Explain Kant’s categorical imperative Essay

Kant is an 18th century German philosopher who wrote the book Groundwork for metaphysics. The book deals with his theory that morality is a priori synthetic (a priori is a statement that is knowable without reference to any experience and synthetic means having truth or falsity can be tested using experience or the senses) and that moral decisions should be taken with a universal view to one’s duty to mankind as a whole. He laid out his ideas about the categorical imperative in this book. An imperative is a statement of what should be done. The philosopher Hume said that you can’t get a ‘should’ statement out of an ‘if’ statement. This means that experience can only give us hypothetical imperatives (not moral commands to the will – they are ‘if’ statements and do not apply to everyone and you only need obey them if you want to achieve a certain goal, for example, ‘if’ you want to be healthy then you should exercise and eat a balanced diet). A categorical imperative is a ‘should’ statement, but it is not based on experience, and doesn’t rely on a particular outcome. According to Kant, categorical imperatives apply to everyone because they are based on an objective a priori law of reason (an objective law is something that is factually true). The categorical imperative is one principle with three formulations: The Universal Law, treat humans as ends in themselves and act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends. The natural law is to â€Å"act according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† and what it says is that everyone should universalise their maxims without contradiction – for an imperative to be categorical or deontological it must consist of principles that can be applied in any situation. This basically means that before you do something you should ask yourself if you would like everyone in the same situation. If not, then you are involved in a contradiction and what you are thinking of doing is wrong because it is against reason. Kant uses the example of a suicidal man as an example: A man feels sick of life and wants to commit suicide. His maxim is that from self-love I want to shorten my life if its continuance threatens more evil than it promises pleasure. He asks himself whether he would universalise this law, his answer is no because it is humans’ duty to stimulate the furtherance of life and to destroy life would contradict itself and therefore is entirely opposed to the supreme principle of duty. The second principle is to treat humans as ends in themselves: â€Å"so act as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of any other, never solely as a means but always as an end†. Kant argues that all humans are searching for the summam bonum (a state in which human virtue and happiness are united). Kant believes that we all have an immortal soul and because of this immortal soul, humans deserve special treatment and that we should seek happiness as long as this happiness does not infringe on other humans ability to seek happiness and this means that we should not exploit others or treat them as things to achieve an end, as they are as rational as we are. To treat another person as a means is to deny that person the right to be rational and independent judge of their actions. It is to make oneself in some way superior and different. An example could be having a sexual relationship with someone – if you have only have sex with someone because you want something from them and not because you love them. The final principle is to act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends; Kant said â€Å"act as a legislating member in the universal Kingdom of Ends†. This means that everyone should act as every other person were an ‘end’ – a free, independent agent. Kant believed that each person is independent and moral judgements should not be based on any empirical consideration about human nature, human flourishing or human destiny. What this means is that every individual has the ability to understand the principles of pure practical reason and follow them. Pure practical reason must be impartial and so its principles must apply equally to everyone. An example of this is if you’re trying to decide if it would be justified to kill someone who was threatening your family – using Kantian principles – you should not kill them. Acting according to the third principle (and taking the first and second into account) murder can obviously not be universalised or humanity would be wiped out, and killing the man threatening your family is treating him as a means (to saving your family) rather than an end: a human seeking summum bonum. In conclusion, there are three different formulations for Kant’s categorical imperative: The Universal Law, treat humans as ends in themselves and act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends. Together these three formulations seek to allow humans to make moral decisions which do not infringe the happiness of others but also allow us to progress to perfection.

