Human identity and relationships Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human identity and relationships - Assignment Example Evidently, from the film there are instances of distortion on the character Shaw by the mother. On that note, she is seen referring to him as his little monster. In addition to that, the film also outlines the discrimination and the misinformation regarding punks as a possible source of stigma. The underserving of the population on the basis of the provision of essential services has contributed to the development of stigma in the society. Apparently, through the unequal serving of the population due to the inequity of resource distribution, stigma development has been boosted greatly. Apparently, the onset of mental conditions for instance stress and anxiety serve to drive an individual to engage into drug and alcoholism which consequently, leads to addiction thus when diagnosed, the two conditions are present. Notably, the model describes a simple way of enhancing the resilience in order to boosting the mental health. On the same point, mental health can be boosted through the promotion of resilience strategies and the minimizing of adverse experiences in the childhood stage. 10. What are some examples that you use for your own self-care in tending to your mental well-being. (Identify whether positive or negative)on the positive side, the engagement in playing computer games aids in the exercising my brain thus inhibiting the onset of mental conditions. Om the contrary, I enjoy watching movies over night as opposed to sleeping which serves to impact negatively on my mental

What Are The Weaknesses Of Democratic Transition Theory Politics Essay

What Are The Weaknesses Of Democratic Transition Theory Politics Essay Throughout the 20th century, democracy has gained its status as the predominant and most legitimate form of national governance. Through complex and diverse processes of democratization, not all successful, increasingly more states embedded democratic characteristics and procedures into their governance systems. Consequently, democracy and democratization swiftly became the subject-matter of extensive academic literature, widely referred to as Democratic Transition Theory (hereafter: DTT), which aims to scrutinize various aspects of emerging democratic regimes and democratic transitions. This essay will focus on the question What are the weaknesses of democratic transition theory. It will assess, while using the case-study of democratization processes in the former-Yugoslavia states, different shortcomings of existing DTT, which arguably undermine its theoretical validity and call into question the extent to which it is useful in explaining contemporary democratic transitions First, at the theoretical level, DTTs incoherent and diverse use of concepts, variables and methods, which weakens its internal validity. Second, at the empirical level, DTT is inapplicable to contemporary variants of democratic transitions mainly due to the impact of globalization processes on notions of statehood and citizenship in post-conflict situations, which weakens its external validity. Third, at the practical level, DTT blurs boundaries between academic accounts and policy prescriptions as well as between descriptive and normative perspectives, which calls into question its utility as a guiding principle for democratization policy. Based on these three critiques, I will argue that we should differentiate between notions of DTT as an academic theory and as a political paradigm. As an academic theory, we should perceive it as an open project and thus further develop it in order to suggest plausible explanations of contemporary transitions. As a political paradigm, we should acknowledge the theoretical limitations in using it to underwrite democratization policy and therefore revisit its prescriptive and normative strands. (A)Democratic-Transition-Theory: A-Historical-Background DTT is a field of study that focuses on exploring the political phenomenon of regime transitions. In this sense, DTT is a fairly coherent research program, which encompasses various studies which aim to scrutinize the process by which a state attempts to embed democratic features in its formal and informal patterns of governance. DTTs contemporary incarnation evolved in light of the democratic transitions in Latin America and South Europe starting in the mid 1970s. These processes, which Huntington-(1991) dubbed the third wave of democratization, begat a prominent line of DTT studies (e.g. Huntington, 1991; ODonnell and Schmitter,1996), suggesting various explanatory frameworks for these transitions. Nevertheless, studies on democracy as a form of governance emerged before that. Seminal works of American scholars in the 1960s articulated the first configuration of DTT, which aimed to scrutinize the structural settings that arguably explained democratic patterns, these usually focused either on economic factors, like modernization and economic development or on cultural factors, like political culture. These were nevertheless more of an attempt to empirically identify the structural conditions that shape specific modes of political institutions and focused less on the studying the process of democratic transition itself. The political processes of the-Third-Wave, have generated a new approach to DTT, which diverted the focus from strictly structural explanations to agent-oriented ones. This new approach emphasizes the role of political elites as agents that realize and execute democratic transitions (for an overview on DTT, see Bunce,2000: 705-715) The study of democratization expanded in light of democracys worldwide expansion. Multiple regional and cross-regional studies were performed in various attempts to deduce theoretical generalizations regarding democratization. Altogether, these studies explored a common type of transition, characterized as the process through which a breakthrough of an authoritarian regime in a certain state results in transition toward democracy (Carothers, 2002:). In this sense, DTT studies differed in the various causal explanations of the factors that facilitate the political phenomenon of regimes transitions. By focusing on the processes features rather than on its diverse origins or potential outcomes, these studies suggested a certain and limited prism on democratic transitions. This prism, based on retrospective empirical evaluations of concrete and deliberated democratization processes in Latin America and South Europe, painted a picture of relatively sequenced and pre-determent patterns of democratic reforms within nondemocratic states. The criteria for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of theories are typically based on assessing their internal and external validity. Internal validity refers to the strength of the causal links a theory suggests in terms of conceptualizing, measuring and qualifying its variables-and the relations between them. External validity refers to the extent to which theories can be generalized and applied to situations other than those examined. In the next section, I will evaluate-both the internal and external validity of DTT. First, internally in terms of concepts and methodology, and then externally in terms of its applicability to explaining more recent regime transitions- specifically, the fragmentation of Yugoslavia from 1990-1999. (B)DTT-Weaknesses: Internal-Validity DTTs main weakness in terms of internal validity is the lack of sufficient coherence in its concepts, variables and the links it suggests between them (Munck,1994). DTT as a research program encompasses various studies aiming to explain democratic transitions; however, these studies define democratic and/or transitions in different ways. This in turn creates a situation in which theories that allegedly claim to offer alternative explanations to the same phenomenon, actually explain different phenomena. For example, the book of ODonnell and Schmitter (1986), a seminal DTT work, posits in its first paragraph that it deals with transitions from certain authoritarian regime toward an uncertain something else' (ODonnell and Schmitter, 1986:3). Huntingtons book, probably the work that is most identified with the DTT, declares in its preface that it is about the transition of some thirty countries from nondemocratic to democratic political system (Huntington: 1991, 3). Linz and Stephen (1996), present a third approach, which attempts to revisit the traditional DTT and explore how the character of different nondemocratic regimes affects, or does not affect, the paths that can be taken to complete a transition to a democratic regime (Linz and Stephen, 1996: 3). These three examples reflect three different conceptualization of democratization: ODonnell and Schmitter focus on the origins of a political transition, Huntington examines the factors that shape the process of democratization, and Linz and Stephan illuminate the final phase of the process, the consolidation. These different explanatory frameworks, although complementary to a certain extent, are incomparable in terms of evaluating the strength of their arguments and their plausibility. Furthermore, DTT studies not only conceptualize democratic transition differently, but-also conceptualize democracy differently. This illuminates two major disagreements that hinder the internal validity of DTT. At the conceptual level, DTT theorists disagree over which democratic features should be used to signify the degree of both existence and success of democratic transitions. At the methodological level, they-disagree on how these features can and should be measured. For example, while Huntington prefers to stick to the minimal definition of democracy as a political system in which decision-makers are selected through fair, honest and periodic elections (Huntington,1991:7), Linz and Stephan choose a wider definition comprising behavioural, attitudinal and constitutional elements (Linz and Stephan,1996:6). The challenge of defining and operationalizing democracy indicators corresponds with the extensive academic literature of democratic theory. The latter, a close relative of democratic transition theory, focuses on highly contested questions of defining, measuring and qualifying democracy both procedurally as a form of government and conceptually as a conduit of specific values and norms (e.g. Beetham, 1994). The challenge for DTT in this sense is obvious. If there is no consensus on how to define democracy, how to qualify it and how it can be measured, how could DTT attempt to portray the trajectories of transition to democracy, let alone explain the factors that shape them. For example, the common explanation of elite-driven transition, which emphasizes the essential role of political elites in the transition process, fails to explain the relations between democracy and political elites, namely to explicate why, and under what conditions, political elites will be motivated to perpet uate political transition (Bunce,2000). These are just several examples of the theorys internal shortcomings. Alongside others, these examples raise questions regarding the ability of DTTs causal explanations to depict a complete picture of the specific transitions they aim to explain (Munck, 1994). This by itself is a sufficient reason to question the transferability of the theory and the ability of applying it on other transitions (Pridham, 2000:1-3). The next section will focus on democratic transitions in the Balkans as a case-study to illustrate the limitations of using classic premises of DTT as plausible theoretical lenses for explaining political transitions in contemporary post-conflict situations. (C)DTT-Weaknesses:-External-Validity Yugoslavias disintegration and the Balkan wars (1990-1999) that followed led to the creation of seven new independent states (including Kosovo). All were required to face the complex mission of reconstructing (actually constructing) basic political and economic state-infrastructures. This mission is composed, according to Offe (quoted in Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006: 226) , of triple transition: (1) At the societal level, nation-state building (which can be separated into two different building processes state-institutions and the nation); (2) at the economic level, economic liberalization and (3) at the political level, democratization (see also Blunden, 2004:22-23 and Hippler, 2008). These are not separated transitions. In practice, they not only overlap and intertwine, but they also affect each other and are shaped by similar factors. In this respect, democratic transitions in the Balkans cannot be examined separately from the context of concurrent transitions on one h and and of the historical circumstances and legacies that generated those, on the other (Pridham, 2000:9-15). Herein lays DTTs main deficiency: it is almost blind to the importance of different contexts, at both the domestic and international realms which could potentially affect democratic transitions. . For years, DTT studies explained democratization from the inside, whether by structural variables like economic and cultural factors, or by agent-oriented approaches, which focus on political elites and their role in redesigning political institutions. By that, DTT largely refers to the transition as an isolated process that is dependent on the confluence of a set of (rather contested) driving forces that arguably promote democracy. It thus ignores the specific contexts and preconditions within which it takes place, as well as the related external forces (Carothers, 2002; Whitehead, 2002). I will elaborate only on the two contextual impediments of DTT, which seem most relevant for explaining political transitions in the global era: (1) the role of statehood and citizenship and (2) the international dimension. Both of these factors gain extra significance if one accepts the common understanding that processes of globalization for the past couple of decades have challenged classical no tions of the states legitimacy and authority. One of the main indicators of democratization processes in the Balkans is popular elections, which were held in all of the emerging Balkan states ever sense the-aftermath of the Balkans-wars. Even if we will accept the disputed assertion that elections endow a polity with the label democratic, the statehood of these polities still remains questionable (Edmunds, 2007; Krastev, 2002). The puzzling phenomenon of democracy preceding statehood, simply does not meet the basic premises of DTT, hence highlights the latter inapplicability to post-conflict political transitions. One of DTTs core assumptions is that the polity in transition is not only a state, but also a consolidated one. It assumes that the transition is occurring within the framework of an existing infrastructure of political institutions and is reconstructed through the transition process (Carothers, 2002). The case of the Balkan states imposes a new challenge to this. When former Yugoslav states declared independence, they not only lacked effective and legitimate governments, but were also locked in a state of ethnic conflict. Both conditions have fundamental effects on subsequent democratization processes. Democratization in the Balkans was essentially entwined with processes of state-building and nation-building, and thus was framed more as means to empower forces who wanted to shape the future nation-state and less as an independent aim. This argument could be applied to both nationalist forces operating within quasi-states and to the participating international and transnational acto rs (Blunden, 2004; Pridham, 2000). The fragmentation of Yugoslavia and subsequent wars created a great political and social vacuum in its former republics. Opposed to the basic assumptions of DTT, the political transitions in this region were not a consequence of a regimes breakthrough but rather of a state. This did not lead to processes of political reconstruction, but rather a fundamental need to construct social, economic and political institutions. The post-conflict vacuum, characterized by a great sense of social insecurity, facilitated a competition between various forces over power and authority within a given territory (Hippler, 2008). This competition was embodied in the Balkan conflicts and in the reconstruction processes that followed them. Subsequently, post-war processes of state-building in the Balkans became associated with nation-building processes evolving around ethnic-fragmentation. Given the legacies of the failure of the prior state-authority to maintain its statehood and conflicts