Change and power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change and power - Essay Example Stress and mood swings are greatly reduced. They are also able to concentrate better. Yoga is also viewed as a good exercise for those with heart problems, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Chronic medical conditions such as asthma, back pain, insomnia and arthritis have been said to improve with the practice of yoga. In short, yoga benefits both physical and psychological health (Hoffman, 2008). Having known all these wonderful benefits of yoga, I was encouraged to make a yoga club with my friends in the last summer. Since most of my friends go to the gym after work or school, it was difficult at first to convince them to try yoga. Most of them are enrolled at aerobic classes or weight loss programs conducted in the gym. I had to devise a plan to at least sit down with them and discuss the benefits of yoga. I believe that only when they hear of the benefits will they consider taking up yoga classes. So I invited my friends, around 5 of them, at my house one Friday night and told them I will treat them to Korean food. I told them I have a friend who will make a presentation on one of the â€Å"hottest† topic nowadays. Curiosity got them and they all agreed to come.

Civil service and economic freedom Essay Example for Free

Civil service and economic freedom Essay Around a decade ago, Hong Kong became the hottest topic not because of some festival but rather due to a political event. On July 1, 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong was officially transferred to the Peoples Republic of China from the United Kingdom. The Handover, as it is most often called, signaled the official end of British rule on the colony. At present, Hong Kong is one of the top financial centers of the world. It cannot be denied however that the handover was a significant event in its history. It is therefore important to keep in mind that in studying the history of Hong Kong and learning about the place, one has to give emphasis on this event. One resource to read is a paper written by Ming K. Chan titled, â€Å"The Legacy of the British Administration of Hong Kong: A View from Hong Kong,† published in The China Quarterly in 1997. In the paper, Chan gives his insights on four major contributions by the British to Hong Kong as cited by Christopher Patten, the last British Governor of the colony. The four major contributions are rule of law, democratization, civil service and economic freedom. Chan uses these four points raised as his starting points in discussing the legacies of the British. Chan however does not stop merely at describing what these legacies are but goes on to show its weaknesses and flaws. Under the rule of law for example, he states that the legal system implemented by the British in Hong Kong was, like most legal system, aimed at providing fair and equal justice to every citizen. These same laws though turned out to be not only draconian in nature but also discriminatory. Specifically laws that were said to be anti-Chinese thus failing to achieve the aim that it was designed to give. One example of its failure is that during the British rule, English and not Chinese was the preferred language used by courts. As a result, even if the courts practiced a jury system, only those who were able to attain a higher education were able to serve. In effect, this implies that the jury system failed because it did not represent the society in general. The paper also contests the idea that Hong Kong had economic freedom. The paper admits that while Hong Kong did achieve a world class status, the British still intervened in matters that carried significant importance. The principle of laissez-faire, while a good economic concept, was instead misused to the point that it covered up unfair practices by the government. An example is the rule requiring the use of motor vehicles manufactured by the British public buses. While civil service has always been considered as the foundation of British rule, the reality in Hong Kong is that the state of the civil service system is not as efficient as it seems. The paper considers this as somewhat ironic since the localization of the civil service only when the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed. The paper further cites that with the hierarchy being led by people who have little or no understanding of China or even the Chinese community in Hong Kong, their effectiveness as administrators is rather lessened. The biggest failure though is under the British civil service system, those in power failed to participate in the issue of the reintegration.

How Is Virtue Ethics Different Philosophy Essay

How Is Virtue Ethics Different Philosophy Essay Recently there has been a revival in virtue ethics due to some philosophers like G. E. M Anscombe. In 1958, she suggested that modern moral philosophy is misguided, and therefore we should top thinking about obligation, duty and rightness and let virtue ethics take centre stage. (Rachels, 1999, p. 177a) Since the re-awakening of the theory of virtue ethics, it has been seen as being a rival with other moral theories such as, Kantianism (also known as duty ethics) and Utilitarianism (also known as consequentialist theory). The reason for comparisons is not farfetched the revival of virtue ethics has been perceived by some as a theory that is meant to take the place of the other two theories, however, this is proving to be very difficult since virtue ethics has also been found wanting on some grounds as well. The most significant difference between all three theories seems to me to be the centralised question they ask, which is the basis for each moral theory. Utilitarianism is a theory about actions and consequences, and all it asks is this: which action will produce the best possible outcome? Kantian on the other hand deals with rules and obligations, and asks this: what is the right thing to do? Virtue ethics on the other hand is fundamentally about character of the moral agent and asks the question: what is the right character to have? But it is not just limited to character, if not it would tag virtue ethics as character ethics. It is also about human flourishing. An intriguing aspect in the revival of virtue ethics is the fact that some deontologists and utilitarians have recognized its importance and have therefore added it to their own theories. For example, the revived interest in Kants Doctrine of Virtue (Hursthouse, 1999, p.3a) However, virtue ethics has not come this far without criticism; the list of criticisms is numerous. Amongst others the most popular is that virtue ethics does not give appropriate guidance. I shall start by defining virtue ethics and moving on to analyse the concepts surrounding it. Thereafter I will attempt to distinguish between it and other moral theories i.e. utilitarianism and Kantianism. Furthermore, I will talk about issues in global ethics and how virtue ethics may be applied to them, and finally, address the