Impacting factors on human social service Essay

Socio cultural factors are norms, values, beliefs, material and non material objects that are passed on from one generation to another in any given society .Socio cultural factors are crucial in any developmental aspect of a community.(Noyo Ndangwe p230) There is considerable interest in analyzing these factors that are impacting on human social service delivery and these are economic, religion, political and socio-cultural factors which are of special significance because of their tendency to shape the context or foundation for the operation of any other set of factors that operate upon human social service delivery. In this regard, we will try to look at one factor, that is, Socio cultural factor how it is impacting on human social service delivery. First and foremost would like to define the key concepts this assignment. 1. Socio means interaction. 2. Culture means the beliefs, customs, practices, and social behaviour of a particular nation or people. 3. Factors mean something that contributes to or has an influence on the outcome of something. 4 Impacting means to have an immediate and strong effect on something or somebody. 5 Social Service These are welfare programs aimed at enriching human life 6 Delivery means taking something to somebody.  The first to way to discuss this will be to try to analyse how socio-cultural factors affect the performance of Primary Health Care. There is now a large body of literature on the social and cultural determinants of health which ‘refer to both the specific features and pathways by which societal conditions affect health. The WHO has, for example, identified a number of socio cultural factors and conditions. The list of factors includes (i) cultural beliefs and taboos, (ii) gender inequality, and (iii) the urban – rural divide. The socio-cultural factors impacting on health will differ  between societies and even within sub-cultures within the same society. Thus the factors in a developed society will tend to differ from those that are operative in a backward, underdeveloped society. Factors such as urban-rural migration, unemployment, education, gender inequality, lack of money, transportation, distance to health facility, cultural inhibition, fear of going alone to health facilities, inability to make informed choices and the need to obtain permission from some authority figure such as the husband in the case of some married women have been cited (Social Determinants of Health: Nigerian Perspective: 2005). Social cultural taboos and social meanings attached to certain diseases and their causes are other socio cultural factors that are impacting on service delivery. Cultural beliefs and taboos Cultural beliefs and taboos impact upon the performance of the Primary Health Care in several ways. First, they shape forms of behaviour that lead to certain health outcomes. As an example, consider beliefs about fertility and family planning. People living in rural areas tend to want to have more children and not to want to use the more modern methods of family control (PHC, WHO: 2004). This has implication for population growth, the incidence of child and maternal mortality and the number in the population seeking access to health care. As another example, we can also consider the case of beliefs about HIV/AIDS. Quoting a UNESCO Report, Kickbusch et al (2002:4-5) have observed that in some parts of Africa, ‘people believe that clean and well-dressed individuals cannot become infected or that having sexual intercourse with a virgin will cure AIDS’. Ladipo et al (2003) have also reported a study on the perceptions of Gate keepers, the custodians of cultural beliefs and moral norms, about sexuality and HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Using in-depth interviews with teachers, media representatives, religious, political and traditional leaders and focus group discussions among parents the study reported that the culture downplayed the sexual mode of transmitting the disease; ‘condom promotion was not accepted on religious grounds by most participants. Cultural beliefs not only also shape how individuals respond to forms of disease and illness but also choices about which forms of care should be accessed. For example, cultural beliefs about certain forms of disease may lead to silence and denial thus creating  veritable grounds for the continuation of behaviours and actions that promote the disease (Human Rights Watch, 2002). Studies of the social meaning of infertility in Nigeria have shown that beliefs about infertility play a determinant role in interpretation and treatment of infertility. Following these beliefs, most people used three treatment outlets: ‘churches (spiritualists), traditional healers and hospitals (orthodox medical treatment)’ (Okonofua et al 1997:211). Gender inequality Gender inequality impacts the Primary Health Care system through its contribution to lower status, lack of empowerment, higher rates of illiteracy, and higher levels of poverty for women. As in the case of illiteracy, these factors translate into higher incidence of ill-health for women and paradoxically, their lower capacity to access health care. For example, women with less education have less control over their sexual activities and therefore also more affected by sexually transmitted diseases. For example, HIV/AIDS which is transmitted largely through sexual activities is more prevalent among women than among men. The relative lack of control over their sexual choices also means that many more women get pregnant than should be the case. This has implications for fertility and maternal mortality rates. Women therefore have a higher need to access health care especially at the PHC level. Only women generally tend to need the permission of men to access health facilities. Poverty is also higher among women in the population than men. These factors suggest that women will also have a lower capacity to meet their health needs even when facilities exist to provide for those needs. The urban – rural divide The urban – rural divide is implicated in the differences in living conditions between urban and rural areas, in the distribution of the population between the two areas and in several other factors. Differences in these factors impact upon the performance of PHC in a number of ways. First, it imposes different challenges on PHC in urban and rural areas. It has been observed for example, that living conditions, especially with respect to the availability of electricity, good roads, water, transportation, communication, poverty and quality of life tend to be much higher in urban than rural areas (Imoudu, 1995). The implication of this is  the tendency for PHC units to be better staffed and equipped in urban areas than rural areas. It is thus not surprising to find that storage facilities for drugs are better in urban areas than rural areas (Gupta et al, 2004). Professional health personnels are also more reluctant to accept postings to rural areas. Another implication is the pattern and distribution of the disease burden between urban and rural areas. Given the fact that urban areas have more PHC facilities and that other secondary and tertiary health care facilities tend to be located in them, the health needs of urban populations tend to be better served than those of rural areas. There will therefore tend to be more pressure on PHC facilities in rural areas. If we take into consideration the additional factor of higher poverty in the rural areas, the lower capacity of rural communities to access health care when they need it will translate into worse health indices in the rural areas than urban areas. However it should be noted that socio cultural factors also impact positively in human service delivery in the following ways. Traditional medicines have become part or alternatives were modern medicine has failed. That not all in certain areas use of socio cultural factors has enhanced social service delivery in the areas of ceremonies which bring in foreign exchange and general leading to an improved standard of life of the people.eg prior to the kuomboka ceremony of the lozi people of western province, roads are graded, buildings painted, the towns and villages cleaned hospitality industry also takes a new shape which is a plus in service delivery. CONCLUSION Socio cultural factors are norms, values, beliefs, material and non material objects that are passed on from one generation to another in any given society. As we looked at how socio-cultural factors affect the performance of Primary Health Care we have noted that socio cultural factors are crucial in any developmental aspect of a community The socio-cultural factors impacting on health will differ between societies and even within sub-cultures within the same society. The WHO has, for example, identified a number of socio cultural factors and conditions. The list of factors includes (i) cultural beliefs and taboos, (ii) gender inequality, and (iii)  the urban – rural divide. The socio-cultural factors impacting on health will differ between societies and even within sub-cultures within the same society. Cultural beliefs and taboos impact upon the performance of the Primary Health Care in several ways. First, they shape forms of behaviour that lead to certain health outcomes. Gender inequality impacts the Primary Health Care system through its contribution to lower status, lack of empowerment, higher rates of illiteracy, and higher levels of poverty for women. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Dr. Festus Iyayi, (2009), Socio cultural factors impacting upon Primary Health Care in Nigeria, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria 2. Global Health Watch (2004) Global Health Action, edited by Whyte, A., McCoy, D and Rowson, M, Russell Press 3. Noyoo. N, (2000), Social Policies and Social Services in Zambia. UNZA Publishers, Lusaka, Zambia. 4. Oxford advanced learners dictionary (2002).

