Global Warming Will Lower Sea Levels Essay

Those who are highlighting the danger of global warming would not hesitate to relate it to a high sea level rise simply because according to their premise when there is global warming it affects both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, whereby the melting ice will eventually raise the sea level. The IPCC, the UN branch office that deals with scientific research had predicted a 20 inches sea level rise around the year 2100 and it is obvious that it has based it findings on the above assumption. Other suggestions and analysis indicate that what will in fact happen is the opposite where the global warming if it is true will either slow down the level of sea rise or will reduce it. The new analysis looks at two factual findings. The fact that the Earth temperature had risen 0. 6 degree Celsius in the last 100 years and the sea level had risen by 18 cm. What these analysts are focusing at is there is no relation between the two and especially the rise in sea level occurred independent of what happened to the temperature to a larger extent. What contributed to the rise of the seal level to 18 centimeters starts from the thermal expansion of the warming water body, especially the oceans and that contributed to 4 cm. What comes next is the melting of the so-called continental glaciers that accounted for 3. 5 cm rise level. The polar regions contributed to the lowering of the sea level simply because the warming of the temperature has evaporated more water and some of it rains in the Polar Regions adding to the amount of ice on these regions, hence there will be less water in the seas. But the findings highlight one shortcoming which is that the total amount of rise through the two activities adds up to only 20 percent of the total amount giving hint that there should be other sources contributing to the rise of the sea level other than the current global warming. What this led to was to depend on geological observations that revealed the sea level had been rising constantly for the last centuries at a rate similar to the last 100 years. Accordingly, there was sea level rise in the Little Ice Age from 1450 to 1850 indicating that if there were going to be a sea level rise it would be independent of what is happening in the environment. It was possible to arrive at such hypothesis using a data published on the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet tracing it back to the end of the last ice age. Hence, the conclusion arrived at was since there had been a 120 meters rise in sea level since the last ice age that took place 18,000 years ago, the melting is still in process and will continue to do so for the coming 7000 years independent of what is going to happen to the present day temperature. What could change this course might be the arrival of another Ice Age, which is not in the prediction. In reality it is possible to say that a global warming caused by human activity cannot contribute to the rise of sea level since the record shows the climate warmed much between 1900 and 1940 and cooled down from 1940 – 1975. The outcome was the sea level rise slowed when the temperature was warmer and it increased when it was colder. The relation here is the two components thermal expansion and glacier melting had a lesser effect on the sea rise level when compared to the ice accumulation on the Polar Regions from the rain caused from warmer weather. Hence, it is possible to make a firm conclusion that warmer air or the current global warming will not contribute to the rising level of the sea. Instead, as it was illustrated it will bring it down by simply changing the amount of water into ice and depositing it on the Polar Regions. In spite of this analysis, the findings based on computer simulation try to demonstrate that the warming of the global temperature due to human induced activities will result in raising the sea level revealing that there is something wrong with such assumption (9). Conclusion In spite of the findings from various sources accurate, satellite measurement taken have not found any trace of global warming. Weather balloons also had shown similar findings. There are indications that the temperature had been rising starting form 1880 but such rise in temperature cannot be caused by greenhouse gases that are coming into existences from human induced activity mainly centered on burning of fossil oil and through the introduction of a developed and new method of land use. The other indication that shows the findings could be wrong is most of the measurements could reflect the temperature and air condition found closer to highly populated cities. All the feared outcomes of a high temperature brought into existence because of the greenhouse effect such as heat wave, hurricanes, or epidemic disease did not occur. If there had been a temperature rise to talk about, it was observed in the nighttime and winter season. Overall, it is possible to discredit the greenhouse apocalypse outright simply because it was not accompanied with all the catastrophic disasters that were predicted and anticipated (10). Even economists are wary of all the concerns simply because there might not be a discernable effect that will materialize from postponing the reduction of the greenhouse gas by another 20 years and see what the outcome will be. One of the reasons for that is meeting the greenhouse gas reduction effort would require getting rid of a big chunk of capital goods before they complete their useful life and that might not make economical sense for something that lacks scientific proof. But there is no doubt that such plans could be part of a long term process of any undertaking and the burden could also be eased as new technologies pertaining to the warming of the globe become readily available. The Kyoto Protocol itself would cost between $7 and $12 billion annually if it is implemented, a sum everyone is not comfortable with, simply because implementing the Protocol alone would cost each household up to $2000 annually and could raise home heating cost by at least 70 percent. Since people, especially those living in the advanced regions are heavily dependant on energy for their day-to-day living, raising the cost permanently to any extent would have a devastating effect, even if energy price is already very high. The only relief is since it fluctuates consumers could stretch their earnings whenever possible. It is possible to take it a bit further and see that if the assumption that the global temperature is rising to a dangerous level is true, a simple cost introduction of raising the federal fuel economy standard from 27. 5 miles to more than 40 miles itself will be costly, since it is such kinds of drastic measures that will bring down the amount of the greenhouse effect as automobiles are the worst source of pollution. The domino effect of such measures will lead to raising the price of cars, while at the same time such cars would have to be compact reducing the safety of cars that is feared to raise the number of fatalities form where it is currently at 4000 annually. The fact that the findings are heavily dependant on observation and computer simulation makes the concern a bit groundless since carbon dioxide is not a deadly gas to have in the atmosphere after all. The reason for that is the more carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere it adds to thriving of plants that have various use for it. It is not only that if what is said about the meltdown is true that is another advantage for agriculture since there will be more land to put into agriculture that will lead to more foods in the world even if there is no proof that there is shortage of food in the regions where the land is covered with ice sheet. Other areas that would benefit from global warming are those who live in areas where the winter season is cold and long. Regions like that could enjoy longer summer seasons, which would mean longer growing period that will add to the amount of food produced. There are findings that the warmer weather is also good for the health of people in such a way that medical cost in most of the cold regions would come down and the quality life of in such regions would get enhancement. The fear centered on the rise of the sea level that would come into existence when the ice from the Polar Regions melts because of the warm climate for the most part is groundless. The reason for that is the warm weather heats the water from the sea changing it into vapor that will come down as rain. The rainfall that takes place in the Polar Regions would not find its way back into the seas, instead it would add on the amount of ice that is already in existence in the region. This process has dual advantages where the first one is it will add to the amount of ice in the Polar Regions defying the fear that the warming of the climate is causing the ice of the region to melt. Secondly, the amount of seawater will come down through the process since some of it will become ice. Hence, it is possible to say that the warming of the climate is good for the Polar Regions since they would get more ice through the natural process. That might have some disadvantages in other areas, because the melting of the ice from the Polar Regions is not without a merit. One of the merit is this particular harsh region could become more habitable where there will be more lands opened for farming, for housing, and industrial development leading to a huge economic activity that will boost the outcome in agriculture and other venues. At the same time, there is an observation concerning the opening of new routes that will be advantageous for trade as well for the tourist industry. However, one disadvantage cited was it might affect the wildlife of the region where, for example, the polar bear is on the list to become extinct at the end of this century. Since the presumption is it will take many centuries for the ice of the whole region to melt away, the only inconvenience wildlife might encounter is going farther to where the dense ice is located. This by itself is advantageous since some of the wildlife is becoming a threat by coming closer to where there are human inhabitants. Overall, since everything surrounding global warming is still a hypothesis that borders fear, where if some measure is not in place now the future could be disastrous and could become out of control, it is not possible to fully rely on the grim pictures that the alarmists are painting. The reality is life goes on normally in the regions even if a few incidents of melting ice sheets into the sea had occurred. The answer for such incidents is it is the outcome of the weather variation where in the summer time it is natural that the level of the ice could get thinner in the edge area and when the winter season is around it will again attain its thickness. The proof for this is there is not yet any documentation where because of global warming the inhabitants of the area had gained more access to land for farming or for any other purpose. The outcome is the same from observations made in other areas where none of the feared apocalyptic fears had taken place. Nevertheless, if the weather becomes warmer cold regions could rip numerous advantages that include less death toll, better health, and better living condition since the summer season is short in these regions. That alone contributes to a much shorter food growing and recreation season. Other than that, if there is call for action, there is none better than to exert more effort to come up with a concrete scientific proof in the place of the presumption that is prevalent now. What the existing finding avails for the world is there are concerned groups that are claiming that there is a global warming that is causing the sea level to rise and is contributing to the melting of the ice caps, which is the habitat of wildlife such as polar bears that are feared to become extinct in the beginning the year 2100. The other major concern is the reducing of the greenhouse gases, which has a very high price tag attached to it. The findings will have to lean fully on scientific findings that would require more funding and time, but the cost involved might not be equivalent to what businesses are fearing to incur in the coming few years simply to meet certain standards that are believed to contribute in controlling the emission of certain gases into the atmosphere. If the implemented measures are scientific it will be worth the effort, otherwise it will be a waste of resources. Currently, since there is no settled scientific proof there is a division in the public’s opinion where the number of people who do not believe in global warming is much higher, no matter how inundated they are by the media and environmental groups. This might have a serious effect simply because it is the same people who cannot be convinced about the pollution level that is prevalent who are responsible in various ways to add to the pollution problem. Educating them based on hypothesis will also make the job difficult because the message they would get from such effort would vary. Another problem cited was that the existing effort through the Kyoto Protocol is to bring down the emission level back to where it was in the 1990s a premise that does not make sense since there might not be an accurate measurement in place that shows what level the emission was before the 1990s. Such shortcomings highlight that the primary effort should focus on finding a settled scientific consensus and after that, the effort of popularizing a concept based on hypothesis might dwindle down. REFERENCE 1. Bailey, R. (2004, November). Two Sides of The global warming: Is It Proven Fact or Just Conventional Wisdom? Reason Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://www. reason. com/news/show/34939. html 2. UN Report, Global Warming Caused by Human Activity. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from www. newstarget. com/021565. html

