Medieval Period Tunic

The word tunic has been derived from the word ‘tunica’ (Latin), meaning an enclosing membrane of body tissue. From the period of ancient Greeks and Romans up to the medieval times, tunics have probably been the most common dress worn by all classes of men; slaves as well as the nobles, and all other people from different occupations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medieval Period Tunic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The simplest kind of tunic was readied by sewing two pieces of cloth, making a tube; holes were kept for the arms. The medieval tunic resembled a T-shirt and was worn by men and women alike. The medieval tunics were made from a varied range of fabrics, depending on the status of the people wearing them. Even different forms of tunics were made for people of different status. The medieval tunics usually had sleeves and were cut to different lengths. Male tunics reached crotch and thigh in length; older men wore knee-length tunics (Diehl Donnelly, 2011). The medieval tunic could be worn plain and/or tightened at the waist with a belt. The belt also served the purpose of a purse. The Romans wore tunics under their toga (a single piece gown). Woollen tunics were worn during the winter seasons. From all these facts about medieval tunics, it may be concluded that they were really versatile. The medieval tunics were made in different forms and the fabrics used in tailoring were also different (Netherton Owen-Crocker, 2012). The tunic was basically a significance of status and title. The women wore tunics that stretched up to the ankle. Such tunics were called ‘Tunica Talaris’. The word ‘talaris’ is a derivative of the Latin word ‘talus’, which means an ankle. Another form of the tunic was the ‘Tunica Pulla’. It was a black or any other dark coloured tunic that was put on as a symbol of mourning. Yet another form of m edieval tunic was the ‘Tunica Recta’. The word ‘recta’ means straight. This particular tunic was worn in the medieval period by the girls during their marriages and by the boys when they were supposed to have matured. Then there was the ‘Tunica Augusticlavia’ which was worn by the Roman magistrates. ‘Tunica Laticlavia’ was worn by the Roman senators. This form of tunic had a broad band on it that was easily recognizable from a distance. Lastly, the Roman emperors wore a special tunic called the ‘Ornamenta Triumphalia’. The ‘Ornamenta Triumphalia’ comprised of the ‘Tunica Palmata’ and the ‘Toga Picta’. This was the official dress of the Roman emperors. The ‘Tunica Palmata’ was heavily adorned by leaf embroidery made from gold thread. All the edges (like the neck-line, wrist ends, and the bottom edge) of this tunic had a rich and colourful border.Advertising Lookin g for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The different ranks of office bearers were distinguished by the ‘Latus Clavus’. The office bearers of the Roman Empire wore tunics that had a particular number of bands sewn on them. The quantity of bands signified the rank of the wearer and the ‘Roman Sumptuary Laws’ governed this quantity. Even the width of the bands was governed by the ‘Roman Sumptuary Laws’. The members of the senate used to wear tunics with a scarlet or purple band. The band was about 2 inches in width and was considered to be a distinct badge of office. Even the male children of the senators could put on this band but in such cases the band had to be a less wide. The ‘equites’ or the knights wore a different tunic that had a band on each side and also at the front and the back. These bands were called the ‘Augustus Clavus’. The usual colour of these bands was purple but other colours such as red, violet and dark blue were also authorized. Modern interpretation of medieval tunic Although the modern day tunic does not have similar social and/or historical context, it is popular in the fashion world, particularly among women. The changing context also refers to the style and fabric used for making this item. Despite the shifts in trends, women’s tunic can still have elements reminding of the medieval epoch. Specific attention should be given to the loose sleeves and forms concealing the silhouette. In modern day women wear tunics with denims and it comes in various styles. Now-a-days tunic can be worn as a traditional outfit too. During the medieval period, tunics were worn as they were the only commonly used clothing. But in today’s world, tunics are considered to be a fashion statement. They come in large varieties with lovely laces and embroidery works. Tunics have never gone out of style. Even th ough the bottoms styles come and go, tunics in all variations have stayed till date. During medieval period, the material of the tunic suggested the rank and position of the person putting it on. Like the poor people wore tunics made from normal cloth whereas the rich wore tunics made from costly material such as linen and silk. But now-a-days women wear trendy linen tunics with formal pants as a daily wear. This is one style that young girls wear with denims and married women wear it as one of their traditional outfits.