Dependant on question picked from below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dependant on question picked from below - Essay Example This essay examines masculinity in current society and considers whether it acts as a source of anxiety for men. There are significant differences between the genders in the way that people behave and what is expected of them. For example, it is widely recognised that males and females behave in different ways. Behavioural research has shown that males are more likely to take risks and be competitive than females . Another aspect where behaviour differs is in terms of health beliefs and behaviour that promotes good health. While females respond well to interventions that are designed to improve health, males show strong resistance. These differences are strongly associated with the perception of masculinity . Most considerations of masculinity and femininity begin with the basic assumption that men are one thing and women are something else. They are two opposites, dichotomies, distinct from one another in numerous ways. Traditional perceptions of males and females often consider tha t men are defined as themselves, while women are considered by what they do not have compared to males. Although feminism has made much progression in the area of females being considered inferior, or lacking, there is still an underlying notion that males and females are distinct from one another . How valid is this assumption? Biologically men and women are distinct from one another (with a few exceptions that are the result of chromosomal abnormalities), but does this difference in physical characteristics correspond to distinct sexual identities, one for each gender? The standard formula is for two distinct identities. On average, most men behave in a manner that is considered to be male or masculine. They wear pants, they do not wear makeup, most do not show emotions and a large number exhibit a rugged demeanour where they attempt to be strong. Likewise, women tend to be different. However, there are many people in society for whom these traditional images of males and females do not explain their behaviour patterns. For example, transsexuals are of one distinct physical gender, but behave as if they are the opposite. This is most commonly recognised in males, such as men who dress in female clothing and wear makeup . There are less extreme examples of this also. Some men are highly emotional, while others focus strongly on clothing or skin appearance, in a way that is more strongly associated with females. Therefore, within modern society, there are many different images of gender, from the typical perceptions of male and female, to those that do not conform to the recognised ‘rules’. What is masculinity in this context? Does it still exist, or are gender perceptions so fluid that there is no distinction between male and female gender identities. To understand this, it is important to first consider the concepts of masculinity and femininity and how these are perceived in modern society. Masculinity As a concept, masculinity can be difficult to define, as it means different things to different people, and it is an idea that continues to change and grow. A typical male of the 1960s is very little like the typical male of the modern era. Furthermore, the presence of people who defy gender boundaries

Globalization and South Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization and South Korea - Essay Example Ever since the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) came into effect in the 90's and the World Trade Organization was established with a mandate to regulate and intervene in the disputes arising out of globalization, the world economy has been integrated in a way that has surpassed the earlier attempts. This is noteworthy, as contrary to popular belief, trade and commerce between nations has always been the case since the first ships carrying silk, spices and muslin from the east and other exotic stuff from the west has set forth for each other's shores. In fact, the famous voyage of Christopher Columbus is a testament to the ability of nations to seek out markets other than their own for trade. Though the world was integrated in colonial times as well, the process received a setback in the 21st century in the intervening period between the two world wars. It was only after the establishment of the Bretton Woods system that the world economy started regaining some of its int erconnectedness. And the demise of alternatives to capitalism and the free market system ensured that all countries with a desire to alleviate poverty and raise the standard of living of the peoples would invariably turn to trade and commerce and utilize the "theory of comparative advantage"iii as proposed by the noted economist David Ricardo. Globalization as a phenomenon cannot be avoided. Despite the setbacks to the process by the events in the aftermath of 9/11, Globalization continues its inexorable march adding new strands to its already well-knit thread. The successes of India and China in this decade and the successes of the so-called "Tiger economies" of South East Asia in the previous decades are proof that globalization works. The Real Issues Covering Globalization Procedures There are numerous studies that pertain to the reasons behind the reality of the actual events of the worldwide events regarding the issue of underdeveloped countries. There have also been numerous theories designed through the said studies to be able to explain the reason behind the issue being discussed herein. For instance, John Degnbol-Martinussen said in his book Aid: Understanding International Development Cooperation, "the foreign relations between many countries worldwide mainly depend upon the economic status of each state. The ability to be n relation with other countries is usually dependent upon the fact that a country is required to have a certain considerable economic status in the world economy" (13). Saying this, Martinussen simply shows how the present society measures a country's status through its economic status. This is mainly the reason behind the fact that there exist three divisions of economic class in the global setting of economic scale. Basing from the dep endency theory, it could be identified that among the reason behind the status of underdeveloped countries is the fact that many poor sectors of the global economy remain as suppliers to the developed states. They serve as mere support to the 'bigger or larger sectors' of the human generation. The fact that proves the said theory is its basis upon the actual occurrences today regarding the oppression of the poor. True, to be able to remain wealthy, many developed countries depend upon the underdeveloped ones for raw materials and resources for several

Eeoc Paper Essay Example for Free

Eeoc Paper Essay The purpose of this paper is to go over a lawsuit that was filled by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The paper will cover who the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is and their role in the lawsuit. It will go over whether or not the lawsuit promotes social change. The paper will also go over how the EEOC as well as other news groups released information about the case to the public. I will then give my take on how I would implement new strategies to make sure the problem does not come up in the workplace again. A description of the compliance issue that led to the lawsuit The lawsuit that I have chosen is about a company not hiring someone because of their race. Tyeastia Green sued Alliant Techsystems, Inc. (ATK) because they did not hire her due to her race. A recruiter for ATK initially told her that she had gotten the job, later ATK rejected her and hired a while male instead (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). A brief Summary of the functions of the EEOC According to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2012), the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information† (Aerospace and Defense Manufacturer Rejected Applicant on Racial Grounds, Federal Agency Charged). The EEOC investigates charges of discrimination against employers who are covered by the law. Their role is the fairly and accurately assess the allegations in the charge and make a finding. The EEOC also works to prevent discrimination before it happens by offering education and technical assistance programs. The EEOC’s role in this lawsuit The EEOC’s role in the lawsuit was to find out whether or not the claim was valid. Once they decided that the claim was valid, they tried to settle the charge in a pre-litigation settlement. Since ATK did not want to settle, the EEOC filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). Whether or not this lawsuit promotes social change and reasons I do not believe that this lawsuit promotes social change. I believe this because I do not believe that this was a real discrimination due to Tyeastia Green’s race. According to Stych (2012), the recruiter asked her to take out her braids to appear more professional. Tyaestia did take out her braids but later