Sociological Perspective on Religion

â€Å"Sociological Perspectives on Religion† During this semester I have learned that in essence, â€Å"free will† does not gear our decision making process, it is primarily society that influences all thoughts and behaviors in turn, impacting all aspects of our life. The evolutionary socialization process initiates at the moment of conception, in our mother’s womb, through childhood, carries on during adulthood and ends in our graves. The most important and influential agent of socialization is the family. On a global perspective, the primary teachers, our parents, educate us on language, beliefs, physical control, values and civilized behavior for public conduct. The greatest belief instilled is that of divinity and forming part of a religion. According to the Sociology text book, Religion is defined as a social institution involving beliefs and practices based on recognizing the sacred. Ethically, it encompasses what we define to be good or bad. In this paper I will further examine religion on a global perspective from previously conducted social research and just how important a role it plays in our lives. Religion has been used to celebrate life at birth, adulthood, mourning of death and politics. According to Emile Durkheim (1965, orig. 1915) in his structural –functional approach, society on its own, beyond the life of any individual, has life and power. When practicing religion the power of this society is celebrated. He found that within this society people seek to find social cohesion, social control, meaning and purpose. Symbols, values and norms are what shape a religion. Since â€Å"God† is considered to be the divine and symbol of perfection, religious fanatics fear his judgment. In the United States about 85% of adults identify themselves with some type of religion. â€Å"God Bless America,† is widely used by politicians to address our people and demonstrate they believe the higher power is not them but, God. That they cannot lead without the blessing of God. In the past 2008 election many questioned Barack Obama’s faith because his father was born Muslim and then became atheist while, his mother was never genuinely active in a religious organization. Therefore, Obama was raised to be skeptic about religion and showed no true inclination, causing a lot of criticism during the campaign. People want to follow who shares the same values as themselves. Saying a simple phrase as â€Å"God Bless America† convinces them that their political leaders’ views and ruling will be geared under what religion overseas as ethically correct. When I say ethically right, the geographical location of religion must be taken into consideration because social conflict tends to arise due to the fact that all religions don’t support or share the same ideas. For example, in the Middle East there are claims that God is behind the actions we in the United States consider to be evil such as, the terrorist attack of 9/11. This is one of the differences in religion that affected our society in the U. S. and has provoked violence and war. Violence within the United States towards people that appeared of Middle Eastern decent and declared war against â€Å"terror† in the middle east. Religion shapes society and is considered to be socially constructed. With divine being the inspiration, people differentiate the ordinary and extraordinary with in rituals such as, holidays and prayer. In theory, religion plays a major role in behavior, marriage, union and social inequality. For example, marriages through religion have lower divorce rates than those arranged outside of religion. Couples are planning a divorce before getting married by making prenuptial arrangements. Although, love may very well be present in these marriages, they are still thinking about themselves individually and protecting against later implications. I was in a relationship for six years and within those years we conceived to the two precious, Xavier and Joshua. If I would’ve been married through religion, the possibilities of my being a single parent today would be close to none. Religion gives marriage a greater value rather than the usual base of love. At one point we attempted to seek counseling and received a referral to a pastor who geared the entire session on compliance with divinity, plan of marriage and unity of family under his religion. In NRSV Corinthians 13;4-8, 13, Paul described the meaning of true love as follows: â€Å"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end†¦ And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (NSRV, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13) If we were to follow this definition of love, we wouldn’t be projecting our fears as individuals instead building a base for both as a whole. In this instance, my relationship would still be present as many others. Based on this and Emile Durkheim’s sociological findings religion focuses on uniting societies. â€Å"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. †(James 2:24) Surprisingly, another social conflict within religion is due to inequality. Social order as Karl Marx points is justified by religion. He addresses capitalism as the old saying â€Å"rich get richer and poor get poorer. † Especially, in today’s economy we find the unemployment rate rising at a fast pace resulting in homeless and hungry people. Racism also went hand in hand with religion in social inequality since the nineteenth century due to ethnocentrism. It was generally believed the white dominated over people of color. They were to be kept genuine and not integrate other races even within religion, employment and their entire society. In this belief was also the premonition that God was in accordance with white superiority, or at least this was the excuse, causing the creation of â€Å"internal colonialism. † â€Å"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. †(2 Peter 1:10-11) Whites remained together, keeping all other races inferior and living in poverty. On the other hand during nineteenth century many religious groups worked against inequality and stood up for the abolishment of slavery during the civil rights movement. As stated in the Sociology text book Male Orthodox Jews say the following prayer everyday: â€Å"Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, that I was not born a gentile. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, that I was not born a slave. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, that I was not born a woman. Another form of inequality within religion is through gender. Subordination of women has come along throughout history in modern today. Although, we have come a long way inequality still exists. For example, in poor countries such as Africa and Southern Asia polygamy is practiced where it is legal for men to marry more than two women. Also, in Tibet a form of polygamy named polyandry is a lso practiced where two men can share one woman. In other areas there are still ideas that keep woman from jobs. These women go about their lives marrying, having many children and live in poverty. A man†¦is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. † (1 Corinthians 11:7-9) â€Å"As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. † (1 Corinthians 14:33-35) â€Å"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church†¦. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. † (Ephesians 5:22-24) From a Christian point of view women were sought to be a source of temptation due to the fact that Eve was to blame for Adam’s fall, it was because of her that evil came about into the world. On the other hand once again religious groups sought to fight for equality by supporting feminism and gay rights during the 1960s and 1970s. Religion has caused great social change. In time of need or illness everyone seeks for enlightenment within religion. Max Weber and his colleague Ernst Troeltsch studied precisely Calvinism, a protestant reformation movement. Calvinists believe some are selected by God to be saved and others to be damned. They then looked for signs of divine blessing and worked very hard to acquire great wealth. With this wealth they would reinvest profits resulting in the fulfillment of their calling. This Weber and Troeltsch found as the cause in rise of industrial capitalism. The poor were considered rejects of God. Throughout history Christianity has reached out to people suffering in promise of a better life in faith. Liberating people from oppression, poverty and promotion of greater equality is their purpose. Ironically in most recent years there have been a rising number of cases reported on sexual abuse by Christian priests. The Christian church claims problems arise in our society due to the ignorance in God. Families seek refuge and divinity within their churches and find the cruel reality that evil exists there. Many changes are going about with regards to religion. People are adopting other religious organizations rather than the one’s instilled from childhood. Also, as technology continues to advance secularization arise. Secularization is the decline in importance and value of the sacred and supernatural. In times of despair we now seek answers and depend on physicians. As we see change in religion we find it more questionable. Now spiritual seekers in the â€Å"New Age† movement, look into conventional religious organizations. Modernization has taken on a new twist in religion and the way we view it. With is the desire to continue conserving our real identity is rarely exactly maintained. In the following passage William Ernest Henley writes about extreme individualism and how capable we are to determine our lives: â€Å"Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeoning of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. † Today we live in a world where terrorism, wars, death and torture of innocent are to no surprise. Every day you turn on the news there are children missing, parents killing and mistreating each other and their family. In this society everyone is running at a fast pace with a cold heart, committing selfish acts of corruption, leading abusive relationships, violence, hatred, sexual perversion, etc.. Humans are part of this society and continue responding to and redirecting their social interaction and context. The sad part of it all is that society has created all this and that religion has played a major role in directing everyone’s sense of self. Works Cited Society. J. Macionis, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 10th edition, 2009. Exploring Religious Meaning. Robert C. Monk. Walter C. Hofheinz. Kenneth T. Lawrence. Joseph D. Stamey. Bert Affleck. Tetsunao Yamamori, Upper Saddle River, NJ:Prentice-Hall, 6th edition, 2003 â€Å"Sociology of religion. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 7 Nov 2009, 23:59 UTC. 18 Nov 2009 . William Ernest Hensley, â€Å"Invictus,†Poems( New York: Scribner, 1919), p. 119 â€Å"Sociological Perspectives on Religion†

Are People Too Dependent On Technology Today?

People love things to be easier, that’s why people invented technology. As many more technology is created, there has been a debate whether we are becoming too dependent on technology today. In this Essay I will justify if people are too dependent on Technology today.Some people say we use technology in everything and in every single day of our life that we can’t live without it. Others say technologies are just there to help us do things easier. Yes, people are too dependent on technology today because we barely use books and notebooks for studying, most of us now does not use maps and compass anymore, and people now rely on emails, messages, social networking and others. To begin with, we barely use books and notebooks for studying nowadays. Students now take advantage of Internet to do their assignments without many efforts.Students today have to use technology for even just copying notes. Our books and notebooks are slowly replaced by laptops, tablets, eBooks and et c. Most teachers now put notes and textbooks online for easy access. Some students claim some school today still does not allow student to use electronics to take notes or use it for books. Maybe this is true but school board will probably change this rule for the good of all students. Second, most of us does not use maps or compass anymore. Nowadays, people depend on GPS to find places instead of using the good old fashion maps. GPS is a satellite base system for navigation, it directly show you the way to the place you want to go. These days no one bothers to buy or even use maps. Most people now can’t go anywhere without GPS with them.A few people would still prefer to use maps because GPS can distract people from driving and can cause serious accidents. This might be true but it is hard to imagine that people who use GPS regularly can still remember how to look up a map. And lastly, people now depend on emails, messages, social networking etc. We now rely on technology to connect with our friends and families. The traditional way of writing and sending letter is now being replaced with communication by mobile, emails, social network etc. In addition, we can now talk and see our friends and family in the same time through technology.What is more, workplaces are becoming more and more dependent upon technology. Most of employees have their own mobile phone or computer so that they could exchange information  or documents as soon as they want without leaving their desks. Although, there are still some people would rather communicate person to person to do things together or to avoid misunderstanding conversation. While this perhaps true, nowadays people are too busy that we do not have time to see each other anymore or we are too far away from each other.Through mobiles, emails, and etc. we can connect with anyone faster, cheaper, and easier. It is clear that we depend on modern technology too much today. Not only we are too reliant on it, society no w considers technology as necessity. Even though technology helps us do everything easier, we cannot forget about the bad effects it brings to us. Using modern technology for everything makes people lazier and inactive in life. We now remarkably dependent on technology that now people hardly use books and notebooks, people lost the knowledge of using maps, and now people would rather communicate through mobile, emails, social networking etc. to each other. We are no slowly seized by technology. Someday our world will change and the things we have now and before will disappear and will be taken over by Technology.

