Hoebel, The Cheyennes: Indians Of The Great Plains Essay

E. Adamson Hoebel’s The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains is a detailed, comprehensive ethnographic study of the tribe’s beliefs, practices, and adaptation to their harsh environment. Though not the strongest Plains people, the Cheyenne used their strengths to overcome their obstacles and maintain a cohesive, stable culture. A sedentary village culture of the Algonquian language family, the Cheyenne moved from the upper Mississippi valley to the high plains of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming around 1800 to escape the hostilities of the neighboring Lakota (5). Their settled ways were disrupted and they became horse-riding and nomadic, leaving behind their village ways. Hoebel depicts their culture as structured yet flexible, â€Å"rational and skilled in cultural adaptation† (103), and geared toward internal harmony as a means of maintaining cohesion. The harsh plains environment, with extreme weather and little water or wood, â€Å"is the essential ecological fact controlling the Cheyenne† (63). They adapted to this by becoming mobile, moving according to where resources could be easily obtained, mastering their gathering, hunting, and trading skills over a wide area, and relying heavily on horses. Their religion is hierarchical, with being at all levels endowed with spiritual powers. Spirits can manifest in human form and their attributes lie in their knowledge of how to operate within the universe. Hoebel writes that the Cheyenne believe â€Å"the universe if essentially a mechanical system which is good in essence, but which must be properly understood and used to keep it producing what humans need† (89). They see the universe mechanically, with spirits responding somewhat predictably according to human acts. To survive in their dry grassland environment, the Cheyenne divided their labor rigidly along gender lines. The women gathered roots, berries, and seeds while also foraging for wood, raising and mending tipis, while the men hunted big game (mainly bison, antelope, and elk) for meat and smaller animals (wolves and fox) for fur. Gender roles govern not only labor, but also most areas of Cheyenne social life. Males and females generally stop mixed-sex socializing at adolescence, and males join any of five military clubs once they reach fighting age, while women have only the Robe Quillers (an outgrowth of their role as makers of clothing). However, some deviation exists – â€Å"Contraries† become transvestites while overdoing the warrior role, while â€Å"halfmen-halfwomen† are homosexual. (Both are isolated yet tolerated. ) The Cheyenne economic system relied heavily on trade, though because of their location on the high plains they had limited access to many traders. They often served as intermediaries between poorer and richer tribes, traveled great distances to trade their meat and vegetable goods (as well as robes and leather goods) for more food, as well as ornamental items like beads and silver jewelry. Their most important commodity was the horse, often acquired in trade or stolen from enemies in raids. Cheyenne politics were organized by family, kindred, and band, and governed by the tribal council, where power lay â€Å"not in the hands of aggressive war leaders but under the control of even-tempered peace chiefs† (43). Composed mainly of older men elected for ten-year terms, the council worked to resolve internal conflicts, which were considered more threatening than war, and had a nearly supernatural authority. A head priest-chief (the Sweet Medicine Chief) and five medicine chiefs presided and had control over most rituals. Hoebel’s study examines most major areas of the Cheyennes’ lives and depicts them as a tribe that survived not by overwhelming power, but by adapting well to a demanding environment, trading as well as possible, and maintaining internal harmony and stability. Hoebel, E. Adamson. The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978.

Teachers Point of View

As a high school teacher I have to be a facilitator-guide and a sage who imparts knowledge. I believe that teaching and learning are creative and very social. Based on my understanding, in order for some students to become productive learners; teachers should understand what is occurring inside students minds. As well, as what methods will help retain and retrieved that knowledge. Cognitive principles relates to how information is process in the mind (referred to Atkinson-Shiffrin model pg. 159). In addition, cognitive also deals with how the mind stores, organizes, retrieves and incorporates new information.The following are some of the ways I incorporated cognitive principles to my classroom, through metacognition ( schema) , rehearsal , elaboration ( activating prior knowledge) , note taking , verbal learning ( Paired- associate , serial , free-recall) , and analogies. Students now a day has a very short attention span, as a teacher I have to become eclectic. In the constructivist classroom the teacher becomes a guide for the learner, providing bridging or scaffolding (mediated learning), helping to extend the learner's zone of proximal development.Constructivist theory relates to Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development, social interaction helps the student learn. The student is encouraged to develop metacognitive skills such as problem solving skills and reflective thinking. The self-sufficient learner is essentially motivated to generate, discover, build and enlarge their own framework of knowledge. In my classroom I observed and applied constructivist through cooperative learning, discovery learning, self- regulated learning and mediated learning. I will start my class by pre-assessing my students, to check their prior knowledge (cognitive theory of elaboration).If my students are having difficulty remembering what they learn from previous classes, than I will start scaffolding. I will give the students prompts, so that the prompts will trigger their short term memory (working memory). The prompts will give them a foundations and than they built on it and hopefully becoming independent learner. Mediated learning is applied in my class, I will show them how to perform a lab and than they will mix chemicals on their own. Their product or conclusion should be similar to my expectations. Another method that I applied in my classroom is cooperative learning.According to Vygotsky’s, students working with their peers will allow them to think out loud (private speech) and work in a thinking zone where they are comfortable at. If some of my students understand a concept that I am teaching I will break my class in groups. In each group, each member is at different cognitive level and they will assist each other. They will discuss, check each other understanding and see the concept from a different point of view. Another method that I utilized is â€Å"Group Investigation†. Each group will pick a topic and they will dis cuss, learn about that topic and than present on that topic.One of the methods that I incorporated cognitive theories is through verbal learning. In my class, if we encounter a lesson or word that is hard to remember we will associate it to another word. For instance, when we covered the Periodic Table students will associate the elements symbol to its name by using an image (Paired –associate learning through imagery). Another verbal learning is memorizing the elements name in alphabetically order or based on their weights, if in alphabetically order they will create a name or sentences based on the first initials of the elements (serial learning through initial-letter strategies).But the most effective way that I noticed in my class is free- recall. They will memorize the elements or body system in no particular order. Another example how cognitive is incorporated in my class is repetition, practice and elaboration. My students’ will practice a week before exam while other will practice a day before the exam. If my students want to benefit from what the practice they have to practice (study) everyday (distributed practice) rather than cram study. Elaboration is when they have to paraphrase. They will take a concept and than translate it to their own words, to check their understanding.When they are paraphrasing they also visualize what they are paraphrasing, because Paivio’s theory of memory stated that to retain something it has to be verbal and visual (dual- code). Graphic organizer is another technique that I applied in class; this allows the students to retrieve prior knowledge and applied it to their current classwork. There are a lot of techniques, for examples note taking, underlining, analogies, summarizing etc. But if the students are not using this techniques and the teacher is not incorporating different techniques the student will be limited.In conclusion, both constructivist and cognitive theories go hand in hand. There are different types of memories short term and long term (flashbulb, semantic, episodic memory) but for these memories to be activated there must be some stimuli that will trigger the activation. To retain the information the student has to use mnemonics (different memory strategies) but if information is meaningful it will be a schema in the brain. To trigger the working memory teachers should scaffold or student becomes self-regulators. But not all memories will be retain some are forgotten based on Atkinson-Shiffrin model

