Which Country Would I Love to Visit?

If I had a chance to visit a foreign country, I would not hesitate to choose South Korea. The main reason why I would choose Korea as my destination is that I want to visit Seoul and Jeju Island. Seoul, the capital of the South Korea, is one of the modern cities in the world. It is the business and cultural hub of South Korea, where skyscrapers tower over Buddhist temples. N Seoul Tower, built atop a peak in Namsan Park, allows me to view the entire city and surrounding areas from above.The teahouses and shops of Insadong give me a taste of Korean flavor, which I can further experience with a visit to the grounds and museums of Gyeongbokgung. UNESCO World Heritage Site, Changdeokgung Palace is a fine example of authentic ancient architecture which I would love to visit. In my opinion, Seoul is not just the capital of the South Korea, but a wonderful city worthy to visit. The second part of South Korea I would like to visit is Jeju Island, a hot tourist spot booming with unique attrac tions. Jeju’s romantic sunrises and sunsets, mild climate and beautiful sandy beaches totally enchanted me just with the images found on Google.I often image that I could meander along the beaches to enjoy the sunlight and breeze. I can also hike with my family to Baeknok Lake at the top of Mount Halla, South Korea’s highest peak. I would also love to see the â€Å"haenyeo,† female divers gathering fresh seafood, and the iconic â€Å"grandfather statues† displayed outside of many restaurants. Most importantly, I hope to see my favourite KPOP stars by chance!!! Of course, there are other countries I could visit if I had the opportunity to visit a foreign country. However, I think South Korea would be my first choice.

