Cross Layered Approach for Network Selection

Cross Layered Approach for Network Selection A Cross Layered Approach for Network Selection in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks M. Deva Priya, Dr. M. L Valarmathi, D.Prithviraj Abstract: Service delivery in a heterogeneous wireless network environment requires the selection of an optimal access network. Selection of a non-optimal network can result in undesirable effects such as higher costs or poor service experience. Consequently, network selection techniques play a vital role in ensuring quality of service in heterogeneous networks. Network selection in such an environment is influenced by several factors, with different relative importance, the access network selection problem is usually looked at from the aspect of multi-criteria analysis. The proposed mechanism is based on a modified Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) steps to assist the Mobile Subscriber Stations (MSSs) in selecting the top candidate network dynamically. The performance analysis reveals that this network selection scheme yields a better results in selecting the better network. Keywords: MCDM, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), WiMAX–Wi-Fi Scenario Introduction: The 4th Generation (4G) wireless networks aims at integrating various heterogeneous wireless access networks such as GPRS, 3G, Wi-Fi, WiMAX over an Internet Protocol (IP) backbone. With the integration of different access networks, wider ranges and higher Quality of Service (QoS) can be provided to the users. The next generation wireless networks have been designed to provide support for multimedia services with different traffic characteristics, different QoS guarantees and to satisfy different types of service level agreements (SLAs) for an increasing number of mobile users. The integration of different wireless network technologies is required to provide a â€Å"seamless† interoperability, integration and convergence among the heterogeneous technologies. Several heterogeneous wireless networks that consist of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks have started to be operated. IEEE 802.16 WiMAX: WiMAX, a broadband wireless technology, developed by the WiMAX Forum [IEEE standard] is based on the 802.16 standard. The main objective is to provide high speed data transfers over the air. It has a frequency range of about 2-11 GHz for Non-Line-of- Sight and 10-66 GHz for Line of Sight. The signal range for Line of Sight and Non Line of Sight are 30 miles and 5 miles respectively. There are two types of WiMAX, say Fixed and Mobile WiMAX. WiMAX supports different types of traffics like Best Effort (BE), Unsolicited Grant Service (UGS), nrtPS (Non- Extended Real-Time Polling Service), rtPS (Extended Real-Time Polling Service) and ertPS (Extended Real-Time Polling Service). It is a technology for next generation with potential applications such as cellular backhaul, hotspot, VoIP mobiles and broadband connection etc. Itis a standard based wireless technology that provides internet access and multimedia services at very high speed to the end user. IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi: WLAN (or WiFi) is an open-standard technology that enables wireless connectivity between equipments and local area networks. Public access WLAN services are designed to deliver LAN services over short distances. Coverage extends over a 50 to 150 meter radius of the access point. Connection speeds range from 1.6 Mbps, which is comparable to fixed DSL transmission speed, to 11 Mbps [Part 11 -1]. New standards promise to increase speeds to 54 Mbps. Today’s WLANs run in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio spectrums [Part 11 2]. The 2.4 GHz frequency is already crowded—it has been allocated for several purposes besides WLAN service. The 5 GHz spectrum is a much larger bandwidth, providing higher speeds, greater reliability, and better throughput [Part 11 3]. Handover Process: When a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) moving in an overlapping area, continuous service must be need so the technique â€Å"HANDOVER† is done. The handover technique is mainly used to redirect the mobile user’s service network from current network to a new network or one base station (BS) to another BS or one access point (AP) to another AP with same technology or among different technologies to reduce the processing delay in the overlapping area. Handover technique has the two types, Horizontal Handover and Vertical Handover. The homogenous wireless network performs horizontal handover, if there are two BSs using the same access technology, in current system called horizontal handover. This type of mechanism use signal strength measurements for surrounding BSs to trigger and to perform the handover decision. In heterogeneous wireless networks, the MSS or BS will be equipped with multiple network interfaces to reach different wireless networks. When an emerging mix of overlapping heterogeneous wireless networks deployed, vertical handover is used among the networks using different access technologies. Handover technique has the four phases: Handover Initiation, System discovery, Handover decision, Handoff execution. Handoff Initiation phase: The handover process was modified by some criteria value like signal strength, link quality etc. System discovery phase: It is used to decide which mobile user discovers its neighbour network and exchanges information about Quality of Service (QOS) offered by these networks. Handover Decision phase: This phase compares the neighbour network QOS and the mobile users QOS with this QOS decision maker makes the decision to which network the mobile user has to direct the connection. Handoff Execution phase: This phase is responsible for establishing the connection and release the connections and as well as the invocation of security service. The scope of our work is mainly in handover