Bronfenbrenner ecological theory of development Essay Example

Bronfenbrenner ecological theory of development Essay Example Bronfenbrenner ecological theory of development Paper Bronfenbrenner ecological theory of development Paper Bronfenbrenner ecological system theory is one of the most frequently cited development models of our times. Its wide spread acceptance is in part due to varied solutions that it offers to complicated social and community problems (Damon Lerner, 2006). The theory revolves around the development of child and the impact of seemingly intertwined social issues on individual personality traits. It hypotheses that children are impacted by their immediate environment such as family, school or friends while factors including health, religious teachings and economy are all interrelated to effect the overall lifestyle. Although the impact of immediate environment is the strongest but it can be mitigated by another more powerful event in life (Cocking and Renninger, 1993). The five systems, as described by Bronfenbrenner are Microsystems, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem. The impact of most important setting is explained by Microsystem which includes the family, peer, school and neighbourhood. Although there is no set pattern or limit to the level of influence that any one system may exhibit, Microsystem is considered most influential. Bronfenbrenner levels of influence on personal development My family has had great influence in shaping my development and aspirations. Since my childhood, my parents took it upon themselves to train and emphasize the importance of cultural values. I was brought up in an environment where tradition and religion dictated every aspect of personal life. It seemed that the Church played a pivotal role in further strengthening the beliefs and faith associated with a traditional Christian America. As a child, my early memories evoke a picture of strict adherence to Christian faith as I accompanied my mother and other female relatives on occasional Church activities. Furthermore, a close knit family fostered the development of strong family ties that encouraged participation in family events and exchange of gifts. Such was the emphasis on attending important family events that my family still somehow manages to attend various ceremonies in spite of the hardship to travel long distances. It will not be an oversimplification to suggest that these strong relationships fostered a sense of unity where every member of family garners support from other well established members of this group. I have seen several of my Cousins and Uncles getting financial support as well as help with finding jobs, guidance and medical treatments. Even Bronfenbrenner himself suggest that there is a need for American families to live close enough to rely on each other. He advises that living together will enhance our chances of supporting young parents and elders (Boemmel Briscoe, 2001). On the contrary, such affection adversely affected my lifestyle at school where it was almost difficult for me to adjust in Kindergarten and early grades. The primary reason for such an anomaly can be attributed to the fact that my initial upbringing was done with care and affection from Parents, Uncles and Aunts which made it difficult for me to take dictation from someone else, who was initially a stranger to me. The trend continued throughout my school life where I made only a few trusted friends as my personality became accustomed to making friends based on my own perception of trust. I was brought up in a middle class neighbourhood where residents from several different cultures lived together in harmony. Such peaceful coexistence further strengthened my belief of camaraderie and looking towards family and friends for help. The overall circumstances and a relatively peaceful environment assisted me in developing unbiased attitudes towards people of different faith, cultures, race and gender. I was also fortunate to have the teachers and mentors who helped me envision a better world without the myths and controversies usually associated with people of different lifestyle. Regular family functions promoted active participation in healthy activities which kept us away from being attracted by events in media. I still have a vague memory of watching cartoons and such popular TV shows as Sesame Street but TV time was strictly scheduled by parents who oversaw the selection of every thing being watched. Where such an attitude fostered the ideas of ethical viewing it also provided a yearning to resist the commands which to me were conflicting with the freedom that I intended. Strict adherence to rules invoked a personality conflict that later developed into doing things that had more detrimental results. It included getting into brawls, frequent mood swings and