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medieval Period Tunic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tunics are gracefully accepted by both the orthodox and the conservative families as they are decent and sober clothing. Tunics have also transformed into short dresses. Many manufactures have indulged in large scale manufacturing of tunics as they remain in demand throughout the year. During summers, you get them in pastel colours and in winters they are available in dark and vibrant colour tones. When on a shopping spree, no matter which store we enter or which online shopping site we surf, we can find tunics in abundance, and that too in a variety of colours, shapes, designs, sizes, and materials. In fact tunics are the most hunted clothing by the female gender (Thats, 2012). The main difference between the tunics of medieval times and those of today is the length. As discussed earlier in the paper, women wore tunics that were up to the ankles but today’s tunics are up to the knees to the maximum. One of the main reasons of the revival of this historical clothing and its popularity among the female gender is that being loose fitted clothing it hides the actual body type. Means it doesn’t allow the onlooker to have information about the actual body figure. This is a boon for women and girls who are plump but want to hide their being overweight from the people. At the same time, wearing a tunic allows overweight women and girls to wear tight jeans and leg-ins to keep up with the fashion trend. Modern day tunics can be accessorized according to the requirement of the day or event. There are many accessories that go with the tunics. Such accessories include belts, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. The best part of wearing a tunic is that there is no fixed style. The wearer can make her own style statement with the help of the accessories. Like while going to office you can wear a tunic without a belt (it looks little formal) and in the evening, you may put on a sizzling belt to enhance the look of your tunic. Another reason for the revival and the popularity of the tunics among the women is that since they are loose fitted, women can do all their chores easily. The tunic is really very comfortable and allows the wearer to move freely. As mentioned earlier in this paper, tunics hide the real body type. This enables the overweight women and girls to l ook attractive. Normal T-shirts or shirts reveal the actual body shape and the overweight women and girls might look shabby and ugly. So it may be said that tunics enhance the beauty or aestheticism in the female gender. Even for slim girls and women, tunics are a nice, sober, and smart way to be decent and formal. In countries (especially Islamic countries) where women are required not to reveal too much of their body description, tunics are a great clothing. They serve a dual purpose; help the wearer in being decent and at the same time keeping up with the fashion.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gothic dress for women Let us first understand the meaning of ‘Goth’. Goth was basically an outrage against the fashion styles that prevailed during the 1970s. People who believed in the Goth culture were against any extravagance and use of vibrant and gaudy colours in clothing. Gothic dresses are basically dresses that are worn by the people of Goth culture. Usually, the colour of such clothing is black. There are certain typical characteristics of the people of the Goth culture. They can be identified from the following traits – black clothes and hairs, male Goths have long hair, filthiness and untidiness, inclination towards writing poetry, and attention seekers. Despite the fact that the Gothic style is well distinguished from other historic styles, it contains eclectic elements (Taylor, 2004). In particular, it skilfully combines sensibility, beauty, and simplicity of the dress due to the employment of sumptuous fabrics, such as brocades and velvets. In addi tion, the gothic garment was usually presented in a black colour pallet, which also introduces a specific meaning and style during this period. The basic concept behind the Gothic garments was to minimise extravagance and to look decent. Vibrant colour garments highlight the presence of people wearing them. Probably, the reason for choosing black colour for Gothic garments was to keep a low profile. This aspect may be related to being decent, as in the case of tunics. The onlookers are not attracted towards the person wearing Gothic clothing. Apart from the clothing, the overall look of people of Gothic culture is totally unattractive with long and untidy hairs people of Gothic culture can be distinguished easily. Fashion statement of any particular period reflects the prevailing social beliefs and the approach of people. During the fifteenth century, the fashion was limited to the upper class or the opulent people. The general public couldn’t afford the costly and fashionabl e clothing. In fact they were too busy in their daily chores to pay attention to things that were not important for them. Until the seventeenth century, different areas were under the Lords. People didn’t have much of a say in most of the matters. Fashion was one such thing that was unknown to the normal public. But as soon as the royal power gained supremacy over the feudal power, the Lords became weaker as far as their control over the people was concerned. People