Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Reaction paper - Essay Example Therefore, the Holocaust evokes the greatest amount of sympathy for the Jewish race because of the intense horror and torture that was inflicted upon them. (Atkins, 2009, P.p 176-180) Having been a Holocaust Affirmationist, the evidence that were brought forth by David Cole opened up a new side to the controversy. In concurrence with Dr. Piper’s statement, there is in fact a high possibility that the Soviet Union may have fabricated the story about the alleged ‘Gassings’ that took place at Auschwitz, considering the political advantage. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the atrocities during the war never took place at all. (Atkins, 2009, P.p 176-180) As it is stated earlier, the accuracy of the history and symbology of the event is vastly accepted without question. However, there is room for skepticism and this is based on and triggered by the fact that the claims made by researchers and historians are not substantiated by sufficient amount of evidence. And Dr. Franciszek’s interview actually raised some very shocking pieces of evidence regarding the Holocaust and David Cole’s role was further magnified due to the fact that he was Jewish and brought forth very important pieces of knowledge in public view. In my opinion considering all factors there were millions of people, who lost their life during the World War II and it consisted a large number of Jews. However, the killings cannot be deemed as systematic as ‘Gassings’ and the magnitude of the Holocaust is vastly overestimated. Therefore, there has to be greater amount of research into the subject to substantiate the

Reflective Report include 2 tasks Q Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reflective Report include 2 tasks Q - Essay Example Schools, colleges as well as universities are required to prove that their courses meet strict standards on a continuous basis and thus, UK’s education system is respected and recognized globally. I therefore expect that the qualification I obtain from Greenwich University will provide a solid foundation for building my future and promoting my career ambitions. I expect to develop my potential given that the university offers a challenging, creative and vibrant environment for this. I have acquired the necessary skills for me to survive in this increasingly globalized economy of the world. From the knowledge I have acquired so far, I am now capable of thinking independently, creatively and effectively. The assessment and teaching criterion used at Greenwich encourages independence and mastery of the subject in question. Given that the UK is a cosmopolitan place to reside in, having hundreds of cultures from all over the world has taught me how to get along and associate with d ifferent types of people. This has made me an open minded individual as I have learnt to deal with people from various cultural, political and religious backgrounds. This has in turn added to my experience and influenced my view of the global economy. The English language will play a vital role for my career. There is no place better than the UK - the origin of English - where I can learn this popular international language used widely in global business. Studying English in the UK has made me perfect in how well I can communicate both orally and in written form. Some of the steps I took to improve my knowledge in the language by reading books and interacting with my fellow students in discussions and clubs. I also learnt English by using the phonemic script which made it easier to understand words. By learning the phonemic script, I was able to improve my pronunciation and hence improved my communication. I have managed to improve my reading skills in a number of ways. Compared to when I was in my home country, I can now study more effectively by use of study skills taught at the university. I can now synthesis what I am studying better than I used to. I have discovered that I learn best as I write. This helps me memorize what I am studying. This discovery has had a positive effect on my grades. In order to adapt to studying at the UK, I had to improve my communication skills. I also had to better my understanding of English. I did this by frequently practicing how to talk in English in order to improve my eloquence. I also tried to expose myself to listening English speakers so that I could improve comprehension of lectures. I therefore watched lots of TV and attended theatres to watch plays done in English. These practices were very successful in helping me adapt to studying in the UK. I am confident that my learning experience here will be very useful in my career at home. Given that English is a global language and I have acquired quite a lot of skills on it, I will be able to communicate well in my professional capacity back at home. Since qualifications offered by UK institutions are recognized internationally due to their exceptional quality, I believe my knowledge will be valued back in my home country. It will also be easy for me to work in a multicultural environment since I have experience of living and studying at UK. Studying at Greenwich University has been a quite pleasure. I believe that the knowledge

Treatments for Hair Loss