put them back in before she got hired on. I believe that the company was not trying to discriminate against her. They asked her to do something to look more professional. The company does not have the right to tell her how she should wear her hair, but I do not believe they didn’t hire her because of her race. I think that they didn’t hire her because she didn’t comply with how they thought a profession person should look. A comparison of the EEOC press release to the news item The EEOC’s press release was not very informational. It did not give much detail on how the company discriminated against Tyeastia Green. The press release just said that ATK did not hire her because of her race. It also said that the company will pay $100,000 and furnish other relief to settle the race discrimination lawsuit filed by the EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). The article written by Ed Stych for the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal went into more detail on what happened that lead to the lawsuit being filed. The article said that a recruiter asked Tyeastia to take out her braids to look more professional and that they set up an interview with the company’s information technology director and asked that she came to that interview the same way, without the braids (Stych, 2012). What accounts for the differences? I think that the reason they are different is because the EEOC has a privacy policy where they are not allowed to release certain information about the case. Other news groups on the other hand do not have a privacy policy. They write as much as they know in their articles. The Business Journal wanted the public to know why the lawsuit was filed and what lead up to the lawsuit. Strategies for ensuring inclusion in multicultural workplace If I was a senior manager at ATK, I would make sure that I specified how I believe the company’s image is displayed properly. I would make sure that everyone would be treated equally. I would make sure that all of the managers make everyone feel at home in the workplace. I would give classes to the managers and the recruiters on how to prevent discrimination in the workplace. I would also make sure that the recruiters learn how to talk to people without discriminating against them. Conclusion This paper has gone over the lawsuit that was filed by the EEOC. It also went over who the EEOC is and what their role is in the lawsuit. It also went over how the EEOC’s press release and the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal articles different. I have learned that employers need to watch what they say and be more specific on how they say things to people as well. I think that if the recruiter has just explained better on why they did not want her to have her braids, things might have gone a little better. If I was Tyeastia, I would have waited until after my final interview to put the braids back in. They asked her to take them out and she did, then they asked her to come looking just like that to the meeting with the information technology director and she didn’t. I think that both parties are at fault in this situation. References U.S. Equall Employment Opportunity Commission. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/11-27-12b.cfm Stych, E. (2012). Mineapolis St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2011/09/29/atk-sued-eeoc-for-racial-discrimination.html

Brood Parasitism of the Common Cuckoo

Brood Parasitism of the Common Cuckoo Brood parasitism by the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus has excited wonder, interest and speculation like few other bird behaviors. Its a species which had been studied and observed well before Darwins time, generating a wealth of information that has provided a deeper understanding of interactions among species. However, recent studies are bringing up more details of the coevolutionary relationship between the cuckoo and its hosts. The aim of this paper is threefold: to provide a concise review of the evolution of brood parasitism in the common cuckoo, to outline the different strategies that host species have evolved to deter parasitism, and to identify some of the counteradaptations the cuckoo has developed against those strategies. Introduction The extraordinary plasticity in breeding behavior of the family Cuculidae has no parallel among the worlds bird families. Of the 136 species of cuckoos, 83 provide parental care while 53 species parasitize nests, where eggs are incubated and parasites young are raised by a host species [1]. Of those 53 parasitic species, the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus (hereafter, cuckoo) is the most widespread in Europe, inhabiting a diverse array of habitats and having at least 15 different host-specific races [2]. Throughout history the cuckoo has attracted a wealth of attention and generated much fascination. In the fourth century BC, Aristotle accurately described the parasitic habits of the cuckoo, noting that the nestling cuckoo ejects the hosts eggs or young, casting out of the nest those with whom it has so far lived [3]. Despite these very early accounts of the cuckoos breeding behavior, it was not until the 1700s that cuckoos biology regained attention by scientists. However, the cuckoo literature generated prior to the mid-twentieth century was a mix of speculative observations and misconceptions. For instance, well into the 1750s it was thought that the female cuckoo upon laying the egg will carry it with her beak to the hosts nest [3]. Such an idea was mistakenly reinforced by observing cuckoo females carrying an egg, which later was proven to be the hosts eggs, but assuming it was the cuckoos egg [3]. This idea was later rejected by British physician Edward Jenner whose accurate observations led to the current description of the cuckoos parasitism [3]. Generally, cuckoos lay a single egg in a host nest. Upon hatching, the young cuckoo pushes out the host nestlings, and any unhatched eggs. The cuckoo nestling then demands undivided care from its hosts with an extraordinary begging display, which consists of bright orange gape and rapid calls to simulate several nestlings [4]. Evolution of cuckoo parasitism It was Charles Darwin who first intended attended to explain the evolution of brood parasitism in European cuckoos. In The Origin of Species Darwin described an example of brood parasitism by an American cuckoo species. The cuckoo was reared by a Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata until it fledged the nest. This observation led Darwin to suggest that brood parasitism has evolved through a repetitive process in nature in which the young cuckoo inherits its mothers parasitic habits due to advantages gain in survival [3]. Darwin proposed that cuckoo parasitism evolved from parental cuckoos and phylogeny studies have supported his view. However, there is no consensus on how brood parasitism evolved. Taxonomists suggest that brood parasitism evolved as a separate event in two subfamilies of brood parasites, independently, the Old World Cuculinae and the New World Neomorphinae [1]. On the other hand, a phylogeny study based on bone characteristics suggests that brood parasitism evolved as a sing le event in the family, placing Cuculinae and Neomorphinae together, while the genus Coccyzus found in the New World, re-evolved parental care from a parasitic ancestor [1]. Yet another study on molecular phylogeny proposes three independent origins of brood parasitism, in genus Clamator, and other cuckoos of the Old World and cuckoos in the American continent [5]. Avian brood parasitism between distinct species is currently thought to have evolved from an ancestral line with parental care breeding or as an indirect consequence of brood parasitism between conspecifics [3]. However, while the argument still exists over which of the the two pathways leads to the parasitism of other species nests, there is greater support for the evolution of parasitism from a normal breeding behavior [1,3]. It is considered that the ancestral form of modern day cuckoos probably was a parental care, non-migratory inhabitant of tropical forest, and that changes in habitat, migration patterns, range size and foraging provoked the evolution of brood parasitism as a way to reduce order the cost of reproduction [1.3]. When comparing energy expenditure on reproduction, it was estimated that a parasitic cuckoo spends half the amount of energy of a parental cuckoo in achieving comparable reproductive success[1]. In fact, within the Cuculidae family there are important dis similarities between species with parental care and brood parasites. Cuckoos have a lower body mass, lay smaller eggs, and feed on prey of lesser size. [1]. In the comparative analysis done by Krà ¼ger and Davies (2002), it was concluded that the evolution of cuckoo parasitism was the result of changes in the ecology of a parental ancestor and that once a parasitic behavior was adapted further specializations occurred. a. From raising your own offspring to be a brood parasite Before brood parasitism evolved, there were key changes in the ecology and