Monday, September 30, 2019

Have People Become Overly Dependent on Technology? Essay

The thought of how much technology people use on a daily basis can be frightening as one contemplates. From waking up to our alarm clock to going to sleep with the air conditioner on we are constantly using technology. The age we live in is known as the age of technology and the age of â€Å"progress†. Without a doubt, technology has made living much easier as an individual and as a society. Cars, trains, buses, and planes with air conditioning and the speed of a hundred horses has made traveling under any weather condition extremely convenient; so saying technology has not benefited people would be unrealistic. However, with all these benefits and almost every task involving the use of technology the question arises, have people become overly dependent on technology? There is a difference between being dependent on something, and being overly dependent on something. Just being dependent on something could mean that there is a chance that if it was gone then it would cause the person no harm, but when someone is too dependent on something, then the disappearance of the independent would harm the person. In my opinion people have definitely become overly dependent on technology because of many reason. Much of my evidence presented are articles written, surveys conducted, and personal experiences that I have had. Articles have been written and surveys have been conducted to find out how dependent people are on technology. I am going to present quotes and evidences from articles and literature that explain how technology has grown in peoples lives and has taken over. Chanie Kirschner presents some very interesting points on how people are overly dependent on technology in an article written less than a year ago; one of which is â€Å"when the internet is down, work is over for the day† this is true to a great extent (Mobile). Schools have let students out early because the power was out and no work could be done. The second point is that â€Å"buyer’s remorse is much more common.† Internet shopping has become so common and convenient that people are  forgetting how to handle cash and do not know from which store to buy a certain item from anymore since everything can be found online. The third point is that â€Å"you don’t live in the moment.† He gives an example that a parent goes to see the performance of his/her child and is too busy getting the camera to work or is looking through a screen that the actual experience is gone. This also means that people are extremely dependent on technology and digital media to get information from anywhere in the world. Rather than letters and written statements people depend on videos and voice recordings which can easily be deceivable. The fourth point that Chanie gives is that â€Å"nobody knows a   phone number.† Cell Phones have become so common that 90% of American Adults have a cell phone. According to the above chart, the majority of Americans have a smartphone. Smartphones have the capability to contain documents, phone numbers, GPS and more. All which are capabilities that people depend on their phone for, without the phone people would not remember a phone number or even know how to get around in their own city. Students are extremely dependent on spell check and auto correct that writing a paper by hand would be extremely difficult. The fifth point that was presented is that â€Å"You are dreading having to break up with your boyfriend face-to-face.† Although Chanie gave a personal example, it can still relate to the fact that people are too dependent on technology to communicate with other people. From relationships to online interviews, people are forgetting how to communicate with others face-to-face. The sixth point that was presented is that â€Å"Brick and mortar stores are going the way of the dinosaurs.† As I stated earlier in the paper, online shopping has become so convenient that small businesses and markets are going bankrupt and online businesses such as â€Å"Amazon† and â€Å"Ebay† are booming. The Final point that Chanie gives is that â€Å"Without your phone, you feel naked.† People are not only depend ent on phones with their daily lives but with their health as well. A teenager that has lost his/her cell phone goes through psychological stress. The punishment for a child that ten years ago used to be forbidding them to go outside and play is now taking  away their electronics. The question to ask to understand if people are truly overly dependent on technology is, are they able to live without it? In a poll by CNET, 28 percent of people said they wouldn’t be able to live without high-speed Internet (America). Technology is slowly dominating people’s lives and is becoming a need rather than a want, like the author of an argumentative-persuasive essay writes, â€Å"Ultimately, we can say that ,†living without technology is like living without air† in this technical world of today.† An article written by Ismat Tahseen titled â€Å"How dependent are we on technology† states â€Å"The survey — of 12,000 adults from Brazil, China, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and the US — found that about 61% millennials (those aged 18-24) believe that technology is currently making people less human. It revealed that despite being the digital native generation, 59% of millennials felt that society has become just too reliant on technology, a site reported† (Times of India). It is obvious through the evidences and literature presented that people are become overly dependent on on technology. The example of schools being shut down is in of itself enough to understand that the education system today is so dependent on technology that it cannot continue without it. Along with business that cannot continue without coolers or registers or even lights. Overly depending on somthing or completely depending on somthing consist of the inability to continue without it for example the GPS that was stated earlier. If the GPS stops working on a road trip then the person would have to go to a store near by and ask for directions and the one giving directions can only know so much. A person leaves on a road trip fully depending on his car and GSP and does not even prepare for the worst case scenario which would be his car, phone, and GPS stopped working. This is a clear sign that people are overly dependent on technology. The society we live in today has become so fast that people must depend on technology in order to make a living and survive. All the points stated by Chanie connect to the over dependence on technology and the fact that it would be chaos if all technology was hacked and all power shutdown. In conclusion the majority of people themselves agree that people are overly dependent on technology and even 29% of people say they cannot live without high speed internet. Its been stated that people depend on technology for information, travel, and  communication. It was also said that schools and businesses cannot continue without technology. According to the research conducted, it is clear that people have become overly dependent on technology. Works Cited â€Å"America has become too dependent on technology.† UAB Kaleidoscope. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2014. . â€Å"Argumentative Essay.† Susan Yaroshevich. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2014. . â€Å"Mobile Technology Fact Sheet.† Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2014. . â€Å"How dependent are we on technology? – The Times of India.† The Times of India. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2014. .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice System

Jury nullification is basically the situation wherein a certain guilty person was given the judgment â€Å"not guilty† by the set of jurors or the jury itself when that person is believed to be guilty of the crime he or she is accused of. The Jury tends to play an immoral role against his or her job which is to give justified verdict to a certain crime and thus apply an altered decision into the accused. An example of a jury nullified case is the famous case during the year 1735. This case is the trial case of John Peter Zenger charged by the former Governor of the New York Colony, William Cosby. In this case, the verdict given by the Jury to Zenger is a â€Å"not guilty verdict† wherein all the facts where given that Zenger did all the crime which he is accused of (Institute, 1992). Another case is the case of William Pen wherein he as the accused was acquitted by the set of juries. This happened in the year 1670 in London; his case was Preaching Quakerism. During this period four from the twelve chosen jurors made a non-guilty verdict which led them to spend time in prison and pay the damages they created but before they get into imprisonment, one of the judges made his plea and was able to nullify the unjust law (Institute, 1992). In the negative side of the defendant, his rights were violated because the sixth amendment says that â€Å"a defendant should not be deprived and even oppressed from his legal concerns† (FindLaw, 2008). When jury nullification occurs the defendant will be deprived from knowing what’s really happening in the court wherein the case holds his/her right to freedom. The nullification of the Jury to the case could also affect the Judge final decision about the defendant if he or she will be acquitted. Thus, the judge final judgment could henceforth be negative for the accused or the defendant because the judge may think that the defendant just influenced the Juries who voted for the accused person’s acquaintance. References FindLaw. (2008). Right to a Speedy and Public Trial [Electronic Version]. Retrieved January 16 from http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment06/02.html.             Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice System Felony Disfranchisement is a process in which a convicted criminal lose his or her rights and property. It is also considered as â€Å"civil death†, whereby these persons would lose all rights and claim to property, including the right to vote. The felony disenfranchisement law was first implemented way back in ancient Romans and Greeks. Deprivation the convict’s right, confiscation of private properties and exposure to death are consequence of having a felony record during the earlier times. The Englishman gave birth to the disfranchisement of offenders in America. Nowadays, only three states in America continue to impose felony disfranchisement and the illegibility to vote to all citizens with a felony record which are states of Iowa, Kentucky, and Virginia. Conviction with felony record has its own consequence merely different from the felony disfranchisement implementation in earlier times. Today, felonies don’t have the right to vote, serve on a jury or even hold a position in the government which makes them different from an ordinary people, the lowest of the citizens. The implantation of felony disfranchisement is one of the political anomalies in America or even in other countries. As we all know, voting is a not only a privilege but a right that any man wants to exercise.  The United States Government eliminates constraints on voting whether by court or legislative action. The citizens convicted by felony are the only few who can not exercise their voting rights during elections (Rockville, 1986). Most of the pro – disfranchisement are arguing that giving the ex-felons a right to vote may serve as a risk in the society since an election process is a essential activity for the development of a state.  Pro – disfranchisement cited some problems that may occur when a offender is given a right to cast a vote. They say that it may harm the law if changed, voter fraud may occur or the â€Å"purity† of ballots may be affected (cited in Human rights Watch). These reasons are some of those who make the ex-felons unrightfully voters. A good example of a convicted felon was Richardson v. Ramirez who was barred from voting without violating the Fourteenth Amendment. Richardson v. Ramirez leaves open a valid claim that the unequal enforcement of disfranchisement laws is unconstitutional. Plaintiffs argued that California counties’ different interpretations of â€Å"infamous crime† meant that the law was unequally applied. The U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to the California Supreme Court to decide this issue, but before it could rule, California changed its law (Brennan 2007). A guy named Baker v. Pataki from New York City was a very good example of â€Å"purposeful racial discrimination† having him convicted by felony. A mixed Afro-American Latino challenged New York’s federal court who denied the votes of several felony offenders, in prison or on parole. He said that these act is merely against the Voting Rights Act 1968 since it has a disproportionate racial impact. The lower court however dismissed the case reasoning that the U.S Supreme court in Richardson v. Ramirez upheld the disfranchisement law. They also found that Voting Rights Act did not apply to such laws. The effect of felony disfranchisement law has been drastically implemented in the past century since there are increasing numbers of criminals that are sentenced by felony; they are sent to prison and stay there for a long time. Voting is a right, and equal right must be given to a citizen even if he or she was an offender of the law. Issues in racial discrimination and human rights must take into consideration. References Human Rights Watch and the Sentencing Project (October 1998). Losing the vote: the impact of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   felony disenfranchisement laws in the united states. Retrieved January 17, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.hrw.org/reports98/vote/ Westat, Inc. (December 1986). Historical corrections statistics in the united states.                                                                                                         