Role of Youth in Environment Protection

CHAPTER 20 – WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT I. II. III. IV. Introduction Progress, 1996-2000 Prospects, 2001-2005 Conclusion LIST OF TABLES Table 20-1 Table 20-2 Table 20-3 Table 20-4 Employment Distribution By Gender Within Sectors, 1995 And 2000 Employment Distribution By Sector And Gender,1995 And 2000 Employment Distribution By Occupation And Gender, 1995 And 2000 R&D Personnel By Gender And Qualification, 1998 Chapter Chapter 20 Women and Development Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl 8 an Malaysia PlanMalaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 556 20 I. WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION 20. 01 Women constitute an important pool of resource that can be mobilized to achieve the national development agenda. Through the continuous efforts of the Government in providing an enabling environment during the Seventh Plan period, women continued to participate in and contribut e towards the social and economic development of the country. 20. 02 During the Eighth Plan period, efforts will continue to be undertaken to enhance the role, position and status of women to ensure their participation as equal partners in national development.Women will be provided with the skills and knowledge to cope with the challenges of globalization and fulfil the needs of the knowledge-based economy. II. PROGRESS, 1996-2000 20. 03 During the Seventh Plan period, women continued to make significant contributions in various fields of national development through greater participation in the economy. This was made possible through the further operationalization of the National Policy for Women and its Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women, which included the implementation of gender-sensitive and awareness training programmes.In addition, the removal of legal and institutional constraints that inhibited the participation of women in the development process further facilit ated the involvement of women. Population, Labour Force and Employment 20. 04 Based on the 2000 Population Census, about 48. 9 per cent or 11. 4 million of the total population were women. The age-structure of the female Chapter 20 557 Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan Ma population was similar to that of the male, with 52. 4 per cent of the female population in the age-group 24 years and below.The Census also revealed that due to the improved female life expectancy, the proportion of the female population in the 65 to 74 years age-group increased from 3. 0 per cent in 1991 to 4. 3 per cent in 2000. 20. 05 Although 48 per cent of women were in the working age population of 15-64 years, they only accounted for a third of the labour force. Female labour force participation registered an increase, from 43. 5 per cent in 1995 to 45. 8 per cent in 1997, but declined to 44 per cent in 1998 due to the economic downturn. W ith the economic recovery, this rate subsequently increased to 44. per cent in 2000. 20. 06 Female employment in the mining and quarrying sector experienced the largest decline of 4. 9 per cent, between 1995 and 2000, followed by the agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishing sector, which recorded a decline of 1. 8 per cent during the same period, as shown in Table 20-1. Various efforts were undertaken to assist these women to re-enter the job market, including the implementation of training programmes to encourage them to venture into small businesses as well as retraining, and the identification and placement of these women in alternative jobs. 0. 07 Overall, the manufacturing sector absorbed the largest share of employed women accounting for 27. 3 per cent in 2000, consistent with the expanding opportunities in the sector. Another sector that recorded high female employment is the wholesale and retail trade, hotel and restaurants, as shown in Table 20-2. 20. 08 Improvements we re recorded in the occupational structure, with more women moving into higher-paying occupations during the Plan period. The proportion of women in the professional and technical category increased from 12. 7 per cent in 1995 to 13. per cent in 2000, while the proportion of women in the administrative and managerial category recorded an increase of 0. 4 per cent during the same period, as shown in Table 20-3. The share of women employed as agriculture workers declined from 16. 6 per cent in 1995 to 14. 8 per cent in 2000, consistent with the overall decline in total employment in the sector. Women were mainly employed as production and related workers, which accounted for 22. 6 per cent of total female employment in 2000. 558 TABLE 20-1 EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION BY GENDER WITHIN SECTORS, 1995 AND 2000 (%) 1995 2000Sector Male Female Male Female Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock & Fishing 71. 4 28. 6 73. 2 26. 8 Mining & Quarrying 82. 1 17. 9 87. 0 13. 0 Manufacturing 57. 2 42. 8 58. 9 41. 1 Construction 93. 5 6. 5 94. 0 6. 0 Electricity, Gas & Water 90. 4 9. 6 90. 5 9. 5 Transport, Storage & Communications 87. 9 12. 1 86. 9 13. 1 Wholesale & Retail Trade, Hotel & Restaurants 61. 3 38. 7 60. 7 39. 3 Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services 60. 1 39. 9 60. 1 39. 9 Other Services 60. 0 40. 0 54. 7 45. 3 66. 1 33. 9 65. 5 34. 5 Total TABLE 20-2 EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION BY SECTOR AND GENDER, 995 AND 2000 (%) 1995 2000 Sector Male Female Male Female 21. 6 16. 9 20. 2 14. 1 0. 5 0. 2 0. 4 0. 1 Manufacturing 20. 2 29. 4 20. 6 27. 3 Construction 11. 3 1. 5 12. 1 1. 5 0. 9 0. 2 0. 7 0. 1 Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock & Fishing Mining & Quarrying Electricity, Gas & Water Transport, Storage & Communications 6. 2 Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services 1. 7 6. 1 1. 7 16. 6 Wholesale & Retail Trade, Hotel & Restaurants 20. 5 18. 1 22. 3 4. 5 5. 7 17. 2 27. 1 100. 0 100. 0 100. 0 Chapter 20 559 5. 6 24. 0 100. 0 Total 4. 3 18. 4 Other ServicesMalaysia P lan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan Ma TABLE 20-3 EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION BY OCCUPATION AND GENDER, 1995 AND 2000 (%) 1995 2000 Occupation Category Male Female Male Female Professional, Technical & Related Workers 8. 4 12. 7 8. 9 13. 5 Administrative & Managerial Workers 3. 9 1. 8 4. 7 2. 2 Clerical & Related Workers 7. 5 17. 5 7. 1 17. 5 10. 5 11. 6 11. 1 12. 1 9. 4 14. 4 9. 5 17. 4 Agriculture Workers 21. 9 16. 6 20. 4 14. 8 Production & Related Workers 38. 3 25. 4 38. 4 22. 6 100. 0 100. 0 100. 0 100. Sales & Related Workers Service Workers Total 20. 09 Various measures were undertaken to improve female participation in the labour market. The Employment Act 1955 was amended in 1998, which among others, provided for flexible working hours and empowered the Minister of Human Resources to make rules on statutory benefits to be paid to part-time workers proportionate to that of full-time employees. This amendment permitted wome n, especially housewives, to be gainfully employed in part-time employment, while allowing them the flexibility to meet their family obligations.In an effort to allow women in the public sector to care for their newborn and to encourage breastfeeding, as of May 1998, maternity leave up to 60 days was allowed for a maximum of up to five children. In addition, provisions for tax deductions were provided to employers for the establishment of child-care centres near or at the workplace. Employers were also encouraged to provide facilities such as proper housing, transport and healthcare for the benefit of rural migrants, the majority of whom were women. Educational Attainment 20. 0 An important factor that contributed towards the social and economic advancement of women was the huge investments in educational facilities 560 accompanied by the provision of equal access to educational opportunities. Female primary and secondary school enrolment in local public institutions reflected the g ender ratio in the country. At the primary and secondary levels, enrolment of female students was about half of the total enrolment, while at the upper secondary level, female students accounted for about 66 per cent of total enrolment in 2000.Intake of female students into public universities expanded significantly from 50 per cent in 1995 to 55 per cent in 2000. 20. 11 With regard to preference for courses, female dominance in the arts streams continued to be prevalent accounting for 65 per cent of total enrolment in the arts and humanities courses in 2000. Females also made further inroads into science and technical courses. Female enrolment in the sciences in institutions of higher learning accounted for 60 per cent, while in the technical field it was 30 per cent in 2000.Skills and Entrepreneur Development 20. 12 Specific skills and entrepreneur training programmes were implemented to enable women to improve themselves and take advantage of the opportunities in the job market. In this regard, courses in areas such as business, organizational and financial management were implemented. Skills training programmes provided by the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skills Training were expanded, resulting in an increase of 19. 4 per cent in the female enrolment between 1995 and 2000. 20. 3 With improved literacy and the changing needs of the rural community, courses that contributed towards the involvement of women in income-generating activities were also undertaken. Towards this end, extension services in the form of the provision of equipment, initial capital grants, advisory services and training in areas such as product processing, as well as leadership and motivation courses were conducted. 20. 14 Measures were undertaken to facilitate the involvement of women in business through the provision of easy access to capital. The Women Entrepreneurs Fund was established in 1998 with an allocation of RM10 million.A total of 12 projects amounting to RM9. 5 milli on was approved under the Fund. Through the Small Entrepreneur Fund, a total of about 6,000 women entrepreneurs obtained loans amounting to RM65 million. Chapter 20 561 Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan Ma 20. 15 Various women entrepreneur and industry associations were formed, generally to serve as a platform for women entrepreneurs to establish networks and exchange information and experiences as well as to conduct training programmes, seminars, and workshops on motivation, leadership and entrepreneur development.The Women’s Institute of Management (WIM) offered skills training courses, particularly in the area of entrepreneurship as well as operated an on-line network called WIMNET that provided database search facilities to businesswomen around the world. In addition, the Institute of Women’s Advancement, the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association and the Association for Bumiputera Women En trepreneurs conducted courses and seminars in skills and entrepreneur development.A total of about 10,000 women benefited from these courses. Research and Development 20. 16 Women were actively involved in research and development activities during the Plan period. According to the 1998 National Survey of Research and Development, which covered research undertaken by government research institutions, institutions of higher learning and the private sector, women accounted for about a third of the total number of researchers with masters and bachelor degree qualifications, as shown in Table 20-4.In terms of research fields in the public sector, females were predominantly found in the medical and health and information sectors. TABLE 20-4 R&D PERSONNEL BY GENDER AND QUALIFICATION, 1998 (%) Phd Masters Bachelor Non-Degree Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female GRI1 29. 2 8. 0 38. 0 16. 4 14. 6 8. 5 11. 8 9. 2 2 39. 8 15. 0 15. 0 14. 0 9. 7 9. 0 14. 0 19. 6 7. 0 1. 0 13. 0 3. 6 43. 2 15. 0 36. 8 8. 6 76. 0 24. 0 66. 0 34. 0 67. 5 32. 5 62. 6 37. 4 IHL Private Sector Total Notes: 1 Refers to Government Research Institutions 2Refers to Institutions of Higher Learning 562 Health Status 20. 17 Women were equal recipients of the benefits of developments in the health sector. As such, the health status of women continued to register improvements during the Plan period. The average female life expectancy continued to improve from 74 years in 1995 to 74. 7 years in 2000 compared with 69. 3 years and 69. 9 years, respectively, for males. The maternal mortality rate, which is an indicator of the health status of women, remained low at 0. 2 per 1,000 live births during the Plan period. 20. 8 With the introduction of the Family Health Programme in 1996, women’s health was given emphasis from two perspectives, namely, the health of the family comprising maternal and child health, immunization, family planning, early detection of cancers and nutrition, as well as diseases affecting women with specific attention to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The maternal and child health programme, aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, improving prenatal and antenatal healthcare and providing health and utrition education continued to be implemented. In addition, increased accessibility to safe delivery services contributed towards the achievement of a satisfactory maternal mortality rate. As a result, deliveries in the public sector health facilities increased from 85. 1 per cent in 1985 to 95. 3 per cent in 1999. Concerted efforts were also undertaken to widen the coverage of antenatal health care services resulting in 72 per cent of pregnant women having access to such services.The Government introduced the Nutrition Rehabilitation Programme for Pregnant Mothers in 1997 to further improve the health status of women through the provision of adequate nutrition, particularly women in t he low-income group. 20. 19 With longer life expectancy and to ensure that women are healthy and remain healthy in their old age, health education programmes, seminars and workshops on healthy lifestyles, nutrition and the importance of regular medical examinations were introduced by the public and private sectors.In view of the fact that women, especially young women, are in the high-risk category in terms of vulnerability to AIDS, greater emphasis was given towards providing information on AIDS awareness and education. Despite these efforts, the percentage of women with HIV infection increased from 4. 3 per cent in 1995 to 5. 1 per cent in 1999. A programme, specifically for pregnant mothers infected with HIV, was also introduced at all antenatal clinics. Chapter 20 563 Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan MaPoverty among Female-headed Households 20. 20 Recognizing that increasing poverty among women is a world-wide phenomenon, various efforts were undertaken by the Government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce the incidence of poverty among women. These included the provision of micro-credit facilities to about 22,850 women through Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia to facilitate their involvement in small businesses and training programmes to assist single mothers to obtain employment. Despite these efforts, the incidence of poverty among female-headed households increased from 15. per cent or 585,688 households in 1997 to 16. 1 per cent or 588,554 households in 1999. Supportive Legislation 20. 21 During the period, efforts to further enhance the status of women continued to be undertaken. Existing regulations were reviewed and new ones enacted to protect the rights and dignity of women in both public and private life. In recognition of the importance of women’s contribution to the labour force, the amendment of the Employment Act 1955 encouraged more women to join the labour for ce.With the increased participation of women in the labour force, the existence of a healthy working environment is crucial. Towards this end, in 1999 the Government introduced a code of ethics for the prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace. This code, although applicable to both men and women, contains specific provisions to protect women in the workplace. In addition, women taxpayers, whose husbands had no taxable income, were provided taxable relief similar to that available to a male taxpayer whose wife had no taxable income. 20. 2 To enhance the capability and capacity of syariah courts, including in the handling of issues pertaining to Muslim women, the Government initiated a review of the organization of syariah courts in the country. Consequently, the Department of Syariah Judiciary was established in 1997, among others, aimed at ensuring uniformity among states in the judgement of cases pertaining to Islamic Family Law. During the period, five states, namely, Mela ka, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Pulau Pinang and Selangor as well as the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur implemented the Islamic Family Law.With this implementation, Muslim women were provided with better protection. 564 20. 23 Various efforts were undertaken to further protect the rights and dignity of women. The Women and Girls Protection Act 1973 and the Child Protection Act 1991 were reviewed and streamlined into the Child Act 2000. In addition, recognizing the role of women in caring for their families, the Guardianship of Infants Act 1961 was amended in 1999 to allow joint guardianship of children in matters relating to immigration and registration.In implementing this amendment, the Government, in 2000, also allowed mothers to sign all documents involving their underage children. National Machinery for the Advancement of Women 20. 24 The national machinery for the advancement of women in Malaysia comprises the Government, the private sector and NGOs, working in tandem towards the common objective of improving the status of women. Recognizing the need to further enhance the effectiveness of the national machinery, the Women’s Affairs Department at the Ministry of National Unity and Social Development was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Department in 1999.To enable more effective implementation of the National Policy for Women, the Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women was introduced to all public and private sector agencies to be used as a guide in the planning and implementation of development programmes. In addition, gender sensitization training programmes continued to be implemented in the public sector and similar programmes were initiated in the private sector. 20. 5 During the period, the National Advisory Council on the Integration of Women in Development (NACIWID) continued to function as the coordinating, consultative and advisory body on women’s affairs by highlighting to the Government issues and concerns pertain ing to women. Measures were also undertaken to institute links with the grassroot through the establishment of women service centres at the state level and women’s affairs consultative committees at the state and district levels.During the Plan period, centres were established in the States of Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Sabah and Selangor, which provided various services such as counselling, legal assistance and temporary shelter for women in need. The consultative committees monitored the implementation and impact of programmes and projects for women and provided the necessary feedback for improved project formulation and implementation. 20. 26 NGOs played an important role in complementing the efforts of the Government in advancing the status of women.In addition to organizing courses in family health, legal literacy, entrepreneurial development and parenting skills, Chapter 20 565 Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malays ia Plan Ma NGOs also implemented various activities to increase the knowledge and skills of women in the vocational and technical fields. Specific programmes were also introduced to assist single mothers in obtaining employment and caring for their families. NGOs also played the catalytic role in highlighting issues to further improve the status and rights of women.III. PROSPECTS, 2001-2005 20. 27 During the Eighth Plan period, efforts will continue to be undertaken to further enhance the role, position and responsibilities of women so as to increase their participation and involvement in the social and economic life of the country. In implementing the Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women, the Government will continue to ensure that strategies and programmes implemented are consistent with Malaysian values, religious beliefs and cultural norms. 20. 8 Taking cognizance of the changes in the global environment and the need to adjust to these changes, efforts will be undertaken to provide women with the skills and knowledge to cope with the twin responsibilities of family and career. Towards this end, the strategic thrusts for the future advancement of women will be: t increasing female participation in the labour market; t providing more education and training opportunities for women to meet the demands of the knowledge-based economy and improve their upward mobility in the labour market; t enhancing women’s involvement in business; reviewing laws and regulations that inhibit the advancement of women; t improving further the health status of women; t reducing the incidence of poverty among female-headed households; t strengthening research activities to increase participation of women in development and enhance their well-being; and t strengthening the national machinery and the institutional capacity for the advancement of women. 566 Increasing Female Participation in the Labour Force 20. 29 Although women account for nearly half of the working ag e population, their participation in the labour force is relatively low.Various efforts will be undertaken to mobilize this available pool of resource, thus increasing the supply of labour and contributing towards enhancing the nation’s output. The private sector, being the largest employer, will be further encouraged to introduce the necessary support facilities such as establishing child-care centres as well as providing transportation and housing facilities for their women employees. In addition, the Employment Act 1955 will be amended to include new and flexible working arrangements such as teleworking, part-time work and job sharing, to enable women to integrate career with household duties.Providing More Education and Training Opportunities 20. 30 Women will be provided with more education and training opportunities to meet the demands of the knowledge-based economy as well as to facilitate their upward mobility into higher-paying occupations. To encourage more women to pursue non-traditional fields of study such as science, engineering and vocational and technical education, career counselling programmes will be implemented to provide information and instill greater awareness among female students and parents regarding career opportunities in the professional and technical fields. 0. 31 With the need to increase knowledge and skills as well as move towards higher capital intensity, there will be a greater demand for highly and multiskilled workers. Women will thus be provided with more training opportunities to acquire new and advanced skills relevant to the needs of the industry. In addition, in response to the rapid changes in technology that requires constant upgrading of skills, women will be provided with increased opportunities for retraining.The private sector will also be encouraged to complement the efforts of the Government in providing more skills training opportunities for women, including in new technologies. 20. 32 Efforts will be u ndertaken to improve women’s access to information and communications technology (ICT). Formal and non-formal training in areas such as computer literacy and applications of ICT will be conducted jointly by the Government and NGOs, with special emphasis given to rural women. In addition, to enhance the effectiveness of the training programmes, efforts will be taken to ensure that software development is gender sensitive.Chapter 20 567 Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan Ma Enhancing Women’s Involvement in Business 20. 33 Efforts to enhance women’s involvement in business will continue to be undertaken. Training in business-related areas such as marketing, accounting, budgeting and planning will be implemented by the Government and NGOs. Programmes will be implemented to enable women entrepreneurs to be more competitive in terms of production, product quality and design as well as packaging and la belling. In addition, the utilization of ICT in business will be emphasized.The Government will also continue to provide funds under the Women Entrepreneurs Fund to enable more women to participate in business. Through the implementation of gender sensitive strategies, more opportunities will be provided to women to increase their participation and involvement in business ventures. Reviewing Laws and Regulations 20. 34 Existing laws and regulations will be reviewed to eliminate provisions that discriminate or have adverse effects on women. Legislation that will be reviewed includes those pertaining to family law and the distribution of property for non-Muslims.The Government will study the feasibility of establishing family courts with a view towards ensuring that issues pertaining to the family are discussed and decisions made in a more conducive environment. Efforts will also be undertaken to ensure the effective enforcement and speedy implementation of court decisions, including decisions of syariah courts, so as to provide for the protection and welfare of women. In addition, steps will continue to be taken to ensure the implementation of Islamic Family Law in the remaining states. Improving the Health Status 20. 5 Emphasis will continue to be given to promoting women’s health and that of their families. Through the family health programme, special attention will be given to HIV and sexually-transmitted infection prevention, family planning, as well as the identification of factors causing non-communicable diseases such as cancers, mental illnesses and cardiovascular diseases. In view of the fact that women have longer life expectancy and to ensure that women remain healthy in their old age, specific health education programmes including the promotion of healthy lifestyles and nutrition will continue to be implemented. 68 20. 36 Recognizing the peculiarities of illnesses confronting women, such as osteoporosis and those related to reproductive healt h, and in an effort to provide higher quality healthcare for women, the Government will establish a special hospital for women. This hospital will be the national referral centre for women’s health and well-being. In addition, research on various aspects of women’s health will be undertaken, with emphasis on biomedical, socio-behavioural and clinical research. Reducing the Incidence of Poverty among Female-headed Households 20. 7 In view of the increasing number of female-headed households and the rising incidence of poverty among them, efforts will be undertaken to ensure that these women have the capacity and capability to care for their families. Towards this end, research on the difficulties faced by women as head of households as well as the differing impacts of poverty on women and men will be undertaken to assist in the development of relevant programmes and projects. A special programme aimed at reducing the incidence of poverty among female-headed households w ill also be formulated to improve their quality of life as well as that of their families.Strengthening Research Activities 20. 38 During the Plan period, emphasis will be given to strengthening research in specific areas that will contribute towards increasing the participation of women in national development and enhancing their well-being. Research will be undertaken in areas such as the involvement of women in science and technology and ICT, the welfare of women in the informal sector, the role and status of women in the workplace, mobility of women in the labour force and remunerations received, women and mental health, and difficulties faced by women as head of households.Findings from these activities will assist in the formulation of policies and programmes that will further promote the advancement of women. Strengthening the National Machinery and the Institutional Capacity 20. 39 The establishment of the Ministry for Women and Family Development will provide greater focus on issues relating to women as well as ensure the effective implementation and coordination of programmes for women and families. Chapter 20 569 Malaysia Plan Ma laysia Plan Malay 8 sia Plan Malaysia Plan Malaysia Pl an Malaysia Plan Malaysia Plan MaConsistent with the goals of the National Policy for Women, efforts will be undertaken to improve and strengthen the national machinery for the advancement of women. Towards this end, measures will be instituted to ensure greater coordination and collaboration in the implementation of activities for women. In addition, links with the grassroots will continue to be strengthened with the establishment of women service centres in the remaining 10 states. 20. 40 During the Plan period, various mechanisms will be instituted to enable women to participate in decision-making processes at all levels.This is to ensure the incorporation of the needs of women in the formulation of policies and the development of strategies and programmes for the fu rther advancement of women. Gender analysis training and sensitization for policy-makers and planners and programme implementors will continue to be implemented in the public and private sectors. Greater efforts will also be undertaken to ensure the systematic collection and compilation of gender disaggregated data to facilitate analysis, create awareness and formulate appropriate and effective follow-up action on gender issues. IV. CONCLUSION 0. 41 With the provision of equal access to healthcare as well as educational and training programmes and improved employment opportunities, women made advancements in various fields of development. During the Eighth Plan period, efforts will continue to further enhance the status of women as equal partners in development. Towards this end, the Government will provide the enabling environment and supportive mechanisms, including the implementation of gender sensitive programmes, to enable women to reach their full potential in the social and e conomic fields of development. 570