Treatments for Hair Loss Best Hair Treatment   There are many causes for hair fall ranging from male pattern hair loss to thyroid disease, Iron deficiency anaemia etc. Many causes are gender specific like Androgenic alopecia in males and female pattern hair loss seen usually in females. There has been ample research that shows that losing about 100-150 hairs per day is normal for an individual. That is the normal process of cyclical shedding of hair. The hair growth cycle can be divided into 3 phases viz. Anagen, Catagen and Telogen. Anagen Phase is characterized by active growth of the hair strands. Catagen phase is characterized by fairly short phase of hair break down. While in telogen phase the hair follicle is in resting state. The hair that are shed daily are ususally in the resting phase or in the late phase in the catagen. Hairs that are in telogen phase are not growing and are in the preparation for its shedding. In our scalp about 10% of the hair follicles are in telogen phase at any given time frame. There are many health condition like Thyroid disorders, iron deficiency anaemia etc can lead to severe hair loss as stated above, hence it is vital for us to undergo appropriate lab investigations for the same to exclude these or any other underlying disorders that might be triggering or causing severe hair loss. Now let us elaborate a little on the most commonly seen primary cause of hair fall i.e. Androgenic or Androgenetic Alopecia As the name suggests this type of hair fall is liked to hormone as well as genes. Therefore it has to do with hormonal as well as hereditary factors. This was first thought to be only present in males, as in case of males this type of hair loss is often faster, more extensive and has a relatively earlier onset as compared to females, but later research showed that it is seen in female as well as males. Till now the factor that triggers this type of hair loss is unknown. It seen the every male even though he does not go totally bald, has thinning of hair over time. Here unlike the hair that shed out regularly that are in telogen phase, there is no actually falling of hair seen but only eventual thinning oh hair observed as they no more come up!! Common Hair loss Myths – Busted !! It is commonly thought that people with longer hair has more hair loss as it leads to straining of the roots. This doesn’t happen. It is thought that people who wear hats have their hair choked off hence there is deficient circulation leading to hair loss. This is incorrect. It is also said that one inherits from mother’s male relatives. This is incorrect, as it is possible for one to inherit it from either side i.e. mother’s as well as father’s side. It is wrongly thought that hair loss is due to poor circulation of blood in the scalp and hence massaging will stop the hair fall. It doesn’t. The above was a brief on what is hair loss and its causes. Let us now outline various treatment modalities that may act as preventive or curative for hair loss. Having a hair wash every day with a mild and gentle shampoo. The way it is important to wash our face every day and clean our teeth every day the same way it is also important to wash our hair every day. As it helps in removing the dust, dirt and other pollutants from our hair and scalp making it less vulnerable to hair fall. So washing hair ever day causes more hair fall is one of the biggest myths. It is rather other way round i.e. not washing hair every day will cause more hair fall. This myth has become prevalent due to the fact that people tend to notice more hair falling while having hair wash, but what they don’t know is that these hairs were anyhow going to fall off with hair wash or without hair wash. Following a â€Å"Treat your hair well† practices: Though one of the most apparent things, it needs to be given attention because many of us unknowingly don’t follow them and adopt many unhealthy practices. Treating your hair with chemicals and so-called herbal products, which are meant to drastically change the way our hair looks (Perming, straightening, hot ironing etc.), are a big NO. Blow drying hair- What is does is that is dries out the moisture from the scalp and makes the hair dry, this leads to damaging of the hair follicles. Therefore it is advisable to always air dry your hair or if it is absolutely necessary to use the blow dryer then use it on lowest heat setting. Using hair styles that put a lot of stress or pull on the hair follicles like while making braids of tying hair tightly in a pony tails. Many a times what females do is that they tie their hair so tightly that there is enormous tug in the hair follicles making them to be pulled out from the roots. If this practice is continued for longer time it may lead to permanent hair loss from the sites at which these hairs experience the pulling the most. Combing or toweling it roughly when hairs are wet is a very commonly made error by most. What this does is that it stretches the hair strands and will lead to breakage. Following a healthy lifestyle: Healthy hair is the outward mirroring of a healthy body. So it is a good indicator of one’s general health condition. If hairs are shining and beautiful it indicates that the person is in good health and vice versa. Therefore to have healthy looking hair one has to do everything that is necessary to have a good healthy body which includes eating all types of fruits and vegetables regularly thereby supplementing a wide range of vitamins, and minerals like iron, calcium and zinc, one should also have a protein rich diet as hair are basically made of proteins. It is also important to hydrate our bodies with adequate amount of water. Oil is for food, not scalp. Oiling the scalp leads to seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff in the scalp. This leads to hair fall. So no matter what ever your granny says oiling your hair is not healthy for hair. If still one insists on oiling one’s hair it should be done just 45 minutes prior to hair wash, never should we oil our hair and let it stay overnight. Quick home remedies for hair health: Washing hair with a concoction of tea or lemon squeezed in the bathing water used for hair wash will help in getting rid of dandruff. Applying a paste of curd and egg onto that scalp and shampooing it after an hour, if done regularly, will make hair smoother and stronger. Treatment for androgenic alopecia: There are many treatment options available for hair loss but very few of them are scientifically proven and approved by FDA. These treatments help in slowing down the hair loss. Starting these treatments and thereafter stopping them will not leave you at a worse stage than what you were at when you started. Minoxidil: IT is a topical medicine. It helps in decreasing the hair fall, but doesn’t help in increasing the hair growth. It is available over the counter without the need for any prescription from the doctor. It can be used by both males as well as females. Its action is seen best over the crown area of the head. It’s less effective over