decision phase, as mentioned in the decision phase; decision makers must choose the best network from available networks. Multi – Criteria Decision Making: Handover decision problem deals with making selection among limited number of candidate networks from various service providers and technologies with respect to different criteria. Network selection schemes can be categorized in to two kinds: Fuzzy Logic based schemes and multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) based schemes. Three different approaches for the decision of the optimal access network selection are as follows: the network centric, the user centric and the collaborative approaches [Hwang, C. L, Meriem, K]. In network centric approach, the decision for the access network selection is made at the network side with goal to optimize the network operator’s benefit. The majority of network centric approaches are using game theory in order to select the network that will optimize the network operator’s profit. In the user centric approach, the decision is taken at the user terminal based only on the minimization of the user’s cost without considering the n etwork load balancing or other users. The selection of the access network is determined by using utility or cost or profit functions or by applying MCDM methods. The selection of an access network depends on several parameters with different relative importance such as the network and application characteristics, user preferences, service and cost etc., the access network selection problem can be solved by applying different MCDM algorithms. In the collaborative approach, the decision for the access network selection is made at the profits of both users and network operator. Multiple criteria decision making deals with the problem of selecting an alternative from a set of alternatives which are categorized in terms of their attributes. Generally there are two processes in MCDM techniques: (1) Weighting and (2) Ranking. Most popular classical MADM algorithms are SAW, TOPSIS, AHP, and GRA. In Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), overall score of a candidate network is determined by weighting sum of all the attribute values. In Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), the chosen candidate network is one which is closest to ideal solution and farthest from the worst case solution. Analytical hierarchical Process (AHP) decomposes the network selection problem in to several sub-problems and assigns a weight value for each sub-problem. Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) is then used to rank the candidate networks and selects the one with highest ranking. Related Work A novel optimization utility is presented [Pervaiz, Haris, Qiang Ni, and Charilaos C. Zarakovitis] to incorporate the quality-of-service (QoS) dynamics of the available networks along with heterogeneous attributes of each user. The joint network and user selection is modelled by an evolutionary game theoretical approach and replicator dynamics is solved to seek an optimal stable solution by combining both self-control of users’ preferences and self-adjustment of networks’ parameters, our study innovates over related efforts. This paper [Mehbodniya, Abolfazl, Faisal Kaleem, Kang K. Yen, and Fumiyuki Adachi] presents a novel approach for the design and implementation of a multi-criteria vertical handoff decision algorithm for heterogeneous wireless networks based on the fuzzy extension of the Techniques for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) which is used to prioritize all the available networks within the coverage of the mobile user and to achieve seamless mobility while maximizing end-users satisfaction. A network selection mechanism based on two multi attribute decision making (MADM) methods namely multiple analytic hierarchy process (M-AHP) and grey relational analysis (GRA) method is proposed [Lahby, Mohamed, and Abdellah Adib]. The M-AHP is used to weigh each criterion and GRA is used to rank the alternatives. This paper [Rao, K. R., Zoran S. Bojkovic, and Bojan M. Bakmaz] provides a survey on fundamental aspects of network selection process and deals with network selection concept as a perspective approach to the always best connected and served paradigm in heterogeneous wireless environment. A cross-layer architectural framework for network and channel selection in a Heterogeneous Cognitive Wireless Network (HCWN) [Haldar, Kuheli Louha, Chittabrata Ghosh, and Dharma P. Agrawal] is proposed. A novel probabilistic model for channel classification based on its adjacent channels’ occupancy within the spectrum of an operating network is also introduced. Further, a modified Hungarian algorithm is implemented for channel and network selection among secondary users. A two-step vertical handoff decision algorithm [Liu, Chao, Yong Sun, Peng Yang, Zhen Liu, Haijun Zhang, and Xiangming Wen] based on dynamic weight compensation is proposed. It also adopts the filtering mechanism to reduce the system cost and improves the conventional algorithm by dynamic weight compensation and consistency adjustment. A speed-adaptive system discovery scheme [Yang, Peng, Yong Sun, Chao Liu, Wei Li, and Xiangming Wen] before vertical handoff decision, which effectively improves the update rate of the candidate networks set is introduced. Then a vertical handoff decision algorithm based on fuzzy logic with a pre-handoff decision method which reduces unnecessary handoffs, balancing the whole network resources and decreasing the probability of call blocking and dropping. A context-aware service adaptation mechanism [Chang, Jie, and Junde Song] under ubiquitous network relying on user-to-object, space-time interaction patterns which helps perform service adaptation is presented. Similar Users-based Service Adaptation algorithm (SUSA) is proposed, by combining entropy theory and fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process