Science Teaching: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Science Teaching: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Science instruction can take on many forms. From the lecture hall, to the laboratory there are a variety of ways science can be taught. This essay explores the historical events and changes that have effected science education and made it what it is today and where it may be heading in the future. (Martin, 2009) Science education was created to share scientific data and events with students who are not part of the scientific community but benefit from scientific understanding. It is a way to make students scientifically literate about general concepts that pertain to scientific discovery. Elementary science education usually includes the subject areas of physical, life, earth, and space sciences. (Martin, 2009) The early days of science education began in the United Kingdom near the end of the 19th Century. Decades later the push for science education reached the United States. In the US science was taught in a somewhat disorganized manner until it was standardized in 1890. Following standardization, science curriculum slowly evolved without a great deal of mainstream excitement and focus until the 1950’s with the dawn of the space age. After the Soviet Union’s Sputnik program successfully launched several objects into space the United States became painfully aware that they were behind in science technology. From this point on in true American fashion the desire to compete on the world stage became the driving force for scientific discovery, specifically a race into space. This awareness that the United States had some catching up to do in order to rival the advances of other countries inspired support for higher quality science programs in classrooms across America in hopes that a crop of science- minded students would emerge. Martin, 2009) With the new focus on science education came billions of dollars to fund it. Educators were given the materials to teach ever-changing scientific concepts as well as the tools to provide a hands-on experience to students in the form of laboratories and field studies. Because discovery was changing at a rapid pace, science curriculum during this time was based on concrete scientific theory rather than the latest discoveries. The main goal was for students to gain a general understanding of science and to inspire students to become inquisitive and scientifically minded. Martin, 2009) Science teachers of the past and present share a common responsibility. They must convey a positive attitude about the subject of science to their students. Science teachers must present materials in and interesting, factual and creative way. They must engage their students in hands-on experiences. Teachers must give students the sense that they are able to gain an understanding of the world of science and build upon it to add to their knowledge. Teachers must make scientific understanding obtainable for students, sparking future inquisition and research. Martin, 2009) The ability for students to understand general sciences and beyond is a necessity. In the modern world, students will be required to use scientific information as they make choices on a daily basis. Also, students who are scientifically literate benefit from their ability to discuss, in an informed manner, many of the scientifically based issues the world community faces. Additionally, students will use scientific literacy in an ever-demanding workplace environment where they will be required to think creatively, solve problems, reason, and make decisions. National Academies Press, 1996) The science curriculum of today is moving in the direction of making students of the Unites States competitive on a worldwide stage. With technology changing at an extremely rapid pace it is essential that American science education prepare students to stay on pace with advances as well as forge new paths in the science of technology. Also, the sciences that focus on the natural Earth have taken center stage as the world addresses issues like global warming, and the availability of natural resources. In an article that promotes the new National Science Education Standards it is proposed that new American standards â€Å"will require major changes in much of this country's science education. The Standards rest on the premise that science is an active process. Learning science is something that students do, not something that is done to them. †Hands-on† activities, while essential, are not enough. Students must have â€Å"minds-on† experiences as well. † (National Academies Press, 1996) Today’s science curriculum should continue on their current path and focus on technological science and physical science. Although the space sciences are still fascinating, given the current needs for the United States to lead the world community in other areas it important that the most relevant sciences receive the most focus. References Martin, D. J. (2009). Elementary science methods: A constructivist approach (5th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. National Academies Press. (1996). National science education standards: An overview. http://www. nap. edu/openbook. php? record_id=4962&page=1

