Tree top walk in fern tree park

Executive SummaryKeeping ecological value and commercial value is so of import to a national park that developing new land usage method is of great significance. Ferntree Gully National Park used to be a hunting land by the Bunurong ( Western Port ) and Woiworung ( Yarra Yarra ) natives for 100s of old ages. It is now a popular walking finish with many walking paths available. This study will give certain On-the-spot probe and research analysis to the current state of affairs of Ferntree Gully National Park. First, we will reexamine the long history and important alterations of this park. Then, we will give analyses and treatments on the environmental characteristics and on this footing propose a manner of land usage alteration. In this subdivision, certain statistics along with charts from our old group work will be used to back up my positions. Finally, effects of the proposed land usage alteration will be discussed and the possible advantages and disadvantages will be expected.Int roductionWith touristry going the thriving and back uping industry of many national states, national Parkss account for a great proportion in the modern travel manner. Therefore, keeping the ecological and commercial values of these Parkss is non merely of import but besides a serious job. Ferntree Gully National Park is one of the five subdivisions of Dandenong Ranges National Park. Bing the south western subdivision of Dandenong Ranges National Park, Ferntree Gully National Park is celebrated for its fitness-related walking and it is besides a popular topographic point for field daies. In order to take full advantage of this national park and keep its ecological and commercial values, researches are conducted and we besides visit this national park. Consequently, this study will discourse the current state of affairs we have learned of this site. And based on this, to assist keeping the ecological and commercial values of this park, constructing a tree-top walk in this site will b e proposed as a manner of land usage alteration. The possible effects including both advantages and disadvantages of this tree-top walk will be discussed at the terminal of this study. During the analysis and treatment, certain statistics and illustrations will be used to enrich this study and back up my point of position.Discussion and AnalysisSite researchThe south-western subdivision, busying about 600 hectares being portion of the larger Dandenong Ranges National park, is known as Ferntree Gully National Park which was named after an 1860 picture of the local wood ( Ferntree Gully, Upper, 2008-11-26 ) . Bing in the suburb country, this national park has a long and colourful history. As studied in the old group work, this site had been used as runing land and so logging country. In 1987 Sherbrooke Forest, Doongalla Reserve and Ferntree Gully National Park were combined to organize the early Dandenong Ranges National Park. Until June 1997, Olinda State Forest and the Mt Evelyn Forest are included in today ‘s Dandenong Ranges National Park. Ferntree Gully National Park is an ideal finish to get away metropolis life for a field day or amble through the wood for tourers all over the universe. It is noted for its walking paths, its positions of Melbourne, its ferneries, eucalypt woods, picnic countries, birdlife, mammals and its vegetations, including 47 species of native orchids, native grasses, eucalypts and bushs such as shrub pea and austral anil ( Ferntree Gully, Upper, 2008-11-26 ) .Site visit studyLocation As we have studied in the old group work, this site is in the south western subdivision of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, it locates between the suburbs of Ferntree Gully and Boronia to the West, Upwey to the South, Tremont and Sassafras to the E and The Basin to the North ( Wikipedia ) . From the map shown below, traffic is convenient in this site. Approximately one hr of the 40 kilometres drive from Melbourne via Burwood Highway or Canterbury Road can take you to the site. Geology Landform The GPS map below approximately shows the Landform of Ferntree Gully National Park. With the aid of GPS, geomorphology development of this site can be studied. Harmonizing to the Department of Primary Industry ‘s description of comparative lift ( McDonald et Al, cited in DPI – Relative Elevation ) , the landforms of Ferntree Gully National Park are classified in two types: height from 90 to 300 metres and altitude above 300 metres. The former is defined as ‘Hill ‘ and the latter ‘Mountain ‘ . Dirt Soil PH is an of import portion of the life environmental conditions for workss and dirt microorganisms. The ideal dirt PH ( H2O ) trial consequence is PH 6-7.5 for most sorts of workss, although many will digest PH 5.5-8.5. Different species may hold different preferred PH scopes, therefore considerations should be taken to take an appropriate life circumstance. From Figure 3, the dirt PH is likely to be 5.5-6.0, looking to be influenced by the vent magma, and shows decrepit acidic. For the bulk workss here ( ferns ) , the most approximative dirt PH is merely 5.5-6.0. Therefore, the local workss species have already been in ideal life conditions in this reasonably acidic circumstance, although the dirt PH is non in the perfect impersonal scope. Climate Rain may impact the local workss and microorganisms. Moderate rainfall may contribute to the exuberant flora and comfortable bugs. The mean rainfall of this site holds steady throughout the twelvemonth harmonizing to Figure 4. Of the rainfall studied by now, the sum of rainfall in February 2011 is about ternary of the average rainfall during the last 17years. This inordinate rainfall may increase the hazards of deluging in the country. As can be seen in Figure 5, topography of the zone does hold influence on the rainfall in this country. The above figure shows a wetting agent western confronting incline and a drier eastern confronting incline. The ground seems to be that the predominating air current from the ocean blows from the West and weakens before making the E. Another of import factor to explicate the local clime must be temperature. Figure 6 shows the maximal temperatures at this site and Figure 7 shows the minimal temperatures. Both figures show that the temperatures of November to March are higher than the other months, which matches with the features of summer seasons of the southern hemisphere. Hydrology Water is the beginning of the life. Water keeps the organisms operation and the land green. From Figure 8, two little brooks can be seen: Ferntree Gully Creek to the south/east and the feeders of Blind Creek to the West, which finally lead to the Dandenong Creek and flows into Port Phillip Bay ( Victorian Water Resources Interactive Map ) . It is a job that no major H2O organic structure is within this site. Ecology Vegetation The coverage of land flora has certain effects on the ambiance and clime in this country. Plant photosynthesis can devour C dioxide and supply O therefore purifies air and weakens the nursery consequence. Harmonizing to the old group work, the species of flora within this site portion a broad scope. In Figure 9, flora of this site can be divided into their native flora group. In Figure 10, it is specified harmonizing to the categorization made by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The similarity of both figures shows that the flora within this site is separated into many communities and owes a broad scope. Faunas Another biological feature of an eco-system is fauna which forms the cardinal portion of the nutrient concatenation. The superior flora conditions help to back up a assortment of mammals and supply shelters for them.Effectss of constructing a Tree-Top Walk in this siteHarmonizing to the probe and analysis of this site, the park is an ideal topographic point for sightseeing and touristry. With the rapid development of Australian touristry, it is necessary to keep the ecological and commercial values of this park in the long term.fifty Tree-Top WalkThe Tree-Top Walk was the lone Australian attractive force to win an award and was chosen from more than 75 entries from 38 states ( TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA ) . Since it foremost put into usage, it attracts 1000s of repetition clients. Harmonizing to a sample study of 385 on Tree-Top Walk in the south West of Western Australia ( Hughes, M. & A ; Morrison-Saunders, A. , 2002 ) , consequences showed that ‘the bulk of repetition visitan ts to the Tree-Top Walk were female and had returned to demo the site to friends and/or relations who were first clip visitants. First clip visitants were impressed by both the Tree-Top Walk construction itself and the natural forest milieus ‘ . Figure 12 shows a exposure of the Tree-Top Walk.cubic decimeter EffectssAdvantagesTree-Top Walk helps to keep the ecological and commercial values of Ferntree Gully National Park. Tree-Top Walk itself non merely provides a convenient and perfect position of the eco-beauty, but besides it is a giant of modern architecture. Looking down from the high paseo, tourers can good bask the rain forest below and take a breath fresh air at the same clip without destructing the ecosystem. Repeated clients besides bring high benefits for the park. Given below are illustrations of Tree-Top Walk in different attractive forces. ‘The HSBC Tree-Top Walk,a freestanding suspension span, connects the two highest points of MacRitchie and offers an first-class vantage point for the diverse community of workss and animate beings that live in the forest canopy. ‘ ( TA_Singapore_Guide,2010 ) ‘The walk commences at the visitant Centre, which subtly introduces you to the rain forest, falling gently to the entry construction and onto the steel trussed tree walk. ‘ ( Otway Fly Tree-Top Walk )DisadvantagesThingss ever have two sides, no exclusion for Tree-Top Walk. This immense building giant is time-consuming and money-consuming. The park will likely be closed during the building for a long clip and the immense sum of money will be another job. Besides, security steps for possible dangers are to be considered. A survey concentrating on whether the Tree-Top Walk delivered benefits associated with traditional ecotourism shows no optimistic ( HUGHES M. , MORRISON-SAUNDERS A. , 2003 ) .DecisionConstructing a Tree-Top Walk is likely to be an anticipating land usage alteration for Ferntree Gully National Park. Harmonizing to researches and surveies above, it does supply a manner to keep the ecological and commercial values of this site. Although it may confront certain hazards, the possible net incomes accompanied may be immense. Detailed programs and plans should be developed if this undertaking is to be carried out.

