Human Trafficking in Alaska - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 991 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/05/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Human Trafficking Essay Did you like this example? The number of human trafficking cases reported in Alaska is very small compared to other states with the highest occurrence such as California and New York, however it is important to note that the crime DOES occur in Alaska. According to the statistics provided by the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH), which recorded the signals that referenced Alaska each year, a total of approximately 277 calls and 63 cases has been reported since 2007 to June 2018; in 2018, 29 calls and 12 cases has been reported in which 80 victims had high indicators of human trafficking, while 47 were moderate (Alaska). The data were then divided into respective categories that reveal the age, gender, type of trafficking, and citizenship of the victims. In their 2015 state report, NHTH ranked Anchorage 78th in the total number of calls (113), 77th for the number of calls per capita (38), 83rd in total number of cases (19), and 85th for cases per capita (Ranking of the 100 Most Populous U.S. Cit ies). Alaskas ranking in NHTHs report indicate that although its not on top of the list, the state definitely does not have the lowest rate of human trafficking. A recently published study by Loyola University New Orleans revealed further information regarding human trafficking in Anchorage. Researchers from the study conducted a survey in ten cities across the country and found that of the homeless youngsters that were receiving assistance from the Anchorage shelter, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 5 boys reported being victims of sex trafficking (Boots). With Anchorage having the largest population in the state of Alaska, this statistic indicates large numbers of trafficking cases. Of the ten cities studied, Anchorage ranked the highest in terms of trafficking prevalence. In her interview of 65 teens that utilize the Covenant House in Anchorage in 2016, the author of the Loyola study†Laura Murphy†discovered that of the 65 individuals, 27% of women and 17% of men were victims of sex trafficking, while 43% of LGBT youths faced hiring discrimination for jobs that had pushed them into the sex market (Boots). Criminals force or exploit their targets, but circumstances also play a role in occurrence of the crime†situations forced by our societys lack of empathy. A wide range of factors including homelessness, mental health disorders, trauma, and time in foster care all contribute to the vulnerability of Alaskas youths and children to human trafficking. In the Loyola study, a large number of the victims originally lived far from Anchorage and they couldnt go back home [and] didnt want to go home (Boots). This caused them to either be homeless or seek refuge in covenant houses, increasing their chances of being a victim due to their lack of awareness about the crimes nature. Murphy also discovered from her interviewees that 77 percent of youths trafficked for sex were homeless at the time it happened (Boots). Various factors determine peoples suscepti bility to human trafficking however it seems that homeless is on top of the ladder. Mental disorders, trauma, and substance abuse also play a role in ones vulnerability to this crime. Josh Louwerse, a youth engagement program coordinator in Anchorage, claimed that refugees in the shelter experienced trauma in some ways and 40% of youths served by the shelter have a mental health diagnosis (OMalley). The combination of these two factors reduces a persons capacity to thoroughly evaluate situations and therefore will most likely become a victim. A separate situation from the study also revealed that the staff of Covenant House worked with 20 teens (all had mental disorders) who had experienced trafficking after traveling to different towns to seek medical assistance only to be soon discharged without a place to stay in (Boots). These individuals become homeless, and in their desperation to meet their basic needs, will fall victim to human trafficking. In an interview with Heidi Ros s, a convicted sex trafficker, she claimed that the majority of the youths that sought her shared similar conditions: homeless, substance abuser, emotionally unstable, and had difficult childhood (OMalley). Assuming the responsibility of and caring for her mother who suffered from Schizophrenia, Ross knew and exploited the weakness of these teenagers for her own profit. In addition to psychological and physical factors, the economy also contributes to the widespread incidence of human trafficking. With Alaskas increasing popularity as a tourist spot and the demand for sex, the tourism industry incites the sex trade. Some offenders also bring their victims in Alaska and prefer Native Alaskan women because of the high pay for sex in Alaska. Anyone can become a victim of human trafficking, but the most vulnerable includes children (teens), those with devastating past or experienced abuse, and poverty-stricken individuals or from other countries, and Native Americans. Alaskas e xcessively high rate of domestic violence contribute to the idea that runaway teens are easy targets for traffickers one in three kids on the street will be forced into prostitution (Pavlakis). To escape the pain that children endure from their abusive parent(s), they tend to run away from home, allowing traffickers to take advantage of their ignorance. Numerous people of all types, both citizens and immigrants, come to Alaska for one major reason: to seek opportunities for a better life. According to Nila Fankhouser, a social service consultant, immigrants and refugees who are unable to speak and understand English easily fall victims to traffickers because they often do not know who to trust or who to contact if they are in trouble (Pavlakis). With the language barrier and their lack of awareness and assistance, these groups will most likely accept any job offers from anyone and fail to recognize the danger that looms nearby. Native Alaskans also face danger in their own home. Most traffickers prey on Native Alaskan women and younger children moving from rural villages to Anchorage, believing that their ethnicity will appeal to more buyers (Pavlakis). Depending on the customers background, they may not know the ethnicity of the women and traffickers can advertise them as a different race. Troy Williams particularly targeted teenage Alaska Natives with similar backgrounds: Don’t waste time! 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The Map of Art History Uses Order and Classification by...