Goods and Services Tax

K SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES Goods & Services Tax Report submitted to Dr. Dhirendra Deshpande in partial fulfillment for the degree of Masters in Business Administration Symbiosis International University, Pune Abstract: This report is an attempt to understand the impact of GST on Indian economy. The report defines Sales Tax and Value-Added Tax (VAT). It then looks at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) design in India which has been adapted to suit the Indian taxation system.The report ends with the probable impact of GST on Indian economy and the limitations of the implementation of GST. ? Contents Introduction3 Sales Tax3 Types of sales tax3 Sales tax in India4 Value- Added Tax (VAT)6 Importance of VAT in India6 Advantages Of VAT6 Disadvantages of VAT7 Items covered under VAT7 Tax implication under Value Added Tax Act8 VAT vs. Sales Tax8 Goods and Services Tax (GST)10 Introduction10 The Need for GST10 Benefits of GST11 How GST Will Work12 GST vs. VAT14 GST vs. SALES TA X15 Limitation of GST16 IntroductionThis report is an attempt to understand the impact of GST on Indian economy. The report starts by defining Sales Tax and Value-Added Tax (VAT). It then looks at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) design in India which has been adapted to suit the Indian taxation system. The report ends with the probable impact of GST on Indian economy. Sales Tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body by a seller for the sales of certain goods and services. Laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase.Laws may allow sellers to itemiz (state item by item) the tax separately from the price of the goods or services, or require it to be included in the price (tax-inclusive). The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a governing body directly by a consumer, it is usually called a use tax. Often laws provide for the exe mption of certain goods or services from sales and use tax. Types of sales tax Gross receipts taxes: This tax has been criticized for its â€Å"cascading† or â€Å"pyramiding† effect, in which an item is taxed more than once as it makes its way from production to final retail sale. †¢Excise taxes: Applied to a narrow range of products, such as gasoline or alcohol, usually imposed on the producer or wholesaler rather than the retail seller. †¢Use tax: Imposed directly on the consumer of goods purchased without sales tax, generally items purchased from a vendor who is not under the jurisdiction of the taxing authority (e. g. , a vendor in another state).Use taxes are commonly imposed by states with a sales tax, but are usually only enforced for large items such as automobiles and boats. †¢Securities turnover excise tax on the trade of securities. †¢Value added taxes: In which tax is charged on all sales, thus avoiding the need for a system of resale c ertificates. Tax cascading is avoided by applying the tax only to the difference (â€Å"value added†) between the price paid by the first purchaser and the price paid by each subsequent purchaser of the same item. †¢Fair Tax: A proposed federal sales tax, intended to replace the U. S. ederal income tax. †¢Turnover tax: Similar to a sales tax, but applied to intermediate and possibly capital goods as an indirect tax. Sales tax in India Central Sales tax is generally payable on the sale of all goods by a dealer in the course of inter-state Trade or commerce or, outside a State or, in the course of import into or, export from India. According to S3, a sale or purchase shall be deemed to take place in the course of interstate trade or commerce in the following cases: 1. When the sale or purchase occasions the movement of goods from one State to another; 2.When the sale is affected by a transfer of documents of title to the goods during their movement from one State to a nother. Where the goods are delivered to a carrier or other bailee for transmission, the movement of the goods for the purpose of clause (b) above, is deemed to start at the time of such delivery and terminate at the time when delivery is taken from such carrier or bailee. Also, when the movement of goods starts and terminates in the same State, it shall not be deemed to be a movement of goods from one State to another.To make a sale as one in the course of interstate trade, there must be an obligation to transport the goods outside the state. The obligation may be of the seller or the buyer. It may arise by reason of statute or contract between the parties or from mutual understanding or agreement between them or, even from the nature of the transaction, which linked the sale to such transaction. There must be a contract between the seller and the buyer. According to the terms of the contract, the goods must be moved from one state to another.If there is no contract, then there is no inter-state sale. There can be an interstate sale even if the buyer and the seller belong to the same state; even if the goods move from one state to another as a result of a contract of sale; or, the goods are sold while they are in transit by transfer of documents. Sales tax is payable to the sales tax authority in the state from which the movement of goods commences. It is to be paid by every dealer on the sale of any goods effected by him in the course of inter-state trade or ommerce, notwithstanding that no liability to tax on the sale of goods arises under the tax laws of the appropriate state. No state can levy sales tax on any sale or purchase where such sale or purchase takes place †¢outside the state and †¢in the course of import of goods into or export of goods outside India. Only the parliament can levy tax on inter-state sale or purchase of goods Not all despatches of goods from one state to another result in inter state sales rather the movement must be on account of a covenant or incident of the contract of sales.There are some instances wherein the goods are moved out of the selling state and yet they are not considered inter state sales :- 1. Intra-state sales 2. Stock transfer from head office to branch & vice versa 3. Import and Export sales or purchases 4. Sale through commission agent / on account sales 5. Delivery of Goods for executing works contract Exceptions in the sales tax include: 1. Sales to resellers such as wholesalers and retailers that have a valid state resale certificate. 2.Sales to tax-exempt institutions such as schools or charities Value- Added Tax (VAT) VAT is a multi point levy where the tax paid on local purchases from the registered dealer can be set off against the tax payable on the sale of goods, other than special goods. Example: Consider the manufacture and sale of any item, which in this case we will call a widget. In what follows, the term â€Å"gross margin† is used rather than â€Å"profi t†. Profit is only what is left after paying other costs, such as rent and personnel. Importance of VAT in IndiaIndia, particularly being a trading community, has always believed in accepting and adopting loopholes in any system administered by State or Centre. If a well-administered system comes in, it only closes options for traders and businessmen to evade paying their taxes, but also makes sure that they are compelled to keep proper records of sales and purchases. Under the VAT system, no exemptions are given and a tax is levied at every stage of manufacture of a product. At every stage of value-addition, the tax that is levied on the inputs can be claimed back from tax authorities.At a macro level, two issues make the introduction of VAT critical for India. 1. Industry watchers believe that the VAT system, if enforced properly, will form part of the fiscal consolidation strategy for the country. It could, in fact, help address issues like fiscal deficit problem. Also the revenues estimated to be collected can actually mean lowering of fiscal deficit burden for the government. International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the semi-annual World Economic Outlook expressed its concern for India's large fiscal deficit – at 6 per cent of GDP. 2.Moreover any globally accepted tax administrative system would only help India integrate better in the World Trade Organization regime Advantages Of VAT 1. Simplification – Under the CST Act, there are 8 types of tax rates- 1%, 2%, 4%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 20% and 25%. However, under the present VAT system, there are only 2 types of taxes 4% on declared goods and 10-12% on RNR. This will eliminate any disputes that relate to rates of tax and classification of goods as this is the most usual cause of litigation. It also helps to determine the relevant stage of the tax.This is necessary as the CST Act stipulates that the tax levies at the first stage or the last stage differ. Consequently, the question of which stage of tax it falls under becomes another reason for litigation. Under the VAT system, tax is levied at each stage of the goods of sale or purchase. 2. Transparency – The tax that is levied at the first stage on the goods or sale or purchase is not transparent. This is because the amount of tax, which the goods have suffered, is not known at the subsequent stage. In the VAT system, the amount of tax is known at each and every stage of goods of sale or purchase. . Fair and Equitable – VAT introduces the uniform tax rates across the state so that unfair advantages cannot be taken while levying the tax. 4. Procedure of simplification – Procedures, relating to filing of returns, payment of tax, furnishing declaration and assessment are simplified under the VAT system so as to minimize any interface between the tax payer and the tax collector. 5. Minimize the Discretion – The VAT system proposes to minimize the discretion with the assessing officer so that every p erson is treated alike.For example, there would be no discretion involved in the imposition of penalty, late filing of returns, non-filing of returns, late payment of tax or non-payment of tax or in case of tax evasion. Such system would be free from all these harassment 6. Computerization – The VAT proposes computerization which would focus on the tax evaders by generating Exception Report. In a large number of cases, no processing or scrutiny of returns would be required as it would free the tax compliant dealers from all the harassment which is so much a part of assessment.The management information system, which would form a part of integral computerization, would make the tax department more efficient and responsive. Disadvantages of VAT 1. VAT is regressive 2. VAT is difficult to operate from position of both administration and business 3. VAT is inflationary 4. VAT favors capital intensive firms Items covered under VAT 1. All business transactions that are carried on w ithin a State by individuals/partnerships/ companies etc. are covered under VAT. 2. More than 550 items are covered under the new Indian VAT regime out of which 46 natural ; unprocessed local products will be exempt from VAT 3.Nearly 270 items including drugs and medicines, all industrial and agricultural inputs, capital goods as well as declared goods attract 4 % VAT in India. 4. The remaining items attract 12. 5 % VAT. Precious metals such as gold and bullion will be taxed at 1%. 5. Petrol and diesel are kept out of the VAT regime in India. Tax implication under Value Added Tax Act SellerBuyerSelling Price (Excluding Tax)Tax RateInvoice value (InclTax)Tax PayableTax CreditNet TaxOutflow AB1004% CST104404. 00 BC11412. 5% VAT128. 2514. 250*14. 25 CD12412. 5% VAT139. 5015. 5014. 251. 25 DConsumer13412. % VAT150. 7516. 7515. 501. 25 Total to Govt. VAT CST16. 75 4. 00 VAT vs. Sales Tax †¢VAT is a form of indirect tax which is imposed on products or services at different stages of manufacturing, where as Sales Tax is levied at the time of the purchase of the products or services. †¢VAT is levied on both the producer and consumer while a sales tax is levied on only the end consumer. †¢VAT involves tricky accounting while sales tax involves simpler accounting. †¢VAT is applied at the various stages of production while sales tax is applied on the total value of the purchase. VAT efficiently avoids evasion of taxes while a sales tax is unable to deal with this. †¢In VAT the method adopted is Input Tax Credit while Sales tax, liability of a dealer for a particular period is determined using the multiplication method. Goods and Services Tax (GST) Introduction Goods and Service Tax is a tax on goods and services, which is leviable at each point of sale or provision of service, in which at the time of sale of goods or providing the services the seller or service provider can claim the input credit of tax which he has paid while purchasing the good s or procuring the service. GST is the rate of tax remains the same but as per the necessity of the nation some goods or services can be declared as â€Å"exempted† or â€Å"Zero rated†. †¢A system Exports are zero rated and all the taxes paid while purchasing and manufacturing the goods including the taxes paid on raw material and services are returned to the exporter to make the exports competitive. †¢The sellers or service providers collect the tax from their customer, who may or may not be the ultimate customer, and before depositing the same to the exchequer, they deduct the tax they have already paid.The Need for GST †¢Avoid cascading effect of taxation: A main reason of the introduction of GST is to avoid cascading effect of taxes in India. For example manufacturing of a product attract CENVAT (Central Value Added Tax) is a component of the tax structure employed by many countries in the western section of Europe. CENVAT is derived from a tax syst em that is generally referred to as VAT. The manufacturer pays CENVAT on goods produced. According VAT rules, the sales tax is payable on the aggregate selling price which include CENVAT. Here there is no set off benefits available. Shortfall of Existing VAT: Indirect taxes like luxury tax, entertainment tax, are yet to be included in the VAT. These taxes are still existing and payable. †¢Shortfall of Existing CENVAT: Several taxes like additional customs duty, surcharges not included under CENVAT. Input tax and service tax set off is out of reach to the manufacturer and dealers. Benefits of GST †¢GST provide comprehensive and wider coverage of input credit setoff, you can use service tax credit for the payment of tax on sales of goods. †¢CST will be removed and need not pay.At present there is no input tax credit available for CST. †¢Many indirect taxes in state and central level submit by GST, you need to pay single GST instead of all. †¢Uniformity of tax rates across the states. †¢Ensure better compliance due to aggregate tax rate reduces. †¢By reducing the tax burden the competitiveness of Indian products in international market is expected to increase and there by development of the nation. †¢Price of goods is expected to be reduced in the long run as the benefit of less tax burden would be passed on to the customer. Overall tax compliance cost will reduce for government and can concentrate on GST. How GST Will Work The dealers registered under GST (Manufacturers, Wholesalers and retailers and service providers) charge GST on the price of goods and services from their customers and claim credits