algorithm (FAHP). This approach adopts a suitably defined utility function [Pervaiz, Haris, and Qiang Ni], which at the same time takes into account the users importance for the considered attributes and the quality offered for these attributes by the available networks. The dynamics of network selection in cooperative wireless networks is modeled using an evolutionary game theory where an evolutionary equilibrium is sought as a solution to this game. A bandwidth allocation algorithm is proposed [Fei, Wenchao, Hui Tian, and Rongrong Lian] for Constant Bit Rate (CBR) and Variable Bit Rate (VBR) services depending on utility fairness among different networks and the fairness between new arrival and ongoing services. A utility function is introduced whose parameters are determined by the modified multi-state Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) which adapts to different load levels according to dynamic thresholds. A novel load balancing algorithm based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is proposed [Song, Qingyang, Jianhua Zhuang, and Rui Wen], which helps the heterogeneous WLAN/UMTS network to provide better service to high-priority users without decreasing system revenue. A novel selection policy [Sasaki, Misato, Akira Yamaguchi, Yuichi Imagaki, Kosuke Yamazaki, and Toshinori Suzuki] for a communication system in heterogeneous wireless networks, which applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) algorithm by taking into account the mobility of the user terminals is proposed. An intelligent context-aware solution based on advanced decision approaches like fuzzy logic and analytic hierarchy processes that considers both users and services requirements is proposed in [Zekri, Mariem, Badii Jouaber, and Djamal Zeghlache]. REFERENCES: IEEE Std 802.16-2009. IEEE standard for local and metropolitan area networks. Part 16: Air interface for broadband wireless access systems; 2009. Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specification, IEEE 802.11 WG, Aug. 1999. Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specification: High-Speed Physical Layer Extension in the 2.4 GHz Band, IEEE 802.11b WG, Sept. 1999. Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specification: High-Speed Physical Layer in the 5 GHz Band, IEEE 802.11a WG, Sept. 1999. Hwang, C. L., Yoon, K. (1981). Multiple attribute decision making: Methods and applications. In A state of the art survey. New York: Springer. Meriem, K., Brigitte, K., Guy, P. (2008). An overview of vertical handover decision strategies in heterogeneous wireless networks. Elsevier, Journal of Computer, Communication, 37(10). Pervaiz, Haris, Qiang Ni, and Charilaos C. Zarakovitis. User adaptive QoS aware selection method for cooperative heterogeneous wireless systems: A dynamic contextual approach.Future Generation Computer Systems(2014). Mehbodniya, Abolfazl, Faisal Kaleem, Kang K. Yen, and Fumiyuki Adachi. A novel wireless network access selection scheme for heterogeneous multimedia traffic. InConsumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC), 2013 IEEE, pp. 485-489. IEEE, 2013. Lahby, Mohamed, and Abdellah Adib. Network selection mechanism by using M-AHP/GRA for heterogeneous networks. InWireless and Mobile Networking Conference (WMNC), 2013 6th Joint IFIP, pp. 1-6. IEEE, 2013. Rao, K. R., Zoran S. Bojkovic, and Bojan M. Bakmaz. Network selection in heterogeneous environment: A step toward always best connected and served. InTelecommunication in Modern Satellite, Cable and Broadcasting Services (TELSIKS), 2013 11th International Conference on, vol. 1, pp. 83-92. IEEE, 2013. Haldar, Kuheli Louha, Chittabrata Ghosh, and Dharma P. Agrawal. Dynamic spectrum access and network selection in heterogeneous cognitive wireless networks.Pervasive and Mobile Computing9, no. 4 (2013): 484-497. Liu, Chao, Yong Sun, Peng Yang, Zhen Liu, Haijun Zhang, and Xiangming Wen. A two-step vertical handoff decision algorithm based on dynamic weight compensation. InCommunications Workshops (ICC), 2013 IEEE International Conference on, pp. 1031-1035. IEEE, 2013. Yang, Peng, Yong Sun, Chao Liu, Wei Li, and Xiangming Wen. A novel fuzzy logic based vertical handoff decision algorithm for heterogeneous wireless networks. InWireless Personal Multimedia Communications (WPMC), 2013 16th International Symposium on, pp. 1-5. IEEE, 2013. Chang, Jie, and Junde Song. Research on Context-Awareness Service Adaptation Mechanism in IMS under Ubiquitous Network. InVehicular Technology Conference (VTC Spring), 2012 IEEE 75th, pp. 1-5. IEEE, 2012. Pervaiz, Haris, and Qiang Ni. User Preferences-Adaptive Dynamic Network Selection Approach in Cooperating Wireless Networks: A Game Theoretic Perspective. InTrust, Security and Privacy in Computing and Communications (TrustCom), 2012 IEEE 11th International Conference on, pp. 1609-1616. IEEE, 2012. Fei, Wenchao, Hui Tian, and Rongrong Lian. Utility-Based Dynamic Multi-Service Bandwidth Allocation in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks. In Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC Spring), 2012 IEEE 75th, pp. 1-5. IEEE, 2012. Song, Qingyang, Jianhua Zhuang, and Rui Wen. Load Balancing in WLAN/UMTS Integrated Systems Using Analytic Hierarchy Process. InRecent Advances in Computer Science and Information Engineering, pp. 457-464. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2012. Sasaki, Misato, Akira Yamaguchi, Yuichi Imagaki, Kosuke Yamazaki, and Toshinori Suzuki. Novel Communication System Selection Applying the AHP Algorithm in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks. InWireless Communications and Applications, pp. 241-249. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2012. Zekri, Mariem, Badii Jouaber, and Djamal Zeghlache. Context aware vertical handover decision making in heterogeneous wireless networks. InLocal Computer Networks (LCN), 2010 IEEE 35th Conference on, pp. 764-768. IEEE, 2010.

