Studying Economic History

Studying Economic History The History of Economics: What Are You Studying? ChaptersBarter EconomiesMonetary EconomiesCapitalism and Economic HistoryCommunist EconomiesSome Origins of Common Economic InstitutionsWhen you decide to study social science, you will probably need to decide what to specialise in. If you want to become a historian, you will need to decide what aspect of history you want to study. You can focus on a specific era, or you can decide to focus on a special aspect of cultural history.Economic history is one interesting aspect - how past societies assigned value to the world around them and found ways to trade and increase their perception of wealth.Here on Superprof is a little overview of the types of historical economies you might come to know as an undergraduate of Economic History.country’s true wealth can be seen in trade.BanksThe first concept of banking emerged when merchants would give grain loans to farmers. In Renaissance Italy, the rise of the merchant empires meant that people needed loans on risky enterprises and ready acc ess to money far from home.Moneylenders invented interest rates - and were some of the first bankers. Photo credit: jean louis mazieres on Foter.comIn the seventeenth and eighteenth century, many merchants stored their gold with the goldsmiths of London - they would store the gold in their private vaults for a fee and issue receipts that could only be redeemed by the person they were issued to. Eventually, they would issue loans on the money with the permission of the owner (for interest) and issue promissory notes on loan capital that could be passed on to others - an early form of paper money.Britain was a pioneer in banking reform, including the first banknotes from the Bank of England; with the first overdraft facility at the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Rothschilds for their part first brought international finance into large-scale projects by helping to finance the Suez Canal.

