The Overall Motives Of Banks Mergers And Acquisition - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 16 Words: 4871 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Chapter One 1.0 Introduction Over the years, the world have witnessed growth and development in the business world and will still record a lot more due to rapid technological growth in recent times. Merger and Acquisitions (MA) has contributed immensely to the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s economic development and also helped indirectly to create stability in some industries in both developing and developed nations. A merger is usually the amalgamation of two or more companies running commercial activities. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Overall Motives Of Banks Mergers And Acquisition" essay for you Create order On the other hand, acquisition is where one company takes over another and the identity of the other company can be eradicated as it becomes part of a larger company. Most MAs between companies have occurred as a result of achieving economies of scale and penetrate into new markets. Many bank employees regard MA as a threat to their jobs as the period will record shareholders demand for reduction of workforce. It will also be problematic to execute Human resource management with, and the environment of MA due to the changes that will be recorded in the procedures and practices in the new company. The vast majority of mergers acquisitions research is correctional and focuses on publicly traded corporate entities, using quantitative secondary data made available by large number of databases (Meglio and Risberg, 2010). Background to the Study A significant change has been witnessed in the Nigerian banking sector over the years, in respect to ownership structure, number of institutions and locations, as well as the profundity of operations. There are some numbers of effects when companies merge or when one company acquires another company (Cigola and Modesti, 2008). This include reduced expense in production and management cost, deriving It was observed that downsizing, mergers, and acquisitions are examples of the radical organizational responses to increase global completion, improvements in technology, and government deregulation (Shook and Roth, 2010). The changes so far recorded have been predisposed mostly by the challenges posed by issues as globalization, deregulation of the financial sector, and the implementation of a decision making and prudential requirements that are in line with international standards. This is why some companies may deliberately choose to merge with any other readily available in its line of business. The benefits in most cases are much more than the losses if any is recorded. Mergers have also had effects on employees as the process usually leads to an upward or downward review of wages and salaries. There are also cases where the MA leads to downsizing of workforce as new technological operation techniques will be adopted and there will be less needed for human resource compared to the former way of operation. Bank Mergers and Acquisition A significant amount of research has been done to ascertain the success rate of MAs in banks to be able to draw conclusion on its profitability and efficiency (Behr and Heid, 2011). It was pointed out that despite the considerable prospective U.S banking mergers in the 1980s; many of them were not successful in achieving their aim due to the cost of efficiency. Banks have diverse reasons why they merge which relates to the business motives behind it such as managerial incentives (Wood, 2006). The banking industry was partly strengthened through MA as they use the merged assets to build a strong capital base for the bank and more assets that have appreciated value. Soludo (2004) enumerated the fundamental problems of the banks, particularly those classified as unsound, have been identified to include; persistent illiquidity, poor assets quality and unprofitable operations and further mentioned that their major problems also included weak governance , weak capital base, late publicat ions of annual reports, gross insider abuses and over dependence on public sector deposits. Many literatures indicates that banking sector reforms in Nigeria propelled by the need to deepen the financial sector and reposition for growth, to become integrated into the global financial design; and involve a banking sector that is consulting with regional integration requirement and international best practices (Somoye, 2010). Nigerian Banking Industry In the recent past, Nigerian banks have adopted poles apart strategies to achieve a predetermined least amount capital base during the banking sector consolidation in the year 2004 and 2005 which was put at twenty five billion Naira (Alao, 2010). This process saw a lot of banks in Nigeria to source for funds from all forms of businesses to meet up the demand and at a point, it was observed mergers or acquisition of smaller banks was the only way out of the regulation. MAs is a global phenomenon with an estimated four thousand deals taking place each year. Elumilade (2010) mentioned that banks are the linchpin of the economy of any country. He mentioned that banks in any every country play a vital position in respect to the countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial system and they could be regarded as vital agents for development process. Banks also are relevant through financial intermediation services and promote economic growth (Afolabi, 2004). According to Ibru (2006), there was a n embryonic phase of the Nigerian banking industry which began with the first set of banks started with the African banking corporation which had its headquarter in south Africa and was pioneering by the Nigerian banking system in 1892. In 1894 the British bank for West Africa which now known as the first bank while union bank of Nigeria plc formerly known as the Barclays D.C.O started in 1925. The British and French bank now united bank for Africa was established in 1949. Many other indigenous banks were established and they ushered in the era that saw the constant monopoly erstwhile enjoyed by the foreign owned banks (CBN, 2008) Central Bank of Nigeria and Market Recapitalization The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2004 introduced a policy that made it mandatory for recapitalization to be carried out in the banking industry. This was mentioned as the fourth phase of the banks restructuring scheme and all banks should comply strictly before the end of 2005 (Afolabi, 2004). This led the emergence of twenty five consolidated banks and the process encouraged mergers and acquisition in many cases. They were 89 members of the Nigerian banking industry (NBI) prior to the recapitalization. It was recorded that the CBN in 2009 provided two hundred billion Naira to four undercapitalized banks after an audit was carried out which reported that they could face liquidity problems and needed funds to continue normal operations. In addition, the CBN decided to stabilize the system and return confidence to the markets and investors, an addition injection of six hundred and twenty billion naira of liquidity into the banking sector and there is a replacement of leadership i n eight banks which has given sector a little more balanced than its formal position (Sanusi, 2010). Relevance of the Research After the bank consolidation in 2005, it was mentioned in a CBN report that UBA Plc and First Bank of Nigeria have been effectively competing with multinationals in various aspects of international business. CBN Report (2007) also revealed that some Nigerian banks after the consolidation were able to register their presence in the developed countries like United States of America and United Kingdom as participate in foreign market areas of funds transfer and loans servicing. Mergers and acquisitions have for long attracted interest of many researchers in academics in trying to predict the outcomes of the deals (Meglio and Risberg, 2010). They further explained that the inconsistency in some research findings has necessitated the need for more integrative frameworks to grasp the complete phenomenon. Also, the researchersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ opinion aiming to explain mergers and acquisition outcomes in general have not been able to successfully develop and test a grand theory about MAs . Aim of the Study This research aims to look into the overall motives of banks mergers and acquisition as well as its impact on the Nigerian economy. Research Questions and Objectives Research Questions What are the implications of bank mergers and acquisition? What are the motives behind bank merger and acquisition? How does merger and acquisition impact on efficiency? How can merger and acquisition effect competition in the Nigerian banking sector? Research Objectives To critically evaluate mergers and acquisition in the banking sector To analyse the impact of merger and acquisition in the Nigerian banking sector To evaluate the success of UBA merger and acquisition To identify the success factors of UBA in Nigeria Banking sector Plan of the study The plan of this work has been structured to begin by providing a background of the area under discussion and justifying the need for the study in the first chapter. This would be immediate followed by review of literatures relating to similar issues and traditional views of mergers and acquisition in chapter two. The research method which will highlight how I intend to gather data will be presented in the third chapter. The data analysis and findings will be presented and discussed in chapters four which will be followed by the summary, conclusion and recommendation in chapter five. Summary This chapter gives an insight into the subject matter by examining the different related aspects of the subject that will contribute to the major focus of the other chapters. It is a known fact that MA has positive and negative impacts in any sector or environment where it has occurred and this will give us the opportunity to draw the impact of competition that will bring in the absence of a monopoly situation. Chapter Two Literature Review Recent studies show that the bank recapitalization process that took place in Nigeria in 2005 has been of great importance to the sector. Merger