Human Dignity and Forced Adoption

Human Dignity and Forced Adoption
Human Dignity and Forced Adoption

Human Dignity and Forced Adoption

Order Instructions:

Human Dignity and the forced adoption policy in Australia in the 50?s, 60?s and 70?s.
How is the case study on forced adoption in Australia in the 50?s, 60?s and 70?s and issue of human dignity?
From the case study presented.
Explain why you believe this to be an issue where human dignity is a critical factor.
Analyse at least two perspectives on this particular case. The following questions should act as a guide in your analysis.
1. What understanding of the concept of human dignity appears to be at work in each perspective?
2. What are the social attitudes, norms, or circumstances that may have influenced each perspective? To what extent do these social attitudes, norms, or circumstances impact on the understanding of human dignity in each perspective?
3. How does each perspective justify particular actions or choices with reference to human dignity?
4. In this unit, we have considered human dignity and the human person as multidimensional. If you consider in isolation the argument of each perspective in turn, what aspects of human dignity could be jeopardised by any actions arising from those perspectives?
5. Evaluation of the implications and consequences of adopting a perspective in isolation

Perspectives are:

Perspective 1: The practice of forced adoption makes a false distinction between the capacity of young, largely unwed, mothers to raise their own children, and the capacity of married, more financially secure, mothers, to do the same. The practice of forced adoption hindered these young mothers from demonstrating their innate dignity.

Perspective 2: The shame and guilt, felt by women who found themselves pregnant out of wedlock and were forced or coerced into give up their babies, resulted in their loss of dignity. The national apology was intended to restore this lost dignity.

Perspective 3: Social mores in the 1950s, 60s and 70s deemed women in particular situations to be unfit mothers. The perceived immoral actions of unmarried pregnant women led them to be treated without dignity.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Human Dignity and Forced Adoption

Life is all about getting a life that one would be proud of and would like our future generations taking part in. Majority of people would love to get married and have a family with their spouses and enjoy the fruits of their labor, however, there are those that are not able to enjoy that luxury. There are the ladies and girls that had boyfriends that did not want to wait for marriage or take part in safe sex. These ladies are those that society has come to look down upon because they most often than not end up being ladies that have children out of wedlock. However, despite the fact that society would look down upon them, they still would love to be the proud mothers of their own children. There is the freedom in today’s society that one is given that allows them to put up their children for adoption of their own free will. But take a step back and imagine the lady that does not have the luxury of making such a choice for herself. She is forced by society to give up her child because she is not married (Quartly, Swain & Cuthbert, 2013). The act is inhumane and goes against all the threads that a mother would have on her body. It is a sign that the lady was not dignified in having a child and being called a mother because she is not married. Such was the case in Australia. The aim of this thesis is to echo the fact that the forced adoption of children that was carried out in Australia was an action of human indignity.

The idea that there was a form of distinction between a mother that was unwed and young and one that was married and more financially secure in their capacity to be good parents was a distinction that was entirely false (Marshall & McDonald, 2001). In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, there was the belief that a child would be better raised by parents that were married and in a family. It was a belief that emerged when majority of the children that lived in the streets were mainly from broken or single parent households. This resulted in there being a different understanding to the life that a child would have. It may be true that a parent that is more financially secure and married is able to give their children a better life than one that is unwed. However, this is just a distinction that is made based on the size of bank that the mother may have and the things that may be bought with the money, but such is not always the case (Kateb, 2011). Some parents that are well off should be able to give their children the love and care that they deserve but such is not always the case.

These parents may give their wealth to other vices that would make their children turn to other vices and works so as to get the things that they do not receive at home. Thus is the reason why girls look to relationships with older men to find love that they should receive at home (Spark & Cuthbert, 2009). Most mothers that are unwed most of the times give the best care to their children because they know the difficulties that lie in the world better than the parent that is financially secure. These mothers would be better in the care of these children but the forced adoption that was enacted between the 50s and 70s was a sign that the Australian government did not believe in this. Thus pointing to the false distinction in the care offered by unwed mothers and those that were wed and financially stable (Josephs, 2008). The distinction was one that was baseless. It as an act that hindered these ladies from proving their capability of being parents and this stripping them of their dignity.

Society believes that it is unacceptable to have a child that is out of wedlock. This has pushed the second perspective on forced abortion. The fact that society has come up with a norm that there has to be a family that will readily take care of the child when born, us something that has pushed most women that have become pregnant from premarital sex to look down upon themselves (Frame, 1999). This is a fact that has resulted in the perception that most women that become parents from premarital sex are not fit to be parents of any child and thus being coerced into giving up their children up for adoption despite the fact that they too can raise the children as their own (Swain, 2011). These words and norms that society has had engraved into their brains has led to the breaking up of prospectively peaceful and model homes for people and children. Furthermore, in claiming that single mothers could not provide for their children, the government and the people in Australia were generally but indirectly claiming that these women did not have what it takes to be parents. Thus they too last dignity for themselves as parents as well (Ford, 2013).

1950s, 1960s and 1970s were the times when life was cheapest and that the minds of people were geared towards a particular thought and were not ready to question them for being’ old school.’ The activities that were carried out during these years were those that looked down upon the people that had managed to get pregnant from the men that they had in their lives.  These very thoughts that people had been brought up believing and holding dear to their hearts were the very same ones that would break these mothers. When a mother that was not married was identified by society, she was termed and labelled as an immoral person that the people would end up avoiding and looking down up as being people that were not acceptable in the society that was meant to be growing (Cuthbert & Quatly, 2012). The treatment that they were exposed to as far from dignified because the public could not dare to question the norms that they have brought up with but could only just look at the norms and judge based on what they would have seen as being regular. These actions would not only break the spirits of these mothers but as well make them to look down upon themselves and be treated without dignity. The norms are the pillars that led to the improper treatment that the women were exposed to.