behavior of forest cuckoos. Initially, forest cuckoos expanded their range to include more open and seasonal habitats. This habitat expansion provoked a more migratory behavior, an increase in breeding-range size and the availability of new food sources [1]. These changes in ecology required a reduction in energy invested in reproduction. When comparing energy expenditure on reproduction, it was estimated that a parasitic cuckoo spends half the amount of energy of a parental cuckoo in achieving comparable reproductive success[1]. Therefore, selection for brood parasitism became the emerging consequence of the ecological changes mentioned above. b. Brood parasitism caused the evolution of specialized parasitic adaptations Upon the adaptation of obligated brood parasitism, cuckoo eggs became smaller. Kruger and Davies (2002) suggest two hypotheses for the reduction in egg size. First, parasitic cuckoos were able to increase clutch size which may have been possible upon the reduction of overall egg size. Since most hosts are smaller than their parasitic cuckoos, an adaptation to a decrease in egg size would have been selected in order to avoid host rejection while improving incubation efficiency. A preference for smaller hosts increases the number of egg-laying opportunities since there is a greater abundance of smaller species than larger ones [1] . An adaptation to a parasitic behavior might have also freed the cuckoo of the diet restraint when selecting breeding habitat. By relying on the host parental care, cuckoos are able to exploit a diversity of breeding habitats for breeding even those habitat where adult cuckoos cannot forage. Kruger and Davies (2002) note that some common cuckoos are required to travel large distances when breeding in marshlands while foraging in woodland areas. This independence from breeding habitat restraints have enabled the common cuckoo to increase its range through Europe. Factors that affect brood parasitism by the Common Cuckoo The size of the host and its abundance is an important predictor of host parasitism [3]. There is a greater diversity and abundance of small bird species; which provides the cuckoo a larger pool of possible hosts. The density of the cuckoo at a given area also plays a crucial role. It was found that rejection rate increase as the rate of parasitism goes up in a given area [6]. A greater density of female cuckoos at the breeding area of the selected hosts increases the chances that the hosts see a cuckoo female and proceed with egg rejection or nest desertion [6]. This might be one of the multiple explanations for the fact that cuckoos are more widespread and their breeding-range is significantly larger than parental species of the same family. Additionally the choice of nesting site affects brood parasitism. Nests located nearby trees have a significant increase on the risk of being parasitized [7]. Female cuckoos perch on trees to gather information on the hosts nest building activi ty and therefore the availability of visual points are crucial for the cuckoo to determine hosts nest location [7]. Therefore, it is expected of the cuckoos hosts to show a high degree of plasticity in choice of nest site in order to decrease the distance to visual vantage point and to increase nest concealment [7]. Interestingly, female cuckoos seem to gather cues from the host behavior not only to determine nest location but also to reveal the hosts parental capacities. Males that sing more actively during breeding season tend to attract females that built larger nests. It was found that in great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceous nestlings raise in larger nests receive more feeding than those in a small nest [8]. It will be expected to see a larger rate of parasitism in hosts that are more vocal and active during nest construction. However, it was found that hosts with a high degree of signal expression nearby the nest are also more eager to defend the nest against intruder s and to reject cuckoo eggs. Therefore, cuckoos may favor a host with a smaller nest and whose activity is less visually conspicuous [8]. Polacikova et al. (2009) also found that great reed warblers affected by cuckoo parasitism have higher body condition than individuals freed of parasitism. Additionally, females hosts had higher body mass and presented less uniformity in egg coloration [9] Host defensive strategies against cuckoos parasitism Brood parasitism by the cuckoo brings multiple costs to the host [2]. The primary cost is the loss of an egg once the female cuckoo lays hers. Additionally, rejection requires the expense of energy and time (for recognition) and it includes the risk of discriminating the hosts own eggs. By accepting the cuckoos egg the reproductive success of the host is then jeopardize since upon hatching the young cuckoo pushes out the hosts nestlings [4]. Furthermore, the host parents must raise a much larger chick which demands more food than the hosts own nestlings. This costly is highly increased in the extraordinary case when the host and cuckoo nestlings grow up together like in the parasitism of the Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus [2]. Due to the multiple costs associated with brood parasitism, many host species have evolved adaptations to cope with parasitism; such as egg rejection and nest desertion [10]. However, these adaptations only partially offset the costs of parasitism since they take place once the nest has been already parasitized. Therefore, some host species have also evolved adaptations to eliminate laying opportunities for the cuckoo. Nesting in safe places, constructing well hidden nests, or an active protection of the nest from intrusions are example of adaptations that host species have evolved to avoid being parasitized [10,11]. Mobbing behavior The reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus is one of the species most readily selected by cuckoos as host for their eggs and therefore has evolved adaptations that demonstrate a coevolutionary arms race with the common cuckoo [12,13]. Mobbing, the attacking or harassing of cuckoos by reed warblers has been determined to be an effective first line of defense against parasitism [12]. It has been well documented that reed warbler use audible and visual displays that in occasion lead to direct physical attacks to dissuade parasitism. Such defensive behavior reduces the probability of parasitism and it is a direct cost to cuckoos which might lose feathers or suffer injuries during physical attacks by reed warblers [12]. Additionally, mobbing attracts predators, and other brood parasites thus posing an indirect cost since the cuckoo or its eggs might be at risk of predation [12]. The costs inflicted on the cuckoo can also be associated to the costs suffer by the reed warbler that mob brood p arasites. First of all, there is a physical similarity between common cuckoos and sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus [10], a potential predator of reed warblers. Therefore, reed warblers may need to spend time to identify the type of threat, parasitism or predation, before engaging in a mobbing display [12]. In addition, the same indirect costs that mobbing brings to the cuckoo are also to the reed warbler which unknowingly might be attracting more parasites and predators to the nesting area [12]. Therefore, the costs inflicted on the host select for a defensive behavior that discriminates between the type of threat and the degree of parasitism [12]. Although some passerine birds will mob a possible predators, nesting adult reed warbler have not been observed doing it. Welbergen and Davies (2008) note that adult reed warblers seek cover and remain silent in the presence of a sparrowhawk near the nest [10]. Since sparrowhawks are a direct threat to the adults while cuckoos are to the nest, it makes sense that reed warblers mob the latter and not the former [12]. Reed warblers also show plasticity in their mobbing behavior in terms of risk of nest parasitism. In areas where there is a higher probability that the cuckoos are able to find hosts nest, mobbing is the best strategy, while in areas with a low probability the best defensive method may be to avoid active and visible displays and remain hidden but alert [12]. By presenting reed warblers with taxidermic mounts of cuckoos, Welbergen and Davies (2009) concluded that mobbing is an adapted, phenotypically trait with high plasticity in the defense against parasitism [12]. Alarms Calls and Nest Guarding It was previously noted that cuckoos and sparrowhawks share a resemblance that might pose a challenge for reed warblers in their nest defensive strategies. However, reed warblers have shown to vary their auditory displays accordingly to the kinds of danger and the subsequent response by conspecifics [10]. Welbergen and Davies (2008) showed that reed warblers are able to identify cuckoos from sparrowhawks with alarm calls that attract not only mates but nearby neighbors. The alarms signals by reed warblers in the presence of a cuckoo are characterized by rasps and snaps. Rasps have a sharp commencement and a wide