Making a better you How to change your bad habits - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Making a better you How to change your bad habits - Introvert Whisperer Making a better you: How to change your bad habits Every person is like a fingerprint; one entirely different from the other, and so are our habits. Each one of us has at least one bad habit we become so committed to, that we hardly bother to try to get rid of the same. It might be eating unhealthy food, laughing at the wrong moment, biting nails, chewing the gum too loudly, or not to practice your last New Year’s resolution. There is just no limit to acquire these habits. If you will ever speak to a smoker, about 70% of them will say they would like to give up on smoking. Drug and alcohol abusers struggle to give up on addictions once they are into it. Many of us have an unhealthy excess weight that we could lose if only we would eat right and exercise more often. So why don’t we do it? “Habits play an important role in our health,” says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Understanding the biology of how we develop routines that may be harmful to us, and how to break those routines and embrace new ones, could help us change our lifestyles and adopt healthier behaviors.” Habits are a result of repetition. Ohh, wait! I am not saying that repetition is bad, repetition is completely normal, in fact, it is often helpful. We wake up in the morning, brush our teeth, shower, comb, and all this without really being mindful of it. We can even drive on familiar routes without really thinking of the directions and all this only because we have been repeatedly doing the same over the years. So if repetition is completely normal then what is the real problem? Habits are hard to break once they get deeply wired by constant repetition in our brains. For example, feelings you experience after consuming drugs or watching porn. You will hardly think of bathing, but your mind will constantly keep triggering the enjoyable moments, which are different from your day-to-day routine. What can you do to change your bad habits? Just like you need to lift heavy weights to build strong muscles, but you need strong muscles to lift heavy weight. Similarly, you need to practice good habits to get rid of bad ones. Try Replacing rather than Eliminating Habits that you have right now are in your life are for a reason and in some way or the other, they provide a benefit for you. For example, many of us are habitual to biting our nails or tapping our feet when we are stressed. Similarly, many find drinking as a solution to come over an emotional trauma. Because every bad habit provides some kind of benefit in your life, it is very difficult to eliminate them. Thus, we should rather try replacing a bad habit with a good one that provides a similar benefit. For example, if you are habitual to smoking when you are stressed, then it is a bad idea to plan to stop smoking. Instead, you should come up with a different plan to deal with stress and try to insert that into your routine. Bad habits address certain needs in our life, and when fulfilling a need cost just a few bucks (buying a cigarette) then people hardly think of the bad side. Thus, it is very hard to cut out a bad habit without replacing them.   Focus on one habit at a time Just like, you cannot work the whole day or even continuously for 8 hours, similarly, you cannot focus on more than one habit at a time. Our willpower has a limited amount of energy every day, and when it is pushed beyond its limit, it becomes hard to control. If you will try to focus on getting rid of more than one habit at a time, you will more likely get stressed as you will try to control your emotions, practices, and thinking in multiple ways. How does this affect habit development? It is simple.   You will not succeed if you try to change multiple habits at the same time. Each one requires a significant amount of willpower to resist, which leaves you in a glucose-depleted state. Most people do not have the willpower energy to focus on multiple habits.   So when they are in a depleted state, it becomes too easy to give up on all that you started, instead of just one. Thus, try baby steps, which is focusing on one habit at a time. Go into it with a plan To start developing good habits, you have to stick to a plan. The habits you develop while you are young will impact not only your productivity but also health, financial security, happiness, and comfort. How much money you make, how well your body functions years from now, how much time you spend with your friends and family â€" all of these is directly linked with healthy habits you practice today. Thus planning will help you make your today better. Here is what you can do: As simple as that â€" a plan that is neither too easy nor too complicated works the best. Write down your plan â€" writing your plan is a simple way to remind yourself what needs to be done at that moment. What is the Substitute?   invest some time in finding a substitute for your bad habits Give yourself a month or two â€" Changing a habit is not simple. The conventional wisdom is that it takes 28 days to get free of a bad habit thus make sure your plan gives you enough time to change your bad habits for good. Tracking your achievement motivates you The habit of tracking your achievements or downfalls is very helpful in long-term as it encourages you in many ways. For example, if you decide to restrict yourself by a few cigarettes, you need to track their number, like how many, right? It is a great idea to keep track of what is working and what is not. Tracking comes down to checking if you did not engage in your bad habit that day and even if you did they how much more or how much less. Just as if most of us has a habit of counting the number of pushups, we did in the gym each day, similarly, counting days without your addiction helps you build a streak that motivates you to grind further without bowing down. When you are clean for one day, and you have not been in years, that is a bliss. The second day added to a chain feels like an event worth celebrating. Then comes the first week, first month, 100 days in a row, the first year and still counting. Achieving this feat of not embracing a bad habit for over a year is enough to give you a sense of accomplishment. In addition, it also provides priceless data, helping you to identify your pitfalls or how often you avoid triggers of your negative behaviors. Get rid of tempting situations When you are home alone with no friends or family members around, do not take it as an opportunity to have your favorite cookies or donuts left in the jar. Habits are often performed with barely any conscious thought that could be ignored but not stopped. Thus, try to divert your mind by keeping it busy with something else like watching TV or listening to music. If you always stop for a donut on your way to work, try a different route.   If you are trying to avoid checking your cell phone all the time, shut down your cell phone or put it in airplane mode. Try to get rid of tempting situations as much as possible. Outsiders can help Do not feel shy of announcing it to your friends that you are trying to make a change by giving up on this or that habit. Just tell everyone about your new mission. Put it up on your wall or computer desktop with #anewme. Just like I did when I used to work with Thanksforthehelp. How is this beneficial? There are two advantages: In my experience, once we let our friends know that we are trying to give up on a bad habit they work as a reminder. If we try to practice the habit we declared to quit, they will surely poke us, reminding us of our promise to yourself. Thus, you will think twice before practicing the same habit as you may wonder what your friends or family will think of you. Moreover, try finding someone you can call, or an online forum you can tap into when any of your cravings start to kick in, and you are struggling. Let your allies hold you accountable, and that will help you give up on a habit. Love your life No matter what happens, let your life know that you love it. Learn to embrace every situation life throws at you with a positive attitude. Remind yourself that you were born with the ability to make a change in your life. Every moment is an experience and those moments have to have quality. The habits, which you decide to follow need not always, be the one which contributes to your career or health. It can be as simple as start worrying less, drinking more water, etc. When you know that you love something your life in this case it becomes very easy to make efforts for it and efforts will surely bring a change.     Author bio Himanshi Goel has been associated as a Social Media Expert with CDR-Report.comsince its start. She really loves to pen down her thoughts on mental constructs, habits, personal development and anything that pleases her eyes. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Regulating Unpaid Internships