A Overview of ESL and Bilingual Program Models

Each twenty-four hours, more and more kids enter American schools with a small or no English linguistic communication accomplishments. As this diverse pupil population continues to increase, schools across America must be prepared to run into the challenges that this entails. To run into this challenge, instructors must implement a assortment of plan theoretical accounts for linguistic communication minority pupils. Although many of these plan theoretical accounts differ from territory to territory, there are a few theoretical accounts that are preponderantly used throughout America. Transitional Bilingual Education, English Immersion, and Dual Language Education are three of many theoretical accounts that are used throughout American schools.Bilingual Program ModelsTransitional bilingual instruction is a theoretical account in which some topics are taught in the pupil ‘s primary linguistic communication ab initio but the direction in the primary linguistic communication is qui ckly phased out. The end of transitional bilingual instruction is to transition pupils out of their native linguistic communication and into English every bit rapidly as possible. This plan theoretical account Fosters â€Å" subtractive bilingualism † since the primary linguistic communication is frequently lost as the 2nd linguistic communication is acquired. This plan by and large places less accent on developing the pupils ‘ primary linguistic communication and more accent on utilizing the first linguistic communication as a span to English linguistic communication development. There are two fluctuations to this plan theoretical account. Early-exit transitional instruction normally passages to mainstream pupils within 2 to 3 old ages. This fluctuation The Late-exit transitional plan continues to develop the primary linguistic communication for a longer period of clip and these accomplishments are so transferred to the 2nd linguistic communication. Students in this theoretical account will normally stay in the plan throughout their simple old ages. A disadvantage of utilizing the Transitional Bilingual Education theoretical account is that it can frequently take old ages before an English linguistic communication scholar is able to be mainstreamed into the schoolroom. This happens due to the deficiency of development in the primary linguistic communication. Double linguistic communication is a signifier of instruction that allows pupils to be taught literacy and content in two linguistic communications. This plan provides high-quality direction for pupils who arrive in our schools talking chiefly a linguistic communication other than English. While making this, it besides provides direction in a 2nd linguistic communication for English speech production pupils. The linguistic communication is taught through content by accommodating the direction to guarantee that kids understand what is being taught every bit good as by utilizing content lessons to learn vocabulary and linguistic communication construction. Double linguistic communication instruction promotes bilingualism and biliteracy. Students in a double linguistic communication plan develop hearing, speech production, reading, and composing accomplishments in two linguistic communications. The double linguistic communication ( besides known as Two Way Immersion ) has fluctuations within the plan. Full submergence ( 90/10 ) plans normally begin literacy direction in the primary linguistic communication and so add formal literacy in English by the 2nd or 3rd twelvemonth. Students come ining kindergarten receive 90 % of the direction in their primary linguistic communication and 10 % of the direction in English. Each twelvemonth that per centum lessenings so that by the 4th or 5th twelvemonth, the pupils receive 50 % the direction in their primary linguistic communication and the other 50 % in English. Partial submergence ( 50/50 ) plans provide 50 % of the direction in the primary linguistic communication and the other 50 % of the direction in English. This division of linguistic communications starts from the beginning. There are many advantages to utilizing this plan theoretical account. English is best acquired by those pupils that have strong unwritten and literacy accomplishments in their native linguistic communication. In implementing the full submergence plan, non English talkers are taught in their primary linguistic communication. This strengthens their native linguistic communication accomplishments which so let them to more likely achieve in geting the 2nd linguistic communication. The pupil will non necessitate to relearn to read, many of their accomplishments will easy reassign to the new linguistic communication. Double linguistic communication plans promote â€Å" linear bilingualism † in which a primary linguistic communication is developed and maintained as a 2nd linguistic communication is acquired. Native English linguistic communication talkers greatly benefit from a double linguistic communication plan. By take parting in this type of theoretical account, these pupils will get a 2nd linguistic communication every bit good. Double linguistic communication plans promote transverse cultural consciousness. It promotes transverse cultural friendly relationships and it fosters interaction among pupils and parents. Students in this plan theoretical account maintain a connexion with their heritage. English linguistic communication scholars achieve more assurance in this type of environment since they are non segregated due to their deficiency of English linguistic communication proficiency.ESL Program ModelsDistricts that have a really diverse population with many different linguistic communications represented are likely to utilize ESL ( English as a Second Language ) plans instead than bilingual plans since ESL plans can suit pupils from different linguistic communication backgroun ds in the same category and the instructor does n't necessitate to be adept in the place linguistic communication of the pupils. There are assorted ESL plan theoretical accounts used throughout the schools in our state. ESL pull-out plans consist of English linguistic communication scholars passing portion of the school twenty-four hours in a mainstream schoolroom but are pulled out for a part of each twenty-four hours to have direction in English as a 2nd linguistic communication. This type of theoretical account is most frequently used in simple school scenes. Students that participate in this plan theoretical account normally work in a little group puting with an ESL instructor. ESL category period is most frequently used in in-between school scenes. English linguistic communication scholars attend an ESL category for one period of their school twenty-four hours. By and large the pupils are grouped for direction harmonizing to their degree of English proficiency. The ESL resource centre is a fluctuation of the ESL pull-out plan in which pupils come together from different schoolrooms or schools. This resource centre is staffed by at least one full-time ESL instructor that provides support to English linguistic communication scholars. The ESL resource centre focuses on holding ESL stuffs that will do content more comprehendible for the English scholar.Other Program ModelsEnglish submergence plans is an instructional plan in which pupils are taught by an ELL certified instructor. The instructor follows the same course of study as mainstream instructors in the same class degree except adapts it to the pupil ‘s demands. The gait of direction is besides set harmonizing to the academic degree of the pupils. English submergence plans use English as the primary linguistic communication direction. Teaching of English occurs at the same time with instruction of all the topics. There are two fluctuations to this plan, submergence and structured submergence ( SIE ) . Submergence is the â€Å" sink or swim † and the structured submergence plan physiques on vocabulary. In the structured submergence plan, content direction is in English except sheltered English instructional methods are implemented doing the content more comprehendible. An advantage to this type of plan is the English linguistic communication scholar will absorb the civilization and linguistic communication faster than if they were in a bilingual plan. A disadvantage is that the primary linguistic communication is non developed nor is it used to further the new linguistic communication. This plan theoretical account besides does n't learn English linguistic communication scholars to keep their cultural or lingual heritage.DecisionThe effectivity of the different plan theoretical accounts for English linguistic communication scholars continues to be the topic of contention. When sing which plan theoretical account to implement, territories must see different factors. The demographics of the territory or school are of import. The figure of linguistic communication minority pupils, the figure of pupils from each linguistic communication background, and the distribution across the class and schools are factors to see. Student features such as the academ ic degree in their primary linguistic communication will besides act upon the type of plan that will be more good. Another thing to see when taking the plan theoretical account to implement is the resources available within the school or territory. In order to shut the spread in our instruction system, English linguistic communication scholars must develop academic accomplishments while larning English. These plan theoretical accounts must supply linguistic communication minority pupils with the direction necessary to let them come on throughout school at the same rate as their native English speech production equals and finally let them to win in our society.

