Political Institutions

Political institutions have been around since nearly all human societies were organized tribally. Over time they have developed into various organizational features and eventually taken the shape they do today. They have proven to be fundamental in virtually all societies worldwide and by being so omnipresent we often take these institutions for granted and do not realize how vital they are for our society. Moreover, because they are so important and play such a big part in our society, there is a major purpose to compare them between time and place.Therefore, this paper will first elaborate on explanations for political institutions and through that process come up with a working definition. Furthermore, it will explain why political institutions play such a major role in our society, and lastly it will argue for why we should compare these institutions. There are countless definitions of political institutions making the term somewhat vague (Klingemann & Goodin, 1996; Peters & Pier re, 1998).It refers not only to formal political organizations such as political parties and parliament, but also to informal constraints such as customs, ideals, guidelines and actions (Peters & Pierre, 1998; North 1990). In addition, Wiens (2012) emphasizes that these formal and informal rules establish and stabilize roles. Moreover, although there is no consensus amongst theorists of what makes an institution political (Garret & Lange, 1995), Max Weber (cited in Gerth & Mills, 1946) and Moe (2005) argue that an institution is political if it influences the distribution of power.As a result, for the purpose of this essay I will combine these scholars’ explanations to create a working definition. Political institutions are sets of formal and informal rules that influence the distribution of power, create roles and by combinations of standards, ethics, instructions and procedures stabilize interaction for occupants of those roles (Wiens, 2012; Peters & Pierre, 1998; North, 19 90; Gerth & Mills, 1946; Hall, 1986). Thus for being so ubiquitous, political institutions have profound ramifications for politics and for society at large.Political institutions have been developed by human beings throughout history to generate order and diminish insecurity (North, 1991) One of the main explanations to why they create order is because by influencing the way entities interact in politics, these political institutions significantly affect the potentials for individuals and groups to resolve collective problems and identify shared interest (Weir, 1992; Moe, 2005; Johnson, 2001). One apparent example is how parties create political alliances and in some cases governmental coalitions.Therefore, political institutions are vital as they stabilize and structure interactions (Hall 1986; Przeworski, 2004), and by being forces of stability also offer predictability (Hague & Harrop, 2010). Furthermore, Moe (2005) claims that political institutions essentially exist and are si gnificant because they make people better off. Whereas North (1981; 1990) and Minier (2001) do not fully share this opinion and rather contend that in order to benefit everyone in society and also for the economy to grow rulers have to adopt the correct political institutions.Thus, in order to find what the â€Å"correct† political institutions might be, there is an intrinsic motivation to compare these between time and place. To be able to comprehend the bigger picture of political power it is crucial to understand how political institutions work and in order to develop deeper knowledge about those it is vital to compare them (Beck et al, 2001). Moreover, without comparing there is not much to acquire from a mere description (Pennings, Keman & Kleinnijenhuis, 2005).In other words, returning back to North’s argument, one can hardly know which political institutions that are â€Å"correct† in bringing benefits to everyone by merely observing just one institution. Therefore, a vital reason to compare is to look for useful ideas and to see which political institutions might be good and bad at achieving specific political goals and see if these various institutions can survive in different political settings (Przeworski, 2004; Nikandrov, 1989).In addition, by seeing similarity in difference and difference in similarity and linking ideas and theory to evidence we can gain greater insight and be more aware of alternatives (Friedman, 2011). However, some scholars point to the dangers of comparison (see Faure, 1994; Radhakrishnan, 2009) and it is important to acknowledge those risks. Nevertheless, as Friedman (2011) explains: â€Å"For all the problems and dangers of comparison, in the end it is worse not to compare than to compare† (p. 756).To summarize, first of all political institutions are sets of formal and informal rules that have since the early ages of man stabilized and shaped interactions and outcomes by establishing roles and af fecting power relations. Secondly, political institutions are important because they structure individuals and groups to overcome self-interest and rather cooperate for mutual gain. Furthermore, they create order and by offering predictability they reduce insecurity. In addition, arguably, political institutions can benefit everyone in the society and support in economic growth.Thirdly, we should compare political institutions to learn about valuable ideas, be mindful about possibilities and to see how similar and different institutions functions in various contexts. Lastly, we should compare to get a wider and enhanced understanding of how political institutions function and thus also enables us to further comprehend the mechanics of political power. REFERENCE LIST: Beck, T. , Clarke, G. , Groff, A. , Keefer, P. , & Walsh, P. (2001). New tools in comparative political economy: The database of political institutions. World Bank Economic Review, 15(1), 165-176. Faure, A.M. (1994). So me methodological problems in comparative politics. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 6(3), 307-322. Friedman, S. S. (2011). Why not compare? Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, 126(3), 753-762. Garret, G. , & Lange, P. (1995). Internationalization, institutions, and political change. International Organization, 49(4), 627-655. Gerth, H. H. , & Mills. C. W. (1946). From Max Weber: Essays in sociology. New York, United States: Oxford University Press. Hague, R. , & Harrop, M. (2010). Comparative government and politics: An introduction (8th ed).New York, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. Hall, P. A. (1986). Governing the economy: The politics of state intervention in Britain and France. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Klingemann, H. , & Goodin, R. E. (1996). A new handbook of political science. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Johnson, J. (2001). Path contingency in postcommunist transformations. Comparative Politics 33(3) 253-274. Minier, J. (2001). Politica l institutions and economic growth. Philosophy & Technology, 13(4), 85-93. Moe, T. M. (2005). Power and political institutions. Perspectives on Politics, 3(2), 15-233. Nikandrov, N. D. (1989). Cross-national attraction in education. Comparative Education, 25(3), 275-282. North, D. C. (1981). Structure and change in economic history. New York, United States: Aldine-Atherton. North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change, and economic performance. New York, United States: Cambridge University Press. North, D. C. (1991). Institutions. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 5(1), 97-112. Radhakrishnan, R. (2009) Why compare? New Literary History, 40(3), 453-471. Pennings, P. , Kleman H. , & Kleinnijenhuis, J. (2005).Doing research in political science. London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd. Peters, B. G. , & Pierre, J. (1998). Institutions and time: Problems of conceptualization and explanation. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 8(4), 565-583. Przeworski, A. (20 04). Institutions matter? Government and Opposition, 39(4), 527-540. Weir, M. (1992). Politics and jobs: The boundaries of employment policy in the United States. Princeton, United States: Princeton University Press. Wiens, D. (2012). Prescribing institutions without ideal theory. Journal of Political Philosophy, 20(1), 45-70.

Billy Budd by Herman Melville

The story, Billy Budd, by Herman Melville embodies many themes. The same story has also been the subject of many different interpretations because of these themes. One of the more popular interpretations has to do with the many different allusions to the holy Christian bible. Billy has often been interpreted as Adam from the book of Genesis, while his counterpart, Claggart, has often been compared to the serpent in the Garden of Eden or as Satan. The reason for this comparison has to do with the sacrifice that Billy makes at the end of the story.Good natured and kind hearted, Billy becomes the innocent victim of a harsh society. In order to make this portrayal, however, it is necessary to briefly discuss the trials and tribulations that Billy endured. The goodness of Billy is highlighted more during the times when Claggart tries to tempt Billy in committing dastardly acts and deeds of evil; the temptations that Claggart dangles in Billy’s way show Claggart’s different a ttempts to destroy the character of Billy. This is analogous to the situation in the Garden of Eden where the Serpent tries to deceive Adam into taking the fruit of the forbidden tree.The description of Claggart’s dead body as it lies lifeless in the form of a snake reinforces this point. This is an important characterization that is used well in the story as it makes it easier for the readers to identify one of the many themes that are embedded in Billy Budd. Without these comparisons to Adam, the innocence and the tragedy of the downfall of Billy would not be as highlighted as they are in the story. The sacrifice that Billy makes in the end becomes the haunting image of how a hostile society can corrupt the lives and minds of the innocent ones.

