Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack essays

Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack essays As a child, growing up in a Christian home, I was taught to believe that we are all created equal. We all descended from Adam and Eve after all, right? We are all members of the human race and have the same advantages or disadvantages, depending on our individual family and community situations, but certainly not depending on the color of our skin. My small town northern Wisconsin community, however, had no ethnic diversity when I was growing up. While I learned about other races in school, my sheltered and naive youth taught me nothing of the then present day, real world, injustices. I remember a couple of different occasions, while sitting around the supper table, my dad talking about his Air Force days and his comment that some of his best friends were colored. I often wondered about that comment. As I got older, and a little bit more worldly, I have come to realize that my dad was probably trying to impress upon his children that he was not prejudice and that we should not be prejudice. Maybe he was even trying to convince himself that he was not prejudice, because in retrospect, I believe he was, even though he tried not to be. He was a very just and fair minded man but he still only knew what it was like to be white, just as his children and my children do now. Peggy McIntosh stated it very well for me when she said As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. (McIntosh) Years ago, I read Martin Luther Kings Letter From The Birmingham Jail. His statement, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere struck me so greatly that I made a print and framed it. Dr. King had a beautiful concept of morality and I think his statement implies that when we devalue the humanity of another...

50 Types of Propaganda

50 Types of Propaganda 50 Types of Propaganda 50 Types of Propaganda By Mark Nichol Are you a propagandist? If you write nonfiction intended to persuade, yes, by a broad definition, you almost certainly are. Here are fifty terms for, and definitions of, forms of propaganda, at least one of which such writers will likely employ in a given piece of content. Propaganda (the word is from a New Latin term meaning â€Å"propagating,† synonymous in this connotation with publicizing) has been defined as â€Å"communication intended to shape perceptions, manipulate cognition, and direct behavior.† That’s a broad definition a narrower one would limit propaganda to willful, prejudicial manipulation of information but it helps writers and readers understand that because almost any content can be considered propaganda, they must be alert to the subtext of almost any content they produce or consume. 1. Ad hominem: attacking opponents rather than opponents’ ideas or principles 2. Ad nauseam: repeating ideas relentlessly so that the audience becomes inured to them 3. Appeal to authority: use of authority figures (or perceived authority figures such as celebrities) to support ideas 4. Appeal to fear: exploitation of audience anxieties or concerns 5. Appeal to prejudice: exploitation of an audience’s desire to believe that it is virtuous or morally or otherwise superior 6. Bandwagon: exploitation of an audience’s desire to conform by encouraging adherence to or acceptance of idea that is supposedly garnering widespread or universal support 7. Beautiful people: depiction of attractive famous people or happy people to associate success or happiness with adherence to an idea or cause or purchase of a product 8. Black-and-white fallacy: presentation of only two alternatives, one of which is identified as undesirable 9. Classical conditioning: association of an idea with another stimulus 10. Cognitive dissonance: using a favorable stimulus to prompt acceptance of an unfavorable one, or producing an unfavorable association 11. Common man: adoption of mannerisms and/or communication of principles that suggest affinity with the average person 12. Cult of personality: creation of an idealized persona, or exploitation of an existing one, as a spokesperson for an idea or a cause 13. Demonizing the enemy: dehumanizing or otherwise denigrating opponents to sway opinion 14. Dictat: mandating adherence to an idea or cause by presenting it as the only viable alternative 15. Disinformation: creating false accounts or records, or altering or removing existing ones, to engender support for or opposition to an idea or cause 16. Door in the face: seeking compliance with a request by initially requesting a greater commitment and then characterizing the desired outcome as a compromise or a minor inconvenience 17. Euphoria: generating happiness or high morale by staging a celebration or other motivating event or offer 18. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt: disseminating false or negative information to undermine adherence to an undesirable belief or opinion 19. Flag waving: appealing to nationalism or patriotism 20. Foot in the door: manipulation by encouraging a small gift or sacrifice, which establishes a bond that can be exploited to extract more significant compliance 21. Glittering generalities: applying emotionally appealing but vague and meaningless words to an idea or cause 22. Half-truth: making a statement that is partly true or only part of the truth, or is otherwise deceptive 23. Inevitable victory: assurance of uncommitted audience members and reassurance of committed audience members that an idea or cause will prevail 24. Join the crowd: communication intended to persuade the audience to support an idea or cause because it is or will be the dominant paradigm 25. Labeling or name-calling: using euphemistic or dysphemistic terms to encourage a positive or negative perception of a person, an idea, or a cause 26. Latitudes of acceptance: introducing an extreme point of view to encourage acceptance of a more moderate stance, or establishing a barely moderate stance and gradually shifting to an extreme position 27. The lie: false or distorted information that justifies an action or a belief and/or encourages acceptance of it 28. Love bombing: isolation of the target audience from general society within an insular group that devotes attention and affection to the target audience to encourage adherence to an idea or cause 29. Managing the news: influencing news media by timing messages to one’s advantage, reinterpreting controversial or unpopular actions or statements (also called spinning), or repeating insubstantial or inconsequential statements that ignore a problem (also called staying on message) 30. Milieu control: using peer or social pressure to engender adherence to an idea or cause; related to brainwashing and mind control 31. Obfuscation: communication that is vague and ambiguous, intended to confuse the audience as it seeks to interpret the message, or to use incomprehensibility to exclude a wider audience 32. Operant conditioning: indoctrination by presentation of attractive people expressing opinions or buying products 33. Oversimplification: offering generalities in response to complex questions 34. Pensà ©e unique (French for â€Å"single thought†): repression of alternative viewpoints by simplistic arguments 35. Quotes out of context: selective use of quotations to alter the speaker’s or writer’s intended meaning or statement of opinion 36. Rationalization: use of generalities or euphemisms to justify actions or beliefs 37. Red herring: use of irrelevant data or facts to fallaciously validate an argument 38. Reductio ad Hitlerum: persuasion of an audience to change its opinion by identifying undesirable groups as adherents of the opinion, thus associating the audience with such groups 39. Repetition: repeated use of a word, phrase, statement, or image to influence the audience 40. Scapegoating: blaming a person or a group for a problem so that those responsible for it are assuaged of guilt and/or to distract the audience from the problem itself and the need to fix it 41. Selective truth: restrictive use of data or facts to sway opinion that might not be swayed if all the data or facts were given 42. Sloganeering: use of brief, memorable phrases to encapsulate arguments or opinions on an emotional rather than a logical level 43. Stereotyping: incitement of prejudice by reducing a target group, such as a segment of society or people adhering to a certain religion, to a set of undesirable traits 44. Straw man: misrepresentation or distortion of an undesirable argument or opinion, or misidentifying an undesirable persona or an undesirable single person as representative of that belief, or oversimplifying the belief 45. Testimonial: publicizing of a statement by an expert, authority figure, or celebrity in support of an idea, cause, or product in order to prompt the audience to identify with the person and support the idea or cause or buy the product 46. Third party: use of a supposedly impartial person or group, such as a journalist or an expert, or a group falsely represented as a grassroots organization, to support an idea or cause or recommend a product 47. Thought-terminating clichà ©: use of a truism to stifle dissent or validate faulty logic 48. Transfer: association of an entity’s positive or negative qualities with another entity to suggest that the latter entity embodies those qualities 49. Unstated assumption: implicit expression of an idea or cause by communication of related concepts without expressing the idea or cause 50. Virtue words: expression of words with positive connotations to associate an idea or cause with the self-perceived values of the audience Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. FurtherA While vs Awhile35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Arguments for and against Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arguments for and against Abortion - Essay Example According to her, killing a human being is wrong. However, a fetus does not qualify to be a human being because it does not have consciousness (Ford, 2002). She observes that to qualify as a human being, the concept of consciousness must be present. Therefore, since a fetus does not feel pain, it cannot be regarded a human being. Therefore, removing a fetus is not killing a human being. Thus, according to her, abortion is not wrong (Ford, 2002). Secondly, Mary Anne Warren argues that a human being must possess the capacity for reasoning and self-motivated activity (Ford, 2002). Therefore, a human being must be able to solve existing or new problems on their own. Additionally, a human being must be able to make independent decisions, without any genetic or external control (Ford, 2002). Thus, considering that a fetus does not have the capacity to solve problems on its own, and considering that a fetus does not have the ability to make independent decisions that are devoid of external control, then, it does not qualify to be a human being. Therefore, removing a fetus from the womb of a woman is not killing a human being (Ford, 2002).

