The Consequences of Using Corporal Punishment

Beowulf Not just a kids story essays

Beowulf Not just a kids story essays When you compare Beowulf to any modern novel or movie, Beowulf seems childlike at best. Beowulf is told in a straightforward, uncomplicated manner very unlike many of todays works, which contain complex plots and themes. What makes Beowulf readable to an adult and not just children? Why do people find stories such as Beowulf so intriguing? Why is Beowulf, or any myth, significant? Beowulf, the story of the young Beowulf sent by fate to save a kingdom plagued with a nightmarish monster, a rather basic plot synopsis especially for a story that has been around for more than one thousand years. However Beowulf contains far more long-standing impact than a slew of the best selling books at any bookstore. Beowulf, as any myth, teaches many moral lessons giving us a detailed insight into the culture and writers beliefs through written accounts of morality and religion and through the tales deep symbolism. And it also provides for an entertaining ride filled with supernatural feats and monsters with an inspirational hero or role model for the reader. In contrast to some other popular mythological stories such as the tales of the Greek gods, Beowulf is almost believable. Beowulf is just over the edge of real, it pushes our definition of what exists but not to the point to where we cannot imagine what is happening in the story. Also I feel that Beowulf is a superior work of mythology because Beowulf is a true and perfect hero, and represents the personality and courage most people wish they had In Episode 1 the story begins with the tale of Scyld Sceafing, which parallels Beowulfs evolution, it is the motif of a helpless child turning into a great king. Similarly, Sceafing arrives from the water to the Danish lands in the same way Beowulf arrives. This is a popular theme in many myths, a small and weak one rising to be strong and a leader (i.e. Jesus). Part of the beauty of myt...

German History Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

German History - Coursework Example terature include medieval German literature, baroque, enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, classicism, romanticism, classicism, naturalism, expressionism and Dadaism (Sebstian, n.p). The medieval period was characterized by numerous authors. During the Carolingian periodis when German literature began, first in Latin and then in Old High German. Authors and written works of the high recognized styles included Herzog Ernst, Heinrich von Freiberg, Ulrich von Tà ¼rheim, Rudolf von Ems, Konrad von Wà ¼rzburg, Heinrich Frauenlob and Reinmar der Alte. The Baroque period was one of the richest periods in terms of German literature .Numerous writers wrote of the terrifying experiences of the Thirty Years War. The most famous novel of the Baroque period was Grimmelshausens adventures of the young and naà ¯ve Simplicissimus while Andreas Gryphius and Daniel Caspar von Lohenstein wrote German-language tragedies (Sebstian, n.p). The German enlightenment was marked by a number of literary events. The main authors at the time were Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Immanuel Kant. In 1774 Goethe published â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† and advanced to publish the first piece of Faust in 1808 and second piece in 1832. Kant on the other hand published Critique of Pure Reason in 1781 and Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals in 1785 (Sebstian, n.p). Sturm und Drang was a Germany literary society that came to be during 18th century. The period is most universally known to have lasted from 1767 - 1785. Nathan the Wise was written by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Lessing through this play had an opportunity of showing his great critical power. He wrote this religious parable with religious tolerance. The setting is in Jerusalem during the Third Crusade at this time all of Muslim Palestine were opposed by Christian forces from Europe. Saladin, the Muslim, decides to test Nathan ‘the Wise’ by asking which of the three religions â€Å"Christianity, Judaism, or Islam† represent the right