and acquisition across the world have had positive impact in the strength of the firm in most cases. The banking sector in Nigeria across the world has had course to experience MA in some cases and this helped them in restricting in various forms. The UBA merger with STB was a success as the experience of the first generation bank and agility of a new generation bank was put together to produce a stronger UBA Plc. History of Mergers and Acquisitions MA history time and again have surprises many people when they realise that the concept of MA are not new, and on the converse they are progressing from the early years. It helps us to understand the evolution of the concepts in the world. The economic watch (2011) mentioned that there are five major stages of MA which discussed as wave period. Each of these waves recorded its progress associated with it and has a technological support that gave rise to the era. Past experience has also shown that MA are triggered by economic factors. The period between (1897 1904) saw a lot of horizontal mergers as companies which enjoyed monopolistic competition over their area of production such as electricity and transcontinental railroads merging with others in same area. It mainly occurred between heavy manufacturing industries at that time. A lot of mergers failed towards the end of this phase as they could not get the desired efficiency and the state of world economy as at 1903 as well as the stock market crash on 1904 did not help matters. Chu (2010) reflected to the mergers in Canadian banks in 1889 to 1926 which could be referred to as both the first and second wave period. He explained that economist has not fully explored the mechanisms through which financial developments affects economic growths. Canadaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s growth trough MA under the period was under study was also associated with higher banking concentration and a wider branch network. Kling (2006) also agreed that the German universal system emerged around 1914 as the big banks in Berlin acquired smaller banks. This development supported industrial enterprise and external growth through industrial enterprise. The second wave or MA was recorded between 1916 and 1929 which were more between oligopolies as that of monopolies in the first era. The post world war economic boom after the First World War supported these mergers. Also, government policies as at that time started to encouraged compa nies to work together and technological innovation in areas of transportation provided the needed for such MA. Most of the mergers at this time were mainly horizontal or conglomerate in nature. Producers of key metals, petroleum products, food products, chemicals and transport equipments were mainly involved in the mergers of this period. Investment also supported very in merger as at the period but the great depression of 1929 and the stock market crash in same year brought period to an end. There were mainly conglomerate mergers as at 1965 to 1969 which was stimulated by sky-scraping stock prices, interest rates, and stringent enforcement of antitrust law in the third wave merger. This period did not end well as government were becoming too harsh towards them end of the period but a few companies did well in the 1970s. The fourth merger wave was within 1981 to 1989 recorded mergers in some industries such as airline, banking, oil and gas and pharmaceutical. There many cases of foreign takeovers and the period ended with anti takeover laws, reforms in financial institution and the gulf war. Kim and white (1998) analyzed almost all commercial banks mergers in the united states between 1985 and 1991, and found out evidence of decreasing cost efficiencies in most mergers, except for mergers between very large financial institutions. The small and medium commercial banks decreased efficiencies after merger. Globalization, stock market boom and deregulation in the telecommunication, banking and petroleum industries were major characteristics of the fifth merger. Most of the mergers at this time were geared towards profit maximization but the burst of the stock bubble also ended this era. Huyghebaert and Luypaert (2009) states that in the year 2007 alone, there almost forty thousand deals announced in respect mergers and acquisitions across the world. This accounted for an aggregate value deal value of one thousand, three hundred and forty-five billion dollar s. Ernst and Young (1995) also identified the alternatives of acquisition: financial, geographic, and symbiotic and absorption acquisitions. In the case of financial is where a company is bought into a holding company for the purpose of restructuring. The main objectives for the acquisition are mainly to eradication, reduce cost and improved efficiency. There are so many firms with ideas to change the world of business but lack the financial muscle to improve in research and development and or invest more into the existing findings. Any business speculator that gets hold of this will ensure that these ideas see the light of the day by an outright acquisition so as to finance the company for growth. Geographic acquisitions are intended to expand the acquirerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s core business across new frontiers. The term emerging markets rings a bell in business as every investor want to sell products and services where there is a ready market with a thriving huge population. In t he recent years, most businesses have moved their production sites to Asia where there cheap labour and n emerging market for the product. Some parts of Africa where there reasonable levels of stability have also seen to be good to expand into as a new frontier. The sales of mobile phone handsets the Nigerian market could be seen as a good example a new frontier for Chinese or Japanese phone manufacturers. Companies merge with others in a different location just to get access to the new location as well. Symbolic acquisitions are described as where newly acquired products and competencies are absorbed into the parents business but the acquired company retains a level of independence, absorption acquisition imply that the two businesses are fully integrated, with one effectively loosing identity. This is an effective business strategy as the name of the former company is like an asset and most customers may not continue with the product or services if the name is changed. The case of Tata acquiring land rover in 2009 is a suitable case where the name Tata is known for production of trucks and military vehicles, but land rover is known for luxury cars and as such the change of the name perceived with strength should remain to keep the market moving smooth. The case of absorption acquisition as mentioned before where one companies gradually losses identity could be seen in the case if Safeway supermarket and Morrisonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s supermarket where Safeway gradually faded away. Chen and Tan (2011) examined how the deregulation of financial services industry has intensified in some European countries a significant portion of business handled by banks. This is because the deregulated banks have more financial capacity to manage and finance businesses with a confidence of measuring up at the end of the day. There were two hundred and thirteen mergers during 1989 to 2004 with the acquirer of a European bank and the target of an insurance company. This was because the growth and success rate of mergers was lucidly clear to business world at time, in that firms were on the lookout for a similar thriving company that they could merge resource and ideas together to achieve economies of scale and reduced overhead cost. Koetter (2007) was of the view that prior to the merger targets perform poorly compared to acquirers in many merger cases. The increasing efficiency of a firm reduces the hazards of takeovers but increases the risk if bank failures. Therefore, the probability of takeovers and failures is influence significantly by efficiency. Imala (2005) identified eight reasons for merger and acquisitions in the financial service sector. The identified reason are in relation cost savings attributed to economies of scale as well as more efficient allocation of resources; revenue enhancement which is derived from the impact of consolidation on bank size, scope, and overall market power; risk reduction due to change in organisational f ocus and efficient organizational structure; new development which imposes a high fixed cost and need to spread these costs across a large customer base; the advent of deregulation which removed many important legal and regulatory barriers; globalisation which engender a more globally integrated financial service and geographical expansion of banking operations; financial stability characterised by the smooth functioning of various components of the financial system, with each component resilient to shock; shareholders pressure on management to improve profit margins and returns on investment made possibly by new and powerful shareholders blocks. Nigerian Banking Environment According to Adegbaju (2007), there have been remarkable developments in the Nigerian banking sector over the years. Mergers and acquisition in Nigerian banks to took place in 2004 / 2005 commenced after an announcement by the CBN that all commercial banks in Nigeria should upgrade their minimum capital base too twenty five billion Naira before the end of December 2005. Umoren, (2009) examined the benefits of the fortification and consolidation of the Nigerian banking system as it could be seen as the first phase where by such reforms are made to help to guarantee a well built and reliable banking sector that is also considered to be diversified to ensure depositors safety. The role of money in the development of any nation cannot be over emphasized and the Nigerian economy needs to be capable and competitive in the African continent particular as well as the world in general. Madabueze (2008) mentioned that the recent reforms in Nigeria banking sector which required the b anks to source for high capital base to the tune of twenty five billion naira which is put at approximately one hundred and ninety million dollars, recorded a sharp drop down of the number of banks from eighty-nine to less than twenty-four