that generated from that, the post-conflict situation in the Balkan illuminated the attractiveness of state authority alternatives in the form of nationalism and identity politics (Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006:229-230; 2009; Smith,1996: 2-3). Consequently, crucial power shifts within the realm of the state allocated more power to exclusive ethno-nationalist groups than to inclusive ones (Zakaria,2003:15). For example, In Bosnia-Herzegovina(BiH), since 1996 the parliament has been dominated by the wartime nationalist parties, reflecting popular support for ethnic divides and separatism (Waters,2004). This demonstrates the inability of the new state systems to create what Smith (1996) calls a balance between the civic and ethnic dimensions of nationalism (Smith,1996:97-102). Constant disagreements over the definition of the people and the transformation from a Westphalian d efinition, which is based on bordered territory, to an ethnicity-based definition of people, undermined the ability of any state representative to establish equilibrium and therefore to consolidate effective and legitimate democratic states. Furthermore, nationalist groups use democratic practices to recreate the nation and national identity rather than create a functioning state (Smith, 1996:80-82). For example, in 2004-5 Serbian and Montenegrin nationalist group used the political institutions in Serbia and Montenegro (unified state back then) as part of their as part of their struggle for independence and separation (Edmund, 2007). Under the circumstances of weak and fragile states, these ethnic fragmentations just could not be accommodated under any constellation of democratically-elected government (Edmunds, 2007; Krastev,2002:49; Waters,2004; Zakaria, 2003:113-155). As a result, the emerging Balkan states emphasized their ethnic components and therefore provoked processes of hyper-nationalism, ethnic-centralization and exclusion (Smith,1996:105-106), all of which are essentially counterproductive to state-building processes. The lack of a civic component, which essentially defines the relationship between the state and its citizens, imposes more challenges for DTT, which presupposes the existence of statehood and in particular, clear definitions of citizens and citizenship. In this respect, citizenship is acknowledged as prerequisite to democracy, not to mention one of its constitutive elements. After all, if democracy is literally the rule of the people, without agreement on who are the people there cannot be a democracy. Thus, if one embraces Grugels concept of democratization as the establishment of democratic practices of citizenship (Grugel,2003:250), the absence of a clear civic component in the Balkan states questions the mere existence of democratic transitions within them and emphasize their embedded weakness (Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2009). In terms of DTT, this emphasizes the need to expand its explanatory frameworks to cases in which there is not only a regime transition but also a transition (or construction) of a state, which entails differentiating between the constitutive elements of democracy citizenship and statehood and its procedural practices, like elections. Another neglected dimension of DTT, which arguably has crucial impact on contemporary post-conflict transitions, is the international dimension (Schmitz,2004). International forces, and external forces in general have always had some impact on domestic democratization transitions as demonstrated by US efforts in the Alliance for Progress (1961) and various foreign aid schemes for democratization states in Latin America. Nevertheless, although prominent DTT scholars acknowledged the role of the US in third wave democratization processes (Huntington,1991:91-100), and recognized ,its part in the history of democratization, the role of external forces or superpowers was not incorporated into DTTs explanatory frameworks thus was absent from democratization theory (Schmitz,2004). More than that, the DTTs reliance on firm division between the external and domestic realms overlooks the involvement of external, international, global and transnational elements in these transitions and thus ign ores their role in shaping the course of contemporary post-conflict transition. Here again the political transitions in the Balkans reveal the inapplicability of the DTT to contemporary conflicts because of its tendency to decontextualize the political phenomenon it aims to explore. The DTT treats democracy and democratization as unitary concepts that have firm meanings regardless of time and space constraints, and thus assumes they can be defined and measured via objective and positivist lenses. Nevertheless, since democracy as a set of political procedures is the manifestation of set of ideas and concepts, its meaning is dynamic and interpretative, that is constructed and socialized by social institutions and actors under specific social and historical circumstances. An important shift in the ideas and meanings of democracy and democratization has occurred in the past few decades (Whitehead,2002:7-9). The end of the Cold-War marked for many the triumph of democracy as a desirable idea. This, accompanied by recently emergent ideas of human security, generated a paradigm shift in the academic and political agendas toward the need to embody and realize notions of human, liberal and political rights. President Clinton articulated this trend in its first inaugural speech (1992): [O]ur greatest strength is the power of our ideas, which are still new in many lands. Across the world, we see them embraced, and we rejoice. Our hopes, our hearts, our hands, are with those on every continent who are building democracy and freedom. Their cause is Americas cause.  [1]   In light of these notions, NATO, under U.S. leadership, framed its involvement in the Balkan wars at both diplomatic level (e.g. the Dayton Agreement, 1996) and military one (e.g. NATOs Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo,1999). Another example for the ideational framework of the external forces in the Balkans is the involvement of NATO the UN, the EU, and GCS bodies in managing reconstruction and state-building tasks in the region. The official objectives of these tasks illustrate their aim to develop in these states the civic components of statehood and democracy. For example, the mission of NATO-led stabilization force in BiH articulates that its legal and political framework was determined in light of Dayton Agreements goals (1996): To provide a safe and secure environment; To-establish a-unified, democratic Bosnia-and Herzegovina.; To rebuild-the-economy.; and To allow the return of displaced persons and refugees to their prewar-homes.  [2]   The mandate of the UN-Mission in BiH (1995) emphasizes the role of law enforcement, whose main tasks include: Monitoring, observing and inspecting law enforcement activities and facilities; advising law enforcement personnel and forces; assessing threats to public order and advising on the capability of law-enforcement agencies to deal with such threats  [3]  . It also makes its assistance to specific parties in BiH conditional and declares that it will: Consider-requests from the parties-or law-enforcement agencies in-Bosnia and Herzegovina for-assistance, with priority being given to ensuring the existence of conditions for free and fair elections. The objectives of the UN peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR, 1999) are also similar: Support the-establishment-of civilian institutions, law and order, the judicial and penal system, the electoral-process-and other-aspects of the political, economic and social life of the province.  [4]   The main-problem though, is that these forces by attempting to design and supply the civic components of the state in-light-of western models of statehood and democracy, served as substitute for the state and practically empowered the anti-statist forces in the region, namely the ethno-nationalist groups as a by-product of democratization (Waters, 2004:424-427). The American diplomat Richard-Holbrooks expressed his concern from this implication in the course of the 1996 Bosnian-elections: Suppose the election was declared free and fairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and those elected are racists, fascists, separatists, who are publicly opposed to [peace and reintegration]. That is the dilemma. (Quoted in Zakaria,2003:17-18) As exemplified above, this has realized in practice, and the institutions that the external forces aimed to achieve in the Balkans, were used by ethno-nationalist movements as a platform to fuel trends of populism and claim their authority in the name of an exclusive ethnic majority (Smilov and Krastev, 2008:8-10). The above examples illustrate two important notions regarding the weakness of DTT to theorize the role of external forces. First, its indifference to the fact that international and transnational forces play a significant role in processes-of democratization and state reconstruction (Lewis,1997). Second, its indifference to the significance-of contextual and ideational-evolutions in concepts of democracy, as shaping and determining-this role. A comprehensive theoretical account on democratic transitions thus has to consider both the ways in which external forces fulfill their role in the transitions and the material and ideational factors that motivate them to do so. By further scrutinizing the role of external forces in democratization processes, DTT, could perhaps suggest refined and crystallized notions regarding the relations between external and internal forces in contemporary democratic transitions as well as provide further insights regarding the appropriate ways to manage and execute these transitions (e.g. Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006; Schmitz, 2004). The first question to be asked, in this respect, is if DTT in its essence is adequate to serve as a guiding policy tool for democratic transitions. (D) DTT: Between-Academic-Theory-and-Political-Paradigm: The relative success of the third wave of democratization coincided with the end of the Cold War, conferred extra normative weight upon concepts of democracy and democratization and anchored democratization processes to the conception that democracy is good and desirable. This conception developed in light of historical and social circumstances that generated specific normative perceptions and-interpretations of democracy. DTTs main theoretical and empirical assertions were combined with similar normative notions regarding the merits of democracy. It was thus shifted from a merely descriptive and explanatory framework to a prescriptive one, representing a new paradigm, in the academic and political realms, regarding the prospects of democracy promotions (e.g. Diamond, 2003; Fukuyama, 1992). Consequently, more and more entrepreneurs of democracy promotion framed and justified their policies via a mixture of normative and descriptive notions of DTT, as the paradigmatic foundation for attempts to support and encourage democratic transitions around the globe. The essential question thus is if indeed DTT is designated to serve as the theoretical basis of democratization policies in general and of contemporary post-conflict transitions in particular. The democratization attempts in the Balkans can shed light on this question. The attempts of the international community and GCS networks to democratize the Balkan states by emphasizing the virtues of elections as a platform for democracy and of law enforcement mechanisms as a platform for constitutionalism, exemplify the limitations of DTT. The overall success of these attempts is questionable as much as-the democratic transitions in the Balkan states are questionable due to, alongside other reasons, the theorys deficiencies pre sented above. First, in terms of cause and effect, these attempts were-based-on incoherent means and methods that were incompatible to the aim they wished to-achieve. Second, they were inapplicable under the ontological features of the political transitions in the Balkans, which were shaped by the new and unfamiliar context of globalization, manifested in non-statist (i.e., sub-national, transnational and global) trends and patterns of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction (Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2009; On the EUs Europeanization-approach to the Balkans see Kostovicova and Bojicic-Dzelilovic,2006). These patterns demonstrate the blurred trajectory DTT has taken in recent years and calls into question its ability to serve as the theoretical basis for policies of democratization. This, I wish to argue, has less to do with DTT itself but rather with its transformation from academic theory to political paradigm. As argued above, the end of the Cold-War served as a normative leverage for democracy and democratization as political concepts. Those consequently gained normative weight, which altered the concept of democratic transitions from being a mere dependant variable in terms of DTT to aspired political objective. In this sense, DTT was politicized and shifted from being a framework, which aimed-to understand and explain reality into a framework which ascribed its shape and designed desirable political realities. Furthermore, DTT became a tool to justify and frame policy, migrating it from the academic sphere to the political one. Nevertheless, DTT was not simply applied to new c ases of political transitions as a guiding principle, but rather was translated and rephrased. Different entrepreneurs stripped DTT of its original theoretical constructs and rephrased them as both public conventions and political convictions (see also Ish-Shalom,2006 on the migration process of the Democratic Peace theory.). I use the word strip since once a theory migrates from academic to political discourse, it is detached from the skeptical and cautious discourse to which it was originally anchored. Academic theories are essentially specific adhered-to standards that qualify it to participate in the academic discourse. Among these requisites are expressed notions of cautiousness and skepticism that frame theorizing processes more as a set of probabilistic assertions than as a natural law. In return, theorists usually refer to-their theories as-project that is open to interpretations, refutations and further developments. More than that, theorists set the conditions under which their theories can-be-applied, and-by that acknowledge the limitations of theoretical generalizations (Ish-Shalom, 2008:683-685). This, for example, is clearly a part of the theorizing process of the DTT in its original setting as an academic-theory, which was explicitly cautious regarding its ability to serve as a model, rather than an explanation. Huntington for example, clearly states that his account of the third wave of democratization is limited-to the specific cases he selected for the study and thu s questions his own theorys external validity (Huntington,1991:xiii). ODonnell and Schmitter explicitly suggest in their books title tentative-conclusions and point that although there is a normative strand to the DTT that recognizes democratization as desirable, one has to acknowledge that transitions are essentially disordered and thus difficult to theorize and deduce to concrete generalizations. Democratic transitions thus should not be regarded as either linear or deterministic in their nature (ODonnell and Schmitter,1986:3-5). Interestingly, Carotherss critique (2002) The End of the Transition Paradigm implicitly acknowledges the theorys migration process by referring explicitly to subject under critique democratic transition paradigm rather than to democratic-transition-theory. It is important to stress the differences between theory and paradigm. A paradigm is a worldview composed of a set of axiomatic, possibly normative, notions regarding facets of the world. Theory on the other hand is the result of complex process of systematically organizing paradigmatic conceptions into sets of assumptions, testable hypotheses, and feasible arguments usually framed by conditioned if and then matrixes. DTT, in this sense, shifted from being a theory, constrained by the common standards of academic theorizing, into a political paradigm that embodies a specific set of values and norms. Consequently, the use some would even argue abuse of the idea of DTT as a paradigmatic-framework for democratization policies is inadequate given its initial purposes and limitations as a theory. This use can be seen as a selective, even distorte