Regulating Unpaid Internships Federal and state regulators are becoming increasingly concerned with employers exploiting college students through unpaid internships, as a means for free labor, according to a New York Times article. There has been a sharp increase in unpaid internships because of the recent economic recession. Many employers have been forced to make cuts. They have been picking up the slack and cutting costs by hiring unpaid interns. Also, there is a strong desire for many college students to pursue unpaid internships to enhance their rsums and gain valuable experience in their field. In 2008, 83% of college graduates held an internship, an increase from 9% in 1992. The federal Labor Department and other regulators are increasing their enforcement by investigating many businesses to determine if their unpaid internships violate a states minimum wage laws or other workforce laws. Some employers have already been fined for having unpaid interns in Oregon and California. Many regulators believe that firms and other companies commit violations across the nation. However, these firms continue to get away with exploiting interns because many college students are very reluctant to report wrongdoings. Students are afraid they will quickly be labeled as a problematic, unprofessional employee, which could deter their chances of landing a job after graduation. If youre a for-profit employer or you want to pursue an internship with a for-profit employer, there arent going to be many circumstances where you can have an internship and not be paid and still be in compliance with the law, Nancy J. Leppink, the acting director of the Labor Departments wage and hour division told The New York Times. Leppink also said that there are several criteria that internships must meet if they are going to be unpaid. Some of these regulations are that an unpaid internships training should be similar to what a student would receive at a college or vocational school, the interns job cannot take the place of another paid position and that the employer derives no immediate advantage from the intern. Also, an unpaid internship is likely to be illegal if it involves only mindless, unskilled, menial work like making copies or stuffing envelopes. Essentially, if an internship is going to be unpaid, the intern must benefit from the experience more than the employer. This will not immediately affect high school students. Nevertheless, it is a positive trend that is likely to benefit them once their college careers begin. Regulators are likely to continue cracking down on employers, forcing them to pay their interns, or change the interns tasks and responsibilities. This will work to many college students advantage. However, there could be a decrease in available internships. Some companies and firms are likely to cut their internship programs entirely, rather than making them paid.

Dublado versus legendado

Dublado versus legendado Quando comecei a me aprofundar no estudo do Inglês, percebi que a minha maior dificuldade não estava na compreensão escrita da língua, mas sim na minha capacidade de falar e compreender o Inglês oral. Eu era perfeitamente capaz de entender um texto escrito, porém, não tinha capacidade (ou treino) para ver um filme em Inglês sem que ele estivesse dublado ou legendado em Português. Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.netNo Brasil, infelizmente, somos habituados a ver filmes dublados. Quando somos crianças, e ainda não temos a nossa capacidade de leitura desenvolvida, fica claro que a dublagem é necessária. Contudo, conforme crescemos, o paradigma não muda. Os filmes continuam a ser dublados, muito embora haja um movimento que luta pelo fim dessa imposição da dublagem.Claro que, se pensarmos nos níveis de analfabetismo, a dublagem continua sendo uma forma barata de trazer o que é internacional para o Brasil, sem fazer com que uma parcela da população se sinta excluída. De acordo com dados divulgados em 2012, referentes à pesquisa efetuada pelo IBGE em 2011,  8,6% da população brasileira, com 15 anos ou mais, é analfabeta. Verifica-se uma queda de 1,1% em relação a 2009, quando a taxa era de 9,7%. Contudo, ainda existem 12,9 milhões de brasileiros que não sabem ler e escrever. Por isso, faz sentido colocar a hipótese de que um dos motivos pelo qual o império da dublagem se perpetua é o número de analfabetos, ainda que países com índices de alfabetização superiores aos do Brasil também apostem na dublagem.É engraçado pensar nisso hoje em dia, mas apenas quando já era adolescente é que tomei consciência do quão prejudicial é essa cultura da dublagem. Estava tão habituada a ver os filmes assim que, quando comecei a ver filmes legendados, senti dificuldades em acompanhar a história e ler ao mesmo tempo. Até parece ridículo dizer isto, mas vivemos em um país onde as pessoas se tornam fãs de determinados atores e atrizes, muitas vezes, sem sequer ter ouvido a voz dessas pessoas! Como é óbvio, isso não acontece apenas no Brasil. Espanha e França são ótimos exemplos de países onde a dublagem de filmes e séries também é comum, mas não é porque eles fazem que a gente tem que continuar fazendo, né?Embora isso seja pouco divulgado, vários estudos (como este) apontam para os benefícios da exposição de pessoas que estão aprendendo Inglês à filmes e séries legendados, preferencialmente em Inglês, para que o aluno tenha acesso aos diálogos tanto por áudio como por texto, facilitando o desenvolvimento do seu nível de compreensão oral e escrita daquela língua estrangeira. Daí que seja fundamental, quando o objetivo é realmente aprender Inglês, que o indivíduo experimente começar a ver filmes com legendas, sejam elas em Português ou Inglês.No começo, ver filmes com legendas em Português ajuda a que você relacione o que está sendo dito com a tradução que foi feita, mesmo que, em alguns casos, as traduções possam ser enganadoras. Mais para frente, quando você já se sente à vontade com o Inglês escrito, ter acesso a filmes com legendas em Inglês permite que você associe o que está escrito com a pronúncia e treine o ouvido para construções que podem induzir a erros de compreensão, como acontece frequentemente com músicas.Tendo isso em mente, se você ainda está preso aos filmes e séries dublados, mas quer mesmo aprender Inglês, comece o seu ritual de libertação e abrace o mundo das legendas, porque, se você se aplicar no aprendizado da língua, até elas serão desnecessárias.