The Role of Social Media in the Management of Information on an Assignment

The Role of Social Media in the Management of Information on an Organization - Assignment Example Social media has many uses, the majority of which are beneficial while a few are detrimental. In a positive way, social media have revolutionized both personal and business communications. The new communication technology has completely transformed the mode of information management in many organizations. It has been used in advertising, delivery of news, chatting, sharing of photos and images, among other diverse uses. Social media has enlarged the social space for millions of people. On the detrimental side, social media have facilitated cyberbullying, bad publicity, and the spread of propaganda among other problems. Social media has facilitated globalization through the creation of vast interactive networks through sharing of information. Sites such as LinkedIn provide a platform on which professionals share their ideas and research work resulting in synergistic research. More growth is expected in the social media industry and its effects will continue to be felt in the corporate arena. Social networks have influenced in a great way in which organizations go on with their usual duties. Verbal communication has greatly declined while the social space has widened whi le the advertising platforms have increased. However, the social sites have been faulted for its simplicity in sharing any information, some of which may place an organization at a vulnerable position. In this paper, I will endeavor to establish the role of social media in the management of information in an organization. In addition, a focus on ‘cloud networking’ shall be put into perspective as it relates to the management of information. Finally, the issue of security in the management of information shall be addressed. Social media has made computer-aided communication very easy, convenient and affordable. Through social media, one may access information that their followers are updating instantly.  

Popular magazine Essay Example for Free

Popular magazine Essay The concept behind this method is concerned with signs and in particular three different component parts, signified, signifier and sign. To help in the explanation of these terms it will be useful to examine a recent advert taken from a popular magazine. One such advert within a current publication of OK magazine illustrates a woman smiling having used a certain brand of washing powder to clean clothes; the headline states Another load of your mind. (OK, 2002, p65) Within this particular advert the signifier would be the washing powder. The signified however would relate to the headline as another job done, whereas the sign would suggest that washing powder equals happy family with clean clothes, time to do other jobs around the house and its a mothers job to worry about dirty washing. However if this is the meaning then how was it arrived at because this particular advert does not state what is conveyed above. It may be that semiotics recognises that viewers interact with material presented, they do not just take it at face value, and they bring other meanings they may have encountered elsewhere in the social world. Indeed in support of this argument Kline tells us that for advertising to create meaning the observer has to do some work. (Kline, 1990, p202) Without denying this advert could have different signs for different individuals there may be a case here whereby advertisers are not reinforcing gender stereotypes, it is the reader bringing their own social background or life experience to the reading of the advertisement therefore reinforcing their own stereotypes. Williamson makes the point that although peopleinvent adverts these adverts do not claim to speak for them. (Williamson, 1978, p13) Therefore the interpretations individuals bring may be governed by codes and constraints within our social lives that may well affect the way adverts are constructed and presented Ideology is a code that is arguably influential on how adverts are put together and can change over time. For example if one looks at advertising of the 40s and 50s there was possibly many more obvious signs of hierarchy between the sexes. Indeed in many of the adverts used by Goffman in his gender advertisements publication, men were seen as breadwinners working outside of the home and women were seen as homemakers and carers with no indication of an occupation. Incidentally he defines ideology as a meaning made necessary by the conditions of society while helping to perpetuate those conditions. In other words leading people to believe certain values to gain agreement in an objective, in this case gender roles. (Goffman, 1979, p28-82) To reiterate this position Winship takes the argument a stage further and states that it is the ideology of patriarchy with its structures of domination that sets up inequality. (Winship, 1980, p17) so for Winship there is an influence of a ruling ideology that affects many facets of social life- beauty, sexuality and independence etc- that advertisers are bound to use because within that ruling ideology, society would expect or demand different roles from individuals therefore advertisers would reflect this. If however advertisers and individuals are constrained by a ruling ideology that again suggests that individuals have lost or never had the ability to think for themselves. Indeed akin to a hypodermic model whereby people are injected-metaphorically speaking- with information that does not get processed and comes out exactly as it went in. Gender stereotyping in advertising is therefore very subjective in that whatever way we measure and analyse the subject it must be stressed that we have the ability to disagree with any message that is conveyed by advertisers. Through the use of semiotics we can build up a picture of what is behind the images we are confronted with. By the same degree content analysis can give one the idea that the result is conclusive. However no method is perfect and in the same way it can be useful it can also be misleading as has been shown above. When one is also faced with the argument of ideology within advertising it is akin with all aspects of social life. It is true to say we follow rules and regulation in our every day social lives that may constrain some of our actions, in the same way that advertisers are constrained by bodies such as the BSC. However in the same way we are constrained, we are also protected by the same ideology, therefore we have some powers available to disagree with, contest and challenge messages or actions deemed unfair or stereotypical. As a result it is difficult to establish whether adverts reinforce gender stereotypes or if indeed we do that perfectly well for ourselves.

e Strife For a Straight Life: The Examination of Mortal and Divine Relations :: Classics

