases would spread should promiscuous men and women change partners on a regular basis and this would not be good for the others residing in the same dorm, there would be unrest and quarrel in the dorm should men and women reside in the same dorm. These are very valid points which need to be considered and these are very logical arguments too. There are positives also which must not be ignored; there are several advantages of sharing dorms. Men and women both live together in a society and staying together would certainly prepare them for the future and make them stronger emotionally. The real life experience that they would get by staying together would be second to none and they can learn a lot of things from each other but it can lead to a lot of quarrels also. It is important to consider the other side because every coin is two sided and it is highly unfair to ignore the other side. â€Å"Many students who live in coed dorms argue that its not that big of a deal. Dorm life is not one big college sex party. Male and female students have the same basic housing needs-- sleeping accommodations, a place to study, and companionship. Why separate people with the same needs? After all, students are adults.† (Coed Dorm Life) Having men around is always good as far as the safety of women is concerned but men also pose serious safety problems to women and many a time it becomes very difficult to handle aggressive males chasing women and this can be a very serious problem should men and women stay in the same dorm. â€Å"Coed dorms provide lots of dating opportunities. Unfortunately, dating someone in your dorm isnt necessarily a good idea. Its

Associated and Joint Venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Associated and Joint Venture - Essay Example The partners all sit on the joint venture corporation's board, and together have been able to provide the community with a much-needed resource. Therefore, a joint venture may be a corporation, limited liability Company, partnership or other legal structure, depending on a number of considerations such as tax and tort liability. A joint venture is often seen as a very viable business alternative in this sector, as the companies can complement their skill sets while it offers the foreign company a geographic presence. Studies show a failure rate of 30-61%, and that 60% failed to start or faded away within 5 years. (Osborn, 2003) It is also known that Joint ventures in low-developed countries show greater instability. Some countries, such as the People's Republic of China, require foreign companies to form joint ventures with domestic firms in order to enter a market. This requirement often forces technology transfers and managerial control to the domestic partner. This detailed Report provides an Earnings and Dividends history for Honda Motor Co., Ltd... Tabular results include up to a ten-year history of "as reported" Earnings per Share and Dividends per Share plus a calculation of the amount of earnings paid out over the year in dividends (i.e. Payout Ratio). Earnings and Dividends are presented on both a Quarterly and Annual basis. An annual Percent Change factor is calculated for both Earnings and Dividends. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.. The Group's principal activities are to manufacture automobiles, motorcycles and power products. The Group develops and manufactures a wide variety of products, ranging from small general-purpose engines to specialty sports cars that incorporate their internal combustion engine technology. The Group also provides financing for the sale of its motorcycles, automobiles and power products. The Group has got 319 subsidiaries and affiliates. The Group operates in the following four segments: Motorcycle business, Automobile business, Financial services and Power product and other businesses. The Group's major trademarks includes HONDA, ACURA, ACCORD, CIVIC, FIT, ODYSSEY, CR-V, PILOT, MOBILIO, ELEMENT, STEP WGN, MDX, STREAM, LIFE, ACTY, VAMOS, THAT'S, CUB, WAVE and GOLD WING. The Group has subsidiaries throughout the world including North America, Pakistan, the Philippines, India, South America and Europe. Either Associate or Venture Management is focused on the skills and practices required to manage the rapid growth of new business in highly dynamic environments. These environments are often, but now always, characterized by rapid technology change. Associates are usually identified with the following principles. A holding of 20% or more of the voting power, directly or through subsidiaries, would indicate significant influence unless it can be clearly demonstrated otherwise. If the holding is less than 20%, the investor will be presumed not to have significant influence unless such influence can be clearly demonstrated. [IAS 28.6] .The existence of significant influ

Mission, Vsionand Strategic Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mission, Vsionand Strategic Objectives - Essay Example Vision statement is written immediately after an organization manages to write a mission statement. It provides a statement on what the company or the organization intends to achieve, wi9thin a given framework, or within a future period. Unlike the mission statement, the vision statement is always updated, depending on the strategic position of the company (Moseley, 2009). The vision statement normally provides a guideline on what the company intends to achieve within a given future, or a certain period of time. The vision statement is important, because it can act as motivators for the employees of a company, to work hard, and develop competitive strategies that can help the organization achieve its stated future ambitions or objectives (Zuckerman, 2012). Just like a mission statement, it is possible for a vision statement to be prepared at any level within an organization, i.e. at the managerial and departmental levels. Strategic objectives are long term decisions made by the company, for purposes of helping the organization to meet its mission and vision objectives. They are always explicit and broad, and the management of the organization believes that, it is nearly impossible to achieve its vision and mission, without these objectives (Moseley, 2009). The strategic objectives are always established at the corporate level, and at the sub-units of the organization. These objectives are always established after carrying out a research on the industry that an organization operates under, its competitors, and after the identification of the capabilities of the business organization. There are two very important concepts that should be recognized in the vision and mission statement of an organization offering health services. Under the mission statement, an organization must identify its purpose, and the kind of clients it seeks to serve (Zuckerman, 2012). For instance, the mission statement would denote that the organization aims at providing high

Fashion Journalism and Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion Journalism and Scholarship - Essay Example The paper "Fashion Journalism and Scholarship" talks about the fashion Scholarship and Journalism. According to McRobbie, (2013), fashion journalism emphasize on visual information so that the magazine, newspapers and computer writings published by fashion journalists are scarce in written information but have many visual objects used to take into custody of the attention of the audience thus being able to influence them. Therefore, fashion journalism integrates fashion designs and journalism skills to present media information that has the potential to influence people. It also facilitates writing, reporting and criticizing of fashion design aspects. Scholarship of fashion provides detailed information about fashion designs, their purpose and the people to whom the fashion trend is applicable. Thus, unlike fashion journalism, scholarship journalism does not aim at increasing money from the designs by using visual information but provides appropriate details from which consumers are able to make their decisions. Fashion journalism promotes making of uniform decisions because individuals are influenced by what they see in the newspapers, magazines or articles and do not pause to ask its relevance to them while in scholarship journalism individuals have details that enhance proper decision making. In scholarship fashion individuals have to gather information that will convince consumers that their designs are better than others and why so that they are convinced to purchase them.

Day Hall Construction Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Day Hall Construction - Article Example After consulting with FixIt Zone manager, JD Tessier, we have arrived at three viable options for the renovation of Day Hall. Our first option is to implement a renovated bathroom area with individual bathrooms doors, with fully renovated bathroom equipment (toilets, showers, sinks, etc.). Our second option is to create renovated, semi-private bathrooms, which will emphasize on increased privacy through increased dividers between showers and sinks. Our last option, which is also the cheapest, is to replace the existing bathroom parts of Day Hall, for many of the showers and sinks are functional. In evaluating our three options, we performed thorough research by distributing the student survey, consulting with JD Tessier, and communicating with the Residence Director of Day Hall, David Grimes, and Office of Residence Life Director Terra Peckskamp, our client, via email. To supplement our findings, we based our recommendation off of 1) Availability of manpower, 2) Cost of renovation, 3) Adaptability to the new bathroom style, 4) Consistency to the goals of the organization, and 5) Implementation period. In evaluating the criteria, our consulting group came to the conclusion that Option 1 aligns most with our criteria and our client’s values. We recommend that Day Hall proceeds with implementing individual bathroom areas, to enhance student satisfaction and the ease of transition. Constructed in 1958, Day Hall at Syracuse University houses approximately 607 students and 14 resident advisors. Together, there are 16 communal bathrooms shared by the 8 floors of residents in Day Hall, which has affected the cleanliness and the lack of working parts in bathrooms.  

All in a Days Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

All in a Days Work - Essay Example I feel that Ann did not handle these issues effectively. She could have set committees to discuss these issues and give her a response about what needs to be done as soon as possible. Ann is a highly involving manager. This is can be seen through the number of tasks that awaits her to accomplish just in a single day. From the case, it is clear that Ann is directly responsible for employee’s salaries, technologies applied to accomplish work in the company as well as training and development of the employees. She also has various meetings with the executive and other meetings with the lower level employees. She likes accomplishing tasks on the order of priority and ensures she delivers on her duties. Ann usually has busy days at work and still creates time to attend meetings and even respond to emails sent by employees. She, therefore, meets almost all employees’ requirement. The only problem with her management system is that Ann tends to react more to issues instead of applying the proactive measures to curb them. It can be seen from the case that theirs is a high employee turnover in the company. This should be the first evidence that the employees are a source of competitive advantage. There should be a higher employee motivation though high starting salaries and other benefits to retain them (Roy, Donald, Bowen, & Hall, 1988). This way, the company will have best workers and spend less on training new employees. Secondly, there is a requirement for training and developing the employees. This is another source of competitive advantage that the company can exploit. The issue will make the company have employees who are knowledgeable about the new technological advancement so that increase efficiency and effectiveness while accomplishing their tasks.

Fashion Journalism and Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion Journalism and Scholarship - Essay Example The paper "Fashion Journalism and Scholarship" talks about the fashion Scholarship and Journalism. According to McRobbie, (2013), fashion journalism emphasize on visual information so that the magazine, newspapers and computer writings published by fashion journalists are scarce in written information but have many visual objects used to take into custody of the attention of the audience thus being able to influence them. Therefore, fashion journalism integrates fashion designs and journalism skills to present media information that has the potential to influence people. It also facilitates writing, reporting and criticizing of fashion design aspects. Scholarship of fashion provides detailed information about fashion designs, their purpose and the people to whom the fashion trend is applicable. Thus, unlike fashion journalism, scholarship journalism does not aim at increasing money from the designs by using visual information but provides appropriate details from which consumers are able to make their decisions. Fashion journalism promotes making of uniform decisions because individuals are influenced by what they see in the newspapers, magazines or articles and do not pause to ask its relevance to them while in scholarship journalism individuals have details that enhance proper decision making. In scholarship fashion individuals have to gather information that will convince consumers that their designs are better than others and why so that they are convinced to purchase them.

All in a Days Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

All in a Days Work - Essay Example I feel that Ann did not handle these issues effectively. She could have set committees to discuss these issues and give her a response about what needs to be done as soon as possible. Ann is a highly involving manager. This is can be seen through the number of tasks that awaits her to accomplish just in a single day. From the case, it is clear that Ann is directly responsible for employee’s salaries, technologies applied to accomplish work in the company as well as training and development of the employees. She also has various meetings with the executive and other meetings with the lower level employees. She likes accomplishing tasks on the order of priority and ensures she delivers on her duties. Ann usually has busy days at work and still creates time to attend meetings and even respond to emails sent by employees. She, therefore, meets almost all employees’ requirement. The only problem with her management system is that Ann tends to react more to issues instead of applying the proactive measures to curb them. It can be seen from the case that theirs is a high employee turnover in the company. This should be the first evidence that the employees are a source of competitive advantage. There should be a higher employee motivation though high starting salaries and other benefits to retain them (Roy, Donald, Bowen, & Hall, 1988). This way, the company will have best workers and spend less on training new employees. Secondly, there is a requirement for training and developing the employees. This is another source of competitive advantage that the company can exploit. The issue will make the company have employees who are knowledgeable about the new technological advancement so that increase efficiency and effectiveness while accomplishing their tasks.