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 9

Micha I've slept in my own bed for the past week, even though my body itched to do another maneuver up the tree and into Ella's window. She's been avoiding me ever since we made out in my car. I'm guessing she needs some time to sort through her thoughts; that I was overwhelming her. Ella has always had issues with intimacy and pushed people away, including me if I try to cross the friend line. I actually had to work to become her friend. We've always lived next door, but it took me bribing her with a juice box and a toy car to even get her to let me climb over the fence into her yard. But it was worth the time. Fifteen years later, we're still friends. I can't imagine my life without her, something I grasped that night when I found her on the bridge. Even though I knew she wasn't going to jump, seeing her standing on the ledge made me realize that I want and need her in my life forever. She challenges me, pushes me, and pisses me off, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's late in the afternoon when I wake up. Blinking against the bright sun, I drag my butt out of bed and throw on an old tee and some jeans. Ethan and I are still working on fixing the blown head gasket on my car, so I send him a text that I'm up and ready to go. I head into the kitchen and drink the orange juice straight out of the jug. My mom walks in combing her hair, and scolds me. â€Å"Micha Scott, how many times have I told you not to do that crap?† She snatches the juice away and sets it back in the fridge. I wipe away the juice from my chin. â€Å"I think it's called selective hearing.† She does up the buttons on her jacket, dressed to head off to her day job as a secretary at the dealership. She also has a night job as a hostess at a cafe. â€Å"You are such a smart ass.† She holds up a red lacy bra. â€Å"Okay, so I know I've always been the cool mom, but finding this in my bed is crossing the line.† â€Å"Isn't it yours?† I grab a box of cereal out of the cupboard. She scowls at me as she tosses the bra into the trash behind her. â€Å"I have much more class than that.† Thinking of her trashy dress the other night, I can't help but laugh. â€Å"That's breaking news to me.† She gently slaps the back of my head and I laugh, rubbing it like it hurts. â€Å"If you must know, I had a date that night with a really nice guy, but he's a little younger than me and I was trying to make a good first impression.† â€Å"So that's why you had that trashy dress on.† I scoop a handful of cereal out of the box and stuff it into my mouth. â€Å"I was wondering about that.† â€Å"I didn't look that bad,† she protests, grabbing her keys from the hook on the wall. â€Å"Did I?† I hate it when she asks questions like these; ones that don't have a right answer. I shrug and put the cereal back into the cupboard. She grabs a granola bar out of the cupboard. â€Å"So Ella's back for good I'm guessing?† I crunch slowly on the cereal. â€Å"Yeah, until summer's over.† She waits for me to embellish. â€Å"Are you going to tell me where she was for the last eight or nine months?† â€Å"College,† I say. â€Å"In Vegas.† â€Å"Wow, I'm actually impressed with that answer.† She peels the wrapper off the granola bar. â€Å"Good for her.† I frown. â€Å"Why? She bailed on everyone.† â€Å"I'm not saying how she did it was right, but it's good she's going somewhere in her life.† â€Å"I told you I have plans. I just need to figure out a way to make them happen.† She sighs and pats my head like I'm still a child. â€Å"I worry about you spending too much time chasing her. You might have to realize that maybe she doesn't want to get caught, sweetie. Trust me. It was something I had to learn with your dad.† She hangs her bag over her shoulder and drums her fingernails on the counter. â€Å"Micha, did you think about what I told you the other night?† â€Å"You mean with that random text you sent me?† She sighs heavy-heartedly. â€Å"I'm sorry I broke the news to you like that. It's been sitting on my chest for a while and I just couldn't figure out a way to do it. I panicked.† She hangs her head. â€Å"I'm a terrible mother, aren't I?† I shake my head and give her a hug because I can sense she needs one. â€Å"Being a terrible news breaker doesn't make you a terrible mother. I've always had a roof over my head and food to eat.† She hugs me back. â€Å"Yeah, but sometimes it feels like I should have spent more time with you. I mean, every mother in the world gives more than what I do.† My eyes travel over her head to the window. Ella's house is right outside, looking broken and beaten. â€Å"Not every mother. In fact, some can't help not to.† She steps away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. â€Å"Are you going to call him?† I eye my father's number tacked to the wall next to the phone. â€Å"I haven't decided yet.† She dabs her fingers under her eyes, fixing her makeup. â€Å"Just make sure to think about it from both sides. I know he's been out of your life for forever, but he sounded genuine on the phone. I think he really wants to see you.† I force a smile. â€Å"Alright, I'll think about it.† My father bailed out when I was six and we haven't heard from him since. My mom went looking for him right after he left, but she came back telling me she couldn't find him. I've always wondered if she did find him, but didn't want to tell me the truth. My mom leaves the house and I relax on the couch with my feet kicked up on the table as I wait around for Ethan to show up. I'm surfing through the channels when the home phone rings. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Umm†¦ is this Micha?† A voice responds. â€Å"Yeah†¦ why? Who's this?† A long pause fills the connection and I think I've lost the weirdo. â€Å"Are you there?† I ask, getting annoyed. â€Å"Yeah.† He clears his throat. â€Å"This is your father.† I nearly drop the damn phone. â€Å"Micha, this is you, isn't it?† He sounds old and formal and it pisses me off. â€Å"Yeah it's me,† I say through gritted teeth. â€Å"I know your mother was going to have you call me, but there is something I need to talk to you about,† he says. â€Å"And it can't wait.† I consider his request. â€Å"I've been waiting almost fourteen years to talk to you. I think you can wait a little bit longer.† Then I slam the phone down and punch the wall. The sheetrock crumbles to the counter top and the hook holding the keys crashes to the floor. â€Å"Fuck!† I collapse to the ground, hoping no one walks in and sees me falling apart. Especially Ella.