the frontal area. It is available in the form of lotion, foam and mousse in 2%, 4% and extra-strength 5% solution. Finasteride: It is a medication belonging to 5-alpha reductase inhibitor class of drugs. It is approved by FDA to be used only in males with androgenic alopecia, but it is also used in females â€Å"off-label† who are suffering from androgenic hair loss, and who are not pregnant while on medication. It is available in the form of 1mg tablets. It helps in promoting hair growth and makes hair thicker in some people. But its main purpose is to maintain the hair that are still present on the scalp. The possible side effects include lowering of libido or impotence. Dutasteride: It is FDA approved medicine for treatment of enlarged prostate in men but it is used as â€Å"off-label† medication for treatment of hair loss in men. The action of dutasteride is very similar to finasteride. Recently there is research going on Prostaglandin analogues as topical applications for treatment of hair loss in both males and females. It has a scope for potentially acting as a hair regrowth agent, but till now it hasn’t received FDA approval for it use for treatment of hair loss. One of these newer medication is called by the name Bimatoprost. These are currently used for the purpose of eye lash enhancement. Other alternative treatment options available for hair loss: Hairpieces and hair weaving: It is one of the quickest and tried and test methods to add or enhance hair. It is a temporary method in which a mesh is applied on the patch of scalp which has hair. And over that natural human hair or artificial hair are attached to this by weaving them with the existing hair. The hair that are weaved are selected is such a way so as to match the color and texture of the hair that are existing. Over a period of time there may be oxidization, stretching or loosening of weaved hair. Hair fiber powders: These are used to cover up patches of hair which has undergone thinning. These powders are nothing but colored fibres that are powdered and are such that they attach easily to the existing hair when they are sprinkled on them. This results in a scalp having an appearance of one having fuller hair growth. Toppik is one of the leading manufacturers of these products and it can be ordered via internet portals. It is safe and is pretty cheap about $20-$40. Surgical hair restoration: This includes many versions of hair transplantation procedures like harnessing hair from back and then transplanting them in the front or it may include surgical procedures like scalp reduction where the bald areas are cut away and are stitched together. Over the years the procedures for hair transplantation has undergone major improvements. Of them the latest technology is harnessing of micrografts in which grafts containing only one to two hair follicles are removed from the donor sites and are successfully transplanted to the sites that has bald patches. It is a fairly expensive and time consuming affair. The cost depends on the number of grafts transplanted. The cost may go in the range of $1000 $20,000. Stem Cell Therapy for prevention of hair loss and regrowth of hair. This is one of the areas in which there is active on-going research. Like in other parts of the body hair follicles too have stem cells. The researchers are trying to activate the stem cells progenitor cell. By this the already present stem cells will become active and send chemical signals to the hair follicles nearby which might have become inactive due to aging process. This would ultimately lead to regeneration of healthy hair. PRP injection therapy for hair loss: PRP is nothing but Platelet Rich Plasma that is derived from patient’s own blood. PRP activates the follicular progenitor cells (adult stem cells) thereby causing the hair follicles that have shrunken to become larger and healthier. This enhances the hair growth. Also there are lots of growth factors loaded in PRP so this promotes a rapid hair growth. This method can be applied for both male and female. It can be used for scalp and also over eyebrows in case of hypotrichosis of eyebrows. The treatment procedure requires about 80 minutes to complete Here what is done is, patient’s blood sample is collected and is then processed to extract PRP. This is then introduced in the scalp fully or in localized areas. QR 678 Hair Growth Factor injection treatment for hair loss. This growth factor was developed after a lot of research conducted by top medical centers. It is by far one of the latest treatments for hair loss in India. It is much advanced then PRP treatment and stem cell therapy treatment. This treatment was first reported as a cover story in Times of India newspaper in 2010.QR 678 consists of combination of 6 hair growth factors. They are known to stimulate a significant hair growth when injected in to the scalp. It is more advanced than stem cells therapy for hair fall because here QR 678 injection consists of targeted growth factors that are directly injected in the patches which has hair loss, whereas in case of stem cell therapy the stem cells are reactivated which in turn will lead to production of growth. Hence QR 678 therapy is more specific, selective and advanced. The treatment consists of about 8 sessions of injections of QR 678, each of these sessions are repeated after an interval of 4-6 weeks. There are no side effects to this tre atment. The approx. cost for each QR 678 injection sessions is about $100. The Indian patent is already been awarded, the global patent is still being awaited. Hair Cloning: This treatment modality is still at research stage. What this treatment will consist of is that your own hair will be cloned and there after more hair will be produced from the existing cloned hair by themselves, by the help of genetic engineering. So now to sum it up we can say that alopecia is a very much treatable condition and there are multiple temporary as well as permanent treatment options, both medical as well as surgical, available to us. Therefore it is not very early to say that with the constant advancement and research in this field, baldness will be the thing of the past.