Globalization Theory on Welfare Provision

Globalization Theory on Welfare Provision Globalization theory implies that the nation has little autonomy in organizing its  welfare provision. Evaluate this statement, referring to at least two welfare regimes. At first glance this statement appears to be true when applied to the welfare states of both Germany and Sweden. For nearly a century the Swedish welfare system was the world’s pre-eminent example of the ‘social-democratic’ model of welfare provision; likewise Germany’s welfare regime was a classic instance of the ‘Conservative’ model. Yet in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s both models were aggressively assailed by serious economic difficulties. These difficulties have been attributed to the effects of globalization and they have been cited as evidence that idiosyncratic and distinctive national welfare schemes cannot resist world economic and social forces. Economic evidence appears to uphold this statement. Sweden’s unemployment figures rose for instance from less that 1% in the late 1980’s to over 12.5% in 1993. In Germany workers contributed 26% of their income to welfare in 1970 and over 40% by 1990. Faced with such figures Swedish and German governments have felt massive pressure to cut back on systems of benefits that their accustomed citizens have deemed essential for more than fifty years. Authors such as Esping Anderson argue however that – at least in the case of Sweden and other ‘social-democracies’ – the present economic difficulties of these systems are temporary phenomenon made more severe by a combination of unfortunate events in the world economy in the 1990’s. These pressures are ephemeral and when they pass away it will be possible to maintain the universal level of welfare guaranteed by the social-democratic model. Less optimism can be expressed for the German model which faces the enormous difficulties with its ageing population, rising tax-burdens and assimilation of East Germany. The term ‘globalization’ has become something of a bloated monster with many different heads each meaning for the people who use them slightly or considerably different things from the others. Even a casual glance at the literature will show that the term is associated with the spread of each of the following: internationalization, liberalization, universalization, westernization, modernization or deterritorialization (Held, 1999). There is little space in this essay to discuss these terms in depth, and so it is best here to give a consensus definition that draws from each of them. When referred to welfare regimes globalization signifies an economic and social compression and condensing of the world whereby financial and social interaction between states is intensified. The World Bank for example defines globalization as the â€Å"Freedom and ability of individuals and firms to initiate voluntary economic transactions with residents of other countries†[1]. Globali zation means that there is a greater flow of commodities and influence across the borders of countries. Economically, this means that free trade, migration, capital and technology have a far greater power to influence individual states and nations than they had before. National economies and institutions (such as welfare systems) are more susceptible to international pressures and are often forced to conform or modify themselves so as to be competitive with these general trends. In social terms, globalization imposes upon individual nations the need to conform to international attitudes, for instance, towards the rights of women. Acceptance of such impositions often requires profound changes to the structure of traditional national institutions or ways of life. Authors on globalization have been equally vociferous in their support and condemnation of the movement. Noam Chomsky, for instance, is publicly critical of the tendency of globalization to remove freedom and choice from the individual and to transfer it to transnational corporations. Chomsky argues that global organizations such as the Bretton Wood institutions, the IMF and the World Bank, have promoted the ‘Washington Consensus’ whereby poor countries have to reduce welfare provisions to meet debt payments to richer nations (Chomsky, 1999). Accordingly, the WTO, GATT and NAFTA are agencies that seek to acquire privileges for elites rather than those of the third-world. In contrast, those who promote globalization, such as the leaders of the institutions listed above, argue that globalization means a golden opportunity to build a platform for worldwide and universal democracy, healthcare, pension provision and all of the other basic rights expected by citizens of Western welfare regimes. Esping Anderson’s The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism (Esping-Anderson, 1990) is a seminal text in the literature of welfare states. As its title suggest, Esping’s book divides the various kinds of welfare regimes in developed nations into three types: Liberal, Conservative (Corporate), and Social Democratic. Examples of countries with Liberal welfare regimes are the United States, Canada and Australia. These systems support means-measured-assistance that issue benefits for mainly the poor or those incapable of self-assistance. Government intervention in the welfare system is limited since government institutions are seen as unsuited for the dispersal of benefits; private welfare initiatives are as such much encouraged. The liberal model is predominantly individualistic and market-orientated. Examples of the Conservative type include Germany, France and Italy. In this model welfare benefits are related to social position and employment status. This model depends heav ily upon the work of the Church which is intimately linked to the distribution of welfare – particularly provision for the poor. So too the family is a vital source welfare. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are examples of countries that practice the Social Democratic model of welfare provision. Referred to also as the ‘Scandinavian Model’ or the ‘Swedish Model’, this type of provision demands the intimate public involvement of its citizens in the economy and society of the nation. In such models the welfare state is an umbrella that protects the whole nation. For instance, education is universally free (or very cheap) and of such a uniformly excellent level that it is unnecessary to maintain private schools. Healthcare, childcare allowances and old-age pensions are available to all citizens. The philosophy of the social democratic model is that its institutions should be egalitarian whereby the standard of living for the whole nation is leveled as much as possible. Esping’s model has been highly influential upon the thought of scholars writing about the welfare state and upon practitioners within it. Esping’s work is also significant because he suggests that the social-democratic model may be able to weather the difficulties it has undergone by globalization since the early 1990’s. These ideas are now discussed with reference to the particular welfare regimes of Sweden and Germany. The German welfare regime is a classic example of the conservative model of welfare provision. Originating with Chancellor Otto von Bismarck during the 1880’s the German welfare regime gradually established compulsory insurance schemes for healthcare, accidents, disability and old-age. After Bismarck the German welfare state was further expanded during the years of the Weimar Republic and the Nazi dictatorship. In 1957 Chancellor Adenauer passed the Pension Reform Law which aimed to distribute on an egalitarian basis the wealth of the ‘economic miracle’ that Germany was experiencing at the time. This was a momentous and controversial decision that would lead to successive German chancellor’s competing to offer better and better – and more unrealistic and more unrealistic! – welfare provisions and retirement packages to German workers. Adenauer replaced Bismarck’s limited system of helping only the elderly or desperately poor with pensio n schemes linked to wages referred to as ‘pay-as-you-go’ (Beck, 1995). These schemes were highly successful during the boom times of the 1950’s and 1960’s and up until the 1970’s. The 1980’s and 1990’s however saw the beginning of a series of serious economic challenges to the German welfare model: the German economy began to slow, the re-unification of East Germany meant huge extra burdens for the system and the German population was ageing quickly. In these years pension contributions for German workers went up from 26% in 1970 to 40% in 1990 (Crew, 1998). German politicians failed to see and so prepare for these events. Chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl sought to improve things by extravagant pensions promises that they knew they could not could not fulfill. Chancellor Kohl for instance famously claimed in his 1990 Unity Campaign that ‘When I say that we will not increase taxes, it means we will not increase taxesâ₠¬â„¢ (Bleses, 2004). Within a year gasoline, tobacco and insurance taxes had been raised as well as the solidarity surcharge added. Globalization became a major problem for the German welfare system in the early 1990’s when the world-recession hit Germany’s economy hard and made it difficult for her to sustain her generous welfare provision. Germany initially responded to the pressures of globalization by raising taxes steeply. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s has recently sought to introduce comprehensive reforms of the welfare system – Hartz 1V[2] for instance to respond to globalization. German trade unions are intractably opposed to such reforms and have staged huge street protests against them. The ‘Swedish model’ of welfare provision is a classic example of the social-democratic type. The history of the Swedish model is closely bound to the aims of the Swedish Social Democratic Party which was founded in 1889. The SDP was set up by industrial workers who aimed to guarantee every Swedish worker (and later every Swede) medical insurance, pensions in old-age, redundancy protection and various other benefits that guarded them against poverty and hunger. The SDP based the Swedish welfare system upon very high taxation (as it remains today) and Swedes pay up to 60% of their total income to the government. 90% of businesses in Sweden are privately owned and pay large corporate taxes to the government also. The SDP’s interpretation of the welfare state was based upon high taxation and was referred to as the ‘People’s Home’. The SDP became the dominant political force in Sweden in the 1930’s (lasting in power for sixty years) and in 19 37 the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) passed a pensions scheme for the elderly that continues to the present. After World War II the SDP extensively enlarged the welfare regime. This extension included mandatory health insurance, dental insurance, child-care subsidies, five-week vacation periods and so on. Thus by the 1970’s the dream of the ‘People’s Home’ had been substantially realized. Nearly sixty years of near blissful conditions in Sweden’s welfare system were seriously threatened in the 1990’s by a series of economic difficulties which were attributed to globalization and adduced as evidence that individual national monetary policies cannot survive the effects of globalization (Rydenfelt, 1981). Sweden is the classic example of the social-democratic model ‘third-way’ between conservatism and laissez-faire and so if Sweden fails to protect its distinctive system then all others of this type are likely to fail also. Globalization is seen to have forced Sweden to reduce full-employment provisions and to slash benefits in its welfare regime. The electoral defeat of the SDP for the first time in sixty years was seen as further evidence of the ability of globalization to affect well-rooted national institutions. Evidence for the crisis caused by