GCSE Poem analysis - My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

GCSE Poem analysis - My Last Duchess by Robert Browning My Last Duchess - By Robert Browning That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said “Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read Strangers like you that pictured countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy. She had A heartâ€"how shall I say?â€" too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast, The dropping of the daylight in the West, The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode with round the terraceâ€"all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, Or blush, at least. She thanked menâ€"good! but thanked Somehowâ€"I know not howâ€"as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame This sort of trifling? Even had you skill In speechâ€"which I have notâ€"to make your will Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, Or there exceed the mark”â€"and if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuseâ€" E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet The company below, then. I repeat, The Count your master’s known munificence Is ample warrant that no just pretense Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! This poem is set in 1564 and is based on the real-life Duke Alfonso II who ruled Ferrara, Italy in the latter half of the 16th century. In the poem, he’s talking about his first wife Lucrezia de’ Medici, 3 years after she died under suspicious circumstances shortly after marrying the Duke. Summary This poem is set in 1564 and is based on the real-life Duke Alfonso II who ruled Ferrara, Italy in the latter half of the 16th century. In the poem, he’s talking about his first wife Lucrezia de’ Medici, who died under suspicious circumstances shortly after marrying the Duke. In the poem the Duke is speaking to an emissary who is negotiating the Duke’s next marriage to the daughter of another powerful family. He is showing his visitor around his palace and stops in front of a painting of his late wife. The Duke then begins to reminisce about his late wife’s portrait sessions with the painter, and then about the Duchess herself. His reminiscing soon turns into a verbal onslaught of his late wife’s behaviour, where he abjectly accuses her of being overly flirtatious with everyone, and not appreciating his “gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name”. As his speech continues, the reader realises with ever more terrifying certainty that the Duke was responsible for the Duchess’s early demise, due to her worsening behaviour: “I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together”. After making this declaration, the Duke returns back to the discussion of arranging his next marriage. As the Duke and emissary leave to return to the other guests, the Duke calls attention to his bronze statue of Neptune taming a seahorse. Structure and Language This poem is a dramatic monologue which means it’s one person speaking through the whole poem. It’s written in iambic pentameter (same rhythm as much of Shakespeare’s work) and rhyming couplets. This means each pair of lines ends with rhyming words, for example: “ That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,/Looking as if she were alive. I call” Because it’s a dramatic monologue, this poem is structured as a long speech, which is evident in its use of varied punctuation. All of the colons  (:), dashes (-), commas (,) and full stops (.) are used to create the feeling of regular speech. This poem is loaded with rhyme because of the rhyming couplets. However, it is also loaded with enjambment which can often mask the rhymes. Enjambment is when a line of poetry ends in the middle of a thought without any punctuation. When you read the poem, you generally read straight through to the next line and so you would not pause to emphasise the rhyming words at the ends of the lines. For example, “My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame” you would read straight through name to finish the thought which ends at the full stop in the next line: “nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody’s gift.” Thus the rhyme of “name” and “blame” is masked. The imagery in this poem is rather limited, reflecting the Duke’s admission that he is not “skilled in speech”. There is a lot of imagery about possessing objects, as well as an abundance of personal pronouns. This suggests the Duke’s selfish and self-important character. Themes of this poem reflect on wealth, status, and pride. The Duke, though a wealthy and proud character, is not seen in a good light. Despite thinking very highly of himself, the Duke comes across to the readers as arrogant and unlikable. The reader also sees that money cannot buy happiness; although the Duke is wealthy, he is insecure and paranoid about his late wife’s behavior. Overall, the author wittily shows that sometimes a person’s commentary on a subject tells you more about the person than the subject. In this case, the Duke’s repugnant personality is revealed through his commentary on his wife. For More GCSE poem analyses: Praise Song for My Mother, Nettles, The Yellow Palm, and Medusa Or for other  great GCSE resources New Maths 9-1 GCSE Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance Need anymore help with English? Find professional GCSE English tutors near you by following the link. Written by Madeleine K