The Free Appropriate Public Education Law Essay -- civil rights, specia

FAPE , also known as Free Appropriate Public Education is a law that was passed in during the 1970s, a time in which civil rights for all people were being pushed. FAPE states that special education services and general education services are to be delivered without charge of the family, but of that of the public expense. It is important to recognize that the services should be mandated given by public education and if is is unavailable private services can be provided (Gartin, Murdick & Fowler, p. 54, 2003) Least Restrictive Environment is the principle that to the greatest extent, as pssible and appropriate, students with and without disabilities should be educated in the same setting. This law was passed with 5 key principles. These principles include that placement decisions should have considered general education placement with additional services, in the child’s best interest and individualized, the teachers are aware of the student’s disability and IEP, the services should vary and several should be available, and finally documentation is impotant, especially including rationale for decision making. An IEP, Individualized Education Plan, is the entire plan for an individual student that is going to have any special education services. The plan includes details like short-term and long-term goals, levels of achievement, transition services, assessments, and steps in order to achieve the specific goals that have been determined. The importance of an IEP for a student with a disability is that they are individualized based upon the student’s needs, based upon the work and meeting between parents, educators, skills trainers and more. It is crucial and federally required that that an IEP be reviewed in a metting annually i... ...). Integration of dynamic assessment and instructional conversations to promote development and improve assessment in the language classroom. Language Teaching Research, 17(3), 303-322. doi:10.1177/1362168813482934 Hawaii State Board of Education. (2014). Chapter 60 Provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education for a Student with a Disability. Retrieved from http://www.hawaiiboe.net/AdminRules/Pages/AdminRule60.aspx Murdick, N. L., Gartin, B. L., & Fowler, G. A. (2013). Special education law. Pearson Higher Ed. Pikulski, J. J. (1990). Informal Reading Inventories. Reading Teacher, 43(7), 514-516. Scattone, D., Raggio, D. J., & May, W. (2011). COMPARISON OF THE VINELAND ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR SCALES, SECOND EDITION, AND THE BAYLEY SCALES OF INFANT AND TODDLER DEVELOPMENT, THIRD EDITION. Psychological Reports, 109(2), 626-634. doi:10.2466/03.10.PR0.109.5.626-634

Impact of the Construction Industry to Its Nation

Abstract Construction sector and construction activities are considered to be one of the major sources of economic growth, development and economic activities. Construction and engineering services industry play an important role in the economic uplift and development of the country. It can be regarded as a mechanism of generating the employment and offering job opportunities to millions of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled work force. It also plays key role in generating income in both formal and informal sector.It supplements the foreign exchange earnings derived from trade in construction material and engineering services. Unfortunately construction sector is one of the most neglected sectors in Kenya. Although the construction sector has only a 2. 3 percent share in GDP, its share of the employed labor force was disproportionately large at 6. 1 percent in FY07. The construction sector is estimated to have grown by 17. 2 percent in 2006-07 as against 5. 7 percent of last year.Th e higher demand for construction workers is also reflected in a continued double-digit rise in their wages since FY05. Their wages increased by 11. 1 percent in FY07. Keywords: Construction Sector, GDP, Causal Relationship, Co-integration. 1. Introduction The construction industry plays an essential role in the socio economic development of a country. The activities of the industry have great significance to the achievement of national socio-economic development goals of providing infrastructure, sanctuary and employment.It includes hospitals, schools, townships, offices, houses and other buildings; urban infrastructure (including water supply, sewerage, 280 drainage); highways, roads, ports, railways, airports; power systems; irrigation and agriculture systems; telecommunications etc. It deals with all economic activities directed to the creation, renovation, repair or extension of fixed assets in the form of buildings, land improvements of an engineering nature. Besides, the const ruction industry generates substantial employment and provides a growth impetus to other sectors through backward nd forward linkages. It is, essential therefore, that, this vital activity is nurtured for the healthy growth of the economy. The main purpose of this study is to see whether growth in construction industry actually caused the economic increase or, alternatively, did economic expansion strongly contribute to construction growth instead? 1. 1 Global Distribution of Construction Output and Employment: Globally, construction industry is regarded as one of the largest fragmented industry. An estimate of annual global construction output is probably closer to U.S $ 4. 