globalization appears convincing. Between 1990-1995 national growth was viscous at 0.4% GDP, une mployment soared from 1.6% in 1990 to 12.5% in 1993. Government expenditure measured in GDP climbed from 60% in 1989 to 74.1% in 1993 (Crew, 1993). These events had three principal causes. Firstly, the volatility of Swedish currency internationally in expectation of the finalization of the European Single Market and also the act of Sweden’s joining the EU. Second, the far-stretched depression of the early 1990’s that reached globally. Thirdly, the difficulties of maintaining the level of the Krona next to the Deutschmark after competitive devaluations were ditched in the 1980’s. This evidence can be interpreted in two ways. Some argue that the Swedish crisis is an inevitable consequence of lavish public spending and impossibly high welfare provisions. The other school, represented by Esping-Anderson for instance, argues that the Swedish crisis is temporary and that its welfare state is capable of surviving present economic difficulties. Events for this school ar e conjunctural (Esping-Anderson, 1990). Sweden is not the victim of globalization, but of a particularly unlucky set of economic coincidences. Finally it must be said that neither Sweden nor Germany has yet determined with certainty whether they will be able to resist the pressure of globalization to modify or replace their idiosyncratic national welfare models. Sweden and Germany face pressure from within and without. Globalization from the outside, and the absolute demand of their citizens for a continuation of the present generosity of their respective welfare systems. If Esping Anderson is right, Sweden may weather the storm and preserve its social-democratic model. For Germany the external pressures are greater and the rescue of its conservative model far less certain. Bibliography Beck, H. (1995) The Origins of the Authoritarian Welfare State in Prussia. Ann Arbor,  University of Michigan Press. Bleses, P. (2004) The Dual Transformation of the German Welfare State. Palgrave Macmillan,  Basingstoke. Castells, M. (1996). Information Technology and Global Capitalism’ in W. Hutton A.  Giddens (eds.) On the Edge: Living with Global Capitalism. Vintage, London. Crew, D. F. (1998). Germans on Welfare. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Chomsky, N. (2003). Hegemony or Survival. Metropolitan Books, New York. Chomsky, N. (1999). Profit Over People. Seven Stories Press, New York. Chossudovsky, M. (1997). The Globalization of Poverty. Impacts of the IMF and World Bank   Reforms. Zed Books, London. Esping-Anderson, G. (1990). The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Polity Press,  Cambridge. Hajighasemi, A. N. (2002). The Transformation of the Swedish Welfare System: Fact or   Fiction? University of Durham, Durham. Held, D (et al.). (1999). Global Transformations – Politics, Economics and Culture. Polity  Press, Cambridge. Kelner, D. (1997). Globalization and the Postmodern Turn. UCLA, Los Angeles. Kuttner, R. (2002). Globalization and Poverty. The American Prospect Online.  www.prospect.org./print/V13/1/global-intro.html/ Liebfried, S. (2003). Limits to Globalization: Welfare States and the World Economy. Polity  Press, Cambridge. Rydenfelt, S. (1981). The Rise and Decline of the Swedish Welfare State. Lund University  Press, Lund. Rydenfelt, S. (1980). The Limits of Taxation: Lessons from the Swedish Welfare State. Lund  University Press, Lund. [1] www.worldbank.org/globalization/definition [2] Hartz IV, Federal Agency for Labour: a law that offers reduced unemployment benefits at different levels in East and West Germany.

Hernan Cortes :: essays research papers

Hernan Cortes was born in 1485 in a town called Medellin in Extremadura. It talks about little of his child hood and little about his young life except that he studied law at the University of Salamanca. His law school years were cut short in 1501 when he decided to try his luck in the New World. He sailed from Santo Domingo in the Spring of 1504. After he had got there in 1511 he joined he Spanish Soldier and Administrator Diego Velasquez in the conquest of Cuba, and there he became alcalde or mayor of Santiago de Cuba. In 1518 he persuaded Velasquez to give him command to the expedition of Mexico. Juan de Grijalva, nephew of Velasquez, had discovered the mainland the year before by the Spanish soldier and explorer Fernandez de Cobia and. On February 19, 1519 Cortes set sail west from Cuba even though Velasquez cancelled his pay because of suspicion that Cortes would find himself independent and refuse to take order. Cortes took with him about 600 men, less than 20 horses, and 10 field pieces. Cortes sailed along the east coast of Yucatan and in March 1519 landed in Mexico. Cortes neutralized the town of Tabasco. The artillery, the ships, and especially the horses awed the natives. From these people of Tabasco Cortes learned about the Aztecs and their ruler Montezuma II. Cortes took lots of captives one of which they baptized and renamed Marina. She became his lover and out of loyalty to him became his interpreter, Translator, Guide, and Counselor. Finding a better harbor a little North of San Juan they established a town called La Villa Rica De La Vera Cruz, which literally translates to The Rich Village Of The Vera Cruz. This was later called just Varacruz. Cortes did what Velasquez that he would do, and abandoned the authority of everybody except the king and queen. Cortes was a strategical thinker and destroyed his group of vessels in order to prevent small forces from opposing him and returning to Cuba to tell Velasquez. At about this time Cortes started his famous march inland even after negotiations with Montezuma. Montezuma tried to persuade Cortes not to enter the capital city of Tenochtitlan but Cortes was good at not following directions. Cortes overcame the native tribe Tlascalans. This tribe quickly became an alliance to the Spanish because they were enemies to the Aztecs.