Sanctity Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sanctity - Research Proposal Example Here, Muggeridge's statement of 1997 is relevant: "The quest for quality of life could endanger the human race if sanctity of life is ignored." That is, the quest for qualitative human life which ignores the sanctity of life carries within it the potential of failure and counter-productivity; consequently, the preservation of the sanctity of human life must go hand in hand with the quest for quality of life. Yes, that is a logical theoretical inference, with two operative phrases "the preservation" and "must go hand in hand". Aristotle, however, once said that talking (or theorising) about virtue does not make a man virtuous. To be virtuous, the desiring one must do something, must act- according to a well-conceived, open-minded and intelligibly articulated conceptual frame, which must form the (temporary or permanent guide) and watchword for the aspirer. Therefore, to begin with: What is a practical pursuit of the quality of life What is that pursuit that does not in any way exclude the preservation of the sanctity of human life Moreover, what is human life, whose quality one wishes to improve What are its facets and ramifications, its scope, the limits of its entirety Is it all about satisfying the instincts of hunger, thirst, sleep, and sex All about traditionalistic religious devotion, churchism, or Islamism About quintessential scholarly fulfilment Amassing wealth and riches Marrying and raising familiesEvidently, none of these activities capture the human life comprehensively, since not every one is religious, can be scholarly, will marry and raise families, or can amass wealth and riches; yet everyone has a (human) life, irrespective of his background, privilege, ability or disability; irrespective of his sanity or insanity. Then, the quality of life. By what yardstick is the quality of life to be measured By political stability By economic prosperity Religious edification Or by a predominance of sterling scholarship The United States and Britain, two of the most politically stable nations of the world, do not praise or envisage the attainment of their kind of politics by other nations as barometers of a flawless qualitative human life (Academic Digestive 2005). Neither does a polity content itself with perfecting its political development, in the hope of attaining to a wholesome life for its people. Since 1940(when the performance of economy began to be measured systematically), man has focused on the pursuit of economic growth, striving to increase the flow of traded goods and services, concentrating on the creation of factories- local, national, multinational; on the cultivation of raw materials and their large-scale conversion into goods and assets, on discovering and nurturing skills of craftsmanship, improvisation and serendipity-all towards achieving and sustaining vibrant economic standards, whose beauty envisioned from a distance by the wandering inquisitiveness of mankind, seemed to promise the advent of a comprehensively, if not perfectly, enhanced quality of human life. While, consequently, the demand for goods and service

Demonstrate how to carry out a patient-centred systematic assessment Essay

Demonstrate how to carry out a patient-centred systematic assessment of a patient with palliative care needs & use your findings - Essay Example Symptom management plan which is comprehensive involves a number of considerations. These are: An in-depth and holistic assessment Based on the assessment, there should be identification of the probable based on the assessment The execution of the intervention The continuous evaluation of the measures of intervention Effective management requires various things. These include: i. Amalgamated approach: this involves symptom assessment which is multidimensional. For instance, in the case of the management of pain, may require both patient education on how effectiveness of relation, and opioid. This is helpful as it teaches the patient the method of relieving oneself from anxiety. ii. The specific and targeted approach: this is directed to find out the exact factors contributing to the problem of a specified problem. For instance, pharmaceutical agents could be required to investigate various causal factors to a specific disease or ailment. iii. A tailored approach: this method is suite d for some circumstance. For example, a patient who does not have caregivers or adequate financial capabilities may have to get support from other caregivers. Evaluation It is very vital for one to investigate and find out the level of the underlying symptoms and to determine the progress of the disease. This is important as it helps in determining whether the disease can be reversed or if