Course Project

I have been In my current career field since approximately 1986. At that time, I was employed by a local county In Utah. The Job entailed helping juveniles who were being transitioned from their residential level of care to a higher level of care and vice versa. This was a standard government job that had a 9 to 5 work schedule with traditional benefits, I often think back to if I stayed there I would have retired by now.At the time, I was attending undergraduate school at the university of Utah. I had actually obtained this Job through the university. I continued to work in these types of low paying positions until my current move to Colorado Springs in 2002. The first job here was at an agency that was also a traditional type with traditional benefits and schedule. It did not pay too well and it was very demanding on me emotionally. After understanding how the agency was being paid by referral agency's I got an idea.This idea was that could contract for the service from particular agencies and an independent contractor. I could underbid the other agencies as well as receive almost 3 times as much pay. However, this would not Include benefits or have Income taxes removed. After I discussed this with my wife I decided to pursue this type of employment. I had already established my reputation In the community as a successful counselor. My specialty was working with teenagers who were struggling Witt their parent's and/or â€Å"at rise teenagers. I was able to obtain my in counseling as well.It seemed all was well for about 8 years. Problem Statement Masters degree In 2008, the economy went down and I lost a lot of my referrals as agency's started to ND services to meet their overdrawn budgets. I lost our house and had to rent. A colleague and I decided to combine contracts with some referral agencies and began to collaborate. We created a private practice as well. This has been very successful until recently when I was informed that some referral agencies were beginning to scrutinize the referral process to reduce services and meet budget demands.Again, referrals were reduced dramatically. I am at a decision making point whether to remain in this type of business or seek employment as a traditional worker for a government agency. I am 48 years old now. I am considering a career change. I am at a point in my life where I am thinking about retirement and having a Job that will be stable financially and provide necessary medical benefits as I am getting older and my health is starting to deteriorate. What is the general nature of the problem?My decision problem is deciding whether to quit my current employment as a private practice therapist and take a Job that will include traditional hours and benefits that my current employment does not have while continuing to be a therapist. What event triggered the situation? I was informed by a money manager accountant that I may not be receiving payment for a large piece of my billing for a particul ar month of service I provided. The reason given was that the referral agency had not paid the money manager. Are we imposing any constraints on the situation?I would not be able to change my employment until I am hired by a â€Å"traditional† employer. The higher paying â€Å"stable† employers are located 50 miles away so I will have to move. What are the underlying elements of the problem? Financial stability – I would like to have an employer that can meet a stability acquirement of being a position that will not be likely to end due too budget cut. Benefits – I would like to be in a position with medical benefits, retirement, and profit sharing. Continue to provide therapy- I would like to continue to be a therapist as I enjoy my career and feel I can still provide healing. Ђ Having to move 50+ miles away. Changing a comfort zone of being independent-This will probably be the most difficult of this position change. I can make or change my schedule at a moments notice. This allows me to be available for my family. Involving my family in the verbal decision and the impact on them. I cannot make this change without confiding in my family as the outcome will have an impact on their lives as well. Are there dependencies on other decisions? I have an established rapport in this community and have gained a large referral base because to this.This will help me to obtain a position in my career titled have current clients who will not be receiving a continuation of my intervention. My clients have become used to my service which is unique to me. I have a great attachment to being an independent contractor with all of the self-sufficient privileges. Objectives Statement I would like to make a decision on the direction of my long term career. This should be self-fulfilling and satisfying in a position that satisfies my career goals and financial goals.This should allow for personal growth, financial growth and the ability to provide a therapeutic service to clients that promotes long term success in their specific therapeutic needs. I want to be in a position that will be working towards retirement. I also want a position that will also provide health benefits. Fundamental Objectives fundamental objectives are to obtain a position that will be stable financially and be bled to provide benefits for medical and retirement. My meaner objectives are objectives that will help me obtain my fundamental objectives.I will determine which options that I have and what my overall cost financially and for my overall career will Alternatives After researching what my objectives are and determining my meaner objectives, I have found that I have three alternatives: Remain at my current agency where I have no benefits but I have independence in my schedule and direction of therapeutic service I provide to my clients. I am my own boss and am responsible for he hours I need to meet my personal financial demands. I will be able to r emain in my current location.I could move from within the city to a residence where there is more demand for my therapeutic service. My wife would not need to eventually change her Job if I stay with this position. Seek a position with a government agency where I can continue to be a therapist and provide a consistent intervention to meet client's therapeutic needs. This will have medical benefits and a plan for retirement. I would have a supervisor who will determine my financial growth. This session will require a movement approximately 50 miles away. I have a brother and sister who would be residing closer to me if I move.My wife could potentially keep her employment but transfer. She could potentially earn a position that would be better financially. She may have to change her current career if she cannot transfer. Seek a position with an agency that is not a government agency but I will need to cater the intervention to the specific clientele and adhere to the agency's specific intervention.. I would have a supervisor who will determine my financial growth. This position will provide medical benefits a retirement plan and potential for profit sharing. This would also require me to move approximately 50 miles away.I have decided that I would not like t compete with my current agency. This position will impact my wife similarly to the second alternative position. Selection As part of this process of selection I asked myself the following questions: Will I become bored with the position? I will be at this Job everyday and must come to the realization that I must be able to keep interested to avoid becoming bored. It the session one I will look forward to everyday? I currently enjoy my current Job. I feel at times at I TN t is not a Job but more to a rewarding elite to providing healing to others in need. ЂCan I see myself at this Job at a retirement age? I want to be able to visualize walking out the door with a great feeling rather than a feeling that i s cynical. Am I taking this position because I have to or want to? I do not want to make a decision that If I don't need to I won't. I have made decisions in the past that I regretted because I should have been focused on other priorities. Descriptions of Alternatives- My change decision have three alternatives that I need to determine what I must decide. They involve the actual decision making process and consequence.Alternative A- I make no changes and stay in current role, current pay and benefits. This has some risk but less that the other alternatives because I am aware of what I currently have. Alternative B- I will work in my role until I have the capital to move slowly. This alternative adds practicality to my decision. I currently cannot afford to move. I have estimated that it would cost approximately $5000 to eve from my location to Denver which is where I would need to move. This has more risk that alternative A but less than alternative C. Alternative C- If I move now w hich entails more risk financially.I could obtain a better position. I could reside closer to family siblings. I could potentially earn a higher salary. I could earn benefits. This would also give me weekends off and be home after pm every day. Consequences I ranked the alternative according to the potential risks. Alternative A had the least risk ( appendix A). Then I scored the financial cost (5 points), the lowest potential rate of redo (2 points), looking forward everyday (2 points), potential for retirement (2 points) and is the position want or a need (2 points) (Appendix B).If I were to use the additional factors, I could conclude to choose Alternative B. I could do this and if the economy was to improve and there was not a need for change other than a want for retirement. I have also determined that I could also potentially increase my referral base and meeting my temperamental objective. Conclusion The theory of rational choice making assumes that the relative favorite betw een two options does not depend on the presence of other options (Taverns and Simonton 1993).I have made decisions in the past without using a rational tool or additional meaner that can help without using emotions that were impulsive. In other words, rational choices satisfy the independence of irrelevant alternatives (IA) assumption Luck 1959). There are times that we are driven by emotions to make a decision that will have a impact that can affect our lives but have irrelevant consequences especially if we deduce that a fundamental objective is not connected in a long term decision.I feel that both career and mental health counseling skills are necessary to assist with the emotions of fear, anxiety, depression and self-doubt, as well as with career formation change, decision making, and implementation of a career change (Niles ; Harris-Bowlines, 2009). Elf we do not address these areas specifically as well urine this process of making a choice such as mine there could be addition al long term consequences. As I have stated in previous sections, I will remain at my current position. Course Project I have been In my current career field since approximately 1986. At that time, I was employed by a local county In Utah. The Job entailed helping juveniles who were being transitioned from their residential level of care to a higher level of care and vice versa. This was a standard government job that had a 9 to 5 work schedule with traditional benefits, I often think back to if I stayed there I would have retired by now.At the time, I was attending undergraduate school at the university of Utah. I had actually obtained this Job through the university. I continued to work in these types of low paying positions until my current move to Colorado Springs in 2002. The first job here was at an agency that was also a traditional type with traditional benefits and schedule. It did not pay too well and it was very demanding on me emotionally. After understanding how the agency was being paid by referral agency's I got an idea.This idea was that could contract for the service from particular agencies and an independent contractor. I could underbid the other agencies as well as receive almost 3 times as much pay. However, this would not Include benefits or have Income taxes removed. After I discussed this with my wife I decided to pursue this type of employment. I had already established my reputation In the community as a successful counselor. My specialty was working with teenagers who were struggling Witt their parent's and/or â€Å"at rise teenagers. I was able to obtain my in counseling as well.It seemed all was well for about 8 years. Problem Statement Masters degree In 2008, the economy went down and I lost a lot of my referrals as agency's started to ND services to meet their overdrawn budgets. I lost our house and had to rent. A colleague and I decided to combine contracts with some referral agencies and began to collaborate. We created a private practice as well. This has been very successful until recently when I was informed that some referral agencies were beginning to scrutinize the referral process to reduce services and meet budget demands.Again, referrals were reduced dramatically. I am at a decision making point whether to remain in this type of business or seek employment as a traditional worker for a government agency. I am 48 years old now. I am considering a career change. I am at a point in my life where I am thinking about retirement and having a Job that will be stable financially and provide necessary medical benefits as I am getting older and my health is starting to deteriorate. What is the general nature of the problem?My decision problem is deciding whether to quit my current employment as a private practice therapist and take a Job that will include traditional hours and benefits that my current employment does not have while continuing to be a therapist. What event triggered the situation? I was informed by a money manager accountant that I may not be receiving payment for a large piece of my billing for a particul ar month of service I provided. The reason given was that the referral agency had not paid the money manager. Are we imposing any constraints on the situation?I would not be able to change my employment until I am hired by a â€Å"traditional† employer. The higher paying â€Å"stable† employers are located 50 miles away so I will have to move. What are the underlying elements of the problem? Financial stability – I would like to have an employer that can meet a stability acquirement of being a position that will not be likely to end due too budget cut. Benefits – I would like to be in a position with medical benefits, retirement, and profit sharing. Continue to provide therapy- I would like to continue to be a therapist as I enjoy my career and feel I can still provide healing. Ђ Having to move 50+ miles away. Changing a comfort zone of being independent-This will probably be the most difficult of this position change. I can make or change my schedule at a moments notice. This allows me to be available for my family. Involving my family in the verbal decision and the impact on them. I cannot make this change without confiding in my family as the outcome will have an impact on their lives as well. Are there dependencies on other decisions? I have an established rapport in this community and have gained a large referral base because to this.This will help me to obtain a position in my career titled have current clients who will not be receiving a continuation of my intervention. My clients have become used to my service which is unique to me. I have a great attachment to being an independent contractor with all of the self-sufficient privileges. Objectives Statement I would like to make a decision on the direction of my long term career. This should be self-fulfilling and satisfying in a position that satisfies my career goals and financial goals.This should allow for personal growth, financial growth and the ability to provide a therapeutic service to clients that promotes long term success in their specific therapeutic needs. I want to be in a position that will be working towards retirement. I also want a position that will also provide health benefits. Fundamental Objectives fundamental objectives are to obtain a position that will be stable financially and be bled to provide benefits for medical and retirement. My meaner objectives are objectives that will help me obtain my fundamental objectives.I will determine which options that I have and what my overall cost financially and for my overall career will Alternatives After researching what my objectives are and determining my meaner objectives, I have found that I have three alternatives: Remain at my current agency where I have no benefits but I have independence in my schedule and direction of therapeutic service I provide to my clients. I am my own boss and am responsible for he hours I need to meet my personal financial demands. I will be able to r emain in my current location.I could move from within the city to a residence where there is more demand for my therapeutic service. My wife would not need to eventually change her Job if I stay with this position. Seek a position with a government agency where I can continue to be a therapist and provide a consistent intervention to meet client's therapeutic needs. This will have medical benefits and a plan for retirement. I would have a supervisor who will determine my financial growth. This session will require a movement approximately 50 miles away. I have a brother and sister who would be residing closer to me if I move.My wife could potentially keep her employment but transfer. She could potentially earn a position that would be better financially. She may have to change her current career if she cannot transfer. Seek a position with an agency that is not a government agency but I will need to cater the intervention to the specific clientele and adhere to the agency's specific intervention.. I would have a supervisor who will determine my financial growth. This position will provide medical benefits a retirement plan and potential for profit sharing. This would also require me to move approximately 50 miles away.I have decided that I would not like t compete with my current agency. This position will impact my wife similarly to the second alternative position. Selection As part of this process of selection I asked myself the following questions: Will I become bored with the position? I will be at this Job everyday and must come to the realization that I must be able to keep interested to avoid becoming bored. It the session one I will look forward to everyday? I currently enjoy my current Job. I feel at times at I TN t is not a Job but more to a rewarding elite to providing healing to others in need. ЂCan I see myself at this Job at a retirement age? I want to be able to visualize walking out the door with a great feeling rather than a feeling that i s cynical. Am I taking this position because I have to or want to? I do not want to make a decision that If I don't need to I won't. I have made decisions in the past that I regretted because I should have been focused on other priorities. Descriptions of Alternatives- My change decision have three alternatives that I need to determine what I must decide. They involve the actual decision making process and consequence.Alternative A- I make no changes and stay in current role, current pay and benefits. This has some risk but less that the other alternatives because I am aware of what I currently have. Alternative B- I will work in my role until I have the capital to move slowly. This alternative adds practicality to my decision. I currently cannot afford to move. I have estimated that it would cost approximately $5000 to eve from my location to Denver which is where I would need to move. This has more risk that alternative A but less than alternative C. Alternative C- If I move now w hich entails more risk financially.I could obtain a better position. I could reside closer to family siblings. I could potentially earn a higher salary. I could earn benefits. This would also give me weekends off and be home after pm every day. Consequences I ranked the alternative according to the potential risks. Alternative A had the least risk ( appendix A). Then I scored the financial cost (5 points), the lowest potential rate of redo (2 points), looking forward everyday (2 points), potential for retirement (2 points) and is the position want or a need (2 points) (Appendix B).If I were to use the additional factors, I could conclude to choose Alternative B. I could do this and if the economy was to improve and there was not a need for change other than a want for retirement. I have also determined that I could also potentially increase my referral base and meeting my temperamental objective. Conclusion The theory of rational choice making assumes that the relative favorite betw een two options does not depend on the presence of other options (Taverns and Simonton 1993).I have made decisions in the past without using a rational tool or additional meaner that can help without using emotions that were impulsive. In other words, rational choices satisfy the independence of irrelevant alternatives (IA) assumption Luck 1959). There are times that we are driven by emotions to make a decision that will have a impact that can affect our lives but have irrelevant consequences especially if we deduce that a fundamental objective is not connected in a long term decision.I feel that both career and mental health counseling skills are necessary to assist with the emotions of fear, anxiety, depression and self-doubt, as well as with career formation change, decision making, and implementation of a career change (Niles ; Harris-Bowlines, 2009). Elf we do not address these areas specifically as well urine this process of making a choice such as mine there could be addition al long term consequences. As I have stated in previous sections, I will remain at my current position.

