Analysis of the Nitrogen Content of Lawn Fertiliser Essay

Research Question: What is the percentage by mass of nitrogen (from the ammonium ion NH4+) in Bunnings Green Up brand of lawn fertilizer compared to the manufacturer’s specification of 12.3%? Aim: To determine the percentage by mass of available nitrogen, present as the ammonium ion, in Bunnings Green Up brand of lawn fertiliser, then comparing it with the one specified by the manufacturer. Hypothesis: Since the ammonium ion (NH4+) present in fertilisers is a weak acid, it is hard to obtain an exact end point. Hence, back titration can be used to determine the percentage by mass composition of nitrogen in the fertiliser. To deduce the amount of nitrogen in ammonia, the NH4+ ion is reacted with an excess of NaOH, and the amount of unreacted NaOH found by titration with HCl is used to deduce the amount of NH4+ ion present by subtracting it from the initial amount of NaOH to find the amount that reacted with it. From this, the percentage by mass of nitrogen present in the fertiliser can be found and subsequently compared to the manufacturer’s specification. It is hypothesized that the percentage by mass of nitrogen present in the fertiliser will be similar or close to that specified by the manufacturer (12.3%). Materials: * * 100 cm3 of 0.1 mol dm-3 NaOH * 100 cm3 of 0.1 mol dm-3 HCl * 1.5 grams of fertiliser * 250 cm3 volumetric flask * 3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 250 cm3 conical flasks * 20 cm3 pipette * Burette and retort stand * 50 cm3 measuring cylinder * Bunsen burner, tripod, gauze mat * Mortar and pestle * Electronic balance * White tile, bench mat * Funnel * Spatula * Red Litmus paper * Methyl red indicator * Safety Measures: * Safety goggles must be worn at all times. Sodium hydroxide can react with the proteins in the eye. * Wear a lab coat. Hydrochloric acid can cause severe skin irritation. If any is spilt on the skin, wash it off with water immediately. * Ammonia vapour irritates the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Method: 1. Accurately weigh about 1.2 grams of fertilizer. Record the brand of the fertiliser and the nitrogen content as specified by the manufacturer. 2. Dissolve the fertiliser in 250 cm3 of distilled water in a volumetric flask. Add the fertiliser first using a funnel and then add the water, allowing it to take with it the fertiliser remaining on the funnel, to the calibration line, stopper, and swirl the contents to dissolve the ammonium compounds in the fertilizer. 3. Using a pipette, dispense 20 cm3 aliquots of the fertilizer solution into three conical flasks. 4. Thoroughly wash the pipette and rinse it with a small volume of standard NaOH solution. Place a 20 cm3 aliquot of NaOH solution in each of the flasks containing fertilizer solution. Record the concentration of the standard solution of NaOH. 5. To one of the flasks, add 50 cm3 of distilled water. Boil the mixture for about 10 minutes. If necessary, add more water to maintain a constant volume of solution whilst boiling. Test the vapour at the neck of the flask with a moist strip of red litmus paper. If ammonia is present the paper will turn blue and heating should be continued until the point where litmus paper does not detect the presence of ammonia. Once this point has been reached, cool the flask under running water. 6. Repeat Step 5 with each of the other two conical flasks. 7. Rinse and fill a burette with standard HCl. Record the concentration of the acid and the initial burette reading. 8. Add two to three drops of methyl red indicator to each conical flask containing the fertilizer mixture, and titrate. The end point occurs when the initially yellow solution becomes orange. For each flask, record the burette reading once the end point has been reached. Data Collection: Table 1: Titration of the excess NaOH (0.084 mol dm-3) against HCl using Methyl Red Indicator Conclusion/Evaluation: Fertiliser is a natural or synthetic chemical substance or mixture that is used to enrich soil in order to promote plant growth. It influences grass colour, ability to recover from stress, and helps prevent weed invasions and diseases. Plants require more than a dozen different chemical elements but nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the three major nutrients needed by lawns; Nitrogen is the nutrient required most as it promotes growth and keeps the grass green, although too much nitrogen can have harmful effects on plants and crops, and on soil quality. In this investigation, the percentage by mass of nitrogen from the ammonium ion in the sample fertiliser is being determined. The manufacturer’s claim of the amount of nitrogen present in this type of fertiliser is 12.3%. The ammonium that is present in fertilisers is a weak acid, thus it is hard to identify a sharp end point in direct titrations with the naked eye. Back titration is used instead. It is an analytical chemistry technique in which the unknown concentration of a reactant can be found by reacting it with an excess volume of another reactant of known concentration. The resulting mixture is then titrated back, taking into account the molarity of the excess which was added. Before titration, the sodium hydroxide was reacted with ammonium in the fertiliser to produce ammonia and water: NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) –> NH3(g) + H2O(l) The basic solution needed for titration was reached through heating the solution to remove the ammonium ions. By heating it, the rate of reaction between the ammonium ions and hydroxide ions increases, consequently producing water and ammonia. Since ammonia is an extremely volatile gas, boiling the solution will result the vaporization rate, which is the desired outcome. The ammonium ions are also the limiting reagent thus once completely reacted, ammonia production ceases. This is indicated when the red litmus paper, which tests for the presence of a base, no longer turns blue meaning the ammonia has completely evaporated and no longer present in the solution. By titrating the excess, unreacted hydroxide ions with standard hydrochloric acid, it allows us to calculate the amount of unreacted hydroxide ions since the molar ratio is equal, and from this the amount of reacted hydroxide ions with the fertiliser solution can be deduced. Subsequently, the amount of ammonium ions initially present in the 250 cm3 volumetric flask can be found and then the mass of nitrogen ions can be calculated. From this, the percentage by mass of nitrogen in the sample of fertiliser can be found. It was found that the percentage by mass of 1.209 g of fertiliser was 13.87% (? 1.00%). This is very close to the percentage of nitrogen present in the fertiliser as specified by the manufacturer – 12.3%. This discrepancy may be due to several errors and limitations encountered throughout the experiment. The percentage difference of 12.76% is greater than the percentage uncertainty of 6.34% and as a consequence random errors alone cannot alone account for the difference. There must be systematic errors inherent to the investigation or the apparatus. Measurement errors could be the main source of uncertainty. One source of error could be that the exact mass of the fertiliser sample as measured on the electronic balance is not the same as in the volumetric flask, consequently affecting the final result. The loss due to the transfer process into the flask which could be reduced by sufficiently rinsing the apparatus used to transfer, weigh and grind the fertiliser sample ? the funnel, weighing bottle, spatula and mortar and pestle ? so that all sample weighed is transferred into the volumetric flask. Another possible error is that the meniscus of solutions measured was not sitting exactly on the calibration line in the volumetric flask when preparing the standard solution. This may affect the results as the expected volume of the standard solution would differ from the actual volume measured. This can be overcome by allowing more than one individual to test whether or not the meniscus is positioned on the etched mark, making sure it’s at eye level, which will effectively limit this parallax error. The interpretation of the orange colour determined at the end point could also have been another error. Subjective judgment when determining the shade of orange is another factor which may have affected the titre volume, and thus the final outcome. This problem was exacerbated by the fact that the methyl red indicator does not provide a sharp and easily distinguishable end point, as the colour change from yellow to orange. This may be overcome by using another indicator that allows for a clearer colour contrast. Another possible limitation which may have impacted the results is that some ammonia may still have been present in the conical flask. Although the red litmus paper may have served its purpose, this may still occur as a result of not boiling the solution long enough and thus some ammonia may not have evaporated. The result of this is that the ammonia in the solution will react with the hydrochloric acid, and therefore more hydrochloric acid will be required for the equivalence point to be reached, affecting the titre volume. This can be easily overcome by ensuring that the fertiliser solution containing water and sodium hydroxide is boiled for long enough so that all ammonia can evaporate, while simultaneously ensuring that the solution remains at a constant 90mL. The use of tap water may also have affected the results. It may not have been at a pH of 7 or may contain other contaminants such as salts which may ultimately interfere with the results. To overcome this, the most effective way is to use deionised water. Conclusion: It was found that the percentage by mass of nitrogen from the ammonium ion in Bunnings Green Up brand of lawn fertilizer was 13.9% (? 1.00%). This was very close to the percentage of nitrogen in lawn fertiliser as specified by the manufacturer ? 12.3%. Bibliography: 1. Unknown Author, http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawntalk.htm 2. Chemistry for the International Baccalaureate, 2005, IBID Press