The Strife For a Straight Life: The Examination of Mortal and Divine Relations "A straight and perfect life is not for man." - the Nurse in Hippolytus The idea that fate is rooted from the interconnection of divine beings whose will is played-out by mortals, is a highly enriched belief that is capitalized on by many Greek tragedians. Among those who suggest that there is an endless cycle of good will, revenge, uncertainty, and punishment is the Greek dramatist, Euripides. His work, Hippolytus, is an excellent example of a well-written Greek tragedy that informs readers of the intermingling of divine power and a mortal's free will. Hippolytus, however, would not be able to serve this primary function without the elements which compose Greek tragedy in its entirety. Therefore, a detailed investigation into the characters of Hippolytus, and their divine counterparts, is necessary to better understand how Euripides evokes the need for divine intervention and also, why the divine is inspired to transpire revenge. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sensuality, who delivers a long monologue about the forthcoming events, sets the play. This is quit common in Greek tragedy. This technique builds suspense because the audience wants to see if the plot she reveals is actually going to happen. The plot she presents is that of her own; she seeks revenge of the mortal prince Hippolytus. It is apparent that she has been insulted by him and does not go out of the her way to say: " For this prince of Theseus' seed Hippolytus, child of that dead Amazon, And reared by Saintly Pitheus in his own Straight ways, hath dared, alone of Trozen, to hold me least of spirits and most mean, And spurns my spell and sees no woman's kiss." (Euripides, 3) Hence, Aphrodite builds her case of revenge on this petty act of transgression and states, "That vengeance that shall make all well with me." (Euripides, 5) In other words, she will feel better once Hippolytus' transgression has been "justified" by her. Furthermore, she reveals her character as sort of selfish when she contends, "For there is, even in a great God's mind, that hungered for the praise of human kind." (Euripides, 2) Here, Aphrodite expresses the need to be praised and worshiped. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that she feels neglected, and even jealous of Artemis. This jealousy builds rage in Aphrodite and justifies her need to seek revenge on not only Hippolytus, but also Phaedra and Theseus. Hippolytus, on the other hand, is a man of virtue and chastity. He practices resistance to the temptation life has to offer.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Case Study Essay

Skeeter Buck has had 4 years of joint pain with some very severe occasions. He complains of stiffness in his wrists, hands, knees, and feet. The stiffness seems to last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours in the morning. When his joints are sore he is very unstable and feels as though he has no balance. The joint pain does not occur on a regular basis but when it does, he tends to lose his appetite. Medication: Cortisone shot (every 3 months), Aleve, Tylenol Medical History: 4 years of joint pain. Recently symptoms worsened. Family History: Grandmother and mother have rheumatoid arthritis and have had surgery. Grandma had a hip replacement and his mother had a knee replacement. Most of his family is overweight but there is no history of diabetes or heart disease. Social Lifestyle: Married with 2 children and wife is pregnant with their third. Lives in North Bay where he is the manager at a bank. He walks with a cane when his ‘flare ups’ are bad. Lifestyle History: Enjoys playing with the kids. He is as active as he can be without being in pain. He helps coach the hockey team his oldest son plays on. Wife is a dietician and so he eats healthy meals on a regular basis. Risk Factors: He is a non-smoker, regular cholesterol levels, and normal blood glucose levels. Physical Examination General Appearance: Looks healthy, comfortable and has great colour in face. Vital Signs: Blood Pressure = 123/82 mmHg in both arms, Pulse = 72 beats per minute, Respiration= 17 breaths per minute, Mass= 82 kg, Height = 70 in. (175 cm), BMI= 27, Waist Circumference = 34in. Cardiovascular: No carotid bruits, no jugular venous distension, clear lungs, normal point of impulse, regular rate and rhythm, no extra heart sounds, no edema, normal peripheral vascular exam. Skin: no rashes, a bit red, swollen and warm around knuckles on hands and feet. Musculoskeletal: walks slow due to pain, joints on the hands and feet are a bit swollen, does not have a full range of motion in his joints. Neurologic: Normal cranial nerves, loss of fine motor skills in hand, normal sensory exam. Resting Electrocardiogram before Exercise Test: Sinus rhythm, rate= 72 beats per minute, no Q waves, ST or T wave abnormalities. Computer interpretation is normal electrocardiogram. Diagnosis: Rheumatoid arthritis in wrists, hands, knees, and feet causing stiffness in the morning and pain throughout the day especially after more than normal use of the joints. This causes exercise intolerance and fatigue. Plan Complete a standard cycle ergometer test and initiate a training program focussing on increasing exercise tolerance, muscle strength, and range of motion. ** Please refer to following pages for pre-screen and informed consent forms! ** PATHOPHYSIOLOGY Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis and an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is one where the body’s immune system becomes confused and begins to attack its own body. In rheumatoid arthritis the target of the immune attack is the lining of the joints (synovial) and sometimes other internal organs. This causes swelling, pain, inflammation, and joint destruction. Inflammatory cells release enzymes that can digest bone and cartilage causing limited bone motion. This inflammation of joints usually occurs in a symmetrical and bilateral pattern (what happens on one side of the body, happens on the other). Rheumatoid arthritis is also characterized by aggravations and remissions (periods of time with intensified symptoms followed by period of time with reduced symptoms). Rheumatoid arthritis usually begins slowly, starting with only a few joints and spreading to others over a period of a few weeks to a few months. People with rheumatoid arthritis have impaired exercise tolerance. The disease affects flexibility, biomechanical efficiency, muscle strength, endurance, and speed, which contributes to functional limitations. There are three levels of classifying rheumatoid arthritis disease stages: 1. Acute: reversible signs and symptoms in the joint related to synovitis 2. Chronic: stable but irreversible structural damage brought on by the disease process 3. Chronic with acute exacerbation of joint symptoms: increased pain and decreased range of motion and function often related to overuse or superimposed injury. (3) Figure:(12) Signs and Symptoms of Concern (13)You should see your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms for more than two weeks: Feel unusual pain and stiffness in your joints Pain and stiffness in the morning lasting more than 30-60 minutes before you feel any relief Feel more fatigued than normal Lack of hunger leading to weight loss Importance of Exercise for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Although people with rheumatoid arthritis may be hesitant to exercise due to pain they experience within their joints, current evidence suggests that a significant amount of disability related to the condition occurs from lack of fitness. By not exercising, muscle strength and endurance begins to deteriorate. This weakens the joint and contributes to accelerating the speed or arthritis. By not exercising you are also putting yourself at risk for other chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis. The American College of Sport Medicine outlines three goals for exercise and arthritis. The goals are: 1) preserve or restore range of motion and flexibility around the affected joints; 2) increase muscle strength and endurance to build joint stability; 3) increase aerobic capacity in order to enhance psychological state and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. (8) Although long term effects of dynamic weight bearing exercise on those with rheumatoid arthritis remains unclear, current data suggests that vigorous exercise may be used to improve joint mobility, muscle strength, and aerobic capacity without causing joint damage (except when there is an acute joint inflammation or uncontrolled systemic disease)(8). Those with rheumatoid arthritis should remember that post exercise discomfort should be expected, but activities causing increased joint pain enduring for greater than two hours post-exercise should be discontinued. As previously mentioned, people with rheumatoid arthritis often have little aerobic capacity due to inactivity, but it has been shown to be a safe and beneficial form of treatment for those who are not experiencing acute symptoms. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that people with rheumatoid arthritis should participate in large muscle activities such as walking, cycling, rowing, swimming, and dance at 60-80% of their peak heart rate or 40-60% VO2max, a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) rating of 11-16, 3-5 days per week for five minute sessions building up to thirty minutes. When working with people with rheumatoid arthritis, it is important to emphasis duration is more important than intensity with goals of increasing VO2max, peak work, and endurance within 4-6 months. It is also important to have at least fifteen minutes of warm-up and cool-down. (8) MEDICATION Although there is no specific cure for rheumatoid arthritis at the present, there are a range of medications available to manage the symptoms to improve the condition. Rheumatoid medications can be classified into different classes such as NSAIDs, Corticosteroids, DMARDs, Biological Agents, Salicylates, and Pain Relief Medications. Your doctor will most likely use a combination of these drugs to alleviate pain and prevent further damage to the joints. NSAIDs NSAIDs or Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are effective in pain relief and inflammation reduction, but do not serve to protect the joints from further damage. NSAIDs prevent your body from producing a substance called prostaglandins, which is primarily responsible for inflammation and pain. When taken in extreme dosages for a long time, these drugs can produce severe side effects, such as stomach bleeding, gastric ulcers, as well as potential damage to the kidneys and liver. Corticosteroids Corticosteroids suppress the immune system, thus managing inflammation. Although these may be very effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis, they have been said to trigger adverse side effects if used in prolonged periods. Examples of these side effects include easy bruising, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes, excessive weight gain, and thinning of the bones. DMARDs DMARDS or Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs are groups of medications that serve to inhibit the immune system from damaging the joints, thus slowing further joint damage. Rheumatoid arthritis causes permanent joint damage in the early stages and so it is very important to start these medications right away. The risks for severe side effects are high with these medications. Taking DMARDs for a long time may result in bone marrow and liver toxicity, vulnerability to infections, skin allergies, and autoimmunity. Biological Agents Biological agents or biological drugs function to alleviate inflammation via various methods. An example of how they work is by inhibiting tumour necrosis factors. They also can treat inflammation through eradicating Beta cells. Salicylates Salicylates reduce the body’s production of prostaglandins. The use of salicylates has been replaced with NSAIDs, mainly due to the fact that they caused adverse side effects. Pain Relief Medications While anti-pain drugs neither decrease inflammation nor suppress further joint damage, these medications allow the individual become more comfortable and eventually function better. (2) PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL To determine baseline levels and the areas exercise is in need of improvement, exercise testing can be used to evaluate the different exercise parameters. Those with rheumatoid arthritis tolerate sub-maximal and subjective symptom-limited treadmill tests that require less than 3 miles per hour walking speed. Early-onset muscle fatigue may limit receiving accurate information. Since people with rheumatoid arthritis may have troubles performing maximal treadmill test, sub-maximal bicycle tests may provide more accurate information without over-stressing joints.