became free to decide for themselves. People started to earn more and had spare money to attend to their fantasies. This was when they started learning about fashion and practising the prevailing trends. This was the period when printing was invented and people were able to keep themselves updated on the latest happenings around them. Media was also one of the mediums to spread fashion during that period. Modern interpretation of Gothic dresses The influence of revival of historical style constitutes the main reas on for the emergence of the gothic style at the modern time (Brill, 2004). However, unlike the historical gothic style, the modern waives are more concerned with aesthetics and the revival of the romantic movements (Spooner, 2004). The modern day Gothic dresses are actually far similar to the ones that were initially meant to be. The main motive behind Gothic dresses was to oppose extravagance and vibrant colours in clothing. But today’s Gothic dresses have become very popular and the prices are sky-rocketing. But at least the colour has not been changed. Even today, the Gothic dresses are mainly in black or other dark colours. But since renowned stores have started selling Gothic dresses the cost has gone up. Moreover, famous designers have also started designing the Gothic dress, which again has added to the cost to a great extent. Gothic dresses are now being seen as fashion statements. Celebrities wear these dresses at special events, making them all the more popular. Peo ple who like to imitate their favourite celebrities want to adore themselves with Gothic dresses. Fashion is such a thing or tradition that is spread by the famous and rich people. So the concept has totally changed; from being ant-extravagant, the Gothic dresses have now become super extravagant. References Brill, D. (2008). Goth Culture: Gender, Sexuality, and Style. Germany: Berg. Diehl, D., Donnelly, M. P. (2011). Medieval Celebrations: Your Guide to Planning and Hosting Spectacular Feasts, Parties, Weddings, and Renaissance Fairs. US: Stackpole Books. Netherton, R., Owen-Crocker, G. R. (2012). Medieval Clothing and Textiles. US: Boydell Press. Spooner, C. (2004). Fashioning Gothic Bodies. UK: Manchester University Press. Taylor, L. (2004). Establishing Dress History. UK: Manchester University Press. Thats, S. (2012). Women’s Tunics-oh so stylish. Retrieved from http://moderntunics.blogspot.com/ This essay on Medieval Period Tunic was written and submitted by user Teagan E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Blind

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T S Eliot The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay

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Economic Impacts of Climate Change

Economic Impacts of Climate Change Economic Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Production in the Middle East and North Africa Region 1. Introduction The accumulation of scientific evidences indicating that growing greenhouse gases will warm our planet becomes clearer. Higher temperature and changes in precipitation level will shrinkage crop yield in many countries. IPCC (2007) reported that most land areas will experience an increase in average temperature with more frequent heat waves, more stressed water resources and desertification. Stern and Treasury (2006) noted, that the â€Å"the poorest countries and populations† will bear the greatest costs of climate change. Therefore, the impact of climate change on agriculture has received increasing attention in the last decade literatures. Climate change coupled with population growth will deeply affect the availability and quality of water resources in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (Alpert, Krichak, Shafir, Haim, Osetinsky, 2008; Evans, 2010; Gao Giorgi, 2008). In a similar way, Sowers and Weinthal (2010) argued that since most of the MENA region is arid and hyper-arid, slight changes in water accessibility and arable land have substantial consequences for human security. It is worth to take into account the climatic variability in addition to climate change in order to provide an integrated analysis of the impact of climate variables. Selvaraju and Baas (2007) stated that climate variability is the way climate fluctuates yearly above or below a long-term average value while climate change is the long-term continuous change (increase or decrease) to average weather conditions or the range of weather. In this study, we consider the possible impacts of climate changes and climate variability on agricultural production, with a focus on the region of Middle East and North Africa, where the deleterious impacts of climate change are generally projected to be greatest. In order to achieve such objective, Fixed Effect Regression (FER) is used to Estimate the agricultural production function using cross-section time series data of MENA countries. The advantages of panel data analysis are; getting actual responses is more informative to policy makers than resul ts from field trials. Second, country fixed effects capture all additive differences between various countries (Stock Watson, 2003). 