apathy from taking orders. These attitudes first developed at the age of seven, which my parents misunderstood as ADHD Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder. I also remembered to be given certain medications for a few months followed by frequent visits to the therapist. Fortunately, one of my extended family members is a medical professional who specialises in the area of child medicine. He was also accustomed to our family life therefore he was able to convince my parents that such traits are normal in boys transitioning to teenage and should not be taken seriously. Due to lack of solid data on ADHD and a strong debate surrounding the effective treatment, my family stopped any further treatment. I am not a fervent reader nor do I remember studying many books but it seems habitual that I skim through newspapers and magazine articles to keep myself updated with major events unfolding around me. Such habits have encouraged me to critically analyse events and reports without being overwhelmed by the tone of the writer. Furthermore, I understand that events unfolding around the World and global economic meltdown has made it difficult for many to make a substantial living but it should be understood that the recession is cyclical and United States still provides opportunities which are far superior to any that other people around the World can ever get. Bronfenbrenner theory graduate school Most of my family has worked hard to achieve their goals and education has assisted most of them to achieve their objectives. Since my childhood, I have seen most of my family members enjoying a privilege of holding at least a high school diploma. Nowadays, a high school diploma may not mean much to our generation but three to four decades earlier it could land someone a reasonable blue collar job. I was always taught about the virtues of getting quality education. I remember that my grandfather used to appreciate and encourage young people to attend educational seminars and events. His thoughts were based on the philosophy that education does not merely provide the knowledge to understand the facts but instead it teaches to differentiate between fact and fiction. I think that these ideas are deeply imbedded in my conscience which has helped me to develop a better understanding of the environment around me. While such an opinion has definitely helped me to pursue higher education, it has also set me back in achieving greater results from education. Following the philosophy of my grandfather, I always tried to understand the basics without evaluating everything in detail. I have been so overwhelmed by the idea of details that it has made it relatively difficult for me to grasp detailed guidelines. I am moulded to appreciate simple and least complex items. Nevertheless, I was never forced to get a higher degree. Enrolling in a Master’s Program is my own decision which has primarily resulted from the teaching of my elders and to a lesser degree for gaining financial prosperity. As discussed, I was fortunate enough to get good teachers who were a role model of a successful social person. It can be assumed that one of the other reasons to continue a Master’s degree might be an urge to remain close to people who exude an image of higher intellect than the society. Although gaining financial prosperity is my secondary aim but I must confess that my decision to get a Master’s degree is also dictated by fears of an insecure future without the financial freedom that an average person craves for. Due to the fact that my extended family acts as a closely knit unit, several of my Cousins and Uncles have themselves gone to earn continuing education credits. I think I am also afraid to face the criticism of my family for not striving for a higher degree when most of my cousins are already planning to do so. In this regard, I consider myself lucky to be among a fortunate few to be bestowed with some of the best educational systems in the World. To me, it will be an injustice to myself for not grasping this opportunity and implement its wisdom to utilize my knowledge for the betterment of human kind. I personally think that Bronfenbrenner theory helps define almost every aspect of my life and it advocates looking at interrelated parameters to find a plausible solution to problems. References Boemmel, J Briscoe J (2001 May 9). Web Quest Project Theory Fact Sheet of Urie Bronfenbrenner. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from National Louis University Web site: http://pt3. nl. edu/boemmelbriscoewebquest. pdf Cocking, R, Renninger, A (1993). The development and meaning of psychological distance. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Damon W Lerner R (2006). Handbook of Child Psychology: Theoretical models of human development. Wiley Sons Inc. p 991

Dr. Tram and the Vietnam Conflict