Close Reading: Slaughterhouse Essay

â€Å"The Tralfamadorians tried to give Billy clues that would help him to imagine sex in the invisible dimension. They told him that there could be no Earthling babies without male homosexuals. There could be babies without female homosexuals. There couldn’t be babies without women over sixty-five years old. There could be babies without men over sixty-five. There couldn’t be babies without other babies who had lived an hour or less after birth. And so on.† The first time that I read this novel in high school, this passage interested and confused me. The thought of there being more than two genders present on the planet caught me off guard. While gender is not ever a subject that confuses me, this idea did not make sense to me. Gender, on Earth, is confined to male and female. It begs the question of what the Tralfamadorians consider to be a gender, in the third and fourth dimensions. Vonnegut leads us to assume that the genders must be those that he listed. We know that to make a human baby, you need a male and a female. Since he refers to homosexuality in this passage, it is safe to draw the connection that he considers homosexuals to be their own gender. That would lead readers to believe that the other sexes are a heterosexual male, heterosexual female, homosexual male and homosexual female. However, that only gives us four of the seven proposed genders. Based off of that theory, it would be safe to assume that the other genders would be a transgender male, a transgender female, and hermaphrodites. For someone who is an active member of the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and ally) community, this was a plausible, and easy, connection for me. However, if we were to consider what Vonnegut says later on in the passage, it could be that he considers the other genders to be something entirely different. If readers focus on the exact wording in the passage, it implies that the other five genders that exist in the fourth dimension are the homosexual males, homosexual females, women over sixty five years old, men over sixty five years old, and babies that live an hour or less after their own birth. If these are what Vonnegut has named as the fourth dimensional genders, he said that each of these is required for the birth of any Earthling child. In a way, this is correct. The Tralfamadorians state that there will be no Earthling babies without homosexual males, but there could not be babies with homosexual females. This statement was illogical to me. I believe that it is Vonnegut’s allusion to the different backgrounds that everyone comes from. No one’s family structure is exactly the same, and the discord that the Tralfamadorians speak of are the constantly changing social dynamics of the family structure. When it passage says that there could be Earthling babies without women over the age of sixty five years old, but there could be babies without men over the age of sixty five years old, this is a completely true statement. In regards to lineage, no Earthling child would have been born without its ancestors, and there would be more than one over the age of sixty five. Since any Earthling child must come from some form of parents, it is safe to believe that the Tralfamadorians are alluding to the family unit as a whole. The last category mentioned are the babies who â€Å"had lived an hour or less after birth.† While this does not necessarily mean that the death of these other Earthling children make it possible for another to be brought into the world, I believe that it means that everything happens for a reason. I think this is Vonnegut’s way of saying that while the death of any child is tragic, that everything in life is predetermined fate. The Tralfamadorians tell Billy that while the human beings live and exist in the third dimension, there is more that they cannot see or even understand in the fourth dimension. This explains how the human mind and belief are limited. I believe that Billy, having met the Tralfamadorians, has surpassed the rest of the human race in terms of opening his mind to be able to fathom the fourth dimension. The aliens, while they represent free will throughout the novel, also represent a level of higher thinking that humans have yet to attain, and is quite possibly completely out of reach.

Testing the hypothesis that monetary policy responds to stock market movements The WritePass Journal