one is advancing to the terminal stage of their illness. The investigation may be done purposefully to: alleviate the root cause of a symptom and deliver one from the effects of the symptom. Patient Issues related to Symptom assessment and management plan There are various issues with different patients, which may affect the assessment. There this paper presents an elaboration of literature review, which singles out the interconnection of of areas focus in relation to the pain one is undergoing. These include communication, the spiritual life of a patient, and their relationships. Relationships an d Communications Health practitioners and hospitals should conduct and facilitate individual patient support to empower patients to talk effectively health professionals any other person. In addition to this, heal professionals should be trained adequately to enable them to learn the dynamics of communicating to patients, their informal caregivers and how they can communicate with other professionals. The major issue of concern that has been of concern all along is the importance of communication among and between various groups of persons involved. For instance, patients, health care professionals and the informal caregivers. For the case of patience, good communication, trust, and planning are the major concepts in the control of major symptoms that may have been found to develop in a patient. Patients should constantly be assured of wellness not sufferance and disaster after the treatment. The patients should be told of the side effects that are related to some diseases and treat ments. The fear that may engulf a patient about a specific treatment like cancer should be attended to and well addressed. The type of relationship that exists between a patient and health professionals matters a lot in the health improvement of a patient. The type of rela

Proposed Pipeline Route Analysis

Proposed Pipeline Route Analysis Site information Client Westhill Company Site Broadway, Worcestershire, United Kingdom Current land use and description Currently used for livestock grazing and private residential area. Development Proposed pipeline installation Conceptual site model Topography Uneven surfaces withsteep slope. Geology BirdlipLimestone Formation, Bridport Formation, Whitby Mudstone Formation, Marlstone Rock Formation, Dyrham Formation and Charmouth Mudstone Formation. Hydrology There are springs, seepages and groundwater discharge Hydrogeology BirdlipLimestone Formation- Moderate Aquifer BirdportSand formation. Landsliding and stability Characterised by ancient to recent landslides. Widely unstable area with visible earth movement. Historical land uses Evidence of agricultural land use by the presence of ridge and farrow and various drainage channels. Site model and geomorphology Multiple rotational landslips in the Whitby Mudstone formation. Marlstone rock formation shows mudslide movement and deposits. Cambering in the Birdlip Limestone formation. Recommendations Constraints Restriction of some potential accessible sites. Topography of the site. Proposedpipeline routing Proposed pipeline route is approximately 1.09km. This is subdivided into 3 zones. Limitations No geophysical, laboratory test were conducted. In March 2017, Motives Survey Services was commissioned byWesthill Construction Company to undertakea desk study and field survey report at Broadway, Worcestershire and produce a report to assist in their selection of a suitable pipeline route across the Cotswold escarpment. The pipeline route is to be laid in the east of Broadway, at Farncombe House, to the west of the Cotswold escarpment, at Hill Farm where it will enter a further network. The pipeline will be laid across variable geology susceptible to landslide and slope instability, therefore Westhill Construction Company requires a reliable desk study and the design of an invasive ground investigation revealing constraints that may be encountered on site. 1.1 Objectives The objectives of this investigation are: Undertake a desk study of available information to include analysis and interpretation of aerial photograph of the study area using Anaglyph. To assess potential ground hazards in the site Carry out a site walk over survey (Geomorphological mapping). Provide preliminary geotechnical information on the ground conditions in the site area. Develop a conceptual site model. Propose a potential pipeline route. 