Gun-Control in Charlton Heston’s Is Freedom Lost on the Next Generation and Paul Craig Robert’s Unarmed and Unsafe :: Amendment Rights Essays Guns

Gun-Control in Charlton Heston’s Is Freedom Lost on the Next Generation and Paul Craig Robert’s Unarmed and Unsafe There are three ways to approach gun-control: first, it is the citizens’ constitutional right to own firearms; second, firearms kill - get rid of them; and third, to have no opinion and not deal with the issue. Whichever view people have on gun-control, they must first understand the facts and statistics of these issues. Charlton Heston’s â€Å"Is Freedom Lost on the Next Generation?† and Paul Craig Robert’s â€Å"Unarmed and Unsafe† both study the opposing side of gun-control with facts and logic. In Heston’s â€Å"Is Freedom Lost on the Next Generation,† he writes about how â€Å"we may be losing the next generation of Americans, as they lose an understanding and appreciation of what the Second Amendment is and does† (Heston 1). Heston uses the statistics from a June, 2000 national survey of 1,500 high school students to show that the young adults of America do not have faith in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. He reports that â€Å"64 percent of high school students favor stricter anti-gun laws, 90 percent favor the licensing of handgun buyers, 96 percent said all handguns should be registered at purchase, and 19 percent of high school students do not believe that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to own a firearm†(Heston 1). Heston asks how safe any of America’s freedoms are if twenty percent of high school students believe that the Bill of Rights does not mean what it says? High schools use to have rifle teams along with s occer and football teams, and now even toy guns have the possibility of being banned. He mentions that being able to own a gun does not mean a thing if so many requirements, fees and restrictions practically leave Americans disarmed. Heston claims that being allowed to own, or even use, a firearm is a maturing experience for young people. He also mentions that the trust that goes hand in hand with the gun does more than show the acknowledgement of self-discipline and responsibility, it reinforces those virtues better than almost anything else can. Heston argues that it is the American’s responsibility to maintain the rights of gun ownership and provide the next generation with the same freedoms(Heston 1-2) . In â€Å"Unarmed and Unsafe,† Roberts confirms the saying â€Å"when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns†(Roberts 2) He begins his article with the effects of recent gun-control in Britain.

Hamer V Sidway

Case Brief I – Hamer v Sidway Without a complete and detailed background, Hamer v Sidway involved an uncle promising his nephew a lump sum of money if the nephew could refrain from drinking alcohol, smoking, swearing, and gambling until his 21st birthday. The nephew fulfilled his end of the promise, and the uncle acknowledged that the nephew had rightfully earned the money but asked if he could hold the money in the bank until the nephew was responsible enough to care for it.The uncle died however, and Hamer, the party with legal claim to the money was denied payment by the executor of the will, Sidway. Sidway argued that the $5000 was without consideration because the nephew had benefited from the actions he undertook to receive the award. There were two specific legal questions that were brought before the court. One being whether or not the nephew and uncle officially and legally agreed upon this promise, and the second being the careful examination of the definition of con sideration in regards to a contract.Under investigation the court did find that the contract was binding on a certain date between the two related parties. The findings in relevance to consideration are explained below in correlation with the ruling. Originally Hamer, the plaintiff, recovered at trial, but the judgment was reversed upon appeal by Sidway. When Hamer appealed to the Court of Appeals of New York, he, the plaintiff, eventually won the suit after careful review. The court’s reasoning for the decision was based upon the examination of consideration.Sidway had denied payment on the account that the nephew had benefited from the actions taken, regardless of his uncle’s proposal, and that the promisor, his uncle, was not benefited in any way. The court however was less concerned with whether the promisee happened to benefit from the proposal, but more concerned with how the nephew had given up his legal rights to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, swear, and gamble in accordance with the contract.They ruled that, â€Å"consideration means not so much that one party is profiting as that the other abandons some legal right to the present, or limits his legal freedom of action in the future, as an inducement for the promise of the first. † It was confirmed that the nephew did give up these legal rights, and fully performed the conditions imposed. As mentioned above, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Hamer, on behalf of the nephew.