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Free topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Free topic - Research Paper Example The key focus of this paper is to determine the significance of the religious myth in the Indian culture, as well as the ability of mythology in Indian culture to reflect the values, beliefs and philosophies, which guide the daily lives of people, in India. Religious mythology is an essential component of Indian culture, and Indians hold it dear to their lives. Meaning and purpose of myths Myths are tales and stories, which are used to enlighten people and guide them by sharing collective knowledge and encounters. The facts of myths are obtained from reality and handle real world problems affecting the lives of individuals by the use of imaginary characters and events. Myths tend to explain survival of natural phenomena or beliefs, tribal customs, describe the establishment and origin of rituals, proper behavior instruction and entertainment (Joseph Campbell Foundation par. 13-16). Primarily, myths serve the purpose of giving vivid explanations of cultural and natural phenomena. The evolution of mythology owes its credit to the quest and desire of people to develop a deep understanding about the world. Secondly, myths serve the purpose of justifying, validating, and explanation of the continuation of social systems and traditional customs and rites. It is imperative to note that myths have secondary purpose, which includes instruction vehicles and tools and source of healing among others (Joseph Campbell Foundation par. 13-16). Indian Religious Myth and Diversity There are diverse religious activities and beliefs in India, and the socio-cultural habits in that region of the planet tend to be equally rich and diverse, as they incorporate many nations with religious backgrounds that tend to be extremely vivid. Indian mythology analyzes the entire myths associated with Buddhist, Jain and Hindu among other scriptures (Lauhitya Kingdom par. 1-15). Evidently, the richest element of the Indian culture is the Indian mythology; the mythology can be termed as essential i n modeling the Indian culture, as well as the beliefs. The stories and encounters of the Indian mythology have been passed from one generation to the next, either through keen story telling or systematically written books and articles. It is vital to note that Indian mythology cannot be separated from the religion of India; the myths describe the religious goddesses’ and gods’ accounts for the vast Indian population (Lauhitya Kingdom par. 1-15). It is imperative to note that oral transmission of Indian mythology has become the most effective because people believe in the religious teachings given orally. Further, Buddha mythology and Hindu mythology form part of Indian mythology, and they will be discussed deeply in the course of the paper. Jatakas include tales that contain the legends and myths, related to Buddha, as well stories of the birth of Buddha, his life and his Nirvana attainment (Lauhitya Kingdom par. 1-15). Indian Epic Poetry The mythology of India and Ind ian epic poetry also relate to one another and married to each other. The two interrelate on various grounds, which show the significance of the rich reserve of poems written in India. Epic poetry describes a long poem, which narrates the daring exploit of a person in ways, which tend to be basic to the culture and beliefs of Indian people. Epic poems are laden with

Friday, September 27, 2019

Leadership and management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Leadership and management - Assignment Example The leadership skills within the organization was very poor which resulted in arise of various issues. There have been various changes taking place in the HR Management as well as the learning and development functions in the HR Department. As the Learning and development manager of the Hospital Trust, I have been asked to prepare a draft report for the HR Director. The report would reflect the changes that have been proposed followed by the impact of the existing culture, hierarchical structure and power of the doctors on the proposed changes. A set of recommendations would also be provided in order to reduce the impact of the above mentioned factors on the proposed changes. ... Moreover the leadership skill in the top management level was poor. Proposed Changes The new CEO of the trust has decided to start a process of radical transformation which would make the trust outward looking by means of high levels of employee engagement and external and internal customer service. The streamlining of the Human Resource management & Development is taking place by using various assessment centres in order to determine the suitability of these new roles within the organization. This required recruitment of new staffs because the existing managers failed to get back their positions in the downsized trust. The HR Department of the Trust was also organized with eight HR professionals among whom four were new in the Trust. The Hr Director was expecting that this time they could provide quality service to the external organizations as well as the internal customers. The learning & development programs within the organization were also being changed. Impact of the Hierarchi cal Structure on the Proposed Change Process The hospital trust has bureaucratic hierarchy which resulted in the poor management process within the organization. According to Ashkanasy, Wilderom and Peterson (2011) the bureaucratic hierarchy has discouraged the innovation and creativity within the organization. Under bureaucratic hierarchy, the Trust faced rigid controls. In such case it is very likely that the organization will find it difficult in adapting to the change process taking place. Thus it will provide resistance to the change process and can make the process slow and time consuming. This would de-motivate the employees and provide stronger resistance to the change. Impact of the present culture on the Proposed Change Process The culture of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Psychology Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychology Project - Essay Example There have been many studies done in order to determine these. The first article was entitled â€Å"Further Refining the Stress-Coping Model of Alcohol Awareness†. In this article, it was shown that coping measures as far as alcohol consumption and stress differ in regards to the type of stress that is encountered. It was hypothesized based on previous experimentation that men are more likely to encounter heavy drinking as a coping mechanism than females due to their limited coping abilities. There have also been inconsistencies in trying to diagnose whether specific people are more prone to this kind of coping measure than others. The first deals with the variability, which is experienced across the board when people deal with stress. This being that coping measures are not just maladaptive or adaptive, but each are tailored to deal with a certain type of stressor. The second is that there has not been substantial evidence and consistency in showing that gender factors play a role in coping and drinking. The experimental design for this study was a short-term design, which was based on self-reporting measures. In particular, three variables were hypothesized that could take into account for gender differences. The first is coping using the support of others. It has been shown that students that are experiencing a stressor in regards to a relationship or social situation are less likely to turn to alcohol if their coping mechanisms are more guided towards the support of others. In particular, it has been shown in women that experience an interpersonal stressor that they are less likely to drink as a coping measure due to greater social support seeking. The second hypothesis shows that the more in control of the external stressors that a person is experiencing, the less likely they are to turn to alcohol as a coping measure. The third hypothesis is based on previous research which states that men are more likely to use active seeking coping strategies and women are more likely to seek social supporting strategies for coping. Thus the use of alcohol was found to be higher in males than in females. The population had a sample size of 83 participants from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. These participants were tested using many different types of surveys and testing batteries. They were prescreened with the Michigan Alcohol Screening Tests and the College Students’ Recent Life Experiences test. These stressful factors were then broken down into four core areas: life management, social relationships, school, and general social adjustment. Then, they returned for three weeks and were asked how many times they engaged in heavy drinking, which was defined as five or more alcoholic drinks. The final survey that had to take was the COPE to assess their skills in active coping, avoidant coping, and social support seeking coping. The statistics were analyzed using mixed modeling interactions and this took into account correlation coefficients and t-test values. Men that had higher scores in active coping and social support seeking coping were less likely to engage in dangerous activities involving alcohol. If men using avoidant coping measures, they were more likely to engage in the use of alcohol. For women, the same statistical data was also recorded. There is some validity to the measures that were

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

New product development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

New product development - Essay Example They have to compete against the other giants like Nestle, Hershey’s, etc. They made the new product’s launch by increasing the promotion strategies worldwide and made a huge impression by initiating in the name of 2012 London Olympics. The product was developed after several researches. To reach the targeted customers, the group has strained on the global marketing of ‘Challenge bar’. The product development was continued initially by studying the market divisions and the current financial situations. The company was looking to other global market also. The analysis of the environment and reflection of circumstantial features of the new product is crucial in the new product development process. They should be aware of the customer’s choice while the product development. If the customers like to buy healthy refreshments than the chocolates, then there will be deprived product expansion which will slow down the returns of the Cadbury. Product development is a method of increasing the marketplace. The Cadbury stays on the product development by watching the transforming lifestyle of customer, their outlooks, and customer’s buying behavior, their flavors and fondness. Cadbury always likes to maintain a novel approach to a variety and to excite curiosity in a particular product to attract the new clients and keeping the faithful customers. The proficiency and understanding required consists of novelty, inspiration, knowledge in food science and machinery familiarity, methodical and logical skills and a good understanding of the marketplace and business. The new product development is mainly relied on the better squad effort. It takes several ideas to make a thriving product. The accomplishment of the item development at Cadbury relies on good designing comprehension by collecting data about the openings in the market. The ideas for the new products can be got from the basic research. They will study

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Winning Marketing campaign for ZARA Jacket Essay

