Economic Geography

Economic Geography Economic geography is a sub-field within the larger subjects of geography and economics. Researchers within this field study the location, distribution, and organization of economic activity around the world. Economic geography is important in developed nations such as the United States because it allows researchers to understand the structure of the areas economy and its economic relationship with other areas around the world. It is also important in developing nations because the reasons and methods of development or lack thereof are more easily understood. Because economics is such a large topic of study so too is economic geography. Some topics that are considered economic geography include agritourism, the economic development of various countries and gross domestic and gross national products. Globalization is also extremely important to economic geographers today because it connects much of the worlds economy. History and Development of Economic Geography The field of economic geography continued to grow as European nations later began to explore and colonize different regions around the world. During these times European explorers made maps describing economic resources such as spices, gold, silver and tea that they believed would be found in places like the Americas, Asia and Africa (Wikipedia.org). They based their explorations on these maps and as a result, new economic activity was brought to those regions. In addition to the presence of these resources, explorers also documented the trading systems that the people native to these regions engaged in. In the mid-1800s farmer and economist, Johann Heinrich von Thà ¼nen developed his model of agricultural land use. This was an early example of modern economic geography because it explained the economic development of cities based on land use. In 1933 geographer Walter Christaller created his Central Place Theory that used economics and geography to explain the distribution, size, and number of cities around the world. By the end of World War II general geographic knowledge had increased considerably. Economic recovery and development following the war led to the growth of economic geography as an official discipline within geography because geographers and economists became interested in how and why economic activity and development was occurring and where it was around the world. Economic geography continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1950s and 1960s as geographers attempted to make the subject more quantitative. Today economic geography is still a very quantitative field that mainly focuses on topics such as the distribution of businesses, market research and regional and global development. In addition, both geographers and economists study the topic. Todays economic geography is also very reliant on geographic information systems (GIS) to conduct research on markets, the placement of businesses and the supply and demand of a given product for an area. Topics within Economic Geography Theoretical economic geography is the broadest of the branches and geographers within that subdivision mainly focus on building new theories for how the worlds economy is arranged. Regional economic geography looks at the economies of specific regions around the world. These geographers look at local development as well as the relationships that specific regions have with other areas. Historical economic geographers look at the historical development of an area to understand their economies. Behavioral economic geographers focus on an areas people and their decisions to study the economy. Critical economic geography is the final topic of study. It developed out of critical geography and geographers in this field attempt to study economic geography without using the traditional methods listed above. For example, critical economic geographers often look at economic inequalities and the dominance of one region over another and how that dominance impacts the development of economies. In addition to studying these different topics, economic geographers also often study very specific themes related to the economy. These themes include the geography of agriculture, transportation, natural resources, and trade as well as topics such as business geography. Current Research in Economic Geography Journal of Economic Geography Each of these articles is interesting because they are very different from one another but they all focus on some aspect of the worlds economy and how it works.

Operations Management and Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operations Management and Tesco - Essay Example Signboards with directional arrows were found to hang from the ceiling. Commodities were segregated on the basis of different parameters, each type being found at one place. The positioning of items was so done as to optimise space and also allow easy access to the customers. An interesting feature of the store is the open space that facilitates movement of products as well as customers. The entire arrangement has been designed in a way that ensures minimum collision between people moving inside the store. Surveillance cameras are installed at strategic points that keep an eagle eye on possible shop lifters. In operations management, the 4 V's are commonly defined as volume, variety, variation and visibility. In a large supermarket like that of Tesco's, all of them could be sensed, though in varying proportion. (Slack N., et al, 2007) The supermarket offers only one service that being providing commodities to customers. However, this is not the all. The uniqueness of the super market lies in the fact that it provides a plethora of goods and other necessary items for sale. It allows the customers the freedom to shop groceries, garments, accessories, cosmetic products, beverages and toiletries all at the same place. In addition to this, customers can also enjoy free home delivery services in case their purchase bills exceed certain pre determined limits. The volume of operations is thus, very high. Continuing from the volume analysis, the variety of services that a customer receives from the supermarket is high. It also needs to be mentioned that it depends on the customer whether she would like to enjoy the whole range of services provided. For example, many people were seen to visit the garments and electronics goods section but none of them purchased from there. In the strictest sense of the term the variety is very high. The store which was visited had maximum number of customers purchasing grocery and food items. Variation in sales happens depending on the product. Generally, food items have a moderate level of demand. Garments are in high demand only in certain seasons. However, variation in sales was also experienced throughout the day. Towards the evening, there was a rise in the number of customers purchasing hard drinks, beer and fruit shakes. Visibility, as defined in theories of operation management, is very low. Customers seldom can see how the shelves are getting filled up or the source from where frozen foods are obtained. Most of the rearrangement is done during the early morning or late night after the store gets closed for customers. The Layout, Flow and Use of Process Technologies In a supermarket, the layout and flow of various products are of paramount importance. It has to be borne in mind that placing of the products plays an important role both for the customers as well as the service provider. In the visited store, the layout was more like a process layout. Items of same kind were placed at one place. Among the items of same kind, the heavier ones were placed in a manner that would make it easy for the customer to carry it. Personal items and toiletries were found to be arranged in columns, the bigger packets forming the base and the smaller ones