Child Rearing in sixteenth century English Upper Classes Essay

Child-rearing was an evolving practice within the English upper class from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. A new adult view of children as mature, fragile and inherently good led to changes in the nursing, care, and discipline of English, aristocratic children. In the 16th century, much in accordance with the Puritan doctrine, children were seen as naturally evil beings (Doc 1). Proper and pious parents were responsible for instilling virtues and morals into their organically pagan children. However, the Stuart-run religious beliefs of the 17th century and the Anglican Church brought about a new and differing view of children. Offspring were effectively blank-slates and, left to their own devices, happy and benevolent (Doc 2, 3). The new society placed more blame on nurture, rather that nature, and these views led to drastic changes in how children were reared. In the 1500s and early 1600s, aristocratic mothers often hired, after giving birth, a wet nurse, a woman whose job it was to breast-feed the infant. Women craved separation from ungodly children, and felt the duty of breastfeeding was disgraceful. However, many mothers now saw the hiring of wet nurses morally reprehensible (Doc 5). In the late 17th and 18th centuries, parents now craved a closeness and bond with their children, often enhanced by breastfeeding (Doc 6, 7). Children and infants had garnered a better reputation, an parents now sought close and loving relationships with them (Doc 4). Furthermore, scientific changes brought a new adult view of child-rearing. Doctors now sought to care for an infant with a more tender and loving touch, and sought less to control it. In the 1500s, mothers often constricted the motion of their newborn by swaddling it tightly (Doc 8). New medical developments attributed fractures to this practice, and by the 1700s, it was long since obsolete (Doc 9). Also, the mental health of children was also taken into more account. Verbal abuse was looked down upon by members of the English aristocracy, and calling one’s child a dunce was no longer acceptable (Doc 14). The new consideration into the physical and mental health of a child changed the way children were taken care of. Finally, these changing adult policies extended to the discipline or lack thereof of the English aristocratic child. In the late 1500s, to ensure perfection in a child, threats of physical punishment which often bordered on and became violent were prevalent within society (Doc 10, 11). However, beginning in the late 1500s and continuing for the next two centuries, it became less and less socially acceptable to physically and zealously punish ones child. Forms of physical punishment were now left to a rod or cane that was used in moderation, in specific areas, and was only used for the most egregious of mistakes (Doc 11). Some members of the aristocracy abandoned physical punishment altogether, instead relying on the encouragement of good behavior with rewards (Doc 12). However, this method of child-rearing often led to bratty behavior in children (Doc 13). In conclusion, the changes in nursing, child care and discipline are all symptoms of a greater change, one which had religious, scientific and social roots. The newly enlightened English aristocracy changed the way in reared its children and its future generation, and in thus doing, changed the future of England.

Everybody’s Guilty Essay

In â€Å" Everybody’s Guilty – The Ecological Dilemma, â€Å" author and professor of Human Ecology at University of California, Santa Barbara, Garrett Hardin, explains the current issue with invisible reverberations. Hardin calls attention to the readers about how innocent actions by individuals can inflict on the environment. â€Å" We all acquiesce in the system of arrangements and practices that has created our ecological crisis† (Hardin, 40). In order to approve of our actions, individuals tend to hide from reality behind symbols and/or words. Incorporating rhetoric into our everyday lives does this. Garrett Hardin begins his argument by explaining the naming process that may have unintended consequences and then finishes with potentially solutions to this ecological crisis. For example, using the word â€Å"healthy† attracts an audience that is ultimately looking to eat correctly. Without looking at the ingredients, people believe the false advertisement and buy the food that says â€Å"healthy† on the box rather than what is actually good for them. By doing this, consumers are using an unethical form of persuasion while not being aware of the consequences or changes this action may have on people. Hardin wants the readers to view our world not as a society, but â€Å"as an ecological system† (Hardin, 40). Instead of acting as a whole, people need to understand that as individuals, everyone needs to play their part to improve the world we live on. Hardin suggests, â€Å"we [as individuals] can never do merely one thing† (Hardin, 41). The choices that are made everyday can have an impact on something a lot larger than what was intended. In the article, â€Å"Everybody’s Guilty†, Hardin uses the example of damming the Nile at Aswan. By building this dam, workers not only secured a water source for electricity and irrigation, which was their only intention, but they also caused deep distress to Egypt. This proves Hardin’s argument. Although the thought of a dependable water source is efficient, many times the consequences are overseen. Egypt now is suffering from periodic floods, which is slowly eliminating the nutrients within the water. To bring this example into an easier perspective, lets look at what average people do everyday such as pumping gas. Individuals unconsciously pump their gas with the only intention to be able to get from one place to another. Everyone knows the amount of consequences that may arise from this certain action, but no one really pays attention. The amount of pollution that is created from pumping gas is at alarming rates and is slowly taking a toll on the atmosphere. Transportation is the largest single source of air pollution in the United States. This includes air pollution emitted during vehicle operation, refueling, and manufacturing. These simple actions cause over a third of the contaminated chemicals in the air, and all people are worried about is if they will make it to work on time. With both the amount of cars on the road, and the escalating population rates, Hardin is trying to persuade readers that people need to take action and by persuading the audience, Hardin is engaging in a form of rhetoric. â€Å"Pollution will not be controlled unless population is controlled† (Hardin, 44). â€Å"Even what we call ‘success’ may prove to be a bitter failure. Increasing the size of the population is generally held to be a good thing, but an even larger proportion of the world’s people is becoming convinced that the world is already overpopulated† (Hardin, 42). Increasing the population not only limits resources, it also increases the amount of misunderstanding to people â€Å"never do[ing] one thing†, which can potentially lead to a larger ecological crisis. There are many problems when it comes to population. Technology is expensive and with population growing, the price of natural resources is increasing as well. There are solutions to this issue though, but cannot be implemented right away. Hardin looks â€Å"toward voluntarism and persuasion to help create a climate of opinion that can some day support stronger measures† (Hardin, 45). By â€Å"doing the right thing†, Hardin rhetorically persuades the readers to engage in thoughtful actions that decreases the population. The first step to this solution is to create a 100% effective birth control. Society knows that contraception is not completely effective, but because of this, Hardin suggests we create a system for acceptability towards abortions if necessary. If birth control fails, abortions should be included as a â€Å"back up plan† with the cost of being preferably free. The problem with this proposal is that abortions are frowned upon in other countries. To avoid the abortion issue, young girls need to be taught to become independent and goal oriented instead of becoming a teenage mother. Now-a-days girls are so interested in creating their own little families and having children that they tend to forget the hardships of having child. We need to educate all of society so as to reduce this social pressure, and consequently reduce the number of semi-reluctant mothers, who are probably not the best ones to raise children anyway† (Hardin, 46). Having a child when the woman is a child herself is not healthy, but is a prime example to Hardin’s argument. By creating children for the wrong reasons relates to creating an invisible reverberations. At the time it sounds great to have a child, but the aftermath consequences do not balance out. As a society, individuals need to create a culture of acceptability to smaller families. The world is slowly becoming more accustomed to this new culture, but still needs improvement. Garrett Hardin wants to leave his readers with a prolonged thought to help the world. He enriches his readers with evidence that support his idea of having an ecological crisis. Hardin explains that everyone is at fault when it comes to harming the world, but there are ways to solve this conflict and that is population control. Although the solution may not be easy, Hardin wants people to understand the consequences of their actions, because until then, the ecological crisis is going to continue to increase.

Definition of Corruption Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Definition of Corruption - Literature review Example Such public servants take bribes before offering services to the large population that needs attention from them. The practice is high in government offices that deal with the processing of documents and public hospitals. Grand corruption This form of corruption is rampant in the highest ranks of the government. It is mostly perpetuated by high-ranking officials and is highly visible in authoritarian and dictatorial government settings. However, emerging democracies have embraced the division of labor in the government thus trying to combat the vice. The executive, judiciary and the legislature are therefore allowed to operate independently from each other. Systemic corruption This occurs where there is a widespread of corruption activities in the society mainly caused by weaknesses of an organization or governance process. It is encouraged by low pay in organizations, lack of honesty, impunity, monopolistic governance, discretional powers, and conflicting incentives. It includes ext ortion, embezzlement, and bribery of public officials. In this occurrence, corruption becomes a necessity for survival. The spread of corruption Corruption is widespread in society. It has corroded every aspect of our society ranging from government institutions to private institutions. Joseph in the book political corruption describes all institutions as being corrupt from the core (42). Right from childhood, children become corrupt because of the examples they see from the older generations. Hence, corruption can be said to be a deep-rooted problem in the society Philosophical issues related to corruption Corruption is a social problem in the world today. Due to corruption, innocent people suffer at the expense of corrupt leaders. Corruption has led to the following: Increase in poverty in the society Corruption is a game of survival for the fittest. The corrupt individuals are able to increase their income and safeguard their wealth as compared to middle class individuals. This h as led to increase in the gap between the rich and the poor. In countries where corruption is widespread, the level of economic development is very slow because funds that could have been used in the developments are lost. Hence, such countries remain poor. Lack of good health care and education In most of the developing countries, corruption has led to the under-utilization of government funds. Such funds could have assisted in the provision of health care. Most public hospitals are therefore left without medicines and qualified doctors. economic

Language & Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language & Culture - Essay Example As the essay stresses language diversity has always existed in America. It has never declared any national language in the last 200 years. Until two decades ago, Americans did not have to provide bilingual ballots, education, publications, and similar services at public expense. To manage diversity many nations had to declare an official language but America did not have to. In the 19th century state laws, constitution and legislative proceedings appeared in languages as diverse as Welsh, Norwegian, Czech, Spanish, French, and German. America has migrants from many countries of the world. Three US States are officially bilingual. Louisiana has English and French, New Mexico (English and Spanish), and Hawaii (English and Hawaiian). This discussion declares that it is impossible to generalize the meaning of an official language. If a small country like Iceland declares an official language it is workable but it is not practical for a country like Canada. Recently the colony of Puerto Rico ended its official bilingualism in favor of Spanish as its sole official language. Japan is not adopting English as the second official language and it fears that it would lose its leading position in the world. It fears losing its culture if English is added as the second official language. Canada is officially bilingual under the Official Languages Act and the Constitution of Canada that require the federal government to deliver services in both official languages, namely English and French. Approximately 25% of Canadians speak French.