Amusing Ourselves to Death Summary

Amusing Ourselves to Death Summary Neil Postman in his speech called â€Å"Amusing Ourselves to Death,† which he gave in the year of 1984, takes a point of view which explains how the American society is slowly trying to have entertainment over-take every aspect of their lives. He explains how America is losing its desire to read or explore education and informative literary sources. He says in his speech, â€Å"America is engaged in the world’s most ambitious experiment to accommodate itself to the technological distractions made possible by the electric plug. He states statistics that ninety-eight percent of all American homes have a television set and fifty-one percent have two or more television sets in 1984. He’s main point is that Americans use the television to provide entertainment to all aspects of their world. This includes the news, educational programs, and even religion. He says that, â€Å"television is transforming all serious public business int o junk. America is now forced with creating programs that will catch the attention of an audience that is used to having entertaining aspects in all forms of their life. In order to give a point of view or some other important information, television needs to present it in a way to keep the viewer interested. Neil Postman is afraid that America is starting to lose the ability to engage in discussions and lectures without an entertaining aspect in it. He says, â€Å"America is the world’s first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death. †

Untitle essays

Untitle essays 1. I should not talk about myself if there were anybody whom I knew so well. (p.2, ln.1) 2. ... they are employed... laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal. It is a fools life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before. (p.3, ln.29) 3. The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly. (p.4, ln.21) 4. What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates his fate. (p.6, ln.5) 5. What everybody echoes of in silence passes by as true today may turn out to be falsehood tomorrow... (p.6, ln.29 6. But mans capacities have never been measured; nor are we to judge of what he can do by any precedents, so little has been tried. (p.8, ln.11) 7. Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each others eyes for an instant? (p.8, ln.25) 8. No man ever stood the lower in my estimation for having a patch in his clothes; yet I am sure that there is greater anxiety, commonly to have Learn from your own experiences. Know yourself. Dont care about wealth if your soul is wealthy then you have enough. Treat each other kindly and then youll begin to see the best of human kind. Be confident in yourself. Be able to love what you see in the mirror every morning. Then youll go places. Never take what people say as the truth. Make up your own mind about it. Dont say you cant because no one ever has. You could always be the first. Things change so drastically when you look at it from a different view. People dont see it enough. Society often place emphasis on things that shouldnt always be emphasized. Fashionable, or at least clean ...

Are Leaders Born or Made Essay Essays

Are Leaders Born or Made Essay Essays Are Leaders Born or Made Essay Paper Are Leaders Born or Made Essay Paper Peoples have debated whether leaders are born or made for centuries. However. I am perfectly positive that good leaders are made than Borns. If you have the desire and self-control. you can go an effectual leader. â€Å"Good leaders can develop through a neer stoping procedure of self-study. instruction. preparation and experience† ( Jago. 1982 ) . To animate workers into higher degrees of teamwork. there are certain things a leader must be. cognize. and. make. These do non come of course. but are acquired through continual work and survey. Good leaders are continually working and analyzing to better their leading accomplishments ; they are NOT resting on their awards. Definition of Leadership Before we get started. let’s define and understand about leading. Leadership is a procedure by which a individual influences others to carry through an nonsubjective and directs the organisation in a manner that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaderships carry out this procedure by using their leading attributes. such as beliefs. values. moralss. character. cognition. and accomplishments. In the field of organisational acquisition. leading entered the treatment as a placeholder for the organisation. Initial constructs of leading in organisational acquisition were based on the impression of the dominant alliance. Organizational acquisition theoreticians had suggested that the senior direction squad. or dominant alliance. was in fact the organisation degree of organisational acquisition. Furthermore. leading has been described as the â€Å"process of societal influence in which one individual enlist the assistance and support of others in the achievement of a common undertaking. Harmonizing to Ken â€Å"SKC† Ogbonnia. â€Å"effective leading is the ability to successfully incorporate and maximise available resources within the internal and external environment for the attainment of organisational or society end. Charismatic Leaderships are made but non born. However. there are many knowing and motivated people who lack of the cognition to take others. So they don’t assume leading places. or if they do. they don’t do really good in them. Therefore. to go a made leader. we need to cognize about the feature of a leader for us to larn and research from at that place. Having personal appeal is an of import quality to any successful leader. that’s all extremely successful people must develop to maximise their success in leading functions. every bit good as usage it to derive a great advantage over their competition. Charisma can be explained as an undefinable personal magnetic attraction that helps pull people to you. and makes them desire to collaborate and work with you to carry through your dreams. To increase your ain degree of personal appeal. you must foremost be assurance in your ain vision. If you have a clear vision of what you want to carry through. so you need to concentrate on puting end for yourself. and do program to accomplish them without hold. The clearer you are about your intent. and how you are be aftering to accomplish it. will of course to pull others to assist and back up you in any manner they can. However. some say magnetic is born but non made. Yes. it’s. But without the born personal appeal. you can besides increase the degree of you charisma by speaking and interaction with other. certain interactions and wagess addition get downing relationships. such as a Celebrity utilizing a Charming Introduction will immediately hold a new friend. Charisma skill-building requires friends and relationships to come on. Personality and Physical Build Besides. the personality is besides an of import component to go a made leader. great leaders must hold the ability to project themselves. to pass on with subsidiaries in order to carry through a undertaking by teamwork. The dictionary definition of personality is the aggregation of emotional and behavioral traits that characterize a individual. That is. your personality is how you present yourself to the universe. It is how others see you. Is that of import for leading effectivity? I think so. Your public character is the accelerator for inscribing followings. For illustration. you might be typically dominant. or possibly you’re ever a friendly individual. or even person who takes really few hazards. These illustrations are personality traits. You may besides merely better your personality by your visual aspect such as frock up and do up good as the visual aspect oneself ever the first feeling they given to other. Aside of personality. physical physique is besides a trait of feature for being a leader. this can be made and improved by one ego. For illustration. the kids now are largely taller and stronger than their parents because of the better knowledegement attention. Endowment. accomplishments and knowledge Beyond the personal traits of a leader. leading endowment. accomplishments and knowledge person must get the hang if they want to be a leader. Leadership endowment is those unconditioned traits that a individual is born with but which they need to work on to develop their potency. Leadership accomplishments are learned behaviors that a individual patterns and hones over clip. And leading cognition is acquired larning about the methods. schemes. successes and failures of other leaders in concern and in different walks of life. The traits include intelligence. creativeness. diplomatic negotiations. strength. and organisational ability. The difference of the three is an intrinsic character of the leader and the latter two are learned. And an effectual leader combines all three: harnessing mixture of their natural feature. their erudite replicable behaviours. and their mental informations and larning into their ain alone manner to showing themselves as a leader. Knowing good of the managerial map Besides. cognizing good of the managerial map is besides a must for a made leader. From daily operating. they should be able to larn about planning. forming. staffing. directing and commanding in order to take their subsidiaries in an effectual manner. Planing refers to expect the chance. jobs and conditions and taking from among the option of future classs or actions. That includes prediction. scheduling. programming and etc. The organisation maps consist of developing the organisation. deputing authorization and set uping dealingss. Staffing is about be aftering the organisation with suited forces constitutes the staffing map. Direction map involves pull offing people and work through the agencies of motive. proper leading. effectual communicating and coordination. Controling map enables direction to guarantee the accomplishment is in conformity with the established programs. Communication accomplishment Furthermore. to be a made leader. we should develop ourselves to do effectual communicating thru experience. The communicating accomplishment can decidedly be improved if you have the desire to make it. a smart leader must ever the â€Å"30 seconds message† which conveying the most of import message within the shortest clip. Effective communicating is more than merely being able to talk and compose. A leader’s communicating must travel people to work toward the end the leader has chosen. Besides that. a leader has to be able to actuate everyone to lend. Each of us have different â€Å"button† . a great leader should cognize how to force to right button on everyone to do them truly desire to make their best to accomplish the leader’s end. This is decidedly non born because leader could press the right buttons on everyone through understanding their personality. Honesty and Integrity. Forward looking. Independence and Innovation. In add-on. the feature of a leader is besides consisted by honestness and unity. frontward looking. independency and invention. Once should non even be considered to go a leader without holding demonstrated the honestness. unity and trustiness to hold and keep a place of public trust. At all degrees. persons with unity and honestness show moral bravery by making the right thing even when it is non popular or by showing dissent when actions or pending determinations would go against organisational and/or constitutional values. Torahs. and ordinances. In add-on. they confront unethical behaviour in others. Furthermore. the candidly and unity is about following regulations and ordinance. this is made as we have no pick but have to follow the regulations and ordinance of the organisation. As a great leader. we ever need to be advanced toward any issue or job. When people do non see their leader forward-looking. that leader is normally enduring from one of two possible jobs which are the leader doesn’t have a advanced vision and the leader is unwilling or scared to portion the vision with others. The advanced attitude can be influenced by those people who are environing us with positive-minded. this can be made but non born. Last but non least. a great leader is besides an pioneer. Invention is about doing new tools. merchandises and procedure. convey forth something â€Å"new† which allows human being to carry through something they were non able to carry through antecedently. We can be invention through survey. research. discuss and deliberated from past experience. Leaderships must be tough plenty to contend. tender adequate to shout. human plenty to do errors. low plenty to acknowledge them. strong plenty to absorb the hurting. and resilient plenty to resile back and maintain on traveling. Leaderships must be tough plenty to contend. tender adequate to shout. human plenty to do errors. low plenty to acknowledge them. strong plenty to absorb the hurting. and resilient plenty to resile back and maintain on traveling. Leader is made because a individual becomes a leader through life and work experiences. through wise mans and personal contemplation. Leader takes clip to develop and they were made merely like anything else. through difficult work. If you are given a opportunity. you pattern. you can besides be a leader.