Winning Marketing campaign for ZARA Jacket - Essay Example During the initial phase of pre-launch, ZARA will try to generate curiosity among the target market so that they are looking forward to get involved in activities arrange by the brand. In order to inform the customers about the latest offering, advertisements will be placed in leading magazines and Television channels. Moreover, E-marketing will be done so that the online customer base can be provided with the appealing offerings. Finally, the concert will be arranged after a month of the launch so that all other brands of Inditex are promoted simultaneously. Also, customer’s feedback will be sought to be assured that the unique product meets their expectations effectively. The concept of ZARA belongs to ‘Inditex’ Group, established by the company in year 1975 by Ortega Gaona in A Caruna, Spain. The group is recognised globally for offering eight store formats for the shoppers i.e. ZARA, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, ZARA Home, Uterque, Massimo Dutti, Oysho and Bershka (Inditex, 2013a). The competitive edge of the group lies in its differentiated business model which has two cornerstones i.e. flexibility and innovation (Inditex, 2013b). The success of the marketing campaign is highly dependent on tools utilised by well-known experts for conveying the right message (Keller, 2012) and persuading them to trying out the new offering instantly (Kotler & Keller, 2012). Although ZARA has been able to attract a large number of customers through prevailing marketing tactic but it is considering other options as well. As the fashion industry is getting competitive due to increasing number of companies and cost effective opportunities for apparel production (Pani & Sharma, 2012), it has become imperative for the companies to employ the best measures for strengthening their stakes (Hemphill & Suk, 2009). Considering the global fashion industry, it is observed that the leading brands are making effective use of four marketing practises i.e. Television

Monday, September 23, 2019

Gender differences in communicating relationship expectations Research Paper

Gender differences in communicating relationship expectations (interpersonal communication) - Research Paper Example When we communicate with other people, we do not just say words but we say it with different tone of voice and sometimes, actions. This is what interpersonal communication is all about. With just a different tone of voice, the meaning differs. Our facial expression also is an important factor in the interpersonal communication. How we look in conversing with others will mean differently. Our gestures as well as our body language also affect our communication with others. Because of gestures, the other person might understand what we mean in a different way. It is very important that we study the aspects of interpersonal communication because we surely want to convey the message the way we want to be understood. Since everyday of our lives, we communicate, we have to communicate effectively and efficiently. The first principle of interpersonal communication is it being inescapable (King, 2000). A person cannot â€Å"not† communicate. We cannot escape from communication even if we try to. Though we might not talk or use words to converse to others, our gestures, facial expression may do it for us. We must always remember that people cannot read our minds, thus whatever we put in words or show in our body language, will be understood as such by our receivers. It is our behaviour that is understood by people (King, 2000). Interpersonal communication is irreversible (King, 2000). We cannot take back something what we already said. For example, because of our anger, we might burst out words we really do not mean to say to someone. But we know that these words are really not meant to hurt the person we are talking to, but the words already pained the other person. Even if we wanted to take back everything that we have said, the hurt and pain it has caused will not be taken away from that person. The third principle is interpersonal communication being complicated (King, 2000). According to King (2000), theorists

Sunday, September 22, 2019

E-Business and Intellectual Property Essay Example for Free

E-Business and Intellectual Property Essay In today’s internet based society, deciding to start your own business requires much more than identifying a product you wish to produce or sell. Even when you have selected physical location to setup as your business, your job is not done. For a company to be successful it must be able to reach as many potential customers as possible. The internet is the perfect resource to promote your company and the products you wish to sell. Selecting a name for your business may not always be as easy as it seems. Trademarks and Trade Names play a big part in making your company and its product know to endless number of potential customers. LEGAL ISSUE Logos and trade names are methods of intellectual property used for actual physical businesses, and their use in the computer-generated e-business realm is normally administered by the similar principles and regulations as their use in modern industry (Burke 2002). If your products available to the public at an international level which is often the case when you market thru the internet, there is possibility that by marketing merchandise or proposing your amenities to patrons outside of your home nation your brands might encroach upon brands and service marks used by a homegrown rival in overseas countries. You could discover yourself confronting a litigation in an overseas dominion. If you need to thwart your challengers from using a alike realm name to that of your online company, choose one that is not a typical or graphic word for your merchandises or industry. MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE Record all obtainable similarities of that primary realm designation in order to thwart others from cataloging alike domain names, particularly if you  have chosen a general or graphic term for your domain name. Submit requests to catalogue your important logos in those nations from which you anticipate to lure fresh clients for your industry (Burke 2002). If you have previously registers your physical location trademark in the primary country you do business in, you may not be obligated to chronicle a domain name that is created on an previously listed logo or service mark. Reference Burke, M. C. (January 2002). Intellectual Property in the World of E-Business. Retrieved from http://www.mwe.com/publication/uniEntity.aspx

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Oedipus Rex Essay Example for Free

Oedipus Rex Essay ‘Oedipus the King,’ also known as ‘Oedipus Rex’ is one of the three Greek plays about Thebes written by Sophocles. In fact the plays form a trilogy (Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Colonus and Antigone) with the same characters. The plays are sometimes referred to as the ‘Oedipus Plays’ since Oedipus is the main character. Sophocles’ genius lies in the crafting of these plays, and their characters, almost bringing them to life. Throughout the course of ‘Oedipus Rex’ he expresses the power of fate and predestination that leads the characters astray. In fact, it was the stubborn belief in superstitions and prophecies that Sophocles highlights. Both the heroes, Oedipus and Creon are popular tragic heroes of Greek mythology. Oedipus is bright and has profound intellect, but at the same time is quick to make rash decisions without much thought. Creon though is depicted as a man of reason, much more subtle, unlike the brash Oedipus. The play begins with Oedipus ruling Thebes with a firm hand. The people believe him to be their savior because Oedipus is the one who saves them from the curse of the Sphinx, a half female half lion monster, by solving her riddle. King Lauis who ruled before Oedipus had left Thebes for a while under the kingship of Creon. But King Lauis is killed. Meanwhile Creon offers his sister’s hand in marriage to anyone who could rid the city of the Sphinx by solving her riddle. It is Oedipus who is able to solve it, marries Jocosta (Creon’s sister), and gains rule of part of Thebes. From the beginning Oedipus is aware of that there is some curse on him. He learns from an oracle that he is destined to kill his father and mate with his own mother. But it is his over-bearing belief in this curse that eventually results in his fall. At the beginning of the play Oedipus is shown to have great strength of character and will, and is a man of understanding. People have a high regard for him and fear him the same. But the one weakness that lied in Oedipus was his impulsiveness. Throughout the play are numerous instances where Oedipus makes rash decisions, and is quick to jump to conclusions without much thought. His vanity leads him to kill Lauis over a mere brawl. Later when the blind prophet Tiresias warns him not to investigate the murder of Lauis, Oedipus is incensed and argues that Tiresias himself is the murderer. When the prophet reveals the truth, Oedipus is enraged, accusing the old man of corruption. He is bent on believing that Creon wants to seize power until he realizes that Creon himself chooses not to rule even thought he has the right to a third of Thebes. When Jocasta kills herself, Oedipus gouges his eyes with her broaches blinding himself in despair. And when he does learn the truth, he demands his own exile out of shame and disgust. Sophocles portrays Oedipus as a man of honor and dignity, a matter of prime importance to ancient Greeks. He was also a man of great intellect – another feature admired by them. The riddle of the Sphinx was baffling to say the least, but it was only Oedipus who could solve it. What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening? To this Oedipus replies, Man (who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks upright later, and needs a walking stick in old age)[1]. Oedipus, in fact was a typical hero in every sense of the word. He was short-tempered, proud, and stubborn, with unflinching dedication and loyalty. He had a strong conscience, an intelligent mind and passion to do good for his people and his city. But worst of all was his inability to see clearly. Sophocles describes this by using a theme of ‘sight and blindness’ in the play often. Oedipus can see, but remains blind to reality. In contrast, the old prophet can see clearly even though he is blind. Such themes were often a part of Greek mythology. But the theme of blindness has special importance in Oedipus Rex – at times literal, at times metaphorical. Later when Oedipus learns that Jocasta has killed herself, and when he does learn that he fulfilled the prophecy, he blinds himself out of guilt, and anger at not being able to see or think clearly. Oedipus is over-bearing in many ways, and it is his over-bearing sense of self that misleads him so easily. After blinding himself he leaves to spend the rest of his life in exile, with the aid of his daughter Antigone. Creon, Jocosta’s brother, and Oedipus’ relative and friend stands in sharp contrast to Oedipus. In Oedipus Rex Creon plays the role of a calm and controlled man with a mind that reasons. Creon is a close friend of Oedipus, but that too does not keep the headstrong Oedipus from suspecting that Creon wanted to rule Thebes. Creon though claims that he is not interested in ruling Thebes, and that Oedipus is only a king in name, since he has the right to as much of Thebes as Oedious himself. He represents a semblance of diplomacy and stability. In fact, these were the very things lacking in Oedipus. Creon also shows traits of being much more reasonable. An example is when Creon brings news from the oracle and wishes to tell it to Oedipus is person. Oedipus though is insistent that it be told in public, not keeping anything from anyone. One can see various instances where the two heroes are opposing in their approaches, and manner of dealing with situations. While Oedipus can be called childish and haughty, Creon was much more clear-headed and foresighted. But there were some things that the two heroes shared in common. Both had won the hearts of the people, were respected, and loved the city of Thebes. They were also very keen followers of the Greek gods. Since most Greek mythology was built around gods and goddesses, they played a crucial role ion determining the course of the story. In fact the theme of gods and of predestination plays a key role in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus is always wary of his curse told to him by an oracle. He seeks help from Apollo to determine the cause of the plague. Creon too follows the will of the gods. When Oedipus demands to be exiled, Creon waits for approval from the gods before taking any action. It is worth mentioning here that if Oedious Rex and Antigone are compared, one can see that both the kings accuse the old prophet Tiresias of corruption when he tells them that the gods are against them. But there is also a clear difference that follows. While Creon tries to change, and amend his wrongdoings, Oedipus remains ‘blind’ and refuses to acknowledge his mistakes. Eventually, Oedipus is left wandering blind and lonely, while he leaves his daughters in Creon’s care.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process

Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process The Austrian School is a heterodox school of economic thought that emphasizes the spontaneous organizing power of the price mechanism, which was influential in the late 19th and early 20th century (Boettke, 2008). After the 1870s, Marxism spread rapidly in the ranks of workers, and the economic theories that defended for the capitalists went bankrupt. The Austrian economics based on three core concepts: entrepreneurship, subjectivism and market process, which became popular after that. The Post-Keynesian school of thought was developed in the debate with the neoclassical synthesis. After The General Theory of Keynes was published, some different points of view on the practical problems arose in the followers of Keynes, and gradually formed two opposing schools of thought: neoclassical and the Post Keynesian School. The theoretical foundation of Post Keynesian economics is the principle of effective demand, that demand matters in the long as well as the short run, so that a competitiv e market economy has no natural or automatic tendency towards full employment (Arestis, 1996). The objective of this paper is comparing and contrasting Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process. The similarities and differences between these two theories will be stated orderly. Although Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories are two different schools of thought, they still have some degree of similarities. First, they both advocate uncertainty. Next, they both cannot be regarded as profit maximizers. Last, the competitive process is seen as a dynamic process by both theories. First of all, for the Austrian approach uncertainty is pervasive. One of the Austrians core concepts is entrepreneurship. Austrian school thinks that the community is a collection of individuals. Individuals economic activity is a microcosm of the national economy. Through the interpretation of individual economic activities, reasoning illustrates the complexities of real economic phenomena. Entrepreneur is the individual here in the real economy. They are all different in each other. Therefore entrepreneurs in particular always face fundamental uncertainty. Kirzner (1973) emphasized the uncertainty present in all human decision-making, has primarily focused on the entrepreneurial market process. For the Post-Keynesian approach firms pricing behaviour is determined by a mark-up rule. This behavioural approach to pricing is partly in response to the imprecision of price setting in conditions of uncertainty. Uncertainty is the fundamental element of Keynes theory, and Post-Keynesian fo llowed and developed it. In the Post-Keynesian theory of agency, agents are non-optimisers due to fundamental uncertainty. According to Fernando Ferarri Filho (2001), in a context in which time is historical, economic agents do not decide future actions on the basis of statistical series analyses or beliefs justified by experience. To the contrary, decision-making is classified as an environment of true uncertainty. They are not the rational calculators of standard theory. This suggests some overlap with Austrian theory. Second, in Austrians term, entrepreneurs display purposeful pursuit of profit in the competitive process, which provides market order. It cannot be regarded as profit maximizers due to fundamental uncertainty. However profit is still therefore important in motivating agents. Neoclassical theory assume that manufacturers pursuit profit maximization, but we all know there is another voice in society requiring manufacturers to take social responsibility. Social responsibility will increase the companys operating costs, which is not conducive to their competition in the market. So, non-profit-maximizing firms will be sustained by the loss of profits and investment capacity and continuous losses, and finally be forced out of the market. Austrian school advocates idealism and they do not believe that firms select the behaviour of pursuit profit maximization. In post-Keynesian economics, firms are not assumed to maximize profits as well, as is clear in Lavoie (1992, p.105), The standard cri tique of the neoclassical theory of the firm is that profit maximization is not possible because of the lack of pertinent knowledge due to an uncertain environment. Profit maximization is then replaced by profit satisfying. Firms are assumed to set themselves threshold levels of profits; that is, minimum levels of profits or of rates of return. Furthermore, the firms overall objective is the pursuit of power. This involves attempting to control its environment. To become powerful, firms must be big; to become big, firms must grow. Growth is the subjective and profits are the means to realize this objective. However, maximizing growth does not equal to maximizing profits. Firms maximize the rate of growth, subject to various finance and expansion constraints. Last, both school of thoughts believe that there is no absolute equilibrium in the competitive process. The Austrian school views competition as a dynamic process, and sees the market process is driven by entrepreneurial activity. Continual change comes from uncertainty gives rise to the process of market activity. This process provides a more fluid account of market activity, than is typical of standard or neoclassical theory. The equilibrium approach of standard theory, it is claimed, cannot capture the dynamics of the competitive process. The dynamic competitive process of entrepreneurial discovery is one which is seen as trending systematically toward, rather than away from, the path to equilibrium (Kirzner, 1997). In contrast to the equilibrium dynamics of standard theory Austrian economics advocates process dynamics. The process of competition is ever changing and open-ended, and cannot be represented by equilibrium. Furthermore, Hicks, who first introduced the term traverse in to economics, characterized it as the path which will be followed when the steady state is subjected to some kind of disturbance (Hicks, 1973, p.81). In other words, the traverse defines the movement of the economy outside equilibrium. It plays a particularly role in Post-Keynesian theory, as most Post-Keynesian economists have serious doubts about the relevance and usefulness of equilibrium analysis (King, 2003, p.355). Therefore, Post-Keynesian economists analysis the economic phenomenon based on a dynamic competitive process as well as Austrian school. On the other hand, there are also many differences between Austrian theory and Post-Keynesian theory of the competitive process. It is mainly reflected in three aspects, basic principles and methodology, views on competition, theories of agency. First, Austrians are concerned with how a whole economic system works. The individualism and subjectivism of theoretical assumptions is a major concern. They avoid tunnel vision and investigate how the specialized activities of millions of persons, who are making their decisions in a decentralized manner, can be coordinated. The relevant knowledge, such as resources, technology, human wants, and market conditions, is inevitably fragmented among millions, even billions, of separate human minds (Yeager, 2001). Therefore, in Austrian terms there would be no competition in perfect competition as there is no role for entrepreneurial activity. Because entrepreneur will not stay in a market which cannot make abnormal profits. However, Post-Keynesian economists are typically more concerned with explanation than prediction as well as distribution, particularly at an aggregate and systemic level, but not with standard welfare economics. The realism of theoretical assumptions is a major concern . They believe that oligopoly is the normal state of affairs in most markets and oligopolists will typically hold some degree of excess production capacity. The degree of monopoly will vary across different markets. These are different from Austrian economics. Next, the second difference is the views on competition. In the Austrian school, competition is redefined in terms of entrepreneurial rivalry. Entrepreneurs play a crucial role by noticing missed opportunities and discover an act upon new pieces of information. The Austrian school of economics argues that true competition is a process rather than a static condition. For competition to be improved and sustained there needs to be a genuine desire on behalf of entrepreneurs to engage in competitive behaviour, to innovate and to invent to drive markets forward (Riley, 2006). In an uncertain environment entrepreneurial activity is characterised by error and errors lead to change. In contrast, Post-Keynesian economics argues that competition is inherently about dominance. Dominance here indicates dominant firms set the price in the market. The Post-Keynesian economics believe that market cannot determine the prices. Prices are administered in accordance with firms objectives and are not ty pically market-clearing prices due to the pursuit of power. Therefore, firms use a mark-up pricing rule, which is price equals average cost plus mark up. The Post-Keynesian school of economics argues that market dominance is merely perfect and markets are prone to reinforcing dominance over time. Finally, theses two school of thoughts advocate different theories of agency. On the one hand, Austrian theory is strongly individualist. All theory is based on individuals, which are entrepreneurs instead of firms or industries or other higher-level agents. But some Post-Keynesian theories are concerned with the social and historical location of economic actors. On the other hand, because of fundamental uncertainty, agents in Austrian theory are broadly rational but they are not the rational calculators of neoclassical theory. But agents do behave with intent. They engage in purposeful action and can make qualitative judgements. This radical subjectivism leads to an interest in individual rights over welfare considerations. These diverse activities are interdependent; yet no particular agency takes charge of coordinating them, and none would be competent to do so (Yeager, 2001). However, agents in Post-Keynesian theory are central to understanding how markets work. King (2003, p.1) argued that since agents make choices, they must possess a capacity that enables them to accomplish this. The idea of making a choice involves more than just a random or capricious action. To make a choice is to engage in an intentional act based upon reasons and beliefs, which must be possessed by agents. Furthermore, agents cannot be optimisers because they have to deal with uncertainty in attempting to establish their dominance. The role of uncertainty is perhaps less positive than it is in Austrian theory. In conclusion, this paper compared and contrasted Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process. First, the three similarities between these two theories of the competitive process were stated. Both Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories advocate uncertainty in the competitive process. Both these two schools cannot be regarded as profit maximizers. And the competitive process is seen as a dynamic process by both theories. Then the differences between these two theories been shown. The differences are mainly reflected in three aspects, basic principles and methodology, views on competition, theories of agency. Austrians are concerned with how a whole economic system works. The individualism and subjectivism of theoretical assumptions is a major concern. Competition is redefined in terms of entrepreneurial rivalry. And Austrian theory is strongly individualist. All theory is based on individuals, which are entrepreneurs instead of firms or industries or other higher-lev el agents. However, Post-Keynesian economists are typically more concerned with an aggregate and systemic level, but not with standard welfare economics. The realism of theoretical assumptions is a major concern. Competition is inherently about dominance. And they are concerned with the social and historical location of economic actors.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Politics of Muscle :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Politics of Muscle† by Gloria Steinem is an essay arguing the difference in strength between men and women. Steinem starts her essay by stating how she grew up in a generation where women didn’t participate in a lot, if any, sport activities. She goes on to say that she believes this is the reason why women of her generation believe that it’s not what the female body does, but how it looks. Steinem feels that women always seemed to be owned in some degree as the means of reproduction. She believes that women are made to feel ashamed of their strength and that â€Å"only when women rebel against patriarchal standards does female muscle become more accepted.† (pg 372)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that Steinem’s intended audience is primarily for all women. I feel she wrote this because she feels strongly about how the power of women is viewed versus the power of how men are viewed. I think her primary purpose is to speak to women and to get them to realize how much of an impact increasing our physical strength could have on our everyday lives. Steinem wants to let it be known that women are not objects and that having muscles and strength can in fact be feminine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I agree with the author that society does view women as the weaker sex. I also believe that it is true that some of the more athletic woman today are not always viewed as being as beautiful as the skinny models in the magazines. However, I don’t agree with her thoughts regarding women being possessions and how she thinks women’s bodies are symbols of men’s status. That could very well be true in other cultures, as she does state in her essay that there are many cultural differences. But for myself, growing up in the environment that I did, that is not something that I had ever really heard about or was witness to.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Experiment 02: Synthesis and characterisation of Benzocaine Introduction Benzocaine is described and used in the industry as local external anaesthetic; it is constructed of a white crystalline powder. The advantage of anaesthetics such as benzocaine is the action can be reversible where the use is followed by a completed recovery of the tissue with no potential permanent damage being caused. Aim The purpose of conducting this experiment was to synthesise and characterise for the preparation of benzocaine via a fishcer esterification reaction by the means of amino benzoic acid alongside ethanol. The product was also precipitated from a solution in order to gain a pH of 8.The secondary aim was to esterify the reaction in an equilibrium reaction catalysed via the addition of acid shown below: Experimental Reactants used: 4- Aminobenzoic used: 3.03g (0.018 moles) Ensure gloves are worn at all times when handling strong acids and bases within the experiment of the preparation of benzocaine. 4-aminobenzoic acid (3.0g, 0.022 moles) was suspended into a dry round-bottomed flask (100cm3) followed by methylated sprits (20 cm3). Taking extra care the concentrated sulphuric acid of (3.0 cm3, 0.031 moles) was added. Immediately after the condenser was fitted on, and the components in the flask were swirled gently to mix components. It should be ensured that the reactants of the concentrated sulphuric acid and the 4-aminobenzoic acid were not clustered in the ground glass joint between the condenser itself and the flask. In order to heat the mixture to a boiling point, a heating mantle was used and then further left for gently refluxing for a constituent time of forty minutes. After the duration of the consistent forty minutes the rou... ...rivate and taking into account there boiling point and volatility the Gc retention time will increase, in accordance to the chain going up, so in this case the pentyl derivative would go first then the butyl derivative. Conclusion The percentage yield gained was 70% from the Fischer Esterification reaction, which evaluates to be a good production of yield produced as the reaction is known to be reversible where conditions such as the concentration of the reactants, pressure and temperature could affect the extent of the reaction from performing. These white crystalline crystals were tested for impurity by conducting a melting point analysis and taking spectrospic data such as the IR spectra, HNMR and CNMR to confirm the identification of the product. These spectrospic methods and melting point analysis confirmed the white crystalline crystals were benzocaine.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Are We Too Dependence on Computers