question on if there are any difficulties in doing so. What is Virtue Ethics? For a long time two methods of understanding morality have been taken up by two moral approaches which are Kantianism and Utilitarianism. Kantianism which is also known as deontology is a result of the work of the German Philosopher, Immanuel Kant which is concerned with ideals of universal law and respect for others; Utilitarianism, also known as consequentialism is known to maximise end results. However, recently, there has been a revival in virtue ethics, a theory which focuses on moral agents and virtuous character finds its roots in the ancient Greek philosophy, and has been neglected over the past years since the likes of Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato talked about it. (Baron et al, 1997, p.3) Virtue ethics is an approach to ethics which focuses on character and virtues and has its roots in Aristotle. The two most distinct features of virtue ethics are; it is agent centred, and makes use of areteic terms. According to Rosalind Hursthouse, it has been described as: an ethics which is agent centred, rather than act centred, and as concerned with being rather than doing, as addressing itself to the question, what sort of person should I be? rather than to the question what sorts of action should I do?; as taking certain areteic concepts (good, excellence, virtue) as basic than deontic ones (right, duty, obligation) (1999, p. 25) Other features are numerated by Oakley and Cocking as follows; firstly an action is right if and only if it is what an agent with a virtuous character would do in the circumstances (2001, p.129). Another feature is that goodness is prior to rightness. Virtue ethics claims that we need an account of human good before we can determine what the right action to take is; which makes virtue ethics a teleological rather than a deontological ethical theory. (Oakley, Cocking, 2001, p.19) Furthermore, virtues are seen as irreducibly plural intrinsic goods i.e. they are valuable for their own sake rather than as a means to promoting some other value. Virtues are also objectively good in the sense that is they can add value to a life (Oakley, Cocking, 2001, p.21). For example the virtue of kindness is in itself good independently Also, some goods such as friendship are agent-relative while others are agent neutral (Oakley, Cocking, 2001, p.23), and finally acting rightly does not require that we maximise the good. From the above description, it is easy to see the basic idea that virtue ethics promotes. It emphasizes on the moral agent; that is the character of a human; how the person acts, how the person behaves, how the person thinks, and the whole entirety of this person. For example, it focuses on who I am as a person, not on the things I do. It draws attention to the way I reason which in turns influences the way I behave. If I think about evil things long enough, I will eventually perpetuate such acts. If I have an ill will towards my neighbours and wish them dead, sooner or later, I will begin to act in an ill manner towards my neighbour. Virtue ethics focus on being the right person, and the train of thought follows that if I am a good person, I will do good things; if I am a bad person, it will be difficult and almost impossible to do right things because of the kind of personality and being that I am, It motivates people to work on their character, so that they can know the right action to follow. Hence, virtue ethics asks the question; what kind of person should I be? However, it will be difficult to know the kind of person one should be without knowing what the ideal person should be like. If you are a certain way, you would act a certain way. If you are greedy, you would steal, as a consequence of your greed (that is if you cannot meet your insatiable needs). So what is the kind of person we should be? According to virtue ethics, what kind of person we should be is a result of the virtues we possess because virtues play key roles in our lives. How then can we know these virtues, in other words, what is virtue? How can we differentiate virtues from vices? And why is it good to possess these virtues? Also, do these virtues apply to everyone? (Rachels, 1999, p.185) In answering the first question; what is virtue? Edmund L. Pincoffs, a philosopher who taught at the University of Texas suggested that: virtues and vices are qualities that we refer to in deciding whether someone is to be sought or avoided and that virtue as a trait of character is manifested in habitual action which is good for a person to have (Pincoffs cited in Rachels 1999, p.178). The above definition begs the question of what virtues are, and what kind of characters constitutes a virtue? There seem to be no definite answer for this question, however, there are list of traits which can be classified as being virtues. This is by no means a comprehensive list of virtues but just a summary of lists that are seen as basic virtues. They include; honesty, kindness, courage, generosity, loyalty, discipline, courteousness, fairness, friendliness, compassion, confidence, tolerance etc. In as much as there are categories of virtues, there are classifications of vices as well, some of which are; selfishness, laziness, arrogance, greed, jealousy, anger etc. (Rachels, 1999, p.178) There is a slight controversy on the question on if these virtues apply to everyone or not; some theorists believe that there are basic intrinsic virtues that all human beings should strive to acquire no matter what society or generation or way of life they have as opposed to different people having different classes of virtues. For example, instead of only soldiers possessing courage, all humans should possess that character. Aristotles view supported the above statement, he believed that one may observe in ones travels to distant countries the feelings of recognition and affiliation that link every human being to every other being (Aristotle cited in Rachels, 1999, p.186) However, this belief seems to be lacking credence because people and societies are different and what may be seen as virtuous in one society may not be the same in another; People who live in a particular society have live their lives according to the norm of that particular society. What was believed as virtuous hundreds of years ago may not be virtuous in these contemporary times. For example, if it was seen as virtuous for a woman to be married as a virgin in the ancient times, that may not be applicable now because of the change in our times, yet the fact that a woman does not get married as a virgin in these times does not connote that she is not virtuous. Virtues are good but why are they important for one to develop the virtues instead of vices and why is it necessary? Wallace states that: certain virtues play different roles and functions in a human life, some factors in many different ways contribute systematically to human good and virtues in specifiable ways so contribute as a part of such a system (1978, p.15). Also, Rachels