Friday, October 18, 2019
Digitalized New Yorker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Digitalized New Yorker - Research Paper Example developed artistic taste and established new standards of magazine literature with its skillfully written stories, brilliant essays, intelligent humor, self-sufficient caricatures, reviews of uncommon books, performances, movies. Mr. Ross wanted to create the magazine of a subtle humor. Having taken in partners the businessman Raul Fleyshmann Ross founded F-R Publishing Company, and remained the editor of the magazine till the death in 1951. Though the magazine did not lose sense of humor, it soon won reputation in the serious journalistic environment with its cartoons and unexpected reviews of uncommon books, performances, and movies. Speaking about New York`s cultural life The New Yorker was meant to become a visit card of Big Apple, however, it is highly demanded throughout America generally (The New Yorker history 2). The New Yorker has published the stories of many popular writers, and some stories from the magazine were transformed into the film scenarios. Among The New Yorker`s writers there were Vladimir Nabokov, Roland Dahl, Haruki Murakami, J.D. Salinger, John Updake. Such films as Adaptaion by Charlie Cauffman or The hours by Michael Cunnigham have appeared after the stories were adapted to the screen (The New Yorker history 2). The edition uses specific spelling with application of diaresis marks over repeating vowels in words where they are said separately is allocated, without forming a digraph as in the word ââ¬Å" reelectedâ⬠. The New Yorker along with Technology Review published by MIT, are one of the few editions keeping this practice. Besides, record of numbers by a copy-book, including rather long ("for the-seven thousand" instead of "47000") is accepted. The New Yorker, as a rule, does not use italics tracing for record of names of books, movies, and other works. Instead they are quoted. Though italics are used at the mention of other printing editions, it is used only for the name of the edition while the name of the city is typed by a usual
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Economics and the Governement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Economics and the Governement - Essay Example The government has therefore developed a very extensive and comprehensive plan which seeks to achieve a clean energy future. In a way, the Bill is very clear and concise both from an environmental and economic perspective. The development of this bill was basically a response to the growing concern over climate change especially by international bodies. It is nevertheless realized that Australia is responsible for only 1.5% of the total Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world. However, on scientific grounds, this is not a justification for a slow approach in addressing climate change. In any case, the effects of global warming will be realized by all countries irrespective of their contributions to the whole problem. As such, governments across the world have been enacting such legislation to ensure a reduction in GHG emissions. Australia is one of the largest CHG per capita emitters which create an even greater need for the country to enact and implement a number of domestic leg islation geared towards mitigating emissions (Lockie, 2012). Carbon Price The bill established a fixed carbon price of $23 per ton which falls squarely on some of the largest GHG emitters from 2012 to 2015 after which the price of carbon will basically be flexible through a trading scheme with the market forces being the biggest price determinants. As a result of the increase in the price of carbon, there is a subsequent increase in the prices of carbon-intensive goods and services. Due to these increases, many producers and consumers will be compelled to seek for cheaper alternatives to the carbon-based products. Indeed, according to basic economic theory, there must be a great reduction in the consumption of carbon based products as long as substitutes are available. In a way, this scheme is very successful since the government sets a limit to the annual GHG emission which can always be achieved (Considine, 2012). Indeed, the Carbon Price Mechanism (CPM) is important in a number o f ways. Under the initial flexible price model, there is price certainty since most of the affected parties can accurately predict how much the carbon emissions will cost them for the three years period under operation. In the same way, all the parties down the supply chain of carbon consumption also have a three year period to determine the cost of their emissions. While the initial period focuses on price certainty, the second stage is basically geared towards addressing emission certainty. As such, from 1st July 2015, the government will actually regulate the number of permits given each year so as to cap the countryââ¬â¢s net emission. More importantly, considering the few number of permits which shall be granted, they will be auctioned in the market and their prices will therefore be determined by the market forces. With a reduction in the number of permits, companies will definitely a have motivation to trade the excess permits for profits. Under the CPM, a liable entity is one who has an operational control of the facility which is emitting the gasses (Simon, 2011). It is presently estimated that much of the net national emissions results from electricity generation which accounts for 37 percent while industrial fuel consumption accounts for 17 percent. Agricultural and transport have a cumulative