Activity based fun with Math - Aloha Mind Math - ALOHA Mind Math

Activity based fun with Math Here is a greatposton fun activities for kids. It is so great to be able to have some activity based fun with kids, and if you can add math to the picture, it can have some added advantage of helping them with the subject too. Here are some great activities that can help connect kids to math by making it fun for them: Puzzles:Math based puzzles are a great way to ignite your child’s curiosity, and you can easily make or find ones that are appropriate for kids of all ages. This can also be a great indoor activity for those rainy or cold days that the kids can’t play out of doors. You can find a lot of puzzle sites online, or even make your own that will also be an interesting craft project with your child. Food can be fun:Take your kids along to the supermarket and ask them to guess how many tomatoes make a kilo. Then move to the onions â€" you get the idea. Weighing each vegetable or fruit, and assessing numbers, then seeing the result on the scale will help your child get a clear idea on weights and balances at an early age. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rightee/4309558/ Algebra through play:The Montessori method has some great learning materials such as thebinomialand trinomial cubes, which help to improve motor skills in young children, as well as teach them the basics of the algebraic equations that they’ll find much easier to understand once they have understood the pictorial representation. Visual approach:Boards are now available in a variety of choices â€" from the old school blackboards which are still so much fun, to magnetic or those meant for sanded letters. Use any one you want to draw or stick objects when you want to explain to your kid what basic concepts like addition or subtraction are about. Starting with visual understanding, and then moving to the mental calculation will imprint the concept very well in your child. I hope these will make a good start to having fun with math, for you and your kids. When they are 4-5 years of age, they are also ready for concepts like learning math through Abacus, which can also help them with the subject at school. Do check out more details about our classes at:http://www.aloha-usa.com

What You Need to Know About Office Etiquette

What You Need to Know About Office Etiquette via Pixabay Be On Time Nobody likes waiting for someone to start a meeting. Nobody likes walking in late to a meeting after it has already started. So, to avoid both of these situations, try your best to be on time to meetings and into the office in the morning. Time management can be difficult for some people, especially during an especially busy day. Set reminders on your phone before meetings so you don’t lose track of time and can prepare to leave. If you are in charge of scheduling meetings, make sure you have enough time to travel from meeting to meeting instead of scheduling them back-to-back. Punctuality is one of the biggest forms of office etiquette. Be Conscious While on the Phone If you work in an open office or with cubicles, be conscious of how loudly you are speaking on the phone. While you may be on a work call, someone near you may be trying to concentrate on a project distracted by your conversation. Keep your voice at a lower level so you don’t disturb any of your coworkers. When it comes to personal calls, keep them short or take them away from your desk. Go into the break room, lounge or lobby, or outside if you really have to talk. You don’t want to lay your personal life out for everyone in the office. Clean Up After Yourself This one may seem pretty obvious, but how many times have you seen a dirty dish in the communal kitchen or trash in the bathroom? In order to keep a clean workplace, you have to clean up after yourself. If you heat up your lunch in the microwave and it splatters, make sure to wipe it down with a paper towel so it’s clean for the next person. Throw out your trash instead of leaving it on the break room tables or on the floor in the bathroom. Your coworkers will definitely appreciate it. via Pixabay Pay Attention in Meetings Remember back in high school when you weren’t allowed to use your cell phone during class because it was rude and you should pay attention to what your teacher had to say? Take that mentality into office meetings as well. Part of office etiquette is paying attention during a meeting and actively listening to whoever is leading the meeting. That means taking notes, asking questions, and making eye contact. If you have to answer a text or call that is work-related, quietly excuse yourself from the meeting. Stay Home When You’re Sick It may be tempting to go into the office if you are sick because you have deadlines, important meetings, or don’t feel like using one of your sick days. However, keep in mind that your healthy coworkers do not want to catch your sickness. When you go into the office when you are sick, you put everyone at risk. The best thing to do is to stay home and rest so you can get better as quickly as possible. That way you can go back to work and catch up on missed work. Use Punctuation in Your Emails The emotion and meaning of texts and emails can be hard to gauge without proper punctuation. While it may seem childish to use exclamation points at the end of sentences, it may be necessary when sending emails. “Nice job on this project! Thanks, Michelle,” sounds a lot better than “Thanks. -Michelle.” Don’t be afraid to be friendly towards your coworkers. Don’t overdo it on the emojis or exclamation points though. Be Respectful The number one rule of office etiquette is to always be respectful of everyone you work with. While you may not necessarily like everyone you work with, you still have to be respectful and kind. That means holding the door open for someone, greeting your coworkers, and working together as a team when necessary. When you show others respect, you will receive respect. Learn Office Etiquette If you are unsure of what office etiquette means, start with these simple tasks. Overall, just be respectful and considerate of your coworkers. You all share the same space, so why not make an effort to keep it clean and comfortable for everyone? With these office etiquette practices, you’ll be extremely pleasant to work with in the office.