Case study on United Parcel Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Case study on United Parcel Service - Essay Example After achieving success with this venture, Jim Casey merged with Evert McCabe’s Motorcycle Messengers. Then as a step towards creating a unique brand, in 1919, the company expanded beyond Seattle and changed their name to United Parcel Service, and then onwards it has been an upward progress. â€Å"From its humble beginnings, UPS has grown into a global giant† (Deresky, 2006, 342) According to the Insiders as well as the industrial circles, UPS’s corporate culture is always on the fast edge of the hard-working culture to compliment it. Even though the job at UPS involves routine tasks, out of the ordinary things tend to happen and the corporate culture of UPS has inbuilt mechanisms to encourage decision-making and feedbacks to solve those things. UPSs e-commerce initiative has developed into a full-fledged one with specific a website (www.ec.ups.com) for operations. It features a fully functional online store with UPS’s e-business tools to guide potential customers. The other initiatives of UPS in e-commerce sector are Usenet, eVentures etc. Electronic Commerce or e-commerce is the term given to denote the virtual marketplace where buying, selling and transactions involving goods, services etc takes place with the Internet as the base. Most major corporations have got themselves involved in this sector as the potential of e-commerce is growing every day with the ever-expanding Internet and information technology. The advantage is, it provides an easy and secure way for customers to effect transactions. It shrinks the physical distances and gives a wider choice to make about products and services. It also gives the feature of fast transactions, where every business can be done in seconds. UPS like the other majors joined the bandwagon of e-commerce, patronizing it fully. That is, with the spread of the Internet in the decade of 90’s, UPS saw the prospects and created a separate department for it in 1996.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words - 1

Report - Essay Example Part 3 includes a discussion on reflective practices, learning, learning styles and models of learning along with a discussion on reflective writing. The report is concluded by summarizing the overall insights from the write up. Motivation is a well-known and well defined theoretical construct that finds wide application in learning. It is a major construct that is used to define human behaviour. This involves both the internal as well as external factors that stimulate energy and desire among individuals or groups of people to be interested in any subject, role or job and remain committed and interested in the job, subject or role and also, to make suitable efforts to attain a particular goal. Motivation is considered to be a result of the interactions between the conscious and the unconscious factors within an individual. The factors that can create motivation are the expectations and personal objectives of a person of a group, the reward or incentive value of the objective and the intensity of the need or desire to attain the goal. These factors are the key deciders of motivation level within a person or a group because these are the basic reasons that a human being has for behaving in a particular manne r. An example may be that a student gives extra time to study a particular subject in which he/she wants to get a good grade. Motivation can be segregated into two major types. These are inherent motivation and extrinsic motivation. Inherent motivation is that type of motivation which is driven by any interest or delight of the person in the assignment itself. Inherent motivation exists within a person and does not depend on the external factors and the desire for recognitions and rewards. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation comes from the influence of the external factors like recognitions, rewards as well as negative factors like punishment and misbehaviour. The factor of competition is an important extrinsic motivator because

A Joint Venture Company. What Is The Difference Between This Type Of Essay

A Joint Venture Company. What Is The Difference Between This Type Of Companies And Joint Stock Companies - Essay Example Since a joint venture partnership company is only formed for the short term, it terminates when the purpose of the joint venture partnership company is fulfilled. Similarly, each party also contributes in the assets to start up this joint venture. Most often, companies use joint ventures as a means of infiltrating foreign markets where they see potential and seek to do business in. for instance, if a foreign company is interested in doing business in China, they will form a joint venture company with a domestic Chinese firm which will help them gain access to the Chinese market due to the experience of the domestic company which already knew the ropes of how to function in the local Chinese market. Furthermore, when foreign companies enter into joint venture partnership companies with domestic firms of the market that they want to enter and operate in, they are not the only ones who benefit from the arrangement. Domestic firms are at an advantage in this arrangement too, they benefit from the new technological and business practices that the foreign firms bring to their market which serve as a learning experience for the domestic firms, consequently expanding their horizons. The foreign companies benefit from the value provided to them by the domestic company’s pre-existing relationship with the key players in the domestic government and industry. In more technical terms, a joint venture is treated like a regular partnership business for taxation purposes. However, joint ventures that transcend the boundaries of one country and go global are subject to international trade laws as well as the internal laws of the government of the economy they plan to penetrate. (Joint Venture, 2010). According to Folta (2012), who writes about foreign joint ventures in China, talks about how joint ventures a way for foreign firms to get past the barriers of the local Chinese market and reap the benefits of business operations in the local market. While talking about the advantages of joint venture partnership companies, the author mentions several factors that come into play. Other advantages of joint venture partnership companies include the fact thet they alleviate rich, grant access to domestic markets, are easier to manage and offer benefits in terms of tax advantages. â€Å"Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances† talks about the effective connection among the three entities in business. As the authors point out, joint ventures have one of the highest crash rates in the world. (Glover and Wasserman, 2003). Yet, still joint ventures are becoming a growing trend in the modern globalized world. (Gutterman, 1997). As can be deduced, this paradigm shift has been due to the vast avenue of opportunities that globalization has opened up for businesses all over the world. They have now become interested in foreign economies as lucrative sources of investment and income for their business operations and joint venture companies provid e them an ideal platform to increase their reach into the market of a foreign economy they are interested in. Visconti (2003) in his book â€Å"Joint Venture† also talks about the topic along similar lines. Joint stock companies on the other hand are companies set up for business activity with the profit motive with profit divided among the owners who are the share holders in proportion to the amount of stock they own in the company. When owners invest in a joint stock company they receive shares in return for that investment. The business operatio

BS (Britsh standard) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

BS (Britsh standard) - Essay Example Managing obsolescence has been proved to be one of the major challenges for a graduate design engineer as obsolescence can adversely affect the life of products in almost all of their stages. The use of commercial parts in systems and the large increase in commercial products have accelerated the rate of obsolescence. As obsolescence is an inevitable part as far as various products are concerned, the only possible solution is to minimize the rate of obsolescence with proper and effective management strategies and planning: â€Å"Obsolescence is inevitable and it cannot be ignored but forethought and careful planning can minimize its impact and its potentially high costs† (British Standard p.1). Obsolescence management thus assumes special significance as it is â€Å"an integral part of design, development, production and in-service support† (British Standard p. 1). The British standard is significant and it is selected for the purpose of study due to its unavoidable imp ortance in effective design management systems. The British standard is relevant and significant to any graduate design engineer because it offers certain clear-cut guidelines â€Å"for establishing a framework for obsolescence management and for planning a cost-effective obsolescence management process that is applicable through all phases of the product life cycle† (British Standard p. 1). The standard is applied to all types of products whether they are electronic, electrical or electro-mechanical components. Thus, for a graduate design engineer a thorough knowledge of the various provisions that can ensure the quality and life cycle costs of various products. The process for selecting the British Standard on obsolescence management include the identification of the potential factors that cause o obsolescence, identification of the possible risks involved in the process, calculation of

Discuss the ethical implications for soldiers who operate unmanned Essay

Discuss the ethical implications for soldiers who operate unmanned weapons systems - Essay Example Its human nature to fight, and there are no two opinions about the fact that as long as this human race is on the earth, wars will be fought. But perhaps the way wars are fought have changed from time to time. People generally do not agree with the fact that robots should be given that much space in the warfare as they do lack human emotions. When it comes to the debate concerning unmanned systems and who operates them, the British secretary of state has given a very appropriate description by saying that, â€Å"We risk continuing to fight a twenty first century conflict with twentieth century rules.† (Singer, 382), the reason for him to say this is that now wars do not have any place for emotions, mostly they are fought on the basis of ‘kill or be killed’(Atkin, 81). There are great number of rules which are set before a war is commenced, these rules are formed using holy books to conventions and treaties among countries. Mostly these rules try to specify distinc tion between murders and self-defense actions. The ICRC is the only organization which has a voice when it comes to wars and its weapons and what are the humane ways to apply these weapons in wars. There are four basic rules which are applied on weapons used in wars, which are as follows: First nations have to choose the methods and means to fight which is rather very limited (Singer 384). If this rule is not applied by the nations serious consequences would be implied to the whole world. As when in WWII Japan experienced nuclear bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki it was clear that such lethal weapons needed to be banned (Bidwai, and Vanaik, 142). Secondly weapons which cannot discriminate between civilians and warriors are strictly prohibited (Singer, 384). This is the most serious problem which is affecting the morality code when it comes to using any kind of weapons not just unmanned ones. Weapons causing unnecessary suffering are not allowed either (Singer, 384). Again a war is not meant to hurt commoners, and it is also not meant to put any one in a position where the suffering gets unbearable, as everyone knows that in Hiroshima and Nagasaki physically disabled children were born for years due to the after effects of nuclear radiations (Sahu, 189). Lastly any weapons that the international community decides are objectionable for any reason are forbidden (Singer, 384). A great number of weapons have been disallowed to be used in wars, especially weapons of mass destruction (Langford, 4). Unmanned weapons in the warfare have been introduced to save man force from major suffering when battle field is rather intense, but sometimes it looks like these weapons are serving the reverse purpose, by committing innocent lives’ massacre. The second rule of not letting weapons in to the war which cannot differentiate between commoners and enemy soldiers usually prohibits weapons of mass destruction but still these rules could not be properly implemented when w ars are fought. Even today drones are being used to find terrorists, and in the midst innocent people are being killed (Sheehan, 113). So the unsolved query is whether the ethical implication are getting applied in their true spirit, in today’s era when every country is trying to prove its mettle by letting others know what they have in terms of