With the improvement of technology, mobile phones have become an inevitable part of our lives. Because of their convenience and improvements, we now can make a phone call from any spot on our planet Earth. In today’s society our technology is more advanced than ever before. So far advanced is our society, that we can easily use cell phones to speak to anyone, anywhere and at any time. That’s why I am in favor of them. To begin with, they are very useful and parents can always call their children whenever they want and make sure they are fine. For example, we can use cell phones while driving, or speak to someone in another country. We can use them in the business world to conduct meetings or to rely vital information to co-workers or to conduct trade with other businesses. Many scientists consider the mobile phone transmitters to be the greatest danger to public health. I personally use them to call my friends whenever I feel miserable, euphoric, you name it. Making appointments with them is so easy. And not to miss the texting, which I have been using quite a lot recently. I have come to the conclusion that a text can make you much happier than a phone call, when you least expect it. Some may say that requiring children to wear uniforms does not allow the child their individuality. I think pupils at middle schools should wear school uniforms because school uniforms are homogeneous and show no difference concerning the families economic. Another reason why I think middle schools should have school uniforms is that school uniforms help pupils to represent their school and also help to separate themselves from other schools and pupils. Finally I think the idea of wearing school uniforms at middle school is a good way to form a positive school spirit and let pupils feel united and not separated only because of a more or less affluent background. I think that personally, I have nothing against school uniforms. They can be handy – no need to dwell on what the kid would have to wear everyday in school. But to use the argument that it will make schools safer is, I think, not fair. There are other more effective things we can do to ensure school safety. Let us not use school safety as an excuse to do things that we want.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Introduction Technology Enhanced Learning In Education Education Essay

