The World Bank and How It Shaped Public Policy In the Developing World Essay

The World Bank and How It Shaped Public Policy In the Developing World - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present the World Bank as an international financial institution whose avowed mandate is to support capitalist development in the third world by consciously steering developing countries towards international trade, liberalization and capital investment. Its World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development, signposts its shift to agriculture and rural development, primarily owing to â€Å"a greater recognition that improving agriculture performance is the most powerful tool we have available to reduce global poverty and hunger, both directly and indirectly†. By its own admission, its primary focus is market and investment oriented – â€Å"raising smallholder productivity, strengthening smallholder linkages with the markets, and helping better manage risks.†. Most relevant to this paper is its commitment to â€Å"develop a code of conduct for large scale foreign investment in agriculture to ensure equitable sharing of benefits.† The balance of power within the World Bank is historically overwhelmingly tilted in favor of the North. It was created during the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, where negotiations were dominated by the United States and the United Kingdom. Critics have constantly railed against the World Bank’s so-called poverty alleviating measures that have only resulted in driving third world economies deeper and deeper into debt. Its interventions in agriculture and rural development have been said to be no different.... its primary focus is market and investment oriented – â€Å"raising smallholder productivity, strengthening smallholder linkages with the markets, and helping better manage risks.† (ibid). Most relevant to this paper is its commitment to â€Å"develop a code of conduct for large scale foreign investment in agriculture to ensure equitable sharing of benefits.† (ibid). The balance of power within the World Bank is historically overwhelmingly tilted in favor of the North. It was created during the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, where negotiations were dominated by the United States and the United Kingdom. Critics have constantly railed against the World Bank’s so-called poverty alleviating measures that have only resulted in driving third world economies deeper and deeper into debt. Its interventions in agriculture and rural development have been said to be no different. In truth, however, the prescription package that is contained in these structural adju stment programs, particularly its explicit support for laissez-faire agrarian reform, have led to even deeper poverty and rural inequality. This is because land redistribution strategies that are not backed by coercive State power and only rely on the â€Å"efficiency of the market† are often hijacked by the elite and the dominant classes in the countryside. By its inordinate emphasis on land titling as the primary solution out of rural poverty, the World Bank has managed to reframe the land reform imperative in the developing world by obscuring core issues of systemic exploitation and social relations of production under the jargon of efficiency and equitable land markets. 1.2 Contextual Backdrop The global food crisis of 2007-2008, attended by a sudden and alarming spike in food prices and the skyrocketing costs of

How to write a thesis Essay Example for Free

How to write a thesis Essay While a thesis is often required by most universities as a final paper for students who desire to get their degrees, a thesis constitutes an objective proof of the authors’ understanding and capabilities in their chosen field of interest. Before undertaking any research study, it is important to pick a thesis topic that one is interested in. This topic may be taken from a personal or an established research. Since researchers have a time table in completing their papers, it is necessary to narrow the topic and to use sources that are recent and relevant. It is also beneficial to choose a topic that is focused, with enough sources of information, approved by the university or thesis adviser and a topic that will be beneficial to one’s career and will lead towards the completion of more researchers or books or in becoming an expert in the field (Childress, n. d; University of Ottawa, n. d. ). A thesis must consistently follow a format, e. g. American Psychological Association, Modern Language Association, Chicago, Turabian or Harvard for in-text and bibliography citation. Preliminary pages The introductory pages of a thesis usually includes a title page, an approval page, an acknowledgement page, a table of contents, a list of tables and figures and an abstract. A title is a concise statement of the topic, mentioning the major variables investigated. An abstract is a brief, accurate and comprehensive summary of the content, results, purpose as well as the implications of the study. It is written after the whole study has been finished (Kastens, et al, 2009). Introduction and Review of Related Literature The main purpose of the introduction is to show your answer to the questions, â€Å"What are you doing? †and â€Å"Why are you doing it? †. It also presents the background of the study to acquaint the reader of the problem to be dealt with as well as the significance of the research study. Literature on any topic may be found from several sources. Reviewing the past literature helps define the problem and provide an empirical basis for the hypotheses. It is important to cite only selected studies pertinent to the specific issue and emphasize major findings and methodological issues. There must be a logical continuity between previous studies and the study being undertaken. The statement of the problem, statement of hypotheses or objectives, definition of terms and scope and delimitations are part of the introduction. The problem must be clearly stated and written as a declarative statement or as a question, broken down into specific subproblems, usually written in the form of questions. The research hypotheses that will be tested or the specific objectives at which the research is aimed must be stated in terms of observable behaviour allowing objective evaluation of results. Hypotheses should be used wherever there is a basis for prediction and must be clear, concise predictions of expected outcomes and findings. In the definition of terms, the principal terms that are used will be listed and defined, particularly where the terms have different meanings to different people. The scope and delimitations includes explicit statements on the scope and delimitation of the study and will indicate what the study will include and will not include. Methodology In a research proposal, this section should tell the reader what the researcher intend to do and how it is going to be done. It should also inform the reader how the study was conducted in sufficient detail so that the reader can replicate the study or evaluate the appropriateness of the methods and the reliability of the results. This section also includes the research design used, use of and the process of constructing the research instruments, data gathering procedure, statistical designs used and the analysis undertaken as well as the group from which the sample is drawn, the method of sampling and the rationale for the sampling method. Results and Findings  This section should summarize the data collected, including the statistical treatment, if any. A general rule is to prepare the text in details so that the reader can comprehend the results by reading the text without consulting the tables or figures. The tables and figures should be prepared so that they can stand alone in describing the outcomes of the study. Discussion and Interpretation This is the most critical part of the research report and this section answers the questions, â€Å"So what? † in relation to the results of the study. â€Å"What do the results of the study mean? The researcher must carefully examine, summarize, interpret, justify the results and draw inferences. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations Wording of the summary and abstract should not be exactly the same. Summarize everything covered in the research paper. The conclusions provide the â€Å"so what† of the findings. The recommendations are practical suggestions for the implementation of findings or for additional research. References This should list all sources cited in the text. References must be carefully chosen and cited accurately. Use the appropriate format required by the university. Appendices  This is used when a description of certain materials would be distracting or inappropriate to the main body of the report. In deciding whether to include material in the Appendices, be guided by the criterion: â€Å"Will it be useful to the reader in understanding, evaluating, or replicating the study? † A thesis is a reflection of the writer’s mastery of the subject area. The research paper must be free from typographical and grammatical error and must follow the required structure. Repeated reading and revision and asking the supervisor to critique the thesis draft will ensure a well polished paper.