frequency range, which are important features that enable the location of the emitter [10]. Alarms calls therefore are an important communal defensive mechanism against parasitism. Nest attendance and egg rejection by reed warblers might increase due to the information provided by the alarm calls emitted by neighbor conspecifics [10]. Additionally, alerting on the presence of cuckoos might trigger the mobbing of the parasite by multiple reed warblers which could eject the cuckoo. Nest guarding has also been identified as a defensive strategy against parasitism. However, it is more passive and less conspicuous than mobbing and alarm displaying [11]. An increase in nest guarding has been observed after laying has begun and is usually done by the male. This behavior might able the reed warblers to gain information about cuckoos presence and chance of parasitism. Spotting a cuckoo before laying has begun might trigger nest desertion whereas the sighting of a cuckoo once laying commences might increase the likelihood of rejection of the cuckoos egg [11]. Egg rejection Hosts species have evolved two mechanisms in order to eject cuckoo eggs. In the case of hosts with large beaks, the eggs are grasped and evicted out of the nest while species unable to grasp the egg, puncture and then eject the parasites egg [14]. The reproductive success is minimal if a host accepts a cuckoo egg due to the innate behavior of the cuckoo nestling of evicting hosts eggs and nestlings. Therefore, species parasitized by cuckoos should strongly select for an ejection adaptation to parasitism if the host is physically able of ejecting cuckoo eggs [14]. For those species whose beak is too small to grasp the beak and that puncturing the egg would be too costly or impossible, nest desertion is the strategy selected once parasitism has been identified [14,15]. The cost to the hosts when trying to puncture cuckoo eggs has been demonstrated in marsh warblers Acrocephalus palustris which after unsuccessfully attempting to puncture the eggs have damaged their own eggs [15]. Cuckoos Responses to Overcome Hosts Adaptations Cuckoo parasitism has led to the selection of defense mechanisms by the hosts. At the same time, in this coevolutionary arms race, more sophisticated trickeries are selected by the cucook [1,16]. Egg mimicry and vocal mimicry by the nestlings are of the most significant traits evolved in the cuckoo to cope with hosts defensive responses. Egg Mimicry The recognition and ejection of cuckoo eggs have selected for an increase in mimicry of the host egg by the cuckoo whose eggs display a high variability in color and/or spotting due to the diverse number of hosts it parasitizes [16]. In a reed warbler study of parasitism by the common cuckoo, Avilà ©s et al. (2006) found the surprising speed in which egg similarity between the two species evolved in recently parasympatric poputions of reed warblers and cuckoos. Using museum egg collections, it was found that in 23 years, the degree of egg matching increase considerably [16]. Avilà ©s et al. note this rapid improvement egg matching a micro-evolutionary response to host removal of eggs differing in color or size and that egg mimicry has coevolved with this rejection behaviour [16]. The importance of egg mimicry was exemplified by Antonov et al. (2008) on a study of cuckoo egg rejection by marsh warblers. On the study, unmanipulated cuckoo eggs were accepted more readily than painted cuckoo and great reed warbler eggs placed in marsh warbler nests [15]. The aim of the Antnovo et al. was to determine the importance of egg shell strength in deterring egg rejection. However, since painted cuckoo eggs suffered a higher rejection rate, it was indicated that egg mimicry is pivotal in determining the probability of rejection [15]. Vocal or Visual Mimicry by Parasite Nestlings Brood parasites can be differentiated into two categories: Nonevictors which are parasites that grow up alongside the hosts young and evictors in which the young parasite either kills the hosts nestlings or expels them out of the nest along with any unhatched eggs [17]. Nonevictor species include the brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater, finches of the Vidua genus and great spotted cuckoo, Clamator glandarius. While the common cuckoo is a evictor brood parasite. Nonevictors showed certain mimicry of the host chicks as a counteradaptation against the host adult learning of the characteristics of the chicks during first brood. These imprinting of its own chicks characteristics will later permit the rejection of chicks that are different [17]. For example, Vidua finch young show great resemblance of the mouth spot patterns of their hosts chicks [17]. On the other hand, this adaptation has not been selected in hosts of evictor parasites. Since the cuckoo nestling is raised alone, imprint ing the characteristics of the parasite chick will be detrimental to future broods [17]. Butchart et al. (2003) found that the begging calls produced by four different common cuckoo races did not differ which lead to the conclusion that in evictor species there is not selection for evolution of visual or vocal mimicry by the parasite chick [17]. However, it should be advantageous for the cuckoo nestling to respond to the host alarm calls given in the presence of a predator [18]. Davies et al. (2006) concluded that cuckoos that specialize on reed warblers have not only well-matched eggs but also chicks that are well-tuned to the hosts alarm calls [18]. Summary Coevolution relationship among species are significant in order to understand how species select for adaptations accordingly to the other species. In the case of brood parasitism by the common cuckoo, that relationship is truly an arms race. For instance, egg rejection lead to egg mimicry which in turn might lead to clutch variability in the host. However, before egg rejection is selected, hosts have evolved a first line of defense that includes direct confrontation against the parasite. The costs of parasitism are evident for the host species but also the parasite carries its own costs. As a relation observed well before Darwin and his theory of evolution, the cuckoo-host interaction was provided with a solid framework to be better study and understood once Darwins work became public. However, necessity for further research remains. There is limited work on the biology and ecology of cuckoo nestlings. Also there is still no detailed explanations on the failure of hosts to recognized cuckoos young as a different species [3]. Furthermore, as anthropogenic actions change natural ecosystems at a rapid scale, further research is needed in the relationship between cuckoos and hosts and the factors affected by habitat alterations. [7].

How Radios Work :: radio

Radios are the most common wireless item in existence and are in most homes. We use them for entertainment, communication, as an information source, or even just back ground noise. For many of us radios are almost a necessity, but how much do we know about how they function? Antennas are one of the key pieces to a radio. Antennas come in a variety of shapes and sizes; they vary from large arrays to a small wire. Much of this variance is based on the broad use of radio waves and practicality; for instance you wouldn't use an antenna from a small radio to send a signal to a satellite. Antennas work by creating a resonating flow of charge along its element. The resonance is caused by a magnetic field fluctuating through an inductor that is fixed to a capacitor. As a magnetic field fluctuates across a conductor it causes charges to move. This motion causes an electro magnetic wave. The relations between the electricity and magnetism are explained by Maxwell's equations. Maxwell's equations are four equations that relate magnetic fields electric fields and charges and current. A radio wave is an electro magnetic wave. We modulate them using three different modulations, frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, and pulse modulation, to carry information. For frequency modulation slight variances are made in the frequency of the wave to represent different bits of information. This is widely used because it is less likely to have static. For amplitude modulation the height or amplitude of the wave is changed to contain information. Amplitude modulation is not only used by radio stations but it is also used to send the picture part of television. Pulse modulation is where there are breaks in the wave to indicate the desired information. This is usually used for morse code but can be used for a few other things as well. According to maxwell's equations radio waves travel at the speed of light. The magnitude of a wave will decrease at a rate of r^2. Where r is the distance from the origin. This is because the wave is propagates in all directions so the same amount of energy spreads out over a greater area. But how can we get signals from beyond the horizon? Today we could use satellites, but you can also bounce a radio wave off of parts of the upper atmosphere. This can be done because the sun ionizes levels of upper atmosphere.