Child Marriage: A Silent Health and Human Rights Issue Essay

Abstract Marriages in which a child under the age of 18 years is involved occur worldwide, but are mainly seen in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. A human rights violation, child marriage directly impacts girls’ education, health, psychologic well-being, and the health of their offspring. It increases the risk for depression, sexually transmitted infection, cervical cancer, malaria, obstetric fistulas, and maternal mortality. Their offspring are at an increased risk for premature birth and, subsequently, neonatal or infant death. The tradition, driven by poverty, is perpetuated to ensure girls’ financial futures and to reinforce social ties. One of the most effective methods of reducing child marriage and its health consequences is mandating that girls stay in school. Key words: Child marriage, Early marriage, Maternal mortality Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years: approximately 31 million in South Asia, 14 million in sub-Saharan Africa, and 6.6 million in Latin America and the Caribbean (Figure 1). Each day, 25,000 girls are married and an anticipated 100 million girls will be married in 2012.1 Over 60% of girls are married under the age of 18 in some sub-Saharan countries and Bangladesh, and 40% to 60% of girls undergo child marriage in India (Figure 2). Figure 1 Number of women aged 20–24 who were married or in union before age 18, by region (2006). CEE/CIS, Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Reproduced with permission from United Nations Children’s Fund. Progress †¦ Figure 2 Percentage of women aged 20–24 who were married or in union before age 18 (1987–2006). Reproduced with permission from United Nations Children’s Fund. Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review. New York: †¦ Child marriage has been referred to as early marriage or child brides, but these terms are not optimal. Early marriage does not imply that children are involved, and the term is vague because an early marriage for one society may be considered late by another. The term child brides glorifies the tradition by portraying an image of joy and celebration. Most of these marriages are arranged by parents, and girls rarely meet their future husband before the wedding. The girls know that after the wedding they will move to their husband’s household, become the responsibility of their in-laws, and might not see their own family or friends for some time. Although child marriage includes boys, most children married under the age of 1 8 years are girls. In Mali, the ratio of married girls to boys is 72:1; in Kenya, it is 21:1; in Indonesia, it is 7.5:1; in Brazil, it is 6:1; and even in the United States, the ratio is 8:1.2–4 Go to: Human and Children’s Rights The United Nations and other international agencies have declared that child marriage violates human rights and children’s rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that individuals must enter marriage freely with full consent and must be at full age. In 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women stated that child marriage is illegal. In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child defined children as persons under the age of 18 years. Many countries passed laws changing the legal age of marriage to 18 years, but enforcement of these laws, and of laws requiring marriages to be registered, is weak.5 For example, although the legal age of marriage is 18 years, in Mali 65% of girls are married at a younger age; in Mozambique, it is 57%; and in India, it is 50% (Figure 3). In some parts of Ethiopia, although the legal age of marriage is 15 years, 50% of younger girls are married, and in Mali, 39% of younger girls are married. Furthermore, in some regions, an arranged marriage occurs at birth.6 Figure 3 (A) Percentage of girls (aged 15–19 years) who are currently married. (B) Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years married before age 18. Reproduced with permission from Mathur S, Greene M, Malhotra A. Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights, and Health †¦ Go to: Factors Driving Child Marriage Three main forces drive child marriages: poverty, the need to reinforce social ties, and the belief that it offers protection. Child marriage is predominantly seen in areas of poverty. Parents are faced with 2 economic incentives: to ensure their daughter’s financial security and to reduce the economic burden daughters place on the family. Child marriage is first and foremost a product of sheer economic need. Girls are costly to feed, clothe, and educate, and they eventually leave the household. Marriage brings a dowry to the bride’s family. The younger the girl, the higher the dowry, and the sooner the economic burden of raising the girl is lifted. By marrying their daughter to a â€Å"good† family, parents also establish social ties between tribes or clans and improve their social status. Parents also believe that marrying their daughters young protects them from rape, premarital sexual activity, unintended pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections, espe cially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS.5 Go to: Health Consequences of Child Marriage Isolation and Depression Once married, girls are taken to their husband’s household, where they assume the role of wife, domestic worker, and, eventually, mother. These new homes can be in a different village or town. Because of the high dowry paid, husbands are usually much older than the girls (and thus have little in common with them) and their new brides are expected to reproduce. Polygamy may also be acceptable in some of these regions. As a result, the girls feel rejected, isolated, and depressed. Some girls realize that survival requires embracing their new environment and proving their fertility. They lose their childhood and miss the opportunity to play, develop friendships, and be educated. Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infection and Cervical Cancer Parents believe that marrying their daughters early protects them from HIV/AIDS. Research has shown the opposite: marriage by the age of 20 years is a risk factor for HIV infection in girls.7 In Kenya, married girls are 50% more likely than unmarried girls to become infected with HIV. In Zambia, the risk is even higher (59%). And in Uganda, the HIV prevalence rate of married girls and single girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years is 89% and 66%, respectively. Their husbands infected these girls. Because the girls try to prove their fertility, they had high-frequency, unprotected intercourse with their husbands. Their older husbands had prior sexual partners or were polygamous. In addition, the girls’ virginal status and physical immaturity increase the risk of HIV transmission secondary to hymenal, vaginal, or cervical lacerations.5 Other sexually transmitted infections, such as herpes simplex virus type 2, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, are also more frequently transmitted and enhance the girls’ vulnerability to HIV. Research demonstrates that child marriage also increases the risk of human papillomavirus transmission and cervical cancer.8 Risks During Pregnancy Pregnant girls in malaria regions were found to be at higher risk for infection. Of the 10.5 million girls and women who become infected with malaria, 50% die. Their highest risk is during their first pregnancy. Pregnancy not only increases the risk of acquiring malaria, but pregnant girls under the age of 19 have a significantly higher malaria density than pregnant women over the age of 19.9 They are also at significant risk of malaria-related complications such as severe anemia, pulmonary edema, and hypoglycemia. Rates of HIV and malaria coinfection are highest in Central African Republic, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where more than 90% of the population is exposed to malaria and more than 10% are HIV positive. Having both diseases complicates the management and treatment of each. HIV-infected patients have a higher likelihood of getting a more severe form of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. They are less likely to respond as well to antimalaria medication. Malaria increases HIV viral load and increases the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate. Data demonstrate that the combination of these diseases proves deadly to the young pregnant mother.10 Risks During Labor and Delivery Deliveries from child marriages are â€Å"too soon, too close, too many, or too late.†11 Forty-five percent of girls in Mali, 42% in Uganda, and 25% in Ethiopia have given birth by the age of 18. In Western nations, the rates are 1% in Germany, 2% in France, and 10% in the United States (Figure 4). Girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years are 5 to 7 times more likely to die in childbirth; girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years are twice as likely.12 High death rates are secondary to eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, HIV infection, malaria, and obstructed labor. Girls aged 10 to 15 years have small pelvises and are not ready for childbearing. Their risk for obstetric fistula is 88%.13 Figure 4 Percentage of women, aged 20 to 24 years, married and giving birth by age 18. Reproduced with permission from Mathur S, Greene M, Malhotra A. Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights, and Health of Young Married Girls. Washington, DC: International Center †¦ Risks for Infants Mothers under the age of 18 have a 35% to 55% higher risk of delivering a preterm or low-birthweight infant than mothers older than 19 years. The infant mortality rate is 60% higher when the mother is under the age of 18 years. Data demonstrate that even after surviving the first year, children younger than 5 years had a 28% higher mortality rate in the young mothers cohort.14 This morbidity and mortality is due to the young mothers’ poor nutrition, physical and emotional immaturity, lack of access to social and reproductive services, and higher risk for infectious diseases. Go to: Discussion Disheartening as this information may be, there is encouraging news. Data show that in countries where poverty has decreased, such as Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, the incidence of child marriage has also declined. Media attention raises awareness of the issue and can prompt change. After a highly publicized story in 2008, in which a 10-year-old Yemeni girl fled her husband 2 months after being married and successfully obtained a divorce, Yemen increased the legal age for marriage from 15 to 18 years. More importantly, numerous children, inspired by this case, have sued for divorce.15 Research has long enforced the importance of education for girls and their families. Child marriage truncates girls’ childhood, stops their education, and impacts their health and the health of their infants. Governmental and nongovernmental policies aimed at educating the community, raising awareness, engaging local and religious leaders, involving parents, and empowering girls through education and employment can help stop child marriage. Programs that have shown success are those that give families financial incentives to keep their daughters in school, those that feed children during school hours so parents do not have to bear that responsibility, and those that promise employment once girls have completed their schooling.1 Education not only delays marriage, pregnancy, and childbearing, but school-based sex education can be effective in changing the awareness, attitudes, and practices leading to risky sexual behavior in marriage. Main Points †¢Over 60 million marriages include a girl under the age of 18 years. †¢The main forces that drive child marriage are poverty, the need to reinforce social ties, and the belief that marriage at an early age protects girls from rape, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infection. †¢Marriage before the age of 18 increases the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in girls. †¢High death rates during pregnancy are secondary to eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, HIV infections, and obstructed labor. The infant mortality rate is 60% higher when the mother is under the age of 18 years. †¢Education not only delays marriage, pregnancy, and childbearing, but school-based sex education can be effective in changing the awareness, attitudes, and practices leading to risky sexual behavior in marriage. Go to: References 1. Mathur S, Greene M, Malhotra A. Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights and Health of Young Married Girls. Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women; 2003. pp. 1–15. 2. United Nations, authors. World Marriage Patterns. New York: United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; 2000. 3. Population Reference Bureau, authors. The World’s Youth 2006 Data Sheet. Washington, DC;: Population Reference Bureau; 2006. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.prb.org/pdf06/WorldsYouth2006DataSheet.pdf. 4. Alan Guttmacher Institute, authors. Into a New World: Young Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Lives. New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute; 1998. 5. Nour NM. Health consequences of child marriages in Africa. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;12:1644–1649. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 6. Bruce J, Clark S. Including Married Adolescents in Adolescent Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Policy. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003. 7. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, authors. World AIDS Campaign 2004: Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS. Strategic Overview and Background Note. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.etharc.org/aidscampaign/publications/wac2004.pdf. 8. Zhang ZF, Parkin DM, Yu SZ, et al. Risk factors for cancer of the cervix in a rural Chinese population. Int J Cancer. 1989;43:762–767. [PubMed] 9. Dzeing-Ella A, Nze Obiang PC, Tchoua R, et al. Severe falciparum malaria in Gabonese children: clinical and laboratory features. Malar J. 2005;4:1. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 10. World Health Organization, authors. Malaria and HIV Interactions and Their Implications for Public Health Policy. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.who.int/malaria/mal aria_HIV/MalariaHIVinteractions_report.pdf. 11. Marriage and the family. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. Interactive Population Center Web site. http://www.unfpa.org/intercenter/cycle/marriage.htm. 12. United Nations, authors. We the Children: End-Decade Review of the Follow-Up to the World Summit for Children. Report of the Secretary-General (A/S-27/3) New York: United Nations; 2001. 13. United Nations Children’s Fund, authors. Fistula in Niamey, Niger. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund; 1998. 14. Adhikari RK. Early marriage and childbearing: risks and consequences. In: Bott S, Jejeebhoy S, Shah, Puri C, editors. Towards Adulthood: Exploring the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescents in South Asia. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003. pp. 62–66. 15. Walt V. A 10-year-old divorcà ©e takes Paris. Time. 2009. Feb 3 [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1876652,00.html.

The Problems Encountered by DOH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Problems Encountered by DOH - Essay Example The researcher states that not too long ago, DOH was compelled to subcontract a batch of work to another firm so that it could make it to new delivery deadlines. DOH’s managing director had a lot of fears and reservations regarding this move. His primary fear was the quality of subcontracted work. He felt that the quality of the work would suffer and it would be of an inferior standard. However, this fear was removed when no defects were found in the subcontracted batch. On the other hand, DOH‘s main customer is not happy with the services being offered and the quality of batches that are being delivered to him. He insists that any further quality failures in future because of defective parts would lead to strict penalty charges like a cost of labor etc involved in removing the part from the vehicle. This is a grave concern for the management of DOH. They do not want these fears to rise and turn into a general impression in the industry. The quality concerns have to be t aken care off with immediate effect or else DOH might lose out on a lot of key contracts and accounts with various customers. Hard problems are problems which can be quantified i.e. they can be measured whereas soft problems are those problems which cannot be measured. They are qualitative in nature. The hard problems that the company can monitor are the number of defected parts being sent per month, the amount of loss being incurred, which site is producing more defected batches of work and what is the difference in quality if a bigger quality assurance team is in place. On the other hand some of the soft problems that DOH is facing include the coordination between different teams, quality control instructions have not been clearly communicated to the workers, strict check on quality throughout the process instead of just a last minute audit. There are a lot of middle managers which has wrecked a lot of havoc in the hierarchy of the workforce. Secondly, there is little or no regard for teamwork.

Do you believe Girl or Sabbat function as Little Red Riding Hood Essay

Do you believe Girl or Sabbat function as Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) Rewrites Why or why not In your response, you may respond to only one text and you must compare it to a traditional version of LRRH - Essay Example In as much as â€Å"Sabbat† appears to be in the tale, â€Å"girl† is more dominant and serves as the Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH). In all versions of the tale, there are human relationships evidenced by the presence of people such as grandmother. Certainly, a â€Å"Sabbat† cannot have a grandmother unless in a fiction. Evidently, the girl had a grandmother and was anxious to learn various things. As a result, when given a Red Riding Hood by her grandmother she ends up wondering around in the forest. Certainly, the latter plays a more important role in shaping perception and understanding of the tale (Hillert 71). The original versions make the wolf a dangerous animal that eats the girl. Nevertheless, the following versions make it difficult for the story to end in the direction as she gets saved before the actual process. For instance, in one instance a saviour disguises as her father to initiate a safe retrieval from the dangerous situation. In other instances, the saviour appears as a hunter or woodcutter to rescue the Little Red Riding Hood. The moral ambiguity in all the stories appear to focused on a human experience. Variation in moral message among the different versions of Little Red Riding Hood represents different issues. Conceivably, the theme of not talking to strangers dominates the story that makes it easy for children to learn. Undoubtedly, many parents have been on the verge of teaching and educating their children not to talk to strangers. The educative book makes it easy for parents to educate children without going through hard lessons (Mays 46). Contrary to Perrault version that has additional text located at the end of every story, others leave the unintended version for readers to employ different measures. Interestingly, the human experience of the girl in the tale makes this possible. Without a consistent word layout, it is difficult to bring into light