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 19 Dors

SELDON, HARI-†¦ it is customary to think of Hari Seldon only in connection with psychohistory, to see him only as mathematics and social change personified. There is no doubt that he himself encouraged this for at no time in his formal writings did he give any hint as to how he came to solve the various problems of psychohistory. His leaps of thought might have all been plucked from air, for all he tells us. Nor does he tell us of the blind alleys into which he crept or the wrong turnings he may have made†¦ As for his private life, it is a blank. Concerning his parents and siblings, we know a handful of factors, no more. His only son, Raych Seldon, is known to have been adopted, but how that came about is not known. Concerning his wife, we only know that she existed. Clearly, Seldon wanted to be a cipher except where psychohistory was concerned. It is as though he felt-or wanted it to be felt-that he did not live, he merely psychohistorified. Encyclopedia Galactica 91. Hummin sat calmly, not a muscle twitching, still looking at Hari Seldon and Seldon, for his part, waited. It was Hummin, he thought, who should speak next. Hummin did, but said merely, â€Å"A robot? Me?-By robot, I presume you mean an artificial being such as the object you saw in the Sacratorium in Mycogen.† â€Å"Not quite like that,† said Seldon. â€Å"Not metal? Not burnished? Not a lifeless simulacrum?† Hummin said it without any evidence of amusement. â€Å"No. To be of artificial life is not necessarily to be made of metal. I speak of a robot indistinguishable from a human being in appearance.'. â€Å"If indistinguishable, Hari, then how do you distinguish?† â€Å"Not by appearance.† â€Å"Explain.† â€Å"Hummin, in the course of my flight from yourself as Demerzel, I heard of two ancient worlds, as I told you-Aurora and Earth. Each seemed to be spoken of as a first world or an only world. In both cases, robots were spoken of, but with a difference.† Seldon was staring thoughtfully at the man across the table, wondering if, in any way, he would give some sign that he was less than a man-or more. He said, â€Å"Where Aurora was in question, one robot was spoken of as a renegade, a traitor, someone who deserted the cause. Where Earth was in question, one robot was spoken of as a hero, one who represented salvation. Was it too much to suppose that it was the same robot?† â€Å"Was it?† murmured Hummin. â€Å"This is what I thought, Hummin. I thought that Earth and Aurora were two separate worlds, co-existing in time. I don't know which one preceded the other. From the arrogance and the conscious sense of superiority of the Mycogenians, I might suppose that Aurora was the original world and that they despised the Earthmen who derived from them-or who degenerated from them. â€Å"On the other hand, Mother Rittah, who spoke to me of Earth, was convinced that Earth was the original home of humanity and, certainly, the tiny and isolated position of the Mycogenians in a whole galaxy of quadrillions of people who lack the strange Mycogenian ethos might mean that Earth was indeed the original home and that Aurora was the aberrant offshoot. I cannot tell, but I pass on to you my thinking, so that you will understand my final conclusions.† Hummin nodded. â€Å"I see what you are doing. Please continue.† â€Å"The worlds were enemies. Mother Rittah certainly made it sound so. When I compare the Mycogenians, who seem to embody Aurora, and the Dahlites, who seem to embody Earth, I imagine that Aurora, whether first or second, was nevertheless the one that was more advanced, the one that could produce more elaborate robots, even ones indistinguishable from human beings in appearance. Such a robot was designed and devised in Aurora, then. But he was a renegade, so he deserted Aurora. To the Earthpeople he was a hero, so he must have joined Earth. Why he did this, what his motives were, I can't say.† Hummin said, â€Å"Surely, you mean why it did this, what its motives were.† â€Å"Perhaps, but with you sitting across from me,† said Seldon, â€Å"I find it difficult to use the inanimate pronoun. Mother Rittah was convinced that the heroic robot-her heroic robot-still existed, that he would return when he was needed. It seemed to me that there was nothing impossible in the thought of an immortal robot or at least one who was immortal as long as the replacement of worn-out parts was not neglected.† â€Å"Even the brain?† asked Hummin. â€Å"Even the brain. I don't really know anything about robots, but I imagine a new brain could be re-recorded from the old.-And Mother Rittah hinted of strange mental powers.-I thought: It must be so. I may, in some ways, be a romantic, but I am not so much a romantic as to think that one robot, by switching from one side to the other, can alter the course of history. A robot could not make Earth's victory sure, nor Aurora's defeat certain-unless there was something strange, something peculiar about the robot.† Hummin said, â€Å"Does it occur to you, Hari, that you are dealing with legends, legends that may have been distorted over the centuries and the millennia, even to the extent of building a veil of the supernatural over quite ordinary events? Can you make yourself believe in a robot that not only seems human, but that also lives forever and has mental powers? Are you not beginning to believe in the superhuman?† â€Å"I know very well what legends are and I am not one to be taken in by them and made to believe in fairy tales. Still, when they are supported by certain odd events that I have seen-and even experienced myself-â€Å" â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Hummin, I met you and trusted you from the start. Yes, you helped me against those two hoodlums when you didn't need to and that predisposed me in your favor, since I didn't realize at the time that they were your hirelings, doing what you had instructed them to do.-But never mind that.† â€Å"No,† said Hummin, a hint of amusement-finally-in his voice. â€Å"I trusted you. I was easily convinced not to go home to Helicon and to make myself a wanderer over the face of Trantor. I believed everything you told me without question. I placed myself entirely in your hands. Looking back on it now, I see myself as not myself. I am not a person to be so easily led, yet I was. More than that, I did not even think it strange that I was behaving so far out of character.† â€Å"You know yourself best, Hari.† â€Å"It wasn't only me. How is it that Dors Venabili, a beautiful woman with a career of her own, should abandon that career in order to join me in my flight? How is it that she should risk her life to save mine, seeming to take on, as a kind of holy duty, the cask of protecting me and becoming single-minded in the process? Was it simply because you asked her to?† â€Å"I did ask her to, Hari.† â€Å"Yet she does not strike me as the kind of person to make such a radical changeover in her life merely because someone asks her to. Nor could I believe it was because she had fallen madly in love with me at first sight and could not help herself. I somehow wish she had, but she seems quite the mistress of her emotional self, more-I am now speaking to you frankly-than I myself am with respect to her.† â€Å"She is a wonderful woman,† said Hummin. â€Å"I don't blame you.† Seldon went on. â€Å"How is it, moreover, that Sunmaster Fourteen, a monster of arrogance and one who leads a people who are themselves stiff-necked in their own conceit, should be willing to take in tribespeople like Dors and myself and to treat us as well as the Mycogenians could and did? When we broke every rule, committed every sacrilege, how is it that you could still talk him into letting us go? â€Å"How could you talk the Tisalvers, with their petty prejudices, into taking us in? How can you be at home everywhere in the world, be friends with everyone, influence each person, regardless of their individual peculiarities? For that matter, how do you manage to manipulate Cleon too? And if he is viewed as malleable and easily molded, then how were you able to handle his father, who by all accounts was a rough and arbitrary tyrant? How could you do all this? â€Å"Most of all, how is it that Mannix IV of Wye could spend decades building an army without peer, one trained to be proficient in every detail, and yet have it fall apart when his daughter tries to make use of it? How could you persuade them to play the Renegade, all of them, as you have done?† Hummin said, â€Å"Might this mean no more than that I am a tactful person used to dealing with people of different types, that I am in a position to have done favors for crucial people and am in a position to do additional favors in the future? Nothing I have done, it might seem, requires the supernatural.† â€Å"Nothing you have done? Not even the neutralization of the Wyan army?† â€Å"They did not wish to serve a woman.† â€Å"They must have known for years that any time Mannix laid down his powers or any time he died, Rashelle would be their Mayor, yet they showed no signs of discontent-until you felt it necessary that they show it. Dors described you at one time as a very persuasive man. And so you are. More persuasive than any man could be. But you are not more persuasive than an immortal robot with strange mental powers might be.-Well, Hummin?† Hummin said, â€Å"What is it you expect of me, Hari? Do you expect me to admit I'm a robot? That I only look like a human being? That I am immortal? That I am a mental marvel?!† Seldon leaned toward Hummin as he sat there on the opposite side of the table. â€Å"Yes, Hummin, I do. I expect you to tell me the truth and I strongly suspect that what you have just outlined is the truth. You, Hummin, are the robot that Mother Rittah referred to as Da-Nee, friend of Ba-Lee. You must admit it. You have no choice.† 92. It was as though they were sitting in a tiny Universe of their own. There, in the middle of Wye, with the Wyan army being disarmed by Imperial force, they sat quietly. There, in the midst of events that all of Trantor-and perhaps all the Galaxy-was watching, there was this small bubble of utter isolation within which Seldon and Hummin were playing their game of attack and defense-Seldon trying hard to force a new reality, Hummin making no move to accept that new reality. Seldon had no fear of interruption. He was certain that the bubble within which they sat had a boundary that could not be penetrated, that Hummin's-no, the robot's-powers would keep all at a distance till the game was over. Hummin finally said, â€Å"You are an ingenious fellow, Hari, but I fail to see why I must admit that I am a robot and why I have no choice but to do so. Everything you say may be true as facts-your own behavior, Dors's behavior, Sunmaster's, Tisalver's, the Wyan generals'-all, all may have happened as you said, but that doesn't force your interpretation of the meaning of the events to be true. Surely, everything that happened can have a natural explanation. You trusted me because you accepted what I said; Dors felt your safety to be important because she felt psychohistory to be crucial, herself being a historian; Sunmaster and Tisalver were beholden to me for favors you know nothing of, the Wyan generals resented being ruled by a woman, no more. Why must we flee to the supernatural?† Seldon said, â€Å"See here, Hummin, do you really believe the Empire to be falling and do you really consider it important that it not be allowed to do so with no move made to save it or, at the least, cushion its Fall?† â€Å"I really do.† Somehow Seldon knew this statement was sincere. â€Å"And you really want me to work out the details of psychohistory and you feel that you yourself cannot do it?† â€Å"I lack the capability.† â€Å"And you feel that only I can handle psychohistory-even if I sometimes doubt it myself?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you must therefore feel that if you can possibly help me in any way, you must.† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"Personal feelings-selfish considerations-could play no part?† A faint and brief smile passed over Hummin's grave face and for a moment Seldon sensed a vast and arid desert of weariness behind Hummin's quiet manner. â€Å"I have built a long career on paying no heed to personal feelings or to selfish considerations.† â€Å"Then I ask your help. I can work out psychohistory on the basis of Trantor alone, but I will run into difficulties. Those difficulties I may overcome, but how much easier it would be to do so if I knew certain key facts. For instance, was Earth or Aurora the first world of humanity or was it some other world altogether? What was the relationship between Earth and Aurora? Did either or both colonize the Galaxy? If one, why didn't the other? If both, how was the issue decided? Are there worlds descended from both or from only one? How did robots come to be abandoned? How did Trantor become the Imperial world, rather than another planet? What happened to Aurora and Earth in the meantime? There are a thousand questions I might ask right now and a hundred thousand that might arise as I go along. Would you allow me to remain ignorant, Hummin, and fail in my task when you could inform me and help me succeed?† Hummin said, â€Å"If I were the robot, would I have room in my brain for all of twenty thousand years of history for millions of different worlds?† â€Å"I don't know the capacity of robotic brains. I don't know the capacity of yours. But if you lack the capacity, then you must have that information which you cannot hold safely recorded in a place and in a way that would make it possible for you to call upon it. And if you have it and I need information, how can you deny and withhold it from me? And if you cannot withhold it from me, how can you deny that you are a robot-that robot the Renegade?† Seldon sat back and took a deep breath. â€Å"So I ask you again: Are you that robot? If you want psychohistory, then you must admit it. If you still deny you are a robot and if you convince me you are not, then my chances at psychohistory become much, much smaller. It is up to you, then. Are you a robot? Are you Da-Nee?† And Hummin said, as imperturbable as ever. â€Å"Your arguments are irrefutable. I am R. Daneel Olivaw. The ‘R' stands for ‘robot.' â€Å" 93. R. Daneel Olivaw still spoke quietly, but it seemed to Seldon that there was a subtle change in his voice, as though he spoke more easily now that he was no longer playing a part. â€Å"In twenty thousand years,† said Daneel, â€Å"no one has guessed I was a robot when it was not my intention to have him or her know. In part, that was because human beings abandoned robots so long ago that very few remember that they even existed at one time. And in part, it is because I do have the ability to detect and affect human emotion. The detection offers no trouble, but to affect emotion is difficult for me for reasons having to do with my robotic nature-although I can do it when I wish. I have the ability but must deal with my will not to use it. I try never to interfere except when I have no choice but to do so. And when I do interfere, it is rarely that I do more than strengthen, as little as I can, what is already there. If I can achieve my purposes without doing even so much, I avoid it. â€Å"It was not necessary to tamper with Sunmaster Fourteen in order to have him accept you-I call it ‘tampering,' you notice, because it is not a pleasant thing to do. I did not have to tamper with him because he did owe me for favors rendered and he is an honorable man, despite the peculiarities you found in him. I did interfere the second time, when you had committed sacrilege in his eyes, but it took very little. He was not anxious to hand you over to the Imperial authorities, whom he does not like. I merely strengthened the dislike a trifle and he handed you over to my care, accepting the arguments I offered, which otherwise he might have considered specious. â€Å"Nor did I tamper with you noticeably. You distrusted the Imperials too. Most human beings do these days, which is an important factor in the decay and deterioration of the Empire. What's more, you were proud of psychohistory as a concept, proud of having thought of it. You would not have minded having it prove to be a practical discipline. That would have further fed your pride.