A Compare/Contrast of Monet’s Grainstack(Sunset) and van Gogh’s The Sower

In this essay I will compare and contrast two paintings. The first is Grainstack (Sunset), painted by Claude Monet in 1891. The second is The Sower, which was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1888. Both paintings were painted around the same time and are very similar in style and subject, but their differences illustrate the change that was happening from the Impressionist to the Post-Impressionist movement. Just beginning with the obvious, both Monet and van Gogh used the same medium, oil on canvas. Both Grainstack and The Sower were paintings of the outdoors around sunset, focusing on the way that the setting sun played with the colors of the environment. They are representational artworks, portraying natural objects in recognizable form, although Monet’s Grainstack is more naturalistic than van Gogh’s Sower. When Monet painted Grainstack, he was experimenting with perceptual color. The idea of the Impressionist movement was to objectively record nature as it was seen by the painter, focusing on the effects of color and light. He painted Grainstack the way he saw it; not the actual color that we know it was, but the colors that the sunset made it appear. Van Gogh, at the beginning of the Post-Impressionist movement, was not merely trying to paint what he saw, but wanted to express emotion in the colors and lines. He was initially drawn to the subject matter by the contrasting colors of the sky and the field, how the contrast of the violet shadows on the field and the yellow sun in the sky almost irritated the eye. Where Monet painted what he saw, van Gogh changed and softened the image so as to portray the emotion in the contrasting colors while still making the painting pleasing to the eye. This became a recurring theme for van Gogh, as can be seen in The Night Cafe, which he painted very soon after The Sower. In both Grainstack and The Sower, the artists use a technique very similar to pointillism. They paint with visible brushstrokes, using colors that blend together to create the images that the artists wish us to see. However, where Monet uses smaller, thinner strokes to create a more streamlined image; van Gogh is more loose and free with his brush strokes, conveying emotion in the broad, expressive lines. This is another example of the transition from Impressionism to Post-Impressionism. The way that Monet and van Gogh approached these two paintings are slightly different. The focal point of Grainstack is the actual haystack. Its lines lead you toward the center of the page, but the main focus is the haystack, sitting off to the side. This gives it a slightly unbalanced feel. In The Sower, van Gogh achieves an asymmetrical balance by countering the visual weight of the farmer on the right, with the path, the birds and the house, all leading the eye to the left and back into the contrasting colors of the environment. While these two paintings may not seem very different at first glance, once you delve into them a little deeper, their differences almost outweigh their similarities. Painted right on the cusp of the transition from Impressionism to Post-Impressionism, these two paintings illustrate the slowly changing style of the period. Their color, line, and subject matter make Grainstack and The Sower perfect examples of the embodiment of their respective movements, and the subtle changes in style that were occurring. References: Doyle, Marc; Art Movements Timeline; The Art Industri Group Van der Wolk, J.; Vincent Van Gogh: Paintings and Drawings; 1990

A Look at the Worth of Gold and Silver As Illustrated By Adam Smith in His Book, The Wealth of Nations