Country Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Country Report - Research Paper Example India’s agricultural industry makes up 18% of the country’s GDP and around 66% of the national population relies on this industry for a source of living (Hanko Hackberry Group n.d.). An excellent information technology industry leads the services sector in India. India’s trade shortfall reached $16.86 billion in November 2014, which is the highest since early 2013 (Sedghi 2013). This shortfall is below November 2013’s record of $10.6 billion, as well as the market’s projected deficit of $15.6 billion. Imports increased 26.79% annually and exports rose 7.27% (Pawar and Veer 57). This made India’s balance of trade average at $1.932 billion in 2014 from 1957 with record tops and lows in 1977 and 2012 of $258.9 million and $-20.211 billion respectively (Hanko Hackberry Group n.d.). This trade shortfall reached a seven-month maximum of $131.5 billion in September 2014. An outstanding decline in exports drove the rise in India’s trade shortfall. Foreign sales tapered by 5% yearly in October 2014, which compared to the 2.7% growth of September. At the same time, imports slowed down significantly from a 26% increase in September to a poor 3.6% growth in October 2014 (Sedghi 2013). This notable decline in imports ec hoed a restraint in gold demand and a decline in oil imports. India’s Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act has been regulating imports and exports since 1992. This act gave the government vast regulation powers over the country’s trade operations. The country’s overall commodity trade rose more than three times from 2006’s $252 billion to 2012’s $794 billion (Hanko Hackberry Group n.d.). A majority of India’s exports have been moving to Asia and Africa with Asia’s share growing to 51.6% between 2011 and 2012 from 2001 and 2002’s 40.2% (Sedghi 2013). Europe, as a destination of India’s exports, saw a deceleration from 24.7% in 2001 and 2002 to 19% in 2011 and 2012. India’s main export commodities were

Architecture and Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Architecture and Environment - Assignment Example The relationship between the ecology and architectural development has always been a very tangible one. Since the start of urbanization the ecologists and naturalists have been raving about the cutting of trees to build cities and its harmful effect on the ecology. But the fact is we cannot stop the architectural development and modernization because of the requirements of the increasing human population. We have to develop plans so that the ecology can be preserved and the urbanization can also take place. Trees are a fundamental part of our environment and it is a fact that we cannot survive without trees because firstly they are responsible for processing excess carbon di oxide from our environment, secondly we are dependent on the plants for our food directly though fruits and vegetables and indirectly through animals whose meat we consume. The second most important effect that urbanization has created on our ecology is the rupture in ozone layer due to the greenhouse effect. Thi s major issue had rattled the scientists to a measure that they are starting to think about developing the cities in such a way that the sustainability remains intact. Researchers have come up with a new ideal known as Green Plot Index; it is based on a parameter known as Leaf Area Index (LAI), which is the single side leaf area per unit ground area. It means that on every unit of ground area there should be a single side of leaf to maintain the proper ecology and environment of that unit area. Green plot Index is the average of LAI of the vegetation on the building site. It is similar to the Building Plot ratio which is used to measure the maximum flooring that can be done on a building site. (Ong et al 2003) With the urbanization of an area the boundaries between the natural habitat and the urban area become convoluted, and because of this convolution there are shifts in the microclimatic

Human Resource Management practices and their impact Essay

Human Resource Management practices and their impact - Essay Example In other words an HRM policy and initiative based analysis is a near approximation of an otherwise intractable continuum which lacks definable contours and a logical conceptual framework of reference. While theoretical constructs underlying this approach have been presented as a uniform analysis there is very little attention being focused on the qualitative paradigm shift caused by the a priori and a posteriori catalytic changes. Thus the qualitative shift in this study is essentially based on these outcomes and the latest calibrations and/or benchmarks enunciated by researchers to establish a conceptual framework for analysis. This paper just focuses on the latest HRM related practices and their theoretical evolutionary process with reference to a company's operational environment at a global level. Multicultural workforces in the context of the modern business organization have been studied with specific reference to international Human Resource Management (HRM) practices. HRM according to Armstrong "is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization's most valued assets - the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business" (Armstrong, 2006). HRM involves such tasks as recruitment, training & development (T&D) of skills, employee relations, retention and motivation strategies, workplace culture and delegation of power, authority and responsibility. Thus a far more strategic significance is assumed by its country-specific and organization-specific contexts than any other dimension.Business organizations operate in their respective environments as determined by organizational structure, culture, leadership style, strategic competitive environment and a host of other internal and exte rnal influences such as the regulatory framework (Handy, 1999). Given the degree of influence under these circumstances, each organization adopts its own leadership style with a view to achieving organizational goals such as profits, market share growth, higher share prices, quality improvements, brand loyalty, sustainability and benchmarks. These organizational goals can be divided into short term goals and long term goals. Theoretical and conceptual contingency model-based convergence/divergence approach to Human Resource Management (HRM) policies and initiatives has received greater attention in the current period due to highly articulate employee retention strategies at the individual firm level. Thus the model building effort in this analysis is based on the available literature on the subject at a global level along. In other words an HRM contingency model is a near approximation of an otherwise intractable continuum which lacks definable contours and a logical conceptual framework of reference. While theoretical constructs underlying this approach have been presented as a uniform analysis there is very little attention being focused on the qualitative paradigm shift caused by the a priori and a posteriori catalytic changes. Thus the qualitative shift in this study is essentially based on these outcomes and the latest calibrations and/or benchmarks enunciated by

How to be succesful with online dating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to be succesful with online dating - Essay Example The platforms promote peace and understanding across the globe and enables people to find appropriate soul mates. Nonetheless, dating online sometimes frustrates, annoys and heart brakes potential soul mates. The following guidelines shall help improve anyone’s chances of attracting the special person in life. The first step to ensuring success in online dating is an excellent profile picture. Photos attract and market your image to potential mates. They also distinguish individuals from a pool of people searching for partners online (Strauss 1). Hence, invest in a catchy picture and entice many people then start your vetting process. Second, write an appealing information about yourself. Express your likings, interests and define the type of people you would like to date. Third, communicate with people who exhibit similar interests with yours in terms of age, region, and sexual orientation. Online sites contain different people, and some may be malicious. Therefore, take your time and use instincts to judge from the conversations. Fourth, do not rush or hurry things up and meeting people. Dating is a gradual process and always gains trust and meet potential matches in open places. Fifth, seek the services of a dating coach to help improve your online image and

A study of the superstitions of college students Speech or Presentation

A study of the superstitions of college students - Speech or Presentation Example As a measure of precaution against errors in the research, some additional ten questions were added into the thirty questions. It was noted earlier before the research that some students who were bright enough could end up answering the questions not using the truth in them but their intellectual capabilities. Such clever students were bound to offer correct responses as indicating that a statement is ‘false’ for the purpose of the test yet in them, the superstition could be very much true. The ten factual questions therefore proved to be a source of huge hindrance or cover up for a larger source of errors in the research study. Sample The sample that was used in conducting the research consisted of students from two main categories or backgrounds. One group of the students involved a class of 103 students who had enrolled in taking studies in a general psychology class in the College of Liberal arts in Northwest University. In this category of students, the researchers indicate that the majority of them were freshmen and attended the program as full time students. This creates a picture in the mind that these students in the first group were mainly youths beginning their adult life. On the other hand, the second category of students was 46 students who were studying general psychology in a School of Commerce. ... ll, it can be concluded that the first and the second category of students in the research were a typical representation of typical academic students and intelligent non-academic students respectively. In both classes, the test that had been previously mentioned as consisting of 30 superstitions and prejudices together with 10 factual questions was presented to the students at the beginning of their respective courses. No any discussion was done by the instructors who offered the test in regard to the test and any reasons as to why the students had been assigned the test. At the end of the semester, the same test was offered to the two sets of students still without any explanation being offered as to why they were being offered the test. In both tests the scoring method that was used was the same. The scoring was based on the questions among the superstitions that had been marked as ‘true’. By this, a student who had ten questions marked as ‘true’ had a sco re of ten. This basically meant that the other ten factual questions that had been included in the ten had no consequence when it came to scoring as they were only control questions. The ten questions were not given any considerations when determining the scoring of the student. Results and interpretation As is indicated in the table recorded in the PowerPoint, it is very clear that in both classes, the trend that was set by the students in terms of scoring in the second and the first test happens to be relatively on the same wavelength. The score in both classes can be noted to be far much les after the completion of the psychology course that it was recorded in the first test that was conducted at the beginning of the course. This is the result that the research is aimed at coming up with and offering an