Authoritarian Theory

According to this theory, mass media, though not under the direct control of the State, had to follow its bidding. Under an Authoritarian approach in Western Europe, freedom of thought was jealously guarded by a few people (ruling classes), who were concerned with the emergence of a new middle class and were worried about the effects of printed matter on their thought process. Steps were taken to control the freedom of expression. The result was advocacy of complete dictatorship. The theory promoted zealous obedience to a hierarchical superior and reliance on threat and punishment to those who did not follow the censorship rules or did not respect authority. Censorship of the press was justified on the ground that the State always took precedence over the individual's right to freedom of expression. Modern com was born in 1450 into an authoritarian society. A few essential characteristics of this theory is that the states ranked higher than the individual in the scale of the social values. Only through subordinating himself to the state can the individuals achieve his goals and develop his attributes as a civilized citizen or man. As an individual, he can do little, as a member of an organized society, his potential is enormously increased. This means not only that the state ranks higher than an individual, but also that the state has a caretaker function and the individual, a dependant status. The press belonged to the King/Emperor/ Pope, or in some cases, to private individuals who favored and were favored by royalty and authority. The press was the servant of the state. The world has been witness to authoritarian means of control over media by both dictatorial and democratic governments.

Case Analysis Questions on Leadership Online (a): Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.Com

Q1: Summarize Barnes & Noble’s business strategy and business model based in the case descriptions. How have these strategy and business model been evolved since the case was written? Barnes & Noble’s business model simply put was lower cost, and SCM. They sold merchandise at lower cost and they also decreased cost associated with procurement by obtaining better discounts from publishers than other book retailers and by publishing certain titles themselves. Since Barnes & Noble’s held a huge portion of the market share they were able to leverage scales of economies when it came to reducing costs. Lastly, they were able to achieve reduced inventory cost through the business perks provided to them such as longer payment terms and access to books in short supply. Barnes & Noble’s business strategy was to use economies of scale and economies of scope. They used economies of scale through procurement and logistics. Since they were able to get bigger discounts from publishers they were able to produce more revenue when selling merchandise. As far as economies of scope is concerned one can clearly see that Barnes & Noble’s implemented this because they offered other services and they acquired other companies as well as certain percentage stakes in them. They acquired a mail-order book business, a membership club, and a 20% stake in Canada’s largest book retailer to try and broaden their scope. I think one can argue that Barnes & Noble’s business strategy and business model in theory hasn’t changed (I. e. that they use economies of scale still) that they just added new products or services; however, I‘ll make the argument that both has changed. Barnes & Noble realized how big the virtual storefront became so not only did they try to create an on-line presence they also created the nook an e-reader device. They self-manufacture this product along with a couple other devices and currently sell them in their stores. They are aggressive in trying to obtain portions of market share in the virtual book retailing industry. Also in June 2011 consumer reports stated that the nook beat the kindle (amazon e-reader device) by one point. So it is apparent that Barnes & Noble is changing their business strategy and model we’ll just have to wait and see how successful they are. Q2: Summarize Amazon. com’s business strategy and business model based in the case descriptions. How have these strategy and business model been evolved since the case was written? The case describes Amazon. com’s business model as â€Å"sell all, carry few†. What that means is that Amazon will make money though SCM and though reduced cost. Amazon was able to achieve reduced or low inventory cost by only carrying a few select titles in their own warehouse in Seattle while offering over one million titles though publishers and wholesalers. Their business strategy revolved around virtual economies of scale. Amazon was able to sell a lot of books at lowers prices by leveraging their buying power with publishers and wholesalers. Amazon. com’s business strategy and business model have expanded a bit. As far as business strategy is concerned amazon is now offering a variety of services and products such as cloud services and other products that aren’t books. Amazon also just implemented a trade in service were you can trade cell phones, video games, and other electronics and books for an Amazon gift card. So this will put them under implementing economies of scope. Their business model is following the same path as there are making money from their new services and by leveraging their buying power with other non-book products. One can also argue that they followed the one of a kind business strategy by offering products through a virtual storefront as opposed to the traditional brinks and motor. Q3: In your opinion, how well did Barnes & Noble counter the moves that Amazon. com had made (up to when the case was written)? How about now? How is Barnes & Noble doing vis-a-vis Amazon. com? I think Barnes & Noble did very well in countering Amazon. com’s moves. They created College Bookstores, a student oriented on-line book site. They also launched a new transaction system as well as launch their own web-site and make a deal with AOL. They also embarked on other system develop projects and marketing ventures. However, even though Barnes & Noble made good stride I don’t believe many of their ideas were successful. Jump into 2012 Barnes & Noble is still competing with Amazon. om and I think they’re doing ok but Amazon. com is playing chess with them and using economies of scope to capitalize on other opportunities. As I mentioned earlier a June 2011 consumer reports stated that the nook (Barnes & Noble) beat the kindle (amazon e-reader device) by one point. As far as overall health of the two companies is concerned I created a bar chart below to depict important factors off of their balance sheets. T he information is current as of Sep. 2011. According to the two balance sheets it seems that Amazon is doing a lot better than Barnes and Noble. If I had to make a prediction I would put my money with Barnes and Noble. Also please note that Table one figures represents millions. Q4: Based on the case and your own research, how do you characterize the competition in the bookselling industry in 2000 and 2011? Applying the Porter’s Five-Force model, which forces are impacting most on the profitability of firms? The competition in the book selling industry is slowly increasing with new entrants and substitute products coming into the market. I would characterize the competition as increasing and becoming more dynamic as book retailers are using the economies of scope strategy to look for new streams of revenue. Applying Porter’s five-force model to the book retailing industry, there are two or three of them that are having the most impact on the book retailing industry. First, is threat of new entrants. Over the past few years there have been a couple of noticeable new entrants in the market, for instance Bilbo, half. com, and AbeBooks just to mention a few. These new entrants are fighting for a piece of the market share, thus likely taking market share from the major players such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. There also an increasing market with e-books or electronic books. This would fall under threat of substitute products or services in Porter’s five-force model. People are increasingly adapting to using e-books. There are also specific devices such as the kindle and nook that facilitate their usage. Even DePaul University is adopting such technology with their e-book program (books 24Ãâ€"7 and others). I don’t believe the buyers and suppliers parts of the model are having a huge impact because I would imagine that the company with the biggest market share would still have the most bargaining power when negotiating with the two; however, the entrance of e-books does add a dynamic aspect to the SCM part of the industry. I fi would venture to guess I would say that Barnes & Nobles will eventually go out of business unless business and that Amazon. com will survive as they pursue economies of scale by offering cloud services along with other potential revenue generators.

The Main Definitions of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Main Definitions of Management - Essay Example This paper also discusses the challenges faced by management in a multicultural work setup which has become omnipresent in the contemporary age. Management as a complex process There are myriad of definitions of management in the literature. However, this is not something particular of management. Literature also has myriad of definitions of all kinds of topics including leadership, organization and supervision. Different definitions of management emerge from different kinds of ideologies that exist with people. People interpret management with respect to their individualistic experiences. No two people can manage a system alike. This happens because of no two people have the same kind of psychology and personality traits. An individual’s skill to manage is fundamentally an outcome of the individual’s personality traits. The individual’s experience in a certain setup also contributes a lot to the individual’s management skills. A person who is a successful manager in a particular culture may not be equally successful in a different culture. There are a number of internal and external factors that guide the individual’s management skills. This explains why different people interpret management differently. ... tion of management is, â€Å"The organization and coordination of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of defined objectives† (BusinessDictionary, n.d.). This definition promotes the concept that management in an organizational setup is guided by the policies established by the owners. Organization and coordination of the activities conducted in the organization in due compliance with those policies is the job of management. The definition of management proposed by Reddy (2004) focuses upon the psychological aspect of management. â€Å"Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working together, in groups efficiently accomplish selected aims† (Reddy, 2004, p. 3). From this definition, it can be inferred that management is essentially a process of creating such an environment in the organization which is psychologically appealing to the workers so that they may be satisfied and achieve their optimal potential in work and thus, contribute to the achievement of the organizational objectives. Significance of multiple definitions of management The existence of myriad of definitions of management in the literature is of a lot of significance. One definition of management provides limited insight into the depth of the concept of management. The audiences can only understand management from the viewpoint of the person who has given the definition. In order to gain a firm understanding of the term, it is imperative that the audiences read a whole range of definitions of management and look at the term from the perspectives of many philosophers rather than one. The rule is simple; the more the definitions, the clearer the concept. Contemporary issues of management: Cultural