Why are Underdeveloped Countries Underdeveloped Essay

Why are Underdeveloped Countries Underdeveloped - Essay Example Yet development lags and some are arguing that the traditional means of attempting to spur development in these places simply does not work. The wisdom of direct relief payments and loans is being questioned. There appears to be a â€Å"giving† fatigue that is setting in amongst the wealthiest individuals, governments and organizations. The feeling that no amount of money can really spur true development in the poorest nations is disheartening, but real. Some scholars are suggesting that the root causes of the lack of development must first be addressed before real development can take place. The economic geographer Paul Collier suggests that there are four traps that developing nations fall into that keeps them in a perpetual state of underdevelopment and poverty (2007). The problem of eliminating poverty on the national and personal level then, is much more complicated as a result of these traps when considered individually or collectively. Nations that continue to struggle to meet the most basic demands of their citizens despite ample aid are hampered by conflicts and civil wars; corrupt governments, a dependence on natural resources for revenue and unfortunate geographical positioning. Conflict is the first and most prevalent trap that developing nations find themselves facing. Civil wars are common among the poorest nations for several reasons. One stems from the fact that in the poorest nations, there is always a political elite that concentrates wealth in the hands of the very few. This disparity, coupled with high unemployment rates among young men creates a situation where individuals view armed conflict as a legitimate means of accomplishing social justice (Hookway, 2000). Rebels in the Philippines were emboldened after European nations paid large sums of money to free hostages they had taken. Soon, many were scrambling to join the rebels, not because they were ideologically opposed to the current regime in Manila, but because they wanted to ca sh in on kidnapping tourists. As will be discussed later, the wealth of natural resources is also something that spurs conflict. Precious metals and minerals are often the target of rebel forces in developing nations. The real purpose of many civil wars in developing nations is for control of oil wells or diamond mines. The unequal opportunities for obtaining wealth in the developing world makes armed conflict very attractive to unemployed young men. The costs of warfare are felt for many years after the war is over. Some estimates state that on average, an economy shrinks at about 2.3% each year during a civil war (Collier and Hoeffler, 2005). If the conflict continues for a decade, the country will be 23% poorer than when the strife continued. With economies that grow slowly as a result of underdevelopment, the poorest nations may be looking at a decade of growth being consumed by the conflict. The propensity of fall back into armed conflict only heightens the effects of conflict on developing nations. A second trap that keeps the poorest nations poor is depending on resource extraction and exports for a large portion of national income. The more diverse the national economy, the more able the economy is to resist recession (Kirk, 1997). Diverse economies have been linked to greater political and economic stability. Depending on one commodity, such as oil or gold, is risky because it exposes the nation to boom and bust cycles. A good example of this was experienced in Nigeria. The discovery of oil in the Niger Delta was thought to be a great boon to Nigeria. Development activities began in earnest in the 1970’

Common Law Essay Example for Free

Common Law Essay a)Â  In a letter dated 14/02/2011, the manager (Dave) of Excellent Foods (EF) outlined conditions in writing to the manager (Ben) of Safe Foods (SF) in relation to the purchase of EF. These conditions were that SF must pay the valued amount of EF, which totaled $120,000, $30,000 more than the original amount that SF had been prepared to pay and stipulated during earlier negotiations. At the time of the earlier negotiations, SF also had set a purchase requirement, which was that EF’s sales must increase by 20% over the next two months and if this requirement was met, SF would be prepared to pay the ,000. After earlier negotiations, EF had their business valued at $120,000 and notified SF of the valuation and that they now required this amount, not the $90,000 that SF had offered. SF did not reply to EF. Whilst EF met the sales increase target and forwarded the record of sales to SF along with the transfer of business contract as well as a new condition of the contract being that EF require 10% of the 120,000 within 14 days, SF responded in writing stating they no longer were interested in purchasing EF. It would appear that EF are no longer interested in purchasing SF due to the $30,000 price increase and the term that they would now need to pay 10% within 14 days. An important aspect in forming a legally binding contract is giving and receiving the acceptance of an offer. The requirement of acceptance with every binding legal contact is tied closely to the concept of unqualified mutual assent. Only when both parties have given their mutual consent does the law consider a binding legal contact to have been formed. Hence, if the offeree remains silent, their silence cannot constitute an acceptance.[1] Another important aspect when creating a legally binding contract is that the acceptance of the offer must exactly mirror the terms and conditions of the offeree and vice versa. If there is even a slight difference, this will most likely not constitute a valid acceptance. If an offer is made that does not mirror the terms of the original offer, than this is considered a counter-offer, which now negates the original offer. An example of this is demonstrated in the case of Hyde v Wrench (1840) where Wrench offers to sell his land to Hyde for the price of 1200 pounds of which Hyde declined to accept. Wrench responded with a counter-offer of 1000 pounds and Hyde responded with another counter-offer of 950 pounds. When Wrench declined the counter offer, Hyde decided he would accept the earlier offer of 1000 pounds, however Wrench decided he would no longer sell his land to Hyde for this amount. As Hyde had made another counter-offer after the earlier offer, the offer of 1000 pounds was now destroyed. Hyde sued Wrench for breach of contract claiming that the earlier offer was not withdrawn however the court found that Wrench did not need to withdraw the offer of 1000 pounds as it was destroyed when the counter-offer of 950 pounds was made.[2] In this case, SF made an offer to EF, being $90,000 if sales increase by 20% in two months. EF later responded with a counter-offer of $120,000, which then destroyed the earlier offer of $90,000. SF did not respond to this counter offer, therefore not accepting the new offer. EF also added terms to the offer that were not previously discussed with SF, which also did not mirror the terms of the earlier offer of which the court considers being a strict requirement for full and unequivocal assent.[3] Excellent Foods cannot commence an action for breach of contract against Safe Foods as the counter-offer negates the original offer of which Safe Foods did not respond to and therefore is not considered as an acceptance of the terms. b)Â  Promissory estoppel is an equitable action, which is designed to enforce promises made from one party to another where the promises are not supported by consideration. The doctrine of promissory estoppel can only be applied if a clear promise was made from the promisor to the promisee, if the promisse has suffered a significant loss from the promiser now going back on its promise, if the promiser acted unconscionably, and if the promisse undertook certain acts (or refrained from undertaking certain acts) due to the promiser’s initial promise. A leading case which illustrates the purpose of promisary estoppal is Waltons Stores v Maher where Waltons negotiated with Maher over the grant of a lease of property that Maher owned. Maher agreed to demolish a building in order to make way for a new custom designed building to be occupied by Waltons. Changes and agreements were made by both parties over the following months. Waltons later decided that they no longer required the building after Maher had already informed then that they were proceeding with the demolition and despite being aware of this, advised their solicitors to ‘go slow’ in informing Maher of their reservations. Due to Maher having initially received a clear promise, suffered considerable loss and completed many acts under the belief that Waltons would go ahead with the promise as well as Waltons acting unconscionably against Maher in ‘going slow’ in informing Maher of their true intentions, Maher was able to rely on promisary estoppel and therefore won on first instance and later at the appeal.[4] In this case, Excellent Foods did not suffer any considerable loss from Safe Foods not following through with the business transfer. Whilst there was an initial promise made by SF to EF, EF later requested 10% of the transfer price of $120,000 within 14 days– a term that had not previously been negotiated. It may be because of this term that SF does not wish to continue with the transfer in which case they have not acted unconscionably. EF informed SF in writing that they did not wish to continue with the transfer.

The Hospitality And Tourism Industry In Kenya

The Hospitality And Tourism Industry In Kenya Tourism in Kenya dates back to pre-independence days and as recorded in history as early as the 1930s (Tourism in Kenya). In the early days the bulk of the tourist that visited Kenya did so mainly to take part in the gaming industry in the game hunting expeditions, while the other were the typical old tourist that travelled for Sun Sea and Sand which is one of the tourism products offered by Kenyas tourism industry. In the early days the tourism industry in Kenya attracted first world rulers e.g. The queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II and the President of the United States of America Theodore Roosevelt. Infrastructure As expected the infrastructure that was available in Kenya in the 1930s was less than ideal or/and adequate to facilitate the new growing trend in Kenya which was tourism, never the less the tourism industry was steadily growing. Kenya gained independence in December 1963 (Kenya Timeline) after that time the infrastructure also grew but it is still said to be in an extremely poor state. The infrastructure includes: Electricity Telecommunications Roads Transport The government has urged the public and private sector to work cohesively to achieve an infrastructural development in the country, which would ultimately develop and increase the tourist arrivals to the country. Kenyas tourism is heavily comprised of natural attractions. It is stated that approximately 10% of the country has been reserved for the preservation of the natural attractions and wildlife (Tourism in Kenya) The tourism industry has evolved with the emergence of the new tourist, which brought along new forms of tourism for the country; it include Domestic Tourism, Community and Eco Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Business Tourism and Sport Tourism. Eco tourism is the prevailing form of tourism for in the country with the 10% dedicated by the government for its natural reserve Kenya Eco tourism attractions:- Game viewing expeditions (Flora) This form eco tourism can be linked to the Pre-independence day, where the old tourist travelled for the hunting of the game and Sun, Sea and Sand, with the evolution of the new tourist this has brought along the new game viewing expeditions, where the tourist no longer hunt the animals but view the animals of the country on a Safari. The country has its popular animal attractions which are now commonly called the big five that include the popular: Elephant Rhino Lion Buffalo Leopard (Tourism in Kenya) Plant watching (Fauna) The tree and flowers watching tourism in Kenya is jointly part of the Kenyan agricultural industry, which is the main contributor to the Kenyan GDP. Kenya climatic seasons are similar to those in the Caribbean with a dry and rain season annually. The rainy season in Kenya is responsible for the boom in the fauna of the country. This is the season where the trees and flowers bloom whereas the dry season is quite different. The trees drop their leaves and the flowers dry up. A tourist that visits Kenya in the dry season would have a different experience to a tourist that visit in the rainy season in regards to the country fauna. Safari A safari is another natural way to enjoy the natural aspect of Kenya while understanding the native people and observing their natural lifestyle. The safari is also a main way to enjoy the game viewing expeditions through Kenyas forest reserve. Economical Factors Multiplier Effect The tourism industry is heavily dependent on other industries in Kenya to be a successful industry that caters to its tourist. A main dependency of the tourism industry is the agriculture industry. The agricultural which is predominantly responsible for the food and beverage industry that provides the food that is being served to the tourist. Other industries include the: Textile, transportation and entertainment industries. A multiplier effect is very evident within the economy, to sustain the other industries, the tourist dollar is extremely important to the country. Tourism Employees Kenyas tourism industry caters to the employment of 500,000 Kenyans (National Geographic 2010). These Kenyans have positions in the tourism industry ranging from the service e.g. Tour Guides for Kenyas ever growing Game industry and Safari to the management sector in hotels and Tour Operators. Negative Factors Affecting the Tourism Industry Lacks of awareness of the people The people of Kenya are never included in the decisions brought about from the government and private institutions to the development of the Kenyan tourism as a product. Negatively this would prompt the nationals to act negatively towards the tourist and encourage them to deface the infrastructure of the country, this could also prompt them into vandalizing the belongings of the tourist. Socio-culturally With the improvement in the tourism industry and the influx of tourist into country brought along the ways and attitudes of the new world, negatively this has impacted on the culture by, the increase of prostitution, lack of traditional rites and performances etc. Terrorism Threat The bombing of the US Embassy in 1998 and attempted bombing in Mombasa 2002, has prompted countries to issue negative travel advisory to Kenya which negatively affected the tourist arrivals to the country as depicted in the statistical data. Kenya is a country with a diverse range of tourism products that cater to many types of tourism as mentioned previously. The country is heavily focused on maintaining its natural aspect as well as developing in a sustainable manner keeping with its eco tourism trend as it foremost tourism product. Overall the tourism industry is slowly increasing despite the negative factors that thrown them they were able to increase and move on.