Testing the hypothesis that monetary policy responds to stock market movements Abstract Testing the hypothesis that monetary policy responds to stock market movements AbstractIntroductionMonetary policy should or should not responds to stock market movementsSupporting the hypothesisRejecting the hypothesisTesting significant coefficientsTesting a good fitTesting autocorrelationTesting heteroskedasticityTesting misspecificationGeneralized method of moments (GMM)Interpreting resultsConclusionReferencesRelated Abstract This paper highlights a problem in using the OLS model of Taylor’s rule, including lagged value of fed funds rate and stock indexs return to address whether the monetary policy should respond to asset prices movement or not. However, to know more exactly about the direct or indirect relationship between stock prices and the monetary rules, the more efficient method of Generalized method of moments (GMM) needs to be carried out based on an instrument list of output gap, growth rate of real GDP and inflation. The combination of two above methods gives reasonable results in our empirical framework. In order to derive accuracy empirical result, two country (US 1990-2009, UK 1990-2009) data would be provided in the paper. Introduction In modern macroeconomics, there is a considerable amount of interest in understanding the question whether the central banks should response or ignore asset price volatility. This question has been a controversial issue since the Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan sparked it, as one of irrational exuberance as early as 1996, then was followed by Bernanke and Gertler (1999), Cecchetti (2000), Adam Posen (2006) and many other authors. No agreement has been reached but what all researchers agree on is the necessity of further research on the nature of asset price movement, how they affect the economy and the effect of money policy on volatilities. This paper attempts to estimate this multilateral relationship based on ongoing researches in this field. There are several reasons why the correlation between monetary-policy framework and asset bubbles is an important issue. From the perspective of central banks, dependable estimates of the reflection of asset prices to the policy instrument plays an essential role in formulating effective policy decisions. In reality, the effect of the short-term interest rates on asset prices has caused much of transmission of inflation targeting. Moreover, the attention of financial press for the Federal Reserve performance states the significant influence of monetary on financial markets. Hence, a well-performed economy does need to have accurate estimates of the reaction of asset prices to monetary policy. In order to approach these issues, we develop an OLS estimation using simple regression Taylor Rule (1993) and apply Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) to deal with the relationship between monetary policy and asset price movements. The paper proceeds as follows. Section 2 presents the theoretical framework, in which empirical debates from recent authors including supporting and rejecting are particularly discussed. Data and Testing Method and Empirical Framework are described in section 3. Section 4, empirical framework, is going to present the descriptive statistics with testing procedures of hypothesises. Results on the responsiveness of stock prices and interest rates to monetary policy coming through all of the actual testing process from data collection are presented in section 5 and section 6. Theoretical Framework How a central bank should set short-term interest rates Taylor (1993)[1] estimated policy reaction functions and found that monetary policy can often be well approximated empirically by a simple instrument rule for interest rate setting. The following is one variant of the Taylor rule: it = r* + Ï€* + ÃŽ ²(Ï€t – Ï€*) + ÃŽ ³(yt – yN) where ÃŽ ² , ÃŽ ³ 0; r* is the average (long-run) real interest rate. Taylor (1993) found that ÃŽ ²=1.5 and ÃŽ ³=0.5: it = r* + Ï€* + 1.5(Ï€t – Ï€*) + 0.5(yt – yN) The Taylor rule is acknowledged by all to be a simple approximation to actual policy behavior. It represents a complex process with a small number of parameters. Monetary policy should or should not responds to stock market movements In recent decades, in line with the development of stock market, which provide information about the current and future course of monetary policy goal variables – inflation, employment, and output, the monetary authority should respond to equity price. A more controversial role of equity prices in the monetary policy process concerns whether the monetary policy should or should not take a direct interest in stock market. It has attracted many researchers to discuss about the usefulness and test the validity of the hypothesis that monetary policy responds to stock market movements. Those researches have created many different results of both supporting and rejecting the hypothesis. Supporting the hypothesis Some of the supporters for the hypothesis that the reaction to misalignments in stock prices would have impact on the monetary policy rules are Cecchetti et al. (2000), and Jeff Fuhrer and Geoff Tootell (2004). Cecchetti used a linear rational expectations model, focusing on the output gap and inflation expectations some primary elements in the policy rules- to support the hypothesis. Hence, the result showed that if the estimation errors are positively correlated, both inflation and misalignments with a positive coefficient increases the impact on the monetary policy. By contrast, Jeff Fuhrer and Geoff Tootell took the regression from the form of Taylor policy that used correlations among the funds rate and the gap measure, a four-quarter moving average of inflation, the real GDP and the lags of stock prices. After that, they used GMM to estimate the regression. Because the data used are ex-post, the policy actions should be taken to the stock prices movements. However, there are still some contention is that this counter-argument is not entirely valid and these come from several antagonists like Bernanke and Gertler with their predominant abstractions (1999 and 2001). Rejecting the hypothesis There have been a significant number of advocates against the responsiveness of central banks to asset price movement in their policy formulation so far. Two of the most important contributors in this field are Bernanke and Gertler with their two seminal studies (1999 and 2001). On the basis of non-optimizing models of monetary policy, where coefficients of interest rates on GDP and inflation is selected specifically, Bernanke and Gertler generated the result that inflation-targeting policymakers should not take asset prices into account other than changes in expected inflation are foreshadowed. Adam Posen (2006), likewise, has argued that central banks need not target asset prices, but would be well advised to monitor them, when those bubbles get very far out of line. By studying the correlation between periods of monetary easing and property bubbles, he found the hypothesis that quantitative easing would result in asset volatility unsupported. These results are challenged among other researchers including Roubini Nouriel (2006), Andrew Filardo (2004), especially Stephen Cecchetti (2000). Cecchetti arrived at the different results, even though one portion of the testing method he employed was the same with Bernanke and Gertler (1999). Data and testing method U.S. Data selection The data that being selected reflects the period from Q1/1990 to Q4/2009 in the U.S., including time series of Inflation: Cpi all Items City Average   /Index Number /Base year: 2005 /averages   /Cnt: United States   /Source: IMF, Wash Fed Funds Rates: Discount Rate (end of Period)   /percent per annum /stocks   /Cnt: United States   /Source: IMF, Wash Real GDP: Gdp vol 2005 Ref., Chained   /U.s. Dollars ,billions of .. /averages /constant prices (seas. /Cnt: United States   /Source: IMF, Wash SP500 stock index: Finance.Yahoo.Com, the quarterly close price index. Stock Index SP500 is chosen because it is typically weighted averages of the prices of the component stocks. Very often dividends are excluded from the return calculation of the index. The composition of most indices changes occasionally, so that a long time series will not be made up of return from a homogeneous asset. In this paper, we prefer the continuous compounded definition of using logarithm because multi-period returns are then sums of single-period returns. This could make time series of data more smoothing and increase the exactness of estimation[2]. The regressions take the form of Taylor rule, augmented to allow partial-adjustment or â€Å"interest rate smoothing†, or more simply the conclusion of a lagged fed funds rate, as discussed in Clarida, Gali, and Gertler (1998). We begin with the regression, in which the fed funds rate responds to contemporaneous observations on a â€Å"gap† measure (either the unemployment rate or a Hodrick-Prescott detrended real GDP gap[3]), a four-quarter moving average of an inflation measure, the growth rate of real GDP, and lags of a variety of stock price measures. Unit root test for f – log(fed funds rate) Possibly, there is some omitted variables causing autocorrelation. We need to use unit root tests for random variables. Null Hypothesis: F has a unit root Exogenous: Constant Lag Length: 4 (Automatic based on SIC, maxlag=11) t-Statistic   Ã‚  Prob.