Strategic Analysis_ Gucci Group (Research Needed for Exam) Essay

Strategic Analysis_ Gucci Group (Research Needed for Exam) - Essay Example For example when they use raw materials for a particular collection of clothing, care should be taken to minimize the usage of materials such as animal fur that carry negative impact on nature. As the company uses leather and other animal skins as alligator, environmental damage which may be incurred by high usage of such raw material must be born in mind. With emission control laws setting out new and stringent standards in Europe and across the world, manufacturing facilities of Gucci will have to ensure compliance to new regulations. With the process of globalization, internet era and new industries such as ITC creating new avenues of wealth and wealthy individuals, the primary market segment of Gucci have expanded. A new segment of less affluent â€Å" Wannabees† aiming to emulate the Gucci’s traditional customer profile is offering new business opportunities. With the ageing population increasing in Europe, the market for fashionable luxury goods as Gucci will expand as it is the more mature people who can afford such exclusive luxuries. However in the long run this social trend can be detrimental as there would be a larger population that are seniors and supported by a fewer number of working population, creating low spending power in the economy. With the developments in IT, managing logistics, supply chain, retail outlet inventories and product development can all be upgraded to be on a networked system with real-time information. Such information integration is essential to support multi brand multi product business operations which are highly diversified and globally located. Internet is widely used and can be utilizes as a advertising tool to a greater extent, making available design and product information, as well as collection videos so that the reach of the communications are wider and cost effective. With the new developments in technology, new fabrics are being developed and Gucci as a forerunner in the fashion industry will be affected

Developing an Evaluation Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Developing an Evaluation Plan - Assignment Example The tools that will be used in the evaluation process include questionnaires, surveys, assessment tests, and weight scales. This paper aims at analyzing the methods of evaluating the project and their outcomes. Interviews are the main method of carrying out the evaluation process. The interviews will be conducted face to face by the dietician and the physical exercise instructor. This is because these individuals have the knowledge of the project and they have the ability to interpret the non-verbal communication of the participants (Napoli, Shah, Waters, Sinacore, Qualls, & Villareal, 2014). In case these tutors need help they will recruit individuals who will help them to conduct the implementation and evaluation of the results. The diet and exercise tutors will also be involved in the interviews because they have knowledge of the questions that will help them to get the desired results (Wadden, & Stunkard, 2004). The face to face interviews will help in determining the attitudes and perceptions of the staff and participants who will take part in the project. These attitudes and perceptions will then help to know whether these members are willing to stop or continue taking part in the program. The interviews are efficient because they help the research to get unlimited, well-explained, and detailed responses. The other efficiency of interviews stems from the fact that the interviewers are able to read and interpret the body language of the respondents (Kang, 2012). The second method of evaluating the program is the use of questionnaires. Questionnaires are documents that contain questions that require written responses from the respondents. The questionnaires will be administered to the respondents occasionally to find out how they will be progressing with the program. The documents will contain both closed and open-ended questions to allow for

Workable methodology Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workable methodology - Research Proposal Example After data collection, editing, coding of similar themes, classification and tabulation of the data will be essential for efficient analysis. Descriptive and inferential analysis will be employed to measure and determine the relationship that exists among the variables. The researcher will also observe on research ethics by ensuring that the anonymity of respondents will be observed (Gregory, 2003). Cross-sectional survey design is concerned with relationships that exist, options that are held, and the processes to be taken. In this regard, the current phenomena will be well articulated upon by this design. Arguably, the current situation of the trend of women offenders is alarming and needs to be looked at with caution. For example, the study will try to focus on variables that contribute to women offenders. Equally, the design will also hypothesis on the possibility of reducing recidivism for women offenders by adopting prelease and reentry programs. The cross section of respondents will be selected to represent women offenders and service providers from several correction centers under the Alabama Department of Corrections. The study will use random sampling method in a bid to select correction centers under the Alabama Department of Corrections and purposive sampling will be used to select appropriate respondents from both the current women offenders and former incarcerated women. In collecting data, the study will utilize questionnaires in obtaining information from officers in the correction centers. This is crucial in that it will help to obtain wide range of information from the correction staff, and within the shortest time (Bryman & Bell, 2003). On the side of obtaining information from current and former women offenders, the study will use interview guide to obtain information about their experiences during their time in prison. Validity and reliability of the

Fundamentals of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fundamentals of Nursing - Essay Example This final example shows another difference between belief and knowledge, choice; a person can choose what to believe but has no choice over what to know (Edwards 2001, pp. 25-38). 2. What are the main differences between practical knowledge and propositional knowledge described by Edwards? Give an example of each of these from your nursing practice. The main differences between practical and propositional knowledge lie in the mode of expression of the knowledge, its extent, and limitations. Propositional knowledge is mainly expressed in speech whereby an individual uses statements that indicate his or her knowledge on the subject matter. On the other hand, practical knowledge is expressed in one’s work, where a person knows what to do now, or what one might do when posed with a problem of a certain nature. Propositional knowledge tends to be general, such that it does not major on one aspect of the subject whereas practical knowledge is job specific, and is useful in one job area and can be applied to solve problems in that field exclusively. While propositional knowledge comes mainly from literature that one reads, practical knowledge is acquired as one does his or her duties, and the latter incorporates more senses than the former. An example of practical knowledge is using a needle and syringe on a patient such that it inflicts minimal pain and damage. Books may give the procedures for use in a medical setting, but practise gives a person the practical knowledge of how to do the procedures right. Propositional knowledge is evident where a person knows the various disease cycles and patterns, but the knowledge is not applicable directly in practice (Edwards 2001, pp. 25-38). 3. Critically analyse the kinds of knowledge nurses use in practice. Support your answer... This paper approves that nursing professionals possess knowledge in its various forms, which they should use in their line of duty such that it is for the benefit of a patient. However, a nurse must have all levels of knowing including personal, empirical, ethical, and aesthetic. This enables not only effective care of patients, but assures quality and adherence to acceptable levels of standards and ethics. Consequently, a nurse becomes more effective and efficient in his or her work, which in turn increases the ability of the nurse to be more effective due to a high self-esteem and a feeling of achievement. A nurse should be capable of differentiating between knowledge and belief, only then can one apply these two aspects in practice for optimal results. Nursing professionals should use a carefully balanced amalgamation of these knowledge types to ensure that their patients get the best service the profession has to offer. This essay makes a conclusion that an aspect of the nursing profession facing stiff criticism is evidence-based practice, which aims to ensure that all decisions and actions by nurses use chosen studies as a basis. This does not auger well with critics, who purport that evidence based practice is limiting and denies nurses and other scientists from having a different opinion from the given ones. In this regard, evidence based practice hinders innovation and prevents nurses from reaching their full potential in their profession. Though standards should be used for quality assurance purposes, they should be flexible enough to allow for personal choice and innovation.

Puppeteers of the Populist Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Puppeteers of the Populist Culture - Essay Example This essay shall discuss the impact of the manipulatory techniques on the society, which is the push factor that creates a following. It shall explicate the 'cultural populism' that emphasizes the power of the audience in interpreting the objects of consumption, which objects become artifacts of the culture of daily living. In the process it shall envisage an understanding of the works of Klien, Adorno and Horkheimer, Hebdige, Rutherford, and Danesi, and the definition of culture, the undercurrents that drive the mass culture and their economic and political consequences, the ultimate beneficiaries of the whole process. 'Culture' can be understood as possessing some transient characters, by which they are identified by people of different ages, as Hebdige suggests it is "Refracted through centuries of usage" and "has acquired a number of quite different, often contradictory, meanings" (p. 66). However, he delineates two specific definitions by which it is perceived" 1) the traditional terms as manifested in the generally accepted best practices of the world which includes appreciation of classical forms of art such as literature, ballet, and drama and 2) the one that is derived from the science of anthropology wherein the meanings and values are not taken in the context of art but, as a means of classification (p. 67). However, accepting broader definition proposed by Williams (1961), which included the "relationships between culture and society, one which through the analysis of 'particular meanings and values' sought to uncover the conceived fundamentals of history" (Hebdige 67) is a more useful one, in the context of the cultural studies. This would enable both the definitions of culture to be more meaningfully integrated with each other. Herein the use of "ideology" or the basic principles on which the culture stood for. Over a period of time "ideology" itself became broad-based and incorporated a wide variety of terms, seeping into all aspects and levels of sociability (Hebdige 68). This explanation is pertinent because, ideology is not explicit, but "invisible by its apparent transparency" (Hall 1977 cited in Hebdige 69), rather it acts from the base, from the bottommost layer of the mind, on which all other external symbols and signs are based. This comes to the forefront, and acts as external manifestations of the dominant groups and sub-ordinate groups inherent in the society, which paves the way for class connotations within the society. The conflicts and tensions within these groups and sub-groups is rather understood from the indirect expressions of "style" in whi ch the ideology is produced and reproduced by means of signs and objects in the society. Inevitably, the conflicts give rise to "Hegemony" or the "situation in which a provisional alliance of certain social groups exert 'total social authority' over the subordinate groups" (Hebdige 72). The most important point raised by Hebdige which is pertinent to this analysis is that, this authority is not won by force or compulsion, rather by "winning and shaping consent so that the power of the dominant classes appears both legitimate and natural" (Hall 1977 cited