Britains Recent Credit Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Britains Recent Credit Crisis - Essay Example If it is opposite there is recession. "The circular flow diagram divides the economyii into two sectors: one concerned with producing goods and services, and the other with consuming them. Resources are converted into goods and services by business, and in this transformed state travel back to consumers. Money flows in the opposite direction. These flows involve two markets in which exchange take place: the resource or factor market in which business buys resources, and the goods and services market in which business sells goods." "Access to cheap credit in Britain has fuelled a decade of unprecedented growth, with home prices tripling over the past decade, a faster rise than in the US. Consumer spending has skyrocketed, now making up roughly two-thirds of the country's total outlays. And the overall economy in Britain is more dependent on financial services than it is in the States. As in the US, consumers are another key driver of the economy and today they're among the most indebted in the world. British consumers owe $2.7 trillion on credit cards, mortgages, and other consumer loans or more than the country's entire economic output. Household debt as a percentage of gross disposable income is 166%, compared with 127% in the US. So it's hardly surprising that in the past year, British banks have had to write off $18 billion in bad debts, mostly consumer borrowing. With the average home now costing $370,000 roughly 11 times the average salary housing is less affordable than at any time in the past 15 years. The latest data show house price inflation running at about 9.5% annually for August, but the rate is starting to slow. Although most believe that the Bank of England is unlikely to raise rates further anytime soon, the cost of servicing mortgages is expected to climb. That's because the crisis in the financial markets has raised the cost of borrowing for lenders, who will in turn pass on those costs to consumers, many of whom have adjustable rates."iii Explanation of Current Credit Crisis in Great Britain using the circular flow diagram. The diagram below shows the U.S. Circular flow including credit flows. It is a lot more involved than the previous circular flow diagram but it would explain the current credit crisis in Great Britain. Since the financial system in Great Britain and the U.S. are very similar, they have similar traits but face similar problems. The only thing is Great Britain's credit problems are a lot worse than the U.S. Let us analyze the British situation using the circular flow diagram below. 1. British Consumers have borrowed over $ 2.7 trillion which is even higher than the total Annual GDP number. Now obviously this debt has been acquired over a period of few years, so how does this reflect as an injection into the circular diagram. 2. Let us look at the simple

How Can Health Care Professionals Effectively Deal Sociologically With Essay

How Can Health Care Professionals Effectively Deal Sociologically With Issues Of Domestic Violence In Pregnancy - Essay Example This essay stresses that surprisingly, and in contrast to previous research on women residing in domestic violence shelters, emotional support was not a significant predictor of mental health when severity of violence was controlled. Practical aid, however, predicted both anxiety and self-esteem. This finding is consistent with the only shelter study that compared emotional and practical supports. This paper makes a conclusion that there are several important intervention implications from this study. First, critical support plays a key role in the mental health of women who have violent partners. Thus, support for women in violent relationships must avoid criticism of their lives and decisions. Clearly, the ability to talk about the abuse in an empathic, non-critical environment is an important key to positive mental health for these women. Because homophily was related to criticism in this study, it may be that advocates, rather than homophilous peer support groups, provide the most effective interventions. In addition, practical aid, rather than emotional support, was related to positive mental health. Thus, concrete assistance with daily life hassles and challenges should be a high priority for agencies serving battered women. Finally, the positive relationship between nonhomophilous supporters and mental health suggests that agencies might assist battered women in locatin g new sources of support in order to develop a social network composed of more women who have not been battered