â€Å" The Internet is a timely tool for pedagogues who are reforming instruction. If we believe information is the bedrock of cognition, understanding and power, so cosmopolitan entree, to worldwide databases and latest, planetary information and people-to-people networking, is important to supplying pupils with educational challenges. † Children and striplings in modern societies are turning up in a universe where engineering is present everyplace. The extended usage of Information and Communication Technologies ( ICT ) by striplings in their day-to-day life for leisure, amusement and societal interaction is doing a great impact on their acquisition demands, demands and outlooks. They need to larn accomplishments and competencies, for self-development, engagement in society every bit good as for future occupations. Furthermore, they are besides progressively utilizing ICT for any learning intents, frequently outside the schoolroom. This gives rise to new ways of acquisition, including informal 1s which are shaped by new ICT tools, offering exciting larning chances that are basically different than earlier tools. This is the ground why instruction is sing a major invention and the instrument in this development is the computing machine. Computers and cyberspace installations are nowadays available in all our province schools: from primary to secondary and besides at the third degree. It is expected that instruction will see ICT as a major instruction and larning tool across all educational establishments. With its power of interactivity, multimedia and communicating, the computing machine proves an first-class tool for instruction. Psychologists believe that the best feedback is that which comes instantly after the event. What can be more immediate than ‘surfing ‘ the cyberspace and acquiring the consequences wished for within seconds? Of class, the usage of ICT in instruction brings along the demand to larn how to utilize this medium decently because there are legion ways in which the computing machine can be integrated within the learning procedure. Therefore new learning methods need to be explored, equipment has to be purchased, installed, on a regular basis maintained and instructors require preparation. This finally leads to consequences which decidedly need to be evaluated and reviewed for farther betterment.1.1.1 Virtual Learning EnvironmentRecent old ages have seen a considerable scope of tools and programmes that support online acquisition. One such type is a practical acquisition environment which is a web-based information-rich acquisition environment that provides a scope of tools and installations for scholars and instructors to work together. INSPIRAL, a undertaking in the United Kingdom, defined practical acquisition environments as follows: â€Å" VLEs are web-based toolkits that facilitate larning through the proviso and integrating of online instruction and acquisition stuffs and tools. † INSPIRAL ( 2001 ) This brings about a displacement in the important function of the instructor, from that of ‘gatekeeper ‘ of cognition to that of ‘facilitator ‘ and ‘manager ‘ of the acquisition environment, in order to run into the demands of the pupils. Therefore, the pupil, through the counsel of the instructor, sets precedences and accomplishable ends and takes on the duty for making the set ends. Students have the chance to prosecute in autonomous acquisition experiences and activities that promote self-expression, co-operative acquisition and interaction non merely with their immediate environment but with the outside universe every bit good.Aims of the ProbeThere is a sense of urgency for instruction establishments to happen ways to move in favor of the new larning coevals in order to enable new ways of larning guaranting that the accomplishments for future occupations are acquired. It is indispensable to do certain that 21st century acquisition in Europe, p articularly in Malta, becomes more efficient, just and advanced than it of all time was in the yesteryear. The European 2020 scheme high spots of import tendencies, which will take to a extremist transmutation in instruction taking up new accomplishments needed for new occupations. In this regard, e-learning has many assets to offer so as to reenforce and do more accessible educational facets. Teachers hence need to go go-betweens between pupils, cognition and engineering while internet-based societal networking will be a complimentary characteristic to practical acquisition. This scheme aims at sharing best patterns on e-learning undertakings across Europe with a peculiar accent on mobility, quality criterions, instructors ‘ preparation and games. At the European Council held in Lisbon in March 2000, 15 European Heads of Government set a end for Europe to go the most competitory knowledge-based economic system in the universe, capable of sustainable economic growing with more and better occupations and greater societal coherence. Due to the fact that ICT and other related policies play a cardinal function in accomplishing the ends of the Lisbon scheme, the renewed Lisbon ends of 2005 included programs to ease invention through the execution of ICT and higher investing in human capital. Brian Restall, ( 2008 ) in the study ‘The Development of eServices in an Hypertrophied Europium: eLearning in Malta ‘ , presents the consequences of a research on e-learning in Malta. The authorities invested well in ICT in public schools in the last decennary. This has allowed the Maltese instruction sector to be ranked as one of the most technologically connected in the universe. All province schools are networked, connected to broadband cyberspace with a computing machine and an enterprise has been launched to utilize ICT across the course of study. However it is worthy of note that the deficiency of expertness and practical support in seting into pattern e-learning in the course of study, together with appropriate preparation both for instructors and pupils, is still lending significantly to the restrictions of consumption. In fact, most of the attempts that have been noted locally were in most instances consequences of independent attempts at the integrating of ICT in instruction. E-learning is non about taking classroom-based acquisition and forcing it down a wire. Rather, e-learning nowadayss a new position on how engineering can be applied to heighten what instructors do good now, and to present new advanced ways to maximize the handiness, enjoyment and the effectivity of larning for the person. Indeed, online acquisition can besides let educational experiences to be tailored to the demands of persons or groups of persons. Other societal groups, such as scholars with household committednesss and with disablements, can besides profit if the physical and temporal obstructions to instruction are removed with the aid of engineering. â€Å" A major challenge which the present instruction system faces is the effectual and efficient operation of the different educational services in order to supply quality instruction ‘for all kids to win ‘ , a taking aim of the Ministry of Education. The educational substructure and system has grown to such an extent that it requires a more timely and effectual bringing of services and support. † Although the research carried out in this peculiar country has non been conclusive, the ‘laptop for instructors ‘ enterprise, and other similar attempts[ 1 ]hold proven to lend to instructors ‘ betterment of ICT literacy. In secondary schools particularly, holistic attacks to ICT integrating should go the norm instead than the exclusion. The ICT accomplishments that Maltese pupils are geting during their ICT lessons need to be used in other topics in order to implant the accomplishments gained. Some schools are already trying inter-disciplinary and cross-curricular classs and are gaining the potency of ICT ; nevertheless more schools need to do such a measure. On the other manus, a recent â€Å" cognition function † exercising conducted by the World Bank ‘s Information for Development Programme ( InfoDev ) ( Trucano, 2005 ) revealed that, despite decennaries of big investings in ICT to profit instruction in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) states, information to back up the theoretical benefits from ICT are limited. After gaining the job that occurred within the past old ages where merely classroom-based acquisition was taking topographic point without instructors doing usage of ICT tools, as described in this subdivision and as summarised below, the chief aims that this thesis will try to make are: How to outdo integrate the usage of ICT with the acquisition of Mathematics, viz. the subject of Algebra Derive an penetration and hence compare the interactions that happen in the schoolroom and on-lineStructure of the ProbeThe first portion of this thesis gives a reappraisal of different literatures and surveies that have taken topographic point global. Emphasis is put on those coming from the United Kingdom, besides those from Malta. This is because, Maltese instruction has invariably moved, someway, in conformity with British instruction. The method of how the research was carried out will so be explained in item and eventually the informations and consequences obtained will be analysed and compared. The thesis will reason with some recommendations given to instructors who would wish to better, with the aid of ICT, the mathematical acquisition experience offered in Maltese schools.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Project Risk Identification

Identification of risks ascertains the risks with the potential of having effect on project as well as documenting the characteristics of risk. It begins after plan of risk management is constructed and continues through out the execution of project. It involves the identification of events or items that may have significant negative effect on a project. Identification of risk may be done through checklists, project participant’s reports, and comparison of historical data as well as through the contingency planning.Two criteria can be used in the process of identifying project risks that are not originally identified and include the analysis of risk as well as the prioritization of risk. Risk analysis employs cost risk analysis, decision analysis, schedule analysis, reliability analysis as well as other similar models and techniques in analyzing the identified risks. There are several methods that can be used in this analysis and one of them includes brain storming.Brainstormi ng may be important in identifying risks and especially those which had not been identified before since risks are shared instantly among the members the moment they notice them in the project. Brain storming can further bring a lot of results in very short time and thus the members in a project can bring out risks, which had not been discussed or identified before and decide on ideas and ways of solving them.Prioritization of risk employs quantification of risk as well as risk exposure and even using decision mechanisms that is statistically based. This process may involve the use of consulting experts who may have independent view in several fields that may involve risk and also identify risks which may not have been identified before. The advantage of using consulting experts is because they have knowledge and experience which is not in a certain company and they can identify risks that may have not been identified before.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Globalization Debate: Prosperity or Impoverishment?

Is the shift toward a more integrated and interdependent global economy a good thing? Many influential economists, politicians, and business leaders seem to think so. They argue that falling barriers to international trade and investment are the twin engines that are driving the global economy toward ever greater prosperity. They argue that increased international trade and cross-border investment will result in lower prices for goods and services. They believe that globalization stimulates economic growth, raises the incomes of consumers, and helps to create jobs in all countries that choose to participate in the global trading system. There are good theoretical reasons for believing that declining barriers to international trade and investment do stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and raise income levels. Moreover, considerable empirical evidence lends support to the predictions of this theory. However, despite the existence of a compelling body of theory and evidence, the process of globalization has its critics. We would be remiss if we did not mention their concerns. Here we briefly review the main themes of the debate. In later chapters we shall elaborate on many of the points mentioned below Globalization, Jobs, and Incomes One frequently voiced concern is that far from creating jobs, removing barriers to international trade actually destroys manufacturing jobs in wealthy advanced economies such as the United States. The basic thrust of the critics' argument is that falling trade barriers allow firms to move their manufacturing activities offshore to countries where wage rates are much lower. Bartlett and Steele, two journalists for the Philadelphia Inquirer who have gained notoriety for their attacks on free trade, cite the case of Harwood Industries, a U. S. clothing manufacturer that closed its U. S. operations, where it paid workers $9 per hour, and shifted manufacturing to Honduras, where textile workers receive 48 cents per hour. 32 Because of moves like this, argue Bartlett and Steele, the wage rates of poorer Americans have fallen significantly over the last quarter of a century. Supporters of globalization reply that critics such as Bartlett and Steele miss the essential point about free trade-the benefits outweigh the costS. 3 They argue that free trade results in countries specializing in the production of those goods and services that they can produce most efficiently, while importing goods that they cannot produce as efficiently from other countries. When a country embraces free trade there is always some dislocation-lost textile jobs at Harwood Industries, for example-but the whole economy is better off as a result. According to this view, it makes little sense for the United States to produce textiles at home when they ca n be produced at a lower cost in Honduras or China (which, unlike Honduras, is a major source of U. S. textile imports). Importing textiles from China leads to lower prices for clothes in the United States, which enables U. S. consumers to spend more of their money on other items. At the same time, the increased income generated in China from textile exports increases income levels in that country, which helps the Chinese to purchase more products produced in the United States, such as Boeing jets, Intel-based computers, Microsoft software, and Motorola cellular telephones. In this manner, supporters of globalization argue that free trade benefits all countries that adhere to a free trade regime. Supporters of globalization do concede that the wage rate enjoyed by unskilled workers in many advanced economies has declined in recent years. For example, data from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development suggest that since 1980 the lowest 10 percent of American workers have seen a drop in their real wages (adjusted for inflation) of about 20 percent, while the top 10 percent have enjoyed a real pay increase of about 10 percent. Similar trends can be seen in many other countries. However, while critics of globalization argue that the decline in unskilled wage rates is due to the migration of low-wage manufacturing jobs offshore, and a corresponding reduction in demand for unskilled workers, supporters of globalization see a more complex picture. They maintain that the declining real wage rates of unskilled workers owes far more to a technology-induced shift within advanced economies away from jobs where the only qualification was a willingness to turn up for work every day and toward jobs that require employees to possess significant education and skills. They point out that within many advanced economies there is a shortage of highly skilled workers and an excess supply of unskilled workers. Thus, growing income inequality is a result of the wages for skilled workers, being bid up by the labor market and the wages for unskilled workers being discounted. If one agrees with this logic, a solution to the problem of declining incomes is to be found not in limiting free trade and globalization, but in increasing society's investment in education to reduce the supply of unskilled workers. Globalization, Labor Policies, and the Environment IA second source of concern is that free trade encourages firms from advanced nations to move manufacturing facilities offshore to less developed countries that lack adequate regulations to protect labor and the environment from abuse by the unscrupulous. Critics argue that adhering to labor and environmental regulations significantly increases the costs of manufacturing enterprises and puts them at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace vis-a-vis firms based in developing nations that do not have to comply with such regulations. Firms deal with this cost disadvantage, so the theory goes, by moving their production facilities to nations that do not have such burdensome regulations or fail to enforce the regulations they do have. If this is the case, one might expect free trade to lead to an increase in pollution and result in firms from advanced nations exploiting the labor of less developed nations. This argument was used repeatedly by those who opposed the 1994 formation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The vision they painted was one of U. S. anufacturing firms moving to Mexico in droves so that they would be free to pollute the environment, employ child labor, and ignore workplace safety and health issues, all in the name of higher profits. Supporters of free trade and greater globalization express serious doubts about this scenario. They point out that tougher environmental regulations and stricter labor standards go hand in hand with economi c progress. In general, as countries get ‘richer, they enact tougher environmental and labor regulations. Since free trade enables developing countries to increase their economic growth rates and become richer, this should be correlated ith the introduction of tougher environmental and labor laws. In this view, the critics of free trade have got it backward-free trade does not lead to more pollution and labor exploitation; it leads to less! Moreover, supporters of free trade point out that it is possible to tie free trade agreements to the implementation of tougher environmental and labor laws in less developed countries. NAFTA, for example, was passed only after side agreements had been negotiated that committed Mexico to tougher enforcement of environmental protection regulations. Thus, supporters of free trade argue that factories based in Mexico are now cleaner than they would have been without the passage of NAFTA. Free trade supporters also argue that business firms are not the amoral organizations that critics suggest. While there may be a few rotten apples, the vast majority of business enterprises are staffed by managers who are committed to behave in an ethical manner and would be unlikely to move production offshore just so they could pump more pollution into the atmosphere or exploit labor. Furthermore, the relationship among pollution, labor exploitation, and production costs may not be that suggested by critics. In general, a well-treated labor force is a productive work force, and it is productivity rather than base wage rates that often has the greatest influence on costs. Given this, in the vast majority of cases, the vision of greedy managers who shift production to low-wage companies in order to â€Å"exploit† their labor force may be misplaced. Globalization and National Sovereignty A final concern voiced by critics' of globalization is that in today's increasingly interdependent global economy, economic power is shifting away from national governments and toward supranational organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union, and the United Nations. As perceived by critics, the problem is that unelected bureaucrats are now sometimes able to impose policies on the democratically elected governments of nation-states, thereby undermining the sovereignty of those states. In this manner, claim critics, the ability of the nation-state to control its own destiny is being limited. The World Trade Organization is a favorite target of those who attack the world's headlong rush toward a global economy. The WTO was founded in 1994 to police the world trading system established by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The WTO arbitrates trade disputes between the 120 or so nation-states that have signed the GATT. The WTO arbitration panel can issue a ruling instructing a member state to change trade policies that violate GATT regulations. If the violator refuses to comply with the ruling, the WTO allows other states to impose appropriate trade sanctions on the transgressor. As a result, according to one prominent critic, the U. S. environmentalist and consumer rights advocate Ralph Nader: In contrast to Nader's inflammatory rhetoric, many economists and politicians maintain that the power of supranational organizations such as the WTO is limited to what nation-states collectively agree to grant. They argue that bodies such as the United Nations and the WTO exist to serve the collective interests of member states, not to subvert those interests. Moreover, supporters of supranational organizations point out that in reality, the power of these bodies rests largely on their ability to persuade member states to follow a certain course of action. If these bodies fail to serve the collective interests of member states, those states will withdraw their support, and the supranational organization will quickly collapse. In this view, then, real power still resides with individual nation-states, not supranational organizations.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Boston Consulting Group on Strategy Conformity