Analysis Assignment- Stairway to Heaven

Stairway to Heaven develops depth and emotion throughout the entire song, starting very simply and gradually delivering ore complexity and Intensity from 2:14 onwards. There Is a clear build up as the piece progresses with the addition of new Instruments (2:14), an Increase In tempo (6:44), and change in rhythm regularly from quavers in 4/4 time to semi-quavers (2:02). Although Led Zeppelin follow no particular genre of music, this spectacular piece begins as a significant contrast to their usual hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal style with an almost folk, acoustic introduction.The introduction holds one main folk riff that forms the theme of many variations to underpin the musically Ingenious entrants as the guitar solo begins at 5:55, bringing back Led Zeppelins usual heavy rock reputation. Within Victor Loppers variation of Stairway to Heaven, there is no evidence of development or emerging energy and emotion. The arrangement does however change tempo many times from = 120 to -72, yet the changes fail to match the original song in the slightest and appear stilted, almost disjointed, as they seem separated at times by a number of awkward pauses (egg 2:30). Contrasting the entire structure of the original piece, this Lopez arrangement starts heavier, with very Instrument playing, and continues on lightly only from 0:17. A more upbeat heavier variation is introduced again at 1 and then the arrangement ends the same as the beginning from 2:30. These changes differ only very slightly and are unsuccessful in involving as much variety in the different parts as the original as it engages in the overuse of repetition. Although this is understood to be an arrangement, it fails to allow the different sections of the original piece to be properly determined.At one point It even Includes a feature trumpet part at 1 (see Figure ) that does not resemble any section of the original, Figure 1: Bars 33 36 of Stairway to Heaven arranged by Victor Lopez In the writing and arranging of this piece, Victor Lopez completely disregards the genre under which the original was written by turning this version into a big brass band song with no evidence of develo pment or sensitivity to the original structure of Stairway to melody, or riff, on lead guitar. This riff repeats for the first two minutes then continues at 2:16 into a variation, swapping between this and strummed chords based around G/B, AMA and D). The guitar solo at 5:55 begins with an A minor pentatonic scale then continues in A minor diatonic. The effect of having two melodies Mommy Page on guitar and Robert Plant with voice) creates a dynamic sound Ninth some clashes adding to the unique style of the song. Within the re-creation however, Victor Lopez makes no attempt at replicating the classic opening guitar melody which is the main and most iconic part of the song. This oversight alone, takes away from the original as this riff has become the trade mark and most well known part of the original Stairway to Heaven.The introduction starts with every instrument playing and an attempted take off of the chorus, contrasting the idea of one melody growing in Led Zeppelins version. The arranged variation begins in E flat major and modulates to D major. There is no clear melody evident at all throughout the piece, as the number of instruments playing at similar volumes, makes it hard to determine. Ornamentation is also a key musical flourish in the original, that lacks in Victor Loppers version, as there is no guitar and therefore none of the brilliant guitar techniques mentioned above, to make the music come alive and become more than just notes on a page. He timbre or characteristic quality of sound displays a great difference when comparing the Jazz arrangement of Stairway to Heaven to the original. Jimmy Page manipulates his guitar as the main sound source with such brilliance, using a variety of methods such as pull offs, vibrato, hammer-ones, bends and slides (see Figure 2). Ere guitar is the central instrument and is held responsible for the individuality and lividness of the piece as it holds the majority of the melody, and in particular brings out the contrast during the bridge and solo (5:35).The entire piece depends on the guitar as it continues to play throughout the whole song and is accountable for the most complex part, portraying the creativity and ingeniousne ss of Stairway to Heaven. The use of the Maelstrom (an electronic keyboard controlling pre-recorded musical sounds) to imitate the flute, creates the darker more eerie mood and adds timbre contrast to the guitar melody. Throughout the song, to assist the development, instruments are added to the guitar at each section change, such as the Maelstrom flute (0:13), voice (0:53), bass guitar (2:14) and drums (4:18). These imbrue changes during this piece, add to the musical complexity and impressiveness Ninth the way it begins very lightly and gets gradually darker throughout, until it ends ere lightly at 7:45. Figure 2: Example pull off, vibrato, bend, hammer on and slide- Led Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven Victor Lopez arrangement includes too many instruments to portray the mood in Inch the original depicts. As it is written for darker sounding instruments such as tenor and alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone and bass, it takes away from the lighter sounding parts in the original, and so lacks contrast.This version hardly changes trumpets stop playing and the other instruments hold long notes as opposed to collectively playing the melody resulting in a lighter timbre. This section is the closest Lopez comes to conveying to the listener, the original mood and contrasts of Led Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven. There is no modification of instrumental playing evident as the manipulation of this piece la cks variety in notes or rhythm which leaves no room for individual variations of the notes or instrument playing. The original was written mainly for guitar and voice, resulting in the option for light or ark timbre. This variation however consists of lower brass instruments inevitably leading to a consistent dark timbre, revealing this pieces inability to live up to the original. hen comparing the original to the arrangement by Lopez, it is apparent that the manipulation of certain musical elements such as the structure, melody and timbre results in this piece being an entirely ineffective and unsuccessful adaptation. Robert Plant once said Its sort of a feeling of power onstage. Its really the ability to make people smile, or Just to turn them one way or another for that duration of time, ND for it to have some effect later on.

Mental health promotion workshop Literature review

Mental health promotion workshop - Literature review Example Aside from incorporating the concept of interpersonal variables, Health Promotion Model can be use to predict people’s behaviour concerning health promotion which increases the healthcare workers’ ability to deal with people with mental health problems (Allender, Rector and Warner, 2014, p. 370). Precede and Proceed Model makes it easier for healthcare workers to â€Å"plan, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion programmes (p. 370). Under the precede model include social issues, epidemiology of certain illness, education, policies, and implementation whereas the proceed model include process, impact, and outcome evaluation (Allender, Rector and Warner, 2014, p. 370). Completing the report on mental health promotion made me able to develop some strategies that are effective in treating patients with cognitive, behavioural and affective problems based on the SMART criteria. 1. By the end of July 2014, the administrator of a couple of nearby schools will be approached for permission to conduct mental health teachings to the students’ parents. After communicating with the school teachers, a schedule will be set whereby the students’ parents will be invited to attend child development programme within the school vicinity. 2. By end of September 2014, social networking site like Facebook will be used to communicate with parents who are interested in learning more about strategic ways on how to prevent the long-term consequences of childhood abuse and neglect. Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013, July). Long-term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. [Online] Available at: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm [Accessed April 13, 2014]. Every Child Matters. (2010, September 6). Effective communication with children, young people and families.[Online] Available at:

Current event article related to the management topics Essay

Current event article related to the management topics - Essay Example Such agencies are usually established under the Chinese Labor Contract Law to provided workers who can offer services for subsidiary and temporary positions (Chen). Contracts for the outsourced workers are signed with the employment agencies and not the companies that the employees end up working for. Such an arrangement constitutes domestic outsourcing and it provides a means through which organizations can easily address the issue of labor shortfalls as a result of employee turnover by having a quick access to qualified labor. Domestic outsourcing has also helped organizations to manage their labor costs by only hiring the exact amount of labor needed during a particular time. Domestic labor outsourcing has been widely used in administrative, research and teaching posts in universities in China. However, the outsourced staff enjoys fewer social security benefits and lower wages compared to the regular workers on similar jobs. They are also discriminated by the organizations’ training and promotion opportunities. The practice has been blamed for the rising cases of inequalities among workers especially in public service (Chen). In Beijing alone, universities have outsourced an approximated 3,500 workers in administrative, teaching and research positions. The figure is 1000 less in Shanghai (Chen). The domestic outsourcing model should be reviewed to ensure equal rights are enjoyed by all employees in the public

Marketing - Med-I-Paint Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing - Med-I-Paint Ltd - Essay Example MIP serves the continents with its reusable products such as sleep knit, traditional bedding, linen protection clothing, clothing protection, breathable protection, pillows and duvets, bed accessories, laundry bags, laundry equipments, and towels among others from its international clientele mostly located in Canada, Portugal and Germany (MIP UK Inc., 2012). This paper will focus on the key operations of MIP with the objective to assess its strategies. In this regards, the organisational culture perceived by MIP and its quality management initiatives will also be taken into account in this paper. The discussion will also intend to identify the various challenges faced by MIP in dealing with its operations, especially in the UK market. Organisational Culture in MIP The organisational culture is often regarded as a collection of perceived values, standards, and behaviours shared by its employees that control the way of interacting with each other. The organisational culture of MIP focu ses on the motivated people who are passionate about their tasks, as was stated by the Human Resource Director of the organisation, Gail Perowne. It can be noted that the organisational culture in MIP is developed in a way so that the employees can support the organisational growth productively. ... Organisation culture is the way in which the entire workforce performs the tasks contributing to the overall organisational productivity. In this process, the employees fundamentally perform tasks related with problem solving, conflict and query resolutions, and customer handling as well as efficiently dealing with the individual members within the organisation (MIP UK Inc., 2012). The organisation should involve with some functional activities to maintain a suitable culture within the organisation which can be regarded as the behavioural control encouraging stability and providing source of identity. Social norms are one of the most compulsory and most obvious elements of cultural control mechanisms. A social norm is basically a behavioural expectation that the people will proceed in a specified way for a particular situation (Bicchieri & et. al., 2011). It is in this context that culture is a quite strong force in the organisation, which is consciously passed among the incoming emp loyees within the organisation. It plays a vital role in reflecting the true nature and personality of an organisation. The organisational culture involves the employees, the customers, the suppliers, and the community which MIP follows in a way maintaining the company ahead on its productivity to generate a good position at the international dais (MIP UK Inc., 2012). Quality Management in MIP The elements of quality control show the quality of all existing factors which are involved with the production of any plant or any organisation. Elements such as control, job management, task specification process, performance criteria and identification of previous records among others play a major role in quality control aspects of MIP. Furthermore, soft

The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Markets Essay

The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Markets - Essay Example Taking into consideration the impact of political, social and economic factors on the establishment and growth of foreign ventures, it is paramount for company directors to ensure coverage of wide areas during the risk analysis process. One of the benefits of risk analysis is that it provides directors with adequate knowhow on goods and services to offer as well as choices of location. In addition, it helps company owners with policies that are vital for operations of a company. Similarly, risk analysis helps companies to be compliant with laws in foreign countries. This report analyzes economic risks, political risks, business environment risks and currency risks that we need to consider before our company embarks on establishing a joint venture in Nigeria. Economic risks One of the major factors that affect the growth of Nigeria economy is poor planning by the government. This has not only resulted to high level of unemployment but also a reduction of household’s income thus lowering the consumer’s purchasing power. For example, the revenue generated by the country’s extensive oil industry is not effectively managed thus increasing the poverty level in the country. In addition, the country has small arable land thus lowering the total food production. As a result, the country has reduced exports thus lowering the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Another area that is negatively affected by poor government planning in Nigeria is infrastructure system. For instance, the country has poor road system making it difficult to assess rural areas as well as expanding business activities. It is worth to note that for any country to develop, competition is vital since it allows innovation and production of wide range of products in the market. However, a major obstacle affecting Nigeria economic prosperity is lack of genuine competition. As a result, market forces do not play a vital role to regulate the economy. In the same way, the country leaders are significantly engaged in controlling the economy an aspect that is contrary to the Adam Smith ideology of not allowing governments to interfere with economy (Dwivedi, 2001). Macroeconomic imbalances are another challenges facing Nigeria. For example, new ventures have the risk of facing unstable inflation and excessive borrowing by the government. Additionally, the government has failed to commit itself to address the macroeconomic challenges thus leading to larger deficit in the government budget. Political risks In order to establish a profitable business venture, it is imperative for investors to consider the political situation of the country they wish to invest. It is vital to note that even though a firm can have adequate finances to cater for its own internal security, political instability in a country can negatively affect the operations of a company resulting to its closure. This implies that as we focus on entering the Nigeria market, it is fundamental to analyze the pol itical factors of the country thus identifying the obstacles or the benefits that our firm is likely to face. One of the major political aspects that are notable in Nigeria is the rivalry that exists between the North and Southern residents. This was catapulted by the policy that was applied by British government that included use of direct rule on the southern region and indirect rule in the Northern area. Not only has the rivalry between the