Dr. Tram and the Vietnam Conflict Dr. Tram wrote a definitive book about the Vietnam War from around April 1968 when she worked as the chief medical officer in a field hospital in central Vietnams mountains (Tram 2). She volunteered to offer medical services to the soldiers in the war torn areas, and mostly she wrote down her experiences in her diary.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dr. Tram and the Vietnam Conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this diary she described her daily encounters with soldiers, her feelings about their pain, and feelings about the American soldiers among others. Dr. Tram made a difficult decision to stay with the soldiers in the war fields, I say this because despite her rich background, she took great risks unexpected of women in her times, and I believe if she were alive today she would have earned a place in the Vietnamese history books. Dr. Tram’s gives us different view of the Vietnam War, it gives a vict ims view of the war and the perpetrators. Being a North Vietnamese she made a very bold decision to go to the war torn South Vietnam, since at that time North Vietnam was a different country from the south (Mydans 34). She specifically went to Quang Ngai province to work as a doctor in the hospitals and clinics in the areas of the Duc Pho areas mostly controlled by the National Liberation Front or the Viet Cong. Unfortunately she was ambushed and killed at her twenty-seventh age when she was returning to her hospital from one of the clinical visits. From her perspective we learn of how the locals felt about the American involvement in the war, we learn that she hated the Americans with a passion for the killings and bombings they did to their country, for maiming her country men and in general were of the pain they underwent in such periods. The abrupt stop in her work shows us how life can be cruel and unfriendly and the war never cares about any one. We also realize that in these times she missed her mothers love and she was weary and always longing for her mothers caring arms (Tram 2). Despite the American soldiers being perceived by the rest of the world to be hard fighting, hard loving and hard living; we realize they were brutal as it is relieved in the book. It seems as if she was driven by an inner desire to love and care that made her risk her life in the war fields. Dr. Tram was driven by love and passion for her country men and a desire to see them liberated. She would often stay in Hanoi to attend to the patients and soldiers and every weekend visit her family in the evacuation sites (Mydans 35). She felt the pain, the insecurities and the fear the soldiers experienced and in most cases she would criticize herself for never rising to occasion or being weak while the rest sacrificed their youth for the sake of liberation.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF L earn More Due to this passion and love she operated on the wounded soldier in unimaginable primitive conditions and was often without drugs that could save their lives. She was always at pain when she saw them die in her hands when she could nothing to save them. She sacrificed her life for the sake of the soldiers and for the sake of her country. Due to this sacrifice she has entered into the official pantheon of wartime heroes that is inclusive of a number of brave young women who also risked their lives. A hospital has been built and a stature erected in memory of her at the remote site of her clinic in Quang Ngai Province. I believe if she was alive she would a living testimony and icon of many, and probably she would scold the current selfish regime in which people are mindful of themselves more than their fellow countrymen. She would greatly oppose the trend where the people do not sacrifice for their fellows but sacrifice their fellows instead. She also might probably not agree with the much honor bestowed upon her at the expense of the very many that died in the war. In conclusion Dr. Tram’s diary gives us the real picture of the war, by describing the situations the soldiers encountered, the longings for their loved ones, and the harsh conditions they were in. It also shows how love for one’s country can make him make a big sacrifice for its benefit. Dr. Tram, Dang Thuy. Last Night I Dreamed of Peace. Trans. Pham, Andrew. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. 2007. Print. Mydans, Seth. â€Å"Diary of North Vietnam Doctor Killed in U.S. Attack Makes War Real.† New York Times 26 Jun. 2006: 34-35. Print. I would like to thank the following person for helping me put this paper together: Chen Xu, worked with me 4 hours.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dr. Tram and the Vietnam Conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More De Liang Liang, worked with me 4 hours.