Economic Status of The United States in 1950 Essay

Emerging victorious from World War II five years earlier, the United States in 1950 was reaping the benefits of a growing economy – benefits that were actually derived out of the country’s participation in the War. The destruction and mayhem brought by the global conflict also brought with it several positive contributions to the economy. Some would even argue that the country’s participation in World War II actually saved it from the Great Depression. To understand the economic boom of the 1950s it is necessary to appreciate the positive impacts that were borne out of World War II. The foundation for the economic expansion and growth experienced in 1950 and several years after that were laid during World War II. To fund and support the country’s war time efforts, it had to recruit millions of American soldiers to be sent to the war front as well as to be stationed at home. Factories had to be built to produce war materiel – guns and ammunitions, military transport, tanks, fighter planes and bombers, etc. To man the factories women and older people had to be recruited as most of the able-bodied men were at war. WWII created jobs and gave life to many industries and energized a nation. Among the industries that prospered during and immediately after the war were the newspaper industry, the agriculture industry and even Hollywood. Industries that produced transport and plant machineries also prospered. Throughout the War, women, for the first time, were given the opportunity to work outside their homes and participate in nation building. The participation of the women in the labor force started to increase during this time. The War also provided opportunities that would later be manifested in the 1950s. Take for example many of America’s products went overseas – introducing themselves to new markets. Many had actually feared that the end of the War would lead the country back to depression. With production of military supplies coming to an end, this fear had its basis – for the entire economy was propped up by all that had to do with the global conflict. Fortunately, this was not the case. The victory relished by the nation brought about confidence in the government and the economy. The common consumer best exhibited this confidence as the strong consumer demand spurred economic growth after the War. Leading towards the 1950s, industries that experienced a surge in growth included the automobile industry and the housing industry, and new industries experienced fantastic births – industries such as aviation and electronics. There was also another outcome of WWII that contributed to post War growth – the Cold War between U. S. and the U. S. S. R. Many of the military industries that sprouted during the war continued to do big business after it. As communist block emerged as a military power in Europe, America had to arm itself against what it considered as a threat. Huge investments were made in the defense of the country. Such investments meant jobs, factories, huge spending – all contributed to the boom of the 1950s. The economic success of the country probably influenced its leaders to advocate the replication of an open economy at the international level. This is best evidenced by the country’s spearheading the establishment of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Gross Domestic Product and Per Capita GDP  In 1950, the country’s GDP was at $293. 8 Billion (in current dollars). At that time, Per Capita GDP was $9,573. 00 – making the United States the number one country world wide in this aspect. By 1996, GDP was at $13. 194 Trillion. Per Capita GDP was at $43,800. 00 – however, the country ranked only at 10th place world wide in this respect. Post World War II scenario showed that too few economies survive the war while a great majority, especially in Europe, was greatly affected. Many developments starting in the late 1970s toward the early 2000s enabled other countries to overtake the U.  S. in terms of Per Capita GDP. As Per Capita GDP is influenced by population, countries that had significant economic growth coupled with low birth rate were able to surpass the U. S. in this indicator. However, the U. S. remains the most powerful economy in 2007 taking into consideration other indicators. Employment and Unemployment In 1950, the civilian labor force was about 58 million strong. Only 5. 3 percent of the labor force was unemployed. 41. 6 million of the labor force at that time were males, while only 17. 34 million were females. By 1996, the labor force grew to about 142 million while unemployment rate as at 5 percent. 76 million were males while 66 million were females in the labor force. In the 1950s, the number of workers in the services sector caught up with workers in goods production industries. The same time also saw the rise of white-collar jobs and the strengthening of labor unions. Awareness on labor rights was on a rise. The biggest impact experienced by the labor force was the increase in women’s participation in employment activities. Accordingly, women have literally poured nto the labor force starting in 1950. By 1990, women’s participation in the labor force would nearly double. On the other hand, men’s participation would drop over time. Per Capita Personal Income In 1950 the Per Capita Personal Income was pegged at $1,501. 00. By 2006 this rose to about $36,600. 00. Though marked by huge difference in amount, it can be noted that $1,501. 00 in 1950 could by more goods and services than the $36,600 in 2006 as illustrated by the CPI rates for both years. Consumer Price Index and Inflation With 1967 as base year, CPI in 1950 was registered at 72. – meaning that a basket of goods and services bought in 1950 were 72. 1 percent of the price of the same goods and services bought in 1967. By 2006, the CPI was at 603. 5. This meant that the same basket of goods and services bought in 1967 would cost 603. 5 percent more in 2006. Inflation rate in 1950 was at a steady 1. 09 percent. In 2006 the rate was at 3. 24 percent. Emerging Industries 1950 saw the emergence of new industries that were anchored on new technologies. Among these is the aerospace industry. The great success of the heavy bombers during the war emphasized importance on innovation. Improvements in engine design, metallurgy, and arms technology helped advance the industry as well as improve manufacturing procedures. The onset of the Cold War ensured that the industry was there to stay. At its peak, the industry hired hundreds of thousands of workers in four major factories. The industry was also fueled by a $3 billion government spending. Other industries that grew during this time were boosted by other industries. Take for instance the housing boom experienced after war. New homes meant additional furniture and appliances as well as new cars. The consumer-led growth likewise spread to other areas. The introduction of television to the masses spurred the growth in electronics. There were also after effects in the growth of industries. As the demand for homes and cars increased, many Americans were lured out of central cities to the suburbs. The construction of better highways also contributed to these phenomena. Farmers though were facing tough times. As people left farm lands, lesser people were left behind to do farm work. This led to a drop in the productivity of the farm sector. Innovations and the Transformation of Business  At a personal level, 1950 saw the introduction of the first hand held T. V. remote control – a device that would be seen as a necessity in many households for years to come. Color TV also emerged thru the issuance of a license to CBS Network. Another innovation is the introduction of the first credit card – Diners – also an item that would come across as a necessity in modern times. The first pagers were also developed in 1950. In the business front, 1950 would usher in an era marked by consolidation of large companies. Businesses would combine to create bigger, greater businesses. Example, International Telephone and Telegraph bought Sheraton Hotels, Continental Banking, Hartford Fire Insurance, Avis Rent-a-Car, and other companies. Notable Events and Personalities Notable events of 1950 included the following: Start of the Korean War – influenced greatly by the U. S. and USSR at opposite sides, North and South Korea would tangle in a three-year war that highlighted the tension during Cold War regime. Development of the Hydrogen Bomb – raged by the atomic bomb testing by USSR, the government pursued the development of a hydrogen bomb. Senator Joseph McArthy – started the Red Scare in halls of the U. S. Senate – making accusations that the State Department was filled with Communists or their sympathizers. The Senator’s actions led to the adoption of the term McCarthyism – describing intense anti-Communists sentiments. This period coincided with and fueled the onset of the Cold War between America and the USSR. Thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or sympathizers during this time – Americans in various sectors of the society. History would later judge these accusations as reckless and baseless. While Senator McArthy gained considerable media mileage at the start of his â€Å"campaigns,† he would be later unmasked as a grandstanding antic who had little or no evidence to back up his accusations. Many of the people Senator McArthy accussed suffered greatly. Many loss their jobs, had their careers ruined while some were even unjustly imprisoned. Conclusion The end of World War II led to the end of the Great Depression and the start of a long period of economic expansion through the 1950s. It is quite ironical that the most destructive war in history would contribute to the emergence of the strongest and biggest economy in the world. The confidence on the economy was obviously brought about by the country’s victory in the War. Tempered by strong collaboration between the government, businesses and the consumers, the U. S. emerged from the War a lot stronger and economically strengthened. Industrial expansion during wartime brought economic impetus that would be carried on even after WWII. The fact that most of the major economies were slow to recover from the after effects of the conflict placed the United States at absolute and relative advantage over both its allies and its enemies.