* Augmented Dickey-Fuller test statistic -3.380296   0.0148 *MacKinnon (1996) one-sided p-values. As might be seen from the graph, there is a downward trend of fed funds interest rates. The unit root test gives an idea that there should be an inclusion of a lagged dependent variable  Ã‚   Inflation – 100*(log(CPI)t-log(CPI)t-4) Delta_Y – 100*(log(real_gdp)t-log(real_gdp)t-1) GAP – a Hodrick-Prescott detrended real GDP gap U.K. Data selection The following covers the period from Q1/1990 to Q4/2009 in U.K, including time series of   Inflation: Cpi all Items City Average   /Index Number /Base year: 2005 /averages   /Cnt: United States   /Source: IMF, Wash Bank of England Interest Rates: Discount Rate (end of Period)   /percent per annum /stocks   /Cnt: United States   /Source: IMF, Wash Real GDP: Gdp vol 2005 Ref., Chained   /U.s. Dollars ,billions of .. /averages /constant prices (seas. /Cnt: United States   /Source: IMF, Wash FTSE 100 stock index: Finance.Yahoo.Com, the quarterly close price index. Stock Index FTSE 100 is chosen because it is typically weighted averages of the prices of the component stocks. Very often dividends are excluded from the return calculation of the index. The composition of most indices changes occasionally, so that a long time series will not be made up of return from a homogeneous asset. In this paper, we prefer the continuous compounded definition of using logarithm because multi-period returns are then sums of single-period returns. This could make time series of data more smoothing and increase the exactness of estimation[4]. The regressions take the form of Taylor rule, augmented to allow partial-adjustment or â€Å"interest rate smoothing†, or more simply the conclusion of a lagged fed funds rate, as discussed in Clarida, Gali, and Gertler (1998). We begin with the regression, in which the fed funds rate responds to contemporaneous observations on a â€Å"gap† measure (either the unemployment rate or a Hodrick-Prescott detrended real GDP gap[5]), a four-quarter moving average of an inflation measure, the growth rate of real GDP, and lags of a variety of stock price measures. Unit root test for f – log(fed funds rate) Possibly, there is some omitted variables causing autocorrelation. We need to use unit root tests for random variables. Null Hypothesis: I has a unit root Exogenous: Constant Lag Length: 1 (Automatic based on SIC, maxlag=11) t-Statistic Prob.* Augmented Dickey-Fuller test statistic -1.281177 0.6347 As might be seen from the graph, there is a downward trend of fed funds interest rates. The unit root test gives an idea that there should be an inclusion of a lagged dependent variable. Inflation – 100*(log(CPI)t-log(CPI)t-4)        Ã‚   OUTPUT_GAP   – 100*(log(real_gdp)t-log(real_gdp)t-1) Empirical Framework U.S. Data test section Methodology Following the Taylor’s rule, a regression of the model below is going to be estimated: It = a + bIt-1 + cGapt + dΔyt + zÏ€t + ∑ekst-k (1) In which: It: the quarterly average of the daily observations on the federal funds rate Gapt: the Hodrick-Prescott detrended real GDP gap Ï€t: the four-quarter moving average of the rate of inflation in the consumer price index Δyt: the quarterly percentage change in real GDP st-k: the quarterly percentage change in a stock price index, lagged as k intervals We choose this specification to begin with because it represents a simple augmentation of the canonical Taylor rule, without worrying about the potential simultaneity between the current funds rate and the current stock prices[6]. Importantly, (1) differs from (0) since we consider more lagged values of the fed funds rates (It-1) and the asset price movements (∑ekst-k). When we estimate equation (1), we set the following null hypothesi { H0: ek = 0 H0: ek # 0 If we accept the above null hypothesis, we may safely claim that monetary policy is not accepted by asset price movements. If we reject the above null hypothesis, we may safely claim that asset price movements play a role in determining monetary policy. We start estimating equation (1) by using only one lag of st and then we proceed from specific to general to decide the correct number of lags (in other words, we estimate the model again by including more lags until we meet a lagged regressor, which is not significan Eview results of estimating equation (1) using 1 lagged value of st Dependent Variable: F Method: Least Squares Date: 02/07/11  Ã‚   Time: 23:57 Sample (adjusted): 1991Q1 2009Q4 Included observations: 76 after adjustments Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. C -0.123706 0.082768 -1.494617 0.1395 F(-1) 0.852312 0.051377 16.58952 0.0000 GAP 0.010505 0.028245 0.371928 0.7111 DELTA_Y 0.129730 0.040953 3.167808 0.0023 INFLATION 0.064981 0.026331 2.467884 0.0160 S(-1) 0.010320 0.003063 3.368900 0.0012 R-squared 0.918894   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mean dependent var 1.194237 Adjusted R-squared 0.913101   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  S.D. dependent var 0.658791 S.E. of regression 0.194203   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Akaike info criterion -0.364172 Sum squared resid 2.640028   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schwarz criterion -0.180167 Log likelihood 19.83853   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hannan-Quinn criter. -0.290634 F-statistic 158.6138   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Durbin-Watson stat 1.742329 Prob(F-statistic) 0.000000 It might be noted that the coefficient to s(-1) of 0.010320 is positive and statistically significant (p-value=0.0012 much lower than ÃŽ ±=0.05).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eview results of re-estimating equation (1) using 2 lagged value of st Dependent Variable: F Method: Least Squares Date: 02/07/11  Ã‚   Time: 23:59 Sample (adjusted): 1991Q1 2009Q4 Included observations: 76 after adjustments Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. C -0.150214 0.086749 -1.731607 0.0878 F(-1) 0.869165 0.053967 16.10563 0.0000 GAP 0.008441 0.028311 0.298142 0.7665 DELTA_Y 0.148092 0.044741 3.310002 0.0015 INFLATION 0.064308 0.026332 2.442183 0.0172 S(-1) 0.009965 0.003082 3.232900 0.0019 S(-2) -0.003290 0.003233 -1.017793 0.3123 R-squared 0.920094   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mean dependent var 1.194237 Adjusted R-squared 0.913145   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  S.D. dependent var 0.658791 S.E. of regression 0.194153   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Akaike info criterion -0.352758 Sum squared resid 2.600980   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schwarz criterion -0.138085 Log likelihood 20.40479   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hannan-Quinn criter. -0.266964 F-statistic 132.4186   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Durbin-Watson stat 1.789665 Prob(F-statistic) 0.000000 We may note that the second lag of s (s(-2) of -0.003290) is not significant (p-value of 0.3123 much higher than ÃŽ ±=0.05) whereas the first lag s(-1) is still positive and significant (p-value=0.0019 lower than ÃŽ ±=0.05). This implies that the correct choice about the number of lags implies that we need to include only the first lagged value of the stock index’s return. Testing significant coefficients The statistically significant positive coefficient to s(-1) implies that the asset price goes up Fed should increase interest rate. Inflation and real GDP growth rate are significant (p-values are 0.0023 and 0.0160 less than ÃŽ ±=0.05) whereas gap is insignificant (p-value of 0.7665 much higher than ÃŽ ±=0.05). However, there are some conflicts with the theory if the gap is removed out of the specification.   Indeed, R-squared and Adjusted R-squared show that the model explains the dependent variable more than 90%. It is necessary to examine the model by applying GMM (the generalized method of moments). Testing a good fit As we can see, R2 of 0.918894 and Adjusted R2 of 0.913101 show that the model explains above 90% changes of fed fund rates. F-statistic also depicts that all regressors are jointly significant. This seems to support the view of Cecchetti et al. (2000).                  Testing autocorrelation Durbin’s h test, with n=76, we have   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   d = 1.742329   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   h=(1-d/2)√(n/(1-n/error(b))) = 1.2559142007 z-critical = 1.96 We cannot reject H0 of Durbin’s h test and conclude that this model does not suffer from serial correlation. Breusch-Godfrey Serial Correlation LM Test: F-statistic 1.001164   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. F(4,66) 0.4134 Obs*R-squared 4.347625   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(4) 0.3610 Both the LM statistic and the F statistic are quite low, suggesting that we cannot reject the null of no serial correlation (p-value of 0.3610 is much higher than ÃŽ ±=0.05). Therefore, both Durbin’s h and Breusche-Godfrey test conclude that this model does not suffer from autocorrelation. The analysis above lets us to give a positive answer to the first question we posed before. The significance of the lagged value of s implies that asset price movement plays a role in refining monetary policy. Testing heteroskedasticity Both Breusch-Pagan-Godfrey statistic (16.19839) and F statistic (3.792163) are quite high, suggesting the rejection of the null hypothesis of the heteroskedasticity test (p-values of 0.0063 and 0.0043 are much less than ÃŽ ±=0.05). As can be seen from the test results, coefficients of gap, delta_y, and s(-1) are insignificant. Contrastingly, the inflation might have certain impact on the variance of the error terms. Heteroskedasticity Test: Breusch-Pagan-Godfrey F-statistic 3.792163   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. F(5,70) 0.0043 Obs*R-squared 16.19839   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(5) 0.0063 Scaled explained SS 55.18278   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(5) 0.0000 With White’s test with no cross products, the p-values of both White’s statistic (0.0895) and F statistic (0.0879) are higher than ÃŽ ±=0.05 and these tests do not conclude a rejection of no heteroskedasticity. Heteroskedasticity Test: White F-statistic 2.009014   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. F(5,70) 0.0879 Obs*R-squared 9.537445   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(5) 0.0895 Scaled explained SS 32.49105   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(5) 