Information and Energy Control Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information and Energy Control Systems - Essay Example The essay endeavors to highlight the important aspects and components of the Computer networking .The main aim behind this essay is to investigate how the information is transferred through the system and what process the system to advance further. In this regard, the whole system components that collectively take part in this procedure would be discussed. Majority of the businesses run today, operate computers such that the computer department in the business organization is usually termed as the Data Processing Department. Data Processing generally means working upon raw facts and converting them into useful information. When this data processing is accomplished through Electronic Equipment, it is known as Electronic Data Processing .Basically, it comprises of three steps Input, Process and output. Input devices include keyboard, mouse etc which enables the user to enter the data to get processed into the computer. From Input devices, the data is transferred into process stage and after under going the process, the final result is released, which we generally called in computer term as, the output. The computer has its own language and understanding for the instructions. It works as it is directed by the user with its own language .Computer reads Binary digit codes which are either 0 or 1 i.e. either false or true. Bit is the smallest non-addressable unit of storage which a computer recognizes. Bit is an abbreviation of Binary digit. Once the data is entered by Input devices; these devices convert the information into a series of electric signals. Each signal is merely a presence or absence of voltage or current. The data is worked upon in the processing zone. Incase of Information transfer, the computer is attached to devices like modem. The Modem stands for Modulator and Demodulator. It converts computer output for transmitting along communication lines such as telephone lines. The

Military nurses Essay Example for Free

Military nurses Essay The nurses gave care to the men who were wounded during the war. They gave the care that was needed for example, medical care to dress up the wounds of the men. For those who became paralyzed, the nurses supported them physically and emotionally. They clothed and fed them. The families of those who made it and their loved ones spoke of the care they received from the nurses and glorified their assistance. They continued to acknowledge their presence and selfless efforts to assist them. (Song, p78) The military nurses conducted talks at high schools. They wanted to educate the students regarding the careers available and what it would take for them to be qualified. They gave their stories and the challenges that they faced during their work. When the students were asked which profession was toughest and most demanding, they said it was nursing. (Chen, p45) Given all the stories that they heard, they concluded that, if they had to be a nurse, then it was tantamount to a vocation which demanded that one leaves behind all other dreams just to serve as a nurse. It was even more challenging for the nurses because they did not have proper health facilities from which to operate. They set up tents and the tent was used to carry out even very delicate surgery operations. The medical facilities were described to be beyond primitive. (Insun, p456) Ironically, it was compared to TV Show and MASH movie. The environment was dirty and non sterile. They did not have adequate instruments. In addition, the hands at work were not enough. The emergency cases were so many yet the nurses were few and could therefore not deal with the workload by themselves. To make the matter worse, there were some equipment which had to be shared during surgical procedures which were absolutely required to save people’s lives, yet they had not been sterilized. For example, the nurses did not have suction. Also missing was penicillin for irrigating the wounds. There was no blood for transfusion yet the majority of cases which were received were of people who had lost too much blood and needed more. The casualties out in the field were just so many. Despite the terrible state of the tents functioning as hospitals, all the casualties were taken there. (Woodside, p67-p89) These nurses were the only hope and the lives of people and soldiers were only entrusted with them. It was hoped that, once they treated them, they would eventually be sent back to fight. These women nurses were not allowed to cry. (Insun p56) They were supposed to encourage and give hope to the dying. It was very wrong to cry in front of the wounded men and the dying ones. These men needed the strength of these women in that poor state of their health. The women were not supposed to gain luxury out of their own feelings. At the same time, the nurses were not supposed to lie to the soldiers regarding their health. If they were dying they were supposed to tell then straight in their faces. (Taylor, p34) This was such a torment to them. The nurses at times were not able to get along with their nursing director and therefore sought transfer. Unfortunately, they were transferred to the war-torn areas and much worse than the areas they were previously serving. In addition women were supposed to fly runs for evacuation and many of the nurses had not had a chance to be in a helicopter, but they could not give up this responsibility since there was no one else to do it. The women serving in the medical personnel were the most inexperienced too serve during the time of war. Besides that, they feared for their lives especially because the soldiers depended on them for medical care. (Yu, Insun, 278) The nurses also went to Vietnamese villages and set up medial centers and clinical which they used to treat those children who had eye infections, skin diseases and intestinal diseases. Most of the diseases came form the bacteria which was always present. (Woodside, p36) Conclusion The stories of Vietnamese women are one that can drive a reader to point of tears. The sufferings and torture that these women went through is a living proof of their sacrifices. These women put their lives on line to restore peace and harmony as well as save lives. Despite the various roles and professions that were engaged in they never gave up their roles in the family as mothers, caretakers, wives and advisers. Their contributions particularly during the time of war deserve praise and honor. They should be rewarded for their efforts. They did what many women are not believed they can do. (Chen, 236) The women did not show cowardice but actually displayed courage and perseverance. Vietnamese women are a symbol of strength that is possessed by the women and discourages women to take a back seat in all matters. From the experiences, it is obvious that without the support that they gave to the soldiers, they would not have accomplished much in their country. It is high time that Vietnamese women held their leads high and walked with pride and dignity they have. Works Cited Chen, King C. Vietnam and China, 1938-1954. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. Song, Jungnam. History of Vietnam. Bu-san: Bu-san University Press, 1966. Taylor, Keith W. The Birth of Vietnam. Redwood City: Berkeley, University of California Press, 1983. Taylor, Keith W. and Whitmore, John K. eds. Essays into Vietnamese Pasts. Ithaca: Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University, 1995. Woodside, Alexander B. Vietnam and Chinese Model. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1971.

Identifying Long Term Career Goals

Identifying Long Term Career Goals Identify your long-term goals (five years or longer). A career like accounting is one of the most fulfilling jobs that anyone can be in. It also happens to be very critical as one deals with numbers every day and the numbers determine clients financial stability and a countrys economic state. Some of my long-term goals would be to run an independent business where I would render consultation services to the business corporates and the federal institutions too. I would also wish to maintain a small group of personal clientele would save guard their accounts with me. This would enable me to also fulfill another long term goal of investing in real estate and the stock market. Identify the skills and qualifications related to this type of role. Its important for any aspiring successful accountant to possess certain key skills. One of the most major attributes includes good organization and good organizational skills. Being that an accountant is in charge of handling many responsibilities, a good accountant needs to keep track of the numerous responsibilities one has. This means that the system has to be up to date and effective in terms of organizing transactions by order of date and deadlines. This means that the system should have calendars, alphabetized folders, day planners, color coded posts notes and highlighters as well as good financial apps. This ensures the clients of reliability, competency, and ability to handle the various jobs properly (Topan, 2016). Similarly, its important for a good accountant to be efficient in time management. This enables the workload to be solved by order of urgency. This enables an accountant to meet the set deadlines. Another important quality is adaptability. Being that the accounting world is so dynamic and involving at the same time, an accountant needs to be adaptable to the environment so as to be able to provide quality services to the clients. Its also important for them to be good at communicating. Communication skills in writing or verbal enable good interactions with clients. It also assists in creating good networking as well as creating successful profiles (Topan, 2016). Assess your qualifications you already possess. By now being that I have my own masters certificate in Accounts, it means that I am a credible accountant who can be in charge of various projects with little assistance. I have also managed to forge good connections with my previous clientele from my past employments in local and NGO firms. Likewise, I am slowly infiltrating the real estate world and so, I have some few big qualifications in my resume. Determine new skills, knowledge, certifications, and training needed for the position desired. In order to form my new firm, I will need a list of potential candidates to be in charge of the various departments. I will also need to enroll in a leadership program so as to be able to learn how to govern an organization or even a group of people. I also need to learn on how to be a good role model in terms of integrity, openness and also work ethics. This will help me in the delegation of tasks, raising my confidence, achieving the right required patience and ability to delegate duties to other people as well. Its important to learn on how to maintain work ethics so as to promote loyalty from acquired clients, it will also help me improve on current existing work relationships (Macres, 2010). Create action steps needed to take to be qualified for the position you would like to pursue. From here onwards, I need to enroll in a short course program to be more aware and educated on leaderships. I also need to start reviewing loan application from various financial institutions in order to be able to start the process of beginning my own consultancy firm. I also need to continue to maintain good relationships with my current clientele as well as future clients. References Macres, C. (2010). Where Will You Be in Five Years? Answers. Ledger Link, 1. Topan, R. (2016). 6 Skills You Need To Succeed In Accounting. Talent Tegg, 1.