2. Data Sources In order to estimate the production function, cross-sectional time series (panel data) are used. The panel set consists of 20 MENA countries for the time period between 1961 and 2009 including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Table 1 shows the data description and data sources. Due to unavailability of the data for few countries, some observations are missing therefore panel data in the model are unbalanced. The data set consists of two variables group. The first is economics variables such as net agricultural production index number in international dollar, agricultural machinery, total fertilizers consumed, labors, and land. The second data subset is climatic variables like temperature and precipitation. The monthly climatic data were available by meteorological stations rather than by country as shown in Table 2. Therefore, it was necessary to calculate monthly country averages of climate variables and summed up into seasonal data. Table 1 Data description and sources Variable Unit Description Source Agricultural production 1000 I$ Net agricultural Production Index Number (2004-2006 = 100) FAO statistics Agricultural machinery (tractors) Number Agricultural tractors, refer to total wheel, crawler or track-laying type tractors and pedestrian tractors used in agriculture. FAO statistics Fertilizers consumption Ton nutrients Total consumption of chemical fertilizers (N+P2O5+K2O) International Fertilizer Industry Association Livestock Head Buffaloes + cattle FAO statistics Labor Million Total economically active population International Labor Organization (LABORSTA) Land 1000 Hectare Total area of cultivated land FAO statistics Temperature Celsius Monthly mean temperature FAOClim-NET: Agroclimatic database management system Precipitation millimeter Monthly mean precipitation FAOClim-NET: Agroclimatic database management system 3. Climate change and agriculture in Mena countries According to the World Bank, The Middle East and North Africa is one of the regions that is most vulnerable to climate change, with the highest level of water scarcity in the world. The region has a total area of about 14 million km2, of which more than 87 per cent is desert. It is characterized by a high dependency on climate-sensitive agriculture and a large share of its population and economic activities are located in flood-prone urban coastal zones. Bucknall (2007) classify the MENA countries into three groups on the subject of water source and availability. First group is countries have adequate quantities of renewable water, but the within-country and within year variations are problematically large including Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. Second group is countries that have low levels of renewable water resources and highly dependent on non-renewable groundwater sources and supplies by desalination of sea water like Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The last group is countries that mainly dependent on the inflow of transboundary rivers such as the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates including Syria, Iraq, and Egypt. Table 2 Descriptive Statistics for Aggregated climatic variables during the Period 1961-2009 No. Metrological stations Temperature (c °) Precipitation (mm/year) Mean Std. Dev. Mean Std. Dev. Algeria 95 19.91 0.99 23.98 5.99 Bahrain 1 26.62 0.91 8.51 7.74 Egypt 52 22.42 0.63 4.14 2.15 Iran 67 17.31 2.70 20.03 9.05 Iraq 29 22.35 2.82 13.62 7.98 Israel 13 19.80 1.53 29.33 14.31 Jordan 15 18.95 1.08 15.77 5.04 Kuwait 15 25.91 1.23 13.73 7.49 Lebanon 12 18.49 1.78 56.58 17.08 Libya 27 21.14 0.80 14.74 4.12 Morocco 34 18.03 0.71 32.29 10.95 Oman 27 26.78 0.60 8.00 5.34 Qatar 2 27.46 0.70 6.40 5.05 Saudi Arabia 67 25.19 0.91 5.93 3.73 Sudan 47 28.30 0.89 48.51 57.62 Syrian Arab Republic 20 18.30 0.90 21.61 7.26 Tunisia 25 19.35 0.98 30.30 8.34 Turkey 315 13.03 0.89 51.31 7.73 United Arab Emirates 13 27.56 1.33 5.47 5.11 Yemen 12 25.52 3.52 9.70 7.44 4. Methodology There are various models can be employed to assess the impact of climate change on agricultural production. Ricardian model, Agronomic model, and crop simulation models are most widely adopted models for the climate impact studies (Lee, Nadolnyak, Hartarska, 2012). The Ricardian model estimates the examines the impact of climate and other variables on land values and farm revenues using cross-sectional data (Mendelsohn, Nordhaus, Shaw, 1994). Crop Simulation Models (CSM) restrict the analysis to crop physiology and compare crop productivity for different climatic conditions (Salvo, Begalli, Signorello, 2013). Because of the country level panel analysis, the production function model is adopted for the analysis in the present study. Model To estimate the impact of climatic change on agriculture production in MENA countries, an empirical production function for country i at time t net agricultural production index is a function of some economic inputs (Frisvold Ingram, 1995) and climatic variables: . Y represents the net agricultural production index,; M, F, L, A, and V are economic inputs which include agricultural machinery, fertilizer consumption, labor, cultivated area, and livestock respectively. T and represent temperature and precipitation. Number of agricultural tractors is used as proxy of agricultural capital stock and number of cattle and buffaloes is used as proxy of livestock production. For climatic variables temperature and precipitation, mean