Style & Genre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Style & Genre - Essay Example Moreover, it comforts people in rituals and in expressing physical fitness as well. The fact that music is commonly listened does not mean everyone is a fun and for those who listen to it choose according to their tastes. It is also chosen according to age and references of various groups. It makes people relax and reduce unhelpful thoughts in life hence eradicating or reducing stress in day to day life. In addition to that, it enhances mood management and reduces loneliness. It keeps people busy in their workings and reduces idleness thus reducing time wasted in bad things such as involvement in drugs. Duration- this refers to sound length and silences in between music that includes beats and rhythm. This can be seen during silence period, where beats make the music moving, thus enhancing music sweetness. Pitch- this is shown by the highness or lowness in music sound. It is one of the aspects considered when composing a song. If the pitch is too high, sound is heard to be irritating and does not draw listener’s attention. Dynamics- this is characterised by sound volume of the song. It is the softness and loudness of the music and how individual emphasises on sounds. If the volume is too high to listeners, then many will not create interest to it though it is not recommended to be too soft. Tone color- this is what allows the music listener to differentiate or identify sound sources or combination of sound sources. If the individual’s voices are combined with the instrument sounds, the music becomes more interesting hence drawing the attention of many. Formal and technical rules- Johnson, Fulcher and Ertman (2007) emphasise that, these rules are the most considered in music composition. Many may not put into consideration the other rules as such, but these are as a must to be applied in music language. This is because the music should have a well grammar sentences and

What has gone wrong with Williams teams efforts and what should be Case Study

What has gone wrong with Williams teams efforts and what should be done to ensure a successful outcome for the team - Case Study Example The group dynamic theory highlights on the social and psychological problems that come up in workplaces. Members of the team have differences in their opinions on the way forward. Tom is one of the longest serving employees in the organization and has earned more respect from William. Other members of the team include Bryce, Casey, and Jenny. â€Å"They do not feel loyalty for the organizations they work for† (Barr and Gassenheimer 2005, p.82) The major setback among the team leaders is that they lack a common understanding. â€Å"Designing team assignments and creating environments that support and enhance these skills are critical for learning," (Barr and Gassenheimer, 2005, p. 82) Tom makes most of the decisions hence denying other members of the chance to express their views. According to the group dynamic theory, all team members should be offered an equal opportunity to present their ideas. On the contrary, Tom is seen to make most of the contributions whereas he is not the group leader. Another problem is the lack of interest. Bryce’s objective is to see the work done. He does not care where the ideas on the new renovations will be put in place. Jenny, on the other hand, has also been issued with another project that has led to her change in focus. The group dynamic theory has stipulated various solutions to group problems. Firstly, the levels of personal and teamwork communications should be advanced. â€Å"All communication within groups is between individuals and is, therefore, interpersonal communication† (David and Frank 2000, p.145). Relay of information among the group members will help them improve their skills. All employees should contribute opinions while the group leaders should make rational decisions. â€Å"The group predominates over the individuals and members are expected to accommodate to the demands of the group† (Hill, James, Danny, & Mark, 2007, p.71). Tom’s hard work has made the other team members to look

Measures Taken for Reducing Maid Abuse in Singapore Essay Example for Free

Measures Taken for Reducing Maid Abuse in Singapore Essay There are approximately 150,000 migrant domestic workers (MDW) in Singapore and many of them suffer forms of abuse – physical and sexual violence, food deprivation, confinement in workplace and late or non-payment of salary. In 2011, an estimated 4000 MDWs ran away from their employers’ home, many of them frustrated, overworked and underpaid. (TWC2, 2011) The Singapore law doesn’t stipulate a minimum wage or mandatory rest days in contracts for these domestic workers. Instead, many initiatives have been put in place to protect the interests of these workers. (Agence France Presse, 2003) From January 2005, workers seeking to enter Singapore as MDWs have to be at least 23 years of age and have completed a minimum 8 years of formal education. They must also sit for an entry test in English to validate the worker’s linguistic, numerical and practical abilities. These measures are aimed at improving the overall quality of workers who will be working in Singapore households in an effort to promote harmonious working relationships with their employers. These workers will also be in a stronger position to understand their rights and seek protection or recourse under Singapore law should they suffer any form of abuse or ill treatment. Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has also put in place training courses to educate employers. Starting from April 2004, first time employers of MDWs have to attend a compulsory Employers Orientation Program, which educates employers on their obligations towards these workers. It underlines good employment practices to promote mutual respect between both parties. A new accreditation system has also been put in place to regulate employment agencies, which provide recruitment and placement services of these MDWs from June 2004. The accreditation requirements include proper orientation of MDWs, employer education in regards to their obligations towards the welfare of MDWs and the facilitation of written employment contracts between MDWs and their employers. Failure to achieve this accreditation will result in agency’s license being revoked. While these measures work towards protecting MDWs interests and well being, the challenge to make sure agencies and employers follows suit still exists. There are still cases of physical abuse reported and many more go undetected and unreported even though the government has stiffened penalties for acts of abuse against MDWs. Moreover, there are currently no regulations on fees charged by these agencies resulting in excessive fees being paid by MDWs to secure employment in Singapore, some of whom receive no salary for up to a year just to pay off these fees. (HRW, pg 48-51) Regulations should be passed to limit the extent these fees are being charged to MDWs. Singapore’s government also charges employers of MDWs a monthly levy of S$345 on top of a bond of $5000 per worker. This tax allows the Singapore government to collect approximately $400m each year, of which very little goes towards improving support services for these workers. The government should in turn use these taxes to help to create awareness of maid abuse or to pass it on to the various Volunteer Welfare Organisations such as Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics and Transient Workers Count Too to work on prevention of maid abuse. It is MOMs requirement that the maid go for a medical check up every six months. Beside this measure, they could also conduct regular spot check on the maid, just like what they done for the foreign construction workers to check on safety measurements.