Writing Skills Training 10 Free Online Courses

Writing Skills Training 10 Free Online Courses Writing Skills Training: 10 Free Online Courses Get essential knowledge and master surfing through a variety of informational texts, writing styles and brilliant ideas! Start writing where you are! OpenLearning Want to move from writing simple passages to detailed writing? Participate in the training program suggested by Simon Williams and learn more via OpenLearning! This course is called Scribble: Writing for New Writers. It is highly effective! Get essential knowledge from a true expert! Use practical tips and develop fast, effective research skills! Discover useful tips – they surely will help you to make your online communication more efficient! This training course will show you ways to make your writing powerful and clever. Duke University In case you are interested in the methods of direct interaction with readers, Duke University together with Denise Comer offers a marvelous opportunity to effectively and effortlessly learn English Composition. Learn to meet the readers expectations by exploring a topic in detail, providing a visual analysis or a case study. The course will show you how to provide effective arguments and to create powerful prose, as well as how to ask thought-provoking questions and lead animated discussions. Mt. San Jacinto College The course Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade (Fundamental English Writing) developed by Lawrence Barkley and Ted Blake from Mt. San Jacinto College will offer deep insight into sentence building by means of complex phrases and correct punctuation. Moreover, you will learn how to arrange sentences into well-organized passages. Michigan University Thinking Like a Writer is another training course guided by Jeff Grabill and Julie Lindquis from Michigan University. Follow the guidelines presented in the course and learn to utilize effective strategies for learning, reading and writing. Practicing narration and summary will also be beneficial for your writing skills, as well. University of California, Berkley The next option contains plenty of tips for essay writing. Maggie Sokolik, University of California, Berkley, designed a training course that consists of two parts – How to Write an Essay and English Grammar and Essay Writing. Writing involving paragraphs, developing introductions and formulating conclusions require grammatical accuracy and good self-editing skills. Consider an optional course book and be able to compose an essay after taking this part of the course. Its easy to compose great essays! The second part of the course is called English Grammar and Essay Writing. It will give you a nice opportunity to broaden your writing experience. Your English language skills will increase very quickly. Cardiff University Theres also nice possibilities for students who take an interest in journalistic writing. Community Journalism: Digital and Social Media is a training course designed by Richard Shambrook, Cardiff University. The number of websites is growing day by day; you can easily get access to a wide audience! Create a community site and use the benefits of publishing online! Share experiences with site launchers from the Center of Community Journalism and learn more about identifying your target audience, creating flashy content, media, law ethics, and managing your own online community. University of California As an active member of the human race, you may have a strong desire to influence social changes. Join Daniel Heimpel from University of California and take the course J4SC101x: Journalism for Social Change. Master solution-based journalism. The key issues covered in that course are: child protection, poverty, communities and foster care. University of Iowa Writing fiction is also a field that attracts a wide audience. Christopher Merrill from the University of Iowa offers a great training course How Writers Write Fiction! Get acquainted with it and consider creative writing as an international study! Feel a part of the international writing community! The agenda for this online course suggests you will be able to take part in live discussions, get assignments and learn to post your works on websites. Commonwealth Education Trust The training course Writing for Young Reader: Opening the Treasure Chest with Maria Gill and David Hill from Commonwealth Education Trust may seem highly involving for those students who are willing to write stories for children. Find out more about working out the plot, creating the setting, and describing the characters. Entice young learners to follow your every word! University of Sheffield Need applied writing skills for your career? Get the answer to your request from University of Sheffield! A group of well-trained experts – Pamela Hafekost, Hilary Jones, Alison Clay, Marcus Zientek, Steve McCarthy – are ready to share their knowledge and practical experience with you. Participate in a three-week course How to Succeed at: Writing Applications. The skills you get there will help you to write a successful profile, CV, or application. The basic rules of applied writing will support you in learning how to make a brilliant writing presentation of your knowledge, skills and intentions! Its easy to make your writing skills sharper! Become a part of the custom writing community and brighten the world with sparkling ideas!

Philip, Alexander and the Hellenistic period Research Paper

Philip, Alexander and the Hellenistic period - Research Paper Example Presently, numerous historians have associated Hellenistic period with the influence of Philip’s and Alexander’s regimes. This is because of their wisdom and exemplary leadership which they then exhibited, prompting the thriving of Hellenism and spreading of Greek’s influence to the Middle East. This period has also witnessed the emergence of creative art, literature, scientific breakthroughs and scholarly works by diverse philosophers. Philip and his son Alexander the Great contributed immensely to the shaping of the Hellenistic period’s culture. This is especially through the leaders who came after them though they were incompetent (Coffin et al. 157). Initially, Philip, due to his wisdom and exemplary leadership strategies, has managed to sway Greeks to attack Persia, but he has not managed to accomplish this mission during his lifetime. Afterwards, his son Alexander the Great managed to achieve this mission by waging massive campaigns during which he not only conquered Persia but also annexed Greece, Near East and Egypt. In 323 B.C, Alexander’s unexpected death at the age of 33 created a power vacuum, which prompted his closest generals to take over the empire’s leadership. However, due to internal wrangles which developed among them coupled with their leadership incompetence, the empire collapsed and split into three dynasties: Egypt under the Ptolemy’s leadership, Seleucia ruled by Seleucus, and Macedon (Coffin et al. 178). These dynasties varied considerably in their leadership styles, but they still maintained Alexander’s ideals, which contributed immensely to the spread of Greek civilization in the Middle East. Hellenistic period comprised two main features which differed from other civilizations. One of them was the large-scale aspect, which was contrary to the Polis’ period. The aspect entailed the deployment of large armies that consisted of 60,000-70,000 men

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Accounting - Essay Example In the temporal method, accounts and cash receivables are the main and only assets changed in the current exchange rate. Longer term debt and accounts payable are also changed at the current exchange rate. Due to the reasons that polish zloty liability amounts change at exchange rate surpasses the zloty asset amounts changed in the exchange rate, there is an existence of a net liability exposure. Measurement loss in the third of part 1 increases due to two reasons: there a net asset exposure in the balance sheet and depreciation of the polish zloty against U.S dollar in the second year. Account and receivables accounts are the main assets changed at the exchange rate. As there is no longer term debt in this part, the only liability changed at the exchange rate is accounts payable. As the polish zloty assets amount changed at the exchange rate surpasses polish zloty liability amount changed at the exchange rate, there exists an exposure of net asset in the balance

Mercedes-Benz Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mercedes-Benz - Case Study Example The opportunities and threats section will be generated from Mercedes-Benz's PEST (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological) analysis (Strickland & Thomson 2004). Mercedes-Benz has become synonymous with luxury cars. In a global scale, the name enjoys strong brand equity among consumers (Daimler Chrysler 2008). Mercedes-Benz is known to be the best symbol of luxury in automobiles. Armed with the heritage of pioneering innovation, Mercedes-Benz continues its quest of bringing the best products in the market through the use of advanced technology including its Smart cars portfolio. The company's primary objective is to "set new standards in the global automotive industry" (Daimler Chrysler 2008) which they accomplish by embarking on intensive research aimed at identifying and responding to anticipated customer needs and demand. Mercedes-Benz is passionate in shaping the "future of mobility" (Daimler Chrysler 2008) through the introduction of more efficient cars. Mercedes-Benz makes use of Advanced Design Studios in order to develop cutting edge designs (Daimler Chrysler 2008). Technology which produces inputs quickly and at high precision is also being utilized in car design and manufacture. Another is becoming a more s... of the company to become a socially responsible entity is integrated in its effort in creating modern cars which are less damaging to the environment. Mercedes Benz boasts of being the first automaker to run the most tests on fuel cells in its commitment of having zero emission mobility (Daimler Chrysler 2008). Other efforts are aimed at offering the best working environment for all its employees and environment friendly automobiles (Daimler Chrysler 2008). Weaknesses: Secondary in the Mercedes-Benz's set of objectives are maintaining investor relations through profitability. However, the division has been having recent financial blows which can be attributed to the deterioration of its image in the world market (Landler 2005). During 2005, investors have been weary of the company's financial performance as Mercedes Benz reports only 2 million during the last quarter compared to the 784 million it recorded in the same fiscal period (Landler 2005). The declining performance of the stock of its parent company in the market is another indication of its deteriorating financial performance (Figure 1). Figure 1. Stock Price of Mercedes-Benz's Parent Company Daimler Chrysler (August 2007 to July 2008) The weak financial performance of Mercedes-Benz in the market can also be an indication of having not enough funds to allocate to the company's endeavor. Failure to become profitable will further push stock price down. As stated in the previous section, Mercedes-Benz has been recognized as a symbol for luxury. Ironically, one of its pressing problems is in the aspect of product quality. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, it has been noted that the quality of Mercedes-Benz's passenger cars has been in question as indicated by the result of objective measures (Edmondson

Practical Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Practical Book Review - Essay Example Jim Petersen, the author of the book â€Å"Why Don’t We Listen Better? Communicating & Connecting in Relationships,† aims to explore the different ways in improving interpersonal communication processes. This book provides useful insights to those who want to improve the way they relate and communicate to those around them. The book utilizes sensible techniques, practical tips, and simple examples derived from years of counseling and pastoral ministry experiences of Dr. Petersen. The book emphasizes how in daily communication, people are often left disconnected, misunderstood, and unheard. This depicts how daily communication appear to be courtroom-like, causing people to be in conflict with each other. Additionally, the flat-brain theory discussed in the book gives a tongue-in-cheek, yet clear, explanation on why and how people get affected with emotions, and provides tips on what to do about it particularly when it gets in the way of meaningful communication with othe r people. It gives a logical structure in managing emotionally-charged discussions and situations. By making the readers understand how the brain works under pressure, stress, or attack, Dr.