Kinesiology-- Essential nutrients Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kinesiology-- Essential nutrients - Essay Example Each vitamin has different functions in the body. Vitamin B helps in releasing energy from ingested food. There are also required in the synthesis of RNA and DNA. Vitamin C is mostly important in the development of bones, teeth and gums. Vitamin D is also used in bone development. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant. Vitamin K enables blood clotting. Water forms about 60% of our body weight. It enables the maintenance of body temperature, blood pressure and blood volume. In addition, it provides moisture for moth, eyes and nose tissues. Helps to avoid constipation, enables muscle functions and lubricates joints. Fibers and indigested forms of carbohydrates. They enable normal bowel movements and decrease the risks of constipation, colon cancer and hemorrhoids. They increase the excretion of cholesterol thus minimizing risks of heart disease and obesity. Vitamins are classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble vitamins. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. After they are ingested they have the ability to dissolve in water. They are then taken in the blood stream. The body is able to incorporate the amount it requires at the time and the excess is excreted in urine. Water soluble vitamins are all vitamins B and Vitamin C. they can be obtained from grains, vegetables and fruits. Fat soluble vitamins are vitamins that are stored in the body. After ingestion they are dissolved in fat. After ingestion the body uses the required vitamins and the rest is stored and used when required in future. The excess is excreted as stool. The main sources of fat soluble vitamins are oily fish, liver, animal fats, butter, vegetable oil and dairy products. In the body, 45% to 65% of the total calories are carbohydrates. A daily caloric level should be maintained should be maintained at a daily concentration of 1800 calories. This translated to 202-292 grams of carbohydrates daily. A high fat intake is classified to be above 35%

Speech using the Rogerian style of argumentation Essay

Speech using the Rogerian style of argumentation - Essay Example Several instances have been reported concerning the increased aggression among the victims. Others also report increased criminal or violent behavior among the victims. In other situations, corporal punishment in schools can lead to escalated antisocial behavior and moral internalization among the learners. My position differs from those who argue that corporal punishment should not be banned in schools or other learning institutions. My position is that corporal punishment in schools and other learning institutions should be banned. This does not include normal discipline mechanisms that parent use at home. It also does not include the nonviolent punitive methods employed by teachers to enhance discipline among learners. Corporal punishment in public and private schools and other learning institutions should be banned because it poses devastating effects on the learners. These include loss of good family relationship and damage to education. It leads to all forms of violation of the fundamental rights of children such as the right to education and good

Password Management Protocol vulnerabilities Essay

Password Management Protocol vulnerabilities - Essay Example Many users use autocompleting in their browser and this main threat for the password security and we will show It on the example of one non-malicious software called â€Å"WebBrowserpassview†. We will analyze the password storage protocol used in the browser like Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox Mozilla, Seamonkey. These browsers store their passwords almost equally and their passwords can be revealed to the hacker with the help of the tool we mentioned above. Because mechanism of the encrypting passwords is very weak and even the simplest applications can retrieve them from their register, moreover, this application has good interface and getting passwords can present problem for the hacker, because it needs physical contact with the target computer, however, there are thousands modifications of this software which have hidden interface and after the running can send all passwords on the email or FTP-server of the hacker. Therefore saving of the passwords in the browser is quite doubtful method of password storage (10 Most Popular Password Cracking Tools 2014). Here we can see good interface for the passwords viewing and various operations with them. This application allow user to save them to the file. This file can be copied to other emails and then used in malicious activities like the accessing some bank-accounts without the two-step authorization that requires special key that system sends to the cell-phone of the user or to the email. There are many ways to protect computer from such attacks. The first way – avoiding downloading some software, regardless from the content and specifications written on the site, if the site is not Microsoft.com or other associated site to the OS user use. Creators of the password storage systems can use special encrypting protocols which will help to defend passwords from retrieving with some application. Moreover, developers can use key file that will give access to the passwords, we mean any file in the system that will be

Thinking like a economist the basic vocabulary of the field Case Study

Thinking like a economist the basic vocabulary of the field - Case Study Example The position on the supply side is that college education instills the knowledge and ability the individual requires in attaining the desired quality of human capital. Additionally the demand side of college education on human capital provides that college education establishes an environment for research and development, and as such, the practicality of the human capital develops. These research and development activities require human capital and, therefore, the human capital available in colleges employed to accomplish this (Frank, New York Times). However, in order to produce an economy requires a combination of other factors such as land and labor. Although this may be true, and given the limited resources a production possibility curve becomes essential in order to identify maximum productivity. A production possibility curve is the maximum output level attainable from the combination of existing resources. This implies the efficient and wholesome use of the available resources . A variation in the factors of production leads to the inward or outward shifts in the production possibility curve depending on the effect of the variation. An inward shift in the production possibility curve implies a reduction in the factors of production, therefore, limiting the output. ... Another instance where the curve can shift inwards is during times of war where the resources aimed at production become rechanneled to facilitate the war and, therefore, reducing factors used in production leading to reduction of production. Conversely, an outward shift in the production possibility curve depicts economic growth. According to Bouman (Principles of Macroeconomics) economic growth results in the attainment of greater economic levels as a result of an increase in resources employed in production. An increase in land, capital labor or raw materials supports economic growth. Similarly, improvement in the utilization of resources for production such as technological advancement or training can also result in economic growth. On the other hand, devoting more resources to investment than to consumption increases the capital factors of production, therefore, resulting in an economic growth and an outward shift in the production possibility curve. Granted that the production process efficiently utilizes the available capital in order to operate on the production possibility curve, it is imperative that economic growth requires an increase in capital. Devoting more resources to investment, therefore, produces this effect. Although preference to consumables increases utility and provides happiness, it does not result in significant shifts, in the production possibility curve as an investment would do. An outward shift in the production possibility curve is desirable in any economy as it increases the potential of the economy to increase its production. Although the shift does not necessarily imply actual production, it depicts a potential increase in production but due to inefficiencies and unemployment in the economy the growth

Interpersonal effectiveness- managing conflicts Research Paper

Interpersonal effectiveness- managing conflicts - Research Paper Example It is obvious that those with excellent interpersonal skills in an organization are expected to be more useful than those with poor interpersonal skills (Dyck et al, 2010) Interpersonal skills not only apply to talking to a single person but also it matters and affects our personality while we talk and communicate in a group. It does not include only how we communicate with fellow members but also it shows our confidence and courage to understand by listening carefully to others. Interpersonal skills are not only confined to communication expertise but it consists of problem solving ability, how promptly and accurately we make decisions at the right time and how do we manage and control ourselves while under stress. Those people with excellent interpersonal skills are very successful as compare to average people both in personal and professional lives. They look confident, composed, charismatic and calm when under pressure. One can easily spot these qualities in such people those are around you. Once you come to know about your interpersonal skills, it will benefit you by improving and developing it. Being more aware of your interpersonal skills can help you improve and develop them (Corey et al, 2010). People have interpersonal skill that is why they know how to react to what others say. We also know that when we say how the others will feel, think and react. As time passes, we improve interpersonal skills by paying attention to what we say and what we listen to. Always remember that the more we practice and spend time to develop these skills, the more we learn and improve (Field et al, 2001). There are so many skills, which helps us to be successful in so many walks of lives. However, the base for several dimensions of our lives is based on decent interpersonal skills, as these skills are important for our personal relationships, professional lives and social affairs. These are the foundations on which we can improve our skills.

Education Regulation Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education Regulation Law - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that not attending school leads to poor academic performance and lack of educational success, both contributing factors when discussing juvenile delinquency, an issue that is becoming more and more prevalent as time goes on. Many factors exist as to why a juvenile will not or does not attend school. Perhaps a juvenile has failed to bond at school, has no friends or reliable relationships among his or her peers (Flores, 2003). A juvenile that does not have any friendships among their peers, or feels isolated and alone, will often choose not to go to school, and thus jeopardize their chances of educational success. In young children aged eight to eleven, poor academic performance has been related to serious later delinquency (Flores, 2003). Another contributing factor to failed bonding is the fact that not attending school leads to poor socialization, and thus the feeling of isolation deepens even more. Students who are chronic underachievers t end to be the most at-risk group for juvenile delinquency (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). In all of these situations, a juvenile will most likely choose not to attend school, instead of finding something else to do with their time. The actions that they choose could well lead them down the path of juvenile delinquency. Education has been widely promoted by all sources surrounding juveniles, from family to the media to the schools themselves (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). Most juveniles have been trained to accept the fact that education itself holds the keys to success, whether that success is measured in a better job, more money, or a better way of life (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). However, many juveniles may feel that they do not meet the acceptable standards for educational success, whether that success is measured in test scores, promotions, rewards, or other measures (Seigel & Welsh, 2010). In measuring themselves, often juveniles are their own worst critics, feeling that they will never be good a t anything; therefore school and education are a waste of time. They feel that this time could be better spent learning â€Å"life skills†, skills that all too often lead to a life of juvenile delinquency. No matter what the forces are behind a juvenile feeling as though education will not be of any use to them at all, it is clear that early intervention is necessary to determine who and where the most at-risk youth are. Oddly enough, the first intervention taking place in school may already be too late for some juveniles. It has been shown that parents have a vital role in the success of their offspring, and positive relationships between family members only serve to heighten the chances of educational success (Adedokun & Balschweid, 2008). If an early intervention takes place and identifies possible situations that may not be of benefit to a juvenile, measures can be taken such as family counseling and other assistance that may promote and save the educational career of a j uvenile and prevent them from starting any form of juvenile delinquency. Another important factor of note is the juvenile themselves. All juveniles do not learn the same way; just as adults do not all enjoy the same hobby or pastime. To expect every juvenile to learn the same way, by sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture, may be expecting too much.  

Self-Reflective Journal on Corporate Social Responsibility Essay - 1

Self-Reflective Journal on Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example This paper illustrates that a valuable relationship between CSR and social media was understood through the case of Goldman Sachs where the company gained both in terms of revenue and brand value through philanthropic contributions. Other companies such as Facebook and Google, which are predominantly online, are using the social media channel in order to achieve competitive advantage. The literature review from various other news reports and news articles also revealed that corporate social responsibility has become one of the crucial elements in the strategic decision-making process of organizations. Media is quickly becoming one of the emergent channels for information. As a result, companies are frequently utilizing social media platforms in order to engage with its customers as well as disseminate critical information about their national and international CSR activities. Rising consciousness among individuals as well as growing number of environmental communities have also impac ted the rise of CSR among big firms. However, the reports and articles also revealed that high disparity exists in terms of CSR activities between large and established firms and small and medium-sized companies. The seminar started with the discussion of the burgeoning issues which are hampering the authenticity of social media. Then the topic of CSR and its current practices were discussed. The key topics of discussion were internal and external CSR aspects, issues and challenges while implementing CSR strategies through social media channel, the importance of CSR activities in the global marketplace. Another important issue which was discussed in detail was changing climate conditions and its impact on the global environment.

