Essay on My Philosophy of Teaching - 999 Words

Philosophy of Education Throughout the history of education, there have been many different philosophical views. The views have varied from Platos The Republic, to Rousseaus Emile. Plato believed that the purpose of education was to create a perfect city-state, while Rousseau believed that the purpose was to develop people, who freely choose good. Both of these philosophies cooperate with my beliefs; however, my beliefs do differ in some aspects. Through my philosophies covering the nature of humans, curriculum, and teaching methods I hope to better educate the students and America a better place to live. First, I believe that humans are naturally good. The environment that a child grows up in affects the way that they act.†¦show more content†¦When you integrate ~ --- the students who are on higher level of education with the ones with a lesser level of intelligence, you are only hurting the students. The lower achievers will not be able to learn at the same pace as the leaders of the class and will get discouraged. While on the other hand, you have the leaders of the class waiting for other students to keep up and he or she is not getting the full education deserved. Plato and Socrates believed that the purpose of education was to create a better city-state. I agree with this philosophy. A good educational system encourages this by teaching students how to learn and think for themselves. If I can educate students, it will help them to make the right decision by reasoning and in return will help make the community a better place. As a teacher, I am going to have a method of teaching that I will go by. The methods that I would us relate to Rousseau s philosophy. I believe that you should not tell the student the answer, however, you should let the students figure it out for themselves. In my own experience, I believe I learned more when the teacher made me find the answer myself rather than she telling me the answer right off. I also agree wiJh Rousseau about children being able to read so they can always go back to what they read for reference. The method that you teach a student has dramatic. impact on how the student learns. I feel that the teaching methodShow MoreRelatedMy Philosophy Of Teaching Philosophy911 Words   |  4 PagesTeaching Philosophy When I think about my teaching philosophy, I think of a quote by Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek writer and philosopher. Kazantzakis states, â€Å"True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.† In my classroom, I will provide an environment that shows I am a â€Å"true teacher.† Philosophy of Discipline I believe that children learn best andRead MoreMy Philosophy Of Teaching For Teaching932 Words   |  4 PagesWhen I was learning about teaching in college classes my philosophy of education was different than when I actually started doing my student teaching. As soon as a teacher enters the classroom, it should be his/her second home. Teaching is a field of occupation where teacher needs have these two personality traits: patience and flexibility. Not all teachers are same thus each has their unique way of teaching students. My philosophy for teaching is very simple and fair. I would like to incorporateRead MoreMy Philosophy : My Teaching Philosophy893 Words   |  4 PagesMy Teaching Philosophy Since Koreans started to learn English, thousands of people have struggled to master the language. Parents currently invest a lot of money and their children spend enormous amounts of time studying English as government suggests new language policies. However, proper verification and investigation of those policies have not been done yet and the outlet is really not promising (Suh, 2007). Most Korean students study English for tests. The purpose of English is so focused onRead MoreMy Teaching Philosophy : My Personal Philosophy Of Teaching932 Words   |  4 Pages This is my personal philosophy of teaching. This is my belief about teaching and learning and how I will put my beliefs into classroom practices. First and foremost, the purpose of education is to educate students so that they can be ready for the real world. It should prepare students for life, work, and citizenship. To do this, education should teach one to think creatively and productively. In addition to preparing students for the real world, all students should be able to read and comprehendRead MoreTeaching Philosophy : My Philosophy1100 Words   |  5 PagesTeaching Philosophy: Lauren Gross EDUC 120 Learn to Teach, Learn to Learn. / Use the past to teach the future ( That is my philosophy) Theory helps teachers think about what we experience and furthermore to teach and learn about how we, as educators, learn. Teachers should be supportive and cooperative, teachers should play the role of a friend, but also stealthily act in the role of advisor or guide for students. Teachers should live by existing educational theories, but also be able to createRead MoreMy Philosophy : Teaching Philosophy1071 Words   |  5 PagesAfter reading Professor Varis teaching philosophy it is quite evident he takes great consideration for his students and their learning opportunities. As I reflect on and review my understanding and my learning philosophy I am given the chance to reflect on past classes and possibly what could have been different on my behalf and the professor’s behalf. Also at this time I relish the opportunity to contimplate what my values, principles, achievement skills and also my expectations for this class areRead MoreMy Philosophy Of Teaching Philosophy1145 Wor ds   |  5 PagesMy teaching philosophy is to engage in a mutual exchange of knowledge with the students. I believe that through helping students to develop skills of critical reflection and critical thinking they will become able to carry out innovative research and also succeed in work beyond academia. Through interactive teaching methods such as group work, role play, and joint presentations I seek not only to encourage students to engage with me as an instructor, but also to exchange and discuss ideas with theirRead MoreMy Philosophy Of Teaching Philosophy1888 Words   |  8 PagesTeaching Philosophy My philosophy of education is founded on the core principle that all children should have equal access to a quality education that will prepare them for higher education and to be contributing members of society. Schools were founded on the primary principle of teaching values to students as well as educating them academically. While values have been removed from the curriculum, I still believe much of what we do as teachers is instilling values in our students. As educators,Read MoreMy Teaching Philosophy1217 Words   |  5 Pagesis at the elementary school level. My current goal is to either teach the 4th or 5th grade level. Moreover, throughout the semester I have read about or seen different philosophies through the observations I have done throughout the semester. While reading chapter 6 in the class text I thought to myself, as an educator what will be teaching philosophy that best suited my beliefs. Moreover, in chapter 6 there was a test where one would figure out their phil osophy according to the test result. For meRead MoreMy Teaching Philosophy1088 Words   |  5 PagesSince the beginning of my academic career, teaching has always been an important part of my academic duties. The interaction that I have with students is not only enjoyable to me, but it also gives me an invaluable perspective on the subjects I am teaching. Since I started my position at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, I have tutored in four classes across three semesters and supervised two projects, as detailed in my CV. I am also tutoring two new undergraduate classes in

Social Welfare Essay - 719 Words

Compare and Contrast: NASW and IFSW | | Living in different countries, we always wonder if everyday life routines are the same. Some of these routines, would include education, social life, and most important of all career perspectives. Rules and procedures vary from the different business you apply to however do the different rules and procedures vary from the countries that business thrive from? The purpose of this essay is to describe the differences and similarities from the National Association of Social Workers and the International Federation of Social Workers. The difference between the NASW and IFSW is that they have the same layout but a different format being that there are in two different areas of the world but†¦show more content†¦In the beginning of both codes of ethics and statement of principles it gives a clear detail of what the social worker should be doing to furnish help the community. The same ideas are being shared on each separated document but are formatted in a different way. The preamble list six core values service, social justice, dignity and worth of person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence. These values are embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history and are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective. The preface just listed four bullets on how social workers across the world should reflect on the challenges and dilemmas that face them and make morally informed choices about how to react in each different case. The next section of both documents that is congruent is the ethical principles from codes of ethics and principles from statement of principles. The ethical principle goes a distinctive detail about what the social worker should do for each core value. These principles bring forth ideals to which all social workers should seek. The statement of principle has a set of principle and they consist of Human Rights and Human Dignity, and Social Justice. With human rights and human dignity social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and the rights that follow from this. Social workers should uphold and defendShow MoreRelatedSocial Welfare And The Welfare System924 Words   |  4 Pagesthose issues include social welfare, immigration or even environmental issues. Congress receives numerous issues on public polices every day, but they cannot handle and solve every issues that comes across their daily agenda, nor can they satisfy every person in this coun try. Congress prioritizes on those issues that are more important and relevant to find a probable solution too. A growing issue we see that in today’s society are issues in the social welfare system. Social Welfare has so many issuesRead MoreSocial Work And Social Welfare Policy2501 Words   |  11 Pagescreates social conflict and hinders the ability of individuals and communities from achieving their full potential (Blau, 2010). There are several causes for the rise of inequality in the United States, such as our public education system, the philosophy of the underserving poor, lack of affordable housing, the myth of the culture of poverty, and oppression. All of these factors contribute to the rise of inequality in the United States and have significant implications for the field of social work andRead MoreSocial Policy, Social Welfare, and the Welfare State11346 Words   |  46 Pages1 Social policy, social welfare, and the welfare state John Baldock    Contents ââ€"   ââ€"   ââ€"   Introduction Learning outcomes Social policy Deï ¬ ning social policy in terms of types of expenditure Analysing social policy Social policy as intentions and objectives Redistribution The management of risk Social inclusion Social policy as administrative and ï ¬ nancial arrangements Social policy as social administration Social policy as public ï ¬ nance Social policy as outcomes Social welfare The welfare state Deï ¬ ningRead MoreTaking a Look at Social Welfare591 Words   |  2 PagesSocial welfare is the promotion and distribution of material and physical aid by the government for citizens in need. A lot of people think just because you are on Welfare that you’re automatically living off the government but that’s not true, they think you’re too lazy to get a job, but that’s not true at all. I was once on Welfare when I had my little girl when I was living with my grandmother. I had Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, and Family first for they both of us. I had to get on Welfare to getRead MoreThe Social Welfare Policy And Social Programs Essay1674 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract In this paper we look at the different aspects of the Social Welfare program, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families). TANF is the final variation today of the many cash assistance programs that are available to children and families. In this paper we also focus on who is eligible for TANF and where the funds are going to. With a review of the literature it is shown that living off cash assistance is not easy and how it affects the participant’s life. There is also a look at unintendedRead MoreSocial Welfare Beneficiaries on Illegal Drugs1256 Words   |  6 PagesPeople who apply for welfare benefits should be tested for drugs and they should be cleared of all illicit drugs before they receive any benefits in the form of cash or food stamps because, the government spends so much money on welfare and rehabilitation programs and screening welfare recipients will help the government save more money to fix the economy. Most employees are tested of illicit drugs before they are employed by their employer so why shouldn’t welfare recipients also be tested of illicitRead MoreSocial Policy and Welfare System Essays2047 Words   |  9 PagesSOCIAL POLICY Social Policy and the Welfare System Leigh-Ann Hancock Kaplan University HN300-01 Human Services and Social Policy Professor Lorena Lashway May 1, 2012 Social Policy and the Welfare System Over one hundred years ago poverty-stricken Americans’ means of assistance was met through families, local communities, and charities, typically religious. Following industrialization in the 1870s, the nation’s adult workforce was flooded by employers who were dependent on a continuing flowRead MoreWelfare Reform : Social Welfare Policy1257 Words   |  6 Pages Social Welfare Policy Social Welfare Policy Analysis Eric Dean University of Arkansas Introduction Several states have recently begun to enact legislation that requires welfare recipients to submit to drug tests before they are eligible to receive any public assistance. The purpose of mandatory drug testing is to prevent the potential abuse of taxpayer money, help individuals with drug problems, and ensure that public money is not subsidizing drug habits (Wincup, 2014). WhileRead MoreSocial Welfare Administration10174 Words   |  41 PagesSocial Welfare Administration Administrative arrangements for Social Welfare in India S.Rengasamy Madurai Institute of Social Sciences 2 S.Rengasamy. Social Welfare Administration. Administrative Arrangements for Social Welfare in India CONTENT Concept, Objectives and Principles of Social Welfare Administration Definitions of Social Welfare Social Welfare is centered around two basic concepts Administration Social Welfare / Work Administration Social Welfare / Work administration distinguishingRead MoreEssay on Social Welfare1942 Words   |  8 PagesHis revolutionary social welfare programs were the first of their kind established by our government. This power was given to him in the Constitution, where it specifically states tat the government may â€Å"provide for the general welfare of the people†. He also broadened the income tax to all workers in 1943, making all of these government-funded programs possible. His bold plans that worked to pull us out of the greatest worldwide depression ever are the foundation for every welfare program we have