Should taxes on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for Research Paper - 3

Should taxes on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for rising medical costs - Research Paper Example Consequently, there are views that these two drugs are legal in the society, yet there challenges to human health are extremely uncontainable. The following discussion sets the basis of the prescribed solution in accordance with the professor’s view, an evaluation of the advantages of the solution, and an argument of the demerits likely to emanate from the tax increments. A critical review of the professor and classmates’ response indicates that the group acquired success to the extent they were able to determine the reasons as to why the society continues to suffer the menace of drug abuse and addiction (Jones, 2011). They indicated alcohol and tobacco as the most abused substances despite the administration setting constitutional constraints to ensure proper or reduced usage rates on them (Brisbin, 2008). The group indicated that most of the people indulge in the consumption of the legalities but health hazardous substances while seeking to relieve themselves from traumas and other types of psychological stresses. Amicably, the response sets a proper basis for the society to decipher vital knowledge on the untamed use of alcohol and tobacco products. In turn, the essay articulates the irresponsible behaviors that obviously pose threats to the society at large. For instance, consumption of alcohol has contributed to the spread of diseases since the consumers, make decisions based on the idealization. While they think that they are right, alcohol consumption impairs ones judgments and these drunks often find themselves in more troubles after realizing their deeds (Berry, 2005). The group indicates that in the absence of increased taxes on the commodities, the users are vulnerable to unprotected sex thus the consequences remain at large while they extend the infections to their spouses too. Therefore, the response seems to be successful as it denotes on the risks

Difference between a Wired and Wireless Network Security Term Paper

Difference between a Wired and Wireless Network Security - Term Paper Example This kind of threat is most often accidental but sometimes may be intentional too. It includes fluctuations or surges in power supply, that is, sudden rise or sudden drop in the voltage, the efficiency of the supply and electricity failure. The voltage fluctuation tends to damage the computer system and the information stored in the random-access memory because it may cause the system to shut down suddenly. Thus, power smoothing becomes vital. This can be achieved by applying surge protectors on the power supply or by using devices like uninterruptible power supply (UPS) which are charged by the power main. These have built-in power smoothers which are greatly helpful if there is sudden failure of power supply like electricity blackout. The computers over the network are connected to the UPS and in case of electricity failure, they do not shut down all of a sudden. This helps in saving the vital information that was being processed. A power generator does the same purpose, that is, a cts as a power supply and lets the computers continue their processing without losing the information. There should be power-linked parameters connected with both the power supply and the system which give signal before electricity failure. ... In a wired network, you can see by your eyes and through the wires which and how many PCs are connected to a certain network. Hence, the second significant difference is that of trust. A wired network is directly under the control of the administrator and therefore there is a trustworthy attitude toward the whole setup. On the other hand, wireless networks suffer from distrust because you never know who is accessing you network from outside the windows within the access point. No matter how secure you make the wireless network, technology has enabled the hackers to devise more sophisticated means to create a security breach that is hidden from your eye. Hence, we see that there are differences between wired and wireless network security and none of the two types of networks is free from security breaches and threats. References Posey, B. (2005). Have Wireless Networks Surpassed the Security of Wired Networks? WindowsSecurity.com. Retrieved August 19, 2011, from http://www.windowsecur ity.com/articles/Wireless-Networks-Surpassed-Security-Wired-Networks.html Wysocki, B.J. (2005). Advanced Wired and Wireless Networks. USA:

Stolen Generation Facts Term Paper Essay Example for Free

Stolen Generation Facts Term Paper Essay â€Å"Indigenous children have been forcibly separated from their families and communities since the very first days of the European occupation of Australia† obtained from the Bringing Them Home Report Who are the Stolen Generations The term ‘stolen generations† is in reference to those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed, as children, from their families and communities by government, welfare and affiliated church organisations. These children were systematically placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. Although it can be argued that the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the very first days of European occupation in Australia, the forced removal policies and legislation began in the mid 1800s and continued until the 1970s. There is current discourse in Aboriginal communities supporting the notion that the removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities continues to exist today in the form of complexities associated with current government policies and legislation and the over representation of Aboriginal children in out of home care. How and why do we know the forcible removal of Aboriginal children occurred in NSW? New South Wales, along with other Australian state and territory governments have acknowledged past practices and policies of forced removal of Indigenous children on the basis of race. The Bringing Them Home Report, commissioned by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and presented to the Australian government in 1997 came out of the HREOC National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. This report was central to documenting evidence relating to the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in NSW and Australia wide. This report contains extensive evidence of past practices and policies which resulted in the removal of children. It also details the conditions into which many of the children were placed and discusses the negative impact this has had on individuals, their families and the broader Indigenous community. The Bringing Them Home Report (1997, p. 651) extensively suggested 53 detailed recommendations to the Council of Australian Governments. For further information on the Bringing Them Home Report and the recommendations that were put forward to the Australian government, please go to http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_Justice/bth_report/report/index.html Link-Up NSW a Koori organisation founded in 1980 was established to assist the Stolen Generations in finding their way home as well as support families of people who were separated from their children. This removal occurred as the result of official laws and policies aimed at assimilating the Indigenous population into the wider community. What is a Koori? â€Å"There are many terms in use around Australia for the word â€Å"Aborigine†. In most areas of NSW the term â€Å"Koori† is used. There are several other words which are used around Australia such as – â€Å"Goori† (northern NSW/QLD), â€Å"Murri† (northern NSW/QLD), â€Å"Nunga† (SA) and â€Å"Nyoongah† (WA). There are many areas/regions that have retained their cultural language and have different terms to describe themselves† Link Up NSW. Timeline of government legislation The below synopsis can be identified as proof of an extensive history of legislative frameworks provided for the removal of Aboriginal children from their families, clans and communities, through an english common law regime in NSW. Under the guise of protection, Aboriginal people were subject to near total control. This systematic approach to the forcible removal of Aboriginal children in NSW can be identified by many government Acts including: 1810s – Governor Macquarie: Proclamation 4 May 1816, Aborigines declared subject to the protection of British law, but any crimes may render them outlawed and lead to loss of privileges 1849 – Act to provide for the Care and Education of Infants who may be convicted of Felony or Misdemeanour – whereby a child under the age of 19 is convicted, court may assign care and custody of the child to such persons as make application where the court is satisfied it is for the benefit of the child. 1881 – State Children Relief Act State Children’s Relief Board established. ‘Boarding out’ officers may remove children from charitable institutions and arrange for them to be boarded out in licensed homes. 1908 Establishment of Bomaderry United Aborigines Mission Home Consequently, the Aborigines Protection Board set-up in 1909 contributed to the United Aborigines Mission home at Bomaderry on the NSW south coast where younger children and babies were placed. 1909 – Aborigines Protection Act – Established the Aborigines Protection Board (APB) for the Protection of Aborigines. The duration of this Act was for 60 years until its replacement in 1969. A key provision of this Act was to provide for the custody, maintenance and education of the children of ‘Aborigines’. 1911 – Establishement of Cootamundra Girls Home Cootamundra was the first of the homes for Aboriginal children set up by the APB. The main aim of the Board was to rescue Aboriginal children from their families and assimilate them into the white community. Girls were the main target of the Board, especially so-called half-caste or mixed blood girls. The girls were trained as domestic servants and sent out to work for middle class white families. 1915 – Aboriginal Protection Amending Act – Removed the requirement that an Aboriginal child had to be found to be neglected before the Board could remove him/her. The discourse associated with the presumption of ‘neglect’, a requirement initially implemented by the Act was disempowering for Aboriginal mothers, fathers and families as there was no recourse for Aboriginal people who challenged the notion of ‘neglect’ that was often decided at the whim of a government inspectors own beliefs and values – these officials held the sole power in determining neglect. This practice was further exacerbated by views of assimilation of Aboriginal people into mainstream white society to ease the pillow of Aboriginal people as a dying race. 1918 – Establishment of Kinchela Boys Home The Board established Kinchela Training Institution in northern NSW for boys. The APB opened the Kinchela Boys Home with the official purpose of providing training for Aboriginal boys between the ages of five and fifteen. These boys were taken from their families by the State from all over New South Wales. 1940 Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act– Aborigines Protection Board replaced by the Aborigines Welfare Board (AWB). This Board took responsibility for Aboriginal ‘wards’ removed under the Child Welfare Act 1939. This Board had the power to establish ‘homes for the reception, maintenance, education and training’ of wards. This included the administration of the major institutions already established in NSW including Kinchela, Cootamundra, and the Bomaderry Children’s Home. The Board administered ‘apprenticeships’ and young Aboriginal children were ‘indentured’ to work (farm hands/domestics). Wages of the children were to be paid to the board and kept in a trust account for use by the Board for the ward’s benefit until the ward turned 21. 1943 Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act –The Board is the authority in relation to children admitted to its control with power over removal and transfer of wards, apprenticing wards and approving custody of wards. 1969 Repealed by the Aborigines Act – Aborigines Welfare Board abolished. Aboriginal children under the care of the AWB to become wards of the state. Aboriginal childrens institutions deemed to be depots under the Child Welfare Act 1939 and subsequent child welfare legislation. The apology Why was it important to apologise to the Stolen Generations? Recommendation 5a (2) from the Bringing Them Home Report suggests that all Australian parliaments â€Å"negotiate with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission a form of words for official apologies to Indigenous individuals, families and communities and extend those apologies with wide and culturally appropriate publicity†. â€Å"This issue is a ‘blank spot’ in the history of Australia. The damage and trauma these policies caused are felt everyday by Aboriginal people. They internalise their grief, guilt and confusion, inflicting further pain on themselves and others around them. It is about time the Australian Government openly accepted responsibility for their actions† (Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter in Buti A, Bringng Them Home the ALSA Way). In essence, formal government apologies provided a way for Australian governments to recognise the damning effects of removal policies of the past. The lifelong profoundly disabling consequences of those taken, meant that they lost all connection to family, traditional land, culture and language. On 14 November 1996, the Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, became the first head of an Australian government to respond to the call from the Governor General, Sir William Deane, for all Parliaments to reaffirm their commitment to reconciliation. The Premier’s resolution was passed unanimously. The NSW Premier was also the first state leader to offer a formal apology to the Aboriginal people for the Stolen Generations. On 13th February 2008, in a historic speech, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formally apology to the Stolen Generations in his first official parliamentary sitting which was the commencement of the 42nd parliament of the commonwealth. Receving a formal apology by the Prime Minsiter of Australia has allowed the start of the healing process In a response to the National apology to the Stolen Generations, Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, HREOC stated â€Å"Through one direct act, Parliament has acknowledged the existence and the impacts of the past policies and practices of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their families. And by doing so, has paid respect to the Stolen Generations for their suffering and loss. For their resilience. And ultimately, for their dignity†.