Role of Engineers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role of Engineers - Essay Example The report also outlines the ethical issues and practices that civil engineers are faced with and how they can deal with these issues. Their problem solving capabilities as well as their capacity to maintain ethical standards are significant in determining their success in the industry. The Role of Engineers With the emergence of industrialization, construction work requires collaboration of engineers from various fields. Each activity in the designing process requires a professional engineer contributing to a working team that develops a drawing to be used by a construction company. The role of mechanical engineers in the construction industry is significant in the establishment of up to standard buildings (Rojter 2010). They play a role in designing, building as well as installation of mechanical systems. They also coordinate development of plans for the mechanical systems, preparation of specifications for air conditioning and aeration in buildings as well as installation of hot w ater systems (Evans & West 2007). The mechanical engineers’ work in the construction industry typically involves bargaining and establishing project contracts and signing agreements with clients after floating tenders. They commission, organize and appraise the work of contractors. Their also work with comprehensive maps and drawings that they develop using computer aided design software. Management and estimation of costs for the mechanical systems in buildings is an important task for the mechanical engineers since it ensures that the project is accomplished within the budget (Mills et al. 2008). They describe specifications for operation and maintenance of mechanical systems in buildings. Mechanical engineers also have a task of decision making regarding expiry of mechanical systems and advising on the necessary replacements. They are required to ensure compliance of the systems with health and safety regulations. In the contemporary construction industry, clients are cons cious of energy and environmental conservation. Mechanical engineers offer advice regarding reduction of green house emissions as well as economical use of energy (Evans & West 2007). The following section outlines what engineers need to practice their profession. Requirements for Engineers to Practice their Profession It is necessary for engineers to possess knowledge, skills and attributes that enhance accomplishment of their roles and tasks. Callister (2006) observes that knowledge in the development, review and analysis of engineering plans and specifications of equipments is necessary for mechanical engineers in the construction industry. They need to be in a capacity to identify errors in drawings or digression from the standard codes. Moreover, knowledge in computer applications is necessary to enhance their capacity to develop drawings and maintain records of their work. Mechanical engineers require wide knowledge regarding the health and safety standards and practices as re gards handling of mechanical equipment. This is necessary because apart from protecting the non professionals handling the equipment, engineers are also safe from harm (Rojter 2010). Moreover, they are in a position to avoid unnecessary legal conflicts that may be costly for contractors and clients. Failure to observe these standards may lead to revocation of practicing license

Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Observation - Essay Example Whole foods are widely recommended for any person any time but in most cases those who consume them want to manage their weights. This is an observation essay about Whole Foods and the people who partake of whole foods (Steve, 2002). Nutritionists and health professionals recommend that foods are best taken in their natural form or when they have been minimally altered to derive maximum benefits from the nutrients. The human body works best with natural foods and consumption of processed foods means that the body has to go the extra mile so as to digest the food. Consumption of such foods means that the body derives maximum nutritional value from the foods which translate to better health. Another reason as why people opt for whole foods is due to health reasons such as vegetarians or heart conditions that could be eliminated by taking the right foods in their natural state. To such people, eating of this group of foods is necessary for their health to keep diseases at bay. Most people who consume whole foods also do so that they could lose weight while at the same time managing it. Different people come in and out Whole Foods depending on their reasons for opting for eating these kinds of foods. In most cases, the main group of people who opt for such foods is those who would like to lose and manage their weight (Steve, 2002). You will notice mostly women who look big and walk as if their weight is a big luggage to them. Others are mostly women who would like to lose their birth weight and consequently being in such a diet ensures that it reduces their chances of craving for junk food which ultimately adds more weight. Similarly, they need to stay healthy for their babies who feed exclusively from their breast milk. The elderly people also opt for this group of foods since their immune system is deteriorating, and they should be at a position to maximize on the nutritional content of everything that they consume. The majority of these people walk into this

Role of Engineers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role of Engineers - Essay Example The report also outlines the ethical issues and practices that civil engineers are faced with and how they can deal with these issues. Their problem solving capabilities as well as their capacity to maintain ethical standards are significant in determining their success in the industry. The Role of Engineers With the emergence of industrialization, construction work requires collaboration of engineers from various fields. Each activity in the designing process requires a professional engineer contributing to a working team that develops a drawing to be used by a construction company. The role of mechanical engineers in the construction industry is significant in the establishment of up to standard buildings (Rojter 2010). They play a role in designing, building as well as installation of mechanical systems. They also coordinate development of plans for the mechanical systems, preparation of specifications for air conditioning and aeration in buildings as well as installation of hot w ater systems (Evans & West 2007). The mechanical engineers’ work in the construction industry typically involves bargaining and establishing project contracts and signing agreements with clients after floating tenders. They commission, organize and appraise the work of contractors. Their also work with comprehensive maps and drawings that they develop using computer aided design software. Management and estimation of costs for the mechanical systems in buildings is an important task for the mechanical engineers since it ensures that the project is accomplished within the budget (Mills et al. 2008). They describe specifications for operation and maintenance of mechanical systems in buildings. Mechanical engineers also have a task of decision making regarding expiry of mechanical systems and advising on the necessary replacements. They are required to ensure compliance of the systems with health and safety regulations. In the contemporary construction industry, clients are cons cious of energy and environmental conservation. Mechanical engineers offer advice regarding reduction of green house emissions as well as economical use of energy (Evans & West 2007). The following section outlines what engineers need to practice their profession. Requirements for Engineers to Practice their Profession It is necessary for engineers to possess knowledge, skills and attributes that enhance accomplishment of their roles and tasks. Callister (2006) observes that knowledge in the development, review and analysis of engineering plans and specifications of equipments is necessary for mechanical engineers in the construction industry. They need to be in a capacity to identify errors in drawings or digression from the standard codes. Moreover, knowledge in computer applications is necessary to enhance their capacity to develop drawings and maintain records of their work. Mechanical engineers require wide knowledge regarding the health and safety standards and practices as re gards handling of mechanical equipment. This is necessary because apart from protecting the non professionals handling the equipment, engineers are also safe from harm (Rojter 2010). Moreover, they are in a position to avoid unnecessary legal conflicts that may be costly for contractors and clients. Failure to observe these standards may lead to revocation of practicing license

Age of marriage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Age of marriage - Research Paper Example Marriage comes in many different forms across cultures, and has varied widely throughout history. Today in Western cultures, people tend to get married later than in other parts of the world and later than previous generations within the same culture. Additionally, it will explore the possible consequences of people getting married at a later age, including the possibility of a reduction in divorce rates and longer periods of time spent on education and career-building prior to marriage and producing children. Section One In the U.S., as well as other Western countries, the median age of marriage has increased dramatically in the last few years. For example, between 1890 and 1980, women got married at the age of 22, with only slight fluctuations in the years between (Uecker & Stokes 840). Similarly, the age at which men got married actually went down between these years, going from 26 to 25 (Uecker & Stokes 840). Since 1980, however, the average age at marriage for both men and women has increased, with women in the year 2000 being 25.1 on average, and men being 26.8. People now are even older, with the last estimates in 2008 giving the median age for women as 26.1 and the average age for men being 28.2 (Uecker & Stokes 840). Not only has the median age increased, but fewer people are married in the U.S. than ever before, with a decrease in married individuals from 72% in 1960 to just over half in 2008 (Uecker & Stokes 840), which is linked to the later age of marriage. There are a variety of reasons why people are choosing to get married at a later age. ... , however, women are actively encouraged into education and therefore are becoming more interested in working full-time, having a career and participating in the working world as only men did at one time in history. Women who focus on their career have been shown to delay marriage, and to particularly delay having children (Lehrer & Chen 1), as these developments are distracting for women in the workplace. With these developments has come a reduced stigma for women choosing to live on their own, which means that it is now socially acceptable for anyone to choose work and to be self-sufficient without a partner, leading to the amoralization of later age marriages. As the role of women has changed, so have their legal rights with respect to marriage. In 1933, for example, women were granted citizenship outside of their husbands (Coontz 143), meaning that they were fully-fledged Americans, which they had not previously been. In 1975, married women began to be allowed to have financial c redit in their own name (Coontz 145). It is decisions like these which make getting married less of a necessity for women (as they can now function independently) and more of a choice, which means that more and more people are taking their time over the decision and thus getting married later in life. Another reason why people are getting married later is due to the moral boundaries surrounding sex. Whereas previously, sex outside of marriage was frowned upon in most circles, it is now generally accepted outside of strict religion (Gilbert 222). One of the major reasons for getting married in the past was to have legitimate children; with this boundary removed, there is no longer the pressure to get married so young. Additionally, many of those who got pregnant outside of marriage would