says it depends on the specific virtue being talked about. Therefore we can say: generosity is desirable because some people will inevitable be worse off than others and will need help. Honesty is needed because without it relations between people would go wrong in myriad ways. Courage is a good thing because life is full of dangers and without courage we would be unable to cope with them (1999, p.184) We cannot give all the reasons why every virtue is important but we can analyse the above statement and see that they are important in their own way. Aristotle answered that the reason why being virtuous was important was because the virtuous person will be better off in life, not necessarily richer, and it is needed to conduct our lives well (Aristotle cited in Rachels, 1999, p. 185). Virtue Ethics and Utilitarianism The essence of utilitarianism is in getting the best possible outcome in any given circumstance; Utilitarianism believes in the greater good or maximising outcomes. How can an outcome be defined as good? How can it be characterised as producing the most happiness? If a gang of robbers go into a house and rob Billy of all his possessions, is it okay? Since it will give the robbers greater joy to rob poor Billy as opposed to the aggregate of the happiness Billy will get from not being robbed. For utilitarians, the end always justifies the means, and it does not matter if greater satisfaction is as a result of lying or cheating someone, as long as it satisfies more people. As Mill stated: the utilitarian doctrine is that happiness is desirable and, the only thing desirable as an end; all other things being desirable as means to that end (Mills cited in Rachels, 1999, p.108) Virtue ethics believes that if a person is good, their actions will be good as well, so instead of focusing on the outcomes one should focus on having the right character. Virtue ethics makes character essential to right action at least in the sense that its criterion of rightness contains an essential reference to the character of a virtuous agent, and this distinguishes it from utilitarianism which evaluate an act according to the consequence that it actually results in (Oakley, Cocking, 2001, p.11) Utilitarianism can be associated with some ideas which distinguish it from other theories. Utilitarian theories are welfarist, consequentialist, aggregative, maximising and Universalist (Scarre 1996, p.4). An action is okay if the greatest satisfaction is achieved. You count the consequences for human happiness of one or another course, and you go with the one with the highest favourable total (Taylor cited in Scarre, p.1) The major distinction between virtue ethics and utilitarianism is this; while virtue ethics is agent based, utilitarianism is agent neutral. For virtue ethics, Hursthouse states: It is agent centred in that it introduces the concept of the virtuous agent in its account of right action, where utilitarianism and Kantianism introduce the concept of consequences and moral rule respectively (1999, p.29). This is different for utilitarianism. Slote says: consequentialism is agent-neutral, ones obligations to oneself are no weaker or stronger than those to any other single person (1997, p.191) Scarre distinguishes utilitarianism further: It is clear that utilitarianism is a theory of moral justification, concerned to lay down conditions of right and wrong actions but should also be seen as a theory of moral deliberation, aiming to inform us how to decide which actions to perform and which to avoid (1996, p. 13) In addition, virtue ethics is also seen as being pluralistic, in as much as it insists upon the richness and complexity of the ethical while utilitarianism treats all values as ultimately commeasurable and of a single kind (Baron et al, p.201) Virtue Ethics and Kantian Ethics Kantian ethics which is another moral approach to morality that differs from virtue ethics, and can also be known as duty based ethics or deontology. It is a theory that focuses on rules not consequences like utilitarianism or character like virtue ethics. An action is either right or wrong not because of the consequences it produces, or the person in action, but because the act in itself is wrong. Kants ethics lays moral rules down that must be adhered to, for instance, do not lie, do not steal, and do not commit adultery. Kants ethics also follow that a person should do the right thing irrespective of the consequences that follow. For instance, if I had to tell a lie to save my life, it would go against Kantian doctrine. Immanuel Kant, believed that morality is a matter of following absolute rules rules that admit no exceptions, that must be followed come what may (Rachels, 1997, p.122). And according to the Kantian tradition, morality is based on a universal and impartial law of rationality (Crisp, Slote, 1997, p.1). The first point of differentiation is that while virtue ethics emphasize that persons rather than actions should be the primary focus of ethics and should address itself to the question, what sort of person should I be? rather than to the question what sorts of action should I do?(Baron, 1997, p.34). Kantian ethics is believed to focus more on rightness of an action than about virtuous character based on its principle of the Categorical Imperative which is the basis of all other rules. This principle aims to provide the right guidance on actions that are morally permissible. Wood writes: a moral imperative is categorical because its function is not to advice us how to reach some prior end of ours that is based on what we happen to want but to command us how to act irrespective of our wants or our contingent ends (2008, p.67) Another distinction between Kantian ethics and virtue ethics is their different understanding of the nature of character and that of a virtuous person. Baron states: many virtue ethicist have as their model of the virtuous person someone whose dispositions and temperaments are ideal; someone for whom acting virtuously is a second nature, and whose desires, tastes, likes, and dislikes, interests and manner just naturally are those of a virtuous personfor Kantians, being virtuous involves more conflict between ones desires and what one sees one should do; less automatic responses and more reflection (Baron et al, 1997, p.40). Also, unlike virtue ethicist, Kantians are believed to act out of duty and obligation. Baron states that virtue ethicist favour areteic terms (good, bad, virtuous, vicious) over deontic terms (right, wrong, duty, obligation) (Baron et al, 1997, p.34). Furthermore, another distinction has to do with motivation; a virtuous person does not act from duty rather he/she is motivated because they have desires that virtuous people have. The virtuous person has virtuous desires, and a right action is one that issues from virtuous desires (Baron et al, 1997, p.34). Virtue Ethics and Corruption Corruption is a global ethical problem in the sense that corruption is multicultural and is found in every strata of a society and every race. It can