currently in operation. He further argued that this will enable the Nigerian banks to become relevant and active players in the international scene, helping the image of Nigeria as a financial capital of some sort of (china of Africa). The Nigerian economic policy was regarded as an economically fragile policy some decades before then but the recapitalization process has enable two recent developments which is a positive message to the international community. The CBN governor at that time, prof. Charles Soludo explained that before the recapitalization commenced, the Nigerian banks have not played their role in economic development because of their feeble and frail capital base and as such, there was a great need to strengthen them through the co nsolidation process. Madabueze (2007) opined that the crusade requesting the CBN to be flexible with their position of recapitalization did not involve bankers alone as members of the national assembly in Nigeria also requested the CBN to reverse its decision of recapitalization to the amount twenty five billion naira. Is was further observed as he mentioned that members of the public were completely against the move as they felt the process will worsen the situation and many of them started making panic withdrawals from their accounts. On the other hand, the CBN also had its fair supporters which included the former president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo who publicly showed his support for the twenty five billion capital base for banks, the Manufacturers association of Nigeria (MAN) who were completely in support of the policy claiming that it will enlarge the national economic base and help to position the real sector. Ogundele (2008) agreed that mer gers are essentially the amalgamation of two or more companies that of all or the parties must be in existence legally and the surviving company continues to function in its originally registered name. In some case, merged companies find themselves out of business and leave its assets and liabilities to the acquiring company. Williams and Rao (2006) focus on mergers and acquisition because they are events that correspond to considerable changes in the asset structure of the bank. Commercial bank faces different risk, capital structure and regulatory environments as against firms that have been traditionally studied for governance effects and managerial risk aversion. Owokalade (2006) observed the definition of mergers as posited by the company and allied matters act decree of 1990 that any amalgamation of the undertakings of two or more companies or the undertaking of two or more companies and one or more bodies corporate. He emphasized that a form of dealings combination whereby two or more companies join collectively to become one; being voluntary liquidated by having it interest taken by the other and its shareholders becoming shareholders in the blown up existing company. Kurfi (2010) is of the view that mergers as a principle of the combination of two or more companies that translate same business purposes and agree to come together and decide whichever the given name of one of the companies or absolutely take a new name. He further mentioned that amalgamation is another word for merger. Mergers usually occur between firms of almost same size and are usually friendly. In the case of Stanbic bank and IBTC bank, they arrive at a name StanbicIBTC bank plc after their merger and the resultant name was due to the friendship earlier involved and almost same size of the banks. Kazmi (2006) grouped merger into four: horizontal, vertical concentric and conglomerate mergers. Further explanation revealed that horizontal mergers takes place where there is a combination of two or more firms in the same business, or an organisation engaged in certain aspects of the production and marketing process. When there is a merger of two or more firms but necessary in the same business which might be complementary in supply of materials or marketing is referred to as a vertical merger. The concentric merger takes place when there is a combination of two or more firms related to each other in line of function, customer group or alternative technologies used. Conglomerate merger occurs when there is a combination of two or more firms that are unrelated in customer function, customer group, and alternative technologies. There are situations where a company gets involved in all the above listed forms of mergers. For example, HP a computer and printers giant has merged with Compaq recently and before then acquire Apollo computers which related, acquired Agilent technologies which were into chemicals and medical business, acquired Mercury Interactive wh ich was a software company. The UBA Merger Mergers and acquisition is simply a different approach encourage survival of the fittest is to give rise to a stronger, more efficient, better structure and skilled industry. The Guardian Newspaper reported in 2005 the UBA merger started with separate meetings where that boards of directors of UBA and Standard Trust Bank Plc accepted the arrangement for a union of both financial institutions. The bank aimed to become the biggest bank in West African and one of the largest in Africa. When they considered the assets of both banks before the merger, it was observed that had a formidable asset base after accessing their portfolios at that time and when is been concretised, they could customers from all sectors of the economy. It has over 100 branches spread out strategically across the country in what is described as the largest truly online real-time banking network in sub-Saharan Africa. It is often referred to as Nigerias neighbourhood bank. This derives from its national orienta tion in terms of geographic spread and continuing national expansion. Wheelen and Hunger (2008) confirmed that UBA the former Trade bank and Citi express bank because the firms were different in sizes and as such they can either be friendly or hostile. Todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s UBA is a merger between two predecessors banks, legacy UBA and Standard Trust Bank (STB) which were ranked third and fifth in size respectively prior to the 2005 CBN reform and consolidation programme. It was a huge success as the ability to anticipate industry trends, coupled with the banks agility, enabled them to be the first successful merger in the history of Nigerian banking industry, thus creating the current UBA plc which its management rates as the largest financial services institution on West Africa. As the economies of Nigeria and Africa continues to improve, following the established path of the emerging market; i.e. increased political stability, improved government finances, growing dom estic consumer demand, high commodity prices and significant improvement in the economic indicators, the UBA is well positioned as a warrant on the African renaissance story. The presence of UBA in all commercial centres and major cities in Nigeria and Ghana has earned the bank the nickname: the neighbourhood bank. This appellation ties in with the UBA brand promise. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The wise choiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and guides our retail distribution strategy which enable us to deliver exactly should be expected by both potential and existing customers of the bank in respect to proximity, choice, convenience and customization. UBA is a bank that is operating out of two of the most vibrant economies in the sub region; Nigeria and Ghana, the new |UBA combines the financial strength of fifty-seven year UBA and the young , innovative and technology driven dynamism of the then STB. UBA has maintained a consistent and solid financial performance in its forty-five year history since it beg an business in 1961. The bank has record history of leading and pioneering innovations in Nigerian financial sector. It is the first ever and only Nigerian bank to surpass the one trillion balance sheet size with contingents inclusive. It is the only sub-Saharan African bank excluding republic of South Africa that has a branch in New York, USA. UBA was ranked the number one bank in Nigeria in 2007, and bank of the year award (Thisday, 2007). This was due to the banks outstanding performance in the banking sector. Euromoney (2000) confirmed that UBA was the best domestic bank in Nigeria and was the first among international banks to be registered under Nigerian law. The bank has received excellence credit ratings both short and long term, global credit rating (SA) AA+ and A+ in 2005.UBA is the first Nigerian bank to offer an IPO following its listing on the Nigerian stock exchange in 1970. UBA was the first Nigerian bank to introduce a Cheque Guarantee Scheme known as the UBACA RD in 1986. It was the first bank to introduce the Nigerian Government Bond index in 2006. It was also the only Nigerian company with the GDR programme. The GDR is a negotiable certificate representing ownership of shares. They are quoted and traded in US dollars and the dividends are paid in same currency. It is specially designed to facilitate the purchase, holding and sale of non US securities by foreign investor. This GDR programme enables foreign institutional investors to hold and trade UBA shares without having to expatriate funds into Nigeria. This Depositary Receipt (GDR) is preferred by some investors who are unable to hold Nigerian securities for compliance reasons or due to a lack of the appropriate infrastructure for holding an ordinary share. The GDR also trade, clear and settle according to international market conventions rather than those prevalent in Nigeria (UBA Report, 2008) West Africa and indeed everywhere the bank has presence. It is simple, elegant, vib rant and memorable, combining the mustard seed of legacy STB and the typographic execution of the letters UBA, predominantly in red and white. During the period of the former standard trust bank plc (STB Plc) acquired 27.34% of the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA plc) and this transaction resulted not a merger between the two banks, whereby all assets and liabilities of standard trust bank Plc were transferred to UBA Plc. The entire share capital of STB was cancelled and STB was dissolved without being wound up and the shareholders of STB were allotted UBA shares.