of the winter season (January, February, and March) , spring (April, May, and June), summer (July, August, and September), and Fall (October, November, and December) are involved in the model. Following (Barrios, Ouattara, Strobl, 2008; Belloumi, 2014; Lee et al. , 2012), The agricultural production model in the present study has the following specification form: (1) By taking the log on both sides, the fixed effect panel model is: (2) According to the fixed effect model, ÃŽ ±i (i=1†¦.n) is the unknown intercept for each country that absorb unabsorbed time variant effects and is a time varying effects. For climatic variables, both the linear and quadratic forms are integrated into the model in order to consider the nonlinear relationship between agricultural production and climatic variables. Variability As it is also sensible to estimate the impact of the variability of climatic variable along with the seasonal deviation and the mean temperature and precipitation, the squared of the mean differences of temperature and precipitation for each season observation is used in the second model. Then, This variability was measured by the seasonal coefficient of variation (CV) calculated as the seasonal ratio of the standard deviation to the mean of each climate variable for each country. 5. Results and discussion Review different papers to strengthen the discussion Table 3 shows the results of fixed effects regression analysis in which we estimated the impact of agricultural inputs and climatic variables on agricultural production in MENA countries. The results show that the regression coefficient of temperature is positive and statistically significant in spring, summer, and fall seasons. By contrast, temperature in winter has negative coefficient at significance level of 0.01. Regarding the estimated parameters of precipitation, precipitation during spring showed negative impact at significance level of 1%. The estimated parameters of nonlinear climatic variables indicated that each of the squared summer temperature has positive coefficient at significance level 0.05 while squared winter temperature has negative and significant impact at level of 0.05. In addition, squared spring precipitation showed positive influence. As expected, production inputs showed significant and positive relation with agricultural production except machinery and fertilizers consumption. As inputs and agricultural production are in logarithmic form, the regression coefficients reflect the production elasticity of each input. Therefore, 1 percent increase in each input of livestock, labor, and land, with keeping all other inputs the same, leads to increase in agricultural production by 0.16%, 0.98%, and 0.91% respectively. Table 3 Fixed Effects Regression analysis of climate change Variables Coefficients S.E. P value Intercept -0.0582 0.0160 -0.058 Winter Temperature -0.0582** 0.0160 0.000 Spring Temperature 0.0431* 0.0212 0.042 Summer Temperature 0.0730** 0.0213 0.001 Fall Temperature 0.0408** 0.0154 0.008 Winter Temperature Squared -0.0024* 0.0010 0.014 Spring Temperature Squared 0.0002 0.0016 0.892 Summer Temperature Squared 0.0043* 0.0019 0.028 Fall Temperature Squared -0.0005 0.0010 0.643 Winter Precipitation -0.0006 0.0004 0.128 Spring Precipitation 0.0004* 0.0002 0.050 Summer Precipitation -0.0001 0.0002 0.760 Fall Precipitation 0.0002 0.0003 0.438 Winter Precipitation Squared -5.0600E-06 5.1400E-06 0.325 Spring Precipitation Squared 3.8800E-06 6.2400E-06 0.535 Summer Precipitation Squared 1.5300E-05* 7.6600E-06 0.047 Fall Precipitation Squared -3.4000E-06 4.7100E-06 0.470 Machinery -0.0471 0.0282 0.095 Fertilizers Consumption -0.0269 0.0166 0.107 Livestock 0.1599** 0.0389 0.000 Labor 0.9802** 0.0481 0.000 Land 0.9128** 0.1000 0.000 R2 within 0.8932 R2 between 0.7827 R2 overall 0.7917 F test 120.8300 F-ui=0 951.88** Obs. No 980 The results of Fixed Effects Regression analysis of climate variability as explanatory variables and agricultural production are presented in Table 4. The results suggest that temperature variability in fall season seems to have significant and positive relation with agricultural production while it has negative relation in spring. Squared variability of temperature during winter and summer seasons have significant and negative relation. Furthermore, variability of winter precipitation have positive and significant relation. Likewise, the regression coefficient of squared variation of winter and summer precipitation showed significant and positive relation with agricultural production.. Table 4 Fixed Effects Regression analysis of climate variability Variables Coefficients S.E. P value Intercept 3.8918** 0.0422 0.000 Winter Temperature -0.2451 0.1818 0.178 Spring Temperature -0.5086** 0.1921 0.008 Summer Temperature 0.0418 0.1850 0.821 Fall Temperature 0.8505** 0.1929 0.000 Winter Temperature Squared -0.0825* 0.0408 0.044 Spring Temperature Squared 0.0204 0.0370 0.581 Summer Temperature Squared -0.0571** 0.0216 0.008 Fall Temperature Squared -0.0071 0.0487 0.884 Winter Precipitation 0.0425** 0.0090 0.000 Spring Precipitation 0.0269 0.0774 0.728 Summer Precipitation 0.1717 0.2138 0.422 Fall Precipitation -0.1943 0.1946 0.319 Winter Precipitation Squared 0.0221** 0.0062 0.000 Spring Precipitation Squared -0.0020 0.0034 0.558 Summer