The Map of Art History essay is about how art history uses disciplines in societies to represents itself through order and classification. From many observations and theories it considers three subject: first is the listing of fields in art history, second is the library system is for categorizing art books, and third is the plotting of space and time in art history from survey texts. Also in the discussion the writer talks about the geography of art history such as where does the idea appear from? Other questions he asked was how and why do disciplinary classifications aspire are global remain local? What are the consequences of our continued use of mappings that have their beginnings and backgrounds in geopolitical spaces that no longer†¦show more content†¦In the subject of field for art history Robert pointed out the art is found in all categories except for the unknown era of the Renaissance all the way to the 19th and 20th century in Europe also the African Diaspora. In this part of where he is examining the fields Robert shows the history of how art progress through the globe and similar styles of art like the European art are shown in the north and south of America. He also calls forth the Art Criticism and Theory which is to be the only category to be critical and theoretical. Criticism in art is what demonstrates the discipline in art history for rejection or approval of the work. According to Robert’s argument he also claims that the library system is for categorizing art books, his statement was that â€Å"every book creates order, individually and collectively. The order of a single book is a function of its written discourse, but the order of a group of books is greater than the sum of their texts. † (The Map of Art History, 30). By his statement he meant that books are disciplinary and hold so much order and control over society because of the knowledge it provides in history. Mevil Dewey was a leader of the classificatio n movement and the creator of the system that holds his name, stretching the educational mission of new public libraries, because of his mission,Show MoreRelatedPractical Guide to Market Research62092 Words   |  249 Pagespublisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1-905529-30-9 Contents Page Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Bibliography The Basics of Market Research Research Objectives Research Design An IntroductionRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesany time on societal limit strive to exchange something of value with another social unit. Marketing consists of all the activities to facilitate the exchange. Within this societal perspective, then (1) the makers (2) what they are marketing and (3) their potential markets all assume broad dimensions. The category of marketers might include, in addition to business firms, such diverse social units as (a) a political party trying to market its candidate to the public (b) the director of an art museumRead MoreSales and Marketing for Financial Institutions80443 Words   |  322 Pagesphotocopying, recording, taping or information retrieval systems) without the written permission of Kaplan Higher Education. Kapla n Higher Education makes every effort to contact copyright owners and request permission for all copyright material reproduced. However, despite our best efforts, there may be instances where we have been unable to trace or contact copyright holders. If notified, Kaplan Higher Education will ensure full acknowledgement of the use of copyright material. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AllRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesdimensions associated with HR management as a strategic business contributor. Explain why HR professionals and operating managers must view HR management as an interface. 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A postulate of sound investing is that an investor does not pay more for an asset than its worth. This statement may seem logical and obvious, but it is forgotten and rediscovered at some time in every generation and in every market. There are those who are disingenuous enough to argue that value is in the eyes of the beholder, and that

Aretha Franklin free essay sample

Discusses the life and career of the African-American soul singer who blended gospel and popular styles. Aretha Franklin did more than any other artist to bring the forms and spirit of African-American gospel music into the popular arena. Franklin possesses one of the finest voices in the world and, throughout the late 1960s and the 1970s, she created a stream of hit records that helped define black popular music of the time. Whatever labels, soul, or rhythm and blues, or rock and roll, are placed on her music, Franklin was the primary force in combining the sound and feeling of one major American art form with another. The history of African American music has been characterized by cross-pollination among various forms. Country blues, urban blues, New Orleans Jazz, Bebop, big-band jazz, and rhythm and blues, have all influenced each other profoundly. These influences flowed back and forth among the various forms. We will write a custom essay sample on Aretha Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But

First Degree Price Discrimination Establoshed Organization