1.2 Site Information Table 1.1 Report Brief description Site name Cotswold escarpment Site location Site is situated at Broadway, Worcestershire, United Kingdom (see Figure 1). Site topography Uneven surfaces with steep slopes Grid reference SP099372 Broadway village lies between 80m and 100m OD on the west facing scarp slope at the foot of Cotswold escarpment. The area is extensively used for farming and agriculture (Malcom et al, 2000). The site area is located on the escarpment slope facing east of Broadway village.Previous studies in site area have extensively delineated areas of slope instability, including relict landslides, which may have been initiated under periglacial climatic conditions 1.3 Sources of Information used for this study Sources of information used in preparation of this report are presented in Table 1.2 below. Table 1.2: Information Sources Information sources Description Sources reference Environment Agency Surface Water Map. To identify flood warning areas on site The Environment Agency, Flood Risk Map. Copyright and Database right 2017. Environment Agency Ground Water Vulnerability map. To determine vulnerable aquifers on the site The Environment Agency, Ground Water Vulnerability Map. Copyright and Database right 2017. Edina Digimap Base map for geomorphological mapping Edina Digimap 2017, Copyright and Database right 2017. Edina Digimap Hydrogeology map showing aquifer productivity on the site. Data extracted from Edina Digimap 2017, Copyright and Database right 2017. Edina Digimap Ordinance Survey Map for the site. Showing site location. Edina Digimap 2017, Copyright and Database right 2017. Edina Digimap Geological Survey Map Showing the geology of site. Edina Digimap 2017, Copyright and Data base right 2017. Edina Digimap Historical Map, showing the past history of the site Edina Digimap 2017, Copyright and Data base right 2017. ILWIS Lidar maps for terrain evaluation using aerial photography Environmental Agency map, Copyright and Data base right 2017. 2.1 Geology The bedrock geology of the site area is summarized in Table 2.1. This comprises of a sequence Lower Jurassic marine clays, sands and limestone including the Charmouth Mudstone Formation, Dyrham Formation, Marlstone Formation and Whitby Mudstone Formation (Barron et al., 2002). These rocks are overlain by limestones of the middle Jurassic inferior Oolite Group, which cap the escarpment above Broadway. The strata are gently dipping although cambering and faulting have produced local variations (Malcom et al, 2000). These formations are under the Lias Group. The Lias Group is characterised by mudstones interlayered with limestones and it is very fossiliferous. The main clay bearing formations are theCharmouth Mudstone and Whitby Mudstone Formations (Ambrose 2001). A geology map of this area is presented in AppendixB. Table 2.1: Geology (afterBaron et al, 2002) Formation Previous terms Description Birdlip Limestone Formation (Inferior Oolite Group) Lower Inferior Oolite Oolitic and sandy ferruginous LIMESTONE Birdport Sand Formation Cotswold Sands Fine to medium grained SANDSTONE Whitby Mudstone Formation Upper Lias Clay Comprises of dark grey CLAY with some oolitic LIMESTONE Marlstone Rock Formation Middle Lias Marlstone Rock Comprises of strong brown closely jointed Oolitic and fossiliferous LIMESTONE Dyrham Formation Middle Lias Comprises of moderately weak orange brown SANDSTONE and SILTSTONE with subordinate bands of SILT and CLAY. Charmouth Mudstone Formation Lower Lias Clay Comprises of dark grey CLAY with occasional bands of argillaceous limestone. Grades at depth into weak mudstone. 2.2 Hydrology and Hydrogeology 2.2.1 Hydrology and Flooding The environment agency map has rated the risk of flooding in the site area to be extremely low and there is no form of flooding risk from rivers, streams or springs in this area. This is vividly shown in appendix E. 2.2.2 Hydrogeology The groundwater vulnerability map of environmental agency classified aquifers as: Major Aquifer High Major Aquifer Intermediate Major Aquifer Low Minor Aquifer High Minor Aquifer Intermediate Minor Aquifer Low. The site area is classified by the environment agency to be of Minor Aquifer High and Minor Aquifer Intermediate. The Aquifer productivity zones are classified as: Aquifer Productivity Birdlip Limestone Formation Moderate Bridport Sand Formation Low 2.3 Aerial Photographic Interpretation Anaglyph was used to interpret the aerial photographs and to gather information for this report. The basic features interpreted with the use of the