A Critical Exploration Of The Increasing Fragmentation Of Policing

But this trend should not come as a surprise considering that publicly funded agencies that grew during the 19th century did not really eradicate the involvement of the private sectors in policing (Ericson Kevin 1997). With the shift to private policing, investors in the security industries have seen their earnings steadily increase. This trend has stimulated a growing interest in contemporary international politics and has become the focus of widespread journalistic coverage. Some view the increasing fragmentation of policing as government’s failure to providing the most basic needs, security. As pointed out by Garland (2001), the pervasiveness of private firms is an indication of the impotence of governments in addressing the most basic demands. The increasing trend of outsourcing security tasks marks the state’s retreat towards a more coordinating role rather than a providing role As Button states: the increasing privatization of policing has eroded one of the founding myths of modern societies: ‘the myth that the sovereign state is capable of providing security, law and order, and crime control within its territorial boundaries’ (Button 2012, p.22). Whereas privatization of policing may indicated states’ failure in providing fundamental security services to its citizens, this is not necessarily true.. It does not necessarily mean that the state is dying but rather diversifying and developing. Several key questions arise when debating on this topic. Why the increase in fragmentation of policingwhat are the implications of such trends in terms of democratic legitimacy, effectiveness and equityIn the midst of the far-reaching transformation, how best can the multiplicity of institutional reforms involved in policing be governed? This paper addresses these questions with evidence drawn from various perspectivesfrom various perspectives. it The paper provides an adequate account for the shifting structures of security, providing an explanation for the increasing fragmentation and debating the extent to which it privatization of policing has occurred. In order to understand the trend towards private policing and the reasons for the increasing fragmentation, it is important to first explore the historical development. Since it is beyond the scope of this paper to examine the 1st world war and the 2nd world war more in depth, the paper will briefly touch on some of the important transformations. depth the post-conflict proliferation of the 1st and 2nd World Wars, it will briefly touch on some important developments that led to the rise of private security industry. Historical context The involvement of thee private secto in crime control and prevention can be traced back to the cold war. During the cold war, the private military sector provided services ranging from logistics to direct combat (Cusumano 2010). A prime example is the US firm Vinnel which was contracted to train Saudi Arabian National Guard in 1977. Other private security actors military sectors involved in military assistance during the cold war period include the British Watchguard, Gurkha Security Guards, KMS, Saladin and DSL(Cusumano 2010). Whilst the growing trend towards privatization of policing is not a new phenomenonIt is clear that th involvement in security tasks is not a new phenomenon and has been there since the cold war period. However the transformations that followed after the cold war triggered the tectonic change and lead to the increasing in fragmentation of policing. First, there was massive downsizing with most of the armies which created a market for military assistance (Lock 199). With the demise of the cold war, the losing parties saw their military personnel transfer to other theartres. Having lost in both wars, Germany became the major source of private proliferation. The transformation that took place with most of the armies increased the demand for external contractors. Th, Second, the strain on human resources and the increase in emphasis on specialization led to outsourcing of functions other than direct combat, such as foreign military training. This is evident with the planned gradual privatization of activities other than combat by the US Department of Defense in 2001 (Cusumano 2012). Neoliberal reforms Apart from transformations that took place during othe post-cold war period, this trend was further reinforced by the rise of neoliberals. The emergence of neo-liberal ideas that emphasized on the importance of fragmentation of power has played a key role in this trend. This perspective is in line with Focault’s concept of dispersion of power. Neoliberal ideas such as outsourcing, privatization and public private partnerships that were aimed at streamlining bereacracies played a key role towards this trend. The rise of neoliberalism during the late 1970s led to the Outsourcing, privatization and public private partnerships that were formed during the late 1970s to streamline bureaucracies resulted in the shift from the state-centered hierarchical structures towards the more diverse horizontal structures (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). Neoliberal reforms aimed at limiting the power of the state by finding means of rendering them accountable (Button2012). These new arrangements empowered private actors to increase their involvement in security provision. In this regard, he rein of power can be said to have been taken over by the private sector appears to have been taken over by private corporations. As emphasis was placed on conflict settlement that goes beyond the state, this led to the widening of police infrastructure to include private bodies. In many states, public policing underwent major neoliberal reforms. Hybrid public-private structures were developed across many countries driven by the neoliberal ideology. However, the idea of diminishing power of the state As the upsurge of private security companies has led to the expansion of the state rather than the ‘rolling back of the state’.The impact of this upsurge in private security has been the expansion of the state rather than ‘rolling back of the state’. The increase in fragmentation and privatization has extended the state apparatus of criminal justice and strengthened the institutional architecture of crime control rather than diminishing or reducing the powers of the state (Steden Sarre 2007). Privatization revolution The increasing fragmentation can also be said to have been driven by the ideological shift brought about by the ‘privatization revolution’. This is related to the emergence of ‘ mass private property’ where workplaces, leisure facilities, shopping malls and many other places are manned by private security guards. Whereas these places may be open to the public, in reality, they are private spaces. This seem to have has contributed to the growth of private security to the extent that private firms have mimicked nation states, a form of ( Button 2012). ‘Marketization’ or ‘commodification of policing The trend has further been reinforced by‘commodification’ of security which has resulted due to increased public demands that the police have not been able to satisfy. the involvement of the private sector in security provision has been seen as private is an appropriate means for dealing with the growing lawlessness and crimes. Rising cases of impunity across the globe have increased the demands for private security. Sierra leone is a prime example. Despite its small size, it is known globally a paradigm case of security privatization. The highly publicized activities of private security firms such as Sandline International and Executive Outcomes have made this small sized country globally recognized as the target of transnational security firms. Of course, this resulted due to the intense conflict in the country and presence of numerous rebel armies and civil defense militias. has conflict and the numerous rebel armies and civil defense militias in the country. The increasing demand for security across the globe has no doubt led to this momentous growth. Unrest and violence across various parts of the world including Syria, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan have further strengthened the need to have these transnational security companies. Some of the well-known examples of these transnational firms are the Securitas Group and Group 4 securicor which have developed their operations in more than 100 countries (Musa Kayode 2000). Group 4 Securicor officers are currently providing protection to US troops in Kosovo. Minimize public costs Perhaps a most crucial factor that has played a central role towards this trend is the need to cut public costs. Given the rising cost of training and maintaining standing armies, many states have sought more cost effective ways of policing such as outsourcing security tasks to private sectors. (Krahmann 2002). Expertise of the private sector A more convincing argument for the proliferation of private security firms is related to expertise. The expansion can be attributed to the increasing emphasis on specialization of personnel. That is, the states have felt it necessary to outsource other security functions other than combat such as military training. It is a fact that success in military operations today is dependent on the state of the art technology. But most of the public military personnel do not have the necessary training for use of sophisticated technology. For example, the US relies on private military firms in using and maintaining sophisticated techology such as the Global Hawk unmanned aircrafts and the Predator (Tzifakis 2012). Private firms have an advantage in terms of their expertise especially given their practice of hiring regional expertise. ontrary to the above view, private security companies have come under immense criticism for their low standards of professionalism. Despite their high profile in forensic accountancy and expertise in several areas such as manning of aircrafts, the most dominant view has been that of an industry filled with corrupt, amoral, and incompetent employees (Steden Sarre 2007). This is evident with most of the studies conducted in North America which portray private security guards as poorly educated, marginally paid and hastily trained figures with dubious characters (Prenzer 2004, and livingstone Hart 2003) Risk-based thinking and global assemblages The increasing fragmentation of policing can also be said to have resulted due to risk based thinking and global assemblageswhere global security actors are integrated in the provision of security. Paradigm cases of global security assemblage can be seen in Nigeria and Siera leone. In Sierra Leone, private security firms have used their material resources including technical expertise to wield significant influences within global security assemblages. For example, in the case of Diamond minning by Koidu Holdings, PSCs especially Securicor Gray have used their capabilities and material resources to exert their influence onwield significant impact on the choice of security strategies (Abrahamsen Williams 2006). Similarly, global assemblages and risk based thinking appear to have contributed to the rise of private policing in Nigeria which is estimated to have between 1500 and 2000 private security companies (Keku Akingbade 2003). A good example of the global security assemblage in Nigeria is the contract between Group4Securicor and Chevron Nigeria Ltd (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). Through this contract, Group4Securicor replaced most of the local security companies that provided manned guarding together with the police. Whilst this private company was mandated to guard the CNL headquarters, the operational base in Escravos and the two logistical bases in Warri and Port Harcourt; it has used its material resources and legitimacy to expand its mandate beyond guarding these areas. Geographical fragmentation A further probable reason for the increasing fragmentation of policing is the geographical fragmentation. This has led to the shift from government to governance within the transatlantic community (Krahman 2002, p. 23). Two developments are linked to this geographical transformation: progressive replacement of nation state and shift towards regional and global governance; and a shift towards private security actors. The shift towards regional and global governance can be seen with the geographical expansion of the EU and the NATO (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). While the sideway shift to privatization of security functions can be seen with the proliferation of various private security firms. Growing awareness of importance of private sector in global governance Finally, the trend has been reinforced by the growing awareness of importance of the private sector in global governance. In fact, a with Global Compact Initiative has been established to create partnership between the UN and private sector on human rights issues. , Kofi-Annan, the former secretary to the UN, once contemplated the possibility of the using private security firms in peacekeeping missions both in the provision of logistics and