Symantecs ERP Turmoil Information Technology Essay

Symantecs ERP Turmoil Information Technology Essay A companys Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is like its central nervous system. If it is healthy, it provides the sensory input to management so they can understand what is happening with customers, suppliers, and employees. It helps management respond, by coordinating the companys resources to win customers, battle competitors, and reduce cost, just like muscles in a body. Enterprise resource planning implementations are never easy. In fact, its the equivalent of corporate open heart surgery. And often theres a financial hit if things dont go well. Yet, despite this critical role ERP systems play, most companies fail when in it comes to implementing or upgrading their ERP system. (Eaves, 2009) The horror stories of failed ERP projects are now the stuff of legend. According to one recent report, more than 40% of ERP implementations fail to achieve even half the planned business benefits. Some well known examples include Waste Management suing SAP for $500 million for a failed ERP implementation, Hershey Foods 19% drop in profits from a failed SAP implementation at Halloween time a few years ago, the complete bankruptcy of FoxMeyer Drug, a $5 billion pharmaceutical distributor over a failed $100 million ERP implementation (Eaves, 2010), and, finally Symantecs ERP turmoil, even though it didnt fail completely, but it was the main cause for losing many loyal customers and lower-than-expected earnings in the third quarter of 2007. Adapt to change is always difficult, and even more when a corporation tries to accomplish two difficult tasks in parallel such as a change in organizational structure as well as to adapt on the way the new company operates. This is the case of Symantec that attempting to complete both tasks got into a vicious circle. (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009) Symantecs ERP turmoil will be our case study discussion and I will highlight in detail the key issues and concepts in the chapter that are illustrated in this case study, find out the factors that were responsible for Symantecs difficulties in overhauling its ERP systems, demonstrate Symantecs adequacy in response to the problem, show the available options that could be done differently to prevent the implementation problems that arose at Symantec, and demonstrate customer loyalty based on historical relationship and switching costs. Key Issues and Concepts Lets first know exactly what the ERP system is and reveal the opportunities that attract many organizations toward adopting their IT systems to an ERP system and demonstrate the challenges associated with the implementation of such systems. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is an integrated computer-based application used to manage internal and external resources, including tangible assets, financial resources, materials, and human resources. Its purpose is to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders. Built on a centralized database and normally utilizing a common computing platform, ERP systems consolidate all business operations into a uniform and enterprise-wide system environment. (Enterprise resource planning, 2010) Figure Enterprise Resource Planning Systems http://www.emanage.in/images/erp.jpg Source: http://www.emanage.in/ Opportunities Associated with ERP Implementation ERP systems connect the necessary software in order for accurate forecasting to be done. This allows inventory levels to be kept at maximum efficiency and the company to be more profitable. Integration among different functional areas to ensure proper communication, productivity and efficiency. Design engineering (how to best make the product). Order tracking, from acceptance through fulfillment. The revenue cycle, from invoice through cash receipt. Tracking the three-way match between purchase orders, inventory receipts, and costing. Managing inter-dependencies of complex processes. ERP systems centralize the data in one place. (Enterprise resource planning, 2010) Challenges Associated with ERP Implementation Customization of the ERP software is limited. Re-engineering of business processes to fit the industry standard prescribed by the ERP system may lead to a loss of competitive advantage. ERP systems can be very expensive. ERPs are often seen as too rigid and too difficult to adapt to the specific workflow and business process of some companies-this is cited as one of the main causes of their failure. Many of the integrated links need high accuracy in other applications to work effectively. Once a system is established, switching costs are very high for any partner. The blurring of company boundaries can cause problems in accountability, lines of responsibility, and employee morale. Resistance in sharing sensitive internal information between departments can reduce the effectiveness of the software. (Enterprise resource planning, 2010) Symantec Project Oasis Symantec Corporation started out with good intentions. Shortly after acquiring Veritas it began an ERP rollout that was designed to standardize and unify the Symantec and Veritas information systems. The goal was to create a single ERP system, within which all of the companys extensive network of resellers, integrators, distributors, and customers could place orders for over 250,000 different products Symantec offered in the same way. That follows the basic concept of enterprise systems which are based on a suite of integrated software modules and a common central database. When new information is entered by one process, the information is made immediately available to other business processes. (Laudon, 2010) Although companies can rewrite some of the software in ERP systems, the software is unusually complex and extensive customization may degrade system performance, compromising the information and process integration. If companies want to reap the maximum benefits from enterprise software, they must change the way they work to conform to the business processes in the software. Although Symantec and Veritas had each used Oracle E-Business Suite 11d prior to the merger, both used highly customized versions of the systems that made integration a daunting task (Laudon, 2010). An overhaul of the combined companys enterprise systems was needed to join together Symantec and Veritass data from key business processes. Enterpyrise systems help large companies enforce standard practices and data so that everyone does business the same way worldwide. Enterprise systems help firms respond rapidly to customer requests for information or products. Unfortunately, the two companies bungled the implementation of the enterprise system almost from the beginning. (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009) In my perspective, the pros associated with the implementation or upgrade to an ERP system outweigh its cons if done properly with a comprehensive plan stating the goals and the expected risks associated with it, implemented a step-by-step without compounding the implementation of the ERP system with the launch of multiple products, and without making too many customizations that lead to inefficient system and make it lose its competitiveness. So I believe that Symantec did not have an effective plan that took into consideration all the possible risks in despite of their knowledge to the risks associated with merging and upgrading two customized versions of an ERP system, they accompanied the upgrade with the launch of other products which made the case even more complicated. The following image shows the organizational change management methodology as it aligns with the ERP implementation road map http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/webcontent/mimes/bpx/Business%20Process%20in%20Practice/OCM/ocm_roadmap.jpg Source: www.sdn.sap.com Responsible Factors for Symantecs Difficulties in Overhauling its ERP Systems Management: Most of the issues were due to the companys shortsightedness in implementing Project Oasis. The initial reaction to the launch of the new system was decidedly negative. Once customers reached a Symantec employee, they could spend up to 20 more minutes troubleshooting problems, and were often told that there was nothing that could be done. There was simply too much change occurring all at once for typical customers to handle. Partners were unhappy with Symantecs slow response to many of the problems (Laudon, 2010). Every project with such size should start with a realistic, specific, and a detailed plan that contains all project activities and their sequences in development, estimated budget, associated risks, estimated duration, and perhaps a list of personnel involved in the project implementation. The managements underestimate of the project size and the business processes involved is the most common mistake and fatal error that led many organizations to fail in its ERP implementation, and led sometimes to the demise of others. Despite all Symantecs plans and the involvement of many experts from its management side like its CIO who has a long experience in ERP systems as he worked as a CIO for many ERP vendors like Oracle and PeopleSoft, the management made a fatal error in preparing its users and more than 60,000 resellers, and distributors. The management did not assign its user to a proper training or let the people who will be in a direct contact with the new system on a daily basis and who are the main users of the system such as its personnel and partners to get involved in such a huge change in the system they used to work on and interact with. Organization: The Company was unprepared to meet the increased demand for customer support after the rollout. Symantec neglected to coordinate the development of its new ERP system with the launch of other products from different divisions within the company. The changes to the licensing system were not coordinated with the rest of the project. Customers were unhappy with changes to the stock-keeping unit product system (SKU system). Symantec had overlooked the needs of many customers while designing a technically sound but user-unfriendly ERP system (Laudon, 2010). Technology: Both companies used highly customized versions of Oracles E-Business Suite 11d prior to the merger. Users struggled to process the large amount of information provided to them and were overwhelmed by the increased number of steps, all of them new, required to place orders. Some smaller distributors and partners didnt update their systems to handle the new SKUs and were unable to submit purchase orders electronically. After the rollout, licensing became much more difficult for Symantecs customers and partners, forcing them to wait multiple weeks before receiving their licenses (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009). Information systems are now required to respond to a wide range of potential users (both within and outside of an organization) with a diverse set of skills, functional specialization and IT competency. The days in which the IT or finance department exclusively specified and furnished information on behalf of end users have gone. Whether users are knowledge workers or occasional users of an information system, they need access to a system on a self-service basis so that they can retrieve information for themselves using the tools most appropriate to their role and capability. (Cognos 8 product, 2006) So implementing a new ERP system which will be used by most personnel within a company needs a proper and in depth training to all involved users at the right time and not at the system rollout. In my perspective, Symantecs management lacked a thorough assessment on the project needs in terms of training to its entire stakeholders such as vendors and customers, they were unprepared to meet the increased demand for customer support due to a new system implementation which always result in an increase demand to customer support, and they didnt pay enough attention to the complexity and size of ERP implementations which was obvious of accompanying the upgrade with changes to software licensing that was not coordinated with the rest of Project Oasis, and launching the update of multiple programs at the same time with the development of the new system. Was Symantecs response to the problem adequate? From the turmoil of Project Oasis rose Project Nero. The company initiated this follow-up project to recapture the loyalty of customers who were disenchanted by the changes brought about by Oasis. The project reached out to customers and fixed the problems with the information systems to improve response times and streamline operations (Laudon, 2010). The company began by adding over 150 new customer representatives to handle the increased volume of calls, reducing wait times and increasing customer satisfaction. Executives traveled the country to improve relations with angered customers and partners. The company introduced a master list of product releases readily available and standardized its communication methods between departments regarding new projects and change management (Laudon, 2010). Symantec used Net Promoter methodology to measure and increase customer loyalty. The results identified specific criticisms and customer problems and dramatically aided Symantec in correcting those problems. Project Nero helped the company weather the worst of the crisis. However, the company does not release the results of its Net Promoter surveys to the public so the extent to which it has repaired its reputation is unclear (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009). So I believe that Symantec definitely took many critical steps to save its reputation and loyal customers around the globe, also I believe that the most critical steps beside introducing the programs listed above are that Symantecs executives traveled the country in order to satisfy and improve relations with angered customers and partners, and that CEO Thompson routinely calls to check up on the quality of customer service . (Laudon, 2010) Solutions Could Have Prevented Symantec Implementation Problems Even the most careful planning and well-designed systems can quickly go awry if customers are unable to make use of the new system. Enterprise applications involve complex pieces of software that are very expensive to purchase and implement. The total implementation cost of a large system, including software, database tools, consulting fees, personnel costs, training, and perhaps hardware costs, might amount to four to five times the initial purchase price for the software (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009). Enterprise applications require not only deep-seated technological changes but also fundamental changes in the way a business operates. Business processes must be changed to work with the software. Employees must accept new job functions and responsibilities. Most implementation projects fail or experience enormous problems because executives, managers, and employees did not understand how much organizational change was required (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009). Specific Symantec problems that perhaps could have been avoided: Communicate with employees better to counteract the negative attitude towards the project. Communicate with customers and distributors better about the upcoming changes. Make sure all of the systems that were changing were coordinated throughout the organization. Not change as many systems all at the same time. Even though stretching the implementation out over a longer period may have cost more money, perhaps it would have prevented some of the massive problems overall. In my perspective, the most critical factor in Symantecs ERP turmoil was the lack of a thorough communication with employees and customers who are the main users of the new system which I believe was a fatal error from the management side. Also other important factors were the lack of coordination among the different programs throughout the organization and the change in many systems all at the same time. So I think if Symantec management paid enough attention to the details and avoided the factors listed above, they were going to have a successful ERP implantation in terms of cost, time, and customers retention. What about If Youre the Customer? Historical Relationship Measuring customer loyalty is no passing fancy at Symantec. The executive leadership committee-which is chaired by Salem and includes division and department vice presidents, as well as CIO Thompson and Parrish-meets every two weeks to review loyalty metrics and identify what each unit manager is doing to improve their scores and efficiency. (Walsh, 2008) Technology may be the engine that drives business, but business is still conducted by people. Understanding the needs, desires and experience of the customer-whether that person is an internal user, a reseller partner or a consumer-is critical to any companys success and growth. (Walsh, 2008) So based on a strong historical relationship, many of Symantec customers and partners believe that Symantec always strived to achieve a high level in customer loyalty. This strong relationship between Symantec and its partners was the most critical factor that assisted Symantec to succeed in retaining most of its customers and go back on track despite the turmoil and difficulties faced by many customers during Symantecs ERP project. Switching Costs Another critical factor that most customers usually consider is that IT applications introduce switching costs that make it very costly to switch vendors. Companies become dependent on the vendor to upgrade its product and maintain the installation. Many of Symantecs partners and smaller distributors were reliant on Symantec and perhaps could not afford to switch vendors. That would mean they would have to switch all of their internal systems at great cost. (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009). In my perspective, I will be reluctant to switch vendors if I was a customer because based on historical relationships I believe that Symantec is an outstanding corporation and always srtives to satisfy customers and customer satidfaction at Symantec is the first goal for achieving success. Also I may consider another factor, if the problems seem temporary, I will hang on, but if the problems seem insurmountable, I will desert the sinking ship. Conclusion ERP systems are the nervous system of any company, so doing an ERP implementation is like brain surgery: only to be attempted if there is a really good reason and not to soon be repeated. ERP implementation projects often fall victim to some of the same problems of any large, complex project. However, there are some repeatable problems that good planning early in a project can work to avoid and thats exactly what Symantec lacked in its ERP implementation. (Eaves, 2009) Even the most careful planning and well-designed systems can quickly go awry if customers are unable to make use of the new system. Enterprise applications involve complex pieces of software that are very expensive to purchase and implement. The total implementation cost of a large system, including software, database tools, consulting fees, personnel costs, training, and perhaps hardware costs, might amount to four to five times the initial purchase price for the software (Achieving Operational Excellence, 2009). If Symantec did better in communicating with employees, customers, and distributers about the coming changes, made sure all of the systems that were changing were coordinated throughout the organization, and did not change as many systems all at the same time, it could prevented the turmoil and difficulties it faced during the implementation of its ERP project. Eliminating confusion and improving the product ordering process wasnt enough. Symantec realized that it needed to recapture the hearts and minds of its customers and partners. Project Nero, the follow-up to Oasis, established several strategic objectives to improve everything from Symantecs change-management processes to continuously measuring customer loyalty. (Walsh, 2008) Customers are often reluctant to switch vendors based on historical relationships. If the problems seem temporary, the customers will hang on. If the problems seem insurmountable, some customers will desert the sinking ship. Companies who decide on a complete overhaul in their IT systems and start an ERP implementation should learn from the successes and failures of others and try to avoid known mistakes made by the other organizations through the ERP implementation practice. There are time-proven approaches that can enhance the success of the ERP implementation and each company shoul d examine each one of these approaches and study them carefully to increase its success level .