Precipitation Squared 0.0005* 0.0003 0.044 Fall Precipitation Squared 0.0056 0.0042 0.18 R2 within 0.793 R2 between 0.943 R2 overall 0.769 F test 11.620 F-ui=0 11.330 Obs. No 980 Marginal Impact analysis The excepted marginal effects of climatic change and variability on agricultural production appraised at the mean are calculated by the first-order differentiation of the equation 2 to temperature and precipitation respectively: (3) (4) The elaticities of climate change and variability of temperature and precipitation are derived from equations (3) and (4) respectively by dividing both equation (3) on and equation (4) on . therefore, the elasticities can be computed as : (5) (6) Where and refer to temperature change or variability and precipitation change or variability respectively. The marginal impact of climate change and climate variability on agricultural production in the MENA region are presented in Table 5. The impact and the elsticities of Climate change and climate variability are calculated using the regression coefficient and mean values of temperatures and precipitation. The results indicate that increase of temperature in winter season has negative impact on agricultural production as one percent increase in temperature during winter season will lead to a decrease in agricultural production value by 1.12 percent. Instead, increasing the temperature during the other seasons showed positive impact. Temperature variability negative impact on agricultural production during winter and spring as one percent increase of temperature variability, will lead to about 0.09 and 0.14 percent decrease in agricultural production. In regard to the impact precipitation changes, the results confirmed that increasing precipitation during winter and fall season have negative impact on agricultural production in MENA countries while it has positive impact in spring and summer seasons. Moreover, the results of the impact of precipitation variability showed that precipitation variability has negative impact during winter and summer seasons, whereas one percent increase of precipitation variability will lead to decrease in agricultural production in the MENA region by 0.037 and 0.013 percent respectively. However, precipitation variability showed positive impact during the season of spring and fall. Table 5 Marginal impacts of climate change and variability on agricultural production Climate change Climate Variability Marginal impact Elasticity Marginal impact Elasticity Temperature Winter -4.517 -1.115 -12.408 -0.087 Spring 3.746 1.567 -29.211 -0.139 Summer 4.130 2.025 7.039 0.027 Fall 2.897 0.927 41.713 0.265 Precipitation Winter -0.162 -0.092 -2.884 -0.037 Spring 0.019 0.005 1.038 0.013 Summer 0.272 0.046 -3.303 -0.071 Fall -0.040 -0.019 0.071 0.001 References Alpert, Pinhas, Krichak, Simon O, Shafir, Haim, Haim, David, Osetinsky, Isabella. (2008). Climatic trends to extremes employing regional modeling and statistical interpretation over the E. Mediterranean. Global and Planetary Change, 63(2), 163-170. Barrios, Salvador, Ouattara, Bazoumana, Strobl, Eric. (2008). The impact of climatic change on agricultural production: Is it different for Africa? Food Policy, 33(4), 287-298. Belloumi, Mounir. (2014). Investig

Capital Punishment Essay: Clarifying Impressions of Death Penalty :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Clarifying Impressions of Capital Punishment      Ã‚   There are many false impressions floating around through American society concerning the death penalty; this paper hopes to clarify some of the more prominent, noticeable ones.    Does the death penalty deter? Scientific studies have consistently failed to find convincing evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other punishments. The most recent survey of research findings on the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates, conducted for the United Nations in 1988 and updated in 1996, concluded: "Research has failed to provide scientific proof that executions have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment and such proof is unlikely to be forthcoming. The evidence as a whole still gives no positive support to the deterrent hypothesis..."(Hood 238)    Reviewing the evidence on the relation between changes in the use of the death penalty and crime rates, a study conducted for the United Nations in 1988 and updated in 1996 stated that "the fact that all the evidence continues to point in the same direction is persuasive a priori evidence that countries need not fear sudden and serious changes in the curve of crime if they reduce their reliance upon the death penalty".(Edwin)    Recent crime figures from abolitionist countries fail to show that abolition has harmful effects. In Canada, the homicide rate per 100,000 population fell from a peak of 3.09 in 1975, the year before the abolition of the death penalty for murder, to 2.41 in 1980, and since then it has declined further. In 1999, 23 years after abolition, the homicide rate was 1.76 per 100,000 population, 43 per cent lower than in 1975. The total number of homicides reported in the country fell in 1999 for the third straight year.(Hood 253)    One of the most important developments in recent years has been the adoption of international treaties whereby states commit themselves to not having the death penalty. Three such treaties now exist:    * The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has now been ratified by 46 states. Seven other states have signed the Protocol, indicating their intention to become parties to it at a later date. * Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("European Convention on Human Rights"), which has now been ratified by 39 European states and signed by three others.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