Question: Describe about the First Degree Price Discrimination for Establoshed Organization. Answer: 1 (a) the design of such a pricing mechanism Price discrimination is a competitive practices used by superior, established organizations aiming at gaining from different in demand and supply activity from consumers. Price discrimination is the estimating system that occurs where a firm charges the different cost to different consumers for a similar service or good. A business can improve its profits by charging each buyer highest amount he will pay, eliminating the consumer supply, yet it is frequently a mechanism to determine what that exact cost is for every buyer. If one wants price discrimination to be successful, the business has to understand their consumers base alongside its requirements. The business should also acknowledge the different types of price discrimination used as a part of economic aspects (Holmes 2011). The most widely used types price discrimination are to 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree price discrimination. In an ideal business context, firms will have the capability to eliminate every consumer surplus via 1st degree price discrimination. This type of pricing strategy occur where a business can clearly determine the price every customer can pay for a given product and selling such commodity at the mentioned exact price. In some businesses, for example, used truck or car deals, a need to negotiate eventual price tag is mechanism of buying process. The business selling the used car can acquire data via through information mining associating with each consumers previous purchasing habits, wage, expenditure plan as well as most extreme possible output to determine what to charge for each car sold. The above pricing strategy is monotonous and tough to perfect for many businesses, but it allows the seller capture the most astounding amount of available profit for each transaction. (b) What a supplier needs to know in order to use this scheme There are certain conditions that the seller must know to use this kind of price discrimination. These conditions include: The business has to be operated under imperfect competition. The trader must be a price maker and must have a descending slopping demand curve. The business has to distinguish the markets as well as prohibit resale. For example, halting a mature person using a ticket for a child. Separate groups of consumers have to possess elasticity of demand. For instance, learners who have low income are more sensitive to price elasticity. The sellers will have to set output as well as price where the marginal revenue is equivalent to marginal cost. In case of two sub markets with separate elasticity of demand. The seller must increase the profit by establishing dissimilar prices based on demand curve slope. Thus, for a cohort like mature persons, the PED will remain inelastic and hence the price will be a greater price. On the other hand, for a group like students, the demand is elasticity and hence there will be a lower price. The price will be maximized at the point whereby the MC= MR. This is due to the inelastic demand in market (A) leading to a greater price established. Conversely, in market B, the demand is more price elastic, and, hence profit maximizing price is inferior. (c) What constraints are faced in the use of the technique? The first degree price discrimination is time-consuming and hard to perfect for many businesses. It is hard to attain the first degree price discrimination. An instance regards roadside produce stand. The prices will be fluctuating on the basis of the type of the automobile consumer drives and the place he comes from. An individual driving a Lincoln with New York plates will likely pay a premium for a boiled peanuts at a roadside stand in Georgia. In many occasions, business find it hard to use this type of price discrimination. This is because the consumers preferences are never fully revealed. Also, the cost of disclosing such preferences could be prohibitive. In this case, the difference in willingness-to pay among the consumers for products and marginal cost of producing product can be much exploited. The goods are also sold in bundles which requires the buyers to purchase a package or sometimes set the various products instead of certain subset of products (Schwartz 2010). Even though it might be an efficient mechanism for improving the profit where consumers show heterogeneous demands, the businesses are not able to effectively segment consumers on the basis of preferences and subsequently price discriminate. Bundling is only effective where demands of the consumers are highly negatively correlated which is not always the case. (ii) Describe a real-world example of this price discrimination strategy The first degree price discrimination has been used in two part tariffs. The price is discriminated on fees of the entrance. It is attained via the coupons as well as discounts based on age or affiliation in some societies. For instance, Disneyland opened in 1955 in local Anaheim located in California. It used a two-part tariff in 1950s and 1960s. The price for admission was being charged together with individual attraction cost. Ticket cost for these attractions were diverse. Rides such as Dumbo costed the lowest (Schmalensee 2010). This was an A ticket and rides such as Caribbeans Pirates costed the highest. This was an E ticket. A two-part tariff can also solely assumes one consumer. In this case, a business establishes an entrance fee which takes all the consumer surplus. As shown below: At p=SMC, the entrance fee will take all consumer surplus indicated by the area, p1AB. The price p1 set results in output Q1. The profit of the firm is the equivalent to the first-degree price discrimination, FABE. In this case, there is no deadweight loss. Nevertheless, there could be social-wellbeing insinuations from the surplus transfer from customers to companies. Producers can as well as employ a two-part tariff in the tie-sales pricing (Ulph and Vulkan 2000). This is where a firm with the power of monopoly will need consumers to buy two or more complementary products. For instance, up until 1960 (late), IBM needed buyers who bought an IBM computer to buy their punch cards as well. They priced the computers at the perfectly competitive prices and employed the monopoly pricing for the punch cards, where the marginal revenue was equated to SMC less than p. References Holmes, T.J., 2011. The effects of third-degree price discrimination in oligopoly. The American Economic Review, 79(1), pp.244-250. Schmalensee, R., 2010. Output and welfare implications of monopolistic third-degree price discrimination. The American Economic Review, 71(1), pp.242-247. Schwartz, M., 2010. Third-degree price discrimination and output: generalizing a welfare result. The American Economic Review, 80(5), pp.1259-1262. Ulph, D. and Vulkan, N., 2000. Electronic commerce and competitive first-degree price discrimination (pp. 1-14). University of Bristol, Department of Economics.