also be distinguished into different degrees which can be either minor or major forms of corruption, but no matter the distinguishing of varying degrees, no one is better off than the other. Corruption is corruption and should not be condoned. No one can claim ignorance to it since it is something that can be found in different levels and at varying degrees. Elliott writes: It occurs in democracies and military dictatorships, and at all levels of development and in all types of economic systems, from open capitalist economies such as that of the United States to centrally planned economies such as the former Soviet Unions (1997, p.1). Corruption has globalised in the past few years and has emerged as a global issue. Corruption does not have a singular universal definition but several authors have come up with different definitions that will sum up the concept of corruption. Several scholars have sought to define it but corruption is not a concept that can be confined to one simple definition because different people and offices define it differently, as it relates to them. Corruption can be defined by public opinion, as well as official law of nations and also as it affects the general public. Therefore there are different definitions of corruption. However, I will prefer to focus on public corruption, which is corruption by public officials. Public corruption is defined by Neild as: the breaking by public persons, for the sake of private financial or political gain, of the rules of conduct in public affairs prevailing in a society in the period under consideration (2002, p.5). Features of corruption can include c ronyism, bribery, fraud, nepotism, embezzlement, favouritism, trafficking. There have been a lot of suggestions and ways on how to tackle corruption; different organisations such as the OECD, Transparency International (TI), and European Union have initiated a lot anti-corruption reforms such as taxation, development aid, and  governance, however, it has not been as effective as it ought to be. This is where the need for the application of virtue ethics emerges. I believe that virtue ethics once combined with other anti corruption initiatives will effectively reduce the rate of corruption because virtue ethics is the only moral theory that encourages individuals to develop positive character traits, and if people do have good character they will not be involved in vices such as corruption, and although moral practices differ globally, there are still some character traits that are consistent and valued globally. For instance, virtues such as respect, courteousness or friendliness are universal. In Africa for example, it is a sign of respect for one to greet elders by kneeling down before them, while in South East Asia, it is by bowing. Both are respectful acts and although both acts differ because of their custom, their actions are a representation of the same values. This goes to exemplify how universal the virtue of respect is. So now that we have laid down the ground work of what virtue ethics is and what core virtues really are, we can suggest that virtue ethics can combat corruption alongside other anti corruption policies. Khan suggested: reducing the discretion of public officials through liberalization and privatization, Improving salaries of public officials, thereby addressing their low living standards in many cases, but also increasing the opportunity cost of corruption since they stand to lose their positions if detected, improving the rule of law so that corrupt bureaucrats and politicians can be prosecuted and punished, and encouraging greater transparency of government decision-making through deepening democratization, decentralization and the creation and encouragement of civil society watchdogs (http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/gdsmdpbg2420064_en.pdf). Since corruption is an abnormally in the morality of a society, moral reasoning is also needed to treat this issue. Dramer suggested: an ongoing ethics programme containing two main parts: a character development part aimed at developing dispositions, attitudes, habits or virtues such as honesty, loyalty, fairness, benevolence, conscientiousness and more, and a reasoning ability part aimed at (1) sensitising public servants to moral problems, (2) improving their analytical skills, and (3) developing their ethical imaginativeness (http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/15/2093526.pdf). Other forms of combating corruption seem to be about coercion and enforcement, but virtue ethics is a non-coercive method because it encourages individuals to develop morally acceptable ethical behaviour, which consequently will promote integrity. There seems to be no hitch in applying virtue ethics to this global ethical problem. Virtue Ethics and Euthanasia Another problem in global ethics is the issue of Euthanasia also known as mercy killing. Euthanasia is the act of ending someones life, especially someone who is sick or terminally ill to end their pain and suffering, thus when we define euthanasia, it should be as: death understood as a good or happy event for the one who dies (Foot, 1979, p.15). Euthanasia can be justified only if the person involved is undergoing so much pain that even drugs do not relieve him or her and if the prognosis of their health is declining. Euthanasia is classified into different types such as; voluntary euthanasia (whereby the patient is coherent enough to request for it), involuntary euthanasia (the person is not capable of giving consent, e.g. people in comas) and non-voluntary euthanasia (whereby it is imposed on the patient). It can be further classified into passive euthanasia or active euthanasia (Ladd, 1979, p.8). However, my analysis will be based on voluntary euthanasia which has been characterized by Tooley as a situation whereby a person in his normal reasoning has chosen to end his/her life because living does not pay off in the long run based on available prognosis (Tooley cited in Brock, 1979, p.101). Euthanasia has been through many debates, is ending the life of someone in great physical pain regarded as paying them a favour? One school of thought believes that if the patient actively ends their life because they can no longer bear to go through pain, it may be considered as suicide. On the other side of the coin, is the school of thought that believes that if the persons life is ended by someone else, it can be placed on the same shelf as murder. The question is can virtue ethics be applied to euthanasia? Stewart suggests: If the focus is on the virtues in play, the character of the patient, their families and friends and the doctors involved-and if the desire to have euthanasia stems from a virtuous character then it would be a good thing, a noble act, where active or passive, voluntary or involuntary (2008, p.91) As long as the decision to have euthanasia comes from a virtuous person, then it is the right thing to do, because a virtuous person always does the right thing. Hursthouse says that in tragic