military combat (Abrahamsen Willliams 2007). Today, we have many private agencies providing military assistance to the UN, Nato and even African Union peacekeeping missions. Whilst th idea of a private police established to achieve accountability of public police may sound realistic, there is little persuasive evidence regarding the effectiveness of the private institutions in performing this role. In fact, it is case that the private sector is largely unaccountable. In theory, it is stated that both the public and private police are accountable through the criminal law of their actions. However, there is no persuasive proof to support this claim in practice. Notorious examples can be seen with the recent events which Some of the recent infamous events that unfolded in California. This indicates indicatinghow how difficult it is to convict public police offenders (Stenning 1994). Fragmentation and privatization of policing a global phenomenon The trend towards private policing is clearly evident across the globe. For example, in Russia, there has been an explosive growth in private security personnel since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Whilst statistics indicate that Russia had almost 200,000 licensed private personnel in 1999, the the actual number is has been estimated to exceed 850,000 (Steden Sarre 2007). Similarly, A similar trend can be seen in Bulgaria which currently has about 130,000 personnel employed in private security sector in sharp contrast to 28,000 state police officers (Steden Sarre 2007). A similar trend can be seen with emerginerging economies of Asia. India has also echo the trend with over 5 million private security personnel, a figure that i exceeds the police, army, air force and the navy put together. In China, private guards are forecast to grow from the current 3 million to 5 million in the coming years. Not only is this trend evident in the Middle East and growing economies of Asia, but also across the US and the UK and in most Latin American countries. The US employs approximately 1.5 and 2 million private security personnel, outnumbering the public police by almost three to one (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). Similarly, the private security personnel in the UK outnumber the state police by a ratio of two to one. This growth is also reflected in the Latin American countries, African countries and even across Central and Eastern Europe. The resurgence is clearly evident across the world as countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic continue to witness growth of private policing witnessing growth in this sector. Almost all countries now have their private security personnel exceeding the police number. A further trend that has been observed and has perhaps been under-theorized or under-evaluated is the increasing emergence of transnational policing. Besides privatization of policing, there has been an expansion in cooperation between member states in areas of policing (Button 2012). Traditional forms of cooperation based on distribution of information through bodies such as the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) have now been transcended by organizations such as the European Criminal Police Office (Europol) (Button 2012, p. 25). In addition, there has been an increase in information sharing and the exportation of ideas among private security firms. For example, corporations such as Corrections of America and Wakenhut exportation have exported their ideas to the UK and Australia (Steden Sarre 2007). However, in some countries, private policing is still at its infancy. For example,In n Greece, the ratio between the private and public security personnel remains relatively small. This can be attributed to the security market that barely existed in Greece until the late 1990s when legislation that mandated some of the key requirements for a licensed security firm was passed (Steden Sarre 2007). Other countries with a relatively low private security to police ratio include Italy, Portugal, Malta, Cyprus and Spain. Most of these countries still make more use of the police officers than private security guards. Nonetheless, the momentous growth of private policing is inevitable and is occurring across the globe. Concerns/controversies over private policing Traditionally, the state has been seen as a monopoly in crime prevention and control (Button 2012). However, evidence has emerged that have raised questions regarding the state’s monopoly in policing. Evidence have pointed to the increasing ‘pluralization’ or ‘fragmentation’ of policing as seen with the increasing involvement of the private sector and voluntary organizations in crime prevention and control. This raises key questions such as: does the state still have a monopoly in policing given the increasing fragmentationOr rather it can be questioned: did it ever have a monopoly given that the fragmentation in policing is not a new phenomenonThe only thing that is new is the increasing fragmentation and the expansion of private security. Whilst the pervasiveness of these private firms may signal the state’s failure in addressing the most basic demands for security, it should not be viewed as weakening of the state’s role. It does not necessarily mean that the state is dying but rather diversifying and developing. Encouraging private personnel to become more involved in crime control is to support the state’s activities by allowing these individuals to become auxiliaries of the state as opposed to becoming rivals (Sarre 2002). Of course, there are concerns with this trend of privatization of policing with the greatest dangers being the subversion of public interests into profit maximization. Another concern relates to the fact that privatization results in more unequal access to protection and security with differential treatment in the provision of security services to the rich and the poor (Stenning 1994). A further danger is that private policing may lead to the erosion of the cherished notions of liberty, human dignity and privacy which may eventually results in an intolerably controlled and regulated society It is clear that the state’s role is changing. The increasing fragmentation of policing is evidence of a new social world where governance is no longer monopolized by the states, but rather one in which the rein of power is taken over by the private sector. there is a dispersion of power more to the private sector. The hope of many is for governance to be controlled by the local communities. However, the reality is the emergence of a pervasive and intrusive corporate governance where in capital interests become the priority and are more pursued than that the interests of the local communities (Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2007). Further, there is the it is the possibility that the state might slowly wither away and that the proliferation of private security firms may pose threat to the state’s sovereignty. Other problems relate to issues such as the lack of transparency and accountability and political control over the operations of these private firms. The fundamental goal of outsourcing such service is obviously to protect the citizens from harm and against human rights violations. Whereas the outsourcing of security services to private firms is justifiable, it may be subject to violent manipulations. One variant to this manipulation can arise through coercion towards prospective clients by the private security firms with the aim manipulating them to buy into their services. Another maipulation can arise where these firms invite others to commit crime in order to increase demand for their protection. There is a possibility that the private security may also end up creating ‘security enclaves’ as their availability in the open market allows the wealthy and ruling elites to buy more of their services than the less-priviledged counterparts hence running counter to the social bonds considered essential to security (Karsent Volker 2000). In fact, the so called ‘security enclaves’ have emerged in the US. This is a clarion call to pay attention to isssues of accountability for attention to paid more on control and accountability especially given the increasing fragmentation and privatization. But, as argued by Les Johnston (1992), some of these concerns are not unique and do not constitute compelling arguments against private policing. For example, the concern over the subversion of public interests into profit maximization is not unique. This concern is also evident with the public police where corruption and political interests have led to public disservice. Criticism of erosion of state’s sovereignty might not necessarily be true as the private security sectors have often acted under the government’s control. For example, Siera Leone is far from entirely private as the government still plays a key role by integrating public forces and setting the legal framework. Future of private security market Nonetheless, there is a clear momentous growth of the private security sector. The massive growth is evidence of expansion of this type of market. In fact, the industry’s global turnover was maintained during the recessionary period indicating the high demand for this type of service across the globe. In 2007, the global security service market was valued at $136 billion and in 2009, it was estimated at $152 billion (Steden Sarre 2007). The future for private security firms seems promising given the increasing demand of security services driven by the rise upsurge in conflicts, war and human right violations across various sectors of the globe. The commercial private security market is currently estimated to be $165 billion and is forecast to grow at a rate of 18% per anum into the foreseeable future. Despite the recent decision made by the US DoD to reduce reliance on support service contractors to pre-9/11 levels, the global market for private security services is anticipated to continue to grow to reach $218.4 billon in 2015 (Tzifakis 2012). However, much of this growth would be mainly concentrated in the emerging economies. What was once a â€Å"quiet revolution† has grown in size and demand to become a global actor in in the provision of security services. Conclusion There is no doubt that the privatization of policing has become a reality. This is evident with the proliferation of private security actors across the globe with activities that range from manned guarding to surveillance and risk analysis to even military combat. The increasing fragmentation has clearly been triggered by several key developments: the emergence of neoliberal ideas; second the increasing commodification of security; third, the global assemblages and risk based thinking; fourth, the transformations that took place during the post-cold war period, and the fourth, emergence of the â€Å"privatization revolution†. lso, the increased emphasis on specialization of personnel, the geographical fragmentation and the increasing recognition of the role of private sector in global governance have no doubt played a significant role towards this trend. All these processes have been central to the growing fragmentation and globalization of private security. However, these changes have fueled controversies. On the one hand, it has helped secure the transition to democracy by providing for a stronger presence of security forces in states under threat of instability. On the other hand, it has had exclusionary effects by increasing the division between the rich and the poor which in the long-run can be detrimental to its legitimacy. Other concerns highlighted include the subversion of public interests into profit maximization; erosion of cherished notions of liberty, human dignity and privacy; and threat to state’s sovereignty. In the midst of these changes, states have a greater role to play. With development of more diverse forms of policing, governments have the central responsibility of coordinating and regulating all policing activities, both in the private and public agencies. Government must serve as a central anchor point ensuring multi-agency networking and efficacy, equity and accountability of all agencies, both private and public. Accountability can perhaps be achieved by bringing all the policing practices under the control of democratic institutions such as citizen boards, commissions and ‘watchdogs’ at the local, national, provincial and regional levels. This would ensure equity, efficacy, legitimacy and accountable of all security actors. Reference Abrahamsen, R. and Williams, M., 2009. Security beyond the state: global security assemblages in international politics. International Political Sociology, vol. 3, pp. 1-17 Abrahamsen, R. and Willliams, M.C., 2007. Securing the city: private security companies and non-state authority in global governance International Relations 21(2): 237–153 Abrahamsen, R and Michael C., 2006. Security Sector Reform: Bringing the Private In. Africa: Whither the African State. In: Private Security in Africa, edited by S. Gumedze. Pretoria:Institute of Security Studies, pp. 17–38 Adams, T.K., 1999. ‘The New Mercenaries and the Privatization of Conflict’, Parameters, Summer, pp.103-116. Ericson, R.V. and Kevin D. H., 1997. Policing the Risk Society. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Foucault, M., 1991. ‘Governmentality’, In: Burchell, G., Gordon., C and Miller, P. (eds) The foucault effect: studies in governmentality. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Garland, D., 2001. The Culture of Control. Oxford: Oxford University Press Golsby, M., 1998. Police and private security working together in a co-operative approach to crime prevention and public safety. SRM Australia Pty Ltd Kamensy, J.M., and Thomas J. B., 2004. Collaboration: Using Networks and Partnerships. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Little?eld. Karsent, R. and Volker, S., (Eds.), 2000. Private Organizations in Global Politics. Keku, P. and Akingbade, T., 2003. Industrial Security in Nigeria. Lagos: Authorhouse. Krahmann, E., 2002. Private firms and the new security governance. USA, Cambridge University Press Livingstone, K. and Hart, J., 2003. The wrong arm of the lawPublic images of private security. Policing and Society, vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 159-170 Lock., P., 1999. Africa, military downsizing and the growth in the security industry., Issues in Science and Technology. London: Routledge. Manning, P.K., 2006. The United States of America. In Plural Policing. A Comparative Perspective,. London: Routledge, pp. 98–125. Musah, A. and Kayode, F., 2000. Mercenaries: An African Security Dilemma. London: Pluto. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S.J., 2007. Weak States and the Growth of the Private Security Sector in Con?ict, Security and Development 6(1): 1–23 Prenzler, T., 2004. The privatization of policing. In Sarre, R and Tomaino, J., (eds) Key issues in criminal justice. Adelaide: Australian Humanities Press, pp.267-296 Sarre, R., 2002. Private police: the future of policing and the broader regulatory framework. University of South Australia Steden, R. and Sarre, R., 2007. The growth of private security: trends in the European Union. Security Journal, vol. 20, pp. 222-235 Stenning, P., 1994. Private policing-some recent myths, developments and trends. {viewed on 14th December 2013} available from http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/proceedings/23/stenning.pdf A Critical Exploration Of The Increasing Fragmentation Of Policing But this trend should not come as a surprise considering that publicly funded agencies that grew during the 19th century did not really eradicate the involvement of the private sectors in policing (Ericson Kevin 1997). With the shift to private policing, investors in the security industries have seen their earnings steadily increase. This trend has stimulated a growing interest in contemporary international politics and has become the focus of widespread journalistic coverage. Some view the increasing fragmentation of policing as government’s failure to providing the most basic needs, security. As pointed out by Garland (2001), the pervasiveness of private firms is an indication of the impotence of governments in addressing the most basic demands. The increasing trend of outsourcing security tasks marks the state’s retreat towards a more coordinating role rather than a providing role As Button states: the increasing privatization of policing has eroded one of the founding myths of modern societies: ‘the myth that the sovereign state is capable of providing security, law and order, and crime control within its territorial boundaries’ (Button 2012, p.22). Whereas privatization of policing may indicated states’ failure in providing fundamental security services to its citizens, this is not necessarily true.. It does not necessarily mean that the state is dying but rather diversifying and developing. Several key questions arise when debating on this topic. Why the increase in fragmentation of policingwhat are the implications of such trends in terms of democratic legitimacy, effectiveness and equityIn the midst of the far-reaching transformation, how best can the multiplicity of institutional reforms involved in policing be governed? This paper addresses these questions with evidence drawn from various perspectivesfrom various perspectives. it The paper provides an adequate account for the shifting structures of security, providing an explanation for the increasing fragmentation and debating the extent to which it privatization of policing has occurred. In order to understand the trend towards private policing and the reasons for the increasing fragmentation, it is important to first explore the historical development. Since it is beyond the scope of this paper to examine the 1st world war and the 2nd world war more in depth, the paper will briefly touch on some of the important transformations. depth the post-conflict proliferation of the 1st and 2nd World Wars, it will briefly touch on some important developments that led to the rise of private security industry. Historical context The involvement of thee private secto in crime control and prevention can be traced back to the cold war. During the cold war, the private military sector provided services ranging from logistics to direct combat (Cusumano 2010). A prime example is the US firm Vinnel which was contracted to train Saudi Arabian National Guard in 1977. Other private security actors military sectors involved in military assistance during the cold war period include the British Watchguard, Gurkha Security Guards, KMS, Saladin and DSL(Cusumano 2010). Whilst the growing trend towards privatization of policing is not a new phenomenonIt is clear that th involvement in security tasks is not a new phenomenon and has been there since the cold war period. However the transformations that followed after the cold war triggered the tectonic change and lead to the increasing in fragmentation of policing. First, there was massive downsizing with most of the armies which created a market for military assistance (Lock 199). With the demise of the cold war, the losing parties saw their military personnel transfer to other theartres. Having lost in both wars, Germany became the major source of private proliferation. The transformation that took place with most of the armies increased the demand for external contractors. Th, Second, the strain on human resources and the increase in emphasis on specialization led to outsourcing of functions other than direct combat, such as foreign military training. This is evident with the planned gradual privatization of activities other than combat by the US Department of Defense in 2001 (Cusumano 2012). Neoliberal reforms Apart from transformations that took place during othe post-cold war period, this trend was further reinforced by the rise of neoliberals. The emergence of neo-liberal ideas that emphasized on the importance of fragmentation of power has played a key role in this trend. This perspective is in line with Focault’s concept of dispersion of power. Neoliberal ideas such as outsourcing, privatization and public private partnerships that were aimed at streamlining bereacracies played a key role towards this trend. The rise of neoliberalism during the late 1970s led to the Outsourcing, privatization and public private partnerships that were formed during the late 1970s to streamline bureaucracies resulted in the shift from the state-centered hierarchical structures towards the more diverse horizontal structures (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). Neoliberal reforms aimed at limiting the power of the state by finding means of rendering them accountable (Button2012). These new arrangements empowered private actors to increase their involvement in security provision. In this regard, he rein of power can be said to have been taken over by the private sector appears to have been taken over by private corporations. As emphasis was placed on conflict settlement that goes beyond the state, this led to the widening of police infrastructure to include private bodies. In many states, public policing underwent major neoliberal reforms. Hybrid public-private structures were developed across many countries driven by the neoliberal ideology. However, the idea of diminishing power of the state As the upsurge of private security companies has led to the expansion of the state rather than the ‘rolling back of the state’.The impact of this upsurge in private security has been the expansion of the state rather than ‘rolling back of the state’. The increase in fragmentation and privatization has extended the state apparatus of criminal justice and strengthened the institutional architecture of crime control rather than diminishing or reducing the powers of the state (Steden Sarre 2007). Privatization revolution The increasing fragmentation can also be said to have been driven by the ideological shift brought about by the ‘privatization revolution’. This is related to the emergence of ‘ mass private property’ where workplaces, leisure facilities, shopping malls and many other places are manned by private security guards. Whereas these places may be open to the public, in reality, they are private spaces. This seem to have has contributed to the growth of private security to the extent that private firms have mimicked nation states, a form of ( Button 2012). ‘Marketization’ or ‘commodification of policing The trend has further been reinforced by‘commodification’ of security which has resulted due to increased public demands that the police have not been able to satisfy. the involvement of the private sector in security provision has been seen as private is an appropriate means for dealing with the growing lawlessness and crimes. Rising cases of impunity across the globe have increased the demands for private security. Sierra leone is a prime example. Despite its small size, it is known globally a paradigm case of security privatization. The highly publicized activities of private security firms such as Sandline International and Executive Outcomes have made this small sized country globally recognized as the target of transnational security firms. Of course, this resulted due to the intense conflict in the country and presence of numerous rebel armies and civil defense militias. has conflict and the numerous rebel armies and civil defense militias in the country. The increasing demand for security across the globe has no doubt led to this momentous growth. Unrest and violence across various parts of the world including Syria, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan have further strengthened the need to have these transnational security companies. Some of the well-known examples of these transnational firms are the Securitas Group and Group 4 securicor which have developed their operations in more than 100 countries (Musa Kayode 2000). Group 4 Securicor officers are currently providing protection to US troops in Kosovo. Minimize public costs Perhaps a most crucial factor that has played a central role towards this trend is the need to cut public costs. Given the rising cost of training and maintaining standing armies, many states have sought more cost effective ways of policing such as outsourcing security tasks to private sectors. (Krahmann 2002). Expertise of the private sector A more convincing argument for the proliferation of private security firms is related to expertise. The expansion can be attributed to the increasing emphasis on specialization of personnel. That is, the states have felt it necessary to outsource other security functions other than combat such as military training. It is a fact that success in military operations today is dependent on the state of the art technology. But most of the public military personnel do not have the necessary training for use of sophisticated technology. For example, the US relies on private military firms in using and maintaining sophisticated techology such as the Global Hawk unmanned aircrafts and the Predator (Tzifakis 2012). Private firms have an advantage in terms of their expertise especially given their practice of hiring regional expertise. ontrary to the above view, private security companies have come under immense criticism for their low standards of professionalism. Despite their high profile in forensic accountancy and expertise in several areas such as manning of aircrafts, the most dominant view has been that of an industry filled with corrupt, amoral, and incompetent employees (Steden Sarre 2007). This is evident with most of the studies conducted in North America which portray private security guards as poorly educated, marginally paid and hastily trained figures with dubious characters (Prenzer 2004, and livingstone Hart 2003) Risk-based thinking and global assemblages The increasing fragmentation of policing can also be said to have resulted due to risk based thinking and global assemblageswhere global security actors are integrated in the provision of security. Paradigm cases of global security assemblage can be seen in Nigeria and Siera leone. In Sierra Leone, private security firms have used their material resources including technical expertise to wield significant influences within global security assemblages. For example, in the case of