Biblical Theory Of Evolution Essay Example For Students

Biblical Theory Of Evolution Essay Isaac Newton, Johann Kepler, Blasie Pascal, Galileo, Michael Faraday, Samuel Morse, George Washington Carver, Gregor Mendel and Louis Pasteur were all scientists who believed in the Biblical Theory of Evolution. I am writing about the Biblical Theory of Evolution because I grew up hearing this theory and I have always wondered exactly what it was and what it all meant. This paper is meant to explain the Biblical Theory of Evolution. The Biblical Theory of Evolution begins with the first book of the bible. The following is what the bible says about creation according to Genesis 1.â€Å"(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (6) And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. (7) And God made the firmament, and divided the waters, which were under the firmament from the waters, which were above the firmament: and it was so. (8) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. (9) And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it Was so. (10) And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. (11) And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. (12) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in Itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (13) And the evening and the morning were the third day. (14) And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for Signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. (16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, (18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. (19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (20) And God said; Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the Earth in the open firmament of heaven. (21) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after Their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 , .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .postImageUrl , .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 , .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:hover , .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:visited , .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:active { border:0!important; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:active , .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79 .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ueb7fe3faec4d88afabf26f1c20d71f79:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Civil Rights Movement/ Black Panther Party Essay (22) And God blessed them, saying, be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth (23) and the evening and the morning were the fifth day. (24) And God said; Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth After his kind: and it was so. (25) And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (26) And God said, Let

Sylvia Plath Daddy Essays - Sylvia Plath, Daddy, Sylvia, Plath

Sylvia Plath "Daddy" As a poet Sylvia Plath has been renowned for her style of writing and the power she evokes from her ideas in her poems. The themes of her poems tend to be of a negative nature with war, death and the problem of patriarchal societies as such topics. One of Plath's most famous pieces of poetry is Daddy. The poem focuses on Plath's father, a man who left her at an early age resulting in a burning hatred on her behalf for him. Daddy is an example of Plath's dark and gloomy work and also displays her common poetic devices of vivid imagery, metaphors, similes and irregularity throughout her poems. Ideally everybody deserves to grow up with two living parents, however Plath was not given this opportunity as her father died when she was only eight. In the poem Daddy, Plath, as the speaker, is having a one-way conversation with her father expressing all her feelings, anguish and how she tried to compensate for his death. The poem itself bares no metaphorical reading, only a literal reading which is broken up into three parts. A common technique that Plath uses in her poetry is the metaphor. An example lies within the first stanza of Daddy. "Any more, black shoe, In which I have lived like a foot, For thirty years, poor and white, Barely daring to breathe or Achoo." Here the persona uses the simile "like a foot" to compare herself to a foot. Metaphorically she is describing how she has had to live her life without her father, entrapped in black sadness like how a foot is tightly enclosed within a shoe. The reader is positioned to see that life can become very grim growing up without an important figure in a person's life such as their father. The second part of Daddy deals with World War II, a prominent event in recent history, but was a negative one as it was filled with destruction, bloodshed and trauma. Firstly to set the scene vivid imagery is used. The phrases "It stuck in a barb wire snare" and " A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen" paints the picture of the notorious concentration camps of death with barb wire surrounding it. Another example of war imagery is when the persona refers to "Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You-." These soldiers of the German army were one of the most feared, as they were the men who drove the tanks. Finally the line "So black no sky could squeak through" sums up the overall atmosphere of a war with its dark and gloomy nature. With this example of Plath's use of imagery, she has been able to develop a picture of war and its horrific nature. As a race, the Jews arguably went through the most suffering in World War II. Millions fell victim to an attempt of ethnic cleansing ordered by Hitler. However Plath believed her suffering from the loss of her father was just as great as what many Jewish people went through. In the poem the persona uses several similes, a common technique of Plath, in the seventh stanza. "An engine, an engine, chuffing me off like a Jew. A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen. I began to talk like a Jew. I think I may well be a Jew." The similes within this stanza position the reader to see the great degree of suffering the speaker went through, as it is compared to the torment and anguish millions went through during World War II. When the persona describes her father, she again draws upon war imagery in the form of the Nazi soldiers and Hitler himself. The description given is in the ninth stanza. I have always been scared of you, With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo. And your neat moustache and your Aryan eye, bright blue. By comparing her father to Hitler, the speaker creates a parallel in that Hitler was responsible for the lives of so many Jews. Her father is like Hitler and she is like Jew, hence positioning the reader to see how the speaker believed it was growing up without a father that caused her to live such a disruptive life. As it is documented, Plath was known to have lived a life of utter misery, one that included suicide attempts and breakdowns for which the major reason she put behind these was the loss of her father. For her mental illness, Plath received treatment, which included electro-shock therapy. She describes her treatment in Daddy with another metaphor. "But

Free Essays on The Roots Of Ancient Greek Theater

The roots of ancient Greek theater lie in the cult of Dionysis, the god of wine and fertility. In myth, Dionysis’ followers were satyrs, drunken half-animal, half human creatures and maenads, or mad women. In ancient Greek times, Dionysis’ followers would sometimes assume these roles in their religious rituals resulting in much singing, drinking and dancing in honor of their god. Members of the dionysiac cult would always tell myths centered on their god by singing and dancing out their stories together as a chorus. They always did this until about sixth century BC, when a man named Thespis stepped out of the chorus and took the role of an actor. He acted out a Dionysiac myth through spoken dialogue rather than song creating Greek tragedy. He was considered to be the first actor and the first playwright. Tragedies were based largely on the myths or stories of the old narrative epic poems. A chorus of twelve members and a maximum of three male actors performed these plays. In order to help the audience figure out who the performers were supposed to be, costumes and masks were used. Costumes generally were designed to show the characters social status or gender, while masks depicted emotions or age. Masks, often made of wood or cork, helped to make the actor’s voice louder as well. Unfortunately, they also completely covered the actor’s facial expressions. This setback forces performers of tragedy to depend on their gestures and voice to convey a message. When a large noisy audience was at the performance, this proved to be an extremely difficult task. After this new form of performance was introduced to the general public, it quickly gained popularity. Its popularity leads Pisistratus to construct a theater for the performance of tragedy in Dionysus’ honor. Under Pisistratus’ rule, tragedy turned into competition for the best play in 538 BC. Soon thereafter, these theatrical performances gained new importance and meaning,... Free Essays on The Roots Of Ancient Greek Theater Free Essays on The Roots Of Ancient Greek Theater The roots of ancient Greek theater lie in the cult of Dionysis, the god of wine and fertility. In myth, Dionysis’ followers were satyrs, drunken half-animal, half human creatures and maenads, or mad women. In ancient Greek times, Dionysis’ followers would sometimes assume these roles in their religious rituals resulting in much singing, drinking and dancing in honor of their god. Members of the dionysiac cult would always tell myths centered on their god by singing and dancing out their stories together as a chorus. They always did this until about sixth century BC, when a man named Thespis stepped out of the chorus and took the role of an actor. He acted out a Dionysiac myth through spoken dialogue rather than song creating Greek tragedy. He was considered to be the first actor and the first playwright. Tragedies were based largely on the myths or stories of the old narrative epic poems. A chorus of twelve members and a maximum of three male actors performed these plays. In order to help the audience figure out who the performers were supposed to be, costumes and masks were used. Costumes generally were designed to show the characters social status or gender, while masks depicted emotions or age. Masks, often made of wood or cork, helped to make the actor’s voice louder as well. Unfortunately, they also completely covered the actor’s facial expressions. This setback forces performers of tragedy to depend on their gestures and voice to convey a message. When a large noisy audience was at the performance, this proved to be an extremely difficult task. After this new form of performance was introduced to the general public, it quickly gained popularity. Its popularity leads Pisistratus to construct a theater for the performance of tragedy in Dionysus’ honor. Under Pisistratus’ rule, tragedy turned into competition for the best play in 538 BC. Soon thereafter, these theatrical performances gained new importance and meaning,...

How to Make a Green Fire Halloween Jack-o-Lantern

How to Make a Green Fire Halloween Jack-o-Lantern One application of green fire is using it to light your Halloween jack-o-lantern. This is a super-easy effect that produces spectacular results (watch the video). Heres how you do it: Key Takeaways: Green Fire Jack-o-Lantern The green fire jack-o-lantern is a colorful flame-filled Halloween pumpkin.The project involves dissolving a salt in a flammable solvent and igniting it.The green flame comes from the emission spectrum of the chemical. Either the boron ion or the Copper II (Cu2) ion will produce a green flame.The project should only be performed by adults. While the salts used in this project are not particularly toxic, they are not safe to eat. Methanol (methyl alcohol) is toxic and should not be handled or inhaled. Green Fire Jack-o-Lantern Materials You only need a few simple materials for this project: Carved jack-o-lantern. Traditionally this would be a pumpkin, but you could use a watermelon, cantaloupe, etc.Boric acid (usually found in pharmacy or pest control section of store)Methanol (such as Heetâ„ ¢ fuel treatment, found in the automotive section)Aluminum foil or heat-safe container that fits inside your jack-o-lanternLong-handled lighter Boric acid is a different chemical from borax (commonly sold as the laundry boost 20 Mule Team Borax). Pure boric acid is used to make a disinfectant solution and as a powder to kill and control cockroaches and other insects in the home. Boric acid dissolves better than borax in methanol, so it produces a better green flame. However, if you cant find boric acid, you can substitute borax and still get green fire. The green flame color is used in the flame test to help identify sample chemical composition. Nayef Hajjaj / EyeEm / Getty Images Other Substitutions Switching out borax for boric acid is not the only substitution you can make. You can use copper sulfate as the salt and a different alcohol for the solvent. Good choices include rubbing alcohol (contains one or more different alcohols), ethyl alcohol (ethanol), or isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol). These alcohols are less toxic than methanol, plus they contain water. The water is important because it dissolves the copper sulfate so it can color the flame. Copper sulfate is sold as a pure chemical and also as a root killing chemical. It is available online and at some home supply stores. The container should be labeled as copper sulfate, copper sulphate, or copper sulfate pentahydrate. If you get copper sulfate, you can also use it for other projects, such as growing blue copper sulfate crystals or making a copper sulfate geode. Fun Fact: The copper ion can emit either green or blue light. Cu2 is green, while Cu is blue. Unfortunately, changing the copper oxidation state is not a simple matter. It requires a series of redox reactions that could cant easily do at home. Start the Green  Fire! Technically all you need to do is sprinkle boric acid in a heat-safe container, add a little methanol, set the container inside the jack-o-lantern and light the fire. Its important to use a long-handled lighter, since the vapor pressure of methanol is very high and you will hear that whoof sound when you light the mixture. The best result, in my opinion, comes from lining the inside of the jack-o-lantern with aluminum foil and using the pumpkin as the heat-safe container. You can sprinkle boric acid inside the jack-o-lantern, splash a little methanol around, and light the decoration. The aluminum helps contain the liquid, plus it is reflective so it enhances the brightness of the display. Do not add more fuel to the burning fire; wait until it goes out. Safety note: dont do this indoors! Holiday Clean-Up Tips The green fire can get very hot, so there is a good chance your pumpkin will get somewhat cooked by lighting it this way. The methanol is burned away by the fire, leaving some boric acid residue with your pumpkin. While boric acid is not particularly toxic, you dont want kids or animals to eat this jack-o-lantern, nor is it ideal for compost since too much boron can be toxic to plants. Be sure to throw your jack-o-lantern away before it rots in place. Just remember the pumpkin contains boric acid, so dont let anyone eat it.