The efficiency of an eElectric motor Essay Example for Free

The efficiency of an eElectric motor Essay The efficiency of the motor in experiment 2 does decrease linearly with increasing mass as I predicted. Ideally the two graphs should follow each other since I used the same motor in each experiment. However from my graph you can see that my calculated efficiency for the second experiment is consistently about 9% higher than the calculated efficiency from my first experiment. This difference has probably been caused by the inaccuracy of the joule meter. This is inconsistent with my results from my calibration experiment. They showed that the joule meter always records more energy that it is receives and therefore if I correct my results for experiment 2 it would make the motor even more efficient. However the linear sections of the graphs have the same gradient and this shows that in both experiments the efficiency is varying in the same way. Extension: Aim: To measuring the efficiency of the electric motor as a generator and to establish if the system is time reversible. The experiment: See Diagram for circuit digarm. Experimental method: I will dropped a variety of weights a distance of 1. 12m and then I recorded the amount of electrical energy produced by the motor using the joule meter Acknowledged Errors 1. The inaccuracy of the joule meter-however I can use my calibration curve to correct for this 2. Friction in the pulley system 3. The weight has kinetic energy when I hits the ground and this energy is lost from the system thus reducing the efficiency of the generator. My Results: H=1. 12m load=10. 3 ohms Mass (kg) Average Time for full drop(s) Joules recorded Exp1x10 Joules recorded Exp2x10 Average number of joules recordedx10 %E. Energy Input (J) Graph: Explaining the graph: The energy I put in the generator is dissipated in three ways. 1. Useful energy is dissipated in the load 2. Energy is lost in the friction of the pulley system 3. When current flows through the internal resistance of the motor energy is lost 4. Energy is lost when the weight I drop hits the flaw It follows that because energy is conserved: The Potential energy of the weight= Power dissipated in load + Work done against friction +Energy Lost in the motors resistance +Energy lost as the weight hits the floor M=mass, I=current, F=friction force, R=resistance, V=final speed of weight In my analysis I have chosen to ignore the energy lost in the internal resistance of the motor. This is sensible since the energy lost in the internal resistance was insignificant compared to the energy lost in the load. To further simplify things I will also ignore the energy lost as the weight hits the ground. This factor was very small because my weights travelled quite slowly and they had small masses. Simplified formula for analysis: Efficiency If you assume that the work done against friction is constant this formula explains the 1-1/x form of my graph. For small weights the generator is inefficient since most of the weights potential energy is being used to overcome friction. For small the second term of the formula is large and the generator is therefore inefficient. This is shown by my graph. For large weights the work done against friction becomes insignificant and consequently the generator becomes more increasingly more efficient. For larger the second term would tend to zero and the efficiency should tend to 100%. My results do show that the efficiency increases for heavier weights however my results appear to approach an efficiency of 14% not 100%. This difference may be caused by the fact that for my larger weight the energy lost in the motors resistance and the energy lost as the weight hit the floor become significant. The inaccuracy of the joule meter may have also contributed to this difference. Is a the motor time reversible If my motor was time reversible it should behave in the same way irrespective of the direction of time. For example if you use electrical energy lift a weight with a motor if the system is time reversible you should be able to get the electrical energy back by dropping the weight. A motor is obviously time reversible to an extent since it can be used both as a motor and a generator. However my results show that for my experiment you are only able to retrieve a small fraction of the energy you used lifting when using the motor as a generator (about 2. 5 joules out of 150 or 2%). This inefficiency can be partially explained by considering the parts of the system that are not time reversible. This includes the friction in the system and the energy lost in the internal resistance of the motor. Here energy is lost as heat and sound that cannot be retrieved. Conclusion: In general my experiments went well and I was able to use my result to make some useful conclusions. I was very pleased with the accuracy of my results. If I had more time I would have taken more experimental reading so that I could get a more complete picture of what was happening. I would also have spent more time calibrating the joule meter since its inaccuracy had a large effect on my results. Bibliography: Sources used: 1) Nuffield Advanced Science Physics student guide 2 unit H to L, Published by Longman, ISBN=0-582-35416-1 2) Web page: Motors URL=www. srl. gatech. edu/education/ME3110/design-reports/RSVP/DR4/Motors. http 3) Encyclopaedia Britannica CD-ROM 4) Encarta 99 CD-ROM by Microsoft Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Cultural Differences in the Workplace: Australia and US

Cultural Differences in the Workplace: Australia and US Tim Johnson Anthropologist, James Downs, defined culture as â€Å"a mental map which guides us in our relations to our surroundings and to other people† (Linsell, 2011). This definition supports the idea that culture influences the way in which individuals behave. America and Australia are connected in many ways, and both countries’ success is blatantly predominant even at a quick glance. Both countries are far more superior to the majority of countries around the globe, and a reason for that is their culture sets higher standards in their attempts to continue towards greatness. Although there are many similarities between the Australian and U.S. workplace culture, there are characteristics that illustrate the distinctions between the two cultures. The United States and Australia have very similar upbringings, which is the result of their ties to the British colonies. The United States was formed as a result of immigrants fleeing from religious persecution, while Australia was settled by government workers and convicts. Both countries have similar cultures because the ancestors were predominantly Anglo- Saxon/ Caucasians, and both â€Å"cultures grew through liberal immigration policies† (Linsell, 2011). The reason both nations illustrate similarities in culture is because they share connection to British involvement. The Australian workplace culture differs from most, but Australia has found ways to promote excellence while still promoting happiness. Australia has a community-oriented heritage and is supporters of egalitarianism (Linsell, 2011). Egalitarianism can be defined as equality for all of man with respect to economics, politics, and society. The Australian workplace is also very multicultural, and one in every 4 workers is from another culture (â€Å"Spectrum MRC†, 2012). Australia also embraces different practices compared to the United States. These practices are reflected in their sometimes informal business meetings and interviews. The informality can be illustrated through their non-verbal communication such as proximity when interacting and body language (â€Å"Spectrum MRC†, 2012). To an outsider the Australian workplace culture may seem informal, but within many domestic organizations this is common practice. Australian organizations prefer autonomy and flexibility in the workplace (Linsell, 2011), because it promotes a positive atmosphere that results in higher productivity. The United States workplace culture is centered on command- control leadership and is hierarchy based, because equality is not deemed as important (Linsell, 2011). The hierarchy that the U.S. practices creates competition within the workplace to strive for success, while endorsing a selfish mentality among the employees. The United States takes a â€Å"business first approach†, and favors when employees separate their business and personal lives (â€Å"U.S. Business Culture†, 2011). This approach statistically encourages a more focused workplace, but at the cost of employees not finding enjoyment in their work and with their colleagues. To this day, America is still commonly referred to as â€Å"The Melting Pot† even though the individuals that use this term do not know the true origin. This term was coined in the beginning of the 20th Century to characterize how the immigrants were all mixing together and creating one blended culture. Most individuals improperly use the term to describe different cultures simply living among one another. Australia is wonderful because there are so many diverse cultures, but all of the cultures remain unique and avoid merging in to one. The lack of combining promotes individuality, which aids in the citizens and in turn the employees becoming better developed and appreciative of their positions. The American culture is about demonstrating assertion and never displaying weakness, because weakness is commonly associated with failure. Even though the United States exhibits superiority and their practices are effective, they sacrifice the personal connections that aid to create higher team morale. The workplace culture of Australia and the U.S. take different approaches to how they operate their organizations, but similarities overlap in both cultures. The similarity that is predominant in both countries is the controversy of gender inequality (Leahy, 2011). Currently women in the workforce aren’t â€Å"able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources, and opportunities† (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2013) that men receive in the same workplace. Even in modern society discrimination still resonates and women are unfairly forced to deal with this injustice. The term most commonly used to describe the gender inequality present in the workplace is â€Å"the glass ceiling† (Cotter, Hermsen, Ovadia, Vanneman, 2001). The glass ceiling alludes to a woman’s ability to see to a further point than she can actually reach. Even if the average woman attempted to work towards a higher ranking position, she will typically come across difficulty when tryi ng to advance to that position. Women are still facing discrimination in employment (Doughney, 2007) and more men reach higher paid executive and specialized positions (Ross-Smith McGraw, 2010). Australia and the United States have similarities and differences, but even though they are both global leaders they still have room to expand and change from their current discriminatory practices. My experience in an Australian workplace has been eye opening and led me to a culture that has many positive differences from my own. An aspect of Australian culture that differs from my experiences in the United States is the desire to promote a community based workplace. At Greenwood Dental the employees were completely welcoming and personable; this was the beginning to my acceptance in to their workplace family. After interning for a few days, they began to see my hard work ethic and my willingness to assist anyone’s needs. My determination to benefit their business in any way possible illustrated to them that I was serious about becoming a part of their team, and from that point on I was viewed as a team member. A prime example of their communal persona is seen in their lunch break room. The break room has qualities similar to a family room in a household and they also bring food for everyone to share. This may not seem like much, but promoting this type of workplace led to a productive and friendly environment. Typically in the United States, everyone keeps to themselves and does their own work, but in Australia they believe in a civic based culture. Australian culture favors equality and during my time at Greenwood, I never felt underappreciated or like an outsider. In the U.S. it is very common to feel isolated and unacknowledged, because everyone is trying to advance themselves instead of working collaboratively. All the employees know their position within the company and that the dentists are the priority, but everyone’s position is necessary in order to run a successful business. Greenwood Dental was made up of many different cultures and it was exciting working with such a diverse group of individuals. It is imperative that individuals submerge themselves in additional cultures in order to understand others and even more importantly develop themselves. Greenwood Dental’s staff consists of employees from seven different countries, so being immersed in such a culturally rich environment aided my development towards better understanding and respect for equality. Australia and the United States come from related backgrounds and as a result the cultures share comparable characteristics, but when analyzing workplace culture the distinction is tremendously clear. The Australian workplace culture tends to be more communal and flexible, while the U.S. encourages hierarchy and competition. A positive workplace culture is a result of motivation, productivity, quality work, and retention (â€Å"Building a Positive†, 2013) and in my opinion Australia is better at acquiring the positive workplace with respect to America. Australian culture strives for positivity and satisfaction, while the United States attempts to improve only their economic status. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, once said, â€Å"Happiness is not the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort†. After my experiences in Australia, I can assert that Australia’s workplace with respect to the U.S. has a more positive, enjoyable, and overall better atmosphere to be a part of. The Australian workplace culture chooses to sacrifice uniformity in order to allow for individuality and happiness. Bibliography Attitude Works. (2013).  Building a positive workplace culture. Retrieved from  http://www.attitudeworks.com.au/AW_pages/attitudes/positive/positive.html Cotter, D., Hermsen, J., Ovadia, S., Vanneman, R. (2001). The glass ceiling effect.  The  University of North Carolina Press,  80(2), 655-682. Retrieved from  http://www.vanneman.umd.edu/papers/CotterHOV01.pdf Cross Border Management. Cross Border Management LLC, (2011).  Us business culture.  Retrieved from website: http://www.crossbordermanagement.com/en/guides/business-culture-in-the-us Doughney, J. (2007). Women and leadership in corporate australia: questions of preference and  adaptive preference.Advancing Women in Leadership Journal,  24, Retrieved from  http://www.advancingwomen.com/awl/spring2007/doughney.htm Leahy, M. (2011). Women and work in australia.  Australian Policy Online, 1-4. Retrieved from  http://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/Women_and_work_in_Australia_APO_guide_Mary_Leahy_0.pdf Linsell, D. (2011, Sept 07). Australia and America arent that different, right?.  Dynamic  Business. Retrieved from http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/export/australia-and-america-aren’t-that-different-right-792011.html Ross-Smith, A., McGraw, P. (2010). Eowa 2010.  Equal Opportunity for Women in the  Workplace Agency, 1-32. Retrieved from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/2010_census_tag.pdf Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre. Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, (2012).  Understanding  australian workplace culture. Retrieved from Receivers to Givers website:  http://www.spectrumvic.org.au/content/download/5667/28832/file/Spectrum MRC    Understanding Australian Workplace Culture.pdf Workplace Gender Equality Agency. (2013).  About workplace gender equality. Retrieved from  https://www.wgea.gov.au/learn/about-workplace-gender-equality