Lowering Legal Drinking Age Essay - 1417 Words

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Public policy Essay For some time the public as a whole has had a concern about mentally disabled adults living next door and within their community in neighboring homes. Many citizens have the attitude, not in my backyard NIMBY and are dealing with proximity issues. There are a high number of mentally disabled adults across the nation and the amount of people living within designated houses and institutions increase yearly. The large baby boom generation includes a relatively high number of the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled. Social Scientist and other researchers say a large quantity of the population is unprepared for the rising number of mentally challenged individuals entering society. Many housing developments are ill prepared to house the growing population of the mentally disabled adults therefore creating more homes with within the community to solve the problem. More than fifty four million Americans have a mental disorder in any given year, although fewer than eight million seek treatment NMHA Resource Center, 1. Already the system is showing signs of strain; waiting lists have developed in many states and total 70,000 to 80,000 cases nationwide. Long lists and delayed placements have led to class action lawsuits against many states. The lack of sufficient housing and aid for the mentally challenged has led to an increasing amount of problems within society. While Gambs family struggled to place their child into a treatment center their son, Roger Gambs, stole two of his fatherquot;s guns, only to protect himself from the blood-sucking vampires he believed existed in his backyard. After this he was then eligible for a placement into a community residents home Parker, 1A. In 1987 a mentally retarded man, Ernest McCarver, was convicted of robbing and murdering a fellow cafeteria worker Low IQ Killers, 1A. Of the thirty-eight states with the death penalty, thirteen forbid the execution of the mentally retarded Biskupic, 4A. Cases such as this occur and then lead to the need for homes or Community Residents to supervise and care for these individuals. From these cases, many citizens have now developed a sense of fear living close to them, another words it is a proximity issue. The manager at the DePual Community Residents across New York and Pennsylvania for mentally disabled adults, said the key to making the housing complexes successful is reducing the fear the public has towards the residents by educating them on what consists of these homes and what the circumstances are within the home Conner. As the need for additional care facilities increases, more houses and institutions are placed within the community. For decades nearly 800f individuals have been cared for at home, but as most of these baby boomers hit fifty-five, many of their parents are reaching a point where they are no longer able to care for them Savoye, 1. Of the 1. 9 million developmentally disabled individuals living with family caregivers, nearly 500,000 are 60 or older and are expected within a few years will need new living arrangements with certified supervision Savoye, 1. 300f all the population will become mentally challenged at one point in their lifetime Lyness, 3C. They can develop anything from a mild case of depression to schizophrenia. Community residents or group homes throughout Rochester, NY are now being used to accommodate mentally disabled adults. The Easter Seal Society of Monroe County and Regional Center for Independent Living both provide Assistive Tech/Equipment, Community Education, Legal Advocacy, and Case Management. Also Compeer is a supportive friendship for the mentally disabled adults between volunteers and people receiving mental health services. The DePaul Community Residents is a home providing care for mentally disabled adults within the Spencerport community along with several other communities. Funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development help provide permanent housing options to consumers of the mentally disabled community. This community provides a program called Continuing Day Treatment Program. This program has mental health services which assists adults recovering from a chronic illness. It was designed to hold private treatment and rehabilitation within the proper therapeutic surroundings. Some other services may include 3 nutritional meals a day, emergency call system for 911 purposes, housekeeping laundry, hygiene assistance, and case management services. Within these homes Supported Housing and MICA work with one another to locate and secure the home. Other funds from the department was support on purchasing furniture/household items and accommodate a support plan. This is all provided in Monroe and Erie County. Within these community residents, DePaul provides transportation fro consumers to many appointments and programs they might need to attend to wish too. They have 60-van fleet that provided transportation for almost 75,00 trips in any given year. DePaul gives transportation in ten different counties and 2 states. They have a total of 4,500 clients annually and use over 2,000 beds to accommodate residents. This community residents also provides over 900 jobs, so therequot;re obvious benefits for both players. An example of what the state is looking to do within the next couple years, to accommodate the growing number of mentally disabled adults. As the cost of hospitalization increases the appeal of the house keeps increasing and homes just like it are going up throughout not only Rochester but also the entire nation. The cost of living in a monitored home like DePaul is less than half of that of living in a hospital. The house has been around for over eighteen years while the governing agency has been around ever since the late 60quot;s. Roughly, one hundred people have gone through the house since its induction in Spencerport, but because of the issue of confidentiality the actual number cannot be determined. People entering into the home come from a variety of different back rounds with assorted types of illnesses ranging from agequot;s eighteen years old and up. To be accepted into the home a resident must have an access 1 diagnosis. This diagnosis comes with a major mental illness that has existed for over six months. The process of evaluating a patient comes from diagnostic criteria written to accommodate the entire nation called the DSM-IV. Each resident must also undergo a yearly or bi-yearly check up with a psychiatrist who assesses each residentquot;s situation individually. They must also fit a designated criterion, which includes possession of insurance, no past history of violence within the past 6 months, and under the care of a psychiatrist or therapist. At this house the caretakers retrain peoplequot;s responses to whatquot;s going on in the outside world. Life changing experience EssayTo implement this we must first get a written statement signed by Art Conner that says that he will run the forum and speak to the community Appendix _. Second we must obtain a location for the forum. According to Art, he feels for proper attendance it would be best to hold it in the school cafeteria at Spencerport High School. In order to hold the forum at school we then filled out a building release form, which then was signed by the principle. Along with this comes contacting the neighbors and advertising the forum to the public. To advertise this event we will send out flyers to the surrounding neighbors of the home, leave stacks of their flyers inside IGA within a drop box, and put an ad in the Suburban News advertising this event. On both the handouts and in the ad there will be a number to call for the community if they would like to attend, allowing Mr. Connor to prepare for the event. Lastly, we would have to set up a meeting time and come up with an agenda for the meeting so that everything was organized. We then set up the date with Art, and we agreed that it would be held on June 25, 2002 at 7:00 p. . To do this we would need permission from the stores to put the pamphlets in them and a set criterion for the pamphlet itself. By putting all these plans into action we will be able to accomplish our goal of educating the public. From the beginning Art Conner said, The biggest problem with our community is the lack of education. With our policy people will be able to become as educated, as they want to be with different levels of commitment as small as reading a pamphlet and as involved as attending a forum that may become a biyearly event. The key players involved in our policy are mainly Art Conner and his staff, but also included is the IGA in Spencerport, the participatory citizens, and the Suburban News for the advertisement to promote the awareness for the mentally disabled adults within Spencerport. The public will become aware of our policy through the advertisement in the Suburban News and we will be passing out a pamphlet made with the help of Art Connor. Through our policy we need to convince the public that our policy can work and stay put into place. We want to have our meetings held quarterly to keep the public informed on mentally disabled adults and what is going on monthly at the DePaul home to a certain extent, to keep the public communication between the home and the public close. It is important to attract surrounding neighbors to participate in our community forum biyearly and Service Line, to accommodate a comfort level for neighbors and acceptance for the DePaul Community Residents into the community. After all the necessary steps are taken to make the public aware of the event we would need to devise a curriculum to make the forum both interesting and educational. To truly make an impact on the people that come to the forum we would talk to the DePaul Community Residents and discuss the main issues that we would like the public to be most aware of. We will then come up with an interesting way to present the information to the people attending the forum. By developing a good curriculum for our policy the agency and the people involved would benefit. The Community Residents would make their point known to the people and be confident that the people went away with the knowledge they taught and the people attending would feel as if theyquot;ve done something to benefit someone. Some people may not support our policy because of the amount of time that may be put into it to attend the community forum, but to counter this our pamphlet will be available so that people who do not have the time to attend a forum will be able to get some of the same information and a number to call with any questions. To make sure our policy would be beneficial we surveyed neighboring residents and people throughout the community to get their take on the mentally disabled adult home and their opinions on how we could improve the situation. Appendix A Budget Income: The DePaul Institute Expenses: Pamphlets 200 x $. 11 = 2. 00 Kinkos Speaker sh. 00 DePaul Meeting room sh. 00 Spencerport H. S. Advertisement 3. 60 Suburban News TOTAL 5. 60 Opportunity Costs: The people making the pamphlets and distributing them in the community could be doing other things with their time. Our speaker could be working more with their job then taking time to speak at the forum for us. The meeting room within Spencerport High School could be used for another event. The preparation for the room takes time away from others that could have been pre-occupied with other work. Many citizens can be caring out daily routines or activities in which they would normally take place, rather than attending this meeting. Also the money that is put towards our event and pamphlets can be used to better the home in any way. 5 Year Budget Our 5-year cost would come to 10. 40 or 5. 60 for the first and 2. 00 for the following years to continue advertising a forum through our pamphlets. The price will remain consent unless the copy rate per page changes. Appendix B Copy/ Benefit Analysis Costs: 5. 60 See Appendix A Benefits: This forum will educate the community as a whole on mentally disabled adults. Also public awareness will be created throughout the Village of Spencerport so that the DePaul Community Residents can feel a sense a comfort and fit in better without being discriminated against. Through our Service Line the community and DePaul can establish communication and voice their opinions and concerns. This will be a great help when a citizen is doubted by actions of a resident but is not in need of the police. Analysis: For the cost of 5. 60, our forum and Service Line will leave a small debt in DePaulquot;s budget but will benefit all players.