Hurricane katrina Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hurricane katrina - Research Paper Example The levees were not strong enough to hold a hurricane as enormous as Katrina. Many private and governmental agencies shared the responsibility of maintaining the levees’ integrity, which caused doubts about the division of responsibilities as a result of which, their efficiency declined. Another cause of failure was the lack of an appropriate warning system to alert the people. The death toll of about 2000 that happened as a result of Katrina could have been prevented had the entire population in the path of the hurricane was evacuated in a timely manner. Evacuations went very slow. A lot of people remained in Katrina’s path till 19 hours before the occurrence of landfall because of delays in the mandatory evacuation. The government was sluggish in the evacuation and rescue of the people affected by Katrina partly because of subjectivity about the consequences of the hurricane. With proper management and efficient disaster control and relief system, the disastrous effec ts of Katrina could have been

Bio Comprehensive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bio Comprehensive - Essay Example Its inner layer invaginates and form thylakoid disks that are arranged in stacks called "grana" where chlorophyll is concentrated and so with other pigment absorbing organs. The membranes are very much important in the process of photosynthesis of plants because it is where the organelles responsible for absorbing light (chlorophyll in chloroplast) are suspended or being housed One way to measure the efficiency of chloroplast when it is intact is through Fluorescence. This will be able to measure the chlorophyll in the flourimeter. The spectrum of fluorescence is different to that of absorbed light, with the peak of fluorescence emission being of longer wavelength than that of absorption. Therefore, fluorescence yield can be measured by exposing a leaf to light of defined wavelength and measuring the amount of light re-emitted at longer wavelengths. When transferring photosynthetic material from the dark into the light, an increase in the yield of chlorophyll fluorescence happens over a time period of around 1 s. This increase has then been explained as a consequence of reduction of electron acceptors in the photosynthetic pathway, downstream of PSII, notably plastoquinone and in particular, QA. Once PSII absorbs light and QA has accepted an electron, it is not able to accept another until it has passed the first onto a succeeding electron carrier (QB). Du ring this period, the reaction centre is said to be 'closed'. At any point in time, the occurrence of a fraction of closed reaction centers leads to an overall reduction in the efficiency of photochemistry and so to a matching increase in the yield of fluorescence. Our body part is made up of cells. These cells multiply in a process called cell division. If the division of the cells is having irregularities in number tumors develops. There will be too numerous divisions of cells. But what triggers human malignant cancers is due to mutations of both signal transduction pathways and in the mechanisms that control the cell cycle. Signal transduction responses are responsible for gene activation, manufacturing of metabolic energy, and cell movement. It has something to do with the cell activity. It has even something to do with the modification of the cell skeleton. Since it is responsible for gene activation it leads to gene expression as proteins. Gene activation leads to further effects, since genes are expressed as proteins, many of which are enzymes, transcription factors or other regulators of metabolic activity. Because transcription factors can activate still many genes in turn, an initial stimulus can trigger via signal transduction the expression of whole suite of genes and a panoply of physiolgical events. When there is a mutation of the pathway the expresion of genes also mutates. This mutation may lead to cancers. There sequence is sometimes affected by the mutation. In every expresion like GUC for example when mutated may lead to GUA and this does not mean the same as what GUC codes for. To determine a patient with cancer caused by mutation of the tranduction signal pathway, you can conduct mutation analysis. With this, you can be able to trace if the patient's cancer is cause mainly of his/her signal transduction being mutated. Enzymes are catalysts. Mostly of these are protein based. Enzymes attach temporarily to one or more of the reactants of the reaction they catalyze. In doing so, they decrease the amount of activation

International Product Life Cycle Essay Example for Free

International Product Life Cycle Essay The international product life cycle (IPLC) theory, developed and verified by economists to explain trade in a context of comparative advantage, describes the diffusion process of an innovation across national boundaries. The life cycle begins when a developed country, having a new product to satisfy consumer needs, wants to exploit its technological breakthrough by selling abroad. Other advanced nations soon start up their own production facilities, and before long LDCs do the same Efficiency/comparative advantage shifts from developed countries to developing nations. Finally, advanced nations, no longer cost-effective, import products from their former customers. The moral of this process could be that an advanced nation becomes a victim of its own creation. IPLC theory has the potential to be a valuable framework for marketing planning on a multinational basis. In this section the IPLC is examined from the marketing perspective, and marketing implications for both innovators and initiators are discussed below. Stages and Characteristics There are five distinct stages (Stage 0 through Stage 4) in the IPLC. Table below shows the major characteristics of the IPLC stages, with the United States as the developer of the innovation in question. Exhibit shows three life-cycle curves for the same innovation: one for the initiating country (i. . , the United States in this instance), one for other advanced nations, and one for LDCs. For each curve, net export results when the curve is above the horizontal line; if under the horizontal line, net import results for that particular country. As the innovation moves through time, directions of all three curves change. Time is relative, because the time needed for a cycle to be completed varies from one kind of product to another.

Success Essay -- essays research papers

The most important thing in life is thought to be happiness. In order to achieve success you must adjust to every situation with ease. When we use the term successful it does not mean the same as the conventional definition. The definition we are referring to is to be able to overcome hardships, nothing relating to business. Today the world is something of a giant melting pot of people. Communities everywhere are interblended with people from different places and of different backgrounds. Inside these communities there are also many different mental/physical/physiological disorders and/or many people with family problems and work problems. Needless to say today’s society is one that requires a great many different and specialized doctors and therapists to help with the variety of problems which people face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We are not going to go into every problem facing people today, however we will discuss some of the major problems that are faced by the many instead of disorders that affect the few. The first problem that affects everyone at times is stress. Many people do not know that there is good and bad kinds of stress. Good stress is referred to eustress. A very good example of this is when you get a promotion at work. You are happy that you got the better job, however with the job comes new stress, because of the new duties you have to fulfill for that position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The type of stress, which is bad stress, is referred to as distress. People experience this more often then they experience eustress. A good example of distress is when someone you love passes dies. The stress, which you experience, is bad for you. Stress causes many unhealthy effects on the body, such as high blood pressure, increased likelihood of stroke and/or a heart attack.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyday stress is a big problem for many. Most people believe that a little bit of stress daily would be better then a lot of stress all at once. They are very wrong. Little bits of stress everyday build up and end up hurting people much worse than people who experience a lot of stress at once. The only way to describe this would be to use an analogy. If someone was to leave their laundry outside during a storm for one day it would probably be ok when they went back to get it, but if they left their laundry outside more then two weeks the w... ...n this situation will most likely never tell anyone about their plan to do away with themselves. The one’s that are seriously going to commit suicide wont tell anyone for fear that their plan will be foiled and they will still be trapped in their own personal world of hell. It’s an unfortunate thing but you cannot know what another person is thinking if you could you would be able to save many lives but since you cannot you have to look for warning signs. Once you are aware of the warning signs you will be able to adjust to the situation and deal with it rationally. When people are able to improve their coping skills and learn what resources are available to help them feel better emotional and physically depending on the problem. People need to realize that good mental health is a necessity for a person to be successful at other aspects of their lives. There are many disorders that affect people, which prevent them from doing normal things. It would be necessary for some people to see a professional to help them to overcome their disorder and lead them on their way to better mental health and it will help them to be successful throughout their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Macbeth vs the Godfather Essay

The change from good to evil can happen to anyone. It can happen to the best of people, just like Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Copalla’s the Godfather. In these two completely different stories, the protagonists Macbeth and Michael Corleone, start off good and transition into evil and gain too much power for them to handle. Changing isn’t a choice for either of them and evil just presented itself upon them. In both the Godfather and Macbeth, the change of the protagonist from good to evil is in complete plain sight; however, the protagonists themselves do not see or sense the change. In the Godfather, the protagonist Michael Corleone changes rapidly from god to evil without even a bit of realization what he is getting himself into, some may say that he is the new godfather. As soon as the original godfather (Michael’s dad) was put into the hospital, Michael didn’t even know until days later, he had to find out through a newspaper, this shows how uninvolved Michael is with his family. When he goes to visit the family, he takes over immediately. As soon as he takes over he already is planning to kill someone and he has never killed anyone before, by the end of the movie, he is already lying to his wife about him not killing someone because he has now been transferred into a true Corleone and made his transition from good to evil. In Macbeth, the protagonist Macbeth eases into his transition from good to evil a little more smoothly and a little more hesitant. Macbeth debates killing Duncan because he is his follower, when he is talking about it with his wife Lady Macbeth she calls him a coward for not helps frame some of the innocent drunks from the night before, when she says â€Å"a little water will clear us of this deed.† She is saying the water will wash away their guilt and consciences. When Macbeth becomes king he gains too much power and has too much self-confidence because the witches have told him â€Å"Macbeth cannot be killed by anyone born of woman.† He now has way too much power and becomes mad with it, the thought of killing Duncan has made Lady Macbeth crazy. The comparison between Macbeth and Michael Corleone is a strangely different but similar situation because they have both started out good with no evil thoughts or intentions at all, and then throughout each of the stories, Macbeth and Michael Corleone both become evil without realizing the power that the each of them have, they have both transitioned in completely different ways but they ended up in the same ending situation.

“Everyday Use ” Summary by Alice Walker

â€Å"Everyday Use† In â€Å"Everyday Use†, author, Alice Walker uses the backdrop of a small town family using characters Maggie and Dee and Mama to symbolize the dynamics of the greater African American color, educational and class struggle in America. She uses the family because it is an institution that every reader can identify with. This is a story of what it really means to â€Å"make it† in the Black family and Black community. Mama typifies the single parent who is functioning in the dual role of mother and father. Walker makes no mention of Dee and Maggie’s father in the story but rather characterizes Mama as a â€Å"big-boned woman with man-working hands†(1) and gives Mama all the physical qualities and skills of a man but embodied in a woman. Mama can slaughter and prepare hogs and bull calves; she can bust up blocks of ice to get the water needed in the house for washing. And she can do all of these things as â€Å"mercilessly as a man†(1). From the beginning of the story, Mama’s character takes on the strength and hardness of presencenormally represented in a man. With Mama, the author shows the daily struggles and assimilation of the dual role that single mothers must embody on a daily basis inthe absence of a father figure. The outward display of Mama’s strength is a foreshadowing of the strength that she will have to summon at the end of the story when she must ultimately decide which daughter will receive the quilts. Mama’s children, Dee and Maggie have their own set of paradoxical differences which are juxtaposed against each other not unlike their mother. There is the conflict of light skinned versus darker skinned; well spoken and educated versus reticent and ignorant. A shapely body with perfect feet versus a skinny and badly burned girl with no style. Brazen and head strong versus cowering and confused. Dee and Maggie are polar opposites of each other, with all of the positive attributes in the favor of the older sister, Dee. The author is illustrating how society has createsa disparity in the Black community with Dee and Maggie. Dee represents the portion of Black America that has tried to â€Å"make it† but has not leant a helping hand down to the people who have paid the way to make it possible for them to succeed in society and to get an education. Dee has forgotten about all of the sacrifices Mama and Maggie have made which have allowed her to enjoy the benefits of her Neo-African-Islamic renaissance. It was Mama and Maggie who took part in raising money for Dee to live out her dream. Dee is symbolic of that portion small portion of society that refuses to both acknowledge and to give back to their families and communities. The only message that they can ever seem to offer is one of criticism and blame. The most vivid imagery of this is when the first house burns down; Dee is the only one who has made it outside safely. She does not yell for help or try to ensure the safety of her mother and sister. She is transfixed on the flames and is seemingly hoping for the house and all of its inhabitants to be consumed as well. Dee stands out in the safety of the sweet gum tree while her mother and sister literally have to run for their lives. Walker shows us the paradox of a person who, having obtained safety, will not extend concern for similar struggles that will be shared by the family. The fire in the previous house beat Maggie’s spirit down. The fire represents the world having beat Maggie because she was not Dee. Neither Maggie nor Mama had the good fortune to be of a fairer complexion like Dee. Maggie already had one strike against her by being dark, which would be made worse by being scarred by her environment (the house fire). Maggie has accepted that she is not bright like Dee and has resigned herself to her mundane life of poverty. She is ashamed of her scars and life experience so she cowers in the presence of strength and in the cruelty of society. Maggie’s natural inclination is to acquiesce. She realizes that she is no match for the likes of Dee and so she concedes the quilts that Mama has promised her to Dee. Neither Dee nor Mama has realized that Maggie does have something to offer to the world. She has a capability and intelligence that are all her own. It is Maggie who knows the family history: she knew the name of Big Dee’s first husband, Stash and that he had whittled the butter dash(3); she made the observation that Dee has never had any friends; she has learned the art of family preservation through quilting with Grandma Dee and Big Dee. â€Å"Maggie knows how to quilt†(4). Maggie’s resourcefulness and knowledge are never acknowledged in the presence of Dee. She can never shine quite as bright as Dee can. Society will never fully lay credit to all that Maggie can offer to the world because Maggie does not look like a person of value should look to us. Alice Walker has raised some challenging issues for us to ponder. How is value both assessed and ascribed? Does skin complexion still both afford some and exclude others from certain opportunities? Walker uses the most protected place on earth, the family structure, to show what some may be afraid to see within ourselves and in our society.