Diamond minning by Koidu Holdings, PSCs especially Securicor Gray have used their capabilities and material resources to exert their influence onwield significant impact on the choice of security strategies (Abrahamsen Williams 2006). Similarly, global assemblages and risk based thinking appear to have contributed to the rise of private policing in Nigeria which is estimated to have between 1500 and 2000 private security companies (Keku Akingbade 2003). A good example of the global security assemblage in Nigeria is the contract between Group4Securicor and Chevron Nigeria Ltd (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). Through this contract, Group4Securicor replaced most of the local security companies that provided manned guarding together with the police. Whilst this private company was mandated to guard the CNL headquarters, the operational base in Escravos and the two logistical bases in Warri and Port Harcourt; it has used its material resources and legitimacy to expand its mandate beyond guarding these areas. Geographical fragmentation A further probable reason for the increasing fragmentation of policing is the geographical fragmentation. This has led to the shift from government to governance within the transatlantic community (Krahman 2002, p. 23). Two developments are linked to this geographical transformation: progressive replacement of nation state and shift towards regional and global governance; and a shift towards private security actors. The shift towards regional and global governance can be seen with the geographical expansion of the EU and the NATO (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). While the sideway shift to privatization of security functions can be seen with the proliferation of various private security firms. Growing awareness of importance of private sector in global governance Finally, the trend has been reinforced by the growing awareness of importance of the private sector in global governance. In fact, a with Global Compact Initiative has been established to create partnership between the UN and private sector on human rights issues. , Kofi-Annan, the former secretary to the UN, once contemplated the possibility of the using private security firms in peacekeeping missions both in the provision of logistics and military combat (Abrahamsen Willliams 2007). Today, we have many private agencies providing military assistance to the UN, Nato and even African Union peacekeeping missions. Whilst th idea of a private police established to achieve accountability of public police may sound realistic, there is little persuasive evidence regarding the effectiveness of the private institutions in performing this role. In fact, it is case that the private sector is largely unaccountable. In theory, it is stated that both the public and private police are accountable through the criminal law of their actions. However, there is no persuasive proof to support this claim in practice. Notorious examples can be seen with the recent events which Some of the recent infamous events that unfolded in California. This indicates indicatinghow how difficult it is to convict public police offenders (Stenning 1994). Fragmentation and privatization of policing a global phenomenon The trend towards private policing is clearly evident across the globe. For example, in Russia, there has been an explosive growth in private security personnel since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Whilst statistics indicate that Russia had almost 200,000 licensed private personnel in 1999, the the actual number is has been estimated to exceed 850,000 (Steden Sarre 2007). Similarly, A similar trend can be seen in Bulgaria which currently has about 130,000 personnel employed in private security sector in sharp contrast to 28,000 state police officers (Steden Sarre 2007). A similar trend can be seen with emerginerging economies of Asia. India has also echo the trend with over 5 million private security personnel, a figure that i exceeds the police, army, air force and the navy put together. In China, private guards are forecast to grow from the current 3 million to 5 million in the coming years. Not only is this trend evident in the Middle East and growing economies of Asia, but also across the US and the UK and in most Latin American countries. The US employs approximately 1.5 and 2 million private security personnel, outnumbering the public police by almost three to one (Abrahamsen Williams 2009). Similarly, the private security personnel in the UK outnumber the state police by a ratio of two to one. This growth is also reflected in the Latin American countries, African countries and even across Central and Eastern Europe. The resurgence is clearly evident across the world as countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic continue to witness growth of private policing witnessing growth in this sector. Almost all countries now have their private security personnel exceeding the police number. A further trend that has been observed and has perhaps been under-theorized or under-evaluated is the increasing emergence of transnational policing. Besides privatization of policing, there has been an expansion in cooperation between member states in areas of policing (Button 2012). Traditional forms of cooperation based on distribution of information through bodies such as the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) have now been transcended by organizations such as the European Criminal Police Office (Europol) (Button 2012, p. 25). In addition, there has been an increase in information sharing and the exportation of ideas among private security firms. For example, corporations such as Corrections of America and Wakenhut exportation have exported their ideas to the UK and Australia (Steden Sarre 2007). However, in some countries, private policing is still at its infancy. For example,In n Greece, the ratio between the private and public security personnel remains relatively small. This can be attributed to the security market that barely existed in Greece until the late 1990s when legislation that mandated some of the key requirements for a licensed security firm was passed (Steden Sarre 2007). Other countries with a relatively low private security to police ratio include Italy, Portugal, Malta, Cyprus and Spain. Most of these countries still make more use of the police officers than private security guards. Nonetheless, the momentous growth of private policing is inevitable and is occurring across the globe. Concerns/controversies over private policing Traditionally, the state has been seen as a monopoly in crime prevention and control (Button 2012). However, evidence has emerged that have raised questions regarding the state’s monopoly in policing. Evidence have pointed to the increasing ‘pluralization’ or ‘fragmentation’ of policing as seen with the increasing involvement of the private sector and voluntary organizations in crime prevention and control. This raises key questions such as: does the state still have a monopoly in policing given the increasing fragmentationOr rather it can be questioned: did it ever have a monopoly given that the fragmentation in policing is not a new phenomenonThe only thing that is new is the increasing fragmentation and the expansion of private security. Whilst the pervasiveness of these private firms may signal the state’s failure in addressing the most basic demands for security, it should not be viewed as weakening of the state’s role. It does not necessarily mean that the state is dying but rather diversifying and developing. Encouraging private personnel to become more involved in crime control is to support the state’s activities by allowing these individuals to become auxiliaries of the state as opposed to becoming rivals (Sarre 2002). Of course, there are concerns with this trend of privatization of policing with the greatest dangers being the subversion of public interests into profit maximization. Another concern relates to the fact that privatization results in more unequal access to protection and security with differential treatment in the provision of security services to the rich and the poor (Stenning 1994). A further danger is that private policing may lead to the erosion of the cherished notions of liberty, human dignity and privacy which may eventually results in an intolerably controlled and regulated society It is clear that the state’s role is changing. The increasing fragmentation of policing is evidence of a new social world where governance is no longer monopolized by the states, but rather one in which the rein of power is taken over by the private sector. there is a dispersion of power more to the private sector. The hope of many is for governance to be controlled by the local communities. However, the reality is the emergence of a pervasive and intrusive corporate governance where in capital interests become the priority and are more pursued than that the interests of the local communities (Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2007). Further, there is the it is the possibility that the state might slowly wither away and that the proliferation of private security firms may pose threat to the state’s sovereignty. Other problems relate to issues such as the lack of transparency and accountability and political control over the operations of these private firms. The fundamental goal of outsourcing such service is obviously to protect the citizens from harm and against human rights violations. Whereas the outsourcing of security services to private firms is justifiable, it may be subject to violent manipulations. One variant to this manipulation can arise through coercion towards prospective clients by the private security firms with the aim manipulating them to buy into their services. Another maipulation can arise where these firms invite others to commit crime in order to increase demand for their protection. There is a possibility that the private security may also end up creating ‘security enclaves’ as their availability in the open market allows the wealthy and ruling elites to buy more of their services than the less-priviledged counterparts hence running counter to the social bonds considered essential to security (Karsent Volker 2000). In fact, the so called ‘security enclaves’ have emerged in the US. This is a clarion call to pay attention to isssues of accountability for attention to paid more on control and accountability especially given the increasing fragmentation and privatization. But, as argued by Les Johnston (1992), some of these concerns are not unique and do not constitute compelling arguments against private policing. For example, the concern over the subversion of public interests into profit maximization is not unique. This concern is also evident with the public police where corruption and political interests have led to public disservice. Criticism of erosion of state’s sovereignty might not necessarily be true as the private security sectors have often acted under the government’s control. For example, Siera Leone is far from entirely private as the government still plays a key role by integrating public forces and setting the legal framework. Future of private security market Nonetheless, there is a clear momentous growth of the private security sector. The massive growth is evidence of expansion of this type of market. In fact, the industry’s global turnover was maintained during the recessionary period indicating the high demand for this type of service across the globe. In 2007, the global security service market was valued at $136 billion and in 2009, it was estimated at $152 billion (Steden Sarre 2007). The future for private security firms seems promising given the increasing demand of security services driven by the rise upsurge in conflicts, war and human right violations across various sectors of the globe. The commercial private security market is currently estimated to be $165 billion and is forecast to grow at a rate of 18% per anum into the foreseeable future. Despite the recent decision made by the US DoD to reduce reliance on support service contractors to pre-9/11 levels, the global market for private security services is anticipated to continue to grow to reach $218.4 billon in 2015 (Tzifakis 2012). However, much of this growth would be mainly concentrated in the emerging economies. What was once a â€Å"quiet revolution† has grown in size and demand to become a global actor in in the provision of security services. Conclusion There is no doubt that the privatization of policing has become a reality. This is evident with the proliferation of private security actors across the globe with activities that range from manned guarding to surveillance and risk analysis to even military combat. The increasing fragmentation has clearly been triggered by several key developments: the emergence of neoliberal ideas; second the increasing commodification of security; third, the global assemblages and risk based thinking; fourth, the transformations that took place during the post-cold war period, and the fourth, emergence of the â€Å"privatization revolution†. lso, the increased emphasis on specialization