Female Foeticide in India

What is female foeticide?The act of aborting or terminating a foetus while it’s still in the womb, because it is female, is known as female foeticide. This can be done after determining the sex of the child before it’s born, through ultrasound scans. Although, sex determination in India is illegal, the practice is rampant and has become a multi-million dollar industry. Coupled with prospective parents desperate for a boy child, and physicians who are carrying out these abortions, female foeticide has become a shameful and shocking reality of our nation. What is the main cause of female foeticide?For centuries, families across many parts of India have regarded a male child as the preferred of the two sexes. There have been many social, financial, emotional and religious reasons for this preference and while times have changed, many of these reasons and beliefs continue to remain. Today, some of the key reasons that exist for the preference of a male child are as follows: The tradition of paying dowry at the time of a daughter’s marriage is alive and kicking. This amount can be so huge that many parents will go to extreme lengths to avoid having a daughter in the first place. A son is seen as someone who can earn and care for his parents in their later years, while a daughter will get married and go away.A son can carry on the family name, while a daughter becomes part of her husband’s family. Girls are seen as consumers, whereas boys are seen as producers. Many families consider it a status symbol to have a son, and a point of shame to have a daughter. Often, the pressure to bear a male child on the woman is so great that she herself might choose to get sex determination done and abort the baby if it’s a girl. Illiteracy, poverty and the tag of ‘burden’ that is assigned to a girl child, makes the desire for a male child even stronger.Modern technology has made it very easy to determine the sex of the child while it ’s still in the womb, giving parents-to-be the option of aborting the foetus and continuing to try to conceive till they get a male child. While sex determination has been banned by the Indian government, it does not stop families from going to great lengths to find out anyway. Not only are there plenty of scanning centres that reveal this information, many of the wealthier families fly the pregnant mother to neighbouring countries  where sex determination is legal, to find out the gender of the baby. Once the gender of the baby is known, families that are keen to have a baby boy choose to abort the female foetus. The law on aborting is also strict, and the Indian government allows it only under certain circumstances.Therefore, by determining the sex of the baby and aborting it because it’s a girl, the parents as well as the participating physicians are breaking two major laws.What impact does female foeticide have on the sex ratio?Sex ratio refers to ratio of female s to males in a given region. Practices like female foeticide and female infanticide (killing a baby girl after she is born) have had an adverse effect on the sex ratio of a nation and gives rise to further social evils. As per the Indian Census 2011 report, the sex ratio of India (females per 1000 males) is as follows: Average India sex ratio – 933Rural sex ratio – 946 Urban sex ratio – 900 State with highest female sex ratio – Kerala – 1058 State with lowest female sex ratio – Haryana – 861 What are the long-term impacts of female foeticide?The most important impact of female foeticide is the skewed ratio it gives rise to. The dearth of females leads to other complications like female trafficking, kidnappings and in increase in assault and rape against women. Female foeticide is a horrific and illegal practice that has got to be stopped. The way to do this is by implementation of stronger laws and bringing about a change in the mind -set of our countrymen – uphill tasks, but absolutely crucial nevertheless.

Why Canadians Should Leave Afghanistan

since February 2002, approximately 15, 000 Canadian soldiers have served in Afghanistan. 78 Canadian Forces (CF) casualties have occurred, including one diplomat. The role of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan is often debated. Many disagree with the mission and want the CF to leave Afghanistan now. Doing this however would only be failing the Canadian commitment to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and NATO. Canada should keep its commitment and remain in Afghanistan until the mission is complete. Afghanistan is in state that is almost beyond third-world. However, the mission that Canada is currently involved in has improved the country drastically and will continue to do so as long as the mission continues. So why take the chance and leave when Canada could further development and security ? Canada is not just involved in a combat role. We are also deployed to help rebuild the country. If Canada leaves now we would not only break our commitment to NATO, however to the Afghan people who really need the help as well. Three major reasons to why Canadians are still in Afghanistan and should continue to be in Afghanistan are national security, development of infrastructure and systems , and economics. This alone should be the reason why the Canadian forces should continue their duty in Afghanistan. Even though Canadians are spending billions of dollars ensuring the safety and security of a country that is highly regarded as â€Å"hopeless† in a sense where its highly doubted that this country will ever be stable. It is not only there obligation but there duty because of the commitment they made and as one the wealthier countries Canada cannot stand idly by and fail to help one of the poorest countries in the world. There are now 2,500 Canadian Forces personnel participating in the Afghanistan mission most of them being in the most most troubled province of Kandahar. They are there to help the security situation and to help extend the authority in the government. Also the Canadian forces is training both the Afghanistan National Army and Afghani police force and by doing this, citizens could feel more eat ease knowing that their local police force or national army could provide safety and security from the warlord and tali bans. However not only are we providing security for Afghanistan but to the Canada as well. Canada for many years has been one of al-Qaeda’s top hated countries. Canadian citizens think that just because there aren’t as recognized as the states in a bad way that we can be safe from attacks such as 9/11. Really we almost definitely could be next to be attacked. Afghanistan is a home for terrorist organizations and criminals. So, by staying in the country to try and eliminate the insurgency we are really protecting the national security of Canada. The same also applies to the countries surrounding Afghanistan. A secure Afghanistan means a secure Central Asia. Afghanistan is situated between a a pre-nuclear Iran on one side and a post-nuclear Pakistan on the other, geo-politically this can be a problem if Afghanistan fails to establish a self rule government, because then the neighbors will get involved and de-stabilize a radio active region. This is why the Canadian forces are in Afghanistan to prevent situations like theses from occurring. The whole mission is to educate and act as security for this nation until it could help and provide for its own. If Canadians pull out now what was the reason for coming in the first place ? It would be a waste of time, life and money the only logical thing to do is to stick with it and hope for the best. Canadians are often saying is Canada willing to commit themselves to decades of involvement in Afghanistan, which could cost hundreds of Canadian lives and billions of dollars with no guarantee of ending up with a normal society. This is true to a certain degree that lives will be lost and money will be spent. However is it not the outcome of the situation that counts ? If 1 Canadian dies 1000 people cry If 1000 Afghans die 1 person cries† Canada should be looking towards the future because realistically if we pull out now more Canadian lives could potentially be at stake from al qeida and other terrorist groups. Canada is pushing forward trying to make a Dependant state become independent and yes, this will cost some lives and the use of money but it will benefit them in the long run. S ince there time in Afghanistan, Canada has helped the development process immensely by building infrastructure, impementing vaccination programs, health related issues and an education system. accination program has nearly eradicated the disease in Kandahar province and throughout southern Afghanistan. Second, infant mortality in the region has taken a dramatic downturn. Also there are a lot more children than the previous generation and this is very vital to the development of Afghanistan. The Canadian international development agency is the main contributer to the development aspects of things. They have taken on the role of Investing in the future of Afghan children and youth through development programming in education and health and improving the lives of Afghans, especially women and children. The Afghan people are relying on the international community to help them rebuild their lives and their country after having suffered through decades of instability, oppression and insurgency. By supporting the rebuilding of institutions such as independent courts, police and an army, Canada is laying the ground work out for afghans. This shows that Canadian efforts are not going to waste and more importantly that they are slowly making a change and even though it has taken them 11 years to do so, Canada is finally starting to see results in which do not occur over night. Some people might argue the fact that the government is using the taxpayers money for something that has no beneficial value to the Canadian citizens. People need to realize that Afghanistan was a training ground for terrorists whose actions disrupted Canadian lives and economy. In order to prevent this from happening again Canada is instituting a government system and a strong military force. Also there trying to find a different source in which the afghan economy can flourish because right now Afghanistan main source of income are poppy fields however we know I as heroin. lowly womens ability to explore and achieve improved economic potential is healthier and generates hope for a brighter future for them and their families. Furthermore economic empowerment is not a womens issue its a development issue, there isn't a better way to improve a county's living condition than to empower women. If there are more people in th working class than the country could generate more income. Canad a's involvement allowed women to take a minor step into empowerment, which as we all know is a great deal in Afghanistan. However the problem for the country isn't that it cant generate income, it is that it can development a great economy but the ground work to start them off was never there until the Canadians showed up. The fact is that Afghanistan has substantial untapped natural resources, including not only oil, natural gas and copper but hydro-electric power sources as well. Developing Afghanistan's capacity to export energy could help improve the nation's economy and defuse regional tensions. Canadian corporations should be ready to take part in such major development projects. Our involvement would benefit both Canada and Afghanistan. With so much going for Afghanistan development process and the minor risks taken by Canada, why shouldn't they stay and continue the job that they committed to. The only logical answer could be if there was no development process and the whole was failure, but its not Canada is building and reshaping Afghanistan economy, government. A major step as already been taken by granting women some rights and citizens of Canada need to take notice of this. If canada keeps this up lowly but surely Afghanistan will be a independent country with limited terrorism.