† Seldon frowned and said, â€Å"Pardon me, Master Robot, but I am not aware that I am quite such a monster of pride.† Daneel said mildly, â€Å"You are not a monster of pride at all. You are perfectly aware that [it] is neither admirable nor useful to be driven by pride, so you try to subdue that drive, but you might as well disapprove of having yourself powered by your heartbeat. You cannot help either fact. Though you hide your pride from yourself for the sake of your own peace of mind, you cannot hide it from me. It is there, however carefully you mask it over. And I had but to strengthen it a touch and you were at once willing to take measures to hide from Demerzel, measures that a moment before you would have resisted. And you were eager to work at psychohistory with an intensity that a moment before you would have scorned. â€Å"I saw no necessity to touch anything else and so you have reasoned out your robothood. Had I foreseen the possibility of that, I might have stopped it, but my foresight and my abilities are not infinite. Nor am I sorry now that I failed, for your arguments are good ones and it is important that you know who I am and that I use what I am to help you. â€Å"Emotions, my dear Seldon are a powerful engine of human action, far more powerful than human beings themselves realize, and you cannot know how much can be done with the merest touch and how reluctant I am to do it.† Seldon was breathing heavily, trying to see himself as a man driven by pride and not liking it. â€Å"Why reluctant?† â€Å"Because it would be so easy to overdo. I had to stop Rashelle from converting the Empire into a feudal anarchy. I might have bent minds quickly and the result might well have been a bloody uprising. Men are men-and the Wyan generals are almost all men. It does not actually take much to rouse resentment and latent fear of women in any man. It may be a biological matter that I, as a robot, cannot fully understand. â€Å"I had but to strengthen the feeling to produce a breakdown in her plans. If I had done it the merest millimeter too much, I would have lost what I wanted-a bloodless takeover. I wanted nothing more than to have them not resist when my soldiers arrived.† Daneel paused, as though trying to pick his words, then said, â€Å"I do not wish to go into the mathematics of my positronic brain. It is more than I can understand, though perhaps not more than you can if you give it enough thought. However, I am governed by the Three Laws of Robotics that are traditionally put into words-or once were, long ago. They are these: † ‘One. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. † ‘Two. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. † ‘Three. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.' â€Å"But I had a†¦ a friend twenty thousand years ago. Another robot. Not like myself. He could not be mistaken for a human being, but it was he who had the mental powers and it was through him that I gained mine. â€Å"It seemed to him that there should be a still more general rule than any of the Three Laws. He called it the Zeroth Law, since zero comes before one. It is: † ‘Zero. A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.' â€Å"Then the First Law must read: † ‘One. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, except where that would conflict with the Zeroth Law.' â€Å"And the other laws must be similarly modified. Do you understand?† Daneel paused earnestly and Seldon said, â€Å"I understand.† Daneel went on. â€Å"The trouble is, Hari, that a human being is easy to identify. I can point to one. It is easy to see what will harm a human being and what won't-relatively easy, at least. But what is humanity? To what can we point when we speak of humanity? And how can we define harm to humanity? When will a course of action do more good than harm to humanity as a whole and how can one tell? The robot who first advanced the Zeroth law died-became permanently inactive-because he was forced into an action that he felt would save humanity, yet which he could not be sure would save humanity. And as he became inactivated, he left the care of the Galaxy to me. â€Å"Since then, I have tried. I have interfered as little as possible, relying on human beings themselves to judge what was for the good. They could gamble; I could not. They could miss their goals; I did not dare. They could do harm unwittingly; I would grow inactive if I did. The Zeroth Law makes no allowance for unwitting harm. â€Å"But at times I am forced to take action. That I am still functioning shows that my actions have been moderate and discreet. However, as the Empire began to fail and to decline, I have had to interfere more frequently and for decades now I have had to play the role of Demerzel, trying to run the government in such a way as to stave off ruin-and yet I will function, you see. â€Å"When you made your speech to the Decennial Convention, I realized at once that in psychohistory there was a tool that might make it possible to identify what was good and bad for humanity. With it, the decisions we would make would be less blind. I would even trust to human beings to make those decisions and again reserve myself only for the greatest emergencies. So I arranged quickly to have Cleon learn of your speech and call you in. Then, when I heard your denial of the worth of psychohistory, I was forced to think of some way to make you try anyway. Do you understand, Hari?† More than a little daunted, Seldon said, â€Å"I understand, Hummin.† â€Å"To you, I must remain Hummin on those rare occasions when I will be able to see you. I will give you what information I have if it is something you need and in my persona as Demerzel I will protect you as much as I can. As Daneel, you must never speak of me.† â€Å"I wouldn't want to,† said Seldon hurriedly. â€Å"Since I need your help, it would ruin matters to have your plans impeded.† â€Å"Yes, I know you wouldn't want to.† Daneel smiled wearily. â€Å"After all, you are vain enough to want full credit for psychohistory. You would not want anyone to know-ever-that you needed the help of a robot.† Seldon flushed. â€Å"I am not-â€Å" â€Å"But you are, even if you carefully hide it from yourself. And it is important, for I am strengthening that emotion within you minimally so that you will never be able to speak of me to others. It will not even occur to you that you might do so.† Seldon said, â€Å"I suspect Dors knows-â€Å" â€Å"She knows of me. And she too cannot speak of me to others. Now that you both know of my nature, you can speak of me to each other freely, but not to anyone else.† Daneel rose.-Hari, I have my work to do now. Before long, you and Dors will be taken back to the Imperial Sector-â€Å" â€Å"The boy Raych must come with me. I cannot abandon him. And there is a young Dahlite named Yugo Amaryl-â€Å" â€Å"I understand. Raych will be taken too and you can do with any friend as you will. You will all be taken care of appropriately. And you will work on psychohistory. You will have a staff. You will have the necessary computers and reference material. I will interfere as little as possible and if there is resistance to your views that does not actually reach the point of endangering the mission, then you will have to deal with it yourself.† â€Å"Wait, Hummin,† said Seldon urgently. â€Å"What if, despite all your help and all my endeavors, it turns out that psychohistory cannot be made into a practical device after all? What if I fail?† Daneel rose. â€Å"In that case, I have a second plan in hand. One I have been working on a long time on a separate world in a separate way. It too is very difficult and to some ways even more radical than psychohistory. It may fail too, but there is a greater chance of success if two roads are open than if either one alone was. â€Å"Take my advice, Hari! If the time comes when you are able to set up some device that may act to prevent the worst from happening see if you can think of two devices, so that if one fails, the other will carry on. The Empire must be steadied or rebuilt on a new foundation. Let there be two such, rather than one, if that is possible.† He rose, â€Å"Now I must return to my ordinary work and you must turn to yours. You will be taken care of.† With one final nod, he rose and left. Seldon looked after him and said softly, â€Å"First I must speak to Dors.† 94. Dors said, â€Å"The palace is cleared. Rashelle will not be physically harmed. And you'll return to the Imperial Sector, Hari.† â€Å"And you, Dors?† said Seldon in a low tight voice. â€Å"I presume I will go back to the University,† she said. â€Å"My work is being neglected, my classes abandoned.† â€Å"No, Dors, you have a greater task.† â€Å"What is that?† â€Å"Psychohistory. I cannot tackle the project without you.† â€Å"Of course you can. I am a total illiterate in mathematics.† â€Å"And I in history-and we need both.† Dors laughed. â€Å"I suspect that, as a mathematician, you are one of a kind. I, as a historian, am merely adequate, certainly not outstanding. You will find any number of historians who will suit the needs of psychohistory better than I do.† â€Å"In that case, Dors, let me explain that psychohistory needs more than a mathematician and a historian. It also needs the will to tackle what will probably be a lifetime problem. Without you, Dors, I will not have that will.† â€Å"Of course you'll have it.† â€Å"Dors, if you're not with me, I don't intend to have it.† Dors looked at Seldon thoughtfully. â€Å"This is a fruitless discussion, Hari. Undoubtedly, Hummin will make the decision. If he sends me back to the University.† â€Å"He won't.† â€Å"How can you be sure?† â€Å"Because I'll put it to him plainly. If he sends you back to the University, I'll go back to Helicon and the Empire can go ahead and destroy itself.† â€Å"You can't mean it.† â€Å"But I certainly do.† â€Å"Don't you realize that Hummin can arrange to have your feelings change so that you will work on psychohistory-even without me?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Hummin will not make such an arbitrary decision. I've spoken to him. He dares not do much to the human mind because he is bound by what he calls the Laws of Robotics. To change my mind to the point where I will not want you with me, Dors, would mean a change of the kind he can not risk. On the other hand, if he leaves me alone and if you join me in the project, he will have what he wants-a true chance at psychohistory. Why should he not settle for that?† Dors shook her head. â€Å"He may not agree for reasons of his own.† â€Å"Why should he disagree? You were asked to protect me, Dors. Has Hummin canceled that request?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Then he wants you to continue your protection. And I want your protection.† â€Å"Against what? You now have Hummin's protection, both as Demerzel and as Daneel, and surely that is all you need.† â€Å"If I had the protection of every person and every force in the Galaxy, it would still be yours I would want.† â€Å"Then you don't want me for psychohistory. You want me for protection.† Seldon scowled. â€Å"No! Why are you twisting my words? Why are you forcing me to say what you must know? It is neither psychohistory nor protection I want you for. Those are excuses and I'll use any other I need. I want you-just you. And if you want the real reason, it is because you are you.† â€Å"You don't even know me.† â€Å"That doesn't matter. I don't care.-And yet I do know you in a way. Better than you think.† â€Å"Do you indeed?† â€Å"Of course. You follow orders and you risk your life without hesitation and with no apparent care for the consequences. You learned how to play tennis so quickly. You learned how to use knives even more quickly and you handled yourself perfectly in the fight with Marron. Inhumanly-if I may say so. Your muscles are amazingly strong and your reaction time is amazingly fast. You can somehow tell when a room is being eavesdropped and you can be in touch with Hummin in some way that does not involve instrumentation.† Dors said, â€Å"And what do you think of all that?† â€Å"It has occurred to me that Hummin, in his persona as R. Daneel Olivaw, has an impossible task. How can one robot try to guide the Empire? He must have helpers.† â€Å"That is obvious. Millions, I should imagine. I am a helper. You are a helper. Little Raych is a helper.† â€Å"You are a different kind of helper.† â€Å"In what way? Hari, say it. If you hear yourself say it, you will realize how crazy it is.† Seldon looked long at her and then said in a low voice, â€Å"I will not say it because†¦ I don't care.† â€Å"You really don't? You wish to take me as I am?† â€Å"I will take you as I must. You are Dors and, whatever else you are, in all the world I want nothing else.† Dors said softly, â€Å"Hari, I want what is good for you because of what I am, but I feel that if I wasn't what I am, I would still want what is good for you. And I don't think I am good for you.† â€Å"Good for me or bad, I don't care.† Here Hari looked down as he paced a few steps, weighing what he would say next. â€Å"Dors, have you ever been kissed?† â€Å"Of course, Hari. It's a social part of life and I live socially.† â€Å"No, no! I mean, have you ever really kissed a man? You know, passionately?† â€Å"Well yes, Hari, I have.† â€Å"Did you enjoy it?† Dors hesitated. She said, â€Å"When I've kissed in that way, I enjoyed it more than I would have enjoyed disappointing a young man I liked, someone whose friendship meant something to me.† At this point, Dors blushed and she turned her face away. â€Å"Please, Hari, this is difficult for me to explain.† But Hari, more determined now than ever, pressed further. â€Å"So you kissed for the wrong reasons, then, to avoid hurt feelings.† â€Å"Perhaps everyone does, in a sense.† Seldon mulled this over, then said suddenly, â€Å"Did you ever ask to be kissed?† Dors paused, as though looking back on her life. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Or wish to be kissed again, once you had?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Have you ever slept with a man?† he asked softly, desperately. â€Å"Of course. I told you. These things are a part of life.† Hari gripped her shoulders as if he was going to shake her. â€Å"But have you ever felt the desire, a need for that kind of closeness with just one special person? Dors, have you ever felt love.† Dors looked up slowly, almost sadly, and locked eyes with Seldon. â€Å"I'm sorry, Hari, but no.† Seldon released her, letting his arms fall dejectedly to his sides. Then Dors placed her hand gently on his arm and said, â€Å"So you see, Hari. I'm not really what you want.† Seldon's head drooped and he stared at the floor. He weighed the matter and tried to think rationally. Then he gave up. He wanted what he wanted and he wanted it beyond thought and beyond rationality. He looked up. â€Å"Dors, dear, even so, I don't care.† Seldon put his arms around her and brought his head close to hers slowly, as though waiting for her to pull away, all the while drawing her nearer. Dors made no move and he kissed her-slowly, lingeringly, and then passionately-and her arms suddenly tightened around him. When he stopped at last, she looked at him with eyes that mirrored her smile and she said: â€Å"Kiss me again, Hari. Please.† [1] All quotations from the Encyclopedia Galactica here reproduced are taken from the 116th Edition, published 1,020 FE by the Encyclopedia Galactica Publishing Co., Terminus, with permission of the publishers.)