Diary extract from the poem blessing Essay Example for Free

Diary extract from the poem blessing Essay Today was the best day ever; the pipe through our village burst. I first spotted it on the way back from my two mile hike to the well, I had two buckets in my hands had spilt a little water on the way back when seeing a spurt of water coming from the pipe. I filled up the buckets and ran home, I told everyone in the village to bring buckets and cups and everything, by this time the gap had grown and there was a good amount of water coming from it. Everyone gather around bring mugs and tin cans to collect some clean water, we filled our metal bath tub with our buckets and everything we could, we have so much water now, the crops we have tried to grow have been watered and we have kept a good amount to water them more often, the drought had finally ended, there hasnt been rain in a while, but I believe that this is the work of god, hes finally come through for us, everyone had prayed and thanked him for this deed, the party still hasnt finished, I am tired, I have been dancing and singing and drumming until the sun rose again, I was the villages favourite person today because I spotted the leak that has praised us all, I wouldnt trade the feeling I had for anything in the world, people chanted my name and cheered all night long I loved it, none of the water is being wasted anything waterproof is being filled with clean healthy water, I will not have to go on my hike for water for the next few days and I will not have to be thirs ty we are going to church again tomorrow and I think that the whole village will be there just to thank him for this blessing. I cant believe how lucky we were, this is truly a miracle, the water came when we needed it the most, when everyone was finding it harder and harder to drink the dirty water, but the question is how long will this water last? How long will it take for the rich people to realise they are paying for our water? And will they stop it? I believe that these questions will be answered in time, God may have let this miracle but I dont think there is much he could do to change those idiots, they have everything, clean house, clean food and clean drinking water and we have nothing. Our homes are dirty so is our food and out drinking water they just get water whenever they want whereas we have to walk over 2 miles to get dirty water from a well. Everyone hates them if only we could swap places for a week, they would know what its like how hard it is for us just to survive, to stay alive but they have no idea I wish something could be done about this.