Architecture and System Integration

The report has been made on the topic of architecture and system integration. The use of architecture and system integration would assist the operations of the organization. The case study selected for understanding the integration of the architecture and system is RetailCo. The existing system of RetailCo was outdated and slow. It created a hindrance for the development of new opportunities and globalization. The use of better technological equipments and techniques would provide the organization with scope for development and improvement. The following repot consists of five sections and each section has provided a unique diagram for the proposed system of RetailCo. The analysis has been done for being able to make the system context diagram, architecture overview diagram, logical architecture view diagram, component relationship diagram for sales operation, component interaction diagrams for sales operation, logical operational model diagram for infrastructure, and logical operational model diagram for sales operation.) The context level diagram is useful for understanding the boundary between the system and parts of system. It shows the environment of operations of the infrastructure system and the entities that are related to the system. The context level diagram for RetailCo has shown the various entities and their relationship with the Systematic Information System Infrastructure. The architecture overview diagram is helpful for getting a better visualization of the system architecture. The components of the diagram are in the form of blocks providing a better overview of the information system. The architecture overview diagram has divided the system components and operations in terms of users, channel, operations, data, and technology. The logical architecture diagram is useful for analysis of the system components by categorizing them in separate tiers/class (client, access, service, presentation, and data). The logical architecture diagram of RetailCo has been used for making the tiered structure of the organization’s infrastructure. Each of the tier has some services (security, persistence, runtime, and integration services) included for the information system of RetailCo. The component relationship model diagram is the study of the relationships of the components of the infrastructure system. The sale operation has been used for making the component relationship model for RetailCo and it has shown the manual and online shopping activities of the customers at RetailCo. The component interaction model diagram is the study of the interaction among the components of the infrastructure system. The sales operation has been used for making the component interaction model for RetailCo and it has shown the interactions among the components of the system with the operation included in sales process. The Logic Operational Diagram is used for making the model of business infrastructure and it consists of both data and process model of RetailCo. The use of the modeling technique is useful for understanding the difference between process model and data model of the business infrastructure for RetailCo. The Logic Operational Diagram has been used for understanding the sales operation of RetailCo and it consists of both data and process model of sales operation. The use of the modeling technique is useful for differentiating between process model and data model of the sales operation for RetailCo. The report had been made for the analysis of the new information system and business architecture of RetailCo. The project had the time duration of 5 years and budget of 1.2 billion US dollars. It has taken almost 5 years of time duration for completing the project and implementing the new information system and business infrastructure. The report has provided with many diagrams that would be helpful for understanding the operations and functions of the new information system. The analysis of the information system would assist the business organization for implementing any further development. The context level diagram has shown the boundary between the system and parts of system and the architecture overview diagram has provided a better visualization of the system architecture and divided the system components and operations in terms of users, channel, operations, data, and technology. The logical architecture diagram has analyzed the system components in a tiered structure. The component relationship model diagram has studied the relationships of the components of the infrastructure system. The Logic Operational Diagram consists of both data and process model of business infrastructure and sales operation of RetailCo. Baskerville, R.L. and Wood-Harper, A.T., 2016. A critical perspective on action research as a method for information systems research. In  Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems: Volume 2  (pp. 169-190). Springer International Publishing. Cai, G., Wang, B., Chen, B.M. and Lee, T.H., 2013. Design and implementation of a flight control system for an unmanned rotorcraft using RPT control approach.  Asian Journal of Control,  15(1), pp.95-119. Chong, S., 2014. Business process management for SMEs: an exploratory study of implementation factors for the Australian wine industry.  Journal of Information Systems and Small Business,  1(1-2), pp.41-58. Dumas, M., La Rosa, M., Mendling, J. and Reijers, H.A., 2013.  Fundamentals of business process management  (Vol. 1, p. 2). Heidelberg: Springer. Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E., 2014.  Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Gonà §alo, T.E.E. and Morais, D.C., 2015, October. Agent-Based Negotiation Protocol for Selecting Transportation Providers in a Retail Company. In  Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC), 2015 IEEE International Conference on  (pp. 263-267). IEEE. Kim, Y., Koh, J., Xie, Q., Wang, Y., Chang, N. and Pedram, M., 2014. A scalable and flexible hybrid energy storage system design and implementation.  Journal of Power Sources,  255, pp.410-422. Li, S., Zhou, M. and Yu, X., 2013. Design and implementation of terminal sliding mode control method for PMSM speed regulation system.  IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics,  9(4), pp.1879-1891. Malhotra, A., Melville, N.P. and Watson, R.T., 2013. Spurring impactful research on information systems for environmental sustainability.  MIS Quarterly,  37(4), pp.1265-1274. McCormack, K.P. and Johnson, W.C., 2016.  Supply chain networks and business process orientation: advanced strategies and best practices. CRC Press. McKusick, M.K., Neville-Neil, G.V. and Watson, R.N., 2014.  The design and implementation of the FreeBSD operating system. Pearson Education. Merriam, S.B. and Tisdell, E.J., 2015.  Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons. Neves, D., Silva, C.A. and Connors, S., 2014. Design and implementation of hybrid renewable energy systems on micro-communities: a review on case studies.  Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,  31, pp.935-946. Roth, L.J., 2016. Successful Business Process Management in Retail. Shin, J., Shin, S., Kim, Y., Ahn, S., Lee, S., Jung, G., Jeon, S.J. and Cho, D.H., 2014. Design and implementation of shaped magnetic-resonance-based wireless power transfer system for roadway-powered moving electric vehicles.  IEEE Transactions on Industrial electronics,  61(3), pp.1179-1192. Sousa, K.J. and Oz, E., 2014.  Management information systems. Nelson Education. Stair, R. and Reynolds, G., 2013.  Principles of information systems. Cengage Learning. Venkatesh, V., Brown, S.A. and Bala, H., 2013. Bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide: Guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in information systems.  MIS quarterly,  37(1), pp.21-54. Ward, J. and Peppard, J., 2016.  The Strategic Management of Information Systems: Building a Digital Strategy. John Wiley & Sons. Zolnowski, A., Weiß, C. and Bà ¶hmann, T., 2014, January. Representing Service Business Models with the Service Business Model Canvas--The Case of a Mobile Payment Service in the Retail Industry. In  2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences  (pp. 718-727). IEEE.

What caused the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979 Essay

What caused the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979 - Essay Example In the second part, the role of Brezhnev and Troika to invade Afghanistan will show us the behavior, which compelled them to initiate a risk taking behavior. In the third part, analysis of the whole events will be presented. The Evaluation of the situation, which will help us understand the causes of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. In the end, a conclusion will be provide which will sum up the political events happening in Afghanistan projecting the role of United States in South Asia and the aftereffects of the war on Soviets. At the time of invasion, there were two important systems of government, which were having their rule. The capitalist countries like United States where the resources are in the hand of few influential people and Communism in which there is the distribution of all its resources to bring equality, which Soviets tried to spread throughout their region and Afghanistan. Causes of invasion given to Soviets A War of Liberation: The soviet people were given the reaso n of their invasion of Afghanistan was for the liberation of the Afghan communists. This paper will be presenting different arguments, which led to the atrocities carried out by Soviets and the impact of the war in Afghanistan and its implication in the history of the Soviets and the whole region.... The Soviet ideology was Atheism, so they wanted to create a stable communist society, portraying that the system needs to be reformed, and they need to safeguard the government from Islamic fundamentalism4 (Cordovez 1995). Analysis through political events: In reality these were not the cases. In order to understand the causes of the Soviet invasion we are projecting all the events that took place due to which the war was fought which resulted in devastation for both, the Soviets and the Afghani’s. Afghanistan: Early Years (1971-1978) During 1971-1978, Afghanistan was considered as one of the most under developed nation of the world. There was a terrible drought in the region during 1971-1973 due to which there was a breakdown in their economy, and Afghanistan had to turn to other countries like West Germany, Iran, United States and USSR for support. During this time besides economic crises, there was also a lot of political unrest in the country. This political instability al so contributed in increasing the country’s problems5. At that time a political party - â€Å"People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA)† was the most popular party, which had a major role, is causing distress in the country. This party was formed in 1965, which constituted of 30 Afghans and most of the members of PDPA had got their military training in the USSR. It was seen that there were many issues between its two leaders, Nur Mohammad Taraki and Babrak Karmal. Both the parties strived for power and due to the differences in 1967, Karmal formed his own party by the same name PDPA, but its identification was named as ‘Parcham’ (banner). The two parties started