Ethics and Financial Crisis of 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics and Financial Crisis of 2008 - Essay Example The instruments used to create debt in the economy were subprime mortgages. These mortgages were given to people who do not have collateral for their borrowing and were given without banks assessing their sources of income. They were given on the basis of credit score. Hence, in case these people go bankrupt, banks had no avenue to recover their investments. Since, the Financial System in the USA is not independent this created a â€Å"domino effect† situation. When the largest investment bank in the universe Lehmann Brothers collapsed, many other institutions in the US started feeling the pressure. Many had to write off their investments in Lehmann Brothers and they started to crumble. In order to assess why this happened, a study of risky and unethical instruments that were prevalent in the US Financial System at that time is needed. (NY, 2009) Credit Default Swaps are one of the most risky instruments that were common in the United States of America’s financial syste m prior to the 2008 financial crises. This instrument was used by lending companies to hedge their investment against credit risk. If one party need loan, the lender usually asked an insurance company to hedge their loan in the case of credit event against a periodic fee. This looked really bright and it was considered that it was going to increase the level of investments in the economy. For example, if A needs a loan and have a credit rating of B+. B lends loans and lends only to companies with a credit rating of AAA. The third party C with a credit rating of AAA will tell B that it will insure A against a periodic payment. Suppose A agrees and lend $2 Billion to A. It is also important to assume that insurance companies have limited assets. Suppose C has assets worth $3 Billion. It can be assumed that in case of bankruptcy of A, B can recover his investment through C. This looked fine, but what started happening was that companies like started insuring the loans that were as big as 10 times of their assets. Now in case credit event occurs, then they were unable to repay the lender. That was only a speculation that borrowers won’t default on loans. However, if loans that were more than the assets held by C default, then there is no way C can pay A. This would lead to a collapse. Not only A and C will collapse, but A will also go down due to high level of non-performing loans. Similarly, all the debtors of A will also lose their money and domino effect will be created. This is what happened prior to the crises started. The instruments were so risky, that they lead to the fall of the whole Financial System of the United States of America. The reason of failure of these instruments was the high systematic risk that was present in this type of securities. Since, it is impossible to diversify this risk, there was no way that the insurance companies could predict which companies would do well and which would fall down. Since, these instruments could not be diversified it lead a collapse of the whole financial system of the United States of America. (Money Monitoring, 2011). MBS or Mortgage Backed Securities were another fancy term used in the era prior to the 2008 financial crises. Mortgages were given on the premise that the property prices have been rising in the economy. So even if the