Introduction To Dual Diagnosis Health And Social Care Essay

Introduction To Dual Diagnosis Health And Social Care Essay Over the last ten years in mental health, there has been a significant change and considerable debate about the definition of dual diagnosis, this terminology refers to a mental health disorder combined with substance misuse (Department of Health, 2002). This can cover a broad range of disorders from learning disabilities and substance abuse of legal or illegal drugs to severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and substance misuse of cannabis or alcohol (Department of Health, 2002). However in medicine dual diagnosis is an umbrella term, for a primary and secondary disorder for example diabetes and hypertension (Sowers Epstein, 1995) This research proposal will focus on the client group duality of psychosis and substance misuse of cannabis or alcohol. Psychosis can be defined as a severe mental health disorder in which thought and emotions are significantly impaired, whereby people can lose contact with reality. However the symptoms can vary between negative and positive, the negative symptoms can cause apathy, a reduction or absence of social skills, resulting in confused thoughts which impair their ability to concentrate or complete instructions. The positive symptoms can be defined as either visual or auditory hallucinations or delusional thoughts, where a person may have an undeniable belief in something false (National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2011). However substance abuse can aggravate psychosis leading to further hallucinations, which is associated with a wide range of negative outcomes, such as higher rates of relapse, increased hospitalisation (revolving door clients), suicide, housing issues and poorer levels of social functioning, such as poverty, violence, criminality and social exclusion, less compliance with treatment, greater service costs to National Health Service (NHS) or the criminal justice system and government services (Department of Health, 2007). More significantly The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 51,353 admissions of drug-related mental health disorders in 2010/11. These admissions have increased year on year and are now nearly twice as high as they were ten years ago, therefore families are at greater risk of having a family member diagnosed with dual diagnosis (The World Health Organization , 2012). Significantly the impact of the dually diagnosed within families is drastic, family dynamics are altered by challenging and difficult situations within the home, by displaying disruptive and aggressive behaviours (Biegel et al, 2007). Clearly people with dual disorders have strained interactions with their families. However when relationships are strained families might be less willing to help, the relative with dual diagnosis which could contribute to higher rates of homelessness and social problems (Clarke, R E; Drake, R E, 1994). Yet family members may have differing amounts of contact and distancing, because of the negative impacts of their behaviour. However someone in the family takes the role of main caregiver, being the person most directly linked to the caring of the dually diagnosed whilst care giving not only affects their QOL, it also impacts on possible depressive symptoms and research has indicated that care giving burden has a risk factor for early mortality (Biegel et al, 2007), (Marcon et al, 2012) (Walton-Moss et al, 2005) Yet a lack of social support, and informal and formal care, has been found to be the most important source that predicts the burden of family caregivers (Biegel et al, 2007) although informal caring occurs naturally within family relationships, which is typically unpaid, this goes beyond the caring expected of these relationships in contrast to a paid formal carer (Chaffey Fossey, 2004) additionally being a carer can raise difficult personal issues about duty, responsibility, adequacy and guilt (Shah et al, 2010). Research into the impact of care giving shows that carers suffer significant psychological distress and experience higher rates of mental ill health than the general population, the triggers for distress are as follows; worry, anger, guilt, and shame; financial and emotional strain; marital dissatisfaction, physical effects of the stress of living with a substance abuser (Biegel, et al 2007). However without the contribution of the UKs 6.4 million unpaid carers health and social care services would collapse. In 2037 its anticipated that the number of carers will increase to 9 million (Carers UK, 2012). Worldwide several authors have argued for service systems to acknowledge and address family members need to ensure their own well-being, as well as to ensure effective community support for people living with mental illness (Chaffey Fossey, 2004) (Igberase et al 2012) (Carey Leggatt, 1987). The last ten years have seen major reform of the law as it relates to carers; consequently families have been forced to give up work to care for their relatives. Family carers need assistance to prevent becoming unwell themselves (Carers UK, 2012). Therefore supporting carers must be a central part of government reform, which acknowledges the family as associated clients who desperately need support. This is paramount because relatives often know little about how the interactions between mental illness and substance misuse are interchangeable. Therefore families need practical information about dual disorders, to help recognise the signs of substance abuse, and strategies for its management for example medication adherence and recognising relapse triggers. Addressing these factors would enable the improvement in the dually diagnosed directly related to greater outcomes in the well-being of the family (Mueser Fox, 2002). Overview, context and background information relevant to topic It costs the UK Â £1.3 billion a year in carers benefits and lost taxes whereby family members are becoming increasingly responsible for providing support, although in 2012 the British government submitted the Care and Support Bill which will guide future services for caregivers. Families will no longer be treated as an extension of the person they are caring for, they will have a right to an assessment, this will give carers much better access to support them balance their caring roles and responsibilities (Carers UK, 2012). Yet informal carers may experience less choice about the discontinuation of care in comparison to volunteer or paid carers, possibly due to love of the family member and a sense of duty, it is essential that the family understand the facts about dual diagnosis, to have every hope for recovery of the family (Department of Health, 2007) Additionally health services should acknowledge the families by assessing them as associated clients so that carers can learn to recognise the triggers of caregiver burden and moreover be given general education and health promotion (Rethink, 2007). However in 2006, the College of Occupational Therapists (COT) announced a 10 year vision for occupational therapy in mental health which included by 2013 for practitioners to have extended their scope of practice across a range of agencies to meet the occupational needs of mental health services (COT, 2006) Statement of the problem proposed to be investigated The proposed research intends to investigate, what are the experiences of people who are carers for people with dual diagnosis? General aim(s) of the proposed research To find out how families cope living with someone with dual diagnosis? What are their biggest challenges? To identify the current experiences from the perspective of the carer regarding the impact of dual diagnosis, the burden; grief and the loss of their relative. Relevance, significance or need for the study The relevance to occupational therapy and the health service; carers are associated clients and therefore need to be taken into consideration when assessing this client group. Furthermore the lacking of occupational therapy literature in this area makes a clear case for the proposed research. Chapter 2: Literature Review Introduction to the chapter Literatures in dual diagnosis are largely separate, mainly based in substance abuse or mental health fields. However over the past decade, family work in dual diagnosis has been mainly focused on client outcomes and not the families well-being or quality of life QOL. However occupational therapy literature is also limited, lacking investigation of occupational needs identified from the families perspective. However a considerable amount of literature has been published on descriptions of occupational therapists roles by defining and establishing what an occupational therapist does within the multi-disciplinary team in mental health services, but not specifically to dual diagnosis (Brown, 2011) (Hyde, 2001)(Lloyd et al, 2008). Therefore it is beneficial for occupational therapists to have a better understanding of the families perspectives, as associated clients to enable additional support for the caregiver thus improving outcomes for the whole family. There is a plethora of literatures, on outcomes associated with family support for the dually diagnosed, the majority of studies examined the relationship between family involvement and client outcomes such as reduction in mental health symptoms, engagement in treatment services, lower hospitalisation rates, improved decrease in substance abuse, sustained remission (Clark, 2001) (Mueser Fox, 2002) (Biegel et al, 2007). Although the high service costs of treating the substance abuser and the frequent involvement of relatives in the lives of dually diagnosed clients, there are few resources to help clinicians engage and collaborate with families (Mueser Fox, 2002). This implies that families or informal carers can easily become the main source of care when treatment fails, the family being the last resort (Clark 2001). On the other hand, some research has shown that individuals with dual diagnosis are less satisfied with their family relationships than those with a severe mental illn ess alone (Kashner et al. 1991) and that receiving family support may exacerbate difficulties by increasing conflict (e.g. supply of additional money may be used for drugs, existing poor family dynamics worsen carer-client relationship). Conversely research is lacking in the support of families caring for the dually diagnosed (Biegel, et al, 2007) (Townsend, et al, 2006). In contrast families are often the most significant people in the dually diagnosed life, this unique relationship puts families in the central position of being able to encourage the dually diagnosed to take the necessary steps towards recovery by providing direct care such as practical help, personal care, emotional support as well as financial support (Clarke, R E; Drake, R E, 1994) (Shah et al, 2010) (Mueser Fox, 2002). The impact of mental illness on families is usually conceived in terms of caregiver burden, this experience may help determine the quality of life QOL for family members, the most significant being, isolation, coping with behavioural problems, and relationship problems between family members (Clark, 2001). Mueser et al, (2009) study of 108 families conducted a randomised control trial utilising Lehmans QOL interview instrument with satisfactory reliability and validity (Lehman, 1998) for the diagnosed, the caregiver was assessed using the family experiences interview schedule (FEIS) with established reliability and validity which did not incorporate the QOL for the family this was not addressed. The findings from this study found that motivating relatives, to participate in family intervention can address the disruptive effects. These stressors that affect quality of life include; worry, anger, guilt, and shame; financial and emotional strain; marital dissatisfaction, physical effects of stress of living with a substance abuser (Biegel et al, 2007). Additionally Biegel et al (2007) exploratory, non-experimental cross-sectional survey design conducted interviews / surveys with 82 females with dual diagnosis and 82 family members and considered the caregivers experience as moderate, and found that behavioural problems contribute to the burden affecting their quality of life, the strength of this study is acknowledging how substance abuse impacts on the role of care giving which was also tested by applying FEIS. Many studies of family carers of persons with mental health and or substance abuse issues consider how families quality of life is affected, the main themes highlighted that emerges throughout the reviewed literatures are caregiver burden which is documented as worry, anger, guilt, isolation, stress which results in a diminishment of QOL of family members (Biegel et al, 2007) (Chaffey Fossey, 2004) (Shah, Wadoo, Latoo, 2010) (Chan, 2010). Behavioural problems have been found to be the strongest predictor of caregiver burden across chronic illnesses (Biegel et al, 2007). In contrast Jokinen Brown, (2005) conducted a focus group study which included 15 subjects would argue that there are positive aspects of lifelong care giving and quality of family life, the study acknowledged the concerns for the health of all family members (Jokinen Brown, 2005). Research in the QOL of care giving highlights that carers suffer significant psychological, distress and experience higher rates of mental ill health than the general population. Therefore by improving the QOL of carers will likely to reduce caregiver burden that requires further research to explore the lived experiences of families living with the dually diagnosed (Shah et al, 2010). However, literatures addressing the family as a collective unit and the impact of care giving on each family members role is lacking therefore this literature reviews the research. The majority of family caregivers, mostly women report experiencing moderate to high levels of depression as well as stress, this type of informal care giving is taken on in addition to existing roles and responsibilities (Chaffey Fossey, 2004) (Biegel et al, 2007) (St-Onge Lavoie, 1997). Traditionally, informal care was supplied by women but nowadays women are not only more likely to work, but also likely to be significant contributors to family finances. For women, this implies that earnings will be lost due to informal care increasing. However women play a central role in care-giving which may impact on their well-being more than other members of the family (St-Onge Lavoie, 1997). Although according to shah et al (2010) women have higher rates of depression than men in the care-giving role (Shah et al, 2010). However male carers tend to have more of a managerial style that allows them to distance themselves from the stressful situation to some degree by delegating tasks (Shah et al, 2010). Significantly (Mays Holden Lund, 1999) Interviewed 10 male caregivers and the findings, men expressed their means of coping by being realistic and action-oriented in response to their feelings. However the effect of care giving on children can be considered by the physical changes to normal growth, for example migraines, inflammation of the lining of the colon, and ulcers (Biegel et al, 2007) (Townsend et al, 2006). Tracy Martin, (2006) examined the effects of dual diagnosis via cross-sectional survey design which examined the types of support provided by minor children and the differences in support perceived by the child versus the support perceived by the adult. The findings that the role of children is often ignored or neglected, the effects are referred to as a role reversal parental child or parentification thus resulting in negative developmental outcomes for the child, although a weakness with this study is the support perceived by the child is not the views of the children but by the mothers reporting on both, these findings represent a design bias (Tracy Martin, 2006). Significantly Rupert et al (2012) aim to identify the issues when engaging children whose parents have a dual diagnosis explored the perspectives of 12 children via semi-structured interviews. A strength with this study is that the authors were able to elicit the sensitive data ethically by gathering information about secrecy issues around their parents substance abuse and remaining loyal to their parents, children experience negative times spent with their parents, with family arguments and the knowledge of when the parent abuses substances these findings represent the need to acknowledge childrens perspectives as associated clients (Reuper et al, 2012). The authors acknowledge that the study does not recognise the other family members within the household that could provide an exploratory view of their perspective. Although the effect of care giving on siblings is lacking, Sin et al (2012) studied the phenomena of understanding the experiences of siblings of individuals with first episode psychosis. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 31 sibling participants researched that they had somehow lost their brother or sister as his or her character had changed since the onset of their diagnosis (Sin et al, 2012) Younger siblings were much more likely to cope by withdrawing and not getting involved, they often reported that they were not made aware of information and resources available to help with the situation and were also less likely to want to know about the illness (Sin et al, 2012). Strength of this study is the qualitative exploratory semi-structured interviews, and the themes that emerged although this study does not address the issues of substance abuse or the quality of life of the other family members. The gap in the literature is that quality of life does not consider the affects of mental health and substance abuse on the family. This paper has not been able to locate any studies that consider the qualitative exploratory lived perspectives of all family members living with the dually diagnosed, and the impact on their quality of life, therefore due to the lack of research on families living with the dually diagnosed this research seeks to explore their perspectives. To conclude Health professionals should focus on the familys environmental context, and their perceptions of their relative with mental illness, thus by assuming that each family is different, clinicians should evaluate how family dynamics can affect the families quality of life and how theses interactions impact in their plan of care (Walton-Moss et al, 2005). However, numerous studies have looked at the effects of family involvement on the outcomes of the dually diagnosed, current literatures are lacking on the quality of life of family members, and does not consider the effects of mental health and substance abuse on the family, this provided the focus for the present research. The relevance to occupational therapy The relevance to occupational therapy services is to lessen the burden on the carers so that they can continue in their caring role, being fully informed of diagnosis, relapse triggers, substance abuse, and the available services so that they can continue their caring role. Statement of aims To explore the perspectives of carers of clients with dual diagnosis To explore the perspectives of the carers regarding substance misuse To find out how carers cope, living with someone with dual diagnosis, what are their biggest challenges? Research question proposed to be investigated To explore the lived experiences of a family that lives with the dually diagnosed client. Chapter 3: Methodology Description and justification of research Design A qualitative semi-structured interview which utilises open ended questions, has been chosen because these methods lend themselves to exploring the familys perspective and meanings of living with the dually diagnosed, this will permit individual members of the family narrative to be acknowledged. Moreover the researcher will ask questions in similar ways to all participants, which will attempt to maximise the confidence in the research reliability and validity (Hicks, 2009). This method will attempt to understand a complex novel phenomenon, whereby the researcher needs to understand that the concepts and variables that emerge may be different from the aims, sought by the study (Pope Mays, 2006). In contrast focus groups were not chosen due to the consensus of a group of people rather than the individual perspectives from the family (Pope Mays, 2006). The research will be conducted in the participants home, due to purposive sampling methods in which sites are selected on the basis that they are typical of the phenomenon being investigated (Pope Mays, 2006: 115). This will attempt to justify the rationale for the research taking place in the home in environment (Pope Mays, 2006). Moreover purposeful sampling techniques will be used to obtain participants whereby the researcher identifies specific people to take part (Hicks, 2004). However an aspect which illustrates rigour can be identified through member checking, whereby cross-checking findings with participants, can help to refine explanations, and aims to reduce subjectivity in processing of data analysis (Pope Mays, 2006). Therefore Living with dual diagnosis through the families eyes, can be addressed by using semi-structured interviews whereby rigor can be associated with this type of approach, due to data collected from as many appropriate sources to provide in-depth information (Pope Mays, 2006). Indication and justification of required number of Participants The participants will be family members of the dually diagnosed client, that attend a community mental health daycentre. However this study acknowledges the stigma attached to mental health services, as recent studies have shown that public education campaigns on mental illness and the integration have done little to alter the stigma associated with mental health (Schulze Angermeyer, 2003). Conversely the recruitment of participants may rely upon their visit to the day centre or if not appropriate for them then the dually diagnosed participation at the centre and the passing on of the flyer or information about the study, requiring no attendance at the day centre is necessary, due to the research being conducted in the participants family home. However It is argued by Crouch McKenzie (2006) that for in-depth qualitative studies small numbers of cases facilitates the researchers association with the participants, and enhances the validity therefore a maximum of 20 participants in total will be recruited to allow sufficient time to analyse the collected data (Crouch McKenzie, 2006). However snowballing sampling, was not the chosen method of recruitment because recruited participants in the study, would refer and reccommend future participants (Patton, 2002). Organisation of access to and recruitment of possible participants Participants for this study will be obtained through voluntary participation advertised via flyers and posters at a community mental health daycentre (Appendix 7), the flyers will provide instructions for participants to contact the researcher, the purpose of the study; requirements to be a volunteer, and the time commitment of the volunteers will be listed on the flyer, once families (maximum total of 20 people) are recruited for the study, the researcher will remove the flyers and posters. When volunteers respond, a telephone screening interview, approximately 5 minutes per person, will be conducted to determine if the individual family members meet the inclusion criteria. Families that respond and meet the inclusion criteria will be consented and assented (if appropriate) and recruited to participate in the study. The researcher will speak with the families, and communicate with each family member to set up a meeting time and place that is convenient for all members (Pope Mays, 2006). Inclusion/exclusion criteria of participants The validation for the inclusion and exclusion criteria relies on the family homogeneity that they are composed of being related and living together, therefore similar participants may enable a more in-depth enquiry into their shared and distinctive experiences (Hicks, 2004) The inclusion criteria eligibility: a) Family member is living with the person diagnosed with dual diagnosis. b) Family member is capable of engaging in verbal communication pertaining to semi-structured interviews. c) Family member is above 16 d) A family consisting of two or more members (max 4) not including the dually diagnosed client. e) English speaking and capacity to reflect participate. The exclusion criteria: a) Family member is below the age of 16. b) The diagnosed family member with dual diagnosis. c) No mental disorders or substance misuse disorders. d) Non-English speaking or with a cognitive deficit disorder. The semi-structured interviews may discuss topics or issues which are sensitive to the participants, these difficulties can be averted by a procedure of gaining on-going consent and assent for the 16-18 year olds (appendix 2) (Wiles et al, 2007). If distress occurs then the researcher can either stop the activity or will move on to the next area. It will be made clear to participants that they can decline to answer any particular questions or discuss topics that they feel uncomfortable with and can leave the research at any time, additional support and information will be available (Wiles et al, 2007). Indication of Ethical issue relevant to the proposal The researcher should at all times respect the autonomy of the individual by allowing the participant the freedom from control or influence of the study. Additionally the researcher has a duty to uphold beneficence which is the obligation to maximise benefits and minimise harm (Domholdt, 2000). Justice should be maintained throughout which is the obligation to treat each person in accordance with what is morally right and proper, therefore informed consent and ascent will be obtained via the Participant Information Sheet (approximately 30 min) (Appendix 1). Once the inclusion criteria has been met and each of the participants agree to join the study, a meeting time and place for informed consent, form review and data collection can be scheduled. The researcher will review (1) the purpose of the study, (2) an explanation of the procedures including the interviews, and the interview process, (3) an explanation of possible benefits and/or risks or discomforts (4) Consent to audiotape semi-structured interview (amended consent form), and an explanation of the subjects rights and confidentiality, the subjects will be asked to repeat their understanding of the study and procedures in their own words. Once full understanding has been demonstrated of the purpose and procedures of the study, the researcher will ask the participants to sign the consent form. Research approval General approval to be sought from Brunel University Research Ethics committees. Ethical approval for the research study is to be obtained from Brunel University, additional permission to be sought from the community mental health day centre (gatekeepers) to recruit participants via flyers and posters (Brunel University West London, 2010). Discussion of ethical considerations related to participation and consent Due to possibility of participants being aged from 16-18 assent will be required which is a term for participants too young to give informed consent but who are old enough to understand the proposed research, including the expected risks and possible benefits, and the activities expected of them as subjects. Assent by itself is not adequate, however. If assent is given, informed consent must still be obtained from the subjects parents or guardian (Domholdt, 2000). Ethical issues will arise throughout the research process, from initial planning to writing up and data analysis, due to interviews concerning private experience (Kvale, 2007). The researchers will respect the privacy of the participants by making it clear to them that they are free to decide what information they wish to share with the researcher and that they should feel under no pressure or obligation to discuss matters that they do not wish too. Data regarding the patient, family or the community, which will have the potential to identify them, will be omitted, Indication of any risks and benefits to participants and/or researcher The possible risk to the participant is the discussion of sensitive issues, due to the nature of the research and the psychological aspect of discussing experiences. If distress occurs then the researcher can either stop the activity or will move on to the next area. It will be made clear to participants that they can decline to answer particular questions or discuss particular topics (Wiles et al, 2007). Moreover the non-therapeutic approach, whilst designed to advance knowledge and therefore be of collective benefit, it is not expected to give a direct benefit to the research subject (Wiles, Crow, Charles, Heath, 2007). The risk to the researcher is conducting the study in the participants home, the researcher will have to abide by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust lone worker policy (Suzy Lamplugh Trust, 2012) (appendix 4 ) therefore a full risk assessment will need to be completed. Additionally the researcher will indemnifying against risk, to either the researcher or to participants, by taking out insurance for a period of time limited to the research process. Consideration of issues of confidentiality and data security In order to protect confidentiality, the researcher will identify the subjects for this study by the role that the participants fulfil in the family for example mother, son or daughter. Once all data is collected and analysed the interviews will be transcribed, and the audio tapes will be stored in a locked, secure location until the study is completed, after completion, the primary data will be destroyed and all other data will be destroyed and discarded according to data protocol up to two years (Brunel University West London, 2010). Materials or equipment The interviewer is the instrument in this type of evaluation; the instrument can be affected by factors like fatigue, personality, and knowledge, as well as levels of skill, training, and experience. According to (McNamara, 2009), the strength of the general interview guide approach is the ability of the researcher to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee. The equipment required to analyse the data is software for qualitative data analysis which is ATLAS.ti 7, as a tool for enhancing rigour this software is available at Brunel University (Atlas.ti Qualitative Data Analysis, 2012). The training implications required is a one hour training session. Additionally an audio tape recorder is required for the semi-structured interview; a limitation is that the interviewees may be unable to put their thoughts into words and difficulties of analysing data from semi-structured interviews (Atlas.ti Qualitative Data Analysis, 2012). Comprehensive description of Procedures The study will consist of 45 weeks part-time work (appendix 9) the research will be advertised through flyers and posters at the mental health day centre after seeking approval from the day centre (gatekeepers), The recruitment drive will be for two months via dually diagnosed participation at mental health day centre which the researchers have no affiliation too