Issues With Energy Conservation And Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

Issues With Energy Conservation And Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay Traditional sources of energy (coal, natural gas, and nuclear power) consumption present a plethora of issues related to conservation and sustainability. From a conservation standpoint, a reliable access to reasonably priced energy has long been the lifeblood of developed societies. Growing populations in impoverished nations strive for this reliable access at equally low or even more reasonably priced levels. These levels must factor in use, generation, future demand, cultural issues, growth, and a variety of other concerns. Beyond conservation, sustainability issues are also complex. The generation and use of these reliable energy sources bring about sustainability concerns for climate change, acid rain, air pollution, oil spills, strip mining, hazardous waste generation, occupational diseases, radioactivity, and a variety of other adverse environmental consequences. This section will explore the current prevalent uses of energy and the conservation and sustainability issues related to them. In terms of energy consumption, each American consumes (demands) 6.5 gallons of oil per day to heat homes and run our electrical equipment. One means by which Americans can consume less is to make the existing consumption more efficient. Recent estimates indicate that approximately 1/3 of the energy consumed per day is wasted. Turning to the supply side of the equation, coal provides 52%, nuclear energy 20%, and natural gas 16% of the conventional energy usage in the United States. There is a lot of room for energy conservation that would not necessarily require compromising lifestyles. Demand-side management involves promoting techniques that increase energy efficiency. For example, driving 55 miles an hour, turning down the thermostat from 68 to 65, and implementing equipment that is more efficient would certainly enhance energy conservation measures while generating a comparable quality of service by using less energy, thereby freeing up supply. Supply-side management involves seeking new methodologies to provide reliable low priced energy sources to consumers. Problems are involved with both sides of the equation. Social and cultural norms must be modified, a difficult proposition indeed, to manage the demand side of the equation. The supply side of the equation is equally demanding. Most notably, coal used for electric power generation provides a reliable, readily accessible, and low priced fuel source. Yet, hand-in-hand with this economic advantage is the often-unrecognized social problems of air pollution, ecosystem disturbance, and contribution to climate change. Nuclear power, initially thought to be a more environmentally palatable alternative to coal and natural gas, does provide a comparable source from the supply side of the equation. Further, if pervasively implemented, it was believed to also satisfy most of the demand side of the equation. However, there are only about 110 plants operating in the United States and no new plants have been constructed since the mid-20th century. With such promise from both the supply and demand side of the equation, why has nuclear power failed to live up to its lofty expectations? The answer lies in the potentially adverse health, safety, and environmental problems and perceptions associated with nuclear power generation and use. Three primary problems accompany the use of nuclear power generation. These three concerns must be addressed before nuclear power can achieve its real potential. These problems include meltdowns, waste management, and terrorism. Further, the heavy governmental subsidies that were initially invested in nuclear power are no longer available. Moreover, heavy governmental subsidies have been replaced with even heavier governmental controls and regulation. The use of nuclear power represents a social gamble. Estimates of cancer-induced fatalities from meltdowns have ranged from zero (Three Mile Island) to 500,000 for Chernobyl. However, people die from coal generation and pollution. On a lives-lost-per-kilowatt hour basis, nuclear power stacks up equally well to coal production. Yet it is the perception of a potential loss that stacks the deck against nuclear power. In addition, disposal of high-level waste and low-level waste from these facilities, in tandem with the NIMBY philosophy toward waste disposal siting exacerbate an already difficult problem. Finally, the public perception that nuclear reactors could somehow become terrorist weapons, in conjunction with public distrust of scientific risk assessments, has facilitated the widespread perception that nuclear energy sources are unsafe. Natural gas is also thought to be a replacement for coal. It is undeniably safer to produce electricity for both than coal and nuclear power. Moreover, it is the cleanest of the fossil fuels. It yields about 70% more energy for each unit then than coal. As you can expect, its share of the electric power generation market is likely to increase. Natural gas usage though does have its drawbacks. From a supply-side perspective, the available amount of natural gas is relatively small. Further, complicating this issue is the uneven geographic distribution. Further, if natural gas were to replace coal as the primary source of electrical production, the most recent estimates indicate that all sources would be depleted within 40 years. This would likely increase dependence on foreign suppliers. The implication here and is that the price of natural gas would become volatile and increase at a rate far exceeding that of coal or nuclear power. Not to be forgotten in this discussion of natural gas are the environmental factors related to its availability and consumption. The price of harnessing the natural gas is not inexpensive. Further, the cost of locating, capturing, storing, and distributing natural gas is also expensive. However, it stacks up favorably against both coal and is much less expensive than nuclear power. Let us also not forget that natural gas, composed primarily of methane, is a greenhouse gas. To avoid global warming, controls must be present to minimize the release of methane into the atmosphere. This too raises the price of natural gas. Governments have become increasingly involved in these most prevalent of energy options. Moreover, governments have become involved specifically in relation to the environmental aspects of energy production. In this, the government has taken a three-pronged approach. First, efficiency and environmental safety have risen to the fore as primary considerations for the future of energy policy. Governments have promoted and implemented policies to foster the use of cleaner burning, more efficient, and more environmentally safe energy sources. Often however these goals are in sharp contrast to the market forces of providing inexpensive and available energy sources. Second, policymakers have sought to equalize both the cost and demand side of the equation. This is most evident in the nuclear power supply and demand equation. The initial foray into nuclear power required governmental subsidies to assist in the construction of nuclear power plants. Further, governmental intervention demanded that societies use the sources. The current rate of federal energy subsidies is 59.8% for fossil fuels (coal and natural gas) and 28.7% for nuclear energy. The remaining paltry 11.5% is dispersed amongst the various other sources. This means government is still not inciting energy companies to research or implement new sources of energy. Finally, policymakers have begun to provide incentives for using alternative energy sources at the end-user (demand) point. This includes allowing the installation of small-scale energy efficient home heating units, hot water heaters, and hybrid and electric automobiles. Other options are available for large-scale technologies such as wind farms and solar panel arrays, but to a lesser extent. The practice of providing incentives presents particular problems. The most pressing problem is that the government or utility ratepayers still need to absorb some of the costs of capital. To counterbalance these problems, the promotion of more energy-efficient technologies and alternative energy sources must be specifically targeted and offer specific incentives to the end-user and producer alike. ___ ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY U2L1 Issues with Natural Resources Conservation Part 1 Human populations can be strained when subject to environmental stresses such as the inadequate availability of water, land, and agriculture, as natural resources. The availability of these resources is essential for the maintenance of human existence. Problems with these natural resources should be anticipated and prevented as much as possible. This section examines how economic institutions have allocated these resources in the past and how they might improve their allocation in the future. Water resources As we have discussed in previous course work, water is essential for human life to replace the continual loss of bodily fluids and to maintain the food sources upon which we depend. The problem with the existing sources of potable water is the allocation of supplies to sustain a variety of competing users. An efficient allocation of water must strike a balance between the competing users and sustaining the year-to-year availability. The concept of supply and demand is integral to this discussion. There are two problems to be address, maintaining an adequate supply of water and managing the demand for that water. This is especially relevant to groundwater resources where, when withdrawals exceed recharge from a particular aquifer, the resource will be mined over time until water supplies are exhausted. The problem is further complicated where groundwater and surface water supplies are not physically separated. For example, groundwater withdrawals from a specific region, in many areas of the United States, immediately affect the surface water flows. This is an especially tricky issue when cross-state, or cross national, boundaries are put into play. Therefore, the hydrologic nature of the water source must be taken to consideration when designing a water allocation scheme. From our previous coursework, we have discussed the concept of riparian rights. This is where the right to use water is allocated to the owner of the land adjacent to that water. Yet with population growth and the consequent rise in demand for water resources, this allocation system becomes less appropriate. This situation creates demand for a change in the property rights structure from riparian rights to one that was more transferable. A new structure developed by the government was known as usufructory rights. In this, users are accorded a right to use a common source of water. The current situation for allocating the use of water resources is embedded in the state and federal governments role in the problem. Many problems are associated with this point. The first is the restriction of free market availability of this natural resource. Diminished transferability of the use of this water resource puts market pressures on different parts of the market and in different portions of the United States. Likewise, these regulations strongly discourage conservation. Moreover, the government established preferential use which brought about bureaucratic preferences for the use of the water. Further, damage caused by overuse is not addressed in this doctrine. Possible solutions to the allocation of water are as follows. Reduce the number of restrictions on water transfers between agriculture and other uses. The current use it or lose it component that a companys most preferential use discourages conservation. Implement the use of water markets and water banks. In this, water is allowed to move to its higher valued use and buyers and sellers are brought together to negotiate its value thereby encouraging conservation. Revising the value of water is a necessity for conservation. This recognizes the efficiency associated with subsidizing the consumption of a scarce resource. Further, revenues collected can be placed into a fund to mitigate environmental damages and to allow for construction of dams for storing water. Revising the value of water seasonally. This would allow for changes in severe drought conditions and to manage water usage during times of scarcity. This would require consumers to act differently during times of drought. Encouraging the use of desalinated water in areas where appropriate. Technological advances have reduced the price of desalinized water but growth in this market has not outpaced demand. There are a number of possible means of remedying the current water situation. These reforms would promote a more efficient use of water while affording more protection to the natural resource. It is clear that charging everyone the same rate irrespective of their consumption is a strategy that deserves more attention. Land Land is another natural resource that deserves specific attention. Land conservation has specific issues related to typography, location, and characteristics. Land is typically allocated based on its highest valued use. The problem is clear. Wilderness areas are subservient to agriculture, residential development, commercial use, etc. There are particular problems with our current use and allocation of land. Urban sprawl is when land use in a particular area is inefficiently dispersed. Another issue is leapfrogging where new development continues not on the very edge of current development but further out. Both bring particular problems with development. These include longer trips to work, home, or leisure activities. This brings about increased energy demand and increased opportunities for pollution. Incompatible land usage is another particular problem with our current use and allocation of land. As an example, the particular costs associated with land use may not accrue exclusively to the landowner. An example of this occurs to neighborhoods near landfills, toxic waste facilities, CAFOs, or large industrial complexes. Undervaluing environmental preservation is just another particular problem with our current use and allocation of land. As an example, if the owner of a large farm near a scenic preservation area, sells to a residential developer, the benefits of their large open space to wildlife, travelers, and leisure activities is not typically a basis for different decisions affecting its land use. A final issue is the confluence of taxes on land use relative to conservation. Typically, property taxes in the United States are imposed on land for its current market value. Environmental factors are not typically included in that valuation model. One way to deal with the many particular problems associated with the current use and allocation of land is to implement innovative market-based remedies. The first innovative remedy is the separation of property rights. A property rights system can mitigate or avoid the problems of overexploitation that can occur when land is merely allocated on a first-come, first-served basis or sold to the highest bidder. By establishing secure enforceable claims, the efficient transfer and maintenance of the valuable use of the property can be directly allocated. Another way is to establish transferable development rights (TDR). TDRs establish areas where development is prohibited and areas where development is encouraged. If done in the local level, communities will determine the best allocation and use of lands. Another way is the establishment of land banks. For example, wetlands banking is a means of promoting economic benefits of wetland preservation. These mitigation banks allow for the use of lands around wetlands, streams, or other aquatic resources to preserve, enhance, or replace sensitive wetland areas. A similar program is present for conservation banking. Safe harbor agreements are a new means of conserving endangered and threatened species on privately owned land. These provide for new restrictions of land based upon the threat to the endangered species. Grazing rights has also been away to deal with the problems associated for overgrazing on public lands. This too is a means of dealing with the particular problems associated with the use of grazing on federal lands, which has been allowed since 1934. Finally, conservation easements and land trusts are means by which legal agreements limit the use of land in order to protect its intrinsic value. This intrinsic value might be to preserve a surface water resource, scenic vistas, or to promote eco-tourism. Agriculture The efficient use of agricultural land is a requirement for sustenance around the globe. The problems associated with a lack of efficiency includes starvation, hunger, hunger related diseases, malnutrition, and a variety of ancillary adverse effects. As an example, cereal grain is the worlds cheapest supply of food and is a renewable resource if managed effectively. Further, this could be sustained as long as we receive energy from the sun. Yet the current agricultural practices are neither sustainable nor efficient. Further, the recent trend has been to increase the scale (size) of the average farm and a reduction in the overall number of farms thus raising questions of future sustainability. The problems intrinsic to this argument are as follows. While technological progress provides the main source of support for optimism, concerns are present regarding the ability of industrial nations to achieve productivity gains. This includes a declining share of land allocated to agricultural use, the rising cost of energy, and increased environmental costs (i.e.: overuse of fertilizer, deforestation, soil completion, soil erosion, etc.). An interesting twist in this argument is imbedded in the example of corn. While this is a relatively stable and useful food source, the expansion and the use of ethanol has decreased the amount of corn available for food. There are sources for optimism in this discussion. Technological advancements in genetics have produced food crops that are more resistant to diseases and pests, hardier crops capable of surviving in marginal soils, and increasing crop yields. In addition, the growth in organic food sources has minimized human disease after upta ke. The economic gains in past several decades have created depletion to our agricultural resources. The past role of government has been complicit in this debacle. Historically, governments have subsidized the use of fertilizers and pesticides, guaranteed prices for outputs, given marketing loans based on crop prices, and implemented trade barriers. Recently however, the role of government in implementing effective agricultural policies has been on the rise. Governments have begun to encourage sustainable agriculture. Further, they have required that farmers consider energy and environmental costs. Subsidies for some agriculture have been removed and replaced with subsidizing possible technological advancements. Conclusion As we have seen from the above, human populations can be strained when subject to environmental stresses such as the inadequate availability of water, land, and agriculture, as natural resources. The availability of these resources is essential for the maintenance of human existence. Problems with these natural resources must be managed. As regulators cope with the myriad of issues related to conservation, they must consider the advancement in technology and the maintenance of a sustainable supply of natural resources.