aerial photographs are in accordance with researched literature from past work on Broadway study area. Interpretation from both aerial photographs and field survey was used in completing the engineering geomorphological base map. Ground features interpreted from the aerial photographs are: Landslide form and Cambering Slope changes Ground mass movement Ridge and furrow 2.4 Historical Land Uses Extensive study of the historic Ordnance survey map was conducted to identify any geophysical and geotechnical properties considerations for the proposed pipeline route of site area. Historical map is presented in Appendix C. Maps and other sources of information has shown that Broadway land uses was mainly for Agricultural purposes and Quarries. Written documentation has been the primary source of evidence for understanding the farming during the Anglo -Saxon period. Apparently the richest source of information are the Anglo-Saxon charters which record grants of land and their attached boundary Clauses. The charters and boundary clauses contains evidence of early farming systems (Malcom et al 2000). Ridge and furrow in site shows past Agricultural activities. The quarry in the site area dates back 100-120 years ago as interpreted from the historic maps. 3.1 Field Survey In March, 2017 Geomorphological mapping was conducted on the site area. The mapping started on the 8th of March and ended on the 10th. Mapping was conducted by a group of Engineering Geologist led by Dr Andy Gibson, Dr Malcom Whitworthand Dr Steve Penn. The field equipments used for mapping of the area are: compass clinometer, mapping boards, ranging poles, measuring tapes, pencils, A3 ordnance survey maps, Lidar maps and aerial A3 maps. 3.2 Geomorphological Features Encountered A brief account of the geomorphological features encountered during the three days mapping are presented in the tables below(Table 3.1 to 3.3). Table 3.1 Day 1 Mapping (8th March, 2017) Weather Cloudy Time of Arrival 12:49pm Location Off A44 road next to the road leading to Broadway high street Geology Marlstone Rock Formation and Dyrham Encountered Features during mapping 1. Old mechanical quarry with three layers of marlstone rock formation. Highly weathered limestone with very closely spaced discontinuity, orange in colour and fossiliferous. 2. Evidence of recent flow. Flow occurring with tension cracks. Spring encountered during 3030 geomorphological mapping. Lobate feature was seen on the 3030 mapping area which is 14 to 18m long and 10m wide. Photography of features mapped for both locations is shown in Appendix G. Table 3.2 Day 2 Mapping (9th March, 2017) Weather Sunny and windy Time of Arrival 09:15am Location Off A44 road next toFish Hill Geology Whitby Mudstone Formation Encountered Features during mapping 1. Evidence of recentrotational land slide flow occurring. There was presence of tension crack suggesting age to be less than 10 years of age. 2. Evidenceof relictlandslide (Old rotational landslide). This is suggested to be 50 to 100 years old. 3. Spring pouring out large volume of water was found on the middle area of site.Evidence of Marlstone Rock Formation on site area, seen around tree roots. Photography of features mapped for the locations is shown in Appendix G2. Table 3.3 Day 3 Mapping (9th March, 2017) Weather Cloudy and Cold Time of Arrival 09: 20am Location Colliers knap and Farncombe House Geology Marlstone Rock Formation and Dyrham Encountered Features during mapping 1. Relict landslide (Old rotational landslide) were seen around Colliers Knap with presence of spring. 2. Bench area at Farncombe house which is made of Whitby Mudstone Formation. Tension cracks occurred in the bench area. Photography of features mapped for both locations is shown in Appendix G3. 4.1 Geological Ground Conditions Geologicalformations of the study area generally conforms to past research literature. This is shown on table 4.1. Table 4.1 Typical description of the geology formations and slope formations seen on the site study area. Formation Description Surface Morphology Birdlip Limestone Formation (Inferior Oolite Group) Comprises mainly OoidLIMESTONE, shell fragmental LIMESTONE and Sandy LIMESTONE Cambering and multiple rotational landslide. Steep scarp face (250m OD) Bridport Sand Formation Comprises of fine to medium grained SANDSTONE Landsliding and Cambering features. Whitby Mudstone Formation Comprises of dark grey micaceous mudstone with fossils preserved in pinkish ARAGONITE Gentle angle slope