The Lost Phoebe Analysis

The Lost Phoebe Analysis In the story of The Lost Phoebe, Theodore Dreiser writes a story about a man and his wife. Dreiser tells so much about the mans childhood and early adulthood because he was showing the reader how Henry Reifsneider was doomed to suffer in isolation at the end of his life. The man, Henry Reifsneider, had lived with someone all his life. He lived with his parents until he fell in love. When Henry fell in love, and decided to get married, his parents invited his bride-to-be to live with him. Henry married Phoebe when he was just twenty-one years old and .had been married for forty-eight years. He also continued to live with his parents until they passed away ten years after his marriage to Phoebe. Their death probably would have been the first time that he had to deal with the idea of people, in which he cared a great deal for, leaving his life forever. Dreiser does not mention anything about other people, such as grandparents so it would be unknown to the reader if he ever knew them. He lived with Phoebe for forty-eight years until her death, this was, probably the worst goodbye this man had ever had to endure. Forty eight years of marriage yielded seven children. Three of his children had passed away, further setting the scene for this poor mans isolation. The rest of these children had moved away to other cities, some other states. It seems as if there was no time in his life that he was alone until the death of his wife. Phoebe became sick when she was sixty-four years old. The disease she came down with might have been curable if it was not for her age. He followed her body to her resting place consumed with grief and uncertain as to what he should do next, or what the rest of his days would bring. Even though his children and friends asked him to come and stay with him and let them take care of him, he was so set in his ways that he would not dare to budge. The next couple of months were spent dwelling on her death. He will not leave his home and could not care less if there were visitors to the home. He knows that it will soon be his turn to die and it seems, to me anyway, that he welcomed death. He could again be with his love only if he passed away. Henry gradually started to put his wifes things away, but five months after her death a change had begun in him and his isolation had gotten the better of him. Late one night, after a particularly restless night, shapes in his house began to take the shape of his wife. Of course, when he went to her he found that it was all in his imagination. Shortly, he thought he saw her in the yard. When his Phoebe was alive he would accuse her of moving his things. She would always have the same come back of telling him that if he continued to accuse her of these things that she was going to leave him. She would also claim that he would never find her if she did decide to leave. It did not take long for his mess up mind to think that she had, in fact, made good on his promises. Since he had packed up some of her things, it gave his dementia the reasoning it needed to support his claim. In his mind, he had not packed her things away, she had packed her things. The first place he went to look for his wife was at her friends house, Mrs. Race. He told her friend that he and his Phoebe had gotten in an argument and had left in the middle of the night. She, of course, realizes, that he has lost his mind without his dear Phoebe and tries to go along with his mad fantasy, so that she could keep him there until someone could get there to help this poor man. He would not stay any longer. He was a man on a mission; he would find her and bring her home. He walked around all day asking anyone who would listen if they had seen his wife and telling them the same story. Someone did call the authorities, but the authorities dismissed him as being a harmless old man, who would be in less danger to himself if they had left him to walk the miles he did ever day than if they put him in some sort of hospital or nursing home. Most of the county knew who he was and pitied him. His neighbors would do their best to take care of him, feed him and whatever they can do for him. As the years go by, Henry loses his mind more and more. Dreiser skips ahead three years. In this three years Henry has spent the entire day, every day walking miles and miles looking for his dead wife. His mind is so gone that he believes that she left him on purpose while everyone else knows his wife, Phoebe is dead. If he could only find her he believes he could convince her to come home. No one knows how he handled the cold weather, the rain, or other harsh weather. I suppose his love for his wife and hope that he would find out where she had gone would have carried him through the bad weather or it could have been part of his mental illness. In the end the apathetic views of Henry Reifsneider cost Henry his life. One night the old man thought he saw his wife. She looked as she was fifty five years before. He had walked off a cliff and was found laying at the bottom with a smile on his face. He had found his lost Phoebe, as he had promised her he would do if she ever left him. The story of The Lost Phoebe is a perfect example of the new ideas in psychology that influenced the Modernist movement. Theodore Dreiser was interested in the chaotic view of man and it truly shows in this story.

Positive Depiction of Communism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Series E

Red Revised In a recent article concerning the political movement behind followers of Garabandal, journalist Barry Hanratty reports â€Å"to speak of communism today almost seems anachronistic† (Hanratty). Communism today does seem to be an oxymoron. The United States’ Cold War politics have trapped communism in a different century and attached to this word those negative feelings once associated with foreign Communist powers. Americans have now forgotten the actual definition of communism, relying solely on the propaganda fed to America during its wars against communist nations and particularly Joseph McCarthy’s time in Congress. However, some individuals in America are moving past the propaganda and looking at communism at the root of its definition, seeing it - not as a totalitarian form of government, but rather as a system which distributes all property of a community equally among community members, making social class nonexistent and all individuals share equal economic status. Fran Rubel Kuzui proved to be one of those individuals by directing the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer which shows communism as something positive rather than threatening. The episode that exemplifies this most is â€Å"Normal Again.† In this episode, Kuzui uses the two realities Buffy finds herself in to contrast communism with capitalism, showing not only a preference to communism, but also that it has a place in a new generation. Each form of the two economic systems are established in their respective realities through camera angles. In the reality where Buffy is a vampire slayer, the camera shoots everything at a level angle. When her friends help Buffy up off the bench in the graveyard, the camera follows Buffy in a way that... ...ording to his need. Our nation’s history with communism has clouded this economic philosophy, thereby preventing the youth of the United States to weigh communism fairly. â€Å"Normal Again† gives a new generation a new perspective. This episode opened up the possibility that the capitalism that rules America may be just as constricting and frustrating as a mental institution; that the only escape may be the equality-centered community communism offers. Works Cited Page Hanratty, Barry. â€Å"Garabandal’s Prophecy about Communism.† The Workers of Our Lady. Bishop Roman Danylak. 27 Oct. 2007 . Trbic, Boris. â€Å"Dark is the Night.† Australian Screen Education 41 (2006): 34-8. Whedon, Joss, prod. â€Å"Normal Again.† Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Sixth Season on DVD. Twentieth Century Fox, 2004.

What Is Changing In The Technology Of Heavy Construction Mac :: essays research papers

SUBJECT: What is changing in the technology of heavy construction machinery?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In being one of the leaders in the construction industry, it is our duty to keep up with and push ourselves in acquiring upcoming technology. As per your request on the topic, we have created a team to not only acknowledge some of the possibilities we may be faced with in the future, but to assess the causes and effects of the technology advancement. As one of the nation’s top contractors, we know first hand the importance that quality equipment plays in the completion of projects and percentage of profits retained from those projects. One vital piece of machinery that is not functioning properly can effortlessly place a job behind schedule and behind budget. And so it is easy to understand how any possible progression of equipment science could be of great importance to the company. In this report, we want to focus on two links stemming from the subject of construction equipment technology. The first point being, theoretical causes for technology advancement and the second point being, conceptual ideas currently in the works. In our research, we found that concrete findings were rare and few between, being that much of this subject is speculation or â€Å"napkin† design ideas. However; with all that our society is accomplishing and inventing everyday, it is easy to visualize the possibilities that we may be looking forward to in the coming years. Causes: Some theoretical explanations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no exact, scientific reason for which manufactures are looking to the future of construction machinery and seeing the equipment being run by computers, not operators. But there are some theoretical reasons why. To begin with, there is currently a shortage of skilled operators being felt by many companies; including ours. Along with this shortage of skilled operators, follows a shortage of skilled repair technicians to fix any malfunctioned machinery. The reason for this is that the present skilled labor coming into our work force is more educated . Therefore; they are more technical in most respects, and less interested in operated machinery then in controlling it. One reasons for this effect is thought to be due in part to the reality that kids in recent decades were not brought up playing with their toy trucks in the dirt outside, but with computer and video games. Each new generation is raised with a greater knowledge and understanding of technology, what its possibilities are and what it can do for them.