The Crucible: Insight Of Hale, Elizabeth And John :: Essay on The Crucible

The Crucible, a container that resists hear or the hollow at the bottom of an ore furnace. However its connotations include melting pot, in the symbolic sense, and the bearing of a cross. Elizabeth, John Proctor’s wife; a cold, childless woman who is an upright character who cannot forgive her husband’s adultery until just before he died: she is accused of being a witch. Reverend Hale, a self-proclaimed expert on witchcraft; at the play’s end tries to save the accused. John Proctor, a good man with human failures and a hidden secret, a affair with Abigail, he is often the voice of reason in the play; accused of witchcraft.â€Å"I do not judge you. The magistrate that sits in your heart judges you.† This is where Elizabeth suspects that John has committed adultery, but knows how good of man he is and tries to look over it. â€Å"Adultery, John.† This is where John tells her and she makes it sound like it is news to her even though she has known for awhile. She is trying to have John have a â€Å"good† name and not be a name that everyone discards. â€Å"No, sir.† Here she is protecting his name but she doesn’t know that John has just came out and said that he committed lechery. She thought that she was saving him but she was actually making it worse for him.â€Å"I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face.† Here he is talking about if he ever encountered the Devil that he would literally kick his ass. This shows how he is a hippercrite against being a Puritan. Even though he is a religious man he still has the human character of having an evil side to himself.â€Å"But I will cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again.† John is talking to Abigail and how he is finished with seeing her and that he doesn’t want any part of her. John goes through from being amoral to immoral and then to moral, then back to amoral at the end. â€Å"It’s winter in here yet.† Elizabeth and John were talking about how he was working all day seeding even though he was at Salem to see what the fuss was all about. Here he shows his character toward Elizabeth by lying to her and she can’t trust him. â€Å"Let Rebecca go like a saint, for me it is a fraud.

Macbeth: Verdict Not Guilty! :: essays research papers

Macbeth, the Innocent Good day. Today I will prove to you that Macbeth, the king of Scotland, is innocent. It is outrageous that anyone in this courtroom should think otherwise. There are three key factors to consider before it is possible to make any judgment concerning the murderer of Duncan. First of all, before fingers are pointed at Macbeth, I ask you to consider if he is the only suspicious person? A murderer must have a motive and an opportunity. Obviously, there are several candidates that fit this category. Also, before you can reach a final decision, you must consider the character of the individual. Macbeth is a man of the finest character; he does not have the nature of a cold-blooded killer. I am sure you will agree with me long before you go into the jury room. Finally, the will of the gods must be taken into consideration. It is not within the powers of mortals, even important mortals like Macbeth, to change the future as determined by the stars. I am confident that you, dear jury, will con sider the three factors I will shortly describe and realize that Macbeth is a most unlikely suspect. First of all, Macbeth is not the only suspicious person. After all, where were the sons of Duncan just minutes after their father’s brutal murder? You would think that sons who really care about their father would want to discover the truth. What kind of son just runs off and vanishes when he learns of the horrific death of his own father? Where were Malcolm and Donalbain? If anyone here in this court lost a loved one, no one would turn his back, especially to a father. But these young men, next in line to the throne, decided it would be a better idea to wait for the heat to go down. The only possible explanation is that they, themselves, felt guilty. Sadly, I fear, we must also look at Lady Macbeth. Although it is unpleasant to speak ill of the dead, I ask you, why is the Lady dead? We all know that in the period of time before her death she was crazy and possessed. She walked around the castle rubbing her hands and trying to remove the stains of blood that she thought she saw there. Does this sound like an innocent woman? She believed that Macbeth was weak and not driven.

Essay --

TASK 1 P7 INTRODUCTION I have to describe the Health & Safety and Welfare associated with each of the different types of building surveys. This should include the use of appropriate PPE. Completion of measured surveys: Measured surveys involve taking measurements of sites or buildings in order to produce accurate data represented at a reduced scale. They are usually specified to an agreed level of detail, to acceptable accuracy tolerances, scale, delivery times and costs. Each elevation would be sketched free-hand, dimensions are taken for later reproducing. This can be done manually or with CAD. This process involves simply visiting the proposed property and then drawing a free hand outline and all elevations, dimensions and heights are taken whether by manually or digitally. Condition Survey: A condition survey looks at all parts of a building to assess the condition and state of repair and plan for immediate and future works. This involves many aspects to be looked and noted down which are looking at the average of people living in each house, looking at which type of house it is, how many have central heating, how many have kitchen, which type of fuel is used to heat each house, the age of housing stock, the costs of repair per unit, what the average fitness standard of each house, the health and safety of the houses and what the energy efficiency ratings are. Overall this survey looks at the condition of a building and this can be noted down or organized with photographical evidence and the date (if time) is recorded when taking each photo. This is not like a detailed report neither does it involve any structural nor investigation works. Dilapidation survey: A dilapidation survey which is also called a ‘structural surve... ...lure to complete the work. Similarly, if the surveyor is not paid for doing work, then they in turn can take a client to court for the debt due. This is called getting sued for damages. Reports must be written with care to avoid getting sued. Indemnity Insurance: This is to protect Surveyors against legal proceedings for damages of omission or negligence. Often to be paid for the life of the Surveyor. Nowadays anyone who gives advice or who provides a professional service should consider investing in adequate personal cover. It covers you against compensation sought by a client if they claim you have made a mistake or have been negligent in your professional service. Bankrupt: If the client or surveyor goes bankrupt, then an official receiver would undertake the winding up of the company and establish the liability of the debtors and sums to be paid to creditors.