Marriage in Vanity Fair Essays -- Vanity Fair Essays

Marriage in Vanity Fair  Ã‚   Many of the characters in "Vanity Fair" are married from the start of the novel, or are betrothed during the novel. The reasons behind the marriage vary from character to character - even within relationships. While some may have love in mind, it is the temptation of money and social status that encourages others to walk down the aisle. The perspectives on marriage also depend on the position in the relationship. Mothers and fathers sometimes have more economic ideals while their children are in love, or even have no regard for each another at all. The protagonist of the novel, Becky Sharp, laments not having a mother to whom she could leave the arduous task of finding a fiancà ©. Little is said of the relationship between Becky's parents. Her father was an artist and her mother a French opera dancer. It is unlikely that, as she was orphaned at a young age, Becky was greatly affected in any way by her parents' relationship. Perhaps indirectly, she felt that because she was an orphan, her impact on society had to be all the more memorable and successful. Before so much as being introduced to a portrait of her friend Amelia's brother, Becky is reasoning with herself, "If Mr. Joseph Sedley is rich and unmarried, why should I not marry him?" Although Becky sees an opportunity to join the Sedley family, initially of some standing in society, Jos's behaviour is not exemplary for a young gentlemen. Before his drunken behaviour at Vauxhall, he allows Becky to eat a hot chili; an example of how he does not see the pursuit of matrimony as a worthwhile occupation; not a pastime that concerns him, although he appreciates the attention that Miss Sharp pays him. Sir Pitt Crawley has a similar lack of appre... ...s desire for advancement in society and wealth attempts to start that relationship, it is Becky's similar motivations that are responsible for her relationship with Lord Steyne. She considers him to simply be another step up the ladder of society. However, he is inadvertently a clue to what else Becky expects from a relationship. when Rawdon attacks Steyne on his arrival back home, Becky admires Rawdon's physical strength. Again, this is a more material aspect of a relationship. The ideals behind marriage differ, often between generations. While parents can see economic and social gain, a situation such as with George and Amelia causes problems when the parents' meddling results in the children falling in love. Becky Sharp's use for marriage seems only to be self-advancement. When a relationship ends, her regrets are based on what she has lost, rather than who.   

Acupuncture Essay -- essays research papers

Acupuncture A Chinese medical technique; acupuncture is a medicine originating in the orient over four-thousand years ago. Used primarily for pain relief, but also in curing disease and general health improvement. Oriental Medicine views (illness and pain) as an imbalance of one's energy. With Acupuncture the energetic balance can be restored, thus helping the body to rid itself of disease. Often illnesses can be diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Acupuncture consists of inserting hair thin needles through specific spots in the skin called acupuncture points. These specific spots of insertion are over neuroreceptors in underlying muscles. These needles are inserted along meridian points throughout the body; There are hundreds of these meridians, all serving different purposes. "Evidence proves that needling simulates peripheral nerves in the muscles which send messages to the brain to release endorphins (morphine- like peptides in the brain). These natural chemicals then block the sending of painful messages from the brain." (Acupuncture-Microsoft Network Nov. 30, 1996). Acupuncture needles are typically inserted 1/10 to 4/10 on an inch deep. Although some procedures require needles to be inserted as deep as 10 inches. Acupuncture points are then stimulated by various forms of needle stimulation. Acupuncture is an incredibly effective form of medicine; This essay will present details explaining some of the uses of acupuncture. Acupuncture; the insertion of needles into the body through specific spots, over neurorecepters. These needles are then stimulated by either: rotation, heat, or by a weak electrical current. Acupuncture is a medical technique used primarily as a relief of pain, but is known to cure disease, as well as improve general health. "The theory suggest that acupuncture blocks the transmission of pain impulses from parts of the body to the central nervous system." (Compton's interactive encyclopedia). Three main sites have been found for endorphin acupuncture analgesia. This type of acupuncture blocks the sending of pain messages from the brain. The pituitary gland being one; this gland, when stimulated by needles, releases endorphin. The second site are the periaquaductal gray neurons in the mid brain which release endorphins when stimulated. The third, el... ...les must be stimulated. The stimulation is what causes acupuncture to be so effective. There are several ways in which stimulation is reached: One being, a gentle twirling motion. The physician, by use of his/her fingers gently rotates the needles. Second, there is heat stimulation, the physician heats the needle with a cigar looking tool designed specifically for acupuncture. Third, electrical stimulation; the physician agitates the needles with a low powered 2 hz electrical current. The physician connects the needles to a low output electrical stimulation machine. Stimulation is key to the success of acupuncture. Acupuncture, a medical technique originating in the Orient, more than four-thousand years ago. Used primarily for reduction of pain, but to cure some disease, as well as improvement of general health. The most spectacular reason for acupuncture's success is: Stimulation of needles by the acupuncturist. Stimulation of the meridians; the rivers of energy throughout our bodies. These rivers get stopped up from time to time, acupuncture is the key to clearing the stop... Acupuncture a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and to improve bodily functions.

Book Review: Black Feminist Thought (Patricia Hill Collins)

Alexandra Bobet HIST 3119 Spring 2013 Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (review) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Ed. By Patricia Hill Collins. (New York: Routledge, 2000. ii, 336 pp. Cloth, $128. 28, ISBN 0-415-92483-9. Paper, $26. 21, 0-415-92484-7. ) Patricia Hill Collins’s work, Black Feminist Thought seeks to center Black Women into intersectionalist thought, addressing the power struggles that face them not only due to their race but also to the gender.Masculine rhetoric and powerful male leaders such as Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver have overshadowed Black Women’s stories, both in and out of the Civil Right Rights/Black Power Era. It is an analysis that defines Black Feminist Thought, instead of recycling former White Feminist philosophies and providing interpretations of them. However, she does integrate consciousness raising into the body of work, drawing in from her personal experiences while analyzing the texts of women such as Alice Walker and bell hooks.The second edition of Black Feminist Thought differs from the first in both the complexity and the depth of oppression and empowerment, spanning into a transnational level. Collins breaks down her novel into three parts. Part I: The Social Construction of Feminist Thought, Part II: Core Themes in Black Feminist Thought, and Part III: Black Feminism, Knowledge, and Power. Bobet 2 Part I: The Social Construction of Feminist Thought covers the history of oppression of black women from various sectors.White feminism has failed women which use of essentialist philosophy, which Collins uses in the relationship between Rebecca Felton and Ida B Wells, the former praised by White feminists even though she was an advocate of lynching. Collins touches upon Black leadership and how it has addressed gender, in particular the case of Elaine Brown and the Black Panther Party of Oakland. Among Afric an-American female scholars there has been a concern in the masculinist bias of Black political and social thought.With these mediums of oppression, her first theory, referred to as the Matrix of Domination is brought up. Previous models of oppression were considered additive, or hierarchal, meaning that they must be ranked. Collins uses the experiences of black women to explain that all these modes of oppression, gender, race and class are interlocking and equally important when viewing domination. This bleeds mores into Part II, but the essentials are discussed in this section. While there is validity in this matrix, Collins’s approach is from a group level, and it does not cover how the individual may use the matrix.While it is true that all these modes of oppression are at play, it would be more beneficial for the individual to place a value on these modes. For one individual, race may be more of a factor than gender, for another individual it may differ, and so on. Anoth er critique of the matrix of oppression is how it does not address, sexual orientation, ableism, and ethnicity, among others. Part II: Core Themes in Black Feminist Thought tackles five themes: 1) a legacy of struggle, 2) treatment of the interlocking nature of race, class, and gender, 3) Bobet 3 eplacement of stereotyped images of black womanhood with those that are self defined, 4) black women’s activism, and 5) sensitivity to black sexual politics. The first three themes correlate to black motherhood and living in a binary environment, one in which black people are the oppressed and white people are the oppressors. Images of black womanhood have been terribly distorted to show stereotypes such as the unwed teenage mother and the welfare mother.Black women’s activism, one of the last core themes of the text, has been more of a desire for group survival and cohesion than any political motives, as seen with the story of Sara Brooks and her job as a domestic worker. Her job speaks larger volumes to political activism and the nature of oppression than many political texts, according to Collins. This outlook parallels many of bell hooks’s essays, especially â€Å"Theory As A Liberatory Practice. † This essay addresses the powers of the Sara Brookses of the world and how their actions complement the discourse that is being forged.Part III: Black Feminism, Knowledge, and Power comprises of the edits not found in the first edition. Drawing from experiences from Senegalese, American, and British Black feminists, the matrix of race, gender, and class oppressions are still relevant to all nations, despite diversity. Angela Davis is frequently cited as a champion of this transnational empowerment She encourages Black Women of privilege to not â€Å"ignore the straits of our sisters who are acquainted with the immediacy of oppression in a way many of us are not,† fueling Collins’s core theme of a type of feminism rooted in sister hood and familial ties.Analysis of oppression from a nationalistic point of view is represented, drawing further from her original gender/race/class matrix. Bobet 4 To conclude, Black Feminist Thought is thorough and crucial text because of how vigilantly it attempts (and successfully so) to not be another spin on White feminism. Using the methodological approach of historical materialism, it addresses the concerns that Black women have on the heels of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.Concerns with the narrative are that while it does explain the roots of consciousness raising and feminist thought in Black Power movements, the overwhelming amount of text is based on the interpretations of writers such as Alice Walker, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde, much less on intellectuals. Collins touches upon the efforts of Elaine Brown, Angela Davis, and also provides a personal account of Francis Beale and her experience with racism in SNCC. Beale’s experiences with sexism, for example influenced her essay, â€Å"Black Women’s Manifesto; Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and A Woman. I found Collins’s assertion of what is a feminist to be inclusionary and not in any way rejecting masculinity, but more how the masculine rhetoric that has oppressed women should be rejected. Black feminist rhetoric created in backlash has centered on community awareness, and a sense of identity through a group. While Collins alludes to capitalism as also being a contributing factor in the oppression of Black women, there was not as much concrete evidence to support that as much as there was racism and sexism. Patricia Hill Collins forms a text that finally draws a map into the complexity of oppression and empowerment.