Ch 3 Strategic Niche Management Essay Example

Ch 3: Strategic Niche Management Paper 3.10 Strategic niche management and an integrative evolutionary multi-level perspective on technological transitions Strategic Niche Management (SNM) and its related Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) arose out of the sociology of technology and was originally developed to understand technological transitions and regime shifts (Schot et al., 1994; Schot and Geels, 2008; Rip and Kemp, 1998; Kemp et al., 1998; Kemp et al. 2001; Geels, 2002, 2005; Kemp, 1994; Levinthal, 1998; Schot, 1998). As Geels (2002:1259) points out, the Multi-Level Perspective is not meant as ontological description of reality, but as a set of analytical and heuristic concepts to understand the mechanics of socio-technical change. It integrates many of the main concepts which are touched on to varying degrees and with differing emphasis and focus elsewhere in the literature and thus can be seen as a good foundation to approach the broader literature. Within MLP, three interrelated dimensions are important: socio-techni cal systems: the tangible elements of the technology needed to fulfil societal functions; social groups: the actors who maintain and refine the elements of the sociotechnical systems; and socio-technical rules (or regime): formal and informal rules that guide and orient activities of social groups. In this framework, actors in social groups are not assumed to act autonomously, as they do in the neoclassical model, but rather, in the context of social structures and by normative, formal, and cognitive rules. These rules form a coordinating context that guides and orients action. On the other hand, rules are reinforced and changed through action and enactment. Rules do not exist individually, but are linked together in semi-coherent set of rules called regimes. Rip and Kemp (1998:340) and Geels (2004) have widened the original concept of technological regimes first set out by Nelson and Winter (1982) to indicate that rules, including cognitive routines (Dosi, 1982) are not only embedded in the minds of engineers in their research and development activities, but are also in elements of the socio-technical system including scientists, users, policy makers and special interest groups. We will write a custom essay sample on Ch 3: Strategic Niche Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ch 3: Strategic Niche Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ch 3: Strategic Niche Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Rules include the problem agendas (reducing carbon, for instance), guiding principles, rules of thumb, standards, government regulations, sense of identity, and the role of expectations. Social groups interact and form networks with mutual dependencies, resulting in the alignment of activities. This intergroup coordination is graphically represented as the meso-level in Figure 3.7 with the concept of socio-technical regime. System stability can arise from mutually reinforcing established networks and ways of thinking. Although skills can be updated, and contracts broken or changed, core-competencies (Leonard-Barton, 1995) and legally binding contracts (Walker, 2000) can also become sources of rigidity in a shifting environment. Systems are also stabilized because they become embedded in society through institutions. People change their lifestyles to suit them and formal regulations and infrastructure created to serve them. The alignment between these heterogeneous elements leads to technological momentum (Hughes, 1994) and lock-in reinforced by social relationships of mutual role expectations and embedded interests such as industry associations (Hughes, 1987:76-7; Unruh, 2000). The material aspects of sociotechnical systems also contribute to stability, because of sunk costs – once investments are in place they are not easily abandoned (Walker, 2000). This means, for many reasons, socio-technical systems are characterised by stability, not by any means inertia, but dynamic stability, meaning innovation still occurs but is of an incremental nature. Because these stabilising mechanisms can lead to lock-in, it can be difficult for radical innovations to diffuse. So how does this model theorise the emergence of new socio-technological pathways? Strategic Niche Management theorists argue that for many new technological innovations market opportunities are not readily available as new technologies may differ radically from incumbent system. In many cases, there may be no established markets and no fixed preferences. For diffusion to take place, consumers must be introduced to new products and associated behaviours, firms and organisations must realign production routines, supporting infrastructure may need to be installed and, most likely, new regulations and policies need to be passed to govern all these 177 interactions, all of which take place within a cultural discourse (Lie and Sà ¸rensen, 1996; Nelson, 1994, 1995). To prepare the new technological innovation for the market, a technological niche may provide a protected space or â€Å"incubation room† to nuture a specific set of interactions between actors, issues and objects. As Rosenberg (1976:195) notes: †¦most inventions are relatively crude and inefficient at the date when they are first recognised as constituting a new invention. They are, of necessity badly adapted to many of the ultimate uses to which they will eventually be put. Within the niche, different selection criteria and public support for the technology can exist separate from broader market forces. SNM work conceptualises a bottom up process in which novelties emerge in technological niches, then conquer market niches, and