A Look at the Worth of Gold and Silver As Illustrated By Adam Smith in His Book, The Wealth of Nations In the first book of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith discusses the Variations in the Proportion between the respective Values of Gold and Silver. Throughout history, these two metals have been regarded as mints of significant value. Before mines were found in America, the difference in value between silver and gold was usually seen as proportionate, where one ounce of fine gold was considered equivalent to anywhere from ten to twelve ounces of fine silver. More recently, the values have changed as much as one ounce of fine gold to be equal to as much as fourteen or fifteen ounces of fine silver. Over the years, it is said that both silver and gold have dropped in value, but the drop of silver has come more rapidly, therefore leading to the reason why gold has become proportionately even more valuable than in the past. Smith does claim, however, that both the gold and silver mines of America exceeded in fertility all those which had ever been known before, the fertility of the silve r mines had, it seems, been proportionally still greater than that of the gold ones. As a result of silver being more plentiful in comparison to gold, though it is considered less valuable it is certainly more important in many cases. Adam Smith says that it would be absurd to infer that because an ounce of gold will commonly purchase from fourteen to fifteen ounces silver, that there are commonly in the market only fourteen or fifteen ounces of silver for one ounce of gold. The amount of silver that can be found in the market is in all probability worth more in proportion to gold. Adam Smith feels that the cheaper of the two metals is f both more value and greatness due to the quantity that is accessible. He explains, There are so many more purchasers for the cheap than for the dear commodity that not only a greater quantity of it, but a greater value, can commonly be disposed of. The whole quantity, therefore, of the cheap commodity must commonly be greater in proportion to the whole quantity of the dear one than the value of a certain quantity of the dear one is to the value of an equal quantity of the cheap one. Silver can be seen as more valuable in the sense that it is used more often and more common. Silver even outclasses gold in certain cases, for example in the French coin where silver preponderates. In another instance, it is said that silver plate is more of more worth than gold plates. Another way in which Adam Smith shows the greater importance of silver is through the Spanish Market. Though he does admit that gold will always be more expensive, he feels that it is also cheaper in certain senses. He states that product is claimed cheap or expensive, not only according to the absolute greatness or smallness of its usual price, but according to the absolute greatness or smallness of its usual price, but according as that price is more or less above the lowest for which it is possible to bring it to market for any considerable time together. In Spain during this time, gold is closer to its lowest price than silver is because the tax put upon gold is five percent, whereas the tax put on silver is ten percent. Thus, miners for silver in this country are much more successful. Silver understandably then still takes a big part in monetary system during this time and is more important than gold in many instances. Though the value may differ in favor of gold, other factors come into play which raise the importance of silver. In the European market silver has raised in value a bit because decline in the amount found. With silver becoming scarcer, it adds to the importance of the metal since it is not as available. Smith explains that as mass increases the value of gold and silver diminishes. Smith says that anytime a metal is more used it is less cared for. Silver is a very important part of European monetary system during these times. The outright overall value can sometimes be very deceiving in comparing two precious metals. A rare gem is evidently going to be worth a lot, but silver would be much more handy in comparison. Silver during these times experienced some difficulties as far as price diminishment of a few occasions during the time of Adam Smith. He explains this by saying: The increase of expense must either, first, be compensated altogether by a proportionable increase in the price of the metal; or, secondly, it must be compensated altogether by a proportionable diminution of the tax upon silver; or, thirdly, it must be compensated partly by the one, and partly by the other of those two expedients. This third event is very possible. As gold rose in its price in proportion to silver, notwithstanding a great diminution of the tax upon gold, so silver might rise in its price in proportion to labour and commodities, notwithstanding an equal diminution of the tax upon silver. Thus, a momentary drop in silvers value is not to define the eternal value of the metal by any means, and in fact, a raise in value is probable. Though gold is more expensive than silver, in many senses, silver carries more importance. It is said that, The word VALUE, it is to be observed, has two different meanings, and sometimes expresses the utility of some particular object, and sometimes the power of purchasing other goods which the possession of that object conveys. The value of silver is elevated thanks to the big role it plays in many cases. Adam Smith explains, Though such commodities, therefore, come to exchange for a greater quantity of silver than before, it will not from thence follow that silver has become really cheaper, or will purchase less labour than before, but that such commodities have become really dearer, or will purchase more labour than before. He continues by clarifying, It is not their nominal price only, but their real price which rises in the progress of improvement. The rise of their nominal price is the effect, not of any degradation of the value of silver, but of the rise in their real price. Silver has then equaled the worth of gold in many ways, and had become a fierce competitor of the other precious metal during this time. Thanks to these other factors that played a part in the increase in value of silver, silver has become closer is not equal to the price of gold. Though the difference in literal price has not changed, the use and surplus of silver has made it more important, therefore more useful than gold. Adam Smith felt that silver was a very useful precious metal indeed.

Dance movie review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dance movie review - Essay Example The movie follows the first embarrassed steps of the dancers to how they gain confidence to perform an excellent dance that attracts a standing ovation. The video is raw as the audience can tell the dancers are inexperienced. There is no voice-over at the beginning of the film indicating that the neither the dancers nor the audience understood the events going on or what they were meant to be doing. This gives authenticity to the fact that they were very new to the dancing and that they did not know where to start. The movie brings out the personalities of the dancers as they go through the journey and also their stamina and courage. The film focuses mostly on the teenagers and their journey for growth and into adulthood. The movie is profound and very real as opposed to the mechanized dances that are so popular with other dance videos. Wim directed the film after the death of Pina, and it consisted some of the best works by Pina. The dances that are performed in Pina take place everywhere. There are dances in the forests, on the road sidewalks and even in the tram cars. The movie also has some interviews with some of the dancers where their responses are not by word but are rather contemplative as they give their answers. Instead of using words from their minds, they use the dances on their bodies signifying the influence that their mentor had on them. Not only did Pina teach and inspire the dancers to become who they are but she also inspired in them a similar character signifying that she was such a charismatic mentor and her dances lived beyond her. The movie is very exhilarating but there is no single work of dance that is complete in the movie hence leaving the audience a bit frustrated. The power that Pina had is communicated in the movie and the audience experiences a dance and a movie at the same time and thus remains very

Black Criticism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Black Criticism - Assignment Example As a critical theory, Black criticism single out condemnation and critique knowledge which is marked by more specific characteristic. The knowledge about racial discrimination presents itself as definite, final, and past human motivations and interests. As such, critical theory seek to destabilize such knowledge. Black criticism acknowledges that racialism is engrained within the system and fabric of American society. An individual racist does not need to so as to note institutional racism is universal in the leading culture. The theory recognizes that white supremacy and white privilege dominates the power structures, which propagates the marginalization of Blacks. Black criticism also discards the traditions of meritocracy and liberalism. Legal discourse reveals that the existing law is impartial and colorblind, nonetheless, the theory challenges this lawful â€Å"act† by scrutinizing meritocracy and liberalism as a means of self-interest, privilege and power.   Black criticism recognizes that meritocracy and liberalism are habitually stories told by those with power, wealth, and privilege. Such stories creates a wrong picture of meritocracy; every person who works hard enough can attain power, wealth, and privilege but disregarding the systemic inequalities which institutional ra cism offer. Intersectionality (examination of sexual orientation, race, class, gender, national origin, and how they interplay in various settings) in Black criticism leads to a multiple oppressions and identifies that race, in itself, cannot suggest disempowerment (Camara, 2011, pg. 63). This is a significant tenet in emphasizing that Black criticism is crucial for most oppressions facing folks of color. The theory does not commit to racism as one–dimensional approach to oppression due to the complexities of the world. An interpretation of white writing especially in racist nations illumines the level of Blacks` oppression –

Why do Urban Chinese Households save so much Dissertation

Why do Urban Chinese Households save so much - Dissertation Example Life Cycle Hypothesis Theory, and Overlapping Family Models, as well as a Literature Review on basic economics will be submitted to help develop an understanding of the behavioral patterns of this section of the Chinese population. The paper will conclude in a futuristic manner, contemplating whether the phenomenon will continue beyond 2015, when it is projected that the present working population group would have aged, and seeking to retire. The reference sources were chosen from a wide field, so that the best views of the technical minds available could be extracted and used to arrive at the conclusions made. It also enable comparisons to be made to see if there consistency in applications. Where this is observed it is highlighted to serve as concept reinforcements. Thanks must be given to my Professors as well as others who have provided timely support to make this project a reality. A. Introduction It would seem superficially that the Chinese government had designed a program to generate an extremely high propensity to save among its population, as well as in the national economy, during the last 30 years of the history of the country, but this may be far from being true. Analysts and Economists worldwide have become engaged in finding the answers as to why the Chinese Urban Household is saving so much? China’s unprecedented economic growth between 1978 and 2007 has not been matched by the levels of economic reforms which would have stabilized its financial and insurance markets, according to Wei, Yi (2011). During this growth period, the country’s foreign reserve increased dramatically from $2 billion to $2.4Trillion- a1000 fold increase, and propelled the nation into the position as being one of the world’s largest foreign reserves holder (Wen, Yi, 2011). Chamon and Prasad (2008), reports that between 1995 and 2005 the average urban household savings increase by 7% to about one quarter of disposable income, despite the rapid economic growth, and low government capped interest rates offered by banks (Chamon, M. Prasad, E. 2008). Experts opinion as to why the Urban Chinese household has been saving so much include biological motivations, men engaging in marriage marketing, Confucian philosophical beliefs, social imbalance, government policies, economic uncertainties, sex ratio imbalance, urban household behavioral issues, market and economic variations. Models have been designed and developed to explain the behavior of urban Chinese households, but do they successfully account for all the variables and how they affect each other in different provinces, under different birth orders, the number of children, and the educational and financial status of parents, remains to be seen. The roles of the firms and the government regarding the wages paid to workers, as well as the removal of the benefits of the social net may also be the real reason why the savings patterns had developed under the puzzling eyes of the global experts. It is also worth contemplating whether the reliability of a model should