Today, management of various organizations are obligated to ensure success is achieved despite the plexity and dynamism of the current business environment. It thus largely depends on the organization structure as well as the appropriateness of the strategies formulated by the management. Apparently, the business strategies need planning gurus who can align business projections with short term and long term objectives. Besides, group influence plays a critical role in one’s ability to formulate decisions. In most cases, an individual may decide to take a particular decision just to conform to group norms. This discussion, therefore, has addressed Yves Morieux contributions on organization strategy and Asch conformity experiment to examine individual conformity to group thinking. Yves Monrieux assertion concerning structure and strategy conforms to the current management imperatives (Yves & Peter, 2014). Today, the success of business greatly relies on the ability of the management to establish effective operational and strategic aims. These goals are supposed to be timely instituted, and affirmative action is taken to ensure they have implemented accordingly. The success needs an administration structure that is flexible and making new decisions based on the situation. There should be smooth coordination and understanding within the departments to enhance a mon focus on the organizational objectives. Thus, it is notable that the blog presents the following ideas: Soundness of the management to the success of the business. The importance of the enactment of effective goals. The relevance of flexibility in the administrative structure. The management levels matter most in determining the responsible authorities in handling various issues. A good administration structure should be the one that roles are clearly assigned and everyone better knows the power to report to (Carl and Michael, 2006, p. 162-190). The ever-changing business environment requires sound business strategies to maintain a petitive edge.   With the consumers varying needs, measures need to be established to ensure the pany is fully satisfying their needs. To remain petitive, businesses are investing in technology, and further encouraging creativity and innovation among staffs to ensure profit is maximized. Notably, a good organization structure enacts operational strategies based on the research and findings. The support of such initiatives is only experienced in an organization where individuals work as a team towards a mon purpose (Lim, et al. 2010).   People hold positions based on the qualifications and capability. And it significantly helps the management understands plans that are relevant to the business, set aside appropriate financial resources and further monitor and evaluate the plans accordingly. Good administrative structures empower employees through training programs, coaching and more to make them relevant to organization needs. Good strategies borrow from the management tools such as SWOT and PESTLE. A thorough understanding both internal and external business environment aids in the formulation of the right business plan (Butler, 2000, p. 39-43). Therefore, it is imperative for the current managers to ensure that the administration structure put in place facilitates the achievement of the business goals and objectives. The structure should facilitate faster decision making, support productive activities intended to propel the organization towards prosperity and that gives the pany petitive edge (Haslam, et al. 2011, p. 23-67). Usually, human beings have various characters and behave differently based on the situation. Getting a plete understanding of an individual regarding how he/she will respond to different scenarios is quite difficult (Griggs, 2015, p. 137). Based on the blog, the following ideas can be extracted: People are influenced by circumstances in making decisions. Personal decisions can also be influenced by individuals around us. One should remain objective in formulating decisions while holding management positions. Group conformity is real and can be avoided if one is required to disclose a solution via writing and further if the matter is a subject of personal accountability. People are however, influenced by various factors in making a personal decision. For example, the student can respond to a perceptual question posed by the instructor, based on the other bright student suggestion even if he know the answer is wrong (Aronson, et al. 2010, p. 99-120). Therefore, personal decision making depends on the circumstances facing the individuals and the people around. Before I discovered my capabilities, I used to make decisions based on views from my friends and individuals around. Even if I knew they were wrong, I just planned according to their suggestions to conform and fit the group. This group conformity justifies Asch Conformity Experiment regarding the power of the group. In most cases, the primary forces that determined my decision making when I was in a group were normative and informational factors (Eysenck, 2004, p. 345-370). The primary reason why I conformed to group norms was to avert punishments, rejection and further gain from social rewards associated with the members. Also, lack of information due to unfocused minds in class used to affect my conscience in answering perceptual questions. Thus, I could just stick on what a group member’s opinion. Currently, I make a decision based on the objective. The knowledge I have gained in the university is significant to allow me stand alone but stick to the truth. The present organization's requirements need leaders who understand themselves and have abilities to align the business goals with strategic plans. Therefore, buying groups’ suggestions just to be accepted at the expense of the firm can lead to business failure (Breckler, et al. 2006, p. 126). Usually, some people who lack leadership qualities and cannot stand alone from a group are susceptible to conformity to group norms. This conformity should not be the case. If we realize the relevance of staying objective to every matter in the organization set up, elements like creativity and innovation will be natured.   As a result, individuals can grow and always feel free to contribute to the organizational management. However, a group can force an individual to conform to its norms because of the following factors: Difficulty of the task, ambiguous situation, lack of information and identification purposes. First, when a group discovers that the job is tough, it can force a knowledgeable member to take the groups’ stand so that they cannot be judged as failures (Turner, 2005, p. 1-22). Secondly, an ambiguous situation may make a group to require its members to behave in the same way. Further, when a group lacks adequate information about a subject, it may force members to adopt one stand. Finally, a group can force a member to conform to the norms for identification purposes. Appearing different may portray a wrong image of the group. To sum up, organization strategy is a roadmap that guides the management about the organization priorities. The establishment of the right strategies and strict implementation increases the chances of business success. However, the effectiveness of the strategies depends on the administration structure and the support it has regarding the organization objectives. Besides, group conformity is real, and members conform because of various reason. Managers should thus, always focus on organization needs than following workers thought just to be accepted. Aronson, T. D.,Wilson, R. M., Akert, E. (2010). Social Psychology (7 ed.). Pearson.p. 99-120 Butler Jr., J.K. (2000). A global view of informal organization: Academy of Management Journal, 51, 3, 39-43. Breckler, S. J., Olson, J. M., & Wiggins, E. C. (2006). Social Psychology Alive. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, p.126 Carl W. Stern and Michael S. Deimler. (2006). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: A collection of articles on strategy and management, p. 162-190 Eysenck, M. W. (2004). Psychology: An International Perspective. New York: Psychology Press, LTD, p.345-370 Griggs, R. A. (2015). "The Disappearance of Independence in Textbook Coverage of Asch's Social Pressure Experiments":   Teaching of Psychology, 42 (2): 137. Haslam, S., Reicher, S.D., Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power. New York, NY: Psychology Press, 23-67 Lim, M., G. Griffiths, and S. Sambrook. (2010). Organizational structure for the twenty-first century: Presented the annual meeting of The Institute for Operations Research and The Management Sciences, Austin. Turner, J. C. (2005). "Explaining the nature of power: A three-process theory": European Journal of Social Psychology. 35: 1–22. Yves Morieux & Peter T. (2014). Six Simple Rules: How to Manage plexity without Getting plicated, 87-100.