Sociological and Culturalist Accounts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Sociological and Culturalist Accounts - Essay Example Furthermore, the model shapes our culture. It gives us the necessary resources, cryptogram and tradition through which the society compose a universal culture, and that which enables us to fit in the very culture. The question of who possesses media power and the powerless, or even those that can implement might and brutality, and those who cannot is a clear display of the media and its associated culture. The centrality and influence of mass media in modern culture cannot be overlooked. This is a true demonstration of how a number of media sources mainstream information and messages to the society through such forms as internet, newspapers, articles, and Radio. Such information despite positive impact to the society creates an illusion of things not beneficial to the very culture. Mostly, media power proves to be symbolic and persuasive. The media primarily have the greater potential in controlling extensively the mind of readers or viewers but not their actions in a direct way. In such cases of physical, coercive force however, the control of action, that is often the ultimate aim of the exercise of power, is mostly indirect. Whereas the control of intentions plans, knowledge, beliefs, or opinions in mental representations that monitor overt activities is presupposed. Despite the pervasive symbolic power of the media, the audience will generally retain a minimum of autonomy and independence, and engage more or less actively instead of purely passively, in the use of the means of mass.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Economics and the Governement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Economics and the Governement - Essay Example The government has therefore developed a very extensive and comprehensive plan which seeks to achieve a clean energy future. In a way, the Bill is very clear and concise both from an environmental and economic perspective. The development of this bill was basically a response to the growing concern over climate change especially by international bodies. It is nevertheless realized that Australia is responsible for only 1.5% of the total Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world. However, on scientific grounds, this is not a justification for a slow approach in addressing climate change. In any case, the effects of global warming will be realized by all countries irrespective of their contributions to the whole problem. As such, governments across the world have been enacting such legislation to ensure a reduction in GHG emissions. Australia is one of the largest CHG per capita emitters which create an even greater need for the country to enact and implement a number of domestic leg islation geared towards mitigating emissions (Lockie, 2012). Carbon Price The bill established a fixed carbon price of $23 per ton which falls squarely on some of the largest GHG emitters from 2012 to 2015 after which the price of carbon will basically be flexible through a trading scheme with the market forces being the biggest price determinants. As a result of the increase in the price of carbon, there is a subsequent increase in the prices of carbon-intensive goods and services. Due to these increases, many producers and consumers will be compelled to seek for cheaper alternatives to the carbon-based products. Indeed, according to basic economic theory, there must be a great reduction in the consumption of carbon based products as long as substitutes are available. In a way, this scheme is very successful since the government sets a limit to the annual GHG emission which can always be achieved (Considine, 2012). Indeed, the Carbon Price Mechanism (CPM) is important in a number o f ways. Under the initial flexible price model, there is price certainty since most of the affected parties can accurately predict how much the carbon emissions will cost them for the three years period under operation. In the same way, all the parties down the supply chain of carbon consumption also have a three year period to determine the cost of their emissions. While the initial period focuses on price certainty, the second stage is basically geared towards addressing emission certainty. As such, from 1st July 2015, the government will actually regulate the number of permits given each year so as to cap the countryââ¬â¢s net emission. More importantly, considering the few number of permits which shall be granted, they will be auctioned in the market and their prices will therefore be determined by the market forces. With a reduction in the number of permits, companies will definitely a have motivation to trade the excess permits for profits. Under the CPM, a liable entity is one who has an operational control of the facility which is emitting the gasses (Simon, 2011). It is presently estimated that much of the net national emissions results from electricity generation which accounts for 37 percent while industrial fuel consumption accounts for 17 percent. Agricultural and transport have a cumulative