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Abstract For the purposes of this assignment we will analyze the Mattel case and discuss the actions of the company regarding the behavior and actions in conjunction with the Global Manufacturing Process that was implemented. Breaches of the two business ethics elements of integrity and egoism will be assessed. Within the discussion I have identified the virtues prudence, justice, fidelity, and courage that were largely violated by the Mattel organization and how it affected the employees of Mattel. We will discuss the implications of virtue, deontological, and utilitarian ethics regarding their potential usefulness in evaluation of the Mattel case. Introduction Mattel’s concept of Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) was not a novel concept. The many forms of GMP including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) have been around for decades and have worked to insure that specific industries are held to a standard that is industry wide. ISO’s model is â€Å"Say what you do, and do what you say†. When a company endeavors to become ISO qualified, it is required to document every activity (as a standard operating procedure, SOP) that occurs within the company and adhere to that process without deviation. ISO qualified companies are always subject to audit by other ISO registered companies and is initially audited by four such companies in order to acquire certification. Having been directly involved with ISO implementation at a former employer that supplied fasteners for manufacturing, I am fully aware of how involved the certification is. The company SOP was over 1000 pages. Additionally, another ISO company can and will come in and audit your company prior to electing to conduct business with your company. In some instances, ISO qualification is not enough to be awarded the business. The nutrition industry also adheres to the Good Manufacturing Practices, of which I was required to be certified in every year. Each department of the nutritional company I worked for had its own GMP standards that we were to adhere implicitly. The nutrition industry, while not regulated by the FDA, is controlled indirectly by the FDA. GMP is an FDA requirement. Having worked in two industries where the concept is not only expected, but required in some instances; I was not impressed by the fact that Mattel implemented GMP of their own volition for the sole purpose to improve public perception after misconduct was exposed by the media. Business Ethics Issue The one word that I found that resonates throughout the article, whether spoken or implied, is â€Å"integrity†. The incoming CEO stated that Mattel would behave in all actions with â€Å"unwavering integrity† and that the company’s commitment to the GMP remained unequivocal and undiminished. (Sethi, Shapiro, Emelianova, pg.490) Ironically, I identify the most noticeable and important business ethics issue as just that; a lack of integrity. Merriam Webster defines integrity as â€Å"the firm adherence to a code of especially moral value, the quality or sate of being complete or undivided, and the quality of being honest or fair. Mattel exhibited none of these traits insofar as where their GMP’s were concerned. In fact, there were numerous infractions regarding the non-enforcement of their GMP’s across the board in the Asia and Mexico based manufacturing facilities. The second ethics issue I identified was narcissism. Mattel implemented this GMP program with the attitude of ‘look at what we’re doing’ but with minimal effort to ensure the success of the program. According to Duchon and Drake (2009) extreme narcissistic organizations will establish these formal ethics programs but will not have much effect on hindering unethical behaviors. This was evident in that the supervisors at the factories knew what they were supposed to be doing; but found ways to circumvent the system and there were no reprisals as a result of their nonconformance. Ultimately, it was a program of words and not deeds. Three Virtues Prudence â€Å"Careful good judgment that allows someone to avoid danger or risks. † (M-W, 2013) In my opinion, a great deal of misfortune and hardship could have been avoided if Mattel would have practiced a modicum of prudence before ever moving their manufacturing to Asia. In a perfect world, and especially in a modern world we do not expect children to work. However, when dealing with underdeveloped countries; it is normal for children to work in conditions that would be an affront to any American’s moral nature having abandoned child labor decades ago. If Mattel had done due diligence, they would have known that the facility in Indonesia was operating in an unacceptable manner (Sethi, et al. pg. 486) and could have implemented working conditions and requirements from the get-go. Then the exposure by the media would have never been an issue. I have no doubt that the draw of paying lower wages and increased productivity was the catalyst to overlook the conditions in those overseas factories. Justice â€Å"The quality of being just, impartial, or fair. Conformity to truth, fact, or reason. † (M-W, 2013) The concept of justice was completely lost on Mattel. While the implementation of the GMP program was comprehensive; the execution and enforcement was unconscionable. The last paragraph of the GMP, exhibit 1 says that if â€Å"Mattel determines that any of its manufacturing facilities or vendors violate these principles, we may either terminate our business relationship or require that facility to take corrective action. If corrective action is advised and not taken, Mattel will immediately terminate current production and suspend placement of future orders. †(Sethi, et al.pg. 487). However, when audits were performed; the facilities were rife with infractions but there was no follow through when corrective actions were required. The facilities were allowed to continue to operate unhindered. Astonishingly, the 20 plus companies that were not owned by Mattel were allowed to operate without any disciplinary actions imposed by Mattel for infractions if any auditing was conducted at all. Considering the fact that both Mattel owned and vendor factories employ some hundred thousand plus employees; Mattel’s actions were nowhere near impartial, fair, or conforming to fact or reason. Fidelity â€Å"Quality or state of being faithful, accuracy in details. †(M-W, 2013) For this virtue, I am concentrating on the act of being faithful to the employees. Whether or not the GMPs were self-imposed or not, Mattel had an obligation to the people it employs. Throughout the article, it was found during audits that the employee’s time cards would systematically be incomplete where they were not being allowed to clock-out. This resonates that these people were being required to work overtime ‘off the books’. Employees were not being given the appropriate days off or vacation time. Some living conditions and canteen conditions were substandard. Fines were being imposed. (Sethi, et al. 2011) The list goes on and on. In my opinion, Mattel should have had impartial representatives on the ground in these factories to ensure that the rules for payment, working overtime, and work conditions were being upheld. There should have been constant supervision and vigilance on a corporate level. To think that audits that were being conducted every three years was comprehensive enough to get the job done was blind and narrow minded. Courage To go one step further. A virtue is an attitude. Courage is measured when there is risk involved; but also rationality. To be truly courageous there needs to be a clear picture of what a person’s values are. Courage does not need to be proven beyond a doubt. (Hartman, 2008) In the case of Mattel, I feel it was courageous to implement such a comprehensive GMP program although it was misguided and ultimately failed. An even more courageous act would have been to rehab the program and bring it to its full potential and fruition. The article does not mention whether Mattel experienced any loss of revenue as a result, but public perception is a fickle entity and once all of the attention over sweat shops and child labor overseas died down, Mattel was no longer under the microscope. Financially, Mattel was spending money it perceivably no longer needed to spend. Since their program was self-imposed; it is no surprise that Mattel just unceremoniously abandoned the GMP program after nine years. When some organizations implement and enforce codes as part of a self-regulation process and others do not, those who self-regulate invariably incur greater costs. These costs are usually passed onto the consumer who subsequently (and sensibly) choses the organization which offers the cheaper product. (Blackburn & McGee, 2004) Virtue Ethics â€Å"Virtues† are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. (Andre, Meyer, Shanks, and Velazquez. 1988) Virtue ethics indicates that business decisions should be made in a manner that attributes to the overall goals of the professional. It stresses activities and motives, what we do and why. Virtue ethics proffer that action and motive are connected to character and disposition. Actions are taken and decisions made because they are linked to a certain character. (Blackburn and McGee. 2004) â€Å"That â€Å"ought† does not imply â€Å"right† can be seen in another sort of case as well, namely, when what one ought to do in one’s circumstances results from one’s own prior wrongdoing. In such a case, doing what one ought to do may not be the same as doing a right act or a â€Å"good deed†. In fact, the same prior failure may both increase one’s level of obligation to do a given act now and decrease one’s level of praiseworthiness. † (Russell, 2008) The above quote is especially poignant in the Mattel case. Because Mattel implemented the GMP program on the heels of a media expose, the intentions were not solely based on the ‘right’ thing to do, but on what they ‘ought’ to do. Mattel probably did not get the recognition or good press they were looking for and therefore had no proclivity to ensure that the plan was a success. Utilitarian Ethics â€Å"Actions are approved when they are as such to promote happiness and disapproved when they have a tendency to cause unhappiness. † (Driver, 2009) We also know that utilitarian ethics work for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Mattel directly employs over twenty thousand people throughout Asia and Mexico. If the happiness of those employees would have been considered; the pay, working conditions, time off, and canteen programs would have never been an issue. If the executives of the company would have experienced any of those adverse conditions, they would have cried â€Å"foul† all the way to an attorney. The employees are ultimately left without a voice and no recourse. Deontology â€Å"To act according to the maxim that you would wish all other rational people to follow as though it were universal law. † â€Å"Never treat a person as a means to an end. † (Pecorino, 2000) Kant contends that where morality is concerned, it is guided by law and therefore judgment is not necessary to fill in the blanks, because there are no blanks. He believed that people can conform to duty and not be morally limited. He believed that we could use indeterminate action-guidance for imperfect duties, and I’m paraphrasing; to weigh the moral options for decisions regarding duty towards others. Because that decision requires the minimum of our morality. Kant rejected virtue ethics. (McAleer, 2001) My opinion is that deontology would not work in the Mattel case. There are too many variables to consider in order to narrow down the maxim that will be comprehensive enough to include thousands of people over a number of cultural variances. Conclusion While the design of Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles may have been well intended and meant to improve the working conditions of the employees, the implementation was short-sighted and poorly executed. All too often when the few aspire to set standards for the many, the end result is a miscalculation. GMP’s are not a one size fits all type of endeavor. Each facility should have had a program that was custom to their country and working conditions. The ethical treatment of employees was the intention; but the ultimate governance was not enforced. The aftermath was the abandonment of the program due to the lack of interest and participation on the public and other companies in the industry. References Andre, Claire, Meyer, Michael and S. J. , Shanks, Thomas, Velasquez, Manuel. (1988) Ethics and Virtue. Issues in Ethics, V1 N3. We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Program Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Program Proposal - Essay Example Onkaparinga is located south of Adelaide CBD. The city of Onkaparinga covers an area of 518km2 with a population of 153,496 (2004). 22% of the city's population is aged 15 years or lower, hence the city's age structure can be classified as young when compared with Adelaide Statistics Division (ASD). In addition, according to the data available, the city of Onkaparinga's population aged 15-19 comprises 8 % of the city's total population, which, when numerically presented, is 11,500 . According to (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2001), there is no specific data targeting girls aged 12- 18 years as a separate group. At the 2001 Census, the city of Onkaparinga recorded 20,530 females aged between 5- 24 in total out of which 323 were Indigenous females. In addition, there were 369 non stated females belonging to the above - examined group. It was found out in a previous research that due to poverty and lack of access to health facts and information, many in the community owned up to not consuming fruits and vegetables regularly. This can be attributed to poverty and lack of awareness on importance of nutrition on the prevention of breast cancer. Fruits and vegetables contain protective substances such as carotenoids and vitamin C that have an antioxidant role and therefore prevent BC. A meta-analysis of published data from 1982 to 1997 was carried out on fruit & vegetable and consumption and BC risk in order to find out the relationship between the two. Relative risks (RR) for BC were also extracted from 1982 to 1997. For fruit intake study results were less clear, as only two studies showed an adequate protective effect of high fruit intake for BC. On the other hand this article suggests that high vegetable consumption seems to have protective effect in geographical areas where particular diets were more prevalent (Mediterranean diet). Buzdar (2006) found that patients with the history of the breast cancer and higher plasma level of carotenoids had a lower risk of cancer recurrence than patients with BC history and low plasma carotenoid levels. 4. Program Detail 4.1 Overall Goal The overall goal of the program is to prevent occurrence of breast cancer among adolescents, and subsequently, women among the poor families in Onkaparinga. By detailing a nutrition program centred on vegetables and fruits, participants are encouraged to be dedicated in order to prevent future risk, pain and even mortality as caused by breast cancer. 4.2 Clear Objectives This program aims to engage adolescents and young women to a healthy diet and lifestyle. With a regular intake of basically vegetables and fruits, it is not only breast cancer that is prevented but many other forms of cancer, as well as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and other degenerative diseases prevalent to a diet of fats,

Development and behaviour of high performance concrete materials and Essay

Development and behaviour of high performance concrete materials and their use in innovative structural solutions - Essay Example the high performance concrete has an extremely elevated compressive strength, as well as, durability with perfect flexural ductibility and resistance. And, with an ever-growing population, in addition to, expanding urban center, come increased level of constructions can be expected in all developing and developed countries. (Shuaib and Barker, 1991). Owing to enhanced mechanical property and durability, the high performance concretes have gained a wide acceptance in construction of innovative structures such as bridges, building and marine structures. Aitcin (2003), defines high performance concrete as the low water- binder concrete with optimized aggregate to binder ratio of controlling its dimensional stability (for examples, drying shrinkage) which receives the sufficient water necessary for controlling autogenous shrinkage. Though high performance concrete has extensive application, its production is limited in various nations owing to the fact that suitable concrete aggregate like river sand, hard crushed or gravel aggregates are not available or either is available only in restricted quantity. An all-embracing research has been carried out for the purposes of developing blended cement, concrete, as well as, other construction materials (self consolidating concrete, high performance, fibre reinforced concrete or lightweight concrete) for sustainable development with industrial and natural waste like fly ash, cement kiln dust, volcanic, as well as, slag materials. The developed blended cements and concrete materials did make a wonderful impact in the cement manufacturing and construction industries in many countries. At the moment, they are being utilizes in the common construction and in the restoration projects. The United States department of Transportation shows that the high performance concrete have a tendency of having compressive strength of over 150MPa, interior fibre reinforcement of ensuring brittle behavior, as well as, a higher bidder