Work Experience Essay -- Papers

Work Experience Work experience. The first time those words were mentioned I felt a cold shiver slowly descend down my back. Images of spending a week with unknown people in dead-end jobs flooded into my head. It was obviously going to be far too much effort for what it was worth. Yet, another side of me said do I want to be watching paint dry, or even watching grass grow.’ This is not where I want to be. I want to be out, I want to be experiencing, living, running, jumping, eating, playing, screaming, laughing, anything. I had to apply to a company for a two week placement, and this had to be done through proper procedures, so I had to make sure my curriculum vitae was up to date and well presented. I first began to think what type of work experience would I most enjoy and benefit from. I thought I would like to work in a computer related placement since I am doing IT as a GCSE and I have a keen interest in it. I went along to the careers office and talked to the careers teacher but he didn’t quite have what I wanted so I went home and done some research on the internet and found a contact number and e-mail, I phoned the number and asked about any work experience opportunities and they said the best thing was to e-mail my queries to a certain e-mail address. I e-mailed this person and they replied wanting to know what was the exact specification of this work experience. After several e-mails, they told me to send my CV along with a letter of application and so I did. A few weeks later I received a e-mail saying they do not do work experience for GCSE students, but added by saying they were planning to launch such opportunities... ...ing and informative week, I enjoyed every part of it as most of the tasks I comprehended them as challenging. I was made to feel extremely welcome by all of the members of the staff. I found the week very informative because I found out that it is definitely the sort of business I would like to do when I leave school/university. By taking up this work, it had made me feel differently about my career plan as how crucial it really is before this work experience. When I look back at my work experience in about five years time I would like to think of it as â€Å"It was worth every penny†. Also how a great deal it was influential in playing a crucial part in my life when I reflect back! I walked to the train station feeling satisfied with myself. I arrived home feeling rather cheerful and surprisingly looking forward to school.

Sun chief Essay -- essays research papers

Different cultures and religions have many different customs and rituals. In Islam it is common practice for women to be covered from head to toe. In Tibetan Buddhism it is common for devotees to practice asceticism. In Hopi culture and religious tradition food and sex play large and important roles, although in different situations the roles may be completely opposite. In Sun Chief particularly the chapter called â€Å"the Making of a Man† we can see that food is very important spiritually to the Hopi people. In the Wowochim ceremony each boy is given their manhood name over a â€Å"mother-corn ear† (159). In each of a dozen or more ceremonies we see that certain practices such as the sprinkling of corn (159, 160, 162, etc.), or the eating of unsalted foods as a form of fasting (158, 161, 165, etc.), is a major theme. This notion of giving foods back to the Gods, likely stems from the location of the Hopi nation in the desert region of the American southwest. Because food is scarce here, the Hopi people look upon it as the chief gift of the Gods, and therefore the offering of food back to the Gods makes sense. It also makes sense that in certain times of exceptional spiritual devotion, the giving up of food would be necessary to show an intense piety and strength. On the other hand, food is also seen by the Hopi as an important part of celebration. In order to prepare for the Wowochim ceremony the boys hunt and kill as many rabbits as they can get. These are then taken by their mo...