Biography of Nikola Tesla Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biography of Nikola Tesla - Research Paper Example Tesla completed his education at Technical University at Graz, University of Prague. He breathed his last in New York. Though born in Croatia, he came to United States in the year 1884 and was working along with Thomas Edison. The two had worked together on many projects and both parted ways shortly thereafter. Tesla did not confine his research to a particular area alone and was actively involved in the areas of robotics, wireless transmission of energy, radar and many others (Seifer, 1998). The researches made by Tesla led the ground for many inventions and discoveries at a later point of time by other inventors. He was known to have highest patents up to about 700 of them in the twentieth century. The efforts and results of Tesla’s research paved way for greater technological advancements. He was fondly called as the Father of AC Current, The Man Who Invented the 20th Century and also Father of the Radio. All these names are provided as he laid the foundation for greatest a dvancement in various sphere in the 20th century (O'Neill, 2007). Tesla completed his electrical and mechanical engineering course from the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria. He inherited his inventive thoughts from his mother who used to create absolutely innovative ways to help at farm and home. The idea of rotating magnetic hit Tesla when he was working at the Central Telephone Exchange in Budapest in the year 1882. At the age of 24 years, Tesla decided to move to New York where there was proper back up for his research. With his move to New York came the opportunity to work with Thomas Edison by way of recommendation. Tesla and Thomas worked together in the electrical and magnetic fields related areas. There rose a professional rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla over the concept of alternating current. Edison was of the opinion that current can flow through one direction, the direct way. Tesla challenged this contention and brought forth the idea that current ca n move in the alternative direction as well. Tesla declared that electric energy comes in a cycle and could easily change the course of direction. He further held that the current created through alternative current method could generate more voltage current than the direct ones. This idea did not go down well with Edison who felt that his ideas are far away from what Thomas had at hand. Edison did not recognize Tesla’s idea about alternating current and did not award him with the bonus that he deserved. Eventually, Tesla quit working with Edison and moved apart. Soon after his departure with Thomas Edison, Tesla joined hands with George Westinghouse, one of the well known American industrialist and inventor of that time. George Westinghouse was a rival of Thomas Edison so he roped in Tesla into his group and encouraged his research on the alternating current AC. Tesla worked with George in order to develop the alternating current in the year 1888. George Westinghouse investe d and bought 40 patents of Tesla for the polyphase alternating current system for using over motors, transformers and that of generators. Electricity was considered to be dangerous at that time due to several mishaps and shocks that happened while researching. Edison fuelled the fear for electric current by creating mishaps and creating the belief that alternative current is dangerous and only direct current serves the purpose of providing a safe current for home and

Social Impact of Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Impact of Technology - Research Paper Example As one of the issues of technology, this study will generally focus on electronic media and its impact to the society. Electronic media is generally media that uses electromechanical energy or electronics for the target audience to access the information. As a technological issue of development in the present world, electronic media has various familiar sources, which are general to the public. Some of the common sources of electronic media include video recordings, multimedia presentations and audio recordings. Electronic media as a technological issue first rose into prominence in late 1870’s and has been changing with the advances in technology. Technological revolution, which occurred in late 1880s, played a big role in revolutionizing mass media and in this context electronic media. Moving to electronic media during the 20th century generally ensured that communication would be ubiquitous and faster. On the other hand, electronic media as a technological form remains part of an evolutionary progression. The introduction of electronic media in the society was welcomed across the globe. This was a major step technologically and, therefore, meant the society was changing in terms of how it looks on things. It also meant there were improvements in terms of the existing technological advances already in place. Electronic media was developed for entertainment purposes. Alternatively, electronic media was developed for social betterment and an easier communication aspect in the society. The emergence of global societies has also played a key for the development of technology. The emergence of these societies necessitated the need to connect people and the creation of global communities. Long before, any form of technology across the globe. During this period, human life was restricted because of technology applications unavailability. Human beings never got to enjoy luxurious life as that of the modern societies (Schmeikal, 45).

Proposed Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Proposed Plan - Term Paper Example The iPhone 5S will be developed through making improvement on the features of the iPhone 5C product. This involves improving the memory to 40GB, increasing the processing speed, improving the internet connection capability, enhancing compatibility with other technological devices like PCs, and making it user friendly through making simple usage procedures. The improved features will ensure superior product which will ensure customer satisfaction. The sales projections by the marketing team indicated that 1 million units of the product will be sold globally, this is the daily average. One unit of the product will be sold at $800. This translates to a daily sales value of $800,000,000. The marketing team has given advice on exploiting the huge Chinese market. For further information on this new product development project, please contact me through my email address or telephone number. All strategies and resources are in place to ensure effective and efficient development of the iPhone

Analysis on state and local taxes on the poor Essay

Analysis on state and local taxes on the poor - Essay Example This is due to tax credits that reduce their tax liability. Stimulus measures that were enacted to offset effects of the 2998-2009 recession went further to reduce their tax burden. As of 2011, the lowest quintile would pay taxes equal to about 0.8 percent of their income. This is according to Creedy (2011). From the above explanation, the answer to whether the poor are taxed more than other groups can be draw. Creedy (2011) explains that they are not. This is simply because taxes are levied on a percentage. Low-income households will be taxed a smaller percentage of their income as compared to middle and high income households. Raising the minimum wage will have the effect of reducing poverty only in some geographical areas and not at the national level. This is because increased minimum wage will affect poverty based on the population density of an area. The higher the population density, the more the effect of the higher minimum wage. This is due to the fact that poverty is also a function of population density ad not individual households. This is explained by Cunningham

Short Essays Essay Example for Free

Short Essays Essay Ans. 5: If the stars move across the sky in circles centered directly overhead, the loacation of the observer would either be north pole or the south pole. This could be the location because the earth moves around the axes. This can be exaplained by looking at the following justification: Anyone who would be looking at the sky, would be always standing at the top of the earth. Therefore, the objectcs present at the celestial sphere which are classified relative to the ground willl occur at the same point of the sphere. In order to locate a person, we can mark the horizon diagonally to the mid of the celestial sphere, in such a way that the centre of the earth and the slestial sphere are identical. The observer’s view of the sky doesn’t matter, whether the sky’s view of the observer is the cut off position that is spotted by the horizon therfore the horizon is always kept perfect. The next points for reference would be the North Celestial Pole and the South Celestial Pole. If the person is standing at the equator, the pole would be horizontal through the Earth. If the observer is located at one of the poles, then these poles would go from the earth vertically. The north and the south celestial pole would be marked at the intersections. These intersections would be the result of exrtending the earth’s pole out to the celestial sphere. If we are at the southern hemisphere, the south celestial pole would be below the horizon, which makes it to be on the opposite side of the celestial sphere and for northern hemisphere, this situation is inverted. Ans. 9: Ptolemaic Model: The Ptolemaic model describes the obvious movement of the planets in a very direct and a straight way. this apporach is achieved by supposing that each planet of the solar system moves on a small and tiny sphere or circle. This circle is better known as epicycle. This epicycle moved on a larger sphere or circle. This larger sphere is called as a deferent. It was assumed, that the stars move on a celestial sphere around the outside of the planetary spheres. Copernican Model: Copernican Model is better known as the sun centred solar system. This model explained that the true movement of the planets is not in a uniform circular motion, around. Due to this reason, the Copernican model would still need to have those small nad tiny circles on which the planets move, called the epicycles. The main feature of the Copernican model that differs this model from the ptolemaic model was the retrograde loops. These loops of the planets, the way they are seen from the Earth, arise physically as a result of the plantes motion altogether combined with the Earth’s motion. The Ptolemaic model was considered wrong because it was not precise and as the time passed by the predictiopn in the model proved to be worse and worse. Although this model was very good to predict the position of the planets. Rather than having larger epicycles, earth moving around the sun could also explain the retrograde motions of the planets. Ans. 10: The ptolemaic model accounts better for variations in the brightnesses of the various planets with time. The ptolemaic model contains Epicycles. These epicylces are tiny circles on which the planets move. The epicycles were establish to clarify variations in brightness of the planets as compared to the eccentrics. Eccentric circles are the circular paths that are intended to be seen from some internal point moved from the centre of the circle. These circles allow better estimations of the celestial movements. The copernican model doesnot account for the brightness issue because the Planets in the solar system closer to the Sun tend to moved faster rather than the planets which are further away from the sun. This way, at times a planet could be on the similar side of the sun as the earth and this could make them appear brighter and on the other hand, a planet that could be on the opposite side of the sun from the earth will tend to appear dimmer because it was far away. Therefore the ptolemaic model tends to take care the issue of brightness of the planets as it has different circles for all the planets to revolve around. This makes each planet to appear brighter individually. Ans. 15: High tides are the result of the difference between the gravitational pull of the Moon on the either side of the Earth. The Tidal forces gradually slow down the rotation of the Earth. These Tidal forces slowly increase the dimensions of the orbit of the Moon. The level of the sea rises atleast twice a day. This level is divded into 2 parts. When the sea reaches the highest level, it is said to be high tide. The sea is said to be at low tide when it is at its lowest level or somewhere in between the midway to the highest level. the tides of the earth are defined as the deformation of the ocean and also of the Earth. A gravitational pull is exterted by the moon toward the earth. This is done when the moon is pulled on by the earth. As you get away from the moon, the gravitational force applied by the moon or any other object decreases gradually. Theorotically the pull by the moon on the near by side of the earth is about 7% greater. Therefore it can be said that the difference between the earth’s turn in its axis and the high tide is a result of the gravitational pull by the moon. References: Wikibooks (2008). Astronomy. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from http://en. wikibooks. org/wiki/Astronomy

The lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture Essay Example for Free

The lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture Essay This essay will be looking at the Shariah and how it is applied and how it affects the lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture. In Islam Shariah is the name for the Islamic law, which applies to all aspects of the life of a Muslim. The Shariah includes all aspects of life from the daily activities, worship, criminal law and everything else. It is compulsory by every Muslim and by all Muslim nations to put into practice the Islamic Shariah and make it the source of all law and legislation. In Arabic, Shariah means the clear, well-trodden path to water. (www.bbc.co.uk). In Islam is it used to refer to the matters of religion that Allah has passed down for His servants, water is vital to all human life so the clarity and uprightness of Shariah is the means of life for the soul and the mind. (www.ourisalmonline.com) Over one and half million people living in Britain are Muslims. The Muslim community in Britain is mostly Asian, people who have immigrated are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and East Africa; also there is a minority of Muslims from Cyprus, Turkey, the Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia who are also permanently settled here in Britain for employment and business. Psychologically a person would judge her/himself by her/his ideals whereas one tends to judge others by their practices and this is also true of interaction between cultural groups. Muslims living in Britain, for example would judge the majority group, the British as a homogeneous group referring to it as the other. This emphasises the characteristics and behaviour, which are most different from their own, they will tend to judge more in their view of the Islamic ideal. It is the same for the British who will judge the characteristics of Muslims in view of their own ideal based upon a conception of what is typically British. (Roald 2001, 119) The family is the central to the whole scheme of social life as seen by Islam; therefore it must be preserved and strengthened at all costs. This concern is due to a number of laws laid down by Islam, for example like those regarding the relationship between the sexes and their intermingling, punishments for extra-marital sex, dress and many other related things. Unlike the structure of English families, the family structure of the Muslim family is very different, it includes well defined rights and obligations and the Muslim parents are enjoined in the Quran to meet their family obligations with kindness and justice. The Quran asks the children to love and respect their parents; mothers in particular as the most worthy of respect, help and love. Due to this particular nature of Islam as a total way of life and the role of the family life, the younger generation of Muslims in Britain are often in a state of confusion and conflict in meeting the religious and the family duty on one hand and on the other trying to gain total acceptance within the English communities in which they study, work in which they are surrounded in. Some British cultures believe that Islam is a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him). They say that He was the Founder of Islam and that at times it is referred to as Mohammadanism. Islam stresses upon the fact that it is not a new religion and that Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) did not bring a new faith. Islam says that he was the last of the Prophets, which included Abraham, Moses and Jesus and that He only renewed what they had preached. He cannot be called the Founder of Islam and Islam can defiantly not be called Mohammadanism. (Al-Attas 1978, 21) Islamic life is based on two foundations, which is belief and action. The fundamental beliefs that Islam teaches are the belief in One God (Allah), in all the Prophets of Allah last of all was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the belief in the Quran; and in the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgement and the life after death. Muslims also must believe in the angels, as the servants of Allah who bring His message to the Prophets and obey and implement His commands. Belief in the Oneness of Allah is the foundation of Islam; Allah is One, Unique, the All Powerful, the Sustainer and Nourisher of the entire world; in Whose hands are the life and death of all creatures. Every Muslim is required as an important part of his faith is to believe and respect all the Prophets of Allah. Denial of one is the denial of all. Islam is based on five pillars; these are the basic and formal structure of worship, which enables a Muslim to transform his entire life into an act of worship. The first pillar is the declaration of faith, which is known as the Shahadah, the second pillar is prayer, to pray five times a day (this is known as Salah). The third pillar is the welfare due to the needy (Zakah), the fourth is to fast during the month of Ramadan (Sawm) and the final pillar is to go at least once in a life time on the pilgrimage to Makka (Hajj) if one can afford to and is fit in health wise. (Basic Principals of Islam, 5) The Shariah is in the Holy Quran and the life example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is embodied in the Sunnah and this is where the law is revealed by Allah for the Muslims. The Islamic Law is not made by Muslims. The law is interpreted by Muslim scholars but once it is derived from the Quran or the Sunnah it can never not even by a simple comma be changed. The Western mass media have tended to present a distorted and biased view of the Islamic Law and have associated it with the particular Muslim countries in relation to singular dramatic events such as the event on September 11th. The Shariah is explained in K.J. Murads article the Shariah is not merely a collection of dos and donts, or just a set of criminal laws prescribing punishments for certain crimes. The Shariah literally means a clear path. It is the path that man, in Islam must walk as he toils and strives to reach his Creator. It is the yearning deep within to seek the Lord and the Master that the Shariah translates into steps, concrete and measured, on the pathways of life. The Shariah is the fulfilment of the total man inner and outer, individual and corporate as he strives to live by the will of his One and only God. (Ahsan and McDermott 1993, p29). The Shariah consists of things which are expressly prohibited (haram) for example eating any food derived from the pig, consuming alcohol, gambling, interest and adultery are specifically forbidden. There are certain Muslim practices in which people who are involved in various relationships with Muslims require a certain amount of information. These are related to various aspects such food, dress, sex, marriage, family, public worship etc. It is necessary not only to have the full information on the Islamic Law but the relations and attitudes on these matters. It is also vital to understand and respect the norms and values which belong to a culture different from the Western but in no way less civilised or inferior. Islam develops a framework of life where this world and the other world are fused together and has joined it into a whole. This world, this place is not something to be run away from, there is only a very short stay here for where the human beings placed on this earth are being examined, tested, purified and developed by the Almighty Allah. Man must stay within his or her limits and is allowed to use all the good things which are available on this earth. Nothing created can be made unlawful without authority from the Creator, there can be no ignorance, superstition, traditions and customs. In the British culture ignorance and superstition has increased a lot. There is ignorance between friends, families, business companies over authority, hierarchical needs. There is ignorance between friends over clothes, money, and fashion tastes and if they belong and are member of a social group. Various forms of supersitiions have embedded in peoples minds over time in Britain for example if you break a mirror you will have bad luck for seven years, walking underneath a ladder brings a person bad luck, Friday the 13th etc. Traditions and customs are more compulsory in the Asian community especially in places such as Pakistan but they still remain in the British culture but it is not as strong. Traditions and customs of a Pakistani family based in Pakistan tend to have more arranged marriages and allow their child only to get married to someone whom is of the same language and background. Whereas now in Britain it has become common for Muslims from different countries and backgrounds to get married and it is more of a free choice. Islam also urges that the needs and the desires of the body are not caused by evil within the person. All of them which is food, drink, sleep and sex should be satisfied only within the limitations set by Allah, once they are satisfied in violation of the limits set by the Almighty do they then become evil. (Lewis 1994, 111) According to Islam all foods are lawful and consumable unless it is stated in the Quran or the Sunnah otherwise. All varieties of fish and all kinds of vegetables are allowed in Islam, it is only the variety of meat, which Islam discriminates between certain animals. Pig in all forms and carnivorous animals whether slaughtered ritually or not is specifically forbidden. According to the Islamic law, the animal should be killed in such a way that blood flows out, usually by a very sharp knife penetrating the inner part of the animals neck and the name of Allah should be said upon it while it is being killed. Muslim communities in Britain has set up their own system of supplying halaal meat through shops run by Muslims. Nowadays supermarkets such as Safeways also supply halaal meat. The Kosher meat of the Jews is can also be eaten by Muslims, as the Jewish religion slaughter their animals in a very similar way also mentioning the name of God over them. Other foods sold in supermarkets which is either prepared or unprepared, Muslims need to read the list of ingredients very carefully whenever he or she intend to buy any food. The main problem in Britain unfortunately is giving the information about the ingredients in certain products as it is not legally binding. (www.youngmuslims.ca) In Islam it does not mention at all in the Quran or the Hadith of which dress a Muslim male or a Muslim female should wear. It has given broad outlines to all Muslims that they should cover their bodies properly and with decency.the minimum part of the body that should be covered by the man is from his navel to his knees and for a woman, she should be covered from head to toe leaving only the face and the hands. The main problem in the British culture between Muslims and non-Muslims is the competition between each other in fashion and taste to impress the opposite sex. Non-Muslims would and are able to go to extreme measures especially the female sex to make themselves more attractive by wearing fitted and revealing outfits. This has an influence on the Muslim females as they are in conflict in meeting religious obligations on one hand and gaining total acceptance with the host community. It has been realised that there is a Muslim Community in Britain, which believes in Islam. The Muslim child in Britain is likely to speak his native language (Urdu, Pashto, Bengali, Punjabi or Gujarati in most cases) at home, Arabic in prayers and English at school. In spiritual, religious and educational matters the Islamic religion gives man and woman equal rights making no differentiation between their opportunities in education and learning. The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bring peace upon him) said Pursuit of learning is a duty for every Muslim man and women without distinction between, since learning is venerated in Islam and its pursuit obligatory. (Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools 1975, p12). Although Islam allows the equal rights to men and women but these rights are not necessarily those which will help them to follow the same roles and fulfil the same functions as society. The Holy Quran emphasises the womanly duties set upon them such the role of a wife and the motherly role. It is a lot of responsibility and it takes up a lot of the time of the women. In the hands of the women is the care of her familys social, religious and moral welfare whereas the male of the house, expectations from him are the fatherly roles and to be a husband, and also he is expected to accept the responsibility for providing the means by which the family may survive. According to Islam, there is a specific sex individuality in man and woman which they must preserve and cherish because it is this individuality which gives them honour and dignity and enables them to fulfil in an effective manner their specific role in society. In the Hadith it clearly shows that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) strongly disapproved of either sex imitating the behaviour of the other n their dress and manners. (Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools 1975, p13). Sex relationships outside marriage are clearly forbidden; an even intimate or sensual conversation between members of the opposite sex is disapproved of. This leads on to the point which is causing great concern to many Muslim parents in Britain today. These fears are similar to many of the Christian parents whom have gone through and still also do, in the face of growing permissiveness within this society. Some Muslim parents have even been prepared to keep their daughters at home in order to avoid conflict between the religious methods which confronts them when they reach secondary school age. The girls are not allowed to enter the free society of males other than close relations. This means that no Muslim girl ought to go a mixed secondary school. Also it must not be forgotten that a young unmarried Muslim male also needs a great deal of guidance. In the Times Educational Supplement there was an article saying that in and out of school life teenage girls were subjected to strong sexual pressures of various kinds. There is a constant drive towards early dating, their contemporaries expect it, commercial world exploits it. For many girls the single sex school was almost the only place where they could value others and be valued by them as persons with social intellectual and temperamental qualities to be enjoyed and fulfilled quite apart from the accident of sex'. (Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools 1975, p17). A Muslim child faces a very distressing conflict situation with respect to the many and varied roles he is required to play. For a Muslim child, the parents, with their Islamic, ethnic and village background; the family, the peer group within and outside the home, the mass media, the school environment, the teacher, the text book and society in general all combine together to put upon him very confusing and conflicting demands. What the child needs is a very high degree of sympathy and understanding from his home and his school. Given moral support from the family, guidance from the mosque and religious tolerance and respect from teachers and community workers, the young Muslim can learn to fulfil the rights and obligations upon him or her within the British society. In modern times, forces such as Western-style nationalism, tribalism and linguistic affinities, as well as the different ways in which various parts of the Islamic world have experienced the modern world and such forces as colonialism, secular nationalism, racialism and Western lay humanism have caused a significant variation in the manner and degree of attachment of many Muslims to Islam. (Nasr 1997, p78). There are Muslims in this world who never miss their daily prayers and live as much as they can by the Shariah, who consider their manner and attitude of following Islam to be the only manner. Yet again in contrast in the modern world there are also others who do not follow by the laws and still consider themselves as being defiantly Muslims. Also there are even who do not do anything specifically Islamic yet call themselves Muslims and would protest if called anything else. (Eaton 1997, 89), (www.usc.edu) Referencing Ahsan, M McDermott, M (1980) The Muslim Guide The Islamic Foundations Al-Attas, S (1978) Islam and Secularisation, Suhail Academy Lahore Pakistan Basic Principals of Islam, Albirr Foundations U.K. Eaton, G (1997) Islam and the Destiny of Man, The Islamic Text Society Islamic Education and Single Sex Schools Lewis, P (1994) Islamic Britain, I.B. Tauris Nasar, S (1987) Traditional Islam un the Modern World, Suhail Academy Lahore Pakistan Roald, A (2001) Women in Islam, London and New York www.bbc.co.uk www.usc.edu www.ourisalmonline.com)