19th Amendment to the Constitution

19th Amendment to the Constitution * Women gained the right to vote in 1920 in the 19th Amendment. Due to societal norms of the past, many women chose not to vote. The League of Women Voters was formed the same year to educate women about political issues and candidates, as well as encourage participation in the political process. One of the founders was the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Carrie Chapman Catt. Read more: Roaring Twenties Political Events | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/list_7794192_roaring-twenties-political-events. tml#ixzz1gYm7jWyN Sunday, William â€Å"Billy† 1862-1935 The Best-Known Evangelist in America. Billy Sunday entered the 1920s as the best-known revivalist in America. His great campaign in New York City in 1917 coincided with America's entry into the Great War, and in his sermons Sunday managed to fuse Christianity and American patriotism to the delight of millions. His success was even greater when he was able to c elebrate the death of his longtime enemy, â€Å"John Barleycorn,† with the adoption of Prohibition. He even attained some wealth, In 1920 Dun and Bradstreet estimated his worth at $1. million. Decline. However, the 1920s were not pleasant for Sunday and his wife. While he continued to attract large audiences and led thousands to hit the â€Å"sawdust trail† that led to the altars of the tabernacles he had put up for his revivals, these special buildings no longer went up in the largest cities of the North, and he found himself working medium-sized crowds. Economic Growth in the 1920s Despite the 1920-1921 depression and the minor interruptions in 1924 and 1927, the American economy exhibited impressive economic growth during the 1920s.Though some commentators in later years thought that the existence of some slow growing or declining sectors in the twenties suggested weaknesses that might have helped bring on the Great Depression, few now argue this. Economic growth ne ver occurs in all sectors at the same time and at the same rate. Growth reallocates resources from declining or slower growing sectors to the more rapidly expanding sectors in accordance with new technologies, new products and services, and changing consumer tastes. Economic growth in the 1920s was impressive.Ownership of cars, new household appliances, and housing was spread widely through the population. New products and processes of producing those products drove this growth. The combination of the widening use of electricity in production and the growing adoption of the moving assembly line in manufacturing combined to bring on a continuing rise in the productivity of labor and capital. Though the average workweek in most manufacturing remained essentially constant throughout the 1920s, in a few industries, such as railroads and coal production, it declined. Whaples 2001) New products and services created new markets such as the markets for radios, electric iceboxes, electric ir ons, fans, electric lighting, vacuum cleaners, and other laborsaving household appliances. This electricity was distributed by the growing electric utilities. The stocks of those companies helped create the stock market boom of the late twenties. RCA, one of the glamour stocks of the era, paid no dividends but its value appreciated because of expectations for the new company. Like the Internet boom of the late 1990s, the electricity boom of the 1920s fed a rapid expansion in the stock market.Fed by continuing productivity advances and new products and services and facilitated by an environment of stable prices that encouraged production and risk taking, the American economy embarked on a sustained expansion in the 1920s. Answer: Improve Positive effects- it created jobs, it created wealth, and it produced better living Negative effects- living conditions were bad, workers got seriously injured/killed, cities became crowded, and some countries tried imperialism Read more: http://wiki . answers. com/Q/What_were_the_positive_and_negative_effects_of_industrialization_between_1890_and_1920#ixzz1gYpL2o4R