5 trillion in 20041. The construction industry is also a prime source of employment generation offering job opportunities to millions of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled work force. Global picture of construction output and employment in developing and developed countries can be seen in table -1 below. It can be seen from the table-1 that total construction output worldwide was estimated at just over $3,000 billion in 1998. Output is heavily concentrated (77 per cent) in the high income countries (Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australasia).The contribution of low and middle income countries was only 23 % of total world construction output (ILO Geneva2001). The data in employment situation table 2 tells a rather different story so far as employment is concerned. It can be seen that there was an excess of 111 million construction workers worldwide in 1998 and most of them were in the low- and middle-income countries. The distribution of construction employment is, in fact, almost the exact reverse of the distribution of output. The high-income countries produce 77 per cent of global construction output with 26 per cent of total employment.The rest of the world (comprising low- and middle-income countries) produces only 23 per cent of output but has 74 per cent of employment (IL O Geneva2001). ———————————————— 1 Source: Engineering News Record, USA 281 1. 2 Construction Industry in Kenya; The housing and construction sector in Kenya plays an important role in developing aggregate economy and reducing unemployment. It provides substantial employment opportunities as it contributes through a higher multiplier effect with a host of beneficial forward and backward linkage in the economy.The sector through linkages affects about 40 building material industries, support investment and growth climate and helps reduce poverty by generating income opportunities for poor household. It provides jobs to about 5. 5 per cent of the total employed labor force or to 2. 43 million persons, (2. 41 million male and 0. 2 million female) during 2003- 04 (Economic Survey 2004-05) Unfortunately the construction sector is one of the most neglected sectors in Kenya. It is at low ebb, which can be judged from the fact that per capita consumption of cement in Kenya is one of the lowest among the developing countries. 2.Literature Review: Construction in any country is a complex sector of the economy, which involves a broad range of stakeholders and has wide ranging linkages with other areas of activity such as manufacturing and the use of materials, energy, finance, labor and equipment. The contribution of construction industry in the aggregate economy of a country has been addressed by a number of researchers and valuable literature available on the linkage between construction sector and other sectors of the economy. Several researchers conclude that the construction sector has strong linkages with other sectors of the national economy.Hirschman (1958) first defined the concept of ‘linkage’ in his work The Strategy of Economic Development. He emphasized the significance of ‘unbalanced’ growth among supporting sectors of the economy as opposed to a balanced development of all interrelated economic activities (Lean, 2001). Park (1989) has confirmed that the construction industry generates one of the highest multiplier effects through its extensive backward and forward linkages with other sectors of the economy. It is stated that the importance of the construction industry stems from its strong linkages with other sectors of the economy (World Bank, 1984).However, interdependence between the construction sector and other economic sectors is not static (Bon, 1988; Bon, 1992). Strout (1958) provided a comparative inter-sectoral analysis of employment effects with an emphasis on the construction. Ball (1965) and Ball (1981) addressed the employment effects of the construction sector as a whole. Many studies (Fox, 1976; Bon and Pietroforte, 1993; Pietroforte and Bon, 1995) use the strong direct and total linkage indicator to explain the leading role of the construction sector in the national economy. . 1 Con struction Industry and National Economy: Construction activities and its output is an integral part of a country’s national economy and industrial development. The construction industry is often seen as a driver of economic growth especially in developing countries. The industry can mobilize and effectively utilize local human and material resources in the development and maintenance of housing and infrastructure to promote local employment and improve economic efficiency.Field and Ofori (1988) stated that the construction makes a noticeable contribution to the economic output of a country; it generates employment and incomes for the people and therefore the effects of changes in the construction industry on the economy occur at all levels and in virtually all aspects of life. This implies that construction has a strong linkage with many economic activities, and whatever happens to the industry will directly and indirectly influence other industries and ultimately, the wealth of a country.Hence, the construction industry is regarded as an essential and highly visible contributor to the process of growth (Field and Ofori, 1988). The significant role of the construction industry in the national economy has been highlighted by Turin (1969). On the basis of cross section of data from a large number of countries at various levels of development, Turin (1969) argued that there is a positive relationship between construction output and economic growth. Furthermore, as economies grow construction output grows at a faster rate, assuming a higher proportion of GDP.In a recent article Drewer returns to the ‘construction and development’ debate. Using data for 1990 similar to that assembled by Turin for 1970, he shows that global construction output has become increasingly concentrated in the developed market economies. He goes on to argue that this new evidence does not support Turin’s propositions. The issue of concern here is whether the cons truction sector and the aggregate economy are fragmented or mutually dependent, and whether construction activity contributes to economic growth and /or vice versa.Studies have shown that the interdependence between the construction sector and other economic sectors is not static but changes as the nation’s economy grows and develops 2. 