with remains of relict landslide (old rotational landslide). Marlstone Rock Formation Brown to grey variablyferruginous SANDSTONE containing limonitic Ooids Cap rock to mid slope lithological bench. Mechanical quarry present in a part of the formation. Dyrham Formation Comprises grey mudstone, with interbeds of highly micaceous, weakly cemented SILTSTONE or fine grained SANDSTONE Steep scarp faces below the lithological bench (marlstone rock formation). Occasionally extensive rotational landslides (seen at Colliers knap). Charmouth Mudstone Formation Dominated by dark grey CLAY with occasional bands of argillaceous limestone. Occurs down slope. Enveloped by superficial deposits. 4.2 Geomorphology The study area is predominant of rotational landslide, mainly of relict and few occurring recent rotational landslide. Othersections of study area comprises of translational slide and mudflows with tension cracks present on site. Spring and hummocky surfaces present on site. Detailed geomorphological features are shown in the base map. Data was gathered from desk study and field mapping of study area. A number of geomorphology and geological features can be seen in the study area. These are: Rotational landslide- Rotational landslide is predominant in the study area. At colliers knap there is an extensive rotational landslide down a lithologic bench, which is the marlstone rock bench. The geology of the bench area is marlstone rock formation and beneath it (gentle slope) is the dyrham formation. This have a potential to flow when triggered and this pose an area of concern for engineering work. Translational landslide- Translational landslide occurred at the south south part of the study area and also around the bench mark at farncombe estate. These are old relict translational landslide which comprises of active mudflows/slide flow. Tension cracks- Tension cracks are other common features in site area. This feature occurred at the bench mark leading to farncombe house and it is of Whitby mudstone formation. Tension cracks were also seen in other areas of recent landslide in the site. These cracks at the head of landslide suggests strongly that instability is imminent. It is not advisable for a pipeline route to pass through this area. Mudflow/Slide flow- Mudflow features occurred twice within the colliers knap area. The first flow occurred at about 10m north-east of the abandoned old quarry. Here, a 30 x 30 geomorphologic mappingwas conducted, spring was encountered with a northward flow direction. Whilst the second mudflow occurred just before the lithologic bench leading to farncombe house. Mudflow in the site is bound to extend over time. Generally the geomorphological features are vividly shown in the base map. Cambering- This feature occurred at the Broadway tower region which is located at the southern part of site area. There was a separation between two joints leading to downward movement of rock formation in opposite directions thereby forming a gull in the site. This was a restricted area. The plan and cost for intrusive investigation was completed with the use of the bill of quantities (UK specification for ground investigation). Bill of Quantities: Percussion boring ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT QUANTITY RATE (Â £) AMOUNT (Â £) B Percussion boring B1 Transport/mobilisation of cable percussion rig and personnel to site and removal on completion of works nr Not required 300.00 300.00 B2 Set up, dismantle and move rig between boreholes each move 4 70.00 280.00 B3 Excavate starter pit each move 4 50.00 200.00 B4 Extra over for breaking out concrete etc. re-excavate starter pit each move 2 90.00 180.00 B5 Boring/advance by light cable percussion rig between ground level and 10m Per (m) 10m by 4 boreholes 20.00 800.00 B6 As item B5 but between 10m to 15m Per (m) 5m by 4 boreholes 25.00 500.00 B7 As item B6 but between 15m to 20m Per (m) 5m by 4 boreholes 32.00 640.00 D Trial pits and trenches D1 Transport machine, driver and qualified geologist to supervise, log pits, take reports and bulk sampling Per day 3 days 1350.00 4050.00 F Cone Penetration Testing F1 Mobilisation of rig per day on-site and reporting Per day 3 days 2000.00 6000.00 E Probing E1 Probing Per day 3 days 800.00 2400.00 Sub-total 15350.00 Bill of Quantities: Sampling ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT QUANTITY RATE (Â £) AMOUNT (Â £) J Sampling J1 Take small disturbed samples (1kg) with split-barrel tubes from ground level to