Mischeif and miscarriage in the criminal justice process Assignment

Mischeif and miscarriage in the criminal justice process - Assignment Example 397). Nevertheless, the advancement in the legal practice and in the administration of public affairs makes it possible to have criminals released from confinement allowed the freedom to participate in their social and economic lives without much deterrence. Such a process is sustainable on the basis that such persons are given corrective services while in their homes or with the society (Cohen 2002; p. 41)1. Prisons have served as a useful institution of isolation of criminals. It is however useful to have criminals effectively observed because they are in a different state of social cognition characterized by many altered feelings about social order, governance and public life. Prisons have ceased to deliver their corrective capacity as a result of the challenges in the economy today and therefore better methods should be gradually tested and ratified that will ensure more of the criminals are free in the society and are engaged into more meaningful work. Supervision in the community will offer the best option for correction due to the fact that there are technologies to monitor or aid the monitoring of criminals and that may assist in their correction. The community approach will also create an environment for the other civilian to be familiar with the restrictions that are attached to criminal activity and hence facilitate psychological adjustment and abhorrence for crime. The condition that crime must be established beyond and reasonable doubt in a litigation process is a very high bar to attain in many litigation processes. Due to these high standards, it is meaningful that the program is obtained that will manage the loopholes for which many criminal have evaded justice through the criminal justice system (Ramsey, Latessa, & Travis 2003; p. 3). Suffice it to mention therefore, governments should seek to collaborate widely with many institutions in the process of administering justice. In the United States, the Megan’s law was

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing - Essay Example Nevertheless, nursing has much more as a whole that what it appears to be to the ordinary citizens. I will be exploring throughout this paper my nursing philosophy, which pertains to what I believe to be the principal feature of nursing. In so doing, I will explore how I view my role, responsibilities, as well as how I plan to deliver care to patients. To begin with, my nursing philosophy and beliefs are based on the following premises: knowledge, compassion/caring, time management, respect, privacy of patients and honesty. My motive of pursuing a nursing as a career is based on the seven-value system. Nursing, unlike other careers, is pursued with the aim of helping and caring for others. I strongly believe that the success of a nurse depends hugely on the knowledge and the ability to use the knowledge in the health care setting. Polifroni and Welch (1999) argue that a good nurse must know the diseases, as well as the disease processes. This implies that a nurse must be able to appl y the knowledge and skills gained from class to the place of work to ensure effectiveness. However, it is worth noting that merely passing exams does not mean that the nursing student will be able to apply the knowledge in the healthcare setting. ... According to Dahnke and Dreher (2011), a dutiful nurse must also be able to think holistically in anticipation of the needs of his or her patients. To do this, a nurse must be able to prioritize health care concerns within the patient’s personal diagnosis and the entire patients that the nurse is taking care of. Time management is highly critical since it ensures that all the pressing needs are attended to on time. A nurse who is poor in time management and organization cannot succeed in providing quality health care expected on time given the daily responsibilities and shifts. I also strongly believe that to be a successful nurse, one needs to be compassionate and caring. These are values, which were instilled in me during my upbringing as a child by my parents and relatives. In the nursing profession, one needs to have a sense of compassion and care for patients and their families. As I earlier indicated, nursing is a calling and entails caring and providing treatments to pa tients and their family members. As a nurse, one must have a sense of compassion and be caring because patients come with different complications and needs - some emotional while others are physical. Therefore, a nurse must be prepared to handle both the physical and emotional needs of patients, according to Dahnke and Dreher (2011). In fact, most nurses fear working with patients with complicated emotional needs. However, I came to discover that these patients are easy to work with as long as a nurse has the sense of compassion and care. It became apparent that once a close relationship and trust is built between the nurse and the patients such patients become very humble and easy to work with. This indicates the importance of empathy and compassion in nursing

Project Outline Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Outline - Assignment Example h and Development unit of the Property Development Department of the Government (PDDG) is working on a program called the Seismic Zone Residential Construction Improvement Program. PDDG is working to assess the effectiveness of the boxes of a particular dimension used in the foundation of buildings. For successful accomplishment of project objectives, the project team would follow a linear project management life cycle as highlighted by Wysocki (2009). In this context, project management team would interview the stakeholders and review the scope of work to identify in detail their requirements and product specifications to come up with comprehensively planned schedule and cost for client’s approval. The required number of the resources would be shared between the project and department. In this case, functional managers would be responsible for directing the required resources to the project for completion of tasks. PMBOK (2008) defines WBS as a deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work executed by the project team to achieve end project objectives and create the required deliverables. Major project deliverables are represented by upper level of WBS that are further decomposed logically until the first level is no more decomposable. Lowest level of the project WBS is called work packages which contains most of the planned work and activities required to be executed and monitored. Figure below shows the WBS for the project. The purpose of the schedule management plan is to measure the project progress during different phases. In this regard, baselines are identified and established in early parts of the project against which appropriate data is collected and measurements are taken (Mulcahy 2011). It also provides guidelines on project time estimation processes making estimates faster and accurate. During the project execution, schedule management plan is used to determine if the deviation or variance is above the allowable threshold and

Old Smoke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Old Smoke - Essay Example Thus, the best thing Charles Renfold should do would be to first ask Frank and Alice if they would not mind smoking at another area and bring up Darlene’s concern about the smell of old smoke and being under the weather. If they would not mind doing so in relation to the knowledge of the report being urgent and Darlene not feeling quite well, then the case is closed. However, if Frank and Alice pushes for their right while Darlene confesses how she cannot stand it, then it would be best for Charles to do it on his own if he wishes to reach the deadline. With this situation causing a delay in work outputs that are asked of each employee, I think there is a need to implement a specialized rule on smoking within their company. Aside from allocating an area for smokers to smoke, it would be good to know if there are employees who might be sensitive to old smoke fumes. If there are, including Darlene, it would be wise to transfer them into a nonsmoker room wherein they would not get distracted or feel ill about inhaling old smoke that affects their productivity at work. This decision is wise as it does not only respect the rights of nonsmokers but at the same time for smokers as well, thus, preventing rallies or ill feelings in the office. This case of Darlene being given a leeway for reaching deadlines or being assigned to a certain job output is reasonable because of a health related reason which associates the smell of old smoke to her feeling ill. We all know that even though Darlene does not inhale direct smoke coming from Alice and Frank’s cigarettes, the smoke fume that sticks to their bodies or clothes can still cause this uncomfortable feeling for nonsmokers especially Darlene. However, if what bothers Darlene is not old smoke but the smell of Alice’s perfume or Frank’s body odor, then it is a whole different story. This is

Stock Price Increases in 1990s Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stock Price Increases in 1990s - Case Study Example However the sharp price increases in the stocks might have been the result of factors like irrational over-enthusiasm on the part of the investors, lower interest rates and higher level of savings by the middle-class and the consequent increase in their investment in stocks. Apart from these reasons, the relationship between the earnings increase and the stock price increase was negligible. Hence the expectations of the large investors in their setting higher target levels on the return on capital employed from those firms in which they held the investments on the assumption that the share price increases would automatically increase the earnings would hold no ground. While the factors responsible for the share price increase are totally different from the performance of these companies it would be illogical to expect the managements of the large companies to service their shareholders with larger returns on the capital employed based on the share price performances. With this backgr ound this paper examines the rationale behind the statement that during the 1990s, nearly all FTSE 100 and S&P 500 companies failed to reach pre and post-tax return on capital employed targets set by large investors and the managements of the giant firms during 1990s should be considered responsible for the mediocre return of capital employed as well as the moderate growth of sales of their firm in spite of the higher stock prices. 2.0 Reasons for Stock Price Increases: As outlined earlier the stock price increases during the 1990s were caused by factors like "Irrational Exuberance' on the part of the investors, declining interest rates and higher level of stock market investments out of savings by the middle classes. The signs of greater economic stability prevalent during the period convinced both the business managers and the investors to take extra risks which later resulted in both positive and negative consequences. Let us analyse the reasons for the increase in the share prices. 1. Irrational Exuberance on the part of the investors: Coined and used by the Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan as a word of caution against the repercussions of the stock market boom, denotes a warning that the market might have been overvalued and a natural consequence, slumps in the prices of the stock was inevitable. "The term "irrational exuberance" is often used to describe a heightened state of speculative fervor." (Robert J Shiller 2000) Irrational exuberance is defined by Shiller (2000) as the psychological basis of a speculative bubble. The speculative bubble on the other hand is the situation where the potential investors are lured by stories justifying the share price increases, who irrespective of their doubts about the real value of the assets continue to invest in the stocks. This luring is also partly due to the excitement created by such investments which resemble gambling and partly owing to the envy of the investors on the others' successes. This might be the main reason for the stock market boom that the world witnessed during the 1990s. 2. Declining Interest Rates: One of the other reasons, though not major, that was attributed to the share