for the GST included in the price of their own purchases of goods and services used by them. While GST is paid at each step in the supply chain of goods and services, the paying dealers don’t actually bear the burden of the tax because GST is an indirect tax and ultimate burden of the GST has to be taken by the last c ustomer.This is because they include GST in the price of the goods and services they sell and can claim credits for the most GST included in the price of goods and services they buy. The cost of GST is borne by the final consumer, who can’t claim GST credits, i. e. input credit of the tax paid. How GST Will Work The dealers registered under GST (Manufacturers, Wholesalers and retailers and service providers) charge GST on the price of goods and services from their customers and claim credits for the GST included in the price of their own purchases of goods and services used by them.While GST is paid at each step in the supply chain of goods and services, the paying dealers don’t actually bear the burden of the tax because GST is an indirect tax and ultimate burden of the GST has to be taken by the last customer. This is because they include GST in the price of the goods and services they sell and can claim credits for the most GST included in the price of goods and ser vices they buy. The cost of GST is borne by the final consumer, who can’t claim GST credits, i. e. input credit of the tax paid. WorkingThe illustration shown below indicates, in terms of a hypothetical example with a manufacturer, one wholesaler and one retailer, how GST will work. Let us suppose that GST rate is 10%, with the manufacturer making value addition of Rs. 30 on his purchases worth Rs. 100 of input of goods and services used in the manufacturing process. The manufacturer will then pay net GST of Rs. 3 after setting-off Rs. 10 as GST paid on his inputs (i. e. Input Tax Credit) from gross GST of Rs. 13. The manufacturer sells the goods to the wholesaler. When the wholesaler sells the same goods after making value addition of (say), Rs. 0, he pays net GST of only Rs. 2, after setting-off of Input Tax Credit of Rs. 13 from the gross GST of Rs. 15 to the manufacturer. Similarly, when a retailer sells the same goods after a value addition of (say) Rs. 10, he pays net G ST of only Re. 1, after setting-off Rs. 15 from his gross GST of Rs. 16 paid to wholesaler. Thus, the manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer have to pay only Rs. 6 (= Rs. 3+Rs. 2+Re. 1) as GST on the value addition along the entire value chain from the producer to the retailer, after setting-off GST paid at the earlier stages.The overall burden of GST on the goods is thus much less. This is shown in the table below. The same illustration will hold in the case of final service provider as well. Stage of supply chain Purchase value of Input Value addition Value at which supply of goods and services made to next stage Rate of GST GST on output Input Tax credit Net GST= GST on output + Input tax credit Manufacturer 100 30 130 10% 13 10 13-10 = 3 Wholesaler 130 20 150 10% 15 13 15-13 = 2 Retailer 150 10 160 10% 16 15 16-15 = 1 The GST can be divided into following sections to understand it better: 1.Charging Tax: The dealers registered under GST (Manufacturers, Wholesalers and Retailers a nd Service Providers) are required to charge GST at the specified rate of tax on goods and services that they supply to customers. The GST payable is included in the price paid by the recipient of the goods and services. The supplier must deposit this amount of GST with the Government. 2. Getting Credit of GST: If the recipient of goods or services is a registered dealer (Manufacturers, Wholesalers and Retailers and Service Providers), he will normally be able to claim a credit for the amount of GST he has paid, provided he holds a proper tax invoice.This â€Å"input tax credit† is set off against any GST (Out Put), which the dealer charges on goods and services, which he supplies, to his customers. 3. Ultimate Burden of Tax on Last Customer: The net effect is that dealers charge GST but do not keep it, and pay GST but get a credit for it. This means that they act essentially as collecting agents for the Government. The ultimate burden of the tax falls on the last and final c onsumer of the goods and services, as this person gets no credit for the GST paid by him to his sellers or service providers. 4. Registration: Dealers will have to register for GST.These dealers will include the Suppliers, Manufacturers, Service Providers, Wholesalers and Retailers. If a dealer is not Registered, he normally cannot charge GST and cannot claim credit for the GST he pays and further cannot issue a tax invoice. 5. Tax Period: The tax period will have to be decided by the respective law and normally it is monthly and (or) quarterly. On a particular tax period, this is applicable to the dealer concerned; the dealer has to deposit the tax if his output credit is more. Than the input credit after considering the opening balance, if any, of the input credit. . Refunds: If for a tax period the input credit of a dealer is more than the output credit then he is eligible for refund subject to the provisions of law applicable in this respect. The excess may be carried forward to next period or may be refunded immediately depending upon the provision of law. 7. Exempted Goods and Services: Certain goods and services may be declared as exempted goods and services and in that case the input credit cannot be claimed on the GST paid for purchasing the raw material in this respect or GST paid on services used for providing such goods and services. 8.Zero Rated Goods and Services: Generally, export of goods and services are zero-rated and in that case the GST paid by the exporters of these goods and services is refunded. This is the basic difference between Zero rated goods and services and exempted goods and services. 9. Tax Invoice: Tax invoice is the basic and important document in the GST and a dealer registered under GST can issue a tax invoice and on the basis of this invoice the credit (Input) can be claimed. Normally a tax invoice must bear the name of supplying dealer, his tax identification nos. , address and tax invoice nos. oupled with the name and ad dress of the purchasing dealer, his tax identification nos. , address and description of goods sold or service provided. Impact of GST on Economy – International Experiences: Most countries have adopted VAT system and GST is considered similar to a VAT system. It is possible that some economies that have adopted VAT system are actually a GST as well. So we really do not know the broad experiences of most economies and stick to countries which call their tax systems as GST based. GST system has been adopted in a few economies – Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.Hong Kong proposed to introduce it but had to abandon it amidst stiff opposition. Over a long term there are improvements across the macroeconomic variables but there were short-term glitches. Inflation did seem to rise in the years of introduction but was mainly blamed on the administration for the same. The impact on revenue and current account has been very impressive with sharp gains seen in all th e three economies. In Australia there was a more dramatic impact of GST on the economy. Before GST’s implementation, consumers rushed to purchase goods that they perceived would be substantially more expensive post-GST.After the tax, consumer consumption and economic growth declined sharply initially. In Q1 2000, Australian economy recorded negative economic growth for the first time in more than 10 years. Consumption and growth soon returned to normal. There was some negative impact on price of real estate as well but the market rose and property prices and demand increased sharply in 2002-04. GST increased the real output of the Canadian economy by 1. 4% of GDP, principally through an increase in the productivity of capital and total factor productivity. The sectors like transportation, utilities, services and agriculture experienced significant gains.Following are the impacts of GST on Australia, New Zealand and Canada : AUSTRALIANEW ZEALANDCANADA Price ChangesShort run on e off effectShort run spike in prices, no longer run increaseShort run spike in prices, no longer run increase, price regulatory body Criticize Economic GrowthIntroduced during sustained economic growth periodIntroduced at the end of recession, subsequent upswingIntroduced in midst of major recession, criticized as Compounding problems Revenue GrowthRevenue exceeded expectationsRevenue exceeded ExpectationsRevenue exceeded Expectations Current AccountSlight improvement ince introductionRapid immediate improvement, longer term stabilizationDramatic Improvement since introduction of GST, NAFTA GST vs. VAT†¢ Limitations in Centre VAT system: There is CENVAT but several taxes are still out of the ambit like surcharges, additional customs duties etc. In some goods we get input tax and not in others, making the tax filing system complex and cumbersome. †¢Limitations in State VAT system: The States also have VAT but again story is the same. Many taxes like luxury taxes, entertain ment tax etc, are not included. There is no input tax credit in case of CENVAT paid on certain items. Interstate Sales Tax (CST): Though it is an important source of revenue for states it is seen as very burdensome by businesses. The companies make goods in one state but on distribution inside the country, end up paying taxes in each state. They are supplying goods within the country and should just be taxed at one place.†¢ Inclusion of Services in VAT system: Production of goods is because of both physical production and services. But Services are taxed only by Centre and that too is done selectively. The Services need to be taxed at State level and integrated with the Goods VAT system as shown in the example above. International Standard: GST is becoming an international standard and it is important India also has one. There are many factors before international companies while choosing a country for its business and taxation system is one very important factor. With other co untries having GST and India not having one, the companies are likely to opt for former ahead of India for locating their businesses. Likewise Indian companies may also prefer to increasingly set their bases in other countries where tax system is more efficient. GST vs. Sales Tax †¢Single versus multiple stageUnlike the existing sales tax, GST is generally charged on the consumption of goods and services at every stage of the supply chain, with the tax burden ultimately borne by the end consumer. This multiple tax levels feature of GST is the fundamental change from the present single-stage sales tax levied at only one stage of the supply chain. †¢Goods and services subject to tax GST operates on a negative concept – all goods and services are subject to GST unless specifically exempted. For sales tax, the same concept applies where all goods are taxable unless specifically exempted.It is anticipated that the number of exemptions under the present sales tax regime w ould be significantly reduced. †¢Tax payment and accounting periods Time of supply is an important feature under the GST regime (method or system of government) as it determines when one should account for GST in the GST returns. The approach used by many countries when adopting GST is that a supply is considered to have taken place at the earliest by three events that the time is invoice issue, the time any payment is received by the supplier and the time a taxable supply is made.The GST rules differ from the existing sales tax structure where sales tax becomes due and payable when there is a sale or disposal otherwise than by sale. †¢Group registration Group registration is included as a facility that allows companies to file consolidated GST returns. The objective is to reduce their GST administration costs where supplies made within a group would be disregarded for GST purposes. The facility could potentially result in better cash flow management for the group if goods and services are regularly supplied between group companies.The existing sales tax and service tax structures do not allow consolidated tax filings. Limitation of GST There are two main limitations of GST †¢Inflation: Most of the international case studies show an inflation spurt in initial months of GST implementation. In Australia’s case we saw spurt in prices of goods which Australian consumers Thought would become expensive after the GST. Much of blame for inflation is accorded to the various regulatory bodies and uncertainty over the new tax regime.The inflation situation stabilizes as implementation gains pace and is understood by consumers and producers. In India’s case inflation could be critical as unlike developed countries profiled above, India has far more inefficiencies in supply chain in local markets. The Indian GST reform is far larger in scale compared to above economies. Indian economy is already plagued with persistent high inflation and this n ew reform could further test inflation further. †¢Tax Revenue Shortfall: RBI in the State Finances Report (2010-11) said the revenue implications of GST are likely to vary across states.The Centre and the States are still discussing various aspects of GST like taxation rates, revenue sharing model between Centre and States etc. As there is still uncertainty over the final blueprint of GST, it is difficult to estimate the impact of GST on state finances. Other issues are enhancing the administrative capacity of states and building IT (Information technology) infrastructure to capture the full benefits of GST. The report points that VAT led to improvement in tax revenue for most states.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework - Assignment Example The article is an epitome of how theoretical framework supports conceptual framework when conducting a qualitative research. The author uses conceptual framework to explore and exhibit the correlation between variables in his study. This is particularly evident in his ethnographic approach in conducting the qualitative analysis. The author’s choice for conceptual framework for the study was particularly appropriate because it provides the means to explore specific relationship between study variables. The conceptual framework enables the author of the article to develop a crucial concept that allows him to incorporate essentials fields in his study. Employee involvement is one of the major success or failure determinants in any organization, public or private (Berman et al., 2009).The success of public offices revolves around the empowerment of employees and how well this power is oriented towards attaining the goals and objectives of the organization. Employee involvement ref ers to the process of authorizing employees to participate actively in the decision-making process of the organization and improving organizational processes within their scope (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). Employee involvement greatly influence hiring and promotion process in Public Agencies by ensuring that the agencies only employ people who are fit to hold vacant position. Employees can be used as referrals during recruitment