eventually replace and transform dominant technologies and regimes (Schot and Geels, 2008). Within the literature three crucial internal niche processes have been identified (Schot et al., 1994; Kemp et al., 1998; Kemp et al., 2001; Hoogma et al., 2002): Technical learning processes relate to research and development into the technological object; the assessment of new markets and the nurturing of new user preferences; policy experimentation to facilitate a new re gulatory regime and also investigating what complimentary infrastructures are available or are necessary for the niche to develop; Figure 3.7 Multiple levels in a nested hierarchy The building of socio-technological constituencies involves the formation of social groups which may include: scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, financiers, early adopters amongst consumers, policy makers and new societal coalitions (lobby groups) to support the new innovation and invest in its development; and thirdly, The articulation of visions and expectations to provide direction to learning processes, attracting attention and legitimising protection from the broader market. Expectations of the future need to be built and shared by actors and their content gradually substantiated through project developments. Figure 3.8 A dynamic (phased) multilevel perspective on system innovations In this framework it is argued that niche innovations are rarely able to bring about great transformations without the help of higher order forces and processes. Thus, for niches to develop they should also ideally be responding to changes at the landscape, or macro level, in a way that the established regime cannot. This broader largely exogenous environment is formed by the socio-technical landscape. The context of this landscape is heterogeneous across different locations and may include aspects such as economic growth (or decline), broad political coalitions, cultural and normative values, environmental problems and resource scarcities (or abundances). It also includes the large-scale material context of society, for example, the material and spatial arrangements of cities, factories, highways, and electricity infrastructures (Rip and Kemp, 1998). Such landscapes are generally beyond the influence of actors, and cannot be changed at will, usually taking decades to shift. The three conceptual levels in Figures 3.7 and 3.8 can be understood as a nested hierarchy, but the key point of the MLP is that transitions come about through the interplay of processes at different levels in different phases (Table 3.2). Both internal niche dynamics and external development at the regime and landscape level are important for wider breakthrough and diffusion. Having tapped into innovation theory to investigate the mechanics of change in the economic system we now move onto complexity theory which is another related research programme attempting to bring many of these heterodox research currents under a coherent epistemological banner. As will be discussed, this research agenda has been identified as holding great promise for building on the natural affinities of physical and social systems, which has been identified as a ‘constant dream of geography’ (Thrift, 1999:32). Table 3.2 Dynamic phases in the Multi Level Perspective 3.11 What are complex systems and why is ‘complexity theory’ important? The study of complex systems has been increasingly put forward since the 1960s as an alternative scientific paradigm to what has been termed the mechanistic approaches such as the â€Å"clockwork† theories of Newtonian physics in the physical sciences and neoclassical economics in the social sciences. In contrast to such â€Å"reductionist systems†, as say, a rubber ball rolling around into the bottom of a bowl (as described by Newton’s Laws of Motion), complex systems exhibit unpredictable emergent properties. Common examples include the co-ordinating ability of ants to form g iant colonies capable of food gathering, distribution and defence; the flocking of birds or schools of fish that use simple rules to travel and avoid predators; the neural interconnections which underpin the development of thoughts and personality in the human brain; and the herding behaviour and other â€Å"anomalous† patterns exhibited in stock markets that cannot be explained by the underlying value of an individual stock. The unifying logic behind these phenomena is that the relationships between their elements come together in a way which can only be classified at higher levels than the individual units (Coveny and Highfield, 1995:7). What is more, change in a complex system can result in observations that are very difficult if not impossible to predict, especially in cases where phenomena are highly sensitive to initial system conditions. One of the most famous expressions of this notion was put forward by Edward Lorenz in a talk delivered to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1972 titled, â€Å"Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas,† which later gave rise to the popular notion of the butterfly effect, related to chaos theory. In this case, the inherent difficulty in predicting weather events was highlighted. In one seminal work, Warren Weaver (1948) describes two types of complexity: Disorganised complexity: arises from a system of many parts, where the random interactions of elements of the system mean that the system as a whole has properties that can be identified with statistical methods, for example, gas molecules in a container. Orga nised complexity: arises due to non-random or correlated interactions between the elements in a system. These elements combine to create differentiated structures which can then interact