Introuduction to Civil Eng. class the assigment is about the Ethics Essay

Introuduction to Civil Eng. class the assigment is about the Ethics - Essay Example The supervising Engineer also said that since the firm was involved in other business with this client as well, the former would only inform the clients about the location of the drums and nothing else; that is what the engineer did, including suggesting to the client that the drums be removed. The client thereafter contacted another firm to have the material removed. The Board decided that the engineer was wrong, as his prime concern should have been public safety. The problem that arises here is whether the engineer should disclose the facts to proper authorities for the public welfare, or stay true to the confidentiality clause ;though the Code dictates that the confidentiality of the client should be maintained at all times (Section III.4) and that information regarding the client should not be disclosed without the client’s consent (Section II.1.c), however, it also lays down quite emphatically that the safety, health and welfare of the public should be paramount (Section I.1, Section II.1) and that in case their professional judgment is overruled by such concerns, they should notify their employer (Section II.1.a). So, even though the engineer could say that he was protecting the confidentiality clause, he should have informed the proper authorities, or his employer, based on public safety concerns. The engineer was supposed to act with objectivity and integrity (Section II.3.a, Section III.1), and was not to do anything that discr edited his profession or deceived the public (Section III.3). The engineer owed the duty to his client as well as the public, which included the employees of his client, to report the matter to his client as well as to the proper authorities. He should have made sure that the hazardous waste was properly disposed off, as laid down by the law. However, on the same note, he was to keep the information of the

Project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project 2 - Essay Example Therefore in order to save the ecology of our environment it’s essential to keep a limit on the deforestation operations, even if it leads to losses for the business and corporate sector. Deforestation Deforestation takes place when a large area of the forest is cleared for the purpose of construction of new residential buildings, industrial hubs or for other business purposes. Once the area gets deforested, trees are never re-planted. This results in gradual reduction of forests which has now become an important global issue. If the current rate of deforestation is continued, the world’s rain forests would completely disappear within hundred years. One of the major reasons of deforestation is agriculture. The second most accepted reason includes the logging operation that supplies the wood and paper to the whole world. Rapid urbanization and increased number of constructions can be regarded as the third most logical reason of deforestation. The other minor reasons incl ude wildfires and overgrazing. The effects of deforestation can have various negative effects on the society. The most crucial one is the loss of habitat for innumerable species. Data says that around 70% of the earth’s animals and birds live in forests, which won’t be able to survive when deforestation would take place. Deforestation also causes climatic changes giving rise to soil erosion, decrease in rainfall and temperature swings. Also trees are known for absorbing greenhouse gases that supports global warming. Fewer trees means huge amount of greenhouse gases entering the environment which in turn fuels the severity and magnitude of global warming. Solution to deforestation The secondary research techniques have been used for finding the solution to the problem of deforestation. These types of data are collected from research conducted by other people or organizations. The World Wide Fund for nature (WWF) has started forest conservation approach that aims toward preventing deforestation starting from the rainforests to the temperate forests. They had already started their work towards the protection of forests half a century back and now they have proudly announced the accomplishment of their efforts towards the conservation of the ecosystem. The fastest and simplest solution to deforestation would refer to simply restrict the cutting down of trees. However implementing this solution needs a more organized approach. We can opt for a careful management of the forest resources by the elimination of clear-cutting to ensure that the environment of the forest remains intact. It’s evident from the rate of deforestation that cutting down of forests is unavoidable for the survival and growth of humans. Therefore the solution should try to balance the rate of cutting trees and the rate of planting new ones. Although this solution would start to replenish the loss of forest in recent years, we need to plant more and more trees for settling the damage caused in the past. If we look closely towards our environment, we will find that not only deforestation but also several other factors causes the imbalance of the biodiversity. In our day to day life, we can contribute towards the safety of our eco-system by taking little measures like planting and maintaining trees, avoiding unnecessary usage of

Assignment( PROJCT MANAGEMENT) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment( PROJCT MANAGEMENT) - Essay Example Simple tasks like tying one’s shoe laces or wearing shoes does not require Project Management skills. But large projects like building a house, constructing a bridge or undertaking a major military operation are intricate, complex arrangements which require key critical project management skills and expertise. As a matter of fact, a covert military operation would need a series of divisive project management processes needed to be carried out simultaneously or in concerted independent endeavors. †Project & Program Management Services controls the scope, costs and schedule of programs and projects, handles program planning and prepares scope documents, such as terms of reference and statements of requirement.† (Project & Program Management Services: helping to deliver results, 2010). Critical Path Method models the activities and events of a project as a network of activities depicted as nodes on the said network. Also, it shows lines which form the beginning and end of activities. The longest path in the network is shown as the critical path. Perhaps one of the characteristics of CPM is the activities of a routine nature with â€Å"minimal uncertainty in the project completion times.† (Operations: Critical path method, 2010). Before working out a CPM network Chart, it is first of all necessary to list out the chronological series of events that are involved in the changing of wheels and has been listed as follows: â€Å"PERT is a method to analyze the involved tasks in completing a given project. Especially the time needed to complete each task and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project.† (Dr. Khatri n.d., slide 43) It is next necessary to consider Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) for this activity. Basically, PERT deals different discrete and interdependent parts of a project. It also allows for

Managing Markering Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Managing Markering Communication - Essay Example A company will only be successful when it uses marketing to turn potential clients into consumers of its products or services. Communication is Constant It is a recognised fact that whether people know it or not, they are constantly sending messages in different ways to others. It has been estimated that marketers’ skills are only responsible for 15% of their success in attracting customers, while the remaining 85% is the result of their ability to inspire trust in potential clients through their communication methods (Gould 2004). This is the reason why companies spend so much on researching on the best ways of creating advertisements (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Commercials, as well as other methods of communication, represent a company’s feelings and intentions for its clients. The verbal as well as non verbal cues that are carried in advertisements are vital because they tell potential customers what how they can benefit from the products and services of a company (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2006). Even where person to person communication is concerned, strangers will make an immediate assessment of someone upon first meeting them (Shultz 2004). This is before the person has even said a single word. Advertisements for products or billboards are unconsciously analysed in the same way by potential customers. When people first come upon a company’s products through different media, the first impression can result in feelings of distrust, or in feelings of interest (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg, 2006). IMC Defined Integrated Marketing Communications basically means combining all the promotional tools of a company in an effort to reach customers with a message about the company’s products. All communications methods will have a greater impact on the student body if they are joined together than if they are each used in isolation (Kitchen, Brignell and Tao, 2004). This is even more beneficial for the company in question whe n integration also includes different levels of integration like the vertical, horizontal, external, internal, and data integrations (Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman and Hansen, 2009). Horizontal Integration can be extended across corporate functions as well as the marketing mix. For instance, finance, production, communications and distribution operations can be made to work together to create the most effective messages for potential customers (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). On the other hand, singular departments like advertising, direct mail and sales combine efforts in working on data integration (Girvin: Strategic Branding Blog, 2010). This calls for a marketing information structure that gathers and shares the important information across varied departments. Vertical Integration basically means that all marketing purposes have to support the higher level business goals (Malhotra, 2004). Internal Integration holds that all the personnel working in a company have to be informed at a ll times, of any fresh developments taking place; whether this means new corporate identities, strategic partners, advertisements, or service standards. Lastly, external integration holds that external partners like public relations firms and advertising agencies have to work together to generate an all inclusive and comprehensive message to potential and existing clients. IMC –

How to Merge Two Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

How to Merge Two Companies - Essay Example If the merger does not result in increasing the value of the new company, then there is no presence of synergy and the merger will be ineffective. A strategic merger can reduce the tax burden by benefiting the statutes and loopholes in the law. As there is cash outflow in the merger, the taxable amount of profit will come down. Another chance of tax saving is that if a company running in losses merges with a profit-making company, there will be set off of losses and ultimately it will result in tax saving for the profit-making company. Diversification helps in improving the operations of the organization. Sometimes the company may be interested in diversifying its operation to be more profitable and competitive in a highly competitive marketplace. Some mergers happen only out of the sole discretion of the managers. In most of the cases, the merger can result in increasing the value of the new company. That may result in increasing the salary of higher-level managers. If they think that they will be monetarily or non-monetarily benefited if the merger happens then they will implement the merger. If the company a and company b is going to merge into company c then the value of company A and company B if they are taken separately is known as break-up value. If the break-up value is more than market value the merger or acquisition will have a better result. Horizontal Merger: If the two companies doing the same business or deal with similar or complementary products, merge to form a new company, then the merger is called horizontal merger. A soft drink company may merge with a sugar manufacturer for increasing synergy.

You are a health psychologist working in a smoking cessation Essay

You are a health psychologist working in a smoking cessation programme. You are asked to design a research project to promote non-smoking in a group of smokers - Essay Example ished by the National Statistics Online (UK, 2008) it is revealed that ‘in 2006, 68 per cent of smokers who were asked said they wanted to give up; nine in ten mentioned at least one health related reason for doing so’. In accordance with the above, the expansion of smoking as a common daily activity for millions of people cannot be doubted. In fact, smoking has been closely related with all aspects of daily life. For this reason, in the above survey it has been found that ‘in 2006, 59 per cent of smokers felt that it would be difficult to go without smoking for a whole day’ (National Statistics Online, UK, 2008). Although the above statistics refer to Britain, it has to be noticed that smoking is not related with a particular country. In a similar survey conducted in USA it was revealed that in the specific country ‘an estimated  25.9 million men (23.9 percent) and  20.7 million women (18.1 percent) are smokers’ (National Health Interview S urvey (NHIS),  2005, National Center for Health Statistics, in American Health Association, 2008). It is clear from the above statistics that smoking is a severe problem the expansion of which cannot be easily controlled. The specific problem has a series of consequences that are not limited to the damages of health but they can also take the form of the financial damage the person involved (cost of cigarettes – cost of treatment for diseases developed because of smoking). For the countries around the world, smoking has been proved to be a severe problem leading to a continuous increase of the cases handled by the hospitals and other medical treatment providers internationally. As an example, for England the cost of medical treatment provided to smokers has been proved to be extremely high. In a relevant survey it has been found that ‘in England, 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to diseases caused by smoking; this translates into 7,000 hosp ital admissions per week, or 1,000 day; for