The UK Brewing Industry: PESTLE Analysis

The UK Brewing Industry: PESTLE Analysis The macro-environment of the UK brewing industry are the major external and uncontrollable factors that influence its operating organizations decision making, as well as its performance and strategies. To identify and assess its key factors, using the PESTLE framework will provide a comprehensive list of influences and key drivers in six main categories, which are: political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental. This method allows businesses to consider and explore how their external environment might change so that they are prepared if things should change. PESTLE analysis of the UK Brewing Industry Political Changes and reforms of Licensing Laws in line with Government policy Relaxation of opening hours and late night opening National minimum wage increase affecting salaries and wages EU influence and legislation regarding measures of drinks EU and National Government guidelines regarding health Local and National Government concerns regarding negative aspects of binge drinking Budget increases in duty on alcohol Government plan to increase taxes equating to around  £8million Increased duty on beer to 9% and inflation by 2% Economical National and international economic downturn means people generally have less disposable income for socialising Rise in staff wages due to National Insurance and Minimum Wage increases Cut price offers for alcohol in supermarket promotions Increases in transport costs in line with Fuel pricing Steadily falling employment Pubs create 18 jobs per pint than the supermarkets who only create 3 Rising costs of energy, food tax and employment Social Culturally pubs are the centre of social life, place to meet friends and for locals to socialise Easily accessible as pubs are generally situated close to Town Centres or on main routes Localised venue known for gigs, live music, themed nights for younger consumers Demographically increased local student population Media concern with negative aspects of binge drinking   Increased awareness of health concerns   Increased advertising on mainstream media of consuming alcohol responsibly   Wider choice and taste of alcoholic drinks in supermarkets for consumers Technological Developments in delivery of cold beers and chilled ale Development of wide range of flavoured alcoholic drinks Local interest in nightlife promoted via multi-media, websites, blogs and social networking Advertisements for alcohol awareness and responsible drinking on mainstream media Increased advertisement for alcohol brands via multi media Legal Smoking Ban Stronger enforcement of underage drinking regulations on local and national level Changes in Drink Driving Laws EU legislation on measures of drinks served Environmental Recycling Waste, litter, refuse produced in local area Transportation and delivery costs of goods The Macroeconomic Environment Key Drivers The Changing Nature of the Competitive Environment Present a Five Forces analysis of the competitive environment of the UK beer industry and discuss the changing nature and effect of these forces (30 marks) The brewery industry is highly competitive and highly saturated business. There are a number of forces at work here all of which can provide an insight into how appealing the brewery industry is, in terms of whether it is the type of industry to enter or leave; if there is room to exert any type of influence and how the competitors within this industry affect its performance (Johnson,2009). To help provide an analysis of the brewery industry and develop a business strategy, using Michael E. Porters Five Forces Model will determine its competitive intensity or attractiveness of a market. Porters Five Forces Analysis for the UK Brewery Industry ***NOTES FROM WORKSHOP: The industry is unattractive and unprofitable, the forces reduce the profits the firm can make†¦its getting worse The Strategic Directions of Adnams Against the background of a declining industry, the brewer and pub operator Adnams seem to be bucking the trends. Assess the strategic directions chosen by Adnams that have aided their progress. (40 marks) Adnams is a British brewery founded in 1890 in Southwold, Suffolk. In 2008 in spite of the economic downturn, Adnams began to make changes in how the brewery process operates to reduce its impact on the environment. In doing so Adnams decided to work more closely with local farmers and producers who supply their breweries and hotels; in addition to this through a partnership with a local business Adnams installed an anaerobic digestion plant to turn brewery and food waste into biogas, which has been a huge success. CONCLUSION Table of Appendices Meeting Logs Meeting Title: Strategic Management Assignment Date: 22ndFebruary 2011 Time: 12:00 Location: Kingston Hill Campus (Library Resource Centre) Meeting No. 1 Attendees: Alfred Okanlawon, Andrina Beau-Pierre, Damian Brooks, Rosetta Azah-Thomas, Jermaine Randolph Topics: Familiarize ourselves with one another and exchange contact details Ensure everyone has a copy of the case study Skim over the case study and brainstorm possible routes for questions 1, 2 and 3 Next meeting date: 1stMarch 2011 By the next meeting everyone should have read and understood the case study fully, and made bullet points for each question. Meeting Title: Strategic Management Assignment Date: 1stMarch 2011 Time: 12:00 Location: Kingston Hill Campus (Library Resource Centre) Meeting No. 2 Attendees: Alfred Okanlawon, Andrina Beau-Pierre, Damian Brooks, Rosetta Azah-Thomas, Jermaine Randolph Topics: Gather all the notes made for each question Decide who will do which question Next meeting date: 8thMarch 2011 By the next meeting everyone should have made a start on their assigned question so that everyone can read over it and offer suggestions Meeting Title: Strategic Management Assignment Date: 17thMarch 2011 Time: 14:00 Location: Kingston Hill Campus (Mid Level) Meeting No. 3 Attendees: Alfred Okanlawon, Andrina Beau-Pierre, Damian Brooks, Rosetta Azah-Thomas, Jermaine Randolph Topics: Combined the work that everyone has done so far individually for each question Whatever is left to do everyone should do, and we will bring it together for the next meeting Next meeting date: 22ndMarch 2011 By the next meeting all the questions will be answered by everyone and put together collectively and everyone will read the assignment and take notes on which sections they feel are irrelevant so that it will be cut down to make relevant together so that everyone is happy with its content Meeting Title: Strategic Management Assignment Date: 22ndMarch 2011 Time: 11:00 Location: Kingston Hill Campus () Meeting No. Attendees: Alfred Okanlawon, Andrina Beau-Pierre, Damian Brooks, Rosetta Azah-Thomas, Jermaine Randolph Topics: To discuss why sections of the assignment are irrelevant To take out sections that everyone agrees are irrelevant Next meeting date: Meeting Title: Strategic Management Assignment Date: 24ndMarch 2011 Time: 13:00 Location: Kingston Hill Campus () Meeting No. Attendees: Alfred Okanlawon, Andrina Beau-Pierre, Damian Brooks, Rosetta Azah-Thomas, Jermaine Randolph Topics: To write up the introduction (preface) and conclusion as a group Hand in the assignment Next meeting date:

Comparing Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay -- Politics Political Essays

Comparing Adam Smith and Karl Marx Smith and Marx agree upon the importance of capitalism as unleashing productive powers. Capitalism is born out of the division of labour... that is, it is made possible by dividing jobs up into simple tasks as a way of increasing efficiency. By increasing efficiency, then everyone can produce more than they personally need. The extra produced can go towards the accumulation of capital, (machines, more land, more tools, etc) which will allow for even more increased efficiency and production. Both thought that this increased production was great. But Marx said that capitalism was only one stage... that every country must go through capitalism, to get that increased production, but that capitalism is unstable. It requires expanding markets and will end up creating a large gap between the wealthy and the poor, with more and more people becoming poor. Because of this instability, he thought that it would eventually collapse. However, here is where they split. Smith thinks that as everyone produces more, they have more to sell (exchange) and ever...

Zechariah Essay -- essays research papers fc

Zechariah Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and God‘s people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand. From the New Living Translation, the passage reads as follows: 4 This is what the LORD my God says: "Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, 'Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. "I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protec t them." 7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter – the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep – this nation – and they hated me, too. 9 So I told them, "I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And those who remain will devour each other!" 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and snapped it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 That was the end of my covenant with them. Those who bought and sold sheep were watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking to them through my actions. 12 And I said to them, "If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to." So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potters" – this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potters in the Temple of the LORD. 14 Then I broke my other staff, Union, to show that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. 15 Then the LORD said to me, "Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. 16 This will illustrate how I will give this nation a... ...ill leave them to be destroyed in the hands of the false prophets and corrupt leaders of the land. God tells them that he really does not want it to come to this, because the passage ends with a prophecy about what will become of the worthless shepherd. I think this is a message to false prophets that eventually no one will believe them, and also to the leaders or kings that they will lose all of their power and military strength. God reminds them that he really is helping protect them from the full effect of their sins even if they don’t realize it. In other words, things could be a lot worse, but God loves humans so much that he won’t let it get worse. The general message is for the people to clean up their act and repent so these bad things won’t happen. Bibliography Works Cited Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. Interpreting The Minor Prophets. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1990. Brown, William P. Westminster Bible Companion: Obadiah Through Malachi. Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. Holy Bible New Living Translation. Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1996. Meyers, Carol L., and Eric M. Meyers. The Anchor Bible: Zechariah 9-14.New York: Doubleday. 1993.

The Disgrace of Flag Burning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Disgrace of Flag Burning To Those Who Want To Burn the Flag, just ask permission........ Does the First Amendment give us the right to desecrate the American flag? Or is the flag a sacred symbol of our nation, deserving protection by law? For those who want to light Old Glory on fire, stomp all over it, or spit on it to make some sort of "statement," I say let them do it. But under one condition: they MUST get permission from three sponsors. First, you need permission of a war veteran. Perhaps a Marine who fought at Iwo Jima? The American flag was raised over Mount Surabachi upon the bodies of thousands of dead buddies. Each night spent on Iwo meant half of everyone you knew would be dead tomorrow, a coin flip away from a bloody end upon a patch of sand your mother couldn't find on a map. Or maybe ask a Vietnam vet who spent years tortured in a small, filthy cell unfit for a dog. Or a Korean War soldier who helped rescue half a nation from Communism, or a Desert Storm veteran who repulsed a bloody dictator from raping and pillaging an innocent country. That flag represented your mother and father, your sister and brother, your friends, neighbors, and everyone at home. I wonder what they would say if someone asked them permission to burn the American flag? Next, you need a signature from an immigrant. Their brothers and sisters may still languish in their native land, often under tyranny, poverty and misery. Or maybe they died on the way here, never to touch our shores. Some have seen friends and family get tortured and murdered by their own government for daring to do things we take for granted every day. For those who risked everything simply for the chance to become an American....what kind of feelings do they have for the flag when they Pledge Allegiance the first time? Go to a naturalization ceremony and see for yourself, the tears of pride, the thanks, the love and respect of this nation, as they finally embrace the American flag as their own. Ask one of them if it would be OK to tear up the flag. Last, you should get the signature of a mother.