Burton Snowboards Essay

In what ways does Burton Snowboards create utility for its different types of customers? Burton create utility for people who would like to enjoy a different type of activity in the snowing environment: †¢ Form utility: Burton took the idea of building the snowboard from snurfer which use to be received as a toy modify its concept to create a snowboard that can be perceived as a winter sport activity. †¢ Time utility: Burton’s snowboards products are available for people who enjoy snowboarding during the winter and snowing season which are suitable for snowboarding in ski mountains. Place utility: Burton made alliance with ski resorts to provide he snowboarding activity in ski mountains when the customers want to try different kind of winter sport. †¢ Ownership utility: Burton snowboard sells snowboard for the customers who like snowboarding activity around the world through a network of 3000 dealers sells the product. How can event marketing help Burton expand the customer base for its products? Burton conducts event marketing to allow people to try out the products for free; this will give the people to have an actual experience of the product and the activity that stays in the people’s memory, also the old customers can be invited and can give testimonies for the people about the product this is a good way to deliver the message about the product and increase the awareness as well. Burton runs about 400 demos around the word, these demos can maximize the audience involvement and interaction, so people remember and recall the product later at the time of buying. Suggest additional ways Burton snowboards marketers can use the Internet to more effectively build relationships and market their products? Burton snowboard can use the email newsletters to communicate with the existent customer and interested customers as well. It helps to provide an update about the company’s events and new products introduced. Customers will be kept updated about the company occasionally about the latest news, announcements or promotions. Blog is a great tool to provide two ways communications with the customers and people that share similar interests; Burton can recruit bloggers to write blogs about the events and products or any articles about the industry, and let the people response to them and share their ideas and inquiries. Burtons can join famous social network such as Facebook and twitter and allow many fans to join them this will enable burtons to update their fans about the event, offers, products, services and discuss related matters between fans. Relationship marketing is key to Burton’s success. Suggest two or three steps that the firm should be consider taking during the next five years to further enhance its relationships with the consumers and ski resorts? Burtons should take advantage of the best technology to easily keep track of business partners and customers preferences; this will help to identify key sales processes and provide ideas about the marketing plans for the existent customers and partners. Burtons should invest in its employees, training them to develop their interpersonal skills to deal with practical details of customers and their ability to handle complains and problems in order to exceed customer expectations about the services quality presented. Burtons can provide some sort of loyalty program for the existent customers to reward and motivate them to deal more with the company; this will enhance their relationship with the company and retain them at a lower cost of marketing.

Jasper Jones Southern Gothic Genre Essay

There are points in a person’s life when they must grow, drop their naà ¯ve illusions about the world and step into the shoes of an adult and accept the harsh reality of life. Jasper Jones is a ‘coming of age’ novel written by Craig Silvey set in small town Corrogan. With the main theme being right of passage or coming of age. Jasper Jones has been compared to a Southern Gothic Genre story. Using the narrative conventions of characterisation, setting and language elements of Jasper Jones will be shown to have a connection to the Southern Gothic Genre. Using the narrative convention of characterisation particularly of the novels protagonist Charlie Bucktin is the perfect example of a coming of age character in which Charlie overcomes the obstacles set before him to emerge as a stronger and well-developed character. A good example is on page 12, Craig Silvey demonstrates how the Southern gothic genre by using this example ‘It is a girl†¦ she is pale. In the silver light I can see she bears scratches down her arms and her calves and her face is smudged and bruised and bloody†¦ she is still. She is limp†¦ her head is to the side, like a piece of biblical art. She looks disappointed and sad. Surrendered†¦ â€Å"Who is it† Jasper Jones takes some time to answer Laura Wishart. Its Laura.’ We can infer the text that despite witnessing what appears to be a brutal murder Charlie still has enough presence of mind to think and plan and not be overwhelmed by the tragic death ha has just witnessed. Throug hout the story of Jasper Jones Charlie sees or reads some of the darker truths if the world beyond the naiveties of a child Charlie experiences: death, torture, racism, hypocrisy, abuse of power, adultery, scapegoat and other traumatic or dark experiences. Due to being subjected to this Charlie is forced to grow and step out of his comfort zone to take on the challenges and obstacles set before him throughout the course of the story. An example of this is Charlies confrontation of his greatest fear, insects. On pages 386-387 Craig Silvey demonstrates how Charlie comes of age by using this example ‘I look down. There’s a lumpy carpet of decaying peaches at my feet. It’s a windfall but  it does very little to dissolve my worry. Because hovering above them are dozens and dozens of insects. Mostly bees, I follow there flight and see a hive under a gutter in the house. There are black ants running trails, slaters and worms burrowing into the soft flesh. March flies, blowflies and houseflies. It’s the stuff of nightmares†¦ I look down my breath is short. There’s a teeming metropolis of insects down there†¦ I feel as though I’m already covered in them. Like they’re crawling all over my body, scratching and slithering. I clasp my hands together and grind my palms†¦ either way I have no choice I have to get brave.’ We can infer form these text extracts that from Charlies original plan to allow him safety, he must truly conquer is biggest fear. Because of the insects inside Jack Lionels background Charlie defeats his greatest fear and shows that he has developed from a boy full of fear into not a boy devoid of fear but one who has nonetheless conquered his fears. Charlie is faced with many obstacles found almost exclusively within Sothern Gothic Genre this link shows that elements of the Southern Gothic Genre are prevalent on Jasper Jones more specifically. Jasper Jones is set in a small town in Western Australia Corrogan, in the mid 1960s. Corrogan during the day is a beautiful town, full of kids playing sports. But at night Corrogan is a desolate place comparable to some settings of Southern Gothic Genre. On page 3 Craig Silvey demonstrates how the Southern Gothic Genre effects settings by using this example ‘After climbing my back fence we head downhill into Corrogan houses huddle and cluster together and then stop abruptly as we reach the middle of the town. This late the architecture is desolate and leeched of colour. It feels like we’re traipsing through a post card. We can infer from this text extract that small mining town Corrogan is a desolate place abstract of positive traits and full of decayed dark, derelict, desolate, disturbed and other characteristics only found exclusively within the Southern Gothic Genre. On page 300 Craig Silvey uses a second example of decayed or settings with this example ‘the yard beyond is scruffy and dilapidated. Along the boarder closest to the river, where the brush meets the property, a thick thatch of blackberries press through the rusted wire fence†¦ crows moan from grey leafless branches. They look like silhouettes. Crow shaped holes. We can infer from this text extract that Jack Lionels front yard during the night  is similar to the decayed, dark ominous and derelict settings often found within the Southern Gothic Genre. In addition each of there scenarios feature Charlie overcoming a fear and growing up or ‘coming of age’. Jasper Jones has been often compared to a Southern Gothic Genre one of the greatest examples of this is the speech used throughout Jasper Jones, particularly racism that is experienced most prominently by Jeffrey Lu and his family Craig Silvey takes advantage of the racism against Vietnamese within the specific time frame within Jasper Jones. Using racist phrases such as ‘fuck of Cong’ and ‘oh me so Solly’ page 78, creates a great example of Southern Gothic Genre using the flawed or deeply disturbed characters as a base. In addition to the racism experienced by Jeffrey there are examples of when his family is subjected to racism in particular Jeffrey’s father An Lu. When An Lu’s garden is affected by citizens of Corrogan the phrase ‘red rat’ is mentioned a racist phrase about Vietnamese. We can infer from this as another example of the flawed or deeply disturbed characters found in Southern Gothic Genre, In addition Jeffrey’ s immunity to the racist taunts shows his ‘unflappable’ will or coming of age outlook. In conclusion Jasper Jones has many likes to Southern Gothic Genre, in addition the main theme being coming of age or right of passage is seen repeatedly throughout Jasper Jones. Jasper Jones is connected to Southern Gothic Genre through the deeply disturbed or flawed characters and the decayed or derelict settings. Jasper Jones is a novel that has elements of Southern Gothic Genre all around it.

Aunt Jennifers Tigers

Ashlee Purcell Dr. Wagner Enc 1102 27, Nov. 2012 Critical Response Adrienne Rich was an amazing poet who expressed certain matters and women’s needs through her writings. Her poem â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† was used to express male and female relationships or maybe one in particular. Although many critics argue the point of view, the overall theme of â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† is Aunt Jennifer’s oppression through marriage, and the use of embroidery as the form of self-expression.The first verse of â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† is used to describe the tigers. They â€Å"prance across a screen†. This implies no sadness, the term â€Å"prance†, according to Dictionary. com, is defined to spring from the hind legs; to move by springing, as a horse, to ride gaily, proudly, or insolently, to move or go in an elated manner; cavort, and to dance or move in a lively or spirited manner; caper. This shows that the tige rs are moving in a happy, lively fashion. They are â€Å"topaz denizens of a world of green†.Topaz is unquestionably an ancient healing stone and gemstone. The Egyptians believed that topaz was colored with a golden glow of the mighty sun god Ra. Because of this they believed that topaz was very powerful and protected faithful against harm. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who was their god of sun. The Romans considered topaz to be a symbol of power of the ruler who had it. They also believed that it bestowed wisdom on the ruler. The royal crown of England is set with nearly five hundred topaz stones.These stones have been said to have been mined in the Erzgebirge better known as Ore Mountains. According to the Bible, topaz is one of the many stones that protect New Jerusalem. In ancient Mexico topaz was used in conflicts to ascertain the truth. Aunt Jennifer expressed herself as a tiger mixed with the topaz stone has a important meaning of a certain power, and these tigers are unafraid knowing of the power it holds according to the verse â€Å" They do not fear the man beneath the tree†. In the second verse Aunt jennifer’s fingers â€Å"flutter† through the wool.Although the meaning of the word flutter could be used both in a negative and positive way, they way send is having difficulty pulling the ivory needle in the next line persuades the reason to believe the fluttering is a sign of stress. Reading on to the next line, â€Å"The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band†, describes possibly why Aunt Jennifer is in distress. His wedding ring â€Å"sits heavily upon† her hand. The Uncle is not around anymore to wear his ring. Did he leave? Did he die? Because the ring itself cannot possibly be so heavy to affect her stitching, it must serve a symbolic meaning of the Uncle.How could the Uncle feel heavy upon Aunt Jennifer? Was he violent, demanding or opressive to Aunt Jennifer? Althought we are not prov ided with any further information I believe it is safe to say the Uncle had some kind of a negative effect on Jennifer’s emotional state if she is displaying physical signs of agitation. Work Cited â€Å"Adrienne Rich. † Wikipedia. org. Wikipedia. 1 Mar 2009. Rich, Adrienne. â€Å"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers. † Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Kennedy, X. J. , Dana Gioia. New York: 2010. Print.