with other systems. The coordinated system manifests properties which are not carried out or dictated by individual elements – these properties emerge with no â€Å"guiding hand†. This second type of complexity, which has long been studied by biologists in the context of evolutionary theory, has attracted particular focus for researchers in the area of complex adaptive systems (e.g. Jencks, 1996). Johnson (2007) outlines the following attributes for such systems: The number of elements, types of elements, and the relationship between the elements in the system are non-trivial (i.e. it has to be big enough for emergence to occur); The system has a memory, or includes feedback; The system can adapt itself according to its history or feedback; The relationship between the system and its environment are non-trivial and non-linear; The system can be influenced by or adapt itself to its environment; and The system is highly sensitive to initial conditions. Chris Langton, quoted in (Lewin, 1993:12-13) describes complexity in the following terms: From the interaction of the individual components [of a system] †¦ emerges some kind of property †¦ something you couldn’t have predicted from what you knew of the component parts †¦ And the global property, this emergent behaviour, feeds back to influence the behaviour †¦ of the individuals that produced it. Roger Lewin (1993:backcover), a major proponent of complexity theory, postulates: Complexity theory is destined to be the dominant trend of the 1990’s†¦ This revolutionary technique can explain any type of complex system – multinational corporations, or mass extinctions, or ecosystems such as rainforests, or human consciousness. All are built on the same, few rules. As Thrift (1999:34) notes, most writers on complexity theory then go on to usually lay claim to a whole series of fields of study which they assert are part of this impulse, including: chaos theory, fractal modelling, artificial life, cellular automata, neural nets and the like. This includes a companion vocabulary which can be both technical and metaphorical – chaos, attractors, fractals, emergent orders, selforganisation, implicate order, autopoiesis (a self-creating system), and so on. Thrift 185 thus cautions those who seek to use â€Å"complexity theory† as a unified theoretical anti-reductionist response, as – to a certain extent, any definition of complexity is likely to be beholden to the perspective brought to bear upon it. While recognising that exciting academic cross-fertilisation may occur between the physical and social sciences in this area, care also needs to be taken to not naively accept a theory developed in one field for application in another without an independently thoughtout and robust case for doing so. On this point Thrift emphatically states that complexity theory ‘does have interesting and even important things to say’ (Thrift, 1999:32-33, emphasis in the original): Here, furthermore, is a body of theory that is preternaturally spatial: it is possible to argue that complexity theory is about, precisely, the spatial ordering that arises from injections of energy. Whereas previous bodies of scientific theory were chiefly concerned with temporal progression, complexity theory is equally concerned with space. Its whole structure depends upon emergent properties arising out of excitable spatial orders over time. And here, most of all, is a body of theory which asks questions about `instability, crisis, differentiation, catastrophes and impasses’ (Stengers, 1997: 4) in ways which suggest that there is an obvious affinity between the `natural’ and `human’ sciences, a constant dream of geography. Such a movement is not, however, altogether as new as the recent ‘complexity hype’ of Lewin might suggest. Scholars since at least the time of the Scottish Enlightenment and the work of Malthus, whose ideas helped inspire the work of Charles Darwin, have sought to conceptualise the economy as a spontaneous (or emergent) system – in that it is a result of human action, but not the execution of any human design (e.g. Adam Smith’s invisible hand) with individuals, firms and governments processing information and adapting their behaviour giving rise to spat ially distinctive patterns of economic development over time. For example, the Austrian School economist Fredrick von Hayek in his 1974 Nobel lecture argued: Organized complexity here means that the character of the structures showing it depends not only on the properties of the individual elements of which they are composed, and the relative frequency with which they occur, but also on the manner in which the individual elements are connected with each other†¦ In the explanation of the working of such structures we can for this reason not replace the information about the individual elements by statistical information, but require full information about each element if from our theory we are to derive specific predictions about individual events. In this statement Hayek emphasises that to fully ascertain the working of the economic system, the researcher should look, in addition to quantitative ‘statistical information’, to qualitative ‘full information’ on each element of the system. Here Hayek draws attention t o the distinction between the human capacity to observe and predict the behaviour of simple systems (such as in Newtonian physics) and the more complex systems found in economics, biology and psychology. Hayek, (1974) also also highlights the importance of recognising the limitations of prediction when dealing with complex systems where only ‘pattern predictions’ are possible as contrasted with the more precise predictions that can be made of non-complex phenomena. Often all that we shall be able to predict will be some abstract characteristic of the pattern that will appear – relations between kinds of elements about which individually we know very little. Yet, as I am anxious to repeat, we will still achieve predictions which can be falsified and which therefore are of empirical significance. Next Page – Ch 3: Three Emergent Patterns Previous Page – Ch 3: The Mechanics of Change