Exam 1 Study Guide – Marketing 360

Chapter 1 – Overview of Marketing * Inertia to Passion * * 80/20 Rule * â€Å"80% of profits come from 20% of consumers† * Economies of Scale * The more you make of something, the less it costs per unit * i. e. Microsoft Office 2014 * Wholesale – Costco * Understand Marketing Mix (4 P’s)/From Customer Perspective 4 Cs * Marketing Mix: A combination of the product itself, the price of the product, the place where it is made available, and the activities that introduce it to consumers that creates a desired response among a set f predefined consumers * Marketing Mix consists of;Marketer| Consumer| Product| Customer Solution| Price| Customer Cost| Promotion| Communication| Place| Convenience | * Exchange * Pg. 12 â€Å"Occurs when a person gives something and gets something else in return. The buyer receives an object, service, or idea that satisfies a need, and the seller receives something he or she feels is of equivalent value† * Trade currency * Tr ade services * Trade behaviors * Exchange Value * Criteria for a Market A market consists of all the consumers who share a common need that can be satisfied by a specific product and who have the resources, willingness, and authority to make a purchase * Utility – Time, Place, Possession, Form, Info * Utility: The usefulness or benefit consumers receive from a product * Time Utility: Storing products until they are needed * Place Utility: Making products available where customers want them * Possession Utility: Allowing the consumer to won, use, and enjoy the product * Form Utility: Transforming raw materials into finished products * What is Value?Components of Value * Value: Benefits a customer receives from buying a good or service * Value from the customer’s perspective: Price and benefits * Value from the seller’s perspective: Is the exchange profitable to them, has it made money * Build Value: Goal is to satisfy customer over and over again so that they can build a long-term relationship rather than just having a â€Å"one night stand† * Customers have value: Firms recognize that it can be very costly in terms of both money and human effort to do whatever it takes to keep some customers loyal to the company.Samsung Distribution ChannelVery often these actions pay off, but there are cases in which keeping a customer is a losing proposition * Lifetime value of a customer: How much profit they expect to make from a particular customer * Provide value through competitive advantage: Distinctive competency- a firm’s capability that is superior to that of its competition * Value from society’s perspective: * Customer Satisfaction Model * Customer Equity * Combined customer lifetime value of all customers Firing Customers * Sustainable Competitive Advantage * Competitive Advantage: Ability of firm to outperform competition, providing customers with benefit competition cant * Identify distinctive competency (firm’s capability superior to competition) * Turn distinctive competency into differential benefit (important to customers) * Sustainable Competitive Advantage * Distinctive Competencies; Differential Benefits * The Value Proposition * Philosophies (eras) Societal Marketing Orientation (New Era); Triple Bottom Line * Emphasis on satisfying broader needs of society (employees, stockholders, etc. ) This is like market orientation by there is a little something more * Being concerned with social issues†¦ doing things better for society and being genuinely concerned * Building long-term relationships * Also referred to as the â€Å"triple bottom line† * Environmental, social and financial bottom line * Building long-term relationships, not just satisfying a one time need * i. . McDonalds * Ronald McDonald House * Using paper hamburger cases vs. * If the bottoms (financial, social, environmental) become the norm, it becomes the marketing orientation * Marketing (customer) Orientatio n * A company that practices the marketing concept. Determining and then satisfying consumer needs and wants at a profit * Selling Orientation * Getting the product out the door! Reducing inventories.Product supply is greater than demand * Getting excess products out the door, the decisions you make will reflect on what orientation you will use * One time purchases, do not establish relationship with the customer * Competitor Orientation * Focus is on competitor intelligence. Learning and reacting to what the competition is doing * i. e. Lowe’s – Wherever there was a Home Depot, they would place a Lowe’s * Product Orientation * Emphasis is on making the product better, production efficiencies.Best when demand surpasses supply * How is this different from a marketing orientation? NOT asking what the customers want, making what they want. (It’s going to be cool and you’re going to want it) Chapter 2 – Strategic Planning * Mission, Marketing My opia * Mission statement describes organization’s overall purpose * How should we develop firm’s capabilities? * What products and benefits can we create for customers? * What business are we in? * What customers should we serve? Avoid marketing Myopia – Having a really narrow mission statement, or being short sided * SWOT ANALYSIS Assessment of Organization’s internal and external environment SWOT Analysis, SWOT interactions * * External Environment Identify opportunities and threats to firm from consumers, competitors, economy, etc. Internal Environment Identify strengths and weaknesses in firms employees, technologies, facilities, finances, etc. Leverage: Strengths + Opportunities * Vulnerability: Strengths + Threats * Constraint: Weaknesses + Opportunities * Problem: Weaknesses + Threats * Portfolio Analysis Portfolio Analysis – a management tools for evaluating a firm’s business mix and assessing the potential of its SBU’s * Indi vidual units within a company – Nike Swimming within Nike * SBU’s (Strategic Business Units)– Individual units within a firm, each having its own mission, objectives, resources, managers and competitors * BCG Matrix; Star, Dog, Question Mark, Cash Cow * Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Growth Matrix – Analyzes the potential of products to generate cash for a firm. Tells managers which products they should grow * i. . Different Products Owned by Larger Firm * Strategies for Each Portfolio * Business Portfolio: Stars * High industry growth * High relative market share * Consider potential to stay star * Requires much investment * Generates relatively high revenues * Cash Cows * Low industry growth * High relative market share * They are not spending a lot of money to communicate with consumers, they are just bringing in business * Economies of scale and high profit margins * Requires less investment * Generates relatively high revenues Helps you support other businesses and launch other business/ventures * Question Marks * High industry growth * Low relative market share * Consider potential to be star * Requires too much investment * Generates relatively low revenues * i. e. Samsung Galaxy – how to move it over to get more money? * Spending more money with less or a market share in comparison to other products * Dogs * Low industry growth * Low relative market share * Generates little profits * Fish or cut bait * Either get rid of it or reinvent it – determine a new use for it.Find a way that it has never been used before * **Exam Question** Selling cutting boards, more people are cooking at home, market for cutting boards (market growth rate) is high. Company makes bamboo cutting boards, has 10% market share * Relative to competition * Product-Market Growth Matrix * Marketers use the product-market growth matrix to analyze different growth strategies pg. 52 (the left of the table would read MARKET EMPHASIS with â€Å"New Markets† on the bottom left and â€Å"Existing Markets† on the top left) PRODUCT EMPHASIS Existing Products New ProductsMarket Penetration StrategySeek to increase sales of existing products to existing markets| Product Development StrategyCreate growth by selling new products in existing markets| Market Development StrategyIntroduce existing products to new markets| Diversification StrategyEmphasize both new products and new markets to achieve growth| * Strategic Alternatives – Market Penetration; Market Development; Product Development; Diversification * Market Penetration: Growth strategies designed to increase sales of existing products to current customers, nonusers, and users of competitive brands in served markets * Market Development: Introduce existing products to new markets (geographic area, or it may mean reaching new customer segments within an existing geographic area) * Product Development Strategies: Create growth by selling new products in