In the study of the forced adoption that the mothers were being put through, a deeper understanding of the dignities that were being deprived from the women. To do so, a quadrant understanding of human dignity is employed. First there is the dignity that humans already have which is further split into two aspects: being human and the possession of one or more human capacities. Under being human the lady should be given the dignity that by being a human she has the right to still be able to give birth to a child despite the fact that she is not married or financially stable. The second is that although she has gone through with the act of having sex before she is married, she still has the capability of being a good mother. The second half of the quadrant is the fact that she has dignity that may be lost or acquired. This is further classified as being in a position whereby she has a sense of self-worth. These ladies in Australia were stripped of this dignity because the pride of being a mother was taken away from her because society did not see her fit to parent because she was pregnant before wedding. Finally is the moral or immoral aspect of the dignity quadrant. The mothers were deprived of their civic duties of ben loving mothers. It would have been better that if society looked down upon these mothers it still allowed them to raise their own children because this is what any mother would love to do.

Finally, dignity should not be viewed from one dimension but from multiple aspects. While human dignity is inherent, we are also called to realize our dignity from the way in which we lead our lives and thus the fact that dignity was being looked at from one scope, it deprived the mother of raising her child as her own ad looking at her life and the decisions that she has made and cause her to change her view of her actions, resulting in a different state of mind in future.

In conclusion, the acts of forced adoption were acts if indignity and were not things that had basis. The ladies were treated badly there is nothing that is more flimsy than an apology. These women would be better dignified if they are given information on the whereabouts of their children rather than an apology. Forced adoption was an act that should not have been in existence but the fact that it was carried out for more than 30 years, these mothers need to be treated well, despite the fact that nothing can undo the mental, psychological and maternal pain that they endured (Brugger & Kristen, 2013).

References

Brugger, W., & Kirste, S. (2013). Human dignity as a foundation of law (1st ed.). Stuttgart (Franz Steiner Verlag).

Cuthbert, D., & Quartly, M. (2012). “Forced Adoption” in the Australian Story of National Regret and Apology*. Australian Journal Of Politics & History, 58(1), 82–96.

Ford, D. (2013). Australia apologizes for forced adoptions. CNN. Retrieved 1 June 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/world/asia/australia-forced-adoptions/index.html

Frame, T. (1999). Binding ties (1st ed.). Sydney: Hale and Iremonger.

Josephs, I. (2008). Forced Adoption (1st ed.). Lulu.com.

Kateb, G. (2011). Human dignity (1st ed.). Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Marshall, A., & McDonald, M. (2001). The many-sided triangle (1st ed.). Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press.

Quartly, M., Swain, S., & Cuthbert, D. (2013). The market in babies (1st ed.). Clayton, Vic.: Monash University Publishing.

Spark, C., & Cuthbert, D. (2009). Other people’s children (1st ed.). North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Pub.

Swain, S. (2011). Adoption, Secrecy and the Spectre of the True Mother in Twentieth-Century Australia. Australian Feminist Studies, 26(68), 193—205.

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Should Senate be Abolished? Essay Paper

Should Senate be Abolished?
Should Senate be Abolished?

Should Senate be Abolished?

Order Instructions:

Australian Senate should not be abolished because it is a very important role in holding the government accountable on everything and ensuring that the legislation with the Parliament is correctly examined

SAMPLE ANSWER

Should Senate be Abolished?

Australian Senate should not be abolished because it has a very important role in holding the government accountable on everything and ensuring that the legislation with the Parliament is correctly examined. The senate plays the role of a house of advice, review, and consent. Although the senate in Australia has limited control over the practice of the government, it is the one mandated to pass any legislation introduced by the government before it can become a law (Russell & Benton, 2010). Senate has to review all proposed legislation to ensure that the under-represented groups are not completely excluded from the parliament’s attention. There are instances in the past and recently when the senators from the minor parties and the independent senators have held the balance of power in the senate (Browne, 2012). By teaming up with the opposition to block passage of legislation, they are able to exert immense influence that ensures proper debate of amendments to legislation. This paper champions the thesis that the Australian senate is completely unalienable due to the mundane role it holds in the process of legislation, representation, and monitoring the excesses of the government.

As Taylor (2014) notes, the senate committee system is the centre of review activity in the Australian Federal Parliament. Committees offer in-depth scrutiny of proposed legislation. They consider evidence and information from other sources by allowing people to give testimony in person or organizations with special expertise to specific evidence. Consequently, they take a long-term view of the public issues since committee members have the time to become experts in the area of interest as well as to consider a broad array of issues.  Committees provide a transparent and open way for the parliament to conduct their policy debates and the evidence is availed for the public to access (Russell & Benton, 2010).

The senator has great potential in informing the government and the parliament concerning matters of public importance by the Parliamentary Inquiries. It is widely recognized that checks and balances are a necessary prerequisite for fair running of any system of government to ensure that power is not abused. The parliament to which the ministry is responsible for its actions is one necessary where checks are required. Parliament being the law-making arm of the government entails representation of interests, beliefs, and opinions of the people (Taylor, 2014). As such, it is perceived as the foundation upon which the modern democracy is built, and it is required to ensure that the government is answerable to the people. However, in the federal parliament this is not the case. The opportunity for the House of Representatives to assume its effective role of checking on the government are significantly reduced since the coalition or parties forming the government in most cases forms the majority seats and controls the House (Lee, 2013). However, the development of the system of responsible government in Australia under which the federal government is now responsible to the House of the Representatives as well as the Senate ensures that the federal Parliament is capable of performing its role of checking on the government.