Analysis of the Postal Rule

Analysis of the Postal Rule

Impact of European Colonialism and Imperialism on African Women Essay e

Effect of European Imperialism on African Women      Ã‚  Ã‚   What effect did the European imperialism in Africa have on the women of both continents? And was this effect advantageous or injurious to the women themselves? Judging by the extremely limited amount of information available on the subject, one could conclude probably a very minimal one. However, upon further investigation, one can see that this effect, although ignored by historians, was very profound and real to the women who lived in Africa in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The majority of the information obtained is about the impact of imperialism on the women of Africa, which is to be expected in today's politically-correct society. However, this causes some difficulty in understanding the consequences of imperialism for women in Europe. Thus that topic won't be addressed here. In Africa, however, the European colonialism completely altered a lifestyle and culture, particularly the roles of women in that culture (Gross and Bingham volume II 52). There is some disagreement as to whether the effects of European imperialism over Africa were detrimental to the progress of women.    It's difficult to understand the effects that Europe had on Africa until one comprehends the state of living for the women before Europeans embarked upon their colonialism. Women were traditionally considered equals or near equals to men in many aspects of some African societies. Farming was the primary occupation of almost every African woman (Gross and Bingham volume I 70). Women were a significant part of the work force and essential to their families' survival (Gross and Bingham volume I 53). Many tribes had female chiefs, and females were given other high-ranki... ...ism." European Imperialism. Online. Internet. 27 Feb. 2000. Available. <http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/US/history/euro/euroread/imp.htm>. "French in West Africa." University of Pennsylvania African Studies. Online. Internet. 27 Feb. 2000. Available. <http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/k-12/french_16178.html>. "Gender, Culture, and Class in Walter Rodney's Writings on Guyana." Saxakali-Publications. Online. Internet. 27 Feb. 2000. Available. <http://saxakali.com/saxakali-publications/moses6.htm>. Gross, Susan Hill and Marjorie Wall Bingham. Women in Africa of the Sub-Sahara, volume I: Ancient Times to the 20th Century. St. Louis Park: Glenhurst Publications, 1982. Gross, Susan Hill and Marjorie Wall Bingham. Women in Africa of the Sub-Sahara, volume II: The 20th Century. St. Louis Park: Glenhurst Publications, 1982.   

Free Merchant of Venice Essays: The Role of Shylock :: Merchant Venice Essays

Perhaps The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is neither pro-Jewish, nor pro-Christian, since the illustrations which show neither the Jew nor the Christian to be perfect are countless. After having suffered through The Merchant of Venice, and seeing how unjustly poor Shylock was treated by his Christian contemporaries, I can't help but wonder if Shakespeare was actually trying to show the world how hypocritical members of any religion could be, be it Jewish, Christian, or anything else. For, although these buggers disliked each other based mainly on differences of religious doctrine, they had more in common than bleeding when pricked, laughing when tickled, or dying when poisoned. As stated in the book of Timothy (vi, 10), "The love of money is the root of all evil." It's not money that is the root of all evil but the love of it that is pure evil and causes so many problems. The principal characters do love their money, don't they? From Portia to Bassanio, Antonio to Shylock, Martin to Lewis. Shylock, in particular, keeps babbling on and on about those precious ducats of his, as if they could actually be more important than his own flesh and blood (and, considering his daughter's deviation, they probably were). As for that bozo Antonio, he was one who loved money, but, in a different way than Shylock, for he seemed to get more of a buzz out of loaning/giving it to others than out of hoarding it, but, nevertheless, he certainly felt an incessant need to have it, as demonstrated by his appeal to deal with the cunning Shylock. Unfortunately, Shylock's cunning didn't match up to his greed, as he was bested by a woman, of all things. Yes, folks, that pesky Portia, who was hot for Bassanio's bod (lust, after all, is a type of greed, is it not?), used her wily ways to help destroy the Jew's empire. Bummer. Of course, Shylock really didn't lose it all, since Antonio allowed him to keep the half he was to have been allotted, provided Shylock give it to his unworthy daughter upon his passing from this plane. What a sweetheart.

Reflection of the Role and Responsibilities of the Teacher Essay

Roles and Responsibilities of a teacher are vital and must be learnt, as a general rule, to ensure quality of teaching. To embark on this journey it is essential to attain enough knowledge about the subject and gather the correct material for teaching. It is not only sufficient to hold good quality knowledge on the subject, but also have a presentable appearance. The teacher is responsible for student behaviour and classroom management, as well as to understand the capability of the learners. Therefore it is essential for teachers to assess the students level of understanding. As all students learn in different ways, there is the Honey and Mumford theory ‘learning styles’ (Honey, P. & Mumford, A. 1992), to assist teachers. By carrying out group work it will provide a good chance to get students working together as it facilitates the need for productive talk, (Edwards & Mercer, 1987). Here the ‘sociological’ learning style can be applied. By implementing this on the students it allows them to learn from each other and share ideas with one another. The students can also participate in exploratory talk (Mercer & Hodgkinson 2008) which allows them to teach each other and take ownership of their own ideas. This is very encouraging as it allows the students to indulge deeply on the knowledge they hold, when explaining to other individuals. Also with the help of the internet and modern technology there are many ways to get the students interactively involved with lessons. To allow them to work on their own, will be a better way of learning as they will be learning on their own terms. Here one other learning style has been applied, which is the ‘tactile’ style, this is where the student learns best when they are given the opportunity by doing something by themselves. On the other hand there is the auditory learning style whereby a learner benefits from simply listening, so if the lectures are well planned and class discussions are carried out it will benefit this type of learner. If the above was applied to the students they would stay engaged and involved with the teacher, which is important for effective learning. Also possessing a great amount of creativity when teaching and trying new ways of explaining areas of the subject will bring great outcomes to the students’ level of learning. As Wilson (2008), states on similar terms that ‘the oles are functions of a teacher, which are, planning and preparing for the class, developing interesting way to deliver the lesson, assessing the impact of learning and ensuring safe learning’. Therefore ensuring suitable accommodation facilities, which are available, in order to provide the desired learning setting. If the roles and responsibilities of a teacher are in good practice the tea cher will be in a position where she/he can be approached with comfort and ease by the student, not only to discuss about the subject but anything they wish to discuss. Again this brings great benefit allowing the teacher to understand the learner and to provide the correct resources. Moreover the safeguarding of children is taken very seriously and usually new teachers are supplied with key documents, which are required to be read and understood and complied with, for example if a teacher knows a child is being abused the teacher will have to know how to deal with the situation using the advice given and who to report it to. One other important part of being a teacher is knowing how well he/she is teaching, this can be achieved by assessing the students, and from these assessments changes for improvement can take place. When assessing through assignments or exams, it is highly important teachers provide positive feedback as it will always encourage the student to learn more. On concluding this, teaching should be delivered to the learner in a way that is informative, creative, interactive and responsive within a relaxed environment, to enable high learning performance from the learners. The teachers holds many roles and responsibilities, however, most importantly there are in search of constant ways of finding better ways of students to learn, by using different unique methods to allow the learner to achieve their best outcome, which will then make them accessible for contributing positively in society, or going onto higher education, and providing a better lifestyle for one self.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Four Common Techniques

Comparing the Effectiveness of Four Common Techniques Used to Treat Nocturnal Enuresis Tiffiny H. Winters Clarion University of Pennsylvania Abstract The proposed research is designed to combine 1 pharmaceutical treatment technique and 2 common behavioral interventions and assess the effect they have on the frequency of night-time wetting in children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old who suffer from nocturnal enuresis. I will randomly assign 120 child participants to one of six treatment groups which test them on varying degrees of the independent variables.Participants will be tested for a period of 30 days prior to the intervention application to determine a baseline rate of occurrence of enuresis, then tested again for 30 days while applying the intervention strategies to determine if there is a significant change in the frequency of the occurrences. I predict that the groups receiving the behavioral training paired with the anti-diuretic medication will have fewer episodes o f enuresis in a shorter amount of time during treatment, and have a slight increase in instances of regression after ceasing treatment.I also predict that the treatment groups that do not receive the anti-diuretic will have a slower rate of progression during the experiment, but the progression will stay primarily steady after treatment has ceased. Comparing the Effectiveness of Four Common Techniques Used to Treat Nocturnal Enuresis Nocturnal enuresis is a common childhood disorder, but can be a potentially distressing experience for children and parents alike.It has been defined as an â€Å"involuntary voiding of urine during sleep, with severity of at least twice a week, in children over 5 years of age, when not provoked by congenital or acquired defects of the central nervous system or by the direct physiological effect of substances such as a diuretic† (American Psychiatric Association, 2000); Butler & Gasson, 2005). This disorder has many stressful consequences for a ch ild, such as feeling like, or being treated as a social pariah, suffering a rollercoaster of emotional turmoil, a significant lowering of their self-esteem, and feelings of ncomprehension and helplessness. The prevalence of nocturnal enuresis in children ages 5 to 10 years old, according to The American Psychiatric Association (2000), are as follows: * Approximately 5% – 10% in 5 to 6 year olds * Approximately 11% – 18% in 7 to 8 year olds * Approximately 1. 5% – 5% in 9 to 10 year olds Prevalence rates are also higher for males than for females at all age points (Butler & Heron, 2008). At the present time, many empirical studies and reviews of different treatment strategies for nocturnal enuresis have been conducted.Prominent researchers from both the psychological and medical communities are making important contributions to the ongoing question of what types of interventions work best for the children who suffer from this disorder, which tends to bridge both the psychological and medical fields. This can cause complications for the results of the research, because each field traditionally produces its own literature on the studies that they do, and therefore the results aren’t always all-encompassing.However, experimenters are attempting to close this gap with new approaches that combine and compare treatments such as the dispensing of pharmaceuticals to patients, and some practical behavioral interventions. The behavioral interventions that will be used in this experiment are fairly common in the current research for treatment of nocturnal enuresis. Retention Control Training (RTC) came about due to the medical evidence that some children suffering from this disorder had reduced bladder capacity, and thus couldn’t hold a normal amount of fluid in their bladders throughout a typical night of sleep.RTC expands a child’s bladder capacity by having the child drink high amounts of fluid while delaying urination for as l ong as possible and trying to increase the amount of holding time each time. The thought is that this will cause the bladder to expand, and progress the child up to a relatively normal length of time between urinations. According to Friman (2008), RTC has had up to a 50% overall success rate. However, more recent studies are debating that these results may be negligible, and believe that other methods are more evidence-based and should be considered instead.The process of Dry-Bed Training (DBT) is one of the oldest, best-known, and most evidence-based treatment packages for enuresis (Friman, 2008). The process consists of following a strict schedule of waking the child up at night until he or she learns to wake up alone when needed. This program is usually implemented for a period of 7 nights, and then the process is repeated. DBT is typically completed in less than 4 weeks, with relapse rates of only about 40% (Brown, Pope, & Brown, 2010). A Urine Alarm is a key component in this t reatment, as well as cleanliness training and a positive reinforcement through a token system.A Urine Alarm is a device that is either placed underneath the child in the form of a mat, or as a sensor inside of the child’s pajamas that works by using a moisture-sensitive system that, when upon sensing dampness from urine, it sends a charge to a buzzer or alarm that is strong enough to wake the child (Friman, 2008). The alarm is an adverse stimulus, which leads to a conditioned avoidance response (startling the child) which leads to muscle contractions in the pelvic floor and neck of the bladder, ceasing the flow of urine when the child wakes.This leads to the child associating the feeling of a full bladder to the feeling of being awakened, and they will wake eventually without the help of the alarm. According to Mellon & Houts (2006), several reviewed studies and well-controlled experiments have established the basic urine Alarm as an effective treatment for nocturnal enuresis , alone or in combination with other treatment components, and the average success rate (14 consecutive dry nights) is 77. 9%, and has an average 6 month relapse rate of 15% – 30%.Despite the arguable efficacy of these behavioral interventions, reviews of the recent literature show that the common healthcare practice among physicians and pediatricians is to treat enuretic children with medication rather than putting behavioral interventions to use (Friman, 2008). The two most commonly prescribed to treat this disorder are anti-depressants and anti-diuretics. I will not be addressing the components of the anti-depressant prescriptions, as it does not directly involve my xperiment. The anti-diuretic that is typically prescribed is Desmopressin, a synthetic version of Vasmopressin, which is the body’s naturally occurring anti-diuretic hormone. According to a review by Brown, Pope, & Brown (2010), the rationale for using this drug is that there is evidence that children wi th nocturnal enuresis may not have the same nocturnal increase in Vasmopressin as children that do not suffer from enuresis.Desmopressin works by decreasing night-time urine production, and typically reduces the episodes by 50%. And although Desmopressin typically has a more rapid onset of dry nights than the Urine Alarm, removal of the drug almost always results in the child reverting back to the wetting behavior. In comparing this drug and its benefits to other behavioral treatments, it has been found in many studies to have better results when the drug therapy is used concurrently with one of the behavioral interventions previously discussed.For example, according to Brown, Pope, & Brown (2010), recent literature shows that the Urine Alarm, when used in conjunction with anti-diuretic medication, leads to more dry nights earlier in the conditioning process, and a longer lasting performance after treatment has subsided. Also, there have been many studies comparing several of the af orementioned common behavioral techniques to one another, as well as the combined power of using more than one technique concurrently to enhance the speed and permanence of the desired results.Also, studies have been done here in the United States, as well as abroad in many other countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and many others. However, according to their review on studies done in this field of research, Brown, Pope, & Brown (2010) assert that â€Å"The medical and psychological literatures and studies completed regarding this problem have proceeded relatively independent from one another, and there has been little to no interconnection between the US and international studies, resulting in a lack of discourse and integration among researchers investigating treatment outcomes for enuresis. In general, many researchers agree that the current research and scope of the experiments have been very limited, and perhaps even insufficient. The focus of my proposed study w ould be to bridge this gap that others have been stepping around, and bring some of the conflicting variables to light in one controlled study. The proposed research is designed to combine 1 pharmaceutical treatment technique and 2 common behavioral interventions and assess the effect they have on the frequency of night-time wetting in children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old who suffer from nocturnal enuresis.My study would allow the individual treatment techniques to be compared under standard conditions without any other form of combined treatment or medicines, and it would also show the efficacy of each treatment technique when it is paired with the anti-diuretic Desmopressin, which has been shown to have remarkable results in the short-term treatment of episodes of enuresis, but is coming up short in the long-run battle against this disorder.I will randomly assign the participants to one of six treatment groups: (1) will receive Retention Control Training (RCT) paired wi th a daily dose of Desmopressin; (2) will receive Retention Control Training with no medication; (3) will receive Retention Control Training paired with a placebo; (4) will receive Dry-Bed Training paired with a daily dose of Desmopressin; (5) will receive Dry-Bed Training with no medication; (6) will receive Dry-Bed Training paired with a placebo.Participants will be tested for a period of 30 days prior to the intervention application to determine a baseline rate of occurrence of enuresis, then tested again for 30 days while applying the intervention strategies to determine if there is a significant change in the frequency of the occurrences. Participants will also be tested a final time 30 days after ceasing the interventions for a period of 2 weeks to determine how quickly each group regressed, if any did so.This would lead to many avenues of further research toward finding the best way to treat this problem, and also perhaps pave those avenues with a much stronger foundation tha n the one that has been going back and forth between the medical and psychological disciplines throughout the research that has been done thus far. I am predicting that the groups who receive the behavioral training paired with the anti-diuretic medication will have fewer episodes of enuresis in a shorter amount of time during treatment, and have a slight increase in instances of regression after ceasing treatment.I also predict that the treatment groups that do not receive the anti-diuretic will have a slower rate of progression during the experiment, but the progression will stay primarily steady after treatment has ceased. Method Participants The sample (N=120) will consist of 20 children (10 boys; 10 girls) at each of six age levels (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10yrs old) who meet the American Psychiatric Association (2000) criteria to be diagnosed with nocturnal enuresis. Wetting must occur at least 2 times per week for at least a period of 3 months and have a negative impact on other a reas of functioning, and must not be due to the effects of a substance or be caused by another medical condition. ) All participants will be assigned randomly into one of six treatment groups. Participants will be selected on a voluntary basis from an ad placed in the local newspaper, and also by doctor referral through email notification sent to local doctor’s offices advertising information about the study that I will be conducting.Informed consent will be obtained from parents of all of the participants, and consent forms and release forms will also be signed before participating in the procedure. Letters of explanation and consent forms will be sent to parents or guardians of the children, and they will be asked to return these by mail. To ensure confidentiality, participant names will be removed from any interviews and data entry recordings, and participants will be identified only by a numerical code. Participants, medical personnel, parents, and all others involved wil l be well informed that no information will be released about individual participants.Participating children will receive an age-appropriate gift approved by their parents upon completion of the experiment as a thank-you for participating. Apparatus/Materials Materials that will be needed and used are as follows: * Basic physical form completed by family physician for each participant. * 120 basic clip-on Urine Alarms. * Approximately 1200 doses of Desmopressin. (40 children, 1 tablet each before bed every night for 30 nights. ) (Can also be requested in nasal spray form. ) * Data sheets to record all procedures and episodes of wetness per night. * Approximately 1200 doses of a basic sugar pill to administer as a placebo. 40 children, 1 tablet each before bed every night for 30 nights. ) * Age-appropriate gift for each child given upon completion of the experiment. (120 total) Procedure An ad will be placed in the local newspapers to attempt to collect volunteers to participate in t he experiment, as well as an email offering information about the study will be sent to all local pediatricians’ offices asking them to inform any of their patients that may qualify and meet the guidelines about the study that I am conducting, and that they would be welcome to participate if they desire to.Participants will be interviewed at their convenience at a location that they are comfortable with, and will be asked to answer simple background questions dealing with the criteria for the experiment, and will also be informed about all aspects of the experiment before they consent to their child or children participating. Once all participants have been selected and all required paperwork has been returned, the parents will be instructed on how to monitor their child’s episodes of enuresis for the next 30 nights and shown how to record them on the data sheets that I will provide to them.Each parent will be provided a standard Urine Alarm and be instructed on how to use it to notify them throughout the night when their child wets to bed. (They can be programmed to notify the parent instead of waking the child. ) The parent will then keep as accurate of a record as possible of the episodes during this 30 day period to establish a baseline of performance for each child. (The Urine Alarms will be re-collected after this 30 day period has concluded. Then, after the initial 30 day testing period has ended, each child will be randomly separated into one of six treatment groups: (1) will receive Retention Control Training (RCT) paired with a daily dose of Desmopressin; (2) will receive Retention Control Training with no medication; (3) will receive Retention Control Training paired with a placebo; (4) will receive Dry-Bed Training paired with a daily dose of Desmopressin; (5) will receive Dry-Bed Training with no medication; (6) will receive Dry-Bed Training paired with a placebo.The parents will receive very thorough and easy to understand instructi ons on the treatment procedure that their child has to follow, and will be given a telephone number to contact me at any time day or night throughout the experiment if they have any questions, concerns, or if their availability to participate in the experiment changes. The parents will not have any knowledge about the use of a sugar pill as a placebo, as to eliminate any participant reaction bias. I will collect the data from each parent at the end of every week, during both 30 day periods.After the experimental 30 days has come to an end, I will collect all materials that were being used by the participants, compile the data that was collected and get it ready to analyze, hand out the gifts to the children for participating, conduct a closing interview of each parent and child to clear up any loose ends or questions that they may have, and to also ensure that no aftercare is needed for any parent or child that participated, and then thank them for their involvement and hard work. R eferences American Psychiatric Association. 2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. (4th ed. ). Washington, DC: doi: 10. 1176/appi. books. 9780890423349 Brown, M. L. , Pope, A. W. , & Brown, E. J. (2010). Treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis in children: A review. Child: Care, Health, and Development, 37(2), 153-160. doi:10. 1111/j. 1365-2214. 2010. 01146. x Butler, R. J. , & Gasson, S. L. (2005). Enuresis alarm treatment. Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology, 39, 349-357. Butler, R. J. , & Heron, J. (2008).The prevalence of infrequent bedwetting and nocturnal enuresis in childhood: A large british cohort. Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology, 42, 257-264. Friman, P. C. (2008). Evidence-based therapies for enuresis and encopresis. The Handbook of Evidence-based Therapies for Children and Adolescents: Bridging Science and Practice, II, 311-333. doi: 10. 1007/978-0-387-73691-4_18 Mellon, M. W. , & Houts, A. C. (2006). Nocturnal enuresis: Ev idenced-based perspectives in etiology, assessment and treatment. (pp. 432-441). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