Econ 120 – Principles of Micro-Economics

ECON *120: Principles of Microeconomics Spring 2010 I. FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMICS A. Scarcity, Production Possibilities, Efficiency and Exchange Section I. A Learning Objectives: †¢ Define or explain a number of basic economic terms and concepts. †¢ Explain, illustrate, and apply marginal analysis. †¢ Explain, illustrate, and apply the production possibilities model. †¢ Explain, illustrate, and apply the law of comparative advantage. 1. â€Å"Life is Economics† Q: Is this statement true or false? Why? 2. Economic Goals and Priorities of Society, or, â€Å"What does society want out of its economy? †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Economic growth/rising living standards Low unemployment/high employment Low inflation/stable prices Economic equity Economic efficiency Remark: On the individual decision-making level, the incentives that motivate economic activity and choices are utility maximization for consumers, profit maximization for producers/firms, a nd social welfare maximization for government units. 3. Economics Defined a) Economic Scarcity DEF: Economic scarcity exists when human needs and wants exceed an economy's ability to satisfy them given available resources and current technology.DEF: The four basic economic resources are labor, capital (a capital good is a produced good that is used as an input in the production of other goods and is not available for current consumption), land (energy, natural resources, raw materials and other â€Å"gifts of nature†) and entrepreneurial ability (the ability to recognize and exploit economic opportunities, develop and produce new goods/services and organize economic resources). Technology refers to the ability (based upon a body of knowledge or set of skills) to transform resources into goods and services. 1DEF: An economic good (bad) is something that increases (decreases) an individual’s â€Å"utility†, the economic term for well-being, happiness, satisfaction or welfare. Examples: Economic goods: kringle, DVDs and shoes. Economic bads: garbage and pollution. CLAIM: Economics is based on two axioms (self-evident truths): (i) society's material wants and needs are unlimited or insatiable; (ii) economic resources and current technology are limited. Remark: Physical scarcity alone does not cause economic scarcity. Economic goods are both physically and economically scarce.Economic bads, such as pollution, toxic wastes and garbage, are physically scarce but they are not economically scarce. CLAIM: Economic scarcity implies that (i) people must compete for scarce goods and resources, (ii) goods and resources must be rationed by some rationing device or mechanism, (iii) choices must be made and when choices are made, other opportunities and alternatives must be sacrificed. 2 Remark: Economic scarcity is most easily seen when a person has to give up or sacrifice something (in the form of money or time) in order to obtain more of something else. Price is a clear indicator or signal of economic scarcity. Remark: People and society in general are confronted with the following problem: The Economizing Problem: Attain the greatest or maximum fulfillment of a person's or society's unlimited wants (the goal of production) given limited resources and technology (the means of production). Question: How does one make the â€Å"best† or â€Å"optimal† choice? DEF: Economics is the study of economic scarcity and how individuals and society allocate their limited resources and technology to try to satisfy their unlimited needs, wants and desires; i. . , economics is the study of how best to solve the Economizing Problem. b) Opportunity Cost Claim: To solve the â€Å"Economizing Problem,† the decision-maker must make choices or decisions and so must know the value or cost of alternatives. DEF: The opportunity cost of a choice or decision is the value of the next best alternative that is forgone or sacrificed when th e choice or decision is made. What is the opportunity cost of (or sacrifices required by) the following? taking Econ *120 or working an additional 10 hrs/week †¢ buying 100 shares of Microsoft stock or conducting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan †¢ developing the oil fields in Alaska’s ANWR or operating a coal fired power plants Remarks: (i) Opportunity cost focuses on tradeoffs and so opportunity cost is measured in terms of sacrificed alternatives and not necessarily in terms of money. (ii) Opportunity cost is subjective and typically varies from person to person. (iii) The opportunity cost of an activity usually increases as more of the activity is pursued.Example: Suppose your employer wants to increase your work hours in increments of 2-hour blocks of time. What is the opportunity cost of each additional block of time and how does the opportunity cost of each additional block of time change? List alternatives. 1st 2-hr block of work, give up _____? 2nd 2-hr block o f work, give up _____? 3rd 2-hr block of work, give up _____? 4th 2-hr block of work, give up _____? 5th 2-hr block of work, give up _____? or, 1st hour of studying: give up _____? or, 2nd hour of studying: give up _____? r, 3rd hour of studying: give up _____? or, 4th hour of studying: give up _____? or, 5th hour of studying: give up _____? 3 (iv) Differences in opportunity cost provide the basis for mutually beneficial exchange. Example: Suppose that Max, a plumber, and Wanda, an electrician, each had 5 days of vacation time and each wanted to add a bedroom and bathroom onto their houses. Max can plumb a bathroom in 1 day and wire a bedroom in 4 days; Wanda can wire a bedroom in 1 day and plumb a bathroom in 4 days.In terms of opportunity cost: OCM1 wired bedroom = 4 plumbed bathrooms; OCM1 plumbed bathroom = 1/4 wired bedroom. OCW1 wired bedroom = 1/4 plumbed bathroom; OCW1 plumbed bathroom = 4 wired bedrooms. In five days, both Max and Wanda each could complete their house addit ions. How should they spend their time? Can Max and Wanda benefit from an exchange of some sort? Because of the differences in opportunity costs, Max should plumb both additions and Wanda should wire both additions and then each would have the desired additions to their houses plus three â€Å"extra† days. Trading† or exchanging 1 plumbed bathroom (one unit or day of plumbing) for in return for 1 wired bedroom (one unit or day of wiring) would be mutually beneficial. Example: Suppose Wilma has 20 cookies and 5 apples and Fred has 25 cookies and 10 apples. Wilma prefers apples over cookies and Fred prefers cookies over apples. Will Wilma and Fred eat the cookies and apples that they initially possess or will they exchange/trade? Explain. 4. EconomicMethodology a) Model/Theory Building The process: (i) Observe economic phenomena; (ii) Identify important variables; (iii) State assumptions that clarify, simplify and focus the relevant economic issues and questions being inv estigated; (iv) State the hypothesis or propositions; (v) Evaluate the validity of the propositions by proving the proposition logically and by testing the propositions against â€Å"reality† or â€Å"real-world† evidence; and, (vi) Accept the theory/model or reject it and reformulate the theory/model or construct a new theory/model. ) Marginal Analysis and Efficiency â€Å"DEF†: Marginal means incremental or additional and refers to a small change in an economic variable resulting from a unit change in some other economic variable; e. g. the marginal utility of a good X, the marginal cost of a good Y, the marginal product of labor. Remark: Marginal analysis evaluates and compares the marginal benefit and the marginal cost of a decision or choice and provides the solution to the â€Å"Economizing Problem. † 4 DEF: The marginal benefit, MB, of an economic variable Q is the change in the total benefit, ?TB, resulting from a unit change in Q); the marginal c ost, MC, of an economic variable Q is the change the change in the total cost, ? TC, resulting from a unit change in Q); that is, MB = ? TB/? Q, and, MC = ? TC/? Q. CLAIM: A rational economic decision-maker will increase a economic variable Q as long as the marginal benefit of that change in Q exceeds the marginal cost of that change; that is, if MB > (( MC at the quantity Q1 (or, MB < MC at the quantity Q2), then the quantity Q1 (Q2) is inefficient.Example: Suppose that you buy a used car for $500 but after you gain possession of the car you discover that repairs are needed to make it go and stop. The MB from driving the car is $1,000, MB = $1,000; the MC of fixing it up is $700, MC = $700. Do you spend an additional $700 to fix up and keep the car? Yes! Because, the MB of having and driving the car = $1,000 > $700 = the MC of having and driving the car, repair the car. The net benefit of repairing the car is $300 > 0. The $500 spent to buy the car is a sunk cost, a cost that has b een incurred in the past and cannot be changed and or ecovered. Thus, a sunk cost does not enter into the decision/choice to repair the car. Example: A pizza place next to a residence hall on a university campus operates from 11 am to 9 pm and sells 400 pizzas for $10 each during its business hours. After observing a large number of students carrying-in pizza boxes during the later part of the evening, a part-time pizza worker and economics student has suggested that the firm stay open later into the night. The student estimated the total benefits and total costs for different closing times (hours of operation) and created the table below.Should the pizza place stay open later? If so, how late? What should be its closing time? That is, what is the efficient or optimal closing time? 5 Closing Time 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am 1 am 2 am Total Benefit, TB $4,000 $4,500 $4,900 $5,200 $5,400 $5,500 Marginal Benefit, MB – Total Cost, TC $1,000 $1,100 $1,250 $1,500 $1,900 $2,500 Marginal Cost, MC – Answer: For the hour ending at 12 am, MB = $300 > $250 = MC and so the pizza place should still be open at 12 am. For the hour ending at 1 am, MB = $200 < $400 = MC and so it doesn’t â€Å"pay† to be open until 1am.Thus, the firm should close somewhere between 12 am and 1 am. Formally, the efficient o r optimal closing time is somewhere between 12 am (midnight) and 1 am, at which point MB = MC. Graphically: c) Microeconomics vs. Macroeconomics DEF: Microeconomics is the study of (i) economic decision-making by the individual consumer, firm or governmental unit, (ii) the allocation of resources and the determination of prices and output in specific markets and industries, (iii) the distribution of income in society, and, (iv) market structures. DEF: Macroeconomics is the study of conomic â€Å"aggregates† or â€Å"totals† such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), national income, national employment/unemployment, economic growth, the price le vel/inflation, interest rates, the money supply, total consumption, total investment, govt. spending, total spending, industrial capacity, and trade/budget deficits. Remark: Microeconomics focuses on the decision-making of the individual economic agent (a person, firm, or governmental unit) and the â€Å"small† individual parts of the economy. Macroeconomics focuses on the whole economy and the sum of its individual parts. 