Meet the Celestial Bull and his Angry Red Eye

Meet the Celestial Bull and his Angry Red Eye Theres a starry bull in the sky called Taurus, the Bull that is visible from late October through March each year in the evening and pre-dawn skies. The face of the bull actually shows up in a vee-shaped  star cluster  in the sky that you can observe pretty easily. Its called the Hyades (pronounced HIGH-uh-deez) and is a naked-eye object for most people. Its also visible to stargazers from almost anywhere on the planet. To find it, search out the constellation Taurus using a star chart or digital astronomy app.   Thank the Ancients for Their Astute Observations We owe our ancient stargazing ancestors a great deal when it comes to exploring fascinating things in the sky. For example, Greek astronomers identified the Hyades and its nearby neighbor - the Pleiades star cluster - thousands of years ago. Other cultures noted it, too, seeing everything from the face of a bull to the figures of gods and goddesses in the structure. There are star tales for just about every object in the sky, from every culture that has lived on our planet. The Hyades were thought to be the daughters of the god Atlas, and sisters to another group of daughters portrayed by the Pleiades. The Greeks werent the only ones to tell tales involving these clusters. The Maori, for example, also told tales of the Hyades and Pleiades, as did cultures in ancient North America, China, and Japan. They were a popular sight and topic for mythology.   The Stars of the Hyades In reality, the Hyades are more closely related to another star cluster called Praesepe, or the Beehive, which is an early spring object for Northern Hemisphere observers. Astronomers have long suspected that these two clusters had a common origin in an ancient cloud of gas and dust. The Hyades stars lie about 150 light-years away from us and formed some 625 million years ago. They travel together through space in the same direction. Eventually, even though they do have a slight gravitational attraction for each other, they will go their separate ways, just as the Pleiades will do. At that point, even though their stars may have unlinked from the cluster, theyre still traveling along the original trajectory. Astronomers call them moving group or a moving cluster.   There are about 400 stars in the Hyades, but we only see about 6 or 7 with the naked eye. The four brightest Hyades stars are red giants, types of stars that are aging. Theyve run through their nuclear fuel and are heading toward old age and eventual destruction. These stars are part of the V shape that ancient stargazers thought made up the face of a celestial bull named Taurus.   Meet the Eye of the Bull: Aldebaran The brightest star in the Hyades really isnt in the Hyades. Its called Aldebaran and its name was, like so many other star names, based in mythology. It happens to lie on the line of sight between us and the Hyades. Its an orange-hued giant that lies only 65 light-years away. Aldebaran is an old star that will eventually exhaust all its fuels and could eventually explode as a supernova before collapsing to form a neutron star or a black hole. Unlike Betelgeuse (the supergiant star in Orions shoulder, which could explode anytime as a supernova), Aldebaran will likely be around for millions of years. Both the Hyades and Pleiades are open clusters. There are many of these groupings of stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies. They are associations of stars born in the same clouds of gas and dust but are not tightly bound together by gravity as stars in globular clusters do. The Milky Way contains at least a thousand of these collections of stars and astronomers study them to understand how stars of similar ages evolve over time. From the time they form together in their birth clouds to the time they die, cluster members show us how stars of roughly the same age, but different masses, can change over time. Those changes are what lead to the astonishing diversity of stars in the universe.   The highest-mass stars in the Hyades will use up their nuclear fuel very fast and die after a few hundreds of millions of years. Those same stars use up tremendous amounts of the original cloud as they form, which reduces the supply of star-making material available to their sibling stars. So, like the Hyades, many open star clusters contain members that are the same age, but some look older than others.

Spanish Verbs That Mean To Take

Spanish Verbs That Mean To Take Take is one of those English words that is all but impossible to translate to Spanish without some context. As can be seen in the list below, take has dozens of meanings - so it cant be translated with a single Spanish verb or even a handful of them. Although you always should translate to Spanish based on meaning rather than word-for-word, thats especially true with take. Meanings and Spanish Translations for To Take Here are some common uses (though certainly not all) of the verb to take in English along with possible translations to Spanish. Of course, the Spanish verbs listed arent the only ones available, and the choice you make will often depend on the context in which it is used. to take to get possession of - tomar - Tomà ³ el libro y fue a la biblioteca. (He took the book and went to the library.)to take to transport (something) and give possession to someone else - llevar - Le llevo las manzanas a Susana. (Im taking the apples to Susana.)to take to transport (a person) - llevar - Llevà ³ a Susana al aeropuerto. (She took Susana to the airport.)to take to remove, to pick - coger - Cogieron las manzanas del rbol. (They took the apples off the tree.)to take to snatch (from someone) - arrebatar -  ¿Te arrebatà ³ el sombrero? (Did he take your hat?)to take to steal - robar, quitar - A Susana le robaron mucho dinero. (They took a lot of money from Susana.)to take to accept - aceptar -  ¿Aceptan los cheques? (Do they take checks?)to take to subscribe to (a newspaper or magazine) - suscribirse, abonarse - Me suscribo al Wall Street Journal. (I take the Wall Street Journal.)to take to hold - coger - Dà ©jeme que le coja el sombrer o. Let me take your hat.)to take to travel by - coger, tomar, ir en - Tomarà © el autobà ºs. (I will take the bus.) to take to require - necesitar, requerir, llevar - Necesita mucho coraje. (It takes a lot of courage.)to take to require or wear (a certain size or type of clothing) - calzar (said of shoes), usar (said of clothing) - Calzo los de tamaà ±o 12. (I take size 12 shoes.)to take to last, to use time - durar - No durar mucho.  (It wont take long.)to take to study - estudiar - Estudio la sicologà ­a. (Im taking psychology.)to take a bath (shower) - baà ±arse (ducharse) - No me baà ±o los lunes. (I dont take baths on Mondays.)to take a break, to take a rest - tomarse un descanso - Vamos a tomarnos un descanso a las dos. (Were going to take a break at 2.)to take after to chase, to go after - perseguir - El policà ­a persiguià ³ el ladrà ³n. (The policeman took after the thief.)to take after to resemble - parecerse - Marà ­a se parece a su madre.  (Marà ­a takes after her mother.)to take apart - desmontar - Desmontà ³ el carro. (She took the car apart.)to take away, to take from, to take off to remove - quitar - Les quitaron el sombrero. (They took their hats off.) to take away, to take off to subtract - sustraer, restar - Va a sustraer dos euros de la cuenta. (He is going to take two euros off the bill.)to take back to return - devolver - No le he devuelto el coche.  (I havent taken back the car to him.)to take cover - esconderse, ocultarse - Se escondià ³ de la policà ­a. (He took cover from the police.)to take down to dismantle - desmontar - Desmontaron la valla publicitaria.  (They took the billboard down.)to take an exam or test - presentar un examen, presentarse a un examen - El otro dà ­a me presentà © a un examen.  (The other day I took a test.)to take down, to take notes - anotar, escribir, tomar apuntes - Quiero que escriba la informacià ³n.  (I want you to take down the information.)to take (someone) for - tomar por - Ud. no me tomarà ­a por un chef. (You wouldnt take me for a chef.)to take in to deceive - engaà ±ar - Me engaà ±Ãƒ © por el farsante.  (I was taken in by a liar.)to take in to und erstand - comprender - No pudo comprenderlo. (He couldnt take it in.) to take in to include - incluir, abarcar - El parque incluye dos lagos.  (The park takes in two lakes.)to take in to provide lodging for - acoger - Mi madre acoge a muchos gatos. (My mother takes in many cats.)to take off to go away - irse - Se fue como un murcià ©lago. (He took off like a bat.)to take off weight - adelgazar - Adelgaza por la actividad fà ­sica. (He is taking off weight through physical activity.)to take on to accept or assume (responsibilities) - aceptar, asumir - No puedo aceptar la responsabilidad. (I cant accept the responsibility.)to take on to employ - emplear, coger - Empleamos dos trabajadores. (We took on two workers.)to take out to remove  - sacar  - El dentista me sacà ³ una muela. (The dentist took out a molar of mine.)to take ones word for it - creer - No voy a creerte.  (Im not going to take your word for it.)to take over to assume operations - absorber, adquirir, apoderarse - El gobierno se apoderà ³ el ferrocarril.   (The government took over the railroad.) to take a picture - tomar una foto, hacer una foto - Tomà © tres fotos. (I took three pictures.)to take pity on - compadecerse de - Me compadecà © los pobres. (I took pity on the poor people.)to take prisoner - capturar, tomar priso - El policà ­a le capturà ³ el ladrà ³n. (The policeman took the thief prisoner.)to take up to begin - dedicarse a - Se dedicà ³ a nadar. (She took up swimming.)to take a walk - dar un paseo - Voy a dar un paseo. (Im going to go for a walk.) Use Caution With Coger Although coger is an entirely innocent and ordinary word in some regions, in other regions it can have an obscene meaning - take care when using this term.

African-American music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

African-American music - Research Paper Example Based on Burton Peretti’s Lift Every Voice, African-American music is indeed â€Å"one of the treasures of the United States† whether it be in the form of â€Å"spirituals, ragtime, the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, soul and hip hop† African-American music, with its rich African roots, is a showcase of the connection of Africans with the natural and soothing power of music even during the era of slavery (Perreti 7-8). In fact, in as early as 1796, the British physician Mungo Park noticed that among the walking groups of African slaves and free men, there are actually jillikeas, or singing men, known for their â€Å"musical talents [that] were frequently exerted either to divert [the walkers’] fatigue or obtain [them] a welcome from strangers† (8). The presence of the jillikeas actually indicates one thing – music has long been used by Africans to freely transcend their physical suffering. It is true that they were slaves and that as slaves, they worked very hard indeed. Nevertheless, music was always there to help them cope with the hardships of slavery and for them to have the mental and emotional freedom to feel what they wanted to feel, and to think about what they wanted to think about, regardless of the physical constraints they were experiencing at that time. Moreover, due to archeological findings and pictorial evidence, one would know that African music was already a rich aspect of the African culture in West Africa. Aside from the fact that prehistoric Africans integrated the sounds of animals and nature into their musical compendium, they also integrated music into their daily life, especially in their most significant rituals (8). The richness of the African culture and their tendency to embed the musical aspect of their culture with their spiritual life somehow gave African music a certain mystical quality that characterizes the depth of contemporary African-American music. Moreover, considering tha t the first groups of Africans were hunter-gatherers, African music freely evolved from its deep roots and eventually flourished as a result of migration and trading (10). This means that African music was actually more elaborate and richer in nature for it was a combination of the many cultures that the once hunter gatherer Africans absorbed. This richness was also somehow instrumental in showing the whole world how free African-American music is, for whatever was accepted by many parts of the world must certainly have a freedom of flow and movement. Other details of traditional African music also speak of the freedom of the common people. There is, for example, freedom of access to history. The drum-like pots unearthed in Nigeria and dating from the 1100s and the 1200s are still used by the Yoruba peoples at present (10). Also, there is freedom from age, gender and class barriers. For example, tribal African music, from which African-American music was derived, was demonstrative o f communal freedom for they are employed in numerous â€Å"elaborate singing and playing rituals†¦that invited all village residents to participate,† and â€Å"which gave all the singers a more equal stature in performances† (10). Such performances indeed somehow teach the western world what equality truly means. African-American music is also about the liberation of the sexualized body. As proclaimed during the Renaissance and during the Modern Era, the term â€Å"African,† which was used by Nietzsche in his description of Bizet’s Carmen, or of civilization itself as well as of the nature of the Viennese psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, is actually a synonym of â€Å"

Children's Defense Fund Cradle to Prison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Children's Defense Fund Cradle to Prison - Essay Example 2). The â€Å"Cradle to Prison† pipeline was revealed to be hosted by The University of Houston Law School to address crucial issues affecting American children, particularly to achieve the goal of showing â€Å"leaders on all levels the growing need for a partnership with America's children ensuring that they have, safe housing, adequate education, mentorship-cultural programs, and universal healthcare† (Keeton, 2008, par. 2). The alarming numbers of children of going to prison have instigated immediate measures to inform the public of the dilemma, which, according to Edelman: "Adult's are what's wrong with children" (Keeton, 2008, par. 5). The importance of what you learned (So What?) As the program aimed to challenge American adults to address the alarming neglect for children, the message would be ineffective if no positive action is rendered upon the call. The importance of the message therefore is seen and determined in terms of the number and extent of assistance that is accorded by people who were made aware of the advocacies of the program.