Why is Nancy such an important character in the novel Oliver Twist? :: English Literature

Why is Nancy such an important character in the novel Oliver Twist? There are many reasons Nancy’s character is such an important one in the novel. One of these reasons is that when you first see her you are told that she wears a lot of make up and that she has a great deal of hair and she is ‘not very tidy about her shoes and stockings’. At that time this was not a respectable way to dress for a young, respectable woman, so it gives you the idea that she is a prostitute .At this moment you think that she is just a low- life woman trying to make a living. Even though most people would recognise Nancy for what she is, Oliver does not and thinks of her as a nice lady. This tells you that Oliver is meant to be innocent and does not have a clue on what is going on around him. Slowly as the story starts to develop, you get the idea that Nancy has another, more caring, side to her. You find out about this side on page 142 where she says to Bill Sikes that he’ll have to go through her if he wants to attack Oliver with his dog, Bullseye. At this point she also says to Bill that she doesn’t care if he splits her head against the wall but she still won’t get out of his way. This tells you that she is caring and does not want Oliver to suffer. Nancy feels sorry for Oliver because she recognises his innocence and does not want him to get involved in the criminal underworld as she did. She is reminded of how she got involved in the criminal underworld at such a young age and does not want Oliver to waste his life as she did. When this happens the reader starts to feel a bit sorry for Nancy. Nancy also helps to develop the story. It could have ended when Oliver meets Mr.Brownlow but Nancy kidnaps him, allowing the story to progress. After kidnapping him, she tries to reunite Oliver with Rose Maylie so this also helps the plot. By this stage of the story, Nancy’s life is near its end so Charles Dickens begins to build up sympathy towards Nancy. He does this by writing up a cruel end to her life. It starts with the Jew, Fagin, employing Noah Claypole (whom Fagin knows as Bolter) to go and spy on Nancy. Throughout the story, Dickens uses the word ‘Jew’ when referring to Fagin. This tells you that the anti-Semitic nature of the British does