dilemmas a decision is right iff it is what a virtuous agent would decide, but the action decided may be too terrible to called right or good. I believe we should live a life of happiness, people living in misery cannot be said to be living in eudemonia, and so in such cases I believe eudemonia is compatible with euthanasia. If not giving euthanasia to a patient is going to make their life more painful and full of misery then it does not tally with Aristotles concept of human flourishing. Brink suggests: a valuable life consist in the possession of certain character traits, the exercise of certain capacities, and the development of certain relations with others and the world (Brink cited in Scarre, 1996, p.6). Living can only be considered flourishing if the patient goes through less pain, and if euthanasia seems to be the only option, then by all means, we should go down that route. It is out of the virtue of compassion that euthanasia is applied, and it is a courageous thing for the patient to do also, virtue ethics would promote a painless, peaceful way to end the patients life to alleviate suffering rather than an exit full of anguish. Virtue ethics is fine with euthanasia as long as it is done virtuously. According to Aristotle: an action is virtuous only if it is the right sort of action performed for the right sort of motive (Brody, 1988, p.35) Stewart states that different virtues are necessary in order to apply euthanasia; the virtue of courage is needed when the patient makes the decision on when to die, also the virtue of pride, and the virtue of wisdom to know when the right time is. As for the medical staff, virtues needed are professionalism, compassion and also wisdom. Family and friends would also need wisdom to advice the patient if they feel he/she is making the wrong decision (2008, p. 92) There is a bit of difficulty in applying virtue ethics to the issue of euthanasia, due to the fact that it does not present what the right time is for a person to be euthanized. It just says that the virtue of wisdom will be applied and this answer does not seem sufficient based on the reason that virtue ethics does not gives rules or directions on how things ought to be done. Aristotles theory emphasizes only one moral appeal which is an appeal to the virtues, and this feature is both its strength and weakness. Its weakness, apart from the question on whether it adequately defined the virtues, is that it fails to take into account the other many moral appeals which must be incorporated into any adequate moral theory (Brody, 1988, p.9) Also, concerning the virtues, there might be some conflict, in the sense that, courage needed for euthanasia is considered a virtue, what if the patient decides to be enduring? Or exercise more patience? Courage and patience are classified as virtueswhat then, does one do? This question is insufficiently answered by virtue ethics as relying upon the virtue of wisdom to prevail. I agree with Hursthouse, who states that: Charity prompts me to kill the person who would (truly) be better off dead, but justice forbids it. So virtue ethics fails to give me any guidance over the rightness or wrongness of euthanasiavirtue ethics lets us down just at the point where we need it the most, where we are faced with the really difficult moral quandaries and do not know what to do (1999, p.43) CONCLUSION In the beginning of this essay, I defined and analysed the concept of virtue ethics, and in the following paragraphs I attempted to distinguish between the three moral theories which are, utilitarianism, virtue ethics and kantianism by enumerating the features. I also tried to apply virtue ethics to two issues in global ethics which are corruption and euthanasia. Virtue ethics can be applied to some problems in global ethics like corruption and euthanasia because virtues are relevant to the moral evaluation of individuals and their actions (Brody, 1988, p.35), however, it wont be without some difficulties. In summary, I believe virtue ethics was compatible with corruption because I discovered that an ethics of virtue can reduce the rate at which corruption is globalising if public officials possess or develop certain virtues however; there seem to be difficulty applying it to euthanasia because of the many criticism of virtue ethics that I stated earlier, the major being that virtue ethics does not provide guidance. It only tells us to develop ones character but it seems to be vague.

Katherine Mansfield :: essays research papers fc

Katherine Mansfield Katherine Mansfield, who lived from 1888 to 1923, is considered to be one of the most remarkable short story writers of her time. Using her life experiences as an inspiration for her short stories, Mansfield sculpted her ideas into masterful pieces of literary work. Mansfield's life was full of interesting experiences that shaped her outlook upon life. The diversity of friends and acquaintances Katherine Mansfield had over her lifetime also had a great influence on her career. Even as a child, Mansfield made decisions about her life that would create a path for her career to start on. Katherine Mansfield was born Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp to Harold and Annie Dyer Beauchamp on October 14, 1888. The Beauchamp family called New Zealand their home. "A Sea Voyage", written by the young Kathleen Beauchamp, won first-place at the Karori Village School, the grammar school she first attended (Nathan 1). This accomplishment encouraged young Beauchamp to continu e on writing. After attending grammar school, Kathleen went on to attend Miss Swainson's Secondary School. During this time, she is acquainted with Maata Mahupuka, a native Maori. Her interest in Mahupuka later grew into a brief love affair with him (Nathan 1). After graduating from secondary school, Miss Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp left New Zealand. She decided this after thwarting the idea of a career in music. Beauchamp went on to attend London's Queens College and study literature. While in attendance at Queens College, Kathleen made a friend in Ida Baker. Ida Baker, like Beauchamp, was an avid writer. Kathleen gave the pen name "Lesley Moore" to Ida, after Beauchamp's brother Lesley (Sampson 308). In the spring of 1907, Miss Beauchamp held in garden party and invited many of her acquaintances from college. The party was a complete success until it was discovered that a cottager who lived on the property had been accidentally killed (Nathan 1). This event spawned to b ecome "The Garden Party", Beauchamp's first major work (Encarta). In 1909, Kathleen Beauchamp became acquainted with a man by the name of G. C. Bowden. After only a brief period they became engaged and married. The evening after their marriage, Kathleen left Bowden (Disc. Authors 1). Leaving Bowden, she ran away with her longtime friend Garnet Trowell. Trowell was from Wellington; she was a fairly well known cellist. While running away with Garnet Trowell, Kathleen had an affair with a man who ultimately impregnates her.