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Project Management - Essay Example Restaurants solve this problem and provide consumers with cooked food items. The time required to obtain cooked food does decrease but the decrease depends on the type of restaurant. Fast food restaurants have cooked food that is ready to serve with minimal need for service making them the fastest food providers. In essence, fast food restaurants have greater chances of being a business success than other larger and more exquisite restaurants for two reasons. The first advantage is that the consumer base for fast food restaurants is large and the second advantage is that the initial investment is small. In addition, fast food restaurants are more environmentally friendly since the processed food requires far less raw materials than exquisite dining options. On another note, the waste produced from fast food joints is also lower since lower amounts of food items are processed and so lower amounts of waste is produced. The other major benefactors from a fast food restaurant would be th e consumers being served and the investors backing the project. The consumers would be provided with fresh varieties of fast food in order to provide a diverse eating experience. Alternatively, the appeal of new varieties of fast food are expected to bring in attractive returns for the people investing in the proposed project. Project Risks The proposed project stands to get affected from a number of internal and external risks. For one thing, a fast food restaurant is a business that faces stiff competition at start since there are a lot of different fast food restaurants already present in the market. The presence of well established competitors means that the new business will have to create a loyal customer base and then expand it while old and new competitors exist in the market. Moreover, customers in the fast food category have already developed tastes for fast foods being offered at various kinds of fast food restaurants. This is comparable to the beverage industry, where fo r example, a Pepsi customer will not ask for Coca Cola and vice versa. There is a risk that when the new fast food restaurant opens, it may take a lot of time to develop consumer’s taste in new varieties of fast food. In the short run, this could mean a prolonged principal amount recovery period but in the long run this strategy would result in a loyal customer base. Another thing that must be kept in mind is the fragile state of the overall economy. When the economy is performing well, it could be expected that new business survival would be easy since people would be spending with an open hand. In more restrictive fiscal situations, such as the current state of the economy, consumers have smaller disposable incomes and they are less willing to take risks with their money. A consumer would prefer to take fast food from a restaurant whose taste they are already familiar with rather than trying out a new fast food restaurant. The opening up of a new business also poses some mo re familiar risks such as finding the right kind of labor and ensuring retention of good workers. For a fast food restaurant, highly capable chefs would be required to churn out recipes that can be produced in no time and that would cater to the tastes of the target market. In addition, fast food requires that the business have a committed supplier base who can deliver products at the most optimal prices. Larger fast food chains such as McDonalds and KFC have the distinct advantage of ordering in bulk and having many

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Answer the question - Essay Example Subjects of the research study should be chosen in order to meet the expectation of the other researchers, who will acquire benefit from the study. The researchers should check all the variables of the study and by applying effective strategies; they can minimize the ill effects of the characteristics of the subjects(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). In order to control the threats from the data collector characteristics, the researchers should be efficient to collect the authentic data, which are considerably reliable. Therefore, for the effective execution in the authentic data collection, the effective equipment and tools should be used, which can evaluate the collected data effectively and thereby reduce the threats (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). To control the regression outcome, data should be collected from reliable sources so that the research outcome is highly reliable. The regression data should be flexible enough to adapt the external changes and to prevent data manipulation that would contribute to convenient research study(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). In order to control the threat from the attitude of the subjects in a research study, the researcher should select those kinds of subjects, which have positive attitudes toward the study. The subject should be capable enough to participate in the research process and support the researchers to obtainreliable outcome of the study(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). Raw data and related information about the findings, which are provided in research study are collected from the reliable sources and endow with the scientific research. Research studies representing observable factsare considered true and valid(Berg &Latin, 2008). At instances, when the research study conducted by the researcher could establish casual relationships with the study, then it can be said that the study has an internal validity. The subjects of the study are specific and the researcher

OSHA Citations & Penalties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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CRJS355(5) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CRJS355(5) - Research Paper Example Seizure of property in plain view should involve no invasion of privacy and be presumptively reasonable (Hemmens & Gerherd, 2010 ). Plain sight discovery are always common during contacts made by somebody to the officers, detentions, and traffic stops. Even though most of the evidence acquired in this manner may be accepted in court, sometimes part of them may be suppressed. The logic rule of evidence states that ‘what a person knowingly exposes to the public, even at his home or office, is not a subject of Fourth Amendment protection’ as supported by Hemmens and Gerherd 2010. Evidence obtained is always not just useful because an officer of law has seen it. The fact that matters is whether he attained it lawfully so that the prosecutor can use it in court. For the investigator to legally invoke plain sight seizure he must consider if he had made a lawful discovery of the evidence. He must have had the legal right of being in the location from which they initially saw, s melled, or felled the evidence. Investigators upon discovering evidence, they must have a probable cause to believe that the evidence is indeed criminal evidence. Plain view discovery is not always us simple us such, especially when the evidence are to be used in the court of law. Investigators are not allowed to obtain evidence in a place where the suspect reasonably expected privacy. They must have the legal right to enter the place. The exclusionary rule was developed by the courts to deter the federal and the government from violating the right of unreasonable searches and seizures. Evidences observation in plain view is not a search, and it is also settled that evidences obtained in the course of unlawful search or seizure is not plain view evidence. Therefore the Supreme Court regarded the fourth amendment exclusionary rule as a remedy required by the constitution principle, courts have decided to use deliberate and culpable test to determine whether to admit evidence obtained as a result of seizure which is unconditional as a result of an officer’s error. Evidences that are obtained without questionable search violating the exclusionary rule could ultimately be admissible as evidence in the court. Exclusionary rule does not apply when police officer’s act with objectively reasonable reliance on a search warrant later found to be invalid (Henning, 1995). Investigators, who mistakenly rather than intentionally violate constitutional rights, are deterred from future violation by the exclusion law. The doctrine of exclusion by good faith harms the innocent defendants in three ways: juror resistance, juror error, and perverse screening effect. It has therefore, been difficult for the court to find any distinction between investigators error and third-party error. The court held that investigators violation in obtaining evidence did not trigger the exclusionary rule. In justifying the holding of some cases, courts have noted that the logical inc onsistency between exclusion in cases involving non-police errors, cannot logically contribute to the deterrence of Fourth Amendment violations. But the errors that are made by the investigators in finding evidences and filling them have resulted to high faulty paperwork. By court allowing these errors in good faith doctrine the scope of its impact remains to be seen. The errors such us record keeping which may lead to false arrest, unlawful acquisition of evidence could only justify

Brave New World Essay Example for Free

Brave New World Essay In the novel, Brave New World, the concept of class in society was basically predetermined by the government. Generally, every of aspect of the people’s lives, such as birth, growth, and death is controlled by government-manipulated technology. The government controls life by cloning thousands of human embryos in a facility called the Central London Hatching and Conditioning Center. After the cloning process, the embryos are manipulated to become fully-grown humans and divided into the different classes of the society’s caste system, namely, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. The humans belonging to the Alpha class are the most intellectually and physically-developed ones and are conditioned to become the leaders of the World State while the others are less developed and have minor roles in the society. The Beta class are also conditioned to be intellectual human beings but do not posses the same skills and intelligence as the humans in the Alpha class. On the other hand, the humans belonging to the Delta and Gamma classes are mainly workers for the higher classes. Lastly, humans in the Epsilon class possess little or no intelligence and only perform menial labor. Furthermore, in the novel, there is also another class which is comprised of â€Å"exiles† of the society. This class is basically isolated from the rest of the world as it is located in an area called â€Å"The Savage Reservation,† which is a place where all the things that are not present in prevailing society, such as marriage, natural childbirth, and religion, still exist. Basically, these various concepts of class in the novel can be related to the different classes of society and the general ideas of success and failure in modern America. In Americas contemporary setting, the different classes of society can be divided into three: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class or the rich, the average, and the poor. When compared to the caste system in the novel, the upper class is the Alpha class, the middle class is the Beta class, and the Delta, Gamma, and Epsilon class are the lower classes. For example, in the modern setting, people who do menial labor like the human beings who belong to the Epsilon class in the novel, are the ones who usually did not finish school due to various reasons such as poverty. This condition is basically considered a â€Å"failure† in contemporary America as the person is unable to go up the ranks in society. Moreover, the condition of this type of person will be passed on to future generations unless his or her children are able to overcome their main obstacle, which is poverty, and get a good education. The same applies to the Epsilon class. As portrayed in the novel, the Epsilon class is the lowest class in the caste system who have little or no intelligence, which can be translated in modern America as lack or inability to get a good education. In contrast, people who were able to get a decent education and have a modest lifestyle is similar to the Beta class in the novel as both generally enjoy a sustainable amount of success. However, there is little to no chance that people belonging to both classes would further go up societys ranks. On the other hand, people who are rich and influential like the humans who belong to the Alpha class as portrayed in the novel usually end up owning multi-million businesses or winning top government posts. In other words, these are the people who control a large part of society. However, the main difference between the caste system in the novel and the modern concept of class in America is that the former was forced upon by other people while the latter was not. In short, the people who belong to different classes in todays society always have the freedom to direct their own lives while the humans who are divided according to the