Conformity Essay

This change is in response to real (involving the physical presence of others) or imagined (involving the pressure of social norms / expectations) group pressure. Conformity can also be simply defined as â€Å"yielding to group pressures† (Crutchfield, 1955). Group pressure may take different forms, for example bullying, persuasion, teasing, criticism etc. Conformity is also known as majority influence (or group pressure). The term conformity is often used to indicate an agreement to the majority position, brought about either by a desire to ‘fit in’ or be liked (normative) or because of a desire to be correct (informational), or simply to conform to a social role (identification). There have been many experiments in psychology investigating conformity and group pressure. Jenness (1932) was the first psychologist to study conformity. His experiment was an ambiguous situation involving a glass bottle filled with beans. He asked participants individually to estimate how many beans the bottle contained. Jenness then put the group in a room with the bottle, and asked them to provide a group estimate through discussion. Participants were then asked to estimate the number on their own again to find whether their initial estimates had altered based on the influence of the majority. Jenness then interviewed the participants individually again, and asked if they would like to change their original estimates, or stay with the group’s estimate. Almost all changed their individual guesses to be closer to the group estimate. However, perhaps the most famous conformity experiment was by Solomon Asch (1951) and his line judgment experiment. Types of Social Conformity Man (1969) states that â€Å"the essence of conformity is yielding to group pressure†. He identified three types of conformity: Normative, informational and ingratiational. Kelman (1958) distinguished between three different types of conformity: Compliance, Internalization and identification. Normative ConformityInformational Conformity Yielding to group pressure because a person wants to fit in with the group. E.g. Asch Line Study. Conforming because the person is scared of being rejected by the group. This type of conformity usually involves compliance – where a person publicly accepts the views of a group but privately rejects them. This usually occurs when a person lacks knowledge and looks to the group for guidance. Or when a person is in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation and socially compares their behavior with the group. E.g. Sherif Study. This type of conformity usually involves internalization – where a person accepts the views of the groups and adopts them as an individual. ComplianceInternalization Publicly changing behavior to fit in with the group while privately disagreeing. In other words, conforming to the majority (publicly), in spite of not really agreeing with them (privately). This is seen in Asch’s line experiment. Publicly changing behavior to fit in with the group and also agreeing with them privately. This is seen in Sherif’s autokinetic experiment. Ingratiational ConformityIdentification Where a person conforms to impress or gain favor/acceptance from other people. It is similar to normative influence but is motivated by the need for social rewards rather than the threat of rejection, i.e., group pressure does not enter the decision to conform. Conforming to the expectations of a social role. Similar to compliance, there does not have to be a change in private opinion. A good example is Zimbardo’s Prison Study. Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect Experiment Aim: Sherif (1935) conducted an experiment with the aim of demonstrating that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation. Method: Sherif used a lab experiment to study conformity. He used the autokinetic effect – this is where a small spot of light (projected onto a screen) in a dark room will appear to move, even though it is still (i.e. it is a visual illusion). It was discovered that when participants were individually tested their estimates on how far the light moved varied considerably (e.g. from 20cm to 80cm). The participants were then tested in groups of three. Sherif manipulated the composition of the group by putting together two people whose estimate of the light movement when alone was very similar, and one person whose estimate was very different. Each person in the group had to say aloud how far they thought the light had moved. Results: Sherif found that over numerous estimates (trials) of the movement of light, the group converged to a common estimate. As the figure below shows: the person whose estimate of movement was greatly different to the other two in the group conformed to the view of the other two. Sherif said that this showed that people would always tend to conform. Rather than make individual judgments they tend to come to a group agreement. Conclusion: The results show that when in an ambiguous situation (such as the  autokinetic effect), a person will look to others (who know more / better) for guidance (i.e. adopt the group norm). They want to do the right thing but may lack the appropriate information. Observing others can provide this information. This is known as informational conformity. Non Conformity Not everyone conform to social pressure. Indeed, their are many factors that contribute to an individual’s desire to remain independent of the group. For example, Smith and Bond (1998) discovered cultural differences in conformity between western and eastern countries. People from western cultures (such as America and the UK) are more likely to be individualistic and don’t want to be seen as being the same as everyone else. This means that they value being independent and self sufficient (the individual is more important that the group), and as such are more likely to participate in non conformity. In contrast eastern cultures (such as Asian countries) are more likely to value the needs of the family and other social groups before their own. They are known as collectivist cultures and are more likely to conform.

Sop for Canada Student (Study Permit) Visa

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE I have always aspired to choose a career in a field that really stimulates me and holds a natural appeal to me. Today as I stand at the pathway of learning, I have with out hesitation chosen the field that excites me the most and draw the best of my abilities. The very quest to resolve the basic underlying principle of programming has been a source of tremendous inspiration and has promoted me to choose computers as my undergraduate and postgraduate. MY INTEREST:My inspiration to pursue a career in computer science was kindled by my high grades in Master of computer science and further due to my desire for challenging career. Computers was always been a compelling interest to me. Not only because of the depth of research that is possible in the fields, this being a developing field and I am aware that there is a large scope for improvement and vast exposure. I wish to pursue higher grades in my higher studies in this field. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:I was very fortu nate to have my foundation of my education in SBOA, where my aptitude for mathematics & science developed and was very keenly interested in these subjects. After completing my higher secondary schoolSBOAone of the leading colleges that produced excellent teaching staff & toppers. After completing my Intermediate educations I studied B. A from KARACHI UNIVERSITY (KARACHI). After B. A I completed MSC (database designing , software engineering and business process are my interesting subject ) from Preston university karachi.In 2006 I started my MS computer science (selected subjects data warehouse , database designing , software engineering and business process reengineering) from SVCE my thesis on business intelligence in education sector. During the few years of my studies, I was exposed to fundamental aspects and potentials of my Software engineering. Which helped me gain a firm grasp of fundamentals as well as developed a special liking for the Computer basics and its applications? WORKING EXPRERIENCE: For the past five years I have been working as a system analysis cum computer programmer at the SVCE.I am working on the design and development of a † university system†. This long period has given me invaluable practical experience. It has given me the confidence to pursue a PhD degree and also kindled a desire to do research. WHY YOUR UNIVERSITY: I have learnt from your dept brochure and various other sources about the extensive research being under taken, especially in my areas of interest under the guidance of your eminent faculty and state of art at your esteemed university. Ten years from now I see myself leading an active research been engaged in works of advanced research.Given a chance to pursue RESEARCH study at your university. I am confident of my ability to measure up to your standards. I hope my application will be received forwardly and assure you that my interest and dedication will be reflected in my course work. An assistantship wi ll certainly go a long way in motivating me further and strengthening my determination to realize my career objectives. My sole aim for coming to your country is to complete my MGMTscience that will enhance my career opportunities when I return to Pakistan.