0.0000 In White’s test with cross products, both White’s statistic F statistic with p-values nearly zero illustrate that there is a conclusion of a rejection of no heteroskedasticity. Therefore, there is evidence of heteroskedasticity. Intuitively, delta_y*s(-1) and inflation*s(-1) do not have a significant impact on the variance of error terms (p-values are 0.3398 and 0.2187 much higher than ÃŽ ±=0.05, respectively). This might imply that the relationship between delta_y and inflation with s(-1) should be examined in GMM application. Heteroskedasticity Test: White  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  F-statistic 7.540388   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. F(20,55) 0.0000 Obs*R-squared 55.68978   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(20) 0.0000 Scaled explained SS 189.7174   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prob. Chi-Square(20) 0.0000 The graph of residuals also shows that the model does not fit the data precisely (there are more and more underestimates and overestimates, especially from 2000 to 2009). Testing heteroskedasticity possibly implies that the traditional view as the equation (1) might be violated by heteroskedasticity of cross products. The co-efficiencies are still unbiased and consistent. This has a wide impact on hypothesis testing neither the t statistics or the F statistics are reliable any more for hypothesis testing because they will lead us to reject the null hypothesis too often. This is possible reason to examine whether the relationship between the stock index’s return and fed funds rate is direct or indirect. Testing misspecification In Ramsey RESET test, since the p-values of 0.1056 (Likelihood ratio) and 0.1245 (F-statistic) are both higher than ÃŽ ±=0.05, we cannot reject the null hypothesis of correct specification. Notice, as well, that the coefficient of the squared fitted term is not significant (t-stat = 1.555220). Ramsey RESET Test Equation: LAG1_V Specification: F C F(-1) GAP DELTA_Y INFLATION S(-1) Omitted Variables: Squares of fitted values Value df Probability t-statistic   1.555220   69   0.1245 F-statistic   2.418708 (1, 69)   0.1245 Likelihood ratio   2.618454   1   0.1056 Generalized method of moments (GMM) We will evaluate whether the asset price movement plays a role directly or indirectly through its effects on inflation and output growth. We can do this by using a GMM estimator, which is an instrumental variable approach. By applying the forward-looking extension for Taylor rule, the instrument list of gap (a Hodrick-Prescott detrended real GDP gap), delta_y (the growth rate of real GDP) and inflation (inflation rate) will be taken to perform GMM. Dependent Variable: F Method: Generalized Method of Moments Date: 02/13/11  Ã‚   Time: 14:11 Sample (adjusted): 1991Q1 2009Q1 Included observations: 73 after adjustments Linear estimation with 1 weight update Estimation weighting matrix: HAC (Bartlett kernel, Newey-West fixed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  bandwidth = 4.0000) Standard errors covariance computed using estimation weighting matrix Instrument specification: GAP(+1) GAP(+2) GAP(+3) DELTA_Y(+1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DELTA_Y(+2) DELTA_Y(+3) INFLATION(+1) INFLATION(+2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  INFLATION(+3) Constant added to instrument list Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. C 0.111616 0.401825 0.277772 0.7820 F(-1) 0.658808 0.294358 2.238116 0.0285 GAP 0.065476 0.072798 0.899426 0.3716 DELTA_Y 0.169216 0.215013 0.787001 0.4341 INFLATION 0.050838 0.045147 1.126059 0.2642 S(-1) 0.028287 0.029343 0.964010 0.3385 Interpreting results The relationship between inflation and real GDP with fed funds rate As OLS’ result, the growth rate of real GDP and inflation affects positively the dependent variable and it is statistically significant, while the gap is not. However, it might be spurious if the gap is removed because the heteroskedasticity testing shows that the OLS model (1) is no longer the most efficient estimator[1]. The relationship between FTSE100 and Bank of England interest rate As GMM’s result, it is important to pay attention to the coefficient associated to s(-1). As OLS’ result, it is positive and significant but this time it is not statistically significant in GMM’s result. This implies that the asset price movements affect the way in which the monetary policy is set only indirectly and not directly.   Consequently, asset price movements have impact on fed funds rates indirectly. Conclusion In conclusion, the results of this project show that the hypothesis that refer to whether the volatility of the stock price would affect the monetary policy, in some mood, is proved to be indirectly impact the policy making. These results might be caused by the limitation of this project. Compare to Cecchetti et al. (2000) who focused on using some estimation of primary elements in the policy rules, including the output gap and inflation expectations to produce the hypothesis. He supposed that these elements would have to depend on some estimation of the evolution of stock prices providing that the asset prices affect the economy’s path. However, we build up two models to by OLS and GMN to test the hypothesis. For GMM, we compare the data and observe that the co-efficient are insignificant. At this time, we switch to OLS model, surprisingly found that the co-efficient of GAP is insignificant. Moreover, it is still controversial to clear about the strength of the endogeneity test for GMM estimation because we do not have another test to compare with. This is the reason why the instrument list we choose is still controversial. However, the data we estimate is enough that is perfectly applies to the line with the theory of Taylor rule that is approximately well estimated, significant of R, Two of the most important contributors in this field are Bernanke and Gertler with their two seminal studies (1999 and 2001). On the basis of non-optimizing models of monetary policy, where coefficients of interest rates on GDP and inflation is selected specifically, Bernanke and Gertler generated the result that inflation-targeting policymakers should not take asset prices into account other than changes in expected inflation are foreshadowed. Adam Posen (2006), likewise, has argued that central banks need not target asset prices, but would be well advised to monitor them, when those bubbles get very far out of line. By studying the correlation between periods of monetary easing and property bubbles, he found the hypothesis that quantitative easing would result in asset volatility unsupported. Therefore, the results of t his project may reflect the nature. It is likely that the volatility of stock price would have effect on the monetary policy. In order to meet the needs of inflation targeting which is proved by the classical economy theory that slightly inflation could stimulate the real economy, the central bank authorities do evaluate these two factors when making monetary policy decision to maintain the asset price is neither too high nor too low so does the inflation rate. References Jeff Fuhrer and Geoff Tootell. â€Å"Eyes on the Prize: How Did the Fed Respond to the Stock Market†. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Discussion Papers, April 2004, No. 04-2. Bernanke, Ben and Gertler, Mark. â€Å"Money Policy and Asset Volatility†. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review, Fourth Quarter 1999, 84(4), pp. 17-52. Bernanke, Ben and Mark Gertler â€Å"Should Central Banks Respond to Movements in Asset Prices† American Economic Review, May 2001. Posen, Adam S. (2006) â€Å"Why Central Banks Should not Burst Bubbles†, Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC, working paper 01/06. Filardo, Andrew (2004) â€Å"Monetary Policy and Asset Price Bubbles: Calibrating the Monetary Policy Trade-Offs,† BIS working paper No.155, Basel. Roubini, Nouriel, (2006), â€Å"Why Central Banks Should Burst Bubbles†. International Finance 9, no.1 Cecchetti, Stephen ; Genberg, Hans; Lipsky, Jonhn and Wadhwani, Sushil. â€Å"Asset Prices and Central Bank Policy†. LondonInternationalCenter for Monetary and Banking Studies, 2000 Stephen J.Taylor. â€Å"Asset Price Dynamics, Volatility, and Prediction†. PrincetonUniversity Press 2005. Dimitrios Asteriou and Stephen G.Hall. â€Å"Applied Econometrics – A modern approach†, Palgrave Macmillan, revised edition 2006, 2007. H.Studentmund. â€Å"Using Econometrics: A practical Guide†. Pearson 2000, International Edition, 5th edition. Jeff Fuhrer and Geoff Tootell. â€Å"Eyes on the Prize: How Did the Fed Respond to the Stock Market†. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Discussion Papers, April 2004, No. 04-2. Bernanke, Ben and Gertler, Mark. â€Å"Money Policy and Asset Volatility†. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review, Fourth Quarter 1999, 84(4), pp. 17-52. Bernanke, Ben and Mark Gertler â€Å"Should Central Banks Respond to Movements in Asset Prices† American Economic Review, May 2001. Posen, Adam S. (2006) â€Å"Why Central Banks Should not Burst Bubbles†, Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC, working paper 01/06. Filardo, Andrew (2004) â€Å"Monetary Policy and Asset Price Bubbles: Calibrating the Monetary Policy Trade-Offs,† BIS working paper No.155, Basel Roubini, Nouriel, (2006), â€Å"Why Central Banks Should Burst Bubbles†. International Finance 9, no. Cecchetti, Stephen ; Genberg, Hans; Lipsky, Jonhn and Wadhwani, Sushil. â€Å"Asset Prices and Central Bank Policy†. LondonInternationalCenter for Monetary and Banking Studies, 2000 Stephen J.Taylor. â€Å"Asset Price Dynamics, Volatility, and Prediction†. PrincetonUniversity Press 2005 Dimitrios Asteriou and Stephen G.Hall. â€Å"Applied Econometrics – A modern approach†, Palgrave Macmillan, revised edition 2006, 2007. H.Studentmund. â€Å"Using Econometrics: A practical Guide†. Pearson 2000, International Edition, 5th edition.

Nguyen Meaning and Origin

Nguyen Meaning and Origin Nguyen is the most common surname in Vietnam and among the top 100 last names in the United States, Australia, and France. Meaning musical instrument and actually rooted in Chinese, Nguyen is an interesting name that youll encounter throughout the world. Alternate spellings include  Nyguyen, Ruan, Yuen, and Yuan. What Is the Origin of Nguyen? Nguyen stems from the Chinese word  ruan  (a string instrument that is plucked). In Vietnam, the family name Nguyen is connected to the royal dynasties. It is said that during the Tran Dynasty (1225–1400), many members of the Ly family of the prior dynasty changed their name to Nguyen to avoid persecution. The Nguyen family had a place of prominence as early as the 16th century, but they would rule during the last of the dynasties. The Nguyen Dynasty lasted from 1802 until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated. By some estimates, approximately 40 percent  of Vietnamese people have the surname Nguyen. It is, without a doubt,  the most common Vietnamese family name. Nguyen can be used as a first name as well as a surname. Also, keep in mind that in Vietnamese it is traditional for the surname to be used before an individuals given name. Nguyen Is Common Worldwide Nguyen is the seventh most common family name in Australia, the 54th most popular in France, and the 57th most popular surname in America. These statistics may be surprising until you recall the relationship each country has had with Vietnam. For instance, France had colonized Vietnam as early as 1887 and fought the First Indochina War from 1946 until 1950. Shortly after that, the U.S. entered the conflict and the Vietnam War (or Second Indochina War) began. These associations led many Vietnamese refugees to immigrate to both countries during and after the conflicts.  Australia saw an influx of refugees after the second of these wars when the country revised its immigration policy. Its estimated that nearly 60,000 Vietnamese refugees settled in Australia between 1975 and 1982. How Is Nguyen Pronounced? For native English speakers, pronouncing the name Nguyen can be a challenge. Since its such a popular name, though, learn how to say it as best as you can. The most common mistake is to pronounce the y. The best way to explain the pronunciation of Nguyen is as a single syllable: ngwin. Say it fast and dont emphasize the letters ng. It really helps to hear it out loud,  such as at  this YouTube video. Famous People Named Nguyen Damien Nguyen- U.S. actorScotty Nguyen- professional poker playerDat Nguyen- U.S.  football player Nguyen Sinh Cung- Ho Chi Minhs birth name

Research on Nursing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research on Nursing - Coursework Example This factor will have impacts on the health status of the individuals who reside in these rural communities as well as influence health care services and affect delivery of medical services. This paper will address the areas of family health care that play a vital role in promoting health and ensuring wellness in family self-care. Nurses are encouraged to take upon a more pro-active approach when they are working with families, whether in an urban or a rural setting. This will ensure quality health care promotion is the main focus in most families. Recent research shows that there are changes which are taking place in family health care as well as family life. Research further indicates that there is an upcoming international perspective in which individuals and the community at large feels the need for recognition of the common attributes about family life across the different cultures as well as promotion of family health issues in the nation. Nursing practice is aimed at ensuring managed care in rural and family health. Nurses continue to face challenges in delivery of medical services to individuals and families residing in the remote and rural communities. These challenges inhibit nurses from delivering quality nursing care to individuals in rural setting. Limited medical resources present challenges in rural communities. ... hem to take part in functions that require advanced practice and skills so that they can effectively fulfill the needs of individuals who reside in medically underserved regions. The distance between the patients and the medical providers, and the low population density contribute to the remoteness of the rural environments. There is a great diversity in terms of economic, social and cultural patterns between rural and urban communities. The diversity has been identified as the main issue that has brought about disparities in health care systems in different geographic locations. In most rural communities, nurses are expected to be the sole care givers since there are few or even no physicians available. The rural nurses, therefore, have to develop a variety of virtues that will guide them in the understanding and ability to provide adequate health care to rural patients and families. Nurses in rural communities have adapted resilience in addition to adaptability, resourcefulness and creativity. It is because of this that they are enabled to be expert generalists. Rural nurses have also developed a great attribute of knowing about the formal and informal resources available in the rural community in which they are based. They have identified how to use the resources effectively and sustainably for the sole benefit of the rural population. Nurses in the rural settings should still be able to know how they could care for patients with various diseases and health conditions. The nurses should be flexible as well as excellent team players so that they can handle difficult medical conditions with expertise and function more effectively in nursing roles that continue to expand. Nurses continue to face challenges in situations of delivering nursing services and health care to