Polygamy and monogamy practices

Polygamy and monogamy practices Since creation, according to bible, God created man and woman as well as animals which were both male and female. In such a situations where there exists animals of different sex, it allows the reproduction and stability of one generation after another generation. Human beings are known social beings, and in most cases need one another to survive, therefore its difficult to exclusively depend on themselves. To produce offspring, they usually marry and have children which in turn, becomes the standard of creation for the human population. Even though we all share the similarity of being human beings, there still exists differences in what we believe in and the values that we attach to various things. One of these things, is the topic of marriage, which by definition, is a reunion of a man and a woman to come together and live together as a husband and wife. Due to the diverse objectives that people have in marriage, some people consider that having one wife (monogamy) is the ideal met hod, whereas others believe in having a number of wives (polygamy) (Family,2009). This paper seeks to have an in-depth look at the two issues; polygamy and monogamy by looking at what the proponents of each thinks about it as well as look at countries that have practiced them. It will also look at pros and cons of each as well, and why people should respect one another despite which side they take. Last but not least, the paper will analyze the cultural beliefs of the two groups and dig deeper on why they hold on their beliefs and reasons they give to support their stand. Monogamy, is one of the most widely used form of marriage and its supporters believe in one man/woman to one wife/husband. Monogamy is derived from the Greek word mono, which means alone, and gamos, meaning re-union or marriage. It is believed that the majority of the human race practice monogamy as opposed to polygamy. One benefit considered of monogamy, is that it increases the chances of offspring survival because the parents collaborate together and raise the child ( Edward,1928). This perception does seem to be changing with time due to complexities of fast paced, modern life though. In the past, it was common for men to go to work while the woman was supposed to maintain the house hold duties, which also included raising the children. The modern world has changed this though, and now there is no distinct roles between men and women. Equally now, both must work hard to cope and deal with the challenges of modern life. Monogamy can be categorized and broken into four groups: soci al monogamy, sexual monogamy, marital monogamy and genetic monogamy. There exists small differences between these groups and that is why this paper all discussion will be centered on the man and woman perspective of monogamy. Many communities have in the past and are currently now practicing monogamy. Monogamy is as old as Adam and Eve, for during creation, God created one woman and one man. It is anticipated by some people that Christianity has a connection with the origin of monogamy ( Edward,1928). Europe just happens to be one of the countries where Christianity took its toll and spread rapidly. Before Christianity, Europe practiced polygamy. The roman culture believed in monogamy to such an extent that those who failed to observe the rules, faced dire consequences. Due to the severe penalties, some people even went to the extent of killing their wives so that they could have an opportunity of marrying another one. Cesar is an example of one who banished and killed his wife in o rder to get the opportunity of marrying another one (William,u.d.). This indicates how strong their culture laws were and how people desperately tried to abide by them. The great conqueror Napoleon, was also forced to divorce his first wife so that he could marry another one order to birth a son. This shows how deep rooted these cultures were by going to the extent of making a laws which were to be observed by all of the population. These cultures main goals were making sure the chances of immorality were reduced, as well as helping couples remain committed to each other. It is evident that no matter how strict a country was, monogamy is hard to uphold as it can be seen in Rome, where although marriage was monogamous, the sexual relationship did not follow the same, and mating was polygamous (Eshleman, 1994). People abided by the rules, and most cultural beliefs were upheld and embraced by the community. One downside to these beliefs, was lack in acceptance by all of its citizens an d some accepted it just because they lacked any alternatives. The communities that practiced monogamy stood a better chance of having families that worked together towards a common goal like raising children, giving them parental love and attention which are very crucial to the development child. As opposed to polygamous family, where most of the time the husband can not afford to be with all wives and his children at the same time. A polygamous father quite simply, cannot afford it. The children from these families are not likely in most cases to fully enjoy the parental love of both parents like those from monogamous family. In the Roman Empire, the consequences of bigamy were severe as death. This means that the citizens had no other option but to abide by them. The Empire saw it as a way to reduce the numbers of unwanted children, lower the levels of immorality, and lessen the amount of single mothers resulting from divorce, due to unfavorable conditions that arise with polygamy . Even though this culture was imitated, it still has its weakness because most its foremost people had children outside marriage as well as concubines on the side. It showed disregard for human rights, because some women were divorced or murdered so that the men could get the opportunity to marry another one. The culture also lacked proportion matching especially in comparison to modern days since the male to female ratio does not compute. This means that a great number of women would turn out to be single since their population is so high. In turn, the women who birth children out of marriage, will raise children that are not able to receive parental love from the father. Those children then do not have much choice but to lean on what they see their mother doing, and in some cases, the traits they acquire, might not be ideal ones. Polygamy is derived from the Greek word, which means the practice of having many women. This practice is very old and was practiced in many countries throughout the world. The practice is predominant in many African countries, where ones wealth is calculated in terms of how many children one has. They believe that when one person is in position to feed many mouths, that it translates to that one person having enough wealth since poor people could not afford to feed numerous children. Other countries have different reasons to why they allowed its citizens to practice polygamy. This discussion will focus on one of the African countries, Kenya, where