ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The nineteenth century saw arise of economies of various nations across the globe. Alongside this growth was the development of strong transportation networks/systems. The settlers movement to the West of America further facilitated spread of technology and hence development of better transport facilities. The growth of cities and industrial centers demanded the revolution of the transport industry to suit the emerging needs As a result of development (Caltrans 2). As the world opens up to a new dawn, one cannot help but question whether the approach taken then, at managing transportation was the best. Milestone in development of transport networks were characterized with increased road network construction; introduction of advanced equipment like steam boats, and most fundamentally, introduction of railroads. Despite America being a leading global economy for many years, it is still confronted by commuter crises, crowded airports, crowded air lanes, screeching airplanes, archaic control equipment, abuses of safety regulations, roads that falls below its perceived global glory. Historical background The transportation network in America forms the pillar upon which the economy runs. Applauded, as one of the best networks in the world, the system provides services to businesses, markets, recreation centers, and jobs among many others. In essence, the transportation touches on the life of every American. It is comprised of road, rail, air, and water networks. While short distances are dominated by automobiles, long distance is mainly based on air transport (Luxner 15). The state and the local government own a vast majority of roads. Though the federal government funds some roads like the inter-state highways, the state still have an obligation to maintain the roads. However, there are a few private highways where tool charges are used to fund construction and maintenance. Most of the local roads are however concentrated in the remote parts of the country. The freight/passenger railway systems, bus services, and water ferry services are classified as either public owned or privately owned (Pucher, and Dijkstra 13). Private ownership is more pronounced across the civilian airlines. Most airports are however owned by the government though there are few privately owned. The American transportation system has developed over the years to be what it is today. Horse transportation dominated in the late 18th century. However, it must be mentioned that utilities that used to serve the country well can no longer meet their obligations now. Though transportation is obviously only one of many daunting challenges that America faces today, it remains an exceptionally important one. Without investing adequately in transportation to refresh our models for funding and managing our system, America is in danger of losing its competitive edge. The ability to move people and goods flexibly, efficiently, and cost-effectively is as critical as ever. It is essential not only to maintaining U.S. global competitivenes
Introduction to the Country China has impressed the whole world with its streamlined economic development and remarkable transformation. Unfortunately, modern observers tend to associate this country mainly with technological advances, while changes within the agricultural sector have turned out to be no less critical. In particular, China’s improvements are connected to a period of reform that started at the end of the 1970s and ended only six years ago. This reform took place in four major steps:  1. Rural reform. This started with a significant increase in household production. As a result, millions of people received an opportunity to overcome poverty. Furthermore, agricultural production improved significantly.  2. Institutional reform. The agricultural sector continued to develop. Rural-urban migration began. The rural labor force became mobile, exerting a positive influence on economic growth.  3. The industrialization process. As people moved from rural to urban territories, urbanization started, and Chinese cities developed.  4. Development in the agricultural sector. The food demand of the majority of the world’s population was met due to increased output and productivity in agriculture. The major food security challenges were met. The country has experienced a great demographic change associated with the government’s desire to reduce its population to overcome a lack of resources and streamline development. The effects of the state population policy and socio-economic alterations have led to a reduction in the fertility rate. Currently, China’s demographics are continuing to change, following a particular pattern, which allows making forecasts for the future. The Role of Agriculture in Development The development of agriculture in China started in the middle of the 20th century, and it can still be observed today, even though it is not that impressive at this time. In the early days, a small agricultural sector was created, and those individuals who worked within it faced numerous limitations associated with the economic disadvantages and drawbacks of the land system. Nevertheless, the country managed to improve this situation and overcome a decline in production. The current stage of modern agriculture that started more than 30 years ago has turned out to be the most beneficial for both the development of the agricultural sector and the whole country. Over the period 1978–1991, the first land contracts for individual farmers were created, which altered the household responsibility system and provided representatives of the general population with an opportunity to significantly increase production. Township enterprises were developed, and the government began to purchase agricultural products following a new reform. Price liberalization took place at this time, and the transition to large-scale agriculture