Red Fox: Characteristics, Environment and Habits

Red Fox: Characteristics, Environment and Habits The red fox is portrayed as a sly, cunning creature and has been symbolised in folklore across the world for centuries. They remain an important factor in English culture primarily due to humans hunting foxes with gun dogs. In other countries such as North America they majorly contributed to the fur trade (Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann and Macdonald, 2004). The reason foxes are represented as devious and crafty animals down to their appearance and their ability to continue to exist in most environments. Urban and rural environments differ in a number of ways. Urban environments present a number of challenges to animals such as household predators (ref), human interaction (ref) and complicated landscapes (ref). There are also some advantages to living in an urban area, for example the abundance of easily accessible food (ref) and man-made shelters (ref). In recent years notably in England the rate of urban environments encroaching into rural is increasing leading to a significant impact on wildlife. In order to survive in an urban environment animals must make adaptations to their behaviour and in some cases their morphology (ref). Some animals are better at adapting than others; rodents are perhaps one of the better known examples. If animals cannot make these adaptations in areas where their environment is depleting, their species will become under threat from extinction. The red fox is clearly successful in coping with these ever-changing environments and this is attributable to t heir ability to make adaptations. One such adaptation and arguably the most important is behaviour (Natural England, 2007). In order for any predator to be successful and exploit a range of diverse environments it must be able to locate prey on a regular basis. The red foxs diet is enormously varied due to its coverage across so many different habitats. Unsurprisingly while they are classified as carnivores, they appear to be taking on a more omnivores style diet. (Natural England 2007). The red fox has also presented food preferences but is generally inclined to take the most readily available foods. (Scott 1955). Environment is a key aspect in the variation of the red foxs diet. Today the red fox exists in Rural, urban and suburban environments in this country and there is a large variety of food available to them. Red foxes will prey on a range of birds, small mammals, insects and other invertebrates. They will also eat fruit and vegetables which account for about one fourth of the foxes diet, although it cannot sustain the red fox as well as meat would. (Natural England 2007 and Zimen 1980). One of the most suitable habitats for a fox is one that has a high density of small mammals such as rabbits, hares and voles. These animals are easy for the fox to catch and provide enough energy and substance to sustain a red fox (Zimen 1980). An environment that lacks this kind of prey would in theory be an unsuitable place for a fox to survive. However there are countless examples in this country and across the world of foxes that are living in habitats where small mammals are a fairly minute part of their diet and yet they are still thriving. (Zimen 1980). Foxes living in urban environments have a comparatively different diet to those living in rural habitats. These foxes have a few different food sources which are arguably easier to obtain than hunting small mammals. The prime example of this is anthropogenic food which is in abundance in many urban environments due to the population of humans. (Harris and Baker 2001). The red fox can scavenge an array of discarded meat and other food whilst using minimal energy in the process. Other food sources such as carrion, fruits and even pets mean that the red fox can successfully live in this tough concrete jungle without its natural diet. (MacDonald and Sillero-Zubiri 2004). The food that the foxes scavenge also attracts some of their natural prey in rural areas giving them ampl e opportunity to hunt live prey. However it cannot be assumed that urban foxes will eat the same food in all urban environments, their diet is highly variable (Luniak 2004). A scientific study comparing the diet of the red fox in Bristol City Centre and Central London has revealed how a location change can cause dietary variation. Professor Steven Harris of Bristol University discovered that although these two places are alike and provide very similar food, the foxes consume different quantities of these foods. This proves that red foxes are opportunistic and will literally eat whatever they can find in order to stay alive. According to wildlife biologist Marsha Sovada with the U.S. Geological Surveys Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in North Dakota, â€Å"Red foxes will eat anything-insects, birds, mammals, sunflower seeds. With such a catholic diet, the animals are virtually guaranteed ample food, opportunistically feeding on whatevers out there.† (Taylor 2001). In conclusion foxes will eat almost any food type and are true opportunistic eaters. This vastly varied diet will have a great impact on their success as a species and enables the red fox to live in almost any environment as a result (Matheson 1997 and Taylor 2001). Other canids such as the Asian Dhole (Asiatic Wild Dog) that failed to make this adaptation in diet amongst other factors are now an endangered species (MacDonald and Sillero-Zubiri 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dhole The red fox has a behavioural characteristic called caching that assists in the success of the species. The caching of food that the red fox cannot eat straight away is also observed in other predators such as the mountain lion that frequently stores carcases. Mountain Lion The red fox has a much smaller stomach size for its body weight therefore they cannot stock up on enough to wait a long time for the next meal. This is why the red fox caches food in small holes which are usually spaced apart in different places. This particular behavioural adaptation serves a useful purpose in order to survive and it insures for times of prey shortage (Natural England 2007). The red fox also has a greatly developed memory for hoard locations which is useful when these caches can span across many territories (Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann and Macdonald 2004). There is however a downside to this instinct they carry. When faced with a large quantity of favoured prey the red fox will often kill more than it could possibly eat before spoiling. A common example of this is the killing of captive birds such as hens. This is commonly referred to as surplus killing and will only happen if there is a great amount of vulnerable prey available (Natural England 2007). This does not increase the relationship with humans resulting in efforts to trap and kill many foxes. â€Å"The fox probably pounces on any available source of a smell or a sound and examines what he has captured later.† (Murie 1936) An example that illustrates the red foxs ability to swap food type is an outbreak of myxomatosis a disease which wiped out a large proportion of the rabbit population in this country in 1953. The rabbit was certainly the red foxes preferred food type at this time as they provided a fair amount of meat for an easier catch. Hunting Developing techniques in order to catch prey is imperative to any predators survival since their prey is commonly mobile. Each predator will have various techniques in capturing and killing its prey (Scott 1955). Red foxes have developed a range of hunting techniques in order to catch a diverse variety of prey (Grambo 1997). The red fox is primarily a crepuscular hunter but on occasion it will also hunt throughout the night (Especially in urban areas due to artificial lighting causing them to extend their hunting time (Fabricius 2010). They hunt around this time due to their prey being mostly active around dawn and dust. However the red fox can hunt during the day especially when food supply is in short supply in winter. They normally hunt in solidarity but it is not unknown for them to pair up in order to take down larger prey, such as calves (Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann and Macdonald 2004). The red fox has made many clever hunting adaptations in order to catch its diverse range of prey. For insects, the fox will put little effort into the method of capturing. They will commonly just walk up to insects without any stealthily moves and eat it. This method works well for foxes and as an insect requires little substance, this easy way of killing is suitable (Grambo 1997). For small mammals such as rodents the red fox will take on a far stealthier role. They will usually carefully walk around areas where the desired prey would be present, listening for any signs of movement. The moment the fox hears any scurrying, the red fox will launch itself straight up into the air and then pins down the victim with astonishing precision. The fox will then deliver a series of lethal bites (Harris and Baker 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Red Fox Hunting Rodent Other canids have this technique such as the coyote but generally most canids will shake their prey violently in order to kill (Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann and Macdonald 2004). The most challenging prey type the red fox encounters is Rabbits, hares and other swift small mammals. Hares can achieve speeds of up to 45mph when escaping predators and rabbits will run in a zigzag motion whilst reaching speeds of 30 mph (Elert 2001). These small mammals sustain the fox much longer than insects or any other small scavenged items so they are important to the foxs diet (Zimen 1980). The red foxs hunting technique for this prey is similar to most other predators. They will stalk their prey slinking along the ground for as long as they can stay undetected readying themselves for a pursuit. As soon as the fox has been noticed a rapid chase will ensue which either will result in the prey escaping, or the fox delivering a lethal bite to the animals legs. In addition, the red fox can reach speeds of up to 30mph giving it a realistic chance of catching this hasty prey. Furthermore they are able to jump 6ft high which is particularly useful when chasing rabbits and hares. (M atheson 1997 and Zimen 1980). Fox Stalking meal There is one last notable method in capturing prey that is fairly unconventional commonly referred to as ‘Charming. After spotting the desired prey, the red fox will begin playing and display odd behaviour in full view of its prey. This can result in the prey moving closer in order to see what the fox is doing. The fox will then ambush the prey when its in close enough range. They have also been known to play dead which will attract carrion birds. This technique truly illustrates the foxs intelligence and is contrast to their otherwise sly and silent moves (Zimen 1980 and Matheson 1997). Red Fox leaping whilst charming Through having this varied range of hunting techniques, the red fox is able to have a wide-ranging diet. They have a tailored technique in capturing animals for each specific prey and situation. This ultimately helps the red fox become widespread as it can transfer this collection of hunting skills to different prey living in most environments. Conclusion for diet and hunting The process of finding food and hunting prey is imperative to any living creatures survival. The red fox has proved to be a very successful forager as they can seek out food in an array of different environments. The way in which it exploits a wide range of foods enables the fox to do well even in areas which at a glance do not seem to provide it with the means to thrive. Reproduction Reproduction is fundamental for any species to be successful. Red foxes are monoestrous, they ovulate only once a year. Species that are commonly thought of as particularly abundant, such as the rabbit, have many litters per year. From this a person might assume that the red fox would have lower population numbers in comparison to the rabbit as they will only have one litter a year (Natural England 2007). A vixen on average will only have 5-6 kits a year and the infant mortality rate is reality high with only 2-3 kits surviving. However despite this they are still flourishing and this is down to several reasons. â€Å"Because theyre small predators with a fast reproductive rate, red foxes can dominate other species once they become abundant,† says Ron Jurek, a wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. The dedication of the mother to the wellbeing of her offspring is the one of the reasons for the red foxs success (Matheson 1997). Prior to the birth of her kits, the mother will prepare a natal den that is situated close to food and water supplies. This ensures the mother has access to food resources to sustain her, without straying too far from the den site. Female foxes will spend a large amount of time searching for a den that is concealed from humans and potential