Measurement Tools for Research

Question: Describe about the Measurement Tools for Research ? Answer: The instruments used by the practitioners and researchers to help in the evaluation of the patients, clients or subjects and also in the assessment. The tools are used to do the measurements or to collect data on the varieties of the variables which are ranging from the physical functioning. Some of the measurements tools include surveys, interviews, indexes and the informal observations. Research types of questions are usually used for seeking either the countable values or the uncountable values. The countable values are analyzed in the terms of numerical values and on the other hand the uncountable values are analyzed by using the qualitative values. (Scalable Parallel Performance Measurement and Analysis Tools State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges, 2014) There are two types of values which are collected in research. They are the qualitative values and the quantitative values. Following the each research question, anyone can assume the types of the research and also the evaluation of the tools which are most suitable as desired in doing the research practices. 1. Which brands of the bear are consumed and also by how many individuals? In this question it is in search of the qualities of the bear that is consumed by the individuals. The second through the research questions are looking for the numeric based data of the consumer who consume the each brand. The research has the two types of the evaluations. In doing the first evaluation it will apply the methods of the differentiating brands either using the experiments or using the lab test. In the second aspects of the data for doing the research is the numbers of the consumer who consume the each brand. This type of data is quantitative in nature. It will also involve the calculation of the recognized users for the each brand. It therefore makes the research one by using the two different types of the measuring tools of the research. 2. With the three different types of the exams- essay type, multiple choice and the mix of the both which one is most preferred by the students? The research questions are used for in search of the preference in the target group. The chosen type of the exam answers condition method in the search of the judgment. Through this study it is seeking the desired choice and the most valued for answering the exam question. This research is non-empirical and also is open to the responses which are given by the correspondence. On the other hand, all the replies are grouped into any of the three types of the answers which are collected from the target group. The liking is then calculated as the percentages of the whole group which are targeted to do the analysis. Through the questionnaire it offers the close-ended questions which are used for inquiring the preference of the person and also is utilized to gather the information (Bowman, 2014). 3. Up to what amount do the individuals agree with the definition of accounting principles? In this research question it inquires about the values that is the individuals place on the basis of the accounting principles. This type of the research will contains the values which are using the agreement levels of the strong agreement, agreement, disagreement, strong disagreement and the not sure qualitative levels. This question seeks for the level of the appreciation or the quality on the basis of the accounting principles definition. 4. How many people like the existing organizational policy? In this research question it seeks the values which are placed on the organizational policies. In this similar manner in the question number 3, the researcher requires to apply the values of the distinguished levels which are ranging from the strong agreement to the strong disagreement. Then the preference is realized by using the highest percentiles which are indicating in the majorities observe on the basis of the organizational policy. 5. The age varies of the employees in the organization. In doing the collection of the figures of the employees within the organization the two approaches are used. In doing the direct questioning of the employees age by using the questionnaires can be used or by the collection of the raw data from the human resource department and then the values are placed into the categories or the classes. 6. What are the numbers of the employees in each of the 20 department of the company? Through this kind of research it seeks the numerical values and also from the human resource department. This is one of the indirect research and the more of the data analysis procedures. The analysis of the values uses the specific numerical figures for the each of the departments. References: Bowman, J. (2014). Data, analysis, action!. Research World, 2014(46), pp.22-26. Scalable Parallel Performance Measurement and Analysis Tools State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges. (2014). SuperFRI, 1(2).

The Wilding of America Essay Example

The Wilding of America Paper Before we look at the entire word. Lets break It down. The root of wilding is obviously wild. According to Dictionary. Com, wild is an adjective, an adverb and a noun and it has an idiom of run wild as follows: Run wild: a) to grow unchecked; b) to show lack of restraint or control. Now, by adding the inning does it become a whole new meaning, or is it right on course? Is tit way of life? Is it fulfillment of the American Dream? Is it criminal? Is it only Inflicted on Individuals? Is It political? Does It happen In corporations? In churches? The answer: All the above. Wilding holds no bars. It Is the extreme selfishness at best, a form of narcissism, with total disregard for individuals, communities, churches, parents, or even children. The term wilding was first introduced In 1989 after a rich, white woman, who was logging In Central Park, was attacked and raped by black teenage boys from the Inner city. According to the press reports, it was a term the youths themselves used to describe their behavior (Drabber 2). The term wilding was then associated with wealth, class, and race. It would soon take a shocking and not so subtle turn. Is It wilding If a husband of the same race and class kills his wife? Is this were ultimate selfishness kicks in? The Charles and Carol Stuart story answers these questions. On October 23, 1998, Just six months after the attack at Central Park, Charles and Carol Stuart, then 8 months pregnant, were walking to their car after attending a birthing class. They got In their car and minutes later Mrs.. Stuart was shot dead. We will write a custom essay sample on The Wilding of America specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Wilding of America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Wilding of America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Charles Stuart proclaimed that It was a black man who had shot his wife. To corroborate his story, Charles Stuart went so far as to shoot himself in the stomach. Months later, the nation was stunned. The murderer, her husband. The motive, he had the American Dream to open a restaurant using the life Insurance money (Drabber 4). So now wilding Is compacted Into the family unit. The Stuart case kicked off what I call Family unit Wilding. Lets not forget that soon to follow were the Maddened brothers who were of a wealthy family. They killed their parents and lived the high life they longed for until they were caught and convicted. Susan Smith. She was the white mother who took her children. Strapped them to the back seat of her car, and drove her car into a lake. Killing drowning her win children. Why? Her rich boyfriend did not want children. (She also blamed this heinous act on a black man. ) Scott Peterson, he killed his pregnant wife, Lacy, in order to continue an affair he was having with Amber Frey. Locally, we have well known sportscaster Vince Marseille. He disguised himself, wrote a to do list and killed his wife because she was divorcing him due to bigamy. Family unit Wilding has run amok. Although wilding was coined In America In 1989, Anthropologist Colic Turnbuckle experienced wilding first hand In 1964 when he lived among the k people of Uganda (Drabber 5). However, for the k, wilding was more of a form of survival. They would lie FIFO or melamine Ana teen would consoler anyone, even Tamely, won was SICK or malnourished as a threat or a waste of food. The k all but partied when a family member would die because that would mean more food, etc. For them. They even went so far as to kill their own children, family members for food. Aside from violent wilding, we have corporate or economic wilding. We have the corporations of Merrill Lynch, Enron, and Martha Stewart, who all played the stock