The issues of development and of the existence of the so-called countries in the world are very important. Today’s globalized world is very concerned about the levels of living that people have in all countries and there is a tendency from the side of the highly-developed countries to help those states that are considered to be underdeveloped. In this respect, the notions of the “Third World” and “globalization” occur. But to understand them more properly it is important to consider the definition of development as it is and see the basic features that are typically attributed to the concept of development in the modern world. This paper is aimed at defining the development as a concept and at considering all its advantages and drawbacks. In this essay it will be shown that development has numerous definitions, is understood differently by various scientists, and has different consequences to various layers of society; this essay will consider the most significant notions connected with development: colonization and its role in the modern development, fighting poverty as one of the main objectives of development, environmental and social influence of development (Willis, 1 – 31). Defining development is a rather challenging matter. There exist numerous definitions and explanations of this concept but there still exists no uniform opinion about it. Certain scholars tend to consider development to be a purely economic category connected with the average figures of budget and figures of the GNP per capita of the population of a certain country. But this approach seems to be too narrow in its essence and can not be applied to the theories that claim environmental, social, or historical development (Remenyi, 190 – 220). Another approach states that development is equal to the concept of modernity and modernization as a process. This definition seems to be a loser to the truth as far as it presupposes the constant progress of the social life of people including such spheres as politics, technology, and, of course, economics. But this very approach seems to be incomplete without one more aspect – people’s welfare. There is another approach that measures the rate of development by the levels of people’s welfare and, if added to the previous defini
One of the most incredible creations of the ancient civilizations, the Ashoka Pillar is the reminiscence of the bygone times and the most incredible specimen of the ancient art. Its magnificence is amazing, and hardly anyone can explain how the people belonging to that era could create something of the kind. One of the greatest mysteries of the modern times, Ashoka Pillar can be compared to the Egyptian pyramids. One of several columns, the Pillar of Sarnath is about fourteen feet tall, of cylinder shape, with four lions seated with their backs to each other at the top. Made of polished sandstone, the column is of yellowish sandy color with a slight tint of brown and gray. Regarding the durability of sandstone, it is miraculous that several columns have stood through centuries and are now the part of our modern world. Although many columns have not survived the time test and crashed, the Ashoka Pillar of Sarnath is still as good as new, with just a few pieces of sandstone missing. One more thing which is well worth mentioning is the shape of the column. The rounded outline, the soft contour and the clear lines are something to admire. The ancient sculptors reached perfection, creating the symbol of Ashoka! The column depicting the four lions looks somewhat fragile, but this is the case of deceptive appearances. The smooth and milky surface makes one think of the most exquisite marble in the palaces of the ancient kings. One of the things which come into the open as one casts a look at the sculpture is the smoothness of the lines. They curve like the waves of the sea, and there is not a single sharp broken line in the sculpture. Breathing with harmony, the curving lines create a specific pattern for the entire sculpture to follow. Because of the smoothness of the lines in each part of the sculpture, it looks in the most harmonic way. The column itself is shaped rather weirdly, with lots of curves and protruding parts. The platform where the four lions are seated has carvings which depict various animals and figures. It must be noted that the animals whose images are carved in the column are mostly domestic ones: a goat, a horse, etc. The lions themselves resemble their living prototypes a lot. With their mouths open, it seems that they are going to jump off the column and run for some prey. It is quite peculiar that none of the lions’ mouths is shaped in the same way; one of them is barely open, while another bares teeth completely. One can see the tongue of one of the lions clearly – perhaps, the animal is yawning. Another feature of the lions in the sculpture is their eyes. They are all wide open, which makes the animals look less realistic and more fairy-tale. Perhaps, designed to mean that these lions are always on the guard, the haunting eyes of these animals in the sculpture provide the strongest impression on the visitors. Despite the fact that lions are one of the fiercest animals in the worl