6 d) Positive vs.Normative Economics Positive economics is descriptive and predictive and investigates â€Å"what was, what is and what will be† and is value free (does not depend on one's value system or religious beliefs). Normative economics is prescriptive and investigates â€Å"what should be†; it evaluates the desirability of economic decisions and policies using value judgements and depends upon one’s moral code or religious beliefs. e) Fallacy of Composition Claim: What is true for a single economic agent (individual consumer or producer) is NOT necessarily true for the economy as a whole.Examples: the balanced budget amendment; 15% wage increase for one person vs. everyone. f) Assumptions in Economics Remark: Assumptions simplify and distill the real world into its basic component parts in order to obtain a better understanding of the basic structure of an economy and its parts and the fundamental relationships; â€Å"separates the wheat from the chaff. † Assumption: ceteris paribus or â€Å"all other things held constant† or â€Å"nothing else changes. † g) Causation vs.Correlation â€Å"DEF†: Correlation (or association) occurs when two variables are related in some systematical and dependable way; the variables change together but a change in one variable does NOT necessarily cause a change in the other. Causation occurs when a change in one variable causes a change in the other. Remark: Economic analysis focuses on causation, not correlation. The ceteris paribus assumption simplifies the analysis and enables one to determine and understand the causal relationships between variables Remark: Unintended effects generally complicate economic analysis.For example, installing and using seatbelts and airbags are intended to reduce traffic deaths and injuries. But, despite the presence of these safety devices, the number of traffic accidents and deaths and the severity of traffic accident injuries initially increased instead. Why? The greater protection offered by these devises in auto crashes actually encouraged greater highway speeds and reckless and risky driving, all of which tend to increase the number of accidents and traffic deaths and injuries.Seatbelts and airbags do not cause more traffic deaths and injuries, but these variables are correlated or related in a systematic way. h) Teakettle and Table Problem 7 5. The Production Possibilities Frontier (Curve) Model a) Definitions and Properties of the PPF Model DEF: The Production Possibilities Frontier , PPF (or Curve, PPC) shows the different combinations of goods and services that an economy can produce given the efficient use of available fixed resources and current technology. Example: Consider the Guns – Butter PPF below.If the economy is operating at point C and producing 370 units of guns, then the maximum quantity of butter that the economy can produce using its technology and available resources efficiently and fully is 200 units. Alternatively, if the economy is producing 400 units of butter, the maximum quantity of guns it can produce is 200 units. Remark: Construct your own PPF; can you work 20 hours per week and achieve a 3. 67 (A–) gpa? Alternatively, construct the PPF for the U. S. for health care and cell phones or for food and energy (should we grow corn and sugar to eat or to make biofuels? . Remark: The PPF model can be used to illustrate three basic concepts: (i) the opportunity cost of a good; (ii) the law of increasing opportunity cost in the ca se of a concave outward PPF; and (iii) economic efficiency (productive efficiency, full employment and allocative efficiency). DEF: Productive (technical) efficiency is achieved when given quantities of goods are produced in the least costly way, or equivalently, when employed resources produce the maximum possible output of goods and services. Full employment is achieved when all available resources are employed. Remark.Productive efficiency and full employment are achieved at output combinations that lie on the PPF. Inefficiency occurs at output combinations that lie inside the PPF (resources or technology are either not being fully or efficiently used). Unattainable output combinations lie outside the PPF. 8 DEF: Allocative efficiency is achieved when the economy is producing the combination of goods most desired by society. Remark: Which point on the PPF that is â€Å"best† depends upon society’s preferences and thereby becomes a normative issue. In the PPF below, is point C â€Å"better† than point D or is D â€Å"better† than C?Democrats and Republicans have different perspectives on which combination of butter and guns is â€Å"best. † Claim. Moving from one efficient output allocation (point on the PPF) to another requires a transfer of resources from the production of one good to another. Consequently, when more guns are produced, less of butter can be produced; the opportunity cost of an increase in the production of guns is the resulting decrease in the production of butter. Furthermore, the |slope| of the PPF at a point shows the opportunity cost of one additional unit of good X as measured in terms of the other good Y.That is, the |slope| indicates how much of good Y must be sacrificed in order to obtain one additional unit of good X. Graphically: (see above graph) Points A, B, C, D, E and F represent three different combinations of guns and butter that the economy can produce when using all of its resources in a technologically efficient manner. When all resources and technology are used to produce butter, 500 units of butter can be produced but zero units of guns can be produced (pt. F). At any point on the PPF, the economy must sacrifice some guns to obtain more butter.Point G is inefficient because more of either or both goods can be produced; in this case, the opportunity cost of either good is zero. b) Constant Opportunity Costs and the Linear PPF Model DEF: A resource is specialized if it is not completely adaptable to alternative uses or cannot easily be substituted for another resource in the production of some good. Claim: If resources used in the production of goods X and Y are non-specialized or perfectly substitutable, then the opportunity costs are constant and the PPF is linear.That is, if the opportunity cost of a good X (as measured in terms of another good Y) is constant, then the same quantity of Y must be sacrificed for each additional unit of X, regardless of the quanti ty of X produced, and so the PPF is linear (a downward sloping straight line). Example: Assume that a farmer has 80 acres of land (of uniform fertility) and given quantities of other economic resources (labor, capital and entrepreneurial ability) with which to produce either corn or soybeans. On each acre of land, the farmer can produce either 100 bu. f corn or 50 bu. of soybeans. The opportunity cost of one bu. of soybeans is 2 bu. of corn and the opportunity cost of one bu. of corn is 1/2 bu. of soybeans. The farmer changes the combination of corn and soybeans produced by changing the number of acres planted in corn or soybeans. Non-specialized Resources – Linear PPF Production Possibility Schedule Possible Output Combinations A B C D E 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Corn: Soybeans: 9 Note: At pt. A, all acres are in soybeans. At pt. B, 20 acres are in corn and 60 acres are in soybeans.At pt. C, 40 acres are in corn and 40 acres are in soybeans. At pt. D, 60 ac res are in corn and 20 acres are in soybeans. At by E, all acres are in corn. Remark: The opportunity cost of 4000 bu. of soybeans is 8000 bu. of corn; the opportunity cost of 8000 bu. of corn is 4000 bu. of soybeans. The opportunity cost of 2000 of corn is 1000 bu. of soybeans whereas the opportunity cost of 3000 bu. of soybeans is 6000 bu. of corn. Remark: At any point on the PPF, the opportunity cost of one additional bu of corn is 1/2 bu. of soybeans = |slope| of the PPF; i. . , OCcorn = ? bu. of soybeans per bu. of corn. Likewise, the opportunity cost of one additional bu of soybeans is 2 bu of corn = 1/|slope| of the PPF; i. e. , OCsoybeans = 2 bu. of corn per bu of soybeans = 1/(1/2) bu of corm per bu. of soybeans. Note that ? soybeans/? corn = |slope| of PPF can be written as (i) ? soybeans = |slope| ? ?corn, or, (ii) ? corn = ? soybeans/|slope|. Thus, if ? corn = 1, then ? soybeans = |slope| of PPF ? ?corn = ? ? 1 bu = ? bu, or, OCcorn = ? bu of soybeans. Likewise, if ? soy beans = 1 bu. , then ? corn = ? oybeans/|slope| = 1 bu. /(? ) = 2 bu. , or , OCsoybeans = 2 bu of corn. b) Increasing Opportunity Costs and the Concave-outward PPF Model The Law of Increasing Opportunity Cost: When resources are specialized, increased production of a good X comes at increased opportunity cost. That is, as the production of a good X increases, the quantity of a good Y that must be sacrificed for each additional unit of good X increases. Claim: The Law of Increasing Opportunity Costs and specialized resources are represented by a concave outward PPF.A movement down along a concave outward PPF implies that the opportunity cost of X is increasing. Remark: Most economic resources are specialized in the production of some good and so PPFs are most often drawn bowed outward. 10 Specialized Resources – Concave Outward PPF Production Possibility Schedule Possible Output Combinations A B C D E Good X (butter) 0 100 200 300 400 Good Y (guns)400 400 395 370 315 200 F 500 0 Examples: Given pt. B, the opportunity cost of 100 additional units of good X (butter) is 25 units of good Y (guns). At pt. C = (200X,370Y), suppose the |slope| of the PPF at C is OCX = ? 0. 5, then the opportunity cost of one additional unit of X (butter) is 0. 5 units of good Y(guns); alternatively, the opportunity cost of one additional Y is 2X. I. e. , at pt C, OCX = ? Y and OCY = 2X. At pt. D = (300X,315Y), suppose the |slope| of the PPF at D is 0. 8. The opportunity cost of one additional unit of X is 0. 8 units of good Y and the OC of one additional Y is 1/0. 8 = 1. 25 units of X. Formally, recall that ? Y/? X = |slope| of PPF. So, at pt D, |slope| = ? Y/? X = 0. 8, which can be rewritten as either (i) ? Y = 0. 8 ? ?X, or, (ii) ? X = ? Y/0. 8. So, at pt. D, if ?X = 1 (good X increases by 1 unit from 300 to 301 units of X), then good Y must be decreased by approximately 0. 8 units. That is, given ? X = 1 unit, it follows that ? Y = |slope| ? ?X = 0. 8 ? ?X = 0. 8 ? 1 unit, or OCX = 0. 8 units of Y. Likewise, at pt. D, if ? Y = 1 (good Y increases by 1 unit from 315 to 316 units of Y), then good X must be decreased by approximately ? X = 1/(0. 8) = 5/4 units. That is, given ? Y = 1 unit, it follows that ? X =? Y/0. 8 = 1 unit/0. 8 = 1 unit/(4/5) = 5/4 units = 1. 25 units, or OCy = 1. 25 units of X. Similarly, if at pt. E the |slope| = 1. , then OCX = 1. 5 Y = 3/2 Y and OCY = 2/3 X = 0. 67 X. 11 d) Shifts of the PPF Claim: Shifts of the PPF are caused by †¢ changes in the quantities available resources: L^ or K^ ? PPF shifts from PPF1 to PPF2. †¢ changes in technology: TechX^ ? PPF shifts from PPF2 to PPF3. †¢ changes in capital good vs. current consumption good choices Examples: Remark: An economic recession, a decrease in national real output for six or more months, is represented by a movement to a point inside the PPF and not an inward shift of the PPF, because in a recession not all resources (e. g. labor and capital) are fully or ef ficiently employed. 6. Choices and the PPF a) Choices Claim: Any society must decide: (i) What, how much and when to produce. (ii) How to produce (production technology) and distribute goods (allocation mechanism). (iii) For whom to produce, how to divide the economic pie. b) An Illustration: Present Choices, Future Possibilities and the PPF Model Claim: A choice of fewer capital goods and more current consumption goods implies smaller future increases (outward shifts) of the PPF, less capital accumulation, slower economic growth and smaller increases in living standards.In other words: â€Å"Party now, pay later. Pay now, party much more later. † 12 Graphically: Choose wisely! 7. Opportunity Cost, Comparative Advantage and Exchange (See Arnold, pp. 457-62). DEF: A(n) nation, firm or individual has a comparative advantage (CA) in the production of a good X if it can produce good X at a lower opportunity cost than can any other nation, firm or individual. A(n) nation, firm or individual has an absolute advantage in the production of a good X if it can produce more of good X with a given amount of resources than can any other nation, firm or individual.CLAIM: Every country has a CA is the production of at least one good. CLAIM: If nations, firms or individuals specialize in the production of the good in which they have a comparative advantage and engage in free, unrestricted trade (exchange), then total production will increase and exchange/trade can result in mutual gain for every nation, firm or individual. Remark: Specialization based on comparative advantage and free trade implies that a nation can consume outside its economy's PPF and that â€Å"self-sufficiency breeds inefficiency. An Example of Comparative Advantage and Mutual Gain Given: Wilma and Fred, computers and pizza, 100 units of labor, and linear PPFs. †¢ Wilma can produce either 50 comps or 1000 pizzas ? 1 comp â€Å"? â€Å" 20 pizzas ? OCWcomp = 20 pizzas and OCWpizza = 1/20 com p †¢ Fred can produce either 20 computers or 900 pizzas ? 