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Religion - Essay Example Christianity believes in the existence of one God, who is the Alfa and omega (Herbert 45). Christians believe that God is the one who made everything possible on earth after creating them in 6 days and resting on the 7th day. Buddhism on other hand is a religion which originated in Nepal, India. In Christianity, their place of worship includes: chapel, church, basilica, cathedral, personal dwellings and home bible studies (Herbert 22). For Christianity, God can be worshipped anywhere, weather in church or not. When it comes to Buddhism, places of worship include; monasteries, pagodas, nunneries and temples. It is estimated Buddhism to have existed since 2500 years ago whereas Christianity’s time of origin is estimated at 33AD (Herbert 53). In relation to the goal of religion, Buddhism aims at attaining Enlightment so as to be released from what they term as they cycle of death and rebirth in order to attain Nirvana (Herbert 67). When it comes to Christianity, the religion aims to loving God plus obeying his commandments, gets saved through Jesus Christ in order for one day to enter the Kingdom of heaven. According to Buddhism, human beings have the ability to possess anger, greed, ignorance, delusion, cravings and so many other qualities. Such individuals with negative abilities are referred in the religion as ‘fools† (Herbert 78). Buddhism preaches that those who would not have walked the Eightfold Path are those referred to as ordinary people. In contrast, in Christianity, they believe in the concept that man is always born by sin which was original created when Adam and Eve ignored God’s authority in the Garden of Eden. It is hence through salvation that’s one sin’s are washed away by the blood of Jesus. Those who would not have been saved by death will head to hell (Herbert 90). Buddhism has their God named as Brahma or Avalokitesvara whereas in Christianity, God has so many names: God, Yahweh, Gott, Dios, Gud, Eli,