First characteristic book Essay

Willa Cather has never published a bad book. Ergo, all of her work is of the same excellence, all of it has the same importance. Speaking about her creative activity it is difficult to divide her heritage into good and bad books. Nevertheless, despite that fact the truth is that Cather’s strongest books are those related to the West, to the land of her childhood. Willa Sibert Cather was born in Virginia, but brought up from the age of 8 in Nebraska, where she was reared among the immigrants. My attempt will be to find out what episodes of Willa Cather’s life had impact upon her work and to prove that this impact was determinative in the formation of mature and internationally known writer worthy being included in contemporary literary canon. Willa Cather was educated at the University of Nebraska, where she studied Latin that may have influenced her graceful Virgilian style. (Daiches, 1951, 34) Later she worked on the staff, then as editor, of McClure’s Magazine in New York from 1906 to 1912. With O Pioneers! , written in 1913, she turned to the Nebraska prairies to relate the stories she experienced, he stories praising the romanticism and difficulties of the life in frontier. She was awarded with a Pulitzer Prize for her novel One of Ours of 1922. Willa Cather would probably be a writer even had she never gone West in her early impressionable years. What kind of a writer, it would be hard to say. In this context James Seaton makes some presumption, namely he refers to the inferior quality of her non-Western books, that we should not have had anything like her present masterpieces, and that America and the world would not have heard of her. (Seaton, 1998, 147) Willa Cather’s best works are indeed the result of cooperation of poetic vision of the artist in words and landscape where each gives to each, the artist giving her chosen country expression and duration forever, the country and the people so identifying themselves with the artist as to become backbone and marrow of her work. Willa Cather’s union with the great table-lands east of the Rockies had prominent effect on her best works. The passion for description of past in Cather’s works is usually explained by critics as the influence of her childhood spent in Nebraska. (Brown, 1953, O’Brien, 1987); and Joan Acocella justly calls Cather â€Å"the elegist of the pioneer period, the repository of what America thinks of as its early triumphs. † (Acocella, 2000, 3) Willa Cather wrote three novels, her so-called prairie trilogy – all based on her childhood in Nebraska. In the 1913 O Pioneers! a young Swedish immigrant, Alexandra Bergson, raises a blooming farm out of the barren Nebraska plain. Then comes The Song of the Lark, in which Thea Kronborg, another little Swede, stuck in another prairie town, dreams of becoming an artist, and actually makes it. And the third is My Antonia, the story of a Czech girl, Antonia Shimerda. Willa Cather takes to her heart the simplest souls of the West, the generous, impulsive, loyal souls of brakeman, ranchman, pioneer, missionary priest and Indian. Willa Cather’s Thea Kronborg, her Claude Wheeler, her Professor St. Peter, her Archbishop carry the pioneers’ flag of endurance into the higher realms, driven on by their imagination and their passion to a more perfect world. Willa Cather’s early resettlement to the West brought about for her, without her striving for it, the revelation of a landscape’s essential beauty and of the particular imprint on it of human sufferings and toil. Her early experience was that factor which encouraged the development of originality and a form of Cather’s writing. The length of that experience is eloquent enough: a child of nine came, saw, and conquered the West; it took a mature woman of some published books behind her to write O Pioneers, Willa Cather’s probably first characteristic book. Willa Cather soon exchanged the prairie for the schoolroom. Nevertheless, the prairie and the pioneers had given her what no school could have given: the first priceless experience of life in the open in a vast untamed country, an experience that is all the more palpable in her novels with eloquent English tongue poetizing beauty of the West, the pioneers’ inarticulate dreams, their stoic acceptance of the inevitable, and their ready answer to the call of adventure.

Bioethics Paper: Prenatal Genetic Screening Essay

Prenatal Genetic Testing has become one of the most prominent and influential advances in clinical genetics today. Every year, hundreds of couples request screening services, hence, subjecting themselves to the results of the diagnosis. For some, the information may be a sigh of relief, and for others a whisper of warning. The concept of Prenatal Genetic Screening has only recently surfaced for controversy. In consequence to the completion of the Human Genome Project (2003), the option for Prenatal Genetic Screening can now be performed for an affordable 1,000 dollars. Utilizing state of the art multiplex technologies such as gene chips and micro beads, we can already track hundreds of thousands of unique SNPs or Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms to screen our genome at over half a million pinpoints that are believed to be associated with particular traits, diseases, susceptibilities, and conditions. In addition to screening for diseases, this technology threatens to tamper with our perception of individuality. Raising the question of constitutionality, and whether it should be permitted to terminate a pregnancy based for reasons of sex, hair color, or eye color [Designer Babies]. If approved by the FDA, this option is predicted to prompt a dramatic increase in pregnancy terminations and lead to a host of practical and legal questions. Some believe that the concept is simple. Utilizing potential knowledge of the impending future, we are given the chance to think and to prepare. We are given the chance to absorb the entirety of the situation and consult a genetics counselor. With prior knowledge we could save people years of suffering and financial trouble. Others question the effectiveness and benefits of genetic screening and wonder if the process would prompt undue emotional distress, distress for the safety of the fetus and also the issue of privacy. And continue to note the dark and looming connotations of Designer Babies. It is evident that the latter argument is the common preference, however, I will take the road less taken. Five years ago I lived an innocent childhood, where everyone laughed and played, and there was no worse suffering beyond scraping my knee on the pavement. Two years later that reality was shattered. What I didn’t know at the time was that there were children who lived lives far different from mine. Children like my baby cousin Jasmine. Jasmine was born with a rare genetic disorder called Pfeiffer’s Syndrome, a disease characterized by the early fusion of the bones in her skull. She would never live my childhood reality, for frankly she would never live to the age. Often times I wondered what could have been done, and only recently has it revealed itself to me that â€Å"Prenatal Genetic Screening† was the answer to my persistent question. If only it had been available at the time, maybe Jasmine could have grown up to be the next â€Å"James D. Watson,† â€Å"Francis Crick† or â€Å"Rosalind Franklin.† Now we will never know. Now that it is possible to save, to relieve, and to cure, is it worth the risk to give children like Jasmine a fair chance at life? I believe so. Works Cited â€Å"The President’s Council on Bioethics: The Future of Newborn Screening: Clouds on the Horizon?† The President’s Council on Bioethics: The Future of Newborn Screening: Clouds on the Horizon? N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013. â€Å"The Genetic Testing Controversy.† The Genetic Testing Controversy. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013. â€Å"History and Overview of Newborn Screening.† Welcome. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013. â€Å"New Prenatal Genetic Test Is Much More Powerful at Detecting Fetal Abnormalities.† ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 09 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Prenatal Diagnostic Tests and the Social, Legal, and Ethical Implications.† Prenatal Diagnostic Tests and the Social, Legal, and Ethical Implications. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Big Families Essay

For any child I believe it is better to have a big family because you will have someone to talk to, someone to work with and new experiences every day. I know how you feel for example you might think a small family is better because you are the only child and you will get anything you want. So what is you had a problem who will you talk to if you had a small family .But if you had a big family you will not have just one person to talk to you will have many. Another example is when you’re doing homework and you need help who will help you? And if you had a small family who will help you if your parents are working. On the other hand if you have a big family you will have someone to explain your homework as well. If you have a small family and you win a prize to go somewhere are your parents do not want to go. But if you had a big family and you have a older brother or sister who want to go you will be able to enjoy your prize with your brother or sister. If you never been to that place you will have new experiences every day. In conclusion , I think a big family is better because you will have new experiences everyday , you will have someone to talk to and someone to work with .Please consider my reason when making your decision because a big beautiful family is better than a small family, think of what would happen if you where the only child you would be very bored without anyone to talk to.

Gmmm

Case 1. Southwestern university Southwestern university (SWU), a large state college in Stephenville, Texas, 30 miles southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, enrolls close to 20,000 students. In a typical town-gown relationship, the school is a dominant force in the small city, with more students during fall and spring than permanent residents. A longtime football powerhouse, SWU is a member of the Big Eleven conference and is usually in the top 20 in college football rankings.To bolster its chances of reaching the elusive and long-desired number-one ranking, in 2003, SWU hired the legendary Bo Pitterno as its head coach. One of Pitterno’s demands on joining SWU had been a new stadium. With attendance increasing, SWU administrators began to face the issue head-on. After 6 months of study, much political arm wrestling, and some serious financial analysis, Dr. Joel Wisner, president of Southwestern University, had reached a decision to expand the capacity at its on-campus stadium. Adding thousands of seats, including dozens of luxury skyboxes, would not please everyone.The influential Pitterno had argued the need for a first-class stadium, one with built-in dormitory rooms for his players and palatial office appropriate for the coach of a future NCAA champion team. But the decision was made, and everyone, including the coach, would learn to live with it. The job now was to get construction going immediately after the 2009 season ended. This would allow exactly 270 days until the 2010 season opening game. The contractor, Hill Construction, signed his contract. Bob Hill looked at the tasks his engineers had outlined and looked President Wisner in the eye. I guarantee the team will be able to take the field on schedule next year,† he said with a sense of confidence. â€Å"I sure hope so,† replied Wisner. â€Å"The contract penalty of $10,000 per day for running late is nothing compared to what Coach Pitterno will do to you if our opening g ame with Penn State is delayed or canceled. † Hill, sweating slightly, did not need to respond. In foot-ball-crazy Texas, Hill Construction would be mud if the 270- days target was missed. Back in his office, Hill again reviewed the data and noted that optimistic time estimates can be used as crash times.He then gathered his foremen. â€Å"Folks, if we’re not 75% sure we’ll finish this stadium in less than 270 days, I want this project crashed! Give me the cost figures for a target date of 250 days- also for 240 days. I want to be early, not just on time. 1. Develop a network drawing for Hill Construction and determine the critical path. How long is the project expected to take? 2. What is the probability of finishing in 270 days? 3. If it is necessary to crash to 250 or 240 days, how would Hill do so, and at what costs? As noted in the case, assume that optimistic time estimates can be used as crash times. aa

Answer the questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Answer the questions - Assignment Example In experiment 1a and 1b, they sought to demonstrate how failing to donate when a hedonic product is referenced affects self-image. Experiments 2a and 2b complemented the previous experiments by establishing the effect of reference products on donation choices. The final experiment (3) sought to test the theory behind donations and reference products by using the same reference product (a blender) as hedonic and utilitarian (29). The researchers established that consumers are inclined to donations whereby there is reference to a hedonic product as opposed to when a utilitarian product is referenced. In addition, when a similar product is used both as a hedonic and utilitarian reference, consumers will donate more on the hedonic reference. The researchers noted that base rates for donation reduced when larger amounts of money are requested regardless of referencing a hedonic product. Such results were not expected. However, they recommended that future research ought to focus on the relation between the reference product and the amount of money requested

Evidence base practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Evidence base practice - Assignment Example RAM was of was advanced by one Callista Roy, back in 1976 (Clarke, Barone, Hanna and Senesac 2012). Roy’s major aim while developing the model was to promote adaptation in the nursing practice. The model’s development was influenced by various factors like; education, clinical experience, family, religious background, and education (Weiss, Hastings, Holly and Craig 2012). It seeks to address the following issues; According to Roy, adaptation happens whenever individuals respond positively to environmental changes. The model comprises four major components of individual, Nursing, Health and Environment (Weiss et al. 2012). The model notes that an individual is a bio-psycho-social being that constantly interacts with an ever changing surrounding. It considers people as individuals or in groups like families, organizations and the society as a whole (Clarke et al. 2012). It suggests that health is both a status and a procedure of being complete. Health and sickness are considered unavoidable areas of an individual’s life. RAM remains the best fit for the nursing practice because it gives practical suggestions concerning the nursing practice and process. It supposes that for individuals to respond well to changes in the surrounding, they have to adapt. Such adaptation depends on the stimulus the person is exposed to and his/ her extent of adaptation (Smith 2013). The individual also has four adaptation means, namely; physiologic necessities, self-notion, role purpose as well as interdependence. In conclusion, RAM is still the best fit for the nursing practice because it gives practical suggestions concerning the nursing practice and process. It suggests that all through the nursing process, every nurse, and all healthcare professionals should make adaptations to the nursing care plan. All this is done on the basis of the patient’s health