Essay --

Nick Sorantino Mrs.Micale Fairy Tale Research Paper January 17th, 2014 Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty is a literary folk tale written by Italian poet Giambattista Basile. In Italy during the seventeenth century, a husband, regardless of his status in life, was expected to be the superior head of the household and show appreciation to his wife and child. A wife was expected to adhere to her husband, and the children were expected to be respectful and heed to their parents. Women were also wonted to be culpable for the family’s health and make home remedies for a wide variety of ailments. Defined, weakness is the likelihood of mutual gratification, and gullibility, the art of being over-trusting, are noted traits of women of medieval literature. Masculine presences are bourgeois and universal throughout literature, through the thought that they are essential to the female figure, despite women who stride against this belief. Male dominance has maintained its position throughout history, as portrayed in the original and modern form of Sleeping Beauty. In the original Sleeping Beauty there once lived a great lord who birthed a child by the name of Talia. Due to Talia’s horoscope, a splinter of flax was significantly dangerous to her wellbeing. Thus, her farther forbid her from coming in contact with a flax, hemp, or any related fabric (Basile 1). One day Talia saw a woman spinning flax and she became curious. Talia took the distaff from the woman, and unintentionally ran a splinter of flax under her nail, causing her to instantly fall dead. Upon mourning, her father laid her corpse in his country mansion, and abandoned it, vowing to never return to the treacherous sight of his beloved daughter, deceased (Basile 2). One day, a renow... ...(Yarrowplace 2). According to many feminists, their theory is said to focus on a expansive picture for women who live in a society which is prominently prevailed by men. Rape and sexual assault is viewed as one of the ways men in which achieve dominance over other men, women, and children, through potent actions. This evidently dismisses the concept that rape results from sexual attraction or the behavior and or fashion of the victim/survivor (Yarrowplace 2). When looking at human society, it is noted that men possess the most high ranking positions in political, social, religious, economic and military organizations globally. The dominance of men sequentially contributes to more fatherly societies in which the men develop the decrees and laws. The laws and decrees are indeed structured in methods that justify the status quo and thus the prevalent positions of men.