International Cost of capital Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Cost of capital - Assignment Example Question1. Provide an illustrative example of WACC calculation using a FTSE100 company. Answer: The components of weighted average of cost of capital come from the equity side of the statement of financial position, which is commonly understood and known as balance sheet-common shares, preferred shares and debt, long term liability are the components of capital. Any change in the shape of increase in assets of the balance sheet would require increasing at least any one of components of the capital account. In order to increase the liability side of the balance sheet, the cost of these components is called as component based cost of capital. Numerous causes require to occur or to increase the cost of capital. First, the need of long term investment and long term financing requires a company to determine and decide an appropriate way of arranging finance. Either willingly or unwillingly, the company has to evaluate all possible and available means that can be used for the purpose of sa tisfying their long term business investment needs. Some companies use and issue preferred shares for the purpose of raising finance. ... On the whole, these both means have some sort of similarities and some sort of dissimilarities. Preferred shares are mostly placed with the ordinary shares, on the other hand, the debentures and other forms of long term liabilities are incorporated in the long term liability section of the statement of financial position. Following is the standard computational method of weighted average of cost of capital: WACC = Ke [(market value of equity/A)] + kd [(1-t) (market value of debt/A)]. Where; WACC= weighted average of cost of capital Ke= cost of equity A=market value of equity + market value of debt Kd= cost of debt Cost of equity (Ke) is the required return on the ordinary shares. Most of the time, it is this feature that is pretty difficult to estimate. Cost of equity can be determined by two ways: dividend growth model and capital asset pricing model (CAPM). The dividend growth model uses the following formula: P0 = D1/ (Re-g) Here, P0 is the current stock price or stock price in th e period of 0. D1 is the amount of dividend in the next period or next year. Re is the cost of equity. G is the dividend growth rate. For ke the equation would become Re= D1/ P0+ g The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) helps with the following equation to determine the cost of equity: Re= Rf+ b(Rm - Rf) Here, Rf= the risk free rate. B= beta value Rm= market return Capital asset pricing model was determined and defined and published its derivation by William Sharpe in the year of 1986 (Megginson, 1996). There are numerous assumptions on which capital asset pricing model is based on. For instance, capital asset pricing model assumes that investors hold diversified range of portfolios (Head, 2008). Example: Computation of weighted average of

O2 environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

O2 environment - Essay Example This means that Telefà ³nica has to major in various aspects that will see it grow (Matsumoto, Umeda, Masui and Fukushige 2012:57). O2 understands the impact that customer needs have on the growth and success of the company. Over the past five years, the company has been looking for different ways of building resilience in the provision of critical national infrastructure in accordance with the ISO 22301 guidelines (Kelion 2013). The important aspect, as noted by the company is to work on safeguarding the interests of the customers by establishing strong staff welfare policies. This assures them that the employees are satisfied and can serve the clients with confidence. They have established mechanisms to assist in the faster recovery of any critical disruptions that affect clients wherever they are. This allows the company to maintain a good rapport with the employees and clients as much as possible. Further, it increases customer confidence and reassures them of its zeal towards the realisation of successful operations (Matsumoto, Umeda, Masui and Fukushige 2012:57). The company is also working hard to ensure that shareholders recognise the business’s resiliency in the highly competitive market. The industry is quite competitive and they wanted to have as many investors in their corner. They have changed their strategies to accommodate the different shareholder attributes that will in turn increase the profits the company needs most (Kelion 2013). To deal with the competitors, the company has made good use of its strategic position within the UK to serve its more than 23 million customers. The 3G network is one of its unique selling points in the UK that has added 84% of the UK population to its list of customers. It has been able to work on different technology versions that have made it easy to supply the customers with faster 3G speeds (O2 2015). This

Case Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Problem - Essay Example Such a business case demonstrates yet again how statistics can be used to reduce uncertainty. In particular, simulation modeling enables quantification of events and outcomes with varying probabilities. Previewing all possible outcomes with unknown probabilities of occurrence helps to assess potential costs and benefits. Monte Carlo simulation is one such procedure that applies (Doane & Seward, 2007; Stout, 2007). These parameters require the use of a uniform model, where RV values vary within a given range with no central tendency or standard deviation assumed. For the first step of estimating randomly varying demand, the result of 52 iterations of revenue simulations (see Table 1 below) yields a somewhat skewed distribution with a mean of $540 daily, a median of $542 and a standard deviation of $184. Gross annual revenue before simulating the effect of mechanical breakdown would be $28,109. This is the baseline. Next, we factor in the incidence of breakdowns and the lead time for repair. We employ the RAND function to estimate the probability that the copier will be trouble-free all days of the week (instead of defining as â€Å"6 times the square root of r†). For the first week in the all-year iterations, therefore, the RAND value of 0.487 translates to a probability that the main copier will break down after just three days of operation. That same week, repair lead time is calculated using the VLOOKUP function based on the same column of RAND values. Since RAND=0.487 is lower than the 0.65 cumulative probability associated with two days’ repair lead time, the VLOOKUP function returns 1 day. Hence, revenue loss for the week comes to gross revenue times the proportion of 7 days that the main copier can reliably be predicted to