Japanese Immigration to Hawaii Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Japanese Immigration to Hawaii - Essay Example He initially called the group of islands as Sandwich Islands. Hawaii has abundant tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches and volcanic mountains. The main agriculture in Hawaii includes Sugar cane, pineapples, orchids, and flowers. The main plantation work in early Hawaii was in the sugar cane field. Hawaii is located 2,397 miles west-southwest of San Francisco. It is a chain of islands of about 1,523 miles. Due to their increase in political affairs and in the sugar production sector, Hawaii became a native kingdom in the nineteenth century. â€Å"The main islands of Hawaii ruled by independent chieftains were conquered and/or united by Kamehameha, the Great as a kingdom†. They began trading through the pacific having Hawaii as a center point for carrying provisions and other supplies. During this time, a new industry which came into existence was the sale of sandalwood in overseas markets, mainly in China. The sandalwood was cut from the flourishing Hawaiian forests. The Japa nese Entry Initially, the Japanese neither came to Hawaii islands as immigrants nor as settlers. They came as drifters on boats. They were either driven ashore in the Pacific Ocean or they were taken by sailing vessels on the seas. Hawaii is said to be the first kingdom which had maximum immigrants from Japan, there was a great transformation seen due to this prevalence of Japanese immigration. Hawaii was way behind transforming into an independent state when business men in Hawaii vigorously fixed Japanese as laborers to work in sugar cane fields (â€Å"Hawaii: Life in a Plantation Society,† n.d.). This was mainly because the Hawaiian people did not have an inclination toward working. They had the practice of working only when... One key concept that can be understood from the history of the Japanese immigration in Hawaii is the intensity of the role played by the working community in improving the political economy in Hawaii. The Japanese labor society in Hawaii proves the potential of the working class. This also gives an opportunity to the organizations to understand and be aware of the potential and importance that is given by the labor community. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries visualized the growth and awareness that the Japanese immigrant workers had. At each stage of their struggle they learnt to respond rightly to the owner community. It was between 1826 and 1850 that there were more thoughts which cropped up in the minds of political authorities in Hawaii to convert commoners into labor force to improve the economy of Hawaii. For the Japanese the entry into Hawaii and the problems that they faced in the inter relationships between the Japanese and the Americans proved to be an ultimate event. This gave birth to a new era in Hawaii. In Hawaii, the Japanese immigration and their settlement marked a time of compulsion in terms of both politics and social backgrounds. The Japanese were forced to live with a certain compulsion in Hawaii whether they were happy with it or not. The Hawaii was an American society where the Japanese could not expect any rewards or support for improving their Japanese culture. Annexation was one way which put forth limits on how the Japanese were treated by the Hawaii’s Americans in Hawaii. The end of the labor contract was seen as a trouble by many plantation owners in Hawaii.

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Final - Essay Example Driven by the need to nurture my abilities and address my weaknesses I have focused on the resources addressed throughout this semester. Throughout the course, I have realized that I have what it takes to be a leader. This has been informed by various leadership tests I have taken and the reasonably high scores I have registered. However, lack of a guide and a model through which I can nurture the requisite skills has been a major challenge. All the same, I can now recognize a leadership theory that provides a rationale on what I need to work on to be a respectable and inspiring leader. This theory has also been critical in providing a means through which I can construct certain strategies that would provide a means of developing the attributes associated with the type of leader I envision. Authentic leadership theory is a contemporary leadership theory. It emerged in the late 1990s from a broad field of scientific inquiry that highlights positive organizational phenomena leading to enhanced human well-being (Marquis & Huston, 2009). The theory enforces that for one to be considered a leader he must be true to himself and his values and act accordingly. This explains why some scholars also refer to it as congruent theory this is because the leader must match his activities, deeds and actions with his values, beliefs and principles. There are five characteristics which differentiate an authentic leader with the other leaders. The first characteristic is purpose. An authentic leader understands clearly both his purpose and passion. This understanding is nurtured by an ongoing process of self reflection and self awareness. The second characteristic is values, an authentic leader has a clear link between purpose and passion as this is informed and sustained by a clear matc h with his beliefs and actions (Nichols, 2008). The other characteristic is heart an authentic leader looks after his own affairs and has a genuine concern for the

Analysis Report on the Airline Industry The Strategic Management Essay

Analysis Report on the Airline Industry The Strategic Management process - Essay Example Strategic options would be used to evaluate the growth and expansion of the industry to establish if the industry has a competitive edge or not and if it measures up with its competitions. . This report employs a methodological approach with huge implications for the reliability of findings while a whole lot of secondary data provides for all the analytical views and conclusions of this paper. The prime reason behind preparing the report is to gain insights into the development of airline industry internationally amidst economic and political turbulences. Airline industry is a growth factor for tourism industry and accounts for the lion’s share of the GDP of many nations (Page 2009:218). Delving deep into the airline sector could throw much light on how economies are developing and what solutions and means are available to them to handle increased competition, globalization and financial downturn. The findings of the report have presented us with favourable results that could motivate the airline carriers and could pave the way for future practices to be developed in airline industry. This paper seeks to present a very clear view in enabling the reader to have a better understanding of the global airline industry’s environmental business climate. In doing this various firms and regional markets that make up the industry are looked into, by examining the competition between the airline operators (service providers), consumers, regulatory implications, weakness of different sectors and regions involved, homogenous threats, the negative and positive trends coming up in the industry and a forecast for the future, if there would be growth or reduction. Importantly, it views the challenges a new provider (entrant) could face within the present industry condition. The industry at the moment is passing through a period of change caused by revolutionary restructuring in the industry, this occurs

Application of DECISION MAKING tools to MORTGAGE Industry Professional Coursework

Application of DECISION MAKING tools to MORTGAGE Industry Professional Experience - Coursework Example In making critical decisions, the people who are in positions of leadership often run into conclusions without inquiring well from professionals who can avert the damage that can be caused by such an occurrence. A good example is the doomed merger between AOL and Time Warner in the year 2001. The merger happened despite the advice of the subordinates on Gerald Levin who was at the time the Chief Executive Officer at Time Warner Inc. Levin who was obsessed with leaving a legacy at Time Warner Inc. decided to go ahead and authorize the merger despite the warnings. This is a good example of the consequences that can follow the making of irrational decisions. In this work, we shall look at the decision making models that have been developed to help in making the best decisions especially in our field. This will be addressed in the context of the mortgage industry which is our section of interest. By first comparing them we shall be able to figure out the best and discuss it. There are a number of decision making models that can be used in the mortgage and loan financing industry. First it is important to understand this field so as to see how the idea of using decision models and techniques can be implemented. First, the mortgage loans are availed to the people who want to try their hand in real estate so they can be able to purchase the property they want. In the legal mechanism that need to be followed to validate this process, the property stands as the security in case the borrower is unable to pay back the loan (Gaffney, 2014). This is a business that has been so successful in the recent past and thriving in it requires a bit of critical decision making. The amount of cash that is required to establish it means that there is no space left for gambling and every step made counts. Company A has wants to form a merger with Company

Compare Social Control Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare Social Control Methods - Essay Example Additionally, Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Index has also been applied while making the comparative analysis of the societies under examination. Social control is viewed to be the system applied for regulating the activities of the individuals within a political set up. In simple words, it is the mechanism observed by the political authorities for the eradication of individual and collective criminal behavior and deviancy for the protection and welfare of the citizens. Actually crime is aptly stated as a social phenomenon that exists in every social establishment of the world since the known human history. Theories have been articulated and researches have been conducted in order to explore the reasons behind committing of crimes on the one hand, and devising the methods to purify the society from offences on the other. Though theorists suggest political, social, economic, psychological and ethno-racial motives behind the involvement of the individuals into offences of different kinds, yet no society could be able to eliminate such harmful activities from the very face of its culture. Somehow, different societies have established different social control methods for the maintenance of peace and order. ... 07: 231) Thus, fear of being cursed, rebuked, penalized and punished serve as powerful social control; the same is applied to Pakistan and Israeli cultures. Social, political and religious institutions including family, peers, church/mosque, classrooms, workplace, cultural values, religious faiths and law enforcing agencies are the methods of social control in the contemporary era. Pakistan is a south Asian Muslim state, where an overwhelming majority claims to be following the Islamic cult, laws and norms. Though the Pakistanis cite religious beliefs in everyday activities, yet they seldom observe these teachings in their true spirit. On the contrary, western statutes of law have been in vogue to formally regulate the activities of the people. Moreover, social norms, cultural values, taboos, traditions, customs and conventions are also prevailing as the regularity authority for the informal social control. These traditional institutions, including arbitrary councils work at local le vels, which are headed by the religious and political personalities, and determine the punishments for the law breakers. Hence, in the societies where the individuals observe strong family and tribal bonds, the crime rate observes significant decline. Social control theory aims to state that strong social bonds cause the inhibition of delinquency, whereas weak social bonds offer little resistance to offending. (Booth, Farrell and Varano, 2008:1) The same is the case with Pakistani society, where women involved into extra marital sexual union and adultery have fear of being killed at the hand of one or more male family members including father, brother, husband, in-laws and tribe. Similarly, provincial and linguistic affiliations and bonds forbid the people to inflict offensive attacks upon

The management of salivary gland infection Essay

The management of salivary gland infection - Essay Example The management of these two types of salivary gland infection is possible with certain preventive measures and treatments. In certain cases, treatment is not required for curing these infections. The acute bacterial infection of the salivary glands occurs because of two important physiological mechanisms. Firstly, there are certain bacteria present in the oral cavity. Due to poor oral hygiene, the salivary duct and parenchyma tissue inhabited by these bacteria is contaminated which results in the infection. Secondly, the obstruction of salivary gland results in the stasis of salivary flow through the ducts and parenchyma promotes acute suppurative infection. The bacterial infection can affect any of the three pairs of the salivary glands however the most commonly affected gland is the Parotid gland. Several physiological and anatomic factors attribute to the predilection of the Parotid gland's infection. The composition of the Parotid gland secretion is completely different from that of the submandibular and sublingual glands. The saliva secreted by the Parotid gland is serous while that of the other two glands have higher proportion of mucinous material. The kind of saliva secreted by the other two glands contains lysosomes and IgA antibodies, which serve an antimicrobial function in protecting these glands from the bacterial infection. Mucins also contain sialic acid, which agglutinates bacteria, preventing its adherence to host tissues. Finally, specific glycoproteins found in mucins bind epithelial cells, competitively inhibiting bacterial attachment to these cells. There are certain anatomic factors as well that contribute to the p redilection of the parotid gland's infection. Stensen's duct lies adjacent to the upper mandibular molars, whereas Wharton's ducts rests on the floor of the mouth near the tongue. Tongue mobility may prevent salivary stasis in the area of warton's ducts, reducing the rate of infections involving the submandibular gland. The submandibular gland is more prone to bacterial infection rather than the sublingual gland in spite of its composition. Sialothiasis can produce mechanical obstruction of the duct, resulting in salivary stasis and subsequent bacterial infection. Calculus formation is associated frequently with acute bacterial infections of the submandibular gland because Wharton's duct is far more likely to harbor a calculus than stensen's duct.85 % to 90% of salivary calculi is located in the submandibular duct. Submandibular secretions are more mucinous than parotid secretions and therefore more viscid. They are also more alkaline containing a higher percentage of calcium phosphates. These characteristics contributes to the formation of submandibular calculi, despite the submandibular gland's predisposition for calculus formation. The parotid gland remains the most common site of acute suppurative salivary infection. Sialography, a method used for diagnosis of the internal structure of the salivary gland can also result in the infection of the submandibular glands rather than sublingual glands. There are small and numerous sublingual ducts which may not allow the catheter to enter unless there are anatomic variations.[ Bailey, Byron , Healy, Gerald ., Johnson, Jonas , Jackler, Robert , Calhoun, Karen , Pillsbury, Harold ,