depth of 10m (at every 2m) Per sample 5 per borehole (20) 2.00 40.00 J2 Take 100mm undisturbed samples from ground level to 15m (every 3m) Per sample 5 per borehole (20) 18.00 360.00 J3 Take 45kg bulk disturbed samples not exceeding 10m depth below ground level Per sample 5 per borehole (20) 5.00 100.00 J4 Take representative water samples Per sample 5 per borehole (20) 5.00 100.00 Sub-total 600.00 Bill of Quantities: In-situ testing ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT QUANTITY RATE (Â £) AMOUNT (Â £) H Standard Penetration Test (SPT) H1 SPT from Ground level to 15m Per borehole 4 boreholes 12.50 48.00 H2 Permeability Test H 2.1 Permeability-Falling head (Head modified) for up to 4 days 4 boreholes 58.00 232.00 H3 Point Load Test H 3.1 Point Load 4 boreholes 65.00 260.00 H4 Shear box Test H 4.1 Shear box 4 boreholes 330.00 1320.00 Sub-total 1860.00 Bill of Quantities: Instrument ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT QUANTITY RATE (Â £) AMOUNT (Â £) I Standpipe I1 Install standpipe 50mm diameter Per metre 10m per borehole (40) 15.00 600.00 I2 Protective cover re above and re-instatement Per each standpipe 4 100.00 400.00 Sub-total 1000.00 Bill of Quantities: Laboratory testing ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT QUANTITY RATE (Â £) AMOUNT (Â £) K Classification Tests K1 Determination of Moisture Content Nr 4 4.00 16 K2 Determination of Liquid Plastic Limits and Plasticity Index Nr 4 27.50 110 K3 Bulk/Dry Density Nr 4 15.00 60 K4 Particle Size Distribution Sand and Gravel Nr 4 26.50 106 K5 Particle Size Distribution -Fine Grained Soils Nr 4 30.00 120 K6 Soil Chemical Test K 6.1 Organic content Nr 4 20.00 80 K 6.2 Soluble Sulphate content (Soil- 2:1) Nr 4 16.00 64 K 6.3 Soluble Sulphate content (Water) Nr 4 16.00 64 K 6.4 pH value (Soil)

Mexican Labor Unions and Economic Reforms Over the Past 20 Years Essay

Mexican Labor Unions and Economic Reforms Over the Past 20 Years INTRODUCTION: Since labor unions in Mexico were originally formed in the early 1900s, they have maintained a unique system of collaboration and collusion with the government of Mexico. Though many may refer to their system as one of â€Å"corruption,† it is a system that has become so deeply imbedded in the relationship between labor unions and the government, that it is now a well-understood unofficial network. Over the past 20 years in Mexico, a great deal of progress has been made toward the liberalization of the Mexican markets. Previously government-owned companies have been privatized, foreign investment has boomed, and a once one-party system has just recently produced its first democratically elected opposing party president. But how helpful have the labor unions been to this progress? Generally, labor unions would be one of a society’s greatest opponents to such things as privatization, causing many difficulties to the progress of the economy, however in the case of Mex ico, I contend that labor unions have, in fact, been a beneficial component to the progress. The unions have contributed through their collaboration with the government, their suppression of wages, their maintenance of a balanced governmental system, and their contributions to democracy. Though it cannot be claimed that all of their contributions to the economic development of the past 20 years in Mexico has been positive, it can be claimed that Mexico’s unique style of government-labor union coordination has acted in many unusually beneficial ways. LABOR UNION HISTORY: Up until 1931, no organized labor union had ever been recognized by the Mexican government. In fact, unde... ...rms in Latin America. Cambridge University Press: USA Mujica, Jorge Garcà ­a. (2002). Situacià ³n Econà ³mica y Prospectos. Resumen para la Sà ­ntesis Econà ³mica de Mà ©xico: La Ciudad de Mà ©xico. Otero, Rafael. (1999). Effects of Labor Unions on Regional Economic Development. Ph.D. Dessertation. The Universtiy of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX. Otero, Rafael, and Josà © A. Pagan. (2001). Unions and Job Queuing in Mexico’s Maquiladoras. Working Paper. The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX. Panagides, Alexis and Harry Anthony Patrinos. (1994). â€Å"Union-Nonunion Wage Differntials in the Developing World: A Case Study of Mexico.† The World Bank, Latin America and the Caribbean, Country Dept. Policy Research Working Paper 1269: Washington DC Rose-Ackerman, Susan. (1999). Corruption and Government. Cambridge University Press: USA