The arguments for floating and fixed exchange rates

The arguments for floating and fixed exchange rates Evaluate the respective arguments for floating and fixed exchange rates. Your answer should include an exploration of theoretical issues and evaluation of historical and contemporary experiences of alternative international monetary regimes. Historical Overview of the International Monetary System (IMS) The International Monetary System refers to the institutional framework within which International payments are made, movements of capital are accommodated and exchange rates are determined. An appreciation of the international monetary system is essential for the understanding of the flow of international capital or currency  [1]  . The exchange rate regimes that have been practised for over a century have taken the forms of fixed and floating mechanisms. Floating exchange rate is that which allows exchange rate to vary in accordance with the changes in the supply and demand for foreign exchange. Fixed exchange rate refers to a currency price that is intentionally prevented from fluctuating by means of specific government policies that influence the supply and demand for foreign exchange  [2]  . Reviewing the principal international monetary systems that nations have practised over the past century, it would be seen that each mechanism carries with it a set of rules which are sometimes explicit in the form of laws or regulations and sometimes implicit in the form of conventions or customs that are in the parlance of international finance termed the rule of the game  [3]  . Ronald McKinnon (1993) describes the operations of he principal international systems of the last century and noted that the period from 1914 to 1945 reflected the global turmoil of two World Wars and the Great Depression that no uniform system could be ascribed to the period. Mckinnon (1993) organises his review into seven different episodes except the inter-war period, each having own set of rules  [4]  . McKinnons categorization appears to have been rendered outdated by more recent development in the international monetary system. From my own point of view, I would rather classify the metamorphosis of the international monetary system into eight episodes that are discussed below:- 1. Bimetallism Period Before 1875:- Commodity money system using both silver and gold which are precious metals for international payments and for domestic currency because they possessed the features of a means of exchange such as intrinsic value, portable, recognizable, homogenous, divisible, durable and non-perishable  [5]  . Under a bimetallic standard (or any time when more than one type of currency is acceptable for payment), countries would experience Greshams Law which is when bad money drives out good money  [6]  . 2. The International Gold Standard -(1879-1913) For about 40 years most of the world was on an international gold standard, ended with World War II when most countries went off gold standard. London was the financial centre of the world, most advanced economy with the most international trade. Rules of the Game I The International Gold Standard -(1879-1913) Fix an official gold price or mint parity and allow free convertibility between domestic money and gold at that price; Impose no restriction on the import or export of gold by private citizens, or on the use of gold for international transactions; Issue national currency and coins only with gold backing, and link the growth in national bank deposits to the availability of national gold reserves. In the event of a short-run liquidity crisis associated with gold outflows, the central bank should lend freely to domestic banks at higher interest rates. If Rule (i) is ever temporarily suspended, restore convertibility at the original unit parity as soon as practicable. As a result of these practices, the worldwide price level will be endogenously determined based on the overall world demand and supply of gold. Source:- All the Rules of the Game were adapted from Ronald I. Mckinnon, The Rules of the Game:- International Money in Historical Perspective, Journal of Economic Literature, Volume 31 (Mar 1993) Arguments in Support of the Gold Standard Price Stability through the tying of money supply to the supply of gold, central banks are unable to expand the money supply. The only ways in which they can do so are by acquiring more supplies of gold through production or by running balance of payments surpluses with other countries  [7]  . Facilitates Balance of Payment adjustment automatically this was first described by David Hume and is referred to as Humes specie flow mechanism  [8]  . Arguments Against the Gold Standard The growth of output and the growth of gold supplies needs to be closely linked.- For example, if the supply of gold increased faster than the supply of goods did there would be inflationary pressure  [9]  . Volatility in the supply of gold could cause adverse shocks to the economy  [10]  . In practice, the monetary authorities may not be forced to strictly tie their hands in limiting the creation of money, so some of the theoretical advantages may not hold up. For example, the Central Bank could issue more currency without having acquired more gold, and the public may not become aware of what is going on  [11]  . Countries with respectable monetary policy makers cannot use monetary policy to fight domestic issues like unemployment. 3. The Inter-War Period (1919-1939) After the eruption of the World War I, each warring country after the other put the gold convertibility on hold and embraced the floating exchange rates. However, the United States which joined the battle late, upheld gold convertibility but the dollar floated effectively against other currencies that had ceased to become convertible into dollars. Many exchange rates fluctuated sharply after the war and in the early and through mid-twenties as a lot of currencies experiencing massive devaluations against the dollar but the United States currency had greatly improved its competitive strength over the European currencies during the war in tandem with the stronger relative position of the United State economy  [12]  . Sequel to a prolonged internal debate, the United Kingdom restored the gold convertibility at the pre-war parity against the United State dollar  [13]  . It was not surprising to see other countries emulate Britain and returned to the gold but in many cases at devalued rates and what was the impact of this action on those countries economy? The anomalies and disequilibria created during the war were not well manifested in the par values that were established in the mid-twenties  [14]  . The exchange markets were characterised by turbulence and chaos during the 1930s. Under a condition serious global depression and erosion of confidence, the international monetary system broke down into rival currency blocs, competitive devaluations, discriminatory trade restrictions and exchange controls, high tariffs and barter trade arrangements. Several efforts geared at re-establishing order proved abortive.  [15]   4. The Spirit of the Bretton Woods Agreement (1945) In July, 1944, the International Monetary and Financial Conference organised by the United Nations attempted to put together an international financial system that eliminated the chaos of the inter-war years. The terms of the agreement were negotiated by forty four nations, led by the U.S. and Britain. The British delegation was led by John Maynard Keynes, perhaps the most famous economist of the twentieth century  [16]  . In essence, the Bretton Woods Agreement sought a set of rules that would remove countries from the tyranny of the gold standard and permit greater autonomy for national monetary policies. The negotiators recognised the historical shortcomings of other systems and the trade-offs they would face in trying to balance stable yet adjustable exchange rates. Rules of the Game II:- The Spirit of the Bretton Wood Agreement (1945) Fix an official par value for domestic currency in terms of gold or a currency tied to gold as a numeraire; In the short run, keep the exchange rate pegged within 1.0% of its par value, but in the long run leave open the option to adjust the par value unilaterally if IMF concurs; Permit free convertibility of currencies for current account transactions but use capital controls to limit currency speculation; Off-set short-run balance of payments imbalance by use of official reserves and IMF credits, and sterilize the impact of exchange market interventions on the domestic money supply. Permit national macroeconomic autonomy; each member pursuing its own price level and employment objectives. The IMF was created with the specific goal of being the multilateral body that monitored the implementation of the Bretton Woods agreement. Its role was to hold gold reserves and currency reserves that were contributed by the member countries and then lend this money out to nations that had currency difficulty meeting their obligations under the agreement.  [17]   Currencies had to be convertible:- central banks had to exchange domestic currency for dollars upon request. However, certain countries were also allowed to institute capital controls on certain types of transactions. Only current account related transactions were required to be fully convertible and countries were allowed to impose restrictions on the exchange of capital account related transactions.  [18]   The Asymmetric Position of the Reserve Centre Country In a world with N countries there are only N-1 exchange rates against the reserve currency. If all the countries in the world are fixing their currencies against the reserve currency and acting to keep the rate fixed, then the reserve country has no need to intervene  [19]  . The Collapse of the Bretton Woods System Bretton Woods faltered in the 1960s because of a U.S. trade and budget deficits. Nations holding U.S. dollars doubted the U.S. government had gold reserves to redeem all its currency held outside the U.S. Demand for gold in exchange for dollars caused a large global sell-off of dollars  [20]  . In 1971, the U.S. government closed the gold window by decree of President Nixon. The world moved from a gold standard to a dollar standard: from Bretton Woods to the Smithsonian Agreement  [21]  . Growing increase in the amount of dollars printed further eroded faith in the system and the dollars role as a reserve currency. By 1973, the world had moved to search for a new financial system one that no longer relied on a worldwide system of pegged exchange rates.(Levich, 2004) 5. The Floating Rate Dollar Standard (1973-1984) The floating rate system that developed after the fall of the Bretton woods was not devoid of rules and the rules which were of two folds, one set of rules for countries other than the United States and the other set for the United States. The US dollar remained the centrepiece of international financial markets. To assess the external values of domestic currency, officials would typically refer to an exchange rate in US$. And when intervention was called for, it was generally conducted in U.S. dollar. While the system was called floating, it was far from a freely floating laissez-faire system. Policy makers were unwilling to let private market forces be the sole determinant of exchange rates. This is not surprising given the importance of exchange rates to an economy. Richard Cooper (1984) reminds us that it is inconceivable that a government held responsible for managing its economy could keep its hands off the exchange rate. And sure enough, they are not left alone. The IMF also recognised that each country saw its exchange rate as an important policy variable and that the exchange rate policy of one country could have significant negative spill-over effects on other countries. Therefore, in 1974, the IMF enacted a set of guidelines designed to limit the potential for conflicts regarding exchange rate policies  [22]  . While these guidelines are not binding, they show that the IMF sanctions intervention as a method to promote orderly conditions in the foreign exchange market  [23]  . Essentially, the foreign exchange rate was left to play the role of a residual variable that did a great deal of the adjusting to offset the macro-economic policy differences across countries. With little coordination of these policies, one would expect exchange rate volatility to increase sharply.(Adam Bennett, 1995) Rules of the Game III Industrial Countries Other Than the United States. Smooth short term variability in the dollar exchange rate but do not commit to an official par value or to long term exchange rate stability; Permit free convertibility of currencies for current account transactions while endeavouring to eliminate all remaining restrictions on capital account transactions; Use the US$ as the intervention currency (except for transactions to stabilise European exchange rates) and keep official reserves primarily in U.S. Treasury Bonds; Modify domestic monetary policy to support major exchange rate interventions, reducing the money supply when the national currency is weak against the dollar and expanding the money supply when the national currency is strong. Set long-run national monetary and price targets independently of the United States; let the exchange rates adjust over the long run to off-set those differences. Rules of the Game The United States. Remain passive in the forex market; practise free trade without a balance of payment or exchange rates target. No need foe sizeable official foreign exchange reserves; Keep the U.S. capital markets open for borrowing and investing by private residents and foreign sovereigns; Pursue a monetary policy independent of the exchange rate or policies in order countries, thereby not strong for a common stable price level (or anchor) for tradable goods. 