Introduction Promoting social change is important for enhancing the social well-being. There are numerous social issues that need to be addressed nowadays, and the disenfranchisement of ex-felons is one of them. In this paper, we will describe this problem and, after providing a brief review of advice from literature, will offer some recommendations about how to deal with it. Ex-Felons Disenfranchisement as a Societal Issue The U.S. is one of the strictest countries in the world when it comes to disenfranchising ex-felons. While disenfranchisement is not obligatory on the federal level, many states choose to strip ex-felons of their voting rights. The U.S. has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world (Bisman, 2004, p. 110), and most criminal sentences in the U.S. are the result of a plea bargain; it is estimated that many innocents go to prison this way (Pilkington, 2012). In addition, it is clear that poor people are more probable to be imprisoned, because they are more likely to become suspects of a crime and to be offered and accept a plea bargain (without the trial) than e.g. members of the middle or upper social classes. It is important to “enhanc[e] the general well-being of society and of the individuals and groups within it” (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, 2000, para. 6), “to enhance the quality of life in the society” (American Counseling Association, 2005, p. 2), and “to enhance human well-being… with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed” (National Association of Social Workers, 2008, para. 1). Contrary to what happens in practice, the prison should be a rehabilitation institution. Because the ex-felons disenfranchisement strips many people of their basic political rights instead of providing rehabilitation, it is our opinion that it should not be practiced. The Expert Recommendations from Literature According to Abramovitz (1998), many people working with social problems are often forced to either adjust people to circumstances or promote change in the existing system. Hyde (2004) states that leadership development (in particular, cultivating new leaders) is one of the ways of promoting change (pp. 12-13). When promoting change or acting upon various social issues, it is also essential to “mak[e] your efforts known” (Homan, 2016, p. 323). With regards to the issue of ex-felons disenfranchisement, it appears that the only way to deal with it is to promote change in the existing system (on the federal level or at least on the level of separate states), because the voting rights are stripped according to the state laws. Therefore, social advocacy methods need to be used to address this problem. Applying Change, Leadership, and Advocacy to Implement the Recommendations From the recommendations given in the literature, it is possible to see that social advocacy (i.e., promoting change within the political and social system) can be used to deal with the problem of ex-felons disenfranchisement. Leadership development and promoting new leaders who would address the problem can be employed (Hyde, 2004)
Introduction The complexity of modern society and the tendency towards the sophistication of all spheres of human activities result in the emergence of a need for effective management tools that will help to solve the majority of arising problems and create the basis for the further evolution of various organisations. At the same time, there is the tendency towards the growing importance of business and the increased significance of giant corporations that impact the development of economies. Under these conditions, strategic management acquires the top priority as one of the approaches to drive positive change via the analysis of the current situation and all possible options. Moreover, regarding the constantly growing level of rivalry in various market segments and the appearance of new competitors, the ability to generate a competitive advantage becomes fundamental for successful outcomes. That is why the choice of the effective strategy is a critical element of organisations’ functioning as it impacts their work and results. In this regard, the paper is devoted to the analysis of Disney’s strategic decision to diversify its products via buying popular brands such as Marvel and Lucasfilm. Background The central reason for choosing the Walt Disney Company for the investigation is the corporations fundamental role in the sphere of entertainment and cinema. At the moment, it is one of the most powerful conglomerates that function in the mass-media segment and provide content to viewers and other individuals. The company is headquartered in Burbank, California; however, it offers products for various countries in the world. London Stock Exchange considers it a promising and profitable brand with a high potential for further evolution and growth ( Walt Disney CO n.d.). At the same time, the rising popularity of movies and media products in the modern world stipulated the high level of rivalry in the market segment, and Disney has to compete with such corporations as Sony, CBS, Warner Media. The existence of powerful rivals as well as a particular decrease in popularity preconditioned the need for the implementation of a new strategic incentive aimed at the diversification of products via the purchase of new brands and creation of new products. Strategic Incentive Outlining the central details of the utilised strategy, it is critical to state that the approach presupposed the improvement of Disney’s functioning via a chain of popular brands’ acquisitions to diversify products and enlarge the target population affected by the corporation. Pixar’s purchase can be considered the background for this strategic decision as it showed that the existence of multiple opportunities associated with this sort of deal and the positive impact on the conglomerate’s functioning (Whitten 2018). Moreover, in accordance with Robert Iger’s (Disney’s CEO) strategic plan, the company should create a new value and diversify its products, which can be achieved by acquiring rights for popular franchises and utilising them to offer