market at the expense of others to personally gain a profit. I am sure that if one looked hard enough they would discover that corporate wilding existed with the Rockefeller and even the Kennedys. Now, recently, we have Bernard Maddox who admitted to defrauding clients for billions of dollars in a massive Opinion scheme in which he took new money from investors to pay off existing clients who wanted to cash out. Additionally, although it is relatively occurring at present, we have a national debate as to whether Alga has exercised wilding. Did they take money that rightfully belonged to the people of America in order to give 73 executives in their reparation a million dollar bonus or do these bonuses have merit? This story is still playing out and has yet to me seen. I personally see corporate wilding through and through. The most gruesome type of corporate wilding appears in the companies that make a huge profit at the expense, not only of Americans, but of those from other countries who work practically as slaves. Of course, I am sure that there is no one in business to make others rich, but since when do American companies take so many Jobs away from Americans and out of the United States and give them to other countries at a seer expense. How is it these countries can do the work for so much less? We all know the answer to this and wonder how corporations allow it. The three children of Sam Walton, deceased owner of Walter, were all named one of this years billionaires. How can they be so proud of that. They have made their fortune knowing that 17 year old girls and younger are living in slave like conditions working 20 hours a day to mass produce their products. These women and children for that matter are making pennies an hour, get a 40 minute lunch break and are allowed only two bathroom breaks. Heaven forbid they call out sick, they lose income already earned (Drabber 62). How much are their supervisors making? The government tried to put an end to this by inspecting the factories, facilities, etc. , but all inspections were announced. Hence, why bother! Kudos to the companies that have discovered this was happening with their own products and put an end to it. Wilding has also nested a place in religion. Charles Drabber stated Wilding in the church is then, arguably, the most dangerous type (Drabber 84). Does individualism overpower a belief or a message? We have Jimmy Swaggers and Jim Baker who admittedly preached about morals and values, yet had affairs with prostitutes nonetheless. We have John J. Goanna who was one of many priests in Boston who molested children. Cardinal Bernard Law, a highly respected and valued member of the church, sealed his fate when he attempted to cover up the Boston molestations by transferring the priests to other archdioceses. Religious wilding and corporate wilding are very similar in these aspects. Hurricane Strain. What kind of wilding would one associate with this horrific, life canalling, analogical numerical? As tenure personal winning: survival winning? Government wilding? Economic wilding? Media wilding? Yes, there was. First, lets talk about the media wilding, my personal peeve. The national media made out like bandits and were chomping at the bit regarding this hurricane. They showed stories of people dying, hurting, starving, stealing, shooting, and trying to get out. They were here, they got in. Were they going after ratings at the expense of people lives? Why didnt they bring in any food, water, tents, first aid kits? They got in to do the stories. Why couldnt they help people out? The media showed what they wanted you to see. Chaos! Anderson Cooper was right there in the thick of it watching old women struggle to get up a bridge. Why didnt he put his microphone down to go assist? Why didnt the cameraman? The media did not show survival wilding and that the majority of people looting were doing so to survive. They showed people walking out with televisions, tennis shoes and guns. What about the people walking out with food, and water and sharing that with other? They showed police shooting, arresting, and even occasionally sleeping in high rise garages. What about showing the police and military who were working for over 48 hours straight who were exhausted, had not eaten in days and were still walking through infested water to save people? All sorts of wilding was present during and far after Hurricane Strain. There were helicopter pilots who were being shot at. There were nursing homes that did not evacuate the members, all died. There were gas and other price gouging prevalent all over the southeast United States. There were faulty and negligent insurance claims made. There was lack of government support. Contractors contracting to do house repairs, getting paid, not doing the work and skipping town. There were people charging to do work that other volunteers would do for free. Wilding during and after Hurricane Strain was rampant to say the least. Student wilding also has been going for years and years. Although it seems to be more prevalent now then ever more so due to advances in technology. There are essays that are for sale on the internet or even on the campus. There are codes that can be formed during tests. There are discs being sold with answers on them. There re sales of the professors study guides with tests in them. If one looks hard enough, a cheat sheet or quick fix are out there. Who does this benefit though? Yes it might get you that A you are looking for, but on the flip side it does absolutely nothing to help you in the future. So you get an A in this class, and then take the requisite class and have no clue what the professor is talking about. The only people benefiting from this are the ones making the buck. There are even books on how to cheat. The author of these books sees nothing wrong with it claims its his First Amendment eight (Drabber 50).

In what ways did the dual Kingship of Sparta reflect (or perpetuate) other aspects of Spartan society Essay Example

In what ways did the dual Kingship of Sparta reflect (or perpetuate) other aspects of Spartan society Essay Example In what ways did the dual Kingship of Sparta reflect (or perpetuate) other aspects of Spartan society Essay In what ways did the dual Kingship of Sparta reflect (or perpetuate) other aspects of Spartan society Essay Essay Topic: History Sparta, as countless others scholars have noted, was a world apart from the other poleis in Ancient Greece in its customs. It was one of the few poleis to retain a Kingship, and as doubly odd to have had a Dyarchy two Kings reigning simultaneously, one each from the Agiad and Eurypontid lines respectively. Is it possible, in fact, that this strange royal partnership reflected and maybe even in some way fuelled the peculiar habits of Lacedaemonian society? I wish to explore the nature of the Kings role in the Spartan constitution, their role in Spartan religion and their powers commanding the army. I will also explore their role in diplomacy. The concept that we have of archaic monarchs (in this case, dyarchs), especially many of those during the Hellenistic era (like Phillip II Alexander I of Macedon, the Great Kings of Persia and later on into history) is that of absolute control and to check that power. In Sparta, it was a very different affair (Cartledge, 1987: 17; 2001: 57). Perhaps a very basic point, but something that reflected the overall ethos of Laconian society was the deemed seniority of the Agiad line (Hdt. 6. 51; Cartledge, 1987: 23, 100). This echoed throughout Spartan society; where the Spartan youth were tutored to obey their elders. The two Kings were overseen (literally MacDowell, 1986: 128) by Ephors and laws were passed by the Gerousia (which they were at least part of). It is quite plausible that over the centuries, before the advent of Ephors, the constitutional powers of the Kings were much greater (MacDowell, 1986: 123). For example, by the mid 5th century, we know that judicially, the Kings judged cases involving unmarried heiresses, adoptions and public roads (Herodotus, 6.57. 