of personnel, the geographical fragmentation and the increasing recognition of the role of private sector in global governance have no doubt played a significant role towards this trend. All these processes have been central to the growing fragmentation and globalization of private security. However, these changes have fueled controversies. On the one hand, it has helped secure the transition to democracy by providing for a stronger presence of security forces in states under threat of instability. On the other hand, it has had exclusionary effects by increasing the division between the rich and the poor which in the long-run can be detrimental to its legitimacy. Other concerns highlighted include the subversion of public interests into profit maximization; erosion of cherished notions of liberty, human dignity and privacy; and threat to state’s sovereignty. In the midst of these changes, states have a greater role to play. With development of more diverse forms of policing, governments have the central responsibility of coordinating and regulating all policing activities, both in the private and public agencies. Government must serve as a central anchor point ensuring multi-agency networking and efficacy, equity and accountability of all agencies, both private and public. Accountability can perhaps be achieved by bringing all the policing practices under the control of democratic institutions such as citizen boards, commissions and ‘watchdogs’ at the local, national, provincial and regional levels. This would ensure equity, efficacy, legitimacy and accountable of all security actors. Reference Abrahamsen, R. and Williams, M., 2009. Security beyond the state: global security assemblages in international politics. International Political Sociology, vol. 3, pp. 1-17 Abrahamsen, R. and Willliams, M.C., 2007. Securing the city: private security companies and non-state authority in global governance International Relations 21(2): 237–153 Abrahamsen, R and Michael C., 2006. Security Sector Reform: Bringing the Private In. Africa: Whither the African State. In: Private Security in Africa, edited by S. Gumedze. Pretoria:Institute of Security Studies, pp. 17–38 Adams, T.K., 1999. ‘The New Mercenaries and the Privatization of Conflict’, Parameters, Summer, pp.103-116. Ericson, R.V. and Kevin D. H., 1997. Policing the Risk Society. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Foucault, M., 1991. ‘Governmentality’, In: Burchell, G., Gordon., C and Miller, P. (eds) The foucault effect: studies in governmentality. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Garland, D., 2001. The Culture of Control. Oxford: Oxford University Press Golsby, M., 1998. Police and private security working together in a co-operative approach to crime prevention and public safety. SRM Australia Pty Ltd Kamensy, J.M., and Thomas J. B., 2004. Collaboration: Using Networks and Partnerships. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Little?eld. Karsent, R. and Volker, S., (Eds.), 2000. Private Organizations in Global Politics. Keku, P. and Akingbade, T., 2003. Industrial Security in Nigeria. Lagos: Authorhouse. Krahmann, E., 2002. Private firms and the new security governance. USA, Cambridge University Press Livingstone, K. and Hart, J., 2003. The wrong arm of the lawPublic images of private security. Policing and Society, vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 159-170 Lock., P., 1999. Africa, military downsizing and the growth in the security industry., Issues in Science and Technology. London: Routledge. Manning, P.K., 2006. The United States of America. In Plural Policing. A Comparative Perspective,. London: Routledge, pp. 98–125. Musah, A. and Kayode, F., 2000. Mercenaries: An African Security Dilemma. London: Pluto. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S.J., 2007. Weak States and the Growth of the Private Security Sector in Con?ict, Security and Development 6(1): 1–23 Prenzler, T., 2004. The privatization of policing. In Sarre, R and Tomaino, J., (eds) Key issues in criminal justice. Adelaide: Australian Humanities Press, pp.267-296 Sarre, R., 2002. Private police: the future of policing and the broader regulatory framework. University of South Australia Steden, R. and Sarre, R., 2007. The growth of private security: trends in the European Union. Security Journal, vol. 20, pp. 222-235 Stenning, P., 1994. Private policing-some recent myths, developments and trends. {viewed on 14th December 2013} available from http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/proceedings/23/stenning.pdf

Internal Analysis of the NBA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internal Analysis of the NBA - Assignment Example These are some of the questions that the paper will attempt to answer. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. The approach will assist in the analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of NBA. The paper will begin by analyzing the capabilities and resources NBA had before the 2010-2011 season; the analysis will be from a case study done by Coulter. The capabilities and resources in the 2010-2011 seasons will be analyzed. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. Resources and Capabilities NBA Has As Of the 2010-2011 Season The Resources and Capabilities before the 2010-2011 Season (The Case Study) The National Basketball Association (NBA) has undergone tremendous changes from a domestic sport to an international commercial sport and this indicates a major understanding of the resources and capabilities. All the success and efforts are attributed to the NBA commissioner David Stern who has helped NBA become a global brand. Professional bask etball began in the mid-1990s and NBA gained the international game appeal. There are key players in the NBA who have sparked international interest. These players include Yao Ming of China, Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzi of Germany, Pau Gasol of Spain, and Tony Parker of France, Denver Nuggets of Brazil, Gordan Giricek of Croatia and Darko Milicic of Serbia. All the mentioned are international basketball players. It is estimated that out of all the players in the NBA, 64 players come out of the United States territory. Other than the international players, NBA has taken its games globally. The NBA league has held several preseason games in the Latin America, Asia and Europe. Among the major plans by the commissioner of NBA was creation of multiple teams in the European region before the end of the 2000 decade. The NBA league has faced challenges like the retirement of Michael Jordan and the cancellation of almost a third of the league games in the mid-1990s. The challenges a lmost crashed the NBA league. Stern, the commissioner of NBA addressed the issues by looking at what the NBA had top offer, that is the resources and capabilities. He found that NBA could offer consumer awareness of basketball both domestically and internationally, several young talented players and renowned image and a track record (Coulter 132). Among the things that Stern did were: Expand the NBA offices network globally. The reason was to gain the NBA popularity, make it visible to the consumers around the world, sell a vast amount of track records and make several tours occasionally. Enhance the image of the NBA league on the Internet through its web site. It is estimated that about 40 percent of the people who visit the NBA website come from the rest of the world; that is outside the United States (Coulter 133). The Resources and Capabilities in the 2010-2011 Season The External Environment Globalization NBA has utilized the television and commerce to popularize the game globa lly and its influence in the world has been fuelled by marketing and television. The television has allowed NBA to reach many people around the world; it is estimated that NBA league is watched in 212 countries and in 42 different languages. The estimated number of people watching NBA league through the television is said to be over 750 million people. The foreign players in the NBA league are estimated to be around 80 of the 430 positions in the NBA team. This shows how NBA has its touch on the

Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Art history - Essay Example The painting clearly shows the image of a young mother nursing a child and a man standing with a spear. On the background there is a river passing by and visible buildings on the river bank. The man is guarding the woman who has probably just given birth. Poesia describes the works of Italian Renaissance that were inspired by myths and fables. The painting has an elaborate use of light and color which is a hallmark characteristic of Venetian paintings. The author of the work also used canvas. The use of mannerisms to depict human beings in distorted poses is also evident of Venetian painting (Humfrey, 132). Meeting of Bacchus and Ariadne depicts the magnificence of art through the images of strong men and women in some small setting. On the other hand Botticelli’s Birth of Venus shows the sensual evocation as depicted by the impressive looking Goddess of love in Venus. An Apocalypse refers to a revelation of something with hidden meaning. In the Christian context, Apocalypse generally refers to the revelation of some things which are hidden from human beings. The second figure from the fore represents death as it is bigger and scarier than the rest. The painting is woodcut the relief images are cut onto the surface of the wood. DÃ ¼rer depicts himself in the self portrait as a God. The implied position of an artist is that of divine nature akin to that of God to create. An artist’s role in the society had grown in stature. This is because artists were able to create image that were subject to various interpretations by the audience. DÃ ¼rer painted this picture to portray the present conditions in terms of religion during his time. It should be noted that the title of the painting is misleading as there are actually three apostles in the painting. The painting was presented to the magistrates after the Reformation. The painting seems to appreciate the role of scripture in the society but warns against false teachings. In essence,

Food Prices in Agricultural Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Food Prices in Agricultural Markets - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Ð µhe ever-rising food prices have brought a lot of challenges to the contemporary society. Most affected by these food price increases are the poor in the society. The main effect of the rising food prices on poor consumers is the reduction in their purchasing power. A number of economic theories and models have been put forward to explain the relationship between rising food prices and their impacts on poor consumers. Engle’s law and the standard demand theory are just some of these theories explaining the effects of rising food prices on poor consumers. According to Engel’s law consumers rely on non-food expenditures if food prices go up. Because the rich spend more money on non-food items, whenever food prices rise, they have excess non-food expenditures to cut and transfer to food expenditures. The standard demand theory on the other hand focuses on the effects of income and price increase on substitute food. The ne gative impacts of food price increase on poor consumers make it imperative that governments and the international community step in to provide for the welfare of the poor. To increase the purchasing power lost due to food price increase, safety net programmes such as food-for-work and cash transfers have been implemented in many countries. Due to certain barriers to the success of safety net programmes, other strategies such as local and international financial assistance and improved accessibility to land, seeds, farm animals, loans, and technical services have been applied in some countries. Introduction World over, people are often guarded against rising food prices, a trend considered as having a number of negative influences on people’s welfare, more so the poorest in society. In fact, rising food prices has been cited as one of the main factors that push the poor into starvation. Besides, rising food prices exert a lot of downward financial pressure on the poor while th e wealthiest in the society are never affected by these food price increases (Westhoff, P. 212). Since majority of the world’s population could be described as poor, rising food prices have thus further dampened the already crisis-prone global economy. However, recent times have realized the emergence of a school of thought, which raises the question of whether food price increases are inherently negative. For instance, increased food costs have been found to be beneficial to farmers, who are the sole providers of one of the most basic human needs, food (Westhoff, P. 212). The argument according to this school of thought is that if farmers do well because of increased food prices, then others will also benefit from the increased food prices in one way or another. The second argument put forward by the school of thought that rising food prices have positive implications is that, high food prices have pushed the agricultural industry to develop genetically modified foods that n ot only resist draught and other natural calamities but also pests and diseases. Additionally, foods have been developed and grown that can survive and do well is marginally fertile areas. In other words, these foods have been quite useful to developing countries in which larger percentages of population live in abject poverty. The increasing food prices have thus made the agricultural industry rather alert in the creation of sustainable food productions, more so in developing and the under-developed countries. This paper thus explores the effects of the rising food prices on poor consumers, focusing on the welfare of this category of consumers and the possible interventions to address these effects. Theories and Models of the Effects of Rising Food Prices Because of the positive and negative effects of rising food prices on poor consumers, heated debates on the exact effects of rising food prices have ensued. Several theories and models seeking to explain the impacts of