The Root Crop Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Root Crop Industry - Essay Example Statistics show that around half the world’s production of root crops is consumed as food. These statistics vary from one country to another. Our ancestors found the first root crops when they were still hunter gatherers, and history is witness to the fact that what these first cultivators found in the wild was what they first experimented with as cultivators. The earliest agricultural system in parts of Africa was based on root crops. Recent studies have shown that the ancient Mayan civilization grew crops such as sweet potato, yams and cassava; so too did some African tribes like the Bantu. Early civilizations in Asia, Africa and South America seem to have been the first to sow and harvest root crops that had previously been gathered in the wild. â€Å"A healthy diet is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle,† says Dr.Weil. Root vegetables have been described as â€Å"some of the most overlooked and underappreciated foodstuffs ......nutritional storehouses, hidden treasures worthy of notice† ( Dr. Weil, drweil.com, n.d.) A large proportion of the world’s food supply today consists of root crops that are also used as animal feed. Industrial products such as starch and distilled spirits as well as a wide range of other minor products also are made from root crops. Around half of the supply of root crops grown globally is used for human consumption. This utilization pattern varies from one country to another, with developing nations using a greater percentage of these crops for food, while the developed nations use a larger percentage for animal feed and industrial use. Agro climatic factors define where different root crops are produced. Potatoes seem to have first been cultivated in the Andes, but today are grown at lower altitudes and in warmer climates. Sweet potatoes too are grown in a wide variety of climates and altitudes, but yams are mostly grown in Africa. The fact that these root crops that were cultivated by our early ancestors survive as an