predators of the offspring, such as the badger. When the vixen has given birth to her kits, she will remain with them for the first two weeks in order to keep them warm relying on her mate to bring her any food she needs. This caring behaviour will help all of her kits to reach adulthood increasing the success of the species. An additional benefit is that the mothers milk is very rich providing a good amount of sustenance (Matheson 1997). Nursing kits Another key explanation for their high population is the capability of breeding at a young age. The red fox will on average reach sexual maturity at around 10 months old. In comparison to other canids such as the gray wolf that reaches sexual maturity around 2 or 3 years, this is relatively young. Perhaps if the fox population was more stable like the gray wolf then they would not need to reproduce at such a young age (VanGinkel 2002 and Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann and Macdonald 2004). The red fox has another useful behavioural characteristic which is predominantly present in urban environments which can help lower the red foxs infant mortality rate. Normally when vixens kits have maturated they will separate and search for their own territories. However young females can stay with their parents for another year. They purposely stay behind to help raise their younger siblings and provide their mother with food. Although this altruism may not have an enormous impact on the success of the litter, the experience the vixen will gain by helping raise kits can be transferred to her own (Matheson 1997). A prime example where this behaviour is more successful is in wolves. The alpha female is the only allowed having pups and all the other females in the pack will help raise them. Ecological adaptations- 1500 Distribution and abundance The distribution of any predator is vital its success as a species. The vaster the distribution of a species, the more likely it is to succeed. If one environment was completely destroyed resulting in a species dying, as long as that species has colonised elsewhere it will not die out (MacDonald and Sillero-Zubiri 2004). The red fox is the most prevalent of all the predators on earth spanning across nearly the entire Holarctic region. They live in 83 countries in five continents covering 70 million sq-km and are the only canid to do so (Luniak 2004). In fact the only place the red fox does not exist is tropical Islands, Australasian Islands, Madagascar and Malta. They are only present in Australia because man introduced them there. The reason they are absent from these places is although they are fairly strong swimmers, there is a vast amount of water to cross in order to settle there and they have not made it. This is a tremendous achievement for any predator and the only other predator that comes close to this is the grey wolf. They of course no longer exist in this country due to hunting to extinction and major loss of habitat. This furthers the point of the fox is successful as they were faced with remarkably similar circumstances, and continue to exist. The red fox has encountered many extermina tion efforts and ever increasing natural habitat loss and yet still covers most of its original range. The map below illustrates the areas in which the red fox inhabits (Zimen 1980 and Luniak 2004). The current population of the red fox in England today is very difficult to determine. Dr Johnathan Reynolds of the Game and Conservancy Trust states: â€Å"Foxes have been on the increase in urban areas since the 1940s when they first started colonising towns and cities but we have also had a number of setbacks in the population because of the mange and other diseases. At the moment it is difficult to say what the overall picture is.† (Gray 2009) The last official estimate of the red fox in 1995 found there to be 240.000 living across the U.K. This figure is likely to have increased as their behavior is changing allowing them to live closer and closer to humans (Gray 2009 and Luniak 2004). Habitat One of the reasons why the red fox is so successful is ability to live all almost any habitat. They thrive in habitats from extreme examples such as tundra and desert to the more commonly associated woodland, scrub, farmland and urban environments (Luniak 2004). Below illustrates just how different these habitats can be: This capability of living in different habitats is a security against any landscape destruction. If for example the whole of England became a purely urban environment, the likely hood of the red fox surviving is high given their current urbanisation ability (Harris and Baker 2001). Other predators that struggle to cope with loss of habitat and fail to make adaptations are under threat of extinction. An example of this is the case of the critically endangered Darwin fox. The Darwin fox lives just off the west coast of Chile on Chiloà © Island and mainland Chile. It covers the least geographical range of all the canids and is one of the most endangered. The main reason why they are on the brink of extinction is their lack of adaptations made to survive. They live in a unique island temperate forest which does not exist anywhere else. Loss of habitat means loss of prey resulting in them simply dying out as opposed to adapting and finding new sources of food and habitat (Sillero-Zubiri, Hoffmann and Macdonald 2004). Territory and range They have adapated their territoriy range to suit the need of the area. Like most predators, red foxes are territorial and in order for an individual fox to survive it needs to establish its own territory. Each territory provides shelter and adequate food for a species to live on. A predators territory size can differ in every habitat. It tends to be directly correlated to the amount of food available and good quality denning sites (Natural England, 2007). The red fox population extents across various different environments. For this reason there is enormous variation in territory size. In a typical rural environment in England, the foxs territory size is around two to six square kilometres. In contrast an urban foxs territory size is approximately half a square kilometres. The red fox has reduced its territory size significantly in urban environments. There are several reasons for this change such as their territory becoming bound by the road and other large urban obstacles. There are also space limitations due to a lack of green areas compared to their rural cousin. A bonus for a red fox living in an urban environment means they do not have to travel too far to find their next meal. This leads to many urban foxes living a sedentary life thus having a smaller territory (Luniak, 2004). Red foxes have also developed a reasonably relaxed approach to living in close range to another territory in urban environments. The red fox will have two small territories, one that provides shelter which is defended against any intruders. The other is where hunting and foraging will take place and tends to overlap with other foxes territories. This tolerance has a positive impact on the fox population as it allows foxes to live successfully in built up urban landscapes (Natural England, 2007 and Luniak, 2004). A researcher at Bristol University, Ellie Whittaker said ‘The animals move around a lot geographically and in a lot of cities the population of foxes is absolutely exploding (Gray 2009). The red fox has clearly managed to establish a life alongside humans in these difficult urban environments. The red fox will like most predators, mark their territory to preserve borders. Although this seems very defensive behaviour it serves a useful purpose. Red fox scent marking ‘Red foxes communicate with facial expressions, vocalisations and scent marking (Luniak, 2004). This is one of the main ways the red fox communicates and in actual fact helps reduce aggressive clashes between foxes. It is uncommon for foxes to fight resulting in injury when another fox strays into its territory. This means there is a very low mortality rate from foxes killing each other increasing the success of the species (Matheson 1997). Avoidance behaviour and risk taking A red fox mistakenly sneaking into a lion enclosure Every animal has a flight distance and it is a fundamental behavioural trait, especially for animals that are preyed on. Flight distances vary greatly depending on the species and the environment they are living in. However the purpose it serves never changes. The key function of a flight distance is to keep an individual animal alive by running from a potential threat. (Luniak, 2004) A prime example of an animal that lacked any form of flight distance was the Dodo. The Dodo lived contented on the island of Mauritius until humans discovered the island in 1505. Whilst the explorers were there, they discovered this effortless source of food that would literally walk up to them without hesitation. The main reason the Dodo became extinct was their trusting towards every living creature. Up to the point humans invaded their island, they had no predators, therefore had not developed the flight mechanism that would have arguably saved their species (Maas, 2008). 3d model of a Dodo Consequently an animal with a short or nonexistent flight distance has an increased risk of being caught by a predator, resulting in a decline in the species or in the Dodos case, extinction. On the other hand an animal with too long a flight distant is in danger of a failing population due to the disturbance that fleeing frequently can cause. This constant running effects breeding, foraging and other behaviour vital to a species survival (Moller, 2008). The red fox has no real natural predator in this country other than badgers that occasionally kill young kits. The only predatorial threat they face on a daily basis is humans. In order for any species to co- exist amongst humans, they must develop a degree of tameness toward people or they will not survive in an urban environment (Luniak, 2004). The red fox is under threat from humans in both rural and urban environments and has adapted its flight distance to suit environment. From organised hunts to the odd disgruntled farmer the red fox has faced danger from man for centuries in rural landscapes. The red fox has adapted well to the threat if humans in rural environments. Wildlife journalist Keith Broomfield has studied the red fox for years and comments on the rural fox: â€Å"Here is a shy and careful animal, skirting around farmhouses and villages, making only the occasional foray to raid a hen house or sniff around for rats and mice in a farmyard during the dead of night. Disturb a country fox during the course of a walk, and in a blur of russet he will be gone (Broomfield, 2010).† They have still maintained the correct flight distances for living in rural areas as the threat they face are still prevalent. In urban environments By reducing their flight distance in urban environments they have managed to settle and live amongst humans successfully. They may even be becoming too complacent in some areas (Luniak, 2004). Red fox photographed on the London underground. They are not quick enough when it comes to traffic. Wildlife journalist Keith Broomfield wrote â€Å"When I first started to watch Edinburgh foxes in the mid-1970s. They were still quite shy then but now it is not uncommon to watch them nonchalantly trotting along the pavements of Glasgow or Edinburgh, unfazed by meeting a human (Broomfield, 2010).† Morphology The red fox is indisputably the easiest of all fox species to identify due to its unique markings and colour (Luniak, 2004). Its iconic rusty red coat, black legs and ears and white belly and tail tip are suitable for camouflage in a forest at night. They can keep well hidden as they sneak through the trees and vegetation. There are many colour variants which can vary from red to copper enabling them to live in other biomes such as sandy desert and open country. (Matheson, 1997). The red foxes kits will come out of the burrow a sandy brown colour. This camouflage helps protect the young from any predators especially in countries where they are hunted by lynx, wolves and other predators. Red fox cubs blending into their surroundings. The ability to blend in to their surroundings is especially beneficial when capturing prey and enables them to get closer to their victim undetected (Zimen, 1980). Red Fox example in camouflage However a significant proportion of the fox population live in urban environments (Grambo, 1997). This camouflage is not suited for urban landscapes and unlike other species they have not adapted in anyway physically in order to live in urban environments. Fortunately the red fox does not rely on camouflage alone in order to survive (Luniak, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Red Fox in Urban environment The red fox has a surprisingly misleading appearance. Its red fur consists of long hairs which bulk out the form of the red fox. The red fox is approximately half the weight of other canids this size. This is owing to very light bones in comparison to dogs and a stomach only half the size of most canids.