1 comp â€Å"? â€Å" 45 pizzas ? OCFcomp = 45 pizzas and OCFpizza = 1/45 comp 13 Hence, Wilma has a CA in computers because OCWcomp = 20 pizzas < 45 pizzas = OCFcomp, and, Fred has a CA in pizza because OCFpizza = 1/45 comp < 1/20 comp = OCWpizza. Remark.Even though Wilma has an absolute advantage in the production of both pizza and computers, Fred still has a comparative advantage in the production of one of the goods. (i) â€Å"Autarky†: Initial no trade production and consumption: Labor Allocation Wilma 50% on comps 50% on pizza Fred: 50% on comps 50% on pizza Totals Production 25 comps 500 pizzas 10 comps 450 pizzas 35 comps 950 pizza Consumption 25 comps 500 pizzas 10 comps 450 pizzas 35 comps 950 pizza (ii) Mutual Gain from specialization and free trade. Fred and Wilma each specialization in the production of the good in which they hold a comparative advantage.Labor Allocation Wilma 80% on comps 20% on pi zza Fred: 0% on comps 100% on pizza Totals Production 40 comps 200 pizzas 0 comps 900 pizzas 40 comps 1100 pizza #1 Trade –15 comps +425 pizzas +15 comps –425 pizzas #1 Cons Allocation 25 comps 625 pizzas 15 comps 475 pizzas #2 Trade –12 comps +360 pizzas +12 comps –360 pizzas #2 Cons. Allocation 28 comps 560 pizzas 12 comps 540 pizzas Remark. Note that â€Å"all-or-nothing† specialization for both Wilma and Fred is not required to establish the result. This is true in general as well.Remark: The mutually agreeable terms of trade, or mutually beneficial price, for one good X as measured in terms of the other good Y is established between the opportunity costs of good X of each individual/country. That is, OCWcpu = 20 pizzas < terms of trade (tot) < 45 pizzas = OCFcpu, or, OCWpizza = 1/20 computer > 1/(tot) > 1/45 computers = OCFpizza. 14 In the above example, Wilma trades away 12 computers in exchange/return for 360 pizzas and so the terms of trade , tot, are 1 computer for 30 pizzas; i. e. , the tot or â€Å"price† of 1 computer = 30 pizzas.Hence, total (world) production and consumption are both greater under specialization and free trade than under autarky. Mutual gain results because Fred and Wilma each consume more of both goods. That is, specialization and free trade leads to an allocation that is Pareto superior to autarky. DEF: An allocation A is Pareto superior to an allocation B if no person is worse off at allocation A than at allocation B and at least one person is better off at allocation A than at allocation B. An allocation C is Pareto efficient (Pareto optimal) there does not exist an allocation D that is Pareto superior to allocation C.That is, allocation C is Pareto optimal if it is impossible to find another allocation D that makes one person better off without making someone else worse off. [The concept of Pareto efficiency is attributed to Vilfredo Pareto, a late 19th – early 20th century Ita lian economist. ] Graphically: The â€Å"specialization and free trade† consumption bundle (EW, EF) = ((560 pizza, 28 comps), (540 pizza, 12 comps)) is Pareto superior to the â€Å"autarky† consumption bundle ((500 pizza, 50 comps), (450 pizza, 10 comps)) because, compared to autarky, at least one person is better off and no one is worse off (in this case, both Fred and Wilma are better off). 5 ECON *120: Principles of Microeconomics I. FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMICS B. Demand Section I. B Learning Objectives: †¢ Explain and differentiate the quantity demanded of a good and the demand for a good †¢ Explain, illustrate, and apply the law of demand and the demand curve †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects of changes in the determinants of demand (a. k. a. , non-own price factors or demand â€Å"shifters†) †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects of taxes and subsidies on demand 1. Definitions â€Å"DEF†: Demand represents the behavior f the cons umer and the relationships between the quantities of a good an individual consumes and other factors such as the good's price, the consumer's income, the consumer's tastes and preferences, the prices of goods related in consumption (substitutes and complements), expectations, government policies (taxes and subsidies), and the number of consumers. DEF: The quantity demanded of a good X, QXd, is the specific quantity of good X that a consumer is willing and able to purchase at a particular price.DEF: The demand curve, DX, shows the maximum quantity demanded of good X, QXd, by a consumer at each possible price in a series of prices for good X, ceteris paribus; alternatively, it shows the maximum price that a consumer is willing and able to pay for each possible quantity demanded of good X, QXd, in a series of quantities for good X, ceteris paribus. Remark: Demand is represented by the entire demand curve. The quantity demanded is represented by a single point on the demand curve a particular price and quantity pair. 2.The Law of Demand The Law of Demand: the quantity demanded of a good X, QXd, varies inversely with the price of good X, PX, ceteris paribus; i. e. , PX^(v) ? QXdv(^) and so the demand curve is downward sloping. 16 A brief explanation of the notation: The expression â€Å"PX^(v) ? QXdv(^)† is a form of symbolic shorthand, which will appear frequently in the lecture notes. The items outside the parentheses are associated with each other and the items within parentheses are associated with each other. Thus, the above expression can be separated and re-written as two separate expressions: â€Å"PX^ ?QXdv†, and, â€Å"PXv ? QXd^†. The expression â€Å"PX^ ? QXdv† reads: â€Å"an increase in the price of good X, PX, causes a decrease in the quantity demanded of good X, QXd. † Similarly, the expression â€Å"PXv? QXd^† reads: â€Å"a decrease in the price of good X, PX, causes an increase in the quantity de manded of good X, QXd†. Thus, the initial expression â€Å"PX^(v) ? QXdv(^)† states that an increase in the price of good X, PX, implies or causes a decrease in the quantity demanded of good X, QXd, and a decrease in the price of good X, PX, implies or causes an increase in the quantity demanded of good X, QXd.CLAIM: The Law of Demand is based on (i) substitution and income effects and (ii) the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Intuitively: The income effect is the change in the quantity demanded of a good X, QXd, caused by a change in the purchasing power of a consumer's income, a. k. a. real income, which results when the price of good X, PX, changes, i. e. , PX^(v) ? purchasing power v (^) ? QXdv(^) The substitution effect, SE, is the change in the quantity demanded of a good X, QXd, caused by a change in the relative price of X (and while holding real income constant).PX^(v) ? the consumer substitutes the relatively cheaper good Y (X) in ? QXdv(^) place of the re latively more expensive good X (Y) Assumption: A consumer's total utility or happiness can be measured in terms of â€Å"utils. † DEF: The marginal utility of a good X, MUX, is the increase in total utility, TU, (satisfaction, happiness) that a consumer derives from the consumption of an additional unit of good X, ceteris paribus: MUX = ? Total Utility/? QX = ? TUX/? QX.The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility (LDMU) states that the marginal utility derived from the consumption of a good X decreases (increases) as the quantity of good X consumed increases (decreases), ceteris paribus, i. e. , MUXv(^) as QX^(v) Remark: The LDMU implies that as the quantity consumed of a good increases, the price a consumer is willing to pay for those additional quantities decreases: QX^(v) ? MUXv(^) ? the price the consumer is willing to pay v(^).In the D2L â€Å"Interactive Graphs† section, click on the link â€Å"Demand Schedule & Curve† to see the interactive graph â€Å"An Ex ample of a Demand Schedule and Demand Curve. † 17 3. Determinants of Demand (Non-own Price Factors or â€Å"Demand Shifters†) Remark: An increase in demand means that at any given price, consumers are willing and able to buy a larger quantity of the good, or, alternatively, that at any given quantity, consumers are willing and able to pay a higher price per unit.A decrease in demand means that at any given price, consumers are willing and able to buy a smaller quantity of the good, or, alternatively, that at any given quantity, consumers are willing and able to pay a lower price per unit. Claim: Movements vs. Shifts. Changes in a good's â€Å"own† price, PX, cause changes in the quantity demanded of X, QXd, and movements along the good X demand curve, DX. Changes in the determinants of demand (a. k. a. the non-own price factors or â€Å"shifters† of demand) cause changes the demand for good X, DX, and shifts of the entire demand curve, DX.Example: A decrea se in the price of gas, Pgas causes an increase in the quantity demanded of gas, Qgasd, and a downward movement along the demand curve for gas because Pgas is the â€Å"own† price of gas. In contrast, the same change in Pgas causes an increase in the demand for SUVs and an outward or upward shift of the SUV demand curve because Pgas is a â€Å"non-own price† factor with respect to SUV demand. In the D2L â€Å"Interactive Graphs† section, click on the link â€Å"An Increase/Shift in Demand† to see the interactive graph â€Å"An Explanation of an Increase in Demand and a Shift of the Demand Curve. a) Tastes and preferences Tastes and preferences for good X ^(v) ? DX^(v), the demand curve shifts up/right (down/left). An â€Å"increase† in preferences implies that at any given price, say P1, the consumer is willing and able to buy a greater quantity, Q2d instead of Q1d. Or equivalently, at any given quantity, Q1d, the consumer is willing and able to p ay a higher price, P2 instead of P1. 18 Examples: †¢ summer vacation travel ? the demand for gasoline increases, DX shifts up/right †¢ tornado destruction in the Midwest ? he demand for lumber increases, DX shifts up/right †¢ mad cow disease ? demand for McDonald’s hamburgers decreases (DX shifts down/left) and demand for chicken sandwiches (good Y) increases (DY shifts up/right) †¢ medical studies change the demand for various goods (cigarettes, bran, mercury, etc. ) b) Consumer income: normal and inferior goods DEF: A good X is a(n) normal (inferior) good if an increase in the consumer's income I increases (decrease) the demand for good X, ceteris paribus; i. e. , Normal good: I ^(v) ? DX^(v) Inferior good: I ^(v) ?DXv(^) 19 Remark: Whether a good is normal or inferior depends upon an individual's preferences and tastes. Goods such as computers, new cars, eating out and jewelry are typically considered normal goods whereas goods such as pasta, potatoes, hotdogs, beer and the Bible. c) Prices of goods related in consumption: substitutes and complements DEF: Two goods, X and Y, are substitutes (complements) in consumption if an increase in the price of good Y, PY, increases (decreases) the demand for good X, DX, ceteris paribus; i. . , X and Y are substitutes: PY^(v) ? DX^(v). X and Y are complements: PY^(v) ? DXv(^). Examples: †¢ †¢ Complement goods: beer and pizza, gasoline and cars, staples and staplers, and computers and software, printers and printer cartridges, shoes and socks. Substitute goods: Pepsi and Coke, sub sandwiches and hamburgers, tea and coffee, ice cream and frozen yogurt, and staples and paperclips. Example: If jelly and peanut butter are complements in consumption, then Pjelly^(v) ? Qdjellyv(^) ? Dpeanut butterv(^).In this example, an increase in the price of jelly, Pjelly^, decreases the quantity demanded of jelly, Qdjellyv, which then (because consumers are buying less jelly) decreases the demand for peanut butter, Dpeanut butterv and shifts the demand curve for peanut butter down and to the left: when the intermediate step is removePjelly^ ? Dpbv . 20 Example: If coffee and tea are substitutes in consumption. Then Pcoffee^(v) ? Qdcoffeev(^) ? Dtea^(v). d) Expectations about future income, prices, and availability of goods. e) Government policies (taxes and subsidies).Remark: An excise tax (subsidy) on the consumption of a good shifts the â€Å"effective† demand curve vertically down (up) by the amount of the tax (subsidy). Graphically: An excise tax on consumption and the effective (after tax) demand curve. 21 Example: A $0. 50 excise tax shifts the â€Å"effective† demand curve down vertically by $0. 50 from the perspective of the producer because of the tax, the maximum price consumers are willing and able to pay producers (again, from the producers perspective) for Q0 = 100 units falls from $2. 25 to $1. 75. Consumers still pay the original $2. 25 but after the tax is imposed, producers receive $1. 