The Notion of True Belief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Notion of True Belief - Essay Example This paper will begin with a brief introduction to some of the crucial, but general aspects of the author’s position, and in turn, proceed to a more pointed discussion of the nature of the notion of belief, according to Audi. According to Audi, the notion of ‘belief’ can loosely be translated as opinion or belief, and it is a term which comes from the Ancient Greek. To claim, or to maintain that there is an ideal form of a belief, is to defend the belief in some sense. For Audi , he presents at the first level, the notion of a belief in terms of the connection with the notion of knowledge â€Å"through acquaintance† [Audi, 2003, p. 36], which is a notion which was developed by Russell. He argues that there is sufficient evidence, through the knowledge by acquaintance notion that a belief is justified as a form of knowledge if the object of the belief in question has some form of ‘propositional content’ or â€Å"inference from propositions abou t them† [Audi, 2003, p. 36]. That is, where there is a correspondence between the propositional content on the one hand, and on the other hand, the belief which there is supposed to be a relation with. For example, and in keeping with Russell’s notion of acquaintance, there is a difference between the propositional content of a sensible referent, and one which is connected with rationality or mathematics [Audi, 2003, p. 58]. That is, if I can say that I believe that the sun will rise tomorrow, it follows that the propositional content of the belief in question refers to a sensible phenomena on the one hand, and the laws of probability or the nature of experience which would lead me to believe in such a proposition [Audi, 2003, p. 37]. However, those which are connected with acquaintance are a form of knowledge where the propositional content does not necessarily have a sensible referent involved. For example, the belief in the truth of a mathematical proposition. For ex ample, it might be said that the proposition F(N){N +1 + 1 . . .}, is a proposition which has a potentially infinite chain of sequences of integers which will follow. This is an example of knowledge by acquaintance in the following regard: first, it is not a form of propositional content which has a truth which is guaranteed through experience, and second, it is obvious that nobody could experience this in the first place. However, there is the experience of acquaintance. That is, the familiarity with the mathematical reasoning involved with the proposition. That is, where the consequence which cannot necessarily be demonstrated through ‘sense’, can be demonstrated by the very rules of mathematics. As is noted by Audi, this has always been an important aspect for the consideration of theological or religious questions in the â€Å"medieval† context, which he describes in terms of the â€Å"analytic† dimensions of the concept of belief [Audi, 2003, p. 97]. As Audi points out in these pages, the notion of form which is connected to analytic truths are important in a number of senses which are germane to the notion of acquaintance. As a form of knowledge which is of rational truths, it is not the case that the truths are guaranteed by anything more than the rules which govern the given proposition, and it is important that they are known to be beyond sense experience, and hence, beyond the form of reductive thinking which

Communication Digital Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Digital Age - Essay Example Adapting to changes in technology requires not only knowing how to use technological tools, but the ability to use those tools to express oneself creatively. Effective digital communication is the ability to create persuasive communications in different media, be it websites, video, audio, text, or animated multimedia. Digital communication is a foundation skill for most careers today, as most people will be involved in some form of conceptualizing, producing, delivering, and receiving such communications in their jobs and lives. Starting in elementary school and extending to higher education, students can learn a variety of digital communication skills across all their courses, whether they build multimedia presentations to demonstrate their knowledge of academic subjects, create e-portfolios of coursework, or present ideas in a virtual classroom. When students can express themselves through a variety of media, they are motivated and engaged. The twentieth century has witnessed many scientific discoveries and inventions that have revolutionized our life. They have led to the creation of mechanisms and artifacts, which have made our life more efficient, smooth and comfortable. Computer is the latest addition to such achievements. It is the most sophisticated and integrated chip as the computer-based technology has found applications in agriculture, biotechnology, oceanography, engineering medicine and information technology. Throughout the 20th century, the pace of technological advancement has increased dramatically. The digital revolution, now upon us, is expecting to take giant strides in the 21st century. Companies are manufacturing audio and video sets communications nd Information Technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Companies have developed a wide product portfolio, which includes goods that have become integral part of modern life styles. (Anil,2005 37) Many years ago, man invented computer. Nobody would have ever believed that age of computer dreaming and hardware tinkering would lead to the vast, bottomless streams of information that our society has advanced towards over the years in the medium of computer technology. Now, humans are more interconnected with computers than ever before. Computers interact with most every facet of business there possibly is, and education had become modified at most age groups to accommodate the importance of computer technology into the school system because it is as important as it is beneficial. The Internet has also played an instrumental role of all these areas, including the global distant communications with friends and work colleagues. The world has significantly shrunk since the Internet and augmented computer technology. Moreover, while many computer-savvy citizens believe that computers can help better the economy as well as diminish the barriers of social and racial segregation, there are many factors rotating

Based on Hypothesis that education does not occur in a vacuum use Essay

Based on Hypothesis that education does not occur in a vacuum use Plato's system of education in the'ideal polis'and the four influences on education presented - Essay Example The ideal education system would prepare each class of people for their various roles in the society. This universe has not come into existence by chance but has a purpose and has been intelligently crafted. The souls on this universe are at different levels of evolution. Through understanding and emulation, the souls can be restored to their original state of excellence. This requires education and work according to each one’s level of evolution. This led to the division of the society into different classes. In The Republic, he said "...compulsory learning never sticks in the mind." Plato believed that children would never learn unless they wanted to learn. Hence, it was essential that education should commensurate with their level of evolution. This called for segregation of classes, so that each group could be educated in their special field. Plato’s educational thought is his portrayal of the ideal society or the ‘ideal polis’ in The Republic. His ‘ideal polis’ consists of three classes of citizens - the Guardians (ruler of the polis), the Auxiliaries (Guardians who remain warriors), and Craftsmen (the rest of the citizens). This model society according to Plato should be ruled by highly intelligent philosopher-kings. Plato believed that Guardians are the best members of the society because they are best able to preserve the city. Therefore, he argued, that the Guardians should be the ones who ought to rule the city (412a-c). In The Republic, Plato demonstrates that the vision of an ‘ideal polis’ is the main thesis of a dialogue that justice is the foundation of a good political order and hence in everyone’s interest. It is the interest of the entire political community. It inculcates a sense of unity and keeps the polis healthy. Plato’s ideas was that those who love their polis the most would love the polis the best. The reason he cited was that if we love something, we identify ourselves with that to the extent that we are even

Blood Donation Srs Essay Example for Free

Blood Donation Srs Essay The system will consist of CIS Alumni Home page with five selections. The first selection is to fill out a survey. The questions on the survey will be created by a designated faculty member. The survey will ask the Alum questions concerning their degree, job experience, how well their education prepared them for their job, and what can the CIS department do to improve itself. This information will be retained on the departmental server and an e-mail will be sent to the designated faculty member. The second selection is to the Entries section. There are two choices on this page. One choice is to add a new entry. A form is presented to the Alum to be filled in. Certain fields in the form will be required, and list boxes will be used where appropriate. A password typed twice will be required of all new entries. The second selection of the Entries page is to update an Alum entry. A form will be presented allowing the Alum to enter their year of graduation and then to select themselves from a list. A password will be required before the information will be presented to the Alum to be updated. The third selection is to search or e-mail an Alum. A form will be presented requiring the requested Alum’s year of graduation. The requesting Alum will search a table to see if the requested Alum is in the database, and if so non-sensitive information will be returned. At this time the Alum can select to e-mail the Alumnus or search for another Alumnus. If the Alum chooses to e-mail the Alumnus a form will be presented for the message to be entered with the sending Alum’s name and e-mail. The message, with all necessary information will be forwarded to the requested Alum. The e-mail address of the requested Alum will not be seen by the sending Alum as a privacy measure. All pages will return the Alum to the CIS Alumni Home Page. 2. 3. 1. Use Case: Access Alumni Home Page [pic] Figure 2 Access Alumni Home Page Brief Description The Departmental Web Server is waiting on an Alum to connect. Initial step-by-step description For this use case to be initiated, the alum must be connected to the Internet and connected to the University Web Server. 1. The Alum connects to the University Web Server. 2. The Alum selects the Alum link on the CIS home page. 3. The University Web Server passes the Alum to the Alumni Home Page. Reference SRS Use Case: Alum Chooses Survey [pic] Figure 3 Alum Selects Survey Brief Description: The Alum chooses to fill out a survey. Initial step-by-step description: For this use case to be initiated the Alum must be connected to the Internet and on the CIS Alumni Home Page. 1. The Alum selects the â€Å"Fill out a survey† link. 2. The Departmental Server returns the survey form. 3. The Alum fills in the form. 4. The Alum clicks submit. 5. The Departmental Server retains information in the database designated faculty member will be notified. 6. The Departmental Server returns the Alum to the Alumni Home Page. Reference SRS   Use Case: Create New Entry [pic] Figure 4 Alum Selects Create a New Entry Brief Description: The Alum chooses to create a new entry on the Entries page. Initial step-by-step description. For this use case to be initiated the Alum must be connected to the Internet and on the CIS Entries page. 1. The Alum selects the â€Å"Add a New Alum† link. 2. The Departmental Server returns the â€Å"Add a New Alum Form. † 3. The Alum fills in the form. 4.