Product life cycle Essay Example for Free

Product life cycle Essay Identify and assess the relevance of the ‘product life cycle’ to the notion of employee engagement. Employee engagement can be viewed through the four stages of the product life-cycle Step one is the introduction of the concept of employee engagement, its principles, strategy for enhancing engagement and involving employees, process of change to ensure engagement is fully embedded into the organisation. Step two is growth and growing the concept of engagement through a number of mechanisms: * Support from senior and line managers * Development of line managers in engaging staff * Clear communication and involvement strategy * Involving staff in organisational and job design * Encouraging self and career development planning * Identifying mechanisms for continuous staff feedback * Evaluating and adapting engagement strategies. Step three is reaching maturity and embedding and maintaining the above factors through continuous involvement, participation, communication, evaluation and action And finally, step 4 is the inevitable decline, even though there is a decline it is still important to retain key employees, and their skills and knowledge, and therefore to continuously involve them in managing the change and future strategy. The employee engagement life cycle is an important tool for HR professionals to use to assess how the engagement product fits with the business’s objectives and strategy. Evaluate the future for employee engagement in the UK and global economic context. Future action plans include: * Involving workers in identifying factors that will engage them further * Consideration of the demographic data and identification how to engage staff from all backgrounds at different levels * Further evaluation of the link between engagement practices and performance * Development of managers that can motivate and inspire staff Monster (2011) the online job advertising website conducted an international survey on employees’ views of their line managers and uncovered the following results: * Only 10% described their manager as ‘brilliant’ * 73% feels their manager does not invest in their self-development * 70% believe that they could do their manager’s job to a higher standard * 41% of UK workers felt their managers were totally incompetent Line managers are pivotal to enhancing engagement through empowering, motivating, inspiring, coaching and helping the employee develop themselves to enhance performance. Key areas where managers require further development include: * Responding to grievances and confronting issues * Empowering and involving workers on decisions that impact on them * Treating all team members equitably and with respect and providing constructive feedback * Recognising and appreciating efforts (particularly discretionary effort) * Being driven to deliver on commitments and promises made. Assess the future role of the HR professional and the HR function so far as the sustainable implementation of employee engagement practices is concerned. In order for HR to become more strategic, they need to ensure the HR strategies and the business strategies are aligned and both contribute to the overall business aim and objectives. If this is achieved then HR can be a driving force for creating an organisational strategy for competitive advantage. HR practitioners can determine organisation capability and engagement levels to flexibly adapt to changing environmental and customer needs through an evaluation of: the current resources in terms of skills, knowledge and behaviours; and organisation design and development. Once the HR practitioner is vertically integrated within the business, they will be able to take advantage of future opportunities by becoming a key player in the strategic decision making process through providing extensive knowledge in terms of organisational capability in taking the opportunity to grow into new markets, or determining future strategies and actions required.