5 and the rest goes to the government. Graphically: An excise subsidy on consumption and the effective (after subsidy) demand curve. Example: From the perspective of producers, an excise subsidy increases the maximum price consumers are willing and able to pay and so shifts the demand curve up vertically by $1. f) Number of consumers ^(v) ? DX^(v) Remark: Follows directly from the derivation of the market demand curve (next page). In the D2L â€Å"Interactive Graphs† section, click on the link â€Å"Examples of Changes in Demand† to see the interactive graph â€Å"Determinants of Demand and Shifting the Demand Curve. Please note the remark about the incorrect scripting of one of the cases of a demand change. 22 4. The Market Demand Curve Claim: The market demand curve is the horizontal summation of the individual demand curves of all consumers. Graphically: 23 ECON *120: Principles of Microeconomics I. FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMICS C. Supply Section I. C Learning Objectives: †¢ Explain and differentiate the quantity supplied of a good and the supply for a good †¢ Explain, illustrate, and apply the law of supply and the supply curve †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects of changes in the determinants of supply (a. k. a. nonown price factors or supply â€Å"shifters†) †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects of taxes and subsidies on supply 1. Definitions â€Å"DEF†: Supply represents the behavior of the producer and the relationships between the quantities of a good a firm produces and other factors such as the good's price, technology, prices of inputs, prices of goods related in production, expectations, government policies (taxes and subsidies), the number of producers. DEF: The quantity supplied of a good X, Qs, is the specific quantity of good X that a producer is willing and able to produce and make available for sale at a specific price.DEF: The supply curve for a good X, SX, shows the maximum quantity supplied of good X by a producer at each possible price in a series of prices, ceteris paribus; alternatively, it shows the minimum price per unit that a producer must receive (or is willing to accept) for each possible quantity of a good X in a series of quantities, ceteris paribus. Remark: Supply is represented by the entire supply curve; the quantity supplied at a specific price is represented by a single point on the supply curve—a particular price and quantity pair. 2.The Law of Supply The Law of Supply: the quantity supplied of a good, Qs, varies positively with the good's price P, ceteris paribus; i. e. , P^(v) ? Qs^(v) and so the supply curve is upward sloping. 24 CLAIM: The Law of Supply and the upward sloping short run (SR) supply curve are based on the Law of Increasing Opportunity Costs. As the quantity supplied/produced increases, more inputs or resources must be used. Because inputs experience increasing opportunity cost, the opportun ity costs of additional inputs increase thereby increasing the per unit cost of producing additional output.Producers must receive a higher price in order to cover the higher costs of production. 3. Determinants of Supply (Non-own price factors or supply â€Å"shifters†) Remark: An increase in supply means that at any given price, producers are willing and able to produce a larger quantity of the good, or, alternatively, that at any given quantity, producers are willing and able to accept a lower price per unit. A decrease in supply demand means that at any given price, producers are willing and able to producer a smaller quantity of the good, or, alternatively, that at any given quantity, producers must receive a higher price per unit.Remark: Movements vs. Shifts. Changes in the good's own price cause changes in the quantity supplied of good X, QXs, and movements along the supply curve. Changes in the determinants of supply (the non-own price factors) cause changes in supply of good X, SX, and shifts of the entire supply curve, SX. a) Production technology: Tech ^(v) ? S^(v) 25 b) Input prices/resource costs: Input prices ^(v) ? Sv(^) Graphically: c) Prices of goods related in production: substitutes and joint products DEF: Two goods/products, X and Y, are substitutes in production if PY^(v) ? SXv(^).Two goods/products, X and Y, are joint products if PY^(v) ? SX^(v) X and Y are substitutes in production: PY^(v) ? QsY^(v) ? SXv(^). X and Y are joint products: PY^(v) ? QsY^(v) ? SX^(v). Example of Joint Products: Beef and Leather (Other examples: Donuts and donut holes, electricity and wall board/gypsum). Example of Substitutes in Production: Kringle and donuts. (Other examples: Jockey sweatshirts and T-shirts, SUVs and pickups, corn and soybeans. ) 26 d) Expectations with respect to. Inventories, future prices (of both inputs and output) and resource availability ) Government policies (taxes, subsidies and regulations) Remark: An excise tax (subsidy) on production shifts the â€Å"effective† supply curve vertically up (down) by the amount of the tax (subsidy). Graphically: An excise tax on production and the effective (after tax) supply curve. Graphically: An excise subsidy on production and the effective (after tax) supply curve. 27 f) Number of producers 4. The Market Supply Curve Claim: The market supply curve is the horizontal summation of the individual supply curves of all producers/firms. Graphically: 28 ECON *120: Principles of Microeconomics I. FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMICS D.Market Equilibrium Section I. D Learning Objectives: †¢ Explain and illustrate a market equilibrium quantity and price †¢ Explain and illustrate market disequilibrium (shortage or surplus) †¢ Explain and illustrate the functions of market prices †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects of changes in the determinants of demand and supply on the market equilibrium quantity and price 1. Definitions DEF: A market equilibrium is a price P* and a quantity Q* such that at P* the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied, Qd = Q* = Qs. DEF: A surplus exits at a price P1 if Qd ; Qs at P1. A shortage exits at the price P2 if Qd ; Qs at P2.Remark: Intuitively, a market equilibrium exists when market forces (demand and supply) are balanced and there is nothing that causes a change in the market price or quantity of a good. Illustrations: a marble at the bottom of a bowl. Remark: At a market equilibrium quantity and price, Q* and P*, the quantity demanded, Qd, equals the quantity supplied, Qs, equals Q* (Qd = Q* = Qs) at P*. At a market equilibrium, demand DOES NOT EQUAL supply; i. e. , it is NOT the case that D = S. To state that D = S means that the demand curve is identical to the supply curve, which clearly is an incorrect statement! 9 2. The Functions of Prices Claim: Prices play a critical role in competitive markets: (i) Prices are flexible and adjust to â€Å"clear† the market; prices ensure internal c onsistency by coordinating the production and consumption plans made independently by producers and consumers. DEF: The price adjustment mechanism: at a price P0, Qd ;( Q0* = Qs at P0* ? P^(v) as consumers bid up (down) prices ? Qdv along D1 from Q1 and Qs^ along S0 from Q0* (Qd^ along D1 from Q1 and Qsv along S0 from Q0*) until Qd = Q1* = Qs at P1*. Graphically: Dv and S constant ? P*v and Q*v. 30Examples: Be able to work through changes in preferences, income for normal goods (e. g. , cell phones and computers) and inferior goods (e. g. , hotdogs and pasta); prices of substitutes (e. g. , tea and coffee, Coke and Pepsi, staples and paperclips), prices of complements (beer and brats, staples and staplers, computers and floppy disks), etc. For the case of an increase in demand, see with the interactive graph â€Å"Demand Increase & Market Clearing,† which is available on the D2L ECON 120 website. b) S^(v) and D constant ? P*v(^) and Q*^(v). Remark: S^(v) from S0 to S1 ? surpl us (shortage) is created at the initial equilibrium price P0*, i. e. , Qd = Q0* ; Q1 = Qs at P0* ? Pv(^) as consumer bid down (up) price ? Qd^ along D0 from Q0* and Qsv along S1 from Q1 (Qdv along D0 from Q0* and Qs^ along S1 from Q1) until Qd = Q1* = Qs at P1*. Graphically: Sv and D constant ? P*^ and Q*v. For the case of an increase in supply, see with the interactive graph â€Å"Supply Increase & Market Clearing,† which is available on the D2L ECON 120 website. Examples: Be able to work through changes in technology, input prices or resource costs (e. g. , wages, pizza toppings, energy), prices of substitutes in production (e. . , kringle and donuts, corn and soy beans), prices of joint products (donuts and donut holes, hamburger beef and leather, electricity and bricks). c) Simultaneous changes in D and S Claim: When demand and supply change simultaneously, then the change in the equilibrium price and quantity demand upon the magnitudes of the change in demand and supply. Four cases exist: 31 (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) D^ and S^ ? Q*^ and the change in P* is indeterminate D^ and Sv ? P*^ and the change in Q* is indeterminate Dv and Sv ? Q*v and the change in P* is indeterminate Dv and S^ ? P*v and the change in Q* is indeterminateGraphically: Case (i) D^ and S^ ? Q*^, P* may increase, remain constant, or decrease (? P* ). Or, equivalently: Work through the remaining cases on your own! 32 ECON *120: Principles of Microeconomics I. FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMICS Section I. E Learning Objectives: †¢ Explain and illustrate consumer surplus and producer surplus †¢ Explain and illustrate total benefit and total cost †¢ Explain and illustrate the efficiency of a competitive market equilibrium for a pure private good †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects of price controls, taxes and subsidies and the resulting deadweight losses E.Applications 1. Consumer and Producer Surplus Recall: The Marginal Benefit, MB (Marginal Cost, MC) of a good Q is the incr ease in total benefit, TB (cost, TC) resulting from a unit increase in Q; i. e. , MB = ? TB/? Q (MC = ? TC/? Q). Claim: Because the maximum price a consumer is willing and able to pay for an additional unit of a good is based upon the consumer’s MB from consuming that additional unit, the demand curve represents the marginal benefit derived from the consumption of the good.Likewise, because the minimum price a producer is willing and able to accept for an additional unit of a good is based upon the producer’s MC from producing that additional unit, the supply curve represents the marginal cost incurred from the production of the good. Thus, the demand (supply) curve can be used to measure a consumer's (producer’s) â€Å"economic welfare† at a given quantity. CS (PS) is used to measure the change in consumer (producer) welfare resulting from a change in the price and quantity and of a good consumed by consumers (produced by producers).DEF: Consumer Surplus , CS, is the difference between the price that a consumer is willing and able to pay and the price the consumer must actually pay in the market. 33 Remark: CS at a quantity Q1 is the difference between the total benefit of the consumer at Q1 (represented by the area under the demand curve between 0 and Q1 or the area of 0abQ1) and consumer total expenditures at Q1 (= P1? Q1 or the area of 0cbQ1). Thus, CS at Q1 represents the net benefits of consumers and is illustrated by the area between the demand curve and the market price line.DEF: Producer Surplus, PS, is the difference between the price that a producer is willing and able to accept and the price the producer actually receives for that good in the market. Remark: PS of a given quantity Q1 is the difference between the total revenue of the producer at Q1 ( = P1? Q1 or the area of 0cbQ1) and the total cost at Q1 (represented by the area under the supply curve between 0 and Q1 or the area of 0dbQ1). Thus, PS at Q1 represents the net benefits of producers at Q1 and is illustrated by the area between the supply curve and the market price line.Remark: For consumers, a price increase (decrease) lowers (raises) consumer surplus CS. The los (gain) of CS measures the decrease (increase) in consumer economic welfare. For prioducers, a price increase (decrease) raises (lowers) producers surplus PS. The gain (loss) of PS measures the increase decrease) in producer economic welfare. 34 Recall: The Total Benefit, TB (Total Cost, TC) at a given quantity Q1 is represented by the area under the MB (MC) curve between 0 and the quantity Q1. In the graph below, TB at Q1 = area abQ10 and TC at Q1 = area deQ10. Similarly, TB at Q2 = area acQ20 and TC at Q2 = area dfQ20.Remark: The change in TB caused by a change in Q is given by the area under the MB curve for that change in Q. For example, given an increase in Q from Q1 to Q2, the increase in TB = ? TB = area bcQ2Q1. Likewise, given an increase in Q from Q1 to Q2, the increas e in TC = ? TC = area efQ2Q1. Remark: At a given quantity, Q1, the economic gain to consumers and producers at the market equilibrium is represented by the Total Surplus or Net (Social) Benefit = net benefit of consumers + net benefit of producers = CS(Q1) + PS(Q1) = TB(Q1) – TC(Q1) = area abd in the graph below. 