2 Tools for Measuring Strength of Linkage: Two analytical tools, which most widely used for measuring the strength of the linkage, sector vise economic performance and production interdependence and to analyze economic relationships, are: (i) Leontief’s (1936) Input–output analysis and ii) The new econometric methodology developed by Engle and Granger Bon (1988) is one of the few researchers who applied the concept of Leontief input-output matrix to the construction industry. He considered the input–output technique to be ideal, for it provides a framework with which to study both direct and indirect resource utilization i n the construction sector and industrial interdependence. He also found that the input–output tool can be used for studies of the construction sector in three broad aspects: employment creation potential, role in the economy, and identification of major suppliers to the construction industry.Rameezdeen et al, (2006), also used input283 output table to analyze the significance of construction in a developing economy and its relationships with other sectors of the national economy. With the popularity of the new econometric methodology presented by Engle and Granger, many modeling studies related to economic and financial issues have applied this new technique to analyze economic relationships. Green (1997) applied the Granger causality test to determine the relationship between GDP and residential and non-residential investment, using quarterly national income and gross domestic product data for the period 1959–1992.His results showed that residential investment causes, but is not caused by GDP, while non-residential investment does not cause, but is caused by GDP. He concluded that housing leads and other types of investment lag the business cycle (Lean, 2001). Tse and Ganesan (1997) is also used the same econometric technique (Granger causality test) to determine the causal relationship between construction flows and GDP using quarterly Hong Kong data from 1983 to 1989. They found that the GDP leads the construction flow and not vice versa. 2. Research Objective: The objective of the present paper is to examine the specific lead lag relationships between construction flow and gross domestic product (GDP). For obtaining this goal we will use annual data for construction sector and economic GDP of Kenya from 1950 to 2005. Granger causality methodology is commonly applied to investigations on the relationships among money supply, stock prices and inflation, but very few researchers tested the linkages between the construction sector and the aggrega te economy using this method.Here we will use the same approach to identify whether there is a unidirectional or bidirectional causal relation between construction sector and economic growth in the case of Kenya. In addition, we will use unit root tests to examine the stationarity of both series (construction sector and GDP) and co integration test will use to find out the existence of long run relationship between these variables. It is a powerful concept, because it allows us to describe the existence of an equilibrium or stationary relationship among two or more time series, each of which is individually non- stationary. . Methodology: A simple statistical and econometric analysis will be used to know the general properties of data and to see the relationship among variables of interest like construction sector (LCNS) and aggregate economy of Kenya (LGDP). This study uses time series annual data (1950 to 2005) to demonstrate the causal relationship between construction sector and GDP in Kenya. A time series is a sequence of values or readings ordered by a time parameter, such as hourly and yearly readings.When time series data is used for analysis in econometrics, several statistical techniques and steps must be undertaken. First of all unit root test has been applied to each series individually in order to provide information about the data being stationary. Non-stationary data contains unit roots. The existences of unit roots make hypothesis test results unreliable. If the data are non-stationary, then frequently stationarity can be achieved by first differencing (Granger and Newbold, 1986) that is, obtaining the differences between the current value and that of the previous period.Once stationarity is determined, structural modeling of the variables or testing for causality can take place. The causality test aims to verify whether historical variations of the construction data follow or precede the GDP. To test for the 284 existence of unit roots and to determine the degree of differences in order to obtain the stationary series of LGDP and LCNS, Augmented Dickey- Fuller Test (ADF) has been applied. If the time series data of each variable is found to be non-stationary at level, then there may exists a long run relationship between these variables, LGDP and LCNS.Johansen’s (1988) co-integration test has been used in order to know the existence of long run relationship between these variables. A series is said to be integrated if it accumulates some past effects, such a series is non-stationary because its future