American History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

American History - Research Paper Example o operate by a bottom-up philosophy by federally job creation and welfare benefits therefore forming a social affiliation with working class persons including labor unions and racial minorities or by deregulating businesses to supposedly allow them freedom to correct the economy by expanding thus producing more jobs which would, in turn, force money back into the economy. Contrary to popular opinion, the nation was not moving in a socialist direction.   The New Deal represented the existing capitalist societal structure culture. For example, its policies continued the already wide division between what are thought of as ‘worthy poor,’ mostly widows and their kids and the ‘unworthy poor,’ which included almost everyone else, who were disregarded. The main goal of the New Deal was to rescue American capitalism. Roosevelt sought the backing of business leaders in the fulfilling this undertaking. Roosevelt told the business magnates who were against his policies at first that the New Deal was economic protection for the ‘farsighted conservative.’   Some historians maintain that Roosevelt initially intended the government’s involvement in rebuilding the economy to be limited.   His purpose of the New Deal was not to encourage a communal undertaking which communist or socialist governments employed in Europe.   He wanted neither big business interests nor the quickly budding labor unions to become a puppet of the government or the other way around. Roosevelt did not arrive at the New Deal strategies on independent analysis but as the result of the many forces surrounding him. The economic conditions at that desperate time demanded that the solutions promote positive relations between the working class an d capitalist class, each of whom had contrasting interests. Within the working class were differing interests as well. â€Å"While labor unions lobbied for employers’ liability laws, social reformers worked for maximum hours for women workers, minimum

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Critical Evaluation of a Journal Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Evaluation of a Journal Article - Essay Example e.g., young children at home and many housework hours) and spousal support would demonstrate a stronger correlation with the F 3 W conflict for individuals in the family profile than for individuals in the work profile. For the first hypothesis, the authors have anticipated that four different groups would appear based on high versus low importance attributions to work and family roles. For the second hypothesis, participants belonging to the dual profile were expected to exhibit a high level of W 3 F conflict and F 3 W conflict because of their desire to invest time and energy in both roles. With regard to the third hypothesis on family-related stress and support variables, the researchers said research has linked high levels of F 3 W conflict to the presence of small children in the home (Lewis & Cooper, 1988) and to many hours invested in housework (Voydanoff, 1988). However, spousal support was found to moderate the F 3 W conflict (Matsui, Ohsawa, & Onglatco, 1995). Finally, no explanation was mentioned about why the fourth hypothesis was derived. The paper says in the end that the findings generally supported the main hypotheses of the research. According to Creswell (2003), the research question is the statement being examined in the study in its most general form. The way the paper was organized, it was hard to locate the research question or questions. Yet, when a question was found, the paper was not committal. It starts with the words, â€Å"However, these studies investigating†¦. analysis. Thus, the following question remains unanswered: Are work-related stress and support variables similarly related to the W3F conflict among persons belonging to the work profile and individuals belonging to the family profile? There remains evidence†¦.† If this is the research question, it is not comprehensive enough to cover all that the research had studied. In other words, the paper can still be said to have presented no adequate research question. At best, any

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Comparison Between Holistic And Subject Based Approaches to Curriculum Essay

Comparison Between Holistic And Subject Based Approaches to Curriculum Organization - Essay Example Influential individuals Gur (2006) explain and outline the key factors that affect change in curriculum structure and composition. The first factor that initiates change is a strong and charismatic leadership system that is accepted by the academic staff members. The Main feature of such leadership is to have the necessary capacity that attracts other academic staff to agree and; rally behind the principled educational objectives supported within the environment or institution. A good and appropriate curriculum will ensure a good output especially for a class with an average or reasonable number of students (Gur, 2006, p41). This is because with a smaller class, teacher-student personal relationship is always possible. There is always an anxiety by students to produce constant excellent results because an alteration in the syllabus or curriculum. The relationship eases the performance anxieties experienced by such students and temptation to submit work that is not theirs to the tutor s. However, it should be noted that individual influence on the curriculum change has its own side effects. 2. The need to improve staff training Research has proven the emergence of curricula related challenges in most institutions, especially at the nursery and primary levels of studies. Change in curriculum always comes with the need for better-trained staff members. It requires new teaching skills aimed at meeting the objectives and goals set by the new curriculum system. This may prove to be a significant challenge to most institutions implementing their own curriculum, as they will be required to come up with an impromptu notice for hiring new teachers or training the existing staff. Therefore, the curriculum change is viewed as one of the main and... This essay stresses that several changes are always proposed because of their undisputable goodness. One would find it hard or rather stupid and awkward to argue. For instance, it would be strange to hear an individual arguing that the introduction of laboratory classes for science-related subjects was a wrong idea. Similarly, it is imagined that most leaders would accept that changes in curriculum are indispensable for the students going to various fields of study. Curricula changes and implementation would therefore ease. This paper makes a conclusion that curriculum in any organization plays a significant role in the teaching-learning process in all the educational institutions. The instructional materials, nature of the training the teachers underwent, development of teaching materials, assessment of learners, designing for guides for both the learners and instructors, and setting the principles, are all anchored on the curriculum which is a vital educational document. Thus the role of curriculum in any organization plays a vital role and absence of the document in any educational organization means that the institution cannot function as expected. Curriculum is an educational document, which guides and used for ordering the teaching-learning understandings, which the learners encounter in the educational organization. Curriculum organization involves provision of curriculum and maintaining it to run uninterrupted.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Define Accounting and Bookkeeping and compare and contrast the role of Essay

Define Accounting and Bookkeeping and compare and contrast the role of Professional Accountants and Bookkeepers - Essay Example The book also described the use of journals and ledgers. Accountancy contained two parts bookkeeping and accounting. Both became useful to the merchants and the professional from time to time. It plays an important function in recording the financial transaction of an organization. It provides information to a whole range of users. The essay elaborates basics of accountancy and the use of accountancy in different areas of management by the accountants and the bookkeepers (Gazely and Lambert, 2006) Accounting and Bookkeeping Accountancy does the task of maintaining records and it also involves in preparation of financial reports for a particular business. It also involves in auditing those reports. It is concerned with the knowledge, practices and the principles of accounting for meeting the general needs of a running business. According to Kohler â€Å"Accountancy refers to the entire body of the theory and practices of accounting† (A. Goyal and M. Goyal, 2009). The term accou ntancy can be divided into two parts: Accounting and Bookkeeping. Accounting Accounting basically deals with the provision or measurement of assurance of the financial information that are used by a number of users such as the lenders, investors, managers and the decision makers of a particular organization (Fitzpatrick, 2010). According to American Accounting Association it is â€Å"a process of identifying, measuring and communicating information to permit judgment and decisions by the users† (Khan and Jain, 2007). It also measures the different economic activities which are responsible for affecting both the inflow and outflow of the resources of the economy. It serves as a language to the business as it communicates its results to the business (Hugh and Hobbs, 2005). There are certain characteristics of accounting which are as follows: Accounting concerns of only the financial transactions and are expressed in terms of money. The information which cannot be expressed in t erm of money cannot be included in the books of accounts. After the identification of the financial information these are recorded in the books of accounts. Journal is known as the primary book of accounts in which all the information is recorded at first. When information are vast then the book of accounts is sub-divided into a number of various books such as Sales book, Purchase Book, Sales Return Books, Cash Book and many more (Stittle and Wearing, 2008) After recording of the financial data, they are classified into different groups of data which are of same nature. The book in which these are recorded are known as the Ledger. After classifying the data, they are summarized and presented in a manner that is understood by a layman also. This process is concerned with the preparation of Profit and loss account, trial balance and balance sheet. The information thus got from the summarization of the data is to be analysed to get a result. Ratio analysis is a very common tool for ana lysis and thus it helps both the management and the external users to take their decisions. The result thus communicates some information to the interested party and they can take an appropriate decision (Warren, 2009). There are different types of accounting which are as follows: Financial accounting concentrates on only those transactions that have already occurred in the past. The main aim of this type of accounting is to