35 2.Market Equilibrium and Efficiency in the â€Å"Private Good† MB/MC Model DEF: A good is a pure private good if there are no external benefits or costs from the consumption or production of that good and so Dmkt = MB = ? iMBi and Smkt = MC = ? jMCj. DEF: In a market, the quantity Q* is efficient if the maximum price consumers are willing and able to pay per unit for Q*, which represents the marginal benefit to consumers or â€Å"consumers price† equals the minimum price producers are willing and able to accept per unit for Q*, which represents the marginal (opportunity) cost to producers or â€Å"producers price†.That is, the quantity Q* is ( socially or economically) efficient if MB = MC at Q*. Claim: (The First Fundamental Theorem of Welfare Economics) In a market for a pure private good, the market equilibrium quantity is efficient, provided that certain technical conditions are satisfied; i. e. , at the market equilibrium Q* and P*, P* = MB(Q*) = MC(Q*). Remark: In other words, net social benefit is maximized at Q*. In addition, if at a quantity Q0, MB ) MC, then Q0 is inefficient and a deadweight loss, DWL, (also know as a â€Å"welfare cost† or â€Å"loss in efficiency†) is imposed upon society.The DWL at Q1 (Q2) is represented below by the area bce (cgh). Remark: The quantity Q1 is inefficient because MB(Q1) > MC(Q1); similarly, the quantity Q2 is inefficient because MB(Q2) < MC(Q2). At Q1 (Q2), society can be made better off by producing one more (less) unit of Q. Increasing Q from Q1 to Q* increases social welfare by the amount DWL at Q1 = area bce = ? TB – ? TC = area beQ*Q1 – area e cQ*Q1. Alternatively, decreasing Q from Q2 to Q* increases welfare by DWL at Q2 = area cgh = ? TB – ? TC = area Q*chQ1 – area Q*cgQ1. 3.Price Controls DEF: A price ceiling is a maximum legal price that a producer/seller may charge for a good or service; a price ceiling, Pc, is effective only if it is below the market equilibrium price (Pc < P*mkt). A price floor is a minimum price, fixed and â€Å"supported† by the government, that a producer/seller can receive for a good or service; a price floor, Pf, is effective only if Pf > P*mkt. 36 Claim: At a price floor Pf, the quantity supplied in the market, Qsmkt, is inefficient and the good is â€Å"overproduced† (i. e. , Qsmkt > Q*mkt) because t Qsmkt, the maximum price consumers are willing and able to pay per unit for Qsmkt is less than the minimum price producers are willing and able to accept per unit for Qsmkt. That is, at Qsmkt, MB < MC and so Qsmkt is inefficient. Graphically: (iii) At a price ceiling, Pc, the quantity supplied in the market, Qsmkt, is inefficient and the good is â€Å"under-produced† (i. e. , Qsmkt < Q*mkt) because at Qsmkt, the maximum price consumers are willing and able to pay per unit for Qsmkt is greater than the minimum price producers are willing and able to accept per unit for Qsmkt.That is, MB > MC and so Qsmkt is inefficient. Graphically: 37 4. Taxes and Subsidies: Who Pays and Who Benefits? DEF: Consumers price vs. producers price. Claim: An excise tax (subsidy) drives a â€Å"wedge† between the consumers’ price and the producers’ price and imposes a deadweight loss (welfare cost or loss in efficiency) upon society because the losses in CS and PS exceed the tax revenues. Graphically: Excise tax on consumption. Remark: The after-tax equilibrium quantity, Qtax, is inefficient because MB > MC at Qtax, and so a deadweight loss is imposed upon society, represented by DWL(Qtax) = area abc.The tax revenue is not an economic loss f or society in general but does constitute a redistribution of economic welfare from consumers and producers of the good to society in general. The DWL is the difference between the sum of the loss in consumers surplus, area P*dab, and the loss of producers surplus, area eP*bc and the tax revenue generated by the excise tax, area edac, i. e. , DWL(Qtax) = ? CS + ? PS – Tax Revenue = area P*dab + area eP*bc – area edac = area abc Graphically: Excise tax on production. 38 ECON 120: Principles of Microeconomics Spring 2010 II. MICROECONOMIC MODELS AND DECISION-MAKING Section II. ALearning Objectives: †¢ Explain and calculate the price elasticity of demand †¢ Explain and illustrate elastic, inelastic, unit elastic, perfectly elastic, and perfectly inelastic demand and corresponding demand curves †¢ Explain the determinants of elasticity †¢ Explain and illustrate the effects on total revenue of producers or total expenditures of consumers of a change in p rice given elastic, unit elastic, and inelastic demand †¢ Explain and calculate other elasticities of demand (income and cross price elasticities) †¢ Explain and calculate the price elasticity of supply and its basic determinant †¢ Explain and illustrate how the elasticity of demand and supply affect consumers and producers prices given an excise tax on production A. Elasticity of Demand and Supply 1. Elasticity of Demand a) The Concept of Elasticity and Elastic/Inelastic Demand Curves DEF: The (own) price elasticity of demand, Ed, is a numerical measure of the sensitivity or responsiveness of the quantity demanded to changes in price, ceteris paribus, and is calculated as Ed = ? %? Qd/%? P?. Examples: Suppose that the quantity demanded of gas, Qgas, decreases by 10% when the price of gas, Pgas, increases by 20%. Then Ed = ? –10%/20%? = 0. 5.If the Qd of Mountain Dew decreases by 50% when the price of Mountain Dew increases by 20%, then Ed = ? –50%/20%? = 2. 5. Remark: %? Qd = – Ed? %? P. Example: If Ed = 2 and price increases by 8%, %? P = +8%, then %? Q = –2? (8%) = –16%. If Ed = 0. 4 and price decreases by 25%, %? P = –25%, then %? Q = –0. 4? (–25%) = +10%. Alternatively, if a firm wants to increase its sales by 30% and Ed = 1. 5, then it should decrease price by 20% because %? P = %? Q/ –Ed = 30%/ –1. 5 = –20%. DEF: Midpoint elasticity formula: Given two points on a demand curve, (Q1,P1) and (Q2,P2), the (own) price elasticity of demand at the midpoint between these two points is calculated by Ed = ? %? Qd/%? P? = ? (Q1 – Q2)/(Q1 + Q2)]/[(P1 – P2)/(P1 + P2)] ?. 39 Example: Let pt A = (Q1,P1) = (8,16); pt. B = (Q2,P2) = (12,14); pt. C = (Q3,P3) = (28,6); pt. D = (Q4,P4) = (32,4). The midpoint price elasticity of demand between pts A & B: Ed = ? [(8 – 12)/(8 + 12)]/[(16 – 14)/(16 + 14)]? = (4/20)/(2/30) = 3. pts B & C: Ed = ? [(12 – 28)/(12 + 28)]/[(14 – 6)/(14 + 6)]? = (16/40)/(8/20) = 1. pts C & D: Ed = ? [(28 – 32)/(28 + 32)]/[(6 – 4)/(6 + 4)]? = (4/60)/(2/10) = 1/3. Remark: A linear demand curve has a different elasticity coefficient, Ed, at each point on the demand curve, Ed ranges from Ed = 0 at the horizontal intercept to Ed = ? at the vertical intercept.DEF: Demand is said to be: elastic if Ed > 1 or ? %? Qd? > ? %? P? , unit elastic if Ed = 1 or ? %? Qd? = ? %? P? , inelastic if Ed < 1 or ? %? Qd? < ? %? P? , perfectly elastic if Ed = ? and perfectly inelastic if Ed = 0. Remarks: (i) Perfectly elastic demand is represented by a demand curve that is horizontal at the market price. A perfectly elastic demand curve implies that, at the market price, consumers will buy whatever quantity producers are willing and able to produce. (ii) Perfectly inelastic demand is represented by a demand curve that is vertical at the market quantity and implies that consumers will pay whatever price pro ducers want for the market quantity. iii) Elastic demand can be represented by a demand curve that is relatively flat, such as D3. The majority of the demand curve D3 that appears in the graph is the elastic portion of the demand curve because the midpoint of the demand curve, where Ed = 1, is near the â€Å"lower-end† of D3. 40 (iv) Likewise, inelastic demand can be represented by a demand curve that is relatively steep, such as D2. The majority of the demand curve D2 that appears is the inelastic portion of the demand curve because the midpoint of the demand curve, where Ed = 1, is near the â€Å"upper-end† of D2. b) Determinants of Elasticity Claim: The demand for good X is more elastic (inelastic) (i) the greater (fewer) the number of substitutes there are for good X.Remark: In general, Edcaterory < Edbrand. For example, because very few substitutes for gas exist but many substitutes for Mobil gas exist (such as BP, Citgo, Phillips, Shell, etc. ), Edgas < EdMobil g as. Likewise, Edsoda < EdMountain Dew. (ii) the more (less) an item absorbs as a share or portion of a consumer's budget, Example: Because student expenditures on tuition or rent as a percentage are much greater than their expenditures on toothpicks or salt as a percentage of their income, Edcollege ; Edsalt. (iii) the less of a necessity and the more of a luxury (the more of a necessity and the less of a luxury) good X is; for example, Edfood ; Eddiamond jewelry. iv) the longer (shorter) the time interval considered, which allows for changes in preferences or the emergence of more substitutes; i. e. Edshort run ; Edlong run. c) Elasticity and Total Expenditures (Total Revenue) Remarks: Total Revenue of producers = TR = P? Q = TE = Total Expenditures of consumers. Because TR = TE = P? Q, total revenue or total expenditures can be represented graphically by the area of a rectangle of width Q and height P. 41 Claim: Along the (i) elastic portion of the demand curve, Ed ; 1 or ? %? Qd? ; ? %? P? : Pv(^) ? TE^(v). (ii) unit elastic point of the demand curve, Ed = 1 or ? %? Qd? = ? %? P? : Pv(^) ? ?TE = 0. iii) inelastic portion of the demand curve, Ed ; 1 or ? %? Qd? ; ? %? P? : Pv(^) ? TEv(^). Remark: In the graphs below, consider a given change in price, ? P (= P1 – P2 = P3 – P4), and change in quantity demanded, ? Q (= Q1 – Q2 = Q3 – Q4). Along the elastic section of the demand curve (left graph), the decrease in price, ? P, from P1 to P2, and the increase in the quantity demanded, ? Q, from Q1 to Q2, increases total expenditures of consumers (or total revenue of producers); i. e. , TE1 = P1 ·Q1 ; P2 ·Q2 = TE2 because the increase in expenditures from a greater quantity is greater than the decrease in expenditures from a lower price.Alternatively, along the inelastic section of the demand curve (right graph), the same decrease in price, ? P (from P3 to P4), and increase in quantity demanded, ? Q (from Q3 to Q4), decreases total e xpenditures of consumers (or total revenue of producers); i. e. , TE3 = P3 ·Q3 ; P4 ·Q4 = TE4 because the increase in expenditures from a greater quantity is less than the decrease in expenditures from a lower price. 42 Claim: TR is at a maximum at the quantity at which Ed = 1. d) Other Elasticities of Demand (i) Income elasticity of demand, EI, is a numerical measure of the responsiveness or sensitivity of the quantity demanded to changes in income, ceteris paribus. If EI ;(( %? P), then supply is elastic, 1 ; Es ; ?. f production costs do NOT increases as output increases, then supply is perfectly elastic, Es = ?. †¢ 44 P perfectly inelastic : ES = 0 S1 S2 inelastic: 0 ; E S ; 1 S3 elastic: 1 ; E S ?P S4 perfectly elastic : E S = ? ?Q 2 ? Q 3 0 Q0 Q †¢ Given S2, a change in price of ? P yields a relatively small change in the quantity supplied (i. e. , %? P ; 0 ? %? Qs ; 0 but %? P ; %? Qs) and so 0 ; ES = %? Qs/%? P ; 1. For example, if supply is inelastic, then a 5 % increase in price results in a less than 5% (perhaps 3%) increase in Qs. Given S3, a change in price of ? P yields a relatively large change in the quantity supplied (i. e. , %? P ; 0 ? %? Qs ; 0 but %? P ; %? Qs) and so 1 ; ES = %? Qs/%? P.For example, if supply is elastic, then a 5% increase in price results in a more than 5% (perhaps 8%) increase in Qs. Given S4, a change in price of ? P yields an â€Å"infinite† response from producers. Producers are willing to produce and sell whatever quantity consumers are willing and able to buy at the market price (i. e. , %? P ; 0 ? %? Qs = ? and so ES = %? Qs/%? P = ? ). †¢ †¢ 3. Elasticity and Taxes Claim: Given an excise tax on either consumption or production, if the elasticity of demand is greater (less) than the elasticity of supply, then the portion of the tax paid by consumers is less (greater) than the portion of