Homr Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homr Work - Essay Example where an independent contractor meets the requirements set by IRS for an employee, the company can be required to make a number of costly interventions. Firstly, according to the provisions of Fair Labor Standards Act, the employer may be required to pay wages to the workers; this may include all the employee benefits such as overtime payments, health insurance and retirement benefits among others. Secondly, the company may be required to pay all the penalties and taxes for unemployment, employees’ income taxes, social security, and Medicare to both the federal and the state governments. Thirdly, the employer is required to meet all the necessary compensations that are misclassified for any employee that is injured in the course of work. In view of these consequences, the employer should state clearly whether the workers are employees or independent contractors as well defined by the IRS Publication 937. As an advisor to Friendly Cab Company, the level of control against the workers out rightly makes them be considered as employees. The company seems to have full control over the workers, an aspect that should not be the case as provided by IRS. The workers should be allowed to choose their dress code, they should have the freewill to place advertisements, they should have the freedom to contact customers directly through their cell phones, and they should be allowed the entrepreneurial freedom such as employing others. These restrictions makes the drivers to be independent from the employer as it is should be the case for independent contractors. In addition to these, training for the workers should be guided by the principles of the business and not the needs of employer. This too adds to the level of control that the employer has upon the drivers. If this level of control is eliminated, then the drivers would operate as independent contractors. The company is obliged to change the following in order to ensure that its workers are fully considered as

Cell Phones Advantages&Disadvantages Essay Example for Free

Cell Phones AdvantagesDisadvantages Essay 1.0 Introduction When I have been on different school placements during my time at the College there has always been one thing I have paid more attention to and noticed in every school. This situation is a very common thing among students in Malaysia and also occurs among people who normally use more than one language. This phenomenon is called code-switching and usually happened in bilingual societies. What is code-switching? It is when a person mixes two languages in a single sentence or a conversation. This issue was ordinary to take place in Malaysian students which is learning more than one language. Our country students usually learned more than three language likes national language, mother language and etc. Our ministry of education set English as a second language in Malaysia, so Malaysian English Language Instructors and ESL (English as second Language) requires learners tend to use more than one code of language in the context of formal classroom. Now, we wants to discuss the factors that cause ESL learners to code switch and how to overcome it. 2.0 Main Body 2.1 Feel More Comfortable, Environment, Lack of Confidence The first factors it cause students cannot switching code immediately because they not usual to use English and also feel custom and more comfortable to use their own language. They prefer to use their own language because it is more smoothed and easy communicate with their friend. Besides that, they also did not have a good environment or social to speak English. Take one example, we was grow in a family which does not often speak English and we just only use our mother language to communicate with our family’s in home, that is a big problem for us to learn and speak English properly. The problem will cause the students lack of confidence to speak English because they do not have basic for speak to other people. Last but not least, they also will feel shy to use English because they are afraid of speaking mistakes. 2.2 Lack of Motivation, Lack of Interest, Lack of Enforcement Furthermore, they also lack of motivation because they do not get any courage from their friend or family. When students do not have enough vocabulary word they  cannot speak any perfects English. If they cannot speak English properly, they will give their friend laugh and it will causes they do not have more interest in English. Besides that, they will also give up to learn English and also will drop out of study. Motivation may be expect to improve when class take into account students likes in teaching style and lesson material. Additionally, parents did not enforce their children to speak and learn English in home. Parents also lack of accompany with their children to teach them important of English or another language in the whole world even tourism and doing business. 2.3 Watch more English videos, more interaction, talk with others race After the factors let us talk about solutions to overcome the problem students who are face it. Lecturers can takes some video from youtube or google to share with students but ensure the video can help students to improve their English. They can also listen music English or see an English movie to increase their listen and speaking skill. We must let students have more interaction and practice among them when during lesson. Lecturers should break them into different group with different language or country to get more chance to be in touch with English in class. 2.4 Join the activity can improve English, Attended to tuition, Penalty The parents need to speak with them in English and without home language at home to improve their basic in speaking. Parents also can send them to counselling or campaign for training them to use English in social life. Students must me hardworking and go to a place which availability of additional resources or knowledge to increase their vocabulary. To give those students cannot handle the basics English parents should force them to attend tuition class. When students in the school or college, lecturers must be ensure students are in the English speaking zone to communicate with their friend without other language. Last but not least, if those students who are not follow the rules must give a heavy penalty to let them remember and would not do a same mistake against. 3.0 Recommendation and Conclusion The use of mother language is not conclusively a threat to English as a language or a subject at school. In school or college lecturers should be concern about students have the ability to differentiate the two language and separate them in formal and non-formal communications in class.  Therefore, poor performance in English cannot blame on home language, but a person’s background. In my view educators should take the responsibility and teach suitable things to enable the primary level students learn in English. Its can make them understanding in a better command of English. 4.0 REFERENCES 1) Jtonec. (2012). A Description of How the Teacher of Language and Literature May Use Drama in Education to Overcome Low Linguistic Competency and Low Self Confidence. Available: http://www.studymode.com/essays/a-Description-Of-How-The-Teacher-1221891.html. Last accessed 12 May 2014. 2) Timmytimmkins.(2010). Effective ESL Elements. Available: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Effective-Esl-Elements-406002.html. Last accessed 10 May 2014. Question 2 1.0 Introduction In this global computer science and technology, who does not have a cell phone these days? Even a child in primary school some of their parents also will give them a phone to them for easily to stay contact with parents. However in this era of technology, a cell phone most amazing things is that they are no longer just used for calling or texting. Actually, a cell phone is not just only a tool for communicate with family and it is also a tool for multimedia such as smartphones. The smartphones can use in multimedia likes games, pictures, songs and it will bring out many advantages and disadvantages for us so with this mind. Hence, should students be permitted to use cell phones in school has become a hot topic of discussion among individual. Thus, let us discuss and debate about this topic. 2.0 Main Body 2.1 Access Information, Useful Application Firstly, it goes without saying that the advantages of cell phones is it can help students to overcome some of their academic problems. This is due to the reason that cell phones allow them to download some useful software such as dictionary. When they cannot understand what their lectures teaching about due to the vocabulary, they can find the meaning of the vocabulary and try to translate it to their own language by using the dictionary software  so that they will manage to understand what their lectures teaching about. In addition, they can also access ‘google’ to find the materials which they need. This is because internets have a pool of information to provide the information that they acquire. On the other hand, the student parents can also check their children whereabouts by using a phone. Besides that, the smartphone also has a lot of function such as calendar, calculator, maps finder and many technology software. I can take an example that I will use software to supervise my homework and revision to ensure that I will not waste the precious time. 2.2 Replace Pen and Paper, Use To Memory, E-learning Apart from that, using cell phones to do home works or assignments can replace the pen and reduce the paper so that this will help to reduce deforestation as well as keep away from greenhouse effect. The cell phones can also become a â€Å"memory card†, when the student insufficient time to write down all the points that the lecturers given or he or she absents the lessons, they can just take a picture and do revision at home. Furthermore, they still can take out these pictures to revise before the examination. In this way it is killing two birds with one stone a stone. Additionally, they can use for E-learning in internet by using a cell phone with their friends and lectures to discuss homework or which are they do not understand in the lesson. 2.3 Distraction Class, Cheating, Bullying Every coin has two sides, cell phone also bring some disadvantages to us. Let us discuss the disadvantages of a cell phone right now. The cell phones also bring out many troubles to students like distract the lecturer and all their friends. The meaning distract is stand for while lecturer teaching in the class the students who play games and the worst is cell phones ringing will disturb the whole class force to stop the class. After that, the students will also laugh at which classmates those who are not using the latest phone. They cannot understand their parents work hard also unable to buy a latest phone to them because new phones price is too expensive and even run up to two thousand. 2.4 Annoying Lecturers, Health Hazard, Safety of Students When lecturers is teaching in the class, the students which is mischievous will take the lecturer funny picture and upload to the social network to annoying their lecturer. These types of students do not have manners because they did not give any respect to their lecturer. England scientist investigate point out if each people using cell phones in one day more than 2 hours, they will get health hazard like shortsighted, radiation, skin cancer. So, if students bring cell phones to school they will get more times to be in touch with the disease above. Beside, students can keep play their phones and did not pay attention when they go downstairs or cross the road. It is very dangerous actions and do not behave their self and their family. 3.0 Recommendation and Conclusion In the last, students bring cell phones to school have both of advantages and disadvantages but they should know how to use the cell phones in the place is correct. We can come to a conclusion that although mobile phones have their weak points, they are very useful when they are necessary. Students are the decision makers. Therefore, we can choose which are good and bad. According to my opinion cell phones are very useful things if we use them in a proper way in the school it may help students solve many problems. 4.0 REFERENCES 1) RaulBarrera. (2012). Disadvantages of Cell Phones in School. Available: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Disadvantages-Of-Cell-Phones-In-School-1074638.html. Last accessed 6 May 2014. 2) HayItsGio. (2012). Cell Phones in School. Available: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Cell-Phones-In-School-1317488.html. Last accessed 4 May 2014.