Inter Firm Relationships in the Silicon Fen

Inter Firm Relationships in the Silicon Fen The attention that clusters have received from policy makers and academics has substantially increased in the last 20 years. Since Porters seminal work on The Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990) presented clusters as one of the determinants of the international competitiveness of nations and regions, many scholars have adopted and further developed his approach. Porter bases his arguments on what he describes as the globalization paradox, pointing out that despite the logical implications that the globalisation process might have in dismissing the relevance of regional factors, the most competitive firms in world are located in groups geographically concentrated in specific locations. That perspective contributed to attracting attention to the existence of characteristics tied to a local context that could not be accessed by firms positioned elsewhere, and more, to the positive effects that the concentration and the geographic proximity could exert on the firms competitiveness. However influential, Porters ideas were not the precursor to discussing the competitive outcomes originating from the geographic concentration of firms (Martin and Sunley, 2003). The roots of cluster theory go back to the industrial districts identified by Marshall (1890), who offered the first detailed description about the economic and social systems created as a result of the spacial concentrations of industrial activities. The Marshallian industrial districts were arrangements of small firms interconnected by commercial operations (buyers and sellers) and other firms engaged in the same or similar activities, that shared productive factors, such as the labour market, infrastructure and tacit knowledge (Becattini, 2004, p. 68). According to Marshals descriptions, a group of firms operating in one specific sector within a well-defined, concentrated and relatively small geographic area would experience higher levels of productivity and innovation, indeed the emergence of a fertile e nvironment for technical and organisational developments. Thus the local characteristics would enable the emergence of an industrial atmosphere that would increase the firms potential to acquire (especially tacit) knowledge, and create positive external economies accessible only to the firms located within the district (Asheim, 2003, p. 416). That perspective tried to evidence that firms geographically concentrated could accesses restricted positive exogenous benefits (exogenous to firms, but endogenous to the district), which would be an alternative to the scale economies achieved by a single (integrated) firm. Additionally, following some of the seminal ideas proposed by Marshall, it is possible to observe a significant number of economic geographers that also explored regional development using the spatial economic agglomeration to support their ideas. Some examples of concepts emerging from that theoretical trend are regional innovation milieux (Crevoisier, 2004), neo-Marshallian nodes (Amin and Thrift, 1992) and learning regions (Asheim, 1995). More examples can be found in Markusen (1996, p. 297), in which another three different types of industrial districts are described according to the firms configurations, internal versus external orientations and governance structures: a hub-and-spoke industrial district, which is concentrated around one or more dominant firms; a satellite platform, formed by a group of unconnected branches embedded in external links; and the state-anchored district, concentrated on one or more public-sector institutions. Despite the logical and robust assumption s found in many of those concepts, their influence and dissemination were not as successful as the more general cluster framework proposed by Porter. Martin and Sunley (2003) attributes the successful dissemination of the Porter concepts to the very general descriptions and delimitations that encompass a wide range of actors and many different structures. Following much of the concepts proposed by Porter, the description of advantages conferred on clustered firms associated with a general and structured analytical framework stimulated the development and dissemination of academic studies and subsidized the creation of supply-side competitiveness policies directed at structuring and supporting the development of clusters (Pitelis, 2010). That fact resulted in what Martin and Sunley (2003) describe as a policy panacea in the use of clusters as a standard (sometimes the unique) target for promoting competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Moreover, in the last 20 years an increasing number of empirical studies in different countries and sectors have been observed, which aim to identify and discuss the competitive outcomes originating from the concentration of firms and other actors in the same location, for example: Brazil à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" shoe manufacturing in the Sinos Valley (Schmitz, 2000); Spain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the text ile and clothing industries in Catalonia (Porter, 1998); Taiwan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" electronic products at the Hsinchu Science Park (Chen, 2008); and the United States à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" computer and information systems at the Silicon Valley (Saxenian, 1994). The large significant number of academic studies has resulted in a large number of definitions aiming to describe and establish an accepted cluster template (e.g., Enright, 1996; Swann and Prevezer, 1996, Rosenfeld, 1997; Porter, 1998) to support policy makers and academics has led to intense debates and controversial perspectives. Even though the concept of clusters has been increasingly widely disseminated and used by geographers, economists and policy makers, it has suffered from some conceptual confusion. Porter defines a cluster as a geographic concentration of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers firms in related industries, and associated institutions (for example, universities, standards agencies and trade associations) in particular fields that compete but also co-operate (1998, p. 197). However, Martin and Sunley (2003, p. 12) present consistent arguments that indicate the vagueness and superficiality of the concept proposed by Porter. Accordin g to their arguments, those characteristics make the concept of cluster means different things to different researchers and policy makers, creating problems for its proper use in the guidance of academics and governments. Those highly controversial aspects of the cluster theory have stimulated the continuous emergence of new concepts and definitions for clusters. Proposing a definition aiming to fill some of the gaps and failures found in extant cluster theory, Pitelis (2010, p. 5) defines clusters as geographical agglomerations of firms in particular, related, and/or complementary, activities, with a geographical dimension, that exhibit horizontal and/or vertical intra- and/or inter-sectoral linkages, which operate in the context of a facilitatory socio-institutional setting, and which co-operate and compete (co-opete) in inter-national markets. That definition tries offer to a more delimited approach that incorporates four major elements: geographical agglomeration, linkages, social-capital  [1]  and co-opetition (competition and cooperation). The use of those four elements in a single definition offers the possibility to cover the cluster characteristics using delimited criteria to identify and distinguish developed clusters from less complex geographical agglomerations of firms and institutions. Although it is possible to observe some level of ambiguity encompassing the clusters theory, the existence of links interconnecting local actors complemented by geographical dimensions constitute some of the main common points used to guide academics and policy makers with interesting by the competitive outcomes originating from clusters. Those characteristics have frequently been used as the starting point to understand the economic dynamics of clustered firms, putting emphasis on the levels of innovation and productivity emerging from the concentration of different actors in the same area. Suggesting conditional characteristics to the presence of competitive advantages obtained by firms inside clusters, Ketels (2004) considers that the positive economic effects originated from the geographical concentration will only take place if four critical characteristics are shared among firms and institutions: Proximity: they must be geographically close to allow the emergence of knowledge spillovers and to share the same common resources; Linkages: the necessity of similarities in their activities leading to the establishment of connections and synergies; Interactions: the social interactions developed among firms, clients, suppliers, research institutes, and so on, is what forms the social capital that becomes possible firms to achieve differentiated competitive performances; Critical mass: it is important to have a significant number of firms and institutions in order to create meaningful impacts on performance of the local actors. Those characteristics described by Ketels may be used to guide the identification and distinction between developed clusters (Pitelis, 2010) from incipient clusters (Schmitz, 1999) in order to dismiss some incorrect interpretations associated with the clusters dynamics. Considering that the presence of geographic concentration of firms in the same industry is strikingly common around the world (Porter, 1990, p.120), it is necessary the use of specific benchmarks to distinguish and classify different groups of firms geographically concentrated according to their specific characteristics (Gordon and McCann, 2000; Isbasoiu, 2006). Describing how the existence of local capabilities  [2]  create differentiated conditions for companies within real clusters, Menzel and Fornahl (2010) argue that clusters are essentially formed from path dependencies (Martin and Sunley, 2006), transaction costs economies (McCann and Sheppard, 2003) and small cognitive distances originating from spatial proximity (Maskell, 2001). Thus, that set of factors are expected to create a specific regional dynamics with influence on the firms economic performance. Taking into consideration the different stages of a cluster life cycle, and the misunderstandings related to the claims associated with the clusters and competitiveness, Schmitz points out that A group of small producers making the same or similar things in close vicinity to each other constitutes a cluster, but such concentration in itself brings few benefits (1999, p. 4), emphasizing that the mere presence of firms in a delimited area does not represent a source of value creat ion able to improve in a significant way the local economic performance. Following the arguments above, the differences between regional clusters and simple agglomerations (groups of firms) lie mainly on the interconnected nature and spatial proximity. Thus, clusters are characterized by intense collaborative networks and concentrations of collaboration and competition (co-opetitition) (Pitelis, 2010), conditions which offer significant opportunities and stimulate the emergence of regional competitive advantages (Steinle and Schiele, 2002). Complementarily, another critical characteristic observed within clusters is the diversity of actors. According to Porter (1990, 1998, 2000), an industrial cluster includes suppliers, consumers, related industries, governments, and supporting institutions such as universities. This way, the existence of a regional network formed by a significant group of interconnected local actors is one of the critical factors to understand the differentiated competitive performance of firms within clusters (Steinle and Schiele, 2002 ). Illustrating that argument, Saxenian (1994) observed that Hewlett Packard and other firms at the Silicon Valley had their performance improved by the development long-term partnerships with suppliers located geographically close. Moreover, based on that observation, Saxenian concluded that, especially in high-tech industries, the physical proximity represents a facilitator to the establishment of efficient collaborative arrangements required to create and manage complex products and services. 1.2 Evolutionary Stages of Industrial Clusters Despite the vast cluster literature, the number of academic works discussing the evolutionary patterns of clusters overtime is not so extensive. Some examples can be found in Pouder and John (1996), Klepper (2001, 2007), Wolter (2003) and Andersson et al., (2004), and despite the divergent perspectives, it is accepted that clusters follow a kind of life cycle comprised by different phases that significantly differ in their characteristics and influence on firms performance. Regarding the cluster dynamics, Pouder and John (1996) argue that comparative analysis between clustered and non-clustered firms during the industry life cycle reveal that firms within clusters outperform those geographically dispersed at the initial stages of development, and have a worse performance at its end. That fact suggests that the cluster life cycle is not just a local representation of the industry trajectory, but is a result from local peculiarities. The comparative analysis developed by Saxenian (1994 ) between the computer industry in Boston and Silicon Valley illustrates how different clusters belonging to the same industry are very likely to follow different trajectories (Menzel and Fornahl, 2010). Proposing a different perspective, Klepper (2001, 2007) suggests a model to demonstrate how the clusters life cycle is determined by some the industry patterns. Klepper analyzed the automobile, tire and television industries and observed that at the beginning of the industry life cycle it was not possible to observe clear geographic concentrations of firms, with most of the firms spatially dispersed. He observed that in those industries clusters started to emerge and develop according to the industry growth rates. Klepper argues that the local characteristics originating from the spacial proximity (e.g., intensive spin-off process) give the stimulus for the geographic agglomeration of the whole industry, not only for specific groups. At the time the industry growth rate reduces, the attractiveness to remain agglomerated will also decrease and the industry will become dispersed again. That model proposed by Klepper represents a Technology-Product- Industry (TIP) life cycle. The logic behind this model is on the impact that the evolution of products and innovations has on the size, number, and location of firms. Wolter (2003) criticizes the model proposed by Klepper arguing that the growth rate cannot explain the agglomeration process in all industries on equal basis. Moreover, Wolter disagrees with the determinist perspective proposed by the TIP model, once it neglects that mature industries can be reinvented by radical or incremental innovations of new products and process. Analyzing the economic performance of firms within clusters Pouder and John (1996) attribute to the existence of mental models and biased cognitive focus the characteristics responsible for shaping the movement through the clusters life cycle. Following that perspective, at initial stages the cluster dynamics creates an innovative environment that exerts positive impacts on the firms performance. However, overtime that initial condition is eroded by strong institutional pressures that create a homogeneous macroculture that acts inhibiting the innovative capacity of the firms within the cluster. As in the model presented by Klepper (2001, 2007), that trajectory proposed by Pouder and John may also be criticized by the determinism that ignores the possibility of adaptations or reconfigurations in order to avoid lock-ins and other negative effects. Considering the arguments proposed by Menzel and Fornahl (2010, p. 8) that very few clusters follow a rigid life cycle from emergence to growth and decline, it is expected that clusters evolve overtime according to the local dynamics created by economic and social interactions among firms and institutions. That dynamics may be influenced, but not strictly determined by industry patterns (Wolter, 2003). Following a generic and stylized trajectory, within successful clusters the local network formed by inter-firm connections will tend to be intensified overtime, with an increasing number of formal and informal interactions between the long-established companies and new the ones attracted to the cluster. Even though it is more conceivable to assume that the decisions adopted by firms and institutions are shaped by specific circumstances, a generic trajectory can be described following the stages illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 1: The cluster life cycle C:UsersLucasAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.WordSem tÃÆ' ­tulo.jpg Source: Andersson et al. (2004, p. 43) Agglomeration: It is possible to observe the existence of a number of companies and other actors (e.g. banks, government agencies, universities, accountants, and lawyers offices) in a specific region working around the same or interrelated activities. Emerging cluster: Forming the embryo to the cluster some actors start to cooperation around some core activities, and start to realize the existence of common linkages. Developing cluster: The linkages are intensified by the emergence and attraction of new actors to the region, resulting in the creation of more interaction. In this context the development of inter-firm-cooperation becomes more evident through the development of joint efforts. The Mature cluster: This stage is configured by the presence of a certain critical mass of factors that consistently influence the competitive performance of the firms inside the cluster. The internal dynamics is characterized by the presence of an institutional environment, strong linkages, complementarities and the emergence of new firms through startups, joint ventures and spin-offs. Transformation: Indeed the process of continuous environmental change in markets, technologies, regulations and other process, to be successful a cluster have to innovate and adapt to these new conditions, other way stagnation and decay may affect the cluster dynamics. That process of change/adaptation may happen through the emergence of one or several interconnected clusters with focus in other activities, or by new configuration in terms of networks of firms and institutions. The presence of economic benefits for clustered firms described by authors like Schmitz and Nadvi (1999), Ketels (2004), Isbasoiu (2006) and Pitelis and Pseiridis (2006) are closely related to the stage of development that a cluster is experiencing. For example, an emerging cluster is not actually a cluster, since the small number of firms is not expected to present a high level of linkages and do not form a critical mass. Moreover, the absence of strong interdependencies such as labour mobility, spin-off, socioeconomic networks and intense exchange of good and services prevent the emergence of local capabilities. Thus, same considering that this stage constitutes the embryo that determines the future cluster orientation, at this point the firms are not expected to be strongly influenced by a complex local dynamics. Observing that fact, Menzel and Fornahl (2010) present a skeptical position regarding the effectiveness of any competitiveness policy intended to stimulate the development of clusters at initial stages (agglomeration and emerging), since the existence of horizontal and vertical links among firms concentrated in the same region constitutes a very common fact around the world. Thus, it is almost impossible to distinguish agglomerations with real potential to become a cluster from less complex structures. Consequently, emerging clusters are almost always only described ex-post. After the initial stages of the clusters life cycle it is expected the development and intensification of interdependencies between firms within cluster boundaries (Press, 2006). Indeed the development of those interdependencies, firms start to resemble more with each other, being observe the emergence of convergent designs in terms of technological models (Menzel and Fornahl, 2010), specialized labour market (Cooke et al., 2007), production systems (Pitelis, 2010) and inter-firm relationships (Blien and Maier, 2008). Moreover, developing clusters also attract a high number of start-ups that act stimulating the intensification of intra-cluster relationships. This way, that process of convergence and expansion of the number of firms within the cluster boundaries culminates in the development of self-reinforcing external economies that decrease the heterogeneity among firms at the same time that creates benefits like transactions cost economies and the privileged access to local knowle dge. As clusters reach the stage of maturity, the standards and configurations originating from past decisions become consolidate and it is observed a reduction in the growth rate of firms attracted to the cluster (Klepper, 2007). At this point the cluster trajectory may take two different directions. Keep unchanged, and suffer with a homogenization process that creates bias economic activities and therefore prevent firms to adapt to external shocks (Menzel and Fornahl, 2010). That situation traps firms in previous successful development path and lead to the geographic dispersion of the local actors and to the deterioration of the interdependencies and capabilities. The other possible trajectory is observed in clusters that reach the stage of maturity and successfully sustain the local dynamics by a continuous process of reconfiguration and adaptation to the external shocks (Wolter, 2003). 