Flaws in the Efficient Market Theory :: Economy

Flaws in the Efficient Market Theory According to the Efficient Market Theory, it should be extremely difficult for an investor to develop a "system" that consistently selects stocks that exhibit higher than normal returns over a period of time. It should also not be possible for a company to "cook the books" to misrepresent the value of stocks and bonds. An analysis of current literature, however, indicates that companies can and do "beat the system" and manipulate information to make stocks appear to perform above average. An understanding of the underlying inefficient "human" factors in the market equation is necessary in order to account for the flaw in Efficient Market Theory. Efficient Market Theory: A Contradiction of Terms Efficient Market Theory (EMT) is based on the premise that, given the efficiency of information technology and market dynamics, the value of the normal investment stock at any given time accurately reflects the real value of that stock. The price for a stock reflects its actual underlying value, financial managers cannot time stock and bond sales to take advantage of "insider" information, sales of stocks and bonds will not depress prices, and companies cannot "cook the books" to artificially manipulate stock and bond prices. However, information technology and market dynamics are based upon the workings of ordinary people and diverse organizations, neither of which are arguably efficient nor consistent. Therefore, we have the basic contradiction of EMT: How can a theory based on objective mechanical efficiency hold up when applied to subjective human inefficiency? As a case in point, America Online (AOL) offers a classic example of how investors can be misled by a company that uses the market system against itself. AOL, up until early November of this year, used an accounting system that effectively "cooked their books" and provided misleading figures on the company's performance. Instead of accounting for its promotion expenses and costs as a regular expense, as normal companies do, AOL spread them over two years. This let AOL report annual profits based on revenue figures derived from denying actual expenses (as cited in Newsweek, November 11 edition). By deferring those costs, AOL over the years reported profits $385 million greater than they would otherwise have been. The company then used these non-existent profits to promote itself as a money-making opportunity for both stockholders and potential investors, artificially increasing its stock prices. This accounting practice is perfectly legal, but the information was kept private for over two years. The company has recently announced that, effective immediately, promotion expenses will be charged to earnings as the expenses are incurred, the way a normal company does. AOL will also take a one-time special charge of $385 million for the

Among the Impostors :: essays research papers

I have just read the book titled Among the Impostors. The author of this book is Margaret Peterson Haddix. This book is a sequel to Among the Hidden. In Among the Hidden, a boy named Luke is hiding from the world because he is an illegal third child. He shouldn’t exist because the government limited the amount of children to each family to two because of the decreasing amounts of food. Luke gets sick of hiding and wants to make a difference, so he gets a fake I.D. with the help of a neighbor and goes to a boarding school. Among the Impostors continues on with Luke’s life in the boarding school, and shows that no matter how people act, they can be very different on the inside. At the boarding school, there is a boy named Jason who gives Luke a very hard time. He has him do push-ups and a bunch of other pointless tasks just in order to get into his bed. Luke is getting sick of it, and one day, he notices that a door is open in the school. It shows the outdoors, and Luke knows that’s his only chance of escaping the wretched school. Once he gets outside, he notices that it’s surrounded by a huge forest that stretches for miles. He ventures outside and makes himself a pitiful garden, but he feels good about it anyway. That was the only thing that kept him there. Then one day he went outside and found that his garden was ruined by people who had stomped all over it. Luke cooks up a plan to bust the people that ruined his garden. He sneaks out during the night and waits for the people to arrive outside. He finds that one of them is Jason. As he eavesdrops on their conversation, he finds out that they’re all third children too. Once I finished this book, I felt irritated that Luke chose to stay at the school even though he was told he could leave by a trusted neighbor and life-saver (p. 169). He wanted to stay at the school to help all of the third children there live their life without fear of being discovered. I don’t see how he could help the world like he dreamed by having every boy in the school contribute to the garden out back (p. 172). I think he would have done better if he had accepted the offer to go to a real and good school instead of staying at the boarding school with a bunch of low-social boys that would give Luke a bad influence.