Inkwell Accounting Department Essay Example for Free

Inkwell Accounting Department Essay The Accounting Department 1. Inkwell has a small finance team. The accounting department is based in the head office of the company, which is located in Birmingham. There are 8 people in the finance team. Each member of the team has their own computer. The team has access to the internet using Firefox and two printers integrated to each computer. 2. Inkwell has one Financial Director, Anil Gupta. Anil’s main job is to manage the overall financial position of the business, ensuring capital investments and corporate strategy is properly dealt with. He has delegated the running of the accounts department to the company accountant. 3. Inkwell has one company accountant, Michael O’Payne who has been in charge of most financial affairs before Anil Gupta joined the company. The others in the financial team report to him. 4. The team consists of one accounts technician, one General Ledger and Inventory Clerk, one Accounts Payable Clerk, one Accounts Receivable Clerk, one Costing Technician and one Payroll and Personnel Database clerk. 5. The accounting department keep a close relationship with the shop staff. The main mode of communication is through email and phone calls, occasionally a member from the team will pay them an unexpected visit. The Accounting Department- Key Internal Stakeholders 1. Anil Gupta, Financial Director, has the overall responsibility for all finance, legal and accounting procedures and systems. He produces annual reports and statutory accounts. Alongside this he deals with financial issues such as banking and also legal issues, such as contacts. Anil has 30% of the company’s shares when joined the directors in 2008. 2. Michael O’Payne, the Company Accountant, has been in the company since the set up of the company. His main duties include running the day to day responsibility of the accounts department. He also produces monthly management accounts and approves payments to suppliers. After observing the company there is a low level of tension between him and Anil. However, Michael still needs to report to Anil, if he likes it or not. 3. Alex Fox, accounting technician, has the responsibility of making sure the accounting system is reviewed and recommend changes, along with other project work. She has to report to both Anil and Michael, however works more closely to Michael. 4. Michelle Labelle, General Ledger and Inventory Clerk, has the duties of maintaining the company’s cash book and keeping control on the company’s inventory. This requires Michelle to keep in close communication with the store managers. She too reports to Michael. 5. Liana Khan, Accounts payable Clerk, has the responsibility of entering all the suppliers’ invoices and credit notes on to the accounting system. She also has to ensure payments are arranged to suppliers. Liana also reports to Michael, her Father in Law. 6. Greg Morris, Accounts Receivable Clerk, has the duties of inputting all data received by customers, as well as credit control duties. These duties include sending out monthly statements to customer, working out discounts and chasing customers who have not paid in the time given. 7. Alan Cook, Costing Technician, has the responsibility of operating the costing system. This means Alan has to work closely with the Sales director in order to reach market prices. Alan uses Quickcost software to do his work and has been doing it for since the company started. He also monitors the cost and profitability of each cartridge on a monthly bases and advises management about variance targets. 8. Sharon Ward, Payroll and Personnel Clerk is responsible for the running of the payroll, both Weekly and monthly and also to make sure the personnel database is always up to date. Sharon uses Sage Payroll systems to process all her statutory forms.

Evidence On Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Evidence On Global Warming Essay Svante Arrhenius was really an erudite as he was the pioneer in discovering the concept as early as 1886 in the absence of many modern technical instruments and super computers. During December 1995, United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] , an international network of more than 2,550 scientists have confirmed that there existed many evidence of global warming and such phenomenon could not be denied ,though it is difficult to quantify. With the help of precise satellites measuring equipments and with the assistance of super computers, scientists have irrevocably proved that there are firm ground for the existence of global warming on the basis of process of large quantity of weather data’s. The other evidences of global warming are as follows: ? Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro legendary snows have melted down about 81% since 1912 and it would completely disappear by the year 2020. ? Bermuda’s coastal mangrove forest is annihilated by rising sea levels. ? Over the past forty years, world ocean temperature has increased by a net 0. 12 degrees Fahrenheit. ? Glaziers at Himalayas in India are withdrawing at a record speed and it is predicted by scientists that all eastern and central Himalayan glaziers will vanish by 2025. ? Pakistan witnessed the longest drought from 1999 to 2001 which had affected about 2. 3 million people and about 16. 1 million livestock. ? As compared to 20 to 40 years before , the ice volume in Arctic ocean has decreased by 40% ? In Washington D. C, Cherry trees have advanced their blooming season. ? Europe has witnessed an extreme heat wave in 2003 and more than 25,100 people were died. ? During May 2002, southeastern parts of India witnessed heat wave which exceeded more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and more than 1210 people died.