Automatic Fire Alarm System (A-FAS) Design

Automatic Fire Alarm System (A-FAS) Design ABSTRACT The safety of the environment and individuals is monitored and maintained by the important role fire alarm systems play. Although, the usability of many of the existing fire alarm systems is known by the users, however, they are produced with high cost thus not reasonable for the low-income users. The main objective of this project is to design a prototype of an automatic fire alarm system (A-FAS) with low cost. The A-FAS designed in this project contains two systems, the detection system and the alarm system. The detection system operates as the fire detector and consists of a smoke detector, heat detector and an emergency switch as a manual call point. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a microcontroller based fire alarm system. The detectors are placed in different zones and any signal from any detector at any zone will activate the alarm system. The alarm system consists of LEDs, LCD notification, buzzer and text message notifications. Furthermore, the system i s fitted with sensors at different zones to identify the presence of individuals, this feature aids the monitoring process of the system. The entire system is controlled by a microcontroller which is programmed using Arduino compiler. Upon completion of the prototype, the A-FAS detects smoke or any rise in temperature sensed by the detectors. Finally, when any of the sensors are triggered, the buzzer operates and the system sends a text message to the saved number. With the development of A-FAS, the safety of individuals and surroundings will be increased as the low cost of the system will promote users of all income levels to have one at their place or home. INTRODUCTION An overheated electrical appliance, a burning splinter or a burning cigarette or just about any of these can trigger a fire. Moreover, the presence of nylon settings and a sofa set which emanate poisonous gases if on fire, will render people helpless in a couple of minutes, before even realizing what is happening. ADT Security Service and the Chubb Alarm are the well-recognized companies that deal with security systems and have been the innovative leaders in security systems. The products offered by these companies vary from intruder alarms to highly sophisticated fire alarm systems. Furthermore, the systems built by these companies are high in cost and require a scheduled maintenance to be carried out by the companys specified authorities. Based upon the current existing high cost fire alarm systems that are available in the market, an automatic fire alarm system with low cost has been developed. The A-FAS consists of two subsystems; detection system and alarm system. The A-FAS detection system has smoke detecting capabilities as it incorporates an optical smoke detector. Moreover, it is interfaced with heat detector and an emergency switch. The system features counting capabilities based on infrared sensors to ease the determination of individuals in case of emergency. The A-FAS alarm system is associated with the detection system to ease the process of alarming individuals in the event of fire. The alarm system consists of LED and LCD notifications displaying the location of the fire. A buzzer is also incorporated in the system. The system sends text message alerts as it incorporates a GSM module. Finally, the main part of the A-FAS that controls the entire operation is the microcontroller. This thesis describes the design and operation of a microcontroller based fire alarm system that could contribute to saving lives and reduce property losses with low cost. Aim The main purpose of this project is to design and prototype an automatic fire alarm system (A-FAS) with effective and competitive usage and can be produced at a low cost. This system is designed to be easy to operate by any user and is user friendly. The A-FAS is also been designed using minimum hardware at the lower level of processing. The system is not restricted to the mentioned inputs and outputs, however, can be altered per customer needs without having to design a new system. Problem Identification The complexity of the existing fire alarm system in the market nowadays is too high in terms of design and structure. Due to the complexity of the system, regular preventive maintenance is required to be carried out to make sure that the system is operating well. Moreover, the scheduled maintenance adds to the cost of the using the system. Therefore, the proposed fire alarm system is designed with a low cost and can be used by any user for safety purposes. Project Objectives There are several objectives that are required to be accomplished in developing the A-FAS to determine the purpose and the direction of this project. This project aims to achieve the following objectives: To design a low-cost microcontroller based fire alarm system. To develop a prototype of the fire alarm system using smoke detector, heat detector, emergency switch and infrared sensors as inputs to the system. Moreover, using LEDs, LCD display, buzzer and text messages as outputs to the system. To develop a prototype with the capability of customizing the system to meet with the customer requirements with regards to the inputs and outputs, without having to redesign a new system. To develop an automatic fire alarm system to safeguard the user and their surroundings, while being user friendly to accommodate the need of the masses. Project Scope To achieve the above objectives, the project needs to be implemented as below: The heart of the fire alarm system is to be a microcontroller to control the entire operations involved. The fire alarm system is to count the number of individuals present in the locations where the infrared modules are installed. Capable of displaying the source of the alarm on the LCD display. Capable of sending SMS notifications via GSM module interfaced in the system. Project limitation Since the project is interfaced with a GSM module that needs a SIM card to send SMS notifications and thus the system is limited to the amount of credit available on the SIM. Moreover, the system includes infrared sensors that are used to count the number of people entering and exiting the zone and thus to make the system more sensitive and receive only the infrared radiation from the correct source, the infrared modules need to be placed with a minimum distance of 2 meters. Furthermore, to receive live data from the sensors to produce visual output to the user in terms of if any sensor is disconnected from the system, the system is required to have personalized sensors. System Overview Figure 1.1 defines the inputs and outputs interfaced to the microcontroller device. The A-FAS has the features of interfacing additional inputs and outputs based on customer needs. Color Type of sensor Infrared sensors Smoke detector Hear detector Emergency switch The A-FAS works in a loop checking all the input sources and acting accordingly. The smoke detector, hear detector and the emergency switch transmit a signal to the microcontroller once triggered, this notifies the microcontroller to hazard the surroundings via the output devices. A keypad is added in the system to allow the user to interface and monitor the system. The Atmega2560 microcontroller acts as the heart of the Fire Alarm System which controls the entire system. The signals being received from the sensors are being compared by the Atmega2560 to either hazard the surroundings for the existence of fire or to hazard the surroundings for the presence of a fault in the system. Moreover, the system can alert the surroundings via a buzzer and LED notifications as well as SMS notifications once the Atmega2560 microcontroller receives signals that there is fire present in one of the zones. Thesis structure This thesis is divided into six chapters. The first chapter explains the problem statement, objectives, scopes and limitations of the project. The second chapter in this thesis is the projects literature review, which is based on the detection components of the A-FAS, the ATmega2560 and a comparison between microcontrollers and microprocessors. Moreover, this chapter contains summary of several available inventories software available in todays market and previous projects developed by engineers. Furthermore, chapter three describes the phases involved in the development of the A-FAS. There are four phases involved in the production of the fire alarm system which include the research phase, the designing phase, development phase and the analysis phase. Chapter four of this thesis discusses the system design process involved and the hardware and software development. Moreover, chapter five explains the results of the system development of the A-FAS and its analysis based on the system operation and functions. Finally, chapter six concludes the project and the recommendation suggestions for the continuity of the project and future work. The sixth chapter aids to the continuity of the project by other individuals interested as they can refer to it to develop the system. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW As mentioned earlier in the previous chapter, cost factor plays a very important role in this project. Subsequently, to design a system with the objectives mentioned above requires research and studies that are described in this chapter. This chapter will include three subtopics, previous case study on fire alarm systems, hardware and software studies. Fire Alarm System: Related Work According to Bao Minzhong, Jianmei, Niihau Xiao and Wang [1], the function of the fire alarm system is to detect fire at an early stage providing sufficient time to produce high reliable judgment results. If the fire alarm system nosedives to notify the user in the presence of fire for the user to take appropriate measures, the system fails as alarm systems should cause the operator to respond. Moreover, Brown Campbell [2] suggested that for a system not to fail, it must require positive feedback from the operator. Nur Abd Aziz [3] proposed a fire alarm system consisting of three sensors, thermistor hear sensor, infrared sensors and infrared smoke sensors. The thermistor heat sensor was used to detect the rate at which temperature rises and high temperatures. The infrared sensors were used for intruder alarms to detect the presence or any motion, acting as a burglar alarm system. The infrared smoke sensors were used to identify fire in its early stages or smoldering. In the presence of fire, the water sprinklers are automatically switched on and the burglary alarm is activated. The known catalysts for fire is smoke, flame and heat but only smoke and smoke sensors have been applied and emphasized. Furthermore, when a fire occurs, the highly sensitive motion sensors will respond to normal environmental vibration which could be caused by moving cars or planes overhead. Furthermore, Chew and Ing Ming [4] proposed a similar system consisting of smoke detector, heat detector and a burglar alarm. In the event of smoke or a rise in the temperature, the system sends a signal to the microcontroller which in return operates a buzzer. Moreover, the microcontroller operates an auto redialing telephone programmed with specific number. This system. Moreover, the system is implemented with photo-electric sensor and inductive proximity switches. The photo-electric sensor is activated when transmitter cannot send light to the receiver. The inductive proximity switch is normally used for metal detection and activates when a metal is detected in the system. Once any of the sensors is activated, the microcontroller will sound the buzzer and flash LEDs. Chew and Ing Ming categorized the system proposed for industrial purposed. The complexity of this system contributes to the inability of installing such system at homes or offices. Detection components of the Fire alarm system Sensors are types of transducers that responds to a type of energy by producing another type of energy signal, usually electric [5]. Some of the sensors available include acoustic, biological, chemical and electromagnetic. These are used in many applications and are heavily used in the medicine industry and robotics as a source of detection components. The detection components of the A-FAS consist of smoke sensors, heat sensors and infrared sensors. Smoke Sensors Smoke detectors are devices designed to detect a fire while it is in its early stages or smoldering, duplicating the sense of smell. These devices have gained a wide usage in the residential and life safety applications. There is no debate that smoke detectors is the single most effective method of reducing fire damages and death. 90% to 95% of fire deaths occur in residential buildings (NZFS, 1993), targeting this will help accomplish the most cost-effective results. Studies of various types of smoke detectors, in particular photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors, illustrates that, one type of detector will be expected to perform better than the other, depending on the source of the smoke. Natarianni (1993) concludes that in flaming wood crib fires, the ionization smoke detectors activate before the photoelectric detectors. This conclusion is from simulated fires in hospital patient rooms. However, most importantly, both detectors activated before threatening the patients life. Moreover, a series of full-scale tests of smoke detectors installed in corridors and bedrooms of residential areas was conducted by Kennedy et al (1978). They concluded that inadequate warning in smoldering fires were often produced by ionization detectors. Subsequently, reducing the time available for escape once activated and the escape routes may be smoked-logged. Photoelectric smoke detectors contain a light emitting device, most commonly a light-emitting diode(LED), a smoke chamber and a photosensitive device that produced a monitored current from receiving light directly from the light source. The intensity of tech light reaching the photosensitive device is reduced by the smoke that enters the chamber. A drop in the intensity below a certain level causes a drop in the current produced by the photosensitive device, which is detected by the sensor control circuitry. Dropping the current below a preset threshold results in triggering the smoke alarm. Table 2.1 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of photoelectric smoke detectors. The complete specification of the smoke detector used in the A-FAS can be obtained in Appendix A. Table 2.1: Advantages disadvantages of photoelectric smoke detector [6]. Advantages Disadvantages Sensitive to visual particles of smoke. Provide early warning. Detects smoldering low heat fires. Detects presence of smoke, not toxicity. Can be installed in any of the following typical locations: Office areas Clean rooms Atriums and corridors Sleeping rooms Storage closets Early contamination by dust causing reduced sensitivity. Must be cleaned on a regular basis. Has a potential for high false alarm rate, however, lower than the ionization smoke detectors. Heat Sensors A heat sensor detects abnormal rate of temperature rise or high temperatures. There are numbers of various heat detectors available in the market, which include: Thermistor. Thermocouple. Resistance temperature device. Diode based temperature sensor. There are certain features to consider while choosing the best heat sensor for any use. These features are summarized in table 2.2. Table 2.2 Features of various heat sensors [7]. Thermocouple RTD THERMISTOR SEMICONDUCTOR High accuracy and repeatability. Fair linearity Poor linearity Linearity: 1oC Accuracy: 1oC Needs cold junction compensation Requires excitation Requires excitation Requires excitation Widest Range: -148oC to +2300 oC Widest Range: -200oC to +850 oC Widest Range: 0 oC to +100 oC Widest Range: -55oC to +150 oC Low voltage output Low cost High sensitivity 10mV/K,20mV/K Typical output The LM35 temperature sensor are precision integrated circuit temperature sensors, which will be used to develop the A-FAS. This sensor is fully rated from -55 Â °C to +150 Â °C and with the linear scale factor of 10mV/Â °C. It operates from 4 to 30 V, has less than 60 ÂÂ µA drain current and has low self-heating (0.08 Â °C in still air). The control circuitry or the interfacing of LM35 is easy due to the low output impedance, linear output and precise inherent calibration. The LM35 series is available in hermetic TO transistor packages, while the LM35C, LM35CA and LM35D are available in TO-92 transistor package. The LM35D is also available in an 8-lead surface-mount small outline package and a plastic TO-220 package. [8] (Reprinted from datasheet of LM35 [8].) The LM35 can function as a basic centigrade temperature sensor sense temperature between +2 oC and +150 oC and can function as a full -range centigrade temperature sensor sensing temperature between -55 oC to +150 oC. Figure 2.1 illustrates the circuitry for using the sensor for both functions, where +Vs is the voltage supplied to the sensor. Adjusting the output voltage of the sensor enables the temperature to be obtained in degree centigrade. Infrared Sensors: There are many sensors available for obstacle detection such as infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, camera and laser based sensor system (LIDAR). In this thesis, infrared sensors are used to accomplish the task of counting the numbers of individuals in the placed installed. Low cost with accuracy is one of the main objectives of this project, hence infrared sensors were selected for the design. These sensors are widely used for measuring distances and obstacle detection and have faster response time than ultrasonic sensors [10]. Moreover, power consumption of the infrared sensors is lower than that of ultrasonic sensors [11]. Infrared sensors are categorized as diffuse reflection sensors and retro-reflective sensors. The latter is mainly used in harsh environment conditions and has a larger detection range than the diffuse reflective sensors [12]. Infrared sensors utilize a light sensor to detect a selective light wavelength in the spectrum. When an object obstructs the sensor, the light from the LED is broken by the object and the signal is not received by the receiver. ATmega2560 Microcontroller As defined by James L. Atonakos [13], microcontrollers are souped-up microprocessors with built-in features such as RAM, ROM, A/D, Interval timers and parallel input and output ports. Atmega2560 (figure 2.2), is a powerful flash microcontroller that contains many features in a 100-pin package. The datasheet of the ATmega2560 is attached in Appendix B. The definition of a flash microcontroller is that it can be programmed and erased instantly without the usage of ultra-violet light. The Atmega2560 is an 8-bit microcontroller with a powerful execution of instructions in a single clock cycle leading to the achievement of 1 MIPS per MHz, allowing the designer to optimize power consumption vs processing speed [14]. The internal architecture of the microcontroller is shown in figure 2.3. The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of the microcontroller that controls the execution of the program, therefore able to access memories, handle interrupts and perform calculations. The microcontroller unit (MCU) consists of 256K bytes of in-system flash, 4K bytes EEPROM and 8K bytes of SRAM, which are used for memory. Other features include [14]: 86 programmable input and output ports. Ultra-low power consumption in active and power down mode. flexible timer/counters with compare modes and internal and external interrupts. Code protection facility, which is one of the best in the industry. Comparison between microcontroller and microprocessor The fact that microcontrollers may have one or two operational codes for moving data from external memory to the CPU, whereas, microprocessors have many operational codes, is the best way to exemplify the contrast between microcontrollers and microprocessors. Microcontrollers have many types of bit handling instructions, however, microprocessors have one or two. In conclusion, the microcontroller is concerned with rapid movement of bits within the chip, whereas, microprocessors are concerned with rapid movement of codes and data from external addresses to the chip. Microcontrollers can function as a computer with the addition of no external digital parts, however, microprocessors must have many digital parts to be operational [15]. OrCAD Figure 2.4 shows the OrCAD software used for circuit designing, testing and circuit analyzing. Generally, OrCAD is a software used to produce printed circuit board (PCB) layouts. The circuit was drawn onto the PCB board using OrCAD Capture, where footprints for each component was researched. The design rule check ensures that there are no errors present in the circuit. Arduino IDE The Arduino IDE (Integrated development environment) is a platform application from ATmega microcontrollers. Figure 2.5 shows the Arduino version used to compiling the program. Arduino IDE is used for writing, debugging, and optimizing ATmega microcontroller applications for firmware product design. Arduino programs are written in C or C++ and the software comes with a library called wiring which makes may common outputs and inputs operations much easier. Fire alarm systems available in the market There are several types of fire alarm system available in the market today. The various fire alarm systems from different developers vary in terms of implementation and functionality. Research has been carried out to investigate the technology and features used to develop each of the systems and compared them with the proposed A-FAS system. Table 2.3 concludes the results on the research, [16] [17]. Table 2.3 Manufacturers products Specifications SECURE 6000 INTELLIGUARD 2900 Developer Chubb Alarm ADT Fire and Security Fire monitoring Available Available Security monitoring system Available Available Service and maintenance Provided Provided Main features Sounding the alarm at first sign of smoke Combination of interior motion, door and window. Controlled via a remote control Plugs into telephone line to provide back to back monitoring system. Connected to signal fire condition to ADT customer monitoring center. Computer assisted reporting. Expandable used microprocessor to offer extensive flexibility. Reduce false alarm since the system can locate the origin of the alarm. Cost $2,055 $1,800 CHAPTER III Methodology This methodology chapter describes the planning and research involved in the development of the entire A-FAS system. The progress of this project was due to the division of the work in four phases; research phase, designing phase, development phase and the analysis phase. Introduction The fire alarm system described in this thesis is divided in to two sections, which are the hardware and the software sections. These sections play a vital role in the effectivity and the functionalities of the system. In order to start developing the project, there are few procedures that must be considered. Thus, earlier planning is important in designing and developing the A-FAS. The related phases have been illustrated in figure 3.1. Research phase The first phase of this methodology deals with the systems literature studies, research and analysis. Problem identification is included in the research phase. Moreover, the system objectives are determined by observations and theoretical information obtained from internet sources, journals, books and magazines. During this phase, the system requirements are determined, which include the hardware and software interfacing. Furthermore, the research and analysis conducted on the existing systems available in todays market is included in the research phase, as well as reviews on previous projects developed by organizations or individuals. A few problems have been identified based on the current research that has been done, which include: Burglar alarms are combined with the fire alarms in the same system, leading to confusion and inability to identify the source of the alarm by the user. The systems available are designed for specific purposes, providing the user with no options of customization of the fire alarm inputs and outputs. The cost of the systems is too high for low income individuals to secure their lives and properties by purchasing one. Websites and documentations were the source of reviews on analysis activities conducted in this phase. The system planning and development scheduling were then determined in this phase which suited the chosen development methodology. Upon completion of this phase, the system scopes, specifications and Gantt chart were produced. Designing Phase The second phase of the system development is the designing phase. The main objective of this phase is to translate or transform the requirements and analysis obtained from the research phase into design specifications for system implementation and construction. This phase involves a vital task for the success of the automatic fire alarm system, which is the hardware design of the system. Designing of the A-FAS hardware system The A-FAS hardware design involves detection components and the microcontroller. The detections components which are the smoke detector, heat detector, infrared sensors and an emergency switch are connected to the microcontroller. The latter is the control unit identifying the source and location of the fire if any of the input detection devices is triggered. A text message will be sent and a buzzer will be activated for individuals to evacuate the premises. Smoke sensors The system has been implanted using a Mercure photoelectric smoke detector. The system has the capability of being interfaced with most of the market available smoke detectors. However, to interface the smoke detector to the microcontroller, the smoke detector circuit is required to be altered. The smoke detector then sends a signal to the microcontroller in the event of emergency. The photoelectric smoke detector used in this project is very effective and highly recommended by users, with a low cost. These devices offer high power dissipation capability and are ideally suited for hostile environments. Heat sensors The LM35 temperature sensor has an output voltage which is linearly proportional to temperature in centigrade, thus the sensor is suitable for the project. The sensor draws very small amount of current which makes it very low self-heating. Figure 3.2 describes th