The Senate has the power to force the government to account for its practices by withholding finance from it. This can occur through rejecting the appropriation bill for the annual services of the government. The Constitution allows the Senate to fulfill this role in relation to the government by scrutinizing and judging its legislation, activities, and policies (Ghazarian, 2012). The Senate is able to check on the government through scrutinizing government administration, delegated legislation, bills, and government policy in general.

The Senate is effective in its role to check the government and ensuring it is accountable since the government unlike in the parliament case rarely possesses a Senate majority. The adoption by the federal Parliament of a system of proportion representation for the Senate elections in 1948 made it possible for parties to gain representations in proportion to the vote’s share (Ghazarian, 2012). Moreover, independents and small parties have gain substantial representation in the senate. As a result, the government has to win the support of non-government Senators before the Senate can agree on passing a government bill. Contrastingly, if the opposition wins the support of the independents and minor parties, the Senate has the ability to reject or amend government bills.

The Senate can also undertake activities which the government is not in support of such as directing a Senate committee to look investigate an activity, legislation, or policy of the government. For instance, a bill must be passed in identical terms by both the House of Representatives and the Senate being enacted to become a law. Although most bills are initiated by the government, the Senate scrutinizes all of them to ensure that they further the interest of the public. Ultimately, senate can pass a bill with amendments, pass it without amendments, or reject it. Bills are first read three times during their process of passage through the Senate. In this phase, the broad policy of the bill is put under debate. The Senate then adopts the form of a committee as a whole to examine the details of the bill. They also engage in debate with ministries and move amendments (Bach, 2008). This whole procedure offers an opportunity to ensure that all the aspects of the bill are examined in totality before the senate can vote to pass, amend, or reject it.

The senate committee system significantly enhances the ability of the senate to review bills and bills that are considered to require more and detailed examination are then referred to the appropriate Legislative Standing Committees for further inquiry (Olivier, 2012). The inquiry process concludes with a presentation of their report to the senate. The report can recommend amendments or passing of a bill without amendments. Notably, the committee on the scrutiny of bills informs the senate of any bill that could trespass on individual liberties or a failure to observe the required legislative safeguards, for instance, the right of appeal. All delegated legislation must also be tabled in the senate. To enhance the effectiveness of the senate function of oversight, the Standing Committee on Regulation and Ordinances scrutinizes all delegated legislation. It then follows up on any problems with the minister in charge while any unresolved problems may result in disallowance of the regulation by senate (Olivier, 2012). Other times that the senate plays a critical role of scrutinizing the government is during for instance, time set aside for raising matters of public importance as well as during debates of a general nature.

The senate through the Estimates Committee is able to review the operations of the agencies and government departments, which are mandated in developing and implementing the policies of the government (Tsang, 2013). For instance, they review the estimates of the annual expenditure of the government agencies and department in detail to establish if revenue is being spent efficiently and appropriately. The estimates are presented in parliament in May in appropriation bills as part of the Budget. There are six committees with each having the responsibility for a given number of departments (Bach, 2008). The Senate minister concerned and other senior department officials have to appear before the senate examining their department to explain expenditure proposals and answer questions in regard to the efficiency and effectiveness of the various programs. The estimates committees then report to the senate following completion of their inquiries.

Although the senate has been faulted for numerous reasons, the big question would be directed towards strengthening it, so that is capable of conducting its crucial duties more effectively instead of efforts to abolish the senate. For instance, mechanisms could be put in place to abolish the likelihood of governments to weaken the powers of senate as happened during the Howard government. The role and powers of the senate should also be enhanced so that it is able to inform the nation by broadening of its investigative powers. It should also be provided with resources and staffing to effectively carry out its roles.

The democratic election process and strategic political function coupled with its extensive constitutional powers have provided the senate with the foundation on the role to check on the government. Although the Senate is faced with numerous challenges and limitations as has been established in the discussion, it is still to a great extent performing its role and function as envisaged in the Constitution; of ensuring that laws are supported by the majority and are properly representative of the entire country, and ensuring that ministries are accountable of their activities and conduct to the people of Australia.

References

Bach, S. (2008). Senate Amendments and Legislative Outcomes in Australia, 1996-2007. Australian Journal Of Political Science,43(3), 395-423.

Browne, E. (2012). Reflections on Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices: Report of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee, 2012. ISAA Review: Journal Of The Independent Scholars Association Of Australia, (2), 57.

Ghazarian, Z. (2012). The Changing Type of Minor Party Elected to Parliament: The Case of the Australian Senate from 1949 to 2010. Australian Journal of Political Science47(3), 441-454.

Lee, A. (2013). How Senate report changes Australia FDI. International Financial Law Review32(6), 61.

Olivier, E. (2012). Proroguing the Parliament of Australia: The Effects on the Senate and the Conventions That Constrain the Prerogative Power. Federal Law Review40(1), [69]-88.

Russell, M., & Benton, M. (2010). (Re)assessing Parliamentary Policy Impact: The Case of the Australian SenateAustralian Journal Of Political Science45(2), 159-174.

Taylor, M. (2014). 2014 – A Year of Policy Challenges. Money Management28(6), 12-15.

Tsang, A. (2013). Colourful Outlook for Australia’s Senate. The Financial Times.