7. The Plaza-Louvre Intervention Accords the Floating Rate Dollar Standard-(1985-1999) The US had held a fairly passive stance toward exchange rates during first 10-years of float. In 1981, the induction of an expansive US fiscal policy combined tight monetary control (supported by President Ronald Reagan) combined with tight monetary control (guided by Federal Reserves Chairman, Paul Volcker) started the US dollar on a prolonged appreciation. By early 1985, the US$ had appreciated nearly 50% (relative to 1980) in real terms against an average of the worlds other major currencies. As the US dollar rose higher, some economists characterised its price behaviour as a speculative bubble (meaning a movement greater than, and progressively greater than justified by macroeconomic fundamentals) and predicted that the foreign exchange value of the dollar was not sustainable.  [24]   The entire episode convinced policy makers that:- exchange rates were too important to be left to market forces, hence intervention was deemed appropriate to smooth disorderly markets and halt market excesses, and exchange rates were too important to be the residual from uncoordinated economic policies, so better policy coordination was required to establish a set of economic fundamentals that in turn would produce a smother path of the exchange rate. As a result, since 1985, a new set of rules has evolved emphasizing the role of exchange market intervention and macroeconomic policy coordination. The first part of the policy change, the easy part, was foreign exchange intervention. Although, the appreciation of the US$ peaked in early March, 1985, the dollar did not initially fall by much and the use Congress continued to favour import restrictions (Barry Eichengreen, 1996). 7(a) The Plaza Accord On September 22, 1985, officials from the Group of Five (G-5) countries Britain, France, West Germany, Japan and the US met at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, where they issued a communiquà © announcing that they would interfere jointly foster dollar depreciation. The dollar fell sharply on this news and continued to decline through 1986. The Plaza communiquà © represented a sharp break with earlier policies. Exchange market intervention was often characterised by leaning against the wind behaviour to reverse the market trend. The Plaza meeting had the Central Banks leaning with the wind of the recently weak dollar. Further exchange market interventions were often kept secret and were often the doings of a single central bank  [25]  . 7(b) The Louvre Accord The dollars free fall continued into 1987, so much that some European officials began to fear for the competitiveness of their own export industries which prompted policy makers from the G-5 countries plus Canada to make another attempt at exchange rate co-operation in a meeting at the LOUVRE in Paris in February 22, 1987. At the Louvre meeting, policy makers agreed to foster stability of exchange rates around their current levels. This was not an unusual statement as part of a press release from a meeting of international finance minister but the Louvre accord was more than an emotional statement in praise of stability. The substance of the Louvre meeting was a set of target zones, or exchange rate range, that the Central Bankers agreed to defend using active foreign exchange intervention  [26]  . The Louvre accord has been criticised on the ground that the target zone strategy could have no real force and the decision to keep the zonal boundaries secret was simply a device to prevent any evaluation of the policys success. The Rules of the Game IV- The Plaza-Louvre Intervention Accords and the Floating Rate Dollar Standard-(1985-1999):- Germany, Japan and United States (G-3) Set broad target zones for the US$/DM and US$/Y exchange rates. Do not announce the agreed upon central rates, and allow for flexible zonal boundaries; Allow the implicit central rates to adjust when economic fundamentals among the G-3 countries change substantially; Central Banks intervene collectively but infrequently to reverse short-run exchange rate trends that threaten a zonal boundary. Signal the collective intent by announcing rather than hiding intervention. G-3 countries hold reserves in each others currencies, for the U.S. This means building up reserves in deutsche marks, yen, and possibly other convertible currencies. Sterilize the immediate impact of exchange market interventions by not adjusting short-term interest rates. Each G-3 country aims its monetary policy towards stable prices (measured by domestic consumer or wholesale prices or the GNP deflator), which indirectly anchors the world price level and reduces the drift in exchange rate zones. The Rule of the Game Other Industrial Countries Support or do not oppose interventions by the G-3 to keep the dollar within its target zone limits. Indeed, policy makers have had to adjust the central rate of the implied target zone and be flexible about the precise location of the target zone boundary. Intervention under the Louvre accord seems to be more successful when accompanied by macroeconomic policy changes, and less successful when domestic monetary is preserved through sterilized intervention. Sterilized intervention in the foreign exchange market leaves the domestic monetary base unaffected  [27]  (Krugman, P and Maurice, O, 2000). The Louvre accord began a process towards greater and, it was hoped, better policy co-ordination. Progress in the coordination process is essential to fundamentally affect the stability of exchange rates in the longer run. 8. The Spirit of the European Monetary System (1979) Following the collapse of the Bretton Woods, European Union (EU) nations looked for a system that could stabilise currencies and reduce exchange-rate risk. In 1979, the created the European Monetary System (EMS) to stabilize exchange rates subject to the following guidelines:- Rules of the Game V The Spirit of the European Monetary System (1979) Applicable to All Member Countries. Fix a par value for each exchange rate in terms of the European Currency unit, a basket weighted according to country size. Keep exchange rate stable in the short run by limiting movements in the bilateral rates to 2.25% on either side of the central rate. When exchange rate threatens to breach a bilateral limit, the strong currency Central Bank must lend freely to the weak currency Central Bank to support the exchange rate. Adjust the par value in the intermediate term only if necessary to realign price levels, and only with the collective agreement of other EMS countries. Work toward a convergence of national macroeconomic policies that would lead to stable long run par value for exchange rates. Maintain free currency convertibility for current account transactions Hold foreign exchange reserve primarily in ECUs with he European Fund for Monetary Co-operation (EFMC), and reduce U.S. dollar reserves. Repay Central Bank debts quickly from exchange reserves or by borrowing from the EFMC within strict long-term credit limits. No single countrys money serves as a reserve currency nor does its natural monetary policy serve (asymmetrically) as the nominal price anchor for the group. The EMS was successful, currency realignments were infrequent and inflation was controlled. Problems arose in 1992 and the EMS was revised in 1993 to allow currencies fluctuate in a wider band from the mid-point of the target zone. The system ceased to exist in 1999 when the EU adopted a single currency. 8(a) The European Monetary System as a Greater DM Area (1979-1998) As earlier proposed, the EMS appears to enshrine the symmetry of the EU member nations in a co-operative process. In practice, the DM was the centrepiece of the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), and German monetary policy formed anchor for the EMS price level. As a consequence, the operation of the EMS was subject to more strains than might have been foreseen, as the strongest country with the least inflation called the Policy Tune, rather than some equally weighted average of all the policy presumptions of the member countries. Most of the strains in the EMS over the period arose from the desire by some European leaders to achieve still closer economic and social union. In 1989, a European Council headed by European Commission President Jacque Delors, presented a plan to establish a European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Under the EMU proposal, a single European Central Bank was to set up the monetary policy for a single European money thereby abolishing national monies and an independent role for national central banks. The Delors Plan  [28]  recommended a three-stage plan process to phase in the EMU as follows:- Stage 1- Bring all 12 members EC countries into the ERM while bringing tighter convergence of monetary policies to secure the ERM; Stage 2- Narrow the permissible bands of the ERM and permit a new European Central Bank to exercise more control of national monetary policies. Stage 3- Replace national monies with a common currency, placing responsibility for the European Central Banks that reflect the interests of all EC countries. The EMS Crisis of 1992 1993 The Delors Plan called for a transfer of national sovereign power over monetary policy and national monies to a new EC institutions. In December, 1991, the EC drafted the Maastricht Treaty a 250 page document that laid out the procedure for transferring policy making authority and the approval by all the twelve EC countries was required either by national referendum or parliamentary vote. For reason that substantial parts of the treaty were contentious, most of the sponsoring countries became sceptical and the document could not be approved by member nations contrary to expectation, As a result, currency tension persisted throughout 1993. In the summer of 1993, speculative attacks continued on the French franc and other currencies. This caused Central Banks to intervene heavily but the French resisted devaluation  [29]  . (Richard Cooper, 1984). The Path to European Monetary Union Notwithstanding the shocks suffered by the Delors Plan, voting on the Maastricht treaty continued and by November, 1992, it was adopted and the European Union (EU) was born. However, many countries had negotiated the right to opt out of certain key provisions, including the EUs common monetary and defence institutions. According to the Delors Plan, countries had to meet various economic targets before joining the EMU  [30]  . These criteria were very stringent to fulfil that as at February 1997, only Luxembourg satisfied them. Despite the difficulty in meeting the criteria, undaunted EU policymakers proceeded by designing and unveiling new physical coins and notes. Private firms and banks were compelled to follow suit, redesigning their accounting systems and functional software to accommodate the new euro. 8(b) The Spirit of the European Economic Monetary Union 1999 In May 1998, the European Council met to make two critical decisions:- To determine which countries would participate in the launch of the EMU set for January 1, 1999; and Who would be elected as the President of the European Central Bank. Many observers had expected a narrow EMU with only six countries going in at the start because requirements on fiscal budget deficits and national debt level. Surprisingly, the European Council elected eleven countries virtually all EU except countries, those that desired to opt out of the pioneer team such as Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Greece actually wanted to join but clearly had not met the convergence requirements  [31]  . On 1st January, 1999, the final and irrevocable conversion rates of the eleven legacy currencies versus the euro were announced. The transition went hitch-free in terms of transaction execution in the foreign exchange market and the operation of the EMU payment and settlement system. Financial markets in the EMU countries redenominated all traded financial securities and instruments from their national currencies into euros. A new market for bonds denominated in euros is thriving. The trend toward trans-national mergers and acquisition across firm within the euro started growing. The last step on the path to monetary union is the introduction of physical euro notes and coins and the withdrawal of legacy currency notes and coins. This process was scheduled to begin January 1, 2002 and to be accomplished not later than July 1, 2002. Empirical Evidences of Recent Currency Crises Despite nations best efforts to head off financial crises within the international monetary system, the world has witnessed several unpleasant crises some of which are summarised below:- Developing Nations Debt Crisis By the early 1980s, developing countries (especially in Latin America) had amassed huge debts payable to large international commercial banks, the IMF, and the World Bank. To prevent a meltdown of the entire financial system, international agencies revised repayment schedules. In 1989, the Brady Plan called for large-scale reduction of poor nations debt, exchange of high-interest loans, and debt instruments tradable on world financial markets. Mexicos Peso Crisis Rebellion and political assassination shook investors, faith in Mexicos financial system in 1993 and 1994. Mexicos government responded slowly to the flight of portfolio investment capital. In the late 199