exist ing markets.May mean extending the firm’s product line by developing new variations of the item, or it may mean altering or improving the product to provide enhanced performance * Diversification Strategies: Emphasize both new products and new markets to achieve growth. Chapter 3 – Marketing Environment * Economic Environment * Marketers must understand economy and business cycle * Level of Economic Environment; LDC, Developing Country, Developed Country * Level of economic environment: the broader economic picture of a country * Deciding whether or not a country will be a good prospect * LDC: Least Developed Country: A country at the lowest stage of economic development * In most cases, its economic base is agriculture * Africa and South Asia * Standard living is low and so are literacy levels * Developing Country When an economy shifts its emphasis from agriculture to industry, standards of living, education, and the use of technology rise * The future market for con sumer goods like skin care products and mobile phones * Developed Country * Boasts sophisticated marketing systems, strong private enterprise, and bountiful market potential for many goods and services * Economically advanced and they offer a wide rand of opportunities for international marketers * Competitive Environment Marketers must know what competitors are doing (Competitive Intelligence) * Micro vs. Macro Competition * Macro – Overall industry, big picture Monopoly – one seller controls market, some companies sued for owning a monopoly * Oligopoly – small number of sellers, each with large share of market, i. e. cars * Monopolistic Competition – (we often see this as consumers) Many different sellers each offering a different benefit and each having a small share of market, i. e. soaps * Perfect Competition – Many small firms all offering similar products, no influence (rare) * Micro environmental competition– Competition for $â€℠¢s with products in the same class, what product alternatives will consumers choose * Competes on 3 levels * For discretionary income – how are people spending disposable income * Product competition – different products meeting the same need, i. e. ravel * Brand competition – same product trying to meet the same need, i. e. treadmills * Competitive Market Structures; Perfect Competition, Monopolistic Competition, Oligopoly, Monopoly * See Competitive Environment * Levels of Competition – Brand (Direct), Product, Total Market Competition (Discretionary Income) * See Competitive Environment * Technological Environment; how does this change industry? * Understanding the impact of technology on all aspects of the business * Distribution * Inventory Control * Communication, etc. * Political/Legal Environment/Federal Legislation (Acts) * Legislation that influences business. Make sure people compete fairly. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – intended to eli minate monopolies by prohibiting price fixing or predatory pricing * Vertical price fixing: When a manufacturer tells a retailer to sell at a fixed price * Vertical price fixing overturned by supreme court 2007 * Horizontal price fixing: When companies get together at the same level and agree to sell a product at the same price (Illegal) * Predatory price fixing: setting prices low to drive others out of business (Illegal) * Clayton Act (1914) – Prohibits tying contacts, take one product must take others * Nike – Violation of this act, LeBron shoes – Florida sued Nike for not delivering the shoes on time for â€Å"withholding† * Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) * Created the Federal Trade Commission to monitor unfair practices * Sociocultural Environment * Refers to the characteristics of the society, the people who live in that society, and the culture that reflects the values and beliefs of the society * Whether at home or in global markets, marketer s need to understand and adapt to their customs, characteristics and practices * Ethnocentrism The belief that one’s own norms and the products made in one’s country are superior * Bias occurs because we tend to use our own cultural frame of reference to judge other people * Ethnography: Researcher lives with people they are studying * Demographics * Statistics that measure observable aspects of a population * Population size * Age * Gender * Ethnic Group * Income * Education * Occupation * Family structure * Social Norms * Specific rules dictating what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable * What ways to dress, how to speak, what to eat and how to behave * Cultural Values * Deeply held beliefs about right and wrong ways to live, that it imparts to it’s members * Talking about sex in public * Product Standardization vs. Localization Advocates of standardization argue that the world has become so small that basic needs and wants are the same everywhere * A focus on the similarities among cultures is certainly appealing * Realize large economies of scale because it could spread the costs of product development and promotional materials over many markets * Consistent exposure also helps create a global brand because it forges a strong, unified image all over the world * Advocates for localization feel that the world is not that small; you need to tailor products and promotional messages to local environments * Marketers feel that each culture is unique, with a distinctive set of behavioral and personality characteristics Chapter 4 – Market Information/Research * Steps in Conducting Market Research (this bullet will answer almost every bullet in this section, so just read over this one it’s in detail) 1.Define the Research Problem a. Specify the research objectives: i. Symptom or problem? ii. Selling the wine for too much money – symptom†¦ problem is the type of cap! What is the true issue? b. Identify your po pulation of interest: iii. Look at surrounding environment iv. What’s happening in the environment, is it a symptom or a problem? 2. Determining Research Design c. Research Design: Specifies what information will be collected and what type of study will be done d. Must determine if we are collecting primary or secondary data v. Primary: We collect data ourselves 1. Finding exactly what you want vi. Secondary: Someone else collects the data . Quality may be cheaper, but not as precise 3. Often outdated e. Determining Specific Information Needs vii. Primary information: Data specifically collected and organized for a particular marketing information need. Original viii. Secondary information: Data gathered for some purpose other than the current marketing information need (i. e. f. Primary Data – 3 types ix. Exploratory (problem identification) 4. Qualitative technique used to generate insights for future, more rigorous studies a. Interviews (1 on 1) b. Focus Groups (8-1 0) c. Ethnographies (researcher lives with people they are studying) d.Projective techniques (take yourself and â€Å"project† yourself into the situation based on information given) i. i. e. Folgers instant coffee – surveyed women ii. If you were making instant coffee you were â€Å"short-changing† your husbands iii. Benefits and features x. Descriptive (problem solving) 5. Quantitative technique that probes more systematically and with more respondents e. How to quantify a qualitative data – use a scale 6. Think frequencies f. Identifying numbers (how many people walk by the mall on campus) 7. Helps identify attitudes of consumers that buy the products g. Satisfaction survey xi. Casual (problem solving) 8.Quantitative techniques that attempt to understand the cause-and-effect relationships h. Test hypotheses i. Independent variable: manipulation j. Dependent variable: measureable outcome 9. Experiments: lab 10. Field Studies: real world 11. Causal Resea rch Example k. I work for Nestle and I believe that chocolate country of origin has an impact on satisfaction with the chocolate iv. Dependent = satisfaction v. Independent = country of origin vi. Independent variable with 5 choices (USA, Mexico, Canada, etc) 1. The more conditions you add, the more subjects you need to have vii. Let’s add an additional IV nuts or no nuts 2.Country of origin (5 choices) x Nuts (2 choices) = 10 conditions 12. You can have as many IV’s as you want, but this increases the number of subjects you need 13. To determine causality you look to see if there is a difference | Exploratory| Problem-Solving| Purpose| Investigation| Actionable information| Research Problem| Not well defined| Specific| Type of data| Qualitative | Quantitative| Sample| Small| Large| 3. Primary Data Collection Methods g. Communication, surveys xii. Mail questionnaires xiii. Telephone interviews xiv. Face-to-face interviews xv. Online