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Organizational Leadership Assignment

Organizational Leadership
Organizational Leadership

Organizational Leadership

Order Instructions:

Applying French and Raven’s Bases of Social Power: A Powerful Solution

Throughout history, people have told stories of leaders who have been corrupted by their power. The very definition of leadership as “a process by which an individual influences the group to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, 2013, p. 5) implies the power to exert influence. Leaders must exert power in order to lead. But they must also strive to understand the complexities of power. Research by French and Raven and by others provides insight on the types, or bases, of power available to a leader, the process of choosing among those bases, and the motivations for leaders’ choices. Recent research also explores the effectiveness of using individual bases of power in particular situations and the effects the use of certain bases of powers have on leaders and those they lead. Armed with this information, leaders can avoid utilizing certain bases of power when the choice may lead to negative consequences. They can instead choose to wield power in ways that will foster organizational success. Understanding the bases also gives both leaders and followers insight into situations they observe and difficult interpersonal interactions they negotiate.
Use this format to complete the paper.

Essay Style of Writing
Start with an introduction with thesis statement, three supporting points, and a conclusion. All essays should include at least 5 paragraphs or sections.
Paragraph 1: Introduction with thesis statement that includes three supporting points.
Paragraph 2: Discussion of supporting point 1 includes support using cited reference.
Paragraph 3: Discussion of supporting point 2 includes support using cited reference.

Paragraph 4: Discussion of supporting point 3 includes support using cited reference.
Paragraph 5: Summary includes discussion of supporting points and conclusion statement of the main topic. This final paragraph should not include new information.

References

To prepare:

Read and analyze Case Study “Three Shifts, Three Supervisors”

In a 2 page word document Write an analysis of the case study. Identify two of French and Raven’s bases of power in the case study and explain how these bases of power can be used to exert influence. Also, explain how you might use your knowledge of French and Raven’s theory to resolve one of the problems presented in the case study. Justify your response.

Learning Resources:

Raven, B. H. (1993). The bases of power: Origins and recent developments. Journal of Social Issues, 49(4), 227–251.

Schriesheim, C. A., Podsakoff, P. M., & Hinkin, T. R. (1991). Can ipsative and single-item measures produce erroneous results in field studies of French and Raven’s (1959) five bases of power? An empirical investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(1), 106–114.

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Organizational Leadership

Leaders have the responsibility to act as role models in guiding their followers in the quest to achieve their goals. Various theories postulated illustrate how leaders act and should lead. One of the famous researchers is French and Raven’s who came up with various bases of power to depict how different leaders execute their leadership responsibilities. This paper delineates on the French and Ravens two bases of power; reward and legitimate power putting into perspective a case study, “Three shifts, Three supervisors.”

The case study “Three Shifts, Three Supervisors” is about three leaders that work in shifts. Every leader has his or her style of leadership and this affects the motivation and the performance of the workers.  A leader that adopts to rewards a source of power uses intangible as well as tangible rewards to influence the followers. Such a leader makes promise in exchange of   something (Raven, 1993). Therefore, followers are required to do or behave in a certain manner to get the reward promised.  On the other hand, legitimate power is where a leader is given power by a given body to execute certain responsibilities.  This form of powers comes from the higher position and there is a tendency for people to obey the position not individuals.

Based on the path-goal theory, it is evident that Carol is a more effective leader compared to the other two Art and Bob. Being a leader Carol behaviors enhances or contributes to motivated followers. She exemplifies directive leadership as she ensures that the followers understand what should be done and how to do it.  She holds trouble-shooting meetings and stresses the goals of the company to the employees and as well, the rewards that comes when the goals are achieved. She is also a supportive leader as she encourages her employees and spends time with them to build their morale.  Therefore, she is an effective supervisor in the company. She also to some extend uses legitimate power because, she has been given the position by the managers and is answerable to them. On the other hand, the other two supervisors, Art and Bob do not demonstrate directive leadership. Their group or followers are not motivated and this is attributed to the way they interact and execute their responsibilities as leaders.  Art leadership approach is more task- oriented and this makes the followers more bored.  Even though to some extend Bob exemplifies supportive leadership style, the followers lack direction on what they should do. They therefore lack focus and this affects their ability to achieve the goals set. Perhaps it is wise for Art and Bob to engage and interact with their followers and as well, use rewards to motivate their employees.

It is therefore, evident that these two bases of power; reward and legitimate can be used to exert influence on the followers.  A leader endowed with legitimate power is able to use the powers to trigger changes in an organization. For instance, a police officer is given legitimate power from his office and is required to execute his roles in line with the power given to him by the state.  Reward power is also used to influence followers especially to trigger positive results. Leaders can make promises to trigger hard work and as well to punish those that fail to achieve the set targets.  French and Raven theory can as well be used to solve some of the problems in the case. For instance, the problem of Bob of failure to motivate and offer direction to his followers can be corrected if he acquires more skills and information about various ways to motivate employees and as well to show them direction.

In summary, leaders can use different leadership bases to execute their responsibilities. French and Raven’s leadership bases; reward and legitimate power can be used to lead and influence followers. Carol is one of the supervisor and a leader that uses directive and supportive leadership styles. She is also able to aply her legitimate power well to motivate her followers. On the other hand, Art and Bob have failed when it comes to motivating and showing direction to their followers. They can apply reward power to motivate their followers to ensure achievement of the organizational goals.

References

Raven, B. H. (1993). The bases of power: Origins and recent developments. Journal of Social Issues, 49(4), 227–251.

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Statistics project Writing Service Available

Statistics project
Statistics project

Statistics project

Order Instructions:

Using any data of interest to your group, compile a data set comprised of one predictor and one
response variable with at least 20 observations (data points), and answer the questions below.
Your project needs to be typed and plots can be made using any software of your choice. Only one
project (with each member’s name) per group needs to be submitted. Your project should include
all the observations used.

Provide a brief description of your project. Make sure to identify the predictor and response
variables, as well as discussing the objective of your regression model.

1. (20%) All your answers must be in the order in which the questions are asked, otherwise you will be
deducted 20%. Note: Even if only one answer is out of order you will still be deducted 20%.