Study on Enhancing Architecture Appreciation

Study on Enhancing Architecture Appreciation Frank Lloyd Wright believed space was the essence of architecture. The reality of architecture is actually not in the solid elements that seem to make it, but rather the reality of a room was to be found in the space enclosed by the roof and walls, not in the roof and walls themselves. Spaces have intrinsic meanings that result from their spatial and visible forms and extrinsic meanings that evolved out from each of our different experiences with regards to each individuals own background and profession. We experience the spaces interior space in terms of their form, their structure, their aesthetics and how others and us relate to them. This constitutes the reality of our physical experience, but spaces not only have an existence in reality, they also have a metaphorical existence. They express meaning and give out certain messages about the space, just as the way we dress or furnish our homes gives people certain messages about us. They tell stories, for their forms and space plan ning give us hints about how they should be experienced or perceived. Space is meaningless without its inhabitants to experience it and to experience a space is the only gateway to understanding space. At certain periods architects have chosen to create exciting, complex spaces with curving, undulating walls. The period of the baroque and rococo in Europe was one such time when interiors were designed to entice and captivate the onlooker and draw them into a world of illusion created through painting, sculpture and the curving forms of architecture. Craftsman played the prominent role at that time when only good workmanship and complicated work pieces would amaze anyone. Now in this totally new era, right here in this century, wonders are different and expectations higher with meanings and philosophy equally deep but entirely unlike. The heightening desire and importance of communication among the space and the perceiver with the spatial experience created seem to become a dominating factor and a characteristic of spatial design in this new era. If architecture can be said to have a poetic meaning, we must recognise that what it says is not independent of what it is. (Alberto Pà ©rez-Gà ³mez, The Space of Architecture: Meaning as Presence and Representation, Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture, 2006) Architecture is not an experience that words can translate later. Like the poem itself, it is its space as presence which constitutes the meaning and the experience. This experience in turn differs for every individual. What one perceives is a result of interplays between past experiences, including ones culture and the interpretation of the perceived. Different aspects of the experiential spaces and the perceiver also ignite different spatial perceptions. Understanding the different experiential components, the philosophy of perception and how spatial perception affects and reflects people differently helps us to enhance our appreciation for architecture and to heighten our enjoyment of space. My aim in this paper is to explore this hypothesis and my exposition will be presented and discussed in the following thesis. Categories of different experiential components Spatial experience created is the most complex and diverse of all the components of architecture, for it involves how architecture engages all of our senses, how it shapes our perception and enjoyment or discomfort of our built environment. Understanding this is perhaps the area with which most people, architects and users alike, have difficulty. This is partly because it involves, at every turn, subjective responses which differ from individual to individual. Since the spatial experience we derive from architecture is generated by our perception of it, we must start by considering how the human eye and mind receive and interpret the visual data of architectural experience. How does the psychology of vision and sensory stimulation affect our perception of architecture? Perhaps the most fundamental concept is that the mind, particularly the human mind, is programmed to seek meaning and significance in all sensory information sent to it. The result is that the mind seeks to place all information fed to it into a meaningful pattern. The mind does not recognise that incoming data mean nothing. Even purely random visual or aural phenomena are given a preliminary interpretation by the mind on the basis of what evaluative information it already has stored away. Hence, what we perceive is based on what we already know- our knowledge. Our perception of space also differs from individual to individual, based on the persons psychology, mentality, phy sical state, background, memory, observation and the overall environment together with time Era and Culture. The spatial experience of architectural spaces evolves and becomes established by the experience it provides and we in turn read our experience into it. Experiential spaces evoke an empathetic reaction in us through these projected experiences and the strength of these reactions is determined by our culture, our beliefs and our expectations. We can relate so well to these spaces is because we have strong feelings about our environment and about what we like and dislike. We all have our preferences and prejudices regarding certain spaces as in anything else and our experiences in these spaces determine our attitude towards that space. People looking at pictures have a remarkable ability to enter a role which seems very foreign to them. This can be interpreted into how these experiential spaces play an important role in affecting our mood and behaviour. When we enter these emotive spaces, we are tuned in to the frequency of the space, going through all the emotional processes with it. Architects and designers manipulate space of many kinds: There is first the purely physical space. One cannot see let alone touch space! Yet something that is invisible and untouchable has to be there, just to keep objects apart. This can be easily computed and expressed as how many cubic feet or cubic meters. But there is also perceptual space, the space that can be perceived or seen. To understand this, an example will be in a building with walls of glass, this perceptual space may be extensive and impossible to quantify. Related to perceptual space is conceptual space, which can be defined as the mental map we carry around in our heads, the plan stored in our memory. Concepts that work well are those that users can grasp easily in their minds eye and in which they can perceive with a kind of inevitability. Such spaces can be said to have good conceptual space. The architect also shapes behavioural space, or the space we can actually move through and use. Architecture space is a powerful shaper of behaviour. Winston Churchill said We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. One very good example to support this statement is the Houses of Parliament in Germany. When Parliament first begun to meet in the thirteenth century, it had been given the use of rooms in the palace and had later on moved into the palace chapel. A typical narrow and tall Gothic chapel with parallel rows of choir stalls on two sides of the aisle down the center. The members of Parliament sat in the stalls, dividing themselves into two distinctive groups, one the government in power and the other usually the opposition members. During Parliament meetings, members from both parties have to take the brave step of crossing the aisle to change political allegiance. In my opinion, this enforced behaviour has a negative impact on the overall operation of the government bodies as this form of meetings unintentionally made politicians from both sides to feel and sense hostility and unconsciously insinuated the perception of challenge. When the Houses of Parliament had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1834, the Gothic form was followed but Churchill argued that the rebuilding of the Parliament ought to be done with a fan of seats in a broad semicircle, as used in legislative chambers in the United States and France. To change the environment, to give it a different behavioural space, would change the very nature of parliamentary operation. The English had first shaped their architecture, and then that architecture had shaped English government and history. Through Churchills persuasion, the Houses of Parliament were rebuilt with the revised layout. Space can determine or suggest patterns of behaviour and perceptions by its very configuration. There is yet another way of determining spatial experience, and although it is not strictly architectural, architects and designers nevertheless must take it into account. This is personal space, the distance that members of the same species put between themselves. For most animals, this zone of comfort is genetically programmed. However humans have proved themselves to be extremely flexible in their determination of personal space; they seem not to have any programmed genetic spatial code. Instead, humans personal space is culturally determined and is fixed in childhood, so that enforced changes in personal distance later in life which they experience in different spaces may produce different perceptions and emotions. The Italians and the French prefer much more densely packed arrangements in their cafes, compared to the English. Even in the same culture, different sets of rules and factors determining experiences are adopted by men and women. Two unacquainted men will maintain a gr eater distance than two unacquainted women. If an architect or designer violates these unstated rules of personal space and places people in a space that is not catered to these needs, the result may prove to be an environment that is resisted by the users with negative perceptions and responses that follows. Philosophy of Perception Categories of different Perception Historically, the most important philosophical problem posed by perception is the question of how we can gain knowledge via Perception. The philosophy of perception concerns how mental processes the space and the spatial perception depends on how spaces are observed and interpreted by the perceiver. In order to grasp this, we need to understand the different categories of spatial perception. We can categorize perception into 4 categories: Just as one object can give rise to multiple percepts, so an object may fail to give rise to any percept at all. If the percept has no grounding in a persons past experience, the person may literally not perceive it. No perception occurs. Specifications are 1:1 mappings of some aspects of the world into a perceptual array; given such a mapping, no enrichment or experience is required and this perception is called direct perception. This is usually knowledge or information gained through education or other mediums like books, television programmes etc. Direct perception occurs when information from the environment received by our sense organs forms the basis of perceptual experience and these sensory inputs are converted into perceptions of desks and computers, flowers and buildings, cars and planes etc. Some argue that perceptual processes are not direct, but depend on the perceivers expectations and previous knowledge as well as the information available. This controversy is discussed with respect to James J. Gibson (1966) who investigated what information is actually presented to the perceptual systems. This theory of perception is a bottom-up theory and this bottom up processing is also known as data-driven processing or passive perception. Processing is carried out in one direction from the environment to the sensory inputs, with our brains carrying out more complex analysis of the inputs which affects our reaction or behaviour. Passive perception can be surmised as the following sequence of events as: Surrounding input (senses) processing (brain) output (reaction/behaviour) For Gibson: sensation is perception: what you see is what you get. However, this theory cannot explain why perceptions are sometimes inaccurate, example in illusions and perceptual errors like overestimation. Although still supported by main stream philosophers and psychologists, this theory is nowadays losing momentum as more and more people turn to believe in the next one Active Perception instead. The theory of active perception has emerged from extensive research, most notably the works of Richard L. Gregory (1970). This theory is increasingly gaining experimental support. Gregory argued that active perception is a constructivist (indirect) theory of perception which is a top-down theory. Top down processing refers to the use of contextual information in pattern recognition. One simple example to explain this: understanding difficult handwriting is easier when reading complete sentences than when reading single and isolated words. This is because the meanings of the surrounding words provide a context to aid understanding. For Gregory, perception involves making inferences about what we see and trying to make a best guess. Prior knowledge and past experience, he argued are crucial in perception. Thus, active perception can be surmised as a dynamic relationship between Description (in the brain) and the senses and the surrounding, all of which holds true to the linear concept of experience. What one perceives is a result of interplays between ones past experiences and knowledge (the brain) and the surrounding, including ones senses and the interpretation of the perceived space (surrounding). A lot of information reaches the eye, but much is lost by the time it reaches the brain. Therefore the brain has to guess what a person sees based on past experiences. According to Richard Gregory, we actively construct our perception of reality. Our perceptions of the world are hypotheses based on our past experiences and stored information. How Spatial Perception reflects Being The different ways in which we experience a painting, a sculpture, or a work of architecture reflects on each of our individual being. Our environments ( built environments ) are a reflection of ourselves. Architecture should express our aspirations and our sense of optimism about the future. Nothing can possibly show us better or clearer of our innermost self, BEING, other than the very own living space we create. It shows how we want things to be and what we really want in life- freedom, happiness, power, health, luck, love, etc which reveal our characteristics, attitude and most importantly our being. It is also used to express emotions and symbolise ideas that give out certain messages about the owner. What is happening above is actually personalising your own space. This has two meanings to it: One is to personalise it and the other is to personify it. The latter is the main point in this whole essay, the living space representing the person who created it with a hint of the creators being in every corner of the space. This is why we can relate better to our own houses (personal space) than the outside world. But all in all to personalise the space, you personify it and to personify it, what you are doing is simply personalising that living space of yours. This is crucial in understanding the spaces created, the reasons for creating these spaces and how others perceive these spaces (personifying it). This same conception is expressed in Greek columns by a slight outward curvature of profile, the entasis which gives an impression of straining muscles a surprising thing to find in a rigid and unresponsive pillar of stone. This is exactly what happens when we are personifying our own personal space. To personify a thing or the entire space so that it overflows with your being, so that it tastes, smells and feels like you, is so amazingly overpowering over a person who owns it personally. None other than the owner can feel the sense of belonging and comfort created in that amount of space. You own that space and it completely belongs to you, you can even see yourself in that space, you are the space and the space is you. Even civilized people more or less consciously treat lifeless things as though they were imbued with life. Designing one selfs own space to make sure it is unique and truly belongs to you depends very much on your background, interests and expertise. This will make it special and personalised to the person with regards to his or her living space. But nowadays architecture designs are restricted by so call Style and Taste Superficial Cosmetic Professor Colin Stansfield Smith. This problem shows not only how things should be built but also what should be built. Today, in our highly civilized society the houses which ordinary people are doomed to live in and gaze upon are on the whole without quality. This is also why some important buildings are Monuments; some are considered Architecture while others are simply termed buildings. In order to prevent this from happening, we need to have an understanding of the living space. Understanding Living Space does not only mean the way it looks or its construction and materials. Understanding architecture does not mean just the way they look but the creative process of how the building comes into existence and how space is utlized. ¹ We need to visit buildings, look at the processes whereby it came into being, the sense of form, space, light and shade, the size and shape of spaces, the relationship between spaces and how space is utilised. We are looking at the Interior Beings. You must observe how it was designed for a special purpose and how it was attuned to the entire concept and rhythm of a specific era. Architecture provides the physical framework for our lives, so it has a public role a social responsibility. But it is also where we live, work and play, so it has a private role. It has a material form, but it also represents our ideals and aspirations. Consciously or unconsciously everyone is affected by his or her environment. He experiences the house in its reality and in its virtuality, by means of thought and dreams. This can be further explained by using an example. When we look at a portrait of someone laughing or smiling we become cheerful ourselves. If on the other hand, the face is tragic, we feel sad. People looking at pictures have a remarkable ability to enter a role which seems very foreign to them. ¹ This can be interpreted into how architecture plays a vital role in affecting our mood and behaviour. Buildings have their own characteristics and emotions, some buildings are feminine and some are masculine, some buildings are joyous and some are solemn. When we enter these emotive spaces, we are tuned in to the frequency of the buildings, going through all the emotional processes with the architecture. We get to the point where we cannot describe our impressions of an object without treating it as a living thing with its own physiognomy. ¹ This is exceptionally true with architecture as such animation of a building makes it easier to experience its architecture rather than as the addition of many separate technological details. Instead of using professional jargons (architectural vocabulary) that most people do not understand or could not fully understand, causing misunderstanding and confusion when perceiving space, using metaphors to convey certain ideas is so much easier and understandable by people from all professions and social levels. That is one of the many reasons why people like to personify spaces literally. Architecture should be appreciated by everyone from everywhere, which is also another crucial criteria for good architecture as it has a social responsibility once it is erected on the ground. Spatial Perception in the context of ART Whether architecture makes an impression on the observer and what impression it makes, depends not only on the architecture itself but to great extent on the observers susceptibility, his mentality, his education and his entire environment. It also depends on the mood he is in at the moment he is experiencing the architecture. We all have our preferences and prejudices in architecture as in anything else and our experiences determine our attitude towards it. This can be interpreted in the same way like above. The same painting can affect us very differently at different times and that is why it is always so exciting to return to a piece of art work we have seen before to find out whether we still react to it in the same way. This proves that a single building or a specific space can affect us differently, gives us a different feeling each time we experience it again and again. What do you get when you put Art and Building together? Architecture. What do you get when you put Living Space and Architecture together? Living Sculpture. Architecture has been understood as the art of establishing place by bounding space. To distinguish between arts of space and arts of time, between formative and expressive arts, and therefore also between arts of presence and arts of absence. Painting, sculpture and architecture are included among the former, poetry and music among the latter. The most dominant similarity between art and architecture is Art should not be explained; it must be experienced. Architecture is not just simply looking at plans, elevations and sections, there is something more to it it must be experienced, just like art. No photograph, film or video can reproduce the sense of form, space, light and shade, solidity and weight that is gained from visiting buildings. It is not enough to see architecture; you must experience it. You must dwell in the rooms, feel how they close about you and observe how you are naturally led from one room to the other. The most dominant difference between art and architecture is An architect works with forms and mass just as the sculptor does, but his is a functional art. It solves practical problems. In other words, the former has a decisive factor to it: Utility. Indeed, one of the proofs of / criteria for good architecture is that it is being utilized and perceived as the architect or designer had planned, even after a long period of time. We stand before a picture; most sculptures invite us to change our position, perhaps even to walk around them; architecture not only invites us to change our position, but to enter and move around within it. Generalizing, we can say that body and body awareness become more important as we turn from painting to sculpture to architecture. Our experience of sculpture involves the body in a more obvious way than does painting; most sculpture invites us to explore it by moving past it. Robert Morris celebrates the observers relationship to sculpture; his works let observers recognize that they themselves are establishing relationships as they apprehend the object from various positions and under varying conditions of light and spatial context. In a more obvious way, architecture is experienced by the moving body: we approach a building, walk by or around it and perhaps enter it. Architecture is the art into which we walk; it is the art that envelops us. As noted, painters and sculptors af fect our senses and perception by creating changes in patterns, and in proportional relationships between shapes, through the manipulation of light and colour, but only architects shape the space in which we live and through which we move. Architecture Appreciation through Perception Architectural spaces are more than just a stage of our lives; they also reflect the society, the image of an era and most importantly the culture. Therefore the spatial experience provided has become an important factor in the communication of the architecture and the perceiver. The virtue of a successful architecture is based on the language of the experience provided rather than the form itself, which mediated between the perceiver and the space. A successful architecture is also capable of transmitting the philosophy and concepts that the space wants to convey and the experience the space provides is vital in terms of introducing the perceiver to the personality of the space. The spatial experience should be something to be enjoyed and shared by the majority of people. If it is shared more widely because more people understand it, take it seriously; chances are the space has being perceived and appreciated by the public and fulfilled its social responsibility. Enjoyment of space and form is a birthright. This enjoyment can be heightened in two basic ways: through the thoughtful design of buildings and related spaces and through the users development of awareness and perception of architecture. Architecture can be important to the enrichment of life. And after so many years, architects and designers are still learning how users interact with space and form and how skilfully designed space and form respond to human needs. Scenario: Two men attend a concert. One studied music. Has a trained ear. Spent years developing a high degree of music appreciation. Loves great works of great composers. This concert is heaven to him. To the other man, the concert is a bore. He has had little exposure to serious music. No real knowledge of music. Never learned to listen and does not even know that he has been deprived of the pleasure of fine music. He can hardly wait until the concert is over During intermission, the same two people react very differently as they walk around and within the concert building experiencing its space and form. Now the music lover is bored. He knows almost nothing about buildings. He is visually illiterate. The other person, however, has spent years developing an appreciation of buildings. He has a trained eye. He derives pleasure from the quality of space and form of the great hall. He is stirred to maximum enjoyment. To him, architecture is visual music. The term architecture appreciation is used to promote the idea that architecture can be enjoyed, much as the performing or visual arts, physically through the senses. Architecture appreciation, like music appreciation or art appreciation is learned. In music, it is learning how to hear. In art, how to see. In the case of architecture, it is learning how to perceive. Enjoying buildings requires some knowledge and some practice in perceiving space and form. You need to know something about buildings, you need to hone your awareness and you need to know something about yourself too. How do you respond to space and form? Architecture is a personal, enjoyable, necessary experience. A person perceives and appreciates space and form from three distinctly different but interrelated attitudes: from the physical, from the emotional, and from the intellectual. The architecture experience evokes a response which fulfils physical, emotional, and intellectual needs, effecting an enjoyable interaction between the person and the building. Space perception is happening everywhere, anytime. Wherever people are, there are buildings. Where buildings are, there are spatial experience. Appreciation of the works of creative architects and designers demands creativity from our part. Through accumulated experience and knowledge we design our own appreciation and experience. References Frank D.K Ching, 2007, Architecture: Form, Space Order, John Wiley Sons Inc. , Hoboken, New Jersey Morris Hicky Morgan, 1960, The Ten books of architecture, Dover Publications, New York Panayotis Tournikiotis, 1965, The Historiography of Modern Architecture, Faber Faber, London, Chapter Six: Architecture, Time Past, and Time Future, pg 181 Pierre Von Mesis, 1998, Elements of Architecture: From Form to Place, E F Spon, New York, Chapter 4, Measure and Balance, pp 57-72 Thomas Gordon Smith, 2003, Vitruvius on Architecture, Monacelli Press, New York Steen Eiler Rasmussen, 1959, Experiencing Architecture, Chapman Hall Hazel Conway and Rowan Roenisch, 2005, Understanding Architecture An introduction to architecture and architectural history, London ; New York : Routledge Christopher Alexander, 1979, The Timeless Way of Building, Oxford University Press, New York Malcolm Quantrill Bruce Webb, 1991, Constancy and Change in Architecture, College Station, Texas AM University Press. Leland M.Roth, 2007, Understanding Architecture: Its elements, history and meaning, Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press. William Wayne Caudill, 1978, Architecture and You How to experience and enjoy Buildings, New York : Whitney Library of Design Steven Holl, 1949, Questions of Perception Phenomenology of Architecture, Tokyo : San Francisco : a+u Pub. ; William Stout Gaston Bachelard, 1994, The Poetics of Space, Boston, Mass. : Beacon Press

Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders Autism has been on the rise in the past 20 years, and is getting dangerously close to reaching epidemic proportions (Zelan, 1). Statistically, Autism rates have been rising in the United States with Autism now effecting 1 in every 150 children ages 10 and younger (Zelan, 1). Autism can occur in any race and does not gender discriminate, though boys are four times more likely to have Autism than girls (Castrogiovanni). The causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism are the main aspects that most interest researchers today. If studies continue to have good results, the quality of life for Autistics could improve exponentially. Autism is a developmental disorder that has baffled researchers for years, but research breakthroughs in the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism allow for a better understanding of the condition. There are many theories regarding Autism, however, the actual cause(s) remain unknown. Autism could have several possible triggers, but any information is still in the earliest stages of research. Genetics, familial connections, having an excess of testosterone, and vaccines have all been speculated as potential causes. Genetic testing has revealed interesting information, but no gene or genes have been linked to Autism directly. One researcher states, â€Å"Autism probably results from abnormalities in at least three to twenty genes and very likely has no single causal gene.† (Fredericks, 35) Researchers have also found that Autistics under 12 have an overall larger brain size in comparison to normal children. (Fredericks, 35) This information really expresses the need for more in-depth research regarding genetic links (Fredericks, 15). The idea that Auti... ...oadedFiles/public/TESAutisticSpectrum.pdf>. "Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders across the life span." . N.p., 2006. Web. 6 Mar 2012. . Schopler, Eric, Robert Reichler, and Barbara Rochen Renner. Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Western Psychological Services, 1986. Print. Self, Trisha L. and LaDonna S. Hale and Daiquire Crumrine. â€Å"Pharmacotherapy and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Tutorial for Speech Language Pathologists.† Language, Speech and Hearing Services in School. Vol. 41. July 2010: 367-375. Text. â€Å"Types of Autism.† Autism-diagnosis.com. Autism Diagnosis. N.d. Web. Zelan, Karen, Between Their World and Ours: Breakthtoughs with Autistic Children. New York: St. Martis Press, Print. May 2003.

Modernizing The Crucible Essay -- The Crucible Arthur Miller Witchcraf

Modernizing The Crucible Imagine you are a director who has been asked to direct a modern version of The Crucible. Decide on how you would make the play modern and the kind of setting that you feel is the most appropriate for conveying the themes of the play. In your discussion, you should deal with what you feel are the main themes of the play that you want to focus on and how the setting will enhance and even add depth to what you have to say. Firstly, I feel that in order to make the play as modern as possible, the play has to have a feel which all of its viewers can instantly identify with, as well as being realistic when compared with current world events. Hence the setting which produces the most realistic play, as well as portraying events that viewers can identify strongly with, will therefore be the most appropriate for conveying the themes of the play. I have also decided to elaborate on the themes of hysteria, intolerance, integrity and choosing a scapegoat. For my setting, I will rely heavily on a combination of two world events that, in differen...