questionnaires h. Observation xvi. P ersonal 14. Stores hire researchers to watch people xvii. Mechanical 15.Device that tracks behaviors (black strip that measures how many cars pass a street†¦) * Different Research Study Designs * A plan that specifies what information marketers will collect and what type of study they will do * Cross-sectional design: A type of descriptive technique that involves the systematic collection of quantitative information * Longitudinal Design: A technique that tracks the responses of the same sample of respondents over time * Types of Data: Qualitative, Primary, Secondary * Primary: We collect data ourselves * Finding exactly what you want * Secondary: Someone else collects the data * Quality may be cheaper, but not as precise Often outdated * Qualitative: You cannot put a number on it†¦ i. e. are you happy? Yes or no * Quantitative: You can put a value/scale number on it * Validity and Reliability * Validity: The extent to which research actually measures what it was intended to measure * Reliability: The extent to which research measurement techniques are free of errors * Construct – did we measure what we intended to measure? * Internal – can you identify the true causal relationship (most important) * External – generalizability; does this hold true for my population of interest? * Sampling * The process of selecting respondents for a study Probability sample: Each member of the population has some known chance of being included * Nonprobability sample: The use of personal judgment to select respondents (some cases, they just ask whoever they can find, some members of the population may not be included at all) * Convenience Sample: Nonprobability sample composed of individuals who just happen to be available when and where data is being collected * Independent/Dependent Variables * Independent – manipulation * Dependent – measureable outcome * Advantages/Disadvantages of Primary Data Collection Techniques * Advantage s of primary data collecting * Original * Gathering information for a particular need * Disadvantages of primary data collecting * Expensive * Advantages of secondary data collecting * Cheaper, saves time * Disadvantages of secondary data collecting * Outdated * Data Mining Process in which analysts sift through data to identify unique patterns of behavior among different customer groups * Data mining has 4 primary applications for marketers 1. Customer Acquisition: Many firms include demographic and other information about customers in their database 2. Customer Retention and Loyalty: Firm identifies big-spending customers and then targets them for special offers and inducements other customers won’t receive 3. Customer Abandonment: A firm wants customers to take their business elsewhere because servicing them actually costs the firm too much 4. Market Basket Analysis: Develop focused promotion strategies based on the records of which customers have bought certain products * Data Collection in Other Countries and Cultures Market conditions and consumer preferences vary worldwide and there are major differences in the sophistication of market research operations and the amount of data available to global marketers * Some countries may not have phones, literacy levels may affect mail surveys * Understanding local customs and cultural differences can affect the responses * Solve this problem by including local researchers in decisions about the design * Language: To overcome language barriers, researchers use the process of back-translation – the process of translating material to a foreign language and then back to the original language Additional Topics * Stealth Marketing * When you’re being marketed to, and you don’t realize you’re being marketed to * i. e.Camera phones – Nokia, having employees ask people to take pictures with their camera phones (w/o launching a campaign) * Guerilla Marketing * Doing something in a non-conventional, unique way * i. e. shooting someone from behind a tree†¦ * First time using QR codes * Buzz vs. Hype * What’s the difference? Guerilla marketing is all about creating buzz (goal is to get people to talk about us) * Buzz – people talking about it * As a consumer, we believe buzz over hype * Hype – comes from the company * i. e. television commercial * Hull’s drive theory * As humans, we are wired to know what we need which drives us * Homeostasis -> equilibrium * i. e. shivering when you’re cold Study in 70’s (rise of mini theories) claim there are many contributors to consumers * Darwin’s biological determinism * What motivates us * Cowbird; lays eggs in another species nest * When that egg hatches, it automatically knows the cowbird song * BORN with what motivates us * Cannibalization * When a new product takes sales away from original (existing) product * i. e. Apple 4S to 5, or Coca cola to diet coke * Can b e good and can be bad, depending on the situation * When you introduce a new product and it isn’t good†¦ It can motivate people to move away from the brand as a whole * Negative- having to sell what’s in inventory * Traditional vs. non-traditional media types * Traditional vs.Nontraditional * Subliminal messaging * Self-help cassette tapes * Lose weight label – people got the stop smoking message * Stop smoking – people got the lose weight message * Placebo * All of the Knuff’s Knuggets * Syphilis study – KNUGGET * Testing the spread of syphilis across the spread of African Americans * Infected some people with syphilis, some were given treatment, some were told they would be given treatment – but weren’t * Unethical, U. S. Government backed this study and eventually was sued for millions by families * Milgrim Shock Study * †¦Why we have the IRB * Institutional Review Boards * QR Codes Measures the effectiveness of th e ad * Allows a large amount of information to be displayed in a small space * Part of technological environment * Internal validity is necessary, but not sufficient for establishing external validity *KNUGGET * We have to have internal validity, otherwise its garbage * Just because we have internal validity, does not mean we can generalize or say that we have external validity * Heider’s Balance Theory is one explanation * Suggests that we need to keep triangle in balance * or NIKE GOLF TIGER WOODS YOU All positives around the outsides, or two negatives and one positive

Political science as a social science Essay

Political Science is in part a social science, and in part a humanity. Both are important. In this topic, we will look at the basics of social science inquiry, and then proceed to show how this differs from, on the one hand, inquiry in the natural sciences and, on the other, inquiry in the humanities. Social Science Social science inquiry seeks to develop empirical theory. ?Empirical? refers to things that can be experienced through the five senses of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, or (in the case of political corruption) smelling. Theory? basically means explanation. An empirical theory of politics, then, is an attempt to explain why people behave the way they do politically. If a social scientist (or anyone else) observes people engaging in political behavior, he or she will need to focus on certain characteristics of the people being observed. The observer may wonder why some people differ from others in their political characteristics. Why, for example, are some people Liberals while others are Conservatives and still others are New Democrats. Characteristics that differ from one person to another are called one variables. Those that do not are called constants. Constants are generally less interesting than variables. There is not much point in trying to explain voting behavior in a country in which only one party appears on the ballot. Of course, we might then ask why some countries have only one party whereas others have multi-party systems, but now we are treating ? number of parties? as a variables. Everyday language is full of what are, in effect, hypotheses about political behavior. For example, talk about a ? gender gap? in voting hypothesizes that vote (the dependent variable) is in part a function of gender (the independent variable), with women more likely to vote for the Liberals or New Democrats and men more likely to vote Conservative. Social science research differs from everyday discussion of politics in two ways. The first is where hypotheses come from. Anyone who follows politics will likely carry around in his or her head a lot of ideas about what explains political behavior. Such ideas may come from personal experience, from conversations with others, or from following politics through the mass media. This is true as well for the ways social