The eNotes Blog eNotes Best Books of2018

Best Books of2018 As the year comes to a close, its time for us to take a look at the past 12 months to see what we can learn for the next year. Around the office, we decided to share the best books we read in 2018 and why we think you should read them in 2019. Whether youre looking for a new piece of fiction, works of poetry, or thought-provoking nonfiction, we think youll enjoy adding a few of our favorite books to your 2019 to-read list. Image via Amazon.com The Martian by Andy Weir This past year, I fell into a sci-fi rabbit hole. I devoured countless books that playfully toy with ideas of humanity, push the limits of technology, and craft exciting adventures. But between the adventures of Old Man’s War and the tales of MaddAddam, one particular novel stood out above the rest. I’ll admit that I love fantastical, unrealistic sci-fi novels- but, surprisingly, one of the things I loved the most about The Martian was how uncomfortably realistic it was. I never expected to drink up pages upon pages of scientifically reasoned solutions to realistic problems that arose. And it’s impossible not to fall in love with the snappy, hilarious writing. The plot moves quickly, despite the fact that protagonist Watney does very little in the way of adventuring. It’s a simple story about a man using all his wits to survive, but don’t worry- the novel is packed with twists and turns, lovable characters, and more than enough moments to keep you a t the edge of your seat. I blew through this novel in about a week, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting, original sci-fi novel- especially if they’re tired of your run-of-the-mill â€Å"White Dude Fights Aliens† stories. - Kate, Marketing Coordinator Image via Amazon.com New and Collected Poems, 1952-1992  by Geoffrey Hill Geoffrey Hill’s New and Collected Poems, 1952-1992 is the best book of poetry I read this year- and contains a handful of the greatest poems I’ve ever read. This volume gathers Hill’s first five books, which together represent his strongest writing. For modern readers, Hill’s poems may appear to come from a distant, even ancient, world. Indeed, his work is steeped in the traditions of English poetry and history, drawing upon the masters of Renaissance verse and ignoring the latest vogues. However, Hill was a modernist, and so each of his poems bears the mark of an experimental mind at work. There is no context which renders his poems anything less than deeply strange and chilling. In Mercian Hymns, a personal exploration of Hills childhood in Mercia burrows down into a meditation on the landscape’s violent past. In â€Å"Funeral Music,† a sequence of elegiac sonnets about the Hundred Years’ War transforms into a haunting lament for the human condition. Unfortunately, Hill passed away in 2016. What remains is his work is perhaps the richest contribution to English poetry in the last century. In our age of glib political bluster and â€Å"Instagram poetry,† I can think of no better balm than Geoffrey Hill. - Zack, Associate Editor Image via Amazon.com The Story of Philosophy  by Will Durant My current obsession is authors Will and Ariel Durant, two of this century’s most prolific historians and pure joys to read. This year I read The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, a work which reminds me that the past is not so unlike the present and that the problems of humanity now are the same problems humanity has always faced. The Story of  Philosophy tells the story of fifteen Western philosophers, from Plato to Dewey, explaining the ideas of each through the lenses of their personal experiences and cultures. Of each, my favorite is Spinoza, a Jewish philosopher who envisioned a god beyond that of his youth. For that, he and his progeny were literally cursed by his peers and his people, forcing him, as an exile, to seek refuge among the Dutch. While I disagree with Spinozas metaphysics, Durant so masterfully presents a paramount human that I cannot but fall in love with his ethos: tolerance and benevolence that leaves humans free to express convictions peacefully. Th e Story of  Philosophy stimulates the mind with both rich ideas and eloquent prose as it brings great ideas and great thinkers to the layman. It has earned its place well on my list of favorite books. - Nicholas, Senior Developer Image via HarperCollins Why Poetry  by Matthew Zapruder One of the best books I read this year was Matthew Zapruders Why Poetry. As a poet, I found this an invaluable resource for helping me continue to define my own idea of what poetry is- but I think theres something here, too, for people who have been scared away from poetry by the way its often taught: as some kind of code, something that â€Å"means† another thing that we have to excavate. Zapruder takes care to dismantle this common notion; instead, he speaks to reading poems as an experience that creates a certain â€Å"poetic state of mind†: a â€Å"dreamlike, associative† awareness that is, at heart, a means of somehow communicating what cant quite be said. â€Å"A poem is like a person,† he writes, â€Å"The more you know someone, the more you realize there is always something more to know and understand. . . . This is why we come back to certain poems, as we do to places or people, to experience and reexperience, to see ourselves for who we truly ar e, and to continue to be changed.