Personality factors that underlie belief in the paranormal

Personality factors that underlie belief in the paranormal Although the term paranormal refers to hypothesized processes that in principle are physically impossible or outside the realm of human capabilities (Thalbourne, 1982; as cited in Irwin, 1993, p. 1), belief in the paranormal seem to be surprisingly common in this modern, technologically sophisticated world. The influence of paranormal phenomena can be observed in the entertaining media as well as in the news, in sports, in business and in peoples everyday lives (Goode, 2000). But why people believe in the paranormal phenomena or what persuade them to do so? Skeptics as well as non-skeptics have interests in investigating the nature of belief in the paranormal, albeit with somewhat different objectives in mind. The majority of previous research examining paranormal belief and personality correlates has taken a skeptical view, which suggests that paranormal believers are psychologically dysfunctional, for example, psychotic, neurotic and depressive. Non-skeptics however, at the same ti me have tried to challenge this hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to support skeptical point of view; firstly, personality factors that may underlie belief in the paranormal phenomena will be described and evaluated. Secondly, the impact of culture and subjective experience on belief in paranormal phenomena will be evaluated. According to Irwin (1993) paranormal beliefs are held because they serve significant psychodynamic needs of the individual and in general this statement is called psychodynamic functions hypothesis (p. 21). According to this hypothesis, skeptics very often consider paranormal believers as psychologically deviant and relate their behaviour with psychopathology. Not without a reason, however. The vast majority of evidence (i.e. Irwin Green, 1998; Hergovich et al., 2008) indicates that people who believe in paranormal phenomena expose schizotypal tendencies. The findings of Irwin and Green (1998) suggest that people who have schizotypal tendencies (schizotypal personality disorder is a condition that resembles a less severe version of schizophrenia, Vyse, 1997) in the cognitive-perceptual area are likely to confirm beliefs in Spiritualism and Precognition as well as in Extraordinary Life Forms and Witchcraft. Hergovichs et al. (2008) findings give a support to the hypothesis that schiz otypy is heavily associated with paranormal belief and approve that belief in Precognition, Psi, Witchcraft and Spiritualism can also be predicted very well by schizotypy. Moreover, previous studies (i.e. Sica et al., 2002) also confirm that a high involvement in superstition seems to play a role in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although non-skeptics argue that paranormal beliefs and obsessive-complusive disorder or schizotypal personality disorder remain unrelated (Vyse, 1997), evidence suggests that disorders mentioned above do seem to be associated with belief in paranormal phenomena. Additionally, from the objective and scientific point of view, people who endorse beliefs in paranormal phenomena are irrational, even though the irrationality of most believers is mild compared to psychopathological behaviour. And although, such individuals are not disturbed by their experiences and stay psychologically healthy (notion of the happy schizotype, Lawrence Peters, 2004), they are, however similar to people diagnosed with schizophrenia on a number of correlates as well as are at higher risk to experience more severe psychotic-like experiences and to deve lop psychotic disorders (Clardige, 1994). Thus, scientific evidence in this case seems to be pervasive; less pervasive however seem to be evidence relating to extraversion, a measure of the individuals sociability. According to Maltby et al. (2007) individuals who score highly on extraversion are very sociable, energetic, optimistic, friendly and assertive and are labelled extraverts. However, individuals with low scores are labelled introverts, often described as reserved and independent. Some of the evidence does not support a relationship between extraversion and paranormal belief (i.e. Williams et al., 2007); however, a number of studies have found a correlation between extraversion and ESP performance (i.e. Lawrence, 2001). The reason why extraversion is not as obvious predictor of belief in paranormal phenomena may be limited reliability of this psychological trait (Tam Shiah, 2004). Meanwhile, the association of extraversion with belief in paranormal phenomena remain to some extent uncertain; therefore more scientific research has to be conducted. According to Williams et al. (2007), neuroticism is fundamental to individual differences in paranormal belief. Moreover, Thalbourne et al. (1995) has found neuroticism to be significantly correlated with an overall Paranormal Belief Scale score, Traditional Religious Belief, Psi, Witchcraft, as well as with the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale, which addresses belief in and personal experience of ESP, Telepathy, Precognition, and Life After Death. Neuroticism, can be described as the tendency to experience negative emotions, especially anxiety, depression, anger. Therefore neurotic individuals can be characterized as emotionally unstable, irrational personalities with often low self-esteem (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2007). Wiseman Watt (2004) indicate that people who are anxious are more superstitious than those who are not. However, non-skeptics argue that even though a person is more likely to engage in superstitious behaviour while experiencing certain emotions, specifically fear and anxiet y, belief in paranormal is not usually the cause of emotional difficulties (Vyse, 1997). Thus, according to non-skeptical point of view, claiming that superstitious people are more anxious than those who are not superstitious is overlapping. However, the vast majority of scientific evidence suggests this personality dimension to positively correlate with belief in paranormal phenomena. In addition, an association between paranormal belief and a depressive attributional style when using the Attributional Style Questionnaire as an indicator of depression has also been found (Dudley Whisnand, 2000). The results of this study demonstrate significantly higher depressive attributional styles among college students with high scores on paranormal phenomena than college students with low scores. Thus, the vast majority of evidence indicating relationship between belief in paranormal phenomena and neuroticism seem to be more pervasive than non-scientific evidence demonstrated by non-skeptics. Psychoticism has also been found to be associated with belief in paranormal phenomena (Francis et al., 2010). It is claimed that those who score high on the psychoticism scale can be characterised as cold, aggressive, tough-minded, antisocial and impersonal. Francis et al. (2010) study aimed to investigate personality dimensions associated with conventional Christian belief and unconventional paranormal belief. It has been found that conventional Christian belief is associated with lower psychoticism scores, whereas unconventional paranormal belief is associated with higher psychoticism scores. Thus, it may be concluded that paranormal believers behaviour may be more aggressive and antisocial than paranormal non-believers behaviour. According to Irwin and Watt (2007) people who believe in paranormal may be little concerned about the needs or attitudes of other people, may be socially alienated, may display low social interest and have a grandiose sense of their own importance and uniqueness. This description indicates on narcissism, another personality dimension associated with belief in paranormal phenomena. Positive correlation between narcissism dimension and belief in Psi, Precognition, Witchcraft and Spiritualism has been reported, which means that believers in paranormal may be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited power and success (as cited in Irwin Watt, 2007). Recent studies therefore seem to confirm Tobacyk and Mitchells (1987) findings, where although a small, but significant correlation between narcissism and the paranormal beliefs of Psi and Precognition has been found. Thus, having found correlation between narcissism and belief in paranormal may indicate problems associated with psychological adjustment amongst people who believe in paranormal phenomena (Irwin Watt, 2007). There is also a general trend for paranormal belief to be associated with the locus of control. Locus of control refers to a dimension of personality and to do with whether or not a person perceives their behaviour to be related to outcomes, such as rewards and punishments (Pennington, 2003, p. 253). Individuals who believe personal outcomes are contingent largely on their own behaviour and attributes are said to have an internal locus of. However, people with external locus of control see personal outcomes as chance or luck (Pennington, 2003). It is claimed that people who believe in paranormal phenomena are inclined to maintain that they are especially vulnerable to external forces beyond their control; thus posses external locus of control (Irwin Watt, 2007). This relationship has been well documented, especially in regard to ESP, Witchcraft, Precognition, Spiritualism and Extraordinary Life Forms (as cited in Irwin Watt, 2007). Groth-Mamat and Pegden (1998) also have found external locus of control to be associated with greater overall paranormal belief, although this was not quite significant. This study has provided some support to the claim that those who believe that their life is dependent on external factors are more likely to believe in the paranormal. However, a more external locus of control was significantly related to greater belief in Spirituality and Precognition. Presumably, belief in Spirituality is associated to external locus of control due to a belief that spiritual forces have an impact on peoples lives. Peoples beliefs in Precognition can also be associated with an external locus of control because their lives might be perceived somewhat pre-determined. However, greater belief in superstition was related to a more internal locus of control. The results of this study suggest rather than there being a direct association between paranormal belief in general and an external locus of control, it may be that those who believe in Precognition and Spirituality are more likely to have an external locus of control while those who believe in Superstition are more likely to have an internal locus of control (p. 293). Thus, this study demonstrates that paranormal belief is not only related to external locus of control but the association between internal locus of control and paranormal belief (Superstition in this case) has also been found. Paranormal belief seem to also be correlated positively with measures of creativity, sensation seeking and hypnotic susceptibility what suggest a linkage to a cognitive style of fantasizing (as cited in Irwin Watt, 2007). It is claimed that personality factor of fantasy proneness correlates positively with nearly all dimensions of paranormal belief, such as global paranormal belief, Precognition, Psi, Witchcraft, Extraordinary Life Forms and Spiritualism (Irwin, 1993). It has been established that fantasy prone people fantasize a lot and while fantasizing they are deeply absorbed in or fully experience what is being fantasized. This cognitive style has interested many scientists wanting to investigate the origins of paranormal belief. It has been found that one of the major factors related with the development of this personality dimension may be a history of physical abuse or other trauma during childhood; this may be an important factor in explaining individuals openness to parano rmal. Rabeyron and Watt (2010), for example, found a strong significant correlation between paranormal experiences and traumas. Nevertheless, further research on correlation between paranormal belief and trauma is needed, especially because there are other factors that might need to be taken into account. According to Lynn and Rhue (1988) childrens fantasy proneness can be fostered by parental encouragement, and the development of paranormal belief therefore should be investigated also in relation to these more positive aspects of the family setting than just the level of physical abuse. Nevertheless, the vast majority of evidence indicates fantasy proneness to be strongly correlated with belief in paranormal phenomena. This claim seem to be also accepted by non-skeptics (Vyse, 1997). Recapitulating, it is important to mention that despite of the dispute between skeptics and non-skeptics, personality dimensions seem to have a considerable impact on peoples belief in paranormal phenomena. Some researchers claim that there are other factors that have an impact on peoples belief in paranormal phenomena, such as culture, media, social influence or subjective experience. According to Irwin (1993) the level of paranormal belief in an individual is in part a function of that persons cultural environment. However, it should not be argued that the origin of paranormal beliefs lies in the individuals culture. It is more acceptable to claim that culture is responsible not for paranormal belief, but rather for the specific forms of the beliefs. For instance, people may be members of various cultural groups, whereas this membership will rule the characteristics of paranormal beliefs accepted by the individual. In summary, paranormal beliefs may be modelled on examples provided by parents, friends or other persuasive people. Ridolfo et al. (2010) for example found relatively strong evidence that individuals are more likely to accept paranormal claims as true when they believe such claims have popular support. However, the exact relationship between paranormal beliefs and social-group influences remains uncertain (Markovsky Thye, 2001). Furthermore, even a little exposure to paranormal concepts through the media and social interaction may incline individual to unintentionally interpret personal encounters with anomalous events as paranormal phenomena. Thus, it is assumed that some correlates of individual dimensions of paranormal belief may reflect the operation of cultural and sub-cultural factors (Irwin, 1993, p. 26). However, individual must be intrinsically vulnerable for these cultural impacts to be effective. Therefore, even though paranormal beliefs might have cultural basis, the basis of vulnerability to the beliefs must be investigated in the psychodynamic domain (Schumaker, 1990; as cited in Irwin, 1993). It is also worth noting that the most common reason given for believing in paranormal phenomena is personal experience (Blackmore 1984, as cited in Blackmore, 1997) and strength of paranormal belief is positively correlated with number of subjective paranormal experiences (Glicksohn, 1990). However, Blackmore (1997) indicates that people who believe in the paranormal are more likely to interpret normal events as paranormal as well as are more likely to misinterpret normal events as paranormal what encourages their belief. As mentioned before the term paranormal refers to hypothesized processes that in principle are physically impossible or outside the realm of human capabilities (Thalbourne, 1982; as cited in Irwin, 1993, p. 1). Although scientists very often disagree about the meaning of empirical tests, data, empiricism is a highly valued source of knowledge. There is clearly still much empirical work yet to be done to investigate personality correlates with paranormal beliefs. The popularity of paranormal beliefs in the society and the evident influence of these beliefs on peoples life call for further investigation and verification for providing a better understanding of the functions and origins of paranormal belief. And even though, there is still a lot of uncertainty about which personality factors have an impact on individuals belief in the paranormal phenomena, skeptical point of view, considered as more scientific, seem to be more persuasive than non-skeptical. Word count: 2 396