Landscape Structure and Wildlife Patterns Essay

Landscape Structure and Wildlife Patterns - Essay Example Strathearn, Perthshire is a broad river flood plain under mixed agricultural land use where substantial data were collected in 1998-2000 during a biodiversity study funded by the Scottish executive. Surveys of plants and animals were carried out within fields or unenclosed semi-natural habitats across the site. Various land cover data were collected within 1km diameter circles around the sample location so that relationships between landscape and species diversity could be investigated. On the second map you will see my 1km circle situated near the river. We where provided with information on the land covers in 1km diameter circles around sites where wildlife were surveys during 1999. I used a geographic information system (GIS) to derive measures of landscapes structure that can be compared with selected wildlife data from field survey. The graph showing the comparison between area woodland and the count of wild life shows significant variation in the presence of same species in the wood land of same area at different locations. The density of these species shows similar trends to a greater extend. In an area below 60000, the availability of plant spp. ranges between 0 and 5 in some woodland while in others it ranges between 5 and 15. The trend is similar at a higher woodland area ranging between 105000 and 130000. There is an absence of woodland area ranging between 53000 and 105000 in the catchment area. The graph... -0.018597634 spring oil seed rape -0.13902295 Wheat -1.167727571 d. wildlife land cover graphs from the grouped data for the river catchment, i have choose to 3 they are attached, need a brief paragraph on each. Figure 3. Landscape structure and wildlife pattern The graph showing the comparison between area woodland and the count of wild life shows significant variation in the presence of same species in the wood land of same area at different locations. The density of these species shows similar trends to a greater extend. In an area below 60000, the availability of plant spp. ranges between 0 and 5 in some woodland while in others it ranges between 5 and 15. The trend is similar at a higher woodland area ranging between 105000 and 130000. There is an absence of woodland area ranging between 53000 and 105000 in the catchment area. Figure 4. Landscape structure and wildlife The graph shows similar pattern between the availability of birds and plant spp. in an area with diversity in landscape structure. The availability of number of individual is uniform with the diversity. Figure 5. Crop diversity compared to bird species The comparison between crop/pasture diversity and bird species shows that the number of bird species increases with increase in crop/pasture diversity. The graph shows a linear trend between the diversity in crop/pasture and the presence of bird species in the area. The availability of bird species highly varies within similar diverse crop/pasture areas. This could be assumed due to variation in type of cop/pasture available in the area. Figure 6. Diversity crops/pastures compared to plant species The graph showing the tend between crop/pasture diversity and availability of plant species shows that there is no

Interface's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interface's - Research Paper Example Practical application of GUI includes their significant role in solving problems in computing and the generation, design and development of programs during the processes of programming. Interfaces An Interface In information and communication technology the word interface or user interface is a concept that refers to a set of tools which facilitate the interaction between the user and a computer system (Takouachet, Couture, Reuter, Joyot, Riviere & Verdon, 2012). There are two main types of user interfaces. These are software and software user interfaces. These interfaces use a specific protocol which contains a framework of rules that define the manner in which users interact with computer systems (Su, Mavroidis, Shi, Ferreira & Papanikolaou, 2010). Browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer are good examples of software interfaces. In this regard, software user interfaces are software applications. These applications are written with the use of Java programming language and as a result they are supportive of internet applications and online communications through the World Wide Web (Liqiong & Poole, 2010). On the other hand, hardware interfaces represents the physical components of a computer such as a graphic card which enhance the visualization of the software user interfaces and hence make them robust in their application (Sperling, 2007). The Role of Interfaces in GUI Applications Graphic user interface (GUI) is a form of user interface which is characterized with graphical representation of icons and menus to facilitate the interaction of the users with computer systems (Su, Mavroidis, Shi, Ferreira & Papanikolaou, 2010). The GUI was designed to overcome the problem of manual entry of commands in orthodox computing such as DOS OS. Therefore GUI allows users of computer systems use the mouse for efficient dragging of objects by simply clicking on them (Takouachet, Couture, Reuter, Joyot, Riviere & Verdon, 2012). Unlike the DOS OS which is comm and based, Mac and Windows OS are the most common forms of GUI. The application of GUI in contemporary computing demonstrates the roles of interfaces in computing. Interfaces within GUI applications play a significant role of making computing easy to learn and apply. This makes even novice users of computers to operate GUI applications such as browsers with ease (Liqiong & Poole, 2010). The various computer application such as copying and moving files within computer storage or memory locations are made easier through the use of GUI as opposed to entering commands manually (Kroeker, 2011). In addition, the GUI allows an interactive communication between the user and computer system. This is demonstrated by the responses that the interface displays for the user such as confirmation of dilatations (Liqiong & Poole, 2010). For example Microsoft applications are designed to provide users with immediate feedback during their interaction with the user including error messages and help fac ilities. In this regard, interfaces provide users with possible errors and problems in computing with consequent suggestion of solutions (Su, Mavroidis, Shi, Ferreira & Papanikolaou, 2010). Mozilla Firefox Mozilla Firefox is a common example of browser software which provides an effective GUI. This browser is likable because of its user friendliness. This is achieved through the use of

Everyday life with Algebra in the Real World Research Paper

Everyday life with Algebra in the Real World - Research Paper Example In the field of biology, computations are carried out in the process of simulating experiments or the calculation of features of a biological structure of the process. For example, algebra is applied in computing mathematical predictions of cellular interactions, analysis of heritage, body reactions to chemicals and intercellular features. Techniques from algebra, discrete mathematics and algebraic geometry have lately acquired new applications in systems biology causing the emergence of the fields of â€Å"algebraic biology†. The close interaction between biology and algebraic statistics has also led to new applications of the latter to problems in biology. (Kastner, 2012) Algebra is applied to chemistry to manipulate equations and work out problems. E.g. A gas equation commonly used to compute quantities in chemistry is PV=nRT: P is the pressure (in atmospheres), V is the volume (in Litres), n is the number of moles, R is a constant (.082059 L*atm mol-1 K-1), and T is the temperature (in Kelvin). In current years, computer algebra techniques have acquired widespread application in chemistry education and solving chemistry problems. In case you are given the values of all the other quantities and you are required to obtain the temperature, you could do this by substituting all the variables into the algebraic equation: T= PV/nR.  Algebraic concepts to solve everyday problems  In business, Linear equations such as T = Ax +By is applied to the total cost of items when every item has the same cost, total quantities of materials used in producing objects. In everyday life, algebraic equations can be used to calculate the total cost of electricity, energy costs on household bills, costs of long distance calls and the cost of renting a car. For example, from a phone bill algebra can point out the initial cost and the additional cost per minute on a long-distance call, and indicate how long a person could talk for any specific amount of money. Slope indicates the rate at which a quantity changes and is applied in business to calculate how much the cost of production of items changes when one more item is produced, i.e. the marginal cost. The rate at which your money decreases or increases can affect ones financial status whereas how quick the rate of unemployment goes down or rises can influence inflation. The algebraic concept of slope can be utilized to analyze all these notions. (Knapp, 2007) The concept of exponents or exponential growth is applied in all money matters affecting people’s daily life, like the compound interest used by banks and savings institutions to calculate interest, mortgage, car and credit card payments for items bought, life insurance and retirement funds. This concept is also applied in prediction of populations, sizes of tumors and other characteristics of the disease. Algebra applied to personal life, Linear equations from

The leadership skill I most want to develop Essay

The leadership skill I most want to develop - Essay Example This was followed by exploration of available list of leadership skills that singled out most suitable ones for my leadership style. I conducted an online evaluation of my leadership style through responding to traits based questions and the process matched my traits with transformational leadership. My further exploration of the fundamental characteristics of the leadership style such as empowering and motivating people together with promoting collectiveness developed my insight into my leadership skills and other necessary skills to the leadership style. Based on this process, I identified translation of business strategies into clear objectives and tactics, and training other people in developing their skills as my strongest leadership skills. My weakest leadership skills are however, the ability to prepare people to understand changes and transitions, and managing multiple demands and competing priorities. I know that these are my strongest and weakest leadership skills because o f my self-evaluation together with background information on leadership. The leadership skill that I most wish to develop is the ability to prepare people to understanding changes and transitions. My specific objective in developing this skill is to be able to empower people to the capacity in which they can understand a change its consequences, and strategies to dealing with the change. I will measure progress of the development through qualitative evaluation of my subjects understanding of change at a particular time. This will involve presenting a change situation to the subjects, sampling them, and using interviews to evaluate their understanding of the change. I will then compare their responses with the actual scope of the subject change. I will need secondary resources such as published books and journals with information on strategies to developing human potentials. I will also require human resource in management

EDLE 639 - Assignment 2 - Take 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