Methods of Raise Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Methods of Raise Capital - Essay Example Bonds are the best way to raise capital of large companies. Roughly about 25% of the capital comes through bonds. Companies get benefit greatly from the issuance of bonds because investors pay a lower interest rate than the rates of other types of borrowing. Also, because the interest paid on bonds is exempted from business taxes. Therefore, companies must make interest payments even if profits do not appear. If there is doubt from investors that the company does not have the capability to meet the obligations of interest, or it could refuse to buy bonds or that the demand for interest rate will be higher to compensate them for their increased risk. (U.S.Department, 2009). One of the most common methods of raising capital is through bonds , where we define bonds are loans made to governments and institutions by investors as the investor get a specific interest rate because he invests his money in good investment idea. In return, the borrower gets the money it needed, also the investo r gets the original amount invested (the principal amount or value of the bond issue) and can issue bonds for a long period of up to 20 and 30 years. Bonds are classified according to their quality bonds or prospects for reimbursement. Bonds do not usually find the same attention, such as equity from investors and the media. Since the bonds offer many advantages better than stock. In addition, safety of bonds is over stocks and more confident. (Mohammed, 2005). There are many companies planning to raise their capital. For example, Lloyds Bank announced that it will raise the bank's capital to 7.5 billion pounds, through the exchange of bonds. (Glover, 2009). The bond market can be divided into three parts: Domestic bonds: Shall be handled through the local currency and it is issued by domestic borrowers. Foreign bonds: Shall be handled by the local currency and is also trading in the domestic market but issued from foreign borrower and always common on the comprehensive follow-up of power. Eurobonds: Eurobonds is underwriting by multinational banks and these bonds are not taken by the trading in all markets and specific national or local markets, these bonds are currently has role in the production of some of the major currencies and some small currencies. There are many types of bonds are offered in the market. These bonds can be dividing it as follows: Straight bonds: Can be called fixed-income securities as they have a fixed price and are paid on time. Bonds paid in part: These bonds the same straight bonds, but there is a difference that the investor must pay a certain portion of the capital from 0 to 33 on the closing date and paid the remaining of the capital after 6 months. Zero-coupon bond: These bonds also the same straight bonds, but the difference is that it does not have a fixed time for the payment of benefits, but there is a problem in high-value discounts and must pay the original amou

The war in syria and its consequences on lebanon Research Paper - 1

The war in syria and its consequences on lebanon - Research Paper Example The armed opposition is an alliance of various groups, which were formed during the conflict to protect the civilian protestors and face off the government forces. This civil conflict has however progressed to become a regional problem, affecting other countries that have remained neutral to the domestic issues that are facing the country. As opposed to being an effort to eliminate Assad leadership in Syria, the conflict has graduated into a sectarian conflict, leading to emergence of Alawite government forces and pro-government militias made up of members of the Shia tribe (White 16). The opposition is dominated by members of the Sunni tribe, a situation that has led to an increase in foreign interference in the course of the war. For example, in 2013, the Hezbollah terrorist group joined the civil war to fight alongside government forces and defeat the Sunni dominated opposition forces. As the war progresses, its impacts have been felt beyond the borders of Syria, spilling to neighboring countries, which are currently, faced with major insecurity challenges. Lebanon, a country with the longest borderline with Syria is considered as one of the few neighboring countries that have significantly been affected by the civil war. As a result, the Syrian conflict has had significant security challenges to Lebanon as the fight has virtually spilt into the country. This has further affected the economy and the healthcare sector in the country as major basic and social amenities are suspended as has been witnessed in the war torn Syria (Dahi 12). Despite the ravaging ramification of the Syrian internal conflict, scholars have made little effort to bring to the fore its effects to peace and stability in neighboring countries. Efforts have concentrated on how the war has affected the social and economic stability of Syria and how the Assad and opposition