Machiavelli vs. George W. Bush

Machiavelli Vs. George W. Bush The Bush Administration was a very controversial topic after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. While some people said, â€Å"It was the right thing to do,† others believed it was an outrage, and blamed Bush’s ideas on former, dictator-like philosophers. Niccolo Machiavelli was a famous political philosopher, who was in my opinion, the most similar to the Bush Administration. Machiavellis’ ideas on civil liberties, what government is supposed to provide and protect against, sovereignty, and how public morality and private interest intersect in deciding who makes policy is very similar to Bush.Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a story, The Prince, which had drastically changed his view in political leadership. After the terrorist attacks Bush also had a drastic change in political views. Bush went from focusing on health care and taxes, to preventing terrorist attacks, going to war, and creating agencies to help the U. S stay safe. Bush took drastic steps to protect the homeland and its interests abroad.He created a new cabinet-level agency, the Department of Homeland Security; this consolidated 20 agencies under one cabinet umbrella. President Bush believed that â€Å"helping to build free and prosperous societies (including Afghanistan and Iraq), the U. S and its allies would succeed in making America more secure and the world more peaceful† (u-s-history. com, 18). Bush also proposed a very controversial Patriot Act, which had given the intelligence and law enforcement communities powerful tools to enhance their anti-terrorism mandate.Machiavelli believed that â€Å"The Prince should have constant readiness for war,† and that â€Å"it is not reasonable to suppose that one who is armed with obey willingly one who is unarmed; or that any unarmed man will remain safe among armed servants† (pg. 151, 1c, 2p, Ebenstein). The Patriot Act was controversial manly because the increased surveillance and inve stigation capabilities seemed to go against some of our guaranteed rights of the Constitution.Machiavelli had two goals for his story, one, to get back into government work and two, a call for stability of an Italian nation state (free from religious or secular foreign rule). The Bush administration countered that under the threat of terrorist attacks in American cities and against American interests worldwide, previous defensive tactics were inadequate. Offensive action in the form of intelligence gathering and pre-emptive strikes against threatening regimes were deemed appropriate under the circumstances. Machiavelli believed in only two types of governments; monarchies, and republics.Tyranny is included in monarchy and is a ruler’s virtue to adapting to the situation (lion and fox). The masses are happy with the arrangement because they are either awed or scared by the tyrant. Republics based on law, governed with the interest of most citizens, all classes have a chance of serving in government; conflict between classes- deflect individual ambition. In Machiavelli’s eyes, Bush is portrayed more of a Republican. Machiavelli strongly believed it was safer to be feared rather than loved. Power must be the main positive concept in a Prince.He urges princes not to help others, be stingy, cruel, deceptive, and to get others to do the dirty work so they can escape blame, yet he doesn’t believe in neither good nor evil. His mindset is very confusing, and very contradictory. Machiavelli strongly followed the story of Cesare Borgia de Orco and how he used violence as a means of attaining individual ends. Right after this Machiavelli reveals that he â€Å"condemns those who use violence to destroy governments even as he praises those â€Å"founders† who establish strong monarchies and republics.

Post Colonialism in Skin of a Lion

Eng Seminar Post-colonialism – is an academic discipline that comprises methods of intellectual discourse that present analyses of, and responses to, the cultural legacies of colonialism and of imperialism, which draw from different post-modern schools of thought. Post-colonial Literature – addresses the problems and consequences of the de-colonization of a country and of a nation. The characters of his novels are mainly among the immigrants, the colonized, and the oppressed that are suffering from the loss of true self and identity.Therefore, it is demonstrated that colonialism will continue its banal effects on individual’s lives and identities by entangling them in an unhealthy state of mind like double consciousness. In the novel, In the Skin of a Lion, Patrick who is the main character finds himself an outsider in the society and tries to measure himself through the other’s look —————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Top of Form Bottom of Form Postcolonial criticism, like postmodern criticism, rejects the universal and large scale in preference for the local and specific.In  In the Skin of a Lion  Ondaatje challenges the dominant narratives and gives a voice to the untold stories of the colonized. Ashcroft et al in  Key Concepts in Post-Colonial Studies  define post colonialism as dealing with â€Å"the effects of colonization on cultures and societies† (p. 186) and post colonial reading as â€Å"a way of reading and rereading texts†¦ to draw deliberate attention to the profound and inescapable effects of colonization on literary production; anthropological accounts; historical records; administrative and scientific writing† (p. 92). A postcolonial reading also rejects the universalism inherent in the liberal humanist readings of traditional criticism in favour of an acceptance of issues of cultural difference in literary texts. Culture itself is seen as a web of conflicting discourses. Thus it champions a celebration of hybridity and encourages a writing back from the margin or periphery to the centre. Canada has a history of resistance to colonialism.If you are applying a postcolonial reading then you should examine the novel for what it says about the dominant political and economic structures and how these serve the interests of the dominant class. Of course this leads us into a  Marxist reading  of the novel which would focus on the conflict of class interest and the oppression of the working classes. Marxist critics would say that all texts must be read in relation to the society in which they were composed and because writing is a political act criticism should be political as well. Patrick sat on a bench and watched the tides of movement, felt the reverberations of trade. He spoke out his name and it struggled up in a hollow echo and was lost in the high air of Union Station. No one turned. They were in the belly of the whale† (54) â€Å"The form of a city changes faster than the human heart† (109) â€Å"The southeastern section of the city where he now lived was made up mostly of immigrants and he walked everywhere not hearing any language he knew, deliriously anonymous. The people of the street, the Macedonians and Bulgarians, were his only mirror.He worked in the tunnels with them† (112) Temelcoff is a navy: â€Å"a man is an extension of hammer, drill, flame† (Ondaatje 26) Nicholas Temelcoff is famous on the bridge, a daredevil. He is given all the difficult jobs and he takes them. He descends into the air with no fear. He is a solitary. He assembles ropes, brushes the tackle and pulley at his waist, and falls off the bridge like a diver over the edge of a boat. The rope roars alongside him, slowing with the pressure of his half-gloved hands.He is burly on the ground and then falls with terrific speed, grace, using the wind t o push himself into corners of abutments so he can check driven rivets, sheering valves, the drying of the concrete under bearing plates and pad stones. (34) â€Å"I will tell you about the rich,† Alice would say, â€Å"the rich are always laughing. They keep on saying the same things on their boats and lawns: Isn’t this grand! We’re having a good time! And whenever the rich get drunk and maudlin about humanity you have to listen for hours. But they keep you in the tunnels and stockyards. They do not toil or spin. Remember that. † (132)