Cantebury Tales. Brief Characterization Of Monk :: essays research papers

Geoffrey Chaucer’s, The Canterbury Tales was written in the late fourteenth century. It is a compilation of short stories, set in the Medieval Period England, told by travelers who are going on a pilgrimage to the Cathedral at Canterbury. Among the traveling band, a Monk of likely Franciscan ties was a pilgrim of high rank and nobility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Monk in The Canterbury Tales, ranks among the highest compared to the other pilgrims. The Monk belonged to the ecclesiastical estate, which was one relating to a church. The church he belongs to is of Catholic origin and is hinted at by this line, â€Å"The Rule of good St.Benet or St.Maur†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is likely a member of the order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1209, an order that had concrete connections with the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church at that time assumed much influence and power in England.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though the Monk is rich, he does let his money corrupt his faith or character. The Monk was â€Å"fat and a personable priest† who did not carry himself as a snob of the higher class. He was basically respectful to the old and kind to the young. The Monk also was more open to ideas and did not follow his faith where he found wrong. For example, â€Å"he did not rate that text at a plucked hen Which says that hunters are not holy men†. He was also considered brave and righteous by Chaucer’s opinion, â€Å"And I agreed and said his views were sound†¦Ã¢â‚¬    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Monk is a wealthy man as shown by his appearance, and greatly enjoys hunting, reading books and deeply appreciates the finer things in life. â€Å"Was he to study till his head went round†¦Ã¢â‚¬  describes his long-term commitment to learning. His â€Å"many dainty a horses†, â€Å"fine grey fur† and â€Å"wrought gold cunningly fashioned pin† leads the reader to think that he enjoys living a comfortable life. â€Å"As old and strict he tended to ignore; He let go by the things of yesterday And took the modern world’s more spacious way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  describes how he does not allow the troubles of the day throw him off his happiness.

Aztecs :: essays research papers fc

AZTECS The Aztecs came from Azatlan which is the mythical place of origin(Aztecs of Lost Civilization). Huizilopochtli, the god of war, told the Aztecs to leave Azatlan and wander until they saw an eagle perched on a cactus growing out of a rock and eating a snake(Los Aztecas). The Aztecs traveled many years to find the legend and finally found it while at Lake Texcoco. Lake Texcoco was ruled by the Toltecs between the 10th and 11th centuries(Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia). Since many other tribes also migrated to Lake Texcoco at the same time, the Aztecs were pushed out to the westside of the lake to a swampy area. The only piece of dry land they had was a little island surrounded by marshes. Over a long period of time they built their empire with chinapas. Chinapas were formed by piling up mud from the lake bottom to make little islands(Aztec Empire History). Tenochtitlan (currently Mexico City), which means "Place of the Cactus", became the capital in 1325 and soon there came many islands in which bridges were built to connect the mainland (Los Aztecas). They also dug canals and constructed aqueducts. There were many religious structures, and they built temples and pyramids. By 1502 the Aztec Empire expanded from Guatemala to San Luis Potosi which is in Central and Southern Mexico and extended 800 miles along a northwest-southeast axis. The Aztecs conquered many cities and all became part of the empire which was wedged between high mountains and surrounded by lakes(Aztecs of Lost Civilization/ Azetc Empire History). The three social classes of the Aztecs were slave, commoner, and nobility. The slaves (lowest class) were basically servants, although they could buy there way to freedom or if they escaped from their masters and reached the royal palace without being caught they would earn their way to freedom. There were two kinds of commoners (middle class). The maceualtin were given a lifetime ownership of a plot of land in which they would build their house on. The tlalmaitl were tenant farmers. The nobility (highest class) were usually rulers, chiefs, or nobles(Aztecs/ Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia). The Aztecs typical home was on a log raft covered with mud which had plants on it that stabled the raft with its roots. The home usually had it’s back to a canal with a canoe tied at the door so they could have efficient transportation(Aztec Empire History).