currently, some of its communities still do practice polygamy (volume 10, 1967). Before colonization, people used to have their own standards of living as well as doctrines and laws that they had to abide by. Kenya happens to have more than 42 tribes where each tribe has its own beliefs and culture to follow. Most of these tribes, acknowledge polygamy and it is suggested by Ngugi (2006) that women once they perceive that they are reaching old age, could suggest that their husband marry another younger woman who to help him with house hold chores as well as marital needs. To many Kenyans, they believed polygamy to be essential in making it possible for the continuation of a generation. This was a time when children used to die in large numbers at extremely tender ages, due to diseases like measles, polio amongst others. It was then considered vital for a man to marry many women and reproduce many children so that even if a majority of them were dying, the hopes and chances that a few of them would survive was increased. The Kenyan culture accepted polygamy and eve n women themselves did not feel cheated nor did they object to it. A good example is the Luo community in Kenya in currently, polygamy is still practiced. Wife inheritance which is also a part of polygamy is being practiced as well (Ngugi, 2008)). According to their culture, this habit is encouraged to discourage the chances of the widowed woman from going out to look for other men, and instead be inherited by one of the brothers of her deceased husband. Another reason that is supported by those who practice polygamy, is to bring about a balance between men and women. Since the womens numbers are many, it is believed by the men practicing it, that more women in turn will be able to get husbands. The African culture means well in practicing polygamy, and has good intentions in doing so. These women and communities as a whole, believe it better to have a co-wife and abolish the need for their men to have hidden relations with other women outside the marriage. Therefore there was no more secret business, and men could inform their wives of their intention to marry another woman as they deemed right (Ngugi,2008). Lately though there has been a decline in the practice of polygamy, resulting from many people embracing Christianity i n Kenya. Many are now abiding by doctrines of the church and because of this immorality and promiscuity is on the rise. Research has shown that both married women and men are having other relationships outside their marriages, contributing to a high HIV infection rate in these groups. Polygamy is associated with such benefits as the impartiality in the distribution of wealth. This is because polygamy in most cases is practiced by men who are financially stable. By them marrying many women, there will be a steady flow of cash, either through gift or even just by merely supporting the women that he marries (William,2009). Immorality and promiscuity rates also decline along with sexually transmitted diseases, for the simple fact that a man will be content with women he has. There are also more morals imposed in such a society, and instead of women resulting to using devices such as sex toys to fulfill their needs, they stand a much better chance of getting men who will satisfy their ne eds sexually instead. Human beings are emotional and require a channel or means of satisfying those feelings. When that opportunity is not presented, they can result to other untraditional means to satisfy their emotions. Polygamy also has its shortcomings which can vary depending on how it is practiced. When it occurs with individuals who are not economically stable, children might suffer and lack basic needs due to the number of children the man will be providing for. It also neglects the children of paternal love since they can not have their father on daily basis. It can also make women feel not fully appreciated and wonder why their man would be looking at other women. In the current times, it can lead to mistrust, and increasing the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (Mirriam, 2006). In looking at both polygamy and monogamy, each one of them seems to have its advantages and disadvantages. Keeping in mind that humans are social beings who like to interact with each other, people should learn to appreciate other peoples cultures since we can perceive things differently and what some may consider as right, may be considered as very wrong in another country. Even though this has always been a controversial topic as to what people recognize as its pertaining issues, but it is really time for people to appreciate the difference that exists between people and the only way to solve this is by learning about the positive things from the given cultural community and disregard what could be perceived to be of less importance (Jenks, 2006). Communities can not exist on their own and they require a collaboration with others to co-exist peacefully. It is important to not only realize but appreciate that there are disparities between these two types of marriages and the childre n brought out of each of them exhibit the differences in the values that they learned from their parents. Research done has indicated that children from polygamous family might have more negative attitudes towards their step siblings and are often lacking in genuine love towards each other. In extreme cases, they sometimes rise against one another and even cause bodily harm to one another. Often lacking in fatherly love, they generally seem to perceive their father in a negative light as well. All that having been said, people will continue behaving differently and that is why laws play a vital role ensuring that people abide by them and operate within those boundaries. Through social interaction, people get to discover other peoples different ways of living and their abilities to interact with each other. References Jencks E N (2009).The History and Philosophy of Marriage: Or, Polygamy and Monogamy Compared: Oxford publishers Ngugi, J. polygamy in Kenya.Nairobi. Oxford publishers. Miriam K. (2006).Polygamy: a cross-cultural analysis. New York: Up. A citizen of Massachusetts (1882).Marriage: monogamy and polygamy on the basis of divine law, of natural law University of Michigan James Campbell An international journal of social, political and legal , Volume 10: 1967: retrieved on 6/12/2009 from: n+monogamy+and+polygamylr=client=firefox-a Edward B. (1928). The Journal of general psychology, Volume 1 retrieved on 6/12/2009 from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=Kv37YlSy7oICq=journals+on+monogamy+and+polygamydq=journals+on+monogamy+and+polygamylr=client=firefox-a Say NO to monogamy and YES to polygamy.2009. Retrieved on 6/12/2009 from http://www.hipforums.com/modules/Journal/viewentry.php?journalnoteid=13005 William M .The family, society, and the individual: retrieved on 6/12/2009 from: gamydq=journals+on+monogamy+and+polygamylr=client=firefox-a Eshleman, J. (1994). The Family. retrieved on 6/12/2009 from: ygamylr=client=firefox-a

Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers

The death penalty has both supporters and non-supporters. The following essay will not solve the issue; I will only try to persuade the reader to understand my point of view. The death penalty is justified in certain cases such as Mcveigh Vs State of Indiana; however it is unjustified in other cases, including Bloodsworth Vs State of Maryland. The death penalty is a must, especially in today’s society. With the increase in vicious crimes today, the government must act just as harsh with our justice system to try and prevent these types of crimes. Non-supporters argue that the death penalty is inhumane and should be considered murder. People of this malicious caliber must be dealt with in the same way, an eye for an eye. Putting these criminals to death doesn’t solve the crime that they committed, but it helps the victim’s family and friends to feel a sense of justification for what’s happened to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital Punishment has been part of the criminal justice system since the earliest of times. The earliest historical record that contains evidence of capital punishment is the Babylonian Hammurabi Code. â€Å"It ordered death for crimes as minor as the fraudulent sale of beer. Egyptians could be put to death for disclosing the location of sacred burial sites.† During the time of the code you were put to death for the smallest crimes, which now would be a minor offense or even considered being nothing Today, capital punishment is still apparent in society. People are put to death because of murder or rape. The different types of punishment used are anywhere from hanging to lethal injection. The death penalty is a better deterrent than imprisonment because taking offenders life is more of a severe punishment. By using the death penalty as a type of punishment, it will in the future prevent other criminals from committing similar crimes and eventually make our society a much better place to live. The concept is very simple, the death penalty prevents a murders by putting the fear of death into would be killers. A person is less likely to do something, if he or she thinks that harm will come to him. Another way the death penalty prevent murder, is the fact that if the killer is dead, he will not be able to kill again. As Issac Ehlrich is quoted saying, â€Å"If the execution of a guilty capital murderer deters the murder of one innocent life, the execution is just... ...pen everyday, and many get away with it. Those who do get caught don't stay in a jail cell for the rest of there live. If we could rig our streets of murderers, it could mean a safer place for everyone. Men and women could feel safer jogging or doing errands at night. Single women could feel safer in their homes. Children could feel safe playing in their yards. No executed murderer has ever killed again. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Bright, Steven B. â€Å"Judges and the Politics of Death: Deciding Between the Bill of Rights and the Next Election in Capital Cases.† Boston University Law Review 75 (1995) 2.Connors, Edward, www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/row/dye.htm 3.Flanders, Stephen A. Capital Punishment. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1991. 4.Long, Robert Emmet. Criminal Sentencing. New York, NY: H.W. Company, 1995. 5.Nathanson S. 1987 An eye for an eye Totowa: Rowman and littlefield 6.Robinson, Bryan, www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/mcveigh001228.html 7.Tabak, Ronald J. â€Å"Report: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Lack of Due Process in Death Penalty Cases.† Human Rights 22.Winter (1995) 8.Zondervan Bible Publishers, The Holy Bible, pg. 12 Genesis 9:6