EDLE 639 - Assignment 2 - Take 2 - Essay Example Mary’s and other schools in the diocese adhere to the guiding principles, as well as terms of reference that govern Catholic schools (Duncan & Duncan, 1997). The primary aim behind the examination of the governance model of the school and diocese is to appreciate the inherent difficulties that encounter the organization. Some of the most marked issues, in the diocese, with regard to governance include diminishing numbers of priests; concerns concerning the growing legal obligations of priests, boards and other administrators of Catholic primary schools; and the need for increased accountability on the part of school administrators (Cheney, 2013). This examination also aims at meeting the need for a sound knowledge base regarding the governance model of Catholic primary schools in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes so as to inform further research and debate concerning the nature of primary school governance in the county of New South Wales and in the entire nation. As a consequen ce, this examination aims at describing, as well as analysing, the present practices and issues concerning governance of St. Mary’s Primary School and the larger Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes (CEO Wilcannia-Forbes, 2013). ... Schools under the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes are united in their reverence for tradition. The schools, including St. Mary’s Primary School endeavour to provide excellent education opportunities for children under their care (Cheney, 2013). This is guaranteed by working collaboratively with all stakeholders, including parents, boards, priests and principals, thereby enabling the education of the entire individual (Duncan & Duncan, 1997). It is through this collaboration that the organization engages with the challenges of modern day, particularly the ethical and moral contradictions of today (Jordan, 2008). Since they are linked in both purpose and mission, Catholic primary schools in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes form authentic communities of faith, which source their inspiration and justification from Jesus Christ. At the centre of the mission of the Catholic Church is the functionality of school education. The successfulness of this mission is largely contingent on key co mponents of effective governance that offer a sense of direction, leadership and authority, which in turn guarantees effective school operations (Hofman, Hofman & Guldemond, 2002) sch. Governance and leadership of Catholic schools can be considered in the context of a mission whose function is to protect and promote the rights and duties of the entire school community. Leadership and governance centred on the practices and principles of excellence play a significant role in advancing the Catholic identity, the school’s operational vitality and overall academic excellence (ACPP, 2005a). While governance models are variable depending on the sponsorship of a school, individuals who serve on the leadership team

Teresa of Avila Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Teresa of Avila - Essay Example Religious and political turbulence was everywhere; Europe was a dangerous place. That one single woman who could easily been accuses of witchcraft but for being under the protection of the Church could have made so many changes in the Carmelite Order which would have far-reaching effects even into the 21st Century is nearly a miracle in itself. What makes Teresa's life even more fascinating is the fine mind she harbored, honed and disciplined with extraordinary introspection. From her autobiography, it is clear that Teresa was rather bull-headed even at a young age. She was creative, intelligent and active; many of the ingredients for engagement of troublemaking, in which she indulged for a while, much to her later dismay. She loved books, especially those based upon saints and martyrs, which were plentiful in her house, being regularly read by her father. She developed such a passion for these stories that once, around age six or seven, she and her brother Roderigo plotted to run away to be beheaded by the Moorish people so that they could be martyred. This plan was interrupted when a family member intercepted them and brought them home. Going the other imaginative route, Teresa and her playmates engaged in building little nunneries in the garden and Teresa dreamed of being in charge of one. She later admits, though, that to actually be a nun wasn't the main goal. The death of her mother dealt a blow to a 14 year old Teresa; when she was able to comprehend the loss of her mother and what it meant, she took herself to a statue of the Holy Mother and uttered a tearful, heartfelt prayer asking the Virgin to be her mother. It would appear that these are the beginnings of an extraordinary life for a girl born in the 16th Century of Spain, where two options for women existed: arranged marriage or the convent. Early on, Teresa was well aware of her impending future and didn't care for either choice, but after a period of time engaging in typical teenage less than desirable behaviour, she was sent to an Augustinian convent school by her father, where she could mend her ways and get educated. While she immensely enjoyed the company of the good nuns, Teresa still didn't want to become one. She did, however, learn how to engage in meaningful prayer and focus on goodness and devotion to God. She was decidedly happier in the convent than in her father's house, but inwardly she still didn't love God as much as she loved her father. It appears that Teresa did not easily change her loyalties under peer pressure even then. The iron will was beginning to take form; maturity would have to catch up with it. After a year and a half in the convent, Teresa fell ill, and was taken to her sister's house in Catellanos to recover. This was a pivotal time for her, as she was forced into rest and prayer, developing the traits that would serve her so well in future tribulations. It was during this period of recovery that Teresa began reading the letters of St. Jerome (b. approx 335, died 420). Before we

Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay Example for Free

Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay It has been a debate for quite some time as to whether college athletes should be paid for their work on the field. They are some of the hardest working individuals that obtain intense practices and demanding college courses, and many believe that they should be rewarded for their hard work. But the ongoing debate is whether it is right to pay these players as if they were employees. Many major colleges provide the best services for their athletes by providing them with the greatest gyms to workout in, free health insurance for injuries, transportation, food, equipment, and most of the time, a full four-year scholarship. On top of all of these things that are provided, does it seem right to be paying these students as well? Determination and motivation for greatness during college should be enough; therefore, I don’t think that college athletes should be paid. One reason why student athletes should not be paid is the fact that the college experience should be payment enough. In the article, â€Å"College Athletes Should Not Be Paid† found in the book Sports and Athletes, the author talks about â€Å"the primary function of academic institutions is to educate, and not to hire student-athletes for their contributions on the basketball court or football field† (Meshefejian 99). When high school athletes are approached for their profound athletic abilities, they often choose the university that will open the door for them to pursue a professional career rather than what will provide them with an exceptional education. Meshefejian makes the following statement to prove why students should not be paid for their athletic abilities: These players may have chosen a school due to the amount of scholarship money they were receiving, but scholarship money is usually not enough to overwhelm other considerations . . . Paying student-athletes any more than a scholarship would put such considerations in jeopardy, resulting in student’s making decisions based on how much money they are offered, as opposed to making decisions based on where they will succeed in all aspects of college life. The college experience, a student-athlete’s educational experience should be about more than just dollars and cents. (99) In an article entitled, â€Å"Should College Athletes Be Paid?†, Allen Sack states, â€Å"During the past four years, the NCAA has crafted a payment system that provides a relatively cheap and steady supply of blue-chip athletes . . . the majority of those polled identify themselves more as athletes than as students† (2). Mark Murphy, Director of Athletics at Northwestern Univeristy, participated in the debate on ESPN on the topic of paying student –athletes, and he argues that some of these athletes â€Å"currently receive scholarships, whose value, in some instances, totals close to $200,000 over four years† (Meshefejian 17). That is a large amount of money, and they still want to be given more? So now we ask, â€Å"Where will the money to pay these athletes come from?†. In Rodney D. Fort’s article titled â€Å"Paying College Athletes Makes Economic Sense†, he states that â€Å"Universities allow athletic departments to keep all excess revenues on an updated basis during any given budget period. Thus, a department whose costs do not rise over budgeted amounts, but whose revenues are higher than expected, will appear to break even because they are allowed to spend the excess. So there can be plenty of revenue to be arranged† (Fort 11). Players also generate marginal revenue product (MRP), and that is then spent elsewhere in the department rather than on the players themselves. So, the money is there, but I think it’s a terrible idea to give them the money that they’ve accrued because the athletic department does need money to be able to upgrade equipment if needed, or be spent elsewhere within the athletic department. According to Robert and Amy McCormick, two law professors at Michigan State University, they believe that a college sport is definitely a job, and that these athletes need to be paid. They argue that the athletes are â€Å"employees† under federal labor laws and entitled to form unions and negotiate wages, hours and working conditions (Cooper 1). But Donald Remy, the NCAA’s general counsel and vice president for legal affairs states: The NCAA, in accordance with courts that have addressed the issue, believes that student-athletes are not employees, under the law, and that they should not be treated as employees either by the law of by the schools they attend . . . Moreover, taxing authorities do not consider the benefits student athletes receive to be taxable compensation (Cooper 2). The one thing that comes to my mind when I think of paying college athletes is gender equality. Would the female athletes be paid the same as the male athletes? Some male athletes may believe that they deserve more because they may think that they work harder and take more of a beating than the female athletes. But Title IX federal regulations would cut off federal funding of colleges if those colleges discriminate on the basis of sex (Meshefejian 97). Another reason why student athletes should not be paid is because it would create a monetary race to buy the best athletes in the country. There may be a chance that it would eliminate â€Å"under the table† activities, but I believe that schools would still manage to find other ways of getting the players that they want on their team. College sports wouldn’t even be exciting anymore because the schools that have acquired the most money would end up buying the best athletes in the country, and all of the greatest athletes would go to the same teams, making sporting events unfair and not equally proportioned. Meshefejian says it best when he says, â€Å"The more the disparity, the less the competition, and the less the competition, the less excitement† (98). Paying the players would be the end of college athletics as we know it.

