The Hubble Telescope Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Hubble Telescope - Research Paper Example The Hubble telescope was the first space anchored telescope by man. Hubble has proven to be the key to the casket of knowledge pertaining to the skies of the space. It has helped in answering the most fascinating and intriguing queries of the astronomers of the planet Earth. The Hubble has had the privilege of researching out and about almost everything in the Universe known so far, from black holes to other solar systems in which planets revolve around stars similar to our own milky way. Astronomy was given a new meaning ever since Hubble endeavored upon its cruise as a result of which mankind has been steered on a new mission. The present study initiates from an introduction of what the universe is. It proceeds further with the reason behind the development of the Hubble Telescope and ventures into its twenty one year journey so far. THE UNIVERSE The Universe is everything around us. It has unimaginable boundaries that can neither be seen with naked human eye nor can be imagined. P resent studies state that the Universe is ever expanding. Known to be made up of dust particles, numerous metals, gases, stars, clouds, galaxies and life forms, the universe has been the source of inquisitiveness for man ever since ancient times. The planet Earth on which human beings reside is one planet in one of the innumerable solar systems that spread out in the universe. Earth’s sky is filled with small specks of distant celestial objects whether they be stars or anything else. The fact that these specks of light are not just light bulbs in the sky but actually are celestial objects became known to man only after inventions and discoveries in the field of information and communications technology. Prior to them man could think of the Universe only till where his imagination took him. HISTORY The advent of information and communications technology dates back to the days of Galileo. Galileo’s invention of the telescope in the year 1609 was the major breakthrough in looking up distant things. It was the phenomenon of telescope only that bought life into the mere light specks that the Earth’s night sky displayed. There was unanimity in the desire of all the scientists: to see further more and more into the skies. Galileo’s Earth based telescope

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Marketing Management - Essay Example h East Asian countries are increasingly focusing on the liberalization of services sector by 2015 with regards to the ASEAN Economic Community agreement (Deloitte Global Services Ltd 6). The liberalization of services under this scheme will result to diversification of healthcare services by market competitors, thereby posing a significant challenge to the growth prospects of PPL (Thai News Service). A key legal issue that has to be taken into consideration is the fact of the joint imitative between the Ministry of Health, Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board, which is focusing on providing the legal frameworks and policy designing surrounding the formation of public private partnerships to drive innovation and solving the government’s long term needs (Deloitte Global Services Ltd 9). This will automatically attract a lot investment, thereby increasing the growth of competition in the healthcare service sector (Healthcare). Another key legal factor that has to be taken into consideration is the factor of various legal frameworks that are emerging with regards to the fact of positioning of the South East Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and India as medical hubs in the wake of emerging opportunities surrounding medical tourism. The favorable legal frameworks that will be designed jointly by these south East Asian countries in order to capitalize on the growth opportunities will significantly play a key role in increasing the level of competition in these markets by attracting significant amount of investments from rival healthcare service providers. The most important critical factor is the point that the global population is becoming older, which has led governments to provide various health benefits schemes which can be availed from various local public healthcare centers. Another critical factor is the fact that the healthcare group is more focused on providing premium healthcare services to high income group individuals. This