Anheuser-Busch Inbev Analysis

Contents 1. Introduction2 2. Advantages of investing in China2 2. 1 Abundant human and energy resources2 2. 2 Development in relevant infrastructure and openness to international trade3 3. Disadvantages of investing in China3 3. 1 Low income of people3 3. 2 technology and unequal investment3 4. Benefits for FDI in China4 4. 1 Economy is affected in many ways4 4. 2 trade expansion4 5. Evidence of the negative effect for FDI in China4 5. 1 FDI threaten local enterprises and capital transfer4 5. 2 Unbalanced investing5 5. 3 Environmental problems5 6. Suggestion5 7. Conclusion6 8.Bibliography7 The impact of foreign direct investment in China Introduction Foreign direct investment (hereafter referred to as FDI) has created significant impacts in China after the Opening-Reform in the late 1970s, China has been successful in attracting FDI, which has been played an crucial role in the economic development of China. China has now become the second largest foreign direct investment (FDI) bene ficiary country in the world following the US. Annual FDI inflow was below $US100 in 1979, but exceeded $US580 billion in 2006, with an annual growth rate of close to 30%. Fung et al. 2004). This trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, especially given the country’s entry into the WTO. Many advantages can be identified in FDI, including boost employment rate, calculate capitals and increase domestic competitive. On the other hand, there are also some drawbacks of FDI in China. This essay will start with a display of the advantages and disadvantages of investing in China, then describe benefits and drawbacks brought by FDI and finally provide several correspondence suggestions.Advantages of investing in China 2. 1 Abundant human and energy resources China has a large population of approximately 1. 3 billion indicating a huge consumption power and market. The purchasing power of Chinese people is increasing dramatically in the last decade, which means China cou ld attract more and more FDI in the future. (Tarun, 2012). Furthermore, China has resource availability and low cost of labor force, which means investors can easily employ enough workers with a relatively low cost. The country is also rich in energy resources.Foreign corporations could obtain a variety of resources when investing in China. China is the largest producer of coal in the world is an appropriate example for this. (Zhang, 2002 see in Tarun, 2012). Therefore, China is an excellent destination for investment. (Callaghan & Cassidy, 2003 see in Tarun, 2012). 2. 2 Development in relevant infrastructure and openness to international trade China has been striving to improve related infrastructure, which contributes to attract FDI. For example, highways, railways and interior transport waterways have adjusted according to the host province.It is always true that the availability of physical infrastructure significantly influences the decision of investment particularly in a fore ign land. Moreover, China has implemented economic reforms and Open Door policies. Meanwhile, China has put efforts in promoting trade by adopting several bilateral and unilateral trade arrangements and actions such as reducing tariff barriers. (Tarun, 2012). Disadvantages of investing in China 3. 1 Low income of people There are some disadvantages for investing in China. Firstly, the income of people is relatively low in China.The production capacity is growing but the low per capital income may lead to periodically saturation, which makes it difficult for foreign companies to develop. (Tarun, 2012). . 3. 2 technology and unequal investment In terms of technology disparity and lack of labor qualification in some certain areas may also need to improve. Furthermore, unequal investments in different sectors are another key disadvantage in China. For example, there is saturation in traditional sectors but not many investments in chemical and automobile sectors.There are still some barr iers in the areas of administrative enforcement and non-tariff measures. Even some changes are taking place, many tasks needed to be accomplished to construct the legal system which benefits market economy. The existing legal basis, legislation procedure and operating mechanism are not fully suitable with the requirements of market economy (Rongala, 2007 see in Tarun, 2012). Benefits for FDI in China 4. 1 Economy is affected in many ways The benefits brought by FDI to China are apparent. Economy is influenced by FDI in a number of ways.FDI involves transfer knowledge in the host country, which will create an increase on the existing stock of knowledge through labor training, the transfer of skills, and the transferring of new managerial and organizational experience. Also, it can help local corporations to access to advanced technology by capital accumulation in host countries (Mello, 1999 and Mello, 1997). Furthermore, FDI may allow China to develop in technology and knowledge whic h are not readily available locally, as a consequent increase productivity growth through the economy (Jose, 2003). . 2 trade expansion China’s expansion in trade is accompanied by the increase of FDI and growing trade by foreign invested enterprises. (Fung, 2002) Contribution of FDI has increased dramatically since the early 1980s, especially in the 1990s. During 1980 and 1985, trade by FDI constituted less than 0. 6% of total export and 2. 1% of total import. The shares went up to 7. 3% and 12. 8% respectively in the second half of 1980s. In the 1990s, trade by FDI accelerated and their share in China’s total trade increased to 44% and 53% for the years 1996 and 2000.The rise in FDI share in total trade indicates the growing contribution of FDI in the growth of China’s trade. (Fung, 2002). Evidence of the negative effect for FDI in China 5. 1 FDI threaten local enterprises and capital transfer The local firms may lose markets due to low productivity or less ad vanced technology because the real significant assessment of FDI may be organized on a high indispensable status for the long term national satisfaction, which involves multinational corporations (MNCs). As a result, massive amounts of people will be unemployed, which may lead to social instability. Sarumi and Adewumi 2006) Also if proper regulation does not exist in the host country, FDI can serve as a source of capital flight from the developing countries to the developed ones. For instance, due to some specific risks in the host country (economic and political risks), there could be large flow of capital transfer from the host country to the home country if there is no legislation against such practice. This may create an adverse effect on the host economy especially if such capital is sourced for within the host country. 5. 2 Unbalanced investingThe disparity of the poor and the wealth is increasing result from FDI tend to invest in coastal areas, which causes an unbalanced deve lop in economy between western areas and coastal regions. 5. 3 Environmental problems Result from MNCs’ higher production capacity, FDI could lead to a number of environmental problems which sometimes is not well taken care of or neglected especially in the mining sector by local government (Bora 2002 see in Sarumi and Adewumi 2006). Suggestion Given the negative side of FDI in China, government should take actions to address the problems.Firstly, local enterprises could be protected by a heavy tax on purchasing products of foreign companies. Moreover, government should assist local firms through funding. Secondly, it is advisable to implement the strategy of encouraging FDI through the development of regional central cities in the west. Also, Special and preferential policies for the specific projects should be provided by the government in the west that conforms with the industrial development in the area. Some particular regions should possess the flexibility of making pol icies in accordance with the local situation.It is important to notice that narrowing the economy gap can attract more FDI as well. Finally, appropriate law and regulations should be made or strengthened to constrain the capital transfer from host country to home nation and protect the environment. Conclusion China has made a great improvement in its reforms to open up its market for foreign direct investment. This assay describes the advantages and disadvantages of FDI in China, then analysis several benefits and negative impacts brought by FDI. Some suggestions also are provided.Foreign direct investment is still concentrated in the southeast and the coastal areas, which should be addressed by making policies and loosing regulations in western countries. However, there are some limitations in the project, for example, the increasing number of FDI cause the productivity and technology spillover is not covered, which will be researched in the future. Bibliography FUNG, K. C. , HITOM I, I. , and SARAH, T. , ed. , 2002. conference on ? China’? s Economy in the 21st Century? to be held on June 24-25, 2002, Hong Kong: Foreign Direct Investment in China: Policy, Trend and Impact.GALINA, H. , and CHERYL, L. , 2011. Are there productivity spillovers from Foreign direct investment? Pacific Economic Review, 16(2), 135-153 HAIYING, W. , 2004. economic research center discussion paper: A Comprehensive Evaluation of and Policy Recommendation to Foreign Direct Investment Environments in Western China. Nagoya University. KELLY, L. , 2011. Foreign Direct Investment in China Manufacturing Industry –Transformation from a Low Tech to High Tech Manufacturing. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(7), 15-27. SARUMI, A. , 2006.The Impact of FDI on Growth in Developing Countries: An African Experience. Master thesis, J. NK. PING University. SIZHONG, S. , (2011). Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Spillovers in China’s Manufacturing Sector. Th e Chinese Economy, 44(2), 25-42. TARUN, K. B. , (2012) Advantages and Disadvantages of FDI in China and India, international Business Research, 5(5), 164-174. USMAN, M. , MIR, H. , and AAMIR, M. , 2011. Does Market Size Affect Foreign Direct Investment? A Case of China. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(7), 1026-1033.