path depends upon all such past influences, and is not tied to some mean to which it must eventually return. To transform a co-integrated series to achieve stationarity, we must differentiate it at least once. The number of times the data have to be differenced to become stationary is the order of integration.If a series is differenced d times to become stationary, it is said to be integrated of order I(d). However, a linear combination of series may have a lower order of integration than any one of them has individually. In this case, the variables are said to be co-integrated. The following section presents the results of the simple descriptive statistical analysis and then unit root analysis to study the stationarity of GDP and construction flow. Accordingly, we employ Granger causality methodology to investigate the lead lag relationships between the construction flow and the GDP. . 1 Data and Descriptive Statistical Analysis: The annual data for the period 1950 to 2005 is being used for empirical analysis. Construction industry flows (LCNS) and Gross Domestic Product (LGDP) data in local currency is employed to analyze the dynamic relationship between GDP and construction sector. All the variables are expressed in natural logarithms so that they may be considered elasticity of the relevant variables. We examine the contemporaneous correlation and check for the evidence of Granger causality between these two variables.Table-3 presents summery statistic of the data and table- 4 tell us that there is a strong correlation between construction sector and GDP of Kenya during 1950 to 2005. Annual observations of GDP and construction sector are taken from Handbook of Statistics of Kenya Economy, 2005 and various issues of Economic Survey of Kenya. Table 3 Descriptive statistics LCNS LGDP Mean 8. 605299 11. 98993 Median 8. 996238 11. 90110 Maximum 11. 87699 15. 62865 Minimum 4. 976734 9. 126524 Std. Dev. 2. 184803 2. 082374 Skewness -0. 140903 0. 195506 Kurtosis 1. 651252 1. 664931Jarque-Bera 4. 429918 4. 515697 Probability 0. 109158 0. 104575 Observations 56 Apparently as the government is geared to enhance rural development in its development agenda, the construction industry faces the daunting task to be part of the development philosophy. The construction industry has to ensure that it has the capacity to deliver development projects as per the needs of the government and in the time scale specified. Many a development projects are in the pipeline, most notable, road projects, schools, police and teachers’ houses, boreholes, among many others.The construction industry would add value to the country’s development agenda through successfully undertaking the said projects. Certainly, the construction industry loses credibility, trust and reputation in the eyes of the publics if projects it undertakes do not live to the expectations of the people. The government’s rural development project could further spur the growth of indigenous construction companies which will in the end trickle-down economic benefits to the country and the citizens.The mushrooming of indigenous construction firms with capacity to handle large scale jobs will save the country from losing forex as most projects will be handled locally, hence requiring no need for forex to pay international construction firm. This could certainly write a new chapter in the histo ry of the construction industry in the country. As the small construction firms will be developing they will certainly be competing for construction jobs in other countries within Africa and possibly beyond. This could make the construction industry a reliable partner in bringing into the country the required forex.The exposure of the construction industry abroad could as well play the ambassadorial role of marketing services that Malawi can offer in Africa and beyond. If one sector successfully storms the international market, other sectors stand an easy chance as they actually ride on the success of the pioneer service provider. References Anaman K. A and Amponsah. C, (2007). Analysis of the causality links between the growth of the construction industry and the growth of the macro economy in Ghana, Institute of Economic Affairs, Accra, Ghana Ball, C. M. 1965) Employment effects of construction expenditures, Monthly labour Review, 88, 154- 158. Ball, R. (1981) Employment created b y construction, expenditures, Monthly labour Review, 104, 38-44. Bon, R. (1988). Direct and indirect resource utilization by the construction sector: the case of the USA since World War II, Habitat International, 12(1), 49–74. Bon, R. (1992). The future of international construction: secular patterns of growth and decline. Habitat International, 16(3), 119–28 Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR (1985–2002) Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics, Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR, Hong Kong.Bon, R. and Pietroforte, R. (1990) Historical comparison of construction sectors in the United States, Japan, Italy, and Finland using input-output tables, Construction Management and Economics, 8, 233- 247. Bon, R. and Pietroforte, R. (1993) New construction versus maintenance and repair construction technology in the USA since World War I. , Construction Management and Economics, 11, 151–62. Bon, R. , Birgonul, T. and Ozdogan, I. (1999) An input– output analysis of the Turkish construction sector, 1973– 1990: a note. Construction Management and Economics, 17, 543–51.Chen, J. J. (1998) The characteristics and current status of China’s construction industry, Construction Management and Economics, 16, 711-719. Dickey, D. A. and Fuller, W. A. (1979) Distributions of the estimators for autoregressive time series with a unit root. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 74, 427- -31 Drewer, S (1997) Construction and development: Further reflections on the work of Duccio Turin. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Construction Industry Development, Singapore 9- 11 December. Engle, R. F. and Issler, V. 1993) Estimating Sectoral Cycles Using Co integration and Common Features, Working Paper No. 4529, National Bureau of Economic Research. Field, B. and Ofori, G. (1988) Construction and economic development – a case study. Third World Planning Review, 10(1), 41–50. Fox, L. P. (1976) Building construction as an engine of growth: an evaluation of the Columbian development plan. Ph. D. dissertation, The University of North Carolina. Granger, C. W. J. and Newbold, P. (1986) Forecasting Economic Time Series, Academic Press, Orlando, FL. Granger, C. W. J. and Newbold, P. (1974) Spurious regressions in econometrics.Journal of Econometrics, 2, 111–20. Green, R. K. (1997) Follow the leader: how changes in residential and non-residential investment predict changes in GDP. Real Estate Economics, 25(2), 253–70. Harris, R. (1995) Using Cointegration Analysis in Econometric Modeling, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Hassan. S. A. (2002) Construction Industry. (Kenya) published by Economic Review 2002. Hillebrandt, P. (1985) Analysis of the British Construction Industry, Macmillan, London. Hirschman, A. O. (1958) The Strategy of Economic Development, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.Hua. B. G. (1995). Residential construction demand forecasting us ing economic indicators: a comparative study of artificial neural networks and multiple regression School of Building and Estate Management, National University of Singapore ILO Geneva (2001), The construction industry in the twenty first century: Its image, employment prospects and skill requirements, International Labor Office Geneva Lean, S. C. (2001), Empirical tests to discern linkages between construction and other economic sectors in Singapore, Construction Management and Economics, 13, 253-262 290

Aristotelian Tragedy Macbeth

Aristotelian Tragedy: Macbeth Aristotle is known widely for developing his ideas on tragedy. He recorded these ideas in his Poetics in which he comments on the plot, purpose, and effect that a true tragedy must have. The structure of these tragedies has been an example for many writers including Shakespeare himself. Many of Shakespeare’s plays follow Aristotelian ideas of tragedy, for instance Macbeth does a decent job in shadowing Aristotle’s model. Aristotle describes one of the most important elements of a tragedy to be a tragic hero. The tragic hero however must present certain qualities such as nobility and virtue. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is a perfect example of a tragic hero. Macbeth begins the play coming home from battle, he is said to have fought with great courage and King Duncan himself awards him the title of the thane of Cawdor in reward for his bravery. The qualities make Macbeth a tragic hero as he possesses not only a noble title, but also the assets of a great warrior and hero. However, Aristotle emphasizes that if the tragic hero was as perfect as he seems than the audience would not be able to identify with him and this would not be considered a tragedy. Macbeth shows us his humanity very early in the play when he learns that Malcolm, Duncan’s son, will be the heir to the throne of Scotland. In response, Macbeth acknowledges that he himself should be awarded the crown and will not rest until royalty is his. Macbeth is an ambitious character, which is a quality that many humans can identify with. This ambitiousness is known as Macbeth’s tragic flaw. This leads to Aristotle’s next component of a tragedy, the tragic flaw. The hero’s tragic flaw must lead to the downfall of the character; his demise can be caused by no one other than himself. Macbeth’s ambitious personality leads him to become caught up in attaining power for himself. Macbeth’s ruthless behavior causes him to commit murder to Duncan in order to gain kingship. Even after his wish comes true, he continues to sacrifice the lives of others, including his close friend Banquo, to assure that he never loses his throne. However, Macbeth does not go unpunished as he suffers countless dreams and illusions that drive him to insanity. The loss of his wife also brings Macbeth to his final denouement. In the end, Macbeth is killed by Macduff; because of his arrogance he believed he was invincible even after being told his fate. Macbeth reaches his end through the same way he lived his life, through murder and deception. Many argue over the fairness of Macbeth’s life, but the goal of a tragedy in Aristotle’s view point is to strike fear and pity in the audience through harsh punishment upon the hero in extreme ways. Finally, Aristotle claims that in order for a tragedy to be effective, the fear and pity must be released from the audience through catharsis. First the tragic hero must gain some knowledge from his tragic life. Macbeth shows this self-realization in his ‘yellow leaf’ soliloquy when he expresses remorse for his actions. Also, in the end he knows he must fight until the end whether his fate is death. At this point the audience is cleansed of the emotions of the plot and the tragedy is finished. Macbeth is a primary example of a typical Aristotelian tragedy. It follows the structure necessary from the tragic hero, to his downfall and ultimately to the catharsis necessary for an original Greek drama. The aspects of this play are a perfect example of the tragedies of that era.