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Women in mathematics,Science,and Engineering Essay - 1
Women in mathematics,Science,and Engineering - Essay Example However, women are highly underrepresented in science and technology studies at the secondary and tertiary levels of education, and in the overall technical workforce. This is despite evidence that suggests further involvement of women in technology related fields would greatly improve innovations and economic development in most countries (OECD, 11). Young girls are currently less involved in technical subjects as early as in their high school level; only a third of students in OECD countries taking biology, advanced chemistry, and physics related subjects are girls. In the United States, only 15% of girls are enrolled in advanced computer science studies, despite the growing computer literacy among all young people. Therefore, there is need to critically address the low enrollment of women in science and technology based fields to bridge the large gap between male and female expatriates in science and technical fields. Currently, women in US and other OECD countries are increasingl y enrolling in male dominated engineering and mathematics fields; there has been a remarkable impact on the number of women enrolling for engineering and math intensive courses.... There is a serious under representation of women in engineering enrollment in the western world. In the US, there are evident and remarkable differences in the numbers of females enrolled in various engineering disciplines. These trends are indicative of specific university features, or some courses appearing attractive to females, resulting in higher numbers of female students in some science and technical courses compared to others (Gill etal, 392). For example, in Australia, though engineering is regarded as one of the highly paid professions, requires high tertiary scores before admission to university, and has the highest level of employment from the graduate level, females in Australia make below 14% of the total first year enrollments in engineering; this is despite the given incentives, high professional status of engineers, and high pay offered in engineering (Grill et al, 392). Moreover, in Australia, women have been leaving the engineering profession at a much higher rate compared to men, which suggests that women underrepresentation in engineering will continue to worsen. This is complicated by the fact that high performing females who overcome the barriers to score highly in math and science subjects, and would be expected to take engineering as the best course, prefer other courses such as Law and medicine, with female students making more than 50% of first year enrollments in these studies across Australia (Grill et al, 392). The trend where high performing female students in Australia prefer law and medicine to engineering hints on the social implications of being an engineer. Law and medicine are associated with
Belonging Speech Essay Example for Free
Belonging Speech Essay To me belonging is a sense of enlightenment felt when an individual gains an understanding of themselves in relation to others and the wider world. To actually feel as if we belong, we must first accept ourselves and be accepted by others. A real sense of belonging can be determined by self-acceptance and acceptance by a group. However, when difficult situations are experienced, an individual may gain a sense of belonging through self-acceptance alone. This is clearly represented in the novel, ââ¬ËThe Passageââ¬â¢, written by Justin Cronin, the poem, ââ¬ËSt. Patricks Collegeââ¬â¢, composed by Peter Skrzynecki and the film, ââ¬ËThe Perks Of Being A Wallflowerââ¬â¢ directed by Stephen Chbosky. These three texts clearly reflect how one would belong through self-acceptance. ââ¬ËThe Passageââ¬â¢ is a post-apocalyptic thriller about an ancient vampiric disease that destroys society and leaves only a handful of people alive including Amy, the protagonist, who incidentally holds the key to the survival of the human race. The main protagonist, Amy, with specific reference to chapter 23, is travelling the apocalyptic landscape of America where she gains a certain self-acceptance due to the difficult situation that she is dealing with. The difficult situation being that Amy is scientifically immortal and has kept to living on her own and ultimately, surviving on her own. Cronin reveals ââ¬Å"It was summer again and she was alone. Alone with no one but the voices she heard, everywhere and all around. â⬠To us, it reveals how alone Amy really is and ultimately how she has come to accept herself for what she is. This revelation of Amyââ¬â¢s has come from the situation she has had to deal with and in a way, grown up with. The situation being that the world has ended, she is immortal and she has no one to belong with. Due to the difficult situation that Amy is in she has had to draw her own sense of belonging from herself as opposed to feeling as if she belongs with other people. For Skrzynecki in ââ¬ËSt. Patricks Collegeââ¬â¢ he has had to accept himself, like Amy, though a difficult situation is faced he has still been able to feel a sense of belonging with himself. Skrzynecki feels ââ¬Å"Like a foreign tourist,â⬠whenever he attends St. Patricks College or whenever he is among others who attend St. Patricks College. This highlights the feelings of Skrzynecki and how he as an individual feels as though he does not belong with them. Skrzynecki even reveals that he is ââ¬Å"Uncertain ofâ⬠his ââ¬Å"destinationâ⬠. This yet again implies how much Skrzynecki does not belong at St. Patricks College or in that case with any other student who attends St. Patricks College. Obviously, this situation has forced Skrzynecki to adapt to his surroundings of the College and learn to accept himself to feel the sense of belonging that isnââ¬â¢t really expressed within the text. The Perks Of Being A Wallflowerââ¬â¢ is a film set in the early 1990ââ¬â¢s and addresses the problems that Charlie, the main character, faces while attending high school after his best friend from middle school had committed suicide only months before hand. For anybody, being a semi-depressed teenager is a difficult situation to be in; Char lie faces this during the entire film all the way up to the very last moments. At the beginning of the film while we hear Charlieââ¬â¢s voice over of him writing his first letter to his ââ¬Å"friendâ⬠he talks of alienation from his ex-middle school friends such as Susan. Charlie writes ââ¬Å"I thought maybe my old friend Susan would want to have lunch with meâ⬠but because of Charlieââ¬â¢s extremely difficult situation that he is dealing with Susan ââ¬Å"doesnââ¬â¢t like to say hiâ⬠to Charlie anymore. The use of voice over in this scene creates a connection between the audience and Charlie and provides sufficient evidence of how alienated Charlie is among his peers. Charlie even admits ââ¬Å"If my English teacher is the only friend I make today, that would be sort of depressing. â⬠This emphasises how alienated Charlie is and how much he doesnââ¬â¢t fit in. Due to this being a difficult circumstance for Charlie he has learnt to belong with himself even though he feels he does not belong with anyone else. In ââ¬ËThe Passageââ¬â¢, Amy faces her situation head on which in Chapter 23 reveals that, in a way, Amy has been forced to see belonging as an unimportant aspect of her life. This has pushed Amy to accept herself and disregard the need for others. We learn this when Amy is thinking to herself when she thinks ââ¬Å"Are we the all? For I have seen no one, no man or woman, in all the years and years. Is there no I but I? During this moment Amy is feeling a negative connection with the Virals, the vampires, she concludes her thoughts where Cronin writes ââ¬Å"Go now, she thought, and closed her eyes; and when she opened them again she found she was alone. â⬠Cronin pieces together Chapter 23 with finesse and understanding of Amy. He was able to show us two things: the first is that Amy did not want to belong with anyone as she feared for their safety and the second was that even though we must be accepted by others to belong, we are able to belong if we are to accept ourselves if we are involved with a difficult situation. For Skrzynecki in ââ¬ËSt. Patricks Collegeââ¬â¢ he also finds belonging an unimportant aspect of his life while he attends the College. This might not be as bad as Amyââ¬â¢s situation but to Skrzynecki it is still daunting. Skrzynecki ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ stuck pine needles Into the motto On my breast. â⬠This shows the lack of caring for the motto and in turn the College. As Skrzynecki doesnââ¬â¢t really care for the College belonging obviously does not matter as much as Charlie from ââ¬ËThe Perks Of Being A Wallflowerââ¬â¢ wants to belong. For Skrzynecki saying, ââ¬Å"The Lordââ¬â¢s Prayer In Latin, all in one breathâ⬠was a feat clearly showing his disregard for the significance of The Lordââ¬â¢s Prayer. The Lordââ¬â¢s Prayer is clearly connected to the College for religious reasons and because Skrzynecki misses the significance of the prayer it proves that Skrzynecki didnââ¬â¢t want to necessarily belong. Due to Skrzynecki being alone and feeling excluded from the college he has had to rely on his own self-acceptance to feel his own sense of belonging. ââ¬ËThe Perks Of Being A Wallflowerââ¬â¢ is a film where the main theme is belonging. Charlie reflects just that and begins to accept the fact that he is a ââ¬Å"wallflowerâ⬠and feels a sense of belonging with himself. Aside from this, Charlie wants to feel included, he wants to belong and eventually he feels that with Sam and Patrick. At Charlieââ¬â¢s first party Patrick makes a toast to Charlie of which Charlie questions with ââ¬Å"what did I do? â⬠where Patrick responds ââ¬Å"you didnââ¬â¢t do anything, we just wanted to toast our new friendâ⬠this conveys a sense of belonging among the audience as well as Charlie and the other characters. This is different from Amy in ââ¬ËThe Passageââ¬â¢ and Skrzynecki in ââ¬ËSt. Patricks Collegeââ¬â¢ because they do not want to belong or donââ¬â¢t feel the need to whereas Charlie wants to belong and wants to fit in. Accompanying this is the use of camera angles. When the camera is facing Charlie it is in a high angle position showing Charlies vulnerability and when it points at Patrick itââ¬â¢s a low angle position demonstrating the importance of Patrick. This is a clear representation of how one would feel a sense of belonging when they are accepted by others as well as how one would feel a sense of belonging when they accept themselves. To feel as if you belong, you must accept yourself and be accepted by others but when dealing with difficult situations you can rely on self-acceptance to feel as if you belong. This is without a doubt clearly represented in ââ¬ËThe Passageââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËSt. Patricks Collegeââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËThe Perks Of Being A Wallflowerââ¬â¢. These three very similar texts all show how a sense of belonging can be determined by self-acceptance and acceptance by a group. However, when difficult situations are experienced, an individual may gain a sense of belonging through self-acceptance alone.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development: OECD
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development: OECD GROUP MEMBERS ARIEL MAHABIRSINGH RACHEL CADOGAN BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF THE OECD (OECD 2010) Background The OECD is the replacement organization to the Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) whose specific purposes was to help the reconstruction of Europe after World War Two. The OECD development was not always smooth one as it has been perceived as ââ¬Å"rich manââ¬â¢s clubâ⬠its members account for approximately three-fifths of the worldââ¬â¢s GNI and has faced many calls for its dismantlement (Woodward, Richard 2009). Over the past 50 years, the OECD has become a valuable source of ââ¬Å"policy analysis and internationallycomparable statistical, economic and social data.â⬠(USOECD 2014) MEMBER NATIONS Image showing member nations of the OECD (OECD 2014) MISSION The OECD mission is ââ¬Å"to promote policies that will improve sustainable economic growth and development, maximize employment social well-being of people around the world.â⬠(Woodward, 2009) ORGANISATIONL STRUCTURE The OECD functions as three tier structure. This is comprised of a Council, a Secretariat and Committees. The Council, which is at the top, consists of ambassadors from the various member states that are in charge of establishing goals and policy issues. The Council holds the power of decision making as they handle the oversight and strategic direction of the organisation. The Secretariat is made up of the Secretary General, the deputy Secretaries General and directorates. These include economists, scientists and lawyers and several administrative staff, who are responsible for research, data collection and analysis. The Secretary General chairs the Council and thereby manages the work of the Secretariat. The Committees comprise of representatives from various member countries that come together to form groups such as education, environment, trade and investment. Table 1 showing: the organizational structure of the OECD (OECD 2014) ROLE AND FUNCTION The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has many key roles. These roles include: The major functions of the OECD are: To provide a platform in which governments of member nations can use to find solutions to common problems organize policies and share good practices To set global standards and principles by monitoring economic trends. and development policies To offers the know-how and ideas to over 1000 non-member countries for their development. (Economy Watch 2010) HOW THE OECD DOES IT? The OECD used the wide range of information gathered on various topics to help governments promote ââ¬Å"prosperity and fight poverty through economic growth and financial stability. They also ensure the environmental implications of economic and social development are taken into account. OECDs work is based on continued monitoring of events in member countries as well as outside OECD area, and includes regular projections of short and medium-term economic developments.The OECD Secretariat collects and analyses data, after which committees discuss policy regarding this information, the Council makes decisions, and then governments implement recommendations. â⬠(OECD 2014) Table 2 showing: The way the OECD works (OECD 2014) Types of Publications The OECD publications fall into three cqtegories Key Publication, which include Factbooks. At a Glance books, Insights, Outlooks, Economic Surveys, OECD Observer, Better Policies Series, OECD Insights and Blogs. They also produce several other types which include statistics, journals,magazines and papers (OECD 2014) A couple examples are as followed BOOKS: Africn Economic Outlook 2014 Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific 2012 Agricultural Policy Monitering and Evaluation 2014 JOURNALS: Financiaal Market Trends Competition Law Policy STATISTICS: OECD Health Statistics OECD Productivity Statistics OECD Science, Technology and RD Statistics Papers; Education Indicators in Focus Trade Policy Papers (OECD ILIBRARY2014) Development Projects of the OECD 1. OVERCOMING SCHOOL FAILURE: POLICIES THAT WORK ââ¬Å"This project is based on the idea that the OECD can provide effective support to countries on how to progress toward fair and inclusive education systems,â⬠It offers data on the policies that are successful in reducing school failure, and supports countries in promoting reform. This project directly reflects one of the roles OECDââ¬âproviding the platform where governments can work together to solutions to common problems and share good practices. This project is both comparative and selective. It offers the breakdown of challenges faced by countries as well as an overview of the different policies implemented across OECD countries that aims at equity in education policies. Countries that are interested can have a targeted national assessment seminar during which the precise situation of the country will be examined. (OECD 2010) The overall aim of this project is to provide assistance and support to countries trying to improving their education policy and practices, in order to achieve reduction in failure and dropout rates. It updates and fine-tunes policies giving ââ¬Å"tailor-made advice on how to design and model their policies, as well as on how to overcome barriers to implementationâ⬠. (OECD 2010) Table 3 showing: The structure of the OECD Project Overcoming School Failure: Policies That Work (OECD 2010) 2. PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT (PISA) (Locally) What is PISA? PISA is the OCEDââ¬â¢s answer to the global call for countries to have a way of comparing the effect of their investments in schooling on the studentsââ¬â¢ knowledge and skills. (Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. 2011) This is an international assessment that examines educational performances on a common measure that is, reading science across countries, OCED member nations, partner nations and other non-members. (OECD 2014)It addresses the questions of if students are ready for real life future challenges? Are they able to analyze and communicate effectively? Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela have all participated in this project. (OECD 201) Why PISA? With PISA and other data provided by the OECD together with policy analysis, helps to build more effective and unbiased educational system with improved outcomes. As PISA addresses the future questions, the data gathered by this research helps to shape policy plans by identifying possible future issues. (OECD 2014) PISA represents a pledge by nations to supervise the outcomes of education systems through measuring student achievement on a regular basis and within an internationally agreed common framework. It aims to present a new foundation for policy dialogue and for partnership in defining and executing educational goals, in inventive ways that reflect judgments about the skills that are relevant to adult life. (OECD, 2009, p.9) PISA is one of the OECD major policy tools; this programme has pioneered new and highly collaborative ways in which to measure progress in societies on a global scale. There are many lessons that can be learnt from PISA on how to evaluate learning, the pace of achieving learning goal. Some countries have used their PISA results for a policy discussion indicates the likely pace of progress towards achieving a learning goal. 3. THE BETTER LIFE INITIATIVE (Globally) This project is a combination of various OCED works that makes an effort for move beyond GDP as a measure the well being of society, the OCED has pioneered a field of research that focuses on the aspects of life that matter to people and shapes their quality of life. They have identified 11 dimensions as being essential in terms of ââ¬Ëmaterial living conditionsâ⬠which are income, housing and jobs and ââ¬Å"quality of life ââ¬Å"education, community, local environment, governance, health, subjective life satisfaction work/life balance and personal safety.(OECD 2011) This initiative is measured by the better life index Table 4 showing: The features of measuring well being [1] (OECD 2011) ââ¬Å"The Better Life Indexes an interactive tool that allows you to see how countries perform according to the importance you give to each of 11 topics that make for a better life. From a statistical point of view, the Index relies on best practices for building composite indicators. The Index is robust to various methodological assumptions.â⬠4. LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN-OECD INVESTMENT INITIATIVE (Regionally) This Initiative aims to increase the input of private investment to economic and social development. It help improves government policies at three levels: (OECD 2010) Table 5 showing: How the initiative improves government policies Success and Failure of Initiatives SUCCESS: The Better Life Initiative has been by itself a success, considering that it is a newly introduced program. Out of this came the ââ¬Å"Better Life Indexâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Howââ¬â¢s Lifeâ⬠. The Better Life Index which was launched in 2011 is an interactive tool that allows one to assess the performance of countries based on eleven key elements that are important in the development and well being of OECD countries. It has been created in order to involve and engage citizens as they too play a role in the decision making of policies that lead the way to their social well being. The eleven dimensions include: Housing, Income, Jobs, Community, Education, Environment, Governance, Health, Life Satisfaction, Safety and Work Life Balance. . Each flower represents one country . Each petal represents one of the eleven dimensions . The length of the petal represents the countryââ¬â¢s score in a topic and the width represents the importance of the topic (OECD 2011) Table 6 showing: How the better life index works (OECD 2012) FAILURE: PISA Program for International Student Assessment is an international evaluation that measures fifteen year old studentsââ¬â¢ performance in areas such as reading, mathematics and science literacy. It was first administered in 2000 and this is when Finlandââ¬â¢s education system became involved. Finland has been the world leader in education however; recent assessments have shown that they are no longer at the top as results have declined since the mid 2000ââ¬â¢s. PISA has driven the improvement in the beginning, however recent trends have changed. The involvement of PISA has therefore become a question in the education system. Some argue that it has encouraged the altering of teaching styles, curricula and grading schemes to make students well adapted to the program. It is established that while PISA has developed the Finnish education system in the early 2000ââ¬â¢s it has also done some harm and produced minor downfalls. It has been proven to be an expensive way of handling the students who are ââ¬Å"left behindâ⬠. These students sometimes become school drop outs or prolong their period of stay in order to successfully complete school. This therefore incurs additional costs on the governments. A second major issue is the gender differences in various areas of study. An example of this is in mathematics where girls are less motivated to learn and perform. This also ties in with the fact that girls are underrepresented in certain career fields such as engineering and computer science. This then widens the gap in education and so places more emphasis on one side, rather than an equal and fair system.(Strauss, 2013) Table 7 showing: PISA results Perception and Responses to the Institution PUBLIC PERCEPTON Positive Perception The OECD is seen as an organization with a bright future because it is forward thinking, one of the best in analysis and policy advice. It is seen as an essential international organization that provides a place for interstate consensus and cooperation bringing nations with similar challenges of globalization and sustainable development together. (Julin 2003) The OECD is perceived as being useful with their data since in some instances has improved policies and strategies when used to implement internal measures, (Asia Society. 2014) Negative Perception Mr. Paul Krugman is of the view that the OECD in the wake of soaring unemployment rates and low inflation ââ¬Å"have consistently called for policies that would depress advanced economies even more.â⬠He believes the OECD often makes recommendations without a rigid application of conventional economic models. (Krugman 2013) Some believe other institutions such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum have become competitors the OECD and are actually outperforming them in issues that were once considered OECD turf. They believed that the OECD is outperformed due to the way in which they operate -extremely slow- making the organization seem powerless to pushing burning problems to the top of their agenda. Because of this, there is the perception that the OECD is not a key player in dealing with the issues of globalization and sustainable development. (Julin 2003) CIVIL SOCIETY AND NGOââ¬â¢S PERCEPTION The OECD has been engaging with civil society since its inception. For many years the civil societies, especially those whose focus is on business and labour sectors through the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) has had a positive response to the OECD since the OECD has increasingly engaged in formal dialogues with them. (Global Policy Forum 2003) On the other hand, some civil organizations a NGOââ¬â¢S view the OECD as ââ¬Å"a servant of developed country interests, sometimes even as an adversary, rather than a partner, in globalization and sustainable developmentâ⬠Civil societies especially criticize the OECD for their lack of openness to membership to nations other than European and a few rich non-European nations (Julin 2003) especially since the dialogue with these other interests are usually informal.. References Asia Society. 2014. ââ¬Å"What is PISA and Why Does it Matter?â⬠Accessed September 22, 2014. http://asiasociety.org/education/learning-world/what-pisa-and-why-does-it-matter Economy Watch. 2010. ââ¬Å"Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.â⬠Accessed September 15, 2014. http://www.economywatch.com/international-organizations/organization-of-economic-cooperation-and-development.html Friends of the Chair group on broader measures of progress. 2014. Some national, regional and international efforts and practices in the measurement of sustainable development and human well-being.â⬠Friends of the Chair group on broader measures of progress. Global Policy Forum 2003. ââ¬Å"NGOs and the OECDâ⬠. Accessed September 22, 2014 https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/177/31572.html, Julin, Jorma. 2003. ââ¬Å"The OECD: Securing the futureâ⬠OECD Observer, December. Accessed September 22, 2014 http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/archivestory.php/aid/1197/The_OECD:_Securing_the_future.html Krugman, Paul. 2013. ââ¬Å"Uncertain at the OECD.â⬠The New York Times. September 12, Accessed September 22, 2014 http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/uncertain-at-the-oecd/?_php=true_type=blogs_r=0 OECD 2010, ââ¬Å"Active with Latin America and Caribbeanâ⬠. Accessed September 28, 2014. http://www.oecd.org/globalrelations/Latin_America_2013_GB.pdf OECD 2010, â⬠Latin America and Caribbean: Conference on investment for jobs and development, Santiago, Chile, 27-28 September 2010â⬠Accessed September 28, 2014 http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investment-policy/latinamericaandcaribbeanconferenceoninvestmentforjobsanddevelopmentsantiagochile27-28september2010.htm OECD 2011. Howââ¬â¢s Life? Measuring well-being, OECD Publishing Accessed September 18, 2014http://dx.doi.org.10.1787/9789264121164-en OECD 2011. ââ¬Å"Latin America and Caribbean: Conference on investing in infrastructure for jobs and developmentâ⬠Accessed September 28, http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investment-policy/latinamericaandcaribbeanconferenceoninvestingininfrastructureforjobsanddevelopment.htm OECD. 2011. ââ¬Å"OECD Launches Your Better Life Index.â⬠Accessed September 20, 2014. http://www.oecd.org/general/oecdlaunchesyourbetterlifeindex.htm OECD 2012. ââ¬Å"Latin America and Caribbean: Conference on international value chainsâ⬠Accessed September 28, 2014. http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investment-policy/conferenceonglobalvalue-chainsandcompetitiveness.htm OECD. 2014. ââ¬Å"About PISAâ⬠Accessed September 19, 2014. http://www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/pisafaq.htm OECD. 2014. ââ¬Å"History.â⬠Accessed September 15, 2014 http://www.oecd.org/about/history/. OECD. 2014. ââ¬Å"Members and Partnersâ⬠. Accessed September 18, 2014 http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/ OECD. 2014.â⬠Latin America and Caribbean: Conference on infrastructure investmentâ⬠Accessed September 28,, 2014. http://www.oecd.org/countries/peru/lac-2014-infrastructure-conference.htm OECD. ââ¬Å"OECDiLibrary.â⬠Accessed September 17, 2014. http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/books;jsessionid=2pk5e0rnb7ls8.x-oecd-live-02 OECD. 2014. ââ¬Å"Who Does What?â⬠Accessed September 20 2014http://www.oecd.org/about/whodoeswhat/ OECD. 2014. ââ¬Å"OECD Publishingâ⬠http://www.oecd.org/about/publishing/ OECD ILIBRARY. 2014 Accessed September 20, 2014. http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/# Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment. 2011. ââ¬Å"POLICY EFFECTS OF PISAâ⬠Accessed September 18 2014 http://oucea.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Policy-Effects-of-PISA-OUCEA.pdf OECD/AfDB/UNDP(2014),African Economic Outlook 2014: Global Value Chains and Africas Industrialisation, OECD Publishing. Accessed September 21, 2014. http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/african-economic-outlook_19991029 Strauss, Valerie. 2013. ââ¬Å"Are Finlandââ¬â¢s vaunted schools slipping?â⬠The Washington Post , December 3. Accessed September 8, 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/03/are-finlands-vaunted-schools-slipping/# United States OECD. 2014. ââ¬Å"What is the OECD?â⬠Accessed September 22, 2014. http://usoecd.usmission.gov/mission/overview.html Woodward, Richard. 2009. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Institutions, Taylor Francis. Accessed September 15, 201 4 http://books.google.tt/books?id=F61_AgAAQBAJpg=PR1lpg=PR1dq=why+is+the+oecd+dismissed+as+a+rich+mans+clubsource=blots=DTD0vhbGIHsig=3s8GpUJXJRm4icRfN8rmkprI5qAhl=ensa=Xei=g8ciVNqSK8eQgwTn7YHQAQredir_esc=y#v=twopageqf=false [1]
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