The British Constitution And Modern Democracies Essay

The British Constitution And Modern Democracies - Essay Example UK’s rules describing the powers of government, civil rights of its citizens among others exist in other statues, treaties, judicial decisions, regional conventions, and parliamentary acts among others (Republic.org, n.d.). Since the original influences of Norman conquest of England, drafting of the Magna Carta and its enactment into law, 1689 bill of rights and the successive parliamentary acts and reforms, especially in the 20th and 21st century, was the beginning and evolution of the of the English citizen’s right and the UK parliament powers in shaping its unwritten constitution. Critically, the legal and political consequences of Britain over time have led to its constitutional evolution, but not enough to enable its single documentation of laws. Over the last four decades, there have been numerous proposals for a codified UK constitution brought forth by groups and people of different political outlooks (Blick, 2011). One of the major arguments against the proposa l revolves around the process, intensity, and impacts of the amendments while comparing a written and unwritten constitution. The role of the UK parliament and its power acts central to the repeals of the constitution, to keep it flexible to the later adjustments and ensure all the functions of government are in order and operational. Initially, the monarch in ancient England held the authority and could use it to raise armies and taxes whenever they saw fit, or suspend the laws made in parliaments regardless of who constituted the house.... Initially, the monarch in ancient England held the authority and could use it to raise armies and taxes whenever they saw fit, or suspend the laws made in parliaments regardless of who constituted the house. The parliament had existed at the will of the monarchs, but during the reign of Charles I, there developed tension between the parliament and the king. The king had demonstrated personal rule, which was not in line with the house’s will, forcing the monarch to rule without a parliament for close to eleven years. This was followed by drastic actions taken by parliament that led into a civil war between the two parties; the parliament overthrew the king and demonstrated a commonwealth government for ten years without the house of lords and the king (Parliament.uk, n.d).Over the centuries, the parliaments’ (especially the house of common) authority has gradually developed to affect the entire British society through its constitution involvement. The declaration of the bill of rights towards the end of the 17th century enabled the parliament to take up powerful roles of the monarchs, which gave them more mandate to control and have a say to actions and matters pertaining Britain. Apart from the House of Lords, the British people can now elect their representatives who make the House of Commons, and from whom the ministers are chosen to represent the interest of the public. The declaratory act to facilitate UK’s parliament ability to legislate for their colonies is an indication of the powers accorded to the parliament back then (Totallyhistory.com, 2012).The modern parliament has the authority and capacity to discuss bills, amend, and enact them for a

Career in Dental Surgery Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Career in Dental Surgery - Personal Statement Example I go to his clinic and read his books about Dental Surgery. I have found great interest in the career of Dental Surgery. I want to be like that dentist that changed world history. "The extravagant headline "The Dentist Who Changed World History" is taken from the title of an article that appeared in Harper's Magazine, in December, 1943. The dentist referred to was Maurice William (1881-1973), who practiced in New York and who, if he didn't change world history, at least influenced the course of events in China." (4) The people in rural areas have less health resources so they are migrating to urban areas. A new report says "The year 2008 will be the first time that more than half of the earth's population-nearly 3.3 billion people-will be living in towns and cities." (5) Although people are generally afraid of approaching dentist as Taylor Caldwell, "[An] Anglo-American novelist, a prolific author of popular fiction, who used often in her works real historical events or persons"(6), says "I was never afraid of anything in the world except the dentist." (7) But I love Dental Surgery Career. I believe that if I do not love a career, I can not move forward in that career. this career. Motivation is one of the best gifts people possess in all aspects of their lives, but many of them do not even realize they have it or may not know how to use it. Motivation is a feeling that compels us to strive and succeed in all that we do or intend to do. Many people achieve success beyond their wildest dreams. It is often seen that they are not necessarily the smartest people around. Generally, it is seen that the people who succeed financially are the ones who are motivated to achieve success. Human beings have enormous

An Exploration of womens role in the construction industry Essay

An Exploration of womens role in the construction industry - Essay Example typically one of the most male dominated areas of the labour market, with women working in the industry making up only 10 percent of the UK construction workforce; in the general population, this workforce amounts to about 45 percent. The importance of the female worker will be noted, as ideas aimed at bringing women into construction work are examined. There is more awareness in the general population that women are an asset to professions such as architecture, and the construction organisation needs to address how to recruit women into the industry, and retain them within the workforce for as long as possible. An examination of how women are recruited and retained throughout the labour market, and comparison with the construction industry, may provide some answers. The construction industry is one of the most important industry sectors in terms of economic growth and employment. This sector is also crucial in producing goods and investment opportunities, with around 58 percent of the EU’s production depending directly or indirectly, upon the construction industry. However, the sector’s performance in the spheres of research and innovation is poor, with less than one percent of its turnover being returned for use in research and development funding. Some research considering the position of women within science and engineering has been done, but very little is known about the role of women within construction research, and the factors which hinder the equal participation of men and women within the industry. There appears to be a lack of awareness, or acknowledgement within the profession of issues that specifically relate to women within the workforce, and towards female architects in particular. Women’s accomplishments in the architectural field are not well-known, and are also not well publicized through university programmes, awards, or other promotional materials and events. Women entering the architectural practice after completing their degree

Criticism on the Novel Essay Example for Free

Criticism on the Novel Essay Nature setting are explicit Page 30: When I was about fifteen years old we had retired to our house near Belrive, when we witnessed a most violent and terrible thunderstorm. It advanced from behind the mountains of Jura, and the thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens. I remained with curiosity and delight. As I stood at the door, on a beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump. [] It was not splintered from the shock, but entirely reduced to thin ribbons of wood. Foreshadowing?: power of electricity sparks his attention, if it can destroy something so quickly, why cant it bring dead flesh to life? Scientific descriptions lack important information Page 48: It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. We see how she was a poet in this quote: she gives more descriptions of the surroundings than the scientific aspect of which many people long for. Obviously shows the lack of knowledge displayed by Mary Shelly. Countries are close together Shows once again how much knowledge Mary Shelly had regarding geography. It sparks attention when she says that it takes longer to go from Geneva to Ingolstadt (a total of 413.6 miles) than it is to go to England. Monster has superhuman abilities yet he is made from human parts Page 70: I thought of pursuing the devil, but it would have been in vain, for another flash discovered him to me hanging among the rocks of the nearly perpendicular ascent of Mont Saleve, a hill that bounds Plainpalais on the south. He soon reached the summit and disappeared. Stereotyping of the Turkish and Irish people If Frankenstein had already created a monster, why did he need help from some other scientists for the creation of another monster? Page 153: I found that I could not compose a female without again devoting several months to profound study and laborious disquisition. I had heard of some discoveries having been made by an English philosopher, he knowledge of which was material to my success [] The Monster tells Frankenstein how hes survived mobs throwing rocks and several other projectiles and such, yet Frankenstein never stops trying to think he can kill the monster. Page 206: [] the monster whom I had created, the miserable demon whom I had sent abroad into the world for my destruction. I was possessed by a maddening rage when I thought of him, and desired and ardently prayed that I might have him within my grasp to wreak a great and signal revenge on his cursed head. All quotes from Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

Attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa

Attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa The developing economies of Africa must on their part make deliberate and sustained efforts to attract the much needed inflows of foreign investments. To achieve this, the enabling economic, financial and political environment for such inflows must be created. An economy that is exposed to higher levels of political instability, economic uncertainties and financial risk will not be able to gain the confidence of investors. These risk factors if not well mitigated with a great degree of transparency and accountability could serve as barriers to both local and foreign investments. According to Banz and Clough (2002), the major reasons among many others for not investing in developing economies are the lack of transparency and poor governance policies. Therefore, Nigeria and other developing economies of Africa must work towards an environment that has a relatively reasonable economic risk, ensure political stability and demonstrate moderate financial risk to attract foreign capital inf lows especially in the form of equity investment. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) markets to which Nigeria belong have of recent experienced some legal, regulatory and supervisory changes resulting into increased transparency in the operation of their markets. The liquidity of the markets have increased and operations also liberalized to attract more foreign investors. The Nigerian economy is the largest of the 15 member body and has a lot of political and economic influence over the other members. Conscious efforts have been made by the various member countries to partially open up their economies, through systematic privatization programs, overhauling of their legal and financial institutional infrastructures and use of modern trading platforms have resulted in real development of their markets and manage to attract some foreign direct investments (FDI) to them. Nigeria is currently the biggest economy in Africa after the recent rebasement of its GDP, thereby beating South Africa to the second place ((Magnowski, 2014). The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 80% of fiscal revenues and 90% of export earnings (World Fact book).The country is also one of the major exporters of petroleum, and plays a significant role in OPEC (OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2013). To diversify its economy Nigeria is encouraging the growth of their private sector by offering some incentives to private sector equity investors who are willing to invest in the country. The country has an increasing GDP of $422.6bullion, $450.4billion and $502 billion for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively, and diminishing foreign debt stock of $15.73 billion and $13.4 billion for 2012 and 2013 respectively. There is also an increasing Foreign Direct Investment of $7.444 billionand $9.212 billion for 2012 and 2013 respectively (World Fact book: World Bank). The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is the second largest exchange in Africa; it was established in 1960 to provide listing and trading services among others. Its activities are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the country. The value of publicly traded shares stood at $50.88 billion, $39.27 billion and $56.39 billion for 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively. Despite all the above mentioned strong economic fundamentals or good indicators, Nigeria has been plagued by several daunting challenges, notable among them are the issues epileptic power supply, inadequate infrastructures, insecurity, endemic corruption, increasing rate of unemployment and its heavy reliance on petroleum products (Global edge, 2014; World fact book). These factors pose some uncertainties about the Nigerian economic and stock market outlook. Nevertheless, the Nigerian economy is still growing. Fortunately, the government is also conscious of some of these teething problems. Programs are initiated to diversify the economy in the areas of agriculture, power, telecommunication, transport and other services. These efforts seem to be yielding the desired results as evidenced in the country’s 6-8% per annum pre-rebasing growth rate. With these measures a seemingly conducive economic environment is created which could be exploited by investors. This therefore, presents reasonable economic risk. There is also institutionalized democracy leading to political stability in its own form in terms of the country’s ability to carry out declared programs. Nigeria is also able to finance its commercial and trade debt obligations and has at no time defaulted in payment of its external financial commitments; thus demonstrating relatively moderate financial risks. These indices send strong signals in terms of information content about Nigeria’s overall economic health to domestic, international investors and rating agencies among others. Therefore, it will be of interest to empirically explore how these factors (economic, financial and political risks) when taken together or separately can affect the country’s stock market performance and vice versa. Country risk ratings assess the probability of a country’s default on its debt from a variety of perspectives: from socio-economic condition to growth in the real gross domestic product (GDP), government stability to corruption, to exchange rate stability among others. The objective of this paper is to empirically investigate the short and long-run relationships between Nigeria’s country risk ratings; political, economic, and financial components and its stock market in order to provide further information for current and potential investors to enable them make better informed investment decisions. In our knowledge this is the first few studies of this nature conducted on an emerging economy like Nigeria. Our main instrument of investigation is the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach formulated by Pesaran and Pesaran (2009) and Pesaran et al. (2001), to empirically investigate the relationships. The ARDL method is adopted because of its econometrics techniques. One important advantage of the ARDL model over other traditional approaches is that it can be used in time-series data irrespective of their order of integration, whether I(0), I(1) and/or fractionally integrated (Pesaran and Pesaran, 2009). The ARDL approach can also test for cointegration by the bounds testing procedure and can estimate the short-run dynamics and long-run relationships. The rest of the paper is organized as follows; section two discusses related literature. Section three explains the methodology adopted in this paper. Section four presents the ARDL procedure and discusses its empirical findings. Conclusion and implications are given in section five. The globalization of trade and financial markets in the past years has created huge investment opportunities and its attendant risks. It has therefore, becomes inevitable to know the credit worthiness of participating players. The motive behind such an assessment of the economic and financial condition and sometimes political stability of a country is to be able to evaluate the country credit risks involved in doing business or investing in such a country. Any event in a country that will affect not only the prospect of profitability but also restrict the movement of capital in the form of profits, dividend etc is worth evaluating. The need for such critical evaluation of credit worthiness of countries has resulted in the establishment of several rating agencies such as Fitch, Moody’s and Standard Poor among many others. These risk ratings are considered as indicative of possible future default. A higher rating is seen as a lower risk of default, while a lower score indicates a higher risk of default. Though the primary significance of ratings is due to their impact on interest rates at which countries source for funds in the international financial markets, studies have also shown its influence on stock market movements. This argument is linked to the influence of country credit risk ratings on the inflows of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), into the host’s economy, especially through equity shares investments. There is no scarcity of research papers on sovereign ratings and their critical roles for encouraging and facilitating investment flows especially in developed economies, but there is paucity of studies conducted on the impact of these ratings on movements of national stock markets, particularly for emerging markets such as Nigeria. Some of the early studies by Erb et al (1995, 1996a, 1996b) show that there is association or relationship between country credit risk (i.e. the risk of a country’s inability to service its external debts) and returns on equity investments. The existence of relationship between country credit ratings and stock market returns was confirmed in the early work of Erb et al. (1996a) using data that cut across boundaries. As a follow up to their earlier work, Erb et al. (1996b) investigated the influence of economic, financial and political risks on expected fixed income returns. They show that there is relation between the country risk measures and world bond market expected returns. For the ICRG economic variable, they find positive and significant signs in unhedged, local, and foreign exchange portfolio returns. They also show that the country risk attributes are significant to the real yields of fixed income securities. Kaminsky and Schmukler (2001) also examine the influence of sovereign ratings and outlook changes on the sensitivity of emerging financial markets. They find that these variables have substantial influence on both bond and stock markets. A domestic downgrade is associated with an average increase change rate of two percentage points in bond yield spreads and a decrease of one percentage point in stock returns. SubaÃ…Å ¸Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ± (2008) expressed a contrary view, stating that in most cases news of a downgrade is often anticipate earlier before its announcement; therefore the potential negative effect of such information on stocks and exchange rate returns is diluted. The impacts of rating changes on both bond yield and sovereign debt have been tested severally by many authors. Reisen and Maltzan (1999) using the three main rating agencies, find that there is mutual interdependencies among rating changes and changes in bond yield spread. The study by Cantor and Packer (1996) also reported similar findings. Among several authors that have provided valuable insight into the influence of rating changes on sovereign debt and corporate securities are Hand et al. (1992) and Richards and Deddouche (1999). The degrees of sensitivity in all these studies tend to vary probably because of the methods used for the country risk analysis. Hammoudey et al. (2011) using emerging economies; Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (commonly referred to as the BRICS countries) establish various degrees of sensitivities of these countries’ stock markets to their respective country risk ratings. China is most sensitive to all the risk variables, followed by Russia, while all the BRICS countries show moderate economic risk sensitivity. The spillover effect of sovereign debt rating changes on national stock markets and international debts is also confirmed by various authors, among them are Ferreira and Gama 2007; Li et al 2008. This situation is common among countries that share common economic features and unrestricted Evidence of flow of information. Common border also suspected to play a significant role. Regional stock market movements are also influenced by country credit risk rating news. This development is consistent with the study by Christopher et al. (2008), stating that there is a positive relationship between the two factors. While Brooks et al. (2004) in their study, though under a different setting did not find any sensitive association among the two variables. Turkey’s stock market index also seems to have association with its economic, financial and political risk ratings. Using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, Sari et al. (2013) established a steady long-run relationship among the stock market and some of the risk variables. There are many leading commercial publishers of country and political risk analysis, but data for this study is sourced from the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) economic, financial and political risk ratings for Nigeria covering the period 2001 to 2013. The ICRG rating system is made up of 22 variables representing three major components of country risk, namely economic, financial and political. These variables essentially represent risk-free measures. There are 5 variables representing each of the economic and financial components of risk, while the political component is based on 12 variables (Hoti, 2003). The specified allowable range for each factor reflects the weight attributed to each factor. A higher score indicates a lower risk and vice versa. The stock market returns variable is obtained by taking the first logarithm difference of the monthly stock of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for the period earlier specified.s