Multilevel Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Treatment

Multilevel Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Treatment Comparison between anterior approaches and posterior approaches for the treatment of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a meta analysis Abstract Objective: Both anterior and posterior approaches are used in the treatment of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM) due to spinal stenosis or ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). However, the optimal strategy remains controversial. To compare the clinical results between the two approaches, a meta-analysis was conducted. Methods: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library were searched up to July 2014 without language restriction. The reference lists of selected searches comparing anterior and posterior approaches were screened manually. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to the cause of MCSM. A fixed effect model was used for pool data, and a random effects model for heterogeneous data. Mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) was used for continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively. Results: Seventeen articles were selected in this study, all of which were non-randomized controlled trials. There were significant difference between two approaches for post-Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score (MD=1.13, 95% CI=0.41, 1.86), operation time (MD=67.43, 95% CI=16.94, 117.91), post-range of motion (ROM) (MD=1.86, 95% CI=0.61, 3.12), length of stay (MD=-1.54, 95% CI=-2.25, -0.5)and complication rate (OR=2.28, 95% CI=1.52, 3.41). Meanwhile, there were no significant difference for pre-JOA, blood loss, neurological recovery rate, pre-ROM, pre- and post-Nurick grade. Conclusions: Based on this meta-analysis, post-JOA and length of stay are significantly better in the anterior group, but high complication rate and no apparent difference for neurological recovery rate made it necessary to conclude more trials with high quality to further confirm the conclusion. Keywords: multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy; clinical outcomes; meta-analysis Introduction Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is caused by compression of the spinal cord due to degeneration. Spinal stenosis and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) have been considered as the two common causes of CSM. CSM can be treated by a variety of anterior, posterior, or combined anterior and posterior surgical approaches. The decision to use an anterior or a posterior approach depends on many factors, such as the reason of spinal cord compression, the number of vertebral segments, cervical alignment, and the surgeon’s familiarity with the techniques1. Anterior approaches usually include anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion (ACCF) and cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF), whereas the typical posterior approaches involve laminectomy and laminoplasty2. Anterior decompression and fusion has been successfully used for CSM involving one or two levels3, 4. But failures will be observed when three or more levels are involved (multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy, MCSM) with anterior approaches5, 6. Compared with anterior approaches, posterior strategies provide an indirect canal decompression by allowing the spinal cord to float away from ventral compression. The disadvantages of posterior approach were also noted, for example, neck pain, loss of lordotic curvature, segmental instability, and late neurologic deterioration7. Although many studies comparing the two approaches have been done, the optimal approach providing satisfactory decompression remains to be determined. No systematic analysis of the two approaches in the treatment of MCSM has been published yet. In order to provide a basis for selecting, a meta-analysis of clinical results of anterior approaches compared with posterior approaches for patients with MCSM was performed. Materials and methods Literature search The authors searched multiple databases, includingPubMed, Embase and The Cochrane library up to June 11, 2014 without language restriction. Additionally, the reference lists of selected searches and related articles that not yet included in the electronic database were screened manually. The searching strings were (1) myelopathy or cervical spondylosis or cervical vertebrae or cervical stenosis; (2) Corpectomy or anterior cervical discectomy or anterior decompression or ventral; (3) laminoplasty or laminectomy or posterior decompression or dorsal, with the operator â€Å"AND†. Literature screening Articles were reviewed according to the following criteria: (1) The researches were designed as randomized controlled trials, case-control studies or cohort studies; (2) Patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM) due to spinal stenosis or ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL); (3) The anterior approaches group was treated by anterior cervical canal decompression; (4) The posterior approaches group was treated by posterior cervical canal decompression; (5) The outcomes was clinical endpoint, like neurological recovery rates, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, range of motion (ROM), Nurick grade, complication rate, operation time, blood loss, and length of stay in hospital. Also, there are five exclusion criteria for literature screening. These were: (1) The cases followed up less than one year; (2) Patients with MSCM were caused by tumors, trauma, soft disk herniation, or previous surgery; (3) Patients without MSCM; (4) Researches without control; (5) non-nature literatures, such as reviews, letters and comments. Data extraction and studies quality assessment Two investigators respectively assessed each potentially eligible study and then extracted data from the included studies. Disagreements were resolved through discussion. The information extracted including the author, publication year, area, ages, sex, number of patients, follow-up period, surgical methods and outcomes. Furthermore, We used the Cochrane8 for assessing the quality of randomized studies, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS)9 for nonrandomised sudies or cohort studies. respectively. Statistical analysis The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the divergence of all outcomes, and all analyses were performed by RevMan5.2 software. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for Continuous variables, while Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CI were calculated for dichotomous data. Statistic heterogeneity was identified using chi-square test and I2 test. If P2 >50%, which indicated heterogeneity exists among all results, random effects model was applied. If P≠¥0.05 or I2 ≠¤50%, which indicated heterogeneity, the fixed effects model was selected10. The publication bias was tested by constructing a funnel plot. Results Search results A flow diagram of the literature search and study selection was shown in fig.1. Basing on the aforementioned criteria, we searched 1216, 1710, and 13 articles from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library respectively. A total of 2234 articles were remained after excluding duplicate publications. And a total of 2191 articles that mismatched the included criteria were excluded after screening titles and abstracts. Therefore, a total of 43 articles were identified. Of these, sixteen articles were excluded after reading the abstracts: ten articles did not compare the effects between anterior approaches and posterior approaches and six articles were reviews. Ten articles were excluded for the following reasons: two articles were not about multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy, one was self-controlled study, four were about MCSM due to soft disc herniation, and three articles did not have statistic data. Manual search of references did not find any additional articles. As a result, a total of 17 articles1, 6, 11-25 were identified for the Meta analysis. Baseline characteristics As shown in Table 1, seventeen studies were included for our meta analysis. Patients with MSCM in 10 studies1, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19-21, 24, 25 were caused by spinal stenosis, and 5 studies6, 13, 14, 18, 23 were caused by ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), two studies16, 22 caused by both types above. The articles were published from 1992 to 2013. The mean ages ranged from 51.8 to 66.8 years old. The sample size, gender ratio, follow-up period, and surgical methods of each study are listed in Table 1. All studies included were non-randomized controlled trails. The qualities of all studies were assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOQAS). The scale for non-randomized controlled trails and cohort studies was used to allocate a maximum of 9 points for the quality of selection (4), comparability (1), and exposure (3) or outcomes (3). As shown in supplement table 1, five studies scored 7 points and twelve scored 8 points. Hence, all studies were of a relatively high quality. Clinical outcomes The main outcomes in this Meta analysis were preoperative JOA score, postoperative JOA score, operation time, blood loss, complication rate and neurological recovery rates. According to patients type, studies were divided into three subgroups: subgroup spinal stenosis, subgroup OPLL, subgroup spinal stenosis and OPLL. The results of heterogeneity for preoperative JOA score was P=0.21, I2=22%, indicating no heterogeneity. So the fixed-effects model was selected and MD was 0.39 (95% CI =0.09, 0.69, P=0.01) (Fig. 2). However, except subgroup spinal stenosis and OPLL had significantly differences, the other two subgroups had no significantly differences in the preoperative JOA. By contrast, there has a statistically significance in the postoperative JOA score (MD=1.13, 95% CI =0.41, 1.86) among the three subgroups. But both subgroup spinal stenosis and subgroup OPLL showed apparent heterogeneity (Fig. 3). We also analyzed operation time, blood loss, complication rate for subgroup OPLL and subgroup spinal stenosis, respectively. Comparison of operation time and blood loss of the two subgroups showed that subgroup spinal stenosis had heterogeneity but not for subgroup OPLL. The operation time for both subgroups had statistically significance (MD=67.43; 95% CI =16.94, 117.91), while blood loss did not (MD=52.43; 95% CI =-79.8, 184.66) (Fig. 4, Fig. 5). Furthermore, when we compared the two subgroups we found the following results. The complication rate of subgroup spinal stenosis was significantly higher in the anterior approaches than in posterior approaches (OR=2.60; 95% CI =1.63, 4.15; P2=38%), while subgroup OPLL was not significant (Fig. 6). The neurological recovery rates compared among three subgroups showed no significantly difference (MD=11.85, 95% CI=0.86, 22.84) (Fig. 7). Since few studies was reported, secondary outcomes like pre- and postoperative range of motion (ROM) , pre- and postoperative Nurick grade and length of stay are listed in table 2. Only postoperative ROM (MD=1.86, 95% CI=0.61, 3.12) and length of stay (MD=-1.54, 95% CI= -2.59, -0.50) showed significant difference (P=0.04). there were no statistical difference in pre-ROM, pre- and postoperative Nurick grade between anterior and posterior approaches. Publication bias A variety of clinical outcomes had been calculated, funnel plots only for preoperative JOA score and postoperative JOA score were displayed. As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, all studies were within the confidential intervals and the shape of the funnel plots revealed symmetric distribution, which suggested there were no significant publication bias. Discussion The surgical treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) has been studied for a long time. Anterior approaches have been widely accepted as an effective and reliable method for the treatment of CSM. but which surgical strategy should be selected for the treatment of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM) remains controversial and challenge. Therefore, we had compared the clinical outcomes of anterior and posterior approaches in the treatment of MCSM due to spinal stenosis or OPLL. In this study, we searched the PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library and found 17 articles comparing anterior and posterior approaches for treatment of MCSM. According to NOQAS, all included studies had high quality. And a meta-analysis was performed to determine which surgical treatment is more effective. Based on the cause of MCSM, the studies were divided into three subgroups: subgroup spinal stenosis, subgroup OPLL, subgroup spinal stenosis and OPLL. For the clinical results, there was significant difference in preoperative JOA scores in subgroup spinal stenosis and subgroup OPLL. Postoperative JOA scores was better in the anterior group compared with posterior group. This results show that the groups had similar baseline neural function, and the postoperative neural function condition was better in anterior group. Authors selected operation time and blood loss for meta analysis to estimate surgical trauma. In our study, the operation time was significant difference between the two groups, while blood loss had no statistically significance. This suggests that surgical trauma in anterior group was higher than that inposterior group in the treatment of MCSM. In addition, the post-ROM was better in posterior group while length of stay was shorter in anterior group. The preoperative ROM, pre- and post-Nurick grad did not differ significantly between the two groups. In the meta-analysis of neurological recovery rate, significant heterogeneity was found between the studies. Subsequent subgroup analysis was similar for the three subgroups. Complication rate was selected to evaluate complication-related outcomes by some authors. And they found a significantly higher incidence of complications in anterior group compared with the posterior group. Our analysis showed the same results. Subsequent subgroup analysis showed the complication rate of anterior group was higher in subgroup spinal stenosis. This suggests that the anterior approaches were associated with a higher incidence of complications for the treatment of MCSM. There are limitations in our study. First, all studies included in the meta-analysis were non-randomized controlled trails. Second, only few studies were included to evaluate pre- and post-ROM either in subgroup OPLL or subgroup spinal stenosis and OPLL. Therefore, it is necessary to include more prospective and randomized controlled trials with high quality to provide more data on the clinical results of both procedures. Hence, though anterior approaches seems have better clinical outcomes compared with posterior approaches in our study, we could not draw a strong conclusion about which strategy is preferred to the treatment of MCSM due to spinal stenosis or OPLL. Conclusions On the basis of the meta-analysis of anterior approaches and posterior approaches for the treatment of MCSM, we can conclude that the clinical outcomes of anterior approaches are superior to posterior approaches for post-JOA, length of stay, the outcomes blood loss, neurological recovery rate are equivalent between two groups. Because of the existing limitations of the study, future studies with high quality are needed for update meta-analysis in order to evaluate the strategy for MCSM treatment.