 Tablets versus Textbooks Essay

One in three adults own a tablet. As tablets are becoming more and more common a new debate has formed over whether K-12 school districts should switch from print textbooks to digital textbooks on tablets. The first benefit of digital textbooks is that students will have new information at their fingertips. The second benefit is that high level education prefers tablets. The negative about having a tablet is that many people don’t have wi-fi. As you can see, the benefits out-weigh the negatives by far and there really should be no debate. On a tablet e-textbooks can be updated instantly to get new editions or information. Schools will not have to constantly buy new copies, which few public schools buy due to the high prices of textbooks. Most public schools still have history books from when Bush was president. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that, â€Å"too many students are using books that are 7-10 years old with outdated material.† Subjects are especially beneficiary to subjects that constantly change, such as Science and History. On e-textbooks new editions and new information can be constantly at your fingertips. High-level education officials prefer tablets over textbooks. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Commission chair Julius Genachowski said on February 1, 2012 that schools and publishers should â€Å"switch to digital textbooks within five years to foster interactive education, save money on books, and ensure classrooms in the US use up-to-date content.† The federal government, in collaboration with several tech organizations, released a seventy-page guide for schools called the â€Å"Digital Textbook Playbook,† a â€Å"roadmap for educators to accelerate the transition to digital textbooks.† Some say that using tablets is more expensive than using print textbooks. Putting tablets in K-12 schools involves buying the tablet and the textbooks, building new wi-fi structures, and training administrators how to use the technology. Costs for e-textbooks on IPad tablets are 552% higher than new print textbooks in an average high school. A prominent education marketing expert Lee Wilson, estimated the annual cost per student per year to be seventy-one dollars and fifty-five cents versus fourteen dollars and twenty-six cents for print textbooks. Although, this is true they are thinking of the now and not keeping in mind the later. Right now, yes that much money will be spent but in the long haul it will add up to save you money. Just in a year E-textbooks can save schools between two-hundred and fifty dollars and one thousand dollars per student per year. Also, tablet prices are dropping as the years go by, making them even more affordable. Tablets cost on average four-hundred and eighty-nine dollars in 2011, three hundred and eighty-six dollars in 2012, and are projected to cost two hundred and sixty-three dollars in 2015. In the end using tablets is less expensive than using textbooks. As times are changing it’s important that we roll with the times. Using tablets in school will help supply students with new information all the time and high level education prefers them. Some may have wrong interpretations of them being more expensive than textbooks but as you read, they are not. Clark, Alli. â€Å"Online Textbooks: Friend or Foe? – Private Tutoring and Test Prep – Educational Connections.† Private Tutoring and Test Prep Educational Connections. N.p., 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. â€Å"LEAD Commission.† Lead Commission, Np., Nd. Web 27, September 2013. Long, Julie. â€Å"IT Solutions Blog.† 9 Benefits Of Classroom Technology: Ebooks. N.p., 28 June 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.

North American Expansion for Threads Apparel

Unit I: Question 7 Case Study: North American Expansion for Threads Apparel Managing Information Technology (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, and Perkins, (2012) In this electronic age, the recent trends in Information Technology (IT) have influenced competition and have changed the way we work. Let’s examine how this has happened. In regards to competition, we can walk into any electronic store like Best Buy and see numerous brands of computer and computer software.HP and IBM were primarily hard ware vendors but have taken a significant slice of the pie in this competitive market. Currently they rank #1 and #2 in the world as IT companies. Some other IT companies that are major players in this industry are Dell, Acer (Taiwan), Lenovo (China), and Apple. Additionally, from Japan, you have Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Sony. In regards to software alone, Microsoft dominates the market. Apple has its own operating system, but with all the other companies listed, you will see a Microsoft operating system.With all the companies that were listed, it is easy to see how competition has helped tremendously in keeping prices down. The first computer I bought cost me $2500. It was a Pionex, 512 mb of RAM, Pentium processor, 120GB Hard Drive and a 15inch monitor than could be used for a boat anchor. The computer I have now cost me 1/3 the price. It has an Intel Core I5 processor, 1TB hard Drive, 6 GB of RAM, DVD RW drive, and a 24 inch monitor that weighs about 5 pounds.Now that we have seen that computers are made bigger, better, and cheaper, let’s discuss how they have changed the way some companies do business. One way is, thanks to the internet, almost anything you want to buy can be delivered to your doorstep in just a few days. You can trade stocks, file your taxes or even unemployment online. IT has helped more people to conduct business from home instead of the, sometimes, long commute into work. In the business world, information travels faster and faster.It allows virtual meetings and also the ability to send files via email in a matter of seconds. IT has moved from huge computers to laptops or even smaller with smartphones. With my own smartphone, I have sent email, browsed the internet, accessed sport channels, watched movies, taken pictures, taken videos, viewed Microsoft Word and Excel files, downloaded music, and, oh yes, made phone calls. I even had a BlackBerry work phone that my Computer Support Assistant (CSA) from the AF base linked up to my government secure email.In conclusion, we have discussed how the IT industry is very competitive and how this competition has helped keep prices down while they continuously make improvements. We also discussed how IT has influenced some of the ways we work. With the speed IT is changing, if there is something you don’t like, wait a few minutes, the industry has just changed again. Brown, Dehayes, Hoffer, Martin, and Perkins, (2012), Managing Information Technology: (7th Ed). Uppe r Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall 2 Retrieved from http://money. howstuffworks. com/technology-changed-business. htm