4/5). Indeed, the constantly fluctuating relationship between the Ephors Gerousia with the Kings is something worth investigating. In theory, the Ephorate was established to prolong the royal crowns (Cartledge, 2001: 33), with both of them exchanging vows to each other monthly to act within the law (Xen. Lac. Pol. 15.7). But there were instances where ulterior motives on either side came to the fore. Pausanias tells us that when a King committed a misdemeanour and was to be tried back home, the judges included the other governing arms the Ephors and the Gerousia, the latter including the other king (Paus, 3.5.2); Cleomenes was exiled for trying to dismiss the Athenian boule (Yates, 2005: 75/6). However, it is quite possible that this was a special case, regarding the trial of Pausanias (MacDowell, 1986, 128, Cartledge, 1987: 109). We also hear of the Ephors conducting a ritual sky watch once every 8 years, searching for bad omens which they could use against the kings rule (Rahe, 1977: 278-9, no. 145). Not only does this show a cautious approach from them towards the dyarchs, but the ritual itself fits very neatly with the religious aspect (page 6) of the kings themselves; they could be impeached by the gods. Ste. Croix goes further, categorising the trials and banishments of the Kings in the 5th 4th centuries as the work of the Ephors (1972: 350-3; Rahe, 1980: 398). Pleistoanaxs actions in Attica (446-5 BC) led him to being put on trial and exiled, and this may well have been due to the report of the Ephor(s) accompanying him on the campaign (Cartledge, 1987: 17). It might well have been that his peace with Athens was not popular with the Gerousia and Ephors, ably demonstrated by the violation of his peace (Cartledge, 1982: 261/2). This would also show the inherent hostility towards Athens in Spartan society . Yet, there are instances where the balance is reversed and the ephors were used as an advisory board of sorts. Cleomenes I went to the ephors in order to inform them about the suspicious activities of Mnaiandrios of Samos (Hdt. 3.148.2). We also hear from Xenophon that King (regent) Pausanias managed to convince three Ephors to take military action (Xen. Hell. 2.4.29), though this would have been different for other judicial decisions (MacDowell, 1986: 131). There is also the instance where Agesilaos managed to take drastic action and execute conspirators after consulting the ephors (Plutarch, Agesilaos. 32. 11). The Ephors were liable to manipulation from wily Kings (Brunt, 1965: 279). Despite being put in place to check the power of the Kings, it is likely that the Ephors werent indicative of popular representation within Sparta, being as they were, just 5 citizens elected from the damos (Aristotle, Pol. 1256b39-40) and holding office for only a year. Individual Ephors might well have exploited disagreements between Kings to their own advantage (Cartledge, 2001: 59), but split voting, change of policy with new Ephors and disagreements would have put pay to any personal ambitions. Moreover, the Kingship remained the principal office for which true political power remained, as the Machiavellian scheming of Lysander attests to (Cartledge, 2001: 36). What this shows is the willing subservience of Spartan society to adhere to their rigid hierarchy of royal dominance, and that the downfall of a King would be the reluctant last solution, if it would save the Lacedaemonians from doom. Let us take the example of a King being indicted (see above). If a charge against a King was to be upheld, it was necessary for all the Ephors and the majority of the Gerousia with the other King to vote against said King on trial (Cartledge, 2001: 60). If the King was summoned by the Ephors, he was only required to do so upon the third time of asking (Cartledge, 2001: 62). In Agesilaos IIs case, he hobbled. The Spartans despised physical disability but since Agesilaos was King; this must have been overlooked because of his status, again reflecting submission to ones betters. We should also note that in the presence of a King, everyone else had to stand. As Cartledge picks up upon, this mirrored the Spartan ideal whereby juniors were expected to give up their seat to a senior (2001: 62) and probably also the deferral to ones superiors as well (Kelly, 1981: 48). As for the Gerousia, Cartledge argues that it might well have been as old as the Kingship itself, but its size and the inclusion of the 2 Kings (If a king was away, then his vote was given to another, who would vote for him and himself (Thuc. 1.20.3) thus conforming to the rest of the Gerousia) within it reflect a change in status of the Dyarchy, to the advantage of the Gerousia (2001: 31). He also argues that the Gerousia was the main domestic and foreign decision making body (2001: 60) made from the senior, aristocratic Spartiates (however, as the Kings were ex officio members, it is possible that the Kings could have been the youngest faces within the Gerousia, disagreeing with the superiority of the elders (Pleistarchus and Agis IV McQueen, 1990: 167)). If this is the case, then a long reigning King would have been able to see the Gerousia membership appointed in his favour (by his own admission: Cartledge, 2001: 65). Agesilaos IIs vote to save Sphodrias in the trial of 378 is a good indication of his control over the Gerousia. So it is a good bet that the Kings were the political foci (Mitchell, 1991: 58; despite Lewis, 1977: 48; Hdt. 6.52.8). Far from the nature of the Dyarchys role within the government of Sparta, we can tell a lot about how much they mirrored Spartan society from their day to day lives within the polis. The Kings would both eat in the Royal mess tents (syssitia), which the homioi were separated from, promoting the idea that the Royals were something else (Cartledge, 1987: 104). Whats more, the Kings were awarded double rations so as to honour guests (Cartledge, 1987: 108; Xen. Ages. 5.1; Lak. Pol. 15.4) and we can presume that this was used as part of the xenia process. The mess tents the homioi used were subject to control of membership, along grounds of social, wealth and seniority status (Hodkinson, 1983: 253/4), thus promoting the oligarchic fashion of Sparta. That the Kings were kept separate heightens this idea. In terms of property, it was very much a case of furthering ones own ambitions (Leonidas in Plut. Kleo. 1.1) and keeping property within their family by literally doing just that marrying close consanguineous kin or similarly wealthy aristocrats (Hodkinson, 2000: 82, 408). This was done by the Kings and aristocrats alike. In the cases where they judged adoption, the Kings would make sure that the adopted was landless and would pass them onto those who were the same, thus allowing them to keep the properties in the upper echelons of society (Hodkinson, 2000: 82). The royal houses were typical of Spartan propertied classes. Good examples of this would be Leonidas Is marriage to Gorgo, Cleomenes Is only child so as to inherit Cleomenes property when he died as well as bolster his claim to the Agiad throne (Hdt. 7.239.4), Cleomenes IIIs marriage to Agiatis, the widow of Agis IV (Hdt. 6.71), Ariston marrying his friends wife (Hdt. 6.61-2) and Aegisilaos Is marriage to Kleora (Paus. 3.9.3). We should however note that the Agiad Eurypontid royal lines owned considerably more land than any other citizen as they possessed territories in many perioikic communities (Xen. Lak. Pol. 15.3). Though they imitated the attitude of the wealthy few in Sparta by such a process, it limited the number of heirs and the division of inheritance, concentrating the property and wealth in the hands of the closely related few; wealth married wealth, segregating society even further. The royal houses enhanced their socio-economic position over history through such activities (Hodkinson, 2000: 413). As the elites perpetuated their position, the decline in citizen numbers accelerated, allowing the successful aristocratic lineages to safely secure high offices and property (Hodkinson, 2000: 415). This in turn would have lead to policy-making being dominated by very few, not least between the 2 Kings and their respective supporters in the Gerousia (Roy, 2009: 442). Religion was integral part of Spartan life, like most other Classical poleis. In Sparta, the Kings had an important part to play. We learn from Herodotus (6.59) that both Kings were hereditary high priests of Zeus Lakedaimonios and Zeus Ouranios (perhaps one for each). As such, they were required to sacrifice to Zeus and others before, during and after a military campaign (Lipka, 2002: 221). Whilst marching, the Kings preceded the fire-bearers, whilst a train of sacrificial animals followed behind the army (Burket, 1985: 257). The representation of Castor and Polydeukes was taken on military campaigns (Cartledge, 1987: 109). They ate first and received twice as large a portion as everyone else at sacrificial feasts (Cartledge, 1987: 107). The Kings received 72 litres of barley and a quart of wine every new moon and on the 7th day of the lunar month (Lipka, 2002: 221). Lastly, no-one was permitted to touch the Kings (Plut. Agis. 19.9). They were probably not God-Kings, but more than mortal (Miller, 1998: 2). It is clear that the health of the state was bound to the health of the Kings (Cartledge, 1987: 105; Parker, 1988: 153). The fact that the Kings were apportioned the skins and entrails of the sacrifices shows the high esteem they were held in by the Religious community. As Sparta was an extremely superstitious and