Impact of Poverty on Personality Development

Impact of Poverty on Personality Development Does Poverty affect personality development from early childhood into adolescence? Eric Fromm said that Mans main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality (Fromm, 1947, p.237).Fromm believes that an individuals purpose in life to is to come fully into themselves so that they may be able to exceed their own expectations. Fully coming into oneself comes from growing into ones personality. Personality is the combination of behaviors, emotions and thought patterns that define an individual or make up their character. Over the course of our lives we go through many changes. Changes that makes us stand taller or our voices grow deeper. Changes that happen on the inside and on the outside. Throughout the course of our lives our behaviors change and develop into habits that shape our very personalities that can lead us into success or prove to be a seemingly permanent obstacle on the path to success. These behaviors either change for the good or bad carry over into our older years as our personalities change. Our personalities dictate who we connect with and get along with, they are central to the way we go through and experience through the world in many different experiences. There is no singular personality that ensures success for anyone but what if the environment influences or fosters a certain type of personality? Can someone truly be a product of their upbringing and environment? In this case, we will be viewing poverty as a type of environment in which individuals live and grow within. Poverty is a long-standing injustice and social issue that restricts specific resources and opportunities for those who are affected by it (Utsey Constantine, 2008). Across many studies there are many varying definitions of poverty. But how does poverty exactly affect personality development? Specifically the personality development from childhood into adolescence. The definition of poverty in this paper will be defined as condition or way of life where peoples basic needs arent being met. Those needs being food and shelter. Poverty is operationally defined across many studies and experiments and sometimes grouped differently. Each study looks at a specific factor that comes directly into play with poverty. Establishing differences in the level of poverty is important in terms of noting how much exposure the developing individual has had to poverty or a lack general lack of resources because in some cases the longer the exposure the more of an effect it has on someone. An example would be impoverished neighborhoods split into three groups where high poverty rates being between 30-40%, moderate poverty with the rates between 20-30% and low poverty rates being 20% (Leventhal Brooks 2011). In some cases, there can be brief periods of poverty because sometimes individuals manage to get out of an impoverished area. There is sometimes a period where there is a flux between persistently being impoverished and being recently impoverished (Leventhal Brooks 2011). Experience of poverty can be into terms such as persistent poverty and transitional or intermittent poverty (Ackerman, Brown Izard 2004). Persistent poverty is related to lower quality home environment that lasts or persists that later is connected to problem behaviors. Neighborhood poverty is defined as neighborhood hardship that is caused by a lack of economic, social and familial resources (Harden, Copeland-Linder Nation 2011). Two different definitions of poverty are identified: the first says that poverty and the behaviors of the poor are explained by their occupation, socioeconomic status and their level of income. The second explains poverty by talking features of persons personality that can connect with a culture of poverty in society from (Sailing Harvey 1981). So, if there is a culture of poverty and disadvantage what does that mean for the youth or the future? Will the cycle be continued or can they possibly find a way to get out of it? There have been studies conducted on how youth and adolescents in poorer areas are academically affected by being surrounded or growing up in poverty (Anderson, Leventhal Dupà ©rà © 2014) and about how neighborhood affluence and poverty can affect achievement and behavior. They wanted to find out how poverty affects academics and behavior. Does poverty affect academics and behavior in negative or positive ways? Does their behavior indicate a risk factor in their personality? When it comes down to these children that go from early childhood into adolescence who have bad relations with the law and substandard test scores tend to have higher externalized behaviors that get them into trouble. Is this truly their faults? Are their potentials met or are they held back by the environment that they are surrounded by? Poverty is something that holds back many promising individuals that have potential to do so many amazing things. This is an important topic because the thing that many people fail to realize is that individuals from these impoverished areas that are considered high risk are only that because of what they are surrounded by. It is an important topic to speak on and to bring up because it brings attention to a marginalized group of people that are mostly overlooked and not heard about. Well-being is challenged and constantly put under duress due to the pressures and anxieties of being impoverished. So, how does poverty affect personality development from childhood into adolescence? What Poverty effects The claim that I am making is that poverty first and foremost affects opportunities within the communities that it is prevalent and present in. Opportunities can be defined as chances or a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. Opportunity comes with levels of educational attainment, employment and quality of resources. Levels of attainment can increase levels of affluence in the area. Resources could be food, water, shelter, clothes or several things that can contribute to the standard of living being higher. They are chances for an individual to exceed their own expectations and attain a goal that they previously hadnt thought they could attain. Depending on the area in which an individual is surrounded by opportunity can either be given or not be not given. The level of affluence in a neighborhood implies an accessibility to certain resources that can improve the quality of life and can make life easier for families and children in that area. Affluence within neighborhoods can be broken down into adults or parents within a neighborhood that have B.A. degrees and those who were currently employed in managerial or professional occupations (Anderson, Leventhal Dupà ©rà © 2014). Access to quality resources is maintained through a consistent salary so when they run low they are able to replenish them with no problem. They are also able to maintain the possessions that they already have. Within maintaining the possessions and a certain quality of life along with experiencing the stability that can come with affluence a sense of self-worth is fostered. Self-worth can be fostered through competency in daily tasks or within the academia. For those who happen to not be in a stable and plentiful environment academic achievement can be seen as the opportunity that can grant some a beginning foundation or a means to aspire to move away or out of poverty. One of the main things that can certainly help alleviate the instability of poverty is educational attainment that can lead to so many opportunities for gainful employment. Affluence and poverty correlated with participants outcomes achievement in regards to Math and Reading scores affluence of the neighborhood corre lated with higher achievement (Anderson, Leventhal Dupà ©rà ©, 2014). Although in some cases there can be periods of poverty because sometimes some individuals manage to get out of an impoverished area (Damian et al., 2014).. Over time family needs increased so family wealth increased. But, neighborhood poverty indicators declined from early childhood to middle childhood and early adolescence. If participants in this study moved from an impoverished area into a better one, they tended to move during early or middle childhood, not so much during adolescence (Anderson and Leventhal Dupà ©rà ©, 2014). Affluence and poverty in this study correlated with participants outcomes achievement and with behavioral problems. In regards to Math and Reading scores affluence of the neighborhood correlated with higher achievement and the internalizing/externalizing behavior hypothesized models had no support as well. Children who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely than those in affluent ones to undergo a negative personality change which can create a stigma (Hart, Atkins Matsuba, 2008). There is sometimes a period where there is a flux between persistently being impoverished and being recently impoverished. So, there are different kinds of poverty levels in this study, one that is consistent and persistent while the other is transitional because sometimes people can get out of poverty (Eamon, 2000). Lower-quality environments, strained relations between the family or mother, and low stimulation quickly impact recent povertys effect on internalizing behaviors. Lower quality environments refer to the state of the home itself, so if it is clean, safe and uncluttered the environment is of higher quality. Strained relations mean the ways that the parent interacts with their child or other family members after recently becoming impoverished. Stimulation comes in with social interactions with people outside of the family. Recent poverty means that the family had not previously been in poverty but due to a circumstance they have fallen into poverty. So, it is the Persistent poverty that seems to have in regards to have the longest lasting impact behavior in developing children (Eamon, 2000). I think that children are aware of when there is a lack of something or when they dont have access to some of the things that they want or some of the things that they see other people with. They are quick to acknowledge the lack of what they want and even more quick when asking for the object or thing that they want. Sometimes the line between what one needs to have and what one wants to have is very blurred especially when the things that are essentially needed care out of reach. Individuals from disadvantaged or impoverished areas experience unpredictable childhoods tend to feel as if they themselves have no actual control. Poverty happens for a varying amount of reasons that most of the time boil down to not being the individuals fault or out of the individuals control. For example, a family or an individual could fall below the poverty line because of job loss, loss of finances, unemployment and income level that changes their socioeconomic status. Poverty affects Behavior Poverty affects behavior in negative or positive ways. Poverty creates a complex and demanding environment that are mostly not conducive to development. Individuals are put under a lot of stress, duress and pressure when growing up in an impoverished environment. Behavior is how an individual acts towards others. Within this limited and high stress environment many frustrations arise. Being in poverty or living in poverty can make a person feel hopeless and out of control (Mittal Griskevicius, 2014). When people feel a lack of control they try to find other things that they can exercise effective control over. In trying to exert control or find control in smaller situations they can become reckless and risky in their judgement. To adapt to this environment of poverty certain behaviors are expressed and these behaviors form into habits. Habits that arent always good are formed to find ways to get by or adapt with the environment. Some of the harmful ways frustrations by being in an i mpoverished environment can manifest themselves is through maladaptive and unsavory behaviors; for example yelling or fighting or refusal to comply with requests (Castellanos-Ryan et al.,2013). For example, aggressive behaviors like physical damage that can cause hurt or harm to an individual themselves or someone else. These horrible and sometimes aggressive or violent tendencies that are seen or portrayed dont necessarily mean that that is what the adolescent or individual truly is or how they truly are. Maybe the reason the individuals are acting in such a way is that they themselves do not know how to process their own emotions or feelings. So, instead of trying they resort to lashing out either at themselves or others. Does behavior indicate a specific personality or personality traits? Some negative ways that behaviors can be expressed are known as internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Across the studies that use the terms externalizing and internalizing the definitions are quite similar. Externalizing behaviors as problem behaviors that are expressed externally (Castellanos-Ryan et al.,2013). Aggressive behaviors like yelling, screaming or fighting can be seen as externalizing behaviors.Internalizing behaviors as negative behaviors that are expressed inwardly (Leventhal, Brooks Gunn , 2011). So, these behaviors are inflicted upon the self. Anxiety and depression are two forms of the behavior that are frequently experienced. Stress can cause a number of emotional and behavioral problems. Poor children were rated and found to have more externalizing problems in comparison to those who werent poor. Tying back into the availability of specific resources for the need and the enjoyment of the individual. If there are not enough financial resources to help support the lives of the individual some strain and stressors may arise. These strains can be felt in different ways and some of them may even be acted out in harmful or destructive ways that add more tensions and frustration into the very situation itself. There is also a correlation between family income and behavior issues, it was discovered that family income was related to externalizing problems. Children had fewer problems when their familys income was higher than children whose familys income was low. The children that had been severely impoverished had more outward problems as opposed to those children who never had experienced of were even in poverty themselves (Dearing, McCartney and Taylor, 2006). The longer the exposure to poverty the more likely children are to experience sadness, anxiety, and dependency or other forms of problems. The behavior, the externalizing and internalizing problems begin in childhood when exposed to poverty and then carry on into adolescence when poverty is persistent and consistent through development which lead to other areas like academic achievement and opportunity along with personality disorders or anger issues (Ackerman, Brown Izard, 2004). The longitudinal study looked at the connection between the amount of family income and the rate of poverty over a 6 year period through the use of assessments or questionnaires given out to the children and to their parents or caregivers and went from when the child was in preschool to 5 years of age. They found that as the years went by the children were very likely to experience sadness, anxiety and dependency (Ackerman, Brown Izard, 2004). When breaking up neighborhoods their levels of poverty the main thing to remember is that there is a relationship between the level of poverty itself and the prevalence of specific behaviors. My claim is that levels in poverty itself also play a role in the mediating or eliciting specific behaviors. So in a high poverty neighborhood the presence of decreasing poverty would help alleviate problem behaviors meanwhile in a moderate poverty neighborhood the presence of increasing poverty would be the source of youth problem behaviors (Leventhal, Brooks Gunn, J., 2011). There seems to be a trend in the behavioral development of boys, young children and toddlers when in poverty or in an at-risk area that they tend to have more externalizing behavior issues (Holtz, Fox Meurer, 2014). Low-income families are at higher risk for family and social stressors, for example job loss, poor quality child care, inadequate supervision, unaddressed medical issues, maternal mental health issues, and unsafe neighborhoods, which in turn, negatively impact parenting practices that have been found to be related to the development and exacerbation of behavior problems in children (Holtz, Fox Meurer, 2014). An extension on the aforementioned definition of externalizing behaviors can be called challenging behaviors. These challenging behaviors can include throwing temper tantrums, destroying property, refusing to listen, noncompliance and elevated levels of aggression (Holtz, Fox Meurer, 2014). This study implemented the use of Early Childhood behavior screenings to be able to track the exact time or time frame of when the problem behaviors arose in the toddlers that were being used as subjects. The Early Childhood Behavior Screen is a 20 item questionnaire that was made for the toddlers and preschool kids. The questions within the questionnaire were made to measure the positive behaviors and challenging behaviors. The ECBS were measured by the frequency or the prevalence of challenging behaviors then the complete score was between 10 and 30. There were gender differences found for the challenging behaviors items, for example on items like throws things at others and kicks othersthe boys had higher percentages respectively with the first item mentioned being at 60% for boys and 43% for girls and for the second 25% for girls and 40% for boys (Holtz, Fox Meurer, 2014). My claim is that not only behavior but other facets that can be acted upon or increased due long exposure to poverty are poor impulse control, bad decision making including risky behaviors. Risky behaviors can be having unprotected sex, having multiple partners or doing drugs. Bad decision making can be tied to criminal or delinquent behaviors like theft or robbery (Griskevicius et al, 2013). Long time exposure to harshness and unpredictability were the markers that were used in Griskevicius et al. (2013) to track the rise of risky behaviors from before birth and well into adolescence. Unpredictability was operationally defined through the changes in mothers employment status, residence and living arrangements; harshness was assessed by socioeconomic status (Griskevicius et al., 2013). Changes in employment status means a change to salary and could lead to poverty. In the study they measured five different outcomes over the span the ages between 6 and 16 then age 23; the first two co mponents deal with sexual history and the other three deal with deviant behaviors and they were aggression, delinquency and ties to criminal activity (Griskevicius et al., 2013). Results showed that the male participants had many more sexual partners and participated in more delinquent behaviors than that of the female participants. It was also found that unpredictability in the early stages of childhood correlated with the amount of sexual partners later on in life, levels of aggression and criminal behaviors (Griskevicius et al., 2013). So instability throughout early years of childhood are indicators of a possible risky personality forming later on in life which was measured when the participants answered questionnaires when they turned 23. Instability and unpredictability can also be a good indicator for aggression and delinquent behaviors that can continue well on into adulthood and have a major effect on the many things that can potentially happen in someones life. So what can actually be done to help alleviate the problem of the instability, unpredictability and harshness of poverty so that children dont grow up and become products of their own environ ments? The outlook after this looks a bit bleak and not so hopeful. Although it does seem hopeless in many ways and that only negative things come from growing up impoverished like externalizing and internalizing behaviors, lack of availability to resources and a higher chance of being unstable and not having good sense of well-being there are some positive behaviors that can come out of growing up within an impoverished community or area. This is not to say that there should not be any efforts to relieve and help close the gaps that let people fall into poverty and stay there. Coping, adaptability and resilience are all positive behaviors that can come from growing up in adversity. Impoverished children grow up learning how to cope which helps them learn how to better manage and deal with stress and stressors that can arise from the unpredictability of life (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). Within the poverty environment stress plays another role in development. Poverty related stress has been shown to have a strong correlation with the development of anxiety and depression but the way in which an individual responds or reacts to the stresses or stressors is called coping. But there are different kinds of coping that work for each individual separately, everyone has their own strategy that helps them deal with their own kinds and varying amounts of stress; the two types of coping are referred to as primary control coping and secondary control coping (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). So, primary control coping consists of strategies that have more of a direct approach to dealing with ones own feelings and this includes problem solving, emotional expression and emotional regulation while secondary control coping consists of trying to adapt ones self to differing environments, like for example stressful environments or events, and this this includes acceptance, changing ones outlook, distraction and positive thinking (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). Both types of coping can be seen as beneficial in comparison to disengagement coping, which is coping that is unhealthy and includes avoidance, denial and wishful thinking; all of which do not exactly interact with the problem or deal with the emotional side to arising stressors (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). Coping is only really helpful when it is effective towards the type of stress it is up against. It has also been suggested that coping interacts with both internalizing and externalizing behaviors by changing the degree at w hich they affect the person. But is something like coping with poverty based stressors and stresses going to happen when an individual is an environment that doesnt have that many poverty related issues or challenges? Is the effectiveness of coping dependent on the interaction with the poverty linked stressors? During an 8 month period poverty based stressors, responses those stressors and the behaviors that arose in response to those stressors were observed in Wadsworth Berger (2006). The responses were collected by the responses to stress and youth self report questionnaires. The RSQ has 16 factors while the YSR had 112 factors. Their findings indicated that the level of stress elicits a certain stress reactivity to it that is correlated with coping itself. My other claim is that individuals, namely, adolescents who either grew up in unpredictable and impoverished areas to tend to be flexible and can adapt to new situations with more ease since they have had to adapt and be more flexible due to their upbringing (Mittal et al, 2015). As seen before, with different levels of stress and stressors comes different approaches to coping with the arising stress. They believed that the influence of high stressful environments and they went about proving that by doing two experiments. The first one has two deal with inhibitions and shifting. The following experiments served as replications of the first. Inhibition is the deliberate overriding of dominant responses and Shifting can also be called task switching, it involves flexibly changing between different tasks (Mittal et al., 2015). Participants gave information about their backgrounds and then were either sorted into groups that had inhibition tasks or shifting tasks amongst different enviro nments. They found that people who had remembered having unpredictable childhoods did better on the shifting tasks and worse on the inhibition tasks (Mittal et al., 2015). So the very the environment of unpredictability requires an individual to be quite flexible and adaptable. This trait can carry well on into adulthood and serve the individual well in the long run. Poverty and Personality Personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individuals unique and distinctive character. There are many facets and parts that compile it and they are called traits. Personality is one of the things that keeps growing, evolving and changing throughout the rest of our lives. It takes some time for people to develop their own distinctive personality because it can be influenced by so many outside factors like their environments, parents, friends, family or a plethora of reasons. It takes time for people to truly come into themselves and to come into their own personalities. Individuals go through many stages in their lives. The first formations of personality come from the behaviors that are learned and acted out from the earlier stages of development and then carried on into the later stages. Repeated behaviors can in turn become habits (Salling Harvey, 1981). And habits become harder and harder to break as time goes on. If personality is negatively affected by poverty then that could lead to the of a risky personality and predict negative behaviors that can extend well beyond adolescence and have effects on adulthood behaviors and interaction between people (Hart, Atkins, Matsuba , 2008). As exemplified by the aforementioned studies poverty has a significant role in the increase and prevalence of negative behaviors of both kinds being externalizing and internalizing. Sometimes these behaviors dont arise in opposition to the environment but to cope with the demand and stresses of the environment itself (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). Sometimes the ways in which individuals decide to cope happen to be the wrong ways, instead of trying to work with the problems presented within the challenging and demanding environment, they shut down or completely disengage from the environment or try to detach themselves from the problem (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). Poverty related stressors can take tolls on groups and families with tension rising between them. When there is tension due to poverty related stressors it can cause chaos and issues within the household itself and this can strain the social climate of the home and can be an indicator of childrens ability to recognize and properly process their own negative emotions (Raver, Blair, Garrett-Peters, 2015), It was found that the higher the amount of exposure to conflicts and tension within the home the harder or more difficult it was for children from that home to be able to process and understand negative emotions when faced with them. These negative behaviors become habit and then these habits are carried into adulthood that turn into risky behaviors that can create a risky personality. Conversely, if personality is positively affected by personality it can lead to better overall well-being, mental health and in self-worth and self-esteem (Eamon, M.K, 2000). From the research presented before I claim that some of the positive behaviors that can come from growing up in an unpredictable, unstable and impoverished environment can be successful and healthy coping, adaptability and flexibility in difficult and uncertain situations. So not only do individuals who grow up in poverty cope well, they cope the right way. As mentioned before there are two types of coping that can be seen as the healthy way to cope although coping is different for everyone; primary control coping is the more direct approach to dealing with ones own feelings and secondary control coping is consists of trying to adapt ones self to differing environments (Wadsworth Berger, 2006). Although those are two different ways in which an individual can cope they both give time for the person to actually process what they are feeling and interact with the stressor or the problem in their own ways. I think that through these processes of coping understanding how to handle negative emotions is learned. It is through learning how to handle negative emotions that can arise with stress and strain from stressors that negative behaviors can be diminished. Conclusion Poverty does indeed change and affect personality in many ways even if the individual can move from a place with high levels of poverty. The lack of resources leaves individuals brought up in poverty at a deficit in some areas that carry on into adulthood and it is very unlikely that deficit can be closed. It can increase the prevalence of outwardly aggressive and violent actions which can only lead to negative outcomes for the future. But there are also some positives that come from this restricted lifestyle, like the ability to cope and the ability to be flexible. Although it is difficult to say that poverty can be eradicated so that everyone has the same equal and equitable opportunities it is still a worthy course of action so that everyone can meet their full potential.