scientists think about politics. In addition, however, social scientists develop hypotheses more systematically by studying the scholarly literature for the results of previous research. This is important for at least a couple of reasons. For one thing, it is usually the case that the more you learn what is already known about a subject, the more new questions you are likely to have. A review of the literature helps generate new hypotheses. Even more important, social science seeks not merely to describe raw facts, but to explain why people behave the way that they do. To accomplish this, we need to put our ideas into a broader theoretical context that offers such an explanation. It is a fact that in the United States, from 1936 through 2000, the incumbent party has always won the presidency whenever the Washington Redskins won their last home game before the election, and lost whenever the Redskins lost. However, since there is no reasonable explanation for why this should be the case, it is merely an interesting bit of trivia, and no serious observer of politics would rely on it in analyzing the next presidential contest. A second difference is that, for many people, ideas about patterns of political behavior remain merely assumptions. Social science insists that the validity of assumptions must be tested against data. Conceptual definition. We need to know, and be able to communicate to others, what our independent and dependent variables mean. What, in other words, is the idea in our mind when we use a term? Definitions found in dictionaries are examples of conceptual definitions. Sometimes, the idea that is in our mind when we use a term will be obvious, but often it will not. Many concepts used in political science are anything but clear. If we are to study political ideology, for example, we need to spell out with as much precision as possible what that concept means in the context of our research. Operational definition. For hypotheses to be tested, we will need to come up with measurements of our variables. An operational definition is one stated in a way that can be directly measured by data. We strive for a one-to-one correspondence between our conceptual definitions and our measurements (operational definitions) of them. If we succeed, then our measurements have validity and reliability. Data needed to provide operational definitions of our variables come from a wide variety of sources. We may gather the data ourselves. Analysis of data that we gather in order to test hypotheses that we have formulated is called primary analysis. Often, however, this approach would be totally beyond our resources of time, money, and expertise. A nationwide survey of public opinion, for example, would take months to design and carry out, would cost many thousands of dollars, and would require the services of a large survey research organization. Often, secondary analysis of data (that is, analysis of data originally gathered for other purposes) will suit our needs far better. Indeed, very important databases are used almost exclusively in secondary analysis. The Census Canada data is a good example. Other surveys such as the Canadian National Election Study and the General Social Survey were created, in part, for the express purpose of providing quality survey data for secondary analysis by students of Canadian politics. Indeed much of the work using the Canadian National is based on secondary analysis. To facilitate secondary analysis, the University of Toronto Data Library, and other university-based data archives have been established throughout the world. The largest of these is the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) established in 1962. Today, over 500 colleges and universities from all over the world, including the University of Toronto are member institutions. Students and faculty at these institutions obtain datasets that provide the basis for numerous scholarly books, articles, and conference papers, graduate theses and dissertations, and undergraduate term papers. The Social Sciences and the Natural Sciences What we have described as the social science method ? the effort to explain empirical phenomena by developing and testing hypotheses ? could as easily be called simply ? the scientific method,? without the ?  social? qualifier. There are, however, differences between social sciences, including political science, and the natural sciences. Though these are differences in degree, they are important. One difference is that the natural sciences rely much more heavily on experimental design, in which subjects are assigned randomly to groups and in which the researcher is able to manipulate the independent varia ble in order to measure its impact on the dependent variable. Often, when people think about the scientific method, what they have in mind are these sorts of controlled laboratory experiments. In political science, we for the most part are not able to carry out experimental designs. If, for example, we wish to study the impact of party affiliation on decisions by judges, we cannot very well assign judges to different parties, but rather have to take the data as they come to us from observing judges in their natural setting. Experimental design, however, does not define the natural sciences, nor does its absence define the social sciences. Astronomy, for example, must of necessity rely on observation of things that cannot be manipulated. ?Epidemiological?  medical research also relies on non-experimental data. Conversely, the social science discipline of social psychology has been built in large part from experiments in small group laboratories. In political science, a great deal of laboratory research on the impact of campaign commercials has been carried out in recent years. Field experiments are also common, as when survey researchers will test the impact of alternativ e question wordings by splitting their sample and administering different questionnaire forms to different subsets of respondents. Nevertheless, it is fair to say that experimental designs are much less common in the social sciences, including political science, than in the natural sciences. Most of our research design is, in effect, an effort to approximate the logic of experimental design as closely as possible. Other differences, also differences in degree, have to do with lower levels of consensus in the social sciences. There is less consensus about conceptual definition. Even if we agree that power is a key concept for the study of politics, we may not agree on what power means. Chemists, on the other hand, not only agree that molecules are important, they also mean pretty much the same thing when they use the term. There is less consensus about operational definition. Chemists also agree on how to measure the atomic weight of a molecule. Social scientists are far from unanimous in the ways they go about measuring power. It bears repeating that these differences are ones of degree. In the natural sciences there are also disputes at the frontiers of the various disciplines about what concepts are important, what they mean, and how they should be measured. In the social sciences, consensus is likely to break down from the start. Even if we can agree that a particular concept is important, on what it means, and on how it should be measured, we will encounter far larger problems of measurement error than those in the natural sciences, where measurement is not without error, but is typically much more precise. Finally, remember that we are involved in trying to explain human behavior. People do not seem to behave as predictably as molecules. Philosophers are not in agreement on this point, but it may be that human behavior is inherently less predictabl The fact that we deal with tendencies rather than with laws means that, for the most part (and despite impressive work by ? rational choice? theorists to develop formal mathematical models of political behavior), political science makes relatively little use of elegant systems of deduction, but considerable use of statistics, which provides us with valuable tools for dealing with probabilities. Despite its unavoidable limitations, political science as a social science has produced an explosion in our knowledge about politics. This has had important practical consequences. For example, no serious aspirant for a major elected office in an economically developed democracy would consider embarking on a campaign without consulting experts in survey research, a signature social science technique. In addition to being, in part, a social science, political science is also in part a humanity. Political science as a humanity means at least a couple of different things.