Thesis Essay

Foremost, eating Exploders gave symptoms like food poisoning. My family's dies were rejecting the snack by both vomiting and having diarrhea. The whole family was up all night throwing up, gagging burping, and coughing, which lead to exhaustion because the Exploders made them so sick. It is weeks later, and many of the symptoms have continued. This creates the first major problem for your product, as well as gives me concerns for the health and well-being of my family. Studies show that, when children get sick from food, there is a 40% chance they will never eat again.My husband, who is a well-regarded doctor, said ‘the Exploders caused the illness and something eke this should never happen to the public. When you sell a product, it is the company's obligation to test it first so things like this don't happen to innocent consumers. † The word obligation informed me that you are required to check your product before selling it, when obviously, you did not. With everyone in my house sick from one serving of candy, it is hard to keep up with the kids' academic studies and after school activities. My children are falling behind because of consuming your product; that is unacceptable.If making my family sick was not enough, they taste atrocious and caused my family to gag. The flavor was not enjoyable and left a strange aftertaste. The package clearly stated a â€Å"guaranteed amazing fruity flavor that everyone loves. † When someone guarantees something that means it will always be true. This was not true for anyone that tried the candy, so it is not true. I do not know how anyone could enjoy the awful flavor. Although, the initial reaction to the â€Å"candy† gave me a laugh, it was unnecessary to make a food with such a horrendous taste. When people pop candy in their mouth, they expect a sweet, gratifying taste.They certainly do not expect something that tastes like the butt of an elephant. One of my children started crying and gagging when the Exploders first hit her tongue. â€Å"It burns my throat! † she screamed. Even my husband complained and choked out how gruesome these candy balls were and he never complains about â€Å"sweets. † Finally, Exploders permanently harms and damages the stomach and throat. Instead of just getting my husband's professional opinion, we got the viewpoint of an Audiologist's to assess our symptoms. He concludes that Exploders cause severe, permanent damage to your vocal chords and stomach lining.This is in no way acceptable and I demand that no one else as to go through being sick and harmed by your defective product. The juices from this â€Å"candy† hurt vital organs and could potentially kill someone. It is unacceptable that you have not removed the item from stores. I know I am not the first citizen to complain about your inferior product. You are putting your own customers in serious danger just to make a profit with your lame piece of candy. They cause pe rmanent damage to customers, make everyone sick, and taste terrible. Thesis Essay Romeos guilty pleasure. He does not actually like Juliet at this moment when they meet. He just wants to mend his broken heart by finding a new girl. He even goes far to say, ‘This love feel I, that no love in this' (1 . 1. 171) to show his feelings of being hurt. Romeo believes that no one loves him. This quote shows Romeos unstable emotions by his complete devastation over one girl. He either is very happy or very depressed there is no middle ground, or in other words, he is black and white. Another example where Romeo shows extreme behaviors is during Act II, scene II, â€Å"The Balcony Scene.In this scene Juliet is on her balcony fantasizing about Romeo. Romeo overhears her and they begin to talk about their love for each other. When Juliet starts to worry about their family rivalry Romeo says, ‘My life were better ended by their hate, Than death prorogued, wanting my love' (2. 1. 81-82). He is basically saying that he would rather die now than die later without Gull et's love. This is strange for someone to say after just meeting. After first seeing someone you would not want to risk your life for them. You would want to get to know the person before making such a bold statement.Romeo is not your average typical boy; he has extremities when it comes to his mood. Later on in the play, Romeo and Mercuric get into a fight with Table. There is one word that describes why this fight occurred in the first place, revenge. Revenge is the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffering at their hands. Revenge is cruel by making people act differently than what they would do with a clear mind. For example, revenge made Romeo kill Table and this is the start of the big downfall. This is the moment where light and dark imagery start to switch, the climax of the play.From the Chorus at the beginning of the play, Romeo and Juliet are said to be â€Å"fated† to die, even Romeo says, ‘This days black fate on Moe days doth depend; this but begins the woe others must end' (3. 1. 1 10-111 This shows how people start to believe that death is the only solution to their problems. Light and dark imagery switch throughout the play once the climax was reached. In the beginning of the play, light was considered good and dark was considered bad. Now, after the climax, light is considered bad and dark is considered good. This would have to do with Romeos extreme actions by killing Table.Once Romeo kills Table he knows that he is going to face battles. His life was already miserable just by shooting Table, but then Romeo is faced with another obstacle. Juliet is â€Å"dead†. In actuality she just drinks a poison that keeps her dead for a few hours and then she wakes up. But Romeo does not know about this. He thinks she is actually dead. This is when his extreme emotions start to show again. NOTES- -Gullet's feelings for Romeo grow to the point where she feels her only escape is death- start to see her switch her mind process -He has strong feelings about every event that occurs throughout his life.

Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities in Japan

Persons with disabilities have historically faced many struggles. Over the centuries and in various cultures around the world, people with disabilities have had to fight for their rights to be recognized as human beings capable of living independent and valuable lives. Although the terminology has changed remarkably over the past few decades from using words such as â€Å"crippled† to â€Å"handicapped† to â€Å"persons with disabilities†, the words themselves do not change the basic state of inequality people with disabilities cope with in their everyday lives.These include barriers in many essential aspects of life such as access to independent housing, education, public transportation and employment. Without equality of access and opportunities, people with disabilities will never truly be equal in any society. First and foremost, there must be recognition of the individuality of the disability experience. There must also be a recognition that the term disabil ity embodies much more than persons who are wheelchair users. This term implies a multiplicity of experiences including persons with learning disabilities, neurological, psychiatric and intellectual disabilities.To analyze the situation of persons with disabilities in Japan, it is crucial therefore that we accept the concepts of individuality of experience and the sense of disability as implying a wide range of experiences. Another guideline that will aid us in this analysis is to accept that this situation must be understood from the perspectives of people with disabilities themselves. Therefore, it may be that while strides are being made in Japan for persons with some manner of disabilities, persons with other types of disabilities may not be experiencing the same amount of progress in their lives.In Japan as in many other countries around the world, persons with disabilities have begun to mobilize themselves. The mobilization of people with disabilities is an important step in c hanging the state of inequality to one of greater equality. This mobilization process or ‘disability rights activism’ reflects the fact that people with disabilities in Japan are no longer willing to wait for their country to make important social change. They are taking the issue of creating an integrated society seriously and are willing to work hard to attain it.Social change for persons with disabilities in Japan began to take shape in 1986. This is when the seminal organization DPI-Japan (Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples’ International) formed. The formation of this organization meant that for the first time, people with disabilities in Japan had a national and organized voice to speak on behalf of their needs and most importantly, their rights. (Country Reports 2003). DPI-Japan is an important organization and â€Å"has taken a leadership position in the grassroots consumer movement in Japan.Furthermore, it has played an important role in the di sability field at large in promoting human rights and independence of persons with disabilities† (Yuki 2000). The fact that DPI-Japan even exists is evidence of the fact that people with disabilities in Japan face significant struggles. It is also evidence that persons with disabilities in Japan have begun to organize themselves in meaningful ways to address these struggles. This organization has now taken on the responsibility of trying to transform this ancient culture into an integrated society.According to some Japanese who are involved with disability rights activism and the independence living movement, persons with disabilities in Japan face some age-old problems that their counterparts have had to deal with in many other countries – prejudice. This prejudice has its foundation in basic misconceptions about what it means to live life with a disability. As one Japanese activist stated: In Japan today, most disabled people face discrimination that confines them to living in a separate world. As soon as it is determined that a new-born child has a disability, the child is separated from other people and consigned o a separate world for his or her whole life [. . . ] Parents with disabled children often keep them at home because of the strange looks both would get from the people in the community. (Daiichi 1) This is (unfortunately) not an unfamiliar scenario for people with disabilities. Peoples’ misconceptions, parental fears and systemic barriers are the kinds of struggles persons with disabilities have faced in many cultures and in Japan. Although disability rights activists have begun to mobilize in Japan, social change is slow. Recently however change has begun to appear on the horizon of Japanese culture.In 2003, a new national organization appeared which may signal the beginning of real success in creating greater awareness of the rights of people with disabilities in Japan. The Japanese Disability Forum is a relatively new coali tion of disability-rights Japanese NGO’s. In May 2003, they had their first dialogue with the Japanese government. â€Å"As a result, Mr. Toshihiro Higashi, a board member of DPI-Japan and an attorney, became an advisor of the Japanese Governmental Delegation to the Second Session of the UN Ad Hoc Committee† (Country Reports 2). Thus, a new age is slowly dawning in Japan.These kinds of changes signify that a process of accepting and integrating persons with disabilities into a higher level of consultation and decision-making in Japan is taking place. While some may see this as a small step, it is still extremely relevant. To be taken seriously, persons with disabilities must be active in the political-decision making process. The voices of persons with disabilities need to be heard locally and nationally but not only as complaints or concerns. Their voices must also be heard as offering viable suggestions for real and practical changes to Japanese society.DPI-Japan is being taken seriously and this marks the beginning of social change for Japanese persons with disabilities. While activists fight for change, persons with disabilities continue to cope with a society, which in their opinion does not fully accept them. Japanese people with disabilities may be moving steadily into important decisions, but for many these decisions cannot be made fast enough.â€Å"The extent of the discrimination faced by and the suffering imposed upon disabled people in Japan is demonstrated by the appearance in recent years of independent living organizations all over the country. (Daiichi 2). Finally, however, disability rights activists in Japan have begun to make some significant strides. In May 2004, the Japan Diet (Parliament) passed a law entitled, The Basic Law for Persons with Disabilities. This bill includes anti-discrimination provisions, stating â€Å"Nobody shall discriminate against persons with dis- abilities or perform other discriminating acts to vio late their rights and benefits, because of their disabilities. † [†¦] However, since no penalty is stipulated its legal effectiveness and binding force are quite weak. (Ohta 2005)While this certainly has to be considered a step forward for persons with disabilities in Japan, it is a small one. There are inherent problems with this legislation that prevent it from accomplishing anything substantive. First of all, it does not define what is meant by the term disability. It may or may not be inclusive of persons with all manner of disabilities but it does not say. Second, as the comment above indicates there are no legal stipulations for what will occur when someone actually does discriminate against a person with a disability.Thirdly and perhaps most important, it does not define what they mean by discrimination. There are no guidelines here for employers, transportation officials or anyone for that matter. Here is where Japanese disability rights activists still have a gre at deal of work ahead of them. If this law is to have any meaning or impact on Japanese society, it must be defined further. It would be helpful to study other laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act which lays out very specific guidelines.There is no doubt that while some will see this as a victory, others might perceive of it as a token gesture to silence the furor that is beginning to grow in Japanese society. Indeed, some activists are beginning to take matters into their own hands. In 2003, 500 persons with disabilities, primarily wheelchair users occupied the building of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Welfare for over two week. The reason they did so was to protest the fact that personal care or assistance would be cut from twenty-four hours per day to only four.By the time, 1200 people gathered in front of the building, disability rights activists had taken control and occupied the building for over two weeks. The government relented and did not change the service . The activists had won an important victory. (Nakanishi 2005). Other victories have also begun to take place. Also in 2003, The Human Rights Bureau of Japan (a branch of the Justice Ministry) and the Osaka Legal Affairs Bureau â€Å"conducted a joint investigation into Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) after a complaint was filed in April with the Osaka Bureau by a cart user. (Ito 2004).According to this article by The Japan Times, the company had no reason to refuse a cart user onto their system. However the reality is that â€Å"[†¦]1,29 railway stations have cart access out of 9,538 stations [†¦] and JR Tokai is one of three railways that denies access to the carts at all stations. † (Ibid) Even though the individual was denied access there is a small victory here in that the government is taking the action and not disability rights activists. There is no doubt that in Japanese society, persons with disabilities face many systemic barriers.They are still den ied access to all public transportation. Indeed, they face age-old ideas and misconceptions about what it means to be a person with a disability. There is a law on the books but an extremely weak one which seems to have little or not ability to make substantive change in the daily life of people with disabilities. While information on other issues such as employment and education did not seem to be as readily available, it seems unlikely that there would be equality in those sectors when Japanese people with disabilities are still fighting for their basic rights.According to Daiichi, many people with disabilities want out of the institutions they live in but they have â€Å"no place to go [. . . ] It is very difficult to rent private apartments, and metropolitan public housing is available only to those who apply as households. † (2) So, even such basic rights as independent living are still a struggle for Japanese people with disabilities. The one bright spot on the horizon is the continuing work of disability rights activists who will hopefully not give up the fight.

Teacher Collaboration and Academic Achievement Research Paper

Teacher Collaboration and Academic Achievement - Research Paper Example The emergence of PLCs could be traced to different scholars: DuFour and Eacker, Joyce and Showers (2002), Lieberman (1999), and Senge, et.al. (2000), whose works focus on learning organizations, learning communities, through methods, tools and structures that aim to improve schools in contemporary societies (PLCs: Brief history, n.d.).  The contentions of DuFour (1998) focus on identification of characteristics of PLCs, to wit: â€Å"1) shared mission, vision, and values, 2) collective inquiry, 3) collaborative teams, 4) action orientation and experimentation, 5) continuous improvement, and a 6) results orientation† (PLCs: Brief history, n.d., 1). Related research by Lieberman (1999) indicates, ‘ the concept of professional community is one of the most powerful ideas affecting research and practice in staff development in the last decade.† Lieberman relates to professional learning communities in terms of networks† (ibid.)  However, Rose (2008) clearly in dicates that â€Å"although there is widespread use of terms (professional learning communities or professional learning teams) and concepts, these mean different things to different audiences. There is no consistent definition† (Rose, 2008, 11). This statement was validated in another research conducted by Kilpatrick, Barret and Jones (n.d.) who averred that â€Å"the term learning communities as this statement is revealed, the current literature review hereby sought to gather definitions of PLC and determine.... (2000), whose works focus on learning organizations, learning communities, through methods, tools and structures that aim to improve schools in contemporary societies (PLCs: Brief history, n.d.). The contentions of DuFour (1998) focus on identification of characteristics of PLCs, to wit: â€Å"1) shared mission, vision, and values, 2) collective inquiry, 3) collaborative teams, 4) action orientation and experimentation, 5) continuous improvement, and a 6) results orientation† (PLCs: Brief history, n.d., 1). Related research by Lieberman (1999) indicates, ‘ the concept of professional community is one of the most powerful ideas affecting research and practice in staff development in the last decade.† Lieberman relates to professional learning communities in terms of networks† (ibid.) However, Rose (2008) clearly indicates that â€Å"although there is widespread use of terms (professional learning communities or professional learning teams) and concepts, these mean different things to different audiences. There is no consistent definition† (Rose, 2008, 11). This statement was validated in another research conducted by Kilpatrick, Barret and Jones (n.d.) who averred that â€Å"the term learning communities is used variously within the literature, often without explicit definition† (Kilpatrick, et.al, n.d, 3). Insofar as this statement is revealed, the current literature review hereby sought to gather definitions of PLC and determine any ambiguity in content: Reichstetter (2006) defines PLC as â€Å"made up of team members who regularly collaborate toward continued improvement in meeting learner needs through a shared curricular-focused vision†. Richard DuFour

Social Institution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Institution - Research Paper Example No matter how extensive the family membership is, the mutual bonds under a common authority exist among the members of a family. The evolving traits of the family’s structure are best explicated by sociological theories such as functionalist, conflict, and interactionism. Functionalists view that every society has interrelated social institutions, including the family, the educational institutions, the religious sects, the government and political system, and the mass media (Giddens & Griffiths, 2006). Each social institution contributes toward the advancement of the society. Since every society operates based on the consensus of its members, it serves the best interest of the general populace. In particular, functionalists emphasized the value of social structures than that of the individuals. Functionalism is a â€Å"top-down,† structuralist theory, which gives more importance on the societal structure and stratification, rather than on the individuals (Giddens & Griffiths, 2006). Functionalism views individuals as the product of social influences as they continuously expose themselves to other structures or members of the society, including family members, peers, relatives, and media. Family as a social institution, in the eyes of the funct ionalists, is beneficial to individuals because they usually experience physical care and emotional support from it. In 1965, Talcott Parsons tackled the origin of â€Å"family† and the roots of nuclear family (Giddens & Griffiths, 2006). He suggested that prior to industrial revolution societies were founded on an extensive network of kinship. This network bridges the relationship of the family members to the members of the nuclear family. In such family networks, the role of each member is mainly defined not by any skills or educational background, but through ascription. G.P. Murdock argued that the nuclear family has universally existed because it supported the economic,

Sexual Assaults in Prison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Assaults in Prison - Essay Example Even though the rate of imprisonment has increased over the years, most penal settings operate beyond the rated capacities. These lead to the crisis of overcapacity, limited resources and understaffing complications. Sexual assault in prisons has devastating psychological, social, and physical impacts on victims’ welfare. In most cases, the effects of sexual assault are exaggerated by captivity. In some instances, the affected persons face consistent infliction of fear, helplessness, physical assault as well as psychological trauma. The in-house problems in incarcerated centers are at times answerable to increased cases of sexual assaults in the penitentiary (Dumond, 2002). Sexual assaults have long term impacts on individual future growth and development. In addition to psychosomatic and physical harm, prisoners also face the peril of sexually transmitted diseases, depression, medical injuries, stigmatization, labeling, reduced social status, suicidal motivations, post-trauma disorders and reduction in individual esteem and social status. As a result, prisoners, jail administrators and clinicians ought to be aware of the increased cases of psychological and physical sexual acts and cases of victimization. Prison health practitioners should work hand in hand with the administrative staff and security to manage cases of sexual assaults and the subsequent intellectual, psychological and health conditions. Inmates are reported to have the highest level of sexual activity risks, high vulnerability to contagious diseases and highest rate of drug abuse. The recent decades have rising cases of sexual assaults and misconducts on female and male inmates by prison staffs. However, not all staffs are involved in these devastating acts. Cases of sexual assault by the staff members on the inmate are sometime accelerated by lack of a well defined