1.2 Clusters and Economic Performance The extant theory offers a wide range of explanations to justify the economic and competitive benefits experienced by firms located within clusters. Krugman (1991) stress the existence of increasing returns originating from the concentration of firms in the same area, arguing that the geographic proximity puts together the main parts related to firms activities (e.g., labours, firms, suppliers and costumers) resulting in transaction costs economies. Following other perspective, Schmitz and Nadvi (1999) argue that unintentional external economies are not sufficient to explain the competitiveness of firms located within clusters, attributing to the existence of deliberate joint actions (e.g., sharing equipments, associations, strategic alliances and producers improving components) a critical source of the competitive advantages. Pitelis and Pseiridis (2006) explain the levels of competitiveness and productivity associated with clustered firms considering the existence of specialized hu man resources, infrastructure and befits associated with unit costs economies complemented by the presence of an institutional atmosphere. Stressing a different point of view, Bahlmann and Huysman (2008) adopts the knowledge-based view of clusters to emphasize the relevance of knowledge spillovers among the firms to explain the advantages originated from the agglomeration process. Dupuy and Torre (2006) explains the existence of cluster in terms of the advantages originating from trust relationships that increase confidence and reduce risk and uncertainty about the intra-cluster operations taking place among the firms. Moreover, Zyglidopoulos et al. (2003), describe the positive effects that the reputation of a cluster may exert on the internalization process of small and micro enterprises through the alleviation of strategic constraints associated with factors like qualified work force, financing and reduction of the firms legitimation expenses. Despite that wide range of arguments, the most traditional perspective found in the cluster literature has explained the competitive advantages of clusters in terms of productivity and innovation (Pitelis, 1998; Porter, 1998), suggesting that the special characteristics originated from the economic and geographic proximity have significant impact on those two factors. Supplementary, Enright (1998) considers that the characteristics present inside the clusters local environment result in pressures, incentives and capabilities that increase the firms competitiveness comparatively to dispersed competitors, explaining the clustering process in terms of geographically restricted characteristics. Moreover, Solvell et al. (2003) suggests that the competitive advantages emerging from regional clusters may be classified as static and dynamics. According to this perspective, while the agglomeration process triggered and sustained intensively or exclusively by factors like natural resources, low cost labors and government subsidies offers a vulnerable (easy to be copied, substituted or simple eroded by environmental changes) competitive position, clusters based on dynamics characteristics like multi-sectorial externalities, advantages of scale and scope and specific knowledge spillovers are more dynamics and competitive. Extending the arguments presented by Solvell and his colleagues, Andersson et al. (2004) considers that the sustainability of static and dynamic competitive advantages is not strictly determined, arguing that static factors are the main responsible for the emergence of clusters, while the dynamics factors are only developed along the different stages of the cluste r life cycle. Complementing the understanding about the influence of the cluster dynamics on the firms economic performance some authors like Porter (2001); Garnsey and Heffernan (2007); Karlsson (2008) and Mason (2008) describe the existence of a self-reinforcing process originating from the agglomeration externalities that contribute to create a regional virtuous-circle of increasing productivity, competitiveness and value creation. Following that argument, the economic and geographic proximity will stimulate firms to innovate more indeed benefits originating from local capabilities, which will stimulate even more the agglomeration process through the intensification of inter-firm relationships and the attraction of other firms from outside the cluster, which in turn will strength the local capabilities (Blandy, 2003, p. 101). Thus, the dynamics of clusters is expected to be self-reinforced by agglomeration benefits with significant influence on the firms performance. Putting together the arguments associated with the economic impacts experienced by clustered firms indeed the existence of local factors, it is possible to identify and describe the following positive location-specific externalities: Cost savings indeed the geographic proximity with specialized suppliers, labours and distributors; Knowledge-spillovers (intentional and unintentional), since firms inside clusters can benefit from the knowledge dissemination process that may take place especially through inter-firm cooperation, specific linkages and labour mobility; Deliberate joint actions facilitated by the engagement in alliances and partnerships to achieve strategic objectives; Trust relationships, that through the geographic and economic proximity minimize the uncertainty associated with commercial operations, resulting in transactions costs economies; Pressures for higher performance, stimulated by the proximity with competitors; Specific Infrastructure and public goods that are oriented to attend the cluster demands, like roads, ports, laboratories and telecommunication networks; Complementarities, associated with firms in different activities but sharing common factors like raw material, clients and technologies that may enhance the cluster efficiency as whole. Discussing the role of regional clusters in shaping competitive patterns, Tallman et al. (2004) proposes a distinction between the types of competitive advantages emerging from clustered firms: based on traded interdependencies and based on untraded interdependencies. The concept of traded interdependencies is related to the existence of inter-firm transactions inside the cluster, and is observed in formal exchange operations that may take place in form of alliances, commercial operations and acquisitions. On the other hand, untraded interdependencies are related to less tangible effects, and are based on shared knowledge for which no market mechanism exists; with no formal exchange of value for value (Tallman et al. 2004, p. 261). To illustrate the mechanisms by which the untraded interdependencies take place, it is possible to mention unintentional external economies associated with tacit knowledge shared through mechanisms like labor mobility. Those different types of interdependencies, especially untraded, present at the cluster level, represent a source of competitive advantage that is likely to be causal ambiguous (for firms inside and outside the cluster) and high complex in terms of their origins, what consequently constitutes attributes difficult to be replicated by competitors. However, the presence of untraded effects, especially unintentional knowledge spillovers, is viewed Enright (1998) as a constraining factor for firms within clusters, since the establishment of an efficient information flow may limit the firms capacity to obtain monopoly profits from the development of innovations. Complementing the negative effects originating from the clusters dynamics, some authors also describe agglomeration diseconomies that have a negative impact firms located within clusters. For example, congestion effects (Arthur, 1990), institutional sclerosis (Pouder and John, 1996; Pitelis, 2010), rigidities associated with labour mobility and natural resources (Krugman, 1989) and pollution (Fan and Scott, 2003). This way, the dynamics and performance of a cluster is determined by the interplay between positive and negative externalities observed during the different stages of development that a cluster is expected to pass overtime (Wolter, 2003) Limitations in the Cluster Theory Notwithstanding the advances in the cluster theory some questions still remain insufficiently explored. One of the main limitations observed in the current state of the cluster literature is the lack of comparative perspectives to explain the advantages and disadvantages of clusters relatively to other alternative models of organization of economic activities. In his very novel approach, Pitelis (2010) suggests that any perspective trying to explain clusters in terms of absolute advantages is at the very best incomplete. In this context, Pitelis proposes the comparison of clusters vis-ÃÆ'  -vis to markets and hierarchies in order to understand the reasons and conditions that lead firms to engage in intra-clusters relationships, market operations (outside the cluster) or integrate within the firms hierarchy. In fact it is not necessary a great effort to conclude that most of the cluster theory has been developed following a mono-institutional approach (e.g. Porter, 1990, 1998; Saxe nian, 1994; Rosenfeld, 1998; Swann and Sennett, 1998; Schmitz and Nadvi, 1999), while some few exceptions concentrated on transactions costs (e.g. Fujita and Thisse, 1996; Iammarino and McCann, 2006; Takeda et al., 2008) and knowledge creation efficiency (e.g. Hendry et al., 2000; Tracey and Clark, 2003; Reinau, 2007; Kongmanila and Takahashi, 2009) have been drawn on a comparative approaches between clusters and open-market operations. Assuming the arguments proposed by many scholars that clusters are engines of innovation (Davis, 2006, p. 32), the lack of comparative perspectives do not answer the question why clusters are more efficient than markets or the hierarchy to improve the firms innovative capacity (Pitelis, 2010). Thus, despite the wide number of ramifications observed in the cluster theory such as innovative efficiency, productivity, social capital and social interactions, its explicative power remains almost always restricted Inter Firm Relationships in the Silicon Fen Inter Firm Relationships in the Silicon Fen The attention that clusters have received from policy makers and academics has substantially increased in the last 20 years. Since Porters seminal work on The Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990) presented clusters as one of the determinants of the international competitiveness of nations and regions, many scholars have adopted and further developed his approach. Porter bases his arguments on what he describes as the globalization paradox, pointing out that despite the logical implications that the globalisation process might have in dismissing the relevance of regional factors, the most competitive firms in world are located in groups geographically concentrated in specific locations. That perspective contributed to attracting attention to the existence of characteristics tied to a local context that could not be accessed by firms positioned elsewhere, and more, to the positive effects that the concentration and the geographic proximity could exert on the firms competitiveness. However influential, Porters ideas were not the precursor to discussing the competitive outcomes originating from the geographic concentration of firms (Martin and Sunley, 2003). The roots of cluster theory go back to the industrial districts identified by Marshall (1890), who offered the first detailed description about the economic and social systems created as a result of the spacial concentrations of industrial activities. The Marshallian industrial districts were arrangements of small firms interconnected by commercial operations (buyers and sellers) and other firms engaged in the same or similar activities, that shared productive factors, such as the labour market, infrastructure and tacit knowledge (Becattini, 2004, p. 68). According to Marshals descriptions, a group of firms operating in one specific sector within a well-defined, concentrated and relatively small geographic area would experience higher levels of productivity and innovation, indeed the emergence of a fertile e nvironment for technical and organisational developments. Thus the local characteristics would enable the emergence of an industrial atmosphere that would increase the firms potential to acquire (especially tacit) knowledge, and create positive external economies accessible only to the firms located within the district (Asheim, 2003, p. 416). That perspective tried to evidence that firms geographically concentrated could accesses restricted positive exogenous benefits (exogenous to firms, but endogenous to the district), which would be an alternative to the scale economies achieved by a single (integrated) firm. Additionally, following some of the seminal ideas proposed by Marshall, it is possible to observe a significant number of economic geographers that also explored regional development using the spatial economic agglomeration to support their ideas. Some examples of concepts emerging from that theoretical trend are regional innovation milieux (Crevoisier, 2004), neo-Marshallian nodes (Amin and Thrift, 1992) and learning regions (Asheim, 1995). More examples can be found in Markusen (1996, p. 297), in which another three different types of industrial districts are described according to the firms configurations, internal versus external orientations and governance structures: a hub-and-spoke industrial district, which is concentrated around one or more dominant firms; a satellite platform, formed by a group of unconnected branches embedded in external links; and the state-anchored district, concentrated on one or more public-sector institutions. Despite the logical and robust assumption s found in many of those concepts, their influence and dissemination were not as successful as the more general cluster framework proposed by Porter. Martin and Sunley (2003) attributes the successful dissemination of the Porter concepts to the very general descriptions and delimitations that encompass a wide range of actors and many different structures. Following much of the concepts proposed by Porter, the description of advantages conferred on clustered firms associated with a general and structured analytical framework stimulated the development and dissemination of academic studies and subsidized the creation of supply-side competitiveness policies directed at structuring and supporting the development of clusters (Pitelis, 2010). That fact resulted in what Martin and Sunley (2003) describe as a policy panacea in the use of clusters as a standard (sometimes the unique) target for promoting competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Moreover, in the last 20 years an increasing number of empirical studies in different countries and sectors have been observed, which aim to identify and discuss the competitive outcomes originating from the concentration of firms and other actors in the same location, for example: Brazil à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" shoe manufacturing in the Sinos Valley (Schmitz, 2000); Spain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the text ile and clothing industries in Catalonia (Porter, 1998); Taiwan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" electronic products at the Hsinchu Science Park (Chen, 2008); and the United States à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" computer and information systems at the Silicon Valley (Saxenian, 1994). The large significant number of academic studies has resulted in a large number of definitions aiming to describe and establish an accepted cluster template (e.g., Enright, 1996; Swann and Prevezer, 1996, Rosenfeld, 1997; Porter, 1998) to support policy makers and academics has led to intense debates and controversial perspectives. Even though the concept of clusters has been increasingly widely disseminated and used by geographers, economists and policy makers, it has suffered from some conceptual confusion. Porter defines a cluster as a geographic concentration of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers firms in related industries, and associated institutions (for example, universities, standards agencies and trade associations) in particular fields that compete but also co-operate (1998, p. 197). However, Martin and Sunley (2003, p. 12) present consistent arguments that indicate the vagueness and superficiality of the concept proposed by Porter. Accordin g to their arguments, those characteristics make the concept of cluster means different things to different researchers and policy makers, creating problems for its proper use in the guidance of academics and governments. Those highly controversial aspects of the cluster theory have stimulated the continuous emergence of new concepts and definitions for clusters. Proposing a definition aiming to fill some of the gaps and failures found in extant cluster theory, Pitelis (2010, p. 5) defines clusters as geographical agglomerations of firms in particular, related, and/or complementary, activities, with a geographical dimension, that exhibit horizontal and/or vertical intra- and/or inter-sectoral linkages, which operate in the context of a facilitatory socio-institutional setting, and which co-operate and compete (co-opete) in inter-national markets. That definition tries offer to a more delimited approach that incorporates four major elements: geographical agglomeration, linkages, social-capital  [1]  and co-opetition (competition and cooperation). The use of those four elements in a single definition offers the possibility to cover the cluster characteristics using delimited criteria to identify and distinguish developed clusters from less complex geographical agglomerations of firms and institutions. Although it is possible to observe some level of ambiguity encompassing the clusters theory, the existence of links interconnecting local actors complemented by geographical dimensions constitute some of the main common points used to guide academics and policy makers with interesting by the competitive outcomes originating from clusters. Those characteristics have frequently been used as the starting point to understand the economic dynamics of clustered firms, putting emphasis on the levels of innovation and productivity emerging from the concentration of different actors in the same area. Suggesting conditional characteristics to the presence of competitive advantages obtained by firms inside clusters, Ketels (2004) considers that the positive economic effects originated from the geographical concentration will only take place if four critical characteristics are shared among firms and institutions: Proximity: they must be geographically close to allow the emergence of knowledge spillovers and to share the same common resources; Linkages: the necessity of similarities in their activities leading to the establishment of connections and synergies; Interactions: the social interactions developed among firms, clients, suppliers, research institutes, and so on, is what forms the social capital that becomes possible firms to achieve differentiated competitive performances; Critical mass: it is important to have a significant number of firms and institutions in order to create meaningful impacts on performance of the local actors. Those characteristics described by Ketels may be used to guide the identification and distinction between developed clusters (Pitelis, 2010) from incipient clusters (Schmitz, 1999) in order to dismiss some incorrect interpretations associated with the clusters dynamics. Considering that the presence of geographic concentration of firms in the same industry is strikingly common around the world (Porter, 1990, p.120), it is necessary the use of specific benchmarks to distinguish and classify different groups of firms geographically concentrated according to their specific characteristics (Gordon and McCann, 2000; Isbasoiu, 2006). Describing how the existence of local capabilities  [2]  create differentiated conditions for companies within real clusters, Menzel and Fornahl (2010) argue that clusters are essentially formed from path dependencies (Martin and Sunley, 2006), transaction costs economies (McCann and Sheppard, 2003) and small cognitive distances originating from spatial proximity (Maskell, 2001). Thus, that set of factors are expected to create a specific regional dynamics with influence on the firms economic performance. Taking into consideration the different stages of a cluster life cycle, and the misunderstandings related to the claims associated with the clusters and competitiveness, Schmitz points out that A group of small producers making the same or similar things in close vicinity to each other constitutes a cluster, but such concentration in itself brings few benefits (1999, p. 4), emphasizing that the mere presence of firms in a delimited area does not represent a source of value creat ion able to improve in a significant way the local economic performance. Following the arguments above, the differences between regional clusters and simple agglomerations (groups of firms) lie mainly on the interconnected nature and spatial proximity. Thus, clusters are characterized by intense collaborative networks and concentrations of collaboration and competition (co-opetitition) (Pitelis, 2010), conditions which offer significant opportunities and stimulate the emergence of regional competitive advantages (Steinle and Schiele, 2002). Complementarily, another critical characteristic observed within clusters is the diversity of actors. According to Porter (1990, 1998, 2000), an industrial cluster includes suppliers, consumers, related industries, governments, and supporting institutions such as universities. This way, the existence of a regional network formed by a significant group of interconnected local actors is one of the critical factors to understand the differentiated competitive performance of firms within clusters (Steinle and Schiele, 2002 ). Illustrating that argument, Saxenian (1994) observed that Hewlett Packard and other firms at the Silicon Valley had their performance improved by the development long-term partnerships with suppliers located geographically close. Moreover, based on that observation, Saxenian concluded that, especially in high-tech industries, the physical proximity represents a facilitator to the establishment of efficient collaborative arrangements required to create and manage complex products and services. 