The Advent Of New Media Media Essay

The Advent Of New Media Media Essay Introduction The advent of new media has had a direct and irreversible impact on the foundations of journalism practice. They have brought about changes which caused reporters to renew their skills and change their long established working habits. With the constant evolution of new technological tools, along with web-based platforms and technologies, the various working definitions of what journalism was about in the past seem to have lost their coherence. Furthermore, the presence of new media and the importance of ICT in newsrooms remain undeniable. Leaving aside the definitions issue, it appears that new technologies have redefined the whole concept of what a modern reporter should be like, as well as the knowledge and characteristics he is expected to possess. Due to time and technologies, the skills todays journalists should hold have evolved, whilst those grasped by old school reporters aspire to be renewed. Despite the willingness of business organisations to turn to ICT, it appears that the labour force encounters difficulties to make the most out of it. Logically, the first plausible reason we are tempted to put forth is the lack of training or poor knowledge in ICT. However, there seem to be other unknown factors which hinder the optimum use of new media in newsrooms. To be able to identify the causal factors to the issues mentioned, a case study of a Mauritian media house will be carried out through a questionnaire survey and interviews. The latter will be done among press, radio and web reporters of Le Dà ©fi Media Group to better understand how, why and to which extent new media is utilized in newsrooms. This organisation has been chosen due the strategic position it occupies on the local market. In addition, the firm manages radio, press and web reporters, all under the same roof; which is not the case in other local media houses. The group also offers a variety of publications targeting several types of publicsHence, Le Dà ©fi Media Groups context . particular context diversity for disseminating news Due to the strategic position it occupies in the local media market, Le Dà ©fi Media Group has been chosen as the host firm for this study. Since its creation in 1996, the news group has been able to forge its own identity, and is highly regarded by Mauritian media consumers. This has been proved in a survey performed by Synthà ¨ses Mauritius. The report ranks the media house as the second most powerful news group following La Sentinelle Ltd. (Anon., 2013) As such, Le Dà ©fi Media Group has two newspapers ranked among the top five preferred weeklies, and its Le Dà ©fi Quotidien is the second most read daily in the country. Nervertheless, Synthà ¨ses Mauritius claims that Le Dà ©fi Media Groups website In bold, this research shall attempt to determine whether new media is used intelligently by reporters, to identify the causes behind which new media is not fully exploited during journalism practice, shall assess as to how reporters make use of the facilities provided by new media and whether they are making the most out of the technological infrastructures offered by the organisation itself. The Literature Review Defining Journalism For years now, dictionaries and encyclopaedias have been providing us with definitions, in relevance with the periods during which they were published. Though the older ones are believed to be outdated, the descriptive meanings printed at different periods in time might as well enable us to retrace the etymological meanings of words. As such, The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1963) qualifies the journalist as being one whose business is to edit or write for a public journal. A more recent definition from the dictionarys website states that he is the one who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television. This definition does provide supplementary dimensions, yet excluding vital notions relating journalism to new media. (Oxford Dictionaries: The worlds most trusted dictionaries, 2013) According to Jo Bardoel and Mark Deuze (2001), such definitions are outdated. The authors highlight the need for broader ones, calling for more actualised and modern explanations. Furthermore, Picard (2000) tries to provide an up to date definition of journalism. More than just a product or service, he describes it as being a mental activity that provides added value to news, be it in terms of features, commentaries, photographs or entertainment. Although the authors definition evokes the presence of new media, his study lays emphasis more on quality in journalistic activity, without clearly defining the intrinsic link existing between the two. Linking Journalism to New Media With new media came a bunch of additional journalistic roles. Long ago reporters were only expected to attend events and press conferences to collect the information necessary for building up their articles. Pieces were handwritten first, and then handed over to typists who would put them in a proper format. Similarly, photographers, cameramen, and sound technicians were hired to assume their respective and assigned responsibilities. Journalism in the 21st century turned out to be quite the opposite. Mark Briggs (2007) claims that the characteristics of the modern reporter have evolved due to the advent of new technological tools. According to him, todays journalists should be polyvalent, and be able to manipulate any type of given media. They should be trained to click their own photographs, be ready to video and audio record, or have editing knowledge for instance. Hence, only those having multi-tasking capabilities will be coveted and rewarded. Due to the pace at which new media mutate, the reporter should have the ability to renew himself as frequently as required. Quick adaption and versatility come as vital traits which shall be decisive while differentiating between a competent reporter and a less efficient one. According to Briggs (2007), the old adages claiming that a reporter should be good anywhere does not have its rationale. Today, he is expected to be able to cope with the constant technological and situational changes. The author further argues that the advent of new media has led to a new form of journalistic model. As such, the contemporary reporter shall be a jack of all trades and master of none, a person who can write, shoot, edit, talk, and look good on camera with a competence that might not be great but good enough. (Briggs, 2007) Moreover, Bardoel and Deuze consider online journalism as being a fourth type of journalism, next to radio, television and printed reporting. They argue that the role of an online journalist is not limited to copying text onto websites, but that they also generate their own content, in the same way as would a mainstream reporter. For this reason, the researchers believe that journalism is believed to be very similar to any other kind of journalism. (Bardoel Deuze, 2001) In addition, they sustain that online reporting comprises of characteristics which are usually inexistent in mainstream media. Interactivity, customisation of content, hypertextuality and multimediality are said to be the characteristics which contribute to the singularity of this type of journalism. Hence, the fundamental processes namely production, content and distribution, which were carried out using several medium, can now be done through only one platform. (Bardoel Deuze, 2001) Interactivity is described by Brent Muirhead (2005) as being related to communication, participation and feedback. This feature is one of the major forces of online journalism. It allows room for audiences to react to items published on the web. Be it in the form of comments, ratings, votes, pools, likes or shares for instance, readers have become reactive. Supporting this view, Briggs indicates that readers are no more passive. Instead, they wish to create, share and comment, and expect to be able to do this on news websites as well. It might be advantageous for the reporter to promote interactivity. Firstly, enabling the comments options on new websites shall leave the door open for readers criticisms, which the journalist might take into account while writing his next piece. Moreover, readers often wish to contact reporters to share their appreciation, or to provide news as sources. In this case, placing email links next to news stories might be helpful. On the other hand, Briggs encourages journalists to be proactive. He states that it is necessary to seek feedback on stories, before being published. This can be done by posting a call to readers by sending emails to a list of potential respondents. In case general comments are required for a story, the author advices to send block emails to as many readers as possible to obtain exploitable responses. In his study, Briggs further highlights the use of new media as contemporary tools. He states the case of John Cook, a well-known business reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The latter claimed being an intensive user of RSS feeds, and used them to track and obtain information in a more timely manner. (Briggs, 2007) This in turn, allowed him to publish information online very quickly. Journalism quality and productivity New media has brought various professional fields, including journalism, to a brand new level. In the Mauritian context, through a survey, the National Computer Board (NCB) was able to generate a list of business sectors which recorded highest internet usage in the country. The latter demonstrates that the storage and communication sector features alongside those sectors which use the internet extensively, hence implying the direct involvement of the journalism sector. (ICT Usage Survey 2001: A survey on the ICT adoption of businesses in Mauritius, 2002) Depending on a media houses editorial policy, it might be willing to either lay emphasis on quality or quantity. By this statement, I do not mean to suggest that both of them cannot go about simultaneously, but that it is instead one of the most difficult and most challenging goal of an editor. Due to time constraints, short notice assignments and deadlines, reporters are often brought to choose between the two. For instance, in view of the approaching submission deadline, a journalist might build a news item which is less qualitative, be it in the way it is organised, or in the chosen wording. The urge to submit news, added to the pressurising attempts of the editor in chief to make things go quicker undeniably have their role to play. Nowadays, the challenges involved in journalism practice are greater. In the past, competition did not affect the whole processes implicated in newsmaking. In comparison, the journalism models adopted in newsrooms by the end of the twentieth century demonstrate quite the opposite. The major focus has experienced a shift from quality to productivity. This phenomenon can be explained as being the result of rising material and labour costs, and the inability of firms to recover those costs. In addition, the advent of new technologies has also contributed to balancing the costs. By using less reporters along with new technological tools, media houses managements were able to reduce man power, and make more efficient use of fewer journalists. (Picard, 1998) Social Networks as Journalistic Tools The use of social networking sites as research tools has its importance in journalism, be it for the professional or the citizen writer. I have personally come across professionals who share their articles from their online news site onto their Facebook pages, or others who try to get in touch with contact persons through social networks. In addition, blogging among professionals of high calibre has also become a trend: Rabin Bhujun, Gilbert Ahnee, or Raj Meetarban, own and regularly update theirs. Blogging journalism is free from editorial constraints, and professionals make use of it due to its flexibility. Nowadays, journalists report news in real-time through Twitter. The Guardian claims that as of December 2011, and following the guidance of the lord of chief justice, reporters could tweet the court proceedings without constraint. Tweeting is allowed to the public as well, but on the contrary, they will need to seek permission first. (DAVIES, C., 2011) Multimedia Journalism and Convergence According to authors, there are some terms which occupy a vital part in contemporary journalism. Convergence and multimedia newsrooms are some of them. It has been argued that those two terms are closely linked, and that they very often seem to work in together. (Deuze, 2004) As far as multimedia journalism is concerned, it is said to have two definitions. Author Mark Deuze (2004) provides two situational descriptions in his study. Firstly, it is defined as the layout of a news story on a website, which uses at least two types of media formats, like graphics, images, and music for instance. In the second place, the same definition applies but this time with different media such as website, email, radio, television, just to name a few. On the other hand, convergence poses itself as a collaborative participation between previously distinct newsrooms, or other parts of the contemporary media firm. It might be sharing news from other newsrooms, or collaborating on similar projects. (Deuze, 2004) Company Profile of Le Dà ©fi Media Group Having launched itself in the media industry through the weekly Le Dà ©fi Plus, the formerly small company turned into Le Dà ©fi Media Group. As of date, the group is one of the most powerful media houses in Mauritius. Through the years the group has tried to diversify its operations by creating more newspapers, and launching its radio station in 2002. More recently, acute interest has been paid to the various functions provided by the web. Following the opening of its interactive news website, the group aims at developing its own web television. This initiative is a truly innovative one in Mauritius, as it is the first formerly printed news media organisation to extend its field of activities till audiovisual webcasting. Furthermore, it appears that the model proposed by Deuze (2004) perfectly fits the actual status of the firm. As per the authors description, the media house fits the portrayal of a fully integrated media newsroom. The specificities of this type of newsroom is that news reporters from print, broadcast and online media work in hand to produce content, and prepare story packages which are to be disseminated across all media. (Deuze, 2004) Similarly, journalists from the group are sometimes asked to produce media content which is not in their area of predilection. Press reporters are frequently called to make on the spot radio interventions, or journalists doing a specific news beat might be asked to collaborate in producing content for other beats as well. Hence journalism itself is perceived as a product, not the printed or broadcast news (Picard, 1998). As such, it appears that this dose of flexibility, mixed with cross media ownership and convergence form part of the corporate culture of the media house. The groups news website is another interesting asset. Despite being one of the last local media companies to launch one, its popularity remains undeniable. Each day, a considerable amount of responses is recorded, be it in terms of ratings, comments, shares or views. In contradiction to other firms, ledefimedia.info is the only news website to accommodate all its media content on the same platform. The website not only regroups texts from written newspapers, but also proposes videos and transcriptions of audio reports broadcast on the radio. Research Methodology The Research Process The Research Methodology is a critical phase in a research. It provides an overview of the approach to be used, starting from theoretical groundwork to collection, analysis and data interpretation (Collins Hussey, 2003). No two research processes are exactly the same. Yet, they all follow a similar flow through the elementary procedures involved in academic investigations. As such a problem is to be defined, research objectives are to be set, research procedures designed, and data is to be assembled and analysed. (Burns Bush, 1998) Problem Definition The primary aim of this study is to analyse whether or not the use of new media is extensive in newsrooms. Despite the availability of necessary office tools and equipments, the basis of this research shall be to obtain answers as to why new media are not fully exploited by reporters working individually on news items. Moreover, the importance of social platforms as working tools shall be assessed. In addition, the research will stress on the media houses news website, by determining whether the news authors make optimum use of the interactive functions available online. Research Objectives Initial Research Objectives This list of objectives has been set prior to the documentation process and before writing the literature review. These preset objectives are employed as starting points for the research, leaving room for a more in depth study later on. The list is as follows: To assess how reporters use new media in their daily routine To determine the types of new media preferred by journalists To define the changes which new media have brought about To determine the implications of using new media To determine whether age is a deterrent for using new media To determine whether different types of reporters use new media differently To determine whether the use of different types of new media varies depending on news beat Refined Research Objectives Following the previous one, a new set of objectives has been built based on the findings of the exploratory research made throughout the literature review. The new objectives are as follows: To assess the extent to which new media is used by reporters To identify the different types of new media used, and identify the preferred ones To uncover the reasons pushing reporters to make use of new media To determine whether the organisational new media platforms at their avail are used fully To establish whether social platforms are helpful during the process of acquiring news To assess whether age influences the overall utilisation of new media To determine whether educational background impacts on the general use of new media Research Design A research design can be explanatory, exploratory or descriptive (Yin, 1994). In view of the aims and objectives set, and provided that this study aims at obtaining answers which might be applicable to other situations than the ones already dealt with in this study, it can be assumed that the explanatory case study shall be the most appropriate research design. Hypothesis Development Following the findings generated by the literature review, it can be deduced that (1) reporters seem to be unaware of the multiplicities of new media (2) the term new media is often confused with ICT or the internet (3) new media allow additional possibilities and functions which were not possible in the old school journalism days. Hypothesis 1 H0: New media are used extensively by reporters H1: New media are not used extensively by reporters Hypothesis 2 H0: Different types of new media are used by journalists H1: Different types of media are not used by journalists Hypothesis 3 H0: Reporters have a preference for a certain type of new media H1: Reporters do not have any preference for any type of media Hypothesis 4 H0: The organisational new media platforms are used fully H1: The organisational new media platforms are not used fully Hypothesis 5 H0: Social platforms are helpful during the process of acquiring news H1: Social platforms are not helpful in the process of acquiring news Hypothesis 6 H0: Age does influence the overall utilisation of new media H1: Age does not influence the overall utilisation of new media Hypothesis 7 H0: Educational background does impact on the general use of new media H1: Educational background does not impact on the general use of new media Data Collection Design Right from the beginning of the research, it has been decided that the method of data collection would be questionnaire dissemination. As such, they would prove to be helpful as they shall be less time consuming than classic face to face interviews. Moreover, the questionnaire dissemination shall be done by email, and as printed fill out forms. The use of both methods will allow more flexibility, for as reporters are constantly on the move, they might find it easier to fill in the forms online.

MP3s Are Beneficial :: Music Technology Essays

MP3s Are Beneficial With the invention of the computer came the invention of the internet. That invention of the internet has changed our entire lives and will entire to continue to change our lives. The internet is not always entirely good, but with the availability of information and the newfound ease of communication most do not often think of the internet as troublesome. While some find certain aspects of the newest technology harmful, others appreciate the technology and use it to uncover new leaves. Early perhaps no one had the vision of how the internet would change the entertainment world to the point it has today. The form of email we have today wasn’t in the inventors minds nor anything such as live video broadcasts online. So people sitting in front of a computer downloading and sharing audio files from one another through a mediator was nowhere near the realm of the inventors either. For Shawn Fanning, a 18 year-old college drop-out the vision of sharing songs and other audio files was right down his alley. For days Fanning, whose friends nicknamed "Napster," went sleepless while scribbling a code for the file sharing program. Eventually the code for Napster was completed in mid-1999. Napster was to allow its users to share mp3 files amongst each other. Mp3’s are a compressed form of an audio file that take up much less space than other forms of audio files. A CD can hold up to 80 minutes of music most of the time, but in mp3 form it can hold up to 10 hours of music or sound, So with advantage of mp3’s the popularity of Napster grew amazingly fast and within a year "An average of 640,000 people were downloading songs" at any given time. But with the popularity came the glaring eye of the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA). As college students all across America quickly discovered they can hear their favorite musicians or songs wi thin minutes and all it takes is a few clicks of a mouse. College campuses started to ban the use of Napster as the RIAA was quickly moving to put a strong hold on the file sharing program. The RIAA’s position was "The record labels, as musicians' representatives, have long had legal control of how songs are distributed--and the ability to make money from that distribution.

What Are the Different Forms of Literature?

Literature is a form of expression. It is an expression of one's feeling, ideas, emotions, personal experience and imagination. It conveys through a piece of writing that can be valued in the works of art, especially, novels, plays and poems. It is divided into two fictional and non-fictional literatures. Fictional literature is based on imagery writing than reality. It provides information, education and entertainment to the readers. Non-fictional literature is based on reality. It denotes about the facts, real places, real events and character. The world of literature suggests an art form. Works of literature particularly represent a genre. Literature can be varied from one generation to another generation. Great literatures transform the man who reads it towards the man who wrote it. The life of human and nature is explored in the way of literature. The good literature has emotional element, the element of imagination and fancy, the element of composition and style. Literature is an expression of life. It is the man's script of thoughts and emotion. It is characterized by permanent qualities. Every great work comes from an ideal person, to know his ideal record we should read his literature. Literature talks about the ideals of people, love, faith, duty and friendship. Literature can be classified into novel, short story and dramas. The concept of literature varied over time. British literature was considered one of the most widespread literatures in the world. This was the period, which faced lots of inventions and developments in the England. All the developments were influenced by the authors and imitated in their own works. There was also a great development in British literature. England flourished from the year 800 BC. British literature includes the works of old English, middle English and modern English each denoted different periods. The most important events in England were the Germanic invasions. Germanic was followed by Angles and Saxons. Angles and Saxons were established in various parts of the Britain. British literature states about the human and of its experience. It describes about the difficulty of achieving the community. Common people's problems were reflected in the periodicals and newspapers. Humanism became the most important in the life of intellectuals and in the English literature. It was the fundamental quality found in the people of the renaissance period. British literature was bound up with historical shifts of British identity. The most important historical event was the Hundred Year's war, the Black Death this made many writers to write about it. Many people were encouraged to translate Latin works into English. English were recorded in chronicles this was the first historical record. English was wide spread all over the country of England. By the year 1300 English was used by all classes of people. The most common goal of the poet was to make English more flexible. During the fifteenth century English language attained the modern form. Poetry was more essential in the seventh and eighth century of England. Poetic talents were highly valued in the English literature. Heroic couplet, ballad and sonnets were some of the important thing introduced in the English literature. This made the poetry writing even more effectiveness in the literature. The prose of old English has only the English soil and not the Germanic origins. There was a rise in morality play in the fourteenth century. It teaches people about morals and values of human lives. The Canterbury Tales was one of the famous works of Chaucer which reflects the society of England and the real characters who lived in the society. The most remarkable thing in England was the invention of printing press by Caxton in 1476. The invention made a huge development that all the books in the manuscript were changed into printed books. It encouraged writings of all kinds of works and also improved the standardization of English language. The age reason can be divided into three The Restoration Age, The Augustan Age and The Age of Johnson. There was a great development in scientific inventions like navigation, shipbuilding and discoveries of sea route. Queen Elizabeth Age was considered one of the fruitful periods of English history. She made a lot of developments in English history. The Elizabethan literature reflects the new nationalism. Many new genres, themes, ideas were introduced in English literature. Elizabethan literature commonly influenced self-confident and about the expanding of nation powers and increasing the wealth. In the sixteenth and seventeenth century drama was flourished in England in the works of university wits. Jacobean drama started with the drama including the Shakespeare's plays. Drama continued to expand until the theaters were closed. Novels were popular in the Britain. The novels were considered not only the form of entertainment but also means of analyzing and offering solutions social and political problems. The century was ended with gothic novels. The development of poetry, novels and drama attained a great height. It was influenced by the pupil because of the humanism, morality and the historical truth which arouses interest towards the people.

Bshs/382 Research and Statistics Dq’s

Week 1 DQ 1 1. Voluntary consent of the participant is absolutely essential. The subject must be capable of giving consent without coercion, and full responsibility for obtaining consent rests with the principal investigator. 2. The experiment must be designed to bring forth results that will benefit society and that cannot be obtained in any other manner. 3. Human experimentation should be based on animal research results as well as knowledge of the natural course of events, disease, or problems. 4. All unnecessary mental or physical harm should be avoided. 5. When there is reason to believe that death or disabling injury may occur, no experiment should be conducted except, perhaps, when the experimenting physicians also serve as subjects. 6. The degree of risk should never exceed the humanitarian importance of the problem to be solved. 7. All precaution should be taken to protect subjects from even remote possibilities of injury or death. 8. Only qualified personnel should be allowed to conduct experiments. The principal investigator must be ready to terminate the experiment at any stage if it appears that injury or death will result. Research Techniques for the Health Sciences, Fourth Edition Chapter 4: Considering Ethics in Research Explain two basic principles for humane treatment of human subjects in research. Drawing on the course readings or a current news item, provide an example of a study in which ethical principles were not followed. How might study design have been improved in that case? The two basic principles for human treatment of human subjects in research most significant to me are, making sure all precaution is taken to protect subjects from even remote possibilities of injury or death, and allowing the subject to withdraw from the experiment at any time if a point is reached that may bring about physical or mental harm. It is important that we do not use humans in research as crash dummies, as if they are simply replaceable after harm and injury. It is only right to take all precautions and allow the human subject to change their mind about participating in the research. Ethical principles were not followed in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study found in our text. The human subjects were not fully aware of the study, and the purpose of the research was more so the subjects could die and they could perform an autopsy. Week 1 DQ 2 What are the advantages of using a mixed method approach to research? What are the challenges? Provide an example of how you have used (or, in the future, could use) this approach in your professional role. The strength of the research; 2) Use of multiple methods in a research helps to research a process or a problem from all sides; 3) Usage of different approaches helps to focus on a single process and confirms the data accuracy. A mixed research complements a result from one type of research with another one. This research does not miss any available data. The aim of a mixed method design is to summarize positive aspects of two approaches and produce a highly accurate data. When you use several methods in your research process, then you can use the strength of every type of information collection and minimize the weak points of every of both approaches. A mixed method approach of gathering and evaluation can increase the validity and accuracy of the information. The advantages of using a mixed method approach to research are having several different outcomes in the process of your research. What this does is allows the researcher to use the strengths from the information collected and minimize the weaknesses from the information collected. Using a mixed method approach can ultimately increase the accuracy and validity of the information. The challenges of using a mixed method approach will be that the time of researching will be extended. Extending the time of research could definitely be a challenge if there is a time frame to find results in. Depending on the purpose of the research, using a mixed method approach can be a waist of time. An example of using the mixed method approach was when I wanted to explore (qualitative objective) why people shop on-line. I conducted open-ended interviews (qualitative data collection) asking people why they shop on-line, and then I quantified the results by counting the number of times each type of response occurred (quantitative data analysis). Week 2 DQ 1 What is the difference between reliability and validity? Imagine that you are going to develop a new instrument for research in your field, using course readings, provide specific examples of how you might go about establishing its reliability and validity. (Make sure to cover at least one approach for determining reliability and one for determining validity. Reliability is, roughly, whether you could replicate an experiment and get comparable results – either because an individual's responses are consistent (for example, their reaction times in a test are consistent when the test is carried out again), or the general overall results are consistent (for example, the average score on a test is the same or similar when carried out again on a c omparable group) Validity is whether the construct you are using really measures what you are using it to measure. For example, if you devised a test to measure people's self-esteem, does it really measure self-esteem, or something similar such as extraversion? Reliability refers to the ability to perform the same experiment and get the same results. Validity refers to the accuracy of those results. You could perform the same experiment many times and get the same results, but they may not be correct (if the experiment is flawed for example). This would be reliable, but not valid. Conversely, you could perform an experiment that yields accurate results once, but not when it is repeated. This would be accurate (one time anyway), but not reliable. Reliability is the consistency of the degree to which an instrument measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition with the same subjects; in short, it is replicating an experiment and getting comparable results. For example, a second test measuring reaction time showing the same reaction times as the first test. Reliability is all about the ability to perform the same experiment and get the same results. Validity is whether the construct you are using really measures what you are using it to measure. It is essentially the strength of our conclusions, inferences or propositions. For example, a test measuring people's confidence, does it really measure confidence, or something similar such as faith in something? Week 2 DQ 2 What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of survey research? Provide an example of survey research findings that were recently published in the news. First, briefly summarize the study design and findings. Second, based on what we have read about survey research, provide critical feedback on this study's design or explain what additional information you would need to make a critical assessment of this study. Strengths: 9. Surveys are relatively inexpensive (especially self-administered surveys). 10. Surveys are useful in describing the characteristics of a large population. No other method of observation can provide this general capability. 11. They can be administered from remote locations using mail, email or telephone. 12. Consequently, very large samples are feasible, making the results statistically significant even when analyzing multiple variables. 13. Many questions can be asked about a given topic giving considerable flexibility to the analysis. 14. There is flexibilty at the creation phase in deciding how the questions will be administered: as face-to-face interviews, by telephone, as group administered written or oral survey, or by electonic means. 15. Standardized questions make measurement more precise by enforcing uniform definitions upon the participants. 16. Standardization ensures that similar data can be collected from groups then interpreted comparatively (between-group study). 17. Usually, high reliability is easy to obtain–by presenting all subjects with a standardized stimulus, observer subjectivity is greatly eliminated. Weaknesses: * A methodology relying on standardization forces the researcher to develop questions general enough to be minimally appropriate for all respondents, possibly missing what is most appropriate to many respondents. * Surveys are inflexible in that they require the initial study design (the tool and administration of the tool) to remain unchanged throughout the data collection. * The researcher must ensure that a large number of the selected sample will reply. * It may be hard for participants to recall information or to tell the truth about a controversial question. As opposed to direct observation, survey research (excluding some interview approaches) can seldom deal with â€Å"context. † Advantages of survey research could be cost efficiency since surveys are relatively inexpensive. Surveys are useful in describing the characteristics of a large population and not a lot of other methods of observation can provide this general capability. They can be administered fr om distant locations. Many questions can be asked about a given topic giving flexibility to the analysis. Disadvantages of survey research could be researchers being forced to develop general questions. Surveys are inflexible because they remain unchanged throughout the data collection. Also, with surveys the researcher must ensure that a large number of the selected sample will reply, otherwise the survey would not be sufficient. In the news there was a survey about homelessness in Santa Cruz County. A count and survey conducted by the United Way of Santa Cruz County and the nonprofit research firm Applied Survey Research, and it showed that the homeless population in Santa Cruz County has jumped 22 percent in two years. The survey design was cross-sectional. It asked several questions at one oint in time. The survey collected age, gender, race, and reason for being homeless. http://www. santacruzsentinel. com/opinion/ci_18565125 http://www. phc-santacruz. org/_pdfs/2011%20Santa%20Cruz%20Homeless%20Report%20-%20FINAL. pdf Week 3 DQ 1 How can you avoid bias when selecting samples for human services research? Imagine that you are going to design a survey that will be administered to consumers/clients in your field (e. g. , nursing home residents, youth mentors, single mothers); how would you go about sampling from this population in order to generate meaningful data? What might be some of the challenges in ending up with a representative sample? To avoid bias when selecting samples for human services research a diverse set of individuals should be chosen within the same community. Different ethnicities, different genders, equals different beliefs, backgrounds, and futures. Selecting individuals in this manner should avoid bias. Hypothetically I work for an organization that offers services to young and troubled girls, especially those who have been to juvenile hall. Schools and juvenile halls if permitted would be great places to begin my sampling. Schools and juvenile halls both have a diverse population where bias could be avoided. The barriers I could see myself running into would be getting the permission to survey the minors in the first place. The biggest barrier would be knowing what girls are considered troubled or not and who they are specifically to get only their feedback and not girls who are not considered troubled. Week 3 DQ 2 List different measures of variability discussed in the readings and, using your professional field, provide an example to illustrate the concept. If you were a manager looking at these measures of variability around some aspect of employee productivity, what may they tell you about an individual's or team's performance? The range is the most obvious measure of dispersion and is the difference between the lowest and highest values in a dataset. The range is based solely on the two most extreme values within the dataset. The range is simple to compute and is useful when you wish to evaluate the whole of a dataset. The standard deviation indicates how tightly the values in the dataset are bunched around the mean value. The standard deviation is the most vigorous measure of variability because it’s measuring how every value in the dataset varies from the mean. You must be careful when calculating the standard deviation to consider whether the entire population or a sample is being examined and to use the appropriate formula. If I were a manager looking at these measures of variability around some aspect of employee productivity, the range would point out the highs and the lows of the team performance. This would allow me to know my team’s strength and weakness, and then I would be able to work on ways to minimum the weaknesses in performance. Week 4 DQ 1 Based on the textbook readings, describe the â€Å"third variable problem† as it relates to correlation and provide an example of how you might see this played out in your own field. Week 4 DQ 2 How does hypothesis testing contribute to the scientific knowledge base? Based on the textbooks' descriptions of hypothesis testing, provide an example of how you might implement this in your work. othesis is an edjucated guess an it is some time's the closest we can get to the trueth of things we do not yet understand Scientists use a scientific method to investigate phenomena and acquire knowledge. They base the method on verifiable observation — i. e. , on empirical evidence rather than on pure logic or supposition — and on the principles of reasoning. [1] [2] Scientists propose explanations — called h ypotheses — for their observed phenomena, and perform experiments to determine whether the results accord with (support) the hypotheses or falsify them. They also formulate theories that encompass whole domains of inquiry, and which bind supported hypotheses together into logically coherent wholes. They refer to theories sometimes as ‘models’, which usually have a mathematical or computational basis. [3] [4] determining the focus and direction of the research, it forces researcher to state the purpose of the activity, determines what variable are being studied and or considered and also it allows to a required operational definition of the variable that are being studied. Hypothesis testing is a must for any person to successfully test their studies and make sure there are no flaws. Hypothesis is an educated guess an it is some times the closest we can get to the truth on matters that we do not yet understand. Scientist base their method on verifiable observation rather than on logic. Hypothesis testing forces researchers to address the purpose of the activity while determining what variables need to be studied and also requires operational definition.

Comparative Analysis Of LCD And Plasma Televisions Information Technology Essay Example

Comparative Analysis Of LCD And Plasma Televisions Information Technology Essay Example Comparative Analysis Of LCD And Plasma Televisions Information Technology Essay Comparative Analysis Of LCD And Plasma Televisions Information Technology Essay The intent of this study is to do a comparative analysis of LCD and Plasma telecastings, so the mean consumer can do an enlightening determination on what best suits their demands. With 100s of different theoretical accounts and industries, it can be hard to do a logical determination. There are several different advantages and disadvantages of both LCD and plasma shows. The differences can run from screen declarations, to colourise impregnation. Power ingestion can change greatly between a LCD and plasma show. The engineering behind the LCD ( liquid crystal show ) and plasma may look new, but has been around for several decennaries. The first commercial LCD show was introduced in 1985, by Seiko Epson. The show merely measured 2 inches ( History of LCD ) .Plasma engineering was foremost introduced back in 1964, at the University of Illinois. The two engineerings have developed over the old ages, and can be mass produced more expeditiously than of all time before ( plasmatvscience.org ) .This make them low-cost to buy, and now has taken the CRT market. The range of this study will be the current province of engineering. Reputable beginnings from the cyberspace will be the information used. There will be a brief history of both LCD and plasma. There is a glossary of footings located at the terminal of the study. The chief intent of this study is: Which show is right for the consumer? How can the consumer benefit from each engineering? This study will concentrate on these inquiries, and assist the consumer make an informed determination based on their budget and demands. History of LCD Television LCD engineering has been around for several old ages. In 1967 James Ferguson introduced the first practical LCD show. In 1985, Seiko-Epson introduced the first commercial LCD telecasting set. It measured 2.5 inches. In 2005, Samsung built the universe s largest telecasting at 82 inches ( History of LCD ) . Today, LCD telecastings can be manufactured in mass measures, to do them low-cost for the mean consumer. How LCD Works Figure www.amazon.comLCD plants by taking little atoms called pels. and go throughing visible radiation through them. There are three chief colourss red, green and blue. When electricity is applied, different sunglassess and colourss can be manipulated. There is a possible colour roof of the mouth of 16.8 million colourss ( HowStuffWorks ) .Each pel has a transistor, which can misfunction and do dead pels. This causes dark points on the show. Several of these musca volitanss can be a job. Advantages of LCD Displays There are many advantages to LCD shows. The lifetime of LCD shows can be up to 80,000 hours. That means that the mean family can watch it for 28 old ages before the light beginning begins to dip ( www.flatpaneltv.org ) . This is longer than plasma shows, which merely last about 30,000 hours. LCD is better for PC proctor applications. The show reflects less light, hence doing less asthenopia. This is why they are used for laptops. Screen burn in is non a job, as with a plasma show. This is good for console picture gamers. The cabinet deepness is 3 + inches, doing it possible for smaller places to hold a large screen amusement centre. The screen sizes scope from 5 to 65+ inches ( cnet.com ) . Plasma can merely run from 42 to 65+ inches. The monetary values of these shows will go on to fall, hence doing them low-cost for the mean consumer. The screen Image on a LCD is normally brighter than plasma. LCD shows run cooler compared to plasma. Liquid crystal displaies are more energy efficient, due to the fact that fluorescent lighting is used to bring forth an image. Disadvantages of LCD telecastings Home theatre quality is non every bit good as with plasma screens. The refresh rate is by and large slower compared to plasma. This causes gesture fuzz, particularly if you watch a batch of high action films, or play video games. The 120Hz refresh rates can repair some of this. Pixels can fire out over clip, doing dead pels on the screen. They appear as black points in the image. Some industries allow a certain figure of dead pels out of the box ( www.myrc.com ) . LCD s can non bring forth true black degrees, because of light leaking through the pels ( Jay Kao essay ) . This may be a job with film partisans. Figure LCD screening scope restrictions Sing angles can be a concern. The wider the angle the more screen washout can occur.LCD s normally have a lower contrast ratio than plasma ( 1600:1 ) . Crisp LC-52D92U Figure Samsung LCD Television History of Plasma The first Plasma show was invented in July, 1964 at the University of Illinois. It was non until the innovation of digital engineering, that plasma Television was made possible. The patterned advance in high velocity digital processing, high-tech stuffs, and advanced fabrication engineering, has made full colour, bright plasma telecasting shows possible ( dtv express.com ) . Figure How plasma show worksHow plasma shows work Neon gases are in bantam pixel cells.Every cell has electrodes. The reference and transparent electrodes are placed around the cell.The electrodes extend across the screen.The phosphers give off visible radiation when charged. Changing the pulsation of current, different sunglassess of ruddy, bluish, and green can be produced. ( plasma tvscience.com ) Advantages of Plasma Display The Jay Kao essay High Definition Plasma provinces , black degrees are truer in plasma telecastings. The different engineering in plasma allows for deeper, richer colourss. The image quality is a batch better, compared to LCD telecastings . The screens are made of thin stuffs, which can do for bigger screen sizes. Plasma telecastings have a sleek and slender infinite salvaging design, which can be used in little suites. Plasma shows are besides really light weighing between 50 -80 lbs. Plasma TVs offer widescreen 16:9 ratio show, leting you to see HDTV signals in their original size, every bit good as position DVDs in their proper facet ratio. Plasma TVs have perfect unvarying brightness that allow for no dull topographic point in the image. Plasma TVs use different engineering compared to conventional TVs, they do non endure deformation when placed near a magnetic field. Speakers can be placed following to, below, or right on top of Plasma TVs with no side effects ( inexpensive plasma tv.com ) .Pioneer PRO-111FD Figure Pioneers PRO-111FD Plasmatv Science.com reported that plasma Televisions are able to have VGA and SVGA signals from computing machines and standard telecasting and HDTV signals. This allows them to be used in the commercial or retail environment . Computer gamers have besides been known to do usage of Plasma TVs to supply them the advantage of a larger viewing country. Plasma TVs are able to expose a high declaration, and are capable of exposing HDTV signals. Many Plasma TVs are capable of bring forthing 720p images, and some are able to expose 1080i every bit good. Plasma are close to the monetary value of a LCD of comparable size, but are less expensive the larger the screen size additions. Viewing is first-class from all angles. There is minimum image washout. DVD playback is better than LCD, due to the truer black degrees. Plasmas offer true level screens, cutting down on image deformation and blaze ( inexpensive plasma tv.com ) . Monetary values have fallen over the past few old ages doing plasma shows more low-cost than ever.A 52 inch screen size can be purchase for less than a $ 1,000. Figure side position of Panasonic plasma Television Plasma shows besides have a much higher contrast ratio than LCD telecastings. Contrast ratio is the measuring of the difference in light strength between the brightest white and the darkest black ( Jay Kao essay ) . This is great for place theather enthusists. Disavantages of Plasma Display Plasma shows are normally more bulkier than compareable LCD theoretical accounts. Plasmas are more delicate than LCD. The shows can non be laid on there side, due to damaging the gas Chamberss. Plasma shows reflect ambient visible radiation, doing them less desirable in a brilliantly illuminated room. Picture burn-in is a job with plasma. A image is permamently scratch in the image. A video game, web logo, or letterbox bars can do this. Adjusting the brightness to a right scene can assist some of the consequence of burn-in . Figure illustration of image burn in Compared to other telecasting engineerings, Plasma TVs do by and large hold a shorter life span, and there is no option to mend a burnt out tubing or backlight. Most Plasma TVs have a life span of 20,000-30,000 hours based on maker s estimations. This life span is normally referred to as the Plasma TV half life, as it is the figure of hours over which the Plasma Television will free about half of it s brightness.This means if you watch Television 4 hours a twenty-four hours, it would last about 14 old ages. Altitude can be a job with Plasma shows. The force per unit area of the gases work good at sea degree, but acquire thinner at high lift plasmatvbuyingguide.com ) . A loud buzzing is frequently the consequence. Figure A plasma television place theatre apparatus ( plasmatvscience.com ) Decision Summary of Findingss Plasma and LCD TV have different benefits. The LCD show is best for a hardcore picture gamer, due to the fact of possible screen burn in with plasma. The place theather enthusiants may desire to see plasma for the high velocity refresh rate. Both offer a superior image to the CRT telecasting. Interpertations of findings The mean cunsuner may desire to see the characteristics and differences of both LCD and Plasma shows. The place theatre enthusisit may desire to see plasma. The personal computer or console may desire to see the LCD show for deficiency of burn in . Which one is chosen there are benefits and drawbacks to each. Recommendations If you are interested in prochusing a new Plasma or LCD Television see the undermentioned suggestions: See what technolgies will be used with the Television ex. Video game console, DVD participants, computing machines, overseas telegram or satillite boxes. Take in history the room, illuming, size, . The budget of the purchase that you have. Is the television traveling to used at high lifts ( over 7,000 pess ) . Glossary Cathode-ray tube: Catrode beam tubing old tubing manner of telecastings. Pixels: the smallest component of an image that can be separately processed in a picture show system. Contrast ratio: The contrast ratio is a step of a show system, defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest colour ( white ) to that of the darkest colour ( black ) that the system is capable of bring forthing. Liquid crystal display: Liquid Crystal Display The current criterion of Television.

Human and Adversity Essay Example

Human and Adversity Essay Example Human and Adversity Paper Human and Adversity Paper Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant, means that while overcoming obstacles a persons talents are shown that otherwise would remain unknown to the person. Horace Is saying that adversity plays In the development of a persons character and understanding turmoil and hardship. Times of struggle elect different talents showing the true depth of human nature, unlike prosperous times. Those who are never faced with adversity are never challenged and therefore never have to reach pep from within to solve or help the problem. When human beings are passionate about achieving a goal, they learn something about themselves they have never known. Challenges are faced every day, but how we respond to them determines how strong we really are. Adversity is inevitable in life; it is a wall then is unable to be broken down. Sometimes while facing adversity, there is a point in an individual where their instincts reveal the truth, that what doesnt kill them makes them stronger. A persons true talents are shown when faced by adversity. Bethink Hamilton had been surfing since she was a child; at age thirteen she is was Injured In an almost-deadly shark attack, losing her left arm. She was back on her surf board one month later and then won first place In the Explorer Womens Division of the NASA National Championships, two years later. Jim Carrey Is another example of this; he revealed that at the age of fifteen he had to drop out of high school and support his family. His father was unemployed, poor, and they eventually had to live in a van. Carrey didnt let that stop him from becoming a comedian and is now known as one of he best comedic actors of this era. People, who are famous and have tons of money, never face adversity. If they were ever faced with difficulties they would Just buy their problems away instead of revealing their inner strength that may be hiding behind an easy life with no challenges. The Sardinian exemplify these kinds of people. They never spend their money on beneficial means only things for themselves. If anything ever came as a challenge to them they would use their money to fix things Instead of using any Inner strength. Facing adversity brings out talents that people loud never have known they had. If you arent faced with any difficulties you would never have known you had the talents to deal with these situations. Such as Bethink Hamilton, if she had never been in such a terrible shark attack she would have never known how much determination she actually had. Difficulties push you to your limits and without the struggle youre talents are never shown. Knowing these talents help you perform better at other tasks in the future. Facing adversity is a tremendous help in life. Human and Adversity By principalities Horace is saying that adversity plays in the development of a persons character and understanding turmoil and hardship. Times of struggle elicit different talents where their instincts reveal the truth, that what doesnt kill them makes them Hamilton had been surfing since she was a child; at age thirteen she is was injured in one month later and then won first place in the Explorer Womens Division of the NASA National Championships, two years later. Jim Carrey is another example of this; instead of using any inner strength. Facing adversity brings out talents that people.

Who Will Write My Term Paper at Affordable Rates

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Knowledge Management Systems Human Dimension and Organizational Essay

Knowledge Management Systems Human Dimension and Organizational Culture - Essay Example This paper is aimed at understanding knowledge management systems. The main focus is to understand the importance of â€Å"people† dimension of knowledge management and how wrong organizational culture can lead ineffective knowledge management. The discussion of people dimension of knowledge management is built on the following statement by Randall Sellers: â€Å"The challenge is managing the people who manage the knowledge† (Turban et al., 2007). Recent theories and practices in knowledge management are discussed and examples are given to support the discussion. Knowledge Management Systems Knowledge is gained in numerous ways and in an organizations knowledge comes out of processing information available throughout the organization in the form of data. Also, employees gain knowledge in different ways (personal experiences, individual learning, etc) and this knowledge shared with the entire organization can be of great help to the whole organization. Knowledge management systems or knowledge management is the process of creating knowledge repositories, improving access to available knowledge and sharing/communicating through collaboration. It also focuses on enhancement of knowledge environment and management of knowledge as organization’s asset. Therefore, knowledge management can be best defined as the systematic actions taken by an organization or that an organization can take in order to extract the best possible value out of the knowledge available throughout the organization (Coakes, 2003).... But there are many challenges that the organizations face in implementing knowledge management systems effectively. The concept of knowledge management is relatively new and the literature is still growing. One of the main challenges in knowledge management is managing the people who manage knowledge. Randall Sellers points this out brilliantly when he says that knowledge management is only 20 percent IT and the rest is change management which mainly deals with human interfaces and cultural change (Turban et al., 2007). Knowledge Management and People Dimension â€Å"The challenge is managing the people who manage the knowledge†. By this statement Randall Sellers implies that the more important task in knowledge management is not just making the knowledge available to the employees but to convince them to participate in the process of knowledge management. Employees need to be encouraged and motivated to exchange and share their ideas and experiences. The systems need to be de signed in such a way that it is easy to share. Implementation of knowledge management is definitely a change process and employees are bound to offer resistance to the change. It is this management of the people (workforce) that Randall Sellers refers to in his statement (Turban et al., 2007). Knowledge Management Systems – Importance of People Even though it is believed that the human dimension is more important than technology, the current literature on knowledge management is mainly technology oriented. It is highly important to understand that technology makes it possible only to accumulate knowledge systematically and make it easily accessible. But the mechanism by which this knowledge affects the performance of the

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 34

No topic - Essay Example I like shopping for new and unique things that will draw the attention of others. On the other hand, as an experience, I’m self-motivated sometimes as I do not rest until I achieve my goals. I’m of course young, enthusiastic and as much as I try to control it, I’m not able to strictly follow my shopping list, I like impulse buying. I actually like ‘’cool stuff,’’ therefore I must admit that I spend a good proportion of my income in acquiring such stuff. I actually like buying nice stuff that would make my house look appealing and fashionable, but very unique. I therefore like buying just stuff for interior dà ©cor like nice paintings, mats, coffee tables and designer chairs. I also like buying fashionable outfits that make me look enthusiastic and seek peoples’ opinion about myself. I also like shopping for readily prepared foodstuff from the supermarket such as spring rolls, sausages, and such

The Ring of Gyges Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ring of Gyges - Assignment Example His argument presents a counter-attack to Glaucon’s philosophy purporting that if two identical rings are presented to a just and unjust man, they would both act unjustly. Therefore, proceeds to argue that those who incline their actions to just only do so under compulsion. He also says that one may decline using the ring to perform misdeeds. Meaning that although such a person would receive praises on her face but on the other side she would be regarded a great fool who is unable to utilize the power in her possession. Socrates states that one does not derive justice from the social construct. That’s why his argument tallies that the man who abused the power contained in the ring enslaved himself to his selfish appetites. But hold that the man who chooses not to use the ring remains rationally in total control of himself and thus he is very happy. Therefore, Socrates suggests that the man who uses the ring is always in a constant war with himself ( Copp, 2007).   Socrates is in a strong belief that the soul consists of three parts. These parts include; rational, appetitive and Spirited. He continues to argue that an appetite for something exists like hunger and thirst. He says that we always have some knowledge concerning the demands that are driving us to satisfy the appetite. Therefore, he poses to think, supposing something holds the thirsty person from drinking, what could it be termed to be? This analogy is used to describe the three parts of the soul. The rational part is that which is concerned with the calculation thus goes ahead to examine the existing appetites in relation to the expected consequences. He suggests that the part linked to hunger, lusts, thirsts and which is tickled by all forms of appetites is the irrational appetitive part.

General Gordon of Khartoum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

General Gordon of Khartoum - Essay Example The Arab and African merchants handled the inland trade of commodities and slaves. After the abolition of the slave trade by the British in 1807, they started patrolling the coasts, seizing other countries’ slave ships. Within the last twenty years of the 19th century, rivalries and conflicts in Europe started affecting individuals in Africa directly. Over the last years of the 19th century (1880’s), the European powers shared African territories among themselves without the consent or will of the people living there. They had partial understanding of the land they had acquired (BBC 2013, p1). Political rivalry, commercial greed, and territorial ambition all instigated the European scramble for Africa. This climaxed in the Africa’s partition during the 1884-5 Berlin Conference. The whole process that is the partitioning of Africa became famously identified as the scramble for Africa. In the last half of the 19th century, the disjointed patchwork of trading coloni es, understandings, protectorates, and alliances yielded to sweeping transformations enforced by the Europeans. The French and the British were determined to make things right and institute a clear administrative hierarchy composed of the Europeans (at the top) and Africans (at the bottom) (BBC 2013, p1). On the other hand, a number of the oldest trading countries in Europe left Africa and the other set of players emerged. The Danes and the Dutch abandoned the continent while Belgium, Italy, and Germany moved into the continent. Elsewhere the mineral riches of Africa dazzled and fixated European adventures. However, casual commercial connections were replaced by methodical control and exploitation. At the beginning of the 19th century, the European hold of the African geography was restricted mainly to the coastal regions. However, before the end of the century, Europeans were spanning the continent with roads and railways. Now it was easy to take control of the continent both comme rcially and politically (BBC 2013, p1). The Scramble for Africa â€Å"had the effect of defusing and displacing tensions between the European powers in Europe, but eventually the tradeoffs and alliances could not disguise the fact that Imperial Germany was on a collision course with Britain and France† (BBC 2013, p1). For the first time, the African people found themselves pulled into conflicts, which had its sources in London and Berlin war rooms. The moral bravado of the European powers, purportedly representing reconciliation and order, civilization, and wisdom, soon broke into the destruction, death, and chaos of World War I (BBC 2013, p1). It is important to note that, in Africa, the Europeans were strangers but by aggression, settlement, and trade they became by different levels part of the inside (Connah 2004, p175). General Charles George Gordon’s Experience in Khartoum Sudan In the year 1882, Mohamed Ahmed (also referred to himself as Messiah or Mahdi) invited all the true believers to join in the holy war against Christians. Most people especially wild tribesman heeded to his call, and in the following, he conquered an army of close to eleven thousand Egyptians and English that had tried to subdue the revolt. England was forced to leave the province. However, thousands of Europeans who had sought asylum in Khartoum and other towns had to be rescued from their

Diversity Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity Activity - Assignment Example The activity initiates learning and appreciation of diversity differences and consequent effects as conflicting behaviors. Students can develop tolerance towards opposite gender since the activity promotes sharing of ideas on cultural diversity among students. The activity enhances the involvement of both able and challenged students, encourages, and promotes involving disabled students. The creation of an inclusive learning environment, through the activity, is of notable importance to middle school learners. The chain of diversity is one of the activities that instructors in middle school can use to create awareness on different cultures among students. The activity creates togetherness among students by informing them on their similarities. 5. Every student reads to the class what he or she considers as a similarity in cultures among the class members. After completing the second stage of the activity, students share their views with colleagues by reading out their points on the differences in cultures. 7. To keep the students aware of the diverse similarities and differences in cultures highlighted, students pin the paper strips around their class walls. The paper strips are arranged as a link in a chain as a demonstration of cultural link. In assessing the impact of the activity on students’ sensitivity to diversity, the instructor may ask related questions to different cultures highlighted by students during the activity. The level of participation of students during the activity acts as a credible scale of determining the students’ level of sensitivity towards diversity in culture. When students have high enthusiasm and willingness in highlighting the points, they have a high level of awareness on the topic. The extent to which students answer questions after the activity is credible means of determining their level of sensitivity towards the diversity

Discussion questions and participation questions continued Essay

Discussion questions and participation questions continued - Essay Example Two different people deal with the late trucks, break downs and such once the trucks have left the plant and reschedule appointments for these trucks. This current process means that carriers are unsure of who to contact in the event of a problems and receivers are unsure who is their contact person in the event of a problem. An improvement would be to divide up the plants, assigning one person to handle all issues for that plant. That would make one contact person for both the receiver and the carrier from the time the order is first placed until it is received by the receiver. The benefits of this arrangement would be that there would be a cleaner flow of information and assistance between the customer, the carrier and the customer service representative at Cargill. The risks might be that the workers would get so bogged down making appts and routing the trucks that there would be inadequate time to help with problem loads and problems would fall between the cracks. Other risks include risks common to all projects: competency of the workers, costs involved in the change over and the risk that this will fail and customers will lose faith in the company. The risks might me mitigated by beginning this change on a small scale with one plant only. This will leave backup for those participating in the experiment. process improvement enhance the overall working and performance of the business. Here we have open management and handling of all activities and operations in the organization. Here we have following benefits: Operations management is the managing of these productive resources. It entails the design and control of systems responsible for the productive use of raw materials, human resources, equipment, and facilities in the development of a product or service. Operations management is important to the every day lift of any organization especially if it can be performed with little or no errors and be kept at a low cost while continuing to provide

Diversity Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity Activity - Assignment Example The activity initiates learning and appreciation of diversity differences and consequent effects as conflicting behaviors. Students can develop tolerance towards opposite gender since the activity promotes sharing of ideas on cultural diversity among students. The activity enhances the involvement of both able and challenged students, encourages, and promotes involving disabled students. The creation of an inclusive learning environment, through the activity, is of notable importance to middle school learners. The chain of diversity is one of the activities that instructors in middle school can use to create awareness on different cultures among students. The activity creates togetherness among students by informing them on their similarities. 5. Every student reads to the class what he or she considers as a similarity in cultures among the class members. After completing the second stage of the activity, students share their views with colleagues by reading out their points on the differences in cultures. 7. To keep the students aware of the diverse similarities and differences in cultures highlighted, students pin the paper strips around their class walls. The paper strips are arranged as a link in a chain as a demonstration of cultural link. In assessing the impact of the activity on students’ sensitivity to diversity, the instructor may ask related questions to different cultures highlighted by students during the activity. The level of participation of students during the activity acts as a credible scale of determining the students’ level of sensitivity towards diversity in culture. When students have high enthusiasm and willingness in highlighting the points, they have a high level of awareness on the topic. The extent to which students answer questions after the activity is credible means of determining their level of sensitivity towards the diversity

Verbal Exam Questions Essay Example for Free

Verbal Exam Questions Essay 1. What is meant by the term â€Å"fear of failure†? That is, what does it mean to you personally and professionally. Fear of failure means being afraid of going after what you want because you might not be able to get it. People who experience this believes that it is okay to not achieve their dreams as long as they do not see themselves fail. Many people prefer to play it safe and do not like to get out of their safety zones because they do not want to be disappointed or they do not like changes to happen in their lives. 2. Describe a past experience with fear of failure. Please explain. In the past, I had several chances of running for a position in the school body but I was too afraid that I would not be elected or do a good job. This made me decide that it would be better for me not to run for a position and just enjoy my time as a regular student but still active with other school activities. The down side of this is that I did not get to experience and do what I wanted to do. 3. In general do fears affect employee performance on the job and employer relationships with fellow employees? Also, relate this to yourself as the manager in the scenario and Marcus. How do fears affect you and Marcus? Being afraid does affect employee performance, as well as the relationships of employers and employees because some people might not understand this fear that certain employees or employers experience. As a manager to Marcus, I think that I would not like how he behaves when it comes to changes. Changes are important, especially when this would bring more money to the company and all employers do want their companies to succeed. This kind of behavior would create conflicts between Marcus and I. 4. This is a key question. Is failing OK? What about mistakes? What is gained? What is lost? Contrary to what many people believe, failing is actually okay because this is when people learn from the experience. Without failures, people would not be able to realize what they are capable of. It is important that people remember that they are allowed to make mistakes because they are not perfect. Nobody is perfect and making mistakes is only normal. They lose only when they give up and not try. Failure can make people humble and would make them want to achieve more and do better in the future. 5. Can you use your own fears to your advantage? How can you be used by your fears? Relate the lessons you have learned to you in the scenario and how you would approach Marcus. Relate this to yourself as the manager. Fears can be used to ones advantage when a person believes that fears will produce positive outcomes no matter what. Overcoming fears will give people the experience even if they fail. However, when people let their fears use them and get the better from them, they will be limited and would have no worthwhile experience from life. 6. How can you encourage your employees to reduce their fear about making mistakes, and failing? How would you tell an employee so that he understands and believes you? Be specific and realistic in your answer. It is always good to have an open communication with everyone, especially employees. It would especially be beneficial if managers and employers would encourage their people to conquer their fears and assure them that making mistakes are normal. I would relate a past experience about my fear of failure and how I overcame it to inspire them to do the same. 7. What is the story about? Please summarize it. Why did you choose the topic? What makes you feel interested in the choice of the topic? The story is about a manager and his employee named Marcus and demonstrates how Marcus is afraid of change. Although Marcus was a very good employee and performs his job in a very satisfactory way, the manager realizes that he does not do well when it comes to applying changes. He would often make excuses just to get out of the situation, and the manager feels that he should do something about it. I chose this particular topic because I believe in the importance of overcoming ones fears, especially in the workplace. Being afraid is a normal human experience but people should not let this feeling limit them on the things that the should be experiencing because they might be missing out on something great like a

Song of Lawino Poem by Okot pBitek

Song of Lawino Poem by Okot pBitek In Song of Lawino, by Okot pbitek, the main theme revolves around Lawino attacking Ocol, her husband who had left her for a modern woman, and his ways while praising her own culture. She is a proud and traditional Acoli woman who holds a certain disregard for the western culture that her educated husband had fallen into. A lot throughout the novel, she keeps on cursing Ocol and making a racket and din about all his misdeeds. She also launches an attack on Clementine, Ocols new westernized, educated wife. Now, whether or not she had a solid case for acting so strongly against Ocol and Tina is what we shall be looking at in this essay. And that she looks sickly and is a piteous sight. These unprovoked accusations will be considered as jealousy by many especially since Lawino admits I do not deny, I am a little jealous, which I consider a huge understatement since Lawinos hate which is evident in the second chapter is proof that she is in fact very jealous of Tinas influence over Ocol. However, how much ever Lawino is jealous of Tina, she absolutely does not have a case since this cannot justify any misdoing on Ocols part because polygamy was a common thing at that time and Ocol had every right to marry Tina. And Lawinos jealousy was not acceptable evidence against Ocol. Some may say that Lawino expressed more than jealousy and was actually defending her rich African culture, but she did, however, do it at the cost of degrading the western culture. Nevertheless, he does his role well, and goes to many lengths saying that the local congress party was against Catholics (the faith Ocol believes in). This, apart from creating a bad will for him among people, also causes conflicts within his own family. We see that, Ocols brother was the leader of the congress party, the arch-enemy of the Democratic Party that Ocol leads. This causes Ocol to become bitter and turn the whole issue personal. He says that his brother wants to kill him and he also forbids Lawino to visit her husband in laws house and indeed orders her not to even talk to them. It was once said by a great man called Vivekananda that when a man has begun to feel ashamed of his ancestors, the end has come. This is exactly what Ocol does. In this case, I feel that Ocol was being too unacceptable. Although Ocol is against his brother politically, I think making the issue personal was a stupid thing to do. He was in fact blowing up the matter to something big. Lawino, who in this case was being very thoughtful, realizes that these two men were doing senseless. After all, the main aim of the parties was supposed to be national unity and now the war leaders are tightly locked in bloody feuds, eating each others livers and she correctly notices that ignorance stands there like an elephant. In the chapter seven, where it says there is no fixed time for breast-feeding, Lawino has something more to her favor. Ocols obsession over time is a debatable issue. Yes, in modern times, people would agree with Ocol that time should not be wasted and so it must be used to its full potential. However, I feel that Ocol is taking the issue of time too far by wanting to keep fixed time for every little thing in the house. Lawino says; For such a case, I think Lawino does again have a point. Its perfectly sensible to breastfeed when there is a need to. So, Ocols heaps of abuse on Lawinos illiteracy for not knowing time is just plain unacceptable. He neednt insist everything in their house happen on time when the Acolis have managed their priorities for years by simply following the suns movement and the roosters crow. Until now, Lawino mostly did have a solid case in many things that she was saying. However, the rest of what she says is, in my viewpoint, a matter of opinion and so it will not hold a solid case against Ocol. She laments about Ocols decision to follow the western culture instead, but lawfully, there was nothing wrong with that. Ocol had every right to follow the way of life that he wants by all means. Being university educated may have changed his way of thinking and caused him to want to westernize. Lawinos accusations of him of being a traitor to his traditions may have been culturally correct, but definitely not strong enough to sue him. Some may say that Lawino was in fact being irrational as she was trying to impose her culture on Ocol, without letting him be. And he also goes in to regret why was I born Black? Ocol tries his hardest to deny the African blood in him and he wants to assimilate into the white peoples culture instead. This is not acceptable because if he has the right to enjoy his ways, then Lawino does too. So, we can say that in this particular matter, both Lawino and Ocol are at fault. The above argument, apart from referring to culture, is also applicable to the differing religious faith that the two follow. Agreed, Lawino does not think much of the hunchback or the clean ghost and neither does Ocol of Lawinos traditional African religion where he says we will smash / the taboos / one by one / explode the basis / of every superstition / we will uproot / every sacred tree/ and demolish every ancestral / shrine. Hence the two should have learnt to co-exist with each other rather than squabble endlessly other their faiths. So, in conclusion, after evaluating the cases of both Lawino and Ocol, I deduce that Lawinos case is stronger than Ocols. Seeing that Lawino has been more of a victim under Ocols hands than Ocol under the white mens, as seen in the argument given above, Lawino does indeed have a proper case against Ocol. Although Lawino had a small part to do with it, her marital tribulations have been highly unstable mainly because of Ocols foolish attitude and his senseless actions.

Its Time to End Poverty in America Essay -- Break the Cycle of Povert

For those who live an impoverished life, it is difficult to participate in society. They are left behind in our cultural movement because they lack the necessities to be on an equal level with the rest of society. Because the poor cannot get their basic needs for life, they cannot improve their well-being; therefore, our society as a whole cannot efficiently move in new directions. As Jo Goodwill Parker states in "What is Poverty," she does not have luxuries. Luxuries of the impoverished are what we would consider our basic needs such as food, water, transportation and shelter. Simply getting adequate food is difficult, but not the main problem for the poor. As Parker states, her children "do not suffer from hunger, [her] seventy-eights dollars keeps [them] alive, but they do suffer from malnutrition" (63). The poor also suffer from a lack of clean water. Their water is often dirty and can not be heated to clean it or to clean anything else properly because of their lack of funds for gas and electricity. Parker must wash the dishes she has "in cold water and no soap ... hot water is a luxury. [She] does not have luxuries" (61). The money for the soap that she cannot afford must be saved for her baby's diapers, and she can not afford to use it for anything else. The poor can not afford soap, nor can they afford transportation, whether it is a car or publi c transportation. Those who are not lucky enough to live in an area with public transportation must find other means to get around. As Parker says, she must find a way to pay her neighbor "one way or another" for the rides to the health clinic (63). For those of us who have easy access to transportation, it is hard to imagine living without a vehicle in our family a... ...ng, then our nation will soon run into the problem that countries like Angola have, where the rich are rich but the poor are barely alive and there is no in between. If our efforts to advance ourselves in science and other areas cannot be put to use to improve the well-being of everyone living on our country and make a difference, then we need to change them. Poverty is a problem throughout the nation, and we must do something to correct it. The United States government and its citizens must focus its efforts to prevent and stop poverty in order to keep it from being a wide spread epidemic. Works Cited Awalt, Chistopher L. "Brother, Don't Spare a Dime" Dubuclet and Polster 66-68. Dubuclet, Mallory, and Kristen Polster, eds. The Mercury Reader. Dallas: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2004. Parker, Jo Goodwin. "What is Poverty?" Dubuclet and Polster 60-64.

Technology Knowledge :: essays research papers

Technology: Knowledge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My definition of technology would be something that one possesses that helps to make their life easier. Knowledge would be one of those factors that have been made easier to access. Not merely knowledge, but certain things such as computer/internet access, calculators, television and so forth that help one to be more aware of these conveniences. American Samoa has been blessed to witness parts of this â€Å"technological revolution†. There are many things affected by technology, however, I will be basing this paper on the conveniences that we deem as necessary to continue an education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After discussing the best parts of technology with Timoteo Tali, I talked with Tu’umasina Tui about what one’s life was most like without technology. In comparing my notes, I find that technology is a great thing, yet at the same time Anapogi Young and I realize that there are many downfalls to the numerous things that help make school and work, among various things, much more accessible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Examples of how technology affects us in a positive way are the computer programs, Internet access, television shows, and also calculators that make it easier for one to learn. I’ve seen the benefit of having television programs such as Sesame Street, Barney, and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. I realize now, that though I was probably just enjoying the program, I was also learning from it. As I matured, so did the programs that I watched, but nonetheless, I was still learning and at the same time, having fun doing so. I am glad to have had such technological devices to help me throughout school and life. Another device would be the computer. There are computer programs and games that help you learn without really knowing you are. And then there’s Internet access that gives you information to practically anything you need. â€Å"You’ve got the world at your fingertips†, is a quote that I’ve heard many times. You’re able to research any topic at any time from the private comfort of your home; you can also e-mail assignments to your teachers. Now, there are also classes you can take online without going to school, another benefit. Another major device would be the calculator. In my discussion with Tu’u, I realize that it must have been quite difficult to solve certain math problems without the use of a calculator. The calculator is one’s best friend in a math class; it has values such as sine or logarithm that would be quite hard to calculate by hand due to the amount of time of the class.

ISO 9000 and SEARS Quality Management System Essay

What issues do you think that a large company such as sears had to face in implementing ISO 9000 across its vast organization? Implementing ISO 9000 is not an easy task. The ISO 9000 standards originally were intended to be advisory in nature and to be used for two-party contractual situations and for internal auditing. Rather than a supplier being audited for compliance to the standards by each customer, the registrar certifies the company, and this certification is accepted by all of the supplier’s customers. Using ISO 9000 as a basis for a quality system can improve productivity, decrease costs, and increase customer satisfaction. It also have resulted in increased use of data as a business management tool, increased management commitment. As Sears is concerned after an eight year effort, the company registered its product repairs centers and in-home services quality management system to ISO 9001. The original ISO 9000:1994 only required that the organization have a documented, verifiable process in place to ensure that it consistently produces what it says it will. ISO 9000- focuses on Fundamental and vocabulary. This document provides fundamental background information and establishes definition of key terms used in the standards. How are the ISO 9000:2000 Quality management principles reflected in this example? How might these principles have helped sears address the issues you identified in the first question? Is a response to the widespread dissatisfaction that resulted from the old standards. The new standards have a completely new structure, based on eight principles – â€Å"comprehensive and fundamental rules or beliefs for leading and operating an organization† that reflect the basic principles of total quality. These eight principles were voted on, and overwhelmingly approved, at a conference in 1997 attended by 36 representatives of countries that have delegates in the TC 176 committee, charged with the responsibilities of revising the ISO 9000 standards. The eight principles consisted: customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, system approach to management, continual improvement, factual approach to decision making, mutually beneficial supplier relationships. This standard focuses on developing, documenting,  and implementing procedures to ensure consistency of operations and performance in production and service delivery processes, with the aim of continual improvement, and supported by fundamental principles of total quality.