Sustainable Energy For Buildings Construction Essay

Sustainable Energy For Buildings Construction Essay The above marking profile is for guidance only and is not indicative of your final mark. The minimum aggregate mark for a pass on an MSc module is 50, subject to passing each assessed component with a mark above a threshold of 40%. (3) Coursework submitted after the due deadline is deemed late and is subject to a mark of 0% unless an extension to deadline has been approved by your Course Leader. If an extension has been granted, the pink copy of the completed Extension to Deadline form should be stapled to the work when submitted. If no extension has been granted, the tutor assessing the work will insert a grade of 0% and, for information, indicate the true merit of the assignment. (4) If appropriate, mitigating circumstances should be submitted in writing on the appropriate form with documented evidence to the Course Leader for consideration at the MSc/MEng Examination Boards Charikleia Chelmi, student no: 12835450 Date: 14 November 2012 Subject: Energy demand and supply. 1. Introduction For thousands of years, buildings were designed based on the climate of the area and the physical and social environment (Roaf, Fuentes and Thomas, 2007). The provision of comfort for the dwellers is one of the most important functions of a building; as a result, there is a range of building types and the demand of energy depends on the occupants needs and the activities taking place there (Douglas, 2011). This report is produced in order to present the design of a low carbon building inhabited by a couple. The objectives of the project are to design a low carbon house in a central location of Brighton and Hove, considering the climate and the location, using low carbon construction materials and energy efficient technologies. The potentials for low carbon buildings in the city of Brighton and issues of energy demand and supply for this type of buildings will also be mentioned taking into consideration that over 27 % of the UKs CO2 emissions come from the residential sector. The project is based on information provided by books, case studies, tutorials, television programs and websites. Visits to other low carbon houses and informal interviews with the residents also helped to follow the best practice for the project. 1.1. Climate and background information The low carbon house project is located in the southeast side of the Grand Parade campus of the University of Brighton. The project is about a two-storey house. Since the purpose of making an energy efficient house is its appropriate orientation, the windows of the most habitable room should be located at the south side of the house. A south facing roof will also receive the highest amount of solar radiation (Pitts and Lanchashire, 2011). The surrounding buildings, trees and other types of vegetation will minimize the effects of wind. The weather in Brighton is warmer that in other cities of UK with mild winters and warm summers. The range of average monthly temperatures is 12.5  °C, the highest mean temperatures are observed in July and August (20 °C) and the lowest in February (2 °C). There are around 4.8 sunshine hours per day and 1766 sunshine hours per year. The monthly and annual mean precipitation appears to be 67 mm and 801 mm respectively (Climate and temperature, 2012). 2. Building design, construction and performance specifications The construction of a low carbon building requires us to make a choice of natural, locally sourced with low embodied energy materials. The construction of the building will be carried out using local sources with timber to be the main construction material. According to Pitts and Lanchashire (2011), timber frame is a very good method for construction due to the low embodied energy of timber-products. The house will be constructed using ModCell system (McCloud, 2008). The structure will consist of timber framed wall panels infilled with straw bales. The size of panels will be 3m high x 3.2m wide and 480 mm thick. The straw bales will be packed tightly inside the timber wall frames, plastered on both sides using lime render and finally dried (Tickle, 2010). The final product will be straw panels. The straw bales result in highly insulated walls and have low embodied energy. When plastered, they are airtight and fireproof; in addition lime plasters offer high thermal mass (Jones, 2009). The thermal performance profiles are easily defined when knowing the insulation value of a material. This value is commonly known as the U-value. The lower the U-value, the better thermal performance the house displays (Shomera House Extensions, 2012). ModCell indicates that the U-value for a 480mm straw panel lies between 0.13 and 0.19 W/m2K and the U-value for solid timber frame is 0.134 W/m2K. Pitts and Lanchashire (2011) describe the wooden floor as the ideal place to locate thermal mass because solar radiation strikes it. The structure will consist of timber suspended ground floor suitable for underfloor heating and high insulation. A pitched roof consisting of a pair of rafters formed into a truss, covered then by oak shingles will complete the structure. The rafters will be around 225mm deep and the roof will be insulated using wool and a breathable membrane below. Oak singles are natural materials that do not need a waterproof membrane under them; in addition they match well with straw bale walls (Jones, 2009). The U-value for a timber roof is from 0.15 to 0.10 W/m2K. The roof will slope towards the south and solar panels and collectors will be placed on it. There will also be rooflights to take advantage of natural daylight. Windows influence heat loss, ventilation heat loss, solar heat gain and natural light representing an additional component to think about. A view, expressed by ModCell is that U-values for both glazing and frame of windows should not exceed 0.8 W/m2K. The building will have double glazed windows with a high-solar gain low-emissivity glass with argon-gas fill. The estimated U-Value is 0.30 W/m2K (Efficient Windows Collaborative, 2012). Large south-facing windows will be preferably constructed and timber window frames will reduce thermal bridging. A fine-control slot ventilator will also be established. 3. Monthly energy demand profiles MacDonald (2012, p.45) defines energy demand profile as the pattern of energy use in a building, which varies during the day and over the year. Energy is used in several ways in buildings. According to Douglas (2011), the greatest amount of energy used in British residencies is for space and water heating. Space heating covers more than the half of the energy consumption in a British house. Water heating reaches a percentage of 24% while the energy rate used for cooking and lighting is 3%. A significant amount of the energy used in a house is in the form of electricity which powers electrical appliances and is finally converted into heat. Low carbon buildings aim at low carbon emissions. MacDonald (2012) claims that the measures that occupants have to take in order to achieve the best energy performance specifications are the following: To reduce the energy demand That means that occupants should reduce the consumption of energy and carbon emissions. The house will be appropriately orientated in order to get the best thermal and energy achievements that passive solar heating and passive design features can provide. To use energy in an efficient way The building fabric efficiency plays an important role as the houses components are made of materials of high thermal performance. Precise use and management of high efficiency building services result in suitable energy consumption, as well. To supply energy needs establishing renewable energy sources A great amount of the needed electricity will be provided by renewable energy technologies so that fossil fuels can be limited. The couple, who is out of the house most of the day, is estimated to consume around 7.500 kWh per year. The tenants are estimated to consume the highest amount of electricity, for powering appliances or for lighting early in the morning, during the evening and weekend. From November to February the demand for space and water heating is expected to be much higher than in spring and summer. However, energy requirements are expected to be less due to the houses design, the good insulation and airtightness (0.86m3/hr.m2 @ 50 Pa) (ModCell, 2012). 4. Suitable renewable energy sources and their supply profiles The house will be equipped with the following renewable technologies: Solar thermal glazed flat-plate collectors for water heating. The system will be placed on south facing roof mounted on a slope of between 30 and 40 degrees to the horizontal. It will approximately collect from 1000 to 1300 kWh per year meeting about 50% of annual domestic hot water demand. The average monthly output for the collector is estimated to be: 20kWh in December and January, 45kWh in February, 80kWh in March, 105 kWh in April, 125 kWh in May, 150 kWh in June, 160 kWh in July, 115 kWh in August, 95 kWh in September, 60 kWh in October and 30 kWh in November. There is a back-up boiler to support the solar thermal hot water system, during the periods of low solar radiation. Roof mounted photovoltaic array The southerly facing1.85 kWp PV array will be installed at an angle of 35à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ° and will generate around 1.700 kWh per year. Specifically, the average monthly electricity production of this system is expected to be: 40 kWh in December, in 50 kWh January, 80 kWh in February, 125 kWh in March, 180 kWh in April, 210 kWh in May and June, 220 kWh in July, 200 kWh in August, 150 kWh in September, 105 kWh in October and 65 kWh in November. During periods of low electricity demand, the overplus electricity generation will be exported to the grid. As a consequence, occupants will use grid electricity at night or on cloudy days (Solar Trade Association, 2012). 14 k W floor mounted air source heat pump. It will supply underfloor heating, with radiators elsewhere. The seasonal COP will be approximately 2.6. The electricity that PV generates can be used to power and support the pump. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system. It will provide very good quality of indoor air and reach the greatest space heating efficiency (Welsh Government, 2012). 5. Discussion and conclusion The energy balance is based on the proportion of energy that enters the house and is stored and the proportion of energy that exits the house. Feist (2009) states that: the sum of the losses equals the sum of the gains. Heat losses are the fabric heat losses through walls, doors, windows and roof and the natural ventilation heat losses. Passive solar gains and heat from electrical supplies and activities are the heat gains. His calculation shows that the annual energy balance of a passive house is 130kWh / (m2a). The low carbon building in the Grand Parade will be constructed with the use of local and environmental friendly materials and renewable energy systems. The suitable specifications of the components and the supply profiles of the selected technologies aim at an energy efficient house with low carbon emissions during its lifetime. However, weather conditions can be unpredictable; as a result, energy deficiency can be a problem which can be solved with the use of conventional forms of energy. The U.K. government aims at a 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. This goal makes the construction of low carbon buildings a necessary strategy that Brighton and Hove City Council must follow. 6. References Andrews, K., 2009. UKs first Straw Bale Holiday Home by Carol Atkinson. Inhabitant, [blog], 25 February. Available at: http://inhabitat.com/yorkshire-straw-bale-cabin-by-carol-atkinson/ [Accessed 28 October 2012]. Climatemp.com, 2012. Climate and temperatures. [Online] Available at: http://www.brighton.climatemps.com [Accessed 27 October 2012]. Douglas, H., 2012. A guide to energy management in building. New York: Spon Press. Efficient Windows Collaborative, 2012. Windows technologies: Low -E coatings. [Online] Available at: http://www.efficientwindows.org/lowe.cfm [Accessed 16 October 2012]. ESRU, 2012. Urban solar water heating. [Online] Available at: http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/01-02/RE_info/active_urban.htm [Accessed 9 November 2012). Feist, W., 2009. Using Energy balances to meet energy efficiency. [Online] Available at: http://www.passivhaustagung.de/Passive_House_E/energybalance.html# [Accessed 30 October 2012]. Grand designs live The house that Kevin built; Pt. 1. 2008 [DVD] U.K.: Talkback Thames. Grand designs live The house that Kevin built; Pt. 2. 2008 [DVD] U.K.: Talkback Thames. Grand designs live The house that Kevin built; Pt.3. 2008 [DVD] U.K.: Talkback Thames. Grand designs live The house that Kevin built; Pt.4. 2008 [DVD] U.K.: Talkback Thames. Grand designs live The house that Kevin built; Pt. 5. 2008 [DVD] U.K.: Talkback Thames. Grand designs live The house that Kevin built; Pt. 6. 2008 [DVD] U.K.: Talkback Thames. Jones, B., 2009. Building with Straw Bales. 2nd ed. Devon: Green Books. MacDonald, M., 2012. Practice Guidance: Renewable and Low Carbon Energy in Buildings, Welsh Government, Wales Planning Policy Development Programme. [Online] Available at: http://www.ihsti.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/tempimg/2DCC707-CIS888614800301505.pdf [Accessed 25 October 2012]. Modcell, 2012. Helping you build a more suitable future. [Online] Available at: http://www.modcell.com [Accessed at 14 October 2012]. Pitts, C. G. and Lancashire, R., 2011. Low-energy timber frame buildings. 2nd ed. Buckinghamshire: TRADA Technology Ltd. Roaf, S., Fuentes, M. and Thomas, S., 2007. Ecohouse: a design guide. 3rd ed. Oxford: Architectural Press. Shomera House Extensions, 2012. Thermal performance in buildings. [Online] Available at: http://www.shomera.ie/thermal-performance-in-buildings [Accessed at 27 October 2012]. Solar Trade Association, 2012. Solar electricity (photovoltaic). [Online] Available at: http://www.solar-trade.org.uk/solarHeating/photovoltaics.cfm [Accessed at 31 October 2012]. Tickle, L., 2010. Is straw the building material of the future? The Guardian Online, [Online] 13 July. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jul/13/straw-houses-balehaus-bre [Accessed 25 October 2012]. Welsh Government, 2012. Welch Future Home, case, Cardiff: Welsh Government. [Online] Available at: http://www.ihsti.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/tempimg/3A6AAA5-CIS888614800301508.pdf [Accessed October 2012]. Welsh Government, 2012. Greenwatt way, case, Cardiff: Welsh Government. [Online] Available at: http://www.ihsti.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/tempimg/3A6AAA5-CIS888614800301509.pdf [Accessed 15 October 2012]. Welsh Government, 2012. Mendip place, case, Cardiff: Welsh Government. [Online] Available at: http://www.ihsti.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/tempimg/3A6AAA5-CIS888614800301513.pdf [Accessed 15 October 2012]. The eco experts, 2012. Solar PV panels. [Online] Available at: http://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/solar-pv [Accessed at 29 October 2012].