The Relationship Between Pomegranate Phytochemicals, Their Metabolites,

Introduction The pomegranate fruit has become popularized across the United States due to health benefit claims.[1] With the introduction of new products entering the food system, it is important to determine if the phytochemicals touted for their health benefits, due in fact impact physical health in a positive manner.[2] The known phytochemicals found in the pomegranate fruit have been proven to have benefits, but it has not been well studied if the compounds themselves produce the benefits, or if their metabolites formed in the gut are responsible for its several health claims. This review intends to clarify what happens to the pomegranate compounds once it is in the digestive system and how they interact with gut micro biota. The focus of this paper will be the benefits of the pomegranate fruit in local gut inflammation and whole body inflammation. Pomegranate The pomegranate, Punica granatum L is the predominant member of two species comprising the Punicaceae family.[2] The pomegranate tree typically grows 12-16 feet, has many spiny branches, and can be extremely long lived, as evidenced by trees at Versailles, France, known to be over 200 years old.[2] The flowers are large, red, white, or variegated and have a tubular calyx that eventually becomes the fruit. The ripe pomegranate fruit can be up to five inches wide with a deep red, leathery skin, is grenade-shaped, and crowed by the pointed calyx. The fruit contains many seeds (arils) separated by white, membranous pericarp, and each is surrounded by small amounts of tart, red juice. The pomegranate is native from the Himalayas in northern India to Iran but has been cultivated and naturalized since ancient times over the entire Mediterranean region. The tree is also cu... ...ation of the microbial ecology of the human colon by probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics to enhance human health: an overview of enabling science and potential applications. FEMS Microbiol Ecol, 2005. 52(2): p. 145-52. 10. Lee, K.W. and H.J. Lee, The roles of polyphenols in cancer chemoprevention. Biofactors, 2006. 26(2): p. 105-21. 11. Schubert, S.Y., E.P. Lansky, and I. Neeman, Antioxidant and eicosanoid enzyme inhibition properties of pomegranate seed oil and fermented juice flavonoids. J Ethnopharmacol, 1999. 66(1): p. 11-7. 12. Ahmed, S., et al., Punica granatum L. extract inhibits IL-1beta-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinases by inhibiting the activation of MAP kinases and NF-kappaB in human chondrocytes in vitro. J Nutr, 2005. 135(9): p. 2096-102. 13. ; Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/inflammatory-bowel-disease/DS01195.

Marketing Mix Halal chips

The purpose of this paper is to presents the results of the comprehensive marketing analysis of the feasibility of introduction of Halal chips to Indonesian market. The study consists of the overview of the product (using certain elements of the Marketing Mix methodology) and the overview of the target market (a full macro environmental analysis, encompassing the scan of political, economic, social, and technological aspects of the chosen market), followed by a conclusion concerning the rationale behind the introduction of Halal chips in Indonesia. Product: Halal chips Marketing Mix is one of the most effective tools to formulate a comprehensive marketing strategy. Marketing Mix is sometimes referred to as the ‘4 Ps’, which stands for product, place, price, and promotion. Sometimes this list is extended to ‘7 Ps’ to include people, process, and physical evidence; however, this paper will focus on the discussion of the traditional model. There are two basic marketing approaches to evaluating the product – Product Life Cycle and Three Levels of a Product. Product Life Cycle (PLC) model compares the existence of the product on the market with the biological life cycle: ‘After a period of development it is introduced or launched into the market; it gains more and more customers as it grows; eventually the market stabilizes and the product becomes mature; then after a period of time the product is overtaken by development and the introduction of superior competitors, it goes into decline and is eventually withdrawn’ (Marketing Teacher, 2006, The Product Life Cycle (PLC), para.2). Product Life Cycle is viewed as being comprised of four distinct stages such as introduction, growth, maturity and decline. At the Introduction stage, the pressure for immediate profit is less important than creating the first impression about the product. At the Growth stage, many competitors exist on the market, therefore companies tend to form strategic alliances, joint ventures, or merge. Profits are growing, and wide-scale advertising is the focus. At the Maturity stage, sales growth is stable, and the companies pay most attention to differentiating their offers and promoting the product through various media. At the Decline stage, the product is either radically transformed or withdrawn from the market. When introducing Halal chips to Indonesian market, it is of paramount importance to choose appropriate strategy at every stage of Product Life Cycle. Immediately after the introduction, it is necessary to develop a positive image of Halal chips. At the Growth stage, it is imperative to maintain a competitive advantage over competitors. At the moment, the competition is not intense, yet the situation may change if the introduction of Halal chips proves to be a success. At the Maturity and Decline stages, strategies like repackaging, differentiating (e.g. adding new flavors), and aggressive advertising will have to be applied. Another marketing model that can be applied to analyzing Halal chips is the Three Level Model. The Three Levels of a Product model argues that within each product it is possible to distinguish three different levels — the core product, the actual product, and the augmented product. The core product is the immediate benefit the customer receives from the ownership of a product. The actual product is the tangible, material thing. The augmented product encompasses the added value of the product, i.e. additional services that accompany the product. The examples can include ‘toll-free customer information, installation guides, delivery, warranty, and after-sale services’ (Lilien & Rangaswamy, 2006, p.234). In the case with Halal chips, the level of augmented product is virtually non-existent, therefore, the main focus should be on the levels of core product and actual product. The core product should be larger than the actual, tangible product. Through advertising and correct positioning, it is necessary to have the customer associate benefits from buying Halal chips not only with delicious taste and hunger satisfaction, but also with adherence to tradition or good times shared with friends while eating the chips. Pricing policy is another vital aspect of marketing the Halal chips. There are different pricing strategies, and the application of each strategy should rely on all other elements of the Marketing Mix. The basic pricing strategies include Premium Pricing, Penetration Pricing, Economy Pricing, Price Skimming, Psychological Pricing, Product Line Pricing, Optional Product Pricing, Captive Product Pricing, Product Bundle Pricing, Promotional Pricing, Geographical Pricing, and Value Pricing. In the case with Halal chips, Penetration Pricing can be used at the initial stages of the introduction of the product. This strategy implies that the price is artificially lowered with a view to establish the company on the market. When Halal chips are established on the Indonesian market, Price Skimming can be used. It is applied by companies that have a significant competitive advantage. Price Skimming can not be sustained for a long time as new competitors, lured by high revenues, enter the same segment of market. At the stages of Maturity and Decline, Economy Pricing might be the most feasible option. Economy Pricing means that it is a low price offered by a company that keeps marketing and manufacturing expenses at a minimum. Target Market: Indonesia Presently, Indonesia is a market that offers many lucrative opportunities for doing business in different spheres. However, it is necessary to assess all the possible risks involved, including political, economic, social, and environmental factors. Political Recently, Indonesia has been showing signs of enhanced political stability. The political climate of the country has become more favorable for further economic and social changes. In the framework of Reformasi movement following President Suharto’s resignation in 1998, greater democracy was introduced into Indonesian political life. However, problems include pervasive corruption, administrative obstacles to doing business, and the danger of radical Islamist ideology overtaking the political scene. Terrorism threat also remains high. Separatism is another risk factor: although a political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005, Indonesia a very diverse country where conflicts between different ethnic groups are hard to avoid. Economic Indonesia was badly hit by the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, therefore the government increased its intervention in economic matter. Nevertheless, Indonesia has a functioning market economy. Furthermore, the government struggles to change the regulatory framework to attract more investment. Major problems include instable legal and judicial system, weak competition laws, and lack of internationally acceptable accounting and disclosure standards. Social Indonesia has a large population, which is supposed to increase in the years to come, given the present annual growth rate of 1.25%. Therefore, the number of potential consumers of Halal chips is doomed to increase, since chips and related snacks are popular among teenagers and youth. In terms of religious affiliations, 86% of Indonesians are Muslim. An interesting trend observed in Indonesia is the gradual Westernization of the society coupled with greater observance of religion and traditions. Therefore, there exists a degree of fascination with Western lifestyle (e.g. eating chips), yet there is also an avoidance of conflict between consumerist values and well-entrenched traditions (e.g. chips have to be Halal). Technological From the technological perspective, Indonesia is striving to meet all the international standards in this field. Indonesia has been noted for the rapid development of infrastructure and modernization of its production facilities. The development of Indonesian technological sphere may leave much to be desired, yet shows clear trends towards substantial improvement. Conclusion The entry of Halal chips into Indonesian market has high chances of being successful. Given the high percentage of young Muslim population, the target market is large and growing. However, the commercial success of such an entry depends greatly on the carefully chosen marketing and promotional strategy, pricing, and advertising. While there are some risks involved, mostly of political and economic nature, they can be offset by lucrative business opportunities Indonesian market offers. References Lilien, Gary L., & Arvind Rangaswamy. Marketing Engineering. Ottawa, Canada: Trafford Publishing, 2006. Marketing Teacher. ‘The Product Life Cycle (PLC).’ 2007. November 21, 2007. Â   Â   Â   Â