One of the key pillars of organizational success is team work; which refers to a working relationship characterized by people working together towards the same target or objective. One benefit of being able to assign tasks to team members is that it enables the manager to consolidate the efforts, skills and abilities of the team members. Team work enables the manager to encourage the active participation of all team members in the achievement of the set goals and objectives. It also leads to enhanced employee performance as well as productive work environment (Carayannis, 2005). Another benefit of being able to assign tasks to team members is that it leads to innovativeness because employees are likely to use their skills and capabilities to their fullest since they are able to express their creativity and demonstrate abilities and talents. The team members give their suggestions freely and are involved in decision making (Weinstein & Jaques, 2010). One of the tools used by managers to assign tasks to team members is the responsibility matrix. This is a tool which outlines all the tasks to be performed, why they should be performed, where they should be performed and who should perform them. Having a responsibility matrix helps the manager to assign tasks because he or she is able to look through the tasks and identify what skills, education and experiences are required to undertake the tasks. The manager is therefore able to match the employees’ skills, experiences and education to the tasks to be performed thus increasing organizational efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Managers who rely on responsibility matrix achieve good results because tasks are undertaken without delay (Parker & Craig, 2008). In project management, mind mapping is the process of putting together information for it to make sense. It is also known as a conceptual frame work of a project, which entails putting ideas on paper before actualizing them in a project. It begins with the name of a project; which is followed by listing and defining all deliverables of the project. An example of a project name is ‘Factors influencing economic dependency levels among educated youths: the case of Nairobi County in Kenya’. The potential deliverables of this project include establishing the influence of entrepreneurial skills on dependency levels, assessing the influence of access to sources of funds for income generating activities on dependency levels, establishing the influence of welfare provision (donations) on levels of dependency and establishing how un
Ecological Integrity The ecological integrity is one of the concepts currently discussed. In fact, the term ‘ecological integrity’ means biodiversity typical of the location and ability of nature to sustain this diversity. In other words, human activity can damage the health of ecological system by destroying the diversity which includes different species of fauna and flora that contribute to the development of the ecosystem and its maintenance in the way it was done for a long period of time. Health of nature is the main concept that should be protected in order to sustain natural biodiversity and preserve biological balance on the planet. Human System The diversity of natural resources varies depending on the location and resources typical for this or that region. In this respect, natural resources are developed and distributed to different countries all over the world to make sure that needs of all people in natural resources are met. Natural gas and oil are the most important and widely applied resources used in different fields such as manufacturing, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, and other areas. Wood is used for making paper, furniture, building houses, and a great variety of other fields. So, I use water, air, gas, oil, wood, and other resources in my everyday life. Environmental Degradation The impact of human activity on the environment is mostly negative whereas many people and corporations try to reduce the gas emissions and pollution of water, soil, and air. In other words, the degradation of natural environment is the expected outcome of the use of natural resources without thinking about the results of it and its impact on ecosystems that become less and less sustainable. Social Issues The use of resources should be discussed on the local, regional, national, and international levels instead of criticizing every individual separately. However, the changes that can be introduced to reduce the negative impact of human activities on ecosystem and biodiversity should start with a personal donation of every individual. In this respect, I can say that buying devices that can be easily recycled and reducing the use of energy inefficient technologies would be my first steps in changing my impact on society from using resources. Moreover, encouraging others to reduce the negative impact on ecosystem could be a good contribution as well. Sustainability Goals The difference can be made with the help of environmentally safe products, resources, and technologies. Moreover, it is important to remember that people can improve the ecological sustainability by stopping destruction of forests and impact on ocean floor. In other words, every part of the ecosystem consists of the species that are native to the location and the resources such as water sources or forests that are natural setting for these species. So, the main sustainability goal concerns maintaining the ecosystem so that it was not damaged and could remain biologically diverse during a long period of time. The Timeline The timeline necessary to sustain the biod