Washburn V. State :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The evidence presented to myself and the other juror’s proves that Tyrone Washburn is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the murder of his wife, Elena Washburn. On March 12, 1979 Elena Washburn was strangled in the living room of her family’s home. Her body was then dragged to the garage, leaving a trail of blood from the living room to the place it was found. Her husband, Tyrone Washburn, found her in the family’s garage on March 13, 1979 at 1:45 A.M. When officer Dale Chambers arrived at the scene he found her lying face down in a pool of blood. The solid evidence in this case proves only one person, Tyrone Washburn, is guilty of murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We were presented with many facts that all pointed to Mr. Washburn as the murder. In the house all of the entrances were thoroughly inspected by authorities, and they found no sign of ransacking. â€Å"[They] examined all the locking mechanisms, all the doors and windows. In [their] opinion there was no evidence of any forced entry† (P.81). When police looked for fingerprints, â€Å"They were all of the Washburn family and the maid† (P.81). There was no trace of an outside party; somebody usually in the Washburn house committed the murder. While in the living room, an officer found a drop of blood. The evidence technician was called the next night to run some tests. â€Å"He sprayed the living room carpet with luminol. It is a luminous spray, and when it comes in contact with blood it illuminates† (P.82). To both men’s surprise the whole living room was illuminating. After spraying further the men found a trail from the living room thro ugh the kitchen to the garage. In the closet the men found a wet mop, which was tested for blood and also came back positive. Somebody tried to clean his or her bloody mess, and try to save himself. The physical evidence proves the killer was somebody who was familiar to the Washburn household.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The circumstantial evidence further proves only Tyrone Washburn could be Elena Washburn’s murderer. The morning of Elena’s death began just like every morning at the Washburn residence. â€Å"[Tyrone] and the children went out to his VW and got in the car . . . When he got in the car with the children he remembered a report he needed . . . So he went back to look for it while the children waited in the car† (P.

Abortion :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is murder. It is the process in which an undeveloped human being is killed, and unable to live the life it could have lived. Why is it okay for women to kill a human being through abortion and not be punished, when someone else is intentionally killing someone and being sent to life in prison? A fetus is helpless, it cannot scream or run away when an abortion is happening. The person who is supposed to be the protector is the person who made the choice to murder it. Abortion is not the answer. So why do women chose to have them? Abortions happen because women are scared of the responsibilities of caring for a child; they are both financially and mentally unstable. But most importantly abortions happen because women don’t want the baby. Whose fault is it? The women are the mistake. They made the choice to have unprotected sex. Now after they had their fun, they run. They run away from reality. Women run to abortions as means of relief but little do they know their reality is waiting to happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to B.A. Robinson many women who have abortions are under the age of twenty-five, are unmarried or separated from their spouse, and poor. In a study by Torres and Forrest a vast majority of women have abortions because they are financially unstable, they feel that they are incapable of raising a child; they feel that their life would drastically change, and they are too young and immature to raise a child. Why is it that after the child is conceived that women start to realize their own faults? If women were to realize their flaws ahead of time, abortion rates would be much lower, and aborted fetuses might have been given a chance to develop and to live a life. Abortion may seem like the answer to all the problems. But women don’t realize that they are not only killing a human being, but also endangering their own lives.

An Argument Against High Salaries in Major League Baseball Essay

An Argument Against High Salaries in Major League Baseball Twenty-five million dollars made per year. Over one hundred fifty-four thousand dollars made per game. Over forty-seven thousand dollars earned per at bat. Sounds a little ridiculous, does it not? That is what current Texas Ranger shortstop Alex Rodriguez earns to play the game of baseball (azcentral.com). Baseball is a game that children have been playing in schoolyards and fields for the past one hundred years. It may not be a game anymore. On the Major League level it has become a business. This is where the problem starts. There are twenty-five players who make more than ten million dollars per year, a price that, ten years ago, only two players made half of that (azcentral.com). The Seattle Mariners had the highest median salary in 2002 at over 3.3 million dollars per player. Ten years ago, the same Seattle Mariners had a median salary of $317,500; an increase of over three million dollars or an increase of over 900% (usatoday.com). This trend can be seen in all Major League franchises. The salaries in Major League Baseball are growing at an astronomical rate that should not only decrease, but halt, due to the fact that these salaries are pushing away the fans that support these businesses and the lack of parity within baseball itself. Baseball has historically been known as America’s pastime because the American people cannot only enjoy games that they play themselves, but attend professional games and have a good afternoon with friends. But in 1972, Curt Flood challenged the reserve system in court and became the first free-agent, a player who is legally able to sign a contract with any team he chooses for a... ...ined. The money of this nation should go towards those who will make a difference tomorrow. The salaries of professional baseball players are at such a level that fan support is dwindling from the franchises, as well as creating a talent gap among teams causing the game to be tainted. Works Cited Stark, Jayson. The Decision that Changed the Game. 22 November 2002. 25 March 2003 http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark_jayson/891711.html 2002 MLB Attendance. 23 February 2003. Montreal Expos. 25 March 2003 http://mtlexpos.tripod.com/attendance2002_mlb.htm Baseball Salaries Database. 11 November 2002. USA Today. 25 March 2003 http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/default.aspx Twenty-five Highest Paid Major League Baseball Players. 12 May 2002. Arizona Republic. 25 March 2003 http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/ top25salaries2002.html

Blogging Digital Media And Society Series Essay

Jill Walker Rettberg new edition â€Å"Blogging: digital media and society series† can be described as a key book in an emerging field. Blogging has come to be associated as a landmark in the current social cyber studies and even more. Blogging is all about the way today’s popular culture has become an important element in large magnitude changes in how culture is produced. With her book, Jill digs into the deep and broad of blogging to give the reader the real meaning of what is involved in blogging as the evidence and driver of a shift in epochal culture (Rettberg, 2014). Jill’s capability in ensuring that she reaches out to the right audience and puts the points on blogging across is enhanced by experience. Being a prolific blogger herself, Jill uses her experience as a blogger in pointing out the various issues to her audience. Jill also utilizes examination which is enhanced by use of an expert’s eye of a communications researcher with experience to reveal the historical, psychological, social and political meaning of the blogging initiative. Borrowing from various disciplines, it is evident of her good understanding on the blogging issue and its impact. The other strong point in her writing is the fact that she brings and uses various disciplines such as media studies, marketing, ethnology, literary studies, sociology and journalism into an excellent exploratory framework (Rettberg, 2014). Jill’s book expands blogging into a wider context of the decline in print culture to the emerging trends. The updated and revised edition provides a good study of the now each and every day phenomenon placing it in a theoretical, contemporary and historical context. The use of the most recent of the researches and developments in the blogging world is taken care of with an analysis of the new tools for visual blogging and micro blogging (Rettberg, 2014). In the book, Jill discusses the changing trends where in the current times blogs are being integrated into the mainstream social media ecology. This helps to show the reader the direction the blogging element is taking in the formation and continuation of popular culture. Jill notes that the comments and the links from social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have become more important than networks between blogs which was important five years ago. Jill also questions the new trend where there is a shift towards increased corporate control and commercialization of blogs (Rettberg, 2014). The cultural shift has also seen its share of influence from blogging as Jill illustrates using examples. Jill delves into the analysis of how the current smart phones equipped with cameras together with the social media has led to the shift towards more emphasis on the visual aspects in the blogs with the use of graphics and photographs being in the foreground. Jill puts in a convincing analysis of how blogging together with related genres have come to change the world of communication and media (Rettberg, 2014). The design of the book is in such a way that each of the chapters is a self-sufficient review of areas in blogging which makes the structure repetitive across the work. The book is more suitable for beginners or anyone with an interest in blogging as Jill puts the chapters in a loose connection to blogging. Though Jill has borrowed from many disciplines to help the reader in understanding the different aspects of blogging, there is some diversion, however when the discussion shifts from blogging as a phenomenon into the related and convergent forms like the social networking sites. There are lengthy discussions of the various sites such as MySpace and Facebook which though put with the right intention in mind, they do not achieve this as there is no clear elaboration to the reader how this relates to the overall topics (Rettberg, 2014). Walker’s work begins by tackling the question of what a blog is. She starts with an introduction to the history of online text based communication. She then moves on to the development of blogging tools such as Blogger. Walker develops a shred understanding of material aspects in blogging. An interesting section also discusses blogs as genre and medium which is a distinction that is not addressed directly most of the time. In â€Å"From Bards to Blogs†, Walter takes the discussion on the blogging place within media culture and the shift from one-to- many towards many-to- many. Walter positions the internet as a counterpoint to Plato’s complaint of a written text being unresponsive. Walker shares the view that there is potential for interactivity between authors of blog posts, the blog post itself and the reader in blog comments (Rettberg, 2014). Also of particular interest is the chapter â€Å"Citizen Journalist?’ where Walker puts her focus on the three ways in which blogging intersects with traditional journalism. There are bloggers acting as journalists, the bloggers who report on mainstream media and the bloggers giving first-hand reports on ongoing events. Walker goes ahead to discuss bloggers as the chance to witness big historical events. Her example of Kaye D. Trammell account on Hurricane Katrina is meant to show how blogs can be used as sources of information by both the public and mass media however understudied. This is an avenue that can be used for future works in blogging (Rettberg, 2014). Walker also discusses how blogs have expanded to various forms of narratives in â€Å"Blogs as narratives† She gives an account of the three forms of narratives namely the goal-oriented narrative, ongoing narration and fragmented narratives. In the same chapter she evaluates the ways in which blogs can be used as a means of self exploration with one discovering their strengths and what they can do best to contribute to the society (Rettberg, 2014). Walker finishes the book off with a review of the future of blogs and the future of social media. In the chapter, Walker also touches on the use of language, privacy government access and control each of which one gets the feeling that they could be well covered in a different book each on its own. An addition of some scholarly works using quantitative methods would have added some balance to the various discussions such as the one on protypical blog and blogger. Another limitation in Walker’s book is that there is a small number of scholarly works cited on bloggers and blogging (Rettberg, 2014). In general Walker provides a popular view on blogging culture and blogs and steers away from in-depth analysis and critical discussion. The text however is a good introductory resource for both non-academic and academic audiences (Rettberg, 2014). Reference Rettberg, J. W. (2014).  Blogging. Source document

Globalization and Social Inequality

Introduction Social inequality is an issue that is much debated today within the social sciences, as well as other disciplines. Although very few would deny that social inequality exists and has always existed in human societies, it is not always clear through what mechanisms it manifests itself, along what lines it progresses, and how we can make life better for those affected by global inequalities. The question remains whether or not the world that we live in today is more equal than what people have experienced in the past. Although some might argue that Western development brings with it more equal rights, it is doubtful that this is actually the case. In recent years, we have witnessed a phenomenon called globalization which is, in short, a â€Å"widening and deepening of the international flows of trade, capital, technology and information within a single integrated global market (Petras and Veltmeyer 2001, p11).† Globalization has brought with it significant changes in the way peop le and nations relate to one another. In many cases, it has created new patterns of inequality, as well as reinforced old ones. The purpose of this paper is to investigate some of the effects of globalization and critically analyse them. I will argue that currently we do not live in a more equal world and neither are we moving towards greater equality. Rather, I argue that, through globalization, inequalities are exacerbated due to capitalism and the unequal flow of markets. This paper will look at how inequalities have evolved over the last two hundred years, why they have occurred, and how the pattern of inequality looks like today. Kaplinsky (2005, p 28) and Jolly (2005) note that as early as 1776, economists such as Adam Smith became preoccupied with the issue of poverty and its consequences on inequality. During the 18th and the 19th century in England it was well-known that for every handful of rich aristocrats there were hundreds or even thousands of poor people. With the advance of industrialization, poverty only deepened (Jolly 2005). Karl Marx illustrated the problem perfectly by outlining the issue of the bourgeoisie owning the means of production, while workers sell their labour for minimal wages. Petras and Veltmeyer (2001, p 128) also stress that historically, a minority ruling class have used coercion and social institutions to control exploited people. Until the present day, this situation has not changed very much. Moreover, during the past decades, the disparities between the global North and South have become more and more evident, partly due to globalization. The movement of capital and trading agreements have mostly benefitted the developed countries, while the developing ones are forced to create economies that cater to the needs of the West. As Birdsall (2005, p 2) notes, â€Å"global markets are inherently disequalizing, making rising inequality in developing countries more rather than less likely.† This shows that we are not moving towards a more equal world. Moreover, even wealthy countries, such as the U.S. experience growing poverty rates within their own borders (Dillon 2010). Dillon (2010, p 60) stresses that â€Å"economic inequality has in fact grown since the late 1980s, as has the gap between the highest and the lowest income groups,† while Butler and Watt (2007, p 112) even call poverty rates in the U.S. â€Å"extreme.† It is evident from these accounts that unfortunately, unless measures will be taken, inequality will increase and dreams of an equal world are moving farther away. The reality is that we live in an unequal world. There is an abundance of social issues that are caused by widespread inequality. Discrimination today manifests itself through the lines of class, gender, race, age, nationality, and other factors. Due to length limitations, this paper mostly focuses on economic inequalities. These are especially poignant when we look at the way people live in underdeveloped countries. This is a direct consequence of colonialism and the quest of the Western world to expand and develop their economic system. However, the expansion of the markets rewards only those who have more assets, such as financial and human capital (Birdsall 2005, p 3). Also, poor nations cannot attract investment and diversification, without a stable middle class and economic institutions. Consequently, the price of their exports declines and they fail to grow (Birdsall 2005, p 3). This is just an example of how globalization reinforces inequality. If markets are let to operate f reely, as they do today, the world will become more unequal. Underdeveloped countries have not become more equal since interaction with the West has intensified. Beer and Boswell (2002, p 31) also stress that â€Å"disproportionate control over host economies by transnational corporations increases inequality by altering the development patterns of these nations.† Although some might think that international corporations can improve a developing country’s economy, this is not necessarily true. It is evident then, that the path that is nowadays advocated by many here in the Western world, does not serve the purpose of a more equal world. On the contrary, it exacerbates global inequalities. The causes of growing inequality in today’s world are diverse and often not very easy to identify. However, the main cause might be the capitalist system that has spread internationally, oftentimes to the benefit of few and the exploitation of many. Trade between rich and poor nations creates patterns of dependency and unequal exchanges, leading to high income inequalities between the two (Beer and Boswell 2002, p 33). Despite the current emphasis on trade agreements and flows of trade that increasingly deepen, time and time again it has been stressed that this process creates inequalities and is detrimental to developing countries. In addition, the markets often fail. Some notable examples are the financial crises in Mexico, Thailand, Korea, Russian, Brazil and Argentina that took place in the 1990s (Birdsall 2005). Also, when a recession hits, the lower classes are the most affected. In turn, this leads to even greater inequalities between the rich and the poor. There are many mechanisms through which capital and the markets contribute to a less equal world in our present time. Investment often causes disparities between foreign and domestic sectors. Also, international corporations usually do not reinvest profits in the local economies. Governments in developing countries adopt policies that prevent the lower classes from moving upwards, while at the same time they encourage the formation of a â€Å"managerial elite (Beer and Boswell 2002, p 33).† For those concerned about equality, it is alarming that neither foreign investors nor local governments fully understand the consequences of their actions. If this kind of policies will keep being implemented, levels of inequality will certainly increase. As Petras and Veltmeyer (2001) note, the politics of the Western Right are also at fault for the direction towards which we are heading. They say that the Right engages in â€Å"class warfare† through privatization and the concentr ation of power in the hands of few (Petras and Veltmeyer 2001, p 148). Thus, social institutions, as well as economic policies serve the interests of wealthy corporations. The focus of present neoliberal politics is not to decrease income disparities, but to increase the wealth of the few. Staying on the same course guarantees that the world will become less and less equal. I have argued that we do not live and a more equal world. On the contrary, the globalization of markets has had a negative impact on the livelihoods of many. The effects of capitalism had started being seen a long time ago. Income disparities always existed between those who own the means of production (the bourgeoisie) and the workers that work in their factories. The income gap between the lower class and the upper class increased steadily with time. In addition, global exploration and colonization has led to even greater disparities between the West and the colonies. Under the current system, developing countries find it almost impossible to reach the same level of wealth and stability as Western countries. However, even developed countries have growing poverty rates within their own borders. These rates have been increasing over the past years, while the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. The world is becoming a less equal place. The free flow of markets and an unregu lated capitalist system are mainly to blame for income inequalities. Poor nations have become dependent on rich nations and economic crises affect lower classes the most. With both corporations and national governments driven by profit, no one looks at the long-term effects that trade has on inequality. Moreover, the rise of neoliberal politics in the West encourages the maintenance of the same pattern of increased inequality and dependency. Despite the optimism of some, the truth is that globalization, as it is occurring today, is only increasing disparities between classes, between nations, and between the global North and South. The evidence shows that the world is at least as unequal as it was two hundred years ago. Current economic policies will only serve to make it less and less equal. If drastic measures are not taken soon, there is little hope that our world will become a more equitable place. References Butler, T. and Watt, P. 2007. Understanding Social Inequality. London: Sage. Beer, L. and Boswell, T. 2002. The resilience of dependency effects in explaining income inequality in the global economy: a cross national analysis, 1975-1995. Journal of World Systems Research, 8(1), pp.30-61. Birdsall, N. 2006. Rising inequality in the new global economy. International Journal of Development Issues, 5(1), pp.1-9. Dillon, M. 2010. Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, concepts and their applicability to the twenty-first century. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Jolly, R. 2005. Global inequality in historical perspective. WIDER (World Institute for Development Economic Research) Angle, 2. Kaplinski, R. 2005. Globalization, Poverty and Inequality: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Cambridge: Polity.