2. (15%) For your predictor and response variables:
(a) compute the range and IQR.
(b) make a histogram of your data.
(c) make a boxplot of your data.

3. (25%) Make a scatterplot of your data and describe the:
(a) Direction
(b) Form
(c) Strength
(d) Correlation
(g) Outliers

4. (40%) Based on your data, construct a linear regression model of your response variable as a function
of your predictor variable following the steps below:
(a) Compute ¯x and ¯y
(b) Compute sx and sy
(c) Compute r
(d) Compute a and b
(e) Construct the respective Least Squares line and plot it over your scatter plot.
(f) Compute the respective R2 and interpret your results.
(g) For your model, compute and plot the residuals vs x. Describe what you observe from
this plot.
(h) Are there any outliers? If so, are they high leverage and/or influential.
(i) Based on your model, make 3 predictions for your response variable (i.e., use 3 different
values of x that are not in your data, and compute the respective y value

SAMPLE ANSWER

Statistics project

Question One

The data below was obtained from an organization that wanted to estimate the cost of leasing a building given the contract value for constructing the building. It follows that the contract value was the predictor variable while the estimated cost is the response variable.

Estimated cost Contract value
85,000 310,000 100,000 360,000
70,000 305,000 120,000 370,000
110,000 180,000 150,000 200,000
90,000 170,000 80,000 250,000
130,000 160,000 180,000 300,000
160,000 110,000 190,000 160,000
160,000 150,000 200,000 210,000
280,000 180,000 350,000 230,000
130,000 175,000 180,000 250,000
320,000 180,000 380,000 270,000

 Question Two

  • compute the range and IQR.

Range

Constructed value           =380,000-80,000

=300,000

Estimated cost                  = 320,000-70,000

=250,000

Quartile Range

Constructed value           = 300000- 175000

=125000

Estimated cost                  = 197500- 125000

= 72500

(b) Make a histogram of your data.

 

(c) make a boxplot of your data.

 

Question Three

(a) Direction

The direction of a relationship tells whether the values on two variables go up

and down together. The nature of the plot indicates direction. If two variables have a positive direction, then as the values on one variable go up, so do the values on the other variable. The data used has a positive direction because the points of the scatter plots run from the lower left to the upper right. This implies that as the vales of the contract value go up so does the value of the estimated cost and vice versa.

(b) Form

The shape of the plot could explain the form of the scatter plot. This is because there are instances where the plot has a curved shape. In other instances, the plot could have a straight line plot. If there is a linear relationship, then the plot will appear to swarm or cloud in a generally straight and consistent form. The plot above indicates that the data points are straight and consistent. I.e. there is a linear relationship between the estimated cost and the contract value.

  • Strength

The strength of the relationship between variables is determined by how close the plotted points are from one another. Closely placed points indicate a strong relationship between the variables. In this case, the points are neither close nor far from each other. Therefore, there is a moderate relationship between the variables.

  • Correlation

The correlation between two variables measures the strength and direction of the relationship between the variables. The strength and direction of the variables have already been established in the previous paragraphs. Therefore, we conclude that there is a moderate positive relationship between the variables.

(g) Outliers

The extreme points in a scatter plot identify outliers. In this case, there are four outliers. The box plot has also demonstrated this.

Question Four

(a) Compute ¯x and ¯y

Mean for estimated cost is given by the sum of all the observations divided by the number of observations.

¯x            = 3,455,000/20

=172750

The mean for the contract value is given by the sum of all the observations divided by the number of observations.

¯y            =4,530,000/20

=226,500

  • Compute sx and sy

The standard deviation of the variables is given by taking the square root of the sum of all the deviations from the mean and dividing by the number of observations less by one.

The standard deviation for the estimated cost is

Sd           = (107,323,750,000/19) ^1/2

= 75157.2912

The standard deviation for the contract value is

Sd           = (209,836,250,000/19) ^1/2

= 105090.4998

  • Compute r

The correlation coefficient is given by the following formula.

Estimated cost (Y) Contract value (X) XY X2 Y2
85,000 100,000 8500000000 7,225,000,000 10,000,000,000
70,000 120,000 8400000000 4,900,000,000 14,400,000,000
110,000 150,000 16500000000 12,100,000,000 22,500,000,000
90,000 80,000 7200000000 8,100,000,000 6,400,000,000
130,000 180,000 23400000000 16,900,000,000 32,400,000,000
160,000 190,000 30400000000 25,600,000,000 36,100,000,000
160,000 200,000 32000000000 25,600,000,000 40,000,000,000
280,000 350,000 98000000000 78,400,000,000 122,500,000,000
130,000 180,000 23400000000 16,900,000,000 32,400,000,000
320,000 380,000 121600000000 102,400,000,000 144,400,000,000
310,000 360,000 111600000000 96,100,000,000 129,600,000,000
305,000 370,000 112850000000 93,025,000,000 136,900,000,000
180,000 200,000 36000000000 32,400,000,000 40,000,000,000
170,000 250,000 42500000000 28,900,000,000 62,500,000,000
160,000 300,000 48000000000 25,600,000,000 90,000,000,000
110,000 160,000 17600000000 12,100,000,000 25,600,000,000
150,000 210,000 31500000000 22,500,000,000 44,100,000,000
180,000 230,000 41400000000 32,400,000,000 52,900,000,000
175,000 250,000 43750000000 30,625,000,000 62,500,000,000
180,000 270,000 48600000000 32,400,000,000 72,900,000,000
3,455,000 4,530,000 903,200,000,000 704,175,000,000 1,178,100,000,000

= 0.94439147

Compute a and b

a              = -6958.173

b             = 0.793

(e) Construct the respective Least Squares line and plot it over your scatter plot.

Estimated Cost = -6958.173 + 0.793 contract value

(f) Compute the respective R2 and interpret your results.

= 0.89187525

This implies that 89 percent of the variation in expected cost is explained by the variation in the contract value.

(g) For your model, compute and plot the residuals vs. x. Describe what you observe from this plot.

The residual plot above indicates that the data has a constant and independent variance because the plots are consistent regardless of the contract value. It is also clear that the data follows a normal distribution form the normal probability plot below.

(h) Are there any outliers? If so, are they high leverage and/or influential?

There are outliers in the data but they are neither high leveraged or influential.

Based on your model, make 3 predictions for your response variable

Using the following equation Estimated Cost = -6958.173 + 0.793 contract value

The predicted value for three values is indicated in the table below.

Contract Value 276000 302000 144000
Predicte Estimated Cost 212023.9716 232652.7243 107293.3807

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Micro economics Essay Paper Assignment

Micro economics
Micro economics

Micro economics

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Assignment # 4 Spring 2014

Please complete the sections on Monopoly price and MR; and Monopolistic competition price, quantity and costs. For each of these two sections, explain what was the most important concept you learned in that lesson (and why) and please explain how the lesson could be improved.

1. Complete a table for Q, Price, TC, MC, MR and profits. This time start the price at the number of P = 9 combined for Q = 1, and then reduce the price as Q increases. For costs, begin with TC = 4 at Q = 1, then you may use any numbers you like for costs. You may need to play around with the numbers to make this work out. Show that MR = MC at profit maximization. Graph MR, MC and P and show the profit maximizing level of output. (You don’t need to graph ATC and show the profit rectangle).

2. During your next trip to the supermarket (Use this website for the supermarket, https://www.ralphs.com/ ) find two examples of different goods for which the market is oligopolistic. ( Please use breakfast cereals and Soft drinks) Make certain that you have chosen a ‘good’ and not a brand name. Remember that several brand names compete in a market. List all the brand names (or at least four brands if there are dozens) and the parent company for each brand name (check the package carefully so that you don’t confuse brand names with the actual producer.) For each good, what is your evidence that this market is oligopolistic? (Number of producers; shelf space give to each one; identical pricing.)

3. The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a famous game in game theory in which two prisoners must decide whether or not to cooperate with another, that is declares their mutual innocence. If both prisoners cooperate, that is do not confess their mutual guilt, then they both go free. If one prisoner cooperates, but the other does not, then the non-cooperating prisoner receives a lighter sentence and the cooperating prisoner is punished severely for refusing to confess. If both prisoners refuse to cooperate—that is they both say the other is guilty—then they both are punished, but less than if only one declared his innocence.
a. Play the Prisoner’s Dilemma at: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/playground/pd.html Try one set of rounds for practice.
b. Design a strategy for the game. Describe it and then test the strategy in three rounds of the game. Did it work?
c. How is this game similar to the game theory we discussed in class?

4. Every year there are new and sometimes unexpected lawsuits against US corporations. Choose a case for study at the web site http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases.html

You will find many, many antitrust lawsuits listed alphabetically. Please choose two,
a) one involving any aspect of antitrust. Summarize what was the alleged violation and what happened (if anything). Please do so in your own words (that is, not cut and pasting from the site).
b) one involving a merger or acquisition (you may need to look at several to find one.) Again, summarize what was the alleged violation and what happened (if anything). Please do so in your own words (that is, not cut and pasting from the site).

5. Now that we’re at the end of the semester, I’d like you to think about what you have learned in this course. One good measure of learning is the ability to ask good questions. That is: what is it that you would like to understand better about one of the concepts we’ve studied in economics?

a) Specify the question: what is it that you would like to understand better about one of the concepts we’ve studied in economics?
b) Why don’t you fully understand this concept?
c) Why is it important for us to fully understand this concept?

SAMPLE ANSWER

  1. Graph of MR, MC and P and the profit maximizing level of output
Q 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
TC 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Q 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
MR 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
MC 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

 

According to the graph above the maximizing level of output (Q) is 5 units. That’s when Marginal Revenue (MR) is 7 and Marginal Cost (MC) is 7. As the Marginal Cost moves beyond 7 Marginal revenue starts dropping and Q starts increasing whereas P starts reducing. This is because demand starts falling as quantities increase. The company now starts making losses (Ruffin, 30).

2) According to Ciobanu (229), a market that is oligopolistic is whereby sellers in the market are a few large companies, products sold by these companies are relatively homogeneous, entry into the market is difficult because of high entry costs and the firms are essentially interdependent. Oligopolistic markets are also characterized by price rigidity in that firms tend to watch what their competitors do before adjusting prices upwards or downwards. This is because if a firm increases the price of its commodities and its competitors do not follow suit it will experience a marked reduction in sales which will force it to reduce it prices to match what the competitors are offering their products at (Ciobanu, 229). The main drinks identified are coca-cola made by Coca-Cola Company, Dr Pepper made by Dr Pepper/7Up Inc, Fanta  and sprite made by Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi and Mountain Dew which is licensed by Pepsi Company. The evidence that this market is oligopolistic is that the products are relatively homogeneous, they are sold by large companies, entry into the market is difficult because of relatively high cost of entry and pricing is relatively identical (Ciobanu, 229).

3)  a). The first option that I chose was cooperate all throughout the game and then I chose compete all through, then I chose two thirds of the game to cooperate and a third to compete and lastly compete and cooperate in equal proportions as the last option (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/playground/pd.html)

b). The strategy that generates the highest points/gold coins is to cooperate.  This strategy involves cooperating with Serendip in each round of the game. I tested the strategy and it did work perfectly (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/playground/pd.html).

c). In this game the actions of one player influences the actions of his opponent in the game. In this game, each player must anticipate the actions of the other player. Game theory primarily involves identification of situations in which making decisions is interdependent with decisions made by the other party. Game theory involves anticipating and in many cases influencing another entity’s choices (Schelling, 26). Game theory is similar to this game because the decisions that I made influenced the decisions that Serendip made. I knew Serendip subscribed to a policy of “tit for tat” and therefore when I chose to co operate Serendip also made the same decision. I anticipated that he will make the same choice as I made. Just like in the game theory I anticipated Serendip’s reactions to the choices I made and I also tried to influence his decisions by my actions (Schelling, 26).

4 (a) One of the antitrust lawsuits listed in http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases.html is U.S.v. Ryoji Fukodome and Toshihiko Nagashima. In this antitrust law suit the defendants Ryoji Fukodome and Toshihiko Nagashima with their other undisclosed co-conspirators colluded to suppress and eliminate competition in the automotive parts industry by bid rigging and setting uncompetitive prices for parts sold to Subaru in the United States of America and in other vehicle assembling plants in the world. It was alleged that the accused in meetings held in Japan set prices and rigged bids with the intention of blocking other competitors.  It was alleged that the accused parties interfered with trade between states in the US and also foreign trade and commerce by their actions (http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases.html).

  1. b) An antitrust lawsuit involving a merger was S. v. Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Incorporated. In this lawsuit it was alleged that Abitibi-Consolidated Inc and Bowater Incorporated had set plans to form a $1.6 billion merger which would have resulted in the largest newsprint company in the North America. It was argued that the merger would have resulted in such a large company that it could limit production of newsprint by reducing its capacity utilization thus pushing prices up and suppressing competition. It was held that the new company had the incentive to do so once the merger was finalized. The company was to be about three times larger than its nearest competitor. In violation of Section 5 of the Clayton Act 15 U.S.C &, 18, the merger would have led to a suppression of competition in the production and sale of newsprint. The merger would also have eliminated competition between the two giant competitors which would have led to an increase in newsprint prices in the USA. The court directed that the companies divest the divestiture assets within a stipulated period which in effect stalled the merger plan (http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases.html).
  2. The concept which I would like to understand in a more detailed manner is the various aspects of antitrust behavior. a) What are the different types of antitrust behavior that companies practice?
  3. b) The reason why I have not understood this concept fully is because of the many interpretations and classes of what antitrust behavior and actions constitute c) The reason why it is important to fully understand this concept is to enable me understand how to avoid antitrust behavior and evade huge fines that may lead to the bankruptcy of my company.

Works Cited

Ciobanu, Ramona. “CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PRICE IN OLIGOPOLISTIC STRUCTURED MARKETS.”Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov.EconomicSciences.Series V 4.2 (2011): 229-38. ProQuest.Web. 30 May 2014.

http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases.html

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/playground/pd.html

Ruffin, Roy J. Monopolistic Competition. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009. ProQuest.Web. 30 May 2014.

Schelling, Thomas C. “GAME THEORY: A PRACTITIONER’S APPROACHst.” Economics and Philosophy 26.1 (2010): 27-46. ProQuest.Web. 30 May 2014.

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Observational Research Design Paper

Observational Research Design
Observational Research Design

Observational Research Design

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Observational research often provides the foundation for further exploration of a topic. It is frequently used when conducting a preliminary research study to better describe a problem. Many researchers conduct observational studies that then lead to more in depth and larger experimental projects. It is an important form of qualitative research and has a significant place in public health research. For this Discussion, use the the Internet and locate an article using the keyword search terms of “observational research,” or “qualitative research” that has used observational design as a methodology to conduct public health research. Carefully read the article examining the strengths of the study.

Post a summary of the article, outlining the design and implementation of the study.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study?

Why do you think the researchers chose to use an observational methodology for the research study? Support your response.
Additional Requirements

SAMPLE ANSWER

Observational Research Design

The research is an observational study of the Bihar, Indian’s public care system covering over 100 million inhabitants and focused on the Tuberculosis discontinuation and symptom persistence. The research, which was done by Kimberly Babiarz, Sze-chuan Suen, and Jeremy Goldhaber in 2011, sampled patients who had initiated treatment more than six months prior to the interview. The researchers administered questionnaires to patients about their TB treatment duration, symptoms, prior treatment, and the sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, multivariate logistic regression model was adopted to estimate the risk of treatment discontinuation for the recorded characteristics as well as to estimate probabilities of symptom persistent to 25 weeks of the post-treatment initiation. The model included robust standard errors, district fixed effects, and adjustments for the survey sampling design while symptom persistent and treatment default timing relied entirely on self-report (Babiarz et al., 2014).

The study established that 24 percent of the patients discontinued treatment prior to 25 weeks and a higher likelihood of discontinuation happened in patients who failed to complete previous treatment. Again, symptoms persisted in about 42 percent of the patients who had discontinued treatment within six weeks and 28 percent for completing the 25-week treatment (Babiarz et al., 2014).

Concerning the study strengths, the study was able to realize a 92 percent response rate of the respondents. The number of sampled patients (1007) is also quite representative of the target population. The focus on the Bihar state with a population of 100 million, which is only 10 percent of India’s population, is one of the limitations in the study. The second limitation is the focus of the study on self-report with no external validations. The validation of the findings is also limited since the research did not employ any clinical measures.

The researchers chose to use the observational research design as a basis for their effort to study the incidence, causes, and prognosis of the problem of study. Vogt et al. (2012), note that the observational method is effective in distinguishing cause and effect, as well as in determining prevalence and comparisons between groups.

References

Babiarz, K. S., Suen, S., & Goldhaber-Fiebert, J. D. (2014). Tuberculosis Treatment Discontinuation and Symptom Persistence: An Observational Study of Bihar, India’s Public Care System Covering >100,000,000 inhabitants. BMC Public Health14(1), 1-27.

Vogt, W., Haeffele, L. M., & Gardner, D. C. (2012). When to Use What Research Design. New York: Guilford Press.

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Individual’s personal self-esteem Paper

Individual's personal self-esteem
Individual’s personal self-esteem

The direct relationship of meaningful employment and an individual’s personal self-esteem

The paper must cite research studies(either cross-sectional, retrospective or perspective) that show proof of the correlation between self-esteem and
meaningful employment. I really want the relationship to be meaningful employment increases an individual’s self esteem. Even more specific is that
meaningful employment for Veterans increases his or her self-esteem. The variables must be “self-esteem” and “employment or job,” For example, well-being is the same as self-esteem.

Use at least three (3) quality references Note: Wikipedia and other related websites do not qualify as academic resources.

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Outdoor Learning Environment Assignment

outdoor learning environment
outdoor learning environment

What Strategies are currently used in the outdoor learning environment to support children’s development?

Literature review based on previous and current research studies demonstrating the importance of the outdoor learning environment within the early years.

Themes I have looked at through my research is based on the early years curriculum, home school partnerships and the adults role in promoting outdoor learning.

Sources to use: EYFS, Outdoor Manifesto, Department for Education Website, Stephenson, A (2017) Opening up the outdoors, Tovey, H (2007) Playing Outdoors, Janet Rose on the Role of the adult in Early Years Settings (2017), Sarah Knightsbrook on Forest Schools, Watts A (2015) Outdoor learning through
seasons.

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An Overview of why teenagers join gangs

An Overview of why teenagers join gangs
An Overview of why teenagers join gangs

An Overview of why teenagers join gangs

Jumped in what gangs taught me about violence, drugs, love, and redemption. by Jorja Leap.. Title : An Overview of why teenagers join gangs

  • Introduction
  • Summary of the book
  • Critique of the book
  • Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

In a book review, the introduction may run to several paragraphs.

Establish context:
mention the title of the book and its author.

Establish focus:
mention the author’s purpose. In a book, it is usually stated in the preface or introduction, or on the back cover.
Comment on the appropriateness of the author’s purpose in terms of timeliness and importance of the subject.
Mention what authority or expertise the author has to write on the subject.

State thesis:
give your general response to the author’s work: whether you agree or disagree or partly agree with it. Remember, you have to support this view in your
critique and the structure of your critique depends on the overall impression of the reviewed material as given in your thesis statement.

Summary of the book:

The main purpose of the summary is to provide the reader with adequate information to understand the critical commentary that follows. The summary should be objective and should not include any personnel interpretation or discussion.

It is not possible to summarize an entire book so summarize the following:

  • Controlling idea/thesis
    Main concepts that form the foundation for the controlling idea/thesis
  • Development of the controlling idea/presentation of evidence
  • Text structure, the topics covered and how they are organized and sequenced.

Critique of the book:

The purpose of the critique is to express your judgments and comments about the book you are reviewing. The purpose of this section is to support the personal opinion you have already expressed briefly in the Introduction. The critique consists of personal judgments, comments and opinions, it is
subjective, unlike the previous section, which is objective.

It may be easier to handle to critique of a book if you examine the different aspects of the book and pass your judgment on each aspect separately. Your
critical commentary should focus on the following aspects:

  • Subject matter: describe the range of topics in the book and determine whether it is adequate and relevant. This may also help you pass judgment on the length of the book. Examine the organization of the topics and determine whether the sequence is appropriate.
  • Style: determine whether the difficulty of words and sentence structure is appropriate for the intended audience. Determine whether the formality of the
    style is appropriate, is it too formal/casual in terms of subject matter and readers.
  • Layout: express your opinion about the adequacy, suitability, and usefulness of the following:
    contents and index pages
    -headings
    -typefaces
    -graphics

Make sure you present valid reasons for your judgment each time you comment on the different aspects of the book.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion relates to both your introduction and critique because it restates the most important comments from the introduction and sums up the main critical points of your critique. In the conclusion you need to:

  • Restate the purpose of the book you have reviewed.
    using your critique as a base, make a judgment about how successful the writer has been in achieving that purpose.
  • Restate the thesis you included in the introduction.
    support your thesis by commenting on whether or not the reviewed material makes a useful contribution to the body of literature already published in the field.

Reference:

Arnaudet, M.L. and Barrett, M.E. 1984. Approaches to Academic Reading and Writing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Other tips: the review should give an account of the book’s arguments and structure as well as the author’s assumptions and presuppositions; it should
evaluate the arguments advanced and indicate the extent to which the author backs them up with evidence. It should draw a balance sheet of the weaknesses and strengths of the book.
Evaluate the arguments advanced. Are they consistent? Are they coherent? What theoretical or philosophical assumptions does the author make? What does the author use as evidence?
Read other reviews that have been written about the book. What do the other critics say? You may use their comments in your review, you may agree/disagree with them. Reading other reviews also gives you ideas on how your review should be structured.

Read biographical information about the author. This information may help you understand the book.

The position you take on the book is not as important as how you defend that position.
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for information on citing electronic sources.

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MetLife Insurance and Employee Benefits

MetLife Insurance and Employee Benefits
MetLife Insurance and Employee Benefits

MetLife Insurance and Employee Benefits

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS:GET THE INFO FROM THE DATABASE STATED ON THE INSTRUCTIONS:To access the databases you ll have to go into my Blackboard.
bb.fau.edu. my user name is: Rmendiet password: francesca 12.
Look for the upper right tab LIBRARY. all the instructions will be sent to you.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

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