1.2 Evolutionary Stages of Industrial Clusters Despite the vast cluster literature, the number of academic works discussing the evolutionary patterns of clusters overtime is not so extensive. Some examples can be found in Pouder and John (1996), Klepper (2001, 2007), Wolter (2003) and Andersson et al., (2004), and despite the divergent perspectives, it is accepted that clusters follow a kind of life cycle comprised by different phases that significantly differ in their characteristics and influence on firms performance. Regarding the cluster dynamics, Pouder and John (1996) argue that comparative analysis between clustered and non-clustered firms during the industry life cycle reveal that firms within clusters outperform those geographically dispersed at the initial stages of development, and have a worse performance at its end. That fact suggests that the cluster life cycle is not just a local representation of the industry trajectory, but is a result from local peculiarities. The comparative analysis developed by Saxenian (1994 ) between the computer industry in Boston and Silicon Valley illustrates how different clusters belonging to the same industry are very likely to follow different trajectories (Menzel and Fornahl, 2010). Proposing a different perspective, Klepper (2001, 2007) suggests a model to demonstrate how the clusters life cycle is determined by some the industry patterns. Klepper analyzed the automobile, tire and television industries and observed that at the beginning of the industry life cycle it was not possible to observe clear geographic concentrations of firms, with most of the firms spatially dispersed. He observed that in those industries clusters started to emerge and develop according to the industry growth rates. Klepper argues that the local characteristics originating from the spacial proximity (e.g., intensive spin-off process) give the stimulus for the geographic agglomeration of the whole industry, not only for specific groups. At the time the industry growth rate reduces, the attractiveness to remain agglomerated will also decrease and the industry will become dispersed again. That model proposed by Klepper represents a Technology-Product- Industry (TIP) life cycle. The logic behind this model is on the impact that the evolution of products and innovations has on the size, number, and location of firms. Wolter (2003) criticizes the model proposed by Klepper arguing that the growth rate cannot explain the agglomeration process in all industries on equal basis. Moreover, Wolter disagrees with the determinist perspective proposed by the TIP model, once it neglects that mature industries can be reinvented by radical or incremental innovations of new products and process. Analyzing the economic performance of firms within clusters Pouder and John (1996) attribute to the existence of mental models and biased cognitive focus the characteristics responsible for shaping the movement through the clusters life cycle. Following that perspective, at initial stages the cluster dynamics creates an innovative environment that exerts positive impacts on the firms performance. However, overtime that initial condition is eroded by strong institutional pressures that create a homogeneous macroculture that acts inhibiting the innovative capacity of the firms within the cluster. As in the model presented by Klepper (2001, 2007), that trajectory proposed by Pouder and John may also be criticized by the determinism that ignores the possibility of adaptations or reconfigurations in order to avoid lock-ins and other negative effects. Considering the arguments proposed by Menzel and Fornahl (2010, p. 8) that very few clusters follow a rigid life cycle from emergence to growth and decline, it is expected that clusters evolve overtime according to the local dynamics created by economic and social interactions among firms and institutions. That dynamics may be influenced, but not strictly determined by industry patterns (Wolter, 2003). Following a generic and stylized trajectory, within successful clusters the local network formed by inter-firm connections will tend to be intensified overtime, with an increasing number of formal and informal interactions between the long-established companies and new the ones attracted to the cluster. Even though it is more conceivable to assume that the decisions adopted by firms and institutions are shaped by specific circumstances, a generic trajectory can be described following the stages illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 1: The cluster life cycle C:UsersLucasAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.WordSem tÃÆ' ­tulo.jpg Source: Andersson et al. (2004, p. 43) Agglomeration: It is possible to observe the existence of a number of companies and other actors (e.g. banks, government agencies, universities, accountants, and lawyers offices) in a specific region working around the same or interrelated activities. Emerging cluster: Forming the embryo to the cluster some actors start to cooperation around some core activities, and start to realize the existence of common linkages. Developing cluster: The linkages are intensified by the emergence and attraction of new actors to the region, resulting in the creation of more interaction. In this context the development of inter-firm-cooperation becomes more evident through the development of joint efforts. The Mature cluster: This stage is configured by the presence of a certain critical mass of factors that consistently influence the competitive performance of the firms inside the cluster. The internal dynamics is characterized by the presence of an institutional environment, strong linkages, complementarities and the emergence of new firms through startups, joint ventures and spin-offs. Transformation: Indeed the process of continuous environmental change in markets, technologies, regulations and other process, to be successful a cluster have to innovate and adapt to these new conditions, other way stagnation and decay may affect the cluster dynamics. That process of change/adaptation may happen through the emergence of one or several interconnected clusters with focus in other activities, or by new configuration in terms of networks of firms and institutions. The presence of economic benefits for clustered firms described by authors like Schmitz and Nadvi (1999), Ketels (2004), Isbasoiu (2006) and Pitelis and Pseiridis (2006) are closely related to the stage of development that a cluster is experiencing. For example, an emerging cluster is not actually a cluster, since the small number of firms is not expected to present a high level of linkages and do not form a critical mass. Moreover, the absence of strong interdependencies such as labour mobility, spin-off, socioeconomic networks and intense exchange of good and services prevent the emergence of local capabilities. Thus, same considering that this stage constitutes the embryo that determines the future cluster orientation, at this point the firms are not expected to be strongly influenced by a complex local dynamics. Observing that fact, Menzel and Fornahl (2010) present a skeptical position regarding the effectiveness of any competitiveness policy intended to stimulate the development of clusters at initial stages (agglomeration and emerging), since the existence of horizontal and vertical links among firms concentrated in the same region constitutes a very common fact around the world. Thus, it is almost impossible to distinguish agglomerations with real potential to become a cluster from less complex structures. Consequently, emerging clusters are almost always only described ex-post. After the initial stages of the clusters life cycle it is expected the development and intensification of interdependencies between firms within cluster boundaries (Press, 2006). Indeed the development of those interdependencies, firms start to resemble more with each other, being observe the emergence of convergent designs in terms of technological models (Menzel and Fornahl, 2010), specialized labour market (Cooke et al., 2007), production systems (Pitelis, 2010) and inter-firm relationships (Blien and Maier, 2008). Moreover, developing clusters also attract a high number of start-ups that act stimulating the intensification of intra-cluster relationships. This way, that process of convergence and expansion of the number of firms within the cluster boundaries culminates in the development of self-reinforcing external economies that decrease the heterogeneity among firms at the same time that creates benefits like transactions cost economies and the privileged access to local knowle dge. As clusters reach the stage of maturity, the standards and configurations originating from past decisions become consolidate and it is observed a reduction in the growth rate of firms attracted to the cluster (Klepper, 2007). At this point the cluster trajectory may take two different directions. Keep unchanged, and suffer with a homogenization process that creates bias economic activities and therefore prevent firms to adapt to external shocks (Menzel and Fornahl, 2010). That situation traps firms in previous successful development path and lead to the geographic dispersion of the local actors and to the deterioration of the interdependencies and capabilities. The other possible trajectory is observed in clusters that reach the stage of maturity and successfully sustain the local dynamics by a continuous process of reconfiguration and adaptation to the external shocks (Wolter, 2003). 1.2 Clusters and Economic Performance The extant theory offers a wide range of explanations to justify the economic and competitive benefits experienced by firms located within clusters. Krugman (1991) stress the existence of increasing returns originating from the concentration of firms in the same area, arguing that the geographic proximity puts together the main parts related to firms activities (e.g., labours, firms, suppliers and costumers) resulting in transaction costs economies. Following other perspective, Schmitz and Nadvi (1999) argue that unintentional external economies are not sufficient to explain the competitiveness of firms located within clusters, attributing to the existence of deliberate joint actions (e.g., sharing equipments, associations, strategic alliances and producers improving components) a critical source of the competitive advantages. Pitelis and Pseiridis (2006) explain the levels of competitiveness and productivity associated with clustered firms considering the existence of specialized hu man resources, infrastructure and befits associated with unit costs economies complemented by the presence of an institutional atmosphere. Stressing a different point of view, Bahlmann and Huysman (2008) adopts the knowledge-based view of clusters to emphasize the relevance of knowledge spillovers among the firms to explain the advantages originated from the agglomeration process. Dupuy and Torre (2006) explains the existence of cluster in terms of the advantages originating from trust relationships that increase confidence and reduce risk and uncertainty about the intra-cluster operations taking place among the firms. Moreover, Zyglidopoulos et al. (2003), describe the positive effects that the reputation of a cluster may exert on the internalization process of small and micro enterprises through the alleviation of strategic constraints associated with factors like qualified work force, financing and reduction of the firms legitimation expenses. Despite that wide range of arguments, the most traditional perspective found in the cluster literature has explained the competitive advantages of clusters in terms of productivity and innovation (Pitelis, 1998; Porter, 1998), suggesting that the special characteristics originated from the economic and geographic proximity have significant impact on those two factors. Supplementary, Enright (1998) considers that the characteristics present inside the clusters local environment result in pressures, incentives and capabilities that increase the firms competitiveness comparatively to dispersed competitors, explaining the clustering process in terms of geographically restricted characteristics. Moreover, Solvell et al. (2003) suggests that the competitive advantages emerging from regional clusters may be classified as static and dynamics. According to this perspective, while the agglomeration process triggered and sustained intensively or exclusively by factors like natural resources, low cost labors and government subsidies offers a vulnerable (easy to be copied, substituted or simple eroded by environmental changes) competitive position, clusters based on dynamics characteristics like multi-sectorial externalities, advantages of scale and scope and specific knowledge spillovers are more dynamics and competitive. Extending the arguments presented by Solvell and his colleagues, Andersson et al. (2004) considers that the sustainability of static and dynamic competitive advantages is not strictly determined, arguing that static factors are the main responsible for the emergence of clusters, while the dynamics factors are only developed along the different stages of the cluste r life cycle. Complementing the understanding about the influence of the cluster dynamics on the firms economic performance some authors like Porter (2001); Garnsey and Heffernan (2007); Karlsson (2008) and Mason (2008) describe the existence of a self-reinforcing process originating from the agglomeration externalities that contribute to create a regional virtuous-circle of increasing productivity, competitiveness and value creation. Following that argument, the economic and geographic proximity will stimulate firms to innovate more indeed benefits originating from local capabilities, which will stimulate even more the agglomeration process through the intensification of inter-firm relationships and the attraction of other firms from outside the cluster, which in turn will strength the local capabilities (Blandy, 2003, p. 101). Thus, the dynamics of clusters is expected to be self-reinforced by agglomeration benefits with significant influence on the firms performance. Putting together the arguments associated with the economic impacts experienced by clustered firms indeed the existence of local factors, it is possible to identify and describe the following positive location-specific externalities: Cost savings indeed the geographic proximity with specialized suppliers, labours and distributors; Knowledge-spillovers (intentional and unintentional), since firms inside clusters can benefit from the knowledge dissemination process that may take place especially through inter-firm cooperation, specific linkages and labour mobility; Deliberate joint actions facilitated by the engagement in alliances and partnerships to achieve strategic objectives; Trust relationships, that through the geographic and economic proximity minimize the uncertainty associated with commercial operations, resulting in transactions costs economies; Pressures for higher performance, stimulated by the proximity with competitors; Specific Infrastructure and public goods that are oriented to attend the cluster demands, like roads, ports, laboratories and telecommunication networks; Complementarities, associated with firms in different activities but sharing common factors like raw material, clients and technologies that may enhance the cluster efficiency as whole. Discussing the role of regional clusters in shaping competitive patterns, Tallman et al. (2004) proposes a distinction between the types of competitive advantages emerging from clustered firms: based on traded interdependencies and based on untraded interdependencies. The concept of traded interdependencies is related to the existence of inter-firm transactions inside the cluster, and is observed in formal exchange operations that may take place in form of alliances, commercial operations and acquisitions. On the other hand, untraded interdependencies are related to less tangible effects, and are based on shared knowledge for which no market mechanism exists; with no formal exchange of value for value (Tallman et al. 2004, p. 261). To illustrate the mechanisms by which the untraded interdependencies take place, it is possible to mention unintentional external economies associated with tacit knowledge shared through mechanisms like labor mobility. Those different types of interdependencies, especially untraded, present at the cluster level, represent a source of competitive advantage that is likely to be causal ambiguous (for firms inside and outside the cluster) and high complex in terms of their origins, what consequently constitutes attributes difficult to be replicated by competitors. However, the presence of untraded effects, especially unintentional knowledge spillovers, is viewed Enright (1998) as a constraining factor for firms within clusters, since the establishment of an efficient information flow may limit the firms capacity to obtain monopoly profits from the development of innovations. Complementing the negative effects originating from the clusters dynamics, some authors also describe agglomeration diseconomies that have a negative impact firms located within clusters. For example, congestion effects (Arthur, 1990), institutional sclerosis (Pouder and John, 1996; Pitelis, 2010), rigidities associated with labour mobility and natural resources (Krugman, 1989) and pollution (Fan and Scott, 2003). This way, the dynamics and performance of a cluster is determined by the interplay between positive and negative externalities observed during the different stages of development that a cluster is expected to pass overtime (Wolter, 2003) Limitations in the Cluster Theory Notwithstanding the advances in the cluster theory some questions still remain insufficiently explored. One of the main limitations observed in the current state of the cluster literature is the lack of comparative perspectives to explain the advantages and disadvantages of clusters relatively to other alternative models of organization of economic activities. In his very novel approach, Pitelis (2010) suggests that any perspective trying to explain clusters in terms of absolute advantages is at the very best incomplete. In this context, Pitelis proposes the comparison of clusters vis-ÃÆ'  -vis to markets and hierarchies in order to understand the reasons and conditions that lead firms to engage in intra-clusters relationships, market operations (outside the cluster) or integrate within the firms hierarchy. In fact it is not necessary a great effort to conclude that most of the cluster theory has been developed following a mono-institutional approach (e.g. Porter, 1990, 1998; Saxe nian, 1994; Rosenfeld, 1998; Swann and Sennett, 1998; Schmitz and Nadvi, 1999), while some few exceptions concentrated on transactions costs (e.g. Fujita and Thisse, 1996; Iammarino and McCann, 2006; Takeda et al., 2008) and knowledge creation efficiency (e.g. Hendry et al., 2000; Tracey and Clark, 2003; Reinau, 2007; Kongmanila and Takahashi, 2009) have been drawn on a comparative approaches between clusters and open-market operations. Assuming the arguments proposed by many scholars that clusters are engines of innovation (Davis, 2006, p. 32), the lack of comparative perspectives do not answer the question why clusters are more efficient than markets or the hierarchy to improve the firms innovative capacity (Pitelis, 2010). Thus, despite the wide number of ramifications observed in the cluster theory such as innovative efficiency, productivity, social capital and social interactions, its explicative power remains almost always restricted