Advantages Choose to Continue with Education in the Countries Essay

Many student wish they can get goods education in their life. Not all students can get goods education especially for student low income families. So, universities in Malaysia have advantages can give goods education for students. The advantages choose to continue with education in the countries is cheap and affordable cost, the courses offered by Higher Education Institution is equivalent to the other countries and many Malaysia Higher Education Institution may be choose for learning. Firstly is the advantage of learning in our country is cheap and affordable costs are as low priority fees to local students. This is due to many students choose universities that offer low fees because they can not afford to fund the study. This is shown by Malaysia because Malaysia is not experiencing a seasonal climate and this will add value in terms of financial savings to students because they do not need different clothes according to the season at home in Malaysia. (Professor Badaruddin Mohamed , 2009). It also is in Malaysia, the government has allocated a total of RM232.8 billion for the implementation of all development and welfare of the people. (Prime Minister Dato ‘Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, 2008). Then ,low – income families is the vast majority of low-income parents today are working but still struggling to make ends meet: struggling to find and keep a toehold in a changing labor market, to keep up with their bills, to pay the spiraling costs of essentials like health care and housing, and to raise children with a chance of future success. These families have much in common with other American families as they seek to balance work and family life, yet parents and children in low-income families are more financially vulnerable than those in higher-income families.( Annie E. Casey,2005). Secondly is the the other advantages in that the courses offered by Malaysia Higher Education Institution is equivalent to other countries are as there are more than 50000 international students pursuing tertiary courses ranging in Malaysia. This is many parts of the world attending international schools and pursuing tertiary courses ranging from diploma to degrees to PhD in private higher educational institutions and public universities in Malaysia.(Hamidon Zaini,2007) and Malaysia is acknowledged as one of the pioneers in this region in the development and promotion of transnational Bachelor’s degree programmes, starting way back in the early 1980s, collaborating with reputable universities from countries like the United Kingdom, USA, France, New Zealand, Germany, Australia, etc. (Hamidon Zaini,2007).Then is University in Malaysia collaborating with reputable university from another countries.Further,universities in Malaysia to work with reputable universities from other countries such as 1980s, university in Malaysia collaborating with university from United Kingdom, USA, France, New Zealand, Germany, Australia , etc.(Razali Awang,2008) and Malaysia private university established has many in other countries. Third is the last advantage of many Malaysian Higher Education Institutions can be selected for learning as studying in the country better than overseas. This is a study in local universities can save the cost compared to studying in universities abroad, students have to pay not only for our study but also for our living cost.(Salina,2011). This also is students who study abroad are exposed to culture shock and they will have communication barrier. In addition, you will miss your friends and family, feel homesick, at times lost or alienated.(Salina,2011). Then is local universities provide job opportunities such as if want to stay in higher education locally, draw a radius around your current institution and decide how far you can reasonably travel for another position.(Salina,2011). This is finding a job in higher education is part effort and part opportunity.(Salina,2011). In conclusion, we must take cognizance of the case studies appropriate to study whether abroad or studying locally. It is important for the learning process as a place that will change a soul either in choosing the place or abroad.

Feminist Philosophy Essay

Mary Wollstonecraft was no doubt a great feminist and deserved to be called grandmother of the feminist thought. Her early experiences of an unsuccessful family life as well as the prevailing notion of the philosophers at that time about women shaped her views to become authentic feminist grand mother. Wollstonecraft’s feminist ideas affected the first wave of feminism through her arguments against the prevailing views on women most notably that of Rousseau’s which categorized women as subservient to men. Rousseau held that women’s education should be designed entirely to make them pleasing to men. Rousseau reflected â€Å"to please, to be useful to us, to make us love and esteem them, to educate us when young and take care of us when grown up, to advise, to console us, to render our lives easy and agreeable—these are duties of women at all times†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Feminist Philosophy). Against this view, Wollstonecraft work hard to emphasize that the role of women in the society were not simply an ornaments and playthings of men as they are also capable of attaining masculine virtues of wisdom and rationality â€Å"if society would allow those value to be cultivated† (p.475-476). Wollstonecraft pointed out that the prevailing views on women had bad implications not only on women but on society as well as they will only breed bitterness, jealousy, and folly. She affected the first wave of feminist by encouraging them â€Å"to restore women to their lost dignity by encouraging better ideas of woman hood† (p. 476). How did Simone de Beauvoirs writing shape the second wave? The second wave of feminism was a resurgence of early feminism as a result of various works of feminists during the 1940s such as her works. De Beauvoir writings shaped the second wave of feminism by shedding light about what is a woman in the concept of being other, and how men views women during this period. In her writings de Beauvoir shed social understanding on womanhood. She pointed out that the fundamental social meaning of woman is Other. She explained, â€Å"No group ever sets itself up as the One without at once setting up the Other over against itself† (p. 479). The thought that de Beauvoir was pointing out was that men do not view women as human being like them but as Others who are to be treated as stranger that do not deserve equal treatment. The implication of men’s treatment of women as Others according to de Beauvoir was that because women are others, they do not need to be given â€Å"equal weight to their preferences† simply because they are others (p. 480). Debeauvoir’s writings shaped the second wave of feminism through her unique way of providing social understanding about how women were regarded by men during this period. How did the events of the first and second wave affect each other? Apparently, the event of the first and the second wave of feminism affect each other in a way that they connect the second wave to the first. The second wave feminist was inspired by the events during the first wave to tag along their path of pushing for the recognition of women’s rights. Apparently, the events of the first wave feminist shaped the understanding of the second wave feminism about women’s rights, against the existing social and philosophical views on women. Thus, the events of the first wave serves as mirror for the second wave, and as inspiration for them to continue women’s struggle for the restoration of their lost dignity as women equal with men in many aspect, especially on human rights. Reference More-Bruder: Philosophy: The Power of Ideas (2008) Feminist Philosophy The McGraw-Hill Companies