seriously religious community, it certainly seems consistent that the Kings were assigned such duties. They were also given the honour of appointing two Pythioi each, who acted permanent ambassadors to Oracle at Delphi (Hdt. 6.57.2-4), the highest honour, presumably as Delphi was the pan-Hellenic sanctuary! Lysanders attempted bribery of Delphi reflects the entrenched power the kings had, since they maintained a close relationship with Delphi through their Pythioi (Cartledge, 1987: 96), maybe even to further their own agenda (Cartledge, 2001: 63). Royal funerals on the other hand, were perhaps the most spectacular in the Peloponnese (Hdt. 6.58), which would have been in sharp contrast with the simplicities (Laconic) of ordinary Spartans (Parker, 1988: 153), and it would have had an impact upon the members of the royal house (Hodkinson, 2000: 263). Each free household (Spartiate and Perioikic) had to provide one male and female each to the funeral; Helots were obliged to attend (reflecting Spartan societys dominance over them (Cartledge, 1987: 333)). The funeral would have been a public affair, lying-in-state, reflecting the very Spartan practice; other cities kept their funerals as private affairs (Cartledge, 1987: 333). Again, unlike anywhere else in Greece, the King would have been buried within the boundaries of the living, maybe even close to a sanctuary, defying the Hellenic taboo of Greek pollution (Plut. Lyc. 27.1). It is interesting to notice that the custom of embalming their King was copied from Persian and Egyptian practices (Hdt. 1.40.2, 4.71.1), which is seemingly at odds with their xenophobia towards foreign cultures. Leonidas I, who died in battle may well have had an exceptional burial (buried again after his demise 40 years earlier), sharing a similar Spartan trait of honouring only those who died fighting (Cartledge, 1987: 336). The royal funeral was beyond what a mere mortal man could claim and what many aristocrats aspired to (Xen. Hell. 3.3.1), thus convincing the Spartiates of the connection between a healthy Sparta and the dual Kingship (though this would become less and less effective in later Sparta (Cartledge, 1987: 337/341)). For Spartans, soldering was their life. However, unlike the homioi, the heirs to the thrones were not required to go through the Spartan education system the agoge (Plut. Ages. 1.4). This does seem strange initially, but when you consider how the Kings were perceived as beyond mortal (see above), the heirs and Kings were already superior to everyone else (Cartledge, 1987: 24). Agesilaos IIs decision to go through the agoge would naturally have made him even more special, considering his disability; just like Leonidas before him. Herodotus tells us (5.75.2) that because of a crisis between Cleomenes and Damaratus on a joint campaign in 506 BC, one King stayed behind in Sparta. The King elected on campaign assumed sole command on campaign, handling an enormous amount of power; anyone who tried to prevent this would be cursed (Cartledge, 1987: 81, 105). He was even assigned his own bodyguard (hippeis) who were the elite soldiers (Thuc. 5.72.4). The King could also expect a personal haul of a third of the total booty collected on campaign (Polybius. 2.62.1). Aristotle (Pol. 1285a 7-8, 1285b 26-8) inferred that the Kings were mere hereditary generals, but as we can see, that was patently not the case. Their power was absolute (they even had the authority to choose between life and death (MacDowell, 1986: 126). With the King at the head of an army, the connection between the military and the political hierarchy was plain to see. Leadership went hand in hand with the military caste (Cartledge, 1987: 203). To lead the army in a military orientated state like Sparta would surely have been the greatest honour. This echoes what was said earlier (page 4), about having to submit to ones betters, especially in Sparta, replicating the master/student, senior/junior, rich/poor relationship in all of Spartan society. The Lacedaemonians were subject to the power of the Ephors, Gerousia and the Dyarchy at home, yet outside Sparta, it became a Monarchy. I feel this could be due to the way the Spartiates perceived non-Spartiates. As they distrusted foreigners, they needed to be, in theory, intimidated. So, one King with full power and a large army would have done this perfectly and was indicative of Spartas xenophobia. Where it was a matter of gaining advantage for Lacedaemon, the Spartan elites did engage with those from the outside (of Sparta). The Kings were allowed to appoint proxenia, Spartiates who acted as ambassadors for those from other poleis (Hdt. 6.57.2). This was certainly related to Spartas xenophobia (cf. Figueira, 2003: 66), where the only ones who were entrusted to make relations with non-Spartiates were those trusted by the Kings, and was thus open to manipulation (Cartledge, 1987: 81, 97, 108). No doubt, the Spartan kings would already have had friendship ties (xenia) with many Peloponnesian oligarchies, thus enabling them to influence foreign policy in those states (Cartledge, 1987: 246). King Agis II was fined for negotiating with Argives (Thuc. 5.59-63), one was a Spartan proxenos and another had xenos with Agis himself (Hodkinson, 2000: 352; Roy, 2009: 440). Archidamus had terms of xenia with Pericles of Athens (Thuc. 2.13.1; Mosely, 1971: 434). The relationships the Kings had with their friends in the Peloponnese is reminiscent of the 18th 19th century European Monarchs, who retained ties of blood and friendship with each other. In what ways did the Dyarchs reflect other aspects of Spartan society? Though they were designed to prevent it, the Kings dominated both of the Ephors and Gerousia, reflecting the superior/inferior (master/slave) aspect of Sparta as a whole. Messing in the syssitia and the accumulation of property through marrying close kin or wealthy others promoted the oligarchic fashion (ruled by the few (in this case 2!)). The Kings as high priests and their spectacular funerals cemented their demi-god credentials; it fitted perfectly with the zealously religious Spartans. Leadership of the state was reflected by their leadership of the army and the Kings leading the peculiar form of Proxenia and xenos reflected the inherently xenophobic nature of Spartan society. The Dyarchy was coterminous with Sparta (Arist. Pol., 1310b 38-9), though it has been considered an egalitarian society, it was anything but, with competiveness instilled from youth (Kelly, 1981: 54). Sparta demanded high reverence to the continued influence of the Spartan Kings (Rice, 1974: 165) and time passed, the un-checked power of the Kings fostered Hellenistic monarchic tendencies in later kings (McQueen, 1990: 166). The dual Kinship promoted a dual image, where the Spartans promoted one thing, but did another (Miller, 1998: 13).

Hw5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Hw5 - Assignment Example The theory also explains that most of the universe large parts do not support complex life calling the places to be dead zones. The places that support the complex life are known to be the habitat zones for the living creatures. The habitat zone acts as a primary function having a distance from the galactic center. When the distance between the two places increase, the stars’ content begin to reduce creating terrestrial planets. The dangerous x rays that are produced from the black hole found at the galactic center including the stars of the neutrons and quasars become less intense. This creates hell to the life and enables the hypothesis to identify the early life of the universe. Also, the gravitational that occur between the stars and the planets become less due to the low density caused by the decrease of the stars. This explains that if a planet is far from the galactic center, it is likely to have been hit by a bolide. It is an impact that affects the complex life. 2. The population density for the galaxy proofs to be 50,000 light years. Having 2, 500 civilizations while assuming that they are equally spaced, there separation will be found by dividing the light years by the civilizations. One civilization will proof to have 20 light years. 3. There is compatible function between the humans and the nature itself. In nature, there are a number of circumstances that lead to the human survival. Science and nature has also a new version on the relationship between humans and nature. It proofs that the physical substances that surround human beings are complex. There is also a lot of interdependence between the humans and nature. This begins with the human genes that are able to produce several traits creating a survival. The lives that are on earth have the form of life that is found only at the biosphere that is the membrane of both the plants and animals. On the same note,