† - Emma, Editorial Intern Image via Amazon.com The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison In her 2014 collection, The Empathy Exams, Leslie Jamison explores and advocates for the practice of empathy through essays ranging from unflinching analysis of her own heartbreak to meditations on the suffering of others- and how close we can ever really get to honestly saying â€Å"I feel you.† This is an often unsettling but always deeply humane book, one whose pages I filled with sticky notes to mark passages I didn’t want to forget. (I found myself jotting down whole sections of Jamison’s â€Å"Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain.†) One of the most striking things to me was Jamison’s insistence on empathy as an intentional, and perhaps even radical, way of approaching the world. As she writes in the title essay, which recounts with surprising poetry her former job as a medical actor, â€Å"Empathy isn’t just something that happens to us- a meteor shower of synapses firing across the brain- it’s also a choice we make: to pay atten tion, to extend ourselves.† I’d recommend The Empathy Exams to anyone curious about the possible uses, limits, and rewards of attempting to inhabit that choice. - Jules, Editor Image via Target.com Circe by Madeline Miller The sea witch Circe, probably best known for (hilariously) turning Odysseus’s men into pigs, takes on new life in this feminist reimagining of one of the most interesting figures in Greek mythology. Exiled by the gods for her witchcraft and â€Å"mortal† tendencies, Circe is forced to navigate a dangerous world of Olympians, Titans, and mortal heroes by herself. In doing so, Circe comes to terms with her own power while also shaping the stories of many of the most famous figures in Greek mythology, including Odysseus, Medea, Daedalus, and the Minotaur. Engaging and wonderfully written, this novel explores larger themes like family, self-doubt, identity, and fate through a nuanced and unexpectedly relatable protagonist. Though she’s an immortal goddess, Circe’s insecurities and inner struggles are all too human, and this story about the awesome power of the gods ends with some truly beautiful reflections on what it means to be mortal. Go read it- you wonâ⠂¬â„¢t be disappointed! - Caroline, Managing Editor Image via Goodreads.com Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson This year I read Jeanette Wintersons Lighthousekeeping, which I heartily recommend for its lyrical prose, unique narrative voice, and enduring thematic content. Its a story about light and dark, love and loss, and the dangers of pride and isolation. Wintersons engaging, complex narrative is replete with symbols and allusions that create a memorable, intricate tale about the transformative power of storytelling. After her mothers death, Silver and her dog, DogJim, are taken in by Pew, the ancient, blind lighthouse keeper of Cape Wrath. Adrift in her own world of darkness, Silver takes solace in the stories that Pew tells her, which center around a man named Babel Dark, a 19th-century clergyman leading two lives, in an effort to chart a new course through her own life. As Silver grows up and learns to tell her own story, we recognize that the tale of Babel Dark- his public and private lives, his pride and isolation- raises questions about hypocrisy, purity, and public perception. Pews stories take us through longing, passion, betrayal, place, and time, all in service to a simple question: What makes life worthwhile? Ill let you find out the books answer, but heres a tip: Read this when its raining. - Wesley, Managing Editor

United States-Centric Views Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United States-Centric Views Comparison - Essay Example At the same time, we consider women among Christian Americans usually go to work. Besides, we share the same opinion that one can identify secular content in education of Christian Americans. They are with moderate political values but governed by Biblical law. But political environment among the same is open to both sexes. They are socially inclusive, socially compliant and feminists (applicable to male and female members). There are a number of aspects which my friend and I share the same opinion on Muslim and Arab Americans (see appendix 1 and 2). For instance, both of us consider that Muslim and Arab Americans are oppressive to women, women folk are homemakers, and their society is patriarchal society. Besides, both of us consider that there is high religious content in their educational system. So, they share conservative political values, governed by the Qur’an, and are fanatically religious. The texture of male-domination can be seen in their political environment, socially exclusionary behavior. But Louise Cainkar states that the Arab Americans face oppression and marginalization in American society (Cainkar, 2009, p.96). So, both of us consider that Muslim and Arab Americans are socially oppressed and sexists. The appendices (see appendix 1 and 2) prove that there exists a number of dissimilar opinions about Christian Americans, Muslim and Arab Americans. For instance, I consider Christian Americans as good neighbors, immodestly dressed, well educated, law abiding, who considers religion as the part of government, peaceable, and with strict moral values. But my friend does not share the same opinion on foretold view points. On the other side, I consider Muslim and Arab Americans as modestly dressed, undereducated, religious values perpetuated in politics, violent, and with flexible moral values. But my friend does not share same opinion on foretold view points. But both of