Financial Information for Business Decisions Essay - 1

Financial Information for Business Decisions - Essay Example Marks and Spencer’s well established business attracts a great deal of consumer base irrespective of demography. The company’s main business consists in selling fabric items and clothing for men, women and kids’. The company, by applying prudent marketing techniques, has been able to grab market share of around 11.0%2 by value and 11.2%3 by volume. Marks and Spencer has also been actively involved in the business of marketing and selling edible products which has earned the company immense revenue in the past few years. Through its unmatchable food quality, Marks and Spencer is now regarded as one of the finest when it comes to quality food products. Operating Performance of the Company Marks and Spencer has been actively involved in the marketing of fresh meals and canned food items. The company also earns a good portion of its revenue through selling some of the finest wines and other affordable grocery products as well. In the recent past the company has been able to renew its food range and now offers a diverse variety of products to its customers. This change in strategy has been of benefit to the company which has caused an increase of 1.8%4 in sales revenue from food business. During the financial year 2010, the company progressed by leaps and bounds. ... The table below compares the financial results of Marks and Spencer, for the last five financial years from 2010 till 2006. Particulars8 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Group Revenue 9,537 9,062 9,022 8,588 7,797 Operating Profit - Continuing Operations 852 871 1,211 1,046 850 Profit from ordinary activities before taxation - continuing operations 703 706 1,129 937 746 Profit for the year 523 507 821 660 523 As can be observed from the above analysis, the financial outlook of the company has improved in the last five years. The group revenue has shown an inclining trend which pertains to the opening of new stores and outlets of the company. The company has expanded its operation both in and out of England over the past couple of years. Marks and Spencer is actively involved in overseas sales, and fluctuation in exchange rate has had a significant impact on the revenue of the company. The company was able to shrug off the recent global meltdown .The gross profit to sales ratio for the year e nded December 31, 2010 was 8.93%9 which has decreased by 0.67% during the current year. Despite the decrease in gross profit to sales ratio, the net profit of the company has increased by ?16.210 million. The primary reason behind the increase in the net profit is the fact that during the current financial year the company did not incur any cost during the current year on corporate restructuring. The increase in net profit is due to the fact that during the current year the company did not incur any exceptional cost which it had incurred during the year prior to that on strategic restructuring. If we analyze the financial year 2009, there has been a major decrease in the profit after tax. This

An extended definition of belief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An extended definition of belief - Essay Example Langston Hughes mentioned that he was asked to declare his belief publicly as a Christian at the age of 12 by his church. According to Hughes, 12 years is not a matured age for a person to declare his belief publicly (Hughes, p.224). Even adults or old people are sometimes confused while talking about their beliefs. A person’s belief is normally strengthened by what he has been taught during his childhood by others. For example, a Christian child may get education about Jesus from churches during his childhood. Same way, a Muslim child may get more knowledge about Prophet Mohammad during his childhood. It should be noted that the Muslim child may not get proper education about Jesus or the Christian child may not get proper education about Mohammad during their childhood. Thus, a particular belief is cultivated in the minds of people during their childhood. Another interesting fact about belief is that it is highly subjective. Different communities exist in most of the religio ns because of the subjectivity of belief. These communities are interpreting the same information in different ways. For example, the beliefs of Pentecostal communities in Christian religion are different than the beliefs of Catholics even though both relying Holy Bible and Jesus for shaping their beliefs. Same way, Shias and Sunnis in Muslim religion have different beliefs even though both believe in Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammad. In short, belief is highly subjective and it depends on the intellectual abilities and wisdom of the believers. Joel Engardio, belief is all about tolerance. In his opinion, â€Å"people we don’t understand become less scary when we get to know them as real people. We don’t have to be each other’s cup of tea, but tolerance lets a variety of kettles peacefully share the stove† (Engardio, p.229). Nobody can claim that his belief is superior to the belief of others. Neither the Christians, nor the Muslims or Jews claim that what they are teaching is the truth. As mentioned earlier, different people interpret Bible and Quran in different manner and hence different types of beliefs are prevailing in this word even among the same religions. According to Albert Einstein, Nothing is absolute and everything is relative in this world. Even that principle may not be true in the case of religious beliefs. In other words, nobody can claim that their belief is better than the beliefs of others. Under such circumstances, it is better to respect the beliefs of others rather than ridiculing it. Belief is just like how two blind people explain the shape of an elephant after touching different parts of the elephant’s body. The blind person who touches the ear of the elephant may describe the shape of elephant as flat whereas the blind person who touches the tail of the elephant may describe its shape as thin rod. Even though both are right, the ultimate truth is entirely different from the explanations of these two people. Belief is also just like that. The definitions of God by the Muslims and Christians would be right. However, none of these definitions may be perfect. Under such circumstances it is better to respect these definitions or beliefs rather than ridiculing it. John Allen Paulos mentioned that people believe in God even if they are aware of the illogic and gaping holes in the arguments for God. He has mentioned that even though he don’t believe in God, he believes in love (Paulos p.237). Paulos’s arguments seem to be little bit contradictory. All religions

Paulson Statement on Regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paulson Statement on Regulation - Essay Example He reiterated his confidence in the strength and resiliency of the country's capital markets, and that the country would be able to work its way out of the situation. In his introduction, the Secretary remarked that the most pertinent priority of the government was to limit the actual effects of this crisis on the country's real economy. He advised that the key to keeping the country's economic state above water was to maintain liquid and stable financial markets, and that banks must put in their fair share by making credit readily available both to ordinary citizens and businesses. He added that there must be vigilant efforts introduced in order to dilute the destructive effects of the recent housing downturn on the economy. In addressing the importance of orderly financial markets, Paulson stated that the recent turmoil the capital markets have been facing were largely in part to the reduced access to short-term funding, which in turn caused widespread liquidity issues even with the biggest investment banks. As a result of these volatile conditions, Bear Sterns, the country's 5th largest investment house, found itself in bankruptcy. He justified the Federal Reserve's intervention leading to the JP Morgan buyout, stating that market stability was the primary concern of the government and the issue warranted prompt resolution. In light of the Bear Sterns fiasco, the Federal Reserve took a leap of faith by putting forth a temporary program which is meant to provide short-term liquidity to primary dealers. From a historical perspective, such bold moves by the country's central lending institution had not been propagated since the 1930's. While Paulson praised the Federal Reserve for its creativity in dealing with a potentially crippling situation, he chided that such drastic measures also have corresponding repercussions which need to be addressed. He argues that while commercials banks have traditionally had access to the Federal Reserve's liquidity facilities, these have been accompanied by strong regulation and supervision to avoid and potential pitfalls. Hence, the same measures should be enacted this time around if only for the sake of prudence. Paulson suggests that in opening the discount window temporarily to non-insured and non-depository institutions, tighter measures must be enacted in screening these institutions, which will enable them to make better informed lending decisions. In explaining the current mortgage crisis, he admits that its rapid free-fall has adversely affected both financial institutions and capital markets alike. Far from putting the blame on the inherently flawed sub-prime mortgage system, he argues that unsustainable home price appreciation in certain key areas was the primary driver behind the crisis. Also, once stability is restored to the housing sector, this will lead to a much more favorable situation for institutions involved with mortgage-backed securities. Paulson admits that with the current housing crisis, the availability of mortgage financing has been almost non-existent, due largely in part to the crippling liquidity problems that have beset lending institutions. He offers that in order for the housing and mortgage industry to get back on its feet, government-backed institutions such as Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac should be willing to

Representation of Masculinity in Die Hard 2 Essay

Representation of Masculinity in Die Hard 2 - Essay Example As such, this paper intends to analyze the representation of masculinity in one of the Die Hard films namely Die Hard 2 by drawing on Mulvey and Neale readings as well as discussion by Taster. Hegemonic masculinity associates with social dominance on one end. On the other, it involves physical prowess, sexual virility, and aggression (Rzepka and Horsley 2010: 61). These are potentially bewildering images of action heroes. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that this hegemonic ideal is not only hard to create, but also implausible to keep up with for the contemporary male. Therefore, this figure that depicts powerful masculinity may only exist or embody in legendary heroes, mythical figures, and probably a minute number of males within a society (West and Lay 2003: 27). Die Hard 2 is a story revolving around a cop who cites in New York and on fine day to Christmas, he visits his ‘distanced’ wife who lives in Los Angeles. Upon his arrival, he finds her and the re st of her work mates having a Christmas party at the same building where they work (Gates 2006: 35). Coincidentally, there happens to be some criminals posing as political terrorists who invade the building demanding for petty yet criminalist favors like release of war criminals jailed in one of the penitentiary facilities around America. John McLane works as a New York law enforcement officer. He stays far from his wife and have some unsolved issues which act as part of the reasons as to why they are no longer in goods terms (Rzepka and Horsley 2010: 89). He is a masculine male character with virile physical prowess and social dominance as well as high level of aggression. Post analysis of Hollywood presentation of male genres characterized Die Hard 2 as male driven action movie that the audience understands to be one of the most visually explosive films with a macho that portrays Hollywood genres (Milestone and Meyer 2012: 50). This is because of its spectacular sight and relevanc e of the hard male body set forth by the main character. Indeed, extant studies and research from with the some of the feminist film theories puts across clearly that the body masculinity of an action hero gives the preferential tone for an action narrative (Caroll 2003: 79). Analysis of Die Hard 2 highlights that movie directors construct action heroes like Bruce Willis exclusively via their physicality and the way they display their bodies form a vital ingredient of the visual effects or excess that they offer in the muscular action cinema (Gates 2006: 58). Several suggestions show that American action films strive hard and frequently at the expense of developing the narrative, to contrive situations or instances for displaying the body of an action hero. Ideally, extant literature that examines both the hegemonic male and the action hero routinely expound on issues such as sexuality, race, class, nationality, and above all the body (Bould 2005: 59). Despite his ageing body prowes s, most reviewers, and critics alike, received the Die Hard Series with a lot of zeal and plausible applauds. This is due to his ability to withstand physical assaults with his male hard body irrespective of age at that particular time (Berg 2002: 80). You should note that masculinity change must take place