The Relationships Between Zoning And Land Use Environmental Sciences Essay

This chapter of the thesis introduces and defines the capable subjects of zoning and rezoning which embody the chief subjects of this thesis. This gap chapter highlights the importance of land as an plus category and the fiscal jussive moods involved in its zoning. There is besides a elaborate treatment of the principle for districting, the different types of zoning and some of the unfavorable judgments of conventional zoning. This chapter concludes by foregrounding the chief practical benefits of the research. Land is arguably the universe ‘s most important plus category. For centuries land represented the lone true wealth of people: the Crown, aristocracy and the landed aristocracy all derived their near-plenary power from land ownership, from what they could seed, harvest, pull out and tackle. There were besides the primary assets of farm animal, cultivated harvests, helot and soldiers, all necessitating land handiness, in its assorted productive signifiers. Landed estates have generated through their siting, signifier, size and capacity to bring forth, provender and house, matchless income and power for their proprietors. Thus the long-established economic capacity of land to bring forth wealth and power is non merely historic, it is logical. For centuries, belongings represented the lone means of production in lands and districts and settlements for the oligarchic elite who owned the established and conquered kingdoms and all upon them. Peoples were born on the land, worked on the land, grew up on the land and died on the land but did non of all time acquire to have any portion of the plus. It was non until the late 1700 ‘s that land became a tradeable trade good in Britain, Europe and the settlements and slightly accessible to ordinary citizens. It was arguably the commercialization of the steam engine and the coming of the railroad that began to interrupt the inextricable bond between work and belongings. As mills, located off from the traditional estates, began to bring forth goods and satisfy demand distally of the land, so excessively did workers hold to go to work for the first clip. The provincials could now gain an income independent of their locational scene and with the inevitable development of towns and metropoliss came further landuse alteration and new urban wealth. New colony forms of the workers were inevitable for the moving ridges of rural inhabitants who had come to shack nearer their employment in new anthropocentric scenes at the outskirts of burgeoning towns and metropoliss. At the base of all wealth, whether industrial, feudal, imperial or colonial nevertheless, remained the primary touchable ingredient: the land itself. Not surprisingly, this remains the instance today. For illustration, a statistically important proportion of Australia ‘s top BRW 200 richest people in 2009 for case, had acquired or significantly deepened their wealth through property-related activities. Property is cardinal, exceeding the list of the richest Aussies by industry, doing up 61 of the BRW Rich 200 ( BRW Rich 200, 2009, p. 23 ) . If excavation, retail and rural activities are included in the land-related equation, so the significance of land as a colossal wealth generator is accentuated even further. These four land-related sectors, if combined, do up a astonishing 57 % of Australia ‘s wealthiest persons ( BRW Rich 200, 2009, p. 23 ) . Indeed, most of the shred bargainers, media barons, engineering moguls, retail and fabricating barons on that list, all have si gnificant personal belongings involvements, that are seldom held passively ; this surely includes three of the top 10 richest work forces in Australia in that twelvemonth ( BRW Rich 2000, 2009, p. 83 ) .1.1 – Research QuestionAlthough belongings in most western states, particularly Australia, remains as the individual most of import plus category and trade good, the intrigues of its categorization and zoning and rezoning, continue to be extraordinarily convoluted. Land ‘s ability to appreciate or lose value, through districting alteration, is even more complex and ill understood. There presently exists no substantial research in Australia that shows how the rezoning of land affects its value. This is surprising sing that the value alteration due to zoning, is often shown to be such a big and important multiplier of its original land value. The overall consequence of rezoning land on profitableness is by and large really significant. Zoning manifestations such as heritag e sheathings are besides covered in this thesis and are yet another manner in which districting interacts with land value. Similarly, no research has of all time been officially conducted in this country in Australia utilizing market transactional informations. Consequently, this thesis looks at the consequence of rezoning on land value.1.2 – Purposes and Aims of the ThesisThe primary raison d'etre of this thesis is to research the complex relationship that exists between the triumvirate of land, districting and value – particularly as connected with a alteration in land usage. It is therefore premised herein, that as zoning alterations for a given package of land from one appellation to another, that this is accompanied by a commensurate accommodation of its market value. This value alteration is observed to happen despite the fact that the land remains unchanged physically, locationally and topographically. Could value be created and destroyed by a simple shot of a p en allowing a alteration in landuse? It does so. This treatise, in making its decisions, reviews over 160 academic documents and 30 books associating to land and its history, usage, districting, value, economic sciences, commoditisation and tradability. Through documented illustrations and informations derived from existent rezonings, the thesis formulates an empirical measuring quantifying the value alteration due to districting. The research and the illustrations used herein are all based in New South Wales, Australia, using existent market informations and minutess to contend a theory of how zoning alteration creates and destroys value for landed belongings. The documented existent illustrations of land packages used, are all 1s that have undergone an existent zoning alteration, or an effectual alteration due to a formalised Development Approval or Major Project blessing. They besides traverse a figure of different zones including Rural, Special Use, Retirement, Bulky Goods, Indu strial and Residential, comparing their market value before and after the zoning alteration. Using existent market informations, an empirical expression is derived to imply the mechanism for value alteration of land in New South Wales. This potentially has direct pertinence to other Australian provinces and other states, where Euclidean or segregation zoning is used as a agency of landuse control. Therefore this thesis reviews, in kernel, the effects of be aftering ordinance on land monetary value as measured through existent illustrations. It so establishes an empirical theoretical account to explicate both the mechanism and quantum of value alteration in land value as measured by gross revenues informations. This is taken to be an accurate step of value, viz. the monetary value at which a willing purchaser and a willing marketer have really exchanged in an unfastened market procedure. Where a dealing was non really effected, ratings, as booked in formal records and highest offers that indicate market demand, are used to bespeak value. Using over 500 existent gross revenues, the Heritage Conservation Area research analyses the norm annualised unadjusted capital addition of degage homes inside two separate HCAs and compares these with belongingss outside the two Heritage Conservation Areas ( â€Å" HCA † ) viz. : North Randwick and West Kensington, both located in Sydney ‘s eastern suburbs. The research paperss the mean capital addition over a 35 twelvemonth period, comparing belongingss inside and outside both HCAs. The consequences are both numerically and diagrammatically tabulated, pulling unequivocal decisions on the consequence of each HCA on place monetary values and land values over clip. It besides presents original research on how Heritage Conservation, an extension of zoning, affects the capital values of houses over clip. It besides presents original research on how Heritage Conservation, an extension of zoning, affects the capital values of houses over clip.1.3 – Rationale for Zoning and Landuse SegregationAs presently practised in Australia, districting by its intrinsic nature, bounds land, both as to its usage and the strength of that usage. Individual province planning systems all treat districting in their regulative governments a small otherwise but the statutory purpose is ever the same: making better agreeableness through the segregation of land utilizations. In the province of Victoria for case, landuse zones are combined with planning sheathings to account for the multiplicity of factors that impact on desirable urban results in different locations. Revell found that zoning, at its most basic beginning, derived its legitimacy from its association with the traditional police-power ends of slaking disease and forestalling fires. Even though none of those involved in the zoning procedure itself, of all time truly believed that they were make up one's minding planning and districting issues on the footing of public wellness standards. However, the link between public agreeableness and the knowing segregation of land utilizations, was ever inextricably linked ( 1999, p. 136 ) . As is readily discernible today, landuse ordinances typically specify, for each defined zone, those activities that are permitted as a affair of right, every bit good as those which are â€Å" forbidden † under the zone. If listed as a permitted usage, the landholder may merely prosecute in this usage with a Development Approval, normally issued by a local authorization. By and large, any usage non listed as â€Å" permitted † , is â€Å" forbidden † . An regulation may besides specifically forbid a peculiar usage in a territory to avoid a determination that this usage may be similar to a permitted usage in the territory. Skosey ( 2006 ) points out that since the Euclid V Ambler determination in 1926, about every major metropolis in both the USA and Australia, has adopted a zoning codification. Such zones regulate landuse – including the type of permitted utilizations, figure of tonss and size and siting of constructions, – and are now omnipresent in Australia and widely accepted as the chief regulation mechanism. In kernel, such zoning dictates where people live, store, recreate and work. It controls the expression, size and type of lodging and the location of schools, churches and retail shops. Zoning may besides be used to qualify the saving of natural, scenic or environmental scenes, directing infill forms and mixed-use development to specific locations, and supply for extra public community assets. These, harmonizing to many, are all legitimate grounds warranting the acceptance of landuse zoning in metropoliss and towns ( Metropolitan Planning Council Website, 2006 ) . It is just to state besides that many metropolis planning innovators, such as Chicago architect Daniel Burnham and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who at around 1910, both sought safety in the power of mandatory acquisition or eminent sphere, to make elegant avenues, Parkss, and civic edifices. It was a needed as these work forces felt, that they had to destruct before they could construct. They had to be image breakers first and metropolis shapers second. So excessively had Baron Haussmann in the late 19th century, when asked to reorder Paris by Emperor Napoleon III. He required the Emperor ‘s power of intercession and unquestionable acquisition, in order to reconstruct and showcase Paris ‘ manicured civic beauty. So it is barely surprising possibly that districting won such widespread and immediate support from the populace and their local authorities representatives. By 1926, the twelvemonth of the Euclid determination, all but five of the US provinces had passed districting enabling Acts of the Apostless. By default, districting took on its present map as a templet for the creative activity of new urban territories. The intent of such zoning was to brace bing countries to guarantee that they did non alter excessively quickly over clip. For many other critics nevertheless, such Draconian ordinance of the built-form was unwanted, due to its inability to bring forth assorted utilizations and varied streetscapes but Crecine et Al. ( 1967 ) were non of this position. They found that sole, unintegrated zones in municipalities, categorised harmonizing to utilize or tallness, were non excessively restrictive and could easy be adapted to do proviso for the adjustment of nonconforming constructions and utilizations ( p. 80 ) . Harmonizing to Ross, most land utilizations in the urban belongings market, exercise some harmful â€Å" spillover effects † on bordering packages. This often so makes the value of one package dependant upon the usage made of neighbouring packages. ( 1972, p. 336 ) . Euclidian zoning is surely preferred by many municipalities in NSW because of its comparative efficaciousness, easiness of execution ( holding one set of explicit, normative regulations applied across each zone ) , long-established legal case in point, and acquaintance to contrivers, designers and city-planning professionals. Euclidian zoning has besides received colossal unfavorable judgment, nevertheless, for its deficiency of flexibleness and institutionalisation of out-of-date planning theory. This unfavorable judgment is likely true but, whether undeserved or accurate, hard to measure, given the figure of legal powers that have both used and go on to utilize Euclidian districting as their zoning method of pick. There is possibly sensible unanimity of position, in the literature examined herein, that laissez-faire, uncoordinated development would ensue in unacceptable civic results with hapless agreeableness as the inevitable consequence. Therefore some signifier of public control becomes necessary, even compulsory. This extends to the demand for the control of urban development in metropoliss and the great fright of continued conurbation which can destruct good farming area, exacerbate traffic gridlock and stretch metropoliss outwards uneconomically and unsustainably. There is non the same grade of understanding nevertheless that districting alterations through intensification of landuse, are the best manner of advancing desirable infill development or detering the rapacious take-up of â€Å" greenfield † countries by spread outing metropoliss. Traditional zoning is universally acknowledged though, as a sensible vehicle for directing new occupations and lodging to certain countries, particularly to â€Å" brownfield † locations that have bing substructure to back up them. Many do besides see districting as an efficient tool in directing the form of new development to the countries of a metropolis that most necessitate it and off from parts least able to suit certain utilizations. To its many advocators, Euclidean Zoning is the tool best-suited for promoting greater denseness and greater diverseness in our turning metropoliss.The most cardinal inquiry originating from the districting argument nevertheless, remains the efficaciousness of districting in making its stated public agreeableness aims. Are these easy to mensurate? Is districting an ideal landuse mechanism as some claim or merely another contrived statutory tool obsessed with segregation instead than civic results? The simple reply is that districting surely is n't ideal and has perceptibly created a battalion of unintended urban effects such as homogeneousness, conurbation and auto dependance. Given its ubiquitousness and pervasiveness of usage in Australian metropoliss nevertheless, it would be just to presume that it is likely here to remain and that future landuse systems would likely be fluctuations instead than entire goings from the current segregational theoretical account.1.4 – Zoning Definitions1.41 – Dictionary DefinitionsHarmonizing to The Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia, zoning is defined as the â€Å" legislative method of commanding land usage by modulating considerations such as the type of edifices that may be erected and population denseness † . Britannica credits the German and Swedish metropoliss with the first applied districting ordinance in the late nineteenth century, instituted to turn to urban congestion in their metropoliss. Zoning regulations in the US came into force at the beginning of the twentieth century, motivated by the demand to modulate the location of commercial and industrial activities. This was in 1916 when New York City adopted the first comprehensive districting regulation, in an effort to protect agreeableness, viz. light and air, every bit good as preserve belongings values. Zoning today is frequently used to keep the character of a town and guard against inauspicious outwardnesss. The much- quoted Australian Macquarie Dictionary, defines a zone as â€Å" an country or stretch of land holding a peculiar feature, intent, or usage or capable to peculiar limitations † . The Macquarie Dictionary elucidates that districting consists of â€Å" spliting an country into zones or subdivisions reserved for different intents such as abode and concern and fabrication † . It defines districting as â€Å" a method by which physical planning regulates land usage in the public involvement, affecting the allotment of land for primary intents, such as residential, industrial † , in a program for future development, ensuing in the segregation of land utilizations. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a zone as â€Å" an country holding peculiar features or a peculiar usage † .1.42 – Academic DefinitionsIt is of paramount importance in a zoning-related thesis such as this one, to specify districting exactly and to understand its map, types and word pictures every bit good as the mechanisms and effects of such landuse mechanisms. There is a multiplicity of districting types practised around the universe but the prevailing type used in Australia is segregational districting or Euclidian Zoning. There are several definitions proffered below. Harmonizing to Richardson et al. , â€Å" zoning is the division of a metropolis or town by legislative ordinance into territories and the prescription and application in each territory of ordinances holding to make with structural and architectural designs of edifices and of ordinances ordering usage to which edifices within designated territories may be put † ( 2002, p. 3 ) . Richardson et Al. believe that districting controls, as we know them, began â€Å" when New York City enacted the first comprehensive districting regulation in the United States in 1916, the regulation classified utilizations and created mapped zones for all utilizations with commissariats for tallness, country and reverse controls † ( 2002, p.3 ) . Sibley ( 1995 ) argued that districting controls were an â€Å" enframement of mundane life with introduced sociospatial boundaries of exclusion and inclusion, codified in jurisprudence † ( Glesson & A ; Low, 2000, p. 107 )1.43 – Council DefinitionsAuckland City Council ( 2004 ) gives an even clearer definition of districting. The Auckland City Council study defines districting as â€Å" the basic technique for the control of land usage in the District Plan, which groups together countries of similar character † ( p.1 ) . Therefore zoning, harmonizing to Auckland Council, besides â€Å" recognises the present twenty-four hours form of activities and allows for a scope of future development chances, in maintaining with the agreeableness and features of the country † ( 2004, p. 1 ) . Zoning, harmonizing to Skosey ( 2006 ) , can be loosely defined as the authorization of authorities to implement land utilizations and to command reinforced signifier at specific locations ( Metropolitan Planning Council Website, 2006 ) . Therefore, there seems to be sensible unanimity of position on the definition of zoning and what is understood by and large by the definitional pattern of districting in Australia and the western hemisphere. It is besides good established, through the above definitions, that traditional districting involves a segregation of land utilizations such as residential, commercial and industrial, in order to guard each from harmful outwardnesss.1.5 – Rezoning and Spot Rezoning DefinedRezoning is a term applied to the procedure whereby a package of land alterations its landuse appellation or zoning. This, in bend, changes its allowable and forbidden utilizations every bit good as its denseness, height bounds and finally its value. In the province of New South Wales, a rezoning would ask an amendment to a statutory instrument, normally a Local Environmental Plan or LEP. The other manner of normally altering the ability of land to hold new utilizations, is by ministerial decree through P art 3 ( A ) of the Act, where the Minister deems a undertaking of â€Å" province or regional planning significance † . This procedure does non alter the zoning per se but does so in consequence by leting the major undertaking on the land where normally such utilizations would be entirely prohibited. In due class, it is common for the local authorization to so amend the districting appellation in their following comprehensive LEP planning reappraisal to fit what is being practiced in world. Therefore all amendments to districting regulations are normally called â€Å" rezonings † . Rezonings that apply to specific packages or certain tonss should be distinguished from comprehensive rezonings that are sporadically performed by local authorities organic structures, although the statutory procedure is about indistinguishable. Comprehensive rezonings typically involve a entry to the State of the full municipality and a reworking of the full zoning regulation, instead than certification for one or more specific sites. The term â€Å" Spot Rezoning † is possibly the most used and least understood term in districting idiom. A â€Å" Topographic point Rezoning † is defined as the singling out of one package or â€Å" topographic point † , for a different intervention from that accorded to similar environing land utilizations. Spot rezonings have become more common in NSW in the past 10 old ages. They by and large arise where a specific land package has clearly outlived its original usage and or there is a compelling ground to impact landuse alteration that can non expect the longer-term statutory local authorities processes. This might typically be a landfill site that has wholly filled or a big industrial clayware, ensconced in a residential scene or rural land that has first-class employment certificates. There are strong precautions that operate besides, normally in the signifier of S117 Ministerial Directives. These include a directing to restrict the loss of employment land to other land utilizations such as residential. Besides, rural land must be deemed agriculturally unsuitable or non-productive, prior to it ‘s rezoning into other land utilizations. The development of districting as a legal tool for local authorities, created many other public benefits: existent estate groups could now hold statutory protection of belongings values ; neighbourhood associations dying to maintain out undesirables besides now possessed a canonic mechanism ; be aftering partisans eager to implement their thoughts ; municipal reformists ready to use expertness to the great urban jobs of metropoliss ; and local authorities functionaries interested in self publicity and increasing local power. For these grounds and because seting regulations into pattern required little public investing ( unlike other be aftering steps that required dearly-won compensation claims or mandatory acquisitions ) , districting became a pattern of pick across most of the USA and Australia in a really short period of clip. It besides created immediate seeable benefits without necessitating big fiscal spendings by local authorities. There is, of class, perfectly no duty or jussive mood for a planning authorization to continue with an amendment to consequence a rezoning at the petition of a landholder and therefore the issue of all rezonings is still extremely discretional and capable to the propensities and motives of local authorities. Exceptions are of class, those affairs that are considered of province significance or those of specific involvement to the planning curate. The rezoning procedure can therefore go extremely political for these really grounds, particularly for big undertakings that have ample perceived impacts and where intense local sentiment by community organizers and legal action designed to intimidate planning governments or appliers can take topographic point.1.6 – Need for Rezoning LandAn indispensable inquiry that must be asked in the class of this thesis is a cardinal 1: if districting creates such great stableness, is at that place a demand to continually undergo further rezoning ? The reply is really really simple. There is so. Our metropoliss are non inactive landscape portrayals in the NSW Art Gallery. They are dynamic living existences that are continuously altering and germinating with new demands and new demands with every twenty-four hours and month that base on balls. We besides all seem to populate otherwise and are all aging and populating longer. We have really different family constructions to merely fifty old ages ago. In merely the last 50 old ages we can see so many alterations to our populations and their life and working demands. Married adult females now work ; more work forces and adult females retire early. There is more need to animate and to age in topographic point. Affordability is at an all- clip depressions. Many more people have insouciant or parttime occupations or no occupations at all. Family size and construction is less atomic and unquestionably smaller. Employment and travel forms have besides all changed. All these are obliging grounds as to why a metropolis must continually accommodate to its citizens ‘ altering demands. Therefore ongoing demographic societal and technological alteration to the populations of metropoliss, have created an jussive mood for landuse alteration and rezoning in today ‘s ever-changing urban landscapes. There are a million and one grounds why rezoning in the modern context is so necessary.1.7 – Result of Thesis and Practical Benefits of the ResearchThere are many touchable practical benefits that may be derived from the research contained in this paper. These include the elucidation of the current landuse processes ; the value-benefits to landuse alteration and the response that rezoning allows to the ever-changing face of germinating metropoliss, including Sydney. There is besides an obvious benefit in decoding the value-change equation in economic, land and project-feasibility footings, which is presently undocumented and still excessively complex to underst and, in both zoning and set down economic footings. This research attempts to explicate the manner districting creates and destroys value as districting alteration occurs. This research should be of benefit to developers, land proprietors, place proprietors, municipal councils, the Valuer-general ‘s office, the province authorities, big belongings trusts every bit good as the Crown itself.1.80 – DecisionTherefore after puting out the clear historical significance of land as an plus category and its true significance to mundane life as a tradeable trade good and beginning of wealth to all land proprietors and place proprietors today, this thesis attempts to explicate the economic significance of districting alteration. The chief methodological analysiss of the empirical research used in this thesis, every bit good as the heritage preservation country research conducted, have all been explained in this chapter. The chief purpose of this thesis is to reexamine the effects of be aftering ordinance on land monetary values as measured through existent illustrations. This chapter has sought to explicate the importance of land as an plus category, every bit good as the altering demands of metropoliss, therefore making the demand for changeless alteration to a metropolis ‘s zones. In so making, it is hoped to further sketch the chief purpose of the research in the thesis, viz. the quantification of value alteration attributable to districting alteration with all of its manifestations including rezonings, major undertaking, development blessing and heritage preservation districting sheathings. This chapter has besides attempted to set up zoning ‘s definition in the context of this thesis, every bit good as that of a rezoning, a topographic point rezoning and the overarching principle for landuse ordinance under bing landuse theoretical accounts. The assorted types of districting have besides been defined and described in some item, including Euclidian Zoning, Performance Zoning, Incentive Zoning and others, in an effort to show the assorted options that are often discussed as feasible replacements to current Euclidian zoning patterns. This chapter has gone a small farther in summarizing some of the more pertinent unfavorable judgments of segregational zoning, as presently practiced in Australia and the United States. There has besides been a elaborate lineation given of the methodological analysiss of the empirical research used in this thesis, every bit good as that of the Heritage Conservation Area informations and its diagrammatic and statistically-tabulated analyses. As clearly outlined in this introductory note, this thesis will thoroughly reexamine the effects of be aftering ordinance on the monetary value of landed real property in New South Wales, as through empirical observation modelled, quantified and qualified through elaborate market transactional informations of illustrations that have undergone both an discernible zoning and value alterations.1.90 – Following Chapters 2 ( A ) and 2 ( B ) : The Literature ReviewNow that districting and rezoning have both been defined and districting as a pattern, in all of its signifiers, set out and defined, it would be pertinent, anterior to establishing into this districting thesis, to reexamine the prevalent literature on the topic of districting. To that terminal, the undermentioned chapter represents a comprehensive analysis and review of over 160 academic documents and 30 books, all associating to districting. The literature reviewed signifiers an built-in portion of the exercising of meas uring the prevailing positions which presently exist on this topic and several related subjects including planning, land economic sciences, history of land term of office, metropolis devising, value and others. It was so of import at this occasion, to capture as much information as possible, no affair how disparate, from as many broad beginnings as possible, to hold a proper apprehension of every bit much of the bing thought on the subject as possible. Due to the size of the literature reappraisal, it has been subdivided into two subdivisions Chapter 2 ( A ) and 2 ( B ) .