Euthanasia †Good Or Bad? Essay

Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable, deadly and incredibly painful disease or illness. Who is to decide for others? The government? Each and every person has the right to decide about issues such as euthanasia for themselves, nobody else should be able to decide for them as they are the ones in need – what’s it to others? It’s their suffering, their life and their choice. Wouldn’t you like to leave earth with the least amount of pain possible? Of course you would†¦who wouldn’t? Along with euthanasia being able to put a stop to ones agonizing pains, it’s also able to decrease the amount of grief that they and their loved ones experience due to seeing each other go through a vast amount of distress. Many (religious and nonreligious) people believe that it is wrong to keep people alive beyond their natural life span (e.g. a life support machine) because only god has the power to decide when ones life ends. Jesus once said ‘Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do To You’ therefore if you were suffering really badly then you’d want your life to end the easiest and quickest way possible. Another thing that may seem more important than passing away with the least possible amount of physical and emotional pain, is respect and dignity. Euthanasia enables terminally ill people to pass on with a small, but priceless, amount of dignity and self-respect they have left in themselves. Who in the right world of mind would want to die with no respect from others? Euthanasia will help prevent that to thousands across Britain – not just the incurable patients but also the patients friends, family and even the doctors jobs would be less stressful. In March 2002 a 43 yr old woman, named Diane Pretty whom had Motor Neuron Disease made the headlines with her plea for her beloved husband to be allowed to assist her in suicide (as she only had a few unbearable months to live) with no fear of prosecution. At her hearing she spoke with the help of a voice synthesizer and said ‘I want my rights to have a death with dignity’, but her plea was rejected and she died later that year in May, in a hospice. What are people who want euthanasia like? Selfish? They’ll make their decision while thinking about nobody but themselves. They don’t even think about how their family and friends will take the news and how much they’ll miss them. If the person wanting euthanasia loved them dearly then they’d live on for them. Religious people have a point of view for euthanasia but they also have views against euthanasia to. Christians have hospices around Britain, which are specially for looking after terminally ill people while making sure that they don’t lose their dignity, Christianity believes euthanasia is wrong as they believe in the ‘Sanctity Of Life’ and it is against the commandment ‘Do Not Kill’. Jesus suffered severely and painfully on the cross, but he did not cut short his suffering – therefore it is not down to us to end out life. Other religions, including Christianity believe that accepting suffering may have a spiritual value for your soul, in heaven, rebirth or the afterlife. Terminally ill people include people whom are in comas and unconsciousness; so the persons loved ones may commit euthanasia against their wishes and the patient might recover from an illness against all odds as the doctor’s diagnosis has a chance of being wrong. Doctors’ jobs are to save peoples lives – well to at least try, not to kill them; this will result in Britain’s doctors being murderers and no one would like to go to a murderer for help.