Consumer & Industrial Buyer Behaviour Assignment

In consumer markets, segmentation typically entails statistically categorizing a large number of customers with similar needs into the same group so that they can be reached with similar marketing and advertising channels. By doing so, the marketer can then analyze the needs of the consumers and cater the products to better fit their needs. For the consumers, the decision process for making purchases begin with need recognition — they differentiate between their actual or desire states. Needs are the basic forces that motivate the person to do something. Some needs involve a person's physical well being; others the individual's self-view and relationship with others. Needs are more basic than wants. Wants are needs that are learned during the person's life. A successful marketer will be able to create the need amongst consumers and try to satisfy it. After the consumer become aware of their needs or wants, they will store them in their memory or go around searching for information on these needs. There are two kinds of searches: internal and external. Internal search is when the consumers search within their existing knowledge base, beliefs and attitudes. External search is when they seek information from neighbors, sales peoples or consumer reports etc. The consumer can obtain information from any of several sources: personal, commercial, public and experiential. Personal sources include family and friends. The personal sources are important for the person when making a buying decision. The marketer can use commercial sources such as advertising and point-of-sale marketing to reinforce the product awareness and increase the knowledge of the brand name. After gathering information from various sources, the consumer will then start to evaluate the different alternatives, weighing the pros against the cons. They rank the brands and form purchase intention. The purchase decision will result in the consumers buying the preferred brand and two factors can affect the purchase intention: attitudes of the others and unexpected situational factors. If you wants to buy product A, but your mother feels product B is cheaper while the quality of the two products is similar, it is very likely that you will end up buying product B instead. After purchasing the product, the consumer will be satisfied if they find that the product has met or exceeded their expectations. Re-purchases will likely occur, and consumers will probably introduce the product to their relatives and friends and become loyal customers of the brand. If, on the other hand, the reverse occurs, bad word-of-mouth will result and even consumers who have never tried the product will be hesitant to buy it. Societal values in the Body Shop It is critical that all aspects of the firm's marketing mix be consistent with the value system of its target market. Different groups will have different value systems and marketers must adjust their activities to the values of their target group. Marketers must also change their marketing mix as the value systems of their target groups evolve. Fortunately, values generally change slowly. Firms will have time to allow the practices to evolve if they monitor customer values. Firms can do that by conducting their own monitoring surveys or subscribe to one of the many commercial surveys. However, caution should be used in responding to popular press declarations of major value shifts. Nowadays, most of customers increasing concern for the environment. Marketers need to respond this approach by 1) producing products whose production, use or disposal is less harmful to the environment than the traditional versions of the product, 2) developing products that have a positive impact on the environment or 3) tying the purchase of a product to an environmental organization or event. Marketers need to be cautious when making environmental claims. Those most concerned with the environment are opinion leaders who are active shoppers. These people carefully evaluate advertising claims and are skeptical about them. As concern for the environment grew throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, many firms began to improve their products and processes relative to the environment and to advertise those improvements. In recent years, most of the companies have included ethical objectives in their mission statement. The products and services provided by these companies acquire a special meaning to their customers, which is associated with the value chain. However, failure to live up to ethical objectives may attract criticism. One company that has been very successful establishing an environmentally friendly image is â€Å"The Body Shop.† The name â€Å"The Body Shop† creates a natural and ethic subculture to the customers, which is further reinforced by the use of green to decorate their retail shops. It gives a standardized message – The Body Shop sells natural products. Store image is composed of many different factors. Store features, coupled with such consumer characteristics as shopping orientation, help to predict which shopping outlets people will prefer. Some of the important dimensions of a store's profile are location; merchandise suitability and the knowledge and congeniality of the sales staff. The Body Shop started in Brighton on the South Coast of England by Anita Roddick with only twenty-five hand-mixed products on sale in 1976. At first, The Body Shop employed mostly friends and friends of friends and everybody viewed themselves as one big family. However, the organization rapidly expanded through a system of franchises and to gain a franchise the potential franchises are all screened to ensure that they have the same ethical beliefs as the founder. The Body Shop now operates around the world with almost one thousand four hundred shops. The Body Shop maintains a number of formal policies, guidelines and manuals that underpin the ideals expressed in the Mission Statement. The Body Shop ‘s mission statement as quoted in Values Report 1997 is that the company is unique in explicitly giving attention to social problems. They focus on social responsibility and naturally based quality personal care products. Their core principles are organized into five pillars: Defend human Rights; Protect Our Planet; Promote Community Trade; Activate Self-esteem and Against Animal Testing. These are core to their campaigning and community engagement programmes and are an integral part of their business philosophy and practice. The Body Shop is committed to doing business with integrity and transparency. This means using their principles to inform customers of the way they do business and setting their business partners and themselves clear standards of practice. It also involves engaging stakeholders with their business aims and reporting on their performance within the overall context of their business strategy. They focus are on being a world-class retailer, offering customers prestige products at value prices with excellent customer services. In United Kingdom, they have driven through a major initiative called ‘Inspiring the Customer' in order to improve service. Unlike other cosmetics companies, the Body Shop does not claim that their cosmetics will eliminate wrinkles, make you look years younger or thirty pounds slimmer and change one's life. The company promotes health and well-being instead of beauty. Instead, it used stories to promote products. In 1998, they introduce Ruby dolls- love your body. She is a fat lady like a real person and she does not look like conventional models. The whole campaign aimed to give a self-esteem message to the customers. The Body Shop's philosophy of promoting health and well-being and actually serves as a promotion device. They focus on naturalness and health is a kind of niche marketing strategy, which attracts a relatively small segment of the market. This niche market generated a pre-tax profit of GBP20.4 million in 2003. The Body Shop sells skin and hair care products from Vitamin E cream to Tea Tree Oil, from Banana Shampoo to Aloe Vera Lotion. All in all, The Body Shop's product range includes over 400 products and 400 accessories. There are special product lines for men, for expectant mothers and for babies. There are sun-tanning products perfume oils and a full range of accessories, including brushes, towels, household gloves and sponges. At the time of writing, it enhanced its skin care range with the launch of kinetin. The Body Shop also undertook a stance of being against animal testing and seeking to gain attention and business from the environmentalist market by recycling bottles and keeping wastage to a minimum. However, it is worth noting that The Body Shop originally introduced recycling plastic bottles as a cost reduction exercise. Due to falling customer demand, the company discontinued their long-running refill service in January 2003. However, by investing time and resources to introduce the recycled plastic programme they believe they will have a greater positive impact on the environment globally than their refill service could possibly offer. In November 1998, the United Kingdom government banned tests on cosmetic products and ingredients. There were also finished product test bans in the Netherlands and Germany. After two years, Europe banned cosmetics animal testing. It is an environment influence the customers chose their cosmetics. They will choose the anti-animal testing cosmetics. The Body Shop was the first international cosmetics retailer to be approved in the USA for its non-animal testing policy under a common Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals. The Body Shop asserts a philosophy based on the exchange principle: a company that owes its success to society should do something in return. Hence, the company should take responsibility for society in several respects. Of course there is no real indication that social and environmental policies negatively impact The Body Shop's profits. Rather the company cultivates an ethical profile and its customers get the idea that in buying the products, they help people in the Third World or help save the environment. The company's Fair Trade policy includes buying ingredients and accessories from Third World countries, thus attempting to improve living conditions in poor areas. In 2001/2 The Body Shop purchased over GBP5 million worth of natural ingredients and accessory items through the Community Trade programme, including nearly 60 tonnes of natural ingredients. Now there are 37 suppliers ranging from Nicaraguan sesame farmers to Indian handicraft producers from 24 countries from Australia to Zambia. The sponsoring of Greenpeace in 1985 reinforced this approach. In addition to encouraging employee involvement in the local community, the Company also facilitates employees' personal donations to their selected charities through a give-as you-earn payroll scheme. Other initiatives include Charity Works, an on-site charity shop enabling employees at the United Kingdom head office and distribution center in Littlehampton to purchase products that are substandard or shop spoiled. This initiative allows for the disposal of non-saleable stock in an environmentally responsible way, while also bringing benefits to the local community and employees of The Body Shop. The use of environmental and ethical issues are used to appeal to those who have the same concerns as well as in gaining free publicity from local and national press. Marketing uses psychographics to identify those not only with the desire for more natural and high quality products, but those with the same beliefs and attitudes towards the products they buys. The increased awareness in environmentalism and concern over the way the planet is being treated has also created a fashion of environmental awareness, taking this appeal mainstream rather than remaining as a marginal target market. The good value and the simple packaging with clear labels were also more extensive than most common brands. For many products there is a decision making process, this takes place in the black box. Black box models treat the individual and his or her physiological and psychological make-up as an impenetrable black box. They are concerned with the external environmental influences on behavior and in the context of consumer behavior. The producer is affected by the actions of its competitors and the government; distributors are affected by the sales and marketing efforts of their suppliers and by the needs of consumers and finally consumers are affected by the marketing activities of producers and retailers and by the actions of the other consumers. This may be by the category-based evaluation or piecemeal processing. Category based decision making is a method of evaluating a product. The category based process will involve the consumer will make use of the existing knowledge or memories that they already have regarding the product. They may remember that a particular brand was associated with Fair Trade, or received a good review in a magazine. Advertising may play a large part in this but as the Body Shop philosophy is against advertising. Many of the consumers will have gone into the shop aware of the philosophy, this is usually through publicity surrounding Anita Roddick or by the notices that advertising the philosophy in the window such as trade not aid and supporting environmental issues. A piecemeal process is where the consumer takes into account the different characteristics of the different products. The consumer looking for a product may therefore look to see if it is scented, tested on animals, what the strength and type is described as and possibly even the usefulness of the jar after the product is used. In attracting the consumers into the store the category process may be used and inside the piecemeal process may be seen as determining what products are purchased. Conclusion The consumer decision produces an image of an individual carefully evaluating the attributes of asset of products, brands or services and rationally selecting the one that solves a clearly recognized need for the least cost. It has a rational, functional connotation. While consumers do make many decisions in this manner, many others involve little conscious effort. Furthermore, many consumer decisions focus not on brand or with the environment in which the product is purchase or used. Purchase cosmetics requires limited decision making. It involves internal and limited external search, few alternatives, simple decision rules on a few attributes and little post purchase evaluation The marketers of the Body Shop are helping consumers recognize problems. The approach is generic problem recognition to cause problem recognition. It creates the need for affiliation and for assertion. Affiliation is the need to develop mutually helpful and satisfying relationship with others. Group membership is a critical part of most consumers' lives and many consumer decisions are based on the need to maintain satisfying relationships with others. The need for assertion reflects a consumer's need for engaging in those types of activities that will bring about an increase in self-esteem as well as esteem in the eyes of others. The Body Shop has full range body products and they are natural and protect environment and has gained a first mover advantage in this market. The Body Shop believes that disclosure is an important tool in helping stakeholders to feel engaged in its business aims and approach. As importantly, it regards the discipline of preparing accounts and reviewing its performance in an objective way as a crucial management tool for developing the company's understanding of its current approach. The company aims to provide a current insight into the business to share its philosophy and aims and helps manage expectations around its ongoing performance. It will create the customer awareness and reinforce them to choose their products. The product is seen as ethically appealing with good quality ranges that appeal to a wide target market. The slightly high price of a high mid rate product is justified by the increased value that consumer places on the goods and the way that the consumer will also feel good about themselves. Promotion is the communication of the company values in some form. All these come together to form a successful company that has since been emulated by many larger leading companies, however they lack the credibility and as such fail in total emulation.