How Many Colleges Should You Apply To Expert Guide

How Many Colleges Should You Apply To Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many students stress over the same question: "How many colleges should I apply to?"How many is too many? How few is too few? There is so much disagreement on this topic, even among experts, that many students are left confused and unsure. In this article, I’ll clear up thisconfusion. I’ll give you an idea of how many schools you should apply to and explain the factors to consider when deciding how many colleges to apply to.After reading this guide, you'll feel confident about crafting your own college list and how long it will be. There's No Magic Number The number of colleges you should apply to depends on your specific situation. I believe you should apply to anywhere from one to 15colleges.The standard thinking from counselors has been that the average college-bound student should apply to about 6-8 colleges: 2-3 reach colleges, 2-3 target colleges, and 2 safety schools.Reach schools are colleges that are unlikely to offer you admission (less than a 30% chance), target schools are colleges that you have a decent chance of gaining admission to (a 30%-80% chance), and safety schools are colleges to which you’re almost guaranteed of admission based on your qualifications (greater than a 80% chance). You can roughly determine your odds of admission for each college by using the prepscholar admissions calculator. Just google the name of the school and â€Å"prepscholar admissions requirements.† The number of colleges you should apply to is dependent on your personal situation and your priorities when selecting a college. For example, if you have a dream school that offers early decision or early action, then you may only have to apply to one college.If you apply early decision, you’ll typically be submitting your application in November and should receive an admissions decision by December, before the application deadlines for most colleges.If you’re accepted to a school that you apply to early decision, you have to attend. You should still have a list of colleges to apply to in case you aren’t accepted or if you’re applying to any colleges, like University of California schools, that have an application deadline before December.If you’re admitted early decision, you have to withdraw your applications to any other colleges. How many schools should be on your list? Why You May Want To Apply to More Schools If you’re determined to go to a very selective college, then you may want to apply to more colleges than the average person. If you apply to 10 colleges to which you have a 25% chance of gaining admission, then you’re likely to gain admission to at least one of them.In fact, if you apply to 16 colleges with an average chance of admission of 25%, then you have a 99% chance of gaining admission to at least one of them, statistically. Check out this article for a better understanding of the math behind this calculation. If you take this approach, though, you should prepare yourself emotionally to be rejected from most of the schools you apply to. If, on the other hand, you’re not as concerned with selectivity andareextremely confident that you’ll be admitted to at least a couple of the colleges you apply to, you may only need to apply to two to four colleges. Why You May Want To Apply to Fewer Schools Here are a few factors that may limit the number of colleges you should apply to. Applications Cost Money and Time Unless you qualify for fee waivers, which are based on financial need, applying to college can be costly.The application fee for each college you apply to can be up to $75.Additionally, there can be costs associated with sending standardized test scores and AP scores to colleges. The SAT and ACT allow you to send four free score reports to colleges. Each additional score report currently costs $.25 per report for the SAT and $12 per report for the ACT. Also, you’re allowed to send one free AP score report, which contains all of your AP scores, to one college each year you take AP exams. Each additional score report costs $15. Therefore, if you apply to 20 colleges, you may have to pay over $2,000.Consider your budget (or ask your parents how much they’re willing to pay) when deciding how many schools to apply to. However, you should also view the costs of applying as an investment. If you get into a great college that fits your needs, then you’ll have an invaluable college experience that will enable you to have future professional success, and the money you spend on applying may end up being insignificant compared to the return on your investment. Furthermore, keep in mind that the cost of applying will probably be much, much less than the cost of attending college. Additionally, the application process takes time.Even though more and more colleges are using The Common Application, which allows you to apply to many schools with one application, many colleges still have their own applications or require supplemental essays.Each college application that requires additional essays will probably take you at least a few additional hours to complete. Make sure you have enough time to complete all the applications successfully without sacrificing the quality of your schoolwork or neglecting any other priorities you have outside of school. Filling out applications and writing good college essays take time. You Have Specific Needs That Only a Few Colleges Meet If only a few colleges fit your specific needs, then you don’t have to apply to a ton of colleges.For example, when I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to compete for an NCAA Division I gymnastics team. At the time, there were about 15 NCAA Division I men’s gymnastics programs. Even before I started doing college research or waited to see which schools recruited me, my options were very limited. I believe I ended up applying to 4 colleges, and admittedly, I only applied to one of those because I wanted to go on another recruiting trip. If you want to be in a very specific location or pursue a major that only a few schools have, then you may only need to apply to 3-5 colleges. You Don’t Have Much Time After You Receive Your Acceptances To Make Your College Decision Most colleges send their acceptance notices in the beginning of April, and typically, you only have until May 1 to select which college you’re going to attend.If you’re deciding between multiple colleges at this point, you’ll only have a few weeks to potentially take campus visits, compare the financial aid packages you’re offered, and do any necessary research to pick a college. The more colleges that accept you, the more stressful and difficult these few weeks may be for you, if you’re still unsure about which college is best for you. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. My Rules Regardless of the Number of Colleges You Apply To Follow these guidelines, regardless of the exact number of schools you end up applying to. Rule 1: Have at Least 2Safety Schools While I believe in maintaining optimism, it’s wise to prepare for a worst-case scenario. If you only get into your safety schools, you still want at least a couple of options to consider. Stay safe with safety schools. Rule 2: Don’t Apply to Any Colleges You Wouldn’t Want to Attend Considering the time and cost associated with applying to college, it’s pretty pointless to apply to a college that you have no desire to attend. Even if your safety schools aren’t your top choices, they should be colleges that you’d be willing to attend. Rule 3: Do the Majority of Your College ResearchBefore You Apply Before applying to college, you should have a good idea of what you’re looking for in a school.There are about 2,500 4-year colleges. Use college finders, college search websites, guidebooks, ranking lists, and campus visits to help decide which colleges you should apply to. Also, you can talk to your teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni to help you narrow down your list of schools. Rule 4: Try to Rank the Schools You Apply to Before You Receive Acceptances After you apply, continue to do your research and try to rank the schools assuming you were offered admission to all of them. This will make the selection process easier.Once you receive your acceptances and review your financial aid packages (if you apply for need-based aid), you can factor in the cost of attendance for each school into your decision. Rule 5: Be Realistic About Your Chances of Admission Even though it’s perfectly fine to apply to reach colleges, at a certain point, a college may be too much of a reach, and you’d be better served to focus on schools that are more likely to admit you.Usually, if your GPA and standardized test scores are well below those of the average student at a very selective college (less than a 25% acceptance rate), your odds of gaining admission will be extremely low, and in some cases, virtually nil. For example, in 2014, at Princeton University, only 2% of admitted students had a GPA below a 3.5. At Yale, out of high schools that provided class rank, 97% of admitted students graduated in the top 10% of their class. You may still have a realistic chance if there’s something exceptional in your application. If you’re a world-class athlete, the child of a major donor, or you’ve overcome incredibly unique obstacles, you may still have a legitimate shot at admission with subpar grades and test scores. Also, if your grades are on par but you have below average test scores for a selective college, you may still have a shot of getting in, especially if you’re from a disadvantaged or underrepresented background. Rob Mills/Flickr College List Examples Here are a couple of hypothetical examples to illustrate some of the concepts that I explained above. Example #1 Josie wants to go to a very selective college in the South. She has a 3.9 weighted GPA and received a 2250 on the SAT. She doesn't want to be too far from her home in Atlanta, but she is willing to consider schools that are a little further away, but still in the South, if they're a really good fit. She qualifies for application fee waivers, but she has limited time to complete applications due to her job, school, and extracurricular activities. She doesn't know exactly what she wants to major in, but she's interested in science. How many schools should Josie apply to? Well, Josie's options are immediately limited because she wants to go to a very selective college in the South that's strong in the sciences. Also, she would prefer to be close to Atlanta. Because she's focused on selectivity, she may want to consider applying to more schools, but her time is limited. I would recommend that Josie apply to about 8 schools. Here would be a sample list of schools to apply to for Josie: Reach Schools: Duke University and Vanderbilt University Target Schools: Georgia Tech, Emory University, University of Virginia, College of William and Mary Safety Schools: University of Georgia and Mercer University Example #2 George is from a small town in California. He knows he wants to major in agronomy or crop science. He is willing to go away for school, but he only wants to be on the West Coast or East Coast. He prefers a selective college, but that's not his biggest priority. George has a 3.6 weighted GPA and received a 28 on his ACT. He is not overly concerned with the cost or time needed to apply, but he does need financial aid and is worried about the cost of school. How many schools should George apply to? George's major of interest and desire to be on one of the coasts severely limit his choices. In order to give him options and a chance to attend a selective school, I would recommend that George apply to about 7 schools. That would give him a better chance of getting into a selective school, and he can compare the financial aid packages he receives or opt to go to an in-state public school if he doesn't receive the aid he's hoping for. Here would be a sample list for George: Reach Schools: UC Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Target Schools: University of Connecticut, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State Safety Schools: CSU Fresno, University of Vermont UC Davis arboretum (ludios/Flickr) Final Advice While there's no cap on the number of schools you can apply to, some students, especially those from affluent backgrounds who want to go to a selective college, can go overboard, applying to more than 20 or 30 colleges. Personally, I would strongly discourage any student from applying to more than 15 colleges.If you apply to more than that, you’re probably going to make the application process too stressful and time-consuming. Also, most students who apply to more than 15 colleges are applying to at least a few schools that they wouldn’t want to attend. If you do the necessary research before you apply, you should be able to limit your list of schools to 15 or fewer. Honestly, anything more than 10 feels excessive to me, but I understand that some students are capable of applying to more and want to give themselves more options. On the other hand, some students, especially those who are low-income or the first in their families to go to college, often apply to too few colleges.If you don’t have very specific needs that are limiting your college options, and if selectivity is a factor in your college decision, I recommend applying to at least 6 schools. Explore your options. Some students only apply to their local state school because that’s what’s expected of them. Many are completely unaware of all of the college options that are available to them. Consider state institutions, private colleges, and out-of-state schools. Don’t forget to apply to safety schools.I’ve mentioned it a couple of times, but if you’re applying to 4-year colleges, you want to make sure that you have options. What's Next? Before you decide how many schools to apply to, familiarize yourself with the complete college application timeline. You may also want to learn how to get into the most selective colleges. Once you start your applications, review how to write a great college essay. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: