Martin Heidegger Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Martin Heidegger - Article Example He practiced phenomenological analysis of human existence in an attempt to access being, with reference to the temporal and historical character. He also discussed the nihilism of modern technology, and its generated society and tried to correlate the thoughts and perspectives of the western philosophical tradition with the question of being. He employed methods of phenomenology to pursue metaphysical goals. The perspective of phenomenology was established by the German thinker Edmund Husserl. Phenomenology is the science of consciousness and the related objects. Husserl tried to analyze the human consciousness. He proposed that consciousness is an intentional act. "Intentional" means that it is directed towards an object. Heidegger tried to analyze the phenomenon of "being" in a different way from which Husserl tried to interpret it. Heidegger's philosophy has much in similar with the philosophy proposed by Edmund Husserl. Husserl's basic idea was that the mind is directed towards objects under aspects. One orients or directs ones emotions towards an object. Thereby directness becomes a unique feature of the mind. The suggestion was that the mind responds to what is before it in a direct and spontaneous manner. 'Heidegger himself who is supposed to have broken with Husserl bases his hermeneutics on an account of time that not only parallels Husserl's account in many ways but seems to have been arrived at through the same phenomenological method as was used by Husserl' (R Dostal 1993).The Cartesian tradition has been foundation for phenomenology. Husserl is of the opinion that one can reach the phenomenological attitude, based on the detailed analysis of the content of consciousness, from natural attitude, based on actual world and related affairs by the application of methodological procedure. Freedom from preju dice and achievement of purity is possible through phenomenological reduction. Heidegger believes that phenomenology is based on separate analysis of consciousness. The Cartesian tradition of depicting reality was something against which Heidegger reacted. Heidegger's equation of subjects and objects was quite different. He suggested that when a subject is totally engrossed in something his mind need not be focused on every action that is going on in the process. S/he can carry on two or three mental activities at the same time. 'Heidegger calls this kind of every day skillful coping 'primordial understanding' and the entities 'ready to hand' (B Magee 1987). But if there is a problem with the routine we will consciously think about it. This is what Heidegger defines as "unready to hand". When we are in the action of closing a door or washing clothes we will do this activity while letting our mind wander in other areas. But if the door becomes suddenly heavy or if a cloth gets torn we will start thinking about the action in which we are involved. So according to Heidegger there is a different equation between subjects and objects at different ti mes. Perception is not a direct, neutral activity. It is embedded in the situations which are an inevitable part of it. When we are in a contemplative mood we are able to perceive objects in a different manner. We see that object not in terms of its use but we see it in terms of its components. The structure of the object becomes apparent to us. This state can be termed 'present at hand'. We see the objects as separate from its function. The hammer we use

Components of Quantitative Approach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Components of Quantitative Approach - Assignment Example Findings from this research proved that there were many diverse understandings of differentiation, even for the educators who undertook professional growth in this area (Koeze, 2007). This finding confirmed that employing a mixed approach to data gathering and understanding the quantitative data through the interpretive orientation of symbolic interactionism was the suitable methodology for this research. Miller’s research, on the other hand, was meant to study the quantitative research literature concerning the effects or consequences multi-grade classroom organizations have on student cognitive, as well as affective outcomes. Miller’s study found out that being a learner in a multi-grade class neither does not unenthusiastically influence academic performance nor learner social attitudes and relationships (Miller, 1990). Finally, Maleyko’s research studies the impact of No Child Left behind Act on school achievement and accountability. According to the research er, States have the skill of statistically manipulating their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) implementation. This may give a fake impression to people that AYP is a reliable measure of a school’s success (Maleyko, 2011). The findings from this research proved that the exploitation of the NAEP evaluation is an efficient technique to examine the reliability of AYP among states. Evaluation of the Approach In Patricia’s study, quantitative data gathering was carried as a way or means to draw broad relationships from the information. Findings from the quantitative data collected guided the researcher on the way to organize the qualitative study (Koeze, 2007). From the wide relationships revealed through quantitative findings, qualitative methods were utilized in exploring these wide relationships further and hunt for explanations, which could only be revealed by classroom interviews and observations. Such methods of collecting data make the research extremely accurate, and the findings from the research could be used to enhance elementary education. Miller’s research, unlike Patricia’s, strictly maintained a quantitative approach to come up with the findings (Miller, 1990). The researcher provided a summary of quantitative studies, which were intended to determine the distinctions in student achievement between learners registered in multi-grade and single classrooms. According to the researcher’s findings, there is minute or no distinctions in the achievements of learners enrolled in multi-grade or single classrooms. However, it is risky to follow such findings as only depending on numbers to come up with your conclusion can be dangerous. Finally, Maleyko’s research, The Impact of No Child Left behind Act on School Achievement and Accountability, uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to come up with its findings. The literature review of the research recognizes the measurement worries with the execution of AYP, th e advantages of AYP, the unintentional upshots, along with the hardships involved with setting up school accountability and the efficient and unproductive provisions of the NCLB change (Maleyko, 2011). The findings could be considered valid since the research incorporated both numerical and empirical techniques to come up

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Research Paper Example Often, online reviews and responses are invaluable promotional resources for most companies. Streitfeld, 2013, addresses serious questions on the credibility of promotional strategies applied by companies based on online review rankings. The article addresses most pertinent issues to online marketing and promotions based on review ratings. First, it addresses challenges of an increase in online retail purchases prompted by increase in cases of industry of fibbers and promoters focused on buying and selling raves for a pittance. Streitfeld, 2013, maintains that there increasing instances of falsified online reviews to help companies promote their goods and services. High necessity for positive reviews by businesses and companies rendered the review system a struggle of superiority because no corporation accepts low ratings. The article highlights challenges of a high demand for positive reviews by businesses and companies as a struggle of supremacy in which every enterprise intends to ensure favorable competition. Streitfeld, 2013, uses an example of Sandra Parker, who served under contract by a company to fabricate Amazon reviews for $10 each. Parker’s role was to neutralize the effects of insincere reviews posted by customers for various companies to with favor and expand market dominance. According to Streitfeld, 2013, reviews lose meaning if illegitimate reviews get the same prevalence similar to those that are honest. The algorithm was successful because it was possible to distinguish honest reviews and fake reviews. According to the algorithm, false reviews are narratives addressing their experience at the firm using many superlatives without a vivid description of the facts. There is a high prevalence in the use of illegitimate and misleading reviews on company or business websites. Consequently, it is misleading for consumers and influences their product choice. Relevant regulations should be in place to regulate misleading reviews set

I will upload the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

I will upload the topic - Essay Example The first Patrick Farrell image does not distort the loss of lives in the wake of the earthquakes, instead, it ethically represent a human tragedy. There is a human tragedy in Haiti and the images work well in describing depth of the tragedy to the readers. The photographs gave the depth of the strategy and mobilized support for rebuilding Haiti. Perhaps there could be no other way of making the image more touchy and real. The images are both equally timely because they tend to depict the events following an earthquake in Haiti and the rescue operations taking place. Because Farrell did not face any threat while taking the photos, he did them in a timely manner. All the photographers went all out to publish graphic images and justified their actions by loading what they could bear at the catastrophic scene. It was necessary for Farrell to tell the world, in black and white, how horrible the situation in Haiti. Although some Haitians disagreed with the act of airing insensitive and dehumanizing images, the images successfully passed the message to the world that the earthquake was intense and has consumed lives of many. The disaster was immense and it required intervention from the international community who could only be successfully drawn by understanding the depth of the disaster. The photojournalists aim was to mobilize massive humanitarian action and was deemed an essential aspect of covering the disaster. The images worked well in ensuring that the photojournalists deliver what readers need to see by creating complete and accurate visual report. Farrell made his images real and passed an information that the damage was continuous and that the situation was cruel. It is worth noting that the more the Haiti’s horrific loss was shown in the media the rate of international aid increased. Since the disaster did not involve war casualties, it was necessary to emphasize on the graveness of the natural disaster. The culture that censors visuals

Logistic Trend in Asean Countries Essay Example for Free

Logistic Trend in Asean Countries Essay ASEAN logistic Trend and Preferences ASEAN logistic trend and preferences have been dramatically changing since the world’s economy and production growth have been shifting toward ASEAN countries. However, the high logistic costs among these countries are unable to promote high quality and wide range of logistic service to international customers. Still, these countries acquire to eliminate the high costs to provide customer satisfaction and being cost efficiency. The inefficiency of logistic in ASEAN countries, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, is mainly due to lack of skilled and professional personnel, insufficient support of facilities and infrastructure which can raise defect the movement of cargos and distribution goods. For example, in Singapore has professional skilled workforce, high quality and wide range of logistic services, highly efficient logistics operations and excellent infrastructure and information system had lead to more sustainable supply chains and cost effectiveness. Unlike Singapore, some of the Asian countries must build the requirements to meet supply chains efficiency. Especially Thailand wants to become a regional transport center; Thailand must improve its infrastructure linkages to connect with neighboring countries. On the other hand, these countries must be proactive to take advantage of its location because this is a golden opportunity. To provide cost saving and flexible value added services, these countries must take initiative changes and improvement to proof that they are capable of offering logistic efficiency. Meanwhile, these counties must increase the quality of its reliability of inventory management and order fulfillment . i. e they must keep up with the effective and efficient logistic service. To fulfill the customer’s order, the logistic service in these countries must know the right product, right quantity, right condition, right place, right time, and right customer at the right cost. Focusing on existing network coverage is also a key to success in logistic management for these countries because it is a very important criterion where company can attract international trade customers. It is most likely that transportation is the most outsourcing logistic activity at inbound and outbound supply chain. Other out bound logistic activities are warehousing which is value added service, packaging, and labeling. Transportation, warehousing, freight forwarding must be managed well in order to provide cost effectiveness and high quality logistic service which can achieve high customer satisfaction. Finding Supply Chain Solutions Technology can help individual to improve their supply chains, cost efficient, high productivity, and customer satisfaction. Technologies nowadays are so advanced that they can provide any possible solution for supply chains and productions. The latest software offers to promote demand planning, advanced planning and advanced scheduling. They can also minimize the wastage and maximize productivity level at lower long term operation costs with high quality. Nowadays, many of the manufacturer and enterprise use technology to increase their revenue. When comes to warehousing, technology can improve performance efficiency by calculating the right storage at the right space, minimizing defective or expired product, delay and maximizing efficiency. In considering the huge quantity and diverse categories of products, holding costs and production costs must be managed with the right method. Implying low cost and random selection of inefficient storage could cause delay delivery, cost of lost of sales, the transportation of goods, and high incidence of missing stock. To avoid these barriers, the most up to dated computer software is available to assist the logistic manager to track delivery, freight forwarding, order fulfillment and ultimately customer service. When the company decided to set up a plan, he must take into account of transportation cost. It must meet customer’s needs and cost effective, and order fulfillment at any situation. So it requites to consider locations of plants and market place, actual distance of linkages, frequency of delivery, number of routes, volume of goods, product categories, and on time delivery. Supplier Development When it comes to business, all managers must be proactive and innovative. They also need to build and keep loyal and close relationship with their supplier. On the other hands, in the market economy system, everyone is supplier in one way or another. So having single supplier is not smart choice to play the game in the free market. Having one or few suppliers can cause not only limited control but also threats to the business. Thus, the best ways to be proactive and cost effective is having multiple sources or supplier which provides lowers costs, and innovation. But need inspection to monitor the quality. In order to do so, the companies should be able to outsource its production. In outsourcing, it is most likely to reduce the fixed cost and other costs. So developing alternative sources for raw material, manufacturing, or transpiration is likely to account for value chain. A smart business man would construct the strategic sources of supplier to avoid risks. Then they are willing to keep closed relationship with major suppliers by partnership to share costing, investment, and long term agreements. It is true that building loyal supplier relationship is competitive advantage in logistic management. Targeting New Potential Market Muslims world is becoming next target for logistic services considering the estimated 1. 7 billion consumers across the world. Now, it is time for the manufacturer and logistic service provider to shine among the Muslims. The consumer needs and wants Halal that they can trust and rely on. Thus, the Halal compliance should be addressed to the sourcing and distribution because this is a potential opportunity for the logistic to accumulate as a new mega trend. As the opportunity and benefits seem to be huge, the investment is also a large one. To provide perfect logistic service, it is require understanding the market, culture, religion, way of consumption point and behavior in Muslims societies. The new standardization is compulsory in inters of supply chain which is material and information flows through manufacturing, transportation, storage, warehousing, distribution. So, the companies must select the targeted location of production and distribution, imply and conduct the new standards, control high quality and safety of food to gain huge potential growth of market.

Chinas Take Over Of Hong Kong History Essay

Chinas Take Over Of Hong Kong History Essay The peoples of Republic of china took over Hong Kong in 1997.China had promised to keep a capitalist economy in Hong Kong for 50 years. Still, many Hong Kong business people (and their families) have migrated to other nation such as Canada and Australia. Discuss the impact of this situation on Chinas Political and Social environment. Introduction Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and maintains a high degree of autonomy except in matters of defense and foreign affairs. It has well-established institutions that support the rule of law and a vigorous civil society. The Basic Law, the SARs constitution, was approved by the PRC in 1990. It provides for the protection of fundamental rights and calls for progress toward universal suffrage and further democratization after a 10-year period, starting with Hong Kongs July 1, 1997, reversion to Chinese sovereignty. The Chief Executive is chosen by an 800-person selection committee composed of individuals who are either directly elected, indirectly elected, or appointed. The Chief Executive supervises a cabinet of principal officers whom he appoints. The power of the Legislative Council (legislature) is significantly circumscribed by the Basic Law. The legislature is composed of 24 directly elected members representing geographic districts, 30 indirectly elected members representing functional (occupational) constituencies, and 6 members elected indirectly by an election committee. It was the economic and social forces unleashed in 1979 in Chinas open door policy and Hong Kongs response to them that may ultimately determine their fate. Given the disparity in the level of economic development and the differences in the economic system between Hong Kong and the mainland, there are obvious benefits to greater integration and this entails making the border more permeable. Managing the permeability of the border has to become an integral part of all economic and social policies within Hong Kong as the two matters will have implications for each other. The period prior to 1949 was one where there was perfect permeability and standards of living were similar between Hong Kong and the mainland. The period between 1949 and 1979 was one where there was essentially no or very limited permeability and standards of living were therefore permitted to diverge between the mainland and Hong Kong. In both periods the government was able to pursue a laissez faire system without any fundamental inconsistency. This is no longer the case with the opening of China. Summary China Take over in a Hong Kong in 1997, there was a carnival atmosphere. In another, a somber rally and March followed by a candlelight vigil. Its clear that one year before China takes control; the people of Hong Kong are divided in their feelings. A period of more than 150 years of British colonial rule ends at midnight on June 30, 1997 when Hong Kong and its 6,000,000 people will be handed over to China. Despite a warning that they will not be allowed to enter China, seven elected Hong Kong officials vowed to go ahead with a trip to Beijing. They will be carrying a 50,000 signature petition protesting Chinas plans to replace the legislature with an appointed body. We are afraid that our free lifestyles, the rule of law, will not be preserved after 1997, pro democracy legislator Emily Lau told the cheering, clapping crowd. Governor Chris Patten urged Hong Kong residents to standup for their freedoms. . Nominal GDP, Per Capita GDP and Foreign exchange rates were all on the increasing side. Due to high exports between 1994-1997 and imports their trade balance has been at a surplus causing their nominal GDP to increase through out the years. Nominal GDP million US$ 1994 130,808, in 1995 139,238 and in 1997 173,045. From 1994-1997 Hong Kongs foreign currency reserves increased exponentially from $49.3 billion in 1994 to $92.8 billion in 1997. The reason for this increase is primarily due to a very well managed trade balance. The interest rate environment in Hong Kong provided an excellent backdrop for the equity markets. MIGRATION IN HONGKONG The peoples of Republic of china took over Hong Kong in 1997 and promised to keep a capitalist economy in Hong Kong for 50 years. However, many Hong Kong people have migrated to other countries. From 1984 to 1997, due to the uncertainty of the transition back to China, thousands of well-educated and wealthy Hong Kong citizens moved to countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States, where they obtained permanent residency status or citizenship. 1 CAUSE OF MIGRATION .Difference in economy system in china and hong kong China is a communist country where socialist economy system holds while the people of hong kong followed capitalist economy . Fear in the stability of government People of Hong kong where worried regarding stability of government so they migrated to other nations. Competition in market Due to the implementation of capitalist economy in Hong kong many big and reputed companies headed towards hong kong and thus the competition of the market became tough. Thus it was very difficult for some business people to continue their business effectively. Corruption is a major problem:- Corruption in Chinese government was one of the major cause that people of hong kong was afraid of. They were not satisfied with the policy of Chinese government where corruption exists. Unsecure future The business people thought that their future was not secure as the government had implemented the law for only for 50 years and so it might happened that their next generation might have to struggle and face the socialist economy. The working class worried that 1997 might usher in chaos and the middle class fears the loss of property and freedom. Freedom of migration Hong Kong residents being free to move in and out of the territory, and they do not have to declare the purpose of their movements to the authorities. This freedom of movement, much valued by the local population, has been enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration about the future of Hong Kong beyond 1997.There was no rule of giving any reasons for the migration to any authority PEST Analysis: . 1. POLITICAL ANALYSIS Prior to July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was a British dependent territory. A British-appointed governor, representing the British crown, headed the Hong Kong government and exercised authority over civil and military matters. An Executive Council advised the governor on all important matters and a 60-member Legislative Council (known as Legco) enacted laws and oversaw the budget. With the territorys transfer to China in 1997, leadership passed from the last British governor, Chris Patten, to a Chinese chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa A The British control of Hong Kong began in 1842, when China was forced to cede Hong Kong Island to Britain after the First Opium War. In 1984 Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which stipulated that Hong Kong return to Chinese rule in 1997 as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China . China is in a state of transition now. Being a socialist country, it has carefully changed its political system in recent years, while dramatic changes have taken place in its economic system. In 1979, China started its open policy and economic reform. The Chinese government persisted on carrying out the political guideline of developing economy and enriching Chinese The Joint Declaration and a Chinese law called the Basic Law, which followed in 1990, provide for the SAR to operate with a high degree of economic autonomy for 50 years beyond 1997 B people. Legal System The governments efforts to promote rule of law are significant and ongoing. After the Cultural Revolution, Chinas leaders aimed to develop a legal system to restrain abuses of official authority and revolutionary excesses. In 1982, the National Peoples Congress adopted a new state constitution that emphasized the rule of law under which even party leaders are theoretically held accountable C. 2. ECONOMICAL ANALYSIS Hong Kongs prosperous economy is reflected in the lifestyle of its people. They have one of the highest standards of living in all of Asia, and it is more than 30 times higher than Chinas average standard of living. In 2006 Hong Kongs per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $27,679.20, although much of the wealth is concentrated into relatively few hands D. Foreign Investment Chinas investment climate has changed dramatically in a quarter-century of reform. In the early 1980s, China restricted foreign investments to export-oriented operations and required foreign investors to form joint-venture partnerships with Chinese firms. Foreign direct investment (FDI) grew quickly during the 1980s, but slowed in late 1989 in the aftermath of Tiananmen. However, the Chinese Governments emphasis on guiding FDI into manufacturing has led to market saturation in some industries, while leaving Chinas services sectors underdeveloped. China is now one of the leading FDI recipients in the world, receiving over $80 billion in 2007 according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce E. FOREIGN RELATIONS Since its establishment, the Peoples Republic has worked vigorously to win international support for its position that it is the sole legitimate government of all China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. In the early 1970s, Beijing was recognized diplomatically by most world powers. Beijing assumed the China seat in the United Nations in 1971 and has since become increasingly active in multilateral organizations. Japan established diplomatic relations with China in 1972, and the United States did so in 1979. As of March 2008, the number of countries that had diplomatic relations with Beijing had risen to 171, while 23 maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan F. Hong Kongs greatest growth and development occurred after the Communist takeover of China in 1949, when the commercial and shipping functions of Guangzhou and Shanghai shifted to Hong Kong.. Hong Kong served as Chinas window to the world during the Chinese administration of Mao Zedong. After Maos death in 1976, Hong Kongs role as a banker to China, and as its supplier of information, technology, and capital, intensified G. The Impact of Chinas Entry into WTO on Car Industry China is successful in attracting foreign investment. of income tax. On the other hand, the Chinese car industry has been protected by special policies that limit foreign investment. According to the current Chinese policy on motor industry, Ford will establish a joint venture with 50% share with Chang An Automobile Company in Sichuan Province. Chang An Automobile Company is the 3rd largest car manufacturer in China, which has the experience of car-making for more than 20 years. 3. SOCIAL CULTURAL ANALYSIS China is a multinational country, with a population composed of a large number of ethnic and linguistic groups. The Han (Chinese), the largest group, outnumber the minority groups or minority nationalities in every province or autonomous region except Tibet and Xinjiang. The Han, therefore, form the great homogeneous mass of the Chinese people, sharing the same culture, the same traditions, and the same written language. For this reason, the general basis for classifying the countrys population is largely linguistic rather than ethnic. Some 55 minority groups are spread over approximately three-fifths of the countrys total area. Where these minority groups are found in large numbers, they have been given some semblance of autonomy and self-government; autonomous regions of several types have been established on the basis of the geographic distribution of nationalities. H Education is free and compulsory for all children from the age of 6 to 15, and adult literacy is over 90 percent.. The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts offers courses in dance, music, theater, and technical arts. There are also more than a dozen technical institutes, technical colleges, and teacher-training colleges, which have large numbers of part-time students I. RECOMMENDATIONS China has experienced a stable political system (which is considered totalitarian) with rapid economic growth for more than 10 years, but some political risks still exist. The Chinese government is still insisting on its communist and totalitarian policy, there is no guarantee that China will continue to its open policy and maintain the rapid GNP increase. China also has an unsatisfied human right record; corruption exists in some economical activities in China, all these will be obstacles to foreign investment. Although the legal system of China is adequate to protect foreign investment, the violation of laws by some local authorities will be a potential risk to our investment. Entry Time and procedure Although the car industry is declining in the US and Europe, it is still a suitable time for Ford Motor Company to invest in China. As the 2nd largest car manufacturer in the world, Ford had been waiting patiently to enter the Chinese Market for more than 20 year. Some other world-famous car manufacturers (such as Volkswagen, General Motor, Toyota, etc.) had already started their business years ago, but we do not consider that it is too late to enter the Chinese family car market. Ford has been producing its Transit van in China for many years. The productivity and sales are not as good as expected because of the high cost (price) and limited production. . CONCLUSION Its my first pleasure to do something special kind of project related to Business Environment. With the help of this project I able to learn few special things that was really fantastic and completely unknowing before completion of this project. This experience was really outstanding . This essay applies a historical-institution approach to assess the impact of this situation on Chinas legal and political institutions. In each case historical and institutional trends are described, and the effects of legality on these trends are examined. The topics include changes in economic structure and the rate of growth of GDP, formal legal institutions and legal behavior of the Chinese people, and the forces toward the development of democratic political institutions.

Tajikistan labour migration and its implications

Tajikistan labour migration and its implications Introduction Background Labour migration and remittances are one of the most evident globalisation phenomena in Tajikistan. According to UNDP Human Development Report (2005) and World Bank (2008) from 600,000 to 1,500,000 Tajik citizens migrated overseas for work in 2005 and remittances being sent by them constitute staggering 36% of national GDP of Tajikistan. Remittances are proven to be large source of external finance stimulating consumption which in turn has a very positive effect on economy, especially on services sector. According to World Bank (2005) remittances are considered as the second biggest source of development finance after foreign direct investment. While remittances serve as an important social stabilising factor, they can also act as means of internal investment and boosting in this manner local development. My analysis will focus on the role of remittance savings either in leveraging to borrow from banking systems to invest in activities such as small businesses, or in directly financing them, which as the result improve the economic welfare of migrant households in both rural and urban areas. This dissertation will be based on analysis of data sources coming from various researches conducted by international organisations and research centres about Tajikistan labour migration and its implications. I will also examine the dynamic strategic aspects of interaction between the migrant and the remittance-receiving relatives and asses the benefits of particular types of motives under remitting. Furthermore, I would like to model hypothetical usage of savings out of remittances to business opportunities and asses the implications. The Republic of Tajikistan Tajikistan is the smallest country in the Central Asia and situated in south-east part of that region. 93% of Tajikistan consists of mountains, and more than half of the country lies on an altitude higher than 3000 meters above sea level. This leaves the countrys population of approximately 7 million people to reside and produce mainly in the remaining 6.52% of arable land, struggling with landslides, earth quakes, mudslides and unreliable access to clean water.. What is more, the countrys mountainous areas not only challenging for agriculture, but also contributing to a regionalisation and division of the country as the mountain ranges separate east from west, and north from south. These regional complications became particularly pertinent during the 1992-97 Civil War where, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG), between 60,000 and 100,000 people died, approximately 600,000 were internally displaced and 80,000 left the country, including a significant amount of the Slav population. The ICG estimates the cost of the war to U.S. $7 billion, and in this way significantly slowing the countrys modest attempts for post-Soviet recovery. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the devastating Civil War, the country has experienced a significant decline in living standards through a rise in unemployment and poverty, and a deterioration of infrastructure, health care and education. Furthermore, the country lost its previously established export markets, sources of supplies and subsidies from Moscow (accounted to almost 40 percent of government revenue) (European Observatory on Health Care Systems, 2000). According to Trade and Investment Division (2001), â€Å"Between 1991 and 1997, the level of GDP diminished by more than 60 percent which significantly reduced the living standards of the less protected part of the population.† (p. 252). All these above mentioned factors urged Tajikistan to accumulate foreign debt, which reached $880 million US dollar by 1998. It is worth state that Tajikistan has comparative advantage in growing of cotton, which is considered as cash crop and main source of foreign exchange (World Bank Poverty Assessment Tajikistan Update). Namely the export of cotton coupled with aluminum helped the country to restore external balance. Although cotton is strategically important, the growing of that crop entails difficulties with extensive irrigation and profitability nowadays. FAO (2008) claimed cotton growers in Tajikistan were indebted about 100 million US dollars due to dramatic drop in prices for raw cotton in 2000. All these difficult situations have encouraged considerable labour emigration and a return to a more patriarchal society based on religious beliefs and old traditions as survival strategy when the traditional mans role as the main bread winner of the family is being challenged. Poverty and Migration Tajikistan was the poorest among the Soviet Union republics and nowadays, it remains the poorest country in Europe and Central Asia region. According to World Bank Poverty Assessment Tajikistan Update, Tajikistans mean per capita income by 1989 was less than half of that in Russia. Its national income per capita was less than 200 US dollars. After gaining of independence, figures were even deplorable; 81 percent of population lived under poverty line in 1999 (less than 2.15 US dollars per day at purchasing power parity). (Source TLSS 2003 and TLSS 2009). The unofficial unemployment rate was around 30%. After the end of civil war and some years of stability and peace Tajikistan experienced substantial improvements in poverty rates, which dropped to 64 percent in 2003. However, still, this is the highest rate of poverty when compared to that of poor countries in Commonwealth of Independent States, like Kyrgyzstan (54 percent in 2001) and Moldova (45 percent in 2002). (Source: Poverty A ssessments for respective countries.) Poverty rates in rural areas are higher than in urban areas. In 2003, the proportion of poor people was 65 percent in rural areas against 59 percent in urban. (World Bank Poverty Assessment Update). Provided that 73 percent of the population of Tajikistan lives in rural areas the poverty can be considered overwhelmingly rural. (World Bank Poverty Assessment Update). Given that Tajikistan has the youngest population structure of the former Soviet countries with 70 percent aged under 30, poverty is overwhelmingly among young and economically active part of the population. Lack of income means lack of opportunities: not only loss of access to food, health care and education, but also the loss of the ability to choose and control ones own life. Poverty destroys human capital and has an adverse impact on social relations, leading to violence and instability. (Saodat Olimova) Furthermore, in 2007, Tajikistan experienced the hard consequences of strong rise in international food and fuel prices; especially it is felt by people of Tajikistan. While the impact of the higher fuel and food prices and misguided market interventions of the government have been felt by everyone, many households in rural and mountainous areas seemingly are on the verge of destitution. While many vegetable prices have increased between 20-30% in the last 11 months, wheat flour has increased 81-131%, and cooking oils from 118-139%. All the while, real wages for unskilled laborers (which are too low to cover household costs to begin with) have increased by a mere of 20% (by 6% in KT). In short, wages are not keeping pace with the dramatic increases in food and fuel prices. Traditional lepeshka now cost 1 somoni of the 44.61 somoni an average teacher or nurse earns a month. Clearly, people have to find ways to survive and migration seems the only plausible way to do so. Thus, it is hard to improve ones living conditions in Tajikistan, and many find themselves forced to seek employment abroad. Furthermore comparatively improved economies of Russian Federation and other CIS countries create an appropriate environment for migration from Tajikistan. According to a year 2006 International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey on trafficking from Tajikistan, 96.9% of the approximately 1 million migrants from Tajikistan go to Russia in search of work. 1.4% of the migrants work in Kyrgyzstan, 0.7% in Kazakhstan, and another 0.7% in Ukraine. Also, according to an IOM report conducted amongst 2000 migrants in 2002, with follow-up amongst 4000 migrants in 2003, these migrants were 85% men and 15% women in 2002. Amongst men, the age groups 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 all make up approximately one third of the migrant mass each. Olimova and Bosc divide these age groups into two, corresponding to the traditional life cycle in Tajikistan: â€Å"sons† of 18-29 years, and â€Å"fathers† of 40-49 years. The first group migrates mainly to make money to establish his own family, whereas the second group goes abroad to be able to feed his family and organize the traditional ceremonies for his children. In average, 68.5% of the migrant s are married, and 22.6% live together as in marriage in Tajikistan, but without official registration. The last group consists mainly of youth between 15 and 19 years of age. Theoretical Background GREGORIAN, D. MELKONYAN, T. (January 2008) Microeconomic Implications of Remittances in an Overlapping Generations Model with Altruism and Self-Interest, IMF Working Paper, WP/08/19. This publication illustrates the dynamic strategic aspects of interaction between the migrant and remittance receiving relatives and shows the various microeconomic implications under each particular circumstance of interaction. Gregorian and Melkonyan analyse the plethora of motives for remit in terms of altruistic and self interest behavior of the remitter. In addition, they consider the scenario where two parties could work out self-enforcing contracts to implement choices that maximise their total surplus. They also discuss both the migration and the remittance patterns in Armenia with a particular focus on push and pull factors. The main part of the paper contended an empirical estimation of the microeconomic impact of migration and remittance in Armenia on hours supplied to the market, education spending, savings and borrowing behaviour from commercial banks. In the words of Gregorian and Melkonyan, â€Å"this evidence [of the paper] suggests that the benefits of remittances might be overstated and emphasises the importance of measuring their impact in a general rather than a partial equilibrium context†. In conclusion, the authors suggest that there is a need for either direct or indirect policy measures in shaping the remittance flows and their impact on the behaviour of remittance receiving households. This article inspired me to deepen my research of the dissertation topic in terms of analysis of not only the quantitative pattern of remittances but also the behavioral aspects of this phenomenon. That is, whether the remitter has altruistic or self-interest motives while sending money back home and what the possible outcomes are under each circumstance. I will also consider models and regression methods used in the paper to estimate possible impacts of remittance on labour supply, education spending and saving/borrowing behaviour in Tajikistan. Furthermore, the above paper put forward a vague, but at the same time, ambitious notion of potential policy measures that should be taken in order to promote remittance saving for the creation of small business and entrepreneurial activities in households, which I believe will be a crucial part of my dissertation. GIULIANO, P. RUIZ-ARRANZ, M. (March 2006) Remittances, Financial Development, and Growth, Journal of Development Economics, doi: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2008.10.005 This paper examines the relationship between remittances and growth, and in particular the influence of local financial sector development on a countrys capacity to take advantage of remittances. Giuliano and Ruiz-Arranz underline the importance of remittances in promoting economic growth whilst looking specifically at the interaction between remittances and the financial sector. This publication is considered to be the first paper to provide evidence for both complementarity and substitutability between remittances and financial development in promoting economic growth. The authors make use of newly constructed data for remittances covering 100 developing countries and illustrate that remittances boost growth in countries with less developed financial systems by providing an alternative way to finance investment and helping to overcome liquidity constraint. They also suggest that there could be an investment channel through which remittances could promote growth especially when the financial sector does not meet the credit needs of the population, where remittances act as a substitute for financial services. I plan to make substantial use of the concept of interaction between remittances and the financial sector in growth in my dissertation, as the issue of leveraging and borrowing from banking systems by remittance-receiving households is central to my dissertation topic. In particular, I want to look at the possibility of commercial banks opening lines of credit for remittance-receiving households, based on the earning of the migrant. Additionally, I will consider this papers analysis of cyclical properties of remittances to assess whether they are procyclical and predominantly profit-driven or countercyclical. Accordingly, I aim to analyse the relationship of Tajikistan GDP and capital flows and see if they are correlated. PALEI, L.V. KOROBKOV, A.V. (2007) Migrant Remittances in the CIS: The Financial and the Socio-Economic Impact, Paper presented at the International Studies Association 48th annual meeting, Chicago, IL. This paper studies the current labour migration trends in the countries of the CIS and analyses the role of remittances as a means of socio-economic stabilisation in labour migrant source countries. It also provides the core causes of migration and its aspects in the context of a globalising world. Moreover, the authors examine how remittances could play an important role in the development of the country and what policies governments should adopt in order to better utilise the development potential of remittances. The paper is valuable as a source of background information on the causes and nature of migration processes in countries of the CIS. It also provides figures on the total number of migrants and remittances sent by them. Moreover, the authors identify remittances as one of the major stabilising factors of an economy and justify this by presenting statistics on remittances as a percentage of national GDPs. The important thing about this paper was that it focused very much on Tajikistan as one the major labour migration source countries. UNDP (2005) Central Asia Human Development Report, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This report studies the level of human development in Central Asian Republics. Throughout the report, the importance of increased regional cooperation in economic and other spheres of activities is repeatedly underlined. While mentioning some of the significant vulnerabilities of the region as being, for example, largely landlocked- the report also highlights the newly emerging opportunities availability of natural resource and being surrounded by fast developing countries. In conclusion, the report stresses the necessity to continue the process of reform in different sectors of economy. This report is a good source of so called country â€Å"baseline data†. It provided statistics on economic, demographic, social, and environmental aspects of a countrys development. Additionally, it looks specifically at the issue of labour migration and its economic, social, and cultural aspect. Being prepared by UNDP an organization, particularly active in Tajikistan- the report gains additional reliability and accuracy. AMUEDO-DORANTES, C. (2006) Remittances and Their Microeconomic Impacts: Evidence from Latin America, Journal of Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 187-197. Amuedo-Dorantes provides an overview of the remitting patterns of migrants, from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru, working and residing in the United States. She summarizes the microeconomic impacts of remittances, particularly on spheres of employment, business ownership, education and health care investments. Furthermore she emphasises the importance of remittances as a resource for the accumulation of human capital investments in education and health and as a determinant of employment patterns in remittance-receiving households in developing economies. This publication gave me the idea concerning the appropriate categorisation of purposes of remitting into two broad groups; consumption, which consists of food/maintenance, purchase of a vehicle, recreation/entertainment expenses and debt payment; and asset accumulation/investment, which consists of construction, repair or purchase of a house, purchase of tools, livestock, agriculture inputs, start/expand of business, education and health expenses and savings. BORJAS, G.L. (1999) The Economic Analysis of Immigration, in the Handbook of Labor Economics, Vol 3a, 1698-1757. This particular paper investigates labour market affects of immigration in both the host and home country. Borjas emphasises the measuring of relative skills of immigrants and evaluation of implications of relative skill differentials on economic outcomes. The author focuses on different environments and premises where the human capital of the source country influences the labour market of the host country. That is, an analysis of the factors that determine the skills of immigrants; a discussion of the implications of the income-maximization hypothesis for the skill composition of the self-selected immigrant flow, an estimation of how the skills of immigrants compare to those of natives -both at the time of entry and over time as immigrants adapt to the host countrys labor market, an examination of the concept of economic adaptation with analysis of the relationship nature of an immigrants â€Å"pre-existing† skills and the skills that the immigrant acquires in the host countr y, and finally, an evalution of the impact of immigration on the wage structure in the host country. This paper provides an important and basic understanding of the affect that immigration has on the economy of a host country. I will use the models and generalisations found in Borjas paper to analyse the migration pattern between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation. Furthermore I will use them for policy recommendation and measures in my dissertation. LEE-NAH, H. (2007) Outcome evaluation of HIV program in Tajikistan, Final report, Retrieved July 12, 2008 from http://www.undp.tj/files/ev/ev_report.pdf. The evaluation study outlined in the report was commissioned by UNDP, Tajikistan and is aimed at assessing the impact of two HIV related programs which were implemented in the country. These programs dealt with working on HIV prevention and mitigation in the following target groups: labour migrants and their families, prisoners, habitual drug users, sex workers, school youth, etc. The evaluation methods used included the thorough review of relevant documents and statistics, interviews, and site visits. The report provided an in depth analysis of the current situation with AIDS/HIV in Tajikistan and an indication of the success rate of the implemented programs, concluding with a set of recommendations on different levels of intervention and target groups. The report presented a very good source as a synthesized analysis of different documents and statistics available on HIV in Tajikistan. Specifically, it provided statistical data on the overall official number of people infected in the population (while also citing unofficial estimates), prevalence figures, and broke down the infected persons into different groups (including labour migrants). It also outlined the efforts which are being made to prevent the proliferation of HIV among labour migrants and recommendations to improve this process. The report, however, did not specifically feature any future projections of HIV infection spreading due to increasing number of labour migrants and their exposure to countries with much higher prevalence figures than those in Tajikistan. Remittances and Financial Sector in Tajikistan â€Å"Migration from Tajikistan and the consequent remittances have been unprecedented in their magnitude and economic impact.† IMF, Alexei Kiriyev, page 4-5 The measuring of remittances magnitude is still not definite: