The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime

The book â€Å"The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime† by Henry H. Brownstein concerns a very critical and disturbing aspect of life of our modern society. Indeed, some of the most hotly debated topics today are in one way or another connected to violence, be they issues of adolescent crime, the high percentage of violent behavior at the workplace, in families, violence by drug addicts, etc.To put it simply – it must be acknowledged that the anxiety about violence as such within our society has become one of the most prominent elements of our world view. In this regard, the mentioned book by Henry H. Brownstein aims to accomplish a truly important task of uncovering the role that violence and violent crime play within our perception of the social reality that surrounds us.In accordance with this task and considering the complexity of the field of his study, the author of this work decided to maintain a live connection with his audience by means of collecting s tories from real life, which helps to characterize violence and violent crime in the United States from points of view of both individuals and social groups.This approach of the author is really important as in this way he manages to convincingly show how violence may be perceived differently by different people, and how those differences in perception of violence have developed in our society during the last century.Thus, the author`s views on the perception of violence are to a large degree based on the principles of social constructivism which state that our knowledge is not completely objective, but rather is to a certain degree subjectivity constructed by existing social influences (Brownstein 1999, p.3).I think that the useful tool that helped the author to achieve his aim was his ability to meld together his personal narratives and experiences of other people related to violence with excerpts from reports of media, official statistics, and research.As the author opens each ch apter with some story that helps readers properly understand what forms violence may take, where it exists, and what are probable reasons of its existence, readers can begin to see how all those complex and often seemingly separated from real life sociological concepts in fact stem from concrete historical and cultural conditions of our society.Indeed, even though it might sound quite sad, it seems that for many of us who were lucky to avoid personal encounters with violence it takes only shocking stories of real victims of violence and violent offenders to be able to see violence not as a merely dry statistics but as a terrible reality.At the same time, I think that one of the merits of Brownstein is that along with his personalized approach to interpretation of place of violence in our lives he nevertheless does not forget about more general social considerations and at the end of every chapter also discusses relevant social policies.This allusion to the realm of political decisio n-making is valuable as such because of the competence of the author, and at the same time it helps complete the picture of how violence is socially constructed, because policies towards violence too often impose upon us some fixed and almost compulsory perception of it.Finally, I feel that aside from his academic talent, Brownstein managed to convey to readers some fine nuances of his personal, even intimate, perception of violence. This is done in a very subtle way through his writing style and his ability to depict moods of people and his personal experiences. For example, he begins his book with a very impressive description of his visit to the infamous Sing Sing prison, and as he described his slow advance thought a series of security points and bars, I felt as if coming closer and closer to something truly terrible. However, the story of the man whom Brownstein interviewed in Sing Sing left me somewhat baffled due to its ambiguity.On one hand, the author described the case of a dangerous murderer, but on the other hand left me wondering whether the circumstantial evidence against him based on his cocaine usage was sufficient to be sure in his guilt. This story vividly illustrates the power of stereotypes that shape our perception of violence, and serves as a good start for the author`s endeavor to shed light on this complex phenomenon.SourcesBrownstein, H., H. (1999). The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime. Allyn & Bacon.

Because i could not stop for death&quot Essay

Emily Dickinson frequently explores death through her poetry, using her eponomous ’em’ dashes to communicate the confusion created by an intelligent and exploratory approach to the afterlife in a mind indoctrinated in Puritan dogma. Death is initially presented in this poem as a very different character from its usual personification as a malign, scythe wielding spirit. Here, as the poem begins, he takes the form of a charming suitor who ‘kindly’ stops, and maintains his ‘civility’ throughout their journey. As we progress through the poem, however, the reader becomes increasingly suspicious that the apparently benevolent Death has not, in fact, got Dickinson’s best intrests at heart. The fourth stanza marks the change in tone that reveals this; the onset of ominous ‘chill’ as the carriage passes into darkness highlights how unprepared Death has left her, providing no warning of what is to come. The nervous tone that the poem adopts in this stanza is created both by the breakdown of the previously iambic rythmn and the language of cold shivers that the poet uses; both of which emphasise the ‘quivering’ nervousness of the unprepared. Dickinson’s physical lack of preparation for the afterlife in the poem, her donning of ‘gossamer’ and ‘tulle’ for a journey into the night, reflects her lack of spiritual certainty in the real world; something reflected in several of her poems. Despite an upbringing filled with ‘much gesture from the pulpit’, doubt, not absolute faith, is the subject of much of her work. She remains steadfast only in her belief that ‘This World is not Conclusion’, as while she is confident in the existence of something more, the nature of the afterlife ‘baffles’ her. This poem is also an exploration of an unusual view of death, as Dickinson inverts the normal metaphor of Death as the end of a journey into Death as a journey’s beginning. Life, in this poem, is extrodinarily transient, compressed into the third stanza where childhood, the ripening ‘Grain’ of middle age and the setting sun of old age’s decline are ploughed through in four lines. The poet makes this already short liftime seem even less substantial by the anaphoric use of ‘We passed’, which increases the pace of the poem and gives the passage of time an inevitable feel. Where the poem’s journey of death concludes is unclear, but we do know that there is a pause, perhaps a terminal pause, at a house in the ground. Dickinson’s use of imagery here is ingenious, as the reader’s initial confusion mimics the narrator’s, until we too surmise that this abode, this ‘swelling in the ground’ is a grave, thought of only by the deceased as a ‘house’. The repetition and ryhme of ‘ground’ at the end of two lines in this stanza gives it a pounding finality; suggesting perhaps that this, and not the expected ‘Immortality’, is to be Dickinson’s final resting place. This unexpected turn causes the confusion that the image of the house parallels, and explains the last stanza, in which Dickinson’s fear of perpetual existence in a grave has centuries feeling ‘shorter than the day / I first surmised the Horse’s Heads / Were toward Eternity’. The poem is, in fact, unclear, but I would suggest that the grave is to be Dickinson’s final resting place; that the carriage ‘paused’ not because it intended to go on but instead because the narrator has not yet realised her fate. The final dash of the poem, therefore, represents not continuing doubt as it does in ‘This World is not Conclusion. ‘ but serves to remind the reader of the unending nature of Dickinson’s internment. In light of this, the first stanza’s ‘Immortality’ may seem out of place, but its rhyme with ‘me’ perhaps reveals its origins, as the narrator is consequently so strongly linked with it’s presence that we may imagine it is only Dickinson, and not Death, that welcomes immortality to the carriage, and that it is, in fact, only there as a result of her preconceptions. ‘Because I could not stop for Death –’ is perhaps, as a result, quite a cynical poem, making no promises of salvation or a Christian heaven. It, in some senses, continues a trend set by ‘This world is not Conlcusion. ‘ and ‘Behind me – dips Eternity –’; a trend of diminishing confidence: Dickinson’s once absolute faith in a world beyond our own develops into a confused fear at the nature of the afterlife; it may be a ‘Maelstrom in the sky’, surrounded by ‘Midnight’, or perhaps just a house in the ground. All this confusion is the product of Dickinson’s upbringing; ‘the Tooth that nibbles at the soul’ is a doubt that was to Puritans damning, and once she admits to herself its existence her future is uncertain and heaven perhaps inachievable. Despite it’s bleak outlook however, the poem still stands a facinating exploration of the nature of the next world.

Avon Company Product Analysis

Avon Company Product Analysis Avon is a cosmetic company created to conduct business on enhancing women’s beauty. This brand is now a global leader with massive growth and high revenues. Being the world’s largest direct seller, Avon has captured a large market in more than hundred countries with millions of the sales representatives across the globe. The product line of Avon is quite large in spatial extent; it includes beauty products, fashion jewellery, clothing etc. This brand is giving the grounds for expectation and is achieving the solid status in the market. Avon is transacting with many countries and selling their brands in the regions such as North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific (Avon Company, 2010) map-marketFigure 1. COMPANY BACKGROUND Avon was established in America in 1886 with distinctive approach of selling womens cosmetics with the name of Avon calling.This idea of business was initiated by David McConnell from newyork.The main merchandise of business was not perfum e and creams but at the age of sixteen mcconnell started to sell books through door to door selling.He found out he was not able to entice the consumers to buy the books so he initiated the campaign by offering free gifts as perfumes which he produced with the collaboration of the pharmacist.Subsequently this turned out to be an incentive that became a mainline product for avon and the books were abolished, paving the way for Avon cosmetics’ existence. The door to door selling was made specifically to specification and later by 1887 Mcconnell hired around 13 women representatives. Moreover with the passage of time the company began to grow and the name was changed from california cosmetic company to Avon Products, Inc. Presently it ranks first across the nation in cosmetic industry with high revenues. MACRO ENVIRONMENT PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL As avon is based in U.S we have to focus on the realtionship between both UK and US which is uniquely close and they share enormous tra de and economic relations. Both are top trading partners of each other hence the business relations of both the countries are strong and have wielding power. Also the trade bonds and affiliations are strengthened (U.S foreign policy, 2010) Avon uses its websites to market its products worldwide they have to follow the copyright policy of the United Kingdom. UK Government recently came up with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) conditions in order to protect consumers which are buying online and have no direct control with the seller. These Regulations are only applied to the consumers that purchase goods or services from a business and not if it is business-to-business purchases, land sales, vending machine purchases, and purchases made via auctions. Whereas to give distinguishing characteristics to the company such as trademark, one needs to get legal documents which gives permission to do something. (IPO, 2010). Avon completely defends and shields its trade mark so the con sumers can shop without difficulty and with safety. (Avon products, 2002) No one is treated in a different manner on the basis of their genders, age and religion. Every Employee may it be a male or female engaged in business if does not get their rights and employers fail to equally balance them can be fired and dismissed

Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Safety - Essay Example For example, although a person is in a secure place such as a well-founded and guarded building if the person is haunted by psychological harm, that individual cannot be said to be safe. Safety should include not only one aspect of life but the total conditions of an individual. Hence, when there is nothing that puts someone at risk of anything in whichever of the aforementioned aspects, the circumstance is considered safe. My personal definition of safety is supported by Webster in his definition of the word as the â€Å"state or condition of freedom from danger, risk or injury†. Furthermore, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines safety as â€Å"the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury or loss†. Although the aforementioned definitions do not specify the boundaries of the descriptions, I have taken the liberty of doing so in my personal definition of the word. I believe that my understanding and definition of safety is quite similar to its general definition. Based from the references mentioned above, it could be comprehended that the word means the absence or state of freedom from whatever brings harm, danger, hurt or injury whether it is physical, mental or

NASA Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NASA Case Study - Essay Example Even without physical examination, a break on the tubing means an inappropriate strength of materials used, as it was not able to withstand the pressure. One could quickly suggest poor estimation, poor quality of materials, and the aircraft mechanics were not really proficient or experts, or simply that the material engineers and management were simply experimenting on strength of materials having taken the risk. In the first place, before the materials were used it should have been accurately tried and tested to efficiently serve the function from launch time to the time when the spacecraft could have safely landed back on its pad on earth Definitely, the tragedy of Columbia Space Shuttle in 2003 was a learning lesson for the National Aeronautics Space Administration. But, it could have been prevented. Obviously, minor problems should be given the highest attention for resolution. This means that considering the extreme risk of a space travel by a space craft, no single edge of flaw should be tolerated. In other words, there should be a zero flaw on space shuttle structure and function. Moreover, a spacecraft should not have been attempted launched even for a single or minor imperfection. A completed checklist on parts and function should have been confirmed and reconfirmed by the experts to get a 101% assurance of perfection before set off. There should be ‘no rock left unturned’. Otherwise, there should be no room or space for ambiguity because everything can be calculated closest to precision considering previous projects of similar nature and the perspectives gained by the organizational manpower. In reality, the tragedy should not have happened (Roberto et al, 2006). Gross negligence is a real management problem and not simple ambiguity. This is because this is a scientific undertaking which follows protocol scientific pattern of doing things. Extensive

International Economic Environment of Business Essay

International Economic Environment of Business - Essay Example This essay stresses that the United Arab Emirates has evolved through series of business strategic developments which have seen it survived many economic crises during the last four decades. The country has adopted proactive measures to make sure that the activities of the foreign investors are not hindered by any internal economic hurdles that could destroy the plan of UAE government to create an international business haven for businesspeople of different kind. This paper makes a conclusion that the United Arab Emirates is made up of seven federating states that are governed by a President and constitutional monarchies. The country has interconnected series of governing bodies that manage the affairs of both the public and the business sector. Even though the Islamic ideology is the modus operandi, the institutions of social control in United Arab Emirates have been modernized in recent times, and they are quite similar to those obtainable in Western countries. The President appoints ministers who will manage the affairs of their respective ministries. As far as international business is concerned, the following ministries provide the appropriate protection for the foreign businesses operating in UAE: ministries of Foreign Trade, Economy, Social Affairs, and so on. There are some business regulatory agencies which regulate the business environment to guarantee that standards are not compromised; there are law-enforcement agents like police, immigration and customs officials that make sure that the properties of foreign businesses are duly protected.

Texas Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Texas Government - Essay Example It required clinics that performed abortion to meet surgical standards as those in hospital-style surgical centers and mandated that a doctor have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where he or she performed abortions (National Women Corporate Center). Democrats and abortion rights advocates, in a bid to stop the legislation, said that this law could result to most of the 42 clinics in the state which performed abortions to close as they would incur a lot of expenses in a bid to be licensed as to perform abortion: expensive renovations or relocations to meet equipment and architectural standards (National Women Corporate Center). Given that the legislature was controlled by the Republicans then, passing of the law a simple task as seen on the concept map. By passing the anti-abortion bill, it went against the woman’s fourteenth amendment right to choose to terminate pregnancy before vitality. This was clearly a violation of women’s constitutional right. This law also denied a woman the ability to make an extremely personal medical decision. In addition, mandatory ultrasound laws presented disrespect for women’s decision making abilities and clinical judgment of a doctor. In 2013, Texas passed laws requiring abortion providers to have admission privileges at hospitals. This law clearly gave hospitals more powers than doctors. Passing the laws that many clinics did not meet the stated surgical standards, requiring them to be upgraded to the expected standards, resulted to many clinics being closed. This deprived the women fundamental constitutional rights. In Texas the district court judge blocked this provision from going into effect, this decision was reversed by the appellate court and U.S. Supreme Court did not reinstate the district court’s injunction (Besset, 6). Although the law is in effect, this case is still under

Planning Transitions to Prevent Challenging Behavior Essay

Planning Transitions to Prevent Challenging Behavior - Essay Example At first glance, the articles seem to be different in the kind of content and message that they are sending out to the intended audience. However, on closer look, one can comprehend that the thrust of both articles is about the ways in which teaching methods can be improved to make a difference in the way children are taught. Both articles talk about teachers making decisions in the daily interactions with their wards. The difference in the articles is the way in which each article suggests different methods to achieve the common goal of making the students understand what is being taught and how teachers can be role models for their students. The article about â€Å"Teaching children what we want them to learn† concentrates on the different ways in which children pick up things from their teachers by looking up to them as role models as well as imbibing values and qualities from the teachers. The article makes the point about how kids at such a young age are impressionable and hence are prone to look up to their teachers in a manner similar to that they do with their parents and hence the teachers have to extra careful in the messages that they send to the students. These include verbal and non-verbal cues as well as the kind of lessons that the teachers pick for their children every day. This article also mentions the subtle difference between the statements that express a reflective desire to inculcate learning in the children as opposed to expecting the children to learn better. For instance, there is a huge difference in taking personal responsibility as a teacher and ensuring that the children get to learn and think about the children as being responsible for their education. One is reflective (as mentioned above) and the other is reactive.  

Parents with learning disabilities and child protection Literature review

Parents with learning disabilities and child protection - Literature review Example This survey also revealed the fact that 48 per cent of these parents did not look after their children themselves. According to Booth (2000), there is a sizeable population of parents with special needs that the health and social services have not adequately addressed so far. In as many as 50 per cent of the total cases, children of such parents are taken away from them generally because of the concerns for the well-being of the children and lack of the care and attention that they need as they live with their parents (Tarleton, Ward, and Howarth, 2006, p. v). This imparts the need to study the tendency of parents with learning disabilities to be good parents and to provide their children with the protection they need with adequate support from the numerous agencies, entities, and organizations that render such services for these parents. The negative coverage by press and reports discussing the concerns for children’s welfare and the inadequacies in techniques of parenting ex acerbate this (Kroese et al, 2002). Consequently, parents with learning disabilities might need to prove to the concerned authorities that they have all the necessary qualities and skills to be a perfect parent. Nevertheless, even the definition of good parenting is inherently debatable especially in a society in which views and standards change frequently. Most of the research conducted to date focuses upon inability of parents with learning disabilities to parent their children and the risks assumed by their children while the research on their capabilities to be a perfect parent is limited (Wade et al, 2008). The non-specification of the learning disability level, lack of common standards of parental competence, and small sizes of sample induce flaws in many studies. This topic relates to the social work because it addresses the concerns and well-being

INFO101 assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INFO101 assigment - Assignment Example The content of these reports may vary depending on the situations and the needs of the manager requesting the report. Third and last, is exception report. Exception reports are those that deal with data outside ranges considered normal. They exhibit statistics of data beyond the normal range. The report consolidates the unusual conditions such as cost overruns or production down time and reports them differently. Timely reporting of unusual cases enables appropriate action to be taken by the management. Different types of reports cover different issues. Moreover, various circumstances in the business demand appropriate actions, which vary from one scenario to another. As such, it is important to distinguish between the three basic MIS reports so that each can be tailored to the informational need of its users. Clear distinction between the reports also enables the management to take timely actions on issues that require urgent attention. Summary reports are used when managers require quick overview of information on particular area. On the other hand, detailed reports are used for specific activities so as to gage their performances while exception reports are sued to report unusual occurrences in an organization, which need urgent solutions. Decision Support System (DSS) has three fundamental components. These include: data, models as well as user interface. Data is basically the information that is required for decision making. Data is usually kept in a database. Models refer to the models that are utilized in data analysis and the forecasting of outcomes of any particular decision. It also includes software that helps in managing models in DSS. User interface refers to the manner in which the users can use the DSS to facilitate their decision making processes, even if they are not technology experts. In most scenarios, a

The Impact of ICT on an Adult in Employment Essay Example for Free

The Impact of ICT on an Adult in Employment Essay My Dad needs his laptop in order to run his weekend disc jockey business. These needs include keeping up to date and accurate computerised accounts of booking forms, receipts and other references. He also keeps the CD collection stored on the Laptop. It is essential that he uses his laptop to run his disc jockey business. The above reasons are a good example of why he has a Laptop rather than a Desktop computer because he can use the laptop while he is on the move. The Intel Centrino mobile technology enables my Dad to connect to the Internet without any wires. He has also used the Laptop to produce a user friendly website to advertise our business on the web as well as in the Yellow Pages. He also makes regular price and administrative changes to the website in order to keep in competition with other local DJs around the area. My Dad also updates the website in design and layout, as well as including new pages and photos. This enables customers to browse the website to see our set up and how the business is run. They can then book at disco online and my Dad checks the e-mail to see if any bookings have been received. He will then send out the correct documentation to the customer to confirm the booking. Having the Laptop has affected his working style in many ways. Before he didnt have a laptop computer, his bookings were hand written and kept in a folder. This meant that any record could have been lost or misplaced quite easily. Without the laptop computer, our advertising was limited to the Yellow Pages and leaflets only. Now, we can advertise over the net, enabling customers to see what theyre getting and booking confidentially online. Also, the cataloguing system of our CD collection was handwritten, and searching for requests was a tough task. Now, the collection is computerised and in alphabetical order. The Laptop computer meets my Dads needs well for a number of reasons. For example, it has dramatically changed his working style and the way he goes about his work. Also, he can now order CDs and disco equipment online from our Walsall and Birmingham based stockists. He can also order online motor and car electrical parts from the wholesalers, which is situated in Cannock. He also orders from other stockists around the country. It is essential that my Dad needs Sky+ because he comes home from a stressful day at work to relax in front of the television. The ordinary terrestrial television didnt suit his needs and therefore, we had Sky + installed. This is a service that allows him to record programmes while watching another. It also enables the viewer to pause, fast forward and rewind live television. As he is a busy person, he doesnt have the time to go the shops. As this service is interactive, he can order many items off the digital shopping channels, like QVC, Ideal World, Bid TV and Price Drop TV. He also books holidays off the Sky TV Travel Shop and FTN, formally Thomas Cook TV. Also, a new interactive service is coming to all Sky viewers, where they can buy groceries and everyday items from their local supermarket and have it delivered directly their house. As he has two jobs, he is a very busy person and needs to shop in the least time consuming way. The interactive and shopping channels on the digital service is an ideal way of shopping quickly and in the comfort of his own home. Sky+ meets my Dads needs well for a number of reasons. For example, when he works over, we record his favourite programmes, which he can watch when he gets home. Also, he can pause any programme while he is preparing any food or drink or if he needs the toilet. The interactive service also helps him, as he doesnt go to the shops that regularly, he can buy off the shopping channels. The majority of his purchased items arrive in good condition, but in some cases, he has had to send some of the items back to the suppliers due to damage of wrong item being sent out to him. He has also has a case where the item got sent to the wrong address and another where the item got lost in the post. My Dads phone is the current smart phone brought to you by Nokia. It has a 1-mega-pixel camera, which has a built in 4x digital zoom. These photos are stored on to the memory card and can be printed off at any Kodak Kiosk. Above all, it has a video recorder, which can record for as long as you wish. The phone also contains a built in photo and video editing package, so you can delete any unnecessary parts of your video or photo. It has an 8-mega-byte internal memory with additional add-on memory via the upgradeable memory cards you can buy at any electrical retailer. It also has Bluetooth technology, an MP3 player and the phone can synchronise with your computer via the supplied USB cable. With this cable, you can download upgrade applications for your phone. You can also download pictures, logos, videos and ringtones. Additional add-ons are available from many phone and electrical retailers to enhance the capabilities of this Nokia smart phone. My Dad needs his mobile phone for many reasons. For example, as he is a mobile DJ and is away from home due to engineering contracts, it is essential that he uses his mobile phone in order to contact friends and family via voice calling or text messaging. The above methods also enable friends and family to contact him. He also uses it to play games on it and download additional software upgrades, MP3 files, videos, pictures, games and ringtones. This enables him to keep his phone up to date with other models. His phone also has an Infra-red port, which he can challenge friends, family or other people to a game of his or their choice depending on whose phone it is. The phone also has Bluetooth wireless technology, which enables him to send any data to other Bluetooth users at high speeds, which is formally known as Quickshare. You can buy many Bluetooth accessories for the Nokia 7610. For example, my Dad has purchased a Jabra BT800 Bluetooth headset. He has brought this so he can make and receive call while he is driving. He has also brought a Hewlett Packard Bluetooth Dongle, which enables him to download additional software upgrades, MP3 files, videos, pictures, games and ringtones from his laptop. However, to enable the above devices to work, you must connect the device to the mobile phone, and perform a non-authenticity activity, which enables the two devices to connect automatically. My Dads mobile phone meets his needs well in many ways. For example, he can use the phone while he is on the go, very handy and useful to contact engineering suppliers while he is out on contract. Also, he can receive calls from potential customers who want a disco, and my Dad can give them a price of the job and send the a booking form to confirm the bookings. Most of all, he can contact friends and family, or vice versa, to see how things are going.

The Fall of the House of Usher Essay Example for Free

The Fall of the House of Usher Essay The narrator is a very altruistic character in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†. He sincerely cares about Rodrick, even though his friend is slightly mentally insane, which creates a very complex relationship between the souls. Although the narrator initially intends to save Roderick from his own demise, he was forced to reject Rodrick as Mr. Usher was the source of his own torment. The narrator originally earnestly desires to go to Rodrick’s house. In the text, the narrator talks of Rodrick as having â€Å"an earnest desire to see me, as his best, and indeed his only personal friend, with a view of attempting, by the cheerfulness of my society, some alleviation of his malady † (Poe 1). The narrator uses the words â€Å"desire†, â€Å"cheerfulness†, and â€Å"friend† to describe how Rodrick contacts him. The word choice that the narrator uses can be grouped together as â€Å"happy† words, just like in a usual relationship. The happiness proves that the narrator still believes that him and Rodrick are friends, even though he has not met Rodrick in years and that he wants to save Mr. Usher from his own demise. However, Rodrick quickly forces the narrator to lose his aura of happiness. Rodrick unnerves the narrator throughout the text to the point where the narrator gave up on Rodrick, which is apparent through the use of disheartening words. In the text, the narrator describes Rodrick as having â€Å"A cadaverousness of complexion ; an eye large, liquid, and luminous beyond comparison (Poe 2). The usage of the word â€Å"cadaverousness† alludes to death, and the usage of â€Å"luminous† makes Mr. Usher seem mysterious. Mysteriousness and death are common words to portray someone beyond repair. By using this kind of wording, Poe is revealing the narrator is disgusted by the new Rodrick. The disgust leads the narrator to rejection. The narrator is rejecting of Rodrick. In the text, the narrator states â€Å"His action was alternately vivacious and sullen. His voice varied rapidly from a tremulous indecision hich may be observed in the lost drunkard, or the irreclaimable eater of opium † (Poe 2). Poe uses the words â€Å"tremulous†, â€Å"drunkard†, and â€Å"opium† to describe Rodrick. A synonym for â€Å"tremulous† is â€Å"quavering†, which is a word that describes a voice during a lie. â€Å"Opium† and â€Å"drunkard† are words related to addictive vices, which cause people to lie. Lying causes people to not trust the liar, which leads to rejection. The rejection allows the narrator to let his conscious remain free. To keep his conscious alive, he has to rid himself of the dirtiness. The narrator must â€Å" wipe his hands clean† of Rodrick to be able to continue living. The narrator realizes that Rodrick is the source of his own problems. In the text, it states â€Å"But, as I placed my hand upon his shoulder, there came a strong shudder over his whole person ; a sickly smile quivered about his lips ; and I saw that he spoke in a low, hurried, and gibbering murmur, as if unconscious of my presence. Bending closely over him, I at length drank in the hideous import of his words † (Poe 6). The diction used has much hurt and anguish. The hurt exists because the narrator notices that his friend is doomed. The narrator also uses the words â€Å"shudder†, â€Å"hideous†, and â€Å"sickly† to describe how Rodrick acts. The word choice that the narrator uses emphasizes that Rodrick is doomed. The pain of seeing his best friend in this situation would force any reasonable man, such as the narrator, to â€Å"wipe his hands clean†. The narrator originally intends to save Rodrick, but once he sees what state Rodrick is in, he realizes all hope is lost. He is sincerely pleased to see Rodrick when the letter first comes and believes that their relationship will be like it once was, until he met Rodrick in person. He cares about Rodrick, but realizes that Mr. Usher is doomed. He is disgusted by the â€Å"new† Rodrick and rejects him. He understands he must â€Å"wipe his hands clean†. The narrator has a very intricate relationship with his old friend Rodrick Usher.

Ultrasound Imaging Systems

Ultrasound Imaging Systems 1.1 INTRODUCTION An ultrasound scans also known as ultrasonography. Ultrasound will form the image by scanning using the high frequency sound waves. This device suitable to evaluate some part inside of the body. In physics, ultrasound is a sound with a frequency humans cannot hear. In diagnostic sonography, the ultrasound is usually between 2 and 18 MHz. (Anon 2012) 2.0 THE ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEM Figure 1 : The principal functional components of an ultrasound imaging system.(Perry Sprawls n.d.) 2.1 TRANSDUCER The ultrasound transducer converts an electrical signal into the ultrasound beam. The signal transmitted into the patient’s body, and then alters the returning echo into an electrical signal for processing and display. It use single-element circular disk to both transmit and receive ultrasound. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 2.1.1 CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSDUCER Crystal of piezoelectric material with electrodes is the main part of the transducer. The electrodes are formed by plating a thin film of gold or silver on the crystal surface. The matching layer is located adjacent to the electrodes. The function is to improve the transfer of energy to and from the patient. All this part of the transducer is placed in an electrically insulating casing. This casing will give structural support. An acoustic insulator is made of rubber or cork it works to prevents the transmission of ultrasound energy into the casing. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 2.1.1.1 PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS When we change the transducer it will change the frequency too. A higher frequency transducer that produces a shorter wavelength has a thinner crystal. Normally the material that always almost used in transducer is lead zirconate titanate (PZT). PZT represents a piezoelectric ceramics with various extracts. It will change the properties to equal a particular application. In medical, PZT-5 is used because it has the properties of high electromechanical coupling coefficient, high dielectric constant, and ability to be formed in a particular size and shape. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 2.1.1.2 BACKING MATERIAL The functions of backing material will deliver the maximum amount of energy in the form of heat to the patient. This is will give a continuous output of ultrasound waves from the transducer. The other function is to absorb all the energy except for the one cycle of sound. Meaning’s that one that produced from the front face of the transducer. Backing materials should have acoustic impedance so that maximum energy transfer will occur. Besides that, backing material should have a high absorption coefficient. This is to prevent ultrasonic energy from reentering the crystal. In the backing material, they will use an epoxy resin and tungsten powder combination to damp the ultrasonic pulse. Next, the rear surface of the backing materials is slanted to prevent reflection of sound energy into the crystal. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 2.1.1.3 MATCHING LAYER The matching layer is placed in the transducer on the exit side of the crystal. This material with acoustic impedance is placed between the crystal and the patient. The function of the acoustic impedance to produced ultrasonic energy to be largely reflected at this interface. This creates a long pulse and reduces the beam intensity that enters the patient, which is we did not want it in the ultrasound. The reason why we need the matching layer is to shorten the pulse and the improve energy transfer across the crystal-tissue interface. However, the matching layer must have low-loss properties since high attenuation would stabilize the desired effect of high transmission. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 2.2 PULSE GENERATOR The pulse generator produces the electrical pulses. The size of the electrical pulses can be used to change the intensity and energy of the ultrasound beam. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 2.3 AMPLIFICATION After the echo is received by the transducer, amplification is used to intensification the size of the electrical pulses. Gain setting will controls the amount of amplification. The time gain compensation function is to alter the increase in relationship to the distance of echo sites inside the body. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 2.4 SCAN GENERATOR Controlling the scanning of the ultrasound beam is done by the scan generator. The way is by control the procedure when electrical pulses are functional to the piezoelectric elements in the transducer. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 2.5 IMAGE PROCESSOR The digital imageis to produce the chosenforms for display. This includes giving it specific contrast characteristics and reformatting the image. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 2.6 DISPLAY The digital ultrasound images are observed on the monitor and transmitted to work station. The other part of the ultrasound system is the digital storage device. The function is to store images for later viewing.(Perry Sprawls n.d.) 3.0 THE ULTRASOUND PULSE Figure 3 : The production of the ultrasound pulse. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 4.0 ULTRASOUND CHARACTERISTIC 4.1 FREQUENCY Frequency is the number of wave cycles passing a given point in a given increase of time. The unit is cycles/ second or hertz. Frequency is the inverse of the period. (Hedrick et al. 2005) Figure 4 : The ultrasound pulse frequency. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 4.2 VELOCITY Velocity is the rate and direction at which sound propagates through a medium. The average velocity of sound in soft tissue is 1540 m/s. (Hedrick et al. 2005) Figure 5 : The ultrasound of velocity. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 4.3 WAVELENGTH Wavelength is a physical characteristic of a wave that is the distance for one complete wave cycle. (Hedrick et al. 2005) Figure 6 : The wavelength of the ultrasound. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 4.4 AMPLITUDE Amplitude used to refer to the particle displacement, particle velocity or acoustic pressure of a sound wave. Amplitude also show the strength of the detected echo or the voltage induced in a crystal by a pressure wave. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 5.0 INTENSITY AND POWER Intensity is a physical parameter that describes the amount of energy flowing through a unit cross-sectional area of a beam each second. This is the rate at which the wave transmits the energy over a small area. The unit of intensity is the watt per square centimeter or joule per second per square centimeter. (Hedrick et al. 2005) Power is a measure of the total energy transmitted summed over the entire cross-sectional area of the beam per unit time. The unit of power is the watt. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 5.1 TEMPORAL CHARACTERISTICS As the transducer emits pulses, it causes large instabilities of intensity in the region through which the pulse move. Each pulse consists of multiple cycles that produce intensity variations within the pulse itself-the maximum intensity, designated temporal peak (TP). Pulse average (PA) will controls the intensity averaged over the duration of a single pulse. Temporal average (TA) will controls the intensity averaged over the longer interval of the pulse repetition period. The TA intensity is related to the PA intensity by the duty factor (DF): TA = DFÃâ€"PA or by the pulse duration (PD) and pulse repetition frequency (PRF):TA =PD Ãâ€" PRF Ãâ€" PA.(Hedrick et al. 2005) 5.2 SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS The maximum intensity of all measured values within the sound field is designated as the spatial peak (SP). The designation of spatial peak is not well-defined. In some applications it refers to the maximum intensity in a plane perpendicular to the beam axis at a particular distance from the transducer. The maximum intensity throughout the ultrasonic field which usually occurs along the beam axis. The focusing of the transducer is the most important determinant of spatial peak.(Hedrick et al. 2005) 5.3 TEMPORAL/SPATIAL COMBINATION Spatial averaging over the cross-sectional area of the beam for each temporal intensity is also specified. A cutoff point of 0.25 times the SP intensity has been established to the limit area over which the intensity is averaged. These three combinations are possible to happen are I(SATP)-spatial average, temporal peak intensity, I(SAPA)-spatial average, pulse average intensity and I(SATA)-spatial average, temporal average intensity.(Hedrick et al. 2005) 6.0 INTERACTIONS OF ULTRASOUND Figure 7: The interaction within a body of ultrasound (Perry Sprawls n.d.). 6.1 ABSORPTION AND ATTENUATION Absorption is the procedure whereby energy is placed in a medium by converting ultrasonic energy into other energy forms, primarily heat. It is an exponentially decreasing function and is the major factor in the total attenuation of the beam. (Hedrick et al. 2005) Attenuation is the decrease in intensity as a sound beam travels through the medium. Attenuation depends on all the interactions of ultrasound with tissues which include scattering, divergence, and absorption. (Hedrick et al. 2005) Scattering is the rerouting of sound energy resulting from the sound beam striking an interface whose physical dimension is less than one wavelength. It is also called non specular reflection. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 6.2 REFLECTION Reflection is an interaction that results when the sound being redirected into the medium after striking an acoustic interface. The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. The intensity of the reflected wave is depends on the composition of the interface. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 6.3 REFRACTION Refraction is a process whereby sound enters one medium from another that will result in a bending or deviation of a sound beam from the predictable straight-line path. Refraction obeys Snell’s law, which is based on the ratio of the velocity of the sound in the respective media. Refraction will make artifacts in the image by the misregistration of structures (Hedrick et al. 2005) 7.0 PULSE DIAMETER AND BEAM WIDTH A low-Q transducer has a short pulse length and a broad bandwidth while a high-Q transducer has a long pulse length and narrow bandwidth. The objectives beam width is to transmit a beam that would be directional with a narrow beam width. An echo is created anyway of the lateral position of the object in the ultrasonic field. The lateral dimension of the object in the image is defined as the same size as the beam width. Multiple small objects equidistant from the transducer are not resolved when encompassed by the beam. Focusing reduces the beam width at specific depth to enhance the spatial mapping of received echoes.(Ding et al. 2014) Sampling is restricted laterally by the width of the beam. Objects located outside the beam do not contribute signals. (Small 1971) 7.1 TRANSDUCER FOCUSSING The focusing transducer made-up with an indented active element exhibits much broader bandwidth and higher sensitivity. To fabricate focusing transducers, we can add a lens and shaping the piezoelectric element. Among the focusing transducer designing methods, the shaping element used in transducers was reported to be much effective for fabricating high sensitivity device. Hard pressing and pressure defection techniques are the usual ways to shape transducer elements. For the flexible composite and polymer materials, the focusing transducer can be easily fabricated using those techniques.(Chen et al. 2013) Figure 8: The width and pulse diameter characteristics of both unfocused and focused transducer. (Perry Sprawls n.d.) 7.2 ADJUSTABLE TRANSMIT FOCUS Transmit focusing happen when the depth of the focal zone is altered by varying the delay times between crystal excitations. (Wright 1997)The scanning of the region of interest is conducted with a depth of focus selected by the operator. After review of the real-time image, a new focal zone may be certain to rescan the same area with dissimilar focusing in the scan plane. The beam is focused to a new depth simply by changing the delay times. The transducers that have the capabilities of this focusing are phased linear arrays. (Kossoff Eng 2000)Electronic phasing of the elements allows variable focusing along the scan line which in turn controls beam width in the plane direction. High resolution images with multiple focal zones throughout the images are also possible using this adjustment delay lines. Multi zone transmit focusing reduces the frame rate, because the data must be composed for all the lines of sight across the array with a set focal zone depth before the lines of sight are repetitive with a different focal zone depth. 7.3 DYNAMIC RECEIVE FOCUS Dynamic focusing is in the receive mode. It does will reduce the effective sampling volume.(Kossoff Eng 2000) Dynamic focusing will operate at all depths. The wave front from the object appears to be in phase for all the crystals resulting in a focused beam from the depth of interest. Beam formation is the delay and sum of strategy. The master synchronizer sends timing messages to the receiver-delay lines to indicate the elapsed time from transmission to reception. The elapsed time determines the delay times for each crystal. The depth for receive focus is always known, and thus receive-delay times are constantly changed to yield continually focused beam at all depths. During acquisition of image data the receive times delays are varied dynamically to sweep the focal zone to each point along the scan line. (Hedrick et al. 2005) 8.0 CONCLUSION In ultrasound, high frequencies provide better quality images, but cannot penetrate through skin and organ deeply. Low frequencies can penetrate deeper, but the image quality is poor. Ultrasound is useful to view part inside of the body. They may also be useful in helping the surgeon when carrying out some types of biopsies. Ultrasound is a one of the safe procedure in imaging department.

History of Climate Records and Climate Change in Mexico City Essay exam

History of Climate Records and Climate Change in Mexico City Mexico City lies in the Basin of Mexico, and has been one of the most densely-populated areas of the world for thousands of years[1]. Consequently, it serves as a prime area for exploration of human impacts on climate and climate change. Mountains surround the Basin of Mexico on three sides; when the Spanish conquered the basin in 1519, it contained five lakes that connected during times of abundant precipitation. The lakes were drained as modern Mexico City expanded and today the majority of the basin is covered with human structures and concrete roads (Kasperson et al, 1995). With latitude 19 degrees and an elevation of 2250m, Mexico City has a temperate climate year-round. Summer brings intense convective rains caused by the unstable air and moist conditions of the prevailing trade winds (Juaregei, 1997). An abundance of historical data has the power to tell us whether the climate has always been this way, or if manÕs overbearing presence in the Basin of Mexico has had real effects on the areaÕs climate. Source: www.holyartworks.com Lake Texcoco, the site of modern Mexico City, during the time of Aztec rule (around 1500) Although the area that Mexico City now occupies has was settled by man over 6,000 years ago, regular reports of temperature and rainfall were not collected until 1826. The Mexico City newspaper, El Sol, was the publication that first made regular weather reports available (OÕHara and Metcalfe, 1995). More widespread collection of weather data was taken beginning in the 1870Õs through the newly-establish Meteorological Observatory, which introduced meteorological stations throughout the country, but civil unrest later on... ...ents. Eds. Jeanne X. Kasperson, Rogr E. Kasperson, and B.L. Truner II. New York: United Nations University Press, 1995. Juaregei, Ernesto. ÒClimate Changes in Mexico During the Historical and Instrumented Periods.Ó Quarternary International. Vol. 43/44. (1997): 7-17. Juaregei, Ernesto. ÒHeat Island Development in Mexico City.Ó Atmospheric Environment. Vol. 31, No.22. (1997): 3821-3831. Metcalfe, Sarah E. ÒHistoical Data and Climatic Change in Mexico: A Review.Ó The Geographical Journal. Vol. 153, No. 2. (1987): 211-222. OÕHara, Sarah L., and Sarah E. Metcalfe. ÒThe Climate of Mexico Since the Aztec Period.Ó Quarternary International. Vol. 43/44. (1997): 25-31. OÕHara, Sarah L., and Sarah E. Metcalfe. ÒReconstructing the Climate of Mexico from Historical Records.Ó The Holocene. Vol. 5, No. 4. (1995): 485-490.

Black & Decker Essay -- Business, Globalization

Black & Decker was recognized as the power tools international industry leader during the early1980’s. However, due to the maturity of its power tools business and competition from companies joining the global market, B&D shifted from a single business firm to a diversified company. Early success with acquisitions such as GE propelled the company to acquire Emhart, a highly diversified manufacturer of industrial products. The acquisition of Emhart is well documented and provides a roadmap for the internal and external challenges and opportunities companies face when attempting to gain market share, increase profits, and expand globally through diversification. Thus, the integration and globalization strategy B&D used after buying Emhart will be examined. Globalization Strategy 1. What do you think of Grunewald’s plan for creating a â€Å"global lock business†? Grunewald’s plan to gain market share by acquiring a company that will continue Black & Decker’s diversification strategy and provide inroads to other international markets had merit. It was, in fact, what he was hired to do- expand the business globally (Cummings & Worley, 2009). According to B&D CEO, Nolan Archibald, Emhart’s distribution channels and products such as Kwikset door locks, Price Pfister faucets, and Bostik adhesives, aligned with B&D’s product lines, in other words, it was a good fit (Deutsch, 1989). Moreover, both companies have international experience. B&D targets homeowners while Emhart’s target market is industrial (Deutsch, 1989). Also, the merger will increase B&D’s margin significantly. For example, Archibald estimates increased revenues of $50 million by moving products through integrated distribution channels (Deutsch, 1989). Finally,... ...its global strategy and be competitive with existing international companies (Yips, 1996). Conclusion The ability to compete globally is a problem all companies face. It requires a departure from traditional methods of operation and an awareness of external and internal forces that can undermine a company’s success. Thus, a clear strategic plan engineered by experienced and committed managers is necessary. B&D assumed that its past success with diversification and acquisitions inoculated them from making a mis-step. This bravado, if you will, caused B&D to ignore the warning signs when acquiring Emhart; a venture that took approximately ten years to recover from. Consequently, B&D returned to its core strategy of product innovation, quality, and concentration on profitable company acquisitions in order to remain competitive in the global market. Black & Decker Essay -- Business, Globalization Black & Decker was recognized as the power tools international industry leader during the early1980’s. However, due to the maturity of its power tools business and competition from companies joining the global market, B&D shifted from a single business firm to a diversified company. Early success with acquisitions such as GE propelled the company to acquire Emhart, a highly diversified manufacturer of industrial products. The acquisition of Emhart is well documented and provides a roadmap for the internal and external challenges and opportunities companies face when attempting to gain market share, increase profits, and expand globally through diversification. Thus, the integration and globalization strategy B&D used after buying Emhart will be examined. Globalization Strategy 1. What do you think of Grunewald’s plan for creating a â€Å"global lock business†? Grunewald’s plan to gain market share by acquiring a company that will continue Black & Decker’s diversification strategy and provide inroads to other international markets had merit. It was, in fact, what he was hired to do- expand the business globally (Cummings & Worley, 2009). According to B&D CEO, Nolan Archibald, Emhart’s distribution channels and products such as Kwikset door locks, Price Pfister faucets, and Bostik adhesives, aligned with B&D’s product lines, in other words, it was a good fit (Deutsch, 1989). Moreover, both companies have international experience. B&D targets homeowners while Emhart’s target market is industrial (Deutsch, 1989). Also, the merger will increase B&D’s margin significantly. For example, Archibald estimates increased revenues of $50 million by moving products through integrated distribution channels (Deutsch, 1989). Finally,... ...its global strategy and be competitive with existing international companies (Yips, 1996). Conclusion The ability to compete globally is a problem all companies face. It requires a departure from traditional methods of operation and an awareness of external and internal forces that can undermine a company’s success. Thus, a clear strategic plan engineered by experienced and committed managers is necessary. B&D assumed that its past success with diversification and acquisitions inoculated them from making a mis-step. This bravado, if you will, caused B&D to ignore the warning signs when acquiring Emhart; a venture that took approximately ten years to recover from. Consequently, B&D returned to its core strategy of product innovation, quality, and concentration on profitable company acquisitions in order to remain competitive in the global market.

Copyright Laws :: essays papers

Copyright Laws CHAPTER 1 Lennie and George are two friends during the depression. Lennie is a big guy that is not very intelligent. George is a medium size man that takes care of all the business. In the first chapter George and Lennie talk about getting a new job at a ranch. They want to save enough money to build their own ranch and â€Å"Live off tha fatt a the land.† They explain that they will have bunnies, alfalfa, and other goods to sell. CHAPTER 2 George and Lennie get the new job in chapter two. They meet the people they will be working with. Candy is an old man that has a dog. Slim is a respected man. Curley is the boss’s son who is small and used to box. Curley is also a jealous man who has a wife. Curley’s wife is known as a tart. She talks to all of the guys even when she shouldn’t. Crooks is a black man, the stable buck who isn’t aloud to be by the white people much. This chapter is mainly about George and Lennie meeting all of the new co-workers. CHAPTER 3 All of the guys on the ranch think Candy should get rid of his dog. The dog is old, stinky, and can’t even walk or eat. Slim tells Candy that the dog should be shot for his own good. Slim shoots the dog. Curley and Lennie get into a fight. Lennie doesn’t really understand why. Curly wants to fight. Curley is a jealous man and hates the fact that Lennie is bigger than him. Lennie blocks a punch from Curley and broke his hand. Lennie also got a new puppy in chapter three. Lennie spends as much time as he can with his new dog. CHAPTER 4 All of the men went to the whore house except for Lennie, Crooks, and Candy. When Lennie went to check on his puppy, he decided to talk to Crooks in his room. Crooks’ room was part of the stable. There were shoes, hay, horse reins, and horse shoes everywhere. Crooks didn’t really want Lennie to come inside, but he thought some company was better than none. Curley’s wife came to see what was up. Crooks told her to leave. Curley’s wife was mean and told Crooks that she would have him hung if he wasn’t nice to her. Copyright Laws :: essays papers Copyright Laws CHAPTER 1 Lennie and George are two friends during the depression. Lennie is a big guy that is not very intelligent. George is a medium size man that takes care of all the business. In the first chapter George and Lennie talk about getting a new job at a ranch. They want to save enough money to build their own ranch and â€Å"Live off tha fatt a the land.† They explain that they will have bunnies, alfalfa, and other goods to sell. CHAPTER 2 George and Lennie get the new job in chapter two. They meet the people they will be working with. Candy is an old man that has a dog. Slim is a respected man. Curley is the boss’s son who is small and used to box. Curley is also a jealous man who has a wife. Curley’s wife is known as a tart. She talks to all of the guys even when she shouldn’t. Crooks is a black man, the stable buck who isn’t aloud to be by the white people much. This chapter is mainly about George and Lennie meeting all of the new co-workers. CHAPTER 3 All of the guys on the ranch think Candy should get rid of his dog. The dog is old, stinky, and can’t even walk or eat. Slim tells Candy that the dog should be shot for his own good. Slim shoots the dog. Curley and Lennie get into a fight. Lennie doesn’t really understand why. Curly wants to fight. Curley is a jealous man and hates the fact that Lennie is bigger than him. Lennie blocks a punch from Curley and broke his hand. Lennie also got a new puppy in chapter three. Lennie spends as much time as he can with his new dog. CHAPTER 4 All of the men went to the whore house except for Lennie, Crooks, and Candy. When Lennie went to check on his puppy, he decided to talk to Crooks in his room. Crooks’ room was part of the stable. There were shoes, hay, horse reins, and horse shoes everywhere. Crooks didn’t really want Lennie to come inside, but he thought some company was better than none. Curley’s wife came to see what was up. Crooks told her to leave. Curley’s wife was mean and told Crooks that she would have him hung if he wasn’t nice to her.

Religious Freedom

Religious freedom occupies a special place in contemporary political discussions. It should not. This is not because religious freedom is not important but because it is no more and no less important than other forms of freedom of conscience, belief and practice. 2 Many believers point out that faith plays a unique role in their lives. That is often true. Those atheists who dismiss belief in God as no more credible than belief in Santa Claus or in fairies miss the point.Religion is more than an intellectual exercise or a matter of logic; it often has, for believers, a vital social and spiritual function. But acknowledging the vital and unique role of faith in the lives of believers does not commit us to providing it with a privileged position in society. 3 The reason that religious freedom has a special place in contemporary political debate is historical. Ideas of tolerance and of freedom of expression developed in Europe from the seventeenth century onwards primarily within a relig ious framework.Questions of toleration and expression were at heart questions of how, and how far, the state, and the established church, should accommodate religious dissent. We can see this in the arguments of John Locke, whose Letter Concerning Toleration is a key text in the development of modern liberal ideas about freedom of expression and worship. Locke’s starting point was the insistence that the duty of every individual was to seek his own salvation. The means to do so were his religious beliefs and the ability openly to worship.The power of the political authorities could not rightfully extend over either sphere. Written at a time when Europe was rent by tempestuous religious strife, and when intolerance and persecution were the norm, Locke’s was a powerful argument for religious freedom. It was also an exceedingly narrow conception of liberty. Locke’s toleration was rooted primarily in the desire to extend freedom of worship and theological discussion to nonconformist congregations and placed little emphasis on wider issues of freedom of thought or conscience.Indeed Locke was emphatic in refusing to extend toleration to many other groups. Neither Catholics not atheists were, in Locke’s view, deserving of tolerance, the former because they gave their allegiance to a ‘foreign prince’, the latter because their opinions were ‘contrary to human society’ and ‘to the preservation of civil society’. 4 Locke’s near contemporary, the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza, whose views influenced the Radical Enlightenment, proposed a different concept of tolerance.Spinoza’s starting point, was not, as it was for Locke, the salvation of one’s soul, or the coexistence of churches, but the enhancement of freedom, and the quest for individual liberty and freedom of expression. All attempts to curb free expression, he insisted, not only curtailed legitimate freedom but was futile. â⠂¬ËœNo man†¦ can give up his freedom to judge and think as he pleases, and everyone is by absolute natural right master of his own thoughts’, Spinoza wrote, so ‘it follows that utter failure will attend any attempt in a state to force men to speak only as prescribed by the sovereign despite their different and opposing opinion.’ ’The right of the sovereign, both in the religious and secular spheres’, he concluded, ‘should be restricted to men’s actions, with everyone being allowed to think what he wishes and say what he thinks’. It is a more inclusive vision of freedom than Locke’s, and a more useful starting point – and conclusion – when thinking about contemporary freedom. 5 Modern ideas of freedom and tolerance are usually seen, particularly in the West, as having derived from Locke. In fact they draw upon both Locke and Spinoza. The US First Amendment owes much to Spinoza’s conception of freed om.Even in Europe, where freedom of expression is construed in narrower terms, Spinoza’s influence remains important, if unacknowledged. However, despite the broadening of the conception of liberty and tolerance, the idea that freedom of religion is a special freedom, an idea that derives primarily from Locke, remains entrenched. 6 Today, we live in very different world from that in which concepts of religious freedom first developed. Religion is no longer the crucible within which political and intellectual debates take place.Questions of freedom and tolerance are not about how the dominant religious establishment should respond to dissenting religious views, but about the degree to which society should tolerate, and the law permit, speech and activity that might be offensive, hateful, harmful to individuals or undermine national security. We can now see more clearly that religious freedom is not a special kind of liberty but one of a broader set of freedoms. If we were thin k about religious freedom from first principles today, it would not have a special place compared to other forms of freedom of conscience, belief, assembly or action.7 Whatever one’s beliefs, secular or religious, there should be complete freedom to express them, short of inciting violence or other forms of physical harm to others. Whatever one’s beliefs, secular or religious, there should be freedom to assemble to promote them. And whatever one’s beliefs, secular or religious, there should be freedom to act upon those beliefs, so long as in so doing one neither physically harms another individual without their consent, nor transgresses that individual’s rights in the public sphere.These should be the fundamental principles by which we judge the permissibility of any belief or act, whether religious or secular. 8 Many on both sides of the debate about religious freedom continue to treat religion as special. Many atheists want to deny religion the rights a ccorded to others forms of belief. Many religious believers want to retain privileges for religion. Both are wrong. 9 Some atheists argue that secularism requires that religion be kept out of the public sphere.It is an argument that cannot be right any more than the claim that the views of racists, conservatives, communists or gay activists must be kept out of the public sphere. A secular space cannot be one in which religion is not permitted to be present. It is, rather, a space in which one religion is granted no advantage over another, nor over any secular philosophy or ideology. It must also be one, however, in which no religion is disadvantaged with respect to another religion, or with respect to secular philosophies and ideologies. 10Many atheists demand also that religious symbols be banned in the public sphere. Many states and corporations have imposed such bans, from the refusal to allow the wearing of the cross in the workplace to the outlawing of the burqa in public place s. Such bans are infringements of the basic freedoms set out in #7. An employer has every right to ban kinds of clothing that might be, say, dangerous in a particular workplace. He or she also has the right, in certain circumstances, and within limits, to insist that employees wear a particular uniform, or to desist from wearing something inappropriate.But there should be no general ban on particular forms of clothing or adornment, and certainly no general ban on specifically religious clothing or symbols. 11 The real dilemmas with religious freedom arise out of questions not of beliefs or symbols but of practices. Many beliefs, religious and secular, imply particular practices. The belief that homosexuality is a sin requires that one refrain from gay relationships or gay sex. The belief that life begins at conception requires that one does not have an abortion or help anyone else to do so.And so on. As a society we should tolerate as far as is possible the desire of people to live according to their conscience. But that toleration ends when someone acting upon his or her conscience causes harm to another without consent, or infringes another’s genuine rights. 12 It is not just in the case of religion that there is a strong relationship between belief and practice. Racists, communists, Greens, New Age mystics – all could claim that their beliefs enforce upon them certain actions or practices.We do not, however, allow racists, communists, Greens, or New Age mystics to act upon their beliefs if in so doing they harm others or deny them their legitimate rights. A racist pub owner cannot bar black people from his pub, however deep-set his beliefs. It would be a criminal offence for Greens to destroy a farmer’s field of legally grown GM crops, however strongly they might feel about such agriculture. There is a line, in other words, that cannot be crossed even if conscience requires one to. That line should be in the same place for religious bel ievers as for non-believers.Society should accommodate as far as is possible any action genuinely required by conscience, but not where such acts harms another or infringes their rights. Of course, a religious believer might claim that he or she faces a different kind of compulsion to that felt by a racist, a communist or anyone else attached to secular beliefs. He or she may feel commanded by God to act in a particular way. It may well be true that a believer feels a different kind of compulsion. But the reason for which someone feels compelled to act in a particular way is not necessarily relevant to whether or not such acts should be legally permitted. 13The fact that acts of conscience may sometimes have to be curbed does not mean that in these cases there is a ‘conflict of rights’. Just as there is a right to free speech but no right not to be offended, so there is a right not to be harmed and to equal treatment, but no right to harm or to discriminate. This is ess ential to protect religious freedom. An atheist bar-owner should have no right, whatever his conscience may say, to bar people of faith, any more than a Christian bar-owner has the right to bar gays. Such curbs on acts of conscience simply mean that we live not alone on a desert island but together in a crowded society.14 How would the argument so far throw light on recent conflicts over matters of religious freedom? Should religions have the right to prevent the publication of cartoons or books or plays that are deemed offensive? No. Religious freedom requires that people of faith be allowed to speak or act in ways that might offend others. It does not that require others do not cause offence or promote blasphemy. Is it legitimate for a state to ban the burqa? It is not. Wearing a burqa neither harms, nor discriminates against, others.Of course, one might well believe that the burqa harms the woman who wears it and is an expression of discrimination against women. A liberal society accepts, however, that individuals should free to make choices that may not be in their interest and that, to liberal eyes, demean them. This applies even to particularly distasteful expressions of degradation, such as the wearing of the burqa. If women are forced to wear the burqa against their will, the law should protect them against that coercion. It should not, however, impose a ban on those who have chosen to wear the burqa.Some suggest that burqas cause harm because they may pose security problems, or be incompatible with the needs of particular jobs. Such practical problems can usually be solved on a case-by-case basis without the need for draconian legislation. Should an employee be allowed to wear a cross at work? In almost every case the answer should be ‘Yes’. There may be a pragmatic case for, say, banning loose chains that in certain workplaces may be dangerous; but it is difficult to see what right an employer has simply to ban the wearing of a cross as a religious symbol.Should gay marriage be legalized? Yes. This is a matter both of secular equality and of religious freedom. On the one hand, the state should not exclude gays from the civil institution of marriage simply because of religious hostility. On the other, some faith groups wish to bless to gay marriage. For the state to deny them that right because other faith groups disagree would be to undermine religious freedom. What the state should not do is to force religious bodies to accept or consecrate gay marriage. Should a Catholic adoption agency be allowed to turn away gay prospective parents?If the agency receives public funding, or performs a service on behalf of the state, then the answer is ‘No’. It would then be legitimate for the state to insist that the agency does not discriminate, despite Catholic views on homosexuality. If, however, it is a private agency – if it is simply performing a service for Catholic parents who subscribe to its views o n homosexuality – then the answer should be ‘Yes’. Should Christian bed and breakfast owners be allowed to turn away gays? Such owners, even if they are turning their own home into a b’n’b, are providing a service from which a gay couple could reasonably expect equal treatment.The answer, therefore, is ‘No’. Should Catholic-run hospitals or schools be forced to give employees health insurance that includes free contraception? This is, of course, a source of major controversy in the USA. The answer is ‘Yes’. This is not a matter of religious freedom, but of employee rights. Churches are not being forced to provide contraception. In their role as secular employers, they are being asked to provide employee benefits that all employers must provide. To exempt Church-run organizations would be to deny those benefits to a particular group of employees. 15Having said all this, many of these conflicts would be better resolved throug h the pragmatic use of common sense than through the strict application of principle, particularly when those principles remain socially contested. A religious believer should not normally have the legal right to discriminate. But if it is possible to arrange matters so that a believer can act according to conscience without causing harm or discrimination to others, then it might be worthwhile doing so. In principle, a Christian marriage registrar should expect to have to perform gay civil partnerships, whatever their religious beliefs.However, it might make pragmatic sense to roster others to perform ceremonies for gay couples, not because we should accept prejudice – prejudice, whether religious or secular in form, should always be challenged – but in acknowledgement of the fact that genuine social conflict exists on this issue. We should not give an inch to bigotry. Someone whose ‘conscience’ would not allow them to work with gays, or to marry Jews, sho uld clearly not be indulged. Nevertheless, many oppose gay partnerships or marriages as a matter of conscience and not simply through homophobia (albeit that ‘conscience’ can, of course, often be a cover for homophobia).We can both challenge such attitudes and accept that on matters of genuine conscience, a little leeway or accommodation that allows someone to live by their principles may be desirable. The law should not make any such accommodation. But as individuals, or as organizations, it may be wise to, though not at the cost of causing harm, allowing discrimination or endorsing bigotry. 16 There are exceptional cases in which we should set aside these basic principles. A marriage registrar should be expected in principle, if not necessarily in practice, to perform gay civil partnerships.But we should not expect a doctor or a nurse, even in principle, to perform an abortion, if they feel to do so is against their beliefs. Whatever we may think of the belief that li fe begins at conception, it would be unreasonable in the extreme to expect those who do hold that belief to commit what they consider to be murder. 17 A pragmatic approach to matters of religious conscience is neither a sign of ‘weakness’ nor a matter of ‘accommodating’ the devil. Standing by political principle is vitally important, including the principle that people should have the right to act upon their conscience if possible.Why is that principle important? Because we recognize with Spinoza that ‘No man can give up his freedom to judge and think as he pleases, and everyone is by absolute natural right master of his own thoughts’. To recognize that is to recognize also that it is better if people are persuaded to act in a particular way, by exercising their freedom to judge and think, than being forced to do so by the power of the state. There are times when the state has to wield the big stick, particularly if ‘acts of conscienceâ⠂¬â„¢ lead to physical harm or discrimination.But such occasions, as a matter of principle, should be minimized as far as possible. To be pragmatic in this matter is to keep to one’s principles. 18 The aim of rethinking religious freedom is to strengthen, not weaken, it. It is to establish it not as a special privilege arising out of the turmoil of seventeenth century Europe but as one of a set of indispensible freedoms rooted in the needs and possibilities of the twenty-first century world. To defend religious freedom in this manner is not to defend religion. It is to defend freedom.

Brand Update: Cadbury Dairy Milk For Shubh Aarambh Essay

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk has recently launched a new campaign † Shubh Aarambh† ( meaning Auspicious Beginning ). The campaign is the refined version of the earlier Payday campaign which evoked mixed response from the Ad analysts and consumers. The Shubh Aarambh campaign reinforces the occasion based positioning of Dairy Milk. The brand has been trying to position itself as a symbol of enjoyment and celebrations. Indians have the tradition of sharing sweets on auspicious occasions and also when one initiates a venture/activity. Whether the activity is small like writing an exam or huge like starting a company, sharing of sweets is an integral part of the event. The belief is that good things happen when one starts a venture on a positive note ( like sharing sweets). Dairy Milk very cleverly captured this tradition and incorporated into its brand story. The new campaign takes the brand to the center of this tradition linking Dairy Milk to Sweet and Auspicious Beginning. While the previous PayDay campaign was a narrow interpretation of the occasion based positioning , Shubh Aarambh has given the brand a broad playing ground. In my opinion, the brand has hit upon a really great Big Idea. The concept is very much Indian and offers huge opportunity for creatives to weave great stories for the brand. Watch the launch ad here : Shubh Aarambh The concept also gels with the brand’s tagline † Kuchch Meetha Ho Jaye â€Å". The launch campaign is targeted at younger generation and hence the brand added a little humor and twist into the campaign. Shubh Aarambh is a great idea for this great brand. It will be interesting to see how Dairy Milk milks this idea to the fullest.

Railroads

It was first developed in England in the 17th century. In the year 1827, The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) was the first to offer scheduled freight and passenger service to the public in the US and quickly became the prime mover of people and goods. Due to the rapid increase in demand, importance and feasibility, rail tracks could be laid anywhere and the volume of land potentially available for development expanded tremendously.In the beginning it was difficult o predict with certainty which sites with rail road access will be in demand and at what price. Soon Railroads became the principle mode of transportation and areas started depending on rail access for growth and survival. Many municipalities also paid subsidies to private rail road firms to provide service to their communities. The giant rail road companies not only received the right-of-way from the government but also millions of acres of land along their proposed route. The companies got half the land within 6 to 40 mil es of the right-of-way and the government retained the other half.The companies sold some of their land at appreciated prices and also retained vast acreage so that they can mortgage it and get capital. This turned out to be a good idea especially when politicians and citizens tried to force the sale of land. Over the years, railroad companies have retained ownership of immense quantity of urban and rural land. The land has been sold, leased, developed and has been used for all purposes. Even today, in many cities, rail road companies are still the biggest private land owners. Some of them have even formed real estate divisions to get greater returns on their assets.

Gillette Essay

Case Analysis for Gillette: Product and Marketing Innovation 9/11/2012 Abstract Gillette is seeking means to retain dominance in market share they have lead for the last century. Along with sustaining market share Gillette has continued focus on expanding worldwide into less saturated markets. In this analysis multiple alternatives will be explored in order to make a recommendation on steps that would favor Gillette’s organization in meeting their aspirations. Situation Analysis Product quality and efficient marketing are the core value propositions that set the pace for Gillette’s success. With continued innovation in both product development and marketing strategies Gillette has been able to retain a commanding worldwide market share in a highly competitive, but mature, razor and blade market. Strong market share allowed Gillette to sustain profits even through economic droughts in recent years. On the flip side, Gillette’s innovation success also posed challenges. In order to maintain their market share, a dependency on continuous product improvement formed over time. Now Gillette will need to determine how to balance investment in research and development along with other areas of the organization. At times their own innovation of new product lines impacted their leading product lines in the market. During the 1990s Gillette found themselves cannibalizing their own successful products when trying to out due the competition. Even though internal competition shifted sales from one product line to another, Gillette’s sales were able to re-coop development costs. Expanding market share around the world also revealed challenges with varying religious and culture beliefs. Western influences have started to generate growth with European woman as younger generations watch American movies and television that depict women with sleek underarms and legs. Gillette’s latest innovation, the Fusion 5(+1) blade, was back in 2006. Since then Schick, Gillette’s leading competitor has not responded with their own break through. Gillette should be wondering what Schick might do next. Problem As the market Gillette has lead for so long became mature, their growth ultimately declined due to market saturation and increase competition. Fluctuations occurred only when newer, more innovative products were introduced. This put more pressure on development advancements and marketing tactics. Many analysts believe that Gillette and Schick, leaders in razors and blades, have reached the end of meaningful product innovation [1]. In 2006 when the Fusion 5(+1) blade was introduced, it exploded off the shelves. Gillette sold more than 4 billion Fusion razors with in the first two months. The Fusion’s initial success was quickly fleeting as sales reports showed that razors were outselling the cartridge refills. This was very concerning to Gillette as it is well-known that razor manufacturers earn most of their profits from refills, not the initial razor purchase. Critics also questioned why five blades were needed to get the best shave when Gillette had touted its three-bladed Mach3 as †the best a man can get. † â€Å"Consumer reports conclude that there were no additional performance benefits provided by the five-bladed Fusion, especially when compared to the Mach3† [1 pg391]. Economic recession also impacted sales as Gillette’s products went up in price due to a need to re-coop development costs. How can Gillette continue to maintain or grow market share in a mature market and keep future strategies aligned with customer wants? Alternatives Continue product line and marketing without major change. No additional research and development costs would need to be spent, which in return reduces the need to raise prices for maintaining their profit margin. However the risk looming would be competitor innovation impacting current market share. Schick may produce a new innovative product that would sway consumers from purchasing Gillette’s products. As stated in the case Gillette must find new ways to innovatively out-produce or out-market the competition. Investing in research and development to create new product line or enhance current products adds considerable expenses. Development costs will need to be re-cooped. This will keep competitors in check, but will be challenging to keep pricing competitive. Compliment current leading product lines that keep consumers happy. Promoting Christmas, Father’s day and Mother’s day gift grooming kits that meets more of the consumer’s needs will also introduce consumers to other product lines Gillette has to offer. Focus marketing potential growth opportunities globally by challenging resistance in product awareness and interests. As a Gillette razor consumer, I have encountered an inconvenience that I think can be solved and build customer loyalty. I’ve been using Mach 3 razors for over fifteen years, and when purchasing refills I have found it difficult to find blades that are compatible with the razor handle that I own. Thinking out of the box, what if Gillette were to make razor handles that are compatible with any of Gillette’s product line of refills? This would then provide consumers the freedom to purchase from a variety of Gillette’s product lines without having to spend extra money on a handle that works with the particular product refill. Owning a Gillette universal handle would also encourage customers to stay with Gillette refills as converting to another brand would cost more with the initial required handle purchase. Implementation From the case I would assume Gillette will continue to â€Å"innovatively out-produce or out-market the competition† [1]. I believe moving forward with developing a universal handle with Gillette refills would accomplish this. This would require investment into developing a new handle and rollout of the product. Here is an approximate timeline to complete.

Government Intervention at Boeing and Airbus Case Study

Government Intervention at Boeing and Airbus - Case Study Example Globalization led to the cross-border free flow of capital, labor, information and other resources. Countries began to realize that the only way to reap the fruits of comparative advantage was to compete internationally. FDIs and generation of government revenues were common results of international business in technology intensive areas (page 33) (Cavusgil, Knight, & Reisenberger, 2012) and, thus, the collaboration of various European governments in this respect can be attributed to this reasoning. The major reason behind Boeing’s complains is that the provision of subsidies by the EU government to its competitor Airbus is preventing both the companies to compete on equal footing. It is seen as an unfair trade practice by the U.S, although, the case reflects that the country itself is offering protection to its airline Boeing, albeit, in a different way. Thus, although the U.S government is not providing outright subsidies to Boeing, it is still protecting its business by bes towing it with military contracts. The key elements highlighted in the case are those of intervention through provision of subsidies, development of infrastructure, tax rebates and strategic national contracts. Part of the explanation underlying government support for Airbus is grounded in the democratic socialism political system of the EU. As learnt in the text, this form of system called social democracy is characterized by government intervention in private enterprises and in business activities.... To this extent, as pointed out in the case study, the governments of various EU countries including the French, German, Spanish and British governments have embarked on a mission to enhance the international competitiveness of its national airline, Airbus, through the provision of subsidies primarily. A major implication of globalization has been that in the midst of cut-throat competition, companies often find themselves competing on costs. The text also supports the fact that the costs of doing business are relatively higher in the EU which is largely because of high corporate taxes (page 178) (Cavusgil, Knight, & Reisenberger, 2012). This is a major reason behind the government rationale to support Airbus financially. To this extent that the cost of capital in EU is higher than that in U.S, the government’s intervention in Airbus’s operations is justified. The defensive rationale of government intervention manifests itself along these lines of thinking by claiming th at protection of the national economy is a major factor behind government intervention (page 204) (Cavusgil, Knight, & Reisenberger, 2012). The offensive rationale is also applicable here, since one of the major reasons for government intervention in the case of Airbus was to protect the infant industry that could not compete effectively with the two giants (Mac Douglas and Boeing) and the creation of tax revenues. Also one of the fundamental justifications for the same was the generation of jobs and employment opportunities that were created once Airbus had its operations all over Europe (Cavusgil, Knight, & Reisenberger, 2012). Furthermore, this move of European governments to support Airbus and make it

Information Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Systems - Research Paper Example Despite the efficiency and effectiveness of the communication system at the company, Hierarchical Network Design incorporation offers more benefits (White & Donohue, 2014). To meet the fundamental network design goals, a network should be developed on an architecture that permits both flexibilities as well as growth. The hierarchical design is effectively used to group devices into various networks. Such a network design involves subdividing the network into various discrete layers. Every layer provides precise functions that outline its role within the network in totality (Oppenheimer, 2005). Through separating the functions that are on a network, the network design becomes very proper for use for this business for it becomes modular, facilitating scalability as well as performance. Such are the urgent concern for a modern day bicycle manufacturing business. The usual hierarchical design is broken up into distinctly three layers, core, access and access, distribution. The core layer, for instance, will connect distribution layer devices. Access layer, on the other hand, has the main purpose providing a direct connection to network devices and controlli ng the devices allowed to communicate with it. Finally, distribution layer has the role of interconnecting the smaller local networks. As a conclusion, by examining the communication network within Mosaic Cycle; the overall efficiency and effectiveness of this system are evident. Nonetheless, as evident in the paper hierarchical network possess advantages over this network designs thus recommended.

Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Resource Management - Essay Example Other large national surveys show that there are differences in both the broader attributes of health like educational attainment, lifestyle, income levels, living and working conditions and in health outcomes. There are also important differences between and within black and ethnic minority groups. This paper attempts to highlight, analyze and evaluate the prospect of using skilled, qualified and bilingual teachers to improve literacy and numeracy among black and minority ethnic groups at a primary inner city school in Sheffield with 90% BME children. This phase will focus on how the school will locate and then proceed to plan its resources (the teachers) so that they can be utilized to achieve the objectives of the school, which are to increase the rates of literacy and numeracy among black and minority ethnic groups. This stage could involve several issues and a number of methods can be used to identify potential recruits that can be incorporated into the school’s system. Identification may involve the following: The school may create a network which will be entirely dedicated to identifying and hiring teachers who have attractive attributes and credentials. This network will be allocated the necessary resources so that it can be able to perform its duties effectively in order to help achieve the objectives of the school. The network will be charged with the task of traversing different areas ranging from other schools to colleges that provide training to prospective teachers. The government is a huge source of information on the performance of various schools with specific information on the performance of individual teachers. Working closely with the government can lead to access to this type of information and as a result the school can be able to use this information to identify the teachers it thinks can help it achieve its goals and objectives. This includes

Child Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Development - Essay Example e â€Å"feelings†, while the behaviorist would take a more practical approach and try to show the young child that there was indeed nothing to fear in the dark externally. Chapter 2 †¨2a Connection: Read the description of the study investigating antisocial boys and their friendships on page 44 of your text. The data collection method was structured observation. What type of research design did the researchers use, and why? †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ The researchers used qualitative research in order to study antisocial boys and their friendships.1 Structured observation is a more qualitative type of measurement than necessarily a quantitative one would be. The type of research design should be correlational; this method should be utilized because it would probably be the most fruitful. 3a Application: Nora, pregnant for the first time, has heard about the teratogenic impact of alcohol and tobacco. Nevertheless, she believes that a few cigarettes and a glass of wine a day wont be harmful. Provide Nora with research-based reasons for not smoking or drinking. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Nora should know that research shows that expectant mothers who smoke typically have lower birth weights and are much more likely to be born premature. Also, drinking alcohol while pregnant may pose a significant development risk to the fetus, and continued drinking (of one glass per day) could give the child Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which is characterized by certain facial deformities. 4b Application: After several weeks of crawling, Benji learned to avoid going headfirst down a steep incline. Now he has started to walk. Can his mother trust him not to try walking down the steep surface? Explain, using the concept of affordances. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Benji’s mother should not trust the baby to walk down a steep surface even though he has stopped going headfirst down a steep decline. His balance might not totally be adjusted yet since he is just learning to walk. The baby must use the concept of affordances to derive (by

Quality of life and functioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Quality of life and functioning - Essay Example A holistic nursing plan is vital when caring for patients as in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. Among other things, the nurse as a care giver should work together with health facilities and community members in the promotion and maintenance of health, illness care and rehabilitation of patients. Quality of Life and Functioning Good health is desirable for all people whether they are reasonable or not. However, in some instances, human beings end up being affected by chronic diseases, such as cancer, that have grievous implications on the life of an individual. Chronic diseases like cancer can lead a person to experience grave depression as he/she tries to deal with the effects of the disease. Individuals with chronic diseases often experience challenges in their social life as they are not able to enjoy life as expected (Aldwin & Gilmer, 2004). It is important to note that persons with chronic diseases need to be given adequate care. They should be assisted to meet their personal ne eds, such as bathing, toileting and dressing. In addition, they should be given the necessary assistance in performing their daily tasks like shopping, paying bills, using telephone, as well as navigating physical and social environments. Health promotion services should be able to optimize health and healthy behavior of individuals suffering from chronic diseases. ... Dangerous diseases, such as breast cancer affecting Mrs. Thomas, have serious effects in life. They can interfere with quite a lot of everyday activities of an individual. The disease may affect the senses making it difficult for the patient to see or hear, thereby affecting personal mobility. The disease also has diverse effects on the social life of the individual. Such patients should be assisted to achieve their normal body functioning as suggested by Aldwin and Gilmer (2004). Health care is extremely necessary since it enables the improvement of patients’ lives. Caregivers should consider nutrition, dental care, exercise and physical activity when attending to patients. Care givers should also ensure that patients suffering from cancer stop smoking cigarette. The main aspects that must be addressed in the life of the patient that should be managed effectively include the physical, psychological, and social components. Health promotion and quality of life practices are ver y important in ensuring that patients suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer get necessary support from their care givers. Without health promotion tips, the patient risks suffering from depression; they may even succumb to the disease easily (Aldwin & Gilmer, 2004). Personal perceptions affect Mrs. and Mr. Thomas in several ways. The two see their heath status to bee too serious that they will eventually succumb. Patients who have personal perceptions that they can never get well are very difficult to treat. The nurse can provide the best possible care but without change in perception, there can never be change. Personal perceptions lead to more depression. Secondly, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas believe that friends have