You ever wish there was a step-by-step guide to life? Something that can help you improve your self-image, build friendships, and most importantly achieve your goals? In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, it guides you to live up to your potential by inspiring and motivating you with positive strategies. In addition, this book is filled with quotes and stories about real people in real scenarios, making this relatable to any age group facing difficult situations. â€Å"Look at this as an opportunity to grow† (Covey 57). I have always been a huge procrastinator.I would put off my schoolwork until the last minute and then cram it all the night before. And to top that off I was also a Yes-man so I would worry about my friends’ work rather than my own. Definitely not a good combination. You can obviously notice the lack of performance I showed, especially in my grades. I went from being a straight â€Å"A† student, to a â€Å"B and C† average. I didn†™t pay much attention to it though because everyone else had the same problem as well. I was surrounded by procrastinators, leading me to think that what I was doing was acceptable.It was not until I started to read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens that I noticed my bad habit. I didn’t even consider it a habit until I read a part in the book and realized that it sounded so familiar. Like if they had used my own personal experience and wrote it down word by word. I never really put any thought to how a simple thing can cause such an effect to me, and not just in my school life, but also my personal life. It was that moment when I promised myself to change. Change into a better me because I am capable of better. I am capable of being a Prioritizer, instead of a Procrastinator.I am capable of living a healthy and balanced life. I am capable of achieving my lifetime goals and continuously live up to my full potential. But how can I make a change? Where do I even begin? Wh en my teacher introduced me to this book, I had finally found the solution to my problems. Because unlike any other book, this book feels like it speaks directly to me. Like if it was my very own personal mentor, but even better because it’s in the comfort of my own hands. It not only pointed out my flaws, but also suggested various forms of how I can make a change. I am habit† (Covey 1). Little by little, I was slowly improving my way of life. I highly recommend everyone to read this book, even if you feel that you’re perfectly fine. Just read it and if you can relate to any of the stories used in the book, then you know that you have to fix something in your life. Take it as a blessing. â€Å"These problems are real, and you can’t turn off real life. So I won’t. Instead, I’ll give you a set of tools to help you deal with real life. What are they? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens† (Covey 5).

Escape From Slavery ; Maya Angelou, Journey of the Heart essays

Escape From Slavery ; Maya Angelou, Journey of the Heart essays I read Escape from Slavery and Maya Angelou Journey of the Heart. I thought both stories had a lot in common but there were some differences. For instance, Escape from Slavery had a different setting, characters, and climax from Journey of the Heart. Escape from Slavery was setting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at a hotel, on a steamboat, and on a plantation. Journey of the Heart was setting in the Capitol Building of Washington D.C., Egypt, and Ghana. In Philadelphia, many slaves are trying to escape from their masters. In boxes, dressing up as a white person, and even hiding on trains or ships. At the hotel, one slave and her boys were told to stay put by their master. The slave would whisper help me to free blacks. Luckily, she was saved by a white. At the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. a famous woman speaks at a podium for black rights. The characters in Escape from Slavery were mainly slaves. Their names were Eliza, Dosha, Henry Brown, Passmore Williamson, Jane Johnson, and William Craft. In Journey of the Heart there was mainly one character, Maya Angelou. All the characters in Escape from Slavery were slaves except for Passmore Williamson. Passmore helped Jane Johnson with her escape from slavery. Maya Angelou was a poet, author, activist, entertainer, and a professor. She helped fight for blacks rights. Both stories had similar climaxes. Escape from Slavery ended with the slaves being free and everyone happy. In Journey of the Heart Maya was very happy that she accomplished all her deeds and spoke to people and made her purpose on this planet. These stories couldnt have been said better. The endings were great. In conclusion, Escape from Slavery and Maya Angelou Journey of the Heart had many compares and contras ...

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The Last Hurrah essays The Last Hurrah is a narrative within a narrative about Frank Skeffington, an old Irish-American political boss. He begins his fifth and most likely last campaign for mayor of a New England city. It shows the good and evil inherent in politics and all the things that go into an election. A man of the people, Skeffington attends funerals, hands out money, and kisses babies. Skeffington invites his journalist nephew, Adam Caulfield, to see the campaign up close. Skeffington narrates the Skeffington family history to Caufield. Caufield narrates Skeffingtons political history. Caufield is a columnist for a long-standing anti-Skeffington newspaper. Caufield married into an anti-Skeffington family. Skeffington is a fighter from the cradle, with lots of enemies, yet as he approaches the end of his political career and his life, he finally comes to peace with the world. Skeffingtons Irish immigrant mother worked as a maid for the wealthy Boston Force family who fired her for stealing food. Skeffington is a champion of the poor and downtrodden, especially if they happen to be Irish. He is not above coercion if it will bring comfort to his constituents. Caufield accompanies Skeffington to a wake and observes the dual nature of the politician by shamelessly working the crowd for support and later pressuring the greedy undertaker into reducing the exorbitant funeral costs. Skeffingtons enemies nominate a handsome, oafish young Irishman to run against him. The mayors team seems confident they can defeat him easily, but Skeffington is not so sure. Skeffingtons battles uphill to stay in office against political machinery that preys on ethnic hatred and old-time money. His real work is getting the cooperation of the old establishment who keep him as an outsider by any means that they can. His policies bring him hostility from the citys WASP faction and the clergy ...

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The Possibility of Ethical Leadership, Pro and Con - Essay Example The pros and cons of ethical leadership are then dependent on belief systems, definitions and current trends in society. Understanding how these influence others within a society helps to create and define several aspects of those that are considering the practice of ethical leadership. The concept of ethical leadership is one which is currently considered a central issue among businesses, educational systems, institutions, politics and other areas where leaders are required. The history of ethical leadership begins with types of leadership values which have been defined in each of these segments. This is inclusive of characteristic tests, such as kindness, sobriety and altruism. This aspect of leadership is often referred to as the 10 commandments of leadership. The concept continues with values which individuals have when becoming leaders, including ethical and moral values of the individual as well as strategic positions which each use with personal and social behaviors that are a ble to influence those in the surrounding area. The ethical definition is one that is then based on how one interacts with others and the characteristics which an individual has to influence others that are within a specific social status (Ciulla, 2004). The defining points of leaders in any situation also give question to the pros of having the characteristics and ideologies of belief systems among leaders. ... This is combined with the ideology of personalism, in which the leader is able to become a servant leader while working with others. By having a sense of morality among those, there is the ability to transform and empower others that are in the surrounding environment while helping to change the understanding of the vision and the actions which are taken among those who are a part of the community and which have a personal relationship to those that are in power (Whetstone, 2002). Another aspect that is currently a part of ethical leadership is based on the ability to create standards for upholding representations of integrity, sincerity and value. Businesses have created a general stigma in relation to the ethics that are withheld at a global level, specifically through standards such as corporate leadership. The attribute of ethical leadership is based on upholding standards of morality in various regions, specifically which upholds corporate standards, laws of a given region and s ocial expectations within that region. The outcome that is expected is based on the capability of creating ethical responses and social reforms that offer fair and accurate information through reports and expectations that are from those in society. These may be based on trends and standards of institutions or may be associated with overcoming challenges that are within a given region (Laufer, 2003). Even though it is expected that ethical leadership is able to provide a value base for every realm of action, there are also several cons to the concept of morals in leaders. The first is based on the concept of authentic leadership. This states that there are leaders who comply with

Managerial Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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