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay

Is there such thing as secret of finding meaning in life? That might some what answers me base on certain articles that I just read and as well as the video that amazed me while viewing. This first article defines life and it’s meaning which is â€Å"Meaning in Life [live the life that you want]† by Albert S. Wang, written on November 19, 1997. This article, questions you if you are really contented and happy of what you have and if this is really the life that you wanted. It is said in here that to be able to live a life that you want and to put a meaning on it; you must first know yourself from within because this makes you know of who you are, second is know where you want to go for it gives you direction in finding your happiness. These things are beginning of having a meaningful life. To find the meaning of your life, you must find it with action not just by waiting for it to come and you can also find this meaning in life not just in distant place but mostly it is found near you. Putting a meaning in your life is all about the choices and decisions that you made on where you want to go. Just live your will and you’ll see that each day you will grow in having a meaningful life. The second article that touches me is entitled â€Å"So What Will Matter? † sent by Leandro G. Cruz and shared by Joe Gatuslao of Bacolod City, Philippines. Its original title is A Life That Matters. This article is so inspiring because it stresses that all that you have got starting from yourself just like beauty, fame, wealth and all other things that you have are just in vain because these things are not forever yours, these are just passing things and you cannot bring these things when you leave earth but what really matters are the thing that you made that others will remember you of your goodness, the things that you gave not just in material aspects but in all, living your life with significance, teaching others and set yourself as an example to them. All of these things are living a life that matters. This third article has an unknown author which entitles â€Å"A Purpose†. The article speaks that all of us who are created by God has a unique and significant purpose. Each of us is given a chance to find our designated purposes but you must wait when the right time comes because God has set it for you at a time when you are equipped and ready. Most of the time you’ll experience the roughness of life but don’t be dismayed because there is always a helping hand that will take care of you, which is God who never leaves you. Just stay at the right path and do good deeds for in the end you will find your own way to the pearly white gate. The next article is the one that I liked most which is â€Å"The Journey of Our Life† shared again by Joe Gatuslao from Bacolod City, Philippines. This article actually tells a story about the Emperor who owned a huge land and he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered. The horseman did not stop riding and whipping the horse because he wanted to cover as much area as possible. Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, â€Å"Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself. † This story is really similar with the journey of our life because most of us are always striving for richness, properties, possessions, power etc. So we work harder and harder until we come to realized that all of these things are not necessary for living a happy and meaningful life; we must balance our way of living so that we could not missed something in life that might happen once. The next thing that I am going to share is all about the video clip that I watched; it’s about an old woman at the age of 47 and her name is Susan Boyle who joined in a certain show that searches for extraordinary talents namely Britain’s Got Talent. During her performance, a big shock was made by Susan because at the beginning when she first introduced herself, everybody was against her like they are judging Susan of joining the show where she looks like so ordinary and nothing to show up but when she start on singing all where stunned by her angelic voice and they gave her a standing ovation but most importantly the three big yes from the strict juries. This gives us an insight that we must not judge the person’s appearance because you’ll never know what’s the biggest surprise that comes from within. God created us with equal gifts and we must use this as an inspiration to others. This last article is a prayer entitled as â€Å"Mere Possessions†. It’s all about the prayer of a woman who asked a help from the Lord, asking that she might not put much stock in possessions because things don’t last and you cannot bring all of these things when you leave earth. That we come into the world with nothing, we leave with nothing. Having a meaningful life is about your choices and decisions that were made; just make sure you have chosen the right path because if you do then you’ll end walking along the pearly white gate and that is the fulfillment of having a meaningful life. There is really no such thing as a secret of finding a meaning in life; it’s just you who will make it meaningful by doing what is right and just; live happy and be happy all the time because life is just too short, you might missed something so let’s make the most of it. Public education, it can be argued, shapes society, instils social mores and indoctrinates the impressionable with those philosophies the elites value. This essay will focus upon three main areas intrinsic to the education system. These are the social reproduction of ideas, the life chances created and instilled through education, and the socialisation of the individuals undergoing the educational process. Two main sociological perspectives that are useful when studying the education system are Functionalism and Critical Theory, because they focus on macro issues and social structures more than the interactionist perspective. Functionalists believe that the school system is an agent of social reproduction, which operates to reproduce well integrated, fully functioning members of society (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 114). Critical theorists, conversely, hold that education is the most effective mechanism for promoting social change and for giving opportunities to less privileged groups so that they can advance their social standing. However, education usually reproduces existing social divisions, maintaining the relative disadvantage of certain groups (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 106). Munro (1994: 108) describes the different approaches by stating that, â€Å"functionalists tend to see education as synonymous with socialisation, while a conflict theorist is inclined to view education as ideological- that is, reflecting the interests of particular groups. † Functionalists hold that the major institution for social reproduction is the education system, whereas, from a critical perspective, teachers, who oversee this reproduction, have been made into administrators of programs that provide â€Å"manpower capitalisation† through planned and directed behavioural changes (Illich, 1973: 327). Illich (1973: 327) comments, from a critical perspective, that teaching and learning remain sacred activities separate and estranged from a fulfilling life. This is because the things being taught do not line up with the necessary knowledge needed for life outside of education, and that â€Å"learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen† (Illich, 1973: 324). This means that the knowledge provided is set to a secret agenda. The learning process, which supposedly passes on the values and mores necessary in society to students, is not, however, meeting these needs effectively. Relevant information, that is, knowledge, which will add skills to the labour market, is becoming less practical and more theoretical, expanding the gap between study and work. Regardless of this, employers and social elites have attempted to use the schools for the reproduction of compliant workers (Davis, 1999: 65). This double standard has been discussed in a best selling song, ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd (1978) in which they stated that the reproduction received through the school system was set to a hidden agenda, and that society would be better off without it. Drucker (1973: 236) equates the influx of educated people to the potential for producing wealth in any given country. By stating this, educational socialisation and the development of educated people is the most important function education can have. He goes on to state that while this may be the case today, throughout history, being uneducated provided the wealth of a given nation, due to the class differences, and that education was for the rich and idle while the work was performed by the illiterate. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of moveable type in the 17th Century (Drucker, 1973: 232). The moveable type meant that education could be performed at a reduced rate, and words became a commodity that was necessary for improving the quality of the labour force. Education is purported to provide the best possible life chances for its graduates, yet in reality, in many ways education diminishes these chances. Heinz (1987: 132) points out that the life chances of graduates are in a state of flux, that when the labour market is depressed and work is difficult to find, then young people will opt for more education as a means of delaying their entry into a tight work force. â€Å"The school then takes on the function of a warehouse; it is a place to mark time. At the same time school acts as a socio-political instrument for reducing social and political conflict, and this function gains predominance over its main function of educating young people. † In many cases the academic credentials earned are unnecessary for working-class jobs (Furlong and Cartmel, 1999: 12), which changes the focus of education, making it oppressive and irrelevant (Davis, 1999: 83). Heinz (1987: 131) states â€Å"secondary school-leavers face a worsening outlook when they want to start in working life, and joining a preparatory program is increasingly becoming the only alternative to unemployment. † There are a growing number of young people who are finding it harder to find a place, whose prospects on the labour market are poor, being qualified but underemployed, or drifting between unemployment and occasional jobs (Heinz, 1987: 131). This increases social inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. By acting as a warehouse education is not preparing students for life but rather crippling their life chances. The alternative to this are to reassess the curricula and teaching methods, reintegrating skilled workers into vocational education, ensuring that knowledge will be of direct benefit to graduates in obtaining a place within the work force. There are fewer and fewer opportunities becoming available, and school leavers have to undergo more and more relevant vocational training. However, fewer school-leavers are able to go directly into the vocational training they want. Heinz (1987: 130) noted a growing trend 16 years ago that â€Å"Depending on the region, only between one-third and one-half of these school leavers succeed in getting a training place†, and in 1994 Munro (1994: 109) observed that the â€Å"school-to-work transition† had failed which had major ramifications for everyone involved, causing â€Å"underemployment of school leavers† (Munro, 1994: 116). The seriousness of this trend is made even more apparent by the fact that school-leavers are even ready to enter apprenticeships that lead them into dead-end occupations (Heinz, 1987: 129). Drucker (1973: 232) however, states that while this may be so, to be â€Å"uneducated is an economic liability and is unproductive,† even though education is producing an â€Å"unemployable, overeducated proletariat. † (Drucker, 1973: 233) According to Mehan (1973: 240) education is a â€Å"major socialisation agency,† which moulds the individual’s self-concepts into a socially accepted format, allowing each individual to be slotted into a specific function (Sargent, 1994: 240). Sargent (1994: 240) points out that in the function of education â€Å"values are essentially involved† and are taught beside worldly knowledge. However, this knowledge interprets the world, but does not necessarily correspond with any external state (Sargent, 1994: 232). The transmission of knowledge, skills and values, helps to sort and rank individuals, that they might be better placed in the labour market (Munro, 1994: 96). This raises a paradox, however, where education is seen by many as the best possible means of achieving greater equality in society (Sargent, 1994: 233), yet it categorises the graduates into job specifications, personality types and the opportunities granted to each. Sargent (1994: 231) furthers this thought by explaining that the education system is an integral part of determining position and power in our society (Sargent, 1994: 231), and that through education the class structures are compounded, making it more difficult for those in the working classes from advancing in the social hierarchy. The education institution both absorbs and perpetuates the ideology, â€Å"masquerading as ‘knowledge’, which legitimises inequality† (Sargent, 1994: 231). Regardless of the inequalities produced, it has become the â€Å"absolute prerequisite of social and economic development in our world† to have a highly educated pool of people ready for the labour market (Drucker, 1973: 232). In conclusion, the failure of the education system to reduce social inequality and produce better workers, raises serious doubts as to its effectiveness. Life chances created through education appear to be diminishing, despite the extension of education. The knowledge taught seems to be ineffective in preparing students to cope with life. Functionalists need to reassess the structure of education, as it loses its ability to effectively provide for graduates, becoming dysfunctional in its goals to remove inequality and give a head start to people entering the work force. When looking at the education system, it is necessary to ask if the cost spent on educating people is being effectively used, considering the increasing number of educated poor. The gap between knowledge taught and life experience needs to be bridged, for education to effectively function. If, as it appears, schools are to socialise and reproduce effective and functioning members of society, the curricula has to be addressed. Bibliography Davis, Nanette J. (1999). Youth Crisis: Growing up in the High Risk Society. Praeger Publications, Westport Drucker, Peter F. (1973). ‘The Educational Revolution’, Social Change: Sources, Patterns, and Consequences (2nd ed) Amitai Etzioni and Eva Etzioni-Halevy (Eds). Basic Books Inc. , New York. pp 232 – 238 Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (1997). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham Heinz, Walter R. (1987). ‘The Transition from School to Work in Crisis: Coping with Threatening Unemployment’, Journal of Adolescent Research (Vol 2). pp 127 – 141 Illich, Ivan (1973). ‘The Breakdown of Schools: A Problem or a Symptom’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 311 – 336 Mehan, Hugh (1973). ‘Assessing Children’s School Performance’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 240 – 264 Munro, Lyle (1994). ‘Education’, Society and Change: A Sociological Introduction to Contemporary Australia Brian Furze and Christine Stafford (Eds). Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd. , South Melbourne. pp 96 – 128 Pink Floyd (1978) ‘The Wall’, The Wall. Mushroom Records, California. Sargent, Margaret (1994). ‘Education – for equality? employment? emancipation? ‘, The New Sociology for Australians. Longman Cheshire Pty. Ltd. , Melbourne. pp 231 – 256 Webb, J. , Schirato, T. and Danaher, G. (2002). ‘Bourdieu and Secondary Schools’, Understanding Bourdieu pp 105 – 106 (Reprinted in Sociological Reflections on Everyday Life: GSC 1201 Reader). Allen and Unwin, Sydney. pp 227 – 238.