Privacy by default

The word ‘pervasive' is indicative of the intrusive nature of TIT, as can be evidenced by two of its features, namely data collected would come from various origins, and that it would be done without the user's awareness. The paper highlights five objectives to be achieved for TIT to avoid being misused and end up harming the users. The right of deletion, the right to be forgotten, data portability, privacy, and data protection principles must not be compromised or neglected. The following examples below list just three common ways that these five objectives were not met in many internet applications.Firstly, one such risk is that a user's personal information might not be directly known, but it could be revealed through lots data collection from different sources or even uncover new information, thus violating the users privacy. A person who does not wish to be recognized online can therefore be identified through such means. Secondly, the paper details that many applications only consider the installation of â€Å"information security, privacy and data protection† only as an afterthought, rather than in the beginning, at the drawing board.This compromises the application's security and the users privacy substantially, as he capabilities of these measures would be reduced. Thirdly, with the advent of cloud computing and social networking services, the likelihood of users becoming â€Å"locked-in† to a particular TIT service provider increases because it becomes more difficult to import and export their information to other service providers. The lack of data portability here also means that users do not have control over their own data. The paper mentions that there are t-von. O general principles that should be followed in the policy making of TIT. Firstly, the TIT should not â€Å"violate human identity, human integrity, human rights, privacy or individual or public berries†. Secondly, individuals should have control of all their p ersonal information created or processed within the TIT, unless such an action violates the first principle. With regards to this, the paper illustrated four methods to reaching the objectives: 1 . Privacy, data protection and information security risk management 2. Privacy by design and Privacy by default 3.Data protection legislation: harmonistic/coherent application/enhanced enforcement 4. Standardization Each of the above four options address various challenges related to TIT. The first option is not simply a technology-focused idea, as the paper states that it loud also be important to look into other measures, such as legal, regulatory, procedural and organizational. The main idea of this option is to avoid leaving said protection measures till the end of the development process as an afterthought, but to be included at the planning stage, with an adherence to best practices to avoid or reduce common risks.The second option operates on the basis that while the technology might not be the factor that puts privacy and security at risk, but the way that it is created and implemented. It claims that applications should not collect data necessary to its functions, and that users should be made aware of what information would be gathered from them as well as what said information would be used for. Users should also be informed on how to exercise their rights, and the applications should adhere to data protection principles.The flashlight application example mentioned before was in clear violation of this, and this real life example further enforces the need for an option such as this. From the technical standpoint, the paper states that personal data protection should be defined, such as in-built privacy options and mechanisms to inform ND educate users on data processing, although the challenge would be to do such things while operating within limited processing power and/or memory of the applications.The third option focuses on the legal aspect of data prot ection, such as strengthening, clarifying and harmonize the powers of data protection authorities in order to make sure that all legislations are enforced, and not just pick and choose specific laws to be followed. The paper also states that violations should be sanctioned significantly to deter people from making applications that would neglect such issues. This is to ensure transparency of applications and for users to have control over their own data.The â€Å"concept of indirectly identifiable data† also has to be improved and elucidated to avoid uncertainty in legislations. The last option, standardization, allows ease of conformity with legal requirements and certification due to the clarity provided from it, thus being cap bled of educating users on how to exercise their rights and allowing them to make informed choices. One weakness with standardization is that â€Å"standards are voluntary and non-binding†, and thus it might not be very effective. It would req uire measures which are more binding.The impact of these options is the building of trust between consumers and the applications. Trust is important in this online environment because without trust, consumers are less likely to buy and use new applications, thus slowing progress of the invention of new technologies, economic growth, and cause the public sector to take longer to benefit from digitizing its services. The paper concludes that having a binding law with more data protection enforcement is the best option to achieve the goals for TIT to ensure that the applications are trustworthy and compliant with user rights.