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions - Essay Example It is crucial to curb the over use of non-renewable resources as these are non- replaceable. A constant use of these non replenishing resources until exhaustion will bring a situation of dire environmental and economic problems (Energy Conservation Strategies and Solutions). It is the need of time to understand that human race altogether needs measures for energy conservation to save life on the Earth. This understanding is imperative as it can save not only household and business money but also the savings in terms of energy for tomorrow! Life in today's scenario is upon speed, demand and the power of energy. Human beings consume energy in almost every aspect of day-to-day activities like transport, heat and electricity. It is therefore essential that these basic activities must be diminished to ensure the conservation of energy and reduction or exclusion of unnecessary energy use and wastage. This requires individual and government efforts to make healthier living beings because human endeavor is imperative to deal with the burning problem of misuse of energy and resources. For this, human console, individual security, national security, environmental value, and financial capital must be taken into prime consideration (Energy Conservation Strategies and Solutions). There are numerous actions that can be adopted to safeguard energy and prevent the environment around. It is important to conserve energy because most of our current energy sources are non renewable and have a finite quantity. They encompass all the nonrenewable resources such as coal, petroleum, natural gases, and nuclear power. These resources took millions of years to reform and again are going to take the same duration for its formation. Exhaustion of these resources will deprive the human civilization from the energy resources (Energy Conservation Strategies and Solutions). Consequently, search for better options for the energy resources is essential. It is apparent that renewable resources such as biomass, water, geothermal, wind, and solar energy serve as better options for the energy resources releasing fewer pollutants in the air (Energy Conservation Strategies and Solutions). Various nonliving factors that play crucial role in consumption of energy are sunlight, temperature, precipitation, water, and soil. Sunlight and temperature contribute to energy consumption. It is understood that like sunlight and temperature other renewable resources can also be used as sources of light and energy and also as an alternative to the nonrenewable resources that are currently being used (Energy Conservation Strategies and Solutions). Apart from nonliving factors, living factors that may contribute or be affected by energy consumption are herbivores (plant eating animals or grazing animals), carnivores (flesh eating animals or they feed on other animals or matter of animal origin), and omnivores (they thrive on both plants and animals) (Energy Conservation Strategies and Solutions). The energy flow in the ecosystem as: Sunlight Plants Herbivores Carnivores Decomposers (Energy flow in Ecosystem). This displays the information that plants are the sole trappers of solar energy and they are the ultimate providers of energy to the entire ecosystem and animal world. If plants are affected by energy consumption, by deforestation, by utilizing them for various products, to get land for construction of

Ethnic group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic group Essay What do we mean by ethnicity and what are some of the most important types of ethnic identification? Discuss how a country’s transition to democracy might increase ethnic tensions in some cases and decrease it in others. According to Handelman, â€Å"ethnicity is a social construction with certain common qualities† (2001). What this means in my opinion is the ethnicity is identifying with a group based on what that group has similar or alike. According to that text the most identifying types of ethnicity groups are Nationality, tribes, race and religion. Nationality is almost self-explanatory; this identifier of ethnicity is based on what the commonalty of being from the same county or land. Nationality is the combination of having the same culture, speak the same language, and having the same genealogical background. An example of this ethnic group would be like native India to the Haitians or Japanese people. This leads way to the next group tribes. A tribe is, â€Å" sub-national groups, particularly in Africa, that share a collective identity which include language and common lineage† (Handelman, 2001). I believe that tribe is not limited to those in Africa but also reaches to the many various tribes in the rain forest to Austria. This group I feel is a sub group within nationality, tribes form the same land loses the connective to Nationality based on the separation of language, culture and linage. Next we have race, basically race is based on physical identifying characteristics such skin completion and so forth. Race can be a little more harder to identify correctly based on so many factors can cause the appearance of one race on another. Also with race, it can be a common factor with tribe and nationality but the two groups still have separation despite that common trait. Last but not least is religion, unlike the others this group can be a self-choice to join. This group at most times can be based on nationality, tribe or race but can change because one’s identifying with a particular religion. Ethnicity can play a role of hindrance and positive for movement towards democracy. As defined â€Å"democracy is measured by the transparency and fairness of the essential procedures governing the election and behavior of government officials† (Handelman, 2001). Based on the different groups of ethnicity, democracy can be hinders because of one’s strong connection to it group. For example, to have a full democracy both men and women should vote, some tribes and religions do not agree with women have voting rights. Some people are so proud of their nationality and some to their race that they feel that they are the better group and do not feel others should right. On the other end of the spectrum ethnicity can help with transition towards democracy based on it wanting to come together for a greater good. For instance two races or nationalities joining together against a common enemy fight towards a form of democracy. Handelman, H. (2011 ). Dependency, Modernization, and Ethnic Conflict. In The Challenge Of Third World Development (p. 113). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

EU limits of enlargement

EU limits of enlargement Enlargement of the European Unionis the process of expanding theEuropean Union via the accession of newmember states. This process began with thefirst Six, who were the founding powers of theEuropean Coal and Steel Communitywhich was a precursor to the EU in 1952. Since then the EUs membership has increased to twenty seven with the more recent expansions includingBulgariaandRomaniain 2007.Currently there are negotiations under way with several countries who wish to begin the process of joining the EU. The process of enlargement is often calledEuropean integration. However, this term is also used to refer to the increased levels of co-operation between EU member states as individual national governments allow for the integration of more common national laws. (EU Online 2010) To be able to join the European Union a country needs to fulfil several economic and political conditions which are collectively called theCopenhagen criteria(after theCopenhagensummit in June 1993). Any prospecti ve member also needs to have a stable democratic government that respects the rule of international law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to theMaastricht Treaty, each current member state and theEuropean Parliamentmust agree to any enlargement. (EU Online 2010) Enlargement is counted among the EUs most successful foreign policies but it has also suffered from severe opposition.France has historically been opposed to enlargement. British membership vetoed by France because they feared the influence of the United States.(IISS 2008) France was also opposed to Portuguese, Spanish and Greek membership because they feared that these states were not ready and it would dilute the EU down to a free trade area(ESI 2006). The reason for the first member states to apply and for them to be accepted was economical while the second enlargement was much more to do with politics (IISS 2008). The southern Mediterranean countries in Europe had just emerged from dictatorships and single party governments and wanted to preserve the security of their democratic systems through the EU, while the EU wanted to ensure that their southern counterparts were stable democracies and to steer them away from any possible communist influence.These two principle factors, eco nomic and political security have been the driving force behind enlargements. However with the more recent enlargements in 2004 public opinion in Europe has turned against further expansion. It has also been acknowledged that enlargement has its limits, the EU cannot expand endlessly (ESI 2006). To understand the limits of enlargement we need to understand the effect that enlargement has on the eruopean union Since the spring of 2005, when the proposed European Constitutional Treaty was rejected in referenda in France and the Netherlands, debate on the drawbacks of enlargement has gained in intensity. Senior politicians across Europe have called for a slow-down, freeze or even a permanent halt to enlargement. Voices opposing enlargement regularly make headlines, creating the impression that the future of enlargement is hanging in the balance. (ESI 2006) One of the factors that turn public opinion against European enlargement is immigration. The members of the old Europe fear the influx of migrants that adding more members to the European Union would bring. The fact that several of the older member states public (Britain, France) are already hostile to foreign labour only makes this worse. Indeed immigration was the main reason that the constitution was defeated in the French and Dutch referenda in 2005. This migration also creates problems for prospective members as huge numbers of skilled workers leave for other EU countries. The new members will after the initial economic boom that comes with joining the EU fall into economic decline and demand more and more money from the EU budget to keep its economy afloat. (Palmer 2006) Further enlargement would also put more pressure on the European Unions already struggling administrative system the simple fact is that the European Union does not have the governance capacity to effectively run a union of twenty seven without adding another ten or fifteen new member states. With the failure of its planned constitution and the unpopularity of the Lisbon treaty it clearly lacks the required degree of integration needed for effective decision making and implementation. And the essential development of a transnationalEuropean democracyis still falling far behind the limited progress made in strengthening the EUs executive powers. (Palmer 2006) There seems little doubt that at that point classical EU enlargement will have reached its end. Of course major questions about the relationship to the EU of countries further east -Ukraine, Moldova,Belarusand the countries of theCaucasus(Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan) remain (Palmer 2006). But they will have to be solved through a different process involving more limited sovereignty-sharing with the EU. Indeed, this could become a more attractive model for Turkey in the nextdecade. It would be disastrous for peace stability and the spread of democracy in the wider European neighbourhood if enlargement shuddered to a halt now.(palmer 2006) But we need a definition of a wider European Commonwealth that does not bind both sides into the detailed legal structures drawn up fifty years ago for European countries facing quite different challenges.